Born a Queen

Mateo and Raina were absolutely delicious together. I was so looking forward to their book after Vee and Sotza's book. Born a Queen was sexy, fierce and addicting and I was hooked from the start.<br /><br />However, while I loved their story, there were instances where Mateo was a little too much for me.  His personality was borderline extreme at times where I felt he was mean to Raina out of nowhere. Now, anyone who knows me knows I like my heroes the MEANER the better but his personality was almost erratic at times. (I.E. the random af bunker scene.) Don't get me wrong. It was great but it was also inexcusable. It just came out of nowhere. Likewise, she forgave him SO fast. I hate to say it but Raina was also a little too passive and timid for me as she gave in so easily. I would have hoped she would have been more like her mother. I also felt like she capitulated so easily over the idea of children that I got whiplash. It was disappointing.<br /><br />Overall, while I could never doubt Mateo and Raina's love for one another, there were instances in this book I did not love. 3.5 stars! ~Ratula 

Was really looking forward to this one but unfortunately I found the characters a bit too bland. Heroine was annoying and honestly did some really stupid things that I wondered what the H saw in her. I felt the premise had so much potential but the characters just lacked chemistry, their relationship seemed more like an indulgent parent and child rather than the sizzling passion I was expecting. Not the worst book but def not one of my favourite by NS either!

Born a Queen is an action-packed and sexy story and another fantastic addition to The Queen's series. Nikita Slater brings her unique spin on the mafia world with this story of a man determined to catch the woman who has become his greatest obsession. <br /><br /><i> "I will fuck you every day from here until one of us dies. That is the only way you will ever escape me." </i><br /><br />This author is so good at writing lovable heroines and heroes who are intensely fixated on them. Mateo and Raina had a great connection with a fierce push-and-pull dynamic between them. Raina was determined not to be caged and Mateo was determined to keep her safe at all costs. He was possessive and protective to the point of obsession, and I loved how she was the only woman for him. He was a hunter and she was his prey. <br /><br /><i>"He had such an air of unleashed violence about him that anyone standing in his vicinity would immediately sense the danger." </i><br /><br />There were some dark moments between them, but it wouldn't be a Nikita Slater book if it didn't have that dark intensity that straddles the line between right and wrong. Both of them struggled to adapt to the other, but I really enjoyed the way they balanced each other out. Raina was the light to Mateo's dark, and they battled each other in a way that built and solidified their relationship. Their interactions were always exciting and full of tension, and the sexual energy between them was so well written. <br /><br /><i>"I was born to worship you, just as you were born to belong to me. Whatever comes our way, we will always deal with it together." </i><br /><br />This story was high in suspense and action, which balanced really well with the romantic elements. It was fast paced and thrilling and had all of the things I love in a dark romance. I loved seeing Vee and Sotza again, and they definitely added another layer of enjoyment to the book. This is another great story in this amazing series and I can't wait to get my hands on the next book.

3.50 Stars<br />H - He was a rich, successful, JP anti-H. He was also a mafia boss and a very controlling alpha. He was pretty obsessed with the h and with protecting her. He made decisions regarding her safety and health without consulting her. <br />h - A beautiful, young, naive virgin who was somewhat immature. This was to be expected because she led a very sheltered life. She was adopted, raised by doting parents and grew up on a farm. She also had been through a lot in her life having experienced kidney failure and a kidney transplant when she was young. <br />3rd person dual POV’s<br />J/P - Yes but it felt delayed due to the story. He was OTT but there weren’t many JP scenes.<br />sex - Steamy and delayed. <br />Triggers - H rapes h. There was no seduction involved until after penetration. The h does orgasm. <br />No cheating, no OW/OM<br />HEA w/epilogue <br />Things I did not care for in the story: see end of review.<br /><br /><br />The premise: The h (Raina) was the daughter of a woman (Vee from book 2) who was a former mafia boss before her marriage to a powerful, ruthless and greatly feared, cartel King (Sotza). The h had been given up for adoption by Vee with the hope that the she would have a good life and be protected. When the h (Raina) was in college, the H (Mateo) was sent by Sotza to collect her. Mateo took one look at her and was gone. He wanted her and was able to receive Sotza’s word that she (Raina) would be his. (This happens in book 2.). Due to the h’s age, the H decides to give her 2 years to grow up, see the world and have some freedom before claiming and marrying her. So for two years, the H watches over her from afar biding his time. Born A Queen begins at the end of the two years when the H goes to collect her. <br /><br /><br />"You don’t need to be shy with me. Every part of you is my definition of beauty” - Mateo<br /><input type="checkbox" class="spoiler__control" aria-label="The following text has been marked spoiler. Toggle checkbox to reveal or hide." onchange="this.labels[0].setAttribute('aria-hidden', !this.checked);" id="df8a457f-32ef-4671-b453-5894feaaf4ec" /><label aria-hidden="true" class="spoiler" for="df8a457f-32ef-4671-b453-5894feaaf4ec"><br />Mateo fell hard for Reina the moment he met her. Though they weren’t married, he considered her his. His wife and his property. Reina was 21. She was not ready to be tied down, especially to a scary man like Mateo. She was attracted to him, yes, and had feelings for him true, but she wanted to be free to experience life. When the H arrived, he saved her life and the first thing that she did was to run away from him! While I do LOVE it when the H has to chase the h, I found Reina’s reasons for running from Mateo lacking and her decisions not just naive but dumb. However, considering her age, her immaturity was probably realistic.<br /><br />So the chase began. The H had to track her down a few times before catching her for the final time. When he did, she was at a bar dancing with some friends. It set the stage nicely for a great JP moment, lol.<br /><br />"”You let him touch you. You let them both touch you. You. Are. Mine." He emphasized each of the last three words by smacking his hand into the vehicle next to her head. She blinked up at him in surprise. Her heart was hammering in her chest. A combination of fear and lust sent her adrenaline soaring. "The only man that gets to touch you is me. Remember that. Because the next man that touches you does not get the allowances that these men did. The next man who touches you dies."”<br /><br />Mateo was the kind of man who did not make empty threats. I believe he would have easily killed someone for touching her because yes, he was that psycho. People did not mess with him. <br /><br />His controlling nature was very apparent when it came to the h’s health and safety. <br />“"I will never stop wanting to protect you. This is something that you’ll indulge me in without complaint. I’ll accept a lot from you, but not this. If I tell you that something is for your safety, then you will listen, without argument, without hesitation."”- Mateo<br /><br />He was determined to protect her regardless of the cost.<br />"”I would do anything for you," he agreed, tipping her chin with his fingers. "Even the things that you don’t want me to do. You belong to me, it's my job to see to your safety and comfort." <br />“At the expense of everything else?" she replied with a frown. "Conflict is a part of life. You can't disappear all those things for me. Life doesn't work that way." <br />He leaned over capturing her face and pulling it towards him. They met in the middle, him pressing his lips against hers with a stinging kiss. He leaned back, his face inches from hers. "Watch me."”<br /><br />One of his decisions to protect her health was terrible imo. He made the decision without consulting her and she had no choice. This set things up for some great, unrealized angst because the h quickly forgave him. I did not like how quickly she got over it without a grovel. I understand that he was this big bad guy who apologized to no one and it was probably realistic BUT I always, always want a grovel no matter how unrealistic it may be. It can make a world of difference for me and make a good book an exceptional book imo. <br /><br />However, groveling was not who Mateo was. <br />"”I’ve given you more leeway than I have given anyone in my life. You are under the mistaken impression that we are equals and I am no longer willing to allow you to live under that delusion. We are not equal. We will never be equal. I am the boss here. I rule over this city, this house and the people within it. I rule over you. If I tell you to get your ass in this room, you will do it without hesitation."”<br /><br />Yep. He was an a*s at times, lol, but he also had his moments.<br /><br />"”My woman does not kneel for anyone. You’re my queen, never forget that."”- Mateo<br /><br />I loved that! I always love it when the H thinks of the h as his queen!<br /><br />While I enjoyed reading, Born A Queen, there were a few minor things that I did not care for: <br />1. The h’s reasons for running from the H in the beginning and what she did when she ran. <br />2. The reason why the H raped the h. I wish it had been under different circumstances. <br />3. The H didn’t grovel after the rape and he didn’t grovel after the h discovered something he did for her health. <br />4. I do need to mention that sometimes 3rd person POV can create distance between me and the characters and make it difficult for me to connect to them. Usually, this happens when a MC’s name is overused. This was the case here, at times. It was not prevalent throughout the book but when it happened, it interfered with my enjoyment of the story. <br /><br />Overall, though, while not my favorite Nikita Slater book, Born A Queen was good. I enjoyed reading it. When reading this author’s books, I don’t feel like I am reading something that was just thrown together nor do I feel like I am reading something that was written by a high schooler. There’s a maturity to her writing, a competency, that I appreciate and her H’s are always OTT, somewhat psycho, JP alpha’s. (My favorite!)<br /></label>

Hey, let me just start by saying that I usually love Ms Slater’s books. But this one didn’t work out with me, unfortunately...<br /><br />The story follows Raina (the female MC) as she’s valiantly trying to live her life and explore the world without her mafia family hindering her freedom. She’s been ‘running’ for the past two years, knowing that Mateo (the male MC) would find her if she stayed still in one place for too long. Little did she knew that he had been aware of every little step she took...<br /><br /><br />This book was portrayed as a <b>dark romance</b>. I was so, <i>so</i> excited to read it, since I’m a right sucker for the genre.<br /><br />It all started great. The book opens smack dab in the middle of some action which kept me engrossed. The dark shit that I love showed from the very first chapter:<br /><br /><blockquote> <b>He bent over and pressed his lit cigar into Garza’s now empty eye socket, putting it out. God forbid he start a fire and be forced to leave before his job was completely done.</b> </blockquote><br /><br />I read that, and I was cackling like a disney villain (which may or may have not disturbed family members in the vicinity...). I was so happy to find this book.<br /><br /><br />And then it all goes to <i>shits</i>.<br /><br />Raina has the <i>amazing</i> idea (hope you read the sarcasm there) to go to Giovanni, an ENEMY mafia boss, for <i>protection</i>. Enemy - Protection. Those two words do not match, girl!<br /><br />But what is even more surprising (and unrealistic) is that Giovanni <i>likes</i> her on sight (of course he does, God forbid characters in books don’t like the female MC). He takes her to his <i>home</i> - the actual home where his family grew up and that contains his office and other important, private matters.<br /><br />We are told Giovanni is cold and ruthless. By being the boss of the Italian Mafia, you can easily guess this man is hella experienced in all kinds of matters, and he’s alive to prove it. So why in the heck, may I ask, he allowed Raina (the daughter of a rival Mafia boss) into his home without reservations? Didn’t Giovanni think for even <i>one second</i> that she could have been a trap? A spy to infiltrate his mansion? An assassin?<br /><br />No, of course not. We are given some bullshit excuse that her personality and <i>vitality</i> reminds Giovanni of his late wife, so that automatically makes her an innocent angel. Of course. How stupid of me. Next time I should just follow Sensei Giovanni without questions, since he’s the experienced Mafia boss here.<br /><br />So Raina and Giovanni strike a ‘friendship’ of sorts within 2.5 seconds. He even asks for her opinion for his (and his men’s) safety:<br /><br /><blockquote> <b>Giovanni thought about it for a couple of seconds, turning the problem over in his mind. He turned to Raina. "What do you think, my dear? Do you believe that Gutierrez and his people will shoot up my club?"<br />Raina blew out a breath and thought about it. This question, her answer, it was a big responsibility.</b> </blockquote><br /><br />A big responsibility?? I was laughing so much at the idiocy of that sentence. She’s a stranger. He’s a stranger. They’re enemies, for God’s sake! They’ve talked with each other for barely a couple of hours, and now they’re all chummy and sharing opinions?? How is that scene even happening?<br /><br /><br />Then the action ends, Mateo manages to retrieve Raina, and it goes even more downhill from then. I swear the middle of the book was just filler. I must admit to skimming some chapters because nothing happens. I was expecting some hot and dirty romance, but Mateo acts like a monk, so the best we got was some lukewarm kisses every now and then. Very disappointing stuff.<br /><br />Then, it goes from 0 to 100. Randomly, in a random chapter, in a random scene, after a random conversation, he rapes her. It took my mind some time to catch up because, again, it was just random.<br /><br />Raina huffs and puffs and is angry for (maybe) one chapter. She promises to kill him. She screeches about how she will <i>never</i> stop trying to escape. She cries, but doesn’t cry (yeah, that was confusing for me too).<br /><br />Then, a random fight happens where the antagonist tries to kill her.<br /><br />Then, Raina suddenly becomes all huggy and smoochy, spouting ‘I-love-you’s and looking forward to the rest of her life with Mateo. The rape is not mentioned at all. Kinda forgotten. <br /><br />I was scratching my head. I honestly flicked pages back, trying to see if I missed a chapter or two. <br /><br />Nope. That really happened. Ok then.<br /><br /><br />I wish the situation had been resolved better and more realistically. What a shame.<br /><br /><br /><br />P.S.: what was that scene with Raina barking about animal rights?? She was so adamantly spouting how humans shouldn’t use animals for their pleasure, how she’s not an hypocrite, blah blah blah... Then literally the next day she’s happily wearing leather cowboy boots and liking how they’re sparkling? Or were they fake leather? I don’t remember reading that, but I’ll give her the benefit of the doubt...

I cannot get enough of this series. Just when I think Nikita can’t do any better, she blows it out of the water. The chemistry between Mateo and Raina is so electrifying I’m surprised my iPad didn’t combust when I read their story. I thought Reyes was an alpha, he’s got nothing on Mateo. I love how Raina stands her ground against Mateo’s dominating personality and how he can knock her off her feet with his romantic side. This book kept me on the edge until the very last page, I couldn’t put it down. I can’t wait to see what happens next in this series.

I loved this book. I enjoy strong independent heroines, with which Raina identifies. Mateo has waited on the sidelines watching and waiting to bring his bride home. Mateo's purpose in life is monster boss and protector of Raina. She proves she is not a fragile person to wilt at the first exposure of vulnerability. There are many super hot panty - melting scenes, violence and angst. Mateo and Raina are perfect for each other.

DNF @ 30%.<br /><br />The h is a complete donkey. She could be anything but wants to do forgery. She abandons her foster family to live dangerously and then just shows up back in their lives. So what is the first thing she does upon returning to her family; go to a honky tonk to dance. It was so absurd.

I love this series so much!<br />Raina and Mateo are my new book couple. Their story is so hot and complicated!

IT WAS SOOOO BAD. I very liked the the first and the second book of the series and I read other books from this author so I do know her style BUT this book was a disaster. First of all the story was boring, the first half there was something happening at last in Italy but when the story shifted in Miami nothing very interesting happened until the end. Mateo is supposed to be this badass but he's just stupid because the antagonist had it too easy. But the most important fact is the fucking RAPE that happened and what... nothing like yeah it's bad but poor him he's so stressed WTF?! SERIOUSLY ? and the randomness of it is mind-blowing and the explanation like I<br />need to hurt you to put you in your place but love you girl it's for your good. It's not love it's freaking abuse. <br /><br />Awful. just no. I am well aware that the genre of this author is dark romance and the lines are often blurred but the execution of it was so much well executed in the precedent book.