“Instantly Have You Addicted” – Oprah Magazine#1 Contemporary Romance#1 New Adult Romance#2 Most sold book on Amazon#2 Most sold Fiction book on Washington PostTop 2 book in the entire Amazon Kindle store“My absolute favorite L.J. Shen to date. Indulgent and addictive.” – USA Today Bestselling author RS Grey“This book will ruin you for all other books in 2019” – Bestselling author BB Easton From … will ruin you for all other books in 2019” – Bestselling author BB Easton
From USA Today and Washington Post bestselling author L.J. Shen comes an enemies-to-lovers romance with a twist…
They say your first kiss should be earned.
Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.
They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.
Mine were broken before we left church.
They say your heart only beats for one man.
Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.
I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.
Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.
They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.
I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.
One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.
And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.
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So much word of mouth on this book that I grabbed it from my KU account straight away to read. I have to say that I truly liked this book, alot. I can’t say it’s going to the top of my 2019 Favorite Reads List, but I was definitely taken by this story. The writing is wonderful, as one expects from an L.J. Shen book. She never disappoints. I immediately liked Francesca, the sheltered daughter of an Italian mobster. She was somewhat innocent and vulnerable, but didn’t let that stop her. She had lots of moxy. It served her well in the long run. Senator Wolfe Keaton was just a horrible Alpha male. Took some time to find his redeemable qualities. Thank goodness he had some. Loved the way the author entwined their lives together. I was completely drawn in and invested in their outcome. The Kiss Thief was a captivating and enjoyable read. Don’t miss it!
What a great book to start off the New Year, Leigh Shen really outdid herself. It all started with a kiss between Wolfe and Francesca. He is the 30 year old Senator to the 19 year old daughter of a mob boss. Their road to love is a rocky one. There is much angst and distrust. The chemistry between these two is phenomenal. Wolfe is the ultimate alpha male and so swoon worthy too. He has ruined every other book boyfriend for me. Did I mention that the cover is so pretty.
Review copy was received for a honest opinion.
Where do I start…
I was hesitant to read this, in fact, I wasn’t planning to read this book as I know it will be too emotionally involved but…
When it was released early and all the Shenfanatic kept posting that it was live and I gave in!
I haven’t put the book down since I started reading this and I kept going back to it like a magnet.
So much angst, power play and both characters won’t bow down to give way but when Wolfe realises the mistakes…assumptions… his wall started crumbling down …is it to late for him to be with the one he realises Love.
Be prepared to be emotionally involved as The Kiss Theif will blow you away and whisk you away on Cloud 9!
I lost many hours of sleep and regret it not one bit!
It does not matter what genre any one person is into… This book should by read by all!
This is so ridiculously well written it is so good! Absolute loved it!
The story is awesome and the characters are so memorable that you will always keep them close to you.
I loved how the story unraveled and everyone found their place in the world. Wolfe, Francesca and Angelo had it rough. Their journey started off very bumpy but it was exciting all the same.
I definitely recommend this book to all that love to read! It is that great!
Oh how I love this book. L.J. Shen has done it again. She is an outstanding author the continues to give us amazing books. The Kiss Thief is my new favorite from her.
I never thought I would ever say I loved another character more than Vicious but after read TKT I can say I now have a new favorite hero. Wolfe takes hothole to a whole new level. He is a complete jerk (I have other words for him but I’m being nice) but you cant help but want to like him.
Then there was Francesca, another of of Shens heroines that I love. I love her strength and how she was not afraid to stand up to Wolfe and refused to back down. I reqlly loved her stubbornness.
This book had everything. Some parts were sweet, some cause me to be so angry with the characters, and then there was the tears. One scene completely broke me and I felt everything both characters felt. It was truly a phenomenal read and by far L.J. Shens best book. 5 much deserved stars!
Wow, just wow! This book was EVERYTHING I could have hoped for and more from LJ. I’ve only read her Sinners of Saint series, so I wasn’t really sure what to expect. I LOVED EVERY SINGLE FREAKING MINUTE OF THIS! Was definitely a great way to start out the year.
I was so curious as to what she had meant by Kissing Thief, the blurb gave us just enough to have no clue what was going to happen LOL. I LOVED that! I honestly didn’t remember what the book was about so I was happy to see the blurb in the beginning of the book. From the moment we met Wolfe I knew there would be something about him that was important. He was trying almost too hard to not be seen. I also had hoped that Francesca and Angelo wouldn’t happen, just seemed too “perfect.”
There was the PERFECT amount of twists and turns in this book. I truly don’t think there was a moment that I “expected” to happen, and that always makes me happy. We were constantly kept on our toes and thrown bombs. The relationship between Wolfe and Francesca had a lot of those twists and bombs, it was so damn interesting! They had so many layers and there was so much bickering. Francesca was so strong, and she was really what no one had expected her to be, especially Wolfe. The fact that her character wasn’t at all what you’d think of made the story so special. Her character really stood out to me because of that. And then of course we have Wolfe and Angelo. These two both surprised me many times, and is such contrasting ways.
The added layer of Francesca’s parents, The Outfit and Sterling made this amazing plot an even better story! For me character development and involvement is everything, especially secondary characters. Every single character in this book had such a strong purpose, without overshadowing Wolfe and Francesca. It was just so well done. It really makes me anxious to go back and read all of LJ’s other work. She is truly gifted!
And this 2019 stared with a bang!!! The Kiss Thief was everything. This definitely would be on my top for this new year.
Wolfe and Francesca story is one of losing and finding love in a chaos of power, family and betrayal. This story sucked me in, i did not stop reading until I finished it all. I devoured it.
Francesca the perfect daughter groom to be the trophy wife for a member of the Outfit. She is young, beautiful, a bit naive but she definitely has a backbone. She is in love and ready to fulfill her destiny by marriage to a member of the Outfit so their families can be stronger together. Little does she know that one night when she plans to seal her faith with her childhood love, her comes the Villain Wolfe.
Wolfe is older, refined, full of vengeance and hate towards Francesca’s family and he puts a plan together that moment he meets Franky. But little did he know that his Nemesis wasn’t gonna be easy to handle and his plans where gonna take a little turn by taking a wife that sure knows how to a pain.
The chemistry between this two was off the charts, the hate was strong and the desire was unbearable.
A fight of wills that might just bring down the outfit and the Senator it self. Only one needs to be standing, who will it be? What will be sacrifice along the way and who will burn in Hell for the sins that they didn’t commit.
Truly a captivating read, that will stay with you for a while. It will have you gasping and swooning at the same time. You are gonna wanna choke someone and you are gonna end up loving very hard!!!! Absolutely amazing, I bow down to you LJ Shen, one of your best works to date.
5 swooning Stars!!!!
Forget about the Sinners of Saint, Sparrow and all the others. Wolfe Keaton is THE anti-hero you never knew wanted but now need like air. Thank you LJ Shen, I bow to you.
My first read by this author was Sparrow and I had a fierce love-hate relationship with Troy and Sparrow. I loved Sparrow and hated Troy’s character. Followed by Vicious co. and Bane. They’re still near and dear to me and will always have a place in my dark heart, but Wolfe nailed it. He’s the crowned king of all anti-heroes, the demigod of bad boys.
Senator Wolfe Keaton is a driven man. He lives and breathes politics, his job is his calling. On the other hand he’s out for revenge on his old arch enemy. I will not spoiler here, much, only this, sheltered and young Francesca Rossi becomes the target. She’s between a rock and a hard place and her maturity is astonishing. ” He’s her monster, not her playmate. ”
Meet the nemesis and the villain.
Favorite quoze: ” Disloyality had a taste. It was bitter. ” And another one : ” Some people just needed a tight hug. Around the neck. ”
I highly recommend The Kiss Thief, it’s an amazing read, a book like no other. The Kiss Thief left me as a emotional mess, this book is unputdownable and epic beyond words. 7 stars.
I wasn’t sure about this book, the title made it sound like a sappy romance. I should have more faith in Shen’s stories. I don’t have the words to give this book the justice it deserves; this is by far Shen’s best work for a while. I love her writing but I love books that make me want to throw my kindle more. I just absolutely fell head over heals in love with Senator Wolfe Keaton from the minute he stole a kiss that wasn’t his to take! The angst, the drama, the humour, not to mention the plot twists … this book had it all in spades.
I love an anti hero , one so narcissistic that you can feel his power, his hatred and his importance in every word that’s been written. I literally had shivers running down my spine. I loved how Francesca Rossi wasn’t the spoilt little rich girl but actually did have a mind of her own and a strength of character that was a perfect match for Wolfe.
Only Shen can have been howling with laughter one minute and cussing like a sailor the next. This is my new favourite of hers!
This book was so good! I have seen it all over face book before the cover was released and I just had to read it.
This is my first book by L.J. Shen but not my last!
A mob family and a senator that wants vengeance this book had it all and then some!! I loved it
Francesca Rossi is the daughter of the famous monster she lives her life like a saint. She was raised to be a lady a perfect house wife and submissive to her husband because after all women are not equal to men in her fathers eyes and in her life.
She can’t wait to marry the love of her life Angelo but things go terribly wrong and she finds herself in a life she never thought she could handle.
No love no more made men and not the apple of her fathers eye.
Wolf is a Senator that wants not only revenge but to get rid of the mob and clean up the streets of Chicago with the end game of being president of the United States.
One little snag in his plan he wants Frankie. He never wanted a wife or family but the play boy needs to settle down and why not with the daughter of the mob?
This book was so good I didn’t want it to end it’s a must read and probably one of my favorite books so far!
The Kiss Thief is my favorite LJ Shen book to date.
Francesca and Wolfe are fantastic characters. Their strength is their most notable trait, but their fall into love was an amazing, heartbreaking, fulfilling roller coaster ride.
Their story hit me hard and I know this will be a book I re-read. I’m hoping it comes available in audio, because having Francesca and Wolfe come to life can only make the book better.
This is an awesome book! I liked everything about it. The triangle was beautifully written. It was tasteful, not unforgivable. Francesca and Wolfe made a great couple! The age difference and the obstacles they faced make them strong. Their story was so beautiful. LJ Shen has done it again, great book!
Absolutely Epic!! L.J. Shen has delivered a captivating story full of anguish and deception! The Kiss Thief is EVERYTHING!! I am a huge fan of Shen, she always gives her readers a one of a kind story with her own Sinful twist. This time she went above and beyond! No book can hold a candle to The Kiss Thief!… That’s right I said it! Hands down, This is THE BEST OF THE BEST book I have ever read! “A Story Of A Nemesis And A Villain With No Chance At A Happy Ending. Where The Prince Doesn’t Save The Princess. He Tortures Her. And The Beauty Doesn’t Sleep. She’s Stuck. In A Nightmare.” I just couldn’t get enough of these characters! They were explosive, I’m surprised my tablet didn’t catch fire! I don’t know how Shen does it, but you can’t help but fall in Hate and in Love with Wolfe. He is THE BOOK BOYFRIEND of BOOK BOYFRIENDS! He’s disgustingly addictive! Wolfe is rude, outright cruel, devilishly handsome, filthy rich, and MINE! He is all Mine! I loved his so much! He is easily the King of A**holes. He had it all figured out, hell-bent to deliver his revenge at all costs! Francesca Rossi was a magnificent character! So young and fresh with her ambitions and dreams, a prisoner in a world where her life and decisions are not her own! I loved her! Rooted for her from the beginning! wanted her to get her happily ever after with her prince charming. But instead, she was stolen by the Beast. A pawn caught in the middle of a war between two powerful men! “He’s In Hate With My Father And In Lust With Me.” Francesca is full of fire and boy does she put those Men in their place when they needed it! You don’t want to miss out on this book! The Kiss Thief is a phenomenal read that is going to be giving me one He// of a hangover! I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
Twisted Romance!
“You are despicable.” “You are delicious,” he whispered under his breath, dismissing my rage, if not enjoying it a little.
LJ Shen throws conventional out the window, sets her own rules, and completely owns her readers! I could not put this book down. I was caged from beginning to end. I locked everyone out of my bedroom so I could finish this book. I mean, I did feed the kids beforehand. That’s besides the point.
“Your love story was no fairy tale. More like a witch tale. Wicked and real and painful.”
A brutal hit to my dark heart! I loved the banter, the fight, the build-up. All the pieces were strategically placed, bringing me to my knees with want. My favorite from Shen!
I have to be completely honest in saying I was disappointed with this novel. It’s not as all what I thought it would be.
Francesca is an underwhelming character. She just does whatever anyone tells her and I know it’s how she is supposed to be. However when she gets the chance to actually shine, she just still rolls over.
The senator Wolfe Keating has serious issues. His hated for her family runs deep so he is pretty mean to her. That was least surprising.
The storyline was too blah in every aspect really. It was predicable. This author doesn’t do predicable, which lead me to having a hard time getting into the story. I definitely don’t plan to read this again.
One word: Amazing !
5 big and shine stars for Francesca and Wolfe.
I didn’t think that this book will be so good because this is the first book I have read from L. J. Shen.
And …
… now she became my new favourite author.
I can’t wait to read more books from her .
Wow. That was a great ride. I found that while I usually have my heart ripped out of my chest reading love triangles, the love triangle didn’t bother me in this one. If anything, the “other” guy wasn’t even really an issue for me. We learn early on that Frankie was in puppy love and glorified that relationship and she was falling into something much deeper and less safe. Frankie was an amazingly strong character and I loved watching her grow and develop. Wolfe was broody and an asshole, exactly what I expected when I picked this book up. I loved seeing the changes in him, coming to realizations that he never thought he would. I want a Wolfe.
This is my first LJ Shen book but it certainly isn’t my last!
This book blew me away on so many different levels and ticked all my boxes for what I look for in the “enemies to lovers” trope.
Well written with a unique storyline and characters that I both loved and hated at the same time, I could not put this book down.
Francesca is in love with the boy she grew up with. She has followed her family’s traditions and guidelines and is finally ready to claim what was supposed to be promised to her.
That is until a man named Wolfe, swoops in and steals her future, her happiness……her kiss.
The build up and tension in this story is insanely hot and tormented- I couldn’t turn my pages fast enough. I loved how this author took me on a journey and had me hating, then somehow swooning for Wolfe. Made me want to scream at Francesca one moment and then admire her strength and courage in the next.
The chemistry between these two is scorching hot and the love scenes are unforgettably delicious.
There is a slight nod to cheating but trust me, it is in the mildest form possible, (At least to me it is) so if that is a “no-go” for you, please don’t let it detour you from reading this book.
In my opinion, this book is a must read for 2019 because it is wonderfully written, unfolds at a smooth pace and is one that will stick with you long after you are done.
I highly recommend this book!
Leigh delivered a unique and soul-gripping story that fully pulled me in. At first, I thought it was a love-triangle story, but it didn’t turn out to be what I expected. The story was additive, full of tension and angst. My emotions were all over the place – I was anxious, fuming, heartbroken, tearful and swoony.
Wolfe was cruel, devious, and ruthless, but somehow I cannot hate him. Behind the walls that he had erected, I can see his good intentions to protect and shelter Francesca and let her spread her own wings. Francesca was young, sweet and brave. The courage and resilience that she possess when faced with the dire circumstances in front of her were admirable. There were so much hate between Wolfe and Francesca in the beginning of the story. The brutally cruel event in the middle of the book was so dark and raw, but it acted as a catalyst that shift their hostile relationship. Don’t get me wrong, their journey was not all rainbows and unicorns from there onward. There were still lots of bumps and despairs that stemmed from jealousy and vengeance. One thing for certain was that once they learn how to love, trust, and forgive, all the hate, anger and heartache turned into so much more than they expected.
I totally enjoyed this captivating and beautiful story and would highly recommend it. I’m now a fan of Leigh and I plan to indulge in her collection of Alphaholes.
I received an advance reviewer copy of the book for free in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.
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This author has the incredible talent of presenting men as monumental jerks, totally hateful at the beginning of the story, then humanizing them and making you love them by the end of the book. This story was so riveting and captivating because this guy was so hateful, arrogant, full of anger and revenge, yet in spite of his money, his influence and his power, he falls victim to the charms of a nineteen year old girl, who was as beautiful inside and she was outside.
Francesca Rossi was raised to be the perfect Mafia princess. Well behaved, well presented, demure and poised. She was expected to marry well, for the benefit of the family and The Outfit. She was in love with Angelo Bandini, the son of another Mafia family, whom she had known since they were children. On the day of a charity masquerade, she expected to finally get the kiss from Angelo that she had been waiting for a long time. Except the kiss she got was from a stranger who then proceeded to steal her away from her parents.
Wolfe Keaton is hell bent on revenge on Francesca’s parents. He’s a US Senator and an attorney at law, so he uses his considerable knowledge and resources and forces Francesca’s parents to accept an engagement between him and Francesca. He takes Francesca to live with him, and the fireworks start, to the enjoyment of all the readers.
Wolfe was at times, totally disagreeable but other times he was condescending and considerate. He was thirty one to Francesca’s nineteen, so he was subjected to quite a few teenager tantrums. Their relation was fire-hot passionate, their discussions were like verbal warfare. Francesca kept yearning for Angelo and Wolfe was increasingly captivated by his young fiancee. You could say that it was the taming of the jerk.
I loved the story, loved the characters, loved the snarkiness and the angstiness and the sweetness and the passion. There’s violence, car chases, Mafia dealings, press persecution, and threats. It was riveting, captivating and wholly delightful.