Review forthcoming on All About Romance


I have been waiting for this book for ages, since before I even knew that Keira and Dmitri were getting a book. I am so happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed and there was still as much chemistry between the “gentleman murderer” and the mob daughter as there was during their run-ins in the other books.

For the entire O’Malley’s series, youngest sister Keira has been spiraling out of control. She is still mourning the death of her brother Devlin, and self-medicating via drugs and alcohol. She seems to want to waste away, and has given up everything she previously enjoyed. She no longer paints or cares about improving her art. All Keira wants is to self destruct, so a marriage to New York’s infamous Russian mobster Dmitri Romanov is no problem.

When Dmitri was first introduced, he was the big, bad guy that Carrigan O’Malley might have to marry in The Wedding Pact. He was shown as someone neither the O’Malley’s nor the Halloran’s wanted to trifle with. He came back around to be one of my favorite characters of the series, all because of his interactions with Keira. Since Dmitri lost out on wedding one O’Malley sister he asks for the youngest sister instead. What big brother Aiden doesn’t know is that Keira and Dmitri have already had several heated exchanges before she decides to go away with him at the start of The Bastard’s Bargain.

Dmitri is ready to marry Keira and he’s done waiting on her family’s approval. He shows up in Boston and sweeps her away, right to a chapel. Keira feels she’s simply exchanging imprisonment in her family’s home for being locked up in Dmitri’s New York mansion. She has no sappy thoughts that her marriage with Dmitri might be one of romance or love. It’s a business transaction. However, Dmitri has his own plans in mind for his marriage to Keira. They may not involve love, but he wants her at his side as his equal, a position Keira has never had before.

Dmitri came off as such a snake in earlier books that I wasn’t prepared to adore him as much as I did. He may be a mob boss with plenty of skeletons in his closet, but it’s hard to deny how much Keira brings him to his knees, and how much he values her. He wants her to get sober. He wants her to eat, exercise, take up painting again, whatever it takes for her to be stronger. He wants her to be his queen. When Keira goes home with him she’s such a mess that her head isn’t really free to fall for Dmitri. She needs to find inner strength again before her side of the romance can really progress. However, we do get so many delicious scenes of Dmitri falling for her in his own evil guy with a soft heart way.

The sex is off the charts, which is nothing new if you are a fan of Robert’s other books. I do think that The Bastard’s Bargain is more erotic than the earlier books, as Keira and Dmitri both want to be daring and push the envelope. Beyond the sexy chemistry, I adored the way we were finally able to see into Dmitri’s mind and realize how much he’s been waiting for Keira. He cares what happens to her, maybe even more than her own family, and he, although he doesn’t admit it much to himself, wants her to love him. You get a palpable sense of how tentative he is when approaching love. He may be a badass in the streets, but with Keira his feelings are tender and uncertain. He knows what he ultimately wants for her, but he’s not prepared for how much it will affect his own heart to have her in his home and his bed.

I also liked seeing Keira grow up and come into her own. She’s been flailing for a while and really needed room to breath and not be a child under her brother’s watching eye anymore. Her character is rich with vulnerability and pain and seeing her overcome her demons made me want to cheer.

Their path to love isn’t easy. The O’Malley family is not approving and there is still the threat from the Eldridge family, but Keira and Dmitri learn how to face it as a team, rather than splintered factions. The only thing that disappointed me was that there wasn’t more of a sense of unity between all of the mob families by the end, seeing as how they’ve all married and intermingled.

If you haven’t read the rest of the series, I wouldn’t suggest starting with The Bastard’s Bargain. While it is technically a standalone, you’d be depriving yourself of the slow buildup of Keira and Dmitri’s story. Do yourself a favor and read them all from the start, and then you can fully enjoy what a great end to the series this book is.

I have been waiting for this book for ages, since before I even knew that Keira and Dmitri would feature in their own story. I am so happy to say that I wasn’t disappointed and there is still as much chemistry between the ‘gentleman murderer’ and the mob daughter as there was during their run-ins in the earlier books in the O’Malley’s series.

Throughout all the other novels, youngest sister Keira has been spiraling out of control. She is still mourning the death of her brother Devlin and self-medicating via drugs and alcohol. She seems to want to waste away, and has given up everything she previously enjoyed. She no longer paints or cares about improving her art. All Keira wants is to self-destruct, so marriage to New York’s infamous Russian mobster Dmitri Romanov is no problem.

When Dmitri was first introduced, he was the big, bad guy that Carrigan O’Malley might have to marry in The Wedding Pact, and he was shown as someone neither the O’Malley’s nor the Halloran’s wanted to trifle with. But he turned into one of my favorite characters of the series, all because of his interactions with Keira. Since Dmitri lost out on wedding one O’Malley sister he asks for the hand of the other instead. What big brother Aiden doesn’t know is that Keira and Dmitri have already had several heated exchanges before she decides to go away with him at the start of The Bastard’s Bargain.

Dmitri is ready to marry Keira and he’s done waiting on her family’s approval. He shows up in Boston and sweeps her away, right to a chapel. Keira feels she’s simply exchanging imprisonment in her family’s home for being locked up in Dmitri’s New York mansion. She has no sappy thoughts that her marriage might be one of romance or love. It’s a business transaction. However, Dmitri has plans of his own - which may not involve love, but he wants her at his side as his equal, a position Keira has never had before.

Dmitri came off as such a snake in earlier books that I wasn’t prepared to adore him as much as I did. He may be a mob boss with plenty of skeletons in his closet, but it’s hard to deny the way Keira brings him to his knees, and how much he values her. He wants her to get sober. He wants her to eat, exercise, take up painting again, whatever it takes for her to be stronger. He wants her to be his queen. When Keira goes home with him she’s such a mess that her head isn’t really free to fall for Dmitri and she needs to find inner strength again before her side of the romance can really progress. However, we do get so many delicious scenes of Dmitri falling for her in his own evil-guy-with-a-soft-heart way.

The sex is off the charts hot, which is nothing new if you are a fan of Robert’s other books. I do think that The Bastard’s Bargain is more erotic than the earlier books, as Keira and Dmitri both want to be daring and push the envelope. Beyond the sex and the chemistry, I adored the way we are finally able to see into Dmitri’s mind and realize how long he’s been waiting for Keira. He cares what happens to her, maybe even more than her own family, and although he doesn’t admit it much to himself, he wants her to love him. You get a palpable sense of how tentative he is when approaching love. He may be a badass on the streets, but with Keira his feelings are tender and uncertain. He knows what he ultimately wants for her, but he’s not prepared for how much it will affect his own heart to have her in his home and his bed.

I also liked seeing Keira grow up and come into her own. She’s been flailing for a while and really needed room to breathe and not be a child under her brother’s watching eye any more. Her character is rich with vulnerability and pain, and seeing her overcome her demons made me want to cheer.

Their path to true love isn’t easy. The O’Malley family does not approve and there is still the threat from the Eldridge family, but Keira and Dmitri learn how to face those things as a team rather than splintered factions. The only thing that disappointed me was that there wasn’t more of a sense of unity between all of the mob families by the end, seeing as how they’ve all married and intermingled.

If you haven’t read the rest of the series, I wouldn’t suggest starting with The Bastard’s Bargain. While it is technically a standalone, you’d be depriving yourself of the slow build-up of Keira and Dmitri’s story. Do yourself a favor and read them all from the start, and then you can fully enjoy and appreciate this great end to a great series.

Buy it at: A/BN/iB/K

Keira is the youngest of the O’Malley’s and going downhill fast with her drinking. Dmitri Romanov has been her family’s enemy for years. He is the Russian mobster who lives in New York, where his territory is. He wants Keira. and tells Aiden, her brother, that they’ll make peace if he gives him Keira. Aiden starts too but decides to back out and Dmitri knows this. So he calls Keira and tells her to marry him and he’ll leave her family alone for trying to double cross him. Keira agrees and leaves with him. He tells her right off he doesn’t believe in romance and love. She keeps that in her head but he slowly shows her the real man no one knows. There is still danger out there and there seems to be a traitor in Dmitri’s ranks. As they are looking for the threats, they slowly fall in love. Can they find their enemies before they can attack?
Excellent story. Kept me on the edge of my seat. You’ll need a cold shower after the sex scenes. Loved Keira and Dmitri. I love this series but I believe this is my favorite. If you like mobsters, steamy sex, and suspense this is for you.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *

The Bastard’s Bargain is a passion filled and angst packed romance that will send you sensations and tingles from head to toe….a vibrant and powerfully provoking tale!!

WHAT A BOOK!!! I have been looking forward to this book ever since book one came out and boy it was a wild ride but one I had a blast to participate in. Now this is the last book of the O’Malley series (as far as I know) …to be honest I think the ending of this book left me a bit unsure, it wasn’t as final as I was expecting it to be so maybe another book or novella…who knows but I am SO *crossing fingers* that this isn’t the end.

I will say that this is one of the most intense and action-packed books of the series, although I would like to mention that all of them are configured to turn out that way because these definitely aren’t calm or cool like vibes….they are intense and crazy and out of this world but you fall in love anyway.

Our key players of this intense romance are:

Keira O’Malley is the youngest of the siblings, and she is struggling the most out of all of them. She feels guilty for her brother’s death. She is the most “lost” of them all. She feels like a misfit around her siblings, and she drowns her pain in alcohol and drugs.
Dmitri Romanov is tough as nails and hardened as he was born to be. He is the boss of the Romanov. He is dangerous, calculating and cold at times. But also craves something more and he senses that he can have something unique with Keira and that she will warm the ice around him.

So this book pretty much takes off after book five. Where our heroine, Keira, agrees to go with Dmitri and be his wife. She chooses to leave her family and take part in her own destiny. But it’s not as easy as she thinks it might be. At first, all she cares about is getting away from the protectiveness of her family and nothing else. Until Dmitri forces her to become more than a drug addict. He pretty much makes her go cold turkey from the drugs and the drinking. He knows that she is the weakest with her senses out of whack and he needs her to be sober. Because marriage to him is not going to be safe or easy. He knows what she is capable of and wants her to be his partner…his queen.
Now Keira isn’t like the other siblings, she is harder to like. I knew that going in that this book wouldn’t be easy at times especially with this heroine because out of all the siblings, she struggles the most internally. Now I love this crazy family, but we see another side to them in this book and I loved how strong Keira stands up to them. They don’t really realize that she CHOOSES to be with Dmitri because he understands her in ways that her family never will or never will be open to understanding. It happens when you have highly overprotective brothers that act before thinking.

There is also some great scenes of suspense and action that I have come to look forward to in these books and Katee Robert’s does them so well. We still have our villains Althea and Mae and boy are these two a piece of work and boy I really liked the justice they receive FINALLY!!! But there was a fun twist of a betrayal that you totally don’t see coming. But seeing this couple just come together in this book is so FANTASTIC!! I honestly couldn’t get enough of them mostly because they fit just right. They both have inner demons they deal with daily, but once they decide to take a chance on each other, the ball on this romance really gets rolling. We see so much growth, especially in Keira. She begins painting again and just living life and not swallowing in her own misery. And we see a different tender side to Dmitri, and he makes the best anti-hero that you will fall head over heels in love with.
Quite frankly, this book knocked my socks off and the only reason it’s not a five star is the ending was a bit disappointing, to be honest. But other than that…this book was full speed ahead FANTASTIC and I can’t recommend it enough!!

I absolutely loved the O'Malley's series and I feel like I've been waiting and waiting and waiting for Keira and Dmitri to finally get together. The Bastard's Bargain was one intense ride. Between the tension between Keira and Dmitri and the tension between Dmitri and the O'Malley's to the coming after them bad girls I couldn't put it down. Despite Keira being the youngest she was still strong, once she gave up the drinking anyway. I appreciated that she stood up to Dmitri on certain issues and he learned to understand what she needed.

The ending was the perfect ending for this series. Everyone got what they deserved (in most cases happiness, but a few select people got their just rewards. I was also thrown by a little twist. Some people may pick up on it but I was too in to the book to realize what was probably going to happen.

Loved seeing all the O'Malley's and their significant others. Wish there were more books, but I'm so happy with where it ended I can't complain.

Flawlessly written and completely captivating, The Bastard's Bargain by Katee Ropbert was a sexy and thrilling story that had me hanging on to every word. Robert effortlessly weaves an outstanding plot filled with hot sex, angst, action and suspense that will leave readers breathless. Keira and Dmitri's story was explosive and emotional, and a praiseworthy ending to the O'Malley series.

"There was nothing innocent about him, nothing noble or even a little bit good. He was the villain of this story. The man who would take down her family- unless she became his bride."

Robert does emotional depth so well with her characters, and in such a compelling way. Keira was a character who was so lost and damaged, on a downward spiral and yearning for freedom more and more with each passing day. She didn't know her true value, and in this story we finally see her come into her own and find her purpose. She unexpectedly finds herself lifted up by the last person she'd ever expected, and it was brilliant to watch. It takes a truly talented author to turn a villain into a deliciously fascinating hero, and Robert did so with ease. Dmitri was a multi-layered character who walked the fine line between good and bad; a man with a complicated history and a need for power and control. He and Keira were made for each other, and the struggles they faced in their marriage as well as with outside forces, only served to make their connection stronger. I loved seeing them adapt to one another, and I especially enjoyed the tension that existed every time they were in a room together. The push-and-pull was so well done and I loved every moment of it. The tension between them had been building from their very first meeting, and it reached combustible levels in this book. Robert wrote some incredibly hot scenes that only got hotter as the story progressed. The raw sexual chemistry was off the charts, but it was so much more than physical between them. These two were a force to be reckoned with, and they truly didn't know what they were missing until they came together.

"I've only ever been a pawn."

"Never a pawn. A queen in waiting."

The elements of romance, suspense, and family drama were blended together seamlessly, creating a well-paced and evenly balanced storyline. Some of my favorite moments were when the O'Malley siblings came together again, and it brought me back to The Marriage Contract, the first book in this series. Katee Robert completely knocked this story out of the park, giving her readers a satisfying and exciting conclusion to a fantastic series. I am so unbelievably sad that this series has come to an end, but am looking forward to seeing what this author has in store for her fans next.

Rated 4.5 Stars

I hated Dmitri when he first stepped onto the page but he grew on me gradually throughout the series. The Bastard's Bargain however, is when I fell in love with him. I loved seeing this dare I say softer side to him. I also loved going on this journey with him and Keira and watching them fall for each other. I enjoyed watching Keira come into her own, wrestling with her demons and laying them to rest so to speak. I definitely recommend this book but I think the other books should be read first so you can fully enjoy their story and what it took for them to get there.

I saw ARCs were out on Twitter and literally ran to Netgalley in order to get my hands on this book. I came in to the O’Malley series late, book 4 was the first glimpse I had of this family. And Keira and Dmitri’s story has been percolating since at least then. I’ve been dying for more of them.

To be honest, I found them to be the most compelling thing about Aiden and Charlie’s story, and I was hoping that when they finally had a chance to shine in The Bastard’s Bargain that I wouldn’t be disappointed. And I’m not.

Keira and Dmitri are everything. What develops between them is raw and carnal and wanton. The way they need each other and the way they connect is beyond sexy. It’s something deep and dark and heartbreakingly beautiful.

Gorgeous broken Keira means more to Dmitri tha he’s willing to admit at first. He can’t bear to see her destroy herself, so he will save her even as she fights him on it. She’s so tired of being a pawn, caged in by people claiming to protect her without seeing how they are carving away at her soul. Dmitri sees too much. And still she wants him. But she’s going to fight it till the bitter end.

The thing is, when she finally listens to Dmitri it turns out that he is actually offering her everything. If she is his, then he is hers. And giving her back that power, it changes their world. Because together Keira and Dmitri are unstoppable. And I loved every second of their story. It was literally perfect. In fact, I think I just might go re-read it. Possibly over and over again.

**The Bastard’s Bargain will publish on February 6, 2018. I received an advance reader copy courtesy of Netgalley/Grand Central Publishing (Forever) in exchange for my review.

I hated Dmitri Romanov. Hated him, wanted him dead, was a little horrified to hear he was going to have a book. Just no, but actually just YES. This book. I won't spoil it, but I'm going to say it was magical and beautiful to see him help Keira realize all she could be. He was still a little bit evil, but he's also so much more.

God, I've been waiting for this book forever! It was my most anticipated book of 2018, and it was SO WORTH THE WAIT! I love nothing more than a redeemed anti-hero, and Dmitri is THE BEST.

Keira O'Malley is the youngest of her big family of siblings. Because of that, she was a little more sheltered from the harshest parts of he "family business". At least initially. Growing up in a Boston mob family is no picnic though, and her closest brother Devlin, paid the price for them all when he was gunned down during a mob war. In the years since that happened, Keira has been on a downward spiral. She quit creating her beloved art. She is constantly high or drunk, with pretty much zero sober moments in between. She takes dangerous risks, like sneaking out of the house when she knows things aren't exactly safe for her out on the town. And, maybe the most dangerous of all, she has an ongoing flirtation with the Russian mobster that has been the most recent foe of her family. She wants him, even though she knows it's impossible. At least, until it isn't...

Dmitri Romanov isn't a good guy. You can't really stay a "good guy" in his business, even if you were to try to. He's been the villain of this series from the beginning, but occasionally you've seen flashes of decency, especially when it comes to Keira. He has lost face with his NYC rivals, due to some defeats at the hands of the Boston O'Malleys, and he needs to get things back on track. The easiest way to do that is to marry Keira O'Malley. He also happens to want her more than he should. They've been playing a cat and mouse game for years, and now he's finally catching her, and he won't let her go.

Dmitri and Keira have had massive chemistry on the page from their very first meeting several books ago. But, their relationship in this book brings it all full circle. They both underestimate themselves, and their capacity for love, and forgiveness, and for self-love, and self-acceptance. Dmitri recognizes that Keira is special and that she can be his partner and his equal in all things, but he needs her to realize it for herself too. He also helps her with her sobriety, and it was really nice to see them coming together while dealing with all the problems they had going on in their crazy life, especially in regards to the suspense subplot, which is partially carried over from the last book.

I loved the glimpses we got of the rest of the O'Malley clan, and how they all came to terms with Keira's choices, and her finally embracing being a grown up. They all see her as their baby sister, and often it's been to her detriment. I appreciated them seeing her for who she really is, and who she could be. I loved the way Keira really grew up and came into her own as Mrs. Romanov. That seriously deserves it's own hashtag, #MrsRomanov, because she is so badass.

I loved the dynamic between Keira and Dmitri and how they really understood each other, were honest with each other, and truly fell in love with each other, flaws and all. They are a true power couple, and I loved watching Dmitri being redeemed in my eyes throughout the story with his love and care for his moya koroleva. PS, native language pet names are swoontastic, and I am so here for it.

I truly loved this story and I think it was the perfect ending for this fantastic series. I cannot recommend this entire series, and this book, highly enough. I'm a big fan of this author and I'm so excited for what she'll have for us next!

I'm emotionally slain by this book.

Full review to come closer to release date.

How can being bad feel so good? Katee Robert makes it easy to love a bad boy. Dimitri is used to being in control. It's kept him alive and at the head of the class all his life. Keira is about to show this dangerous man that giving up control can be a pleasurably tempting experience. In a world where darkness haunts and danger prevails, two guarded hearts may end up rescuing each other from the shadows. The Bastard's Bargain presents a seductive escape and a fulfilling fantasy for that bad boy craving a girl can never outgrow.