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A review by lovelymisanthrope
The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I picked this book up years ago after hearing a Booktuber mention it. I had it for so long I kind of forgot what it was about, so I figured it was time to finally give it a read.
"The Kiss Thief" follows Francesca Rossi and Senator Wolfe Keaton. Francesca is a young woman who is stuck under her father's oppressive thumb. She dreams of starting a new life with her childhood crush, Angelo, until she is kissed by Wolfe. Wolfe has made it his life's mission to clean up the streets of Chicago and take down Francesca's father once and for all. So, when he finally realizes his enemy's one weakness, his daughter, he knows he must make a deal to take Francesca. Francesca is forced to move into Wolfe's ornate estate, but maybe this situation will not be all bad?
I really enjoyed that we got both perspectives throughout the story. Both Francesca and Wolfe are stubborn and to hardheaded to admit they are falling for one another. I also really appreciated that though this was a forced marriage situation, Wolfe did treat Francesca with respect and encouraged her to pursue her dreams and be her own person. Wolfe may not know how to show his feelings, but he is a good guy deep down.
Francesca is a multi-faceted character that never really got to explore her own aspirations outside of what her father wanted for her. Watching her grow and discover what is important to her was inspiring and really made the story interesting rather than just a quick spicy book.
This enemies-to-lovers romance gives very much a star-crossed lover vibe mixed with forced proximity. L.J. Shen really builds the tension, and the smut is well worth the wait. This is not the perfect romance, and both characters are deeply flawed, but it was still enjoyable. Francesca's immaturity did annoy me at times, but I think it was a realistic representation of a woman who never had to be her own person and is perpetually told by men what to do.
Overall, I was impressed by how much I enjoyed this story, and I will definitely be intrigued to read more from the author in the future.
"The Kiss Thief" follows Francesca Rossi and Senator Wolfe Keaton. Francesca is a young woman who is stuck under her father's oppressive thumb. She dreams of starting a new life with her childhood crush, Angelo, until she is kissed by Wolfe. Wolfe has made it his life's mission to clean up the streets of Chicago and take down Francesca's father once and for all. So, when he finally realizes his enemy's one weakness, his daughter, he knows he must make a deal to take Francesca. Francesca is forced to move into Wolfe's ornate estate, but maybe this situation will not be all bad?
I really enjoyed that we got both perspectives throughout the story. Both Francesca and Wolfe are stubborn and to hardheaded to admit they are falling for one another. I also really appreciated that though this was a forced marriage situation, Wolfe did treat Francesca with respect and encouraged her to pursue her dreams and be her own person. Wolfe may not know how to show his feelings, but he is a good guy deep down.
Francesca is a multi-faceted character that never really got to explore her own aspirations outside of what her father wanted for her. Watching her grow and discover what is important to her was inspiring and really made the story interesting rather than just a quick spicy book.
This enemies-to-lovers romance gives very much a star-crossed lover vibe mixed with forced proximity. L.J. Shen really builds the tension, and the smut is well worth the wait. This is not the perfect romance, and both characters are deeply flawed, but it was still enjoyable. Francesca's immaturity did annoy me at times, but I think it was a realistic representation of a woman who never had to be her own person and is perpetually told by men what to do.
Overall, I was impressed by how much I enjoyed this story, and I will definitely be intrigued to read more from the author in the future.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Car accident, Murder, Infidelity, Gore, Death of parent, Physical abuse, Gun violence, Domestic abuse, Toxic relationship, Toxic friendship, Hate crime, Violence, Sexual content, and Fire/Fire injury