The Ravishing || Fell Below My Expectations

There is no world in which anyone would have told me a dark mafia romance plot would fall terribly below my expectations, and I would believe them.
It just seemed very unlikely for a mafia romance fanatic like me, and no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't help but constantly heave sighs of disappointment up until the last page of this novel.

I tried very hard to get into the plot, but for some reason, it failed to click for me.
The narration was great, the plot had the potential to be beautifully written, but it just fell through.
I picked up this book, after so many raving reviews about it on BookTok, and reading it, has further cemented my decision to not read books based on popular recommendation ever again.

They are always so disappointing.

"The Ravishing" starts off with a beautiful and promising prologue, perhaps the very reason I read this book till the very end.
There's bloodshed, gunshots, murder, and a typical promise for revenge as expected in a mafia romance plot.
Cassius' family is wiped out by the Glassman's family, leaving only himself and his sister.
Promising to take revenge on Glassman and his family, even as a little boy, he immediately takes responsibility of his sister, becoming her ultimate provider and protector, while bidding time and waiting for the moment he would take revenge on the family that murdered his own family in cold blood.
The entirety of this prologue gave me chills, and had me shivering in anticipation of the main plot, only to be disappointed!

Basically, this novel centers on the Glassman family and Cassius.
Stephen Glassman is a strict father. He forbids Anya and Archie from living like other children.
They are homeschooled, no internet access, and definitely no friends.
Anya believes that the reason for this, is how powerful her father might be.
That is until her eighteenth birthday.

Cassius has barely given his sister her dream wedding, when he finally makes an attempt to fulfill the promise he made to Stephen Glassman.
Cassius invades the Glassman home, and captures Anya who has been abandoned by her supposed family.
After futile attempts to find the fleeing Glassman's, he takes Anya captive, and through the cold, dark, vengeful exterior of Cassius, an intense and steamy love story begins to blossom.

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There were so many things I didn't quite agree with in this novel.
Anya was barely turning eighteen when she was captured, and a little part of me, who feels eighteen is still too young, disagrees with their love story.
I felt like Cassius and Anya's love was more about grooming that actual love.
Of course mafia love doesn't thrive in gardens, but it definitely doesn't thrive in children playgrounds too.

There has been disagreements from various critics, who believe that Anya willingly fell in love with Cassius too, but I beg to disagree for so many obvious reasons.
She was captured, and Cassius' weak attempt at revenging her father through her led him to seducing, controlling, and owning her.
She obviously did not have much of a choice, seeing that she was a captive, and for someone who barely understood the concept of love and romantic relationships, of course her first attempt at being seduced would see her falling for it.

Furthermore, for a novel that was supposed to be centered on romance, "The Ravishing" had a lighter plot that what I was anticipating.

I had expected something darker, chilling and blood curdling than what I got from the plot, but this was more of a 'failed' love story instead.

I call it a failed love story, because apart from the glaringly obvious age differences between the characters, there was little or no chemistry.
There was hardly enough buildup and suspense, and nothing at all to get the readers in their feelings.

There were so many things I didn't like about this novel, that I cannot say without giving spoilers.
Do I recommend this novel ? Well if you're a fan of books with a promising prologue, but a mid and disappointing plot, then this book is for you.
This is my second book by this author, and although this was co written with another author, I wouldn't be reading anything by her again.