Reviewed by Anabela

TITLE: Whatever It Takes

AUTHOR: Barbara Elsborg

PUBLISHER: Self Published

LENGTH: 336 pages

RELEASE DATE: December 2, 2019

BLURB:

War in Syria has devastated Zain’s country, destroyed his family and broken his heart. When there is nothing left to stay for, he journeys to England, determined to follow in his father’s footsteps and train as a doctor in London. He might be a refugee with no money, no friends and no qualifications but he still has his dreams and he’ll do whatever it takes to ensure his future turns out to be the one he wants.

Roman is a world away from the naïve Russian boy who lost everything, one devastating day. Now he’s a fixer for a wealthy Russian, keeping the guy’s business dealings away from the attention of the British authorities. Roman is balanced on a moral tightrope which grows more unsteady by the day. The last thing he needs is to become emotionally involved with a young Syrian, especially when he can’t afford to trust anyone.

A chance discovery in Roman’s car by Zain sets off a violent chain reaction and Zain is thrown into a world that threatens not just his dreams but his life. Roman has difficult decisions to make. He’s determined to do whatever it takes to keep Zain safe. But lingering shadows from their pasts as well as prominent figures from Roman’s present need to be eliminated if they’re to have a chance together.

As lies and danger escalate, are they doomed before they’ve even begun?

REVIEW:

Anyone familiar with Barbara Elsborg’s books knows that she doesn’t write fluffy or sunshiny, and that most of her characters have some hard pasts to overcome.

There’s nothing fluffy about Whatever It Takes. In fact, it’s all about survival and the difficult choices Roman and Zain had to make in order to achieve it. After his father was killed when was 14, Roman was sent to study in England. A grand opportunity, if only it were not with the condition to keep out of trouble Dima, the son of a Russian mafia man. To Roman, it felt like being thrown into a shark tank. Humiliated, beaten, used, he’s powered through the years, although not without becoming immune to feelings and with a solid shield around his heart. Zain’s is the harrowing story of the Syrian civil war and the journey towards England. Through his eyes I’ve been a witness to destruction, to useless violence and to the fear of not making it another day. It was heartbreaking to see his grief and despair after all his family is killed and he has to take the dangerous road out of his hometown and country.

I appreciated the way Barbara Elsborg chose to begin the book with two chapters, each depicting Roman and Zain’ s younger years,  with more details from their past added throughout the story line. And nowadays, Roman is still living amongst the sharks,  only the tank is now full of them. And poor Zain, after all he’s been through to reach London, the city isn’t welcoming. Rejected and blocked each day, he’s losing faith and hope of making his dreams of becoming a doctor a reality.

A wallet, proof to a murder, brings them together,  and it’s an immediate spark of attraction between them. Usually I’m not a believer in insta-love, but it does work for them. I found their chemistry and the way they are with each other absolutely delightful. Full of banter, snark and laughter. Yes, there’s a lot of sex, but the amazing thing is that they talk, they reveal hidden scars and secrets, they trust…

Better said,they entrust their hearts into each other’s hands,and it’s beautiful. As Zain tells Roman: “𝑌𝑜𝑢 𝒉𝑎𝑣𝑒 𝑎 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑓𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑑𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑑 𝒉𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡 𝑡𝒉𝑎𝑡 𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑐𝒉𝑒𝑠 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤𝑒’𝑟𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜 𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑑 𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑚 𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑒𝑡𝒉𝑒𝑟.” Their love is the strongest,the fiercest, the kind they’re ready to do 𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗜𝘁 𝗧𝗮𝗸𝗲𝘀  in order to protect it.

I loved the book. The author did a realistic treading of the heartbreaking war situation in Syria, integrating sensitive subjects into a gripping and emotional plot line. An engaging spy/mafia like story, with twists, turns and surprises, while Roman and Zain’s touching romance develops. Two men who meet by chance, but create an all-encompassing, deeply rooted love that can survive everything life throws at it.

RATING:

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