Before you ask, yes, I am aware it's currently May Day bank holiday in the UK and gloriously sunny outside... I FINALLY picked up this holiday novella by one of my favourite authors in the hopes it might cool me down a little but, well, this is a book that will definitely get you hot under the collar!

'Sweet Silver Belle' is a little nugget of dark romance perfection. Within moments of meeting our main characters, Belle and Dmitri, you are invested in their relationship and their personalities, and your heart immediately knows what it wants. Even within the confines of a book that comes in at less than 200 pages, they are both brought to life with ease and so well fleshed out (literally and figuratively), it really feels like you must have read about them before. Belle's traits are completely relatable whether or not you have been in her situation, and while normally I'd be screaming at an otherwise strong female character to stand up for herself more, in this case I instinctively understood why that wasn't an option. I've never read a book that illustrates not just the character's reaction to domestic abuse, but the rationale behind their reactions (or lack thereof) so well.

As for Dmitri, well hello Sir! He starts out as quite the cinnamon roll, but damn if he doesn't morph into something just a little bit terrifying and absolutely delicious to read about! I've not really explored mafia romance books too much to date, but I love that Dmitri's background is used to give depth to the story and his character without it being overly central to the story. It was a great way to dip my toe into these waters. He basically has everything a girl (this girl) looks for in her MMCs - sweet yet brooding, dark, protective, tattooed and very much a bad boy to the world, but putty in her hands. This right here is a perfect illustration why readers prefer fictional men. 

The pace is absolutely spot on. Again, for a novella it's an absolutely complete story, with enough worldbuilding to settle you completely into the premise and energy to keep the tension at full tilt throughout without feeling like things are being skimmed over. There are some beautiful little twists and turns to keep you engaged, and the build to the climax is incredibly done. As for the relationship development, damn this is a hot one! The spice is just... *melts*. But it's spice with feeling; maybe a tiny bit gratuitous, but every moment fits within and drives the story forward. All I will say is I am not developing a mask kink. I am not developing a mask kink. I am NOT developing a mask kink. 😂🤣😂🤣 

I love Billie's work anyway, but this just cements her status as one of my absolute favourite authors. And she's a lovely human being too! 🥰