Girl Anonymous

Dante and Maarje's families have been enemies for hundreds of years following a long-ago act of violence that initiated a blood feud. The pair first meet as young children when the vendetta continues with an explosion that kills his father and her mother. They reconnect more than 20 years later. Maarje is working as a fine arts mover when another explosion targets Dante's home; she risks her life to save his mother. Dante and Maarje realize that they are both in danger.This is a page turning mystery as the couple tries to figure out who is in pursuit. There are lots of potential villains and twists, turns and surprises. The final outcome surprised me.The book also has supernatural aspects. The families are linked by an ancient reliquary that symbolizes the origins of the feud. Dante's and Maarje's relationship has echoes of fate and callbacks to a mythological era when love created life and justice triumphed.And, there's romance. Initially, there's a lot of static and mistrust between the couple. As they partner to escape and fight their enemies, they gain respect and trust for one another. There's also a lot of heat and chemistry and the idea that a marriage may finally end the war between their tribes.There are some darker elements to the story. Dante's father was a violent, immoral and coercive man. As Dante and Maarje investigate their enemies, they learn more about the father's misdeeds and victims.

Twists and turns keeps me turning the pages until the wee hours of the night. In this latest from Ms. Dodd, there are plot twists that keep me engaged. Plus the characters are interesting. I want to learn more. Will there be a follow up? If so, I would read it.This standalone story wows me with the vivid imagery and emotions invoked in a star crossed lover family feud battle royal. Maarja is the only one left in her family. She is strong and resilient. She does this by blending in and staying under the radar. Unfortunately for her, her past catches up with her and Dante wants his pound in flesh. Dante is the son of the mob boss her mother killed. Or did she?What a child remembers can be different than what happened. What a parent will sacrifice to save their child is amazing to witness. To learn of supernatural items that men covet for power and virility is unsurprising. The sexual chemistry between Dante and Maarja is explosive. Their fiery mating dance with a reluctant Maarja is erotic and just dances the line of dub-con. Dante is persuasively seductive. He is the antihero bad boy that girls want.Another delicious erotic thriller from Ms. Dodd. Recommended to readers who enjoy suspense and sexy antiheroes.

Not even close to her best effort. The story was poorly developed and felt kind of rushed.

This is really not my type of book. I did complete it. This is mostly family royalty and loyalty. The author did great describing and bringing characters to life. The twists that were not expected were good.

Dante Arundel is heir to a mafia empire. Maarje Daire is enemy - the daughter of the woman who killed his father. For years the Arundel family has sought to end the Daires. Maarje has been on the run, avoiding anything to do with the Arundels until fate puts her in the same place as Dante. Dante is ready to end to the feud, the rest of the Arundel family, not so much.I liked the relationship between Dante and Maarje. Yes, he was domineering and highly protective, but Maarje, though not always feeling confident, put on a brave face and pushed back at Dante. This led to some clever and sometimes darkly humorous banter between the characters. Even though there was often a clash of wills, there was still a natural development of their relationship.This rapidly moving novel of suspense is fueled by dark romance and enhanced by a bit of mysticism. The mystery deepens and the danger builds with every turn of the page. All leading to a shocking conclusion. This was an uputdownable read.