One cold December night, I let myself enjoy a beautiful stranger I’d met in the cage at my Family’s seedy fight club.
Afterwards, I kissed him goodbye and sent him away, content to cling to memories of the out-of-towner who’d pleased me so thoroughly.
Except that beautiful butterfly wasn’t who he claimed to be, and our lives would soon intertwine in a much more permanent way.
We worked side-by-side with our families to rid the City of the malevolent dictators that ruled so cruelly over it for generations—including my soulless sister, who’d held my leash for years.
In the City’s new era of peace, I’m enjoying my freedom and my job working for the rightful queen, Jolie Knight, but I still can’t seem to escape her brother—and the things he makes me feel that I would rather not.
When my mother disappears after breaking my heart one final time, the sexy, charismatic Max Miller invites himself along on my journey to save her—or, perhaps, to let her go for good.
And this beautiful boy looks at me as though he plans to stick around, even after our mission is complete.
I’m the notorious Frankie “Fingers” Ferrero. I strike fear into the hearts of those that would harm my family. I slip through the shadows and decimate small armies single handedly. I take appendages from my victims as trophies and bathe in their blood with a smile.
Falling in love is not for me.
Max Miller begs to differ.
This is a New Adult, M/M dark romance novella in the “A Knight’s Revenge” universe. For maximum enjoyment, you should listen to the full trilogy prior to starting Max & Frankie’s story. As always, this is for listeners age 18+ and contains a ton of foul language, very steamy scenes, and violent themes.
This is technically not to be read as a stand-alone. I have not read the previous books in the A Knights Revenge MF romance series that this MM romance novella belongs to so I had no prior introduction to the characters or this world. I still enjoyed this a lot and did not want to put it down due to the dynamic of Max Miller and Frankie Ferrero and the dark world they belong to. Their first meeting is 🔥 It’s “touch him and die” vibes here. These two are mutually possessive with a capital P.
”I’ve played in the shadows with you, Frankie. You don’t scare me.”
If you choose to read this as a stand-alone, I would say KNOW and BE WILLING to fill in some of the blanks on your own and be ok with that or wait until info is sometimes slowly revealed to you. Elizabeth Dear has a true talent for writing casts of characters that all feel like unique real living people. Max Miller is mine! 🦋
Be aware this is a completely made up universe. Great escape from reality! CW are listed
This was absolutely everything I wanted. I have zero complaints, only words of praise for this novella. Max and Frankie just work together so well. Frankie has some damage, some abandonment issues, even if he doesn't recognize it, and Max is here to show him that they will be a couple. #CoupleGoals
Amazing dialogue, I was squealing, giggling, and going "oooohhhhhh B!tch just F*CKED UP!" so much and it reading this was an absolute joy.
Another thing I want to comment on is how difficult making characters badasses can be and yet the author does a fantastic join. Yes, we are told continuously that Frankie is scary, he's a monster-- and yes, this can usually be annoying, but here it felt more like the characters were confused that the enemies didn't know this. It also wasn't annoying because the actions of the characters proved they are dangerous. So, I wasn't rolling my eyes or sarcastically going "suuuure so scary~!" NO I was giggling at how f*cked the enemies were because the author was able to convince ME that our main characters were violent and badass enough to not only deal with the rough situations, but deal with them with such ease. At one point I even was shouting "do they not know who Frankie is?!?!" so even I was adding into the narrative.
Seriously, such a fun read. I'm going to miss this world so much.
5/5⭐️ 3.5/5🌶️ Ahhhh! My freaking heart. This little novella was everything I didn’t know I needed out of Max and Frankie Fingers!
I loved the dynamic between Frankie and Max. Max is cocky as hell and goes for what he wants, consequences and judgements be damned. Frankie lets Max indulge but doesn’t think it will last. He’s just basking in the moment with his Butterfly. I was pleasantly surprised to find that Frankie didn’t try to pull away in the face to face confrontations with Max. I love how they just seemed to click together like pieces of a puzzle. Frankie’s depravity and dark humor didn’t dwindle in the least. Elizabeth kept them true to their personalities. Frankie was hilarious even as he’s “doing his job”, which gets Max all hot and bothered. Freaking loved it. And I love love love that the fierceness went both ways. You don’t mess with one or the other or else you’ll feel the wrath of the coldest killer inflicted upon you. It was the definition of ‘I’ll burn the world down for you.’ Max and Frankie were chaotic and wholesome and everything my dark heart needed. All is right in the world after reading this novella.
How is it possible I have so many highlights in a novella?
Favorite Quotes:
He smelled like cherries and gunpowder, and I was hooked.
He was mine now, and he was just going to have to accept it.
I am unfortunately a man of some honor, despite my deserved reputation as a hardworking psychopath.”
“So you call Max ‘Butterfly’? You gave that hulking, cage-fighting, bloodthirsty shithead a pet name, and it’s Butterfly?” I scowled at him, while Frankie just frowned like the question confused him. “Of course. He’s rare and beautiful.”
My Butterfly had a darkness in him, and it was sinful and delicious.
I allowed myself to spend a single day in his presence, and now I was very close to locking him away forever—I’d tie him to the chair in my bedroom, where he would sing to me all day and I would ride his cock all night.
But now my heart beat for my Butterfly. The love of my life. I would never be numb again, I realized. And I would be getting my love back, even if I had to slit every throat in this City. Hold on, Butterfly. Your monster is coming.
“You know you wanted to talk to your man,” Zach cooed. “Of course I did,” he replied, his tone very matter-of-fact. “Butterfly, are you hurt? For every scratch on you, I will be slitting a throat this evening.” I hummed happily. “I have so many scratches, babe.” “Gross, stop sex-talking each other,” Jojo grumbled. “We can all hear you.”
Now his presence was everywhere I looked, and I had a place that felt like my home for the first time in my life.
This is my first MM book. Before I read MM in RH books, I don't mind but I never felt that I need to pick a MM only book, if I can read why choose.
But here I wanted to know Max and Frankie's story. I got to know them as side characters in A Knights Revenge Series. I loved the series. But where I have a lot of best of scenes across the three book this book felt like one best of scene after the other. I couldn't name my favorite scene, because there are so many.
I already loved both characters before even starting this book. Max was this great protective brother of Jojo and Frankie also was very protective of Zach and Jojo. But what Frankie didn't expect when he choose Jojo's side was that he is now part of Jojo's family and that means not only her boyfriends, but also her parents and Max. And in this book Frankie realises this. He also struggles with different issues. And to become a part of the family and Max forever partner he has to shred all of this issues. I rooted for Frankie. And Max was very persistent and didn't let Frankie get away with anything.
This book is a must read and I will add it to my collection of books!
Well, now I'm just plain sad. I don't want this series to end even with the HEA. I want more JoJo. I want more of her guys. I want more Frankie and Max. And I want more Mari. This was the best series I have read in such a long time, and now that it's come to an end, I want to crawl back in. I've never really read straight m/m books, but this blew me away. Elizabeth, I need so much more......PLEASE!!!!
There definitely had to be a suspension of disbelief at the competency of 18- to 23-year-olds, but it was an emotional psychotic smutty fest that was a fun addition to the main series to flesh out some favorite side characters and their HEA.
Rewinding back to Jojo’s trilogy, I instantly fell in love with Max and Frankie as characters the second we met each of them for completely different reasons. But finding out later on that they had history had me immediately invested in both their story and potential relationship!
One thing I wasn’t expecting about their dynamic was that Max was the first one to lay claim to Frankie and not the other way around! Even better was nobody believing Max whenever he said they were together! Like the fact that literally everybody questioned whether Frankie was aware of their relationship had me busting up every time because it was so perfect and true! 🤣
And as far as couples go, they were just as chaotic as I was expecting and it was EVERYTHING! They fully supported each other’s quirky but violent personalities and were so freaking precious. The amount of times I squealed because one of them said something cute about the other was ridiculous, but how am I supposed to remain calm when they say stuff like this?!
“You gave that hulking, cage-fighting, bloodthirsty, guy a pet name, and it’s butterfly?” “Of course. He’s rare and beautiful.” 🦋😭
The plot was pretty straight forward compared to the previous trilogy but per usual the Knight family/inner circle never misses when it comes to eradicating their enemies so I was obviously entertained and had a great time overall! The brotherly banter between Max and the guys was just as great as ever and honestly all of the interactions we got with Jolie and her men, Mari and Carmen, and even the tech team constantly reminded me how much I freaking adore the found family of this series. Side note, I know Elizabeth has already spoiled us rotten with this novella but I NEED a scene of Marcus and Silver working their issues out together because the tension simmering between them is so freaking delicious! 😉🔥
Thank you miss Elizabeth for taking the time to write us fans a whole extra story for these characters! We do not deserve you! 🫶🏻
4,5⭐️ 3,5🌶️ Max’i serinin birinci kitabında ilk göründüğü andan beri çok seviyorum. Frankie de çok ilginç bir karakterdi. Bu Novella olmasaydı aklım kalacaktı😁
Frankie wanted me. He didn’t want to want me, but he did, and that meant he was mine.
Frankie and Max’s story left me with heart eyes and even more in love with the characters than I had been from their appearances in The Knight’s Revenge trilogy. This is an absolute treat of a read. Thank you, Elizabeth Dear, for hearing your reader’s clamor for more and gifting us with their story.
I loved every single moment of this novella. From Max breaking the hard-edged Frankie down one heartfelt profession of love at a time to Frankie acknowledging he is worthy of love and giving in to his feelings for Max. Their chemistry is explosive with intensely spicy scenes. I adored each bloody bring-your-boyfriend-to-work moment. The couple that maims and slays together stays together.
Incredibly fast-burn with prologue smut; expect explicit MM scenes with possessive dirty talk (plus some mild breeding kink).
I enthusiastically recommend this novella! If I could give it more than five stars, I would.
NB: This novella is not a standalone. You must have read the A Knight's Revenge trilogy to fully understand the events and characters contained within. (Plus, the trilogy is off-the-charts awesome!)
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance Tropes/Features: Violence, morally gray characters, grumpy/sunshine, pansexual MMC, bloodthirsty MMC, chosen family, touch him and die, possessive and protective MMCs Narrator: Dual 1st Person POV Relationship Type: MM, fast burn, very high spice Book Type/Ending: Novella in The Knight’s Revenge series. HEA TW/CW: Available at beginning of book – These are morally gray characters. Expect violence, murder, torture, and mayhem.
Max and Frankie have been circling each other in the prior A Knights Revenge books and I couldn’t wait for their book.
This novella delivers on so much more than I expected!!
It’s gritty and passionate. While a novella it reads like a full book with an excellent plot.
Frankie has depth that I actually did expect, but so much more even…Max compliments him so much! “I’m not going to let him act like last night never happened. He needed me, and I’m going to find out what upset him so I can kill it for him.” They exchanged a look, then my mom just sighed and said, “I think that’s very sweet, Maxy. Just please be careful.” “Call your sister if you need backup,” Dad added.
But now my heart beat for my Butterfly. The love of my life. I would never be numb again, I realized. And I would be getting my love back, even if I had to slit every throat in this City. Hold on, Butterfly. Your monster is coming.
“You know you wanted to talk to your man,” Zach cooed. “Of course I did,” he replied, his tone very matter-of-fact. “Butterfly, are you hurt? For every scratch on you, I will be slitting a throat this evening.” I hummed happily. “I have so many scratches, babe.” “Gross, stop sex-talking each other,” Jojo grumbled. “We can all hear you.”
Now his presence was everywhere I looked, and I had a place that felt like my home for the first time in my life.
It was so fun watching these two banter and Frankie to work through his abandonment issues and finally feel whole. 🥰
I was so excited when I found out that Max and Frankie would be getting their own story, and Elizabeth did not disappoint! We first meet Max and Frankie in A Knight's Revenge trilogy. Max is the adoptive brother of Jolie and Frankie is Zach's uncle. It's clear that something happened between the two when they meet up to help Jolie and her boys, but we don't know exactly what until this book. That being said, you do need to read A Knight's Revenge before starting this book.
After a steamy moment together after a fight, Frankie doesn't think he'll ever see Max again. But when the two find themselves in close proximity while helping their family members take down an empire, everything changes. Frankie can't get Max off his mind, and Max will do whatever it takes to break down Frankie's walls. When Frankie finds himself trying to save his mother from an unfortunate predicament, Max is by his side, and Frankie is finding himself more unable to resist his butterfly.
This book was absolute perfection and you can't change my mind. Between the sweet and vulnerable moments, and the absolutely spicy moments, it was the perfect story for Max and Frankie. I am super sad to see this series end, and will forever be grateful to my friend who recommended I read it. This is an MM, dark romance, and contains foul language, violent/dark themes, and lots of steamy scenes. ♾️/10, I highly recommend this series!
Max and Frankie!! These two just completed this series perfectly!!
It was so wonderful to get back into the world of Jolie Knight…and this time with her amusing and hilarious brother. Max was such a character in the Knight’s Revenge Series and we just knew he and Frankie had a story to tell. Elizabeth told it perfectly!! I loved it!
Frankie is this dark and mysterious man you couldn’t help but love from the first books. He and Max have such chemistry and it’s definitely hot!! Their banter was fun to read. I love how Max antagonizes Frankie to the point he had no choice but to fall in love with him. They are the perfect compliment to each other with their love of “brutal payments” of those who have done wrong. Frankie had such a caring heart even when that person didn’t deserve it and I love how Max was able to show him that even someone “depraved” deserved to be loved as well.
All the stars for Max and Frankie and of course for this entire series!! So we’ll written, intriguing and entertaining to read!!
Absolutely loved this novella. Frankie and max definitely vibe together. The way they met in the beginning was oh so spicy and trust it didn’t stop there throughout the story. There was so much chaos and action this was hard to put down .there was definitely a hea for these delicious and crazy men.Definitely loved this!
The Knight’s Revenge trilogy is one of my favourite series to date. I was so in love with all the characters and the storyline, but I felt Frankie and Max absolutely stole the show. When Elizabeth said she was going to write a novella on them, I was over the moon. I badly wanted to know their love story and I was so thrilled with the outcome. I have never seen two characters have more explosive chemistry then Frankie and Max! If I could give this more then 5 stars I would! ✨
This is a new adult, M/M dark romance novella in the "A Knight's Revenge" universe. In order to get the full reading pleasure, I recommend reading the above-mentioned series beforehand. This book closes the missing "Frankie-Max" gaps. I would advise against this book for highly sensitive readers, as this world is dark and extremely violent.
I've been a Frankie fan from day one. He's definitely not "normal". He's too sadistic for that. And yet he has a deep sense of justice. But he's not completely insensitive either, which is gradually coming to light here. And Max...he's done waiting and turns his charm up to 100% so Frankie doesn't stand a chance here. Max is a beautiful rare butterfly for Frankie, while Frankie's sadistic streak is Max's sweetest nectar. Watching Frankie fall in love with Max was a very satisfying reading experience.
The appearance of the other characters of the "A Knights Revenge" series was also nice. They're a loving, completely insane, and not-so-normal bunch. But after reading this book, they almost feel like a family you have grown fond of and that you are very, very reluctant to let go. Am I sad that this series is ending? - Yes, very much so. But I am very grateful to Elizabeth Dear for writing this well-deserved HEA for Franke and Max. That was a nice ending.
Words cannot express how much I loved this novella. I fell in love with both Max and Frankie in the main series (A Knight’s Revenge), and was so excited to see them find their own happy ending.
We had a big of a rough start, as we take a peek into their history. The explanation of WHY Max was acting so funny, and of course Frankie being Frankie, was exactly what you’d think it was. They had a magical, explosive night, and then parted ways. Max still had feelings, and Frankie thought himself incapable of them.
“Feelings and love were for cocky dreamers like my nephew. For soft, sweet girls like Carmen and Mari. Not for me.”
“We’re not the same, Butterfly. I’m not just a killer. I like to break people open. Their fear amuses me. Their blood invigorates me. The light leaving their eyes fascinates me. I am a demon without a soul.”
The story really starts there, as Max is determined to show Frankie he is deserving of love and affection. Yes, he’s a psychopathic Enforcer, but he’s also a beautiful boy who deserves love as much as anyone does. So they embark on a journey to rescue Frankie’s mother. Frankie has to learn to trust that other people care about him, and will always be in his corner.
“Frankie Fingers was the monster in the dark whispered about by those who traversed the City’s underbelly— a silent, deadly killer, the guy who tortured secrets out of the most hardened men and women with a smile on his face. And still, somehow, I felt violently protective of him.”
Without giving anything else away, know that you need to read this. Max is the wonderfully protective brother of Jolie Knight, and Frankie is just as protective of his nephew’s lady love. Together, they do what they do best - take down their enemies and bask in the sexiness.
“Really, we’re the same, you and me. I would do everything you just did and more to any fucker who stood in my way or threatened my family. So fuck all that self-hatred you’ve been harboring, Frankie. It has no place here, with me, with us. I love your darkness. I want to bathe in it with you forever.”
Max and Frankie were the most integral part of the “A Knight’s Revenge” Trilogy and it simply would have been unfair for them to not get a story for themselves. They are the perfect duo who are made for each other. They both are so tempting and delicious.
I remember being very excited when I heard that their story is coming and I am so glad Elizabeth wrote them. In spite of their dark characters, they are munchkins and super adorable. The short story is for both of them and about their emotions. I DEVOURED the book, and couldn’t put it down.
Frankie is the infamous psycho in the underworld who is detached from all emotions or say that it’s what the world knows and thinks, whereas he is just like any normal human being who has seen terrible days and suffered through them and made himself of steel.
Max is so sweet and is determined to bring down all the walls Frankie has built up around his heart over the years. Will Max be able to do that?? It was a big question and suspense. Max is one persistent guy who never fails and will keep trying again and again.
The story is really interesting, entertaining, and spicy. We get to see Jojo and the guys too, that bought life to all the back story from the trilogy. It was fun seeing them all together once again for a common goal. And lastly, can I get the BUTTERFLY TATTOO?? Happy reading.
Oh my god 😳 this was so deliciously dark and devious and I loved every vicious second of it. Elizabeth made all my Max and Frankie dreams and my only complaint was that it wasn’t long enough because I could read about them forever 😂🥵
Max and Frankie were my favourite side characters from A Knight’s Revenge and I’m so glad they got their own wee story! Their snark and banter and heavy sarcasm made this entire series endlessly amusing amongst the violence and chaos. I love that Max didn’t take no for an answer and basically just forced his love on Frankie 😂 Poor Mr Fingers had no chance!
The chaos and mystery surrounding who the “villain” aka who was idiotic enough to take on the Knight empire and risk Frankie’s wrath was surprisingly fun to read too. Mostly because I knew heads would roll in the most epic of fashion because our gang doesn’t do things halfway. Elizabeth just has this image ability to blend humour in with the violence and blood lust and makes it easy to forget you’re reading a dark romance at all.
I’m so glad we got this novella. It’s dark and devious, it vicious and mildly cruel, but it’s also bloody amusing, scrumptiously spicy, and like I said at the start, I could read about them forever.
The love story between Max and Frankie that we needed!
I'm not one to usually read only MM books. However, Elizabeth Dear's "A Knight's Revenge" series was FABULOUS, and I just knew I needed to read Max and Frankie's story after feeling the chemistry between them.
This book has a few chapters from the past, showing how the two of them met and some of their encounters during the time period that A Knight's Revenge took place. Then it catches up to the present day, which is after the Families have been taken out and Jolie Knight and her men rule the city. Someone has messed with Frankie's mom, so he tries to sort out who's behind it. Max, Jolie's younger brother, is determined to win Frankie over and to help him. Frankie doesn't believe he deserves true love, however, so he fights the attraction between them.
They're soon put together in an official working capacity to take down an organization that thinks they can take over the City, and their close proximity and Max's determination both wear down Frankie's reservations. When something happens to Max, Frankie decides to finally break down what remains of his walls and go all in.
It's a sweet story with all of the characters we loved from the series and a happily ever after for our two boys!!
Finally! Max and Frankie’s sorry has been a long time coming. We first meet these two in the author’s why choose trilogy - A Knight’s Revenge - where the heat and tension between them jumped off the page and left me craving more. While technically this can stand alone, the plot details will make more sense if you read the trilogy first.
Max and Frankie was such a treat to read. The first two prologues give us glimpses of their initial meet cutes (or as cute as two men who thrive in the darkness get) from Max and Frankie’s perspective. The story then takes up after the end of Kill The King when Max is determined to help Frankie on his quest to save his mother. As always, Elizabeth’s plots are well developed and interesting. it It was so much fun getting to reconnect with the main characters from A Knight’s Revenge.
Max and Frankie are the stars of this book. With matching darkness, some excellent banter and serious spice, the relationship between Mr. Fingers and his butterfly developed organically. It was wonderful to see behind the mask Frankie wears and watch him truly let Max in and finally accept that Mac has no plans to go anywhere.
Max and Frankie was the perfect follow up novella to the A Knight’s Revenge trilogy.
Is there a hotter couple than Max Miller & Frankie Fingers? No. There is not.
Max & Frankie is the perfect companion to the Knight's Revenge trilogy. While technically a novella, it reads like a complete story. You should definitely read the trilogy before reading M&F so you have all the context & depth. Don't worry though, it's not a burden-- this entire world is a gift.
Let me see if I can choose my favorite 3 things from this story...
1) Scorching hot prologue with borderline ONS trope. Woof.
2) Everything that is Frankie Fingers. He was already a standout in AKR (A Knight's Revenge. Sorry this review is acronym heavy) from the first moment we meet him. He is maybe the most lovable, knife-wielding, stab-happy, love-worthy guy I've ever read. He deserves Max; Max deserves him.
3) The *vibes*. I'm not going to go into too much detail, but the plot of this novella is the perfect vehicle to watch Max & Frankie navigate the world of AKR. Torture sessions, allll the side character action (Hello Jolie, her guys, Silver, Marcus...), snuggles, gun battles...
Run, don't walk to read about Frankie & his equally beautifully dark Butterfly.
OMG this was my first M. M read, I have been putting it off and putting it off and I am so glad that I let this book in this series. Be my first I loved every bit of Frankie and Max's love story. It was delicious. It was hot. I loved it. It was done tastefully. I enjoyed this one so much. Elizabeth deer is now one of my favorite authors, and I will be reading everything that she puts out from here on out. I loved this story, and I hope she does some more just because I think there's more story to be told here. I truly love all of the characters. I love Jolie. I love Max. I love Frankie, I love Mira. I love Sebastian. I love all of them. I love all of them. The characters for this book.It was so good.It is so totally a must read definitely worth the five stars.As far as spice, I would give it a three.It wasn't very spicy, but that's okay.I still love the story itself.Which made it worth the while I love the characters as well.Max and frankie are so awesome together.They just are.I wish I she'd made it a longer book.Even if it was a standalone and I totally totally wish you'd make more of them must read definitely
This novella was absolutely what we all needed an didn’t realize.
Max an Frankie are so adorable I loved their banter.
Max straight-out claimed Frankie as his forever right from the beginning. The relationship between them was banter back an fourth like the sexual tension they had even if Frankie was trying not to to Max.
Frankie thinks he doesn’t deserve anything that makes him happy an that includes Max. With the slightest age gap between them Max is 18 an Frankie is 23 he feels that he will leave him when he realizes he’s a monster as he says.
Frankie reminds me of Harley Quinn with his personality an it’s awesome. Max can take care of himself from his own training just like Frankie.
This book follows them both as they search for Frankie’s horrible mom an they navigate through feelings they both are developing for each other. I love how they team up together for everything an how adorable they’re.
We also see Mari in this book a few times her relationship with both Frankie an Max is the cherry on top she tells it like it is.
The gang from the trilogy is also present an the banter between Jolie an the guys with Frankie an Max is perfect.
When Max tells Frankie how he feels is beautiful then as we see Frankie finally comes to realize his feels the same.
There are lots of one liners in the Novella an parts that will make you laugh an it’s great in between the serious stuff.
You’ll definitely enjoy this book but be sure to read the trilogy before hand so you can see how the relationship between Max an Frankie started an Jolie an her guys.
It ends on a HEA that will fill your heart with joy promise.