I struggled to get through this book. It could have been a great book as it was a decent story. However if this is being marketed as a standalone novel then I think the author should take into account that people may pick this novel up that have never read a mafia style book before ever. I am one of those people. I was so confused when it came to the many Russian, polish and even Italian words and phrases that were littered throughout the book with no explanation of what they meant. Leaving me guessing or trying to look them up. It really pulled me out of the story each time I had to get stop to look up a word that was a different language. I wish Sophie Lark would have found a way to introduce the meaning of the words within her writing.
I did enjoy that it was super action packed and even though it is listed as a romance novel there is very little romance in the book. I feel it is the perfect amount of romance to action.
The ending of the book makes me think there might be a continuation with other characters, which I think I would read because I am curious to see how thier stories play out.

3.5/5 ⭐
1/5 🌶️

I received an advance review copy for free from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review

Thanks so much to Sophie Lark, Bloom Books and NetGalley for the eARC, all opinions expressed are my own.

I absolutely adore this series and this book is no different, accompanied by the illustrations, Heavy Crown is a fantastic read, The chemistry between Sebastian and Yelena is electric and I throughly enjoyed reading it.

I would highly recommend for those after a quick, fast paced and addictive read

Sebastian and Yelena's story is an angsty forbidden romance full of deceit, secret keeping, and lust. While I enjoyed a majority of this book the use of sex as a tool for a character to earn trust and forgiveness just...ugh not for me.

Dual POV, Mafia Romance, Spicy, Her First Time

Check Trigger Warnings before picking this one up.

The plot and action in this book was well done! I enjoyed all the twists and surprises. However I wasn’t a huge fan of the romance in this story or the fmc.

“𝐈𝐧 𝐚 𝐠𝐚𝐦𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐧𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐞𝐧𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐲 𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐥.”

Heavy Crown is the final book in the Brutal Birthright Series and is a dark mafia romance following Sebastian Gallo and Yelena Yenin, daughter of a rival family. I was not expecting to love this one as much as I did! Sebastian and Yelena worked really well as a couple for me and some of their scenes were beyond hot 🥵🔥 This had twists I didn’t see coming and was heavy on the mafia content and action which I loved. Heavy Crown was a great conclusion to this series and perfectly sets up the Kingmaker Series which I cannot wait to jump into. 5⭐️

𝕎𝕙𝕒𝕥 𝕋𝕠 𝔼𝕩𝕡𝕖𝕔𝕥:
💋Dark mafia romance
💋Forbidden romance
💋Heavy mafia content
💋Revenge

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐟𝐚𝐬𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐢𝐦𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐛𝐲 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐮𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮, 𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚. 𝐈’𝐥𝐥 𝐝𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”

“𝐈𝐧 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐦𝐲. 𝐀𝐥𝐰𝐚𝐲𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐭.”

“𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐠𝐢𝐟𝐭. 𝐉𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐢𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝, 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐧𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐘𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭. 𝐀 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐚𝐥𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐦𝐲 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞.“

“𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭?” 𝐈 𝐰𝐡𝐢𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐫. “𝐈𝐭’𝐬 𝐟𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐮𝐧𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥 ...“ 𝐡𝐞 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐬. “𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐮𝐩 𝐦𝐲 𝐚𝐬𝐬, 𝐃𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲…𝐈 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐢𝐭...“

I’ve been going back-and-forth between giving this a 3 or a 4. I really enjoyed this story between Sebastian and Yelena. From the start it hooks you and keeps you wanting more and wanting to know what’s going to happen next and how things are going to unfold knowing the dynamic between the two characters and their families and ultimately how everything is going to come to an end. The plot twist right from the the beginning was something I really enjoyed in this book because it wasn’t something that we found out 100 pages in it happened right at the beginning and still we had no idea where it was going. Without trying to spoil anything the reason I’m leaning more towards a 3 than a 4 is simply because of Adrian and how Yelena was with him regardless of everything that happened. I also feel towards the end we got too much of him which I partially didn’t think we needed. The other part is how little towards the end we got of Greta! We waited multiple pages before she was brought up and I kept sitting there waiting for her and I just think it took too long. But overall it’s good and it definitely gives you a lot of mafia but also has its moments outside of the mafia, which made these two characters seem more relatable in my opinion.

***Honest ARC review thanks to NetGalley***

I'm going to be completely honest - I stopped reading after around 100 pages.

My dnf of this book has nothing to do with the writing, or the characters, or even the plot line as such. I cannot stand the miscommunication trope and that is basically what this is - at least up until I stopped.
If you like a fluffier (in my opinion) mafia romance and you don't mind the miscommunication/inevitable betrayal trope then the chances are you'll like this.

I've given 3 stars because while I didn't finish it, I can appreciate that it is a good book and a lot of people will enjoy it.

Sophie Lark never disappoints! Just when I thought she couldn't outdo herself she proves me wrong. I loved this so much and definitely one of my favorite reads of the year so far!

What a way to end the series! I am so happy that Sebastian got his happy ending. I love the chemistry between Sebastian and Yelena. The steamy scenes were amazing! I especially loved one particular scene where it features clothespins. So freaking hot! I also liked seeing all of the Gallos and the Griffins. I would say that this is one of the heaviest with the mafia stuff in the series. We get some explicit scenes and goriness that I’m not the biggest fan of. I did see all the plot twists that were going to happen, and I’m happy that the ending was on a high note. I’m excited to see what’s in store with the Kingmaker series!

Read if you like:
Dual POVs
Mafia romance
Virgin heroine
Open door romance
A bit of violence
A splash of BDSM

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Sebastian and Yelena
Heavy Crown had me laughing, crying, and furious and heartbroken.So excited to read the Kingmakers series and reading my precious Mafia men.Sebastian is the good son involved in sports had all the girls crazy about him. Yelena is being use as a pawn from her family to get into the Gallo organization
The guilt Yelena feels for tricking Sebastian into their initial introduction is eating away at her, but she's so in love with Sebastian, she doesn't want to reveal that their meeting wasn't the accident Sebastian believed it to be. The trust will be broken but they have to deal with the betrayal of Yelena and figure out how to win this. Yelena will lose literally everything even the naan she love but in the end Sebastian will forgive her because he going to recognize want Yelena loss and risk to be with him.

If there is one thing that Sophie Lark can do, it is write a mafia series that has me eagerly awaiting each and every page while needing to push past my bedtime to see what will happen next.

And Heavy Crown was no exception to the rule. With twists that keep you guessing at every turn and an over the top steam that will have you gasping for breath, Heavy Crown is how you end a crowd-favorite series on a bang.

I am feeling such bittersweet things about this book. This feels like saying goodbye to something favorite but also..I know this isn't the ending as the next generation is coming! Heavy Crown definitely surprised me as Sebastian has to take charge of the mafia kingdom he never wanted and my heart aches for him. There is so much grief, loss, heartbreak and dramatic changes for him. And I am so happy that he found Yelena as his happily ever after. She is a beautiful contradiction of sweet and fierce, light and dark, vulnerable but strong..And Sebastian was her savior in so many ways. Though at the end, I couldn't tell who saved who ..or if love saved them both.

Yelena Yenina is the pretty Pawn to be used by his father, the head of the Bratva. He wants to take revenge and take down the Gallos. And Yelena has to act like his puppet..to infiltrate Sebastian's life and seduce him. But she doesn't want to do that, especially when her father's scheme forces her to spend time with Sebastian and she falls for the amazing guy he is. Sebastian has been warned about the danger of Bratva but on the day of their marriage, he realises how evil the Bratva is. He doesn't trust Yelena and his only mission is vengeance.


Sebastian's dream to be a pro basketball player shattered along with hid knee cap during a mission for family. He never wanted to be a part of this dangerous violent world but all his siblings have slowly distanced themselves as they found love. He started taking care of the kingdom. He holds no resentment, just a sense of loneliness. Yelena entered like a meteor in his atmosphere..blazing all the things in sight but also the darkness after the light. The betrayal and loss broke him. Somewhere inside he knew that Yelena wasn't at fault. She isn't the one who destroyed a big part of his family. But he was blinded by anger and grief. It exposed a ruthless and explosive side of him. He emerged as the true king as he made Strategies, collected Alliance and eliminated his enemies mercilessly. Yelena may have be used by her evil father but she fought at every step to show Sebastian that she is nothing like her father. Her loyalty and devotion lies with Sebastian. She was a beautiful asset before but she is Sebastian's love now. He showed her that life isn't all about sadness and submission. Sebastian truly cherished her. The last few chapters were breathtaking. Twists and turns. Angst and passion. And finally that epic epilogue!

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

this book is the most beautiful ending of this unbelievably amazing series. i loved that we got to see everyone again for one last time; united, stronger than ever, and ready to let everything go down.

i was constantly at the edge of my seat, trying to calm down while i couldn't do anything besides reading more and more, waiting for the end. i was so scared, and i have to admit, one particular thing broke my heart. but the end? perfect. so many sad and deep scenes, so many hilariously funny scenes, a lot of spice, romance - everything you're asking for.

the only person i had a problem with was yelena. she made me so aggressive in the first half, only to make me happy and proud in the last. WHY COULDN'T SHE BE THAT SMART IN THE BEGINNING? IT'S ABOUT LIFE AND DEATH, BRO.

this series has my heart and i'm not exaggerating. it was definitely a ride and so worth it.

There will never be a Sophie Lark book that I don’t like!!!! She does it yet again. It was such an amazing end to a series. So many emotions and twist. Sad to see the series come to an end but the book made the ending worth it

I am also so excited to read a Sophie Lark novel and this wasn't any different, definitely didn't disappoint! Set against the backdrop of the Bratva underworld in Chicago, the story introduces us to Sebastian Gallo. A man who is in a generations-long feud with Bratva. Sebastian happens upon Yelena Yenina (the daughter of Bratva) being abducted; Sebastian being the gentleman that he is decides to intervene. This of course sets off a whole chain of events that test the boundaries of loyalty, love, and familial ties. I loved Yelena's character, she is fierce and independent. Her chemistry with Sebastian is electric and they have an INTENSE connection. This story offers romance, suspense, action and of course the touch of mafia romance trope.

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

I mean, I did finish this within 24 hours so the writing itself is good. There's a nice flow and the dialogue is well-shaped. I just had a problem with the variety of plot holes and the waving red flags coming from Sebastian and Yelena. I wanted to like them but it felt too surface level and quick. The basement scene felt ick because Yelena didn't provide complete consent for it. The lack of police, DNA evidence consideration, witnesses, etc. just made this novel feel unreal in a way; pretending hush money can solve everything. Also in Chapter 34, the comment "And don't let anyone trick you into giving birth naturally - it's fucking awful! Take all the drugs!" was tactless, coming from someone who did in fact give birth naturally. Not everyone needs to "take all the drugs" and this was supposed to (I'm assuming) lightening the mood but it did just the opposite for me. I really wish there had been more character growth and change throughout the novel, because it feels like both the main characters didn't grow any and they still have the same issues from beginning to end; the stagnation just didn't fit well for me.

I really enjoyed this series and was extremely excited for the conclusion but it didn’t live up to the previous ones. I found Yelena to be very annoying/frustrating and the romance just didn’t do anything for me. It’s pretty insta-love which is fine but Sebastian seemed really naive and trusted Yelena too quickly.

The plot was too slow to start which made the ending feel super rushed. I think that there should have been more time for resolution after the main conflict concluded instead of all being basically totally forgiven right away. It made the romance seem inauthentic.

Overall, I loved this series and it’s totally worth the time to read it i just wish this one was a little less rushed :)

Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for sending me an ARC of this book in exchange of an honest review.

Sebastian is my beautiful angel, I don’t care if he killed people, you can’t change my mind.
This was not my favorite book of the series but it entartained pretty well and I devoured it nonetheless. I think there were some unnecessary developments that made me want to crash my phone to the wall, and maybe those were what disturbed me.
But seeing my beloved Sebastian finally have his love story after all the other books where I’ve been waiting patiently? It was a reward.
And my oh my, isn’t my angel also a naughty guy. The transformation looked good on him.
My beautiful girl Yelena unnerved me at the start, but I came to love her throughout the book, and the finale made me find peace. 4⭐️

I liked the voice and the pacing, and I can see why the series is popular. I stopped reading after chapter 2 (11%) but solid three to four stars for the target and five for the right readers.

Thank you to NetGalley and Bloom Books for the ARC.

My first Sophie Lark book & I can NOT wait to pick up the others. Perfect little spicy snack for a lazy Sunday read. Chefs kiss on the spice scenes. These are my kid of guilty pleasure reads I love the mafia tropes & the level they love each other.
I really enjoyed that this was a standalone but I can still pick up the others to get more from this universe.
Thank you for this eARC now going on the hunt for more of her books