Review: Sparrow by LJ Shen

SPARROW

by L.J. Shen

Troy Brennan

Every Southie in Boston knows that name. The son of a dead mobster. The heart-throb with steel-blue eyes. “The Fixer” who can make or break you in this city.

Oh, and my new husband.

Sparrow Raynes

That’s me. No one seemed to remember my name up until he barged into my life.
But then he caged me.
Kidnapped me.
And killed every chance I had to run away from the place where we grew up.
Put simply, Troy Brennan clipped my wings.

I have dreams, big ones, but I doubt he’ll ever let me chase them. I have no idea why he decided to take me as his wife. But I do know this: pissing off this man will not do me any good. At all.

She’s walking down the aisle, getting married to one of the richest man in Boston, and a devastatingly handsome man at that. A beautiful wedding with lavish reception and multitude of guests; every girl deserved a fantasy wedding, don’t they? But why was Sparrow Raynes’s face full of hatred and disgust?

Troy Brennan, renowned son of a dead mobster, rumored to have murdered a number of people. The women liked him, the men wanted to be like him. But Sparrow Raynes didn’t like nor want him at all. So, desperate times called for desperate measures.. He was now going to marry her, whether she liked it or not.

Sparrow is my first LJ Shen book and I am in awe of this story. I loved it. I don’t usually read mobster romances, but this has been such an interesting and intriguing read; a Mafia crime story that’s sure to make you wonder how in the world did mobster-murderer Troy Brennan snuck (sneaked?) his way into Sparrow Raynes’ heart.. There was drama, a lot of conflict, murders, lies, innocence and brazen moves, which made the story even more engaging.

At first, I couldn’t bring myself to like Brennan, I hated his guts and way of living. But somehow along the way, he redeemed himself – always the Fixer, so it seemed, and soon, it was all about his happiness that mattered. Sparrow, on the other hand, was a sight to behold, a woman to put up on the pedestal. I love her feisty attitude, you-don’t-fool-me-one-bit charisma, and how she handled the mobster nightmare in her hands. She’s a legend.

Sparrow is a beautifully written novel by LJ Shen, lovingly read by yours truly, and now, instantly becomes my new favorite. I still got a lot of catching up to do with Shen’s books, but I know, it’s going to be amazing.