I honestly DNF’d this book but thanks so much to NetGalley for the chance to listen. I just could not get into the story or relate to or embrace the characters. When the story led them to a shower together with no relationship to speak of, I just couldn’t make it work for me. I’ve loved Dodd’s other books and the concept was intriguing. Just not for me.

While I really wanted to enjoy this audiobook, it ultimately didn’t work for me. The attempt to blend multiple genres felt more like a chaotic mix than a seamless fusion, making it hard to fully engage with the story. Instead of enhancing the experience, the genre shifts made it difficult to connect with the plot and characters.

The narration itself was decent, with the voice actor doing their best to bring the material to life. However, even strong narration couldn’t completely salvage the disjointed nature of the storytelling. At times, the pacing also felt uneven—some sections dragged while others rushed past crucial moments, leaving little room for emotional impact.

That said, for those who enjoy a mix of genres and don’t mind an unconventional approach, this might still be worth a listen. Unfortunately, it wasn’t for me.

DNF. The premise was confusing and the sex scenes were very difficult to get through. I thought it would be strange and mysterious but I couldn't get past the 15% mark. Not worth my time. Sorry. Thanks for the opportunity to read!

Book Review: Girl Anonymous
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Author: Christina Dodd @christinadoddbooks
Publisher: Harlequin Trade Publishing @harlequinbooks Harlequin Audio @harlequin_audio
Thank you @netgalley for my ARC and ALC.

Girl Anonymous is a heart-pumping, action-packed romance that will leave you breathless, a juicy soap opera infused with a healthy dose of sizzling passion and a deep sense of hope. The narrative follows Maarja Daire, a resilient woman who has been rising above her past since her mother and the notorious mob boss, Benoit Arundel, met their demise. Now, grown and living under an assumed identity, Maarja works as a fine arts mover, but her past reemerges when she is compelled to return to the mansion where the events transpired. Enter Dante, the brooding Arundel family boss, whose rugged visage and dark gaze seem to pierce through Maarja's carefully constructed life, offering her a chance at redemption. When fate brings them together, and she rescues his mother from a fire, the sparks flying between them could ignite a wildfire of transformation. As Maarja confronts her inner demons and the pull of her attraction to Dante, she is forced to face her past and the perilous vendetta still targeting her, emerging stronger and more determined. Christina Dodd crafts a narrative akin to a runaway train, replete with twists and turns, as Maarja and Dante's relationship deepens amidst betrayal, vengeance, and passion, ultimately leading to a powerful, emotional tale of love, survival, and redemption. Girl Anonymous is a testament to the human spirit's capacity for growth, forgiveness, and love, tempered with a healthy dose of sarcasm and wit. Featuring a strong female lead, a mysterious love interest, and danger lurking in the shadows, this novel is a must-read for fans of romantic suspense, inspiring readers to hold onto hope and believe in the potential for positive change. I wasn’t sure about this book when I started reading it but in the end it was fabulous.

Prose: 3⭐️
Audiobook Narration 2⭐️

I have been trying to be very intentional with my star ratings knowing that 3⭐️ and below are not desirable.
I had the opportunity to read both the eARC and the ALC. after reading the eARC I was “meh” about it. It didn’t except me, I found major plot holes and it just wasn’t what I expected from this author insofar as the prose.

This is billed as “God Father” meets “West Side Story” and I can see the correlations but the execution just wasn’t there. The WSS connection was completely ridiculous sounding. If I didn’t know any better I would have thought this was trying to be satire or a spoof.

Usually when I then listen to the audiobook it can help a book come more alive for me as you take in the information differently. Unfortunately the exact opposite occurred.

The Narrator was Vanessa Johansson and after a while I had to speed it up so much so it could take most of the inflection out of the vocals. This was supposed to be a regular audiobook but she treated it more like one would in a graphic audio with over exaggerated acting and strange character voice choices. It added to the feeling that I already had that it was comedic when it was not supposed to be.

I will stop there as this may be a book that someone loves, it’s just not me. and because some of my opinion is based on personal experience and personal dislikes, I went right down the middle with my rating even though it doesn’t reflect my personal experience with the book.


I am thankful to have gotten the ALC for free from Harlequin Audio through NetGalley to read which gave me the opportunity to voluntarily leave a review and I hope this isn’t held against me as I am just being forthright.

My rating system since GoodReads doesn’t have partial stars and I rarely round up.

⭐️ Hated it
⭐️⭐️ Had a lot of trouble, prose issues, really not my cup of tea (potentially DNF’d or thought about it)
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Meh, it was an ok read but nothing special
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really enjoyed it! Would recommend to others
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Outstanding! Will circle back and read again

Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Audio for the advanced audiobook.

The premise of this book--The Godfather meets West Side Story, of two people from warring mafia families falling in love--sounded like a fun, sexy mash up of genres. Unfortunately, there wasn't anything fun nor sexy about this book. It felt chaotic and uninteresting at the same time. I couldn't stick with this one.

Thank you so much to netgalley and the publisher for the arc of this one in exchange for an honest review!

I was not a huge fan of this one. This book is just really not my type of book.

I think the audiobook was good though and I liked the narrator.

For people who like romance with their thrillers, this one would be a good option!

DNF - I really tried but I just could not even wrap my head around this story. On audio, the narrator was great but I could not keep going. Thank you to the publisher for the ALC!