Ivy Fox

Binding Rose

When I saw "Binding Rose is a full-length reverse harem novel in the dark and twisted Mafia Wars world."

Two of my favourite dark romance subgenres reunited together ? I was in and so so glad to finally pick this up.

The author said and I quote "It's going to be the HOT" 

RH they say ? I am still trying to look where are the RH elements. I mean I'm exaggerating because there is the strict minimum of the minimum

Still. This "RH" was not made by the rules of the art. I consume a lot of RH and it just didn't deliver on that part. Like at all. So much that I feel scammed because this book made promises it didn't keep.

This book was hot they say ? Well, the scenes were nearly fade to black. When we promise me smut I want *smut* and wow the spice was so boring. Unimaginative.

Mafia romance? Well, the prologue was interesting has heck and the way all the intrigue has been set really cool so at least it got points for that because it didn't deliver on the other departments. But the only Mafia elements were on that prologue. I expected a lot more on that part too apart from the end with the priest moment which wrapped up too lazily imo there was nothing much happening.

I mean if we have to focus on the characters relationship at least make it worth it. Their relationship was painful to watch.

The hate was not the one that screamed enemies-to-lovers. It was more like I-hate-you-so-much-and-I-am-falling-in-love-with-you-only-because-the-author-wants-to.

A lot of the MMC's actions were unredeemable imo he was so reluctant I still can't figure how the heck he ended up falling for her. It just happened. No natural process. There was no real connections between the two main characters for it to happen just some sexual encounters with actions on his part that were not justifiable. The sexual tension was just not it for me.

Especially since the book is calling itself a RH.

The confessions were so cringy it made my eyes roll. That's it.

I was promised a "reverse harem novel in the dark and twisted Mafia Wars world." I haven't got it.

I am really sad because I saw the potential with all this great setting. And since the next books are written by different authors I have the hope that I will enjoy them. And optimistically it will deliver on the RH part. 

I will give them a try for the sake of the good worldbuilding going on here.

Amira BEN

Hum. Hum.

When I saw "Binding Rose is a full-length reverse harem novel in the dark and twisted Mafia Wars world."

 My own twisted mind was excited.

Two of my favourite dark romance subgenres reunited together ? I was in and so so glad to finally pick this up.

The author said and I quote "It's going to be the HOT" 

So.

RH they say ? I am still trying to look where are the RH elements. I mean I'm exaggerating because there is the strict minimum of the minimum

Still. This "RH" was not made by the rules of the art. I consume a lot of RH and it just didn't deliver on that part. Like at all. So much that I feel scammed because this book made promises it didn't keep.

This book was hot they say ? Well, the scenes were nearly fade to black. When we promise me smut I want *smut* and wow the spice was so boring. Unimaginative.

Mafia romance? Well, the prologue was interesting has heck and the way all the intrigue has been set really cool so at least it got points for that because it didn't deliver on the other departments. But the only Mafia elements were on that prologue. I expected a lot more on that part too apart from the end with the priest moment which wrapped up too lazily imo there was nothing much happening.

I mean if we have to focus on the characters relationship at least make it worth it. Their relationship was painful to watch.

The hate was not the one that screamed enemies-to-lovers. It was more like I-hate-you-so-much-and-I-am-falling-in-love-with-you-only-because-the-author-wants-to.

A lot of the MMC's actions were unredeemable imo he was so reluctant I still can't figure how the heck he ended up falling for her. It just happened. No natural process. There was no real connections between the two main characters for it to happen just some sexual encounters with actions on his part that were not justifiable. The sexual tension was just not it for me.

Especially since the book is calling itself a RH.

The confessions were so cringy it made my eyes roll. That's it.

I was promised a "reverse harem novel in the dark and twisted Mafia Wars world." I haven't got it.

I am really sad because I saw the potential with all this great setting. And since the next books are written by different authors I have the hope that I will enjoy them. And optimistically it will deliver on the RH part. 

I will give them a try for the sake of the good worldbuilding going on here.

I considered DNF-ing this multiple times and I don't DNF easily. In fact, I would've gladly tossed it to the trash if not because it was a buddy read. 

The whole story revolves around Rosa, the daughter of the Mexican mafia family, who was "sold" to the Irish family in order to fulfill the peace treaty and stop the mafia wars. Tiernan, the head of the Irish mafia and main male character. Then we have Shay and Colin, Shay is Tiernan's brother and Colin is their cousin.  

the Irish version of Jesus Christ himself

. First red flag, who told you saying your character looks like Jesus is attractive? It's not. 

Colin is this scarred, mysterious and closed off man that immediately catches your attention because who doesn't like a broken hero? But he was so underdeveloped that when the time came to tell his tragic past it felt so flat that I didn't even care. 

Tiernan is the king of alphaholes. In his wedding night he forces Rosa to drink because "Kellys drink and now she's a Kelly" and then proceeds to  spank her as punishment because she danced with his brother aka Shay despite her having belt beating marks from her father. The first time he slept and therefore deflowered her, he called her a whore, a slut and all kind of names. How does a virgin become a whore, I wonder. How does someone so "innocent" (as the author says Rosa is) likes to be humiliated on their first time, I wonder. I wonder about a lot of things and the only thing that comes to mind is straight up misogyny. 

After their night together he gives her the cold shoulder because... I don't know, I still don't know. So she confronts him and tells him that she basically needs to get pregnant because our Rosa is obsessed with having babies. She wants to get pregnant so desperately that when Tiernan orders her to fuck his brother and cousin she does so glady. And because she's oh, so polite she even thanked them. And the best part? Tiernan have to be present on those "trying to get Rosa pregnant" sessions. Just 

And because Tiernan is a narcissistic motherfucker he treats even worst after that because of how she makes him feel in a situation that was his doing. 

So we get more than 300 pages of verbal abuse and hate after hate content and then a sloppy declaration of love at 86% of the book(I checked )  and everything is forgotten and forgiven. It's all water under the bridge, Rosa gets pregnant and they live happily ever after. I won't even mention the kidnapping move because that's a joke of a try to wrap everything up.

Have you noticed that I didn't mention Shay and Colin? That's because they don't have a role. This is NOT a reverse harem as it was promoted, there's some fucked up disfuncional relationship going on but it's not a rh. 

The author took three of favorite subgeneres (rh, marriage of convenience and mafia romance) and made a huge mess out of them so thank you for nothing. 

Souhaila

I considered DNF-ing this multiple times and I don't DNF easily. In fact, I would've gladly tossed it to the trash if not because it was a buddy read. 

The whole story revolves around Rosa, the daughter of the Mexican mafia family, who was "sold" to the Irish family in order to fulfill the peace treaty and stop the mafia wars. Tiernan, the head of the Irish mafia and main male character. Then we have Shay and Colin, Shay is Tiernan's brother and Colin is their cousin.  

Shay is and I quote, the Irish version of Jesus Christ himself. First red flag, who told you saying your character looks like Jesus is attractive? It's not. 

Colin is this scarred, mysterious and closed off man that immediately catches your attention because who doesn't like a broken hero? But he was so underdeveloped that when the time came to tell his tragic past it felt so flat that I didn't even care. 

Tiernan is the king of alphaholes. In his wedding night he forces Rosa to drink because "Kellys drink and now she's a Kelly" and then proceeds to  spank her as punishment because she danced with his brother aka Shay despite her having belt beating marks from her father. The first time he slept and therefore deflowered her, he called her a whore, a slut and all kind of names. How does a virgin become a whore, I wonder. How does someone so "innocent" (as the author says Rosa is) likes to be humiliated on their first time, I wonder. I wonder about a lot of things and the only thing that comes to mind is straight up misogyny. 

After their night together he gives her the cold shoulder because... I don't know, I still don't know. So she confronts him and tells him that she basically needs to get pregnant because our Rosa is obsessed with having babies. She wants to get pregnant so desperately that when Tiernan orders her to fuck his brother and cousin she does so glady. And because she's oh, so polite she even thanked them. And the best part? Tiernan have to be present on those "trying to get Rosa pregnant" sessions. Just delightful everything.   

And because Tiernan is a narcissistic motherfucker he treats even worst after that because of how she makes him feel in a situation that was his doing. 

So we get more than 300 pages of verbal abuse and hate after hate content and then a sloppy declaration of love at 86% of the book(I checked )  and everything is forgotten and forgiven. It's all water under the bridge, Rosa gets pregnant and they live happily ever after. I won't even mention the kidnapping move because that's a joke of a try to wrap everything up.

Have you noticed that I didn't mention Shay and Colin? That's because they don't have a role. This is NOT a reverse harem as it was promoted, there's some fucked up disfuncional relationship going on but it's not a rh. 

The author took three of favorite subgeneres (rh, marriage of convenience and mafia romance) and made a huge mess out of them so thank you for nothing. 

 

Binding Rose

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