Though I mostly knew where it was going–I wasn’t much surprised by the plot twists–it’s the journey I enjoyed.
While Keir learns who the girl who’s intriguing him is, we do to. Somewhat emotionally stunted, pragmatic, Rowan is a mystery hiding secrets. Though until then, the most important thing in his life was his family, this younger girl who’s seeking his help suddenly earns a place in his mind. On the other hand, Rowan is forced to deviate from her plans when she meets the attractive mobster. He doesn’t hide much, and is even brutally honest about what he wants. They’re like bulldozers in each other’s life.
We see a bit of how they are before they meet, so witnessing the changes in them while they fall for each other was thrilling. And terribly sexy. There was so much chemistry here!
There was some mafia style plot too, with betrayal and illegal deals and violence. We got a hint at something not quite right in the Byrne family in the first book in the series, and this part of the story slowly unravels until the big revelation which, if not completely surprising, was done well enough that you can’t help but feel a pang in your heart. I also loved how the author wove those threads with the mystery Rowan had discovered.
Another good element was the fact that no character was black or white. They’re all nuances of grey. While not innocent in any way, the Irish mobsters show their good side–by helping Rowan, but also by the love they have for their family. If Rowan’s parents aren’t bad guys at all, they still make mistakes that have consequences. Even the real villains in the story aren’t that black, mostly because they obviously suffer from mental problems.
I can’t wait for the next installment!
Quickie
- Series: The Byrne brothers #2 (can be read as a standalone, but linked to another series by the same author)
- Hashtags: #mafia romance #age gap #instalove
- Triggers: violence, human trafficking, past death, technically cheating
- Main couple: Rowan Alexander & Keir Byrne
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + that’s what I call chemistry
- – the twists and revelations weren’t that twisty and… revelationy?