The Kudzu Review

Last semester, I wrote a blog post about another book I had received an advanced reader copy (ARC), and this past January, I received one for “Born Into Temptation,” Sonja Grey’s next installment in her Devils Will Rise: Melnikov Legacy series. The series follows the children of the characters in her previously published collection, Melnikov Bratva. Grey dedicates each book to one or more of the children as they navigate working in the organized crime syndicate while finding love through the trials of deceit, death, and desire.

This book follows Valentin and Yelena, who have grown up as ‘cousins’ with their intertwined childhood, though they are not blood-related; the men of the Bratva established in the first series regard each other as brothers, so their children have incredibly close relationships. However, Grey’s trope for this book focuses on a friends-to-lovers aspect as Val and Yel have known each other since they were little, but have been closer than the other kids, and do not see each other as family. Their relationship is hinted at in the other books, which leads to a build-up of excitement for when their book finally arrives, but I felt somewhat disappointed due to the chronological setup of the book.

The audience does not get to witness the natural progression of  Valentin and Yelena’s relationship as they go through adolescence to adulthood, but rather, readers are thrust into the first chapter with them already being together. Flashbacks of memories of how their feelings built up, rendezvous, and other intimate meetings are detailed throughout the book, but unfortunately create a disconnect between the audience and the couple, as within just a few chapters into “Born into Temptation,” the couple discovers Yelena is pregnant. This came as a shock to me as I had not yet grown to love the characters themselves with their first-person perspective, and I would not get to see the couple develop as their own, as now they would have to consider another person who was joining their family. A lot of other reviewers did not mind this, but I am not a fan of the surprise pregnancy trope that is spoken of on BookTok, and given that Val and Yel had not only had to keep their relationship a secret from their family for multiple chapters, but also a pregnancy felt unnecessary for plot advancement.

Nevertheless, it was entertaining to see the other characters in the Melnikov family that I have read about, and also those whose stories I look forward to. Organized crime or mafia subgenres are some of my favorites to read about, and Grey is fantastic at establishing the crime syndicates depicted in her books, as well as establishing conflicts with rival groups. I still am not a huge fan of the covers—why does the man on this book look so sleepy—but I am still looking out for her other books in this series that should be coming out later this year. If you’re ever in the mood for a cozy, not-too-hard-on-the-brain book, definitely check out this series.

Mia Rampersad is a junior at Florida State University, majoring in Creative Writing with a minor in Humanities. She is currently a Nonfiction editorial assistant for The Kudzu Review and part of the service fraternity Alpha Phi Omega where she serves as Homecoming Co-Chair. After graduating with a bachelor’s degree with an Honors in the Major, she hopes to pursue a career as an author.