Shatter Me by Bianca Cole

Dimitri Ivanov meets his match in the highly independent and firecracker that is Natasha Blackwood. Shatter Me by Bianca Cole is the second book in her brand new mafia romance series, which follows Stalk Me —Nikolai and Sofia's story. I was completely enthralled by the explosive chemistry and tension between Dimitri and Natasha. I loved the push and pull element of their relationship because they were constantly chasing and yearning for each other. Whenever Natasha tried to run away from Dimitri, it was impossible for her to escape him because he was always one step behind her. The man had her in his sights and was unwilling to let her go. The intensity of Dimitri's obsession for Natasha was certainly a heady thing to witness. I appreciated the fact that the author took the time to build their relationship while also increasing the tension between the two main characters. It made their love scenes even more special and sexy when it finally happened. However, war is looming for Dimitri and his brothers because of their escalating attacks on a rival family. This will ultimately place Natasha in the crossfires and change the dynamics of their relationship forever.

“I'm never letting her go. She belongs to me now—mind, body, and soul. And I'll destroy anyone who tries to take her from me.”

In the end, Dimitri and Natasha's love story was beautifully written and broke my heart several times because of the yearning from both characters and secrets he kept from her. The highlight of this book was absolutely the romance between Dimitri and Natasha. As someone who was often portrayed as controlling, dominant, and intense, Natasha was the only one who could easily shatter Dimitri's control. I loved that it was also difficult for Natasha to maintain her composure around Dimitri but she held her own against him many times. It was obvious to everyone around them that they were extremely attracted to each other. It was funny to see Dimitri's family tease him for always being so distracted because his mind was constantly on Natasha. If you are looking for an incredibly sexy and romantic love story between two strong and independent characters who can't help but fall for each other despite their circumstances, I highly recommend this book!

*This ARC was generously provided by the author for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆

Stalk Me by Bianca Cole

For my first Bianca Cole book, I was thoroughly impressed by her story-telling, writing, and characters in Stalk Me. Sofia and Nikolai's relationship was incredibly sexy, romantic, and even dirty at times because of the dd/lg kink. The romance between Sofia and Nikolai was the strongest point of the book and the author did an excellent job building the chemistry and romance between our two main characters. I was completely fascinated by Nikolai's constant pursuit of Sofia and how she ultimately fell for him despite knowing that he was a dangerous man. As the main title of the book suggests, Nikolai was completely obsessed with Sofia and wanted to know everything about her—he even went so far as to stalk and monitor her. I would be creeped out in real life but this is fiction so I gave him the benefit of the doubt. I knew it would ultimately come back to bite him, and it did. I loved that Sofia confronted him and Nikolai even felt ashamed because of it.

“From the first moment I saw you, you consumed me. Every thought, every breath—just you. I couldn’t bear not knowing what you were doing.”

In the end, this was a wonderful start to a brand new series and I absolutely can't see what Bianca Cole has in store for Dimitri and Natasha—Nikolai's brother and Sofia's best friend. I'm certain that we'll be getting books for the rest of Nikolai's brothers as well. There was a slight age gap between Nikolai and Sofia but it didn't detract from their romance. I loved that the author primarily focused on their growing relationship. The love scenes were incredibly spicy and had me on the edge of my seat. Although the last part of the book was bogged down by drama between Sofia and her long-lost family, I still enjoyed this book nonetheless. If you are looking for a steamy mafia romance between a totally obsessed and possessive hero who deeply loves his malyshka, I highly recommend Nikolai and Sofia's story because it will hook you right in.

*This ARC was generously provided by the author for an honest review*

Rating: ★★★★☆