Synopsis from the Author
She fears the dark. He rules it. Her dresses are too tight, her heels too tall. She laughs too loudly, eats without decorum, and mixes up most sayings in the book. Little do most know it’s just a sparkly disguise, there to hide one panic attack at a time. Nobody can crack Gianna’s facade . . . no one anyway, until he comes along.
Most see a paragon of morality; a special agent upholding the law. In the New York underworld, others know him as a hustler, a killer, his nature as cold as the heart of ice in his chest. Christian Allister has always followed the life plan he’d envisioned in his youth, beneath the harsh lights of a frigid, damp cell. With a proclivity for order and the number three, he’s never been tempted to veer off course. But perhaps one should never say never . . .
One winter night and their lives intertwine. She hates him—his stone-cold demeanor, his arrogance and too-perceptive eye—but over the years, even as their games consist of insulting each other’s looks and intelligence, she begins to live to play with him.
Nowhere in Christian’s plans had he ever prepared for Gianna. She’s chaos embodied, not his type, and married, but none of that can stop his eyes from following her wherever she goes. All along, she doesn’t even know that she’s his—his frustration, his fascination. His maddest obsession.
Things I Loved & Things I Struggled With
Gianna is now one of my absolute favorite heroines ever. Sometimes she may be acting “dumb”ish but she has a strong and sassy personality. At first, I really thought I wouldn’t like her (from the previous book)—she acted like a b*tch and a hot mess. I'm not really a fan of spoiled/hot mess characters so I wasn't really excited to read it. But I really fell in love with her as she slowly made Christian (FREAKING) ALLISTER work to get her! I became enamoured for her character's fiestiness and boldness.
Gianna, Gianna, Gianna! Girl is a sucker of Christian Allister’s blue eyes! Because girl, oh girl, SAME SAME! “Broad shoulders. Black suit. Smooth lines. Blue.” HAHAHA
I love Gianna's craziness mixed with Christian's seriousness! "Kissing Christian Allister made me feel more alive than any drug ever could." Girl.... I was screaming!
This Allister went to therapy because he was so obsessed with Gianna. He was so jealous of a one-time between Gianna and Nico and made Nico jealous as revenge. I love how Christian loves Gianna (like all of her—the bad, the good). How can someone write a crazy yet tempting character. I’m so kilig every time he is described. SO very dreamy and fluttery.
I smile whenever I see comments in Instagram/TikTok about how they want to be Christian’s Malyshka (Baby), Moya zvesdochka (My Little Star).
The sexual tension between this two gave me butterflies. And made me kick air. Because what?!
“What do I taste like?”
“Kak moya.” (Russian for "Like mine".)
That’s it! If you’re going to read one in this series, this is the one you should read!
(Bonus: I needed more of them when I finished reading, so I was so happy to see their crumbs in “The Darkest Temptation”)