Violent Delights (White Monarch, #1) by Jessica Hawkins
Review by Nancy Violent Delights by Jessica Hawkins is an angsty, slow-burn, page-turning, perfect beginning to a great series. The cover was what drew me to want to read the book, as she is a new to me author. The words are what kept me engaged and transfixed on this story. Natalia is a princess born amongst the Mexican cartel. She is born to one of the most powerful drug lords in Mexico and lost her mother to the cartel. For this, she blames one of the De La Rosa brothers. Strong willed, strong-minded, and determined, she falls in love with the younger of De La Rosa brothers, Diego. But this love story isn’t black and white. Natalia has been away from her home for too long and doesn't plan on going back. Now a California native, she has big plans to bring Diego with her, take him away from the cartel, and start a life with him. That is until her visit back to Mexico has her encountering none other than the older De La Rosa brother, Cristiano. This book had me going back and forth between Diego and Cristiano. Who is the real bad guy? Who really wants Natalia for personal reasons and who needs her to up their game in the cartel? This book was told in Natalia's POV except for two chapters. I think I figured out who I was rooting for in those two chapters. Both brothers are strong, charming and intelligent. Diego has a soft side he shows and Cristiano is rough around the edges, but they both share a weakness, Natalia. Diego is Natalia’s first love. She has always known he was it for her but her body betrays her every time Cristiano comes around. She is physically attracted to him and can’t help but have a reaction every time he is near her. A reaction she doesn’t seem to have when she is near Diego. But Cristiano is the worst kind of criminal, even more so than Diego and she can’t go there with him. Her heart already belongs to Diego. That is, until Diego decides to take matters into his own hand and save his life in exchange for hers. So who is the worst of the two? This ends in a huge cliffhanger! I hate cliffhangers, but this is definitely worth reading. I was at the edge of my seat the entire last part of the book! I was in shock at some of the things that were clear as day to everyone except Natalia. I hope she realizes that her world is about to drastically change, and she chooses the right brother. But I guess just like everyone else, I will have to wait until book two. ***ARC provided by the author for an honest review***
Release Date: March 21, 2019
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