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A review by deena_
Savage Lover by Sophie Lark
5.0
5 stars ★
Stop obsessing over Culpa Mia and pick this book up; trust me, it'd give the movie a run for it's money (can't speak for the book cause I haven't read it). You might not get the bad boy hot stepbrother Nicholas, but Nero over here can flip it both ways and keep you turning pages.
──» How would you like to see a downtown machanic and an illegal street racer hashtag the crime pridogy, diving head first into love through unexpected circumstances? Then I'd say you picked up the right book—perfect for the fans of Fast and Furious. I would blindly pick up Nero's book and know for certain that it'd be an epic ride.
Thrill chaser MMC? Check. Rich people drama? Check. Badass FMC? Check. I hate everyone but you trope? Check. Crime, suspense, intrigue and a will they won't they kind of romance? Check, check & check. I love a wholesome bad boy x good girl trope where the good girl isn't really the good girl and the bad boy isn't really that bad set in the mafia world with some police involvement thrown in it.
Sypnosis: Camille Rivera never fancied herself in the rich people crowd around her, running her father's motor shop and raising her little brother were all she worked for her whole life. Finding out about her father's sickness and brother's involvement with drugs, she finds herself in a difficult situation she doesn't know how to get out of. Things get way more complicated as a local cop gives her a dangerous offer in exchange for her brother's safety. To hold the end of the offer, she is forced into the crowd she once detested. In all this mess, Nero Gallo is the last person she should associate with but she realizes he is probably the only one who could help her; as their paths cross more often, she starts to wonder if she is asking for more than he could give.
Playlist:-
・Do I wanna know? > Arctic Monkeys
・Gasolina > Daddy Yankee
・Like a rockstar > Chase Atlantic
・Starboy > The Weekend
・Brooklyn baby > Lana Del Rey
Camille Rivera
-Before I start to express my wider than the sky, deeper than the ocean love for my baby Camille, I'd like to make a formal apology to Nero. He might have walked out of our wildest badboy fantasy and have a perfect score on every ceteria but Camille freaking Rivera just makes me feel things; she got me drawing tiny little hearts on my notebook. There's something about Camille in her work overalls, covered in diesel and bent over a fancy car, messing with the engine; it's too damn captivating, I need a front-row seat to that and my life would be complete.
-The strong urge to tune in gasolina on max volume when she hits the road and shows people who the queen is—it's no joke. I'm one hundred percent convinced she owns that song. She's a total vibe and she knows it; on top of that, she's an absolute sweetheart. Camille is usually the fire extinguisher who keeps herself and other people around her out of trouble but when it comes to her beloved ones, she would go from selling drugs to making bad bargains with up to no good police officers. Though I'm sure her definition of trouble is different since she hands over her heart to Nero, the trouble himself.
Nero Gallo
-Finally, the awaited one arrives! Nero had my heart in a chokehold from the very first book in the series. His all-too-similar personality to Aida—which is to say, borderline crazy, a bit psychotic to be exact—ticked it off in my favor. For all I know, they could have been literal twins. He's impulsive, has serious anger issues, would likely run you over for breathing wrong in his direction, lives on the thrill of chasing trouble and near-death experiences to the other end of the world with his sports cars.
-He is so used to being treated like royalty for his family's notorious reputation that when Camille dearest flips him off and calls him on his bullshit, (since they lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives and attended the same high school, she literally saw him stepping on people and breaking hearts like he's on pokemon go) it makes him want to do everything to break her pride. She riles him up and puts him on edge like no one else, and he finds himself wanting a bit more of her fierceness directed at him every day. He went from hating her to adoring the hell out of her (it's okay, we get you dude. on camille fanclub for life). Might be surprising but he has a big soft spot for his family, the Gallo sibiling moments were honestly heartwarming.
──» Normal couples would go on dates, hold each other's hands, share stolen kisses and secret smiles when they think no one's looking, drive each other home and all those sweet stuffs. Count on Nero and Camille to do it all backwards and make things over the top as always. The only driving around they do is with police cars chasing behind; the only dates they go on are at each other's workshop aka garage to simp over cars and it's machanisms; the only kisses they share are aggressive, 'I hate what you are making me feel' kind; the only secrets they share are of their past traumas. They would bond over their hatred for pick me girls and vintage cars, fall in love while planning big scaled bank robbery. There's also the shit load of confusion and endless mutual pining that follows a mild slow burn. I loved that it wasn't instant love or attraction for them, it had a decent amount of build up before we reached the 'burn bright' attraction. Either way, it was fun to witness.
This book didn't really have all that mafia vibes; in my opinion, it felt more like a college/ university romance, bad boys and bad decesions over one disastrous summer vacation. No complaints, cause even without the mafia mess, the major plot did so well. I was looking forward to Nero and Camille's story for quite sometime and I'm glad this book didn't let me down on my favorite couple. The theme and storyline both were equally interesting. Hands down, best book in the series so far.
“You said you weren’t anybody’s favorite.”
“No, probably not.”
“You’re MY favorite. You’re my favorite person in the world.”
Stop obsessing over Culpa Mia and pick this book up; trust me, it'd give the movie a run for it's money (can't speak for the book cause I haven't read it). You might not get the bad boy hot stepbrother Nicholas, but Nero over here can flip it both ways and keep you turning pages.
──» How would you like to see a downtown machanic and an illegal street racer hashtag the crime pridogy, diving head first into love through unexpected circumstances? Then I'd say you picked up the right book—perfect for the fans of Fast and Furious. I would blindly pick up Nero's book and know for certain that it'd be an epic ride.
Thrill chaser MMC? Check. Rich people drama? Check. Badass FMC? Check. I hate everyone but you trope? Check. Crime, suspense, intrigue and a will they won't they kind of romance? Check, check & check. I love a wholesome bad boy x good girl trope where the good girl isn't really the good girl and the bad boy isn't really that bad set in the mafia world with some police involvement thrown in it.
Sypnosis: Camille Rivera never fancied herself in the rich people crowd around her, running her father's motor shop and raising her little brother were all she worked for her whole life. Finding out about her father's sickness and brother's involvement with drugs, she finds herself in a difficult situation she doesn't know how to get out of. Things get way more complicated as a local cop gives her a dangerous offer in exchange for her brother's safety. To hold the end of the offer, she is forced into the crowd she once detested. In all this mess, Nero Gallo is the last person she should associate with but she realizes he is probably the only one who could help her; as their paths cross more often, she starts to wonder if she is asking for more than he could give.
Playlist:-
・Do I wanna know? > Arctic Monkeys
・Gasolina > Daddy Yankee
・Like a rockstar > Chase Atlantic
・Starboy > The Weekend
・Brooklyn baby > Lana Del Rey
Camille Rivera
➴ He turns those eyes on me, sparing a glance from the road. It feels like a spike driving into my chest. For just a second, I wish that I were beautiful, so he’d want to look at me the way I’m looking at him.
➴ He’s touching me the way he’d touch a car engine—with a desire to fix it. He diagnosed me, and he’s making me run smooth again.
➴ I know how strongly he hates—I can only imagine the kind of love he feels. It terrifies me.
➴ He’s always going to have two sides of him: the side that’s dark and vengeful. But also a side unearthly in its beauty.
➴ I love you so much it hurts. I’m scared to tell you, scared to even let myself feel it. But I love you, and I have for a while.
-Before I start to express my wider than the sky, deeper than the ocean love for my baby Camille, I'd like to make a formal apology to Nero. He might have walked out of our wildest badboy fantasy and have a perfect score on every ceteria but Camille freaking Rivera just makes me feel things; she got me drawing tiny little hearts on my notebook. There's something about Camille in her work overalls, covered in diesel and bent over a fancy car, messing with the engine; it's too damn captivating, I need a front-row seat to that and my life would be complete.
-The strong urge to tune in gasolina on max volume when she hits the road and shows people who the queen is—it's no joke. I'm one hundred percent convinced she owns that song. She's a total vibe and she knows it; on top of that, she's an absolute sweetheart. Camille is usually the fire extinguisher who keeps herself and other people around her out of trouble but when it comes to her beloved ones, she would go from selling drugs to making bad bargains with up to no good police officers. Though I'm sure her definition of trouble is different since she hands over her heart to Nero, the trouble himself.
Nero Gallo
➴ I’ll do whatever it takes to protect her. I’d take down the whole Chicago PD if I had to. I’d murder every man in this city, one by one.
➴ I want Camille like I’ve never wanted anything in my life. I want her to love me. She’s the only one who knows me, so she’s the only one who can. And I want to love her.
➴ I’ve always felt things . . . intensely. Or I thought I did. But every emotion I ever had, my whole life through, is nothing compared to what I feel when I look at you. Next to you, all those other things just fade away.
➴ I won’t ever leave you. You’ll never have to wonder where I went. I’ll be right by your side.
-Finally, the awaited one arrives! Nero had my heart in a chokehold from the very first book in the series. His all-too-similar personality to Aida—which is to say, borderline crazy, a bit psychotic to be exact—ticked it off in my favor. For all I know, they could have been literal twins. He's impulsive, has serious anger issues, would likely run you over for breathing wrong in his direction, lives on the thrill of chasing trouble and near-death experiences to the other end of the world with his sports cars.
-He is so used to being treated like royalty for his family's notorious reputation that when Camille dearest flips him off and calls him on his bullshit, (since they lived in the same neighbourhood all their lives and attended the same high school, she literally saw him stepping on people and breaking hearts like he's on pokemon go) it makes him want to do everything to break her pride. She riles him up and puts him on edge like no one else, and he finds himself wanting a bit more of her fierceness directed at him every day. He went from hating her to adoring the hell out of her (it's okay, we get you dude. on camille fanclub for life). Might be surprising but he has a big soft spot for his family, the Gallo sibiling moments were honestly heartwarming.
──» Normal couples would go on dates, hold each other's hands, share stolen kisses and secret smiles when they think no one's looking, drive each other home and all those sweet stuffs. Count on Nero and Camille to do it all backwards and make things over the top as always. The only driving around they do is with police cars chasing behind; the only dates they go on are at each other's workshop aka garage to simp over cars and it's machanisms; the only kisses they share are aggressive, 'I hate what you are making me feel' kind; the only secrets they share are of their past traumas. They would bond over their hatred for pick me girls and vintage cars, fall in love while planning big scaled bank robbery. There's also the shit load of confusion and endless mutual pining that follows a mild slow burn. I loved that it wasn't instant love or attraction for them, it had a decent amount of build up before we reached the 'burn bright' attraction. Either way, it was fun to witness.
This book didn't really have all that mafia vibes; in my opinion, it felt more like a college/ university romance, bad boys and bad decesions over one disastrous summer vacation. No complaints, cause even without the mafia mess, the major plot did so well. I was looking forward to Nero and Camille's story for quite sometime and I'm glad this book didn't let me down on my favorite couple. The theme and storyline both were equally interesting. Hands down, best book in the series so far.