Member Reviews
I’m becoming obsessed with this series, mostly because the hero’s stay bad. They don’t turn good for their girls, the girls just love them for who they are, which isn’t something that happens often in the books I’ve read.
Camilla and Nero are my favorite of this series so far, I loved their story so much. Two people who went to school together and have a general idea of the other but haven’t really talked. They connected so easily, their friendship was strong from the moment it began that it was natural when it turned to romance.
The suspense plot line was so good too, I loved that even though it’s a mafia book, it felt more like just basic criminal crime which was a fun twist!
I've fallen for morally gray heroes before but this series is something else. The protagonist men are different types of heroes, more black than gray but with such a deep passion for their family and the person they love that it is so inevitable swoon worthy
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I still think that every mafia romance lover has to read this series and not to mention the illustrations in this edition, they are stunning!
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Camille is a mechanic and works with her father in the small neighborhood mechanical workshop, barely surviving with what they do and with her sick father when she goes out to look for her brother in a savage party and ends up involved in a complicated situation
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Nero Gallo hasn't seen Camille in a while, almost since they finished school, but lately she seems to be in the worst places at the worst time And with dubious company . And although he's not anyone's knight in shining armor, especially a woman, it's strange how an impulse makes him care about her
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They are both stubborn and tough with a dark side inside but when they let their guard down they manage to connect in a very special way. But with a cop on his tail, a drug dealer on his neck, and plans for a big robbery ahead, everything gets more complicated
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With all the Fast and the Furious vibes, and the mafia family undertones, Sophie Lark was at it again, writing a book that's hard to put down for a moment
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Thanks to Sophie Lark and SourceBooks Bloom Books for give me a copy of this book in exchange for my honest and voluntary opinion
This book had all kinds of Fast & the Furious vibes! I really enjoyed getting to know Nero's character, although I really wanted a little more + darkness
#
from him. The last book in the series felt more dark than this one. It was still an enjoyable read!
I loved Camille. She's down to earth and I love that she was a mechanic and didn't have a typical "introvert woman" occupation.
Im really having fun with this series! Thank you @netgalley for the ebook!
I liked book one. I loved book two. This one didn’t do it for me. Camille and Nero’s love story was hot and fast, but I felt like Lark put so much into cars and chases and heists that the romance was almost an afterthought. I wanted more of them together on page. The adventures often split them up and then kept their romance from developing on page. It was insta love but without enough time together for the reader to truly feel invested in their relationship
This was another great book from Sophie Lark. I loved the other books in the Brutal Birthright series and was so excited when I got a copy of this book. I loved Nero and Camille and I was hooked on their story. Can't wait for the next book!
4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐
"I want Camille like I've never wanted anything in my like. I want her to love me."
Savage Lover is the third standalone novel in the adult contemporary mafia romance series, Brutal Birthright. You do not need to have read the previous books to read this one but it can add some fun to make the connections. In this book we follow Camille and Nero. Camille is a mechanic who's shop is on its last leg and as the only person supporting her ailing father and younger brother, the pressure is high. Yet when she finds herself stuck in a sticky situation in order to save her family, Camille is forced into a darker world she has avoided most her life. Nero, on the other hand, has always lived in that dark world and when he sees Camille for the first time in a while he is drawn to her. The tension sparks something between them and they must decide are they willing to embrace the biggest danger out there, falling for each other.
This is an incredibly quick and easy romance to dive into that I had a lot of fun with. While there are darker aspects to this book (drugs, mafia, blackmail, etc) I wouldn't fully classify this as a true dark romance. I think this comes down to Camille's characters was refreshing and light. She loves her family and is willing to do whatever it takes to protect them and this loyalty got me...though I feel her brother got off too lightly. I struggled with some of darkness she was forced into but seeing her keep a cool head when everything was falling apart reminded me of her desperate circumstances.
Now Nero is a bad boy and he plays it so well. I loved the fierceness and recklessness to him but also his strength as a leader of his family. It definitely plays into this Fast and Furious vibe that i enjoyed a lot. His POV made me swoon over him because when he falls, he falls hard and seeing that got me giddy and smiling.
The spice in this book is about a 3 spicy pepper out of 5 spicy pepper. The romance is an instant attraction but it does take time for things to fall into place, around the 60% mark. I personally felt it more just snapped into place but once the romance was there I was hook line and sinker and the spice ramps up quickly after. The banter, the sweetness, and their obsession with cars had me along for the ride.
The world building in this book is very light. You get the basics of what you need to know but if you have read the previous books it would likely help flesh things out some more. I felt the story was the bigger thrust of the book as we explore secret investigations, street racing, family secrets, and good old fashion heists. The book takes a bit of time to get you to the big moments but I felt we got the time to really get to know Camille, which I appreciated. I wish I understood a bit more of Nero's motivations it was something I was able to set aside and just roll with it. The ending rounded this off quite nicely but definitely leaves things open for the world to continue.
I would say if you look for a quick mafia romance with a romance that will have your grinning, spice that is HOT, and a underworld that feels cool then this book will definitely but up your alley. I now need to go read the other books because I am not finished with this world.
Thank you Bloom for the e-ARC!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
This was a great romance novel and I really enjoyed it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶
HAHAHA WOW SOPHIE, YES!
Right, where do I start?!
I chewed through this bad boy in a day and a half.
Dark romance for sure!
Our MMC Nero (Godsamn hottie *drool*) is broody, dark and unforgiving. And our FMC Camille is sweet, reserved and endeering.
Obviously, they get together but oh man the tension and the ride - 5 star purely because I was either gasping, squeealing or blushing
Dark romance girlies, this one's for you 🥵🥀
4/5 ⭐
2/5 🌶️
5/5 🎧
I'm absolutely loving this re-read/listen of the Brutal Birthright series, I forgot how much I loved Nero and Camille. Add in an exciting bank heist and some spectacular spice and this book is such a fun read.
Lee Daniels and Michael Gallagher did a phenomenal job with the narration. I think my favorite was actually Lee voicing Patricia, she was just so versatile. And I always love Pink Flamingo productions. This was definitely a 5 star listen.
Nero and Camille's chemistry was off the charts. There was this instalove feel without it feeling corny or over the top. They just truly fell hard and fast for each other and let it grow naturally.
I also really enjoyed the sub plot with her little brother. I loved that it showed how amazing her father was and that they never needed money, just each other. The mysterious father was a good twist too, especially with how that bit ended.
Next up: Bloody Heart!
Something about this series (&Sophie Lark‘s writing) makes me unable to put the bookd down! I‘m on the third book & I‘m still in love with the whole world and all the characters! While this was probably not my fave of the series (I enjoyed book one and two more), it was still a great read!
Sav Lover by S. Lark is the third book in this series, a dark mafia read full of twists and turns tells the story of Camille and Nero.
Intriguing, captivating, unputdownable.
Savage Lover is the third novel in the Brutal Birthright universe and after the previous book followed Nessa Griffin, we’re now back to the Gallo family with Nero, the reckless and impulsive son being the main hero in this book. The heroine here is Camille Rivera, a character we haven’t met before. She’s from the rougher side of the tracks and works harder than anyone to provide for her younger brother and father who is ill. After picking her brother up from a party full of drug dealer’s and gang members they’re pulled over by a corrupt policeman who blackmails Camille into imbedding herself into the drug scene to get information on the local drug dealer he can’t put into prison without evidence. Her two options are: get arrested and sent to prison for drug charges or do what the policeman say and gather information to aid in the investigation.
The two know each other from high school but are from two very different worlds. Nero grew up wealthy, not going without and had lots of family around him. Camilly grew up seeing her mother abandon her seeing her father work extremely hard to take care of and provide for his family, a role she took over after high school. Camille’s father previously did work for the Gallo family so they’re slightly acquainted when they see each other at that first party.
I feel books one and two provided darker heroes. I didn’t find Nero to be a ‘savage’. I think he was left out growing up and became reckless and impulsive in his behaviours. He wasn’t an unlikable character, but I preferred Callum and Mikolaj. Camille and Nero had great chemistry but there wasn’t as much of a development to their rrelationship and it was pretty ‘insta-love’.
The plot Mostly follows Camille trying to please the Corrupt cop make sure her brother does better to get into a good university, working in the family business and then this newfound relationship with Nero which is very quick and adds to her difficulties when the policeman thinks he can take down the Gallo family to make himself look better, rather than a lower level drug dealer.
For Nero he’s trying to prove himself among his family and their businesses. He plans to steal from a bank owned by a local business man that will provide enough revenue to achieve a property development his brother and father thinks is impossible. He becomes more intertwined with Camille and she offers to help with the job as she’s desperate for money.
The plot is fun, the side characters as always are fun to read. It just wasn’t my favourite in the series so far. I think it wasn’t as dark or as gritty as the previous two.
I look forward to reading about the next sibling – Dante Gallo. The eldest Gallo child and the broody dark one we see in books 1-3.
Thank you for the eARC!
This is definitely my favorite book in the series so far. It was fast but it felt like a natural progression to their relationship. I kind of loved that even though they were doing crazy stuff they still supported each other no matter what.
This was surprisingly low-angst in the romance department. In fact, it's quite insta-lovey. I looooved the characters, their love of cars and the heist plot-line. Great secondary plot as well, which wove in seemlessly with the main story line.
I just wish Nero and Camille's romance was a bit more developed. They just accepted their feelings for each other instantly and went straight ahead from there. Which I also kind of love, because it doesn't create any angst-y situations about their feelings for each other and whether or not it's love and they're both ready for it. But also I might just prefer having a bit more angst and I feel like the story and these characters might have warranted a bit more of that in this department.
Other than that, I have nothing to complain about Mrs Lark's writing, because she did it again, guys. She did it again!
Savage Lover was an intense read and my very first by Sophie Lark. I thoroughly enjoyed this Dark, coming of age story. It reminded me a lot of Fast and Furious. I loved the Mafia vibe.
I haven't read the other books in the series, so some parts did seem a little out of context but nothing that would disrupt the storyline. The plot was gritty and intense and kept me hooked from the beginning to the end!
I literally finished it in almost one sitting :)
3rd book in the series was a wild ride. Two gear heads finding love nowhere near they ever thought possible. Very spicy on car scene will set your eyes on fire. N is the hero C didn’t know she needed. He didn’t know he could be a hero, Crime and drama like all great mafia stories need. Loved the Smokey & the Bandit references as well. The art is another amazing part to the story. Can’t wait for book 3. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity.
I received an arc via Netgalley, and am leaving an honest review about the book. I’m thankful to the publisher and the author for giving me this wonderful opportunity!
First of all, I love Sophie Lark so much, so getting this book made me extremely happy. The second my request got approved, I was on it and devoured it instantly 🤧 Who wouldn’t, when it’s Sophie Lark’s book??
I didn’t enjoy it as much as I enjoyed book two (or the Sinners duet), but I absolutely adored Nero and Camille. I loved that Camille easily confided in Nero (even if it was the drug talking, which I’ll actually get to in a moment), considering in lots of books with a situation similar to this, the FMCs keep it to themselves. Then there’s a whole load of miscommunication and problems, and I really hate those. So Sophie doing this cleanly made me extremely happy.
AND there was no breakup arc, which was even better.
However, that drugged scene I was talking about? Yeah, that embarrassed the shit out of me. I was so mortified, I had to close my Kindle and take a breather for a few minutes. 😭😭 Anyway, I did love the book, considering how fast I inhaled it, so… we’re good here for sure.
I've actually never read a Sophie Lark book, but I was excited to read my first one! Overall, I think this was a great book. This was such a fun, hot, spicy romance and I love that it is a mafia romance, because this is one of my favorites. I think the pacing was a little off and the romance was slightly underdeveloped, but it was an adventure and a ride that I would recommend to others.
Camille Rivera is overwhelmed with life. Her father is sick, her brother is hanging out with the wrong crowd, and her mechanic shop is failing. After trying to save her brother from ruining his life, Camille gets roped into being a CI for a seedy cop. Nero is a psychopath who happens to be totally gorgeous and a total heart breaker. Nero saves Camille from some seriously sticky situations and she realizes she might not know all the parts of Nero. The more she learns the more dangerous it becomes because nothing is more dangerous than loving Nero Gallo.
This series got me addicted to mafia romances and I love every book I’ve read in this series so far. While I felt like the romance between Nero and Camille felt a bit rushed, the action in this book well made up for it. I devoured this book and had it finished in less than 24 hours. I think the character development was amazing and it was nice to read your Tom girl get the man. I feel like we are going to see the implications of what plays out in this book come to fruition in the next few books in this series and I can not wait.
To be honest everything Sophie writes I will love. Savage lover was no exception and I could not put this book down. It was hot, fun, and oh so spicy. It had me kicking my legs, giggling, and blushing. This was a very Fast and Furious type of book, which as a Fast fan, I loved it so much.
This book gripped me from start to finish and I could not be happier. I absolutely loved this book and will definitely be reading more from this series!
Thank you NetGalley for the eARC!