❤~🌟~❤ 4.5 ELECTRIFYING STARS! ❤~🌟~❤
I have always been transfixed with Natasha’s Knight’s dark romances so when I learned of this new Heroes and Villains duet my pulse raced with anticipation! And while this heart-gripping, second chance tale is a departure from her mafia arranged marriage/secret society tropes, THE HEROES WE BREAK is enthralling in its own right!
PREMISE:
This tumultuous romance revolves around Ophelia Hart, Silas Cruz and the filthy rich Fox family. Phee is on the verge of marrying Ethan, the son of her father’s former business partner, but her entire world is torn apart when her dad is arrested. There has been bad blood between the Foxes and Cruzes for over a decade and this new development finally gives Silas the opportunity to exact his long-awaited revenge. And Ophelia is his perfect pawn. Or IS she? As the bastard son of Sly Cruz, Silas has always been treated like trash by his father’s family and has a mega sized chip on his shoulder. But from the moment his piercing turquoise gaze locked on Phee when they were teenagers, he’s always had a soft spot for the sweet, innocent girl next door. Over the years his affection for his precious O never faltered, and he became her self-appointed rescuer more times than he can count, sparking a forbidden attraction that caught them both off guard.
But that was then...this is NOW and their youthful ardor morphed into simmering hostility when she became betrothed to his loathsome half-brother. But he cannot allow that marriage to take place. Yet even though Silas schemes to wrench her out of Ethan’s slimy clutches and claim her for himself, not all is what it seems. For hard as he tries to fight it, “Barbie” rouses a carnal passion and fierce protectiveness in him that jeopardizes everything he’s set in motion. As for Ophelia, she lusts and loathes her childhood friend-turned-sworn nemesis in equal measure. Silas can be cold and scornful and shockingly cruel yet also exquisitely gentle and nurturing and ferociously protective, and no one has ever set her blood on fire like he can! Which leaves us wondering…has Silas truly become the villain of his own story or is he the savior she’s been dreaming of all along?
MY MUSINGS:
Wowza! Part one of this riveting “friends to enemies to lovers” duet definitely starts off with a bang. THE HEROES WE BREAK is pulsating with thrilling twists and turns, danger and dueling desire, and a soul burning love connection that cannot be denied!
Juxtaposing between the present and the past, the author crafted this tumultuous tale brilliantly as she sets the stage for ten years of bad blood that has transpired between the Fox and Cruz families. And as dark, dangerous secrets and unforgivable deceptions are slowly unveiled, the reader becomes more and more hopelessly enraptured! The tempestuous romance that unfolds between Ophelia and Silas was raw and organic. Scorching hot. And teeming with such intense, heart palpitating emotion it riled me up in the best possible way!
As always, Natasha Knight pens larger than life anti-heroes you love to hate but in this story I felt such worshipful adoration for this MC from the start that I couldn’t help but swoon!. Gah…Silas is so GLORIOUSLY ALPHA and BEAUTIFULLY BROKEN he completely slayed my heart! Emanating pure, primal “touch her and you die” vibes, there is something about this tortured hero in all his jealous/possessive, righteously wrathful fury that made me melt! Deep down I knew every calculated move he made stemmed from both deep-seated devotion and long. festering pain so I fully understood what made him tick. And to say that he and Ophelia have a rich, complicated history together is putting it MILDLY.
Yet no matter what heated ire or heart lacerating bitterness transpired between them, it was abundantly clear Silas would never do anything to hurt his precious O—who has blossomed from the bookish, shy girl with wild hair and big glasses into a stunningly beautiful woman. On the contrary, though their lifelong friendship has now been fractured by fierce vitriol and brutal passion, the gorgeous, defiant spitfire still brings out a gruffly tender, crazy protective side to him that belies his heartless attitude and questionable maneuvers. So, there was NEVER a doubt in my mind that Ophelia’s childhood savior turned dark avenging angel would fight for her till his last dying breath!
As for Ophelia, while on the surface she may appear fragile, deep down she’s NO damsel in distress. An enticing combination of sweet, virtuous innocent and headstrong spitfire, this blonde-haired beauty gave as good as she got! I love how she navigated her arduous new circumstances with bravado and unfaltering strength yet also retained her aching vulnerability…which made her one beautifully nuanced heroine! Torn between her forced alliance to a family she’s beholden to, and her contemptuous, all-consuming passion for her “fiancés” cruel yet powerfully commanding half-brother, I rooted for her every step of the way. I love how even though she openly resents Silas for the ugliness in their past, there’s no denying that’s while he’s the villain she wants to hate, she’s drawn to like a moth to the flame.
“Silas is fireworks and heat, a blaze so f*cking hot it will incinerate us both, turn us to ash.”
Speaking of fireworks… HOLY HOT TAMALE, the chemistry between Ophelia and Silas was all kinds of combustible! Their palpable sexual tension and torrid erotic encounters were beyond EXPLOSIVE! I simply couldn’t get enough of the palpable push pull between these two as they circled around one another and tried to keep their guards up. But against all odds, their fates were tethered together in ways neither could control. Ultimately, their connection was hypnotic. Heart stopping. And hopelessly addictive!
And…eeek…talk about a vicious family feud that drives this story forward in deliciously devious ways, leaving us on pins and needles in the process! There is something absolutely intoxicating about the lethal power struggle/cut-throat rivalry between Silas and Ethan, two estranged half-brothers who have clashed their whole lives and now vie for the love of one woman. But alas, only one man will be left standing, and without spilling too much, let’s just say that all is NOT fair in love and war . Because the atrocities that’s transpired leading up to jaw dropping climax made my BLOOD RUN COLD, and I truly hope and pray that the real villains of this story get their comeuppance in the next installment.
BOTTOM LINE:
This provocative, pulse pounding tale was flawlessly executed, pulverized us with all the feels and whipped us up into a frenzied lather! Now I shall be waiting with bated breath for THE VILLIANS WE MAKE!