Boston Belles Book 3
Okay, I read this because I enjoyed the first two. However, I put book 3 off because I’m not a fan of romances where the hero is romanticised despite being a criminal and a murderer. I acknowledge that some readers love this trope, but I don’t.
This is a harsh review, I’ll hold my hands up. I pondered whether to post my review because I think I should have given up reading, but for some reason, I decided to see it through to the bitter end. So, despite my criticism of the characters, I suppose the author still did a good job because they managed to hook me in and I finished the book.
Aisling Fitzpatrick has been in love with Sam Brennan for years. She is the rich and privileged daughter of an oil tycoon and Sam is the guy who handles all her Dad’s dirty business. Sam’s also the head of the Boston Irish mob.
This romance follows the classic trend where the girl loves the bad guy and she thinks she can change him. The guy on the other hand won’t touch her with a barge pole because he works for her family etc.
Aisling spends her time desperately chasing Sam while Sam pushes her away, and he’s horrid at times. Nothing puts Aishling off, not seeing him murder someone in cold blood, not knowing he’s involved in the extortion of local people, or the organised crime.
Eventually, he succumbs to her desperation and they begin a secret relationship.
Here are a couple of quotes from Aisling that had me rolling my eyes:
- “He was offering me something. A start. I knew the rest would be hard-earned. Sam Brennan was a broken man, but not beyond repair. I believed that with my entire heart even and maybe because of the things I’d witnessed him do over the years. He had gotten my family out of trouble countless times, saved my older brother from losing the family company, and doted on me from afar. He may not have known it about himself, but he did have a moral code, and rules, and hard limits. I was going to make him see himself the way I saw him. Then maybe, just maybe, he could see me for who I was. A woman worthy of his attention. For now, I was willing to take what he was willing to offer, even if it was just carnal, angry sex.”
- “Now that he let me in, I was going to destroy every single one of his walls and finally make him mine.”
Part of me couldn’t help but label her as desperate and pathetic. I wanted to scream at her to develop some self-respect and move on, instead of suffering from the delusion that she can change him.
Sam and Aisling get my vote for king and queen of contradictory behaviour. Despite falling at Sam’s feet at every opportunity Aisling also says:
“I was in love, not a doormat. There was still a slight distinction between the two.” I agree with, Aisling, but it did not stop her letting him treat her like a doormat.
Sam supposedly has a moral code. He apparently took an oath never to touch Aisling. That oath didn’t stop him enjoying her on his billiards table, but then he claims he can’t go back on his word. Hello, you’re a mob boss!
Aisling’s father and brothers pay Sam not to go near her, except he does, then decides he shouldn’t really because they’re paying him not to. When he believes Aisling’s father ruined his life he ignores the easiest way to hurt his enemy. Take the angelic daughter and corrupt her – get revenge, job done. But this easy fix was ignored. We later learn that Sam’s staying away out of some sort of instinct telling him it would be bad to get involved with her.
This rant, disguised as a review, has gone on too long, so I’ll sum it up. The characters were contradictory and annoying, the plot was questionable in so many places, and while the sex scenes were hot, there weren’t that many.
Plot: ⭐️⭐️
Feels: ⭐️⭐️
Heat: ⭐️⭐️
Overall: ⭐️⭐️
