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amanda_reads13's review
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
This book felt a little out of place in the series, I think it was due to the setting. That said, I did enjoy it. It is a mafia & bodyguard romance mixed with a small town romance feel.
Riona is the middle child of head of the Irish Mafia in Chicago. She is strong, stubborn, and smart. She is the family's lawyer and keeps her hand relatively clean. One evening she is attacked in the swimming pool in her apartment building, someone tried to drown her and make it look like an accident. someone has hired a Hitman to kill her. Dante arranges for Raylan to be her bodyguard. To keep her safe Raylan brings her to his family's Ranch in Tennessee.
I really enjoyed the chemistry between Riona and Raylan. Their personalities play off of each other really well and he really helped her to discover what she wanted. I also loved seeing more glimpses of the other siblings and the Gallos (especially the wedding!).
Unfortunately, I did see the big twist coming pretty early in the book, so I wasn't surprised when the culprit behind hiring the hitman was revealed.
That barn scene tho...🌶️
Tropes: Reverse grumpy-sunshine, mafia, bodyguard, small town
I really enjoyed the chemistry between Riona and Raylan. Their personalities play off of each other really well and he really helped her to discover what she wanted. I also loved seeing more glimpses of the other siblings and the Gallos (especially the wedding!).
Unfortunately, I did see the big twist coming pretty early in the book, so I wasn't surprised when the culprit behind hiring the hitman was revealed.
That barn scene tho...🌶️
Tropes: Reverse grumpy-sunshine, mafia, bodyguard, small town
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Sexual content, Gun violence, and Violence
sdupont's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
This is the strongest Brutal Birthright book so far! I loved Riona and Raylan. They have great banter with their grumpy sunshine vibes in the midst of a mafia/bodyguard romance. I loved the complexities of Riona and the sweetness of Raylan they balanced each other out so well. This is perfect for fans of small town cowboy romances but with a side of action. I definitely recommend this book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Murder
Moderate: Adult/minor relationship, Suicide, Domestic abuse, and Emotional abuse
Minor: Death of parent and Car accident
gwynn0715's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Injury/Injury detail, Pregnancy, Child abuse, Physical abuse, Blood, Suicide attempt, Violence, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Sexual content, and Suicide
Moderate: Death of parent and Kidnapping
Minor: Medical content, Car accident, and Drug abuse
kirstenlikestoread's review
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Murder
poppyreadsalot's review
adventurous
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
ariallbooked's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
slow-paced
4.0
I had to really push through this one!
Riona wasn't really a character in this series I was looking forward to reading about, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt.
The action in this book was supreme, as per usual. It took me a while to get into the romance. I guess it was because Riona wasn't willing to receive love from Rayland for the longest time, but once she finally got there, I really enjoyed them!
Riona wasn't really a character in this series I was looking forward to reading about, but I gave her the benefit of the doubt.
The action in this book was supreme, as per usual. It took me a while to get into the romance. I guess it was because Riona wasn't willing to receive love from Rayland for the longest time, but once she finally got there, I really enjoyed them!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence
thisreadingcorner's review
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence and Gun violence
Minor: Adult/minor relationship
midnightrose_reads's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
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? Yes
4.75
Broken Vow is the 5th book in the Brutal Birthright series. It focuses on the oldest Griffin daughter Riona. In the beginning of the story someone sends a assassin to take out Riona while she’s doing laps in her condo’s pool. She stabs the attacker with one of her hair pins and manages to get away. Callum her brother and Dante Gallo her brother in law come over after she calls them. They investigate who it could of been by watching the security footage of the attack. Riona goes to her parents house for a bit. Dante calls his friend and old army buddy Raylan Boone to help guard her. She’s very resistant to having a bodyguard anyway but specifically Raylan, since they got off on the wrong foot when they met briefly in the previous book. After another attack later on (where her condo was set on fire), Raylan takes her to his family’s ranch in Tennessee, to help keep her safe.
Once she’s there, Riona surprises herself with how much she comes to likes certain aspects of the ranch and Raylan. They grow closer. The assassin manages to find out where she is at the ranch but ends up dead. Riona goes back to Chicago thinking that the threat was eliminated, not realizing that her Uncle and mentor was the one who hired the assassin. Her Uncle Oran also had framed her coworker so that it looked like he had taken a large amount of money from the South Shore project when it was in fact him. He was mad because he thought that the Griffin empire should have been his since he’s the oldest brother (he and Fergus have different mothers). After Riona figures all this out and confronts him at his office Oran forces her to take a bottle of pills to make it look like a suicide. Before passing out completely, she manages to shoot him. Raylan goes back to Chicago determined to tell Riona how he feels about her. He goes to her office building and discovers her passed out on the floor and Oran lying dead on the carpet. He takes her to the hospital where they pump her stomach. She stays in the hospital for 3 days recovering. Afterward they talk to each other about the fact they love each other, and Riona surprises Raylan by telling him she bought a office in Knoxville. She wants to start her own law firm there. Now he can be close to his family’s ranch also. The book ends with Dante and Simone Solomon getting married. A sexy fun read!
Once she’s there, Riona surprises herself with how much she comes to likes certain aspects of the ranch and Raylan. They grow closer. The assassin manages to find out where she is at the ranch but ends up dead. Riona goes back to Chicago thinking that the threat was eliminated, not realizing that her Uncle and mentor was the one who hired the assassin. Her Uncle Oran also had framed her coworker so that it looked like he had taken a large amount of money from the South Shore project when it was in fact him. He was mad because he thought that the Griffin empire should have been his since he’s the oldest brother (he and Fergus have different mothers). After Riona figures all this out and confronts him at his office Oran forces her to take a bottle of pills to make it look like a suicide. Before passing out completely, she manages to shoot him. Raylan goes back to Chicago determined to tell Riona how he feels about her. He goes to her office building and discovers her passed out on the floor and Oran lying dead on the carpet. He takes her to the hospital where they pump her stomach. She stays in the hospital for 3 days recovering. Afterward they talk to each other about the fact they love each other, and Riona surprises Raylan by telling him she bought a office in Knoxville. She wants to start her own law firm there. Now he can be close to his family’s ranch also. The book ends with Dante and Simone Solomon getting married. A sexy fun read!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Violence, and Sexual content
Minor: Death of parent, Domestic abuse, and Car accident
gemin1reader's review
adventurous
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
4.5
This is definitely my favourite in the Brutal Birthright series so far. Love a grumpy/sunshine story, and I really liked both Riona and Raylan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Pregnancy
jenn_reads_'s review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
3.5
Who doesn’t love a badass cowboy bodyguard who sees the fierce badass independent closed off heroine for all she is and loves her without wanting to change her? Who just wants to protect her and love her and take care of her but also recognizes how bamf she is
Forced proximity is top tier always, So is grumpy x sunshine especially when she’s the grump!!!
Their time at the ranch made me happy, i loved getting to see Riona with her hair down (both metaphorically and literally speaking)
Also I was very happy that we finally got some Nessa/Miko cameos, in addition to the usual suspects. And THE WEDDING!!!! I’m very emotional about Dante and Simone and Henry ok 🥺🥺🥺
Read this in one sitting and enjoyed it a lot! I’m honestly not ready for the series to end with sebs book, even if I’m very excited for that one
PS. Totally called that twist
Forced proximity is top tier always, So is grumpy x sunshine especially when she’s the grump!!!
Their time at the ranch made me happy, i loved getting to see Riona with her hair down (both metaphorically and literally speaking)
Also I was very happy that we finally got some Nessa/Miko cameos, in addition to the usual suspects. And THE WEDDING!!!! I’m very emotional about Dante and Simone and Henry ok 🥺🥺🥺
Read this in one sitting and enjoyed it a lot! I’m honestly not ready for the series to end with sebs book, even if I’m very excited for that one
PS. Totally called that twist
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gun violence, Death, Murder, and Stalking