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Tarnished Reign #1
Ruthless Reign
๐บ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐.
Iโm the right hand to the most powerful mob boss in Russiaโeverything I desire, I get.
Except for her.
Liza Ivanova is pure ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง... and strictly off-limits as my business partnerโs fiancรฉe. She looks like an angel with a body made for sin, but nothing about Liza is as it seems.
I vow to stay away, but that becomes impossible when Iโm required to act as her ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ on a trip to London.
When she sneaks out in the middle of the night, I follow her to an exclusive club and find her on stage, auctioning her ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ to the highest bidder.
As if Iโd let another man touch her.
If Liza craves the ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ง, Iโll be the one to indulge her every dark fantasy.
But one taste will never be enough, and this dangerous game threatens to ruin us both.
Iโm the right hand to the most powerful mob boss in Russiaโeverything I desire, I get.
Except for her.
Liza Ivanova is pure ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง... and strictly off-limits as my business partnerโs fiancรฉe. She looks like an angel with a body made for sin, but nothing about Liza is as it seems.
I vow to stay away, but that becomes impossible when Iโm required to act as her ๐๐จ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ซ๐ on a trip to London.
When she sneaks out in the middle of the night, I follow her to an exclusive club and find her on stage, auctioning her ๐ข๐ง๐ง๐จ๐๐๐ง๐๐ to the highest bidder.
As if Iโd let another man touch her.
If Liza craves the ๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ง, Iโll be the one to indulge her every dark fantasy.
But one taste will never be enough, and this dangerous game threatens to ruin us both.
388 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 16, 2024
About the author
Monica Kayne
6 books827 followersMonica Kayne is a TV producer turned proud romance writer. She writes dark and swoony romance novels with a liberal dose of sass and humor.
Her favorite characters to write are sweetly possessive bad boys and the feisty, smart-mouthed heroines that they canโt resist.
When sheโs not dreaming up sexy plots, she can be found searching for the perfect negroni and her next K-drama fix. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada.
Join Monica Kayne's newsletter for a FREE short story:
https://linktr.ee/monicakayne
Her favorite characters to write are sweetly possessive bad boys and the feisty, smart-mouthed heroines that they canโt resist.
When sheโs not dreaming up sexy plots, she can be found searching for the perfect negroni and her next K-drama fix. She lives with her family in Toronto, Canada.
Join Monica Kayne's newsletter for a FREE short story:
https://linktr.ee/monicakayne
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
June 21, 2024
please note that the trigger warnings and topes/themes may contain spoilers
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HFN
POV: dual 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: attempted r@pe, cancer, cheating, death of a child (recounted), death of a parent (recounted), domestic violence, emotional abuse, gambling addiction, gun violence, human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence
Kinky Content: anal play, BDSM, blindfold, cum play, cumming in pants, deep throat training, dirty talk, edging, exhibitionism, finger licking good, fingering, grinding, impact play, irrumatio, knife kink, oral, praise, queening, restraints, sex club, sex toys, somnophilia, virginity auction, voyeurism
standalone: book 1 of Tarnished Reign series
final thoughts: this book was great- dark, thriller/suspense, kinky, mafia with sweet romantic moments and a surprisingly sweet (but only for his girl) MMC.
I felt like I was missing some context and had to keep checking that this was book 1 of a series and not book 2. I wish we got Kira and Maximโs story first so we could have their background since he seems to be the top guy, but I really enjoyed them as side characters.
I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes with Nikolai- I think that will be a great book too.
read this book if you love
๐ข age gap (13 years)
๐ฌ angst
๐ arranged marriage
โ๏ธ BDSM
๐ซก big MMC
๐ต billionaire
๐ bodyguard
๐ค dark romance
๐ฅต dirty talk
๐ฌ epistolary
โ ex fiancรฉโs partner
๐ณ forbidden lovers
๐๏ธ forced proximity
๐งโ๐คโ๐ง great side characters
๐ good girl/bad boy
๐ฆ he falls first and hard
๐คซ hidden secrets
๐ฉน hurt/comfort
๐ฐ kidnapped
๐ kinky
๐ซ mafia
๐ mutual pining
โ mystery
๐ฅฐ nicknames
๐ opposites attract
๐ over the top, jealous, possessive MMC
๐ praise
๐ค rivals-to-lovers
๐ค secret relationship
๐ slowburn
๐ค โteach meโ
๐ no third act breakup
โ ๏ธ โtouch her and dieโ
๐ณ virgin
๐ world building
I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
HEA: HFN
POV: dual 1st person POV
spice: several open-door spicy scenes
TWs: attempted r@pe, cancer, cheating, death of a child (recounted), death of a parent (recounted), domestic violence, emotional abuse, gambling addiction, gun violence, human trafficking, kidnapping, murder, sexual assault, suicidal thoughts, torture, violence
Kinky Content: anal play, BDSM, blindfold, cum play, cumming in pants, deep throat training, dirty talk, edging, exhibitionism, finger licking good, fingering, grinding, impact play, irrumatio, knife kink, oral, praise, queening, restraints, sex club, sex toys, somnophilia, virginity auction, voyeurism
standalone: book 1 of Tarnished Reign series
final thoughts: this book was great- dark, thriller/suspense, kinky, mafia with sweet romantic moments and a surprisingly sweet (but only for his girl) MMC.
I felt like I was missing some context and had to keep checking that this was book 1 of a series and not book 2. I wish we got Kira and Maximโs story first so we could have their background since he seems to be the top guy, but I really enjoyed them as side characters.
I look forward to seeing where the rest of the series goes with Nikolai- I think that will be a great book too.
read this book if you love
๐ข age gap (13 years)
๐ฌ angst
๐ arranged marriage
โ๏ธ BDSM
๐ซก big MMC
๐ต billionaire
๐ bodyguard
๐ค dark romance
๐ฅต dirty talk
๐ฌ epistolary
โ ex fiancรฉโs partner
๐ณ forbidden lovers
๐๏ธ forced proximity
๐งโ๐คโ๐ง great side characters
๐ good girl/bad boy
๐ฆ he falls first and hard
๐คซ hidden secrets
๐ฉน hurt/comfort
๐ฐ kidnapped
๐ kinky
๐ซ mafia
๐ mutual pining
โ mystery
๐ฅฐ nicknames
๐ opposites attract
๐ over the top, jealous, possessive MMC
๐ praise
๐ค rivals-to-lovers
๐ค secret relationship
๐ slowburn
๐ค โteach meโ
๐ no third act breakup
โ ๏ธ โtouch her and dieโ
๐ณ virgin
๐ world building
June 25, 2024
The way I would have folded for Roman? Immediately ๐
The way I already loved the two of them in Shattered Crown I knew I would be running to read their book. Monica never fails to write toe curling spice, devastating chemistry & such fantastic plots in all her books.
I devoured Roman and Lizaโs book, I just couldnโt get enough of them. They were perfection and I loved this book so much ๐ฅต๐ฉ
Thank you for an ARC Monica & team because I needed these two desperately ๐
The way I already loved the two of them in Shattered Crown I knew I would be running to read their book. Monica never fails to write toe curling spice, devastating chemistry & such fantastic plots in all her books.
I devoured Roman and Lizaโs book, I just couldnโt get enough of them. They were perfection and I loved this book so much ๐ฅต๐ฉ
Thank you for an ARC Monica & team because I needed these two desperately ๐
June 18, 2024
4/5 โญ๏ธ 3/5 ๐ถ๏ธ
- Mafia
- Virgin FMC
- Protective MMC
- Age gap
I adored the MMC Roman. He was pretty much obsessed with Liza from the start and was so attentive towards her. All he wanted to do was cherish and protect her. Liza is a strong FMC, doing what she can to help her family. I liked how smart and realistic she was.
These two were drawn to each other from the beginning and thanks to Lizaโs friend Kira, they were able to give into that spark that ignited into more. I do wish we had more intimate scenes between them like the night of the auction and after the opera.
I liked all the action and seeing Anatolyโs undoing. That man was the definition of pure evil. The two side characters Iโm very intrigued by are Pavel and Nikolai. I hope we get to read their books in the future.
If you love a mafia romance where the MMC is obsessed and extremely protective of the FMC I think youโd really like this one. It has a great balance of romance and action.
- Mafia
- Virgin FMC
- Protective MMC
- Age gap
I adored the MMC Roman. He was pretty much obsessed with Liza from the start and was so attentive towards her. All he wanted to do was cherish and protect her. Liza is a strong FMC, doing what she can to help her family. I liked how smart and realistic she was.
These two were drawn to each other from the beginning and thanks to Lizaโs friend Kira, they were able to give into that spark that ignited into more. I do wish we had more intimate scenes between them like the night of the auction and after the opera.
I liked all the action and seeing Anatolyโs undoing. That man was the definition of pure evil. The two side characters Iโm very intrigued by are Pavel and Nikolai. I hope we get to read their books in the future.
If you love a mafia romance where the MMC is obsessed and extremely protective of the FMC I think youโd really like this one. It has a great balance of romance and action.
June 25, 2024
2.5 โญ๏ธ
Shelved as 'dnr-not-safe'
June 19, 2024Self note:
Not for me
The H is obsessed with the FMC, but he has a business arrangement with the OW where he lets her parade him around๐คก The OW kisses him in front of the h, and the H did try to push the OW away because he is not interested. The OW often tries to make the h jealous, and the H did nothing other than tease her about caring for him.
If yโall are curious about the OW, just search for โKaterinaโ (The OW name) in the book and you will find the pathetic OW scenes๐คก๐ช
Not for me
The H is obsessed with the FMC, but he has a business arrangement with the OW where he lets her parade him around๐คก The OW kisses him in front of the h, and the H did try to push the OW away because he is not interested. The OW often tries to make the h jealous, and the H did nothing other than tease her about caring for him.
If yโall are curious about the OW, just search for โKaterinaโ (The OW name) in the book and you will find the pathetic OW scenes๐คก๐ช
June 21, 2024
ARC Review
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Firstly, big big thanks to Monica for the opportunity to read Ruthless Reign in exchange for providing a fair and honest review. And congratulations on your new release!!
Our MMC Roman is everything! The way he is so enraptured and caring of Liza is everything. Liza deserves the world, and Roman is prepared to give it to her. I literally could not help to fall in love with Liza, and I truly applaud her strength and loyalty to her sister Sofiya is inspiring.
iI was so excited for this read, having absolutely loved the Kozlov series, and this read did not disappoint! I enjoyed the connections to Kira and Maxim and the ties back to the Kozlov characters.
The smex club scenes were superior, and Roman is the perfect amount of morally gray, protective and possessive MMC I was foaming at the mouth. This is easily going to be one of my new fav mafia romance recs!! ๐ค๐ค
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Firstly, big big thanks to Monica for the opportunity to read Ruthless Reign in exchange for providing a fair and honest review. And congratulations on your new release!!
Our MMC Roman is everything! The way he is so enraptured and caring of Liza is everything. Liza deserves the world, and Roman is prepared to give it to her. I literally could not help to fall in love with Liza, and I truly applaud her strength and loyalty to her sister Sofiya is inspiring.
iI was so excited for this read, having absolutely loved the Kozlov series, and this read did not disappoint! I enjoyed the connections to Kira and Maxim and the ties back to the Kozlov characters.
The smex club scenes were superior, and Roman is the perfect amount of morally gray, protective and possessive MMC I was foaming at the mouth. This is easily going to be one of my new fav mafia romance recs!! ๐ค๐ค
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
June 24, 2024
I was drawn into this story right from the start. Being a mafia romance there is an arranged marriage which is a favorite trope of mine. Then we are introduced to Roman (her bodyguard) and all bets are off. The chemistry between these two is off the charts. Liza our heroine is so desperate to get out of marrying her fiancรฉ. Roman is always there to keep her safe and eventually to have her for himself no matter the consequences. In the end we get our HEA although it seems impossible. I loved this couple so much and highlighted so many amazing quotes. I canโt wait to read more from this author!
June 23, 2024
I couldn't put this book down! I felt for Liza and all the things she was dealing with her family and sorry excuse for a fiancรฉ. I loathed him! In comes Roman to the rescue! Their chemistry was off the charts. The only thing that made me mad was that if Liza and Roman actually talked to each other and told each other the truth they could have worked together sooner to stop Anthaly. But this looks like a good start to this series!
June 25, 2024
Freaking phenomenal! Five stars can you give more than five stars? I loved this book and all the dark morally grey characters and sleeze bags and smex and mafia all the things my kind of book disappoint. This is one of my favorite books.Hands down
June 27, 2024
There is something about mafia books that just put a smile on my face. Liza and Roman pop off the page. The push and pull, the tension, and when they finally collide was so good! Liza is stuck in a situation she would give anything to get out of. She hides the truth from everyone except the one man who can see right through her. He is forbidden, her fiancรฉeโs business partner, but she feels alive when he is near. Roman is a dark man and he has never wanted more than the Bratva until Liza. She is off limits but something deep down in him makes him want to claim her. He will stop at nothing to protect her and give her the world.
Tropes:
โขBratva
โขDark Mafia Romance
โขForbidden Love
โขAge Gap
โขVirgin Heroine
โขHe unalives for her
โขProtective/Bodyguard Vibes
โขSex Club Fun
โขDual POV
โ ๏ธTrigger Warningโ ๏ธ
Quote: โActions speak louder than words, and I'll show her what it means to conquer the world for the woman I love.โ
Rating: 4โญ๏ธ
Spice: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Tropes:
โขBratva
โขDark Mafia Romance
โขForbidden Love
โขAge Gap
โขVirgin Heroine
โขHe unalives for her
โขProtective/Bodyguard Vibes
โขSex Club Fun
โขDual POV
โ ๏ธTrigger Warningโ ๏ธ
Quote: โActions speak louder than words, and I'll show her what it means to conquer the world for the woman I love.โ
Rating: 4โญ๏ธ
Spice: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
June 17, 2024
i knew i loved roman and liza from the moment i met them in โshattered crownโ (the kozlov empire series). they shared such an undeniable chemistry and to see how their story unfolded in โruthless reignโ was truly beautiful โค๏ธ and being able to see characters like kira and maxim again just made my heart so full. kira is such a girls girl (the sex club ๐คญ). i knew miss girl was up to something.
i love a good mafia, bodyguard, forbidden romance and monica kayne DELIVERED ๐๐ผ this book was everything and more. thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the first book to the new series โtarnished reignโ as an arc !! as always, such amazing work. from the plot, to the tension, spice, banter, and unexpected scenes โฆ i quite literally banged this out in one sitting !!
liza, this girl had me sobbing the way she put everyone elseโs needs before her own. she sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of her familyโs own mistakes and troubles. she protects her sister with her life and does everything she can to make sure she has a better life. i absolutely loved liza. she is a strong and independent woman.
roman โฆ oh this man ๐ฉ from the moment i met him in the kozlov empire series i just KNEW i would love him. mans was ready to start a war to protect liza. the things this man said had me CRUMBLING !! i wouldโve immediately folded. and the way he kept calling liza โmilayaโ which means sweetheart !!! oh i was SWOONING !!
their story was so beautifully written, i canโt stop thinking about it even after a few days of finishing !! i will forever be in love with this book world and iโm so stoked to see whatโs next ๐ค
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ (PLEASEEEEE MY TOES CURLED !!! the club scene โฆ i wouldโve folded so fast. where can i find myself a roman to take me to a cabin and forget about the world ??)
i love a good mafia, bodyguard, forbidden romance and monica kayne DELIVERED ๐๐ผ this book was everything and more. thank you for giving me the opportunity to read the first book to the new series โtarnished reignโ as an arc !! as always, such amazing work. from the plot, to the tension, spice, banter, and unexpected scenes โฆ i quite literally banged this out in one sitting !!
liza, this girl had me sobbing the way she put everyone elseโs needs before her own. she sacrifices her own happiness for the sake of her familyโs own mistakes and troubles. she protects her sister with her life and does everything she can to make sure she has a better life. i absolutely loved liza. she is a strong and independent woman.
roman โฆ oh this man ๐ฉ from the moment i met him in the kozlov empire series i just KNEW i would love him. mans was ready to start a war to protect liza. the things this man said had me CRUMBLING !! i wouldโve immediately folded. and the way he kept calling liza โmilayaโ which means sweetheart !!! oh i was SWOONING !!
their story was so beautifully written, i canโt stop thinking about it even after a few days of finishing !! i will forever be in love with this book world and iโm so stoked to see whatโs next ๐ค
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ (PLEASEEEEE MY TOES CURLED !!! the club scene โฆ i wouldโve folded so fast. where can i find myself a roman to take me to a cabin and forget about the world ??)
July 2, 2024
Once again, Monica NEVER disappoints.
Ruthless Reign is a perfect mix of tension, angst, steamy scenes, and heartfelt emotions.
Roman and Liza have been dangling in the fine lines of wanting each other, knowing they shouldnโt, but still wanting it nonetheless.
Roman was everything I love in a morally grey character, but I ultimately swooned when he realized that something was wrong and Liza needed toโsavingโ.
Lizaโs circumstances were suffocating to say the least. Given whatโs going on with her family, I truly felt she believed she had no place to go and tried to do the best with what she could. Anatoly was truly the biggest piece of garbage and every time he popped in the story, I had such a disgust for him ๐ญ. He definitely had everything coming for him.
The buzzing and electrifying chemistry between the two had me wanting to keep figuring out what would happen next. Definitely, if youโre into mafia romances and bodyguard romances, I highly recommend this book.
I cannot wait to see what Monica brings next and if you never read any of her books, I sincerely urge you to!
-eARC for honest thoughts and opinions.
Ruthless Reign is a perfect mix of tension, angst, steamy scenes, and heartfelt emotions.
Roman and Liza have been dangling in the fine lines of wanting each other, knowing they shouldnโt, but still wanting it nonetheless.
Roman was everything I love in a morally grey character, but I ultimately swooned when he realized that something was wrong and Liza needed toโsavingโ.
Lizaโs circumstances were suffocating to say the least. Given whatโs going on with her family, I truly felt she believed she had no place to go and tried to do the best with what she could. Anatoly was truly the biggest piece of garbage and every time he popped in the story, I had such a disgust for him ๐ญ. He definitely had everything coming for him.
The buzzing and electrifying chemistry between the two had me wanting to keep figuring out what would happen next. Definitely, if youโre into mafia romances and bodyguard romances, I highly recommend this book.
I cannot wait to see what Monica brings next and if you never read any of her books, I sincerely urge you to!
-eARC for honest thoughts and opinions.
July 2, 2024
Ive been in a marriage of convenience trope binge for a month now and i have been obsessed with all the books that i have read with this trope. Not only that but i ate up every jealousy scene and roman being so over protective. Fictional men just always do it right. I needed to read more mafia romances and the writing was so entertaining. I loved the sexual tension between the two and i very much enjoyed the bdsm and spicy scenes. The smuttt was exquisite ๐ฅต. I cannot wait to read more books of this author.
June 20, 2024
5โญ๏ธ/3๐ถ๏ธ
I have been waiting for more Roman ever since Maxim and Kiraโs book! I am obsessed with him and Liza together. This book has everything you want in a dark mafia romance, angst, heart wrenching love, spice and a little sprinkle of murder! I loved seeing the relationship between Liza and her sister and canโt wait to see how her story unfolds.
I have been waiting for more Roman ever since Maxim and Kiraโs book! I am obsessed with him and Liza together. This book has everything you want in a dark mafia romance, angst, heart wrenching love, spice and a little sprinkle of murder! I loved seeing the relationship between Liza and her sister and canโt wait to see how her story unfolds.
June 27, 2024
If Monica writes it! Iโm reading it!! It was a total thrill ride, sexy, steamy and kept me so intrigued. I absolutely loved this. Trigger warning please check them. I volunteered to read and review this for Monica! And chefs kiss!!!
June 22, 2024
Umm Roman. I will definitely be rereading this book
June 29, 2024
This book is full of twists and turns just like I like it! I couldnโt put this book down, I loved it , Romanโs and Lizaโs story was amazing good ๐ค
June 12, 2024
Mafia, my favorite trope in a book. Love me a good mafia romance and this is a good mafia romance.
I hated Anatony and the fmc mom, absolutly hated them ugh. So glad Liza could Escape them and found the love of her live. Ramon meight be my new bookboyfriend. He is everything we want in a man.
I hated Anatony and the fmc mom, absolutly hated them ugh. So glad Liza could Escape them and found the love of her live. Ramon meight be my new bookboyfriend. He is everything we want in a man.
July 28, 2024
Liza and Roman did not disappoint and transformed me into a fan of this author! Liza has been a pawn for her parents forced into an abusive engagement. Enter in his business partner, Roman, who finds himself obsessed with the young beauty. Roman becomes her bodyguard giving the most delicious forbidden vibes. He is protective, jealous and deadly as a major player in the Russian mafia. There are no lengths he won't go to in order to save Liza. I appreciated Liza was resourceful always looking for a way out of her upcoming nuptials without risking her sister. Even more she still showed a lot of love to parents that fed her to the wolves. This book had tension, angst and plenty of danger. I'm so intrigued by the sister's upcoming story because the taste we get for her story hasn't left my mind.
June 21, 2024
"She is the last woman i should want and the only one I can't resistโ
Book- Ruthless Reign
Author- @monicakayneauthor
Rating- โญโญโญโญโญ
Spice- ๐ถ๏ธ ๐ถ๏ธ ๐ถ๏ธ
I really loved this book. This is my first time reading Monica Kayne. I must say I really loved the way she wrote.
The way she expressed each and every emotion. The chaos in the mind of FMC and MMC was felt really easily by the way author has written it.
I can't help but fall in love with Liza and Roman. Liza's strength and resilience are inspiring, and I admired how she handled herself and maintained toughness no matter what life threw at her. Roman's pure dedication and fascination with Liza was amazingly expressed.
The way Roman cared for her and was literally willing to do absolutely everything for her. He had me folded over there. Also the nickname he gave her โMilayaโ which means sweetheart. I AM SO DOWN FOR THIS MAN... โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
Iโm eagerly waiting for an extended epilogue and am particularly intrigued by the prospect of Nikolai and Sofiyaโs narrative unfolding in the next book.
And I have to complete my backlog as well..
Book- Ruthless Reign
Author- @monicakayneauthor
Rating- โญโญโญโญโญ
Spice- ๐ถ๏ธ ๐ถ๏ธ ๐ถ๏ธ
I really loved this book. This is my first time reading Monica Kayne. I must say I really loved the way she wrote.
The way she expressed each and every emotion. The chaos in the mind of FMC and MMC was felt really easily by the way author has written it.
I can't help but fall in love with Liza and Roman. Liza's strength and resilience are inspiring, and I admired how she handled herself and maintained toughness no matter what life threw at her. Roman's pure dedication and fascination with Liza was amazingly expressed.
The way Roman cared for her and was literally willing to do absolutely everything for her. He had me folded over there. Also the nickname he gave her โMilayaโ which means sweetheart. I AM SO DOWN FOR THIS MAN... โค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธโค๏ธ
Iโm eagerly waiting for an extended epilogue and am particularly intrigued by the prospect of Nikolai and Sofiyaโs narrative unfolding in the next book.
And I have to complete my backlog as well..
June 17, 2024
Ruthless Reign
A decent read by this author new to me absolutely love the cover !
Itโs an exciting enemies to lovers, Mafia, Age Gap Romance, one of Redemption,Sacrifice, Courage and Love.
Ok letโs get into it .
This is a romance story with the mafia bad guy Bodyguard vibes ..
Roman Vasiliev.โ the protagonist in this story is the second or is it third in command of the Syndicate had to be a bodyguard to his boss/friend pregnant wife and her friend Liza on a trip to London. But this friend happened to be the woman he is enamored with, Liza, who seems to dislike him for whatever reason until they call truce, they ended up getting closer after a night out to a sex club, not soon after he then found her selling her V card for reasons she stubbornly refuse divulge, but thereโs something she is hiding that he intend to find out hopefully before her wedding.
Listen can this girl can keep a secret!
But Liza has taken up residence in his head he sees no one but her, she is under his skin !
โYou know what they say, there's a thin line between love and hate."
Yes she is engaged but the girl has big problems.
Liza the FMC is living a complete lie .. this girl is in danger! Her parents had lost everything and ended up in debt which was taken over by her fiancรฉ who is a cruel abusive depraved man.
He took over the debt in exchange for her hand in marriage and her virginity, or so he claimed, this man had wanted her for a long time, back then she didnโt pay him any attention, so of course part of him wanting her is to exact his revenge, and let me tell you this man depravity knows no bounds!
But crap Almighty this girl needs help and refuses to accept or acknowledge it . Instead She has decided to keep her suffering to herself and lie rather than take help from her friend or Roman who she is madly attracted to and is falling for.
"All I need is you, milaya."
Letโs talk about her family for a secโฆ,
Christ this girl family โฆ her mother is a piece of .. her Father worse..theyโre Pathetic, disgusting, unbelievable people, but yet she literally is willing to suffer for them, her sister however is the only good person in her family, The one she is most concerned about because man Liza is engaged to is of the worse kind. So while Liza wrestled with protecting her little sister from his evil clutches her sperm doners were busy racking up the debt and signing Sofia up for marriage unbeknownst to them!
And so the saga Begins !
This is a story about love, sacrifice, and finding courage, Despite witnessing abuse in the pasts,Roman was still haunted by it and knew the signs, he was sure he would do anything for Liza not be in that situation, so his determination and strength is what will take them through the toughest battles to come, I love that Liza eventually open up to Roman and made decisions together on how to deal with all thatโs happening with her terrible depraved fiancรฉ.
I really enjoyed the play between ROMAN and LIZA
"YOU PUSHED ME BECAUSE YOU WANTED A REACTION.
YOU WANTED TO SEE
what happens when you challenge a man like me a dangerous man.
WELL, MILAYA, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. GET ON YOUR KNEES."
Recommend this good read
Grab if youโre into
โฅ๏ธBratva/Dark Mafia Romance
๐ Forbidden Love
๐ฅAge Gap
โฅ๏ธVirgin Heroine
๐ He unalives for her
๐ฅProtective/Bodyguard vibes
โฅ๏ธSmex Club Fun
๐ light BDSM
โฅ๏ธPossessive MMC
โค๏ธโ๐ฅExciting conclusion
โฅ๏ธHEA
(Some above is my own POV )
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ .5
Please note my ratings may change after I read the edited version. *
An ARC Review
Georgious_eleanorpb ๐ฆ
A decent read by this author new to me absolutely love the cover !
Itโs an exciting enemies to lovers, Mafia, Age Gap Romance, one of Redemption,Sacrifice, Courage and Love.
Ok letโs get into it .
This is a romance story with the mafia bad guy Bodyguard vibes ..
Roman Vasiliev.โ the protagonist in this story is the second or is it third in command of the Syndicate had to be a bodyguard to his boss/friend pregnant wife and her friend Liza on a trip to London. But this friend happened to be the woman he is enamored with, Liza, who seems to dislike him for whatever reason until they call truce, they ended up getting closer after a night out to a sex club, not soon after he then found her selling her V card for reasons she stubbornly refuse divulge, but thereโs something she is hiding that he intend to find out hopefully before her wedding.
Listen can this girl can keep a secret!
But Liza has taken up residence in his head he sees no one but her, she is under his skin !
โYou know what they say, there's a thin line between love and hate."
Yes she is engaged but the girl has big problems.
Liza the FMC is living a complete lie .. this girl is in danger! Her parents had lost everything and ended up in debt which was taken over by her fiancรฉ who is a cruel abusive depraved man.
He took over the debt in exchange for her hand in marriage and her virginity, or so he claimed, this man had wanted her for a long time, back then she didnโt pay him any attention, so of course part of him wanting her is to exact his revenge, and let me tell you this man depravity knows no bounds!
But crap Almighty this girl needs help and refuses to accept or acknowledge it . Instead She has decided to keep her suffering to herself and lie rather than take help from her friend or Roman who she is madly attracted to and is falling for.
"All I need is you, milaya."
Letโs talk about her family for a secโฆ,
Christ this girl family โฆ her mother is a piece of .. her Father worse..theyโre Pathetic, disgusting, unbelievable people, but yet she literally is willing to suffer for them, her sister however is the only good person in her family, The one she is most concerned about because man Liza is engaged to is of the worse kind. So while Liza wrestled with protecting her little sister from his evil clutches her sperm doners were busy racking up the debt and signing Sofia up for marriage unbeknownst to them!
And so the saga Begins !
This is a story about love, sacrifice, and finding courage, Despite witnessing abuse in the pasts,Roman was still haunted by it and knew the signs, he was sure he would do anything for Liza not be in that situation, so his determination and strength is what will take them through the toughest battles to come, I love that Liza eventually open up to Roman and made decisions together on how to deal with all thatโs happening with her terrible depraved fiancรฉ.
I really enjoyed the play between ROMAN and LIZA
"YOU PUSHED ME BECAUSE YOU WANTED A REACTION.
YOU WANTED TO SEE
what happens when you challenge a man like me a dangerous man.
WELL, MILAYA, THIS IS WHAT HAPPENS. GET ON YOUR KNEES."
Recommend this good read
Grab if youโre into
โฅ๏ธBratva/Dark Mafia Romance
๐ Forbidden Love
๐ฅAge Gap
โฅ๏ธVirgin Heroine
๐ He unalives for her
๐ฅProtective/Bodyguard vibes
โฅ๏ธSmex Club Fun
๐ light BDSM
โฅ๏ธPossessive MMC
โค๏ธโ๐ฅExciting conclusion
โฅ๏ธHEA
(Some above is my own POV )
โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ.5
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ .5
Please note my ratings may change after I read the edited version. *
An ARC Review
Georgious_eleanorpb ๐ฆ
August 12, 2024
Roman & Liza
Ever since I discovered Monica Kayne's books(the Koslov Empire series) she's been on my auto-buy list. Reading this book was like savouring a cup of my favourite ice cream. I couldnโt put this book down. The passion between these two, the banter, the drama, not forgetting the awesome plot twist. I knew I loved them from the moment I saw them in Shattered Crown, reading their book and being able to see Maxim and Kira again was swoony.
This is the first book in the Tarnished Reign series.
Roman is the right hand to the Pakhan and has taken up a new responsibility to oversee a new partnership, this responsibility collides with the one woman whose thoughts have filled his head and is now engaged to his new partner. Roman had me curling my toes in excitement. The mouth on this man...*fans self*
Liza is engaged to someone hates but has decided to go ahead with it for the sake of her sister and parents. Her best friend has decided to give her a last hoorah before she gets married and her best friend's husband's right hand is tasked with their protection detail. Reading everything Liza had to go through gave me heartache but I loved her independence and brilliance.
What You'd Find
๐Dark Mafia Romance
๐Age Gap
๐Arranged Marriage
๐Smex Club
๐Inexperienced FMC
๐Bodyguard Romance
๐Forbidden Romance
๐Touch Her You โ ๏ธ
Favourite Quote/Scene ๐โYou've consumed my every thought, my every breath, since we've been apart. Deny it all you want, but you belong to me. You were always meant to be mine."
๐โRoman or God.โ He smiles devilishly. โI answer to both.โ
๐But itโs over now. Iโll burn down the world, Iโll kill. Iโll do whatever I have to to keep you and Sofiya safe.โ
๐Itโs all the proof in the world I need that she belongs to me.
๐It's on the tip of my tongue to tell her how deeply I feel for her, how Iโd fight through hell itself to keep her safe and happy. Iโd lay down my life for her without a second thought.
But I hold back. Actions speak louder than words, and I'll show her what it means to conquer the world for the woman I love. All that matters is this moment, us together; everything else is just noise.
๐For the first time in a long time, I have something precious to loseโsomeone I can't bear to live without.
๐โBelieve it, milaya. From now on, it's you and me against the world. I love you, so damn much, and I regretted not being able to say that to your face every day that we were apart. But it's true, and all I care about is making you mine.โ
๐โI love you too, Roman.โ Itโs the absolute truth. I feel it in my body, in my bones, and down to my very marrow. โMore than I ever thought possible. More than I can put into words.โ
๐This nightmare has crystallized one thing for me: Liza is my future. I would give everything up for her. Nothing matters if she isnโt by my side. Ever since she came into my life, she has filled every corner of my heart, my mind, and my very being. Now, nothing stands in our way.
๐But thereโs only one priority: marrying Liza as soon as possible. Sheโs broken down my walls, filled my soul, and thawed my frozen heart. Thereโs nothing more to say. Iโm claiming her as mine forever.
๐โI don't know how I got so lucky, but I've never been happier. No one else makes me feel like you do.โ His words take my breath away. โYou complete me. Youโve turned my world around and made me a better man for it. This life isnโt worth living unless youโre by my side.โ
๐Roman is my sanctuary, my protectorโmy everything.
Ever since I discovered Monica Kayne's books(the Koslov Empire series) she's been on my auto-buy list. Reading this book was like savouring a cup of my favourite ice cream. I couldnโt put this book down. The passion between these two, the banter, the drama, not forgetting the awesome plot twist. I knew I loved them from the moment I saw them in Shattered Crown, reading their book and being able to see Maxim and Kira again was swoony.
This is the first book in the Tarnished Reign series.
Roman is the right hand to the Pakhan and has taken up a new responsibility to oversee a new partnership, this responsibility collides with the one woman whose thoughts have filled his head and is now engaged to his new partner. Roman had me curling my toes in excitement. The mouth on this man...*fans self*
Liza is engaged to someone hates but has decided to go ahead with it for the sake of her sister and parents. Her best friend has decided to give her a last hoorah before she gets married and her best friend's husband's right hand is tasked with their protection detail. Reading everything Liza had to go through gave me heartache but I loved her independence and brilliance.
What You'd Find
๐Dark Mafia Romance
๐Age Gap
๐Arranged Marriage
๐Smex Club
๐Inexperienced FMC
๐Bodyguard Romance
๐Forbidden Romance
๐Touch Her You โ ๏ธ
Favourite Quote/Scene ๐โYou've consumed my every thought, my every breath, since we've been apart. Deny it all you want, but you belong to me. You were always meant to be mine."
๐โRoman or God.โ He smiles devilishly. โI answer to both.โ
๐But itโs over now. Iโll burn down the world, Iโll kill. Iโll do whatever I have to to keep you and Sofiya safe.โ
๐Itโs all the proof in the world I need that she belongs to me.
๐It's on the tip of my tongue to tell her how deeply I feel for her, how Iโd fight through hell itself to keep her safe and happy. Iโd lay down my life for her without a second thought.
But I hold back. Actions speak louder than words, and I'll show her what it means to conquer the world for the woman I love. All that matters is this moment, us together; everything else is just noise.
๐For the first time in a long time, I have something precious to loseโsomeone I can't bear to live without.
๐โBelieve it, milaya. From now on, it's you and me against the world. I love you, so damn much, and I regretted not being able to say that to your face every day that we were apart. But it's true, and all I care about is making you mine.โ
๐โI love you too, Roman.โ Itโs the absolute truth. I feel it in my body, in my bones, and down to my very marrow. โMore than I ever thought possible. More than I can put into words.โ
๐This nightmare has crystallized one thing for me: Liza is my future. I would give everything up for her. Nothing matters if she isnโt by my side. Ever since she came into my life, she has filled every corner of my heart, my mind, and my very being. Now, nothing stands in our way.
๐But thereโs only one priority: marrying Liza as soon as possible. Sheโs broken down my walls, filled my soul, and thawed my frozen heart. Thereโs nothing more to say. Iโm claiming her as mine forever.
๐โI don't know how I got so lucky, but I've never been happier. No one else makes me feel like you do.โ His words take my breath away. โYou complete me. Youโve turned my world around and made me a better man for it. This life isnโt worth living unless youโre by my side.โ
๐Roman is my sanctuary, my protectorโmy everything.
June 21, 2024
I would highly recommend this book and would re-read this again!
Please check the Trigger & Content warnings before reading the book!
Rating: โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ
Spice: ๐ถ ๐ถ ๐ถ.5
Tropes:
Dark Romance
Bratva/Mafia
He unalives for her
Age Gap
Virgin FMC
Forbidden Love
Possessive MMC
Forced Proximity
Smex Club
I hadnโt read any of Monica Kayneโs previous work. So when I tell you that I went into this book totally blind, I mean it! When I tell you that this book had me in a chokehold and on the edge of my seat from literal start to finish, ๐ฎโ๐จ I mean it! The plot was so good and had so many twists and turns to keep you wanting to find out what was going to happen next.
Liza, our FMC is a fierce and strong-willed independent woman who sacrifices her life and happiness to rectify her parentโs debts and social standing. She agrees to marry Anatoly, a type-A A-hole who verbally and physically abuses her. She does everything in her power to keep her sister Sofiya, happy and protected. She doesnโt tell anyone about her problems and keeps everything a secret even from her best friend, Kira. Liza hopes to find a solution to her problems however is re-introduced to Roman, Kiraโs bodyguard and Kiraโs husbandโs right hand man. Sparks fly between the two and you can definitely tell thereโs chemistry between the two.
Roman, our MMC, is the epitome of bad boy who will kill you for looking at him the wrong way. Loyal to a fault, Roman falls for Liza and falls hard. He is so sweet and caring towards Liza that it hurts. He literally puts her wants, needs and safety before his own. We all want and need a Roman in our lives! Roman is Kiraโs husband (Maxim) right hand man and would do anything for him given the history they have. The biggest downfall for Roman was to find out that Liza is Anatolyโs fiancรฉ. The forbidden love and Maximโs business partner. He is torn between wanting to make Liza his and burying his feelings for Liza because sheโs a business partnerโs betrothed.
All in all, this was such a good read and definitely became an auto-buy author! The story was rich in detail, plot and action! Iโm sad that the story is over however looking forward to the next in the series!
Again, I would recommend this book for all the tropes listed above as well a story that takes the reader by the throat (no pun intended ๐) from page 1 and leaves them wanting more by page 387 (397 e-book).
Happy Reading!
Please check the Trigger & Content warnings before reading the book!
Rating: โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ โญ๏ธ
Spice: ๐ถ ๐ถ ๐ถ.5
Tropes:
Dark Romance
Bratva/Mafia
He unalives for her
Age Gap
Virgin FMC
Forbidden Love
Possessive MMC
Forced Proximity
Smex Club
I hadnโt read any of Monica Kayneโs previous work. So when I tell you that I went into this book totally blind, I mean it! When I tell you that this book had me in a chokehold and on the edge of my seat from literal start to finish, ๐ฎโ๐จ I mean it! The plot was so good and had so many twists and turns to keep you wanting to find out what was going to happen next.
Liza, our FMC is a fierce and strong-willed independent woman who sacrifices her life and happiness to rectify her parentโs debts and social standing. She agrees to marry Anatoly, a type-A A-hole who verbally and physically abuses her. She does everything in her power to keep her sister Sofiya, happy and protected. She doesnโt tell anyone about her problems and keeps everything a secret even from her best friend, Kira. Liza hopes to find a solution to her problems however is re-introduced to Roman, Kiraโs bodyguard and Kiraโs husbandโs right hand man. Sparks fly between the two and you can definitely tell thereโs chemistry between the two.
Roman, our MMC, is the epitome of bad boy who will kill you for looking at him the wrong way. Loyal to a fault, Roman falls for Liza and falls hard. He is so sweet and caring towards Liza that it hurts. He literally puts her wants, needs and safety before his own. We all want and need a Roman in our lives! Roman is Kiraโs husband (Maxim) right hand man and would do anything for him given the history they have. The biggest downfall for Roman was to find out that Liza is Anatolyโs fiancรฉ. The forbidden love and Maximโs business partner. He is torn between wanting to make Liza his and burying his feelings for Liza because sheโs a business partnerโs betrothed.
All in all, this was such a good read and definitely became an auto-buy author! The story was rich in detail, plot and action! Iโm sad that the story is over however looking forward to the next in the series!
Again, I would recommend this book for all the tropes listed above as well a story that takes the reader by the throat (no pun intended ๐) from page 1 and leaves them wanting more by page 387 (397 e-book).
Happy Reading!
September 4, 2024
Ruthless Reign is book one in the Tarnished Reign series. It follows Roman Vasillev who is the right-hand man of Maxim Belov, (Kozlov Empire Series: Shattered Crown, Book 4)
Liza's best friend, Kira, is married to Maxim who is the head of the Bratva but is looking to step back. He has a right-hand man that serves him named Roman. Roman is a bodyguard for the girls and ever since he met Liza he can't get her out of his head. But there's one little problem...Liza is engaged to someone else.
Liza has found herself in a situation when she agrees to become engaged to Anatoly. He is a power-hungry asshole who wants her simply to have control over her, which to an extent he does because Liza's family has debts that need to be paid and by marrying him he takes care of those things, including paying for her sister Sofiyaโs school, the only important person in her family that matters to her.
Roman is tasked with watching Lisa & Kira during a trip to London. The attraction and chemistry between Roman and Lisa are so high from the start which brings them closer together on the trip. On the trip to London, she sees a chance for freedom, even if itโs fleeting, Roman follows Lisa when she sneaks out and is auctioning off her innocence to be able to be free. The moment that Roman realizes what's happening holy hell letโs just say I love when a man will k**l for someone disrespecting their woman.
But she can't just leave her life and be with him? Can she? When danger strikes, decisions need to be made and Liza needs to choose for herself. But what will happen to her family?
If you wanna find out more about Roman and Lisa and if they get there happy ever after you have to read the book. ๐ promise you won't be disappointed.
Monica does such a great job with mafia romance and this one was no exception! We get the suspense, spice, and angst in this forbidden romance! I really enjoyed the characters and can't wait to see where this series goes!
Book Stats:
Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ/5. ๐ถ๐ถ๐ถ/5
Series: Tarnished Reign Series Book 1
POV: Dual
Tropes: Dark Mafia Romance, Forbidden Love, Age Gap, FMC (25 yrs old), MMC (38 yrs old), Obsessive/Protective MMC, He Unalives for Her, Virgin FMC, Protective/Bodyguard Vibes, Smex Club Fun,
CW/TW: Before reading
Liza's best friend, Kira, is married to Maxim who is the head of the Bratva but is looking to step back. He has a right-hand man that serves him named Roman. Roman is a bodyguard for the girls and ever since he met Liza he can't get her out of his head. But there's one little problem...Liza is engaged to someone else.
Liza has found herself in a situation when she agrees to become engaged to Anatoly. He is a power-hungry asshole who wants her simply to have control over her, which to an extent he does because Liza's family has debts that need to be paid and by marrying him he takes care of those things, including paying for her sister Sofiyaโs school, the only important person in her family that matters to her.
Roman is tasked with watching Lisa & Kira during a trip to London. The attraction and chemistry between Roman and Lisa are so high from the start which brings them closer together on the trip. On the trip to London, she sees a chance for freedom, even if itโs fleeting, Roman follows Lisa when she sneaks out and is auctioning off her innocence to be able to be free. The moment that Roman realizes what's happening holy hell letโs just say I love when a man will k**l for someone disrespecting their woman.
But she can't just leave her life and be with him? Can she? When danger strikes, decisions need to be made and Liza needs to choose for herself. But what will happen to her family?
If you wanna find out more about Roman and Lisa and if they get there happy ever after you have to read the book. ๐ promise you won't be disappointed.
Monica does such a great job with mafia romance and this one was no exception! We get the suspense, spice, and angst in this forbidden romance! I really enjoyed the characters and can't wait to see where this series goes!
Book Stats:
Rating: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ/5. ๐ถ๐ถ๐ถ/5
Series: Tarnished Reign Series Book 1
POV: Dual
Tropes: Dark Mafia Romance, Forbidden Love, Age Gap, FMC (25 yrs old), MMC (38 yrs old), Obsessive/Protective MMC, He Unalives for Her, Virgin FMC, Protective/Bodyguard Vibes, Smex Club Fun,
CW/TW: Before reading
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 22, 2024
Review:
Roman Vasiliev is the right hand of Maxim Belov. Trusted to watch over Kira, Maximโs wife, and Lisa, her best friend and the bane of his existence, during a trip to London. Will their sizzling chemistry burn into a growing flame or turn them to ash.
Liza Ivanova does everything for one sole reason, give Sofiya, her younger sister, a better life, even if it means sacrificing her own. Engaged to a violent men, Liza sees in London a chance for freedom, even if fleeting.
Roman and Liza have chemistry from the beginning of the book and their pull and push game was very entertaining to read. I loved their story. It was intense and hot, but it was also filled with tender moments that I was not expecting at all.
Roman is a dangerous mafia man, but heโs so caring with Liza. I loved Romanโs character. He helped Liza heal and escaped the gold cage she was brought up in.
Liza is such a complex character. Sheโs fragile in the sense that she had to forget herself so many times for the sake of others that sheโs lost in who she truly is. Choosing herself is not something that comes easily to her. Seeing her grow and be free was so heartwarming. She deserves a life full of happiness and Iโm happy she got it.
Some of the side characters of this book definitely had moments where they shined. I loved Pavelโs sassiness and his friendship with Roman, the moments where he messed with Roman about Liza were some of my favourites. I love an unhinged Nikolai and I was hopping to read his story with Sofiya, so I has very happy to discover theirs will be the next book in the series.
I fell in love with Monica Kayneโs writing in the Kozlovโs series, but this book was on another level. I usually donโt love the first book in a series, but this one took me by surprise in how good it was. Monicaโs writing was already good, but it got a lot better in this book. I canโt wait for Savage Reign, Iโm sure Iโm going to love has much or even more than this one.
This book deals with a lot of triggers so you should definitely check it out before you read the book.
Roman Vasiliev is the right hand of Maxim Belov. Trusted to watch over Kira, Maximโs wife, and Lisa, her best friend and the bane of his existence, during a trip to London. Will their sizzling chemistry burn into a growing flame or turn them to ash.
Liza Ivanova does everything for one sole reason, give Sofiya, her younger sister, a better life, even if it means sacrificing her own. Engaged to a violent men, Liza sees in London a chance for freedom, even if fleeting.
Roman and Liza have chemistry from the beginning of the book and their pull and push game was very entertaining to read. I loved their story. It was intense and hot, but it was also filled with tender moments that I was not expecting at all.
Roman is a dangerous mafia man, but heโs so caring with Liza. I loved Romanโs character. He helped Liza heal and escaped the gold cage she was brought up in.
Liza is such a complex character. Sheโs fragile in the sense that she had to forget herself so many times for the sake of others that sheโs lost in who she truly is. Choosing herself is not something that comes easily to her. Seeing her grow and be free was so heartwarming. She deserves a life full of happiness and Iโm happy she got it.
Some of the side characters of this book definitely had moments where they shined. I loved Pavelโs sassiness and his friendship with Roman, the moments where he messed with Roman about Liza were some of my favourites. I love an unhinged Nikolai and I was hopping to read his story with Sofiya, so I has very happy to discover theirs will be the next book in the series.
I fell in love with Monica Kayneโs writing in the Kozlovโs series, but this book was on another level. I usually donโt love the first book in a series, but this one took me by surprise in how good it was. Monicaโs writing was already good, but it got a lot better in this book. I canโt wait for Savage Reign, Iโm sure Iโm going to love has much or even more than this one.
This book deals with a lot of triggers so you should definitely check it out before you read the book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 3, 2024
Story: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ/5
Spice: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ/5
Character development: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ/5
My thoughts๐ญ:
Liza is forced by her parents into a marriage with Moscowโs most influential man (Anatoly). She agrees for the sake of protecting her younger sister.
Liza goes on a girls trip (or what she considers as her last bout of freedom before her marriage) with her best friend Kira. They are accompanied by a bodyguard, Roman Vasiliev, who is the right hand to Kiraโs husband.
Roman has been obsessed with Liza since he met her a year ago. The problem is she is forbidden and she belongs to another man. So he decides to keep his โfeelingsโ to himself.
All caution is thrown to the wind when he finds Liza in a smex club in the middle of auctioning her virginity.
โข
โข
It is rare to find a strong FMC in a mafia romance. Liza is a breath of fresh air. She shoulders the burden of her parentsโs debts to protect her sister even it means marrying an abusive, controlling man. Liza did not accept her faith. She continuously sought out ways to earn money to pay off the debts. She fought till the end. ๐ช๐ฝ
Roman started off as the typical grumpy man, who feigns annoyance towards Liza. But from the moment he spotted Liza on that stage ogled by other men who are bidding on her at, all sensible train of thoughts left his brain and temptation and possessiveness took the lead๐.
The spicy scenes from here on was chefโs kiss. ๐ฅต๐ค๐ฝ
Roman was ready to burn the world for Liza and her sister. What else do we expect from our MMC with a traumatic past. A past which he sees Liza in the same predicament as his mother. I believe that aspect played a big part of his protectiveness for Liza๐ค
Lizaโs parents are despicable human beings. I wanted to tussle with the mother throughout the book๐คบ๐คบ
Overall Ruthless Reign is an amazing read. It is a page turner for sure. We get a mafia forbidden romance, touch her and youโll die scenarios, spice thatโs off the charts, a strong FMC, and a an MMC who is hot, older, dangerous and ready to worship the ground his woman walks on๐ค
Spice: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ/5
Character development: โญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธโญ๏ธ/5
My thoughts๐ญ:
Liza is forced by her parents into a marriage with Moscowโs most influential man (Anatoly). She agrees for the sake of protecting her younger sister.
Liza goes on a girls trip (or what she considers as her last bout of freedom before her marriage) with her best friend Kira. They are accompanied by a bodyguard, Roman Vasiliev, who is the right hand to Kiraโs husband.
Roman has been obsessed with Liza since he met her a year ago. The problem is she is forbidden and she belongs to another man. So he decides to keep his โfeelingsโ to himself.
All caution is thrown to the wind when he finds Liza in a smex club in the middle of auctioning her virginity.
โข
โข
It is rare to find a strong FMC in a mafia romance. Liza is a breath of fresh air. She shoulders the burden of her parentsโs debts to protect her sister even it means marrying an abusive, controlling man. Liza did not accept her faith. She continuously sought out ways to earn money to pay off the debts. She fought till the end. ๐ช๐ฝ
Roman started off as the typical grumpy man, who feigns annoyance towards Liza. But from the moment he spotted Liza on that stage ogled by other men who are bidding on her at, all sensible train of thoughts left his brain and temptation and possessiveness took the lead๐.
The spicy scenes from here on was chefโs kiss. ๐ฅต๐ค๐ฝ
Roman was ready to burn the world for Liza and her sister. What else do we expect from our MMC with a traumatic past. A past which he sees Liza in the same predicament as his mother. I believe that aspect played a big part of his protectiveness for Liza๐ค
Lizaโs parents are despicable human beings. I wanted to tussle with the mother throughout the book๐คบ๐คบ
Overall Ruthless Reign is an amazing read. It is a page turner for sure. We get a mafia forbidden romance, touch her and youโll die scenarios, spice thatโs off the charts, a strong FMC, and a an MMC who is hot, older, dangerous and ready to worship the ground his woman walks on๐ค
June 19, 2024
"Tarnished Reign" the new series starts with the forbidden love of ๐น๐๐๐๐ & ๐ณ๐๐๐ in "Ruthless Reign" and it was really the best decision to start with them. I loved Roman and Liza's characters since their appearance in "Shattered Crown", they had an undeniably chemistry since than and i was so curious how they story would be like and "Ruthless Reign" didn't disappoint.
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ :โญโญโญโญโญ
๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ,5
๐ณ๐๐๐ is a strong and independent woman, she is sacrificing her own happiness for her families troubles, she accepting to marry Anatoly, a abusive piece of sh!t. Liza has one thing in mind to protect her younger sister Sofiya and she is willing to do anything. She is keeping everything as a secret even though from her best friend Kira with the hope to finding a way to fix this freaking situation by herself. When Roman comes in to her life when will she be ready to trust Roman and reveal her secrets and let him in?!?
๐ซโ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?โ๐ซ
๐น๐๐๐๐, omg this man is everything, loyal to the bones and caring and puts Liza's need above everything. He is ready from the beginning to fight for Liza but one thing is keeping him and makes Liza forbidden, Roman is Anatoly's business partner and he has to focus on his work.
๐ซ "๐ฐ๐ ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ , ๐ฐ'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ'๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐."๐ซ
๐ซโ๐ซ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ . ๐ต๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐รฉ. ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐ฐโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐโ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.โ๐ซ
โกโกโก
I really enjoy Monica's writing and love her characters. This story was an awesome read with betrayel, angst, danger, hope plot twists and great amount of spice.
Recommend โ
โกโกโก
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ/๐๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐จ:
โกMafia Romance (Bratva)
โกAge Gap (H38/h25)
โกPossessive MMC
โกForbidden Love
โกForced Proximity
โกBodyguard vibes
โกSmex Club
โกAbused FMC
โกMorally Gray MMC
โกVirgin FMC
โ ๏ธ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!โ ๏ธ
Lookin forward to the next story of this series, its gonna be another great read. ๐
๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ง๐ :โญโญโญโญโญ
๐๐ฉ๐ข๐๐: ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ,5
๐ณ๐๐๐ is a strong and independent woman, she is sacrificing her own happiness for her families troubles, she accepting to marry Anatoly, a abusive piece of sh!t. Liza has one thing in mind to protect her younger sister Sofiya and she is willing to do anything. She is keeping everything as a secret even though from her best friend Kira with the hope to finding a way to fix this freaking situation by herself. When Roman comes in to her life when will she be ready to trust Roman and reveal her secrets and let him in?!?
๐ซโ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐,โ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, โ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐?โ๐ซ
๐น๐๐๐๐, omg this man is everything, loyal to the bones and caring and puts Liza's need above everything. He is ready from the beginning to fight for Liza but one thing is keeping him and makes Liza forbidden, Roman is Anatoly's business partner and he has to focus on his work.
๐ซ "๐ฐ๐ ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ , ๐ฐ'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐'๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐ'๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐."๐ซ
๐ซโ๐ซ๐๐'๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ . ๐ต๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐. ๐ป๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐รฉ. ๐ฉ๐๐ ๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐, ๐๐๐๐๐๐. ๐ฐโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ , ๐ฐโ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐ฐโ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ฐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐, ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐บ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐.โ๐ซ
โกโกโก
I really enjoy Monica's writing and love her characters. This story was an awesome read with betrayel, angst, danger, hope plot twists and great amount of spice.
Recommend โ
โกโกโก
๐๐๐๐ฉ ๐ฉ๐ค ๐๐ญ๐ฅ๐๐๐ฉ/๐๐ง๐ค๐ฅ๐๐จ:
โกMafia Romance (Bratva)
โกAge Gap (H38/h25)
โกPossessive MMC
โกForbidden Love
โกForced Proximity
โกBodyguard vibes
โกSmex Club
โกAbused FMC
โกMorally Gray MMC
โกVirgin FMC
โ ๏ธ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐!โ ๏ธ
Lookin forward to the next story of this series, its gonna be another great read. ๐
June 18, 2024
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.
This is the story of Liza and Roman and I am warning you now that you are going to love them and not be able to lay this book down. She has always been a pawn to her parents and they have forced her to be in a really abusive engagement. I really felt for her and my heart broke so many times. Roman is in the Syndicate and finds himself on a trip to London as his bosses bodyguard. However his boss has brought his wife and her friend Liza on this trip and Liza is the woman that he has always had an attraction to. These two seemingly can't stand each other and the time has come for them to call a truce. He even has to rescue her from some crazy decisions a time or two. However she is holding on to secrets and I am telling you now Liza is locked up tighter than a vault when it comes to the secrets she carries. She is a pawn in a mixed up twisted game of revenge thanks to her family who has lost everything to the man she is engaged to and she is his chance at revenge. I can't say to much more about this book or I will give something away. I don't want to do that. But I can tell you that I devoured this book. I loved every single second of it. But man oh man did I hate a few people in this book with a fiery passion. Her mother is an absolutely horrible woman. And Anthony. Don't even get me started on him. If I could have jerked them out of this book and hit them up the side of the head a few times I would have been happy. They enraged me so much. I loved Liza and Roman. I loved watching their story unfold. He is fiercely protective of her and he is more than determined to get her out of the situation she finds herself in thanks to her horrible family. I love watching Liza find her strength and become the strong fierce woman she was always meant to be. This is a book that I really loved reading. You do not want to miss it.
This is the story of Liza and Roman and I am warning you now that you are going to love them and not be able to lay this book down. She has always been a pawn to her parents and they have forced her to be in a really abusive engagement. I really felt for her and my heart broke so many times. Roman is in the Syndicate and finds himself on a trip to London as his bosses bodyguard. However his boss has brought his wife and her friend Liza on this trip and Liza is the woman that he has always had an attraction to. These two seemingly can't stand each other and the time has come for them to call a truce. He even has to rescue her from some crazy decisions a time or two. However she is holding on to secrets and I am telling you now Liza is locked up tighter than a vault when it comes to the secrets she carries. She is a pawn in a mixed up twisted game of revenge thanks to her family who has lost everything to the man she is engaged to and she is his chance at revenge. I can't say to much more about this book or I will give something away. I don't want to do that. But I can tell you that I devoured this book. I loved every single second of it. But man oh man did I hate a few people in this book with a fiery passion. Her mother is an absolutely horrible woman. And Anthony. Don't even get me started on him. If I could have jerked them out of this book and hit them up the side of the head a few times I would have been happy. They enraged me so much. I loved Liza and Roman. I loved watching their story unfold. He is fiercely protective of her and he is more than determined to get her out of the situation she finds herself in thanks to her horrible family. I love watching Liza find her strength and become the strong fierce woman she was always meant to be. This is a book that I really loved reading. You do not want to miss it.
June 21, 2024
4.7 stars out of 5 stars (Standard rounding rules apply)
Everyone needs to get themselves a Roman. He was top tier alpha protective book boyfriend. While Liza was living a double life all in order to take care of and protect her sister. These two characters complimented each other wonderfully, with banter and passion that was off the charts.
Their story is a dark bratva romance with an age gap, and forbidden aspect to it. Like most of Monica Kayne's novels this one is top tier and keeps you on your toes from the very beginning with the dedication. There are a lot of twists and turns with lots of actions and plenty of romance.
While this is the first book in the new series, and a stand-alone novel we do get to catch up with Kira and Maxim from the final book in the Kozlov Empire series. While Shattered Crown (Kira and Maxim's story) isn't needed, their story does give you a picture of who Roman and Liza are as that's when we are first introduced to them.
There are plenty of characters within the novel that will make you want to throw your book from the cruelty they display. Or even from our own main characters stubbornness. That marks a good book for me, when I throw (gently) my Kindle because I'm "upset" only to dive for it and start reading again. Something I have done a couple times with this novel.
There is plenty of action throughout. Though, I won't lie, it was the spice that kept me hooked tight. I would give this book a three-point-five chili-peppers out of five chili-peppers. (Please keep in mind this is my personal opinion and may be more or less than yours.) The spice starts in a smex club, and just progresses from there. The knife scene though.... if you know, you know.
I would absolutely recommend this book. Monica Kayne is an instant buy author for me - everything she has written has been fantastic... Roman and Liza's story is no different.
Everyone needs to get themselves a Roman. He was top tier alpha protective book boyfriend. While Liza was living a double life all in order to take care of and protect her sister. These two characters complimented each other wonderfully, with banter and passion that was off the charts.
Their story is a dark bratva romance with an age gap, and forbidden aspect to it. Like most of Monica Kayne's novels this one is top tier and keeps you on your toes from the very beginning with the dedication. There are a lot of twists and turns with lots of actions and plenty of romance.
While this is the first book in the new series, and a stand-alone novel we do get to catch up with Kira and Maxim from the final book in the Kozlov Empire series. While Shattered Crown (Kira and Maxim's story) isn't needed, their story does give you a picture of who Roman and Liza are as that's when we are first introduced to them.
There are plenty of characters within the novel that will make you want to throw your book from the cruelty they display. Or even from our own main characters stubbornness. That marks a good book for me, when I throw (gently) my Kindle because I'm "upset" only to dive for it and start reading again. Something I have done a couple times with this novel.
There is plenty of action throughout. Though, I won't lie, it was the spice that kept me hooked tight. I would give this book a three-point-five chili-peppers out of five chili-peppers. (Please keep in mind this is my personal opinion and may be more or less than yours.) The spice starts in a smex club, and just progresses from there. The knife scene though.... if you know, you know.
I would absolutely recommend this book. Monica Kayne is an instant buy author for me - everything she has written has been fantastic... Roman and Liza's story is no different.
June 16, 2024
"She is so forbidden.
He must have her,
that's already written."-Aura S
This might be the time where I scream, "I LOVED IT".
Each and every book of Monica Kayne gives me something new to fantasize about and gets thrilling and mind capturing with every chapter. This forbidden romance between Roman and Liza is taking a cozy spot in my heart.
The story, characters, the overall plot had me by chokehold. Liza marrying some abusive guy was something I didn't expected, because in 'Shattered Crown', she gave vibes of strong and ambitious woman. However, everything changed when she was forced in to the life of submission to save her family.
Kira is really reckless but I never thought she would bring Liza to s*x club just weeks before her marriage,lol. But there started shattering and breaking of every shackle Roman and Liza were bond to and took matters in there own hands i.e, the cravings they had for each other took shape in explosive rendezvous.
Moreover, I also never expected Liza to auction herself, like girl! What were you thinking?! My hope was that she should have told Roman, but then again, he was her fiance's business partner and things could have gotten worse. Nevertheless, the auction didn't happened, as in Roman had her for himself and then, yeah, you got it right! Lol.
Now what I am really intrigued is that Liza's sister is going to have her own story and I cannot wait. I didn't saw it coming but right now it's all I can think about. Considering her age, and entangled in a twisted relationship with a dangerous man of twice her age, it's safe to say that Sofia's story is about to blow our minds. I can feel it.
I would really recommend this book to dark romance lovers because I can't get enough of it myself. It would have made me frustrated, devastated, and impatient but I really wanted this book to go on and on. It was that good.
He must have her,
that's already written."-Aura S
This might be the time where I scream, "I LOVED IT".
Each and every book of Monica Kayne gives me something new to fantasize about and gets thrilling and mind capturing with every chapter. This forbidden romance between Roman and Liza is taking a cozy spot in my heart.
The story, characters, the overall plot had me by chokehold. Liza marrying some abusive guy was something I didn't expected, because in 'Shattered Crown', she gave vibes of strong and ambitious woman. However, everything changed when she was forced in to the life of submission to save her family.
Kira is really reckless but I never thought she would bring Liza to s*x club just weeks before her marriage,lol. But there started shattering and breaking of every shackle Roman and Liza were bond to and took matters in there own hands i.e, the cravings they had for each other took shape in explosive rendezvous.
Moreover, I also never expected Liza to auction herself, like girl! What were you thinking?! My hope was that she should have told Roman, but then again, he was her fiance's business partner and things could have gotten worse. Nevertheless, the auction didn't happened, as in Roman had her for himself and then, yeah, you got it right! Lol.
Now what I am really intrigued is that Liza's sister is going to have her own story and I cannot wait. I didn't saw it coming but right now it's all I can think about. Considering her age, and entangled in a twisted relationship with a dangerous man of twice her age, it's safe to say that Sofia's story is about to blow our minds. I can feel it.
I would really recommend this book to dark romance lovers because I can't get enough of it myself. It would have made me frustrated, devastated, and impatient but I really wanted this book to go on and on. It was that good.
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