A review by em_thebookish_girl
Deviant Vows by Anna Widzisz

5.0

This is my first read by these lovely authors! I've heard nothing but amazing things about their work, and I was so excited to read this book! Deviant Vows is an enemies to lovers, mafia and arranged marriage romance. It's also book #1 in The Quarter Chronicles. My goodness! As soon as I started reading, I became obsessed with the storyline!! And the first couple of chapters! I couldn't even process how fast it escalated, it was definitely action packed! Davina (heroine) and Macsen (hero) are enemies, rival mafia families. However, that's about to change, a strong union needs to be formed and for that to happen Davina needs to marry Macsen.

I haven't come across a mafia read where there  is a woman as a mafia boss, until now. I mean, how can I even begin to describe Davina AKA "Nyx" ?! She fought tooth and nail for her position as Queen of South Liverpool, literally. It may be unheard of a female boss in the criminal world, but she earned her place; she's a queen sitting on her rightful throne. She's definitely a fantastic badass character! She doesn't shy away from confrontation, she faces them head on. Hence, some of actions can be seen as being reckless. She demands respect and to be treated like a queen. Personally, I think is safe to say that when you combined all the mafia bosses they can't make one Davina, that's how powerful she is in my eyes.

They might not like the idea of a female boss, but Davina isn't going to give up her position so easily. She's fierce, smart and resilient. And then we have Macsen, his the King of North Liverpool. His hot headed, possessive and ruthless, and when you think about it, Davina and Macsen are each others' mirror image in every way. Two head strong people; a King and Queen who won't relinquish their powers. They might be enemies, hate each other but the s*xual tension between them is palpable. And believe me, things got pretty steamy.  They sure do love to taunt each other. Whatever Macsen threw at Davina, she came back with a full force with an unbelievable, amazing witty comeback! Some of the remarks she made left me speechless! They are like fire and ice. Yet, they are the ultimate power duo! They are each other's counterbalance. Whenever Macsen was on the verge of losing his control over his emotions, Davina was right there calming him down; being the voice of reason. And you could say that Macsen did the same for her. I loved seeing their relationship evolve, especially from Macsen perspective. Davina may be fearless and strong, but what she experienced when she was younger. My heart broke for her. She's most certainly a fighter and survivor.

**I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review