Review: Shattered Vows by Shain Rose
Rating: 5/5 PoP:11% Tropes: Arranged marriage, mafia, grumpy/sunshine Standalone.
Shattered Vows starts with Morina Bailey joining her friend at a club. Morina is looking for a one night stand to take her mind off of her dying grandmother. Her friend has challenged her to talk to the guy she decides on for thirty minutes before leaving with him. Sebastian Armanelli is not her first choice but the man she ends up spending an unforgettable night with. Then the two go back to their separate lives or so they believe.
Bastian is the most fair and people pleasing mafia boss. He is trying hard to undo the wrongs of his father by making all the family’s business legitimate. He does this by often finding compromises that will make all those involved satisfied. The last piece to transform involves Morina’s grandmother, which is news to both Morina and Bastian. Soon after this revelation, Maribel (Morina’s grandmother) dies. And her will indicates that the only way for Sebastian and Morina to both receive what they want, they must marry for at least six months.
Morina is a free spirit that is always trying to center herself with crystals and daily horoscope readings. She has long had a fear of commitment but she is still a smart and kind person. The dynamic between Bastin and Morina is interesting as he is not the dominating alpha we often think of as a mafia boss (or is he?). He wants to do right by Morina and for her to be her own person but is also very protective of her. I really enjoyed that he respected Morina and believed in her abilities. Morina does not fully understand Bastin’s role in his world and often questions things. Her mantra from her grandmother is, “Quick decisions need to be made”. Which is the complete opposite of Bastian’s calculating and overthinking ways.
Throughout the book the characters reveal more of their individual pasts that have shaped them into the people they are today. This allows for them to better understand each other as well. And ultimately they have to find a balance of their personalities.
I was intrigued by Bastian’s diplomatic ways as a mafia boss, it is a unique storyline that I felt Rose pulled off very well. Morina is a character that you cannot help but love even if you do not completely agree with her practices. And she was the perfect push that Sebastian needed to grow to his full potential. Overall it was a great and original story that I would not mind rereading.
