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Made #3
The Darkest Temptation
"This story is dark romance at its best. Simply perfection!" – Charmaine Pauls, USA Today bestselling author A fortune teller once told Mila she’d find a man who would take her breath away. She refrained from telling her it would be literally while Mila ran for her life. Having always done what is expected of her, Mila dresses the part, only dates college boys with exemplary backgrounds, and doesn’t ask questions. Not about her papa’s absences or his refusal to let her set foot in her birthplace—Russia. Suffocated by the rules and unanswered questions, Mila does what she’s always wanted to. She boards a plane to Moscow. She never expected to fall for a man on the way. One with unexplained wealth, tattoos on his hands, and secrets in his eyes. But it doesn’t take long for his caress to become a rough grasp muffling her screams. Revenge is a dish best served cold. Unfortunately, a Russian winter is the coldest of them all, and Mila soon learns the only way to escape intact is to do the impossible and thaw her captor’s heart.
410 pages, Kindle Edition
First published December 10, 2020
About the author
Danielle Lori
10 books16.4k followersDanielle Lori's novels incorporate morally questionable heroes, electric hate to love relationships, and sometimes sweet but mostly sassy heroines. She has written in both the fantasy subgenre as well as contemporary, but will never stray from romance.
A normal day for her includes coffee, bodice rippers, and 1990s chick flicks. She lives in small-town Iowa with her husband, son, and too many dogs.
UPCOMING RELEASES: MY DEAR HUSBAND, THE VINTAGE CLUB, & THE PUREST ADDICTION (MADE #4)
Website: https://daniellelori.com
Email: authordaniellelori@gmail.com
Facebook page: @authordaniellelori
Newsletter: http://eepurl.com/cO0fB9
Instagram: @danielleloriwrites
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 12,765 reviews
March 8, 2021
5 narcissistic 🌟
Believe it or not : Spoiler Free Review
“Why are you such a hippie?”
“Why are you such a mobster?”
So, anyone who knows me knows this is one of my all time favorite series. It really be like this :
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 : 𝘀𝗼 𝗜’𝗺 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗮 𝗿𝗲𝗰-
𝗠𝗲 : 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝗯𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗶.
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲𝗼𝗻𝗲 : 𝘆𝗲𝘀, 𝗯𝘂𝘁-
𝗠𝗲 : 𝗠𝗮𝗱𝗲. 𝗦𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗲𝘀. 𝗗𝗮𝗻𝗶𝗲𝗹𝗹𝗲. 𝗟𝗼𝗿𝗶.
I have a plethora of commitment issues and, usually, I can’t read past 2/3 books of a series before they come out full force, but for this series? ᶜᵒᵐᵐⁱᵗᵐᵉⁿᵗ ⁱˢˢᵘᵉˢ???
Any-always-rambling way, back to the book. This was everything I wanted and much, much, more.
You know when you read a book and everything, from the writing, to the characters, romance, just everything works for you and you have that stupid lovesick smile from beginning to end? The only time you’re hurting is when you realize you’re nearing the end of the book, and that just breaks your heart? And once you finish and close the book, you take a deep breath and smile wistfully while thinking to yourself what a time to be alive and what a way to end a truly shitty year? This was that book for me.
“I’d follow this man to the fiery gates of hell if he just held my hand.”
𝐖 𝐑 𝐈 𝐓 𝐈 𝐍 𝐆
“Heavy breaths and Russian words. Stars on his shoulders. Stars in my eyes.”
If you’re lucky, once in a lifetime (or more than once, but that’s if you personally robbed the remaining 7B people of their chance at luck), you stumble upon an author whose words speak to your soul. Whose characters take residence in your heart. Whose descriptions are vividly painted on your eyelids. All you need to do is close your eyes, and you’re transported to another world, another life, another dimension, in which your acne clears, your crops grow, your boss gives you a raise and your student loans simply vanish.
“What do you want?”
Anything.
Everything.
You don’t read about the characters, you are the characters. Every stomach drop, butterfly flight, feather-light touch, soft whisper, you feel it all. Oh, and that author? It’s undoubtedly Danielle Lori for me. She definitely brought her A-game to tell Ronan and Mila’s story, and it shows in the way they jump off the page and suck you in.
“Ivory skin and goose bumps. Soaked Brioni and tattoos. Selflessness and greed.”
𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐑 𝐀 𝐂 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐒
— MILA MIKHAILOV
“In this world, things weren’t black and white.
I preferred yellow anyway.”
Each heroine in the Made universe is looking for something. And what I love about it is that, yes, she finds it in the hero, but she also succeeds in finding it in herself by the end.
Elena was looking for romance, for love, for her happily ever after.
Gianna was looking for acceptance, for her to be seen, appreciated and loved for who she was, for her to feel worthy.
And Mila? Mila is looking for home. It’s in her quest for home that she boards that plane to Russia.
Yes, she starts out extremely naïve, but that’s a byproduct of her upbringing. And along the way, you witness her grow into herself, break out of the silent disappointment of her father and find her place in the world she had no idea she existed in.
𝗜𝗿𝗿𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘃𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗼𝗶𝗻𝗲 : ᴵᵐ ᵃ ʳᵃʸ ᵒᶠ ˢᵘⁿˢʰⁱⁿᵉ
𝗠𝗶𝗹𝗮 : 𝗯𝗶𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗵 𝗜’𝗺 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗵𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗱𝗮𝗺𝗻 𝗦 𝗨 𝗡
And it’s true. Mila has the power to bring light to the darkest places, warm up the coldest hearts, but she also won’t hesitate to burn you down on the spot if need be. Yes, people. We finally have a heroine who’s sweet, soft but no fucking doormat. This girl gives as good as she gets. The sass and sarcasm on her, I’m desperately in love. 😭
“I wouldn’t hand this devil my soul.
If he wanted it, he’d have to rip it from my chest.”
Mila is the kind of person who’ll help you, no matter how much you hurt her, and even knowing you’d hurt her again. That doesn’t make her a weak person, it just means that she refuses to have her heart corrupted by the darkness of the world. In time of despair, hopelessness and misery, we all look for the saving grace. The light in the dark. The beauty in the ugliness, and the little spark of hope. That little spark is Mila, and if you just nurture her, she’d light up your whole universe, and she’ll show you that there’s beauty in grey.
“It’s just so romantic. A Russian winter wonderland, very sturdy medieval doors, and an age gap. I’m living in a Disney movie.”
I think it’s pretty clear by now that I absolutely loved her. The way she always kisses Ronan’s scar deserves a special mention, because it made me so soft. And I don’t do soft, y’all. 🥺
— RONAN (MARKOV?) ALLISTER
“Handsome in the way rough palms muffle screams, the way people bow to kings, and most of all . . . the way an angel falls from grace.”
Similar to the heroines, all the Made heroes have distinct personalities, and something that fuels their actions.
Nico is impulsive. That Russo blood in him want what it wants, and it wants it now, regardless of the consequences.
Christian cannot function without complete and utter control, because he’s been denied it for the better part of his life.
And Ronan? Ronan doesn’t know how to feel. All he’s ever known is violence and abuse, he cannot come into terms with the fact he..has feelings, much less for someone.
“Instead of enjoying the sight, I experienced an urge to pull the fabric down and wondered if this was what human decency felt like. Slightly nauseating.”
Ronan is everything I wish for in an anti-hero : dark, brutal, unhinged, fucking crazy, possessive, and the list goes on. But he’s so freakin’ funny too. This man could order for someone to be cut to pieces, while eating his Fruit Loops and playing Candy Crush. 😂
He’s made a name for himself as the Devil of Moscow, a reputation he maintains by being aloof, uncaring, jaded and ruthless. His name is whispered with fear and reverence in the darkest corners of Moscow, and he controls his city with an iron grip.
“Ronan . . . did Moscow get an Eiffel Tower of its own recently?”
“I would never allow that kind of romantic tourism in my city.”
What I absolutely adored about Ronan is that, while you could see the unhinged mobster in him, you could also feel the lost little boy inside of him. The one who doesn’t know how to love because he wasn’t taught how. The one who doesn’t know how to trust because people always betray you. And the one who doesn’t know how to care because people always leave you.
“Am I that easy to leave, kotyonok?”
Look, I can spend the whole night here just talking about all the ways I’m obsessed with Ronan. But they say a picture is worth a thousand words, so here :
✨for all my classy peeps
✨for all my hoes
Watching Ronan come to terms with his feelings for Mila was funny, entertaining, swoon worthy and emotional.
𝐑 𝐎 𝐌 𝐀 𝐍 𝐂 𝐄
“The moonlight loved her.
But not as much as my shadows.”
These two were incredibly perfect for each other. They’re a match in every possible way, and I can’t imagine either of them being with anybody else.
“Ivory and tan skin. French-tipped nails and tattoos. Soft and rough.”
The transition from soft crush, to a captive/captor dynamic, to more was smooth, heartfelt and utterly addictive. I couldn’t get enough of the banter, chemistry and steam. Ronan & Mila were ON FIRE together.
Honestly, if my man doesn’t teach me the ABC’s like Ronan, I don’t want him.
“Does it make you feel big and strong to push me around?”
“No. It makes me hard.”
“You should treat me like anyone else who happens to look at you the wrong way.”
“I find your sacrificial lamb mentality nauseating.”
me lying down bc I can’t carry all this single shit anymore
Ever since Mila met Ronan, she felt something for him. That something went through ups and downs, highs and lows, from one extreme to the other, until it settled on the kind that last forever and beyond. As for Ronan, from the moment a yellow, rebellious, heart-on-her-sleeve girl ran quite literally into him, he stood absolutely no chance. It was just a matter of owning up to it, which he did by the end.
I love what each of them brought to the other.
Mila found herself, stretched her wings and discovered the infinitely deep pools of strength inside of her, while Ronan discovered that even the blackest of hearts still beats, that just because there’s darkness doesn’t mean there cannot also be light, and that the marriage of both-darkness and light- can give life to the most beautiful of greys.
“I loved his black and his gray and every shade in between.”
𝐒 𝐈 𝐃 𝐄 𝐂 𝐇 𝐀 𝐑 𝐀 𝐂 𝐓 𝐄 𝐑 𝐒
— YULIA, THE MAID
Her interactions with Mila were so fun. It’s a Danielle Lori book when the side characters are as interesting and amazing as the main ones. ✨
“Just let me die here in peace.”
“I like this room. Go die downstairs.”
— ROYALTY AKA THE ALLISTER FAMILY
𝗠𝗲 : 𝗢𝗠𝗚 𝗜 𝗛𝗔𝗩𝗘 𝗡𝗘𝗩𝗘𝗥 𝗟𝗢𝗩𝗘𝗗 𝗔 𝗛𝗘𝗥𝗢 𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗦 𝗛𝗔𝗥𝗗 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗬 𝗘𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗥𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘
*𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗔𝗹𝗹𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘁𝘂𝗺𝗯𝗹𝗲𝗿 𝗼𝗳 𝘃𝗼𝗱𝗸𝗮 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗵𝗮𝗻𝗱*
𝗠𝗲 : 𝗨𝗠 𝗢𝗞𝗔𝗬… 𝗜- 𝗰𝗮𝗻 𝗜- 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲- 𝗕𝗢𝗧𝗛❓
*𝗖𝗵𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝘀𝗶𝗽𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘃𝗼𝗱𝗸𝗮, 𝗰𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹𝘆 𝘂𝗻𝗯𝗼𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱, 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗻𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗲𝘆𝗲*
𝗠𝗲 : 𝗜’𝗺 𝘀𝗼𝗿𝗿𝘆, 𝗟𝗢𝗥𝗗 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗠𝗔𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥, 𝗠𝗬 𝗪𝗛𝗢𝗟𝗘 𝗟𝗜𝗙𝗘 𝗜𝗦 𝗗𝗘𝗗𝗜𝗖𝗔𝗧𝗘𝗗 𝗧𝗢 𝗪𝗢𝗥𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗣𝗜𝗡𝗚 𝗬𝗢𝗨 𝗦𝗜𝗥 𝗔𝗡𝗗 𝗙𝗢𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗩𝗘 𝗠𝗘 𝗜𝗙 𝗜 𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗔𝗧 𝗪𝗜𝗧𝗛 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗕𝗥𝗢𝗧𝗛𝗘𝗥
Y’ALL. If you think you can’t handle one Allister brother, imagine having BOTH on the page. Those murdered trees are honored and blessed. The laptop this was written on has never been better. My glasses? I don’t need them anymore, my vision is now 10/10. I just wanna ask Christian and Gianna what’s it like to be the most iconic couple in the universe. 😭
Their scenes honest to God gave me life.
Christian talking about his love for Gianna gave me life.
“I loved Gianna for years before she ever even looked at me. Love isn’t hearts and flowers. Sometimes, it fucking sucks.”
Gianna’s advice to Mila gave me life.
“Just remember . . . you have a goddess inside you.” She stepped into the hall and turned to look at me. “You just have to find her.”
The bond between the two brothers gave me life.
“Ivan lunged for me but halted when Kristian pulled out his gun and aimed it at his head, tumbler still in hand.”
Christian and Kat interactions gave me life.
“He lifted her, and she gave him a kiss on the cheek.
“I love you, Papa.”
His eyes softened. “I love you too, malen’kaya volchitsa.”
Kat absolutely shredding someone who was rude to her mom gave me life.
“I’m sure you’re only so rude because of lots of past ’motional trauma.” Then she added, “No offense, of course.”
Basically? If you see me (or my friend Phuong for that matter) screaming about this family, and now RonanMila, everywhere for the foreseeable future, mind your own business. 😌
healthy is overrated anyways
Lastly,
“Darkness there, and nothing more”
In darkness lays some of most beautiful things in existence. It’s just a matter of dragging them to the light, joining them in the dark or swimming in an ocean of grey, in the middle.
January 8, 2022
DISCLAIMER: racist author, i don’t support her and you shouldn’t either
ok y’all… so this one grew on me. first few chapters i was like 😵💫 and before i knew it i’m ovulating on the my bedsheets😩
these scenes had me feeling all the emotions. one minute i’m clawing the sheeting and the next im screeching off the top of my lungs. i was legit laughing out loud. i was bawling my eyes out at some scenes. i lit up like a god damn firework. maybe because i’m so easily entertained
ronan is funny af and when this mf speaks russian, i start queefing. i fucking love him and his shadows. bruhhhh to be mila…kinda.
mila i liked her. she was annoying sometimes but overall a funny character to read about. they really are like yin and yang together.
if anything this book felt like 50 pages longer than it should have been
final rank of made men/ couples
men: ronan & christian are on the same level tbh (i can’t choose) then Nico
couples: christian & gianna , ronan & mila , nico & elena
ok y’all… so this one grew on me. first few chapters i was like 😵💫 and before i knew it i’m ovulating on the my bedsheets😩
these scenes had me feeling all the emotions. one minute i’m clawing the sheeting and the next im screeching off the top of my lungs. i was legit laughing out loud. i was bawling my eyes out at some scenes. i lit up like a god damn firework. maybe because i’m so easily entertained
ronan is funny af and when this mf speaks russian, i start queefing. i fucking love him and his shadows. bruhhhh to be mila…kinda.
mila i liked her. she was annoying sometimes but overall a funny character to read about. they really are like yin and yang together.
if anything this book felt like 50 pages longer than it should have been
final rank of made men/ couples
men: ronan & christian are on the same level tbh (i can’t choose) then Nico
couples: christian & gianna , ronan & mila , nico & elena
February 15, 2021
My review for this mysteriously disappeared. Which is very annoying. Needless to say. I loved the shit out of this. Loved loved loved.
December 1, 2020
edit: DISCLAIMER! Y’all getting mad in the comments and at this point it’s a little cyclical.
You’re mad I got an ARC for a book I didn’t like. I guess the whole “honest review” part is hard to understand. I love Danielle Lori’s writing. I think she’s fantastic and I buy all her books. The reason for the 1 star is exclusively for the sexual assault that happens in the book. I’m not gonna debate with y’all on what constitutes sexual assault because not only is that offensive but you’ve lost the argument before you’ve started with me.
You’re pissed I didn’t like it and reviewed. I’m upset I didn’t like it and still had to review. I don’t like giving 1 star on an ARC. I was asked to give an honest review so I did. If you’re gonna get judgemental and mad about how I feel on certain topics then go somewhere else and mind your business.
****
Guys... I really didn't want to do this.
I'm actually so sad. And I hate to say this but this book top to bottom wasn't for me.
Listen, I live for this series. Sweetest Oblivion is one of my favourite books ever and Maddest Obsession was incredible as well....
But this book feels like a completely different world. It doesn't even kind of feel similar. The writing is there! It's well written but the content is just not for me in every way possible.
I really really didn't want to rate this poorly, I was even planning on giving it at least 3 stars because despite my personal preferences, it's a good book (for someone else). But then something happened at 30% and I can't not rate at this point.
Now the things that just weren't for me, but are hugely my personal preference:
- Age gap. Some people don't care about an age gap, some people love it. But for me it's a huge turn off and I almost always DNF books with a huge age gap. Especially when we're talking over a decade. And a kid who's a teenager (or in this case JUST turned 20, literally the day the book starts).
And in defence of this series, TSO had a bit of an age gap. Elena was 21 to Nico's 29. But, they were in the same age group and maturity levels. in TMO Gianna and Christian had an 4 or 5 year difference I think but because Gianna was all over the place mentally, she wasn't ready for a healthy relationship until 28.
What we've got here... is one of the most immature heroines of all time. So supremely naive. It wasn't just that she was sheltered but she was almost incapable of putting two and two together to the point where she got TSTL and got herself kidnapped. And I'm saying "got herself" because it's exclusively her fault that she found herself in this situation.
-Captive/Stockholm shit. Now some of y'all are really into that. And to each their own kink. It personally creeps me out and chafes with my ethics but whatever. And in my defence, I added this to my TBR before the blurb even came out so I never even saw the bottom line that hints at captivity... And I wasn't constantly checking it as things and teasers were released to see if it wouldn't be for me. And the rest of the series is about women who've been raised in the mafia. They know what they're getting into and understand the violence that's always a step or two away from them.
-I didn't feel any real chemistry between Ronan and Mila. But, again, that's subjective. But but but, this series has always been dripping in chemistry for me so it was strange that I couldn't connect with it here.
All those personal preferences aside, those aren’t always hard no’s for me. And with the tone of the other two books I didn’t think it’d be something I wouldn’t like. It sucks but that’s not my reason for the rating...
***
Now for the stuff that isn't a personal preference and is just not ok. And I'll put it in a spoiler warning in case you don't wanna know.
I'm frustrated because I waited 9 months for this book, and admittedly, I probably hyped it up too much in my mind. But based on how the previous two books went I thought Darkest Temptation would be a guaranteed win for me.
But unfortunately it wasn't. And I'm really bummed about it. Especially because I got it as an ARC and I feel really rude not liking something I was generously gifted 😓
That being said I'm not giving up on this series and I sure as hell will read the next two books.
You’re mad I got an ARC for a book I didn’t like. I guess the whole “honest review” part is hard to understand. I love Danielle Lori’s writing. I think she’s fantastic and I buy all her books. The reason for the 1 star is exclusively for the sexual assault that happens in the book. I’m not gonna debate with y’all on what constitutes sexual assault because not only is that offensive but you’ve lost the argument before you’ve started with me.
You’re pissed I didn’t like it and reviewed. I’m upset I didn’t like it and still had to review. I don’t like giving 1 star on an ARC. I was asked to give an honest review so I did. If you’re gonna get judgemental and mad about how I feel on certain topics then go somewhere else and mind your business.
****
Guys... I really didn't want to do this.
I'm actually so sad. And I hate to say this but this book top to bottom wasn't for me.
Listen, I live for this series. Sweetest Oblivion is one of my favourite books ever and Maddest Obsession was incredible as well....
But this book feels like a completely different world. It doesn't even kind of feel similar. The writing is there! It's well written but the content is just not for me in every way possible.
I really really didn't want to rate this poorly, I was even planning on giving it at least 3 stars because despite my personal preferences, it's a good book (for someone else). But then something happened at 30% and I can't not rate at this point.
Now the things that just weren't for me, but are hugely my personal preference:
- Age gap. Some people don't care about an age gap, some people love it. But for me it's a huge turn off and I almost always DNF books with a huge age gap. Especially when we're talking over a decade. And a kid who's a teenager (or in this case JUST turned 20, literally the day the book starts).
And in defence of this series, TSO had a bit of an age gap. Elena was 21 to Nico's 29. But, they were in the same age group and maturity levels. in TMO Gianna and Christian had an 4 or 5 year difference I think but because Gianna was all over the place mentally, she wasn't ready for a healthy relationship until 28.
What we've got here... is one of the most immature heroines of all time. So supremely naive. It wasn't just that she was sheltered but she was almost incapable of putting two and two together to the point where she got TSTL and got herself kidnapped. And I'm saying "got herself" because it's exclusively her fault that she found herself in this situation.
-Captive/Stockholm shit. Now some of y'all are really into that. And to each their own kink. It personally creeps me out and chafes with my ethics but whatever. And in my defence, I added this to my TBR before the blurb even came out so I never even saw the bottom line that hints at captivity... And I wasn't constantly checking it as things and teasers were released to see if it wouldn't be for me. And the rest of the series is about women who've been raised in the mafia. They know what they're getting into and understand the violence that's always a step or two away from them.
-I didn't feel any real chemistry between Ronan and Mila. But, again, that's subjective. But but but, this series has always been dripping in chemistry for me so it was strange that I couldn't connect with it here.
All those personal preferences aside, those aren’t always hard no’s for me. And with the tone of the other two books I didn’t think it’d be something I wouldn’t like. It sucks but that’s not my reason for the rating...
***
Now for the stuff that isn't a personal preference and is just not ok. And I'll put it in a spoiler warning in case you don't wanna know.
I'm frustrated because I waited 9 months for this book, and admittedly, I probably hyped it up too much in my mind. But based on how the previous two books went I thought Darkest Temptation would be a guaranteed win for me.
But unfortunately it wasn't. And I'm really bummed about it. Especially because I got it as an ARC and I feel really rude not liking something I was generously gifted 😓
That being said I'm not giving up on this series and I sure as hell will read the next two books.
May 13, 2021
3.5-3.75 stars ✩⋆
『 reread update 』aight it's been like 5 months and my og review is still not here so imma just try and remember what i said and rewrite everything because i'm a dumbass and didn't save this anywhere sooo i decided to reread this again because i'm a perfectionist and i have nothing else to do i guess 🤠
but yes, ronan is still a dickhead, mila? loved her, albert deserves the world, yulia can adopt me, and CHRISTIANGIANNA SUPREMACYYY ✨
anyways, sooo is that trip to russia still on or...?
* * *
does amazon perhaps sell an italian mafia dude who's possessive and kinda crazy? or a russian FBI who's emotionless and cold and is an asshole to everyone but obsessed you? or his russian mobster dude brother who istoxic af and would kidnap me and would fall in love with me?
asking for a friend.
i have been looking forward to this book ever since i found out the one and onlyzaddy christian allister has a... brother... i mean. seriously. there's two of them? sweet jesus.
it's the slowburn, hate to love for me
it's the whole dark, captive-captor dynamic for me
it's the sexual tension for me
it's CHRISTIAN AND GIANNA WITH THEIR CUTE DAUGHTER for fucking me.
✧ p l o t
anyways, this review is just me rambling about the whole entire book so enjoy y'all.
— tw (spoilers) : kidnapping, dub con scene in chapter 31 (kinda like that scene from kiss thief), the H being too rough on h, basically a lot of ✨toxic✨ shit you can think of
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ PART I ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
so this book starts with Mila trying to find answers about her mother when she traveled to Russia and you know what, i'm just like her because i for real wanna know why everyone is scared of Tatiana aka Mila's mom and Mila herself. the whole mystery why people are acting sus and staring at her is the reason why i couldn't put the book down. I WANNA KNOW. and not gonna lie, i found myself more interested in the mystery than the romance in the beginning because like-
why are people scared of her?
why are they calling her d'yavol?
who is her mother?
what is her mother?
WHY is her mother?
i really wanted to know.
and y'all have that one friend that is into a dude that you know is toxic but your friend is kinda blind to their toxicity but on the inside they know they're toxic too they just don't wanna see it and you're just internally screaming and wanna whoop the dickhead's ass and make sure your shoulder is available for them to cry on?
yup. this was me towards Mila in this part.
when Mila first meets Ronan, at first she kinda had a fangirl crush towards him, as any woman should apparently. so obviously, knowing that i'm a ho for enemies to lovers, of course my first reaction is this:
seriously tho, bro chill. you barely know this russian man, don't go and fall in infatuation with him that quick PLS i need some hateful feelings right now!!! i was waiting for them to hate each other and the fact mila's crushing him? nah that ain't for me. i thought this was enemies to lovers what the fu-
but you know what? home girl is BOLD bold so i gotta give it to her. thought she was gonna be shy with her infatuation but i guess not.
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ PART II ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
she hates him now woohoo!! enemies to lovers part is finally activated fuuUUUCK yes!!
she finally figured out that the dude she’s falling for is actually the one who has been orchestrating all these bad things happening to her. i fucking love it. but then... im a little uncomfy not gonna lie. Ronan does... things... you know, filmed them... then sent it to her dad... then slapped her.... doing dub-con/non-con acts.... uhh.
honestly tho, my interest for the story 📈 my love for Ronan📉. ooo i wanted to fight him so yeah, imma just list the things that made me uncomfy in this book so SPOILERS AHEAD
↠ dislike #1 : repetitiveness and filler
part 2 is a little repetitive in the beginning lemme just show y'all how it would go:
it was still entertaining but just a little repetitive mainly. i do love how mila's coming out of her shell and talks back to ronan when hes being a little shit tho. this is my favorite thing in this part.
also, he just keeps talking about how hot mila is and how hard he always is around her and that's so annoying to me like sir please stop thinking with your dick when you already are one ✋🏼 this is probably a me thing because i just find it irritating when we get to the Hs pov chapters and 50% of the time he just talks about how they wanna fuck the heroine and its just- i don't like it because i'm more of an emotional connection type of girl but i guess these type of mindset is normal for dudes? ugh i don't fucking know, i'm not a dude.
but yeah the banter was great and all that but there wasn't enough depth that garners a satisfying emotional connection. at least for me. it was getting a little repetitive. it's time to open up lovebirds we’re halfway through chop chop!!
↠ dislike #2 : ronan (calm down, i only dislike him 60% of the time)
if you don't wanna read any ronan slander, just skip this part because i'm about to rant about your book boyfriend, sorrynot sorry.
you know in the beginning of this part i highkey hated Ronan. his taunts are- well his taunts make my eye twitch. he filmed them hooking up and sent it to her dad, slapped her, calls her his "pet", and then there's that dub-con scene in ch 31... yeah he's a lot.
and you know by then since i think mila is cute and adorable and must be protected my mama bear mode is on thus whenever mila would cry and lose hope and then ronan taunts her i just wanted to punch him because seriously-
listen i love assholes especially anti-heroes who stay anti-heroes and never turn all uncharacteristically soft but dammit it was just so hard for me to sympathize or like ronan sometimes. i guess because of the repetitive situations and the constant thought he had about his dick + mila’s physical traits, i just didn’t see character development. there were hints but it wasn’t satisfying enough for me. yes i like that he stayed in character but i guess i wanted more “sweetness” from him towards the heroine because he really was mean and too rough to the h.
68% in and i still didn’t trust him with Mila. when push comes to shove, he reacts badly- and im not exaggerating. he left her outside in sub temperature for a few minutes. and if he doesn’t get his way he lowkey acts like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum and kinda gaslights the heroine too. i mean seriously. he did all these shitty things, at least balance out the good and the bad.
↠ what i did like
they were cute in the last 30%. ronan was waaay more likeable and his inner monologue wasn’t all about Mila making him hard anymore so that’s nice.
and yulia and milas ✨enemies to lovers✨ is superior. and mila is so fucking funny to me because she's so dramatic like look:
✧ M I L A
i can't with this bish sometimes 😭✋🏼
and of course, can't forget Christian and Gianna with their cute little daughter. UGH i'm a ho for Christian spoiling his daughter, or Gianna and her daughter acting as a commentator during that catfight scene with the OW at the end.
OW/OM drama
↳ there's a little bit of OW drama here where Nadia texts Ronan about hooking up (he ignores her), and where she shows up near the end to cause some drama and you know what? i know i should not like catfights because it's not progressive and all that but it was funny OKAY Gianna and her daughter just joining in and cheering Mila on pLS i fucking love it.
and as for the OM drama, Mila's bodyguard Ivan is kinda into her and kisses her around 53% which then lead to the kiss thief scene, which is where the tw // dubcon scene happens
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
goodreads better not delete this review pls and thx.
honestly, this book was okay. i like Mila and her dramatic ass but with Ronan... i know i shouldnt compare but- i cant help but think “Christian Allister would NEVERRR” every time Ronan does something stupid or... questionable.
anyways, if you were to ask me who i like better: nico vs christian vs ronan? psychosis vs malyshka vs kotyonok? please don’t ask me...
... ʲᵏ ⁱ ᵈᵒ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵗʰʳᵉᵉ ʰᵒˡᵉˢ ᶠᵒʳ ᵃ ʳᵉᵃˢᵒⁿ
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ Made series ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
#1: the sweetest oblivion — nico x elena ↠ 5 stars
#2: the maddest obsession — christian x gianna ↠ 4.5 stars
#3: the darkest temptation — ronan x mila ↠ 3.75 stars
#4: untitled ↠ tbr
『 reread update 』aight it's been like 5 months and my og review is still not here so imma just try and remember what i said and rewrite everything because i'm a dumbass and didn't save this anywhere sooo i decided to reread this again because i'm a perfectionist and i have nothing else to do i guess 🤠
but yes, ronan is still a dickhead, mila? loved her, albert deserves the world, yulia can adopt me, and CHRISTIANGIANNA SUPREMACYYY ✨
anyways, sooo is that trip to russia still on or...?
* * *
does amazon perhaps sell an italian mafia dude who's possessive and kinda crazy? or a russian FBI who's emotionless and cold and is an asshole to everyone but obsessed you? or his russian mobster dude brother who is
asking for a friend.
i have been looking forward to this book ever since i found out the one and only
it's the slowburn, hate to love for me
it's the whole dark, captive-captor dynamic for me
it's the sexual tension for me
it's CHRISTIAN AND GIANNA WITH THEIR CUTE DAUGHTER for fucking me.
✧ p l o t
↠ so this is about Mila Mikhailova (h) wanting answers about her shady father and past because she's been sheltered her whole life. so she traveled to Russia and that's lo and behold that's where she meets Ronan Markov (H) who seems like the perfect gentleman but as it turns out, he's the biggest dick ever because he suddenly kidnaps and holds Mila as a prisoner in exchange for her father, because yes, her dad was dick too so it's just your typical men fighting over who has the biggest dick/ego.
anyways, this review is just me rambling about the whole entire book so enjoy y'all.
— tw (spoilers) : kidnapping, dub con scene in chapter 31 (kinda like that scene from kiss thief), the H being too rough on h, basically a lot of ✨toxic✨ shit you can think of
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ PART I ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
so this book starts with Mila trying to find answers about her mother when she traveled to Russia and you know what, i'm just like her because i for real wanna know why everyone is scared of Tatiana aka Mila's mom and Mila herself. the whole mystery why people are acting sus and staring at her is the reason why i couldn't put the book down. I WANNA KNOW. and not gonna lie, i found myself more interested in the mystery than the romance in the beginning because like-
why are people scared of her?
why are they calling her d'yavol?
who is her mother?
what is her mother?
WHY is her mother?
i really wanted to know.
and y'all have that one friend that is into a dude that you know is toxic but your friend is kinda blind to their toxicity but on the inside they know they're toxic too they just don't wanna see it and you're just internally screaming and wanna whoop the dickhead's ass and make sure your shoulder is available for them to cry on?
yup. this was me towards Mila in this part.
when Mila first meets Ronan, at first she kinda had a fangirl crush towards him, as any woman should apparently. so obviously, knowing that i'm a ho for enemies to lovers, of course my first reaction is this:
seriously tho, bro chill. you barely know this russian man, don't go and fall in infatuation with him that quick PLS i need some hateful feelings right now!!! i was waiting for them to hate each other and the fact mila's crushing him? nah that ain't for me. i thought this was enemies to lovers what the fu-
but you know what? home girl is BOLD bold so i gotta give it to her. thought she was gonna be shy with her infatuation but i guess not.
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ PART II ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
she hates him now woohoo!! enemies to lovers part is finally activated fuuUUUCK yes!!
she finally figured out that the dude she’s falling for is actually the one who has been orchestrating all these bad things happening to her. i fucking love it. but then... im a little uncomfy not gonna lie. Ronan does... things... you know, filmed them... then sent it to her dad... then slapped her.... doing dub-con/non-con acts.... uhh.
honestly tho, my interest for the story 📈 my love for Ronan📉. ooo i wanted to fight him so yeah, imma just list the things that made me uncomfy in this book so SPOILERS AHEAD
↠ dislike #1 : repetitiveness and filler
part 2 is a little repetitive in the beginning lemme just show y'all how it would go:
1. they eat breakfast.
2. banter for a little bit while eating breakfast.
3.ronan seduces mila (the audacity i know).
4. banter some more where they may or may not almost kiss.
5. H leaves her alone.
6. repeat.
it was still entertaining but just a little repetitive mainly. i do love how mila's coming out of her shell and talks back to ronan when hes being a little shit tho. this is my favorite thing in this part.
also, he just keeps talking about how hot mila is and how hard he always is around her and that's so annoying to me like sir please stop thinking with your dick when you already are one ✋🏼 this is probably a me thing because i just find it irritating when we get to the Hs pov chapters and 50% of the time he just talks about how they wanna fuck the heroine and its just- i don't like it because i'm more of an emotional connection type of girl but i guess these type of mindset is normal for dudes? ugh i don't fucking know, i'm not a dude.
but yeah the banter was great and all that but there wasn't enough depth that garners a satisfying emotional connection. at least for me. it was getting a little repetitive. it's time to open up lovebirds we’re halfway through chop chop!!
↠ dislike #2 : ronan (calm down, i only dislike him 60% of the time)
if you don't wanna read any ronan slander, just skip this part because i'm about to rant about your book boyfriend, sorry
you know in the beginning of this part i highkey hated Ronan. his taunts are- well his taunts make my eye twitch. he filmed them hooking up and sent it to her dad, slapped her, calls her his "pet", and then there's that dub-con scene in ch 31... yeah he's a lot.
and you know by then since i think mila is cute and adorable and must be protected my mama bear mode is on thus whenever mila would cry and lose hope and then ronan taunts her i just wanted to punch him because seriously-
listen i love assholes especially anti-heroes who stay anti-heroes and never turn all uncharacteristically soft but dammit it was just so hard for me to sympathize or like ronan sometimes. i guess because of the repetitive situations and the constant thought he had about his dick + mila’s physical traits, i just didn’t see character development. there were hints but it wasn’t satisfying enough for me. yes i like that he stayed in character but i guess i wanted more “sweetness” from him towards the heroine because he really was mean and too rough to the h.
68% in and i still didn’t trust him with Mila. when push comes to shove, he reacts badly- and im not exaggerating. he left her outside in sub temperature for a few minutes. and if he doesn’t get his way he lowkey acts like a spoiled child throwing a tantrum and kinda gaslights the heroine too. i mean seriously. he did all these shitty things, at least balance out the good and the bad.
↠ what i did like
they were cute in the last 30%. ronan was waaay more likeable and his inner monologue wasn’t all about Mila making him hard anymore so that’s nice.
and yulia and milas ✨enemies to lovers✨ is superior. and mila is so fucking funny to me because she's so dramatic like look:
✧ M I L A
↳ "Please don't eat me," I blurted unsteadily. "I won't taste very good to you. I'm vegan."
i can't with this bish sometimes 😭✋🏼
and of course, can't forget Christian and Gianna with their cute little daughter. UGH i'm a ho for Christian spoiling his daughter, or Gianna and her daughter acting as a commentator during that catfight scene with the OW at the end.
OW/OM drama
↳ there's a little bit of OW drama here where Nadia texts Ronan about hooking up (he ignores her), and where she shows up near the end to cause some drama and you know what? i know i should not like catfights because it's not progressive and all that but it was funny OKAY Gianna and her daughter just joining in and cheering Mila on pLS i fucking love it.
and as for the OM drama, Mila's bodyguard Ivan is kinda into her and kisses her around 53% which then lead to the kiss thief scene, which is where the tw // dubcon scene happens
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
goodreads better not delete this review pls and thx.
honestly, this book was okay. i like Mila and her dramatic ass but with Ronan... i know i shouldnt compare but- i cant help but think “Christian Allister would NEVERRR” every time Ronan does something stupid or... questionable.
anyways, if you were to ask me who i like better: nico vs christian vs ronan? psychosis vs malyshka vs kotyonok? please don’t ask me...
... ʲᵏ ⁱ ᵈᵒ ʰᵃᵛᵉ ᵗʰʳᵉᵉ ʰᵒˡᵉˢ ᶠᵒʳ ᵃ ʳᵉᵃˢᵒⁿ
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･ Made series ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･．
#1: the sweetest oblivion — nico x elena ↠ 5 stars
#2: the maddest obsession — christian x gianna ↠ 4.5 stars
#3: the darkest temptation — ronan x mila ↠ 3.75 stars
#4: untitled ↠ tbr
January 23, 2023
☆⋅⋆ ── 1st read 2020: 4.25 stars
☆⋅⋆ ─── 2nd read 2023: 4.25 stars 🌻
Re-reading this series was the best decision I made this year so far. The writing for the Made series is so electric and unlike any other series. It's so good. The sexual tension between these characters *chef's kiss*
SONGS:
The Darkest Temptation at a glance:
This review is divided into two section. Part 1 is completely spoiler free and can be read before reading the book, while I reserved Part 2 for the spoiler-talk. That part best be read after reading the book or only if you don't mind spoilers going into a book.
PART 1: SPOILER-FREE
You know it's a Danielle Lori book when the Hero kills another guy in honor of his girl after she was insulted. Classic move and the Made series wouldn't be the same without it. 😂
oenomel (n.)
– something combining strength with sweetness
➶✨ MILA MIKHAILOV ✨
I was soo afraid not to like Mila, because she is naive and was sheltered all her life. That's are some characteristics in heroines I'm not super fond of. But fortunately, I had no problem with her at all. She's an easy character to love. While she's this innocent and way too naive hippie girl, in the beginning, with too much hope for the world and rose-colored glasses, she quickly adapted to the world she was born into, but was protected from.
Mila has such a soft heart and would give away her clothes that other would feel warm. I don't think she's capable to really hurt a single soul, but if the time calls for it, she has a spine of steel and is no doormat. One of the best thing was Mila's character development and how she grew from a sheltered girl into a women during her captivity. Her and Ronan's verbal spars were so good. Her sarcasm and sass really made me smile. Mila's development makes me feel like a proud mama, because she came to Russia to seek some answers, but found herself and broke out of her golden cage (literally and metaphorically) . 🥺
Another thing I loved was Mila's relationship with Yulia, the housekeeper. How they poked at each other, it was just refreshing and added a great comic element to the story. Mila really held her own with the prude women who may or may not have a screw loose. Overall I have to say that all the secondary characters around Ronan were great additions and seeing them warming up to Mila.
philophobia (n.)
– fear of becoming emotionally connected with another person
➶ ✨ RONAN MARKOV ✨
If I was sure of one thing, then that I would be on my knees for Ronan. Danielle Lori knows how to write alpha anti-heroes and she knows how to write them well no matter the circumstances.
Ronan was such an enigma. Compared to Christian and Nico he is way more extroverted and likes to talk. It was so funny to see how he could be this dark and brutal character who kills one person without blinking an eye and the next second you hear him playing Candy Crush on his phone and eating Fruit Loops. The range this man has is incomparable. Other men please watch and learn. His dry sense of humor is just on another level. Ronan made me laugh so hard, because he's such a comedian!
One of my favorite things about this book was seeing Ronan come to terms with his feelings for Mila. This dude couldn't deal with his feelings to save his life and it was one of the most amusing things I've read. The way Ronan would rather have cancer or deal with an atom bomb than facing the fact that he actually cares for someone. Here is one small expample:
Ronan and Christian's past made me once again so angry at their good for nothing mother. It's sad to see how it unconsciously made Ronan not wanting to get close to anyone. Luckily he found Mila. 💛
keyframe (n.)
– a moment that seemed innocuous at the time but ended up marking a diversion into a strange new era of your life
➶ ✨ RONAN + MILA ✨
A single step is all it took to change Mila's whole life for the worse and then later for the better. When Mila packed her bag with her bohemian dresses, boarded a plane to Russia, all she wanted to do was to find her father, learn a bit more about her family history and maybe explore her birth country a little bit. What's the worse that could happened during her little one week trip? What she didn't expect is that once she stepped foot into Russia, the devil of Moscau has already set his eyes on her. At the same time, Ronan didn't think much when he set his revenge plan in motion, trying to destroy one of his enemy using his daughter. But how do you say it: even the best laid plans often go awry.
Ronanmila's journey was a hard one, makes it more fulfilling when they finally find their way back to each other. They perfectly complemented each other and worked so well together. Ronan fell in love with Mila's soft heart and brightness, while Mila really embraced Ronan lowkey unhinged side and found a bit of darkness in herself. They delivered some really good banter and bickered like some old married couple sitting at the breakfast table.
I could really see that Danielle Lori improved her writing. The writing and TSO and TMO was already good, but this book had a depth, the other books didn't have. Ronan and Mila's background story was more fleshed out compared to the other characters. In TMO we got a small glimpse into Christian and Ronan's childhood and the relationship they had with their mother. In TDT there were just more flashbacks that give the characters an extra layer.
elysian (adj.)
– blissful, delightful, perfect
➶ ✨ THE ALLISTER FAMILY ✨
What a blessing to have "Allister" as a family name? Every single person with that name was meant for greatness. All the means are the definition of big-dick-energy while the women have queen-energy!
I've never made a secret out of my obsession love for Christian and Gianna. So I was very very excited for their scenes to say it mildly (ask Mina she can confirm lmao). My expectations were sky high and Danielle hit it out of the park. She NAILED every single scenes with them so much, they've become my nightly prayers. Rereading all their scenes again as we speak.
Ronan's relationship with Kat is nothing short but adorable. When he calls her "moya neposlushnaya plemyannitsa" (my naughty niece) I was truly gobsmacked! I knew Russian is hard to learn, but I didn't know it would take a trip around the globe to saying something so simple as my naughty niece LMAOOO. No wonder Russian constantly need vodka in their life to deal with that. I finally understand and it makes so much sense now. 😌
Christian and Ronan's brotherly bond AHAHAHAHHAAHA! Honestly I can't stop laughing. Both of them have such dry humor and are so apathetic, which makes them together in a room a comedy show for me. I love them, your honor. They are the brother duo I didn't know I needed. Christian helping Ronan with stuff… no comment 🤣
PART 2: SPOILERY-TALK
WARNING : Spoilers from here on. Read at your own risk.
↘ Why not 5 stars ↙
Danielle was very transparent about the fact that this book will have dub con in it and while dub con or rather non con scenes can be more of a miss for me, I didn't mind it that much here, because IMO the dub con is not that bad.. maybe I've read worse in dark romance and feel desensitized to it? I don't know. 🤷🏽♀️ I think it definitely helped that Ronan and Mila already established a connection during Part 1 of the book when Ronan "befriended" Mila and showed her around Moscau, if I can say it like that,
My biggest issue was the Ronan and Mila's first sex scene when he was taking her virginity. Throughout the book Mila and Ronan have this little cat and mouse game they play where Mila tells him some BS to get a reaction out of him. Ronan even calls her "little liar" and it somehow has become their thing. So when Mila tells him that she's still a virgin, he doesn't believe her and just takes her with not enough foreplay. And I was like ?????? dude ???? Mila really deserves better than a hard thrust and then a "please tell me that you're just very tight and an emotional fuck". Excuse me sir 😭😭😭 I really think Ronan should have believed Mila, because he saw how inexperienced she was with how awkward she tried to kiss him the first time. This scene gave ma really bad flashback to The Kiss Thief by LJ Shen which had a very similar scenes which I also didn't like. If you loved TKT, you won't have a problem with this book at all.
Some other minor issues:
Every time Ronan opened his mouth and something in Russian 🔥🔥🔥🔥 I don't know what he said, but it sounded hot! Most of the story is set in Russia, so it's understandable that the Russian language would be included much more compared to The Maddest Obsession. While Mila understands a little Russian, she doesn't understand everything and the things she didn't understand, we as the readers, from her POV, didn't understand either. If you're curious as I am, you will look up every sentence, which interrupted my reading flow a little in this case. Would have loved a direct translation in the book in brackets or something, but this is really criticism on a very high level.
The pacing was during the middle a bit too slow for me, so it was a bit dragging, cause I got a little tired of Ronan and Mila's push and pull game and wanted something different to happen.
Things I need to get off my chest or I will explode
Kat really needs her own book where she will give some guy 'motional trauma. No offence, of course. Please 😭, I would sell my kidney, my first born and my soul for that book. That girl was born to rule the world hands down. She's already a genius at three years old and I love her so much 💖💖💖💖
Kat is the perfect blend of Christian's personality and Gianna's sense of style. I think it was perfectly shown what kind of relationship Christian and Gianna have with their daughter. The eye-contact battle Kat and Christian engaged in omg my heart 😭😭😭😭 how Kat just needs to say something softly with her cute voice, bat her eye lashes a little and Daddy Christian is gooonneee. He has no chance in winning ANY battle and would give his little girl the world. That girl is spoiled rotten as she should be. Queens should be treated like queens. 💅
When Christian called Kat little wolf in Russian bYEEE I love you Gianna, I really do, but I really really need a minute or two alone with your husband to show him HOW much I love him. 🧎🏼♀️😌
Lastly, let me close this review with one last word that described my feelings for The Darkest Temptation perfectly.
serendipity (n.)
– finding something good without looking for it
Initially I started to read for the christiangiannakat breadcrumbs (as you can see as 1/5 of this review is dedicated to them LOOL)and down the road I fell in love with Ronan and Mila. Now I have two more characters to obsess about. 😂
MADE SERIES
#1 The Sweetest Oblivion – 3.5 stars
#2 The Maddest Obsession – 6 stars
#3 The Darkest Temptation – 4.25 stars
☆⋅⋆ ─── 2nd read 2023: 4.25 stars 🌻
Holding eye contact with him felt like a deadly game. Like Russian roulette. A revolver and one bullet. A single wrong blink, and I’d be dead.
Re-reading this series was the best decision I made this year so far. The writing for the Made series is so electric and unlike any other series. It's so good. The sexual tension between these characters *chef's kiss*
SONGS:
Strawberries & Cigarettes – Troye Sivan
Feelings – Lauv
The Darkest Temptation at a glance:
❄️ russian mobster anti-hero
🌼 sweet & sassy virgin heroine
❄️ captor/captive romance with dub-con
🌼 age-gap (h is 20, H is 32)
❄️ a journey through winter wonderland in Russia
This review is divided into two section. Part 1 is completely spoiler free and can be read before reading the book, while I reserved Part 2 for the spoiler-talk. That part best be read after reading the book or only if you don't mind spoilers going into a book.
Holding eye contact with him felt like a deadly game. Like Russian. A revolver and one bullet. A single wrong blink, and I'd be dead. But it also evoked a whisper of adrenaline, as warm as half a bottle of UV Blue and the Miami sun.
PART 1: SPOILER-FREE
You know it's a Danielle Lori book when the Hero kills another guy in honor of his girl after she was insulted. Classic move and the Made series wouldn't be the same without it. 😂
Heavy breaths and Russian words. Stars on his shoulders. Stars in my eyes.
oenomel (n.)
– something combining strength with sweetness
➶✨ MILA MIKHAILOV ✨
"No one can save you from me." His eyes shone indifference laced with a dark edge. "Not even God."
I was soo afraid not to like Mila, because she is naive and was sheltered all her life. That's are some characteristics in heroines I'm not super fond of. But fortunately, I had no problem with her at all. She's an easy character to love. While she's this innocent and way too naive hippie girl, in the beginning, with too much hope for the world and rose-colored glasses, she quickly adapted to the world she was born into, but was protected from.
Mila has such a soft heart and would give away her clothes that other would feel warm. I don't think she's capable to really hurt a single soul, but if the time calls for it, she has a spine of steel and is no doormat. One of the best thing was Mila's character development and how she grew from a sheltered girl into a women during her captivity. Her and Ronan's verbal spars were so good. Her sarcasm and sass really made me smile. Mila's development makes me feel like a proud mama, because she came to Russia to seek some answers, but found herself and broke out of her golden cage (literally and metaphorically) . 🥺
"You are late for breakfast, devushka."
"Just let me die here in peace."
"I like this room. Go die downstairs."
Another thing I loved was Mila's relationship with Yulia, the housekeeper. How they poked at each other, it was just refreshing and added a great comic element to the story. Mila really held her own with the prude women who may or may not have a screw loose. Overall I have to say that all the secondary characters around Ronan were great additions and seeing them warming up to Mila.
philophobia (n.)
– fear of becoming emotionally connected with another person
➶ ✨ RONAN MARKOV ✨
I thought he was handsome. Handsome in the way rough palms muffle screams, the way people bow to kings, and most of all.. The way an angel falls from grace.
If I was sure of one thing, then that I would be on my knees for Ronan. Danielle Lori knows how to write alpha anti-heroes and she knows how to write them well no matter the circumstances.
Ronan was such an enigma. Compared to Christian and Nico he is way more extroverted and likes to talk. It was so funny to see how he could be this dark and brutal character who kills one person without blinking an eye and the next second you hear him playing Candy Crush on his phone and eating Fruit Loops. The range this man has is incomparable. Other men please watch and learn. His dry sense of humor is just on another level. Ronan made me laugh so hard, because he's such a comedian!
One of my favorite things about this book was seeing Ronan come to terms with his feelings for Mila. This dude couldn't deal with his feelings to save his life and it was one of the most amusing things I've read. The way Ronan would rather have cancer or deal with an atom bomb than facing the fact that he actually cares for someone. Here is one small expample:
I went to slide my fingers through her ponytail but stopped the impulse when I realized the ridiculous shit I just thought. Hitting my thirties had made me disgustingly sentimental.
Ronan and Christian's past made me once again so angry at their good for nothing mother. It's sad to see how it unconsciously made Ronan not wanting to get close to anyone. Luckily he found Mila. 💛
keyframe (n.)
– a moment that seemed innocuous at the time but ended up marking a diversion into a strange new era of your life
➶ ✨ RONAN + MILA ✨
"You're not thinking about shooting me, are you?"
Eyes sliding to his, I grasped onto the first response that popped into my mind. "Depends. Would you die, or does it take a stake through your heart? I don't want to waste my time."
"A bullet hasn't killed me yet, but there's always a first time for everything."
A single step is all it took to change Mila's whole life for the worse and then later for the better. When Mila packed her bag with her bohemian dresses, boarded a plane to Russia, all she wanted to do was to find her father, learn a bit more about her family history and maybe explore her birth country a little bit. What's the worse that could happened during her little one week trip? What she didn't expect is that once she stepped foot into Russia, the devil of Moscau has already set his eyes on her. At the same time, Ronan didn't think much when he set his revenge plan in motion, trying to destroy one of his enemy using his daughter. But how do you say it: even the best laid plans often go awry.
Ronanmila's journey was a hard one, makes it more fulfilling when they finally find their way back to each other. They perfectly complemented each other and worked so well together. Ronan fell in love with Mila's soft heart and brightness, while Mila really embraced Ronan lowkey unhinged side and found a bit of darkness in herself. They delivered some really good banter and bickered like some old married couple sitting at the breakfast table.
I could really see that Danielle Lori improved her writing. The writing and TSO and TMO was already good, but this book had a depth, the other books didn't have. Ronan and Mila's background story was more fleshed out compared to the other characters. In TMO we got a small glimpse into Christian and Ronan's childhood and the relationship they had with their mother. In TDT there were just more flashbacks that give the characters an extra layer.
elysian (adj.)
– blissful, delightful, perfect
➶ ✨ THE ALLISTER FAMILY ✨
“Touch my wife, and what my brother has done to you will suddenly look like fun.”
What a blessing to have "Allister" as a family name? Every single person with that name was meant for greatness. All the means are the definition of big-dick-energy while the women have queen-energy!
I've never made a secret out of my obsession love for Christian and Gianna. So I was very very excited for their scenes to say it mildly (ask Mina she can confirm lmao). My expectations were sky high and Danielle hit it out of the park. She NAILED every single scenes with them so much, they've become my nightly prayers. Rereading all their scenes again as we speak.
Ronan's relationship with Kat is nothing short but adorable. When he calls her "moya neposlushnaya plemyannitsa" (my naughty niece) I was truly gobsmacked! I knew Russian is hard to learn, but I didn't know it would take a trip around the globe to saying something so simple as my naughty niece LMAOOO. No wonder Russian constantly need vodka in their life to deal with that. I finally understand and it makes so much sense now. 😌
Christian and Ronan's brotherly bond AHAHAHAHHAAHA! Honestly I can't stop laughing. Both of them have such dry humor and are so apathetic, which makes them together in a room a comedy show for me. I love them, your honor. They are the brother duo I didn't know I needed. Christian helping Ronan with stuff… no comment 🤣
PART 2: SPOILERY-TALK
WARNING : Spoilers from here on. Read at your own risk.
↘ Why not 5 stars ↙
Danielle was very transparent about the fact that this book will have dub con in it and while dub con or rather non con scenes can be more of a miss for me, I didn't mind it that much here, because IMO the dub con is not that bad.. maybe I've read worse in dark romance and feel desensitized to it? I don't know. 🤷🏽♀️ I think it definitely helped that Ronan and Mila already established a connection during Part 1 of the book when Ronan "befriended" Mila and showed her around Moscau, if I can say it like that,
My biggest issue was the Ronan and Mila's first sex scene when he was taking her virginity. Throughout the book Mila and Ronan have this little cat and mouse game they play where Mila tells him some BS to get a reaction out of him. Ronan even calls her "little liar" and it somehow has become their thing. So when Mila tells him that she's still a virgin, he doesn't believe her and just takes her with not enough foreplay. And I was like ?????? dude ???? Mila really deserves better than a hard thrust and then a "please tell me that you're just very tight and an emotional fuck". Excuse me sir 😭😭😭 I really think Ronan should have believed Mila, because he saw how inexperienced she was with how awkward she tried to kiss him the first time. This scene gave ma really bad flashback to The Kiss Thief by LJ Shen which had a very similar scenes which I also didn't like. If you loved TKT, you won't have a problem with this book at all.
Some other minor issues:
Every time Ronan opened his mouth and something in Russian 🔥🔥🔥🔥 I don't know what he said, but it sounded hot! Most of the story is set in Russia, so it's understandable that the Russian language would be included much more compared to The Maddest Obsession. While Mila understands a little Russian, she doesn't understand everything and the things she didn't understand, we as the readers, from her POV, didn't understand either. If you're curious as I am, you will look up every sentence, which interrupted my reading flow a little in this case. Would have loved a direct translation in the book in brackets or something, but this is really criticism on a very high level.
The pacing was during the middle a bit too slow for me, so it was a bit dragging, cause I got a little tired of Ronan and Mila's push and pull game and wanted something different to happen.
Things I need to get off my chest or I will explode
Kat really needs her own book where she will give some guy 'motional trauma. No offence, of course. Please 😭, I would sell my kidney, my first born and my soul for that book. That girl was born to rule the world hands down. She's already a genius at three years old and I love her so much 💖💖💖💖
Kat is the perfect blend of Christian's personality and Gianna's sense of style. I think it was perfectly shown what kind of relationship Christian and Gianna have with their daughter. The eye-contact battle Kat and Christian engaged in omg my heart 😭😭😭😭 how Kat just needs to say something softly with her cute voice, bat her eye lashes a little and Daddy Christian is gooonneee. He has no chance in winning ANY battle and would give his little girl the world. That girl is spoiled rotten as she should be. Queens should be treated like queens. 💅
When Christian called Kat little wolf in Russian bYEEE I love you Gianna, I really do, but I really really need a minute or two alone with your husband to show him HOW much I love him. 🧎🏼♀️😌
Lastly, let me close this review with one last word that described my feelings for The Darkest Temptation perfectly.
serendipity (n.)
– finding something good without looking for it
Initially I started to read for the christiangiannakat breadcrumbs (as you can see as 1/5 of this review is dedicated to them LOOL)and down the road I fell in love with Ronan and Mila. Now I have two more characters to obsess about. 😂
MADE SERIES
#1 The Sweetest Oblivion – 3.5 stars
#2 The Maddest Obsession – 6 stars
#3 The Darkest Temptation – 4.25 stars
September 17, 2024
listen. idk what y’all have against this book but it was my favorite one 🤭 i said what I said. Ronan fully owns my entire being, he was everything. I know that he captured her and all of that… but like… I didn’t mind? that makes me sound bad. BUT BEAUTY AND THE BEAST IS MY FAV DISNEY MOVIE SO CLEARLY IM INTO KIDNAPPING. anyway. Mila was amazing in every way possible. The storyline in this one was superior and it was so funny too? overall, i’m ✨ amazed ✨
December 13, 2020
DNF
I can't go on. I can't torture myself aynmore, I'm sorry. The first two books got 5 shiny stars from me. This one wasn't even meh for me, it was much worse.
Maybe the problem lies in the fact that I don't like clueless, naïve and immature heroines.
Maybe it's some of the ridiculous plot devices.
Maybe it's another kickass book I just finished a day ago.
Maybe I've simply outgrown these types of books.
Or, maybe it's this horrible year, 2020.
Who knows?? 🤷♀️
I can't go on. I can't torture myself aynmore, I'm sorry. The first two books got 5 shiny stars from me. This one wasn't even meh for me, it was much worse.
Maybe the problem lies in the fact that I don't like clueless, naïve and immature heroines.
Maybe it's some of the ridiculous plot devices.
Maybe it's another kickass book I just finished a day ago.
Maybe I've simply outgrown these types of books.
Or, maybe it's this horrible year, 2020.
Who knows?? 🤷♀️
January 8, 2022
✨Upgraded to 4.5 shining stars✨
Do I have mixed feelings about this story? Yes, I do. But when I finish the book and instead of elevation and relief I feel like I want, no, Ineed crave more? That's my cue to give the highest rating. 💦
First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Danielle Lori for doing her research!!!
The Russian language in this book was pretty decent if not perfect. There were a few minor inconsistencies and punctuation errors, but all the sentences in Russian sounded authentic!
Y'all don't wanna know how many books I've read in which the Spanish/Russian/Italian phrases were so badly worded it hurt my poor eyes. When everybody and their momma has access to the Google search engine, those authors have only one excuse to justify them: laziness, unwillingness to put effort into the research and unprofessionalism.
Forced diversity hits home. 🗿
On second thought, I can't seem to remember any other foreign author whose Russian or Spanish didn't make me cringe internally. When my clueless innocent fellow reviewers salivate over their improperly worded endearments or full-blown sentences, it adds days to my life. 😂🤌🏻
Anyway, in Lori's case, I'm happy my fears weren't justified and my eyes get all teary when the whole GR community cites Russian phrases. 🥰😂😇 I don't really understand, though, why Danielle didn't include translations at the end of each chapter ...
Although this book features some old and funny, albeit popular stereotypes about Russia, I didn't find them annoying. The climate in Russia isn't that cold (especially in Moscow...let alone many southern regions) and the country doesn't give off such medieval vibes. In large cities, that is. 🌚 What about people believing Mila (h) was a witch??? That was endearingly weird.
But I got carried away so back to the ambiguous feelings the book managed to elicit from me.
To be fair, the first half of the story didn't impress me. The things kept happening and I wore my poker face expression while flipping through pages... yet it was engrossing enough to not let me give up on it.
Ronan (H) came across as cold, cruel and emotionless and I was yet to take notice of the internal fire that could compensate for his wicked ways. In that regard, he was more multilayered and less obvious and easy-to-read than Nico and Christian. Mila (h) fell for him on sight, which didn't make much sense to me. Mila didn't try to see what Ronan was hiding. Hiding not too hard. 😂
When Ronan showed his true colors in their full glory, they weren't rainbow bright and cheerful, and I was there for it. 😈 Ronan's rough treatment excited me.
That being said, I didn't detect any non-con scenes or over-the-top cruelty, even if I can see how their first sex scene can make sensitive readers feel uncomfortable...Embrace the discomfort, guys. 🥳 Hearts and flowers are nice, but where's the excitement in that? Mila was a willing participant. But of course if what you're looking for (in a dark mafia romance 😇) is a hero who writes a formal letter asking for permission to touch her hand, kiss her lips or press her body against his hard muscled chest that burns with possessiveness? Drop this book like a hot potato, sisters.
It was the minor details and numerous subtle ways in which Ronan couldn't hide his exponentially growing feelings for our girl that made this couple superior. Subtlety is so hard to come across in the genre and so imminently satisfying. *little sob*
In the second half of the book their chemistry was growing more and more palpable. It took time to warm up to Ronan... (still not sure I was entirely won over).
I liked the way Mila reacted to him, how she put up a tough façade to deal with her plight, while not losing her softness and naivety.
Her catfight with Nadya, followed by Gianna and little Kat's cheering comments, was fucking hilarious. 😂
To cut a long story short, when I finally started warming up to the story, it was already reaching the end. 👺👹 The book was long, but I wanted so much more. More of Mila and Ronan's banter. More of their incredible chemistry.
But all I see is "the end" and I cry out in outrage, throwing my kindle against the wall with a wild cry of abandonment. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK (just kidding... or not). More Ronan and Mila for this girl over here, please.
Do I have mixed feelings about this story? Yes, I do. But when I finish the book and instead of elevation and relief I feel like I want, no, I
First and foremost, I want to express my sincere gratitude to Danielle Lori for doing her research!!!
The Russian language in this book was pretty decent if not perfect. There were a few minor inconsistencies and punctuation errors, but all the sentences in Russian sounded authentic!
Y'all don't wanna know how many books I've read in which the Spanish/Russian/Italian phrases were so badly worded it hurt my poor eyes. When everybody and their momma has access to the Google search engine, those authors have only one excuse to justify them: laziness, unwillingness to put effort into the research and unprofessionalism.
Forced diversity hits home. 🗿
On second thought, I can't seem to remember any other foreign author whose Russian or Spanish didn't make me cringe internally. When my clueless innocent fellow reviewers salivate over their improperly worded endearments or full-blown sentences, it adds days to my life. 😂🤌🏻
Anyway, in Lori's case, I'm happy my fears weren't justified and my eyes get all teary when the whole GR community cites Russian phrases. 🥰😂😇 I don't really understand, though, why Danielle didn't include translations at the end of each chapter ...
Although this book features some old and funny, albeit popular stereotypes about Russia, I didn't find them annoying. The climate in Russia isn't that cold (especially in Moscow...let alone many southern regions) and the country doesn't give off such medieval vibes. In large cities, that is. 🌚 What about people believing Mila (h) was a witch??? That was endearingly weird.
But I got carried away so back to the ambiguous feelings the book managed to elicit from me.
To be fair, the first half of the story didn't impress me. The things kept happening and I wore my poker face expression while flipping through pages... yet it was engrossing enough to not let me give up on it.
Ronan (H) came across as cold, cruel and emotionless and I was yet to take notice of the internal fire that could compensate for his wicked ways. In that regard, he was more multilayered and less obvious and easy-to-read than Nico and Christian. Mila (h) fell for him on sight, which didn't make much sense to me. Mila didn't try to see what Ronan was hiding. Hiding not too hard. 😂
When Ronan showed his true colors in their full glory, they weren't rainbow bright and cheerful, and I was there for it. 😈 Ronan's rough treatment excited me.
That being said, I didn't detect any non-con scenes or over-the-top cruelty, even if I can see how their first sex scene can make sensitive readers feel uncomfortable...Embrace the discomfort, guys. 🥳 Hearts and flowers are nice, but where's the excitement in that? Mila was a willing participant. But of course if what you're looking for (in a dark mafia romance 😇) is a hero who writes a formal letter asking for permission to touch her hand, kiss her lips or press her body against his hard muscled chest that burns with possessiveness? Drop this book like a hot potato, sisters.
It was the minor details and numerous subtle ways in which Ronan couldn't hide his exponentially growing feelings for our girl that made this couple superior. Subtlety is so hard to come across in the genre and so imminently satisfying. *little sob*
In the second half of the book their chemistry was growing more and more palpable. It took time to warm up to Ronan... (still not sure I was entirely won over).
I liked the way Mila reacted to him, how she put up a tough façade to deal with her plight, while not losing her softness and naivety.
Her catfight with Nadya, followed by Gianna and little Kat's cheering comments, was fucking hilarious. 😂
To cut a long story short, when I finally started warming up to the story, it was already reaching the end. 👺👹 The book was long, but I wanted so much more. More of Mila and Ronan's banter. More of their incredible chemistry.
But all I see is "the end" and I cry out in outrage, throwing my kindle against the wall with a wild cry of abandonment. WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK (just kidding... or not). More Ronan and Mila for this girl over here, please.
July 8, 2023
Am I missing something? I don't like this story. What happened?
December 16, 2021
My review was deleted for some weird reason... Thank God I had it saved in my notes or I would've disintegrated into thin air.
5++++ STARS
”You call me sick,” I drawled, “but I think you might be a little twisted too.”
The expectations were sky high, but I should have known Danielle would crush every single one of them.
Writing a review for a book you love is the hardest thing ever. I could go on and on about how much I loved the characters, the setting, the writing, the whole thing. And while all that is true and so much more, it’s not enough at all. It's hard to put into words what this book did to me. Not only was it literally the fresh breath I needed in 2020; it was the whole freaking party. This year has been the worst book year ever (amongst other things...), I think I can count my five star reads with one hand. The year was coming to an end, and I had all my hopes set for this book, and not only were all my expectations met, they were exceeded, far more beautifully than I'd thought possible. Being completely serious here: I don't think I've ever loved anything more in my life.
The characters, as always, were fleshed out in glorious fashion. I really, really, no matter how I try, can’t put into words how much I loved Mila and Ronan.
Mila Mikhailov is the sweetest heroine, so beyond selfless, so brave and beautiful I would have torn my heart from my chest if she’d asked me to. The best thing about Mila is that even though she was so inherently good and bright, she had this insane will, this spine of steel. She's an oxymoron, a girl so soft, yet so strong, so bright yet so lethal. Her strength was undeniable and she gave as good as she got. I fell in love with her so hard, so completely and insanely, that it probably isn't even healthy. Her banter and sass with Ronan had me on the floor, sometimes gasping for breath, sometimes for mercy. She is so damn clever and bubbly, her come backs were pure gold and comedy. I think she’s honestly my favorite Danielle Lori heroine so far, I loved, loved being inside of her head. My baby.
And then... Ronan. Oh, Ronan. The impossible happened and he made me love him more than his brother. They are honestly very different, but Ronan was just... more to me. More messed up. More insane. More unhinged. Just more. And y’all know I love me some more ;).
He carried his ruthlessness like a crown, never shying away from what he was. He's the Dyavol in every sense of the word. You cross him, you die. An anti-hero I'll be damn well free to serve anytime he wants, no questions asked. And yet... under all the cruelty and mercilessness there is this aching soul that needed to feel accepted and loved. And the way Mila manages to peel his layers off, one by one, was truly a sight to behold. There were so many scenes where I just kept clutching my heart because these two could be so damn soft and vulnerable it really did hurt my soul. Ronan, for me, is the best hero I've had the pleasure reading about. There was just something about him that was so sexy, so devilish, so freaking manly. Ughhhh! He just owns me, every part of me!
The relationship development was done so well, ugh... I can’t even- It had everything I’d hoped for: the conflict, the banter, the steamy scenes, the feelings, the resistance and the eventual acceptance.
The way they just clicked on every single wavelength, like I've never seen a couple do. And I think that is one of Danielle's best gifts as an author: she gives her characters the partners they need, crave and can't live without. She pairs them with people they belong to. Mila and Ronan's journey really was not an easy one but these two were made for each other. Mila’s the tit for Ronan’s tat. The missing piece. The thing he needs but didn’t know he did.
Ronan, as cruel as he was in the beginning, falls in spectacular fashion for his lady. It had always been inevitable, and watching it happen gave me immeasurable pleasure. Mila was like this bright wrecking ball that left Ronan breathless, that left me breathless. I can’t put into words how much they fit each other. Their dynamic was absolutely everything and these two will go down as one of my top couples in history.
The writing here is spectacular, people, and you can definitely see how much Danielle has grown as an author. This book had more depth to it, the feels were stronger, it was just more, more, more. I’m also convinced now that this woman is incapable of writing a single bad book.
The side characters really were the icing on the cake. I loved them all very, very much, all of them were so entertaining to read about and we also got our giannachristiankat crumbs so there’s that, as well. All in all, this really hit me so deep, this whole book... It was a glorious ending to this God-awful year, and you bet I’m going to reread this tomorrow again.
I truly hope you guys love this book as much as I did. It’s truly my favorite thing to come out of 2020 so far.
5++++ STARS
”You call me sick,” I drawled, “but I think you might be a little twisted too.”
The expectations were sky high, but I should have known Danielle would crush every single one of them.
Writing a review for a book you love is the hardest thing ever. I could go on and on about how much I loved the characters, the setting, the writing, the whole thing. And while all that is true and so much more, it’s not enough at all. It's hard to put into words what this book did to me. Not only was it literally the fresh breath I needed in 2020; it was the whole freaking party. This year has been the worst book year ever (amongst other things...), I think I can count my five star reads with one hand. The year was coming to an end, and I had all my hopes set for this book, and not only were all my expectations met, they were exceeded, far more beautifully than I'd thought possible. Being completely serious here: I don't think I've ever loved anything more in my life.
The characters, as always, were fleshed out in glorious fashion. I really, really, no matter how I try, can’t put into words how much I loved Mila and Ronan.
Mila Mikhailov is the sweetest heroine, so beyond selfless, so brave and beautiful I would have torn my heart from my chest if she’d asked me to. The best thing about Mila is that even though she was so inherently good and bright, she had this insane will, this spine of steel. She's an oxymoron, a girl so soft, yet so strong, so bright yet so lethal. Her strength was undeniable and she gave as good as she got. I fell in love with her so hard, so completely and insanely, that it probably isn't even healthy. Her banter and sass with Ronan had me on the floor, sometimes gasping for breath, sometimes for mercy. She is so damn clever and bubbly, her come backs were pure gold and comedy. I think she’s honestly my favorite Danielle Lori heroine so far, I loved, loved being inside of her head. My baby.
And then... Ronan. Oh, Ronan. The impossible happened and he made me love him more than his brother. They are honestly very different, but Ronan was just... more to me. More messed up. More insane. More unhinged. Just more. And y’all know I love me some more ;).
He carried his ruthlessness like a crown, never shying away from what he was. He's the Dyavol in every sense of the word. You cross him, you die. An anti-hero I'll be damn well free to serve anytime he wants, no questions asked. And yet... under all the cruelty and mercilessness there is this aching soul that needed to feel accepted and loved. And the way Mila manages to peel his layers off, one by one, was truly a sight to behold. There were so many scenes where I just kept clutching my heart because these two could be so damn soft and vulnerable it really did hurt my soul. Ronan, for me, is the best hero I've had the pleasure reading about. There was just something about him that was so sexy, so devilish, so freaking manly. Ughhhh! He just owns me, every part of me!
The relationship development was done so well, ugh... I can’t even- It had everything I’d hoped for: the conflict, the banter, the steamy scenes, the feelings, the resistance and the eventual acceptance.
The way they just clicked on every single wavelength, like I've never seen a couple do. And I think that is one of Danielle's best gifts as an author: she gives her characters the partners they need, crave and can't live without. She pairs them with people they belong to. Mila and Ronan's journey really was not an easy one but these two were made for each other. Mila’s the tit for Ronan’s tat. The missing piece. The thing he needs but didn’t know he did.
Ronan, as cruel as he was in the beginning, falls in spectacular fashion for his lady. It had always been inevitable, and watching it happen gave me immeasurable pleasure. Mila was like this bright wrecking ball that left Ronan breathless, that left me breathless. I can’t put into words how much they fit each other. Their dynamic was absolutely everything and these two will go down as one of my top couples in history.
The writing here is spectacular, people, and you can definitely see how much Danielle has grown as an author. This book had more depth to it, the feels were stronger, it was just more, more, more. I’m also convinced now that this woman is incapable of writing a single bad book.
The side characters really were the icing on the cake. I loved them all very, very much, all of them were so entertaining to read about and we also got our giannachristiankat crumbs so there’s that, as well. All in all, this really hit me so deep, this whole book... It was a glorious ending to this God-awful year, and you bet I’m going to reread this tomorrow again.
I truly hope you guys love this book as much as I did. It’s truly my favorite thing to come out of 2020 so far.
December 5, 2024
We listen and we don’t judge.
He’s the scariest Russian mobster (he plays candy crush on his phone). I love him so much!!!!
4.5 ⭐️ my favourite of them all I think??
He’s the scariest Russian mobster (he plays candy crush on his phone). I love him so much!!!!
4.5 ⭐️ my favourite of them all I think??
March 10, 2024
me every time ronan opened his mouth:
the absolute gall of this whore to be related to christian mf allister. his rotten ass shouldn't come anywhere near my man.
"THE DEVIL IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN A GENTLEMAN."
bahahahahaha danielle my love what a quote to start your book with. i'm pretty sure you have selective amnesia cuz where was this when ronan almost raped mila hmm? 🥰🥰
the way ronan was described had me reeling:
How silly of me to think this man could ever get cold. He was a dark force of nature, heated by testosterone and muscle. He was probably hot all the time.
DO YOU GUYS GET IT? he's a man with ✨ testosterone✨ and ✨muscles✨ and he's veryyy ✨dark✨ and an absolute ✨devil✨ and ✨sinful✨ and a ✨loch ness monster✨
➵ he calls her his pet. "i need to tame my pet." "my pet is not eating enough." "my pet is misbehaving." "i would like to play with my pet." "my pet wants me to hand-feed her." "as you can see, we're still working on my pet's manners." "bad pets don't get rewarded." "i needed to see what my pet was upto early this morning."
“She’s my pet.”
“Your pet looks like a Mikhailov.”
“That’s because she is.”
“So why is she still tied to your bed?”
My gaze narrowed. “She’s my pet.”
there were 30 mentions of the word pet, 34 mentions of the word devil, 54 mentions of the word d’yavol which means devil in russian. ofc our man likes calling himself "D’yavol" every now and then🤡 and these are some actual quotes and conversations from the book😃
➵ everyone refers to her as a teenager during the start of the book. “I haven’t exactly heard of any of your recent exploits lately, except for the teenager in your bed.” 😃
again, a literal quote from the book.
➵ “You need to shave, kotyonok.” no comments.
➵ WHAT IS THIS MAN'S OBSESSION WITH VOMIT?? no seriously every now and then, for some reason or the other, he's covered in mila's barf.
He lowered to his haunches in front of me and wiped some puke from my bottom lip with his thumb. He was no longer a conundrum wearing Versace, indifferent to the blood on his pants and my vomit on his hand. He was a monster dressed like a gentleman.
nahh sorry i ain't romanticizing a man covered in vomit😭 not like he did this out of affection or anything nopes miss gurl was slapped first, chained, deceived, blackmailed and then almost raped by the same man. *heart eyes* 🤡
➵ he recorded a video of them being intimate and sent it to her father i- 🤡 and imagine my audacity to demand a grovel after all this. imagine me? a fucking peasant? demanding a grovel from the mightiest almightiest ronan? i deserve to be spitted in my face for this.
➵ it took them foreverrrr to fuck. like i'm talking fucking at 64%. danielle babe if i needed slow burn i would have knocked mariana zapata's door instead.
but the thing is this wasn't even a slow burn. this was, to put it simply, boring. nothing happened for the majority of the book. the writing at the start was so dramatic for no reason lmao. it set up this eerie atmosphere, every soul in moscow hating mila and her mother, chanting D’yavol D’yavol (devil) like a fucking cult. it all died down so soon that it was embarrassing. and then it was the same push and pull game. mila was held captive. she was asked to come dine with ronan. she refused. the maid drags her. staring contest while eating. bickering. clit stimulation. ronan's conscience cockblocking itself. ronan saying something icky. sends mila to her room. REPEAT x826272869.
even their chemistry was so fucking lame😭 there was not a single moment in the book that made me go "THAT'S SO FUCKING HOT!!"
➵ let's talk about the first *almost* sex scene. it lasted 5 seconds. the gall of this man to act surprised that mila was bleeding after he called her a liar and rammed into her when she repeatedly pleaded that she was a virgin. and then this was this mila's thoughts:
I just gave my virginity to the most charming man in Europe.
crying. i'm fucking dead sksjaakaka danielle's humour is truly unmatched🤣🤣
anyways now that he's rammed into her, you'd think finallyyyyy. finally they'll fuck and we'll get this over with. NOPES. he's pulls out, walks all the way to the door dramatically and throws in the infamous "i don't fuck virgins" line. mila starts crying. the silly hopeful me thought he'd give up and fuck her raw, after all we're 65% already done. right? RIGHT!? *eye twitches* danielle said get this whore outta here. as an apology, he eats her out WHILE SHE'S BLEEDING. he doesn't even get his tongue anywhere near her clit. he keeps in situated in her bleeding vaginal orifice and licks it clean😭
not only did i not get the dick, but i also had to sit through this barf inducing scene. i deserve a medal purely for this😃
➵ this man loves talking in russian. which is hot, if his dirty talks weren't in that same language too. all of the filth talking during smut was in russian WITH NO TRANSLATION. i had to google every single fckn thing and it ruined my mood. (and the dirty talking wasn't even worth it😭😭 hell even the smut was so lame😭)
➵ guys our dear ronan is entranced by mila. yk why? ugh dumb you, BECAUSE SHE'S NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS duhh🙄 firstly she's tall and short girls are boring, and she's an american, and she has a soft squishy heart, and she's sweet with "fire 🔥" in her eyes, she frowns at a ten thousand dollar glass of vodka (yes this was specifically mentioned) and she sees good in all, even in our rapist cuntass mmc🥰 AND SHE'S A VEGAN?? YOU HEAR ME?? SHE. IS. A. VEGAN. so special. so unique. so not like the other vanilla ass bitches.
➵ talking about mila, i don't know how to feel about her. she was head over heels for ronan on her first meeting. she laid herself bare and let him walk all over her for a man in a place where everyone seemed to hate her and where she was almost raped within 10 mins of stepping her foot in the country. even her being sheltered throughout her life can't be used as an excuse to neglect "STRANGER DANGER". she had it coming.
she grew up on me around 30% when she started fighting back. i really really liked her. when she pushed ronan off his chair, threw her tea on him, slapped him, clawed him, refused to obey him. i was having the time of my life! and then around 60% out of nowhere she started begging him for his cock🤡 the rest is history 🤡
also why did she keep on swaying and fainting on every other page??😭😭 they had a fight on her not eating since morning. BITCH IT'S NOT EVEN A DAY SINCE YOU STARVED AND YOU'RE ALREADY SWAYING AND FAINTING??😭😭
TORTUROUS. TORMENTING. INSUFFERABLE.
*SCREECHING TUMULTUOUS CRY*
~this were the kind words that my soul attributed to this work of art🥰
ayushi and rowan, traitorous bitches y'all lied to me🥲
the absolute gall of this whore to be related to christian mf allister. his rotten ass shouldn't come anywhere near my man.
"THE DEVIL IS AND ALWAYS HAS BEEN A GENTLEMAN."
bahahahahaha danielle my love what a quote to start your book with. i'm pretty sure you have selective amnesia cuz where was this when ronan almost raped mila hmm? 🥰🥰
the way ronan was described had me reeling:
How silly of me to think this man could ever get cold. He was a dark force of nature, heated by testosterone and muscle. He was probably hot all the time.
DO YOU GUYS GET IT? he's a man with ✨ testosterone✨ and ✨muscles✨ and he's veryyy ✨dark✨ and an absolute ✨devil✨ and ✨sinful✨ and a ✨loch ness monster✨
➵ he calls her his pet. "i need to tame my pet." "my pet is not eating enough." "my pet is misbehaving." "i would like to play with my pet." "my pet wants me to hand-feed her." "as you can see, we're still working on my pet's manners." "bad pets don't get rewarded." "i needed to see what my pet was upto early this morning."
“She’s my pet.”
“Your pet looks like a Mikhailov.”
“That’s because she is.”
“So why is she still tied to your bed?”
My gaze narrowed. “She’s my pet.”
there were 30 mentions of the word pet, 34 mentions of the word devil, 54 mentions of the word d’yavol which means devil in russian. ofc our man likes calling himself "D’yavol" every now and then🤡 and these are some actual quotes and conversations from the book😃
➵ everyone refers to her as a teenager during the start of the book. “I haven’t exactly heard of any of your recent exploits lately, except for the teenager in your bed.” 😃
again, a literal quote from the book.
➵ “You need to shave, kotyonok.” no comments.
➵ WHAT IS THIS MAN'S OBSESSION WITH VOMIT?? no seriously every now and then, for some reason or the other, he's covered in mila's barf.
He lowered to his haunches in front of me and wiped some puke from my bottom lip with his thumb. He was no longer a conundrum wearing Versace, indifferent to the blood on his pants and my vomit on his hand. He was a monster dressed like a gentleman.
nahh sorry i ain't romanticizing a man covered in vomit😭 not like he did this out of affection or anything nopes miss gurl was slapped first, chained, deceived, blackmailed and then almost raped by the same man. *heart eyes* 🤡
➵ he recorded a video of them being intimate and sent it to her father i- 🤡 and imagine my audacity to demand a grovel after all this. imagine me? a fucking peasant? demanding a grovel from the mightiest almightiest ronan? i deserve to be spitted in my face for this.
➵ it took them foreverrrr to fuck. like i'm talking fucking at 64%. danielle babe if i needed slow burn i would have knocked mariana zapata's door instead.
but the thing is this wasn't even a slow burn. this was, to put it simply, boring. nothing happened for the majority of the book. the writing at the start was so dramatic for no reason lmao. it set up this eerie atmosphere, every soul in moscow hating mila and her mother, chanting D’yavol D’yavol (devil) like a fucking cult. it all died down so soon that it was embarrassing. and then it was the same push and pull game. mila was held captive. she was asked to come dine with ronan. she refused. the maid drags her. staring contest while eating. bickering. clit stimulation. ronan's conscience cockblocking itself. ronan saying something icky. sends mila to her room. REPEAT x826272869.
even their chemistry was so fucking lame😭 there was not a single moment in the book that made me go "THAT'S SO FUCKING HOT!!"
➵ let's talk about the first *almost* sex scene. it lasted 5 seconds. the gall of this man to act surprised that mila was bleeding after he called her a liar and rammed into her when she repeatedly pleaded that she was a virgin. and then this was this mila's thoughts:
I just gave my virginity to the most charming man in Europe.
crying. i'm fucking dead sksjaakaka danielle's humour is truly unmatched🤣🤣
anyways now that he's rammed into her, you'd think finallyyyyy. finally they'll fuck and we'll get this over with. NOPES. he's pulls out, walks all the way to the door dramatically and throws in the infamous "i don't fuck virgins" line. mila starts crying. the silly hopeful me thought he'd give up and fuck her raw, after all we're 65% already done. right? RIGHT!? *eye twitches* danielle said get this whore outta here. as an apology, he eats her out WHILE SHE'S BLEEDING. he doesn't even get his tongue anywhere near her clit. he keeps in situated in her bleeding vaginal orifice and licks it clean😭
not only did i not get the dick, but i also had to sit through this barf inducing scene. i deserve a medal purely for this😃
➵ this man loves talking in russian. which is hot, if his dirty talks weren't in that same language too. all of the filth talking during smut was in russian WITH NO TRANSLATION. i had to google every single fckn thing and it ruined my mood. (and the dirty talking wasn't even worth it😭😭 hell even the smut was so lame😭)
➵ guys our dear ronan is entranced by mila. yk why? ugh dumb you, BECAUSE SHE'S NOT LIKE OTHER GIRLS duhh🙄 firstly she's tall and short girls are boring, and she's an american, and she has a soft squishy heart, and she's sweet with "fire 🔥" in her eyes, she frowns at a ten thousand dollar glass of vodka (yes this was specifically mentioned) and she sees good in all, even in our rapist cuntass mmc🥰 AND SHE'S A VEGAN?? YOU HEAR ME?? SHE. IS. A. VEGAN. so special. so unique. so not like the other vanilla ass bitches.
➵ talking about mila, i don't know how to feel about her. she was head over heels for ronan on her first meeting. she laid herself bare and let him walk all over her for a man in a place where everyone seemed to hate her and where she was almost raped within 10 mins of stepping her foot in the country. even her being sheltered throughout her life can't be used as an excuse to neglect "STRANGER DANGER". she had it coming.
she grew up on me around 30% when she started fighting back. i really really liked her. when she pushed ronan off his chair, threw her tea on him, slapped him, clawed him, refused to obey him. i was having the time of my life! and then around 60% out of nowhere she started begging him for his cock🤡 the rest is history 🤡
also why did she keep on swaying and fainting on every other page??😭😭 they had a fight on her not eating since morning. BITCH IT'S NOT EVEN A DAY SINCE YOU STARVED AND YOU'RE ALREADY SWAYING AND FAINTING??😭😭
TORTUROUS. TORMENTING. INSUFFERABLE.
*SCREECHING TUMULTUOUS CRY*
~this were the kind words that my soul attributed to this work of art🥰
ayushi and rowan, traitorous bitches y'all lied to me🥲
May 11, 2021
Why did my review mysteriously disappear????
I had to copy & paste it again now but I seem to have lost all the images I used before.
I think goodreads makes a lot of mistakes while updating the site:(((
*********************************************
I was extremely hesitant before starting this book. I thought the captive/captor situation would bother me and that I would hate it if there was a dub-con or non-con scene. And I am never a fan of virgin girl/experienced man matches, especially if he is 32 and she is 20, which is a huge gap as far as life experiences are concerned. However, after finishing this book, I can say that there are more infuriating things than the issues I have counted above. I loved the first two books in this series although I am not a fan of mafia books but this one had a hero I couldn’t forgive and a heroine I strongly disliked.
There will be spoilers ahead because I cannot talk about it without them so proceed with caution.
*********************************************
Tips:
If you can forgive a man who:
Records you while you are sitting naked on his lap and while he is fingering you till you have your orgasm and then sends this video to your father for revenge purposes
Then, you go read it.
If you can forgive a man who did this to you – because it can never be undone – YOUR FATHER SAW THIS VIDEO! – and if you can love this man just because he is hot and charismatic or whatever…
Well, then, be my guest and read it but the book finished for me when he did that!
Actually, in the second half of the book, I started to like Ronan a bit. He got sweeter and all but I was never able to love him because I couldn’t forgive him.
The heroine? Mila?
Well, she forgives everyone, she is such a saint. So she did forgive him. I said I disliked her strongly already.
*********************************************
Mila is silly and naive. She goes to Moscow to find her father who hasn’t been at home for a few months but she knows no address or any other information. She just flies to Moscow.
Then, she is assaulted but she escapes before she is raped. And Ronan lives nearby and helps her at her worst, or she thinks so because later we learn that he lured her towards his place. He sent that man after her. And when he saw she was this beautiful young girl, he decided to rape her. What if he had succeeded? It would have been on Ronan’s hands.
Whatever. She likes Ronan the moment she sets eyes on him and from then on, she is the one who initiates everything. I hate that. She kisses him first. Later, she begs him to f*ck her etc. She says she likes him first or she loves him first…blah bla. You get the picture, right?
She has no self-respect or pride and she keeps embarrassing herself. Ronan says she is an easy p*ssy… How awful is that to hear it from a man you like!? He says she keeps embarrassing herself but she doesn’t change.
She is this “sickeningly-good” person who acts lovingly towards everyone even if they have harmed her. It is infuriating and unbearable to watch her act with no self-preservation.
Also, her acts of self-sacrifice were nauseating for me. There is “caring & helping” and then there is sheer stupidity. Whatever she does, she goes to extremes. She gives her coat to a homeless woman but then she is without a coat in the middle of winter and in the cold of Moscow. She is the daughter of a rich man. She could have done her good deeds in a clever way, she didn’t have to do them in a stupid way.
She is also an extreme environmentalist and her humanitarian acts were also too much. She doesn’t wear fur or silk, she is a vegan and she refuses all products whose tests involved animals etc. I can understand that she cares about the nature, loves animals etc but refusing to eat honey???!!! I thought that was too much. Well, you can disagree with me, fine, but I don’t like people going to extremes and she got on my nerves. She even refuses to have a wedding ring at the end of the book because of some environmentalist reason I don’t understand. What was the purpose of creating such a person? Sickeningly-good and sweet people who seem perfect always get on my nerves because our imperfections make us unique and if you are nothing but perfect, you are either fake, boring or annoying for me.
Whatever... Therefore, in the end, although I liked Ronan a bit, I never liked Mila. Like at all!
*********************************************
As for those infamous scenes that have become a target of discussion, I am surprised to see that they were not bad at all.
I thought I would feel awful while reading the scene where he takes her virginity in a rough way but actually that scene is not that bad. Ronan asks Mila if he can f*ck her but he asks it in Russian. She is ready for everything so even though she doesn’t understand the question, she assumes he is asking permission to have sex and she says yes because in her mind, she is ready for anything, even anal. There is no dub-con here.
Ronan enters her harshly and when he sees she is a virgin, he gets a bit angry with her because she told him too many lies and led him to believe that she isn’t a virgin. When he sees he is hurting her, he stops and doesn’t go on while she is sore although she begs him to go on. Instead, although he is a man who doesn’t do it often, he gives her a soothing oral. When she is bloody, yes.
***
Their relationship begins while she is not a captive but later she sees that everything that happened was preparing her towards her captivity. At the beginning of her captivity, there is this scene where he fingers her and at that time she is upset with him and doesn’t respond. And when he sees she is not enjoying it, he stops. People have been discussing this scene as the dub-con one and it is up to your interpretation. After the horrible act of sending that videotape to her father, honestly, I didn’t mind this scene at all. And at that time, I was also too angry with Mila for throwing herself at a stranger’s arms and doing it with no dignity at all. She meets him and immediately there are cartoon hearts in her eyes. And all through the book, while captive and non-captive, she lusts for him non-stop. His scent, his eyes, his fingers, his body… she goes on and on about the things that cause her to want him instead of hating him. That was too annoying for me. More annoying than everything he did. She was never able to grow a backbone.
*********************************************
Mila also slut-shames other women as if she has any pride. That was hypocritical.
*********************************************
I didn’t like Ronan and Mila as a couple. I didn't feel their chemistry in the first half of the book because all I read was a silly girl with no pride throwing herself at a man who kept on demeaning her.
In the second half of the book, I started to feel their chemistry but when I felt it, it was too late for me to enjoy it after all that bad taste it left in my mouth.
Regardless of everything, I don't think they are a good match at all. I don’t think a man like Ronan would fall for a girl like Mila. Why would he? Wouldn’t he be impressed by a strong woman with a smart mouth instead?
And can someone tell me how a girl with such a soft heart like Mila falls for a ruthless killer? She cannot even stand the idea of him killing a wild dog that might harm her and she is OK with all his murders and tortures?
All in all, I don't think they fit.
*********************************************
As for the writing, it seems to be a dual point of view but the majority of the book is told from Mila’s perspective. Ronan’s chapters are much fewer.
I liked Danielle’s writing in Book 1 and 2 in this series but here, the writing is not as good. This book drags a lot with boring story fillers. It is a very long book and especially the first half of the book until 50% is very boring. I thought of dropping it many times but after 50% mark, it gets better and more bearable.
The mafia scenes are not good, especially the trading scene of Mila with her father is a very stupid one. How could someone like Ronan be so careless and unprepared?
The ending of the book is good. There is no epilogue but it is a cute ending.
The most problematic thing about the writing of this book is all the Russian language in it. Those Russian sentences are mostly not translated so I had to stop and google translate them all the time. If it were a book I enjoyed, I would have hated the interruption. That’s not cool to put another language in an English book and not give translations. Just saying…
*********************************************
As for safety, they are not with anyone else after meeting each other, if it means something to you after all.
*********************************************
My Rating:
Honestly, I thought too much about my rating. I want to be fair and it is too hard when you have so many contradicting feelings about a book.
Let me say this:
Despite all the things I disliked in this book, IF RONAN HADN’T SENT THAT VIDEO TO HER FATHER, I would have given it 3 stars. But I can���t now. A man who does this to me can’t be the man I love and similarly, he can’t be the hero in my romance novel.
However, in no way, this book would be a 4 or 5 star book for me with a stupid girl like Mila. For me, Mila is the one who damages this book more than Ronan does. Ronan just makes the killing shot.
*********************************************
SOME QUOTES FROM THE BOOK
Look how naïve and silly Mila is:
He tilted my head with the other hand to deepen the kiss, and I tasted a familiar hint of cinnamon. They chewed the same type of gum. They had history.
Oh wow, how bright she is. She thinks using the same brand of a product means two people have history.
***
Here are some moments she embarrasses herself:
“I don’t want special treatment.” I don’t deserve it. “You should treat me like anyone else who happens to look at you the wrong way.”
“I find your sacrificial lamb mentality nauseating.”
***
“I like you.”
He watched me for a heavy second, then his eyes darkened. “Do you get off on embarrassing yourself?”
***
God was laughing at me when he delivered my revenge straight to my hands wrapped in a perfect, environmentally friendly package. Although, he must not have accounted for Mila to practically beg me to take advantage of her.
***
“If you despise me so much just because of who my papa is, then I feel sorry for you.”
He gave a dry, amused look. “Coming from someone who spread her legs for her papa’s enemy two seconds after meeting him. Perhaps the one who should be pitied here is you.”
***
I didn’t care about this girl. I just didn’t like killing women.
***
“Apparently, they don’t make girls as smart as they used to.”
I was stupid. I knew it, and I accepted it. But hearing it from his lips sent a burst of fire through me.
***
“I think you’re enjoying it more than you’d like.”
“We both know I could have you any way I want. Unfortunately for you, I have better things to do than Mikhailov whores.”
***
I said I wouldn’t sympathize with him, but it was hard when he threw his tragic past in my face. I prayed Ronan wouldn’t talk about being an orphan living on the streets. Otherwise, I may as well just tie my hair back in preparation for signing over my soul.
***
I didn’t know why I did this to myself; why I cared so much tears burned the backs of my eyes; why I couldn’t hate him even now. If anything, I despised myself for serving Ronan the vulnerability on a silver platter, only for him to reject me like cheap vodka.
***
Honestly, what did I expect handing over my virginity to the man who abducted me? The fact that sentence even existed in my head told me I needed help.
***
It was a frustrating development that my body lit up like a firework display when the man was near, pushing aside all qualms he would murder my papa in cold blood. I needed therapy. Or church. Anything to exorcise the demons that raged in eagerness at the sound of his voice.
***
I’d like to say I was strong enough to resist temptation in all its forms, but . . . just seeing him in a pair of boxer briefs made me want to rock my hips against him and slide my hands from his pecs to his abs.
***
“I get enough easy pussy. I’m not in the mood for more.”
His words should dissuade any woman and send her running to find literally anyone else. But I didn’t want another.
***
“When someone calls you a whore, you get the fuck out of their bed,” I growled. “It’s called having a little self-respect.” Did I have to teach this girl the basics before she went home to Miami and let men degrade her?
***
“You’re truly the worst kidnapper I’ve ever met.”
“Coming from the girl who gives all captives a bad name. Spreading your sunshine all over my house, apologizing every step of the way. Let’s not forget the part where you came to your kidnapper’s room and begged him to fuck you. At least you’re not a cliché.”
“It’s called Stockholm syndrome. What’s your excuse?”
***
Oh did I mention that he slaps her once?
I didn’t get to finish the word because he slapped my face. It wasn’t hard, but it turned my head in surprise nonetheless.
***
And here’s how she thinks she has the right to slut shame others as if she herself has any self-respect.
A few of the maid’s dress buttons were undone, giving a generous glance down her bodice whenever she bent over. And she bent over a lot. I wanted to tell her to have a little self-respect, but I wasn’t sure it would resonate coming from a girl who would have probably had unprotected sex with Ronan on the first date if he’d asked. I usually had high respect for blue-collar workers, but that one . . . What a peasant.
***
Here is the only passage that made me feel something:
“You DON’T get to die for me, kotyonok. If anyone dies between us, it will be ME. Do you understand? … You would survive without me. You would move on. I can’t imagine a world where you and all your fucking yellow doesn’t exist. So if you die, you’ll take me with you. Your sacrifice would mean nothing, kotyonok. NOTHING.”
***
And what is it about the weird use of “narcissistic“ in the book? Can someone explain?
“Where’s the passion you gave Ivan, kotyonok? I won’t believe you have reservations about kissing two men on the same day.”
“The only reservation I have is kissing you.
“I guess we’re both NARCISSISTIC then.”
***
He was pretty confident the bullet had missed bone, only tearing through muscle. How NARCISSISTIC I got once again. I’d normally be enjoying two fingers of vodka and a cigar after this day.
*********************************************
You can follow my Instagram page from here
I had to copy & paste it again now but I seem to have lost all the images I used before.
I think goodreads makes a lot of mistakes while updating the site:(((
*********************************************
I was extremely hesitant before starting this book. I thought the captive/captor situation would bother me and that I would hate it if there was a dub-con or non-con scene. And I am never a fan of virgin girl/experienced man matches, especially if he is 32 and she is 20, which is a huge gap as far as life experiences are concerned. However, after finishing this book, I can say that there are more infuriating things than the issues I have counted above. I loved the first two books in this series although I am not a fan of mafia books but this one had a hero I couldn’t forgive and a heroine I strongly disliked.
There will be spoilers ahead because I cannot talk about it without them so proceed with caution.
*********************************************
Tips:
If you can forgive a man who:
Records you while you are sitting naked on his lap and while he is fingering you till you have your orgasm and then sends this video to your father for revenge purposes
Then, you go read it.
If you can forgive a man who did this to you – because it can never be undone – YOUR FATHER SAW THIS VIDEO! – and if you can love this man just because he is hot and charismatic or whatever…
Well, then, be my guest and read it but the book finished for me when he did that!
Actually, in the second half of the book, I started to like Ronan a bit. He got sweeter and all but I was never able to love him because I couldn’t forgive him.
The heroine? Mila?
Well, she forgives everyone, she is such a saint. So she did forgive him. I said I disliked her strongly already.
*********************************************
Mila is silly and naive. She goes to Moscow to find her father who hasn’t been at home for a few months but she knows no address or any other information. She just flies to Moscow.
Then, she is assaulted but she escapes before she is raped. And Ronan lives nearby and helps her at her worst, or she thinks so because later we learn that he lured her towards his place. He sent that man after her. And when he saw she was this beautiful young girl, he decided to rape her. What if he had succeeded? It would have been on Ronan’s hands.
Whatever. She likes Ronan the moment she sets eyes on him and from then on, she is the one who initiates everything. I hate that. She kisses him first. Later, she begs him to f*ck her etc. She says she likes him first or she loves him first…blah bla. You get the picture, right?
She has no self-respect or pride and she keeps embarrassing herself. Ronan says she is an easy p*ssy… How awful is that to hear it from a man you like!? He says she keeps embarrassing herself but she doesn’t change.
She is this “sickeningly-good” person who acts lovingly towards everyone even if they have harmed her. It is infuriating and unbearable to watch her act with no self-preservation.
Also, her acts of self-sacrifice were nauseating for me. There is “caring & helping” and then there is sheer stupidity. Whatever she does, she goes to extremes. She gives her coat to a homeless woman but then she is without a coat in the middle of winter and in the cold of Moscow. She is the daughter of a rich man. She could have done her good deeds in a clever way, she didn’t have to do them in a stupid way.
She is also an extreme environmentalist and her humanitarian acts were also too much. She doesn’t wear fur or silk, she is a vegan and she refuses all products whose tests involved animals etc. I can understand that she cares about the nature, loves animals etc but refusing to eat honey???!!! I thought that was too much. Well, you can disagree with me, fine, but I don’t like people going to extremes and she got on my nerves. She even refuses to have a wedding ring at the end of the book because of some environmentalist reason I don’t understand. What was the purpose of creating such a person? Sickeningly-good and sweet people who seem perfect always get on my nerves because our imperfections make us unique and if you are nothing but perfect, you are either fake, boring or annoying for me.
Whatever... Therefore, in the end, although I liked Ronan a bit, I never liked Mila. Like at all!
*********************************************
As for those infamous scenes that have become a target of discussion, I am surprised to see that they were not bad at all.
I thought I would feel awful while reading the scene where he takes her virginity in a rough way but actually that scene is not that bad. Ronan asks Mila if he can f*ck her but he asks it in Russian. She is ready for everything so even though she doesn’t understand the question, she assumes he is asking permission to have sex and she says yes because in her mind, she is ready for anything, even anal. There is no dub-con here.
Ronan enters her harshly and when he sees she is a virgin, he gets a bit angry with her because she told him too many lies and led him to believe that she isn’t a virgin. When he sees he is hurting her, he stops and doesn’t go on while she is sore although she begs him to go on. Instead, although he is a man who doesn’t do it often, he gives her a soothing oral. When she is bloody, yes.
***
Their relationship begins while she is not a captive but later she sees that everything that happened was preparing her towards her captivity. At the beginning of her captivity, there is this scene where he fingers her and at that time she is upset with him and doesn’t respond. And when he sees she is not enjoying it, he stops. People have been discussing this scene as the dub-con one and it is up to your interpretation. After the horrible act of sending that videotape to her father, honestly, I didn’t mind this scene at all. And at that time, I was also too angry with Mila for throwing herself at a stranger’s arms and doing it with no dignity at all. She meets him and immediately there are cartoon hearts in her eyes. And all through the book, while captive and non-captive, she lusts for him non-stop. His scent, his eyes, his fingers, his body… she goes on and on about the things that cause her to want him instead of hating him. That was too annoying for me. More annoying than everything he did. She was never able to grow a backbone.
*********************************************
Mila also slut-shames other women as if she has any pride. That was hypocritical.
*********************************************
I didn’t like Ronan and Mila as a couple. I didn't feel their chemistry in the first half of the book because all I read was a silly girl with no pride throwing herself at a man who kept on demeaning her.
In the second half of the book, I started to feel their chemistry but when I felt it, it was too late for me to enjoy it after all that bad taste it left in my mouth.
Regardless of everything, I don't think they are a good match at all. I don’t think a man like Ronan would fall for a girl like Mila. Why would he? Wouldn’t he be impressed by a strong woman with a smart mouth instead?
And can someone tell me how a girl with such a soft heart like Mila falls for a ruthless killer? She cannot even stand the idea of him killing a wild dog that might harm her and she is OK with all his murders and tortures?
All in all, I don't think they fit.
*********************************************
As for the writing, it seems to be a dual point of view but the majority of the book is told from Mila’s perspective. Ronan’s chapters are much fewer.
I liked Danielle’s writing in Book 1 and 2 in this series but here, the writing is not as good. This book drags a lot with boring story fillers. It is a very long book and especially the first half of the book until 50% is very boring. I thought of dropping it many times but after 50% mark, it gets better and more bearable.
The mafia scenes are not good, especially the trading scene of Mila with her father is a very stupid one. How could someone like Ronan be so careless and unprepared?
The ending of the book is good. There is no epilogue but it is a cute ending.
The most problematic thing about the writing of this book is all the Russian language in it. Those Russian sentences are mostly not translated so I had to stop and google translate them all the time. If it were a book I enjoyed, I would have hated the interruption. That’s not cool to put another language in an English book and not give translations. Just saying…
*********************************************
As for safety, they are not with anyone else after meeting each other, if it means something to you after all.
*********************************************
My Rating:
Honestly, I thought too much about my rating. I want to be fair and it is too hard when you have so many contradicting feelings about a book.
Let me say this:
Despite all the things I disliked in this book, IF RONAN HADN’T SENT THAT VIDEO TO HER FATHER, I would have given it 3 stars. But I can���t now. A man who does this to me can’t be the man I love and similarly, he can’t be the hero in my romance novel.
However, in no way, this book would be a 4 or 5 star book for me with a stupid girl like Mila. For me, Mila is the one who damages this book more than Ronan does. Ronan just makes the killing shot.
*********************************************
SOME QUOTES FROM THE BOOK
Look how naïve and silly Mila is:
He tilted my head with the other hand to deepen the kiss, and I tasted a familiar hint of cinnamon. They chewed the same type of gum. They had history.
Oh wow, how bright she is. She thinks using the same brand of a product means two people have history.
***
Here are some moments she embarrasses herself:
“I don’t want special treatment.” I don’t deserve it. “You should treat me like anyone else who happens to look at you the wrong way.”
“I find your sacrificial lamb mentality nauseating.”
***
“I like you.”
He watched me for a heavy second, then his eyes darkened. “Do you get off on embarrassing yourself?”
***
God was laughing at me when he delivered my revenge straight to my hands wrapped in a perfect, environmentally friendly package. Although, he must not have accounted for Mila to practically beg me to take advantage of her.
***
“If you despise me so much just because of who my papa is, then I feel sorry for you.”
He gave a dry, amused look. “Coming from someone who spread her legs for her papa’s enemy two seconds after meeting him. Perhaps the one who should be pitied here is you.”
***
I didn’t care about this girl. I just didn’t like killing women.
***
“Apparently, they don’t make girls as smart as they used to.”
I was stupid. I knew it, and I accepted it. But hearing it from his lips sent a burst of fire through me.
***
“I think you’re enjoying it more than you’d like.”
“We both know I could have you any way I want. Unfortunately for you, I have better things to do than Mikhailov whores.”
***
I said I wouldn’t sympathize with him, but it was hard when he threw his tragic past in my face. I prayed Ronan wouldn’t talk about being an orphan living on the streets. Otherwise, I may as well just tie my hair back in preparation for signing over my soul.
***
I didn’t know why I did this to myself; why I cared so much tears burned the backs of my eyes; why I couldn’t hate him even now. If anything, I despised myself for serving Ronan the vulnerability on a silver platter, only for him to reject me like cheap vodka.
***
Honestly, what did I expect handing over my virginity to the man who abducted me? The fact that sentence even existed in my head told me I needed help.
***
It was a frustrating development that my body lit up like a firework display when the man was near, pushing aside all qualms he would murder my papa in cold blood. I needed therapy. Or church. Anything to exorcise the demons that raged in eagerness at the sound of his voice.
***
I’d like to say I was strong enough to resist temptation in all its forms, but . . . just seeing him in a pair of boxer briefs made me want to rock my hips against him and slide my hands from his pecs to his abs.
***
“I get enough easy pussy. I’m not in the mood for more.”
His words should dissuade any woman and send her running to find literally anyone else. But I didn’t want another.
***
“When someone calls you a whore, you get the fuck out of their bed,” I growled. “It’s called having a little self-respect.” Did I have to teach this girl the basics before she went home to Miami and let men degrade her?
***
“You’re truly the worst kidnapper I’ve ever met.”
“Coming from the girl who gives all captives a bad name. Spreading your sunshine all over my house, apologizing every step of the way. Let’s not forget the part where you came to your kidnapper’s room and begged him to fuck you. At least you’re not a cliché.”
“It’s called Stockholm syndrome. What’s your excuse?”
***
Oh did I mention that he slaps her once?
I didn’t get to finish the word because he slapped my face. It wasn’t hard, but it turned my head in surprise nonetheless.
***
And here’s how she thinks she has the right to slut shame others as if she herself has any self-respect.
A few of the maid’s dress buttons were undone, giving a generous glance down her bodice whenever she bent over. And she bent over a lot. I wanted to tell her to have a little self-respect, but I wasn’t sure it would resonate coming from a girl who would have probably had unprotected sex with Ronan on the first date if he’d asked. I usually had high respect for blue-collar workers, but that one . . . What a peasant.
***
Here is the only passage that made me feel something:
“You DON’T get to die for me, kotyonok. If anyone dies between us, it will be ME. Do you understand? … You would survive without me. You would move on. I can’t imagine a world where you and all your fucking yellow doesn’t exist. So if you die, you’ll take me with you. Your sacrifice would mean nothing, kotyonok. NOTHING.”
***
And what is it about the weird use of “narcissistic“ in the book? Can someone explain?
“Where’s the passion you gave Ivan, kotyonok? I won’t believe you have reservations about kissing two men on the same day.”
“The only reservation I have is kissing you.
“I guess we’re both NARCISSISTIC then.”
***
He was pretty confident the bullet had missed bone, only tearing through muscle. How NARCISSISTIC I got once again. I’d normally be enjoying two fingers of vodka and a cigar after this day.
*********************************************
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December 18, 2020
The Darkest Temptation has been on my most anticipated reads list since it was announced. Every book Danielle Lori writes from here to eternity will be going on that same list, because she has never let me down! She's earned her spot on my unicorn author list by giving me three of my favorite mafia romances of all time. I've fallen in love with her writing style, her characters, and her stories so much that I can confidently say, she's one of the most talented writers I've ever read.
She is the kind of author that has you hooked from the first page and holds you hostage to the last. Every sentence you consume makes you wish a hundred more would follow it. Once you get lost in her words, you never want them to end.
Speaking of never wanting things to end.....
I feel that right now in my soul! I savored every single letter on the pages of this book! I drug out my reading experience as long as I possibly could, because I knew the more indulged myself, the closer I was to the inevitable.
Milah and Ronan stole my heart, and if you give this book a chance, there is no doubt in my mind they'll do the same to you. Their incredible banter, chemistry, and the overwhelming sexual tension pouring from the pages captivated me completely. Milah and Ronan couldn't be more different people, but they compliment each other in the most perfect way. I couldn't get enough of them, and I can only hope to get a glimpse of them in future books. I don't want it to be proshchay .
That's all I'm going to say about this story, because I don't want to spoil it in any way. Each moment of it is perfection. The Darkest Temptation is one of my favorite books of the year, and if that doesn't tell you how good it is and convince you to read it, I don't know what will!
Mafia romance fans, this one's for you!
She is the kind of author that has you hooked from the first page and holds you hostage to the last. Every sentence you consume makes you wish a hundred more would follow it. Once you get lost in her words, you never want them to end.
Speaking of never wanting things to end.....
I feel that right now in my soul! I savored every single letter on the pages of this book! I drug out my reading experience as long as I possibly could, because I knew the more indulged myself, the closer I was to the inevitable.
Milah and Ronan stole my heart, and if you give this book a chance, there is no doubt in my mind they'll do the same to you. Their incredible banter, chemistry, and the overwhelming sexual tension pouring from the pages captivated me completely. Milah and Ronan couldn't be more different people, but they compliment each other in the most perfect way. I couldn't get enough of them, and I can only hope to get a glimpse of them in future books. I don't want it to be proshchay .
That's all I'm going to say about this story, because I don't want to spoil it in any way. Each moment of it is perfection. The Darkest Temptation is one of my favorite books of the year, and if that doesn't tell you how good it is and convince you to read it, I don't know what will!
Mafia romance fans, this one's for you!
October 24, 2024
The way I inhaled this like it was a drug. I now have a new found obsession with psycho mafia men. Don’t even get me started on Ronan. This man. Yes he kidnapped her… and??? I need more. The grumpy sunshine was perfection, Ronan and Mila have my whole heart. Apparently this is everyone’s least favorite in the series…. How? Cannot relate. I already want to re-read it. I fear no other mafia series will ever compare.
January 26, 2022
me fighting the urge to become a Ronan girl after finding out Danielle Lori is—
original review:
I’m about to say something very controversial…
marry Christian
fuck Ronan
kill Nico
original review:
I’m about to say something very controversial…
marry Christian
fuck Ronan
kill Nico
March 14, 2024
I literally dragged this book out for 5 days because I couldn’t bring myself to finish it ( I DID NOT WANT IT TO END) the best mafia series I have ever read, Ronan might be my fav 🤭 that ending was everything I’ve ever wanted and more
December 15, 2024
4 stars
"You’re so sweet you fucking glow. And I’ll kill anyone who tries to take that light from you.”
[Reread]: From what I concluded, no matter how many times I read DL's books, I'll fall in love with them harder.
I prefer the first 2 books more, But I still love it and would always recommend it.
Before starting the review, the tropes of this book are:
* Captive/Captor Romance
* Grumpy/sunshine
* She fell first, He fell harder.
Mila Mikhailova: ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
She's such a sweet, naïve, and strong character. She was the definition of a beautiful heart. She's optimistic, and open, and could warm up the coldest hearts! I loved how she stood up for herself and gives as well as she gets. She was the perfect balance of sweet & Sassy and wasn't a DOORMAT. I personally loathe weak heroines. Despite the situation she was in, she never lost her light and never looked for the worse in anything. She was always the first to initiate anything and it takes up a lot of courage to do so. She's not a ray of sunshine, SHE'S A WHOLE DAMN SUN. I love her. PERIOD ✋🏻
Ronan Markov: ⋆·˚ ༘ *
I'm in a love-hate relationship with his character. He was cold, unhinged, and jaded but you could also see the little lost boy in him. He oozed control & power but he had softness inside of him for Mila. He did questionable things but he redeemed himself in other ways. He lived in the gray area. He was constantly in an inner battle and was in denial about his feelings. He simply wouldn't allow himself to feel anything toward others because they always left him. He was alpha, possessive, and super jealous. But I love a Russian mobster who is sarcastic, has dark humour, and plays candy crush in his free time while eating fruit loops 😂🤷🏻♀️
PART I
On her 20th birthday, feeling lost & alone because her father wasn't around much to acknowledge her presence, Mila was determined to visit Russia - her homeland - to get some answers & secrets. She sneaked out of her house and went to Moscow, upon her arrival, everyone stared at her in shock or disgust and told her to go back before D'yavol finds her. On her way to find a place, she was attacked and ran into a restaurant into the arms of a handsome stranger, The Devil of Moscow.
“You’re really uncomfortable to run into.” - and that's the first thing she said to him.🤣 Though Ronan was a complete gentleman in the start and Mila started liking him. They had a lot of sexual tension and Mila kissed him on their first date. 😮💨
PART II
I was wrong. The devil didn’t have red skin and a forked tail. He reigned havoc on Moscow with a dirty mouth, an easy smile, and a snake for a heart.
When Ronan showed his mysterious & Dark side, she realized he isn't the person she thought he was. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for the rough treatment.
God was laughing at me when he delivered my revenge straight to my hands wrapped in a perfect, environmentally friendly package.
Ronan held Mila captive so that he can take revenge on her father, he kept her captive for some weeks because he wanted to play with her.
She had a soft heart. I didn’t want to destroy it. I wanted it in the palm of my hand.
There were so many times I hated Ronan for his actions but he never intended to hurt her physically! (There was a light slap scene which made me 😐 but let's not talk about that.) He also kept gruesome details about her mother & father from her because he didn't want to taint her memories of them.
She was hard to look at and hard to look away from. So soft, so perfect, so goddamn fuckable.
I'm 100% sure he was smitten with her when he saw her standing on a cracked pavement catching a snowflake in her hand. He was attracted to her and cared for her but he was constantly in denial and convinced himself that he just wants to fuck her.
I hadn’t known he had that kind of softness in him.
He never hurt her physically and made sure she was always fed. I'd say he was kinda gentle with her too and would always ask if she was hurt. He would always brush her tears away because he hated them (even though he was the reason for her tears sometimes) but he didn't like to make her cry either. Aside from the captive part, he was kinda nice. He wasn't emotionless and found Mila cute & amusing.
"I’ll get Yulia to find some candles.” Even though he told her there would be no candles or roses, but he still compromised for her.
I couldn’t stomach treating Mila like everyone else.
I loved how special she was to him. 💗
“I can’t imagine a world where you and all your fucking yellow doesn’t exist. So if you die, you’ll take me with you. Your sacrifice would mean nothing, kotyonok. NOTHING.”
I was so shocked when she took a bullet for him. He showed his vulnerable side to her for the first time and realized that he was madly in love with her and couldn't lose her.
"Am I that easy to leave, kotyonok?"
WHAT I LIKED: 👍🏻
1. I loved the character development. It was a slow burn and everything was written so perfectly that you can imagine yourself as them.
2. GIANNA & CHRISTIAN! omg the best part fr.
3. KATHERINE ALLISTER! ✨💅🏻
4. Is Yulia up for hiring? Because I loved the grouch housekeeper 😂✋🏻
5. Can Albert be my driver? I really want a giant, 6 feet 8 inches Driver.
6. I also want KHAOS. 😮💨
7. It was kinda funny & the banter was great. 😂
8. THE BELT SCENE SHOULD'VE TRIGGERED ME BUT GOD, IT HAD ME IN A CHOKEHOLD! I LITERALLY STOPPED READING WHEN I READ ABOUT the clank of his belt. 💀✨
What I disliked: 👎🏻
Aside from the fact that he took her virginity roughly, tied her up, and touched her without her consent [I'm not complaining about it because I understand that it's a dark romance book and No captor will play dress up with you or ask for a handwritten consent.]
The only thing I didn't like was that he makes her sleep outside in the snow in a DOG KENNEL. 🙂 - what Mila did at that moment made him really angry but he realized his mistake, and even apologize for the first time, I was still angry with him for this.
No groveling. - I was dying for a lil bit of groveling but NAH. 🥹🤧
Reviews:
The Sweetest Oblivion
The Maddest Obsession
"You’re so sweet you fucking glow. And I’ll kill anyone who tries to take that light from you.”
[Reread]: From what I concluded, no matter how many times I read DL's books, I'll fall in love with them harder.
I prefer the first 2 books more, But I still love it and would always recommend it.
Before starting the review, the tropes of this book are:
* Captive/Captor Romance
* Grumpy/sunshine
* She fell first, He fell harder.
Mila Mikhailova: ⋆ ˚｡⋆୨୧˚
She's such a sweet, naïve, and strong character. She was the definition of a beautiful heart. She's optimistic, and open, and could warm up the coldest hearts! I loved how she stood up for herself and gives as well as she gets. She was the perfect balance of sweet & Sassy and wasn't a DOORMAT. I personally loathe weak heroines. Despite the situation she was in, she never lost her light and never looked for the worse in anything. She was always the first to initiate anything and it takes up a lot of courage to do so. She's not a ray of sunshine, SHE'S A WHOLE DAMN SUN. I love her. PERIOD ✋🏻
Ronan Markov: ⋆·˚ ༘ *
I'm in a love-hate relationship with his character. He was cold, unhinged, and jaded but you could also see the little lost boy in him. He oozed control & power but he had softness inside of him for Mila. He did questionable things but he redeemed himself in other ways. He lived in the gray area. He was constantly in an inner battle and was in denial about his feelings. He simply wouldn't allow himself to feel anything toward others because they always left him. He was alpha, possessive, and super jealous. But I love a Russian mobster who is sarcastic, has dark humour, and plays candy crush in his free time while eating fruit loops 😂🤷🏻♀️
PART I
On her 20th birthday, feeling lost & alone because her father wasn't around much to acknowledge her presence, Mila was determined to visit Russia - her homeland - to get some answers & secrets. She sneaked out of her house and went to Moscow, upon her arrival, everyone stared at her in shock or disgust and told her to go back before D'yavol finds her. On her way to find a place, she was attacked and ran into a restaurant into the arms of a handsome stranger, The Devil of Moscow.
“You’re really uncomfortable to run into.” - and that's the first thing she said to him.🤣 Though Ronan was a complete gentleman in the start and Mila started liking him. They had a lot of sexual tension and Mila kissed him on their first date. 😮💨
PART II
I was wrong. The devil didn’t have red skin and a forked tail. He reigned havoc on Moscow with a dirty mouth, an easy smile, and a snake for a heart.
When Ronan showed his mysterious & Dark side, she realized he isn't the person she thought he was. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't excited for the rough treatment.
God was laughing at me when he delivered my revenge straight to my hands wrapped in a perfect, environmentally friendly package.
Ronan held Mila captive so that he can take revenge on her father, he kept her captive for some weeks because he wanted to play with her.
She had a soft heart. I didn’t want to destroy it. I wanted it in the palm of my hand.
There were so many times I hated Ronan for his actions but he never intended to hurt her physically! (There was a light slap scene which made me 😐 but let's not talk about that.) He also kept gruesome details about her mother & father from her because he didn't want to taint her memories of them.
She was hard to look at and hard to look away from. So soft, so perfect, so goddamn fuckable.
I'm 100% sure he was smitten with her when he saw her standing on a cracked pavement catching a snowflake in her hand. He was attracted to her and cared for her but he was constantly in denial and convinced himself that he just wants to fuck her.
I hadn’t known he had that kind of softness in him.
He never hurt her physically and made sure she was always fed. I'd say he was kinda gentle with her too and would always ask if she was hurt. He would always brush her tears away because he hated them (even though he was the reason for her tears sometimes) but he didn't like to make her cry either. Aside from the captive part, he was kinda nice. He wasn't emotionless and found Mila cute & amusing.
"I’ll get Yulia to find some candles.” Even though he told her there would be no candles or roses, but he still compromised for her.
I couldn’t stomach treating Mila like everyone else.
I loved how special she was to him. 💗
“I can’t imagine a world where you and all your fucking yellow doesn’t exist. So if you die, you’ll take me with you. Your sacrifice would mean nothing, kotyonok. NOTHING.”
I was so shocked when she took a bullet for him. He showed his vulnerable side to her for the first time and realized that he was madly in love with her and couldn't lose her.
"Am I that easy to leave, kotyonok?"
WHAT I LIKED: 👍🏻
1. I loved the character development. It was a slow burn and everything was written so perfectly that you can imagine yourself as them.
2. GIANNA & CHRISTIAN! omg the best part fr.
3. KATHERINE ALLISTER! ✨💅🏻
4. Is Yulia up for hiring? Because I loved the grouch housekeeper 😂✋🏻
5. Can Albert be my driver? I really want a giant, 6 feet 8 inches Driver.
6. I also want KHAOS. 😮💨
7. It was kinda funny & the banter was great. 😂
8. THE BELT SCENE SHOULD'VE TRIGGERED ME BUT GOD, IT HAD ME IN A CHOKEHOLD! I LITERALLY STOPPED READING WHEN I READ ABOUT the clank of his belt. 💀✨
What I disliked: 👎🏻
Aside from the fact that he took her virginity roughly, tied her up, and touched her without her consent [I'm not complaining about it because I understand that it's a dark romance book and No captor will play dress up with you or ask for a handwritten consent.]
The only thing I didn't like was that he makes her sleep outside in the snow in a DOG KENNEL. 🙂 - what Mila did at that moment made him really angry but he realized his mistake, and even apologize for the first time, I was still angry with him for this.
No groveling. - I was dying for a lil bit of groveling but NAH. 🥹🤧
Reviews:
The Sweetest Oblivion
The Maddest Obsession
December 25, 2021
#1 The Sweetest Oblivion — 4.25 Stars
#2 The Maddest Obsession — 3 Stars
► Featuring Willow by Taylor Swift
The Darkest Temptation (IMO) was like the mix between The Kiss Thief and any book (or at least the ones I’ve read) by Saffron A. Kent.
I said The Kiss Thief because of: (1) the age gap; (2) the arranged marriage or captivity situation (the point is the chacarcters live in hostility under the same roof); (3) the revenge and mafia nuance; (4) the hate to love romance; and (5) the “I don’t believe you’re still a virgin” sex.
I said SAK because I think Mila can be one of her self sacrificing, vulnerable, and devoted to a fault heroines. Save from the fact that those traits in her didn’t exactly come off as being . . . desperate for love but sometimes were still mildly frustrating. Cause hey, I love me some pride, self respect, and self preservation.
There was nothing in particular that I strongly disliked. I mean, how can you when the writing was seriously this ✧ impeccable ✧. It was beautiful, poetic, and it sucked you in deeeppp even though the story started slow, and the captivity part was tedious. I stayed up all night just for Ronan and Mila.
I also read it in one sitting because the light/dark contrast between Ronan and Mila was alluring, the banter superb, the humor fresh, the tension titillating, and the growing bond between Khaos and Mila beautiful to witness. It goes without saying that all of the Christian, Gianna, and Kat related scenes were one of the best highlights too.
“Love isn’t hearts and flowers. Sometimes, it fucking sucks.”
I do think that the revenge against Mila’s father plotline didn’t make sense, or at least the reason behind it and Mila’s captivity was flimsy. Also, the way it was solved at the end was anticlimactic. Like, all of it didn’t really amount to anything because Ronan and Mila ended up falling for each other. We could probably make do without any nefarious mob related plot.
Additionally, am I the only one who was a teeny tiny little bit sad for Mila’s father? Admitedlly, everything started because of what he did, but I feel like he was collateral in the Ronan-Mila drama. He was a garbage, but he wasn’t a completely horrible dad??? How can Mila forgive and even love Ronan but not give her father a second chance and just cut ties with him.
“I can’t imagine a world where you and all your fucking yellow doesn’t exist. So if you die, you’ll take me with you.”
For the most part I adored Mila and her soft heart. Ronan I was conflicted. On the one hand, he did unforgivable and unspeakable things to Mila but I didn’t hate him for it because his admissions to her put me slightly at ease and watching him slowly coming to terms with his feelings for her was entertaining.
On the other hand, I wanted more sweet from Ronan to balance out his atrociousness. Him being charming with Mila during their first few interactions didn’t count because he wasn’t genuine. Consequently, the way the romance developed led me to believe that their connection didn’t extend beyond the physical and never quite reach the emotional.
“The moonlight loved her.
But not as much as my shadows.”
Bottom line, let me just keep serving Nico and Christian. I don’t need the D’yavol, you don’t need the D’yavol, we don’t need the D’yavol.
August 28, 2021
Reread #2 (8/26/2021) 4 ‘moy kotyonok’ stars
I’m officially done with this summer burning weather and I needed some Russian coldness.
If I hadn’t decided to read this again, I wouldn’t have noticed that goodreads have deleted my previous review? I think I’m the last person to notice that goodreads deleted reviews of this book? this is so annoying!
Yes I still can’t forgive Ronan for a lot of things and many questionable scenes, but there’s no denying that this was so addictive and it messed with my emotions so bad that I knew I had to round up my rating. I like a good messed up book that keep me on the edge of my seat. The other woman scene tho? Still so freakin iconic!!
3.5 ‘moy kotyonok’ stars
To say that this was a never ending rollercoaster would be putting it mildly. This book moved me from one place to another before giving me a chance to catch my breath. Yes it was crazy. Yes it was messed up. Yes I felt conflicted. Yes it has some questionable things. And no we’re not really complaining. Not much at least.
Ronan really didn’t make it easy to like him at all. Whenever I start to warm up to him, he would do some stupid thing that would annoy me. Then I would hate him. Then he would show his conflict. Then I would feel conflicted because antiheroes are my weakness. Ugh just know that the struggle was real!
Mila really did frustrate me in the beginning. I mean I liked her character, a vegan hippie animal-lover sweet heroine and I know that she has been sheltered her whole life. But darling self preservation is a thing. I wish she would’ve taken it into consideration. She may have started as a naive girl, but I have to say that she kinda showed some character growth throughout the book.
I know that a captive/captor situation isn’t the most perfect one to make you love the characters, but it’s also true that Danielle Lori writes the most addicting stories ever. So on one hand I really liked the writing, the Russian wintery setting, the crazy maid, the other woman scene might be one one of the best I’ve ever read, and Kat. But on the other hand Ronan crossed some serious lines, Mila frustrated me with her lack of self preservation, I still don’t know why did the whole vengeance thing started and how it all went down. if Ronan used to work with her father then what went down to start this? I don’t think that this was talked about and it kinda ended abruptly. I also just preferred the chemistry and the angst of the first two books. Ugh my indecisive self still unable to decide whether to round up or down.
I’m officially done with this summer burning weather and I needed some Russian coldness.
If I hadn’t decided to read this again, I wouldn’t have noticed that goodreads have deleted my previous review? I think I’m the last person to notice that goodreads deleted reviews of this book? this is so annoying!
Yes I still can’t forgive Ronan for a lot of things and many questionable scenes, but there’s no denying that this was so addictive and it messed with my emotions so bad that I knew I had to round up my rating. I like a good messed up book that keep me on the edge of my seat. The other woman scene tho? Still so freakin iconic!!
3.5 ‘moy kotyonok’ stars
To say that this was a never ending rollercoaster would be putting it mildly. This book moved me from one place to another before giving me a chance to catch my breath. Yes it was crazy. Yes it was messed up. Yes I felt conflicted. Yes it has some questionable things. And no we’re not really complaining. Not much at least.
I wouldn’t hand this devil my soul. If he wanted it, he’d have to rip it from my chest.
Ronan really didn’t make it easy to like him at all. Whenever I start to warm up to him, he would do some stupid thing that would annoy me. Then I would hate him. Then he would show his conflict. Then I would feel conflicted because antiheroes are my weakness. Ugh just know that the struggle was real!
Mila really did frustrate me in the beginning. I mean I liked her character, a vegan hippie animal-lover sweet heroine and I know that she has been sheltered her whole life. But darling self preservation is a thing. I wish she would’ve taken it into consideration. She may have started as a naive girl, but I have to say that she kinda showed some character growth throughout the book.
The moonlight loved her.
But not as much as my shadows.
I know that a captive/captor situation isn’t the most perfect one to make you love the characters, but it’s also true that Danielle Lori writes the most addicting stories ever. So on one hand I really liked the writing, the Russian wintery setting, the crazy maid, the other woman scene might be one one of the best I’ve ever read, and Kat. But on the other hand Ronan crossed some serious lines, Mila frustrated me with her lack of self preservation, I still don’t know why did the whole vengeance thing started and how it all went down. if Ronan used to work with her father then what went down to start this? I don’t think that this was talked about and it kinda ended abruptly. I also just preferred the chemistry and the angst of the first two books. Ugh my indecisive self still unable to decide whether to round up or down.
May 19, 2021
“The Devil is and always has been a gentleman.” — Diane LaVey
What in the plot-twist. I can’t believe I’m giving a mafia/dark romance book 5 stars.
I feel like a hypocrite. I said this would never happen and yet here we are, and it turns out I’m a liar.
This journey that I was on to see whether this sub-genre was for me has now become an addiction.
I might be suffering from a mild version of Stockholm Syndrome and my morals died with this book — they’re a murky grey now and this is where its residing for the foreseeable future — so make of that what you will.
But I do know I loved this book. Do not ask me why, love is love is love and whatnot.
Over and out before this review, or whatever it is, gets even more dramatic and emotional.
What in the plot-twist. I can’t believe I’m giving a mafia/dark romance book 5 stars.
I feel like a hypocrite. I said this would never happen and yet here we are, and it turns out I’m a liar.
This journey that I was on to see whether this sub-genre was for me has now become an addiction.
I might be suffering from a mild version of Stockholm Syndrome and my morals died with this book — they’re a murky grey now and this is where its residing for the foreseeable future — so make of that what you will.
But I do know I loved this book. Do not ask me why, love is love is love and whatnot.
Over and out before this review, or whatever it is, gets even more dramatic and emotional.
November 9, 2024
a DNA test is needed. this man is in fact not Christian Alistair’s brother. in any universe.
March 6, 2021
This is the first time GR removed my review
I am so angry
Thankfully I have this non-revised review saved somewhere otherwise I would have been MAD af
As GR is becoming a joke day by day from now on I'll save and backup all my reviews in Goggle Notes 😷 Y'alll should too...
Ladies and Gentleman sit down, please
I have a "very important" announcement to make -
Monogamy ain't gonna cut it for me anymore....
Imma have to switch to Polygamy cz
I wanna marry Nico and Ron
and want to have kids with Chris 🤐 and
I insist I am one man woman or I used to be before Danielle Lori Happened
So yeah there's that...
P.S- I also have to prepare a especial spot for Sebastian
Annnd you Sir Ronan ALLISTER sing it With me in that Russian accent -
Synopsis
Russian Devil meets Vegan animal lover teenage
Mila has been always securely caged in a loveless, passionless Golden Mansion. Without her mother whom see never met and a father who isn't much around to even get acknowledged as a father, she finally decided on her 20th birthday she needs to slove this great puzzle which is her life. She had enough of being held in a golden mansion with her questionable bodyguard aka friend and a dangling arrange marriage hanging over her head like a tiking bomb.
She needed some answer -
✔️What her father actually does?
✔️Why her father is hiding her in Miami?
✔️Does he have a secret family?
✔️Who was her mom?
So went on this great adventure in Moscow in search of her existence
Once that fortune teller said to Mila Her destinated man is going took her breath away?
But what if the man is Devil without horn in Armani suit?
Being never exposed to the real world will Mila be able to save herself from the claws of dangerous humans?
Will she come out of this deal of trading her body, soul and most terrifyingly her heartto Satan Himself?
Guess we will find out.
Ronan ALLISTER
Suited and booted and untouchable
His personality screams danger.
He wears his darkness on his selves like a Trophy. He rules Moscow and everything dark. He likes a good chase.
I was real quickly fascinated by Ronan's personality.
Miss Lori created an Alpha with the perfect mix of Sadist and dark dark Humour.
Idk if I have mentioned it before or not but I am clinically obsessed with Tattoos.
And my guy here mouth-wateringly has some good amount of tatts 🥺🥺🥺.
From the beginning of the book, Ronan was introduced as this Secretive and closed off and complicated character.
His mysterious persona made him even more appealing and created some good amount of chaos between Mia and him.
His behaviour towards Mia was questionable (?) but for sure exciting and thrilling.
His sense of humour is another biggest highlight of this book for me.
First Miss Lori hero who made me hot and bothered also made me laugh my a$$ off 🤣
And can I we talk about this?
💦⬇️
There is not a single thing don't love about this every evil streak, every toxic trait I love everybody about him.
His Jealousy, his possessiveness, his claim, his ownership, his crass mouth, his maniacal behaviour
And above all that characteristics could be damned, it's his vulnerability he shows to his Girl is the permanent deal sealer for me 🖤
Mila
My new favourite girl 😍
She is just my kinda girl
Sweet, soft yet strong
And definitely not fragile
And a girl with an amazing sense of humour
I would say if we mix Gianna and Elena then we wil get Mila 🥺🌻
Again I've to bring the The Sense of Humour
I loved the way she lighten the mood of the book, her way of perceiving things was highly amusing.
She is kind to a fault.
Even in the darkest path she managed to find a light and hope.
With sass and beautiful heart she managed to hold especial place in everyone’s heart.
I love how she warm the most coldest man's heart with her own warmth.
Romila
Ronan is a treat for sour eyes. So by default Mila was attracted towards him. But circumstances stirred animosity between them.
We are talking about major transition here.
From sort of friend to physical attraction
From Master to pet
From Captive Captor
To the Seduced Lover.
Their blanter back and forth push and pull was highly entertaining.
There this kind of relationship between Mila and Ronan where one moment you will feel apprehensive towards Ronan and the next moment when Mila made this man talk you will understand him fully.
Both of them helped each other to have character development throughout the book.
We are gonna get to see a lot of pining here.They have lot of past demons to fight and bad blood, so forming a relation was pretty tough.
Mila being an outcast and Ronan being a coldhearted moster spice and complicate everything up further.
In their every civil conversation, Every fight, every love making scene I felt that spark from here. The were without any doubt the best fitted couple 🥺🎆
ChrisGia Sneak peek
So we are getting additional
✔️Chris-Kat moments
✔️Chris-Ron the heart soaring brotherhood
✔️GiaxMila Sass
What are you waiting for?
Especial mention : Yulia
We have met Nonna in The sweetest oblivion wait till you meet Yulia 🤫🤐🤐🤐
Overall Writing
Danielle Lori real quick crept into my go to favourite author's list
I love her way of describing things or compare simple things. It breaths in fresh air to the book.
She kept the whole journey from Miami- Moscow thrilling and maintained the suspense.
She aced both the act of cruelty and kindness in this book.
Her books pulls me in
Makes me feel as if I am playing the characters
The plot storyline itself was so exciting, it me kept on edge, and literally forgot I was in a reading slump.
It kept up untill 2 in the morning I just couldn’t stop reading.
I think if you haven’t read captive captor trope before they you will get bothered with certain scenarios but honestly if you keep an open mind, keep this in mind that you aren’t reading about a saint, he mobster with issues and king under world. He is not your regular chocolate boy. So Don't hope for goodness in Ronan here.
Anyone who has read The Kiss Thief and loved it, I believe they will love this book as well.
Psycho, maniac men?
Yes!! Bringing them to Their knees is more fun than Your everyday hearts and flowers guy
Yeap bring it on!!!
But a special request
Danielle Lori ma'am if you are reading this please give us epilogues 🥺🥺🥺 because this girl right here breaths and lives for epilogues 🥺 xoxo
So yeap
Happy Reading 🖤🌻🖤
I am so angry
Thankfully I have this non-revised review saved somewhere otherwise I would have been MAD af
As GR is becoming a joke day by day from now on I'll save and backup all my reviews in Goggle Notes 😷 Y'alll should too...
Ladies and Gentleman sit down, please
I have a "very important" announcement to make -
Monogamy ain't gonna cut it for me anymore....
Imma have to switch to Polygamy cz
I wanna marry Nico and Ron
and want to have kids with Chris 🤐 and
I insist I am one man woman or I used to be before Danielle Lori Happened
So yeah there's that...
P.S- I also have to prepare a especial spot for Sebastian
🌻🖤🌻🖤🌻The review🖤🌻🖤🌻🖤🌻
Annnd you Sir Ronan ALLISTER sing it With me in that Russian accent -
♪But I get tired of runnin'
Fuck it, now I'm runnin' with you (wit' you)
Said, boy, I'm tryna meet your mama on a Sunday
Then make a lotta love on a Monday
Never need no, no one else, babе
'Cause I'll be
Switchin' the positions for you
Cookin' in thе kitchen and I'm in the bedroom
I'm in the Olympics, way I'm jumpin' through hoops
Know my love infinite, nothing I wouldn't do
That I won't do, switchin' for you♪
Synopsis
Russian Devil meets Vegan animal lover teenage
Mila has been always securely caged in a loveless, passionless Golden Mansion. Without her mother whom see never met and a father who isn't much around to even get acknowledged as a father, she finally decided on her 20th birthday she needs to slove this great puzzle which is her life. She had enough of being held in a golden mansion with her questionable bodyguard aka friend and a dangling arrange marriage hanging over her head like a tiking bomb.
She needed some answer -
✔️What her father actually does?
✔️Why her father is hiding her in Miami?
✔️Does he have a secret family?
✔️Who was her mom?
So went on this great adventure in Moscow in search of her existence
Once that fortune teller said to Mila Her destinated man is going took her breath away?
But what if the man is Devil without horn in Armani suit?
Being never exposed to the real world will Mila be able to save herself from the claws of dangerous humans?
Will she come out of this deal of trading her body, soul and most terrifyingly her heartto Satan Himself?
Guess we will find out.
Ronan ALLISTER
I wondered if his voice tasted like vodka too; if it would burn my throat and warm my stomach. I felt . . . weird.
Suited and booted and untouchable
His personality screams danger.
He wears his darkness on his selves like a Trophy. He rules Moscow and everything dark. He likes a good chase.
I was real quickly fascinated by Ronan's personality.
Miss Lori created an Alpha with the perfect mix of Sadist and dark dark Humour.
He tasted like cinnamon,
corruption, and something so masculine I inhaled deeply to breathe him in.
Idk if I have mentioned it before or not but I am clinically obsessed with Tattoos.
And my guy here mouth-wateringly has some good amount of tatts 🥺🥺🥺.
From the beginning of the book, Ronan was introduced as this Secretive and closed off and complicated character.
His mysterious persona made him even more appealing and created some good amount of chaos between Mia and him.
His behaviour towards Mia was questionable (?) but for sure exciting and thrilling.
His sense of humour is another biggest highlight of this book for me.
"Ty sukin syn.” You son of a bitch.
I chuckled. “Bitch is appropriate, but ‘cunt’ would be a better description of my mother.”
“You touched her,” he gritted through clenched teeth.
“My mother?” I parried with amusement. “No. Even I find incest unappealing.” Then I added, “Not to mention, not a huge fan of STDs.”
He made a bitter sound. “I’m sure you have a history with them. You’ve fucked half the city.”
“Nah. I always wrap it up.” And then I drawled a popular health provider’s slogan. “Prevention is the key to health and happiness."
First Miss Lori hero who made me hot and bothered also made me laugh my a$$ off 🤣
And can I we talk about this?
💦⬇️
I didn’t want her; I needed her.
If this was what they called “love,” then I’d own it.
I never did anything half-ass.
There is not a single thing don't love about this every evil streak, every toxic trait I love everybody about him.
His Jealousy, his possessiveness, his claim, his ownership, his crass mouth, his maniacal behaviour
And above all that characteristics could be damned, it's his vulnerability he shows to his Girl is the permanent deal sealer for me 🖤
“Because you’re so sweet you fucking glow.”
His eyes darkened.
“And I’ll kill anyone who tries to take that light from you.”
Mila
"I may not be free,
but my soul was still mine."
My new favourite girl 😍
She is just my kinda girl
Sweet, soft yet strong
And definitely not fragile
And a girl with an amazing sense of humour
I would say if we mix Gianna and Elena then we wil get Mila 🥺🌻
“I’m just saying, when someone says ‘Albert,’ expectations are formed.
Old men with cheerful personalities, to be exact. You’ve crushed those expectations, Albert.”
“I’d peg you as more of an . . . Igor.”
Again I've to bring the The Sense of Humour
I loved the way she lighten the mood of the book, her way of perceiving things was highly amusing.
"If I could long for the devil,
it meant I had some darkness in me too."
She is kind to a fault.
Even in the darkest path she managed to find a light and hope.
I may have never gotten the family or love I’d always wanted, but at least I could say I gave it my best shot.
With sass and beautiful heart she managed to hold especial place in everyone’s heart.
I love how she warm the most coldest man's heart with her own warmth.
In this world, things weren’t black and white.
I preferred yellow anyway.
Romila
We were so close I couldn’t breathe.
So close, yellow and black almost touched.
So close, I could kiss him with a small rise to my toes
Ronan is a treat for sour eyes. So by default Mila was attracted towards him. But circumstances stirred animosity between them.
I slid my hand into his. Ivory and tan skin.
French-tipped nails and tattoos.
Soft and rough.
The difference flared in slow motion.
We are talking about major transition here.
From sort of friend to physical attraction
From Master to pet
From Captive Captor
To the Seduced Lover.
Their blanter back and forth push and pull was highly entertaining.
A brow rose. “And what am I doing?”
“You’re trying to Stockholm syndrome me.” I thought he wanted to laugh.
“I don’t think that’s a verb.”
“Like I need grammar advice from someone who uses ‘fuck’ as a noun,
verb, and adverb in a single sentence.” “Fuck is versatile.”
“Not that versatile.”
There this kind of relationship between Mila and Ronan where one moment you will feel apprehensive towards Ronan and the next moment when Mila made this man talk you will understand him fully.
Both of them helped each other to have character development throughout the book.
I wanted her to need me; to beg, live,
and breathe just for me.
We are gonna get to see a lot of pining here.They have lot of past demons to fight and bad blood, so forming a relation was pretty tough.
Mila being an outcast and Ronan being a coldhearted moster spice and complicate everything up further.
I can’t imagine a world where you and all your fucking yellow doesn’t exist.
So if you die, you’ll take me with you. Your sacrifice would mean nothing, kotyonok. NOTHING.”
In their every civil conversation, Every fight, every love making scene I felt that spark from here. The were without any doubt the best fitted couple 🥺🎆
The sickly-sweet girl with a soft heart and love of yellow had somehow filled a blank space inside me. And I couldn’t handle the thought of her anywhere else but with me.
ChrisGia Sneak peek
“I really want chocolate chips in my pancake. And Fruit Woops. It would make me so happy, Papa!” It was clear by Christian’s enamored expression, there’d be chocolate and rainbow-colored cereal in his daughter’s pancakes come hell or high water."
So we are getting additional
✔️Chris-Kat moments
✔️Chris-Ron the heart soaring brotherhood
✔️GiaxMila Sass
What are you waiting for?
Especial mention : Yulia
We have met Nonna in The sweetest oblivion wait till you meet Yulia 🤫🤐🤐🤐
Overall Writing
Danielle Lori real quick crept into my go to favourite author's list
I stopped on the sidewalk and lifted my eyes to the sky to watch snow fall for the first time. It was like someone above had torn their wedding dress apart and let the pieces of tulle float to the pavement. I caught a flake in my palm,
studying how it melted on my skin within seconds.
I love her way of describing things or compare simple things. It breaths in fresh air to the book.
She kept the whole journey from Miami- Moscow thrilling and maintained the suspense.
She aced both the act of cruelty and kindness in this book.
Her books pulls me in
Makes me feel as if I am playing the characters
The plot storyline itself was so exciting, it me kept on edge, and literally forgot I was in a reading slump.
It kept up untill 2 in the morning I just couldn’t stop reading.
I think if you haven’t read captive captor trope before they you will get bothered with certain scenarios but honestly if you keep an open mind, keep this in mind that you aren’t reading about a saint, he mobster with issues and king under world. He is not your regular chocolate boy. So Don't hope for goodness in Ronan here.
Anyone who has read The Kiss Thief and loved it, I believe they will love this book as well.
Psycho, maniac men?
Yes!! Bringing them to Their knees is more fun than Your everyday hearts and flowers guy
Yeap bring it on!!!
But a special request
Danielle Lori ma'am if you are reading this please give us epilogues 🥺🥺🥺 because this girl right here breaths and lives for epilogues 🥺 xoxo
So yeap
"Months ago, I didn’t believe in suspicions. Yet so much had convinced me otherwise. Maybe I was wrong about happily ever afters too. Maybe they really did exist. Just not with a shining knight in armor, but with the villain."
Happy Reading 🖤🌻🖤
May 21, 2021
I don’t know why my review got deleted
Disappointed
What the fuck!!!
I am just surprised.
I mean the whole review is just gone 😶
Anyway this book is shit. H is awful and he didn’t do anything to redeem himself.
How can you love someone who fingers you , videotapes it and then sends it to your father? Then slaps you, kidnaps you and then left you outside cold at night?
The writing was amazing that’s the only thing good about this book. The author is talented and she knows how to write. But the plot, and overall the book was not any good.
Disappointed
What the fuck!!!
I am just surprised.
I mean the whole review is just gone 😶
Anyway this book is shit. H is awful and he didn’t do anything to redeem himself.
How can you love someone who fingers you , videotapes it and then sends it to your father? Then slaps you, kidnaps you and then left you outside cold at night?
The writing was amazing that’s the only thing good about this book. The author is talented and she knows how to write. But the plot, and overall the book was not any good.
August 7, 2024
'*•.¸♡ 𝐌𝐘 '𝐑𝐎𝐍𝐀𝐍' 𝐄𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄 ♡¸.•*'
reread #8 ˙—
reread #5 ─★ ˙🧷 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨.
reread #3 ۰ ۪۪۫۫ · 💌 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴.
I won't even attempt to write a review in its entirety because I am aware that I will almost certainly end up paraphrasing everything. Moreover, it's pitiful how frequently I revisit this book and I am completely under their influence 🤭.
reread #8 ˙—
reread #5 ─★ ˙🧷 𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙮, 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙮 𝙬𝙝𝙞𝙥 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙗𝙤𝙤𝙠 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙢𝙮 𝙘𝙖𝙧𝙙 𝙙𝙚𝙘𝙡𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨.
reread #3 ۰ ۪۪۫۫ · 💌 𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘐 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘨𝘭𝘢𝘥𝘭𝘺 𝘪𝘯𝘫𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘪𝘯𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘺 𝘷𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘴.
I won't even attempt to write a review in its entirety because I am aware that I will almost certainly end up paraphrasing everything. Moreover, it's pitiful how frequently I revisit this book and I am completely under their influence 🤭.
December 5, 2022
Starting this book as soon as I finished the last one and I bet Danielle Lori is practicing witchcraft as she wrote this series because how can I not get enough? To prove a point, this book is no exception for being hypnotic and tantalizing. Her writing is as amazing as ever and it was unputdownable.
This book promised a start of innocence, with Mila's effervescent and bold spirit delivered. Well, until she learned the whole horror of the situation after stumbling upon D'yavol himself. In some ways, I can see how Mila would irritate certain readers, but I appreciate how real she has been in this story. The beginning of it is filled with humiliation, degradation, and coldness, but Mila is also really young and naive. She was too inexperienced to know how to manage her feelings and emotions which is only sensible of her to act so, especially after being sheltered for years.
Now having a ball of sunshine, with a dark brooding man — you are guaranteed a perfect equation. Mila's sensitive and credulous attitude complements Ronan's wild side, as evidenced by how they get more at ease by compromising one other. After all, his heart is captured by her benevolence, unwavering energy, and selflessness in the end.
Be that as it may, I have to say that it took me quite a while to get into Ronan, standing firm to his role as the mafia boss. He is rough and ruthless, which leads to their relationship having too many highs and lows. Although the romance remains the backbone of The Darkest Temptation, I feel that there was still a lot going on with less build-up. It's as if the core narrative is missing.
To some extent, it was to be expected from another anti-hero novel, but despite the warped mafia world we are familiar with, the relentless abasement and misogyny may be a bit much at times. Maybe, because I've met such benediction like Nico and Christian. I enjoyed Ronan's individuality, but I don't think it adds much to the course in this case.
Anyhoes, does it take away the enjoyment? Not really. I quite like the distinctiveness and I like Mila and Ronan severally. The ending does not band with sugar ant but it was still wrapped up pretty nicely. Maybe, I'm a sucker for innocence, naive and bad guy narrative (very typical of me), but who needs a reason to enjoy anything anyway. So, will I still read the next installment? You better bet on it!
This book promised a start of innocence, with Mila's effervescent and bold spirit delivered. Well, until she learned the whole horror of the situation after stumbling upon D'yavol himself. In some ways, I can see how Mila would irritate certain readers, but I appreciate how real she has been in this story. The beginning of it is filled with humiliation, degradation, and coldness, but Mila is also really young and naive. She was too inexperienced to know how to manage her feelings and emotions which is only sensible of her to act so, especially after being sheltered for years.
"You would survive without me. You would move on. I can't imagine a world where you and all your fucking yellow don't exist. So, if you die, you'll take me with you. Your sacrifice would mean nothing, kotyonok. NOTHING"
Now having a ball of sunshine, with a dark brooding man — you are guaranteed a perfect equation. Mila's sensitive and credulous attitude complements Ronan's wild side, as evidenced by how they get more at ease by compromising one other. After all, his heart is captured by her benevolence, unwavering energy, and selflessness in the end.
Be that as it may, I have to say that it took me quite a while to get into Ronan, standing firm to his role as the mafia boss. He is rough and ruthless, which leads to their relationship having too many highs and lows. Although the romance remains the backbone of The Darkest Temptation, I feel that there was still a lot going on with less build-up. It's as if the core narrative is missing.
To some extent, it was to be expected from another anti-hero novel, but despite the warped mafia world we are familiar with, the relentless abasement and misogyny may be a bit much at times. Maybe, because I've met such benediction like Nico and Christian. I enjoyed Ronan's individuality, but I don't think it adds much to the course in this case.
Anyhoes, does it take away the enjoyment? Not really. I quite like the distinctiveness and I like Mila and Ronan severally. The ending does not band with sugar ant but it was still wrapped up pretty nicely. Maybe, I'm a sucker for innocence, naive and bad guy narrative (very typical of me), but who needs a reason to enjoy anything anyway. So, will I still read the next installment? You better bet on it!
October 31, 2021
reread (3): october 2021
i loved revisiting these two. 🥺 i almost forgot how much i adored some of the side characters as well lol, im just (im)patiently waiting for Sebastian's book at this point, thank u. 😭
⊱ ────── ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰
5 stars ☆
First and foremost, Ronan is ✨mine and Mila’s✨. That’s it, thank you for reading my review. ♡
On a serious note, this book was everything I wanted when I discovered Christian’s (H of book 2) brother was going to have his own book. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it didn’t disappoint.
A heaviness pooled in my chest, snuffing out the anger within. “You hurt me…” The quiet words disappeared in a gust of wind that sent snow whipping through the air. “And I still would have helped you. I would have saved you when you were a boy, even knowing what you would to me…”
Mila (h):
↬ Mila was an interesting h to me because she was the perfect blend of soft yet strong (which, personally, is my fav kind of h to read about. Someone who has that balance of remaining to be a good person, no matter what life throws at you, but not being a doormat either and having that fight to not give up rather than giving in) and I feel like Mila’s strength was something that stood out. I’ve always admired anyone who has the ability to forgive, no matter what has been done to them. People may view that as “weak” but, imo, forgiveness takes so much courage and there are times when we just need someone like that in our lives, to remind us that there’s still good left in this world and that’s a realization Ronan (H) came to accept throughout the book. Soft heroines can be a hit or miss for me (often times, they can come across as a doormat—one of my pet peeves lol) but there was something about the way Mila was written where I couldn’t help but adore her.
He shackled my wrists above my head. “Because you’re so sweet you fucking glow.” His eyes darkened. “And I’ll kill anyone who tries to take that light from you.”
Ronan (H):
↬ If you’ve read my past reviews or have seen my ‘all time favorites’ shelf, you’ll notice I have a soft spot for antihero characters. If I ever meet someone irl who’s similar to my favorite fictional book Hs, I’d run in the opposite direction faster than Flash but isn't that the beauty of fiction? They just somehow work for me in the fictional world. The morally grey characters, the ones who are neither good or bad, but they just fit between the middle line. They may have done/do bad things, but you also see they have it in them to have redemption. I especially find heroes with tragic backstories which, in turn, caused them to be who they are now the most interesting to read about and Ronan is a perfect example. I definitely don’t think his tragic past was a good excuse of his shitty actions in the first half, but did I believe in his redemption? Yes. What I loved most about his character tho was seeing him come to terms with his feelings for Mila and it was worth everything they went through to get to that point and how he would always call her out on her shit (forgives too easily, always saying sorry, etc), which took me by surprise but I always appreciate a H who’s blunt and honest. Oh, and another thing...I loved his dry sense of humor?? idk, he cracked me up so many times in this book lmao.
Romance:
↬ ok this was my favorite part of the book!! I love reading about H/h who are complete opposites because of the back and forth banters and it’s satisfying once they finally realize their feelings for each other and how they deal with it. They honestly gave me Remo and Serafina vibes (Cora Reilly’s Twisted Pride) lowkey and I loved the parallels, such as
“Mamma isn’t fat!” Kat yelled before anyone else could get a word in. “She’s growing my brother. And you’re rude!”
Side characters:
↬ Christian/Gianna/Kat. My favorite family omgg I loved seeing glimpses of them. The ‘brotherly talk’ between Ronan and Christian, the friendship formed between Mila and Gianna and MY PRECIOUS KAT. I’d love to see a 2nd gen spin off stand alone or even series, maybe? 👀
↬ Albert. Hmm, I’m honestly pretty curious about him. I loved his relationship with Mila and the way she would always tease him, even tho he had no reaction towards it but you could see she grew on him throughout the book and I loved seeing that development! I hope he has his own book in the future.
↬ Yulia. I love love older, grumpy characters who kind of rivals either the H or h in the beginning but, slowly but surely, you see their relationship start to soften and that’s literally Yulia and Mila! 🥺
i loved revisiting these two. 🥺 i almost forgot how much i adored some of the side characters as well lol, im just (im)patiently waiting for Sebastian's book at this point, thank u. 😭
⊱ ────── ஓ๑♡๑ஓ ────── ⊰
5 stars ☆
First and foremost, Ronan is ✨mine and Mila’s✨. That’s it, thank you for reading my review. ♡
On a serious note, this book was everything I wanted when I discovered Christian’s (H of book 2) brother was going to have his own book. It was one of my most anticipated books of the year and it didn’t disappoint.
A heaviness pooled in my chest, snuffing out the anger within. “You hurt me…” The quiet words disappeared in a gust of wind that sent snow whipping through the air. “And I still would have helped you. I would have saved you when you were a boy, even knowing what you would to me…”
Mila (h):
↬ Mila was an interesting h to me because she was the perfect blend of soft yet strong (which, personally, is my fav kind of h to read about. Someone who has that balance of remaining to be a good person, no matter what life throws at you, but not being a doormat either and having that fight to not give up rather than giving in) and I feel like Mila’s strength was something that stood out. I’ve always admired anyone who has the ability to forgive, no matter what has been done to them. People may view that as “weak” but, imo, forgiveness takes so much courage and there are times when we just need someone like that in our lives, to remind us that there’s still good left in this world and that’s a realization Ronan (H) came to accept throughout the book. Soft heroines can be a hit or miss for me (often times, they can come across as a doormat—one of my pet peeves lol) but there was something about the way Mila was written where I couldn’t help but adore her.
He shackled my wrists above my head. “Because you’re so sweet you fucking glow.” His eyes darkened. “And I’ll kill anyone who tries to take that light from you.”
Ronan (H):
↬ If you’ve read my past reviews or have seen my ‘all time favorites’ shelf, you’ll notice I have a soft spot for antihero characters. If I ever meet someone irl who’s similar to my favorite fictional book Hs, I’d run in the opposite direction faster than Flash but isn't that the beauty of fiction? They just somehow work for me in the fictional world. The morally grey characters, the ones who are neither good or bad, but they just fit between the middle line. They may have done/do bad things, but you also see they have it in them to have redemption. I especially find heroes with tragic backstories which, in turn, caused them to be who they are now the most interesting to read about and Ronan is a perfect example. I definitely don’t think his tragic past was a good excuse of his shitty actions in the first half, but did I believe in his redemption? Yes. What I loved most about his character tho was seeing him come to terms with his feelings for Mila and it was worth everything they went through to get to that point and how he would always call her out on her shit (forgives too easily, always saying sorry, etc), which took me by surprise but I always appreciate a H who’s blunt and honest. Oh, and another thing...I loved his dry sense of humor?? idk, he cracked me up so many times in this book lmao.
Romance:
↬ ok this was my favorite part of the book!! I love reading about H/h who are complete opposites because of the back and forth banters and it’s satisfying once they finally realize their feelings for each other and how they deal with it. They honestly gave me Remo and Serafina vibes (Cora Reilly’s Twisted Pride) lowkey and I loved the parallels, such as
“Mamma isn’t fat!” Kat yelled before anyone else could get a word in. “She’s growing my brother. And you’re rude!”
Side characters:
↬ Christian/Gianna/Kat. My favorite family omgg I loved seeing glimpses of them. The ‘brotherly talk’ between Ronan and Christian, the friendship formed between Mila and Gianna and MY PRECIOUS KAT. I’d love to see a 2nd gen spin off stand alone or even series, maybe? 👀
↬ Albert. Hmm, I’m honestly pretty curious about him. I loved his relationship with Mila and the way she would always tease him, even tho he had no reaction towards it but you could see she grew on him throughout the book and I loved seeing that development! I hope he has his own book in the future.
↬ Yulia. I love love older, grumpy characters who kind of rivals either the H or h in the beginning but, slowly but surely, you see their relationship start to soften and that’s literally Yulia and Mila! 🥺
August 9, 2024
3.5 stars
not GR just removing one of the precious reviews i’ve written for a book🧍🏻♀️😭🖕🏼
not GR just removing one of the precious reviews i’ve written for a book🧍🏻♀️😭🖕🏼
December 14, 2020
1.5 stars.
my thoughts at 20%: the heroine is soooo naive and clueless. people keep acting weird around her, looking at her weirdly, and she's all "oh i guess they don't like americans 🤷". and the fact that she has had a bodyguard her whole life and she doesn't know anything about her father's business except that he deals w "shady people", it's never occurred to her that he might be into smth illegal?
as well as never digging into what her dad does, she also doesn't try to find out what the hero does; a rich, intimidating man with connections to all kinds of people and who scares everyone. she apparently just doesn't need to know. SO dumb. she has five braincells and they're all busy being horny for the hero.
my thoughts at 28%:
i hate that trope where a woman sees another woman suffer at the hand of a man and acts super casual about it like "oh don't worry he's not so bad im sure he has his reasons" and ends with "anyway i hope i see you soon again !!" as if they met at a supermarket and not in the room where the hero tied the heroine up and terrorized her.
at 41% the heroine "[loses her] grasp on hatred" toward the hero even though he hasn't done anything AT ALL to make her stop hating him??? and the author fucking knows that, so that's probably why she worded it like her hatred of him is a scarf on a windy day.
at 56% he takes her virginity, then immediately pulls out, insults her, makes her feel worthless, and then she let's him give her oral like ten seconds later without so much as an apology or explanation.
62%..... im not sure what kind of emotional response the author tries to evoke by having the hero say "i get enough easy pussy. im not in the mood for more" just to have the heroine immediately throw herself at him instead of having uhm idk an inkling of pride? like i don't care if he didn't mean what he said, what matters is that he said it because he knew it would hurt her. how am i supposed to like either character?
67%... the heroine is apparently the kind of clueless vegan who's exclusively vegan to feel superior and doesn't actually know anything about it since she thinks harvesting honey is inherently harmful to bees. hint: it isn't.
80%... tbh this whole book is just the heroine being pathetically desperate for affection and the hero switching between purposefully cruel and momentarily decent faster than i can blink.
84%... she doesn't want to have sex with him again, so she runs from him. when he catches her she thinks about fighting him but doesn't because "his maculine scent confused her senses". uhm okay? is she an alien or smth? doesn't the author know that scents aren't that powerful to humans?
anyway the point is that no matter how much the hero hurts her emotionally she can't possibly keep her hands off him. the word pride isn't in her vocabulary. like even at 85% she's not even sure he even cares about her.
87%... "this man i once hated had become the man i loved" HOW? HOW DID HE BECOME THE MAN YOU LOVED??? he hasn't treated you with decency for five consecutive minutes, i don't get it??
a couple general notes:
• the hero often speaks russian where no translation is given, which made me have to use google translate and disturbed the flow of my reading
• the heroine........feeds vegan food........to dogs........dogs that need meat.....
my thoughts at 20%: the heroine is soooo naive and clueless. people keep acting weird around her, looking at her weirdly, and she's all "oh i guess they don't like americans 🤷". and the fact that she has had a bodyguard her whole life and she doesn't know anything about her father's business except that he deals w "shady people", it's never occurred to her that he might be into smth illegal?
as well as never digging into what her dad does, she also doesn't try to find out what the hero does; a rich, intimidating man with connections to all kinds of people and who scares everyone. she apparently just doesn't need to know. SO dumb. she has five braincells and they're all busy being horny for the hero.
my thoughts at 28%:
i hate that trope where a woman sees another woman suffer at the hand of a man and acts super casual about it like "oh don't worry he's not so bad im sure he has his reasons" and ends with "anyway i hope i see you soon again !!" as if they met at a supermarket and not in the room where the hero tied the heroine up and terrorized her.
at 41% the heroine "[loses her] grasp on hatred" toward the hero even though he hasn't done anything AT ALL to make her stop hating him??? and the author fucking knows that, so that's probably why she worded it like her hatred of him is a scarf on a windy day.
at 56% he takes her virginity, then immediately pulls out, insults her, makes her feel worthless, and then she let's him give her oral like ten seconds later without so much as an apology or explanation.
62%..... im not sure what kind of emotional response the author tries to evoke by having the hero say "i get enough easy pussy. im not in the mood for more" just to have the heroine immediately throw herself at him instead of having uhm idk an inkling of pride? like i don't care if he didn't mean what he said, what matters is that he said it because he knew it would hurt her. how am i supposed to like either character?
67%... the heroine is apparently the kind of clueless vegan who's exclusively vegan to feel superior and doesn't actually know anything about it since she thinks harvesting honey is inherently harmful to bees. hint: it isn't.
80%... tbh this whole book is just the heroine being pathetically desperate for affection and the hero switching between purposefully cruel and momentarily decent faster than i can blink.
84%... she doesn't want to have sex with him again, so she runs from him. when he catches her she thinks about fighting him but doesn't because "his maculine scent confused her senses". uhm okay? is she an alien or smth? doesn't the author know that scents aren't that powerful to humans?
anyway the point is that no matter how much the hero hurts her emotionally she can't possibly keep her hands off him. the word pride isn't in her vocabulary. like even at 85% she's not even sure he even cares about her.
87%... "this man i once hated had become the man i loved" HOW? HOW DID HE BECOME THE MAN YOU LOVED??? he hasn't treated you with decency for five consecutive minutes, i don't get it??
a couple general notes:
• the hero often speaks russian where no translation is given, which made me have to use google translate and disturbed the flow of my reading
• the heroine........feeds vegan food........to dogs........dogs that need meat.....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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