My Dirty Kisses Book Review - No Spoilers
Plot Summary
I picked up Dirty Kisses by Kenya Wright when I wanted a dark, high-stakes mafia romance with unapologetic grit and heat. This is the first book in the Lion and the Mouse series, and it drops me straight into Harlem’s criminal underworld. Emily is razor-sharp—known as Harlem’s “washer,” hustling to keep her brother out of trouble and gangsters at bay. Everything explodes the day Kazimir, head of the Russian Bratva and known as The Russian Lion, arrives in New York. Kazimir isn’t just intimidating—he’s lethal, relentless, and obsessed with finding out who killed his closest ally.
When Kazimir’s investigation sweeps up Emily’s brother, she ends up on Kazimir’s radar and trapped in a deadly bargain—launder his dirty money, or else. Their partnership is tense, built on fear and a dangerous mutual fascination. As they circle each other, Harlem erupts with violence—rival gangs, Russians, Jamaicans, secrets, and betrayals. One violent night changes everything, pushing Emily and Kazimir from enemies to a connection nobody can control. But with every new twist, more secrets threaten any trust or happiness they could find, and not everyone will make it out alive.
Why I Love This Book
I love how Dirty Kisses doesn’t flinch from the dark side of its world. The chemistry between Emily and Kazimir is explosive—raw, fierce, sometimes even scary. It doesn’t sugarcoat its characters: Kazimir is as much antihero as lover, terrifying but vulnerable in flashes. Emily’s voice is sharp; she’s a hustler with real backbone, taking whatever life throws at her and always working an angle. The tension and suspense grab me from page one—the violence, the fear, the taboo pull between the two leads—and I never feel safe or sure about what’s coming next.
The book is unpredictable. Twists and betrayals just keep stacking up, and those shocks are half the fun. The romance is not for everyone: it’s gritty, sometimes cold, but always electric. I love that the story lets the suspense drive the plot but never sacrifices the tangled, messy feelings at its heart. Underneath all the power games, there’s something strangely hopeful in how both characters claw toward trust and even love, despite everything stacked against them.
Who Will Like This Book
If you want a gritty, BWWM mafia romance with all the heat and violence that comes with real criminal stakes, you’ll love this. It’s for fans of antiheroes, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and dark suspense. The story is packed with explicit scenes, bloodshed, power plays, and taboo longing. Don’t expect sweetness or slow burn—this is fast, fierce, and sometimes morally messy. If you prefer your romance light, this won’t be for you.
⚠️ Trigger warning: This book contains graphic sexual content, violence, murder, discussions of childhood sexual abuse (not graphically depicted), and power imbalances. It’s raw and sometimes uncomfortable but never feels gratuitous. Check content warnings if you’re sensitive to heavy themes around crime, trauma, or explicit violence.
Tagged As
dark romance, mafia romance, Russian mafia, interracial romance, BWWM, enemies to lovers, forced proximity, antihero, strong heroine, hustler heroine, explicit romance, open-door, crime, suspense, Harlem, found family, violence, taboo romance, dual pov, series, indie romance, kindle unlimited
Steam Level
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️Insanely Hot
