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Fallen Empire #1
Hopeless Creatures
One bullet. One choice. One moment that damns them both.
I should have kept walking when I heard gunshots echoing through the hazy backstreets of Downtown NYC.
I should've run when I found him bleeding out in the alley, fingers wrapped around the silver frame of a gun.
Instead, I knelt in his blood and staunched his wound with my own hands.
I chose to save him, even if it made me an accomplice to a crime I don't understand.
That's the dangerous thing about this city. One wrong turn can wrap you up in a web you were never supposed to find, and men like him don't entertain loose strings.
But hopeless creatures have nothing left to lose.
And some love stories begin with a bullet buried in a chest.
For fans of dark mafia romance, morally grey men, and dangerous obsessions, this story will leave you breathless.
This is a dark Bratva standalone romance featuring a badass FMC who overcomes her own trauma, a yearning MMC who owes his life to her, and a vibrant criminal underbelly beneath it all. Guaranteed HEA. No cheating.
I should have kept walking when I heard gunshots echoing through the hazy backstreets of Downtown NYC.
I should've run when I found him bleeding out in the alley, fingers wrapped around the silver frame of a gun.
Instead, I knelt in his blood and staunched his wound with my own hands.
I chose to save him, even if it made me an accomplice to a crime I don't understand.
That's the dangerous thing about this city. One wrong turn can wrap you up in a web you were never supposed to find, and men like him don't entertain loose strings.
But hopeless creatures have nothing left to lose.
And some love stories begin with a bullet buried in a chest.
For fans of dark mafia romance, morally grey men, and dangerous obsessions, this story will leave you breathless.
This is a dark Bratva standalone romance featuring a badass FMC who overcomes her own trauma, a yearning MMC who owes his life to her, and a vibrant criminal underbelly beneath it all. Guaranteed HEA. No cheating.
290 pages, Paperback
Published September 3, 2025
About the author
Eleanor Feighery
4 books103 followersEleanor is a longtime reader who believes that Kindle Unlimited is losing money from the sheer quantity of books she consumes each month.
She passionately believes that review spaces are FOR REVIEWERS, not authors, and encourages her readers to express themselves and their opinions freely on review sites like these.
When she's not writing, she's busy working nights as an EMT and chasing around her German Shepherd, Mazzy.
She passionately believes that review spaces are FOR REVIEWERS, not authors, and encourages her readers to express themselves and their opinions freely on review sites like these.
When she's not writing, she's busy working nights as an EMT and chasing around her German Shepherd, Mazzy.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 462 reviews
February 21, 2026
so many interesting concepts fumbled 💔
MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Cassandra “Cass” Donahue (22) | Mikhail Solokov (31)
FEATURES
∘ bratva romance
∘ she saves his life
∘ love at first sight
∘ he accuses her of betrayal
∘ much needed therapy
REVIEW
Spoilers for roughly first half of book!
Mikhail was a terrible lead. His insecurity about his position as Pakhan would’ve been sympathetic if he wasn’t so fickle. I love when the MMCs are simps for the FMC, but he just never stood ten toes down on ANYTHING!
He meets Cass when he’s dying after being shot in an alley, and despite her qualms, she goes out of her way to save his life. He seemingly had a suicide wish at this point, willing her to just let him die.
They incidentally meet again at his club where he protects her from being sexually assaulted after she is drugged. Note that while the man was interacting with Cass, Mikhail turns away because the intensity of his jealous feelings frighten him. SHE reached out to HIM in her inebriated state because she saw him as a beacon of safety.
He takes her to his home, has a doctor check her out, installs a tracker on her phone, dotes on her while she recovers, and then drives her to her apartment.
After a particularly rough day, Cass (horrible survival instincts, but she’s been through a lot!) goes to the gym in the middle of the night and Mikhail calls her freaking out about how unsafe she is. When she asks how he knows where she’s at, he admits to the location tracking and apologizes. She’s obviously freaked out.they’ve met twice at this point. He shows up at her place where she agrees to go on a date with him.
Now, at this point, Mikhail has moved from hot stalker to weirdo stalker (there’s a difference in romancelandia, OKAY!).
Mikhail takes Cass to one of his restaurants, knowing this will make her a target since he’s the leader of a CRIME ORGANIZATION. On their date, Cass shares some of her PTSD from her terrible past while Mikhail just sits there silently commiserating with her but not sharing anything about his own life.
They go to his home together, everything is great, he’s so in love with herthis is three meetings total btw, but then he learns someone has broken into his home office. He gets a call from the Italian mafia where he is falsely informed Cassandra is working with the mafia as a mole against the bratva.
I will not lie: yes, Cassandra’s timing with the betrayals under Mikhail’s leadership is suspect, but instead of, you know, remembering the fact that his self-admitted unstable organization has had rat problems since before her arrival, he goes berserk and drags her out of his bed. He then locks her in a room—TRIGGERING HER TRAUMA from when her step-father did the same thing.
Of course, Mikhail soon finds out that it wasn’t her. He feels oh-so sorry, but it’s too late.
His atonement would have been more meaningful if there was a basis for the depth of their relationship. They barely knew each other, and he just keeps infiltrating her life (and lowkey love-bombing her). It didn’t read as romance so much as a man being creepy and not taking a hint.
I loved a lot of the concepts (e.g. her saving him in an alley and her being accused of a betrayal she didn’t commit), but the way they were executed disappointed me. I needed to feel their romance before I believed his redemption. And unfortunately, I did not.
OW/OM DRAMA past OW — Mikhail mentions rare hookups; he is texted by a booty call but he “out of character”-ly rejects and blocks her
||
past OM — Cass mentions past hookup(s) in monologue but no explicit details
||
not really OM — Mikhail gets jealous seeing some guy flirt with Cass. this man drugs her drink (he is promptly killed, don’t worry)
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP none — separation in first half
ENDING HEA — near future epilogue
POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 3.5 / 5
RATING 2.5 / 5
MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Cassandra “Cass” Donahue (22) | Mikhail Solokov (31)
FEATURES
∘ bratva romance
∘ she saves his life
∘ love at first sight
∘ he accuses her of betrayal
∘ much needed therapy
REVIEW
Spoilers for roughly first half of book!
Mikhail was a terrible lead. His insecurity about his position as Pakhan would’ve been sympathetic if he wasn’t so fickle. I love when the MMCs are simps for the FMC, but he just never stood ten toes down on ANYTHING!
He meets Cass when he’s dying after being shot in an alley, and despite her qualms, she goes out of her way to save his life. He seemingly had a suicide wish at this point, willing her to just let him die.
They incidentally meet again at his club where he protects her from being sexually assaulted after she is drugged. Note that while the man was interacting with Cass, Mikhail turns away because the intensity of his jealous feelings frighten him. SHE reached out to HIM in her inebriated state because she saw him as a beacon of safety.
He takes her to his home, has a doctor check her out, installs a tracker on her phone, dotes on her while she recovers, and then drives her to her apartment.
After a particularly rough day, Cass (horrible survival instincts, but she’s been through a lot!) goes to the gym in the middle of the night and Mikhail calls her freaking out about how unsafe she is. When she asks how he knows where she’s at, he admits to the location tracking and apologizes. She’s obviously freaked out.
Now, at this point, Mikhail has moved from hot stalker to weirdo stalker (there’s a difference in romancelandia, OKAY!).
Mikhail takes Cass to one of his restaurants, knowing this will make her a target since he’s the leader of a CRIME ORGANIZATION. On their date, Cass shares some of her PTSD from her terrible past while Mikhail just sits there silently commiserating with her but not sharing anything about his own life.
They go to his home together, everything is great, he’s so in love with her
I will not lie: yes, Cassandra’s timing with the betrayals under Mikhail’s leadership is suspect, but instead of, you know, remembering the fact that his self-admitted unstable organization has had rat problems since before her arrival, he goes berserk and drags her out of his bed. He then locks her in a room—TRIGGERING HER TRAUMA from when her step-father did the same thing.
Of course, Mikhail soon finds out that it wasn’t her. He feels oh-so sorry, but it’s too late.
His atonement would have been more meaningful if there was a basis for the depth of their relationship. They barely knew each other, and he just keeps infiltrating her life (and lowkey love-bombing her). It didn’t read as romance so much as a man being creepy and not taking a hint.
I loved a lot of the concepts (e.g. her saving him in an alley and her being accused of a betrayal she didn’t commit), but the way they were executed disappointed me. I needed to feel their romance before I believed his redemption. And unfortunately, I did not.
OW/OM DRAMA past OW — Mikhail mentions rare hookups; he is texted by a booty call but he “out of character”-ly rejects and blocks her
||
past OM — Cass mentions past hookup(s) in monologue but no explicit details
||
not really OM — Mikhail gets jealous seeing some guy flirt with Cass. this man drugs her drink (he is promptly killed, don’t worry)
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP none — separation in first half
ENDING HEA — near future epilogue
POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 3.5 / 5
RATING 2.5 / 5
June 26, 2026
Crying over the time I wasted on this book.
March 19, 2026
i still don’t know if she was able to take her final exam
November 25, 2025
4 stars for the first half
3 stars for the end because it felt very rushed.
Lets go with 3.75 overall
So the name of the book was very accurate. Our man Mikhail was obsessed with our FMC, Cassandra. She saves him one night after he’s shot and he spends months trying to find her. They meet again by coincidence and his obsession grows.
I loved Mikhail. He was the leader of the Bratva and yet he was such a cinnamon roll for his girl. This man begs and pleads with her. He’s not super heavy handed. He doesn’t demand things he literally begs for them because he wants her so much. He does mess up when he thinks she betrayed him but you can tell he’s devastated by it. The minute she tells him to go away and get some professional help the man literally goes to therapy and tells the therapist straight up I’m only here to get my girl back.
I’m not too sure about Cassandra though. I did like parts of her but other parts bugged me. Like she gave Mikhail so much shit for not opening up to her. She even pushed him away a few times because he didn’t want to tell her his whole life story but she was such a freaking hypocrite because she never told him anything either!! She has all this trauma he had no idea about because she never said anything. Why should he tell you everything if you weren’t willing to tell him anything as well? And for her to say he needed professional help was definitely pot meet kettle because the girl had a lot of issues that she definitely needed some help with so I didn’t like that. It really bugged me. Why can you have trauma and he can’t?
Also I did not like Sophia. She was a shitty friend in my opinion. She invited Cass out for a night out at a club, she can tell Cass isn’t too comfortable with it but she decides to spend all her time with the first guy who hits on her and then leave Cass to go home with the guy. Like what kind of friend does that? Knowing your friend isn’t quite comfortable at a place you brought her to. And then I felt like the author tried to make up for it by having the FMC talk about how much of a great friend Sophia is over and over again but by that point she can’t come back from that for me. I didn’t like her at all. Most of the secondary characters were trash to be honest with the exception of Ivan. Sophia is also just gone from the end of the book like she was never even there.
I didn’t like how fast the ending was. The conflict concludes at like 90%. We don’t even see them get engaged or married with was a huge waste in my opinion. At least the engagement would have been nice!! And then we don’t even hear about what happened with Cassandra’s mom. Like how is she doing?!!
This book was very low spice. It was a slow burn. His obsession starts early but they don’t kiss until after half way and then no sex scenes until after 80% and we only really get one and a half. Also I was confused by Mikhails sexual past. At the beginning he says he’s only had a few encounters but then a littler later he says he’s never gone this long without a good fuck. So which one is it? Him having touch aversion would make more sense if he’s only had a few encounters. He didn’t give manwhore vibes though. There’s no OW drama. His old hookup texts him to make plans but he says no and blocks her number which I appreciated.
SAFETY
No cheating
No op drama
No third act break up
No virgins
Age gap 22/31
FMC Drugged (not by FMC)
Murder
Past domestic violence of FMC (stepfather)
HEA
3 stars for the end because it felt very rushed.
Lets go with 3.75 overall
So the name of the book was very accurate. Our man Mikhail was obsessed with our FMC, Cassandra. She saves him one night after he’s shot and he spends months trying to find her. They meet again by coincidence and his obsession grows.
I loved Mikhail. He was the leader of the Bratva and yet he was such a cinnamon roll for his girl. This man begs and pleads with her. He’s not super heavy handed. He doesn’t demand things he literally begs for them because he wants her so much. He does mess up when he thinks she betrayed him but you can tell he’s devastated by it. The minute she tells him to go away and get some professional help the man literally goes to therapy and tells the therapist straight up I’m only here to get my girl back.
I’m not too sure about Cassandra though. I did like parts of her but other parts bugged me. Like she gave Mikhail so much shit for not opening up to her. She even pushed him away a few times because he didn’t want to tell her his whole life story but she was such a freaking hypocrite because she never told him anything either!! She has all this trauma he had no idea about because she never said anything. Why should he tell you everything if you weren’t willing to tell him anything as well? And for her to say he needed professional help was definitely pot meet kettle because the girl had a lot of issues that she definitely needed some help with so I didn’t like that. It really bugged me. Why can you have trauma and he can’t?
Also I did not like Sophia. She was a shitty friend in my opinion. She invited Cass out for a night out at a club, she can tell Cass isn’t too comfortable with it but she decides to spend all her time with the first guy who hits on her and then leave Cass to go home with the guy. Like what kind of friend does that? Knowing your friend isn’t quite comfortable at a place you brought her to. And then I felt like the author tried to make up for it by having the FMC talk about how much of a great friend Sophia is over and over again but by that point she can’t come back from that for me. I didn’t like her at all. Most of the secondary characters were trash to be honest with the exception of Ivan. Sophia is also just gone from the end of the book like she was never even there.
I didn’t like how fast the ending was. The conflict concludes at like 90%. We don’t even see them get engaged or married with was a huge waste in my opinion. At least the engagement would have been nice!! And then we don’t even hear about what happened with Cassandra’s mom. Like how is she doing?!!
This book was very low spice. It was a slow burn. His obsession starts early but they don’t kiss until after half way and then no sex scenes until after 80% and we only really get one and a half. Also I was confused by Mikhails sexual past. At the beginning he says he’s only had a few encounters but then a littler later he says he’s never gone this long without a good fuck. So which one is it? Him having touch aversion would make more sense if he’s only had a few encounters. He didn’t give manwhore vibes though. There’s no OW drama. His old hookup texts him to make plans but he says no and blocks her number which I appreciated.
SAFETY
No cheating
No op drama
No third act break up
No virgins
Age gap 22/31
FMC Drugged (not by FMC)
Murder
Past domestic violence of FMC (stepfather)
HEA
June 15, 2026
5⭐️
“Baby, I’d do anything to keep you close. If talking to some old hag about my issues and answering feeling prompts in a journal will help me be a better partner to you, you bet I’ll swallow my pride and do what I’m told”
⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆
🖤 mafia MMC x college student FMC
🔪 they save each other
🖤 MMC with physical touch phobia
🔪 FMC who has claustrophobic
🖤 touch her and you die
🔪 cinnamon roll MMC
🖤 age gap
⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆
This book put me on a chock hold I was not able to leave it till I finished it !!! I adored it. The plot and the characters were great. I actually got the plot twist wrong like the one I was extremely suspicious of was not the triator unfortunately or fortunately because I always guess the plot twist so I’m usually rarely surprised.
The MMC was so lovely. It is very rare to see a respectful MMC in mafia books these days. He was morally grey man but so obsessed with the FMC that he acted like a cute golden retriever puppy with the FMC. She had him literally wrapped around her finger.
The FMC was softie but yet so strong. I loved how her background story was handled. I also loved that she was a mix of strong and soft fmcs. I’m honestly was sick of the feisty strong fmcs and the naive weak ones. I think she is one of my favorite fmcs in mafia ( maybe my number one favorite).
As for the side characters I loved most of all her best friend. She always had her back and helped her a lot. Her interactions with the MMC were so funny.
Overall the book was so good and I highly recommend it.
“Baby, I’d do anything to keep you close. If talking to some old hag about my issues and answering feeling prompts in a journal will help me be a better partner to you, you bet I’ll swallow my pride and do what I’m told”
⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆
🖤 mafia MMC x college student FMC
🔪 they save each other
🖤 MMC with physical touch phobia
🔪 FMC who has claustrophobic
🖤 touch her and you die
🔪 cinnamon roll MMC
🖤 age gap
⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆ ⋆༺𓆩☠︎︎𓆪༻⋆
This book put me on a chock hold I was not able to leave it till I finished it !!! I adored it. The plot and the characters were great. I actually got the plot twist wrong like the one I was extremely suspicious of was not the triator unfortunately or fortunately because I always guess the plot twist so I’m usually rarely surprised.
The MMC was so lovely. It is very rare to see a respectful MMC in mafia books these days. He was morally grey man but so obsessed with the FMC that he acted like a cute golden retriever puppy with the FMC. She had him literally wrapped around her finger.
The FMC was softie but yet so strong. I loved how her background story was handled. I also loved that she was a mix of strong and soft fmcs. I’m honestly was sick of the feisty strong fmcs and the naive weak ones. I think she is one of my favorite fmcs in mafia ( maybe my number one favorite).
As for the side characters I loved most of all her best friend. She always had her back and helped her a lot. Her interactions with the MMC were so funny.
Overall the book was so good and I highly recommend it.
March 23, 2026
Definition of a mid book.
March 30, 2026
Mentally ill. all of you.
I was into this book until he threw her in that room. after that I checked out because it all went down hill. I almost DNF just because of his nickname for her. EWWW.
I hate books like this because it has so much potential to be a book I love and then the author just ruins it with a bad plot after like 40% mark.
ALSOOOOO Mekhail was not yearning!! He was a crybaby and I stand by that.
This reading slump hurts the soul.
I was into this book until he threw her in that room. after that I checked out because it all went down hill. I almost DNF just because of his nickname for her. EWWW.
I hate books like this because it has so much potential to be a book I love and then the author just ruins it with a bad plot after like 40% mark.
ALSOOOOO Mekhail was not yearning!! He was a crybaby and I stand by that.
This reading slump hurts the soul.
June 24, 2026
The first 100 pages were good, and then suddenly it became this rushed romance and apparently they’re dating after two interactions???! It started out cute and jealous but then it became lustful and I’m not into that trope.
June 7, 2026
y/n mafia boss smh never again
February 21, 2026
»Okay, Menace. We can be friends tonight. But I might want to submit my title for reevaluation if you ever allow me a better designation than friend.«
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I adored this woman! She‘s ambitious, funny and kind. Cass stood her ground against Mikhail and I loved her for it.
❥ 𝑴𝒊𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒍 ⋆✮
He‘s an amazing man. The perfect book-boyfriend: potrective, passionate, obsessed and falling hard for his woman.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This was such a good read! I loved it and really enjoyed the story. The book was entertaining, heart warming and with some action. The writing style is easy to understand and I can‘t believe this is a debut author? The story had a good pacing, great word flow and as a reader it was easy to dive into the world. This is not a unique mafia romance but it‘s a good one! I‘m a sucker for these cliché mafia romances were he‘s the big, bad guy and she‘s the only one who can touch him. So this is something good and I don‘t say this to be mean!
I liked Cassandra and Mikhail together. They communicate properly and there was no OW/OM drama (thank god). Their relationship develops throughout the book and I liked the fact it‘s not an insta love book.
Overall this was an enjoyable mafia romance read! I hope the author will write more books in this universe/setting. I‘m curious about Mikhails inner circle and would love to read more about them.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 4/5
spice: 1/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 4/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ₊ ⊹
protective and possessive hero, mafia romance, age gap, university student x bratva boss, found family, instant attraction, slow burn, from different world, touch her and die, he falls first and harder, she safes his life
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Cassandra (22) and Mikhail (31)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑪𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒓𝒂 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I adored this woman! She‘s ambitious, funny and kind. Cass stood her ground against Mikhail and I loved her for it.
❥ 𝑴𝒊𝒌𝒉𝒂𝒊𝒍 ⋆✮
He‘s an amazing man. The perfect book-boyfriend: potrective, passionate, obsessed and falling hard for his woman.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This was such a good read! I loved it and really enjoyed the story. The book was entertaining, heart warming and with some action. The writing style is easy to understand and I can‘t believe this is a debut author? The story had a good pacing, great word flow and as a reader it was easy to dive into the world. This is not a unique mafia romance but it‘s a good one! I‘m a sucker for these cliché mafia romances were he‘s the big, bad guy and she‘s the only one who can touch him. So this is something good and I don‘t say this to be mean!
I liked Cassandra and Mikhail together. They communicate properly and there was no OW/OM drama (thank god). Their relationship develops throughout the book and I liked the fact it‘s not an insta love book.
Overall this was an enjoyable mafia romance read! I hope the author will write more books in this universe/setting. I‘m curious about Mikhails inner circle and would love to read more about them.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 4/5
spice: 1/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 4/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ₊ ⊹
protective and possessive hero, mafia romance, age gap, university student x bratva boss, found family, instant attraction, slow burn, from different world, touch her and die, he falls first and harder, she safes his life
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Cassandra (22) and Mikhail (31)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
September 30, 2025
4.5 stars. liked this one a lot. This isn't a super dark mafia romance. More like a cozy mafia romance if that makes any sense. The MMC is a cinnamon roll for our FMC and will burn the world down for her from day one. The FMC is a strong character who doesn't let the MMC push her around or bully her into being with him. It had all the elements I love in a book. A good build up to the romance (not Insta Jump Into Bed Because He's So Hot), betrayal, good grovel, found family, soft only for her. Looking forward to more from this author.
July 15, 2026
I was bored. So freaking bored. I was ready to throw in the towel but I somehow managed to get through the end. The “secret villain” was obvious from the beginning and the romance was a big blob of meh.
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July 22, 2026My dog would make a better Pakhan.
December 5, 2025
Another where I am apparently the odd man out here—I loved this book.
‘Hopeless Creatures’ is only book 1 and I’m already hooked. Mikhial and Cassandra’s story is easy to become immersed into with all the interesting characters and well written storyline. Neither of the patriarchal figures from Mikhial and Cassandra’s youth provided anything close to the love and protection they deserved. Instead they were both left scarred from the mental and physical trauma. Somehow, in this huge world, they found each other. Perfect timing. Saving each other—in more ways than one.
I think the title of this book is perfect—together, they aren’t so hopeless after all.
*** Recommended ***
MMC:
✨Mikhial
FMC:
✨Cassandra
HEA/Cliffhanger:
✨HEA
Series:
✨Book 1
Tropes:
👉dark mafia romance
👉billionaire romance
👉age gap - 9 years - 31/22
👉touch her and ☠️
👉dual POV
Triggers:
💥18+
💥sex
💥profanity
💥violence, torture, abuse
💥death, murder
💥kidnapping
💥immuring
Burn Speed:
✨medium - ish
Spice Level:
✨🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨MF.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
‘Hopeless Creatures’ is only book 1 and I’m already hooked. Mikhial and Cassandra’s story is easy to become immersed into with all the interesting characters and well written storyline. Neither of the patriarchal figures from Mikhial and Cassandra’s youth provided anything close to the love and protection they deserved. Instead they were both left scarred from the mental and physical trauma. Somehow, in this huge world, they found each other. Perfect timing. Saving each other—in more ways than one.
I think the title of this book is perfect—together, they aren’t so hopeless after all.
*** Recommended ***
MMC:
✨Mikhial
FMC:
✨Cassandra
HEA/Cliffhanger:
✨HEA
Series:
✨Book 1
Tropes:
👉dark mafia romance
👉billionaire romance
👉age gap - 9 years - 31/22
👉touch her and ☠️
👉dual POV
Triggers:
💥18+
💥sex
💥profanity
💥violence, torture, abuse
💥death, murder
💥kidnapping
💥immuring
Burn Speed:
✨medium - ish
Spice Level:
✨🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✨MF.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 29, 2026
i pity people who weren’t on wattpad in their youth and think this is good writing.
April 20, 2026
It was... okay.
While the romance beats are fairly logical, the plot is riddled with inconsistencies. The MMC gives me the ick. Despite being a 31-year-old Pakhan of the Bratva, Mikhail’s maturity level is inversely proportional to his age. He feels shallow and remarkably impulsive, hardly the seasoned leader u’d expect in his position. His erratic behavior constantly pulls me out of the story.
I’m definitely on the fence about continuing with the series. If u like ur Bratva leads with actual gravitas, this might not be for u.
While the romance beats are fairly logical, the plot is riddled with inconsistencies. The MMC gives me the ick. Despite being a 31-year-old Pakhan of the Bratva, Mikhail’s maturity level is inversely proportional to his age. He feels shallow and remarkably impulsive, hardly the seasoned leader u’d expect in his position. His erratic behavior constantly pulls me out of the story.
I’m definitely on the fence about continuing with the series. If u like ur Bratva leads with actual gravitas, this might not be for u.
April 4, 2026
It was an okay book, but it annoyed me that he is such a bad Pakhan. I mean, how do you fall into so many of the Italians' traps? And you don't want anyone to touch you. But why, when you run into someone, are you the first to stick your hand out?? And you supposedly don't like people, but you act damn nice to everyone you meet. I just think it's poorly written.
I give this book 2,5⭐️
I give this book 2,5⭐️
July 22, 2026
One of my fav books of this year 🤍
July 20, 2026
★★★★★. Another one, thank you!
July 21, 2026
No. Quería que ya se acabara el libro. Estuve a dos de DNF.
July 19, 2026
piss mentioned twice within a few pages
feels like self insert fanfic instead of going to therapy with the prologue. Tbh the best friend of the main female character also feels like a self insert as well. I get art is to deal with things but maybe have more subtext or make it less obvious
overuse of italics at the start
"The sweet tranquility of death" cringe as fck
say musky one more time about his scent I fcking dare you use a thesaurus
Creepy ASF male protagonist
Nickname of menace off the bat also cringe! Feels like booktok copy and paste OOOO let's use a nickname this whole book
I like that the male checks the weather for her and checks in on her but bare minimum
Setting details get glossed over for interiors and too much on the exterior (cold NY yadayadayda we get it it's a new York winter I want more of the gorgeous restaurant or club)
First few lines of chapter 19 were nice
you okay baby after so soon GROSSSSS. Weird to keep calling her menace trying to get to her w the black ice like it's a cute nickname in front of the best friend maybe more tact if you're SOOOOOO Mafia trained I get the brother was better at this shit but ???
ooooo I want to be in control and am inspired from a random mafia man it's always a man let her find this by herself
very low brow literature
What I will say is my cousin would love this and I'm going to get her a copy she'd eat this up
Shhiiiiiiit ending WE WERE MADE FOR MORE okay useless plot the whole way through
feels like self insert fanfic instead of going to therapy with the prologue. Tbh the best friend of the main female character also feels like a self insert as well. I get art is to deal with things but maybe have more subtext or make it less obvious
overuse of italics at the start
"The sweet tranquility of death" cringe as fck
say musky one more time about his scent I fcking dare you use a thesaurus
Creepy ASF male protagonist
Nickname of menace off the bat also cringe! Feels like booktok copy and paste OOOO let's use a nickname this whole book
I like that the male checks the weather for her and checks in on her but bare minimum
Setting details get glossed over for interiors and too much on the exterior (cold NY yadayadayda we get it it's a new York winter I want more of the gorgeous restaurant or club)
First few lines of chapter 19 were nice
you okay baby after so soon GROSSSSS. Weird to keep calling her menace trying to get to her w the black ice like it's a cute nickname in front of the best friend maybe more tact if you're SOOOOOO Mafia trained I get the brother was better at this shit but ???
ooooo I want to be in control and am inspired from a random mafia man it's always a man let her find this by herself
very low brow literature
What I will say is my cousin would love this and I'm going to get her a copy she'd eat this up
Shhiiiiiiit ending WE WERE MADE FOR MORE okay useless plot the whole way through
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 31, 2026
She moved to me like I was her salvation. And I have never been anyone’s salvation.
Well, I absolutely loved this! I saw a video of this book on tktk and was so immediately intrigued that I ran to download it. A bratva mafia romance is one of my fav tropes, but having a FMC with a backbone made this book even better. Cass was mature and ready to face her new reality head on, she didn’t hide or got scared of Mikhail’s mafia life, she pondered and decided that he was worth it. Which was a first for him, he finally got someone that cared about him. After so many years of trauma and suffering from the life he was raised in, Mikhail was finally free and happy.
I loved reading this book. Sure it had some holes and left me with some questions but I was hooked the whole time and couldn’t stop reading. I hope there’ll be more books on this series, hoping for maybe Ivan’s story and Sophia’s too (maybe of them together, that would be interesting).
Tropes:
Dark Bratva mafia
Strong FMC
Touch averse MMC
Past trauma
Kidnapping
Touch her and 💀
Found family
She saves him
He falls first
Well, I absolutely loved this! I saw a video of this book on tktk and was so immediately intrigued that I ran to download it. A bratva mafia romance is one of my fav tropes, but having a FMC with a backbone made this book even better. Cass was mature and ready to face her new reality head on, she didn’t hide or got scared of Mikhail’s mafia life, she pondered and decided that he was worth it. Which was a first for him, he finally got someone that cared about him. After so many years of trauma and suffering from the life he was raised in, Mikhail was finally free and happy.
I loved reading this book. Sure it had some holes and left me with some questions but I was hooked the whole time and couldn’t stop reading. I hope there’ll be more books on this series, hoping for maybe Ivan’s story and Sophia’s too (maybe of them together, that would be interesting).
Tropes:
Dark Bratva mafia
Strong FMC
Touch averse MMC
Past trauma
Kidnapping
Touch her and 💀
Found family
She saves him
He falls first
June 29, 2026
I love a man that grovels! This was such a long slow burn and I thoroughly enjoyed it! This was a 5 star for the first 95%, and a 3 star for the remaining 5% because of how rushed that ending was, so I guess we’ll settle for a 4⭐️.
I’m so sad how rushed that ending was because it was so promising! This is the author’s debut novel if I’m not mistaken, so it was amazing, but I just hope the next one who have more of a complete and satisfying ending
I’m so sad how rushed that ending was because it was so promising! This is the author’s debut novel if I’m not mistaken, so it was amazing, but I just hope the next one who have more of a complete and satisfying ending
March 28, 2026
Was slow to begin with and confusing, but quite enjoyed it at the end
Dark romance Mafia is just 🫣🤪
Dark romance Mafia is just 🫣🤪
July 14, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars
📚🖤 Hopeless Creatures by Eleanor Feighery 🖤📚
This book was such a mixed experience for me because there were parts I absolutely loved and parts that left me wanting so much more. 😭
The beginning completely sucked me in. The premise was fantastic, the tension was there from the start, and before I knew it, I was flying through the pages. A woman saves a wounded stranger in an alleyway and disappears before he can find out who she is? Say less. I was invested immediately. 🏃♀️📖
And can we talk about Mikhail for a second? Because OMG. 🥹❤️
For a good portion of this book, I was absolutely obsessed with him. Every chapter had me kicking my feet and grinning like an idiot. He was so sweet in ways I wasn't expecting, and I genuinely loved seeing his softer side come out around Cass. There were multiple moments where I was sitting there thinking, "Yep. I'm in love with this man." 😂💕
One thing I really appreciated was that despite being the powerful leader everyone fears, he was willing to listen when Cass called him out. The fact that he actually sought professional help because she told him he needed it? Honestly, points were earned for that. 👏🩺✨ We love a fictional man who at least attempts self-improvement.
Cass was also such a pleasant surprise. She wasn't weak, she wasn't constantly making terrible decisions, and she didn't just roll over whenever someone treated her badly. She had strength, independence, and enough self-respect to stand her ground when it mattered. 💪❤️
But then... everything started getting messy.
The betrayal storyline genuinely hurt. 💔
When Mikhail believed Cass had betrayed him, my heart absolutely shattered for her. Watching her suffer because of something she didn't do was painful, and honestly she deserved so much better in those moments. I was fully emotionally invested by that point, which is why some of the later developments frustrated me so much.
The reveal of the traitor was another emotional punch to the gut. 😭 I had my suspicions that it might be someone in that circle, but when everything came out, it still hurt. Betrayals always hit harder when they're coming from someone close.
Unfortunately, this is where my biggest issue with the book starts.
I kept hearing that this book had amazing grovelling... and maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I didn't really feel it. 😬
Was there an apology? Yes.
Did Mikhail give Cass space when she needed it? Also yes, and I actually really appreciated that. He didn't spend every second bulldozing her boundaries, which was refreshing.
But for me personally, after everything that happened, I wanted MORE. More suffering. More begging. More earning forgiveness. 😂
I needed him on his knees emotionally for a little longer.
Instead, it felt like we moved through the reconciliation fairly quickly, and I never got that deeply satisfying grovel that I was hoping for.
The pacing became another issue toward the end. The first half felt carefully developed, while the second half suddenly hit fast-forward. 🏃💨
Big events happened one after another, conflicts were resolved quickly, and before I knew it, we were already at the epilogue. After all the drama, danger, heartbreak, and chaos, I really wanted more time with the characters actually being happy together. Give me more love! Give me more healing! Give me more cute moments! 😭❤️
It felt like we spent so much time building toward their relationship only to rush through the reward.
I also felt like some side characters deserved more attention. Sophie was such a significant presence throughout much of the story that I found myself wondering where she went by the end. And honestly? I would absolutely read a book about her. 👀📚
Speaking of future books...
PLEASE tell me Ivan is getting his own story. 🙏😂
Because I would be seated immediately.
Despite my complaints, I don't want this review to sound overly negative because I genuinely did enjoy reading this. The story kept my attention, I cared about the characters, and I flew through it in no time. That's always a good sign.
The book definitely has flaws. The ending feels rushed, some storylines could have used more development, and I wanted stronger grovelling and more emotional payoff. But for a debut novel, there's a lot of promise here. 🌟
Eleanor Feighery clearly knows how to create characters that readers become attached to, and that's a huge strength. Even when I was frustrated, I still wanted to keep reading.
Overall, Hopeless Creatures gave me a lovable MMC, a strong FMC, some genuinely emotional moments, and enough drama to keep me invested. It just didn't completely stick the landing for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars
🥹 Sweet MMC
❤️ Strong FMC
💔 Painful betrayal
🩺 Therapy-positive king
👀 Great premise
📖 Easy to binge
❌ Rushed ending
❌ Needed more grovelling
❌ Wanted more romance after the drama
❌ Some side characters deserved more page time
Not a bad debut at all, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's future books.
Now excuse me while I continue campaigning for an Ivan book and a Sophie book. 📢😂❤️
📚🖤 Hopeless Creatures by Eleanor Feighery 🖤📚
This book was such a mixed experience for me because there were parts I absolutely loved and parts that left me wanting so much more. 😭
The beginning completely sucked me in. The premise was fantastic, the tension was there from the start, and before I knew it, I was flying through the pages. A woman saves a wounded stranger in an alleyway and disappears before he can find out who she is? Say less. I was invested immediately. 🏃♀️📖
And can we talk about Mikhail for a second? Because OMG. 🥹❤️
For a good portion of this book, I was absolutely obsessed with him. Every chapter had me kicking my feet and grinning like an idiot. He was so sweet in ways I wasn't expecting, and I genuinely loved seeing his softer side come out around Cass. There were multiple moments where I was sitting there thinking, "Yep. I'm in love with this man." 😂💕
One thing I really appreciated was that despite being the powerful leader everyone fears, he was willing to listen when Cass called him out. The fact that he actually sought professional help because she told him he needed it? Honestly, points were earned for that. 👏🩺✨ We love a fictional man who at least attempts self-improvement.
Cass was also such a pleasant surprise. She wasn't weak, she wasn't constantly making terrible decisions, and she didn't just roll over whenever someone treated her badly. She had strength, independence, and enough self-respect to stand her ground when it mattered. 💪❤️
But then... everything started getting messy.
The betrayal storyline genuinely hurt. 💔
When Mikhail believed Cass had betrayed him, my heart absolutely shattered for her. Watching her suffer because of something she didn't do was painful, and honestly she deserved so much better in those moments. I was fully emotionally invested by that point, which is why some of the later developments frustrated me so much.
The reveal of the traitor was another emotional punch to the gut. 😭 I had my suspicions that it might be someone in that circle, but when everything came out, it still hurt. Betrayals always hit harder when they're coming from someone close.
Unfortunately, this is where my biggest issue with the book starts.
I kept hearing that this book had amazing grovelling... and maybe this is an unpopular opinion, but I didn't really feel it. 😬
Was there an apology? Yes.
Did Mikhail give Cass space when she needed it? Also yes, and I actually really appreciated that. He didn't spend every second bulldozing her boundaries, which was refreshing.
But for me personally, after everything that happened, I wanted MORE. More suffering. More begging. More earning forgiveness. 😂
I needed him on his knees emotionally for a little longer.
Instead, it felt like we moved through the reconciliation fairly quickly, and I never got that deeply satisfying grovel that I was hoping for.
The pacing became another issue toward the end. The first half felt carefully developed, while the second half suddenly hit fast-forward. 🏃💨
Big events happened one after another, conflicts were resolved quickly, and before I knew it, we were already at the epilogue. After all the drama, danger, heartbreak, and chaos, I really wanted more time with the characters actually being happy together. Give me more love! Give me more healing! Give me more cute moments! 😭❤️
It felt like we spent so much time building toward their relationship only to rush through the reward.
I also felt like some side characters deserved more attention. Sophie was such a significant presence throughout much of the story that I found myself wondering where she went by the end. And honestly? I would absolutely read a book about her. 👀📚
Speaking of future books...
PLEASE tell me Ivan is getting his own story. 🙏😂
Because I would be seated immediately.
Despite my complaints, I don't want this review to sound overly negative because I genuinely did enjoy reading this. The story kept my attention, I cared about the characters, and I flew through it in no time. That's always a good sign.
The book definitely has flaws. The ending feels rushed, some storylines could have used more development, and I wanted stronger grovelling and more emotional payoff. But for a debut novel, there's a lot of promise here. 🌟
Eleanor Feighery clearly knows how to create characters that readers become attached to, and that's a huge strength. Even when I was frustrated, I still wanted to keep reading.
Overall, Hopeless Creatures gave me a lovable MMC, a strong FMC, some genuinely emotional moments, and enough drama to keep me invested. It just didn't completely stick the landing for me.
⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3/5 Stars
🥹 Sweet MMC
❤️ Strong FMC
💔 Painful betrayal
🩺 Therapy-positive king
👀 Great premise
📖 Easy to binge
❌ Rushed ending
❌ Needed more grovelling
❌ Wanted more romance after the drama
❌ Some side characters deserved more page time
Not a bad debut at all, and I'll definitely keep an eye out for the author's future books.
Now excuse me while I continue campaigning for an Ivan book and a Sophie book. 📢😂❤️
August 6, 2026
i loved mikhail and cassandra so muchhh 😭😭
July 8, 2026
envrda it was kinda fun no diq bueno pero me entretenio
July 15, 2026
Honestly this is solid four, I really enjoyed this! The writing was great, and the plot was engaging!
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