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A review by kfriend
Filthy Rich by Serena Akeroyd
4.0
Welcome back to the Five Points family- this time we’re diving into the DELICIOUS relationship between Irish mafia prince Eoghan and his barely legal Russian Bratva bride, Inessa. And, we get some of my favorite romantic drama tropes played out- age gap, mafia tensions, and arranged marriage- AH, all my favorites! Say goodbye to your book boyfriends, ladies, because Eoghan will not only melt your panties, he’s going to melt your heart.
What has always drawn me to Serena’s work is that she is a master at romantic chemistry- both physical and emotional. Those steamy scenes. OMG SO HOT. Eoghan has a dirty mouth, and I want him to use it on me! But, we also have authentic and sweet emotional intimacy between them. These two characters are so perfectly matched- Inessa softens Eoghan with her steadiness and sweetness, and Eoghan unleashes Tessa from her gilded cage giving her the physical and emotional safety she’s always needed, caring for her in a way she hasn’t experienced. And lordy- he’s a dreamboat. Somehow a man who can take out a guys kneecap, give a girl a big O, and say and do the sweetest most romantic things all in the span of 5 minutes. SWOON.
The experience of reading a Serena Akeroyd book is always incredibly immersive, and that is the case here- I feel so grounded in the world of our characters, so connected to their emotions, entangled in the action. I’m consistently impressed by the quality of Serena’s writing- she’s inventive, technically complex, and stylistically nuanced- from the descriptive settings to the stylistic shifts used in the different POVs. The pace is more one note throughout- minus a pretty quick climax at the end- I don’t find that a fault at all, in fact, it let the relationship be front and center, establishing a more experienced connection with our characters, but I was wondering for a bit exactly where the conflict would come- we have a few red herrings, and what ended up being the big final “drama” surprised me. The relationship here is SO compelling, so dreamy, that anytime they weren’t together (ie mafia business that I couldn’t always grasp)- I found myself a bit less engaged. If anything, that is a testament to Serena’s dynamic character connection, and fortunately those parts were few in number.
Fans will recognize some of their favorites from past books (not just Eoghan’s brother from Book 1), and we also have some nice groundwork for the series to come, even if they pulled from our main story a bit. Fortunately the last few chapters really recentered me. Somehow a book about a world of violence and abuse and a love story that started off with distrust, disinterest, and resentment became a sweet, gentle, and heartwarming tale of the magic of unexpected love. Definitely a fun and YUMMY read!
What has always drawn me to Serena’s work is that she is a master at romantic chemistry- both physical and emotional. Those steamy scenes. OMG SO HOT. Eoghan has a dirty mouth, and I want him to use it on me! But, we also have authentic and sweet emotional intimacy between them. These two characters are so perfectly matched- Inessa softens Eoghan with her steadiness and sweetness, and Eoghan unleashes Tessa from her gilded cage giving her the physical and emotional safety she’s always needed, caring for her in a way she hasn’t experienced. And lordy- he’s a dreamboat. Somehow a man who can take out a guys kneecap, give a girl a big O, and say and do the sweetest most romantic things all in the span of 5 minutes. SWOON.
The experience of reading a Serena Akeroyd book is always incredibly immersive, and that is the case here- I feel so grounded in the world of our characters, so connected to their emotions, entangled in the action. I’m consistently impressed by the quality of Serena’s writing- she’s inventive, technically complex, and stylistically nuanced- from the descriptive settings to the stylistic shifts used in the different POVs. The pace is more one note throughout- minus a pretty quick climax at the end- I don’t find that a fault at all, in fact, it let the relationship be front and center, establishing a more experienced connection with our characters, but I was wondering for a bit exactly where the conflict would come- we have a few red herrings, and what ended up being the big final “drama” surprised me. The relationship here is SO compelling, so dreamy, that anytime they weren’t together (ie mafia business that I couldn’t always grasp)- I found myself a bit less engaged. If anything, that is a testament to Serena’s dynamic character connection, and fortunately those parts were few in number.
Fans will recognize some of their favorites from past books (not just Eoghan’s brother from Book 1), and we also have some nice groundwork for the series to come, even if they pulled from our main story a bit. Fortunately the last few chapters really recentered me. Somehow a book about a world of violence and abuse and a love story that started off with distrust, disinterest, and resentment became a sweet, gentle, and heartwarming tale of the magic of unexpected love. Definitely a fun and YUMMY read!