Fresh Fridays: On Friday, I review a brand new series (ie. only has one book released so far) to see if the series is worth keeping up with. Here is this week’s offering:
He Wants it All Series
Other books planned to be in the series:
Synopsis for He Wants It All (from Goodreads):
Krum Botev has never had anything in life apart from himself. He knows only what he has been taught. Hard, selfish, insensitive, but faithful to the Father, the one who raised and educated him according to the values of the secret society he is part of. No one has ever succeeded in knocking down his armor. No one can touch him outside or inside; no-one except her, who is part of that past Krum cannot forget.
Ambra Livori, a beautiful and wealthy heiress, has always had everything. But nightmares don’t give her a break. They go on showing her the man who ruined her life when she was only sixteen. The memory of him, over time, has become a perverse feeling she cannot tolerate. Just when Ambra decides to learn how to control her emotions, she receives a strange call. Her origins will be questioned and the past will become a terrible present from which she won’t be able to escape. Fighting for herself will be the only solution.
What links Ambra and Krum? But most of all, can two different souls be able to touch each other outside and inside? A secret organization, an uncontrollable passion, a man and a woman destined to clash.
Series: He Wants it All; Lui vuole tutto (Italian)
Author: Marilena Barbagallo
# of Books: 2 (He Wants It All, She Wants It All)
Book Order: Chronological
Complete?: No, Book 2 is to be released in English
Genre: Adult, Dark, Romance, Contemporary
Heat Rating: hot (Kink: mild | BDSM: mild)
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Date: November 8, 2017
Source & Format: Author–eBook
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I love a good dark romance. I can’t get enough of the secrets, the sexual tension or the drama. They keep me on my toes and I love that.
After reading the synopsis for He Wants It All, I just had to give it a try. The whole notion of a secret organization had me curious to know more about the story and the link between our two leads.
What I Liked:
–The Flashbacks to the Past–
I had a hard time putting this book down! I was completely enthralled by the characters and the situation they find themselves in. We only gets bits and pieces of their shared past at a time and that pushed me to keep reading. It was great putting together all the hints we get along the way to see the bigger picture.
I also liked the character development it provided for our leads, specifically for Krum. It was nice to get the insight into his character and his motivations instead of having him be a complete enigma. Understanding his character helped me appreciate his struggles with Ambra and his back-and-forth nature when it might have otherwise annoyed me.
–The Sexual Tension–
Ambra is a great complement to his character and I loved all their scenes together. They have fantastic chemistry from the start. Their whole “I hate to love you” routine is electric throughout the novel.
What I Didn’t Like:
–The Middle–
I will say that the middle of this book did get a little slower for me. Most of that time is spent between Ambra and Krum fighting their attraction–which is all fine and dandy. As I said above, I loved their scenes together.
But I do wish we would have had a little focus on Ambra and the society. Just some little inklings that remind you that there is a bigger story than these two fighting their attraction. We do get those pieces near the end which I appreciate but they could have been hinted at earlier I think.
Notes on the English Translation:
I do want to comment briefly on the English translation of this book. This book was originally written in Italian and the author decided to translate it into Italian. I read the English version.
Unfortunately, I do think a few things were lost in translation along the way and that did alter my reading experience. Some of the sentences were awkward or didn’t make complete sense based on the words they used in the translation. Technically, the sentence is correct but isn’t the way a native English speaker would say it so it makes sentences seem wordier or slighter alters the true point the character is trying to convey.
I had to reread a lot to get a solid grasp on what the characters were trying to say and that ruined the flow of the book for me. All this book needs is a thorough edit in English and it would knock readers socks off! Because everything else is on par with great dark romances!
Note: It looks like a new English Translation is in the works so be on the lookout for an updated version!
My Expectations for the Rest of the Series:
While some of my questions were answered, I had about 50 more by the time He Wants it All wrapped up. I can’t wait to see what is next!
My Rating: 4/5
He Wants it All 4/5 | She Wants it All TBP
This was a great dark romance! I loved the secrets and the tension between the leads. It kept me hooked from the start
Read if You Like: dark romances, tragic character pasts, secrets
Avoid if You: dislike dark romance
- Illusion by J S Cooper (Swept Away Series #1)
- I, Porn Star by Zara Cox (Dark Desires Series #1)
- Bared to You by Sylvia Cross (Crossfire Series #1)
- Torrent by Gemma James (Condemned Series #1)
- First Touch by Laurelin Paige (First and Last Series #1)
I love a good I-hate-you-I-love-you dynamic.
Me too! It’s one of my favourites to read about. There’s usually great banter and some underlying tension so it makes for an exciting read!
Sounds pretty smexy. I always worry about reading translated books, wondering if it will come across as strange. Depends on the translator, I suppose. Hit or miss!
It’s really unfortunate that she didn’t get the greatest translator because I could tell by the word choices that the novel is beautifully written in Italian. I know that she is looking at getting it redone so I’m excited for that because I think its got a great core.