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3.96 AVERAGE
3.96 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
N/A
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: ποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈ
World Building:πππππ
Cover:πππππ
Hero: π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»
Heroine:π¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈ
Intimacy Level: π₯π₯π₯π₯
Relationship Building: πππππ
Heart & Feels:πππππ
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: ππππ
Page Turner Level:πππππ
Narration:π§π§π§π§π§
Ending:π§§π§§π§§π§§π§§
Overall View: β¨β¨β¨β¨β¨β¨
First Impressions
One Dark Kiss is the second book in the "Grimm Bargains" series and in this one this si where we have a Snow White retelling with a mafia twist to it and this is Rosalie's book. Rosalie is put in a forced proximity situation when she is to be the legal counsel for Alexei who was framed and put in prison unjustly for the crime they claimed he committed. Alexei is determined to get freedom and find his revenge. This was a thrilling story that had me all over the place in thrills and excitement. I loved the way in which we see this story truly come to depths. The chemistry was top notch and I didn't want to let go of Alexei and Rosalie from their first meeting.....I was in love in such a all consuming way!
First Line
Alone, I cross my legs beneath the intimidating metal table secured to the floor, feeling as out of place as a raven in a nursey rhyme.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Alexei
The Heroine: Rosalie
Summary
Rosalie is called upon by her firm to represent a man of danger and mystery, Alexei, and she never expected the power and chemistry she would feel in their first meeting. But she knows that she is completely out of her element in dealing with him. Alexei was wrongly put in prison for a crime he didn't commit. And his chance for freedom and to get his name cleared......is good and loyal Rosalie. She is strong and intelligent and he knew from their first meeting, she would be his woman for life. The problem....convincing her that they are worth taking a risk on. But there are dangers to her being connected to him and standing by him.....an enemy that hides in the dark corners of power and manipulation...
What I Loved
The first is their CHEMISTRY!!! It was off the charts and from that first page, I could tell that they had something so intense, dramatic and had me curling my toes. I loved their interactions with each other. While Rosalie can stand her own, she also knows Alexei is unlike any other man she has ever dealt with. And even though she is intelligent and has a deep strength, she isn't cruel and she has her own share of vulnerabilities. She knows when to stand up to Alexei but also when to back down and submit to him. I loved how intelligent she was, she reads him really well and I liked she her layers throughout the story. Alexei is powerful, strong, dominant and protective. I love how he isn't afraid of a relationship with her and even though he doesn't believe in love after being betrayed, he can't resist the connection he feesl with Rosalie. There is so much drama at times between them, but its Zanetti so she writes it in a way that she tugs at your heartstrings while also being highly entertaining at the same time.
The fairytale elements to the story were so adorable. The heroine eating red apples, she runs a victorian home with seven elderly men boarders and they are their own family. Taking care of each other and she sacrifices so much for them and their bond was beyond adorbs. I love how we see some unique dynamics of a family that aren't always what you expect. I loved the villains that come through into the story, and I won't be spoiling who it is but its superb in how the mystery of it unravels. I loved the bromance that we see between Alexei and the one man that stood by him in prison. Then we have the lovely friendship bond between Rosalie and the other heroines in the series and loved seeing them together again and I can't wait for book 3.....cause CINDERELLA!!!
What I Struggled With
Nothing really. I really just loved this whole book. lol
Narration
Superb in every way! I loved rotating between the audio and the ARC.
Overall View
One Dark Kiss was a stunning read that took my breath away with his page.....a sensual deeply romantic retelling that digs deep into the truths of love, loyalty and devotion!
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance, Dark Romance
Character Types: Lawyer Heroine, Mafia Hero, Morally Grey Hero, Protector
Themes: Angsty, Snow White Retelling, Crime, Band of Brothers, Feminine Friendships
Tropes: Retelling, Forced Proximity, Instant Love/Lust Connection
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Abigail Owen
Christine Feehan
LJ Shen
Song This Book Inspires
Black Sheep-Metric
Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone if needed, but its best for the friendship for the heroines to read it in order.
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Narrators:
Erin Mallon
Lance Greenfield
Book Evaluation:
Plot: ποΈποΈποΈποΈποΈ
World Building:πππππ
Cover:πππππ
Hero: π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»π¦Έπ»
Heroine:π¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈπ¦Έπ»ββοΈ
Intimacy Level: π₯π₯π₯π₯
Relationship Building: πππππ
Heart & Feels:πππππ
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: ππππ
Page Turner Level:πππππ
Narration:π§π§π§π§π§
Ending:π§§π§§π§§π§§π§§
Overall View: β¨β¨β¨β¨β¨β¨
First Impressions
One Dark Kiss is the second book in the "Grimm Bargains" series and in this one this si where we have a Snow White retelling with a mafia twist to it and this is Rosalie's book. Rosalie is put in a forced proximity situation when she is to be the legal counsel for Alexei who was framed and put in prison unjustly for the crime they claimed he committed. Alexei is determined to get freedom and find his revenge. This was a thrilling story that had me all over the place in thrills and excitement. I loved the way in which we see this story truly come to depths. The chemistry was top notch and I didn't want to let go of Alexei and Rosalie from their first meeting.....I was in love in such a all consuming way!
First Line
Alone, I cross my legs beneath the intimidating metal table secured to the floor, feeling as out of place as a raven in a nursey rhyme.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Alexei
The Heroine: Rosalie
Summary
Rosalie is called upon by her firm to represent a man of danger and mystery, Alexei, and she never expected the power and chemistry she would feel in their first meeting. But she knows that she is completely out of her element in dealing with him. Alexei was wrongly put in prison for a crime he didn't commit. And his chance for freedom and to get his name cleared......is good and loyal Rosalie. She is strong and intelligent and he knew from their first meeting, she would be his woman for life. The problem....convincing her that they are worth taking a risk on. But there are dangers to her being connected to him and standing by him.....an enemy that hides in the dark corners of power and manipulation...
What I Loved
The first is their CHEMISTRY!!! It was off the charts and from that first page, I could tell that they had something so intense, dramatic and had me curling my toes. I loved their interactions with each other. While Rosalie can stand her own, she also knows Alexei is unlike any other man she has ever dealt with. And even though she is intelligent and has a deep strength, she isn't cruel and she has her own share of vulnerabilities. She knows when to stand up to Alexei but also when to back down and submit to him. I loved how intelligent she was, she reads him really well and I liked she her layers throughout the story. Alexei is powerful, strong, dominant and protective. I love how he isn't afraid of a relationship with her and even though he doesn't believe in love after being betrayed, he can't resist the connection he feesl with Rosalie. There is so much drama at times between them, but its Zanetti so she writes it in a way that she tugs at your heartstrings while also being highly entertaining at the same time.
The fairytale elements to the story were so adorable. The heroine eating red apples, she runs a victorian home with seven elderly men boarders and they are their own family. Taking care of each other and she sacrifices so much for them and their bond was beyond adorbs. I love how we see some unique dynamics of a family that aren't always what you expect. I loved the villains that come through into the story, and I won't be spoiling who it is but its superb in how the mystery of it unravels. I loved the bromance that we see between Alexei and the one man that stood by him in prison. Then we have the lovely friendship bond between Rosalie and the other heroines in the series and loved seeing them together again and I can't wait for book 3.....cause CINDERELLA!!!
What I Struggled With
Nothing really. I really just loved this whole book. lol
Narration
Superb in every way! I loved rotating between the audio and the ARC.
Overall View
One Dark Kiss was a stunning read that took my breath away with his page.....a sensual deeply romantic retelling that digs deep into the truths of love, loyalty and devotion!
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Paranormal Romance, Dark Romance
Character Types: Lawyer Heroine, Mafia Hero, Morally Grey Hero, Protector
Themes: Angsty, Snow White Retelling, Crime, Band of Brothers, Feminine Friendships
Tropes: Retelling, Forced Proximity, Instant Love/Lust Connection
Book Perspective
Duo POV
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both
If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Abigail Owen
Christine Feehan
LJ Shen
Song This Book Inspires
Black Sheep-Metric
Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as a standalone if needed, but its best for the friendship for the heroines to read it in order.
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
Narrators:
Erin Mallon
Lance Greenfield
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
fast-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:
Yes
π§ Audiobook Review (Performance: 5 β)
One Dark Kiss was ADDICTIVE! I couldn't push pause on this romance from page one. Itβs an intoxicating blend of dark romance, fantasy, and mafia suspense, made even better by the audiobook.
Lance Greenfield and Erin Mallonβs narration is spot-on. They brought such depth to the characters that I caught emotional nuances I mightβve missed while reading. Their performances were distinct, emotionally dialed in, and made it so easy to follow the story and sink into the tension.
The pacing flowed perfectly, and every character, main and secondary, was easy to track thanks to their subtle voice work and accents. Fair warning: this isnβt a light romance. It leans dark and gritty, with a fairytale-meets-tech-mafia vibe that feels totally fresh.
Youβve got all the good stuff: forced proximity (my favorite!), obsession, found family, and yesβsome steamy moments (3 out of 5 on the spice scale). What really hooked me, though, was how it explores power, loyalty, and how two people battle secrets and connection at the same time. Rosalieβs sharp wit and Alexeiβs edge came through loud and clear. The emotion was palpable in both the high-stakes and tender scenes.
If you love audiobooks with morally gray heroes and strong-willed heroines, this oneβs a must-listen. The story is fantastic, but the audio makes it unforgettable.
Overall Rating: 4.75β (rounded up to 5β)
Performance: 5β
Story: 4.5β
Spice: 3πΆοΈ
**Thanks to the publisher and author for the advanced listening copy through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own and shared with honesty.
One Dark Kiss was ADDICTIVE! I couldn't push pause on this romance from page one. Itβs an intoxicating blend of dark romance, fantasy, and mafia suspense, made even better by the audiobook.
Lance Greenfield and Erin Mallonβs narration is spot-on. They brought such depth to the characters that I caught emotional nuances I mightβve missed while reading. Their performances were distinct, emotionally dialed in, and made it so easy to follow the story and sink into the tension.
The pacing flowed perfectly, and every character, main and secondary, was easy to track thanks to their subtle voice work and accents. Fair warning: this isnβt a light romance. It leans dark and gritty, with a fairytale-meets-tech-mafia vibe that feels totally fresh.
Youβve got all the good stuff: forced proximity (my favorite!), obsession, found family, and yesβsome steamy moments (3 out of 5 on the spice scale). What really hooked me, though, was how it explores power, loyalty, and how two people battle secrets and connection at the same time. Rosalieβs sharp wit and Alexeiβs edge came through loud and clear. The emotion was palpable in both the high-stakes and tender scenes.
If you love audiobooks with morally gray heroes and strong-willed heroines, this oneβs a must-listen. The story is fantastic, but the audio makes it unforgettable.
Overall Rating: 4.75β (rounded up to 5β)
Performance: 5β
Story: 4.5β
Spice: 3πΆοΈ
**Thanks to the publisher and author for the advanced listening copy through NetGalley. All opinions are completely my own and shared with honesty.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
dark
funny
fast-paced
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
A dark romance mafia story with some Snow white vibes. Overall this had the typical dark romance stuff but I did really like Rosalie. This is the second book in this series and I liked that Rosalie and Ella seemed to be better written and had more collaboration. There was a bit of a twist at the end that I wasnβt super excited about but I did enjoy the book overall.
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
The world and magic are still as poorly developed as in the first one. We're just presented with a set of arbitrary rules that seem to change in the name of plot convenience. It really seems like the whole crystal system was thrown in there to pad the word count as it serves no real purpose and does nothing to add to the plot.
I found myself getting really annoyed with the way this was written too. The language seemed overly simplistic and there was an excess of telling rather than showing. It all just felt really lazy to me.
Both Rosalie and Alexie had very juvenile sounding voices. I found myself literally rolling my eyes on several occasions. The smut scenes were the only partially tolerable part of their relationship, and even then I was feeling some kind of discomfort about them. Alexie assaults Rosalie on multiple occasions, and even though I know this is a dark romance, it really seemed like the author was just brushing it off with a "well she eneded up in love with him so that makes it okay" type of attitude.
And once again, the central conflict was all resolved in one chapter at the very end of the book. Very rushed and unsatisfying. Also, the villain and their motives were cartoonish at best.
Idk why I'm being this generous and giving it a 1.5βοΈ. Clearly I didn't like anything about it. I didn't even like the female narrator... she finished 90% of her lines with an upwards pitch, making everything sound like a question.
I'm just glad it's over. I won't be picking up anything else by this author.
Edit not even 2 minutes after posting: I'm dropping it to 1βοΈ. Zero redeeming factors. I'm just so annoyed that I may just rage quit reading.
I found myself getting really annoyed with the way this was written too. The language seemed overly simplistic and there was an excess of telling rather than showing. It all just felt really lazy to me.
Both Rosalie and Alexie had very juvenile sounding voices. I found myself literally rolling my eyes on several occasions. The smut scenes were the only partially tolerable part of their relationship, and even then I was feeling some kind of discomfort about them. Alexie assaults Rosalie on multiple occasions, and even though I know this is a dark romance, it really seemed like the author was just brushing it off with a "well she eneded up in love with him so that makes it okay" type of attitude.
And once again, the central conflict was all resolved in one chapter at the very end of the book. Very rushed and unsatisfying. Also, the villain and their motives were cartoonish at best.
Idk why I'm being this generous and giving it a 1.5βοΈ. Clearly I didn't like anything about it. I didn't even like the female narrator... she finished 90% of her lines with an upwards pitch, making everything sound like a question.
I'm just glad it's over. I won't be picking up anything else by this author.
Edit not even 2 minutes after posting: I'm dropping it to 1βοΈ. Zero redeeming factors. I'm just so annoyed that I may just rage quit reading.