Review by Veronica

Series Name: Made & Broken, # 2

“What was on that video is much, much more valuable than ten thousand dollars. It’s a pity– you had such a sweet face. I don’t know of anyone else who could have seduced Marcus Steel. But… all good things must come to an end. Leo– make sure she tells you everything that was on that video. And when you’re done, make sure no one will find her body.” 

Monster is another fabulous page-turner by Nora Ash. 

I’ll kill to protect her. And then I’ll make her mine.
Marcus
They always called me crazy. Sociopath. A monster without a conscience.
I always thought they were right. I’ve never backed down from anything, and the only thing that has ever soothed the monster in my chest was killing.
Then she walked into my life. The woman who seduced me so she could sell my secrets to my enemy.
I should have killed her, but when I looked into her eyes I knew she was the only one who could save me from myself.

Evelyn
It was supposed to be an easy job: seduce a ruthlessly handsome man and steal his pen drive while he’s sleeping. Not the worst thing I’ve had to do while working for the mafia. By far.
I didn’t know Marcus Steel was the son of London’s most dangerous crime family—and I didn’t know one night with him meant that every criminal in London would be after my blood.
He’s the only one powerful enough to protect me now, but I’m not sure if that’s what he’s got in mind. I’ve seen what he does to people who cross him.
He’s a monster.
And now, his sights are set on me. 

God, I just cannot get enough of that touch-her-and-die trope, and this book has that in spades. This book is the second book in the series, and I would recommend reading the previous book first. Each book in this series features a different couple, but this overarching storyline builds up with each new installment. The overarching story has to do with the Steel brothers and their rocky relationship with their father. First, I have to say that I love the mafia drama in this book. With every new book, we learn that the Steel brother’s father is a terrible, ruthless man and that in his desperation to ensure that no one threatens his position in the family, he has broken the family rule that states that you protect the family at all costs. Nora is building us up for a big showdown between the brothers and their father. 

We meet Marcus in the first book, and his brothers make him out to be this crazy, violent monster that you have to be careful around. However, bookworms who read the first book also saw this other more gentle and quiet side of Marcus that he only showed to Mira. His character instantly intrigued me, and I wanted to see what truly lurked underneath that ruthless killer exterior. Overall, I really enjoyed this book. It’s a much steamier read than the first book, and Marcus is a character with a surprising amount of depth. Readers be warned this is a Mafia romance, which means that there is going to be violence, and the heroes in this book are morally gray men who use violence and fear to get what they want and protect the ones that they love. I wouldn’t necessarily say this is a true dark romance, but it does flirt with that dark romance sub-genre. 

The relationship between Evelyn and Marcus was this fabulous blend of sexy and sweet. There is a lot of banging going on between these two, and if you are a fan of a breeding kink trope, then you are going to enjoy the steamy bits in this book. But outside of all the physical lusty chemistry, these two have a quieter connection. There was a surprising amount of quiet moments between these two. Evelyn really sees Marcus and realizes he is struggling with inner demons, and of course, she is the one to help quiet those demons in Marcus. I enjoyed watching these two interact with each other. 

You are going to enjoy this book if you are a fan of: mafia romance, breeding kink, alpha male, touch her and die, enemies to lovers, prisoner/bodyguard romance, and forced proximity tropes. Nora does a great job at just creating a really good mafia romance that is a lot of fun to read. 

Monster is a quick and dirty mafia romance, and I can’t wait to read the next book in the series.