Réquiem de un pecado

Zakrevsky Bratva #1

by Nicole Fox

¿Qué pasa cuando hay un hombre guapísimo desnudo en tu habitación de hotel?
Suena a chiste, pero te aseguro que no lo es.
Es el comienzo de una pesadilla.

Esto es lo que
En el peor día de mi vida, me gané la lotería.
El premio gordo literal, real, de un millón de dólares en el casino Meridian de Las Vegas.

El jefe del casino me dio una noche gratis en la suite Zafiro.
Subí las escaleras, mareada de incredulidad. Abrí la puerta de mi lujoso nuevo alojamiento...

...y enseguida choqué con el hombre más hermoso que jamás había visto.

Demyen Zakrevsky es el musculoso, cincelado e injustamente bello multimillonario propietario del casino.
También está completa y totalmente desnudo.

Una cosa lleva a la otra, y mi noche perfecta acaba en fuegos artificiales.

Pero cuando el resplandor se desvanece, la realidad me abofetea.

Conozco a este hombre.
Y él me conoce a mí.

Hace quince años, mi testimonio condenó al hermano mayor de Demyen a cadena perpetua.
Me ha estado buscando desde entonces.
Y ahora me ha encontrado... en su cama, nada menos.

Cuando Demyen descubre quién soy, me encierra en una jaula y tira la llave.
Ahora soy suya.
Su juguete.
Su mascota.
Su pequeño monstruo perfecto.

Pero aquí está el otro
También estoy embarazada de él.

RÉQUIEM DE PECADO es el Libro 1 de la trilogía de la Bratva Zakrevsky. La historia de Demyen y Clara continúa en el Libro 2, SONATA DE MENTIRAS.

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Mafia Romance, Audiobook, Contemporary, Dark, Enemies To Lovers

543 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 23, 2024

About the author

Nicole Fox writes smart, sexy mafia romance novels. She is a crazy cat lady in her late 30s with a coffee addiction, an overactive imagination, and a husband who somehow puts up with her impulsive need to keep buying new plants for their house.

Sign up to her mailing list and get a free book!

Sign Up Here

Reviews

[Sloth Incarnate 🍉]

I’m sorry, I just can’t get over the fact that this grown ass man wants revenge on a woman because when she was EIGHT, A CHILD, she testified against his brother in court and got him locked up

[Laney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was suspending belief solely on an 8-year-old's testimony putting a man in jail for life, but hey, the US legal system has railroaded people into jail with less evidence, so I went with it. But it lost me with him knowing she was physically and mentally abused since she was at least 3 years old but he still going to sell her.

And her not just being straight with him about her fear of recanting her statement--oy vey!

Skim over several chapters to the end. Like someone else wrote, this book was longer than it needed to be and I was sick of both of them.
Also, it ends on cliffhanger! Ugh!

[Alice Reynolds · Rating 2 out of 5]

I don't know why I read this. Thought the blurb sounded like it could be good, and I apparently can only read romance books at the moment but the execution of this was terrible. It had the bare bones of what could've been a good romance book but there was so much back and forth and so many inconsistencies that I dragged my way to the end. They say Clara is 8 when she testifies at Tolya's trial, and then they say she's ten. They say Clara's mother dies a couple of years after the trial, then they say it was just before Clara graduated high school. Every other chapter Demyen discovers more about the extent of the abuse Clara faced as a child but he never seems to consider that maybe she was forced to lie in her testimony. Seriously it's not that hard to make sure the basic details of your plot are consistent. And I don't buy that Willow is only 5 (although later they reference her being 6) because there's no way a fiver year old, even one that is being abused can understand that someone can be biologically your father but emotionally not your dad.
Also Clara does not know she's pregnant by the end of the book so I've got no idea why they decided to put that in the blurb/book overview. While there were some moments where I thought the writing was going to get better, I won't be reading the next book.

[Kavya · Rating 2 out of 5]

Wow, trust me when I say that this book started off amazing

Clara was what? 8? Yes, her father and then her husband and now the male lead of this book who after knowing everything is the cruelest person possible to her. He is SELLING her!? I am okay with a lot of things in my dark romance reads but this? Yeah I don't consider this as romance. Like it's painful to complete this book. H is a monster and that. Is. It.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Slow and a stupid FMC

I wanted to love this book, especially since it had such high ratings. It's painfully slow. The FMC makes a tons of stupid choices. Discrepancies galore like... when did they even tell each other their names? Or that he is furious she was abused but plans to sell her to a trafficking ring??? There is very little actual Bratva story in this at all and the the way the MMC goes back and forth and back and forth (and back and forth) over... and over... and over... about his feelings for her... its just redundant. And the FMC's bff is super protective but she's taken away and not heard from for months without the bff wondering what's up? Just too many holes and unrealistic plots. And seriously... 3 books to finish?! This entire story could have been wrapped up in one book. Sooooo much pointless filler. Disappointing.

[Nadine · Rating 3 out of 5]

If the blurb didn't have mentions of pregnancy, then I would have rated it 5* but in the book, no mentions of her being pregnant with H's baby yet.
This really frustrated me.

[Via Curtis · Rating 4 out of 5]

4⭐️ i am a slave to my vices.

[Mariami · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read so many books similar to this in my life, but this one was different. I just knew from the first page that I would love this. Clara is one of the strongest characters I have ever met, and Demyen is well… I don’t know how to describe it.

So many people blamed Clara about Martin and the situation with her dad. “Why did she stay?” That’s what I was wondering, but then I read her story. When you’re a woman and both of your abusers are cops, you have to be more careful. One wrong move and your life will end. She had a daughter to protect, and that’s why I understand. I am proud of her because she actually left for a better future. But hope never dies. Maybe her dad made a mistake? Maybe she really loves her…maybe Martin will never do it again…maybe…maybe. Clare, my love, you are a brave and amazing person who raised her daughter all alone.

And Damyen is the man who wanted to get revenge because of his brother…until he saw her... I know not everyone considers him a serious person, and I don’t blame readers for it. Clare was 8 years old when she gave a false statement, and his brother was arrested after that. She was only a child…but so was he. He was in denial, and these emotions were so strong, it was hard to focus on other things. They were both victims in different ways, and they suffered enough.

It was heartbreaking to see this side of the damyen. Him with her child? I never knew how pretty and amazing these relationships are. Of course they made so many mistakes during this book, but I really liked both of them. 5/5 stars

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn’t put this book down. Demyennn 🔥 His lust and possessiveness for Clara was everything, but his fatherly love for Willow made me melt. I loved his POV chapters so much, but I couldn’t help but think… shouldn’t he be really busy as boss man? I empathize with Clara for all the shit she went through and despite all odds, raising such a good little human, but she had some REALLY? moments. Anyway, I’m a sucker and I ate that shit up.

[RB · Rating 2 out of 5]

This started off with quite the bang, pun intended.

But quickly, readers, we realize this is a story about a gorgeous Russian Mafia king who wants revenge on a woman who testified against his brother when she was 8 years old. A broken, abused, manipulated and threatened 8 year old who testified about what she saw without the maturity or strength to understand what she saw. After a smokin hot sexual encounter, he figures out who she is, adds her 5 year old kid to the mix, and begins the process of SELLING her as revenge. Oh, and he knows she's a victim of serious physical and sexual abuse by her current boyfriend. And that her father as well as the boyfriend are dirty cops. Oh, and he originally defended her from a scumbag dude hitting on her inappropriately, because, well, he's the kind of guy who defends helpless women. Sure.

I guess it didn't occur to this guy to talk to her, ask for her story, stop vaguely threatening to take away her 5 year old, and maybe figure out a solution. But then we wouldn't have a story about a guy who plans to sell an abused woman because she didn't understand the implications of what she was saying to a judge when she was 8.

Also, this book ends on a CLIFFHANGER, because it's a 3 book series. I suppose it will take the Russian Mafia King that long to realize he's a giant bag of Richard's, rescue her from whatever fresh he'll he's ensured she's been sold into, implicate the true bad guys, and strong arm her into being his One True Love. But I'm just guessing true love's path in this twisted universe where people write books that titilate us about adults seeking revenge on abused 8 year olds. No thanks.

[Selena Spiropoulos · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great example of true enemies to lovers. Claire is a very damaged young woman who is trying to escape an abusive environment.
She and her daughter Willow (an extremely cute and sassy little girl) end up in the hands of an unlikely savior.
This is a great book for readers who crave Mafia romance, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, touch her and die, and possessive men.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

Another DNF @37%
The FMC is just not it. She scapes her abusive husband, and instead of escaping she goes to work… well OK, then she wins jackpot and then decides to have sex with a stranger. She spends the night not worrying if her abusive husband will get her kid, then she moves with this guy with her kid just because? She is dumb and continues to be dumb. Can’t stand her. And the insta love/lust? Too fucking much.

[Shellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a bad beginning…

This isn’t a bad beginning to the series. It’s dual POV and does end in a cliffhanger.
Stop reading here if you don’t want any spoilers.





I’m so on the fence with Clara. She’s been abuse by the men in her life for her entire life but she went with Demyen at the beginning of the story. I think she was hoping that he would be the knight in shining armor after the time they had together, so I’m chalking it up to can’t see the forest for the trees since she was so enamored with Dem.

I was also frustrated with Demyen with his on and off mood swings. He gets so upset that she was abused but he does the same by humiliating Clara during his dinner party. He’s also abusing her mentally with all the mind games. Maybe he’s the devil she feels she can trust with her daughter Willow, but he definitely doesn’t have Clara’s best interests at heart in book 1.

I’m going ahead with book 2 to see how things will go, but the whiplash from Demyen’s mood swings, along with Clara’s submissiveness one minute then ballsy act the next, I wasn’t sure if I would be interested in finishing. I’m not an enemies to lovers fan which is how some of the book is written. It’s not bad, I’m just personally on the fence.

[April · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this trilogy back to back so I don’t know that I can break down each book clearly. It started out way too insta for me, which made me nervous, however it redeemed itself and had an adequate amount of ups and downs to really make it worth sticking with a trilogy. The little girl and how all the relationships stemmed from her made this unique, she really was center stage. As always the supporting cast in this authors book are top notch and really what sets them apart. While the focus is the couple the cast is what makes the story. Seeing the main characters interact with others is what brings them to life and makes you root for them even when they are being aholes. Great story, sufficient turmoil, decent spice, overall another great set for this author.

[Monique Delaney · Rating 3 out of 5]

Frustrating

First things first:
Spice/heat: 🌶🌶🌶/🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶(3/5)
Fastburn/instalust
Male/Female
Dual POV
Violence/gore (3/5)
Cliffhanger: yes
Tropes: mafia/bratva, abused/traumatized heroine, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, kidnapped/imprisoned, abusive ex, abusive parents, single mother

Premise in a nutshell: Main female character has one night stand with Bratva guy only for him to realize afterwards she's someone he's been trying to find for many years, to punish, for his brothers life sentence in prison. So he kidnaps her and her 5 year old daughter and proceeds to fluctuate between his lust for her and his anger. Main female character has been a victim of both extensive child abuse and spousal abuse and all she wants to to do is escape.

Thoughts: I just want to preface this with I love Nicole Fox organized crime books for the most part. I have read many. She's a one click author for me. Having said that I'm struggling with some things in this book specifically. First of all there were some continuity errors...at the start of the book an incident took place and the character was eight when it happened and then halfway through the book when discussing that incident again the child was then described as 10. Things like that kinda take me out of being immersed in the story and when it comes to children, 2 years is significant in terms of development. I also struggled to believe the two main characters...the main male character is aware that the main female character was abused by both her father and husband relatively early on in the story. This is not a spoiler, it's legit how the book kicks off. He's also aware that she was 8 years old/10 years old when she testified in court against his brother. He is a grown man, running a powerful Bratva and he's smart enough and mature enough and strong enough to have amassed immense power and wealth but he's also dumb enough to not connect the dots that a tiny abused little kid with a dirty cop father, might not have had any say in her testimony and even if she did, she was a tiny little kid when it happened. What adult with even the most basic intelligence holds someone accountable for something they said at 8 years old? The entire premise of this book centers on his decision to "punish" a young abused woman for something she said, under duress, as a tiny, abused 8 year old. Despite being given a dossier on this young woman's life, including horrific pictures of abuse even at 3 years old, he continues to put it out of his mind and abuse her himself in his own way. I have seen this dynamic in high school bully romances, but in those you have bullies are are only 17 or 18 so they can fall back on being dumb, irrational, hormonal teenagers when they are behaving in a ridiculous way. In this regard our main male character can't do that. He's full-grown, cognizant, and informed.

Simultaneously, the main female character, who could be forgiven to some extent for not seeing red flags or understanding what's toxic and what isn't after a never ending lifetime of abuse, reacts equally dumb over and over again. No matter how horrible the main male character is, she responds to him like a cat in heat. He arranges to sell her into the skin trade and 30 minutes later she's humping his leg. She doesn't communicate what's happened to her, doesn't attempt to defend or explain her behaviors or thought process, doesn't critically think or plan or behave like an adult capable of the most basic things. She immediately trusts a strange man enough to bring her 5 year old traumatized child into his home, despite having just won a million dollars and having the opportunity to be free of men, controll, abuse etc... it was absolutely baffling. I almost did not finish this one several times because it was harder and harder to root for these characters. All in all this was a frustrating read. I can't really respect a man who is stupid. And this main male character is consistently stupid over and over again. How is she supposed to rely on him? How is the 5 year old supposed to be safe with him? He registers a child with am amber alert in school and then acts surprised when the police try to take her. I just can't. I can't with these characters. Needless to say I'm undecided on reading book two in this series, I have invested enough time to want to see what becomes of these characters but I also don't know if I can't handle another 400 pages of stupidity.

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

spicy mafia romance

Vegas glitz over its dark underbelly. Dirty cops. Bratva. Spicy enemy to lovers. And a cute little girl. Clara is a sympathetic character. Dem is kind of a jerk and gives tons of mixed signals. Good story that ends on a cliffhanger to the next book.

There were a couple issues with Clara’s timeline. Was she 8 or 10 when she took the stand? Did her mom die when she was young or right before high school? It’s sort of fuzzy and it’s hard to tell if it’s because of Clara being a semi unreliable narrator or just an editor miss. It doesn’t really make much difference to the story either way.

Beware there is a lot of mention of domestic assault.

[Michelle Barefield · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hard time reading and staying interested.

I am not a fan of Dem at all. He's at a huge emotions war with himself. The man has so many facts that point the opposite direction but still battles with them. On to book 2 and see how this plays out.

Let me just say, I absolutely LOVE Nicole Foxes mafia books. This one so far, it is not hitting.

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Requiem of Sin by Nicole Fox is Book 1 of Zakrevsky Bratva Trilogy. This starts the story of Demyen and Clara. Clara is a single mother trying to escape an abusive boyfriend. Demysen is the owner of the casino but he is also out for revenge. This book ends in a cliffhanger setting us up for more in their story.

[Toni · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cliffhanger ending...

...you need to have book 2 on standby cos when you finish book 1 you'll want to jump straight into the next one.

[LeAnna Russell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love the dynamics of this book! Demyen maybe the Don but he has such a soft heart when it comes to little Williow. But when it comes to Clara it’s totally different. There is such a cliffhanger at the end. I can’t wait to read the next book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Ambers Book Nest · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have said this a hundred times, but I will say it again: Nicole Fox is the unparraled queen of mafia romances. No matter how many other authors' mafia romances I read, I will always come crawling back to her books. I never get more excited than when I get a notification from Booksprout saying she has a new book. Normally all of Nicole's other books I have read have been part of a duet, but the Zakrevsky Bratva is a trilogy, and I'm so excited to see what comes of it. I love that she releases all of the books in a series at the same time, just so that you're not pulling out your hair at the cliffhangers while waiting for the next book in the series. When I started this book, I just couldn't stop reading, and I ended up finishing it in a couple of hours. It's just so good, and I can already see that this one is going to become my favourite series of Nicoles. I'm really enjoying Demyen and Clara as a couple, and I'm loving all of the scenes with Willow. I always love books that have a big bad mafia boss just utterly crumbering when interacting with children, and this is exactly what Demyen does every single time. While I love an asshole mmc, I'm surprisingly enjoying that Demyen, who, while very pissed off, hasn't really had any unredeaming moments yet. He is actually, under his rough exterior, quite a sweetheart. After that little cliffhanger at the end, I am very intrigued to see where this story leads. I already have some very strong emotions for some certain characters, and by that, I mean Martin and Gregg.

“There’s my good girl.” I don’t know why those four words, from his mouth, do it for me. But oh, they do. That spot goes apeshit.

[LustLektuere · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein Mafia-Boss und die Kronzeugin, die seinen Bruder in Gefängnis gebracht hat – heiße Liebesgeschichte, aber mit logischen Brüchen

Das Buch spannt am Anfang eine interessante Rahmenhandlung auf: Eine von ihrem Lebenspartner misshandelte Frau, Clara, flieht mit ihrer gemeinsamen Tochter, setzt diese bei ihrer Freundin ab, geht zur Zerstreuung in ein Casino und gewinnt den Jackpot, der es ihr auch finanziell ermöglicht, von ihrem Freund loszukommen. In der gleichen Nacht landet sie mit dem Besitzer des Casinos und Chef der Bratwa in Las Vegas, Demyan, im Bett. Dieser fühlt sich so stark zu ihr hingezogen, dass er sie und ihre Tochter zu sich einlädt, was Clara dankend annimmt, weil sie ebenso empfindet. Allerdings erfährt er auf dem Weg zu seinem Anwesen, dass Clara vor 15 Jahren als achtjähriges Mädchen die Kronzeugin im Prozess seines Bruders war. Demyans Bruder wurde durch ihre angebliche Lüge vor Gericht zu einer lebenslangen Haftstrafe verurteilt. Seitdem sucht Demyan nach ihr, um sie dazu zu bringen, ihre Falschaussage zurückzunehmen und sich an ihr zu rächen. So wird mir nichts, dir nichts aus der Einladung bald ein Kidnapping.

Die Geschichte bietet viel Stoff, um die Protagonist:innen in spannende innere Konflikte zu stürzen: Hingezogenheit versus Rache, Vatergefühle für das Kind seiner Widersacherin und bei einer Lebensphilosophie, die keine Familienplanung vorsieht, die Frage, ob es fair ist, ein achtjähriges Mädchen verantwortlich zu machen oder eine Frau, die anfängt, sich zu wehren.

Leider wird das Buch an vielen Stellen nach der Eröffnung unlogisch: Wie kann es sein, dass Demyan Clara in den letzten 15 Jahren nicht aufspüren konnte, obwohl ihm transparent war, wie sie heißt, wessen Tochter sie ist und sie sich nicht mal versteckt hat? Auch zwischendrin gibt es immer mal wieder kleinere Situationen, wo man merkt, dass die Autorin sich offenbar nicht mehr erinnern kann, dass sie die Dinge ein paar Kapitel vorher anders beschrieben hatte. Oder die Verhältnisse an sich erscheinen unlogisch oder unglaubwürdig. So z.B. die Figur der Assistentin von Demyan: Sie hat nicht nur in seinem Casino und seinen vielen weiteren Geschäften komplett den Überblick, sondern hackt auch mal eben schnell alle möglichen Informationen für Demyan, ist eine exzellente Strafverteidigerin, beste Babysitterin der Welt und noch vieles mehr…hmpf.

Weiterhin stört mich, dass die Geschichte den Großteil des Buches etwas ziellos hin und her mäandert. Was will Demyan denn nun eigentlich? Sie zum Reden bringen? – Das wäre das einzig Sinnvolle, denn er will ja unbedingt seinen Bruder aus dem Knast holen. Rache an ihr üben? – Das wäre ja erst danach sinnvoll, aber auf jeden Fall nachvollziehbar. Clara hat nicht nur das Leben seines Bruders zerstört, sondern auch seins. Demyan wollte niemals in die Bratwa eintreten, geschweige denn sie führen… Sie vor ihrem Ex und ihrem Vater retten? Sie heiraten? Vater ihrer Tochter werden? – Kann er ja alles machen, aber was ist mit seiner Motivation, die ihn die letzten 15 Jahre angetrieben hat? Wahrscheinlich ist er sehr zerrissen, aber leider bekommt man hier nur wenig Insights, obwohl er auch eine Ich-Perspektive im Buch erhält. Auf jeden Fall fragt man sich die ganze Zeit, warum er denn nun, da er sie endlich hat, nichts unternimmt. Es wirkt etwas so, als ob die Autorin, das Buch absichtlich in die Länge ziehen will, um mehrere Bände produzieren zu können. Es gibt so viele Ereignisse, die nur deshalb passieren, weil die Charaktere nicht offen miteinander reden. Das kann Gründe haben, dass Menschen nicht miteinander reden. Hier ist leider kein Grund ersichtlich, das macht es sehr frustrierend.

Nach und nach erfährt man mehr über die schreckliche Lebensgeschichte von Clara. Genauso über die Frage, was an dem Abend, an dem Demyans Bruder jemanden erschossen haben soll, tatsächlich passiert ist. Hier fehlt ebenfalls komplett der Grund, warum Demyan und Clara nicht sofort darüber sprechen sollten. Es wirkt so, als ob die Autorin es künstlich spannend machen möchte.

Weiterhin regt mich das Verhalten von Clara auf, die selbst wenn sie sich endlich mal auf die Hinterbeine stellt, schnell wieder zurechtweisen lässt und ihrem Gegenüber Recht gibt, wo dieser kein Recht hat. Wenn sie sich z.B. aufgrund ihrer Konditionierung durch die Erlebnisse mit ihrem Vater und ihrem Ex so verhalten würde, könnte man es nachvollziehen. Aber im Buch wird es so dargestellt, dass sie tatsächlich ihre angeblichen Fehler einsieht.

Und krass, der Klappentext spoilert am Ende etwas, das in diesem Band noch gar nicht transparent wird.

Der Text macht den Eindruck, dass nur das erste Drittel des Buches redigiert wurde, denn danach fangen die Fehler im Text an, sich zu häufen.

Das Buch ist geeignet für Leser:innen, die über Details hinwegsehen können und an einer heißen Liebesgeschichte interessiert sind.
________________________________________
Kategorisierung
📚 Romance-Sub-Genre: Contemporary, Dark, Suspense
👥 Altersgruppe der Hauptfiguren: Adult
➿ Plot-Trope: Afraid to commit, Damsel in distress, Emotional scars, Enemies to lovers, Good girl-bad boy, Kidnapped, Millionaire, Revenge, Tortured heroes
🌍 Setting-Trope: MC / Mafia
⚤ Geschlechterkonstellation: Hetero
💞 Beziehungsstruktur: Monogam
🔪 Spannung: Medium
🧠 Psychologische Tiefe: Medium
🧐 Glaubwürdigkeit: Unglaubwürdig
❤️ Sympathiefaktor der Hauptfiguren: Sympathisch
😆 Humor: Kaum humorvolle Szenen
👫 Klassisches Rollenmodell: Ja
💋 Anzahl Spicy Szenen: 6
🔗 Spielart Spicy Szenen: Vanilla, Vanilla Plus
🔥 Explizitheit Spicy Szenen: Medium
🎨 Originalität der Erzählweise: Teils teils
👀 Erzählperspektive: Ich-Erzähler:in

Filtere dir die für dich passenden Romances zurecht unter: Lustlektüre.de

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written book with a strong cast of characters centering on Demyen, Clara and her young daughter Willow. The author does a terrific job developing the story and takes you into their lives with action, revenge, anxiety, fear, violence and danger and kept me glued to the pages with the intrigue and steam. She moves the story fluidly with vividly painted scenes and delivers a fantastic story. I'm anxious to read book two!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Gladys · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book gets this series off to a sinfully intriguing start. Clara and Demyen's story sucked me right in and kept me firmly in its grip. I found myself eagerly and almost desperately consuming page after page as the unfolding story kept me on the edge of my seat, gave my emotions a workout and stole my breath. As this is book one of three there is a cliffy ahead and all I can say is I need the next book ASAP!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zakrevsky Bratva. There's no cheating or and the story ends on a mind-blowing cliffhanger Demyen and Clara’s continues in Book 2, Sonata of Lies. An exquisitely crafted story with complex characters and twisty storyline driven by revenge that grabs you by throat from beginning and never let up until the mind-blowing cliffhanger. A fast paced, dark, twisted, derange and sociopathic story. Nicole Fox wrote a dark, edgy, thrilling romance that me captivated from the opening line. Once I started reading, I couldn't put it stop. I highly recommend this. It's an unputdownable addicting read. A dark anti-hero. A damage and broken yet strong heroine. Electrify chemistry and intense storyline definitely a very well executed dark romance. A good start to the series. Wickedly hot and undeniable sexy. It's complex. It's dirty. And downright savagery and depraved.
A dark mafia romance, billionaire romance, hate-to-love vibes story, forced proximity, fake marriage, secret baby story, age gap trope story, romantic suspense romance, enemies-to-lovers romance, polar opposite attracts story, contemporary romance, organize crime story, mob romance, action and adventure romance, general romance, women's crime fiction story, Bratva romance, with deception, captivity, danger, violence, drama, darkness, madness, mayhem, physical, verbal, mental, psychological and abuse, bullying, torture, revelations, hurt, retaliation, revenge, human trafficking, steam, murder, anger, emotions, passion, lust-at-first-sight, twists and turns, mystery, corruption, suspense, drama, lies, auction, survival, hunted, hidden agendas, revelations, threat, attacks, enemies, guilt, trauma, strength, and so much more.
Clara Everett has had a rough upbringing since she was a little girl all way into adulthood at the hands of her dad Greg Everett, who's a police officer of Las Vegas Police Department, daily physical and verbal abuse. At the age of eight he forced her testify against Tolman Zakrevsky, a Bratva mafia boss for murdering a cop. He then pass her on to his his partner Martin who she married and he continues the horrible years of physical, verbal, emotional, psychological and abuse which carried out by father. Martin and Clara had a beautiful little five year old daughter name Willow, who she tried her best to protect from from the same fate. But when Martin started to put his hands on her baby girl too Clara got the strength to say enough was enough and took off running with Willow. But when Martin noticed that she left he and father started hunting her down.
Demyen Zakrevsky is the billionaire Pakhan of Zakrevsky Bratva. He's also the owner of the Meridian Casino in Las Vegas. Demyen is handsome, vile, evil, cold-hearted, callous and monstrous. Demyen older brother was sentence to a murder that he didn't commit fifteen years ago, because it was impossible for him to be in two places at the same time. On the day of his sentencing Demyen vowed revenge on the eight year old witness Clara and had been searching for her for years. Clara’s father is a crooked cop who's on the payroll of the Yakazi mob who needed to go prison. Clara ended up in Las Vegas and on worst night of her life with only one dollar to her. She decided to put it in the slot machine and hit it big. She literally hit a one million dollar jackpot at the Las Vegas Meridian Casino. The pit boss didn't want her to walk around with that much cash, so he gave he a complimentary night stay in the Sapphire Suite.
She was flabbergasted by her winnings and complimentary night. She finally thought that her luck was turning. When she opened the door and looked around at her nice digs, suddenly bathroom opened and a handsome come with a towel around his waist. It's was lust-at-first-sight and one thing led to another and the two had sex. Demyen liked her but in the morning he found that she was the one that he had been searching for years, sounded like a setup to me. He locked her up in a glided cage and night she became his plaything. His pet. His per little monster as he squeeze one orgasm out of until she's carrying his secret baby. One minute Demyen wants revenge and the next minute he's loving towards her and Willow. He finds out that she had suffered years of abuse and that she had been coerced into testifying and lying and stand years ago so he can work on getting his brother out of prison. But he's thinking of selling her to his enemy as a sex slave. There's so much things going on in this book and so many things at play and that mind-blowing cliffhanger leaves you breathless.

I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Deborah Durand · Rating 5 out of 5]

Freaking phenomenal!

Fox navigates readers, once again, through an intricate blend of a Bratva romance and the darkest sides of human nature and organized crime. She orchestrates this story like a conductor leading a symphony through a complex concerto. Despite the length, readers will move effortlessly through 500 pages racing to the end of Book 1 and its cliffhanger. Readers need to be advised, if you haven’t read the warnings in the blurb, that this book contains extremely dark elements: physical and emotional abuse of adults and children, violence and sex trafficking glamorized as “auctions of antiquities”.

Cocktail waitress Clara Everett’s life is spiraling out of control with her abusive boyfriend Detective William Patterson. To avoid further harm to herself but particularly Willow, their 5 y/o daughter, Clara launches herself at her BF, grabs Willow and barricades them in her room, until William leaves. She contacts her bestie Roxy to pick her up and watch Willow, and then she walks to work…but first, Clara stops at the swankiest casino on the Strip. Her luck changes after 1 pull on a slot machine. She’s a millionaire and in her exuberance she accidentally dumps a tray of champagne all over Demyen Zakrevsky, the owner of the casino! 😳. He goodnaturedly dismisses the accident with humor and heads to his hotel suite to shower off. Inadvertently, their paths cross again when Clara is mistakenly assigned to his suite as a “comp” for winning the Jackpot. Instead of celebratory texts to Roxy about sharing the suite with her and Willow, Clara is limping away to the door after a naked Demyen tells her to leave. He abruptly changes his mind when he notices the limp, literally sweeps Clara off her feet, inquires how she received it, and attends to her injuries as well as other things. ❤️‍🔥. How fortuitous for him that the ID requirements to receive casino winnings reveal that the person he invited to his home is none other than the eye witness to the murder his brother Tolya was falsely accused of 15 years ago.

Read how Demyen, pakhan of the Bratva, will juggle his conflicting emotions of revenge for his brother and his adoration and protectiveness of Willow, Clara’s daughter. Read also how his dealings with the Yakuza may offer him an unsavory solution. How was then 8 y/o Clara able to convince a jury of his brother’s guilt? What are the connections between her father, also of the LVPD, the dead detective, and Raizo Watanabe? There are so many mysteries and twists, a reader’s head will be spinning 😵‍💫. Everyone’s heart will go out to sweet little Willow. If the ruthless Demyen was powerless against her fear and innocence, so will you. Enjoy this fabulous novel. I’m hurrying on to Book 2.

Below are a list of the characters:
Clara Everett - 23 y/o woman who works 2 jobs as a cocktail waitress. Has been emotionally and physically abused all her life by her father Greg Everett
Willow - her 5 y/o daughter who, unknown to Clara, has also been physically abused by her father
William Patterson - a LVPD detective and father of Willow, worthless deadbeat
Gregory Everett - a corrupt LVPD detective and father of Clara. He coached and coerced 8 y/o Clara to recall untrue statements about his partner’s murder.
Roxy - Clara’s bestie, who works in a crime lab
Demyen Zakrevsky - pakhan of the Bratva in Las Vegas, he’s been looking for the eyewitness to the murder that his brother was falsely accused.
Tolya Zakrevsky - Demyen’s brother who has been in jail for 15 years
Bambi - Demyen’s gorgeous personal assistant
Raizo Watanabe - head of the Yakuza in Las Vegas, and whom Clara referred to as uncle when she was younger. A frequent visitor to her now dead mother (suicide)

[Crystal · Rating 2 out of 5]

OK, so this book started off as a solid For but around the halfway mark drastically started declining.

So the synopsis of the book is that she walks into the wrong hotel room sees Damien. They have an amazing night and she gets pregnant. However, there is no mention of a pregnancy in this entire book. I am suspecting that she is because they never use an actual condom. He never asked her if she’s on birth control , it’s just never mentioned.

My anger over this book is that it started off really good and I am going to assume that there was publisher interference because around the halfway mark on it started getting ridiculous and the storylines are being stretched out. It does not make any type of sense why she still has to work as his maid if they are never going to tell anyone where she is they know her ex-husband is a dirty cop. Why wouldn’t they go to a one of his other homes especially when he has that they are dating Martin never would’ve known that he was involved had Damien gotten his ego and decided to fight the relationship When he told her about the school and she said Martin would try to kidnap her from there. He made her feel like a shitty mom who doesn’t know what’s best for her daughter and he’s gotten it all taken care of when in all actuality that is exactly what was going to happen Martin is her ex-boyfriend. All they had to do is say that she’s moved on she does not need to hide from him. They are not married. So them ignoring everything instead of legally making things correct is what led to him being able to do the amber alert and pass her off as a druggie which is now worse the whole selling auction auction does not make any type of sense, she was an eight-year-old who testified what she saw at a trial. I do not understand why he blames her so for why his brother went to jail, especially after now, knowing his brother actually was there, and all she testified was that she saw him Makes absolutely no sense, especially when she was older than her own daughter and the way he tries to make her feel like complete garbage, knowing that she was mentally and physically abused by her own father, then passed on to a mentally and physically abusing partner, I thought at some point he would at least apologize But even still making her work as his made and then taking her daughter doing stuff which is very nice not her and then refusing to tell her where they went doesn’t make any sense.

This little review is probably because I am just so frustrated because the storyline was very good. The story started off strong and interesting and delved into complete utter bubbling nonsense and knowing that there are two additional books after this makes me more upset because I know that the store line is going to get even more convoluted . I’m just so angry so much wasted potential smh

Also I wrote in my activity that it would’ve made sense for her to meet up with Martin. Which I still stand by but not in the manner it was executed. Her deciding to meet with her dad makes absolutely no sense. She know she’s a cop who protected Martin and Martin wants her and their daughter back. So that was just an out of character idiotic move. For her character it would’ve made sense after all the back and forth with Damien and her being afraid of his anger with her and her wanting to go back to the normalcy of her life to go back to Martin bc she was afraid he would take her from her and being afraid of Damien’s anger at her. There could’ve been an incident like when he was pissed at her at the jail and her being afraid for her safety. That would’ve made more sense than what they had her to do smh

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a captivating read that was filled with wonderful characters, they have come together in dire circumstances

This was a simply wonderful read and I guarantee that you will love the wat that the book has been written so well. The main characters have come together in circumstances that you would never suspect and I am sure that like me you will be left hanging on the edge of your seat as the factors of truth are so clearly shown within this books pages.

Who would have imagined that these two individuals that have been living a life filled with abuse and beatings would find themselves sharing a terrifying life and the ability to finally escape from her abusive husband’s grasp.

Clara is going to move on with her daughter to a location in which they are unknown and can begin to live unafraid and free of her father and husbands bullying, hitting and anything he happens to feel like at that moment in time depending on his mood.

As Demyen realises that the woman and her daughter with the damaged ankle have been living in a house filled with constant abuse from her police officer partner along with her abusive father that throughout her life beat her and then had passed her on to her husband a man that had done nothing but beat her and try and hurt her baby girl but has she done everting to prevent his strikes.

Demine and his family are determined to help his innocent brother to be acquitted as it would have been impossible to place him in places he was supposed to be and now that it can be proved that he was not in the location it seems that his brother may finally have his freedom after serving several years in prison.

I guarantee that you will love the interaction between the main characters Demyen and his brother that has been serving time in prison. Willow is the daughter of the woman he has been searching for seemingly for years and Claras story is not at all as he imagined she has been beaten by her father and her husband who are police officers at high positions in the force and yet they have caused her nothing but pain and misery along with Willow who she has guarded as best as she was able., her daughter is all that she cares about and she will do anything to ensure her safety.

He has been existing with her police officer husband and father that have both used her like a punchbag, her injuries have been long listing and she has ensured that Willow is left alone by her abusive father.

It also seems that when Demyen’s picture is put up for the welfare of his parents, his initial idea of selling Clara I guarantee that you will be totally blown asway by and like myself second guess vehemently.

I assure you that you will love every moment of this book it is simply a fantastic read.
I voluntarily received and review an Advanced Reader Copy
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading any future publications; keep up all the great writing.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Kristy · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Requiem of Sin is the first book (and the first series, the Zakrevesky bratva books,I've ever read by Nichole Fox.) and I am yelling where have you been all my life, Nichole Fox?!?! Haha, but really though...these books were so addicting they had me questioning the choices I made while reading them because I needed every minute I could get every day to read them! So that meant staying up late, reading on breaks, and lunches at work and anytime I had to wait on something or someone there was me pulling out my phone or Kindle to read more.
I almost stopped reading for the night and then something crazy happened and I would keep reading for another hour... Heh-heh.

Running off book adrenaline and coffee.

I loved the characters, except for the ones you should hate and I definitely loathed them. (Her Dad, Martin, Raizo, OLEG, etc, etc.)
I love the Lion that is Bambi, and how both Clare, Willow, and Demyen all grow and change for the better with and because of each other.
Tolya is amazing..........
I just adore Princess the Dog so much!
Demyen is my book boyfriend now.
Clare is an awesome mother and a strong person, who becomes even better and even stronger by the end of the series.

This book had so much action, and so many twists and turns, that I am still reeling. Not to mention the "lovey-dovey sexual adventures." (*Sweating* Blushing*) They were hot, hot...HOOTTTT 🥵🔥 as they come... whew!

The books had really funny parts that made me laugh out to myself like some kind of crazy person, which really helped break up some of the more serious and scary topics.

I will admit a few times I was ready to write Demyen off because of his asshole-ishness but let's face it, his life was not all sunshine and rainbows. His otets is a real piece of trash. But, I believe his mother was good, his older brother was good. Hence the little bits and pieces of good you would see in him and in his mind. He was at war with himself and others and a pakhan of the Zakrevesky bratva. But, you could see him, growing, changing and evolving through many horrible situations. So, he did change and improve and work to redeem himself, and that's proof people don't always have to be assholes. That's why he was redeemable in my eyes.
--
I told myself I would wait a while before reading another book by Nichole Fox because I let almost everything else take a backseat while reading The Requiem of Sin, Sonata of Lies, and Rhapsody of Pain. However...... that was a LIE............. Less than a day later, I started Cruel Paradise.... ahhhhhhhh and I am not regretting it.

Never stop writing Nichole Fox, I am addicted!

[Anne Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

An outstanding read. I must be honest, and say I felt like I’ve been holding my breath the whole way through this book.
It Is addictive and I think I’ve gone through every emotion.
Clara hasn’t had the best start in life. Her father mentally and physically abused her to get what he wanted, including putting Clara on the stand to get someone convicted for murder. Her father is a police detective, and he made sure that Clara knew the man in her life was going to be his partner Martin. She went from one abuser to another Martin, physically and mentally abuses her and has put fear in his daughter eyes. Willow is an amazing little five-year-old and Clara would do anything to protect her. She Is on her way to work when She decided to stop at the casino and this night changed her life. She won an amazing amount of money and was put up in a suite while they made a bank payment. But when she’s in this suite she comes face-to-face with the most sexiest gorgeous specimen of a man she never seen. And he was naked! they have one mad night of crazy off the charts, passion but then everything changes because the man is Demyen And he is the head of the Bratva.
Demyen is the owner of the casino where Clara won the jackpot and instantly they do a background check on her, and this is where he comes face-to-face with the witness that put his brother away from murder. A murder he did not commit. What went from a crazy night of passion and lust turns into hate. And he is going to make her suffer.
This is an outstanding read honestly you will go through every single emotion, my heart breaks for Clara. All the rubbish she has been through throughout her life to then find a night of passion and lust A night of freedom. Her mind and body wants that moment of madness and needs only to find it backfires on her. And the worst thing is, she can’t stop wanting him, so what’s the worst he can do??
What really melted my heart was the way the Dem took to Willow. How a little girl can wrap a man around her little finger without even trying. And I’ve got to say miss Bambi, you are a warrior, an amazing woman who goes after what she wants, but has the softness to give a child comfort and safety.
I cannot wait for the second book in the series, because the cliffhanger that was left has put my mind going in so many directions and nearly every direction is just pain and suffering for Clara.
A brilliant read!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.