Huntsman

Kidnapped and held for ransom at 16, then a witness to her mother's assassination, Eshe Diallo has been biding her time. After her mother's death, Eshe's heartless aunt took over the Mwuaji crime family, ruling with an iron fist. When a bounty is issued against Eshe's life, she is forced to enact her bloody plan to take back her mother's throne while trying to avoid being killed by the shadowy assassin known as the Huntsman. She has long been studying the man who hunts her and surprises him by escaping his attempt on her life, launching a cat-and-mouse game in which it's unclear who is predator and who is prey. Eshe begins to learn even more about the Huntsman, Malachi Bowden; it turns out that they have in common quite a few enemies who now want them both dead. Will the Huntsman kill Eshe and cut out her heart--or will he capture it? VERDICT Filled with blood, violence, and heat, this book kicks off Simone's (The Single Dad Project) gritty, fairy-tale-inspired "Hunted Kingdom" mafia romance series. Perfect for fans hungry for more Navessa Allen and Tate James.--Jenna Harmison

In this Snow White retelling, a Mafia heiress falls in love with the man sent to assassinate her. Eshe Diallo's family controls the Mwuaji, a matriarchal Mafia family headquartered in Boston. The family is led by Eshe's aunt Abena, who came to power after Eshe's mother was murdered when the girl was 16. Now 25, Eshe believes the rumors that Abena was responsible for her mother's death, but without hard evidence she can do little to confront Abena and take her rightful place as the head of the family. That changes when Abena hires the notorious assassin known as the Huntsman to kill Eshe. When the Huntsman arrives at Eshe's secluded cottage in New Hampshire to carry out the job, she turns the tables and captures him instead. It turns out Eshe has been long fascinated by him and has learned everything about his past, including his real name, Malachi Bowden. After he escapes, Malachi is more determined than ever to find Eshe and complete his task, but he can't help but be impressed by her beauty and her bravado. Eventually, they become lovers and team up to dethrone Abena, with the help of seven women who are Eshe's best friends and lieutenants. Simone's novel is propelled by violence and mayhem rather than careful characterization and plotting. The same Eshe who cleverly anticipated Malachi's every move rushes headlong into several of her aunt's traps; the same Eshe who spent years carefully and methodically uncovering Malachi's long-buried past did nothing to uncover the secrets in her own family. Eshe's desire for revenge is the emotional driver of the book. Her insta-love relationship with Malachi feels more like a tool in her arsenal than an attempt to say anything interesting about love and loyalty in a broken world. A blood-fueled revenge fantasy more interested in violence than love. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.