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A review by r1vana
Painted Scars by Neva Altaj
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
A not-so-dark mafia arranged/forced marriage between a mob and an artist.
Tropes: arrange marriage and forced proximity-ish?
I really enjoyed the first 75% of the story but at the end, it kinda went downhill…with the cliché “scared to be married and in love with a murderer”… when the FMC obviously knew that he is in the mafia and murders people. Again, she saw someone getting murder but still….
Nina is forced to be married for six months with Roman Petrov because her father stole over thousands of dollars from him.
Roman, on the other hand, got his knees shattered by two unknowns “fake allies”. He has been moving around with a wheelchair and has been taking physical therapy to get better.
One of his right hand, suggested him to get married because due to his condition, he is shown as weak. So, he decides to fixates a temporary marriage with the man’s daughter who stole his money. Nina reluctantly agrees in order to protect her father and herself since Roman threatened to kill them both.
I really enjoyed that we see a MMC that has a disability and is still able to scare other people (he is not scary but he scares his rivals quite well…)
I enjoyed both Nina and Roman’s chemistry. Though, I wished we had more of it because at the end, it felt like I read an instalove story. And for a mafia book, it wasn’t as spicey as I expected.
One thing I don’t like is how the MC’s always talk about size differences and how MMC can easily lift FMC up in his “big strong arms/biceps”. The amount of time I eyerolled… and Roman is a red flag… that I like very much.
Nonetheless, I will be definitely read the other books.
Tropes: arrange marriage and forced proximity-ish?
I really enjoyed the first 75% of the story but at the end, it kinda went downhill…with the cliché “scared to be married and in love with a murderer”… when the FMC obviously knew that he is in the mafia and murders people. Again, she saw someone getting murder but still….
Nina is forced to be married for six months with Roman Petrov because her father stole over thousands of dollars from him.
Roman, on the other hand, got his knees shattered by two unknowns “fake allies”. He has been moving around with a wheelchair and has been taking physical therapy to get better.
One of his right hand, suggested him to get married because due to his condition, he is shown as weak. So, he decides to fixates a temporary marriage with the man’s daughter who stole his money. Nina reluctantly agrees in order to protect her father and herself since Roman threatened to kill them both.
I really enjoyed that we see a MMC that has a disability and is still able to scare other people (he is not scary but he scares his rivals quite well…)
I enjoyed both Nina and Roman’s chemistry. Though, I wished we had more of it because at the end, it felt like I read an instalove story. And for a mafia book, it wasn’t as spicey as I expected.
One thing I don’t like is how the MC’s always talk about size differences and how MMC can easily lift FMC up in his “big strong arms/biceps”. The amount of time I eyerolled… and Roman is a red flag… that I like very much.
Nonetheless, I will be definitely read the other books.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content and Drug use
Moderate: Physical abuse