I am still crying as I type this review. I literally just finished this book and I’m still processing everything, but I needed to get my raw, honest feelings down because of how deeply this story affected me and how much emotion it pulled out of me.
This is one of the darker books I’ve read. It deals heavily with child sex trafficking, and it was brutal, absolutely gut-wrenching in the way it portrays pain, especially watching everything our two main characters, Julia and Maksim, are forced to endure. I don’t think I have ever cried this consistently while reading a story. I had tears sitting in my eyes almost the entire time, and not just from sadness. This book captured so many emotions at once, pain, heartbreak, vulnerability, trauma, love, healing and it completely moved me.
At its core, this story is about two deeply traumatized, tortured souls finding comfort in each other. I genuinely cannot believe how much these two have been through, especially considering how young they are when it all begins. This is very much a trauma bond that slowly, painfully turns into love.
Maksim is the blueprint for the kind of character I will always fall for. He was forced into a life he never wanted and made to do things no child should ever have to do. It hardens him, turns him into someone cold, someone he doesn’t even recognize anymore.
There’s the scene in the past with Vera. I was literally physically ill reading it. I was choking on my tears. It was one of the saddest and hardest things I’ve ever read, and it fundamentally changed Max as a person. This is the moment that sends him down this path. I guess this is what happens when you lose your soul.
And yet, there’s this fire inside him. That fire (Julia) keeps him moving, keeps him focused, keeps him doing what needs to be done. Even when he constantly reminds Julia that he is not the hero, she sees him for who he really is. She knows there is still a piece of him that can be saved, and she slowly, relentlessly breaks down his walls.
I’m usually not a fan of time jumps, but I genuinely loved how it was done here. We move through multiple time periods, and every jump felt smooth and intentional. It made the story feel real, especially when it comes to something as massive as a sex trafficking operation. This isn’t something two people can take down in six months it takes decades. Years of blood, sweat, tears, and unbearable pain. That alone made this story stand out and feel so different from any other mafia book I’ve read. They are inside the operation for years plotting and planning their revenge, and you’re with them every step of the way.
This book made me feel physical pain in my chest. My heart cracked into a million pieces just from the emotional weight alone. There were so many moments where I was completely choked up, my stomach in knots, barely holding it together. And yet, there’s also a violent side to this story that was deeply satisfying….IYKYK😭😭
The relationship between these two was so unbelievably beautiful. This is one of the slowest burns of all time not because the chemistry isn’t there, but because they’re in constant fight-or-flight, just trying to survive. They never truly give themselves permission to want more. So when they finally cross that line, it hits so much harder because of all the time, pain, and trauma between them. They are each other’s anchor, what keeps them going, each other’s entire fucking world, and you feel that in this book. These two would die for each other in a heartbeat.
This is easily one of the best mafia books I’ve ever read. It checked every single box for me plot, story, emotional impact, the couple, the found family, all of it. I literally just finished, so my thoughts are still a little chaotic, but if you’re seeing this, please give this series a chance. I cannot wait to read the rest, but my heart will always belong to Julia and Maksim. Their happily ever after felt earned. They fought for it tooth and fucking nail, and it was so damn satisfying to watch them finally get it.