Today we have a new Measha stone Russian mob story. It’s the 3rd book in her Innocent Bride series. Ravaged Innocence is the story of Avery and Luka. This one does happen at the same time as other books, but other than a brief mention, it isn’t really an issue. You can totally read it as a standalone if that’s what you want.
So, Avery is a college student trying to get a degree to become a medical assistant. She’s also working 3 jobs because she has to pay for school, food, and rent somehow. (BTDT, got the ratty t-shirt) One night, when she’s working at the ratty dive bar, some Russian mobsters walk in. One of them, Luka, takes Avery back into the kitchen to stay safe. Only Avery isn’t all that sure that she’s safe with him. The very next thing that Luka knows, Avery is dashing out the door and into the back of a passing yellow cab. Avery thinks that she is well away, at least until Luka comes pounding on her door and makes his way inside.
Luka is in town from Moscow to do a job. When that job takes him to a dive bar, he meets Avery, and it’s possessiveness at first sight. He finds out where Avery lives, and plans to go to her house to discuss with her why running away wasn’t a good thing. Which he does, with the palm of his hand swiftly applied to her hind end.
I love how fiesty Avery is. She doesn’t go down without a fight. She works really hard at not letting Luka get away with not telling her everything. Of course it doesn’t always work, but she tries. I really like that strong, rebellious, and fiesty streak in her.
I mostly like Luka. I think that he’s a little high handed, but that’s how characters in this kind of book tend to be, so overall, it’s expected.
In Between the Pages 