I received an ARC copy of Savage Lover in exchange for an honest review through NetGalley.

Sophie Lark’s Savage Lover introduces Camille and Nero, Camille the eldest daughter of a car mechanic - and running most of her dad’s business in working class Chicago. The male lead, Nero is as bad as it gets, unapologetic, and devilishly handsome (the traditional tall, dark, handsome and brooding male lead of New Adult series). Savage Lover emulates many of the books from its genre, bickering dialogue between the main leads, highly detailed love scenes, and an unattainable, but suddenly vulnerable male love interest. Camille and Nero don’t really stand out in the scope of the genre, falling into similar tropes of the “hard female lead” and “even harder male lead”. But the book is an easy read and a good distraction.

This couple was a little different from the other couples in the series, and although it was a pretty slow read I loved that it gave me Fast and Furious vibes. Loved both Camille's and Nero's personalites.

I definitely expected a bit more angst and anger but wasn't let down by the story at all. It definitely had more plot than the other in my opinion.
It was fast paced, stakes were high, and it was just ✨️fun✨️
The only downside for me was I felt the romance was slightly underdeveloped and as mentioned previously I was expecting a bit more angst but I still absolutely loved it.

Thank you to Sophie Lark, SOURCEBOOKS Bloom Books, and NetGalley for giving me an ARC in exchange for an honest review-- all opinions are my own.

'Savage Lover' is a mafia romance story set in a series, but can be read as a standalone. I read it as a standalone and didn't feel like I was missing out on any parts of the story or plot, which was nice. I also enjoyed the female lead character and her motivations for supporting her father and brother. It took me a little bit to get into the book, I was excited for the mafia vibes. Unfortunately, I didn't really get that. It felt a lot like a high school romance novel with the way characters spoke and acted. It kind of surprised me to find out they were in their mid-twenties. Another thing that bothered me was that the romance between the two main characters was very out of nowhere. I feel like we didn't get a lot of time to see it develop and suddenly they are completely in love. It wasn't horrible, I just wish we had more interactions. This is a quick and enjoyable read for those who enjoy mafia romance vibes. I might try to read some of the other books because the other characters introduced did seem interesting.

I loved this book! The third in the series, but can still be read as a standalone. I’ve read the first two, and this one is by far my favorite! Sophie Lark is a flat out goddess!! ❤️❤️

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC copy!

Savage Lover is the third book in this series and Sophie Lark is staying strong. Although I do feel like I loved the first two more I still really enjoyed falling in love wit Camille and Nero's story and following along with their story. I possibly feel like this one could be more for slightly younger audiences as it felt less like a dark romance but I still really enjoyed reading this and can't wait to see what comes next.

Third in this series, the story was refreshing, it felt less mafia & more normal? It had less angst than the first two books in the series. I think I still preferred the two previous books to this one, but it wasn't a terrible read. Some of the drama between the MMC and FMC was extremely juvenile which took away from the story.

I had the opportunity to read an ARC version of "Savage Lover" by Sophie Lark, and while it had its moments, I found myself with mixed feelings about the book.

First and foremost, Sophie Lark's writing style is engaging, and she knows how to create chemistry between her characters. The premise of the story, with its blend of romance and suspense, held promise, and there were certainly some steamy and intense scenes that added depth to the characters' connections.

However, there were aspects of the book that left me wanting more. For one, the pacing felt uneven. At times, the story dragged on with unnecessary details and inner monologues that didn't contribute significantly to the plot's progression. This made it challenging to stay fully engaged with the narrative.

Additionally, while the characters had potential, I felt they lacked the depth and development needed to make me truly invested in their journeys. The protagonists had interesting backgrounds and complexities, but their actions sometimes felt inconsistent with their personalities. I would have appreciated more nuanced character development to make their choices and motivations more believable.

Furthermore, the plot, while intriguing in parts, had moments that felt a bit contrived and predictable. I was hoping for more unexpected twists and turns to keep me on the edge of my seat, but it often felt like the story followed a well-worn path of romance tropes.

That being said, I do believe there is potential in Sophie Lark's storytelling abilities. With some refinement in pacing, character development, and plot execution, her future works could undoubtedly shine even brighter.

In conclusion, "Savage Lover" had its moments of excitement and passion, but it left me craving more depth and unpredictability in both the characters and the storyline. It's a decent start to what could evolve into a captivating series with some adjustments. If you enjoy romance with a touch of suspense and don't mind a slower pace, this book might still be worth your time. I'll be interested to see how Sophie Lark's writing evolves in her future endeavors.

So excited to read Nero’s story at first but it just didn’t really meet my expectations. I expect Nero to be wild, unpredictable and unexpected but it just feels so flat:((( Camille on the other hand, interesting characters, she struggles a lot growing up but still growing up to be a decent human being before all of the hiccups. Lots of info dump at the end, like it’s not really finish(?) or maybe it open up for future plot for the next book, maybe?

Still enjoy reading this book a lot, will keep checking out the rest of this series!!

Thank you NetGalley and Sourcebooks and Bloom Books for the opportunity to read this book! Y’all at this point I will read whatever Sophie writes. She has me HOOKED! I loved getting to know Nero more in this book and Camilla is amazing! I’m so excited to read the next one!

This book was billed as a 'bully mafia romance' but the only bully was a classmate and not the MMC (thankfully).

Camille has always worked hard and done the right thing. When her younger brother gets in trouble, she lies to cover for him and finds herself blackmailed into working as an informant and tangled up in a web of drug dealers, street racing, heists, and revenge. Nero feels like the forgotten child in his family. He's not the heir, the sports star, or the favorite. He's impulsive and unpredictable, and feels unworthy of love.

After bumping into each other at a party, Camille and Nero can't seem to stay away from the other. They seem like opposites, but what if the other is exactly who they need?

Sophie Lark called this 'James Dean meets Fast and the Furious' and I would have to agree. The driving and get away scenes were so fun to read. Savage Lover was surprisingly sweet given both its title and genre. It was the most emotional book of the series thus far and my favorite. There was something so satisfying about Camille being the girl almost-next door but seemingly a world away from Nero when he was the other half of her soul.

This is a book I would definitely read again.

I enjoyed reading about Camille and Nero but didn't care about most of the side characters, apart from her dad and brother.

Savage Lover was definitely my favourite plot wise from the series so far and the spice was excellent, only thing that let it down slightly was that I was expecting Nero to be a lot more brutal than he actually was in this book.

Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶

I have been struggling to categorize this book, but my best assessment is that it reads like an anime book, illustrations and all. As such, it is ambitious but falls far short of the mark; it’s juvenile, frustrating, and relies on great swaths of the reader suspending disbelief. In another writer’s hands, this might’ve happened, especially if they leaned into the hyper realism of Sin City or any of Frank Miller’s works. Instead, it’s hokey, filled with overdone archetypes: the Girl Who Isn’t Like the Other Girls, the too cool, aloof lead who’s a Lothario until just the right woman shoes up, the over ambitious cop out for revenge, blackmail, and in the middle of it all, a completely incredulous heist.
Having read other romantic/suspense and books with morally grey leads, this is a poor substitute for the JT Geissingers or Lisa Renee Joneses of the genre.
I received a free advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Savage Lover is book three in the Brutal Birthright series by Sophie Lark. I think I liked this one just as much or more than book one, which had been my favorite of the series so far. (Thank you to the publisher for my advance review copy.)

In Savage Lover, Camille Rivera, a 23 year old mechanic working at her dad's run-down auto shop, keeps running into Nero Gallo, a walking hazard of a human, an old classmate of hers and the son of an infamous mafia head. Camille is in over her head with a cop who's stalking her and blackmailing her into being a confidential informant. So now she's also selling drugs, trying to get the information he's demanding. Nero is having his own problems with the same cop, much to his chagrin. Nero suddenly sees Camille with new eyes--and they fall hard and fast for each other, without really meaning to. And together, they may just be able to shake the pesky cop and come out on top.

The story sounds simple on the surface, but reading it, it felt alive and electric and utterly compelling. Fast-paced, laced with danger, and dripping with sex, it's a wild ride of a time.

Savage Lover, the third book in Sophie Lark’s Brutal Birthright series…

This novel was a decent read. I feel a little mislead by the title, as it turns out that the MMC, Nero, isn’t really all that …savage? In fact, I think the FMC and Nero’s love interest, Camille, was much more savage. Nero ended up being a reformed fuckboy that liked to get into nasty fights, work on and race cars and prided himself in being emotionally closed off to everyone and everything (until Camille.) Camille is the real savage, the shit she endures and has to put up with? The weight and burden she shoulders on her own? Savage.

The plot had potential, the racing aspect could have been developed a lot more as well as the relationship between Camille and Nero. I just didn’t find the dynamic incredibly believable. The story got off to a pretty slow start but the plot took off a bit about midway. For being forced to be a CI, Camille sure wasn’t involved with Schultz much. The heist was anti climatic, it pretty much went off perfectly with the exception of the security guard but Dante saved the day and Camille was a few seconds late after Sione bounced his knuckles off her forehead…and everyone lives happily ever after. Even that asshole, Shultz.

I haven’t read either of the other novels in this series and honestly, I don’t really feel the need to.

I received an advanced reader copy and am leaving my review voluntarily.

Ahhh this book was so wholesome and slow-burn and swoony 🥲 he's feral-sunshine but soft for her, and she's detached-grumpy but feral for him, you'll get it once you read the book 😭 the book legit flowed so well, I couldn't really feel the time passing.

TWs - parent with cancer (but he gets cured), death of parent seen by a child (past and narrated in present), general violence, drugs

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

i will say right of the bat i wish this book had more connection between the characters cause it just didn’t feel like enough for me. i enjoyed the plot and it was more on the wholesome side of mafia but i just wish there was more moments between the characters so i could feel the romance between them. but i couldn’t.

i do love nero but i don’t know. this book was doing it for me as much as i wanted it to. i liked how much of a family person camille was and i even felt a connection at the beginning with cars and how that’s a bond she has with her dad but after a while she felt too similar to aida for me which i should like since i loved aida in brutal prince but for this i wanted something more.

i guess that’s all i can really say for this book sadly is that i wanted more but i can’t quite pinpoint as to what exactly. i’ll definitely be reading the other ones but for this i’d just give it 3 stars.

Thank you NetGalley, Sourcebooks, and Bloom for this arc!

This book took a while for me to get into but once I did I was hooked! I really like Camilla and her stubborn nature. It was really cool getting a look into Nero's mind as well. Really looking forward to the next one!

Savage Lover is the third book in the Brutal Birthright series, a dark and steamy mafia romance that follows the lives of the Gallo family. In this book, we meet Nero Gallo, who loves working on cars and living on the edge. He has a reputation as a heartbreaker and a troublemaker, and he doesn't care what anyone thinks of him. He meets Camille, a mechanic who grew up poor and has a lot of secrets. She is in danger from a corrupt cop who wants to use her for his own gain, and she needs Nero's help to get out of it. But Nero is not a hero, he's a savage lover who will make her pay for his protection.

The book is fast-paced and full of action, suspense, and passion. The chemistry between Nero and Camille is explosive, and they have some very hot scenes together. The author does a good job of creating a gritty and realistic mafia world, with violence, betrayal, and loyalty. The characters are well-developed and have their own flaws and strengths. Nero is arrogant, reckless, and possessive, but he also has a soft spot for Camille and his family. Camille is strong, smart, and independent, but she also has a vulnerable side and a lot of guilt. They both have to overcome their pasts and their fears to find their happy ending.

Overall, Savage Lover is an entertaining and enjoyable read for fans of dark and sexy mafia romance. It has a lot of drama, action, and heat, but it also has some sweet and tender moments. It can be read as a stand-alone, but it might be better to read the previous books in the series first to get more background on the characters and the story. I give this book 3 out of 5 stars. It's not necessarily a book I'd go back and reread, it was still enjoyable.