This was a delightfully steamy and tense mafia romance. One dark mafia boss who follows his own code of honor, one damsel in distress who will do anything for her child, and oh the sparks that fly between them. Sergei might be a bad boy to the world, but I love how Evie brings out his softer side (even though that makes her a target). It's pretty clear these two should absolutely be together from the start - those sparks are just too hot to be wrong. I appreciated the danger and suspense woven in thanks to Sergei's life, and I got so wrapped up in the book that it felt strange when I reached the end. I can't wait to see what the next books in the series have in store!

This was a really good erotic retelling of Cinderella and I was definitely here for it from page one.

His to Defend is just the right novel I needed in my life right now. A sexy, compelling romance that is very well written. Rhenna Morgan’s talent shine through every word she wrote.

I don’t think I’ve ever read a romance that was centered around the mafia but I loved the bit of suspense it added to the plot. I was never bored, and I found myself with my nose in my Kindle reading more of this one.

Love the characters so much. Sergei is swoon worthy. His mysteriousness and passion was wonderfully written and his feelings for Evie were wonderful. Evie is hatf working and determined. I loved how relatable she was.

Overall, this was a fun read. I loved escaping into this sexy romance and meeting the characters. Recommended for sure!

This book was not for me. I did not particularly like it and ended up DNFing it thus won't be able to provide a detailed review.

Special thanks to Harlequin for providing our copy in exchange for an honest & fair review.

Ooh a mafia romance that is sexy with an alpha male. So many emotions, suspense & sexual tension. A great read for anyone who enjoys darker & suspenseful romance.

This is a stellar new series from Rhenna Morgan, a spin-off of one of my favorite (Men of Haven) series. Sergei was an excellent hero, alpha and broody with a touch of vulnerability. I live a take-charge man who goes after what he wants. Evette was also a likable heroine, sweet and sassy, but knowing when to stress her independence and cave to her man's need to protect. Having lived in New Orleans, I am picky when an author chooses that setting as it is sometimes overdone and not at all realistic. However, I didn't need to worry about that as Rhenna brought New Orleans to life and made me feel like I was back and bopping around town myself. This series proves to be every bit as good as Men of Haven, and I can't wait for more.

I didn’t know I needed a semi-dark mafia romance set in New Orleans in my life, but luckily, Rhenna Morgan knew! HIS TO DEFEND was a BLAST to read! The first book in a new series, the book follows a Russian mafia boss hero and he helps the single mom/local NOLA darling after she loses her job. I listened to the audiobook and could barely put the book down!

First of all, the audiobook narration was HOT. The narrator performed the Russian and New Orleans accents and made the listening experience extra fun. In addition, I’ve read many books like this, but the plot felt fresh and fun. The hero, Sergei, was dark, and definitely dealt with the underbelly of mafia life, but he didn’t stifle our heroine Evette. The undercurrent of respect and love between the hero and heroine was apparent throughout.

This story was a nice balance between romance, suspense, and drama. I was rooting for our single mom heroine, and loving the Cinderella feel of the whole story. Who doesn’t love a story where the heroine is fun and strong and finds a rich and sexy hero who sweeps her off her feet? It was so fun!

I did think the plot lulled a little bit in the middle, and the heroine’s son was hard to connect with. The problems with his school friends was a noticeable dangling plotline.

Overall, I think Rhenna Morgan did a great job laying out a new series. I’m way into these Russian mafia bosses with hearts of gold and I can’t wait to get started on book two!

**I received an ARC of this book in order to provide an honest review**

My first book by Morgan and I enjoyed it. I love the Russian mafia angle and the antihero trope, so reading His to Defend was a no brainer.
As much as I enjoyed it, I would've like to have had some more character development for Sergei. (Maybe the lack of more development serves the mysterious Russian mafia angle.)
I'm looking forward to more from this series.

4.5 stars!
This was really cute and I loved Sergei! Evette got on my nerves a little bit, but Sergei made up for it. I love how there was no drawn out unnecessary drama. I also have to give BIG props to Evette for not being an idiot h and not telling the H when someone is threatening her! That sort of thing frustrates me to no end so I’m glad it wasn’t done here.
The only reason I didn’t give a full 5 star is because if the epilogue. It was cute, and everyone will probably love it. However, I’m selfish and I wanted more! If you’re looking for a cute easy read, then this is for you!
SAFETY: no ow/om drama at all!!🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼🙌🏼

ARC provided in exchange for honest review

I absolutely loved Sergei’s book. His to Defend does not hide who Sergei is, what he does, or the life he leads. He’s a mafia boss, plain and simple. His methods and actions are not always legal and he’s known to be dangerous. Evette (Evie) is a wonderful character, a loving mother, and a local beloved resident. When she looks to him for a job, Evie doesn’t understand just how much her life is going to change. Evie enters a world she knows nothing about. Neither character expected the sparks to fly, but they do. When Sergei’s world collides with that of Evie and her son, Sergei will do anything and everything to keep them safe. Evie now must make the choice to let Sergei defend her or to walk away from the one and only man who cherishes and loves her.

The author constructed a very strong, sassy, and loving heroine in Evie. She has dealt with a lot over the years and is a single mother. The only family she has is a sleazy uncle she despises. She wants nothing more than to make sure Emerson is taken care of properly and desperate times call for desperate measures. She approaches Sergei Petrovyh for help and gets more than she bargained for, including uprooting her life and a wonderful romance – but also danger.

Things aren’t always easy with Sergei but he never once treats Evie or Emerson with anything less than respect and kindness. I enjoyed the chemistry between Sergei and Evie, the slow dance, the crescendo, the heat. The author writes incredible romantic suspense stories. The plot was smooth and the story was perfectly paced. I was never bored or overwhelmed with details. The dialogue between characters is realistic and conversational and I felt like I was there with them in the story. The events and storylines were well thought out and eventually they all came together in an explosive twist at the end. Be prepared to get lost in His to Defend.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review. I have given His to Defend by Rhenna Morgan four out of five stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Oh my steamy goodness! The first book I've ever read of Rhenna Morgan's and I cannot wait to pick up another one! I truly enjoyed this book from the very first few pages.
I thought this book was very well-written; from the well-developed characters through to the style and structure of the story. The plot did not disappoint AT ALL. I was kept entertained and intrigued throughout the story.
Our main character, Evette Labadie, was a very sassy, strong and compassionate woman who I really enjoyed learning about and rooted for throughout her journey in this book. Evette's love interest, Sergei Petrovyh, was a very sexy, honest and protective man who I started to adore soon after Evette and Sergei's first encounter in this book. Their connection with one another was very pleasant and wonderful to read about. I wish their love was a little more of a slow-burner but nonetheless I loved the scenes between them (especially the steamy ones, phwoar!). Evette's son, Emerson, was another delight in this book to read about. Emerson is a very smart, seven year old boy who comes across as though he's a lot older and mature than his actual age. I loved his character, especially during his interactions with his mum and Sergei.
I found Morgan's writing enchanting, an example of this would be one of my favourite quotes from this book that I found which was: "The angel is having second thoughts about dancing with the devil?". There was something so delicate about this quote which made me smile.
I thought the story wrapped up nicely as it didn't feel rushed and I felt as though all do my questions that i started to form and ponder were all answered by the time I reached the end of the book. It's just a shame that this book had to end.
I would definitely recommend this book to fans of contemporary romance which has a slight twist of Mafia action to it. I look forward to reading more material by Rhenna Morgan and hopefully the next instalment to this series!

I first found Rhenna Morgan with the Haven Brotherhood. And that brotherhood still confuses me with the nuances of what is exactly their brotherhood, yet I'm strangely still taken with the series. So, when I found out this was a spin off I decided to give it a go. However, it did take me a bit to see the connection from the Haven brotherhood to this series.

This series is about the NOLA version of the mafia with Sergei Petrovyh and his light, Evette Labadie. Evette has had some tough luck lately and she's desperate to get back on her feet to help her and her son, Emerson. She ends up asking Sergei for help not knowing the consequences of her actions.

Sergie is drawn to Evette but knows letting her in would put her and her son's life in danger, which is the last thing he wants. Thou he can't seem to stay away from her.

"I saw him, child. Saw the way he looked at you when he thought no one else was looking." A sad smile tilted her lips. "Like an angel had come tiptoeing into hell with a ray of sunshine just for him. A little spark in the darkness."

I liked Sergie and Evette and Emerson together. It had good flow and we got to experience NOLA through the eyes of Sergie and Evette. Closer to the end we get the tie in to the Haven Brotherhood and that ties it all together.

I'm more hooked on this series from the beginning then I was with the Haven. I will be looking forward for more from this series.

3 stars!

3,5stars
With this book, Rhenna Morgan opens a whole new series on the other side of Texas in which the main role has Russan and local sweetheart. After losing a job Evie sees the only solution is asking for a favor a Russian boss. Sergei has a thing for Evie for a long time and with her asking him for a job he sets a plan in motion for her to become his. I liked that the story was not predictable but for me, it felt like something was missing. Both Sergei and Evie were interesting well developed, I liked Sergei's character, just not all his decisions and that oft he let Evie in a dark.. This whole Russian mob thing/concept was for me not really convincing. Looking forward to the next book in the series.
I volunteered to review an ARC of this book for NetGalley

Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Ruthie – ☆☆☆☆
4.5 stars of dark and passionate romance

This is the first in a new series, but ties in beautifully with the Men of Haven. If you have read them, then you will enjoy catching up with some of the men and their loves as they support the events of this novel. You could read it fresh without any trouble at all, but when you meet the Haven men, I think you will be curious and go find out more!

Sergei is a man deep in a dark world, and making his adopted home of New Orleans more his own. This obviously brings him in conflict with those who previously ruled the area. He is surrounded by his team and they have all done much which is illegal and dangerous to claim their place.

Evie is a single mum doing her best for her 7-year-old son and working low-wage jobs to survive. Having just been sacked, she takes a risk and asks Sergei to help her find a job. On seeing her for the very first time he was enchanted, and now she is offering him an opportunity to get to know her better – so he jumps at giving her a role in his household, and a home for her and son Emerson.

I really enjoyed the setup, the values that both of them hold, and Evie's acceptance of his lifestyle. She sees the good side, and yet acknowledges the dark and does not run away from it. His actions toward Emerson do much to confirm that she can trust Sergei, and she shocks him when she does. I love that she can surprise him, even if he considers that he is world weary and cynical.

The equality between them, when they are so different, is beautifully expressed and is consistent throughout the book. Their passion for each other is deliciously described and their private time together is spent in very erotic pursuits. For all the darkness, there are wonderful moments of fun and lightness too – which enable even the reader to deal with the darker elements and completely understand how they really are perfect for each other.

Cannot wait for the next installment. Thank you, Rhenna Morgan, for starting us on another exciting and very romantic series.


Avid Reader – ☆☆☆☆
M/F Mafia romance

Sergei is a Russian who has come to New Orleans to make his own way in the world. His "family" is loyal and fierce. When he wants something, he sets out to achieve it, no matter the cost. He likes doing business in the public eye because it allows people of New Orleans to both fear and revere him. When he sets his sights on Evie, he knows that he should only watch her – he should keep his distance. But when she approaches him with an issue, he'll stop at nothing to remove all obstacles in both of their way.

Evie is a single mom who is trying to create a better life for her son. While she is unsure of how she will achieve this, especially after being fired, she knows she has to make it work. When she sees Sergei sitting in the local diner, she knows what she has to do. Evie has no idea that her attempt to find a new job will change her life forever.

Sergei is exactly what you look for in an alpha male. He's protective, possessive, patient, tender, and fierce all wrapped into a yummy package. I loved watching him woo Evie into a sense of security. I also loved how he protected her and her son with everything he had. He loved them from the beginning and just had to get Evie to see that they were great together.

I can't wait to see more of these characters.

Triggers: Blackmail, rape, assault, murder

I voluntarily read an advanced review copy of this book

Evette finds herself backed into a corner with little options to choose from. So what's a girl to do when the only choice she has left is the last choice she should ever make? Read and find out!

Sergei and Evette are the least likely pair. He is a bad boy and she is a good girl just trying to make it in a crazy corrupted town. This book tugged at my heartstrings because Evette was such a relatable character. She was just trying to make it and Sergei had all the resources to make sure that she could. Overall I loved this book. I laughed and cried and enjoyed it. I cant wait to see what else Rhenna Morgan has in store.

This was such a great story. It was actually my first book read by Rhenna Morgan, and I would definitely read more from this author!

Oh... I think I'm gonna love this series...

Rhenna Morgan snagged me as a fan as soon as I read Rough & Tumble, the first book in her Men of Haven series. I read every book in that series and was kind of sad when Nola Knights was released because I was afraid that my beloved Men of Haven series was finished. My fears diminished though once I spent a little bit of time with Evie and Sergei. Plus, it’s kind of obvious that the Men of Haven series hasn’t been abandoned, just side tracked. It also didn’t hurt that more than a couple of characters made brief, but welcome appearances in His to Defend. 😉

One of the things I liked best about the Men of Haven series was the sense of family. Albeit, a very unconventional family. They couldn’t exactly be defined as “good-guys”, but they weren’t really bad either. They stayed out of trouble, unless trouble came after them, someone they loved or someone weaker and innocent. Then, all bets were off. Sergei and his “family” are much the same way, except with ties to the Mafia. He and his “brothers” have the same sort of code and any woman they claim as their own, needs to understand that. That’s not something the average person would be able to wrap their head around, but Evie did. She would do absolutely anything to protect her son, so she got it. Her growing attraction and love for Sergei made it even easier to accept. She saw a side to him that few ever did, and that’s the man she fell in love with.

There were a lot of interesting twists and turns in His to Defend. Some of them I saw coming, but some still surprised me. I loved seeing familiar faces, but the new characters were just as interesting. I’ve got to say, one of the things that I really loved about Evie was how she handled things near the end. I don’t want to give anything away, but let’s just say her response was refreshing and not exactly typical.

Hers to Tame is next in the Nola Knights series and it should come as no surprise that I can’t wait. 😉

Russian vor Sergei Petrovyh’s knows he should keep his hands off someone as beloved by the locals as Evie, but there’s something about that calls to him. Evie has certainly noticed the powerful Russian mafia boss – he’s as hot as his reputation is dangerous, but right now she needs money to get her son out of trouble and her other needs will have to wait. She can’t help falling deeper in love with each passing day, but when a rival brings violence to her doorstep, Evie must come to grips with loving a man who will do anything to defend her.

The first ‘NOLA Knight’ story is as suspenseful as it is romantic, engaging and entices readers to hold their kindle or book close, so that they don’t miss one word. The characters are strong and believable with a hero that is bad to the bone tough but has a heart that is always in the right place while the heroine is a determined and courageous single mom. The chemistry between the two has sparks flying and singes the pages while the romance is quite sweet with quite a bit of emotional turmoil as the couple has to make decisions regarding what’s right for each of them when it comes to Sergei’s status.

The plot is steady to fast paced and full of suspense and excitement that keeps readers glued to the pages as the couple face “real” life decisions and choices, betrayals and “no way” twists. Readers can’t help but become caught up in this story as it is the hero is a perfect balance between bad boy and a white knight while the heroine is brave enough to step into his world and accept his life.

I enjoyed Rhenna Morgan’s Men of Haven series where she takes men with rough backgrounds and a need to act then pairs them with competent women in over their heads. Despite the above summation that matches each book in the series, Morgan finds a unique story while her characters are three-dimensional.

NOLA Knights, a spinoff, shows every sign of being the same. It starts with Sergei, who we met in Darya’s story. The Russian has definitive ideas of what the bratva, or mafia, should mean and feels the environment in Russia is no longer conducive to this. He obtained permission to create his own brotherhood in the U.S., choosing New Orleans based on his experiences during his college education.

We don’t know that at first, though. Instead, we meet a struggling single mother with a loss-filled past who has become the sweetheart of one of the toughest neighborhoods in New Orleans. Everyone knows her. Everyone loves her. But none of them can help her when she unexpectedly loses her job for something she didn’t do and can’t explain.

Evette is faced with the tough choice to trust someone she knows to be outside the law or let her financial circumstances undermine her talented son’s schooling. She’s had a hard life so far and always found a way through it. So what if this way caught her attention every time she visited the diner her substitute mother owned? He’s physically attractive, sure, but it’s something more than that.

This novel has all the parts of Morgan’s writing that have made me a fan from the beautiful, layered description to characters I grew to love. Sergei brings with him a dark world in which he has, and will, do dark things that haunt him. At the same time, motivation counts, and this is fiction, so I’m all for the hero taking action and removing barriers built up by corruption and underhanded deals. Or should I say anti-hero? He’s not an angel, but he’s far from the devil he sees himself.

When he tries to describe his intentions, Evette uses the Godfather to visualize what motivates him. People make a deal with Sergei, and they owe him something in return, but they also become part of his protected network. It’s an older image of the bratva, but it suits the series and Morgan’s style. Sergei keeps his promises and offers security, proving his sincerity by removing the infestation of protection-racket thugs who had plagued the neighborhood.

Where Morgan falls into a pattern of sorts is having the relationship consummated in both words and open door action about midway through the book. She leaves the rest of the story to show them as a loving couple, but also to deal with the non-romantic conflict. Sergei assumes it’s his lifestyle, and there’s some truth to that. Still, the seeding is there from the start to show the situation is more complex than just one mobster objecting to Sergei’s efforts to clean up the neighborhood and win the people’s loyalties.

As you have probably guessed, I’ve been won over by Sergei and this spinoff series. It maintains the same aspects I’ve enjoyed in Morgan’s writing while offering a new setup and new stories to go along with it. Even better, Sergei’s ties to Haven through Darya are still strong, bringing beloved characters from that series into this one when appropriate.

Which reminds me of one more thing I wanted to leave you with. The way to tell this is a true love story is in the details. Sergei understands who Evette wants to be beyond what life has pushed her into and does what he can to help her achieve her dreams. In turn, Evette sees into the heart of her Russian vor, retaining a healthy respect for his responsibilities but understanding the why as much as the what. He’s a vigilante, anti-hero with good motives, and there’s no question love thrives between them. Sergei’s ready to step in where corruption turns the system against her and everyone in the neighborhood she claims. After all, she’s family.

P.S. I received this novel from the publisher through NetGalley in return for an honest review.

His to Defend is a mafia romance at its best. Rhenna Morgan has done an excellent job of telling the story of Sergei and Evie. I can’t begin to tell you how much I enjoyed this book.

As I said in my last review, I love romance, but they tend to make me cry. This one did not make me cry, but I was excited throughout because the love that Sergei and Evie share is like a fairy tale full of mobsters and sweet women.

I love that Sergei is Evie’s protector. While I don’t necessarily agree with his methods, I can appreciate a great story, and His to Defend is a great story. The description of Emerson is superb. I immediately fell in love with his character, and to see him blossom throughout the book made my heart glad.

The description of the New Orleans setting made me nostalgic for the architecture of the South. I could see the big houses and the seedy apartments equally, and I truly felt as though I were watching a movie instead of reading a book.

Thank you to the author for giving readers this gift. I am excited to read about Darya and Knox in the next book. I know I will love her as much as I loved Evie.

As you may have guessed, I loved this novel, and I am happy to award it a full 5 out of 5 stars. I know I say this a lot, but you need to read this book if you are a romance lover, because this is one of the best reads I have had in this genre in a long time.