Sazon / Roman (Bratva Blood Brothers 4 & 5) by K.J. Dahlen-reviews

SAZON / ROMAN (Bratva Blood Brothers  #4 & 5) by K.J. Dahlen-reviews

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ROMAN
Bratva Blood Brothers #5
by KJ Dahlen

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 3, 2018

Roman

Broken. Scarred. Powerless.
I’ll destroy that f$$ker even if I have to come back from hell
He defaced my childhood innocence
The monster, arrogantly spent out his years doing to same
I’ll never be that vulnerable child again.
Barely surviving a life on the streets that took my brother
For years, I thought I was living.
But the truth I have hidden all these years has made me cold and distrustful.
I have done things I’m not so proud of.
But I have tried to live honorably since.
I am ruined though.
There will be no happy ending for me.
Like there is for my brothers.
I have already faced this truth.
One man’s moment of kindness
Drawn into a dark world i will never escape
Until, I met her.
She uncovered my dark secret
Brought me face to face with my past
Though my inner demons won’t go quietly
And now she knows the monster that I am
Can her light illuminate my darkness, or will I destroy us both?

Note: All books in the Bratva Blood Brother series are standalone, full length super sexy, raw mobster romance novels. They can be read in any order and do NOT contain cliff-hangers. It includes lots of steamy scenes, slang, cursing, some violence, dark themes, and elements about a fictional Russian mafia. HEA guaranteed.

••••••••••••

REVIEW: ROMAN is the fifth instalment in KJ Dahlen’s contemporary, adult BRATVA BLOOD BROTHERS erotic, Russian mafia, romance novella series. This is forty-year old warehouse owner Roman Salizar, and Stephanie ‘Stevie’ Angelica Grace’s story line. ROMAN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. The author begins each instalment in the series with the prequel short story BLOOD BROTHERS that reveals the background and history of the characters.

NOTE: Due to the story line content including child abuse, assault and graphic violence, there may be some triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Five young boys and childhood friends (Yuri, Sazon, Barshan, Mikial and Roman) survived the mean-streets of Russia only to be rescued and reared by a local gym owner Ivan Russo, who would meet his death by a local gang. Seeking revenge against the gang, local Russian Bratva member and soon to be New York Russian mafia leader Nikoli Silvanic would mentor the five young men until they were ready to take on the world, with the approval of Russian Bratva leader Sergi Constantine. When the time came Nikoli Silvanic would take over the New York territory, while the five ‘blood brothers’ would take over New Orleans. These are their stories.

Told from several third person points of view including Roman and Stevie, ROMAN is a complex and detailed story line that follows several intersecting paths including the take down of the deviant individuals whose goal in life to take control of the seedy underworld of Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Stevie, and her ‘brother’ Benny have been on the run, hiding in the shadows, in the hopes of escaping their life of pain and misery. Injured and sick, Stevie and Benny escape to New Orleans where they will come face to face with the Russian mob. Enter Roman Salizar, and the man with whom Stevie will fall in love. What ensues is the quick building relationship between Stevie and Roman, and the hunt for the sick and twisted minds who have destroyed so many lives.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters including all of Roman’s blood brothers, the Bratva leader Nikoli Silvanic, several members of the Devil’s Advocate MC, a local drug cartel, and an abhorent family of pedophiles, abusers and killers. The requisite evil has many faces including the man who all but destroyed Roman’s life.

ROMAN is a dark, sexy and sensitive tale with mature themes and spirited characters. The premise is edgy; the characters are dynamic; the romance is an insta lust/love seduction.

ROMAN is a quick read that ends at 20% on the Kindle e-reader. There is additional material including the author’s bonus content, Spawn and Spitfire Volume 1, as well as Sin’s Volume 2 & 3. This is not unusual as most of the books (story lines) in the series thus far end between 10-20% on the Kindle, with the remainder filled with additional story lines.

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Reviewed by Sandy

_____________

SAZON
(Bratva Blood Brothers #4)
by KJ Dahlen

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release Date April 23, 2018

Sazon
I am a man of honor and what I have I earned with my own two hands.
I am ruthless against those who would seek to destroy my family.
Our undying loyalty makes us family.
I would live and die for the brothers I found when I was nothing more than a child.
Till she came.
As soon as I touched her our connection was bonded. She is the missing half of my soul and to be without her now would leave me half alive.
I plan to protect her whether she wants it or not, she’s a stubborn as I am and her quest might just kill her.
To be with her will be heaven. To be without her would send my soul into a lifetime of hell.

Ana
I may be small but I’m determined. I was taught by the men in my life to stand up for what I believe in and nothing will take my honor away from me. I won’t let it.
When I met him it was like meeting the other part of my soul. He completes me like no other ever would.
I loved him at first sight even if I didn’t recognize the feeling but not even he will stand in my way. I must get justice for the death of my grandfather. Family honor demands it.
I’m torn in two direction, I want justice but now I finally has something I can’t bear to lose, Sazon. Everyone is telling me I can’t face him but I’ll have no one else stand in my stead. I must face this particular killer.
I must face a monster and win, using everything I was ever taught. Will it be enough to win or will I fall under my own blade?

••••••••

REVIEW: SAZON is the fourth instalment in KJ Dahlen’s contemporary, adult BRATVA BLOOD BROTHERS Russian mafia, romance series focusing on a close-knit group of friends, originally from Russia. This is gym owner Sazon Demikoff, and metal forger Anastasia ‘Ana’ Petroff’s story line. SAZON can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. The author begins each story with a short story prequel (Blood Brothers) focusing on the history of the ‘brothers’ and how they came to be.

NOTE: SAZON is the re-release of the author’s November 2017 release FORGED IN BLOOD.

SOME BACKGROUND: Five young boys and childhood friends (Yuri, Sazon, Barshan, Mikial and Roman) survived the mean-streets of Russia only to be rescued and reared by a local gym owner Ivan Russo, who would meet his death by a local gang. Seeking revenge against the gang, local Russian Bratva member and soon to be New York Russian mafia leader Nikoli Silvanic would mentor the five young men until they were ready to take on the world, with the approval of Russian Bratva leader Sergi Constantine. When the time came Nikoli Silvanic would take over the New York territory, while the five ‘blood brothers’ would take over New Orleans. These are their stories.

Told from several third person perspectives (Sazon and Ana) SAZON is an ensemble story line that brings together a large number of characters from the author’s Bratva Blood Brothers, Satan’s Spawn MC and Sin’s Bastards series in an attempt to take down a serial killer that has brought his game to the city of New Orleans. Days earlier Ana and Drago Petroff lost their beloved grandfather to a killer-a man who special ordered a Russian-designed sword from the victim, a sword that was used to murder Ivan Curcovic Petroff. In her attempts to track down the killer and her grandfather’s missing Russian blades, Ana finds herself in New Orleans, falling in love with a member of the Russian mob. Enter Sazon Demikoff, gym order and a member of the Russian Bratva. What ensues is the hunt for a killer, and the discovery of information regarding fourteen years of mayhem and murder.

The relationship between Ana and Sazon is quick to develop; a case of insta-lust/love wherein our hero claims Ana as his own declaring his protection for the rest of their lives within a matter of hours of meeting. The $ex scenes are passionate, and quick to resolve without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. Saying that, Ana and Sazon’s relationship took a backseat to the search and investigation into a series of murders linking back fourteen years.

Like the previous instalment Barshan, Sazon takes liberty with some of the history of the Russian Imperial Romanov family, and the Russian revolution- a history fictionalized and fantasized by many authors and historians throughout the years.

Sadly SAZON, like the previous instalments, requires another round of editing in that there are numerous problems including missing letters, possessive errors, as well as several instances of issues with name changes including Ana to Anna, and Drago to Deago. SAZON is the re-release of the author’s November 2017 FORGED IN BLOOD, therefore there is no excuse for the publication of a book without another re-read, round of editing, grammar and spell check. I also struggled with the lack of connection between the killer and the Russian blades. There is no apparent information linking the killer to the blades, or how he was able to ascertain their importance, location and history as it concerns the late Russian Tzar. The ‘missing information’ leaves a feeling of incompleteness to the overall story.

SAZON is a quick read that ends at 20% on the Kindle e-reader with additional material including a never before release novella-Saving Her, as well as Spawn and Spitfire Volume 1, Sin’s Volume 2 & 3. This is not unusual as most of the books in the series thus far end between 10-20% with the remainder filled with additional story lines.

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Reviewed by Sandy

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Barshan (Bratva Blood Brothers #3) by KJ Dahlen-a review

BARSHAN (Bratva Blood Brothers #3) by KJ Dahlen-a review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 5, 2018

Barshan
There’s a war coming and they want blood…from my family.
But that won’t stop me from protecting her.
She doesn’t care who I am.
The mobster. The killer. The devil with a twisted sense of justice.
There’s no room for weakness in my world.
No one leaves the mob unscathed.
But I break rules.
And I will break those who seek to hurt her.

Talli
I know he’s a mobster, a killer, a devil with his own twisted sense of justice.
I never should have got involved with the Bratva, but I can’t help it.
He sparked something inside me.
Something I thought I’d forgotten.
My heart. My feelings. My desires.

Note: All books in the Bratva Blood Brother series are standalone, full length super sexy, raw mobster romance novels. They can be read in any order and do NOT contain cliffhangers. It includes lots of steamy scenes, slang, cursing, some violence, dark themes, and elements about a fictional Russian mafia. HEA guaranteed.

•••••••••••

REVIEW: BARSHAN is the third instalment in KJ Dahlen’s contemporary adult BRATVA BLOOD BROTHERS erotic, romance, Russian Mafia series focusing on a tight knit group of friends, Blood Brothers, originally from Russia. This is Red Star Security owner Barshan Stanikoff, and jeweller Talli Janick’s story line. BARSHAN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: BARSHAN is the re-release of the authors October 2017 BLOOD TAINTED DIAMONDS

SOME BACKGROUND: Several years earlier, five young boys and childhood friends (Yuri, Sazon, Barshan, Mikial and Roman) survived the mean-streets of Russia only to be rescued and reared by a local gym owner Ivan Russo, who would meet his death by a local gang. Seeking revenge against the gang, local Russian Bratva member and soon to be New York Russian mafia leader Nikoli Silvanic would mentor the five young men until they were ready to take on the world, with the approval of Russian Bratva leader Sergi Constantine. When the time came Nikoli Silvanic would take over the New York territory, while the five ‘blood brothers’ would take over New Orleans. The Bratva Blood Brothers are their stories.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Barshan and Talli) BARSHAN follows the quick building relationship between Red Star Security owner Barshan Stanikoff, and jeweller Talli Janick. Several months earlier Barshan loaned businessman Russell Jerome a quarter of a million dollars, a loan that came due shortly after the death of his beloved wife Claudette Janick-Jerome. Unable to make restitution Jerome offers his late wife’s share of Christophe’s Jewellers, a family owned business currently run by the owner’s daughter, shares Russell had no authorization to offer. Enter Talli Janick, sole owner of Christophe’s Jewellers, and the woman with whom Barshan will fall in love. What ensues is the quick building romance between Barshan and Talli as Talli is targeted by an unknown source.

Barshan Stanikoff suspects he has been conned especially with the appearance of the Ukranian mob. With threats against our heroine’s life including several break and enters, assault and a fire that almost destroys Christophe’s Jewellers, Barshan claims Talli as his own in order to protect the woman with whom he is falling in love. Talli is a strong-willed, talented heroine but the on-going intimidation and threats place our heroine in a life-threatening situation. All evidence points to something to hide, something that is far more precious than anyone could have imagined.

Like the two previous story lines, the relationship between Barshan and Talli is very quick to develop. Barshan’s attraction to Talli is immediate, and within hours our hero claims Talli as his own, much to the bewilderment and objection of the Ukrainian mob. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

All of Barshan’s Bratva Blood Brothers play secondary and supporting characters. The Ukrainian and Russian mobsters must work together to solve the mystery that is Russell Jerome, a mystery that could affect the history of the Russian families.

BARSHAN takes liberty with some of the history of the Russian Imperial Romanov family- a history fictionalized and fantasized by many authors and historians throughout the years.

BARSHAN is a quick read; an edgy, insta-lust/love romance between two people thrown together by betrayal and vengeance, greed and power. The premise is thrilling; the characters are colorful and dynamic; the romance is provocative and tender.

On the down side, BARSHAN does require another round of editing in that there are missing words, and several errors that should have been caught before publication. And, as this is the re-release, there is no excuse for the publication of a book without a second attempt at proof-reading.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Yuri
Mikial
Barshan

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Reviewed by Sandy

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Mikial (Bratva Blood Brothers #2) by KJ Dahlen-a review

MIKIAL (Bratva Blood Brothers #2) by KJ Dahlen-a review

ebook only 99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release February 27, 2018

Mikial
The Bratva made him who he was.
He would die to protect any one of them.
The moment he saw her, he couldn’t ignore her.
He couldn’t help himself and he couldn’t stay away from her.
She belonged to him the moment he touched her.
Stepping in to protect what is his.
He would die to protect her, and go through hell to get her back.
God help any man who tried taking her away from him.

Pepper
In her nightmares, she can’t remember the face who crashed her world
She thought he wanted to use her, hurt her, and cast her away.
But he found it. He touched her soul, and he saved her.
She finds in his arms the safety she’s been missing
He makes her want the rest of the world to just go away
Now that she’s found him she’ll never let him go
To lose him now would be like ripping her soul out

•••••••••••••

REVIEW:  MIKIAL is the second instalment in KJ Dahlen’s contemporary, adult BRATVA BLOOD BROTHERS erotic, Russian Mafia, romance series focusing on a close-knit group of friends, originally from Russia. This is import/export dealer Mikial Bannonkov, and legal researcher Pepper Windjue’s story line. MIKIAL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. The author begins each story with a prequel short story focusing on the history of the ‘brothers’ and how they came to be.

NOTE: MIKIAL is the re-release of the author’s April 2017 IN COLD BLOOD.

SOME BACKGROUND:  Five young boys and childhood friends (Yuri, Sazon, Barshan, Mikial and Roman) survived the mean-streets of Russia only to be rescued and reared by a local gym owner Ivan Russo, who would meet his death by a local gang. Seeking revenge against the gang, local Russian Bratva member and soon to be New York Russian mafia leader Nikoli Silvanic would mentor the five young men until they were ready to take on the world, with the approval of Russian Bratva leader Sergi Constantine. When the time came Nikoli Silvanic would take over the New York territory, while the five ‘blood brothers’ would take over New Orleans.

Told from several third perspectives including Mikial and Pepper MIKIAL follows the quick building romance between import/export businessman Mikial Bannonkov, and legal researcher Pepper Windjue. An art showing at a local gallery owned by the five Russian Bratva brothers brought together some of the elite of New Orleans but Pepper Windjue found herself staring down her future and her past. With a recommendation from a friend Pepper saw what could have been a painting from her life, an exact image of the child she once was but never knew. A mysterious man, a unknown shooter, and an attempt on her life find our heroine under protective custody by the man with whom she would fall in love. Enter Mikial Bannonkov, import/ export businessman, and a man whose own business interests are about to over lap with Pepper’s past. What ensues are the quick building lust to love romance between Pepper and Mikial, and the potential fall –out when Pepper becomes collateral damage in a war between the Russian and Irish mob.

The relationship between Pepper and Mikial is very quick to build. From the attempt on her life into protective custody with the Bratva Brothers, Pepper and Mikial will find themselves falling in bed within hours of meeting, and proclaiming their love in a matter of days. I would have loved a slower build-up to love and a happily ever after. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic, and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text. I will add, that in this age of STDs and AIDs, I believe an author has a obligation and duty to promote safer sex, but there is NO mention of condom usage throughout the first two story lines.

All of Mikial’s Bratva Blood Brothers play secondary and supporting characters including the ongoing relationship struggles between Yuri and Raven (Yuri #1). Barshan’s story line is next.

The book description noted for a limited time, the book includes bonus content. At the beginning of the book the author adds that MIKIAL is a full length novel but ends before 100% on the Kindle File…I’d say….the story line ended at 12% with the remaining 88% focusing on the author’s Satan Spawn MC and Sin’s Bastards series, as well as other books by Butterfly Publishing. The first 2 % covered the background and history of the Bratva Brothers, a prequel that is also included in book one Yuri. I was hoping for a longer story line; a more thorough look at the conflict between Mikial and the Irish mob; and the connections to our heroine’s past.

MIKIAL is an easy read; simple in its’ presentation and formula. The premise is entertaining and intriguing; the characters are colorful; the romance is quick, fast and hot. If you are a fan of insta-lust/love then MIKIAL is the perfect read! If you are a fan of the Russian Mafia trope, then the Bratva Blood Brothers series is another chance to enjoy the ride.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one YURI

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Reviewed by Sandy

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Yuri (Bratva Blood Brothers #1) by K.J. Dahlen-a review

YURI (Bratva Blood Brothers #1) by K.J. Dahlen-a review

ebook ONLY 99¢ Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

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ABOUT THE BOK: Re-Release Date: Feburary 6, 2018

The Russian mob are a den of murderers and thieves…….

When her brother steals the wrong man’s wallet, Raven has to return it and almost gets caught by the Bratva.

When Yuri catches up with her, he can tell she’s hiding something from him and he’s determined to find out any secrets she has.

What is revealed is a lifetime of lies that once brought out into the open, sets the chance to right more than one life will Yuri claim her as his woman or allow her to taken from him?

••••••••

REVIEW: YURI is the first instalment in KJ Dahlen’s contemporary, adult BRATVA BLOOD BROTHERS erotic, romance, Russian Mafia series. This is the leader of the New Orleans Bratva forty two year old Yuri Anatoly, and twenty four year old waitress/ thief Raven Casseni story line.

NOTE: YURI is a re-release of the author’s March 2017 book BLOODLINE.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Yuri and Raven) from both the present and the past, YURI follows the building relationship between the head of the New Orleans’ Russian Bratva Yuri Anatoly, and waitress /thief Raven Casseni. When her younger brother, twenty year old Nicky, pick-pocketed the head of the local Russian Bratva our heroine knew the only way to make amends was to infiltrate the Russian’s apartment and return the wallet without anyone knowing the better. What Raven didn’t expect was to find herself face to face with her future, and the man who could destroy her life and her brother’s with a single word. Enter Yuri Anatoly, the man with whom Raven would promise her life, and the man who would quickly uncover the secrets of her past, and that of her brother’s. What ensues is the building relationship between Yuri and Raven, and the potential fall –out as Raven and Nicky’s pasts are revealed for all to see.

The relationship between Yuri and Raven is quick to develop; a case of instant attraction between a powerful member of the Russian mob, and a young woman who struggles between her head and her heart. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text but I had a difficult time accepting the ‘insta-lust/love’ between our leading couple. There were no proclamations of love or a happily ever after-Yuri claimed Raven as his own almost immediately without forethought to the future or what was about to transpire.

We are introduced to Yuri’s childhood friends and ‘blood brothers’ (Yuri, Sazon, Barshan, Mikial and Roman) five boys who survived the mean-streets of Russia only to be rescued and reared by a local gym owner Ivan Russo, until Ivan met his death by a local gang. Seeking revenge against the gang, local Russian Bratva member and soon to be New York Russian mafia leader Nikoli Silvanic would mentor the five young men until they were ready to take on the world, with the approval of Russian Bratva leader Sergi Constantine. Mikial’s story is next to be re-released.

YURI is a complex story line that follows several paths revealing Nicky and Raven’s heritage: their history, their past, their struggle to survive. We are witness as our heroine recounts their earlier years of abandonment and rejection; their life on the street, in the system, under control by the vilest of men, and finally on the run staying one step ahead of certain torture and death. The premise is entertaining, intriguing and engaging but I had some issues with the style of writing that seemed to change throughout the story line –from simple and elementary to intricate and involved-as though the author’s writing ‘evolved’ as the story line progressed then reverted back to basic writing. The characters are charismatic, spirited and inspiring; the romance is edgy and energetic. Although I had some issues with the author’s writing, I thoroughly enjoyed the first instalment in the BRATVA BLOOD BROTHERS by K.J. Dahlen

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reviewed by Sandy

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