Scan barcode
A review by bookdust_and_spice
Ruining Dahlia by C.R. Jane
5.0
THIS WAS SO DARK AND SO GOOD AND I WANT EVERYONE TO READ IT.
I'm a big fan of mafia romance and the level of darkness doesn't bother me. It didn't bother me in this one but it touches on deeply dark and traumatic topics:. That being said, it was heavy on the emotional pull while also showcasing an incredibly bad*ss FMC.
I didn't realize this was a standalone in an interconnected series and I'm very interested in going back into the series to read the others.
The patriarchal and misogynistic mafia kingpins around the globe decide the only way to ensure peace between their factions is to promise off a daughter from each family to a rival, entirely based on chance and drawing a name out of - you guessed it - a bowl. This story follows the daughter of the Butcher clan, based in the UK, and how she's to marry into the Italian mafia that runs New York. As a why-choose, you can probably make correct guesses as to what happens when she gets there. The Rossi brothers (Lucian, eldest, her betrothed and next in line to take over the outfit; Raphael, stepbrother with v*olent urges and sociopathic tendencies; Gabriel, youngest and hyper-obsessed with a flavor-of-the-week) may think they've got Dahlia figured out, but she surprises them at every turn. Every chance they're given to learn a bit more about her, they're lured in like moths to a flame.
Each of the MCs has a pretty dark past that has shaped who they are today (with the exception of sweet golden retriever coded Gabey) and while they create quite a toxic storm between them, they will find a way to work it out - especially as the specters from their respective pasts come back to haunt them again.
If you like:
- why-choose, family edition, where everyone brings something unique to the table and there's no way to pick a favorite
- when the MMCs try and fail to stay emotionally isolated and its all thanks to the dark-blooming night flower that the FMC shows herself to be
- protective, possessive, obsessive and jealous men who take every chance to play with and try to break their shiny new toy, but don't you dare cast a glance her way or try to mess with her..
.. you'll enjoy this wild ride. The ending is superb and I felt that the reveal and the closeness that they all developed with each other and as a group was incredible.
I'm a big fan of mafia romance and the level of darkness doesn't bother me. It didn't bother me in this one but it touches on deeply dark and traumatic topics:
Spoiler
s*xual *ssault described and PTSD as a result that takes place in the past, depression, anxiety, self-harm described on-pageI didn't realize this was a standalone in an interconnected series and I'm very interested in going back into the series to read the others.
The patriarchal and misogynistic mafia kingpins around the globe decide the only way to ensure peace between their factions is to promise off a daughter from each family to a rival, entirely based on chance and drawing a name out of - you guessed it - a bowl. This story follows the daughter of the Butcher clan, based in the UK, and how she's to marry into the Italian mafia that runs New York. As a why-choose, you can probably make correct guesses as to what happens when she gets there. The Rossi brothers (Lucian, eldest, her betrothed and next in line to take over the outfit; Raphael, stepbrother with v*olent urges and sociopathic tendencies; Gabriel, youngest and hyper-obsessed with a flavor-of-the-week) may think they've got Dahlia figured out, but she surprises them at every turn. Every chance they're given to learn a bit more about her, they're lured in like moths to a flame.
Each of the MCs has a pretty dark past that has shaped who they are today (with the exception of sweet golden retriever coded Gabey) and while they create quite a toxic storm between them, they will find a way to work it out - especially as the specters from their respective pasts come back to haunt them again.
If you like:
- why-choose, family edition, where everyone brings something unique to the table and there's no way to pick a favorite
- when the MMCs try and fail to stay emotionally isolated and its all thanks to the dark-blooming night flower that the FMC shows herself to be
- protective, possessive, obsessive and jealous men who take every chance to play with and try to break their shiny new toy, but don't you dare cast a glance her way or try to mess with her..
.. you'll enjoy this wild ride. The ending is superb and I felt that the reveal and the closeness that they all developed with each other and as a group was incredible.