Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by write_of_passages
Blood money by Silvia Violet
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
I'm not rating this book because it simply wasn't for me but I can tell it would be for others. If you're into porn without plot, D/s elements and trope-filled characters and elements, this is a sexy and steamy book that does exactly what it sets out to do. I went into this book hoping for a balanced romance/high stakes plot, but left sorely disappointed and a bit confused by the deus ex machina ending.
Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
No.
See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book
CHARACTERS: While the characters have a couple of quirks that make them dynamic, overall what we have here is your typical tropes: size difference, D/s elements, rich/poor, a compromising situation that rubbed me the wrong way, and ultimately the characters filled the roles they were designed for, rather than a story about characters. Even then, I didn't find myself rooting for them because it didn't feel like an actual love-bond at all.
PLOT: While there supposedly is an external plot that involves mafia families, the plot is simply ignored in favor of multiple and rather constant steamy scenes, the dominant character constantly saving the sub character, and in the end there wasn't actually an ending to the plot. It simply gets thrown by the wayside. I actually couldn't believe the book ended because it was missing all the major build up and climax. Sure, they get together with an obviously-constructed HEA, so if you're looking for that, you'll get it here.
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.
1:5/low. Which is fine. Surprising given the setting, but not a bad thing.
CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?
25%. There is a HEA. That's about all I can give it. But there is no major climactic event, all the build up is for nothing and suddenly everything is wrapped up so perfectly and neatly and focuses solely on making sure the two main characters are together at the end. And I wasn't all that enamored with their relationship by the end either. They didn't feel like they belonged together. Very unfulfilled and unsatisfying.
Knowing what I know now about this book, would I still read it if I went back in time?
No.
See below for the four criteria I use to decide whether and when to read a book
CHARACTERS: While the characters have a couple of quirks that make them dynamic, overall what we have here is your typical tropes: size difference, D/s elements, rich/poor, a compromising situation that rubbed me the wrong way, and ultimately the characters filled the roles they were designed for, rather than a story about characters. Even then, I didn't find myself rooting for them because it didn't feel like an actual love-bond at all.
PLOT: While there supposedly is an external plot that involves mafia families, the plot is simply ignored in favor of multiple and rather constant steamy scenes, the dominant character constantly saving the sub character, and in the end there wasn't actually an ending to the plot. It simply gets thrown by the wayside. I actually couldn't believe the book ended because it was missing all the major build up and climax. Sure, they get together with an obviously-constructed HEA, so if you're looking for that, you'll get it here.
EMOTIONAL INTENSITY: There is no good/bad here. Sometimes I just want a low-investment entertainment read whereas other times a high-stakes 'I need a therapist to recover' is what I need.
1:5/low. Which is fine. Surprising given the setting, but not a bad thing.
CATHARTIC FULFILLMENT: Is the emotional journey worth it? Do I finish this book feeling that I've crested the wave of the climactic moment and everything has been settled, leaving me settled and fulfilled?
25%. There is a HEA. That's about all I can give it. But there is no major climactic event, all the build up is for nothing and suddenly everything is wrapped up so perfectly and neatly and focuses solely on making sure the two main characters are together at the end. And I wasn't all that enamored with their relationship by the end either. They didn't feel like they belonged together. Very unfulfilled and unsatisfying.