Enemies From Birth… I…
How can I make her mine once and for all?
“Nikolai” is a mysterious and sexy stand-alone romance, complete with HEA and no cliffhangers.
The Lark Notes:
A Mafia Romeo and Princess Juliet story, what more could you ask for? – Sophiemore
The stories in this series have become better and better each time. I’m utterly shaking and in love with Nadia and Nikolai’s love story. It was so painful and yet so beautiful to read about the story of their families and how it affected them so acutely. I just couldn’t put the book down or read it fast enough. A beautiful must-read.
Searching for answers in the “snow and darkness of Moscow”
—>>> The murder of her mother that fateful day spurs Nadia, now the last in the line of the Lebedev family, to visit her family’s childhood Moscow home while she grieves. But a diary left behind, undisturbed in an attic until now, just raises more questions for Nadia as she painstakingly translates it in a quest to understand the elusive and detached mother she had grown up with and regretted not being closer to. There, however, her presence makes her an easy target for her family’s greatest rivals, the Markovs, for the patriarch immediately recognizes an opportunity to further his family’s name and holdings by using his son Nikolai, who was all too eager to do his job once he realized who the beautiful, unexpected party guest was.
~ It was like giving a priceless Ming vase to a toddler. Maxim Oleksei could never understand or appreciate her. He could only damage her. ~
Nadia feels the sort of connection with Nikolai she never did with her own fiancé, and she ignores her aunt’s dire warnings not to get involved. Soon, Nikolai’s important task of wooing Nadia becomes the real thing, but secrets and lies have a way of biting those who are the most vulnerable, at the most inopportune times.
Great story as we follow along with the fresh bloom of romance and the revealing of her mother’s past and dreams snipped in their prime. I would have loved to have had one final confrontation of Nadia with Nikolai’s father just to tie up that loose end.
A fastpaced and actionpacked pageturner with captivating characters that I loved reading about. Who does not like to read about alpha men with hearts of gold and their feisty women? Will definitely check out more books from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book was a little bit heartbreaking. There was kind of a Romeo and Juliette vibe with it, which I loved. Nikolai and Nadia are adorable together, I love them. And I love their story
Every great Russian love story is a combination of romance and tragedy and Ms. Lark checks all the boxes with this one. From the streets of Paris to the Motherland, this is a sultry romance with just enough Bratva violence to keep the reader on her (or his) toes. A moving backstory makes an unforgettable impression without taking anything away from the main characters.
So hot!
Falling for the family enemy has never been hotter or trickier.
Nadia is returning to her mother’s childhood home to hopefully piece together some of her history… but how much may be repeated…
I loved it!!
Crimson by Sophia Lark is the last of the colors of crime series but can be read as a stand-alone book. It is a steamy romance between Nadia and Nikolai, members of two opposing mafia families with a long standing feud. Nadia travels to Russia with her possessive and self- obsessed fiancé, Maxim. She leaves immediately after her mother is killed in a bloody, attempted mafia takeover. Nadia wants to connect to her mother so she stays with her aunt and ailing grandfather at their home in Russia. While there she begins to translate her mother’s journal and begins to unfold what happened to her mother that made her leave Russia for good. As she spends time with Maxim, she begins to open her eyes to his selfish and controlling nature. When the couple meets handsome and suave Nikolai at a party, at his father’s estate, he comes to Nadia’s rescue as she is mistreated by Maxim. Nadia is convinced to spend more time with Nickoli and as she opens up more and more the attraction grows. Meanwhile, Nadia is translating her mother’s diary and learning her mother was head over heals for someone she was forbidden to love. Nikolai and Nadia’s families have been feuding and spilling the oppositions blood for years. Is Nadia in for the same fate if she follows in her mother’s footsteps and pursues a “forbidden love” ? This novel is steamy, face-paced and fun. It is a bit graphic at times, so be forewarned. I received an ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest opinion. 5 out of 5 stars.
I loved this book about as much as violet and Antons book. Each book within the series gets better and better. This book is following the aftermath of the deadly scene in violets book. It follows the coup and attempt to take over by her uncle but in the process many die at the meeting. After losing her mother Nadia is lost and questioning everything. So she seeks answers in Moscow where her mother lived to try and learn more about her life. Nikolai is Bratva but a rival family to the Lebedevs (Nadia’s mother’s family). A real Hatfield and McCoy situation. His father intervenes in the start of their relationship to fabricate a way to get a contract. They have many ups and downs and must overcome lies and betrayal. Personal aside I hated Maxim her fiancé. I disliked him in the previous book and it only grew in this one. He is self centered and shallow. Loved the book. Can’t wait for next one.
Time in a shot Glass.
Nadia goes to her mother’s Samara funeral only to find her mother’s secret journal. In the journal, she finds out about her mother’s secret love affair with Ivan. However, Samara is already promised to Petya since birth. The two Mafia families want this marriage to happen to bring the two Mafia families together. Samara refuses to marry Petya. She runs away to a masked party where she meets poor student Ivan. They fall in love. Nadia convinces her obnoxious, selfish, reluctant fiance, Maxim to go with her to Moscow to learn more about her mother. In Moscow, Nadia learns more about her mother Samara and finds love with Nikolai a mysterious enforcer for the Mafia. Nikolai is told by his boss he should seduce Nadia away from her Fiance Maxim. Nadia and Nikolai become closer as they unravel the secrets and find the real truth to Samara’s relationship with Ivan. I liked this book. I struggled through the first few pages. They were sluggish and wordy with too much backstory. It didn’t get to the point fast enough. I think that’s my fault for picking up the fourth book first and not have read the first. Lol. I love Nadia’s character. Yes, she was a mafia princess. However, Nadia was different from most. Nadia was clever and brilliant and thought more about others than herself. She became a lawyer against her father’s and her fiance’s wishes. The heat index was very hot, sensual, passionate, sex scenes that will ignite your Kindle. Lol. This is the first book I’ve read by this author and will not be my last. I received an advance review copy for free from Booksirens.com, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Crimson moves further away from the themes in books one and two and becomes fully engulfed in the Russian mafia. There will be spoilers from Violet, book 3 in the Colors of Crime series.
Nadia Lebedev lost her mother Samara in Violet, the previous book in the series. Crimson begins at Samara’s funeral. Not really having a relationship with her mother, Nadia is sad for the what-could-have’s that she’ll be missing out on. In an effort to try and connect with her mother, Nadia leaves Paris and ventures to Moscow to her grandfather’s estate, bringing along her boyfriend, Maxim. There, Nadia attempts to translate a journal given to her before leaving Paris, one that paints a picture starkly different than the woman Nadia grew to know. Nadia also attempts to get closer to her mother by staying in her old room and travelling to all her mother’s former haunts.
After ditching Maxim, the dude was monster anyway, she finds herself gravitating toward Nikolai Markov. The two families have an ongoing feud that has lasted many, many years. The two families reuniting now is suspicious, but Nadia knows her feelings for Nikolai are real and growing stronger every day. When the truth is revealed, Nadia and Nikolai may very well end up like their parents. My only complaint is the ending. I would have loved another chapter to see how Nikolai’s father would have reacted to Nadia’s revelation.
I love the characters in the Colors of Crime series. They are written well and are realistic. The suspense and twists in the story keep me on the edge of my seat. The mystery unfolding in Nadia’s mother’s journal is engaging and kept me reading, wanting to know more. Lyrically, the author is a star. Her use of descriptive language, metaphors, and vivid imagery take this book to the next level. Crimson hits all of positives for story, character development, world building, passion, and suspense. I look forward to getting my hands on the next book.
Please note this book does contain light BDSM and sex.
I was provided a copy of this book to read.
This book 4 in the series is a fantastic story that is jammed full of action, mystery, suspense and intrigue that made it impossible for me to put the book down once I’d started reading it. The main characters in this book are Nadia and Nikolai who have instant chemistry when they meet. My advice is simple – make sure you have a few hours to spare before starting to read this as it’s a fast-paced page turner.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
CRIMSON A Dark Mafia Romance (Colors of Crime Book 4) by Sophie Lark
Nikolai and Nadia have a very tangled fast, courtship. Their story is intensely enjoyable, has lots of drama, secrets, intrigue, mystery, and the passion between Nikolai and Nadia is on fire. Sophie Lark is making a name for herself in the Mafia Romance genre. She does excellent work! This is a 5 star book.
Ms. Lark is undoubtedly the queen of thoughtful yet provocative mafia romance
The beauty of this book is that you get two beautiful albeit tragic love stories in one. After the death of Nadia Turgenev’s mother, Samara Lebedev, Nadia is given her journal, written in Cyrillic which she painstakingly translates to find out what her mother was like as a young woman. She discovers that her mother was so different from the rigid, unhappy woman Nadia had always known. She sadly discovers a woman she wishes had been her mother. To pursue the truth she embarks on a trip to Russia from Paris, her home.
Maxim, Nadia’s fiancé takes her to a party put on by the Markovs, a well-known and powerful but still relatively new mafia family in Russia. When Nikolai sees her, he is breathless. When his father has a plan, which involves Nikolai seducing her, he’s all in. What he doesn’t expect is to fall in love. His father may have ulterior motives. Why? Keep in mind that the Markovs are considered “new-mafia” compared to the Lebedevs who have centuries of being Russian mafia.
Beautifully written romance with a mystery story within the story. I fell in love with these characters. And the steam…wait til you read the banya scene!!! Oh. My. Word…so HOT it sizzles off the page. I volunteered to review an ARC of this book through BookSirens. It gets 5+ stars and is highly recommended.
This was an interesting read as it has a bit of a mystery, a Romeo and Juliette feel to it, and all of it set with Paris and then Moscow as its backdrop.
Nikolai is definitely the type of hero I like and the reason I selected this book to begin with. He was fierce in his protection of Nadia and had the desire to claim her as his own from the first time he met her. Nadia wasn’t a heroine I could relate to, but I did understand her need to solve the mystery that was her mother.
This had a lot of background information as well as info regarding the sights these characters visited. It also had untold amounts of description of the homes, the cars, the restaurants. I finally started skimming. And then unfortunately I skimmed some more because this is a short book and this couple don’t even meet until around the 25% mark. I almost DNF’d but decided to continue and I have to say getting to know Nikolai was worth it.
I actually enjoyed watching this couple together as they fall in love. The conflict was believable, the mystery was interesting but the resolution not a surprise, and the ending was how I like my characters to behave – as adults. Unfortunately, no epilogue so it felt a bit like I was abruptly dropped off at the bus stop with no “goodbye”.
While I didn’t love this book, I didn’t hate it either. It had the potential to really give me what I like but chose to go into avenues that had nothing to do with the story. If I learn that this is a one off for this author, I’d be glad to try another book.
Love this book. The characters are relatable. Fast pace with little drama. If you enjoy mafia books, you would enjoy this one. Can’t wait for the next book.
I voluntarily reviewed this advance reader copy of this book
An amazing read from Sophia Lark. This dark mafia romance was so good that I could’t put it down once I started it, so I read it all without stopping!! Lots of sexy, secrets, mystery and action that a good mafia read brings to the reader. I can’t wait for the next book from this author!!
I received an arc for an honest review
AMAZING! A fantastic, well written read. An intense storyline that holds your attention as you get caught up in the fierce twists and hot chemistry. Plenty of excitement and emotionally heartfelt. A thrilling must read.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Loved the book it was great, the story was well written and the characters are interesting. Nikolai is ready to claim his right to claim ,at the head of his family except . The catch was he needed to marry Nadia, to stop the rivalry. It was hot and steamy with emotions that makes you wanting more.
Thank you for allowing me to review your book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Crimson is the fourth book in Sophie Lark’s Colors of Crime series which features Nadia Lebedev, a engaged mafia princess who goes to Russia to solve a mystery found in her deceased mother’s journal, and Nikolai Markov, Russian heir to the Markov empire who wants to marry Nadia to end a two-hundred year old feud between their families. There’s immediate attraction between them and Nikolai is willing to do anything to get Nadia, including getting rid of her fiancé. I recommend this interesting read with its complex characters, unique storyline, and sizzling chemistry.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Finding her family roots leads to many secrets
Crimson is the fourth book in the Colors of Crime series by Sophie Lark and the first book I have read by this author. I was not sure what to expect but the book description looked like it could be really delicious and smoldering. Boy were my instincts right to a certain extent.
The book is really well written with a tight and engaging story-line and interesting characters. At times it did move a little slow but you just have to let it take you on the journey and enjoy the view. The story is not nearly as dark and drama/angst filled as I had expected so I would say it is more of a mafia “lite” story. Really it is about a young woman who discovers a secret after her mother passes that leads her on a journey to find her real roots and family connections. Overall though I did enjoy reading this book and look forward to reading more by this author.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.