Book Review: Beautiful Criminal by M.N. Forgy

                                        "That's what every girl wants, right? That guy who is unruly and mean to the world. Yet, they treat that one girl as if she's special, like she's number one and if you come near her you'll face her man's wrath?" 

OK, before I even get into this review, can we just take a minute and appreciate this quote? I don't know how M.N. Forgy does it, but she literally put what almost every girl wants in these three sentences. (round of applause to her!) 

Now the review: This was actually a pretty fast read for me, maybe two to three hours. I saw some of the turns and predicted them, but the execution was good. It was a little too insta-love for me, but that could just be me, because I LOVE my build up. I liked the characters, but I feel like we didn't really get to know them on a really deep level. I need to be inside the character and their minds!

Summary: 

                                    "As the son of the infamous boss of the DeAngelo family, I have merciless duties expected of me. The public labels me a monster, a man without a soul, and one hated by many. They’re not wrong, and I’m not sorry for it. When my father orders me to marry a longtime enemy’s daughter to settle a score between our families, she did what any smart woman with a beating heart would do. She ran. So, I found her. She tries to negotiate for her freedom, but despite being inexplicably drawn to the deviant woman, I refuse her pitiful bribes with pleasure. I still have a job to do, and I’ll make her tell me her family’s secrets, turning a treacherous situation into a game of hatred. A code of silence will be broken. Lines will be crossed. I’ll promise her freedom to get the answers I need, but I’ll burn this city to the ground before I let her go."

Characters: 

     Kieran: Kieran is controlling, dangerous, possessive, and merciless. However, he is also caring and respectable. I like him. He is not my favorite character in this book, but I didn't really have any problems with him.

     Leona: Leona is innocent and oblivious  She seems to just be in the wrong spot at the wrong time. I like her, but not as much as I thought I would. She seems to be very obtuse and oblivious, when she shouldn't be. There are some scenes with her that are really bizarre and strange. I don't want to spoil things, so I won't tell you what happens, but those scenes just don't fit into the story. 

One thing I noticed while reading, was that the characters would be described one way, and then act a completely different way. That confused me a little, because the story then contradicts itself. I like the main protagonists, but I feel like I didn't connect with them. There wasn't really a personality for me to bond with. Some characters I instantly love, and others, it takes time. For me, in this book, I just didn't really bond with any of them. 

Plot:

    The plot has a ton of potential! There are some really good scenes that are executed quite well. Then, there are other scenes that really aren't necessary in this book. Those scenes don't help the plot nor the characters. 

    While the reading went fast, the book went pretty slow. I felt that the scenes were extremely long, but not very detailed. For example, there is a scene that seems pretty important and is about ten pages, but isn't detailed enough for me to delve into the characters and plot. 

    The storyline and idea of this book is really good! I like the idea of a mafia/mob story, but in order for it to work, there has to be a lot of mafia/mob. In this particular book, I thought that there wasn't and it took a backseat to the relationships and romance. Now don't get me wrong, I love romance! But, I also love my violence. 

    To me, there can only be so much change a person can have in a certain amount of time. I felt like this book was a little unrealistic in that department. People can change, but they cannot change in exactly two seconds. 

Rating: 

    I give this book 3 stars! I liked it and it has great potential. For me, I just couldn't connect with the characters that much. I don't know if it's because I'm not in the mafia/mob or what, but I just couldn't. I like the overall story, and it has some good twists. I did think that this book would have more violence than it did, which changed my opinion a little. However, this book is a great read, and I recommend it to anyone who is interested!!!

I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review.