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amanda_lind84's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
franb_42's review
adventurous
emotional
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
ahelmus's review against another edition
5.0
Viktor and Blaire set a HIGH bar for the best read of 2022. I’ll be searching the rest of the year for books that make me feel the way this one did.
I was obsessed from the first page, dreading the book ending at 9% and already in a book hangover by 25%.
The banter in this book is EVERYTHING perfect and wonderful, it had me constantly biting my lip with a smirk while butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I was reading. These two characters vibe SO well together and effortlessly pull you into their story and it’s SUCH an adventure.
Odette is just phenomenal with her words, world building, character development, the dynamic of each character and their relationships and storytelling. I’m forever craving more of whatever Odette will give to us.
She dedicated maybe seven sentences to what book we will hopefully be getting next and I’m already greedily awaiting all that story has in store for us.
Five flawless stars that are so well deserved for this read—I really can’t rave about this book enough. Pick it up; you need it.
I was obsessed from the first page, dreading the book ending at 9% and already in a book hangover by 25%.
The banter in this book is EVERYTHING perfect and wonderful, it had me constantly biting my lip with a smirk while butterflies fluttered in my stomach as I was reading. These two characters vibe SO well together and effortlessly pull you into their story and it’s SUCH an adventure.
Odette is just phenomenal with her words, world building, character development, the dynamic of each character and their relationships and storytelling. I’m forever craving more of whatever Odette will give to us.
She dedicated maybe seven sentences to what book we will hopefully be getting next and I’m already greedily awaiting all that story has in store for us.
Five flawless stars that are so well deserved for this read—I really can’t rave about this book enough. Pick it up; you need it.
jacquie's review
adventurous
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
3.5
billerdakotah's review
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
katebriar's review
adventurous
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
4.0
kelly_dmh's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-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
4.5
isitcake's review
2.25
Well Sarah MacLean recommended this 2nd book on her podcast, so I read this without reading the first. It's not really a mafia romance but it has a lot of the same tropes with the immediate danger and her dependence on him for survival.
I liked the first 60% when it should have ended with them saving the day but instead there's 40% more book with this sniper plot that ultimately was a REALLY dumb reason for why the sniper was hunting Viktor. But I guess the start of the main plot is pretty dumb too. Like there's so many plot holes to begin with why this "somewhere between illegal and legal" government figure, Drake, is coming to him to recover highly classified data.
Drake takes Andrusha and his wife (who are both clearly from the first book) hostage while he makes Viktor do this task: kidnap wealthy heiress Olivia and her birdlike body from her mansion (which for some reason has tons of media around it at the start, then nothing later? lol), take her to Singapore to her grandfather's cargo ship, have her find a usb drive in a place "only she will know to look for," and bring the drive back to Drake.
Originally it was going to be just the kidnapping but things went wrong so he has to do the whole thing. A lot goes wrong. They smuggle themselves on a plane headed to Vietnam but are diverted to Cambodia. They hire a boat run by the most incompetent Australian captain ever (he doesn't know to get weeds out of his engine) to take them to Vietnam(?) where they meet Viktor's contact. But the most legendary typhoon ever hits them and his contact dies in the storm. Olivia makes contact with her childhood friend-turned lover-turned friend & fellow socialite Pierre to bring them cash which they use to buy passports and transport. They get to Singapore and the ship where Olivia discovers the drive taped to her old raggedy-Ann doll. They take it to Drake and hand it off to his people but Drake dies in a firefight.
Andrusha and his wife are released. Viktor and Andrusha team up with the security company they've formed (they're trying to go legit after being in the Russian mafia) and recover Olivia's Grandfather using non-lethal darts. Olivia and her Grandfather are about to be reunited when she's literally running into his arms he's shot and killed by a sniper.
This sniper has been following them the whole time. We later learn that he was hired to help recover the drive for the bad guys but he recognized Viktor. Viktor has some history when he served in the military, before being in the mafia I guess, where he was stationed in Beirut. Some woman left this sniper for Viktor and he's still bitter about it decades past. That's the reason. Yep... Viktor manages to get himself even more injured but he kills the sniper and then its HAE for him and Olivia even though they've had some talks about them being in separate worlds (she's a ridiculously wealthy heiress and he's a former mobster).
I liked the first 60% when it should have ended with them saving the day but instead there's 40% more book with this sniper plot that ultimately was a REALLY dumb reason for why the sniper was hunting Viktor. But I guess the start of the main plot is pretty dumb too. Like there's so many plot holes to begin with why this "somewhere between illegal and legal" government figure, Drake, is coming to him to recover highly classified data.
Originally it was going to be just the kidnapping but things went wrong so he has to do the whole thing. A lot goes wrong. They smuggle themselves on a plane headed to Vietnam but are diverted to Cambodia. They hire a boat run by the most incompetent Australian captain ever (he doesn't know to get weeds out of his engine) to take them to Vietnam(?) where they meet Viktor's contact. But the most legendary typhoon ever hits them and his contact dies in the storm. Olivia makes contact with her childhood friend-turned lover-turned friend & fellow socialite Pierre to bring them cash which they use to buy passports and transport. They get to Singapore and the ship where Olivia discovers the drive taped to her old raggedy-Ann doll. They take it to Drake and hand it off to his people but Drake dies in a firefight.
Andrusha and his wife are released. Viktor and Andrusha team up with the security company they've formed (they're trying to go legit after being in the Russian mafia) and recover Olivia's Grandfather using non-lethal darts. Olivia and her Grandfather are about to be reunited when she's literally running into his arms he's shot and killed by a sniper.
This sniper has been following them the whole time. We later learn that he was hired to help recover the drive for the bad guys but he recognized Viktor. Viktor has some history when he served in the military, before being in the mafia I guess, where he was stationed in Beirut. Some woman left this sniper for Viktor and he's still bitter about it decades past. That's the reason. Yep... Viktor manages to get himself even more injured but he kills the sniper and then its HAE for him and Olivia even though they've had some talks about them being in separate worlds (she's a ridiculously wealthy heiress and he's a former mobster).