I desperately want to be a Sophie Lark fan and gave this a shot after trying and not liking The Heir since I heard so many good things. But I think I've learned my lesson and can accept Lark's worlds and characters aren't for me. Happy for the dark romance fans who love it though!

I really liked this one. I love a strong female character. Aida wasn’t afraid to stand up for herself, or to put herself in danger to protect the ones she cared about. Cal sounds like a dream. I love the Romeo & Juliet sort of family dynamic, without quite so much drama. Looking forward to reading more of the series!

I had high hopes for this book, I know so many people who love this author so I went in blindly thinking it would be same for me. I was wrong. Mafia and touch her and die. Idk just wasn’t my cup of tea.

3.5 stars
Overall I thought this was a nice dark romance read. But it just could not keep my attention unfortunately. Maybe it was just me though!

"The Brutal Prince" is a gripping romance filled with tension and intrigue. It follows the story of two strong-willed characters from rival families who are thrown together in a world of power struggles and dark secrets. Their fiery chemistry keeps you hooked as they navigate their complex relationship. The writing is sharp and engaging, making it hard to put down. This book is perfect for fans of enemies-to-lovers stories with a touch of danger and plenty of passion!

I love a good dark romance. I especially love Sophie Lark. This book has such a great arranged marriage, enemies to lovers storyline. Add in some mafia and danger… it was so hard to put down

I enjoyed Aida’s feisty nature and the way she and Callum constantly challenged each other. The illustrations were absolutely gorgeous. However, I found the writing to be somewhat cliché. Regardless, I have a feeling that Nero will become my favorite male main character in the series, and I’m excited to continue reading the series.

Thank you Netgalley, Bloom, and Sophie Lark for the eARC.

Brutal Prince is out now.

Brutal Prince was one of my favorite summer reads. Callum and Aida my goodness their love life was everything. It was a spicy romance fille with banter and tension. I love enemies to lovers books. I loved reading about the griffins & gallos.

Aida and Callum were perfection!

From start to finish Aida was my girl! Everything she did and said I loved. And to show that she also had a vulnerable spot for those she loved made this story incredible. And then we get Callum on top of that! I enjoyed this Mafia Romance and the illustration were the cherry on top!

Sophie Lark is a mastermind at writing books that get you hooked. Her characters are always so intriguing to read about and I feel I could be reading them doing their weekly shop and be entertained. Aida and Callum’s chemistry was off the charts and this was a TRUE enemies to lovers book

Now that’s how you do mafia romance. I know I’m one of the minority that doesn’t love most of the slew of mafia romances out there. Unless it takes me by surprise like this one did. Yes you have the rival families and the forced marriage and the Irish and Italian mafia, but you also have MCs who aren’t cardboard cutouts of a million others.

Aida is a spitfire of a heroine, witty and wild, and it’s truly a joy to read about the antics she gets up to. Getting into trouble, setting things on fire, almost unaliving husbands, basically living her best life. Callum is the opposite, uptight and duty bound and a perfectionist. And both repulsed by the thought of being stuck with each other for eternity. But the chemistry tho. Chef’s kiss. They infuriate and intrigue each other and give a whole new meaning to hate banging. Their fiery banter and him being jealous and possessive over her is just the Cherry on top of a sizzling hot brownie sundae.

I loved the family dynamics of both the Gallos and the Griffins, and Aida’s brothers especially are so tough (most of them) but so adorable. And so is Cal, even though he’d never admit it. I’m excited to read the stories of both sets of siblings. The overarching plot about the mafia and the politics etc is exciting and supports the narrative well, my only complaint being one thread was tied up off page at the end and I’m not sure if it’s deliberate and leads into another book?

Many thanks to Netgalley, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books and the author for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

So I will start with a confession! I requested this book solely looking at the cover! saw the strawberries and the name and thought this was something akin to Cruel Prince, boy! was I wrong! That is to say this was baby's first foray into dark/ mafia romance. I think I would say it was okay. The writing style was really not for me, but that did not stop me from picking up the next book, so I would say it was an okay book.

The story follows a Callum and Aida and their arranged/ forced marriage as a truce between the two major mafia families in town to hoard power, privileges and money. They don't like each other, then they lust for each other, then they love each other. A few near death moments, a very toxic ex and some other mafia issues later, happy ending tada!!!

I am just getting into dark romance but Sophie Lark is quickly becoming one of my new favorites. Still not sure if I love Mafia romance, but it definitely brings a mix of fun tropes and themes to keep you interested and flipping page after page. I can't wait to see what else is out there is this genre!

Mafias romances are such a delicious guilty pleasure, my first Sophie lark book but definitely not my last! I look forward to reading all of this authors backlist!

DNF’d around 20%—the writing style was not for me and I really just couldn’t get into the storyline.

One of my favorite mafia, arranged marriage stories. I loved the tension, the enemies to lovers and honestly some parts of this were absolutely hilarious. I love any story with rival families and mafia wars and this did not disappoint. Also the strawberries?! Hilarious.
Thank you #netgalley for a copy in exchange for my honest review

Entertaining. I actually liked the FMC a lot. I actually think this book needed less plot and more character development, especially between the main couple. I don’t know if I truly bought their feelings for each other by the end. Even though this was a fun read I can’t justify giving it more than 3 stars as there are better written arranged marriage contemporary romances out there. Also, I get that this is technically the first in a series, but the book’s ending felt fairly abrupt considering some of the plot threads it left untied for book 2.

However, I needed a quick read to get me out of my month long reading slump and this book did the trick.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Brutal Prince has a great plot and a perfect amount of spice. I adored the Griffins! This was a wonderful enemies-to-lovers story. If you love a good mafia romance read this!

This was my first Sophie Lark book and also my first mafia romance. I was honestly shocked that I loved this as much as I did!

Lark’s writing was fast paced and had me hooked right from the first chapter. The characters were so interesting to read about and I was rooting for Aida from the outset. Her dialogue and internal monologue had me laughing out loud throughout so much of the book. She really has that main character energy and I would happily read another book from her pov.

I loved both Aida and Callum’s family dynamics and can’t wait to read more about them in the rest of the series which I will definitely be picking up! I also loved the romance that blossomed between Aida and Callum. Their relationship grew from hatred to lust to genuine love and trust in one another. I really enjoyed going on that journey with them and by the end, my face hurt from smiling so much.

Additionally, I loved the mafia elements of the book. I was unsure what to expect from such storylines but I was absolutely hooked. The stakes were so high and that only added to the excitement. All of the scenes with even a smidge of action and drama were literally unputdownable.

I am so thankful for the opportunity to review a copy and I’ve found an author who I absolutely love! I can’t wait to read the next book in this series.

4.5/5 it’s Sophie Lark so of course it’s amazing! I will read this woman’s grocery list and love it. She writes the absolute best romances 🙌🏽🙌🏽