Beast by Leslie Georgeson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

While this is book 5 in the Popov Bratva series it is the second book by Leslie Georgeson I have read, the first being Thief book 4 in the series. First learning of Adrik in book 4 I found him interesting and wanting to know his story, so I was very happy when I learned this book was about him. While book 4 Adrik had been with the Popov Bratva for several years this book starts with his time before, and how he began working for the Popov’s.
Growing up Adrik knew nothing about his father’s work until the day he was fired. That day changed everything, Kirill Volkov was Adrik’s father and was the cash collector for the Bratva, taking the money to the bookkeeper Alexei. Until the numbers started being off, having a family of his own he was fired and let off easy. At the age of seventeen Adrik had witnessed a year of his father abusing his mother, enough was enough and he stood up to his father for her only to be beaten badly by his father and warned next time he would kill him. With no other choice Adrik packed a bag and left, knowing he physically was not able to deal with his father, he vowed to his little brother Damien, who was 11 at the time that he would return for him as soon as he had somewhere for them to live and could care for him. Four years later Adrik had succeeded in impressing the grandsons of the Bratva and was given a place in their brotherhood so long as his story checked out. With time jumps both backwards and forwards this book gives an overall life story of how far Adrik has come. From being a homeless 21-year-old in the beginning to jumping forward 8 years. After a devastating lose only Annika seems to be filling the emptiness inside of him and she doesn’t even know what he looks like. Annika is different from her family, an outcast of sorts in her own rights amongst the other Popov females. She is a concert pianist having suffered a great trauma that makes Adrik long to protect her. Annika has always seen him around but never given the chance to see his face or introduce herself to him.
Can they heal each other’s trauma? Will Adrik, the Beast, ever get to feel the love he is craved? Will Annika show revulsion if or when she sees his face? Adrik hides in the shadows and behind his shaggy hair in fear that the day she sees him she will turn away in revulsion like all the others, but with her he knows it would break him if she did. The authors world she has created is so in depth both in story and twists that it keeps the reader guessing what will happen next. I look forward to PUNK (Efrem’s story) – coming March 28, 2023, to learn of the youngest Popov male’s story.

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