“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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J’ai découvert la plume de LJ Shen en découvrant sa saga Sinners of Saints et je savais que les héros créés par cette auteur seraient des hommes arrogants, hautains , violents et qui ne sont charmants . On a envie de leur donner des baffes tellement ils sont parfois odieux mais c’est pour ça qu’on les adore tant . Quand j’ai découvert la magnifique couverture et le résumé, je sentais que je passerai un sacré moment de lecture avec ce nouveau roman qui ne peut pas nous laisser indifférent.
Francesca Rossi est une jeune femme de 19 ans qui a toujours obéi aux envies de son père quant à son avenir . Quand on est la fille du chef de “The Outfit”, on ne remet pas en question les traditions et on se plie aux moindres ordres de cette mafia . Depuis toute petite , elle a été conditionnée pour être la fille parfait, la poupée qu’on expose, la future femme docile d’un autre membre de The Outfit. Elle a été élevée avec Angelo Bandini et malgré leur trois années de différence, elle se réserve pour lui jusqu’au mariage . Elle l’aime et c’est une évidente qu’on ne peut remette en question. Lors d’un bal où tout va basculer, elle n’a qu’une seule chose en tête, à savoir embrasser celui qu’elle aime de tout son cœur. D’autant plus qu’elle a hérité d’une boîte en bois contenant trois prédictions sur son avenir et ce soir elle sera donc embrasée par celui qui l’aimera toute sa vie . Les choses vont vite dégénérer après un retournement de situation aussi incroyable que déroutant .
Malgré son jeune âge , elle a du caractère et n’acceptera pas ce retournement de situation . Son père n’a jamais montré de fierté à son égard et ce nouveau geste prouve qu’elle n’a été qu’une pauvre marionnette dans sa vie d’homme corrompu. Francesca n’a rien d’une princesse en détresse et malgré les apparences , elle saura mener ses propres combats . Elle va devoir faire face à des épreuves qui pourraient la terrasser mais jamais elle ne pliera ou ne sera complètement brisée . J’ai adoré ce personnage car elle va vivre de sombres moments et elle manque cruellement de repères ou d’amies à qui se confier . Sa mère se range trop souvent derrière son père mais elle pourra compter sur Miss Sterling pour l’aider du mieux qu’elle peut à trouver son chemin et à déchiffrer celui avec qui elle va partager sa vie . Francesca a réussi à me faire vibrer avec son histoire car on va être sur les montagnes russes des émotions avec ce qui va lui arriver .
Wolfe Keaton n’a rien du héros venu sauver sa princesse car il est le diable en personne . Dès qu’il rencontre Francesca, il va laisser son arrogance et sa rancoeur parler pour lui et faire comprendre à notre jeune héroïne qu’elle n’est qu’un pion dans son échiquier géant . Ce sénateur de 30 ans a de grandes ambitions et il est prêt à tout pour y parvenir . Mais c’est surtout un homme de parole qui tient enfin sa revanche et qui va tout faire pour anéantir cette famille qui lui a tout pris. Il semble complètement dénué de sentiments humains et écraser les autres, les blesser, les humilier , les traiter comme de la vulgaire marchandise ne lui pose aucun problème . On va le détester dès qu’il entre en scène et je ne compte plus les fois où j’ai eu envie de le gaffer . Il est très complexe pour qu’on puisse comprendre ce qu’il ressent vraiment mais heureusement nous avons quelques chapitres écrits de son point de vue pour avoir quelques éclaircissements. Tel un puzzle nous allons devoir reconstruire les pièces manquantes pour tenter de comprendre l’ensemble . Nous aurons quelques bribes mais dès que nous pensons avoir saisi ce qu’il veut vraiment et ce qu’il va faire, il nous surprend encore . C’est un être insaisissable qui va nous donner du fil à retordre mon on va adorer cela
Bref une fois de plus la magie de la plume de LJ Shen opère et je me suis laissée emporter par ce formidable roman qui ne ménagera en aucun cas nos émotions . Les personnages sont intenses , très travaillés et on va adorer les détester pour certains. Nos réactions sont vives car les retournements de situation sont palpitants et on va trembler jusque la toute fin.
It really doesn’t get much better than this!! So many ups and downs. Angst and tensions are super high and very volatile. Perfect combination for me to sit back and devour this book! I loved the characters and their journey. Although there are some I would seriously love to throat punch if they were real people.
This book was fantastic. The hype is definitely worth it and you won’t be sorry you read it! Must read for sure!!
I absolutely LOVED this book. When I first read the synopsis I wasn’t sure what to think…the girl sounded so young and naive like she’d been waiting for this one night to kiss the man she was meant to spend the rest of her life with only to have that kiss not happen because another man steps in and kisses her. It was a really interesting story because it had almost a Godfather feel to it–Francesca Rossi, comes from an old school Italian family where her father “runs things” but she isn’t exactly sure what those things are. She’s been promised to marry a man, Angelo, who is the son of one of the families in the “family” outfit. Senator Wolfe Keaton basically blackmails her father into agreeing to let him marrying her which turns her world upside down. She has had such an idealized idea of what love and marriage is she doesn’t have any clue how to handle a man like Wolfe Keaton who seems so heartless. Almost from the start there is this massive chemistry between them that they both want to resist but you can almost feel the sparks coming off the pages. Half way through I was rooting for Wolfe and Francesca…Angelo who? Wolfe is a MAN. He knows what he wants and he’s not afraid to take it but he also has this soft side to him that he only really seems to show Francesca. This story takes a lot of twists and turns, characters’ motives change but by the end you are left feeling incredibly satisfied. I didn’t want it to end but I couldn’t have loved the ending more! This is a must read!
I have to say this first,L.J. Shen knows how to write.She is one amazingly talented woman that made me love one really asshole hero,who I, in general would hate.But,this author knows how to twist my moral compass.
The Kiss Thief was brilliant book.It captured me from the beginning,refused to leave my mind and forced me to read it.I literary couldn’t stop my self from thinking about this book.At the end there are a lot of things that I liked about it and even more things that I didn’t like.I would put this book under the category called “my guilty pleasure”,mostly because of the hero.
Thrown into arranged marriage,that was completely unexpected Francesca Rossi needs to find a way to survive her future husband.She is torn between two man,her childhood sweetheart Angelo and her husband Wolfe.One man loves her and the other one just wants to use her as weapon against her father.
Francesca Rossi,for a teenager was really sensible character.I loved her.She is well educated,well behaved girl and she knew how to make the best out of her situation.Even though she is young,Francesca was strong enough to stand up to her husband and make him see her as his equal.That did cost her a lot,but it shaped her into this amazing person and made her realize things that were there the whole time.She has this strength that you might won’t be able to see until the last moment.She seems like a docile little girl,but she is not.Like I said before,she took maters into her own hands and made the best out of her situation.
Senator Wolfe Keaton,for the lack of the better word,is asshole.One really stupid,clueless asshole.He got on my nerves more than once.He is smart,cunning,driven and charismatic person.But vengeance is the only thing on his mind,that he cares about and that made him overlook some things and in return he made some really bad mistakes that even he wasn’t proud of.I feel like he fell in love really fast with Nem,but he was simply not willing to admit that or abandon his quest for vengeance.He got way more than he deserved at the end.Full disclosure,for the most part of this book I did not like Wolfe.He did bad things to Francesca,and she was just a pawn in his game that he used as he saw fit.But at the end he did one thing that made me realize what kind of person he really was.If you read the whole book,you will see it to.
The plot,the characters and the writing were all amazing.At first I was a bit confused with this story but as the plot progressed I was completely consumed with this book.The romance was at the top,the action was there and I had so many feelings while reading it.I definitely recommend this book to everyone.Even if you don’t like it at first give it a chance,it’s worth it.
I really enjoyed the story and romance.
Spoilers!!
*****
However, the LAST misunderstanding they had was COMPLETELY the heroines fault. She actually cheated on her husband by kissing another man. Did I agree with how our hero reacted by trying to make her believe he slept with someone else? Of course not! But honestly, SHE should have been the one to beg HIS forgiveness when she found out about the baby. NOT him. She humiliated him AND cheated on him. He just humiliated her back but didn’t actually cheat.
AND she was always the one to NOT talk to him when she had doubts or insecurities, even when he was being very sweet.
So this one isn’t a huge favorite of mine. At all.
Audio Review from April 2019
So this book is full of angst which is not my normal cup of tea so it took me awhile to get through this.
However I enjoyed this story for being not your typical love story where the happily ever after is guaranteed.
This couple had to work hard for their HEA, and you don’t see how they are going to make it.
Very interesting twist on a romance book!
Now the juicy stuff: the sex scenes were beautifully written! Made me feel like I was there!!
The emotion was performed phenomenally!!
Savannah Peachwood and Stephen Dexter made a great pair to bounce off of each other!!
I’d had this book in my to-read list for awhile. I finally got around to it and wow, I devoured it in just a couple days. This is my third book by this author and they have yet to let me down in any way. I didn’t know what to expect going into this book, but I love the villain of this book, he has so much to him, but you don’t know just how much unless you read this book. There is love, there is hate, there is war between families, but in the end it all comes down to one thing. I truly enjoyed this book and look forward to the next book I pick up from this author.
The Kiss Thief:
L.J. Shen
“Falling in love was so tragic. No wonder it made people so sad.”
Senator Wolfe Keaton is ruthless, intelligent, cunning, and sinful. Unapologetically himself and he makes no excuses for who he is. Dark, brooding, and icy as hell. He’s the epitome of an alphahole but one you just cannot help but fall in love with. Dealing with tragedy from a young age molded his thoughts and his beliefs and while he may be a morally gray man, when he loves… nothing about that is gray.
Francesca Rossi, for all her beauty, is no demure little girl. She is fierce and tough and loves to talk back. Disobedience is her thing and she owns it well. I liked her character a lot because she doesn’t just sit pretty and do what she’s told (at least not with Wolfe). I loved that Wolfe gave her freedom, taught her to rely on her spine more, and stand up for herself.
The plot is intricate and so beautifully written. An oppressed girl who was never given the kind of freedom she wanted and a broken man who dealt with irreparable trauma way too young. The slivers of softness he shows just for her are everything.
This is a perfect enemies to lovers, mafia, arranged marriage book that you are bound to love.
Nemesis x Villain are meant to be.
This is the story of Francesca Rossi, a beautiful socialite who’s spent her life planning to marry Angelo Bandini. They’re both royalty in The Outfit and their fate was sealed at birth until Senator Wolfe Keaton enters the picture. The very night Francesca expects to share her first kiss with Angelo, her kiss is stolen by the deceitful Keaton, leaving her aghast. But nothing could prepare her for the reality that her father has agreed that she will marry the Senator. She’s always belonged to Angelo, how can that change? Their world is run by men and Francesca accepted her fate long ago, conscious that women in her world don’t work or earn degrees, they’re decorations and she comforted herself with the notion that sweet Angelo would give her the life she deserves but isn’t allowed to forge for herself. How can her fate simply change without explanation?
Wolfe Keaton will do anything to destroy Francesca’s father so she’s just a means to an end to him. Good thing, since she loathes him with every fiber of her being. The banter between these two is fantastic and her feisty spirit shows him there’s far more to Francesca than he ever imagined. It’s his infatuation with her that redeems him because he’s not very likeable at first. This is a thirty-year-old man securing an arranged marriage with a nineteen-year-old debutante and she’s devastated by this new development, pining for her childhood love.
“I never planned on falling for him. It just happened. But that’s the thing about love, isn’t it? It’s like death. You know it will happen one day. You just don’t know how or why or when.”
Francesca is willing to fight for her self-respect and her dreams so she doesn’t shy away from fighting her future husband. She’s smart, strong and resilient, not willing to give in to the despair that’s taken over since she was given to Wolfe. He may be more shocked to have feelings than anything else because he’s practically a robot but he slowly begins to accept that Francesca affects him on an emotional level. He has some maturing to do and they grow together.
“I’d imagined our kiss countless times before, but I’d never expected it to feel like this. Like home. Like oxygen. Like forever.”
These two have amazing chemistry even when they try to fight it and it’s fascinating to watch them development as a couple. There’s never a dull moment, with changing allegiances and goals continually transforming as the characters discover things about themselves and one another. This is the story of a strong woman owning her life when everything in her world is trying to keep her weak and dependent, and the men who claim to love her. I really enjoyed this story and will read it again.
is a – enemies to lovers romance with an age gap featuring sexy AF and new book boyfriend, Wolfe Keaton 30 who I am desperately now in love with. Francesca Rossi, 19, our female protagonist is everything! She is young, sweet, a tad naïve at first but just wait. This book is brilliant! LJ knows how to craft a story and bring us into a world that you never want to get out of.
Francesca’s only ever known one life. The one where she is going to marry her childhood sweetheart Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit. Francesca’s father is a cruel man who rules with an iron fist. Francesca has no choice but to do as her father says.
When sexy AF badass, Wolfe Keaton enters the picture, all bets are off. A marriage of convenience, a broken engagement and endless twists and turns makes this one of the best and exciting romance novels of our time!
I adore LJ’s writing. Told in dual POV, I fell in love with Wolfe and my heart broke for Francesca. This book doesn’t necessarily have a “love triangle”. Reading the blurb, it may appear that way, but I want you to rest assured there is no love triangle. There are however triggers. Major ones that some people probably will take issue with.
Francesca and Wolfe are such a beautiful couple. There are several of touching moments between them where I was blown away. When they embraced my heart was beating out of my chest each and every time! There were times where I didn’t know if they would make it. Both Francesca and Wolfe grow tremendously as individuals as well as a couple.
If you want to meet your next book boyfriend and read a book that will blow you away, definitely pick up this one
!!!
What a phenomenal, intense read! I was an emotional mess by the end!
The plot, dark and raw is well mastered; and the characters will consume your every emotion.
“They say your first kiss should be earned. Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.”
Family tradition had been in place for generations. A Rossi bride, prior to her marriage, would open a wooden box that had been carved by a witch who had lived in her ancestors’ village. Inside were three notes written for the bride by the last Rossi bride. Francesca Rossi was about to be kissed by the love of her life. Just not from the man she’d hoped but from the big bad wolfe—Senator Wolfe Keaton—the kiss thief.
Francesca—young, sheltered for nineteen years, and raised to follow her family’s traditions she believed in. She is resilient, brave, sweet and strong. Wolfe, the young senator, is sexy and dangerous. Angelo Bandini, the one she believed she’d marry, is committed and charming.
“They say your heart only beats for one man. Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.”
An arranged marriage—a wife taken in vengeance—given by her father who loves organized crime more than her. This slow burning, enemies to lovers romance will stir many feelings with the ugliness of Wolfe’s behaviour and Francesca’s desperate understanding of why he wants to marry her. A story of a Nemesis and a Villain doomed from the start. Yet, following that stolen kiss, she begins to crave him.
The very last note. The one that would determine if Wolfe really was the love of her life.
—The love of your life will shelter you from the storm.—
“And I was beginning to realize I knew where I belonged—in the storm with Wolfe.”
Wolfe—in the beginning, I didn’t like him—at all. But as you come to know him—the real him—not the cruel man he became due to his heartache and hardship but the broken man who had lost so much and the choices he believed would help him heal. The consequence of those choices hit him—hard, woke him up, healed him, and opened his heart.
The story is addicting. One you can’t put down!
“..it wasn’t only a kiss that he stole. He stole my heart, too.”
I didn’t like the beginning of the story but i liked how it turned out to be .
Wow! This is a fantastic story! I loved the storyline, the characters, heck, I loved everything about it! The Narrators also did a phenomenal job with the audio! I cannot wait to read/listen to more from this author!
I love a good love triangle with a side of enemies to lovers! This book was so incredible! Francesca was a girl in love with a boy she knew forever but the Wolf was on the prowl and stole what she was saving for another. Her first kiss. But it’s not just her kiss he wants and now she is forced to be with another with hopes of that boy still one day being hers. It was everything I hope for when I read an LJ Shen book and once again she outdid herself.
My favourite LJ Shen book and that’s saying something!
Gott das Buch war schlecht. So richtig schlecht, sowas hab ich schon lange nicht gelesen.
An sich stand das Buch schon eine Weile auf meiner Leseliste, bin aber nie dazu gekommen. Jetzt wurde es für den Buchclub ausgesucht, also war zumindest der Drang da es zu lesen.
Ich glaub man muss schon wirklich den ganzen Trope zu “Alpha-holes” mögen, damit man das Buch auch nur ansatzweise gut finden konnte, aber Wolfe der Protagonist war einfach nur ein A***loch wie er im Buche steht. Da gab es nichts liebenswertes.
Gut Fransesca war auch eher wie eine verwöhnte Prinzessin die ständig nur so tat und rumgeheult hat, wie schwer doch ihr Leben ist.
Aber es scheint ja bei L.J. Shens Büchern an der Tagesordnung zu stehen, das ihre Hauptcharaktere total nicht liebenswürdig sind und sich total schlecht benehmen.
Weiß nicht, der Anfang hatte sich auch eher so gelesen, als wenn es ein historischer Roman hätte sein können. Von dem angeblichen Mafia-Plot hab ich nicht wirklich was gesehen. Weder die Eigenheiten der sogenannten “Mafia” wurden gezeigt, noch die Politik wurde wirklich spannend oder gut recherchiert dargestellt.
Die “Liebe” oder “Anziehung” zwischen Franscesca oder Wolfe musste man mit der Lupe oder Mikroskop suchen. Ich meine das erste Mal wo die beiden Sex hatten, war mehr oder weniger eine Vergewaltigung.
They said and I quote “It will ruin you for any other book”. And I thought, well this is probably going to be the best book I will ever read. Guess what?!
This novel ripped my heart out so many times, that I was shocked to understand that at the end it was still intact! I fell in love from their first kiss, amazed to realize that this was a modern day story with traditions that remote to centuries ago. How brilliant is that?
Their passion, banter, sorrow…all mixed into a perfect couple that I will never forget in my life, and know that there will never be anyone like them. Because this is a work of outstanding artistry, skill…it is a true masterpiece!
From their names, to their characters, to how the story developed I was in awe and constantly thinking that this is the best book that I have ever read. When I finished it, I instantly knew that my next book couldn’t come close, so I just wanted to keep reading it al over again.
L.J. Shen became my favorite author for no one can compare to her brilliant mind, her ability to create couples that will leave you stuck to your kindle until the day is born. And believe me, for as good as a story is, that has never happened to me!
Please READ THIS NOVEL for you don’t know what you are missing but I do. So take my advice: this is the best romance novel you will ever read!!!
I LOVED this book! It was one of my first Mafia romances that I read and I LOVED it! I also loved the arranged/forced marriage/enemies to lovers! It was beyond GREAT! One of my all-time faves!!!
*Audiobook Review*
I had this audiobook in my TBL for a while now as a lot of LJ’s books tend to be quite angsty and you need to have the right mindset to get into her stories but I devoured this book! I loved the storyline and could not stop listening.
Francesca Rossi has been sheltered all her life. She has her own imagination of how her future should look like and has been groomed all her life to become a dutiful Mafia wife to Angelo, who she thinks is the love of her life. She becomes an innocent pawn when she is forced to marry a man she hates due to her father´s bad choices. She is young, inexperienced but defiant and still beliefs her heart belongs to someone else and isn’t easily convinced of the opposite.
Senator Wolfe Keaton is an alpha-hole and treats Francesca not very gentleman like. He is forcing Francesca’s father’s hand pushing her into an arranged marriage. He does not seem to care about his young bride to be, but she slowly breaks the walls he built one by one and gets small insights of who the man really is behind all that cold-hearted, mean and harsh demeanour.
Francesca is not this obedient girl Wolfe thought her to be and therefore becomes a complication to his life and plans!
Soon feelings start to change, sparks fly, anger turns into lust, traditions are questioned & lies have a significant impact!
This story gave me all the feels. It was heart-breaking & angsty at times with its twist and turns but also a beautiful love story hidden behind a wall of distrust, frustration and animosity. I can only recommend this!
I also think I have a new voice “crush” and his name is Stephen Dexter. I loved him as Wolfe, he just was him. Savannah Peach did an equally amazing performance as Francesca. Both performances pulled me into this story and made it even more enjoyable.
It checked all my boxes and is among the few best reads I’ve had in 2020. The author cleverly modernized the elements of regency romance, in my opinion, and wrote a wonderful, emotionally touching love story. The age difference between the protagonists didn’t put me off as it was masterfully handled. I was hooked by the chemistry between Francesca and Wolfe. The book has it all – a great plot, lovely characters, exquisite language, and just about everything I look for in Romance books. I can’t recommend it highly enough.