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Empire of Sins #2
Deviant Need
Deviant Need is the second book in The Empire of Sins series by L. Norell—dark MM mafia romances following the Avrorin family through interconnected stories. Each book builds on an overarching plot, so the series MUST BE READ IN ORDER. Come for the darkness and the forbidden, stay for the dark humor, shocking reveals, and a steamy romance.
Taken in by the Avrorin family as a child, Daniil has only ever had one safe place: Mikhail Avrorin.
For eight years, he’s wanted more, consumed by a one-sided crush triggered by a forbidden encounter in their teens. A crush so devastating, and buried so deep, he’s almost at a breaking point. When he tries to pull away, Mikhail pulls him in tighter, unwilling to let him go despite both wanting the impossible.
Over the years, they’ve become inseparable, codependent in ways that cross every line of what’s healthy. And they shouldn’t want each other the way they do. It’s forbidden. Wrong. But one kiss has the power to destroy every wall they’ve built.
When Daniil decides to search for his biological family, against the Avrorins’ wishes, Mikhail is the only one he trusts to help. But the truth runs deeper and darker than either of them expected, and some of it was never meant to be found.
Taken in by the Avrorin family as a child, Daniil has only ever had one safe place: Mikhail Avrorin.
For eight years, he’s wanted more, consumed by a one-sided crush triggered by a forbidden encounter in their teens. A crush so devastating, and buried so deep, he’s almost at a breaking point. When he tries to pull away, Mikhail pulls him in tighter, unwilling to let him go despite both wanting the impossible.
Over the years, they’ve become inseparable, codependent in ways that cross every line of what’s healthy. And they shouldn’t want each other the way they do. It’s forbidden. Wrong. But one kiss has the power to destroy every wall they’ve built.
When Daniil decides to search for his biological family, against the Avrorins’ wishes, Mikhail is the only one he trusts to help. But the truth runs deeper and darker than either of them expected, and some of it was never meant to be found.
472 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 25, 2026
About the author
L. Norell
3 books391 followersL. Norell is an author based in Sweden who reads too much, leaves the house too little, and has been making up stories about fictional people since before she can remember.
After years of writing books just for herself, she finally decided to unleash one on the world. You’re welcome. Or sorry. Depending on how you feel about people falling for the one person they probably shouldn’t.
When she’s not writing, she’s stress baking, online shopping with zero intention of buying anything, and rewatching the same show for the fifth time.
Follow L. Norell on Instagram (@authorlnorell) for snippets, teasers, and all the chaos
After years of writing books just for herself, she finally decided to unleash one on the world. You’re welcome. Or sorry. Depending on how you feel about people falling for the one person they probably shouldn’t.
When she’s not writing, she’s stress baking, online shopping with zero intention of buying anything, and rewatching the same show for the fifth time.
Follow L. Norell on Instagram (@authorlnorell) for snippets, teasers, and all the chaos
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 343 reviews
September 26, 2026
3.5*** stars
oh my god, the way i gobbled this up. these two not blood-related brothers were so damn hot in their desperation for each other. so dependent. very unhealthy. this book was so full of need, jealousy, pining and cock-blocking each other it gave me a non-stop thrill. and for two men not wanting to get caught they sure as fuck fucked everywhere anyone could’ve easily noticed. *lol
BUT! the one thing that almost made me lose it with this book was how the author handled the random women here. i know they were a plot tool to achieve all of the above but it was honestly pretty disgusting depicting an unending row of women (aka girls) as absolutely desperate to get into these guys’ pants ALL THE TIME AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY and none of them getting the hint or having any self-respect. needless to say neither Mikhail nor Daniiel had any respect for them either. that really put a damper on my enjoyment.
this being a dark romance doesn’t justify a general disrespect towards women. i was close to ripping my hair out a few times, forgetting why otherwise i loved everything about it. ⇢ and make that the reason for my rating being way lower than i would’ve liked.
************
Empire of Sins Series
Book 1 - Violent Devotion - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - Deviant Need - 3.5 stars
Book 3 - Twisted Defiance - release 04/27
oh my god, the way i gobbled this up. these two not blood-related brothers were so damn hot in their desperation for each other. so dependent. very unhealthy. this book was so full of need, jealousy, pining and cock-blocking each other it gave me a non-stop thrill. and for two men not wanting to get caught they sure as fuck fucked everywhere anyone could’ve easily noticed. *lol
BUT! the one thing that almost made me lose it with this book was how the author handled the random women here. i know they were a plot tool to achieve all of the above but it was honestly pretty disgusting depicting an unending row of women (aka girls) as absolutely desperate to get into these guys’ pants ALL THE TIME AT EVERY OPPORTUNITY and none of them getting the hint or having any self-respect. needless to say neither Mikhail nor Daniiel had any respect for them either. that really put a damper on my enjoyment.
this being a dark romance doesn’t justify a general disrespect towards women. i was close to ripping my hair out a few times, forgetting why otherwise i loved everything about it. ⇢ and make that the reason for my rating being way lower than i would’ve liked.
************
Empire of Sins Series
Book 1 - Violent Devotion - 4.25 stars
Book 2 - Deviant Need - 3.5 stars
Book 3 - Twisted Defiance - release 04/27
September 26, 2026
DELICIOUS. That’s what this book was.
There was basically NOTHING right about their relationship, and yet it made ABSOLUTE sense and was so damn good to read that it may send me into a co-dependent toxic-relationship reading rampage 🥰
Because that’s exactly what this book is about. The way they were together from the moment they met and throughout the years - they never stood a chance 🥹
“You were never just my brother, Danya.
You’ve been the only thing that mattered to me from the moment we met.”
Mikhail was such a perfectly oblivious idiot and I LOVED IT 🤭
Together with all of his hilarious inner monologues:
“This doesn’t mean I’m gay.
I’m still straight.
Very straight.
I just happen to want to fuck my brother, which is completely different.”
Oooooooh, the PINING and YEARNING.
I just ATE IT UP and I have nothing better to say about it 🙃
Just a friendly reminder here that Russia is a TERRORIST STATE!!! that ruined my office and killed 7 people on my neighbour street yesterday and keeps doing that every single day.
There is NOTHING good about it.
I will never romanticise it, and I will never pretend otherwise.
That said, I do want to mention that the author is either fluent in the language or had very good support, because while I am - unfortunately - fluent myself, I had no remarks about the language at all. The only thing that stood out to me was the name Mikhail - it’s a full, formal name and not something you’d normally use in everyday life. Misha would be the natural everyday diminutive.
Also - it was one of the most beautiful love confessions I have ever read!!!!
Can’t and won’t even post any highlights because just GO AND READ IT 💜
There was basically NOTHING right about their relationship, and yet it made ABSOLUTE sense and was so damn good to read that it may send me into a co-dependent toxic-relationship reading rampage 🥰
Because that’s exactly what this book is about. The way they were together from the moment they met and throughout the years - they never stood a chance 🥹
“You were never just my brother, Danya.
You’ve been the only thing that mattered to me from the moment we met.”
Mikhail was such a perfectly oblivious idiot and I LOVED IT 🤭
Together with all of his hilarious inner monologues:
“This doesn’t mean I’m gay.
I’m still straight.
Very straight.
I just happen to want to fuck my brother, which is completely different.”
Oooooooh, the PINING and YEARNING.
I just ATE IT UP and I have nothing better to say about it 🙃
Just a friendly reminder here that Russia is a TERRORIST STATE!!! that ruined my office and killed 7 people on my neighbour street yesterday and keeps doing that every single day.
There is NOTHING good about it.
I will never romanticise it, and I will never pretend otherwise.
That said, I do want to mention that the author is either fluent in the language or had very good support, because while I am - unfortunately - fluent myself, I had no remarks about the language at all. The only thing that stood out to me was the name Mikhail - it’s a full, formal name and not something you’d normally use in everyday life. Misha would be the natural everyday diminutive.
Also - it was one of the most beautiful love confessions I have ever read!!!!
Can’t and won’t even post any highlights because just GO AND READ IT 💜
September 26, 2026
I come here with a broken heart🙁💔
I was eagerly waiting for Daniil and Mikhail story since I read Violent Devotion; and I loved Violent devotion, which I forgot to review btw🙄but it was a solid 4.5⭐️ But I saw in book 1, how co-dependent Daniil and Mikhail are and how they are attached at the hip. And don't get me wrong, they are very much so like this in their book, and I love that. But coming into this book, I had my expectation very high, which the book didn't quite reach them.
Things I loved:
- Their nicknames for each other
- The flashback to their childhood and how their connection started and progressed.
- Mikhail plastering very wall of his room with snapshots of the last few years of the two of them, but mostly pictures of Daniil just laughing or asleep on the couch.
- Seeing Alexei and Kelly, and knowing they are now parents to more rabbits😅
- How obsessed, protective, and possessive Daniil and Mikhaiil are of each other.
- How co-dependent they are. How Mikhail still likes to crawl into bed with Daniil to sleep better.
- How cuddly they are
- Mikhail just casually planting open mouth kisses on Daniil's neck while also thinking that kissing his brother like that is weird as fuck😆
- Mikhail complaining about clingy people and how that's a big issue for him while he is the clingiest person when it comes to Daniil🤣
- The tattoos and their meanings
- The dogs
- Basically, I loved every single moment of the book before Daniil and Mikhail got together.
But.........
Things I didn't like:
- They got together, and it was one spicy scene after the other then another. The spice got way too much that it felt endless, so I start skimming then skipping them. Same with the risky sex scene, especially whenever their family was in the vicinity, got very repetitive., and I felt bored and detached. I hate to say this, but I personally feel that the endless spicy scenes cheapened the book and their relationship cus it steered it more towards lust.
- At one point, Daniil felt like just a super horny teenager, wanting Mikhail to fuck him everywhere and anywhere.
- This is a very personal preference of mine but I like when there is a bi-awakening trope (although Mikhail still thinks he is straight and just loves Daniil), for that MMC first time with a guy to be a whole new experience regarding everything including sex. But here, anal has always been Mikhail thing while having sex and what gets him off the hardest. So, for me, his new experience with Daniil lost some "special aspects."
- The no-condom talk or lack-off rubbed me wrong. Mikhail expressed that he wants to be inside Daniil without condom and Daniil liked the idea. There was no talk about Mikhail sex health, especially cus Mikhail tends to do drugs often, and I assume when he party and fuck, he is under the influence. So, I would have appreciated a small safety talk.
- The amount of rolled joints mentioned and smoked by Daniil and Mikhail got too much for my taste.
- The number of women that are hitting on them, especially on Mikhail felt ridiculous tbh. Literally every female mentioned was just hitting on one of them🙄
- How Daniil had to witness Mikhail bring people home while being in love with him. I just felt bad for Daniil.
Despite all that, I can truly see why people would love this book and gush about it. For me personally, I expected more than the book delivered. Overall, it is still a good book. But compared to Violent Devotion, I definitely prefer and enjoyed more Alexei & Kelly story🤩
Now, I'm looking forward to Yulian's book because I'm very intrigued with the story behind the hoodie🤞🏼
I was eagerly waiting for Daniil and Mikhail story since I read Violent Devotion; and I loved Violent devotion, which I forgot to review btw🙄but it was a solid 4.5⭐️ But I saw in book 1, how co-dependent Daniil and Mikhail are and how they are attached at the hip. And don't get me wrong, they are very much so like this in their book, and I love that. But coming into this book, I had my expectation very high, which the book didn't quite reach them.
Things I loved:
- Their nicknames for each other
- The flashback to their childhood and how their connection started and progressed.
- Mikhail plastering very wall of his room with snapshots of the last few years of the two of them, but mostly pictures of Daniil just laughing or asleep on the couch.
- Seeing Alexei and Kelly, and knowing they are now parents to more rabbits😅
- How obsessed, protective, and possessive Daniil and Mikhaiil are of each other.
- How co-dependent they are. How Mikhail still likes to crawl into bed with Daniil to sleep better.
- How cuddly they are
- Mikhail just casually planting open mouth kisses on Daniil's neck while also thinking that kissing his brother like that is weird as fuck😆
- Mikhail complaining about clingy people and how that's a big issue for him while he is the clingiest person when it comes to Daniil🤣
- The tattoos and their meanings
- The dogs
- Basically, I loved every single moment of the book before Daniil and Mikhail got together.
But.........
Things I didn't like:
- They got together, and it was one spicy scene after the other then another. The spice got way too much that it felt endless, so I start skimming then skipping them. Same with the risky sex scene, especially whenever their family was in the vicinity, got very repetitive., and I felt bored and detached. I hate to say this, but I personally feel that the endless spicy scenes cheapened the book and their relationship cus it steered it more towards lust.
- At one point, Daniil felt like just a super horny teenager, wanting Mikhail to fuck him everywhere and anywhere.
- This is a very personal preference of mine but I like when there is a bi-awakening trope (although Mikhail still thinks he is straight and just loves Daniil), for that MMC first time with a guy to be a whole new experience regarding everything including sex. But here, anal has always been Mikhail thing while having sex and what gets him off the hardest. So, for me, his new experience with Daniil lost some "special aspects."
- The no-condom talk or lack-off rubbed me wrong. Mikhail expressed that he wants to be inside Daniil without condom and Daniil liked the idea. There was no talk about Mikhail sex health, especially cus Mikhail tends to do drugs often, and I assume when he party and fuck, he is under the influence. So, I would have appreciated a small safety talk.
- The amount of rolled joints mentioned and smoked by Daniil and Mikhail got too much for my taste.
- The number of women that are hitting on them, especially on Mikhail felt ridiculous tbh. Literally every female mentioned was just hitting on one of them🙄
- How Daniil had to witness Mikhail bring people home while being in love with him. I just felt bad for Daniil.
Despite all that, I can truly see why people would love this book and gush about it. For me personally, I expected more than the book delivered. Overall, it is still a good book. But compared to Violent Devotion, I definitely prefer and enjoyed more Alexei & Kelly story🤩
Now, I'm looking forward to Yulian's book because I'm very intrigued with the story behind the hoodie🤞🏼
Review of advance copy
Y’all. I am obsessed with this book!
Daniil & Mikhail are the kings of codependency & the yearning & tension between was so deliciousss-I love them! Daniil’s secret pining for years killed me & the way that Mikhail just never knew at all. But I love how protective Mikhail always was with him no matter what. He’s his safe space 😭 also, they’re so risqué & every spicy scene between was HOT 🥵
My heart hurt so much for both of them in different ways-Daniil with everything he suffered as a child & Mikhail for his struggles with his mental health. I was crying near the end with what he was going through. & god I just hate Roman so much. The abuse they’ve all suffered at his hands and everything he put them through when they were kids-I’m glad that things turned out the way they did for him.
Subtle little things I loved: all of Mikhail’s tattoos being little nods to special moments between them was so freakin sweet.
I also loved the appearances from Kelly & Alexei, of course, and I’m so stoked for Yulian’s book too! Love how the brothers are always up to some kind of shenanigans 🤪
*also, this is not a standalone, please read book 1 (Violent Devotion) first!
Some things to expect:
💜 dark mm mafia romance
🖤 adoptive brothers
💜 toxic (*extremely*) codependency
🖤 hurt/comfort
💜 selective mutism
🖤 8-year secret crush
💜 demisexual rep
My fav parts:
Every word I’ve ever spoken belongs to Mikhail. Always has, always will.
We’re each other’s drug. The high, the crash, the withdrawal, the whole fucking cycle. I’m an addict, and he’s my fix, and I can’t seem to quit no matter how hard I try.
“I’ve only ever belonged to you, Misha. From the very beginning.”
“But it’s always been you, Danya. You’re the center of everything for me. The reason I keep trying even when I wanted to give up. You’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I wasn’t completely broken.”
Thank you so much for the chance to read this early-these are my honest thoughts!
Daniil & Mikhail are the kings of codependency & the yearning & tension between was so deliciousss-I love them! Daniil’s secret pining for years killed me & the way that Mikhail just never knew at all. But I love how protective Mikhail always was with him no matter what. He’s his safe space 😭 also, they’re so risqué & every spicy scene between was HOT 🥵
My heart hurt so much for both of them in different ways-Daniil with everything he suffered as a child & Mikhail for his struggles with his mental health. I was crying near the end with what he was going through. & god I just hate Roman so much. The abuse they’ve all suffered at his hands and everything he put them through when they were kids-I’m glad that things turned out the way they did for him.
Subtle little things I loved: all of Mikhail’s tattoos being little nods to special moments between them was so freakin sweet.
I also loved the appearances from Kelly & Alexei, of course, and I’m so stoked for Yulian’s book too! Love how the brothers are always up to some kind of shenanigans 🤪
*also, this is not a standalone, please read book 1 (Violent Devotion) first!
Some things to expect:
💜 dark mm mafia romance
🖤 adoptive brothers
💜 toxic (*extremely*) codependency
🖤 hurt/comfort
💜 selective mutism
🖤 8-year secret crush
💜 demisexual rep
My fav parts:
Every word I’ve ever spoken belongs to Mikhail. Always has, always will.
We’re each other’s drug. The high, the crash, the withdrawal, the whole fucking cycle. I’m an addict, and he’s my fix, and I can’t seem to quit no matter how hard I try.
“I’ve only ever belonged to you, Misha. From the very beginning.”
“But it’s always been you, Danya. You’re the center of everything for me. The reason I keep trying even when I wanted to give up. You’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I wasn’t completely broken.”
Thank you so much for the chance to read this early-these are my honest thoughts!
September 27, 2026
I am….sad.
This isn’t what I was expecting for this book, and I really thought I was going to love this book so much more than I did. Instead, I come out feeling very indifferent about it.
Their connection to me felt very surface-level. I just couldn’t get into their dynamic and I’m not really sure what was stopping me. I think it was the writing style in this book that really threw me off. There was so much exposition in the prose, it really turned me off from the rest of the book. I can’t remember the first book being like that. And I really enjoyed how unhinged and ill equipped Alexei was when it came to romancing Kelly. I remember feeling very charmed by their romance because they had a good dynamic between them, and they were different enough that there was a little bit of a challenge to their romance.
Daniil and Mikhail were very codependent on one another, and their relationship was very toxic and unhealthy, which is normally a dynamic that I really love. I just was not feeling it in this book. So much of the early chapters was just exposition and telling us things instead of showing us, and I think that just spoiled the rest of the book for me. I could not get into the book after that. I wish we had just been thrown into the action and left to discover everything for our ourselves instead of being told everything.
My biggest gripe with this book is the way that every single woman in this book was portrayed besides their mother. Every single female character in this book was a set piece basically designed to show us how desirable the two main characters were, specifically Mikhail. One time, OK fine. This happened at least a handful of times in this book.
And it was the same sort of dynamic: a ditzy, desperate woman comes on to either Mikhail or Daniil and then is brutally rejected after one of them becomes jealous. Hell, Daniil dumped a milkshake on a random girl just for expressing interest in Mikhail. I genuinely don’t know what the author wanted me to feel about that. Was I supposed to laugh, was I supposed to find this endearing? I found it rude and childish for two men that are supposed to be in their 20s.
Hell, a lot of this book is super repetitive. The boys got high, a random girl hits on one of them and one of them becomes jealous, they have sex in public, and they get turned on from possibly being caught, and then something violent happens. Rinse and repeat.
Even the spice in this book got so repetitive. I don’t mind when a book has a lot of spice, but I do feel like it should be evenly dispersed throughout the whole book. They had marathons of sex in this book. Where it would be three chapters in a row of them just getting it on with each other and it was always the same dynamic of them being in public and getting hot under the collar because they might get caught.
Also: maybe I’m a prude and maybe I’m a grandma, but I didn’t really find it hot when they’re getting it on with one another in front of their family, and when they are probably making eye contact with their family members! That was a little bit too far for me. It definitely crossed the line from being hot and dirty to just being plain up gross. And that’s just a personal preference, I’m sure a lot of people will probably found that a little bit hot, and I’m happy for you! This was not my bag.
And the random drops of the names of the song/artist that are being used in the book was driving me insane. It felt very, again, childish? I’m not really sure if that’s the word that I’m searching for, but it felt very preteen-esque of this author to include this. Maybe I’m being harsh, but that’s something that always takes me out of a book.
I think that’s maybe the word that I’m going with with this book is that it felt very childish to me. It didn’t feel like a full on romance, it felt like two kids discovering that they could have sex with one another. Their relationship was so intense, and I wish we had more scenes of them just being together and enjoying banter, and seeing a much more lighthearted side of their romance. I do understand that this is a dark romance, and it’s a little bit grittier than your standard romance, but there can still be moments of levity. I just wish their romance felt like more for me. And it just felt flat.
On the positive notes:
I did enjoy their toxic codependency. That is always going to be a trope that I will eat up for breakfast lunch and dinner. Yum yum yum! I liked the mother more in this book than I did in the first book. I feel like she had more of a character, and more agency to her. Maybe it’s because every other female character in this book sucked, but I liked her. I enjoyed that she is going to stand by her sons, even if she doesn’t understand their relationship, and that she loves them despite it.
I enjoyed seeing Alexei and Kelly again! Their romance was super fun, and I really enjoyed their first book, so it was nice to see them in this one just sprinkled in every now and again. I also think for right now, Alexei is my favorite brother. I like the fact that he is a hotheaded asshole, but will continuously buy bunnies for his husband because that’s what he wants. I love that dynamic and I love that for Kelly.
I liked seeing more of Yulian, and I am still very interested in reading his book. I am intrigued by the dynamic that we saw just a small glimpse of between him and Mateo, and I liked his support of Mikhail in the hospital. I liked seeing the brothers actually be there for one another because a lot of this book is really showing the toxicity of their family, so I liked seeing the little peekaboos of them actually loving/caring for one another. Hell, I like that, even though the brothers are kind of disturbed by it, they’re still somewhat supportive of Mikhail and Daniil’s relationship as much as they can be.
So, I was disappointed by this book, but I’m still in interested in reading the next book and I really hope it works for me better than this book. Again, I understand why people are eating this book up, and there were certain parts of it that I really enjoyed!
This isn’t what I was expecting for this book, and I really thought I was going to love this book so much more than I did. Instead, I come out feeling very indifferent about it.
Their connection to me felt very surface-level. I just couldn’t get into their dynamic and I’m not really sure what was stopping me. I think it was the writing style in this book that really threw me off. There was so much exposition in the prose, it really turned me off from the rest of the book. I can’t remember the first book being like that. And I really enjoyed how unhinged and ill equipped Alexei was when it came to romancing Kelly. I remember feeling very charmed by their romance because they had a good dynamic between them, and they were different enough that there was a little bit of a challenge to their romance.
Daniil and Mikhail were very codependent on one another, and their relationship was very toxic and unhealthy, which is normally a dynamic that I really love. I just was not feeling it in this book. So much of the early chapters was just exposition and telling us things instead of showing us, and I think that just spoiled the rest of the book for me. I could not get into the book after that. I wish we had just been thrown into the action and left to discover everything for our ourselves instead of being told everything.
My biggest gripe with this book is the way that every single woman in this book was portrayed besides their mother. Every single female character in this book was a set piece basically designed to show us how desirable the two main characters were, specifically Mikhail. One time, OK fine. This happened at least a handful of times in this book.
And it was the same sort of dynamic: a ditzy, desperate woman comes on to either Mikhail or Daniil and then is brutally rejected after one of them becomes jealous. Hell, Daniil dumped a milkshake on a random girl just for expressing interest in Mikhail. I genuinely don’t know what the author wanted me to feel about that. Was I supposed to laugh, was I supposed to find this endearing? I found it rude and childish for two men that are supposed to be in their 20s.
Hell, a lot of this book is super repetitive. The boys got high, a random girl hits on one of them and one of them becomes jealous, they have sex in public, and they get turned on from possibly being caught, and then something violent happens. Rinse and repeat.
Even the spice in this book got so repetitive. I don’t mind when a book has a lot of spice, but I do feel like it should be evenly dispersed throughout the whole book. They had marathons of sex in this book. Where it would be three chapters in a row of them just getting it on with each other and it was always the same dynamic of them being in public and getting hot under the collar because they might get caught.
Also: maybe I’m a prude and maybe I’m a grandma, but I didn’t really find it hot when they’re getting it on with one another in front of their family, and when they are probably making eye contact with their family members! That was a little bit too far for me. It definitely crossed the line from being hot and dirty to just being plain up gross. And that’s just a personal preference, I’m sure a lot of people will probably found that a little bit hot, and I’m happy for you! This was not my bag.
And the random drops of the names of the song/artist that are being used in the book was driving me insane. It felt very, again, childish? I’m not really sure if that’s the word that I’m searching for, but it felt very preteen-esque of this author to include this. Maybe I’m being harsh, but that’s something that always takes me out of a book.
I think that’s maybe the word that I’m going with with this book is that it felt very childish to me. It didn’t feel like a full on romance, it felt like two kids discovering that they could have sex with one another. Their relationship was so intense, and I wish we had more scenes of them just being together and enjoying banter, and seeing a much more lighthearted side of their romance. I do understand that this is a dark romance, and it’s a little bit grittier than your standard romance, but there can still be moments of levity. I just wish their romance felt like more for me. And it just felt flat.
On the positive notes:
I did enjoy their toxic codependency. That is always going to be a trope that I will eat up for breakfast lunch and dinner. Yum yum yum! I liked the mother more in this book than I did in the first book. I feel like she had more of a character, and more agency to her. Maybe it’s because every other female character in this book sucked, but I liked her. I enjoyed that she is going to stand by her sons, even if she doesn’t understand their relationship, and that she loves them despite it.
I enjoyed seeing Alexei and Kelly again! Their romance was super fun, and I really enjoyed their first book, so it was nice to see them in this one just sprinkled in every now and again. I also think for right now, Alexei is my favorite brother. I like the fact that he is a hotheaded asshole, but will continuously buy bunnies for his husband because that’s what he wants. I love that dynamic and I love that for Kelly.
I liked seeing more of Yulian, and I am still very interested in reading his book. I am intrigued by the dynamic that we saw just a small glimpse of between him and Mateo, and I liked his support of Mikhail in the hospital. I liked seeing the brothers actually be there for one another because a lot of this book is really showing the toxicity of their family, so I liked seeing the little peekaboos of them actually loving/caring for one another. Hell, I like that, even though the brothers are kind of disturbed by it, they’re still somewhat supportive of Mikhail and Daniil’s relationship as much as they can be.
So, I was disappointed by this book, but I’m still in interested in reading the next book and I really hope it works for me better than this book. Again, I understand why people are eating this book up, and there were certain parts of it that I really enjoyed!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2026
6 stars. PHENOMENAL. This was EVERYTHING. I needed Daniil and Mikhail like my next breath and I devoured this read. They’re perfect in every sense (argue with a wall) the chemistry they already had, the subtle touches and just being content with each others presence gave me life omg. I will never not think of them anytime I see watermelon now 🥹 I LOVE THEM SO MUCH MY CHEST ACHES
September 30, 2026
Oh, this was perfectly juicy and fucked up and delicious and exciting to read.
Daniil and Mikhail are brothers, although Daniil was adopted. But he was adopted at 2 years old and he and Mikhail have grown up being brothers, so it's not like they're adults and this a new thing. No, they might not be blood related, but they're supposed to be brothers all the same. But they have anything but a brotherly relationship.
But they were basically all they had when they were kids. As much as their brothers went through as well, they all fought like dogs and were pretty nasty to each other, especially to Mikhail, except for Daniil. Not only could he not talk to anyone with selective mutism, but he was just sweet to Mikhail in a way no one else was. And vice versa. His father was horribly abusive, his brothers were awful in response, his mother was under their father's thumb and so all Mikhail had was Daniil who was kind to him.
No wonder they formed such a co-dependent relationship. And co-dependent it is. Plus, since he was 8, Daniil has only ever been able to speak words out loud to Mikhail. He can communicate normally with him, but no on else. Because he only feels truly safe with Mikhail. With that brings a level of co-dependence in and of itself as well.
But also, Daniil has been in love with Mikahail since he was 15 and Mikhail 16. They kissed once because Daniil was afraid he would never kiss anyone because he had no interest and was afraid he was a "freak" because of it. Mikhail did it to make that not true, but it changed everything for Daniil.
Probably for Mikhail, but he remains oblivious for the next 8 years anyway.
Also, this is a gay for you situation where Mikhail has never been attracted to any man until Daniil. For Daniil he's demisexual and gay, but it's only ever really been Mikhail since he discovered his feelings anyway. Mikhail was with some women over the years, but they never meant anything and he's not with anyone else in the main action of this story.
But when it becomes too much, Daniil starts trying to pull away from Mikhail without explanation, to try to get over him, somehow, and it never really works. Especially this last time when he really tries and Mikhail kind of totally spirals over it.
They feel about each other how siblings shouldn't feel about each other, and yet it takes Mikhail some time for the light bulb to click on. Maybe because he thought he was straight for so long had something to do with it, and maybe because he just didn't want to face his feelings for Daniil - but either way, things come to head when they kiss for real a second time as adults.
Except...they're brothers, right? And people can't find out about it, whether Daniil is adopted or not.
So they start a real relationship while having to keep it a secret, even though some of their brothers already suspect.
Their violently homophobic father, Roman, though, would absolutely murder them if he found out, so they especially have to hide it.
It makes for some hot as fuck sex scenes, and Daniil once he gets the man he's wanted forever, doesn't hold back in his thirst for him. It's so fucking hot, some of the best and hottest sex scenes I've ever read. I absolutely loved these two together and their chemistry was off the charts amazing.
I live for that co-dependent, toxic "can't live without you" dynamic. Absolutely wrong and too much in real life but gimme it in fiction! These two literally declare that if the other dies, they're following right after - they're not living without the other. Oh so fucked up, but oh so good.
Also some of what they get away with??? Holy shit! A blowjob in a booth in front of people, with their mother on the other side, oblivious to it? And Daniil giving Mikhail a handjob with their family RIGHT THERE? Especially their awful father? Holy shit, was that daring and so so hot. One of the hottest handjob scenes I've ever read on top of that, that's for sure.
Plot wise, the main thin for these two is them trying to look into Daniil's past and who his biological parents are, because their mother and father refuse to tell them, and their father got physically abusive (once again) with Mikhail when he asked when they were younger.
So it's risky because their father threatens harm to them if they look, but Daniil wants to know what happened to him, where he came from.
It's a wild ride with some twists and turns when what is found out is found out. I won't spoil but it's surprising and I can't believe I didn't expect it coming at all. Also part of it sets up Yulian's story next, which I can't wait for.
Also, I love love love how brutal this author has kept the mafia world. Not that other books aren't or can't be brutal, but some totally sanitize the mafia world and make it too easy and no one homophobic, which is highly unrealistic a lot of the time. And not that everyone is crazy homophobic everywhere you look in this, but their father IS and he never changes. He's absolutely awful and while I hate him, I love how he didn't magically change his mind and become better out of nowhere, or just magically be good as some writers tend to do when all signs point to them not being.
And these men are absolutely brutal. The family fights are awful enough, but what these men will do to random people is so fucked up. One guy says something shitty to Daniil - unfair and awful to say - but Mikahil just full on murders the guy over it. These are ruthless, terrifying men and I love it. They'd be awful and scary AF in real life and I love that, that's how these mafia men should be. It's dark romance for a reason. But the way they're devoted to their one true love gets me every time. Anyone else can truly die except the one they love.
By the end, Mikhail just doesn't give a fuck. He wants his man and he's going to have him and fuck anyone who objects. Which, I also love how like yess! Have people react accordingly to shocking news. Have them opposed to something people would be naturally opposed to in real life. That's the taboo of it all! That's the fun of it all!
Also Roman's
This was just perfect, I loved absolutely all of it. This ends more on a happy for now, as the overarching plot still needs to finish in Yulian's book, and thee two are just settled into a real relationship by the end, but it's a very solid HFN, definitely one that will lead to HEA, just like Alexei and Kelly. And they're perfectly happy with each other and settled into their lives together. So not a HEA in sense of the plot still holding these couples back from truly being in a HEA, but still a very very solid HFN.
I think the only think I could slightly complain about but that isn't enough for me to take anything off is the last sentence of the epilogue. I felt it was a bit abrupt and not the best ending sentence to their story. The whole epilogue is great but the last sentence being Daniil thinking about uno and how Mikhail will never figure out if he cheats at the game or not wasn't the best ending line, imo. I wanted something more romantic, although I get what the author was going for.
But it's just the last sentence so it isn't too big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend this. It's just amazing as the first, perhaps even better with how hot the sex scenes are. I still adore Alexei and Kelly but I loved these two just as much. And if Yulian and Mateo are the author's favorite duo of this series, I can't wait to dive into their story as well. Definitely check out the first book first if you haven't, and then dive right into this one - both will be amazing and page turning if you're into gay dark romance mafia stories with very morally corrupt men who are violent but violently devoted to their loves.
Until the next one! (and beyond, whatever this author writes I'm seated!) 😍
My Ratings for the Empire of Sins Series:
✨ Violent Devotion: 5 stars (my review)
✨ Deviant Need: 5 stars
✨ Twisted Defiance: TBR
Daniil and Mikhail are brothers, although Daniil was adopted. But he was adopted at 2 years old and he and Mikhail have grown up being brothers, so it's not like they're adults and this a new thing. No, they might not be blood related, but they're supposed to be brothers all the same. But they have anything but a brotherly relationship.
But they were basically all they had when they were kids. As much as their brothers went through as well, they all fought like dogs and were pretty nasty to each other, especially to Mikhail, except for Daniil. Not only could he not talk to anyone with selective mutism, but he was just sweet to Mikhail in a way no one else was. And vice versa. His father was horribly abusive, his brothers were awful in response, his mother was under their father's thumb and so all Mikhail had was Daniil who was kind to him.
No wonder they formed such a co-dependent relationship. And co-dependent it is. Plus, since he was 8, Daniil has only ever been able to speak words out loud to Mikhail. He can communicate normally with him, but no on else. Because he only feels truly safe with Mikhail. With that brings a level of co-dependence in and of itself as well.
But also, Daniil has been in love with Mikahail since he was 15 and Mikhail 16. They kissed once because Daniil was afraid he would never kiss anyone because he had no interest and was afraid he was a "freak" because of it. Mikhail did it to make that not true, but it changed everything for Daniil.
Probably for Mikhail, but he remains oblivious for the next 8 years anyway.
Also, this is a gay for you situation where Mikhail has never been attracted to any man until Daniil. For Daniil he's demisexual and gay, but it's only ever really been Mikhail since he discovered his feelings anyway. Mikhail was with some women over the years, but they never meant anything and he's not with anyone else in the main action of this story.
But when it becomes too much, Daniil starts trying to pull away from Mikhail without explanation, to try to get over him, somehow, and it never really works. Especially this last time when he really tries and Mikhail kind of totally spirals over it.
They feel about each other how siblings shouldn't feel about each other, and yet it takes Mikhail some time for the light bulb to click on. Maybe because he thought he was straight for so long had something to do with it, and maybe because he just didn't want to face his feelings for Daniil - but either way, things come to head when they kiss for real a second time as adults.
Except...they're brothers, right? And people can't find out about it, whether Daniil is adopted or not.
So they start a real relationship while having to keep it a secret, even though some of their brothers already suspect.
Their violently homophobic father, Roman, though, would absolutely murder them if he found out, so they especially have to hide it.
It makes for some hot as fuck sex scenes, and Daniil once he gets the man he's wanted forever, doesn't hold back in his thirst for him. It's so fucking hot, some of the best and hottest sex scenes I've ever read. I absolutely loved these two together and their chemistry was off the charts amazing.
I live for that co-dependent, toxic "can't live without you" dynamic. Absolutely wrong and too much in real life but gimme it in fiction! These two literally declare that if the other dies, they're following right after - they're not living without the other. Oh so fucked up, but oh so good.
Also some of what they get away with??? Holy shit! A blowjob in a booth in front of people, with their mother on the other side, oblivious to it? And Daniil giving Mikhail a handjob with their family RIGHT THERE? Especially their awful father? Holy shit, was that daring and so so hot. One of the hottest handjob scenes I've ever read on top of that, that's for sure.
Plot wise, the main thin for these two is them trying to look into Daniil's past and who his biological parents are, because their mother and father refuse to tell them, and their father got physically abusive (once again) with Mikhail when he asked when they were younger.
So it's risky because their father threatens harm to them if they look, but Daniil wants to know what happened to him, where he came from.
It's a wild ride with some twists and turns when what is found out is found out. I won't spoil but it's surprising and I can't believe I didn't expect it coming at all. Also part of it sets up Yulian's story next, which I can't wait for.
Also, I love love love how brutal this author has kept the mafia world. Not that other books aren't or can't be brutal, but some totally sanitize the mafia world and make it too easy and no one homophobic, which is highly unrealistic a lot of the time. And not that everyone is crazy homophobic everywhere you look in this, but their father IS and he never changes. He's absolutely awful and while I hate him, I love how he didn't magically change his mind and become better out of nowhere, or just magically be good as some writers tend to do when all signs point to them not being.
And these men are absolutely brutal. The family fights are awful enough, but what these men will do to random people is so fucked up. One guy says something shitty to Daniil - unfair and awful to say - but Mikahil just full on murders the guy over it. These are ruthless, terrifying men and I love it. They'd be awful and scary AF in real life and I love that, that's how these mafia men should be. It's dark romance for a reason. But the way they're devoted to their one true love gets me every time. Anyone else can truly die except the one they love.
By the end, Mikhail just doesn't give a fuck. He wants his man and he's going to have him and fuck anyone who objects. Which, I also love how like yess! Have people react accordingly to shocking news. Have them opposed to something people would be naturally opposed to in real life. That's the taboo of it all! That's the fun of it all!
Also Roman's
This was just perfect, I loved absolutely all of it. This ends more on a happy for now, as the overarching plot still needs to finish in Yulian's book, and thee two are just settled into a real relationship by the end, but it's a very solid HFN, definitely one that will lead to HEA, just like Alexei and Kelly. And they're perfectly happy with each other and settled into their lives together. So not a HEA in sense of the plot still holding these couples back from truly being in a HEA, but still a very very solid HFN.
I think the only think I could slightly complain about but that isn't enough for me to take anything off is the last sentence of the epilogue. I felt it was a bit abrupt and not the best ending sentence to their story. The whole epilogue is great but the last sentence being Daniil thinking about uno and how Mikhail will never figure out if he cheats at the game or not wasn't the best ending line, imo. I wanted something more romantic, although I get what the author was going for.
But it's just the last sentence so it isn't too big of a deal in the grand scheme of things.
I highly, HIGHLY recommend this. It's just amazing as the first, perhaps even better with how hot the sex scenes are. I still adore Alexei and Kelly but I loved these two just as much. And if Yulian and Mateo are the author's favorite duo of this series, I can't wait to dive into their story as well. Definitely check out the first book first if you haven't, and then dive right into this one - both will be amazing and page turning if you're into gay dark romance mafia stories with very morally corrupt men who are violent but violently devoted to their loves.
Until the next one! (and beyond, whatever this author writes I'm seated!) 😍
My Ratings for the Empire of Sins Series:
✨ Violent Devotion: 5 stars (my review)
✨ Deviant Need: 5 stars
✨ Twisted Defiance: TBR
September 28, 2026
DNF at 33%. This was painfully boring—in the first third, barely two minor things happened, and the rest was just childish middle-schooler drama.
I can't wrap my head around the fact that Daniil still hasn't told Mikhail he's gay. Aren't they supposed to be absolute besties? Like, spooning-in-the-same-bed kind of besties🙄. And Mikhail is so unbelievably dense; your 'best brother' who lets you cuddle to sleep somehow manages to torpedo every single time you're about to hook up with someone else, and you still think he sees you purely as a bro?
I have zero patience for this forced, IQ-lowering contrived drama, but unfortunately, that's what a massive chunk of the book is made of. 2 ⭐️,👋.
I can't wrap my head around the fact that Daniil still hasn't told Mikhail he's gay. Aren't they supposed to be absolute besties? Like, spooning-in-the-same-bed kind of besties🙄. And Mikhail is so unbelievably dense; your 'best brother' who lets you cuddle to sleep somehow manages to torpedo every single time you're about to hook up with someone else, and you still think he sees you purely as a bro?
I have zero patience for this forced, IQ-lowering contrived drama, but unfortunately, that's what a massive chunk of the book is made of. 2 ⭐️,👋.
September 27, 2026
Incest is my ick. This is one tiny step away from being incest. The author did warn us ages ago. Half of me was insanely looking forward to it because of my love of the first book, and half of me was dreading it because I was worried I would hate it.
But honestly? I loved Mikhail and Daniil. I could not get enough of them. Their connection is fire. Intense. Toxically codependent. They are so freaking in love with one another and it shines through in everything they do. And Mikhail is hurting so damn much. This book really takes a deep dive into these two amazing men, their childhoods, and hits you right where it hurts. To see them suffer through everything they have and come out the other end, ready to face their new life, is something incredible.
However... (sorry!)
I had issues with the writing this time around. There were parts where I got a little lost and struggled to picture the scene due to a lack of detailed description. It started with the booth bj scene (I don't understand where Danya was hiding, where Mikhail was, and how no one saw) and then carried on from there. And there was just so much sex. Once they got going, it felt like every other chapter was spice. I was excited for the plot but it kept getting interrupted by their random horniness and it really cheapened it for me, and this is the main reason for my rating. A lot of non-sex scenes started to feel rushed and disjointed, a big example being the scene in Calder's home - it felt like that scene only existed for the sole purpose of the two MCs getting off with each other in another "risky" situation... And speaking of which, the dinner table scene? No. No, no, no. Their father would literally murder them if he knew. There's risky and then there's just fkn stupid. And lastly, the women. Ugh. I reaalllly didn't like the way the women were written in this. They would pop up as distractions here and there, written as desperate air-heads with no self-respect, and I didn't like the way the MCs treated them.
All in all, I did enjoy it, just not as much as the first one. I am looking forward to hearing from Yulian though.
But honestly? I loved Mikhail and Daniil. I could not get enough of them. Their connection is fire. Intense. Toxically codependent. They are so freaking in love with one another and it shines through in everything they do. And Mikhail is hurting so damn much. This book really takes a deep dive into these two amazing men, their childhoods, and hits you right where it hurts. To see them suffer through everything they have and come out the other end, ready to face their new life, is something incredible.
However... (sorry!)
I had issues with the writing this time around. There were parts where I got a little lost and struggled to picture the scene due to a lack of detailed description. It started with the booth bj scene (I don't understand where Danya was hiding, where Mikhail was, and how no one saw) and then carried on from there. And there was just so much sex. Once they got going, it felt like every other chapter was spice. I was excited for the plot but it kept getting interrupted by their random horniness and it really cheapened it for me, and this is the main reason for my rating. A lot of non-sex scenes started to feel rushed and disjointed, a big example being the scene in Calder's home - it felt like that scene only existed for the sole purpose of the two MCs getting off with each other in another "risky" situation... And speaking of which, the dinner table scene? No. No, no, no. Their father would literally murder them if he knew. There's risky and then there's just fkn stupid. And lastly, the women. Ugh. I reaalllly didn't like the way the women were written in this. They would pop up as distractions here and there, written as desperate air-heads with no self-respect, and I didn't like the way the MCs treated them.
All in all, I did enjoy it, just not as much as the first one. I am looking forward to hearing from Yulian though.
September 10, 2026
Absolute Perfection. No notes 😮💨
This book lived up to all my expectations and my expectations were high yall!! Daniil and Mikhail are my freaking babies and I will protect them until my dying breath 😩 yes I know these Russian mafia princes don't need my protection, their getting it anyways damn it 😤
Daniil and Mikhail have been raised together as brothers since Daniil arrived when he was 2. Two boys who always looked out for each other in a family where it seemed like everyone was out for themselves. Both of these boys have experienced trauma beyond comprehension and they lean into the one comfort they have, each other.
Daniil doesn't speak..... never has..... to anyone but Mikhail. The only one he trusts with his words. He's been in love with his adoptive brother and best friend since they were teenagers, yearning for a love that could never be. And when he tries to create distance, Mikhail only pushes in closer.
Their connection and chemistry is palpable and the tension will have you gagging for more. When these two finally give in to buried desires 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨 they don't hold back.
I love how the mental health and addiction rep were handled in this book. You can tell it was written with care and understanding and not just for dramatics. My baby Mikhail has my whole fucking heart and I'm so glad he had Daniil in his darkest moments 🥺
The emotional depth coupled with undeniable chemistry and toe curling spice make this book literally EVERYTHING. I need to stare at a wall for a couple days to process this masterpiece cause just damn.... 🥲 PERFECTION!
This book lived up to all my expectations and my expectations were high yall!! Daniil and Mikhail are my freaking babies and I will protect them until my dying breath 😩 yes I know these Russian mafia princes don't need my protection, their getting it anyways damn it 😤
Daniil and Mikhail have been raised together as brothers since Daniil arrived when he was 2. Two boys who always looked out for each other in a family where it seemed like everyone was out for themselves. Both of these boys have experienced trauma beyond comprehension and they lean into the one comfort they have, each other.
Daniil doesn't speak..... never has..... to anyone but Mikhail. The only one he trusts with his words. He's been in love with his adoptive brother and best friend since they were teenagers, yearning for a love that could never be. And when he tries to create distance, Mikhail only pushes in closer.
Their connection and chemistry is palpable and the tension will have you gagging for more. When these two finally give in to buried desires 😮💨😮💨😮💨😮💨 they don't hold back.
I love how the mental health and addiction rep were handled in this book. You can tell it was written with care and understanding and not just for dramatics. My baby Mikhail has my whole fucking heart and I'm so glad he had Daniil in his darkest moments 🥺
The emotional depth coupled with undeniable chemistry and toe curling spice make this book literally EVERYTHING. I need to stare at a wall for a couple days to process this masterpiece cause just damn.... 🥲 PERFECTION!
Read
September 6, 2026rtc
September 26, 2026
1 star ⭐️
I’m gonna start this review by saying this reads more like fanfiction than a published book.
If I complained about the first book being cheesy, well, this one managed to be even cheesier. The characters are basically cuddling from chapter one.
This is pretty much an insta-love story, and what do I say about insta-love stories? You can’t make them last. In fact, the longer they last, the worse they get. Why is that? Because there’s no plot; they already want each other from page one, then they get together, and now what? Where’s the longing, the tension, the buildup? I pretty much felt the same way about the first book.
We never understand why the heck these characters are so attracted to each other. But apparently they’ve basically been into each other since childhood, so of course the pining and tension are minimal.
I was bothered by the constant repetition. The first 50% of this book felt like a loop: a random female character trying to flirt with either Mikhail or Daniil, and the other getting jealous and ruining the moment. All of the female characters in this book (except for the mother) were thrown in to make a character jealous, basically. It sometimes happened more than once in the same chapter. And I think it happened at least six times throughout the whole book.
(Also, we don’t need to know what song is blasting through the speakers in every single chapter. Again, that is very fanfic-like.)
Then, the rest of the book is mostly filled with random bickering, unnecessary descriptions, and pretty much filler dialogue that doesn’t add anything to the plot. The emotional scenes didn’t feel emotional at all because there wasn’t any buildup to them. They happened, and then the characters got together and had sex. Great. There wasn’t any kind of shock value attached to them either.
Finally, I’ll just leave some of the lines that made me roll my eyes:
“Stop apologizing for being yourself. You’re not too much. You’re exactly what you’re supposed to be.”
“I’ll take the push if it means I get the pull. I’ll take the fights if it means he comes back. I’ll take the crumbs because crumbs from him are more than a feast from anyone else.”
“You’re the only reason I’m still here. You know that? Without you, I would’ve been gone a long time ago.”
”We’re each other’s drug. The high, the crash, the withdrawal, the whole fucking cycle. I’m an addict, and he’s my fix, and I can’t seem to quit no matter how hard I try.”
(All of these were from just the first 25%. Like I said, corny. You can imagine the rest)
All in all, this book had some of the same problems as book one:
- Constant repetition
- Lack of emotional depth
- The characters get together at 50%, and then what? What’s the plot after that? (Apparently, uninteresting drama. Lots of it. And sex too, of course. I ended up skimming through most of it.)
P.S.: The previous book ends with Alexei saying they never celebrate Christmas, but then this book starts with Mikhail saying their dad got them a PlayStation for Christmas. Huh.
P.S. 2: The only Russian thing about these characters is the random “Da,” “Nyet,” and “Blyat” thrown into the dialogue.
P.S. 3: I know the author states that this is not a standalone, and we need to read the first book to understand, but, uhhh, I don’t see it. What’s so important in the first book? Is it the bunnies? Is it the random broken vase that keeps being mentioned and we’re supposed to care about?
I’m gonna start this review by saying this reads more like fanfiction than a published book.
If I complained about the first book being cheesy, well, this one managed to be even cheesier. The characters are basically cuddling from chapter one.
This is pretty much an insta-love story, and what do I say about insta-love stories? You can’t make them last. In fact, the longer they last, the worse they get. Why is that? Because there’s no plot; they already want each other from page one, then they get together, and now what? Where’s the longing, the tension, the buildup? I pretty much felt the same way about the first book.
We never understand why the heck these characters are so attracted to each other. But apparently they’ve basically been into each other since childhood, so of course the pining and tension are minimal.
I was bothered by the constant repetition. The first 50% of this book felt like a loop: a random female character trying to flirt with either Mikhail or Daniil, and the other getting jealous and ruining the moment. All of the female characters in this book (except for the mother) were thrown in to make a character jealous, basically. It sometimes happened more than once in the same chapter. And I think it happened at least six times throughout the whole book.
(Also, we don’t need to know what song is blasting through the speakers in every single chapter. Again, that is very fanfic-like.)
Then, the rest of the book is mostly filled with random bickering, unnecessary descriptions, and pretty much filler dialogue that doesn’t add anything to the plot. The emotional scenes didn’t feel emotional at all because there wasn’t any buildup to them. They happened, and then the characters got together and had sex. Great. There wasn’t any kind of shock value attached to them either.
Finally, I’ll just leave some of the lines that made me roll my eyes:
“Stop apologizing for being yourself. You’re not too much. You’re exactly what you’re supposed to be.”
“I’ll take the push if it means I get the pull. I’ll take the fights if it means he comes back. I’ll take the crumbs because crumbs from him are more than a feast from anyone else.”
“You’re the only reason I’m still here. You know that? Without you, I would’ve been gone a long time ago.”
”We’re each other’s drug. The high, the crash, the withdrawal, the whole fucking cycle. I’m an addict, and he’s my fix, and I can’t seem to quit no matter how hard I try.”
(All of these were from just the first 25%. Like I said, corny. You can imagine the rest)
All in all, this book had some of the same problems as book one:
- Constant repetition
- Lack of emotional depth
- The characters get together at 50%, and then what? What’s the plot after that? (Apparently, uninteresting drama. Lots of it. And sex too, of course. I ended up skimming through most of it.)
P.S.: The previous book ends with Alexei saying they never celebrate Christmas, but then this book starts with Mikhail saying their dad got them a PlayStation for Christmas. Huh.
P.S. 2: The only Russian thing about these characters is the random “Da,” “Nyet,” and “Blyat” thrown into the dialogue.
P.S. 3: I know the author states that this is not a standalone, and we need to read the first book to understand, but, uhhh, I don’t see it. What’s so important in the first book? Is it the bunnies? Is it the random broken vase that keeps being mentioned and we’re supposed to care about?
September 27, 2026
yum yum yummmm
“Every word I’ve ever spoken belongs to Mikhail. Always has, always will.”
Shoot me now, my heart and my nether regions can’t take them no more.
“This doesn’t mean I’m gay. I’m still straight. Very straight. I just happen to want to fuck my brother, which is completely different.”
yuhhhhhh, give me that lowkey incestuous couple neowwww
i felt the force of a thousand fireworks inside me when they FINALLY got together after all that pining only for it to end like it ended!!! ughhhh 😩 Miss L. Norell keeping me on my damn toes
I could’ve done without all the running away (and the lowkey highkey misogyny) thus 4 stars.
brownie points for a little dp moment with a silicone friend *wink wink* 😉 AND for the honorable lil peep mention (my past emo self was dying inside)
“Every word I’ve ever spoken belongs to Mikhail. Always has, always will.”
Shoot me now, my heart and my nether regions can’t take them no more.
“This doesn’t mean I’m gay. I’m still straight. Very straight. I just happen to want to fuck my brother, which is completely different.”
yuhhhhhh, give me that lowkey incestuous couple neowwww
i felt the force of a thousand fireworks inside me when they FINALLY got together after all that pining only for it to end like it ended!!! ughhhh 😩 Miss L. Norell keeping me on my damn toes
I could’ve done without all the running away (and the lowkey highkey misogyny) thus 4 stars.
brownie points for a little dp moment with a silicone friend *wink wink* 😉 AND for the honorable lil peep mention (my past emo self was dying inside)
September 29, 2026
such a great book
Really really enjoyed this book love the crazy family in these books mikhail is crazy in the best way and daniil is so sweet so glad they finally realised what they both wanted cannot wait for last book it’s gonna be great I just know it thank you
Really really enjoyed this book love the crazy family in these books mikhail is crazy in the best way and daniil is so sweet so glad they finally realised what they both wanted cannot wait for last book it’s gonna be great I just know it thank you
September 29, 2026
I Was so excited to read this book and oh my God it did not disappoint at all , I loved the toxic codependency between Mikhail and Daniil so much , i was blushing with all the proximity , little touches , they were driving me absolutely insane , Loved every second of this book will not forget these two NEVER !!!!!
September 28, 2026
2.5 stars, rounded up to 3. I rounded up because L. Norell is a newer author I’m still rooting for, even though I DNF’d the first book in this series, mainly because I couldn’t get into the couple and their chemistry. There are things here I enjoyed, but also some recurring issues that I hope will improve as the author finds their footing.
First, the good: I liked this couple. Their shared history, growing up so close, and especially their secret place together were very sweet. I appreciated the foundation of their relationship and was invested in seeing them finally get together.
The biggest issues for me were repetition and pacing. The story drags in places, revisiting the same emotional beats and dynamics, and then suddenly, like the finale of a fireworks display, EVERYTHING happens at once. The last stretch becomes such a barrage of increasingly implausible events that I had trouble taking any of it seriously. The club expansion scene and its aftermath were particularly egregious, and the hospital scene was so divorced from reality that I don’t even know where to begin. Meanwhile, the brothers routinely beating the shit out of one another starts to feel like an episode of the Keystone Kops.
Also, I have never encountered such aggressively persistent women in a romance. I mean, carry on, GirlBosses, but women who continue throwing themselves at men after being explicitly rejected are not exactly thick on the ground IRL.
The spice is plentiful once it gets going, although it suffers from the same repetitiveness as the rest of the book. And Daniil’s kink is decidedly not my kink. I’ve historically struggled with sex scenes involving the possibility of getting caught somewhere you definitely should not be fucking, and I am here to tell you that brothers should not be fucking brothers in a public stairwell. I’m absolutely sure of it.
And the dinner-table handjob? Stahp it. I am exceptionally good at visualizing physical descriptions, and there is simply no way to pull this off without the other diners noticing. A thigh touch? Sure. (Although if your hand stays down there too long, people are going to get suspicious.) But an actual handjob?
Let’s consider the ergonomics. If you’re seated next to someone, the arm farther from the recipient would provide the better angle, but that would be far too conspicuous, even for romance la-la land. So you’re using the arm closest to him. Now picture the position of your wrist. The angle. The movement required. And then you’re supposed to start jerking?
Please. I beg you. 😂
Interestingly, despite these guys having been raised as brothers, the relationship didn’t feel particularly taboo to me. I found the same premise legitimately taboo in Dirty Love by Bethany Winters. Maybe that book calloused my pearls to the point that I no longer feel compelled to clutch them, but I suspect it’s more about how the respective authors laid the groundwork. And, frankly, the sex scenes in Dirty Love just felt dirtier in the best possible way.
One thing I appreciated was that these two don’t want children. Obviously, gay men can and should have children if they want them, but I am quite outspoken about my distaste for kids in my romances. The whole “and baby makes three” ending feels so MF-romance-coded, and I love seeing a couple whose happily ever after doesn’t require a nursery.
Dogs instead? YES. And not even a Labradoodle, which appears to be the official dog of every gay influencer I follow.
That said, finding Border Collie puppies at a shelter might be a bigger stretch than the entire club scene and its aftermath. 😂
Ultimately, I liked these guys enough to finish their story, and I do think Norell has potential. I’d love to see tighter editing, more varied intimate scenes, and a better sense of pacing, particularly when it comes to the dramatic finales. Not every loose end needs to be resolved in an explosion of violence and chaos.
I’ll stick around for book three, although I was shipping Yulian and Calder but unfortunately, it looks like someone else will be matching with Yulian.
Still rooting for you, L. Norell. Just maybe get a couple of brutally honest beta readers and you are on the right path.
First, the good: I liked this couple. Their shared history, growing up so close, and especially their secret place together were very sweet. I appreciated the foundation of their relationship and was invested in seeing them finally get together.
The biggest issues for me were repetition and pacing. The story drags in places, revisiting the same emotional beats and dynamics, and then suddenly, like the finale of a fireworks display, EVERYTHING happens at once. The last stretch becomes such a barrage of increasingly implausible events that I had trouble taking any of it seriously. The club expansion scene and its aftermath were particularly egregious, and the hospital scene was so divorced from reality that I don’t even know where to begin. Meanwhile, the brothers routinely beating the shit out of one another starts to feel like an episode of the Keystone Kops.
Also, I have never encountered such aggressively persistent women in a romance. I mean, carry on, GirlBosses, but women who continue throwing themselves at men after being explicitly rejected are not exactly thick on the ground IRL.
The spice is plentiful once it gets going, although it suffers from the same repetitiveness as the rest of the book. And Daniil’s kink is decidedly not my kink. I’ve historically struggled with sex scenes involving the possibility of getting caught somewhere you definitely should not be fucking, and I am here to tell you that brothers should not be fucking brothers in a public stairwell. I’m absolutely sure of it.
And the dinner-table handjob? Stahp it. I am exceptionally good at visualizing physical descriptions, and there is simply no way to pull this off without the other diners noticing. A thigh touch? Sure. (Although if your hand stays down there too long, people are going to get suspicious.) But an actual handjob?
Let’s consider the ergonomics. If you’re seated next to someone, the arm farther from the recipient would provide the better angle, but that would be far too conspicuous, even for romance la-la land. So you’re using the arm closest to him. Now picture the position of your wrist. The angle. The movement required. And then you’re supposed to start jerking?
Please. I beg you. 😂
Interestingly, despite these guys having been raised as brothers, the relationship didn’t feel particularly taboo to me. I found the same premise legitimately taboo in Dirty Love by Bethany Winters. Maybe that book calloused my pearls to the point that I no longer feel compelled to clutch them, but I suspect it’s more about how the respective authors laid the groundwork. And, frankly, the sex scenes in Dirty Love just felt dirtier in the best possible way.
One thing I appreciated was that these two don’t want children. Obviously, gay men can and should have children if they want them, but I am quite outspoken about my distaste for kids in my romances. The whole “and baby makes three” ending feels so MF-romance-coded, and I love seeing a couple whose happily ever after doesn’t require a nursery.
Dogs instead? YES. And not even a Labradoodle, which appears to be the official dog of every gay influencer I follow.
That said, finding Border Collie puppies at a shelter might be a bigger stretch than the entire club scene and its aftermath. 😂
Ultimately, I liked these guys enough to finish their story, and I do think Norell has potential. I’d love to see tighter editing, more varied intimate scenes, and a better sense of pacing, particularly when it comes to the dramatic finales. Not every loose end needs to be resolved in an explosion of violence and chaos.
I’ll stick around for book three, although I was shipping Yulian and Calder but unfortunately, it looks like someone else will be matching with Yulian.
Still rooting for you, L. Norell. Just maybe get a couple of brutally honest beta readers and you are on the right path.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review
This is where we started, two broken pieces that somehow fit together, and this is where I want to end. Buried here alongside him when our time comes, roots growing through us until we’re part of this place forever. Together even in death, the way we’ve been together in everything else.
Where the hell do I even start? I mean serious. This book was everything I wanted and more. I cried, I screamed at my Kindle, I laughed my ass off, I melted, I swooned, it was everything. L absolutely smashed all my expectation. I knew I was gonna love it from the moment I finished Violent Devotion. But, I LOVE this book. It’s in my top three of all time. I will never ever ever ever EVER doubt L (not that I ever did or thought I would). This is truly a masterpiece, I am still thinking about them a day later as I’m writing this review.
He’s the love of my life. The missing piece that was never actually missing because he’s been right here all along, waiting for me to see it. He’s been there through everything and knows every fucked-up corner of my brain and every terrible thing I’ve done and stays anyway.
Daniil and Mikhail are beautiful. Despite what they’ve been through, despite how they were raised, despite literally everything, they were still strong, still found love, still came out the other side. These two were simply made for each other. Their chemistry was just phenomenal. You can just tell that a lot of care and attention was put into both of these characters. That these characters were so well loved (despite what they were put through). And it just made them that much more believable and real. I truly could imagine going out to dinner with these two and it feeling like they are real people.
”How can something so wrong feel so right?”
“Because it’s not wrong.” I glance around to make sure the hallway’s still empty. It is. “You were never just my brother, Danya. You’ve been the only thing that mattered to me from the moment we met.”
He licks his lips, making them glisten in the dim light. “I’ve only ever belonged to you, Misha. From the very beginning.”
The story itself is just as beautiful as our two MCs. It will give you all the feelings. It’s a true ‘Hurt/Comfort’, with hurt that hurts and comfort that is much appreciate. It’s all worth it. Luckily in between the hurt and comfort you also get a very nice amount of spicy that is just drool worthy. Some of the best spicy scenes my eyes have had the pleasure of reading honestly.
This side of him drives me insane. He gets off on the risk, on knowing someone could walk in and catch us like this. He loves it when I’m rough with him, when my grip stings and leaves marks all over his skin, when I hold him down so hard he can’t move. He’s reckless, and I want to destroy him completely.
And if all that doesn’t get you to read this book, I don’t know what will! You will not regret giving this book and series a try!
”Why is it always the quiet ones?” he murmurs down at me. “You get off on the act, don’t you? Playing angel when you’re anything but.”
Thank you so much to L for allowing me to ARC read this book 🧡 You are a true inspiration to me. Please never stop writing. And if for some reason one day you no longer have any fans, just know I’m dead :)
”I fucking love you,” he says, his voice breaking. “Don’t you ever leave me. My heart belongs to you, do you understand that? I’m in love with you, Mikhail. You’ve had your hands wrapped around my heart since I was fifteen years old. Every single day since then it has been you. It’s always been you. When you walk into a room, everything else disappears. When you’re not there, I’m just waiting for you to come back. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing before I fall asleep. You own every part of me, and I don’t want it back.”
“Since you were fifteen?” I ask.
“I’ve been in love with you since you kissed me on that roof,” he says, licking his lips. “I just couldn’t tell you because I was so scared of ruining everything between us. Of losing you completely if you didn’t feel the same way. I’m so fucking gone for you.”
He’s been in love with me for eight years.
“I’m in love with you too,” I say, the words spilling. “I’m such an idiot for not seeing it sooner, for being too scared to admit what I’ve known since we were kids. But it’s always been you, Danya. You’re the center of everything for me. The reason I keep trying even when I wanted to give up. You’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I wasn’t completely broken.”
Please Note: I did receive a copy of this book in advance from the author for my honest review!
This is where we started, two broken pieces that somehow fit together, and this is where I want to end. Buried here alongside him when our time comes, roots growing through us until we’re part of this place forever. Together even in death, the way we’ve been together in everything else.
Where the hell do I even start? I mean serious. This book was everything I wanted and more. I cried, I screamed at my Kindle, I laughed my ass off, I melted, I swooned, it was everything. L absolutely smashed all my expectation. I knew I was gonna love it from the moment I finished Violent Devotion. But, I LOVE this book. It’s in my top three of all time. I will never ever ever ever EVER doubt L (not that I ever did or thought I would). This is truly a masterpiece, I am still thinking about them a day later as I’m writing this review.
He’s the love of my life. The missing piece that was never actually missing because he’s been right here all along, waiting for me to see it. He’s been there through everything and knows every fucked-up corner of my brain and every terrible thing I’ve done and stays anyway.
Daniil and Mikhail are beautiful. Despite what they’ve been through, despite how they were raised, despite literally everything, they were still strong, still found love, still came out the other side. These two were simply made for each other. Their chemistry was just phenomenal. You can just tell that a lot of care and attention was put into both of these characters. That these characters were so well loved (despite what they were put through). And it just made them that much more believable and real. I truly could imagine going out to dinner with these two and it feeling like they are real people.
”How can something so wrong feel so right?”
“Because it’s not wrong.” I glance around to make sure the hallway’s still empty. It is. “You were never just my brother, Danya. You’ve been the only thing that mattered to me from the moment we met.”
He licks his lips, making them glisten in the dim light. “I’ve only ever belonged to you, Misha. From the very beginning.”
The story itself is just as beautiful as our two MCs. It will give you all the feelings. It’s a true ‘Hurt/Comfort’, with hurt that hurts and comfort that is much appreciate. It’s all worth it. Luckily in between the hurt and comfort you also get a very nice amount of spicy that is just drool worthy. Some of the best spicy scenes my eyes have had the pleasure of reading honestly.
This side of him drives me insane. He gets off on the risk, on knowing someone could walk in and catch us like this. He loves it when I’m rough with him, when my grip stings and leaves marks all over his skin, when I hold him down so hard he can’t move. He’s reckless, and I want to destroy him completely.
And if all that doesn’t get you to read this book, I don’t know what will! You will not regret giving this book and series a try!
”Why is it always the quiet ones?” he murmurs down at me. “You get off on the act, don’t you? Playing angel when you’re anything but.”
Thank you so much to L for allowing me to ARC read this book 🧡 You are a true inspiration to me. Please never stop writing. And if for some reason one day you no longer have any fans, just know I’m dead :)
”I fucking love you,” he says, his voice breaking. “Don’t you ever leave me. My heart belongs to you, do you understand that? I’m in love with you, Mikhail. You’ve had your hands wrapped around my heart since I was fifteen years old. Every single day since then it has been you. It’s always been you. When you walk into a room, everything else disappears. When you’re not there, I’m just waiting for you to come back. You’re the first thing I think about when I wake up and the last thing before I fall asleep. You own every part of me, and I don’t want it back.”
“Since you were fifteen?” I ask.
“I’ve been in love with you since you kissed me on that roof,” he says, licking his lips. “I just couldn’t tell you because I was so scared of ruining everything between us. Of losing you completely if you didn’t feel the same way. I’m so fucking gone for you.”
He’s been in love with me for eight years.
“I’m in love with you too,” I say, the words spilling. “I’m such an idiot for not seeing it sooner, for being too scared to admit what I’ve known since we were kids. But it’s always been you, Danya. You’re the center of everything for me. The reason I keep trying even when I wanted to give up. You’re the only person who’s ever made me feel like I wasn’t completely broken.”
Please Note: I did receive a copy of this book in advance from the author for my honest review!
September 25, 2026
“Because losing you would destroy me, and I would follow you immediately.”
Well, Daniil and Mikhail certainly have the whole unhealthy codependency thing nailed! Deviant Need is book 2 in The Empire of Sins series by L. Norell and this is of course Daniil and Mikhail's story.
These two have been completely wrapped up in each other since childhood, and watching all that obsessive devotion finally tip over into something neither of them can pretend is brotherly anymore was definitely the best part for me.
There’s plenty of possessiveness, angst, family secrets and mafia drama along the way, some dark themes too, so do check your TWs.
What To Expect:
🖤 MM dark romance
🖤 Adoptive brothers
🖤 Childhood best friends to lovers
🖤 Forbidden love
🖤 Toxic co-dependency
🖤 Obsessive devotion
🖤 Possessive & protective MC
🖤 Double bi-awakening
🖤 Secret relationship
🖤 Hurt/comfort
🖤 Mafia & family secrets
🖤 Spice
🖤 HEA
4 ⭐
Well, Daniil and Mikhail certainly have the whole unhealthy codependency thing nailed! Deviant Need is book 2 in The Empire of Sins series by L. Norell and this is of course Daniil and Mikhail's story.
These two have been completely wrapped up in each other since childhood, and watching all that obsessive devotion finally tip over into something neither of them can pretend is brotherly anymore was definitely the best part for me.
There’s plenty of possessiveness, angst, family secrets and mafia drama along the way, some dark themes too, so do check your TWs.
What To Expect:
🖤 MM dark romance
🖤 Adoptive brothers
🖤 Childhood best friends to lovers
🖤 Forbidden love
🖤 Toxic co-dependency
🖤 Obsessive devotion
🖤 Possessive & protective MC
🖤 Double bi-awakening
🖤 Secret relationship
🖤 Hurt/comfort
🖤 Mafia & family secrets
🖤 Spice
🖤 HEA
4 ⭐
September 26, 2026
This book is EVERYTHING!! 🖤 Do yourself a favor and read this series right now!! 🤩🥰🖤
September 26, 2026
They're so freaking perfect, I can't 😭😭💙
This was everything I wished it would be. They're perfect for each other 🥹
This was everything I wished it would be. They're perfect for each other 🥹
October 15, 2026
I loved this book so much!! These two boys had me in a chokehold from the beginning. Not gonna lie their relationship was very messy and intense but it was also full of so much love that sometimes it actually hurt. Mikhail and Daniil grew up together in the same family, and watching their relationship slowly turn into something more was everything 🥹
Mikhail was my favorite! 😭 He was so possessive, obsessive and protective y'all. He was completely gone for Daniil even when he had no idea how to deal with his "forbidden" feelings. *sigh*
Mikhail was also a deeply hurt person who has spent his whole life trying to earn his father's approval. My shayla 🥹 Watching him struggle with his addiction, his trauma, and his feelings for Daniil broke my heart. I wanted to hug him so badly. I liked Daniil too! he was quiet, clever, protective in his own way and just as obsessed with Mikhail. I loved how they understood each other in ways nobody else could and how they always found their way back to each other, even when things were difficult or messy. 🤧 These two were honestly two possessive little freaks but expressed it differently.
Mikhail and Daniil went through so much shit y'all. They grew up in the same mafia family so their relationship was already seen as "forbidden" and Mikhail’s father was a filthy homophobe who would rather see his son suffer than accept him loving another man. And if you also add all the family secrets, Mikhail’s abuse in the hands of his father, the truth about Daniil’s past and the overall violence in the mafia world.. these two had a lot to deal with. Like these two STRESSED me. They were not only fighting to be together but also fighting others who wanted to tear them apart. Like you two get behind me rn. 🤺
This book is definitely among my favorites this year. It was such a messy but emotional ride and I loved these two sm. Especially Mikhail. He'll always be my favorite. They deserved their HEA sm and I'm so glad they got it. I'm going to miss the two babies sm.
▪︎
Tropes:
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Forbidden love
- Years of unspoken feelings
- Mutual pining
- Obsessive love
- Soft only for him
Mikhail was my favorite! 😭 He was so possessive, obsessive and protective y'all. He was completely gone for Daniil even when he had no idea how to deal with his "forbidden" feelings. *sigh*
Mikhail was also a deeply hurt person who has spent his whole life trying to earn his father's approval. My shayla 🥹 Watching him struggle with his addiction, his trauma, and his feelings for Daniil broke my heart. I wanted to hug him so badly. I liked Daniil too! he was quiet, clever, protective in his own way and just as obsessed with Mikhail. I loved how they understood each other in ways nobody else could and how they always found their way back to each other, even when things were difficult or messy. 🤧 These two were honestly two possessive little freaks but expressed it differently.
Mikhail and Daniil went through so much shit y'all. They grew up in the same mafia family so their relationship was already seen as "forbidden" and Mikhail’s father was a filthy homophobe who would rather see his son suffer than accept him loving another man. And if you also add all the family secrets, Mikhail’s abuse in the hands of his father, the truth about Daniil’s past and the overall violence in the mafia world.. these two had a lot to deal with. Like these two STRESSED me. They were not only fighting to be together but also fighting others who wanted to tear them apart. Like you two get behind me rn. 🤺
This book is definitely among my favorites this year. It was such a messy but emotional ride and I loved these two sm. Especially Mikhail. He'll always be my favorite. They deserved their HEA sm and I'm so glad they got it. I'm going to miss the two babies sm.
▪︎
Tropes:
- Childhood friends to lovers
- Forbidden love
- Years of unspoken feelings
- Mutual pining
- Obsessive love
- Soft only for him
September 26, 2026
3.75⭐️
Emotional, spicy, violent: this book definitely kept my attention.
This story follows Mikhail and his adopted brother Danil. They’ve been inseparable their whole lives, but Danil has been in love with Mikhail since they were teenagers. This book follows the two as they navigate their very complicated feelings for each other, as well as all the other hardships life as mafia sons throws at them.
This book has:
-adopted brothers (probably one of the most tab00 things I’ve read 😬)
-mafia romance
-Danya is selectively mute and can only talk to Mikhail
-“always been you” vibes
-codependency
-lots of violence and hard topics
-semi-public 🌶️
TW, this book also has some very difficult themes such as:
-an on-page su*cide attempt
-extreme violence and homophobia against MCs
-substance addiction / abuse
This book had a LOT going on. The relationship between the two MCs was my favourite. They were so intimate, and truly just knew each other inside-out. This was the best part of the book for me. Although the nature of their relationship is quite tab00, and that’s not normally something that I enjoy reading, it didn’t feel uncomfortable for me as I was reading the story. What did get me feeling scandalized was when these two were doing naughty things with their family RIGHT THERE 😱 these two had no shame, and it was definitely entertaining to read that aspect.
The book also deals with some extremely heavy topics, as I mentioned above. I do think this made the book deeper and I think it added to character depth for sure. However, it definitely was darkly emotional.
Something that I definitely appreciated about this book compared to the previous book is that the brothers were less wildly and childishly violent than before. I loved seeing the relationship between the brothers develop a little bit more into a mature direction. (Just don’t let them play UNO together!)
The only thing about this book that I felt was a little drawing was that the overall plot seemed a little choppy. That being said, the characters were very interesting and I did enjoy reading this book. This is a series that I will definitely be continuing.
Emotional, spicy, violent: this book definitely kept my attention.
This story follows Mikhail and his adopted brother Danil. They’ve been inseparable their whole lives, but Danil has been in love with Mikhail since they were teenagers. This book follows the two as they navigate their very complicated feelings for each other, as well as all the other hardships life as mafia sons throws at them.
This book has:
-adopted brothers (probably one of the most tab00 things I’ve read 😬)
-mafia romance
-Danya is selectively mute and can only talk to Mikhail
-“always been you” vibes
-codependency
-lots of violence and hard topics
-semi-public 🌶️
TW, this book also has some very difficult themes such as:
-an on-page su*cide attempt
-extreme violence and homophobia against MCs
-substance addiction / abuse
This book had a LOT going on. The relationship between the two MCs was my favourite. They were so intimate, and truly just knew each other inside-out. This was the best part of the book for me. Although the nature of their relationship is quite tab00, and that’s not normally something that I enjoy reading, it didn’t feel uncomfortable for me as I was reading the story. What did get me feeling scandalized was when these two were doing naughty things with their family RIGHT THERE 😱 these two had no shame, and it was definitely entertaining to read that aspect.
The book also deals with some extremely heavy topics, as I mentioned above. I do think this made the book deeper and I think it added to character depth for sure. However, it definitely was darkly emotional.
Something that I definitely appreciated about this book compared to the previous book is that the brothers were less wildly and childishly violent than before. I loved seeing the relationship between the brothers develop a little bit more into a mature direction. (Just don’t let them play UNO together!)
The only thing about this book that I felt was a little drawing was that the overall plot seemed a little choppy. That being said, the characters were very interesting and I did enjoy reading this book. This is a series that I will definitely be continuing.
September 25, 2026
~Edited to add: I got my special edition paperback today and it's gorgeousssss~
Ugh this was incredible! Misha and Danya my babies. Honestly the romance was great, love me some forbidden toxic codependency. They were made for eachother and would burn the world down to stay together. The plot was super engaging too, my heart was going pitter patter multiple times. I sobbed so much at chapter 21 but the end healed me. They went through so much together and I'm so proud of them for how they powered through. I can't wait for Yulian and Teo's book next!
*Safety info (potential spoilers)*
- OP drama: there are a couple instances where Mikhail flirts with other women and it makes Daniil jealous but nothing happens. Daniil also downloads a dating app earlier on in the book but he doesn't chat to or meet up with anyone. Otherwise there is no-one else for either of them.
- No third act breakup
- HFN/HEA (epilogue 6 months later)
Ugh this was incredible! Misha and Danya my babies. Honestly the romance was great, love me some forbidden toxic codependency. They were made for eachother and would burn the world down to stay together. The plot was super engaging too, my heart was going pitter patter multiple times. I sobbed so much at chapter 21 but the end healed me. They went through so much together and I'm so proud of them for how they powered through. I can't wait for Yulian and Teo's book next!
*Safety info (potential spoilers)*
- OP drama: there are a couple instances where Mikhail flirts with other women and it makes Daniil jealous but nothing happens. Daniil also downloads a dating app earlier on in the book but he doesn't chat to or meet up with anyone. Otherwise there is no-one else for either of them.
- No third act breakup
- HFN/HEA (epilogue 6 months later)
September 26, 2026
4.75 stars
September 27, 2026
It starts off really well, and I could feel the tension between them as they showed their affection before things went any further; I loved how they were there for each other and their more intimate moments. However, the family aspect fell short for me I would have liked to see more unity and the plot felt a bit weak, but I’m still looking forward to reading the next one ✨
Review of advance copy received from Author
Please stop what you are doing and read this story. I came for the mafia romance, but left with so much more.
Mikhail and Daniil have been raised as brothers despite Daniil being adopted into the family at 2 years old. There is already an element of forbidden romance as their Russian mafia family does not support queer relationships, but add in their relationship as brothers and this was the most delicious kind of taboo.
The chemistry from page one is so captivating that it never feels forbidden. Even in childhood flashbacks these two seem simply two halves of the same whole. There is no world where they should be apart, and they commit to each other in a way that guarantees that. You guys, this story has all my favorite elements making it one of my all time favorite reads. It’s a story told so beautifully that I would re-read pages over and over because they felt that impactful that once wasn’t enough.
This plot pulls you in slowly and intentionally and then before you know it it’s 1 AM and you literally CANNOT put this book down. There is magic in the way L. Norrell handled difficult themes like muteness, addiction, mental illness, and trauma. You’ll fall in love with these characters in a way that will be with you long after the last page.
L. Norrell can write a character few can, someone with darkness and violence, but also sweet and full of nuance. Just dark enough to make my heart pound but sweet enough to make me tear up. That balance is uniquely them and I’ll be reading every word they ever write.
✨ Thank you L. Norrell for the absolute honor to Beta read this story ✨
Mikhail and Daniil have been raised as brothers despite Daniil being adopted into the family at 2 years old. There is already an element of forbidden romance as their Russian mafia family does not support queer relationships, but add in their relationship as brothers and this was the most delicious kind of taboo.
The chemistry from page one is so captivating that it never feels forbidden. Even in childhood flashbacks these two seem simply two halves of the same whole. There is no world where they should be apart, and they commit to each other in a way that guarantees that. You guys, this story has all my favorite elements making it one of my all time favorite reads. It’s a story told so beautifully that I would re-read pages over and over because they felt that impactful that once wasn’t enough.
This plot pulls you in slowly and intentionally and then before you know it it’s 1 AM and you literally CANNOT put this book down. There is magic in the way L. Norrell handled difficult themes like muteness, addiction, mental illness, and trauma. You’ll fall in love with these characters in a way that will be with you long after the last page.
L. Norrell can write a character few can, someone with darkness and violence, but also sweet and full of nuance. Just dark enough to make my heart pound but sweet enough to make me tear up. That balance is uniquely them and I’ll be reading every word they ever write.
✨ Thank you L. Norrell for the absolute honor to Beta read this story ✨
Review of advance copy received from Author
5⭐️
This family is so dysfunctional, and I love whatever is wrong with the Avrorin siblings; they have my whole heart!! It’s like Ms Norell saw how much I cried reading Violent Devotion and thought, “Hmm, I don’t think that was quite enough.” Apparently, those tears were merely a warm-up because she decided I needed even more emotional damage in Deviant Need. So here I am, crying even more because of Daniil and Mikahil, oh my goodness, don't even get me started on those Avrorin brothers, they all need to be protected at all costs please!!
I really was in no way prepared for the emotional rollercoaster of this book.
I have to preface that Daniil and Mikhail's relationship and co-dependency is unhealthy, but it made for such a great story, and I loved it so, so much! Both Daniil and Mikhail had an unconventional and traumatic childhood, and through their trauma, they had each other and are brothers (step-brothers, because they're not technically related). When Mikhail was suffering abuse from his father and felt like an outsider by his siblings, Daniil, who was brought to stay with the Avrorin family, was selective mute, and only spoke to Mikhail. He still only does speak to him, and you can really see how comfortable and a different side to Daniil when he is in Mikhail's presence.
I couldn't tell you though, who had it worse, as equally, they were so obsessed with each other, even if Mihkail didn't quite understand it or his feelings at first. His bi-awakening was so different to Alexei's, as he was groomed to take over from his father at head of the family (even if he didn't know it) Roman was an awful man, and even more awful father and husband, I can't say that I'm too surprised things ended the way that it had either.
Truly, my heart broke for them both, but Mikhail especially, there were a few chapters that were so heartbreaking to read, but Norell handled it so eloquently and with such care, too.
That aside, I can't believe we're a step closer to the whole vase fiasco lmaooo, I feel like it would be too obvious if it was Mikhail, because he literally gets blamed for everything, so can't wait for that to be revealed. But I am SO, SOO excited for Yulian's and his book, possibly with a certain Nozares, because why else would he had a hoodie that he's had since he was a teenager; lmaoo, this family's brand of CRAZY is truly unmatched and I love it!!
I can't thank L. Norell and her team enough for the e-ARC and being part of her street team, it is truly such a pleasure!!
Tropes
🍉 dark MM mafia romance
💜 adoptive brothers
🍉 toxic co-dependency
💜 childhood best friends to lovers
🍉 platonic cuddling, kissing and hugging
💜 hurt/comfort
🍉 selective mutism
💜 eight year crush
This family is so dysfunctional, and I love whatever is wrong with the Avrorin siblings; they have my whole heart!! It’s like Ms Norell saw how much I cried reading Violent Devotion and thought, “Hmm, I don’t think that was quite enough.” Apparently, those tears were merely a warm-up because she decided I needed even more emotional damage in Deviant Need. So here I am, crying even more because of Daniil and Mikahil, oh my goodness, don't even get me started on those Avrorin brothers, they all need to be protected at all costs please!!
I really was in no way prepared for the emotional rollercoaster of this book.
I have to preface that Daniil and Mikhail's relationship and co-dependency is unhealthy, but it made for such a great story, and I loved it so, so much! Both Daniil and Mikhail had an unconventional and traumatic childhood, and through their trauma, they had each other and are brothers (step-brothers, because they're not technically related). When Mikhail was suffering abuse from his father and felt like an outsider by his siblings, Daniil, who was brought to stay with the Avrorin family, was selective mute, and only spoke to Mikhail. He still only does speak to him, and you can really see how comfortable and a different side to Daniil when he is in Mikhail's presence.
I couldn't tell you though, who had it worse, as equally, they were so obsessed with each other, even if Mihkail didn't quite understand it or his feelings at first. His bi-awakening was so different to Alexei's, as he was groomed to take over from his father at head of the family (even if he didn't know it) Roman was an awful man, and even more awful father and husband, I can't say that I'm too surprised things ended the way that it had either.
Truly, my heart broke for them both, but Mikhail especially, there were a few chapters that were so heartbreaking to read, but Norell handled it so eloquently and with such care, too.
That aside, I can't believe we're a step closer to the whole vase fiasco lmaooo, I feel like it would be too obvious if it was Mikhail, because he literally gets blamed for everything, so can't wait for that to be revealed. But I am SO, SOO excited for Yulian's and his book, possibly with a certain Nozares, because why else would he had a hoodie that he's had since he was a teenager; lmaoo, this family's brand of CRAZY is truly unmatched and I love it!!
I can't thank L. Norell and her team enough for the e-ARC and being part of her street team, it is truly such a pleasure!!
Tropes
🍉 dark MM mafia romance
💜 adoptive brothers
🍉 toxic co-dependency
💜 childhood best friends to lovers
🍉 platonic cuddling, kissing and hugging
💜 hurt/comfort
🍉 selective mutism
💜 eight year crush
Did Not Finish
October 8, 2026Dnf at 58%
Really wanted to like this series since I quite liked the first one and though it did start off good, sadly it started going downhill for me as well. I know they’re supposed to have a toxic codependency and I was totally fine with that but they were very childish about it. Didn’t like how they were so called such close best friends/brothers and have a bond like no other but danil couldn’t tell mikhail he was gay? Or how they would cuddle and sleep together for years but never questioned that maybe something else could be going on between them?. Or how of course every girl would want one of them and the other would sabotage it out of jealousy in such high school ways 🙄 grown ass mafia men and here they are getting strawberry shakes like some teenagers….btw mikhail being in denial about being in denial he’s gay?? All bc he never liked men before except danil? Just him so that means he’s not gay right…I couldn’t take that seriously 😂
also wasn’t a big fan of them constantly telling us what song was playing like this is some fanfic story. Also the constant nyet or blyat was too much. Do they not know any other Russian words?
Too many cringe moments and quotes for me in this one. Not sure if I’ll read the next one.
Really wanted to like this series since I quite liked the first one and though it did start off good, sadly it started going downhill for me as well. I know they’re supposed to have a toxic codependency and I was totally fine with that but they were very childish about it. Didn’t like how they were so called such close best friends/brothers and have a bond like no other but danil couldn’t tell mikhail he was gay? Or how they would cuddle and sleep together for years but never questioned that maybe something else could be going on between them?. Or how of course every girl would want one of them and the other would sabotage it out of jealousy in such high school ways 🙄 grown ass mafia men and here they are getting strawberry shakes like some teenagers….btw mikhail being in denial about being in denial he’s gay?? All bc he never liked men before except danil? Just him so that means he’s not gay right…I couldn’t take that seriously 😂
also wasn’t a big fan of them constantly telling us what song was playing like this is some fanfic story. Also the constant nyet or blyat was too much. Do they not know any other Russian words?
Too many cringe moments and quotes for me in this one. Not sure if I’ll read the next one.
September 26, 2026
5 Stars ⭐️
4 Spice 🌶️
Tropes and Tags:
- 1st Person, Dual POV
- Dark Romance
- Angst and Pining
- Hurt/Comfort
- Adoptive Brothers
- Codependence
- Childhood best friends to lovers
- Selective Mutism
Goddddd!! Mik and Danya are the loveliest sweethearts ever I just want to scream with how much I adore them! The pining in this had absolutely begging for them to just admit their feelings and be together, I loved every second.
These two have so many obstacles and things to work through in order to get their HEA, and although it had me✨stressed✨ it was such a good story, I couldn’t put it down at all.
I really enjoy a good clingy couple, these two are SOOOO codependent, and it was even better that Mikhail was the clingier of the two - longgggg before he realised he had feelings for Daniil.
These two are absolutely filthy, as they should be given their romance is completely forbidden. This was a, clutch your kindle and hold it 2cm from your face kinda read, it was delicious. I’m fiending for a re-read already🥵
This series is phenomenal, it is so well written, the individual stories and overarching plot is so exciting, I just love it. I need more of this world asap!!🖤
4 Spice 🌶️
Tropes and Tags:
- 1st Person, Dual POV
- Dark Romance
- Angst and Pining
- Hurt/Comfort
- Adoptive Brothers
- Codependence
- Childhood best friends to lovers
- Selective Mutism
Goddddd!! Mik and Danya are the loveliest sweethearts ever I just want to scream with how much I adore them! The pining in this had absolutely begging for them to just admit their feelings and be together, I loved every second.
These two have so many obstacles and things to work through in order to get their HEA, and although it had me✨stressed✨ it was such a good story, I couldn’t put it down at all.
I really enjoy a good clingy couple, these two are SOOOO codependent, and it was even better that Mikhail was the clingier of the two - longgggg before he realised he had feelings for Daniil.
These two are absolutely filthy, as they should be given their romance is completely forbidden. This was a, clutch your kindle and hold it 2cm from your face kinda read, it was delicious. I’m fiending for a re-read already🥵
This series is phenomenal, it is so well written, the individual stories and overarching plot is so exciting, I just love it. I need more of this world asap!!🖤
September 27, 2026
First, I want to say I have a lot of respect for the author for discussing Suicide Prevention Month. I think this is important and should be talked about more. That being said, I struggled with this story. There was a lot of repetition, too much telling, and not enough showing. I also wasn't crazy about the relationship between Danya (or is it Daniil?) and Misha. It
Now, I am fine with reading dark, toxic romance. It's something I enjoy. But
I guess in the end, this story didn't work for me. I didn't care for the characterizations, and the romance didn't work. It felt forced. Not for me. 2 stars.
Now, I am fine with reading dark, toxic romance. It's something I enjoy. But
I guess in the end, this story didn't work for me. I didn't care for the characterizations, and the romance didn't work. It felt forced. Not for me. 2 stars.
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