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Brutal Winter #1

Brutal Winter

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I’ve always hated winter. This year when it comes, I’ll belong to them.

When you sign your soul over to the devil, there are no take backs. I knew the terms of the contract when I signed it.

For one year, my life isn’t mine.
For one year I am to obey, to be seen not heard.
For one year I’m theirs, mind, body, and soul.

The bodyguard. The fixer. The maniac. The boss.
Four men on a path to ruin me.

I may be theirs for a year, but the damage they plan on doing to me will last a lifetime. That’s if I even survive, because between the family and their enemies, the odds of me even making it past the end of winter are low.

334 pages, Kindle Edition

First published April 20, 2021

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Quirah Casey

36 books221 followers

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5 stars
281 (45%)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 150 reviews
5 reviews
July 18, 2021
Where to start with this atrocity?

First of all, this is NOT a romance. I read all types of romance. Dark, light, one pairing, reverse harem, etc. This is sold as a "reverse harem contemporary romance" when that could NOT be further from the truth. There is NO romantic element whatsoever, even as a dark romance. None of the male characters in the harem with the exception of one even have any sort of feeling or attraction to the female protagonist. The other three (Enzo, Giovani, Maximus) literally couldn't care less if she dies. That begs the question what am I rooting for here as a romance reader?

Rule number one of writing romance: you want **on some level** your readers to WANT your characters to be together. This is true for dark and lighter romance, for reverse harem, for ANY kind of trope romance out there. It shows me this author has no clue what she's doing that she would go so incredibly out of her way to make 3 of the 4 men entirely unlikable jerks with NO REDEEMING QUALITIES AT ALL.

Which brings me to my next point. I kept reading this thing hoping that the author would have to course correct at some point. She'd have to give Giovanni a redeeming quality somewhere, make Enzo likable, etc. None came. At one point, it's FINALLY revealed Maximus raped Winter not once but twice, and what happens? Absolutely nothing. The aftermath is anticlimatic and disappointing. Not only does Enzo, Maximus's gay lover, COVER for him, but Vito tricks Winter into taking a morning after pill. Then Giovanni just dismisses the entire situation. Nothing EVER comes from it. Not even an admonishment from Giovanni. He literally says, "It was wrong but...." cue shrug. These men literally do not give a damn about Winter at all, and no retribution is ever given to Maximus for his vile actions (and it is vile....it's straight up rape with ZERO room to argue otherwise. He literally forces her on broken glass and then again in a dark alley on the ground. She even pukes). So sexy to know the men in the harem have zero regard for Winter! Again, WHAT am I rooting for as a reader here?

And the author is delusional. In her author's note, she states Maximus is her "baby". I wonder if she realizes she wrote Maximus to be an irredeemable psychopath with NO REDEEMING QUALITIES. She has zero skill at writing a nuanced dark villainous character. If she's truly hoping to redeem Maximus, then you give your readers reason to still believe there's something to root for. With Maximus, she gives NOTHING. In fact, Maximus flat out admits he doesn't regret what he did to Winter. He only stops because I guess he arbitrarily decided to listen to his brother or whatever and keep his hands off. "For now". Lol. Then he has the gall to be upset when ANOTHER gangster almost rapes Winter. Um?

Pro tip to the author: if you're going to write a male character brutalizing your female character, and I do mean brutalizing her on BROKEN GLASS and then in an alley as he threatens to tie her to a DUMPSTER, note this is NOT a character you should claim is your "baby". I don't think the author understands how to write romance or characters with a deft hand at all. A more skilled writer can actually make a dark dub con or non con scene sexy and seductive. I've read plenty of reverse harem romances with dubious consent, or even a lack of consent, that actually end up being very erotic. There is ZERO of that in this book.

None of the sex scenes (if you can call them that) are titillating. They are actually very clinical, very detached, so blatantly one note it's impossible to find anything sexy about them. The closest we get is Winter and Vito, and even that is bland. Everything else (Winter and Maximus twice, Maximus and Enzo, random Giovanni moments with nameless characters) is about as unsexy as you can get. Also in the author's note, she mentions that book 2 will be "darker" and "sexier".....considering there was nothing sexy about this book.....again, I think she's clueless and has no idea how to write a sex scene.

I must say I'm baffled by the high rating of this book. Can we now talk about how Winter never sees any relief? It's just bad situation after bad situation after bad situation. How much trauma can one person take? Realistically, she probably would've committed suicide. There is ZERO ounce of happiness anywhere in this book. She was sexually assaulted and dehumanized by just about every male character she comes into contact with. None of which is even erotic. At one point, her vagina is "inspected" by Enzo....and there is nothing erotic about this. Just clinical, just more dehumanizing unsexiness. Again, a more skillful author could make these normally humiliating situations erotic to the reader. This author fails completely. There's no fun or funny moments, no moments that make you root for any of the characters. Just assault after assault on this BLACK woman by WHITE MEN. And have I mentioned her appearance is repeatedly degraded as well? The weird racial undertones was also a turn off. Again, the author has no clue how to make readers root for characters. ALL of the characters were unlikable except for maybe Vito.

Many of Winter's choices make no sense whatsoever, which brings me to the nonsensical plot. First of all, her decision to continually go off alone with Maximus despite the fact that she knows he's evil and predatory and a rapist. She mouths off to the other men (Giovanni, Enzo, Vito), but suddenly where Maximus is concerned she conveniently loses her voice and becomes a helpless guppy.....MULTIPLE TIMES. How she went with him into the dark alley is still baffling. Side note, you're telling me she was raped on a grimy alley floor with the cement cutting into her skin and her "bile rising up her throat" as the author frequently wrote, and NOBODY noticed a difference in her appearance? Her dress wasn't dirty? Not ripped? No bruises? He's described as messing up her hair....and if she was tearing up and puking, I'm sure her make up was ruined as well. Yet Vito and Giovanni ***barely**** notice a difference when she returns. In reality, the level of brutality the author described, would have been ***indisputably*** obvious Winter had been beaten and raped. Instead she writes it as the male characters shrugging it off that she's "clumsy in heels" and oh well. Again, no regard at all for Winter. Giovanni in particular really couldn't care less if she dies. I ask AGAIN, WHAT am I rooting for here in this romance?

Also, the basic premise of Winter signing away her freedom for her drug addict brother makes no sense. Winter flat out states in the beginning she knows he'll relapse anyway so her going to the Costa family is pointless. What sane person is going to sign up to essentially become a slave so her brother can run free for a year getting doped up on drugs anyway?! What purpose does that serve? It's entirely unrealistic. If she was going to write Winter signing away her freedom, she needed to come up with a better reason than drug addict brother who is still going to be a drug addict anyway asks his sister to become a sex slave as a favor so he can go run the streets and get doped up while she gets brutalized! Does this sound like a realistic scenario anyone with half a brain would sign up for? Seriously, eye roll. The author should've at least maybe gone with a family debt the Costa's are collecting regardless of some vague "contract". Then at least it would explain Winter's captivity more. Otherwise, no one ever is signing up for something so pointless.

And the "purpose" Winter serves? Uhh.....sniff out the rat? I guess? Because uhhh.....Winter is the only one capable of doing this.....because uhhh....the author says so! Meanwhile, why didn't Giovanni just, I don't know, FIRE his employees at the club? That would instantly solve the rat problem, yeah? Winter didn't provide any specific skillset, which makes the entire situation even more stupid.

This entire book is so incredibly bad, I can keep ranting about it. The premise sounded so intriguing, and I was ready for some darkness, craving some boundary-pushing sexy reverse harem. Instead what I got was a book with a weak plot, unlikable and irredeemable characters, and just about the LEAST delicious sex scenes I've ever read in a book. And I've read and written plenty. I'd seriously give negative stars if I could.
Profile Image for Valentina.
1,079 reviews309 followers
May 14, 2021
Compelling and enjoyable

4.5 stars

This is the book I've been waiting for. Every glorious theme that makes my heart putter was brought to vivid life in this book -- dark themes (yes, those trigger warning kind), beautiful heroine of color, ruthless alpha males, age gap, suspense-thriller.

Raised in an abusive home, Winter finds herself in the hands of a mafia family (maybe) paying off a debt to protect her brother. But these debtors expect payment -- and service -- in full. I loved the characters in this story. Although I don't feel as if I fully knew the characters, in truth more of their motivations (hopefully I will in the next books), the main characters were just as diverse in personality but all alpha with their particular kind of crazy. In the face of subjugated control, Winter's feisty often came out to play that added just that element of unexpectedness. I liked how the heroine in all her ethnicity was depicted so positively and remarked upon by all as beautiful.

Budding chemistry, unwilling attraction, and a bit of steam, there are some subtle attractions forming between at least one of the characters, but the primary theme of this book is mystery / thriller rather than romance, with some grittiness, mafia violence, and references to past trauma. I wouldn’t exactly characterize this book as steamy. In fact, dark themes for sure, but not exactly a book of sexual interludes. Since it is a reverse harem, I would have expected more in the way of chemistry, attraction, and heat between Winter and the guys. I loved the MM relationship and power dynamics. I do wonder if there be more steam in the next book. Besides which, there is a hint that more is going on with the heroine that the reader realizes.

This is a story mid-way between a slow burn and medium burn; too “prosy,” too much telling versus showing that hampered the pace; and very little chemistry (and steam) for this adult reverse harem. Still, mystery, controlling antiheroes, and dark chemistry kept me captivated. What does Giovanni have planned for Winter next? Looking forward to book 2.
Profile Image for Stephanie (Bookfever).
1,020 reviews122 followers
April 22, 2021
Over the last few years I've read my fair share of dark romance books so it's not often that I can say that I found a new favorite in the genre but now I finally can. Brutal Winter by Quirah Casey was OUTSTANDING!

The story starts with Winter signing herself body and soul over for a whole year to Giovanni Costa, who's part of the Italian mafia, to get her brother out of a huge debt. Aside from Giovanni she also has to deal with his brother Maximo who's pretty much a psycho, the bodyguard Enzo who always does the Costas' bidding and Giovanni's best friend Vito.

Winter was one amazing character to read about. I loved her SO much! Her tenacity was really admirable but she could also be very vulnerable, which I thought was nice too because that made her even more real. She went through some really bad shit in this book so I definitely marveled at her inner strenght and perseverance. She was also very spunky which landed her in trouble more than once.

As for the four men, I couldn't help but love them also. Yes, they weren't good guys and did a lot of fucked up things. They're mobsters after all. But I just couldn't help but enjoy reading about them and the interactions Winter had with each one. I feel like a lot of readers will have their favorites but I couldn't choose. Not yet at least. Giovanni, Maximo, Enzo and Vito all brought different things to the table and I just delighted in that.

What probably surprised me the most about this book was how much of a slow burn it was. And oh do I love a slow burn! There were very steamy scenes of course but they didn't happen on every other page which I thought was a nice change of pace. I'm sure much more sexiness is coming in the next books. And I can't wait!
Profile Image for thehotmesslibrary.
779 reviews17 followers
April 20, 2021
Holy-Moley, this book ticked all of my boxes for a dark, RH read by the wonderful author Quirah Casey. From start to finish, this book is all actions, sexiness and twisted cruelness and I literally devoured it!

The story focuses on Winter, a young woman who is down on her luck and is paying a debt to keep her brother alive. For one year she has traded her life to The Boss and his men; The Bodyguard, The Fixer and The Maniac….and mind totally blown!

This book takes you on a rollercoaster ride of epicness as Winter tries to stay alive whilst being at the beck and call of some dangerously hot (and one slightly deranged) men. Her life wasn’t easy before and it certainly isn’t easy now when she is tasked with a job that puts her in danger, not only from the enemy, but also from the men themselves! She is one strong and vulnerable woman with a backbone of steel. Reading about Winter and her story is intense and yes there may be some triggers for some readers, but you are totally warned before you even enter the first page of this book!

Now let’s get to the men! Wow, they are all so unique from each other and in this book, we only get glimpses of who they are and what role they play in the Family. (There is one who is definitely cray cray and needs a smack up in the head), but they are cruel, sexy and dangerous and I can’t wait to get more of them in the next book!

If you’re looking for something new, exciting and off the charts to binge read, you’re going to want to pick up this book right now! Note: there is a cliff-hanger!

ARC received for a fair, honest and sometimes long review. All opinions are my own. 😊

More of my reviews can be found on my blog: http://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com
Profile Image for Felicia.
1,794 reviews91 followers
May 8, 2021
Brutal Winter by Quirah Casey is a dark reverse harem contemporary romance. This is the first book in the Brutal Winter Series.

The book does come with a caution/warning "This is the first book in a dark reverse harem contemporary romance series that will contain explicit language and graphic scenes. This series will contain triggering material such as dub con and non con. It is not for the faint of heart."

This is the first book of Quirah's that I have read and it definitely won't be my last. I was hooked from the very beginning and couldn't wait to see what was going to happen next. I loved that we got Winter, Vito, Enzo, and Maximo's points of view throughout the book. I really hope in the next book we will get Giovanni's point of view as well. I would love to know what is going on his head.

The book does end on a cliffhanger but that wasn't a surprise since it is the first book in the series. I can't wait for Ruthless Spring to be released on August 30, 2021 so I can get more of Winter's story.

I would recommend this book if you like dark romances, captive romances, mafia romances, or contemporary romances.
Profile Image for Nina ~ Meleth Bookaddicted ~.
1,423 reviews49 followers
April 21, 2021
4.5 Stars

That preface before the content warning in this book gives me life!! And just like its very beginning, this story was a wonderful breath of fresh air. Unique, unconventional, different.

Starting with the heroine, Winter, who is not your usually fierce, mouthy, independent female. She is strong all right, a force even, but in a completely different way. She amazed me time and again, which made it so easy for me to connect with her.

And the men … Such diverse personalities, each of them an enigma in their own way. And while we only got small glimpses into who they really are and what role they inhabit within their family, I lived for each interaction between one of them and Winter – the good, the bad, the ugly, but especially those minute moments of compassion and affection towards her. They are dangerous, they are cruel, they are powerful – and I’m dying for more of every single one of them.

Now, this is only the first book in a series, setting the stage for more madness – and hopefully indefinitely more heat – to come, and according to the author’s note at the end, more darkness too. Hell, yes, I’m so freaking ready!!

If you’re up for some dark, delicious RH goodness with a mile long list of triggers, this is an amazing choice. Just don’t expect much romance (at least not yet?) or fluffiness inside, haha.
2,387 reviews9 followers
April 17, 2021
I loved the dedication the most. The prologue sets the tone of the book, and the book is good. The men have such different personalities. They compliment each other in the darkest way. Maximo may be my favorite psychopath with his lack of conscience. More more more, please.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Charlotte.
3,214 reviews45 followers
May 2, 2021
Brutal Winter is a killer read (quite literally!) and i bloody wish i could give it more than 5 stars. Winter (FMC) is dropped in the lap of mob boss Giovnani when her brother runs up a debt with him. Giovnani is a man of very little words and the ones he does give to Winter are more of commands. As well as threats so theres little softness to him. Enzo his right hand man is as gruff as Giovnani and some of what he did in this book especially to Winter i just wanted to punch him for. Maximo (Giovnani's Brother) is not my favourite character. I seriously wanted to hurt him for what happened with Winter. Im hoping that she gets some payback for that one?? Now The Fixer - Vito (part of the mob and Giovnani's friend) is not only dangerous but is hot as hell!! Then again so are the rest of them. The sexual tension is off of the charts with Winter and the guys. There was some very steamy scenarios in this book. Dark, sexy with plenty of blood and violence. It was a fantastic first book and im dying to get my hands on the rest of the books in this series now
Profile Image for Fantasy Land Romance Reader.
2,821 reviews68 followers
April 29, 2021
*First time reading author

Brutal Winter is unlike anything I have read in a very long time. The first thing I am going to say is to pay attention to the warnings Quirah puts out for this story. Brutal Winter is a dark, disturbing, and twisted story wrapped around an innocent woman named Winter.

Winter has had a horrible life, every second of every day no one has been there to protect her from anything. So when the last of her family asks her to save him for some reason she does it. Call it whatever you want, but Winter puts herself in harm's way to protect her brother. But the question will always remain will Winter survive?

Giovanni, Enzo, Vito, and Maximo these four men are beyond dangerous. Every single one of them has their own agenda when it comes to Winter. They will use and abuse her (literally) and force her to do things that she would never do. Winter is their plaything in and out of their house.

There are secrets that these men have that this first book won't touch upon, there are issues that each and every one of these people has that will keep you guessing. That is what will keep you reading this story.

I plead to anyone that is going to read this story, there are major issues in this story. Read the warnings. Rape, drugs, MM sex, MF sex, graphic sex, and probably things I am forgetting.
I can not wait for the second story!

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Profile Image for Toya  Davis-Stokley.
1,938 reviews44 followers
May 8, 2021
Just wow! The synopsis for this story drew me in, and I knew I had to check it out. This read was dark, intense, heart wrenching, sad but exhilarating all at the same time! Poor Winter has lived ten lives, by the age of 20 years old. Growing up with drug addicted father, who allowed the unthinkable to happen to her! Only to then have the one person who you "think" has your back do the same to you! I don't know what kind of relationship Winter had with her brother, to allow herself to be "given" to the mob for a year, to pay off his drug debts! Brother dear would be on his own kimosabe! 😂 I was teary for Winter this entire read, as she just could not seem to catch a break! The four men that she had to encounter during her stay, are all cold and deadly, but each formed their own relationship (if you can call it that) with Winter. Then things go left quick, and Winter is again caught up in some straight ish! How will she manage to come out of this whole? Will she survive? Will the Costa's make good on their word, and give her back after the year is up? Whew! What a read! Cannot wait for the next one to see what happens! 👍👍👍
Profile Image for Sue Harbers.
1,041 reviews11 followers
April 20, 2021
I would give Brutal Winter 4.5 stars as I think it was super well done and had a great storyline. It was very dark and I would urge readers to take the trigger warnings seriously. Winter has grown up poor, abused and now has been sold off to the mafia to pay off her brothers debt from abusing drugs. The men she gets sold to are ruthless and are all about the business and what they can get Winter to do for them. The reason for me between 4.5 & 5 stars was just because I struggled to connect the characters emotionally to each other, specifically the men with Winter. Vito was the closest to treating Winter decently, nevermind good or romantic, just decent. However, it’s a dark romance and it’s the Mafia and they aren’t nice guys. I do hope the romance aspect will be more prevalent in upcoming books, sometimes the darker scenes were tough without lighter ones to counteract them. My hope for Winter is that she finds inner strength and maybe physical strength as well. She’s a fly caught in a spiders web right now! Great read and I have high hopes for book 2.
Profile Image for Erinreads_.
84 reviews
March 24, 2024
I don’t know who said this was a romance reverse harem or whatever, it’s not. I don’t mind a bully romance but honestly please make sure you check trigger warnings etc there is pure full blown rape in this book. There is no such thing as love in this book. We don’t come to understand her having any sort of feelings for these men.

She literally just simply traumatised. And at noooo point those she grow a back bone….
Profile Image for Asha Royal.
512 reviews2 followers
October 1, 2022
intriguing

A good read. Winter has signed herself over for a year to a mob family in order to cover a debt for brother. The family is full of psychos. This book is dark and rape definitely occurs. It definitely draws you in enough to read the next book.
Profile Image for Karin.
Author 15 books266 followers
April 27, 2021
Winter’s drug-addicted brother owes a lot of money to some very bad people. The only way to save his own skin is to get his sister to sign a year-long contract to work off his debt. Winter has no idea what to expect once she’s transferred to Giovanni Costa’s care. She’s surprised when she is shown to a beautiful room, provided expensive clothes, and fed delicious food. While she’s not being treated exactly like a prisoner, Giovanni definitely lets her know she’s not a guest either. He rules her and everyone in his world with an iron fist.

Winter soon meets others in the household. Enzo, one of the family’s bodyguards, is the person with her the most. He escorts her around the house and to and from what eventually becomes her job. Vito is Giovanni’s best friend and trusted confidant. He’s known as “the fixer.” When something goes wrong, Vito is sent to take care of it - be that deal with the police or make sure witnesses don’t talk. Maximo, Giovanni’s younger brother and second-in-command is a complete and total psychopath. He causes trouble everywhere he goes. Winter doesn’t have good experiences around him and is very fearful around him. Her dealings with Maximo could be very triggering for some.

This story takes place during the first couple of months of her servitude. She either stays in her room or goes to her job at one of the family’s clubs. Not enough happens to keep the story interesting and Winter seems very weak and whiney. Apparently she has been abused in the past, but we never learn about the things that happened to her before she signed the contract. Some history would have made her a more interesting character - maybe.

BRUTAL WINTER is a reverse harem. I’m curious to see how that works out with Giovanni, Vito, Maximo, and Enzo. They are in no way men that seem like they would share - except maybe Enzo. Vito doesn’t like Maximo. Maximo and Enzo don’t like Vito. The relationship aspect just doesn’t seem like it would work out very well. I hope there is more action and steam in the next book, RUTHLESS SPRING.
Profile Image for Kristen.
225 reviews2 followers
April 20, 2021
Okay, can we talk about the dedication before the dedication? Loved that, need more of that in my life, don’t let anyone keep you down girl!

Brutal Winter is like no other RH that I’ve read before. Winter is the FMC, and she signs a contract allowing her to be a possession of Giovanni Costa’s for a year to get her brother out of debt. She has not had an easy life and it doesn’t get easier with Gio, Enzo, Vito and Maximus.

Winter isn’t the fierce, independent, strong female lead that I’ve read so many times over. That’s not to say that she isn’t strong in her own way, and she is definitely a force. She is something else entirely and she is so easy to connect with as a reader. Throughout the book she has a job to do, and let me tell you... she is not a detective. This book was action packed and definitely keeps the reader interested, I’m not sure there was a dull moment.

If you have triggers, I recommend reading the trigger warning because there is so much that happens in this book.

I cannot wait to read book two. In the authors note, Quirah said Brutal Winter wasn’t as dark as she would have liked, and that book two is more action packed. What?! Sign me up! I absolutely cannot wait to see what Giovanni has in store! Definitely recommend this read!
Profile Image for Lisa.
431 reviews141 followers
July 7, 2022
I knew I was in deep shit once I met Maximo and didn’t stop reading…but dammit if the horrible thing didn’t push me off a cliff with the office scene with Enzo directly after! That might just live in head rent free for a while. Also let me just say there no way in hell I wouldn’t fall for Vito. Call me a sucker all you want. I know I’m the moth to flame burned by the fire. All I need to Giovanni to give me a little something and it’s a done deal.

Let’s also talk about the women of the story. While Winter might not be a Donya yet, there’s still hope. However I stan for Amerie and for Lucia! Please please let the author see fit for these ladies to paint the town red once or twice.

For this to be my first reverse harem I decided, screw it let’s go all in! We haven’t reached our full adoration amongst all parties just yet but give it time. Note this book is dark and has trigger warnings pretty quick out the gate. Non-con, murder, forced planned b, etc.
Profile Image for ashtag_reads.
402 reviews37 followers
April 20, 2021
This is my first book from this author, and I am completely blown away.

These characters are all so complex, it’s hard to label them with any few characteristics. I loved Winter. I loved that she is so smart, and strong, and her inner dialogue was amazing. I’m not sure how I feel about the guys yet. They are all hot, brooding, alphas but they aren’t simple characters at all. I found myself hating them then caring for them in the next chapter.

The world building in this book is stunning. I felt like I was there, and it really added to the complexity of the situation Winter finds herself in. There are so many questions left out there, I can not wait for book two! This was an easy book to give five stars to.
Profile Image for B*tchy.
250 reviews44 followers
June 18, 2021
Interesting but…

Interesting premise and I loved the dark aspects, however there was something missing. I couldn’t get a good visual on the characters in my head. The descriptions were so kinda nondescript it was like they had blurs for faces. I definitely liked the characters and their dynamics. Winter and Vito are so good together and I am super interested in learning more about Maximo and Enzo’s relationship. TBH, the spy subplot was unnecessary. Just exploring the characters and their dynamics would have been way better. With that said, I will be reading book 2 to see how it goes. One star removed due to poor editing. It was really distracting.
Profile Image for Cici.
267 reviews18 followers
July 10, 2022
I...

I don't know what to make of this, there seems to be a torture & humiliation kink here. I hope Winter's sole purpose isn't degradation because that's lame. This is a lot
314 reviews3 followers
July 27, 2021
Rating: 5
Genre: mafia, dark romance
Heat: 5
#dark_romance #mafia #noncon_dubcon #r@pe #TRIGGERWARNINGS

What a great start to mafia series. I have had a lot of complaints with the mafia trope as of late. This book does not fall into that category. There are the usual plot lines: traitor in the ranks, unwilling woman pressed into servitude to save a family member, rhe requisite mafia violence, and an alphahole leader. But there are a few things that stand out to me that are different. One- the h, Winter, is not a heroine who just quickly accepts her situation. She is traumatized by the assaults she experiences at the hands of one of the men.
Two- she actually is a prisoner in a mansion. Other books let the h wander around the mansion/compound just accepting her situation, living a life of luxury. Winter is locked in her room and escorted everywhere by one of the main Hs. She may have a beautiful room, but she has no freedom- eat, sleep, wear the clothes your given, and work when told with no questions or talking back. Or else...
Three- the men, except for one, have no redeemable qualities at this point in the series. One of the 4 men who will eventually make up her harem, is the lone character who shows her any compassion. For cripes sake, she is sick with a cold, and one of the men flat out tells her that the boss, Giovanni, will take that as an excuse for her to miss work (more on this later). Vito sees she is ill and makes sure she gets medicine and gets to rest. Also, he thwarts some of Giovanni's cruelty towards her. I know it seems small, but she hates OJ, but Gio makes her drink it everyday. He knows she hates it and he does it to try and make her slip up by refusing. The other two men are connected. Maximo is a psychopathic monster. He wants Winter because Gio told him to stay away. He assaults her twice in this book. His lover, and another of her guards Enzo, covers up what he does and does everything to keep her quiet, even threatening that she will be harmed by Gio if she says anything. This is so f-ed up. Vito, the only halfway decent guy, still isn't as good as he could be. He witnesses Maximo r@ping Winter, but does nothing to stop it. He does however, give her the morning after pill as a precaution. As I said, there are no redeeming qualities in most of these men. It will be a tall order to get me on board with her having a relationship with any of them, other than Vito.
Last point in favor- our h is a POC. They don't hide it, it alluded to enough that you remember, and celebrate her beauty. The struggles of skin and hair care are addressed subtly in the story, as why would Italian mafia men have any clue what kind of products she would need? Unfortunately, being in this situation does not allow her to advocate for what she needs. I also like that the author does not shy away from the prejudices a woman of color experiences.

As far as the plot, it moved quickly with enough action/problems to keep you enaged. Winter is Gio's for a year to clear her brother's debt, but he has plans for her, other than being his play thing. Someone is selling drugs in his clubs, undercutting him. He makes Winter work at one of the clubs to find the traitor. A tall order for someone who has no spying/investigative experience. By spreading the rumor that she is his mistress, to justify her appearance, he also puts a target on her back. This happens near the end of the book where 2 different gangs/cartels use her to try and take him down. After finding the traitor, and killing a cartel leader who kidnapped her, Winter pleads with them to let her go, but as I suspected early on, Gio has more plans for her that are yet to be revealed. The author indicates that the next book will be darker than this one, so I worry about how Winter will survive the next season. The plan for this series is 4 books, one for each season (spring, summer, fall). The only other question I have going into the next book, Ruthless Spring, is who gave her the necklace for her birthday? Vito is the only one who has shown her any kindness, but my sneaking suspicion is that it was Gio. The next book should be coming out late this summer, so this series is not complete.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Andra Shaw.
936 reviews8 followers
April 21, 2021
Brutal Winter is a phenomenal book! The storyline is dark, but not as dark as I thought it would be. Some may find aspects to be triggering due to themes of rape, violence, abuse, drug addiction, and murder. There is also a ton of drama, suspense, a mystery to solve, erotica, gunfights, and super hot mafioso types. The male characters, in particular, are quite dark. Winter's brother, Richard, who got her into this predicament, is an addict who loves his sister but cannot get past his own demons to be any good to anyone, especially her. Enzo is a straight-up mess but is really good with a gun, and his "BFF" Maximo, is a psychopath and something more. Vito is halfway decent, but you know there is a menacing to him, and finally, Giovanni, their leader, is beyond brutal, and there seems to be an almost demonic air about him.

I would have rated five stars if the female protagonist, Winter Chastine, did not come off to me as weak and way too naive. After all, she came from the "hood." You do not survive the kind of rough life she claimed to come from and still be that naive. Perhaps the author was going for vulnerable. It did not mesh with who she seemed to want Winter to be. I still like Winter and rooted for her throughout the story. I liked the two other females in the story, Amarie, a mystery, and the Costa Brother's cousin, Lucia. Amarie is an intense lady who I hope we will see more of and learn more about in future stories in the series. Lucia definitely embraces her mafia upbringing. Both of these ladies are intelligent, confident, beautiful, and downright fierce. They own it. Perhaps in time, Winter will begrudgingly become more like them. In the author's notes, Quirah Casey talks about leaving room for Winter to be corrupted. That bodes well for the next book in the series, Ruthless Spring! I can hardly wait!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for gem.
455 reviews
September 14, 2022
Poor girl from the slums signs herself over to a crimelord for a year to save her brother's life.

There are some good parts to this book, but they're overshadowed by poor editing. Winter is a uniquely interesting yet frustrating character. I love that she's a POC and it influences the story. She is observant and full of anger, but barely any of her thoughts translate into actions because she's so beat down by her situation and life in general. However you can sense this simmering tension in her, and I'm hopeful she grows more bold in the next book. I liked the four mafia guys she interacts with. They have a clear hierarchy but a complex web of loyalties within it, particularly the relationship between Maximo and Enzo.

Parts that could use work: the timeline skips ahead with little explanation of how much time is actually passing, or how the characters (particularly Winter) spend that time. The author's note indicates she wrote the book out of order and you can tell in how some scenes are strung together. The spy subplot was poorly integrated. Gio pressures Winter to find the spy quickly, but somehow three months slip past with no progress on her part, and then the answer falls into her lap with little effort. I also didn't understand how Winter passed the time cooped up in her room without going crazy (she specifically mentions she doesn't have any books to read), and she apparently has no en suite bathroom, with no way to contact the guys for RR breaks?? There was also a weird thing with Gio making her drink orange juice (which she hates) that never went anywhere.

I'm going to continue the series because the guys have apparently started to feel protective of her and I'm curious to see where that goes, and I'm also interested to see if/how Winter stands up to them.
1 review1 follower
April 20, 2021
The agreement: one year of servitude to the Costa family in exchange for her brother's clean slate. Winter Chastine is at the mercy of Giovanni Costa and his crew. These men, as described by our heroine, are all "gorgeous" and "all batsh*t crazy." A loyal but conflicted bodyguard. A charming but confounding fixer. A chaotic and heartbreaking dark soul. And Gio, the BOSS.

Five stars: delivers on dark, character development and world building on point, excellent set up for the series

Not for the faint of heart, but I when I say I COULD NOT put this down! Winter's journey into the crime underworld is truly dark. No stranger to trauma, Winter is resilient without being naive about her circumstances. She is forced to depend on four men whose relationships with each other are almost as twisted as their relationships with her. These men are beyond complex. The attractions are as immediate and obvious as the danger. Even while loathing their behavior, I eagerly awaited their every interaction with Winter. Quirah Casey does a fantastic job allowing the reader to root for the "heroes" (even, dare I say, Maximo) while staying true to their characters. I found it refreshing (and appropriately disturbing) to read as men in their position acted accordingly. I clung to every moment of kindness, compassion, or affection. Perfect amount of action and intrigue to move the story forward. Some secondary characters I want to know more about for sure. But the real triumph here is the relationship building, the tension and release. This book has just enough resolution to satisfy but I'm going to need the second installment real soon!


(I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.)
February 12, 2023
SPEECHLESS IN IOWA ! ! !

It's my understanding that a harem consists of multiple women sharing a man. I assumed therefore, a reverse harem would consist of multiple men sharing a woman. And, before you say it...yes...I know what they say about assuming! Here's the thing. From everything I read about Brutal Winter I had every indication I was right. Brutal Winter doesn't give me reverse harem vibes. It seemed in the beginning Giovanni, Vito, Maximo and even Enzo would be sharing Winter. The women in a harem share the man because they are in love with the same man, and they all want to be with him so badly that they're willing to share as opposed to being without him. None of the men in the book seem to even 'Like' Winter. It seems they only want to brutalize her for sport and make her suffer as much as possible in the year of the contract. I was waiting for at least Vito to show Winter some love, Giovanni as well eventually. But the only sexual attention she got in the whole book was Maximo raping her, brutalizing her and abusing her mentally, sexually, physically, emotionally, verbally and even spiritually. I came to the conclusion that the reverse was more than just the male/female roles. Instead of liking and wanting to be with her, they dislike and want to destroy her. I still thought it was very well written and I hung in there until the end waiting for 'change' to come. Theeeen... it had the NERVE to end with a cliffhanger😕😕 SERIOUSLY??? well I'm about to drop 5 bucks for book 2 because I'm hooked and I want to see something that will make it all worth it in the end. I sure do hope book 2 doesn't disappoint!
1 review
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February 19, 2023
this book was absolutely fucking disgusting. This author needs to go to fucking jail if she thought this was good. First of all this is not even a RH or a damn Romance so it stops at that. Absolutely no fucking plot in the story. If I could give a review for a book negative infinity stars, it would be this one. I’m not saying “this book was disgusting 😩” no. I’m saying this book is trifling and the author is fucking horrible for thinking about writing what she has. First of all there are absolutely no redeeming qualities for any character in the book. Idk why I was trying so hard to ignore the signs of this book being a big ass red fucking flag waving right before my fucking eyes and continued reading to about almost half of the 3rd book, but I did. I’m so disgusted by this book I’m literally about to shed a damn tear. In the third book Maximo pretty much rapes her with the end of a pool stick. She ends up with a tear inside of her vagina and is bleeding from it. No i’m not gonna put a cover of spoilers cause this book is genuinely fucking disgusting, and there’s no other way to describe it. There was a warning for dub-con it’s not that. It’s straight fucking RAPE. If you’re thinking about reading this, don’t. remove it from your tbr or library and continue trying to find another book. I wish all the bad I could wish ever on this author and hope for her downfall. If you read this book and thinks it’s ok, you are truly fucking disgusting and I pray for the downfall of you and your fucking family. I will be reporting this book to good reads.
Profile Image for Michelle.
497 reviews6 followers
April 20, 2021
4.5 ⭐️

Brutal Winter is my first read from this author and I was hooked from the dedication. I think I actually loved the author from the dedication alone!

This is book one in what I can already tell is going to be an explosive series. The story is dark and complex, the charters are even more complex and all twisted in their way. I felt like Brutal Winter was building the world for the story and for what’s to come in the next book.
The story was action packed although I felt the RH aspect was slow. I thought there would have been more of a connection between our 4 alpha males and Winter. She has built connections with Vito and Enzo but only Vito seems to be treating her like more than an object, at the moment I’m struggling to see why she would want to be involved with any of the other 3 unless forced. I’m hoping book two build more romantic connections as I struggled to find any possibilities of this happening from book one.
Winter is one strong female lead, she is struggling with her situation but I have a feeling she will continue to get stronger and become a badass. I’m hating Maximo. I’m warming towards Enzo and Giovanni but so far Vito is my favourite.

Brutal Winter is dark and full of triggers, so be warned! It’s definitely not for the faint hearted but let’s face it when reading about the mafia, we want all the darkness.
Profile Image for Nicole.
375 reviews5 followers
April 18, 2021
So, disclosure. I normally don’t read mafia books. I have nothing against them, they just usually don’t hold my attention.

THAT IS NOT THE CASE WITH BRUTAL WINTER! The best way I can describe this story is reverse harem mafia meets Beauty and the Beast. We meet Winter Chastine when her brother comes to her, begging for her help. He’s gotten in deep with the Costa Family, and the only thing he can do do stay alive is persuade his sister to sign her life over to Giovanni Costa. Along with his second, his brother Maximo, their “fixer” Vito, and the former soldier/bodyguard Enzo, Giovanni is determined to utilize Winter’s year of service. Rumors spread, and the danger increases around Winter. She begins to wonder if she’ll get out of this family’s device alive.

This book is part of a series, and there is a mild cliffhanger, leading into the next book.
There are MANY trigger warnings in this book. PLEASE READ THE PREFACE BEFORE BEGINNING THE STORY.

Story 📖: 5/5
Heat 🔥: 2.5/5(only the beginning, I can see the fires smoldering as the book ends, can’t wait for the next books!)
Darkness 🖤: 5/5 constant evil surrounds Winter. Please read the preface/author’s note.
Cliffhanger 🏔: 2/5
Profile Image for T. CH.
293 reviews
June 27, 2021
Fascinating!

This first book in the series absolutely fascinated me. The beautiful Winter has been coerced into a yearlong contract with Giovanni Costa head of the local mafia cartel in order to pay her brother’s drug debt and save his own life. In signing this contract, she becomes the property of the Costa family giving up her body, mind and soul. She is held captive by Giovanni Costa and his chief henchmen his crazy brother and 2nd in command Maximo, his fixer Vito and his personal body guard, ex-military soldier Enzo. During the first season of her captivity, Winter witnessed shoot outs, seen dead bodies and experienced fleeing a scene before the arrival of the cops and has had sex both with two of the Costa henchmen with and without consent. Still Giovanni’s true plans for Winter have yet to be fully revealed! By the end, after Winter and Enzo are kidnapped by the Ramos cartel, they survive it and are rescued after many are killed in order to save them. Winter adds killer and target to her list of experiences while under contract to the Costas. It’s apparent that each of the four men care about Winter in their own way but what is in store for them and her next season? I cannot wait to find out!
962 reviews4 followers
January 31, 2022
Winter Is Out of Her Depth

*****Spoilers *****

This book has various triggers and is disturbing in several ways. At outset, Winter agrees to sell herself to a mob family for a year to cover her brother's drug debt. Irresponsible isn't strong enough a word for the brother and a family first attitude coupled with gratitude for times past means Winter is going to go through with it. Winter is also a victim of physical, sexual, and mental abuse from her past so she's going in to this arrangement with baggage.

Giovanni is head of the family, his younger brother Maximo is the second, Vito is the fixer, and Enzo the bodyguard. Winter is given strict rules by Giovanni that she breaks almost right away. But when it comes to the four men, they are all disturbed in some way though we get deeper in with a couple more than the others as to why. Winter endures and the story gets worse before it gets better. Not to mention the weird sexual relationship Maximo has with Enzo. Winter in turn is playing pretend mistress and spy to Giovanni and terribly, being sexually assaulted and raped by Maximo, taking pleasure from Vito, and being unable to really trust any of them is a tough spot for Winter as she navigates her new life for a year. It's hard to get a read on just where this story is going but it ended provocatively enough to warrant reading the next book. I'm still in to see where the story goes and hope it starts to take a turn for Winter in the next book.

There were tons of typos, misspelled, missing, and inaccurate words, mist instead of midst, along instead of alone, etc. It needs a lot of help in that regard.
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