Painted Scars: An Enemies To Lovers Mafia Romance (Perfectly Imperfect)

I loved this! This was a mafia romance that stood out and broke out of the usual formula. Fake romance, disabilities, ptsd, etc. It was a fun quick read and I often found myself kicking my feet and giggling. Spice level was appropriate and not as graphic as books have become which for me is how I like it. The writing quality is great as well! Too many times i find myself editing this narrative heavy expository heavy books as im reading them but with this i was just able to relax read and enjoy

4/5 ⭐️ 3,75 🌶️ Starting the series of Perfeclty Imperfect painted scars follow the story of Roman and Nina. Here are the tropes of the book: 1. Disabled Hero 2. Fake mariage 3. Age gap 4. Opposite attract 5. Possessive/jealous MMC 6. Grumpy/sunshine Disclaimers: my review doesn’t have spoilers, I try to never give important elements of the story. The story of Nina and Roman was really a good introduction to the mafia universe of Neva Altaj. It was such a sweet and angsty romance. The book wasn’t too dark and the balance between the love story and the other event (mafia related) was well written. I personally hate when authors go all over the place and don’t keep their focus on the couple. But Neva altaj kept the dynamic so well. There was a real connection between the lovers. Chapters by chapters you get a view of how they learn about each other. Nothings is ruched, it was the first book that really showed me how sweet an obsessed and jealous mmc can be. There was a lot of funny moment because Nina was so different from the mafia world. Neva altaj gave to Nina a sweet but strong personality to be able to match Roman personality and grumpiness. I love that you get a small introduction to other characters and their personality for the following books. The book is easy to read with a good level of spice. I really liked the plot twist wasn’t a crazy plot but it was necessary to bring a dynamic to the couple. The only spot that I would have loved is to see a longer side to Roman after the plot. Having read all the books of the series this one was not my favorite one of them all but it’s a perfect start and really easy to read. I really recommend to read all the books in order. If you have never read a mafia romance this book is the perfect way to start. Neva Altaj is the author for mafia romance.

I was a bit surprised by this book and not necessarily in a bad way. The story centers around Nina and Roman. She is quirky and funny and different from the usual women the Russian Pakhan, Roman, dates. He is strong, abrasive, and protective. The story starts with Roman being injured and in a vulnerable position for a Mafia King. He needs to marry to send a message to his people that he is secure and stable. She is put in the position of having to marry to save her father’s life. Neither are looking for a real connection, both are looking to benefit in other ways. As the story unfolds we find that it really centers around Nina and Roman and their relationship behind closed doors versus the mask they put on in front of others. I was pleasantly surprised when the story wasn’t hyper focused on mafia life, mafia business, and the relationship conflicts it usually causes. Unlike other mafia stories I’ve read, the family dynamic is not based on blood or loyalty. Instead, it seems to be based on fear. The time they spend together forges a bond that is “them against the world.” This eventually grows into a relationship and later love…but always that same feeling of “them against the world.” Ok…side characters. Her mom, I didn’t like her at first but came to understand her more later in the story. Her Dad, a total douche canoe. His Uncle Leonid, still trying to figure out what his deal was and he was such an a**. Igor the cook, loved him! Such a great character. Nina loved playing it up for her ‘role’ as wife and I got some great laughs from the wedding scene at the table with the other wives. Cons: I wish there had been more backstory to Leonid as well as the overall dynamic for this particular mafia family. Brian, we can all assume we know what he did to Nina, however, I would have liked to have learned the real story. Why, when he saw her did he look at her with contempt? A wee bit more history or backstory would have really buttoned up this story. Overall: 4/5 stars Steam: 3/5 stars Tropes: Mafia, Forced Marriage, Age Gap, He fell first, Who hurt you?, Touch her and d** HEA

Pretty fluffy for a mafia romance. Probably a good pick for someone’s first mafia read if they are looking to get into the genre. The characters of the FMC and MMC are well fleshed out and their chemistry is great. Low drama but with a small 3rd act break up that isn’t too bad.

Solid book. I loved the growth of the characters and the banter. They both have a lot of healing to do. It's cute seeing if they can work through everything together.

For the majority of the book, I really thought I would rate it a 3. This is solely based on the fact the Nina showers an absurd amount of times in the beginning of the book. I swear she breaths and decides she needs to shower again. Also, the time in the book kept changing. Like one moment there’s a few hours of daylight left then they’re having lunch. As someone who really likes to immerse herself in the story, these little details just pulled me out of it. All that to say, I really did enjoy the ending. I was expecting him to be all sorrowful and repentant and to see him angry and firm was a nice surprise. Overall probably a 3.5 read. Enjoyable but probably won’t reread.

​I absolutely 💯 loved Roman. He was perfect on so many levels, and he loved Nina beyond measure. ​Now, for the reasons this should have been a true 5 🌟 read (I know I gave it 5 stars, but in all honesty, it was a 4.5 and I just couldn't bring myself to round down to a 4). ​Spoilers ahead... ​So, Nina has to marry Roman because her father stole money from the Bratva. Roman needs a bride, and Nina fits the bill. From there, their relationship progresses wonderfully. They actually get to know each other and eventually fall in love. It was great! Nina wasn't a doormat, Roman wasn't an alphahole—it was perfect. ​But here is where the author messed up. Nina is traumatized because a guy tried to rape her in the past, though she managed to escape. Obviously, going through something like that leaves a person with triggers. When Roman asks for the guy's name, Nina tells him to forget it because she doesn't want someone's death on her conscience. Fast forward to when their relationship is solid: they are at a club, and she spots the guy. She starts having a panic attack, and Roman figures out why. Nina begs him again not to kill him. Roman agrees out loud, ordering his men to just remove the guy from the club, but then secretly orders them in Russian to grab him so he can deal with him later. ​This is where the author heavily forced a third-act breakup, and it was so clunky it almost ruined the book for me. Roman leaves Nina asleep in bed to go torture the guy. Nina wakes up, goes looking for him, and hears something coming from the basement. ​First of all, another incredibly heavy-handed move by the author was even letting Nina hear what was happening down there. Most mafia books know that if there's a torture or kill room on-site, it’s going to be completely soundproof. Otherwise, they do that stuff off-site at a warehouse or a mafia-owned club. But nope, she just easily hears it, goes down to investigate, and finds Roman torturing her abuser. ​And she sees Roman as a monster? Seriously? Come on now. You knew exactly who and what this man was from day one. So what if he promised he wouldn't kill him? Call me cruel, but if that guy tried it with Nina, he has probably done it to other women. Men like that aren't one-offs; they are repeat offenders. He deserved exactly what Roman gave him. Instead, Nina runs off, throws up, and completely freezes Roman out. Then she asks to leave and sends him divorce papers. Talk about hypocritical. Yeah, I get that he broke a promise, but was taking out the trash really a catalyst for divorce? No. For me, a realistic reaction would have been moving into the guest room for a few days to cool down, and then calmly talking things out. ​There was also some general fleshing out that needed to be done, especially regarding her relationship with her parents. It always felt peripheral and never deep enough. This becomes really obvious when her mom comes around after the separation. Even after finding out what happened, her mom has to tell her that Roman loves her and points out that her own father would never kill for her—and Nina still doesn't get it. How do you not get it?! That man didn't kill him for pleasure; he did it so she could feel safe (not to mention saving countless other women, I'm sure). Her reaction was so ridiculous that it frustrated me and ruined a perfectly good FMC. ​Oh, and the spice was meh! With as much love as there was between them, I wanted incredible spice with amazing intimacy, but it didn't even come close. Why include spicy scenes if they're going to be that dull? ​Anyway, despite my venting, it really was a great book, and I'll definitely be reading the next one in the series!

Love this book it was funny and sad. Everything I want to read in a mafia romance. Love the fmc she made this a fun read

Good , you will love the Nina character the banter between the two , overall good read , but could have been better

Avevo sentito parlare tantissimo di questo libro e non ha deluso le mie aspettative! Nina è un’artista, una donna con carattere e a volte con una bocca un po’ troppo larga. Il padre lavora per la Bratva, ma fa la mossa sbagliata: mai rubare soldi alla mafia russa. Il Pakhan decide così di risparmiarlo, ma in cambio la figlia dovrà sposarlo. Per finta in realtà. Ultimamente gli stanno mettendo molta pressione perché a 35 anni ancora non ha una moglie al suo fianco, e alla gente piace parlare. Roman si sente in difetto, qualche mese prima aveva subito un attentato e le sue condizioni mediche lo costringono sulla sedia a rotelle, solo alcune volte riesce a usare le stampelle, e questo lo fa sentire molto insicuro. Riusciranno queste due teste calde a convivere sotto lo stesso tetto per sei mesi? Poi tutto tornerà alla normalità. Ma ne siamo sicuri? Il mezzo piantino c’è stato per questo libro eh, io ve lo dico Data la brevità purtroppo i personaggi non vengono approfonditi tantissimo, manca un po’ di profondità. Ma io l’ho trovato godibilissimo lo stesso. Vi fa sicuramente compagnia per una giornata o due I protagonisti però nonostante tutto li ho amati: le loro dinamiche, l loro scambio di battute, il loro percorso, il loro essere così fragili… è tutto così chef’s kiss Sono sicura che se Neva avesse aggiunto molti più elementi e forse più drama sarebbe stato perfetto. La parte spicy non è predominante, gioca un bel ruolo ma non vi aspettate di leggere questo libro per lo smut Ho amato la rappresentazione della disabilità, i sentimenti di Roman nei confronti della sua situazione (che lui sperava fosse temporanea) colpisce nel segno. Da quello che so tutti i libri della serie hanno uno dei due protagonisti con un qualche tipo di disabilità e io non vedo l’ora di scoprire tutti loro.

Funny, fast paced, lovely love story. Laugh out loud funny in several places, sweet and tender in others. A great read - looking forward to reading the other books in the series.

It's a lovely story, everything builds page through page. I have no words for Roman, and Nina is such a sweet woman, so sweet that I disagree with how she felt with something Roman did, but I am happy with how everything ended. I recommend it.

I had no expectations. It is the classic mafia dark romance. I had read&listen this one and I can't wait to read the next one. Lovely❤️🖤