The Kiss Thief

Book reviews

30 Oct

Written By Anzhelika Li

Have you ever felt that words are not enough to describe what you feel?

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1. THE KISS THIEF by L.J. Shen

SYNOPSIS

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 the 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.

BOOK REVIEW

The Kiss Thief was such a heart-wrenching, engrossing, slow-burning, and delicious narrative of an arranged marriage set within a modern Chicago. Promises of revenge shadowed by unforgiving love and accompanying danger were abundant, making me turning a page after page faster than I’ve probably ever had. It was an incredible and memorable read that left me feeling like I’d just gone through the wringer by the end.

A story of a Nemesis and a Villain with no chance at a happy ending. Where the prince doesn't save the princess. He tortures her. And the beauty doesn't sleep. She's stuck. In a nightmare.

L.J. Shen is one of my most favourite authors ever. She’s mastered an ability to transform cold-hearted and callous assholes who undergo an inevitable transformation of redemption into relatable characters we can’t help but fall in love with. Wolfe Keaton was damaged and enigmatic, frighteningly ruthless, filled with cynicism and sarcasm and hatred towards the wrongdoer. There was such an immense amount of depth to this meanie. He was a multi-faceted character, withdrawn and detached on the surface but so loving and caring beneath the tough exterior.

Francesca Rossi was a perfect example of a well-developed female character, wrapped in complexity and divergence. In the beginning, she appeared to be docile, unsure of herself, and awfully immature (which was understandable considering her sheltered life in a golden yet tarnished cage). But as time passed by, she proved herself being quick-witted and intelligent, resilient and brave with a do-no-harm-but-take-no-shit attitude. Torn between an older life bound in the sick tradition of mafia world and a newer life promising long-awaited freedom and independence, Francesca blossomed from a naive little girl into a more daring and challenging woman.

We were entwined and entangled, connected with invisible strings, each of us trying to pull away, only to create more knots that made us closer.

Wolfe and Francesca were so imperfectly perfect for each other. Passionate enemies yet fierce lovers, with a dangerously explosive connection, with intense deep feelings, and with no shame or restraint. Their chemistry really shone throughout the entire book and made the story whole.

L.J. Shen never fails to amaze me with the ways she illustrates her version of love. It is always an intense fierceness of earnest affection and a vicious yearning that feels beautifully raw and extremely real. In The Kiss Thief world, loving wholeheartedly equals to setting oneself free, meaning willing to change, as well as transforming into someone better, worth living and dying for.

PS. For those of you wondering, The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen is a somewhat modern re-telling of Whitney, My Love by Judith McNaught or at least, follows the exact same sequence of main events and turning points but in a different setting.