⤏ What to expect:
∘ Adult
∘ Dark Mafia Romance
∘ Possessive MMC
∘ Dom-sub vibes
⤏ Tropes:
∘ Arranged Marriage
∘ Age Gap (18 x 36)
∘ Virgin MMC
⤏ Trigger Warnings: violence, masochism, sadism, degradation, BDSM, dub-con/non-con, loss, murder
⤏
Summary
Evangeline Price (Angel) is a mafia princess who's desperate to escape the mafia life and live a normal one. However, her plans are shattered when Gaven Belmonte, a feared hitman, chooses her for marriage to become the next Price Heir.
Refusing to accept her fate, Angel devises an escape plan.
⤏
Characters & Romance
Angel is a shy girl not cut out for the mafia life, but her family ties keep her in danger's crosshairs. She firmly believes she can have a regular life if only her father hadn't forced her into an arranged marriage. Despite her naivety, she possesses a fiery attitude that intrigues Gaven.
Gaven is possessive, controlling, and power-obsessed, which usually doesn't bother me, but it made it difficult to warm up to him. Although I've encountered similar characters before, what sets him apart is the complete disregard for consent. The heroine's lack of consent troubled me deeply. She repeatedly told him "no," asked him to stop touching her, or to leave her alone, but he blatantly ignored her wishes, because "he always gets what he wants". It made it really hard for me to fully enjoy their story.
The authors used the excuse of "my body betrayed me"/"it still felt good," but I'm not really on board with that. He only looks to mold her, to make her the perfect "doll" for him.
I think I could've overlooked all these if there was at least a little chemistry between them, or if the girl desired what he offered her ...
⤏
Conclusion
The book was a quick read and I'd recommend it if you're looking for a mafia-themed erotica book with very little plot, and if you're not triggered by what I disclosed.