Title: The Villain
Author: L.J Shen
Series: Boston Belles #2
Release Date: December 17th 2020
Length: 420 pages
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Publisher: Independently Published
**** My Review ****
L.J Shen’s exceptional storytelling will take you through a storm of emotion, lust, and desire while blending the perfect amount of romance and mystery to keep you on the edge of your seat from the first page to the last.
The Villain by L. J Shen takes place in modern times, but somehow naively reminds of a fairy tale, a story from the past where the brave knight saves the lady in trouble. Percy and Kill – two characters who combine the past, desire, and an ideal solution to their problems. Everyone goes on an adventure with their ideas, but what will happen when their hearts dance to the symphony of love, the pressure will increase and the fear of the unknown will prevail? Will his unfeeling heart give a chance to experience love for the first time?
I finished the book a week ago and it was really hard for me to find the right words and phrases to explain the mixed emotions that this book instilled in me. It has to be admitted that the author’s writing style is expressive and well structured with greatly-developed characters. Kill most certainly lived up to his media-dubbed namesake. He is one of those heroes readers simply love to hate, a real sociopath with no empathy or feelings- the villain. Cold and cruel, he’s the total opposite of book boyfriend. Cutthroat in business and his personal life, he has no remorse or pity. His sharp words cut like blades, where his actions have the power to destroy the gentle soul of our heroine, a girl who has been left with nothing but debt and serious problems by her jerk of a husband. Wearing her feelings and her heart on her sleeve, she is his exact opposite. Kind-hearted and generous, she is the perfect match for his dark and detached soul. We tend to see her as weak-willed because of her soft heart, but she shows immense strength and resilience. Her compassion and heart is her biggest strength. She can stand on her own, fight her own battles, and reach for her happiness. And those two together…. OMG, their chemistry is sizzling – the push and pull and all the angst plus the sweet and steamy moments will not allow you to put the book down until the very last page.
On the other hand, parts of the story, especially the plot, seemed to me somehow very inflated and far from the realms of reality Everyone would agree that it is strange to face such threats and torture without asking for help from loved ones. What honestly bothers me a little is the constant repetition that he is the one who “could not feel.” There is no need to repeat the same phrase so many times because his deeds speak loud enough. It must be noted that I expected a greater connection with the myth of Hades and Persephone, but there was no such thing in the book, except for some dialogical references and superficial similarities.
‘The Villain’ is a heart-wrenching story about two people who ultimately need each other without even realizing how much until it’s almost too late. The amount of angst and turmoil keeps the pages turning and the sexual tension between Persephone and Cillian crackles with an intensity that will delight every romance lover.