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Darkest Dance #6
Dance of Thorns: A Darkest Dance Standalone
I'm forced to marry my dead best friend's fiancé.
Most people call me a freak. Damaged goods. Addict.
The outcast daughter of the Marchetti crime family.
A black sheep with a dark soul.
But then one night, I fall into a darker one.
Bane Antonov, the cold, villainously beautiful crown prince of the Antonov Bratva.
A man covered in scars and ink.
A man who was supposed to marry my now-dead and buried best friend.
The night we crash together, we talk each other off the literal edge.
I should've jumped.
Because somehow, Bane knows my every dark secret. Every scar. Every inky black desire.
He's a villain and a monster.
The thing is, I might be, too.
There are things I don't remember.
Like why he hates me. Why I crave his venomous touch and poisonous lips anyway.
Now, he has me locked in his cage with his ring on my finger.
We're in a war, 'til death do us part.
But we'll see who falls first.
And it's a
Long
Way
Down.
Dance of Thorns is a standalone dark mafia, forced marriage, enemies-to-lovers romance with a smart, untamable black cat heroine, and an ultra-possessive, morally gray hero with "look at her and I'll unalive you" energy. No cliffhanger; HEA included. For mature listeners.
Most people call me a freak. Damaged goods. Addict.
The outcast daughter of the Marchetti crime family.
A black sheep with a dark soul.
But then one night, I fall into a darker one.
Bane Antonov, the cold, villainously beautiful crown prince of the Antonov Bratva.
A man covered in scars and ink.
A man who was supposed to marry my now-dead and buried best friend.
The night we crash together, we talk each other off the literal edge.
I should've jumped.
Because somehow, Bane knows my every dark secret. Every scar. Every inky black desire.
He's a villain and a monster.
The thing is, I might be, too.
There are things I don't remember.
Like why he hates me. Why I crave his venomous touch and poisonous lips anyway.
Now, he has me locked in his cage with his ring on my finger.
We're in a war, 'til death do us part.
But we'll see who falls first.
And it's a
Long
Way
Down.
Dance of Thorns is a standalone dark mafia, forced marriage, enemies-to-lovers romance with a smart, untamable black cat heroine, and an ultra-possessive, morally gray hero with "look at her and I'll unalive you" energy. No cliffhanger; HEA included. For mature listeners.
Audible Audio
Published October 20, 2026
About the author
Jagger Cole
97 books6,238 followersA reader first and foremost, Jagger Cole cut his romance writing teeth penning various fan-fiction stories years ago. After deciding to hang up his writing boots, Jagger worked in advertising pretending to be Don Draper. It worked enough to convince a woman way out of his league to marry him, though, which is a total win.
Now, Dad to two little princesses and King to a Queen, Jagger is thrilled to be back at the keyboard.
When not writing or reading romance books, he can be found woodworking, enjoying good whiskey, and grilling outside—rain or shine.
You can find all of his books at www.jaggercolewrites.com
Grab a FREE book for joining my fans-only newsletter! -> https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8rld1ik3sd
Now, Dad to two little princesses and King to a Queen, Jagger is thrilled to be back at the keyboard.
When not writing or reading romance books, he can be found woodworking, enjoying good whiskey, and grilling outside—rain or shine.
You can find all of his books at www.jaggercolewrites.com
Grab a FREE book for joining my fans-only newsletter! -> https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8rld1ik3sd
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 624 reviews
December 14, 2025
Dance of Thorns (Darkest Dance, #6) by Jagger Cole
3.5/5 stars
I just finished this book. And it was an enjoyable book overall. But I loved the previous one in this series. Dance of Defiance was a bloody masterpiece. Addictive, all-consuming, it grabbed my heart and held it all the way through. And while this is a fun book. This one did not have that effect on me. I could easily put it down and I wasn't mesmerized. And maybe that effect was bigger because I love the previous one so much. It's the weakest book in this series so far. But all in all another great book by Jagger Cole and I am glad I read it.
The book starts with Dove Marchetti. Her memories are scrambled and she has fleeting memories of an attack. She got hit in the head and lost most of her memories. Her family tells her she is Dove Marchette and slowly she is remembering bits and pieces. Dove lost her best friend Lark in the attack. They were attacked because of Dove. And her death was the catalyst for addiction and automutilation. Dove is fighting hard, takes her medication diligently and goes to therapy. She does everything in her power to stay clean. But when the anniversary of Lark's death comes up, she goes to Lark's favorite building and is standing on the ledge. Ready to jump. Suddenly the door opens and she darts away. A man is now standing on the ledge, ready to end it himself. She stops him and for a second they are about to jump together. When he counts down and she's ready until he says 'f*ck this' and grabs her as she falls. When their eyes meet she sees how ready he is to drop her. It's Bane Antonov, the ex-fiance of Lark, the friend she got killed. He pulls her up and they decide to return tomorrow to talk about Lark.
When she returns he grabs her, violently kisses her and whisper-screams: 'you should have jumped, little bird'. She sees people filming their encounter and suddenly the world believes they are dating. Both are part of powerful mafia marriages and both their fathers decide that they have to get married. Bane's father wants control of the shipping port and through his son's marriage he will get that access.
And that is what this book is about. It's about a forced marriage where both parties seem to fall hard for the other person. They connect sexually and he is able to bring her back to life. But Dove is also trapped by the past and her lost and fleeting memories. Things change when she finds Lark's diary and suddenly she goes on a quest to find answers. What truly happened? And when she finds a tape her world turns upside down and changes irrevocably.
The premise of this book is soooo good. The tropes are top notch. Memory loss, forced proximity and arranged marriage. But I truly missed their chemistry. There is some chemistry, but it should have burnt a lot brighter. Compared to Jagger's other books their connection isn't as strong as in the other couples. And I really missed that. I also think they didn't have enough scenes together. A lot is about their separate lives and I just didn't feel them organically grow closer. I didn't feel the switch from hate to love. It was just there and I was like, huh, already?
I just wish this story shined more. It felt a bit rushed and the emphasis wasn't always always on the right topics. So it is a bit of a missed opportunity. I think this one could have been way more addictive than it was.
But all in all it was still a fun book. And if you love Jagger Cole's books you'll enjoy this one as well.
3.5 out of 5 stars from me for Dance of Thorns.
3.5/5 stars
I just finished this book. And it was an enjoyable book overall. But I loved the previous one in this series. Dance of Defiance was a bloody masterpiece. Addictive, all-consuming, it grabbed my heart and held it all the way through. And while this is a fun book. This one did not have that effect on me. I could easily put it down and I wasn't mesmerized. And maybe that effect was bigger because I love the previous one so much. It's the weakest book in this series so far. But all in all another great book by Jagger Cole and I am glad I read it.
The book starts with Dove Marchetti. Her memories are scrambled and she has fleeting memories of an attack. She got hit in the head and lost most of her memories. Her family tells her she is Dove Marchette and slowly she is remembering bits and pieces. Dove lost her best friend Lark in the attack. They were attacked because of Dove. And her death was the catalyst for addiction and automutilation. Dove is fighting hard, takes her medication diligently and goes to therapy. She does everything in her power to stay clean. But when the anniversary of Lark's death comes up, she goes to Lark's favorite building and is standing on the ledge. Ready to jump. Suddenly the door opens and she darts away. A man is now standing on the ledge, ready to end it himself. She stops him and for a second they are about to jump together. When he counts down and she's ready until he says 'f*ck this' and grabs her as she falls. When their eyes meet she sees how ready he is to drop her. It's Bane Antonov, the ex-fiance of Lark, the friend she got killed. He pulls her up and they decide to return tomorrow to talk about Lark.
When she returns he grabs her, violently kisses her and whisper-screams: 'you should have jumped, little bird'. She sees people filming their encounter and suddenly the world believes they are dating. Both are part of powerful mafia marriages and both their fathers decide that they have to get married. Bane's father wants control of the shipping port and through his son's marriage he will get that access.
And that is what this book is about. It's about a forced marriage where both parties seem to fall hard for the other person. They connect sexually and he is able to bring her back to life. But Dove is also trapped by the past and her lost and fleeting memories. Things change when she finds Lark's diary and suddenly she goes on a quest to find answers. What truly happened? And when she finds a tape her world turns upside down and changes irrevocably.
The premise of this book is soooo good. The tropes are top notch. Memory loss, forced proximity and arranged marriage. But I truly missed their chemistry. There is some chemistry, but it should have burnt a lot brighter. Compared to Jagger's other books their connection isn't as strong as in the other couples. And I really missed that. I also think they didn't have enough scenes together. A lot is about their separate lives and I just didn't feel them organically grow closer. I didn't feel the switch from hate to love. It was just there and I was like, huh, already?
I just wish this story shined more. It felt a bit rushed and the emphasis wasn't always always on the right topics. So it is a bit of a missed opportunity. I think this one could have been way more addictive than it was.
But all in all it was still a fun book. And if you love Jagger Cole's books you'll enjoy this one as well.
3.5 out of 5 stars from me for Dance of Thorns.
December 8, 2025
ARC Review: Dance of Thorns
[I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions]
[Content Warning: This story explores sensitive themes such as family-loss, consensual/non-consensual play, kidnapping, suicide and addiction. If these topics are triggering or uncomfortable for you, please take care of yourself and skip this one if needed.]
THE WHAT: Dove is dealing with survivor’s guilt and ongoing mental health struggles after she and her best friend, Lark, were kidnapped and abused. Lark didn’t survive. Coming from a mafia family, Dove is then required to marry Bane, Lark’s fiancé, as part of a business deal between their families. This marriage forces Dove to confront hidden family issues, long-buried lies, and the truth behind the decisions that shaped her life.
THE VIBE: Consensual non-consensual play, impact play, somno activities, trauma bonding, dark romance, morally gray MMC, crime/mafia families.
THE HOW: This novel provides a dual point of view from both the FMC’s and MMC’s perspectives. We follow the FMC as she works through trauma, adjusts to her forced marriage to Bane, and uncovers the truth behind her family’s decisions.
THE HIT: I loved all the twists and turns woven into this story. The author handles mental health with care, honesty, and a level of openness that really helps advocate and break stigmas. I also appreciated the slow-building, deeply emotional connection between Bane and Dove. I feel like this added so much connection to the darker themes.
THE MISS: There were a few things that confused me. The antler mask Bane wore in one scene felt out of place and didn’t fit the tone of the moment. I also felt the writing style in the first half didn’t match my preferences, though it seemed like the author’s confidence strengthened as the story went on. Also, the shift from enemies to lovers happened so quickly that I couldn’t pinpoint when their feelings actually changed. There were a lot of different story lines going on in this book which I felt were disconnected and hard to follow.
THE REC: The book was okay for me. It’s not a must-read or something I’d rave about, but it might hit the mark for readers who enjoy dark mafia romances and don’t mind a faster emotional shift between characters.
THE OVERALL: Overall, I would rate this book as follows:
⭐️Overall Rating: 3/5
🔥Spice Rating : 4/5
[I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author. This review reflects my honest and unbiased opinions]
[Content Warning: This story explores sensitive themes such as family-loss, consensual/non-consensual play, kidnapping, suicide and addiction. If these topics are triggering or uncomfortable for you, please take care of yourself and skip this one if needed.]
THE WHAT: Dove is dealing with survivor’s guilt and ongoing mental health struggles after she and her best friend, Lark, were kidnapped and abused. Lark didn’t survive. Coming from a mafia family, Dove is then required to marry Bane, Lark’s fiancé, as part of a business deal between their families. This marriage forces Dove to confront hidden family issues, long-buried lies, and the truth behind the decisions that shaped her life.
THE VIBE: Consensual non-consensual play, impact play, somno activities, trauma bonding, dark romance, morally gray MMC, crime/mafia families.
THE HOW: This novel provides a dual point of view from both the FMC’s and MMC’s perspectives. We follow the FMC as she works through trauma, adjusts to her forced marriage to Bane, and uncovers the truth behind her family’s decisions.
THE HIT: I loved all the twists and turns woven into this story. The author handles mental health with care, honesty, and a level of openness that really helps advocate and break stigmas. I also appreciated the slow-building, deeply emotional connection between Bane and Dove. I feel like this added so much connection to the darker themes.
THE MISS: There were a few things that confused me. The antler mask Bane wore in one scene felt out of place and didn’t fit the tone of the moment. I also felt the writing style in the first half didn’t match my preferences, though it seemed like the author’s confidence strengthened as the story went on. Also, the shift from enemies to lovers happened so quickly that I couldn’t pinpoint when their feelings actually changed. There were a lot of different story lines going on in this book which I felt were disconnected and hard to follow.
THE REC: The book was okay for me. It’s not a must-read or something I’d rave about, but it might hit the mark for readers who enjoy dark mafia romances and don’t mind a faster emotional shift between characters.
THE OVERALL: Overall, I would rate this book as follows:
⭐️Overall Rating: 3/5
🔥Spice Rating : 4/5
April 5, 2026
The plot isn't bad, but I just couldn't get into it. It's certainly not the best thing I've read by him.
November 24, 2025
Would you believe I’m still in a slump because of this book? Because I am.
I haven’t been able to truly move on so I’ve just reread and man rereading it after all those plot twists is soooooo rewarding.
Bane & Dove are a dark romance dream. He’s dark and angry and possessive and she’s broken and mean and pushes everyone away. These two can only actually heal each other.
The history between them seems insurmountable because what do you mean she was best friends with the love of his life who died tragically?!? How could they move on?!?
Trust the process. What follows is the angstiest love story with an intricate plot that’s full of twists and turns. We get cameos from some of our favorites but this is Bane & Doves story and they’re perfect. Jagger Cole does an impeccable job with this storytelling. These are compelling characters in a deeply complex world. He weaves in the perfect amount of spice and angst to make a truly thought provoking love story.
I’m obsessed with this book. One of the best dark romance stories I’ve read in a long long time.
🩰
WTF DID I JUST READ?!?!
TWIST ON TOP OF TWIST
🩰
Because I got an arc for this book I’m reading this series and I’m angry at myself that I never read it before.
I’ve got 7 days to read 5 books before the arc drops.
Let’s do this.
I haven’t been able to truly move on so I’ve just reread and man rereading it after all those plot twists is soooooo rewarding.
Bane & Dove are a dark romance dream. He’s dark and angry and possessive and she’s broken and mean and pushes everyone away. These two can only actually heal each other.
The history between them seems insurmountable because what do you mean she was best friends with the love of his life who died tragically?!? How could they move on?!?
Trust the process. What follows is the angstiest love story with an intricate plot that’s full of twists and turns. We get cameos from some of our favorites but this is Bane & Doves story and they’re perfect. Jagger Cole does an impeccable job with this storytelling. These are compelling characters in a deeply complex world. He weaves in the perfect amount of spice and angst to make a truly thought provoking love story.
I’m obsessed with this book. One of the best dark romance stories I’ve read in a long long time.
🩰
WTF DID I JUST READ?!?!
TWIST ON TOP OF TWIST
🩰
Because I got an arc for this book I’m reading this series and I’m angry at myself that I never read it before.
I’ve got 7 days to read 5 books before the arc drops.
Let’s do this.
December 10, 2025
Jagger Cole should stop writing MF romance and stick to MM, because that’s the one he does pretty well. I guess he just cannot get out of the way of his own misogyny to write a good MF couple.
Once again, the men have all the power, while women are there just to serve as puzzle pieces in the games men play.
For a second there, right in the beginning of the book, I thought that maybe, finally, Jagger Cole created a decent guy. Nope. Not even close.
Bane manipulates and coerces Dove, forcing her to sign an agreement, including cnc and we’re supposed to be ok with that, because she wanted some of it… Which he knows only because he disrespected her privacy by breaking into her computer. There’s nothing consensual about it and the fact that she enjoys it changes absolutely nothing, ffs.
Dove… well, she’s a weak, broken, overly medicated damsel in distress with no backbone who can be only put back together by a big dick. What an… utterly boring red pill man’s dream.
There’s no angst, no tension, no yearning and the power imbalance makes it all just sad.
Jagger Cole doesn’t have this problem when writing two men. With Val (who is similar to Dove in so many ways!) and Roman there was yearning, there was passion, there was push-and-pull.
Clearly, he knows how to write equal partners, he just doesn’t know how to treat women as equals.
And it’s truly pathetically sad.
The plot itself, with all its twists and turns was engaging as always, if a bit predictable.
After that series, though, I’m only reading Jagger Cole if he writes MM.
Once again, the men have all the power, while women are there just to serve as puzzle pieces in the games men play.
For a second there, right in the beginning of the book, I thought that maybe, finally, Jagger Cole created a decent guy. Nope. Not even close.
Bane manipulates and coerces Dove, forcing her to sign an agreement, including cnc and we’re supposed to be ok with that, because she wanted some of it… Which he knows only because he disrespected her privacy by breaking into her computer. There’s nothing consensual about it and the fact that she enjoys it changes absolutely nothing, ffs.
Dove… well, she’s a weak, broken, overly medicated damsel in distress with no backbone who can be only put back together by a big dick. What an… utterly boring red pill man’s dream.
There’s no angst, no tension, no yearning and the power imbalance makes it all just sad.
Jagger Cole doesn’t have this problem when writing two men. With Val (who is similar to Dove in so many ways!) and Roman there was yearning, there was passion, there was push-and-pull.
Clearly, he knows how to write equal partners, he just doesn’t know how to treat women as equals.
And it’s truly pathetically sad.
The plot itself, with all its twists and turns was engaging as always, if a bit predictable.
After that series, though, I’m only reading Jagger Cole if he writes MM.
December 7, 2025
I just wasn’t a fan unfortunately
December 6, 2025
While I generally give Jagger a minimum of 4 ⭐️s, this book is an exception to that rule. It needed more of Bane’s POV, less repetition which was a sign of poor editing and not a literary tool, and more of the threads that weaved this series together (aka that fight/flight masked mafia club that I love).
October 12, 2026
5 ⭐
"A perfectly beautiful, mad, bloody, messy fucking love." Chapter 32 - Dove
The way I just binged this book!! I think this might be my favorite of the series. I wasn’t expecting the mystery or psychological intensity of Bane and Dove's story. I loved the twists and turns, the fact that I was never quite certain what was real or who I could actually trust. The ending had my heart pounding, and I literally had no clue how things were going to go!
Forced marriage, revenge, mutually broken main characters, healing, recovery, and found family! It's twisted and diabolical and heartbreaking. I loved every moment of it!
I’m the biggest sucker for found family, and moments with Nikolai had me teary eyed!
“Don’t ever be ashamed to fix what isn’t working inside you, Dove. Nobody feels they need to hide the cast on their broken leg, or the antibiotics to knock out a sinus infection. Mental health shouldn’t be any different. And if anyone gives you shit for it?” He winks. “Fuck ‘em.” Chapter 25 - Nikolai
Bane and Dove were fire. Their intensity in everything and their push and pull made every spicy scene teeter the edge of danger and desire.
The ending had me reconceptualizing everything, to the point that I want to read this book again to find the tells.
Blair Thatcher and Jack Calihan did such an amazing job narrating this novel. They expertly draw out the emotion and intensity of every scene, and I loved their range and nuance between all of the characters. Blair’s masculine voices were excellent, and her emphasis and pacing perfectly conveyed Dove’s anxiety, want, and fear. This is 100% a book you need to listen to.
Thank you Valentine PR and Jagger Cole for this ALC!
"A perfectly beautiful, mad, bloody, messy fucking love." Chapter 32 - Dove
The way I just binged this book!! I think this might be my favorite of the series. I wasn’t expecting the mystery or psychological intensity of Bane and Dove's story. I loved the twists and turns, the fact that I was never quite certain what was real or who I could actually trust. The ending had my heart pounding, and I literally had no clue how things were going to go!
Forced marriage, revenge, mutually broken main characters, healing, recovery, and found family! It's twisted and diabolical and heartbreaking. I loved every moment of it!
I’m the biggest sucker for found family, and moments with Nikolai had me teary eyed!
“Don’t ever be ashamed to fix what isn’t working inside you, Dove. Nobody feels they need to hide the cast on their broken leg, or the antibiotics to knock out a sinus infection. Mental health shouldn’t be any different. And if anyone gives you shit for it?” He winks. “Fuck ‘em.” Chapter 25 - Nikolai
Bane and Dove were fire. Their intensity in everything and their push and pull made every spicy scene teeter the edge of danger and desire.
The ending had me reconceptualizing everything, to the point that I want to read this book again to find the tells.
Blair Thatcher and Jack Calihan did such an amazing job narrating this novel. They expertly draw out the emotion and intensity of every scene, and I loved their range and nuance between all of the characters. Blair’s masculine voices were excellent, and her emphasis and pacing perfectly conveyed Dove’s anxiety, want, and fear. This is 100% a book you need to listen to.
Thank you Valentine PR and Jagger Cole for this ALC!
December 2, 2025
this book is every single reason why I love a Jagger Cole book. It’s also the first jagger book to have me shedding a tear (bitch…aka me…is NOT a crier)
The mental health rep in this all around was done so well. But for me more specifically, the depression rep.
Dove, my god. Girl has gone through some shit.
Bane, may be giving broken boy after what had transpired in his childhood and then what happened in his teens but oh the man has such a beautiful soul.
sooo many plot twists you guys, it kept me guessing the ENTIRE time. So many what the fuck moments, for real.
For me, the book was sort of giving all of Jaggers characters rolled into one.
Dove reminded me so much of Tempest with Julianna rolled in and some of Taylor.
Bane reminded me a heavy mix of Mal with Dante and Deimos rolled in.
It was just such a good fucking book. Not enough words, soooo many feelings.
Thank you to VPR & the author for the eArc.
Incredible.
The mental health rep in this all around was done so well. But for me more specifically, the depression rep.
Dove, my god. Girl has gone through some shit.
Bane, may be giving broken boy after what had transpired in his childhood and then what happened in his teens but oh the man has such a beautiful soul.
sooo many plot twists you guys, it kept me guessing the ENTIRE time. So many what the fuck moments, for real.
For me, the book was sort of giving all of Jaggers characters rolled into one.
Dove reminded me so much of Tempest with Julianna rolled in and some of Taylor.
Bane reminded me a heavy mix of Mal with Dante and Deimos rolled in.
It was just such a good fucking book. Not enough words, soooo many feelings.
Thank you to VPR & the author for the eArc.
Incredible.
October 20, 2025
Let this be Bane and Dove's book!!!
5 stars for the plot alone.
5 stars for the plot alone.
Review of advance copy
5 ⭐
"A perfectly beautiful, mad, bloody, messy fucking love." Chapter 32 - Dove
The way I just binged this book!! I think this might be my favorite of the series. I wasn’t expecting the mystery or psychological intensity of Bane and Dove's story. I loved the twists and turns, the fact that I was never quite certain what was real or who I could actually trust. The ending had my heart pounding, and I literally had no clue how things were going to go!
Forced marriage, revenge, mutually broken main characters, healing, recovery, and found family! It's twisted and diabolical and heartbreaking. I loved every moment of it!
I’m the biggest sucker for found family, and moments with Nikolai had me teary eyed!
“Don’t ever be ashamed to fix what isn’t working inside you, Dove. Nobody feels they need to hide the cast on their broken leg, or the antibiotics to knock out a sinus infection. Mental health shouldn’t be any different. And if anyone gives you shit for it?” He winks. “Fuck ‘em.” Chapter 25 - Nikolai
Bane and Dove were fire. Their intensity in everything and their push and pull made every spicy scene teeter the edge of danger and desire.
The ending had me reconceptualizing everything, to the point that I want to read this book again to find the tells.
Blair Thatcher and Jack Calihan did such an amazing job narrating this novel. They expertly draw out the emotion and intensity of every scene, and I loved their range and nuance between all of the characters. Blair’s masculine voices were excellent, and her emphasis and pacing perfectly conveyed Dove’s anxiety, want, and fear. This is 100% a book you need to listen to.
Thank you, Valentine PR and Jagger Cole, for this ALC!
"A perfectly beautiful, mad, bloody, messy fucking love." Chapter 32 - Dove
The way I just binged this book!! I think this might be my favorite of the series. I wasn’t expecting the mystery or psychological intensity of Bane and Dove's story. I loved the twists and turns, the fact that I was never quite certain what was real or who I could actually trust. The ending had my heart pounding, and I literally had no clue how things were going to go!
Forced marriage, revenge, mutually broken main characters, healing, recovery, and found family! It's twisted and diabolical and heartbreaking. I loved every moment of it!
I’m the biggest sucker for found family, and moments with Nikolai had me teary eyed!
“Don’t ever be ashamed to fix what isn’t working inside you, Dove. Nobody feels they need to hide the cast on their broken leg, or the antibiotics to knock out a sinus infection. Mental health shouldn’t be any different. And if anyone gives you shit for it?” He winks. “Fuck ‘em.” Chapter 25 - Nikolai
Bane and Dove were fire. Their intensity in everything and their push and pull made every spicy scene teeter the edge of danger and desire.
The ending had me reconceptualizing everything, to the point that I want to read this book again to find the tells.
Blair Thatcher and Jack Calihan did such an amazing job narrating this novel. They expertly draw out the emotion and intensity of every scene, and I loved their range and nuance between all of the characters. Blair’s masculine voices were excellent, and her emphasis and pacing perfectly conveyed Dove’s anxiety, want, and fear. This is 100% a book you need to listen to.
Thank you, Valentine PR and Jagger Cole, for this ALC!
January 3, 2026
» I don't think you're crazy. I think you're surviving.…..and you're fucking killing it at that, for what it's worth.«
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑫𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
She‘s a twisted character with big mental health issues. Dove felt relatable and I liked her.
❥ 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒆 ⋆✮
First I had my problems with him but as I got to know him better I started to like him.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
Another great dark mafia romance book by Jagger Cole. I love this whole series and I can‘t wait for the next book. It‘s dark and twisted with a lot of raw emotion, grief and darkness. The mental health topic was well done and the journey of grief and hatred felt realistic. Like all of Jaggers books this was dark with a lot of triggering subjects and heavy kinks. But don‘t like it don‘t read it.
Dove and Bane are full of grief and hatred. They have amazing tension and their story was interesting to read. This book is full of twists and turns although I must say the big plot twist was predictable. If you‘ve read a lot of books by this author you know how things will evolve. Regardless this was a thrilling story and I was glued to my kindle the whole day.
All in all the perfect dark romance!
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes!
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 5/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, dark romance, bratva, hate to love, grief & healing, mental health issues, secrets & lies, found family, arranged marriage, dead best friends fiancé, bratva prince x ballerina
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Dance of Deception ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Dance of Ruin ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3 Dance of Madness ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#4 Dance of Devils ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#5 Dance of Defiance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#6 Dance of Thorns ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#7 Dance of Monsters ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑫𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
She‘s a twisted character with big mental health issues. Dove felt relatable and I liked her.
❥ 𝑩𝒂𝒏𝒆 ⋆✮
First I had my problems with him but as I got to know him better I started to like him.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
Another great dark mafia romance book by Jagger Cole. I love this whole series and I can‘t wait for the next book. It‘s dark and twisted with a lot of raw emotion, grief and darkness. The mental health topic was well done and the journey of grief and hatred felt realistic. Like all of Jaggers books this was dark with a lot of triggering subjects and heavy kinks. But don‘t like it don‘t read it.
Dove and Bane are full of grief and hatred. They have amazing tension and their story was interesting to read. This book is full of twists and turns although I must say the big plot twist was predictable. If you‘ve read a lot of books by this author you know how things will evolve. Regardless this was a thrilling story and I was glued to my kindle the whole day.
All in all the perfect dark romance!
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes!
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 5/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, dark romance, bratva, hate to love, grief & healing, mental health issues, secrets & lies, found family, arranged marriage, dead best friends fiancé, bratva prince x ballerina
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Dance of Deception ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Dance of Ruin ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3 Dance of Madness ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#4 Dance of Devils ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#5 Dance of Defiance ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#6 Dance of Thorns ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#7 Dance of Monsters ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
December 2, 2025
Drink every time Nathalie put her Kindle down and gasped and said “Bitch what the fuck”. We would all be drunk bc what the actual fuck did I just read. Probably if not most definitely one of my favorite reads of the year. Maybe even one of my favorite jagger books?????? i read this book in one sitting. this is the reason why i love reading his books. this is what it feels like reading one of his books.
Dove is that girl period. Im so happy her story is out in the world bc she has been a mystery since the first book in the darkest dance series. The build up to her book was so well worth the wait TRUST ME. Oh god her past tore me up. What she went through with her best friend at such a young age broke my heart. Prepare the tissues bc the amount of times I had to stop and put my kindle down to cry I lost count. I love her and she is now one of my favorite fmcs that jagger has ever written. Bane im not going to lie to you, he took me by surprise. I did not see him coming at all. It’s always the quiet ones you have to worry about. THIS MAN I mean dominant, he tracks your internet history and he fulfills all of your darkest fantasies but he also has a tough past too and he is also dealing with mental health issues. jagger wrote the mental health rep here beautifully. He perfectly wrote what it’s like to have depression and anxiety and seeing in both the female and male main character was so refreshing. Listen bane and dove. BANE AND DOVE = soulmates LITERALLY.
I felt like there were 10 different plot twists just being thrown at our faces but they flowed so well together. did I see any of them coming? Maybe one of them but let’s be honest, I live in a state of delusion and I like it that way. i was pacing my room at 1am reading the last 30% of this book. I WAS FLOOORED with the plot twists genuinely one of the best plot lines ive ever read in a mafia book and im not saying this bc im biased and we all know how I feel about jaggers writing. I mean truly this was written so well. This was written for the mafia girlies, for the marriage of convenience girlies, for the girlies battling depression and anxiety, for the men battling their own mental health issues. we are truly seeing jagger grow into his own with his writing especially with this series as he is tapping into that emotional side as well as those heavy topics and I thought it was done respectfully and beautifully and I hope you see yourself in one of these characters and I hope it heals you in whatever way you see it. This was perfection. GOD TIER mafia romance book that has made it into my 6 star pile. I need everyone to stop what they are doing and start this series. You will not regret it. Jagger has been doing his BIG ONE with the Darkest Dance series and you can really tell when an author loves what he does bc this series is just proof of that.
Pls pls pls pls check your content trigger warnings for this one. Your mental health matters and pls if you need help seek someone out. You are not alone <3
Thank you so much to Jagger Cole and Valentine PR for the e-arc.
6 ☆
Dove is that girl period. Im so happy her story is out in the world bc she has been a mystery since the first book in the darkest dance series. The build up to her book was so well worth the wait TRUST ME. Oh god her past tore me up. What she went through with her best friend at such a young age broke my heart. Prepare the tissues bc the amount of times I had to stop and put my kindle down to cry I lost count. I love her and she is now one of my favorite fmcs that jagger has ever written. Bane im not going to lie to you, he took me by surprise. I did not see him coming at all. It’s always the quiet ones you have to worry about. THIS MAN I mean dominant, he tracks your internet history and he fulfills all of your darkest fantasies but he also has a tough past too and he is also dealing with mental health issues. jagger wrote the mental health rep here beautifully. He perfectly wrote what it’s like to have depression and anxiety and seeing in both the female and male main character was so refreshing. Listen bane and dove. BANE AND DOVE = soulmates LITERALLY.
I felt like there were 10 different plot twists just being thrown at our faces but they flowed so well together. did I see any of them coming? Maybe one of them but let’s be honest, I live in a state of delusion and I like it that way. i was pacing my room at 1am reading the last 30% of this book. I WAS FLOOORED with the plot twists genuinely one of the best plot lines ive ever read in a mafia book and im not saying this bc im biased and we all know how I feel about jaggers writing. I mean truly this was written so well. This was written for the mafia girlies, for the marriage of convenience girlies, for the girlies battling depression and anxiety, for the men battling their own mental health issues. we are truly seeing jagger grow into his own with his writing especially with this series as he is tapping into that emotional side as well as those heavy topics and I thought it was done respectfully and beautifully and I hope you see yourself in one of these characters and I hope it heals you in whatever way you see it. This was perfection. GOD TIER mafia romance book that has made it into my 6 star pile. I need everyone to stop what they are doing and start this series. You will not regret it. Jagger has been doing his BIG ONE with the Darkest Dance series and you can really tell when an author loves what he does bc this series is just proof of that.
Pls pls pls pls check your content trigger warnings for this one. Your mental health matters and pls if you need help seek someone out. You are not alone <3
Thank you so much to Jagger Cole and Valentine PR for the e-arc.
6 ☆
December 4, 2025
✨ ARC Review: Dance of Thorns by Jagger Cole ✨
I am not okay after this book 😭🔥 Dance of Thorns grabbed me by the hair, dragged me into the dark, whispered “you’re welcome,” and honestly I would go back willingly.
Our girl is a sharp-tongued black-cat heroine with trauma, grit, and a refusal to be saved 🖤😼 Everyone calls her damaged, freak, addict… but she is FERAL in the most iconic way and I love her for it.
And Bane Antonov…
Oh. My. GOD.
Villain coded. Inked. Scarred. Emotionally unavailable. Morally grey. Full “touch her and I’ll bury you alive” energy 🥵🖤
He was meant to marry her dead best friend and somehow still had me kicking my feet like an idiot. I blame Jagger Cole for my emotional instability.
Their dynamic is pure chaos: hate, heat, hurt, obsession… all wrapped up in a forced marriage neither of them wants but both of them feel way too much 💍🔥 Every scene is like waiting for a bomb to explode and trust me… it ALWAYS does.
The plot twists?
ABSOLUTELY UNHINGED 🤯
I kept saying “I’m sorry… WHAT?” out loud.
And the spice?
Bestie.
Piping. HOT.
Like I genuinely considered putting my IPad in the freezer 🌶️📱❄️
And listen… I’m already obsessed with this entire world and every book in this series, but this one might actually be my favourite. Something about Bane and our unhinged queen together just rewired me. And honestly? Every single thing Jagger Cole writes, I absolutely devour. I don’t read his books… I inhale them. The man has me in a chokehold and I’m thanking him.
Jagger Cole really said
You want darkness
You want trauma
You want obsession and chaos and tension that melts your soul
Here you go sweetheart 😈💋
And I devoured every messy, delicious page.
peep the triggers or I guess the menu on my post😜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A dark, chaotic, twisty masterpiece that wrecked me in the best possible way.
I am not okay after this book 😭🔥 Dance of Thorns grabbed me by the hair, dragged me into the dark, whispered “you’re welcome,” and honestly I would go back willingly.
Our girl is a sharp-tongued black-cat heroine with trauma, grit, and a refusal to be saved 🖤😼 Everyone calls her damaged, freak, addict… but she is FERAL in the most iconic way and I love her for it.
And Bane Antonov…
Oh. My. GOD.
Villain coded. Inked. Scarred. Emotionally unavailable. Morally grey. Full “touch her and I’ll bury you alive” energy 🥵🖤
He was meant to marry her dead best friend and somehow still had me kicking my feet like an idiot. I blame Jagger Cole for my emotional instability.
Their dynamic is pure chaos: hate, heat, hurt, obsession… all wrapped up in a forced marriage neither of them wants but both of them feel way too much 💍🔥 Every scene is like waiting for a bomb to explode and trust me… it ALWAYS does.
The plot twists?
ABSOLUTELY UNHINGED 🤯
I kept saying “I’m sorry… WHAT?” out loud.
And the spice?
Bestie.
Piping. HOT.
Like I genuinely considered putting my IPad in the freezer 🌶️📱❄️
And listen… I’m already obsessed with this entire world and every book in this series, but this one might actually be my favourite. Something about Bane and our unhinged queen together just rewired me. And honestly? Every single thing Jagger Cole writes, I absolutely devour. I don’t read his books… I inhale them. The man has me in a chokehold and I’m thanking him.
Jagger Cole really said
You want darkness
You want trauma
You want obsession and chaos and tension that melts your soul
Here you go sweetheart 😈💋
And I devoured every messy, delicious page.
peep the triggers or I guess the menu on my post😜
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ A dark, chaotic, twisty masterpiece that wrecked me in the best possible way.
December 3, 2025
5⭐️ | 3.5🌶️
THIS. BOOK. WAS. EVERYTHING. I am so obsessed. I literally inhaled it in one sitting last night because once I started it, my eyeballs stayed glued to my kindle until I finished 🤣 So many twists and turns had my head absolutely spinning!!
Per usual with Jaggers books, it was a spicy af good time but it was also so suspenseful & emotional.
Bane and Dove have both been through so much & have faced a great loss. I’ve been obsessed with Dove’s mysterious vibe since the first time she showed up in this series. I’ve always wanted to know who she really was.
And Bane?! I did NOT expect to love this man like I did but he had me in a damn chokehold.
There were so many emotional moments that made me tear up which has yet to happen in Jaggers books lol I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time. It’s safe to say this might be my favorite book of his next to Monstrous Urges.
Thank you so much Jagger Cole & VPR for this ARC🤍
THIS. BOOK. WAS. EVERYTHING. I am so obsessed. I literally inhaled it in one sitting last night because once I started it, my eyeballs stayed glued to my kindle until I finished 🤣 So many twists and turns had my head absolutely spinning!!
Per usual with Jaggers books, it was a spicy af good time but it was also so suspenseful & emotional.
Bane and Dove have both been through so much & have faced a great loss. I’ve been obsessed with Dove’s mysterious vibe since the first time she showed up in this series. I’ve always wanted to know who she really was.
And Bane?! I did NOT expect to love this man like I did but he had me in a damn chokehold.
There were so many emotional moments that made me tear up which has yet to happen in Jaggers books lol I’m going to be thinking about this one for a long time. It’s safe to say this might be my favorite book of his next to Monstrous Urges.
Thank you so much Jagger Cole & VPR for this ARC🤍
December 3, 2025
Jagger Cole did it again! Bane & Dove was written to perfection and twist at the end ! Yall aren’t ready for that. If you are reading this and you are debating if you should read the book…. The answer is YESS ! Read this book!
December 2, 2025
5 ⭐️/2.5 🌶️
Oh wow! This book is full of twists after twists. Honestly, I went in with zero expectations and nothing could’ve prepared me for the ride it took me on. Bane and Dove are easily one of the strongest MCs in the series. Their chemistry, their broken edges, the way they fit together, it all just worked 🖤
What really stood out to me was how Jagger portrayed addiction and recovery. The depiction felt raw and honest and the way depressive thoughts were woven into the narrative without ever pulling away from the plot was incredible. It added so much depth without slowing down the story for even a second.🙌🏼
I’m keeping this short because it’s way too easy to spill spoilers by accident. This book is packed with twists I couldn’t have even dreamed of. All I’ll say is: buckle up.😉
And now…I cannot wait for Vaughn’s book!
Trope: mafia romance, amnesia
Oh wow! This book is full of twists after twists. Honestly, I went in with zero expectations and nothing could’ve prepared me for the ride it took me on. Bane and Dove are easily one of the strongest MCs in the series. Their chemistry, their broken edges, the way they fit together, it all just worked 🖤
What really stood out to me was how Jagger portrayed addiction and recovery. The depiction felt raw and honest and the way depressive thoughts were woven into the narrative without ever pulling away from the plot was incredible. It added so much depth without slowing down the story for even a second.🙌🏼
I’m keeping this short because it’s way too easy to spill spoilers by accident. This book is packed with twists I couldn’t have even dreamed of. All I’ll say is: buckle up.😉
And now…I cannot wait for Vaughn’s book!
Trope: mafia romance, amnesia
December 4, 2025
2.5. Did I enjoy the murder mystery element to this story? Yes. But I’m really getting sick of Jagger recycling the separated siblings/twins thing. He’s done it 2x in this series alone and also in Monstrous Urges. It’s tired and frankly boring and lazy writing. I would rather read the unexpected pregnancy cliche than about another set of twins / separated siblings.
December 2, 2025
We didn’t really get much of a backstory to of two MCs Dove and Bane in the previous books in the series so I was excited to see what Jagger was going to bring to the table and it certainly didn’t disappoint.
This book was just twist after twist after twist and I most certainly was not complaining about it. I initially thought I had the main twist down and while some of that came to pass another twist was then thrown on top- so long story short this book had me absolutely hooked🤭
What we did know about Dove, she is a mafia princess who was a part of the Ballet studio and she mainly kept to herself. Dove certainly didn’t have it easy and there were so many times I just wanted to jump between the pages to hug her. Bane is a part of the same secret society that our previous MMCs belonged to, but the thing about Bane was he had an agenda.
Dove and Bane have a long history, he best friend was also the woman that Bane only ever loved and she was present at the time she lost her best friend. In his eyes Dove was responsible for him losing the love of his life and when the opportunity arose he most certainly didn’t hesitate to make her pay, and that none the less is through an arranged marriage. But don’t be fooled this journey is not as straightforward as it seems as there’s a lot of secrets that come to light on this journey.
Over the course of the book Bane softens towards Dove and hate turns to something much much more. Dove initially feels guilt but then soon releases that her best friend wouldn’t want her to stop something she sees a future with. I liked as well that we see Dove open up not just with Bane but she also opens up to Evie😭😭
Overall I loved this book, the twists and turns and chemistry of this couple was chefs kiss. I cannot wait for Evie and Vaughn as those two will certainly be interesting. Thank you to VPR who provided this e-arc for my honest thoughts 💭
This book was just twist after twist after twist and I most certainly was not complaining about it. I initially thought I had the main twist down and while some of that came to pass another twist was then thrown on top- so long story short this book had me absolutely hooked🤭
What we did know about Dove, she is a mafia princess who was a part of the Ballet studio and she mainly kept to herself. Dove certainly didn’t have it easy and there were so many times I just wanted to jump between the pages to hug her. Bane is a part of the same secret society that our previous MMCs belonged to, but the thing about Bane was he had an agenda.
Dove and Bane have a long history, he best friend was also the woman that Bane only ever loved and she was present at the time she lost her best friend. In his eyes Dove was responsible for him losing the love of his life and when the opportunity arose he most certainly didn’t hesitate to make her pay, and that none the less is through an arranged marriage. But don’t be fooled this journey is not as straightforward as it seems as there’s a lot of secrets that come to light on this journey.
Over the course of the book Bane softens towards Dove and hate turns to something much much more. Dove initially feels guilt but then soon releases that her best friend wouldn’t want her to stop something she sees a future with. I liked as well that we see Dove open up not just with Bane but she also opens up to Evie😭😭
Overall I loved this book, the twists and turns and chemistry of this couple was chefs kiss. I cannot wait for Evie and Vaughn as those two will certainly be interesting. Thank you to VPR who provided this e-arc for my honest thoughts 💭
October 19, 2026
Dance of Thorns by Jagger Cole 🎧
Darkest Dance Series #6
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Jagger Cole!!! WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! 🤯🖤
I swear every time I thought I had something figured out another twist would came along and prove me wrong. And that ending!?! I absolutely did NOT see that coming! Knowing Bane and Dove still get their HEA after everything they went through made it even better.
One thing I really loved was the mental health representation. The way Jagger handled depression, anxiety, addiction and trauma added so much to this story. Dove and Bane are both fighting their own demons and I loved that their struggles weren’t just brushed aside. There was so much more emotion here than I expected.
And can we talk about the SPICE?! 🥵 Because DAMN!! The chemistry between these two was insane. Dark, emotional, twisted and ridiculously hot!
🎧 Audiobook Performance: Blair Thatcher and Jack Calihan did such a great job bringing all that tension and emotion to life. This was definitely one worth listening to!
🖤 Tropes:
🖤 Dark Mafia / Bratva Romance
🖤 Forced Marriage
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Morally Gray MMC
🖤 Possessive MMC
🖤 Protective MMC
🖤 Mental Health Representation
🖤 Grief, Trauma & Healing
🖤 Secrets & Plot Twists
🖤 HEA
I would like to tthank VPR and Jagger Cole for this awesome audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Stay bookish. Keep it wicked. 🖤
Yours between the pages,
Kayla📚
Darkest Dance Series #6
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Jagger Cole!!! WHAT WAS THAT ENDING?! 🤯🖤
I swear every time I thought I had something figured out another twist would came along and prove me wrong. And that ending!?! I absolutely did NOT see that coming! Knowing Bane and Dove still get their HEA after everything they went through made it even better.
One thing I really loved was the mental health representation. The way Jagger handled depression, anxiety, addiction and trauma added so much to this story. Dove and Bane are both fighting their own demons and I loved that their struggles weren’t just brushed aside. There was so much more emotion here than I expected.
And can we talk about the SPICE?! 🥵 Because DAMN!! The chemistry between these two was insane. Dark, emotional, twisted and ridiculously hot!
🎧 Audiobook Performance: Blair Thatcher and Jack Calihan did such a great job bringing all that tension and emotion to life. This was definitely one worth listening to!
🖤 Tropes:
🖤 Dark Mafia / Bratva Romance
🖤 Forced Marriage
🖤 Enemies to Lovers
🖤 Morally Gray MMC
🖤 Possessive MMC
🖤 Protective MMC
🖤 Mental Health Representation
🖤 Grief, Trauma & Healing
🖤 Secrets & Plot Twists
🖤 HEA
I would like to tthank VPR and Jagger Cole for this awesome audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Stay bookish. Keep it wicked. 🖤
Yours between the pages,
Kayla📚
December 5, 2025
*M/F
*Contemporary
*Multi-1st-PoV
*Mafia Romance
*Arranged Marriage
*Enemies to Lovers
*Amnesiac FMC
*Fast Burn
*Standalone
*Wider Universe
Twisted as Hell!
So enthralled with this book I read it in one night and stayed up till 1:30am just to finish it 😀
This follows Dove (briefly met in previous books and Bane Antanov) I will say this book didn’t have as many wider references to the rest of the crew as the previous books, very much felt singular. The story was very much focused on the relationship development between Dove and Bane, they’ve have somewhat of a shared past through her ☠️ best friend and due to some twisted machinations on Bane’s part are now engaged! They’re very much at odds with each other and he is out to own her whatever way he can 😳 but honestly the chemistry between them is off the charts and there are some 👌 kinks explored 🔥🌶️ as the story develops we learn of Dove’s past; the reasoning behind her amnesia and how dodgy her family dynamics truly are 😖 you also learn the depths of Bane’s obsessiveness; what he will do for Dove but also the dark secrets he’s keeping 😱!! The twists in this book though seriously got me - I suspected along the lines for one of them but the other 🤯 like I said it was engaging enough to get me to read it though the night 😃
*Contemporary
*Multi-1st-PoV
*Mafia Romance
*Arranged Marriage
*Enemies to Lovers
*Amnesiac FMC
*Fast Burn
*Standalone
*Wider Universe
Twisted as Hell!
So enthralled with this book I read it in one night and stayed up till 1:30am just to finish it 😀
This follows Dove (briefly met in previous books and Bane Antanov) I will say this book didn’t have as many wider references to the rest of the crew as the previous books, very much felt singular. The story was very much focused on the relationship development between Dove and Bane, they’ve have somewhat of a shared past through her ☠️ best friend and due to some twisted machinations on Bane’s part are now engaged! They’re very much at odds with each other and he is out to own her whatever way he can 😳 but honestly the chemistry between them is off the charts and there are some 👌 kinks explored 🔥🌶️ as the story develops we learn of Dove’s past; the reasoning behind her amnesia and how dodgy her family dynamics truly are 😖 you also learn the depths of Bane’s obsessiveness; what he will do for Dove but also the dark secrets he’s keeping 😱!! The twists in this book though seriously got me - I suspected along the lines for one of them but the other 🤯 like I said it was engaging enough to get me to read it though the night 😃
December 5, 2025
4.5⭐️
[arc review]
y’all…the twists and turns in this book? they don’t end‼️ every time i felt like i maybe sorta had an idea of the direction it was heading in, it turned and went in a different one.
i think jagger did a great job in previous books portraying dove as a little standoff-ish and a girl that just keeps to herself but is insanely good at ballet because dove’s mind felt like a whole other world in this book. you’d never have any idea of the dark thoughts she has swirling in there or the wars she’s fighting against her own mind. dove’s strength is unlike any other.
bane is fighting his own mental wars too. but he’s found the one person he can’t live without and he will do anything to keep her around because if she goes, he goes. he’s really not as big and bad and scary as he appears.
i loved their story so much 😭 they deserve a few lifetimes of happiness.
[arc review]
y’all…the twists and turns in this book? they don’t end‼️ every time i felt like i maybe sorta had an idea of the direction it was heading in, it turned and went in a different one.
i think jagger did a great job in previous books portraying dove as a little standoff-ish and a girl that just keeps to herself but is insanely good at ballet because dove’s mind felt like a whole other world in this book. you’d never have any idea of the dark thoughts she has swirling in there or the wars she’s fighting against her own mind. dove’s strength is unlike any other.
bane is fighting his own mental wars too. but he’s found the one person he can’t live without and he will do anything to keep her around because if she goes, he goes. he’s really not as big and bad and scary as he appears.
i loved their story so much 😭 they deserve a few lifetimes of happiness.
April 22, 2026
3 STARS ⭐️
I swear it went downhill after the 60% mark. Too many plot twist were added to make it believable and it became messy as hell. I love myself a good messy and angsty romance but this did a complete 180 as if the plot completely changed. one would have thought thst someone else wrote the other part. This book was perfect for me until it was not. I won’t lie and say that some things did not annoy me like Bane not really giving mafia energy. He was morally grey that’s for sure but he was no braava material. Still i loved him and his relationship from hate to love with Dove.
I loved the mental rep and would have loved if the author continued on that path but i feel like the plot changed after that mark which i do not understand. Even if the author wanted to add some twists for shock value, he could have at least made it believable.
I feel so robbed of a good ending.
I swear it went downhill after the 60% mark. Too many plot twist were added to make it believable and it became messy as hell. I love myself a good messy and angsty romance but this did a complete 180 as if the plot completely changed. one would have thought thst someone else wrote the other part. This book was perfect for me until it was not. I won’t lie and say that some things did not annoy me like Bane not really giving mafia energy. He was morally grey that’s for sure but he was no braava material. Still i loved him and his relationship from hate to love with Dove.
I loved the mental rep and would have loved if the author continued on that path but i feel like the plot changed after that mark which i do not understand. Even if the author wanted to add some twists for shock value, he could have at least made it believable.
I feel so robbed of a good ending.
October 22, 2026
This was an amazing ALC. I was immediately pulled in and wasn’t about to turn this off until I was finished. Needless to say, I did not adult that day lol. The narrators were perfection 🤌🏼 they brought the tension, the emotion, everything that brought this story to life. I loved Bane and Dove. These two were perfect for one another. Both held a darkness image that called to the other.
This story was chaos and intensity of a whole new level. Two people cut from the same cloth. And their chemistry was fire. The spice was spicing, the plot was intense, and that storyline was smooth. Absolutely loved devouring this one..
This story was chaos and intensity of a whole new level. Two people cut from the same cloth. And their chemistry was fire. The spice was spicing, the plot was intense, and that storyline was smooth. Absolutely loved devouring this one..
August 6, 2026
Yesss! I’ve been missing a gripping plot in the other books like this one. I was hooked from the start, the theories, the little snippets of truth and secrets… it was so good!! I had so many theories and was nowhere near close to the real deal. I really enjoyed this one, more than the previous books and I loved how everything was so intertwined, there was so much more going on in the background than I expected, it definitely kept me interested till the end.
I’m very ready to dive into Evie’s book now. Can’t wait!!!
- dark mafia romance
- ballerina mafia princess fmc
- mafia prince mmc
- secrets
- mental health
- cnc, free use, primal and impact play
- big plot twist!
I’m very ready to dive into Evie’s book now. Can’t wait!!!
- dark mafia romance
- ballerina mafia princess fmc
- mafia prince mmc
- secrets
- mental health
- cnc, free use, primal and impact play
- big plot twist!
December 7, 2025
Jagger Cole with another 5 star banger!!! WHAT TYPE OF CRACK DO YOU PUT IN THESE BOOKS?!?!?! I absolutely loved Dove and Bane soo much!!! From the very beginning I was hooked! This was the craziest roller coaster ride of a book where I had to stop multiple times in shock with my jaw on the floor 😱 You will think you have the plot figured out… and then 🤯🤯🤯 Gahhh I’m still thinking about it… OBSESSED ♥️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
December 4, 2025
What in the world did I just read? I thought I was reading a story which would go it was supposed to but then twist it around and brings you into a whole different dimension. And again and again and again. Bane and Dove truly despise each other but for a valid reason. But the root of it all was something so freaking unexpected that I was not sure I was reading the same book cause it completely threw me upside down.
The intense way Bane is with Dove is a thing of beauty. It all goes out the window. I can truly say that this book is officially my favourite in this series. If I have mentioned in my previous reviews , I take it back. Bane and Dove are my fav couple in this series!
Jagger Cole will always be my fav mafia romance author.
The intense way Bane is with Dove is a thing of beauty. It all goes out the window. I can truly say that this book is officially my favourite in this series. If I have mentioned in my previous reviews , I take it back. Bane and Dove are my fav couple in this series!
Jagger Cole will always be my fav mafia romance author.
December 2, 2025
HOLY PLOT TWISTS!!
Right when I thought where the story was going Jagger said SIKE YOU THOUGHT. WOW this story was perfectly executed - had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
Spice? HOT AF and the depth of Bane made me love him so much ugh 10/10
Right when I thought where the story was going Jagger said SIKE YOU THOUGHT. WOW this story was perfectly executed - had me on the edge of my seat the entire time.
Spice? HOT AF and the depth of Bane made me love him so much ugh 10/10
January 27, 2026
What a start was this?! Like for real this gave me a little bit of vibes of Darling Venom, which I really love!
At times it made me wonder how broken Dove really was, but to each their own kinks. But at times I was really taken back. When she got turned on from certain parts of her capture, not with Bane..
But when it progressed further I kind of guessed the plot and I was right also..
Even though it was a dark book, actually very dark it also brought lightness at the ending.
A lot of lightness as well.
At times it made me wonder how broken Dove really was, but to each their own kinks. But at times I was really taken back. When she got turned on from certain parts of her capture, not with Bane..
But when it progressed further I kind of guessed the plot and I was right also..
Even though it was a dark book, actually very dark it also brought lightness at the ending.
A lot of lightness as well.
Did Not Finish
May 11, 2026Just not feeling this series anymore
37%
37%
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