Bloody Heart is the fourth book in the Brutal Birthright series by Sophie Lark, but it can be read as a standalone. It is a second chance mafia romance that will make you feel a range of emotions, from anger to sorrow to joy.

I enjoyed this book a lot, because it had a lot of drama, suspense, action, and steam. The characters were well-developed and complex, and I liked how they grew and changed throughout the story. Simone was a strong and brave heroine, who had to face a lot of challenges and sacrifices. Dante was a fierce and protective hero, who had a soft spot for Simone and his family. Their chemistry was off the charts, and their love scenes were hot and intense. The plot was fast-paced and engaging, and it kept me on the edge of my seat. The writing style was smooth and captivating, and the author did a great job of creating a vivid and realistic world of the mafia.

I gave this book 4 stars, because I thought it was a great read, but I also had some issues with it. One was the amount of angst and miscommunication that the main characters had, which sometimes frustrated me and made me want to shake them. I also wished that the epilogue was longer and more satisfying, because I wanted to see more of their happy ending.

Overall, I would recommend this book to anyone who likes mafia romances, second chance romances, and emotional roller coasters. It is a well-written and entertaining book that will make you feel and root for the characters.

This is my first Sophie Lark and maybe it's my bad for jumping into a 6 book series right in the middle but I did not love this. I didn't feel like anyone was developed enough for me to care about them.

The fourth book in the Brutal Birthright series and for Dante Gallo it’s a tale of two halves. The first part is a summer of love for Dante as he meets Simone in less than auspicious circumstances when he inadvertently kidnaps her when he steals the car she’s a passenger in. But as part of the underworld Dante is more used to the shadows rather than the public life of Simone’s family and the last thing they want for their daughter is an Italian thug. Eventually Simone gives into to family pressure and runs away to London keeping a major secret from Dante, until nine years later they meet again.

This was a great second chance romance. I loved that time was spent telling the first part of Dante and Simone’s story and not told in flashbacks. It gave depth to the characters and also explained so much about why Dante in the previous books acted the way he did. There was great chemistry between them however their relationship the second time around developed just a little too quickly for me. A part of me hated Simone for being weak and not standing up to her parents, letting them steal something so important not only from her but Dante as well but this was still a good addition to the series.

Back in love with this series with Bloody Heart! Enjoyed finally getting the back story of why Dante has been such a grumpy gills and can't blame him. Very insta lust to love but didn't mind with the second change aspect and them having 9 years apart and still pinning for each other. The ending was a little rushed and wish got some more detail with the fall out of the kidnaping and reconciliation of the romance with Simone and her family. Also not fan of her getting pregnant instantly twice after unprotected sex, guess Dante has that magic sperm. Very fast paced read and definitely had me hooked even with the critiques. Ready to read the next books and the spin off series.

What a fun quick read! I've never considered myself a huge second chance romance fan, but it was very well done here! Dante and Simone's journey from young adults to adults was a great story and I caught myself desperate for the time jump we ultimately got. While I thought the length of the book was great, I did catch myself wanting a little more of the story as they were coming back together. The illustrations in this book were gorgeous, even on a kindle. I look forward to seeing the rest of the series!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of Bloody Heart.
This book is split in two, before and after the breakup. I really enjoyed reading it. There's insta-love and an accidental pregnancy.
I really enjoyed reading Dante and Simone's story. They are both heavily broken characters after they split up. Cause they never had a clean end. It was quite messy. Their whole relationship was quite a mess. They were just young and didn't know better. But now some time has passed. And will they be able to heal after all this time?

Unfortunately this book wasn’t my favorite of the series. It has a lot of tropes that I personally don’t enjoy (accidental pregnancy, Insta love, and the way the abuse of her parents was just pushed aside without being dealt with). So not being aware of everything this book entails it definitely left somethings to be desired.

For people looking for this particular trope(s) and fans of the series they probably will appreciate this continuation of the series. There’s some really great added moments with Adia (a fan favorite) and seeing the other characters world continuing to be built was an added bonus. The rest of the story in comparison felt rather lack luster.

I feel like Simone was written really poorly and I wanted to feel the connection between her and Dante because it felt very underwhelming. They were underdeveloped as a couple and instead of giving us communication and relationship building we just had sexual interactions. That wasn’t what I was looking for with this book.

I love this series so much. I LOVED seeing our oldest & most protective brother be absolutely whipped for Simone. I usually do not love the secret baby trope, but this is the exception. I loved the time jump in this second chance romance & the ending was perfect for Dante.

4 -⭐⭐⭐⭐

"What do you call it when you can't tear your eyes away from a face? When you think you're looking at the loveliest angle, then the raise of an eyebrow or an exhale through the lips rearranges the features, and you're freshly stunned all over again?"

Bloody Heart is the fourth novel is an Adult Contemporary Mafia Romance series, Brutal Birthright. Each book is a standalone but they are part of an interconnected series follow a series of brothers. In this story we follow Simone and Dante as their whirl wind of a romance when they were young still haunts them years after leaving on bad terms. Yet fate appears to not be quite done with them when they meet again; can they find a path forward under new terms...or will the secrets and memories of the past ruin any chance for a real future?

Simone and Dante's passion is flashes hot quickly at the beginning of this story. It highlighted the youthful tone where you think everything will solve itself on its own coupled with a struggle to find yourself. I spent the first half of the book waiting for the pain hit between these two and oh boy does it. I really enjoyed seeing their growth as a result but also see how, even after all this time, their connection is still there.

This book is about a 3 spicy pepper out of 5 spicy pepper. It is fast burn as these love birds fall into each other's arms. To be honest I was surprised how quick. Yet the second half we saw a little but more of time needed to reconnect and it was deliciously angsty. There is a bit of ferality in the second chance section but I also would like to commend these two for finding the most interesting places in public to spice things up...including 200 years old priceless artifacts XD

"I was never raised to fall in love like this. Without reason or choice. Only wild, intense obsessions. I never meant for this to happen. But now that it has, there's no escaping."

The world building relies, much like the previous in the sitting, on an understanding of the contemporary world. We aren't given any information dumping so you need to have a small understanding of what the mafia is. I did appreciated the drawing in of real world issues by advocated for by Simone's father as it drew in the realism for me. You also get just enough information to understand the characters and their families without needing to read the other books.

The story itself has two phases, both past and present, as the characters come together, are separated, and find themselves back together. The story in the first half is basic for a sweet fast faced young lovers situation, complete with disapproving rich parents and a boy from the wrong side of the tracks. For me their romance was sugary sweet and I enjoyed it. The second half has a bit more grit to it, coupled with follow up miscommunication tropes and a surprise trope I don't want to spoil. I like the mystery conflict that upped the conflict and I was relieved with how the second chance romance was not dragged out too long. The ending also is quite sweet.

Overall, this was a fun and quick read for more with a spice kick, a sweet romance, and a world you can really immerse in. The added artwork also provides beautiful visuals of some very cute and passionate scenes.

Thank you Bloom for the e-ARC!

I tried to step out of my comfort zone of genres and unfortunately I don't think it worked this time, this book is just not for me.

The story itself was progressing so fast with no real build up of the characters relationship that I just didn't believe it and was not invested in them as characters or in their romance in general. I also was not a fan on where the story was going.

Granted, I didn't finish the book. But from what I have read I know that I'm not going to enjoy this and I need to learn to DNF when my tbr is as long as it is.

However if the following are your cup of tea this book may be exactly what you are looking for (SPOILERS... ish):

- elements of forbidden romance
- second chance romance
- secret baby
- a lot of spice
- HEA

I prefer other books in the Brutal Birthright series, but I still enjoyed this. I think my main thing was pregnancy which I’m not a fan of 🤷🏻‍♀️

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

I rarely give books 5 stars, but this one definitely deserves a 5 star rating!! So unexpectedly good.

I haven’t read this genre since 50 Shades of Grey…. this book truly has those vibes! The romance was thrilling and so, so, so seductively SPICY!!! I’ve seen mentions of “mafia romance” before and as soon as I realized that’s kinda what this book was, I thought I was doomed. But boy, was a pleasantly surprised that I really, I mean REALLY loved it! Could not put this one down until I finished. Because of this well-written book, I am broadening my horizons and plan to include some spicy romance novels to my library.

It’s a tale of two lovers from very different backgrounds. His is dark and murky, the dedicated son of the Mafia Boss, Hers is of privilege and wealth, the daughter of a controlling ambassador. Upon meeting, they both feel an overwhelming force compelling them to come together, no matter the consequences. They fall in love, have passionate s**, and confess their mutual love. Dante meets Simone’s parents and her father immediately forbids her to see him again. She then falls pregnant and leaves the country for 9 years. They eventually come back together where secrets are revealed, an assassin seeks revenge and soul mates reunited.
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*Thank you NetGalley, BloomBooks, and Sophie Lark for this Advanced Readers Copy*

I've got to say, I loved this book! I don't want to give any spoilers away but my gosh I love this couple! Now I've been wanting to read this series for the longest time and have never picked it up. But since I was granted the chance to read book 4, I just couldn't resist. I'm definitely going to be buying the whole series along with the spinoff series. This book just pushed me in the right direction lol. Although I will say some stuff happened really fast and I was like, "Aww man, I didn't think this would be like wattpad, but then the plot twist happened and I'm like, okay give me more lol!" I need more of these characters, and I've obviously been spoiled for the previous books but that's okay, it just had me wanting to read them more. Amazing read, if you want spice you got it, you want heartbreak, you got it, you want second chance, you got it, you want a happily ever after, you got it!! I can't wait to read the rest of the series!!! Also I do realize that this book series has been out already but I'm pretty sure this just got picked up by a publisher so that's why I can't purchase on Amazon lol!
*Thank you again to NetGalley, BloomBooks, and Sophie Lark for this ARC.*

Will be posted November 25th

I'm now 4 books deep into this series, and I have to say that this one might have been my least favorite. There were still a lot of things that I enjoyed, and I think that it still will be enjoyable for most readers who have enjoyed the first three books. Yet, I found that it felt a little rushed to me, since they seem to be absolutely obsessed with each other the second they meet, and they fall in love with each other without really knowing the other.

The book is divided is pretty much divided in two, with the first half being more about how they meet, fell for each other and pretty much lost each other, and then the present where they reconnect after 9 years. The present section also felt a little rushed, where they seem to fall into bed really fast, despite not really dealing with anything, and discussing what happened...

Overall, it was okay. It wasn't the best of the series, but I still enjoyed it. I'm definitely still going to read the next one, to see Riona's story. And I'm quite curious about Raylan from the little we saw in this book.

★ ★ ★ | 🌶.5

18+ check TWs

Note: I try my hardest to not include spoilers in my reviews. However, spoilers and how you define a spoiler is subjective. Proceed with caution.

*A special thank you to Netgalley and Bloom Books for early access to this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.*

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As I slowly make my way through this series, I find that my opinions get more and more mixed. Don’t get me wrong, I definitely enjoy reading them. But, I don’t think they are all made equal.

To be completely honest, I wasn’t particularly invested in Dante to begin with. But this book just felt underdeveloped. I felt like there were big questions and things that weren’t addressed or answered.

For example, I can’t believe that we didn’t get a scene with Simone telling her parents to hit the road. Especially considering how abusive they were.

Also, there was no tension or culmination of tension for Simone and Dante. Them seeing each other after 9 years just felt very bland and uneventful.

This might be attributed to the fact that it was insta love from the get go, so I wasn’t sure what they loved about each other that would create the longing.

And Dante was mad for a whole 10 seconds about Henry before he gets over it? Really?

Overall, I felt like the plot was just thrown in there for the sake of throwing it in there. This made the beginning feel super interesting and the end not so much. I think the book would have benefitted from intertwining present day and the past together, instead of completely separating them.

I’m not quite sure Sophie Lark’s writing is for me 100%. I enjoy reading the books, but the quality leaves something to be desired. That being said, I’m interested in Riona’s book so I will be definitely be reading it.

I loved this book. Five stars all around. A second chance romance with polar opposites, lengthy time apart, on top of a life changing secret? Perfection. I thought this book was incredible executed and the character development was on par with Sophie Lark’s writing. I very much enjoyed this book and will be recommending to everyone I know.

I received this ARC via NetGalley and Bloom Books in exchange for an honest review.

In "Bloody Heart" by Sophie Lark, the story revolves around Simone Solomon, a young woman who has been brought up in a world of opulence and strict obedience. Living a life of luxury feels like a gilded cage for Simone, and any sense of freedom seems out of reach.

One fateful night, as Simone finds herself trapped in the back of a limousine, her life takes an unexpected turn when she becomes the unintended target of a mafia member aiming to steal a car. Dante Gallo, a rough and formidable man, encounters Simone in the midst of this chaos, and their attraction becomes undeniable, despite their glaring differences.

However, their intense connection is shattered during a disastrous event that tears them apart. Yet, fate intervenes, granting Simone one more chance to rekindle the flame with the man she can't forget. But there is a secret haunting Simone, a mistake she believes Dante might never forgive her for.

Sophie Lark delivers a gripping story of second chances, forbidden love, and the power of redemption. Through her engaging storytelling, she explores the complex dynamics between Simone and Dante, capturing their intense chemistry and the challenges they face along the way. The juxtaposition of Simone's privileged upbringing and Dante's gritty world adds depth to the narrative, creating a fascinating dynamic that keeps readers captivated.

As the story unfolds, "Bloody Heart" delves into themes of sacrifice, forgiveness, and the lengths we are willing to go for love. Lark expertly crafts emotional moments that tug at the heartstrings, while keeping readers hooked with the anticipation of discovering how Simone's secret will impact their relationship.

Engrossing and passionate, "Bloody Heart" offers a powerful tale of love, redemption, and the courage to embrace second chances, even when faced with seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Sophie Lark's skill in creating compelling characters and weaving together a captivating narrative is sure to leave readers enthralled until the very last page.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC!

It's my first reading to this author, so I didn't really expect much from the book in particular. In the story we are presented with how Simone was kidnapped in her limousine by Dante and how from there they have a chemistry, however; two people from completely different worlds, it is very unlikely that they will stay together, even if they sacrifice everything.

After nine years, they find secrets again that they are afraid of coming to light.

I liked the fluidity with which I was able to read this book because it was a little light. I feel like it's not the big story, but I like books with second chances. In particular, I didn't like this one as much as I expected because I felt almost nothing while reading the protagonists and I could only get excited by the drama there was.

I think it can be a quick and addictive reading because of the drama that surrounds this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, Sophie Lark, and Bloom Books for this advanced eARC.

"Bloody Heart" by Sophie Lark is a dark and enthralling masterpiece that weaves together passion, danger, and intricate characters in a way that leaves an indelible mark on the reader. Lark's writing is nothing short of phenomenal, creating a world that is both chilling and alluring, where every page drips with tension and desire. The characters are exceptionally well-crafted, each with their own flaws and vulnerabilities, making them not only relatable but deeply engaging. The protagonist's journey is a rollercoaster of emotions, and Lark skillfully navigates the complexities of love, sacrifice, and the blurred lines between right and wrong.

The romance in "Bloody Heart" is a visceral experience that sears through the pages. Lark excels at portraying the magnetic connection between the characters, and the chemistry is palpable, igniting the narrative with intensity. The love story unfolds against a backdrop of danger and suspense, adding layers of intrigue that keep the reader hooked. The pacing is impeccable, with suspenseful moments seamlessly interwoven with poignant and steamy encounters, creating a perfect balance that keeps the story both thrilling and emotionally resonant.

Beyond the romance, the plot of "Bloody Heart" is a tapestry of unexpected twists and turns. The author skillfully integrates moments of action, revelation, and self-discovery, maintaining a level of suspense that builds throughout the narrative. Themes of redemption and the impact of choices resonate deeply, adding a thought-provoking layer to the story. Sophie Lark has once again delivered a five-star read that captivates from beginning to end, solidifying her place as a master storyteller in the realm of dark romance.

3⭐️ i will not lie i was expecting so much more from this book. i will say it was a really cute read but not my favorite book from the series. dante deserves the world.