Crescendo: A Dark Mafia Romance (Beautiful Monsters Book 1)

This is undeniably my favorite book of all time. I view it as a masterpiece to be completely honest.The author has certainly made her readers aware most of the issues that are not usually given much importance.*SPOILERS*a. Sexual abuse on males is also present in the society and it impacts them as much as sexual abuse on women (this is usually not depicted in other stories or most assume that when they say sexual abuse it's automatically on women)b. Being strong doesn't necessarily mean being opinionated, aggressive and tough on the outside. Being strong, as shown by Daniella can mean being able to endure pain, torture, violence and trying to keep yourself together despite everything. She was viewed as someone who was weak then became strong, but in my opinion, she was strong then and now she's just showing it to everyone that she is and is willing to do everything to eliminate the existing and possible monsters in the city.c. It's very, very easy to voice out you love someone but find it hell of difficult to show it. Well, Dante & Daniella certainly showed in a whole, twisted level on how much they love each other WITHOUT saying it. It was heavily shown how much hell they would go through for the other, for their sake and that alone shows so much the depth of their love for each other and I loved it.d. Dante and Daniella are such twisted characters because of what they have been through, they have been so wrapped up in their respective pain that they don't know or are in denial on a lot of things, their approach in every situation and their point of view is very interesting, once you connect with the characters you would be able to pinpoint how they will react given a situation. Especially Dante, who says one thing but does the other. The switch in POVs really made me understand what are the reasons of the characters for their actions and for what they say.e. Connecting with the characters is so easy as the author described everything so perfectly, I could feel what Daniella and Dante were feeling given a moment, most specifically Daniella, I can feel her pain, her anger, her despair, the grief, her lust, her doubts, everything.f. Sometimes, the villain cannot be saved or reformed. It's the truth though,that villains cannot be redeemed most of the time. They may have reasons on why they became the person they are but it does not mean they will change and be good, there are monsters who no matter what you do are too enveloped on their own darkness that they cannot be saved and are just left to burn, literally.g.. So damn realistic. Crescendo showed how several issues can affect a person, it doesn't mean that when the villain is long gone that the heroes are happy, peaceful and living a comfortable life. The author showed that SCARS are present and they bring forth memories, TRAUMA, fear that cannot be slept of overnight and would continue to haunt them no matter how much they try to forget and this trauma, this pain, is what they use to fuel the anger that they feel and try to keep themselves sane by trying to erase the reminders of their demons at the expense of their sanity. This is the difference between Daniella and Ksenia, but the latter is for BM book 2 :)Crescendo, is a very dark, addictive and matured story who doesn't shy away on sensitive issues and would definitely bring out a lot of emotions from you, A LOT OF IT. I have read this more than 8 times already and I haven't had enough of it. I would recommend this to everyone, but prepare yourself, you're in for hell of a ride and you'd get addicted to this series.For me, the song that perfectly fits DxD is Beautiful Pain by Eminem and Sia.Anxiously waiting for the paperback, an ebook is not enough.

This was so not the book I was expecting, or like anything I've read before. The description falls under Dark Romance, but it didn't feel like that at all. This book is BRUTAL to read from the start, and it never really stops. Be warned, its a book about terrible, violent people, and the terrible, violent things they do. Triggers warnings should probably be given.It's not what I'm used to, so I admit that I was pretty thrown by the all the animosity between our 2 main characters. They HATE one another, and always seem to be thinking about killing the other, and yet they are unquestionably addicted to each other. The heroine is someone who's trying to escape years of abuse from her ex. The abuse she suffers is not magically ended in the least when she gets mixed up with the Hero and his dangerous crowd. She suffers at their hands, and she continues to suffer emotionally from everything her ex put her through. That she keeps asking herself which of the men is worse than the other ought to tell you just how broken these people are, and that there are basically no heros or happy endings here. The Hero has his own horrible violent past that has made him the violent, soulless person he is now. Personally, I didn't understand how with everything he went through, how he could be so callous towards her, but I guess thats where the "soulless" part comes in.I kept asking myself where is the romance?! But this is by no means a romantic book. Even the sex was very rough, not what I have come to expect from a "romance". Nope, no love-making here, ever. So if that is what you're looking for, steer oh so clear from this one.It took me awhile to accept that this is who these characters are. But once I did, I went along for the rollercoaster ride. I was completely swept away and invested. The author's writing style was so intense and felt so real. These are broken people who won't be easily fixed. I will definitely look for more books by this author because of how enthralled I was with her writing. First I need to let this story settle in on me. Normally I delve into my next new book immediately, but this one I can't get off my mind and I need time to process it. If you can handle loads of violence and even more dark, twisted thoughts, and if you're more interested in the journey than getting a neatly wrapped HEA, then I highly recommend this!

I was expecting dark, but this went beyond my expectations. This is very well written, and keeps you on the edge of your seat throughout. I only gave four stars because of how far these scenes went. I just can't wrap my mind around any strong, smart woman enjoying the degrading pain she craved, and I wasn't a fan of the abuse the lead constantly went through. She got slapped by way too many men, and at some point it's just enough already. We get it. The cutting was also pretty nauseating. I feel like when the lead gets to a certain point of mentally damaged as she did, it's hard to still follow their journey. Had this author not been such a terrific writer I would have stopped reading based on that. I hope the sequel has less mental ramblings of her ex, because one book about him is enough.

Gotta say this book was darker then I thought I would enjoy. But now weeks later I still think of this book. I won't lie at times I wanted to stop reading because I was like eww nope not NOT so not what I think is sexy yet I could not walk away from this book. Its dark and dirty and so freaking beautiful to read. It is not a hallmark movie book, it isn't even a erotic sexy book its a raw , dirty, this so could be real life book that I did not think I would enjoy. I was emotionally drained when it finished and I will go back for more when book 2 is out.Please note if you have ever been around anyone with serious emotional scars the inner thoughts of Dante are very accurate, this is not a simple love story and if you are offended by the harsh reality that people do honestly think "mean things" or "demeaning things" for self preservation then you may not /will not enjoy this book.However, if you are not a self absorbed, politically correct, girl power only, all the time person then you should be alright.

Wow. There are several words that I can use to describe this book and none of them fit within the typical romance genre. It's definitely not a book made for the faint hearted, nor is it a book that is fit for those who prefer the typical damsel in distress featuring Prince Charming. The main characters are far from the stereotypes and this book is the perfect definition of a dark romance. It leaves you with a sense of longing for more answers. Some parts of the book are quite hard to swollow and I have to admit that the relationship between the two main characters is so intense and twisted that at times I found it hard to understand and read at first, but surprisingly the darkness of it all is what made me come back to read it again once I finished it. What I loved about this book the most is that not one of the main characters were stronger than the other and they both left a mark on each other in several ways without even knowing it (no pun intended) I can't wait for the sequel!

Dark but perfectly written gangster/romance story. Not recommended for young readers (18 plus.).With its intricate characters and plots this story takes you on a ride to the darker side of life. Written from the points of view of the characters, getting messages across becomes a tricky business.Will have you wanting to read more with each page turn.

This book drags you in kicking and screaming. Vinny is the perfect villain, but he isn't the only one. While you're caught rooting for Danny, you'll find yourself loving and hating almost everyone else in equal measure.You have to read this!

This was a gripping romance with dark and brutal story line. The characters were very strong and dark but the story was well written. Will definitely read the next instalment.

I love mafia type books but action was slow. Too much description of everything else, thoughts and feelings. Not for me, gave up half way.