Chances
The Divine Corruption Series: Book 1
By Lee Jacquot
Published August 16, 2022
★★★★★
"We are all flawed and allowed to make mistakes without becoming a villain."
He's a lawyer for a corrupt mafia boss, working off a debt owed and mistakes made. On the outside he is cold, but he is so much more beneath the surface
She's the daughter sold into marriage to build alliances. She feels trapped in her role in life, her light and spirit snuffed out.
And then they collide - two faces of the same coin.
As always, Lee has a way with bringing her stories together in a beautiful mesh of sensitivity, shock and steam. Her Wicked Wonderland Duet was my first real introduction to dark mafia romance, so the fact that she's continuing in that same vein with this series is amazing.
Forbidden romance has always been at the top of my trope preferences, as I like to live vicariously through the characters. One reason must be because I'm married woman who uses reading as an escape in more than one way, because I adore my husband. Not to mention the fact that the beginning of our relationship was quasi-forbidden due to me still living with my ex (we were already separated at the time), the age gap between the two of us (9 years), and the fact that my mom most definitely dislikes him...
But I digress!
It's such an intriguing idea to see the play on DC Villains coming across in a book like this. Lucian is a translation of Two-Face, where he leads a double life of duty and will, bridging the gap between light and dark, right and wrong. The damage that is displayed from Lucian's past would make anyone slip into the shadow from time to time.
Sabreena does fall into the damsel-in-distress trope well, but seeing the relationship fostered between her and Lucian is wholesome and unique. I kept urging them to "get on with it", but I really do think the development of the two was well done.
The other minor characters were brilliantly done as well - I particularly enjoyed Nique and Wendy and the friendship they provided Sabreena through the events.
Lee does another spectacular job at dealing with mental illness, from anxiety and panic attacks to PTSD to abuse survivors. Seeing the characters work together to find calm and face inner demons was almost therapeutic - and helped me even turn that practice inward to deal with my own issues. Seeing Lucian's compulsion to rely on a coin flip to make his decisions was palpable, as is the guilt that he holds to that very coin.
Oh, and the spice! So many amazing scenes, especially in her studio - just the intimate mirroring of her actions at the pottery wheel was SO HOT. I'm not going into it too much, just to save the effect, but just know that the scenes are well worth the wait.
This book is definitely up there for the ones Lee has written. With the story, the spice, the twists, and the deep soul searching, this series is going to be amazing!
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