Reviewed by Larissa

TITLE: Corbin

SERIES: Theriot Family Book 2

AUTHOR: Silvia Violet

PUBLISHER: Self-published

RELEASE DATE: June 24, 2021

LENGTH: 240 pages

BLURB: 

A bratty mobster and the man who wants to take him in hand

Everyone says I need discipline, but no one’s willing to give it to me until I meet my match.

I can’t stand the arrogant man who refuses to cower at the mention of my family’s name.

But my hate isn’t strong enough to keep me from wanting everything his hungry look promises.

REVIEW: 

Corbin Theriot, the titular character in Silvia Violet’s Corbin, the second book in her The Theriot Family series, represents a departure from what we’ve come to expect from our Marchesi/Vigilance/Theriot males.  Over the course of the prior eight books in Ms. Violet’s Marchesi universe, the main characters have been big, muscled, powerful, intimidating, testosterone-fueled, mafia/vigilante alpha males.  However, Corbin, the baby half-brother of Remington Theriot (from Book 1, Remington), doesn’t fit that mold.  Corbin is lean, blond-haired mischief in a compact package.  The cover model for the book actually shows Corbin’s beau, aptly named Beau, who very much fits the prototypical alpha male we’ve come to expect from these books.

In Corbin, Ms. Violet had an opportunity to pursue a different kind of story in this universe.  However, she doesn’t capitalize on it.  Instead, she defaults to focus on yet another story of a domineering alpha exerting control and taking possession of the object of his lust/love.  This means we get a sex-laden, fast-moving plot revolving around action, intrigue, and mafia-style double-crosses, retribution and murder.  In short, we get what we’ve seen in the first series, The Marchesi Family, and its spinoff series, Vigilance.

Corbin does deviate a bit, though, adopting a slower start to the story.  We first see how Corbin and Beau meet and their enemies-to-lovers dynamic is established.  But then we go around in circles.  Corbin vacillates between “I hate him but I want him”, and “why do I want him when I hate him”.  Meanwhile, Beau’s refrain echoes what we’ve heard in the prior books – “I want him, I own him, he’s mine”.

Corbin and Beau’s relationship works better than the relationship between Remington and Henri in Book 1, Remington.  Ms. Violet spends more time establishing an emotional connection between Corbin and Beau which is why I think Beau’s overbearing entitled ownership and the Dom/sub dynamic between them makes sense.   Ms. Violet also gives Corbin greater dimension.  Corbin struggles to find his place in his high-powered family.  He just wants to feel worthy and needs someone to give him structure and believe in him.  Then he finds it in the most unexpected of places – in Beau, the man he loves to hate, … that is until he doesn’t hate him at all, and all that’s left is love. 

Once again, Ms. Violet delivers what we expect from her: fast-paced action, low-level suspense, minimal angst, maximum heat, and nothing too heavy or thought-provoking.  Just a high-stakes, heavily sexed romp through the colorful Marchesi universe.  It’s fun and absorbing, if superficial, but on the whole, an enjoyable addition to The Theriot Family series and the Marchesi universe.

RATING:

BUY LINKS: 

Amazon