He was the one I should have kept a distance from. My trust.
Annika.
I am the leader of The Talons, one of the four crime syndicates that run this city and I fought to get where I am. I cannot allow myself to trust anyone. The only person I can truly count on is myself. But the one person I should never let in, walks right into my life. Detective Javier Campos.
Now we are working together to protect innocents being hurt by an unknown enemy. He’s supposed to be protecting me from the visible evils, but who is going to protect my heart? If I show Javier the honour amongst thieves, will he show me what life can be like when you let someone in?
4.25⭐️ Get you a man who’ll hold your enemies head still while you cut his ears off.
I’ve been seriously winning with mafia romances lately and this one? Another hit.
There’s just something about a woman running the mafia that has me fully sat every time. Annika is feared, cold, harsh, someone you absolutely do not fuck with. But beneath that armor, she’s deeply guarded and painfully lonely. Watching her walls slowly come down had me emotional because she deserves love after all the hell she’s been through (fuck that was dark 😭)
She is such a baddie. I’m talking cutting body parts off in six-inch heels, completely unhinged behavior and I was standing up giving her a round of applause. YES, QUEEN.
The dynamic between her and Javier was so good. She runs the streets, he runs the sheets. As a former cop, he knew exactly what to do with a pair of handcuffs. And every time that man spoke Portuguese? I was barking. ✨Nicknames in another language just hit different. ✨
He was so flirty and confident, with that wink?? I was gone. And don’t even get me started on the micro trope where he *takes care* of himself in the shower after meeting her… my kryptonite. Or the way he was feral when she was covered in the blood of her enemies.🙂↕️😮💨🥵
But what really had me hooked was the actual storyline. These two should’ve been enemies she’s mafia, he’s law enforcement but when he takes a job as her bodyguard, they find themselves on the same side, trying to take down some truly evil people. That twist gave the second half so much emotional depth. It tugged at all my heartstrings. And the little found family that formed in Annika’s house? Ugh, it was everything. It taught her how to love and be loved.
The story. The romance. The characters. All of it was executed so well I loved it. I definitely need to continue the series I’m invested!!
I received an ARC for an honest review..... Here we go.. Well... So this is book 2 and I wasn't let down, this follows one of the strongest mafia FMC's I have read since Grim,(my fav gangster of all time now I know who my second is so...), meet Annika, who is a strong, intellegent, independant which is what makes a FMC so great. I just loved everything about her. The story line was amazing, the characters had depth, it was on the edge of your seat, page turning, what's gunna happen next, reading until I basically fell asleep with my kindle stuck to my face as I couldn't put it down book. The MMC Harvey (the detective who has been recently fired.. Or has he??), won't lie was totally on fence with him, in some parts wanted to unalive him myself but he redeemed himself, I ended up rooting for him, this book was amazing I loved it. If you like dark, anxsty, romance, mafia this one is for you... its M/F btw, then trust me you will love this, Hats off to you. Loved it and again will be one I come back too. Can't wait for next one... Hoping it's Ruby 🥰
* Enemies to lovers * Mafia Girl Boss FMC * Ex cop MMC * Touch her and d!e
This is a dark romance that will have you feeling so many different emotions, please ease caution and take the trigger warnings.
Annika had such character development! I loved seeing her as an ice queen but mellowing out a little. The connection with her and Harvey is next level!! I loved them together had me giggling and giddy. They both seem to really help each other open up and I was really routing for them.
And I really liked how their opinion on each other changed as we delved further into the story.
When Harvey speaks Portuguese I straight up lost it!! He's such a naughty boy.
The storyline was really engaging and I loved how there was plot! A lot of dark romance I've read lack plot but this really had a storyline.
Some really difficult themes but I feel Hannah handled it really well and respectfully. She is a queen! I love an author who has a trigger warning page. It shows such love and respect for the reader.
What a great second book to the series. I loved the story and a bit of an enemies to lovers. I think I now enjoy mafia romances if this book is anything to go by. I really couldn’t put this book down and it’s not my usual genre either and the writing and story just flowed.
The spice! 🥵 definitely done right! Again the books I normally read don’t have spice of if they do it was minimal but if it’s not written like this I don’t want it.
I think this can be read as a standalone to their starlight but it does set up the world of the gangs and I was so happy to read about characters from their starlight in her trust.
Cannot wait for more books to come out for this series
I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, and signed up for the ARC for this one. It did not disappoint! The story lines running through are good, and kept me interested. The main plot is a sensitive one, but delt with well I felt. Anything mentioned is in the past or only implied. However, warnings might want to be read for some. The strong FMC was a badass all the way through. Finding love and family for the characters only made her stronger and better for it. The male MC was yummy, and learned his lessons like a good boy. There was a lot of growth in both of the main characters and it was great to see them develope. The romance was perfectly paced, and the spice was delightful. Overall a great book, and would highly recommend!
After reading Hannah’s book- Their starlight (book 1 in this interconnected standalone series) and enjoying it as much as I did, I had high expectations for this one! I was not disappointed! I loved watching Harvey and Annika’s story unfold. I adored Annika and her ice queen facade and it was lovely to see her grow and open up throughout this book! This book was dark, brutal but so beautiful. It’s a heavy hitter for sure and there were some tough themes so check your trigger warnings but even those matters were well written and not added just for shock factor! If you love dark mafia romance that will have you feeling all the emotions, look no further! I recommend reading Their starlight first because although these are standalones you do re-meet characters from the first book in the second and it brings the story together. Hannah is now an auto buy and read author for me! I love her work ❤️
Book two but you can read it as a standalone. However, the characters from book one do play a few rolls in this story. And book one was really good too.
Annika is an ice queen who doesn't trust anyone, has no friends, and is a very intimidating woman who runs The Talons crime syndicate in this city.
Harvey is a police detective who gets fired for being too rough on a bad guy. Then is asked to go work for Annika Wolfe as her personal security detail to get intel to bring back to his captain and regain his position on the force.
But after being so close to the Ice Queen, he starts to see her in a totally different light. Is she really the bad guy in all the stories he's heard? Is he going to go back to the department after seeing the good things her businesses do for the community as well as taking care of the crime situation?
I loved this book from the very beginning. My heart ached for Annika and her sordid history, for her love for the children she saved from a skin-trading ring, and seeing her learn to trust and even love when she thought it was never her future. Her connection to Harvey and he immediate distrust, but obvious attraction was great! Somewhat of a slow burn for the two main characters, but the tension had me hanging on their every word.
Triggers: SA survivor story (refers to the past) Children in a traffic house, but there is no on-page details. But the insinuation is there that the children were abused (then rescued). Death and unaliving of people. Detailed on-page explicit romance scenes BDSM play
If you like dark, mafia romance stories, then this book—the whole series—might just be right for you!
I’m on the HR train and I’m not getting off!!! Loved loved loved this book. I mean I did not expect to like this book so much but the characters won me over! Annie….. wow… I love it when an author can make a heroine bada££ but sensitive too. I mean she doesn’t show or say how she loves her people but she does it with actions and that for me is real love. And Annie is just that! Absolutely adored her.. ( I don’t know if Ruby can top her but we’ll see) Also Javier was sooo sweet and I loved that the author made him more lighthearted and funny and charming and not totally alpha a-hole ya know? I’m kinda tired of a-holes. But Javier is so human and so man and it makes him that more relatable! Absolutely loving this series.. And can I say that the two girls was such a plus to the whole story? I adored those little girls soooo much. Off to the next one I can’t wait for Ruby’s story!!! Highly recommend P.S. the real spice is after 50% but damn that tension makes my toes curl, my fingers numb and my stomach clenched it was sooooo good!!! 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
100% This is the best Mafia Romance I've come across lately. I truly enjoyed all aspects of this story. The character development for both MC’s was on point. I love a strong bada$$ FMC. She is the grump and he is the sunshine, which is a fun take! The side characters well supported the story, and I grew to love them as much as the MC’s.
The storyline was active and suspenseful. It kept me turning page after page. Found Family is one of my favorite tropes, and this really hit for me. The spicey scenes were fire! I loved the Dom/Sub vibes. All in all, I only have great things to say about this one, friends!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 Tropes: Found Family Reverse Grumpy Sunshine Mafia romance
After reading the first book (ABSOLUTELY LOVED THAT ONE 😉) I really really enjoyed this one! It’s my first time reading anything from this author and I will definitely be coming back to read more! This story was very good it kept me invested in the plot and romance! We love a queen in charge and Annika is exactly that (except in the bedroom, Harvey has that part COVERED)!!! The character development between the two MCs was so good 😭 I teared up a bit along the way but the ending had my heart so happy, definitely recommend this read!!!
What a truly awesome novel. It blends perfectly following the first in the series. Annika is a truly amazing character with incredible strength she never had it easy even as a child but to be a female in what is completely seen as a man’s world made it harder. Then she found a man who not only fell for her as a woman but treated her with respect despite being on the opposite side of the fence. The battles she faces both alone and with him and her team are fierce and she faces each with a smile. I truly hope there is more to come in this series as I can’t wait to read it
I put off starting this as I knew I'd not be able to put it down - all of HR Lloyd's books are the same! It did not disappoint. She has a way of writing which makes you instantly drawn to the characters, needing to know their history, present and future.
As Annika and Harvey's story unfolds, you feel their connection and know every character has their part to play in it. It is the second in a series but it can be read alone - though if you do, you'll be quickly wanting to go back and read the first.
This was such a good read! I went into this without having read Their Starlight and I felt like I was just fine. Definitely make sure you check the trigger warnings and if you proceed, it's an excellent read. The forbidden lovers/enemies to lovers was well done, and although there was lots of spice, there was a lot of tenderness in so many ways that I didn't expect and it melted my heart?? I definitely did not expect that and I loved it. The character development was great, I felt invested in their stories and back stories. I can't wait to read the other books in the series.
Another good read from this author. This book 2 of the New Generation Gangster Series .This can be read as a stand alone book , likewise if you're continuing from book 1 , it does include some of the characters from book 1 which ties the two books together. A well written story of Annika and Harvey .I enjoyed this book just as much as book 1 and I would definitely recommend it , although I would advise you check out the trigger warnings first. A great 4 star read 😊
I really enjoyed this book! It was thrilling and crushing and swoony and all of those amazing things. I am casually in love with Harvey and I think maybe Stuart too 😅 oh… and Lee. It was spicy but did not sacrifice the story for spice which is great! There was some truely gut wrenching moments but also the amount of times I laughed out loud at something in the book 😅 I read this as a standalone, having not yet read the first one.
Having read "Their Starlight" I was really excited to start "Her Trust" and the book did not disappoint. It had a darker theme than the first book in the series but that just made it even more difficult to put down. Lloyd has created a very likeable ensemble of criminals, and an even more likeable love interest! With enemies to lovers and found family tropes it was a really engaging read - can't wait for the next installment!
4.5 stars Check trigger warnings! I couldn't put this down. Absolutely loved the FMC - nothing beats a strong woman. Didn't think I'd love Harvey as much as I did, but absolutely fell in love. But most of all, I loved that the story was so much more than the two main characters. The plot kept me hooked the whole way through. Can't get enough of this series and really hope there's more to come!
Brilliant. I was gripped from the start all the way to the end. Loved the character building and character he story line. Don’t want to give away any spoilers but OMG . I gave this book five stars and I also gave it five🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ loved it. First time reading this author but does read more if this is anything to go by. Xx
Omg this book. I’ve laughed and I’ve cried. The mmc , yum, Harvey is great. But the MFC, Annika, is amazing. Her internal struggles are incredible and the fact she doesn’t let them hold her back is just brilliant. Was hook from the start. Didn’t read the first book in the series before I started this one but I have already started it now lol. Can’t wait for more in the series to be released
I enjoyed this book so much. The banter is next level.
He falls first and hard, there is angst but not to much, the drama is quickly resolved, has a badass FMC and action aswell. Not to mention the spice is just so hot.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book! I loved the character development and the plot kept me hooked. If you’re looking for a spicy enemies to lovers with a mafia background I this is perfect for you!
⭐️4.5 rounded up. Mafia romance; SHE is the mafia don.
HR Lloyds character development is honestly UNMATCHED. The way you connect to EVERY SINGLE PERSON is so insane. I cried at this, the storyline was a great mix of sweet and beautiful and dark and crazy.
When the Mafia boss is a bad ass woman with an intense dislike for cops and feels she does NOT need protection from the painfully attractive, ex-cop bodyguard that she’s just hired, sparks will fly!!!
Its an enemies to lovers, Girl Boss, ex-cop with aggression issues, trauma (past and present), found family, sub, touch her and d!e, revenge and words of love in other languages!
I loved it! Annika Wolfe is indeed a Queen. She’s easily become one of my favourite FMC’s. I adore the emotional journey this book takes her on. And the delicious Harvey! Their connection is so intense and deep that he can’t keep away from her even if he wanted to.
The supporting characters also help to really pull this all together with the banter between them, heart to hearts and the appearance of some that were featured in the preceding book, Their Starlight. I highly recommend this book (and series!). It’s well written with great characters and I didn’t want it to end!
“I think you need to let go of some of that control, rainha. I think you need someone to make you follow orders for once, to submit, to let me give you what I want and just take it like a good girl.”
I DON’T EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START!!! I CANNOT GET OVER HOW GOOD THIS WAS!!!!! This was everything I needed and *more*. And to make it even better to be reintroduced to the Daos and meet Ruby whose story I’m so excited for! These books are just on another level!!!
•MF •BDSM •Enemies to lovers •Blood play/ knife play 🩸 •Squirting •Harvey saying good girl 🫶🏻🥲
Straight in from chapter 2 we can see exactly how it’s going to be between them ‘I temporarily lost any awareness of anything but him.’ -same girl same… Harvey is HOT😍
You meet two very dominant characters. Annika whose so sure of herself in every aspect of life, even if she doesn’t truly understand her own worth. She cannot be tamed, rules the roost, goes by Sir, has never been affected by someone but then here she is getting completely thrown off by ex-cop Harvey who continuously gets his own way. With his beautiful physique and handcuffs…
Harvey sees her true worth, he sees it in the way she helps people. She uses her power for good. He sees the true Annika in the way they plan to avenge all that happened to those sweet innocent children. Annika looks after the women in her employ and makes them feel liberated and cared for in their roles.
She had the most awful of upbringings with an abusive father who showed no love. But even that was used for good, even that helped her to help people.
Harvey has her feeling things she’s never felt before, has her opening up in ways she never thought possible. They make such a badass team I fucking love themmmm especially with their little adopted family 🫶🏻
Ps: I would do anything to have Harvey ordering me around😋 That is all xoxo
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.