What do you think?
Rate this book
The Arrangement: Bancroft University Chronicles, Book One
Emilia is tired of performing.
For her family. For her friends. For the city she was raised in.
She didn’t study theatre, but if they handed out Oscars for playing the perfect daughter, she’d win. Every time.
As the Vice President’s first-born, Emilia’s life is made of photo ops, silence, and expectations she never agreed to. Her freedom has a leash, and someone else holds the end of it.
Now her parents have arranged a marriage to solidify a political not with another rising star from D.C., but with Nikolai Volkov.
Heir to a Bratva empire. Stone-cold. Unapologetic. And the last person Emilia ever expected to see again.
They think marrying her off will keep her quiet. That she’ll fall in line like always.
But Emilia is done being useful.
Book One of a dark romance duet where secrets are currency, love has a price, and blood is not thicker than water.
For her family. For her friends. For the city she was raised in.
She didn’t study theatre, but if they handed out Oscars for playing the perfect daughter, she’d win. Every time.
As the Vice President’s first-born, Emilia’s life is made of photo ops, silence, and expectations she never agreed to. Her freedom has a leash, and someone else holds the end of it.
Now her parents have arranged a marriage to solidify a political not with another rising star from D.C., but with Nikolai Volkov.
Heir to a Bratva empire. Stone-cold. Unapologetic. And the last person Emilia ever expected to see again.
They think marrying her off will keep her quiet. That she’ll fall in line like always.
But Emilia is done being useful.
Book One of a dark romance duet where secrets are currency, love has a price, and blood is not thicker than water.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 7, 2025
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
February 25, 2026
The Arrangement is the first half of the Bancroft University Chronicles duet. It's definitely a slow burn story involving college senior Emilia. She is the daughter of the VP of the United States. She has been raised her whole life to be perfection. Now she has found out that she has been set up to marry the heir to a powerful Russian mafia family. She is also about to find out some deep secrets her family has been keeping.
For the most part, I did like this book. I found it a bit slow in the beginning. But by the halfway mark I found miser invested Emilia's story. I was sad that it left off on a cliffhanger. I was left with a lot of questions that I hope will be answered in the next installment. The characters were interesting. I really liked Emilia's friendship with Thalia. Everyone needs a ride or die friend like her. I do recommend giving this one a shot.
For the most part, I did like this book. I found it a bit slow in the beginning. But by the halfway mark I found miser invested Emilia's story. I was sad that it left off on a cliffhanger. I was left with a lot of questions that I hope will be answered in the next installment. The characters were interesting. I really liked Emilia's friendship with Thalia. Everyone needs a ride or die friend like her. I do recommend giving this one a shot.
November 8, 2025
A great start to Bancroft University duet. I really enjoyed the premise of the book, the banter between Emilia and her friend Thalia. The intrigue and mystery at the beginning was intense. I wanted to now more and couldn't stop reading. To be the perfect daughter, the perfect person for her parents annoyed Emilia. She wanted different, more from her stifling world.
She held a connection with Nikolai, the brooding Russain who is in the mafia brotherhood. The chemistry between them in intense and messy. Lots going on, lies and betrayals.
I look forward to reading the next book in the duet and more books by Lettie. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
She held a connection with Nikolai, the brooding Russain who is in the mafia brotherhood. The chemistry between them in intense and messy. Lots going on, lies and betrayals.
I look forward to reading the next book in the duet and more books by Lettie. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 20, 2026
While The Arrangement by S.D. Lettie may take place at a sorority house on campus, it is so much deeper than that. Emilia Langford, eldest daughter of the Vice President of the United States and president of Chi Omega, has been trained to perform in the public eye. She knows when to smile, how to host a brunch, and how to cut you down with one glance. What she doesn’t know is the biggest secret of her life that everyone seems to know but her. As the title suggests, Emilia is forced into an arrangement that will change her life - and the political landscape of not one but two empires. With her best friend Thalia by her side, will she decide to follow directions or burn the institution down from the inside.
✨ ARC Review
Thank you @lumosbooktours and @authorsdlettie for allowing me the privilege to read an early copy of The Arrangement.
Full honesty: I wholeheartedly judged this book by its cover and did not have the highest of hopes.
Real conclusion: I actually really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for book 2. I loved the slow tension. The in depth character building, emotional intelligence and well developed dialogue draws you in instantly.
I love Thalia and Max, and yes even Clara and the other sisters. I think our main girl Emilia Langford has potential to be the fire needed to burn it all down — she’s poised, elegant and wicked smart. She’s clever enough to play the game and human enough to feel the emotions behind it all.
The story is fiction enough to make it fun, but there’s the underlying knowledge that this could actually be some girl’s untold story in DC and so it keeps you hooked.
There were moments that were predictable and a few scenarios that made me think “huh, interesting choice.” Like Idk why I’m hung on it but I spent an entire grocery run contemplating if Emilia would actually like Coldplay or if she was better than that 😂😆
I’m genuinely looking forward to book 2 where I suspect:
- we’ll see more of Grace
- more Volkov family dinners
- hoping for more Knox, Thalia, and ofc Max and Sebastian
A great choice if you enjoy: dark romance, political scenes, FMC, academia mafia
✨ ARC Review
Thank you @lumosbooktours and @authorsdlettie for allowing me the privilege to read an early copy of The Arrangement.
Full honesty: I wholeheartedly judged this book by its cover and did not have the highest of hopes.
Real conclusion: I actually really enjoyed this book and cannot wait for book 2. I loved the slow tension. The in depth character building, emotional intelligence and well developed dialogue draws you in instantly.
I love Thalia and Max, and yes even Clara and the other sisters. I think our main girl Emilia Langford has potential to be the fire needed to burn it all down — she’s poised, elegant and wicked smart. She’s clever enough to play the game and human enough to feel the emotions behind it all.
The story is fiction enough to make it fun, but there’s the underlying knowledge that this could actually be some girl’s untold story in DC and so it keeps you hooked.
There were moments that were predictable and a few scenarios that made me think “huh, interesting choice.” Like Idk why I’m hung on it but I spent an entire grocery run contemplating if Emilia would actually like Coldplay or if she was better than that 😂😆
I’m genuinely looking forward to book 2 where I suspect:
- we’ll see more of Grace
- more Volkov family dinners
- hoping for more Knox, Thalia, and ofc Max and Sebastian
A great choice if you enjoy: dark romance, political scenes, FMC, academia mafia
May 12, 2026
The Arrangement completely pulled me in from the very first chapter and never let go. S.D. Lettie created a world that feels dark, dangerous, emotional, and completely addictive. I went into this expecting a mafia romance with an arranged marriage trope, but what I got was so much deeper. The tension, the politics, the family pressure, and the emotional damage layered throughout this story made it impossible to stop reading.
Emilia honestly broke my heart at times. Watching her carry the weight of everyone else’s expectations while slowly losing pieces of herself felt so raw and real. She has spent her whole life performing for everyone around her and you can feel how exhausted she is by it all. I loved seeing the moments where her strength started to shine through underneath all the pressure and control.
And Nikolai Volkov... wow. That man is cold, calculated, intimidating, and completely magnetic. Every scene with him had this intense energy that kept me hooked. The history between Emilia and Nikolai added so much depth to their relationship and made every interaction feel loaded with emotion, tension, and secrets. The chemistry between them was absolutely unreal.
What I loved most about this book was how layered everything felt. Nothing was simple. Every character seemed to be hiding something and every conversation carried weight. The writing made me feel constantly on edge in the best way because I never knew who to trust or what twist was coming next.
This book delivered everything I want in a dark romance. Emotional tension, dangerous power plays, morally gray characters, incredible chemistry, and a story that keeps you completely consumed from beginning to end. That ending left me desperate for more and I already know this series is going to live rent free in my head for a long time. Huge five stars from me.
Emilia honestly broke my heart at times. Watching her carry the weight of everyone else’s expectations while slowly losing pieces of herself felt so raw and real. She has spent her whole life performing for everyone around her and you can feel how exhausted she is by it all. I loved seeing the moments where her strength started to shine through underneath all the pressure and control.
And Nikolai Volkov... wow. That man is cold, calculated, intimidating, and completely magnetic. Every scene with him had this intense energy that kept me hooked. The history between Emilia and Nikolai added so much depth to their relationship and made every interaction feel loaded with emotion, tension, and secrets. The chemistry between them was absolutely unreal.
What I loved most about this book was how layered everything felt. Nothing was simple. Every character seemed to be hiding something and every conversation carried weight. The writing made me feel constantly on edge in the best way because I never knew who to trust or what twist was coming next.
This book delivered everything I want in a dark romance. Emotional tension, dangerous power plays, morally gray characters, incredible chemistry, and a story that keeps you completely consumed from beginning to end. That ending left me desperate for more and I already know this series is going to live rent free in my head for a long time. Huge five stars from me.
May 16, 2026
This book honestly felt like the opening act rather than the main event. There was a lot of setup and no major action yet, but this buildup has me completely intrigued, I’d even say I'm hooked.
The FMC has grown up in a world of fake smiles, fake relationships, charity events, galas and high society. As the Vice President’s daughter, the expectations on her are sky-high, coming from none more fearsome than her own mother and father. She is sassy but the absolute picture of class when she needs to be, and her inner monologues are giving major "I’m going to blow soon" vibes.
Then we get the men... I think it’s described perfectly in the book itself: "It’s like Bridgerton but with hotter men." Between Nico and Max, my head is playing tennis trying to choose and then there’s the mention of the coach... and don't get me started on Sebastian! Like, what exactly happened between him and Thalia?! God help me, there are just too many of them!
They all have secrets. So many secrets! Not all of them get answered and I’m leaving book one with even more questions than I started with.
Between the arranged marriage to the Russian mafia, the high-society upkeep and the FBI now getting involved, I desperately need to know what happens next.
So yeah, it took me a little while to truly get into it, but I felt a lot more realism from this book than others in the genre. A lot of mafia romances mention the high stakes or rival gangs, but it’s rare that a realistic appearance of law enforcement actually makes an entrance. I really liked that twist. It’s a good job I've been selected as an ARC reader for book two, so I don't have to wait!
The FMC has grown up in a world of fake smiles, fake relationships, charity events, galas and high society. As the Vice President’s daughter, the expectations on her are sky-high, coming from none more fearsome than her own mother and father. She is sassy but the absolute picture of class when she needs to be, and her inner monologues are giving major "I’m going to blow soon" vibes.
Then we get the men... I think it’s described perfectly in the book itself: "It’s like Bridgerton but with hotter men." Between Nico and Max, my head is playing tennis trying to choose and then there’s the mention of the coach... and don't get me started on Sebastian! Like, what exactly happened between him and Thalia?! God help me, there are just too many of them!
They all have secrets. So many secrets! Not all of them get answered and I’m leaving book one with even more questions than I started with.
Between the arranged marriage to the Russian mafia, the high-society upkeep and the FBI now getting involved, I desperately need to know what happens next.
So yeah, it took me a little while to truly get into it, but I felt a lot more realism from this book than others in the genre. A lot of mafia romances mention the high stakes or rival gangs, but it’s rare that a realistic appearance of law enforcement actually makes an entrance. I really liked that twist. It’s a good job I've been selected as an ARC reader for book two, so I don't have to wait!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 10, 2025
The Arrangement is a very solid start to a duet that has me wanting for more. It tells the story of Emilia Langford, a university student and daughter of the American VP. She sees herself immersed in a world that is a little bit more complicated to what she was prepared for. And Lord knows she was prepared. Mostly groomed since childhood to be the perfect daughter and a good representative of her heavily political family, she never put a foot wrong but everything starts to feel suffocating when she sees Nikolai Volkov again, a boy, now a man, who she met at one political summit and who she felt a connection right away.
I really enjoyed the world the author takes us in, I am for one a sucker for political romance books and this one hit all the good spots but I felt there was something missing. Not trying to get into a lot of detail but one of the caracters (Max) felt like he was just for the plot. To be honest, I don't see how it ends well for him at all. The connection of Emilia and Niko is just electric. He is closed off but when you get his POV you understand a lot of his reasoning behind his actions. Thalia is also a good character and I loved her. To be honest my only problem with the book and the reason why I cannot give it the 5 stars was Max. Not because it's a bad character. But because I think this will not end well for him (and as charming as he was, I don't think he will get anywyere)
I am looking forward to the next book because it seems Emilia still has a lot of things to say.
I really enjoyed the world the author takes us in, I am for one a sucker for political romance books and this one hit all the good spots but I felt there was something missing. Not trying to get into a lot of detail but one of the caracters (Max) felt like he was just for the plot. To be honest, I don't see how it ends well for him at all. The connection of Emilia and Niko is just electric. He is closed off but when you get his POV you understand a lot of his reasoning behind his actions. Thalia is also a good character and I loved her. To be honest my only problem with the book and the reason why I cannot give it the 5 stars was Max. Not because it's a bad character. But because I think this will not end well for him (and as charming as he was, I don't think he will get anywyere)
I am looking forward to the next book because it seems Emilia still has a lot of things to say.
April 14, 2026
“…then his eyes find mine…They’re not the soft kind of gray people romanticize. They’re storm-gray: cool, unflinching, and precise.”
“Because yes, him being here, in my world, is a crime against ME.”
“Even when the truth guts you, you keep your shoulders back and your chin high.”
The Arrangement is the first book in the Bancroft University Chronicles by S. D. Lettie. This book follows MCs, Emilia and Nikolai. This is a duet so this book will end on a cliffhanger, but don’t worry book two is coming May 22nd!
Emilia is very calculated in all she does, even going as far as to portray perfection. Nikolai is dangerous and hard to get a read on. He is the quiet, kind of dangerous guy. He is a little bit mysterious.
S. D. Lettie did a great job describing everything and making us feel like we are right there in the room with the characters! The banter between the characters (especially Thalia and Emilia) was hilarious!
Overall, 5 stars! This is a great first book to start out the duet! There is a SLOW burn. There are twists and turns. There are politics, the Russian mafia, betrayals, a forced engagement, high society drama, and so much romantic suspense! I can’t wait for book 2!
Tropes:
Forced engagement
Past connections
Slow burn
High society drama
Romantic suspense
Elite university
February 13, 2026
The Arrangement by S.D. Lettie is book 1 in the Bancroft University Chronicles by the author. Our story is about Emilia and Nikolai. Emilia is a performer for her family, she does everything she is told. Her parents have setup a marriage for Emilia to Nikolai who is found to be a mafia heir. I loved how Emilia is written as a sheltered and girl who will do anything that she is told by her family. Very relatable to me as a reader. However, Emilia no longer wants to follow the rules of her parents nor anyone else, she wants to be herself and do what she wants. Enter Max, who is a British young man who follows Emilia around and they start to be friends until Emilia finds out that he is not who is seems to be. I really liked in this book how Emilia is stuggling to be herself and also struggling with her growing feelings for Nikolai, her intended husband. This story was very engaging from the beginning of the story and left on a cliffhanger for the next book in the series! I was not expecting that twist in the end of the book involving Emilia, so great job by the author for including it in the book:) I would love to know where book 2 heads!
April 27, 2026
*I was given this book as an eArc but my review is based solely on my own thoughts and opinions*
I like the idea of daughter of VP good girl, arranged marriage to mob.
The beginning has too much sorority for me which made it drag on, those type of interactions and scenarios I don’t really gravitate towards.
There’s also mention of a lot of people. I understand being who she is she will know a lot of people, however it was very hard to keep up with all the names mentioned.
I do love the first interaction, the mmc is one broody enticing gentleman.
Thalia is my girl. The perfect coolest best friend. I think I resonate with Emilia the mfc because we always wanna follow the rules and want to be liked, etc but for friends we always attract strong sassy women haha.
The author really does have a way with their words. I love how this is written. I feel every emotion but not in an over the top way.
It’s not so much a dark romance like I thought it’d be, it feels more contemporary even though it’s about the daughter of the VP and Russian Mafia. Because of that, it felt slow at times for me personally.
I like the love triangle aspect, max or Nikolai.
I like the idea of daughter of VP good girl, arranged marriage to mob.
The beginning has too much sorority for me which made it drag on, those type of interactions and scenarios I don’t really gravitate towards.
There’s also mention of a lot of people. I understand being who she is she will know a lot of people, however it was very hard to keep up with all the names mentioned.
I do love the first interaction, the mmc is one broody enticing gentleman.
Thalia is my girl. The perfect coolest best friend. I think I resonate with Emilia the mfc because we always wanna follow the rules and want to be liked, etc but for friends we always attract strong sassy women haha.
The author really does have a way with their words. I love how this is written. I feel every emotion but not in an over the top way.
It’s not so much a dark romance like I thought it’d be, it feels more contemporary even though it’s about the daughter of the VP and Russian Mafia. Because of that, it felt slow at times for me personally.
I like the love triangle aspect, max or Nikolai.
May 16, 2026
slow burn
The Arrangement by S.D. Lettie was a slow-burn read that kept my attention. The writing flowed effortlessly, making this an easy and fast book to get through.
There were moments where the attention to detail felt a little overdone for me, and I found myself wishing some of that focus had been directed more toward the main plot. That said, while those extra details occasionally frustrated me, I can absolutely see other readers enjoying the depth they added to the story.
The suspense was woven in just enough to keep my mind spinning with theories, and I loved trying to piece together what was really happening. I felt exhausted for the FMC as she struggled to live as two different people, trying to meet the expectations placed on her while also fighting to carve out a life of her own. The MMC is facing a similar battle, making their journeys even more compelling.
With secrets, lies, and the constant feeling that everything is about to unravel, this story ended with me eager to see what happens next. I’m definitely interested in diving into book two
The Arrangement by S.D. Lettie was a slow-burn read that kept my attention. The writing flowed effortlessly, making this an easy and fast book to get through.
There were moments where the attention to detail felt a little overdone for me, and I found myself wishing some of that focus had been directed more toward the main plot. That said, while those extra details occasionally frustrated me, I can absolutely see other readers enjoying the depth they added to the story.
The suspense was woven in just enough to keep my mind spinning with theories, and I loved trying to piece together what was really happening. I felt exhausted for the FMC as she struggled to live as two different people, trying to meet the expectations placed on her while also fighting to carve out a life of her own. The MMC is facing a similar battle, making their journeys even more compelling.
With secrets, lies, and the constant feeling that everything is about to unravel, this story ended with me eager to see what happens next. I’m definitely interested in diving into book two
October 17, 2025
Book One of a dark romance duet where secrets are currency, love has a price, and blood is not thicker than water. Emilia was groomed to always listen and been seen, not heard. The older she got, the less she cared. She played along at times but she knew how to control it and how to deal it better then she did at the age of 12. As the Vice President’s first-born, Emilia’s life is made of photo ops, silence, and expectations she never agreed to. Her freedom has a leash, and someone else holds the end of it. Emilia's parents have arranged a marriage to solidify a political not with another rising star from D.C., but with Nikolai Volkov. Heir to a Bratva empire. Stone-cold. Unapologetic. And the last person Emilia ever expected to see again.They think marrying her off will keep her quiet. That she’ll fall in line like always.But Emilia is done being useful. Emilia is getting reacquainted with an old friend but she doesn’t know how the story ends. So many lies were exposed in part one.
May 15, 2026
“𝙸’𝚟𝚎 𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚘𝚕𝚎 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚌𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚡𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚕𝚢 𝚠𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢 𝚗𝚎𝚎𝚍𝚎𝚍. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚗𝚘𝚠? 𝙽𝚘𝚠 𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚢’𝚛𝚎 𝚌𝚊𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚒𝚗.”
⛓️The Arrangement⛓️
By @authorsdlettie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book had me hooked IMMEDIATELY, this FMC does not play, she is not weak, her confidence isn’t arrogance, this was so so so refreshing to read with an FMC who fights, protests in elegance, who never backs all the way down.
The darker tones made my chest ache with what Ems has had to endure, the awe in how her duty is to protect her sister.
Her ability to read people & pocket information when necessary.
Thalia is the BEST side character & best friend to balance the FMC’s rougher edges, but both compliment each other’s intelligence.
The plot twist insanely grabbed me & I CANNOT wait to read the next book.
Nikolai is quiet, strategic, yet embodies a haunting power that leaves you questioning. Can he trust Max? Or is it too late?
I highly recommend this read, & what perfect time for summer?? 🩵🌸
⛓️The Arrangement⛓️
By @authorsdlettie
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book had me hooked IMMEDIATELY, this FMC does not play, she is not weak, her confidence isn’t arrogance, this was so so so refreshing to read with an FMC who fights, protests in elegance, who never backs all the way down.
The darker tones made my chest ache with what Ems has had to endure, the awe in how her duty is to protect her sister.
Her ability to read people & pocket information when necessary.
Thalia is the BEST side character & best friend to balance the FMC’s rougher edges, but both compliment each other’s intelligence.
The plot twist insanely grabbed me & I CANNOT wait to read the next book.
Nikolai is quiet, strategic, yet embodies a haunting power that leaves you questioning. Can he trust Max? Or is it too late?
I highly recommend this read, & what perfect time for summer?? 🩵🌸
June 3, 2026
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨ 4.5 Stars
First, a huge thank you to S.D. Lettie for finding me on social media and trusting me with an ARC of The Arrangement. I’m so grateful I got the chance to read this one!
If you’re looking for a dark romance that leans heavily into its plot, political intrigue, family secrets, and power plays, this book delivers. Emilia’s life has never truly been her own. As the daughter of the Vice President, every move she makes is carefully controlled, and watching her slowly reach her breaking point had me completely invested from the very beginning.
The arranged marriage premise hooked me instantly, but what kept me turning pages was the mystery surrounding everyone’s motives. Nothing feels straightforward, and every chapter seemed to reveal another layer of manipulation, secrets, and hidden agendas. The tension between Emilia and Nikolai is undeniable, but this story is so much more than the romance. The plot takes center stage, creating a dark, suspenseful atmosphere that kept me wanting answers.
Emilia was easy to root for as she fought against the expectations that have defined her entire life. And Nikolai? Mysterious, intimidating, and impossible not to be intrigued by.
This first installment does an excellent job setting the stage for what promises to be a wild duet. Between the political drama, Bratva connections, family betrayals, and unanswered questions, I’m already eager to see where this story goes next.
If you love:
🖤 Arranged marriage
🖤 Dark romance
🖤 Political intrigue
🖤 Bratva romance
🖤 Family secrets & betrayals
🖤 Slow-burn tension
🖤 Plot-heavy stories with twists
The Arrangement is definitely one to add to your TBR. I’m starting book two immediately! 📚🔥
First, a huge thank you to S.D. Lettie for finding me on social media and trusting me with an ARC of The Arrangement. I’m so grateful I got the chance to read this one!
If you’re looking for a dark romance that leans heavily into its plot, political intrigue, family secrets, and power plays, this book delivers. Emilia’s life has never truly been her own. As the daughter of the Vice President, every move she makes is carefully controlled, and watching her slowly reach her breaking point had me completely invested from the very beginning.
The arranged marriage premise hooked me instantly, but what kept me turning pages was the mystery surrounding everyone’s motives. Nothing feels straightforward, and every chapter seemed to reveal another layer of manipulation, secrets, and hidden agendas. The tension between Emilia and Nikolai is undeniable, but this story is so much more than the romance. The plot takes center stage, creating a dark, suspenseful atmosphere that kept me wanting answers.
Emilia was easy to root for as she fought against the expectations that have defined her entire life. And Nikolai? Mysterious, intimidating, and impossible not to be intrigued by.
This first installment does an excellent job setting the stage for what promises to be a wild duet. Between the political drama, Bratva connections, family betrayals, and unanswered questions, I’m already eager to see where this story goes next.
If you love:
🖤 Arranged marriage
🖤 Dark romance
🖤 Political intrigue
🖤 Bratva romance
🖤 Family secrets & betrayals
🖤 Slow-burn tension
🖤 Plot-heavy stories with twists
The Arrangement is definitely one to add to your TBR. I’m starting book two immediately! 📚🔥
November 26, 2025
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was a exhilarating book to read I found I couldn't put this book down, the story was written well with depth and the characters were sensational. This was a story about Emelia (Em) Langford and Nikolai Volkov, when she was sixteen she met Nikolai on her holidays in St Petersburg, then she went back home to USA and that didn't stop her talking to him for over a year and then he stopped, no sorry, goodbye or even a lie that he doesn’t like her. Years later she is told that she will be marrying Nikolai. Nikolai was the one that wanted Em and his father was on board with it. They had to do a public announcement, her mum doesn't have time for her. She is told something that turns her life upside down, she feels like she has been lied to all her life. I cannot wait for the next book.
This was a exhilarating book to read I found I couldn't put this book down, the story was written well with depth and the characters were sensational. This was a story about Emelia (Em) Langford and Nikolai Volkov, when she was sixteen she met Nikolai on her holidays in St Petersburg, then she went back home to USA and that didn't stop her talking to him for over a year and then he stopped, no sorry, goodbye or even a lie that he doesn’t like her. Years later she is told that she will be marrying Nikolai. Nikolai was the one that wanted Em and his father was on board with it. They had to do a public announcement, her mum doesn't have time for her. She is told something that turns her life upside down, she feels like she has been lied to all her life. I cannot wait for the next book.
January 17, 2026
Thank You to Pump Up Your Book Tours and author for this free book in exchange for my honest review of The Arrangement.
This is the first book in the Bancroft University Chronicles and I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series. The author wrote this well and every character in this was interesting, especially Emilia. We learn that you can't trust anyone and everyone is wearing a mask in this page turning read. I was intrigued and I am looking forward to seeing what ends up happening in the sequel. I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to any reader who likes dark romance reads.
This is the first book in the Bancroft University Chronicles and I am looking forward to reading the second book in this series. The author wrote this well and every character in this was interesting, especially Emilia. We learn that you can't trust anyone and everyone is wearing a mask in this page turning read. I was intrigued and I am looking forward to seeing what ends up happening in the sequel. I enjoyed this one and would recommend it to any reader who likes dark romance reads.
June 1, 2026
The Arrangement has an awesome premise. VP's daughter forced to marry into a Russian mafia family. The best part is definitely the messy, intense tension between Emilia and her brooding match, Nikolai, plus the fun love triangle setup with Max. Emilia’s best friend, Thalia, also steals the show with some amazing, witty banter.
However, it feels way more like a slow contemporary college drama than a gritty dark romance. The beginning really drags with too much sorority stuff, and the sheer number of random names dropped makes it hard to keep track of everyone. It finally picks up by the halfway mark, but it ends on a sudden cliffhanger with way too many unanswered questions.
However, it feels way more like a slow contemporary college drama than a gritty dark romance. The beginning really drags with too much sorority stuff, and the sheer number of random names dropped makes it hard to keep track of everyone. It finally picks up by the halfway mark, but it ends on a sudden cliffhanger with way too many unanswered questions.
October 17, 2025
First political slash mafia book I read with college students as the main characters. It’s complex enough to be real. Now I’m going to be looking for part two. The build up to the second book is something else entirely. Emilia is getting reacquainted with an old friend but she doesn’t know how the story ends. So many lies were exposed in part one. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. I’m looking forward to seeing the story be completed. Read it and wait patiently for part two!
October 20, 2025
3,5 stars
This is the first book of the series in which we meet Emilia, the daughter of the VP of America and Nikolai, a member of the Russian brotherhood. We get to know the rules of a completely different world where everyone is artificial and where you can't trust anyone. Honestly, I found the book a bit boring at first because the constant mention of that university sisterhood and rhat annoyed me. Later on I found it a little more interesting and as far as I'm concerned the book is solid .
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This is the first book of the series in which we meet Emilia, the daughter of the VP of America and Nikolai, a member of the Russian brotherhood. We get to know the rules of a completely different world where everyone is artificial and where you can't trust anyone. Honestly, I found the book a bit boring at first because the constant mention of that university sisterhood and rhat annoyed me. Later on I found it a little more interesting and as far as I'm concerned the book is solid .
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 29, 2025
The Arrangement by S D Lettie
I enjoyed the writing in this book it flowed well. However University tropes are not my cup of tea.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I enjoyed the writing in this book it flowed well. However University tropes are not my cup of tea.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 21, 2026
Wow I absolutely loved this book from the start. I was intrigued about everyone and everything happening in the background. The lies, betrayals, discovery’s, family issues and so much more had me wanting more and more and I scant wait to continue this story.
June 2, 2026
The first book does a great job at establishing characters, and leaving the reader with lots of little mysteries to be followed up on in book 2.
This is a completed duet.
This is a completed duet.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews