A review by originalbooknerd
Merciless Queen by M.L. Philpitt

dark emotional funny slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

🖤➰𝔐𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 - 𝔗𝔥𝔢𝔅𝔯𝔞𝔱𝔳𝔞'𝔰𝔈𝔩𝔦𝔱𝔢 1 - ℜ𝔢𝔳𝔦𝔢𝔴➰🖤 

 

Author: M.L. Philpitt 

 

Couple: Vanessa Volkov & Zeno Mancini 

 

Tropes: 

♕Female Mob Boss 

♔Slow Burn 

♕TRUE Enemies to Lovers (as in they try to unalive one another a few times) 

♔He Falls First 

♕Forced Marriage 

♔Hate to Love 

♕Mafia romance 

 

Review: 𝔐𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 is my newest mafia romance OBSESSION! ML Philpitt blew my mind with this first book in the Bratva’s Elite series and if they all continue this way I will have a while new favorite mafia series! Vanessa Volkov is a Fierce FMC and in a refreshing twist is the new heir to the Bratva. I LOVED how ML Philpitt had a female mob boss as the FMC and found her POV to be both unique and challenging since she always had to be so on guard. The slow burn romance between her and Zeno was also perfection in this book and really allowed the emotions to shine through between both of them! 

 

ML Philpitt did something a lot different in this book compared to her previous ones in terms of the SLOOW BURN romance. She gave the two MCs time to plot, fall and then choose to go after their HEA while also creating the perfect amount of tension between these two enemies. Vanessa and Zeno DO NOT start this book as friends but we do see some sparks fly between them upon first glance. I appreciated how the anticipation was built up between them and how the POV ping-ponged between the two as the tension racketed up in the initial meet-cute turned meet-hate. Vanessa was force of nature and I LOVED how she went after what she wanted and fought with everything to get it. Zeno was a conundrum of a mafia boss but also had a softer side that was nice to see…especially as he began fall for his sworn enemy! 

 

𝔐𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 was a mafia romance that absolutely sucker punched me but in the best ways! Zeno and Vanessa are almost perfect reflections of one another and I enjoyed seeing them go head to head to one up the other. I also DID not see the twist coming towards the end that pushed them back together for this final time. ML Philpitt really kept me hanging on the edge in this book while also quenching my need for a TRUE enemy to lovers romance. 𝔐𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 was a phenomenal start to this new series set in the Fractured Ever Afters universe and I am looking forward to seeing old couples cameo as well as new couples fall! 

 

Rating: 100+; 𝔐𝔢𝔯𝔠𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔰 𝔔𝔲𝔢𝔢𝔫 is my next mafia romance obsession and Zeno Mancini is a level 5 book boyfriend! 

 

Thank you to ML Philpitt for sending me this eARC!