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SERIES REVIEW: The Silencer & His Prince (Unexpectedly Twisted Books 1 & 2) by Cora Rose
Unexpectedly Twisted: The Silencer – Cora Rose
When a little harmless flirting at a biker bar suddenly takes a turn for the worse and I find myself at odds with the dangerous Fallen Aces gang, I call on the only man I know who can save me.
Anthony Costello may be a vicious mafia boss with a penchant for violence and torture, but he’s also my best friend’s father and the sexiest man I’ve ever laid eyes on. His buttoned-up demeanor and grumpy attitude only fuel my desire to take him apart. I live to push all his buttons. And though he says he’s straight, it seems Anthony may have a soft spot and possessive streak for this smart-mouthed twink. Because as war between rival gangs escalates, things between Anthony and I start to heat up. And I think I’d rather like to sit on the king’s lap to watch it all burn.
The Unexpectedly Twisted series is a rom-com mafia spin-off of the Unexpected series. It contains dark themes and triggers, please see content warnings at the beginning of each book.
Rating:
2.5 Stars – far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: feelslikeimfallinginlove
Artist: Coldplay
Album: Moon Music
Unexpectedly Twisted: His Prince – Cora Rose
All my life I’ve waited for my fairytale romance. Sheltered by my protective father and confined by the dangers of his mafia legacy, I’ve saved myself—my heart and body—all these years for this very moment…
Deadly handsome and charming, Mikhail Ivanov, strikes a deal with my father for my hand in marriage, ensuring my safety and building an alliance. And I thank my lucky stars Mikhail is everything I’ve ever dreamed of, his sweet mouth whispering sins and promises—that I’m his little prince, his angel.
But when the wedding ends and I’m left with a barren wasteland of secrets, lies, and broken promises from the man I trusted, my dreams suddenly become a living nightmare I can’t escape.
I should have known all along that fairy tales aren’t real, just as my dear husband should have known that even angels will get their revenge.
Rating:
3 Stars – not exactly setting my world on fire but I liked itSoundtrack: Virtue
Artist: Matt Wills
Album: Cigarettes & City Lights
After last week’s Mobsters + Billionaires, this week is mobsters and twinks in Cora Rose‘s mafia romance series, Unexpectedly Twisted.
Books 1 and 2, The Silencer and His Prince, paired middle-aged, widower mob bosses to twinks half their age. The stories are in dual 1st person POVs. They should be read in order.
The Silencer runs on the daddy/brat dynamics. Tatum, a 21-year-old college student, constantly pushed 40-something Anthony Costello’s buttons. Anthony is the father of Tatum’s best friend, Angel. The older man is known to be straight and mourning his beloved late wife, Laura.
Their marriage was happy, and they even accepted a third, Luca, Anthony’s right-hand man and star of Book 3. They have twin sons, Diablo, a troublemaker befitting his name and already married, and Angel, the sweet one and star of Book 2.
Fast forward to the present, Tatum, nearly beaten to death by homophobes, was rescued by Anthony and was convalescing in the mob boss’s home. The younger man was crushing hard on Anthony and, from the get-go, went about poking the bear in the hopes of getting a rise from the other man.
Unfortunately, Tatum lacked charm, was annoyingly childish, and had no useful skills apart from shamelessly flirting. Anthony was a cardboard alpha male and completely forgettable. Some of the scenes that threw them together for USTs were so ridiculously contrived, they were like the pretexts used in porn.
Their connection didn’t go beyond sex and I couldn’t even recall them having a meaningful conversation with other. Tatum had deeper connections his bodyguard, Teddy, TBH.
That’s all for Tatum and Anthony. I suspect this is a series that gets better with every new installment because Book 2 was an improvement.
His Prince is about the arranged marriage between 23-year-old Angelo Costello and 42-year-old Mikhail Ivanov, the Russian mob boss on the East Coast. Angel’s father worried about his safety, Angel being too soft and too sweet, and so secured him a husband who would be able to protect him. It didn’t hurt that the arrangement was also good for his business.
After a whirlwind courtship, Angel is surprised that the marriage had soured right from the wedding night. Mikhail doesn’t want anything to do with him. Our boy wasn’t the softy everyone thought him to be. Instead, he won over all of Mikhail’s bodyguards and transformed the mob boss’s lifeless house into a colorful, vibrant home smelling of good food and flowers.
The plot is the opposite of Book 1 and tackles the themes of betrayal and trust. Mikhail had a complicated relationship with his wife, which ended tragically. He swore he could still feel her haunting him. Later, things come full circle, and he would face his ghosts.
Mikhail was borderline cardboard. The man had trust issues due to past betrayals, making it difficult to accept his new husband. It took him a while, but he did pull his head out of his ass and realized how awesome Angel is.
I liked Angel. He’s one of the reasons why the story was enjoyable. He was a compelling mix of sweet, sass, and steel. I loved the way he won over the Russians. Unlike his best friend, Angel can cook and bake and has one hell of a green thumb. He fearlessly faced down crazed mobsters to rescue his husband.
While our MCs are meh, the secondary characters were a riot! They’re really who I want to read about because I just KNOW their books would be delicious!
There’s happy, messy, lovable resident interrogator Bane, who gifts his favorite people with jewelry made of body parts as a sign of affection. He’s paired with the aloof and perfectly put-together Georgiy, the Russian mob’s doctor and interrogator. The scenes they had together are already fire!
Luca is a laid-back, flirty, cool-as-a-cucumber mobster who loves to provoke the easily flustered Victor, one of the trusted bodyguards. It seems Victor is indebted to Luca, which grates on the bodyguard’s nerves. The casual mentions of their antagonistic dynamics thrilled me!
Heck, even the rare teasers of Ivan, Mikhail’s brother, and Casey, Angel’s bodyguard really piqued my interest. Jake, the hearing-impaired gardener, and Teddy, Tatum’s unspeaking bodyguard, were a pleasantly unexpected combination when Teddy started talking to him in ASL. I hope they get their own book.
So far, Unexpectedly Twisted hasn’t offered anything truly unexpected or twisted. The Silencer and His Prince felt more like the slog before getting to the fun parts. I am seriously excited about the future books. Give me all the twists and turns!
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UNEXPECTEDLY TWISTED: Kindle | Audiobook
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Teardown by William Campbell Powell (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE: North Star by T.A. Moore (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: His Prince by Cora Rose
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COVER REVEAL: Savage by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank (Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Pure Country by Kelly Fox
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BLOG TOUR: Dangerous Attraction by Oliver Takely (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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RELEASE BLITZ: Only The Small Bones by C.P. Harris
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REVIEW: Silk & Sand by Katherine Diane
Seth & Raider: Silk & Sand – Katherine Diane
The only thing worse than trekking across a dangerous desert on a nearly impossible mission? When your guide is intolerable—and irresistible.
Seth spends his days hunting down mystical artifacts. As a Curator for the Arcanum College, that’s his job. But when an arcanist murders a fellow scholar, Seth finds himself assigned instead to a dusty, thirsty, frustrating manhunt. But why him? Because, he’s been told by his superiors, he’s the only Curator sufficiently tenacious and brutal for the job. (Seth resents that.)
When the murderer vanishes at the edge of a deadly desert, Seth finds himself in need of a guide. Unfortunately, the “only one crazy enough” for the job is Raider—a man with an easy grin who is clearly a thief, liar, and rogue. (He also has illegal quicksilver in his veins, and that arcane enhancement positively screams “I’ve done bad things.”) The only thing worse than having to rely on such a reprobate? Finding him irresistibly attractive.
Raider might think the manhunt a foolish endeavor, but he’s delighted by the prospect of breaking past the barriers of the gorgeous, rigidly self-controlled Curator. That kind of intensity needs the right outlet (and Raider has such ideas). But Raider just might be asking for more trouble than he realizes—because he has barriers of his own, and some very dark secrets lurking behind them.
But that’s not the only trouble looming. Because if Seth and Raider can survive their desert journey? Seth’s manhunt will lead them into even greater dangers and mysteries.
Silk & Sand is a high-heat fantasy adventure that will take you to the most exotic locations and into the most twisted secrets. It will lure you in with action, humor, and sizzling tension—and will hook your heart with its emotional intensity and beautiful love. So be prepared to laugh, cry, and stay up all night with these two gorgeous, complicated, irresistible men.
Silk & Sand is Katherine Diane’s first book of the Seth & Raider duology. It is a Middle Eastern-flavored fantasy adventure in which the only thing hotter than the blistering desert sun is the nuclear-intense chemistry between Seth and Raider.
Fantasy books are hit-and-miss, because of info dumps that slow the pace. After two tries in the opening chapter, I was glad the story quickly hit its stride and maintained a steady, brisk pace until the end.
The story is set in the desert, where Seth, a Curator from the Academy, hopes to cross in search of another Curator wanted for murder. He crossed paths with Raider and spectacularly got off on the wrong foot with the man. But after a couple of antagonistic interactions, Seth swallowed his pride and hired the infuriating man as his guide because he was the only one who knew how to navigate the deadly sands.
Curators are scholars + archeologists + artifact dealers who typically work for the Academy but might also work for a rich patron. There is magic here, but low-key present. Info dumps were kept to a minimum yet deftly executed. The fantasy elements, such as Seth’s weapons and Raider’s quicksilver, blended seamlessly with the Middle Eastern culture.
The plot is a fabulous blend of action-adventure and romance, with a heavy (almost too much) focus on the romantic development. However, there were also plenty of heart-thumping fight scenes against bandits and giant monsters, court intrigue, dark secrets, betrayals, and forbidden magic.
Seth is scowly, intimidating, and almost soldierly in his discipline and fighting skills. It makes sense since curators venture into dangerous territories for their artifacts. Seth carries a variety of weapons and other survival gear. He’s dressed in all black with protective coverings.
Seth is also hella toppy, dominant, and surprisingly caring and considerate of Raider’s needs, as Raider soon discovers.
Raider is well-liked, shamelessly flirty, carefree, and generous with his smiles. He’s dressed in colorful silks and carries a scimitar. His secret weapon is the quicksilver running in his veins. Silver is his gift, his curse, and his safe word.
Raider isn’t too proud to beg. Our boy is casually sexual but is scared by intimacy. He may be sunshine, but inside is pain and darkness.
The only thing more delicious than the chemistry is the heart-warming care Seth is showering Raider. Our sunshine boy badly needed some TLC, and now that he has some, he doesn’t know what to do with it. And Seth keeps giving those delicious massages…
Our boys protect each other from bandits and monsters, but they also harbor some distrust. Despite this, they still share a tent at the end of the day.
One of my favorite parts was when the two MCs were caught by the bad guys, forcing Raider to reveal his dark secrets to Seth. Seth, disappointed and heartbroken upon learning the truth, stalked off. Later, Raider was sitting in a cell, marinating in his misery, when he heard Seth coming. Seth, expecting Raider already freed himself so they could disappear into the night, said, “Why are you still there?”
I loved this scene because, despite their doubts, they always find their way back to each other.
I was so absorbed by the story that I didn’t see the cliffhanger coming until I walked right into it.
Silk & Sand is one of those books that would make a great movie. The breathtaking desert landscapes, the rich colors of the court, the death-defying stunts, the chase scenes, and the fan-favorite gay romance are made for a Hollywood blockbuster!
Overall, the thrilling adventure, and the dynamic chemistry between them make me eager to follow Seth and Raider across the dunes again!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Desert Night
Artist: Rufus Du Sol
Album: Atlas
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Silk & Sand. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
SILK & SAND: Kindle | Audiobook
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RELEASE BLITZ: The Backup Plan by Eden Finley (Giveaway)
