Welcome to our first weekly Dark Romance read along! We’re starting with the Broken Duet by I.A. Dice, from our July Dark & Dangerous Box. Over the next three weeks, we will work through book one. Take a break, and then dive into book two.
We will reveal spoilers. We will discuss story elements. We will make predictions.
I hope you’re ready for the wild ride.
Want to join us for the next read along?
Check out our current Bite Me Box, a bi-monthly Paranormal Romance and Urban Fantasy subscription box packed with special-edition books and a dragon-filled theme featuring fate, danger, found family, and plenty of fire: Shop the Bite Me Box
We’re reading up to Chapter Eleven in this read along, so let’s dive into what’s happened so far.
Layla: Sassy, Smart-Mouthed, and Strong-Willed
Our main female character, Layla, is my kind of girl. Sassy. Smart mouthed. Strong-willed. Almost fearless. She knows what she wants, and she’s not afraid to tell you about it. She also has the tendency to babble, and I also find this endearing for so many reasons.
Dante seems to like it, too. And as we find this enemy mafia boss fascinated with her, I like the power balance. She might not be powerful in her own home, although there are some inklings about the truth of that, but her father is in charge of the North. Dante is in charge of the South.
Their relationship is ill advised but inevitable.
I do love an enemies to lovers story. A forbidden romance.
Layla’s Struggle With Love and Affection
As we get to know her, I’m enjoying the development of Layla’s internal struggle. She’s been devoid of love for so long that she’s willing to take crumbs. Her never pulling away from a hug first because she’s greedy for every ounce of affection has her falling into Dante in ways I assume she doesn’t intend.
What I’m truly curious about is Jess, Layla’s mom. Layla and her father have to watch what they say in their own house because she’s a gossip. But why? What are they hiding from her, and thus, us as a result? It’s got me intrigued and guessing along the way.
Dante and Layla’s Complicated History
And then, we have the new layer of Dante having known her when he worked for his father, who taught him the ropes before he left and took over the southern side of Chicago. She was seven. He was sixteen.
He showed her a scrap of attention then, and clung to him thereafter. It links up nicely with what I assume will happen as the story progresses.
Red Flags, Mafia Families, and Layla’s Father
But right now, Layla’s father, Frank, bothers me in some unsettling ways. Who pays a kid 50k to date his daughter? Not once, not twice, but three times. I get wanting to keep your kid safe and untouchable, but this seems like a bit much. Or at least, more than I would ever be able to handle.
He also chose her best friend, who set her up on a date? Red flags all over the place here. But I like the mafia family set up. It reads as real, and I like that.
What Is Really Going On With Aaron?
As we close up this section, I am FLOORED by Aaron. This feels…off. Being set up on the date. Adam and Allie both leaving her with him. His attack. How he smiled when she said her father would kill him, and the two junkies attacking her after she escapes…only to be saved by one of Dante’s men, Luca.
What is truly going on there? I guess we will see. I’m suspicious of everyone around her at the moment except for Dante.
What Do You Think of Broken Rules So Far?
Alright, y’all. Let me know your thoughts. Do you trust Dante? Anyone you’re suspicious of? Let me know in the comments below, and I will see you next week as we read up to Chapter Twenty-One.
Until then, happy reading!
Leave a Reply