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corvinascloud's reviews
828 reviews
Can't Hide Forever by Lauren Marcie
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
“take off your own mask. show me everything that’s underneath.”
i don't know what fascinates me more, the criminal x detective relationship or the psychiatrist x criminal one. but this book combined the two to near perfection, weaving the tension and power dynamic between the main leads into a deliciously dark web of blood and lust. i didn’t know i needed a dr. jekyll and mr. hyde reimagining, but this gave me all the psychological mindfuck goodness. i love an unreliable narrator.
i don't know what fascinates me more, the criminal x detective relationship or the psychiatrist x criminal one. but this book combined the two to near perfection, weaving the tension and power dynamic between the main leads into a deliciously dark web of blood and lust. i didn’t know i needed a dr. jekyll and mr. hyde reimagining, but this gave me all the psychological mindfuck goodness. i love an unreliable narrator.
Bound by Betrayal by Elle Maldonado
dark
emotional
hopeful
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
“let me fill all the hollow pieces of your soul, baby. i’d give you my very last breath if i could.”
i’ve been waiting for this couple since book one, amalia caught my attention even more so than kai. to have not one, but two viciously devious female characters (counting helena from book 2) that are distinctively known and feared in their respective organizations, who not only respect each other but are friends? it’s so rare to find and the author did them justice. there was no true rivalry, just mutual understanding of what it’s like to be a woman in a criminal underworld dominated by men and thinking they're broken beyond repair, not deserving of love. i wish there were more scenes between them. just like i wish amalia’s girls were a bigger part of the story. what first made an impression was that she had forged her own faction, all female, and i wanted the story behind it, i wanted to see the different dynamics between the girls. did the female rage make up for it? absolutely, but there’s a lack of strong and empowering female duos and groups in more mafia and mafia adjacent romance and i believe this author can change that in the future.
Chaos by Luna Mason
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
this book made me cry so hard it gave me a headache, of course i enjoyed it. i saw too much of myself in jax, the mental illness of it all really got to me. the spiraling. the self-sabotage. the suicide ideation (and attempt). which is why i wish he had gotten help for himself rather than his family. not that any reason to get help isn't valid. what matters is that it did. but what makes a difference in the long run is if he's getting better for himself. otherwise, if something were to happen to his family and he lost "his reason to live" (his own words), all his progress might vanish with them. is it good he found something to live for? absolutely. but he should want to live for himself. plus, having another character self-harm to pull him off the ledge was very triggering. i'm aware this is fiction, but that bordered too much on romanticizing mental illness to me personally. trauma bonding is one thing, being willing to hurt yourself so another person doesn't end his life is another. that's harmful and manipulative for both their mental health. and it wasn't addressed. just like his therapy journey wasn't shown, just told. i believe that was the biggest disservice within the story.
Mafia Devil by Mila Finelli
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
a part of me wishes this was a full length novel so perhaps the author could have resolved some of the issues i had with “mafia target” and how they transpired in this book. as much as i adore giulio x alessio, this story was about nic and theo, and with it being a novella the focus should have been solely on them, especially considering the fact that the other couple already has their own book (in which the focus was also not on them, i’m sensing a pattern here). i understand that both their stories overlap, but since i’ve read both i wanted something more, rather than spend so much time rereading scenes in different povs, no matter how much i like experiencing each couple through the other’s lens. nevertheless, they were so in tune and in love it made me yearn for it. just wasn’t a 5- star read because one of the reasons they broke up was because one of the mmcs wasn’t out. i know this is a mafia book, i know institutional homophobia and hate crimes are real and were a reality in previous books in the series, but can’t we gays have nice things? not all queer books need to be traumatic and bashing and sad. homophobia can and should be addressed but still achieving a satisfactory happily ever after, with emphasis on the happy.
Sanctum by Jane Henry
dark
emotional
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
if book one was a twist on the marriage of convenience trope, book two did arranged marriage like i had never read before. this was so unexpected, yet refreshing. similarly, just like in the previous book, in this one the fmc was also strong and badass; she was a beautiful addition to the family, and i truly appreciate how each female led so far has one very specific set of skills that they excel at, beating one of the brothers (and therefore creating a different dynamic with said brother that isn’t their love interest – which again, is so unheard of and one of those small details that make all the difference). i can’t wait for what this author has reserved for the series next, these book are great palate cleansers and a quick enjoyable read.
* i was sent an arc by valentine pr in exchange for a honest review