Damn! This book was so good!!
I have only heard the good things about the first book and I've made plan to read it soon but this book tied me tight enough to definitely read the first book and the other books continuing this series.
To be honest, I am not a big fan of fairytale retailing but damn Rebecca Zanetti surely made me say sorry many times to the universe that I had ever doubted this book wouldn't be as good as I expected. Scratch that! My mind was blowing the entire time of me reading it. It kept me on the edge so many times. I felt like there was no time for me to take a breath because this book was so intense. The plot twists were twisting right and left I barely stopped breathing. Well, so exaggerating on my side but that's what I felt ok.
While I loved everything about this book, I wish the ending contained more closure for Rosalie and Alexie.

Thank you to Rebecca Zanetti, Good Girls PR, and NetGalley for the ARC.

This is the second book in the Grimm Bargains series. However, it could be read as a standalone. It is a Snow White retelling, and what a story it was. Lawyer Rosalie was brought in to help Alexi, a member of the Russian mafia. He was in prison for a murder, and he’s trying to clear his name. The first problem was that Rosalie was an excellent civil lawyer who had not tried any criminal cases.

I always enjoy books where the MMC falls for the FMC first. Alexi had two things on his mind upon his release from prison. Those things were getting revenge and making sure Rosalie knew she was his. While Alexi was ready to claim Rosalie, she wasn’t having it. We see the push and pull of their relationship as the story progresses. There is a bit of everything in this story: a revenge plot, the mob, crystals, social media, and lastly, the seven elderly boarders. Yes, no dwarfs in this story, just elderly men. I thoroughly enjoyed this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an early copy of One Dark Kiss in exchange for my honest review.

This was a quick read with plenty of heat and danger, but unfortunately, I had some major issues with the execution that kept me from fully enjoying it.

It’s pitched as a Snow White retelling, but aside from a pair of mirror earrings and seven housemates (a nod to the 7 dwarves, I assume), there’s not much fairy tale here. If you’re hoping for a creative reimagining, this isn’t it.

The story’s pacing felt off and rushed in places, with important plot points glossed over or barely explained. The setting felt modern, like a big city in present day, but we opened with kingdoms, magic crystals, and mafia crime lords with almost no context or worldbuilding. It left me feeling more confused than intrigued.

The romance? It starts off as instant lust, but then out of nowhere we’re told the male lead has been in love with the FMC for years... but that’s never developed or explained. Their entire dynamic is jarring. The sex scenes walk a very fine line, too fine honestly, and often crossed into deeply uncomfortable territory. For a book that isn’t labeled as taboo or dark romance, some of these scenes felt way more like coercion than consent. The MMC's behavior repeatedly came off as violent and abusive, and the FMC’s reactions didn’t track with the strong, no nonsense personality she was supposed to have. It gave serious whiplash. One moment she’s a fierce, capable attorney, the next she’s accepting being manhandled, manipulated, and watching people die violently... and still falling head over heels? Yeah I dunno, just didn't jive with me.

There were also a lot of strange narrative choices, like a sudden, seemingly pointless pregnancy subplot that ends in death with no emotional fallout or reflection. It all just felt oddly detached and, frankly, insensitive. The female characters were flat, inconsistent, or written in ways that didn’t feel authentic or grounded in reality. At times, it genuinely didn’t feel like it was written by someone who understands how women think or feel, especially when it comes to trauma and agency. Some of the scenes came across as just being thrown in for the sensationalism and shock value.

There are glimpses of an interesting idea buried in this story, but the lack of cohesion, inconsistent characterization, and troubling romantic dynamics made it hard to connect with or root for anyone.

Again, if this had been billed as a dark romance or taboo genre read, it might have been a different story for me. Im giving it 3 stars because it did hold my attention and had potential, but for me, it missed the mark in too many ways to go any higher.

One Dark Kiss is another fantastic steamy dark romance from Rebecca Zanetti. This time the story is a loose interpretation of Snow White, with a dangerous huntsman, a smart FMC, and of course, seven found family members with a variety of talents.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Attorney Rosalie Mooncrest meets Alexei Sokolov when he’s released from prison to and preparing for a new murder trial. Rosalie struggles to make ends meet, and even has seven boarders to help at her house. Alexei’s powerful and intimidating, but Rosalie can’t help being drawn to him. For his part, Alexei wants to know who set him up, and return to power at his family’s company. He instantly knows he wants his Peaflower, but he’s surprised to realize she’s smart and sassy too. As the two use different strategies to try to clear his name, though, the real culprit is targeting both of them.

This plot has lots of twist and turns that pick up in the second half of the book, and I kept reading way past my bedtime. I really like that Rosalie isn’t completely clueless and it’s her brains as much as her beauty that attracts Alexei. For his part, Alexei has a dose of insta love, and is ultra protective of Rosalie too. I also love the way his relationship with Rosalie’s borders develops.

There is a bit less focus on world building of the social media companies and their reliance on magical crystals in this installment, which worked well for this story. Rosalie’s relationship with her BBFs Ella and Alana is great; I love that they support each other even when they disagree, especially about Rosalie’s relationship with Alexei. And, I can’t wait to read Ella’s story!

One Dark Kiss is a dark romance with strong, smart characters, sizzling chemistry, and some sly fairy tales asides. I’m on the record as a huge Rebecca Zanetti fan, and I’m convinced that there isn’t any genre she can’t write.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I am absolutely OBSESSED with One Dark Kiss by Rebecca Zanetti! Easily a 5-star read for me. This book completely pulled me in, it’s a dark, intense Snow White retelling (which I totally didn’t realize at first until I saw someone mention it on TikTok 😅), but once I saw it… everything clicked. The parallels were so clever!
I had the chance to both listen to the audiobook and read it at the same time, and wow, game changer. The narrators were incredible. The accents? Spot on. The way they brought these characters to life made the whole story feel even more immersive. I honestly felt like I was living every moment with them.
This is a love story wrapped in danger, obsession, and revenge. Alexei, ugh, where do I even begin? He’s the imprisoned, outcast son of the Russian mob, and he’s not done fighting for what was stolen from him. He’s raw, determined, and absolutely magnetic. The moment he sees Rosalie, it’s over, he’s decided she’s his, and there’s no turning back.
And Rosalie? She’s everything. Smart, sharp, and stubborn with a fire in her that I LOVED. She has no business taking on a criminal case this high-stakes, but she’s doing it anyway, and when she meets Alexei, she knows she should run far, far away. But her body has other plans, and fate is just not letting her off the hook.
This book has everything I crave in a dark romance, danger, heat, emotional tension, and a storyline that keeps you hooked. Just a heads-up: definitely check the trigger warnings before diving in, because it doesn’t hold back. But if you’re like me and love a gritty, emotionally intense romance where you fall for the people you probably shouldn’t… this one is absolutely worth it.

Thank you net Galley

Really enjoyed this book, Loved the magic system and the romance! also loved the side characters.

Very fast paced and with a great plot.

Rosalie Mooncrest is determined to overturn Alexei Sokolov’s murder conviction and win his retrial. She has the best track record at her law firm and another high profile success could propel her to the top, translating into security for herself and her found family of seven elderly boarders living in her heritage mansion.

𝘚𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘮𝘺 𝘮𝘪𝘳𝘳𝘰𝘳 𝘪𝘮𝘢𝘨𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘥𝘰𝘦𝘴𝘯’𝘵 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘪𝘵.

Alexei is dangerous, dominant, and devastating. Maybe he’s guilty, maybe he’s not, but he is certainly a killer. There are lots of people to tell Rosalie she is in over her head, but she’s drawn to him. And amazingly, being close to Alexei feels as right as she knows it’s wrong.

𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭 𝘪𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘰𝘯 …

This may be one of the darkest Rebecca Zanetti romances yet, but I went in prepared and loved every minute of it. There’s a perfect balance of lust, aggression, sweetness, magic, and suspense. The sexiness between Rosalie and Alexei sizzled from the very first pages. I loved how she couldn’t resist him. Her besties Alana and Ella urged caution while I was cheering her on!

… 𝘴𝘩𝘦’𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘵𝘳𝘰𝘭𝘭𝘦𝘥 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘯𝘦𝘦𝘥𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘥 𝘴𝘪𝘥𝘦. 𝘐’𝘮 𝘨𝘰𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘴𝘵 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵.

The Grimm Bargains series establishes a unique mythology around magical crystals. I love this. I’ve always enjoyed sparkly things and I find this indulgence adds to my enjoyment of this dark romance. This has become one of my favourite Rebecca Zanetti series!

OMG!! The second installment is just as good as the first, maybe even better! This is a dark, twisted retelling of Snow White, and I absolutely loved it. Rosalie’s renters completely stole my heart. They’re adorable and gave off total Snow White vibes in the best way.
It’s intense, obsessive, dangerous, and absolutely addictive. Told in dual POV, the switches between perspectives kept me hooked from start to finish. There’s fantasy, mystery, murder, obsession, billionaires, a crime boss…seriously, it has everything!!
I honestly think this one could be read as a standalone. The author does a great job catching readers up without info dumping. I devoured this story and I’m so hoping there’s more to come!

Fast paced and addictive! Dual POV and the narration was superb! I loved the mafia aspect, it made the book that much more enticing and addictive for me. This was a loose retelling of Snow White and the Huntsman and I was honestly there for every minute of it. Erin Mallon is one of my favorite narrators and she did a fantastic job of keeping me engrossed the entire time.

This was an awesome story. I absolutely loved Alexei, totally alpha, and sarcastic and confident. I love it when he says something, and then he makes it happen. "Cute, definitely cute." I chuckled when I found out what an accountant really does. Rosalie has many, many protectors, up to the ages of 90, no less. I was thinking the story was going to one way, and it went the total opposite, quite a few times. This story kept me on my toes. I was hoping there was going to be some joining of forces, but not in this book, perhaps the next one? Business discussions will take on a new meaning to me in the future. Sizzle

4 stars (for the vibes) for this wild and dark story of Snow White meets the Russian mob meets some light scifi?? Sounds like a crazy combination of things - and yes, it's true - but what a weirdly darkly fun time I had with this one!!

Lawyer Rosalie Mooncrest (Snow White) is brought on to prove that Alexei Sokolov (the Prince) was framed for a murder he was just cleared from (after 7 years in prison). Of course, he's instantly possessive of this clever, talented lawyer and will stop at nothing to make her his. Even if that means implicating her in his nonsense, kidnapping her friends, bonding with her seven dwarves (elderly boarders), and putting her into some insane what would you do scenarios.

I had such a fun time with this one, which was exactly as expected after reading One Cursed Rose last year! While the romance (lust? obsession? stalking?) was heavy in this one, the plot was really jumping all over the place (complimentary). My only complaint was the pacing for the climax of the story - it happened so fast, and bam we were at the end of the story! I wanted more!! I will be excited to see more of what's to come from the world of the Grimm Bargains, and lean back into the scifi elements of the stones and the social media companies run through them, since we sadly didn't get as much of that here (and also tell me more about the mirrors!!!!). Sounds like Ella's story is up next and I would be surprised if we didn't get a dark Cinderella....


Thanks so much to Rebecca Zanetti, Kensington, and NetGalley for a chance to read this in exchange for an honest review.

DNF @ 23%. I’m so bummed out. I was absolutely LOVING this book until non-consensual stuff started happening. It’s so unfortunate because I was loving the story till that happened. I wish I would have known there was something like this in the book before I requested an eARC of it.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing, for the eARC, but I refuse to try to enjoy a book that romanticizes sexual assault. 1.5 stars rounded up since I enjoyed everything until I got to that point.

This is a unique retelling of "Snow White" with the "hero" a part of the Russian Bratva. Alexei was released from prison after it was shown there was corruption involved in his trial. Rosalie was his new defense attorney, although she was not so sure about him. With multiple murder attempts and other mysterious happenings, they grew closer and ended up working together to bring down his enemies. The characters were multi-faceted and well-developed with the plot very creative, especially with the energy from the crystals as the basis for this series. I can't wait for the next book in this amazing series. Highly recommended.
#netgalley

his is the second in the Grimm Bargains series but can be read as a standalone. You are given enough of the backstory for you to totally enjoy this slight fantasy and mostly romance book. I really enjoyed this action-packed story which had plenty of twists and turns that kept you reading until you finished. Our two main characters are Rosalie, a lawyer, and Alexei, a convicted murderer who has spent 7 years in prison for a crime he might not have committed because of a corrupt Judge. Rosalie has been assigned to investigate Alexei’s case and try to show that he is innocent of the murder he was convicted of. Along the way Rosalie starts to have feelings for Alexei and really hopes that he is innocent. While Alexei is planning to return to power and take over his family's global social media empire. This books alternates between Rosalie and Alexei to give you each of their perspectives on what is happening. I highly recommend this book and anything else by Rebecca Zanetti. Thank you Netgalley and Kensington for the ARC in Exchange for an honest review.

Genre & Tropes : Dark Romance x Scifi Vibes x Snow White Retelling x Russian Mafia x Lawyer / Client romance x Some murder plot x Stalker vibes x Spicy

A second book that I devoured !

After a first book that disappointed me a little (I had trouble with the heroine, the universe seemed vague, and the romance was too dark for me ><), I still wanted to try the second book because I love Rebecca Zanetti's books, and while her other series, Dark Protectors, is one of my favorites today, I didn't like the first book at all ><

And I don't regret sticking with it at all because I LOVED it !

This second book is much better than the first, in my opinion : we meet Rosalie again, a lawyer (and also one who runs a sort of boarding house with seven men ... With interesting pasts =D), one of the best friends of the heroine of the first book, and Alexei (Cal's brother, who died in the previous book), who was arrested for a murder he didn't commit and is ready to do anything to get his revenge !

I absolutely loved their first meeting and how their relationship evolved afterward (yes, it's dark romance, so Alexei has creepy, very controlling stalker tendencies, BUT he also has some super cute and romantic moments (the shoes and the wedding <3)).

The universe is more developed here, and we learn more about the use of crystals and what it means for social media and extended families ! It's super original, and I can't wait to learn more (especially about this potentially mysterious new group ...).

The plot was interesting, and I must admit that even though I saw the culprit's identity coming and the ending moved a bit quickly, I loved all the tension surrounding Alexei's imprisonment (I HAVE TO ADMIT I wasn't expecting the outcome for this part ><) and the attacks !

In short, a dark romance with a touch of scifi that I devoured without moderation !

DNF’d at 25% a mafia romance is fine, but I don’t understand the inclusion of magic crystals. Felt like an attempt to do something new and different and it missed. Also the word “hoo hah” in an adult book is just nope.

Snow White reimagining but make it mafia!

Our FMC Rosalie is a lawyer who has been assigned to our MMC Alexei case. Alexei has been in jail for 7 years for a crime he didn’t commit and wants out of prison so he can get revenge against the people who set him up and get his fortune back.

Rosalie was the highlight for me, smart, independent and knows what she wants. I also loved the little nods to snow white like the 7 elderly men who board at her house, I really enjoyed their appearances.

I had no idea what I was in for but I was not disappointed. The book was tagged as sci-fi & fantasy, but in my opinion it is a low fantasy book. I would say it more of a dark mafia romance with an element of magic.
Thank you Kensington Publishing for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is not your typical romantic suspense book. It is dark, gritty and oh so hot! An amazing twist on something we read as children. You have a morally grey hero and a super sweet heroine (who can be a bad a$$).

I love Alexei and Rosalie together. Two totally opposite people but they were certainly hot enough together to scorch the pages of your book. This story is all about betrayal, and no one is who they seem to be.

Both books in this series have been amazing so far and I’m definitely looking forward to Ella’s story.

Life is so unfair. When am I going to meet a really tall, really buff, really sexy, head of the mafia so he can fall instantly in love/lust with me and get rid of anyone who gives me stink eye?

Rebecca Zanetti has thrown down the hammer in the dark romance genre.
Thorn, a savage god. I was like, “that’s my husband.”
But Alexei? I’ve never wanted to lick a tattoo more in my life.

Rosalie is a play by the rules lawyer, and she’s damn good at her job. She came from nothing, so she has a tunnel vision focus on making it as one of the best lawyers in her firm. She has a heart of gold and takes care of 7 elderly boarders even if they can’t pay the rent every month.
Her firm assigns her to take on a retrial of a case they lost 7 years ago when the news broke that the judge and prosecutor were taking bribes.

Enter Alexei Sokolov former head of Hologrid Hub. He was framed for the murder of his ex girlfriend’s husband. Messy, right?
What can you do when you’re a billionaire playboy.
He’s spent the last 7 years turning into a weapon, no longer is he content to be the socialite playboy. He’s coming for Hologrid and he’s coming to claim the head of the Bratva. But after he meets Rosalie, he wants to lay claim to something else too… her.

This was a good dark romance with this magical aspect surrounding the world. We have the mmc that is just getting out of prison for a crime he didn’t commit. The fmc is his attorney and immediately when they meet there is so much chemistry and the mmc is obsessed with her. As soon as the mmc gets out of jail the fmc us thrown into this world of crime, billionaires, lust, power, murder as the mmc goes back into the world.i liked how fast paced the book is and how immediately we have the crime families and trying to figure out who framed the mmc. The romance is steamy and lust based at first with a possessive mmc that won’t let the fmc go. I liked the mystery aspect and how the story get me interested and wrapped with both the romance and crime plot. Over a good dark romance, thanks to Kensington for this arc for an honest review.