Synopsis:
A dark Swan Lake retelling where the ‘villain’ steals the girl, set in a world of secret pacts, feuding families, and primal obsession.

He’s her curse, but she’s his salvation, and he’ll do anything to keep the ones he loves safe.

Rebellious ballerina Luna Bordeaux may be the darling of the New Orleans elite, but she’s destined to dance in her parents’ shadows. Her twenty-second birthday was supposed to be her escape. One last performance, one necessary breakup, then? Freedom.

Except her white knight of a boyfriend just proposed on stage.

And now her masked stalker has crashed the engagement party…

Orion Fury has protected Luna for years, counting the seconds until he can claim his future wife, honoring a vow made between their fathers decades ago. His discipline has only ever slipped once, but his enemy just crossed the line. All bets are off, and a night that began with a party ends in kidnapping and murder.

Now Luna is a stolen bride with blood on her slippers and a target on her back, trapped in the wilderness with the man who hunted her. But Orion isn’t the only predator in these woods, and the men coming for her will do anything to stop the Fury-Bordeaux alliance.

Her villain may be the one person she’s determined to hate, but is he the only one dangerous enough to keep her alive?


Review:
“Once again, I blame dark romance books, and maybe the fact this so-called “meet-cute” runs in the family.” (Page 122)

This book had me from the very beginning. Greatly paced with lots of action–both dangerous and dangerously romantic. I loved the Swan Lake tie in and the ballet, and how Luna wants to set herself apart from her mother. There are so many intricate thoughts and feelings of someone trying to find their place and not see themselves through another’s eyes or in another’s shadow that is very relatable. This book also touches on the serious topics of parental loss and mental health disorders, in a respectful and believable manner. As with previous Greer Rivers novels, I absolutely love Masque and that sort of masked connection–masterfully done. A mixture of Phantom of the Opera and Appalachian mountains/being in the outdoors was pure perfection. That being said, while this is a dark romance, there were some aspects that I didn’t personally resonate with regarding certain red bodily fluids. There was also a bit less build up/connection between Orion and Luna than most Tattered Curtain couples have, leaving a little too much potential Stockholm Syndrome. Regardless, a fabulous book, and great seeing the Tattered Curtain couples with their families a bit later in life.

I would recommend this book if you’d like a dark romantic Phantom of the Opera retelling, entwined with ballet (Swan Lake), mixed with the mafia where the villain gets the girl.

Star rating: ✯✯✯✯