The Darkest Temptation (Made)

The Darkest Temptation is proof that literally everything Danielle Lori writes is gold. I’m completely convinced. If you haven’t read the first two books in the Made series, what are you waiting for?? I was THRILLED when I first read The Sweetest Oblivion. I’ve always enjoyed mafia romance, but this was next level. A story I read then reread just to dive back in. Then I was swept away by The Maddest Obsession. So well written. Crazy good chemistry. Excellent banter. Characters you love and root for and angst that feels authentic and original. Unbelievably great books that satisfied my soul and made me happy to be alive and reading. So to say I eagerly anticipated this book is an understatement. And it was again exactly what I hoped for. Another re-readable instant favorite. Another heroine I could get behind, a swoon worthy dark Hero, chemistry that sizzled off the page, more laugh out loud moments, memorable side characters you either love acutely or want to punch in the face, and a plot which fuels an urgency to read as fast as possible to find out what will happen next. As a mafia romance lover, nothing quite does it for me like Bratva books. The level of danger is extreme and there is something so hot about tattooed mobsters with cold stares. So much yes. Needless to say, I was thrilled to discover the third Made book would take place in Moscow and be centered around the Bratva. So it’s fair to say I might have loved this book no matter what due to it hitting my every single romance read kink. That said, I know the difference between good writing and so-so. And Lori’s writing here was so strong. I want to re-read it again immediately so I can slow down and take my time soaking it in, because I read this like I was trying to make the Olympic speed reading team. Mila, the heroine, is a sweet person who has never swam upstream. Raised by household staff and a stern Papa who is mostly out of the country on business, she has just turned 20 and is on the cusp of accepting a proposal to a blah rich playboy from an upstanding family to satisfy her father. Her Papa just stood her up for her birthday dinner and she is feeling controlled, alone, and lost. She has no mother, no answers to her many questions, and no desire to lead the life she is being corralled into. So Mila decides to take off to Russia looking for the answers she needs, ignoring her Papa and bodyguard’s stern warnings to stay away. Like a thief in the night, she escapes her guarded home and heads for Moscow on her own. From the second she lands in Moscow, a heavy sense of foreboding enters the novel. Strange things begin happening and it becomes obvious Mila is in more danger than she knows. What did I love? Mila is true to herself. Whether she is being kind, naive, brave, bold, generous, or despondent, Mila remains true to who she is by doing what she feels compelled to do. Considering this book is based around Mila trying to find herself, I love love loved how even when she stumbles, she chooses to be authentic at every step. And oh my goodness she goes through the wringer! To see her give things her best shot, time after time, was so satisfying. Mila is brave in her vulnerability and I couldn’t help but be proud of her for it, fictional character though she may be. She has a light that she’s determined to shine even when it is snuffed our. Repeatedly. Ronan and Mila’s banter. Even if their chemistry wasn’t off the charts, which it so is, their dialogue is thoroughly enjoyable. Both are smart asses who challenge each other fabulously. Every interaction between them offered a sweet surprise, a laugh, or an eyebrow raise. The Darkest Temptation offered the best back and forth H and h dialogue I’ve read to date. Ronan is a JERK. When we first met him, I assumed he was going to be a bad guy with a heart of gold. No. He’s a jerk. He does one thing I literally couldn’t forgive. I was reading with wide eyed interest as to how the actual heck he could redeem himself. Thank god Mila is a better person than I, because this guy would’ve never left the dog house. Personal opinions aside, it was believable to Mila’s character that she was able to be drawn to him after his despicable betrayal. I loved Ronan. I kinda hated him. Just like Mila, I was surprised he could be hot and redeemable enough to get past his abhorrent lack of conscious. Christian, Gianna, and Kat!!! Some of my favorite moments included these beloved characters from The Maddest Obsession. Look for Gianna’s lesson to her daughter on passive aggressiveness. It’s a cant miss moment! Gianna and Christian’s understanding comments were soothing balms at different points in this story. Unlike some stories which bring in former characters for no other reason than to placate their fans, Christian and his girls offered important perspectives to Mila and Ronan and lended strength in the best way. The Darkest Temptation is dark, hot, funny, and engrossing. Do yourself a solid-read it!

There is so much to look forward to — jealousy ✓ — possessiveness ✓ — hot sex ✓ — an awesome showdown between Mila and OW (he doesn't have sex with anyone besides the h though so no worries) ✓ — some hilarious scenes with Christian+Gianna's daughter Kat (tied to the showdown scene mentioned above 😏) and an adorable uncle and niece scene 🥺 ✓ — the hero in denial of his obsession with the heroine and getting irritated all the time because he can't deal with his feelings ✓ *** What I wasn't a fan of is mainly the beginning. This might seem weird but I actually liked the switch from non-captive to captive. It brought that special spark that I was missing because Mila was just too enamored with Ronan right from the get-go that I seriously thought I wouldn't feel a thing between them chemistry-wise for the rest of the book. Then there was the whole plot setting... Mila irritated the hell out of me in the beginning, especially because every time there was a decision to be made, she went against every natural instinct she possessed. She had no sense of self-preservation and I really hated how she HAD to be like that or else the story would have never gotten to the captive part of it. To be fair though I was also irritated that nobody told her anything so I guess I'll just stay conflicted about these kinds of settings forever but man she was so innocent and naive at first. Good thing I learned to love her over the course of the book because she had great character development. She still stayed true to herself the whole time and I absolutely loved how sweet and selfless Mila was but she also had a feisty side so fear not, she's no doormat. She knew how to fight back and at the same time wasn't stubborn to a fault which is always a good thing in my book. *** I usually don't spend much time talking about the sex scenes in my reviews but I have to say that in TDT, they were HOT AF, and coming from me this is big. I'm so desensitized to descriptive sex scenes that besides the first scene, I just skip them all nowadays. This didn't happen here so definitely a plus for me. *** You guys, I love these heart-pinching moments so much and there were plenty of them in this book! Mila was such a sweetheart, every time Ronan hurt her in any way it made my heart ache so freaking much. (And just to clarify, this is not about me liking the heroine getting hurt, it's about the remorse the hero feels even though he doesn't admit it and doesn't really know what that feeling inside him is, while the clueless heroine is just trying her best because he didn't give her any other indication on how to act around him 🤷‍♀️). Not to forget the whole entertainment factor in all this. Mila unintentionally played Ronan so well, he got provoked by everything and in the end, always did something he really didn't wanna do. Like, he always hated looking into a woman's eyes during sex because it was too intimate for him but it irritated the sh** out of him when Mila didn't look lol or Mila acting like everything's totally cool after sex, making Ronan crazy for being so aloof. I loved all these small things because heck yeah, this is the stuff I wanna read about 😂 *** I had no problems with this book being dark so I actually don't want to say much about it. Ronan definitely does some questionable things, also there’s a dub-con scene in it so be prepared. *** All in all, there were no big issues for me except for the two things I listed above. I think I've just gotten stingy with my 5 stars over the years and after I finished TDT it just didn't feel like a 5-star-read which is why this book "only" gets 4 stars from me. I still loved it though!

I really enjoyed this book and I think that the ending was really great. overall I loved the characters and I loved the story Evan if sometimes i wanted to scream at them.

I loved the book but I realized to late that the book wasn’t in good shape. This is the third book in a series and when I started this one I noticed the pages was not normal… :( Maybe for some this isn’t a big deal, but a book lover knows that this is heartbreaking

Good book

Great read. Character focused narrative that fits into the trilogy while standing on its own.

Yes, definitely the darkest Made book of the 3 written by Danielle Lori!! Her writing style is really unique. She has this incredible insight into human nature and into human emotions. Immediately, her characters come alive and draw you into their lives and their thoughts. You are immediately immersed into Mila's life and wonderful psyche. Mila and Ronan are complete opposite. She has been sheltered since she was born, she is truly an angel at heart and tries to see the good in people, while he is the Devil who rules a violent, dark world. It is hard to do justice to this book. The characters are simply unforgettable! 💘 The story will haunt you for a long time. It is really disturbing and dark at times mostly in the 1st half of the book because Ronan is one of the most ruthless character ever written. She is his captive for two third of the book so it was disturbing to read how he tried many times to humiliate Mila and break her spirit. But she manages to stand her ground and because she has a heart of gold, she manages to crack his ruthless "shell"... The book will keep you awake. There are some scenes and some quotes that are so beautiful that they will stay in your mind for a long time. I especially love these quotes: "I loved his black, his gray and every shade in between, I loved him so much my skin was embedded by him" And "the moonlight loved her but not as much as my shadow" " Did he dream? And if he did, was it filled with blood and murder? We might not see each otjer ever again shortly, but a part of me hoped I'd leave him to dream of yellow" 💘 Read it!! Danielle Lori has become a favourite of mine. I can't wait to read The Vintage Club and The Purest addiction.