The story of Victor and Jonah is a dark and violent one, taking place amid a power struggle for control of the Morozov crime family. When Victor is ambushed and shot by his uncle Sergei, he is close to death. But Sergei wants him alive and broken, so Jonah ends up being a pawn in the struggle for dominance, a nurse taken to treat Victor, locked in with him, falling under his sexual spell to begin, then quickly starting to care as he sees a softer side, only for him. As the power struggle continues, Jonah is steadfast by Viktor’s side, adapting to his place to treat, comfort and heal him, while supporting in any other way he can. His relationship with Viktor’s best friend Nikolai and brother Lev is complicated, as the three are very close but Viktor is extremely possessive where Jonah is concerned. You have the good and the bad sides of the Morozov family, really not much different, just depends on the side you are on as both are violent, but Viktor is the rightful heir, and in this case, it comes down to might makes right —eventually. Babushka is an unknown element during much of the book. You know she’s important, just not how important, until the end. She’s a feisty old lady with some “killer skills”, in more ways than one.
If you’re not into blood, torture and death, this may not be the book for you. There is nothing sweet about this book, unless it’s the hold Jonah has on Viktor without even trying, bringing out his softer side and tempering his violent tendencies to a small extent. There’s some poetic justice, many very hot spicy scenes between the two, and betrayal as well as loyalty within the family. The option is there for additional books for Nikolai and Lev to each get their story in the future, so if blood and Bratva are your thing, this story might really be for you. I stayed interested the entire time, gave mental cringes at times and mental fist pumps at others, feeling a sense of satisfaction when “justice” was served. If this sounds like your kind of book, enjoy.
I received an advance copy for free and this is my voluntary review.