Review of Lover Girl
Posted: 27 Dec 2021, 20:23
[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Lover Girl" by Stephen Kronwith.]
Angelica Fortuna, a professional assassin, was sent by Don Vito Fortuna (her father and the head of the Philadelphia Mafia) to kill Sammy Vivino (a former hitman for the Russo Mafia). Don Fortuna didn’t inform Angelica of the reason for the hit; however, she was secretly delivered a letter from her newly deceased mother just before leaving for the assignment. The letter told her Sammy Vivino was her biological father, and her mother had been in love with him. Now, Angelica is torn between carrying out the assassination or getting to know her real father. She decides to follow her heart and the wishes of her mother and spares Sammy his life, knowing that Don Fortuna will now put a contract out on both of them. Assassins will be sent, one after the other, until one is successful and manages to execute them.
Meantime, a little girl and her nanny have been kidnapped for ransom. Angelica and Sammy hear about it from a friend of Sammy’s and decide to help recover the two before they are murdered. Will they manage to survive while trying to rescue the captives and evade the assassin’s attempt on their own lives?
Lover Girl by Stephen Kronwith, M.D., is a crime drama/thriller with a hearty dose of romance mixed in. This is the second book in the Lover Boy series. However, because the author has incorporated information about the previous story, it can be read as a standalone novel. Although most of the questions are answered by the end of the book, there are enough left open to make room for a sequel. The story jumps right into the action at the beginning with Angelica being sent to assassinate Sammy. Then, there is a slight lull as we get to know the players, followed by the action and suspense picking up, making it difficult to set the novel down. Parts of the tale are narrated from the first-person point of view, from Angelica’s perspective. The rest is narrated from the third-person point of view, from multiple perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Angelica’s account of what was occurring, mainly because her sense of humor compelled me to laugh from time to time.
The importance of family and friends is an underlying theme in the story. Angelica never knew affection from the man she thought was her father, and her only brother died young. Her sole source of love came from her mother, and she had just succumbed to cancer. Don Fortuna warned her against a romantic involvement, and because of her lifestyle, Angelica acquired no friends. Consequently, she craved love and friendship in her life.
I had a couple of minor issues with the book. First, the word “fiend” was used much too often for my taste. Second, a lot of crying and hugging were seen from people who were supposed to be tough (even present and past mafia members). I considered this a little strange. However, as previously stated, they are minor issues that could merely represent my personal preference; hence, they are not worth the removal of a star.
Because I found the book captivating and the minor issues above didn’t detract from that, it achieves a rating of four out of four stars. Readers who appreciate crime dramas/thrillers with a dash of romance and humor will enjoy this novel. A couple of explicit and steamy sex scenes, multiple profanities, and violence in the story make this appropriate only for an adult audience.
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Lover Girl
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Angelica Fortuna, a professional assassin, was sent by Don Vito Fortuna (her father and the head of the Philadelphia Mafia) to kill Sammy Vivino (a former hitman for the Russo Mafia). Don Fortuna didn’t inform Angelica of the reason for the hit; however, she was secretly delivered a letter from her newly deceased mother just before leaving for the assignment. The letter told her Sammy Vivino was her biological father, and her mother had been in love with him. Now, Angelica is torn between carrying out the assassination or getting to know her real father. She decides to follow her heart and the wishes of her mother and spares Sammy his life, knowing that Don Fortuna will now put a contract out on both of them. Assassins will be sent, one after the other, until one is successful and manages to execute them.
Meantime, a little girl and her nanny have been kidnapped for ransom. Angelica and Sammy hear about it from a friend of Sammy’s and decide to help recover the two before they are murdered. Will they manage to survive while trying to rescue the captives and evade the assassin’s attempt on their own lives?
Lover Girl by Stephen Kronwith, M.D., is a crime drama/thriller with a hearty dose of romance mixed in. This is the second book in the Lover Boy series. However, because the author has incorporated information about the previous story, it can be read as a standalone novel. Although most of the questions are answered by the end of the book, there are enough left open to make room for a sequel. The story jumps right into the action at the beginning with Angelica being sent to assassinate Sammy. Then, there is a slight lull as we get to know the players, followed by the action and suspense picking up, making it difficult to set the novel down. Parts of the tale are narrated from the first-person point of view, from Angelica’s perspective. The rest is narrated from the third-person point of view, from multiple perspectives. I thoroughly enjoyed reading Angelica’s account of what was occurring, mainly because her sense of humor compelled me to laugh from time to time.
The importance of family and friends is an underlying theme in the story. Angelica never knew affection from the man she thought was her father, and her only brother died young. Her sole source of love came from her mother, and she had just succumbed to cancer. Don Fortuna warned her against a romantic involvement, and because of her lifestyle, Angelica acquired no friends. Consequently, she craved love and friendship in her life.
I had a couple of minor issues with the book. First, the word “fiend” was used much too often for my taste. Second, a lot of crying and hugging were seen from people who were supposed to be tough (even present and past mafia members). I considered this a little strange. However, as previously stated, they are minor issues that could merely represent my personal preference; hence, they are not worth the removal of a star.
Because I found the book captivating and the minor issues above didn’t detract from that, it achieves a rating of four out of four stars. Readers who appreciate crime dramas/thrillers with a dash of romance and humor will enjoy this novel. A couple of explicit and steamy sex scenes, multiple profanities, and violence in the story make this appropriate only for an adult audience.
******
Lover Girl
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
I would love to check this one out. Thank you very much for this wonderful review!
Thanks for sharing your thoughts!