Genre: Dark Romance, Mafia

Disclaimer: Reading is all about exploring new worlds, but this Book Review does not shy away from spoiling specific scenes as this is more of a look inside the good and bad of a book.

The Analysis:

I read this book as part of one of my book readathon prompts. You’ll find out about that soon enough. But then I realized after I had finished, the book didn’t fit the prompt and needed its own solo review. So, let’s book review it. But first, follow me on Goodreads.

Here’s the Blurb:

These are the only values that matter.

Jozef is both nephew and enforcer to the Koba crime family. He is ruthless, brutal and completely loyal to his family. Shaun is a doctor working in the Ukraine with Doctors Without Borders. She’s logical, kind and honest. Shaun has been trained on how to deal with hostage situations, but nothing prepares her for Jozef or the life he’s forcing her into.

From the operating room to an opulent glittering ballroom and a forced engagement, Shaun is wildly out of her depth. Every step she takes is monitored and the man who kidnapped her watches her like a feral dog preparing to strike.

Caught in a deadly plight, Shaun has no choice but to give her heart to a killer or become another victim of organized crime. [Su_quote] [one_half]

The cover reads angsty contemporary romance, but what it really is, Dark Romance. I do love the cover. I also think it fits the description of the heroine. A major plus for me will always be getting to see a beautiful dark sista on the cover.

Now The Story:

Book Info:
Pages: 364
Author: Nikita Slater
Available: Amazon

The heroine of this novel is a doctor working for Doctors Without Borders in war-torn Ukraine (maybe). She's literally in the middle of saving a little boy's life when a rebel comes in and shoots her attendant and spirits her away. The first thing she notices about her kidnappers is that there not wearing masks or hiding where there going. That only means one thing, they don't expect her to make it out of there alive. This sends her into an even bigger panic. One that never really ebbs, even after she finds out what they want from her.

The book is dual point of view, so we get the hero's (kidnapper) perspective. Their not rebels, but mobsters. The kingpin has been kidnapped and they're desperate to get him back. They've got their first big clue (a rival gangster), but they have gone a little overboard in the torture and the man has had a heart attack. The doctor needs to revive him just enough for him to tell them where they're hiding the kingpin.

This is an impossible task for our doctor. She can't save his life, even if she wanted to. But she does learn why they chose her. She knows sign language and the man in charge of this outfit doesn't speak. What's undeniable is the pull that the pair has to each other. So, after the job is done, he drives the heroine out to the forest to kill her, but can't find it in him to do it. But if he's going to save her life then he may need to marry her.

As the genre goes this book is on the lighter end of the spectrum. I'd put it in the same realm as my novel, Another Vice. If you're a newbie to the genre, I'd definitely recommend both to try to dip your toe in for the first time.

However, with all D.R. this novel will have you on the right side of wrong. For instance, she ran away and he didn't punish her as he should have. I had to catch myself mid-thought, he should've kept her in that dungeon lol. This novel had my emotions tied up in knots in the best way. As Stockholm syndrome goes, I think this novel gives the reader the best possible explanation as to how it could happen in real life. The author skips all the theatrics and far-off scenarios that tend to permeate the genre. As well as the, he's hot, so this is all okay conversation that ends up in most of these books. You will be fully invested in the struggle. It's a long novel, but it doesn't read that way. There is a cliffhanger. I'm most interested in the mother's appearance in part 2.

Dark Romance? I'm hijacking this review to discuss my personal thoughts on Dark Romance as it pertains to my writing. I had several Dark Romance books planned after Another Vice and Another Virtue. Those novels have since been transformed into romantic suspense and/or contemporary romance. I will not be writing any more Dark Romance. I also wasn't planning to read anymore. So the above book was a surprise. I suspect there are more on my TBR list to come.

Story At A Glance:

Recommendation:  4 out of 5

Read Series Continuation:  Yes

 The Ratings:

Book Cover Appeal:

🍓🍓🍓🍓

Story & Narration:

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓

Romance:

🍓🍓🍓🍓

Character/(s) Personality:

🍓🍓🍓🍓🍓