Review: Stolen- Dante’s Vow by Natasha Knight

STOLEN: DANTE’S VOW
Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
Author: Natasha Knight
Release Date: September 30, 2021

Five years.
That’s how long it took me to find her.

Five years after my world shattered, leaving me a scarred and broken man.

By then, the girl I knew was gone. In her place stood a woman. One who looked like an angel. An impossible, beautiful angel.

I killed for her. Soaked my hands in the blood of those who hurt her and rescued her from hell.

But hell has a way of following you. Becoming a part of you. Maybe the only part you recognize.

I had every intention of bringing her home. Setting her free.
I swear I did.

But the men who kidnapped her all those years ago weren’t done with her yet. They’d stop at nothing to get her back. And I’d kill any man who tried to take her from me.

She calls me her avenging angel.
But I know the truth.
I’m no angel.

Because even as I tell myself I’m protecting her I know one thing for sure.

I am a monster, too. No better than them.
Because just like them, I’ll never let her go .

Author’s note: Stolen is Dante Grigori’s story and although a standalone, would be better enjoyed after reading With This Ring and I Thee Take.

AMAZON 

I’m here now, Mara. And I may not be the boy you remember, but I am the man you’ll come to know. The man who will destroy your demons.”

I feel like I’ve been waiting for this story forever! The second that Dante appeared in With This Ring, I was intrigued. And when the revelations in I Thee Take happened, well, let’s just say I was damn near salivating for this story. When I saw Natasha post a teaser about writing Dante’s book, I was pretty much rabid in my need to get my hands on it. So is it any surprise that the second it landed on my kindle, I devoured it in one sitting? I think not.

I can’t have her. So much has been stolen from her already. I won’t steal a love I don’t deserve.

I highly recommend that you read the To Have and To Hold duet prior to this book. There’s a lot of overarching story arc that really sets the stage for this story. And while you can technically still enjoy this as a standalone, some of the big nuances may be missed on you if you do.

We met Dante’s brother in that duet and we learn quite a bit about the brother’s family and history. We get to know their years long vendetta for the gruesome death of their family. But at the end of the duet we learn that the woman that they thought died all those years along with their family, may not have. Stolen actually takes place five years after I Thee Take.

Dante has been tirelessly searching for Mara, who has been barely surviving her captivity to a monster all of these years. Sold into sexual slavery, she made a deal with her owner five years ago to save Dante’s brother’s woman. And it cost her. The book starts off pretty much right away with her rescue and the aftereffects of what she’s been through.

I loved Mara. She’s a fighter and a survivor, no matter the hell she’s been through the past 15 years. She may have grew up with Dante the boy, but she doesn’t recognize the man, and their connection takes a while to reestablish. I loved watching this ruthless killer handle this woman like she’s made of spun glass. He was her fiercest protector, even if that protection was against himself.

I’m not sure why I thought this was a duet when it’s a standalone. But a part of me kept thinking that I would have loved this to be a bit longer. I would have liked to get a bit more fleshing out with things at the end. But as it was, I still devoured it and loved every page. The connection between Mara and Dante was years long in the making. There’s a deliciously complex secondary character who gets introduced and I’m already hoping we get his story next, because DAMN.

But if you’re looking for a gritty mafia romance read, look no further. Knight delivers as always with packing a story full of emotion, darkness, and steam.