Alexander Bourne. My first love—the man who shattered me. Now he’s back, and the pieces of my heart are breaking all over again.
Three years ago, I fell for Alexander. He was everything I wanted but everything I shouldn't have—a key player in the ruthless Veles Mafia Network. Now, he's returned, stirring up a past I’ve tried to bury. I’m with Tyler now, building a safe, steady life. But the closer I get to leaving it all behind, the more tangled I become in the shadows of what I left behind—until I uncover a secret that could destroy the Veles Network for good. Unfortunately, it also makes me their next target. Guess happily ever after is off the table. Tyler offers the future I crave. Alexander is the past I can’t escape. With the Veles Network closing in, my choice could cost me everything—including the man I thought I’d lost forever.
Can I find my way back to him before it’s too late?
A dark mafia romance of betrayal, second chances, and forbidden love. HEA guaranteed, with a protective alpha hero, redemption arc, and sizzling chemistry.
my first read from this author and so enjoyed it keeps you on the edge of your seat and very hot Schenes. Ava has never forgotten Alex her one love he just left she gets on with her life starts dating. Tayler. but Alex is back and the bond between them is strong. But there is something going on in their town a lot of burglaries and Ava starts digging into the mafia connection and Ava s life is in danger I so can't wait for the next book .
I found the progression of this story to be quite captivating, as it delves into the complexities of making questionable decisions for noble motives. The revelation of Alexander's true character adds depth to the plot, and the unexpected twists and turns make it a truly rewarding read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I recently finished a gripping dark mafia romance that combines an intense love story with a thrilling narrative. The book excels with its complex characters and a multitude of plot twists, all wrapped in well-crafted prose that brings the gritty, passionate world to life. One standout scene describes a stormy reunion filled with emotion and tension, showcasing the author's ability to blend sensory details with deep feelings. This novel is ideal for those who relish a blend of romance and suspense in a mafia setting, complete with a satisfying conclusion. Be sure to check content warnings, as the book explores some darker themes with significant intensity.
I have mixed feelings about this book and I don't know if I like it or not. The story is well thought out, but I don't like the fact that it is kind of confusing and that we don't have an insight into some things concerning the past of the main characters, which are constantly mentioned in the book. The second thing that drove me crazy was Ava, a woman who can't control her feelings and who reminds me of an ordinary cloth that you can use to wipe the floor. Not to mention how I hate it when the main character in a book, especially a female one, sleeps with two characters at the same time. Come on, I'm too old for that shit and it's not fun at all, it's disgusting. I know that the book is just fiction, but I just don't like it and I don't really care if anyone wants to be offended.This is the first time I read something by the author and I think she has great potential, she is very talented, which shows through the fact that she evoked different feelings in the readers.Of course, I will read the second part as well because I am interested in how this whole story will develop and I hope it will be much better.
I apologize if I was a little rude, I was just being honest.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I am completely draw into this dark love story. Great twists in the plot kept me glued to the edge of my seat wondering what will happen to Ava and Alexander. Glad I discovered this novel. Now onto Book 2.
He was my first love, the one who broke my heart into a million pieces. Three years ago, Alexander Bourne disappeared, leaving me with nothing but a gaping hole in my life and a thousand unanswered questions. Now he's back, more powerful than ever, and his touch reignites a fire I thought was long extinguished.
But Alexander's world is shrouded in shadows, a world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred. As I'm drawn deeper into his world, I uncover a truth threatening his livelihood and connection to the ruthless Veles Network, a criminal organization that holds the city in its grip. Their eyes are on me, and I'm caught in the bullseye of their deadly game.
Torn between the yearning for a safe life and the intoxicating pull of Alexander's darkness, I'm forced to choose. In a world of betrayal and deceit, who can I trust? And how far am I willing to go for a love that might destroy us both?
I was totally engrossed from the start and could not put it down! Well done - absolutely loved it! Alexander and Ava have a complicated history - will their relationship work? You will have your fingers crossed 🤞 Over the course of this book, they both see and develop emotionally - it can be dark in places but you know, or keep hoping, that there is light at the end of the metaphorical “tunnel” for both of them! This book goes from strength to strength and will keep your interest from start to finish.
A thoroughly enjoyable read from page to page, one chapter to the next - at times you are metaphorical “on the edge of your chair” wondering what will happen next. Overall, I would highly recommend this book and you will not be disappointed 😊
I’m not sure how I feel about this one. I liked it but I didn’t love it. It’s meant to be dark themes and you need to check TW’s but for me it wasn’t dark.
It was a good story.
Ava seemed sweet and Alexander seemed sweet in his own dark bad boy way. There was something a little off about Tyler but I have my suspicions about him. Sarah seems like a good friend.
I like Ava really want to know what happened for Alexander to have left three years ago. Unless I blinked and missed it I don’t think he ever really told her only giving her snippets.
I was convinced throughout the book who the bad person was going to be and then when he was revealed I was a little shocked as i didn’t even have him in the running. But now we have this mysterious Raven person I’m wondering if I might have been right.
I will be patiently waiting for the next book to see who Raven person is.
I was lucky enough to get to read this in advance of its release date.
Enjoyed this story, lots of twists. Love triangle with Ava where you were not sure to root for the bad boy or the good guy. Thought she was a little too passive at first and didn’t care for the way the boss got away with his treatment of her in the beginning- thought he should have been prosecuted or at least punched out. Lots of sex and romance, glad she got more of a spine as the story went on
Great read with lots of passions. From the start I was a fan of Alexander. The passion between and Ava and Alexander was off the chart. This page turner had all the elements of a mafia, Bad Boy and a Second Chance romance. It was action packed with unexpected twist. When you hear Alexander explain his childhood, you’ll start rooting for him too.
Yes! Sooooo good. Such a well crafted dark romance. It’s everything you want in a spicy dark romance and more. If you’re all about that bad boy you know you should run away from, but just can’t this is for you!!
Heat- 🌋🌋🌋🌋 With dialogue that is just… unfortunate.
Series? I hope so because this ends with a cliffy
Safety? N. Hells no. This is partly a love triangle, so there’s cheating inherent in that, and there’s S.A.
Other Triggers- Addiction, alcohol abuse, language, violence, explicit erotic content
Tropes- Bizarre Love Triangle, Second Chance, Simply Mad About the Mob.
Mewsings
This was technically a love triangle, but it was pretty obvious from the first chapter whom she would pick. I mean, come on, the title gives it away.
About Tyler, he’s just not a complete character, and instead of making him an equally attractive prospect to Alexander, he is one dimensional and does things, like getting nasty drunk, that indicate he’s really not up to Alexander’s level.
About Sarah, she’s a little bit of a New Age stereotype, but she rises above that with her loyalty and personality. She is my favorite character.
About Alexander, he is actually quite interesting most of the time, when he’s not too busy leaning into the Dark Lover persona.
About Harvey, he seems pretty cool. I didn’t notice much about him.
And about Ava, I can’t decide if she is diabolically smart or criminally stupid. I’m on the fence about her. I know I didn’t find her likable.
About the zexytime, it was hawt except for the dialogue. Sometimes it was just cringeworthy.
I did find this book was readable and I could see some people would find it very entertaining. I’m not one of those people; it was good but it wasn’t for me. There is a lot to recommend it. The plot was interesting, the pacing was good, and the zexytime was mostly very hawt. I tend to be character driven, and these characters didn’t do it for me.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Right off the bat, I wanted to be able to give this book a higher rating but, I truthfully struggled to get through it after the beginning of the book. It really needs a good thorough edit and a good copy editing done. But, aside from that, it was okay. I don't know if I am becoming desensitized to books but, when I think of a dark and steamy hot read, that is what I want and I didn't get that from this book. Yes, some of the scenes were a little dark but they were more cringy than dark or steamy. I would have really loved more character development or a back story into the two main characters as I felt like I was left guessing how, what, why... the connection was kind of explained but, I would have loved a deeper dive into them as characters and their connections to each other.
As far as the bad guy -- I saw that coming. Again, I don't know if I am just desensitized or what but... it wasn't a surprise to me.
I believe this is the author's first book and it's a great start to what I feel is going to be a promising career. The scene descriptions and the descriptions of what was going on during each scene was great but, it was just lacking a little something extra.
Thank you for allowing me to read your book and provide you with an honest review.
I received an ARC of this book and I am leaving my honest review volunteerly. I just can't, I am sorry(DNF) , I can't read it. I am big fan of dark romance books but I wasn't able to finish this cause of my morals. I can excuse murder but I draw line at one thing and that was litreally the first thing that was shown and romanticised. I was into the writing at first but as i went further it got a bit confusing and over use fo words which wasn't really necessary. The plot would have been just fine if too heavy words weren't used to describe some scenes and yes ofcourse the thing which I don't like was continued. I also found the character a bit immature and a bit unrealistic from the viewpoint of dark romance as the characters make quite mature decisions which does includes some mistakes but they handle it maturely. (I actually want to give 1 star but I can't bring myself) I really wanted to finish it but I have been litreally stuck on this book for a long time and it was making me loose interest in reading. I would have completed 3 books in the meantime I spend reading on this book.
But if you are into mafia romance then go for it! Also, author please don't be discouraged, you wrote a book! And that's something. So please continue writing. This is just my opinion!
When reading the synopsis I was excited and couldn't wait to read a mafia romance …
However, I had very mixed feelings about this book, I was hoping for more insight into the characters back story. We know how the characters met but there wasn't much of a flashback or anything to understand them better.
The different perspectives threw me off a bit, when in the middle of a paragraph we would be reading from the FMC POV and then it would turn into a third person POV.
The FMC felt a bit all over the place to me, I can see where the author was trying to develop her a bit more, but felt like it may have been rushed too quickly.
It would be great to have a POV from the MMC as well, give us some insight into his life and what he's dealing with when he's not around her. How is he trying to balance his work and her.
Overall, this author has great potential and a promising career ahead of them. I felt it lacked a little something extra, but would definitely read more from this author because they knew how to capture your attention.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
“His Dark Pull” is a Mafia Romance where the main character, Ava, is torn between two men. One is a respectable big-shot lawyer and the son of a police officer. The other is the love of her youth and ‘THE ONE’ but caught up in the mafia world. Great trope. We all know that bad boys end up with the chick and without giving spoilers, the author threw in a little danger and mystery. For me, that made it an entertaining read. I love torn hearts/loyalties and grappling 🖤 emotion. The writing was detailed and expressive. It did have a couple of negative aspects. Again, I don’t want to give spoilers, but Ava lacked a backbone. She seemed to get mistreated too often and not know how to handle it. And her good-guy boyfriend lacked testosterone. He even shrugged off one instance where he witnessed her getting mistreated by her boss. Wasn’t a fan of that scene. Overall, entertaining read. Recommended for readers that enjoy Mafia romance books.
Raven is a "new to me" indie author and when I read the synopsis, I was really intrigued to dive into "His Dark Pull". I read a ton of dark romance, and mafia romances, in particular, is one troupe I would literally devour every single time.
His Dark Pull was a good mafia romance. I enjoyed Alexander's and Ava's dynamic with each other. The tension really did it for me. Alexander was morally gray as they come, completely unhinged and just what I pictured him to be. I was a bit disappointed with Ava, I kinda wished she had a more fiesty side to her, not letting people walk all over her and treat her like crap. I was really hoping she broke out of her timid self, but she didn't. I enjoyed the storyline a lot and could have read another 100 pages of these two. But I can't wait to see where Raven takes this series, I'll keep reading it!
This is a dark an twisted mafia love xtory.Ava loved Alexander Bourne beyond words but then three years ago he was just gone.An Ava struggled to put the pieces of her heart back together.Now she's dating a good man a lawyer that fights to stop injustice.Now she's standing in Alexander's home wondering way she can't resist the pull.Alexander says Ava's name like its a blessing an she's back in his arms again.She sees the darkness in him an is drawn to it.This story will keep you on the edge of your seats an the characters will captivate you. There are so many twists an turns to this story you will be riveted to the very last page.I can hardly wait to see what's next by this multi talented author.
Thank you for allowing me the opportunity to be apart of your ARC team @ravenreeves_
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5 🌶️🌶️/5
Alexander and Ava.. such a toxic pull towards each other.. he’s so unhinged and has no respect for boundaries.. This was a short fast paced read.. charter flow was good.. I really like Alexander ..
The push and pull of Ava and Alexander was juicy..
One thing: the book reads like it’s apart of a series and this would be the second book..
But it gave me what I liked in a short fast read..
I received an advance copy for free and leaving this review voluntarily
This was Ava’s story. Three years ago, Alexander Bourne disappeared, leaving me with nothing but a gaping hole in my life and a thousand unanswered questions. Now he's back. But Alexander's world is shrouded in shadows, a world where the lines between right and wrong are blurred. As Ava’s drawn deeper into his world, she uncovers a truth that threatens his livelihood and connection to the ruthless Veles Network, a criminal organization that holds the city in its grip. And they've set their sights on her, making her a target in their deadly game. An intriguing and intense read. Looking forward to the next book in the series. And voluntarily leaving this review.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow, this was an exciting book to read, the story was written well and the characters were absolutely sensational. This story was about Ava, and Alexander, it was the thrill of a roller-coaster with the twist and turns, suspense, secrets, anger, pain, betrayal and deceit, trust, Alexander left her behind without a word. Three years he was gone and now he is back she still has feelings for him.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
His Dark Pull is my first read by this author and I completely enjoyed Alexander and Ava's story. It's a dark read so make sure you check the trigger warnings if dark elements are an issue. Their story is intense, intriguing, lots of steamy chemistry and absolutely consuming. These characters pulled me in from the beginning and held me in place until the very end. I can't wait for more from Ms. Reeves.
I will give this 5 stars for Ava and Alexander. They have that end goal love and bond with each other.
For book as a whole it’s 3.5 stars. Alexander doesn’t seem to talk much, Ava is in her head all the time. What she does go through check TW before reading. With that I’ll say she does need to learn to fight (like any woman should) so she can protect herself when she’s alone.
I received the book as an ARC through book sirens and I am leaving this review.
The book started off with Alexander back in town. I wouldve liked more of their background together. She was a hot mess having sex with both of them. The villian in the story didn't surprise me at all. I think everyone was really nosy and stayed in Ava's business. I don't trust many people around them. I am very interested in who Raven is. I feel like this book just scratched the surface of what's to come.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed reading this book. Once I started reading His Dark Pull I didn't want to put it down. The characters are great and the storyline hooked me from the start. I don't want to spoil this book for anyone so I won't give details. Please read the book blurb for some information. I recommend reading this book. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I look forward to reading more books by this author.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
His Dark Pull: A Dark Mafia Romance is book 1 in the Forbidden Desires trilogy by Raven Reeves. It delivers a thrilling blend of passion, danger, and intrigue, making it a memorable start to the Forbidden Desires series. "His Dark Pull” is a Mafia Romance where the main character, Ava, is torn between two men. I enjoyed Alexander's and Ava's dynamic with each other. The writing was detailed and expressive. I can't wait to see where Raven takes this series, I'll keep reading it!
Alexander left Ava 3 years ago, without a backwards glance and she moved on, only now he is back and the draw towards him is still their despite the warning signs of his dark life, will Ava make it through the trials ahead? Well written engaging dark themes, desires and more!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was very intense, dark, will have you on the edge of your seat, page turner, romance is on fire! I absolutely loved this first book. Alexander and Ava were brilliant characters. It’s a great story of what it truly means to be soulmates and just what you’ll do for that person! Just loved this book and I’m sure you will to! A must read! I highly recommended!