Maksim: The Korolov Bratva Book One

by Katie Ashley

Because of the way I speak, everyone judges me the moment I open my mouth. Even though I’m 6’5 and two eighty, they see me as weak. They always have.
Even my father who passed me over as his heir.
Behind the mask with the automated voice, I’m not weak. Women desire me, and men fear me.

As fortunes change within my family, I need to correct my impediment. That’s why I seek out one of the best speech pathologists on the East Coast. On paper, Dr. Sarah Whitfield looks boring and rigid.

But the good doctor is hiding a secret: she has a kink for Masked Men. She sheds her professional facade on weekends when she attends Masked Events.
And I’m here to fulfill her fantasies of being kidnapped by a masked man.
But this time, it’s for real.

Genres: Dark Romance, Contemporary Romance, Found Family, Forced Proximity, Disability, BDSM

Unknown Binding

Published January 29, 2026

About the author

Katie Ashley is a New York Times, USA Today, and Amazon Top Three Best-Selling author of both Indie and Traditionally published books. She's written rockers, bikers, manwhores with hearts of gold, New Adult, and Young Adult. She lives outside of Atlanta, Georgia with her daughter, Olivia, her rescue mutts, Belle and Elsa, and her two cats, Mama Kitty and Luna. She has a slight obsession with The Golden Girls, Shakespeare, Harry Potter, and Star Wars.

With a BA in English, a BS in Secondary English Education, and a Masters in Adolescent English Education, she spent eleven years teaching both middle and high school English, as well as a few adjunct college English classes. As of January 2013, she became a full-time writer.

Although she is a life-long Georgia peach, she loves traveling the country and world meeting readers. Most days, you can find her being a hermit, styling leggings, and binging on Netflix whenever her toddler daughter isn't monopolizing the TV with Paw Patrol or Frozen.

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Reviews

[Christabel Hazel Ashring · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was my first primal (hunt) read and it was fascinating. I wish there was more time spent on including that theme throughout the book however it served as a good point to start their relationship off. It was almost alarming at how Maksim pulled off two personas so smoothly in the story but ultimately I could feel him warring at who he was and who he was becoming throughout the story.

Sarah was the sweetheart he couldn't help but fall for and she had the biggest heart both in her career and her family life. She needed someone to come alongside her and care for her in the way she was doing for others and Maksim was perfectly suited for that. He didn't hinder her or deter her from her goals and desires but he perfectly complimented her.

[Dominique Franklin · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC gifted in exchange for review
I love me a good mafia romance, and this was a great bratva romance with primal play, but also some excellent disability and mental health rep. Sarah is a pediatric speech therapist who is a care giver by both profession and nature, Maksim is the disinherited heir to the Bratva who believes he is defective because of his stutter. They both happen to be into primal play and that’s where I sat up. The relationship between Sarah and Maksim went from reluctant care provider to friends to lovers. I wanted to give Maksim the biggest hug in the world for how he talked about himself, he is I guess a bad man, but he’s not a bad man if that makes sense. He has a huge heart and the way he and Sammy immediately hit it off warmed my heart, but it was his interaction with Molly that made me fall hard for that man. I had a really good time reading this one and I couldn’t put it down.

[Reading is escaping reality · Rating 5 out of 5]

Masked and primal yes please! Hidden secret that can ruin everything he wanted. The build up between them is phenomenal! This was so good, especially when he got her to help him. I mean it took a little convincing but it worked. Haha!

[Nicole Daniels · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is my first Katie Ashely book and I will absolutely be reading more books from her collection.

This book is about Maksim, a Russian bratva man who had his place as heir taken from him due to a speech impediment. Sarah is a speech language pathologist who specializes in helping correcting stuttering in children.

After some unfortunate events that left Maks brother in the hospital and unable to be Pahkan, Maks needs to step up and help the family. He decides he needs help with his speech and is set on Sarah being the person to help him. Plot twist, Sarah refuses since she only works with children, but Maks doesn’t accept that. He orchestrates a plan once he realizes that Sarah is also into primal play. And the rest happens just as you would expect.

I really enjoyed the first 50-60 percent of this book. I loved watching Maks softened his rugged exterior for Sarah. I loved how well written the parts about primal play were and the interactions between Maks and Sarah’s family. For me, the later part of the book felt rushed and the main conflict just seemed predictable. I wish we would have gotten more from the last scene and had bigger primal play scene.

Overall I had a great time reading this book and can’t wait to continue with the series.

Thank you Katie Ashley and the Smuthood for the advanced copy.

[• Dan reads books • · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5/5

Such a wonderful surprise!

I started this book with high expectations because I enjoy reading Mafia a lot… but to my surprise this is not your typical mafia style book, of course we have all the bratva background here, but also there’s some interesting things like primal play and mask, although what I enjoyed the most were the diversity of characters, there so much representation in here, treated with delicacy and a touching approach.

Speaking of Maksim and Sarah, I loved the way their relationship was built, it started pretty intense with the hunts and “The beast” alter ego and that was so good but I really enjoyed the afterwards, the fact that the story gives Maksim and Sarah the opportunity to know each other better as themselves without kinks, masks… just two “normal” (or at least a little less intense) people getting along!

As second characters, Maksim’s brothers were pretty funny and Sarah’s family was so cute!

Definitely recommend it, especially if you like mafia but keeping on mind that it’s a little different than your usual!

[Extraspicybooklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

The representations that Katie Ashley wrote in this book are absolutely remarkable! I’m so in love with this book for so many damn reasons 🥰 I have never come across any book mention let alone describe and portray a “Glass Child”. Just So amazing!
Maksim is next in line to be the head of the Bratva. Except he has a stutter that has haunted him since childhood.
Sarah is a speech pathologist with the world on her shoulders. She is the care taker for her whole family.
A spicy primal chase with a very large masked man and Sarah finds herself kidnapped and treating Maskims stutter.
I love these 2 together! Their relationship is complicated and dramatic and the tension 😮‍💨 so good!
This mafia book is so much more than you’ll expect it to be. The angst and banter was absolutely perfection. This was definitely a top read for me and I’m so excited to read more in this Bratva world!

[Sophie (slovenianbookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good. I wanted some moments to be in depth not just ''next day it was...''
4 stars, rtc.

[Keza Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is so much to say about this book but I don't like to give things away.

So Maksim really was two different people. A Beast while hidden behind his mask and a gentlemanly beast without the mask. He has a speech impediment and needs to see a Dr for help, Sarah is who he has chosen.

When Sarah declines Maksim doesn't agree and sets out to change her mind.

Everything before, during and after made this story great and I loved it.

Fantastic read and I definitely recommend 👌🏻

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review!

UPDATE:

I reached out regarding the version I received, and it did have formatting errors that the author didn’t realize had happened until it was pointed out. I received an updated version with the misplaced and missing content corrected. Several of the inconsistent details were also corrected, like Silas’s diagnosis. I have not been able to reread it in its entirety, but I’m going to trust that the other issues were resolved as well and update to four stars. I’ll leave my original review below just for context, but from what I can see it has been edited both from a formatting perspective as well as proofreading.

A more relevant review now:

The hunt was HOT and I loved the characters. I did find some aspects to feel a bit rushed, but that can be true for any standalone that’s part of an interconnected series; it can be hard to fit everything into one book since you don’t have the luxury of multiples and need to avoid a 500+ pages read. However, I really enjoyed Sarah and Maksim’s dynamic. It was also enough to get me interested in reading the other interconnected stand-alones that I assume exist about the other organized-crime families. I’ll definitely be taking a look at those once I’ve finished my other current reads.

******************

Previous review:

I enjoyed it overall, but did feel that it was too early in the editing process to have been released as an ARC. It is an uncorrected proof, but generally speaking the expectation would still be that the story is complete and has had some type of developmental editing to ensure that’s the case. Uncorrected proof ARCs should really only need light copyediting and/or proofreading, because the point of an ARC is a review, and as-is I don’t feel that I can give a fair review. The reading experience was more in line with a beta read, but without the opportunity to ask questions or give direct, inline feedback.

It could at times be hard to follow due to missing sentences and entire sections. For example, she finds the mask, and then in the next sentence he’s begging her to give him a second chance. I thought the actual confrontation is entirely missing, which was really disappointing because I’d enjoyed the lead-up and was looking forward to it. However, I found the missing section later when Maksim and Hudson were discussing the upcoming dance; midline it switches back to Sarah’s pov when she’s finding out that Maksim and the Beast are one and the same. There still seems to be a few missing sentences, but we at least get most of it. The switch back to the dance conversation also happens from one word to the next.

Along that same line of misplaced/missing content, I felt that the jump from professional and client to romantic partners was abrupt and without enough discussion for it to make sense to the reader, as was the jump from ‘I want to wait and take it slow/to grow in our relationship before having sex’ and the very next night ‘I’m going to fuck your brains out’. There were also occasional inconsistencies in details; her older brother had “hard to treat bipolar disorder” in the very beginning, but for the rest of the book he was schizophrenic. During the first hunt Maksim at times had his mask off but was speaking as though through the modulator without a stutter. Hudson knew Maksim enough to warn him away after their break-up, but I can’t remember if they ever met on-page. And when did Sarah come clean to Hudson and Archie about Maksim being the Beast and everything else that happened while they were together? That detail is also missing.

That said, the hunt was HOT and I loved the characters. I really enjoyed Sarah and Maksim’s dynamic, and I’m genuinely excited to see where it ends up after additional editing on release day. It was also enough to get me interested in reading the other interconnected stand-alones that I assume exist about the other organized-crime families. I’ll definitely be taking a look at those once I’ve finished my other current reads.

I plan to update my rating once I read the released version, but as it currently stands, I have to give it three stars.

Additional note:

I don’t see any of the other reviews mentioning that they had missing or incorrect sections/chapters. Perhaps I received a version I should not have? Unclear to me. I’ve also just realized the release date was Jan 29! Fingers crossed that the issues I outlined were corrected before publication.

[Books, Booze & Bon Voyage (Krista Webster) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maksim by Katie Ashley is book one of the Korolov Bratva series and is a mafia romance between Maksim of the Russian Bratva who has a speech impediment and Dr Sarah Whitfield, a speech-language pathologist. It is an emotional and intense story about hidden identity and obsession, betrayal and deception, anguish and torment, revenge and retribution, plus an interesting kink of masked men and primal play. It is also a crossover with The Irish Rogues series as in the final book Beautiful Trauma, Kellan Kavanaugh falls for Mila who is Maksim’s half-sister. If you have read their story then some of the events are covered in this one but from Maksim's POV which gives the Korolov’s family side of what happened.

The prologue explains how although Maksim is the first born son of a Bratva Pahkan but his stutter is a shameful defect. He is strong and intelligent but seen as not perfect so has had a hard childhood. His father names his half-brother Dima as his heir, which is a humiliating and betraying act, leaving him feeling unworthy and useless. It also leads to a traumatic family event that affects Maksim and his siblings.

The story starts twelve years later and we find how Maksim has coped since losing his birthright. He now enjoys masked primal play hunts and has embraced a dark predator role as the Beast, a Dom who demands pleasure. Wearing a silver mask with a voice automator, he disguises his stutter and his identity.

Sarah treats children who stutters by managing their emotions and behaviours. She likes helping and pleasing people but her family put her under a lot of pressure. Her father has dementia , her older brother is a schizophrenic and younger brother Sammy has Down Syndrome so she physically and emotionally supports her mother. Her two gay friends Hudson and Archie introduced her to the world of primal play and the hunts help her escape her responsibilities.

Maksim desperately wants to get treatment and has discovered Sarah has had success with Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. He sends his brother Aleks to persuade her to treat him but she turns him down. His brother Lev teases him over his obsession with the sexy therapist which leads him to planning to kidnap her at the next hunt. She can’t believe the Beast chooses her and fulfils all her fantasies. Never reacted to a man like this before or been with a Dom like him. Although she furious with the Beast and the situation finds herself in, she is empathetic to what Maksim has been through and agrees to help him.

I loved how feisty she is with the Beast and how sassy she is with Maksim. Their banter during her examination is hilarious and its fun how she challenges him. For a tattooed bad boy, he is kind, thoughtful and treats her so well. He is so good with Sammy and I laughed at him buying cupcakes. He regrets taking her because he has fallen for her and wants her to want him.

While we follow Maksim and Sarah’s journey, we also get all the events involving Mila and Kellan. The problems they cause the Korolov family and the repercussions of their relationship. The actions that change Dima’s life, the alliances made and battling their enemies. Could two imperfect sons end up running the Korolov Bratva.

Will she hate him for playing two men. He has never been in love before and hates to hurt her
so could she forgive him when she learns the truth. When the whole family is in danger and Maksim is targeted, will she throw away her chance of happiness because the man she is in love with has deceived her. An angsty and frightening ending which leaves us with some issues for the next book. The epilogue gives us a funny scene and then a romantic one, then finishes their romance appropriately with a hunt. I wonder if Aleks or Lev will be next?

[Lucy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you to The Smuthood and Katie Ashley for the ARC.

I have some thoughts about this book that are obviously opinion only but they do exist. My issue with Maksim, and why I couldn't imagine rating this higher than a 3 star is just the lack of impact everything had to it. This is touted as a dark mafia romance, but beyond a kidnapping and I suppose the primal play kink, it felt so . . . not dark. The majority of the relationship building between the MCs, Maksim and Sarah were soft moments. In fact, immediately after the kidnapping, Maksim offers Sarah the choice to help him or leave. She wasn't really held hostage there after she met with him face to face.

The majority of this book really didn't involve anything Bratva related. It was like Bratva La Croix, up until the last few chapters. But by the time the subplot of gang intrigue started picking up, most of my interest had fizzled out. The relationship between the two characters did feel authentic and well done. I did like the characters overall. I do think that Maksim's stutter wasn't really dealt with unless we needed some filler for the pages. It just felt like once Sarah agreed to help, it hardly got acknowledged. I do appreciate all of the disability representation. The brother's schizophrenia felt a little heavy handed personally since Sarah was already dealing with a brother with Down's and a father with dementia, the violent schizophrenic was maybe a bit too much.

Overall, it's well written. I did enjoy most of the time reading it. I just personally prefer my mafia romances to be a bit more action packed and dark.

[Alyssa W · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had a really solid time with Maksim: The Korolov Bratva Book One. It’s one of those mafia romances that gives you exactly what you’re expecting—and honestly, sometimes that’s exactly what I want. Nothing about it blew me away, but nothing pulled me out of the story either, which made it a super easy, enjoyable read for me.

I liked the twist on the setup: a children’s speech therapist getting kidnapped to help a mafia member who’s struggled with a stutter since childhood. That detail added a layer of vulnerability to him that I wasn’t expecting and made their dynamic more interesting than the standard mafia pairing. You still get all the usual elements—danger, possessiveness, tension, power imbalance—with a small touch of primal play, but it’s brief and doesn’t take over the story.

Overall, this was just a really steady, satisfying read with a guaranteed HEA. Not groundbreaking, not disappointing—just a good, reliable mafia romance that hits the marks it sets out to hit. If you like the genre, it’s definitely worth picking up.

[Jennifer Loschiavo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mask kink… primal… mafia theme… entertaining yes spicy of course!!! Check triggers kids but theres so much of this on the market… there is one special this about this book the pulled at the hearts strings and thats what gave this 4stars and not three but i do not want to give spoilers so ill let you read it.

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars
Maksim is a Russian who was overlooked for his place as Bratva heir due to his speech impediment. He is big, brawny, and the bookkeeper for the family. But his half-brother is set to be the official head of the family in his place. He has struggled with self-worth due to his stutter, but one way he relieves stress is by going on "pleasure hunts" at masked parties where his custom masks hide both his face and his speech issue.

But when circumstances and duty call for him to work on fixing his issue, what's a man to do when the speech pathologist he wants to help him refuses? When you are raised in Bratva, you do what you have to do.

Sarah is a speech pathologist and an expert in her field and works with children with stuttering and language issues. She has no reason to agree to work with an adult demanding her attention. But when things escalate and more reasons and commonalities are revealed, it has the potential to change everything.

Sarah also has a secret side interest that helps her let go of her stress. And she just had an intense experience that then spiraled into something unexpected. She is haunted by the hot memories of their night together before everything changed. She cannot stop thinking about the masked man, Beast. But now she finds herself needing to help his associate, a Russian mobster with his stutter and is in forced proximity with him and his brothers. But Maks has his own agenda he needs to follow through with no matter how bad it might be, even though he wants to keep her for himself.

As these two spend more time in forced proximity, Sarah begins to see what Maksim‘s really like under his intense persona. She knows he’s a mafia man, but she can also see the core that is a little boy who just wants to be accepted and wants love and to love someone else. He’s protective, thoughtful, possessive, and takes some of her burden away. Even though she has friends, she’s always been the one who has to be the strong and dependable one for her family and never really had somebody to fully lean on. But as things between them seem promising, there are still secrets lurking and threats in the background.

I really liked these two together, and I just really fell for Maksim. This is a mafia story with dual identities, a little kink, humor, romance, and suspense. He lives in a violent world, and she is thrust right into it.

This brings back the Russians, but also some of the Irish and Italians from this author's mafia series. I like that they’re now technically at a point where they’re trying to build relationships between the families. I loved getting more with Dima, Lev, and Aleks, and I am hoping the Russian Brothers are going to get their own stories.

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[Danielle Cordsen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maksim
By: Katie Ashley

📚💕⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💕📚

Well I didn’t see that beginning?

Oh wow this book starts with a bang! Kidnapping to receive help and kindness? That’s different perfect but definitely different. Sarah a brilliant speech therapist and Maksim the rightful successor to the Korolov Bratva mafia family are brought together in the absolute worst way possible. Sarah kidnapped to help Maksim with his speech impediment what could possibly go wrong? I’ll say definitely read you’ll never want to put it down. The authors writing is flawless and the words are so captivating, the plot had so many twists and turns and none that I was expecting, and many shockingly intimate I have become a huge fan of this author. The author writes with so much intensity and emotion pulled from each book it’s felt page after page. Some are quick witted story lines are so perfect and lets you believe you have a front row seat. So being able to read this love story didn’t disappoint. The authors ability to have two separate individuals struggling in their everyday life and try to navigate someone else’s thoughts, needs and desires was intense and gives all the fills.

Authors Blurb: Because of the way I speak, everyone judges me the moment I open my mouth. Even though I’m 6’5 and two eighty, they see me as weak. They always have.
Even my father who passed me over as his heir.
Behind the mask with the automated voice, I’m not weak. Women desire me, and men fear me.

As fortunes change within my family, I need to correct my impediment. That’s why I seek out one of the best speech pathologists on the East Coast. On paper, Dr. Sarah Whitfield looks boring and rigid.

But the good doctor is hiding a secret: she has a kink for Masked Men. She sheds her professional facade on weekends when she attends Masked Events.

And I’m here to fulfill her fantasies of being kidnapped by a masked man.

But this time, it’s for real.

This book has everything I love in a book. Then you add that it's beautifully written and believable. It is easily a five star read. Written in dual POV this story flows so incredibly well that the next thing you know you’re 80% into the book and loving every second of it. The believable way the characters interact is perfect. Run, Hop, Jump or use your (1 click) finger to do whatever you have to do and get this amazing book. It'll break your heart, you'll want to scream with frustration and it'll let you discover that love just might conquer all. The chemistry is steamy and sweet and oh so romantic.

[Principesa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay, so Maksim by Katie Ashley hooked me right from the start. Maksim is destined to be the heir to his mafia family, but on the big night when he’s meant to be named successor, his father humiliates him in front of everyone. Why? Because of his stutter. Instead, his half-brother gets the crown. Fast forward a number of years, and Maks is still carrying that wound (defect, as he calls it) but now he’s desperate to get his speech under control. Enter Sarah—a brilliant speech pathologist who also happens to share his secret kink for masked primal play hunts and their first encounter is all kinds of intense. One night of hunter/prey and Maks goes full dark romance and kidnaps her in a twisted scheme he concocted so she’ll treat him. Now he’s got to figure out how to convince her not to hate him when she realizes her patient, her boyfriend, and her kidnapper are all the same man.

Why I Loved It
* The spice? 🔥 Especially the hunter/prey scenes. They’re primal, they’re hot, and they’re surprisingly emotional.
* The plot isn’t just about the romance—it digs into heavy stuff like mental health, special needs, glass child syndrome, Alzheimer’s, caregiver burnout. It’s layered in a way that makes the story feel bigger than just two people falling in love.
* The relationships are everything. From Sarah’s bond with her parents and Sammy, to her friendships with Tara as well as Hudson and Archie, to Maksim’s ties with Dima, Aleks, Lev, and his sisters—even Voxie the cat’s relationship with the Korolova brothers feels meaningful. It’s rare to see such a big cast where every single connection matters.
* And honestly? The author made me care so much that when a minor character was lost, it hit me like a punch to the gut. That’s when you know the writing is good.

My One Critique
The ending felt rushed. We had the breakup and the big Mafia trope drama in the 3rd act, but it all got wrapped up way too quickly. I wish the author had spent a little more time tying everything up in neat bows—it would have given the finale the same depth and care as the rest of the book.

Final Thoughts
This isn’t just a dark romance—it’s a story about resilience, vulnerability, and finding love in the most unexpected (and morally complicated) places. It’s spicy, it’s emotional, and it’s unforgettable. This was my first book by this author. I’m excited to see what else she’s got and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ — I couldn’t put it down.

[W · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was ok. I’ve only done like one or two mafia books and they were NOT for me, so I’ve avoided them ever since. But I had to read this one because the FMC was an SLP and I wanted to read that representation and also judge how well the author researched speech pathology and stuttering. My biggest complaint is that this needed more editing. “Male pathologist”? A pathologist is a medical doctor who diagnoses cells like cancer or bacteria by looking at a microscope. You HAVE to say “speech pathologist” the “speech” is not optional. And the lack of consistency for the “whit whit” nickname, comma, dash, nothing. Multiple times the author was trying to say “I didn’t X much less Y” and instead wrote “I didn’t X least of all Y” which at first glance might seem like it’s the same but it’s not and it bugged me to no end. I also didn’t like the infantilizing nickname for her brother, he’s a grown adult. And some things seemed like a big deal but we’re just brushed away. His betrayal/argument with his half brother and then next page they’re going to be co leaders. The brother is taken to the compound to detox and we find out in the epilogue like one or two hundred pages at least later that he was sent to rehab.

I did appreciate his relationship with her brother though, that was sweet, he treated him like an adult but also knew the limits.

Now onto the speech part, it was better than I was expecting. But I really wish it had been more clear that as far as we know at this point in science, we don’t know what causes stuttering, just that it’s likely multi factorial with genetics and environment playing a role and we don’t know how to “cure” it, you’ll always stutter. There are things we can do to make it less obvious to other people but it will always be there. Also people who stutter don’t just have one type of disfluency. They’ll have blocks, repetitions, and prolongations. And while I did appreciate the nod to the cognitive aspect of stuttering therapy, which is a big part, especially currently as we’re moving away from trying to “make people stutter less” in therapy and more “how can I accept myself when I stutter” an SLP is not licensed to provide CBT. Like yes it’s “counseling” and uses aspects of CBT, but an SLP would loose their license if they advertised that they provided CBT unless they were also a LMFT or similar provider with that separate license.

[D. J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Combine Mafia with masked primal play? GoodNESS!

This book was a great representation of the ways disabilities can be perceived in different worlds. Maksim is a powerful, built Bratva heir....with a speech impediment. He's rich, attractive, and a person nobody in their right mind would cross, until he opens his mouth. A stutter in his world is viewed as a defect....it makes him weak. His own parents drill it into him any chance they can get. And talk about crazy family dynamics! Though his relationship with his siblings was fantastic, I absolutely loved them! His dad is the ultimate example of a puke Bratva Pahkan, I definitely despise the man and the way he treats his children. Mom isn't much better! This ultimately causes him to retreat in on himself. Until he's introduced to the BDSM world of masked primal play. There, he is The Beast, who wears a mask that not only hides his identity but his stutter (thanks to the automation). And The Beast is HOT! I mean, panty melting!

Life twists and it's time to address the stutter and see if he can overcome it once and for all. What better way than to kidnap a sexy speech pathologist who has the same kink for masked primal play? Enter Dr. Sarah Whitfield. Oh and she also has a crazy family dynamic which makes her no stranger to varying health conditions and disabilities. The relationship between Maksim and Sammy? LOVED IT! My heart goes out to the woman, she has so much on her plate! But a heart of gold and I loved everything about her.

The story mostly focuses on Maksim's therapy and the building relationship between him and Sarah. It's well fought for and so well deserved. The Mafia part of this world feels like it's holding its breath, waiting to explode. The masked primal play was insanely hot, and the shared passion of the hunt was a fun connection. I really enjoyed the families; both Maksim and his siblings and Sarah and her whole family. All the different dynamics were so complex but so heart felt. I wanted to hug all of them for different reasons!

I was fortunate enough to receive this ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thanks to both the Author and The Smuthood PR for the opportunity!

[kgagnon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maksim is an exciting and steamy spin off romance book from Ashley's The Irish Rogues series. We are learning more about Mila's family after meeting them during her heart-pounding story. This is Maksim and Sarah's intriguing and sizzling romance that is full of action, suspense, and passion. Maksim is the oldest son but was over looked because of his speech impairment. When his younger brother is injured, he must seek help to overcome his disability, to prove he is strong enough to run the family. He asks Dr. Sarah Whitfield, who mainly treats children, to help him but she turns him down at first. Sarah has a lot of pressure to take care of her brothers and father because of their different limitations. She has always had to be the strong, good girl, so she seeks out places she can let go, and have her choices taken away. When Maksim discovers that she attends the same prey parties as he does, only as a submissive, he takes advantage and takes her away for real. Sarah is mad at first, but her empathy for his problems makes her agree to help him. The more time they spend together, the more she see the kind man with the heart of gold. Maksim likes her submissive side but likes her fiery spirit as well. They start to fall for each other and their passion is in sync and on fire. But Maksim is holding back a secret that could break them apart. When Sarah discovers the truth, will she understand, or will his betrayal be too hard to forgive? I really loved the unique characters in this story that are rarely represented. I loved Maksim and Sarah together, their empathy, humor, love for family, and their chemistry was explosive. I loved getting to know both their families who are all fun, loyal, and loving. This heart-pounding, emotional, and steamy story is a great start to this new series and I can't wait for more from the Korolov Bratva family!

[Ashleigh Martin · Rating 4 out of 5]

Katie Ashley is a new author to me, and I was excited to have the opportunity to read an ARC copy in exchange for my open and honest review. Thank you Katie Ashley and The Smuthood.

4 Stars

The book follows Maksim, a Russian Bratva man who was passed over on being Pakhan because he has a stutter; and Sarah, a speech pathologist who gets roped into helping him with the stutter. We follow them through the trials of being student and teacher to friends then ultimately lovers.

Relationship and chemistry between Maksim and Sarah felt natural even with the secret that was being kept on Maksim's side. Sarah was very open about her family dynamics and the disability and mental health representation between her family members and Maksim was done in a respectful way. Maksim was very supportive of Sarah and her family dynamic.

Beginning of the book hooked you, and for the first half of the book kept my interest, but as it went on the book became somewhat predictable. There was slight background note for the bratva and their business; but not as much as I am used to. I wish there was a little more action with that. The end of the book was rushed and left me wanting more. And I wish the epilogue was longer.

When it comes to spice I would give it a 2.5 out of 5 chili peppers. There was some primal play, but I felt like there was some lacking with in regards to this. It was something both were into, but we didn't get to see a whole lot of it. I felt in this category it was a little lackluster.

Overall, I enjoyed the story. I would recommend this to someone just getting into the mafia type books. Or to someone who is into light mafia books.

[Alayna Humphrey · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC READ* First read of this author and I loved it! This Mafia read is just the right level of dark and a fantastic level of spice. Don't be fooled by the FMCs Sarah's kind-hearted and sweet demeanor. Our speech pathologist, likes to let her wild side run. And likes it even more being chased by a masked man through the forest. IYKYK. MMC Maksim forever viewed as a defect to his Bratva father due to a stutter. Due to circumstances, as an adult Maksim seeks out a speech pathologist to help with his stutter in order to overthrow the head of the Mafia. HOT TIP: To fully enjoy this read you have to throw out all the "stranger danger" and boundaries learned in life and be like, it's totally reasonable for this guy to kidnap this woman from The Hunt to help with his stutter. I mean, he agreed to bring her cat over for the duration of the Stockholm syndrome stay, and even went and got allergy shots because he's deathly allergic. HOW SWEET RIGHT? Also we love a FMC who is a great sister and daughter to her family. So when Maksim stepped into certain roles to help make Sarah's life easier, *swoon*. And the family camaraderie that's felt on both sides of the characters' family is great. It was refreshing reading a dark Mafia where you feel the siblings family ties and loyalty through the pages. All in all, I really enjoyed reading this. *There is unfortunately a format issue where it appears 2 chapters were swapped about 2/3 of the way and at a pivotal part of the read.* I was able to deduce what happened thorough the reading. Since it's Book 1 of this series, I am looking forward to reading Book 2! Tropes: Mafia, primal play, masked man, dom/sub

[Ecem · Rating 4 out of 5]

*****Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of Maksim by Katie Ashley in exchange for an honest review.

I just finished Maksim and I am genuinely happy because this is the first book in a while where I truly loved the characters. Lately I have struggled to connect with the main couples in the books I read, so I was a little hesitant going into this one.

I have always enjoyed Bratva romances, but sometimes they can feel a bit too dark for my personal taste. Maksim was not like that. Yes, there are dark elements, as expected in a Bratva story, but overall it felt deeply romantic. I would not call it cozy, yet certain scenes and especially some of the dialogues genuinely warmed my heart.

Maksim and Sarah were beautifully written. They are romantic, protective, and devoted to each other, but they are also not afraid to tease and challenge one another. That balance made their relationship feel alive. Their chemistry felt natural, and the emotional connection between them was convincing.

It was not only the main couple that stood out. I honestly loved all the characters. Maksim’s brothers, Sarah’s brother, and their friends all added depth and warmth to the story. The side characters did not feel like background decoration; they felt real and memorable.

The reason I am giving four stars instead of five is the pacing. Some parts moved a little too quickly, and I think certain emotional moments could have been explored in more detail. A bit more buildup in those sections would have made the story even stronger.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book and I am excited to continue the series.

[Pat Kelly · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️‍🔥🖤ARC REVIEW‍🔥🖤

Maksim is a fast-paced, twist-filled mafia romance by Katie Ashley. The story begins with Maksim kidnapping Sarah so she can treat him, leading her to discover that her patient, boyfriend, and captor are all the same person.

Maksim (MMC), a Russian with a speech impediment, was passed over as Bratva heir in favor of his half-brother. Big and strong, he handles the family's bookkeeping and finds relief from self-doubt at masked parties where his hidden identity eases his stutter. The story also introduces Maksim���s brothers: Dima, Lev, and Aleks.

Sarah (MFC) is an experienced speech pathologist who focuses primarily on pediatric stuttering and language disorders, generally declining adult cases. However, unforeseen circumstances and shared interests may prompt her to reconsider this stance. Privately, Sarah engages in a personal interest that serves as her means of stress relief. Following a significant and unexpected encounter with an individual known as Beast, she finds herself preoccupied with the events that transpired. Subsequently, Sarah is called upon to assist Beast’s associate—an adult male with a stutter who is affiliated with a Russian organization—and must work in proximity with him and his brothers. Meanwhile, Maks, the associate, has personal objectives to pursue, regardless of their consequences, even as he develops a desire to keep Sarah in his life.

Story - ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Spice - 🌶️🌶️🌶️

🖤Dark Mafia Romance
🖤Masked Man
🖤Disability Representation
🖤Touch Her and Die
🖤Kidnapping

[Dani Jackson · Rating 4 out of 5]

*arc review*

I want to first say that the research that went into the clinical side of these disorders mentioned in the book was well worth it. As a therapist, it was nice to see these situations portrayed well. Sometimes it’s over done or there’s mistakes. While I know not every author can deep dive, it was nice.

I absolutely loved the chemistry and relationship development between Sarah and Maksim. While there was the whole elephant in the room that we were aware of, their love was cute, funny and pretty wholesome for a mafia book. Most mafia books push the toxic masculinity angle, which obviously there’s a reason for that stereotype. But, I loved how soft Maksim was even at the beginning. It made his softness towards Sarah and her family authentic.

The mafia angle seemed to be a behind the scenes and the stutter treatment the name focus. Which don’t get me wrong, I’m all for representation. But I feel like for that being a highlighted trope, it wasn’t as prevalent. But- it was made up in Sarah’s sass lol.

The downside, which made me considered rating one less star, was the ending. I felt it was rushed. I wish there was at least a chapter or two of groveling before we got to the epilogue.

Overall, I laughed and giggled. The spicy was there but wasn’t glaring or overdone. I’m here for smut, so I could’ve gone with an extra scene or two. But it was a downside or something glaringly missing. I enjoyed it and loved it!

[Lizzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I went into Maksim by Katie Ashley expecting a gritty, possessive antihero, and Maksim definitely delivered. From the first chapter his “touch her and die” energy is loud and clear, but what surprised me was how much heart was woven into the darkness. Sarah is such a grounding presence—kind, strong, and patient without ever feeling like a pushover. The dynamic between a speech pathologist heroine and a hero with a stutter was handled with real care, and I loved seeing disability representation play a meaningful role in their connection rather than just being a plot device.

The story leans hard into classic dark-romance territory—masked men, danger lurking around every corner, and a kidnapping that throws Sarah straight into Maksim’s ruthless world. The tension between fear and attraction was addictive, and Ashley does a great job showing how Sarah slowly sees the man behind the monster. Maksim is possessive and morally gray in all the ways fans of the genre crave, yet his vulnerabilities made him feel human and unexpectedly tender.

If you enjoy mafia-adjacent romance with intensity, protective obsession, and a heroine who meets the hero’s darkness with compassion instead of cowering, this one hits the mark. It’s gritty, emotional, and unapologetically dramatic—exactly what I want when I pick up a book like this.

⭐️: 4/5
🌶️: 5/5

Thank you to The Smuthood for an advanced copy! All opinions are honest and my own.

[Stacey Foss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new author to me and i enjoyed her writing. She truly wrote an amazing story with both mental health and disability aspects that were very true to life and realistic you could very much relate to the characters and what they are going through. Maksim is the Bratva Heir but due to his disability his father passes him over giving it to his half brother. As a way to deal with his disability and the judgement he gets he has become the beast a man that is sought after in the primal/hunt community. When a situation causes his brother to be hurt they come up with a plan to take their father out and take over as joint Pahkans Maksim starts looking for a speech therapist. Sarah is perfect except she only works with kids. The banter and sassy comebacks these two have was perfection. She stands up to him and gives him all kinds of grief at first. She shows no fear. While these two start working together it doesn't take long for their attraction to grow but secrets and betrayals keep them apart when truths come out. This book was paced perfectly and keeps you engaged, it has action steam and your heart breaks for both of them throughout the book. While it is a mafia romance you do get fantastic emotional feelings. Maksim is sweet and attentive to sarah trying to give her the world and help her take care of those she loves. Very enjoyable read. I was given this book as an ARC for my honest review.

[HollyJane · Rating 1 out of 5]

⭐ DNF at 30%
I went into this book ready to enjoy a good disability trope—honestly, I love when stories thoughtfully explore characters with real challenges. That is not the issue here. The problem is that the author seemed determined to pack every possible disability, trauma, and life‑altering event into the first 18% of the story, to the point where it stopped feeling meaningful and just felt overwhelming.
In the opening chapters alone, the FMC’s brother has a developmental disability, her father has dementia, and she herself is carrying a lifetime of being overlooked and overburdened by family expectations… and none of this is given time to breathe. Then the MMC shows up with a stutter, his father disowned him in favor of a stepbrother, and that stepbrother promptly has a stroke. Again—this is all before we even reach the one‑fifth mark of the book.
It doesn’t feel like character depth. It feels like the author threw everything and the kitchen sink into the plot, hoping that piling on tragedy would substitute for organic development. Instead, the story becomes emotionally numbing. No single moment is allowed to land, and none of the characters’ struggles feel earned or explored with nuance.
Complex life experiences can make for powerful storytelling, but only when handled with care, pacing, and intention. Here, it’s just too much, too fast, and ultimately it pulls the reader out of the story instead of drawing them in.

[Rissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maybe I need to find my local Bratva because I would love to have a man like Maksim. He is such a big scary man, but a complete softy at heart. Is his way of picking up women questionable? Yes. Is he really good at it though? Also yes. The way he grovels both to her face and incognito in the beginning was done so well. The way he shows up for not only Sarah but her family has me swooning.

Sarah is such a solid FMC. She isn’t easy to pushover, she knows exactly what she wants, and she doesn’t waver once she’s set her mind to something. Even though she’s the middle child, she is the definition of eldest daughter. It’s refreshing to see someone else go through the highs and lows of being the family caregiver.

I loved how Maksim and Sarah both got to experience a bit of found family in this book. His siblings took a little longer with Sarah but they treated her like a sister. Seeing Sarah’s parents and brother interact with Maksim, I could physically feel the bandaid they were putting on his heart. There’s a solid representation of being a family member/caregiver to someone with dementia that I really resonated with.

The way Maksim and Sarah were able to be each other’s strength was so good. It made way for phenomenal chemistry between them. It’s a slow burn, but my god when it explodes is it great. I had so much fun reading this book.

[Hayley Pittman · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5/5 ⭐️

The first half of this book was fun, exciting, and sexy. The character development and lead up to the climax was such a fun read. The sassiness from the fmc makes you laugh out loud and the brute force of the mmc is hot. I was hoping there would be more work with the mmc’s stutter because that was the main focus of the book. Sarah is a Speech Language Pathologist who helps children overcome their stutter. That’s why Maksim had taken her but they didn’t put much time into working with his speech after she agreed to stay. At about 30-40% left of the book it felt rushed, almost as if it was a different book entirely. It jumped around and felt like you were supposed to know what was happening. There was no anticipation, the fmc told exactly what she was feeling. Things got less exciting. At some points it was unnecessarily over dramatic. The intimate scenes got less descriptive and straight to the point, in not a fun way for the reader. A big switch from the exciting chase from the beginning. For being a strong Russian Bratva he was overly sensitive sometimes and cried too much, in my opinion. There was also supposed to be a dance and it never happened, which is unfortunate because it seemed to be an important part of the book. There was also a lot of grammatical errors and the mmc’s name was spelt wrong multiple times.

[Maryum Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review 🥳
This isn’t just another mafia romance; it’s a heavy, heart-aching look at what happens when a man’s greatest strength is trapped behind his greatest frustration.
The emotional core of this story is stunning. You have this 6’5” tower of a man a physical titan who has been treated as "less than" by his own blood because of his stutter. The psychological toll of being dismissed as "weak" by the Bratva, and specifically by his father, adds a layer of raw, jagged vulnerability that makes you want to reach through the pages.
Then, there’s the sensory contrast. By day, he is in a clinical setting, struggling to find his voice under the watchful, professional eyes of Dr. Sarah Whitfield. By night, he is the king of his own domain masked, commanding, and finally free of his impediment thanks to technology.🔥
"A gripping dark mafia romance with a twist! 😈 The Masked Man trope gets a fresh spin with a stuttering hero who's anything but weak behind his mask. The speech pathologist Dr. Sarah Whitfield is hiding a secret that'll fuel the flames 🔥. With kidnapping, disability rep, and intense desire, this story's got all the makings of a page-turner. Fans of '50 Shades' and mafia romance will devour this!" 💋
@samantha_readsyourwords and @thesmuthood thank you for sending me this book e-ARC. I am so lucky to read this one 💋🥳