Echoes of Sin

by Aria Ray, Sarina Hart

Former college crush turned nightmare client. Once I uncover his secrets, I know I must flee. Especially if I want to keep mine.

Life back in college was rough, surrounded by rich kids I was an easy target. Then along came Ilya, flipping my world upside down, and treating me like royalty. With old world charm and a bankroll fit for a prince, he was something else. His intense gaze held secrets I was dying to uncover, and his touch set me on fire.

ut just as quickly as he swept me off my feet, he vanished to Russia on 'family business,' leaving me with a precious secret—our daughter, Karina.

Heartbroken, I left college to raise Karina alone, barely scraping by as a bookkeeper for a dodgy accountant. Years later, fate reunites us when my college crush hires our services. Only this time he's morphed into the devil himself—controlling, deadly, and hotter than hell.

I know I should steer clear of him, but I can't help being drawn to him like a moth to a flame. Our dangerous romance sparks up again, but a deeper dive into his business books hits me with the sheer truth –

I never really knew him.

That's how I end up his captive. Ilya claims it's for my own protection, but who will protect me from him?

And when he discovers my secret, will it spell a fresh start or the end of everything for me?

206 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 14, 2024

About the author

Aria Ray writes suspenseful, hot, and intense romance stories featuring powerful alpha-men and witty heroines, full of sacrifice, love, and happily-ever-afters. Like the heroines of her novels, Aria has always had a crush on sinfully sexy bad boys - dark, controlling, irresistible, but tender and loving.

When she is not writing or daydreaming about new stories, she loves to spend time with her own gang of alpha males -
a husband and twin boys. But the real mob boss of the family is Don Corleone - the cat.

If you'd like to be notified of updates, teasers, and promotions, subscribe to Aria's newsletter: http://eepurl.com/hqXjur

Reviews

[Heather Dudley]

Echoes of Sin is a secret baby Russian mafia romance. This is the tale of Ilya and Brooke. Ilya and Brooke meet in the prestigious Winter Valley University. He is the heir to a very rich and influential Russian business magnate (in real, he is Russian Mafia). She is just a scholarship student. They spend a passionate night together but right after he leaves and never comes back. Brooke is not only heartbroken, but also left with a precious gift- a daughter. She has to drop out of school to raise her child and works as a bookkeeper in a small company in Winter Valley. Eight years later, Ilya comes back. He has inherited his tragically lost father’s empire. That loss is what kept him away from America in the first place, but now he wants to come here and establish an empire. He has never forgotten Brooke. So, when he hires her company to manage his finances, her boss assigns Brooke to him. A whirlwind of events occur. How will Ilya manage to win Brooke back? How will he react to her cute, sweet-not-so-little anymore secret? How will Brooke react when she finds out of this other, cruel world Ilya is not only part of, but a king? I couldn’t set this book down. I absolutely love Ilya and Brooke so very much! He is determined , possessive, and his sweet side is hers and only hers. Brooke is a strong heroine, she’s not a doormat and Ilya has to prove himself to her- I loved it! I also thoroughly enjoyed the secondary characters and I loved to hate the villain. This book caught me off guard- in a good way. It’s a mafia story, but not the typical one. I usually see most mafia books to be about brooding, hardened men that find their soft spots in their MFC. In this book, Ilya isn’t portrayed like that, which I found to be quite refreshing- and that was the surprising part. Also, the focus of the book is on Brooke and Ilya’s dynamics- the past, present and future. I also think that author Sarina Hart did a phenomenal job in writing a different take on a mafia romance novel, which is always nice to see a different take in a mafia romance story. I’m looking forward to seeing what will be next.

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

[Dimitra A.]

An amazing story

This book surprised me, not in a bad way - not in the slightest. It’s a mafia story, but not a typical one. Usually mafia books are about brooding, hardened men that find their soft spots in their MFC. In this book, Ilya is not portrayed like that, which I find refreshing - and that was the surprising part. Also, the focus of the book is on Brooke and Ilya's dynamic - the past present and future. I think the Mafia aspect, albeit there, till the last portion of the book was just the background. And I didn't mind in the slightest.

Ilya and Brooke are met in the prestigious Winter Valley University. He is the heir to a very rich and influential Russian business magnate (in real, he is Russian Mafia). She is just a scholarship student. They spend a passionate night together but right after he leaves and never comes back. Brooke is not only heartbroken, but also left with a precious gift – a daughter. She has to drop out of college to raise her child and works as a bookkeeper in small company in Winter Valley. Eight years later, Ilya comes back. He has inherited his tragically lost father’s empire. That loss is what kept him away from America in the first place, but now he wants to come here and establish an empire. He has never forgotten Brooke. So, when he hires her company to manage his finances, her boss assigns Brooke to him. A whirlwind of events occur. How will Ilya manage to win Brooke back? How will he react to her cute, sweet not-so-little- anymore secret? How will Brooke react when she finds out of this other, cruel world Ilya is not only part of, but a king? I couldn’t put my kindle down! I loved Ilya and Brooke so much! He is determined, possessive and his sweet side is hers and only hers. Brooke is a strong heroine. She is not a doormat and Ilya has to prove himself to her – I loved it! I also loved all the secondary characters and I loved to hate the villain!

All in all, it was an amazing read. 5 stars!

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

[Lita Thomas]

Echoes Of Sin: A Secret Baby Russian Mafia Romance by Sarina Hart tells the story of Brooke. While at college, she encounters Ilya, a fellow student who happens to one of the guys who doesn't look down at her humble life. They seem to have something special. However, after a party at his parents' mansion , Brooke lost her virginity, but she never heard from Ilya. 8 years later, now working as a bookkeeper, Ilya walks into her job. It is a shock to them both. Ilya has never forgotten Brooke, but between his dad's death and being part of the Russian Mafia, his plate is full. Now, seeing her again, maybe they can rekindle that magical night 8 years ago. Brooke, on the other hand, has real resentment. Not only did Ilya never reach out to her after that night, she considered special, but he left her with a parting gift, her daughter Karina. Brooke is now worried because she can't lose her daughter. She knows Ilya has the money to take Karina away. Now that Ilya has hired her firm and he wants her to handle his account, Brooke has to handle her secret while fighting her feelings for Ilya. Their sexual tension was ever present. Brooke's dueling love-hate relationship for Ilya made for quite the story. When an outside force jeopardizes Brooke's safety, she now finds herself in close quarters with Ilya. This makes it even harder to keep her secret. This was my first time reading this author. I did enjoy the story, and I really liked the main characters. 4 stars for me.

[Coastie Mom]

Ilya is part of the Russan mafia. Brooke is a scholarship student at the university. Brooke and Ilya become close and spend a night together, where the next day, Ilya leaves and does not return and cuts all contact from Brooke. Unbeknownst to Ilya, Brooke is pregnant and must leave college to raise their little girl. She is able to raise the little girl while taking some courses to eventually get her degree, but she is able to work in an accounting firm as a bookkeeper. Of course, her new account just so happens to be with Ilya (who is now head of the Russian mafia). Brooke has a wall around her and doesn’t want Ilya to find out her secret. But the chemistry is still there between them and Brooke doesn’t want to hear any excuses.

Full of resentment and anger, Brooke does everything in her power to keep Ilya at arm’s length. Ilya, however, does everything he can to rekindle the romance between them. When Brooke’s safety is jeopardized, she believes it is Ilya out for retaliation after she found she discrepancies with the books. When they realize that an outside force is behind this, will Brooke let her walls down? What happens when Ilya finds out about his daughter? Will Ilya be able to forgive Brooke for keeping this secret? And will Ilya be able to keep his new family safe?

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

[Katie Murphy]

An enjoyable fast paced, secret baby, Bratva romance✨

Brooke and Ilya fall hard and fast in college, of course one thing leads to another and Brooke ends up getting pregnant. Meanwhile Ilya’s father ends up passing away and this means Ilya stays in Russia losing all contact with Brooke.

8 years pass and Brooke has now a 7 year old daughter Karina. Brooke and Ilya are reunited when she takes over the book keeping roll for his new business in America and turns out the spark between them has never extinguished even after all this time👀

Ilya eventually does find out about Karina, through his friend Dmitri. He was calm enough about the situation, he didn’t react in an awful manner toward Brooke which I liked because he understood they were separated and she indeed tried to contact him. I will say I did want more Karina and Ilya scenes.

But overall I enjoyed this book.

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

[Grinning Cat]

Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Ilya and Brooke
Genre- Mafia Romance (Bratva)
Length- about 205 pages
Heat- 🌋🌋🌋🌋 both fade-to-black and explicit scenes
Series? Y
Safety? Y
Triggers- explicit erotic content, language, violence
Tropes- One Night Stand, Secret Baby, Second Chance, Workplace Romance, Adorable Moppet, He Ain’t Heavy- He’s My Bratva
Mewsings-
What I liked- The BFFs need their own book . This is the first Secret Baby romance where there really was good reason that the baby was kept a secret. (I have read books with the Secret Baby trope that have the baby being a secret for the flimsiest of reasons.) And in this book, the mother didn’t get excoriated for not telling him.
What I didn’t- she still should have told him when she was able to, at least to get their daughter some protection.

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

[Mafia Wife]

They met in college, had a passionate night and a deep connection. He disappeared and 8 years later turned back up in her life. This time she is not so trusting and has more than just her heart to protect. This has the elements of the Russian Bratva, secret baby, enemies to lovers tropes. The story is well laid out and you feel their connection despite the challenges they face. They are clearly drawn to each other and the spicy scenes are very spicy. The character development is good for the main characters, the periphery characters are a little less developed. The story is good, the language is easy to read and flows well. If you like these trope this is definitely worth the read.

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

[Nate]

This was Ilya and Brooke’s story. Life in college was rough, surrounded by rich kids she was an easy target. Then along came Ilya, flipping her world upside down, and treating her like royalty. With old world charm and a bankroll fit for a prince, he was something else. His intense gaze held secrets she was dying to uncover. But just as quickly as he swept her off her feet, he vanished to Russia on 'family business,' leaving her with a secret. Heartbroken, I leaves college, barely scraping by as a bookkeeper for a dodgy accountant. Years later, fate reunites them when her college crush hires their services. Only this time he's morphed into the devil himself—controlling, and deadly. It was an intense read. And voluntarily leaving this review.

[Shifty Bugger]

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

This was definitely worth reading, the book was captivating they met in college until he disappears and left her with a present, she continued with life the best way she could not able to finish her schooling. Eight years later she takes on a job not knowing she would see the one that broke her heart. Ilya had to go back to Russia when his father passed, once everything settled in Russia he ended up going back to where he lost part of himself. Brooke and Ilya felt they had not finished there whirlwind romance considering it became hotter. Will Ilya see the present he left her with eight years ago.

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

[Danee]

This is Brooke and Ilya's story. They've known each other since college and they clicked and developed feelings for each other. As they increased, they spent a hot night together. It's a surprise when he disappears and she is left with a memento of their night. Now years later they meet again when Brooke is assigned to him to help him. Despite the years apart, the feelings are still there, will they take a second chance and pick up their relationship again? And what if he finds out he left her with a gift?

I received an Advance Reader sample of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jenni]

Brooke and Ilya are college lovers, surrounded by the rich kids Brooke stood out but to Ilya she was his everything, till family matters call him back to Russia leaving Brooke with a secret of her own. When she gets hired to do Ilyas books she discovers she never really knew the man who broke her heart but will this be a second chance when more secrets are revealed? Well written desires, second chances, mafia, action, twists and more!.

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

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel]

They met in college and feelings developed between them but their one-night stand left Brooke with two pink lines and a missing man responsible when he left quickly for his homeland. They reconnect eight years later when Brooke is assigned to his accounts. The sparks are still there between them, and Ilya is determined to get his girl back. Will he and Brooke get their chance to rekindle what they once had and will it lead them to a second chance for happiness.

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

[Debbie]

Ilya and Brooke. They went to college together. They had a relationship. He left. She was heartbroken and she left and raised their daughter. Now working as a low paid bookkeeper. Hes russian mafia. He hires her companies services and they meet again. But now hes, well not himself hes different. Cold, distant, hot. She uncovers things in his books. He takes her, for her own protection of course. but she has a secret. Great story loved it.

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

[Andra Shaw]

Echoes of Sin is an entertaining read. It has a little of everything in the storyline and characters that keep you engaged in their story. The love hate relationship shared between Ilya and Brooke brings a great tension to their interactions and adds to the drama, which there is a lot of. Along with the drama, is steamy romance, suspense, and a little action, which makes this a book you will want to read.

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

[Debbie Benson]

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Ilya and Brooke meet and fall in love at college but life separates them. Brooke is a bit bitter and Ilya has to win her trust and renewed love again. The surprise was their daughter. There is danger but Ilya handles it. I like how they both once decided revel in their love and make a family together. They will deal with their new responsibilities together.

[Monique]

It was a smooth read with short chapters what I totally like. Time flew by so fast I didn´t realised it.
This story is about young love, single mom, second chance, hot mafia guys, a little blood...

Echoes of Sin is a novel which I really enjoyed.

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

[Krystal]

Lost sleep because I could put this book down. Such an intense book. It had me on the edge of my seat front the first page to the last. Brooke and Ilya are my new favorite couple. The hardships they went through just to be together. WOW.

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

[Angela Farley]

WOW! What a captivating Russian Mafia Romance! The storyline sucked me in and I couldn't sleep till I finished it. Storyline is a great Romance with a bit of mystery and danger and plenty of steamy moments. Add in the great characters and you have a Must Read book!
I absolutely loved it!.

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

[Amy Jones]

So Good!!
Loved reading Echoes of Sin. This book was so good I couldn’t put it down. Brooke and Ilya’s story was action packed and the chemistry between them was steamy HOT and loved the ending!!

[Antoniette]

sweet

I didn’t mind this story just a little slow in some parts. Not your normal mafia story but it was okay.

[Laurie hammarstrom]

Good Story

Ilya and Brook’s story pulled me in right away. The characters are well written and they develop beautifully as the story progresses. ♥️

[Linda Atwell]

About this book

Love this book and would recommend it to anyone who loves to read about Mafia life and their families and friends 🧡 and the writer is awesome 🧡

[Coline]

3.5✨

Sympa. On se laisse porter, l’histoire est classique mais ça fait clairement l’affaire.
Brooke et Ilya sont mims.