The Kiss Thief - LJ Shen

I absolutely love when an MMC slowly realizes just how much he loves the girl he planned to hate forever. With enemies-to-lovers, you always know it’s coming, so it’s really about how he gets there, his thoughts, his actions, and that emotional shift. This book did that so well. The character development for both main characters was stunning, and by the end, I was fully invested in their journey.

Francesca lives the life expected of so many mafia daughters: no job, no school, no real independence. She is meant to exist for her future husband, and I fully supported her hatred of that kind of future. Based on how she was raised, she believes she already knows exactly who she is going to marry.

Then Wolfe enters the picture and completely scrambles every part of Francesca’s expected life. He is determined to hate her because he is only using her to get under her father’s skin. But watching Wolfe slowly change his words and actions toward her was one of my favorite parts. The closet scene genuinely made my heart race with joy.

I also love when a major event becomes the MMC’s biggest wake-up call about his feelings and how poorly he has treated the FMC, and this book delivered that in the best way. There was actually a two-part wake-up call. The second one is where you really see Francesca’s growth and Wolfe’s emotional shift, and it was so satisfying.

There were so many little moments in this story that were entertaining, along with several twists that completely shocked me. I also loved that Wolfe wasn’t actually a mafia man, even though he was deeply integrated into that world. It brought a fresh perspective and a different dynamic to the story. I was lucky to receive an ARC of this book in honor of the new edition releasing and I’m leaving this honest review voluntarily.

I was dreadfully in love with her. Ruthlessly, tragically mad about the teenager with the big blue eyes who talked to her vegetables.