Burned Dreams

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻.5
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️.5
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.25

First Impressions
Burned Dreams is the most recent release in the "Perfectly Imperfect" series. Its the seventh installment in the series and this is where we get Alessandro's book. This has a great mix of show more tropes with revenge and forced proximity. And this is also where we see some tortured characters who find some solace and redemption together. There is something about how this author writes that I am immediately drawn to. I just adore how she writes these stories. And what really appeals the most for me is how her characters are so easy to invest in.

Summary
Alessandro has been on a long road of revenge for those that killed his wife and never had to suffer the consequences and he is determined to make sure that they do suffer the consequences. So he starts to work undercover as a bodyguard for the Nostra's wife. Ravenna, was forced into becoming a wife and is practically a prisoner in her own home. But she is slowly working her way through to get her freedom and free her family and trying to keep up appearances with her abusive husband. What she doesn't expect, is to find a protector with her new bodyguard. But his goal is to kill her as part of his revenge but when he falls hard for the woman, he will have to choose the best way to keep her forever...

What I Loved
This story really packed a punch, especially on a deep human level and this is one of the talents from this author, she just makes these characters come alive for you and you just connect instantly with them no matter what they do. This is definitely a bit different from what we normally see from this author, but I enjoyed seeing her go this route with this book and seeing how it develops between our characters. There are so many ways that this one is forbidden, and forbidden love is one of my favorite tropes to read in romance. And seeing the small moments that these two pack just a strong connection and build between them was so superb. Neva AltaJ really developed their relationship just right that fit within the machinations of the plot. It definitely kept me on the edge of my seat all the way through. And if you love mafia romance, then this author most definitely needs to be on your list there.

What I Struggled With
There was a bit of anti climatic the conflict ended up in, it ended up being resolved in ways I least expected. And while a surprise is fun, I definitely thought it would be more intense than it turned out to be. But the epilogue was good to see our couple in their HEA but also prepping us for what we need to be ready for in book 8!

Overall View
Burned Dreams is a story that builds perfect tension, chemistry gradually built up to perfection, and a plot to keep you on your toes! A THRILLING MAFIA GEM!

Favorite Quote(s)
y feelings for Ravenna Pisano don't resemble a forest stream. They're a f*cking waterfall. Unexpected. Ferocious. Passion, desire, and beautiful madness. I crave her more than a condemned man wanting her next breath.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance
Character Types: Mafia, Assassin, Law Enforcement, Abused Heroine
Themes: Crime, Secret Ops
Tropes: Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity, Revenge

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
A blend of both

Song This Book Inspires
One Woman Man by John Legend

Recommendation For Reading Order
You can read as standalone if needed, but for the connections within the world, I recommend reading these in order

Steam/Spice Explanations

Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes. show less

2.5 ⭐