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Bratva Kings #1
Ruthless Reign
𝑺𝒉𝒆’𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒍𝒂𝒔𝒕 𝒘𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝑰 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏’𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒔𝒕.
I’m the right hand to the most powerful mob boss in Russia—everything I desire, I get.
Except for her.
Liza Ivanova is pure 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧... and strictly off-limits as my business partner’s fiancée. She looks like an angel with a body made for sin, but nothing about Liza is as it seems.
I vow to stay away, but that becomes impossible when I’m required to act as her 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 on a trip to London.
When she sneaks out in the middle of the night, I follow her to an exclusive club and find her on stage, auctioning her 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 to the highest bidder.
As if I’d let another man touch her.
If Liza craves the 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧, I’ll be the one to indulge her every dark fantasy.
But one taste will never be enough, and this dangerous game threatens to ruin us both.
I’m the right hand to the most powerful mob boss in Russia—everything I desire, I get.
Except for her.
Liza Ivanova is pure 𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧... and strictly off-limits as my business partner’s fiancée. She looks like an angel with a body made for sin, but nothing about Liza is as it seems.
I vow to stay away, but that becomes impossible when I’m required to act as her 𝐛𝐨𝐝𝐲𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐫𝐝 on a trip to London.
When she sneaks out in the middle of the night, I follow her to an exclusive club and find her on stage, auctioning her 𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 to the highest bidder.
As if I’d let another man touch her.
If Liza craves the 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐛𝐢𝐝𝐝𝐞𝐧, I’ll be the one to indulge her every dark fantasy.
But one taste will never be enough, and this dangerous game threatens to ruin us both.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2024
About the author
Monica Kayne
6 books870 followersMonica Kayne is a TV producer turned proud romance writer. She writes dark and swoony romance novels with a liberal dose of sass and humor.
Her favorite characters to write are sweetly possessive bad boys and the feisty, smart-mouthed heroines that they can’t resist.
When she’s not dreaming up sexy plots, she can be found searching for the perfect negroni and her next K-drama fix. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada.
Join Monica Kayne's newsletter for a FREE short story:
https://linktr.ee/monicakayne
Her favorite characters to write are sweetly possessive bad boys and the feisty, smart-mouthed heroines that they can’t resist.
When she’s not dreaming up sexy plots, she can be found searching for the perfect negroni and her next K-drama fix. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada.
Join Monica Kayne's newsletter for a FREE short story:
https://linktr.ee/monicakayne
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 267 reviews
June 21, 2024
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HFN
POV: dual 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: attempted r@pe, cancer, cheating, death of a child (recounted), death of a parent (recounted), domestic violence, emotional abuse, gambling addiction, gun violence, human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence
Kinky Content: anal play, BDSM, blindfold, cum play, cumming in pants, deep throat training, dirty talk, edging, exhibitionism, finger licking good, fingering, grinding, impact play, irrumatio, knife kink, oral, praise, queening, restraints, sex club, sex toys, somnophilia, virginity auction, voyeurism
standalone: book 1 of Tarnished Reign series
final thoughts: this book was great- dark, thriller/suspense, kinky, mafia with sweet romantic moments and a surprisingly sweet (but only for his girl) MMC.
I felt like I was missing some context and had to keep checking that this was book 1 of a series and not book 2. I wish we got Kira and Maxim’s story first so we could have their background since he seems to be the top guy, but I really enjoyed them as side characters.
I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes with Nikolai- I think that will be a great book too.
read this book if you love
🔢 age gap (13 years)
😬 angst
💍 arranged marriage
⛓️ BDSM
🫡 big MMC
💵 billionaire
💂 bodyguard
🖤 dark romance
🥵 dirty talk
💬 epistolary
❌ ex fiancé’s partner
😳 forbidden lovers
🏝️ forced proximity
🧑🤝🧑 great side characters
😎 good girl/bad boy
👦 he falls first and hard
🤫 hidden secrets
🩹 hurt/comfort
💰 kidnapped
😏 kinky
🔫 mafia
💞 mutual pining
❓ mystery
🥰 nicknames
🔀 opposites attract
😜 over the top, jealous, possessive MMC
🙏 praise
🤜 rivals-to-lovers
🤐 secret relationship
💓 slowburn
🤓 “teach me”
💔 no third act breakup
☠️ “touch her and die”
💳 virgin
🌍 world building
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HFN
POV: dual 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: attempted r@pe, cancer, cheating, death of a child (recounted), death of a parent (recounted), domestic violence, emotional abuse, gambling addiction, gun violence, human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence
Kinky Content: anal play, BDSM, blindfold, cum play, cumming in pants, deep throat training, dirty talk, edging, exhibitionism, finger licking good, fingering, grinding, impact play, irrumatio, knife kink, oral, praise, queening, restraints, sex club, sex toys, somnophilia, virginity auction, voyeurism
standalone: book 1 of Tarnished Reign series
final thoughts: this book was great- dark, thriller/suspense, kinky, mafia with sweet romantic moments and a surprisingly sweet (but only for his girl) MMC.
I felt like I was missing some context and had to keep checking that this was book 1 of a series and not book 2. I wish we got Kira and Maxim’s story first so we could have their background since he seems to be the top guy, but I really enjoyed them as side characters.
I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes with Nikolai- I think that will be a great book too.
read this book if you love
🔢 age gap (13 years)
😬 angst
💍 arranged marriage
⛓️ BDSM
🫡 big MMC
💵 billionaire
💂 bodyguard
🖤 dark romance
🥵 dirty talk
💬 epistolary
❌ ex fiancé’s partner
😳 forbidden lovers
🏝️ forced proximity
🧑🤝🧑 great side characters
😎 good girl/bad boy
👦 he falls first and hard
🤫 hidden secrets
🩹 hurt/comfort
💰 kidnapped
😏 kinky
🔫 mafia
💞 mutual pining
❓ mystery
🥰 nicknames
🔀 opposites attract
😜 over the top, jealous, possessive MMC
🙏 praise
🤜 rivals-to-lovers
🤐 secret relationship
💓 slowburn
🤓 “teach me”
💔 no third act breakup
☠️ “touch her and die”
💳 virgin
🌍 world building
June 25, 2024
The way I would have folded for Roman? Immediately 😌
The way I already loved the two of them in Shattered Crown I knew I would be running to read their book. Monica never fails to write toe curling spice, devastating chemistry & such fantastic plots in all her books.
I devoured Roman and Liza’s book, I just couldn’t get enough of them. They were perfection and I loved this book so much 🥵😩
Thank you for an ARC Monica & team because I needed these two desperately 😌
The way I already loved the two of them in Shattered Crown I knew I would be running to read their book. Monica never fails to write toe curling spice, devastating chemistry & such fantastic plots in all her books.
I devoured Roman and Liza’s book, I just couldn’t get enough of them. They were perfection and I loved this book so much 🥵😩
Thank you for an ARC Monica & team because I needed these two desperately 😌
June 18, 2024
4/5 ⭐️ 3/5 🌶️
- Mafia
- Virgin FMC
- Protective MMC
- Age gap
I adored the MMC Roman. He was pretty much obsessed with Liza from the start and was so attentive towards her. All he wanted to do was cherish and protect her. Liza is a strong FMC, doing what she can to help her family. I liked how smart and realistic she was.
These two were drawn to each other from the beginning and thanks to Liza’s friend Kira, they were able to give into that spark that ignited into more. I do wish we had more intimate scenes between them like the night of the auction and after the opera.
I liked all the action and seeing Anatoly’s undoing. That man was the definition of pure evil. The two side characters I’m very intrigued by are Pavel and Nikolai. I hope we get to read their books in the future.
If you love a mafia romance where the MMC is obsessed and extremely protective of the FMC I think you’d really like this one. It has a great balance of romance and action.
- Mafia
- Virgin FMC
- Protective MMC
- Age gap
I adored the MMC Roman. He was pretty much obsessed with Liza from the start and was so attentive towards her. All he wanted to do was cherish and protect her. Liza is a strong FMC, doing what she can to help her family. I liked how smart and realistic she was.
These two were drawn to each other from the beginning and thanks to Liza’s friend Kira, they were able to give into that spark that ignited into more. I do wish we had more intimate scenes between them like the night of the auction and after the opera.
I liked all the action and seeing Anatoly’s undoing. That man was the definition of pure evil. The two side characters I’m very intrigued by are Pavel and Nikolai. I hope we get to read their books in the future.
If you love a mafia romance where the MMC is obsessed and extremely protective of the FMC I think you’d really like this one. It has a great balance of romance and action.
Shelved as 'dnr-not-safe'
June 19, 2024Self note:
Not for me
The H is obsessed with the FMC, but he has a business arrangement with the OW where he lets her parade him around🤡 The OW kisses him in front of the h, and the H did try to push the OW away because he is not interested. The OW often tries to make the h jealous, and the H did nothing other than tease her about caring for him.
If y’all are curious about the OW, just search for “Katerina” (The OW name) in the book and you will find the pathetic OW scenes🤡😪
Not for me
The H is obsessed with the FMC, but he has a business arrangement with the OW where he lets her parade him around🤡 The OW kisses him in front of the h, and the H did try to push the OW away because he is not interested. The OW often tries to make the h jealous, and the H did nothing other than tease her about caring for him.
If y’all are curious about the OW, just search for “Katerina” (The OW name) in the book and you will find the pathetic OW scenes🤡😪
June 25, 2024
2.5 ⭐️
June 21, 2024
ARC Review
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Firstly, big big thanks to Monica for the opportunity to read Ruthless Reign in exchange for providing a fair and honest review. And congratulations on your new release!!
Our MMC Roman is everything! The way he is so enraptured and caring of Liza is everything. Liza deserves the world, and Roman is prepared to give it to her. I literally could not help to fall in love with Liza, and I truly applaud her strength and loyalty to her sister Sofiya is inspiring.
iI was so excited for this read, having absolutely loved the Kozlov series, and this read did not disappoint! I enjoyed the connections to Kira and Maxim and the ties back to the Kozlov characters.
The smex club scenes were superior, and Roman is the perfect amount of morally gray, protective and possessive MMC I was foaming at the mouth. This is easily going to be one of my new fav mafia romance recs!! 🖤🖤
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Firstly, big big thanks to Monica for the opportunity to read Ruthless Reign in exchange for providing a fair and honest review. And congratulations on your new release!!
Our MMC Roman is everything! The way he is so enraptured and caring of Liza is everything. Liza deserves the world, and Roman is prepared to give it to her. I literally could not help to fall in love with Liza, and I truly applaud her strength and loyalty to her sister Sofiya is inspiring.
iI was so excited for this read, having absolutely loved the Kozlov series, and this read did not disappoint! I enjoyed the connections to Kira and Maxim and the ties back to the Kozlov characters.
The smex club scenes were superior, and Roman is the perfect amount of morally gray, protective and possessive MMC I was foaming at the mouth. This is easily going to be one of my new fav mafia romance recs!! 🖤🖤
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 24, 2024
I was drawn into this story right from the start. Being a mafia romance there is an arranged marriage which is a favorite trope of mine. Then we are introduced to Roman (her bodyguard) and all bets are off. The chemistry between these two is off the charts. Liza our heroine is so desperate to get out of marrying her fiancé. Roman is always there to keep her safe and eventually to have her for himself no matter the consequences. In the end we get our HEA although it seems impossible. I loved this couple so much and highlighted so many amazing quotes. I can’t wait to read more from this author!
June 23, 2024
I couldn't put this book down! I felt for Liza and all the things she was dealing with her family and sorry excuse for a fiancé. I loathed him! In comes Roman to the rescue! Their chemistry was off the charts. The only thing that made me mad was that if Liza and Roman actually talked to each other and told each other the truth they could have worked together sooner to stop Anthaly. But this looks like a good start to this series!
June 25, 2024
Freaking phenomenal! Five stars can you give more than five stars? I loved this book and all the dark morally grey characters and sleeze bags and smex and mafia all the things my kind of book disappoint. This is one of my favorite books.Hands down
December 14, 2024
4⭐️
I LOVE a good mafia romance with a morally-grey (morally-black lets be honest) hero. Like Roman is a bratva man, but he's a good bratva man.
The heat was obvious between Liza and Roman right off the bat, when he was just a little obsessed with her and she was insisting she hated him. I love how she slowly began to trust him with her secrets, and once he knew them he was 100% willing to risk it all and fight for her
So this story is about Liza, who is the best friend of Kira, the heroine from Shattered Crown, but you definitely don't have to have read that story to understand this one!
"You're temptation personified. But I can’t bring myself to fight against it."
I LOVE a good mafia romance with a morally-grey (morally-black lets be honest) hero. Like Roman is a bratva man, but he's a good bratva man.
The heat was obvious between Liza and Roman right off the bat, when he was just a little obsessed with her and she was insisting she hated him. I love how she slowly began to trust him with her secrets, and once he knew them he was 100% willing to risk it all and fight for her
So this story is about Liza, who is the best friend of Kira, the heroine from Shattered Crown, but you definitely don't have to have read that story to understand this one!
June 27, 2024
There is something about mafia books that just put a smile on my face. Liza and Roman pop off the page. The push and pull, the tension, and when they finally collide was so good! Liza is stuck in a situation she would give anything to get out of. She hides the truth from everyone except the one man who can see right through her. He is forbidden, her fiancée’s business partner, but she feels alive when he is near. Roman is a dark man and he has never wanted more than the Bratva until Liza. She is off limits but something deep down in him makes him want to claim her. He will stop at nothing to protect her and give her the world.
Tropes:
•Bratva
•Dark Mafia Romance
•Forbidden Love
•Age Gap
•Virgin Heroine
•He unalives for her
•Protective/Bodyguard Vibes
•Sex Club Fun
•Dual POV
⚠️Trigger Warning⚠️
Quote: “Actions speak louder than words, and I'll show her what it means to conquer the world for the woman I love.”
Rating: 4⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
•Bratva
•Dark Mafia Romance
•Forbidden Love
•Age Gap
•Virgin Heroine
•He unalives for her
•Protective/Bodyguard Vibes
•Sex Club Fun
•Dual POV
⚠️Trigger Warning⚠️
Quote: “Actions speak louder than words, and I'll show her what it means to conquer the world for the woman I love.”
Rating: 4⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
June 17, 2024
i knew i loved roman and liza from the moment i met them in “shattered crown” (the kozlov empire series). they shared such an undeniable chemistry and to see how their story unfolded in “ruthless reign” was truly beautiful ❤️ and being able to see characters like kira and maxim again just made my heart so full. kira is such a girls girl (the sex club 🤭). i knew miss girl was up to something.
i love a good mafia, bodyguard, forbidden romance and monica kayne DELIVERED 👏🏼 this book was everything and more. thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the first book to the new series “tarnished reign” as an arc !! as always, such amazing work. from the plot, to the tension, spice, banter, and unexpected scenes … i quite literally banged this out in one sitting !!
liza, this girl had me sobbing the way she put everyone else’s needs before her own. she sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of her family’s own mistakes and troubles. she protects her sister with her life and does everything she can to make sure she has a better life. i absolutely loved liza. she is a strong and independent woman.
roman … oh this man 😩 from the moment i met him in the kozlov empire series i just KNEW i would love him. mans was ready to start a war to protect liza. the things this man said had me CRUMBLING !! i would’ve immediately folded. and the way he kept calling liza “milaya” which means sweetheart !!! oh i was SWOONING !!
their story was so beautifully written, i can’t stop thinking about it even after a few days of finishing !! i will forever be in love with this book world and i’m so stoked to see what’s next 🖤
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (PLEASEEEEE MY TOES CURLED !!! the club scene … i would’ve folded so fast. where can i find myself a roman to take me to a cabin and forget about the world ??)
i love a good mafia, bodyguard, forbidden romance and monica kayne DELIVERED 👏🏼 this book was everything and more. thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the first book to the new series “tarnished reign” as an arc !! as always, such amazing work. from the plot, to the tension, spice, banter, and unexpected scenes … i quite literally banged this out in one sitting !!
liza, this girl had me sobbing the way she put everyone else’s needs before her own. she sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of her family’s own mistakes and troubles. she protects her sister with her life and does everything she can to make sure she has a better life. i absolutely loved liza. she is a strong and independent woman.
roman … oh this man 😩 from the moment i met him in the kozlov empire series i just KNEW i would love him. mans was ready to start a war to protect liza. the things this man said had me CRUMBLING !! i would’ve immediately folded. and the way he kept calling liza “milaya” which means sweetheart !!! oh i was SWOONING !!
their story was so beautifully written, i can’t stop thinking about it even after a few days of finishing !! i will forever be in love with this book world and i’m so stoked to see what’s next 🖤
🌶️🌶️🌶️ (PLEASEEEEE MY TOES CURLED !!! the club scene … i would’ve folded so fast. where can i find myself a roman to take me to a cabin and forget about the world ??)
July 2, 2024
Once again, Monica NEVER disappoints.
Ruthless Reign is a perfect mix of tension, angst, steamy scenes, and heartfelt emotions.
Roman and Liza have been dangling in the fine lines of wanting each other, knowing they shouldn’t, but still wanting it nonetheless.
Roman was everything I love in a morally grey character, but I ultimately swooned when he realized that something was wrong and Liza needed to”saving”.
Liza’s circumstances were suffocating to say the least. Given what’s going on with her family, I truly felt she believed she had no place to go and tried to do the best with what she could. Anatoly was truly the biggest piece of garbage and every time he popped in the story, I had such a disgust for him 😭. He definitely had everything coming for him.
The buzzing and electrifying chemistry between the two had me wanting to keep figuring out what would happen next. Definitely, if you’re into mafia romances and bodyguard romances, I highly recommend this book.
I cannot wait to see what Monica brings next and if you never read any of her books, I sincerely urge you to!
-eARC for honest thoughts and opinions.
Ruthless Reign is a perfect mix of tension, angst, steamy scenes, and heartfelt emotions.
Roman and Liza have been dangling in the fine lines of wanting each other, knowing they shouldn’t, but still wanting it nonetheless.
Roman was everything I love in a morally grey character, but I ultimately swooned when he realized that something was wrong and Liza needed to”saving”.
Liza’s circumstances were suffocating to say the least. Given what’s going on with her family, I truly felt she believed she had no place to go and tried to do the best with what she could. Anatoly was truly the biggest piece of garbage and every time he popped in the story, I had such a disgust for him 😭. He definitely had everything coming for him.
The buzzing and electrifying chemistry between the two had me wanting to keep figuring out what would happen next. Definitely, if you’re into mafia romances and bodyguard romances, I highly recommend this book.
I cannot wait to see what Monica brings next and if you never read any of her books, I sincerely urge you to!
-eARC for honest thoughts and opinions.
December 4, 2024
I received this audio from Monica as a gift and I am grateful! I really enjoyed this mafia story and the narrators overall were good and easy to listen too.
I’ve listened to some other books that Nikki Grey has narrated and they were all well done. She has this like Smokey smooth voice that fits well with mafia books. It was my first time listening to Stephen Dexter and though I didn’t really picture a mafia man with his tone he read the story very well and kept you intrigued.
There was a lot of suspense and action throughout and the chemistry between Roman and Liza was so good! I love a big ole bada** mafia man who will do anything for his girl and this was definitely the story for that!
Really enjoyed this!
🌟Forbidden romance
🌟 Russian Mafia
🌟 He’s her bodyguard
🌟 Will ☠️ for her
🌟 Age gap
🌟 Possessive MMC
I’ve listened to some other books that Nikki Grey has narrated and they were all well done. She has this like Smokey smooth voice that fits well with mafia books. It was my first time listening to Stephen Dexter and though I didn’t really picture a mafia man with his tone he read the story very well and kept you intrigued.
There was a lot of suspense and action throughout and the chemistry between Roman and Liza was so good! I love a big ole bada** mafia man who will do anything for his girl and this was definitely the story for that!
Really enjoyed this!
🌟Forbidden romance
🌟 Russian Mafia
🌟 He’s her bodyguard
🌟 Will ☠️ for her
🌟 Age gap
🌟 Possessive MMC
June 20, 2024
5⭐️/3🌶️
I have been waiting for more Roman ever since Maxim and Kira’s book! I am obsessed with him and Liza together. This book has everything you want in a dark mafia romance, angst, heart wrenching love, spice and a little sprinkle of murder! I loved seeing the relationship between Liza and her sister and can’t wait to see how her story unfolds.
I have been waiting for more Roman ever since Maxim and Kira’s book! I am obsessed with him and Liza together. This book has everything you want in a dark mafia romance, angst, heart wrenching love, spice and a little sprinkle of murder! I loved seeing the relationship between Liza and her sister and can’t wait to see how her story unfolds.
June 27, 2024
If Monica writes it! I’m reading it!! It was a total thrill ride, sexy, steamy and kept me so intrigued. I absolutely loved this. Trigger warning please check them. I volunteered to read and review this for Monica! And chefs kiss!!!
June 22, 2024
Umm Roman. I will definitely be rereading this book
October 2, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
June 12, 2024
Mafia, my favorite trope in a book. Love me a good mafia romance and this is a good mafia romance.
I hated Anatony and the fmc mom, absolutly hated them ugh. So glad Liza could Escape them and found the love of her live. Ramon meight be my new bookboyfriend. He is everything we want in a man.
I hated Anatony and the fmc mom, absolutly hated them ugh. So glad Liza could Escape them and found the love of her live. Ramon meight be my new bookboyfriend. He is everything we want in a man.
July 28, 2024
Liza and Roman did not disappoint and transformed me into a fan of this author! Liza has been a pawn for her parents forced into an abusive engagement. Enter in his business partner, Roman, who finds himself obsessed with the young beauty. Roman becomes her bodyguard giving the most delicious forbidden vibes. He is protective, jealous and deadly as a major player in the Russian mafia. There are no lengths he won't go to in order to save Liza. I appreciated Liza was resourceful always looking for a way out of her upcoming nuptials without risking her sister. Even more she still showed a lot of love to parents that fed her to the wolves. This book had tension, angst and plenty of danger. I'm so intrigued by the sister's upcoming story because the taste we get for her story hasn't left my mind.
June 21, 2024
"She is the last woman i should want and the only one I can't resist”
Book- Ruthless Reign
Author- @monicakayneauthor
Rating- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice- 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
I really loved this book. This is my first time reading Monica Kayne. I must say I really loved the way she wrote.
The way she expressed each and every emotion. The chaos in the mind of FMC and MMC was felt really easily by the way author has written it.
I can't help but fall in love with Liza and Roman. Liza's strength and resilience are inspiring, and I admired how she handled herself and maintained toughness no matter what life threw at her. Roman's pure dedication and fascination with Liza was amazingly expressed.
The way Roman cared for her and was literally willing to do absolutely everything for her. He had me folded over there. Also the nickname he gave her “Milaya” which means sweetheart. I AM SO DOWN FOR THIS MAN... ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I’m eagerly waiting for an extended epilogue and am particularly intrigued by the prospect of Nikolai and Sofiya’s narrative unfolding in the next book.
And I have to complete my backlog as well..
Book- Ruthless Reign
Author- @monicakayneauthor
Rating- ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice- 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶️
I really loved this book. This is my first time reading Monica Kayne. I must say I really loved the way she wrote.
The way she expressed each and every emotion. The chaos in the mind of FMC and MMC was felt really easily by the way author has written it.
I can't help but fall in love with Liza and Roman. Liza's strength and resilience are inspiring, and I admired how she handled herself and maintained toughness no matter what life threw at her. Roman's pure dedication and fascination with Liza was amazingly expressed.
The way Roman cared for her and was literally willing to do absolutely everything for her. He had me folded over there. Also the nickname he gave her “Milaya” which means sweetheart. I AM SO DOWN FOR THIS MAN... ❤️❤️❤️❤️
I’m eagerly waiting for an extended epilogue and am particularly intrigued by the prospect of Nikolai and Sofiya’s narrative unfolding in the next book.
And I have to complete my backlog as well..
December 18, 2024
3.5 ⭐️
This book stressed me out ! The angst and my thoughts of how is this going to work because them being together felt impossible! Also with the FMC constantly refusing to take to the MMC ……
Slight miscommunication but reading this felt like a must right after shattered crown! You would be stumbling running to this book after that one to see what comes off the ride or die friend to Kira with the horrible misfortune to be forced to marry the devil. And the quiet storm that is Roman the bodyguard with a past! I will say the FMC in this book and her personality in shattered crown feel like two completely different people and not sure how I feel about that.
Monica is the queen of spice soooooo that will always deliver.
The audio performance was 4.5 ⭐️ for me just hearing the Russian words always was cringe and felt force but never completely executed!
This book stressed me out ! The angst and my thoughts of how is this going to work because them being together felt impossible! Also with the FMC constantly refusing to take to the MMC ……
Slight miscommunication but reading this felt like a must right after shattered crown! You would be stumbling running to this book after that one to see what comes off the ride or die friend to Kira with the horrible misfortune to be forced to marry the devil. And the quiet storm that is Roman the bodyguard with a past! I will say the FMC in this book and her personality in shattered crown feel like two completely different people and not sure how I feel about that.
Monica is the queen of spice soooooo that will always deliver.
The audio performance was 4.5 ⭐️ for me just hearing the Russian words always was cringe and felt force but never completely executed!
Want to read
December 20, 2024Ive been in a marriage of convenience trope binge for a month now and i have been obsessed with all the books that i have read with this trope. Not only that but i ate up every jealousy scene and roman being so over protective. Fictional men just always do it right. I needed to read more mafia romances and the writing was so entertaining. I loved the sexual tension between the two and i very much enjoyed the bdsm and spicy scenes. The smuttt was exquisite 🥵. I cannot wait to read more books of this author.
November 29, 2024
This book is full of twists and turns just like I like it! I couldn’t put this book down, I loved it , Roman’s and Liza’s story was amazing good 🖤
Okay so this is a re-read it’s one of my favorite book and the audio just made it even better!
Story line is amazing , Narration was amazing and the spice was just perfect
Okay so this is a re-read it’s one of my favorite book and the audio just made it even better!
Story line is amazing , Narration was amazing and the spice was just perfect
June 17, 2024
Ruthless Reign
A decent read by this author new to me absolutely love the cover !
It’s an exciting enemies to lovers, Mafia, Age Gap Romance, one of Redemption,Sacrifice, Courage and Love.
Ok let’s get into it .
This is a romance story with the mafia bad guy Bodyguard vibes ..
Roman Vasiliev.” the protagonist in this story is the second or is it third in command of the Syndicate had to be a bodyguard to his boss/friend pregnant wife and her friend Liza on a trip to London. But this friend happened to be the woman he is enamored with, Liza, who seems to dislike him for whatever reason until they call truce, they ended up getting closer after a night out to a sex club, not soon after he then found her selling her V card for reasons she stubbornly refuse divulge, but there’s something she is hiding that he intend to find out hopefully before her wedding.
Listen can this girl can keep a secret!
But Liza has taken up residence in his head he sees no one but her, she is under his skin !
“You know what they say, there's a thin line between love and hate."
Yes she is engaged but the girl has big problems.
Liza the FMC is living a complete lie .. this girl is in danger! Her parents had lost everything and ended up in debt which was taken over by her fiancé who is a cruel abusive depraved man.
He took over the debt in exchange for her hand in marriage and her virginity, or so he claimed, this man had wanted her for a long time, back then she didn’t pay him any attention, so of course part of him wanting her is to exact his revenge, and let me tell you this man depravity knows no bounds!
But crap Almighty this girl needs help and refuses to accept or acknowledge it . Instead She has decided to keep her suffering to herself and lie rather than take help from her friend or Roman who she is madly attracted to and is falling for.
"All I need is you, milaya."
Let’s talk about her family for a sec…,
Christ this girl family … her mother is a piece of .. her Father worse..they’re Pathetic, disgusting, unbelievable people, but yet she literally is willing to suffer for them, her sister however is the only good person in her family, The one she is most concerned about because man Liza is engaged to is of the worse kind. So while Liza wrestled with protecting her little sister from his evil clutches her sperm doners were busy racking up the debt and signing Sofia up for marriage unbeknownst to them!
And so the saga Begins !
This is a story about love, sacrifice, and finding courage, Despite witnessing abuse in the pasts,Roman was still haunted by it and knew the signs, he was sure he would do anything for Liza not be in that situation, so his determination and strength is what will take them through the toughest battles to come, I love that Liza eventually open up to Roman and made decisions together on how to deal with all that’s happening with her terrible depraved fiancé.
I really enjoyed the play between ROMAN and LIZA
"YOU PUSHED ME BECAUSE YOU WANTED A REACTION.
YOU WANTED TO SEE
what happens when you challenge a man like me a dangerous man.
WELL, MILAYA, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. GET ON YOUR KNEES."
Recommend this good read
Grab if you’re into
♥️Bratva/Dark Mafia Romance
👠Forbidden Love
🔥Age Gap
♥️Virgin Heroine
👠He unalives for her
🔥Protective/Bodyguard vibes
♥️Smex Club Fun
👠light BDSM
♥️Possessive MMC
❤️🔥Exciting conclusion
♥️HEA
(Some above is my own POV )
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ .5
Please note my ratings may change after I read the edited version. *
An ARC Review
Georgious_eleanorpb 🦋
A decent read by this author new to me absolutely love the cover !
It’s an exciting enemies to lovers, Mafia, Age Gap Romance, one of Redemption,Sacrifice, Courage and Love.
Ok let’s get into it .
This is a romance story with the mafia bad guy Bodyguard vibes ..
Roman Vasiliev.” the protagonist in this story is the second or is it third in command of the Syndicate had to be a bodyguard to his boss/friend pregnant wife and her friend Liza on a trip to London. But this friend happened to be the woman he is enamored with, Liza, who seems to dislike him for whatever reason until they call truce, they ended up getting closer after a night out to a sex club, not soon after he then found her selling her V card for reasons she stubbornly refuse divulge, but there’s something she is hiding that he intend to find out hopefully before her wedding.
Listen can this girl can keep a secret!
But Liza has taken up residence in his head he sees no one but her, she is under his skin !
“You know what they say, there's a thin line between love and hate."
Yes she is engaged but the girl has big problems.
Liza the FMC is living a complete lie .. this girl is in danger! Her parents had lost everything and ended up in debt which was taken over by her fiancé who is a cruel abusive depraved man.
He took over the debt in exchange for her hand in marriage and her virginity, or so he claimed, this man had wanted her for a long time, back then she didn’t pay him any attention, so of course part of him wanting her is to exact his revenge, and let me tell you this man depravity knows no bounds!
But crap Almighty this girl needs help and refuses to accept or acknowledge it . Instead She has decided to keep her suffering to herself and lie rather than take help from her friend or Roman who she is madly attracted to and is falling for.
"All I need is you, milaya."
Let’s talk about her family for a sec…,
Christ this girl family … her mother is a piece of .. her Father worse..they’re Pathetic, disgusting, unbelievable people, but yet she literally is willing to suffer for them, her sister however is the only good person in her family, The one she is most concerned about because man Liza is engaged to is of the worse kind. So while Liza wrestled with protecting her little sister from his evil clutches her sperm doners were busy racking up the debt and signing Sofia up for marriage unbeknownst to them!
And so the saga Begins !
This is a story about love, sacrifice, and finding courage, Despite witnessing abuse in the pasts,Roman was still haunted by it and knew the signs, he was sure he would do anything for Liza not be in that situation, so his determination and strength is what will take them through the toughest battles to come, I love that Liza eventually open up to Roman and made decisions together on how to deal with all that’s happening with her terrible depraved fiancé.
I really enjoyed the play between ROMAN and LIZA
"YOU PUSHED ME BECAUSE YOU WANTED A REACTION.
YOU WANTED TO SEE
what happens when you challenge a man like me a dangerous man.
WELL, MILAYA, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. GET ON YOUR KNEES."
Recommend this good read
Grab if you’re into
♥️Bratva/Dark Mafia Romance
👠Forbidden Love
🔥Age Gap
♥️Virgin Heroine
👠He unalives for her
🔥Protective/Bodyguard vibes
♥️Smex Club Fun
👠light BDSM
♥️Possessive MMC
❤️🔥Exciting conclusion
♥️HEA
(Some above is my own POV )
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️ .5
Please note my ratings may change after I read the edited version. *
An ARC Review
Georgious_eleanorpb 🦋
August 12, 2024
Roman & Liza
Ever since I discovered Monica Kayne's books(the Koslov Empire series) she's been on my auto-buy list. Reading this book was like savouring a cup of my favourite ice cream. I couldn’t put this book down. The passion between these two, the banter, the drama, not forgetting the awesome plot twist. I knew I loved them from the moment I saw them in Shattered Crown, reading their book and being able to see Maxim and Kira again was swoony.
This is the first book in the Tarnished Reign series.
Roman is the right hand to the Pakhan and has taken up a new responsibility to oversee a new partnership, this responsibility collides with the one woman whose thoughts have filled his head and is now engaged to his new partner. Roman had me curling my toes in excitement. The mouth on this man...*fans self*
Liza is engaged to someone hates but has decided to go ahead with it for the sake of her sister and parents. Her best friend has decided to give her a last hoorah before she gets married and her best friend's husband's right hand is tasked with their protection detail. Reading everything Liza had to go through gave me heartache but I loved her independence and brilliance.
What You'd Find
💝Dark Mafia Romance
💝Age Gap
💝Arranged Marriage
💝Smex Club
💝Inexperienced FMC
💝Bodyguard Romance
💝Forbidden Romance
💝Touch Her You ☠️
Favourite Quote/Scene 💝“You've consumed my every thought, my every breath, since we've been apart. Deny it all you want, but you belong to me. You were always meant to be mine."
💝“Roman or God.” He smiles devilishly. “I answer to both.”
💝But it’s over now. I’ll burn down the world, I’ll kill. I’ll do whatever I have to to keep you and Sofiya safe.”
💝It’s all the proof in the world I need that she belongs to me.
💝It's on the tip of my tongue to tell her how deeply I feel for her, how I’d fight through hell itself to keep her safe and happy. I’d lay down my life for her without a second thought.
But I hold back. Actions speak louder than words, and I'll show her what it means to conquer the world for the woman I love. All that matters is this moment, us together; everything else is just noise.
💝For the first time in a long time, I have something precious to lose—someone I can't bear to live without.
💝“Believe it, milaya. From now on, it's you and me against the world. I love you, so damn much, and I regretted not being able to say that to your face every day that we were apart. But it's true, and all I care about is making you mine.”
💝“I love you too, Roman.” It’s the absolute truth. I feel it in my body, in my bones, and down to my very marrow. “More than I ever thought possible. More than I can put into words.”
💝This nightmare has crystallized one thing for me: Liza is my future. I would give everything up for her. Nothing matters if she isn’t by my side. Ever since she came into my life, she has filled every corner of my heart, my mind, and my very being. Now, nothing stands in our way.
💝But there’s only one priority: marrying Liza as soon as possible. She’s broken down my walls, filled my soul, and thawed my frozen heart. There’s nothing more to say. I’m claiming her as mine forever.
💝“I don't know how I got so lucky, but I've never been happier. No one else makes me feel like you do.” His words take my breath away. “You complete me. You’ve turned my world around and made me a better man for it. This life isn’t worth living unless you’re by my side.”
💝Roman is my sanctuary, my protector—my everything.
Ever since I discovered Monica Kayne's books(the Koslov Empire series) she's been on my auto-buy list. Reading this book was like savouring a cup of my favourite ice cream. I couldn’t put this book down. The passion between these two, the banter, the drama, not forgetting the awesome plot twist. I knew I loved them from the moment I saw them in Shattered Crown, reading their book and being able to see Maxim and Kira again was swoony.
This is the first book in the Tarnished Reign series.
Roman is the right hand to the Pakhan and has taken up a new responsibility to oversee a new partnership, this responsibility collides with the one woman whose thoughts have filled his head and is now engaged to his new partner. Roman had me curling my toes in excitement. The mouth on this man...*fans self*
Liza is engaged to someone hates but has decided to go ahead with it for the sake of her sister and parents. Her best friend has decided to give her a last hoorah before she gets married and her best friend's husband's right hand is tasked with their protection detail. Reading everything Liza had to go through gave me heartache but I loved her independence and brilliance.
What You'd Find
💝Dark Mafia Romance
💝Age Gap
💝Arranged Marriage
💝Smex Club
💝Inexperienced FMC
💝Bodyguard Romance
💝Forbidden Romance
💝Touch Her You ☠️
Favourite Quote/Scene 💝“You've consumed my every thought, my every breath, since we've been apart. Deny it all you want, but you belong to me. You were always meant to be mine."
💝“Roman or God.” He smiles devilishly. “I answer to both.”
💝But it’s over now. I’ll burn down the world, I’ll kill. I’ll do whatever I have to to keep you and Sofiya safe.”
💝It’s all the proof in the world I need that she belongs to me.
💝It's on the tip of my tongue to tell her how deeply I feel for her, how I’d fight through hell itself to keep her safe and happy. I’d lay down my life for her without a second thought.
But I hold back. Actions speak louder than words, and I'll show her what it means to conquer the world for the woman I love. All that matters is this moment, us together; everything else is just noise.
💝For the first time in a long time, I have something precious to lose—someone I can't bear to live without.
💝“Believe it, milaya. From now on, it's you and me against the world. I love you, so damn much, and I regretted not being able to say that to your face every day that we were apart. But it's true, and all I care about is making you mine.”
💝“I love you too, Roman.” It’s the absolute truth. I feel it in my body, in my bones, and down to my very marrow. “More than I ever thought possible. More than I can put into words.”
💝This nightmare has crystallized one thing for me: Liza is my future. I would give everything up for her. Nothing matters if she isn’t by my side. Ever since she came into my life, she has filled every corner of my heart, my mind, and my very being. Now, nothing stands in our way.
💝But there’s only one priority: marrying Liza as soon as possible. She’s broken down my walls, filled my soul, and thawed my frozen heart. There’s nothing more to say. I’m claiming her as mine forever.
💝“I don't know how I got so lucky, but I've never been happier. No one else makes me feel like you do.” His words take my breath away. “You complete me. You’ve turned my world around and made me a better man for it. This life isn’t worth living unless you’re by my side.”
💝Roman is my sanctuary, my protector—my everything.
June 21, 2024
I would highly recommend this book and would re-read this again!
Please check the Trigger & Content warnings before reading the book!
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice: 🌶 🌶 🌶.5
Tropes:
Dark Romance
Bratva/Mafia
He unalives for her
Age Gap
Virgin FMC
Forbidden Love
Possessive MMC
Forced Proximity
Smex Club
I hadn’t read any of Monica Kayne’s previous work. So when I tell you that I went into this book totally blind, I mean it! When I tell you that this book had me in a chokehold and on the edge of my seat from literal start to finish, 😮💨 I mean it! The plot was so good and had so many twists and turns to keep you wanting to find out what was going to happen next.
Liza, our FMC is a fierce and strong-willed independent woman who sacrifices her life and happiness to rectify her parent’s debts and social standing. She agrees to marry Anatoly, a type-A A-hole who verbally and physically abuses her. She does everything in her power to keep her sister Sofiya, happy and protected. She doesn’t tell anyone about her problems and keeps everything a secret even from her best friend, Kira. Liza hopes to find a solution to her problems however is re-introduced to Roman, Kira’s bodyguard and Kira’s husband’s right hand man. Sparks fly between the two and you can definitely tell there’s chemistry between the two.
Roman, our MMC, is the epitome of bad boy who will kill you for looking at him the wrong way. Loyal to a fault, Roman falls for Liza and falls hard. He is so sweet and caring towards Liza that it hurts. He literally puts her wants, needs and safety before his own. We all want and need a Roman in our lives! Roman is Kira’s husband (Maxim) right hand man and would do anything for him given the history they have. The biggest downfall for Roman was to find out that Liza is Anatoly’s fiancé. The forbidden love and Maxim’s business partner. He is torn between wanting to make Liza his and burying his feelings for Liza because she’s a business partner’s betrothed.
All in all, this was such a good read and definitely became an auto-buy author! The story was rich in detail, plot and action! I’m sad that the story is over however looking forward to the next in the series!
Again, I would recommend this book for all the tropes listed above as well a story that takes the reader by the throat (no pun intended 😉) from page 1 and leaves them wanting more by page 387 (397 e-book).
Happy Reading!
Please check the Trigger & Content warnings before reading the book!
Rating: ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Spice: 🌶 🌶 🌶.5
Tropes:
Dark Romance
Bratva/Mafia
He unalives for her
Age Gap
Virgin FMC
Forbidden Love
Possessive MMC
Forced Proximity
Smex Club
I hadn’t read any of Monica Kayne’s previous work. So when I tell you that I went into this book totally blind, I mean it! When I tell you that this book had me in a chokehold and on the edge of my seat from literal start to finish, 😮💨 I mean it! The plot was so good and had so many twists and turns to keep you wanting to find out what was going to happen next.
Liza, our FMC is a fierce and strong-willed independent woman who sacrifices her life and happiness to rectify her parent’s debts and social standing. She agrees to marry Anatoly, a type-A A-hole who verbally and physically abuses her. She does everything in her power to keep her sister Sofiya, happy and protected. She doesn’t tell anyone about her problems and keeps everything a secret even from her best friend, Kira. Liza hopes to find a solution to her problems however is re-introduced to Roman, Kira’s bodyguard and Kira’s husband’s right hand man. Sparks fly between the two and you can definitely tell there’s chemistry between the two.
Roman, our MMC, is the epitome of bad boy who will kill you for looking at him the wrong way. Loyal to a fault, Roman falls for Liza and falls hard. He is so sweet and caring towards Liza that it hurts. He literally puts her wants, needs and safety before his own. We all want and need a Roman in our lives! Roman is Kira’s husband (Maxim) right hand man and would do anything for him given the history they have. The biggest downfall for Roman was to find out that Liza is Anatoly’s fiancé. The forbidden love and Maxim’s business partner. He is torn between wanting to make Liza his and burying his feelings for Liza because she’s a business partner’s betrothed.
All in all, this was such a good read and definitely became an auto-buy author! The story was rich in detail, plot and action! I’m sad that the story is over however looking forward to the next in the series!
Again, I would recommend this book for all the tropes listed above as well a story that takes the reader by the throat (no pun intended 😉) from page 1 and leaves them wanting more by page 387 (397 e-book).
Happy Reading!
September 4, 2024
Ruthless Reign is book one in the Tarnished Reign series. It follows Roman Vasillev who is the right-hand man of Maxim Belov, (Kozlov Empire Series: Shattered Crown, Book 4)
Liza's best friend, Kira, is married to Maxim who is the head of the Bratva but is looking to step back. He has a right-hand man that serves him named Roman. Roman is a bodyguard for the girls and ever since he met Liza he can't get her out of his head. But there's one little problem...Liza is engaged to someone else.
Liza has found herself in a situation when she agrees to become engaged to Anatoly. He is a power-hungry asshole who wants her simply to have control over her, which to an extent he does because Liza's family has debts that need to be paid and by marrying him he takes care of those things, including paying for her sister Sofiya’s school, the only important person in her family that matters to her.
Roman is tasked with watching Lisa & Kira during a trip to London. The attraction and chemistry between Roman and Lisa are so high from the start which brings them closer together on the trip. On the trip to London, she sees a chance for freedom, even if it’s fleeting, Roman follows Lisa when she sneaks out and is auctioning off her innocence to be able to be free. The moment that Roman realizes what's happening holy hell let’s just say I love when a man will k**l for someone disrespecting their woman.
But she can't just leave her life and be with him? Can she? When danger strikes, decisions need to be made and Liza needs to choose for herself. But what will happen to her family?
If you wanna find out more about Roman and Lisa and if they get there happy ever after you have to read the book. 😉 promise you won't be disappointed.
Monica does such a great job with mafia romance and this one was no exception! We get the suspense, spice, and angst in this forbidden romance! I really enjoyed the characters and can't wait to see where this series goes!
Book Stats:
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. 🌶🌶🌶/5
Series: Tarnished Reign Series Book 1
POV: Dual
Tropes: Dark Mafia Romance, Forbidden Love, Age Gap, FMC (25 yrs old), MMC (38 yrs old), Obsessive/Protective MMC, He Unalives for Her, Virgin FMC, Protective/Bodyguard Vibes, Smex Club Fun,
CW/TW: Before reading
Liza's best friend, Kira, is married to Maxim who is the head of the Bratva but is looking to step back. He has a right-hand man that serves him named Roman. Roman is a bodyguard for the girls and ever since he met Liza he can't get her out of his head. But there's one little problem...Liza is engaged to someone else.
Liza has found herself in a situation when she agrees to become engaged to Anatoly. He is a power-hungry asshole who wants her simply to have control over her, which to an extent he does because Liza's family has debts that need to be paid and by marrying him he takes care of those things, including paying for her sister Sofiya’s school, the only important person in her family that matters to her.
Roman is tasked with watching Lisa & Kira during a trip to London. The attraction and chemistry between Roman and Lisa are so high from the start which brings them closer together on the trip. On the trip to London, she sees a chance for freedom, even if it’s fleeting, Roman follows Lisa when she sneaks out and is auctioning off her innocence to be able to be free. The moment that Roman realizes what's happening holy hell let’s just say I love when a man will k**l for someone disrespecting their woman.
But she can't just leave her life and be with him? Can she? When danger strikes, decisions need to be made and Liza needs to choose for herself. But what will happen to her family?
If you wanna find out more about Roman and Lisa and if they get there happy ever after you have to read the book. 😉 promise you won't be disappointed.
Monica does such a great job with mafia romance and this one was no exception! We get the suspense, spice, and angst in this forbidden romance! I really enjoyed the characters and can't wait to see where this series goes!
Book Stats:
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. 🌶🌶🌶/5
Series: Tarnished Reign Series Book 1
POV: Dual
Tropes: Dark Mafia Romance, Forbidden Love, Age Gap, FMC (25 yrs old), MMC (38 yrs old), Obsessive/Protective MMC, He Unalives for Her, Virgin FMC, Protective/Bodyguard Vibes, Smex Club Fun,
CW/TW: Before reading
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
Review:
Roman Vasiliev is the right hand of Maxim Belov. Trusted to watch over Kira, Maxim’s wife, and Lisa, her best friend and the bane of his existence, during a trip to London. Will their sizzling chemistry burn into a growing flame or turn them to ash.
Liza Ivanova does everything for one sole reason, give Sofiya, her younger sister, a better life, even if it means sacrificing her own. Engaged to a violent men, Liza sees in London a chance for freedom, even if fleeting.
Roman and Liza have chemistry from the beginning of the book and their pull and push game was very entertaining to read. I loved their story. It was intense and hot, but it was also filled with tender moments that I was not expecting at all.
Roman is a dangerous mafia man, but he’s so caring with Liza. I loved Roman’s character. He helped Liza heal and escaped the gold cage she was brought up in.
Liza is such a complex character. She’s fragile in the sense that she had to forget herself so many times for the sake of others that she’s lost in who she truly is. Choosing herself is not something that comes easily to her. Seeing her grow and be free was so heartwarming. She deserves a life full of happiness and I’m happy she got it.
Some of the side characters of this book definitely had moments where they shined. I loved Pavel’s sassiness and his friendship with Roman, the moments where he messed with Roman about Liza were some of my favourites. I love an unhinged Nikolai and I was hopping to read his story with Sofiya, so I has very happy to discover theirs will be the next book in the series.
I fell in love with Monica Kayne’s writing in the Kozlov’s series, but this book was on another level. I usually don’t love the first book in a series, but this one took me by surprise in how good it was. Monica’s writing was already good, but it got a lot better in this book. I can’t wait for Savage Reign, I’m sure I’m going to love has much or even more than this one.
This book deals with a lot of triggers so you should definitely check it out before you read the book.
Roman Vasiliev is the right hand of Maxim Belov. Trusted to watch over Kira, Maxim’s wife, and Lisa, her best friend and the bane of his existence, during a trip to London. Will their sizzling chemistry burn into a growing flame or turn them to ash.
Liza Ivanova does everything for one sole reason, give Sofiya, her younger sister, a better life, even if it means sacrificing her own. Engaged to a violent men, Liza sees in London a chance for freedom, even if fleeting.
Roman and Liza have chemistry from the beginning of the book and their pull and push game was very entertaining to read. I loved their story. It was intense and hot, but it was also filled with tender moments that I was not expecting at all.
Roman is a dangerous mafia man, but he’s so caring with Liza. I loved Roman’s character. He helped Liza heal and escaped the gold cage she was brought up in.
Liza is such a complex character. She’s fragile in the sense that she had to forget herself so many times for the sake of others that she’s lost in who she truly is. Choosing herself is not something that comes easily to her. Seeing her grow and be free was so heartwarming. She deserves a life full of happiness and I’m happy she got it.
Some of the side characters of this book definitely had moments where they shined. I loved Pavel’s sassiness and his friendship with Roman, the moments where he messed with Roman about Liza were some of my favourites. I love an unhinged Nikolai and I was hopping to read his story with Sofiya, so I has very happy to discover theirs will be the next book in the series.
I fell in love with Monica Kayne’s writing in the Kozlov’s series, but this book was on another level. I usually don’t love the first book in a series, but this one took me by surprise in how good it was. Monica’s writing was already good, but it got a lot better in this book. I can’t wait for Savage Reign, I’m sure I’m going to love has much or even more than this one.
This book deals with a lot of triggers so you should definitely check it out before you read the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2024
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
My thoughts💭:
Liza is forced by her parents into a marriage with Moscow’s most influential man (Anatoly). She agrees for the sake of protecting her younger sister.
Liza goes on a girls trip (or what she considers as her last bout of freedom before her marriage) with her best friend Kira. They are accompanied by a bodyguard, Roman Vasiliev, who is the right hand to Kira’s husband.
Roman has been obsessed with Liza since he met her a year ago. The problem is she is forbidden and she belongs to another man. So he decides to keep his “feelings” to himself.
All caution is thrown to the wind when he finds Liza in a smex club in the middle of auctioning her virginity.
•
•
It is rare to find a strong FMC in a mafia romance. Liza is a breath of fresh air. She shoulders the burden of her parents’s debts to protect her sister even it means marrying an abusive, controlling man. Liza did not accept her faith. She continuously sought out ways to earn money to pay off the debts. She fought till the end. 💪🏽
Roman started off as the typical grumpy man, who feigns annoyance towards Liza. But from the moment he spotted Liza on that stage ogled by other men who are bidding on her at, all sensible train of thoughts left his brain and temptation and possessiveness took the lead😂.
The spicy scenes from here on was chef’s kiss. 🥵🤌🏽
Roman was ready to burn the world for Liza and her sister. What else do we expect from our MMC with a traumatic past. A past which he sees Liza in the same predicament as his mother. I believe that aspect played a big part of his protectiveness for Liza🖤
Liza’s parents are despicable human beings. I wanted to tussle with the mother throughout the book🤺🤺
Overall Ruthless Reign is an amazing read. It is a page turner for sure. We get a mafia forbidden romance, touch her and you’ll die scenarios, spice that’s off the charts, a strong FMC, and a an MMC who is hot, older, dangerous and ready to worship the ground his woman walks on🖤
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Character development: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
My thoughts💭:
Liza is forced by her parents into a marriage with Moscow’s most influential man (Anatoly). She agrees for the sake of protecting her younger sister.
Liza goes on a girls trip (or what she considers as her last bout of freedom before her marriage) with her best friend Kira. They are accompanied by a bodyguard, Roman Vasiliev, who is the right hand to Kira’s husband.
Roman has been obsessed with Liza since he met her a year ago. The problem is she is forbidden and she belongs to another man. So he decides to keep his “feelings” to himself.
All caution is thrown to the wind when he finds Liza in a smex club in the middle of auctioning her virginity.
•
•
It is rare to find a strong FMC in a mafia romance. Liza is a breath of fresh air. She shoulders the burden of her parents’s debts to protect her sister even it means marrying an abusive, controlling man. Liza did not accept her faith. She continuously sought out ways to earn money to pay off the debts. She fought till the end. 💪🏽
Roman started off as the typical grumpy man, who feigns annoyance towards Liza. But from the moment he spotted Liza on that stage ogled by other men who are bidding on her at, all sensible train of thoughts left his brain and temptation and possessiveness took the lead😂.
The spicy scenes from here on was chef’s kiss. 🥵🤌🏽
Roman was ready to burn the world for Liza and her sister. What else do we expect from our MMC with a traumatic past. A past which he sees Liza in the same predicament as his mother. I believe that aspect played a big part of his protectiveness for Liza🖤
Liza’s parents are despicable human beings. I wanted to tussle with the mother throughout the book🤺🤺
Overall Ruthless Reign is an amazing read. It is a page turner for sure. We get a mafia forbidden romance, touch her and you’ll die scenarios, spice that’s off the charts, a strong FMC, and a an MMC who is hot, older, dangerous and ready to worship the ground his woman walks on🖤
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