What do you think?
Rate this book
Vengeful Villains #1
Twisted Tyrant
For six months, I've watched every move she made.
Every curve of her body.
Every breath she took.
She was gorgeous and innocent...
...until I made her my captive. It started as a revenge ploy,
but every forbidden touch makes me crave her more.
Her sinful body. Her venomous tongue.
The way my arousal jumps every time she resists her fate. She's learning quickly that her defiance will not go unpunished.
That I will be obeyed.
And I'm enjoying every moment of every lesson I teach her... Unfortunately, even her obedience can't save her now.
Because her hand in marriage was promised to my twin,
A man as evil and ruthless as her own father.
But he doesn't want her like I do,
And our enemies have other plans. So when a deadly attack makes me the new boss of the Malikov Bratva,
I'm left with a crippling decision to make. Marry the princess and keep my possession...
...or protect my family by killing her. Fans of forced marriage, age gap, and enemies to lovers tropes will devour book one in the VENGEFUL VILLAINS Dark Mafia series by USA Today bestselling author Kristen Luciani! Ready for a dark contemporary romance with no cheating and an HEA? Then scroll up and one-click to start reading TWISTED TYRANT today!
Publisher's Note: TWISTED TYRANT contains explicit and mature content and graphic violence.
Every curve of her body.
Every breath she took.
She was gorgeous and innocent...
...until I made her my captive. It started as a revenge ploy,
but every forbidden touch makes me crave her more.
Her sinful body. Her venomous tongue.
The way my arousal jumps every time she resists her fate. She's learning quickly that her defiance will not go unpunished.
That I will be obeyed.
And I'm enjoying every moment of every lesson I teach her... Unfortunately, even her obedience can't save her now.
Because her hand in marriage was promised to my twin,
A man as evil and ruthless as her own father.
But he doesn't want her like I do,
And our enemies have other plans. So when a deadly attack makes me the new boss of the Malikov Bratva,
I'm left with a crippling decision to make. Marry the princess and keep my possession...
...or protect my family by killing her. Fans of forced marriage, age gap, and enemies to lovers tropes will devour book one in the VENGEFUL VILLAINS Dark Mafia series by USA Today bestselling author Kristen Luciani! Ready for a dark contemporary romance with no cheating and an HEA? Then scroll up and one-click to start reading TWISTED TYRANT today!
Publisher's Note: TWISTED TYRANT contains explicit and mature content and graphic violence.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 8, 2022
1021 people are currently reading
1965 people want to read
About the author
Kristen Luciani
88 books1,568 followers
Kristen Luciani is a USA Today bestselling romance author, momtrepreneur, and a beauty product junkie with a penchant for stilettos, Silicon Valley, plunging necklines and grapefruit martinis. As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…
***FREE BOOK OFFER!*** Click here to get a free copy of my MAYHEM!
-->https://dl.bookfunnel.com/28e0amc80q
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews
September 20, 2022
4.5 stars!
Twisted Tyrant grabbed my attention from the start and didn't let go until the end and I thoroughly enjoyed Luka and Natasha's story. It's gritty, spicy with a hint of kink, and violent. What starts out as a kidnapping and arranged marriage between Natasha and Luka's brother Dima turns into something entirely more satisfying. There are twists and turns in here and it was refreshing to not be able to guess what the outcome was going to be.
Natasha was a ballbuster and didn't let anyone tell her what she could do or say. I loved that she made choices with logic and thoughtfulness and knew what she wanted. Luka was a little insane but luckily I love my heroes a little deranged. The chemistry between Natasha and Luka was fire.
Overall, while it did have elements of a typical mafia romance, it also stood on its own and I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
"I want you by my side because I’m in love with you. Every fucking thing about you, including your smart-ass mouth and your will to fight for what you want. I’m crazy about it all and I can’t live without it. Without you.”
Twisted Tyrant grabbed my attention from the start and didn't let go until the end and I thoroughly enjoyed Luka and Natasha's story. It's gritty, spicy with a hint of kink, and violent. What starts out as a kidnapping and arranged marriage between Natasha and Luka's brother Dima turns into something entirely more satisfying. There are twists and turns in here and it was refreshing to not be able to guess what the outcome was going to be.
Natasha was a ballbuster and didn't let anyone tell her what she could do or say. I loved that she made choices with logic and thoughtfulness and knew what she wanted. Luka was a little insane but luckily I love my heroes a little deranged. The chemistry between Natasha and Luka was fire.
Overall, while it did have elements of a typical mafia romance, it also stood on its own and I can't wait to read the next book in this series!
September 8, 2022
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: stalker, revenge, captive
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Overall, I really liked this story! Literal non-stop action and suspense from page one and tons of twists and turns the whole way through. I enjoyed both of the MCs and thought they had tons of chemistry, but I find their initial interactions and relationship development to be a bit over the top in the beginning of the story. I love a captive romance, but I just think I would have enjoyed it more if their interactions built up rather than go straight to sp@nkings turning a virgin heroine on, but maybe that's just me 🤷🏻♀️. After that initial portion, everything settled in nicely and the relationship and suspense flow went a lot soother and I was definitely hooked to the end. Definitely glad I read it and I can't wait to see where the story goes next with the great spoiler for book 2 she left!
Twisted Tyrant is the super exciting first book in the new series Vengeful Villians by Kristen Luciani and it can be read as a standalone. The couple gets their HEA, but the series ends on a cliffhanger.
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes contain spoilers
Trope: stalker, revenge, captive
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Overall, I really liked this story! Literal non-stop action and suspense from page one and tons of twists and turns the whole way through. I enjoyed both of the MCs and thought they had tons of chemistry, but I find their initial interactions and relationship development to be a bit over the top in the beginning of the story. I love a captive romance, but I just think I would have enjoyed it more if their interactions built up rather than go straight to sp@nkings turning a virgin heroine on, but maybe that's just me 🤷🏻♀️. After that initial portion, everything settled in nicely and the relationship and suspense flow went a lot soother and I was definitely hooked to the end. Definitely glad I read it and I can't wait to see where the story goes next with the great spoiler for book 2 she left!
Twisted Tyrant is the super exciting first book in the new series Vengeful Villians by Kristen Luciani and it can be read as a standalone. The couple gets their HEA, but the series ends on a cliffhanger.
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes contain spoilers
September 12, 2022
Before I review, I must share the funniest thing with you! So, in the synopsis of the book there’s a note that says “blah blah blah explicit and mature content and graphic violence blah blah blah”. So I read that and almost busted a gut because if you don’t already know a Kristen Luciani story is graphic and explicit then I can’t help you LOL and if you’re a first time reader and don’t get from the title of the book and the title of the series that there may not be any gumdrops and lollipops being tossed around in this story, again, I can’t help you. So, I found the whole note ridiculously funny and laughed for a long time! It was excellent comedic relief for me!
Now, about this story ….
Twisted Tyrant will keep you on your toes with damp panties! The sexual nature of this journey is very intense, blazing hot and at times aggressive, so be ready :) The storyline is action packed with a lot of moving parts with death and destruction at a whole lot of turns! The amount of gasping I did over the level of dysfunction in these families is laughable, but it all rang very true to me. The story is believable, as much as one can believe these kinds of stories. The author did an excellent job in plotting the story, so it was realistic to me. Nothing felt so farfetched that it took me out of the story in my head. That happens quite often with dark romances that are OTT, but this story did not unfold in that way, and I appreciated it because it held me captive that much stronger and longer!
We are introduced to quite a few people in this world Kristen has created and also there’s some crossover with previous families. Those of you that have been reading Kristen for a while will appreciate the cameos and if you’re new, do not worry, nothing is given away in this story about any previous stories penned by Kristen.
Now, about this story ….
Twisted Tyrant will keep you on your toes with damp panties! The sexual nature of this journey is very intense, blazing hot and at times aggressive, so be ready :) The storyline is action packed with a lot of moving parts with death and destruction at a whole lot of turns! The amount of gasping I did over the level of dysfunction in these families is laughable, but it all rang very true to me. The story is believable, as much as one can believe these kinds of stories. The author did an excellent job in plotting the story, so it was realistic to me. Nothing felt so farfetched that it took me out of the story in my head. That happens quite often with dark romances that are OTT, but this story did not unfold in that way, and I appreciated it because it held me captive that much stronger and longer!
We are introduced to quite a few people in this world Kristen has created and also there’s some crossover with previous families. Those of you that have been reading Kristen for a while will appreciate the cameos and if you’re new, do not worry, nothing is given away in this story about any previous stories penned by Kristen.
October 19, 2022
Genre: Mafia Romance
Series Type: Character Series
Book Length: Novel
POV: Alternating Dual
Setting: Miami, Florida
Male MC: Luka Malikov is the ex-con son of the Russian Malikov Bratva. He has a twin brother who is the underboss and they hate each other. Luka’s age is not revealed but I would guess late 20s, early 30s. He has dark hair, tattoos and blue eyes.
Female MC: Natasha Resnov is the daughter of a Russian mobster. She is a musician and teaches children at a music academy. Natasha is 21 and has blonde hair (I think) and green eyes.
Endearment: None
Spice Level: Low
Frequency of Spice: Low
Angst Level: Medium
Cliffhanger: No
Epilogue: Not for the main couple.
My Review: This book started off interesting but ultimately missed the mark for me. There were multiple inconsistencies within the story that were a distracting irritation. Time elapses were strange; where it should’ve been only days that passed, the main characters say it’s been weeks or months. Also, in the beginning Natasha was described with wavy blonde hair but then later on Luka says she has auburn hair. WTH? Luka has this huge family and we’re not really introduced properly to most of them. They just appear at one point and it’s like we’re supposed to already know who the heck they are. Luka and Natasha had no real progression to their relationship either, it was an insta love-hate thing but it happened way too fast and didn’t feel genuine at all. Another weird thing was how the author chose to describe action scenes with a literal BOOM! POP! CRACK!, which made me feel like I was watching a 1960’s Batman TV show or something. Overall just not the book for me.
Series Type: Character Series
Book Length: Novel
POV: Alternating Dual
Setting: Miami, Florida
Male MC: Luka Malikov is the ex-con son of the Russian Malikov Bratva. He has a twin brother who is the underboss and they hate each other. Luka’s age is not revealed but I would guess late 20s, early 30s. He has dark hair, tattoos and blue eyes.
Female MC: Natasha Resnov is the daughter of a Russian mobster. She is a musician and teaches children at a music academy. Natasha is 21 and has blonde hair (I think) and green eyes.
Endearment: None
Spice Level: Low
Frequency of Spice: Low
Angst Level: Medium
Cliffhanger: No
Epilogue: Not for the main couple.
My Review: This book started off interesting but ultimately missed the mark for me. There were multiple inconsistencies within the story that were a distracting irritation. Time elapses were strange; where it should’ve been only days that passed, the main characters say it’s been weeks or months. Also, in the beginning Natasha was described with wavy blonde hair but then later on Luka says she has auburn hair. WTH? Luka has this huge family and we’re not really introduced properly to most of them. They just appear at one point and it’s like we’re supposed to already know who the heck they are. Luka and Natasha had no real progression to their relationship either, it was an insta love-hate thing but it happened way too fast and didn’t feel genuine at all. Another weird thing was how the author chose to describe action scenes with a literal BOOM! POP! CRACK!, which made me feel like I was watching a 1960’s Batman TV show or something. Overall just not the book for me.
August 31, 2022
Five stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
"Our happily ever after definitely didn’t have the makings of a fairy tale at the beginning of our story, but my dark and deviant knight has become the perfect Prince Charming…for me."
Twisted Tyrant is dark, intense, and gritty. It's an arranged marriage mafia romance full of revenge, betrayal, spice, and romance. Luka and Natasha have sizzling chemistry from beginning to end. I really enjoyed reading this book and can't wait for the next ones in the series.
safety:
virgin heroine
age gap
bdsm elements
rough sex
anal play
no cheating/sharing
HEA & epilogue ♡
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
"Our happily ever after definitely didn’t have the makings of a fairy tale at the beginning of our story, but my dark and deviant knight has become the perfect Prince Charming…for me."
Twisted Tyrant is dark, intense, and gritty. It's an arranged marriage mafia romance full of revenge, betrayal, spice, and romance. Luka and Natasha have sizzling chemistry from beginning to end. I really enjoyed reading this book and can't wait for the next ones in the series.
safety:
virgin heroine
age gap
bdsm elements
rough sex
anal play
no cheating/sharing
HEA & epilogue ♡
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
October 5, 2022
This is the first book I’ve read where I’ve stopped, I’m 66% the way through. It’s utterly ridiculous.
Aside from the cheese lines sometimes, that are also annoyingly repetitive.
It’s just a bizarre plot, it sounded interesting when I read the blurb.
Firstly, she let him touch her as soon as he got her home, and she liked it.
They have sex after 2 days maximum, and she doesn’t even try to have any resolve or restraint, and then after 3 days she’s in love with him!
He’s in love with her, I fail to see even in this walk of life of the character that he would ‘want’ to kill her (in the beginning).
I’ve not kept on reading to find out what happens as I usually do, good book or not.
Aside from the cheese lines sometimes, that are also annoyingly repetitive.
It’s just a bizarre plot, it sounded interesting when I read the blurb.
Firstly, she let him touch her as soon as he got her home, and she liked it.
They have sex after 2 days maximum, and she doesn’t even try to have any resolve or restraint, and then after 3 days she’s in love with him!
He’s in love with her, I fail to see even in this walk of life of the character that he would ‘want’ to kill her (in the beginning).
I’ve not kept on reading to find out what happens as I usually do, good book or not.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 18, 2022
Bad. DNF @ 50%
One of the worst mafia books I’ve read. These characters are trash and completely overdone mafia tropes. Absolutely pathetic. The amount of angry yelling…it’s nonstop. The main female character? Supposedly she falls head over heels in love with her kidnapper in less than 12 hours, to the point where she’s obsessed with him, obsessed with his smell, with wearing his t-shirt, and is desperate to be with him. In 12 hours?!?! After he just helped beat the $h ! t out of your family and threatened numerous times to kill them. And then she finds out he’s been stalking her for 2 months and she’s immediately like, “Yes! He loves me!”
I can’t make this stuff up. It’s ludicrous. I honestly can’t believe I made it to 50%. I do not recommend.
One of the worst mafia books I’ve read. These characters are trash and completely overdone mafia tropes. Absolutely pathetic. The amount of angry yelling…it’s nonstop. The main female character? Supposedly she falls head over heels in love with her kidnapper in less than 12 hours, to the point where she’s obsessed with him, obsessed with his smell, with wearing his t-shirt, and is desperate to be with him. In 12 hours?!?! After he just helped beat the $h ! t out of your family and threatened numerous times to kill them. And then she finds out he’s been stalking her for 2 months and she’s immediately like, “Yes! He loves me!”
I can’t make this stuff up. It’s ludicrous. I honestly can’t believe I made it to 50%. I do not recommend.
October 18, 2022
This book was very disappointing for me. Mafia is my favorite trope so I know there are better books out there, even ones written by this author. You think that after her being attacked while in his care would soften them toward one another it certainly does not. I think this story had to much going on. I still look forward to reading Kristen Luciani's next release.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
August 9, 2022
Love this new series
Love this family
So many twists
Intense emotional heartstopping broken twisted dark love story of Luka and Natasha
Ready for more
Ready for Nikolai
Love this family
So many twists
Intense emotional heartstopping broken twisted dark love story of Luka and Natasha
Ready for more
Ready for Nikolai
February 6, 2024
2.5/5 🌶️
January 19, 2024
❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
👿👿
🥵
Very enjoyable read, fast moving.
💋💋
👿👿
🥵
Very enjoyable read, fast moving.
September 5, 2022
The more I read from this author, the more I fall in love with her work! I am never disappointed when I read anything from her. This is a great start to the series with danger, kidnapping, violence, passion, betrayal, power-hungry bosses, vengeance and several dysfunctional families!
Luka Malikov is an assassin and was set up years ago to take the fall. With all that time to think, he could only think of revenge against the Resnov family. Natasha Resnov is the eldest daughter of the Resnov family. She is fiesty, sassy and somewhat naïve when it comes to the family business. Luka stalks his intended victim for 6 months before he makes his move to kidnap her so she can marry his twin brother Dima. Natasha puts up a fight, but in the end goes with Luka because her family is in danger. Luka is beyond obsessed with Natasha, and somewhere inside, Natasha is drawn to Luka. However, Natasha is promised to Dima. Things start to go down at Valentina’s (Luka’s sister) wedding to Dmitri Stepanov – people are killed, someone goes missing and things start to spiral.
Secrets are revealed, deception is at play and who can you trust? Luka and Natasha have their eyes opened as the truth comes out, and the players present themselves. But this only leads to more questions and mystery as the story unfolds. I am so looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what happens with Nikolai (Luka’s younger brother). I got a little sneak peak, and it has me intrigued! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Luka Malikov is an assassin and was set up years ago to take the fall. With all that time to think, he could only think of revenge against the Resnov family. Natasha Resnov is the eldest daughter of the Resnov family. She is fiesty, sassy and somewhat naïve when it comes to the family business. Luka stalks his intended victim for 6 months before he makes his move to kidnap her so she can marry his twin brother Dima. Natasha puts up a fight, but in the end goes with Luka because her family is in danger. Luka is beyond obsessed with Natasha, and somewhere inside, Natasha is drawn to Luka. However, Natasha is promised to Dima. Things start to go down at Valentina’s (Luka’s sister) wedding to Dmitri Stepanov – people are killed, someone goes missing and things start to spiral.
Secrets are revealed, deception is at play and who can you trust? Luka and Natasha have their eyes opened as the truth comes out, and the players present themselves. But this only leads to more questions and mystery as the story unfolds. I am so looking forward to reading the next book in this series to see what happens with Nikolai (Luka’s younger brother). I got a little sneak peak, and it has me intrigued! I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
February 3, 2023
Twisted Tyrant is the first book in the Vengeful Villains series. This book is a dark mafia romance with a enemies to lovers trope and books 1 and 2 need to be read in order. You will get action with guns and violence, blood and death, lies and betrayal, family dysfunction and high voltage sex. Trigger Warning: Assault and Attempted Rape.
Luka Malikov is a trained assassin and his twin brothers second in the Bratva. He's been watching her every move for six months, then he takes her as his captive and he will finally get his revenge against his enemy. The man who put him in prison for 5 years.
Natasha may be a virgin, mafia princess but she has a smart mouth and doesn't obey very well. She is the pawn in this power play and she's being forced to marry her kidnappers brother and all she wants is Luka to continue to spank her when she defies him.
Unfortunately, Luka can't have her as his own and the man she's about to marry is as evil as her father. When the enemies have other plans and kills Luka's brother and father in an attack that makes him the boss of the Malikov Bratva.
He now has the decision of killing Natasha to protect the family or marrying her and keeping her for himself...
Luka Malikov is a trained assassin and his twin brothers second in the Bratva. He's been watching her every move for six months, then he takes her as his captive and he will finally get his revenge against his enemy. The man who put him in prison for 5 years.
Natasha may be a virgin, mafia princess but she has a smart mouth and doesn't obey very well. She is the pawn in this power play and she's being forced to marry her kidnappers brother and all she wants is Luka to continue to spank her when she defies him.
Unfortunately, Luka can't have her as his own and the man she's about to marry is as evil as her father. When the enemies have other plans and kills Luka's brother and father in an attack that makes him the boss of the Malikov Bratva.
He now has the decision of killing Natasha to protect the family or marrying her and keeping her for himself...
September 14, 2022
Filled with dysfunction, deep dark people, grudges, double crossing and passion, this is a book that races along covering a lot of ground in the process. Luka and Natasha stand in the very centre of this maelstrom, sometimes causing it and, at other times, buffeted by its intensity. The lives they lead, the families they are from, particularly Luka, makes so much of this inevitable. The book explodes into life from the very first page. Hang on..you are in for a bumpy, intense and gritty read! Great stuff! 💖💖💖💖
September 4, 2022
I really enjoyed the first book in the 'Vengeful Villains' series. The story of Luka and Natasha was gripping, dark, and steamy. It was also exciting and left off with a couple of questions still needing to be answered so I will definitely be picking up the next story in the series to see what happens. I really liked both of the main characters. Can't wait to see what happens to Luka's brother Nikolai in the next book!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 2, 2023
Enjoyed this mafia dark romance, Luka is our MMC, and he's dangerous, possessive,cruel, and Natasha is our FMC she's young, naive, and wants to see the best in people.
After months of stalking Natasha, Luka finally kidnaps her for crimes against her father, and we follow their steamy romance, which inc enemies to lovers and arranged marriage tropes.
I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
After months of stalking Natasha, Luka finally kidnaps her for crimes against her father, and we follow their steamy romance, which inc enemies to lovers and arranged marriage tropes.
I am looking forward to the rest of the series.
July 13, 2025
This is a really good dark mafia, enemies to lovers story. Natasha is k!dnapped by her fiancée's twin brother, Luka. He does it to get back in his father's good graces. But Natasha is feisty and a force to be reckoned with. And Luka quickly falls for her. Now that she is in his possession he doesn't want to return her. This story was entertaining, passionate, dark, and I loved it! Highly recommend.
October 6, 2022
Twisted Tyrant by Kristen Luciani is the First book in the Vengeful Villains series. This is the story of Natasha Resnov and Luka Malikov. Luka is set on revenge toward the Resnov family. Luka is a deadly assassin who ends up kidnapping Natasha the eldest daughter of the hated family. The plan is for Luka's brother Dima will marry her to get more control especially toward the family. But Luka's obsession in stalking her and then his interaction with her starts to pull him to wanting her for his own.
Read
March 25, 2023I have no clue why this is considered ‘dark’. If anything, it’s mostly drama left and right. The h is annoying, the H and his secrets. Not very interesting either character.
September 5, 2022
Twisted Tyrant by Kristen Luciani
This was twisted in all the right ways! ! Kidnapped and other mafia people after her yet the one who kidnapped her wants her the most! The plot thickens and you have to read this book! So entertaining!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This was twisted in all the right ways! ! Kidnapped and other mafia people after her yet the one who kidnapped her wants her the most! The plot thickens and you have to read this book! So entertaining!.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 25, 2022
Twisted Tyrant is book one of Kristen Luciani latest dark mafia romance in the Vengeful Villains trilogy. Twisted Tyrant contains explicit and mature contents and graphic violence that some readers may find triggering and offensive. A standalone full-length romance with HEA and no cheating and ends on a jaw-dropping cliffhanger.
A dark mafia romance filled with secrets, danger, violence, hatred, drama, lies, steam, betrayals, rivalry, surprises, lust, bloodshed, passion, obsession, lust, evil, enemies, greed, revelations, kinks, debasement, pain, jealousy, spanking, dominance, submission, mystery, revenge, family issues, action, captive/captor, darkness, murder, death, stalking, angst, banter, threats, deadly attack, Dub-Con, defiance, chaos, consensul, anger, retaliation, traitor, love, blackmail, power struggles, power play, mob war, captivity, forbidden, taboo, intense sexual scenes, surprising twists and turns, pawn, enemies-to-lovers, hate-to-love, aged gap story, mole, arranged marriage, forced marriage, forced proximity romance full of schemes, suspense and sin.
A phenomenal story with complex characters and unputdownable. This is Luka and Natasha story. It's decadent, dark, gripping and addictive. Twisted Tyrant pulls you in from the first chapter and keeps you on the edge of your seat with it's pulse-pounding action. Luka is the enforcer for the Malitvo family. Natasha hand in marriage was suppose to be with Luka twin brother Dima who was as evil and ruthless as her dad. Luka was obsessed with her and wanted her more than his brother did. There's a power struggle between the brothers. But when a deadly attack hit the Malitvo family Luka was ascend to the Malitvo Bratva as the new boss. Luka took Natasha as his possession. Their passion was raunchy, carnal and licentious. However, he will have to choose between his family or marry is obsession Natasha in order to protect her or kill her. Natasha is beautiful, sassy, and challenging. Their chemistry is electrifying and scorching. Luka is dangerous, cold-blooded and OTT possessive of Natasha.
I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
A dark mafia romance filled with secrets, danger, violence, hatred, drama, lies, steam, betrayals, rivalry, surprises, lust, bloodshed, passion, obsession, lust, evil, enemies, greed, revelations, kinks, debasement, pain, jealousy, spanking, dominance, submission, mystery, revenge, family issues, action, captive/captor, darkness, murder, death, stalking, angst, banter, threats, deadly attack, Dub-Con, defiance, chaos, consensul, anger, retaliation, traitor, love, blackmail, power struggles, power play, mob war, captivity, forbidden, taboo, intense sexual scenes, surprising twists and turns, pawn, enemies-to-lovers, hate-to-love, aged gap story, mole, arranged marriage, forced marriage, forced proximity romance full of schemes, suspense and sin.
A phenomenal story with complex characters and unputdownable. This is Luka and Natasha story. It's decadent, dark, gripping and addictive. Twisted Tyrant pulls you in from the first chapter and keeps you on the edge of your seat with it's pulse-pounding action. Luka is the enforcer for the Malitvo family. Natasha hand in marriage was suppose to be with Luka twin brother Dima who was as evil and ruthless as her dad. Luka was obsessed with her and wanted her more than his brother did. There's a power struggle between the brothers. But when a deadly attack hit the Malitvo family Luka was ascend to the Malitvo Bratva as the new boss. Luka took Natasha as his possession. Their passion was raunchy, carnal and licentious. However, he will have to choose between his family or marry is obsession Natasha in order to protect her or kill her. Natasha is beautiful, sassy, and challenging. Their chemistry is electrifying and scorching. Luka is dangerous, cold-blooded and OTT possessive of Natasha.
I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 10, 2023
Ugh. This one is going to be hard 🫣
I was sent an ecopy of this book for review. Mafia enemies to lovers romance with a revenge trope & one of the sexiest freaking blurbs I think I’ve read in a long time. I was so stoked. Until I got like….10 pages in. Not even kidding.
I DO NOT have a whole lot of triggers for books. Movies? That’s a different story. But if it doesn’t involve hurting kids or r*pe, I’m typically a-ok.
However….the female lead in this book, Natasha, is kidnapped & insta-attracted to her kidnapper. Not the part that’s cringey. The part that’s cringey is that she continuously chastises herself & calls herself disgusting and many other things BECAUSE her body responds sexually to her kidnapper. Like this goes on & on throughout the book.
One of MANY reasons women & men alike do not report sexual assault is because they feel ashamed or confused that their body responds sexually to their attackers. It’s an actual thing that happens in a good percentage of attacks, & biologically, it’s normal. I’m deeply saddened to see the shame attached to this in this book. It.is.ok.to.have.biological.responses. & NO ONE should shame you for it.
Ok. Moving on.
The set up of this story was good. The characters are fairly solid, the female lead has a MOUTH on her & fights back and I’m here for it. The male lead, Luka, battles with his demons & his feelings & is fiercely protective of Natasha whom he’s fallen for even though it goes against his family & his instincts.
The twists in this story were very good & the writing was put together well, although if I never read the word “ire” again, all will be right with the world.
If you like mafia romance & insta love, you’ll dig this.
The spice is there but it’s not descriptive in what’s happening, more so in comparative context. & very dominating.
BUT, I found it very repetitive, & a lot of the repeat could be taken out making the story move along faster. It gets a bit trudgy because of it.
There’s some timing and character description inconsistencies in this book as well.
If I had to star this, I’d go 3.5 out of 5. Check the triggers before reading.
I was sent an ecopy of this book for review. Mafia enemies to lovers romance with a revenge trope & one of the sexiest freaking blurbs I think I’ve read in a long time. I was so stoked. Until I got like….10 pages in. Not even kidding.
I DO NOT have a whole lot of triggers for books. Movies? That’s a different story. But if it doesn’t involve hurting kids or r*pe, I’m typically a-ok.
However….the female lead in this book, Natasha, is kidnapped & insta-attracted to her kidnapper. Not the part that’s cringey. The part that’s cringey is that she continuously chastises herself & calls herself disgusting and many other things BECAUSE her body responds sexually to her kidnapper. Like this goes on & on throughout the book.
One of MANY reasons women & men alike do not report sexual assault is because they feel ashamed or confused that their body responds sexually to their attackers. It’s an actual thing that happens in a good percentage of attacks, & biologically, it’s normal. I’m deeply saddened to see the shame attached to this in this book. It.is.ok.to.have.biological.responses. & NO ONE should shame you for it.
Ok. Moving on.
The set up of this story was good. The characters are fairly solid, the female lead has a MOUTH on her & fights back and I’m here for it. The male lead, Luka, battles with his demons & his feelings & is fiercely protective of Natasha whom he’s fallen for even though it goes against his family & his instincts.
The twists in this story were very good & the writing was put together well, although if I never read the word “ire” again, all will be right with the world.
If you like mafia romance & insta love, you’ll dig this.
The spice is there but it’s not descriptive in what’s happening, more so in comparative context. & very dominating.
BUT, I found it very repetitive, & a lot of the repeat could be taken out making the story move along faster. It gets a bit trudgy because of it.
There’s some timing and character description inconsistencies in this book as well.
If I had to star this, I’d go 3.5 out of 5. Check the triggers before reading.
October 28, 2022
Good concept,not well executed
Great talent but found poorly
supported rationale. I wound up skipping pages
I had a real problem with Natasha's response, especially with her being a virgin. Writer needs an honest pro editor who doesn't pull punches.
Great talent but found poorly
supported rationale. I wound up skipping pages
I had a real problem with Natasha's response, especially with her being a virgin. Writer needs an honest pro editor who doesn't pull punches.
June 12, 2023
The Malitov family always collects and this time it is Natasha, what price will she pay
Twisted Tyrant is the first book in the Vengeful Villains series. There is a new Mafia family in town and they are ready to take over and steal you heart, or at least your breath. This story is about Luka and Natasha. He is definitely twisted and most definitely a tyrant. Natasha is a match for him as she is intelligent, strong, and able to turn things around on him quickly. But it is her father that has put her in the position she finds herself in one night after Luka has kidnapped her....she will be used as a pawn to marry his twin brother Dima. But things change quickly in the Malitov family and Natasha finds herself playing a different game with Luka. A game that has both pleasure and pain....something she is finding she likes even as it is forbidden.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Twisted Tyrant is the first book in the Vengeful Villains series. There is a new Mafia family in town and they are ready to take over and steal you heart, or at least your breath. This story is about Luka and Natasha. He is definitely twisted and most definitely a tyrant. Natasha is a match for him as she is intelligent, strong, and able to turn things around on him quickly. But it is her father that has put her in the position she finds herself in one night after Luka has kidnapped her....she will be used as a pawn to marry his twin brother Dima. But things change quickly in the Malitov family and Natasha finds herself playing a different game with Luka. A game that has both pleasure and pain....something she is finding she likes even as it is forbidden.
I received a copy of this book and am leaving my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
September 19, 2022
KC Rating: 🍁🍁🍁🍁 /🌶🌶
When I started reading the book it was dark, but then at some point it became even darker, and I was just like: Well, give me more!
Natasha and Luka's story is explosive, it's spicy and it's ready to make you ask yourself: Am i attracted to this? No..., Am I?, Yes....
I enjoyed every minute of reading it, and I can't wait to read other books by Kristen, because her writing sucks you into the story and doesn't let you go! You are not a spectator, you are there alongside all the characters, getting your heart broken, or enjoying unaliving an a-hole who definitely deserves it!
Get ready to uncover a new world of Mafia, where being twisted is normal and very, VERY attractive!
XOXO
Katie
I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Connect with me!
When I started reading the book it was dark, but then at some point it became even darker, and I was just like: Well, give me more!
Natasha and Luka's story is explosive, it's spicy and it's ready to make you ask yourself: Am i attracted to this? No..., Am I?, Yes....
I enjoyed every minute of reading it, and I can't wait to read other books by Kristen, because her writing sucks you into the story and doesn't let you go! You are not a spectator, you are there alongside all the characters, getting your heart broken, or enjoying unaliving an a-hole who definitely deserves it!
Get ready to uncover a new world of Mafia, where being twisted is normal and very, VERY attractive!
XOXO
Katie
I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Connect with me!
November 17, 2022
My rating: 5
Heat: 7/10
Emotion 8/10
Story: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Interest: 8/10
POV: Dual
No cheating
No Cliffhanger
"Twisted Tyrant" was fantastic!
I loved everything about it. The plot was great, there was action, heat, passion, angst and two great characters. Even the cover is wonderful.
The perfect blend of romance and action. There are so many plot twists that make you read it all at once.
Both MC are exceptional, strong and know what they want (even when they can't have it).
I think Kristen Luciani will be one of my favorite authors from now on and i will definitely read all the series because even though the couple has a HFN, i need to see what happens with other issues that weren't solved.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Heat: 7/10
Emotion 8/10
Story: 8/10
Characters: 9/10
Interest: 8/10
POV: Dual
No cheating
No Cliffhanger
"Twisted Tyrant" was fantastic!
I loved everything about it. The plot was great, there was action, heat, passion, angst and two great characters. Even the cover is wonderful.
The perfect blend of romance and action. There are so many plot twists that make you read it all at once.
Both MC are exceptional, strong and know what they want (even when they can't have it).
I think Kristen Luciani will be one of my favorite authors from now on and i will definitely read all the series because even though the couple has a HFN, i need to see what happens with other issues that weren't solved.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 27, 2022
This was an interesting book. I found it to be very entertaining and I liked the mixture of romance and suspense.
With that said, the main characters developed intense feelings for each other in a very short amount of time and was kind of instalove-y. The transition from enemies to lovers felt rather sudden and I wasn’t invested in the romance as much as I would have liked to be. It would have been nice to have that relationship fleshed out a bit more.
It was still a good book and very entertaining. One of the side characters that I thought was a great addition in this story stars in the next book so I am intrigued already.
Thank you, Hidden Gems Books, for the ARC!
With that said, the main characters developed intense feelings for each other in a very short amount of time and was kind of instalove-y. The transition from enemies to lovers felt rather sudden and I wasn’t invested in the romance as much as I would have liked to be. It would have been nice to have that relationship fleshed out a bit more.
It was still a good book and very entertaining. One of the side characters that I thought was a great addition in this story stars in the next book so I am intrigued already.
Thank you, Hidden Gems Books, for the ARC!
September 3, 2022
This is the first on a new series, and this is Luka and Natasha’s story. Luka is an assassin, and Natasha is a music student, who becomes the victim of a kidnapping, which results her becoming a prison by an unforgiving mafia family. Luka is drawn to Natasha, and the chemistry between them is explosive and undeniable, and he will protect and keep her safe. This is a well written story which is dark, raw, gritty, intense, and intriguing, with violence, age gap, revenge, betrayal, lies, trust, twists, tension, family, emotions, drama, revenge, romance, and love, which leads to a steamy and riveting page turner.
I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received an advance review copy, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 11, 2022
Great storyline. The rise and fall of who is controlling what and why is a theme here. As well as the chemistry between Luka and Natasha... hot! What kept me from giving this 5 stars was Natasha's character. She was too, too much of a worrywart and created imaginary scenarios to try to explain things she could not. It really turned me off. But the overall story was good and Luka's character was strong. On to book two.
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed
Easy-to-read
Page-turner
Steamy
Twisted
Unpredictable
Reasons I enjoyed this book:
Action-packed
Easy-to-read
Page-turner
Steamy
Twisted
Unpredictable
August 28, 2022
TWISTED TYRANT is the first instalment in Kristen Luciani’s contemporary adult, VENGEFUL VILLAINS erotic, dark Mafia romance series. This is assassin Luka Malikov, and twenty-one year old musician Natasha Resnov’s storyline.
WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Luka and Natasha) TWISTED TYRANT follows several paths including the tempestuous relationship between assassin Luka Malikov, and twenty-one year old musician Natasha Resnov. Natasha Resnov is the victim of a violent kidnapping wherein she finds herself the prisoner of the Malikov family. Dima Malikov, second in command, is forcibly taking Natasha as his bride but uses his brother Luka as the man to take charge but all does not go according to plan when Luka begins to fall for our story line heroine, and Natasha falls for Luka in return. Minutes before Luka and Dima’s sister Valentina’s wedding to fellow crime lord Dmitri Stepanov, gunfire erupts, killing several important people in the Malikov family. With Valentina missing and on the run, Luka Malikov circles the proverbial wagons, in an effort to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. On the hunt for the truth, Luka, and his brothers Nikolai and Taras must come to terms with what has happened including the possible involvement of one of their own as well as our story line heroine. What ensues is the building relationship between Luka and Natasha, and the fall-out as Natasha becomes a pawn in an impending war between several crime families.
The relationship between Natasha and Luka is a forced proximity, forced marriage, kidnapping affair wherein Natasha quickly falls for our story line hero. Luka struggles with his attraction to the woman his brother is claiming as his own but Luka quickly discovers that all is not as it appears to be. There are other pieces and people at play, and the people involved go much higher in the organization than anyone could have imagined. Keeping Natasha safe means protecting our heroine from her family and his own but it may be Luka’s heart that needs protection from our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are aggressive and intense.
We are introduced to Luka’s brothers: Dima, Daniel, Nikolai and Taras; their sisters Tori and Valentina; their parents Viktor and Irina Malnikov; Natasha’s father Ivan Resnov ; Malikov family friend Boris Vetrov; Denis Stepanov and his son Dmitri; as well as several members of various factions of the criminal underworld including the Brotherhood 7, and the Red Ladro. Several characters cross over from the author’s various series. Not everyone survives in the face of betrayal and murder.
TWISTED TYRANT is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, dysfunctional family dynamics, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, gritty and intense; the romance is impassioned and erotic; the characters are powerful, dynamic, and captivating.
www.thereadingcafe.com
WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Luka and Natasha) TWISTED TYRANT follows several paths including the tempestuous relationship between assassin Luka Malikov, and twenty-one year old musician Natasha Resnov. Natasha Resnov is the victim of a violent kidnapping wherein she finds herself the prisoner of the Malikov family. Dima Malikov, second in command, is forcibly taking Natasha as his bride but uses his brother Luka as the man to take charge but all does not go according to plan when Luka begins to fall for our story line heroine, and Natasha falls for Luka in return. Minutes before Luka and Dima’s sister Valentina’s wedding to fellow crime lord Dmitri Stepanov, gunfire erupts, killing several important people in the Malikov family. With Valentina missing and on the run, Luka Malikov circles the proverbial wagons, in an effort to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. On the hunt for the truth, Luka, and his brothers Nikolai and Taras must come to terms with what has happened including the possible involvement of one of their own as well as our story line heroine. What ensues is the building relationship between Luka and Natasha, and the fall-out as Natasha becomes a pawn in an impending war between several crime families.
The relationship between Natasha and Luka is a forced proximity, forced marriage, kidnapping affair wherein Natasha quickly falls for our story line hero. Luka struggles with his attraction to the woman his brother is claiming as his own but Luka quickly discovers that all is not as it appears to be. There are other pieces and people at play, and the people involved go much higher in the organization than anyone could have imagined. Keeping Natasha safe means protecting our heroine from her family and his own but it may be Luka’s heart that needs protection from our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are aggressive and intense.
We are introduced to Luka’s brothers: Dima, Daniel, Nikolai and Taras; their sisters Tori and Valentina; their parents Viktor and Irina Malnikov; Natasha’s father Ivan Resnov ; Malikov family friend Boris Vetrov; Denis Stepanov and his son Dmitri; as well as several members of various factions of the criminal underworld including the Brotherhood 7, and the Red Ladro. Several characters cross over from the author’s various series. Not everyone survives in the face of betrayal and murder.
TWISTED TYRANT is a story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, dysfunctional family dynamics, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, gritty and intense; the romance is impassioned and erotic; the characters are powerful, dynamic, and captivating.
www.thereadingcafe.com
Displaying 1 - 30 of 203 reviews