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Pretty Ugly Promises
When people choose to leave, you should let them.
That’s a lesson Lyla Peterson has learned over and over again. Abandoned more than once, her focus is on ensuring her son never experiences that familiar sting, not on lingering questions from the pain-filled past.
Until the opportunity arises to seek elusive answers and Lyla seizes it, opening old wounds and revealing dangerous secrets.
He chose to leave.
She should have let him.
That’s a lesson Lyla Peterson has learned over and over again. Abandoned more than once, her focus is on ensuring her son never experiences that familiar sting, not on lingering questions from the pain-filled past.
Until the opportunity arises to seek elusive answers and Lyla seizes it, opening old wounds and revealing dangerous secrets.
He chose to leave.
She should have let him.
368 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 26, 2023
1332 people are currently reading
11586 people want to read
About the author
C.W. Farnsworth
36 books5,066 followersC.W. Farnsworth is the author of numerous adult and young adult romance novels featuring sports, strong female leads, and happy endings.
Charlotte lives in Rhode Island and when she isn’t writing spends her free time reading, at the beach, or snuggling with her Australian Shepherd.
Find her on Facebook (@cwfarnsworth), Twitter (@cw_farnsworth), Instagram (@authorcwfarnsworth) and check out her website www.authorcwfarnsworth.com for news about upcoming releases!
Charlotte lives in Rhode Island and when she isn’t writing spends her free time reading, at the beach, or snuggling with her Australian Shepherd.
Find her on Facebook (@cwfarnsworth), Twitter (@cw_farnsworth), Instagram (@authorcwfarnsworth) and check out her website www.authorcwfarnsworth.com for news about upcoming releases!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,123 reviews
March 14, 2023
4.5 stars.
(changed the rating)
" We match. When it comes to one short stretch of scar tissue, we seem meant to be"
I’m addicted to miss Farnsworth writing style. There’s something so poetic about it that maintains you hooked on the storyline, eager to consume every chapter, fond to inhale every word. She’s escalating pretty quickly up to the top of my absolute favorite authors.
"I feel eighteen again, ecstatic to be living life on my own terms and overwhelmed by spending time with him. Having the attention of someone so much larger than life after years of being shoved to the side was like feeling the sun after endless nights "
Lyla and Nick had been together for a few months back in college before Nick vanished from her life entirely, quickly after that she found out that she was pregnant. Lyla had no family and couldn’t inform Nickolaj about the baby, up until nine years after when she reconnect with his best friend. Nick was at the head of a powerful russian family and it was the main reason that pushed him to abandon Lyla, at the first place, but as soon as he came back into her and their child lives his ennemis found in them the prefect and easy target.
"Lyla and I are a love story with an obvious ending. I would burn the world or rebuild it, just for her.
We might have an obvious ending, but we had unlikely chapters. We met by coincidence. Overcame odds. Escaped horrors. Reconnected randomly "
l would like to highlight that Nick’s impromptu departure was drawn as a selfless act to protect Lyla from the implications of his position as Pakhan. And ofc I totally fell for the "disinterested gesture".
"Because up until I found out I had a son, I was certain you’d be the only person I ever loved " -Nick.
The story isn’t painted neither as a dark romance nor with a heavily mafia script or sordid contents/scenes. It has the perfect amount of rancor and resentment. Pheeew!😮💨 The tension between the two of them was at its paroxysm through it all, so palpable with every angsty encounter, every stolen touches and glances. These two were literally fire. I liked Lyla and couldn’t resent her for how she handled what happened after all the revelations that were raining down on her. I felt sorry for Nick at times; her words were pretty harsh and brutal but nothing he didn’t actually deserve, tbh. But at the end Lyla tried as she can to understand Nickolaj world without tarnishing her black and white vision of justice.
" I can see everything in black and white. But I feel the gray when I’m around him. Right and wrong are two extremes with a lot of space in between. Are they subjective instead of set in stone? If you kill a killer, are you saving lives in addition to ending one? "
I loved Leo, the son, and especially the significance of his name. 🥹 The relationship with his father was built pretty quickly but it didn’t bother me that much ‘cause he was a lot mature for a boy his age and extremely perspicacious. I also liked his bond with his gram who was austere for quite all her appearances but held a soft spot for her grandson.
Both protagonists were with different partners during their separation and I liked the fact that the author hasn’t attributed the persona of manwhore to Nick just so he could try to forget her and let Lyla pinning around for him because she could be with no-one but him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I really hope that it’ll be a book featuring Alex and June as protagonists. 😭❤️
" We match. When it comes to one short stretch of scar tissue, we seem meant to be"
I’m addicted to miss Farnsworth writing style. There’s something so poetic about it that maintains you hooked on the storyline, eager to consume every chapter, fond to inhale every word. She’s escalating pretty quickly up to the top of my absolute favorite authors.
"I feel eighteen again, ecstatic to be living life on my own terms and overwhelmed by spending time with him. Having the attention of someone so much larger than life after years of being shoved to the side was like feeling the sun after endless nights "
Lyla and Nick had been together for a few months back in college before Nick vanished from her life entirely, quickly after that she found out that she was pregnant. Lyla had no family and couldn’t inform Nickolaj about the baby, up until nine years after when she reconnect with his best friend. Nick was at the head of a powerful russian family and it was the main reason that pushed him to abandon Lyla, at the first place, but as soon as he came back into her and their child lives his ennemis found in them the prefect and easy target.
"Lyla and I are a love story with an obvious ending. I would burn the world or rebuild it, just for her.
We might have an obvious ending, but we had unlikely chapters. We met by coincidence. Overcame odds. Escaped horrors. Reconnected randomly "
l would like to highlight that Nick’s impromptu departure was drawn as a selfless act to protect Lyla from the implications of his position as Pakhan. And ofc I totally fell for the "disinterested gesture".
"Because up until I found out I had a son, I was certain you’d be the only person I ever loved " -Nick.
The story isn’t painted neither as a dark romance nor with a heavily mafia script or sordid contents/scenes. It has the perfect amount of rancor and resentment. Pheeew!😮💨 The tension between the two of them was at its paroxysm through it all, so palpable with every angsty encounter, every stolen touches and glances. These two were literally fire. I liked Lyla and couldn’t resent her for how she handled what happened after all the revelations that were raining down on her. I felt sorry for Nick at times; her words were pretty harsh and brutal but nothing he didn’t actually deserve, tbh. But at the end Lyla tried as she can to understand Nickolaj world without tarnishing her black and white vision of justice.
" I can see everything in black and white. But I feel the gray when I’m around him. Right and wrong are two extremes with a lot of space in between. Are they subjective instead of set in stone? If you kill a killer, are you saving lives in addition to ending one? "
I loved Leo, the son, and especially the significance of his name. 🥹 The relationship with his father was built pretty quickly but it didn’t bother me that much ‘cause he was a lot mature for a boy his age and extremely perspicacious. I also liked his bond with his gram who was austere for quite all her appearances but held a soft spot for her grandson.
Both protagonists were with different partners during their separation and I liked the fact that the author hasn’t attributed the persona of manwhore to Nick just so he could try to forget her and let Lyla pinning around for him because she could be with no-one but him.
~~~~~~~~~~~
I really hope that it’ll be a book featuring Alex and June as protagonists. 😭❤️
March 31, 2023
2.5 stars
This could have been good. I really liked the premise and I was hoping for angst and high stakes especially since the heroine was being thrust into this world she never imagined herself in but all we got was her having the same recycled inner monologues for about 90% of the book. (I loved him, but apparently I didn’t know him, he left me but I still remembered him, he was amazing but I didn’t know him, he’s actually a criminal mastermind leading a dangerous life and my life is not here. My life cannot be here but oh he’s so pretty. I have another life but he is so charming. My life cannot mingle with his but oh, when he kisses me…)
There was barely anything going on except for a few pages of action which really — in a book that is over 350 pages of inner turmoil that reads like drivel — is barely enough to qualify as plot.
I also can’t say that I felt much or any chemistry between the MCs and definitely not all consuming love.
Another issue I had is that I feel like I’m over writing which tried to show that the male lead is a stud by having his thoughts sounds like “well, I should have gone to the penthouse instead of coming home to my empty room next to my son and ex girlfriend which I claim to still love, I should have just called one of my regulars and stayed in the city instead”
OR “I was surrounded by gorgeous women. Models and other such beauties (paraphrasing) like the ones I’ve been f**ing for the last 9 years but for some reason I was still thinking of her”
OR having his first on page scene to be of him answering the phone next to a one night stand.
I just… listen, it’s not like I wanna hear he’s been missing and staying celibate for her, but I don’t understand what is the point of always having these things written on page. It doesn’t make him more manly, or attractive. Just kinda sleazy for a man to think these thoughts when realistically there were so many other more pressing issue for him to deal with. Like his newfound son.
This could have been good. I really liked the premise and I was hoping for angst and high stakes especially since the heroine was being thrust into this world she never imagined herself in but all we got was her having the same recycled inner monologues for about 90% of the book. (I loved him, but apparently I didn’t know him, he left me but I still remembered him, he was amazing but I didn’t know him, he’s actually a criminal mastermind leading a dangerous life and my life is not here. My life cannot be here but oh he’s so pretty. I have another life but he is so charming. My life cannot mingle with his but oh, when he kisses me…)
There was barely anything going on except for a few pages of action which really — in a book that is over 350 pages of inner turmoil that reads like drivel — is barely enough to qualify as plot.
I also can’t say that I felt much or any chemistry between the MCs and definitely not all consuming love.
Another issue I had is that I feel like I’m over writing which tried to show that the male lead is a stud by having his thoughts sounds like “well, I should have gone to the penthouse instead of coming home to my empty room next to my son and ex girlfriend which I claim to still love, I should have just called one of my regulars and stayed in the city instead”
OR “I was surrounded by gorgeous women. Models and other such beauties (paraphrasing) like the ones I’ve been f**ing for the last 9 years but for some reason I was still thinking of her”
OR having his first on page scene to be of him answering the phone next to a one night stand.
I just… listen, it’s not like I wanna hear he’s been missing and staying celibate for her, but I don’t understand what is the point of always having these things written on page. It doesn’t make him more manly, or attractive. Just kinda sleazy for a man to think these thoughts when realistically there were so many other more pressing issue for him to deal with. Like his newfound son.
September 13, 2023
I decided early on that I won’t write a review for this book because I knew it will dissolve in to a rant. But the epilogue was too cute so I couldn’t resist.
Minor spoilers ahead;
I didn’t like Nick or his actions majority of the book. In my opinion he was a good pakhan, a good father but not a good boyfriend material.
I felt like he was too cold towards Lyla. I love my morally grey heroes but they needed to be obsessed with the heroine, do whatever necessary or unnecessary for them. Nick didn’t feel like that.
He wasn’t heartbroken about their separation, he didn’t pine for her, didn’t wonder or observe her from afar.
Their second chance was completely coincidental. Felt like fate decided Nick needed some drama in his life. So they met again.
Also he slept with countless women during separation. Look, I know it was a long separation (9 years) but he became a callous player in the interim and there was too much (for me anyway) mention of these things (ow or the way he $*$k) in his POV.
I hated it and that made me dislike him even more.
Writing was very compelling and I loved this author’s style. I also liked the pace, secondary characters and last part of the story.
Minor spoilers ahead;
I didn’t like Nick or his actions majority of the book. In my opinion he was a good pakhan, a good father but not a good boyfriend material.
I felt like he was too cold towards Lyla. I love my morally grey heroes but they needed to be obsessed with the heroine, do whatever necessary or unnecessary for them. Nick didn’t feel like that.
He wasn’t heartbroken about their separation, he didn’t pine for her, didn’t wonder or observe her from afar.
Their second chance was completely coincidental. Felt like fate decided Nick needed some drama in his life. So they met again.
Also he slept with countless women during separation. Look, I know it was a long separation (9 years) but he became a callous player in the interim and there was too much (for me anyway) mention of these things (ow or the way he $*$k) in his POV.
I hated it and that made me dislike him even more.
Writing was very compelling and I loved this author’s style. I also liked the pace, secondary characters and last part of the story.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 16, 2024
It was surprisingly enjoyable
______________________________________________
I saw a tiktok of this and suddenly im reading it 🤷
Second chance mafia romance isnt even my thing BUT APPARENTLY IT IS NOW
______________________________________________
I saw a tiktok of this and suddenly im reading it 🤷
Second chance mafia romance isnt even my thing BUT APPARENTLY IT IS NOW
March 14, 2023
She still doesn't react, just keeps hyperventilating. I should slap her. Instead, i kiss her.
Okay...where do i begin?
Well first i want to say it's JUST OKAY for me.
Summary
It's about a girl named Lyla, yeah, not Layla, but Lyla without an "a." She is an orphan girl. One night she met a guy named Nick; they went to the same university, and at the end they became a couple (I guess), but yeah, they at least had a thing. One day Lyla found out that she is pregnant, but the baby's dad just vanished into thin air along with his friend called Alex. Fast forward to 9 years after he left her. She meets his BF (Alex) at the hospital where he works; he was her doctor who is taking care of her. The day after they accidentally encounter, Lyla goes back to the hospital to ask Alex about Nick and eventually tells him about her son. So after that, Alex calls Nick, who then relays everything that Lyla told him. He immediately flew to her after hearing he had a son. Then that's where the journey of this story begins....
I do love hidden baby/secret baby stories, because the angst and groveling. But in this book there's no groveling just angst.
What I hate from it, it was whenever the hot activity begin, the writer is like drifting their thought like thinking about their family and a lot of unnecessary things THAT RUINED the tense of the scene. And I fucking hate it. First I thought okay it was fine but it just keep happening though, and that's NOT FINE is annoying seriously. Also all of THOSE SCENES is also freaking awkward for me.
It just GOD.....(once u read it, you know how i felt)
Heroine:
She acts like she hates him, but guess what? It's her who keeps begging him to fuck her.
"I want you to fuck me". I step closer inhaling his scent and letting it flood my veins with fire."Hard." My head tilts back, meeting his stoic gaze without flinching fron the flint. "Rough." I tuck a piece of hair behind one ear and swallow "I want you to fuck me like you hate me.".
Huh.....Inhale😮💨exhale😮💨inhale😮💨exhale😮💨
ALSO
Sometimes it leaves me laugh about how much Leo resembles his father.....😆. I lose my count about how many times they're telling me over this fact.
It has mafia ascpect but is in safe ground (means not really counted as dark romance). Yeah, there's some killing scenes and torture scenes, but not very descriptive. So it's fine.
IT DOES HAVE FORCED PROXIMITY
IT DOES HAVE HEA
🐥
Okay...where do i begin?
Well first i want to say it's JUST OKAY for me.
Summary
It's about a girl named Lyla, yeah, not Layla, but Lyla without an "a." She is an orphan girl. One night she met a guy named Nick; they went to the same university, and at the end they became a couple (I guess), but yeah, they at least had a thing. One day Lyla found out that she is pregnant, but the baby's dad just vanished into thin air along with his friend called Alex. Fast forward to 9 years after he left her. She meets his BF (Alex) at the hospital where he works; he was her doctor who is taking care of her. The day after they accidentally encounter, Lyla goes back to the hospital to ask Alex about Nick and eventually tells him about her son. So after that, Alex calls Nick, who then relays everything that Lyla told him. He immediately flew to her after hearing he had a son. Then that's where the journey of this story begins....
I do love hidden baby/secret baby stories, because the angst and groveling. But in this book there's no groveling just angst.
What I hate from it, it was whenever the hot activity begin, the writer is like drifting their thought like thinking about their family and a lot of unnecessary things THAT RUINED the tense of the scene. And I fucking hate it. First I thought okay it was fine but it just keep happening though, and that's NOT FINE is annoying seriously. Also all of THOSE SCENES is also freaking awkward for me.
It just GOD.....(once u read it, you know how i felt)
Heroine:
She acts like she hates him, but guess what? It's her who keeps begging him to fuck her.
"I want you to fuck me". I step closer inhaling his scent and letting it flood my veins with fire."Hard." My head tilts back, meeting his stoic gaze without flinching fron the flint. "Rough." I tuck a piece of hair behind one ear and swallow "I want you to fuck me like you hate me.".
Huh.....Inhale😮💨exhale😮💨inhale😮💨exhale😮💨
ALSO
Sometimes it leaves me laugh about how much Leo resembles his father.....😆. I lose my count about how many times they're telling me over this fact.
It has mafia ascpect but is in safe ground (means not really counted as dark romance). Yeah, there's some killing scenes and torture scenes, but not very descriptive. So it's fine.
IT DOES HAVE FORCED PROXIMITY
IT DOES HAVE HEA
🐥
March 1, 2023
4⭐️ There was something about this book that made me love it so much. This is a mafia romance that involved a second chance which just made it so good.
March 13, 2024
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ “But if I could have chosen anyone to have a kid with, it will always be you.”
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ When most men say they would kill for you, it’s a figure of speech. Coming from Nick, it’s a bloody promise.
(3/5) - the potential was thereee girl i was locked in the first half but then somewhere in like the middle i was lost HAHA not that anything was bad but i think there was just a lot of open space ?? if you get what i mean… i just felt like there could have been more that happened that would have filled the plot a bit better. the fmc was also confusing tf outta me like girl do we want him or not i know your kid comes first always but even he stood on business and he’s 8 LMAOOO
nonetheless, i still enjoyed it and nick or nikolaj ;) ;) was everything 🫶🏽
˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ When most men say they would kill for you, it’s a figure of speech. Coming from Nick, it’s a bloody promise.
(3/5) - the potential was thereee girl i was locked in the first half but then somewhere in like the middle i was lost HAHA not that anything was bad but i think there was just a lot of open space ?? if you get what i mean… i just felt like there could have been more that happened that would have filled the plot a bit better. the fmc was also confusing tf outta me like girl do we want him or not i know your kid comes first always but even he stood on business and he’s 8 LMAOOO
nonetheless, i still enjoyed it and nick or nikolaj ;) ;) was everything 🫶🏽
June 27, 2025
idk why but i just couldn’t like the characters and everything was going waaaaay too fast so imma give this 2.5 ⭐️
February 3, 2023
2.5 stars rounded up
Sometimes i’m a sucker for secret baby but this one was not one of those times.
Second chance is always hard for me, but I somehow thought this would be different. Their meeting again is purely coincidence, it’s been nine years and he realizes he never loved anyone like her, but it never felt like he pines for her or tries to protect her from afar. He left, and tried to wipe her existence from his brain. If she hadn’t told their friend about the child, he’d NEVER had searched her out and would’ve married a Russian bratva daughter 🤡
When we meet him again, there is of course a naked woman in his bed when he answers the phone. I don’t expect him to be celibate for nine years, but I also don’t need to be shown it.
The fmc gave into him too easily. Like, plain and simple. I didn’t like it. And then she was so stubborn after everything. Of course, in the nine years since she last saw him, he’s still the only man who can really see her.
There is some super minor OM drama but there could’ve been more and it would’ve made me like it more, just so he could get really jealous and we could get more.
The climax was what was expected and happened quickly.
Sometimes i’m a sucker for secret baby but this one was not one of those times.
Second chance is always hard for me, but I somehow thought this would be different. Their meeting again is purely coincidence, it’s been nine years and he realizes he never loved anyone like her, but it never felt like he pines for her or tries to protect her from afar. He left, and tried to wipe her existence from his brain. If she hadn’t told their friend about the child, he’d NEVER had searched her out and would’ve married a Russian bratva daughter 🤡
When we meet him again, there is of course a naked woman in his bed when he answers the phone. I don’t expect him to be celibate for nine years, but I also don’t need to be shown it.
The fmc gave into him too easily. Like, plain and simple. I didn’t like it. And then she was so stubborn after everything. Of course, in the nine years since she last saw him, he’s still the only man who can really see her.
There is some super minor OM drama but there could’ve been more and it would’ve made me like it more, just so he could get really jealous and we could get more.
The climax was what was expected and happened quickly.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 10, 2023
3 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️
When most men say they would kill for you, it’s a figure of speech. Coming from Nick, it’s a bloody promise.
Pretty Ugly Lies is a second-chance Mafia romance and I'll keep my review sweet and simple.
The lack of a proper backstory was a huge disservice to the romance, especially when it's a second chance romance.
Lyla and Nick met when they were 18 and were in a relationship for a couple of months before Nick disappeared without a trace or an explanation. Nick left Lyla with a broken heart and... a baby.
9 years later, Lyla runs into one of Nick's friends and what starts out as a simple inquiry of why her son's father disappeared from her life plunged her into a dangerous world where Nick sits right at the center of it.
The story started out great for me but it simmered down and I was left unsatisfied with how the romance was executed. I assumed we'll probably get chapters set in the past to get context of what happened and it would've had a more emotional impact on the reader to experience it rather than be told by the characters what happened.
I didn't hate it but I did feel disappointed.
Trigger Warnings: mention of death of family members, mention of overdose, kidnappings, violence, death.
When most men say they would kill for you, it’s a figure of speech. Coming from Nick, it’s a bloody promise.
Pretty Ugly Lies is a second-chance Mafia romance and I'll keep my review sweet and simple.
The lack of a proper backstory was a huge disservice to the romance, especially when it's a second chance romance.
Lyla and Nick met when they were 18 and were in a relationship for a couple of months before Nick disappeared without a trace or an explanation. Nick left Lyla with a broken heart and... a baby.
9 years later, Lyla runs into one of Nick's friends and what starts out as a simple inquiry of why her son's father disappeared from her life plunged her into a dangerous world where Nick sits right at the center of it.
The story started out great for me but it simmered down and I was left unsatisfied with how the romance was executed. I assumed we'll probably get chapters set in the past to get context of what happened and it would've had a more emotional impact on the reader to experience it rather than be told by the characters what happened.
I didn't hate it but I did feel disappointed.
Trigger Warnings: mention of death of family members, mention of overdose, kidnappings, violence, death.
March 30, 2023
If there is something I HATE is two FULLY GROWN ADULTS unable to finish ANY SERIOUS CONVERSATION because they’re horny and want to have S€X!!!??? Also, I get the “I hate everyone but you” trope, but do people really like men who don’t say thank you to staff at restaurants?????
February 17, 2023
» Don‘t you dare think I don‘t love you. I love you more than I thought I was capable of loving someone. «
★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑳𝒚𝒍𝒂
Loved her! She‘s so strong and a very good mother.
❥ 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒌
I want one for myself. You can feel how much he loves Lyla and does everything to protect her (and their son).
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book caught me totally off guard. I hadn‘t got any expectations and was surprised - in a good way.
The story of Lyla & Nick was wonderful, emotional and full of tension. Really enjoyed reading!
I read the whole book in one sitting and fell in love with Leo, Nick & Lyla. If you‘re searching for a quick and light mafia read, this book is the perfect match.
plot: 4/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 3/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
keywords: forced proximity, bratva, he keeps her safe, protective hero, shared past, he doesn‘t know he have a son, second chance
★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑳𝒚𝒍𝒂
Loved her! She‘s so strong and a very good mother.
❥ 𝑵𝒊𝒄𝒌
I want one for myself. You can feel how much he loves Lyla and does everything to protect her (and their son).
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book caught me totally off guard. I hadn‘t got any expectations and was surprised - in a good way.
The story of Lyla & Nick was wonderful, emotional and full of tension. Really enjoyed reading!
I read the whole book in one sitting and fell in love with Leo, Nick & Lyla. If you‘re searching for a quick and light mafia read, this book is the perfect match.
plot: 4/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 3/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
keywords: forced proximity, bratva, he keeps her safe, protective hero, shared past, he doesn‘t know he have a son, second chance
February 7, 2023
this started off really well but then i felt like it dragged a lot and got kinda bored, also i didn’t really see much of a connection between the two main characters. however it was an easy read and i did like the secret baby aspect
March 10, 2025
La verdad no me esperaba que me fuera a gustar tanto. Sin duda alguna fue una buena lectura, la pasé muy bien y me lo devoré. Hace tiempo que no disfrutaba una historia y a sus personajes. Nick y Lyla me gustaron mucho
Pre-lectura 🖤🔥
Este libro lo conocí por tiktok y me llamó la atención, espero que me quite el bloqueo que tengo y que me guste, parece interesante.
Pre-lectura 🖤🔥
Este libro lo conocí por tiktok y me llamó la atención, espero que me quite el bloqueo que tengo y que me guste, parece interesante.
March 19, 2023
it lacked something.... it was good don't get me wrong but with this book and the tropes it contained, there should have been more.
February 25, 2023
2/5 ☆
was looking forward to this one after loving fake empire! sadly this did not meet the mark and was a bit disappointing.
was looking forward to this one after loving fake empire! sadly this did not meet the mark and was a bit disappointing.
January 23, 2023
4.5 stars!!!
“When most men say they would kill for you, it’s a figure of speech. Coming from Nick, it’s a bloody promise. It should terrify me, and it does. But there’s also a part of me that likes it, and that scares me even more.”
Just something about a mafia romance 💁🏻♀️ Then add second chance…. AND FORCED PROXIMITY!!! I am done.
Nick and Lyla. Met in college and there was an instant connection. Then one day.. Nick is gone with no explanation. 8 years later… he shows up and Lyla learns he is a mafia boss.
Now, you might be scared to try mafia if you never have. But I think this is a great “starter” mafia book. Just a tad dark and not too gruesome. Who knows maybe this will open the door to a mafia romance addiction.
“Hate can’t dig under the skin the way love does. It doesn’t alter your cells or spark chemistry. You’d bleed for someone you love, never someone you truly hate. But hate holds a dark power of its own. And right now, both hate and love are driving my decisions.”
“When most men say they would kill for you, it’s a figure of speech. Coming from Nick, it’s a bloody promise. It should terrify me, and it does. But there’s also a part of me that likes it, and that scares me even more.”
Just something about a mafia romance 💁🏻♀️ Then add second chance…. AND FORCED PROXIMITY!!! I am done.
Nick and Lyla. Met in college and there was an instant connection. Then one day.. Nick is gone with no explanation. 8 years later… he shows up and Lyla learns he is a mafia boss.
Now, you might be scared to try mafia if you never have. But I think this is a great “starter” mafia book. Just a tad dark and not too gruesome. Who knows maybe this will open the door to a mafia romance addiction.
“Hate can’t dig under the skin the way love does. It doesn’t alter your cells or spark chemistry. You’d bleed for someone you love, never someone you truly hate. But hate holds a dark power of its own. And right now, both hate and love are driving my decisions.”
August 3, 2023
i adored the writing in the books that i’ve previously read by farnsworth and this book in particular solidified the fact that i think that she has a gift with diction.
i thought that there could have been more characterization, context, and explanations to correspond to the recurrent themes, but it was still enjoyable without them.
lyla and nick shared a connection that was truly special. i personally believe that the most unexpected relationships are always the best! their little family in the end was so, so cute.
i thought that there could have been more characterization, context, and explanations to correspond to the recurrent themes, but it was still enjoyable without them.
lyla and nick shared a connection that was truly special. i personally believe that the most unexpected relationships are always the best! their little family in the end was so, so cute.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 7, 2023
the premise kept me reading and so did the hope of this getting better,,,,, but it didn't get better🤠 i was bored through this entire book and there was ZERO buzz from the characters. it genuinely felt like they reconciled so he could get to know their son then just got back together bc why not😭
July 6, 2024
Me hubiese gustado un pelín más de romanticismo, he sentido que los personajes no admitían lo que sentían hasta el último 5%, aún así la historia me ha parecido bonita y adictiva :)
March 16, 2025
3.2/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
2/5🌶️🌶️
Overall it was an easy, fun, fluffy read. It’s the type of read that you want to read because it’s easy and not stressful and it’s just enjoyable. But like was the story amazing? No, it had potential but wasn’t executed. The plot was questionable because there was barely any action for a Mafia book. The biggest “threat” during the book got solved quickly at about 70% and before that it was mostly them reconnecting. Most of it was her questioning herself and her relationship with Nick. And I realize the point of the book is her getting answers to his sudden disappearance and then reconnecting but they put so much emphasis on the Bratva part that I expected more to come from it.
Her inner monologue and inner turmoil was the plot💀 Like “do I get back with Nick or not?” “What if he doesn’t feel the same way as I do?” “He’s in the Bratva, he’s a bad man, I should stay away” “But he’s also the only guy I’ve ever felt a connection with and felt complete with”.
LIKE GIRL MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND TELL HIM!!
I give props to my man Nickolaj. This man has the patience of a saint. She was giving me whip lash and he just took it. As long as he got a piece of her, he was okay. She judged him and he never pushed her away.
Honestly he was the perfect baby daddy (once he found out he was a dad lol). Present✅ Provider✅ Loyal✅ Respectful✅ Fineee as hell✅ Mafia zaddyy✅
Also thank you to the author for not making him out to be the typical mafia man whore. They both clearly had relationships after they ended but once they reconnected he was loyal to her even if they weren’t officially together. There wasn’t an emphasis on him with sleeping with half the town, etc.
2/5🌶️🌶️
Overall it was an easy, fun, fluffy read. It’s the type of read that you want to read because it’s easy and not stressful and it’s just enjoyable. But like was the story amazing? No, it had potential but wasn’t executed. The plot was questionable because there was barely any action for a Mafia book. The biggest “threat” during the book got solved quickly at about 70% and before that it was mostly them reconnecting. Most of it was her questioning herself and her relationship with Nick. And I realize the point of the book is her getting answers to his sudden disappearance and then reconnecting but they put so much emphasis on the Bratva part that I expected more to come from it.
Her inner monologue and inner turmoil was the plot💀 Like “do I get back with Nick or not?” “What if he doesn’t feel the same way as I do?” “He’s in the Bratva, he’s a bad man, I should stay away” “But he’s also the only guy I’ve ever felt a connection with and felt complete with”.
LIKE GIRL MAKE UP YOUR MIND AND TELL HIM!!
I give props to my man Nickolaj. This man has the patience of a saint. She was giving me whip lash and he just took it. As long as he got a piece of her, he was okay. She judged him and he never pushed her away.
Honestly he was the perfect baby daddy (once he found out he was a dad lol). Present✅ Provider✅ Loyal✅ Respectful✅ Fineee as hell✅ Mafia zaddyy✅
Also thank you to the author for not making him out to be the typical mafia man whore. They both clearly had relationships after they ended but once they reconnected he was loyal to her even if they weren’t officially together. There wasn’t an emphasis on him with sleeping with half the town, etc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 21, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 Another mafia romance in the books. I liked the writing and the spice, but don’t go into this expecting a swoon worthy book boyfriend. Nick is a great mafia guy but he’s not overly obsessed with Lyla and you don’t get an unhealthy amount of pining. This honestly felt like “realistic mafia romance” (I fully recognize that is not a thing). Nick had shit to do and he spent a lot of time being pragmatic and trying to keep everyone safe.
Some parts dragged a bit and both characters had a little too much inner dialogue for my tastes. There’s a decent amount of angst but I felt like the ending wrapped up way too quickly. The epilogue was adorable though!
Some parts dragged a bit and both characters had a little too much inner dialogue for my tastes. There’s a decent amount of angst but I felt like the ending wrapped up way too quickly. The epilogue was adorable though!
February 2, 2024
Ich hab’s in (fast) einem Rutsch durchgelesen und bin total durchgeflogen. Ich hatte also echt Spaß beim lesen aber die emotionale Tiefe hat mir zwischendurch etwas gefehlt. Trotzdem richtig gut für zwischendurch! 🖤 4/5⭐️
March 9, 2024
2.5/5⭐
January 21, 2023
4.5 stars
Second chance? Winter setting? Secret kid? Yes pls. I absolutely adored this book.
Nick was always so transparent about his feelings. How many times do we see that in books nowadays?
That half star is only because the suspense/action from mafia aspect was solved too easily and quickly. I was left hoping for a bit more.
Second chance? Winter setting? Secret kid? Yes pls. I absolutely adored this book.
Nick was always so transparent about his feelings. How many times do we see that in books nowadays?
That half star is only because the suspense/action from mafia aspect was solved too easily and quickly. I was left hoping for a bit more.
March 8, 2023
ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝟐.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐔𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳
𝐋𝐲𝐥𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 (h) fell in love in college and had a meaningful relationship with him until he vanished, and she never got to tell him that she was expecting his child. Nine years later, she runs into his friend, and she asks him if her guy is okay; not expecting to hear that he is, she is angry for all the time she lost when he was just a phone call away. She doesn't expect him to be at her doorstep when she tells his friend to report back to him about the child. 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐨𝐯 (H) is the Packhan of the Morozov family, so when he discovers that he has a child, he knows that he may be in danger but also has an heir. While children conceived outside of marriage are uncommon in the Bratva, it shocks everyone when Nick happily claims Leo as his own. Lyla does not know how to act around Nick or what it means for the future of their relationship.
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳
I wouldn't call this much of a romance; it was more of a relationship of convenience. I never felt like the two were in love with each other and stayed together because they had Leo. If it weren't for Leo, they would have never reconnected or thought of each other again. There was a significant disconnect between the past and present since it never showed moments of their relationship as teenagers. Therefore, it wasn't easy to love the people they were in the present, with zero context to who they once were. Lyla only acted on her physical appeal to Nick, and their emotional connection was non-existent and strayed from the book. It never felt like they wanted more from each other, and they never tried to connect like in the past truly. It was only sexual attraction that ruined the book because the love was not there. They were attracted to each other and shared history, but that was all they had going for them. There were rare moments when they went out together as a family, it was separate, and it seemed like Lyla only tried to make Leo happy. She wouldn't have gone back if Leo wasn't involved because Nick never asked her to stay. There were significant layers of miscommunication, and their connection just missed the mark. While they got married and she was expecting at the end, it felt forced because their relationship was not believable in the first place.
It also made no sense that Nick just showed up after nine years, and she automatically offered him a chance to meet Leo. She should have had her guard up, especially not knowing the type of man he was since she didn’t know this version of him. Then he made huge decisions like it was nothing; she just got up and moved to Russia and uplifted her life with no explanation. It was ridiculous that she didn’t stand up to him and allowed him to be in her life like he had never left.
*. ⋆𝐎͢𝐕͢𝐄͢𝐑͢𝐀͢𝐋͢𝐋͢
I wish I had loved this more, mainly because I adore second-chance, but it didn’t work out because they didn’t talk about their feelings, and it felt like they were still hiding parts from each other. They didn’t have the emotional maturity of people in their late 20s, lacking in that area.
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 𝐏𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐲 𝐔𝐠𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐬 ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳
𝐋𝐲𝐥𝐚 𝐏𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧 (h) fell in love in college and had a meaningful relationship with him until he vanished, and she never got to tell him that she was expecting his child. Nine years later, she runs into his friend, and she asks him if her guy is okay; not expecting to hear that he is, she is angry for all the time she lost when he was just a phone call away. She doesn't expect him to be at her doorstep when she tells his friend to report back to him about the child. 𝐍𝐢𝐜𝐤 𝐌𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐳𝐨𝐯 (H) is the Packhan of the Morozov family, so when he discovers that he has a child, he knows that he may be in danger but also has an heir. While children conceived outside of marriage are uncommon in the Bratva, it shocks everyone when Nick happily claims Leo as his own. Lyla does not know how to act around Nick or what it means for the future of their relationship.
·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳ 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞·˚ ༘₊· ͟͟͞͞꒰➳
I wouldn't call this much of a romance; it was more of a relationship of convenience. I never felt like the two were in love with each other and stayed together because they had Leo. If it weren't for Leo, they would have never reconnected or thought of each other again. There was a significant disconnect between the past and present since it never showed moments of their relationship as teenagers. Therefore, it wasn't easy to love the people they were in the present, with zero context to who they once were. Lyla only acted on her physical appeal to Nick, and their emotional connection was non-existent and strayed from the book. It never felt like they wanted more from each other, and they never tried to connect like in the past truly. It was only sexual attraction that ruined the book because the love was not there. They were attracted to each other and shared history, but that was all they had going for them. There were rare moments when they went out together as a family, it was separate, and it seemed like Lyla only tried to make Leo happy. She wouldn't have gone back if Leo wasn't involved because Nick never asked her to stay. There were significant layers of miscommunication, and their connection just missed the mark. While they got married and she was expecting at the end, it felt forced because their relationship was not believable in the first place.
It also made no sense that Nick just showed up after nine years, and she automatically offered him a chance to meet Leo. She should have had her guard up, especially not knowing the type of man he was since she didn’t know this version of him. Then he made huge decisions like it was nothing; she just got up and moved to Russia and uplifted her life with no explanation. It was ridiculous that she didn’t stand up to him and allowed him to be in her life like he had never left.
*. ⋆𝐎͢𝐕͢𝐄͢𝐑͢𝐀͢𝐋͢𝐋͢
I wish I had loved this more, mainly because I adore second-chance, but it didn’t work out because they didn’t talk about their feelings, and it felt like they were still hiding parts from each other. They didn’t have the emotional maturity of people in their late 20s, lacking in that area.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2023
4 Stars
This is a really cool blend of second chance romance and a mafia romance. Nick and Lyla have a romance in college for months and then one day Nick just disappeared.
When Lyla runs into Nick’s best friend 9 years later, she tells him a secret that she never got to tell Nick. That secret completely changed Nicks life.
This second chance romance was SO GOOD!! Loved all the mafia aspects.
This is a really cool blend of second chance romance and a mafia romance. Nick and Lyla have a romance in college for months and then one day Nick just disappeared.
When Lyla runs into Nick’s best friend 9 years later, she tells him a secret that she never got to tell Nick. That secret completely changed Nicks life.
This second chance romance was SO GOOD!! Loved all the mafia aspects.
January 22, 2025
They have the chemistry of a wet paper towel
February 2, 2023
4,3 ⭐️
Estava curiosa com este livro, mas a realidade é que fiquei mais invested na história por conta da Catarina. Acho que isso ajudou-me a querer ainda mais ler. Sejamos francos, não precisei de mais nada quando soube que era single parent, mas vamos por partes.
1. SINGLE PARENT!
Lyla é single mom e vê-se a cuidar do seu filho de oito anos Leo sozinha, depois do seu namorado da altura, Nick, ter desaparecido do mapa na mesma altura em que engravidou. Adivinhem quem já estava super addicted para ler este livro? Moi.
2. MAFIA!!!!
Acho que ainda não tinha lido nenhum livro que juntasse tanto single parent como mafia, mas opa acho que tornou o livro ainda melhor e gostei bastante de que aquele mundo da máfia nem rondasse tanto os Estados Unidos (assim muito, mas não descartemos).
3. SECOND CHANCE!
O nosso protagnista é o Nick, o mesmo que tinha desaparecido quando ela estava grávida, e como devem calcular acabamos por ter de trabalhar bastante neste livro sobre a confiança que acabou por ser quebrada em todos aqueles anos.
4. LEO!
Ele é simplesmente um querido! Fogo e é tão esperto! Não têm noção, acho que acabou por digerir melhor o que se estava a passar, mesmo que muita coisa estivesse a ser filtrada, dentro daquele novo mundo em que existe muito crime do que eu pensava que ele haveria de digerir!
5. ALEX!
Posso ter ficado super curiosa com ele, com as pequenas partes onde entrou ao ponto de querer um livro dele!
6. NICK E LYLA.
Gostei que, apesar da história toda, de Lyla acabar por precisar de novamente de confiar em Nick, porque apesar de saber a verdade e de saber que ele realmente não mentiu (omitiu, right?), as coisas não são assim tão simples. Porque ela agora também sente o perigo do mundo dele.
Adorei. Mais do que esperava gostar, mas também já devia saber que se a Catarina me recomenda, claro que é bom.
Estava curiosa com este livro, mas a realidade é que fiquei mais invested na história por conta da Catarina. Acho que isso ajudou-me a querer ainda mais ler. Sejamos francos, não precisei de mais nada quando soube que era single parent, mas vamos por partes.
1. SINGLE PARENT!
Lyla é single mom e vê-se a cuidar do seu filho de oito anos Leo sozinha, depois do seu namorado da altura, Nick, ter desaparecido do mapa na mesma altura em que engravidou. Adivinhem quem já estava super addicted para ler este livro? Moi.
2. MAFIA!!!!
Acho que ainda não tinha lido nenhum livro que juntasse tanto single parent como mafia, mas opa acho que tornou o livro ainda melhor e gostei bastante de que aquele mundo da máfia nem rondasse tanto os Estados Unidos (assim muito, mas não descartemos).
3. SECOND CHANCE!
O nosso protagnista é o Nick, o mesmo que tinha desaparecido quando ela estava grávida, e como devem calcular acabamos por ter de trabalhar bastante neste livro sobre a confiança que acabou por ser quebrada em todos aqueles anos.
4. LEO!
Ele é simplesmente um querido! Fogo e é tão esperto! Não têm noção, acho que acabou por digerir melhor o que se estava a passar, mesmo que muita coisa estivesse a ser filtrada, dentro daquele novo mundo em que existe muito crime do que eu pensava que ele haveria de digerir!
5. ALEX!
Posso ter ficado super curiosa com ele, com as pequenas partes onde entrou ao ponto de querer um livro dele!
6. NICK E LYLA.
Gostei que, apesar da história toda, de Lyla acabar por precisar de novamente de confiar em Nick, porque apesar de saber a verdade e de saber que ele realmente não mentiu (omitiu, right?), as coisas não são assim tão simples. Porque ela agora também sente o perigo do mundo dele.
Adorei. Mais do que esperava gostar, mas também já devia saber que se a Catarina me recomenda, claro que é bom.
April 22, 2024
3.5🌟
This is my first book by this author and I have mixed feelings.
This one is second chance romance mafia.
The plot had so much of potential to develop along with past and present aspect but it fell flat. The writing felt quite average. Nick and Lyla, I loved their chemistry but because of the writing it didn't wow me. I would have loved to see few chapters of past as this one is second chance romance and that would have helped with the chemistry part as well. Nick not one bit made me felt like that he is Mafia. the mafia vibe was not there the terrifying, harsh aura and so. but I liked the ending it was nice.
Overall I enjoyed it was an okay read.
This is my first book by this author and I have mixed feelings.
This one is second chance romance mafia.
The plot had so much of potential to develop along with past and present aspect but it fell flat. The writing felt quite average. Nick and Lyla, I loved their chemistry but because of the writing it didn't wow me. I would have loved to see few chapters of past as this one is second chance romance and that would have helped with the chemistry part as well. Nick not one bit made me felt like that he is Mafia. the mafia vibe was not there the terrifying, harsh aura and so. but I liked the ending it was nice.
Overall I enjoyed it was an okay read.
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