[Double Booked] Snow White Retelling: Huntsman by Naima Simone
A mafia princess obsessed with the man set to end her AND getting her revenge.
Introducing Double Booked - Double Booked is a collaboration between two Black romance reviewers, myself and Tropes and Kisses, to read and review books by and about BIPOC characters. We’re prioritizing our ARC TBRs to share our perspectives of every swoony line, every lust-fueled plot, and the scenes that literally stop you in your tracks.
Hi Librarygoer!
I am a tiny bit apologetic of the dozens of books I’ve suggested for your TBR in the last few weeks so today we’re talking about one book.
I’m also not really sorry about it and I hope that you are able to support these diverse authors by pre-ordering or requesting from your library.
We’re officially in fall as of yesterday so I’m excited that my first “official” post of the season is recommending Naima Simone’s Huntsman.
I’ve spoken about this book to anyone who will listen at least a dozen times. I also consider it one of my top ten reads of the year and that spot will not be conquered. It’s one of those books I knew I would enjoy but I underestimated just how much I would love it. I was the bookish cliche of kicking my feet and giggling multiple times and I’m SOOO jealous of everyone who gets to read it for the first time.
I hope you love it (and pre-order it!) soon.
Happy reading!
-Aleia
Story Synopsis
Nine years ago Eshe lost her mother, the throne she was set to inherit and all the stability she had known as the princess/queen-in-waiting of the Mwuaji crime family.
She believes (knows) her aunt is responsible and is biding her time to strike back …until her aunt puts a bounty on her head. And hires the undefeated Huntsman. AKA Malachi Bowden. AKA the man of Eshe’s heart (even though he doesn’t know this yet.)
Eshe’s left with no choice but to finally seek revenge against her aunt … and conquer her weakness—Malachi.
CW: Dark mafia romance, blood play, bad people die
Why Double Booked Loved It
Christine’s Take
Naima Simone didn’t just write a retelling—she gutted the fairytale and rebuilt it into a mafia empire. Eshe is one of the fiercest heroines I’ve read all year, Malachi is a morally gray assassin with delicious layers, and their chemistry is lethal in every sense.
Aleia’s Take
I loved this book so much! It’s hilarious, insane, and red hot fire!
When the super stoic, hired hitman is so thrown off by your attempts on his life that he forgets to stop hiding his emotions long enough to ask “what the f* is wrong with you?”, dear reader, you know you’re in for a ride.
This Snow White inspired dark romance features The Huntsman, a pro hitman, and Eshe, daughter of a matriarchal mafia family. While you may think the hitman is the one you should be weary of, Eshe is tapping on your window right now saying hold my beer.
I LOVE a strong FMC but I rarely get the chance to see a strong, batshit crazy FMC who is imperfect and vengeful and is determined to get her man. Unfortunately, this is not a he falls first because she kidnaps first. I won’t give it all a was just know there are many surprises, and all of them delightful or tension-filled or both. This book is SO horny.
I went into it mostly blind. I knew I loved Naima Simone’s Church Girl and wanted to see what she would do with a book that’s completely unlike that topic. Delivered is not the world. It’s perfection. Whenever you think Eshe is going to go from 0 to 100, she breaks the scale and takes it all the way to 7,999. She scares a hitman that’s never missed his mark and is 100% believable when do it.
Every bit of her eccentricness comes from a good place. Protect those around her and avenge her mother. She struggles with leaning on others because she’s been betrayed before. Malachi is also working through a lot of grief and hurt from his past. They don’t so much as much work through it together but work through it because they have one another.
It’s a love made in blood, not hearts and roses, and is worth every page turn.
I also really love the nods to the original Snow White with the Mirror, dwarves, wicked queen, and all the other little elements.
This is a romp and I LOVED it and I hope you will too. Naima Simone is officially an autobuy author (but she absolutely already was!).
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More Unhinged MC Recommendations
If you love the unhinged actions of Eshe and Malachi (mostly Eshe) in Huntsman, keep going with these recs.
I Got Abducted by Aliens and Now I’m Trapped in a Rom-Com by Kimberly Lemming - This book is literally about the FMC going on a mission across an alien planet full of prehistoric Earth dinosaurs to punch the alien responsible for her abduction.
The Bone King and the Starling by Elizabeth Stephens - When the Viking warrior discovers his fated mate has been abused and enslaved by his subjects, he seeks revenge on her behalf. Brutally.
How to Fail at Escaping an Alpha Orc by Liz E. Cooper - The perfect time to “resurrect” your skills as a ghost-seeing criminal investigator is OBVIOUSLY when you’re kidnapped by an Orc hitman.
Queenie & the Krakens by Aleera Anaya Ceres - When a woman witnesses a crime committed by a motorcycle riding merman shifters, she has no choice but to seek refuge with their rivals. (Everyone is unhinged in this delightfully spicy why choose).
Skeletons of Society by Marie Maravilla - Maybe it’s not the best idea to assume that the woman you were introduced to at the cartel owned strip club isn’t the gun runner named Ryan you were supposed to meet.
What’s your favorite dark romance or fairytale retelling?