Ruined Kingdom

Ruined Kingdom Duet, Book 1

By: Natasha Knight

Narrated by: Stefanie Kay, James Cassidy

I never imagined my first trip to Italy would be to bury my father. But there I was in the beautiful cathedral, alone, with my father’s casket and a handful of soldiers to keep me safe.

It didn’t occur to me that anyone would disrupt the sanctity of the church. Would march in, weapons in hand, and turn my world upside down.

But the Caballero brothers have no regard for the church and even less for my family.

They destroyed the peace of that sad occasion.
They desecrated my father’s body.
And they took what they wanted. Me.

I’m a princess in a tower in a breathtaking villa.
My bedroom overlooks the turquoise sea, but the door is locked.

And I have to contend with not one but two dragons.

©2022 Natasha Knight (P)2025 Natasha Knight

raw and intriguing

I really enjoyed this duet. I believed the emotion and loved the story with a few surprising twists. check trigger warnings though! spice was 👌

Bratty Immature Females Not Cute

Good story. Loved the MFM relationship. I’m just really sick and tired of reading these mafia books with the female characters being portrayed as these bratty, immature, and insolent who miraculously turn these vicious killers into docile men. It’s not cute and it’s unbelievable. I like strong women but it’s a romance novel 🤷‍♀️ I almost returned the book.

Non stop

Nonstop action. Hate that never dims. Secrets all over the place and one heck of a cliffhanger.

Wow wow WOW!

Amazing writing, story and narration! Truly riveting! Unputdownable! It’s a fluffy, but it’s available on Audible so I’m racing to the next one! 10/10 would recommend!!!

🔘 COLD, DARK & DELICIOUSLY BAD.. OK, I’M HOOKED 🔘

One grieving daughter taken at her father’s desecrated funeral.. an act of wrath for cruel deeds he did by physically and emotionally scarring and destroying two young boy’s lives. They swore to get vengeance for what they’d suffered and lost and, to one day, destroy him.. and his family. Two grown men, Mafia Kings with their paths already set from the trauma and bloodshed endured when they were just innocent boys. Three lives now entwined in anger, misery and toxic temptation because unwanted sparks ignite between brothers Amadeo and Bastian Caballero and their pretty pawn whose strength, fire and character challenges them. And her stubbornness, fight and feisty attitude brings out the best.. and the worst, in them. Fifteen years of holding back, researching and planning their moves is a long time to wait for the total annihilation of the evil Russo dynasty.. but lines are getting blurred and they’re running out of time!! They’ve also got enemies who will strike without warning.. or regrets. insert suspenseful music here for the shocking cliffhanger ending.

I usually absolutely love Natasha Knight’s dark romances and, although this was really really good, I didn’t wholly love it because the cruel, nasty, venomous digs and feelings that wavered then flowed like lava through their hot, sexually charged bloodstreams, led to punishment fks rather than passionate ones. There’s secrets that’ll change things when the truth’s revealed. There’s tension and suspense and a lot of angsty verbal attack. There’s MFM hot sex as Vittoria’s attracted to both of these dark destructive brothers. There’s a little character growth.. and there’s a nasty cliffhanger that had me ‘one clicking’ book two in the Duet because the build is good and now I’m hooked.

Worth a credit? Yes definitely, it’s a really good forced Mafia marriage that builds with tension and conflict and twists.. but it’s so much more than that. And the great triple POV narration brings out all the emotional baggage and distrust between them.. and the glimpse of what their relationship could be. There’s a lot to unravel in the web that’s been deviously spun and I’m so looking forward to starting Book 2… which’ll happen right about now.