Scan barcode
A review by michalice
Kingpin by Lili St. Germain
3.0
**2.5 stars*
It's been a while since I read Cartel so going into this I wasn't one hundred percent sure of what I could actually remember, thankfully when I began reading Kingpin it all clicked into place, and the helpful refresher above just made that vague memory even more solid.
Kingpin starts nine years after Mariana arrived in LA, then travels back in time to six months, before coming back to the present. I liked that we got to see a brief glimpse into the past and quick explanations over who was who. Going into Kingpin I knew who I liked from the previous book and did not think my opinion would change of any on them....and I was completely wrong with that thought.
The more I read of Kingpin the more my opinions changed of the characters. Mariana to me didn't feel as strong as the previous book, I felt like she has sold herself out for the company of Dornan in her bed, and I just didn't like her changed attitude. I know she has her family to think of but she has fallen too far into this farce of a relationship to ever get out scot free, it felt more like Stockholm syndrome than actual love.
Dornan was someone who I could have gladly given up on, I honestly disliked him so much. His whole attitude towards Maraina, and his wife was downright disrespectful. The shock twist in the plot was a surprise, and a very big dramatic overreaction from him, I really don't see how his actions will make anybody like him.
There was one saving grace to this complete messed up so called relationship, and that was John. He is Mariana confidant, someone who she can rely on and who has her back. He is one of the few people that know he secret, and can be trusted not to use it to his advantage, he even helps Mariana out of a very bad situation. He may not be the ideal person, but he is Mariana's knight in shining armour.
Final Verdict
However, even with John I am so torn over wanting to end this series now with my dislike of the whole situation, but also continue to see how it all ends. Don't get me wrong I like the idea behind the story, and there was obviously something I enjoyed about it for me to continue reading, but the whole situation between Mariana and Dornan just doesn't sit well with me......but I do know this series is WAAAY out of my comfort zone.
Nine years ago, I'd made a deal with the devil. Emilio Ross, Kingpin of the Il Sangue drug cartel, had been seconds away from slaughtering my entire family for a debt my father owed him. Perhaps foolishly, I'd offered myself up in return for my family's safety. As long as I stayed with the cartel and worked off my father's massive debt, they'd be safe in Colombia.
It's been a while since I read Cartel so going into this I wasn't one hundred percent sure of what I could actually remember, thankfully when I began reading Kingpin it all clicked into place, and the helpful refresher above just made that vague memory even more solid.
Kingpin starts nine years after Mariana arrived in LA, then travels back in time to six months, before coming back to the present. I liked that we got to see a brief glimpse into the past and quick explanations over who was who. Going into Kingpin I knew who I liked from the previous book and did not think my opinion would change of any on them....and I was completely wrong with that thought.
The more I read of Kingpin the more my opinions changed of the characters. Mariana to me didn't feel as strong as the previous book, I felt like she has sold herself out for the company of Dornan in her bed, and I just didn't like her changed attitude. I know she has her family to think of but she has fallen too far into this farce of a relationship to ever get out scot free, it felt more like Stockholm syndrome than actual love.
Dornan was someone who I could have gladly given up on, I honestly disliked him so much. His whole attitude towards Maraina, and his wife was downright disrespectful. The shock twist in the plot was a surprise, and a very big dramatic overreaction from him, I really don't see how his actions will make anybody like him.
There was one saving grace to this complete messed up so called relationship, and that was John. He is Mariana confidant, someone who she can rely on and who has her back. He is one of the few people that know he secret, and can be trusted not to use it to his advantage, he even helps Mariana out of a very bad situation. He may not be the ideal person, but he is Mariana's knight in shining armour.
Final Verdict
However, even with John I am so torn over wanting to end this series now with my dislike of the whole situation, but also continue to see how it all ends. Don't get me wrong I like the idea behind the story, and there was obviously something I enjoyed about it for me to continue reading, but the whole situation between Mariana and Dornan just doesn't sit well with me......but I do know this series is WAAAY out of my comfort zone.