Our Blood, Our Pain

The Kozlov Bodyguards #1

by Syn Blackrose

Jules

Kai. He’s become my weakness. My purpose in life. I knew I was never a good man, but Kai has tipped me over the edge for the lengths I’d go to for him.

He’s a mess, a beautiful mess, and he wants me. I’ve never been attracted to a man before, so this is new territory for me. But it won’t take long for me to break. I want to fight him, punish him, and adore him.

Oh yeah, and most importantly, he’s my step-sister’s son.

I may not be his Uncle in blood. But this is wrong.

So wrong.

But we can’t help ourselves.

Kai

It’s been years since I last saw Jules, and when he shows up to right the wrongs in my life, the crush I had years ago hits me tenfold.

Jules is not who I remembered. He’s controlling and suffocating.

But he’s everything I want in a man. Protective, rough around the edges. Pure dominance.

I don’t care about our family. It’s not like we’re blood-related.

My need for him erases all logic and moral decency. I need him to breathe. I need his marks all over my skin.

I don’t care about anything else. I would give up my entire life and everyone in it to have him.

*I do highly recommend reading the Kozlov Brothers Duology, especially Kill for You due to spoilers. Jules & Kai’s story starts in between Tied to You and Kill for You. But you can still read on its own if you don’t mind missing the detail.


**This is a dark MM forbidden romance with a HEA. It contains graphic content that's not suitable for under-18s. I advise you to check out the content warnings before reading. These are available on the author's IG page.

𝕋𝕎’𝕤:
▪️Dominance
▪️Hickey Kink/Hand necklace
▪️Breathplay
▪️Controlling behavior
▪️Violence/Torture
▪️Unaliving
▪️Dare you to touch or look at him
▪️Possessive
▪️Self loathing
▪️Morally gray MC
▪️Forbidden
▪️Suicidal ideation

Genres: M M Romance, Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, LGBT, Contemporary, Crime

541 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 12, 2024

About the author

Hi my lovelies,

I'm afraid I am not active on Goodreads; therefore, I will not respond to messages or requests on here.

If you would like to reach out to me, please check out my Instagram account.

Thanks! Syn xx

Reviews

[Emna · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 🌟
I FUCKING ENJOYED THIS SHITTT ... I THINK I NEED PROFESSIONAL HELP

[Natasha Niezgoda · Rating 2 out of 5]

Gawddddd awful. Literally no substance at all. If you want a MM romance between two alpha males, read Mary Calmes’ deputy marshal series.

I can’t tell you anything meaningful I read in these 400+ pages. Yes, it’s got a taboo love affair but even that wasn’t delicious. Jules and Kai are annoying. The whole house is a bunch of voyeurs so there isn’t even a secret pining angle. The whole pseudo mafia was weak as fuck.

Ugh this was sooooo infuriating. How did you all enjoy this?!? Was this supposed to be a gummie read? Did I miss that memo?!

Hard pass. Nope.

1.5 stars.

[Gabs (gaybism) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark and spicy and just what I needed👌🏻

Kai is stuck in a vicious cycle of booze and violence. Living in a small town and mixing with the wrong crowd he sees no way out. His mom’s last resort is to call his (step) uncle Jules.

Jules works for the infamous Kozlov brothers as their bodyguard and deals with the gruesome side of things. When he gets a call from his step sister, he decides to help her by taking his step nephew in. What he doesn’t account for, is that Kai is a beautiful, grown man now.

This book was so hot. The forbidden aspect, the age gap and all the possessive behaviour were delicious. Seeing the psycho family all together has me almost nostalgic.

Absolutely can’t wait to see more of Ivan as I have a feeling he will be my favourite one yet😈

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ 3🌶️

📝 REVIEW & THOUGHTS:

Well this was fun. Really OTT but still fun. Pretty much a classic dark romance book. Nothing new, but can be satisfying if that’s what you’re craving.

🏷️ TROPES & TAGS (possible spoilers):

Genre/subgenre: contemporary dark mafia romance
Pairing: MM
POV: 1st person, dual
Angst: medium
Burn: medium-slow
Vibe/mood: darkish, a bit tox!c, hot
Pet names: sweetheart, little whore, pretty whore
HEA: yes

Taboo (step-uncle x step-nephew) - no blood relation
Age gap (22/30)
Secret crush
Bi-awakening
Jealous, possessive, protective and controlling MC X bratty, jealous and possessive MC
Forced proximity
Guards in a g@ng/mafia
Touch him and d!e
Codependency

🌶️ SPICE & K!NKS (possible spoilers):

Strict top/bottom or versatile: top/bottom
Heat: 6 scenes, medium heat
D!rty talk
Degr@dation/Praise combo
D/s dynamic
Domination
Barebacking
Oral
An@l
Breath play/chok!ng
Biting & marking (hickeys)
Face f*cking
R!mming
Spank!ng/punishments

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS (possible spoilers):

Dubcon: no
Noncon: no
OM/OW: no
Controlling behavior
Graphic v!olence (on page, multiple times)
Attempted m*rder of MC (on page)
Self loathing
Su!cidal ideation
Mentions of neglecting parents
MC’s mom was abandoned by parents when she got pregnant as a teen

💬 QUOTES (possible spoilers):

“Don’t call me pretty. Just because I bottom doesn’t make me your little bitch. It makes me your king.”
“Wrong. I’m the fucking king, and you're my little whore who will do what I say on command.”
“Well, what are you waiting for? I want my king to show me who’s in charge.”

“Turn over and lay flat on your stomach, I wanna see the ass that now belongs to me.”

“I love you. I will torture, kill, and destroy anyone in my way when it comes to you. Never forget it.”

* Fyi about 🌶️ levels: I rate spice on a combination of quantity, quality, length, intensity and explicitness of the scenes. K!nks are listed separately and generally do not directly affect the steam level to keep it fair for non k!nky books.

[Katie · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good! I was so excited to get Jules and Kai’s story, the chemistry between these two was crazy hot. I love how psycho the guys are in these books, they’re completely unhinged, especially when it comes to their men. If you like your romance books dark, with a whole lot of “touch him and die” vibes, then this book is for you! I can’t wait for the next book.

[Romantically Inclined Reviews · Rating 3 out of 5]

Less spelling and grammar errors than previous books but no one speaks the way these characters speak. Be for real. It's too over the top. What 22 yr old high school drop out is using the word "daren't"?

Plus the characters aren't sticking with their given personality traits. They're flipping back and forth so fast I've got whiplash.

Love me some MM Mafia but I think I gotta hang up this author after 3 books.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Kai is such a paradox. His feisty attitude mixed with a soft innocence. Even with what he has done in the past, and what he has to do here, it fails to taint him. In my eyes at least. This is all so dangerous. Another side to me has awoken, and I can’t seem to shut that part of myself down. A need to have him."

Our Blood, Our Pain: The Kozlov Bodyguards is the first book in The Kozlov Bodyguards series by one of the queens of dark and dirty MM smut, Syn Blackrose. Whilst Our Blood, Our Pain: The Kozlov Bodyguards could be read as a standalone, I strongly suggest you read The Kozlov Brothers duet first, starting with Tied to You. This is Jules and Kai's story and it's dark and dirty with a splash of the forbidden!

What To Expect:

🖤Step-nephew/step-uncle
🖤Mafia enforcers
🖤Hand necklaces
🖤Breathplay
🖤"Mine"
🖤ALL THE STEAM
🖤Forbidden
🖤Dark themes
🖤HEA

You always know what you're going to get with a Syn Blackrose book and you get it in spades with this one!

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tropes: forbidden love (step uncle/ nephew), age gap
Feels: 1.75/5
Steam*: 2.5/5
Kinks: marking, dominance/submission, breathplay, choking, rough sex, punishment, murder kink (Jules only)
Angst: low
HEA: HEA
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings/representation: violence, murder, gore,
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: No.

3 stars

Kai is 22. He's bi.He flunked out of high school and got pulled into the gang that his best friend Jez is part of, with Jex' brother Zac. He's been getting in trouble with the law, arrested multiple times. His mom Jenny is done with his s*** and calls her step-brother Jules and asks for help dealing with Kai. Jules is 30. Jenny thinks he works in security, in a reputable job, but really he's doing dirty work for a drug cartel. Jules is really close to his bosses, and thinks this environment is better for Kai than the low-life s*** that he's involved with, so he has Kai come and work with him.

Jules had always identified as straight, but he feels some kind of way for Kai. He feels possessive of him. He wants to claim him and mark him and dirty him up. They fall into a relationship. But it causes problems with work, because first of all Kai is not good with blood/dirty work and the job is really gory and violent at times, so he's not doing his job well. And Jules is extremely protective of him and getting into fights on his behalf, even with his employer. Kai thinks he's getting kicked out and runs away only to end up in hot water with the gang that he left back home.

This was an okay book. Definitely more erotica than romance, and definitely very dark and gory. The spice was spicing. I liked that there was no other person drama. There were some moments of humor between the colleagues. I liked the possessiveness and the you're it for me element.

There were a bunch of things that annoyed me though:

- The author drove me a little nuts. She kept using the wrong words and creating sentences that don't make logical sense, over and over. It's like she was trying to mash together multiple sentences into one sentence and accidentally made both parts fail to make sense by choosing a wrong word and ending up with the wrong meaning or with two halves of a sentence that don't work together cohesively. It drove my neurospicy brain nuts because every time I hit one of those it was like hitting a speed bump suddenly.

- This is the worst representation of found family that I have read. This is supposed to be found family, yet every day the bosses (who Jules considers family) are threatening Jules and Kai's lives and making them subjugated, degraded. And Jules threatens back. There's supposed to be loyalty and kindness, a brotherhood, even though they are violent. While at times they have each other's backs, most of the time their dynamic is horrible and it gives the reader whiplash. I was thinking, should I be rooting for them to get away from these bosses!? Which is really too bad, because I quite liked the bosses in their own books.

- The violence in this book was too much for me. The characters had a kink for blood and murder, as opposed to this being a dark romance where people do bad things when they have to and violence and gore happens. I much prefer the latter to the former.

- I didn't find Jules' behaviour attractive. He was too toxic, controlling, and too much of an inflictor of pain for me to find that attractive.

- I didn't like the stuff with the cop Tim. I know this is a dark romance and they are bad guys, but threatening a daughter is a little low. They should have some moral code and just keep it to the person that deserves their anger. You especially don't want to create a vendetta with a cop who can make it his mission to take you down. They kind of went the wrong direction with Tim, they should have made him an ally, protective of Jenny and Kai both, able to be reasoned with and trusted to take care of Jenny.


Some notable moments:

"“Fucking hell. You and Mom lectured me on life and the trouble I could get into. And your answer is to bring me into a drug cartel? Are you fucking serious?”"

"“Secure him with what? I haven’t got anything,” Lev moans. “I have. Here,” Ivan says as we both turn to see him open his large black case and remove a long piece of rope. What kind of Mary Poppins shit is this? Wait…is that a tattoo gun in his bag? “What else you got in there?” I ask, genuinely intrigued."

"“Wait. Courthouse?” “You knew we were getting hitched.” “Errr, that’s news to me.” “I said you would have my surname.” “Yes you said that but you never proposed, you only hinted at getting married,” he says, totally bewildered by my thinking. “Why do I need to propose?”"


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[val · Rating 5 out of 5]

that was so good, i couldn’t put the book down. Definitely will need to read Kill for You, just from this Aaron and Lev are insane

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re in the mood for insanely toxic codependence—this book has you covered! Jules and Kai are heavily addicted to each other in the sweetest way.

Jules simply cannot let Kai breathe without him. He must know where he is, what he’s doing and receive a response from Kai immediately. Jules will quite literally kill for Kai. Is it healthy? Nope! Did I love it? Every single minute.

Kai is young, immature and full of self doubt. He struggles to find his place in the world and finds himself in trouble. Jules comes to help him out only to end up owning and controlling him. Kai truly blossoms once he’s realized he wants to give that control to Jules.

Again, these two are incredibly toxic but their feelings are real. They have all consuming love for each other and they don’t care what anyone thinks of it. They’re not blood related and they want what they want.

I truly enjoyed the obsession with Jules marking Kai. It’s so hot! Kai is so proud to wear marks all over his body and tell the world he’s owned. Overall, I enjoyed this book and it’s deliciously dark in a way I’ve come to expect from Syn.

[Elodie Melody · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jules & Kai story was just freaking & darkly amazing ❤️
I would highly recommend to read the Kozlov Brothers serie before that one, to have a better understanding of the craziness of this family.

It was dark, it was “taboo”, it was super fun to have again Dima, Seb, Lev and Aaron ~ gave me the nostalgia feeling ❤️ that I so love about serie.
I love how Kai is the only one having emotion and being “weak” in this family full of psychos.
His relationship with his Mom did not help in anything and the fact that all of this was mixed up with old resentment from her step brother did not help. I kinda want to hate her and at the same time I don’t want to. Weird feeling.
Jules is discovering and embracing his psycho side, haha. That was fun and entertaining to watch.

Chronically speaking, I was put off at first because the start of the book, takes place at the same time as Lev and Aaron ones. It took me a couple of pages to know where I was standing in this.

Psycho level is still super high, up in the sky, like all Syn’s book and I just love it so much. The story as always is intriguing and captivating ~ my dark side always comes out and say Hi when it’s time for revenge haha. And as per usual smut level is hot, hot, hot.
And of course, super kinky, impact play, breath play, biting, marking, edging, I kinda hoped for some
Spanking.

The only I would like to see next is a different type of pattern for the stories. I really enjoyed that one but it felt the same as Dima and Seb’a books. The psycho fall in love and hatches on his prey, something bad happens, revenge, happy ending. It felt like Seb and Aaron had a baby and Kai came to the world 😂 loving the psycho but having more emotion than Seb.

I LOVE this author and I know she can do even better 😍

I honestly cannot wait for Ivan’s book because this one seems to be THE psycho of the family. Cannot wait how it turns out. ❤️🥰

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was waiting for this book after reading Lev and Aaron’s book. I definitely liked it a lot more than Lev and Aaron’s book.

This one was supposed to be a step uncle kind of taboo relationship but honestly it didn’t feel like it. They didn’t interact too much throughout Kai’s childhood and Jules is only 8 years older than Kai so it didn’t feel as forbidden as I thought it would.

Kai was honestly sweet, but also super sassy when it came to Jules. He mostly did it on purpose because he liked what it did to Jules. Jules was literally sooo possessive. Like why are you even talking to my man possessive. His obsession and possessiveness started the minute he saw Kai again after all these years. I did love that. Love me a possessive man.

I do feel like Kai needed to be treated a little softer though. He had all these emotions and he feels so down about himself, always saying how everyone would be better without him, it was honestly sad. I didn’t like that Jules solved this by having rough sex with him. I get that he had somewhat of a pain kink but I wanted to see some softer moments from Jules when Kai was feeling so low about himself. Kai so badly wants to be loved and cherished and I felt some love but Jules just wanted to solve everything by having sex.

Also I loved seeing Dima and Seb. I think they are still my favorite couple. I’ve always hated and still hate Lev though. I didn’t like him in his book and I didn’t like him here. He kept threatening Jules with death if he stepped out of line and I’m like dude Jules has had your back for over a decade and I felt like Lev would have killed him with no remorse. I didn’t like that.

Overall I liked the couple separately and together. They were an all in couple very early on which didn’t bug me. They were ride or die for sure.

Another thing that bugged me though was every time a new guy came into the scene Kai would go on in his monologue about how hot they were, how absolutely gorgeous they were. I didn’t like it especially since it was after he’s in a relationship with Jules. Like I get you can be in a relationship and appreciate a good looking person but it was almost excessive to the point that it annoyed me.

Anyway can’t wait for the next two. Ivan is going to be soo crazy but I can’t wait for Simon and Carlos!

NO CHEATING (Jules would have murdered Kai if this happened)
NO OP DRAMA (nothing founded, Kai gets “flirted with” and Jules shuts it down)
ONE DAY SEPARATION (but if you ask Jules there was no separation because Kai will always belong to him)
TORTURE & MURDER (touch Kai and die)
HEA (engaged and about to get married)

[normie :) · Rating 1 out of 5]

So disappointed with the consistent decline of the books in this series. I first read Dima and Sebs book— and while I wouldn’t say they’re in the top of my MM reads at all, their book was still pretty entertaining and fun to read. Which is why, when I found out about the other books in the series, I was super excited to start them.

I honestly had high hopes for this one. Especially because I did not like Aaron and Levs book much either, I thought this one would be better because I was genuinely interested in Kai and really liked Jules. But again, the book just ended up being one big disappointment.

Very boring. No plot what so ever. And honestly, just felt like a weird continuation or side book for the other couples in the series. It was also hard to picture Jules as this alpha and possessive man when he was constantly being put in his place by Dima and Lev; I was lowkey getting major second hand embarrassment— like Dima and Lev still held all the power in these books in a way where it didn’t even feel like Jules had any character or personality of his own.

The only reason I even skimmed through and finished this book was just because I didn’t want to mark it as DNF (but I might as well have considering the amount I skimmed through). Overall, really disappointed with this book, and lowkey the series in general. Not sure if I will continue with the other book in the series once they come out, but we will see.

[Books and Gems · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kai and Jules

— taboo (step uncle / step nephew)
— age gap (8 years)
— sexual awakening
— mafia romance
— possessive and dominant MMC
— hickey kink

Oh damn Jules and Kai 🥵 Kai was so sweet, but just a little lost. He needed some direction, and to know he was loved by someone wholly and completely. Jules was the firm hand he needed. In many ways 😅 These two were hot and spicy, and Jules definitely has the controlling OTT thing down but he also had moments of vulnerability for Kai.

I also loved getting to see Seb, Dima, Lev and Aaron again. I need more of Aaron’s crazy antics.

I’m super excited for Tyler and Ivan’s sorry, but I CANNOT wait for Carlos and Simon. Ugh they already have me sweating 😅

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.

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Potential spoilers

Dynamic: MM - strict

Sharing? No

Cheating? No

Breakup? Not exactly, but there were some confused feelings which led to one of them leaving and then a much bigger situation occurs all within a few hours

Sex scene with OM or OW No


I received an ARC of this book, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

[Shonee]

DNF @ 16%

This review is just going to be a list of complaints.

- Someone needs to tell Kai to act his age, not his shoe size. He pouts, he stomps around with his arms crossed. He gets into trouble like a teen, though he's 22.

- Kai not being in jail or having any serious consequences up until this point is baffling. You're telling me that a grown man who gets in so much trouble the the entire police department knows him by name/sight hasn't done a serious stint in prison yet?

- Jude's interactions with Kai are super sus, right off the bat. He has no issue with being attracted to his step-nephew, nor the fact that this is the first dude he's attracted to.

- the author is trying really hard to make Kai's mom slapping the shit out of him for mouthing off AGAINST SOMEONE SHE CLAIMS IS JUST A FRIEND be a reasonable thing and how it's all Kai's fault. this is where I decided to dip. I can't carry on.

Honestly, I'm more interested in what Carlos and Simon have going on in the background.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 5 out of 5]

After being caught by the police for the umpteenth time, Kai’s mom called her stepbrother, Kai’s step-uncle, Jules, for help.

Little did she know about the ‘business’ Jules was in.

Jules takes him with him to the Kozlov family residence, where he lives and who he works for.
Kai’s mouth is too bratty for Jules likes, taking him by the throat helps to keep his mouth shut. 
Kai always had a crush on his straight step-uncle. It’s getting harder now that he has to ‘work’ with the guy.

“Yes, we’re bad people, but we protect each other and have a good life”

Jealousy is taking over Jules's brain. He can’t stand anyone near Kai. He would kill for him, oops guess what!
With every push from Kai, Jules wants to strangle him and do… he refuses to admit what he wants to do!

Kai is so confused. He’s overwhelmed by the controlling and possessive power of Jules, and loves someone who marks and chooses him, but for how long?

“Their love language and foreplay is a$$hole possessiveness, with a hint of violence if anyone tries to touch you.”

Oh boy, when they give in to their primal urges, (Jules of course in charge, duh) it the sexiest, dirty mouthiest vision you can imagine.
The story was wonderfully and consistently written, if you did read the previous stories, you’ll find that it’s less psychopathic, still bloody and depraved, only Kai is a bruised softhearted one, in the middle of all these rough tough deadly men.
I can’t wait to read the next one. 

[read_romance.withgloria Gloria Worlikar · Rating 5 out of 5]

I adore Syn, one of my favorite dark romance authors since her debut novel. I was eagerly anticipating The Kozlov Bodyguards series, as it allowed me to revisit the Kozlov brothers and their partners, while also exploring how their bodyguards find their happily ever afters. This book specifically focuses on Jules and Kai, whom we met in the Kozlov brothers series. I absolutely devoured this book and loved every minute of it.

Jules is the bodyguard for the Kozlov brothers, and Kai has a history of getting into fights that have landed him in prison multiple times. Disappointed by Kai's actions, his mother (who is Jules's stepsister) asks Jules to take Kai away from their town. Kai then starts working for the Kozlov brothers. It becomes clear that Kai has always had a crush on Jules, and now that they are working together, those feelings come to the surface. Surprisingly, Jules, who always thought he was straight, finds himself unable to resist his attraction to Kai.

The chemistry between Jules and Kai is intense, and once they decide to act on their feelings, things get steamy between them. I loved Jules's protectiveness and his possessive nature, as well as how they openly claimed each other in front of others. Their intimate scenes, in true Syn's fashion, were passionate and enthralling. Kai's feisty side added an intriguing dynamic to their relationship. The plot was compelling, and their happily ever after was satisfying, despite the drama they faced. I admired how they persevered and didn't give up on each other.

I also enjoyed the appearances of the Kozlov brothers and their partners, as well as the other characters in the series. I appreciated how they supported Jules and Kai's relationship, often acting as unconventional matchmakers. I'm eagerly anticipating Ivan's story, the next entry in the series, featuring an architect we met in Syn's "Craving The Chase" novel - Noah. Additionally, the tension between Simon and Carlos throughout this book has made me even more excited about the series. Overall, I highly recommend starting this series.

* I received an ARC copy from the author and this is my honest review *

[Danielle Piper · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kai was raised by a single mother whose family had forced her to move out the moment they found out she was pregnant. As she struggled to keep a roof over their heads, Kai struggled to stay in school. His friend said his brother could help them earn money, being young and dumb landed himself in a “gäng”. When Kai ends up in a holding cell for the umteenth time his mom is fed up, but the last thing he expects is for his mom to stick to her word and send her estranged step brother to pick him up. The same guy who made Kai realize that he liked guys, he was Kai’s first crush. A crush that he thought would fade since Jules stopped coming around, but the moment he stepped into the waiting area of the small town jail he knew that his feelings hadn’t faded. Shoving them way down was going to be harder than he thought because Jules wasn’t just picking Kai, nope he was taking him back to work with him. Kai only knew that Jules did some sort of security work he didn’t know much else but boy was he about to find out. 

Jules had tried to keep in touch with his step sister, to be around for her and for Kai, but as time went on he just felt that his sister resented him for being with their parents while she was out fending for herself and her son. They’d forgotten about him the moment she left, when they passed and he was left to deal with it all on his own he needed money to keep living, so he ended up working for the Kozlov brothers if you don’t know Demi and Lev well, they are not ones to be messed with to put it lightly. When Jules is asked to pick up his “nephew” he didn’t expect to see this grown man now standing before him eight years is all that separated them but little Kai was no longer little, and he didn’t think of him really as his “nephew” he was virtually a stranger. 

Plot: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Oh my unhinged twinie, you have done it once again. I absolutely loved these two, Kai is bratty and Jules is not having it as Kai just eats it up. Watching him learn that he isn’t alone anymore and that Jules really WANTS him in all the ways is so beautiful in all the darkness there is light for these two.

[Library_of_a_Trashpanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please never stop writing. I love the Kozlov brothers and now I love their bodyguards.

This one’s a bit taboo, definitely unhinged and oh so deliciously spicy.

Kai is a lost soul who is just getting himself into trouble. He gets sent away with his step-uncle Jules to get his life straight, not knowing he’s going to work for a drug cartel. Jules tries to keep his hands to himself, but that’s not what Kai wants, he wants Jules to hurt him, to claim him. And that’s exactly what he gets.

The s*xy scenes were top tier. Like absolutely 🔥. Syn always delivers but dang, the hand necklace scenes were HOT. The possessiveness of Jules is everything you want in an alpha A hole. I loved Kai trying to be bratty but just getting ‘punished’ for it anyways.

I loved the intro of Ivan and I’m so excited she is tying in Tyler from Craving the Chase. I am so freaking excited for that story.

You don’t have to have read the Kozlov brothers books, but it’s recommended, this book will have some spoilers. Thank you so so much for the advanced copy, I gave this my most honest review. You write it, I’ll read it.

[The Naughty Booknook · Rating 5 out of 5]

I tried to hold off until the entire series was finished.But I caved last night, and i'm so glad that I did. I have been looking forward to Kai and Jules' story ever since the first time. I saw them in the original series. And they definitely did not disappoint in this one. Kai is not soft but is definitely sweet, and he may not be able to handle the rougher side of the Kozlov brothers, but he's definitely on board with the roughness and possessiveness that is all Jules. Jules straight Jules, yeah, not so much when he sees Kai for the 1st time in years. There is an instant attraction, and he's totally good with it
Kai's his man and has zero problem making it known.( I love this )
Of course, the brothers popped up in the book with their other halfs and li oved that as D and Lev are my comfort reads. Says a lot about me, doesn't it, lol

[❀ Alex ❀ [Hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.35
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
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Man, Syn Blackrose's books are my guilty pleasure, and her morally gray men are my kryptonite. 😅 Her books are addictive and fast paced, and this one was no different.

The story is about Kai, a 22-year-old who’s kind of stuck in life due to some poor choices he made and also because of a lack of better options. His mom is fed up with constantly bailing him out and asks Jules, her stepbrother, to step in and give Kai the opportunity to have a fresh start. What she doesn’t know is that Jules is a bodyguard for two of the most notorious cartel leaders/mafias, and Kai soon finds himself in a bigger predicament than before.

This book was such a ride! The chemistry between Kai and Jules was off the charts. The way Kai would push Jules's buttons and then submit to him was super hot, and I was totally here for it.

I also liked how Kai had a dark side but wasn’t into blood and gore like Aaron. It brought a nice contrast to the group. He’s strong, but in his own way. The banter among everyone was fun too, and Ivan joining the crew just made things even better. I’m really looking forward to his and Tylar’s book, which I’ve been waiting for since Craving Chase. (On a side note, can we please get another book for Noah and Chase? 🙏🏼🙏🏼)

This is the first book in The Kozlov Bodyguards series, which is a sequel series to The Kozlov Brothers. Even though it features characters from the previous books, you can totally read it as a standalone.
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Tropes/Triggers
Dark Romance
Forbidden/Taboo
Age Gap
BI-awakening
Touch him and 💀
Possessive Mcs
Breath Play
Marking

I received an Arc from the author and this is my honest opinion

[Kenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woww. That’s all I have to say I never read anything like this before but it was good. Did Dima and Lev pissed me off when it came to Kai and Jules yeah! They were hypocrites at its finest glad that they decided to mind their business. I can’t wait for book 2 and 3 those will be my favorites. But I don’t know if I’ll prefer Ivan and Tyler or Simon and Carlos but we’ll see.

[Ziezie · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.6 stars

[Cyndy]

DNF 20% second book by this author that the writing isn’t working for me

[peoniesandmm · Rating 5 out of 5]

umm i loved every bit of this 🤪
unhinged possessiveness? HELLA marking??
sign me tf up

i just love these two together 🥹

[Mags · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love Jules and Kai. I really liked them when they were just side characters in the Koslov’s brothers book so was over the moon when I saw that they were getting their own book.

I didn’t realise in the previous ones that the were related it wasn’t until Syn posted it on Facebook that the story needed to be tweaked to make the step family not that it bothered me a wee bit of taboo in a book does hurt anyone.

I had totally planned on re-reading the other books to get re-familiarise myself with the character but I got to excited when it hit my inbox. But I would say it didn’t overly matter. About the first 20 chapters or so are Jules / Kai’s POV of what happened between book 1 & 2.

I have to say I wasn’t Jenny’s biggest fan. I didn’t like the way she spoke to Jules as times it’s not like it was his fault she has a teen pregnancy and got kicked out. He was just a kid that lost his big sister and the fact she wouldn’t listen to what his life was like annoyed me. But it just made me want the guys relationship to survive and be stronger.

I liked that Kai had a good heart and doesn’t have the stomach for the torture and maiming. Jules had enough darkness for both of them.

I loved this but would recommend checking triggers if you’re gonna give it a go. Ivan’s use of a tattoo gun while genius was a bit gross.

Patiently awaiting bonus scene and then Ivan and Tyler’s story something tells me it’s gonna be fun with what Ivan seems to be like in the short amount of time he was in this one and from the small bit of Tyler we meet in Craving the Chase can’t wait 😊♥️

[Denise White · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really tried to like this book but I just couldn’t. I did not finish it but I got to 68% of the book and could not go any further. Jules was a wannabe Alpha to me and Kai was a whiny ass crybaby… in my opinion neither one was really flushed out very well and I just honestly could not care less what happened to either character after reading this book. I was going to read the book about the stalker that this author has written, but I’m not even gonna go to that I don’t think I’ll ever read anything else by this author..
By the way, I really liked the second book the best. The first book was OK enough for me to go to the second book, but this book was just awful. I’m just over it.

[Cassandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

This wasn’t it for me.

We’re just gonna take the kid who’s gotten himself involved with gangs and drugs and we’re gonna pass him along to his step-uncle who is involved in gangs and drugs to keep him safe and out of trouble. I know it’s not really a gang but the job Jules got Kai was only available because the guy died and there are very much drugs involved.

I also just wasn’t feeling anything between Jules and Kai and the step-uncle and nephew is kind of weird especially when he views his step-sister as a close big sister even with all that complicated past. And HOW MANY TIMES IS SOMEONE GONNA BE LIKE “actually step this, step that” we get it. You are not related how bout we just stop referring to each other with familial labels.

I see the potential of this book I just don’t think it was for me despite my love for dark romance.

[UnderCoverBookAddict · Rating 1 out of 5]

This author is not for me.

Not because of the darkness of the story but because the writing is all over the place. There is no liking the MMC Jules; He is a dick. A selfish one at that and I believe this world has too many for me to read about them too.

[Gina Roma · Rating 4 out of 5]

OUR BLOOD, OUR PAIN by Synn Blackrose
The Kozlov Bodyguards | Book 1

Hold on tight, because here comes a bomb! 🧨Synn Blackrose (my unicorn 🦄) has done it again.

"Our Blood, Our Pain" throws us straight into the intense, passionate, and explosive world of the Kozlov brothers. This time, the spotlight is on Jules, one of the family’s bodyguards, who, by some twist of fate, becomes the caretaker of his step-nephew, Kai. But watch out, because as soon as Jules brings him to work with him, sparks start flying between these two. And girl, do they fly.

The attraction between Jules and Kai is the kind that glues you to your seat from the first minute. Pure chemistry. Although Jules has some doubts at first, it doesn’t take long before he sets them aside and becomes the typical possessive, protective, and well, completely devoted boyfriend. If you even think about breathing near Kai, brace yourself for the drama.

Speaking of possessive, if you remember Dima and Lev, get ready for another co-dependent and steamy duo. The relationship between Jules and Kai is so intense that they’re like two pieces of a puzzle: there’s no one without the other. And the spicy scenes… well, they’ll melt even the coldest reader.🫠🫠

There are epic cameos from other characters in the Kozlov universe, and the group dynamics are still pure adrenaline. The atmosphere is as explosive as ever, and the action scenes make it impossible to put the book down. This series opener promises intense emotions, drama, and more scorching hot scenes than a blazing oven. 🌡️🥵

And the new characters… oh my god, they’re going to give us some very interesting moments. As for me, I’m already praying for the poor architect. 😂

Just a tip, while you can start with this book without having read the story of the two brothers (Dima in "Tied to You" and Lev in "Kill for You"), I highly recommend reading those first for the full experience.

Lastly, remember this is an MM dark romance, so make sure to check the TWs because, as always, Synn doesn’t disappoint in that. So, heads up and hearts ready for what’s coming. I can’t wait for the next one!


✨I received an ARC of this book, and this is my sincere and honest review.✨