Shattered Dynasty

The Corrupt Empire #4

by Ava Harrison

Trent Aldridge is the devil.
Rich. Arrogant. Sinfully handsome.

He holds my inheritance in his hands.
Twenty-two million dollars I didn’t even know about.

I met him at a funeral.
As one life ended, mine unraveled.
Because he has one goal—to ruin me.
And Trent Aldridge never loses.

My present is gone and my future is in ashes.
All because of a past that's not even mine.
Control. Power.
He has it all now that I'm his maid.

He’s rude, sarcastic, and well…the hottest man I’ve ever met.
Lust is a dangerous game to play.
Where there's smoke, there's fire.
And I’m about to be consumed.

Genres: Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Dark Romance, Contemporary Romance, Dark, Billionaire Romance, Audiobook

408 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 3, 2021

About the author

Ava Harrison is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author.
When she’s not journaling her life, you can find her window shopping, cooking dinner for her family, or curled up on her couch reading a book.

Reviews

[Federica · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 STARS

✅ Enemies-to-lovers
✅ Age-gap
✅ Revenge
✅ Strong heroine
✅ A-hole hero with a soft side for the people he loves

Shattered Dynasty was so good. It was THE slowest burn ever.
Trent and Payton were such a treat. It's 100% hate to love. And there's a lot of hate going on in this book and a lot of electricity too. Not that many steamy scenes, if you ask me, but so hot either way.

Trent's revenge is aimed at the wrong person. His father is the one to blame but now he's dead so who's second in his list? The fiery and innocent Payton.
According to his father's will, on her 22nd birthday, Payton will receive 22 million dollars. And who has to administrate them until she's 22? Yep, his son, Trent, who hated his father for what he did to his family in the past (no spoilers here but if you have read Corrupt Kingdom you know)

Trent was such an a-hole, he enjoyed torturing and blackmailing Payton and I wanted to slap him in the face. Hard. Several times during the first 50% of the book. But the heroine fights back and even if she has to do what Trent says otherwise he's not paying for her college, she always surprises him. And he loves it. He loves their banter and making her angry is his hobby.

And the plot twists? I saw them coming but I was gasping anyway 😂 I just love Ava Harrison's books. Love how she writes her heroes and heroines 😍 Soft, protective, jealous only for their li. Trent was the most stubborn of them all and I couldn't wait for him to just accept his love for Payton and be truly himself with her.

There are trigger warnings so be aware of it (violence)
Safety: no cheating, no OW/OM drama, hero not a playboy

H wants to get h out of his head, calls an ex but NOTHING happens because he realizes really quick he wants only the heroine so no drama, just an eye roll LOL

*ARC received by Grey's Promo for an honest review

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS



Star Rating : 4.5/5 Stars

POV : Dual

Cliffhanger : None

Hero : Trent

Heroine : Payton

Pace of the story : Moderate

Angst Rating : 5/10

Heat Rating : 6/10

Triggers Involved : Past Trauma , Betrayal , Light Bullying

Review :

The blurb of this book had me signing up so fast for it. I am such an addict for enemies to lovers romance and this one had it all. Ava Harrison is one of my top authors and her storylines are to die for!

Trent has never hated anyone as much as he hated his father. The man had destroyed his family and he had to pay. So when he got the news of his fathers death, he knew it was a moment to celebrate. Only for him to know that his father had left a part of his will to a stranger. To the sister of his mistress. But Payton could not access the money until she was 22. So Trent controls her. He can give her money to her but all he wants is revenge and now he will get it. Too bad he will have to destroy Payton to get it in the end.

I loved this one so much! The story was amazing and so was the chemistry between the main characters. Trent and Payton have an amazing take that all the dark romance loving people will die for. Definitely recommending this one to all the enemies to lovers romance loving people. This is a standalone novel with an HEA.

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[Romantic Critic · Rating 1 out of 5]

Shattered Dynasty was hilariously bad. It was a Stockholm syndrome love story and I wanted to throttle Payton for continually defending Trent. Being kind to a couple people – most of which were his own family – does not, in fact, make one a good person. She kept insisting that she was the "only" person he was an asshole to, implying that he had a “tenable” reason, as his father had attempted to sell his own daughter but had left all his money to Payton. It was troubling enough that the author suggested that Payton deserved Trent’s abuse, but this argument was even more laughable considering Trent was in bed with the mafia and constantly screwed over innocent people with his hedge fund. There was even a scene where Payton comforted Trent for “taking a life” because she “had no doubt [that] whoever it was, he deserved it”, ending with the internal monologue that “pain makes you stronger”. In just the beginning of the novel, Trent made Payton homeless by taking away her car, house and belongings, and hacked into her personal information to stop tuition payments without notice. He then forced her to move into his house and “earn” her keep as a maid, but even if she submitted to his relentless stipulations, he was still considering removing the funds from her trust. It was also so gross how he constantly kept surveillance on her and would masturbate over those videos. Yet, in spite of the abuse, the readers were somehow expected to root for their love story. Even if it wasn’t a factor, the couple had zero chemistry, inane banter and soporific sex scenes.

The resolution to the other plot, which was discovering the individual who wanted to kill Payton, was also nonsensical. Payton’s sister, Erin, ended up being the villain. If Payton died, she would be the beneficiary of the trust. She resented Payton for their parents’ death (as they had died in a car accident en route to picking her up from a friend’s house) and for inheriting Ronnie’s money when she was the one who had slept with him. I get that Erin was chosen as the culprit partially for shock factor, and partially because the author didn’t want Trent to be implicated in Payton’s near-death incident, but it made no sense. For someone who desperately needed money, how could Erin or her boyfriend possibly get ahold of a car that was the same make as Trent’s? And when Trent realized that Paul (who had a vendetta as Trent had screwed over the launch of his business and profited over it) wasn’t responsible, why didn’t he use the countless resources at his disposal to find out who had hit Payton? His best friend was a notorious hacker, so he could have asked him to hack into the security cameras where the incident took place.

In short, this novel was a clusterfuck. The hero was irredeemable and the author was glorifying abuse. It was also laughable that one of the two reasons Trent fell in love with Payton was because she seemed to take his demands in stride, as if she had any option but to acquiesce. (The other reason was her beauty). Her lawyer stated that his connections would enable him to destroy her future and even kill her without consequences, if he so desired.

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Shattered Dynasty by Ava Harrison is part of the A Billionaire Enemies-to-Lovers series, but this can be a standalone book. This is the story of Payton Hart and Trent Aldridge.
Trent is out for very upset that his father has left a bunch of money to Payton who is his father's mistress sister. Payton doesn't get the money until she is 22 years of age and even though he doesn't need the money he was justice for what has been done. Enter him getting it from Payton and doesn't give her any slack on his hatred until he can't stop his attraction for her anymore.
Payton although has been through hardship has a innocence about her but with that she is a strong women who doesn't take Trent crap. Payton gives back verbally what Trent gives back in action and words. This was a page turning read. Highly recommend it.

[Aleksandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

szkoda, że nie było tak ze 20-30 stron dłuższe, bo końcówka trochę za szybko mi minęła. akcja rozwinęła się i zakończyła tak szybko, ze nie ogarnęłam nawet, kiedy to się stało

[Meander - Read & Roam · Rating 3 out of 5]

My Rating: 🌟🌟🌟1/2
Type: Standalone
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mafia Romance
Primary Characters: Trent Aldridge, Payton
Narration: Dual POV

I have read Ava Harrison’s Corrupt kingdom book long ago. When I saw this book in kindle recommendation and read the blurb, I got confused with Trent character as Alaric. After reading few chapters in I realized I was reading Trent’s book and not Alaric’s. That didn’t stop me from reading this as book was intriguing by then.

Plot starts with Trent being angry at his father’s actions and holds grudges towards him. Payton receives an unexpected huge inheritance from Trent’s father Ronald. This enrages Trent and he finds a perfect way to channel his fury towards Payton. Ronald has put a stipulation that Payton can access her money only after she turns twenty-two. Trent is her current overseer.

I could understand Trent’s anger. I can understand his reason for his hatred towards his father. I can understand that a person could take out his anger on someone else who doesn’t deserve. It was acceptable reason, but somehow it was not well executed.

Trent comes off as the big bad wolf throughout much of the story. Payton on the other hand is way too quick to forgive all of his bullying and misdeeds. Some twists in the story are bit predictable. I loved fiery and independent Payton.

Premise of the story is good. It had a good potential and strong reasoning. Execution would have been better. Narration was ok. Romance and Character development could have been stronger. Secondary characters were fine. Loved seeing Cyrus and Ivy. Tobais and Lorenzo were intriguing.

Overall, this book was good but a high probability I would forget what this book is all about in just few days. It’s an entertaining one time read.

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[Sahara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This guy really is the devil incarnate! I mean, who takes every single item and the house and leaves a young woman homeless, with absolutely nothing just to get revenge? He is evil to the core but the attraction is there even tho they both try to hide it, to ignore it because of their situation.
Payton gets the entire inheritance and the family is beyond shocked and devastated and Trent is so irate he vows to get revenge and give Payton what she deserves but what he doesn't count on is his feelings.
I also have to say it, I hate her sister! God she is so selfish, selfish , self centered, bioch.
The anger and the rage between these two are heavy but as things happen, it all changes.
I've read enemies to lover books but this one takes the cake and yes I do love it ! 10 stars for sure!

[Nikola · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5⭐
Współpraca recenzencka

~ Trent dostaje telefon od adwokata ojca, że ten został zamordowany w więzieniu, a za kilka dni ma odbyć się pogrzeb i odczytanie testamentu, tam właśnie spotyka Payton, którą zmarły traktował jak własną córkę, i to właśnie jej przepisał cały swój majątek który odziedziczy po ukończeniu 22 roku życia, do tego czasu wszystkim ma rozporządzać główny bohater.

~ Jest to ostani tom serii która skradła mi serce już jakiś czas temu, bałam się, że ta książka nie dorówna swoim poprzednikom przez poprzeczkę jaką zostawiły, lecz nie zawiodłam się, już od samego początku historia bardzo mnie wciągnęła, i pokonała mój zastój czytelniczy, co znaczy bardzo dużo. 
Z początku zachowanie Trenta było dla mnie absurdalne, każdy jego wymysł który miał upokorzyć główną bohaterkę był dla mnie niesmaczny, lecz gdy pomiędzy jego wyskokami wkradała się nuta obowiązku chronienia Payton chociaż jej nienawidził, byłam mile zaskoczona.
Pomimo tego, iż jest to dark romans, zawiera on w sobie nutę goryczy i pokazuje drogę do wybaczenia drugiemu człowiekowi co jest nie zawsze proste do przyswojenia.

~ Cała historia trzyma w napięciu, do ostatniej strony nie wiedziałam kto czyha na życie Payton, gdyż włamanie do domu już od początku wydawało mi się za proste jak na głównego bohatera, który z każdym krokiem testował jej granice.
Relacja bohaterów rozwinęła się stopniowo, co muszę przyznać było ciekawym zabiegiem, gdyż dzięki temu mogliśmy bardziej zagłębić się w charaktery i rozważania bohaterów.
Autorka stworzyła genialny świat mroku, który chwyta za serce kreacją postaci i świetnie skomponowaną fabułą która jest idealnie zgrana, nie pozostawiając po sobie żadnych chwil zwątpnienia. Zachęcam was z całego serca do zapoznania się z tą serią, gdyż  każdy kolejny tom sprawia, że czujecie się jeszcze  bardziej zdeterminowani, by poznać zmagania kolejnych bohaterów.

[Kim Whitehead · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cute story with a lot of assholeness and a little bit of suspense.

[Gabriela · Rating 4 out of 5]

Laska ma syndrom Sztokholmski

[Rose Belle · Rating 5 out of 5]

This might be my favorite book in the series. I'm not even sure why. This is a big time enemies to lovers book, and when I say enemies, I mean ENEMIES. Like, wow, the s#!t Trent did to Payton...I don't even know how she put up with it--and with a smile on her face. I would have been in tears the whole time. It was fascinating to see their relationship grow and change. Oh, and what a change it was. It moved slowly, oh so slowly. If you are looking for a quick turn from enemies to the lovers part, you aren't getting it here. In fact, you are going to wait a while before you get to any romance scenes. Like, go get the popcorn and put up your feet because you're going to be here a while.

It is technically a stand alone book, but it is exceptionally helpful if you have read Corrupt Kingdom because many of the events referenced in the book happened in that story. Also, I know this series is along the dark romance side, but this book? Not really. Trent does some pretty s#!tty things, but thematically, it's not much different than let's say a romantic suspense novel.

The characters were great, even though Trent was a tool. You could understand his anger, but also want to kick him in the balls. Payton was wonderful--really, she was a fantastic leading lady. No complaints whatsoever. I wish we could get more female characters like her. The chemistry was sizzling, and even though we had to wait on the boinking, the scenes were hot but not overbearing to the story. I guess my one complaint would be is that the bad guy was pretty obvious to me from the beginning. I could see the ending coming a mile away, and even though the author tried to make it more of a suspenseful surprise, I easily guessed it. I give her props for the suspense, though. Overall, a wonderful job. Definitely five stars.

The Corrupt Empire Series
-Review of Corrupt Kingdom
-Review of Tarnished Empire
-Review of Ruthless Monarch
-Review of Shattered Dynasty
-Review of Broken Reign
-Review of Sinful Crown

[oritty: books and i (tilayov) · Rating 4 out of 5]

"not everything is black and white. Shades of grey make up the world"

I love reading AH's books
Read quite a few of them and she still amaze me with her writing' her sensitivity and vast scale of characters
Although the books take place in the same world, they are all stand alone and characters from other books visit' which I find a lot of fun
This is the story of Trent who grew up in the shadow of an absent but strict father' who did not believe in spending time with his family' who thought kindness is not for men – who need to be cruel' and that the best way to pay his debts is to sell his own daughter to the Russian mafia
Trent grew up to be a strong man who deals with Mafia money and has underground leaders as associates
You can imagine how both surprised and furious was he finding out that not only did his father have another "family"' not only did he not loose all his money but also that he left all of it to his lover's sister
Ha, but he left him in charge of the money for a year until she is 22

Payton loved Ronald
He saved her from life of poverty' sleeping in a car, paid her bills and her college payments and was a father figure for her
She didn't know about his "real family"
She did not know why he disappeared from their lives
She did nit know why he left her the money
but she needs it
So she needs to accept his sons demands to live in his house and clean it' do volunteer work and study Karl Jung books to give lectures to his staff
She will endure it all – she needs the money
Only slowly she begins to see the man behind the façade
"he's an asshole. He wants to ruin my life. But for some insane and crazy reason' I can't help myself"

And Trent begins to understand that Payton's life are important to him and he will protect her at any cost
Enemies to lovers and I loved it
In spite of the slow burn that almost made me yell at them, hhh


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[Michele McMullen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ava has once again brought us a true alpha with Trent. He is vengeful, arrogant, wants to even the score and has the money with power to do that and so much more. He is a product of his upbringing and has lived with a man that he couldn't even call a father. He has so much hate in his heart that when his father dies and the horrid world with his lies come to light he is ready to make things right no matter the cost.
Payton is a young woman that has fought and clawed her way to get what she wants. She comes from a dysfunctional family and has just lost a man she thought of as a father figure. Now she has become the heir to a fortune but she has also become a target. The moment that Trent and Peyton meet you know that this is going to be a relationship filled with struggle, strong emotions, and yes undeniable pull toward one another. What we didn't see coming is the people in the shadows just waiting for their chance to strike and take what they feel has always belonged to them. Get ready for a wild and crazy ride with Trent and Peyton.
~~Michele McMullen ~~

[Danish Tea]

Honestly I DNF it for so many reasons. I will never understand why writers can write decent plots but never decent dialogue. When will female leads in novels have good come backs.
The entire dilemma between Trent and Payton was so immature and dumb that it was baffling. It was dragged and I am exhausted from reading books where the heroine takes it all with a smile proving to the H that yes she is so pure and sweet there is no way that she deserves all he is doing to her.
The only way I can enjoy reading about relationships like these, is when there is a semblance of equality between the H and h. This means their banter, come backs, aura, tension all of it needs to match. Payton and Trent seemed bland and them coming together was even more bland. Their pancake date felt like two tweens meeting up. I fail to understand why Payton adored this man.
Please develop characters more in books. I would love to read more about a male lead whose only saving grace is NOT his good looks. The two characters were not nearly as deep as they deemed each other to be.

[Clarice · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don't know what this was trying to be, but I know what it's not: interesting, good, sexy... I could go on. This was not sexy, which it was desperately trying to be. This book reminded me of when young, immature, teens try to play at being adults (being sexy). It was very cringe. I don't know what adult male or otherwise thinks or talks like the H. He's supposed to be a multi-millionaire. Frick man, if that's the case call me Jeff Bezos. The h was just annoying, she wants to be treated and respected like an adult, but she acts like a child. The H even acts like a child and he's supposed to be at least 15 years older than the h. Both the H and the h drove me insane with their immaturity. It's hard to believe this wasn't written by a 15 year old on Wattpad.

I have been wanting to read this author for a very long time, as she is constantly being recommended to me on my Amazon. Safe to say most of those bot recommendations are crap.

[Keza Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Well...I must say Trent is one sexy possessive alpha-hole and I hated him from the beginning.

But....that never lasted long!

Payton was seriously one cool chick. She dealt with everything Trent threw her way and some! She has had a rough life and neither Trent or Payton knew of the other's existence before a person's death placed them in each other's lives. Angry about this, Trent sets out on a path of revenge to ruin Payton.
The sexual chemistry between Trent and Payton was OFF THE CHARTS hot!🔥 I was absolutely invested in the story from start to finish, the storyline was awesome and it was written very well. I could have kept reading, I wish there was more!
The ending was great but sadly it was that...an ending.
I didn't want it to be an ending.
Shattered Dynasty is a must read and I would absolutely recommend. 💯

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.5)
Trope: Revenge
Angst: 😰😰😰
Smexy: 🔥
Triggers: none

I'm usually up for a good revenge trope, but this one didn't work for me. Despite that, it was well written and had some good character development hence the 3.5 stars. Trent was just too much, in Payton's words, a real "douche-canoe", but it was for about 70% of the book. Like you seriously hate him because he's so mean. Then, when he realizes his hate may be slightly misplaced. He says, sorry, my bad; helps to take care of her because she got hurt and then that was it. All forgiven. No real grovel. No grand gesture. Just, I've been an out of control, controlling butthole and now we're all good. Just didn't work for me.

[CLEO · Rating 3 out of 5]

So I honestly did not expect to have this review. I was looking forward to Trent story but it just fell so short for me. The story did not get good till 80% into the book then it was over...

I was expecting Trent to be a menace with Payton and overall the story/plot was just not enough... I honestly got turned off with how many times Cyrus was mentioned repeatedly.

Overall if this is your first book in this series you will enjoy it.

[Rhonda Ziglar · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 SHATTERED STARS!! Here we go again....this author produces the alpha you want to hate, but kind of love him. Trent and Payton will take you through all kinds of things, so be ready for to scream. As always you should read this book.

[Ansruta(Adulting wont let me read) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think trent (MMC) was more infatuated with his brother-in-law (the MMC of the first book in the series) than payton(FMC). Sorry girl 😔

[GabrielleLovesRomance · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am new to Ava Harrison's writing. This is the second book of hers that I've read and I am noticing some patterns. Ava's strength is that she writes interesting characters. Even if you don't like the characters, you still manage to want to know more about them. That's the mark of an author who writes well developed and diverse characters.

That being said, I really enjoyed learning both Trent's and Payton's stories. They were both flawed in different ways. Payton was more "innocent" than Trent. Yet, I could understand his frustrations with her. However, his choice to become a bully was a bit of an overeach. This is definitely a bully romance and enemies to lovers store with an age gap trope. I am a fan of the last two but not so much of the first. However, it was tolerable in this one.

Trent and Payton's love affair is an extremely slow burn. It's an enjoyable journey. Yet, I didn't feel the payoff was good enough. There was so much build up and passion between them. However, it built to a rather lackluster union once they finally got together. This is where Ava's writing just doesn't do it for me. She skimps on the steam. I don't need a lot. But, when it's in a novel, make it worthwhile and not just a check box. Her sex scenes feel like she doesn't really want to write or include them. I wish she'd have someone else write them for her. Because that could push her books to five starts for me. Hear me out! I'm not looking for porn. But, if you build up a lot of sexual tension and then include a sex scene in a book, it needs to be NOTEWORTHY. Hers feel like watching paint dry on the wall. Boring.

I loved seeing Trent show his dark side. It wasn't so dark to me. He is a respectable mafia man with a code. Once he stopped bullying Payton, he was all I could ask for in a hero. I'm a fan. I liked Payton too.

There is a twist in the story that I saw coming from the first chapters. It annoyed me that the others weren't smart enough to at least suspect it. I think doing a little more with that plot device would've made the book stronger. But, overall, this was a good book. It wasn't the most entertaining, as there was a good amount of wasted writing that felt like filler. This slowed the pace and weakened the storytelling a bit. Yet, I recognize that this was a good story.

The characters would keep me coming back to learn more about them in future novels. But, I hope Ava Harrison gets some tutoring on how to write steam.

[Infinity Navarro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now this was something else. I love this author. Trent is the devil himself. I love how he called her Princess in disgust in the beginning and then it became an endearment. He was a complete sick to Payton in the beginning but the sexual tension was almost immediate with them. I love how he never corrected people when it came to them calling her “his girl” because deep down he knows he wanted that. This man had a soft spot for the women in his life. I did not see the plot twist coming at the end of the book. When Payton got hurt and Trent was there ready and willingly no questions asked.

[Cory · Rating 4 out of 5]

As usual I'm totally out of order and read the last book in the series.....off to start on the first one lol

[julia · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐, pierwsza połowa byla taka średnia

[RuHa75 · Rating 5 out of 5]

LOVED IT, absolutely loved Trent & Payton. This is another fantastic book by Ava Harrison and the audio performances are superb. This story grips you from the start and holds you in suspense until the end, as again, Ava puts twists in there you don´t see coming. She also gives us a delicious slow burn that has two damaged souls go from loathing each other to become more than they expect.

There is a line in the book “love and hate are two sides of the same coin”, which is very true, and I had a lot of emotions running through me. In the beginning, I despised Trent and had a lot of anger towards him which later turned into a lotta love but he was being a mega alpha hole for at least half of the story. He has nothing but contempt for his dad and is, out for revenge, trying to make life hell for the one person who is the most innocent.

Payton Hart, love her character, she is feisty and although I felt her angst and frustration, I also felt her strength and determination of not giving up. She had a lot to deal with in her life already and it does not seem to stop as due to circumstances Trent is controlling everything and literally having her future in his hands, but Payton just knows how to give as good as she gets and you can look forward to a lot of explosive, sarcastic as well as sexy, lusting banter between these two.

And to top this already captivating story off, Vanessa Edwin and Jason Clarke take you on this aural journey and WOW do they deliver. Vanessa´s performance is absolutely stunning, her imitation of each character and how she gives them personalities is just outstanding. And, oh Jason Clarke, he always raises goosebumps with his variety of raspy growls, and he gives every character their own individual spin. Whereas Jason´s female voice makes me feel all warm and fuzzy, Vanessa´s male voice makes me melt and swoon. Charismatic, mesmerizing and powerful performances by both!

[Lisbeth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Trent era un imbécil cruel y arrogante con problemas de papá. Amargado, miserable y mezquino con un plan de venganza inútil empeñado en lastimar, atormentar y arruinar la vida de una chica inocente reteniéndola como prisionera con chantajes. La obliga a mudarse con él, la trata como basura e incluso llega a sugerir que puede hacer que la asesinen. Pasó semanas haciendo de su vida un infierno.

Payton merecía más que amenazas, extorsiones, chantajes, humillaciones, invasión a su privacidad, menosprecio y degradación. El hecho de que se haya enamorado de él es un insulto a las palabras respeto y dignidad por sí misma. Me molestó cómo ella lo dejó pisotearla, pero no puedes esperar mucho de un personaje tan aburrido y débil que ni siquiera consideró conseguir un trabajo, alejarse del imbécil que le estaba jodiendo la vida y continuar sus estudios.

Él tuvo el descaro de sentirse arrepentido y desconsolado por todo lo que le había hecho y quiso remediar el daño mientras ella justificaba su comportamiento y lo aceptó en base a una supuesta "química" que hubo entre ellos desde que se conocieron. Literalmente ella se dejó comprar por dos o tres cosas que él hizo por ella después del accidente. Él no fue más que un hipócrita que no vio más allá de su ira.

Lo que no me creo es que de repente estaban enamorados. Después de meses de maltratos y abusos, ella simplemente lo superó porque pudo ver que él "trataba" a otras personas con amabilidad. No hubo una evolución creíble de su relación porque nunca tuvieron ninguna conversación significativa que me hiciera creer que se estaban enamorando. De hecho, las posibles interacciones que pudieron haber llegado a algo fueron limitadas y nada de lo que sucedió después salvó la historia.

[Suzi Vanderham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ava Harrison just gave us the best slow burn, enemies-to-lovers romance this year! Absolutely could not believe the hatred I felt for Trent for the first half of this book, seeing him take his anger out on Payton. How she handled all he dished out with grace was a testament to what women have to do every day to survive some of the stupid stuff men do in the name of power and payback.

But this isn't just hatred - this is lust at first sight, too! The amount of angsty slow burn that they feel for each other is palpable from the moment they lay eyes on each other. Trent and Payton's internal dialogue is so filled with desire it leaps off the page. Their banter ratchets up the hunger they feel and you just want them to keep it going because it's so enjoyable.

Payton is the heart and strength to this story and when all the puzzle pieces come together Trent finds his way to the passion he has felt for her & it's beautiful watching them fall into love. And of course it wouldn't be an Ava Harrison book without the maniacal twist that only she can write. HOLY HECK OF A LAST FEW CHAPTERS!!!

The only way this book got better - well, the audio is with superstars of Romancelandia Vanessa Edwin and Jason Clarke. Talk about performances!!! Jason brings all his growly, deep voiced lechery to Trent & then is able to transition perfectly when multiple characters are in a scene together. But stop the presses for Vanessa Edwin!!!! Woman gave a performance class in this book with how she voiced not only Payton and her bestie, but the sister and her side of Trent's convos. ALL THE AWARDS TO VANESSA PLEASE!!!

[Jodi - JodiReadsnListens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! Ava Harrison writes the best HOT, alpha a-hole heroes! Shattered Dynasty was everything I could have wanted and more in an enemies to lovers, slow burn suspenseful romance! I was simply mesmerized and hooked from start to finish! Throughout the story, I found myself holding my breath, and on the edge of my seat wondering where each intense twist and crazy turn would lead to next!

This story, the setting (NYC), and the characters are alluring and entrancing. I seriously wanted to hate Trent Aldridge with his insensitive, blunt personality at the beginning. However, Ava works her magic and peels back layer after layer giving the readers so much more insight on all of Trent's vulnerable, loyal, and loving side. Payton Hart is sassy, fierce, and determined! Payton experiences several ups and downs, and her ability to persevere and not give up is inspiring. Trent and Payton's chemistry is super HOT and magnetic right from the start and burns up the pages. How could Payton (or anyone for that matter) not be attracted to Trent's gazing blue stare?!

If you love new adult romances with a HOT alpha protective male, a strong and bold female, loyal mafia buddies, slow burn delicious steamy times, forced yet needed proximity, HOLY, crazy plot twists, and then sigh... HEA perfection, then you must read Shattered Dynasty! Thank you Ava Harrison for this amazing book, and I always look forward to more.

[Tannie🦋 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the definition of enemies to lovers.
The hate I had for Trent Aldridge was huge. Like I literally hated him half of the book, and I WAS SO GIDDY ABOUT IT lol

When any book makes me feel a strong emotion such as hate, I would probably rate it as I did this one.
Now Trent Aldridge is an ass, that I won't be sugar coating it. He makes her life miserable for the most part, eventually he falls for her head on first and realized she wasn't the villain of the story, but just a kind woman who loved a man as a father figure and even related to him in a deep level.
Payton is just a college girl, trying to finish her degree and not get her sister to hate her more.
Trent Aldridge is just one of the many workers for lots of powerful men, including his brother in law.
They find each entangled with each other, due to his dad's doing. He became his guardian, the guardian of her trust and he was going to make her life miserable.
He succeeded at first, but what he didn't realized was that she had more back bone that he did and was willing to fight him just as hard.

this is definitely a book you must read, if you are into the enemies to lovers trope. I swear their hate for each other only made the book even better.
I read this in one sitting, chapter after chapter as their banter was so intriguing.

Tropes: Enemies to lovers. Guardian. mob related.

Romance: 4/5.
spicy: 5/5!!!!

[Elena · Rating 2 out of 5]

i give up..