They say your first kiss should be earned.
Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.
They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.
Mine were broken before we left church.
They say your heart only beats for one man.
Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.
I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.
Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.
They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.
One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.
And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.
I hate it when I can’t be aboard the hype train. I want to love the book as much as everyone seems to do! But I just can’t. I like it. But not as much as I’d hoped to have. I’m sure I’d have loved The Kiss Thief a lot more if I’d read it a few years ago. Goes to show that I really have aged as a reader.
There were tropes that I usually enjoy a lot! Enemies-to-lovers and arranged marriage. I was kinda on the edge about the love triangle but there was nothing to be hesitant about. It was clear from the start which guy’s the hero here. My problem with the book is the writing. It was juvenile at places. Some of the lines felt so ridiculous to read, especially from characters that are supposed to be senators and mafia lords.
I enjoyed the romance. I enjoyed Wolfe’s alpha persona. Francesca also was a great character, supposedly weak and naive but displaying strength and boldness when needed. Wolfe and Francesca had chemistry in spades. But I was not convinced by their decisions and actions. I was not convinced by the plot points.
I was expecting more of an insight into the decisions they make. We only see the outcomes or their decisions and realizations but not the process. Like at one point, one character admits that they love someone. But we are just told that they are in love. And that they realized it when the latter left them. And that’s it. Wait. That’s it? You put us through so much angst to just throw it like that?
I liked the ending. There is much-needed groveling and humbling. That was gratifying. But I find it lazy writing when I don’t get to see the thought process of a character even though we are reading their point of view. I’m probably being too harsh because it wasn’t a bad book. I just had higher expectations.
★★★☆☆
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