Bound by Revenge is a gripping dark romance that explores the turbulent and dangerous world of organized crime, love, betrayal, and redemption. Set against the backdrop of the Bratva (Russian mafia), the novel offers a thrilling blend of crime, passion, and suspense. At the heart of this story is a complicated love that will keep readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.
The story revolves around Katherine (Kat), a stunningly beautiful and skilled jewelry thief with a notorious reputation for stealing priceless treasures from the most well-guarded vaults. Kat is a woman of contradictions—intelligent, fierce, and resourceful, yet vulnerable in ways she refuses to acknowledge. She’s been raised in the foster care system, always let down by the adults who were supposed to take care of her, not hurt her. She and her friend AJ had enough of the abuse and ran away, to live on their own. Since then, they have literally been, partners in crime. Until one day, she crossed the wrong man, and they have been indebted to him (an Italian Mafia Don) since then.
This last hiest was suppsoed to be their last. their ticket to freedom. Little did she know, that she was stealing a priceless red diamond from none other than Nickolai (Nik), the Pakhan of the Russian Bratva.
Nik, the ruthless and calculating head of the Bratva, a man who is as feared as he is revered. Nik with his cold exterior and unyielding power, is gobsmacked by a beautiful woman at the party he's attending. Niether of them knowing who the other is, they find themselves drawn to eachother.
Kat has stolent he diamond and is trying to make a smooth get-a-way when Nik pulls her into a conversation and soon there after, a hot and steamy romp in the surplus closet. Thinking they'd never see eachother again, Kat makes a mad dash out of there, refusing to tell him her name and in her haste, she leaves her shoes behind (a la Cinderella).
The heist goes awry and their worlds collide in a way neither of them could have predicted. Nik is both intrigued and furious, takes her captive. What begins as a cat-and-mouse game between a mafia kingpin and a notorious thief quickly evolves into an explosive, passionate love affair that defies every rule of loyalty and trust. The power dynamics shift as their connection deepens, but trust is a luxury neither of them can afford. The dangerous world they inhabit is filled with enemies—both external and internal—and their love may be the most dangerous thing of all.
Nik is a quintessential antihero—cold, calculating, and terrifying in his control. He commands the Bratva with an iron fist, but his relationship with Kat forces him to confront a part of himself he thought long buried. His obsession with her goes beyond her beauty or his pride; he sees something in her that makes him question everything he’s ever believed about loyalty, love, and trust. Nik’s internal struggle is one of the novel’s strongest points. He’s not a man who easily opens up, but Kat makes him vulnerable, and the transformation he undergoes is both fascinating and heartbreaking.
The chemistry between Kat and Nik is electric. Their banter is sharp, and the tension between them crackles with every encounter. The cat-and-mouse games they play with each other—sometimes tender, sometimes violent—make for some of the book’s most intense moments. But what really stands out is how the author develops their relationship: it’s not just about physical attraction, but about two people who, despite their differences and the danger they face, start to see each other for who they truly are.
I received a free ARC of this book and this review is my opinion