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Kingdom of Lies & Truths #1
Broken Crowns
Leandro was supposed to protect me. He failed me, covered me in blood and broke my innocence.
Leandro was to love me, but in the end, I knew we had no future.
So, I made a decision, and it has been five years since I last saw him. Now he stands before me, not only as my husband but as my Don.
My decision freed me but destroyed the Leandro I knew. This Leandro was covered by darkness and cruelty, and I was drawn to him like a bee to honey.
The more I get to know the man, the more it makes me question everything I know to be right and wrong.
But he is still the boy I knew and even though I needed him to love me, how long before I fall to the unmerciful side of Leandro Scavo, and truly love him?
*Broken Crowns is the first book in the Kingdom of Lies & Truths series and can be read as a standalone. It is a Dark new adult mafia romance that includes scenes that may be disturbing to some. (Mention of human trafficking, mentions of sexual child abuse (does not go into graphic detail), graphic murder & torture scenes, strong sexual scenes, strong adult language and talks of blood). Recommended for readers 18+.
Leandro was to love me, but in the end, I knew we had no future.
So, I made a decision, and it has been five years since I last saw him. Now he stands before me, not only as my husband but as my Don.
My decision freed me but destroyed the Leandro I knew. This Leandro was covered by darkness and cruelty, and I was drawn to him like a bee to honey.
The more I get to know the man, the more it makes me question everything I know to be right and wrong.
But he is still the boy I knew and even though I needed him to love me, how long before I fall to the unmerciful side of Leandro Scavo, and truly love him?
*Broken Crowns is the first book in the Kingdom of Lies & Truths series and can be read as a standalone. It is a Dark new adult mafia romance that includes scenes that may be disturbing to some. (Mention of human trafficking, mentions of sexual child abuse (does not go into graphic detail), graphic murder & torture scenes, strong sexual scenes, strong adult language and talks of blood). Recommended for readers 18+.
158 pages, Paperback
First published January 10, 2023
46 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews
March 24, 2023
“The boy loved me, Andro. Will the man love me as well?”
Emilia and Leandro, blood born and violence raised, were destined to be together from a young age when Emilia's father took Leandro in and assigned him to always love and protect Emilia. But Leandro failed Emilia so the question remained: Were they truly meant to be?
Emilia wanted her independence and freedom from the mafia life and escaped by faking her own death. But five years later she was back, returned to the worst time of her life. She still saw Leandro as the boy she once knew, not the feared and unmerciful Don he now was. Emilia was the light to Leandro's darkness but she was also his weakness and that became dangerous for them both. Leandro became the worst version of himself after losing Emilia. Could Emilia accept Leandro's darkness and love him once again? And could Leandro ever love Emilia the way he once had or had his new role completely hardened his heart to the possibility of falling in love?
“Somehow, someday, I will be yours.”
Broken Crowns had a solid foundation for a storyline but it completely missed the mark for me. Firstly, I could not resonate with the writing and I struggled to continue reading and often found myself bored. Abrupt changes and alternating points of view with jumps from the present to the past interrupted the flow of the story. Events were confusing at times as if parts were left out while others were glossed over. Being mindful of trigger alerts, the dark circumstances of pain and trauma both Leandro and Emilia had experienced in the past were missed opportunities for deeper exploration to further develop their characters.
Although I liked the idea of Emilia fighting for her freedom, I couldn't warm up to her character and I had a hard time feeling empathy for her. I felt the same for Leandro and didn't care for him at all, not truly feeling the vulnerability underlying his powerful mafia persona. I wasn't invested in his relationship with Emilia and I couldn't feel a true connection between them. The sex scenes seemed forced and unnatural instead of raw and uninhibited. I wanted to see the undying love Leandro held for Emilia underneath his cruel and unmerciful ways, to really feel how he would die for her, but it felt rather unconvincing. I also expected to see a level of respect between them that went beyond the typical life of a mafia marriage but that was lacking as well.
Ultimately, this was a story about loyalty and love, trust and forgiveness. It was a look at found family and finding your place among those who are important to you. The book did have a nice twist at the end that set it up well for the next book in the series. Unfortunately, however, I found the majority of the story to be utterly disappointing.
“It seems my kingdom is filled with lies and truths waiting to be discovered.”
** Special thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available March 9, 2023. **
Emilia and Leandro, blood born and violence raised, were destined to be together from a young age when Emilia's father took Leandro in and assigned him to always love and protect Emilia. But Leandro failed Emilia so the question remained: Were they truly meant to be?
Emilia wanted her independence and freedom from the mafia life and escaped by faking her own death. But five years later she was back, returned to the worst time of her life. She still saw Leandro as the boy she once knew, not the feared and unmerciful Don he now was. Emilia was the light to Leandro's darkness but she was also his weakness and that became dangerous for them both. Leandro became the worst version of himself after losing Emilia. Could Emilia accept Leandro's darkness and love him once again? And could Leandro ever love Emilia the way he once had or had his new role completely hardened his heart to the possibility of falling in love?
“Somehow, someday, I will be yours.”
Broken Crowns had a solid foundation for a storyline but it completely missed the mark for me. Firstly, I could not resonate with the writing and I struggled to continue reading and often found myself bored. Abrupt changes and alternating points of view with jumps from the present to the past interrupted the flow of the story. Events were confusing at times as if parts were left out while others were glossed over. Being mindful of trigger alerts, the dark circumstances of pain and trauma both Leandro and Emilia had experienced in the past were missed opportunities for deeper exploration to further develop their characters.
Although I liked the idea of Emilia fighting for her freedom, I couldn't warm up to her character and I had a hard time feeling empathy for her. I felt the same for Leandro and didn't care for him at all, not truly feeling the vulnerability underlying his powerful mafia persona. I wasn't invested in his relationship with Emilia and I couldn't feel a true connection between them. The sex scenes seemed forced and unnatural instead of raw and uninhibited. I wanted to see the undying love Leandro held for Emilia underneath his cruel and unmerciful ways, to really feel how he would die for her, but it felt rather unconvincing. I also expected to see a level of respect between them that went beyond the typical life of a mafia marriage but that was lacking as well.
Ultimately, this was a story about loyalty and love, trust and forgiveness. It was a look at found family and finding your place among those who are important to you. The book did have a nice twist at the end that set it up well for the next book in the series. Unfortunately, however, I found the majority of the story to be utterly disappointing.
“It seems my kingdom is filled with lies and truths waiting to be discovered.”
** Special thanks to Xpresso Book Tours and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own. Quotes subject to change at time of publication. Available March 9, 2023. **
January 11, 2023
First ARC of the year.. And it was INHALED!!
5 NEW KINGDOM CROWNS
There is no better way to start my reading year than with a GREAT book as Broken Crowns! This is a first book from this author for me and I can honestly say I enjoyed it thoroughly.
HOLY SHIT. That was f*cking amazing. Leandro and Emilia served. The dark chemistry between them, the burning tension, the remorseless love, it was everything. This book was twisted ,dark, dysfunctional and DELICIOUsly toxic .
I can not express how much I loved this book. The story was gripping. The words held me captive until the end.
Leandro, the depravity and darkness he exudes, was extraordinary to read about. This is the type of hero that sucks me. Leandro Scavo is the dark knight who works to ensure that his world does not slip from his tight control.
Broken Crowns left me speechless. It is an unbelievable read and I would highly recommend everyone meet Leandro Scavo.
This is a deliciously dark story that will have you suspended in time whilst you devour every page.
Empress Chang has a way of making you get inside of her characters minds, feel their fear, lust and heartache.
5 NEW KINGDOM CROWNS
There is no better way to start my reading year than with a GREAT book as Broken Crowns! This is a first book from this author for me and I can honestly say I enjoyed it thoroughly.
HOLY SHIT. That was f*cking amazing. Leandro and Emilia served. The dark chemistry between them, the burning tension, the remorseless love, it was everything. This book was twisted ,dark, dysfunctional and DELICIOUsly toxic .
I can not express how much I loved this book. The story was gripping. The words held me captive until the end.
Leandro, the depravity and darkness he exudes, was extraordinary to read about. This is the type of hero that sucks me. Leandro Scavo is the dark knight who works to ensure that his world does not slip from his tight control.
Broken Crowns left me speechless. It is an unbelievable read and I would highly recommend everyone meet Leandro Scavo.
This is a deliciously dark story that will have you suspended in time whilst you devour every page.
Empress Chang has a way of making you get inside of her characters minds, feel their fear, lust and heartache.
March 17, 2023
Rating: ☆☆☆☆ Spice: 🌶🌶🌶
Angst: 💔💔💔
Cliffhanger? No for this couple but a HFN for the overall story
Do I recommend it? ✅️
Trigger Warnings: ☠️ ☠️
Tropes: dark mafia romance, enemies-to-lovers, second chance, contemporary
When Leandro Scava was essentially sold to the mafia don of New York, it was to serve a purpose. He would be raised as the Don's daughter, Emilia's, bodyguard. As they grew up together, feelings became a natural evolution between them until one night changed them forever. Afterwards, Emilia knew she couldn't stay a part of that violent world so she orchestrated her disappearance. Five years have passed and Andro has discovered the truth of what happened and where to find her. Even though the chemistry between them burned even brighter, both Andro and Emilia have changed fundamentally. She may still see the boy she once knew but darkness consumed him as the people in their world feared him. For safety, she needed him to love her but the more time she spend with this darker version, the more she is the one falling in love.
This was my first read by Empress Chang and she definitely grabbed my attention. This story grabbed my attention from the start and left me hungry for more to come. My only complaint was I felt like I was missing an essential part of the story. I felt lost during certain portions. Even though there were a couple glimpses into the character's past, I was still missing their connection as a couple. I still want to stick with the series and I am looking forward to the next book in this new series. If you are a mafia lover, then I highly recommend giving this story a try. This is my honest opinion, freely given.
Angst: 💔💔💔
Cliffhanger? No for this couple but a HFN for the overall story
Do I recommend it? ✅️
Trigger Warnings: ☠️ ☠️
Tropes: dark mafia romance, enemies-to-lovers, second chance, contemporary
When Leandro Scava was essentially sold to the mafia don of New York, it was to serve a purpose. He would be raised as the Don's daughter, Emilia's, bodyguard. As they grew up together, feelings became a natural evolution between them until one night changed them forever. Afterwards, Emilia knew she couldn't stay a part of that violent world so she orchestrated her disappearance. Five years have passed and Andro has discovered the truth of what happened and where to find her. Even though the chemistry between them burned even brighter, both Andro and Emilia have changed fundamentally. She may still see the boy she once knew but darkness consumed him as the people in their world feared him. For safety, she needed him to love her but the more time she spend with this darker version, the more she is the one falling in love.
This was my first read by Empress Chang and she definitely grabbed my attention. This story grabbed my attention from the start and left me hungry for more to come. My only complaint was I felt like I was missing an essential part of the story. I felt lost during certain portions. Even though there were a couple glimpses into the character's past, I was still missing their connection as a couple. I still want to stick with the series and I am looking forward to the next book in this new series. If you are a mafia lover, then I highly recommend giving this story a try. This is my honest opinion, freely given.
March 22, 2023
I received an ARC from netgalley in exchange of an honest review:
I like this one. Leandro had been lost without her, he became the very worst version of himself. Emilia just wanted a diferent life and that's totally understandable. I actually felt bad for him, because you could see he really loved her and her disapearing without telling him felt like a betrayal. They really were made to be, you could see the darkness of one matching the light of the other. I didn't like the thing she did at the end, there was no purpose and just served to hurt him more. She just did things or said things and didn't think about the consequences. I didn't like that very much. Regardless, I really liked the book, it was fast paced, had a ton of smut and I can't wait for the next in the series
I like this one. Leandro had been lost without her, he became the very worst version of himself. Emilia just wanted a diferent life and that's totally understandable. I actually felt bad for him, because you could see he really loved her and her disapearing without telling him felt like a betrayal. They really were made to be, you could see the darkness of one matching the light of the other. I didn't like the thing she did at the end, there was no purpose and just served to hurt him more. She just did things or said things and didn't think about the consequences. I didn't like that very much. Regardless, I really liked the book, it was fast paced, had a ton of smut and I can't wait for the next in the series
March 25, 2023
Rating 2.5 I can truly see the good book in there. It has interesting plot points. Emilia was an interesting character and I want to know so much more from her. I felt that I actually got to little from her perspective in t?his story, I didn't feel that we really got her perspective on how she can fall back in love with Ando and I don't think we got enough of the sex scenes from her perspective. I am interested in seeing what happens next in this series. Thank you NetGalley for providing this ARC.
March 23, 2023
An absolute delight! I couldn’t put it down until I was done. You get sucked in by the first page and you are dying to see what will happen next. Andro and Emilia have a relationship from little kids that bloomed into something very few people are blessed to experience. Emilia decided to take her life into her own hands and the fallout of that decision could be everything she wanted and more, if things go the way she wants them to. The book ends on the end of a big reveal and leaves you hanging until the next books is released.
March 24, 2023
I literally couldn’t put this book down. it’s a short book, fast paced and i just love it. normally i wouldn’t go for books like this but this just had me hooked. the way the author does the past and present is just chef’s kiss, too good, it’s not confusing and it adds more to the story.
March 23, 2023
I enjoyed the sordid tale of Emilia and Andro. Childhood Sweethearts turned enemies turned lovers. With all the drama you would expect from a Mafia romance and the unexpected heart warming conversation from a very rigid Don. The storyline was interesting and I'm looking forward to book two. It appears this will be a series of standalones. I received an ARC via Netgalley of this book in exchange for my honest review.
March 29, 2023
Thank you to netgalley for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
I struggle to rate this. I'm going to go with 1.5 star.
It was okay. It wasn't anything special. It wasn't it for me. I love a good spicy book. This could of easily been another smutty mafia novella but instead it was trying to be the start of a series and it didn't work.
The characters felt very 2 dimensional. Everyone kinda fell flat for me.
The plot, what plot, where?
We get little sprinkles of the idea of a plot throughout the book but its literally just our 2 main characters trying not to fall in love with each other? The literal only decent plot was the last 15% of the book.
The sex scenes, they were good, descriptive, but felt a little forced. Also they were constantly used as the weapon that each of them used to make the other fall in love. Personality? Nah. Only sex matters.
And finally the Author kept explaining things badly and everything was said, not shown. Literally everything except sex scenes and arguments. We were just told the rest.
So will I keep reading? I mean if I own book 2 and remember, sure cause the ending was a cliffhanger. Otherwise I will probably forget this book in 2 days time.
I struggle to rate this. I'm going to go with 1.5 star.
It was okay. It wasn't anything special. It wasn't it for me. I love a good spicy book. This could of easily been another smutty mafia novella but instead it was trying to be the start of a series and it didn't work.
The characters felt very 2 dimensional. Everyone kinda fell flat for me.
The plot, what plot, where?
We get little sprinkles of the idea of a plot throughout the book but its literally just our 2 main characters trying not to fall in love with each other? The literal only decent plot was the last 15% of the book.
The sex scenes, they were good, descriptive, but felt a little forced. Also they were constantly used as the weapon that each of them used to make the other fall in love. Personality? Nah. Only sex matters.
And finally the Author kept explaining things badly and everything was said, not shown. Literally everything except sex scenes and arguments. We were just told the rest.
So will I keep reading? I mean if I own book 2 and remember, sure cause the ending was a cliffhanger. Otherwise I will probably forget this book in 2 days time.
April 9, 2023
1.5 ☆
i think this book was just alright. my biggest complaint with this book is how both characters clearly had so much history and trauma but none of it was used to give us more insight and a deeper connection with the characters. i also found myself getting bored constantly in this book which made it hard to finish despite the fact it’s not very long. parts of the story were also very confusing and felt like we were constantly missing context. additionally, i didn’t really like either character that much and i didn’t like how we got to watch emilia fight for her freedom but she later folded for him soo fast. i feel like their relationship was lacking connection and a lot of chemistry. unfortunately, the plot was not well written which made this book hard to keep my attention. the sex scenes felt very forced and unnatural and they were constantly solving every issue with sex and using their attraction to each other.
def not the book for me but if you enjoy dark, mafia, romance books than you’d probably enjoy this! thank you to netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for sending me this ARC. All opinions are my own.
i think this book was just alright. my biggest complaint with this book is how both characters clearly had so much history and trauma but none of it was used to give us more insight and a deeper connection with the characters. i also found myself getting bored constantly in this book which made it hard to finish despite the fact it’s not very long. parts of the story were also very confusing and felt like we were constantly missing context. additionally, i didn’t really like either character that much and i didn’t like how we got to watch emilia fight for her freedom but she later folded for him soo fast. i feel like their relationship was lacking connection and a lot of chemistry. unfortunately, the plot was not well written which made this book hard to keep my attention. the sex scenes felt very forced and unnatural and they were constantly solving every issue with sex and using their attraction to each other.
def not the book for me but if you enjoy dark, mafia, romance books than you’d probably enjoy this! thank you to netgalley and Xpresso Book Tours for sending me this ARC. All opinions are my own.
July 27, 2023
3 stars
This book is a short mafia new adult romance, it follows the perspectives of the main love interest as they are reunited after five years. I am not usually a fan of short stories or novellas, but this book did a good job of having enough background information that it set up present day events and dynamics of the characters nicely. The set up and the plot also did a great job of making sure the story did not feel insta love and when characters did get together, there was enough that it did not feel rushed, which tends to happen with these lengths of novels. The characters I didn't really love or hate, they were just ok. I found this entertaining at times but at the same time was not anything that really wowed me or stuck out. I would still recommend it especially if your someone whole does really enjoy shorter stories.
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
This book is a short mafia new adult romance, it follows the perspectives of the main love interest as they are reunited after five years. I am not usually a fan of short stories or novellas, but this book did a good job of having enough background information that it set up present day events and dynamics of the characters nicely. The set up and the plot also did a great job of making sure the story did not feel insta love and when characters did get together, there was enough that it did not feel rushed, which tends to happen with these lengths of novels. The characters I didn't really love or hate, they were just ok. I found this entertaining at times but at the same time was not anything that really wowed me or stuck out. I would still recommend it especially if your someone whole does really enjoy shorter stories.
I received this advanced ebook, via Netgalley. This review is my own honest opinion.
April 12, 2023
I received this book in exchange for an honest review.
I really enjoyed this book. I love mafia romances so it was expected that I liked this. The story went quickly and it kept me entertained the entire time. I think the story line was great, but I wish there were a little more detail about the characters. Some of the characters fell flat for me. One of the things I really didn’t like was his CNC booty play.Overall, I think if you’re a fan of mafia romances, then this would be a great book for you to read.
I really enjoyed this book. I love mafia romances so it was expected that I liked this. The story went quickly and it kept me entertained the entire time. I think the story line was great, but I wish there were a little more detail about the characters. Some of the characters fell flat for me. One of the things I really didn’t like was his CNC booty play.Overall, I think if you’re a fan of mafia romances, then this would be a great book for you to read.
December 18, 2023
I rarely find myself getting hooked with short novellas, and not just because I love like LOVE mafia romance. I couldn't put the book down and finished it in one sitting. I love how the story and plot was laid out.
Overall, it's one of the easy reads but will surprisingly make you feel tons of emotions! I just wish the back stories could have been expanded a bit. Received this copy from NetGalley
Overall, it's one of the easy reads but will surprisingly make you feel tons of emotions! I just wish the back stories could have been expanded a bit. Received this copy from NetGalley
April 19, 2023
Spicy 🌶🌶🌶
I enjoyed Emilia and Leandro's story. They have known each other for a long time and their chemistry is off the charts. This book is dark at times but here are alot of twists and turns. I love how they worked their issues out and she still managed to be herself- strong and assertive! Great read!! Couldn't put the book down read it in 1 day !
I enjoyed Emilia and Leandro's story. They have known each other for a long time and their chemistry is off the charts. This book is dark at times but here are alot of twists and turns. I love how they worked their issues out and she still managed to be herself- strong and assertive! Great read!! Couldn't put the book down read it in 1 day !
April 10, 2023
I enjoyed Emilia and Leandro's story. They have known each other for a long time and their chemistry is off the charts. This book is dark at times but here are alot of twists and turns. I love how they worked their issues out abd she still managed to be herself- strong and assertive! Great read!!
July 3, 2023
Loved it! The angst and drama was on point and it made me feel what they were feeling. It's rare that a book makes me feel so many feelings but I can honestly say that I was definitly invested!
July 5, 2023
A good Mafia book... Didn't really get into it til almost the middle of the book then I didn't want to put it in down... Some pretty good steamy scenes...
May 3, 2023
The book sounded very good and just like something I would like, but unfortunately, I couldn't get along with it.
The characters were very forcefully introduced to me as a reader and everything was too hasty. Even in the prologue there are at least 10 names thrown at the reader and kinships and I became a little distracted while trying to understand who everyone was.
The other thing I had a problem with - everything is too dramatic. It was just too much. Not to mention that both the characters and the story itself are terribly superficial, so when you add these two factors together, it doesn’t look good.
There are not many descriptions in the book, not to say almost none. There is some attempt at depth of the characters, but they never managed to reach me. It took them even further away that their actions had no logic at all almost all the time and just things were happening there, as if for the book to go. I do not know where the climax came from and why exactly it had to be that way, but it was both sucked out of the fingers, and credibility and logic in it were missing and made it look terribly ridiculous.
The end is the same thing. The last page reveals something there are no traces in the rest of the book about and makes the plot seem even more ill-conceived.
To be as honest as possible, there were some moments that I liked, so from here comes half the star above, but my overall opinion of the book is that the idea and the is good. Performance, on the other hand, is extremely bad. I don't want to read the second one.
~~~
Rating: 1.5/5
The characters were very forcefully introduced to me as a reader and everything was too hasty. Even in the prologue there are at least 10 names thrown at the reader and kinships and I became a little distracted while trying to understand who everyone was.
The other thing I had a problem with - everything is too dramatic. It was just too much. Not to mention that both the characters and the story itself are terribly superficial, so when you add these two factors together, it doesn’t look good.
There are not many descriptions in the book, not to say almost none. There is some attempt at depth of the characters, but they never managed to reach me. It took them even further away that their actions had no logic at all almost all the time and just things were happening there, as if for the book to go. I do not know where the climax came from and why exactly it had to be that way, but it was both sucked out of the fingers, and credibility and logic in it were missing and made it look terribly ridiculous.
The end is the same thing. The last page reveals something there are no traces in the rest of the book about and makes the plot seem even more ill-conceived.
To be as honest as possible, there were some moments that I liked, so from here comes half the star above, but my overall opinion of the book is that the idea and the is good. Performance, on the other hand, is extremely bad. I don't want to read the second one.
~~~
Rating: 1.5/5
June 26, 2023
I am such a sucker for mafia romance and I devoured this book. The love and betrayal! The love and devotion Andro has for Emilia made my heart melt. The spice and chemistry between the two is off the charts. For it being less than 200 pages it sucked me in and I cannot wait for book 2! The cliffhanger got me and I cannot wait to see what is next.
“He only truly gave me you, and losing you once was enough. I will not do it again. I’m this life or the next.”
“He only truly gave me you, and losing you once was enough. I will not do it again. I’m this life or the next.”
Displaying 1 - 19 of 19 reviews