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A review by literamy
The Darkest Temptation by Danielle Lori
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
i knew this book would be dark. it’s in the title, it’s in all the content warnings, and it’s true to it, through and through. i went through turmoil alongside Mila—through her determination to find her father, her journey to Russia, her optimism and kindness in the face of adversity, and in how she loves, wide open and without restraint.
i’m a character reader, first and foremost. i fell in love with Elena and her sweet romanticism, i adored Gianna for her sarcasm and softness, but i fell the hardest for Mila. from the get-go, she was imperfect, but so wholly intent on her life meaning something more. more than Miami, more than The Moorings, more than being married off to a man who doesn’t love her. i understand people’s criticisms of her character—she’s blindly optimistic, she’s too trusting, she makes mistakes, and she’s imperfect—but that’s why i fell in love with her. her sunshine smile, her yellow wardrobe, her warm heart, and wanting to love so much that it ends up hurting her. in that way, i thought this book was Danielle Lori’s strongest. both Mila and Ronan were SO deeply flawed, and even in this world of mafia romance and fanaticism, there was something real about that. it sucked me right in and made my heart race, and it completely transported me to Moscow alongside Mila.
and as the story unfolded, as the sucker punch of Ronan’s cruel, twisted intentions fully came to light, i got nauseous. i teared up; i felt my belly twist in rage. as we moved into the second act, i almost had to stop reading. it was visceral and too real, and i felt betrayed by Ronan right alongside Mila. the only thing that kept me going was how much i connected with her, how much she felt like a real person to me. and i was disgusted, i felt sick, and then, somewhere along the way, it quieted.
it wasn’t easy. i was so sure that my hatred and disgust for Ronan would stick with me long after i finished—but through his horrible, twisted exterior, little things started to shine. D’yavol, the most ruthless and feared man in the Russian mafia, fell for the sunshine girl he kidnapped, plays candy crush on his phone, eats froot loops, and has a thaw in his heart. there are Ronan haters and there are Ronan apologists, but i fall somewhere in the middle.
dark romances—especially ones with twisted, sadistic themes, with kidnapping, with every single plot point in TDT—are never my thing. ever. but because of Mila’s character, because of how strongly she resonated with me, because of the way this book got inside of me and refused to get out—something got me. this is my guiltiest pleasure of a read, and i understand the criticisms. i understand why people don’t like it. i understand the complaints of it being too dark, too twisted, too much. but, just like Mila, disgust turned, somewhere along the way, into passion. and then, despite all reason, passion turned into love. Mila Mikhailov, and all of her fucking yellow, drowned everything else out. and, like Mila, somehow, i fell for Ronan and the horrible, violent way he loves. it’s not simple, and it’s almost inexplicable, but the way i felt after i finished—awestruck, whiplashed, stunned—that stuck with me long after. and that’s what a good book—with complex but ultimately, somehow, lovable characters—does. it sticks to you, it stays with you.
i’m a character reader, first and foremost. i fell in love with Elena and her sweet romanticism, i adored Gianna for her sarcasm and softness, but i fell the hardest for Mila. from the get-go, she was imperfect, but so wholly intent on her life meaning something more. more than Miami, more than The Moorings, more than being married off to a man who doesn’t love her. i understand people’s criticisms of her character—she’s blindly optimistic, she’s too trusting, she makes mistakes, and she’s imperfect—but that’s why i fell in love with her. her sunshine smile, her yellow wardrobe, her warm heart, and wanting to love so much that it ends up hurting her. in that way, i thought this book was Danielle Lori’s strongest. both Mila and Ronan were SO deeply flawed, and even in this world of mafia romance and fanaticism, there was something real about that. it sucked me right in and made my heart race, and it completely transported me to Moscow alongside Mila.
and as the story unfolded, as the sucker punch of Ronan’s cruel, twisted intentions fully came to light, i got nauseous. i teared up; i felt my belly twist in rage. as we moved into the second act, i almost had to stop reading. it was visceral and too real, and i felt betrayed by Ronan right alongside Mila. the only thing that kept me going was how much i connected with her, how much she felt like a real person to me. and i was disgusted, i felt sick, and then, somewhere along the way, it quieted.
it wasn’t easy. i was so sure that my hatred and disgust for Ronan would stick with me long after i finished—but through his horrible, twisted exterior, little things started to shine. D’yavol, the most ruthless and feared man in the Russian mafia, fell for the sunshine girl he kidnapped, plays candy crush on his phone, eats froot loops, and has a thaw in his heart. there are Ronan haters and there are Ronan apologists, but i fall somewhere in the middle.
dark romances—especially ones with twisted, sadistic themes, with kidnapping, with every single plot point in TDT—are never my thing. ever. but because of Mila’s character, because of how strongly she resonated with me, because of the way this book got inside of me and refused to get out—something got me. this is my guiltiest pleasure of a read, and i understand the criticisms. i understand why people don’t like it. i understand the complaints of it being too dark, too twisted, too much. but, just like Mila, disgust turned, somewhere along the way, into passion. and then, despite all reason, passion turned into love. Mila Mikhailov, and all of her fucking yellow, drowned everything else out. and, like Mila, somehow, i fell for Ronan and the horrible, violent way he loves. it’s not simple, and it’s almost inexplicable, but the way i felt after i finished—awestruck, whiplashed, stunned—that stuck with me long after. and that’s what a good book—with complex but ultimately, somehow, lovable characters—does. it sticks to you, it stays with you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Death, Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Kidnapping, Murder, Sexual content, and Toxic relationship