I received a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Trigger warning: abusive relationship (controlling, manipulative, physical, humiliation), and dubious consent.

Oh boy, I went into this book expecting to have a chill fun time, I did not at all anticipate from the description to walk into a disgustingly abusive relationship with a horrible male protagonist, who, by the narrative of the story, is portrayed as morally correct and good for our heroine.

But before I get to that, here are my notes as I was reading the story:

The description sounded interesting to me, and I wanted to have a chill time with a tropey romance fiction novel, but I don't think I vibed with this one.

Immediately the book starts off in the writing style it will maintain throughout the entire book--first person present tense, talking directly to the reader, explaining everything with a light amount of detail to get the gist, including information they shouldn't have access to, with almost no 'visuals'. This was definitely the most "tell not show" book I think I've ever read. I tried to work through it and be as forgiving as possible while reading it, since it's an arc and I wanted to give it a chance, and the concept of the story was still one I was interested in seeing play out, but I'd be lying if I said it wasn't a distraction for the characters to constantly lean against the fourth wall while I had little to nothing to picture in my head.

(after brief introduction between male lead + MC's uncle)
"I can tell Riona hates this even more--being talked about in the third person and being entrusted to me like a package. She must care about her uncle because only that could keep her from firing off a sharp retort."

"I don't think she particularly likes telling me this bit of messy family history, but Riona has a kind of brutal honesty. An interesting characteristic for a lawyer. I always thought of attorneys as silver-tongued devils who would try to convince you that black is white and wrong is right.
Riona is the opposite--she seems determined to state things exactly as they are and damn the consequences. Or other people's feelings."

"I can see why Riona picked this condo--it's a lot like her corner office. High and lonely, with a stunning view. I can tell she likes things that are aesthetically stark and completely within her control."

These are just a couple examples I thought to grab after several chapters of this style, where just after the two MCs meet, basically knowing absolutely nothing about each other, the male MC has all these (correct) assumptions with no historical evidence or visuals to back up those assumptions. (The MC does the same thing.) There are a lot of "seems" or "I can tell/I know" without saying why their thoughts are going that direction. It's most like it's just a way to convey characteristics and information to the reader more than these characters actually understanding and relating to each other, which is why it felt 'fourth wall leaning' to me.

As an aside, as an artist myself, it was really neat to see character artworks and scenes illustrated and sprinkled throughout the book. I love the intersection of the two mediums/crafts, and I super appreciated the author supporting human-made art and incorporating that into their book. I think it was a neat touch to see.

There's a LOT of skipping where the two MCs are bonding but we're, again, not shown it. Instead we get things like, "We've gotten in the car and we're back at my place before I realize it. Raylan is telling me stories about the ranch. He's easy to talk to and even easier to listen to." Which could be otherwise okay, if we were given instances of seeing that prior to a summarized description.

I wasn't overly fond of him kissing her without consent, AFTER she tells him not to. And while he does chastise himself for it later and promise not to do it again, he proceeds to break any trust with me as a reader the moment he decides he wants to enslave our heroine. The book VERY quickly took a turn into abusive territory with no warning. This guy, up until this point, while not ideal, and definitely dickish, appeared to understand consent and boundaries. Well, not anymore.

"I knew from the second I met [her now ex-boyfriend] that he isn't the right man for her. He doesn't have the fraction of the strength it takes to tame a woman like Riona. To grab hold of her and force her to respect you.
Riona's a fighter. She's driven to lock horns with any man who tries to assert his power over her. She won't be taken gently."

When Riona recognizes his behavior, correctly, as harmful and hurtful for her, she points it out to him. Saying she doesn't want to be 'broken in like a horse', and basically says she wants to be treated as an equal partner. Raylan dismisses her concerns and boundaries, saying she has no idea what she's talking about (as he proceeds to describe how you 'break' a horse, in the EXACT same way as she describes how he's trying to 'break' her, which was mind-blowing to me, as the author was clearly trying to differentiate the two manipulative and controlling behaviors, with the hero being righteous and morally correct, and the heroine as stupid and not knowing what she wants).

Then the dubious consent scene happens, with Raylan starting it saying, "I want you to give yourself to me. I want you to do exactly what I say. And if you don't love every fucking minute of it...I'll leave you along for good. I'll never bother you again. Do you agree?" To which she seems to fearfully and hesitantly agree, and since we are reading this part from Raylan's perspective, we can't know with certainty how genuinely she is okay with it, including times of protest, where he immediately shuts her down. He then ties her up, and this turns into a dangerously unhealthy* example of BDSM, which she DID NOT clearly consent to, which included a form of punishment, where he hits her if she doesn't do as he says/wants. Holy fuck.

*Mentally unhealthy. He does tie her up, but in a very vanilla way, so physically she was fine. But an unprompted scene (especially with physical hitting or whip cracking) with no real prep or aftercare can do a lot of damage to the psyche. And sorry, that's just not hot to me.

It's also painted as 'doing this for her', as if Raylan is the genuine hero who is finally letting Riona shine and be free. When it's insanely obvious it's for his own selfish desires. It's justified as a good thing in the writing, he's made out to be correct and morally right in the narrative.

"But I don't have to ask if she enjoyed it. I know what Riona needs."

I honestly had to skim that entire section. It was so disgusting. I would never have gotten this book if I had known this was in the abuse-kink sub-genre. I know it's popular with straight women, but I wish this was made more explicit in the descriptions of the book. (I've been seeing more authors adding in warnings or mentions of it, which I super appreciate!) If abuse-kink is your thing, go for it, but good lord make it clear that's what you're delivering, because I absolutely do not want to read that. It honestly felt like I was reading a rape scene to me. There was /some/ consent, but the whole thing was so questionable, I just have no words. (It's also hard to tell if this was genuine abuse-kink, or just the typical abusive relationships found in the romance genre aimed at straight women. So for a lot of readers who are straight women, because it's such a trope of the genre, this may read as perfectly acceptable to them. Idk.)

"It's paradoxical because I would have thought I'd /hate/ to be treated like that. I fucking hate being restrained, controlled, or bossed around. But not by Raylan..."

Yes, super healthy, safe, and legit way to find out your kink is being a sub. Good lord.

"Raylan is a good man. He's been good to me. He's protected me. He brought me to his own home to keep me safe. I look up into his face, and I /do/ feel safe. I feel cared for."

Again, if abuse-kink is what your book is about as an author, PLEASE be up-front about that. I'm really skimming now, just to not hard-stop DNF the book, as I did get it for free in exchange for an honest review, but if I was reading it on my own, I 100% would've stopped at that sex scene. No matter how hard the author tries to justify the behavior, try to paint Raylan as the 'good guy', making him out to be tender and loving, you cannot erase that abuse. (Which is wild, because Raylan's mom was written as a character who had an abusive relationship described with a lot of overlap with Raylan's behavior, but that was written as BAD, whereas Raylan's behavior is written as GOOD. It's the SAME behavior.)

I did see another reviewer point out the lack of mafia, which does get very obvious after the entire build up of her family (again, through telling and zero showing). It didn't really bother me all that much, apart from having read all the info on her family, and having no pay-off/value from it. Mentioning it here in case anyone is looking for a mafia-esque book, because this wouldn't be the one for you.

The reveal at the end wasn't a surprise, but it did make me feel disappointed that this book spent more time on the ranch instead of on the mystery. A lot of time was spent on sex (and abuse) and Raylan's father's backstory that I felt could've been spent on the actual plot. Raylan's family history could've been sprinkled throughout, rather than info-dumped all at once, (twice), which really messed with the pacing.

I was going to give this book 2/5 stars, as I did find the overall story in general interesting (though again, would've preferred more time spent with the mystery), and I did want to know what was going to happen, but the bulk of the book ends up being over-run with the abuse and irrelevant stuff, that it's a 1/5 star for me. I really couldn't get a handle on the tell vs show either.

Honestly, this book was a good reminder for me to stop reading straight romance written by and for straight women. So much of it is abuse-kink or normalizes abusive behavior as sexy. And I am just not into that. 🙅‍♀️

Broken Vow is the story of how Riona finds love. She is so driven to succeed and prove to everyone that she is the best at everything she does. When danger chases her she needs a protector. Raylan isn't looking for a relationship, but Riona is irresistible to him. They have to work together to protect her. Can the cocky cowboy win her heart?

The author does a nice job giving Riona depth. In the prior stories she was just a stick up the ***t lawyer always trying to prove herself. She was cold and untouchable. Through the course of this story, she opens up and learns to live. I really enjoyed how she learned to trust Raylan. The bad guy was scary, but she always dealt with what was happening by staying calm and dealing with the situation. Raylan was introduced in a prior story, but he was just a side character. In this story he develops into a multidimensional character with a family and his own issues. I really enjoyed the choices the author made about locations and side characters. I am not going to give it away, but I didn't expect it. Some of the characters from the prior stories make appearances but this story is really focused on Riona and Raylan.

Where I thought the story was weak was that I figured out the bad guy pretty early on and the conclusion of that part of the story was kind of a letdown. I figured Riona would get a huge bad guy conclusion, but it was almost a footnote.

This is a contemporary romance set in some places. Again, not going to give it away. Riona and Raylan are two adult characters with complicated backgrounds. They take the time to get to know each other while developing a relationship. I think you can read this book as a standalone but some of the side characters have Riona in their stories so reading them all will make this story more complete. I will definitely read more from this author.

She nailed it out of the park once again with this book! Sophie is one of my favorite authors, and I was so excited to be able to read this. It was phenomenal! The twists, the spice, and just the plot had me hooked. I read through this in two days, unable to put it down!

I absolutely love this series! Not to mention, the covers and the art inside are so gorgeous that I’ll proudly display on my shelves. If you’re looking for a fun mafia romance, you won’t regret starting this journey.

For some reason i had no idea this was number FIVE in this series like. this was the first one i read but i liked it a lot! a little cringey in some areas but i find you can’t have a mafia book without that. It was so entertaining and had cute moments i’d probably give a 3.75 rounded up

Raylan and Riona. The match you wouldn’t think of but it’s works.
I have the same feeling as I did with my previous Sophie Lark review. The culmination of suspense and then boom, he 😵😵. It feels to abrupt to me.
I still enjoyed the story and the spice is nice.
I enjoyed getting to see all the character we know and love throughout the story.

Broken Vow, the fifth book in the Brutal Birthright series follows eldest Griffin daughter, Riona as she is hunted down. As readers, we were introduced to Raylan in the previous book when he was recruited to help Dante. He was also a soldier and has a love/hate banter with Riona after previously meeting. The two are reunited when someone tries to kill Riona and from then on he sticks to her like glue, an easy job for Raylan as he loves picking at her. This is a great bodyguard romance with so much chemistry it’s insane. Riona is extremely independent and closed off whereas Raylan has golden retriever energy, a rare trait for an intense soldier to have. I really liked the blend of mafia and Riona’s more ‘normal’ job as a lawyer. The previous books have focused heavily on the crime family side of things, so it was refreshing to read something different. I look forward to finishing off the series!
I didn't absolutely love it or hate it. It was fun and entertaining! Thank you for the eARC!

I received an ARC copy of this book via Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.


Riona Griffin - a super independent, hard headed member of the Griffin family, one of the biggest mafia families in Chicago. Even bigger now that her older brother, Callum, married Aida Gallo. Together, their families run Chicago. While Callum has his place as future head of the mafia and her younger sister, Nessa, the baby of the family and married into the Polish mafia, Riona never really had a place. Though she would never admit. So she worked her ass off to become one of the best lawyers in Chicago.

Raylan Boone - military, country boy with plenty of southern charm. Leaving his home in Tennessee to join the military after finding out a dark truth about his past. Having some ties with the Gallo family, Dante Gallo calls him up for a job. A job that’s going to shake him to his core. He will never be the same. Nor will Riona ever be the same.

This is the second book by Sophie Lark that I’ve read. I had read Callum’s and Aida’s story and I quite enjoyed it. The enemies to lovers was always my favorite trope. So when Lark promised more enemies to lovers, I was all in! This book wasn’t as much enemies as I thought it would be. It hinted at Riona’s and Raylan’s past but it was never expanded on. To me it was more of a slow bun than an enemies to lovers. The spice was hot. The barn scene?! Ten out of ten on the spicy scale. I was really hot under the collar during that.

If you’ve read any of Lark’s work, you’ll love this one. Like I said, it was more of a slow burn than enemies to lovers. And at times too slow burn ish for me. Also, there were times that the book seemed to drag on or things didn’t make sense. They are definitely best read in order that way they all make sense as a lot of characters come in and go. You’ll spoil things if you aren’t careful, like I did with Nessa’s story. Overall I really enjoyed the book and can’t wait to read more.

Loved getting Riona's story, getting to see more of her personality, and she is now one of my favorite ladies of the series. Also the way Raylan got her and wanted her was just amazing! The most unlikely pair and they just work and the steam between the two is unmatched.

This is the fifth book in the Brutal Birthright series.

When someone attempts to kill Riona Griffin, her family calls in a bodyguard. In walks Raylan Boone, and Riona is not at all happy having him follow her everywhere she goes. Riona is a lawyer. She's tough and always in control. Raylan is just the opposite. He is relaxed, funny, and loves to cook. When a second attempt is made on her life, Raylan whisks her away to his family farm where he thinks she will be safe. At the farm, Riona starts to relax a bit, and her and Raylan start to have feelings for each other. The river scene is "WOW." I don't even know what else to say! The attraction between the two is intense.

This book will keep you wondering if or when this person will terrorize Riona again. The ending was so good! I never saw that coming.

I haven't read the first four in this series, but you can read this as a standalone and not be lost as far as the plot or characters are concerned. I'm so happy that I have the other books to read now. I highly recommend this to anyone who likes a bodyguard romance with lots of spice and excitement.

Sophie Lark has done it again everyone! Thank you NetGalley for another fabulous read. Broken Vow is the fifth book in the Brutal Birthright series by Sophie Lark. It is reverse grumpy sunshine and I loved every minute of it. I am also a big fan of bodyguard romance so this book was chefs kiss. Raylan is my new favorite cowboy and I can’t wait to read more of this series ♥️

This is the first of this series I’ve read - it might be about book 5 and was lucky enough to be approved as I have wanted to pick something up by this author.

I have to say with the mafia, suspense element, this bodyguard, enemies to lovers really had the elements to be an awesome read. It’s a slow-ish burn but the first steamy scene between these two is 🔥🔥🔥. There’s some backwards and forwards between them that makes things interesting in terms of their seemingly different backgrounds and life trajectories. Raylan is a big enough character to deal with everything Riona is (and what she dishes out). I didn’t expect the turn this took as far as the romance element (who knew) but the relationship was one where he continued to build Riona up and admire her for everything she was, and he didn’t seek to change a single thing about her.

For me, apart from the steamy scenes I wanted to see more conversational connection - it was clear the reasons Riona admired Raylan, and that Raylan was smitten in return, but given these were two older, more experienced characters I just felt a little more emotional connection would have made this book absolute perfection.

As it was, it didn’t quite get there, but it was pretty close. I’m keen to see the next instalment about Sebastian, part of the other mafia family.

This book is amazing!

Riona is a lawyer at her family firm and her life is interesting, to say the least. So when a killer is after her, her sister-in-law's family friend, Raylan. A soldier who will do everything to protect his country, family, friends and Riona. They have to hide out in the middle of nowhere on his family's ranch to save Riona. But will they fall for one another?

Riona Griffin is one of my favourite characters ever. Her personality and her work ethic are amazing! She is very much living through the Eldest daughter; which is so hard to explain to people who don't understand. This was shown perfectly though. Raylan was so fun. His personality and his way of showing love had me giggling and kicking my feet. They were the perfect black cat lawyer and golden retriever soldier.

If you’re looking for a body guard/cowboy hero romance with some suspense, mafia, and heart pumping moments, grab this one. Sophie’s books pull you in from the start, there’s a little darkness, some great tension, slow burn… ekkk I just loved it.

Riona is strong bad @$$ woman, and Raylan is the perfect protector. In true Sophie fashion the steam is worth the wait. 🥵 This book also comes with a soundtrack and pictures from different scenes in the book, that I was absolutely salivating over. They were amazing and add so much! Definitely add this one to your TBR!

Broken Vows was probably my most anticipated book of the whole series. Mafia and cowboy? Sign me up. And it definitely lived up to my expectations and more!

I loved both characters so much. Riona, the female lead, was someone I relate to deeply yet admire so much. She's strong willed, career driven - a grumpy so to speak. And Rayan (the male lead) fell first - can't blame him. I liked how he wasn't pushy with her and was very sunshine-y. With the added bodyguard trope, it made the stakes higher but also invoking the forced proximity trope, which is also fun.

As for the plot, it was exciting and well written, as well as complimenting the romance quite well. Have I mentioned how I love that perfect balance? Well Sophie Lark certainly achieved it with this book - 5/5 stars!

Thank you Sophie Lark, Netgalley and Bloom for providing an ARC, my thoughts are my own.

In Sophie Lark's captivating novel, "Broken Vow," readers are introduced to the resilient and independent Riona Griffin. Determined to establish her own identity within her family's legacy, Riona is caught off guard when her life is threatened by a sudden attack. As a result, her family hires Raylan Boone, a charming southern rancher and soldier, to protect her. However, Riona finds herself resentful of his presence, believing she can navigate life without relying on anyone else. Little does she know, Raylan's dedication to keeping her safe is unwavering, even if it means being by her side constantly. As they find themselves secluded on Raylan's family ranch, an unexpected and intense chemistry develops between them, altering the course of their lives. What sets "Broken Vow" apart is the dynamic between Riona and Raylan. Lark skillfully weaves their tumultuous relationship, showcasing Riona's initial disdain towards her bodyguard and her refusal to acknowledge the growing connection between them. Raylan, on the other hand, recognizes the potential for genuine love to blossom, but he understands that his primary duty is to protect Riona from the relentless assassin determined to eliminate her. Lark masterfully builds tension throughout the story, leaving readers captivated by the thrilling game of cat and mouse between Raylan and the hitman, who will stop at nothing to claim Riona. Lark's writing is engaging and filled with vivid descriptions, transporting readers to the sprawling landscapes of the ranch and immersing them in the characters' emotions. The chemistry between Riona and Raylan is palpable, as their relationship evolves from initial animosity to an undeniable attraction that draws them closer. The author strikes a perfect balance between suspense and romance, ensuring that readers are constantly on the edge of their seats, eager to unravel the mysteries surrounding the hitman and discover the true depths of Riona and Raylan's connection. "Broken Vow" is an enthralling romantic suspense novel that will keep readers hooked until the very last page. Sophie Lark skillfully creates a world where danger lurks around every corner, and love is found amidst chaos. With well-developed characters and a compelling plot, this book is a must-read for fans of the genre. So buckle up and prepare for a thrilling ride as you follow Riona and Raylan's journey, where love and survival intertwine, and the strength of their bond is tested against all odds.

4.75🌟
Thoroughly enjoyed it.
After reading the first few books, I never thought I’ll love Riona this much. She was such a strong and complex heroine!
Together Riona and Raylan were a powerhouse!

They were soulmates.
God, they complemented each other so flawlessly and beautifully. They always understood each other wordlessly, had mutual respect and admiration and finally when they tried to sacrifice their happiness for each other’s, I was smitten.
I couldn’t guess the killer’s Identity and didn’t see that twist coming. Along with Gallos and Griffins, I now love the Boone family too.
Overall a well written romance with fantastic characters and good plot.

P.s I loved the Ranch part of the book more. It was so fascinating.

-Reverse grumpy x sunshine.
-Bodyguard romance, Forced proximity.
-romantic suspense.
-KU and recommended.

This was an exciting romantic suspense with some serious heat with the romantic scenes (BDSM). The relationship between Riona and Rayland progresses quite quickly from enemies to lovers. Almost too quickly for me since I didn’t find much opportunity for their feelings to truly develop since they were too concerned about the threat to Riona’s life. The role reversal of the FMC being the grumpy one was interesting. I really enjoyed Riona being an ambitious, outspoken and not-for-niceties character. But unfortunately she seemed to lose those qualities when she discovers romantic love. There was also the lack of discussion between Riona and Rayland about children. Riona was adamant about remaining childless yet Rayland was definitely wanting kids to carry on the family lineage. Not sure how that is going to play out with their HEA.

The illustrations in this series are just amazing! I wish that I had known about them sooner!

Riona is the grumpy mafia lawyer princess who someone is trying to murder (albeit in subtle way to look an accident). Dante brings in his ex-military cowboy friend, Raylan -- who is our sunshiny cowboy hero and who Riona dislikes.

This book literally ticked all of my favorite tropes -- enemies to lovers, mafia princess, grumpy x sunshine, bodyguard. The romance and spice are great -- especially when accompanied with some of the illustrations. However, the thriller/suspense aspect of the book is *chef's kiss* -- there were so many moments where I was on the edge of my seat dying to know what happens next (and not because of the romance or spice).

Thank you NetGalley and Bloom Books for sending me a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love bodyguard romances, so I adored this one as well! Although my favorite is definitely the second book, I definitely found this entertaining and enjoyable. I wasn’t sold on Riona entirely, but Raylan definitely stole my heart <3

One thing I love about Sophie Lark is that she puts in illustrations in her books. I always love seeing them, and they’re so helpful in putting faces to the names. I think Riona’s appearance was the surprising one for me, because I’d continuously imagined her with dark hair instead of her being a redhead, but she’s so incredibly gorgeous.

I just genuinely wish she was more kinder to her younger sister, Nessa, which is part of the reason why I didn’t like her as much as I probably would have. However, Riona’s continued efforts to be recognized by her firm—and by her family—are admirable to me. Being a woman in a “man’s world” is ridiculously hard, with all the misogyny and battling discrimination, so Riona being steadfast in everything made me admire her.

Raylan, on the other hand, is straight-up swoon worthy. I originally thought it must have been his bodyguard status, because I do love my bodyguards, but that wasn’t it. He’s charismatic, and he takes his job seriously. He understands Riona, and doesn’t force her to change herself just because he doesn’t understand her. I love him very much.

All in all, this book was incredibly enjoyable, and I loved it!