Synopsis

NINA.

Charming, captivating, seductive, and a cold-blooded killer. I married the Pakhan of the Russian Bratva anyway. I had to, it was part of the deal. Now I'm faking marital bliss as I tremble with fear, and I cannot wait to be out of the clutches of this ruthless man.

ROMAN.

I get anything I desire, and I want this perfectly imperfect little manipulator. The way she can deceive anyone into believing she's crazy in love with me just makes me want her even more. She doesn't know it yet, but I am not letting her go. The deal is off.

The protagonists

My review

Friends, if anyone asks me where to start with Neva Altaj, my answer will always be the same: Painted Scars. It's the first book in the Perfectly Imperfect series and, even though it's a mafia story, it's such an easy, enjoyable read, the kind you devour almost without noticing.

Nina is a beautiful girl, a painter who lives in her world of canvases and colors with no idea that her dad is mixed up in business with the mob. For reasons that have nothing to do with her, she ends up forced to marry Roman Petrov, the Pakhan of the Russian Bratva. Roman, on the other hand, survived an attack that left him with serious damage to his legs, and on top of that, someone in his own inner circle tried to end his life. He's advised to get married to project a strength he doesn't have at the moment, so they make a deal: six months pretending to be the happiest couple in the world, and then they go their separate ways. But of course, the more they get to know each other, the harder it gets to imagine walking away.

What I loved most is their dynamic. Nina is charming, quick with a comeback, and such a good actress that she has everyone convinced she's crazy about her husband, including Roman, who knows perfectly well it's all an act and falls for her anyway. And he starts out cold and suspicious, then slowly softens for her in a way that will melt your heart. I loved that Neva gave him a disability without taking away even a little bit of his power, watching him leave the wheelchair behind and stand in front of everyone on his own terms is one of the best parts of the book. Plus, they both carry their own scars, and the way they heal each other gives the story a really beautiful heart.

It's the least dark book in the series, the mafia is there, but the focus is always on the love story, with open-door steamy scenes, zero cheating, and the kind of happily ever after we all need. It's the perfect gateway into this world, and Roman as a possessive, jealous husband is everything. Four and a half well-earned stars.

Content warnings: mafia violence, attempted murder (car bomb), on-page torture and killing, kidnapping, heroine's trauma related to physical touch.

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Keep reading the series

Next · Book 5

Stolen Touches

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