Heavy Crown (Brutal Birthright, 6)

The final book in the Brutal Birthright series does not disappoint, and it's more than you expect.I had no idea where the plot was going to go - even though each book can be read as a standalone, there are threads and plot points that wove through all 6 books, and to find a way for them to all wrap up and still be an individual love story was badass. Sebastian Gallo is tied to his family's way of life, and through them to all of the other characters and pairs we've met in the novels. This is a story of alliances, respect, and prioritizing what you value. Sebastian and Yelena both learn that they have to stop letting other people tell them who they are.This is almost like two books in one, because around the 50% mark the craziness really starts and you're just like, holding on while screaming hoping that we get to that happy ending. It is absolutely the start of a rollercoaster, with things inching up and up, the tension winding tighter and tighter, and then you fall, and your stomach leaves your body and you're screaming. Just before it got crazy, I looked at my husband, curled in a little ball on my couch and said "something bad is going to happen but I don't know what." And let me tell you, that clarifying moment that sets the rest of the novel off - it will hurt you and shock you.Sebastian is much deeper than you'd expect based on how he's previously described. He's smart, committed, complicated, and has a dark side that comes out to play in both sad/devastating ways as well as very sexy ones. You think the barn scene in Broken Vow was hot? You haven't seen ANYTHING until you read Sebastian's story. Aside from his ability to light a kindle on fire, you hurt for him. He's alone in so many ways, and has to step up and make decisions. Even when you, the reader, worry they might be the wrong ones, you support him anyway.Yelena is different. A female character who is tall and imposing ,tries very hard to put on a front, and is suffocating underneath the burden of expectations and control. All she wants is to call her own shots, even if the shot she calls is surrendering. Being inside her head was brutal, and relatable, even if we aren't the daughters of mob bosses we know what it's like for the world to tell you your value as a woman. In some ways, she loses the most in the story but quality is better than quantity. Yelena is pure badassery. You know that she will fit in with everyone else in the Gallo/Griffin crew, and they will love her.This series is a spectacular take on the mafia subgenre, and Sophie never fails to surprise me with the way she writes these books. Even when I can see where it's going, I never know how we're going to get there and I love it. Mafia can get stagnant and predictable, and this series filled me with energy and excitement. Heavy Crown is no different - it's a kinetic read that will have you flipping pages and squirming to escape the tension. I'm so sad to leave this world, but frak if we aren't leaving it on a spectacular note. And with a hint of the world to come...

The action in this book was top tier! The romance was awesome too, but I loved all the fights and learning more about the mafia world! I loved how strong Yelena and Sebastian were and they were so cute together! Going into the spin-off series next and I can’t wait! I think it’s gonna be even better than the Brutal Birthright series!

What a phenomenal & epic conclusion to the Brutal Birthright series! I loved every book, Cal & Aida story is definitely my favorite, but this last book- Heavy Crown, comes pretty damn close! This one has the most action, loss, betrayal & the best love story. From beginning to end it was addicting & keeps you hooked.Between all the brothers, Sebastian has always been the one I was most curious about & couldn’t wait for his story. He’s had the most character growth & it really shows in this story. He’s lost so much, f/mother to his dreams of basketball, & now he’s forced to watch his father get killed.Yelena hasn’t had a good life, her mother was killed too, & while she has a good relationship w/her twin brother Adrian, she’s just a bargaining pawn for her father. So when he demands her to get close to Seb, she follows orders. But as her & Seb get closer & feelings get stronger she’s afraid to tell Seb the truth. And that is mistake that leads to devastating consequences, & losses.I loved both Seb & Yelena, but I really wish she would’ve just been honest w/him. It really showed strength how no one in the families blamed her.I know Adrian was a side character, but I’d love to get his story. To see his recovery process & get his feelings on everything. This was such an epic ending to a fantastic series & I can’t wait to now finish the Kingmakers series next!

I enjoyed parts of the book, but the disturbing drawings ruined some of the hottest parts. Like a bucket of ice water in the face. The characters are described as being so beautiful and so handsome. Then they have a hot sex scene with a gruesome picture of them having sex, but they are so very very ugly in the pictures it spoils the entire scene and makes you cringe expecting the next one placed in the worst possible places in the book. I had to force myself to finish, and will probably not get any more from this author. There are too many better books without the jarring pictures.

I’m so sad for this series to come to an end!!! Such an unexpected pleasure!! But now on to Kingmakers…yay!

Heavy Crown is the 6th and final book in Sophie Lark’s Brutal Birthright mafia series. I had such a great time with this whole series and am so glad I finally got to it! I already can’t wait to jump into the Kingmaker series which is a spin-off/next gen from this series.I loved how the story starts and we see Sebastian with his siblings! I just love the Garro family and seeing him together with Aida, Dante, and Nero was so much fun. Sebastian played basketball in college and after an incident in book 1 left him with a crushed knee, he hasn’t felt the same since. While out one night he sees Yelena almost getting shoved into a car and steps in to help her, they end up spending the night together and hit it off. Yelena is 25 and the only daughter of the most vicious bratva boss in Chicago. Once we hop into Yelena’s POV, we learn that her father wants to use Yelena to get to the Italian mafia family that he hates and that’s why he pushed her towards Sebastian.I enjoyed seeing Sebastian and Yelena together, seeing them date and start to genuinely fall for one another while adventuring around Chicago together. The whole time you are just waiting for the other shoe to drop because you know he’s going to find out her father is using her to get closer to the Gallo family. So much starts happening in the book that I wasn’t expecting. We see a blood contract, her relationship with her twin brother, revenge, the wedding scene omg! 😱 I loved the epilogue and huge time jump, what a great setup for the Kingmaker’s series!

This book was so good. I loved this whole series.

Great finish to this series that I absolutely loved, first time reading Sophie Lark, now I am an avid fan!

The perfect ending to an amazing series. It left me wanting more and I absolutely can't wait for the kingmakers series. Sophie is such a fantastic author and I adore all of her books. Wonderfully written!!

This book turn a 360 turn right in the middle.I always loved Seb from the very beginning so I was looking forward to see how his story would go.When Yelena is capture omg was that 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥!Yelena made some choices that left her without anything but Sebastian is a good guy and loves her so much that he recognizes that she risked her life for his so when the reconnect it was fire and heartwarming…The two of both are just right for each other and I loved the ending.Can’t wait to read Kingmakers!

This book is so full of plot twists 🤩🤩🤩What I enjoyed the most was Sebastian's journey and all the different sides of his character