You know a book is good when you sit down to read for a few minutes, only to realize you've been sucked into it for hours and are almost at the end. That's what I experienced with Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark. Between the enemies-to-lovers trope, the arranged marriage trope, and the whole mafia aspect, it pulled me in right from the get-go. (Kindle | Kobo | Paperback)
Now that I'm done it though, I'm here to answer some of the most commonly asked questions about the book, as well as provide a list of five books like it to read next. (Warning: This article contains spoilers)
What Is Brutal Prince About?
Aida Gallo is a part of a prominent Italian mafia family in Chicago. For generations, her family has feuded with their Irish rivals, the Griffins. However, the feud gets taken to a new level after Aida and her brothers crash a birthday party at the Callums and Aida semi-accidentally causes a fire in the house. To keep it from escalating any further, Aida's father makes a deal for her to marry her to the oldest son, Callum Griffin. At the beginning of their marriage, the two are closer to enemies than anything else, but over time, they see a new side of each other. This fans their feelings and makes their marriage feel all too real.
How Long Does It Take to Read Brutal Prince?
It will take the average reader approximately 4 hours and 6 minutes to read Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark, according to How Long to Read.
Is Brutal Prince Spicy? What Are the Spicy Chapters?
You better believe Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark is spicy! If you're looking for the spicy chapters, skip to chapters 12, 15, 17, 23, and 29.
Is Brutal Prince a Standalone or Is It Part of a Series?
Brutal Prince is the first book in Sophie Lark's Brutal Birthright series. However, every book in the series, including Brutal Prince, can be read as a standalone as none have cliffhangers and are all focused on a different couple. Here is the official order of the books in the series:
Brutal Prince - Aida and Callum
Stolen Heir - Nessa and Mikolaj (Callum's Youngest Sister)
Savage Lover - Nero and Camille (Aida's Brother)
Bloody Heart - Dante and Simone (Aida's Oldest Brother)
Broken Vow - Riona and Raylan (Callum's Sister)
Heavy Crown - Sebastian and Yelena (Aida's Youngest Brother)
Who Are the Main Characters in Brutal Prince?
The main characters in Brutal Prince are Aida Gallo who is 20 years old and Callum Griffin who is 30 years old. Aida is Italian and Callum is Irish. Both are part of prominent mafia families in Chicago.
Does Brutal Prince Have a Happy Ending?
Good news - yes, Brutal Prince has a happy ending! After being abducted by Oliver, Aida's ex-boyfriend who had been stalking her, Callum finds and rescues her from the burning cottage she was held in. From there, they purchase a home together and replace the engagement ring Oliver smashed with one of Aida's choosing.
5 Books Like Brutal Prince by Sophie Lark
If you're looking for another book that has either an alpha-male lead, mafia romance, or enemies-to-lovers trope, then you've come to the right place. Besides the other five books in Sophie Lark's Brutal Birthright series, you might also be interested in these five books that are similar to Brutal Prince in some way or another.
The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori
Taken by a Sinner by Michelle Heard
The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
Beautifully Cruel by J.T. Geissinger
Twisted Love by Ana Huang
1. The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori
Before I read Danielle Lori's, The Sweetest Oblivion, I had never read a mafia romance book. Between it and Brutal Prince though, I'm hooked now! It no doubt helps that these two books are very similar. However, the key difference is that Elena isn't the one who initially gets dragged into an arranged marriage by two mafia bosses, it's her sister. While her sister has little to no interest in Nico, Elena and Nico have an attraction that makes it almost impossible for them to keep their hands off each other, even if they're trying to fight it.
2. Taken by a Sinner by Michelle Heard
There's a lot about Taken by a Sinner that sounds similar to Brutal Prince, between the main character who is a brooding alpha male, the age gap, and the enemies-to-lovers type relationship. Even if the Greek mafia isn't actually a real thing, as one Goodreads reviewer said though, "At the end of the day, this is smut for smut's sake and I'm not here to nitpick. Plus, regardless of the dubiousness of a potential Greek mafia, Nikolas acted very mafia-like."
3. The Kiss Thief by L.J. Shen
Like Brutal Prince, L.J. Shen's The Kiss Thief is set in the world of the Chicago mafia and contains the enemies-to-lovers trope. One point of difference worth mentioning is that as far as mafia romance books go, Brutal Prince seems to be quite tame, while The Kiss Thief falls on the darker side. Here's what one reviewer said: "I put it down a few times so I could take a break from Francesca's story but I'm glad I finished because no matter how horrible I thought Wolfe was with her, her story needed to be told. Great writing, troubled and interesting characters, and a raw, gritty storyline make this an intense read."
4. Beautifully Cruel by J.T. Geissinger
It's not often the entire first page of GoodReads reviews are positive, but that's exactly what you'll find when you look up Beautifully Cruel by J.T. Geissinger. It's about the relationship between an alpha Irish mafia boss and a Texan diner waitress who isn't afraid to deliver some sass. While this is obviously different from Brutal Prince, I sense there are definite similarities between the two books. Plus, it has all the reviewers hot and bothered, which if you're anything like me, will make you extra excited to get your hands on this book.
5. Twisted Love by Ana Huang
While it might not be a mafia romance, Twisted Love does remind me of Brutal Prince in other ways, such as the nature of the spicy scenes and the brooding alpha male main character. Plus, it involves some family drama which creates the same type of darkness and suspense that you typically read about in mafia books.
