Hitman

Heaven & Hell #3

by C. Hallman

Welcome to Hell, little one.

ALARIC
Monroe was in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I should’ve killed her when I had the chance.
But instead, to make her keep my secrets, I took her freedom and made her my captive.
She swore she’d hate me forever, but that was before I stole her innocence, too.
Now she knows how good my forbidden touch feels, and it won’t take long before she transforms into the broken toy I’ve always wanted.
And after that, there will be no going back…

MONROE
The first time I met Alaric, he fired a bullet into an innocent man’s head.
He’s a hitman. The worst scum of the planet. He kills for a living and wrecks lives for fun.
Now he’s my jailor, the only one who holds the key to my gilded cage.
He says he’ll never let me go. He says he’ll force me to keep his secrets. He says I’ll kneel for him. But even he knows I’ll never, ever love a monster.
And Alaric’s the devil himself.

USA Today bestselling authors C. Hallman and Isabella Starling present Hitman. This is a full-length, standalone dark mafia romance set in the Black Hearts world.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, BDSM, Contemporary, Audiobook, Enemies To Lovers

204 pages, ebook

First published July 23, 2021

About the author

C. Hallman is a USA Today Bestselling Author who wrote her debut novel in 2018 and has since published over 100 books in various romance subgenres. Her works have been on numerous bestseller lists and have been translated into 8 languages around the world.
When she doesn't write her next novel, she publishes spicy novellas under the pen name Darcy Rose.

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Reviews

[⚔Irunía⚔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

The number of books ruined for me due to the dilettantish writing can only compete with the number of dark-ish books that made me recoil in disgust and outrage due to the victims whom they portray as willing. 🗿

Where's the fun in reading about a tiny, helpless, clawless kitten that is being harassed by a big, dense hitman?

For all I care, toxic relationship, which in my dictionary involves two morally gray parties, is superior to abusive one that features your classical prey-predator routine. Two people who suffer at the hands of each other?
S`U`P`E`R`I`O`R, R`O`M`A`N`T`I`C`, S`E`X`Y

Since this review oh-so subtly touched upon the essence of the story, lemme share with y'all a few thoughts and spoilers. 💅🏻

Firstly, imagine how delirious with delight I found myself when I came to the realization that I had hit the jackpot with this story: the writing was amateurish, the heroine got wet at the most random, inappropriate moments and the hero was a starhitman-struck wannabe.

I don't have the slightest idea why it's yet to become common knowledge among our reputable dark romance authors, but I better spell it out in the hope of spreading the news: heroines' unbelievable reactions and the ease with which they accept the disturbing crap thrown their way (authors love to justify it by the mysterious depraved part of their heroines' personalities, what a joke 😂), shrink the said disturbing vibes down to zero - ˈz ɪ r ə ʊ.

What's the purpose of the hero sneaking into the heroine's house at night... ejaculating on her face and other bodily parts... leaving her a creepy message with the lipstick (talk about classy) if the girl feels scared for less than half a page and does absolutely fucking nothing to protect her ass (literally and figuratively) from a creep? 😂

Am I supposed to be disturbed and worried for a heroine like this?
I see no reason to start giving a single flying fuck about a chick whose brain found its peace and comfort in her uterus.

Or should I probably feel hot and bothered by all the purportedly taboo-ish, kinky stuff the hero pulled on the heroine? 🤡

Well, as enticing and sexy as the idea of some random horny hitman fucking an unconscious girl might sound, 🤡 the poor execution (aka the writing style that leaves much to be desired) didn't give me a chance to fully appreciate the whole thing.

Thus, the last question for today: was I supposed to feel anything at all while reading this book? Because if the answer is no, the authors may consider their mission completed.

Personally, I wouldn't qualify this book as romance or dark romance, since it revolved mostly around sex and didn't even scrape the surface of what we, common folks, call relationship development, fleshed-out characters or truly disturbing situations (if the heroine finds solace in her abductor's arms, who am I to say it's uncomfortable?:D)

It's pure erotica.

A row of big, fat spoilers because I'm in the mood for practicing my retelling skills.

Dedication: to anyone willing to get their inbox brain clogged with the info they'll never need in their lives:

⬇️

▶️ Our kinky hitman (H) wastes 3 seconds of his life persuading the waitress (h) to blow him.
▶️ The said waitress is filled with righteous anger. 😡

She's not a whore! She's not for sale!!! 🤥

That is, until the moment he shoves his tongue in her mouth and gives her 2 grand.



It's either the guy's kiss or the blessed presence of hundred dollar bills that make his wallet look so, so thick
that becomes a game-changer. The girl reconsiders and sucks hard-earned hitman's money right out of her new acquaintance. 💵💰🤑
▶️ Upon receiving the worst/best blowjob of his life (depends on your stance I guess), Alaric (H) stalks Monroe (h) and creeps in her house one peaceful night so that he can ejaculate all he wants on his unconscious little victim. Like a bolt lightening the sudden thought strikes him: the cum on her face wouldn't be too stunning a sight to behold in the morning, so he adds a nice touch to his extracurricular activities: ruins the girl's lipstick by writing the most unoriginal stalker line on the mirror. JAIL.💄
▶️ Proceeds to save her from being gang-raped in the dark alley and kill her would-be rapists.
▶️ Kidnaps the gal from the crime scene and handcuffs her to his bed. SHE GETS WET and starts fantasizing about having sex with her personal stalker and abductor in particular and a killer in general because she likes the way his ass flexes.



While at it, she robs him of 900 dollars (per week of her stay, mind you 🌚).
*the economical side of my personality screams in terror on the hero's behalf *

Also, keep your handkerchiefs close just in case:
.
.
.
she is forced to ask him for money to pay her granny's bills...😭🤧

HER made man EX-MAFIA LADY GRANNY SKSJGJHJFHKHJ




▶️The comedy reaches its peak. ✋🏻🤚🏻

Apparently, somewhere between boring smut scenes, I lost the narrative thread... for a moment there my brain came to an abrupt halt when confronted with dis:

I can tell she still doesn't trust me, though. It's written all over her gorgeous face. And I fucking hate that somebody in her life must've let her down so badly that she still can't bring herself to trust.

"Thank you."
She says the words so softly I nearly miss them, but they register a second later. "What for?"
"For taking care of me," she mutters. "For giving me a job, taking care of me... It means a lot. I didn't know how messed up my life was, or maybe I was just living in denial. But this world you’ve introduced me to... It's so different. So new. I won't want to leave."



"Don't leave me," she whispers. "Everyone leaves me. Don't be like them."

Sis, sorry to remind you of the traumatic experience and all, but he abducted you a few days ago and keeps you tied to his bed, I mean — 😭

It was quite hilarious, stumbling upon this syrupy idyll between the kidnapper and his captive who have known each other for less than a week, but you know what? Never mind. Who gives a damn about the context.

▶️ Not a few days later, sick and tired of the peace and quiet of their love life, Alaric drugs Monroe and fucks her unresponsive body because he can and because... old habits die hard.

I look down at her relaxed face and cradle her cheek as I fuck her gently for a moment. “My peaceful little angel. Sleeping while I fuck her cunt, while I dirty her up and make her mine.” 💀💀

He was kinda sweet, not gonna lie.

▶️ The hero makes decisions that put jellyfish's intellectual capabilities in a favorable light and lead to:

▶️The subsequent drama with his mafia boss that can magically get resolved with Alaric and Monroe having public sex right in front of the mafia gang. 😂

Never before have I come across an alpha hero who would kiss his boss' ass so sensually. 🥵

The hero lets himself be coerced into fucking his "bride" Monroe in front of a bunch of criminal creeps and ignores the lewd comments they make about her.

*Appointed to the position of the alpha-male character of the year*🥇



▶️ The ass-licking ceremony takes a turn and transforms smoothly into ass-kicking.

▶️ A bit more of exhibitionist sex and date rape drugs to make it edgier.
▶️ Nonsense.
▶️ Happily ever after no one cares about.

I was vacillating between rating the book 1 or 2 stars, but I cannot help giving the authors credit for writing questionable content. It was extremely bad but daring.
😂
★ pissed
★★ semi-pissed
★★★ piss off 💅
★★★★ creeped out
★★★★★ creeped tf out

[Flor ❁ (HIATUS) · Rating 1 out of 5]

here lies my last two brain cells

[Crystal (Crystalreads2) · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Amaze Balls stars

HOLY HOT HELL!!!!! Hitman is from The Black Heart, Heaven & Hell series. Each book is a standalone focus around Club purgatory, an exclusive club to make your darkest desires a reality. Let me tell you that if the rest of these books are like this one. It’s a delicious treat. These ladies have blown my mind away.

Hitman is not for everyone, and it’s okay. There are several triggers, non-con, dub-con, sexual drug play, violence, murder, kidnapping, etc. On my dark scale, it's medium gray. To others, it’s black. I like my dark romance books, black and unsafe. My suggestion is to go in with an open mind.

Alaric is a hitman for the Lombardi family; after a hit, he goes to Club purgatory for some release and is instantly attracted to the bartender Monroe. He doesn't do relationships, and after one encounter with Monroe, he can’t get her off his mind. Alaric does what any good hitman will do; he stalks her. Yea, you see where this goes, and it's Scrumdiddlyumptious.

Four days after our fucked-up little encounter, I've finally had enough. I'm going to give in.

I told myself before I got here that I'd lose interest in her. But the opposite is happening now. I'm becoming more and more intrigued by Monroe, and it fucking pisses me off.

Monroe is light to Alaric dark; at times, the story is sweet, especially with Monroe’s innocence. And how Alaric cares for Monroe. Don’t get me wrong. He is also intense and dark.

She is selfless, innocent, and so fucking sweet. She couldn’t be any more of my opposite. Maybe that’s why I’m so drawn to her—opposites attract and all.

Hitman has a perfect balance between plot and steam. I love both character's development, especially Alaric. I was hooked, line and sinker from page one, and didn’t want to put the book down. The steam factor is 5/5. It’s smoldering hot with his unusual kink. And she is his perfect partner.


“I felt your cunt squeeze my finger. Did you just come, Monroe? Do you like being helpless and unable to tell me no ? Do you like me doing whatever I want to you? Because I think you do. I think you like being a little toy, letting me use you however I see fit.”

I couldn’t get enough of this book, and I am adding this to my list of books I will reread in the future.

[Lori [semi-hiatus] · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5*
I enjoyed this, in a weird way, but it might not be everyone's cup of tea.
More spoilers under safety details.

Safety: safe-ish. heroine is a virgin, hero experienced but he's only had flings.
She works in a club as a bartender. Their first encounter is a bj and he pays her for it. She's desperate for money and accepts (it's a first for her and he mentioned he doesn't pay for pussy)
After that he becomes obsessed with her and follows her around, masturbating on top of her while she's sleeping and later kidnapping her.
He doesn't know she's a virgin so their first time he drugs her (he has a kink and he wants the women to be powerless/asleep/unconscious) and it's not a pretty scene but after he realizes she's a virgin he is remorseful.
He mentioned he'd attempted the drugged/sleeping thing with others before but they had known about it whereas the heroine didn't so it's the first time and much more potent with her.
There is a scene where they are forced to have sex in front of other men. They are at the H's boss house and he introduces her as his fiance to protect her from the other men. The H's boss makes him choose between having her kill someone, sharing her with them, or having sex in front of them in order to 'initiate' her as his wife. He doesn't want to share her and even regrets that they are seeing her naked but it's the only way to save her.
At the wedding there is a scene where the boss attempts to assault the heroine but the hero comes in time and saves her.
No ow drama.
No others after meeting.

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Whelp. It was kinky and it was quick. Which is what I signed up for. This one has somnophilia.

3 stars
5 on the spice scale

[Kelly_Reads_Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hitman is an interesting tale of the difference between light and dark, good and bad, and right and wrong.
This couple meets with an enticing offer of money that is difficult to turn down. But what has to be done for this money?
This story was sometimes sweet, at other times scary, but always enjoyable and exciting.

[Kursed Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If this book was any hotter I would have legitimately combusted while reading it. Monroe, a young woman caught in the wrong place at the wrong time, bearing witness to a crime sets the stage for an unexpected pairing. Did I mention it’s hot AF? Alaric has a specific kink that was startling and ridiculously panty-melting. BTW, I bought this one for my spank bank and you should too.

[Queen Bee · Rating 2 out of 5]

i LOVE rapist anti-heroes with 0 morals but this one was just so unsexy my pussy shrivelled. sorry for the details.

creepy all around not hot.

[Ꮗ€♫◗☿ ❤️ ilikebooksbest.com ❤️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dark hitman captive romance!



The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 🖤💙❤️💜
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙
World building: 🌏🌍🌎
Character development: 😚☹️🥹😉
Narrator(s): 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration type: Dual Narration

The Hero: Alaric - he is a hitman for the mafia, the Lombardi family who have a lot of influence in the city. He kills a guy in the alley behind a club. When he enters the club, he immediately sees a woman who his extremely attracted to. She is the bartender at the club, and he makes a play for her without delay, telling her to take a break and to meet him out back in five minutes.

The heroine: Monroe - she is virgin, working as a bartender at a club called Purgatory, that is part nightclub, with a sex club upstairs. She is not technically old enough to work there, but she needs the money to take care of her grandmother. A handsome man comes in an asks her to meet him outside in the alley. She is intrigued and it is time for her break, so she decides to meet him. Though he wants her to get on her knees for him and offers to pay for it. She is offended and tells him she isn’t that kind of girl. Though she really needs the money, more than she needs her pride even, and they end up in a private BDSM room in the club where she works.

The Story: After the interlude between Monroe and Alaric is over, she is ashamed of what she did. Though he paid her ten thousand dollars for a kiss and use of her mouth. This was the first time she had done anything like that, even though the owner of the club, Lucian has been asking her to do that for a while. When she runs into Lucien on her way downstairs, he tells her the guy she was with is a killer that works for the Mob.

I didn’t like the fact that Monroe is under twenty-one and Alaric is in his late thirties/early forties. I am not a fan of the age gap romance especially when the heroine is barely out of her teens and the gap is so large. I also didn’t like the fact that he looked down upon “girls like Monroe” who sell themselves, while he doesn’t see the hypocrisy in the fact that he is the one paying for her.

I liked the fact that Monroe intrigues Alaric, so much that he stalks her. He figures out that she is innocent despite the fact that he paid her for a sexual act. It fascinates Alaric and he can’t stay away from her. Though I hate stalkers in real life, they are pretty hot in romance books. Though I didn’t think what he did when he broke into her place was hot at all. Trigger warning: He also drugged her and took her virginity while she was unconscious. The people he worked for were pretty awful as well.

This audiobook was told in dual points of view via dual narration and was narrated by Heather Firth and Jack Calihan. I really liked Heather Firth, she has a soft and pleasant voice. Jack Calihan has a deep, gravelly voice which I liked as well and is good at doing different voices for different characters. They both did a terrific job, and I would definitely listen to more from these two.

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[Shernell Joseph · Rating 4 out of 5]

The usual dark romance with the m m c just so possessive and obsessive. My favorite.

Alaric didn't pissed me off. He did something that was very questionable. However, he was apologetic, and he wasn't as dark. So I kinda like that, and I enjoy his persona. At first, I did not like him, but when the story progressed, he grew on me.
MONROE is the usual f m c where she is innocent but still has a little darkside. There was a scene where she actually fought back and almost escaped the MMC. It was refreshing, and I actually like it. It gave her a little backbone.

I read so much dark romance that this feels like rinse and repeat. However, Alaric employer made me nervous and uncomfortable. It created a sinister atmosphere, which made Alaric feel more human. He isn't the top dog he boasts to be.

Look, the ending made me breathless. The ending made the book much better. I actually wish this book was more detailed and a bit longer. Oh boy, the last scenes with both of them were so hot. It's kind of disturbing, nasty, and very kinky. But it didn't turn me off.
P.s. I hope monroe doesn't become a drug addict

This book is nothing special, but I love it.

[Mysti · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reread.
THIS IS NOT SAFE. Most of you won't make it past the trigger warnings. LOL I liked this one so much more than the last one, possibly because of one specific kink? I definitely felt more love between these two.

"I want to fuck you, Monroe," I admit. "But I have a certain way I want it to happen, a kink of mine I want to play out… I want you to be asleep."

Alaric (30-40-ish, mob hitman) just finished killing a man and now he's looking for a hot woman to suck him off. He heads to Purgatory and spots a sweet little bartender who looks more like an angel than a sinner, and propositions her. Monroe (20-ish, virgin) is working her ass off trying to earn dollars to pay for her grandma's nursing home. She agrees to do something with a hot stranger that she's never done before, not realizing she's so damn good at it that she'll never get rid of him.

After the deed is done, Alaric walks away thinking she's just another whore and leaves her feeling cheap and used. Well surprise, surprise - Alaric can't stop thinking about that gorgeous woman so he stalks her. Eventually he decides to just take her and keep her. His job ends up getting in the way and a lot of shit happens before they get their HEA.

“I fucking love you,” I murmur into her hair, knowing she would say it back if she could. I don’t know why or how—all I know is that she does, and that makes me the luckiest hitman in the world.

SEX: OMG the sex was so hot for me. Penetration didn't actually happen until the 42% mark, but after that - there is so much of it. I put all the details under triggers.

TRIGGERS: Obviously there's kidnapping and murder (he's a hitman). If you don't really have limits on your sex kinks, then skip the spoilers so you can enjoy the surprises in the book!!!! Don't ruin it for yourself. If it were me reading someone else's review, I wouldn't want to know this stuff. The main things are somno, noncon, dubcon, voyeurism, and mild degradation. He breaks into her home and cums on her face, he drugs her and fucks her and that's how he takes her virginity. He injects her with a drug that keeps her awake but paralyzes her so she can't move while he fucks her. His mafia boss makes him fuck her in front of them.

MONROE: She can get pretty annoying. She does the thing where he tells her not to do something because it's dangerous and she does it anyway and then cries about it. Someone also attacks her and of course he kills them and then she blames herself for their deaths, despite the fact they were attacking and trying to rape her. Finally, he is a bastard at one point and she just forgives him.

ALARIC: I loved him for the most part. He does a few stupid things that make me doubt his competence as a hitman. He takes her to the mob boss's house, knowing the man is crazy dangerous and evil. He doesn't trust her to not try and run away if he leaves her in the car, so he takes her inside!! Even if he didn't have handcuffs with him, he could have improvised something. I know he had to have rope in his car or something like that. Tie her up and leave her in the backseat!! Don't take her inside a house with men that like to rape and torture women!!!

TEQUILA: Probably the biggest issue I had in the entire book is that he calls a bottle of Patron "vodka" when we all know it's tequila. As a superfan of tequila, I'm offended.

The book is not necessarily the greatest, but I'm giving it 4-stars because it's hard to find a good somno kink book these days. Plus, I like to counter the haters. A lot of people low rate a book based on the subject without ever reading it. I don't think that's fair.

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS



Star Rating : 4/5 Stars

POV : Dual

Cliffhanger : None

Hero : Alaric

Heroine : Monroe

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 5/10

Triggers Involved : The Hero has a kink of sleeping with unconscious women , Kidnapping , Trauma

Plot Summary :
Monroe was at the wrong place at the wrong time. Alaric is a monster and he is well aware of that fact. When a little bird traps herself in a cage he knows he is not going to let her go. No matter how much she wants it.

Monroe is all confused. Alaric is definitely not what he seems to be and he scares her so much. His kinks are downright crazy and now he has her to play them not. Whether she wants it or not. But soon she finds that she is tuned to his brand of crazy and nothing terrifies her more. Because it is one thing for Alaric to want her and another to keep her forever.

Overall Opinion :
Omg. So this book totally gave me a Whiplash. It started off real good and I loved the brand of darkness it offered. Alaric is an amazing hero and Monroe was everything innocent that he could have never gotten for himself but was lucky enough to steal.

The book was amazing. I would definitely recommend it to other people . But it was Alaric kink that made me a bit uncomfortable. I had a hard time getting over that but it seemed all good to me since Monroe liked it. It wasn't that traumatizing for her and maybe I was new to this so I was all weird about this lol.

But other than that I loved this book ! The ending was amazing and I loved seeing a few side characters from this world who I love so much. I can't wait for more from these authors since these books are new to me and all their darkness is nothing like something I have ever read before! I would definitely recommend this book to all the dark romance loving people however this one had a lot of triggers so please keep that in mind before picking this one up.

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[Valentina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alaric, mafia hitman, meets altruistic and sweet Monroe who is working to make ends meet. He offers her money for an intimate service, believing her to be one who obliges for money, but becomes protective of her, after stalking her. Soon Monroe finds herself in a position where she proposes an offer, money for favors, that Alaric easily agrees to.

Quite an enjoyable read. I liked both main characters, Alaric and Monroe. Alaric was the undeniable bad mafia enforcer with some kink who develops as soft heart for Monroe. Monroe was the demure but determined heroine who was his contrasting match. I loved the character development, brief but pivotal mafia and side characters, and intrigue with a light twist in the story. Add a possessive Alaric + steam, and I couldn't ask for me. Sonophilia, anyone?

While this story may have not been new from a storyline standpoint, it was creative and entertaining enough that it held my attention the entire book. Bonus on that steam and stalking. Great read.

[THE PETITE LIBR☆RY · Rating 1 out of 5]

Repulsive is the word that comes to mind.


We really out here calling just anything romance these days, huh? This is not dark romance, it’s erotic horror. If the MMC was unattractive or overweight, this would be a nightmare, and not the daydream Monroe’s living in.

The fact that the FMC has to mentally check out whenever the MMC is touching her is a hint in a half.

Stay staff out there, ladies.

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a talent to write smut with no plot. I loved all of the dark, twisted things Alaric did. Monroe is a doormat but I don't mind when the smut is this good.

[vivareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heavy on kinks, so make sure you read the TWs before going in.
Quite GREY. Morally questionable but thats my fav type so. 😉
5/5 🌶🥵
It was short and totally captivating. 😍 although my expectations weren’t that high, it definitely surprised me how much I enjoyed it.

[The Lushy Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

OH HOLY HELL this is the hottest man to come out of Purgatory yet!

Alaric is a kink I never knew I wanted…hell, needed!! This hitman is in-fucking-sane! He’s so dirty and so bad and doesn’t apologize for it. He takes first and asks, no wait, he doesn’t ask questions later, he just takes!

Monroe, oh sweet naive girl. I was seriously terrified for her. I didn’t know if she’d survive. But she’s a tough cookie…and well, Alaric sure likes her cookie! Haha

This was an awesome read! Can’t wait for the next trip to Purgatory!

[Precious · Rating 1 out of 5]

Why does this gave so many good reviews?

I value my intelligence too much to finish this but I will say that I read enough to say that if you want a sensible story this is not for you. I guess ppl could like it for the very vulgar and poor taste smut from like the first page but I have just read better written books with the same story line to take this seriously.

Also I have a strong passionate hatred for overly soft and weak sounding senseless h’s like Monroe.

Go into this at your own risk but yeah it’s a no from me.

[The Romantic Rush Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

Isabella Starling always writes such dark and deliciously salacious stories, often stories that push my moral limits and dance very delicately on the line of dark but palpable and dark and over the line. And boy does this collaboration with C. Hallman do that. Twisted, perverse, debrave, and definitely questionable- just what is your dark limit, dear reader? This is one of those that will make you question it.

I loved the heroine- I loved how even though she was certainly powerless and the victim of both Alaric’s depravity and her circumstances. She’s not gutless or brainless, and the way she tries to wrap her head around Alaric’s mind is an interesting dynamic. Alaric was, expectedly, harder to connect with. His perversions are predictably rooted in some past pain, and his actions (especially his early interactions with Monroe) are quite deplorable- beyond dubcon-non-con.

Heed the trigger warnings here. The romance here is quite dark, though not macabre- and some of the sexual encounters many would say cross the line. Even as someone who likes to tread in the darker side of the dark spectrum, there were parts that made me even gasp. Not because it was the most perverse thing I’ve read, but for me, I think it was because the emotion/passion wasn’t always coming through- the romance side of the dark. In a captive, dark situation I crave a bit more of that emotional complexity. There truly isn’t much romantic to the story, even within the dark archetype here- it’s more lust, possession and shocks. And, that was certainly an entertaining read for me, but I definitely know this won’t be safe for others. So, enter at your own risk!

[💜VGreedyReader🖤 · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️3.5 hit me baby one more time stars⭐️

This is a full-length, standalone story set in the Black Hearts world.

I wasn’t totally sold on this third book, I couldn’t connect to the characters, their bond wasn’t convincing there was no love to make their union believable. I didn’t find the romance side either, nor can I think of this as dark, again the line between shock value and dark is a very thin one 😏

I didn’t really like Alaric, admittedly he had a horrible past which explains his current behaviour, yet I couldn’t empathise with his plight, his actions are debatable throughout the whole story, even when we learn the reasons behind them I still cannot condone them. The first time he has sex with Monroe is sourly disappointing (I won’t say more as this is a spoiler free review) and even after reading the whole book I’m wondering why this duo wasted such an opportunity to create a bond between the two MC and wrote such an unsatisfying encounter.

Monroe is quite the victim in the story, she works her ass off, she’s sweet and very (too much) naïve, she finds herself in Alaric’s clutches and has no chance to escape. I like that she isn’t a dreamy witless girl, she tries her best to flee her captor but she doesn’t have the means to succeed. She makes the most out of a dire situation and tries to understand her hitman, which may turn out to be the best solution and the key to freedom or not...

The interaction between Alaric and Monroe is strained and unconvincing the story is told in dual POV, the plot isn’t very substantial and the sex unfortunately is disappointing, there are no emotions involved nor steam let alone participation!!! I believe what happens here is far fetched and the authors don’t make too much of an effort to make it work, to be so that it’s integrated into the story vibe, I couldn’t get involved at all.

I wanted to feel raw passion, possessiveness, lust and pleasure but all I got was a few descriptive lines with no bone structure and zero feels.

One teeny tiny pet peeve… 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒆𝒓𝒔 in Italian is 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒆 and not 𝒔𝒂𝒍𝒖𝒕𝒊 which means 𝒈𝒓𝒆𝒆𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 🤭🤫

Overall consideration: Book one was a good read, book two highly disappointing, book three I’m still not impressed. What can I say … may the quest to be blown over continue… I know, my fellow readers why am I still persevering? Well… because I’m still holding hope… I know out there is the right author who will make the Black Hearts world worthy of this name ;)

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fantastic ride! The Hitman is a dark instalust story about obsession - with a dash of stalking and kidnapping. Alaric decides he wants Monroe the moment he sees her despite their 20 year age gap and will do what ever he needs to do to get her and keep her. The story is well written and it’s non-stop action from page one. The characters are just fantastic! If you like over the top, obsessive alphas, you’re going to love Alaric. Add in dubiously consensual smexy times and kinks - this book may (or may not) be your jam. Monroe is perfect for him. Her innocence and sweetness draws him in and her selflessness toward her loved ones completely fascinates him. She is everything he is not and what he knows will make him whole. The smexy times in this book are off the chain and don’t be surprised if your kindle starts smoking a little from all the heat! The Hitman is part of the Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell series, all by different authors. This is the 3rd book released in the 6 book series. Looking forward to the next installment of the series!

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: stalker/kidnapping/age-gap
Angst: 😰😰
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: dubcon, drug use

[Mary · Rating 1 out of 5]

DFN. I just couldn't keep on reading.
This was so badly written, not in the sense there were grammatical mistakes but instead the flow was off, the characters were completely...flat and obnoxious and overall it felt like it was written robotically. No emotion and zero passion.

[vxhexn reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is book 3 in the Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell Series. You do not have to read the previous books to understand this story. The only thing tying them together is the club Purgatory; each book has mentioned an employee or encounter from the club.

Everyone has their kinks but finding someone to partake in the darker ones can be risky and complicated. Especially when yours are based in drugs and surprises. To say Alaric’s needs best fit downstairs in Club Purgatory’s Hell all depends on your own level of kinkiness.

After completing a job, in a dark alleyway, outside of Purgatory, Alaric finds himself in need of a release. Following some scantily clad women into the doors of the club, he finds his desired dessert behind the bar. Propositioned for an encounter upstairs in Heaven, Monroe hesitantly agrees. I mean $9-10k for a dance & a few licks is a heck of a lot of money after all.

In true romance fashion, this willing girl is a virgin trying desperately to hide her secret. Once Alaric decides she’s his, he begins stalking her. Marking her in her sleep and leaving mirror messages. Once he snatches her and brings her home is when his darker desires surface. He steals her v-card while she’s out cold. They share a few very public events, and ultimately live happily ever after.

The actual scenes are HOT 🔥🥵🔥 and not as cringe worthy as they may sound. If you enjoy being woken up for some fun, this isn’t all that different.

The underlying story about the Lombardi’s and the red or green ribbons is intriguing. I’ll have to ask around to see if these have links to any of Isabella Starlings other books!

🔥 Mafia instalove romance
🔥 stalking & marking
🔥 Virgin h - experienced assassin H
🔥 somnophilia - noncon fetish
🔥 unsuspected drugging of h (pill, powder, needles)
🔥 sex in front of a crowd
🔥 sex on the hood of a car on the side of a BUSY road



𝓋𝓍𝒽𝑒𝓍𝓃 𝓇𝑒𝒶𝒹𝓈
Instagram | Facebook | Bookbub

Black Heart Romance presents Heaven & Hell Series
🖤 Heaven by Darcy Rose
🖤 Hell by J.L. Beck & C. Hallman
➡️ Hitman by C. Hallman & Isabella Starling
🖤 Serpents by Logan Fox
🖤 Poisoned Paradise by Lucy Smoke
🖤 Possessive by Vivian Wood
🖤 Wrong by Adelaide Forrest
🖤 Descentby Sam Mariano
🖤 (title) by R. Holmes
🖤 (title) by C.L. Matthews

You can find more on their Facebook group or online at bleedingheartromance.com/black-heart

[Kate ☕ (semi-hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Couldn't help it, but the whole Hitman idea falling for some chick felt ridiculous! I kept picturing Timothy Olyphant as the hot Hitman (at least for me) and the image just didn't fit 😁

😍

About a middle it became even more ridiculous. Hitman (Timothy in my head) apparently has a kink - drug a girl and have sex with her in her sleep. So that's basically how she loses her v-card. Her second time isn't much better - she is awake (thank you for small miracles 🙏), but she as well could have been asleep, as they're forced to have sex in front of his boss and some other guys making lewd comments. That's some romance I'll tell ya... Weak heroine, who's ready to drop her panties anytime for him isn't helping.

Anyway those 2 stars is for Timothy only (yes I do realize he had nothing to do with it, but my crazy mind thought differently 😜)

[Fathi MYHKSKPG (heylittlesiren) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just when I thought I've read everything. This book was giving me whiplash. Alaric was an amazing hero with merciless personality paired up with Monroe that was so innocent and sweet. Alaric's kink was something new. Some of the thing that Alaric's likes or does sometimes a little bit too much but it just made me want to know what happen next. This story was so entertaining and fast-paced (exactly my style) I can't wait for more from these authors while Isabella Starling was my favourite author but C. Hallman was a new author for me. Their story was nothing like I have ever read before! I would definitely recommend this book to all the dark romance loving people. There were a lot of triggers though. Please look it up first before reading it.

I received an arc in exchange of honest review.

[Kate V · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not really sure how I feel about this story. I was weirdly sucked in but I'm 99% sure I should have listened to Irunia on this one.

[Sarah♡books · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5 🌟

✔️Virgin heroine
✔️Killer
✔️Manwhore (?)
✔️Kinky
✔️ Voyeurism Scene

Did not like this book either 👀💀
Bro how is it okay that sooo many people hype this book ???
My brain almost exploded while reading 🤡

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will this story shock you? Yes it will. No matter how many dark and twisted and kinky stories you have read.
.
Will this story turn you on? Yes it will. It is going to turn you into an inferno and you cannot escape. Alaric and Monroe are setting the pages on fire. And you will experience a rare level of depravity and perversion.
.
Do you need trigger warning? Yes you absolutely do. Because this is not one of the story where you can go blind. Dub con, non con, forced cohabitation, kidnapping, dubious kinks, use of chemicals...the whole lot of triggers.
.
Will you see everything you want in a dark mafia romance? 200%. Alaric is a hitman with no heart, broken moral compass, violent tendencies and merciless personality. Monroe is sweet and innocent. He is going to corrupt her, break her, transform her and finally fall in love himself. The path will be rough. With murders. Kidnapping. Threats. It was an extremely twisted HEA and I am still not sure I have digested everything properly.

Hitman by C. Hallman and Isabella Starling is going to test your limits for sure. This dark mafia romance is for only true dark romance lovers who don't stop at any depravity.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

HITMAN by C. Hallman & Isabella Starling is book Three in the Heaven & Hell Series. This is the story of Monroe and Alaric. I have read the previous books which did add to my enjoyment of this one but I did feel you can make it a standalone book if you wish to do so. Monroe is a young innocent women who is in need of money so she is working as a bartender at a club. Alaric is a mafia hitman for the Lombardi family and is everything dark. When he comes in to the club after a kill he finds himself taken with Monroe. Alaric finds that he can't seem to get Monroe of his mind so he goes into stalker mode until he ends up not being able to resit her. This was a page turning read and I can't wait to read more from these two authors.

[Kristina · Rating 3 out of 5]

The sex and kinks are hot. The story is…eh. Not sure I like the characters as people, either 🤷🏻‍♀️
2.5 stars