The Bookie

Chicago Bratva, Book 6

By: Renee Rose

Narrated by: Benjamin Sands

I bargained with the Bratva—my brother’s life for my own.
They offered me a deal: thirty nights for my brother's life.
Thirty nights...with him. Nikolai Novikov.
The charming but dangerous loanshark.

He’s deceptively smooth. Sinfully handsome. Addictive, even. But it's only an illusion.

I vow to give him nothing more than I promised, yet he sees right through me. When it comes to my heart, all bets are off...and winner takes all.

©2021 Renee Rose Romance (P)2023 Renee Rose Romance

LOVE IT!!!

started this series and can't stop listening to it. Love that Nikolai found his hea.

amazing journey

I liked that Nicolai had a heart and a soft spot for Chelle. Chelle was a good big sister, and by the end I hope her loyalty wasn't misplaced and Zane learned some hard lessons. With the help
of her bff she saw reality much clearer than her knee jerk auto reaction at first. This was another exciting bratva love story that left me breathless. I voluntarily listened to a free copy of this and am giving an honest opinion. The narrator did an excellent job bringing the characters and story to life. I highly recommend this series.

Great series

Another home run for Renee. Mafia, drama, captivating, amazing characters and great chemistry. Loved this story.

Smoking Hot Bratva Romance!!

May I say I just adore every story in this series. This one is even better - seems impossible, but it’s true. Whew!!

Nikolai lives in the “Kremlin” with our other bratva favorites. He has to put a push on Zane, who he likes, but has gotten behind in payments. Chelle is Zane’s sister. She becomes involved when Zane ends up in the hospital.

Nikolai is feeling adrift as each member “pairs up” including his twin Dima, who also moves away. As more interactions occur, including some flirtation, and definite attraction; Chelle strikes a deal to pay off Zanes debt.

This sounds “bad”, but Nikolai has a “code” and is gentlemanly when it matters, and not when asked not to be. Sensual, and exciting read. Read this within a 24 hour period. Captivating!!
*** Two years later I listened to this - I remember why I loved this so much! The narration is amazing, that Russian accent makes me swoon.

*** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book ***

Feels, Intensity & Excitement

This book was so good!. I'd been eagerly anticipating Nikolai's story and was super excited to finally get my eager hands on it and it did not disappoint! Nikolai was definitely swoon worthy. His blend of tough and naughty was accented to perfection with just enough soft sweetness to make him absolutely delectable. The story was well written and it grabbed and maintained my attention easily. I must admit that my feelings about Chelle were much more complicated. Sometimes I liked her and I did feel a lot of sympathy for her. However, if I'm totally honest, I really didn't care for her. Still, together, I very much liked these two as a couple and I loved the feels they gave me while sending my temperature soaring. The narrator gave a great performance and I found his voice pleasing to listen to.

The Narration Enhanced the Story

The narration served to level up this book for me. It took a 4 star story to 5. That is not yo say that I didn't enjoy the ebook. I felt a little more engaged with the characters and what they were feeling.

Below is my ebook review of The Bookie:
I thought Nickolai had a very interesting personality, or moral compass. He didn't want Zane to be hurt too badly, but he couldn't let Zane get away with what he had done without acknowledging it. After all, it was Ravil's money that was involved.

He wouldn't let Chelle pay Zane's debt like she wanted to because that went against his personal rules. He had to mentally reconcile that he was separating the situation regarding Zane from his attraction to Chelle. The layers of his personality were a lot more complex than I originally thought.

I also thought the part about missing Dima was a nice addition. It added another layer of complexity to Nickolai's character. He and Chelle together were really kind of sweet. I did have to wonder about the behavior of Chelle's best friend. Between her best friend and her brother, Chelle didn't need enemies.

This book had a bit of action, A bit of danger, and a bit of suspense. Not as much as I expected, but some. I was able to read it in one sitting, all the way to the HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

Great Story teller/ great story!

Love the story, love the series. The alpha men are wonderful, tough and caring. The man telling the story does a wonderful Russian accent, and makes it seem alive. Can’t wait for the next book to come out on Audible.

So good

I love Renee Rose and this series. I also love Benjamin Sands voice. He does a tremendous job with any book he narrates!

Love

I love this series. This is one of my favorite authors and her stories take me into a different world. I’ve read all her books and also enjoy listening on Audible while driving or walking. Excellent characters, great world building, and fantastic narration.

Life lessons from the Bookie

Nikolai and Chelle's story. Like all the stories in this Bratva series it's a steamy tale with an HEA. Love Benjamin Sands performance.