Zann & Nora: *sigh* So NOT a Bratva Romance

I’ve been reading Bratva romances for a long time. So, I know a good one when I read it. This was not the case with this book. It had so much potential but it just didn’t climb and started to go downhill very fast.

Nora is a former Ballerina who had to stop dancing due to an injury. We have the typical ex-ballerina-turned-stripper trope in play and she catches the eye of a tough guy, Zann who happens to be a “Bratva Boss” (the author’s words, not mine). They have typical champagne room sex and Nora gets preggers.

I’m a sucker for a good Mafia/Bratva pregnancy trope; as long as it’s done accurately, at least to me.

If you are going to actually list “Surprise Pregnancy” in the title, in my mind, we are going to actually see the couple’s relationship develop and the challenges they face throughout the story while she’s pregnant.

Not the case here.

Nora finds out she is pregnant more than halfway through the book and from there, the story felt rushed. A conflict came out of nowhere and it was resolved in less than three pages. Huh???

Zann didn’t necessarily exhibit any behavior that of a Bratva Boss and came off a bit wimpy to me. Further, his motives in the story were not fully developed and by the books end, we still don’t learn what they are.

The explanations given for Nora’s injuries just seemed watered down and absurd. I mean, if you’re injured and can no longer dance in ballet shoes without feeling extreme pain, how can you put on six inch heels, flip, dip, and drop it like it’s hot on a stripper pole or gyrate on a groin to give a lap dance?

Too many things wrong with this book. I’m awarding a two for the plot but the execution of it I’m afraid was subpar.

Happy reading!