Flowers For The Devil

by Vlad Kahany

Love can be a devil and a saint.

Two men. One woman.
Two lies. One truth.
A happening that left London speechless.
A witness—the entire city.

On December 19th, 1851, a crime took place in the center of London. One of the few who knows what truly happened is Countess Alina Bronskaya.
But she will never speak of it.
The crime is her curse and her salvation.
Her culprits are the men who gave her their hearts.
One is a gentleman-devil.
The other is the Duke of Ravenaugh.
This is a story of redemption.
And in the center of it all—love. Passionate. Overpowering. Changing the course of history.
The sort of love that can ruin a man. The one that can save him...

"Flowers for the Devil" is a dark Victorian romance with tormented villain/ strong heroine/ forbidden love/ secret identity/ diverse characters tropes. It is NOT a love triangle. It has mature situations and themes which may be considered triggers for some. Readers' discretion is advised.

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance, Historical, Historical Romance, Dark, Historical Fiction, Fantasy

452 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 7, 2022

About the author

Raised on the love for music and literary classics, Kahany has studied philology and religion.
For news, updates, discounts on new releases, please visit www.VladKahany.com
For questions, comments, suggestions, please email VladKahany@gmail.com

Reviews

[✩ Yaz ✩ · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“You haunt me, Alina,” he whispered as if afraid to scare her if he said it louder. “You turn me into a shameless man. You make me burn with desire that takes over my body and mind,” he murmured as he kissed her jaw and neck.

“I want your body and your heart. All of you.”

Flowers for the Devil is a seductive and lushly dark Victorian romance with the cadence of a gothic fairytale in the same vein as Phantom of the Opera and Beauty and the Beast.

But this tale is one of a tormented man in love, a scarred hero, and an elusive villain.

A tale of sins, redemption, and salvation.

A tale of two lost souls in a fog-ridden city.

A tale of an impossible love of a killer and a lady.

Like all tales, it had a beginning and an end. And this tale marked the beginning of the end for Harlan Krow.

Her kiss was annihilating. I had kissed her like there was no tomorrow. I had wanted to strip her naked and make love to her. Swiftly. Deeply. Roughly. Any way possible. All at once!

That kiss was a confession. There was no villain or countess. No saints or sinners. No titles or etiquette. Only a man and a woman bound by passion.

This book was exquisite.

I was entranced by the eloquent storytelling and writing as it kept me wholly captivated from the first page until the end.

I was promised a villain romance, yet I've been gifted with so much more.

The story is narrated through 3rd person POV and 1st person POV and it is done neatly and was fitting for the story.

The author rendered such a brilliant cast of characters—and this includes the main couple and the supporting characters

Countess Alina Bronskaya was a refreshing heroine as she was what one would consider an unconventional heroine in Victorian romances. She was a widow at 22, a Russian countess living among the English, and a nurse by trade hoping to become a doctor.

I appreciated the nod to Russian traditions and culture, usually non-English heroines adjust to England easily, but it was lovely to see how Alina feels melancholic about her homeland. What's even better is making her love interest appreciate her background and traditions.

“Your stories are always dark,” she said. “Does anything bring you joy?”
“You,” he answered, and her heart thudded at the word.

Harlan Krow is a notorious killer whose reputation had haunted every corner and alley in London.

For some he is a mere myth, to others he is a sadistic villain—but to the reader, he is a scarred man.

To Alina, he is a dark lover who made her burn.

Her kiss was annihilating. I had kissed her like there was no tomorrow. I had wanted to strip her naked and make love to her. Swiftly. Deeply. Roughly. Any way possible. All at once!

That kiss was a confession. There was no villain or countess. No saints or sinners. No titles or etiquette. Only a man and a woman bound by passion.

The scorching passion and the all-consuming love between Alina and Harlan Krow was so potent that I could not settle my raging butterflies.

Theirs was a dance of seduction, of longing, of agony.

It was a love that blossomed in the darkness, and brought a tormented soul back into the light.

It was a forbidden affair, but who can ever resist the temptations of what is not attainable?

A man can slay a hundred enemies. Yet he will be slain and go down on his knees in front of the woman he loves. A lion is a king of the animal world, yet he bows to his lioness.

And I was on my knees.

Beyond the romance, there were important themes in the book that shed light on the manipulation of religion and morals as weapons used by corrupt men. The irony of these greed-infested men is that their notion of justice serves their own interests. They could creep upon those who hold less and no power, yet in a moment of retaliation they'd call out god to save them.

We’d met at a crime scene. We’d bonded through letters. One can fall in love with words, Father. I was falling in love with all of her.

My only complaint is I wish we had more of Rumi. I'd be so happy if the author decided to write a spin-off novel for her.

Tropes included in this book:

— Forbidden Romance
— Villain is the love interest (he keeps a mask on)
— Hidden identity
— Gothic Victorian fairytale
— Masked ball
— Exchanging letters in secret
— Secret meetings
— Swoonworthy chemistry
— Slowburn with rewarding spice
— Heroine is a doctor-to-be Russian Countess
— Carriage scene
— Entertaining supporting characters

Disclaimer: the blurb gives the impression there could be a love triangle, there is no love triangle 100% and no poly romance. This is an adult romance as well.

Trigger Warnings: violence, attempted sexual assault (not by the love interest), blood, PTSD, war, death.

[erifollows]

DNF -> No. The amount of the word "dark" that described the main love interest was driving me insane. His behavior is bordeline stalkerish and for the love of god what is this fucking quote: "Her letters filled the gaps—the mind of a wise man in the body of a young woman. Unheard of! Who else could understand me if not her?"

By the way you cannot forget that the mc is AN ANGEL. I'm serious, this book will remind you that in every sentence.

The way it had to be mentioned every time when talking about mc's best friend, that she's black-
"Oh look that black woman is so smart, how unheard of" (Not a literal quote from the book but wouldn't be suprised if it was actually there - but oh well we'll never know cuz I'm done with this annoying book)

One thing I have to say though, is that the story is sometimes very well written and I liked some of the thoughts it brought to the table (mainly when two characters were talking about what religion means to them)

But anyway I gotta stop trusting Tiktok with my tbr.

[a. · Rating 3 out of 5]

”She was mine for the rest of my life, and suddenly I wanted to be immortal.”

[Samantha (bookgramsaga reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️

''Dreams can be dangerous''

Safety warnings:
- H 30s / h 22
- No cheating
- No OW/OM drama
- Violence/murder/d*ath
- Mention of child abuse
- Attempted assault
- Mention of su*cide
- HEA

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

I really wanted to love this. I really did so it saddens me to know that I feel meh about it.

I didn't connect with the writing style, but it didn't keep me wanting to go on sometimes and I skimmed at certain moments as well. I cannot pinpoint one particular thing that didn't work for me as it was mostly just small accumulations over the course of the book. The first 10% or so was super slow for me.

The things I did really enjoy was Harlan/Samuel and his chapters. His vision for a better future and world. I understood his reasoning behind the ''crimes'' and how deeply the pain he witnessed went within him. The chapters where we got an inside look into his past and his army days were highlights for me. Especially the house scene with his army troop and the next morning. I kept looking forward to his chapters and more reveals about who he was before all of this and what lead him to deciding to become Harlan.

Alina? I was not a big fan. I would have preferred her chapters to have been in the 1st POV rather than 3rd. She frustrated me during certain scenes. She also tried to change and stop Samuel from doing what he believed was justice and good for the people who had nobody to help them. I wished she had let him still be a hero in those people’s eyes rather than stopping him and threatening him with leaving if he ever put on the Harlan persona again. YOU FELL IN LOVE WITH HARLAN KNOWING WHAT HE DOES and even I believed was proud of his vigilante ways and appreciated his power to help those in need and give hope but nope, stop and be your Duke self or else. Frustrating.

I was also a bit confused about what actually happened to the Reverend? Unless I missed something about him. We only got info about him in the beginning of the book when Samuel starts his confession and at the end in the cemetery when we find out the reverend had died. I wanted more of an explanation.

Also, Olga and Van Buren's future? We were teased about these two but no conclusion or a hint of what to expect for them.

The epilogue I will say was brilliant, it was just two sentences, but it captured what a lot of authors would usually write pages about, so I really appreciated it.

[Christy · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF. This book felt all over the place. One moment we would be in the middle of a scene and the next, the chapter would end and we would go back 4 months to have some unnecessary monologue about how great Alina is and how horrible all of the English ton are. It got redundant and the inner monologues were barely lucid to me. Both Alina and Krow jumped from one topic to the next and back like tennis balls.

Also, I hate to say this but the mention of how good Alina treated her servants got on my nerves. We were reminded at least every other page that Alinas household taught their servants how to read and write and that Alina had a black servant as well that she talked to like an equal - it was all very white savior-ish to me and I didn't really enjoy that. I get the times. I get that there will be slaves but please don't write it like Alinas doing them any favors by keeping one black girl gainfully employed.

Another issue I had was that Alina makes it seem like she's the only good person in the entirety of this high brow society. Every other woman around her wants to get married and have kids and not help others. Come on. Give me a fucking break. I guess Mary sues can be in any book in any time period.

[dani · Rating 1 out of 5]

Dnf- when will I let tiktok stop influencing my TBR list I don’t know. I just could not get into it maybe it was just a slow start I don’t know maybe I’ll try again

[Athanasia ♥︎ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hauntingly lyrical and ardent
Flowers for the Devil might be the best book I've read so far this year. Dark in an almost didactic way, the story brings the reader to a point of questioning morality, both public and private. However, most importantly, this is the touching love story of two scarred people and their complex journey to love and healing. The story generally felt like a battle between a couple's psyches who fall passionately in love and their resistance to becoming star-crossed lovers. Unsurprisingly, the narrative scheme on this novel was magnificant and uniquely crafted, since interesting narratives appear to be a feature of their writing style based on another story I read by the same author,
who at this point will get to have their own shrine on my bookshelf if they continue like that.
The writing was also beautiful and full of cultural references that added to the storytelling, which seemed to tell more stories than one.Overall,this book was spicy, sentimental, and bittersweet in the most amazing way that made me cry like a baby but also never want to reach the end, so I will be part of this story forever.


Tags:
Historical Romance⚔️🏰🐲
Criminal MMC 👤🚬🔫
Widow MFC❤️‍🩹 💔
Angst😐😑😬
Violence 🩸👁🦴
Morally grey characters 👤 👥🗣
Murders 🧨🧫 🧪
War themes/vendetta 🔫 💣 🪒
weapon use 🗡 ⚔️🔫
Incorrect use of "OBJECTS" 🤤😳 🥵
HEA🔔👰🏼🌠

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review for Micha no. 22

It’s 5:14am and I am crying.

And I gotta say: That’s a very good thing!
I actually thought that this book wouldn’t be able to make me ugly cry but the last three chapters fucked my head and my emotions so hard that I couldn’t breathe for a sec-
What do we learn from that?

This is one of the BEST books ever. I have never seen anyone use that kind of storytelling before. This was such a good tactic. And I like it even more now because of the ending, but even while reading the book- this kind of storytelling was so unique that I just appreciated this whole thing.
To make Alina, the main character, tell 2/3 of the chapters from her perspective in third person and then every so often switch to the other 1/3 where Harlan Krow explains to the priest what happened (he also started his part with “Father forgive me I’ve sinned”) is such a cool concept. The thought of reading something from a person that just experiences the story while also being confronted by an “all-knowing” side of the story is so cool and was very interesting to read.
Alsooo I am famous for throwing my book away when I’m overwhelmed with what someone just said or did in the story. Today, however, was the first time I threw that book away and sat kneeling on the ground for nearly 2 minutes because I had to process what masterpiece I just read (this happened in the middle of the book and in the end- but the end was just emotional damage so idk if that counts).
But ya.
Let’s get some structure in here shall we?


The characters:

Alina:
I love this woman. (The last book I read was “Stalking Jack the Ripper” so I was kind of in the vibe of the 1850s-1890s and knew how women’s rights where handled.) Alina is such a wonderful example of how to write such a character. Yes, she is the beautiful, rich lady but her character has so much depth. The fact that most people only see that side of her is, in my opinion, really well made. People just assume she’s “LiKe tHe oThEr GiRls” but she isn’t. She loves people, protects the poor and sick and is veryyyy interested in science. A part that basically none other sees apart from a few people.
One of which iiiiiiiiisssssss…

Harlan Krow:
Wow. And I mean wow. The beginning of the story already taught me to love this man.
“Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. My sins are too many to count. And, forgive me Lord, I would commit them again. My name is Harlan Krow and this is my confession.”
Of course, it is a dark beginning but I was very intrigued. His part (ik I’m talking about the writing again- I’m just bad at structuring okay?! I just cried my eyeballs out I need time. Thank you.) was one of the coolest, if not THE coolest, way I saw an author write a character. The fucking depth. The topics he talked about. The WAY he talked. The way he tried to express his reasoning for every. single. crime. he committed? Wow just wow. I think he may be one of my favourite characters of all time.

1. topics
This dude is so fucking wise. He talked about everything that would influence your own moral compass. Society, Murder, Rape, Politics and it’s neglection of the poor etc. it was just very interesting to “listen” to him talk about his past and trauma and how that all made him come to terms with killing bad people for the poor. It was so fascinating.

2. Way of talking
I haven’t been so interested in a book character for a long time, especially not with the reason of how they talked. Harlan talks very philosophically and a lot in metaphors which makes it very interesting to read. You can see his thought process while he talks about everything and that’s just really cool. I can’t even describe how well his part was written and how the way he talked changed and influenced my reading experience but yeah. I’m going to try to find a good example of how he talks.

Page 307:
“This is a dilemma, Father. That treacherous Hachsaugh was the man I wanted to end so badly. The man – one of many – who’d wronged you and so many others. When you’ve seen what humans are capable of, when you’ve witnessed what is done to the weak and defenseless, when you’ve learned for over a decade that your purpose was to fight the enemy, how can you see the enemy and not strike?
Ah, your Bible teaches us to obey the law and the everchanging moral code. But who will enforce it? What if those who establish it break it? The Bible teaches us to turn the other cheek. But what if your cheeks are so raw from abuse that there is no strength left except to strike back?”

I hope you can kind of see what I mean. He is very philosophic while being very reasonable but also reflective. I don’t know when he says this but earlier on he says something like “a crime is a crime” something like that. He knows that he kills people and describes that in another part as well, where he teaches the priest the difference between a gun and a knife. He says that the gun gives you more distance to your victim because it’s not really a victim but more a target. Everything and everyone is a target for a gun but a knife is something that has to come near the person. A gun maybe makes killing easier but it takes the brutal and gruesome reality of killing a living person that people go around by using a gun, which is just very interesting to read.

“They say the first kill is always the hardest, Father.
Well, not when you are at war. Not when you are a soldier, only eighteen, the enemies’ guns in your face, and the captain roars, “Fire!”
The lives are cheap at war. Enough of them taken and you might get a medal. They’ll pat you on the shoulder, serve you ale, and say “Next time you might get the Knights Champion.”
You see, Father, you haven’t been to war. At war, killing is an honor.”
-2 pages and a story of a child rapist later-
“The hardest kill is not the first one, Father. It is of the man who committed atrocious crimes but stood, one dark night, in front of me, shaking, saying, “My good sir, I have done nothing wrong. I have wife and children at home.” The worst crimes happen on the most peaceful nights. When children are tucked away. When bedtime stories are read. When the night prayers are recited. Isn’t it the best time for judgement too, Father?
That was the night that ended that monster, the first of many (…)
Killers shouldn’t be worshipped. A crime is a crime. (Hah found it)
Forgive me, Father, but he deserved it. And the children in that orphanage will not hear the bedtime stories anymore, for the monster was the one who used to read them.”

Did I just type that whole thing at 6:15am in the morning? Yes. Yes I did.
I just love the way he explains stuff and how (in most cases) he talks about god and how this all comes together with society, politics and believes. He also often asks the priest what his opinion is and connects all that to things the Bible says, which is just a very interesting way of argumenting.


The plot:

Jesus fucking Christ. The idea of two people falling in love in the dark and talking about their past, feelings, politics and life while being strangers in the daylight is so intriguing. Especially when you read his POV and find out that he’s actually obsessed with that woman and has connections to her in the daylight as well, while she doesn’t even know what he looks like and only knows his persona, which is the poor-helping hero (also called the Gentleman-devil).
(The thing that is important while reading dark books, especially romance, is the knowing of what you are reading and that you are reading. I explained that in my last review to “Stalking Jack the Ripper” that murderers. are. NOT. hot. Okay? Be careful of what you read and how you bring your expectations into your real life. Please don’t romanticize murder or stalking in real life. It’s toxic and creepy as fuck. Thank you)
I gotta say that I am for example also a fan of Enemies to lovers in fantasy books (which isn’t the case here but pls let me talk) which can be connected to the desperate wanting of someone seeing your worst and still accepting you and loving you as who you are.
With the “stalking” in this book, it wasn’t a different thing. Before I continue do I wanna say that he only once went to her home and that was when she didn’t answer his letters for over a week and he was very worried. The stalking here was mostly finding things out about her through gossip or as him as a person and not his nightly persona.
This was a really interesting part to read in the story because he remembered so many little details, which really made me kinda happy-


The plottwists

Dude first of
The fucking double life of that dude is insane! Like- Duke AND martyr? Man… that dude didn’t have time to sleep like jeez. I gotta say I had this theory from the beginning. He shared a lot of the interests Krow and Alina shared as well (which is why the duke proposed to her lol) and he was very silent. I know that Krow talked a loooooooooot but that would’ve added to the silent Samuel. Like I said: double life. I actually didn’t believe in my theory through the book because she didn’t think that Samuels voice was familiar so I just let it be and wanted to be surprised when she saw his face.
Welp.
It was Samuel.
I still don’t know how she didn’t recognize his voice (because he never had anything over his face but yeah)
It was a good twist. I liked that a lot.
Also Alinas reaction was the cutest thing I could ever imagine.
Because she gave herself the fault. She told him that he couldn’t trust her in the future because she was with Samuel at daytime and with Harlan at night. Which is totally fair. It’s just so selfaware of her to push him away from her because she is the “toxic one” (no one here is toxic. They’re all very fucking cute people I love them)

Yeah…
And then there’s the end.
Look- They marry, he doesn’t kill people anymore, we find out what the title (Flowers for the Devil) meant and now we’re here. At the end of the story. Samuel is finishing his part. And I was always a bit suspicious about his part because of the beginning. I always thought that something must’ve happened. Like- maybe he killed his wife (it’s my second dark book how would I know? Don’t bully me please) or many other people idk. What I didn’t think about was that he didn’t talk to a living person. This broke my heart.
The whole story, I spent hours and hours reading, was told to a gravestone.
And this broke me.
Especially because Alina asked him what his best friend was and he said something like “you’ll meet him soon” and the exact name is written on that grave stone with the death year being the one the story started (it started in December 1851 and probably finished someday later)
He also asked the priest if the little angles (he calls his wife his angle because people call him the devil and she’s his salvation) they would get, would have wings. And the Epilogue of the Book wasn’t a whole chapter or anything. It was just a big quote that said:
“I’ve come to tell you, Father, that tiny angles don’t have wings. But they do have the most luminous eyes. Hers.”
I was already crying because of the gravestone and that fucking sentence fucked my life, my emotions and the last drop of water my body had to offer.

It is 06:50am now
The word document on which I wrote this review on is 4 pages and 2100 words long.
(I haven’t looked over it to look at my grammar etc. I hope it isn’t too confusing)
I haven’t slept yet so I think I’m going to do this now.
Fact is: I have not read such a good book in a loooooong time. It was a lot about love, tension, betrayal, communication, politics, murder, equality and many more topics. It was so well written and even though I have wrote my review now (which I mostly do to get closure of a book) I’m still shaking because of the end.
This is a good sign.
There hasn’t been a book in a long time that affected me so hard.
Huge respect and love to the author. You’ve created a masterpiece.
Thank you for reading.
I’m going to bed now.


"The strongest hearts come from suffering.
The brightest souls (come) from darkness.
The most captivating things are covered in scars."
-Flowers for the devil p.327

[Paige ♠ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this was a totally unexpected find on Kindle Unlimited and I loved it! Although I can definitely see how others might not like it - especially because the writing can be a bit heavy and poetic at times.

✅ Unique historical romance with dark and gothic vibes - definitely not a light/fluffy read, but nonetheless captivating

✅ Russian heroine who had to flee Russia with her family and is trying to adapt to life in London society (I loved all the Russian cultural references and traditions)

✅ One of the most passionate and sensual love stories I've read in a while (and very steamy)

✅ Tormented hero that is obsessed with the heroine, to the point of borderline stalker-ish behavior sometimes 🙃

✅ Writing letters back and forth

✅ Heroine that is trying to break into the medical/scientific community

🆗 There were some points that were a little hard to follow, due to switching POVs and time jumps. And some things felt a bit repetitive.

❌ The plot twist was pretty predictable and not really a twist at all...

Overall, I think this is one of those books you can't think too deeply about and just need to enjoy the experience of reading it. Also, If you are used to reading in the dark romance genre, then I don't think this will be dark for you because the love interest isn't really villainous, especially when it comes to the heroine.

[LoveBooks · Rating 5 out of 5]

∞ 𝖎𝖓𝖋𝖎𝖓𝖎𝖙𝖊 𝖘𝖙𝖆𝖗𝖘 𝖋𝖔𝖗 𝖙𝖍𝖎𝖘 𝖒𝖆𝖘𝖙𝖊𝖗𝖕𝖎𝖊𝖈𝖊.
quotes & scenes of this book talk more than my own thoughts..

❝Angel's live in heaven, Father. I found mine in hell. And, God forgive me, but if it took such a sin to carry her out of there, I would do it again.❞
- 𝔊𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔢𝔩𝔪𝔞𝔫-𝔇𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔩

❝He wasn’t a devil but a dark angel, if only with broken wings. And she wanted to give him his wings back, make him rise above all that had plunged him into darkness. She would take all the light of being and gift it to him to make him shine again.❞
- 𝔄𝔩𝔦𝔫𝔞 𝔅𝔯𝔬𝔫𝔰𝔨𝔞𝔶𝔞

🥀𝐬𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬 𝐦𝐚𝐤𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐥𝐭
“I like your laughter,” she said,
“You should laugh more often.”
“I shall. If you are around,” he answered

“What about you? You shall be cold.”
“Not if you stay for a while and talk to me.”
And she closed her eyes, biting her smile. His words felt like a caress.

“Your stories are always dark,” she said.
“Does anything bring you joy?”
“You,” he answered, and her heart thudded at the word.

“Every man needs a place to call home,” he said finally, his speech slow and measured.
“I never had one. You became my home, for that is where my heart is.”

🥀𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐚𝐧/𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮𝐞𝐥 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞
› “She took my dark heart into her little hand and gently squeezed it until it swelled, unable to keep the even beat.”

› ❝𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐞 𝐦𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐅𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫.❞

› “One can fall in love with words, Father. I was falling in love with all of her.”

› “I needed my angel like air to breathe.”

› “When you came into my life, I couldn’t wait for a new day as long as you were in it.”

› “If she didn’t want me, I would stay in the city that held her presence, kissing the roads where her pretty foot stepped, touching the surfaces that her gloved hand touched.”

› ❝𝐄𝐯𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐜𝐫𝐲, 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞 𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐬.❞

› “If you tell me to leave and never come back, I will honor your wish. But it will kill me.”

› “Without you, Alina, there is no life.”

› “She was mine for the rest of my life, and suddenly I wanted to be immortal.”

🥀𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐞𝐬 >>
➛ Do angels have babies in your holy book, Father? Because I wanted to take her right then and make little angels with her

➛ I hope Alina and I have little angels soon. I will let you know if they have wings.

➛ 𝚊 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛 𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛; “I’ve come to tell you, Father, that tiny angels don’t have wings. But they do have the most luminous gray eyes. Hers.”

My name is Harlan Krow, and this is my confession..

[Irina · Rating 2 out of 5]

He wasn’t a devil but a dark angel, if only with broken wings. And she wanted to give him his wings back, make him rise above all that had plunged him into darkness. She would take all the light of being and gift it to him to make him shine again.


Did any of you watch the TV show “Ripper Street” a few years ago? It’s a dark Victorian crime series, and IMHO the woman on this book cover looks very much like “Long” Susan Hart. The similarities between the characters end with their looks, however, which is a good thing because Susan is not a particularly likable character, unlike Alina in the book. Unfortunately, the book is still nowhere near as good as the series.

The basic idea is interesting, and the book is certainly different from other romances. However, the author tries far too hard to be mysterious and ominous, constantly making dark allusions. While this can be an effective stylistic device for building suspense, it often becomes ridiculous when used excessively. As a result, I quickly became annoyed, especially since the “secret” of the gentleman-devil is as clear as daylight to the reader.

Even more exhausting than the forced gloom is the overloaded language. Images and comparisons overwhelm you, and when you regain your wits after an initial daze, you soon realize that they are often quite nonsensical. Add poetic elements and the style is ultimately flamboyant. You either like it or you don't, and I don't. Feel free to form your own opinion:


[He] looked like a baked potato with sideburns and a mustache so big and unkept they could hide a village.


She took my dark heart into her little hand and gently squeezed it until it swelled, unable to keep the even beat.


If this was darkness, Alina didn’t need light. If Harlan Krow was the devil, she wanted a lifetime of hell.


His thick sharp accent could cut a man’s throat.


She was mine for the rest of my life, and suddenly I wanted to be immortal.


We were a mess.
Two aching hearts.
Many lies.
And the truth that could only be resolved with time.


Scars, a battlefield of them, covered [his] torso—deep, healed, in many languages, with no happy endings. The most mesmerizing man she’d known was etched with them. But his smile made up for all his dark past.


Do angels have babies in your holy book, Father? Because I wanted to take her right then and make little angels with her.


She tasted like me when I kissed her. The taste of the devil was on my angel’s lips as she curled her tongue around mine, desperate in her desire. I wanted to come all over her skin so that she knew how much I wanted her, how she made me feel, how hard I burned for her.


2.5 – Overall, not so bad, but just not my cup of tea.

[Emily · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to like this book, but ultimately it disappointed.

Read for/contains: insta-love, stalking, hyper-masculine love interest, detailed sexual assault/s, multiple sex scenes, bad pacing, depictions of war, stupid main character, Mary Sue main character, HEA


The Good
- the world building was quite good, I mostly believed in the setting
- the best thing I can say about the writing is that it didn’t distract from the story
- the portrayal of the Anglo-Afghan war experience was interesting, it didn’t shy away from sexual assault, death, war crimes etc, but didn’t acknowledge British Imperialism or Harlan’s actions there as an invader
- there was a strong portrayal of Russian culture, even if English society’s treatment of the immigrant Russian family was unexplored

The Bad
- the main character was unbelievable. You are hit over the head with her angelic qualities, despite her doing no nursing in the book. You are told she is a medical genius, but she doesn’t show it. She wears diamonds and fox furs and gemstones but she cares for the poor. She is beloved by the servants but treats them like dirt. Previous marriage unexplored.
- The love interest was unbelievable. He is a caricature of a perfect man (wealthy, handsome, muscles). You are told that he is a villain, but there’s nothing about him that justifies the Jekyll/Hyde dynamic that the narration tries to force. He is one-note, insta-love, boring and unremarkable. His flashbacks to the war are most interesting (see above)
- The plot: what plot
- The romance: insta-love, solely based on attraction. We are told and not shown that they fall in love via letters, but I just didn’t believe it. Stalking, miscommunication trope, etc.
- Bad pacing, I skimmed the end because I wanted it to be over
- No mystery, stupid main character can’t work it out

I wanted to keep the review short but I will expand on one particular issue because I felt it summarises my experience of the book. There is a black slave girl called Rumi, a poet and literary genius. She is smuggled to London after the abolition of slavery. There she is “saved” (bought) by a white doctor and raised as his daughter. She exists only to show the main character is different to high society because Alina does not hate Rumi for being black. It was never explained why the doctor was at an underground slave auction, why he chose Rumi, and her character was unexplored, her feelings were non-existent. She was just a token black girl used as a scribe by the main character. It was uncomfortable at best. The book really attempts to delve into historical accuracy, culture, social attitudes, morality, sexism and ultimately fails because it mentions these things in passing without ever fully exploring them. Maybe that’s because love is supposed to take centre stage - but even the romance wasn’t good enough to “save” the book.

- 1 star for world building and culture and okay-ish writing

[Lexi · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶.5

I don’t know how this has bad reviews, I saw a single tiktok about this book and went “why not” and oh my god what a good book! The tension and romance is AMAZING. The love triangle is the only one I have ever actually liked, and the thoughtfulness that went into describing poverty is so good.

“The men of power, those above us, are convinced of their righteousness. They disregard God’s rules that they so relentlessly preach about. The men below are led to believe that it’s all in God’s hands. And so they continue to suffer, taking the whipping with their heads low”

I loved how religion was talked about in this book, specifically how unconventionally it is found, while still acknowledging its problems. I also loved how OBSESSED with each other the MC’s are, and how that obsession plays out. It’s all very romantic, and the authors description of the process of loving someone really did something for me.

“She was mine for the rest of my life, and suddenly I wanted to be immortal”

I also loved how progressive our FMC Alina is, she’s a 22yo widow who cares for human rights, and has a love of science and medicine. And the MMC in this book is 100% supportive of her and cares about the same things. He is also so TENDER! Which has been rare in romance books lately. Seeing how gentle he was, and how deeply he loved her had me in my feelings. There is no assholery here folks, he is hopelessly wrapped around her finger.

“You haunt me, Alina,” he whispered as if afraid to scare her if he said it louder. “You turn me into a shameless man.”

[Lanie ༊*·˚ · Rating 5 out of 5]

♫: 𝑨𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒍- 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑾𝒆𝒆𝒌𝒏𝒅

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

FINALLY I FINISHED A BOOK!!!

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

I decided to come back to this book hoping it would get me out of my reading slump…

Spoilers: It did ˙ᵕ˙

「 ✦ 𝐀𝐋𝐈𝐍𝐀 𝐁𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐊𝐀𝐘𝐀 ✦ 」

ׂ╰┈➤ (𝘧𝘤: 𝘚𝘶𝘥𝘦 𝘠ı𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘻)

What can I say about her… she’s perfect to my baby Harlan!!! I love her passion for nursing! The way she’s obsessed with Harlan…me too girl why lie? (ෆ˙ᵕ˙ෆ)♡

「 ✦ 𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐀𝐍 𝐊𝐑𝐎𝐖? ✦ 」

ׂ╰┈➤ (𝘧𝘤: 𝘏𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭)

I need a man to be obsessed with me the way Harlan is obsessed with Alina-

He’s is a hero to everyone. He cared so much for his people! His past hurts me and makes me want to protect him at all costs!

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

THESE ARE THE OBSESSION TROPES I LIKE!!!

(𝘐’𝘮 𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘏𝘢𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘦)

I will say this… if you’re suspicious about a person while reading this book you’re mostly likely write.

I spoiled myself to know if I was correct. I was.

I was a little nervous about this book because it said love triangle… THERE IS NO LOVE TRIANGLE!!! YOULL UNDERSTAND WHEN YOU KEEP ON READING THE BOOK!!!

I love reading the side characters such as Rumi and Alina’s servants!

Alina’s mother can be tad bit annoying but she honestly didn’t bother me much.

I wish we got more of Alina’s father…

☪︎ ִ ࣪𖤐 𐦍 ☾𖤓

Overall, 5/5 stars ★
(𝘔𝘢𝘺𝘣𝘦 4.75 𝘭𝘦𝘵 𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘬 𝘢𝘣𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘪𝘵…)

I literally couldn’t put the book down! I kept thinking about it in my sleep and when I had to eat and let my kindle charging!

The chemistry between Alina and Harlan is so intense! I had to keep on reading the book just to read anything about Alina and Harlan!

I think this book made me want to pick up Belladona! I want to read more dark historical romance like this!!!

I’m obsessed with Alina and Harlan. I can’t stop thinking about them!

[Rayne · Rating 2 out of 5]

The writing style was not for me. I like beautiful sentences just as much as the next person but not when it’s trying to make EVERY sentence and inspirational quote. The pacing was off and the timeline kept jumping and it was off putting reading from third person presently to first person summary style to first person half summary half dialog, to flashbacks. I was starting to get whiplash. I didn’t feel the connection between them and I didn’t care much for the characters themselves.

[Bibi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very entertaining. Loved that the heroine was Russian.

[Tashie_LeeReads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spicy content 🌶🌶🌶/5

I picked this book up not knowing what I was getting myself into and what I found was stunning!

This book is set in the year of 1851, and just masterfully combines historical depth with an exploration of profound love and personal redemption. Vlad Kahany has crafted a work that is exquisitely written.

The story unfolds in a picturesque yet turbulent London, during a period marked by social upheaval and transformation. At its heart is the tale of a widow the Countess Alina Bronskaya, a young woman trapped between the constraints of her era and her own desires. Alina’s life takes a dramatic turn when she encounters a gentleman-devil, a brooding and enigmatic man who harbors secrets as dark as the shadows that follow him.

The romance in this book is both tender and tumultuous, marked by the kind of emotional intensity that lingers and I loved every second of it. Alina and the gentleman-devils relationship is beautifully nuanced, evolving from initial mistrust and tension to a deep, soul-stirring connection. Their interactions are imbued with a sense of authenticity, and the way their love develops amidst the constraints and challenges of their era is nothing short of captivating and then you add into the mix the Duke that she also has feeling for but she feel guilty because in the dark she has someone who sets her soul on fire!

I don't want to give too much away but this book is beautiful and I didn't even care that it wasn't written in third person which is something that I normally don't enjoy! :)

Check out tashie_leereads for my bookstagram! :)

[Lori Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

My first experience reading Vlad Kahany's work was the Rebels of Gracewyck which this is kind of a spin-off of but you don't need to have read that series at all. In the first book of that series, the hero is a writer and he writes about a dark hero named Harlan Krow. I love that Vlad has chosen to write the story that his character was writing. It's an ingenious idea!

This book is a little darker than the other books I've read from him but he so skillfully weaves romance, history, and social commentary together.

Both the hero and heroine are more complex and developed than in previous books. I just love the both of them. They both have a streak of non-conformity in a very conformist society.

Hard to put this book down.

I voluntarily reviewed this book after receiving a complimentary copy.

[Gloria · Rating 4 out of 5]

Disjointed prose, rambling plotline, sometimes enthralling, often disturbing, and very different. While I love stories that drip with emotion—and I loved the first half of this book—the emotions hit the level of histrionic and stayed there, eventually became exhausting, and Alina’s meltdown when she found out Harlan’s big secret (which takes the reader a nanosecond to figure out) was waaaaay over the top and felt inauthentic to her pragmatic character. So the second half was a letdown, but I still think this was an interesting read for those who appreciate coloring outside the lines.

[Pseudargyros · Rating 5 out of 5]

Τι βιβλίο; Τι πάθος; Τι πλοκή;
Χριστέ μου αγαπώ τις αναδρομές στο παρελθόν, σε εποχές όπως αυτή της βικτωριανής περιόδου, και σε συνδυασμό με τον απίστευτο πρωταγωνιστή μαζί με τη φοβερή γραφή της συγγραφέως, ταξίδεψα και ερωτεύτηκα τον Harlan Krow. Δεν έχω λόγια να μιλήσω θέλω απλά ενός λεπτού σιγή για την πρώτη φορά που βλέπω τόσο καλά γραμμένο το συναίσθημα από την μεριά του πρωταγωνιστή.

Απίστευτο.

[Carissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This one was intriguing and the opening sentence sucked me in. I also really love this cover.

[Elena Druță · Rating 5 out of 5]

În Londra anului 1851, un justițiar misterios bântuie cartierele rău-famate, făcând dreptate - după spusele săracilor și comitând crime atroce - după spusele nobilimii. Nimeni nu-i știe chipul sau originea, dar cu toții îi cunosc numele - Harlan Krow. Într-o noapte fatidică, contesa Alina Bronskaya iese din spitalul pentru săraci unde fce voluntariat și, fiind atacată de un criminal, aproape că pierde lupta cu viața, însă e salvată de nimeni altul decât Harlan Krow. După acest eveniment, căile celor doi încep să se intersecteze, aducând la lumină adevărul despre lumile în care trăiesc protagoniștii.
Recenzia mea, aici.

[Ailís · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Genre: Historical Fiction
Plot: ★★★★
World-building ★★★★
Angst: ★★★
Dark: ★★★
Suspense: ★★★★
Spice: 🌶️🌶️.5
Steam: 🥵🥵🥵

Why did it take me months, MONTHS to pick this gem up off my TBR!?

If you’re in the mood for Historical romance with:

✅ Dark, mysterious MMC
✅ High society
✅ Strong and loyal FMC
✅ Steamy romance
✅ Dukes and Lords
✅ Victorian London

Flowers for the Devil was such an unexpected treat to read.

Set in Victorian London in the 1850s. FFTD follows Countess Alina Bronskaya, a 22 year old widow, trying to adjust to her new life in England after a dangerous escape from Russia and our gentlemen-devil, the mysteriously seductive Harlan Krow.

This was such a well written book - from the sumptuous imagery of the Victorian elite to the gritty underbelly of London’s streets; the world building was a major plus for me as it immersed me into the story.

The characters were developed really well and I felt their emotions come to life through the pages.

I think the author did a brilliant job with Harlan’s character and how his poignant past led him to become the man he was before he met Alina and how fate brought them together in spite of who he was.

His POVs were a delight to read; the confession like style to the chapters were very different to what I am used to but I really ended up liking it and it really added an extra layer to Harlan’s emotional maturity for me.

I loved that the author gave us a glimpse into the first Anglo-Afghan war towards its end and how they weaved Harlan’s story into it so well. This part really enriched and solidified the world building for me.

Alina, I don’t feel was as developed as Harlan (more likely due to her age) but nonetheless intriguing in that she wasn’t just another member of the disgustingly rich elite, who lived in blissful ignorance when it came to where their money came from or off whose backs it was gotten.

Yes, she was a bit of a pampered princess but she wanted something more from a life of balls and procuring heirs - she wanted to help those less fortunate and her mind was full of forward thinking ideals for her young age.

I think Alina grows in her maturity through her enlightening conversations with Harlan and with Rumi, a former slave from Niger. When the topic of slavery came up, I was surprised to see it in a book like this but I was glad it was discussed in such frank terms.

The love between the two MCs unfolded very nicely and the pacing wasn’t too fast or too slow. I thought the steamy moments they shared both together and alone were very well done. The compassion they have for one another really shone throughout the book.

Overall, I really liked the mystery, extravagance, darkness and spice this book had. I was almost working my hair whilst reading this.

The epilogue, though, that had to have been the SHORTEST epilogue in the history of epilogues.

Either way, it didn’t matter because I absolutely fell in love with this book and I can’t wait to read more from this author!

[Eliza · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

Ok, I'm going to be honest here....I skimmed. A lot. Now, that being said, I still did enjoy the premise and thought the writing was decent. However, the passion in this book was overwhelming. Like we stood way too close to the fire at the party and now our butt is sweating, so we have to stand in the corner. Too much heat can ruin a good time. (not me, my butt never sweats)

Ok, off of the butt sweat and back to the book. It was really how I like em': dark, dirty and a good villain/hero so kudos and 3 stars for all that jazz.

I can't get into the plot because it would turn into one big spoiler, but it was pretty obvious from the beginning what was shaking down. No great mystery. The negative really came down to the Shakespeare(ish) passion from the two MCs. It created this weird tension bubble that needed to pop way sooner than the 70% mark.

[Marisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

must read

This book gave me the feels! I loved how V. Kahany wrote Flowers for the Devil. It is technically Dual POV but one of the POVs is the present like telling the story in 1st person while the events going on in the other POV was done in 3rd. It was done BEAUTIFULLY!

The story takes place in the 1850s and it kinda reminded me of a Victorian style retelling of Robin Hood. It was filled with heartache, revenge, darkness but also light. Two lost souls filled with darkness and sadness emerge to one’s soul combined filled with light.

This book has a great plot storyline and just the right amount of spice. Take my advice and go read this book.

[R1vana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow this books is one of my top reads of 2022.
4.5⭐️

"The strongest hearts come from suffering. The brightest souls from darkness. The most captivating things are covered in scars."

Tropes:
Hidden identity
Acceptable love triangle
The good does bad
Duo POV

(This story is set I. The 1800s. )

The author writing is amazing and easy to read. Whenever I read the ML’s pov, I always highlight something he thinks and say.
His love and devotion for Alina is oozing out.

RTC

[brooke_and_books · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved everything about this book. The story was incredibly written, and the plot was interesting and captures you from the very beginning. I had a hard time putting it down. The main characters of the story had very tragic and hard backstories, but that just made you root for them even more! The romance/spicy scenes in this book were TOP NOTCH! Highly recommend!!!!!

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

How good it is to read a romance book again!

[mith · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bro he fucked her shawl. How down bad do you have to be for that shit 😭

DNF.

[Clarice]

Dnf 15% Word salad everything, the purple prose and especially the pacing. Also both of the main characters had a white savior complex a mile wide.