Dance of Defiance (Darkest Dance 5) by Jagger Cole-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 9, 2025

A night meant for violence and vengeance turns into something far more twisted and deviant…
I was raised to be brutal.
Hard. Tough. Unmerciful.
In the Bratva, men don’t crave other men. Good thing I’m straight.
And if I say that enough times, six inches from the mirror, it usually sounds true.
That is, until I go into the woods looking for monsters, and find something far harder to escape from.
Val Bancroft is chaos and carnage wrapped in electrified sin.
Provocative and defiant.
Lethally, disarmingly beautiful.
A violent, unhinged corruption to my own brand of carefully controlled darkness.
I tell myself I’m not gay. That our families want to kill each other. That my place as my father’s heir, with a woman chosen for me at my side, has already been carved in stone.
But he dismantles me, piece by bloody piece, until even my demons bow to him.
He’s an unstoppable force.
I’m an immovable object.
And when we slam together, we’ll find beautiful wreckage—or vicious goddamn ruin.

••••••

REVIEW: DANCE OF DEFIANCE is the fifth instalment in Jagger Cole’s contemporary, adult DARKEST DANCE dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is ballet dancer Val Bancroft, and Roman Nikitin’s story line. DANCE OF DEFIANCE can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. Roman is the sister of ballet dancer Evelina Nikitin.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers. DANCE OF DEFIANCE focuses on a same sex relationship with same sex scenarios.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Val and Roman) DANCE OF DEFIANCE focuses on the forbidden relationships between ballet dancer Val Bancroft, and Roman Nikitin. Roman Nikitin is the heir to the Nikitin throne, and an arranged marriage is part of the deal but Roman is struggling with his future, his sexuality, and his attraction to his sister’s friend and dancer Val Bancroft. Roman believes he is straight but his actions and desires for Val threaten his future as a member of the Bratva, a dangerous organization that doesn’t play well with things they refuse to understand. Val Bancroft is the brother of Vaughn Bancroft, the leader of the Obsidian Syndicate, and as such, does the occasion ‘job’ for the people in charge but Val’s attraction to, and need for Roman, threatens everything including Roman’s future and his life, and in this, Roman finds himself on the outside looking in when the world around him begins to spiral out of control, threatening not only himself, but the man with whom he has fallen in love.

The world building is dark and dramatic as Roman struggles with his attraction to a man, an attraction that is forbidden in the world in which he was raised.Struggling with his sexuality, in denial throughout the story, Roman is a man who fears the repercussions from the man in charge.

The relationship between Val and Roman is one of mutual attraction but Roman’s need to distance himself only pulls our couple together. Val is determined to force Roman to admit his sexuality but Val is unaware of the costs to the man with whom he has fallen in love. The same $ex scenarios are aggressive, intense and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and questionable secondary and supporting characters including Roman’s sister Evie, their father Pavel Nikitin; Val’s brother and head of the Obsidian Syndicate Vaughn, as well as Val’s fellow dancers, Dasha Lukashova, and Pavel’s second Stepan.

DANCE OF DEFIANCE is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, discrimination and homophobia, dysfunctional family relationships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is edgy, startling and vivid; the romance is seductive and challenging; the characters are determined, desperate and somewhat broken.

Reading Order and previous reviews
Dance of Deception
Dance of Ruin
Dance of Madness
Dance of Devils

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

A reader first and foremost, Jagger Cole cut his romance writing teeth penning various fan-fiction stories years ago. After deciding to hang up his writing boots, Jagger worked in advertising pretending to be Don Draper. It worked enough to convince a woman way out of his league to marry him, though, which is a total win.

Now, Dad to two little princesses and King to a Queen, Jagger is thrilled to be back at the keyboard.

When not writing or reading romance books, he can be found woodworking, enjoying good whiskey, and grilling outside–rain or shine.

You can find all of his books at www.jaggercolewrites.com

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