Stolen Touches (Perfectly Imperfect, #5) (2024)

i’m over here stuttering because no man should be obsessed the way Salvatore was…

WHY IS SHE LIKE THIS I HATE HERRRRR

Neva's books are like drugs, I'm just looking for another fix. So addictive.

I received an ARC for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ARC review)

''I want you to smile at me every day''

Safety warnings:
- Age gap H 34 / h 22
- No cheating
- No OW/OM drama
- Forced marriage
- Violence
- HEA

When we were introduced to the elusive and mysterious Salvatore in the previous book, I was sure that there was a big back story about why he was so adamant that he not be seen or liked to stay hidden in the shadows.

We see Milene living in NYC to pursue her career as a nurse and of course nobody knows she is actually in NYC and not in Illinois as she should be. Salvatore and her meet by accident outside the hospital where she is working, and he immediately is interested in her and wants to get to know her more. He does these ''stalkerish'' things towards her and I was laughing watching her lose her mind about what was going on and where it was coming from.

They eventually go on a date but that doesn't go as planned, forcing Salvatore to have to inform Chicago about her whereabouts. He makes a decision that benefits him and that's to marry Milene and of course she is not happy about that.

The tension between these two was everything. He was OTT in every way, and I understand why it would be too much for a lot of people BUT I also understood why he was doing it. Given his status and his history I couldn't help but feel this was the only way to calm his fears.

I did want to know what happened to Milene's friend Pippa at the end as there was no conclusion?

01/16/2023

i finished it chaotically, it was not good.

homeboy definitely needs mountains of therapy not even kidding, like a full time therapist that he could text for emergency sessions, he had the money to do it.

01/12/2023

dnf @45%

never download books when intoxicated, rule number 1 as a reader

I tried, I really did. I can handle forced marriages, whatever, that’s (fictional) life. but (as a capricorn) if someone told me I’d have to quit a job, one that I actually love, and stay home all day with no connection to anyone, I’d literally kms. You know how hard it is to find a job that you’re actually passionate about??? yeah no.

and the characters were one dimensional, boring, juvenile, all of the above.

and the author unironically used “orbs” to describe eyes, send her to Wattpad jail asap. it’s 2023 we shouldn’t be doing that anymore

So IMO, this one is the weakest book in this series thus far.
I just could not bring myself to really care about these two as a couple. Too many things within their dynamic just felt forced and without depth, to me.

The only time I really cared for these two, was when Milena literally put herself in the crossfire to protect Salvatore. Sad right? Trust me. No one is more bummed about this revelation, than me. Cause the first 4 chapters had me thinking this story was gonna be crazy off the chain, white hot 🔥 amazing! But sadly it just wasn't.

As the story progressed it just became less interesting and authentic in the happenings and reveals. It just wasn't there for me. Plus, Salvatore was just too much of everything for me. I like him. Even felt bad for him, but I guess I just didn't like him in THIS story. He's much bigger than what was written on the pages here. And that doesn't work for me. Too many things that needed to be shown, were kept hidden and we just got too much surface fluff with him.

Also his weird demands of our heroine was too much for me. Found it hard to reconcile any female being able to handle being the focal point of Salvatore's brand of intensity, when he loves something or someone. Simply put, my poor Salvatore has more issues than Rolling Stone Magazine.

Plus Milene was just.. an idiot.. I was not buying her choice of being in New York to begin with and why. That was just a horrible plot device. Come on now. You grew up in this world. Very much aware of the rules here. If you're trying to get away from that life, and avoid the fate of so many females of your world, why would you choose to go to the one place you know you are not supposed to be? And then try to act like your presence being there, wouldn't and shouldn't be a big deal if it was found out? This just ticked me off from jump. And made absolutely no sense to me. Because once again, she's very much aware of how serious these type of rules are in her world and the possible consequences if they are broken.

So with the exception of the one time I felt something tangible with these two and the Epilogue, plus our introduction to Az here as well as a few action sequences; I gave this one 2.75 ✨

As of yet, this book is not on KU, but books 1-4 are. I would still recommend this series. Just based on books 1-4. When you get to 5, don't expect to be blown away.🤷‍♀️

Damn Salvatore Ajello🔥🔥🔥🔥!

I wasn’t expecting a hero who was COMPLETELY fixated on the heroine.
I loved Milene the heroine. She was simple, smart and fearless. She tried to understand Salvatore from the beginning and I wasn’t expecting them to be this freaking cute. Milene was really really special to Salvatore and he showed it in multiple ways.

And that scenes (no spoilers) towards the end made me speechless. Hats off to Milene’s courage but my heart broke for a helpless Salvatore. Another thing I wasn’t expecting was the humour in this book. There were many many moments that cracked me up.

And I loved the epilogue. It was perfect.

Highly recommended, could be read as standalone, safe.

I received an advance review copy for free and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.

Reread for a Patron in May 2023.
.
.

Another great one! I loved this couple and their crazy cats. 🥰🥰

5 stars
3.5 on the spice scale

CW: OCD, violence, gore

I didn’t like this book, the characters were so empty and without connection.
Unfortunately boring!

it wasn't bad but for now nothing compares to broken whispers

If I were out with a friend and they called their partner every thirty minutes, I’d never go anywhere with them again.

Salvatore is the scary, recluse New York Don we’ve heard so much about. Milene is Bianca’s (from Broken Whispers) sister who just wanted out of the Cosa Nostra to live a normal life.

The beginning of this book had so much promise. With Salvatore being established as obsessive and controlling, his unusually reaction to Milene was captivating. Once the two come together, it loses a lot of momentum. The characters become juvenile and annoying, their worst traits amplified by little action. Salvatore is a walking red flag, and he only becomes worse. Milene contradicts herself constantly. Toward the end, the book picks up speed, but by then, the characters’ characterization has become so utterly decimated that it didn’t matter.

My enjoyment of the series seems to fluctuate dramatically with each installment, but I will say: for it’s lowest lows, it’s had the highest highs.

★★

This series is amazing though not all books hit the same. Some are better than others. Broken Whispers is still the GOAT

Now, I like Stolen Touches. Even the plot is shallow, but I still like the chemistry between Milene and Salvatore. Miss Altaj makes their banter playfull and sweet. And demanding. I even grew fond of Salvatore.

I am still have some books left on this series. Will put it on hold for now. Still trying to finish my TBR pile.

4 stars

all i know is that salvatore’s red flags were heart-shaped!

ÇEVİRİ BİTTİ, TEKRAR okuyacağım :)

Mentally unstable, obsessive, sweet mafia man.

He forced her to call him every hour and had a GPS bracelet on her. Wow ew right? Nah I ate it up

there was no tension, no drama, no chemistry, no character development. bland boring and unseasoned

Love Tango

Love strikes a nurse in residency, Milene Scardoni, from a passerby from whom she demands his jacket. She’s delivering a baby. Urgent times calls for urgent action. Little was she aware that “suit jacket” was the don of the most powerful Cosa Nostra on the east coast. Equally, she discounted that members of the Scardoni family were not to trespass on the Ajello turf at risk of death, as it is nothing for Salvatore Ajello to send a message – in body parts – to Scardoni family, in retaliation for not upholding their deal. But there was something about this nurse, this young 22-year-old that drew an older, pepper-haired and dashing Salvatore. So much so this stoic antihero installs his men on a task of 24/7 surveillance including cameras in her studio apartment so he can monitor his new interest. But seeing from afar is not enough; Salvatore needs proximity and touch. And what better way than a forced marriage? After all, she and by extension her family, encroached on his area and they should pay. Understandably, the alternative is killing.

This story follows the blossoming love and affection between Salvatore Ajello and Milene Scardoni, their burning sexual tension, grumpy meets grouchy but oh so endearing interactions, with some disruptive cats to balance all the quirky. It also showcases imperfect characters, living and accepting of their unbalances meaningfully. This is an element I loved about this author’s books: characters having physical, mental or other disabilities, no different, and thriving as equal to everyone else. Well…with the exception of the mafia backdrop, the violence is not soft. Salvatore is ruthless. The contrast between the sweetness of “touch her and not live” against the mafia dealings is such a romantic twist, yet not fanciful.

Milene is mature, confident, and self-directed; she knows what she wants out of life, and it wasn’t originally a Cosa Nostra lifestyle. Salvatore, playfully named “Tore” by Milene, is exacting, resilient, controlling, and almost closed-off – except for his lady love Milene. He feels the emotion of her smiles, and if he can’t touch her, he needs to know where she is at every second. Talk about new book boyfriend. Salvatore is everything. Their tango seduction to falling in love is so sizzling while warming to read. Salvatore knows he has his girl. It is just a matter of time and strategic touches. And the spice is so hot! (4/5 🌶) In this series, I like the sincere acceptance of the couple’s relationship once they fall, no contrived push and pull, while still carrying elements of angst, a hint of conflict to drive interest in the romance.

A standalone, though characters from former series are mentioned, we meet new and appealing side characters including Salvatore’s mother, his close circle of capi (underbosses), Milene’s new friends, and sister Bianca from a previous book.

Pace is progressive, compelling with a great balance of prose and dialogue. The author shows skill in showing versus telling, too, since the characters and their day-to-day feel real even if the circ*mstances are imaginary. The writing is fluid.

Each book I declare the last antihero as my favorite, but this time, Salvatore is it. Imagine a man who surprises you with an antique ($1 million) bracelet just because you looked at it with interest, a man who has a whole restaurant emptied so that no one can look upon you because you are self-conscious of your attire. (Ok, he's jealous and possessive, too.) Salvatore doesn't care that Milene has been blocked from cooking in his kitchen because she sets everything on fire or that she can be grouchy. He just wants to spoil the woman who makes him feel, the woman he adores and can’t live without. Milene just wants to take care of Salvatore.

If you want dark mafia mixed with possessiveness, quirks, hilarity, and spicy romance, read this book! So good.

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: forced marriage, mafia
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥

Absolutely loved this story! Every one of the books in the series has been a fave and this one wasn't any different. Milene has done everything she can to separate herself from the mafia life she grew up with. She lives a simple life working as a nurse in New York when she crosses path with a mysterious man who seemingly keeps running into her. Soon, her brother is calling and letting her know there are consequences for being Salvatore Ajello's territory and that the price is her hand in marriage. Imagine her surprise when her mysterious stranger ends up being the most powerful Don of New York :)

Ugh! This story really has all my favorite things. The scarred, emotionally stunted hero with the "look at her and I'll unalive you" vibe. The brash and ballsy heroine that seemingly can push the hero around like no one else can :) The story is super fast paced and well written. It made me laugh out loud and even get a little teary. The chemistry between Milene and Tore was super hot and they really were just perfect for each other. Another super enjoyable read!

⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes be spoilers

Her saat başı nerde olduğunu kendisine bildirmesini isteyecek kadar takıntılı bir Salvatore daha ne yapabilirsin ki diye düşünüyordum. Hatta dedim ki içimden GPS tak istersen 🙄 Ben dalga geçiyordum ama onu da yaptı 😅

Hemşirelik yapmak ve Cosa Nostradan uzak kalmak için elinden geleni yapan Milene ve şehrine habersiz girenleri paket yapan Salvatore'un hikayesiydi. Duygu yoksunu Tore'un Milene için hislerini okumak güzeldi ama annesinin ısrarla neden böyle olduğunu kıza anlat demesi ve bizim bu konuda bir açıklamam alamamamız bir tık üzdü. Yani doğuştan mı böyle, bir şey mi yaşadı? 🙈 Adam onca zaman duygusal tepki vermeye vermeye hepsini Milene yansıttı resmen. Biraz fazla olan yerler vardı ama neyse...

This was a pretty cliche book but still enjoyable. Everything was moving at a very fast speed and it would've been better if Milene & Salvatore's relationship was a bit developed before they got married. Because I felt like they barely knew each other and the way Milene reacted to the sudden marriage was so unusual and weird. No doubt they had an amazing chemistry but some of the topics were handled poorly and could've been executed better.

I LOVE THIS SERIES SO SO MUCH!!!

3. Okuma

---------------------------------

Çok özlemişim o yüzden tekrar okudum❤️

-------------------------------------

Dün sabah başlayıp bitirdim. Yedim resmen. Ama sabah bi daha en baştan başlayıp diyalogları okudum çünkü adama doyulmuyor arkadaş🤭

Salvatore Ajello. Takıntılı ruh hastası manyak.
Sana aşığım❤️

Salvatore no es un don cualquiera, y la gente lo sabe. Sus acciones siempre han hablado más que sus palabras y el hecho de que alguien de otra de las Familias se haya presentado, es más ido a vivir, a su territorio sin pedir permiso y presentarse es una gran ofensa y Salvatore no se toma bien las ofensas. Pero Milene intriga por alguna razón desconocida a Salvatore, así que puede que esta ofensa se convierta en una oportunidad para los planes que ni el mismísimo Salvatore sabía que tenía en mente...

TE JURO QUE LO AMOOOOO!!!! AMO A SALVATORE ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️. Dios es que ya se que he dicho en los anteriores "este es mi favorito" lo sé, lo sé pero es que este... ESTE ES EL LIBRO 😍. Esto de rápido no tiene nada, va con calma, la relación de estos dos empieza bien, sigue mal, pero se estanca y se empieza a arreglar. Vamos, la vida misma. Milene es muy cabezota sin duda, lucha contra sus propios sentimientos pero dio con alguien más cabezota que ella. Salvatore en cambio es todo lo que habría esperado y más. A diferencia de la decepción que me llevé con el desarrollo de la historia de Sergei con este no, me han dado todo lo que pedía aunque podrían haberme dado más porque ese epílogo 🥹🥹🥹🥹 necesitaba ver más de esooooo!!!! Maldita sea que cosa más bonita (no digo nada por no hacer spoiler). Este libro es más de ritmo normal, ni rápido ni lento y la historia me encantó. Tiene escenas que son maravillosas y para guardar eternamente. Así que sí, PORSUPUESTISIMO que recomiendo leer este libro, y el que tengo mucha curiosidad y espero que lo escriba la autora es el de Alessandro aunque tengo la terrible sospecha de que van a juntarlo con la esposa de Rocco y ese es un muy mal camino... En fin, que me he enamorado de Salvatore punto 😍🤣

Reread enjoyed it so much more this time, sexy times were still mid though. Rating bumped up

Spoilers ahead

Milene and Salvatore meet accidentally but the connection is undeniable, A couple of encounters later and Milene is shocked to realize that the man she's been "dating" and the mafia boss she's being forced to marry are one and the same person. Engaged at being forced back into the mafia world and having to leave a job she loves behind Milene sets off for life with her very unusual husband. In the midst of a brutal war with the Irish and the crazy antics of two cats Milene and Salvatore find love.

Ion think I've ever met a more JP H......at least not in recent reading. Salvatore was REALLY JP.....to the point he didn't even want his own men looking at her and required frequent communication when she was out of his sight.....in all honesty I think he needed some professional help, but I really loved him🤷🏽‍♀️ eh guess I like my men more on the crazy side
Milene.....hmmmm I struggled a bit with her, I understood her resentment at being forced back into a life she tried so hard to escape but also she's had enough experience to know that bodyguards and extreme caution is needed in the mob. I liked the way she accepted Salvatore and his slightly unhinged requests
Lots of violence and gore....with our H unaliving many men....just how I like it
Sexy times were a bit meh th
Crazy ass cats
They took forever and a day before the relationship progressed to my liking
Sweet epilogue but I'd have liked a bit more
I liked Salvatore's men and would hope they get their own books
All in all not bad.....I'd definitely read everything this author puts out if her books continue along these lines

No cheating
J/P H
Both had experience but it's clear the way he was with her was a first for him

✨Book Review ✨
Stolen Touches by Neva Altaj (288 pages)
Book 5 of the Perfectly Imperfect series

⭐⭐⭐⭐:
Here's my thing with mafia romances or just books with overall dark themes. The MMC claims to be this no nonsense, ruthless and lawless type of guy but then he feels guilty for being a "monster" like sir...we are not here for that. If I pick up a book and descriptions or teasers tell me he's morally grey or morally pitch black, I say go all out 🤷🏾‍♀️ I'm so serious about that, you don't understand. If I'm told that there's a specific something in a book, dear authors please go ahead! And Neva Altaj?!?! She does exactly that in Stolen Touches. She delivers!! Mr. Ajello is not with the games. The man cares about his wife and his business. His wife a lot more of course 😋 but seriously, very much unhinged MMC. And I ate it up alright! Over-the-top/possessive/protective, my OTTP babes, this one's for you 🖤
Milene is cool. I have a list of these mafia related FMCs that I love and adore and will bring them up in every conversation. And Milene could make it to the list. This is Neva Altaj, I can only rant so yeah...get into it!

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️:
So we got some semi-silent stalking going on, lots of OTTP, lots of spice and steam, valuable mafia dealings and overall good conversation. Loved it all❤️

‼️TWs include: gore, abuse, and graphic descriptions of violence and torture.

(Edit is mine, pictures are from Pinterest)

I'm finally back from sh*tting on my exams :)
AND LOOK AT MY FIRST READ OF THE MONTH!!!
5 STAR READ...AH!! I'm so happy.

Now, this was amazing. Even the typical plotline occured but was handled in the direction I FREAKING ADORED. I love it when I'm reading mafia book with gore and i find these scenes i can ADORE and LOVE.

This is honestly the best thing i could have came back to, after my short break.

The heroine getting kidnapped was meh because ofc she will, but THE WAY SHE PLASTERED ON HIS FRONT, STRADDLING HIM WHILE HE WAS TIED TO THE CHAIR AND BULLETS WERE GETTING FIRED ALL AROUND THEM????
f*cking phenomenal!!
JUST IMAGINE that scene in your head and tell me that didn't gave you feels.

I take a deep breath, move around to face Salvatore, and hook my tied hands around his neck. I climb onto his lap, straddling him, my back toward the doors and the shots being fired around us.
“Vita mia,” he whispers. “Please. Get down.”Another bullet ricochets off the floor to our right, and I press myself more tightly to him. His body is shaking as though he has a fever. “I love you, Tore,” I say into his ear.

Also, Salvatore's giving in to anything Milene demands BECAUSE OF HER SMILE is better than the "puppy dog eyes" if you ask me. His obsession with her smile and how fast he folds the minute he sees it IS SO SWEET??? OMG.

UGH. When is it my turn to be happy?😤

“Well, this cat's a little grouchy,” the lady says. “Not very good with people.”
“Sounds exactly like you, Tore.” I place a hand on his arm. “Can we take him?”
“No.”
“But look at him! Isn’t he cute?”
“No.”
“Tore!”
He looks at the cat, then moves his gaze to glare at me. “You said we’d come here to look.”
I co*ck an eyebrow and smile. “I lied.”
Salvatore watches me, his eyes glued to my lips. He does that a lot. He always studies my mouth when I smile.
“Just take the damn thing, and let’s go home,” he grumbles.

“You don’t have to worry about the hitmen, Salvatore,” I snarl, winding my legs around his waist and grabbing at his throat with my hand. “Because I’m going to be the one to end your life if you don’t get your co*ck back inside me.”

“I’m not jealous.” I take a sip of coffee. “I just have an uncontrollable urge to kill any man who even looks at my wife.”

And the epilogue???!!! TO DIE FOR😩😩

P.S : I LOVE YOU NEVA ALTAJ!!! You're doing so good with this series!

P.PS : Apparantly there is a short bonus scene which is cute and freaking hilarious pov of Kurt (the cat) :

I meet the gaze of the Mean One. The Usurper. First, he confiscated my human, proclaiming her his. Then, he took my spot in her bed. And now, he intends to dictate to me where I should or shouldn’t climb. I stride toward the opposite end of the dining table and plant my butt on the papers he's reading.

Click here to download and read for free

3.5 🌟 para Stolen Touches, quinto libro de la serie Perfectly Imperfect de Neva Altaj.

📖 Aunque no fue una entrega que me haya aburrido o costado leer, debo decir que tampoco me emocionó como esperaba ni llegó al nivel de otras historias contadas en la saga. Simplemente sucedió que el tercer y cuarto libro me fascinaron y éste supuso un retroceso en mi escala personal.

◾ Siento que la pareja protagonista, Milene y Salvatore, estaban bien y me parecieron personajes agradables para los estándares de este género pero, al mismo tiempo, por el nivel de importancia que tiene Salvatore al ser el Don de La Cosa Nostra esperaba una trama con más acción y drama que lo involucrara porque realmente hubiera impulsado más la dinámica de la narración.

➡️ Una lástima que no me haya encantado esta entrega porque tiene el trope de matrimonio "forzado" que siempre me emociona muchísimo y acá me gustó y me hizo pasar un buen rato siendo totalmente honesta aunque, como he dicho antes, un poco más de angst y problemas a este libro no le hubieran venido nada mal...

Dümdüz kitap serinin diğer kitaplarından bir farkı yok ama okurken resmen mutluluktan sarhoş oldum. Salvatore o kadar karizmatik bir adam ki okurken mum gibi eridim. Milene'e olan aşırı bağımlılığı can sıkmak yerine keşke dedirtiyor 🤭 ha bir de Salvatore'un yaralı bir adam olduğunu söylemiş miydim 👉🏻👈🏻

Kitabı bitirdikten sonra ben:

This book might just be my favorite out of the rest. I loved hearing about the other characters from the previous books and also getting bits and pieces from AZ 😛😛
*patiently waiting for the other book to release and hopefully I'll get one with AZ