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3.66 AVERAGE
3.66 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
fast-paced
I've been waiting for this book to hit my Kindle. The teasers have been super steamy and warning of triggers and kink. The book ended up surprising me. While I would heed the trigger warnings (it is a little on the age gap daddy kink side and it does deal with non-con and abuse and surviving) this isn't as extreme as I was expecting. I thought this would be heavy on the kink but instead its quite a detailed story of two people meeting the deepest needs of one another.
Clay is the Don of the District Casa Nostra. He has taken on additional responsibilities to shelter his siblings and their families from the risks of organised crime. He is somewhat detached and has very functional relationships. He is controlled and transactional in his dealings with business and people. Fawn is the daughter of another Casa Nostra boss. She is vulnerable and naive. Far too trusting and in need of love and protection. Her vulnerability captures Clay's attention. And what starts as a power play to help gain revenge ends up being an all consuming romance. Fawn's naivete is the perfect fit with Clay's dominance and control. She is more than a transaction. She becomes his everything.
I thought I would struggle with Clay being functionally married. But there is a skill in the author's development of the character relationships as you realise the many levels of political alliance and sexism that underpin the Casa Nostra. Fawn is accepted by everyone and there are hints of the power she holds within her and what is to come.
My only complaint is it was over too soon. And my heart sunk as soon as it ended as I didn't realize it was a duet. There just wasn't enough of these two. They were only just beginning to really shine. I cannot wait to read the second part of their story and see Fawn come into her own.
Edited to add info on audiobook:
Holy hotness. This audio is pure perfection. If you’re a fan of Clay and Fawn already then the audio is a must listen. Shane East as Clay is *chefs kiss* delicious. And Sofia Lette as Fawn captures the innocence and naivete (and hints of growing power) of the character beautifully. You fall for her and her hopefulness right alongside Clay. If you’re new to the story, this is so well performed. The narrators capture the power dynamic between the two perfectly. And I loved that the conversational parts of the story are narrated dually rather than one narrator taking on both parts.
Clay is the Don of the District Casa Nostra. He has taken on additional responsibilities to shelter his siblings and their families from the risks of organised crime. He is somewhat detached and has very functional relationships. He is controlled and transactional in his dealings with business and people. Fawn is the daughter of another Casa Nostra boss. She is vulnerable and naive. Far too trusting and in need of love and protection. Her vulnerability captures Clay's attention. And what starts as a power play to help gain revenge ends up being an all consuming romance. Fawn's naivete is the perfect fit with Clay's dominance and control. She is more than a transaction. She becomes his everything.
I thought I would struggle with Clay being functionally married. But there is a skill in the author's development of the character relationships as you realise the many levels of political alliance and sexism that underpin the Casa Nostra. Fawn is accepted by everyone and there are hints of the power she holds within her and what is to come.
My only complaint is it was over too soon. And my heart sunk as soon as it ended as I didn't realize it was a duet. There just wasn't enough of these two. They were only just beginning to really shine. I cannot wait to read the second part of their story and see Fawn come into her own.
Edited to add info on audiobook:
Holy hotness. This audio is pure perfection. If you’re a fan of Clay and Fawn already then the audio is a must listen. Shane East as Clay is *chefs kiss* delicious. And Sofia Lette as Fawn captures the innocence and naivete (and hints of growing power) of the character beautifully. You fall for her and her hopefulness right alongside Clay. If you’re new to the story, this is so well performed. The narrators capture the power dynamic between the two perfectly. And I loved that the conversational parts of the story are narrated dually rather than one narrator taking on both parts.
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Clay Butcher isn’t morally gray…he’s black as sin. A right proper villain in every sense of the word. I’ve only started reading dark romance n the last few months, and even most recently mafia based romances. So I shrugged at the content warnings, assuming this book would only be superficially dark. I was wrong. This book is deeply dark. Violence shouldn’t be sexy, but in this case, it is. There’s a quote that floats around book groups: “pick the villain over the hero because while the hero will sacrifice you to save the world, the villain will burn down the world for you.” When he finally admitted to Fawn that he loved her, I gasped aloud.
There is definitely spice in this book. There are explicit descriptions of miscarriage, violence, murder, torture, and rape. On page. Even in dark romance, a great deal of those transpire off page to lessen their negative impact on the romance. Somehow, even though the explicit description of Fawn’s rape is painful to read, Nicci Harris manages to make the violent vengeance Clay exacts on her behalf sexy as hell. I didn’t think I had it in myself to get turned on reading about a man brutally torturing and murdering a rapist, but apparently I do.
The spice is high, but we’ll written and necessary for the development of the story. Needless to say, though, this book is definitely NSFW. It’s a must read, though, and I’m anxious to finish this review and dive into the next in the series, His Pretty Little Queen.
There is definitely spice in this book. There are explicit descriptions of miscarriage, violence, murder, torture, and rape. On page. Even in dark romance, a great deal of those transpire off page to lessen their negative impact on the romance. Somehow, even though the explicit description of Fawn’s rape is painful to read, Nicci Harris manages to make the violent vengeance Clay exacts on her behalf sexy as hell. I didn’t think I had it in myself to get turned on reading about a man brutally torturing and murdering a rapist, but apparently I do.
The spice is high, but we’ll written and necessary for the development of the story. Needless to say, though, this book is definitely NSFW. It’s a must read, though, and I’m anxious to finish this review and dive into the next in the series, His Pretty Little Queen.
dark
fast-paced
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes