To dismantle the powerful New York chapter of the Bratva, I embark on a daring undercover operation—posing as Dimitri Aslanov's unassuming new bride. The objective: gather irrefutable evidence and extract myself unscathed. It seemed like a walk in the park.
But everything changes when I uncover the truth—the surly bodyguard shadowing Dimitri is none other than Nik, my former partner and the father of my child. Consumed by a burning desire for revenge against his betrayal, I find myself entangled in a dangerous game of deceit, where the lines between loyalty and passion blur.
With a bitter grudge festering between the two men, our fragile bond threatens to shatter, leaving behind a trail of broken promises and shattered souls.
In this scorching menage romance, passions ignite, boundaries are shattered, and nothing is as it seems. Brace yourself for a pulse-pounding journey of discovery, where love, redemption, and survival hang in the balance.
I question why I held off on this one for so long. Then I re-read the blurb and second guessed myself. I like the slow undercover ones, but at the same time I don't like the trapped feeling that comes with it. This one didn't have that, because Dimitri is an asset. No danger there. Appearances from Olivia and the guys. Zach. I love Zach and his antics.
Ellie and Dimitri get married, just as Ellie's baby daddy pops up and a murder, making things tense. It took a while to get used to Nik. I'm usually for the guys groveling more, but flogging yourself. Ouch. It still didn't stop the cheating and that bit did feel wrong. I'm glad Ellie quit Interpol because taking a personal phone into an undercover op and using said phone for baby pictures? Horrifying. Tense angsty love triangle with plenty of sex, two best friends/brothers at odds with each other and Ellie. It was sweet once they all sorted out their issues and learnt to share. Zach was still the best character though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I’m really bummed about this one. I was so excited about this book because The Cleanup is one of my favorite RH’s, but it missed the mark for me. Honestly, I hate to say it, but it was quite boring and the constant lack of action/tiptoeing around the guys was incredibly drawn out. We know Ellie to be a complete badass from The Cleanup, but in this book at 64% in she has done VERY little to show that. All she’s been doing is collecting evidence the whole book that the guys have given her that they recorded, and fighting her attraction to them both.
The name of the book is Payback because she wanted payback on the father of her child, yet ALL she did was sleep with his ex-best friend (her husband). Like she literally does NOTHING to him, not even small petty things that wouldn’t make a difference like teasing him alone and leaving him wanting or something. Anything! I think the thing for me was that Olivia’s book was so clever, witty, funny, her personality is extremely hard to compete with. So with that said, I felt Ellie to be lacking.
The buildup to the end action was so slow, and then nothing really exciting happened with the blowup. Not like The Cleanup anyway. I legitimately laughed and cried during the final plot scenes with Olivia and Viraj. This book unfortunately just didn’t provoke the same emotions. It was sweet, don’t get me wrong, just underwhelming. Ellie seemed to do a lot of inner monologuing about what she should do or would make the guys do, but lacked the follow through.
The good parts of the story for me was Nik and Dimitri. I actually loved both the MCs and enjoyed that they were also ex best friends (similar to Olivia and her crew) but had a different connection to Ellie with one being her husband and the other being her baby dad (even though he doesn’t know this until about 70% in the book). Nik’s past was heartbreaking and the growth was very real. I would’ve liked some confirmation he stopped self harming, but I loved seeing him step up as a partner to Ellie. Dimitri was my favorite though, he never wavered in his feelings for Ellie from the start. I thought it was incredibly original to have a Bratva leader who actually was soft and didn’t want to be in the life. Most Bratva books I’ve read they’re always morally grey characters, so this was a nice twist.
The spice was TOP NOTCH, I definitely wouldn’t have complained if we got more of it because it was THAT good. The kinks in this book were done perfectly. Finally, the CAMEOS I lived for. I would read this book again just for the glimpses we got of Olivia and her harem. Zach still reigns supreme. I’m hoping Natasha is more badass in her book, but I’ll continue reading as I’m invested in Liv’s (and her guys) involvement in the future of this series.
"The Payback" is a contemporary MFM standalone, but even though it can be read on its own I swear you will love it even more if you've read "The Cleanup" before. With the main characters of that reverse harem showing up again, it only adds to the reading experience. And hello; you don't want to miss Zach, I promise.
Back to "The Payback". Reading a sequel with new characters, after loving the first book tremendously is always a risk. Some sequels manage to be just as good, others not so much, but luckily "The Payback" is a wonderful book and I loved it just as much as I loved The Cleanup. It manages to have the same wonderful mix of dark and light, and a captivating storyline with a little whodunnit trope involved. These characters stand on their own, and the authors managed to portray one of the most original (and still believable) bratva bosses ever. I absolutely loved Dimitri and his first interaction with Zach was awesome. The chemistry between him and Ellie is there from the start, leading to a scorching hot fast burn affaire that was hotter than hot. Even though the man is crazy possessive, it makes sense how the MFM relationship grows throughout this book, and I loved how it all came together at the end.
Even though these characters find their HEA at the end of this book, I don't feel like I'm done with this world and these characters yet, so I'm absolutely looking forward to find out more about Natascha's story!
This book was the first one I have ready by Mila and let me just say, it did not disappoint! I was able too get and ARC copy and I fee in love with the characters right away!
After reading this book, I will definitely be reading Olivas story! You don't have to read them before The Payback but I wish I would have!
To read this review alongside quotes from the book visit Glowstars.net
Having loved the other two books in The Cleanup series I was looking forward to getting dragged back into Olivia and Ellie’s world for The Payback. Technically you can read this book as a standalone, but it’s richer for reading the other books in the series. It’s much more fun when you understand Ellie’s friendship with Olivia, the things she went through with Nik, and how all the different characters interacted in the past. Oh, and Olivia’s a badass and you don’t want to miss out on all of that by not reading the previous two books. Trust me.
Ellie is an Interpol agent. Her ex-partner, Nik, stole a diamond containing classified data and delivered it straight into the hands of the leader of the Bratva. In The Cleanup her best friend, Olivia, stole the diamond back and returned it to its rightful place. Ellie’s latest mission is to bring in a Bratva asset, working with him to gather information on the New York chapter and to bring it down in the process. Small catch: to complete the mission she needs to marry the childhood best friend of said former partner (and her baby daddy), and live with the two of them, while none of them really know the whole truth about what’s going on and who knows what, if anything. If you think it sounds like a recipe for sexual tension and explosive moments, you’d be right.
With a title like The Payback, I’d expected this book to be very revenge-driven. I was surprised that this wasn’t the case beyond the first few chapters; the story took more of a view towards acceptance and forgiveness. I wasn’t mad at this; as a character, Ellie comes across as much less vengeful and reactive than Olivia. She looks for redeeming qualities in Nik, unable to let the spark between them go, which fits well. Both Nik and Bratva boss Dimitri are dominant and possessive characters; Ellie’s soft strength balances against them perfectly.
This was a book that was less action and more revelation. With Ellie’s mission being intel gathering, there was a lot of watching and waiting in store for her. A lot of the drivers in this story are subtle and based on emotional factors. Some people might think that this makes for a slow read, but I love those deep dives into characters and their motivations, guessing at potential reactions and watching how a dynamic forms. You have to trust the process because all of the action happens towards the end of the book and it’s well worth the wait.
Like its predecessors, the Payback is steamy. In fact, there are more than a few moments where it’s pure, kinky filth and I loved it. Ellie is a woman who knows what she wants and isn’t afraid to go after it; definitely a must when up against the two headstrong and dominant MMCs.
The epilogue sets the scene perfectly for a continuation of Ellie and Olivia’s stories (and I really hope that is a promise for it in the Afterword). It will be great to see the characters as the continue to grow beyond the confines of their original tales, and to see the two of them work together properly again.
Yes!!! Mila and Manuela have done it again and I loved Eleanor's story!!! I mean, it's pretty hard to top Olivia's story, but this is most definitely a contender!
We met Eleanor in The Cleanup, as Olivia's best friend and Interpol agent. Now leaving her 1 and a half year old daughter, Bella, in the care of Olivia and the guys - Eleanor/Ellie and now Elsa is going undercover with the New York Bratva chapter as pakhans Dimitri's new wife. Only theirs a twist. Dimitri is fully aware of everything Ellie is and is doing while undercover.
When Nikita/Nik aka Bella's biological father and EX-interpol agent AND currently Dimitri's right-hand man, BFF and bodyguard finds out who Dimitri is marrying - all kinds of chaos unfold.
"Payback's a b!tch. And apparently, so am I."
Eleanor's current job is to collect information, hoard blackmail and notice patterns for this Bratva Chapter. Both her and Dimitri plan to use this information for when the time is right and bring down the NY chapter. When feelings unfold and her not knowing who is friend or foe, trust is something that doesn't come easily. When the moment is right and sides are drawn, will she be on the winning or losing side? What about Nik and Dimitri? Her future is back in Interpol, safe in France and tucked away with her daughter. Where do two Bratva men fit into that equation? Can they even pull off this takeover?
The storyline for this one was perfectly detailed down to the side characters and backstory's that made you so interested in this mayhem of deceit that you could not stop turning the pages. The heat cranked up fast with Dimitri, but we were left wondering what exactly was going to happen with Nik. I loved the entire storyline so much and the ending was perfect! The authors set us up for another intense read with Natasha's story next and I am so excited for it!
Another perfect read from these authors and I absolutely loved it!!
"Because while this life will end as I step away from it, I need to start thinking about my afterlife. My rebirth. And more than anything. I want Eleanor in that heaven I'm chasing."
"Sometimes what looks meek and unassuming is instead a force to be reckoned with."
*Overall 5/5 *Heat? 5/5 *Fast Burn *Multiple first person POV *MFM Romance *1 yr Epilogue *Ends on HEA with intro to new storyline
I was so happy to hear we were getting a spin-off to The Cleanup, and this book was great! Just to kind of paraphrase the blurb: Ellie is an interpol agent who’s on an undercover assignment. She’s in cahoots with the Bratva leader to take down the New York chapter by becoming his bride and gathering intel to use against the organization. The bonus - her husband’s bodyguard just so happens to be her former partner/baby daddy who betrayed her a couple of years ago, and she plans on getting a little payback while she’s there! But the more time they all spend together, the more the chemistry builds and less it feels like a ruse.
I really loved all the main characters and the idea of this storyline! The story progressed well and it was easy to get into. I loved the relationship development between Ellie and Dimitri and Nik, and there were a ton of steamy moments throughout the book, which is always great! There wasn’t really a whole lot of “payback” (in my opinion) like I was expecting given the title of the book, but overall it was a great story and I truly did enjoy it! I also loved all the scenes with Olivia and her guys!
I really like this world the authors have created and I’m glad to hear we’ll be getting more in the future! I look forward to reading Natasha’s book next!
Marriage of convenience + mafia romance was a first for me and it did not disappoint. Every “my wife” and “my husband” was worth highlighting. And when you add the bodyguard trope, which is slowly becoming one of my favourites, you get a very unique MFM romance.
After reading the Cleanup, I knew that I would like this book. The plot was good and the chemistry between the characters as well. While I loved Eleanor and Dimitri, I think I fell in love with Nik. This man went through so much and his character development was so well done. This man deserves the world.
Besides the fact that the plot twist was a bit predictable, I really enjoyed the story. The epilogue was so cute. You don’t have to read the Cleanup to understand the Payback, but I highly recommend it, because Olivia is a badass. Anyway, if there are other books in this series, I’ll definitely be reading them.
Thank you Mila Sin for the ARC!
Read if you like: - Mafia Romance - Marriage of convenience - Spice and Kinks
I was really invested in the beginning because the plot had so much potential but this book ended up being all spice and no substance. Disappointing. Honestly, that’s fine but I was just not prepared for it. I think the worst part was the ending. I was very interested to see who the “bad guy” ended up being but we didn’t even get to hear it from the primary source! Literally Nik was unconscious/out of the picture from all the action but we heard all about it from his POV?? I liked how the female lead was able to fight but she literally had zero fighting scenes (I guess saving the wife counts?). Also, I wish the tension between D and N was more fleshed out, like yeah I understand they were mad about a girl but like the stakes were not high enough for me to understand why D hated N for a decade long. The more I’m writing this the more I’m thinking about eating this two stars instead so I’ll stop now. Overall, I had such high hopes for this book in the beginning/middle but my hopes were let down in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
if you want a spontaneous orgasm from nothing but reading, you should read this ✨
"I'm gonna fill you so good, baby. Gonna watch it drip from your cunt and shove it all back in where it belongs. You're mine, Eleanor, and good wives take everything their husbands give them."
💙this had everything i want in a book, an entertaining as hell plot with no dull moment, perfect pacing, characters i love, smut for days, and quite frankly it's hilarious too
🏆honestly, i kinda want to create a cliterature award solely for the sake of awarding it to Mila and Manuela for the excellence with which they wrote the smut in this book
little summary of this beauty: 🌶 MFM ménage 🚨Interpol agent x Bratva man x his bodyguard 🔪 past history of betrayal 🏰 secret slightly psycho and entirely adorable toddler 🫀 some serious book boyfriend material 🍆 dirty humor (my favorite) 💦 lactation, breeding, exhibitionism, squirting
I loved this one. This is a mafia menage romance. It is spicy as heck. This Eleanor’s story. She is Olivia’s best friend. Olivia is from the Cleanup story. Eleanor is an Interpol agent. She is out for revenge on her ex partner who screwed her over. He also left her with a child. Eleanor’s new assistant is to dismantle the New York Bratva. She is going to pose as Dimitri’s new bride. It gets better because her ex partner Nik is Dimitri’s bodyguard. Dimitri and Nik are at odds. Eleanor gets caught up in a dangerous game. Sparks start to fly between her and Dimitri. Will Eleanor get her revenge against Nik? Will she and Dimitri start a real relationship? Will Eleanor be successful in her mission? Read Eleanor’s story to find out. You also get to see characters from The Cleanup.
THIS IS A MUST READ! I absolutely loved The Cleanup & The Meetup, so I was so excited that Ellie was getting her story! And what a story it was!!! And you get more of Olivia and her Harem! I devoured this book!
Ellie is in quite the situation between her past and her present as she is fighting for her future! I was hanging on every word and every scene that she encountered! I Absolutely loved Dimitri from the very beginning when she walked down the aisle! He was everything you expect from a Bratva Boss, but he was so much more to Ellie! And then there’s Nik, her past partner, who was not the same man she once knew! The tension and struggles together made their story all the more relatable! Plus who doesn't love a mafia why choose romance!
This book has it all! Dirty Talking Bratva Leader, Mafia, Secrets, Hidden identity, Second Chances, and Ellie is surrounded by two possessive men! Ellie is also just as badass as her best friend Olivia!
I have been waiting to explore the world through Ellie's mind, we got a small glimpse of her awesomeness in The Clean Up. It isn't a required pre read, but you might understand her a bit better by delving in there.
Back to my new favorite alphaholes, no one can ever take crazy pants Zak's place, but Dimitri and Nik give it a good go! Just like in Clean Up there is mystery intrigue, second guessing of what you thought you knew and spice, lotssssss of spice, because, is it really a must read without smexy times?!
The secondary characters make me hope there is a third book in this world as I can't wait to see what comes after a thief and an Interpol agent. HEA is a must and this book delivers! This has been one of my favorite reads this year!
Mila has masterfully crafted an intriguing world of complex relationships that will keep you hooked, turning pages with bated breath and a pounding heart. This story hold messy relationship dynamics that hold you captive with their unpredictable evolution. Every chapter brings you deeper. It's a nail-biter, in the most literal sense, keeping you on the edge of your seat! Moreover, Mila deserves a standing ovation for her portrayal of a romantic lead who is also a mother. The complexity and the emotional depth she brings to this character are honestly impressive!
And DAMNit, those Bratva boys had me fanning myself more than once!!
The combo of Mila Sin and Manuela Rouget is *chef’s kiss.* I absolutely love this writing duo and the fact, The Payback shares the same world as The Cleanup.
A reason for revenge, has undercover agent Ellie’s past and present colliding when she ends up walking down the aisle on a new assignment.
Mystery and intrigue cover every inch of this story, not to mention the serious heat radiating between Ellie and Dimitri. Nik was an added bonus and I was here for it.
The storyline as a whole was fantastic and the ending was perfect. I love the cameos made by Olivia and her men, gave the story that much more. The ending sets up for the next book in the series, that I’m eagerly awaiting.
This the third book in an amazing series, we star Olivia’s best friend Eleanor who’s just as badass as her friend. Elle has two guys, Nik a previous partner and her new husband of convenience Dimitri. Nik and Elle have a lot of unresolved issues that make sparks fly. History between Nik and Dimitri also temps up the tension, so many secrets as the three work with Interpol to shut down a trafficking ring. A marriage of convenience becomes real with the forced proximity. Love how we catch up with Olivia and her four guys, really love Zac, he’s just so psycho. Fantastic fast paced story full of action and well written characters.
I’m rounding up bc I loved the baby’s name tbh. That’s really why.
I rated it only 4.5 bc the beginning was soooooo slow. So much internal monologue, etc. however, after I finished reading it I looked at the reviews and discovered I was confused by the beginning bc there’s a whole book before this hahaahahahahahahah.
I read this because someone said something about it in a book group. But they failed to mention there is a book ahead of it. Either way aside from the bit of slowness and confusion at the start because I didn’t know any characters history, it was overall really good with the plot and storyline.
What a fantastic book Mila and Manuela have given us!! Full of twists and turns!! I didn't want to stop reading!! I was on the edge of my seat for most of the story. We get action, suspense, lots of secrets, angst, steam and so much more!! I loved both Dimitri and Nikita equally, but each for different reasons. Eleanor was a great FMC. Intelligent, strong and just an overall bad*ss. The chemistry between her and the guys was undeniable and the heat between them was so hot!!! I loved it and i thought it had the perfect ending!!
If you have read the Cleanup, then you would recognize Eleanor. She is a complete badass in her own way and is going undercover in the New York Bratva as the wife of Dimitri. While on this job, she also wants revenge, after experiencing a betrayal from her daughter's father. Things gets crazy when her daughter's father is surrounded in this chaos and is Dimitri's bodyguard. This book kept me on my toes the entire time, and the tension and chemistry between these three were off the charts. The story was perfect and held my attention the entire time.
I must say I don’t think I’ve read a book quite like this one honestly. I love Mafia books and this one hit all the points! We see a single mom get caught up what could be her HEA! This book has seriously got it all and these authors definitely know how to craft a story and have you waiting on pins and needles! I seriously loved the plot of this and that we get to see the characters from the book before (The Cleanup). This is a must read if you love mafia, breeding and literally all the kinks lol. I can’t recommend it enough.
Deliciously mysterious and steamy! As a lover of crime drama, this book had me reeled in from the very beginning. An Interpol agent going undercover as a Bratva bride to a Pakhan who's working with her to get out? Talk about juicy!!! Not only that, but her personal vendetta against her former partner and the twists that it brings having him in their home, it's so good! There is so much going on, so many strings to tie up near the end, it was such an incredible ride. I absolutely loved the way this ended as well, and I'm eagerly awaiting the next installment in this series!
This book is so great to read. The bratva are really growing on me. This is the third book in the series but could be read as standalone. It is an MFM and is all you could ever want. The mix of dark with fun and lighter feels like the real life. It also is an amazing sequel with much loved characters from the first two books. I love Dimitri and Zach and how they interact and how they are with Ellie. The obsessive man is my favorite and how the relationship develops is natural.
So I debated over a 3 or 4 star review for this one. I’ll say 3.5. The story is meh, but the chemistry and heat are solid. We also get to see Olivia and her crew again, which made me laugh quite a few times. Fair warning, there’s a good amount of dark in this book, considering it’s Bratva, but otherwise I felt it was a simple and quick read. And the dark stuff is focused on non-characters, not the main ones.
Oh, my goodness. This story was everything I didn’t know I wanted. It was amazingly written as were the previous books. It was nice getting to see the characters from The Cleanup again, even without them being the main characters. This one finds us wrapped up in the Bratva. The story keeps you guessing and there were so many things that I didn’t see coming. I absolutely adored it!
This book captured me from the beginning. Once I started, I couldn't put it down. Ellie is such a badass fmc and I loved watching her story unfold. Nik and Dimitri are so well-developed. I wish there were more to this story so I could read more about their lives. I highly recommend this book to everyone, especially mafia lovers.
I wasn't quite sure how I was going to feel about this one as Ellie was a bit of a good girl workaholic in the Clean up...but I actually ended up enjoying this one more.
This is a MFM contemporary mafia romance with a fake / arranged marriage trope. It is a standalone but it's more fun if you meet the nutters in book one first. Ellie is an undercover agent and Dmitri is a crime boss wanting to get out of the life. Of course it's just a bonus that Ellie's ex one night stand that screwed her over happens to be his bodyguard. Talk about complicated. But Nik and Dimitri are easy to love and so is Ellie.
We get a few appearances from our favourite clean up crew, most importantly Zach cos everyone loves him and his psycho ways or is it socio I can't tell. There was also a nice little set up snuck in the epilogue for a third stand alone book.
It’s like someone went through my list of interests and checked them all off! -reverse harem -br33der -mafi@/danger -single mom -great plot -twists and turns -angst -great side characters