Daisy is a naive 21 year old that's been trapped in the house with her father for years. No internet access, outside friends, and no leaving the house unless her father lets her to get groceries. Luckily she sneaks to the library to learn things. After having enough she runs away to the city and gets a kick ass roommate named Regan. Her first real friend. Unbeknownst to Daisy, there's a man across the street that's watching her. Nick is a bratva assassin since he was 9 who's left the fold but still killing and needing revenge . He sees a light in Daisy that he wants more of. A timid friendship starts that turns into something more. All of the lies told and men coming after him darken the doorstep and Daisy and Regan are in the crosshairs of powerful the bratva that puts Nick in a position of a new found lust for life and a longing for Daisy that he will stop at nothing to get her back. A suck you in story that's murder, mayhem, love, emotional distress, tense and sometimes awkward with Nick's Russian phrases versus American slang and Daisy's fresh outlook. Looking forward to the next in series ( )

A quick story updating what Nick & Daisy are up to after Regan & Daniel went to Texas in Last Breath. The two are attending college classes and trying to fit in with the public. Nick has a flair for art and Daisy is trying to make friends. She befriends a fellow student who has an abusive boyfriend who brings out Nick's hitman side he's trying to hide. Along the way, a detective is following Nick making things uncomfortable. ( )

So I just picked up this audiobook from my library via Hoopla. I have read it before, but I want to finish the series so I needed to re-read as a refresher. And let me tell you, I enjoyed this book SO much more this time around all because of Iggy Toma, the absolutely yummy Russian-accented male narrator. He absolutely brought Nikolai's character to life and made even the most crude words titillating in that short, clipped Russian accent. The first time I read the book, I thought the dialogue was a bit choppy... but I realize that it's not really. It's just written to go along with this accent. It worked so much better for me in audio. There is a female narrator, Kasha Kensington, and she did a fine job. But I just loved Iggy mucho mas! I raved about Iggy to Deanna and convinced her to pick up this series in audio as well. You should all do it, do it now.

So this is the story of Daisy and Nikolai. I consider it more Nikolai's story as he just seemed to play a stronger role in the story (or this could be my fixation on that Russian accent). Nikolai is Ukranian and was taken into the Bratva as a young boy. He has been trained as a hitman, and carried on in that role after he left the Bratva at 15 years old. When Nikolai sees Daisy, he immediately recognizes her innocence and purity and thinks he is not worthy of her.

Daisy has demons of her own, namely growing up in a home with an agoraphobic father after her mother was murdered. At 21 years old, Daisy can no longer live under the extreme control of her father and makes a run for it. Running from a farm to the city was an eye-opening experience for Daisy... she was sheltered to the point of only reading the classics and watching children's television programs. Even the historical romances she covertly read at the library were not enough to prepare her meeting the stoic and broody Nikolai.

Usually uber-naive heroines get on my nerves, but I didn't mind Daisy. Her innocence was somewhat endearing, and she didn't whine or complain about her situation. She met every new experience with awe and wonder, but it wasn't so over the top that it made your teeth ache. Nikolai was what you would expect of a hitman, sober and unemotional. Though he had horrible self-esteem, sometimes it was endearing and sometimes it was a little annoying. You usually see more confidence with Mafia heroes. But Nikolai absolutely worshiped Daisy and it was nice to see how he took care of her.

If you are a fan of audiobooks while you are driving or puttering around the house, this is a great series in audio format. 4 stars / 4 flames. ( )

'Twas good. ( )

Romantic Thriller. Stalker hitman Nikolai and naive Daisy. OK+
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