My word, I never thought the Russian mafia could be so appealing… but it’s fiction so… it’s all good.
She’s in way over her head…
Bonnie Drummond is from the wrong side of the tracks, raised in a family of liars and criminals. No matter how hard she tries to stay on the straight and narrow, she always finds herself sucked back into the family drama, forced to sacrifice everything she’s earned to protect her family.
But this time they’ve gone too far—crossed the wrong people—and to save them she’ll have to put her life on the line.
Roman Kozlov, enforcer for a New Orleans mafiya family, is the poster child for the life Bonnie is struggling to escape. But he’s also as alluring as he is dangerous, and it doesn’t take long for their lives to begin to mesh.
With Roman, Bonnie finds the family she never had.
As their race for answers heats up, so too does the budding romance between them. And with danger nipping at her heels and love threatening her heart, Bonnie must come face-to-face with her past if she wants to have a future.
Available on Amazon.
Mine to Keep is the third book in the NOLA Knights series. Each of the three stories follows the life and love of the three main Bratva members who have adopted New Orleans as their new home. I quite enjoyed the first two books and was excited to get my hands on this one too.
This romantic suspense novel is told from the dual perspectives of Roman and Bonnie. I love how the perspective sometimes changes mid-scene and at other times it changes a day or more apart. Each change works and pushes the story forward, maintaining the necessary momentum. The suspense of the story is well developed. We do feel concerned for Bonnie’s safety at several points and we really have no clue what’s in store for her family. The chemistry between the two MCs is pretty great and there are several steamy scenes packed into this one.
Bonnie is a good girl from the wrong side of the tracks. Sounds a bit cliche? Don’t worry, Bonnie is anything but! She’s tough, funny, smart and sexy. She’s had to learn how to handle her waste of time father and brother while trying to eke out an upright living of her own. She definitely comes from a dysfunctional family but she loves them and they, in their way, love her. When dad and bro go missing, Bonnie puts all her effort into finding them and ends up working with Roman.
Roman had a hard life in Russia and worked his way up through ‘the family’. He and Kir serve as Sergei’s right hand men. He’s not proud of all he’s done in his life but strives to provide a safe path for those under his protection. He has to figure out how to balance his need to protect Bonnie against her need for freedom and desire for a good, lawful life. That’s a very interesting element for these two to navigate, even if Roman’s sometimes caveman antics make you roll your eyes!
If you’re looking for a fun, romantic suspense with an edge, check out Mine to Keep. The story is well-paced and the characters across the series are memorable! I give this book 4/5 espresso shots.
Thanks to NetGalley and Carina Press. All opinions expressed are my own.
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