I’m a good girl. I live by a code that can’t be bent or broken. It is my duty to my family to stay innocent and pure. To marry an Italian man. The stars are already aligned. But Nikolai Kozlov re-writes my destiny with five simple words. You belong to me now. He’s Russian mafiya. A thief. A skilled liar with no moral boundaries. He is everything I have been taught to hate. A man who stands for … have been taught to hate. A man who stands for nothing. A man who takes what he wants without a second thought.
And what he wanted was me.
He thinks he controls my fate, but what he doesn’t know is, sometimes it’s the good girls you have to watch out for.
I’m a dangerous man.
I live by a code. The Vory code. It is my duty to my family to protect the brotherhood. To destroy anyone who threatens what we stand for, including her.
She’s a dancer. A beautiful little doll. My prisoner, and my new favorite puppet. This mafia princess thinks she has me under her spell, but in the end, she is simply collateral.
It’s a shame to destroy precious things.
But this is what bad men do.
Note: this book contains dark subject matter, please read at your own discretion. This is a full length standalone that can be read in any order within the series.
more
AN INCREDIBLE GREAT DARK ROMANCE !
Tanaka is a young ballet dancer who works very hard to maintain her level of excellence required by her profession.
She’s the daughter or a leader of italian pegre in Boston and she knows that soon she will marry the man for whom she’s promised…
But one day, just before going on ballet stage, his father brought her a dark and tormented stranger…
What she doesn’t know yet is that her father is in debt and that she’s going to be the surety…
—————————-
Here is a captivating, incredible, cruel story from BOSTON UNDERWORLD.
Again, I read this volume 5 in one go !
I couldn’t let down such an addictive story.
If I didn’t hook up too much with Nikolai’s character, I loved much Tanaka’s character.
And the alchemy/osmosis between the two is explosive.
In this book 5, it’s a tormented journey into the land of extreme feelings : a guaranteed change of scenery !
Congratulations to the author !
Each book in the series is a surprise and a maelstrom of various emotions.
I’m speechless !
I do recommend this book.
I love this seires it’s on my go to re-read list every time I’m in a flunk I read the Boston underworld series it’s amazing as is everything Ashley Wright’s hope you live them as much as I do
3.5 Stars
Audiobook: Narrator – Tracy Marks
As always, this narrator did an amazing job of bringing these characters to life. She brings so much passion and emotion into the story I can’t imagine anyone else narrating this series. While I struggled a bit with the Russian accents, that was a me thing and nothing to do with Ms. Marks performance. My ear just has a hard time tuning into some of the words and that’s an issue I have with other narrators as well.
To me this book felt grittier and darker than the previous books. Perhaps because it’s been a while since I’ve read a mafia story. I didn’t mind the gritty darkness, but I felt that it hindered my connection to the characters and their relationship. I struggled to believe that Nikolai and Tanaka were really falling in love. One minute they aren’t and bam, the next minute they were…with a lot of push and pull in between. However, the intense passion whether anger, hate, lust or love was never in question. There’s no doubt these characters are swimming in emotion and it shines through. It was just the transition from hate to love that wasn’t believable.
This is a slower pace read/listen but the action and drama never slow the story down. The steam is absolutely sizzling although there are some extreme scenes with moments of dubious consent, so please read with caution. I loved getting more of some of the characters from previous books and I was especially happy at how this couple are finally able to find their HEA.
Audiobook version:
This was a great story with a unique spin. I enjoyed the characters and story however in hindsight, I would rather have read the books in order despite it being a standalone. The narration was great- well edited and performed. Great read- just read the whole series for maximum enjoyment 🙂
Another great story from A. Zavarelli in her Boston Underworld series.
Nikolai and Tanaka’s story parallels the timeline of Ghost and doesn’t have the darkness of some of the other installments, but it’s emotional and a must read for fans of this series.
The finale of the Boston Underworld Series, a series that A. Zavarelli nailed! This is the story of Nikolai and Tanaka, the Russian Mafia man and the Ballerina.
Once the Ballerina is in his possession, the tables turn.
While Nikolai a Russian, it’s in the Vory beliefs he must marry a Russian. But this Italian Mafia princess is making Nikolai question his beliefs.
There are reasons behind Nikolai obtaining Tanaka and building a relationship with her is not in the books. This is not a typical romance story.
As the story unfolds and we find out who is behind the ballerina’s fall, we see that those who supposedly love us the most, are the ones creating the most damage. The ones who make mothers disappear from their young children are the ones who we’ve trusted our entire life.
Full of twists and turns, this story was a good ending to a great series!
#BookBistroBlogApproved
“There is no such thing as pain. There is only discipline.”
I’m embarrassed to admit that this is my first A. Zavarelli read. IKR? Where have I been? And did you see that cover? Yeah, I’m sure I’m not the only one suffering from a sever case of #CoverLust, right? Though this is book #5 in the Boston Underworld series, I read it as a standalone. And I loved it…hard.
Nikolai becomes Tanaka’s keeper, holding her as collateral for sins that she didn’t commit. She must pay, and she does. But she takes too. She has bested the thief by stealing something that doesn’t belong to her.”
Tanaka tries to be a good girl. Obedient to her father and the perfect princess. She doesn’t argue or rebel. She does whatever is expected of her so that what she loves most isn’t taken away from her. Dancing is her life. She knows she’s dancing on borrowed time and eventually she must fulfill her duty to her family. But she will worry about that when the times come. For now, she will dance every second that she can.
Nikolai is a cold-hearted killer that follows orders and does what needs to be done. It’s a shame that Tanaka’s father put her life in danger. It would be a shame to mar her perfection, but if he has to, he will. Until then he will play with his doll. As shameful as it may be to see something so lovely destroyed, it might come to that in the end.”
Tanaka tries to keep to herself, refusing to obey his demands. But eventually, she must succumb or pay the price. But she soon learns that more than her life is at risk. “The thief stole my heart, only to hold it in the palm of his hand, extorting my affections when it suits him.”
What an exciting and suspenseful story as these two are thrown together and must find a way to navigate their feelings while remaining loyal to the code. Their forbidden attraction to each other makes it difficult to imagine a future together, but their passion makes it impossible avoid the flames. Will they burn together? What price will they pay for their sin?
I don’t know if there will be more books written in this series, but I sure hope so. I’m hooked now and can’t wait to get my hands on more from this author. The line forms here…
He steals her heart, body and soul and ruins her for any other man!
Thief is the fifth book in the Boston Underworld series and I feel like I’ve been waiting forever for it! Nikolai is the thief in this story as he makes forgeries and other various artworks that are required of him. When Tanaka’s father is drowning in debt, he gives her as collateral to Nikolai. Tanaka has had a rough life but has lived it in seclusion because that is what is required of her. She has been promised to Dante to be his wife, when suddenly she is thrust into the life of a prisoner with the Russian mafia and kept in this case by Nikolai. Her life has always been about her ballet, until Nikolai comes to collect her and she falls from grace!
Uncertain as to her future, chaos seems to prevail and Nikolai assets more dominance and control which she fights bravely. But after they sleep together, emotions dominate that they both have never been privy to. A great story which at times feels out of control but Zavarelli is amazing in her eloquently written words and gives us a dark romance with a wonderful HEA:) A must read series!
Nikolai was dark and sexy (look at the cover, y’all….), and I loved this good girl, bad boy romance. I really felt for Tanaka and wanted them both to get the HEA they deserved. I particularly liked how the author handled the heroine being a “good girl”, but Tanaka was NOT a pushover and she stood up for herself. Actually, all the heroines in this series are strong, smart women who ultimately take no $#*! from their men. One of my favorite parts of this book is that justice is served to the bad guys, and we get every gritty detail. If you like dark themes with lots of steam, you’ll love Thief.
I am enjoying the series overall. Lots of action, sexy, and some angst in every book. Memorable characters who make it hard to put each book down in “Boston Underworld.” Nikolai is a pushy beast of a man but he met his match in Tanaka. She’s stubborn despite her fragility. There are a lot of layers in this book as both characters are broken in different ways and it’s through those differences that they grow from and with each other.
I wanted to give a special shout out to THIEF for additional diversity in having a Black Biracial heroine in Tanaka. Too few and far between so it was a pleasant surprise to see the book have a heroine similar to me. I appreciate the representation and hope to see more of it.
Nikolai is dark, mean, but intriguing. Tanaka seemed like a spoiled princess and kind of got on my nerves at the beginning but the more I learned about her the more my heart ached. They are both strong characters but at the same time broken. I was cheering them on throughout the entire book hoping for a HEA. This book was captivating, suspenseful, with twists and turns but overall heartbreakingly beautiful. Ms. Zaverelli certainly knows how to capture your attention from beginning till the end. I loved and enjoyed this entire series.
Thief by A. Zavarelli is a romantic suspense that I listened to on audio narrated by Tracy Marks.
This is the fifth book in the Boston Underworld series but each book can be read as a standalone.
I absolutely love A. Zavarelli books! I was hooked from the very first chapter and couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. I really enjoyed the relationship between Tanaka and Nikolai. Their relationship starts off rocky but you can’t help but root for them. They both make each other better in the end.
This is the first book in the series that I have read and I will definitely need to go back and read the rest of the books in the series.
Tracy did an amazing job on the narration. She really knows how to bring a story to life.
I would highly recommend this book if you like romantic suspense, dark romances, enemies to lovers, or captive romances.
Audiobook Obsession Reviewer
****** AUDIOBOOK REVIEW ******
I am always so delighted when I get to catch up with the Boston Underworld by A. Zavarelli. Zavarelli tells some of the best mafia suspense stories!! I get caught up so quickly into her world that it made packing a 3-bedroom home nearly bearable… the action and pure suspense made the hours fly by!! Make sure you read the first four books in the series to get the enfre story background! Nika and Tanaka are crazy hot!! They are forced together and they have this crazy chemistry. Zavarelli really saved the best for last.
I’m always excited to see a Tracy Marks narration. She brings an assertive voice to the story that I always enjoy. She’s one of those narrators that is able to pull off both male and female narration.
#AudiobookObsession
Nikolai Kozlov lives and breathes by the Vory code. he is the thief in the Russian Mafia steeling valuable paintings and replicating them. but he does not only steals objects, he steals hearts.
Tnaka is an Italian Mafia princess who has been sheltered all her life. she was always under the watchful eyes of her father, she has no friends and practically no life too. her only escape is dancing. Ballet is the only thing that keeps her sane.
She is given to Nikolai as a payment for a debt her father couldn’t pay. and that’s when their story begins. She was a means to an end to Nikolai, he wanted to know what happened to his mother and who killed her. and Tnaka’s father had a hand in it, so it was payback time.
what Nikolai didn’t expect was to fall in love with Tanaka. He was a Vory and just like everyone else they had their own traditions. A Vory can only marry a woman who has a Russian blood. No foreigners are accepted.
Nikolai is now forced to decide, follow what his Pakhan orders or follow his heart.
it has been a while since iv’e read the Boston Underworld Series, iv’e read all the books except this one and i have no idea why. so now it feels kinda awkward, even thought i haven’t forgotten the characters but i was really detached from them.
Did this book blow my mind?? unfortunately no, but it was not that bad. i think the only reason i didn’t enjoy it was because i did not read it when i should have.
Stole My Breath
This is a dark, gritty, sexy story. The tension and conflict and passion captivated me. A journey about love and its power to rewrite the stars! Complex characters, intrigue, revenge, and star crossed lovers lead to an entertaining and emotional read.
Thief (Boston Underworld, Book 5) is technically a standalone and I have not listened to the other books in this series, however I wish I had listened to the audio’s first. So my recommendation is listen to the books in order so you have maximum enjoyment and no confusion. A dark suspenseful mafia with just the right touch of romance with a twist. A sliver of angst swirling through with lies and deception bleeding through the pages. Graphically & vividly exemplified world building descriptions & settings. Character’s are compelling with complex personalities. With a hea to end this series.
Narator Tracy Marks performance was splendid. Her inflection changed with the different characters and accents.
Audiobook Obsession
Another exciting read from A Zavarelli that I couldn’t put down.
Damn, that was good! & what a combination a ballerina and a Russian mafia boss.
Tanaki is not only a ballerina, disciplined and focused on her career as short as it may be she is also the daughter of an Italian mafia boss, a mafia princess. Tanaki has been secluded her whole life, locked away no friends or socializing and the only thing that she has control over is her dancing.
When her father has a debt to pay Tanaki becomes collateral for her father and is taken into the care of Nikolai.
From one prison to another but Nikolai turns out to be less of a monster than her own father.
Wow, what can I say about Nikolai apart from he was so hot!, I loved his character so controlled, he is a mafia leader and an alpha male but also a man who loves to paint, has a heart, you see a completely different side to him than what glimpses there was in the other books.
Tanaka couldn’t’ help but fall for the first man who had shown he cares.
Another brilliant story from A Zavarelli that still left me wanting more from this series I love it.
Thief leads to a hea, does not contain any gruesome, excessive violence or gritty content, Told in first person dual pov.
3.5 Stars
I absolutely love this series and I have been intrigued by Nikolai and Tanaka ever since they were introduced in Ghost. Nikolai, a member of the Russian mafia, takes Tanaka prisoner as a debt owed to him by her father. Ultimately Nikolai was using Tanaka against her father while Nikolai searches for the truth of what happened to his mom. As much as I wanted to, I just could not like the characters. I wanted Nikolai to be stronger and fight for Tanaka from the beginning, but it pretty much took him the entire book to man up. I thought Tanaka was the weakest heroine that has been introduced in this series full of strong men and women and I was just not a fan of hers. I did love that Alexei and Talia both made appearances in the book, it was great seeing some of their story from a different point of view!
Rough and dark but I couldn’t look away!
I was sucked in immediately. Even though I couldn’t decide if I wanted to vomit or cry or both for Tanaka and all that she is going through and all the evils in her life, I could not put this book down! I felt so bad for her finding out that those she thought she could trust were bad people and the one that you so hope would be the good guy is still just a bad guy.
At one point I started feeling like this was so familiar, a book deja vu of sorts. It had been over two years since I read books 1-4 so I went back to Ghost which is Alexei (Nikolai’s brother) & Talia’s story. After a little searching and skimming, it turns out the timelines overlap! The same scenes are now coming from a different person’s pov. Pretty cool! This had my head spinning. Total roller coaster! I was tense and cringing through most of it – maybe I will vomit after all…!
Another great installment to this series that I love!
Thief is my first book by A. Zavarelli and I think I just fell in love with a new to me author. I’ve had Crow, which is the first book in the Boston Underworld Series since March of 2016. WHY HAVE I SAT ON IT FOR SO LONG? Seriously. Now I know what I have been missing out on. While Thief is book five in this series, it can be read as a standalone. Like I said, this was the first book I read and I didn’t feel confused or feel like I was missing anything. This is a big deal coming from me because I’m am usually very OCD about reading order.
Now that I got all that out of the way, let’s talk about Thief. In a time where writing seems to be getting a bit too staccato for my taste, Zavarelli delivers a perfectly descriptive style that flows effortlessly. Unlike Tanaka and Nikolai’s story, which is chaotic and destructive. 🙂
On the surface, it seems like Tanaka is the perfect Italian princess. Ballet is her life but she’s been raised to know her place and she will soon marry the man her father has chosen for her. When Nikolai shows up in her life, everything changes and she soon finds herself battling with her heart and her mind against the thief of the Russian mafiya.
“The thief stole my heart, only to hold it in the palm of his hand, extorting my affections when it suits him.”
Nikolai had plans when it came to Tanaka but little did he know that she would change his life forever as well. He’s ruthless and a monster but there’s something about her that calms him and infuriates him at the same time. He’s drawn to her and craves her but he knows that they can’t ever be together.
“I want to collect his secrets like he has collected my tears.”
Thief is dark, dangerous and heartbreaking. I couldn’t get enough. The push and pull between Nikolai and Tanaka sucked me in and captivated me. From start to finish, I devoured their story. Dark romances sing to my soul and Thief did just that. I can’t explain it and if anyone looks at my highlights from the book, they probably might have me committed and I’m absolutely OK with that.
If you like your books dark, dirty and twisted, then you need to get Thief now!!! You can thank me later. I’m off to read the rest of the books in this series.