Syncopating Hearts

by Shanjida Nusrath Ali

Release date: TBA
Tropes:
♥️ Mafia Romance
♥️ Forbidden Romance (Bodyguard x Consigliere’s Wife)
♥️ Age Gap (11 years gap)
♥️ Angst
♥️ “Touch her you die” MC
♥️ Temptress and fierce FC

Genres: Dark Romance, Mafia Romance

425 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2024

About the author

Shanjida Nusrath Ali, bestselling Bangladeshi dark romance author of "The Devil Tainted Us" and "Syncopating Hearts", writes dark romances that explore the seductive world of gothic castles and the dangerous secrets of mafia crime lords.

With a BA in English and Humanities, she thrives on storytelling. Off the page, she dances to Bollywood music, sketches her morally grey characters, and brings a vibrant charm to life; proving that even in darkness, there's room for art, music, and mischief.

Reviews

[Giny · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5⭐️

The story was good, but the writing was just so awkward! Grammar, syntax, typos, wrong words being used... this book is in need of serious editing!

[OtakuGurl · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Improvement is Insane!!

Before Syncopating Hearts, the main male characters in the dark romance were typically locked onto a linear personality. They murder or seriously injure whoever messes with the main female character, they do IT with the female, they worship the female character, and they complete whatever goal they have at their job, typically in a ruthless fashion.

Now, with Frederico, he still has the "touch her and you die" and the doing IT, but there's extra depth to his character. He's attentive, considerate, a little dorky, and he's a total sweetheart. Which makes him one of my favorites.

There's also the scenes, it's always written to where--even if you know what's going to happen--you'll still feel something. Whether you kick your feet and get excited or you grab your chest in pure shock, it'll happen. That's also what I like about it, the action is very emotionally compelling.

I highly recommend this to people who like dark romance but want a nicer main male character.

9/10, would read again.

[Shimran Lazin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Catagory - Dark Romance, Mafia
Spice - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️+

First of all, I have to say that I am super proud that this is written by a bangladeshi writer. I would have read this anyway to support her, but this book kept me so engaged with the storyline. There was never a single page that I wish weren't there.

This is a dark mafia romance. So if you cannot handle that, I would say not to read this because there are some 🌶️ scene that are *ehem*. I will let you guys figure that out.

oh btw,
HE GAVE HER A BOOK!!! OH. MY. GOD.

Just go and read it.

[Shanjida Nusrath Ali · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨NOW LIVE ON AMAZON✨

Syncopating Hearts (A Mafia Bodyguard, Age Gap & Forbidden Romance) by Shanjida Nusrath Ali is NOW LIVE on Amazon and FREE WITH KU🖤
What happens when the ruthless bodyguard falls for his Consigliere’s wife whom he was assigned to protect? Will he risk it all for her?

Tropes:
🖤 Mafia Romance
🖤 Forbidden Romance (Bodyguard x Consigliere’s Wife)
🖤 Age Gap (11 years gap)
🖤 Angst
🖤 “Touch her you die” MC
🖤 Temptress and fierce FC
🖤 MC Breaks the bed

🖤Purchase now: https://books2read.com/u/3JgNzE
🖤Add to TBR: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...

Blurb
Joining the Camorra as a bodyguard, I expected to protect my Consigliere as a duty, not carrying shopping bags and dealing with his bratty wife, Emine. Her taunting and teasing behavior drove me crazy, but glimpses of her true self drew me in.

I fought the growing desire I felt whenever she was near—her scent, her lips, her irresistible beauty was like a drug to me. She’s like a little vixen, pulling me towards her with her beauty, that made me want to claim her…make her mine. But I couldn’t betray my Consigliere.

Then, one day, I gave in, and we started a secret affair. It was risky, but as our bond deepened, I had to ask myself: was it worth the risk?

[Saraf Faisal · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was simple and interesting. I liked how strong Emine was. Fredericko has my whole heart to be honest. It was a bittersweet love story that stayed with me till the end. Love u Shanjida Apu for writing such a good piece. I legit finished it in one day.

[Bookslover09 · Rating 5 out of 5]

so freaking GOOD!

This book is absolutely incredible. The banter is top-notch, and the slow burn builds to an intense, steamy climax. Get ready to be captivated; you'll need a cool-down afterward because the heat this book brings is perfection. I 100% recommend it!

[Frommailenesbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

"If she was mine, I wouldn't let any man even dare to look at her. A beauty like hers was supposed to be earned to be witnessed."

"We are addicted to what destroys us. And you are turning into an addiction that I want to be destroyed by."

"I will be yours and you will be mine....always yours, forever mine."

This book had me in TEARS from the first couple of pages. Emine is such a strong woman, and I don't even blame her for looking for love in someone else's arms. Frederico and Emine are THE couple you want to read. Even their darkness called to each other.

And don't get me started on the unhealthy amount of quotes I highlighted 🤣

🖤 Cheating
🖤 Forbidden Romance
🖤 Age Gap
🖤 Angst
🖤 Touch Her and Die
🖤 Mafia
🖤 Bodyguard Romance
🖤 Bed Breaking 😎

[ForeverreadinG · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh

[Lizz_reads._ · Rating 5 out of 5]

My most anticipated read from last year and I finished it yesterday and it did not disappoint. I was just in love with the characters and the plot of this book😩❤️❤️ Also the MMC has my freaking heart 💗 and the FMC she’s my total baby I love her soo so much.

Tropes

Mafia romance
Forbidden romance
Age gap (11 years )
Angst
Touch her you d!e
Temptress and fierce fc
Mc breaks the bed

[prii✨ · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was supposed to read this book after my exam, but I'm too impatient for that. Yeah, that thing called self resistant is not found in my body. Syncopating heart by @shanjidanusrathali_author
REVIEW:

Okay, first of all, let's talk about Emine (FMC). Damn, I love her character. Her character was Build all good. I mean please look at the way she talks. I love the way she annoyed the hell out of Frederico. He was always on the edge.!!! Ahem Ahem. She is such a tease. I.... I love her!!!! I can resemble myself in her. Annoying, Savage and bookbitch. Everything about her is sweet spicy and nice

Frederico, darling, you are so divine. Phew!!! This god like physique bodyguard who doesn't want?? Man, im down for any guy who can bring me to line holding power and being a bodyguard. I really liked it when he's triggered, glaring at Emine. Because he's sooo down for her too. I-mean he's always in the verge of bursting whenever he's around Emine. Please let's not forget how sweet he can be. He brought Emine a copy of pride and prejudice. Soft for the women and risk for my health. What can i say grey is my favourite colour. Now let's talk about other stuff like surprise cameo!!!!!!!LUCIFER, my loveeeee. Yeah, yeah, yeah, same Lucifer from cross my heart. I was soo shocked to find him. I was drooling over the bodyguard and thn my husband Lucifer is like im back babes!

Back to track again let's not get distracted by the guys. Hmmmm..... i think Marco deserves a little bit of more pain. I mean his death was too easy. I wanted him to suffer more for what he did to Emine.

Except for that i love the book. Its an easy 4⭐ but for lucifer 4.5/5⭐

[black swan 🦢 · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf 10% i thought the wedding night was the only torture she would allow but it kept happening for A YEAR? im so badly triggered f off

[❤ArtfullySinful❤ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piece by piece. Everything was gone. My hopes. My dreams. My expectations. All vanishes in the blink of an eye.

A marriage should bind two souls in love to an eternity of passion and adventure, but unfortunately this marriage will hold the most vile of emotions and assaults imaginable. For Emine Venezia Marino; the wife of Venice’s consigliere Marco Doni Marino, her life has been trouble since the moment ‘I do’ left her lips. As the perfect gentleman, Marco groomed his way to become the man she was promised to be married too, but that would quickly shift as his true hatred towards her father Dante Romona is in full display. Raped and assaulted on their wedding night by her own husband, he would beat and punish his wife every day for years until he comes to the decision to hire her a bodyguard to really keep her watched. Unfortunately, the man he would choose would be Frederico, and he would find himself slowly falling for Emine with each day. Seeing her blooming love for the cello and reading, he's falling harder for the one woman most off limits to himself and he can't stop this fall once it begun.

“I promise I will protect you till my last breath, and my promises don’t hold any lies,”

Mamagign to convince her over controlling husband to allow her to attend a wedding with her best friend Elena in Prague, this would allow the spark to finally gain traction and make the two truly in too deep. Begining their passionate affair, the two find themselves loving one another but no longer caring who wrogn these emotions were. Trying to keep the stolen kisses and longing eyes away from any prying eyes, they know they're dead if news ever reaches the ears of her husband Marco. Once returning home, Frederico shatters her entire heart by openly lying and claiming she's nothing more than a fling. Forced to hear and accept, she watches her own admissions die as she openly admitted to bring in love with him. Forced to see this through, she also learns of the engagement between Amara (Marco's sister) and Frederico already on effect. Craving for Emine more and more, he knows he needs to break this engagement even if it takes the title of Enforcer straight from his grasp. When he walked in on Marco horribly beating her, it took all restraimts not to kill him on the spot. As he hears the heartbreaking reasons she's stayed with this monster, he knows his vow to protect her now shifts to her father who's laid in a medically induced coma since their wedding night.

“The pain at that moment is beyond anything. You feel your whole life crumbling into uncountable pieces, with no way of ever being put back together. Every moment you spend with your loved ones comes into your mind one after another, making you wish that there was more time… making you yearn that if by some miracle God can bring that person back. The ache in your heart and soul will feel like a scar that will freshen up every time you remember that person. Their mere memories will be more than enough to bring tears to your eyes. The only thing you will be left with is the remnants of their presence in your life and guilt… the guilt of not spending enough time with them… the guilt of not telling them enough how much you love them. And that guilt will forever be with you. There is no escape from it.”

With her father awake and safe with Federico's family, they can finally breathe as they set in motion the next stages of their plan. Unfortunately, Marco would know of the affair and ambush the couple before dragging them battered and bloody to the basement for further torture. With plans to allow his guards to rape her in front of Frederico, it'll snap a violent streak in him that left him tearing men literally to pieces as he fought to save the woman he loved. As her father emerges armed with fellow members of the Camorra, it doesn't take long to drag Marco center stage to atome for the abuse he inflicted on Emine this entire time. Tying him to a chair and setting him on fire, she finally takes back herself as she's the one to drop the loghter and extinguish her abuser once and for all. As the days push past, Frederico would ask her father to marry her and would receive the ultimate blessing. Merely two days would pass before the two were wed and five years down the road would pass in the blink of an eye. One year into their marriage they would be blessed with twins; Amie and Anthony and be embracing a life filled with love for the first time for both of them.

“For you, give me anything you want. I crave it all,” she confesses.

[Simran · Rating 4 out of 5]

PHEWWWW !!! This was sooooooo hot !!!!

I came across this book through some Instagram reel by the author and I instantly wanted to know about the book scene that was mentioned in the reel. I thought it would be just some cheesy bodyguard romance book but I wasn't prepared for the first few chapters.
This book is the epitome of secret bodyguard romance with lots and lots of spice. I mean they break the bed when they "did it" for the first time. I really loved this book though there were certain scenes where I was losing a bit of interest that even the spice felt boring at one point.
Still I really love this book and Fed and Em <3
This is my first book by this author and I'm excited to read other books by her preferably first the dark academia books.

Read this book if you like -
Dark Mafia Romance
Bodyguard Romance
Forbidden Romance
Age Gap

4.25 ⭐️
4🌶

[ᰔ · Rating 1 out of 5]

𝐃𝐍𝐅

First DNF of the year ://

I was looking forward to this one based on the blurb & tropes shared but the actual story itself was so bad.

The writing style is so formal (?) and the words & sentence structure is so awkward. There’s a ton of grammar issues, typos and the wrong words have been used too.

The book reads like a list as the sentences don’t really flow, neither do the scenes if I’m being honest. If I wanted to read a list, I would have read my shopping list. Apart from all of that, the story itself is just too Wattpad-y, even for me.

I really hope the author looks into a new editor since the book has so much potential!

[LittleBubblyFox · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 ⭐️ 1.5/5 🌶️

I was expecting more. There’s a lot of good reviews but most of them fail to mention that the grammar and the way the book are written is… painful to say the least. I had to DNF because it got to a point where I couldn’t bear it anymore. I got 50% through it but I still don’t understand what the plot was supposed to be.

Also, I started to get really annoyed by the constant interruptions. About to kiss? Interruption. About to confess? Interruption.

Honestly. If this gets re-edited I think it could be really good.

[Tabassum · Rating 3 out of 5]

First of all I am super proud that a Bangladeshi writer wrote this. I loved the romance in this book. I loved that the male lead had the "touch her and die" vibes. And the grovelling was 🤌🤌🤌. But as far as dark romance goes it was pretty mild. I won't say that I hated it or anything. But it was refreshing. I loved their banter during the first part. I also felt hurt for what Emine went through because of her abusive husband. And the ending was just poetic justice.

[Tattedbooknerd · Rating 5 out of 5]

You want dark romancewith a mmc who makes you weak in the knees and swoon? Look no further yall cause i found in in this book. Frederico is ugh hes everything you could every want in a man yall. Emine ugh yall she's a baddie so strong. There love is the stuff of old. One of those store where I couldn't stop highlighting quotes.

"I will be yours and you will be mine...always yours, forever mine."

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn’t expect to like this book as much as I did due to the subject matter but I wanted to give it a chance and I’m so glad I did.

The MMC is swoon-worthy with his “who hurt you” vibes – he IS a bodyguard after all, lol.

The FMC is strong, resilient and feisty.

This book is full of longing and tenderness and romance. I will be looking forward to the next book this author writes.

[Leonie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the idea but the execussion was a bit too messy for me and the ending felt all over the place. Was also expecting it to be a bit more angsty and grovely but the first half of the book was decent

[A · Rating 3 out of 5]

this one is a love-hate situation for me. the mmc was great but did not appreciate him being with a hooker while also being with the fmc, moreover he never came clean either. but in general the rest was good

[Justonemorepage&#x1f380;&#x1f497;&#x1f33a; · Rating 4 out of 5]

So Federico was really good and hot and i also love emine their chemistry was good and their bond alsoo but there was lots of typos in the book and i really wanted to know how marco find out about them and the whole scenario vht ohk i was a good read loved it 🥰

[Sarah Rizk · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Talk about forbidden love. I really enjoyed watching Emine and Fredrico resist temptation until they fell head-first into danger together. He's definitely book boyfriend material, and the ending, specifically for Emine and what she gets to do, is so satisfying.

[S (truebooklover_) · Rating 3 out of 5]

The only Reason I picked up this book was because of how beautiful the cover is
I will admit the book had soo much potential but the writing was just blah tbh and it was soo insta lovey and i felt like there was no chemistry between the main characters
Maybe the book was just not for me

[Dark Romance Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this... Really. DNF

[shadow.readz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐ ⭐


The Mmc was trying to get the fmc out of his "system", so he continuously flirted and hook up with 2 other women!!! he does stop until he was like " i can't get her out of mind when i am having sex with other women". Also the fmc cheats on her husband because he is toxic and abuses her!!! Not for me!!!