This is my third book/buddy read by this author, and for me this was the weakest of the three. It just didn’t have much plot going on outside of the house that they were staying at, and not much happened until towards the end of the book.
The GR blurb didn't give much away, so stop if you want zero details, but I’ll only give a general outline.
Emilia is working at a pool when she sees something and tips off Daniil Lenkov that he’s about to be attacked. Stuff happens and he takes her back with him to keep her safe… or maybe just keep here. Most of the book is her and Daniil having sex or her hanging with his sister. There is a small subplot with the attack, but nothing comes from that until the end.
She has a formula (at least the 3 I read), dark, very alpha H’s paired with strong-ish (they don’t cry or beg) h’s that enjoy a dom/sub dynamic in the bedroom (and sometimes out) with spanking and punishments.
I feel like she does a good job of showing us the men are obsessed with the h’s and maybe love them, but not a great job of them cherishing/appreciating them within the dom/sub relationship. Specifically, the aftercare and caring part feels like it’s missing. I’d like to see that part show a smidge more to balance it out.
Bottom Line- Ok, but I needed more plot/action going on other than the spanking and sex. I’m wondering if maybe this book is older than her other series. I’m stopping here.
Don’t you just love when a book starts off with the love interest forcefully sticking his hand down an unwilling girls jeans in the first scene… yeah I don’t. Sexual assault is not cute. It’s not sexy. Dark romances don’t have to be full of sa to be “dark”.
This is my first time reading a product of Sassa Daniels.
The couple in this book is Daniil Lenkov and Evie Jamieson. It is a kidnapping slash mafia romance novel. I would say that this relationship was very sweet and not dark as advertised. Daniil is part of the Russian mafia who has family problems, while Evie is considered an innocent bystander.
The plot line of this story was not as action packed. It follows the typical trope of boy meets girl, boy kidnaps girl, and happy ever after. However, the other character's background was very interesting. I wish that the author divulge more information about their stories. There is 19 chapters in this book with dual points of view, Daniil and Evia.
The "romance" scenes were steamy. I will never judge on the amount of romance scenes in a book, but more the quality of the scenes themselves. There are approximately 5 scenes in the book with the inclusion of edging/denial, butt play, and spankings. As the scenes progressed through the book, the scenes do get shorter.
The ending of the book tied the book together and the character's conflicts were address.
With that being said, I give the book a 3 out of 5. It was an okay book, but the plot is very general.
With thanks.
Disclaimer: I did get this book for free through Booksprout. However, I did not get paid for a skewed review. This is an honest review with no intentions to sway readers to persuade sales.
Quick Summary An innocent bystander. That’s what Evie Jamieson is when she gets caught in the middle of a kidnapping attempt that goes wrong. She knew going in that Daniil Lenkov was trouble but when the bullets start flying, she knows she under estimated the level of danger that followed him.
Daniil Lenkov learned early, to always watch his back. He honestly couldn’t say he was surprised to be attacked while swimming in this small, out of the way community pool, not with the enemies his family has, but he is surprised that his conscious doesn’t allow him to walk away from Evie. She’s a stranger, a liability, but there’s something about her that doesn’t let him walk away
Knowing what would happen to her if he left her to fend for herself, Daniil whisks her away. But this small town girl might be innocent and too pure for his world, but Evie brings out the tender side of him, Daniil never suspected he had. At least not for someone outside his inner circle.
Suddenly, it’s not just Evie’s safety that compels Daniil’s protectiveness. Evie herself starts to pull at Daniil’s heartstrings. With every interaction he has with her, Evie works her way into his hardened heart. But will an innocent like Evie ever choose to stand by a man like Daniil?
🖤 ~ My Thoughts ~ 🖤 If you like a good morally gray hero with shady mafia connections, a sweet, out of her depth but still a bad ass heroine and amazing secondary characters you are gonna want more of, I highly, HIGHLY recommend this one.
I’m hooked and can’t wait to see more of the Lenkovs and of course, Daniil and Evie 🥰
Evie is a down to earth, average girl who finds herself in the wrong place at the wrong time. Lucky for her, Daniil is there when shit hits the fan and her normal life is suddenly upended and danger and violence is coming at her from every corner. I loved that she was so relatable, she always managed to hold her own, even when she literally didn’t have any one to trust. She didn’t shut down, have a meltdown or act TSTL. She was genuine, cautious and thought for herself.
As her counterpart, Daniil was perfectly imperfect. He was definitely a layered character, at first, if I’m being 100% honest, I was a little iffy about him. He was definitely leaning more towards villain than hero but Evie brought out in him, a softer side that not even Daniil knew he possessed.
This was a great introduction to a new series and I can’t wait to read more about Timofey (I’m dying of curiosity about him!), Mila (she is definitely a morally gray character but she’s such a bad ass I can’t help but want to root for her!) and of course Niamh.
This author has become my new favorite author to keep my eye out for!
“Okay, then, Burunduk.” I use. My pet name for her, my adorable chipmunk.
Heat Level: 5/5 This one is OTT hot!
Extra (Spoiler-y) Info : I voluntarily read and reviewed a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This mafia romance was alright, but the plot needed more substance
I’m a sucker for a good, dark, kidnapping, mafia romance - but this one missed some marks for me. Yes it was hot and steamy, even had a little dubious consent thrown in. Evie and Daniil were likable, but I felt that their characters were missing development. I found the side character, Mila, more interesting than the main. The story itself, I would’ve loved to see it played out more - in my opinion, there are holes and the way the story is wrapped up left alot of questions unanswered. Now, the steamy scenes happen (and it’s often) to be written well. This story has a TON of potential, if the author were to go back, expand the plot (don’t leave so many open holes) and develop the characters a little more - I would be willing to give this story another read and I believe it would be 5-star material.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Not a book to read if you are looking for fleshed out characters, a good rounded plot (although, this is first in series so may still develop) or some meat to your story. This is a darkish mafia romance - kidnapping with the "stockholm syndrome" kicking in very early. Lots of steamy scenes but I admit that I got a bit bored after a bit. There was some spark missing, although well described physically, I did not connect with the characters' emotion in the scenes. Strong secondary characters that are really interesting, mean that I may pick up the next books in series.
This book does satisfy as a hot relaxing afternoon read but will not stir any strong emotions.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
It's a dark fantasy, so reality isn't high on the list of necessary plot points. However, I struggled with the heroine and her ease of accepting what was going on. Kidnapped and she's not putting up any sort of fight or trying to get answers?
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Good read. There is violence, spanking, and rough sex. So if that’s something you don’t want to read it’s not for you. It’s kinda an instant love thing and the H is totally Alpha and into his kink.
I loved this dark and steamy mafia read. Evie is young and innocent and works at a pool and that is where she meets Daniil who happens to be a mob boss. What will happen when Evie sees something she shouldn’t have a needs protection? Fast-paced read with loads of drama, action and suspense. Great characters with intense chemistry and an entertaining story. I was hooked from beginning to end.
I was excited to read about a stern and strong Alpha male character. Soon it devolved into BDSM situations I thoroughly dislike. This is a personal choice but if it was labeled upfront I never would have purchased this book. This is not BDSM lite or even a heroine intrigued and finds the right man to lead it. Nope it was -being drugged by the brother -being held captive (fine that was the point of the book) -Heroine being reasonable scared and that's her 1st into into BDSM...getting spanked against her will without a safe word and understanding of what's truly going on -her abductors admit to killing people, grill her for info and then get pouty when she mentions not liking the H... I mean duh! This is normal reaction -flogging and butt plugs off the gate with someone new in the lifestyle is off putting -the entire MI6 storyline was dumb -she's 21 but in grad school but says the Hs sister is only a couple of years older (she wasn't. The sister's age was listed as 28. The author should have just made the h 25. All of the story would have made sense without losing anything) -loathe BDSM language when the H says the h vajayjay is his and she's not allowed to touch what's his 🙄😤���
The addition starts with the book cover….yeah…yeah…yeah don’t judge a book by its cover they say ….well we all do it and this one here it is the scratch to your itch or better yet the filling to your oreos! Speaking of filling…..wait, that’s for later. Within the first chapters you get the panoramic view of whom you’re dealing with! Bad boy….check Bod boy’s crazy brother/friend…check Bad boy’s Kryptonie…check ….check and check By the time you’ve figured out who is who, you’re already hooked, and you may as well give up the fight and prepare yourself for an all-nighter! Can’t say I didn’t warn you. Evie is sweet, no one ever called her beautiful but she’s okay with that and men do not notice her not unless she wants them to. Daniil sexy as all get out Bratva comes to the boathouse to swim daily, and he did that because of memories of his mother. Evie notices him and talks herself into asking him for a donation to keep the boathouse open. After asking she goes to finds Mike to inform, she will lock up and sees him on the security camera taking money from some thugs and leaving without locking up. So, she warns Daniil they are coming for him, and he hides her in the changing room telling her if she moved, she has to deal with him while he go take care of the situation. Will he keep her protected, does he thank her for saving him or will he take her for warning him and can they find happiness?
This is my first real foray into a so-called Bratva story and it certainly was interesting. Evie is an innocent pool worker who naively gets in the middle of a planned attack on an unsuspecting Russian Bratva Boss who was swimming at her pool. Now, to save her or eliminate her based on her involvement, Daniil kidnaps her and secrets her away in his French retreat. From this point on a tale of deceit, betrayal, matricide, and duplicity unfolds in rapid fashion. Intertwined with all this action is a budding D/s romance between Daniil and Evie that appears to be doomed to fail. Can she trust him, or his brother, or his sister? Who is friend and who is foe? An excellent adventure, but I’m not sure about the characters. Are there any real good guys? The story does feature some firm disciplinary scenes, as well as some truly erotic sex, so there is a lot to appeal to every reader’s proclivities. I’m not sure there is a pure END to this story, just as you can never really trust that a situation with the Russian mafia is ever truly resolved, so hopefully we can look forward to more stories from Ms. Daniels in this genre. 5 Stars I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Evie certainly didn’t expect to be taken. She was just working at the pool. Daniil came to swim again and she was wondering if he would like to help with a donation to keep it open. She just happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. When a couple of thugs came for Daniil, she took action. But did she make a mistake in helping him?
I am loving all the Bratva stories. Evie is a college student and sees Daniil at the pool all the time. She does a good deed by warning him about some thugs and now she is his. Daniil not only saved Evie but she takes her with. She certainly didn’t expect to get emersed into his kinky world and the Bratva world. We find out a lot about the family. Not only is Daniil having to deal with the Irish mafia, he has his estranged father trying to bring them back together, is brother and his past, and his sister. I love Mia. She is crazy but funny. You think you know who to trust then a twist happens. You even have MI6. Love that Evie is not weak and is a fighter. And Daniil may be a bad guy but he brings out the sexual side of Evie. Such a great couple and good story. Now what about his brother Timofey and his sister Mia. They need a story.
This book felt coercive in a way that makes me uncomfortable. I get that Daniil kidnaps Evie both because he is suspicious of her and needs to ensure that she's not a spy and also because he wants to protect her, and perhaps a bit because he is drawn to her. They very quickly develop a dom/sub relationship, which I can write off to the common romance trope of MCs who are mysteriously drawn to each other. But as soon as he painfully chained her up in a cold basement for trying to escape, the book lost me. By that point, he was assured that she was not the enemy and was not a threat to him. Both Daniil and Timofey *expected* her to try to escape, and why wouldn't she? She's been kidnapped by gangsters, who wouldn't try to escape? It's perhaps understandable that they can't let her escape, but why punish her so harshly so acting in a way that's only logical? Then they add insult to injury by having Timofey proposition her as a test of her loyalty to Daniil. Why should she be loyal to Daniil? By that point, it's just psychological torture and I wasn't particularly interested in reading the rest of their "love story." DNF.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Sassa Daniels won me over with her book Bystander. The story was compelling with a great storyline. Daniil was a legitimate mafia boss who had enemies and one was his dad. A business partner had turned on him and wanted to take over his selling of guns in America and was trying to kidnap him to try and change his mind. Evie worked a the community pool where Daniil would go and swim. She saw a possible shady deal with two men and her boss. She warned Daniil that he was in danger. He hid her and told her he would come get her when it was over, but she ran when she thought it was clear. She got caught and the enemy was killed by Daniil brother Timofey which caused issues with their enemy. He took her to Provence to protect her. This book is worth reading with a HEA.
I received this book free through Book Funnel and this review is my own words (if anyone could ever doubt that).
I like Mafia romances, but this one was missing something. I couldn't put my finger on it while I was reading, but I suspect it was the plot. I tend to get myself involved with the characters when I'm reading (which is why typos drive me nuts), and this one I found it difficult to follow them through the book. I believe the plot needed something else to fill in and plump it up a bit. I enjoyed reading it, but would have started to love it if it was just a little bit more.
Of course, after all is said and done, it could be that this wasn't the Mafia romance for me. Take the review with a grain of salt. Since I know the author is good, I would still recommend the book to someone looking to read a Mafia romance with spanking and hot sex.
A fast-paced and totally addictive sleep stealer, this book is the perfect combination of a gritty Mafia story, and abduction and a twisted love story, but it was so much more. The story was well written, I couldn't put it down. The characters were all easy to picture as real people. The scenes were well described and easy to get drawn into. I just loved all the parts of this story. I had to sleep, but really read 90% of it from 10 pm to like 3 am when my Kindle hit me in my face, totally worth it though, even if my eyes are burning today, lol. I don't remember the last time that I've read this author's work, but I know I meant to make reading her books my next thing. I got distracted but I'm back on it now.
I received an ARC from the author thru Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving my review. This story is a darker romance between a Bratva boss and a young woman. Evie works at the pool where Daniil is swimming when men come after him. He ends up taking her to make sure that she is not a spy, but that is not the only reason. Evie hates that Daniil makes her feel more than fear. They develop an unexpected relationship beyond the sexual. Their story is full of drama, danger, betrayal, family, lust and love. I thought that it was a good story.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Evie is trying to save the boathouse by getting donations. She sees Daniil swimming and wonders if he will contribute to keep the boathouse alive. She happens to see something she shouldn't have so she runs back to warn Daniil that someone is coming for him. He grabs her and saves her life then takes her with him. Now she's his captive in his world of the Bratva. Love the chemistry that develops between Evie and Daniil. Great story and fantastic characters. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Evie Jamieson was unaware of the danger about to engulf her. In protecting Daniil Lenkov, Evie is captured and embroiled in the dark world of a mafia family. With no chance at escape, and harsh consequences when she is caught trying, Evie begins to fall for Daniil an intense man with a need to control & protect his woman which is what Evie has become to him. Does Evie want to remain with him and his family? As things heat up in the mafia underworld can Evie navigate her way through to safety? A fabulous read and well deserving of 5 stars!
This plot was threadbare. The entire story takes place over 2 weeks. That’s it. And the last week or so, they spend apart, yet they’re so madly in love with each other that they decide to get married? I’m sorry—what? In what world does that make sense? We know nothing about either main character, either. It’s just sex, and it’s def dub-con, fyi. I don’t mind, but others might. Either way, this book was way, way, way too short to be even an ounce believable, or to be invested in any of the characters. It really fell short for me.
Evie thought she was doing the right thing in letting Daniil know someone was after him but getting in in cross fire between mafias is not what she wanted neither was the way her body responds to Daniil her now mafia captor. Daniil owes his life to Evie but he cant let her go no matter how much she begs this is well written filled with hot scenes desires action and more!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Oooh this was good! Evie Jamieson was at the wrong place at the wrong time! Rescued/taken captive by Danil Lenkov, Evie soon realises there is no escape and the consequences of trying. Danil is dark and intense but there is a sweetness about him that we see with his family and his protectiveness of Evie. What a great page turner!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I have a few unanswered questions. I am really not a mafia fan I almost stopped reading this. This was an okay/good read. It weird that Daniil didn’t notice Evie all that time until she came to him to ask for a donation. Evie was too easy. I mean she seemed like she kind of rolled over and offered her stomach to him. I think I would have put up a bit more of a fight. What happened with Daniil father? I hope there is a second book.
Hot and steamy with a lot of action and suspense. The love scenes are well written . It is dark romance. However, it could have been darker and I found Evie so naive considering the circumstances . The secondary characters are intriguing and the emotions are high all over the storylines. Enjoyable.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I so enjoyed this. Daniil is so lovely I want him to take me home and never let me go... if only *sighs*. Not every bratva man checks all my boxes but Daniil def did. I enjoyed the whole story although it isn't perfect but that man certainly makes up for a lot. I can't wait to read more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I loved the story but it left me with unanswered questions. What happened to Dimitri? How does the SIS agent get away with basically drugging and kidnapping Evie. The way things happened with their father was a big letdown. Hoping books will be written about Mila, and Timofey.
A Dark Bratva Romance Grad student Evie crossed paths with Russian Mob Boss Daniil Lenkov. She was an innocent bystander who tried to do the right thing. Instead, she ended up in the middle of a long-standing dispute. I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.