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Darkest Dance #5
Dance of Defiance: A Dark MM Mafia Romance
A night meant for violence and vengeance turns into something far more twisted and deviant…
I was raised to be brutal.
Hard. Tough. Unmerciful.
In the Bratva, men don’t crave other men. Good thing I’m straight.
And if I say that enough times, six inches from the mirror, it usually sounds true.
That is, until I go into the woods looking for monsters, and find something far harder to escape from.
Val Bancroft is chaos and carnage wrapped in electrified sin.
Provocative and defiant.
Lethally, disarmingly beautiful.
A violent, unhinged corruption to my own brand of carefully controlled darkness.
I tell myself I’m not gay. That our families want to kill each other. That my place as my father’s heir, with a woman chosen for me at my side, has already been carved in stone.
But he dismantles me, piece by bloody piece, until even my demons bow to him.
He’s an unstoppable force.
I’m an immovable object.
And when we slam together, we’ll find beautiful wreckage—or vicious goddamn ruin.
Dance of Defiance is a standalone dark mafia male x male romance with two ultra possessive, extremely unhinged heroes. Readers are STRONGLY advised to read the TW inside. No cliffhanger; HEA included.
I was raised to be brutal.
Hard. Tough. Unmerciful.
In the Bratva, men don’t crave other men. Good thing I’m straight.
And if I say that enough times, six inches from the mirror, it usually sounds true.
That is, until I go into the woods looking for monsters, and find something far harder to escape from.
Val Bancroft is chaos and carnage wrapped in electrified sin.
Provocative and defiant.
Lethally, disarmingly beautiful.
A violent, unhinged corruption to my own brand of carefully controlled darkness.
I tell myself I’m not gay. That our families want to kill each other. That my place as my father’s heir, with a woman chosen for me at my side, has already been carved in stone.
But he dismantles me, piece by bloody piece, until even my demons bow to him.
He’s an unstoppable force.
I’m an immovable object.
And when we slam together, we’ll find beautiful wreckage—or vicious goddamn ruin.
Dance of Defiance is a standalone dark mafia male x male romance with two ultra possessive, extremely unhinged heroes. Readers are STRONGLY advised to read the TW inside. No cliffhanger; HEA included.
574 pages, Paperback
First published October 9, 2025
1730 people are currently reading
2806 people want to read
About the author
Jagger Cole
74 books5,349 followersA reader first and foremost, Jagger Cole cut his romance writing teeth penning various fan-fiction stories years ago. After deciding to hang up his writing boots, Jagger worked in advertising pretending to be Don Draper. It worked enough to convince a woman way out of his league to marry him, though, which is a total win.
Now, Dad to two little princesses and King to a Queen, Jagger is thrilled to be back at the keyboard.
When not writing or reading romance books, he can be found woodworking, enjoying good whiskey, and grilling outside—rain or shine.
You can find all of his books at www.jaggercolewrites.com
Grab a FREE book for joining my fans-only newsletter! -> https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8rld1ik3sd
Now, Dad to two little princesses and King to a Queen, Jagger is thrilled to be back at the keyboard.
When not writing or reading romance books, he can be found woodworking, enjoying good whiskey, and grilling outside—rain or shine.
You can find all of his books at www.jaggercolewrites.com
Grab a FREE book for joining my fans-only newsletter! -> https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8rld1ik3sd
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 524 reviews
October 12, 2025
Dance of Defiance (Darkest Dance, #5) by Jagger Cole
5/5 stars
My goodness Jagger Cole knocked it out of the park with this one. Dance of Defiance is definitely one of his top 5 books. It's been a while since I read a MM romance. And this one consumed me right from the get go. Their attraction, their passion, their love, their lust and their anguish is what drew me in and held me tight all the way through.
This is Val and Roman's book. Val is trying to create a bond with his brother Vaughn and Roman is dealing with his place in his father's empire.
After Val gives a stunning ballet performance Roman knocks him down to get intel. Sparks instantly fly and Roman is utterly confused. He keeps screaming I am not gay. He decides to keep his distance from him from here one out.
But when Roman sees his little sister Evie on the club venom app, making a deal with a man to ravish her completely, he decides to delete the exchange and show up himself to defend her honor and beat him up. When he arrives a man with a mask tackles him and when he starts to rub himself on him he gets instantly hard. He enjoys it. But the second he realizes he enjoys he gets in a defense mode. And when the mask comes off and sees it is Roman he is disgusted with himself and says hurtful things.
But the fire is lit. And no matter how hard Roman tries to deny his feelings for Val, the more he realizes he's the only one that gets him truly excited. And when that incredibly hot gym scene happens things cannot be bottled up again.
This book is an incredibly powerful book between two men who fall hard for each other. Val has been out for years. And Roman isn't. He feels ashamed for his feelings and he constantly pushes Val away and hurts him incredibly hard. He gives himself tiny moments to enjoy, all in order to completely strip them away and punish them both.
It's a book that shows how different people react to gay relationships. Accepting and hurting. But it's also a book about dealing with your addictions and trying to overcome them. It's about how you learn to trust someone close to you. And it's a book that shows how hard opening up can be. But it's also a powerful story that shows that if you never give up you can achieve anything you want.
Their love was all-consuming, powerful and so tangible. I felt it rush through my own body and I quickly fell in love with both men. This truly is one of the best MM romance books I have ever read. The angst, the lust, the connection... trust me, it will take you over and I promise you that you will enjoy the ride.
5 huge stars from me for Dance of Defiance! A definite must read and one of the best books in this series.
5/5 stars
My goodness Jagger Cole knocked it out of the park with this one. Dance of Defiance is definitely one of his top 5 books. It's been a while since I read a MM romance. And this one consumed me right from the get go. Their attraction, their passion, their love, their lust and their anguish is what drew me in and held me tight all the way through.
This is Val and Roman's book. Val is trying to create a bond with his brother Vaughn and Roman is dealing with his place in his father's empire.
After Val gives a stunning ballet performance Roman knocks him down to get intel. Sparks instantly fly and Roman is utterly confused. He keeps screaming I am not gay. He decides to keep his distance from him from here one out.
But when Roman sees his little sister Evie on the club venom app, making a deal with a man to ravish her completely, he decides to delete the exchange and show up himself to defend her honor and beat him up. When he arrives a man with a mask tackles him and when he starts to rub himself on him he gets instantly hard. He enjoys it. But the second he realizes he enjoys he gets in a defense mode. And when the mask comes off and sees it is Roman he is disgusted with himself and says hurtful things.
But the fire is lit. And no matter how hard Roman tries to deny his feelings for Val, the more he realizes he's the only one that gets him truly excited. And when that incredibly hot gym scene happens things cannot be bottled up again.
This book is an incredibly powerful book between two men who fall hard for each other. Val has been out for years. And Roman isn't. He feels ashamed for his feelings and he constantly pushes Val away and hurts him incredibly hard. He gives himself tiny moments to enjoy, all in order to completely strip them away and punish them both.
It's a book that shows how different people react to gay relationships. Accepting and hurting. But it's also a book about dealing with your addictions and trying to overcome them. It's about how you learn to trust someone close to you. And it's a book that shows how hard opening up can be. But it's also a powerful story that shows that if you never give up you can achieve anything you want.
Their love was all-consuming, powerful and so tangible. I felt it rush through my own body and I quickly fell in love with both men. This truly is one of the best MM romance books I have ever read. The angst, the lust, the connection... trust me, it will take you over and I promise you that you will enjoy the ride.
5 huge stars from me for Dance of Defiance! A definite must read and one of the best books in this series.
October 15, 2025
A tough look when the Bratva is more accepting and progressive than the current administration… love is love!
October 17, 2025
Tropes: enemies to lovers, secret relationship, grumpy/sunshine
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 4/5
Kinks: Dom/sub, rough sex, no lube at times
Angst: medium
HEA: HEA
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings/representation: past CSA, past bullying, emotionally and physically abusive father, extreme internalized homophobia, alcoholic MMC, active drug use, addict minor characters, murder, violence, homophobia, unsafe sex, break up at about 60%
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: Roman is technically cheating on his fiance with Val. Because Roman is engaged as part of a marriage of convenience, but he was never with the woman and actually she was dating someone else herself, neither of them wanted to be together or expected the other person to not hook up. There are references to Roman's dad cheating on his mom.
Other person drama: once they start hooking up, neither of them are with anyone else. They both at times kind of try to move on but can't bring themselves to. There are a smattering of scenes where they are making each other jealous, the odd kiss with someone else. One time they try to have a threesome together but they both are too jealous to share.
4.25 stars
Roman is 29 and he is heir to the pakhan, his father. His father is extremely homophobic and misogynistic, and he's drilled into Roman all his life those attitudes. Roman has been fighting his sexuality, but really really struggling with internalized homophobia because of his father. He's never been with a guy before but he's been tempted, and he's never really felt much for women, though he's played the role so well he's almost convinced himself he's straight. The mafia that Roman is part of is that odds with another organization, that a guy named Vaughn is part of. Val, the other MMC is Vaughn's younger brother who was raised in foster care, reunited with his brother recently, and is a ballet dancer. Val is openly bi and has a very active sex life. Val has had a thing for Roman for a while now. In addition to their Mafia connection, Roman's sister is a ballerina and dances with Val.
Roman and Val interact while Roman is undercover trying to get information on Vaughn, and Val gets physical with him and riles him up, they both get hard and realize there's an attraction on both sides. Val wants to push all of Roman's buttons and make him confront what's between them, he wants to sleep with him. Roman fights really hard against the attraction but he keeps giving in. Eventually they both push each other too hard in different ways and they break up, they try to move on, but they are so caught up in each other they can't. When they finally get their s*** together, they have other threats they have to deal with, other obstacles to their happiness.
I really enjoyed this book. I am a sucker for a jealous, possessive, obsessive love and this book served that up. This book was full of push and pull, they couldn't stay away from each other. They were constantly getting physical with each other, there was such an aggression and desperation to their attraction. It was steamy! And it was full of feeling too... not that it was mushy, it wasn't mushy, these guys weren't really big romantics, but they were definitely it for each other, what they had was really unique and strong. They were protective and possessive of each other, they were reluctantly in love against their better judgment.
There were some nice supporting characters. Friendships, alliances, found family. There was some humor thrown in there. The characters were vulnerable. I liked Val the most, I liked how dogged he was in pursuing Roman and putting Roman first.
It was a little tougher to really love Roman though, it's hard to like a character that was struggling so hard with internalized homophobia that he was a bit of an a******. I also found it a little out of character for Roman to talk and text the way that he did sometimes. I know he was struggling with internalized homophobia and this was new to him, but in all other ways in his life he was such a alpha confident man, it was weird to see him be so awkward and juvenile in some of his talking/texting. Why was he so cringe?! It was giving teenage girl vibes at times. By the way don't misunderstand me and think that I am complaining about him being subby, I thought it was in character and made sense for him to be a sexual submissive! I liked their Dom/sub dynamic.
Some notable moments:
"This. Fucking. Guy. The three words repeat through my head over and over as I stalk Roman. …Okay, that’s unnecessarily harsh. I’m not stalking the fucker. We’re hanging out, it’s just that we’re hanging out roughly twenty to thirty feet away from each other, and Roman doesn’t know we're hanging out. That’s his problem, though."
"“I don’t give a shit what you call yourself,” I murmur into his lips. “Gay, bi, questioning, whatever. You can even tell yourself you’re straight, for all I care.” He whimpers—fucking whimpers—when I grab his jaw and pull him close. “But you know what you are, un-fucking-equivocally?” Roman shivers, gasping quietly when I drag my thumb over his bottom lip and kiss it. “Mine.”"
Even when they are broken up, I love that Val is so protective of Roman. "He grunts as I lunge across the desk and grab him by the collar. “I’m going to say this as simply as I fucking can,” I snarl. “One, this is my fucking life. Two, it’s over with Roman. And three, and you’d better be fucking listening to this one…” My eyes narrow. “If you ever, and I mean fucking ever, try and exploit anything about that motherfucker, his life, or his preferences in any way, shape or form…” Black fire burns in my eyes as I look right at my brother. “I’ll burn your fucking empire to the ground. Is that clear?”"
*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.
Feels: 3.5/5
Steam*: 4/5
Kinks: Dom/sub, rough sex, no lube at times
Angst: medium
HEA: HEA
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings/representation: past CSA, past bullying, emotionally and physically abusive father, extreme internalized homophobia, alcoholic MMC, active drug use, addict minor characters, murder, violence, homophobia, unsafe sex, break up at about 60%
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: Roman is technically cheating on his fiance with Val. Because Roman is engaged as part of a marriage of convenience, but he was never with the woman and actually she was dating someone else herself, neither of them wanted to be together or expected the other person to not hook up. There are references to Roman's dad cheating on his mom.
Other person drama: once they start hooking up, neither of them are with anyone else. They both at times kind of try to move on but can't bring themselves to. There are a smattering of scenes where they are making each other jealous, the odd kiss with someone else. One time they try to have a threesome together but they both are too jealous to share.
4.25 stars
Roman is 29 and he is heir to the pakhan, his father. His father is extremely homophobic and misogynistic, and he's drilled into Roman all his life those attitudes. Roman has been fighting his sexuality, but really really struggling with internalized homophobia because of his father. He's never been with a guy before but he's been tempted, and he's never really felt much for women, though he's played the role so well he's almost convinced himself he's straight. The mafia that Roman is part of is that odds with another organization, that a guy named Vaughn is part of. Val, the other MMC is Vaughn's younger brother who was raised in foster care, reunited with his brother recently, and is a ballet dancer. Val is openly bi and has a very active sex life. Val has had a thing for Roman for a while now. In addition to their Mafia connection, Roman's sister is a ballerina and dances with Val.
Roman and Val interact while Roman is undercover trying to get information on Vaughn, and Val gets physical with him and riles him up, they both get hard and realize there's an attraction on both sides. Val wants to push all of Roman's buttons and make him confront what's between them, he wants to sleep with him. Roman fights really hard against the attraction but he keeps giving in. Eventually they both push each other too hard in different ways and they break up, they try to move on, but they are so caught up in each other they can't. When they finally get their s*** together, they have other threats they have to deal with, other obstacles to their happiness.
I really enjoyed this book. I am a sucker for a jealous, possessive, obsessive love and this book served that up. This book was full of push and pull, they couldn't stay away from each other. They were constantly getting physical with each other, there was such an aggression and desperation to their attraction. It was steamy! And it was full of feeling too... not that it was mushy, it wasn't mushy, these guys weren't really big romantics, but they were definitely it for each other, what they had was really unique and strong. They were protective and possessive of each other, they were reluctantly in love against their better judgment.
There were some nice supporting characters. Friendships, alliances, found family. There was some humor thrown in there. The characters were vulnerable. I liked Val the most, I liked how dogged he was in pursuing Roman and putting Roman first.
It was a little tougher to really love Roman though, it's hard to like a character that was struggling so hard with internalized homophobia that he was a bit of an a******. I also found it a little out of character for Roman to talk and text the way that he did sometimes. I know he was struggling with internalized homophobia and this was new to him, but in all other ways in his life he was such a alpha confident man, it was weird to see him be so awkward and juvenile in some of his talking/texting. Why was he so cringe?! It was giving teenage girl vibes at times. By the way don't misunderstand me and think that I am complaining about him being subby, I thought it was in character and made sense for him to be a sexual submissive! I liked their Dom/sub dynamic.
Some notable moments:
"This. Fucking. Guy. The three words repeat through my head over and over as I stalk Roman. …Okay, that’s unnecessarily harsh. I’m not stalking the fucker. We’re hanging out, it’s just that we’re hanging out roughly twenty to thirty feet away from each other, and Roman doesn’t know we're hanging out. That’s his problem, though."
"“I don’t give a shit what you call yourself,” I murmur into his lips. “Gay, bi, questioning, whatever. You can even tell yourself you’re straight, for all I care.” He whimpers—fucking whimpers—when I grab his jaw and pull him close. “But you know what you are, un-fucking-equivocally?” Roman shivers, gasping quietly when I drag my thumb over his bottom lip and kiss it. “Mine.”"
Even when they are broken up, I love that Val is so protective of Roman. "He grunts as I lunge across the desk and grab him by the collar. “I’m going to say this as simply as I fucking can,” I snarl. “One, this is my fucking life. Two, it’s over with Roman. And three, and you’d better be fucking listening to this one…” My eyes narrow. “If you ever, and I mean fucking ever, try and exploit anything about that motherfucker, his life, or his preferences in any way, shape or form…” Black fire burns in my eyes as I look right at my brother. “I’ll burn your fucking empire to the ground. Is that clear?”"
*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.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
![Profile Image for moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1645500038i%2F37448930._UX200_CR0%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
October 17, 2025
this was so addicting omg. i loved both val and roman and how unhinged/possessive they were. 😭😭
also
also
October 17, 2025
Thank you Valentine PR for giving me this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This was actually sooo good! I was extremely excited when Jagger Cole first announced that we will get Roman and Val's story and they definitely didn't disappoint! They were absolutely explosive together and they had one of the strongest chemistry in this series.
I can't wait to see what comes next in this series!!!
This was actually sooo good! I was extremely excited when Jagger Cole first announced that we will get Roman and Val's story and they definitely didn't disappoint! They were absolutely explosive together and they had one of the strongest chemistry in this series.
I can't wait to see what comes next in this series!!!
October 10, 2025
I GET IT!!!! HIS STICK IT'S HUGE!!! IT'S THICK!!! I UNDERSTAND!!!!
Now seriously, I enjoyed the banter of these two but... it felt like 80% of this book was about fucking, fighting and not talking at all about important stuff. I didn't feel like there was a real deep connection between them, and then suddenly they're boyfriends, roman was admitting he was an alcoholic and we got Val's past at... 85% of the book. It was too long and for no reason at all, because it was pages and pages of sex, roman saying he wasn't gay, they complementing each other's big dicks, both of them fighting without having any meaningful reason for it and a mafia subplot that I honestly forgot about until it came back at the end of the book. I wanted to LOVE this book, but tiny things annoyed me, so I'll settle with 3 stars.
Now seriously, I enjoyed the banter of these two but... it felt like 80% of this book was about fucking, fighting and not talking at all about important stuff. I didn't feel like there was a real deep connection between them, and then suddenly they're boyfriends, roman was admitting he was an alcoholic and we got Val's past at... 85% of the book. It was too long and for no reason at all, because it was pages and pages of sex, roman saying he wasn't gay, they complementing each other's big dicks, both of them fighting without having any meaningful reason for it and a mafia subplot that I honestly forgot about until it came back at the end of the book. I wanted to LOVE this book, but tiny things annoyed me, so I'll settle with 3 stars.
November 14, 2025
⭐️
4.5 stars rounded up!
⭐️
A new-to-me author, and overall this went wonderfully. It's not often, I feel, that there are male romance writers - especially for MF, but MM as well - so it's nice when every once in awhile we get one. Also it says this author has a wife and kids, he may still be queer? I don't want to assume. But if he IS straight it's pretty cool that he wrote MM and wrote it so well.
This seems to be his first? (Just a glance at most of his work, it seems to be mainly if not all MF aside from this one) And if it is his first MM work, he did really well with it.
Roman is part of the Bratva, born and raised to take over from his father, the Pakhan of their family which is one of the biggest and most influential in the whole of the Bratva. Val is the brother of Vaughn, who is part of a crime Syndicate - or well, is the *head* of it, and has been for months at the start of this.
Val himself, we come to learn, grew up away from crime world - not that his life was easy, as he was put in the foster care system and it didn't go well in the least, and he knew he was bisexual at a young age AND he started ballet too, and of course we all know what society thinks of that. It certainly toughened Val up, though, as he had to learn to fight and fight hard and dirty.
He and his brother have only been in each other's lives for a few months now - which I'm sure we got the beginning of in a past book which I did not read - but Val doesn't just want handouts (because of course Vaughn has lots of money now) and so in exchange for a big, nice loft in NYC he does a few small jobs for his brother and the Syndicate here and there.
And Roman, of course, as the son of a Pakhan is fully involved in the criminal underworld, and so they happen to be at a criminal...gathering, as it were, although Roman isn't supposed to be there, and he's just there getting photo evidence for his father of what is going down that night.
He and Val know each other a tiny bit, as Val is in the same dance company as Roman's younger sister, has been for 3 years, so they've peripherally met a time or two.
But things really start that night at the criminal gathering. Val spots Roman in his bodyguard disguise and he's able to get the upper hand on Roman - although maybe a bit of it is Roman subconsciously wanting him to - and it's there that they really discover their attraction and desire for each other, although Roman is...extremely closeted. EXtTREMELY as in he's so repressed that he can somewhat convince himself he's straight...somewhat. To the point he repeats it over and over and over, at least. And when he starts to really think about is sexuality, he's genuinely *confused* about what he could be....even though to us and Val it is quite obvious.
And well, Roman's father is extremely homophobic - as much as I hate his father, I did appreciate the realism, that a lot of the Bratva is very homophobic and the toxic masculinity is extreme.
To top it all off, Roman's father has put him into an arranged marriage to try cozying up to a very influential man, who is the godfather of the woman Roman is to marry.
It makes it all very complicated and angsty for these these two. To top it all off, Roman is clearly an alcoholic, as he drinks to excess most night and has at least one a day and tells himself it's fine because "he's Russian."
There's an instant chemistry between Roman and Val, and their scenes together were scorching. Especially when Roman eventually started to really give into desire for Val and for being with man, period. When he started to let go bit by bit with Val. Although it is a fight to get him there, for sure. The first half of this is just a constant hot and cold act from Roman and Val putting up with a LOT from him.
Of course even well into when they've fucked, Roman still kind of says or struggles NOT to say he's "not gay" (even after he's had Val's huge cock up his ass) like that's how far the self-hatred and internalized homophobia goes for Roman.
Of course this was almost 600 pages of this book, and it never felt like I had that much to read. It just flowed so easily, went by so fast and I couldn't get enough. Seeing Roman get from Point A to Point B was a journey and well worth all the shit he goes through, that he puts Val through, that we the readers are put through.
Not that Val was perfect. I got him, a majority of the time, with Roman and his wishy-washy, hot and cold ways. It HAS to be frustrating to deal with, and to have Roman say over and over "i'm not gay" while they just did very gay things together. And Roman can get mean and nasty in the beginning to try to deny himself.
But there are times where I wanted him to be a *tad* more understanding of what Roman has gone through and what he's facing. Mainly when he like sure it all worked out, but Val didn't KNOW and I felt it was shitty of him to do.
I understood Roman's anger and didn't really appreciate Val having no remorse for it. No matter how good the plan is or was, you can never truly know what someone is thinking or what they'll do. So yeah, that part is where Val mainly pissed me off.
But I felt like it was interesting character exploration, so I don't think it's a failing of the writing, although all I wish is Val had apologized even if he felt what he ultimately did was the right thing.
But my main reason for .5 stars off is only that, mainly, this didn't really feel like a mafia book for the majority of this?
Like the characters didn't feel dark enough, they didn't do fucked up shit, it mainly just felt like two normal guys, one who was deeply closeted because of a shitty homophobic family, and the other who is a dancer getting together. It just didn't give off the mafia vibe at all for a good long while. Like where were these guys doing fucked up shit? Where was the asshole-ry? Like of course I don't want these guys to be insufferable or evil, but they are....well, mafia men, no? Well Val isn't, but Roman and his buddies are.
All their friends are the women from the past books too and they're just normal. So it didn't lend to a vibe that this was a mafia book, at all.
But that started to change later on in the book, for sure. We started to see fucked up shit, we saw Roman do fucked up shit, and when , shit was wild and exactly what I'd expect an extremely homophobic bratva boss to do and how he'd react.
So I just gave .5 off for first half-ish mainly that didn't feel very...mafia. As a voracious reader of mafia books, there's a vibe and a way the mafia men act, even if they aren't evil they still do bad shit and are overall bad men anyway, and that was all just kinda missing from Roman and his buddies, in my opinion.
But that aspect picked up near the end and then I felt like I was in a mafia book, so it definitely improved there.
Otherwise, I loved this and I couldn't get enough of Roman and Val, as frustrating as Roman could be as a character. I understood him, though, and what he was going through and what he was facing - and given what happens later on, I'd say he had plenty of reason to be fearful of coming out.
But thankfully it all works out, and in a way that didn't even feel too unrealistic (I know an openly gay man probably couldn't be a Pakhan in the Bratva in real life, at least not anytime soon).
So seeing where these men get to, to see them both fight their demons - both in their head and real - and to see the love they share and them becoming a total power couple was amazing.
There's always a different feel to mainly MF authors though that do MM once or twice or on occasion. There's all these straight people around the very few queer people 🥲 and while yeah that it is very much more realistic, as an MM reader you get used to MM writers having almost everyone around them also be queer and get hints of future MM couples to come in the series haha. To get a hint for the next couple but it be an MF couple is always like...aw, oh well 😔
I hope this author does more MM in the future, because overall he knocked it out of the park with this one. It's always fun to read two very manly men get it on with each other and fall deeply in love.
So I definitely recommend this one, I loved it overall and it was a great intro to this author - who I hope I get to read in the future *hint hint at writing more MM pls😚* - I can't wait for more, if there ever is any more MM.
Until then (hopefully)! 😘
A new-to-me author, and overall this went wonderfully. It's not often, I feel, that there are male romance writers - especially for MF, but MM as well - so it's nice when every once in awhile we get one. Also it says this author has a wife and kids, he may still be queer? I don't want to assume. But if he IS straight it's pretty cool that he wrote MM and wrote it so well.
This seems to be his first? (Just a glance at most of his work, it seems to be mainly if not all MF aside from this one) And if it is his first MM work, he did really well with it.
Roman is part of the Bratva, born and raised to take over from his father, the Pakhan of their family which is one of the biggest and most influential in the whole of the Bratva. Val is the brother of Vaughn, who is part of a crime Syndicate - or well, is the *head* of it, and has been for months at the start of this.
Val himself, we come to learn, grew up away from crime world - not that his life was easy, as he was put in the foster care system and it didn't go well in the least, and he knew he was bisexual at a young age AND he started ballet too, and of course we all know what society thinks of that. It certainly toughened Val up, though, as he had to learn to fight and fight hard and dirty.
He and his brother have only been in each other's lives for a few months now - which I'm sure we got the beginning of in a past book which I did not read - but Val doesn't just want handouts (because of course Vaughn has lots of money now) and so in exchange for a big, nice loft in NYC he does a few small jobs for his brother and the Syndicate here and there.
And Roman, of course, as the son of a Pakhan is fully involved in the criminal underworld, and so they happen to be at a criminal...gathering, as it were, although Roman isn't supposed to be there, and he's just there getting photo evidence for his father of what is going down that night.
He and Val know each other a tiny bit, as Val is in the same dance company as Roman's younger sister, has been for 3 years, so they've peripherally met a time or two.
But things really start that night at the criminal gathering. Val spots Roman in his bodyguard disguise and he's able to get the upper hand on Roman - although maybe a bit of it is Roman subconsciously wanting him to - and it's there that they really discover their attraction and desire for each other, although Roman is...extremely closeted. EXtTREMELY as in he's so repressed that he can somewhat convince himself he's straight...somewhat. To the point he repeats it over and over and over, at least. And when he starts to really think about is sexuality, he's genuinely *confused* about what he could be....even though to us and Val it is quite obvious.
And well, Roman's father is extremely homophobic - as much as I hate his father, I did appreciate the realism, that a lot of the Bratva is very homophobic and the toxic masculinity is extreme.
To top it all off, Roman's father has put him into an arranged marriage to try cozying up to a very influential man, who is the godfather of the woman Roman is to marry.
It makes it all very complicated and angsty for these these two. To top it all off, Roman is clearly an alcoholic, as he drinks to excess most night and has at least one a day and tells himself it's fine because "he's Russian."
There's an instant chemistry between Roman and Val, and their scenes together were scorching. Especially when Roman eventually started to really give into desire for Val and for being with man, period. When he started to let go bit by bit with Val. Although it is a fight to get him there, for sure. The first half of this is just a constant hot and cold act from Roman and Val putting up with a LOT from him.
Of course even well into when they've fucked, Roman still kind of says or struggles NOT to say he's "not gay" (even after he's had Val's huge cock up his ass) like that's how far the self-hatred and internalized homophobia goes for Roman.
Of course this was almost 600 pages of this book, and it never felt like I had that much to read. It just flowed so easily, went by so fast and I couldn't get enough. Seeing Roman get from Point A to Point B was a journey and well worth all the shit he goes through, that he puts Val through, that we the readers are put through.
Not that Val was perfect. I got him, a majority of the time, with Roman and his wishy-washy, hot and cold ways. It HAS to be frustrating to deal with, and to have Roman say over and over "i'm not gay" while they just did very gay things together. And Roman can get mean and nasty in the beginning to try to deny himself.
But there are times where I wanted him to be a *tad* more understanding of what Roman has gone through and what he's facing. Mainly when he like sure it all worked out, but Val didn't KNOW and I felt it was shitty of him to do.
I understood Roman's anger and didn't really appreciate Val having no remorse for it. No matter how good the plan is or was, you can never truly know what someone is thinking or what they'll do. So yeah, that part is where Val mainly pissed me off.
But I felt like it was interesting character exploration, so I don't think it's a failing of the writing, although all I wish is Val had apologized even if he felt what he ultimately did was the right thing.
But my main reason for .5 stars off is only that, mainly, this didn't really feel like a mafia book for the majority of this?
Like the characters didn't feel dark enough, they didn't do fucked up shit, it mainly just felt like two normal guys, one who was deeply closeted because of a shitty homophobic family, and the other who is a dancer getting together. It just didn't give off the mafia vibe at all for a good long while. Like where were these guys doing fucked up shit? Where was the asshole-ry? Like of course I don't want these guys to be insufferable or evil, but they are....well, mafia men, no? Well Val isn't, but Roman and his buddies are.
All their friends are the women from the past books too and they're just normal. So it didn't lend to a vibe that this was a mafia book, at all.
But that started to change later on in the book, for sure. We started to see fucked up shit, we saw Roman do fucked up shit, and when , shit was wild and exactly what I'd expect an extremely homophobic bratva boss to do and how he'd react.
So I just gave .5 off for first half-ish mainly that didn't feel very...mafia. As a voracious reader of mafia books, there's a vibe and a way the mafia men act, even if they aren't evil they still do bad shit and are overall bad men anyway, and that was all just kinda missing from Roman and his buddies, in my opinion.
But that aspect picked up near the end and then I felt like I was in a mafia book, so it definitely improved there.
Otherwise, I loved this and I couldn't get enough of Roman and Val, as frustrating as Roman could be as a character. I understood him, though, and what he was going through and what he was facing - and given what happens later on, I'd say he had plenty of reason to be fearful of coming out.
But thankfully it all works out, and in a way that didn't even feel too unrealistic (I know an openly gay man probably couldn't be a Pakhan in the Bratva in real life, at least not anytime soon).
So seeing where these men get to, to see them both fight their demons - both in their head and real - and to see the love they share and them becoming a total power couple was amazing.
There's always a different feel to mainly MF authors though that do MM once or twice or on occasion. There's all these straight people around the very few queer people 🥲 and while yeah that it is very much more realistic, as an MM reader you get used to MM writers having almost everyone around them also be queer and get hints of future MM couples to come in the series haha. To get a hint for the next couple but it be an MF couple is always like...aw, oh well 😔
I hope this author does more MM in the future, because overall he knocked it out of the park with this one. It's always fun to read two very manly men get it on with each other and fall deeply in love.
So I definitely recommend this one, I loved it overall and it was a great intro to this author - who I hope I get to read in the future *hint hint at writing more MM pls😚* - I can't wait for more, if there ever is any more MM.
Until then (hopefully)! 😘
October 3, 2025
This is hands down my favorite so far in the Darkest Dance series.
It’s packed with mafia vibes, gay awakening, grumpy/sunshine, light BDSM, and so much more. The chemistry between Roman and Val is absolutely through the roof.
I loved how Jagger wrote about Roman’s denial (all I could hear in my head was Wendy Williams: “Denial is a river in Egypt, your husband is gay!” 😅). Val’s patience with Roman was beautiful, and honestly, I didn’t see it coming—I never pictured Val as a Dom, and it completely worked.
The spice? Chapter 9 had me fanning myself—it’s hot. This is easily the spiciest Jagger book I’ve read.
It’s a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read, and I more than recommend it.
Thank you to the author and Valentine PR for this ARC.
It’s packed with mafia vibes, gay awakening, grumpy/sunshine, light BDSM, and so much more. The chemistry between Roman and Val is absolutely through the roof.
I loved how Jagger wrote about Roman’s denial (all I could hear in my head was Wendy Williams: “Denial is a river in Egypt, your husband is gay!” 😅). Val’s patience with Roman was beautiful, and honestly, I didn’t see it coming—I never pictured Val as a Dom, and it completely worked.
The spice? Chapter 9 had me fanning myself—it’s hot. This is easily the spiciest Jagger book I’ve read.
It’s a solid ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ read, and I more than recommend it.
Thank you to the author and Valentine PR for this ARC.
October 19, 2025
I’ve really been into reading mlm romances so when I found out that this author was releasing a mlm romance for this series I was so excited but mehn this was such disappointing read. Literally 80% of the book:
Val: why are you gay?
Roman: who says I’m gay??
Val: you are gay!
Then they fight and then fuck (not a single mention of lube btw) and then it happens over and over again🙄
Pacing was shit, dialogue was even shittier. Amazed that I didn’t even DNF
To conclude, this was SOO bad, it gets 1/2 stars from me!
Val: why are you gay?
Roman: who says I’m gay??
Val: you are gay!
Then they fight and then fuck (not a single mention of lube btw) and then it happens over and over again🙄
Pacing was shit, dialogue was even shittier. Amazed that I didn’t even DNF
To conclude, this was SOO bad, it gets 1/2 stars from me!
October 18, 2025
I was not disappointed at all by Mr. Cole's first MM book.
Val is a character I liked from the first time I read about him, and I loved the idea of him having his own book.
Val and Roman are a perfect couple, their attraction undeniable, their chemistry off the charts, and overcoming all obstacles, their love is moving. And those steamy scenes between them? I'm speechless.
As difficult as it has been for Val being queer with a childhood in foster care, wanting to dance, it is even more difficult for Roman in the world of the mafia, where being gay is not acceptable.
I also really liked how Roman fights his addiction, which is well seen in the bratva, where you start drinking vodka as a child.
This is a book about fighting your demons, overcoming them, finding yourself and coming out without fear.
I would have liked a little more involvement from the other characters in the series, who practically only appear at the end.
Val is a character I liked from the first time I read about him, and I loved the idea of him having his own book.
Val and Roman are a perfect couple, their attraction undeniable, their chemistry off the charts, and overcoming all obstacles, their love is moving. And those steamy scenes between them? I'm speechless.
As difficult as it has been for Val being queer with a childhood in foster care, wanting to dance, it is even more difficult for Roman in the world of the mafia, where being gay is not acceptable.
I also really liked how Roman fights his addiction, which is well seen in the bratva, where you start drinking vodka as a child.
This is a book about fighting your demons, overcoming them, finding yourself and coming out without fear.
I would have liked a little more involvement from the other characters in the series, who practically only appear at the end.
Read
August 4, 2025I am so thrilled for this!! And Evie’s book (She better get the next book or im gonna throw hands)
October 9, 2025
4 ⭐️ | 4 🌶️
Holy shit y'all. This one was hot as hell. When Jagger announced his first MM I was immediately intrigued and after finishing it, I can safely say that I am going to need more from him in the future.
Roman and Val are forbidden in more ways than one. Roman is the future head of the Russian mafia and is supposedly straight...and if he wasn't he could never tell his homophobic father. Poor Roman has been shoving down a "darkness" inside himself for a long time but Val seems to bring the darkness to the surface no matter how much he resists. He doesn't understand that Val could help set him free, but he's just so damn scared.
Val is a wild one and such a playboy. He dances for the same ballet as Romans sister and he's a man of many talents. He can dance like a pro but on the flip side he could kick your ass if he wanted. I loved the duality of his character. He was mostly in touch with his emotions and very comfortable with his sexuality and the person he'd become. While he could be soft at times, he was also dominant, possessive and downright filthy and I ATE IT UP.
The chemistry between these two men was volatile and so dang hot it was INSANE. One moment they'd be fighting and the next Val would have Roman pinned to the wall with his hand around his throat and calling him a "good boy". YES PLEASE.
I loved the growth between both characters it just took a bit to get there. I felt that Roman fought his truth for too long and I had a hard time with how often and how adamantly he denied being gay and denied what he had with Val. Overall, I really enjoyed their story, it was beautiful but heartbreaking.
Thank you Jagger Cole and Valentine Pr for the opportunity read and review this advanced copy.
*MM
*gay awakening
*mafia romance
*forbidden love
*boy obsessed
Holy shit y'all. This one was hot as hell. When Jagger announced his first MM I was immediately intrigued and after finishing it, I can safely say that I am going to need more from him in the future.
Roman and Val are forbidden in more ways than one. Roman is the future head of the Russian mafia and is supposedly straight...and if he wasn't he could never tell his homophobic father. Poor Roman has been shoving down a "darkness" inside himself for a long time but Val seems to bring the darkness to the surface no matter how much he resists. He doesn't understand that Val could help set him free, but he's just so damn scared.
Val is a wild one and such a playboy. He dances for the same ballet as Romans sister and he's a man of many talents. He can dance like a pro but on the flip side he could kick your ass if he wanted. I loved the duality of his character. He was mostly in touch with his emotions and very comfortable with his sexuality and the person he'd become. While he could be soft at times, he was also dominant, possessive and downright filthy and I ATE IT UP.
The chemistry between these two men was volatile and so dang hot it was INSANE. One moment they'd be fighting and the next Val would have Roman pinned to the wall with his hand around his throat and calling him a "good boy". YES PLEASE.
I loved the growth between both characters it just took a bit to get there. I felt that Roman fought his truth for too long and I had a hard time with how often and how adamantly he denied being gay and denied what he had with Val. Overall, I really enjoyed their story, it was beautiful but heartbreaking.
Thank you Jagger Cole and Valentine Pr for the opportunity read and review this advanced copy.
*MM
*gay awakening
*mafia romance
*forbidden love
*boy obsessed
October 6, 2025
I could not love this more!!!! This dynamic was everything I was hoping for! It was funny, emotional, beautiful while also being so Jagger’s style.
I could not put this down and loved that we got to see Val’s whole personality shine. He had so much to his character that we have only had glimpses at and this book really made him shine! Then there is Roman, our big, burly, teddy bear with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I just wanted to give him a big ole hug. You could feel the emotional roller coaster that he was going through in this book and you feel for him so deeply.
It’s a bigger book but it didn’t feel like it because it just flowed and you get sucked into their chemistry. It was another solid five star read for me!
I could not put this down and loved that we got to see Val’s whole personality shine. He had so much to his character that we have only had glimpses at and this book really made him shine! Then there is Roman, our big, burly, teddy bear with the weight of the world on his shoulders. I just wanted to give him a big ole hug. You could feel the emotional roller coaster that he was going through in this book and you feel for him so deeply.
It’s a bigger book but it didn’t feel like it because it just flowed and you get sucked into their chemistry. It was another solid five star read for me!
December 3, 2025
holy shit. when jagger announced that he was writing his first MM romance i think the world stopped spinning for me. my favorite author writing one of my favorite tropes ? it’s like the best of both worlds.
roman baby he went through SO much from a young age. losing his mom when he was young. his father making him drink from the age of 14 bc it was the “russian way of life”. his father beating him into becoming a man and to never show weakness. him turning to alcohol as he got older. him realizing that he was different and him struggling with his sexuality and turning to alcohol bc it was the one thing that could numb the pain and the voices. truly he went through so much and i think you see it more in this book than in any other ones. i knew that his story was going to be rough bc of what was mentioned in brooklyn’s book and how heavy alcohol was for him. i’m so happy that he got his HEA and he found his person who loves him, cares for him and makes him want to be better.
val, idk val gave me nikolai sokolov vibes from the moment i met him and we all know how much i love nikobaby. he is the crazy to roman’s grumpy and i was LIVING for his inner monologues and his humor. what they do say is true, those who smile the most go through the most. from him losing some parts of his memory to growing up in the foster system and going through what he went through at a young age. not growing up with his parents bc they were both addicts and his brother who left him when he was young to finding ballet and realizing that he was bisexual and toughening up at a young age all so he could survive and do what he loves. and him going through these meaningless flings bc he thought that no one would love him.. my heart broke for him.
these two really are the perfect pair. the ones you would never see with each other but work perfectly. the broken ones have a way of healing each other and that’s what they both did. from releasing their past traumas to giving up their addictions for each other. to the boy who had to toughen up and be a man and not show weakness and to the boy who thought no one would ever love him, i am so happy that they found each other.
i think jagger did a phenomenal job at not only writing his first MM but writing it in the way that not only captured what these two characters went through but also capturing what it really means to be gay in the mafia world especially in the bratva. it was very hard for me to read the bigotry bc it was so intense but realistically that’s what it is especially when you’re the heir and about to be pakhan. i think he wrote it that way to show us readers how it really is and it takes a certain type of skill to write that and make your readers feel that emotion. this being his first mm really did not feel like his first. you could never tell with his writing. i loved everything about this. if you want the angst, the tension, the banter, the suspense, the emotion, the spice and the longing. the YEARNING??? pls pick this one up. has become one of my favorite MM romances and i’m so excited for what’s next to come in the series.
Thank you so much to Jagger Cole and Valentine PR for the e-ARC 🤍
as always friends, pls check your content trigger warnings.
4.75⭐️
roman baby he went through SO much from a young age. losing his mom when he was young. his father making him drink from the age of 14 bc it was the “russian way of life”. his father beating him into becoming a man and to never show weakness. him turning to alcohol as he got older. him realizing that he was different and him struggling with his sexuality and turning to alcohol bc it was the one thing that could numb the pain and the voices. truly he went through so much and i think you see it more in this book than in any other ones. i knew that his story was going to be rough bc of what was mentioned in brooklyn’s book and how heavy alcohol was for him. i’m so happy that he got his HEA and he found his person who loves him, cares for him and makes him want to be better.
val, idk val gave me nikolai sokolov vibes from the moment i met him and we all know how much i love nikobaby. he is the crazy to roman’s grumpy and i was LIVING for his inner monologues and his humor. what they do say is true, those who smile the most go through the most. from him losing some parts of his memory to growing up in the foster system and going through what he went through at a young age. not growing up with his parents bc they were both addicts and his brother who left him when he was young to finding ballet and realizing that he was bisexual and toughening up at a young age all so he could survive and do what he loves. and him going through these meaningless flings bc he thought that no one would love him.. my heart broke for him.
these two really are the perfect pair. the ones you would never see with each other but work perfectly. the broken ones have a way of healing each other and that’s what they both did. from releasing their past traumas to giving up their addictions for each other. to the boy who had to toughen up and be a man and not show weakness and to the boy who thought no one would ever love him, i am so happy that they found each other.
i think jagger did a phenomenal job at not only writing his first MM but writing it in the way that not only captured what these two characters went through but also capturing what it really means to be gay in the mafia world especially in the bratva. it was very hard for me to read the bigotry bc it was so intense but realistically that’s what it is especially when you’re the heir and about to be pakhan. i think he wrote it that way to show us readers how it really is and it takes a certain type of skill to write that and make your readers feel that emotion. this being his first mm really did not feel like his first. you could never tell with his writing. i loved everything about this. if you want the angst, the tension, the banter, the suspense, the emotion, the spice and the longing. the YEARNING??? pls pick this one up. has become one of my favorite MM romances and i’m so excited for what’s next to come in the series.
Thank you so much to Jagger Cole and Valentine PR for the e-ARC 🤍
as always friends, pls check your content trigger warnings.
4.75⭐️
October 15, 2025
I can go the rest of my life without ever seeing the words ‘big, huge, giant, thick’ again. Please spare me, I swear to god every other paragraph had one of those. WE GET ITTTTTTT I promise. It was good besides that.
October 13, 2025
Honestly this felt like a shit recreation of God of Fury.
Some of the characters honestly seemed too stupid to live and my god the push, pull got annoying as fuck.
This is a personal preference but I also really hate seeing lots of exclamation marks and the abuse of caps lock to show characters fighting.
Some of the characters honestly seemed too stupid to live and my god the push, pull got annoying as fuck.
This is a personal preference but I also really hate seeing lots of exclamation marks and the abuse of caps lock to show characters fighting.
October 13, 2025
A typical Jagger romance but make it MM. I mean 😍. Roman and Val were volatile and gritty.
Steamy as hell and dark. Enjoyed it.
“I don’t give a shit what you call yourself,” I murmur into his lips. “Gay, bi, questioning, whatever. You can even tell yourself you’re straight, for all I care.” He whimpers—fucking whimpers—when I grab his jaw and pull him close. “But you know what you are, un-fucking-equivocally?” Roman shivers, gasping quietly when I drag my thumb over his bottom lip and kiss it. “Mine.”
Steamy as hell and dark. Enjoyed it.
October 11, 2025
DNF 50%
Was excited for this one, but ended up kinda dissapointed. At first I liked it, the start of the book seemed promising and the tension between them was high. But after their first smut scene, it felt very repetitive. The inner monologue was the same on both sides, they would fuck, leave or get in a fight, next day Roman would send a message for Val to forgive him and then would start with the same steps.
Their connection seemed more sexual than emotional. Until the half of the book they didn't have an actual conversation to like find out things about each other or something, just meet up to have sex, but then saying they are obsessed with each other and possesive and 'mine'.
Was excited for this one, but ended up kinda dissapointed. At first I liked it, the start of the book seemed promising and the tension between them was high. But after their first smut scene, it felt very repetitive. The inner monologue was the same on both sides, they would fuck, leave or get in a fight, next day Roman would send a message for Val to forgive him and then would start with the same steps.
Their connection seemed more sexual than emotional. Until the half of the book they didn't have an actual conversation to like find out things about each other or something, just meet up to have sex, but then saying they are obsessed with each other and possesive and 'mine'.
October 16, 2025
I ended up dnf’ing this at 73% when I realised I was painfully forcing myself to read it and it was just annoying me on all cylinders. I wanted to love this but I genuinely felt like I was reading the same scenario over and over again. It was constant deja vu between the “I am not gay” every two chapters to them telling each other to fuck off every two minutes. I TRIED
October 13, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
New obsession unlocked… Jagger Cole writing Mafia MM.
If I could give this book 10 stars I would. I had high expectations for Val and Roman’s romance and Jagger Cole exceeded them and beyond. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been waiting with so much anticipation for a character to get his story. I’ve read about Val as a side character in the first 4 books and each book added to the intrigue of him.
Val is an enigma and I absolutely LOVE him and wish he and Roman were my besties. There’s so much depth to his character. Cole truly created a gem with Val. His snark is epic and so entertaining, that I was smirking the entire time reading. I adore how he does everything he can in his snarky manner to push Roman’s buttons. The gym scene had me in stitches. IYKYK. Cole has created such a beautifully flushed out character, with so many layers. Although he’s comfortable with his sexuality, Val has deep wounds from his past that resurface here and he needs to deal with them.
And Roman… Oh boy this man is so epically tormented and my heart was breaking for him in this book. I’ve never read an MM that really moved me with how deeply emotional and distressed the main character is with coming to terms with his sexual orientation. You can really feel his anguished soul as he keeps denying that he’s gay yet can’t let go of his feelings for Val. And in a masculine mafia world like his, it’s an emotional mess for him.
There’s a lot of push and pull between Val and Roman. Some readers may see the back and forth between them as too much, but honestly, it was needed for how Roman really struggled with his sexuality and his place heading up his father’s old school mafia family.
These two sides of Roman, the tough kicks ass alpha and the one who only shows himself to Val, the vulnerable one begging Val to take over control, is so beautiful to experience. I haven’t read an MM that is this explosive. Val and Roman’s chemistry is on fire. Coupled with Roman’s denial that he is attracted to and has feeling for Val makes this romance so delicious.
A side note about addiction. There’s a sub story here of Roman drinking too much and this is addressed in the book. As someone who knows people in recovery, I want to applaud the author for addressing this head on with grace and dignity. It didn’t need to be done in great detail and Cole handled it beautifully. For Val and Roman to move forward in their life in a healthy manner this needed to be addressed.
I swear I could go on and on about this book. Let’s just say this will definitely be in my top 3 books of 2025. And sits as #1 of my jagger Cole reads so far. Val and Roman’s love story will be with me for a really long time.
Thank you to Jagger Cole and Valentine PR for the ARC
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
New obsession unlocked… Jagger Cole writing Mafia MM.
If I could give this book 10 stars I would. I had high expectations for Val and Roman’s romance and Jagger Cole exceeded them and beyond. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been waiting with so much anticipation for a character to get his story. I’ve read about Val as a side character in the first 4 books and each book added to the intrigue of him.
Val is an enigma and I absolutely LOVE him and wish he and Roman were my besties. There’s so much depth to his character. Cole truly created a gem with Val. His snark is epic and so entertaining, that I was smirking the entire time reading. I adore how he does everything he can in his snarky manner to push Roman’s buttons. The gym scene had me in stitches. IYKYK. Cole has created such a beautifully flushed out character, with so many layers. Although he’s comfortable with his sexuality, Val has deep wounds from his past that resurface here and he needs to deal with them.
And Roman… Oh boy this man is so epically tormented and my heart was breaking for him in this book. I’ve never read an MM that really moved me with how deeply emotional and distressed the main character is with coming to terms with his sexual orientation. You can really feel his anguished soul as he keeps denying that he’s gay yet can’t let go of his feelings for Val. And in a masculine mafia world like his, it’s an emotional mess for him.
There’s a lot of push and pull between Val and Roman. Some readers may see the back and forth between them as too much, but honestly, it was needed for how Roman really struggled with his sexuality and his place heading up his father’s old school mafia family.
These two sides of Roman, the tough kicks ass alpha and the one who only shows himself to Val, the vulnerable one begging Val to take over control, is so beautiful to experience. I haven’t read an MM that is this explosive. Val and Roman’s chemistry is on fire. Coupled with Roman’s denial that he is attracted to and has feeling for Val makes this romance so delicious.
A side note about addiction. There’s a sub story here of Roman drinking too much and this is addressed in the book. As someone who knows people in recovery, I want to applaud the author for addressing this head on with grace and dignity. It didn’t need to be done in great detail and Cole handled it beautifully. For Val and Roman to move forward in their life in a healthy manner this needed to be addressed.
I swear I could go on and on about this book. Let’s just say this will definitely be in my top 3 books of 2025. And sits as #1 of my jagger Cole reads so far. Val and Roman’s love story will be with me for a really long time.
Thank you to Jagger Cole and Valentine PR for the ARC
October 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 5 Stars
🌶🌶🌶 - Spice Level
Val and Roman met at a party when Roman was running an op for his father's Bratva. Val noticed Roman and tackled him only to realize who he was and his physical attraction to men like Val. Look, Roman is a huge 6'5" Russian Bratva heir, and the Val the male ballet dancer over 6' foot tall took him down and manhandled him, which was surprising.
I absolutely enjoyed seeing Val with his cocky, take no prisoners personality. He was always open to men or women, but something about the submissive Roman intrigued him more than he cared to admit at first. Roman's submission was addictive and Val ate this up except for dealing with Roman's internal battle with his closeted self. The secret longing, the heated gazes, and the ultimate acceptance by Roman's actual self were Chef's kiss. I couldn't put this book down all day once I started. Roman and Val challenged each other, and their attraction was spicy hot!
I can't wait for the next to fall in the Black Court.
Thank you, author, for the arc!
Release Day: October 9, 2025
🌶🌶🌶 - Spice Level
Val and Roman met at a party when Roman was running an op for his father's Bratva. Val noticed Roman and tackled him only to realize who he was and his physical attraction to men like Val. Look, Roman is a huge 6'5" Russian Bratva heir, and the Val the male ballet dancer over 6' foot tall took him down and manhandled him, which was surprising.
I absolutely enjoyed seeing Val with his cocky, take no prisoners personality. He was always open to men or women, but something about the submissive Roman intrigued him more than he cared to admit at first. Roman's submission was addictive and Val ate this up except for dealing with Roman's internal battle with his closeted self. The secret longing, the heated gazes, and the ultimate acceptance by Roman's actual self were Chef's kiss. I couldn't put this book down all day once I started. Roman and Val challenged each other, and their attraction was spicy hot!
I can't wait for the next to fall in the Black Court.
Thank you, author, for the arc!
Release Day: October 9, 2025
October 9, 2025
This book was everything I could have ever imagined and more. I've said it before, no one writes dark romance or mafia romance quite like him. And the fact that this was his first MM romance- SHOCKED. It was written so perfectly. We have gotten to know these characters, Roman and Val, throughout this series and my god, he just did them so much justice. I loved everything about this story.
I have loved Val so much throughout this series, he comes across and just the fun guy, everyone loves him, he loves everyone. But we got to see so much more of him here and it was beautiful and heartbreaking. And Roman- our mafia man who is just trying to survive in the mafia world.
The two of them together- fireworks.
5 stars JAGGER COLE!!!!
I have loved Val so much throughout this series, he comes across and just the fun guy, everyone loves him, he loves everyone. But we got to see so much more of him here and it was beautiful and heartbreaking. And Roman- our mafia man who is just trying to survive in the mafia world.
The two of them together- fireworks.
5 stars JAGGER COLE!!!!
November 14, 2025
4.5 ⭐️
Val was everything. The way he kept coming back to Roman, even though he was so hot and cold, literally made me cry. AND WHEN HE TOOK CARE OF HIM THROUGH THE ALCOHOL WITHDRAWALS. STOP. I was so proud of Roman at the end of the book. It was really refreshing to start to see him be true to himself and what he wanted.
Val was everything. The way he kept coming back to Roman, even though he was so hot and cold, literally made me cry. AND WHEN HE TOOK CARE OF HIM THROUGH THE ALCOHOL WITHDRAWALS. STOP. I was so proud of Roman at the end of the book. It was really refreshing to start to see him be true to himself and what he wanted.
November 11, 2025
You know I don’t mention this often but this book was too damn long for no fucking reason bro. The first 88%, was basically just Roman saying he isn’t gay but fucking Val anyways and you know what, I’ll bite. If the whole point of this book was meant to be about fucking then be my guest but seen as there was actually meant to be romance.. at around exactly 88% it starts getting good. All the plot, all the angst, all the missing pisses, it all starts fitting somewhere and making fucking sense.
This is this author first MM so here are my thoughts as someone who has read alot of them
Intimacy: 3.5/10 we could really use some work in the romance department. By the time these two said I love you, I wasn’t anywhere close to believing that shit
Power dynamic between MC’s: 5/10 I very much hated how much Val lowkey maybe even high key always tried to humiliate Roman.. I would say it’s a kink but that wasn’t listed in the trigger warnings so next
Physical description of features: how many times do you have to mention somebody has a thick fat cock for us to get the point? Literally all the author mentioned was fat cock and tattoos.. is that all it takes? 2/10 (this was really eye roll inducing)
Another thing that also really annoyed me was the fact that this was marketed to me as Ballet dancer X mafia man but we never actually get to see the Ballet dancer do ballet. There are mentions of him in the academy or whatever training but there is no actual performance that actually adds anything to the MC’s character arc or makes the other MC appreciate his talent too… like what a missed opportunity.
Honestly I’ll come back when I remember more stuff I need to complain about but the only thing I actually deeply appreciate here was the underlying Mafia plot and the depiction of addiction recovery alongside representation for child SA. The romance however is not worth the cold coins tbh.
This is this author first MM so here are my thoughts as someone who has read alot of them
Intimacy: 3.5/10 we could really use some work in the romance department. By the time these two said I love you, I wasn’t anywhere close to believing that shit
Power dynamic between MC’s: 5/10 I very much hated how much Val lowkey maybe even high key always tried to humiliate Roman.. I would say it’s a kink but that wasn’t listed in the trigger warnings so next
Physical description of features: how many times do you have to mention somebody has a thick fat cock for us to get the point? Literally all the author mentioned was fat cock and tattoos.. is that all it takes? 2/10 (this was really eye roll inducing)
Another thing that also really annoyed me was the fact that this was marketed to me as Ballet dancer X mafia man but we never actually get to see the Ballet dancer do ballet. There are mentions of him in the academy or whatever training but there is no actual performance that actually adds anything to the MC’s character arc or makes the other MC appreciate his talent too… like what a missed opportunity.
Honestly I’ll come back when I remember more stuff I need to complain about but the only thing I actually deeply appreciate here was the underlying Mafia plot and the depiction of addiction recovery alongside representation for child SA. The romance however is not worth the cold coins tbh.
December 29, 2025
── .✦
4 stars.
⤷possible spoilers ahead!⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆
➴ my thoughts.
this book had me hooked in a way i honestly didn’t expect. from the first few chapters, it was impossible to put down. val and roman together are pure chaos, intense, obsessive, unfiltered, and somehow it works perfectly. when i found out they’d be getting their own story, my expectations were high, and somehow this still managed to exceed them.
their chemistry is electric, easily some of the strongest in the series. but what really impressed me was how thoughtfully this story was written. this didn’t just feel like a romance set in the mafia, it felt like a raw look at what it means to be queer in a world that leaves zero room for softness, especially within the bratva. the bigotry was hard to read at times, genuinely uncomfortable, but that’s exactly why it worked. it felt honest. it felt intentional. and it takes real skill to write something that heavy while making readers feel every ounce of it.
for a first mm romance, this never once felt tentative or unsure. the writing was confident, emotional, and deeply immersive. the angst, the tension, the longing, the yearning was unreal. if you’re looking for a story that delivers pain, passion, emotional depth, and spice all at once, this one absolutely delivers. this has easily become one of my favorite mm romances, and i’m already impatient for what comes next in the series.
˖˚⊹ ౨ৎ roman.
roman’s story hurt in the quietest, most devastating way. he’s spent his entire life suppressing parts of himself, burying pain so deeply that it became second nature. losing his mother young, growing up under a brutal father who equated violence and alcohol with masculinity, being forced to harden before he ever had a chance to be soft, it all shaped him in ways that were painful to witness.
his struggle with alcohol, his fear of his own identity, and the way he clings to control felt painfully real. you can see how terrified he is of wanting something that could destroy everything he’s been raised to protect. knowing his backstory from earlier books made this hit even harder, and seeing it fully explored here broke my heart. roman deserved peace, and watching him slowly accept love, vulnerability, and truth felt incredibly earned.
˖˚⊹ ౨ৎ val.
val completely stole my heart. on the surface, he’s playful, bold, flirtatious, someone who wears confidence like armor. but underneath that charm is so much pain. his past is layered with loss, abandonment, and survival, and it shaped him just as deeply as roman’s upbringing shaped him.
i loved the contrast within his character: graceful yet dangerous, emotionally open yet deeply guarded. he knows who he is, owns his sexuality without shame, and still carries the fear that no one will ever truly choose him. his humor, inner monologues, and emotional awareness made him such a compelling character. he’s the chaos to roman’s restraint, and every scene from his perspective added depth and heart to the story.
˖˚⊹ ౨ৎ the romance.
together, they’re explosive. messy. intense. and strangely healing. they’re the kind of pairing that shouldn’t work on paper but makes perfect sense once you see them together. both broken in different ways, both carrying addictions and trauma, and somehow finding safety in each other.
their chemistry was off-the-charts, volatile, passionate, and unapologetically consuming. the push and pull, the denial, the need, the way they slowly unravel each other’s defenses, it was addictive to read. while roman’s resistance sometimes went on longer than i wanted, the payoff was worth it. watching both of them grow, confront their demons, and choose each other felt powerful and deeply emotional.
ᢉ𐭩 .ᐟ all in all, his story was intense, heartbreaking, and beautifully written. it tackled difficult themes with care, delivered unforgettable chemistry, and gave two deeply wounded characters a love that felt earned. angsty, emotional, and unapologetically bold, this one will stay with me for a long time.
⤷possible spoilers ahead!⋆˚𝜗𝜚˚⋆
➴ my thoughts.
this book had me hooked in a way i honestly didn’t expect. from the first few chapters, it was impossible to put down. val and roman together are pure chaos, intense, obsessive, unfiltered, and somehow it works perfectly. when i found out they’d be getting their own story, my expectations were high, and somehow this still managed to exceed them.
their chemistry is electric, easily some of the strongest in the series. but what really impressed me was how thoughtfully this story was written. this didn’t just feel like a romance set in the mafia, it felt like a raw look at what it means to be queer in a world that leaves zero room for softness, especially within the bratva. the bigotry was hard to read at times, genuinely uncomfortable, but that’s exactly why it worked. it felt honest. it felt intentional. and it takes real skill to write something that heavy while making readers feel every ounce of it.
for a first mm romance, this never once felt tentative or unsure. the writing was confident, emotional, and deeply immersive. the angst, the tension, the longing, the yearning was unreal. if you’re looking for a story that delivers pain, passion, emotional depth, and spice all at once, this one absolutely delivers. this has easily become one of my favorite mm romances, and i’m already impatient for what comes next in the series.
˖˚⊹ ౨ৎ roman.
roman’s story hurt in the quietest, most devastating way. he’s spent his entire life suppressing parts of himself, burying pain so deeply that it became second nature. losing his mother young, growing up under a brutal father who equated violence and alcohol with masculinity, being forced to harden before he ever had a chance to be soft, it all shaped him in ways that were painful to witness.
his struggle with alcohol, his fear of his own identity, and the way he clings to control felt painfully real. you can see how terrified he is of wanting something that could destroy everything he’s been raised to protect. knowing his backstory from earlier books made this hit even harder, and seeing it fully explored here broke my heart. roman deserved peace, and watching him slowly accept love, vulnerability, and truth felt incredibly earned.
˖˚⊹ ౨ৎ val.
val completely stole my heart. on the surface, he’s playful, bold, flirtatious, someone who wears confidence like armor. but underneath that charm is so much pain. his past is layered with loss, abandonment, and survival, and it shaped him just as deeply as roman’s upbringing shaped him.
i loved the contrast within his character: graceful yet dangerous, emotionally open yet deeply guarded. he knows who he is, owns his sexuality without shame, and still carries the fear that no one will ever truly choose him. his humor, inner monologues, and emotional awareness made him such a compelling character. he’s the chaos to roman’s restraint, and every scene from his perspective added depth and heart to the story.
˖˚⊹ ౨ৎ the romance.
together, they’re explosive. messy. intense. and strangely healing. they’re the kind of pairing that shouldn’t work on paper but makes perfect sense once you see them together. both broken in different ways, both carrying addictions and trauma, and somehow finding safety in each other.
their chemistry was off-the-charts, volatile, passionate, and unapologetically consuming. the push and pull, the denial, the need, the way they slowly unravel each other’s defenses, it was addictive to read. while roman’s resistance sometimes went on longer than i wanted, the payoff was worth it. watching both of them grow, confront their demons, and choose each other felt powerful and deeply emotional.
ᢉ𐭩 .ᐟ all in all, his story was intense, heartbreaking, and beautifully written. it tackled difficult themes with care, delivered unforgettable chemistry, and gave two deeply wounded characters a love that felt earned. angsty, emotional, and unapologetically bold, this one will stay with me for a long time.
October 9, 2025
Rating: Loved It/Slightly Obsessed
Holy spice, Batman! This book was a spicy meatball! 🌶️
What I loved most was how it completely flipped expectations. The ballet dancer (Val) being the more dominant one, and the Bratva heir (Roman) the more submissive. That dynamic switch? Absolutely chef’s kiss. It made Roman’s self-loathing spiral hit even harder and added so much emotional depth beneath all that heat.
I pretty much loved everything about this book. It dives into some heavy themes, so definitely check your triggers, but it’s also a stunning story about identity and figuring out who you are, and living authentically, no matter the noise around (or inside) you.
Roman thinks he knows who he is until he finds himself engaged for convenience to someone he doesn’t want…and then Val explodes into his life. Val, meanwhile, is wrestling with who he is now and where he came from, fighting his own demons. Jagger writes these beautifully broken, morally gray (and sometimes black) characters you can’t help but fall for.
These two find exactly what they weren’t looking for (and didn't want) in each other, and watching them fight the pull while refusing to go soft or sweet was just…whew. 🥵
I only docked a bit off the rating because the last 20 pages went from 0 to 100 real quick. It was just BAM! BAM! BAM! A little too fast after such a slow, delicious build. And while I loved how open and accepting everyone was, it leaned into “ideal world” territory more than realistic.
Still, this is my favorite of the series. Val and Roman fought tooth and nail to be who they wanted to be, to be together, and, honestly, to just survive this world.
Thank you, @jaggercoleauthor and @valentine_pr_ for the ARC and keeping me in my Jagger Cole era a little longer.
Holy spice, Batman! This book was a spicy meatball! 🌶️
What I loved most was how it completely flipped expectations. The ballet dancer (Val) being the more dominant one, and the Bratva heir (Roman) the more submissive. That dynamic switch? Absolutely chef’s kiss. It made Roman’s self-loathing spiral hit even harder and added so much emotional depth beneath all that heat.
I pretty much loved everything about this book. It dives into some heavy themes, so definitely check your triggers, but it’s also a stunning story about identity and figuring out who you are, and living authentically, no matter the noise around (or inside) you.
Roman thinks he knows who he is until he finds himself engaged for convenience to someone he doesn’t want…and then Val explodes into his life. Val, meanwhile, is wrestling with who he is now and where he came from, fighting his own demons. Jagger writes these beautifully broken, morally gray (and sometimes black) characters you can’t help but fall for.
These two find exactly what they weren’t looking for (and didn't want) in each other, and watching them fight the pull while refusing to go soft or sweet was just…whew. 🥵
I only docked a bit off the rating because the last 20 pages went from 0 to 100 real quick. It was just BAM! BAM! BAM! A little too fast after such a slow, delicious build. And while I loved how open and accepting everyone was, it leaned into “ideal world” territory more than realistic.
Still, this is my favorite of the series. Val and Roman fought tooth and nail to be who they wanted to be, to be together, and, honestly, to just survive this world.
Thank you, @jaggercoleauthor and @valentine_pr_ for the ARC and keeping me in my Jagger Cole era a little longer.
October 9, 2025
4.25⭐️|4🌶️
I have been dyingggg for Val and Roman's story for a long time. The tension between them was thick in the past books and it continued in this one. I absolutely loved Val. He is probably one of my favorite characters in Jagger's books. He is hilarious and unapologetically himself all the time. He had me laughing so much and let me tell you i wasn't expecting this man to be as unhinged as he was! I was ferallll.
Roman honestly had me feeling all kinds of emotions. I loved him but then he drove me absolutely bat shit with his constant denial. I sympathized with him a lot. He had so many demons he was fighting which was very emotional to read about. I just wish that he accepted who he was sooner because Val was there for this man in every way. He was his person and you could feel how frustrated Roman made him with the constant denial and hiding.
There was a ton of suspense and filthy as hell spice in this book that I ate up.
I'm so intrigued by Vaughn and Bane. I'm so excited for what's to come.
As always, thank you so much Jagger Cole and VPR for this ARC!
I have been dyingggg for Val and Roman's story for a long time. The tension between them was thick in the past books and it continued in this one. I absolutely loved Val. He is probably one of my favorite characters in Jagger's books. He is hilarious and unapologetically himself all the time. He had me laughing so much and let me tell you i wasn't expecting this man to be as unhinged as he was! I was ferallll.
Roman honestly had me feeling all kinds of emotions. I loved him but then he drove me absolutely bat shit with his constant denial. I sympathized with him a lot. He had so many demons he was fighting which was very emotional to read about. I just wish that he accepted who he was sooner because Val was there for this man in every way. He was his person and you could feel how frustrated Roman made him with the constant denial and hiding.
There was a ton of suspense and filthy as hell spice in this book that I ate up.
I'm so intrigued by Vaughn and Bane. I'm so excited for what's to come.
As always, thank you so much Jagger Cole and VPR for this ARC!
October 10, 2025
[arc read]
yet another book i have no notes for 😩
i think this is the spiciest jagger cole book i’ve read so far. what a ride that was. wow.
this is my first MM romance. the sexual tension between val and roman is mouth watering and it was so fun watching roman become more comfortable with his identity. he was almost afraid of his extremely homophobic father and by the end, he was yelling back at the disrespect pavel spews.
i was starting to have mafia romance withdrawals because this release was further out than jagger normally does but this book truly was worth the wait and i’m going to be so sad when we have to leave the mercury theater community.
yet another book i have no notes for 😩
i think this is the spiciest jagger cole book i’ve read so far. what a ride that was. wow.
this is my first MM romance. the sexual tension between val and roman is mouth watering and it was so fun watching roman become more comfortable with his identity. he was almost afraid of his extremely homophobic father and by the end, he was yelling back at the disrespect pavel spews.
i was starting to have mafia romance withdrawals because this release was further out than jagger normally does but this book truly was worth the wait and i’m going to be so sad when we have to leave the mercury theater community.
October 18, 2025
This was dark but I’ve read darker books.
Roman coming to terms with his sexuality and all the self hate was pretty dark. I had not read the other books in this series and I felt this could be a standalone. Does Vaughn get a book? I hope so.
Val and Roman are truly combustible. The chemistry is ott off the charts. It’s really why I kept reading. The side story was predictable but their relationship was not.
Val and Roman had some serious baggage but they fought for each other in surprising ways. The book was crazy long but it was a pretty fast read. Probably because of all the sex 🤣🤣🤣 I hope Jagger keeps writing MM
Side note: I’m actually intrigued by Bane’s book next 🤔
Roman coming to terms with his sexuality and all the self hate was pretty dark. I had not read the other books in this series and I felt this could be a standalone. Does Vaughn get a book? I hope so.
Val and Roman are truly combustible. The chemistry is ott off the charts. It’s really why I kept reading. The side story was predictable but their relationship was not.
Val and Roman had some serious baggage but they fought for each other in surprising ways. The book was crazy long but it was a pretty fast read. Probably because of all the sex 🤣🤣🤣 I hope Jagger keeps writing MM
Side note: I’m actually intrigued by Bane’s book next 🤔
November 27, 2025
Move over TCAFF , ya girl has a new fav gay romance!
This book was everything, 10 out of 10, 5 stars, no notes.
What is an acceptable amount of time between re reading books because I simply must read this again!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was everything, 10 out of 10, 5 stars, no notes.
What is an acceptable amount of time between re reading books because I simply must read this again!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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