Married to the enemyWhen Keira O’Malley was a child, she used to picture her perfect wedding. The flowers. The dress. Her husband. But nothing could have prepared her for saying “I do” to Dmitri Romanov-cold, domineering, and always one step ahead of everyone else in the ever-shifting power plays of New York City. She agreed to his bargain to secure peace for her family, and she may want the … she may want the bastard more than she’d ever admit, but she’ll be damned if she’ll make this marriage easy for him.
Dmitri knows better than to underestimate Keira for one second. Molten desire smolders between them, a dangerous addiction neither can resist. But his enemies are already on the move, and he needs every ounce of his legendary focus and control to keep them alive. Keira could just be his secret weapon-if she doesn’t bring him to his knees first.
“A tension-filled plot full of deceit, betrayal, and sizzling love scenes will make it impossible for readers to set the book down.”—Publishers Weekly on Forbidden Promises
Previous books: THE MARRIAGE CONTRACTTHE WEDDING PACTAN INDECENT PROPOSALFORBIDDEN PROMISESUNDERCOVER ATTRACTION
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What a way to wrap up this series! Katee Robert delivered another intense and gritty read in her O’Malley series that is filled with all the emotion, heat, and suspense I’ve come to expect.
I was a bit unsure going into this one – Keira hadn’t shown much of who she was and I wasn’t sure how she would be able to stand up to Dmitri now that she would be forced to play in his world. But I must say, I absolutely loved the way her character developed and came into her own. From owning her shit to calling Dmitri on his, she was the perfect queen in the Romanov kingdom. It wasn’t an easy or pretty path that Ms. Robert paved for her, but it was the only path that could lead to what I must say was a masterful end.
From the fantastic dialogue and worldbuilding to the emotional depth and development of her characters, Ms. Robert has woven a story and series that delivered everything I love when I open a book. The pacing is fast at times and the romance even faster, but every element works together to deliver a top notch story and series, one that has become one of my favorites.
Although this book can be read as a standalone, because each previous book in the series has been building to this conclusion I would recommend starting from the beginning – and I can guarantee you won’t be disappointed in any of the books in this series.
Another great read and one I highly recommend to anyone who likes some edge and a whole lot of heat in their romance.
I have waited for Dmitri’s book and I was not disappointed. This was all that I wanted. Keira was his match completely. I love their banter. This was so steamy just like the rest in the series. I’m so happy with the way it wrapped up.
As with all the books in this series, it’s steamy and fabulous. Author Katee Robert is the master at turning unlikely heroes into someone you can root for and then pairs them brilliantly with the perfect heroine that makes them work for their love.
This is one of my all-time favorite books. Dmitri is so freaking sexy he’ll set your panties on fire.
The Bastard’s Bargain is the 6th and final book in the O’Malley series. I’ve both been dreading and counting down to Keira’s story, mainly cuz she’s such a loose cannon and Dmitri Romanov is a tyrant that I’ve hated to love from the beginning of the series. I’ve listened to the entire series on Audible, own them in paperback, and it definitely helps to bring the stories to life. The accents are perfect, and the addition of being able to close your eyes at certain parts is helpful, lol. Don’t read these books out of order though, there’s too much to be missed if you read this as a stand alone book.
This is a finalist in the romantic suspense category. This is book 6 in the O’Malley series and I haven’t read any of the others, but judges might be in the same boat, so fine.
In this book, Dmitri Romanov is the head of a New York crime family, and in order to cement his place, he marries Keira O’Malley who is the sister of the head of a Boston crime family. Being new to the series, it was clear there was lots of backstory, but I didn’t feel too lost. I was chatting with someone who told me a little bit about Dmitri in previous books, and it’s clear there was some VERY BAD BEHAVIOR, so this is villain-gets redeemed plot. I didn’t know any of that other stuff, so I have no idea how long term readers of the series will feel.
Pluses: VERY SEXY and I liked that a lot. Dmitri is pleasantly complicated to me. He’s clearly a bad guy, but he really cares about Keira as a person and not just as a pawn. A big part of the plot is her coming to realize that about him. I like a heroine who is a fighter & Keira goes though some things. She is an alcoholic and there is a clear path to recovery and she knows she will be fighting it forever. To me, it was the perfect mix of “this is really hard but her recovery can’t be the whole book.” YMMV.
Wishes: This being America, it’s just a fact that white criminals get to be anti-heroes rather than thugs. Idk how to feel about it. I haven’t read the whole series, but here the two bad guys are both women, a mother and daughter, and I didn’t know how to feel about that either.
Verdict: I enjoyed this book a lot and am very interested in going back to read the whole series.
Copied & Pasted from Twitter as part of a project where I’m reviewing the 2019 RITA finalists.
This series is the nirvana of mob fans. Irish family branching out and intermarriage. It’s the ultimate happy place for mafia fans. But this book….sigh, The Bastard’s Bargain includes the Russians too. Huge sigh. Not just because he’s dreamy, not just the accent, and it has nothing at all to do with the whispered words I needed Google to translate…It’s all that and more!!!
It’s sexy and dangerous. It’s tension, it’s lust, and it’s balanced by those pesky emotion things. The Bastard’s Bargain has family issues galore, plenty of implied bad doings, and dare I say…love.
It’s the kind of bargain any girl would be lucky to have…
The O’Malley Series quite literally started with a bang. Each book focuses on the life of one of the O’Malley siblings who were born into a crime family. Each sibling must marry – basically an arranged marriage – to broker peace/keep their family in power. Each book is a steamy, sexy ride.
Explosive conclusion to this series. What a way to go out in a blaze of glory.
Keira was just a shell of a person. All she ever wanted was peace. Little did she know that by marrying Dmitri, that’s exactly what she would get. He saw in her what everyone else overlooked. He gave her a chance to become someone.
My only complaint about this book is that it’s the end of the series. I’m heartbroken there will be no more O’Malleys or Romanovs. I’ve grown to love these characters and can picture running into them in Boston or NYC during a visit. Yeah, I know that’s not realistic, but they were so real.
Well done Ms. Robert. You drew us in with Teague, but you made the fat lady sing with Keira.
Dmitri Romanov is a monster. A beautiful monster.
He doesn’t do romance.
He doesn’t believe in the simplistic emotion known as love.
More importantly, he doesn’t see why love factors in a marriage. Matrimony is a business transaction. A partnership where the individuals have their roles and responsibilities. An alliance.
Dmitri is a man of his word, which is why he can’t offer what he doesn’t do. However, he’s attracted to Keira O’Malley. He can’t really explain it, he just is. Seeing as the O’Malley’s have gone back on their words, more then once, they owe him both a wife and a sister, well, Keira will do.
When Dmitri convinces Keira to choose him, what he wasn’t expecting was her . While Keira left the O’Malley house on her own, it doesn’t mean she will continue to be a pawn in this game of Power Play. He may have taken parts of her, but she will let him HAVE her .
First, let me say that I was NOT a fan of Dmitri. Really, I wasn’t. His hand in the majority of this series, it was a frustrating attraction. He was a villain, his redemption was to be seen, and boy was it proven. You want to hate him, but how he handles Keira, it comes to full circle. You want to hate him, but love him eventually. And Keira? I love how she handles her “gentleman-murder”.
This is the final installment in the O’Malley series, and I have to admit, this series is on my top list favorites list. From book one where you get the lay of the land through book six where you see how everyone plays their role, you spend the entire series at the edge of your seat waiting to see what happens next. I loved this book, this series, and I highly recommend it to anyone who roots for anti-heroes.
Dimitri is a very authoritative man, “his brows slanted down. “You’re going to finger yourself in the library?” Dmitri shook his head. “I forbid it.” Dimitri is willing to go the distance for his woman, “impossible to run an evil empire if I have my ***k buried in you ten times a day.” He kissed first one hip bone and then the other. “But it’s a sacrifice I’m willing to make.” I liked this book, and man did I fall in love with Dimitri, he helped Keira unleash her inner bad***.
When I look back at this book, I have two reactions to this book…
1) Katee, how could you end this amazing series?!?!
2) So, so good!!! I love Dmitri!!!
I have loved the O’Malleys throughout this entire series! I should first disclose that The O’Malleys is the first series that I have read by Katee Robert. I have enjoyed her writing and I am now hooked! If you love mafia series, this is a series that you need to add to your TBR list. I promise, you will love this family!
Now let’s get down to my thoughts on The Bastard’s Bargain. We get Dmitri Romanov!!! *sighs* He was so not who I thought he was going to be at all. His love for Keira O’Malley was amazing to read! He was patient and loved her through all of her issues. He allowed her to grow into the perfect woman for both of them.
“The woman was a mess, but he’d known that from the moment he met her. Dmitri didn’t do projects. He preferred to be the one holding all the cards – it allowed him to anticipate how the people around him would act in any given situation. He’d never been able to anticipate Keira. Not from the moment she picked his pocket and walked away from him as if she didn’t give a f*ck about the danger he posed to her. Likely because she has a goddamn death wish. He’d deal with that, just like he’d deal with the rest of Keira’s issues. In time.”
~ Katee Robert, The Bastard’s Bargain (The O’Malleys #6)
If you have read this series, then you know that he kind of a bastard. The title for this book was completely perfect. But in the end, I loved that he was a complete bastard.
If you have been following the O’Malleys, then you already know a little about Dmitri and Keira. When you see their complete story play out, you fall in love with the two of them. Katee did an amazing job making us fall in love with them as well as wrapping this series up with a perfect bow on top!
I am going to be sad to say goodbye to this family. I have fallen in love with each and every one of them. This series will be one that I will for sure be re-reading. I rarely say that given the number of books that I read as a blogger.
Thank you Katee for this amazing series! I am so glad that my blog partner urged me to read your work. I can’t wait to dive into more of your work!
#Russian #MoyaKoroleva #YouAreMineNow #YourePlayingWithFire #MyDmitri #ThereIsNoTuringAwayFromThis #MyQueen #YouWillBeTheDeathOfMe #MyQueenMyWifeMine #YouAreAGift #WorthEveryPenny #IWantToRomanceYou
I am thrilled with how this story played out and loved every second. It’s a complicated world full of so many different dynamics and layers, I could not get enough. I loved Dmitri and Keira! They had an intense and volatile relationship and as soon as I picked it up, I was gone to this world the author has created.
Loved how the heroine overcame her addiction and became a strong wome with the hero’s help and love.
The Bastard’s Bargain by Katee Robert is the sixth eagerly anticipated book in her The O’Malley’s series. Finally we get Dmitri’s book! When I started this series when book one, The Marriage Contract, I NEVER expected this series to grow so big, the world to be so well crafted, and characters who were enemies in one book become truly humanized in the next. Dmitri and Keira’s story is no different. They are in eminent danger from true bad guys and despite the “arrangement” that is their marriage, they truly bond ad begin working together so amazingly well. Well-written, well-paced, I absolutely ADORED this emotional, sexy, intriguing read with a thrill of danger and the overcoming all bond of familial love – FIVE STARS!! Enjoy!
4.25 stars–THE BASTARD’S BARGAIN is the sixth (and final?) instalment in Katee Robert’s contemporary, adult THE O’MALLEYS erotic, mafia, romantic suspense series focusing on three warring underground families of the Boston’s Irish mob (O’Malleys, Hallorans & Sheridans), the Russian mafia run by the Romanov family, and new contenders for the Boston territory Alethea and Mae Eldridge. This is the head of the New York Russian mob Dimitri Romanov, and youngest O’Malley sibling Keira O’Malley’s story line. THE BASTARD’S BARGAIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty but I recommend reading the series in order for backstory and cohesion as there is a continuing theme running throughout, as well as Dimitri and Keira’s story beginning several instalments earlier.
Told from dual third person perspectives (Dimitri and Keira) THE BASTARD’S BARGAIN focuses on the ongoing contemptuous relationship between Dimitri Romanov, and Keira O’Malley. Dimitri has fallen for the youngest O’Malley sibling, a woman whose struggles are evident since the mob murder of her beloved brother months before. Hoping to broker an alliance between families, Dimitri makes Keira an offer she cannot refuse. Now married to the head of the New York Russian mob, Keira will begin a slow ascent to power but not before she must face her demons one day at a time. What ensues is the enemies to friends to lovers romance between Dimitri and Keira, and the potential fall out as the Eldridge family seek gain power over them all.
Throughout the series the warring mobs factions have been at one another’s throats: from death threats, to romantic alliances, the O’Malleys find themselves in bed with their one-time enemies. Dimitri attraction to Keira comes at a time when another family encroaches on the divided territories. Betrayal will place our leading couple in the direct line of fire.
The relationship between Keira and Dimitri is acrimonious at best as Keira battles for control of her life. Dimitri is protective of the woman with whom he will fall in love but the O’Malleys have laid down the law letting Dimitri know that nothing will stop them if Keira comes to harm. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense; there are some scenes of anal play that may not be suitable for all readers.
Once again, there are a large number of secondary and supporting characters including most of the O’Malley clan: Teague and Callista O’Malley (The Marriage Contract #1): James Halloran and Carrigan O’Malley (The Wedding Pact #2); Olivia and Cillian O’Malley (An Indecent Proposal #3) ; hired man Mark Neale; and Charlotte’s father FBI agent John Finch; Mae Eldridge and her daughter Alethea. WE are introduced to Dimitri’s second in command Pavel, as well as members of his security team Mikhail and Alexei; and his cousin Ivan and his wife Natasha.
THE BASTARD’S BARGAIN is a provocative and exhilarating finale to a thrilling series involving several families fighting for control of the Boston and New York areas. The premise is intelligent, spirited and fascinating; the characters are lively, colorful and sassy; the romance is passionate and emotional. THE BASTARD’S BARGAIN is a sensual and suspense filled story of family, betrayal, enemies and love.
Keira is the youngest of the O’Malley’s and going downhill fast with her drinking. Dmitri Romanov has been her family’s enemy for years. He is the Russian mobster who lives in New York, where his territory is. He wants Keira. and tells Aiden, her brother, that they’ll make peace if he gives him Keira. Aiden starts too but decides to back out and Dmitri knows this. So he calls Keira and tells her to marry him and he’ll leave her family alone for trying to double cross him. Keira agrees and leaves with him. He tells her right off he doesn’t believe in romance and love. She keeps that in her head but he slowly shows her the real man no one knows. There is still danger out there and there seems to be a traitor in Dmitri’s ranks. As they are looking for the threats, they slowly fall in love. Can they find their enemies before they can attack? Excellent story. Kept me on the edge of my seat. You’ll need a cold shower after the sex scenes. Loved Keira and Dmitri. I love this series but I believe this is my favorite. If you like mobsters, steamy sex, and suspense this is for you. * Voluntarily read and reviewed this for Netgalley *
Rated 4.5 Stars
I hated Dmitri when he first stepped onto the page but he grew on me gradually throughout the series. The Bastard’s Bargain however, is when I fell in love with him. I loved seeing this dare I say softer side to him. I also loved going on this journey with him and Keira and watching them fall for each other. I enjoyed watching Keira come into her own, wrestling with her demons and laying them to rest so to speak. I definitely recommend this book but I think the other books should be read first so you can fully enjoy their story and what it took for them to get there.
ARC provided by publisher through Net Galley in exchange for a honest review
How can being bad feel so good? Katee Robert makes it easy to love a bad boy. Dimitri is used to being in control. It’s kept him alive and at the head of the class all his life. Keira is about to show this dangerous man that giving up control can be a pleasurably tempting experience. In a world where darkness haunts and danger prevails, two guarded hearts may end up rescuing each other from the shadows. The Bastard’s Bargain presents a seductive escape and a fulfilling fantasy for that bad boy craving a girl can never outgrow.