My rating: 3 of 5 stars
Declan has always lived with anger simmering under his skin, a fire that only worsened after his best friend was killed. Avenging that death left him hollow and alone, with no one to trust when threats start closing in—until Nico steps into his life. What begins as Nico teasing the younger Whitlock at a kink club turns into a night neither of them can forget, and soon Nico discovers Declan is being blackmailed with no one to turn to. Determined to protect him, Nico keeps Declan’s secrets even from his overprotective brother, and the two grow closer as danger tightens around them. With a mafia war brewing and their feelings deepening, Declan and Nico—bodyguard and mafia son—must fight to keep each other safe and figure out whether their forbidden connection can become something real.
I came away from this one feeling a bit disappointed. The story dragged in places, slipping into a repetitive cycle of dislike and sniping between the two men that felt overdone and, at times, monotonous. Their dynamic relied so heavily on mutual irritation that it left little room for deeper character development or emotional nuance beyond the constant self‑inflicted angst. That said, the final stretch of the book was far stronger. Once the tension between them finally shifted into passion and genuine connection, the story became far more engaging and satisfying. Their chemistry does land — it just takes a long, bumpy road to get there. A romance with a rewarding ending, but one that requires patience to push through the slower, repetitive middle. This was an MM story with mature content.
Buy from Amazon





