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A review by phoeberuth
Stolen Heir by Sophie Lark
adventurous
dark
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-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
A mafia retelling of Beauty and the Beast.
What I love about Sophie's books is the closeness of the families. There's a place for abandoned orphans but it is really nice to read stories where the family connections are so strong. Nessa is the baby of the Griffin family and has been kept out of all the dirty dealings of the family business. She's a ballet dancer with few close friends and little street smarts which is aptly captured by Miko:
What I love about Sophie's books is the closeness of the families. There's a place for abandoned orphans but it is really nice to read stories where the family connections are so strong. Nessa is the baby of the Griffin family and has been kept out of all the dirty dealings of the family business. She's a ballet dancer with few close friends and little street smarts which is aptly captured by Miko:
“They should have raised a wolf, not a little lamb. It almost seems cruel.”
She is loved by both the Griffins and the Gallos and is therefore the perfect victim for Miko who wants to punish both families.
Miko is a very gruff, unfeeling man at the beginning of the book who joins the Polish mafia as a teenager following tragedy. He is viewed as a son by Zajac, the head of the Polish mafia in Chicago, who was killed by the Gallos and Griffins in Brutal Prince. In Stolen Heir, Miko is out for revenge for his adoptive-father's murder, enter Nessa. Miko kidnaps Nessa and through their forced proximity they develop an attraction to one another and feelings grow in spite of themselves.
I love a grumpy/sunshine dynamic and this was a much slower burn than Brutal Prince but I still wouldn't call it a slow burn. I loved watching Nessa come into herself and stand on her own two feet and in contrast watch Miko soften and switch sides to join our main families.
Miko is a very gruff, unfeeling man at the beginning of the book who joins the Polish mafia as a teenager following tragedy. He is viewed as a son by Zajac, the head of the Polish mafia in Chicago, who was killed by the Gallos and Griffins in Brutal Prince. In Stolen Heir, Miko is out for revenge for his adoptive-father's murder, enter Nessa. Miko kidnaps Nessa and through their forced proximity they develop an attraction to one another and feelings grow in spite of themselves.
I love a grumpy/sunshine dynamic and this was a much slower burn than Brutal Prince but I still wouldn't call it a slow burn. I loved watching Nessa come into herself and stand on her own two feet and in contrast watch Miko soften and switch sides to join our main families.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Sexual assault, Sexual violence, and Suicide