Blog Tour & Book Review: The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen

The Kiss Thief

by L.J. Shen

Genre: Arranged Marriage / Contemporary / Mafia Romance
Release Date: January 7th, 2019

Cover Designer: Letitia Hasser at RBA Designs

Blurb:

They say your first kiss should be earned.

Mine was stolen by a devil in a masquerade mask under the black Chicago sky.

They say the vows you take on your wedding day are sacred.

Mine were broken before we left church.

They say your heart only beats for one man.

Mine split and bled for two rivals who fought for it until the bitter end.

I was promised to Angelo Bandini, the heir to one of the most powerful families in the Chicago Outfit.

Then taken by Senator Wolfe Keaton, who held my father’s sins over his head to force me into marriage.

They say that all great love stories have a happy ending.

I, Francesca Rossi, found myself erasing and rewriting mine until the very last chapter.

One kiss.
Two men.
Three lives.
Entwined together.

And somewhere between these two men, I had to find my forever.

Buy now:

 AMAZON US: https://amzn.to/2HbNYTh
AMAZON UK: https://amzn.to/2QtDcqs
AMAZON CA: https://amzn.to/2VzmWrR
AMAZON AU: https://amzn.to/2FhaQhd
AUDIO: https://amzn.to/2Vwq73z

Free with Kindle Unlimited

Excerpt:

“Are you sure you’re on my card?” I turned to the man with a polite yet distant smile. I was still disoriented from the exchange with Angelo when the stranger pulled me against his hard body and pressed a possessive hand lower than socially acceptable on my back, a second from groping my butt.

“Answer me,” I hissed.

“My bid on your card was the highest,” he replied dryly.

“The bids are undisclosed. You don’t know how much other people have paid,” I kept my lips pursed to keep myself from yelling.

“I know it’s nowhere near the realm of what this dance is worth.”

Un-freaking-believable.

We began to waltz around the room as other couples were not only spinning and mingling but also stealing envious glances at us. Naked, raw ogles that told me that whomever the blonde he’d come to the masquerade with was, she wasn’t his wife. And that I might have been all the rage in The Outfit, but the rude man was in high demand, too.

I was stiff and cold in his arms, but he didn’t seem to notice—or mind. He knew how to waltz better than most men, but he was technical, and lacked warmth and Angelo’s playfulness.

“Nemesis.” He took me by surprise, his rapacious gaze stripping me bare. “Distributing glee and dealing misery. Seems at odds with the submissive girl who entertained Bishop and his horsey wife at the table.”

I choked on my own saliva. Did he just call the governor’s wife horsey? And me submissive? I looked away, ignoring the addictive scent of his cologne, and the way his marble body felt against mine.

“Nemesis is my spirit animal. She was the one to lure Narcissus to a pool where he saw his own reflection and died of vanity. Pride is a terrible illness.” I flashed him a taunting smirk.

“Some of us could use catching it.” He bared his straight white teeth.

“Arrogance is a disease. Compassion is the cure. Most gods didn’t like Nemesis, but that’s because she had a backbone.”

“Do you?” He arched a dark eyebrow.

“Do I…?” I blinked, the courteous grin on my face crumpling. He was even ruder when we were alone.

“Have a backbone,” he provided. He stared at me so boldly and intimately, it felt like he breathed fire into my soul. I wanted to step out of his touch and jump into a pool full of ice.

“Of course, I do,” I responded, my spine stiffening. “What’s with the manners? Were you raised by wild coyotes?”

“Give me an example,” he said, ignoring my quip. I was beginning to draw away from him, but he jerked me back into his arms. The glitzy ballroom distorted into a backdrop, and even though I was starting to notice that the man behind the demi-mask was unusually beautiful, the ugliness of his behavior was the only thing that stood out.

I am a warrior and a lady…and a sane person who can deal with this horrid man.

“I really like Angelo Bandini.” I dropped my voice, slicing my gaze from his eyes and toward the table where Angelo’s family had been seated. My father was sitting a few seats away, staring at us coldly, surrounded by Made Men who chatted away.

“And see, in my family, we have a tradition dating back ten generations. Prior to her wedding, a Rossi bride is to open a wooden chest—carved and made by a witch who lived in my ancestors’ Italian village—and read three notes written to her by the last Rossi girl to marry. It’s kind of a good luck charm mixed with a talisman and a bit of fortunetelling. I stole the chest tonight and opened one of the notes, all so I could rush fate. It said that tonight I was going to be kissed by the love of my life, and well…” I drew my lower lip into my mouth and sucked it, peering under my eyelashes at Angelo’s empty seat. The man stared at me stoically, as though I was a foreign film he couldn’t understand. “I’m going to kiss him tonight.”

“That’s your backbone?”

“When I have an ambition, I go for it.”

A conceited frown crinkled his mask, as if to say I was a complete and utter moron. I looked him straight in the eye. My father taught me that the best way to deal with men like him was to confront, not run. Because, this man? He’d chase.

About the author:

L.J. Shen is an International #1 best-selling author of Contemporary Romance and New Adult novels. She lives in Northern California with her husband, young son and chubby cat.

Before she’d settled down, L.J. (who thinks referring to herself in the third person is really silly, by the way) traveled the world, and collected friends from all across the globe. Friends who’d be happy to report that she is a rubbish companion, always forgets peoples’ birthdays and never sends Christmas cards.

She enjoys the simple things in life, like spending time with her family and friends, reading, HBO, Netflix and internet-stalking Stephen James. She reads between three to five books a week and firmly believes Crocs shoes and mullets should be outlawed.

Website / Facebook / Twitter / Instagram/ / Pinterest / Bookbub / Goodreads / Amazon

My review:

A Masterpiece and my all-time favorite book!!

OMG!!! How could I ever do this book justice with my review?! There’s just no way. I had sleepless nights because of this unputdownable and phenomenal book!! The author absolutely outdid herself with this outstanding story, which is definitely her best written book that I've read!

You know those books which you want to read in one sitting but at the same time don’t ever want to end?! Well, that’s one of those books! I was captivated by this story from the first page on and knew already at the very beginning that it would become my all-time favorite! It had all the feels, twists and turns, wonderful characters and a brilliant storyline to make this book one of the best I've ever read.

I rarely gush about books so much as I do with this one, which says a lot about how brilliant it is! Pick it up, you will not regret it!

These characters! Wow. To have such a talented author create those characters is magic.

'He stared at me with his piercing gaze and seemed to burn past skin and bones and hearts, turning them all to ash.'

Francesca was so strong and courageous beneath her exterior of a sheltered teenager. I fell in love with her instantly and felt for her so strongly when she was dealt such a bad hand in her life. I was furious on her behalf a lot, despite already knowing what was bound to happen due to the synopsis. But when her feelings changed into something fierce, I couldn’t help but fall in love with her man too, no matter the very bumpy introduction he had. He was infuriatingly rude, crude and very mean to Francesca. I wanted to slap him so hard every time he taunted and aggravated her.

The story was unbelievably hot and intense! This is definitely my favorite book of all-time in which I've found my new book-boyfriend and man of my dreams. Who knew that after all the frustration and hatred, I could love this infuriating man as much as I do, but I really do love him to the moon and back. This was not only his doing though with his often cruel actions, but how Francesca viewed him and saw the good in him. I couldn't stop the growing of my love for him inside my heart because of her. Now, after I finished the book, I desperately want him back because he's all I ever wanted and needed. =P

'Though he was not close enough to touch me, sharing a space with him still sent a bullet of excitement and fear down my spine.'

I wanted to cry at how unfair this story started out to be, but couldn’t help myself and love it even more for it in the end!! My emotions were very hard to handle, so I don’t even want to say any more because it would give too much away. Just read it! Read this book and be amazed by its brilliancy!

The Story:

Francesca and Angelo have known each other since they were kids. When they both grew into young adults their feelings for each other changed into more than just a teenage crush. They were meant to be together and expected to marry each other not only by their families. Francesca’s life was dictated and sheltered by her parents and while she would have loved to attend college, she didn’t want to fight her parents on things she couldn’t change anyway when the outcome would be severe for her. As long as she had Angelo at the end, she would deal with the rest. One fateful night though, a black knight stole her away and changed her life forever.

-- I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book given by Candi Kane PR. --

My rating: 5 of 5 stars
View review on goodreads