Zero stars if I could - the author is problematic, racist, and MAGA. I would not recommend her books to anyone.

I was going to read and write a review for this book, but then I found out that Ms. Lark's 2025 book, Sparrow and Vine, has a clear cut racist views in it, to include having "people of unclear documentation picking grapes for people" and incest. That's not what I want to read in a book, and it very clearly depicts her views in the world. I will not support this author. I will not read from this author. And I will not recommend her to anyone.

Dark series.

Enemies to lovers.

Mafia romance

Great way to finish off the series.

Very steamy

Though I didn't love most of the Brutal Birthright series, the journey of reading them has definitely helped me to learn my tastes concerning books in this genre. Luckily, this final book in the series ended up being my favorite of them.

As I was reading this series, I couldn't help but look forward to Sebastian's book. From the minute we meet him in book one, I immediately wanted to learn more about him and see where the overarching narrative took his character progression. That being said, this book completely reconstructs Seb's personality from the snippets I got from the other books. I know that his injury changed him and his outlook on life, but I just can't get behind how flip-floppy he is. Yelena too. They would both make temporary progress on issues that would inevitably revert back to their original start point.

Though I don't love how the characters were written, the over-the-top plot and dramatic writing that Lark is known for made this book a silly goofy time. New developments came out of nowhere and made no logical sense, yet I ate up their ridiculousness and couldn't wait to see what was thrown at me next. I kept flying through chapters and finished the book ridiculously fast. Do I remember much of what I read? Nope, but I got what I wanted from this book which is entertainment. Moving forward, I would probably only recommend this series to people who already love mafia romances. If those aren't already your think, I'd consider skipping it.

This wasn't for me. I didn't like either of the main characters. The virginity trope is not it. The descriptions of the character's bodies really threw me. I didn't like the long description of a pool game. When the fmc described his member as being much bigger than a banana I almost choked and then we had comparisons to a tampon which just went and threw it on past the edge for me. Describing his moans as howls didn't really work. I feel like that should be reserved for paranormal romance. The smex scenes were so cringe 😬. Is ownership trope a thing? Cause this was not my thing. In a different situation, I love a good who did this to you, but this was also, not it. Random HP reference was another red flag. Miscommunication/lies from the fmc were unbearable. When it got to the basement smex scene I had had enough.

Why oh why did she then bring in a reference of a baseball bat? And the random "daddy" out of no where... Beyond all the smex stuff, the ending was pretty entertaining. But where did the Halloween masks come from? Is there a throwback to an earlier book, or was that just completely random? That really was not believable at all. The Russian m*fia is just gonna casually wear Slenderman, Pennywise, Michael Meyers and Jigsaw masks for no reason?

Not me continuing on even though I had a new year's resolution to get better at dnf'ing. I wanted to and should have, but the ending actually was decent compared to the rest of the book.

Someone tell me if the rest of the series is this bad or if I should try the other books? I have more from this author on my TBR. I hope it's just this book I didn't like.

This was a great ending to the series! I loved the twists and turns this one took and the action was amazing and very engaging!

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️

In Short: This series caught my eye from start to finish. Dark. Well executed. Great characters.

General Thoughts: Sometimes I feel like characters in a series can start to resemble each other too much. However, in Sophie's, each couple and every main character felt unique and different from the others. They all had a strong personality type, which I loved. They also didn't feel too much like character-casting. Sometimes, it's easy in novels to think, "Oh, this character is the blank type of character," but there wasn't too much of that here.

I have loved binging this series. They are all well done in any format. I really enjoyed this one. I wouldn't say it's my favorite of the series; the first two and the fifth ones definitely rival that. However, this was an enjoyable read. It was a bit easier to predict the plot in this one, maybe because I have now read six in the series, but I enjoyed it all the same. I can't wait to read more by this author.

Spice Meter: ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥.5

Disclaimer: I received a review copy and a review listening copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thank you, Netgalley and the author.

Romantic Tropes
-dual POV
-hidden agenda
-dark mafia romance
-rival families
-close proximity
-insta-attraction
-inexperienced/virgin FMC

You can also find me on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

Thank you for the copy of this book.

I really enjoyed reading this and was unable to out it down. I hadn’t read the rest of the series but that didn’t stop me being able to be engrossed and invested in this story!

I tried getting into this book only to realize it was book six of a series. I’ll leave a more detailed review when I complete the series.

The best ending to a series! It was full of action and twists and turns. By far the best book in the series with the best hero.

This novel takes us deep into the lives of Sebastian Gallo and Yelena Yenina, weaving a tale of forbidden love, betrayal, and the volatile dynamics of warring mafia families.

Sebastian, the youngest Gallo brother, has been adrift ever since his dreams of an NBA career were shattered during a fight with the Griffins back in Brutal Prince. Struggling to find his footing in the family business, Sebastian begins to carve out his place—until Yelena Yenina enters his life.

Yelena, the daughter of the head of the Russian Bratva in Chicago, is tied to a family that harbours deep animosity toward the Gallos. Despite their tumultuous history, Sebastian is immediately captivated by Yelena. Even after discovering her identity, his feelings for her don’t waver. The two dream of forging peace between their families, and their relationship sets the stage for a potential truce. But while the Gallos enter the agreement in good faith, Yelena’s family has darker intentions.

Yelena is a complex character—strong in her resolve but trapped in a gilded cage by her father’s control. Her fear of him and his manipulative tactics are palpable throughout the story. While I sympathized with her struggles, I found it frustrating that she kept such a monumental secret from Sebastian, especially when it was revealed that her father orchestrated their initial meetings. Her fear of the truth’s consequences leads to Sebastian discovering the secret in the worst possible way, shattering their fragile bond.

The dynamics within Yelena’s family are as dysfunctional as they come. Her father’s treatment of her is infuriating, and while her brother Alexei shows glimmers of familial loyalty, he ultimately falters when it matters most. His blind allegiance to their father and betrayal of Yelena left me deeply disappointed, especially during pivotal moments when he should have stood by her side.

Sebastian, on the other hand, is a compelling mix of strength and vulnerability. While his decision to imprison Yelena in a moment of betrayal was harsh, it also underscores the high stakes of their volatile relationship. Yet, Yelena’s determination to redeem herself shines through, from making amends with her brother despite his betrayal to risking her life to save Nero and seeking Aida’s help.

The climax is nothing short of explosive—tragic yet exhilarating. The action sequences, especially Sebastian’s collaboration with Mikolaj, are gripping and showcase just how far he’s come as a strategist and leader. While the resolution brought closure, there were bittersweet moments, like the loss of the Gallo mansion and Dante’s departure.

The epilogue hints at exciting developments, leaving me eager to dive into the Kingmakers series to see what the next generation of mafia heirs—Sebastian, Mikolaj, Aida, Nero, and Alexei’s children—have in store. This book was a rollercoaster of emotions, with action-packed drama, heartfelt moments, and a forbidden love story that keeps you on edge until the very end.

absolutely in love with all of sophie wu’s books and this definitely hit the mark! I absolutely love this series and the characters are just so much fun to follow along

The best ending to one of the best, most fun series! The characters were lovable and fun, the plot and pacing were absolutely perfect, and it solidified its place as one of my favorite series to binge! I’m so sad that this series is over now because it was SO fun and I haven’t read anything like this series before. Sophie Lark’s writing is some of my favorite and I can’t wait to read more books from her in the future because her writing voice is incredible!

*Thank you Netgalley and Bloom Books for the ARC in exchange for the honest review.*

She was a temptation he couldn't resist…

Sebastian Gallo couldn't believe it when he saw her being stuffed into a trunk: Yelena Yenina, the only daughter of the most vicious Bratva boss in Chicago. The Bratva hate Sebastian's family—in fact, they burned his uncle alive.

He should have just left Yelena to her fate. But she fought like a Valkyrie—gorgeous, ferocious, and unbreakable. Sebastian had to save her, and after feeling the electricity between them, he knows he has to make her his, too.

Yelena is determined to never submit to a man. But she's also growing tired of being used as her father's pawn. And as their families wage a vicious battle across the city, making moves and vowing vengeance, Sebastian decides he'll fight for her heart and freedom, whatever it takes.

He knows they're meant to be together.

And he'll push her to her limits to prove it.

Great ending to the serious… I loved the twists and turns this book took. Didn’t see it coming honestly.

It pains me to say this but I felt quite disappointed with the final book of this series.
I had such high hopes after reading the previous book about Raylan and Riona, unfortunately this one left me wanting for so much more.

I was really curious about Seb’s story right from the beginning when his dream as a basketball player was crushed early on because of that incident.
It’s pretty interesting to see another side of Sebastian since he was always portrayed as the kind-hearted boy.

Sebastian meet Yelena, they do have some sweet and tender moments with each other but I think it wasn’t really enough to get me thoroughly invested with the couple. I wish there’s more interaction between them throughout the story.

Another thing I didn’t like in this book is how the characters from the previous books seems to changed. I felt really disappointed with how Dante reacted with the whole thing as well as the Griffin family. I get that the Griffin is trying to clean themselves up but the Gallo are their in-laws I thought they would’ve done something…..

The ending also ends rather abruptly, everything happened too fast.
Although, I was intrigued with the epilogue at the very end showing the next series is gonna be about their children.

While I didn’t really like this one, overall this whole series is a pretty enjoyable read if you wanted something simple, quick, spicy dark romance.
I’m still excited to see the next spin-off series with the next generation!

⚠️ 𝐓𝐖: sexual content, gun violence, murder, violence, domestic abuse, emotional abuse

Sebastian is all grown up and not just the "nice" Gallo brother anymore...

Yelena Yenina beautiful daughter of the Russian bratva and one of the only mafia family's to not get a piece of this new power dynamic that is forming from the series. We have a truce amongst the Italian and Irish with tentative allyship with the Polish mafia...so what about the Russians?!?! Well, they have been getting the shit end of the stick for most of the series, but with a new boss leading the bratva, Yelena's father he isn't going to stand for it any longer.

Too bad when daddy Yenina forces his daughter (that he severely mistreats and underestimates) to make Sebastian Gallo develop feelings her. He picked the wrong mafia target. Sebastian though may not have wanted to live the mafioso life and had dreams and the talent to be a basketball star, realizes he is going to have the be the next head of the Gallo family. His feelings for Yelena are very real and she isn't having to fake hers for Sebastian for long. Seb actually sees Yelena for the person she is and not just a pawn in this mafia chess game.

When secrets are finally revealed and Yelena's happily ever after seems lost, she chooses love over family (they sucked anyway) and does what is needed to keep something precious she never though she could find. Seb must put his pride aside, step into the role as head of the family, or lose everything.

This book wound up being one of my favorites in the series.

I have no particular feelings after reading this book. It was okay, I'm not particularly drawn to either of the MC. Dont think this book was for me.

3.5/5

I just don't know what to think. I enjoyed this one but in a roller coaster kinda way. At times I was so into it and then I would lose my interest and then boom, again full on obsessed and then it would let me down a little... I don't really know how to explain this but it definitely left me with mixed feelings. Still, you can't really go wrong with Sophie Lark in my opinion, I always enjoy it anyways.

It was nice to finally get to Sebastian's story. I really wanted him to get his HEA because, of course after seeing him in so many books, I already loved him before even starting this one. I really enjoyed the start of this story with the lies and bit of mystery as you didn't know exactly what would happen (you just knew it would be bad). I am not big on love at first sight but it kept me interested the way this one went. Until they truly got together and I got a lil bored (yeah I'm annoying like that, slow burn lover through and through or I lose interest). But then, BAD things obviously happened, like it was meant to. Not gonna lie, it broke me a little. And I got a bit frustrated that it could have been prevented by a bit communication or like, people not being kind of naive. I get why it happened that way, I truly get it but I would have hoped for honesty or some questions being asked before that point. But I guess, no story with that so.

That being said, after we reached that "bad things happened" point, I was back into full interest mode because, well, things were happening and fast. I would have wished Sebastian got more support from his family. It was already so hard for him and that on top of everything, felt truly unfair for such a close knit family. It made me angry at other characters you know? And I didn't want that. But in the end, I still was captivated by that last part and the ending set-up things for the next series which made me quite intrigued.

All in all, I'm so happy I read Brutal Birthright. Each book was truly enjoyable and I so freaking love Sophie Lark's writing. I will definitely read more of her books!

Thanks to Bloom Books and NetGalley for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Not my favorite of the series, but also not my least favorite. The romance was overshadowed by the mafia related plot, but I was still invested and I liked how the epilogue set up the Kingmakers series.