A Web of Lies by Beena Khan

Published: July 15, 2022
B.Khan
Pages: 310
Genre: Mafia Romance
KKECReads Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received a copy of this book for free, and I leave my review voluntarily.
Beena Khan is a storyteller that brings grim fairytales, myths, and legends to life. She writes crime and contemporary books. Her books are thrilling, painful, dangerous, emotional, and raw.

I was a wanderess, hungry, homeless, and then… bought, conditioned, and trained as a lethal assassin.
I don’t remember who I am. I only remember my name. Anastasia.
To claim my life as a killing machine, I had to destroy others, and it became my violent destiny.
For seven long years, as the Bratva syndicate’s chosen one, I have served my leaders, and now, they have given me a new target, a new assignment.
I’m a silent predator underneath my hood. No one is aware I’m a woman until I come across him—Surge Romano, the emerald-eyed Italian Don of the ruling Family of New York. He’s twice my age and the only non-blooded member of the rival mob.
My duty collides with desire for the first time. I’m here to steal his life, but I have forgotten that I have a heart that beats. I’m not capable of mercy. If I show it, it will be a grave mistake. Too late, I see him and I… hesitate.
“When you bleed, I bleed with you.”
Anastasia is the only woman to serve as an assassin. She is good at what she does, and she never leaves a job unfinished. Until she looks into the greenest eyes, she has ever seen. Suddenly, she is involved in a tango that could leave her hurt or, worse, dead.
It never ceases to amaze me how Beena wraps the retelling portion of these stories into the mafia portion. This retelling of Anastasia was fantastic.
The characters were well done. I love that Ana isn’t perfect; she has a damaged eye which creates an enlarged iris. I love that Beena isn’t afraid to scar her leading ladies, proving that scars often add so much to a person.
I found the tango between Surge and Ana erotic and different. This wasn’t as dark as the previous novels in this series, but there were new elements explored, and I enjoyed that.
This series is so beautifully intertwined without being repetitive or boring. I love that we continue learning about this underworld and get to know the players, even as a new one gets introduced.
Something I loved in this book is the strong female angle that was referenced. I love that we are seeing strong, independent, intelligent women taking the spotlight.
Ana was such a beautifully written character, and I enjoyed her journey. I found the references to the previous storylines well placed. And the characters were all well represented.
I enjoyed the extended epilogues in this book. It was nice catching up with our past couples and seeing that they are all doing well.
I am excited that this novel hinted at a shift in leadership, and I genuinely hope Beena decides to explore that more. I think this world could use a Donna.