Kenya Wright's "Dirty Kisses" plunges readers into a gritty, high-stakes mafia romance set in the criminal underbelly of Harlem. This is the first book in the Lion and the Mouse series, and it drops me straight into Harlem’s criminal underworld.
The Plot
The story revolves around Emily, a razor-sharp woman known as Harlem’s “washer,” who hustles 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 is in NY to find the murderer of Rumi, the Russian Mafia's top washer in New York.
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.
Kazimir forces her to launder his money and finds that she's the perfect fit for the job. Known as a con to most and a hustler to many, she's the best washer in Harlem, and she keeps all of the low-key gangsters on their toes.
Characters
- Emily: A hustler with real backbone, taking whatever life throws at her and always working an angle. Emily is a strong, confident Black woman that basically handled her business as she saw fit.
- Kazimir: Head of the Russian Bratva, known as The Russian Lion, terrifying but vulnerable in flashes. Kazimir’s character was good, a Mafia leader who is very dangerous and this added to his appeal.
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.
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At first, Kazimir and Emily have a tricky arrangement based on fear and danger. Her working for him is like balancing on a tight rope. He's a monster wrapped in a gorgeous package. Still, there's an air of sensuality around him that makes her forget sometimes how terrifying he can be.
Themes and Style
I love how Dirty Kisses doesn’t flinch from the dark side of its world. 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.
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.
The book was also fast paced and easy to get through, but the characterization was probably my favorite aspect of the novel. There were even found family elements which, for me, was an interesting element to discover in a mafia based romance.
The book pretends like it’s longer than that, but the story takes place over 48 hours.
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Dirty Kisses – When Love Becomes the Most Dangerous Currency | Kenya Wright
Trigger Warnings
⚠️ 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.
Reception
Reviewers have noted the following:
- Strengths: Strong chemistry between leads, fast-paced plot, well-developed characters.
- Weaknesses: Plot holes, grammar/spelling errors, "insta-love" elements.
Overall, "Dirty Kisses" is praised for its entertainment value and engaging storyline, especially for readers who enjoy dark mafia romances.
Series Overview
Kenya Wright’s The Lion and the Mouse series is an epic love story filled with mobsters, betrayals, and top notch sex. The series starts in Dirty Kisses, where Bratva boss, Kazimir Stolonik, makes a surprise stop in New York upon hearing that his top washer was murdered. In the next book, Dirty Love, Emily and Kaz explore the idea of permanency in the midst of crazy siblings, an even crazier uncle, and quite a few shootouts.
Author's Voice
Words are power, and Kenya wants to be the greatest wizard that ever lived. It's an audacity to inspire and teach the healing of love through arousal. It's this crazy idea that love can not only help a reader escape, but the story can also teach the person about being human, while making them laugh, cry, and hot for more sex.
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