Review: Falling for the Villain by M. Robinson and Rachel Van Dyken
SYNOPSIS:
“Play for me, Juliet…”
Those four words whispered in my ear again and again until I craved what I used to fear. Such a simple demand from my captor—the man who stole me and refused to tell me why he wouldn’t let me go.
I was his.
He made me need him, just as much as he needed me. I broke all the rules of the golden prison he put me in.
During the day he ruled his dark, seedy world. His subjects and me.
During the night—he bowed before my feet.
Have you ever wondered what happened to the villains in all the fairy tales you read?
You’ll soon find out.
It all started when he kidnapped me and made me his pet.
And it all ended with me…
Calling him master.
REVIEW:
*Book Received in Exchange for Honest Opinion/Review*
This book was something totally different; honestly, if it wasn’t for Rachel Van Dyken being a co-author on it, it’s not something I would have picked up. Where I thought Mafia Casanova started out raunchy, the novel is in a league of its own; gritty, harsh, and a little off putting to say the least.
Donovan and Juliet were an interesting dynamic, cue the Stockholm syndrome. While the story and their relationship was filled with plenty of sexy times, it dramatically lacked any emotional connection or stability. Donovan was so emotionally broken, fixed and obsessed with Juliet. But to Juliet, he was a practical stranger. Even as the story concluded, I just kept thinking how Juliet knew so little of about Donovan. Their relationship was carried by sex and Stockholm syndrome; and this novel definitely dips into the erotica category.
But I really wish there would have been more consent in this book, there were numerous scenes that went from BDSM to straight abuse in order to ‘break’ Juliet. And this definitely isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, and it certainly wasn’t mine. And while being a mafia book, I have to say, this aspect of the story was disappointing. Juliet was such a weak, vulnerable, fragile character for growing up as a mafia princess. I doubt she even knew how to wield a weapon, which to me, just doesn’t fit into the brutal mafia world.
Donovan is an outlier and as the book concludes, we don’t know his last name, how his family amassed their fortune, or really anything about him outside of his villain narrative and bits of his horrid childhood. Honestly, I felt like the book read 85% sex/’breaking’ Juliet and 15% tying in how everything meshed together and putting a bow on it. I just needed more fluidity in the story line and more mafia.
Lastly, their is one little grievance I have to air, which I am hoping will be cleaned up prior to the final publishing. There were several scenes in which characters will be wearing an article of clothing on one page, and then literally on the next page, they are not wearing said clothing. This happened a few times, to the point where I flipped back a page and re-read because I thought maybe I read it wrong. Keep a watch out for the appearing and disappearing panties.
LINKS:
Goodreads | Amazon | Barnes & Noble
