Bloody Heart by Sophie Lark is book 4 in the Brutal Birthright Series. This is the story of Dante and Simone. This is a interconnecting series so it does had to your enjoyment if you have read the previous books. This is the story of two people drawn to each other but are from different parts of society. Enjoyed this book and series.

Sophie Lark can do no wrong!! She knows exactly what she was doing when she wrote this series. She writes distinct characters, engaging plots, and very hot romance! Such a big fan of her writing and a big fan of the world Sophie is creating here!

I did not know too much going into this book, and I am so glad I gave it a shot! Sophie Lark is an incredible writer. This mafia romance has a perfect balance of action and spice. I could not get enough of Simone/Dante. I would highly recommend this book, and I am looking forward to the other books in this series.

Bloody Heart is the fourth book in the Brutal Birthright series by Sophie Lark. This time we follow eldest Gallo child, Dante and his whirlwind romance with Simone, a sheltered and obedient daughter desperate for a speck of freedom.
The two meet after Dante makes a getaway in a car that Simone is still in and instead of being afraid, the two immediately have a connection. Simone is obviously young here. Her temperament and behaviour suggests she’s a little naive and she jumps head first into her relationship with Dante who is the same but more mature and experienced.
The initial ‘before’ period of the book where the two are young lasts quite a while until a situation arises and the two part ways. We then see a drastic time jump where the two are a lot older with more experience and troubles in their lives. The animosity is clear but the pining is still there.
The over arching plot here is the belief that Simone’s father is being targeted by a sniper and the two try to figure out who’s behind it. This wasn’t my favourite Sophie Lark book. I’m remaining spoiler free and normally the trope is one I enjoy but it felt icky. Their initial separation was quite drastic with the control Simone’s parents had over her was extreme. I feel like their reunion was clouded by the sniper plot so one second they steered clear of one another and the next they were madly in love again with no consideration for anything else.
I hope Broken Vow reignites my initial love for these books.
Thank you for the eARC!

I didn’t realize that this was a re-release under a trad publisher. I’ve read and enjoyed several Sophie Lark books in the past, this one was kinda mediocre to me. I feel like the relationship was rushed, and we didn’t really get to know the characters. I also felt like there was too many plot points competing. The hidden pregnancy, the sniper, the father destroying evidence, the military sharpshooter plotline. It was mishmashed and didn’t feel very cohesive.
As always for Sophie Lark books, the spice was really good. There’s always a fine line where a book is either plot with porn or porn without plot. I tend to enjoy the first. Too much spice becomes repetitive, this book had a good balance and it was nice and saucy.

Bloody Heart started out so strong and I was completely enraptured as I’ve been looking forward to reading Dante’s story. The second chance romance aspect already had me very excited. I felt somewhat unfulfilled by the ending, however because the plot line felt very rushed and nothing came together the way that I was hoping it would. I also felt that Simone wasn’t particularly relatable and I didn’t enjoy reading about her nearly as much as I thought I would. This wasn’t my favorite in the series, but I’m still along for the ride!

Finally I'm back in the BB world. With Dante and Simone. Now there are a couple of characters in this that don't behave exactly as they should. One of those is Simone for sure. I mean I can see it a wee bit, but still, not even a wee bit of a grovel?? That said Dante and Simone have that soulmate level love that I can barely even comprehend and I love that for them. I enjoyed seeing past and present Griffin's and Gallo's even someone (or two Someone's) from books to come. A solid read.

Simone grew up privileged. As the daughter of a successful businessman turned diplomat, she has lived all over the world but now she is living in Chicago. Dante needs to make a quick getaway from a hotel and steals a car only to discover Simone in the backseat. The two of them start an ill-fated love affair that will make them suffer before finding happiness.

I went into this expecting it to be the story or young, dumb love and to some degree it was, but the author chose to go a slightly different route and I really enjoyed it. Both Simone and Dante had a lot of growing up to do before they could reasonably commit to other. I am not going to give any spoilers here, but I will say the author made some interesting choices and they worked well in the end. Both characters had good reasons for their actions throughout the story. I felt like the author made some really smart choices letting the characters make some good decisions and some bad decisions. There were some real emotional moments that made me feel so bad for the characters. There are excellent side characters that add to the story.

My one complaint was Simone's father and to some extent her mother. In an effort to avoid spoilers I won't say too much more except that a lot of Simone's pain came directly from their actions which led directly to Dante's suffering. Maybe I'm cruel but I want some suffering to be meted out.

This is a contemporary love story set mostly in Chicago. This story is all about family dynamics. I would strongly recommend reading the prior stories before reading this one because this story overlaps the prior stories. I will definitely read more from this author in the future. I would recommend this series to anyone looking for a series to read and who enjoys mob stories about family.

I have been really enjoying this series, but this one fell a little flat for me. It didn't really pique my interest until about 75% marker.
The writing style is great, the overall story was not my cup of tea. Also, I had some questions left unanswered. I wanted to know how her parents reacted at the end of the book.
Overall, not mad at it. But not my favorite of the series so far.
Thank you NetGalley for this ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

Bloody Heart is the fourth book in Sophie Lark's Brutal Brightright series. The book centers around Dante Gallo, a character that has fascinated me since I first encountered him in Brutal Prince. I was determined to read this book, and I am so glad I did because I loved it.

I enjoyed this one more than the previous two in the series because it brought back the mafia world, which was one of the reasons I liked the series in the first place. The book was filled with action and had a beautiful romance that gave me hope for the series again.

One thing I love about this series is that we get to see glimpses of previous characters as the books go on, which makes me feel connected to them. I especially love Aida's character.

Dante and Simone's relationship was fantastic. Their character development was well-done, and their romance was beautiful. While I was upset with Celeste for keeping a secret, I understood her decision.

Although I found the ending cute and well-deserved, I was a bit disappointed by how rushed it felt.

This book is one of my favorites from the series. If you enjoy second-chance romances, I highly recommend it.

Thank you to Bloom books and NetGalley for my e-ARC!

I’m embarrassed to say this is my first Sophie Lark book! I have seen these covers all over bookstagram so I put in a request and was thrilled when I was approved. After checking in with some friends, I was informed that the books in this series can be read as stand alone reads, so I didn’t mind this was the third in a series. Lark’s writing style was fresh, fast-paced, and full of angst and hot tension. I was immediately hooked from the opening meet-disaster and flew through this story. I lapped up the spicy parts and will absolutely go back and read the other books in this series! Lovers of open-door romantic suspense dark-ish romance will love this series!

I don't know what kind of drugs Sophie Lark put in this book, but I inhaled it. I was hooked from the jump. As the previous books, the story was easy to follow, it was well written and a fast read (I have read all books in this series within a day).

You also know it's a good book when it has one of your least favorite tropes, but you don't even mind it. Mostly because the tension and angst was top tier. I really enjoyed the entire book, it could have been a bit longer with some more standing up to parents moments (I'm looking at you Simone) but as long as they're happy, I'm happy.

All that's left for me to say is that Dante is a marshmallow who deserves the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Disclaimer: I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Publication date: November 28, 2023

Bloody Heart is the fourth instalment of the Brutal Birthright mafia romance series by Sophie Lark. I have read the first three and absolutely loved them. I was really looking forward to Dante Gallo’s story but was a bit disappointed in the chemistry between Dante and Simone.

Dante Gallo is the oldest sibling of the Gallo family. One of the main mafia families in the series (Gallo’s are the Italian family and Griffen are the Irish. Both families intertwine throughout the series). In the earlier books, Dante is brooding and miserable as the author eludes to something that happened many years ago making him that way.

Dante meets Simone Solomon when he steals the town car she is in the back seat of. Not realizing there was someone else there, Dante is need of a quick escape and ends up taking the car she is in. After a searing kiss they are desperate to see each other again.

We are treated to a whirlwind spicy romance between Dante and Simone. Simone’s parents absolutely forbid her to see Dante and end up making her move to another country.

Nine years pass and Simone is set to come back to Chicago for work. She has a secret she has kept from Dante and hopes she doesn’t run into him while she’s in his city for a short period of time. Of course they run into each other and their spark is still clearly there but they have unfinished business from nine years ago.

I love this series but so far, this is my least favourite couple story. While it had the same spicy relationship I have come to LOVE from this author, the chemistry and back story didn’t sit well with me. This is a three star for me and it will not prevent me from reading the next instalment, I can’t wait!!

#NetGalley #sophielark #bloodyheart

Sophie Lark is at it again. Her writing style is really nice, and I have thoroughly enjoyed the books that I've been reading from her. Every story is different even if some are set in the same world. Nothing seems over done or over used which is really nice. Thank you NetGalley for an arc of this book.

There was something about Simone Solomon and Dante Gallo's romance that felt like a bittersweet love story with some Romeo and Juliet vibes.

Their meet cute story involves a stolen limo driven by a tough mafioso and a sweet, sheltered rich girl hiding in the back. The chemistry between these two is instant and hotter than hot, and I loved everything about it.

If one thing annoyed me about 'Bloody Heart', it was the way Simone's parents treated her. They were too controlling in every aspect of her life. Their rules felt so suffocating that I understood her desperation to escape and live on her own.

Maybe it was me, but I breezed through this book quickly. Of course,
it's another great read by Sophie Lark.

I love second chance romances. There’s something about two people who shared a moment in time and somehow weren’t able to hang on to that getting a second bite at the apple. In Bloody Heart, we get to see the eldest of the Gallo siblings getting his HEA and it did not disappoint.

No one can deny that Dante Gallo is rough around the edges. But even so, he is a fierce son and brother, loving, caring, protective, impulsive, and obsessive. Simone, on the other hand, is a polished jewel. The youngest daughter to a diplomat father, Simone is shy, sheltered, sensitive, and unassumingly seductive.

One fateful night, Dante needs a getaway vehicle and ends up stealing a car he didn’t realize held Simone in the back seat. This random meeting throws the two of them into a whirlwind love affair that burns bright and fast. With their lives on seemingly different paths, the two lovers are torn apart.

Years later, Dante and Simone are thrust into each others orbits again. What ensues is an emotional rollercoaster of a story as the couple finds their way back to each other. This story was steamy and sweet, heartbreaking and angsty. Highly recommend.

In love with this series. Dante was great in this book. I enjoy second chance romances and enjoyed how hard and fast they fell for each other.

It has the perfect amount of angst and loved them together. There were a couple of questions still to answer which felt a bit unfinished, but on the whole it was an enjoyable read and can't wait to read her next ones!

I voluntarily received an arc for this book. All opinions are my own.

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

I love Sophie Lark. The Sinners duet for me was absolute dark romance perfection and this series is also very promising. This book is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone.
There are many things I love about Sophie Lark's books because I can't find them anywhere else. This book has them all. I love the illustrations and I love the soundtrack. Both these things make her books almost cinematic. The third thing I love most is the spice. This is because the steamy scenes are so original, so filthy and so human that you feel like you haven't read anything like them before. In any other books I feel like the spicy scenes could be interchangeable and that they all follow the same patterns over and over again.
Dante and Simone work seamlessly as a couple. They are opposites-atttract, good girl/bad boy, second chance, POC representation goodness.
The story is sweet and tragic and heart-breaking and absolutely riveting. I love second chance romance more than any other trope possibly, and I love to see the beginning of the journey (otherwise I am not as invested) so this ticked all my boxes.

The voice of the chapters doesn’t feel distinct and I wasn’t really getting into the story about cocaine and a drug cartel. I stopped after chapter 2 (7%). Not totally my thing. I will keep trying, though. Lark's writing is snappy and accessible, so I understand why she’s popular.

Thank you to NetGalley and Sourcebooks for the ARC.

I LOVE SOPHIE LARK AND THIS BOOK WAS INCREDIBLE.

Bloody Heart is an amazing book fileld with twists and turns, and I loved every second of it.