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misswirum's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
This is my absolute FAVOURITE slow-burn novel I have EVER read!! Nicco Russo is EVERYTHING.
✨️✨️✨️Spoliers below✨️✨️✨️
Some om my favourite quotes:
✨️✨️✨️Spoliers below✨️✨️✨️
Some om my favourite quotes:
“You know what pisses me off?” His tone was dark, but somehow it only awoke a thrill beneath my skin. I knew the answer to this question. “Assuming?” I focused on the TV, pretending not to care about what he was doing, but my heart faltered when he moved close behind me. I held my breath as he slowly set the remote back in my lap, and then right at the hollow behind my ear, he whispered, “Smart girl.” A shiver ran down my neck, but then he left with a parting word. “Don’t fucking do it again.”
He talked while he screwed, right against my ear in a deep rasp, and it made me crazy. “You take it so good,” he praised. “So fucking tight.” “So wet for me.”
Cannot wait to read rest of this series!
5/5⭐️
4,5/5📝
3/5🌶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Misogyny, Sexual content, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Toxic relationship, Death of parent, Death, Blood, Confinement, and Murder
ivanaacosta's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Grief, Gun violence, Hate crime, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Confinement, Murder, Sexual content, and Violence
jhaneveauguste's review against another edition
dark
funny
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, Stalking, Violence, Death, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Confinement, Drug abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
vladtheimpaler's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Murder, and Sexual content
Minor: Sexual harassment, Drug use, Death of parent, Confinement, and Child abuse
charm0nix's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Gun violence, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, and Murder
Minor: Confinement, Sexual harassment, Fire/Fire injury, Toxic relationship, and Sexual assault
danielle70's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This did so many things so dang well I have to write a review to remember them.
I'm trash for forced proximity, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, possessive guys with the "touch her and you die" thing, so you could say there was a good bet I'd like this. I obviously expected to since I picked it up, but it was so much better than any romance I've read in a WHILE. The author really knows how to build tension without going over the top or adding unnecessary drama. There were times where, as a seasoned romance reader, I just knew something would happen (formulas amirite?), then it wouldn't and the tension just got higher and I loved it.
Elena was such an amazing character. I loved being in her head. I hadn't realized how badly other authors dramatize characters' emotions and inner monologues to keep the reader's attention and make everything seem more exciting. Elena was chill. She wasn't emotionally constipated, but she was reasonable and didn't act only from emotion like lots of characters do. It was sooooo refreshing. It didn't make the stakes seem lower or like she didn't like the hero as much, it just made her so much more realistic. She even points out things about her and parts of her life that are messed up and wrong but like...yeah. Sis is in a mafia family. Self-aware morally grey characters are my kryptonite.
I gotta mention Elena's family. idk if I'm just from a jacked family, but there are things you have to try to forget because it's hard to get over, things you pretend you didn't hear, people constantly misunderstand why others do things, and not many people have someone ready to give them a hug and advice all the time. There was a time where Elena was trying to get advice about her feelings about Ace, so she used a hypothetical situation about a dog to ask her Nonna what she would do. Her Nonna got confused because she was allergic to dogs, her mom butt into the conversation to make sure she knew they couldn't get a dog, and as the conversation went on, Elena gave up because her family wasn't understanding her meaning at all. That's hilariously accurate. I've always thought my family was messed up when reading about characters who go to grandparents or parents for advice where they get life-changing advice that was perfect for their problems and then they get sent off with cookies or some nonsense. I think that's pretty uncommon for most people, so I'm just here to say that Nonna is the grandma who speaks her mind, hates her daughter-in-law, and skips things you wish she came to so she could get in bed at her normal time. She was hilarious and I love her. Plus, the times Elena was alone with her family I didn't hate it?? I usually just want the couple to be interacting the whole time so I'm confused too
Ok now the romance. To be honest, I'm concerned by how much I like this. Oh well. Elena and Nico had amazing chemistry and tension. I loved how they didn't have to be interacting every single second (but the whole book they're around each other don't worry) and even though they were very aware of the other person, they went on with their regular activities because that's what people do. They didn't have to be speaking 24/7 and that's so weird to me because I always love that so much. Plus, GUYS, the reasons they held back and didn't let themselves get as vulnerable made SENSE. Thank goodness. When there was a major conflict, they listened to each other's sides of the story, believed them, and moved on?? Yes, freaking thank you. I hate those idiotic breakup scenes when you know they're just gonna get back together. It always feels like emotional manipulation to me.
Now my fav thing is that this wasn't depressing. It easily could've been with the amount of dark material it covers, but it stayed lighthearted and I appreciate it for that so much. Lots of people are morally jacked but they aren't psychopaths and made jokes and cared about people too. It was really freaking funny at times. have i made it obvious enough that i liked this book yet?
the type of humor (referencing when bro -just- shot his own cousin):
I'm trash for forced proximity, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, possessive guys with the "touch her and you die" thing, so you could say there was a good bet I'd like this. I obviously expected to since I picked it up, but it was so much better than any romance I've read in a WHILE. The author really knows how to build tension without going over the top or adding unnecessary drama. There were times where, as a seasoned romance reader, I just knew something would happen (formulas amirite?), then it wouldn't and the tension just got higher and I loved it.
Elena was such an amazing character. I loved being in her head. I hadn't realized how badly other authors dramatize characters' emotions and inner monologues to keep the reader's attention and make everything seem more exciting. Elena was chill. She wasn't emotionally constipated, but she was reasonable and didn't act only from emotion like lots of characters do. It was sooooo refreshing. It didn't make the stakes seem lower or like she didn't like the hero as much, it just made her so much more realistic. She even points out things about her and parts of her life that are messed up and wrong but like...yeah. Sis is in a mafia family. Self-aware morally grey characters are my kryptonite.
I gotta mention Elena's family. idk if I'm just from a jacked family, but there are things you have to try to forget because it's hard to get over, things you pretend you didn't hear, people constantly misunderstand why others do things, and not many people have someone ready to give them a hug and advice all the time. There was a time where Elena was trying to get advice about her feelings about Ace, so she used a hypothetical situation about a dog to ask her Nonna what she would do. Her Nonna got confused because she was allergic to dogs, her mom butt into the conversation to make sure she knew they couldn't get a dog, and as the conversation went on, Elena gave up because her family wasn't understanding her meaning at all. That's hilariously accurate. I've always thought my family was messed up when reading about characters who go to grandparents or parents for advice where they get life-changing advice that was perfect for their problems and then they get sent off with cookies or some nonsense. I think that's pretty uncommon for most people, so I'm just here to say that Nonna is the grandma who speaks her mind, hates her daughter-in-law, and skips things you wish she came to so she could get in bed at her normal time. She was hilarious and I love her. Plus, the times Elena was alone with her family I didn't hate it?? I usually just want the couple to be interacting the whole time so I'm confused too
Ok now the romance. To be honest, I'm concerned by how much I like this. Oh well. Elena and Nico had amazing chemistry and tension. I loved how they didn't have to be interacting every single second (but the whole book they're around each other don't worry) and even though they were very aware of the other person, they went on with their regular activities because that's what people do. They didn't have to be speaking 24/7 and that's so weird to me because I always love that so much. Plus, GUYS, the reasons they held back and didn't let themselves get as vulnerable made SENSE. Thank goodness. When there was a major conflict, they listened to each other's sides of the story, believed them, and moved on?? Yes, freaking thank you. I hate those idiotic breakup scenes when you know they're just gonna get back together. It always feels like emotional manipulation to me.
Now my fav thing is that this wasn't depressing. It easily could've been with the amount of dark material it covers, but it stayed lighthearted and I appreciate it for that so much. Lots of people are morally jacked but they aren't psychopaths and made jokes and cared about people too. It was really freaking funny at times. have i made it obvious enough that i liked this book yet?
the type of humor (referencing when bro -just- shot his own cousin):
My family could be as pissed as they wanted, but I’d appreciate at least one fucking thank-you for stopping a bloodbath from ruining a perfectly good Sunday
I would like to take this time to acknowledge that a lot of the characters in this book have that mafia toxic mentality where women are married off to whoever their dad needs them to for business deals and such and are expected to know how to cook, be cheated on by their husbands, and get abused and no one could help them. Now, I think we all know that's messed up, but so is the fact that they kill people constantly and are literally drug traffickers. It's not real life so let me enjoy what I want
I feel like this review sucks because I'm having to rewrite the whole thing (thx story graph for not saving my bomb first review) and I totally forgot everything I said before and I don't have the emotional capacity to be funny rn, so, sorry folks. tbh this is just for me anyways to remember what I liked so if anyone gains something from this, that's awesome. You should read this book
TROPES:
- forbidden romance
- arranged marriage (I know it sounds like these can't go together, but trust me)
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- morally grey characters
- "touch her and you die"
- a literal quote from the book when Nico was engaged to Elena's sister:
I swear to God, Elena, if I find out you’ve let some man touch you, I will deliver his hands to you in a box.” I swallowed. “And I do not. Fucking. Bluff."
- possessive hero
- again, proof:
I wanted an irrevocable tie to this woman. I wanted to write my name on her skin, to do all kinds of fucked-up shit so she knew she was mine. Like lock her in my room and hand-feed her. With indifference, I finished my cigarette and contemplated the logistics of that. (275)
I wanted to fuck her and ruin her for anyone else. I wanted to crush her wings and then put them back together again so she’d become dependent on me. I wanted her to need me. That dark, possessive, and dangerous feeling crawled through me every time she crossed my path.
Elena Abelli was my vice, and fuck if I’d let it kill me.
SPOILERS
The only thing I just really didn't like was the whole ring thing. I'm kinda sick of the third act breakup formula at this point and that just felt like a dumb way to keep Elena and Nico apart. She knew him pretty freaking well by the time she ran off. He wouldn't have stopped her from doing all that stuff if she had told him about it first. Over time this got annoying and started feeling lazy. They easily could've had tension and been apprehensive about their relationship without it, so idk why it was used so much. It came up so freaking often in their heads. I know she feels a lot of guilt about it so I get that she thinks about it a lot but it was obvious that Nico thought she was in love with another man and it bothered him a lot. She even thinks about this in the book but doesn't say like 'nah, you're right that I'm not a virgin but I just felt caged and ran off. I didn't even know the man's name so stop treating me like I'm being disloyal.' THAT'S IT. I can understand her wanting that distance but also, her not kissing him is also stupid because that is so not the only thing that will make her fall more in love with him. She knew she would be married to him until one of them freaking dies. His personality along with her attraction to him is what's gonna make her fall in love. It ain't freaking kissing so that felt kinda stupid and immature too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Pregnancy
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