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bookmarkedtbr's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.5
Tropes: bodyguard, enemies to lovers, who did this to you
FMC: Ravenna - mafia wife, married off to cover a debt, family first
MMC: Alessandro (Az) - arsonist, used to work with Sergei, looking for revenge
Intimacy: On page; hand necklace; vaguely hate sex
Summary
Alessandro has one goal in life: avenge the death of his wife but making her killer face the same pain. After years of searching for answers, Alessandro has finally tracked down the man responsible for the hit and run that killed his young wife. The best part? He doesn't even know who Alessandro is, so he assigns him to be his wife's personal bodyguard. Alessandro couldn't be happier, he's so close to justice, a wife for a wife. Except Ravenna isn't at all who he expected. There doesn't seem to be a deep sense of love between the couple, her strict schedule and rules from her husband border on abusive, and while she spends most of her time at the spa or shopping, something seems off about those outings. Can Alessandro move passed his desire for revenge?
Thoughts
Ravenna and Alessandro are an interesting pair. When they meet, their initial assumptions about each other immediately frame them as adversaries. Ravenna is a spoiled wife to a Don and Alessandro is an emotionless bodyguard who seems to hate the very ground she stands on. Watching as Az starts unveiling the complex mystery that is Ravenna and the circumstances that led to her marriage is very satisfying to watch. There's a larger sense of justice there for any woman who has ever been overlooked because of their supposedly superficial hobbies and interests. Their romance isn't one that set my hear aflutter with swoony declarations, but the grittiness of their love makes it all seem more grounded and real. If you liked the relationship between Antony and Kate in the second season of Bridgerton, you will like this couple.
A few of my favorite quotes
FMC: Ravenna - mafia wife, married off to cover a debt, family first
MMC: Alessandro (Az) - arsonist, used to work with Sergei, looking for revenge
Intimacy: On page; hand necklace; vaguely hate sex
Summary
Alessandro has one goal in life: avenge the death of his wife but making her killer face the same pain. After years of searching for answers, Alessandro has finally tracked down the man responsible for the hit and run that killed his young wife. The best part? He doesn't even know who Alessandro is, so he assigns him to be his wife's personal bodyguard. Alessandro couldn't be happier, he's so close to justice, a wife for a wife. Except Ravenna isn't at all who he expected. There doesn't seem to be a deep sense of love between the couple, her strict schedule and rules from her husband border on abusive, and while she spends most of her time at the spa or shopping, something seems off about those outings. Can Alessandro move passed his desire for revenge?
Thoughts
Ravenna and Alessandro are an interesting pair. When they meet, their initial assumptions about each other immediately frame them as adversaries. Ravenna is a spoiled wife to a Don and Alessandro is an emotionless bodyguard who seems to hate the very ground she stands on. Watching as Az starts unveiling the complex mystery that is Ravenna and the circumstances that led to her marriage is very satisfying to watch. There's a larger sense of justice there for any woman who has ever been overlooked because of their supposedly superficial hobbies and interests. Their romance isn't one that set my hear aflutter with swoony declarations, but the grittiness of their love makes it all seem more grounded and real. If you liked the relationship between Antony and Kate in the second season of Bridgerton, you will like this couple.
A few of my favorite quotes
- There are beautiful women. And then . . . there’s her.
- Earlier tonight, when I watched Ravenna walk next to her husband, his arm around her waist, I nearly exploded in anger. The urge to remove the motherfucker’s hand off her was barely containable. I wanted to grab her and shout, “She’s mine!” for everyone to hear.
- I shiver at the timbre of his voice. “I was wondering if it would feel like in my dream?” “What?” “You,” I whisper.
- “If your husband still has his hand when he comes home,” he says in a deep, controlled voice, and a shudder ripples down my spine, “I’ll correct it immediately.”
- “I dream about you even when I’m awake, Ravi.”
- I would go with him to the ends of the earth.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Grief, Murder, Gaslighting, Toxic friendship, Sexual harassment, and Injury/Injury detail
andeng's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
inspiring
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Rape, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Torture, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Grief, Mass/school shootings, Car accident, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail
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