The Predator (Dark Verse, #1) (2024)

– 2.4 stars

What this book has:

💫 a heroine in a mafia setting with a brain
💫 a heroine who is not just waiting for her father to arrrange a marriage for her
💫 a dark hair, blue eyed hero with BDE
💫 a hero who doesn't speak much
💫 enemies-to-lovers

What this book also has:

📌 3rd POV
📌 endless monologues
📌 staring so MUCH STARING 👁👄👁
📌 SILENCE
📌 guns and violence
📌 did I already mentioned staring? if not, yeah, a lot of staring 👁👄👁
📌 blue eyes
📌 a motorcycle
📌 the words "TRISTAN CAINE" (219 times to be exact)
📌 a voice of whiskey and sin (that was not used nearly enough)
📌 I wanna do this review for The Predator justice so I gotta mention once again the eye staring contest Tristan and Morana had going on throughout this whole book 👁👄👁
📌 no talk, only stares 👁👄👁

Not to compliment myself, but I think I did a good job of summarizing The Predator. If something is missing from that list, my DM's are wide open for suggestions. 😇

A staredown. She didn't remove her eyes from his, and he didn't remove his from hers, neither willing to look away first.

Morana Vitalio: Stop staring.
Tristan Caine: No.

I wanted to say that reading this book was such a great experience, but just looking at the rating, that would be a big lie. It was painful af. The first 40% of this book were hands down a solid 1.5 stars rating from me. The monlogues, the eye starring, the silence I hated everything about it. It was so mind-numbing. The voices in my f*cking head talked more than the characters in this whole book. 😭💀

Tristan had the potential to be up there with all the great heroes. Is there anything this man can't do? But due to the writing I couldn't care enough about him. Same applies for Morana. For the first 40% I was just begging for someone to end my misery (I'm dramatic ik just let me 🤡🤚) that by the time when something interesting between the main character happened I was like

Tristan f*cking Morana in the restroom while her father's men are standing behind the door calling out to her? Yeah, even I can admit that scene was something. If I had to choose my favorite scenes from this book, then it probably that one or the Tristan & Morana rain kiss in the last chapter. That were the scenes were I was mourning this couple potential, cause they could have slapped so hard and end all other mafia couples, but nah sorry missed that mark with all the staring instead of talking.

"Next time, I'm going to see how loud you can scream, Ms. Vitalio. I'm going to make you so sore you won't know if it's from the screaming or the f*cking."

There was actually an interesting flashback scene between Tristan and Morana that I somewhat enjoyed, until I got to the point where it was revealed why Tristan hates Morana that much. And oh boy.. oh hell. Here is my reaction:

He stilled even more, impossibly.
She stilled even more, reflexively.
The air between them stilled, dangerously.

Conclusion

The first half was pretty much a disaster, the second half was somehow better, but I still don't care enough. Usually I'm all about the side characters, but even Dante and Amara didn't do anything for me, because I'm already dreading how the writing is going to be 💀 I'm still going to read the next books, but for now I need a break. 🏃🏻‍♀️

┍━━━━━━━━━━━━━┑
DARK VERSE SERIES

#1 The Predator – 2.4 stars
#2 The Reaper – tbr
#3 The Emperor – tbr
#4 The Finisher – tbr
#5 The Annihilator – tbr
┕━━━━━━━━━━━━━┙

i read this in one sitting and now i’m a changed woman. you don’t know what enemies to even more enemies to enemies with benefits to enemies that still aren’t lovers is until you read this masterpiece. i read this in less that 24hrs and now my skin is glowing.

this sh*t changed my hair color. the slow burn, longing, and copious amounts of staring made me feel like someone pushed me onto incoming traffic. and i loved every bit of it. i finished it and suddenly a cliff appeared in front of me.

Tristian and Morana are two characters that i’m deadly afraid of yet two characters i’d let take me any which way. their tension made me want to jump off the golden gate bridge, throw a toaster into a bath tub, and jump into it. my body folded like an origami with that bathroom and shower scene. anyways can’t wait to read the sequel next.

I did not expect to love this book as much as I did. This is one of my first mafia romances and I'm obsessed. The characters are *actual* enemies to lovers which I LOVE. The first chapter literally starts with Morana trying to kill Tristan. *swoon*😅

BUT I also love that it's not a toxic or morally grey romance. This book is definitely a dark romance because the mafia world is dark but Tristan and Morana have such good hearts.

➳ 4/5 stars

"Don't you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? We like the hunt"

Well, i have had this series for some time now but it never really piqued my interest but after one of my good friend spoke so highly of it i finally decided to give it go and let me tell u it didn't disappoint. Although the writing was typically lousy and boring but i can ignore it because the characters were soo good and the storyline was excellently executed. The plot was pretty interesting as well and kept me wanting to read it more and more.

So in this captivating narrative, we're immersed in the world of two influential families, the Vitalios and the Maronis. Morana Vitalio, Gabriel Vitalio's daughter, is a computer expert who has created some codes, which found in the wrong hands could cause a war between the two families. Enter Tristan Caine, also known as 'The Predator,' a protege of Lorenzo Maroni. As Morana and Tristan uncover the truth behind the theft, they realize they're pawns in a larger game. Together, they form an unlikely alliance to retrieve the stolen codes and prevent potential harm to both of the families.

Although the pacing of book was very good and kept me intrested because something was happening all the time but the writing was lousy, bland and repetitive, there were countless mentions of his whiskey and sin voice and also his blue eyes and with every single mention i wanted to throw my book because it became way too much like once or twice would've been tolerable but it was literally more than twenty times and this might be the only reason im not rating it five stars because good writing literally matters to me the most. This book is considered dark romance although i couldn't feel the romance at all but man the sexual tension between them was off the charts ngl i could literally feel it through the pages.

╰┈➤ Tristan Caine

This guy embodied all the classic traits of a dark romance lead: mysterious, brooding, and haunted by a troubled past. As I delved into his backstory, I couldn't help but feel a wave of sympathy wash over me. His struggles and hardships gave context to his guarded demeanor and quiet disposition. It became clear why he was so hesitant to trust or open up to others. In the end, I found myself rooting for him to find the closure and peace he so rightfully deserves.

"They called him the predator. His reputation preceded him. He rarely went on hunt but when he did, it was over.”

╰┈➤ Morana Vitalio

Morana stands out as one of the most memorable female leads I've come across. She embodies beauty, intelligence, and a fierce determination that commands respect. What truly captured my attention were her sharp wit and fearless demeanor—her snarky comments added a delightful flair to her character. However, there were moments when her reactions felt a bit exaggerated, especially when she couldn't resist his intense gaze. Despite this, her intelligence and unwavering resolve remained admirable throughout the story.

Morana's upbringing in a mafia family shaped her into a strong and independent woman from the start. Despite being surrounded by dangerous men, she fiercely fought for her freedom—a refreshing departure from the typical portrayal of women in mafia romances as submissive and doormat types.

"She'd been raised around sharks. And she’d learned not to bleed"

Despite being constantly surrounded by people, Morana experienced deep loneliness, with no one truly there for her when she needed support the most. It was heartbreaking to see her endure so much hardship when she deserved nothing but love and understanding.

"She cried because she had no one to give her a shoulder and hold her as she cried, because she had to wrap her arms around herself”

What actually disgusted me the most was morana's sh*tty father istg that man was such a f*cked up piece of sh*t. He basically always prostituted and humiliated his own daughter in front of other men like I can't imagine a dad not snapping the neck of the man who tried to touch his daughter in a wrong way but this man he literally sat there when some other man tried to touch his own daughter and then proceeded to be an ass about it and let's not even forget about him f*cking throwing her down the stairs just because he was angry istg she could've died but he gave no f*cks about her, istg such a terrible piece of sh*t.

It's undeniable that this book was a captivating read from start to finish, keeping me hooked with every turn of the page. And let's talk about that iconic rain scene! Despite not fully understanding the hype beforehand, experiencing it firsthand had me completely swept away. It was steamy and intense in all the right ways, leaving me absolutely hooked.

"He devoured her in the rain, with his gun beneath her jaw."

°˖➴ "Overall, if you're craving a gripping read that will captivate you from start to finish, look no further. Dive into this book and let yourself get lost in its compelling storyline. Enjoyy!!" 💌

౨ৎ QUOTES ✧˖°.

⚘ "No one else gets to kill you, Ms Vitalio, the last face you see before you die will be mine. When it comes to death, you're mine."

⚘ "Death isn't the main course, sweetheart. It's the dessert. Never make the mistake of thinking you know me. It might just prove to be your last”
“—Never make the mistake of thinking you scare me." “It might be your last"

⚘ "The man who'd claimed her death had given her a glimpse of life by doing something he probably didn't even realize he'd done. In that moment, the enemy had done what no one had ever even tried to do for her. He had made her feel a little less lonely."

⚘ "We've been honest so far, Ms. Vitalio. I'll be honest now. I despise you but I want you. f*ck it, I do. And I want you out of my system."

⚘ "One day, I'm going to carve your heart out and keep it as a souvenir. I promise.”
"You assume I have a heart, wildcat.”

-ˋˏ✄┈┈┈┈

꒰🌷⊹ ࣪ pre-read review ᯓᡣ𐭩

Well, this book have been side-eyeing me from my shelf since ages and i think it's finally the time to pick it up, soo hope it delivers!!!! 😙💗

OMG OMG THAT LAST CHAPTER WAS BOMB.

It’s been a MINUTE since I stayed up till 3 am to read a book. 𝐎𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐌𝐀𝐙𝐈𝐍𝐆. It gave me EVERYTHING I had no idea was missing from my life. I can see myself rereading this every month or some sh*t. Like it was that good.
It came to a point where I wanted to start the book again just so I could relive their first encounter forever. Bc my god, I WAS NOT EXPECTING IT. AT ALL.

𝐎𝐡 𝐦𝐲 𝐠𝐨𝐝 𝐈’𝐯𝐞 𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐞𝐝 𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫. There were so many times when I couldn’t predict what the characters would do and that’s something I truly ADORE.

Okay, I have to say that it was the third pov that kinda made me waver a little since I just got disconnected sometimes when there were too many she said, he said. Also there wasn’t much ✨romance✨ (and when I say romance I mean emotional connection) but that’s part of the story and hopefully I’ll get that in the next book. And the writing was sometimes corny but whatever bc 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐈𝐍𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐀𝐍𝐃 𝐈 𝐀𝐂𝐓𝐔𝐀𝐋𝐋𝐘 𝐆𝐎𝐓 𝐈��𝐕𝐄𝐒𝐓𝐄𝐃 𝐖𝐈𝐓𝐇 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐏𝐋𝐎𝐓.
𝗠𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝘆𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝘀 𝗶𝗳 𝗜’𝗺 𝗴𝗲𝘁𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗮 𝘄𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶���� 😃

𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚 was chef's kiss. 𝗛𝗲𝗿 𝗰𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗮𝗰𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗿𝗲𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴. She gave herself time to process and basically gave herself interventions lmao. 𝐒𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐨𝐲𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐀𝐓 𝐀𝐋𝐋. I loved her the entire time and it's so hard to find a book where I love the FMCS too.

𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧 was a tough nut to crack and srsly I’ve still not got him figured out. 𝐁𝐔𝐓 𝐎𝐌𝐆 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐓𝐄𝐗𝐓𝐒 𝐇𝐀𝐃 𝐌𝐄 𝐆𝐎𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐀𝐋 He had more personality in the texts than IRL bro he never even spoke much 😩
Ngl him staring had me a little like okay dude LMFAO 💀 but then I found out why and I was like damn okay I'll allow it.

𝐀𝐥𝐬𝐨 𝐄𝐗𝐂𝐔𝐒𝐄 𝐌𝐄? Each character was so FIIIINEEEE. 𝗧𝗿𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗠𝗼𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗮 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘀𝗼 𝗵𝗼𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝗱 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆’𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗯𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗺𝘆 𝘁𝗼𝗽 𝘁𝗲𝗻 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗽𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘂𝗿𝗲𝗲𝗲 💅

pls, what is in their water bc 𝐃𝐀𝐍𝐓𝐄??!! 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙨𝙞𝙢𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙨𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙙𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙞𝙤𝙣.
𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐞𝐝. Her backstory? Ugh, I wanted to cry. I love her sm.

𝐎𝐅 𝐅𝐔𝐂𝐊𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐂𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒𝐄 𝐈 𝐇𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐎 𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐃 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐓 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊𝐒 𝐒𝐊𝐀𝐉𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐊𝐄𝐍 𝐈𝐓 𝐖𝐀𝐒 𝐒𝐎 𝐆𝐎𝐎𝐃!!

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
Best believe I’m licking those DanteAmara crumbs off the table. 𝐈 𝐍𝐄𝐄𝐃 𝐌𝐎𝐑𝐄! I can’t wait for sh*t to hit the fan with them sksjdkdhk

𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Russian roulette - Rihanna
Devil in a dress - Rhea Raj
Wish I never - kehlani
I’m yours - Isabel LaRosa
Proud - SoMo
Bite - EMM
Villain - Julia Wolf
Talking in your sleep - DREAMDNVR
Down - Simon ft. Trella
Man's world - Nova Miller
Nights - Adrian Daniel
Peachy - EMM
Antihero - AViVa
Body - purpleheart ft. Adrian Daniel
Hate you but I don’t - Sophia Gripari

𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:

"𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝘁𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗱𝗶𝗲."
…"𝙄𝙣𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙚𝙨𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜," he remarked evenly,
~SJSVEUKENSKSN IM SCREAMINGGG

"𝗪𝗲 𝘄𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂! 𝗪𝗲 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝘁𝗮𝗹𝗸!"
𝐘𝐞𝐚𝐡, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐲’𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐞.
~Lmfaoo 💀

"𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗯𝗹𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗲."
"𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗳𝗲𝗿 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗴𝗼𝗻𝗲."
~SCREAMMMM

"𝗡𝘂𝗵-𝘂𝗵. 𝗬𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘃𝗲 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂,𝗹𝗹 𝗴𝗼 𝗯𝗮𝗰𝗸 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗮 𝘀𝗰𝗮𝗿."
He stilled, his gaze intensifying. "𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗰𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗺𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗱𝗲𝗹𝘂𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀."
~HAHAHHAHA I'M CACKLING.

‘Even as she steadied herself, 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐟𝐞𝐥𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐬𝐥𝐢𝐩 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐜𝐤, 𝐜𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐚𝐩𝐞 𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐛𝐚𝐜𝐤 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐞𝐝𝐠𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐮𝐩𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭, 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙝𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙤𝙣 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙣𝙚𝙘𝙠.’
~THIS ugh the neck holding just makes me go feral

𝐇𝐢𝐬 𝐧𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐧𝐮𝐳𝐳𝐥𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝, 𝐢𝐧𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐞𝐞𝐩𝐥𝐲.
"𝙄 𝙩𝙤𝙡𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙪𝙣𝙛𝙞𝙣𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙙 𝙗𝙪𝙨𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨."
~ help. pls.

“𝗜 𝗱𝗼𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗵𝗲𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘁𝗼 𝘀𝗻𝗮𝗽 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗻𝗲𝗰𝗸 𝗼𝗿 𝗳𝘂𝗰𝗸 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝘆𝗼𝘂,”
~THE LATTER PLS TY

“𝗔𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗳𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗽𝗼𝗶𝗻𝘁, 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗰𝗿𝗲𝗮𝗺𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗱.”
~pls stop bc this sh*t is hurting me

𝗕𝗼𝗼𝗸𝘀 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘀𝗶𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝘃𝗶𝗯𝗲𝘀:
The devils night series - Penelope Douglas

***

I’VE HAD ENOUGH OF EVERYONE TEASING ME WITH THIS SERIES SO… it’s finally happening.

***

I’m seeing this EVERYWHERE on my feed!!

Should I or should I??

❥08/27/24
the 2 month slump is killing me...this series needs to change my life😭a couple weeks ago, my bestie vee told me i remind her of morana and that has not left my mind🙂‍↔️

—— 4 ✰ stars.

“Don't you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? We like the hunt”

・❥・ Mood of the book:
: ̗̀➛ Russian Roulette by Rihanna
: ̗̀➛ Die For You by The Weekend
: ̗̀➛ Love Runs Out by Martin Garrix, G-Eazy & Sasha Alex Sloan
: ̗̀➛ Sweet Little Lies by Bülow

OK OK OK OKKKKKKK!!! JUMPS EXCITELY!!! Before starting I must clarify that

I am pleasantly surprised with this book, I did not have many expectations because it was a dark romance, but it has completely exceeded them, the plot has kept me super interested and wanting to read more and more, yesterday I had to stop myself because It was 4 in the morning and I had 2 chapters left but my eyes were literally closing. I must also say that the 4✰ stars are subjective, I think that objectively the book may deserve 3.5✰ , but I had such a good time and it got me out of a slump!! So, f*ck it and 4✰ stars for this book.

┏━✦❘༻𝓹𝓵𝓸𝓽༺❘✦━━┓

┏━✦❘༻𝓹𝓪𝓬𝓮 𝓪𝓷𝓭 𝔀𝓻𝓲𝓽𝓲𝓷𝓰༺❘✦━━┓

Now I will talk a little about romance and smut, if you are not comfortable with this, you can skip to the characters area, lets be responsible readers.

The romance did not convince me much, it seemed to me that there was more sexual tension than anything else, it is true that, after understanding certain things towards the end of the book, Tristan's behavior can be understood a little more, but the Morana's is a bit... weird lmao. He basically dedicated himself to observing her, the whole book was a staring competition, I'm worried about his vision, should I give Tristan some glasses?
About the smut, i found it.. weirdly hot? LMAO. Like I didn't even know how to feel about it half of the time, since he said things like “I don't know whether to snap your neck or f*ck the life out of you” AND I WAS LIKE SIR???

┏━✦❘༻𝓬𝓱𝓪𝓻𝓪𝓬𝓽𝓮𝓻𝓼༺❘✦━━┓

“She'd been raised around sharks. And she’d learned not to bleed”

“She cried because she had no one to give her a shoulder and hold her as she cried, because she had to wrap her arms around herself”

“I don't think anyone can handle you. “Not if you don’t want to be handled”

🕸✘𝓣𝓻𝓲𝓼𝓽𝓪𝓷 𝓒𝓪𝓲𝓷𝓮✘🕸 He must have had 20 dialogues during the entire book, but… mmm well! He stares a lot!! Ok ok poor Tristan, let's stop bullying him. He is a very mysterious character, you never know what he is thinking or what his next move is going to be. he has the traumatized vibe and in some parts I really felt sorry and sad for him, he is also very lonely. He deserves a hug.

“They called him the predator. His reputation preceded him. He rarely went on hunt but when he did, it was over.”

“Damn it, the man was a book of blank pages written in invisible ink that she had no idea how to discover”

🕸✘𝓓𝓪𝓷𝓽𝓮 𝓜𝓪𝓻𝓸𝓷𝓲✘🕸 We didn't get much of him but I'm so excited for that!! I can't say a lot about him, but I really really liked him!!

🕸✘𝓐𝓶𝓪𝓻𝓪 𝓡𝓸𝓼𝓼𝓲✘🕸MY BABY. She was truly a friend to both Morana and Tristan and she deserves the world.

“In another life, in another world, she could actually have been friends with Amara. But she wasn't in another life or in another world. This was her reality. And her reality was alone.”

I will definitely continue with the series, especially because the plot is super interesting, I don't know if I will venture into more dark romance for now but if you have any good recs that will not traumatize me, let me know!! I hope to read The Reaper very soon!!

┏━✦❘༻𝓺𝓾𝓸𝓽𝓮𝓼 𝓘 𝓮𝓷𝓳𝓸𝔂𝓮𝓭༺❘✦━━┓

“I prefer you blonde”

“--Death isn't the main course, sweetheart. It's the dessert. Never make the mistake of thinking you know me. It might just prove to be your last” “—Never make the mistake of thinking you scare me. “It might be your last”

“One would think that people with too much red on their lives would avoid that color. Instead, they seemed to bask in it.”

“No one else gets to kill you, Ms Vitalio, the last face you see before you die will be mine. When it comes to death, you're mine.

“In that moment, the man who'd claimed her death had given her a glimpse of life by doing something he probably didn't even realize he'd done.”

“Just because she’d lost everything known to her didn’t mean she couldn’t find something beautiful in the unknown.”

I want to comment on a couple of things with spoilers, read at your own risk:

Ok, Tristan's story was super sad, my eyes were full of tears when I read his point of view when he was 8 years old, the love he had for his sister, life is so unfair I swear to god. He was just a little boy, and he should have been helped, not isolated. AAAA PAIN!!!

Morana's father really disgusts me, the way he basically prostituted and humiliated his daughter? Immediate castration. And let's not even talk about when he threw her down the stairs.

The rain scene at the end was super intense, THEY FINALLY KISSED, I WAS SCREAMING. He made a decision and I need the second book to discover who the f*ck stole the codes and what the f*ck is happening, AND WHO IS THE REAPER??? So many unanswered questions.

END OF SPOILERS.

Thank you so much if you read until here. Thank you siff, for doing such an amazing review that convinced me to read this, I love you so much.

Dark Verse series:
╰┈➤ The Reaper, 4.5✰ stars.
╰┈➤ The Emperor, 4.5✰ stars.
╰┈➤ The Finisher, 4✰ stars.
╰┈➤The Annihilator , 3✰ stars.
➙ old updates
AAAAA ok RTC!!!
nov 2: let’s read our first dark romance wish me luck 🫶🏼🥹

there’s just something about men who don’t talk that is 🫦
———
bismillah..

While an entertaining and binge worthy read, it had some flaws which I can't overlook, as they made a direct impact on my enjoyment levels.

✅What I liked-

1. Romance- The chemistry between Tristan and Morana is so good. I liked how it wasn't insta lovey and it gradually intensified and developed. The two had such good moments together, I was giggling and blushing. The spice was hot.

2. Characters- Tristan and his mysterious persona kept me engaged. I wanted to find out the reason for his hate and I was not disappointed. I loved how he carried himself, the man exudes power and he knows it. Morana was interesting, I liked her complexities with her father. But at the same time, she was dumb af for someone who's supposed to be smart.

3. First half- The thing about codes was an interesting storyline and to see it get abandoned so quickly in the second half was a buzzkill.

4. Amara and Dante- Look, I liked Tristan and Morana but I know for a fact I'll love Amara and Dante more. In the few scenes they have together, there's already far more chemistry between them and I know it's gonna be angsty. I need more of them.

5. That kiss in the rain- Hello?? I swooned.

❌What I didn't like-

1. Second half- The execution of the plot became messy and weak. It wasn't as enjoyable as the first half. It was underwhelming and seemed like the codes were forgotten altogether.

2. His blue eyes. Magnificent blue. Striking blue. Fierce blue eyes. x100 times.

3. His whiskey and sin voice. x2000 times.

Am sorry but I can't stand repetition. I got the first ten thousand times.

Am invested in the story and the world created so will continue with the series.

~•~•~
Am finally in the mood for this. LET'S GOOOO!!

"Don't you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? We like the hunt."

OMG OMG OMG!!! what was that!! The ending and the last few chapters 👀

This book is just so good 😩🔥 It literally had me screaming, giggling, and crying in the ending chapters. It has angst, staring, hatred, tension, attraction, mystery and a very heartbreaking past. This is exactly how Enemies to Lovers books are suppose to be written. The starting was amazing, Morana planning to kill Tristan in his own house 💅 and the ending was painful 😭

The book is written in third pov but it was really easy for me adapt to it. The story was fast paced but also a little slow I don't know how to explain that. I love RuNyx's beatiful and exquisite writing and the third pov brings more life to this book.

Its dark and gore. But I am a sucker for dark romances. So here I am 😌 It was perfect although there were long narrations and less dialogue but I get that in the end why Tristan speak so less to everyone. Its because of his past and how those people treated him when he was young. He was traumatised. Ahhh those people😠 I want to kill them😤🔪

And yess there is lots of staring... like literally lots and lots of staring 👁👁 and it is the only thing that bothered me in this book. They both just couldn't keep their eyes away from each other. It was good in the start because it made all the tension between them looks hot but then sometimes it was just too much. But still the sexual tension between Tristan and Morana were hot ❤️‍🔥

✦ Tristan "The Predator" Caine
He had been through hell. Everyone around him thought he was a monster but they never really thought that he was just a small boy, an innocent boy, who was just trying to protect someone. It was hard when I was reading about his past. I was a sobbing mess while reading that chapter. He deserves everything. He deserves Morana because she is the only one who makes him feel alive, when he had been dead inside for over twenty years. He deserves Dante and Amara because they are the only family he has. I love him sm. I just wish he gets his closure and the love he deserves. I want Morana and Tristan to be happy and in love. He is the king of silent kings and those who thinks he is not attractive just because he doesn't speak much I am ready to fight them 🤺

Also Tristan has more personality when he is speaking to Morana on texts then he is speaking with her face to face. (It was kinda relatable though 🤣)
AND TRISTAN CAINE IS AN AMAZING COOK!? CAN THIS MAN GET ANY MORE PERFECT 🤤🔥

✦ Morana Vitalio "The nerdy IT girl"
omg she is just amazing. She is intelligent, passionate, strong, fierce and independent. I love her so much. All her life she just wanted her freedom and love and a few friends. I don't know how horribly her father treated her that she is even scared of making friends. But I am glad she found Amara, Dante and Tristan. Even though they are her father's enemy yet they all protected her and made her feel safe and happy.

✦ Dante Maroni: Have I told you that This Man IS A f*cking Gentleman. I can't wait to read his book. And the way he talks is just🤌🤭

✦ Amara: she is a friend in need, always ready to be there for you when you need her. She is so sweet. I love her. And I know her past will shatter my heart into million pieces 💔

Also the tension between Dante and Amara was delicious. I know their book is gonna be amazing and heartbreaking

➙ Tristan and Morana's relationship
They both have such an electric chemistry 🔥And the way they both are so hot and scumpdiddlyumptious. Their first encounter was iconic. Morana Vitalio trying to kill 'The Predator' with a knife at his throat 🧎‍♀️ I knew they are going to be my favourite from that moment. The enemies to lovers trope, the tension, the staring everything was amazing and I loved it.

And that KISS IN THE RAIN 😭🤌💖

THE ENDING Don't talk me to me about that 😭💔 I am still in Pain. LOTS OF PAIN. For Tristan, for Morana and what they both had to deal with at such a young age 😭 They both deserve all the happiness in this world and I will do anything to protect my precious beautiful idiots 😭💘

— Favourite Quotes —

➸ "We've been honest so far, Ms. Vitalio," he murmured. "I'll be honest now. I despise you but I want you. f*ck it, I do. And I want you out of my system."

➸ "Apparently, you're not out of my system, Ms. Vitalio."

➸ "No one else gets to kill you, Ms. Vitalio," he spoke quietly. "The last face you see before you die will be mine. When it comes to death, you're mine."

➸ "The man who'd claimed her death had given her a glimpse of life by doing something he probably didn't even realize he'd done.
In that moment, the enemy had done what no one had ever even tried to do for her.
He had made her feel a little less lonely."

➸ "I don't want to fix him. I want to fix me. And he's the only thing that seems to be working."

➸ "He kissed her – without his tongue, without his hands, without his body. Just his lips – soft, firm, present – on hers. It was the most beautiful kiss she could have ever dreamed of, the most untainted she’d ever imagined from him, with a softness she’d not thought him capable of. With his intensity, with his blazing eyes, the silent promises had been of devouring. This wasn’t devouring. This was savoring."

I really can't wait to read more of this series and to unravel all the mystery!

↦↦4.25

(𝓈𝓅❀𝒾𝓁𝑒𝓇 𝒻𝓇𝑒𝑒 𝓇𝑒𝓋𝒾𝑒𝓌)

જ⁀➴ This book f**ked me up in all the best possible ways. I didn’t know mafia romance was for me until I read this book. It ripped my heart out, chewed it up, and spit it right back at me. As a newbie to this whole mafia dark romance thing, I thought it was just going to be some smut after smut, but it was nothing like that; I couldn't put it down, even if I'd tried. It tore my heart out, devoured it, and left it dry ass clean. When I read the first chapter and saw the knife to the throat trope that I love so much, that when I knew that there was no turning back,

જ⁀➴ Tristen A predator with a bleeding heart—that's how I'd describe Tristen Caine. This MF did not even talk, just watching everything like a damn hawk, which was sexy but also creepy. At first glance, it's like he's got no soul, just a ruthless killer lurking behind those dark eyes. But the thing is, the guy's got a heart after all, and it's for her. Her only😤. Under that icy exterior, there's a heart that's been shattered into a million pieces, and it's only when he looks at her that it starts to beat again.🥹❤️‍🩹also my man can cook! likeeee I was not expecting that

જ⁀➴Morana She is my idol😤; she is basically my spirit animal. She's got skills in computers that are downright wicked. She's like a version of me, except about a million times cooler and smarter. Morana is the type of woman who knows what she wants and goes after it, no matter what obstacles stand in her way. She's a total role model for me. She is smart, strong, and doesn’t take sh*t from anyone. She got that killer instinct, the one that will make heads roll if she needs it to. She's tough as nails, but deep down, she has a heart of gold and will do anything to protect those she loves. Morana, I am you, and you are me, sis!😚🫡

જ⁀➴Dante and Amara Not much to say about them, but I just know they are going to make a sweet couple I can't wait to read their book 💜😁

જ⁀➴The way RuNyx built up the tension between Tristan Caine and Morana Vitalio is what kept me glued to the edge of my seat. They were a match made in hell. fire and ice, water and sun, but together they were everything. I love the connection between them, especially given their different backgrounds.

જ⁀➴Those two spicy scenes left me watering ngl🔥🥵🥵. Like, I don't even know what to say. The way RuNyx wrote them had me clutching my pillow in a death grip, my toes practically doing the tango, even my eyes weren't cooperating, doing this weird 360-degree turn like I was possessed or something. no amount of smut could have satisfied me like those two scenes did. Yeah........ it was really that good. 🤭😮‍💨🤤
જ⁀➴ My complaints😶‍🌫️😕👀

↦↦１． There was no communication between Tristan and Morana, just a bunch of staring. As much as I loved the tension between them, the constant staring at each other was a bit too much and creepy. At first, I didn’t mind, but it came to a point where I felt like I wanted to be in the book, get in between them, and spray bleach with pepper in both of their eyes so they can stop doing that lol.

↦↦２． The writing could have definitely been better; that was one of the biggest factors that was really taking my enjoyment from the book and the reason why it was not a 5-star rating. It was giving Wattpad vibe. It was really cringy and confusing at times. There was some weird and awkward phrasing that kept taking me out of the story. such a shame because the plot itself was quite interesting, but I couldn't shake off my annoyance at the writing style. It just didn't do justice to the engaging characters and juicy plotline.

↦↦３. I don't mind 3rd person pov but I really really wish this book had been written in first person perspective🥺. I'm not a big fan of third person POV because I feel like it disconnects me from the characters. When I'm reading first person, I feel like I'm living through the experiences of the protagonist instead of just a passive observer. Plus, it gives me a chance to get inside the character's head and really understand their thoughts and feelings. so yeah I was still able to feel that spark with 3rd Pov but still wished it was 1-person Pov.

↦↦４.There were way too many repetitive descriptions in the book. I mean, I get it, the author wanted to emphasize the characters' features, but it got really tiring seeing the same descriptions over and over again. The eyes were the biggest culprit - I must have read the description of those blue eyes a million times and don't even get me started on that 'whiskey and sin' voice. I had no idea what the author was trying to convey with that 😂 😂💀

Ｔｈａｔ Ｅｎｄｉｎｇ？！！👌

જ⁀➴That kiss in the rain at the end of the book was just nothing but PERFECTION!!. all the pent-up tension and attraction between Tristen and Morana finally boiled over in one passionate moment. The rain was the perfect backdrop to set the mood, and it added an extra layer of intensity and emotion to the scene that left me swooning and feeling all warm and fuzzy inside. I'm honestly tempted to reread that scene just to experience the magic all over again. Such a beautiful way to end the book. 🥹💔 😩🤌💕

જ⁀➴Overall the book was still enjoyable, and I appreciated its balance of dark romance elements and lighter aspects because dark romance is not really my go to subgenre but this one was really good. The author did a good job of incorporating just the right amount of darkness without going overboard with the violence, angst, or excessive smut. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who's looking for a light mafia dark romance with crime mystery and suspense, as it has all the elements that make it a thrilling read. While it may not be perfect, it's still a satisfying and entertaining read that will keep you hooked.

2.75 stars

lol (mostly) all they did was stare at each other, and you call that a romance?!?!? ugh, puh-leasseee. was it why it was called ‘The Predator’ - cause they ALWAYS followed each other with their eyes, sometimes they barked, and a couple times they actually bit (read: f*cked)???

im mostly annoyed by the lack of dialogues. they came few and far between with long narratives that were mostly overwrought with grammatical errors, misspellings, and repetitive descriptions. i get that the author was trying to build suspense and tension.

it worked the first few times. but if she hadnt done it through bad writing, i wouldnt have felt compelled to skip - which i ultimately did. the mystery was intriguing, and some of the actions were epic. but the romance was lackluster, and the sex was... *crickets*

this guy’s default mode was silent - even when he was doing the nasty. only it wasnt nasty at all bcs there was no dirty talk and no touching - apart from their connecting ‘channels’. idk if i want to read the next book, but theres a small part of me thats also curious to know more.

“Don't you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? We like the hunt."

If tension could cut? It would bleed tristan and morana because I could never maintain the intense eye contact that was going on between them lol

I was entirely hooked on everything that added to the plot here when it came to the romance, crime, mystery and action. Even in the middle, where the changing dynamic of the characters was emphasized on. I should add how I’m not a fan of third POV or long chapters but i didn’t mind it here

if you like a brooding enigmatic mmc, whose actions speak louder than their words, with blue eyes and whose voice is said to be of whiskey and sin (as morana likes to say), then —Tristan is your man. his sense of resistance yet vulnerability was notable through said actions. He’s for sure down bad for Morana but he was limited in being able to express that

morana and her moments of defiance with Tristan and anyone (though reckless at times), assertiveness, and how genuine and valid her worries and doubts felt about everything, all contributed to my enjoyment of her character arc. Some things were repeated a few times, however it didn’t bother me having already known. the author also stresses this early on and attributes it to her high IQ.

tristan & morana these two had almost little dialogue and far too many gazes, but I fully understood how that spoke for them. their moments of searing tension and angst were actively felt with this sense of animosity yet the lines were blurred, and I ATE THAT UP 😮‍💨 I thought they matched each other’s energy in the masks they wore to ensure their survival—until it started to slowly slip. I can’t wait to see their relationship develop further 😩

dante & amara i need to know more about both of them. Amara seemed like the kindest soul and I liked the possibility of her and morana being friends 🥺 I also felt the allure with Dante with how protective him and Tristan are.

tristan’s reason was a surprise, even though I was right about certain connections. That moment at the end in the rain was everything. omg. needless to say, I see the potential of this being an addictive series for me. I could see why some love and aren’t fond of this as it isn’t without its faults, but I personally was soo invested in the characters and their stories. it was something different that I needed and I can’t wait for more.

Some quotes

“One day, I am going to carve your heart out and keep it as a souvenir. I promise.”

“In that moment, the enemy had done what no one had ever even tried to do for her. He had made her feel a little less lonely.”

“I warned you not to think, for one second, that you know me." “And I warned you not to think, for one second, that you scare me," she reminded him in the same whisper.”

"I don't know whether to snap your neck or f*ck the life out of you," 🫠

“No one gets to kill you Ms.Vitalio. The last face you see before you die will be mine. When it comes to death, you’re mine.”

“Tristan Caine terrified her, but it wasn't because of the death he was bringing her slowly, the death he would bring her one day, the death he raised in her. No. It was the life.”

“That’s why I don’t believe he can truly ever hurt you. Because after tasting life, you don’t really ever let it go, do you?”

“He felt so deeply, he didn’t let himself feel. He felt so deeply he feared his own reactions to it.”

“Tristan Caine: Apparently, you're not out of my system, Ms. Vitalio.”
-
it’s about time I started this so let’s goo

5 ⭐️ I AM ABOUT TO DEVOUR THE REST OF THE SERIES BEFORE YOU CAN EVEN BLINK 💁🏼‍♀️this unlocked a new era

“In that moment, the man who'd claimed her death had given her a glimpse of life by doing something he probably didn't even realize he'd done.”

★ 4 stars

Enemies to lovers and they are actually enemies? SOLD.

This was such a fun read, it's been awhile since I enjoyed a mafia series despite me loving them, it's really hard to find one that isn't overdone. Every time my feminism goes out the window for a morally grey man🧎‍♀️

Morana Vitalio is a strong heroine. I loved that the author gave her a fiery strong personality and didn't make her like every other docile mafia princess. She's a coder and she is constantly doing badass things she shouldn't be. She answers to no one.

“She'd been raised around sharks. And she'd learned not to bleed.”

Tristan Cane... where do I begin and how do I get him stalking me outside my window?

“Don't you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? We like the hunt.”

The ending took my by surprise and I loved the cliffhanger. I'm curious how there story will continue in the next book. I will definitely be continuing the series because it seems it will only improve.

Overall I was unsure about this at the start as it's a slow burn, for a relatively short book, however, I'm glad their story is written over two books so it didn't feel rushed. The writing is okay, a little repetitive at times but the tension and chemistry is what made this book an exciting read. This had an interesting plot that kept my attention and I didn't find it overly predictable. While there was some spicy/steamy scenes, it's didn't consume the whole book (probably 3 scenes max) and there was a lot more offered by this book than just smut which appealed to me.

I can't wait to continue and see more about Amara and Dante, because that woman is an angel and deserves the world and Dante is a snack 🍩💅

Thanks my love giuls for buddy reading this with me, I had sm fun 💖

Quotes

“One day, I'm going to carve your heart out and keep it as a souvenir. I promise.”
"You assume I have a heart, wildcat.”

“Death isn't the main course, sweetheart. It's the dessert. Never make the mistake of thinking you know me. It might just prove to be your last.”
“Never make the mistake of thinking you scare me. “It might be your last.”

“No one else gets to kill you, Ms Vitalio. The last face you see before you die will be mine. When it comes to death, you're mine.”

“We've been honest so far, Ms Vitalio, I'll be honest now. I despise you but I want you. f*ck it, I do. And I want you out of my system.”

“I'm a territorial man. And this has been mine since the moment you locked that bathroom door.”

⎯⎯ ୨ Pre-review: ୧ ⎯⎯

I'm in the market for a new mafia book boyfriend 👀 br with my boo giuls 💖✨

“We've been honest so far, Ms. Vitalio. I'll be honest now. I despise you but I want you. f*ck it, I do. And I want you out of my system.”

4 🌟’s

♦️playlist♦️
╰➤ scatterbrain by emei
╰➤ radioactive by imagine dragons
╰➤ counting stars by OneRepublic
╰➤ in your eyes by the weekend

♦️tropes♦️

▪︎mafia aesthetic
▪︎enemies to lovers
▪︎i will kill anyone who tries to harm her
▪︎i will hunt you down to the ends of the earth

♦️plot♦️

the story is told from two viewpoints, Morona Vitalio and Tristan Cain “the predator”. Morona is a computer expert that creates codes so when her codes are stolen she goes on a mission to find them which leads her to Tristan and his “group"---- Dante and Amara. With Tristan being framed, Morona decides to put her hatred aside and help him which leads to an unexpected romance.

♦️my thoughts♦️

the highly requested review that everyone has been waiting for is here!! yes ik one dark window got more results than this but I have to find my copy for that review so I thought why not finish up my predator review for everyone who asked for it, so here you are lovelies 😘 I have to say I was probably the last person on the planet to read this book! and it definitely delivered i was in awe i love the characters the plot the enemies to lovers romance ALL OF IT! im not usually into calm mafia romances but this was just chefs kiss and I feel like they just kept everything short and sweet!!

♦️writing♦️

I loved how straight to the point everything was. I hate when books take like five chapters to describe one minor plot. and I'm not usually a backstories type of person but the backstories made sense and they didn't confuse me at all bc I've read somewhere they try to do backstories for present events and it's a whole mess! so I will say ruynx you did good 🤌

♦️characters♦️

♤morona♤

absolute queen fr! finally they're giving females more agency…eventho they like to call it “guy jobs” which is stupid bc there is no reason for a job to be considered a male job! but here she is defying all the odds by being the computer hacking queen!!!👑🎀 I love how she isn't scared of tristan. girl is acting like she's immune to his charms eventhk girl u and I both know u like him 🤭

♤tristan aka “the predator”♤

he's giving selwyn kane from the “Legendborn series” 🤭 at first I didn't like him bc of how annoying he was. he was so closed off and so quiet it was also kinda giving aaron warner vibes whenever kenji was talking to him 😂 but once bro opened up to morona and morona only I was a goner, in love, obsessed, all of the above! 😍
I was definitely more curious about his backstory too and his connection to morona and I will say ‘the reaper’ definitely didn't disappoint! ALSO BRO COOKS!!! I WANTED TO GET SUCKED INTO THE BOOK RIGHT THEN AND THERE LIKE BRO COOKS!!! if that isn't the selling point idk what is! and yes how could I not mentioned the voice of “whiskey and sin” which is actually what took off a star for me bc I can only handle them repeating something so many times before I get annoyed and want to rip the page out 🙃

♤dante♤

he is so fine like im definitely obsessed! I loved his friendship with morona. and whatever was happening with him and amara at the time had me glued to my seat I was there for any crumbs about their romance. and tho u could never tell that dante and tristan are close (probably bc tristan is just being tristan) i could see the “brotherly bond” ❤

♤amara♤

lowkey love morona but Amara became my favorite the moment they mentioned her! she was giving aoife molloy vibes from the boys of tommen series and I was here for it! 🥰 dante is a lucky man!!

♦️best couple moments♦️

♤HE COOKS!

♤tristan arranging for her to have her car fixed

♤his voice of whiskey and sin
╰┈➤mentioned 1x before it got annoying)

♤he beat up her father for her

♤the master…. scene w/him watching

♤them riding the motorcycle

♦️romance♦️

2.5/5 🔥

only bc I felt like this was meant to be more of an introduction to the series with the main characters and not as focused on the romance but I could definitely dense it there! the smut was okay i did LOVE how honest tristan was 🤭 did i say that with a little too much enthusiasm probably but atp all the men in the series are fine so why tf not?!

♦️favorite quotes & scenes♦️

♤“There are places on your body that I know. Places you don't know. Places where I can shoot and harm and you won't die. Death isn't the main course,sweetheart. It's dessert.” (tristan)

♤“Never make the mistake of thinking you scare me. It will be your last.” (morona)

♤“We've been honest so far, Ms. Vitalio. I'll be honest now. I despise you but I want you. f*ck it, I do. And I want you out of my system.”(tristan)
╰┈➤ don't u just love how honest he is 🤭

♤“Next time i'm gonna see how loud you can scream, Ms. Vitalio. I'm gonna make you so sore you won't know if its from the screaming or f*cking.” (tristan)

♤“I don't know whether to snap your neck or f*ck the life out of you.” (Tristan)
╰┈➤ she said he made her want to lay back on the counter (but like girl u and me both 😋)

♤“This body belongs to me, Ms. Vitalio.”
“This body is mine.”
“I'm a territorial man. And this has been mine since the moment you locked the bathroom door.”
“That was one time.”
“Then let's make it a second, shall we?”

♤“I get my mouth on you, you'll never be the same.” (Tristan)

♤Tristan: I think my guards are afraid of you.
Morona: They should be. After all, I just blew up a car and killed two men in cold blood.
╰┈➤ their phone convos 😍

♦️last thoughts♦️

yall weren't lying about this series! I was already ready for dante and amara's book! but getting to read another book with morona and tristan had me giggling and kicking my feet bc they are just goals!!! ♥️♥️♥️

#2 read - october 2023 ➵ 4 stars

“𝙉𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙡𝙨𝙚 𝙜𝙚𝙩𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪, 𝙈𝙨. 𝙑𝙞𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙞𝙤. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙡𝙖𝙨𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙗𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙞𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙗𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚. 𝙒𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙞𝙩 𝙘𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙮��𝙪𝙧 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙩𝙝, 𝙮𝙤𝙪’𝙧𝙚 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚.”

this series just has a special place in my heart istg, i honestly think it’s my comfort dark romance series ! i’ll never get over it, and i’m still impatiently waiting for 6th book to come out, and it feels like forever. i love every single mc character in this series, and TRUST me that’s hard to find. well obviously i have my favourites which is; dante and amara from the third book, my precious babies <3 but i won’t lie, tristan and morana’s story is just absolutely amazing. this book is mostly an into to the whole world, some of the characters, etc. tristan and morana’s story will continue in “the reaper” the second book.

okay but can i just say i forgot the major plot twist in the end, how tf could i forget that ? y’all should’ve seen my face lmao. ! now that we’re already talking about the plots in this series

“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙠 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪. 𝙉𝙤𝙩 𝙞𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙡𝙚𝙙.”

tristan caine
this man doesn’t talk much, but when he does >>> even though i’m a dante girl through and through, there’s just something about tristan. idk exactly what it is, his character just has this mysterious, traumatized, kinda vibe and it just works for him idk how to explain smh. tristan’s story never fails to make me sob, and it’s not even done yet. honestly tho, i just really wanna give this man a hug ! he deserves some love <3

“𝙃𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙡𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙡𝙮 𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙞𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙞𝙢𝙨𝙚𝙡𝙛 𝙛𝙚𝙚𝙡.”

can we just appreciate morana and tristan’s first interaction ? i’ll never get over that. their first interaction fits perfectly to their characters, and i absolutely love it ! plus morana and tristan are so chase atlantic coded omfg, i was listening to my chase atlantic playlist while reading this, and oh my, i would definitely recommend doing that, it was just absolutely perfect.

“Mind that mouth of yours, wildcat.”

“We have unfinished business, Ms. Vitalio.”
“I’m done with the codes.”
“I’m not talking about the codes.”

“Did I hurt you?”
“Why do you care?”
“Did I hurt you.”

------

#1 read - april 2023 ➵ 4 stars

breaks into his house and threatens to kill him gf, kisses her in the rain with his gun under her jaw bf

Ahh this book was so good and i can’t wait to continue the series soon.

— review to come

𖥔 ࣪ ˖🍓Pre-read ᯓᡣ𐭩

My friends have been trying to get me to read this for ages and I’ve heard nothing but good things about it. I don´t know why it took me so long to pick it up, but It´s time to hop on and see if it´s worth the hype it gets. lets just hope for the best🤞🏼👀 Br with Lulu 💓

Tristan. Caine. what have you done to me? 🛐 you ruined all book boyfriends and dark romance books for me😩💖

I haven't been the same since I read this book last year. I haven’t found another dark romance that could top this one. You guys have no idea how many times I’ve reread this book and the second one🛐💗

➴ Tristan Caine? perfection ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

➴ Morana Vitalio? perfection ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

➴ the writing? I was skeptical because it’s in the third person but reading this book turns out to be the best decision ever. Again, perfection ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

➴ the mafia trope? perfection ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

➴ the plot? perfection ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

➴ the side characters? perfection ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

➴ the tension? at the maximum capacity. Boom, perfection ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

➴ enemies to lovers trope? this book has the best enemies to lovers I’ve read. So, perfection ˖⁺. ༶ ⋆˙⊹

❥ quotes that had me giggling, screaming, blushing, and kicking my feet 💕

.*⁀➴ “One day, I’m going to carve your heart out and keep it as a souvenir. I promise.” 🛐 slayyy queen 💅🏼

.*⁀➴ “No one else gets to kill you, Ms. Vitalio. When it comes to death, you’re mine.” 🖤 *kicking my feet*

.*⁀➴ “We’ve been honest so far, Ms. Vitalio. I’ll be honest now. I despise you but I want you. f*ck it, I do. And I want you out of my system.” sirrrr🛐

.*⁀➴ “Tristan Caine had made her safe for both nights that she’d been in his territory, both times when she’d been at her most vulnerable. He could have taken advantage. He could have turned her over to her father. He could have simply refused to take her in. But he hadn’t. He’d sat down with her in silence and watched the rain that first time. He’d run her a bath and given her clothes and fed her this second time. He’d gotten her car repaired and refused his own summons to Tenebrae. And he’d punched her father in the face. She didn’t even know who he was anymore. She didn’t know who she was with him.” ❤️‍🩹❤️‍🩹

.*⁀➴ “Don’t you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? We like the hunt.” 🔥 then hunt me, please 🛐😭🤣

.*⁀➴ “Doesn’t matter. I get my mouth on you, and you’ll never be the same.” 😮‍💨 such a humble man, right? 🛐

.*⁀➴ “She’d chosen to not betray him to these people. He’d chosen not to let her die.” 💖

.*⁀➴ “As of tonight, her life was his. He’d given up everything so she could live. Her life was his.” 🤍

.*⁀➴ “Where. Is. She?” 💗 *hyperventilating* 🛐

.*⁀➴ “She needed him to choose her like he’d chosen her years ago. She needed him to choose her- because after the day she’d had, her father trying to kill her like her life was worthless, she needed him to choose her, not for her life, but herself.” 😭 *crying with her*

.*⁀➴ “He kissed her for long, long moments- as chaste as kisses could be, yet she felt it down to her soul. And then, she felt the cool tip of his gun stroking over her face, the metal kissing her wet skin from temple to jaw.” ❤️‍🔥 AHHHH WHAT

.*⁀➴ “She’d wanted something. He’d given it to her, in a way only he could. He’d not uttered a word. But he’d made his choice. So had she.” 😭 SCREAMINGGG! he chose her 🛐💘

Anyways, I’m obsessed with this book and this couple as you can see 🛐💜

this could have been so much better, so much more interesting, if it was a bit tragic.

think: moana wants to kill triscuit, but she can’t. fate and his possessiveness brings them together and over time, they become close. they fall in love. he doesn’t have weaknesses, except for her. we see her struggle with her emotions and how to reconcile her need for revenge with her new and real love for him. as the reader, we don’t know what she chooses. we assume she chose love, because wouldn’t you? then she shoots him while they’re asleep in his bed.
it’s tragic, it’s confusing and messy and almost ridiculous. her long-harbored vengeance pulled at her new need for love and affection until she was so confused and violence won out like it always does in the end.

or maybe, the whole book goes on as it does now: they hate each other, then kind of fall for each other, but his history keeps them on a precipice. she finds out, confronts him about it, and he gets to choose. will he kill her, like he’s always planned, always relied on, or will he move forward, perhaps with her? they stand together in the gloom, the rain drops down her face and he kisses her for the first time, caressing her face with the loaded gun. the tension and indecision is palpable, then boom- she crumples forward into his arms before falling to the floor a corpse.
he almost had it all, but humans don’t always want to be happy, can’t accept that. he’d grown his resentment from a seedling to a tree that started in hate of her but now only serves to hinder his own efforts at happiness. humans are emotional and rash and triscuit spends the rest of his life trying to sate his anger and understand why he shot her. maybe he becomes a serial killer, wouldn’t that be the most interesting character arc!

of course, that doesn’t happen. no, they’re too busy being kind of in love and definitely in lust but not happy and never communicative enough to have any dimensionality.

anyways,
moana (morana) is annoying to no end, the perfect example of trying to make a fmc independent and interesting and admirable and absolutely failing.
triscuit (tristan) is slightly less annoying only because he has no personality to begin with except anger, blue eyes, and a voice of whiskey and sin. *please read that in a condescending moira rose impression, because that is how i wrote it*

the writing is uninteresting, kind of confusing, EXTREMELY REPETITIVE (no, her apparent “genius iq” is not an excuse for that WHEN IT ISNT EVEN FIRST PERSON), and there’s so little dialogue (because they’re always f*cking staring and breathing at each other) that it often gets boring and feels overly descriptive.
i am also an unapologetic lover of 3rd person pov, and while this was in third person, it felt overly personal and should have been in first person.

not to mention- SHE ISNT EVEN THAT SMART?? I HAVE SEEN 0 EVIDENCE FOR THIS AND AM HAVING AN EXTREMELY HARD TIME BELIEVING HER STATUS AS A CERTIFIED GENIUS.

am i going to read the next book?
probably.

also buddy read with aliki, sorry i left you behind babe!

HEEELLLPPP I LOVED THISS AAAHHHHHH

THE KNIFE TO THE THROAT VIBES >>>>>>>

i’m a changed woman! i’ll die when i read the rest!

ೃ⁀➷ 2.7 stars

I do get the hype for the book and I see why people like it.

I did like the plot and I LOVED the characters, I was intrigued by them and their story specifically Amara’s story.

The book is in 3rd person and I don’t really enjoy reading in 3rd person but it was tolerable, what wasn’t tolerable was the amount of descriptions in the book, oh god, I was exhausted of reading that much unnecessary description. For me it felt like descriptions were 96% of the book and then only 4% of dialogue, no one was talking, almost all the scenes between Tristan and Morana were them staring at each other. I had to skim through the last 20% because it was tiring to read all of that.

If there’s one thing that I hate in books it’s when it gets too repetitive, this one was SO repetitive, I get it, Tristan eyes are blue, blue and his voice is like whiskey and sin , don’t need to mention that all the time.

I don’t really think I’m going to read the rest of the books in the series unless it gets better¿?

Overall, I loved the characters hated the writing style. If you haven’t read it, don’t pay attention to what I just said and read it.👍🏻 you might like it.

________________________________

pre-read

Everyone seems to love this series, I’m excited to read it!!!

4.5 ⭐️

“don't you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? we like the hunt.”

alexa, play “this is the hunt” by ruelle ⚔️

⚠️

i am actually writing this review from room 143 of the mental asylum… yeah i was brought there since i became delirious after finishing this book 🤕

this book was CRAZY: the plot twists, characters, tensions - everything was MINDBLOWING.. and omfg the tension between tristan & morana?? UNMATCHED. you don’t know enemies-to-lovers until you’ve read this book fr 🥲 lately the enemies-to-lovers trope books have basically been ~2 minutes of rivalry and then they somehow like each other~ or ~not actually enemies~, but this book RLY ENEMIED IN THE ENEMIES-TO-LOVERS. ugh i could cut the tension with a freakin 10 inch knife omfgggg
++ idc if the author kept repeating tristan’s “whisky and sin” aura,, i ate it up regardless🧎‍♀️

⸝⸝ ꒰ CHARACTERS ⛓️ㆍ₊⊹
↪︎

↪︎

↪︎

⸝⸝ ꒰ FINAL THOUGHTS ⛓️ㆍ₊⊹
can we talk about the KISS SCENE. IN. THE. RAIN. holy cow istg i was literally on the edge of my bed, frantically texting annie “MF THEY HAVENT EVEN KISSED AND ITS THE LAST CHAPTER WTFF” ughhh i was literally pulling my hair and then. the holy kiss scene happens. that quite literally changed my life. my skin is clear, my hair is glowing, i am a new person now.
–– “he devoured her in the rain, with his gun beneath her jaw. he devoured her while tasting like the whiskey and sin she heard in his voice.” :: THE THINGS THIS QUOTE DOES TO ME 😖😖😖 i am a mess bc of tristanmorana.
+ the only reason i gave this a 4.5 is bc the first couple chapters were a bit slow, but it was just so amazing after chapter 6 👩🏼‍🍳💋 i cannot WAITTT to start book 2 ;–;

⸝⸝ ꒰ FAVORITE QUOTES ⛓️ㆍ₊⊹

she knew he would destroy her, but not today. today, for the first time, she got to be no one but a girl on the back of a man's motorcycle, if even for a moment. today, for the first time, she was just a woman with no past and no future, just this endless road with this man, this freedom, and this life.

“i see how he looks at you. despite knowing about you all my life, i never thought he'd be as he is with you.”
“how is he with me?”
“alive.”

“no one else gets to kill you, ms. Vitalio. the last face you see before you die will be mine. when it comes to death, you're mine.”

---
pre-review: GOODBYE THIS WAS SO FREAKIN GOOD,, YALL WERE SO RIGHT AB THIS 😮‍💨😫🥲😖🫠 tristanmarano for life u guys ✋✊✊ (still settling on the rating omfg aaahhh)
rtc~~!! (i've got sm to say- 🤭🤭)
---
pre-read: trying out smth new hehe~~
(&& ty annie for recommending this to meee <33)

This series is going to be my newest obsession. I can feel it!!

I enjoyed this one so much and I was so invested in the story. From the full of action plot. To Tristan who was and I quote; “A walking, talking Mission Impossible, that's what he was.” I just really really liked him. He definitely goes to the list of my -favourite toxic book boyfriends I never want to meet in real life- (or maybe I do?). He rides a motorcycle better than any one I know. He climb walls. When he saw the heroine looking like hell on his door, he prepared a room and a bath without saying a word, left her and then sent a message to check that she’s okay? Even though he’s only two doors away? You don’t know how much giving her space meant to me! It might show that he didn’t care enough, but I disagree!!! And many many perfect scenes more. I like him, okay? I just do!

I like Morana as well; her smart mouth, her genuineness, and how she stood her ground. For such a genius, she kinda made a lot of stupid decisions tho. That even I know they were stupid.

'Apparently, you're not out of my system, Ms. Vitalio.'

Those two definitely gave me power couple vibes and the sexual tension was so freaking crazy!! And their chemistry was just so freaking explosive. I have a tiny problem with the amount of staring they did tho. No couple stare at each other that much! There were a lot of scenes with them making eye contact and just staring at each other that at some point I was like, are we done?? The inner monologues were kinda long and too much as well. But overall I really enjoyed this. The last chapter was so good that I’m jumping into the next book immediately!

#1 The Predator - 4.25 stars
#2 The Reaper - 4.5 stars
#3 The Emperor - 4.5 stars

Song recommendation:
Secrets and lies by Ruelle
Like that by Bea Miller
Bravado by Lorde

If I have to read one more time about magnificent, or firce blue eyes I'll burn the book. She wrote about main character blue eyes over 70 times in the book. Just enough already. This was so painful to read..

dnf @ 47%

“Tristan Caine: Apparently, you're not out of my system, Ms. Vitalio.”

somehow i managed to accidentally delete my whole ass review on this book, so this is a rewritten version.

anyway, this book already had me on the verge of tears, because of how bad it was.it was my first and apparently last mafia books, cause if the other ones like alike this, i don’t want it, thanks.

let’s start.

first of all, the writing style. that was a f*cking fire, guys. the amount of mentions of “his blue eyes”, “our gazes locked” and “he stares at her” caused me 5 years of my life minimum.

exhibition A:

And he turned his neck, his blue eyes locking with hers.

exhibition B:

She could feel eyes on her. His eyes. Hungry eyes.

exhibition C:

But she felt those eyes caress every inch of her exposed back, felt her nape prickle in awareness as her body buzzed with sensation, imagining him, sitting somewhere, devouring her with those blue, blue eyes.

exhibition D:

But she could feel that stare on her back, zinging across her skin.

i understood even from the first sentence that they’re not blind. i’m not an optometrist, i don’t give a single f*ck about your eyes. you’re not mute, therefore you can speak. so why then i feel like i was watching “animal planet”?? and someone really should buy a dictionary for the author as a birthday present, because how can be otherwise explained, that the word combination “Tristan Caine” was mentioned 228 times? and when it wasn’t that, it would be “he” the whole goddamn chapter.

And it did puke out a truckload of information at her, mainly IP addresses that did not belong to Tristan Caine, as they'd been framed to look like. Either Tristan Caine happened to be one brilliant Machiavellian

i thought that everyone have to attend middle school, but apparently it’s not necessary? can someone explain how we got to the point, where the books to publish don’t even have to have a basic editing? how this even went past the drafts? i’m not reading a fanfic on wattpad, where people are beginners.

now, the romance aspect💀. when morana(h) and tristan’s(H) relationship didn’t consisted of the threats to kill each other and staring contest, they had dialogues like this one:

"My mother loved the rain."
A pause.
"I thought you had a mother."
A familiar knot constricted her throat.
"I don't anymore.”

people who recommend this sh*t to anyone deserve jail. and i haven’t even got to their first sex scene, guys. that was a real bomb.

"We've been honest so far, Ms. Vitalio," he murmured. "I'll be honest now. I despise you but I want you. f*ck it, I do. And I want you out of my system.”

was that supposed to make me hot and turn on? anyway, what do you think? after all this “angst” and “tension” there must be super sexy and steamy sex scene, where tristan worships morana and her golden puss*. haha WRONG. their first sex aka quickie was in the public bathroom in the restaurant with their enemies and moron’s father in it. oh, and have i already mentioned, that tristan was mute the whole time? like literally. who”s here was complaining about bad dirty talk? what about no dirty talk at all? dear runyx, i’m not reading your whole ass fanfic for finally reach the smut scene and find out that the guy not only bad at dirty talk, but in speaking overall?? i’m not asking him to retell the whole “war and peace” during sex, but maybe he at least can moan to let the heroine know, that he didn’t fall asleep while they were banging?? and right after that mind-blowing scene, tristan mf caine gave out this:

"Not as experienced as you wanted me to believe, Ms. Vitalio,”

gosh, if you haven’t already understood what a cheesy piece of sh*t this book is, i have more examples:

"Tristan doesn't allow people into his space. Everyone who knows him knows that." Morana blinked, still reeling from questions about the incredibly baffling man.
"Then why did he let me, of all people, stay here?" Why had he insisted that she stay? Why had he growled like that when Dante had been ready to offer her his apartment?

im dying right here. but what was my last straw is morana’s inner monologue.

Thunder crackled in the sky, a split of lightening bathing everything in brilliant white before disappearing. Droplets hit the glass in tandem, trying to break it like bullets, trying to reach her but unable to. She sat behind that wall, longing to feel those droplets on herself, longing to let them sear her, but unable to. And wasn't that her life. Longing for things she couldn't reach, things that tried to reach her and came up against a wall. A glass wall. Where she could see everything, know exactly what she was missing, drown in her awareness even as the glass couldn't break. Because just as it did now, breaking the glass meant death.

when will authors understand, that their terrible, ugly, absolutely hideous pseudo-poetic writing doesn’t attract absolutely no one? in fact, that wasn’t even the worst one. and the author is describing morana as the smartest woman on earth and technology genius? this bitch is dumb as f*ck. the first scene in this book started with her, wanting to kill tristan in his apartment. she was alone with a knife. eventually she failed and it was tristan threating her with her knife. the thinking process of a genius is right here.

bullsh*t bruhhhh

2.5 ★'s
Ok besties, I feel a bit divided.

A part of me can understand the hype this book has gotten.
Dark romance, lots of tension, secrets and underlying mystery, protective men, mafia and an overall interesting plot.

However, the writing took it down so many notches for me. ☹️
I can overlook singular misspellings or grammatical errors, but this was a bit much.
It's everything from simple misspellings, to things not adding up in the plot, to the writing just being repetitive af. There is no way in hell this ever went by an editor. It's so unfortunate since the characters and plot would actually be enjoyable otherwise.
If this was written in first person pov, with some chapters from Tristans pov and an editor on top of that I think I've easily could've rated this 4-5 stars.

Another, although smaller, irk I had was that this whole thing started with recovering codes written by Morona. However, we never got to know what the codes did, just their potential impact of mobwar and death. It unfortunately made that whole plot and Morana being the smartest girlie alive feel so unserious to me.

This all said, I will be starting book two right away. Even though all the previously mentioned issues I had with this, I managed to enjoy it. This is mainly attributed to the tension between Tristan & Morana, as well as the budding friendship between Amara and Morana. I am so eager to see how the love between them all will grow in upcoming books. I wouldn't complain to see more of Dante either, I love myself a brown eyed man. 🤭
I am fairly certain I have figured out the underlying mystery, but I am intrigued to read the rest to see if I am right and if so, how that will unfold. For my mental wellbeing the writing better improve from here on out though, can somebody confirm? 🥲
________
⌞pre-read:⌝

This is my first RuNyx. I'm simultaneously excited and somewhat terrified.
Crossing my fingers this is good, bc I am desperate for something to stimulate my brain rn 🙂‍↕️

guys do you think i can take Morana in a fight? because i need want her man

~~~~
reading this series for my pookie wookie <3 i hope it’s good because i feel like our friendship depends on me loving this🙏🏼🧸

Tristan: 🧿👄🧿

Morana: 📀👄📀

Author: "Her heart pounded in the silence, as she stayed unmoving, barely breathing, nerves stretching tighter and tighter with every single breath, her nipples hardening under the constraining fabric of her bra, heat pooling between her legs. Good lord, she was ready to combust just by his stare alone."

We'll talk when Tristan Cane develops a hobby other than having blue eyes and a voice of whiskey and sin.
And when Morana's entire personality is not simply getting horny by Tristan's glares.