I was so excited to read this because I love her other series. This one was just not for me. I didn’t love the characters and felt like something was missing.

This is a good second chance romance and this one was angsty. I haven't read anything else in this series and I did feel like I was missing out by not having that additional background. This one also had some serious insta-love, but if that's your cup of tea, I think you'll enjoy it. The writing was well done, I just felt like I was missing pieces that I needed to fully enjoy the book.

I don’t think I’ll be able to properly review because I could not finish. This book wasn’t meant for me and that’s okay. It was well written but I just didn’t click with it.

Meet Simone, the FMC who is absolutely gorgeous and the MMC Dante , who I’ll just describe him as a hot tamale . I loved The mafia vibes and the obsession between the two characters. Overall I enjoyed The book. I think 2nd chance romances are hard for authors to pull off right and this one was written beautifully. I’d definitely recommend it. Thank you to NetGalley and Sophie Lark for the arc copy.

Bloody Heart took me on a roller coaster of emotions. I loved the chemistry between Dante and Simone. Surprisingly, this was a book that I didn’t mind the whole insta love trope. It was very believable that these two spent a summer falling madly in love at such a young age. It starts out as a forbidden romance. The second half of the book is 9 years after the first half. This is where the second chance romance trope comes into play. I wish we could’ve seen a bit more of them getting to know each other again in the second half. I didn’t love certain aspects of the ending. I was left with some unanswered questions. Regardless of those things I was invested in the story and couldn’t put it down.

Thank you NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley & Sourcebooks Bloom for an ARC of this book, in exchange for my honest opinion.

Wow, this was my first book I’ve read in the series, and I was just blown away. I simply could not put this book down. I kept telling myself one more chapter, but I was so enraptured with the story I couldn’t stop reading. My only regret about reading it so fast, is that now it’s over. To fuel my book hangover I got the minute I finished this, I’m looking forward to diving into the other books in the series. (Other characters from the series were in this book, but I think this could be read as a SA, as I did).

Dante & Simone have a love story for the ages! It starts off a bit like Romeo & Juliet, after they spend the summer falling in love. But when Simone introduces Dante to her family, just as she suspected they don’t approve of him and his family’s Mafia business. They lock Simone away, and prevent her from continuing to see Dante. The worst experience of her life turns even more upsetting when she finds out she is pregnant, and her family sends her away.

Then the book picks back up nine years later, where a chance of fate brings Dante and Simone back together in Chicago where they fell in love that summer. But it’s been nine years, and Simone has a son by Dante that he never knew about. And there’s still the issue of her family disliking Dante. It seems like the odds are stacked against them again, and when Simone finally decides to come clean with Dante another tragedy strikes. The two will have to claw their way out of another mess if they want a chance to be together again, this time as a family.

The storyline, the characters, the spice, the action. Everything about this story was just chefs kiss! If you’re looking for a new Mob romance with a dreamy man who will move heaven and earth for the girl he loves, this is the one. PICK IT UP AND START READING!

I made the mistake of not reading the rest of the series before this book.... but i am excited to say that I will be picking it up after my seasonal reads -and I will update my goodreads when it is more understanding for me
rating as of right now - 3 out of 5

I so badly wanted to like this one... but I didn't. There was just so much going on and not in a good way. The best part was seeing Aida again!!! My girl!

Too many tropes, too many elements to the plot, and far too little connection between Dante and Simone. I expected so much more to their reunion after 9 years apart.

Spoiler alert...

I absolutely hate pregnancy tropes. Can't stand them. But I persevered.... and I regret it. Because then what do we have? ANOTHER PREGNANCY. Begging Simone to get a hobby besides being hot and getting knocked up

"I’m sure it’s true . . . I’m fertile right now. Ovulating. Biologically driven to mate with this man who is the biggest, strongest, and most ferocious that I’ve ever seen."

“You want my baby?” he grunts in my ear. “You want to carry my child?” “Yes,” I moan.

Almost dnf'd at 95% over these two quotes specifically and I truly should have. This one was not it!!!!

I really enjoyed this book. For some reason, every book in this series I can’t put it down and I just fly through them. I loved the chemistry between Simone and Dante. I loved how Dante was Simone’s first everything. I found all those steamy moments to be so hot! I liked the story line and how they reconnected after years apart. I think you would need to read the previous books in this series to understand more of Dante since the pacing is pretty fast and you don’t get much from the 9 years time jump. I found it really sweet how Dante interacts with his son, Henry. I felt like the surprised baby trope was written well in this book. I even liked how the suspense at the end was written since I wasn’t the biggest fan with the last book. My only annoyance was with Simone’s parents. I was so pissed at how they didn’t care about her feelings or her needs. To the point where they walk all over her and send her into depression.

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Second chance romance
War Vet hero
Protective hero
Virgin heroine
Surprise baby
A bit of suspense

This was definitely one of my hottest reads of the month!

Simone’s essentially a princess trapped in her father’s cage. Her only duty is to fulfill his plans for her, starting with Cambridge.

Dante is rough around the edges and not what Simone’s father has carefully penned into his plans. After stealing her family’s car-with her in it-both of their lives are turned upside down.

This second chance romance was HOT. I couldn’t put it down. The plot was thrilling from start to finish. A must read for anyone who enjoys mafia romance, second chance romance, military, bi racial couples, pregnancy themes and tropes.

I was excited to read this as I really like the premise. I feel like this book could have been amazing, but it fell short for me. It needed more character development. I felt like there was unnecessary extra thrown in when it could have been used to add more to them, especially in the beginning.
I liked the very beginning. It pulled me in, but after their first meeting, it all felt rushed. She just said they talked, but we didn't see it or therefore feel it. I'm just a bit sad as I feel like this could have been excellent with a little good editing.

i absolutely adored this whole series! Sophie larks writing will captivate you by the first page. I absolutely love dante’s and simone’s forbidden relationship even if they are completely wrong for each other at first!
mafia // touch her and you die // morally grey mmc // SPICY

Every book I've read from Sophie Lark has been absolutely amazing! Nothing below 4 stars and always utterly captivating! I don't always love the second chance trope but this book has done it justice. Dante and Simone were everything and amazing! They aren't my fave couple but definitely lovely. I love how they found their way back to each other. I absolutely loved how each of the siblings and their significant others pop up in each of the books. I really loved this book and gave it 4 stars. Thank you Sophie Lark for writing this series!

📖 𝘽𝙡𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙮 𝙃𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩 𝙗𝙮 𝙎𝙤𝙥𝙝𝙞𝙚 𝙇𝙖𝙧𝙠 🫀

“𝙸’𝚖 𝚜𝚎𝚠𝚗 𝚝𝚘 𝚑𝚒𝚖 𝚍𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚖𝚢 𝚜𝚔𝚒𝚗. 𝙼𝚢 𝚑𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚝 𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚌𝚑𝚎𝚜𝚝, 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚖𝚒𝚗𝚎. 𝙸 𝚜𝚎𝚎 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚒𝚍𝚎 𝚘𝚏 𝚑𝚒𝚖. 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚜 𝚖𝚎.”

Wow! This book begins as a Romeo and Juliet retelling. Simone and Dante could not come from two more different worlds. Simone is the daughter of a foreign diplomat, who has grown up as the dutiful sister and heir. Dante is the eldest son to the Italian mafia’s don. He isn’t afraid to walk the line between legal and illegal activities for his families empire. When Dante unknowingly steals a car with Simone in the backseat they have the most unconventional meet-cute! From that first encounter they are drawn to each other. They begin a whirlwind summer romance behind Simone’s family’s backs. When their worlds collide and doubts and insecurities are prayed upon by their families, Simone and Dante are forced apart. Nine years later, they are thrown back together when an unknown threat starts targeting their loved ones. Dante has been waiting for her for nearly a decade, but will secrets Simone is carrying change his love for her?

This was probably my favorite book in the Brutal Birthright series so far. The insta-love between Simone and Dante was crazy but I could believe in their feelings. At one point I wanted to throw my kindle across the room. The author does a great job of making your heart break along with the characters. The amount of suspense the ending had left my body so anxious! I really did not know what was going to happen! 🤯 The happy ending was beautiful, and I loved how involved all of our favorite characters from previous books were in this story!

The spice in this book was wild! The last spicy scene was a little awkward in my opinion but I liked everything else! Spice level: 4🌶️

I am enamored by Raylan and I cannot wait for his story with Riona! Broken Vow is going to be great!

Tropes: insta-love, Romeo & Juliet retelling, second chance romance, mafia romance, time jump, crawl to me 🫠, former military, spicy romance

Thank you NetGalley for my copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. 🩶

ARC Review: 3/5 ⭐️


Not sure how I felt about this book.. Probably not one of my favorite reads, but the plot was still okay. I did like the romance/steamy aspect, but I just couldn’t really get into the rest of the book. I enjoy Sophie’s writing, however, this was not a full 5/5 ⭐️ for me.

Thank you to the author, Sophie Lark, and NetGalley for allowing me read this book.

This was such a beautiful and enjoyable read. I loved this book and highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys this genre. Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sophie Lark has done it again. Wow. This story was a rollercoaster ride from beginning to end that kept me happily on the edge of my seat the entire time. Dante and Simone were fiery, daring, and heartbreaking in a way that had me enthralled in their story, compelled to know more and more. Further, the preluding couples to this book were embedded throughout in a way that makes them even more impossible to resist, and even more likeable now that they've found their own forevers; I loved seeing how they all intertwined. The plot in this book had the best twists and turns, was very well-written, and was overall very easy to follow and made me forget I was even reading. I would highly recommend this book, and this entire series, to those looking for a beautifully-done dark romance written by an equally exhilarating author.

Dante Gallo is the son of a mafioso, and Simone Solomon is the daughter of a wealthy businessman. They come from two different worlds. Dante and Simone meet and instantly share a connection. But fate intervenes and separates the two lovers. Sparks fly when they reconcile in Chicago. Besides, Simone is hiding a big secret from Dante. Will they find their way back to each other?

I liked Dante, not quite sure how I feel about Simone. I thought she could’ve done better although considering the situation, maybe she did the best she could. I adored Aida and Raylan, who added some wholesomeness to the story. Dante is broody and brave, and Simone’s quiet and shy.

I got a little bored after the halfway point in this book. I was also more invested in the characters than the plot. The other subplots weren't engaging. The book could've been about Simone and Dante rather than the action subplots. I wasn’t a fan of the tropes in this book. I can't reveal much without spoiling.

I would recommend Bloody Heart by Sophie Lark to dark mafia romance genre book readers. ARC provided by Source Bloom Books and Sophie Lark via Netgalley. Thank you.

★★★ - 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰

Bloody Heart by Sophie Lark
Standalone
༘Spoiler free ༘
⭐️3/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ as spicy as it gets (i will be honest this was way too spicy to me so i had to skip over the spice portions, my review will be plot based but please know there were more than 5 explicit scenes.)
Adult, Romance, Contemporary
Dual POV
➳ Second-Chance Romance
➳ Mafia
➳ Forbidden Romance
➳ Betrayal
➳ Military
➳ Guaranteed HEA

This romance kept the tension high and the emotions were even higher. This is a story of second chances and forbidden love that takes you on a rollercoaster of passion and intrigue. The connection between the characters was electric, forbidden and irresistible! The storytelling is charged with passion and desire, making the chemistry between characters sizzle. The book did a good job of capturing the push and pull of the emotions as they navigate secrets and mistakes. I feel like the second chance aspect of the story adds depth and intrigue, because you can see that Simone and Dante have both grown over the years but yet their connection is as powerful as ever.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

4/5 stars