<b><i>“if i’d only known you, i would’ve chased your shadow from the very first time i ever saw you. i would have reinvented myself, become the man you needed me to be just for the merest glimpse of your smile or a moment of your attention. i would have fought full armies for your favor and destroyed anyone or anything that pulled us apart. i would have razed the earth to clear a path to you and make you mine.”</b></i>

this was a new to me author so i didn't know what to expect. i'm not one to venture much, i tend to stay in my comfort zone, especially when it comes to mafia romances. but i'm glad i took a gamble and applied for this arc. the story took an interesting twist of the marriage of covenience right off the bat by not making the fmc completely oblivious or weak. i only wish the start of the story wasn't so rushed and we'd been able to spend more time with her on the run to build suspension and tension. the self-aware inner monologue she had about her circumstances and stockholm syndrome served almost as comic relief as much as it made her more likeable because i was rooting for her to fall for her "captor". what i truly appreciated was the author not shying away from technical terms and talks, showing us and not just telling that the fmc is nerdy and a hacker. the fact that her skills came to play multiple times and weren't questioned for her being a woman was refreshing and empowering. i will say though, i could have gone without that rape threat at the beginning. but alas, the mmc turned into the biggest simp so i'll reluctantly ignore it.

* i was sent an arc by valentine pr in exchange for a honest review