booksalacarte's review against another edition
hopeful
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
2.5⭐️ 3🌶️
Mafia dark romance
Beauty and the beast retelling
Enemies to lovers
Professional ballerina
Opposites attract
“Touch her and die”
The writing is really stilted int he beginning. Maybe it’s the dual first person POV. And it’s needlessly repetitive. Something said in chapter 2 is almost verbatim in chapter 6.
The monotonous replay of a specific scene in the other POV in first person isn’t interesting, it’s boring.
The characters are under developed. There is such potential, but their character arcs are rushed and their relationship arc hardly goes beyond Stockholm syndrome. Their on page interactions are very few, making their relationship seem very immature. There is very little on page tension because they hardly ever interact.
But it was a quick and easy read.
Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books/Sourcebooks for an Advanced Reader Copy of the ebook in return for an honest review.
Mafia dark romance
Beauty and the beast retelling
Enemies to lovers
Professional ballerina
Opposites attract
“Touch her and die”
The writing is really stilted int he beginning. Maybe it’s the dual first person POV. And it’s needlessly repetitive. Something said in chapter 2 is almost verbatim in chapter 6.
The monotonous replay of a specific scene in the other POV in first person isn’t interesting, it’s boring.
The characters are under developed. There is such potential, but their character arcs are rushed and their relationship arc hardly goes beyond Stockholm syndrome. Their on page interactions are very few, making their relationship seem very immature. There is very little on page tension because they hardly ever interact.
But it was a quick and easy read.
Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books/Sourcebooks for an Advanced Reader Copy of the ebook in return for an honest review.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Gore, Gun violence, Cursing, Suicide, Kidnapping, Hate crime, Murder, Stalking, Confinement, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Injury/Injury detail, Self harm, Rape, Violence, Misogyny, and Sexual harassment
ariana_m's review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I enjoyed reading this a lot. I loved beauty and the beast themes as well as the little nods to the movie mentioned in there. Beauty and the beast is one of my favorite movies so I liked that a lot. I liked Miko and Nessa together. I loved the touch her and I'll kill you vibes, it never misses. I liked how he brought out her true feelings about things. Their relationship was really insta lovey/lust but I know that's the point. I really liked the relationship between Ness and Klara, that was really cute. Overall this was a really entertaining book!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Suicide, and Sexual assault
christikb's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Here's my shameful, horribly kept secret. I love alpha mafia men (in fiction only, I swear!). I love fairytales. And I am OBSESSED with these two things when put together. So it makes sense that I fell head over heels for Nessa and Miko's story. And even though Miko and Nessa's storyline is a lot Stockholm Syndrome-y and Miko is the least polished of the Brutal Birthright men and the transition from hate to love is a bit sudden, I am a complete sucker for Stolen Heir. SH is like what would happen if Beauty and the Beast and Swan Lake (the ballet) had an EXTREMELY SPICY, criminal baby and I was here for every second of it. I don't care about any flaw of this story, the prima ballerina and the tattooed Braterstwo leader who bows to no one except this tiny ballerina absolutely slays me. Major trigger warning on rape and suicide in the prologue (which is absolutely gutpunchingly heartbreaking).
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual violence, Rape, Suicide, and Sexual assault
a_libra_library's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Classism, Confinement, Drug abuse, Child abuse, Gaslighting, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Sexual content, Sexual assault, Alcohol, Child death, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Drug use, Death of parent, Sexual harassment, Death, Self harm, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Abandonment, and Blood
apolen's review against another edition
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Kidnapping, Sexual content, and Gun violence
Moderate: Suicide and Sexual assault
Minor: Abandonment and Rape
maralmao's review against another edition
2.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Kidnapping, Mental illness, Rape, Stalking, and Sexual assault
darkclouds's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Wasted potential really.
Miko's character was much more compulsive and for the most part, I could bear the leads for this story. What Sophie Lark couldn't sell me on was the immediate empathy between them two following ONE dinner and a dance. We went from Nessa being frightened, to a forced dinner playing dress up and dancing like Beauty and the Beast (which this story tried so hard to reimagine) to suddenly placing niceties and an odd shared compassion for one another.
It did not flow. At all.
We knew the Stockholm Syndrome vibes was already toeing the line but there was barely any development for them to have reached an understanding after 2/3 interactions. Also Nessa being SO SMART that she could speak Polish that fluent after reading translated books of her favourite children books? Being receptive when it comes to learning choreography in dance is NOT the same as adeptly learning a whole new language. Especially one so difficult.
A whole lot was happening and yet nothing at all. Because it's just narrated to us without actually showing us what's happening. So the whole book went on Nessa being pampered. Miko stalking her on CCTV. Lot of food and scenes with bonding with the Polish speaking maid whom Nessa easily understood. Intelligence you guys. Remember?
We went from lowkey slow burn to instalove in moments I don't even know how that was possible.
It was a messy wrap up but it was a degree better than the first story that's for sure.
Miko's character was much more compulsive and for the most part, I could bear the leads for this story. What Sophie Lark couldn't sell me on was the immediate empathy between them two following ONE dinner and a dance. We went from Nessa being frightened, to a forced dinner playing dress up and dancing like Beauty and the Beast (which this story tried so hard to reimagine) to suddenly placing niceties and an odd shared compassion for one another.
It did not flow. At all.
We knew the Stockholm Syndrome vibes was already toeing the line but there was barely any development for them to have reached an understanding after 2/3 interactions. Also Nessa being SO SMART that she could speak Polish that fluent after reading translated books of her favourite children books? Being receptive when it comes to learning choreography in dance is NOT the same as adeptly learning a whole new language. Especially one so difficult.
A whole lot was happening and yet nothing at all. Because it's just narrated to us without actually showing us what's happening. So the whole book went on Nessa being pampered. Miko stalking her on CCTV. Lot of food and scenes with bonding with the Polish speaking maid whom Nessa easily understood. Intelligence you guys. Remember?
We went from lowkey slow burn to instalove in moments I don't even know how that was possible.
It was a messy wrap up but it was a degree better than the first story that's for sure.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content
Moderate: Kidnapping, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, and Confinement
Minor: Sexual assault and Suicide
__romancereader__'s review
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
fast-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? It's complicated
5.0
I loved this book i think this one is my favorite so far in the series so Stolen heir is my number 1 and Brutal prince is my number 2 so far i cannot wait to read the rest of these books i loved the beauty in the beast things that were happening in this book i don't really know if that makes sense i hope it does i did also really love that Mikolaj was her first ifykyk and her last ofc these books are very good i read them fast there good story's i love the couples in these books so far i loved how even trying to hate Nessa in the beginning Miko still wouldn’t let none of his men touch her or even think about hurting her i love these crazy things that happen at the end but go by fast it gives me enough time to enjoy the ending without my anxiety kicking in this book was so good i love how in these books so far also you get to meet the next book’s character in it overall i lived this book the most and i rated it obviously five stars⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🥰🥰🥰🥰
Content Warnings
Graphic: Cursing, Death, Gore, Rape, Toxic friendship, Drug use, Fire/Fire injury, Murder, Alcohol, Blood, Death of parent, Injury/Injury detail, Kidnapping, Self harm, Sexual content, Stalking, Sexual violence, Suicide, Violence, Body horror, Child abuse, Child death, Grief, Gun violence, Physical abuse, and Sexual assault
Not all content warnings are about the main characters some are and some are about the characters you meet/hear in the book 🫶🏼🫶🏼🥰🥰Enjoygracerusso's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Kidnapping, Death, Gore, and Sexual content
Moderate: Rape, Sexual assault, and Suicide
misswirum's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
This is such a cute love story!!! Who doesn't love it when a mafiaboss kidnapps you and keeps you captive in a big old mansion for months?? No, I'm not being sarcastic🥹🥺
Sophie Lark does a really good job at describing the setting and enviroment in this book. I could see the mansion as clear as day. It may be my new favourite fiction mansion.
Sometime I felt the book was kinda long, because we get many of Miko and Nessa's inner monologues. But would I have been without them? No, absolutly not.
This book could have more action and interaction between the two main characters, but I see the book as a love story, and not really a dark romance.
4,25/5⭐️
4,25/5📝
2,75/5🌶
Sophie Lark does a really good job at describing the setting and enviroment in this book. I could see the mansion as clear as day. It may be my new favourite fiction mansion.
Sometime I felt the book was kinda long, because we get many of Miko and Nessa's inner monologues. But would I have been without them? No, absolutly not.
This book could have more action and interaction between the two main characters, but I see the book as a love story, and not really a dark romance.
4,25/5⭐️
4,25/5📝
2,75/5🌶
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Gaslighting, Grief, Stalking, Sexual assault, Toxic friendship, Gun violence, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Sexual content, Kidnapping, Medical trauma, Murder, Physical abuse, Rape, Toxic relationship, and Trafficking