I'll be totally honest--I wasn't sure how much I'd like this. I traditionally don't get along well with the kidnapping trope, and I just wasn't sure that I'd be all that interested in Nessa. So, I'm glad to report that I really did love this book--in fact, I liked it even more than the first book! I think Mikolaj is what did it for me (he is JUST my type!) Morally gray tortured sad boy? Say less! But also, I did really enjoy watching Nessa grow as a character. And how could I say no to all of the Beauty & the Beast references? Beauty & the Beast has always been my favorite, and I LOVED how Sophie Lark incorporated that into this story. And the vibes? Immaculate. Like I said, I enjoyed this installment even more than the first one. I'm really enjoying this series--I love how the characters all play a part in each other's stories. These books might not be literary classics, but they're a fun time & leave me feeling good. I can't wait to read Nero's story next!

I will no longer be reading these due to the fact that I do not agree with choices this author has made in a book she planned to publish where she was being racist. Thank you for your understanding in my decision.

Stolen Heir had an intriguing premise and a dark enemies to lovers dynamic, but it didn’t deliver. The pacing felt uneven, with most parts dragging while others were rushed. The romance leaned heavily on tropes without enough depth to make the characters feel genuine. While the writing was engaging, the plot lacked the tension and complexity I was hoping for. Fans of dark mafia romances might still enjoy it, but it wasn’t quite for me.

Will not be reviewing even this late. Sophie Lark is in my Do Not Read list at this point. The cover is pretty but it won't mask what's inside.

I think I've decided that this author is just not for me. I either end up DNFing or absolutely despising it.

I read this book recently and was waiting on writing my review. Unfortunately between then and now, I am no longer able to support this author. Their upcoming release has racist rhetoric and I am not comfortable continuing supporting them regardless of my feelings toward this book.

I really enjoyed this! maybe not quite as much as the first book but I absolutely tore through it. I found the romance a little rushed and hard to believe but I still really enjoyed it. I'm surprised that the spice was relatively minimal and tamer that one might expect from a dark mafia kidnapping romance. I'll definitely continue the series. 3.5

This was a great book! I at first wasn’t so sure about it but ended up really enjoying it. I ended up loving the take it took on beauty and the beast

This was one of my more favorite books in this series - it gave me serious Beauty & the Beast vibes and I was so HERE for it! I loved seeing the relationship between Miko and Nessa really grow and blossom, and watch Miko become so down bad for Nessa. Is this the best book ever written? No. Did I absolutely enjoy it? Yes. Would I re-read it? Maybe.

Definitely worth the read, especially if you're a fan of Beauty and the Beast!

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and Sophie Lark for giving me the chance to read this ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

Beauty and the Beast is my absolute favorite fairytale so I've read a Lot of retellings. This one is in my top 5 favorites; half because it was very well written with great characters and half because I love ballet and you can never have too many stories about ballet. I highly recommend this book!

Actual Rating: 3.5⭐

Stolen Heir has a beauty and the beast vibes but darker and more ruthless set in modern time.

I love seeing some of the artwork insides that portrayed some of the scenes here, it’s very beautiful!
The pacing is a little bit slow at first to give room for the main characters to develop feelings towards one another.

I do enjoy seeing Nessa’ character grow from the spoiled and innocent little girl to a more daring and confident kind of girl after meeting Miko.
I like Nessa’s love for dancing, my favorite part is when Nessa and Miko dances together for the first time.

Overall, it’s pretty enjoyable to read if you can suspend disbelief while reading this and just go with the plot.
I would also highly suggest checking out the trigger warnings listed below because some parts may be sensitive to some readers.
Nevertheless, I’m excited to continue this series and read Nero’s story next!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: sexual content, kidnapping, confinement, violence, suicide, rape, sexual assault, stalking

okay as much as i love a little bit of mafia romance every now and then. this was hella weird, home girl right here got sketched out. i couldn't like either character because of how weak she was and how fragile he was. like sure, you're big boss dude, but in reality, you're basically just a little guy.

I really enjoyed the first book in the series, so I was really excited for book two. I have to say Ii really liked the FMC. I already liked her in book one, so I was excited to read her story. Overall, it did not disappoint. I liked the dynamic between her and the MMC and the way he changed throughout the book. There were a few parts that didn't resonate with me too much but I did enjoy it in general and would recommend reading it.

What a beautiful spicy romance story with great storyline and great characters. Really liked the writing style and the cover is beautiful will definitely read more from this author.

This book is just everything I love about dark romances without being too dark. 💞
Sophie Lark just writes the best morally gray book boyfriends.

Although do check the trigger warnings before reading it.

Sophie Lark has just been falling flat for me lately. I really wanted a mafia romance book that started off with a bang, and this wasn't it.

I actually liked this even better than the first book in this series. The characters were great and I liked the storyline a bit more in this one. Sophie Lark really knows how to suck you in.

I wasn't really sure what to expect with this book, but was very pleasantly surprised to find that I really, really liked it.

Are you trying to tell me that:

1. His sister get r worded by some mafia members, unalive herself so he then goes to kill those mafia members does so and then ends up joining them??? I mean this MMC just is stupid because who does that unless the end goal is to take the whole mafia down but no ... nothing to do with that (tbh that would have been more enjoyable to read).
2. She is the daughter of the Irish mafia and she has zero protection, like she is so easily stalked and taken and apparently it would be a big deal if she got taken that it will cause a mafia war but NOBODY thinks she needs protection?? What even is this book! And then some dude steals her routine and she cries about it, like babe your daddy is the mafia... he can sort that out.

Honestly again just really weird and unlikeable characters and for me I am not a smut person or atleast smut how it is written in this book.

2.75 star read. This one was OK for me. I found the story entertaining but the pacing for me was a bit off.

I want to start off by saying I loved the artwork throughout the book and the Beauty and the Beast references.

I feel like Nessa and Miko didn't interact enough to fall in love. Miko was adamant that he hated Nessa. And while we got the bits that lead up to their romance, I don't think there was enough of them. It's like all of the pieces were there but there weren't explored enough in my opinion. He found her attractive, had moments jealousy, was willing to protect her at any cost, allowed her to get away with more than other people would. All of the ingredients were there, but idk something must have been wonky with the oven.

As for Nessa, her need for Miko came out of left field. It was as if all of a sudden she was just in love (this is actually the case for both of them) and then... the end... ???

I feel like this book could have easily been another 100 pages. I would have enjoyed more of a "will they, won't they" dynamic between Nessa and Miko. A trope like this should be dragged out just a little bit, in my opinion. More conversations surrounding Miko's process in grieving the loss of his sister. Nessa's conflict with being her own person versus how her family perceives her. I also wished to see Miko grovel to her family more.

I'm not deterred from reading the rest of the series. BUT I feel like if I saw all of those scenarios played out, I would have enjoyed the story so much more.