Whispered Surrender by Via Mari
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Whispered Surrender is a spicy dark romance about a bodyguard and an illegitimate Russian mafia princess. Jay is a bodyguard for some very powerful people. As he is watching one of his clients, he falls in love with the woman who the client was sleeping with, Sasha. Sasha is a broken ballerina after any attention she can get due to being discarded by so many men and even her father. What she doesn’t know is that Jay has been watching her and believes there is chemistry there. He becomes “obsessed” with making sure his “angel” is safe. For much of the book, Sasha struggles with the fact that someone could actually want her to want her, so you find her pushing Jay away but still falling for him at the same time. In all of this love struggle, Jay is also trying to keep her safe because there is someone out to get them but they can’t quite figure out who, due to so many enemies. Will he be able to keep her safe? Will she be able to allow him to love her? Will the two be able to find a balance between chaos, hurt, and romance?
There were many things I liked about this story and a couple of things I didn’t. This author is a favorite mafia storyteller of mine so I will always read one of her books. One good thing, about the book, was the spice. Ohhh there were so many good spice scenes. I liked the power/submissive roles played by the characters, as well. If you don’t like that type of trope this is not the read for you because there is a clear power/submissive dynamic. The main aspect that bothered me was the whole misunderstanding of the feelings scenario. Now, I know it was probably necessary for the plot but I hate when the characters are saying something but everyone is misreading because they are not expressed straight forward. Also, Sasha was highly insecure (again necessary for the plot), but sometimes I just wanted to tell her to open up her ears and eyes. Jay, on the other hand, I enjoyed his character. He was strong, powerful, controlling but not overly so, and got things done.
The second half is about Matt and Marenah. Matt goes undercover to gather intel, but ends up captured by the Russian mafia. Jay helps get him back, but there is much they have to be careful about (this happens in Jay’s story). During the undercover ops, Jay falls in love with Sasha’s sister, Marenah. This is not a great idea for Matt, being in love with a mafia princess. This couple has many secrets that are unpacked throughout their romance. These secrets have proven deadly for many, but Matt will do anything for this new love, no matter what that means. Again these were great characters. Both are strong in their own right, as well as protective of others. I enjoyed their story a little more than Jay and Sasha’s. Overall, good read!!

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