I am floored by this in-depth review of Mine to Protect by Shreya Vijay.
Book: Mine to Protect Author: Emily A. Myers Genre: Contemporary Romance Thriller Tropes: Forced Proximity, Forbidden Romance, Hurt x Comfort, Mafia x FBI (I'd like to add enemies to lovers ) Triggers: S*x Tr*fficking, SA, Violence, G*ns, (I'll add death x grief)
Mine to Protect is another whopping tale of thrill and love by Emily Myers!
Mine to Protect is a compelling and poignant romantic thriller that SHOULD be taking the world by storm.
Penned from the dual perspective of the main characters Ariana Valentine and Alister Amato, this book is one that had my eyes and hands glued to my kindle for hours on end.
Alister Amato, or the Blood King, as he is called in the shadows of New Orleans, knows loss intimately. Ariana Valentine, an FBI agent working to bring down the vile men that lurk in the dark and ruin her city knows loss too. When the kindred spirits meet and are stuck together by perseverance, relentless blackmail, and of course, their shared need to serve justice, fate might just have her own fun with them.
If you’re a fan of Contemporary Mafia Romance Thrillers fostering the forbidden love and forced proximity trope, this book is one you irrefutably need in your life. Honestly, I have read my fair share of Mafia romance novels and pretty much know how these books work. But, EMILY HAS A WAY OF DRAWING THE READERS IN WITH A CLICHED SETTING AND BREAKING THE SAID CLICHE INTO A MILLION LITTLE PIECES.
Mine to Protect perfectly complements the dark and gritty tones of her two previous books and brings something new to the table. FROM THE BEGINNING, THE BOOK HAD ME IN A CHOKEHOLD. The plot was intricately woven with every loose end tied in a pretty little bow at the end. The pacing was perfect and not once did I feel that the book was dragging for no legitimate reason. The chemistry between Alister and Ariana albeit volatile initially, is actually splendid. Sure, there was some spice but not too much that it became overbearing. As I said before, every moment in this book added to the plot and/or character development.
I must say that Emily’s writing is whimsical. In fact, it wouldn’t be a far stretch to say that with this book of hers, SHE HAS BEWITCHED MY HEART AND SOUL.
Emily’s books are shelved as Romance Thrillers and they do justify their genre, unlike most of the other books in this category. The balance between the romantic elements of the story and the suspense that the story is built upon is perfect so no one aspect overpowered another.
In a nutshell, Mine to Protect is a book that I would strongly recommend. With memorable characters, a thrilling story, and a perfect book boyfriend, Mine to Protect is all that a romance/ thriller reader dreams about.
Emily Myers, in my humble opinion, IS A SHINING EXAMPLE OF WHY INDIE AUTHORS DESERVE WAY MORE RECOGNITION AND CREDIT THAN THEY CURRENTLY RECEIVE.