Too little time together - read on KU
I don't usually read mafia romances because I really don't like rooting for bad people. I recently read a series about different mafia bosses and at least two out of three of them were mostly good people. One of them was a government spy. While I wouldn't expect every mafia story, or even most of them, to have these types of men, I did hope to read a book where some of the worst parts of the business the mafia conducts was at least glossed over. Not so with this book. They spend a decent amount of time discussing using escorts as drug dealers. They only use them for a short amount of time and then move on to a new set and a new agency. They kill any escorts who try to stay in business with them or with the owners who fuss when the time is up. Or anyone of them that asks questions. However, I did not drop any stars for the mafia guys actually being bad guys even though the story could have been as real if they focused on business outside of drugs or human trafficking. Those are the two hardest to overlook IMO. I'm sure the latter doesn't show up in the series.
The biggest reason I gave this 3 stars is way too much of the gook is before she actually gets in trouble. Over half the book is used to get to the point described in the blurb. Very little time was spent on them trying to build a relationship. And what he asks her to do in return for forgiving her misdeeds is really stupid and he probably had a million people he could have had do it.
Another thing I hated about this book is how confident he comes across when alone but his brother and sister treat him like he is the family screw up. It was hard to reconcile the two images the author painted of him. That I did count against the author. That his family obviously didn't support him while saying they did was something else I hated but that is just the story and not about her skill.
Another frustration was the book opens on a prologue 6 months in the past. Kazimir is about to take down a portion of a different mafia and the whole thing goes sideways. The author never circles around to explain exactly what happened or how he survived.
Lindy wasn't a great FMC. While she was extremely loyal to her friends, some other aspects made her a not so hot friend. She was bossy and controlling. She bullied them into doing what she wanted.
They went from enemies, from her pov, to lovers on a dime. He didn't do anything to win her over other than being hot. I don't mind insta love but it still needs to make sense and be based on something aside from lust.
I won't be reading more by this author because I am definitely not into this kind of mafia book but that is not a reflection of her. If the book were not about mobs, I would probably try another book to see if her stories tend to be all build up and very little relationship time. She certainly isn't a bad author. If you read mob books to see the mob operate, you might really enjoy this book. If you are looking for romance, you'll be disappointed.