Rating: 4.25 Stars

Publisher: Rina Saint

Genre: Gay Romance

Tags: Contemporary, Bi-Awakening (?), Bodyguard, First Time, Friends-to-Lovers, Mafia, Romance, Series

Length: 202 Pages

Reviewer: Cindi

Purchase At: Amazon

This review has spoilers from Possession, the first book in the series. 

Blurb –

I’ve been keeping secrets from my boss. I have to. Because how the hell do you tell a straight man that you’ve been in love with him for years?

If he found out, everything would collapse, and I’ve worked so hard to hold my life together, all these pieces that I don’t deserve: a home, a position, trust. But it’s only getting harder because he keeps watching me, keeps touching me—and I can’t handle it.

I try to tell myself that it’s in my head, but it’s not. Something’s changed between us, and I don’t understand. I don’t know what to do, and I’m terrified that I’m going to do something really, really stupid.

I just have to lock down. I’m good at that. I’ve been doing it for years. I don’t need anything. I swear I don’t. But then he touches me again, unnecessarily, like he’s trying to figure something out, and everything I tell myself I don’t need, everything I can’t have anyway, feels very much like everything I can’t live without.

Review –

Vitali Constantine and Quinn were introduced in Possession. Constantine is the head of the Constantine crime family. Quinn is Vitali’s bodyguard.

Quinn has been in love with Vitali practically since the day he met him. He’s spent years keeping it hidden from his very straight boss. But suddenly that not so very straight boss has been looking at him differently – and often. Vitali’s also finding ways to be really close to him when he was never that way before.

Vitali is confused over how he’s feeling about Quinn. He never saw himself as gay, bi, or any of the other letters of the rainbow. Not that it would matter either way. You love who you love. Right now, he’s seeing his bodyguard in a whole new light, and he’s not quite sure what to do about it.

It all started when Quinn got injured while doing his job. Suddenly Quinn’s not just Vitali’s bodyguard and friend, he’s something else entirely. Vitali just hasn’t figured out what yet.

There are things going on in the background. Crooked FBI agents and a rival crime family are getting all up in the Constantine family’s business. This started in the first book and continued on in Confession. I wasn’t expecting some of the things that came to light during all that. A few surprises are always good.

There’s also Vitali and his relationship with his brother, Roman. Roman suffered four years of hell after being kidnapped and used as a slave and fighter, having been ‘sold’ by someone very close to the family. Vitali lives with a lot of guilt, believing he should’ve protected his younger brother, and found a way to rescue him.

Roman’s still kind of an enigma all the way around. He’s mostly quiet, and he always needs Lucas nearby. He went to hell and back, and he’s only now finding a way to live a normal life again. While Vitali wants to make it all better, Roman simply wants to live his new normal. It takes Quinn convincing Vitali that he wasn’t responsible for what happened to his brother. There was nothing he could’ve done to stop what happened, nor was there any way he could’ve rescued him.

Vitali and Quinn finally come together after one simple kiss. This kiss could have either brought them together or completely pushed them apart. It turns out that all feelings are reciprocated, so they start a relationship of sorts that has nothing to do with the boss/bodyguard thing. I say ‘of sorts’ because there was nothing at all conventional about their relationship.

Vitali had to always be in control while Quinn wanted to be controlled. Sex for Quinn had to be rough, maybe a little violent. Anything soft or sweet and he was freaking out. It was those rare softer moments that I loved the most. Don’t get me wrong, the hardcore sex was pretty hot, and it explained a lot about both men. I just loved their vulnerable sides, something that’s not seen much throughout the book.

Vitali was born into a crime family, into wealth.

Quinn was born into an abusive family where he had to fight for everything he had. He never felt that he was good enough, not just for Vitali, but for anybody.

Certain things come to light that could’ve easily destroyed their new relationship. There are secrets in Quinn’s past that could ruin them before they really even get started; secrets that could end up getting them both killed.

I’m a sucker for boss slash bodyguard books. I love how Vitali finally convinced Quinn that he was good enough, and that he was loved. They were really good together once the danger had passed, and once they opened up more.

Possession was dark, violent, and there was dubcon. Confession was a little violent a few times, but it was nowhere near as dark and disturbing as Roman and Lucas’ story. I don’t think there were any serious trigger warnings for this one, when the first book had like a page or so of them.

I liked seeing Roman and Lucas again, but I really wish the author would’ve given them more time in this book, especially Roman. He’s still trying to recover from what he went through while in captivity, and I would’ve liked to have seen him open up a little with Vitali.

Vitali was very protective, though not to ‘Roman’ extremes. Quinn was his bodyguard. It was Quinn’s job to keep Vitali safe. Once emotions came into play, Vitali wanted to change the boss/employee thing because he feared losing him. It didn’t help that Quinn put himself in a few dangerous situations that he definitely shouldn’t have been in.

I’ve gone back and forth on my rating for this book. Did I like it? Yes. Did I love it? I honestly don’t know. There were so many emotions in Possession that weren’t in Confession. I know they’re not supposed to be that similar, but I would’ve really liked to see more angst and drama than I did in Confession. Normally I’m not big on a lot of angst in books, but I truly believe it was needed here.

Overall, I’ve enjoyed both books. I was happy to see both couples find their own happily-ever-afters.

This is my third book by this author, with The Contract being the one I read before these two. I’m really loving the dark themes and the not-so-perfect characters. I’ll definitely be reading more.