This mafia mm romance is supposed to be a lighthearted, action movie-esque romp across the high seas. I get that this is the intention of the author. Unfortunately, issues make it difficult for me to immerse myself in either the action or the romance. I love me some mafia mm romance, too. So I was disappointed I wasn’t sucked in by this story.

Basically, there are nefarious plans at play. Our mm mafia MCs infiltrate a luxury cruise to get to the bottom of a plot to unleash a dangerous mind-control drug upon humanity. They, the mafia people, are strangely enough the good guys in this mobster story. 

Blurb

HEX

Having a crush sucks. Harboring one on your dad’s stuck-up best friend, who is the grumpy Chief Security Officer of the Akiyama Group, is a nightmare.

But hey—I’m Sudo Hex, Japan’s number one genius hacker. He can play hard-to-get all he wants, but I don’t give up easily.

The luxury cruise where billionaires and corrupt politicians are gathering because of their nasty new drug will be my playground, right before we crash their party and stop their evil plans.

Forced proximity? Check.

A mystery we have to solve together? Check.

An opportunity for me to show him how reliable and responsible I am despite our age difference? Check.

Potentially dangerous situations that he has to save me from? Check, check, check.

I’ll make this mission a success, and my reward is walking away with a boyfriend.

ARAN

I should’ve never agreed to take Hex with me on this cruise. My mission is my priority and with the stakes as high as they are, a distraction is the last thing I need.

Especially one as stubborn and charming as him.

As an executive at a mafia organization, failure isn’t an option for me. But my duties aren’t the only thing hanging over my head. Years ago, I made a promise to my best friend who died in the line of duty—no matter what, I would watch over the son he left behind.

I’ve done my best, but the little shit just won’t leave me alone. He’s no longer a kid either, but he still professes his love for me every chance that he gets. I’ve shut him down countless times, yet he never gives up.

It’s annoying, exhausting too. There is no ‘we’ in the picture.

And yet, no matter what crazy things he asks of me, I just can’t find it in me to say no.

This dad’s best friend MM romcom features VIP cruise shenanigans, mystery, action, a dose of ridiculousness, possessiveness, age gap (not the focus), slow burn, a stuck-up CSO who’s hellbent on denying himself what he wants, and the stuborn hacker who won’t give up until he snags himself his dream man. It’s Book 3 of the Mobster Mayhem series and can be read as a standalone.

The Main Characters 

Hex 

MC 1 is Hex, a computer genius whose hacking skills have elevated him to move in questionable circles as the top of his class. He’s childish and naïve, frankly. Described as a 24-year-old, Hex acts so much younger. He’s sexually innocent, to the extreme. He has his first kiss with Aran. His characterization is questionable for what he does as a hacker and who he works with. A kid so naive would be eaten alive in the criminal underworld. 

Aran

MC 2 is Aran, who is a former military guy who shifted to security work once he retired. The story did not clearly explain how Aran justifies working for the mob. He’s stoic and older, and dead set against being in a relationship with Hex. For good reason, something we’ll get to in a bit.

The Relationship

Hex is convinced they’re meant to be. Aran isn’t quite as sure about this. He’s been resisting Hex’s wiles for quite some time. Especially considering the fact that… 

Aran Raised Hex? Wait, What?

Aran made a promise to Hex’s father that he’d look after Hex. He essentially raised Hex from his teens. To me, that makes Aran getting involved with Hex as an adult dubiously moral. In any real-life situation, I believe that it’d be a non-starter. 

In fact, young people adopted in adolescence sometimes struggle with attachment issues. One way these issues manifest is a misinterpretation of their feelings of affection toward their adoptive guardians as something sexual. These youth need extensive therapy to work through these feelings. Knowing this about real-life attachment disorders, Hex constantly pressuring Aran to get into an intimate relationship with him is frankly strange and inappropriate. 

But this mafia mm romance book doesn’t try to make anything very realistic, so I suppose I can suspend disbelief for this. But just know that if you’re at all triggered by things of this sensitive nature, tread carefully for this story. 

Glows

Minority Rep

I enjoyed that this story is set in Asia and features characters who are Asian. There aren’t enough books that feature minority characters, especially in the mafia mm romance genre, so I appreciate that this book has minority representation.

Below Deck Setting

I enjoyed the cruise-line setting and how the high-seas locale makes the mystery more in your face. Someone disappears? They have to be stashed somewhere on the boat! So Hex and Aran have that immediate need to do something about it. I liked the descriptions of the absolute luxury of the ship, and especially the secrets and the mysterious hidden locations. 

Interesting Characters

I found the villains to be some of the best-written characters in the story. As they should be, in a mafia MM romance! Mysterious, worldly, and ultra-rich cruise passengers who want to control the world? Heck yes. They were interesting, sinister and creepy. Perfect villains. It almost made me upset when the story was over. Not really. They were after world domination in the worst sort of way. I didn’t want to side with them or anything; they were downright dirty. But regardless of that, the villains were super well written. 

Grows

Ageism: 40 is absolutely NOT past one’s prime

Ugh there were several times when the author referred to someone past 40 as being ‘past their prime’ and um no thank you very much. That’s ageist. 

Aran Calls Hex an Airhead. Not Cool, Man

Aran works himself into knots justifying why he shouldn’t be with Hex, even though we know he eventually gives in. Take away the fact that Aran raised Hex from his teens, he could have also examined the fact that he doesn’t respect Hex as a person. He calls him an airhead. A partner shouldn’t call the person they love an airhead. That’s mean. It further proves how ill-suited they are for one another. 

Unrealistic Action Sequences

Wait what? Why would Aran jump out from cover to rush at the people shooting at him? That’s something that might play out in a fight scene in a wild action flick, but in the real world? No way. That would be a sure-fire way to get shot. 

No one with formal military training who actively works in security would do that. And Aran definitely wouldn’t shoot two guns at a time. I’m not into shooting at ALL, but even I know that is some Hollywood stuff that doesn’t work like that in real life. 

Credibility: Hex is a hacker??

First off, I have to get this off my chest. I disliked Hex’s character. Hex’s is childish to an extreme. His personification doesn’t vibe with someone who is working for mafia-sorts. His vibe definitely doesn’t mesh with someone who is a hacker. It just doesn’t. He’s child-like and naive. Innocent.

What’s more, he doesn’t act like someone in a mafia story. It’s almost like two stories are going on at the same time. His dialogue and his behavior detract from the overall plot of the story. There are so many instances Hex does or says something so out of pocket that it completely breaks the immersion of the story.  

If he and Aran were infiltrating a high-level conspiracy ring with a mind-control drug, Hex acting like he does would get them instantly exposed. And he would not act like getting with Aran is the only thing on his mind. Frankly, no mob boss would allow someone like that to go on a mission like this. I KNOW IT’S FICTION. But oh man, I am STRUGGLING to suspend disbelief here. 

This is a Mob Story? 

Who Said… is light on the normal mafia tropes, to be honest. The big-bad guys the MCs fight are world leaders. The MCs seem like the good guys. They could be working for a government instead of the mob, for all the mob elements are absent. If it weren’t part of a series called Mobster Mayhem, this story might work better rebranded as a spy story. But it’s not, it’s a mobster story. The entire story takes place on a cruise ship. And neither Aran nor Hex is a mobster. Those two elements may contribute to it seeming less like a mobster story and more like something else. 

Overall

I think this is a story that a lot of people will like. It’s got action elements, mystery, and romance. I can recommend it for that. But I personally struggled with a lot of the details. Maybe it’s not that serious. But I struggled. And I am an honest reviewer, so I am leaving an honest review. 

Reviews

I received a free copy of this book via Booksirens and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Mafia MM Romance: Review: Who Said Execs Couldn’t Be [HEX]ed?  appeared first on Fae’s Journal.

Unspoken: Forbidden MM Mafia Bodyguard Romance | Review

Unspoken by N.N. Britt | Amazon | Goodreads | Bookbub | My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Blurb

Loyalties and rules are put to the ultimate test when a disgraced ex-cop and a younger sibling of a ruthless crime leader cross the line a bodyguard and his protectee aren’t allowed to cross.

A disgraced ex-cop, Logan McKenna, finds himself reluctantly taking a job as a bodyguard for Alexander “Sasha” Solovey, the spoiled younger brother of the feared Las Vegas crime boss Vlad Solovey. But as Logan fights to keep Sasha safe from escalating threats, he’s drawn into a forbidden romance that could be the much-needed spark in his life…or his last mistake in a city where betrayal means death.

Set after the events of Isaac and Dallas. Can be read as standalone. First person, alternating POV.

Unspoken: Mafia MM romance

This forbidden romance mafia story will sweep you into Sasha Solovey’s dark world. The younger brother of crime boss Vlad Solovey, and born into the Solovey crime family, Sasha seems to have grown up in London boarding schools and largely shielded from the realities of what it means to be born mafia royalty. When he’s transplanted to Las Vegas after a close call, he’s traumatized and petulant in equal measures. He needs a bodyguard, in the form of Logan McKenna, a former cop who reluctantly takes the job because he needs money.

Overall Opinion

If you are a fan of Mafia MM romance, forbidden romances, mafia typical violence, virgin MC with experienced MC, age differences, and danger/suspense, you will like this book. The plot compelled me to keep turning the page, the spice level was hot, and the characterizations of the main love interests are good, with morally gray areas that are always compelling. I wish the world and character motivations made a bit more sense, but it’s a solid story. I give it a 3.5 out of 5.

Disclosure: Third Book in a Series

I haven’t read the first two Mafia MM romance books of the Light & Shadow series. I borrowed Issac from Kindle Unlimited a while ago but haven’t gotten around to reading it yet. While the blurb indicates this novel can be read as a standalone, I think the world would be more fleshed out if one reads the series in order, as more world-building would clarify parts of the story I had questions about. It is highly likely those details were established and explained in previous installments of the series.

Assassination Attempt

Haunted by the explosive assassination attempt that took the life of his best friend instead of him, Sasha is adrift. He had been months away from finishing university but now those plans are on hold as he’s confined to the family compound for safety reasons. He doesn’t want to be in Nevada. Sasha doesn’t want a bodyguard. He resents that he needs a bodyguard. Much like the Banks children running off nanny after nanny until Mary Poppins comes to help, Sasha has driven away numerous bodyguards due to his behavior. Sasha lashes out at them childishly and remains unmanageable until Logan steps into the position. Logan sticks. He’s not going anywhere.

Brotherly Love? Never Met Him

Sasha and his brother Vlad have a very distant relationship. As for Vlad, well, he’s hard to get to know in this book. And it often reads like Sasha hardly knows Vlad. There’s no brotherly camaraderie. Do they have any shared history at all? There’s no warmth or even familiarity in their interactions. Sasha acts like a brat, Vlad scowls and orders him around. It makes me wonder… Did Sasha just never see his family, like ever, since he was sent to England for school? I would question the likelihood of that. Surely even kids at expensive boarding schools are required to come home for the summers, holidays, etc?

RIP to Sasha and Vlad’s Dad

Recently, Vlad and Sasha’s father met an untimely demise under mysterious circumstances, so Vlad just came into power and now leads their family crime syndicate. Because of that, he’s too busy to get to know Sasha better.

However, even with Vlad’s hands full as he takes the wheel of the family business, it reads as if he’s mostly uninterested in getting to know Sasha.

Vlad’s personality is stark. He only shows warmer facets of his personality later in the book. Finally, the reader begins to understand that there really is a real person behind the authoritarian dictator Vlad comes across as.

For most of the book, Vlad lords over Sasha with harsh commands and directives, giving him no say over his own life. Vlad tells Sasha how things will be and what he will do. One would guess that a softer approach would work out better in the long run if he wants to have a relationship with his remaining family. Because of this, it’s almost logical that Sasha would turn toward Logan, desperate for some sort of connection, something to ground him in his new reality.

Logan

Logan’s character is stubborn, stoic, a real strong-but silent type. Logan is the disgraced cop turned bodyguard archetype to a T.

Logan’s Backstory is Wack

Logan takes the fall for a partner, getting him kicked off the force. This completely doesn’t make sense to me because his partner is a dick to him in this book.

So like, why? Why would he want to ruin his career for this person? MAYBE stuff that happens in previous books will make this make more sense but it does NOT make sense to me from just reading this book. No way would someone do that just because their partner has a new baby and is friends with the partner’s wife.

Nah fam, that’s not it. As previously mentioned, I have not read the first two books in this series so that might be why I am not understanding this part.

Major Plot HOLE Leaves Logan’s Motivation on Shaky Ground

Lending his character more depth, the reader learns that Logan’s mother is sick and dying. So, it’s explained that Logan needs the money for her care, especially as he has no insurance. *record scratch* Wait . . . most states give monthly benefits to surviving spouses until they die or remarry when their spouse dies in the line of duty. That’s like.. a legit thing. Logan’s father was shot by someone in the line of duty. Nevada law has this benefit, I looked it up. So his mother would still qualify for INSURANCE through her dead spouse.

In summary, Logan losing his insurance when he was fired from the force would NOT mean that his mother doesn’t have insurance. That doesn’t make sense because that’s not how it works. And at any rate, Logan would have to have, at the very minimum, insurance through the Marketplace, right? Ok ok, let the music continue… I’M IGNORING THE GIANT PLOT HOLE.

Honestly, I hope that these unclear details are explained as part of the plot in another installment of the Light & Shadow series and when I go back and read them it will fill in the gaps in understanding I have. Because this character’s motivation doesn’t fully make sense.

Mafia MM Romance = Forbidden Romance

This book is not a case of insta-love. I hate insta-love, so I relished the amount of antagonism between the two love interests. In the beginning, Sasha acts like a child more than a grown man. His characterization is purposely immature and bratty. And he genuinely doesn’t like Logan at first, nor does Logan see Sasha as anything more than a bratty client.

There is no chemistry between the characters when they meet. They clash. It takes a few weeks if not more of book time until they are civil toward one another. In the end it’s pure adrenaline that pushes them together the first time. But after that, hormones take over and the two fall into a relationship that they both agree needs to stay secret.

Why Secret?

Sasha’s father abused him when he found him with another boy. Sasha believes he will be disowned or worse if he comes out to Vlad. And with things being so dicey with Vlad, Sasha he hasn’t seen anything to make him believe Vlad is any different than his father.

Logan similarly doesn’t believe he’ll survive Vlad finding out either, as it would seem like he is taking advantage of a younger, vulnerable person. So they sneak around for a while.

Sasha is Innocent Innocent

After Sasha and Logan kiss for the first time, the reader learns that Sasha has no sexual experience, he’s completely innocent before getting involved with Logan. He’s never even kissed another man since he was found by his father and shipped off to London. I found that element of the story in Unspoken somewhat hard to believe. From the start, the author seems to describe Sasha’s life as unhindered by the burden and danger of the mafia lifestyle while in London. It doesn’t seem like he was stopped from living as he wants. So, why wouldn’t he have done normal teenage things while at boarding school and university?

Of all things, this plot element sticks out as the most unrealistic. And yes, I stand by this that even in a book filled with mafia-typical violence and behaviors, it really doesn’t track that Sasha would have had no partners while in school. With as attractive as he’s described, with as rebellious as he is once he’s transported to Nevada, I think he’d have lived it up as a teenager just to get back at his father. Especially as the opening scene has Sasha’s friend group mentioning parties and nights out that would lend themselves to these sorts of normal, adolescent things that teenagers get up to while away from their parents, especially young and wild university students .

Of Course, Vlad Finds Out

Vlad finds out what the love interests are up to before either of them can come clean about it. That definitely makes it worse. But soon after Vlad finds out what’s going on, we are hurtled into the major climactic events of the novel. Sasha gets abducted by Vlad’s enemies, so his anger toward Logan and Sasha has to wait until things are resolved.

Logan and Vlad Work Together

To save Sasha, Logan and Vlad work together and this is the first time in the whole book the reader sees beyond Vlad’s cold façade to the real person below the surface. I wish we’d seen that side of him from the start. Before, it seemed like he was controlling Sasha to be controlling, but when Sasha is taken he seems to come unraveled a bit and we see the genuine concern and emotion that motivates him. I like that Vlad much more. He lets Logan stick around without too many threats to his life, so Vlad must see that Logan is earnest in his intentions toward Sasha.

Alls Well

After Sasha’s rescue and recovery, the book ends with a happily ever after. The ending ties up Logan and Sasha’s story well, and it left me feeling satisfied that their story had played out the way it does.

MM Romance Reviews

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. I write reviews on my blog, Goodreads, Bookbub, Amazon, and more. If you want me to read and review your upcoming novel read my review policy and submit a contact form.

The post Mafia MM Romance Review: Unspoken appeared first on Fae’s Journal.