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Dark & Dirty Vows #1
A Match Made in Hatred
I hated her before I even knew her name.
My bride.
The daughter of my enemy.
She’s nothing more than a part of my revenge.
I’m the one who holds her life in my hands,
As well as her body.
And soon, her very will.
Yet, she refuses to break.
This woman disarms me, not with weapons but words
And not with a fist, but with a simple kiss.
A match made in hate can have no other ending except war.
Read the FREE prequel today:
BookHip.com/JJBFLB
Dark & Dirty Vows Series:
Book 1: A Match Made in Hatred (Maximus)
Book 2: I Thee Lust (Rafael)
Book 3: To Have & to Hurt (Tristano)
My bride.
The daughter of my enemy.
She’s nothing more than a part of my revenge.
I’m the one who holds her life in my hands,
As well as her body.
And soon, her very will.
Yet, she refuses to break.
This woman disarms me, not with weapons but words
And not with a fist, but with a simple kiss.
A match made in hate can have no other ending except war.
Read the FREE prequel today:
BookHip.com/JJBFLB
Dark & Dirty Vows Series:
Book 1: A Match Made in Hatred (Maximus)
Book 2: I Thee Lust (Rafael)
Book 3: To Have & to Hurt (Tristano)
215 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 1, 2021
1603 people are currently reading
2746 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 190 reviews
August 21, 2021
Mafia stories and dark romance are not my thing so I rarely read these kinds of books. Every now and then, when I cannot find a better option, I force myself out of my comfort zone and try other genres such as this one. This book was a pleasant surprise for me because I enjoyed it despite everything it involved.
*********************************************
It has a prequel "A Bride to Be Broken". Without reading the prequel, this book won't make the same effect so make sure you read the prequel before starting this book. It was sent to me by email when I subscribed to the writer's newsletter.
*********************************************
As for this book, despite the things that disturbed me (such as the forced seduction and the verbal abuse), I ended up loving the book because I think I believed in their feelings and I liked the heroine a lot.
*********************************************
Maximus's marriage to Emilia starts as a revenge plan but the more he sees that Emilia is nothing like he imagined, the more he falls for her.
Their relationship starts as a forced seduction and Emilia knows that she cannot escape this fate. It is sometimes hard to read those parts. If Emilia didn't already feel attracted to him, it would disturb me more but since she liked the seduction despite it being full of sometimes pain and sometimes humiliation, I was able to read it more comfortably than I normally would.
Although Emilia's body responds to his touch, she never begs when Maximus insists that she begs. She is a very interesting character. She is not weak but alas, how strong can you be in a world of mafia leaders where women are sold/used/kidnapped etc.? Still, she has her way of staying strong and it is admirable.
*********************************************
I liked the whole story up until the end. The series will continue with another brother so the revenge plan isn't completed yet.
What we have at the end of this book is a happy couple who are in love.
I was expecting more from the final revelations of the couple, especially about their past connection and I was also looking forward to confessions about their present feelings and all the misunderstandings but I wasn't satisfied about those things. If you ask me, the ending feels a bit rushed, especially with the summary of the dialogues I was looking forward to. The summary that says, "We talked about this and that, etc" never gives the same effect as the actual dialogues; ergo my dissatisfaction in the end and the -1 point.
*********************************************
226 pages
Dual point of view
Heat level: High
*********************************************
QUOTES from the book
It looks as if the king, while being the most important piece on the chessboard, is still the most vulnerable. Even to a pawn like me.
***
To become the sole focus of someone powerful is addictive to me, after having been denied any attention in a long while.
I want him in me, on me, with me. I want his air in my lungs, and his touch imprinted on my skin. I want his words in my mouth and his kisses on my lips. This need must be what he mentioned before, a consuming, primal desire to obtain relief, but it’s more than that. It’s the connection between two people, a union of not only bodies but souls.
“What are these for? I’ve never taken the time to notice.”
She summons the courage to touch one, laying it on her palm. “People in love have their names engraved on the lock and then secure it on the bridge. Once that’s done, they throw the key into the river. Fact: This tradition didn’t start here. It originated in Hungary. However, the love is all that matters, and it’s the only thing I want to feel.”
I narrow my gaze at Emilia, pinning her with it. “What would you do if you felt love? What good is it?”
She frowns and worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “Love is…it will make you do something for someone you’d never consider otherwise.”
Her green eyes search mine in an almost pleading manner. Is she trying to get me to understand something? Or is she seeing my newfound lenience as an opportunity to influence me?
“Sounds manipulative,” I snap. “As I said before, what good can it be?” When she opens her mouth, I cut her off. “That was a fucking rhetorical question. Love is only used to grab some poor asshole by the balls so he’ll be forced to do things. And the stupid motherfucker might not even realize it.” I sweep my arm, gesturing to the thousands of locks surrounding us. “Cocksuckers, every single one of them. So if you want to feel that, go ahead, but it won’t come from me.”
“I wasn’t talking about your love.” She says the words softly and not in an accusatory way like I expected. Then she proceeds to throw me off-kilter like she always does. “I wanted to come here because I’d seen all the pictures of the couples in love, and I thought if I stood here for a moment, I could—”
She grimaces and presses her lips together, shutting me out. Fuck that. “Tell me,” I say, my voice near a growl.
“I thought I could feel love for the first time since my mother’s…” She breathes deeply several times before continuing, and when she does, my eyes go wide. “My mother’s murder. I thought if I were able to be here, right in this place, to soak up the love coming from these locks—I stupidly hoped I’d feel something. Paris is the city of love, so this was my last hope.” Emilia gives me a rueful smile that makes my chest cave in on itself. “I wanted to be one of these stupid motherfuckers who felt loved.”
*********************************************
You can follow my Instagram page from here
*********************************************
It has a prequel "A Bride to Be Broken". Without reading the prequel, this book won't make the same effect so make sure you read the prequel before starting this book. It was sent to me by email when I subscribed to the writer's newsletter.
*********************************************
As for this book, despite the things that disturbed me (such as the forced seduction and the verbal abuse), I ended up loving the book because I think I believed in their feelings and I liked the heroine a lot.
*********************************************
Maximus's marriage to Emilia starts as a revenge plan but the more he sees that Emilia is nothing like he imagined, the more he falls for her.
Their relationship starts as a forced seduction and Emilia knows that she cannot escape this fate. It is sometimes hard to read those parts. If Emilia didn't already feel attracted to him, it would disturb me more but since she liked the seduction despite it being full of sometimes pain and sometimes humiliation, I was able to read it more comfortably than I normally would.
Although Emilia's body responds to his touch, she never begs when Maximus insists that she begs. She is a very interesting character. She is not weak but alas, how strong can you be in a world of mafia leaders where women are sold/used/kidnapped etc.? Still, she has her way of staying strong and it is admirable.
*********************************************
I liked the whole story up until the end. The series will continue with another brother so the revenge plan isn't completed yet.
What we have at the end of this book is a happy couple who are in love.
I was expecting more from the final revelations of the couple, especially about their past connection and I was also looking forward to confessions about their present feelings and all the misunderstandings but I wasn't satisfied about those things. If you ask me, the ending feels a bit rushed, especially with the summary of the dialogues I was looking forward to. The summary that says, "We talked about this and that, etc" never gives the same effect as the actual dialogues; ergo my dissatisfaction in the end and the -1 point.
*********************************************
226 pages
Dual point of view
Heat level: High
*********************************************
QUOTES from the book
It looks as if the king, while being the most important piece on the chessboard, is still the most vulnerable. Even to a pawn like me.
***
To become the sole focus of someone powerful is addictive to me, after having been denied any attention in a long while.
I want him in me, on me, with me. I want his air in my lungs, and his touch imprinted on my skin. I want his words in my mouth and his kisses on my lips. This need must be what he mentioned before, a consuming, primal desire to obtain relief, but it’s more than that. It’s the connection between two people, a union of not only bodies but souls.
“What are these for? I’ve never taken the time to notice.”
She summons the courage to touch one, laying it on her palm. “People in love have their names engraved on the lock and then secure it on the bridge. Once that’s done, they throw the key into the river. Fact: This tradition didn’t start here. It originated in Hungary. However, the love is all that matters, and it’s the only thing I want to feel.”
I narrow my gaze at Emilia, pinning her with it. “What would you do if you felt love? What good is it?”
She frowns and worries her bottom lip between her teeth. “Love is…it will make you do something for someone you’d never consider otherwise.”
Her green eyes search mine in an almost pleading manner. Is she trying to get me to understand something? Or is she seeing my newfound lenience as an opportunity to influence me?
“Sounds manipulative,” I snap. “As I said before, what good can it be?” When she opens her mouth, I cut her off. “That was a fucking rhetorical question. Love is only used to grab some poor asshole by the balls so he’ll be forced to do things. And the stupid motherfucker might not even realize it.” I sweep my arm, gesturing to the thousands of locks surrounding us. “Cocksuckers, every single one of them. So if you want to feel that, go ahead, but it won’t come from me.”
“I wasn’t talking about your love.” She says the words softly and not in an accusatory way like I expected. Then she proceeds to throw me off-kilter like she always does. “I wanted to come here because I’d seen all the pictures of the couples in love, and I thought if I stood here for a moment, I could—”
She grimaces and presses her lips together, shutting me out. Fuck that. “Tell me,” I say, my voice near a growl.
“I thought I could feel love for the first time since my mother’s…” She breathes deeply several times before continuing, and when she does, my eyes go wide. “My mother’s murder. I thought if I were able to be here, right in this place, to soak up the love coming from these locks—I stupidly hoped I’d feel something. Paris is the city of love, so this was my last hope.” Emilia gives me a rueful smile that makes my chest cave in on itself. “I wanted to be one of these stupid motherfuckers who felt loved.”
*********************************************
You can follow my Instagram page from here
June 23, 2021
1 star
Note: you need to read the prequel to know whats going on in this book. I have no idea why they couldnt just be the same book but whatever.
If you've read this book, then you've read this a million times over in other 'dark mafia' books. It is the *s.a.m.e. e.x.a.c.t. p.l.o.t* as everything else out there.
✅ Vulnerable, barely legal, sheltered, virgin heroine
✅ 'Bad boy,' Entitled, cruel, vengeful hero that sexually and verbally abuses heroine for 90% of the book. Oh, did i mention he's beautiful like a demigod?
✅ Sex scenes with heroine withering away from hero's sexual manipulation
✅ Hero tells heroine he'll never love her
✅ Heroine gets kidnapped, making hero recognize his feelings
The end
Wash. Rinse. Repeat. This same story is written over and over again and i dont understand why authors dont change it up? My main problem with this type of book is that the cruel Hero NEVER redeems himself. He does fuck all to deserve the heroines love and devotion besides give her a few orgasms. He calls her the italian word for 'whore' almost the entire book. Books like this leave me with a cold and empty feeling.
I was gonna give this 2 stars because i finished it and the writing wasnt completely terrible. But i have to go with 1 star just for the ending. The hero gets the heroine back from her kidnapper and what does he do? Immediately talks about how he needs to be in her cunt (authors words not mine) so HE can be ok. Theres no tenderness or romance or any kind of true feelings in this book. It all felt very surface level, and at this point, porn would have more depth.
Oh, and one more thing. They never say 'I love you' to each other. To make it worse, the hero's inner dialogue is "I'll never be able to give her what she needs" at 97% mark of the book. What a waste of time.
Safety:
Heroine is a virgin
Hero had plenty of experience before h.
No OW/OM drama. No other people after meeting.
Dub-con. sexual manipulation, betraying body alert.
Choking, spanking, D/s.
In short: i dont recommend this if you're looking for anything remotely original.
Note: you need to read the prequel to know whats going on in this book. I have no idea why they couldnt just be the same book but whatever.
If you've read this book, then you've read this a million times over in other 'dark mafia' books. It is the *s.a.m.e. e.x.a.c.t. p.l.o.t* as everything else out there.
✅ Vulnerable, barely legal, sheltered, virgin heroine
✅ 'Bad boy,' Entitled, cruel, vengeful hero that sexually and verbally abuses heroine for 90% of the book. Oh, did i mention he's beautiful like a demigod?
✅ Sex scenes with heroine withering away from hero's sexual manipulation
✅ Hero tells heroine he'll never love her
✅ Heroine gets kidnapped, making hero recognize his feelings
The end
Wash. Rinse. Repeat. This same story is written over and over again and i dont understand why authors dont change it up? My main problem with this type of book is that the cruel Hero NEVER redeems himself. He does fuck all to deserve the heroines love and devotion besides give her a few orgasms. He calls her the italian word for 'whore' almost the entire book. Books like this leave me with a cold and empty feeling.
I was gonna give this 2 stars because i finished it and the writing wasnt completely terrible. But i have to go with 1 star just for the ending. The hero gets the heroine back from her kidnapper and what does he do? Immediately talks about how he needs to be in her cunt (authors words not mine) so HE can be ok. Theres no tenderness or romance or any kind of true feelings in this book. It all felt very surface level, and at this point, porn would have more depth.
Oh, and one more thing. They never say 'I love you' to each other. To make it worse, the hero's inner dialogue is "I'll never be able to give her what she needs" at 97% mark of the book. What a waste of time.
Safety:
Heroine is a virgin
Hero had plenty of experience before h.
No OW/OM drama. No other people after meeting.
Dub-con. sexual manipulation, betraying body alert.
Choking, spanking, D/s.
In short: i dont recommend this if you're looking for anything remotely original.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2021
2.5 stars rounded up.
a plot so boring, cliche and predictable that if the writing wouldn't have been this eloquent, i probably would have dnfed/skimmed it on/from page 3.
also, Maximus, you irritating bully, i hope that every leaf you step on is not crunchy.
a plot so boring, cliche and predictable that if the writing wouldn't have been this eloquent, i probably would have dnfed/skimmed it on/from page 3.
also, Maximus, you irritating bully, i hope that every leaf you step on is not crunchy.
April 4, 2021
This is the first in a trilogy featuring three mafia brothers and their women. While it's a standalone in terms of the couple, one line of action (the brothers' revenge for their family's betrayal) will, I assume, continue since it isn't resolved here.
The first part of the intricate revenge plan involves youngest brother Maximus kidnapping and marrying Emilia, the sheltered daughter of the criminal rival most responsible for the brothers' downfall. The rest of the book details their Arranged Marriage, Enemies-to-Lovers relationship that includes scenes of mild BDSM. Personally, I didn't find this that dark since Maximus doesn't harm Emilia. For me, this is a relief, but, as the author wisely points out in her trigger warning, "Dark romance is a genre that is a large spectrum," and others may feel differently.
I've never read anything by this author and a quick search leads me to believe that it's her first book. If so, it's quite a decent effort. I'd say that if you're looking for a fairly mild mafia romance between a good girl and the bad boy who , you may enjoy this. The prose flowed; the dual POV captured both characters' emotions; I caught almost no editing errors; and I really liked Emilia, who with her quiet strength, intelligence, and introspection (she's a bit uncanny, actually) differs from the usual generic h.
That said, the narrative structure needed work and I hope Ms. Bridges will address that in future books. I had five problems in particular:
1) A lot of information that apparently exists in a free prequel is left out here, so I was lost whenever those past plot elements were mentioned (even after finishing this book, I'm still not clear what happened the first time the H and h met). Note to authors: Don't assume your readers have access to other materials.
2) The beginning was very confusing since it's in medias res -- with Maximus already in Emilia's bedroom to spirit her away. Again, this may have been in the prequel, but I hadn't read that so it took me several pages to catch up.
3) Much of what Maximus assumes about Emilia (that she's somehow a "whore") makes no sense given the information about her he has access to (surely his sources must have confirmed she never left the house?).
4) While I appreciated the internal monologues, they were too plentiful and after a while offered no new information. Note to authors: If your scenes don't move the action forward or give us new insight into a character, take it out.
5) Too much here was tell and not show. For example, actually depicting would have been a far livelier stylistic choice than the short synopsis we get here.
3 stars. I would have rated this more highly, but for the narrative problems I mention above. I'm interested enough, however, to read the next books. That said, I really hope they aren't as hyper-invested in the Virgin/Whore Dichotomy, which is my least favorite trope of all time.
The first part of the intricate revenge plan involves youngest brother Maximus kidnapping and marrying Emilia, the sheltered daughter of the criminal rival most responsible for the brothers' downfall. The rest of the book details their Arranged Marriage, Enemies-to-Lovers relationship that includes scenes of mild BDSM. Personally, I didn't find this that dark since Maximus doesn't harm Emilia. For me, this is a relief, but, as the author wisely points out in her trigger warning, "Dark romance is a genre that is a large spectrum," and others may feel differently.
I've never read anything by this author and a quick search leads me to believe that it's her first book. If so, it's quite a decent effort. I'd say that if you're looking for a fairly mild mafia romance between a good girl and the bad boy who , you may enjoy this. The prose flowed; the dual POV captured both characters' emotions; I caught almost no editing errors; and I really liked Emilia, who with her quiet strength, intelligence, and introspection (she's a bit uncanny, actually) differs from the usual generic h.
That said, the narrative structure needed work and I hope Ms. Bridges will address that in future books. I had five problems in particular:
1) A lot of information that apparently exists in a free prequel is left out here, so I was lost whenever those past plot elements were mentioned (even after finishing this book, I'm still not clear what happened the first time the H and h met). Note to authors: Don't assume your readers have access to other materials.
2) The beginning was very confusing since it's in medias res -- with Maximus already in Emilia's bedroom to spirit her away. Again, this may have been in the prequel, but I hadn't read that so it took me several pages to catch up.
3) Much of what Maximus assumes about Emilia (that she's somehow a "whore") makes no sense given the information about her he has access to (surely his sources must have confirmed she never left the house?).
4) While I appreciated the internal monologues, they were too plentiful and after a while offered no new information. Note to authors: If your scenes don't move the action forward or give us new insight into a character, take it out.
5) Too much here was tell and not show. For example, actually depicting would have been a far livelier stylistic choice than the short synopsis we get here.
3 stars. I would have rated this more highly, but for the narrative problems I mention above. I'm interested enough, however, to read the next books. That said, I really hope they aren't as hyper-invested in the Virgin/Whore Dichotomy, which is my least favorite trope of all time.
October 31, 2023
MCs:
- Maximo, 30s
- Emilia, 20
Book info:
- Organized crime
- Forced Marriage
- Death of loved one
- No cheating, opd, 3rd act breakup
- Abuse (Physical and Emotional)
- HEA
Maximo went to Emilia's house to forcefully marry her. He and his brothers had a vendetta against her father, and they thought she would be his weakness. Well, jokes on them because Emilia's POS father didn't care for her at all. He has been abusing (physically) her ever since he killed his wife, and he has no issue marrying her off to secure alliances.
Anyway, Maximo went ahead and married her. He hates her because of her blood, and this is something that I can't wrap my head around. Why do all the daughters have to pay for the sins of their fathers and be used as pawns in any revenge game? 🤦♀️
Maximo...is an asshole; there's nothing better to describe him and the way he treated Emilia. Up until 61% of the book, his pet name for her is "donnaccia" which means "whore/slut" in English. I know he's mad at her affiliation with her father, but calling her that term every time didn't sit well with me. He also ordered her to call him "Sir", which she did until 80% of the story, I think??? He softened around her at 63% of the story, but then went hot and cold up to 80% of the book. He annoyed the crap out of me, and until the end, I was hoping he would be redeemed, but it didn't happen. Sure, he saved her when she got kidnapped, and this probably made him realize how much he wants his wife, but I don't buy this BS.
Emilia...is a likeable character. She was resilient and had a spine, even when Maximo subjected her to utter humiliation. She didn't bow down and hold her ground, well, until she got kidnapped. I really admire her strong personality, but when she was saved, she became this clingy and pathetic heroine that would happily take whatever crumbs she could get from Maximo.
For the context of my annoyance, before Emilia was kidnapped, Maximo snapped at her for believing in love, and this hurt her feelings. They never talked to each other for hours after that, not even before he left for a business meeting that night. She was alone in her hotel room and was taken successfully by a rival group.
Maximo came to save her, but he did say a lot of hurtful things to make the villain think he didn't give a crap about her. Which broke her heart even more. Then, after she was saved, he brought her back to the hotel. He didn't apologize for the things he said but went to ask if she was violated, and when she told him she wasn't, he decided to fuck her and to tell her that she belonged to him.
I thought she would put up a fight and take care of her emotions. After all, he caused her so much heartache, not just that day but ever since they got married. But noooo, Emilia went clinging to him, willingly accepting anything that Maximo could give her. And I was beyond irked and disappointed in her for this reaction. After their fuckfest, it was implied that he explained to her why he had to say those things, but it wasn't mentioned that he apologized for it.
Also, this could be a me thing, but I always want to read when the MCs finally say those three words. And there's none of that here. Maybe through their action??? Idk, like I said, I want the actual "I love you" from both of them.
Overall, this is okay. The ending is HFN, if you can even call it that, they were married after all. I didn't warm up to Maximo, but I did like Emilia for the most part. I would erase the events of the last 15% from my memories so that I would only see her as a strong, resilient, and independent FMC.
- Maximo, 30s
- Emilia, 20
Book info:
- Organized crime
- Forced Marriage
- Death of loved one
- No cheating, opd, 3rd act breakup
- Abuse (Physical and Emotional)
- HEA
Maximo went to Emilia's house to forcefully marry her. He and his brothers had a vendetta against her father, and they thought she would be his weakness. Well, jokes on them because Emilia's POS father didn't care for her at all. He has been abusing (physically) her ever since he killed his wife, and he has no issue marrying her off to secure alliances.
Anyway, Maximo went ahead and married her. He hates her because of her blood, and this is something that I can't wrap my head around. Why do all the daughters have to pay for the sins of their fathers and be used as pawns in any revenge game? 🤦♀️
Maximo...is an asshole; there's nothing better to describe him and the way he treated Emilia. Up until 61% of the book, his pet name for her is "donnaccia" which means "whore/slut" in English. I know he's mad at her affiliation with her father, but calling her that term every time didn't sit well with me. He also ordered her to call him "Sir", which she did until 80% of the story, I think??? He softened around her at 63% of the story, but then went hot and cold up to 80% of the book. He annoyed the crap out of me, and until the end, I was hoping he would be redeemed, but it didn't happen. Sure, he saved her when she got kidnapped, and this probably made him realize how much he wants his wife, but I don't buy this BS.
Emilia...is a likeable character. She was resilient and had a spine, even when Maximo subjected her to utter humiliation. She didn't bow down and hold her ground, well, until she got kidnapped. I really admire her strong personality, but when she was saved, she became this clingy and pathetic heroine that would happily take whatever crumbs she could get from Maximo.
For the context of my annoyance, before Emilia was kidnapped, Maximo snapped at her for believing in love, and this hurt her feelings. They never talked to each other for hours after that, not even before he left for a business meeting that night. She was alone in her hotel room and was taken successfully by a rival group.
Maximo came to save her, but he did say a lot of hurtful things to make the villain think he didn't give a crap about her. Which broke her heart even more. Then, after she was saved, he brought her back to the hotel. He didn't apologize for the things he said but went to ask if she was violated, and when she told him she wasn't, he decided to fuck her and to tell her that she belonged to him.
I thought she would put up a fight and take care of her emotions. After all, he caused her so much heartache, not just that day but ever since they got married. But noooo, Emilia went clinging to him, willingly accepting anything that Maximo could give her. And I was beyond irked and disappointed in her for this reaction. After their fuckfest, it was implied that he explained to her why he had to say those things, but it wasn't mentioned that he apologized for it.
Also, this could be a me thing, but I always want to read when the MCs finally say those three words. And there's none of that here. Maybe through their action??? Idk, like I said, I want the actual "I love you" from both of them.
Overall, this is okay. The ending is HFN, if you can even call it that, they were married after all. I didn't warm up to Maximo, but I did like Emilia for the most part. I would erase the events of the last 15% from my memories so that I would only see her as a strong, resilient, and independent FMC.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 5, 2021
Not good, not bad and kinda predictable. I was in the mood for mafia romance and this book served it purpose I guess.
Overall, it’s a quick read. It was fun to see the heroine knowing about many facts and making the hero surprised. I found those scene hilarious.
Overall, it’s a quick read. It was fun to see the heroine knowing about many facts and making the hero surprised. I found those scene hilarious.
February 28, 2023
Yaaawwnnn... inner monologue galore 😴.
March 31, 2021
FACT: This book had me so intrigued from the beginning, I read the book in (almost) one sitting. I didn’t expect to finish so soon!
Emilia already stood out to me in the prequel, but after exploring more of her character in this book, I’d say that she’s a breath of fresh air. Her reaction to her situation was a lot different from what I expected and from what’s usually written in these types of books, so it was interesting to see where this story was going.
Maximus was everything I needed in a dark and brooding anti-hero. If I could reach into the book in order to smack and yell “Just admit you love her already!” to his face, I would without a doubt. But alas, the real world is boring and I cannot. Regardless, I was addicted to his filthy mouth. 🥵
A Match Made in Hatred was a great start to the Dark and Dirty Vows series. There were revelations that shocked me, heartbreaking moments that had me tear up, wit and humor that put a smile on my face, and steamy scenes that made me blush. These two definitely kept me on the edge. I can’t wait to read Rafael and Carina’s book since I loved their characters!
Emilia already stood out to me in the prequel, but after exploring more of her character in this book, I’d say that she’s a breath of fresh air. Her reaction to her situation was a lot different from what I expected and from what’s usually written in these types of books, so it was interesting to see where this story was going.
Maximus was everything I needed in a dark and brooding anti-hero. If I could reach into the book in order to smack and yell “Just admit you love her already!” to his face, I would without a doubt. But alas, the real world is boring and I cannot. Regardless, I was addicted to his filthy mouth. 🥵
A Match Made in Hatred was a great start to the Dark and Dirty Vows series. There were revelations that shocked me, heartbreaking moments that had me tear up, wit and humor that put a smile on my face, and steamy scenes that made me blush. These two definitely kept me on the edge. I can’t wait to read Rafael and Carina’s book since I loved their characters!
October 11, 2021
I returned this book to KU about half way through because the storyline and plot was convoluted and the characters were anything but entertaining. There was little explanation as to the reasons behind so much angst toward Emilia and Maximus was just a first class sadistic character from page one. She was too much of a doormat and his character was a monster on steroids. The "father revenge" thing has been done a million times so nothing new there but, the story in general had too many gaps and not enough continuity.
It is my understanding that Emilia and Maximus' story is complete in book one, but felt that more explanation would have been needed to get to that point. There wasn't enough back story or information early on in the book to explain the hatred associated with the characters and the deviant behavior by dear ole Maximus wasn't anything that was forgivable. Emilia's character lacked fire and strength, characteristics needed in a story such as this. I never saw the light her character was to bring to the story, just some strange quirks and a woman who was easily manipulated and controlled She was too childlike for my taste.
It is my understanding that Emilia and Maximus' story is complete in book one, but felt that more explanation would have been needed to get to that point. There wasn't enough back story or information early on in the book to explain the hatred associated with the characters and the deviant behavior by dear ole Maximus wasn't anything that was forgivable. Emilia's character lacked fire and strength, characteristics needed in a story such as this. I never saw the light her character was to bring to the story, just some strange quirks and a woman who was easily manipulated and controlled She was too childlike for my taste.
August 30, 2021
This was good!
4.5 stars. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book after reading the first couple chapters, but then it sucked me in. The writing was great, and I was enthralled with the characters and the story. However, the ending was a bit rushed and things resolved to quickly. Otherwise I’d give it 5 stars.
4.5 stars. I wasn’t sure if I was going to like this book after reading the first couple chapters, but then it sucked me in. The writing was great, and I was enthralled with the characters and the story. However, the ending was a bit rushed and things resolved to quickly. Otherwise I’d give it 5 stars.
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March 5, 2021Read the FREE prequel today: https://BookHip.com/JJBFLB
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September 16, 2022Dany - per RFS
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Care fenici, Coppia d’odio è il primo volume della serie di Promesse oscure e sporche e vi avviso già da subito che questa recensione sarà negativa per una serie di motivi che vi andrò a spiegare. Ma prima cercherò di illustrarvi a grandi linee la trama.
Tutto inizia con una faida tra due famiglie mafiose: i Caruso e i Silvestri. Tralasciando le motivazioni che li spingono a odiarsi, l’unica che ne fa le spese è Emilia, figlia di Caruso, presa in moglie con la forza da Maximus Silvestri, che ne vuole fare un giocattolo sessuale per vendetta contro il suocero. La protagonista è l’unico personaggio che si salva in questa vicenda, dato che nasconde in sé un dolore e una forza d’animo di non poco conto. Considerata come mero prodotto matrimoniale e per questo mantenuta vergine allo scopo di incrementare il potere paterno, viene reclusa in casa e trattata alla stregua di una prigioniera nonché bollata come pazza. Maximus – che nome assurdo! – riesce abilmente a entrare in casa del nemico e a portarla via, ma di lei non sa niente – cosa ancora più assurda – e la violenza psicologica si spreca. La chiama continuamente donnaccia e la tratta come l’ultima delle puttane, il che, se fosse accompagnato da un po’ di violenza tra le lenzuola, avrebbe pure senso e invece no, cade come un pollo innamorato. La vera violenza sta nel come questo uomo è stato presentato, inizialmente forte e pieno di promesse per poi rivelarsi un cucciolo bisognoso di coccole. Dark Romance un paio di zebedei!
Tornando a Emilia, la ragazza è dotata di una sete di sapere disarmante ed è molto intelligente, ma sembra quasi apatica. In realtà nasconde una rabbia e un’oscurità più forte di quella di lui ma l’autrice cerca in tutti i modi di farla passare per una donna innocente e solare. Proprio non ci siamo! Avrei preferito che la storia prendesse una piega diversa e la nostra protagonista massacrasse da sola i suoi nemici, avrebbe avuto decisamente più senso, fidatevi.
Non è possibile andare per il sottile nel dire che lo stile narrativo non regge, troppe parole per dire l’ovvio, espressioni aberranti per definire un cartello di mafiosi (“branco di lupi”, sul serio?!), per non parlare di Maximus. Sì, l’ho già detto che il nome è assurdo ma rendiamoci conto che come terzogenito il nome non gli calza nemmeno di striscio. Di grande non ha nulla tranne l’ego e il pene. La cosa che proprio non ho sopportato è stato l’editing, sembra tradotto con Google traduttore. A parte questo anche l’insieme è abbastanza scarno: i personaggi sono abbozzati, soprattutto quelli maschili, accennano al loro passato ma non approfondiscono. Inoltre, Maximus il pollo con i suoi epiteti offensivi ti fa venire proprio voglia di spennarlo, ucciderlo e metterlo in forno! Per me è un no su tutta la linea tranne per Emilia, a lei concedo il beneficio del dubbio.
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Care fenici, Coppia d’odio è il primo volume della serie di Promesse oscure e sporche e vi avviso già da subito che questa recensione sarà negativa per una serie di motivi che vi andrò a spiegare. Ma prima cercherò di illustrarvi a grandi linee la trama.
Tutto inizia con una faida tra due famiglie mafiose: i Caruso e i Silvestri. Tralasciando le motivazioni che li spingono a odiarsi, l’unica che ne fa le spese è Emilia, figlia di Caruso, presa in moglie con la forza da Maximus Silvestri, che ne vuole fare un giocattolo sessuale per vendetta contro il suocero. La protagonista è l’unico personaggio che si salva in questa vicenda, dato che nasconde in sé un dolore e una forza d’animo di non poco conto. Considerata come mero prodotto matrimoniale e per questo mantenuta vergine allo scopo di incrementare il potere paterno, viene reclusa in casa e trattata alla stregua di una prigioniera nonché bollata come pazza. Maximus – che nome assurdo! – riesce abilmente a entrare in casa del nemico e a portarla via, ma di lei non sa niente – cosa ancora più assurda – e la violenza psicologica si spreca. La chiama continuamente donnaccia e la tratta come l’ultima delle puttane, il che, se fosse accompagnato da un po’ di violenza tra le lenzuola, avrebbe pure senso e invece no, cade come un pollo innamorato. La vera violenza sta nel come questo uomo è stato presentato, inizialmente forte e pieno di promesse per poi rivelarsi un cucciolo bisognoso di coccole. Dark Romance un paio di zebedei!
Tornando a Emilia, la ragazza è dotata di una sete di sapere disarmante ed è molto intelligente, ma sembra quasi apatica. In realtà nasconde una rabbia e un’oscurità più forte di quella di lui ma l’autrice cerca in tutti i modi di farla passare per una donna innocente e solare. Proprio non ci siamo! Avrei preferito che la storia prendesse una piega diversa e la nostra protagonista massacrasse da sola i suoi nemici, avrebbe avuto decisamente più senso, fidatevi.
Non è possibile andare per il sottile nel dire che lo stile narrativo non regge, troppe parole per dire l’ovvio, espressioni aberranti per definire un cartello di mafiosi (“branco di lupi”, sul serio?!), per non parlare di Maximus. Sì, l’ho già detto che il nome è assurdo ma rendiamoci conto che come terzogenito il nome non gli calza nemmeno di striscio. Di grande non ha nulla tranne l’ego e il pene. La cosa che proprio non ho sopportato è stato l’editing, sembra tradotto con Google traduttore. A parte questo anche l’insieme è abbastanza scarno: i personaggi sono abbozzati, soprattutto quelli maschili, accennano al loro passato ma non approfondiscono. Inoltre, Maximus il pollo con i suoi epiteti offensivi ti fa venire proprio voglia di spennarlo, ucciderlo e metterlo in forno! Per me è un no su tutta la linea tranne per Emilia, a lei concedo il beneficio del dubbio.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 4, 2021
The opening is odd, confusing and almost makes me put the book down. Her mind is racing, but her demeanor remains calm as shit when the opening scene is her noticing there’s a “predator” in her room…. That is a man whom she recognizes but doesn’t outright name as someone she knows. Given….
I’ve yet to open my eyes,
Idk how the hell she knows he’s there, much less who he is.
Meanwhile, he’s just randomly asking shit like “are you a submissive” as he glares at her in the darkness. She replies yea, and he says there’s a difference between being submissive and being A submissive. Fuck if I’m not lost as a goose.
And I just get more lost…
“You are either stupid,” he says, his voice dangerously low, “or intelligent but obviously not enough to keep your mouth fucking shut.”
Huh? I might’ve read that on a fortune cookie once.
Finally we get to the Shatter Me - esc realization that the FMC has been locked away from human contact, which is why she’s going goo goo over some “hot” albeit predatory dude showing up in her bedroom…
This man is tethering himself to me in minute ways he’s probably not aware of. Each touch, no matter how cruel, and each word, no matter how harsh, is something I’m emotionally starved for.
Despite the nutso opening, by 9%, this is starting to make sense. Mafia revenge. A broken little bird of a woman seeing her cage door open, even if the source of opening is a panther set to attack.
At first, I can’t figure out why this mofo keeps calling her a whore even after he establishes she’s a virgin. Eventually, it becomes clear that it’s a separation tactic - I say I hate cake because I secretly love the hell out of it.
The “sir” shit isn’t my jam. I get it here, but this is a little too D/S for my taste. I’m sticking for the revenge.
This is longest sexual scene I’ve ever read, especially not to actually have sex. It’s broken up by a few stray sentences, but it’s basically one prolonged submit sexual scene from 9% to 34%. After a few pages, it gets boring. It feels like a lot of hyperbole. It should have been broken up into stages, separate scenes to keep it from coming off as glorified porn.
Eventually, the storyline moves on as their emotions come into play. Starved meets crazed. It’s okay. It’s very formula. Nothing surprising. The writing itself is decent for the most part, but the author gets lost in the weeds of mundane shit taking up way too much time - what’s ate, dressing, bathing, etc…. Too many “looks” and inner thoughts on repeat. Trimmed, the meat of the story wouldn’t make 150 pages. It’s a problem many authors have, but is easily solved by looking at each scene as movement; if a paragraph is simply being reworded from a previous thought, then it’s not moving shit and is unnecessarily slowing the reading progress. This book has a LOT of it.
The character transitions from her broken and hopeless to openness and his callousness to being all in could’ve been better. Not horrid, but certainly not good. Instead of being a steady incline, it felt like bump, bump, bumping along speed bumps until the road suddenly nosedives. I LIKED where it went, but the author could’ve done more to get from pain to heart, revenge to justice. Instead, the same thoughts were just reworded 1,000 times until it finally stuck verses getting redirected.
The ending wasn’t satisfying for the big picture. The romantic element comes to a HFN conclusion, but the overall story arc of her father/his revenge is clearly going to continue onward through all the brother’s books.
Erotica? Some might call this dub consent. But, the FMC doesn’t protest at all and is mentally and physically all about the sexy times. Mute and intimidated… yeah. Spanking, rough talk, a little bondage, and the sir shit is present. The darkest part is him checking her virgin status, but it’s lightened by her accepting response and mentally painting him as a savior, not invader. It comes off as kidnapping fantasy more than dark and questionable.
Overall…
If you like long and rough foreplay that’s mildly D/S and barely questionable dubcon before turning peachy and rosy by the end … and you don’t expect much plot…. and you don’t mind formula hate to love with a climax of kidnapping the already kidnapping victim …. then you’ll enjoy this. It’s a wash, rinse, repeat of multiple other stories - just interchange the character names.
Meh, not enough substance to propel me to see what happens to her dad in the future books.
I’ve yet to open my eyes,
Idk how the hell she knows he’s there, much less who he is.
Meanwhile, he’s just randomly asking shit like “are you a submissive” as he glares at her in the darkness. She replies yea, and he says there’s a difference between being submissive and being A submissive. Fuck if I’m not lost as a goose.
And I just get more lost…
“You are either stupid,” he says, his voice dangerously low, “or intelligent but obviously not enough to keep your mouth fucking shut.”
Huh? I might’ve read that on a fortune cookie once.
Finally we get to the Shatter Me - esc realization that the FMC has been locked away from human contact, which is why she’s going goo goo over some “hot” albeit predatory dude showing up in her bedroom…
This man is tethering himself to me in minute ways he’s probably not aware of. Each touch, no matter how cruel, and each word, no matter how harsh, is something I’m emotionally starved for.
Despite the nutso opening, by 9%, this is starting to make sense. Mafia revenge. A broken little bird of a woman seeing her cage door open, even if the source of opening is a panther set to attack.
At first, I can’t figure out why this mofo keeps calling her a whore even after he establishes she’s a virgin. Eventually, it becomes clear that it’s a separation tactic - I say I hate cake because I secretly love the hell out of it.
The “sir” shit isn’t my jam. I get it here, but this is a little too D/S for my taste. I’m sticking for the revenge.
This is longest sexual scene I’ve ever read, especially not to actually have sex. It’s broken up by a few stray sentences, but it’s basically one prolonged submit sexual scene from 9% to 34%. After a few pages, it gets boring. It feels like a lot of hyperbole. It should have been broken up into stages, separate scenes to keep it from coming off as glorified porn.
Eventually, the storyline moves on as their emotions come into play. Starved meets crazed. It’s okay. It’s very formula. Nothing surprising. The writing itself is decent for the most part, but the author gets lost in the weeds of mundane shit taking up way too much time - what’s ate, dressing, bathing, etc…. Too many “looks” and inner thoughts on repeat. Trimmed, the meat of the story wouldn’t make 150 pages. It’s a problem many authors have, but is easily solved by looking at each scene as movement; if a paragraph is simply being reworded from a previous thought, then it’s not moving shit and is unnecessarily slowing the reading progress. This book has a LOT of it.
The character transitions from her broken and hopeless to openness and his callousness to being all in could’ve been better. Not horrid, but certainly not good. Instead of being a steady incline, it felt like bump, bump, bumping along speed bumps until the road suddenly nosedives. I LIKED where it went, but the author could’ve done more to get from pain to heart, revenge to justice. Instead, the same thoughts were just reworded 1,000 times until it finally stuck verses getting redirected.
The ending wasn’t satisfying for the big picture. The romantic element comes to a HFN conclusion, but the overall story arc of her father/his revenge is clearly going to continue onward through all the brother’s books.
Erotica? Some might call this dub consent. But, the FMC doesn’t protest at all and is mentally and physically all about the sexy times. Mute and intimidated… yeah. Spanking, rough talk, a little bondage, and the sir shit is present. The darkest part is him checking her virgin status, but it’s lightened by her accepting response and mentally painting him as a savior, not invader. It comes off as kidnapping fantasy more than dark and questionable.
Overall…
If you like long and rough foreplay that’s mildly D/S and barely questionable dubcon before turning peachy and rosy by the end … and you don’t expect much plot…. and you don’t mind formula hate to love with a climax of kidnapping the already kidnapping victim …. then you’ll enjoy this. It’s a wash, rinse, repeat of multiple other stories - just interchange the character names.
Meh, not enough substance to propel me to see what happens to her dad in the future books.
May 12, 2021
Tough start good ending
Great read kept me reading till it was done. I loved the characters and can’t wait to read the brothers’ stories.
It started like it was going to be “dark” but the ship was righted and the story took off.
Great read kept me reading till it was done. I loved the characters and can’t wait to read the brothers’ stories.
It started like it was going to be “dark” but the ship was righted and the story took off.
October 26, 2023
H treating the h horribly for like 85 % of the book, even calling her a wh**re. Heroine suffering from BBS. This is romance?
December 5, 2021
This is a fairly typical mafia arranged marriage romance. We have an H, Maximus, set out for revenge. Our h, Emilia, is the ill treated daughter of his enemy, she’s not particularly happy about being forced to marry the asshole H but doesn’t really get a say. The enemy father is forced to agree to the marriage under duress. The asshole H sets out to torment, humiliate and enjoy the suffering of the unhappy bride who’s literally the only innocent party in this mess. Asshole eventually catches feelings despite fighting them and being an even bigger asshole in the meantime.
Here’s what I did like with this one:
Emilia is an h with surprising quite strength. She’s truly broken in spirit by her father. Many heroines think or say the H can’t break them more than they already are but then it’s not true. It’s true here. She’s all about just doing whatever it takes to survive while suffering the minimum amount.
I did appreciate that it took so long to make her beg. That is a quite kind of strength. I know it conflicts with the above sentiment but I respected that she held out so long. By the time she broke it didn’t feel like a defeat or concession. I think she broke him too, in fact.
I’ll give it to the H, despite his initial insistence that he didn’t give a crap, he was pretty quick to *start* catching feelings. Of course, he continued to deny, fight and act like a manchild for the vast majority of the book but he beat himself up mentally for his *weakness*.
What I *really* didn’t like:
This trope is predictable and this book is no exception. Predictable or not, this trope is also one of my most favorite tropes in romance. You may have noted that I didn’t like the H very much. He called the h *donnaccia* for the majority of the book. This apparently means whore. He continued to call her donnaccia through about 70% of the book. He called her this like most Hs call their hs sweet pet names. It was meant to be degrading, humiliating and mocking. She never *once* gave him a reaction to it. Good for her - but it made me loathe him. What kind of man calls his virgin bride a whore as a pet name for 70% of the book. It’s not even in a sexy way - I like that, he’s just being a pig because he never gets a reaction. It made him beyond redemption for me, personally. I’d forgive a cheating H before this one.
Story 2/5, Heat 1.5/5, Angst 2/5
Medium burn - he takes her v card at 55% but he starts defiling her long before that.
No condoms, virgin h, no idea if he was a manwhore or not, humiliation, degradation, bondage, no OW/OM drama, no push away but h was a broken spirited captive before and during H, no separation but she’s predictably abducted near the end. No cheating, no sharing, no cliffhanger and HEA.
Safety - safe read in regards to cheating and OW. Fairly tame and predictable for mafia arranged marriage.
Here’s what I did like with this one:
Emilia is an h with surprising quite strength. She’s truly broken in spirit by her father. Many heroines think or say the H can’t break them more than they already are but then it’s not true. It’s true here. She’s all about just doing whatever it takes to survive while suffering the minimum amount.
I did appreciate that it took so long to make her beg. That is a quite kind of strength. I know it conflicts with the above sentiment but I respected that she held out so long. By the time she broke it didn’t feel like a defeat or concession. I think she broke him too, in fact.
I’ll give it to the H, despite his initial insistence that he didn’t give a crap, he was pretty quick to *start* catching feelings. Of course, he continued to deny, fight and act like a manchild for the vast majority of the book but he beat himself up mentally for his *weakness*.
What I *really* didn’t like:
This trope is predictable and this book is no exception. Predictable or not, this trope is also one of my most favorite tropes in romance. You may have noted that I didn’t like the H very much. He called the h *donnaccia* for the majority of the book. This apparently means whore. He continued to call her donnaccia through about 70% of the book. He called her this like most Hs call their hs sweet pet names. It was meant to be degrading, humiliating and mocking. She never *once* gave him a reaction to it. Good for her - but it made me loathe him. What kind of man calls his virgin bride a whore as a pet name for 70% of the book. It’s not even in a sexy way - I like that, he’s just being a pig because he never gets a reaction. It made him beyond redemption for me, personally. I’d forgive a cheating H before this one.
Story 2/5, Heat 1.5/5, Angst 2/5
Medium burn - he takes her v card at 55% but he starts defiling her long before that.
No condoms, virgin h, no idea if he was a manwhore or not, humiliation, degradation, bondage, no OW/OM drama, no push away but h was a broken spirited captive before and during H, no separation but she’s predictably abducted near the end. No cheating, no sharing, no cliffhanger and HEA.
Safety - safe read in regards to cheating and OW. Fairly tame and predictable for mafia arranged marriage.
November 11, 2021
Where should I start with this book? In the first half of the book, I was tempted to DNF it because I couldn't for the life of me tolerate Maximus.
I knew from the start that it's a dark romance and I freely choose to read it but I couldn't help not liking Maximus. There's something that I didn't like about this book and that is non-consent. No, he didn't rape her and she wanted it to happen but what made me uncomfortable is the fact that he didn't ask even if she feels the same way.
And let's not forget about how he treated her like trash instead of a human being yes I understand that she's his enemy and he hates her and all of that but at least have the human decency to treat her like one.
Overall the book was not bad and character development was good I did like it but I won't give it more than 3 stars because of those reasons.
I knew from the start that it's a dark romance and I freely choose to read it but I couldn't help not liking Maximus. There's something that I didn't like about this book and that is non-consent. No, he didn't rape her and she wanted it to happen but what made me uncomfortable is the fact that he didn't ask even if she feels the same way.
And let's not forget about how he treated her like trash instead of a human being yes I understand that she's his enemy and he hates her and all of that but at least have the human decency to treat her like one.
Overall the book was not bad and character development was good I did like it but I won't give it more than 3 stars because of those reasons.
July 22, 2025
"He took the world from her. And I will make it hers to rule over."
I don't know, I didn't hate it I guess but it wasn't good at all either lol.
maybe my main? problem with it is that everything takes place over around three days. like they went from hate to lust to love to absolute loyalty within three days. it was so quickly even for me that I actually don't care enough about these kinds of stories. it was ridiculous.
like I know I'm not gonna read the best piece of literature but c'mon try harder man.
I didn't get to know anything about the characters, barely mentions their motivation but there's nothing else besides that.
I am gonna keep reading the rest, I don't have high hopes but maybe just because I already know the pace of the books I will be adjusting better, we'll see.
I don't know, I didn't hate it I guess but it wasn't good at all either lol.
maybe my main? problem with it is that everything takes place over around three days. like they went from hate to lust to love to absolute loyalty within three days. it was so quickly even for me that I actually don't care enough about these kinds of stories. it was ridiculous.
like I know I'm not gonna read the best piece of literature but c'mon try harder man.
I didn't get to know anything about the characters, barely mentions their motivation but there's nothing else besides that.
I am gonna keep reading the rest, I don't have high hopes but maybe just because I already know the pace of the books I will be adjusting better, we'll see.
June 20, 2024
3.5 Stars for me!
What started off as a hate marriage turned into one of love, acceptance, and understanding. “Loyalty till death Mr. & Mrs. Silvestri! ❤️
This story was cool. Quick paced, action packed and had me hooked from the beginning. This was a revenge marriage and a VERY interesting one at that. I loved the reference of mental health issues with the FMC. Very modern day and relatable to millions of people around the world. I love how our two main characters accepted each other despite their transgressions, faults and issues.
I wished some things played out differently especially the ending, but an enjoyable story nonetheless.
What started off as a hate marriage turned into one of love, acceptance, and understanding. “Loyalty till death Mr. & Mrs. Silvestri! ❤️
This story was cool. Quick paced, action packed and had me hooked from the beginning. This was a revenge marriage and a VERY interesting one at that. I loved the reference of mental health issues with the FMC. Very modern day and relatable to millions of people around the world. I love how our two main characters accepted each other despite their transgressions, faults and issues.
I wished some things played out differently especially the ending, but an enjoyable story nonetheless.
June 3, 2021
This is book one in a trilogy and I absolutely loved it.
This is Maximus and Emilias story. Emilia doesn’t have a good relationship with her father. Maximus wants revenge so he marries Emilia. Things aren’t the same for either of them.
A great read……… I need more.
This is Maximus and Emilias story. Emilia doesn’t have a good relationship with her father. Maximus wants revenge so he marries Emilia. Things aren’t the same for either of them.
A great read……… I need more.
February 6, 2023
This book had very predictable outcomes but I still thoroughly enjoyed it! I love the touch her I’ll kill you vibes. This was a good overall read not blow you out of the water or anything but still great none the less!
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November 15, 2025Two boring main characters in an equally boring story... I felt nothing for the world, or characters. I just did not care whatsoever.
And the MMC was grinding my gears. I'm all for some dark romance, but he was just an ass.
And the MMC was grinding my gears. I'm all for some dark romance, but he was just an ass.
July 5, 2021
My first 5 star read this year
September 29, 2021
3.5 stars
I enjoyed the darker side of this book, these tropes are my jam! And I'm excited to eventually read each brothers' story too. The only complaint I have is that the initial scene and the reasoning behind it, seemed a bit far-fetched and just didn't sit right with me for the rest of the story. But it was still an enjoyable read.
I enjoyed the darker side of this book, these tropes are my jam! And I'm excited to eventually read each brothers' story too. The only complaint I have is that the initial scene and the reasoning behind it, seemed a bit far-fetched and just didn't sit right with me for the rest of the story. But it was still an enjoyable read.
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February 29, 2024READ THIS FOR AOCB’s FEB CHALLENGE. an author with the same name as me! i mean i do love a mafia romance but this was .. something!
March 11, 2024
awful… I only lost my time and the rest of my sanity w this book
September 3, 2021
Okayyyy pleaseee don’t come for me for this review. No, I did not rate this book 1 star because of the dark over-possessiveness. I knew what I signed up for when I picked this up so I won’t fault it for that.
This book is about a Capo, Maximus, who forces his enemy, Caruso, to let him marry his only daughter, Emilia. He wants to marry her to use her as a pawn to take revenge on her father by making her suffer. It then proceeds to explore what I guess can be debatable on whether or not the sexual activity is consensual but I’ll not delve into that as I understand it’s a dark romance with triggers. Anyway, the pair marry and that’s the story. He spends the whole book degrading her, she spends the whole book wanting to please him and spontaneously throwing out some intelligent facts while having her eyes down and whispering ‘sir’ like the perfect submissive. Lol. Kidnapping’s thrown in to make the plot thicken and get Maximus to realise that she’s an innocent girl who shouldn’t be paying for her father’s sins. Ugh.
My issue with this book is a classic one: telling and not showing. It was so redundant the whole time. We are told many things and instead of being shown those very things we were told, we are instead shown something polar opposite.
We were told that Emilia is fiercely independent and well she stands up for herself. Not once did I see that. I know that Maximus is a scary capo but like if that was in her character then I’d have gotten hints of that in her personality. I didn’t. All I got from her was her dire need to please him and even accept his punishments. She was a submissive. Classic submissive. So I don’t understand why the book tried to paint her as something other than that. I mean if that’s her character then it’s fine. Girls are different. Its okay to be a submissive sort. Not every girl has to be sassy and what not but don’t try to pain a girl as stubborn when you can’t write it that way.
Another thing I didn’t like is how Emilia was comfortable with Maximus treating her the way he did. Even in her internal monologue. I swear, it made no sense. He treated her like garbage and not once even in her own thoughts did she have a problem with how he spoke to her, behave with her and used her body. Just because she had affection for him due to one encounter in childhood? Well… it felt unrealistic…
Thirdly, at what point did Maximus fall for or even start to like Emilia? I understand that he was sexually attracted to her and thought she was gorgeous. But beyond that? I didn’t see the smoothe transitioning of the enemies to lovers trope. Which leads me to;
No plot. This book didn’t have a plot. It was supposed to be about Maximus using Emilia as leverage and for revenge but well, it was just that. He was mean to her then acted like a husband at awkward moments. Then she got kidnapped and he hinted at being furious if she would have been raped because her ‘female organ’ is his. Then he suddenly loved her too. I kept waiting for this story to have a story but it was basically:
Forced marriage. Maltreatment. Sex. More maltreatment. France. Emilia’s love confession rejected. Kidnapping. Possessive reunion. Happily Ever After.
Urm…I don’t know. Emilia couldn’t even be mad at him longer than two seconds even after she found out he wanted to have her confined? I’m confused.
Bonus disappointment: the smut. For a book that focussed on smut, the smut was bad. Just saying….
I’ll read the second one though! Hopefully, it will be better!
This book is about a Capo, Maximus, who forces his enemy, Caruso, to let him marry his only daughter, Emilia. He wants to marry her to use her as a pawn to take revenge on her father by making her suffer. It then proceeds to explore what I guess can be debatable on whether or not the sexual activity is consensual but I’ll not delve into that as I understand it’s a dark romance with triggers. Anyway, the pair marry and that’s the story. He spends the whole book degrading her, she spends the whole book wanting to please him and spontaneously throwing out some intelligent facts while having her eyes down and whispering ‘sir’ like the perfect submissive. Lol. Kidnapping’s thrown in to make the plot thicken and get Maximus to realise that she’s an innocent girl who shouldn’t be paying for her father’s sins. Ugh.
My issue with this book is a classic one: telling and not showing. It was so redundant the whole time. We are told many things and instead of being shown those very things we were told, we are instead shown something polar opposite.
We were told that Emilia is fiercely independent and well she stands up for herself. Not once did I see that. I know that Maximus is a scary capo but like if that was in her character then I’d have gotten hints of that in her personality. I didn’t. All I got from her was her dire need to please him and even accept his punishments. She was a submissive. Classic submissive. So I don’t understand why the book tried to paint her as something other than that. I mean if that’s her character then it’s fine. Girls are different. Its okay to be a submissive sort. Not every girl has to be sassy and what not but don’t try to pain a girl as stubborn when you can’t write it that way.
Another thing I didn’t like is how Emilia was comfortable with Maximus treating her the way he did. Even in her internal monologue. I swear, it made no sense. He treated her like garbage and not once even in her own thoughts did she have a problem with how he spoke to her, behave with her and used her body. Just because she had affection for him due to one encounter in childhood? Well… it felt unrealistic…
Thirdly, at what point did Maximus fall for or even start to like Emilia? I understand that he was sexually attracted to her and thought she was gorgeous. But beyond that? I didn’t see the smoothe transitioning of the enemies to lovers trope. Which leads me to;
No plot. This book didn’t have a plot. It was supposed to be about Maximus using Emilia as leverage and for revenge but well, it was just that. He was mean to her then acted like a husband at awkward moments. Then she got kidnapped and he hinted at being furious if she would have been raped because her ‘female organ’ is his. Then he suddenly loved her too. I kept waiting for this story to have a story but it was basically:
Forced marriage. Maltreatment. Sex. More maltreatment. France. Emilia’s love confession rejected. Kidnapping. Possessive reunion. Happily Ever After.
Urm…I don’t know. Emilia couldn’t even be mad at him longer than two seconds even after she found out he wanted to have her confined? I’m confused.
Bonus disappointment: the smut. For a book that focussed on smut, the smut was bad. Just saying….
I’ll read the second one though! Hopefully, it will be better!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 1, 2021
A kind young woman who’s been horribly mistreated by her father, then stolen by a handsome but cold and heartless man who wed her for revenge against her father. There are some cringe-worthy moments where this poor girl is humiliated and crushed by the cruelty of others ... can she withstand everything thrown at her and still keep her sanity?
An amazing story that’ll take you through all of your emotions and leave you wanting more!
An amazing story that’ll take you through all of your emotions and leave you wanting more!
July 4, 2021
it was ok.... Its a mafia romance which i love so 3 stars for the genre... but..... The heroine was really meek... The hero flipped his switch overnight... it had no real story or the story it did have could have been explored more.... ok a decent read
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