Life in the Book Lane: BOOK BOOST & REVIEW ***** THE MAN IN BLACK by Soraya Naomi

Tuesday, 14 August 2018

BOOK BOOST & REVIEW ***** THE MAN IN BLACK by Soraya Naomi

The Man in Black by Soraya Naomi is AVAILABLE NOW!

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Brielle

He consumed my mind. I never even crossed his.

From the moment I met Michael, mysteriously brooding and dressed like a dark angel, there was something electric between us. Or so I thought.

What I believed was a seductive and undeniably raw attraction has ended up being something else entirely, something I never foresaw. Because he’s a skilled liar and a master manipulator, and I downright misread his intentions.

And now I’m afraid that falling for the man in black might become my biggest regret.

Michael

An overwhelming remorse haunts me after losing my fiancée, but I’m not a man who can afford to lower my guard. I’m a ruthless criminal, one of the top members of the merciless mafia, the Chicago Syndicate, and I moved back home to keep to myself and do a job.

But when a curvaceous pastry chef with a beautiful smile and a possible link to my former life catches me in a reckless moment, I’m forced to watch her and strategize a plan. Because I’m not sure if she’s out to get me or if she’s just an innocent civilian who doesn’t know that the restaurant she works at is actually a front to launder Syndicate money.

And I intend to find out if she’s playing me while I’m playing her. But then the demons that haunt me force me to make a huge mistake…

Deceit has a price—I just have to make sure I don’t pay with her life. A standalone novel from the Chicago Syndicate world.

MY REVIEW - 4.5 STARS

Having met Michael in For the Love of Luca I was very intrigued to know his story. I've read a few books by this author, so I know I enjoy her work and find her style of writing easy to read and follow. The book is written first person from both the H and the h's points of view, with each chapter clearly labelled as to whose it is. I really enjoyed Brielle and Michael's story, although it isn't my favourite Chicago Syndicate book it is still very entertaining and well written. This can be read easily as a stand alone, support characters are introduced with enough background to pick up their place in the Syndicate, without giving away spoilers for previous books.

Michael is the ex head of the New York Syndicate, devastated by the murder of his fiancee and suspicious of the new pastry chef at Palermo. Brielle is a young woman, all alone in the world and struggling to survive. Why does she find the mysterious, and somewhat threatening, Michael so irresistible, when all he seems to do is hurt her?

I really liked Brielle, despite her age but because of the harshness of life, she was a wonderful mix of strong and vulnerable but never weak. Her character really grew and developed over the course of the book and she felt very natural and believable.

At first Michael was annoying but in a meant to be annoying way. His head was messed up and as a result he made somewhat rash and foolish decisions, given his position in the sSyndicate. Despite wanting to smack him around the back of his head at times, this was all a much needed part of the plot and actually gave it depth and passion.

The push and pull between Brielle and Michael was wonderfully written, it wasn't too repetitive to become tedious and irritating. It was also supported with sub-plots that made it an organic part of the plot. Their connection and chemistry was really well portrayed and I certainly felt the tension, lust, angst and emotion that resulted from their struggles.

Along with the romance there is also a major sub-plot running parallel. I'm not quite sure what the point of the 'moronic soldier' and his equally naive cousin played in the story, other than to show how ruthless and violent Michael could be. However these disposable characters were so weak and powerless that it didn't really work for me. I'm also still worried about that poor taxi driver who was left sitting at the kerbside and never got paid! (LOL)

The book mainly focuses on the relationship between Brielle and Michael, though there are sufficient incidents and references to the mafia element too. If you've read other books in the series then you will really enjoy this. In fact any contemporary romance reader would be able to enjoy this, as it isn't at the dark and gritty end of the mafia genre.

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