Asher: My Russian Revenge

Russian Mob Chronicles #5

by Shandi Boyes

Our families were friends long before they became bitter rivals, but as the decade long hatred grew, so did the bloodshed.

Things are different now, though; my father is a changed man. He’s had enough of the violence and wants to spend his final years in peace.

In the midst of an epiphany, he gifted me to an enemy. I am to do anything to make him happy, to reforge the tight union our families once had, and to ensure it will be impossible to break.

There’s just one issue. . . he gave my hand in marriage to a man hell-bent on seeking revenge, and my name is at the very top of his hit list.

I am Zariah Volkov, and my husband-to-be wants to kill me.

Asher: My Russian Revenge is book five in the Russian Mob Chronicles Series, but can be read as a complete standalone. It also has no cliffhangers!

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Mafia Romance, Friends To Lovers, Ebooks

266 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 28, 2019

About the author

Shandi Boyes is a USA Today Bestselling Author who was an avid reader for many years before she discovered the love of writing in February 2016. Her first penned novel 'Perception of Life’ is a new adult rockstar romance that will have you sitting on the edge of your seat until the very last word.

In September 2016, her focus shifted to hot alpha men in steamy contemporary reads that sizzle off the pages. Shandi’s novel ‘Enigma of Life’ is an award-winning story on an FBI agent and the subject she was assigned to investigate. Her men are swoon-worthy, devoted, and alpha; and her heroines are strong-willed, determined, and loveable. You should start her stories first thing in the morning, or you may not sleep.

You will laugh and you will cry, but Shandi's characters will stay with you for a lifetime!

Join my newsletter: subscribepage.com/authorshandi

SERIES ORDER:
Perception of Life (Noah and Emily #1)
Reality of Life (conclusion of Noah's story #2)
Fight of Life (Jacob's story - standalone #3)
Player of Life (Nick & Jenny - standalone #4)
Beats of Life (Slater's story - standalone #5)

Enigma:

Enigma of Life (Isaac #1) - ** FREE **
Unraveling an Enigma (Isaac #2)
Enigma: The Mystery Unmasked (Isaac #3)
Enigma: The Final Chapter (conclusion of Isaac's story #4)
Beneath the Secrets (Hugo #1)
Beneath the Sheets (Hugo #2)
Spy Thy Neighbor (Hunter's Story)
The Opposite Effect
I Married a Mob Boss
Second Shot

Bound:

Chains
Links
Bound
Restrained

Russian Mob Chronicles:

Nikolai: A Mafia Prince Romance
Nikolai: Taking Back What's Mine
Nikolai: What's Left of Me

You will laugh and you will cry, but my characters will stay with you forever!

I love writing and reading. They are both my passion. My genre is generally set to new adult and contemporary, with a few twists thrown in.

Facebook page:
https://www.facebook.com/Author-Shand...

Amazon Author Page:
http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B01D8C13WU

Enjoy reading!

Reviews

[Jos · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Hot Stars

This was a very good read. I hadn't read the first books in the series so for me, I felt a bit "lost" at times not knowing if I should have known "more" but I think I got on track fairly well.

Loved them both, there were times during the first quarter-half of the book that made me want them to get to their story already but once things started flowing my interest peaked and their story took off. All in all a very good read:)

[Coco.V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is an amazing roller coaster of emotions and events. Asher and Zariah's story keeps you on the edge of your seat and waiting for what will happen next. This series is amazeballs and I'm enjoying it immensely. I can’t wait for the next book! Overall rating : 4.5 stars.

[Maria11 · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars

Blood, revenge, sex, craziness, and twists and turns. Sums up the story for sure. I would have liked it more, but I have to say Asher’s vulgarity kind of turned me off. I got to the point I wanted him to shut up. Yuk! Too much is just too much. Good story with lots of twists and turns.

[Jennifer Hinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You can’t become fearless without first facing your fear. Just like you can’t embrace your fate if you’ve yet to succumb to the idea of change. My goal was never to live forever. I just had no idea my soon-to-be husband would be the one to end it."



After a string of H.S. bully romances/enemies-to-lovers reads, I was a little excited to see this up next on my ARC TBR list! I LOVE me a good Russian mob book, but starting this one was different.....I NEEDED it to be a satisfying read. And with this being a new author (to me), I wasn't sure if it could meet my expectations. Gawh, I did not want to be disappointed..... but the blurb gave me hope & so I dived in. I truly wasn't prepared for what awaited me....its always the ones I'm never fully expecting to be so amazing that end up knocking my world from its axis. This goes so far beyond what the blurb hints to, this story ignited my love for a series I know very little about....that's how much I LOVED Asher & Zariah.

“Shh, Little Mouse, you’re okay. I’ll never let anyone hurt you.”

Book Facts: Told in dual POV, this dark romance is book five in the Russian Mob Chronicles series. It can be read as a standalone & has no cliffys but does have a HEA. The beautiful daughter of a rival tired of fighting. Given to an enemy to end the feud & forge an unbreakable alliance, the wife-to-be to a powerful mobster hell-bent on revenge. Asher is the most feared man in Russia, and Zariah has found herself at the top of his kill list. She didn't do what he thinks, she wasn't the one who caused the need for his vengeance......not that it matters, she will face her death with her head held high. But that doesn't mean she won't do whatever it takes to survive. You see, Asher wasn't always the cold-hearted ruthless killer he is now, he used to be so much more. Asher made promises that go against his need for revenge, and he soon realizes that one has to die in order for the other to live. Which one will he choose? The ghost of an obsession, or the girl turned woman who has haunted him for well over a decade?

Timeline of Thoughts:
Starting: After a few H.S bully romances, a juicy Russian Mob dark read is just what I need.
3%: I seriously LOVE her brother already....does he have a story already? (note to self: look this up).
6%: Zariah is one amazing heroine (so far).
9%: So far, Asher is a little too douche-y. I guess its expected though.
20%: I seriously need these two to not be a tortuous slow burn....I won't be able to take her being "put to work".
23%: I am DYING to know the full scope of their past connection....also these promises he speaks of. I also have a feeling Zariah is there bc of his mother.
29%: Asher's mom (Farah) is ah-mazing! She is exactly what Zariah needs as a reminder.
33%: I am legit tearing up right now. This is so much more than I thought it would be! And I'm sure its going to get worse before it gets better, but this "romance" is far deeper than I ever could have fathomed.
52%: God this is torture BUT I'm seriously hoping she is actually going to the big party with him....I NEED this almost as much as I need the truth Zariah doesnt know.
68%: God these two are so effin hot.
75%: I swear to GOD if they somehow plot twist this & take the entire beauty of their "connection" I will RAGE!
84%: Okay, that was a plot twist I didn't see coming.... and the end of this chapter? One of the most badass mobster scenes I've read.
85%: "It reveals he’s going down the punishment route. Yes!" - Accurate representation of me....I've never connected more with a character than in Zariah's here and then here: "Oh no. I didn’t think this through." when she realizes it isn't the type of punishment she wants a part of lol.
87%: Ohmygawh the freaking sweetest! I love their story!
95%: I seriously LOVE Asher's cockiness. It feels authentic!
Finished: Another one of those "SO MUCH MORE" reads.... definitely need Wyatt's story!

"The Five":
Loves from Book: Asher & Nikolai's friendship, Farah, the recorded reminder & old pics, the club office scene, dressing her.
MORE Loves from Book: Asher's devotion to & protectiveness of her, Zariah's protectiveness over Ada, "Little Mouse", ultimate trifecta, Asher's cockiness & alpha-ness.
Sexiest Scene of ANY Book:
Her back has barely graced my desk when I tug off her panties to stuff them into her mouth. I give her a wink, one that reveals I won, before burrowing my head between her thighs.
Quotes:
“But they knew you were bare. They imagined what you look like without your coat. I’ll kill them just for a thought. You need to give me names so I can.”
-Asher

“I am Zariah Volkov, soon-to-be wife of Asher Yury. I bow for no one.” “Except me.” “No. No one.”
-Zariah & Asher

“There’s no need to be jealous, Little Mouse.” Asher’s tone is as mocking as his wolfish grin. “There’s plenty of Asher to share.” He licks his lips as his heavy-lidded gaze scans my body. “Just don’t ask me to share you, as there’s no chance I’ll abide. I’ll kill them all just for looking.”
-Asher

“Yell at me, Zariah. Kick me and bite me, because at least then you won’t portray the coward you just did! As far as anyone is aware, you are the soon-to-be wife of Asher Yury, most feared man in Russia, yet you let a low-ranked goon rough-handle you like a worthless whore.”
-Asher

“You don’t need to fight me to get what you need, Zariah. I’m going to utterly annihilate you. I’m going to fuck you, mark you, and make you mine. Right here. Right now.” “Then what are you waiting for? I thought men like you didn’t need permission.”
-Asher & Zariah

Honorable Mentions:
“Your orgasms are my fucking orgasms, Zariah. I own every one of them.”
-Asher

“Ah, Little Mouse, that is where you are wrong. You may have me roaring your name and my seed coating your tight, wet cunt, but you’ll never fuck me. It is my job to take care of you, to fulfill your every desire. I fuck you and only you. Now sit on the desk like the naughty little nymph you are and part your thighs. I’m fucking starved.”
-Asher

Final Thoughts (in "Five"):

Current Mood:


1. It is apparent from the very start that Zariah isn't your normal timid captive heroine.....she is a lioness waiting on her time to pounce. She will infuriate you at times with what appears to be "weakness", but don't let it fool you -- she is smart.
2. This story goes so far beyond what you think at the start....the way we are given little morsels of their past connection & how everything fits together within the story of where they are now, its a complex yet masterful plot that I couldn't get enough of. I raged, I laughed, I smiled, some fanning of myself may have occurred a time or ten, but I also teared up and held on tight to who they were "together" at the very core of their story.
3. The plot twists & bad guys vs good guys you won't ever see coming, don't even try to...... just enjoy the ride.
4. I thought Asher was a douche in the beginning but that soon changed. The way he is written, MY GOD--there isn't a way to fake that level of authentic cockiness & alpha-ness.
“If only we didn’t have all those people waiting for us , then I could devour you for hours like your body demands. I should send them away, tell them we’re busy, then make them come back when I’m ready for them.”
Seriously, I found myself CRAVING it as if I were Zariah. That paired with his power & his absolute devotion to & protectiveness of Zariah, he is easily in my Top 5 fav book BFs.
5. What I may have appreciated even more is the power the women were given in this book. Farah is seriously a force, I absolutely adored & looked up to her like she was a real life person. She is a QUEEN, that can't be denied. The way she truly fights just as hard for Zariah to demand what she is entitled to....
“Then live. Show them your life is worth fighting for. Make them see that no matter what they do or say to you, your spirit will never break.” She slaps her hand on the table, rattling the dishware. “You are Zariah Volkov, daughter of Ari Volkov, and soon-to-be wife of Asher Yury. You do not bow for anyone.” She scans the room brimming with men. “Let alone vyperduschs too stupid to see your wealth.”
....God, I wanted to jump into the pages & high five her.

I’m Asher Yury, the most feared man in Russia. I don’t bow for anyone. . .but I will for her.

In the end, there was nothing about this book I could truly hate on (except certain characters that I was meant to hate). If you are expecting the typical powerful mobster falling for his beautiful captive, well this goes far deeper than that! Its a beautiful love story, with all the alpha-ness you need to make it smoking hot. READ THIS, there is no way you can walk away without falling for these two!

“I love you, Asher Yury.” Tears leak down my face when he murmurs into my ear, “Wrong again, Little Mouse. You don’t love me. You own me. Every piece of me is yours. Completely. Wholly. Without constraint. I am yours.”



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

[Ellie Marie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as dark as I hoped but good nonetheless

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[KimmE · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3 stars

The story: The h is a Russian mob “princess”; the H is the head of a rival house, which had previously been strong allies, until some unknown event about 10 years prior when the H/h we’re young teens. The H’s girlfriend was recently assassinated, and he believes the h had something to do with it. In a seeming act to save his own hide, the h’s father gives the h to the H in an arranged marriage, though everyone assumes the H will just kill her instead in an act of vengeance. The H does indeed plan on torturing and killing her, but gives her a pardon at the last minute. She starts her life as a housekeeper in his home; he finds himself unable to stay away from her, but is equally angered by her. Not everything is as it seems, or as remembered; past secrets come to light, and it changes everything.

My thoughts: A decent, dark mob read; the H doesn’t shy from outright murdering someone, even for something as slight as checking out his fiancée when she’s in a hot dress, nor from doing drugs or partaking of prostitutes (though not after he takes an interest in the h). The h and H were both intriguing characters, and on the whole I liked it.

Heat Level: 2 and 1/2 stars. There was some heat, but it was either not that descriptive, or just not that hot most of the time. As a side note, I found it weird and a little off putting that the h’s vag was either super dirty, or they were low-key shifters because they both remarked (multiple times) on the smell the h’s “scent of arousal”, after she merely looked at him. That’s some pretty potent kitty there, friends. Blech

Would I read more from this author: Yes, but not from this series.

[Barbara Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Are You looking for Hot Sexy Alpha Russian Mafia Man??? This is it!!!!


Asher

Wow what's it with these Russians that make you swoon?
Asher is hardened because of his position in life with his Russian Mafia Family. But he never forgets the Beautiful and alluring Zariah. They both remember a time as children who had a bond as they played carefree. 😍 They had something so special then! Unbreakable. Undeniable.

Zariah as the Princess of the once High ranking Russian Volkov Family kept sheltered after her mothers death. Hidden away by her father.

Asher Yury the soon to be head of his Empire is angered by the death of his Lover Dominique. A woman he felt he freed from a terrible life. A woman he cared for deeply. Only to be murdered and he needs answers. Asher needs to revenge her death as he told her he would kneeling beside her corpse.
He thinks it was Zariah!!! 😱

Zariah is given to wed Asher by her father.
Then come the twists and plots you never see coming!!!

Zariah discovers something that shocks her.
Asher discovers that very same thing but on the opposite spectrum. It's the last thing you'd expect!!!


OMG!! This whole story had me reading non stop. I read it in just over 24 hours. (I needed some sleep lol)
It's riveting and I completely was under its spell!!!
As usual Shandi delivers a story with twists, plots, mystery, Hot scenes and betrayals you never see coming that keeps you on the edge of your seat!!!
No cliffhangers with a HEA.

Another winner!!!
A Definite Must Read!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Anne Young-Cronister · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! I think this Story about Asher and his Childhood Crush Zaraih is a exciting thrill to read!
I devoured this book! Once I started reading this I couldn’t stop till I finished. Asher is another branch of Russian Bratva. Nikolai and Asher are great friends. When Zariah is told she is going to marry Asher with no discussion, She is thrown for a giant loop. Her feelings never changed but she doesn’t know this man that Asher has grown up to be!

[Kathleen Bradbury (Bulfon) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book and was honored to have been able to read and review. It was such a phenomenal read and had amazing characters as well as an amazing story line. I just could not get enough of it and once I started reading it I could not put it down. I recommend that you read it.

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

[Ayesha · Rating 2 out of 5]

Toxic af. I didn’t like the main character, she gave off y/n vibes. And at time the book didn’t make sense. As in he was in love with her since they were kids but he was also telling his men that they can sleep with her??!?!! Some things were left unexplained.

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 Star - DNF @ 38%

So, apparently I read the first four books years ago (When? No idea!) And I naturally didn't remember anything when I decided to give this one a try.

Now you see, I have trust issues when it comes to books these days. Because these authors are good at fooling you so they can reel you in. Get you interested enough to buy their book. All about that marketing, am I right? But see the thing is, I hate it. Sometimes the book blurb is the most interesting part of a book. And sometimes it's also the best thing written in the entire book and it wasn't even in the book to begin with. And that would be the case for this book. The blurb was far more interesting than the book itself. It felt misleading once you actually begin reading tbh. Or it did to me.

I could probably write a few (or six) paragraphs of all the why's this book was just terrible for me but I'm not feeling all that generous tbh. That would imply I cared enough to rant a novel about it. And I just don't care.

Point is, this book was boring. In what I managed to read nothing of importance or interest happened. Nada. The heroine was a dumbass naive coward who claimed to be the least innocent virgin in the world (her words basically) and would quiver and damn near wet herself whenever the hero was near her. She was a waste of space and a massive disappointment from how she came across in the opening chapter. That first impression of her was clearly all wrong.

The loser hero was a poor imitation of some top notch villainous like heroes I've read before. He just didn't cut it. Weak, emotionally immature and had no personality. Nothing whatsoever was appealing about him. Especially with how he treated the heroine despite his poor treatment being expected because of the captive plotline it was just half assed and boring. He acted like an out of control idiot who needed to lay off the drugs, seek anger management and a psychiatrist.

The worst offense this book had though besides one dimensional characters who had no chemistry and no emotional range was the constant repetition about their past as children. Lord, save me from the unimaginative trope of having them know one another growing up and the girl being hopelessly in love with him while she was like twelve years old. It's tired, it's just dumb and it never works because you absolutely cannot make me believe a grown woman can claim to have been in romantic love with someone at that age because it's always what they claim by the end too.

I could be wrong in assuming the direction this book would have eventually taken but I doubt it. My intuition is far to trustworthy these days. Even so, the heroine showed all the signs of future idiocy in that regard. Especially because their past of having grown up together was thrown back in our faces near every chapter as if it carried a great importance and with her endless fawning over the hero and seemingly excusing every shitty thing he did or said to her. She was a lost cause from the beginning.

The writing style wasn't anything noteworthy and didn't improve the story either. The characters were simply far too juvenile for the type of story being told. The hero was twenty nine (going on seventeen emotionally) and the heroine was supposedly twenty five (more like a naive sixteen year old) but with how she would act and speak about the hero (I mean what grown woman claims to feel "giddy with gooeyness") it was just impossible to believe she wasn't a teenager. And to believe them both to be mature adults handling this sort of tense situation? Yeah, no.

This book was one of the dumbest things I've read in quite a while. The heroine was beyond TSTL. Had no sense of danger or two brain cells to rub together at all. Excused everything bad the hero did or said to her. Whenever he did something questionable she'd instead choose to see it through her rose colored horny glasses and start planning how she could get an orgasm or wallowing in her childhood feels for him. She literally was the stupidest woman in the world. She was naive and couldn't lie to save her life. Everything came down to how she felt sexually everytime she had an interaction with the hero. It was absolutely absurd. And the way the hero treated her like she this special unicorn because she was a virgin and "wAsN't LiKe OtHeR gIrLs" was soooo laughable.

I love mafia romances but this was a hot mess and not the fun kind. It was 1000% cringe.

PS: The book claims it can be read as a standalone without reading the first four books and even though I did read them a long time ago I didn't remember anything about them. So, I want to point out that it being easy to follow was actually a bit of a stretch. I was finding questions everywhere and trying to make sense of the little things that reading those books might've answered for me. So, no. This wasn't entirely a standalone. Maybe if it has a preface with the brief summary of details or facts offered in the previous books but not in its own.

[✨amillionbooksjourney✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zariah was given to Asher as a gift of marriage to end a feud between families.
The thing is Asher wants revenge from something, something, that he thinks Zariah is the culprit of. So she is at the top of his killing list.
Did I mention this two were friends once? And we’re obsessed with each other? No? Well 😉🤷‍♀️
And when the plot twist came… I was speechless! Truly!

Zariah is smart, cunning and patient. A cleaver bitch.
Asher is the most feared man in Russia, crazy and possessive.
What a masterful story. As always Shandi writes some of the best mafia books!

P.S. although you can read it as a standalone. It is very connected to Nikolai’s story, because he gave Asher a hit list. And that’s all I’m gonna say 😉

Happy Readings 🤍

[Ashley O · Rating 3 out of 5]

unique mafia book

I fell down a rabbit hole after first reading “I married a mob boss” then the 4 Nikolai books and then this. I liked the little bit of cross over. This book was a little hard to follow in parts for me. Some parts seemed like I was missing a back story but eventually all of it came together in the end. It is a standalone but reading all in order makes most sense to me.

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

Forever love

Mariah and Asher have loved each waist of their lives. But an occurrence one night caused a split and isolation which lasted over a decade. Had it not been for Asher's needing revenge for the death of his love he would have never found Zariah, his only true love. so many things happen to then but they still find a way back to each other.

[Sparty · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm

Love Russian mob stories. This was pretty typical with the arraigned marriage to an enemy. However, I guess i was bothered about how the H didn’t want to like the h because of something she thought she did. And just assumes and then doesn’t believe her. Ugh. Many twists and turns. A happy ending though.

[Sarah SD · Rating 3 out of 5]

good read but am used to better with shandi : in my opinion we should have seen more about their relationship once they actually got together. Also the girl is just so dead inside, he treats her like shit and she never does anything about it, he just made her, his fiance, a house made who has to serve everyone and she just went with it ?

[Gerry · Rating 5 out of 5]

Asher My Russian Revenge

This was a great book. What sad life women are expected to live in some cultures. Very well written. Really enjoyed reading. Highly recommend. Looking forward to reading more.

[Elisa Castro · Rating 5 out of 5]

my drug of choice

Asher: My Russian Revenge is book five in the series Russian Mob Chronicles by author Shandi Boyes. Absolutely brilliant- it’s captivating, darkly sensual and a bit brutal. Ok maybe a lot brutal - yet who’s keeping track.
Enjoy!!

[Heather Sanford · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had me in the edge of my seat throughout the entire story. Asher and Zariah's story goes so far back that they were fated to be together. The plot had a front seat in the entire book which was a nice change. Usually it is more geared towards the spiciness. I'm glad their story had a HEA.

[Krishna · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ik it's fiction. Ik someone wrote it. But when I am reading a book, I want it to make me believe in the book and the story. That such a story could potentially exist and this story? It is the most bullsh*t story I have ever read. Ain't no way it's real.

[laura]

It's ok not great

It's ok to read isn't as captivating as the forth book in this series but also isn't the worst in the collection . It is well written though a and has a decent storyline

[Kathy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Childhood love and loss

This journey through the authors words made my heart race. The journey of loss to finding lost memories as well tugs at your emotions. I found it difficult to put the book down.

[C.L. Strickland · Rating 5 out of 5]

More Russian Goodness

I loved Asher almost as much as Nikolai. He is fierce and he and Zariah make a stunning addition to the Russian Mob story.

[Ac.m · Rating 5 out of 5]

The book is well written, not too dark, quite a lot of violence,but the steam is very good.

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hard-core mobster with a soft centre.

I loved this story .Kept me guessing all the way through with plenty of twists and turns.Loved the characters and I'm so glad they got a hea.

[Vanessa · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[mara · Rating 3 out of 5]

*3.5, liked this but prefer my mafia books to have more friendship and family dynamics.

[Alyssa Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was good!!!

[Rhue McDonough · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth the time

This author is trying a little too hard to make this mafia. Corny, silly, and too much like historical horror story. I'm leaving at 25 percent.

[Sophia Faga · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐️