Book: Ruthless Persuasion by Julia Emma
Reviewed by TheCaffeinatedTBR
Rating: 4/5
Ruthless Persuasion by Emma Julia (Book 2 of the Vows of the Vicious series)
Available on September 25, 2026
Overall rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ (4/5)
Smut: 🌶️🌶️.5 (2.5/5)
If you love a mafia romance but want a slight twist on the usual tropes, this one delivers. The MMC, Enzo, is a broody Italian mafia boss who actually uses his power to save women from trafficking. He’s got the whole package: trauma, anger issues, control issues, and trigger happy. Then we have our FMC, Briar. She’s being blackmailed and pimped out by her own father (yes, you read that right) to save her little sister from the same fate.
Honestly, I really liked this book overall! The tension was so good, the banter was top-tier, and there were even a few comedic scenes that cracked me up. If you live for a classic grumpy, broody MMC paired with a sassy FMC who knows exactly which buttons to push until they inevitably fall for each other, you’ll love their dynamic. Plus, even the side characters actually contributed to the plot and made the whole story so much better, which I always appreciate!
⚠️ MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD ⚠️
Okay, but I have to explain why I knocked off a whole star. A few plot points just didn't make sense to me! The first few scenes with Enzo and Briar gave me whiplash. One second he’s sending signals that make you think he wants her so badly (at the risk his self-control and sanity), and the next second he’s freezing cold and acting like he wants nothing to do with her, almost like he forgot what he did a few nights prior? Also... he hires her to work in his mansion, but like, why?! I get that the plot needed to move forward, but logically, it made zero sense. And suddenly she's a total pro at it? I might have missed something there.
That being said, it was still a super addictive read that kept me turning the pages!
Have you read this series yet? What did you think of Enzo’s mixed signals?
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