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.

I loved this book so much, I devoured it. Loved the writing it was such a quick read for me definitely recommend

This book is 🔥

You can expect:
▪️Mafia
▪️Scorching chemistry between the main pairing
▪️Second chance romance
▪️Forbidden romance
▪️Secret baby trope
▪️Mysteries investigated
▪️Family drama
▪️Angst and miscommunication

Some of my thoughts:
📍Sophie Lark can write one heck of an addictive, one sitting, romance!

📍This book is a fast burn and has a fast pace! It was a bit too fast and insta-lovey for me personally but the angst caused by their separation did make up for it!

📍Dante and Simone are an unexpected delight. From two totally different worlds they still managed to captive me. I was always rooting for them right from their very first, very unconventional meeting!

📍The added sketches and music touches only improve the reading experience! Another winner!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

*downloads further titles* by Sophie Lark…. Fantastic author- one I wish I’d read before now. Although part of a series, I was pleased to discover it can be read as stand alone. Highly recommend this, for readers of, utter chemistry that leaps off the pages
Thank you for the early access ⭐️

Omg what a ride! I loved this book so much! I’m loving this series! I don’t want it to end!!!! Once I start reading I can’t put this down!
Thank you to netgalley for proving me with an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for a review. All thoughts and feelings are my own.

I have been loving this series so much and this next instalment sure throws readers for a loop, with so many things I was not expecting.

Check out my more detailed thoughts below…
Characters: The Gallo this instalment centers around is Dante Gallo and his second chance at love with Simone Soloman. I enjoyed these characters but I was not as invested as I have been. I did struggle with some of Simone’s choices, I do not want to give too much detail to avoid spoilers, but she was put in some difficult situations. Dante not holding that against her too much is indicative of what a great guy he was. He was easy to fall for and I loved reading all his interactions with his siblings.
Setting: Sophie Lark’s mafia world is set in Chicago, and it does feel like coming home to a cast of characters that I love.
Pacing: I just find these books so incredibly easy to fly through. This story is told in two parts, with a significant time jump in between. I was enraptured by the first part especially and how the characters met got me intrigued right from the start. This is paced so quickly though that at times it sure helps you read fast, but I did wonder if there were parts of the story that could have been flushed out a bit more.
Romance: From the moment Dante and Simone meet in the most unlikely of circumstances I was cheering them on. I adored their early courtship, the sneaking out to see each other and of course the scaling of the balcony such a classic. Sophie Lark writes incredibly hot people, in hot scenes, with perfect accompanying art from Line Maria Eriksen. After being so attached to the characters in the first part of the book, naturally I was so invested in their second chance not just at love but at family.

I've been so excited to read Dante's story, and it did not disappoint! It's as big and bold as the man himself.

"I don't know how to be charming to a woman in the best of circumstances, let alone when I've accidentally kidnapped one."

Only Dante could find the love of his life in the backseat of a car he stole. She's cultured, shy, and is as drawn to him as he is to her. They have such a pure love even though the things he gets her to do are dirty with a capital D! He shows her how a man worships a woman, and I couldn't help but snuggle into my blanket with a giant smile on my face while reading this.

"I've been wandering around for nine years with only half my soul. I never thought I'd be whole again."

And then it happened...THE TIME LAPSE! I was devastated. I had no idea this was a second chance romance, but worry not. The end is worth it! The love Dante and Simone share could level mountains. A few years apart doesn't ruin it.

I felt so bad for both of them during several scenes in this. He loved her so much that he sacrificed his own health on multiple occasions to get to her. And is scared her. I just wanted to hug them both!

Bloody Heart is the sweetest book in the Brutal Birthright series so far. There's so much delicious pining and little gestures that will make you swoon! The stakes are high, as usual, and the end will have you cheering!

Thank you, Bloom Books and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

4 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for sending me and advanced copy of this book!
This is another solid installment in the brutal birthright series. While I thought Simone and Dante were cute, I enjoyed seeing other relationships and side characters more, like Callum and Aida as a married couple and Riona and Dante’s friendship. Simone and Dante were into some freaky shit, so watch out for that. In all I think my problem with these books so far is I think they are a bit surface level and can dive a bit deeper into the story and relationships. But I will say this book has me absolutely HYPED for Riona and Raylan’s book, I think it is going to be my favourite

If combustible chemistry is your jam then definitely get this book ! Yes its part of a series with characters from previous books but it absolutely works as a standalone. This couple have so much against them but boy do they deserve happiness. I'm not a huge reader of contemporary romance but this author has hit my radar and I regret nothing. Passion that deserves a capital P !
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This was such a great continuation of this series! Dante and Simone have amazing chemistry and their story was a fun ride of surprises, secrets, crime, and so much more. I loved the secret child storyline, I feel like they are rarely done anymore and I love them so much that this one just hit the spot.

Simone is such a strong character from the start and I love that we continue to see her growth throughout the story. Dante is a man obsessed and it works perfectly with how Simone feels about him!

Thank you to Sophie Lark, NetGalley, and Bloom Books for an eARC of Bloody Heart!

This was my third Sophie Lark book. I have found that in general her books are quick reads. The plot moves swiftly, the text is easy to consume, and the spice is decent.

I really like how this series connects. I read Savage Lover first, so understood a bit about Dante's back story and it was nice to come in understanding the Gallo/Griffin family dynamics and understand references to plot points and characters which make appearances throughout the series.

This book in particular had great character development, not just for the main characters, but also for the side characters. I felt like we got more insight into Callum, Aida, Seb, and even Nero. I thought the intense love between Dante and Simone was well covered. It was a quick summer romance, but neither of them ever experienced anything as intense again - and the intensity was SPICY! I would have loved to see more development with Henry and see Dante being a dad to the son he always wanted, but maybe that will come in some of the other books. I'm definitely interested to read Raylan and Riona's story after their brief interaction at the end of the book.

SPOILERS AHEAD!

With that being said, there were a few points that didn't get wrapped up as well as I would have liked. What happened to Christian's body? Why didn't the police come and interrogate the group after a gunshot wound in the hospital? Did Simone's parents approve of her relationship with Dante in the end? Did her parents know where Henry was and not to worry? Did they call the police when Henry and Simone never came back? What happened to the creepy pedo dude (I forget his name right now..)

There were wayyyy too many loose ends specific to this book that I have a hard time imagining they will get wrapped up in other books in the series.

Additionally, the final spicy scene threw me for a loop. Dante and Simone hadn't even talked about their future together and she was asking him to literally put another baby in her. I just find it hard to believe that someone like Simone, who had her life ripped from under her during her first pregnancy, would make a decision like that in the moment without taking into consideration her current child and her career.

I do wish I could say that the plot holes and unfinished plot points are the only criticism I have because I do find Lark's books to be quick palette cleansers when trying to fill reading space after a heavy book, but unfortunately that is not the case. As with her other books, I often find her writing a bit lacking. When looking for a romance, I'm not looking for something super thought provoking. But I do wish there was more complexity to Lark's writing. I can't quite put my finger on it, but her writing is very simple. This is not necessarily a bad thing - like I said, I enjoy the plot. I just often find myself wanting a little more out of the writing.

Overall - with the unfinished plot elements and the quality of writing, I would give this book 3. It will entertain you, but it won't turn your world upside down.

Happy reading!