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Melnikov Bratva #1
Paved in Blood
I’ll walk through hell to be with him,
Even if the path is paved in blood.
Roman Melnikov is a deadly man in an expensive suit.
But I know what lies beneath the façade—the scars and tattoos that hint at the man he really is.
He came here to find his sister, and his search leads him to my dad and his friends.
We both want to take them down,
and the only way to do that is together.
I had no idea how dangerous it would be,
or that by the end of it, we’d all be covered in blood.
Loving Roman is dangerous,
but I can’t let him go.
His path is leading him straight to hell,
and it looks like I’m coming along for the ride.
This is the first book in a 5-book series. Each book will feature a different brother, and although each love story will be complete, the storyline started in this book will not be completed until book 5. These books should be read in order.
This is a dark mafia romance and it does contain elements that may be disturbing to sensitive readers.
Even if the path is paved in blood.
Roman Melnikov is a deadly man in an expensive suit.
But I know what lies beneath the façade—the scars and tattoos that hint at the man he really is.
He came here to find his sister, and his search leads him to my dad and his friends.
We both want to take them down,
and the only way to do that is together.
I had no idea how dangerous it would be,
or that by the end of it, we’d all be covered in blood.
Loving Roman is dangerous,
but I can’t let him go.
His path is leading him straight to hell,
and it looks like I’m coming along for the ride.
This is the first book in a 5-book series. Each book will feature a different brother, and although each love story will be complete, the storyline started in this book will not be completed until book 5. These books should be read in order.
This is a dark mafia romance and it does contain elements that may be disturbing to sensitive readers.
280 pages, Paperback
Published July 29, 2023
1696 people are currently reading
4404 people want to read
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August 13, 2023
🌟Brief Summary:
4.5 stars
I wish this author would do audio. It would be my crack if she did.
The first in a new series
The Melnikov Brothers (brothers by choice) grew up in Moscow and each had their fair share of a tragic upbringing which forged their bond. As they grew up they took over the Bratva in their territory but when Romans sister Alina is sold into sex trafficking they move to an america to find her.
As they follow the trail the take over more territory and buy into strip clubs that they think will open up the right contacts to finding Alina.
Roman is attending a fundraiser for the mayor who he believes in involved in sex trafficking. There he meets the mayors daughter Emily who is also trying to dig up the dirt on her dad. They have an instant connection and eventually work together to find out what her father is involved in.
‼️ Opinion‼️:
-I really enjoyed this mafia story. It has heart and mystery with Alina’s disappearance. I liked the 2 worlds collide trope. 2 people who wouldn’t have even met found their other half in a setting that was dangerous and tragic.
-You can expect a Safe but also dark mafia read where the hero is all about the h once he meets her. It’s syrupy sweet ♥️ which I love.
‼️Side note: I would NEVER READ Vitaly or Levs books cause all they did in this book is hookup with woman. I mean hearing moans from their sex adventures in a wedding dress shop and hear them talking about their love for sex with strippers is off putting. When they get their book that’s all I will remember. I don’t find that attractive since you know their h will be a V.
Things I Liked/Loved
-‼️I love how Roman shuts down HARD every woman who hits on him. This is exactly how ALL H should be in every book‼️
“Can I help you with anything?” “No,” I tell her, hoping she’ll take the hint and leave.
“Want me to model anything for you?” Now I’m just pissed. “Did you see me walk in with my girlfriend?” She gives another soft laugh. “I won’t tell if you won’t.” “Back the fuck off,” I growl at her “You should’ve done your damn job and asked my girlfriend if she needed help while you saw her shopping, but instead you wait until she’s in the dressing room and then try to hit on me. Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
She puts a hand on her hip and glares at me. “You don’t have to be so rude.” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Rude is hitting on me with my girlfriend right through those doors,” I say, pointing at the dressing room. “That’s fucking rude. Assuming I’m an asshole who would cheat on her, that’s also rude.” I wave my hand at her, annoyed and ready for her to disappear. “Get the fuck out of here.”
-I loved how sweet Roman was 💕 he was OTT protective of Emily but also so gentle with her. He was so swoon!
-♥️I LOVE LOVE LOVE when we get to see how the h is so very different from all the past woman.
-I love a relationship based mafia book that is mostly safe🥰
-Although he was not a V she did get all his intimate firsts! ❤️🔥
-Sleeping in his or any bed
-Bringing a woman home
-Only woman to even ♥️ LOVE or have ANY FEELING FOR
-Bathing together
-Making love and having intimacy during sex.
-Cuddling and aftercare 💕
-Basically all the frills of a REAL RELATIONSHIP not just sex.
-TOUCH HER AND DIE
Things I Did Not Like
-Why is the mayors daughter waitressing? She is 20 she should be in college or at least have higher goals. she had no motivation or goals and as concerned as her parents were about their status I guarantee they would have made sure she had a top notch education. Made no sense🙄
-I 😡 hated all the stripper stuff. While I get why it needed to be there it’s a trigger for me.
-🙄I HATED HEARING ABOUT PAST SEX W OW AND WHAT A SLUT HE WAS! I mean I liked hearing how the h was different BUT I just don’t need the constant reminder of his past.
-Could have used a bit more story. It was a good storyline but I wanted more. And since it’s a continuation into the others boys books and I don’t want to read the other man sluts books I might be left hanging.
🦹🏻♂️ Hero:
Roman 26yrs old Bratva boss
🦸♀️ Heroine:
Emily 20yr old daughter to the mayor she’s goes some guys and sass.
“How they treat their whores isn’t how they treat their wives.” “Well, that’s a huge comfort, Mom. Thank you. Maybe one day I’ll have that little gem stenciled onto the wall above my headboard, just for some daily inspiration.”
💭 POV:
Multiple first person about 300pg book
🔥 Burn Rate:
Med first sexual encounter not sex at 30%
Full sex at 50% 🔥❤️🔥🔥❤️🔥🔥
This can be classified as Mafia Smut 😅
😡/😍 Angst level:
Medium
❤️🔥 Sexy times & Descriptive sex:
Yes 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 and we get after care to.
This is a hot read
🌓 Push/Pull:
None
☠️ OW/OM Drama:
Ok STRIPPERS GALORE! They are mafia men so strippers go hand in hand 🙄. Their sister was sold into sex trafficking so they frequent and set up place that will help them find her and shut down these sex traffickers.
THEY DIDNT BOTHER ME CAUSE WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING IN IN H MIND!
They own and frequent many strip clubs. Some of the guys indulge more than others.
‼️I won’t want to read Vitaly book🤮 he is gross.
-Here the H (Roman) does NOT indulge anymore…. Really🤷🏼♀️? He use to but it lost it appeal.
-OW1- they are in a meeting trying to get info(undercover) The boss brings strippers for them and give them lap dances. NONE OF THE MEN WANT TO HAVE A LAP DANCE HERE. Cause the woman are being forced.
Roman- DEFINITELY DOES NOT want this but they have to keep the ruse 🙄.
Stripper gets on his lap and grinds he does NOT TOUCH HER OR ENJOY IT. In his POV he says he feels guilt cause Emily keeps popping up in his mind. He DOES NOT GET HARD. And he just wants it to be over.
Emily of course happens to be there to do her own snooping and she sees him. He immediately pushes stripper off him and goes after her.
At this point they only just met once and had a sweet night where he took care of her and they had an immediate connection but they HAD NOT KISSED OR TOUCHED YET.
⁉️Does this need to be here? Nope cause any stripper lap dances DO NOT NEED TO BE IN A ROMANCE forced or not. But at least it’s clear he doesn’t touch her OR want it. So I guess it is what it is🤷🏼♀️.
-This same stripper develops a obsession for the H and cause problems
-OWD general - h mom (and OW through the book) keeps making advances at him but he shuts them down fast!
I shove her hand off me and push her aside. “Don’t fucking touch me.” Her eyes widen in surprise at my angry tone. She takes a step back when she sees how pissed I am. “If you weren’t Emily’s mother, I’d cut your fucking collagen-stuffed lips off your goddamn face and throw your ass over this boat for the sharks to eat.”
-OMD- a man her parent want her to marry keeps making creepy advances and comments… H shits it down and unalives 🔫him.
🤮 OW/OM Sex / Fluid or DNA Exchange:
None
🤬 Cheating:
None
👰🏼♀️ Virgins:
-Emily is a virgin
-Roman is VERY experienced and No info on how long it’s been since his last encounter. He said ….he has fucked more woman than he can remember…. So manwhore-ish. He was a fuck them and chuck them.
💕He always talks about how things with the h is diff from his past sex. I like that she gets all his intimate firsts.
⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup: nope
Safety⚠️Triggers🗡️:
-Lots of scenes a strip clubs scenes
-Sex trafficking
-Atteptes SA of h not from H
-kidnapping
-Murder
-no condom/ No birth control
-No STD or being clean talk!
🌈Epilogue:
Two weeks later so kinda
🥂HEA:
HFN it’s ongoing series but the couple is married and pregnant and forever
❌My opinion is just that… MY OPINION.
I know we all get passionate about our favorite reads and characters but we should respect each opinions a thoughts. ~Thank you
4.5 stars
I wish this author would do audio. It would be my crack if she did.
The first in a new series
The Melnikov Brothers (brothers by choice) grew up in Moscow and each had their fair share of a tragic upbringing which forged their bond. As they grew up they took over the Bratva in their territory but when Romans sister Alina is sold into sex trafficking they move to an america to find her.
As they follow the trail the take over more territory and buy into strip clubs that they think will open up the right contacts to finding Alina.
Roman is attending a fundraiser for the mayor who he believes in involved in sex trafficking. There he meets the mayors daughter Emily who is also trying to dig up the dirt on her dad. They have an instant connection and eventually work together to find out what her father is involved in.
‼️ Opinion‼️:
-I really enjoyed this mafia story. It has heart and mystery with Alina’s disappearance. I liked the 2 worlds collide trope. 2 people who wouldn’t have even met found their other half in a setting that was dangerous and tragic.
-You can expect a Safe but also dark mafia read where the hero is all about the h once he meets her. It’s syrupy sweet ♥️ which I love.
‼️Side note: I would NEVER READ Vitaly or Levs books cause all they did in this book is hookup with woman. I mean hearing moans from their sex adventures in a wedding dress shop and hear them talking about their love for sex with strippers is off putting. When they get their book that’s all I will remember. I don’t find that attractive since you know their h will be a V.
Things I Liked/Loved
-‼️I love how Roman shuts down HARD every woman who hits on him. This is exactly how ALL H should be in every book‼️
“Can I help you with anything?” “No,” I tell her, hoping she’ll take the hint and leave.
“Want me to model anything for you?” Now I’m just pissed. “Did you see me walk in with my girlfriend?” She gives another soft laugh. “I won’t tell if you won’t.” “Back the fuck off,” I growl at her “You should’ve done your damn job and asked my girlfriend if she needed help while you saw her shopping, but instead you wait until she’s in the dressing room and then try to hit on me. Are you fucking kidding me right now?”
She puts a hand on her hip and glares at me. “You don’t have to be so rude.” I laugh, but there’s no humor in it. “Rude is hitting on me with my girlfriend right through those doors,” I say, pointing at the dressing room. “That’s fucking rude. Assuming I’m an asshole who would cheat on her, that’s also rude.” I wave my hand at her, annoyed and ready for her to disappear. “Get the fuck out of here.”
-I loved how sweet Roman was 💕 he was OTT protective of Emily but also so gentle with her. He was so swoon!
-♥️I LOVE LOVE LOVE when we get to see how the h is so very different from all the past woman.
-I love a relationship based mafia book that is mostly safe🥰
-Although he was not a V she did get all his intimate firsts! ❤️🔥
-Sleeping in his or any bed
-Bringing a woman home
-Only woman to even ♥️ LOVE or have ANY FEELING FOR
-Bathing together
-Making love and having intimacy during sex.
-Cuddling and aftercare 💕
-Basically all the frills of a REAL RELATIONSHIP not just sex.
-TOUCH HER AND DIE
Things I Did Not Like
-Why is the mayors daughter waitressing? She is 20 she should be in college or at least have higher goals. she had no motivation or goals and as concerned as her parents were about their status I guarantee they would have made sure she had a top notch education. Made no sense🙄
-I 😡 hated all the stripper stuff. While I get why it needed to be there it’s a trigger for me.
-🙄I HATED HEARING ABOUT PAST SEX W OW AND WHAT A SLUT HE WAS! I mean I liked hearing how the h was different BUT I just don’t need the constant reminder of his past.
-Could have used a bit more story. It was a good storyline but I wanted more. And since it’s a continuation into the others boys books and I don’t want to read the other man sluts books I might be left hanging.
🦹🏻♂️ Hero:
Roman 26yrs old Bratva boss
🦸♀️ Heroine:
Emily 20yr old daughter to the mayor she’s goes some guys and sass.
“How they treat their whores isn’t how they treat their wives.” “Well, that’s a huge comfort, Mom. Thank you. Maybe one day I’ll have that little gem stenciled onto the wall above my headboard, just for some daily inspiration.”
💭 POV:
Multiple first person about 300pg book
🔥 Burn Rate:
Med first sexual encounter not sex at 30%
Full sex at 50% 🔥❤️🔥🔥❤️🔥🔥
This can be classified as Mafia Smut 😅
😡/😍 Angst level:
Medium
❤️🔥 Sexy times & Descriptive sex:
Yes 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥 and we get after care to.
This is a hot read
🌓 Push/Pull:
None
☠️ OW/OM Drama:
Ok STRIPPERS GALORE! They are mafia men so strippers go hand in hand 🙄. Their sister was sold into sex trafficking so they frequent and set up place that will help them find her and shut down these sex traffickers.
THEY DIDNT BOTHER ME CAUSE WE KNEW WHAT WAS GOING IN IN H MIND!
They own and frequent many strip clubs. Some of the guys indulge more than others.
‼️I won’t want to read Vitaly book🤮 he is gross.
-Here the H (Roman) does NOT indulge anymore…. Really🤷🏼♀️? He use to but it lost it appeal.
-OW1- they are in a meeting trying to get info(undercover) The boss brings strippers for them and give them lap dances. NONE OF THE MEN WANT TO HAVE A LAP DANCE HERE. Cause the woman are being forced.
Roman- DEFINITELY DOES NOT want this but they have to keep the ruse 🙄.
Stripper gets on his lap and grinds he does NOT TOUCH HER OR ENJOY IT. In his POV he says he feels guilt cause Emily keeps popping up in his mind. He DOES NOT GET HARD. And he just wants it to be over.
Emily of course happens to be there to do her own snooping and she sees him. He immediately pushes stripper off him and goes after her.
At this point they only just met once and had a sweet night where he took care of her and they had an immediate connection but they HAD NOT KISSED OR TOUCHED YET.
⁉️Does this need to be here? Nope cause any stripper lap dances DO NOT NEED TO BE IN A ROMANCE forced or not. But at least it’s clear he doesn’t touch her OR want it. So I guess it is what it is🤷🏼♀️.
-This same stripper develops a obsession for the H and cause problems
-OWD general - h mom (and OW through the book) keeps making advances at him but he shuts them down fast!
I shove her hand off me and push her aside. “Don’t fucking touch me.” Her eyes widen in surprise at my angry tone. She takes a step back when she sees how pissed I am. “If you weren’t Emily’s mother, I’d cut your fucking collagen-stuffed lips off your goddamn face and throw your ass over this boat for the sharks to eat.”
-OMD- a man her parent want her to marry keeps making creepy advances and comments… H shits it down and unalives 🔫him.
🤮 OW/OM Sex / Fluid or DNA Exchange:
None
🤬 Cheating:
None
👰🏼♀️ Virgins:
-Emily is a virgin
-Roman is VERY experienced and No info on how long it’s been since his last encounter. He said ….he has fucked more woman than he can remember…. So manwhore-ish. He was a fuck them and chuck them.
💕He always talks about how things with the h is diff from his past sex. I like that she gets all his intimate firsts.
⛈️Separation/ 3rd Act Breakup: nope
Safety⚠️Triggers🗡️:
-Lots of scenes a strip clubs scenes
-Sex trafficking
-Atteptes SA of h not from H
-kidnapping
-Murder
-no condom/ No birth control
-No STD or being clean talk!
🌈Epilogue:
Two weeks later so kinda
🥂HEA:
HFN it’s ongoing series but the couple is married and pregnant and forever
❌My opinion is just that… MY OPINION.
I know we all get passionate about our favorite reads and characters but we should respect each opinions a thoughts. ~Thank you
February 17, 2025
5/5
OLD REVIEW, DOING A REREAD OF THE SERIES:
TROPES:
~Bratva/mafia
~touch her and die
~good girl/bad boy
~found family
~strangers to lovers
Wow, this book blew me away. I was expecting your standard mafia romance but I got so much more. Roman is 26. He's worked since he was 15, building up the Melnikov Bratva with his brothers. A year ago, his sister went missing. Since then, him and his brothers have been hunting down every sex trafficking ring they can find in America to find her.
Emily is 20. She despises her family, especially her father because she knows he's into sketchy stuff. She decides to take it upon herself to figure out what's going on and fix it. When Emily and Roman meet, sparks fly immediately. The sexual tension between them had me MELTING! There's some secrets, lots of spice, and a plot that had me staying up late to finish this book. I really enjoyed it, and I CAN'T WAIT to read the books about Roman's brothers!! <3
OLD REVIEW, DOING A REREAD OF THE SERIES:
TROPES:
~Bratva/mafia
~touch her and die
~good girl/bad boy
~found family
~strangers to lovers
Wow, this book blew me away. I was expecting your standard mafia romance but I got so much more. Roman is 26. He's worked since he was 15, building up the Melnikov Bratva with his brothers. A year ago, his sister went missing. Since then, him and his brothers have been hunting down every sex trafficking ring they can find in America to find her.
Emily is 20. She despises her family, especially her father because she knows he's into sketchy stuff. She decides to take it upon herself to figure out what's going on and fix it. When Emily and Roman meet, sparks fly immediately. The sexual tension between them had me MELTING! There's some secrets, lots of spice, and a plot that had me staying up late to finish this book. I really enjoyed it, and I CAN'T WAIT to read the books about Roman's brothers!! <3
February 25, 2024
Roman and his 4 brothers(by choice) migrated their mafia from Russia to The Us to find his sister, his sister who got subjected to sex trafficking. At the same time, Emily is trying to figure out what fucked up shit her father is involved in.
Emily and Roman learns they work quite well together.
- Dark romance
- Mafia (very unbelievable)
- Morally grey, obsessed, ott hero
- Virgin heroine
- Insta love
CW/TW: Attempted rape, kidnapping, sex trafficking, misogynistic language and views(not from the brothers), violence, murder
I’m not a fan of insta-love (I think it took them three days to say ”I love you”) and while I would have prefered a slower development, it didn’t bother me as much as it usually does. Of course, I reacted to how fast things were going between them and it felt a bit unrealistic but it didn’t feel all that fake or rushed like most books with insta-love do.
“I’m in so much fucking trouble, solnishka.” “Why?”
“Because I’m falling hard for you.[…..]”
31% in.
”I love you,”
50% in.
I enjoyed this book over all. A sweet, quick read. The chapters were too long, it seemed like the author hadn’t caught on properly on when to end a chapter. Dragged a bit at times.
I liked Roman and Emily. Roman does not have eyes for anyone but Emily and he’s a real softie with her. I loved Vitaly, Lev, Matvey and Danil(the brothers), they were funny and protective of Emily. The love between the mc’s were a bit too sickingly sweet for me personally and this could easily have been 50 pages shorter. There were a few too many sex scenes, they got a bit boring and I skimmed through some of it. The plot kept me hooked and I’m definitely going to keep reading this series. This book is part of an interconnected series and we’re given a hfn and a cliffhanger for future books with Roman’s brothers as mc’s.
I did not need to know about the H’s sexual past or see/be told his brothers have sex with anything and anyone. Unnecessary information, thank you.
3 stars
Emily and Roman learns they work quite well together.
- Dark romance
- Mafia (very unbelievable)
- Morally grey, obsessed, ott hero
- Virgin heroine
- Insta love
CW/TW: Attempted rape, kidnapping, sex trafficking, misogynistic language and views(not from the brothers), violence, murder
I’m not a fan of insta-love (I think it took them three days to say ”I love you”) and while I would have prefered a slower development, it didn’t bother me as much as it usually does. Of course, I reacted to how fast things were going between them and it felt a bit unrealistic but it didn’t feel all that fake or rushed like most books with insta-love do.
“I’m in so much fucking trouble, solnishka.” “Why?”
“Because I’m falling hard for you.[…..]”
31% in.
”I love you,”
50% in.
I enjoyed this book over all. A sweet, quick read. The chapters were too long, it seemed like the author hadn’t caught on properly on when to end a chapter. Dragged a bit at times.
I liked Roman and Emily. Roman does not have eyes for anyone but Emily and he’s a real softie with her. I loved Vitaly, Lev, Matvey and Danil(the brothers), they were funny and protective of Emily. The love between the mc’s were a bit too sickingly sweet for me personally and this could easily have been 50 pages shorter. There were a few too many sex scenes, they got a bit boring and I skimmed through some of it. The plot kept me hooked and I’m definitely going to keep reading this series. This book is part of an interconnected series and we’re given a hfn and a cliffhanger for future books with Roman’s brothers as mc’s.
I did not need to know about the H’s sexual past or see/be told his brothers have sex with anything and anyone. Unnecessary information, thank you.
3 stars
September 12, 2024
Okay so like everyone has rated this very highly and I was really looking forward to it after reading the plot. But honestly everything was little too unrealistic for my taste. Like they fall in love by their third meeting and she is okay with him literally changing her house locks and keeping a key for himself. Like don't get me wrong I love myself some dark romances and have enjoyed a few stalker romances but the way everything is completely dismissed as normal just gives me the ick. After a point she just comes across as spineless and stupid.
I still paved through their instant love and trust and all of that, though i wasn't fond of it. It still had some good scenes. But after a point sex was all they did. Like any page I open its just them fucking. Like I love smut but she gets abducted and almost gets raped and the next scene is them having sex. Like dude it was such a traumatic experience and she walks out of it like everything was cupcakes and roses. There isn't one scene afterwards where they talk about her mental state or how she feels about it. It's her consoling the hero over and over again when she came out of a horrifying experience.
In the beginning I was going to read the second one in the series too but now I can't even finish this one and I very very rarely ever stop a book in between. This has disappointed me. This is just my opinion.
That being said I am a writer myself so I know the effort and commitment it takes for someone to work on a book and for it to get published. So I extend my congratulations and best wishes to the author. I do not mean to offend or demean your work, this is just my personal opinion.
I still paved through their instant love and trust and all of that, though i wasn't fond of it. It still had some good scenes. But after a point sex was all they did. Like any page I open its just them fucking. Like I love smut but she gets abducted and almost gets raped and the next scene is them having sex. Like dude it was such a traumatic experience and she walks out of it like everything was cupcakes and roses. There isn't one scene afterwards where they talk about her mental state or how she feels about it. It's her consoling the hero over and over again when she came out of a horrifying experience.
In the beginning I was going to read the second one in the series too but now I can't even finish this one and I very very rarely ever stop a book in between. This has disappointed me. This is just my opinion.
That being said I am a writer myself so I know the effort and commitment it takes for someone to work on a book and for it to get published. So I extend my congratulations and best wishes to the author. I do not mean to offend or demean your work, this is just my personal opinion.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 16, 2023
The beginning was exciting unlike the rest of the book...
Meh.
Meh.
January 12, 2024
MCs:
- Roman, 26
- Emily, 20
Book info:
- Violence / Death
- Attempted SA
- Sex trafficking
- No cheating, third act breakup
- owd (mild)
- HFN (married and pregnant)
This is an okay read; it got me intrigued and curious as to how they're going to find Alina. That's probably the last book. However, I'm not sure how I would get the whole story because I don't think I could stomach reading Lev and Vitaly's books. I'm so over and done with manhoes, but these two are an essential part of the whole plot.
As for this story, it was insta-love, I think, or lust, idk anymore. I don't understand Roman's fascination with Emily, but for some reason she's different from all other women. 🤷♀️ She's a naive 20-year-old virgin who has suspicions about her father, and she decided to work along with Roman and his brothers.
Like I said, it was an instant connection between the MCs. They dropped the love bomb by around 50% and got married after less than two weeks of knowing each other.
I'm just not probably feeling this because of the reminders that Roman has been with many women and that they all mean nothing to him. Or that he's not really a relationship kind of guy but then had a 180 after meeting Emily. It also grossed me out when they did the deed without protection, without talking about STDs or clean status, whatever. It wasn't mentioned how long it has been for him since he slept with someone, and he's a manwhore, so doing it bare is actually irresponsible and stupid. He also knew she was not on BC, probably wanting to knock her up. 🤦♀️
It's maybe a me problem too, but I don't like it when they speak Russian in front of Emily. She doesn't understand the language, and it feels insulting to speak another language when there's an audience that doesn't know it. Well, there are times this is fine with me, especially when they talk crudely about women and fucking around. These men are pigs when it comes to sex and women, and it really pisses me off to read their convos. 😑
Anyway, this is dark but also a cheesefest. Roman has it really bad for Emily. Off to the next book!
- Roman, 26
- Emily, 20
Book info:
- Violence / Death
- Attempted SA
- Sex trafficking
- No cheating, third act breakup
- owd (mild)
- HFN (married and pregnant)
This is an okay read; it got me intrigued and curious as to how they're going to find Alina. That's probably the last book. However, I'm not sure how I would get the whole story because I don't think I could stomach reading Lev and Vitaly's books. I'm so over and done with manhoes, but these two are an essential part of the whole plot.
As for this story, it was insta-love, I think, or lust, idk anymore. I don't understand Roman's fascination with Emily, but for some reason she's different from all other women. 🤷♀️ She's a naive 20-year-old virgin who has suspicions about her father, and she decided to work along with Roman and his brothers.
Like I said, it was an instant connection between the MCs. They dropped the love bomb by around 50% and got married after less than two weeks of knowing each other.
I'm just not probably feeling this because of the reminders that Roman has been with many women and that they all mean nothing to him. Or that he's not really a relationship kind of guy but then had a 180 after meeting Emily. It also grossed me out when they did the deed without protection, without talking about STDs or clean status, whatever. It wasn't mentioned how long it has been for him since he slept with someone, and he's a manwhore, so doing it bare is actually irresponsible and stupid. He also knew she was not on BC, probably wanting to knock her up. 🤦♀️
It's maybe a me problem too, but I don't like it when they speak Russian in front of Emily. She doesn't understand the language, and it feels insulting to speak another language when there's an audience that doesn't know it. Well, there are times this is fine with me, especially when they talk crudely about women and fucking around. These men are pigs when it comes to sex and women, and it really pisses me off to read their convos. 😑
Anyway, this is dark but also a cheesefest. Roman has it really bad for Emily. Off to the next book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 16, 2023
DNF after 30%. The fmc made way too many dumb decisions for me to keep reading.
July 30, 2025
Writing style is very amateur for my own taste- not trying to be mean it’s just the truth
FMC/MMC are very immature. Just overall wasn’t a fan and prob won’t bother reading the other books in the series
FMC/MMC are very immature. Just overall wasn’t a fan and prob won’t bother reading the other books in the series
September 30, 2025
Ok so holy shit.
This FMC is genuinely brain dead and this mmc is a fucking weirdo bro. Literally the first night she meets him she gets absolutely obliterated, so he takes her home and she asks him to stay the night. He’s a random man btw. Then he stays w her while she’s knocked out drunk and he’s just thinking about how much he wants to fuck her the whole night. Romantic. He takes off her shoes for her while she’s sleeping and starts kissing her feet and taking pictures of her??? Lovely. By day 2 these bitches were liteerrallllyyyy already saying I love you. Love bombing final bosses right here. Like ok so hey, what do we even know about each other? Bc I don’t even know anything about the two of you freaks. Every page of this book was her blushing and him talking about how much he loved her innocence… idk how or why I finished this book tbh. By day 5 they were engaged and day 6 they were married! A couple weeks later she was pregnant. My fav love story ever tbh! And I thought the plot would be somewhat decent bc him and his “brothers” were looking for his sister that was kidnapped and trafficked, but they were honestly barely trying to find that girl. Danil was the only one putting in work. With that being said, this whole story felt like it was written by someone that was tripping on acid.
This FMC is genuinely brain dead and this mmc is a fucking weirdo bro. Literally the first night she meets him she gets absolutely obliterated, so he takes her home and she asks him to stay the night. He’s a random man btw. Then he stays w her while she’s knocked out drunk and he’s just thinking about how much he wants to fuck her the whole night. Romantic. He takes off her shoes for her while she’s sleeping and starts kissing her feet and taking pictures of her??? Lovely. By day 2 these bitches were liteerrallllyyyy already saying I love you. Love bombing final bosses right here. Like ok so hey, what do we even know about each other? Bc I don’t even know anything about the two of you freaks. Every page of this book was her blushing and him talking about how much he loved her innocence… idk how or why I finished this book tbh. By day 5 they were engaged and day 6 they were married! A couple weeks later she was pregnant. My fav love story ever tbh! And I thought the plot would be somewhat decent bc him and his “brothers” were looking for his sister that was kidnapped and trafficked, but they were honestly barely trying to find that girl. Danil was the only one putting in work. With that being said, this whole story felt like it was written by someone that was tripping on acid.
February 6, 2025
4 estrellas porque tiene todo lo que se puede pedir de un libro de mafia más o menos corto: hombre obsesionado, nueva familia y final abierto que da pie al resto de hermanos
August 6, 2023
KThis is a new Bratva series by Sonja Grey, and I thoroughly enjoyed this start to what promises to be a very exciting and somewhat darker in content than her prior books, which I have read.
Five young men,all with some form of abuse in their past, rise from the underbelly of Moscow to become a feared Bratva in their country and now come to the US to form their new chapter.
Though they are all non related to each other,they are brothers non the same and are bonded.
Their mission is to find the missing sister of their leader,Roman,the hero of this first book..She has been abducted into sex trafficking ring and they will do everything in their power to bring her back to them.
The heroine is the daughter of the mayor, and he is a suspected criminal in the sex trafficking ring.
Wow,this was a great read for me and somewhat darker in tone than this author's prior books.Their are some triggers relating to the heroine being abducted and sexually molested, but the hero and his brothers gleefully gets their revenge upon the men before anything further happens.
There were some great comedic moments with the brothers,the bridal shop for instance ,which I loved. Their movie nights were a hoot.I love the bond they all shared which included the heroine who they started calling"sister" when she paired up with the hero.
The ongoing arc of the missing sister was sad and to be continued in books to follow and her possible love interest in one of the other " brothers".
Now let's address the sex in this story,there was lots!
I received this ARC from the author and Bookfunnel, and in no way has this influenced my thoughts and comments.
If you're a fan of this author,you will enjoy her latest book,I did!
Five young men,all with some form of abuse in their past, rise from the underbelly of Moscow to become a feared Bratva in their country and now come to the US to form their new chapter.
Though they are all non related to each other,they are brothers non the same and are bonded.
Their mission is to find the missing sister of their leader,Roman,the hero of this first book..She has been abducted into sex trafficking ring and they will do everything in their power to bring her back to them.
The heroine is the daughter of the mayor, and he is a suspected criminal in the sex trafficking ring.
Wow,this was a great read for me and somewhat darker in tone than this author's prior books.Their are some triggers relating to the heroine being abducted and sexually molested, but the hero and his brothers gleefully gets their revenge upon the men before anything further happens.
There were some great comedic moments with the brothers,the bridal shop for instance ,which I loved. Their movie nights were a hoot.I love the bond they all shared which included the heroine who they started calling"sister" when she paired up with the hero.
The ongoing arc of the missing sister was sad and to be continued in books to follow and her possible love interest in one of the other " brothers".
Now let's address the sex in this story,there was lots!
I received this ARC from the author and Bookfunnel, and in no way has this influenced my thoughts and comments.
If you're a fan of this author,you will enjoy her latest book,I did!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 25, 2024
This was 95% smut and 5% plot. They couldn't keep their clothes on for one freaking chapter. Plot: have sex while looking for Alina.
September 26, 2024
This would’ve been so good if they weren’t in love after the first meeting
September 7, 2025
Nada nuevo ni diferente, pero estuvo bien. Curiosamente, Roman se me hace el menos favorito de la serie, es simplemente un personaje soso en una caja de personajes bastante monótonos (Danil es el que sabe usar la computadora, Lev es el que sabe pelear, Vitaly es el que cuenta chistes, Matvey es el protagonista de toda la serie; y Roman es el jefe). Pero vale la pena leerlo como el comienzo de una serie que realmente es mucho más que la suma de sus partes.
Roman y Emily se enamoran al instante (literalmente). Él hará lo que sea necesario para protegerla y mantenerla a salvo; mientras ella se convierte en su espacio seguro, su calma.
Emily se enamora perdidamente de Roman y hace todo lo posible para ayudarlo a encontrar a su hermana... básicamente su personalidad se traduce en decir sí a todo. No tiene personalidad ni sueños... Simplemente está ahí 🙄 anyway estos dos no pueden vivir el uno sin el otro.
Roman y Emily se enamoran al instante (literalmente). Él hará lo que sea necesario para protegerla y mantenerla a salvo; mientras ella se convierte en su espacio seguro, su calma.
Emily se enamora perdidamente de Roman y hace todo lo posible para ayudarlo a encontrar a su hermana... básicamente su personalidad se traduce en decir sí a todo. No tiene personalidad ni sueños... Simplemente está ahí 🙄 anyway estos dos no pueden vivir el uno sin el otro.
December 9, 2023
» What's yours, huh?«
» Yes, baby. Mine. Every perfect inch of you is mine and only mine.«
★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑬𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚
She was intelligent, brave and independent - an interesting female lead.
❥ 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏
He is brutal, possessive and confident, the typical mafia boss we all love.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
Another enjoyable mafia romance by Sonja Grey. Like her other books this one is fast paced, insta love and very easy to read.
The characters became obsessed with each other at their first meeting and declare their love at 50%, so everything happens fast. It is well done and the plot is thrilling, with some action, a lot of emotions and a bunch of humor.
Romans brothers are hilarious, I‘m so excited for their own stories! Emily and Romans story is a nice and quick read. I absolutely loved Emily’s brave side and the way she helps the men in their mission. Yes, she fell quick for him but kept her independence and brave heart. Roman is an alpha male but accepts Emily as a own person (like it should be!), he respects and supports her.
Will immediately start the next book because I‘m thrilled to follow the main story and find out if the men accomplish their mission.
plot: 4/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
keywords: bratwa, mafia, kidnapping, strip club, possessive and protective hero, found family, touch her and you‘ll die, strangers to lovers, insta love
𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆
ages: 20 (Emily) and 26 (Roman)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
» Yes, baby. Mine. Every perfect inch of you is mine and only mine.«
★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑬𝒎𝒊𝒍𝒚
She was intelligent, brave and independent - an interesting female lead.
❥ 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏
He is brutal, possessive and confident, the typical mafia boss we all love.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
Another enjoyable mafia romance by Sonja Grey. Like her other books this one is fast paced, insta love and very easy to read.
The characters became obsessed with each other at their first meeting and declare their love at 50%, so everything happens fast. It is well done and the plot is thrilling, with some action, a lot of emotions and a bunch of humor.
Romans brothers are hilarious, I‘m so excited for their own stories! Emily and Romans story is a nice and quick read. I absolutely loved Emily’s brave side and the way she helps the men in their mission. Yes, she fell quick for him but kept her independence and brave heart. Roman is an alpha male but accepts Emily as a own person (like it should be!), he respects and supports her.
Will immediately start the next book because I‘m thrilled to follow the main story and find out if the men accomplish their mission.
plot: 4/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
keywords: bratwa, mafia, kidnapping, strip club, possessive and protective hero, found family, touch her and you‘ll die, strangers to lovers, insta love
𝘀𝗮𝗳𝗲𝘁𝘆
ages: 20 (Emily) and 26 (Roman)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
March 2, 2025
Tenía pendiente leer a Sonja y acabo de empezar con éste.
No está mal, la trama de mafia se plantea de forma que continuará a lo largo de los próximos libros, aunque el final no es en suspense. En éste leemos sobre Roman y después seguiremos con sus cuatro hermanos (por elección) que formaron la Bratva Melnikov.
Roman y Emily son una linda pareja que termina rápidamente unida en un súper instalove.
Tengo sentimientos encontrados porque estos libros tienen mucho hype y gustan en general, pero a mi algunas escenas, palabras e incluso el planteamiento me parecen escritos por un hombre, no han terminado de convencerme. Pero le daré una oportunidad a uno o dos libros más para ver si esto mejora.
No está mal, la trama de mafia se plantea de forma que continuará a lo largo de los próximos libros, aunque el final no es en suspense. En éste leemos sobre Roman y después seguiremos con sus cuatro hermanos (por elección) que formaron la Bratva Melnikov.
Roman y Emily son una linda pareja que termina rápidamente unida en un súper instalove.
Tengo sentimientos encontrados porque estos libros tienen mucho hype y gustan en general, pero a mi algunas escenas, palabras e incluso el planteamiento me parecen escritos por un hombre, no han terminado de convencerme. Pero le daré una oportunidad a uno o dos libros más para ver si esto mejora.
January 31, 2026
i am but a puddle 🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠🫠
finally FINALLY after four books from this author the fifth one i read is 5 stars!! i knew it was going to happen eventually because this series has my ultimate favourite tropes. i loved roman and emily so much that the unnecessary amount of sex scenes didn't even bother me that much. another problem i tend to have is that the plot doesn't keep me interested until the end, but that wasn't the case here. i was hooked from the beginning until i read the last page, i guess it does help that this has an overarching plot.
omg it's so funny see lev and vitaly now way before they had their kids. they are menaces 💀 the way the had sex with those two workers at the bridal place???? like are you joking 😂 that's the only thing i didn't like about this book. who just does that??? lev and vitaly seemed a little bit too over the top for me. also this was supposed to be something special for roman and they go and do that? And what employees go fuck their clients in their changing room where everyone can hear you? seeing them be so committed to their wives and now seeing them fuck around so much is giving me whiplash and i hate it 💀 i need to read their books already so i can see how they become whipped for their women 😭😭😭 bc those men need to be tamed goddamn 💀😂
anyway, emily and roman are perfection together. literal definition of soulmates 💛 they are definitely my fav couple from this author so far.
finally FINALLY after four books from this author the fifth one i read is 5 stars!! i knew it was going to happen eventually because this series has my ultimate favourite tropes. i loved roman and emily so much that the unnecessary amount of sex scenes didn't even bother me that much. another problem i tend to have is that the plot doesn't keep me interested until the end, but that wasn't the case here. i was hooked from the beginning until i read the last page, i guess it does help that this has an overarching plot.
omg it's so funny see lev and vitaly now way before they had their kids. they are menaces 💀 the way the had sex with those two workers at the bridal place???? like are you joking 😂 that's the only thing i didn't like about this book. who just does that??? lev and vitaly seemed a little bit too over the top for me. also this was supposed to be something special for roman and they go and do that? And what employees go fuck their clients in their changing room where everyone can hear you? seeing them be so committed to their wives and now seeing them fuck around so much is giving me whiplash and i hate it 💀 i need to read their books already so i can see how they become whipped for their women 😭😭😭 bc those men need to be tamed goddamn 💀😂
anyway, emily and roman are perfection together. literal definition of soulmates 💛 they are definitely my fav couple from this author so far.
January 8, 2026
Ohhhh, the way I love this man 😭 Roman is the cutest baby ever, 😭 I loveddddd this book a lot .
August 13, 2024
El inicio divino luego cae .
Nose si vale la pena leerme todos los libros de forma cronológica .
It was hot but muy repetitivo.
Like la verdad es un 3.8 pero la trama está en segundo plano y las escenas eróticas cansan tanto que al final termina en 3.
Sigue siendo un buen libro porque lo termine .
Nose si vale la pena leerme todos los libros de forma cronológica .
It was hot but muy repetitivo.
Like la verdad es un 3.8 pero la trama está en segundo plano y las escenas eróticas cansan tanto que al final termina en 3.
Sigue siendo un buen libro porque lo termine .
February 6, 2025
Buenísimo libro de la mafia al que no le doy las 5 estrellas porque tengo el presentimiento de que alguno de la saga me va a gustar más que este. Lectura conjunta con mi real sobre un mafioso obsesionado con la protagonista, cine absoluto
May 30, 2025
Me dejó con muchas ganas de leer el último libro de la saga.
February 13, 2024
No strong representation of diverse characters or minority identities.
Overall: 3.5-stars
I usually don't mind insta-love/lust, but I find I do mind when the book explores the kind of dark themes this one does. The Heroine really needed to trust the Hero, but there were no scenes that developed their emotional intimacy or trust. Also, I thought the Heroine was a little tstl at the beginning - she was intentionally getting drunk around men she thought were predators and criminals.
I'm totally reading the first four books just so I can read the last one in the series. 😅
The continuous mystery about Alina's disappearance was intriguing.
Safety Rating: Safe
Possible Triggers: Yes
Ending:
Overall: 3.5-stars
I usually don't mind insta-love/lust, but I find I do mind when the book explores the kind of dark themes this one does. The Heroine really needed to trust the Hero, but there were no scenes that developed their emotional intimacy or trust. Also, I thought the Heroine was a little tstl at the beginning - she was intentionally getting drunk around men she thought were predators and criminals.
I'm totally reading the first four books just so I can read the last one in the series. 😅
The continuous mystery about Alina's disappearance was intriguing.
Safety Rating: Safe
Possible Triggers: Yes
Ending:
September 29, 2024
3.5✨
Emily y Roman.
A ver... Empecé esta saga porque la había visto muy recomendada, sobre todo si te gustó la saga Perfectly imperfect de Neva Altaj, y ya estaba un poquito saturada de Neva, aunque me encantaron, quería algo parecido pero con sangre nueva.
Debo reconocer que sin querer, leí el 3 de esta saga hace unos meses 😅 y me gustó, la verdad.
Ahora bien, en esta primera historia me gusta el drama, me gusta la mafia, me gusta que los hombres sean "malos" con todos excepto con *ellas*, pero de verdad que me saca un poco de la historia que sean taaaaaaan empalagosos, todo el rato repitiendo lo mucho que se quieren, se aman, se desean, que sí, que a la 54a vez que lo has dicho nos ha quedado claro, eso sin hablar del INSTA LOVE, pero y TAN INSTA, como que a los 2 días, exactamente 2 días ya se están diciendo te quiero, te amo, eres mía, no puedo vivir sin ti, vamos a vivir juntos (de hecho ella se va a vivir con él al 2o día 😅) vamos a casarnos, tener hijos, etc.
Luego, todo el rato haciendo el delicioso, que si por lo menos fuera original pues dices mira, o si hubiera algo de drama o trama detrás pero no, es un poco como ver una historia nopor.
Es que esas cosas me han sacado mucho de situación.
La trama gira en torno a la desaparición y búsqueda de la hermana de Roman, básicamente por eso he seguido leyendo sus historias.
Pero esta historia me ha dejado un sabor bastante agridulce después de Neva. Vale que no es la cumbre de la literatura pero por lo menos tiene algo, sus personajes tienen rasgos físicos que los hacen reales, normales, incluso en ella también hay algo que las distingue, pero es que en esta historia son todos y la prota GUAPÍSIMOS Y PERFECTOS Y SÚPER DESEABLES POR TODA LA POBLACIÓN FEMENINA Y MASCULINA, RESPECTIVAMENTE.
Emily y Roman.
A ver... Empecé esta saga porque la había visto muy recomendada, sobre todo si te gustó la saga Perfectly imperfect de Neva Altaj, y ya estaba un poquito saturada de Neva, aunque me encantaron, quería algo parecido pero con sangre nueva.
Debo reconocer que sin querer, leí el 3 de esta saga hace unos meses 😅 y me gustó, la verdad.
Ahora bien, en esta primera historia me gusta el drama, me gusta la mafia, me gusta que los hombres sean "malos" con todos excepto con *ellas*, pero de verdad que me saca un poco de la historia que sean taaaaaaan empalagosos, todo el rato repitiendo lo mucho que se quieren, se aman, se desean, que sí, que a la 54a vez que lo has dicho nos ha quedado claro, eso sin hablar del INSTA LOVE, pero y TAN INSTA, como que a los 2 días, exactamente 2 días ya se están diciendo te quiero, te amo, eres mía, no puedo vivir sin ti, vamos a vivir juntos (de hecho ella se va a vivir con él al 2o día 😅) vamos a casarnos, tener hijos, etc.
Luego, todo el rato haciendo el delicioso, que si por lo menos fuera original pues dices mira, o si hubiera algo de drama o trama detrás pero no, es un poco como ver una historia nopor.
Es que esas cosas me han sacado mucho de situación.
La trama gira en torno a la desaparición y búsqueda de la hermana de Roman, básicamente por eso he seguido leyendo sus historias.
Pero esta historia me ha dejado un sabor bastante agridulce después de Neva. Vale que no es la cumbre de la literatura pero por lo menos tiene algo, sus personajes tienen rasgos físicos que los hacen reales, normales, incluso en ella también hay algo que las distingue, pero es que en esta historia son todos y la prota GUAPÍSIMOS Y PERFECTOS Y SÚPER DESEABLES POR TODA LA POBLACIÓN FEMENINA Y MASCULINA, RESPECTIVAMENTE.
June 14, 2024
“Me siento en paz cuando estoy contigo, como si hubiera encontrado algo que ni siquiera me había dado cuenta que estaba buscando”.
Después de mucho tiempo volví a encontrar un buen libro de mafia😭🙌🏻🙌🏻 sí se pudooo😍😍😍
Disfruté mucho leyendo este libro. Me gustaron los protagonistas, la relación entre los dos, la forma en que Roman trataba a Emily y los detalles que tenía con ella✨✨😮💨😮💨. Me gustó que en ningún momento dudó de sus sentimientos por ella, sino que lo asumió como lo que es y decidió hacer todo lo posible para merecerla. Ante todos los demás Roman era un asesino a sangre fría, pero con ella siempre fue un blandito. Por eso es que amamos a los mafiosos. 💗🦋
Pese al romance, la trama de mafia no quedó en segundo plano, la autora no descuida en ningún momento el plan de Roman y sus hermanos para recuperar a Alina, y me encanta que la protagonista también ayude a encontrarla y trabaje en equipo con todos. Siempre se mostró valiente y decida a poner de su parte en la búsqueda, sin echarse para atrás, aunque en muchas ocasiones ella misma corriera peligro. Queen total 🙇🏻♀️
Los personajes secundarios también me gustaron mucho, especialmente Matvey 🥹 necesito leer su libro ya. 💫🌚
El único “pero” que le pongo al libro es que romance me pareció muy instalove, lo que cual es muy común en los libros de mafia; sin embargo, yo personalmente siempre prefiero un slow burn bien lento y sufrido 🔥
Después de mucho tiempo volví a encontrar un buen libro de mafia😭🙌🏻🙌🏻 sí se pudooo😍😍😍
Disfruté mucho leyendo este libro. Me gustaron los protagonistas, la relación entre los dos, la forma en que Roman trataba a Emily y los detalles que tenía con ella✨✨😮💨😮💨. Me gustó que en ningún momento dudó de sus sentimientos por ella, sino que lo asumió como lo que es y decidió hacer todo lo posible para merecerla. Ante todos los demás Roman era un asesino a sangre fría, pero con ella siempre fue un blandito. Por eso es que amamos a los mafiosos. 💗🦋
Pese al romance, la trama de mafia no quedó en segundo plano, la autora no descuida en ningún momento el plan de Roman y sus hermanos para recuperar a Alina, y me encanta que la protagonista también ayude a encontrarla y trabaje en equipo con todos. Siempre se mostró valiente y decida a poner de su parte en la búsqueda, sin echarse para atrás, aunque en muchas ocasiones ella misma corriera peligro. Queen total 🙇🏻♀️
Los personajes secundarios también me gustaron mucho, especialmente Matvey 🥹 necesito leer su libro ya. 💫🌚
El único “pero” que le pongo al libro es que romance me pareció muy instalove, lo que cual es muy común en los libros de mafia; sin embargo, yo personalmente siempre prefiero un slow burn bien lento y sufrido 🔥
January 11, 2024
Genre/Trope: Russian Bratva Romance
Book Type: Standalone, but connected to a series.
Book Length: Novel
POV: Alternating Dual
Setting: A metropolitan city in America
Male MC: Roman Melnikov is the Russian leader of the Melnikov Bratva; a group of 5 brothers-by-choice from Moscow. He is searching for his kidnapped younger sister with the help of his brothers, who are all ruthless and incredibly dangerous. Roman is 26 and is heavily tattooed with dark hair and green eyes.
Female MC: Emily Marston is a corrupt mayor’s daughter. She knows her father is up to something bad and is in search of her own answers to his dark and dirty deeds. Emily is 20 and has long dark hair and light brown eyes.
Endearment: Baby and Solnishka
Spice Level: High
Frequency of Spice: Medium
Angst Level: Low
Cliffhanger: No
My Review: I loved this book so much. Roman and Emily are so sweet and in love it’s incredible. The overall story involves trafficking but it’s not a very dark book, in my opinion. There is a ton of great spice and a little drama and action, but it’s a very insta-romance between our MMCs. Roman and Emily have great chemistry and are completely devoted to each other, which I loved. I’m excited to read each brother’s story now and I’m jumping into book 2 immediately.
Book Type: Standalone, but connected to a series.
Book Length: Novel
POV: Alternating Dual
Setting: A metropolitan city in America
Male MC: Roman Melnikov is the Russian leader of the Melnikov Bratva; a group of 5 brothers-by-choice from Moscow. He is searching for his kidnapped younger sister with the help of his brothers, who are all ruthless and incredibly dangerous. Roman is 26 and is heavily tattooed with dark hair and green eyes.
Female MC: Emily Marston is a corrupt mayor’s daughter. She knows her father is up to something bad and is in search of her own answers to his dark and dirty deeds. Emily is 20 and has long dark hair and light brown eyes.
Endearment: Baby and Solnishka
Spice Level: High
Frequency of Spice: Medium
Angst Level: Low
Cliffhanger: No
My Review: I loved this book so much. Roman and Emily are so sweet and in love it’s incredible. The overall story involves trafficking but it’s not a very dark book, in my opinion. There is a ton of great spice and a little drama and action, but it’s a very insta-romance between our MMCs. Roman and Emily have great chemistry and are completely devoted to each other, which I loved. I’m excited to read each brother’s story now and I’m jumping into book 2 immediately.
March 12, 2024
Emily hace tiempo que no confía en los negocios que se trae su padre y sus extraños amigos. Por eso decide vigilarlo durante una de sus muchas galas. Pero cuando es atrapada por un ruso atractivo, ella se ve obligada a seguirle el juego cuando se da cuenta que quizás están en busca de lo mismo. Pero aunque todo parecía empezar como un simple "colaboremos juntos", Roman parece querer mucho mucho más de ella.
Voy a ser sincera y decir que el libro está bien pero... Llevaba las expectativas tan altas que me crearon las recomendaciones de tiktok que la verdad me siento decepcionada.
La historia en si no está mal, pero la verdad para Roman ser un jefe de la Bratva es un blandengue amoroso. No estoy buscando un imbécil frío y arrogante que la trate como una mierda pero caray, este hombre fue amor a primera vista y ya le dijo que dejase todo que él la mantenía... Entonces se me hizo un poco rápido, demasiado blando y un poco arcoiris todo. Esperaba más acción en cuanto a todo el tema de Alina. También esperaba ver más escenas de como Emily se acercaba a los demás hermanos porque ellos son maravillosos, un poco payasos pero me encantan! 🤣.
En fin, que el libro está bien pero es pasable. Me esperaba una maravilla con tanto hype que me vendieron pero al final se quedó en un aprobado raspado.
Voy a ser sincera y decir que el libro está bien pero... Llevaba las expectativas tan altas que me crearon las recomendaciones de tiktok que la verdad me siento decepcionada.
La historia en si no está mal, pero la verdad para Roman ser un jefe de la Bratva es un blandengue amoroso. No estoy buscando un imbécil frío y arrogante que la trate como una mierda pero caray, este hombre fue amor a primera vista y ya le dijo que dejase todo que él la mantenía... Entonces se me hizo un poco rápido, demasiado blando y un poco arcoiris todo. Esperaba más acción en cuanto a todo el tema de Alina. También esperaba ver más escenas de como Emily se acercaba a los demás hermanos porque ellos son maravillosos, un poco payasos pero me encantan! 🤣.
En fin, que el libro está bien pero es pasable. Me esperaba una maravilla con tanto hype que me vendieron pero al final se quedó en un aprobado raspado.
January 22, 2025
Horrible
July 15, 2025
That was a fucking shitshow
July 30, 2023
Roman and his found family create the Melnikov Bratva and they are searching for Roman’s lost sister. What Roman doesn’t expect though is to find his solnishka.
Emily truly is a ball of sunshine on a dreary day. While she isn’t your typical, optimistic person, she has a fiery spirit and will willingly put herself at risk if it means helping others and getting one step closer to the goal. She is also observant and understanding and will be upfront about her feelings even when there are times when she wants to hide or doesn’t feel the most confident.
Roman is a natural leader and while he doesn’t trust easily, he takes care of his brothers and now his solnishka. He is dedicated to his cause and while he might seem ruthless at times against his enemies with a penchant for violence, he has a heart of gold for his family and for those who are less fortunate, as he and his brothers know what it’s like to grow up with few opportunities and uncomfortable situations.
Emily and Roman click right away and get along even when they don’t expect to form a connection. They have a similar agenda and even when Roman is very protective of Emily, he respect Emily’s resolve and allows her to remain in the fold. Emily also melds right into the dynamic with his brothers. Roman also comes to Emily’s defense against her family and loves to take care of her. He is a softie/golden retriever for her. These two definitely are a couple you cheer for.
Moreover, it was fun seeing the dynamics of Roman’s brothers, Dinali, Lev, Matvey, and Vitaly. Each of them have their own qualities and you can tell the relationship they have is unbreakable. What tied the knot was seeing how they all became protective over Emily, working together, and welcomed her with open arms. We also got to see glimpses of who each of the brothers are in person, with Vitaly’s joking nature and support, Lev’s charm and athleticism, Dinali’s dedication and hacker skills, and Matvey’s stoicism but gold heart 🥹. I can’t wait to read each of their stories.
We also have an ongoing and suspenseful plot as they are trying to find Roman’s sister and take down this seedy trafficking organization. We don’t conclude that part of the storyline with this book, but slowly learn bits and pieces as things click into place. I think this overarching theme will keep interest going and while it might feel like a cliffhanger, I’m sure the resolution will be that much more satisfying.
Overall, this is an engaging read, and I look forward to what’s next.
Emily truly is a ball of sunshine on a dreary day. While she isn’t your typical, optimistic person, she has a fiery spirit and will willingly put herself at risk if it means helping others and getting one step closer to the goal. She is also observant and understanding and will be upfront about her feelings even when there are times when she wants to hide or doesn’t feel the most confident.
Roman is a natural leader and while he doesn’t trust easily, he takes care of his brothers and now his solnishka. He is dedicated to his cause and while he might seem ruthless at times against his enemies with a penchant for violence, he has a heart of gold for his family and for those who are less fortunate, as he and his brothers know what it’s like to grow up with few opportunities and uncomfortable situations.
Emily and Roman click right away and get along even when they don’t expect to form a connection. They have a similar agenda and even when Roman is very protective of Emily, he respect Emily’s resolve and allows her to remain in the fold. Emily also melds right into the dynamic with his brothers. Roman also comes to Emily’s defense against her family and loves to take care of her. He is a softie/golden retriever for her. These two definitely are a couple you cheer for.
Moreover, it was fun seeing the dynamics of Roman’s brothers, Dinali, Lev, Matvey, and Vitaly. Each of them have their own qualities and you can tell the relationship they have is unbreakable. What tied the knot was seeing how they all became protective over Emily, working together, and welcomed her with open arms. We also got to see glimpses of who each of the brothers are in person, with Vitaly’s joking nature and support, Lev’s charm and athleticism, Dinali’s dedication and hacker skills, and Matvey’s stoicism but gold heart 🥹. I can’t wait to read each of their stories.
We also have an ongoing and suspenseful plot as they are trying to find Roman’s sister and take down this seedy trafficking organization. We don’t conclude that part of the storyline with this book, but slowly learn bits and pieces as things click into place. I think this overarching theme will keep interest going and while it might feel like a cliffhanger, I’m sure the resolution will be that much more satisfying.
Overall, this is an engaging read, and I look forward to what’s next.
January 15, 2026
Bratva • Brotherhood • Insta‑Love
Paved in Blood is a Bratva romance with strong brotherhood dynamics and a solid series setup, but it was much milder than I expected for a dark mafia read.
The overarching mystery around Roman’s missing sister was the most engaging part, and the found‑family element was easily the standout, I was far more invested in the brothers than in the romance itself. The book actually started strong, and I thought Emily might be a more dangerous, proactive heroine, but her early investigation fizzled out and she slipped into a back‑seat role.
The romance leans heavily on insta‑love, leaving the emotional connection thin. Roman is positioned as a ruthless Bratva leader, but his internal monologue often felt too soft, which dulled his edge for me. And while I’m all for smut, the amount of it began to overshadow the plot, with scenes that felt repetitive rather than adding depth.
Fast pacing and smooth writing keep it readable.
Paved in Blood is a Bratva romance with strong brotherhood dynamics and a solid series setup, but it was much milder than I expected for a dark mafia read.
The overarching mystery around Roman’s missing sister was the most engaging part, and the found‑family element was easily the standout, I was far more invested in the brothers than in the romance itself. The book actually started strong, and I thought Emily might be a more dangerous, proactive heroine, but her early investigation fizzled out and she slipped into a back‑seat role.
The romance leans heavily on insta‑love, leaving the emotional connection thin. Roman is positioned as a ruthless Bratva leader, but his internal monologue often felt too soft, which dulled his edge for me. And while I’m all for smut, the amount of it began to overshadow the plot, with scenes that felt repetitive rather than adding depth.
Fast pacing and smooth writing keep it readable.
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