Review: Reckless Promises by Eva Simmons

RECKLESS PROMISES
Series:
Reckless #2
Author: Eva Simmons
Genre: Mafia Romance
Release Date: March 15, 2024

ODETTE

Sold…
One word seals my fate.

I’m sold to the highest bidder to settle my father’s debts, and now I’m at the mercy of a mafia prince.

Cillian is gorgeous. Heartless. Deadly.

And I’m his revenge.

There’s only one problem… Cillian isn’t the only one seeking vengeance. I’ve been chained and shackled long enough.

So when Cillian threatens to burn my family to the ground if I disobey him, I can’t help but hand him the matches.

CILLIAN

Bought…
I wanted revenge so I bought it.

And now Odette is mine.

It’s not her fault her father placed her on the auction block when I was looking for something of his to break. But he handed me his prized possession. And to ruin him—I’ll start with her.

Odette can fight me, she can resist, she can beg. She’ll learn to play her part in this game.

Except one taste of her fire, and all my rules break.

I vowed ‘til death.
And for her, I’ll do anything.

AMAZON

You want to be a brat? Then I’m happy to teach you a lesson.”

This was my first Eva Simmons book and I’ll definitely be reading more of her after this. And while this book didn’t blow me away, it was still a solid read that I enjoyed quite a bit.

This is a mafia romance with an arranged marriage and you already know I’m a sucker for this trope. Add in the complexity of warring mafia families and I’m all over it.

Odette has been raised to be a good girl. As a daughter to a ruthless mafia man, her virginity is the extent of her value. Put on the auction block to be sold to be married to her father’s business contact, she never expects for her family’s enemy to buy her from under everyone’s nose.

Cillian doesn’t care about marriage but he cares about revenge. A revenge that he has been planning for years in retaliation for the death of his father. The daughter of his enemy now locked in as his wife if a step he didn’t factor for, but he’s using it now that he has her. What he didn’t factor is actually falling for his unwilling bride.

The story was a fun, albeit formulaic plot. And while I’ve read it countless times, it still kept me entertained. I have to say I expected a bit more grit and darkness based on the blurb, but this was on the tamer side. If you’re just dipping your toe into the genre, this is a great book to start with. However, for my seasoned dark romance readers out there like me, it may feel a bit on the lighter side. I didn’t mind that so much, but I did find myself skimming through a few parts if I’m being perfectly honest. The story has plenty of sizzle and steam and Cillian is pure fire. I loved him and Odette together. I also loved that even though she was a virgin, she’s no ingenue. And I especially loved her growing fierceness throughout the book.

If you’re looking for a lighter mafia read with plenty of steam, this will hit the spot nicely.



Review: Scorned Vows by Victoria Paige

SCORNED VOWS
Series: Scorned Fate #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mafia
Author: Victoria Paige
Release Date:
January 16, 2024

He was the perfect husband until she got pregnant.

An arranged marriage was always in Natalya Conte’s future.
Luca Moretti is charming and considerate.
Handsome like the devil, he dotes on her and spoils her.
But when two pink lines should have brought them unbridled joy, her husband ices her out.

An arranged marriage gives Luca great power.
To cement that power, he needs an heir.
The quickest way to do it is to make Natalya fall madly in love with him.
He will have her loyalty without risking his heart because love to him means weakness.

Natalya needs Luca to love her.
Because she has secrets that will put them all in jeopardy.
Her heart shatters when Luca shows her exactly how little she means to him.
But it isn’t until she sees evidence of the unforgivable that she loses all hope for a happily ever after.

AMAZON 

You’re mine, and I’m done pretending that you’re not.”

As a self proclaimed alphahole addict, the second I read this blurb, I knew I’d be all over it. Arranged marriage, ruthless mafia antihero? Sign me up I say!

You’re mine, and I’m done pretending that you’re not.”Up here, I wasn’t the boss of the Chicago crime family. Up here, I was merely a mortal man falling in love with his family.

An arranged marriage doesn’t sound like one paved in love. But young Natalya is instantly enraptured with her future husband. He may be a ruthless in everything that he does, but he’s soft and attentive with her. But what Natalya doesn’t know, is Luca is not above playing the romantic to get to what he needs from her; an heir. And when Natalya gets pregnant, things take a turn in a direction she never saw coming.

This was a quick paced page turner and I was instantly hooked with Luca. Natalya, admittedly, did take me a minute to warm up to. She’s not at all what she seems, but she sure hides it well. I definitely did myself a disservice by not reading book one first, because there’s some backstory to her that makes it feel like you start this book already partially through her development. But then it didn’t take me long to connect to her and her very many layers. She’s a fascinating mix of fierce and vulnerable. The second half of this book, we get an entirely different side to her and I loved it.

There’s a little bit of everything here; suspense, action, mafia, betrayal, revenge. The chemistry was delicious and the grit was the perfect addition. I’m definitely hooked on this series and will immediately be reading the first book.

Review: Unholy Vows by Mila Kane

UNHOLY VOWS
Series: Original Sin Series #1
Author: 
Mila Kane
Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
Release Date: November 8, 2023

Forgive me father, for I’m about to sin…

Renato
 
We never should have met. She wandered like an innocent lamb into my world, and the door slammed shut behind her.
 
Leaving her alive and free was a risk no capo would take.
I’ll let her live, for a price.
Her freedom.
 
She isn’t what she seems, but it’s already too late.
I’m obsessed, and nothing, and no one will keep her from me.

A forced marriage, age gap dark mafia romance with a jealous, possessive Italian boss anti-hero and the feisty young nurse that wandered unwillingly into his dangerous world.

Unholy Vows is a standalone dark age-gap romance with a guaranteed HEA and no OWD.
 
This is a dark mafia romance and as such contains themes which some readers may find triggering. Please read with caution.

AMAZON

I don’t need or want a white knight to sweep in and take care of me.” A chuckle left me at that comparison. “I’m no white knight, Miss Burke, as I’m sure you realized last night. I’m the dragon who guards the maiden in the keep and will swallow you whole if you try to escape me.

I have a new addiction and it’s name is Mila Kane books. I’m a self proclaimed mafia romance connoisseur. But I’m also a picky sh*t and truly good mafia romance is hard to find. Either the heroine is insufferable, it’s shock value for the sake of shock value, or it’s not even remotely dark. But this one? This was deliciously dark, with an antihero who was to die for and a heroine who never lost an ounce of her fierceness or backbone. And this girl was so addicted that I’m immediately planning a binge of Mila’s mafia backlist. But I digress. Let’s talk about this book.

She was an intriguing mix of contradictions. Good and pure, and mercenary as hell.

Charlie has been taking care of her troublesome younger sister since losing their parents years ago. When she follows her sister and her new boyfriend, she lands in deeper trouble then she ever expected when they witness something that they never should have seen. Suddenly Charlie finds herself in the sighs of a devil of a man who’s as alluring as he is dangerous. Renato De Sanctis, King of Atlantic City, and the capo dei capi of New Jersey. And Rentato will take nothing less than her soul in exchange for not killing her sister and her for what they saw. Better yet, he’ll take her unwilling hand in marriage to keep her quiet. The pesky attraction to the man doesn’t stop her healthy fear, but it also makes it that much more fiery.

“Have you ever been properly fucked?”
“Are you asking me if I’m a virgin? I’m twenty-six.” “I’m not talking about a little piece of inconvenient skin. I didn’t ask if you’d ever been pawed by some sucker who was punching above his weight. I meant have you ever been fucked properly… Have you ever seen stars behind your eyes while some lucky bastard pumped his cum into you? Have you ever come so hard, you forgot how to talk… how to breathe?”
“You can’t expect me to answer that,” she muttered.
“I don’t need you to, bambina; it’s obvious. But don’t worry…We’ll remedy that soon enough.”

I loved the development their relationship goes through. Charlie doesn’t just fall into lust and forgets her whits. She knows that she made a deal with the devil and she doesn’t disillusion herself that he’s a good man.

“You tell me to let it go, and I don’t have to worry about paying the bills. Do you think seriously that’ll comfort me? A woman who has worked her entire life to be independent and free? You think I’ve just been waiting for a man like you to come along and save me?”
“I told you already that I’m no white knight, Charlotte. I’m the villain in your story, and no one is coming to cut you free from the belly of this beast. No one.”

Ren was everything I love in an anti hero. He’s dark, dangerous, and as possessive as he is protective. The story is fast paced and addictive. I binged on this story and can’t wait for more in this series.


I’m obsessed with cats, coffee, and anti-heroes just the right side of insane.

I write dark and dirty romance with the alpha-holes of your most filthy nightmares.

While I like my heroes obsessed and powerful, I like my heroines smart and independent. My headstrong, capable women will bring their own personal demons to their knees, and capture their hearts at the same time.

I only write SAFE stories, there is never a place for another woman in my heroes sights, once he’s caught the scent of the heroine, and there will always be, no matter how dark and twisted the story might be… a HEA guarantee xx

 

Review: Ruined Kingdom by Natasha Knight

RUINED KINGDOM
Series:
Ruined Kingdom Duet #1
Author:
Natasha Knight
Genre:
Dark Mafia/MFM Romance
Release Date:
November 1, 2022

I never imagined my first trip to Italy would be to bury my father. But there I was in the beautiful cathedral, alone, with my father’s casket and a handful of soldiers to keep me safe.

It didn’t occur to me that anyone would disrupt the sanctity of the church. Would march in, weapons in hand and turn my world upside down.

But the Caballero brothers have no regard for the church and even less for my family.

They destroyed the peace of that sad occasion.
They desecrated my father’s body.
And they took me for themselves.

I’m a princess in a tower in a breathtaking villa.
My bedroom overlooks the turquoise sea but the door is locked.

And I have to contend with not one but two dragons.

AMAZON | iBOOKS | NOOK | KOBO | GOOGLE PLAY

COMING SOON
 
#2 Broken Queen – Releasing November 15

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I wonder who you will hate more, me or yourself, when you lie beneath me. When you beg for release.”
“I will never beg you.”
He draws back, bringing his forehead to mine, our eyes locked. “Won’t you?”

It’s official, Natasha Knight is simply not capable of writing a book that I won’t obsess over and make my entire personality. And now she served us with some mafia MFM goodness that combines a fierce heroine, captive trope, forced proximity, and all of the hate lust. And this girl? I was SO HERE FOR IT.

You’re going to be our little fuck toy. A perk. Do you understand that, Dandelion? Because that’s all you are. A weed. Something to be trampled on without a thought and eventually plucked out of existence entirely.”

Vittoria Russo is the beloved daughter of a now deceased mafia boss, who gets caught in the crosshairs of a revenge years in the making that was set in motion by her father and brother. Bastian and Amadeo are brothers who will stop at nothing to make the Russo family pay for the sins of their past that cost their family everything. Ruthless, cold, calculating, nothing is beneath their vengeance. Even kidnapping the Russo daughter during her father’s funeral and forcing her to marry one of them, willing or not.

This was such a ride. Like most Natasha series, the romance is very much a slow burn, with bits and pieces of sizzling hate lust and unwilling attraction. Vittoria fights the Caballero brothers at every step. She’s a fighter through and through, even when all the odds are stacked against her. I loved her so much. She gave as good as she got, and this is a woman who got a lot. The brothers are cruel and vicious, but there’s an undercurrent of lust that gives it a crackle. Though there was a bit of a misbalance because Bastian fought the attraction at every turn while Amadeo freely gave into it. And then there was that cliffhanger!!! MOTHER OF GAWD. Thank god the wait for book two isn’t long or else I would have thrown hands.

 

Natasha Knight is the USA Today Bestselling author of Romantic Suspense and Dark Romance Novels. She has sold over a million books and is translated into six languages. She currently lives in The Netherlands with her husband and two daughters and when she’s not writing, she’s walking in the woods listening to a book, sitting in a corner reading or off exploring the world as often as she can get away.
 
 
AUTHOR LINKS
 
Website: http://natasha-knight.com
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/natasha-knight
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Natasha-Knight/e/B009MIHIFG
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/natashaknightauthor
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1752075498339742
Newsletter: http://natasha-knight.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/natashaknight13

Review: Devil of Dublin by B.B. Easton

DEVIL OF DUBLIN
Genre: Dark, Mafia Romance
Author: B.B. Easton
Release Date:
September 22, 2022

From the Wall Street Journal bestselling author of 44 Chapters About 4 Men (inspiration for the Netflix Original series Sex/Life) comes a dark mafia romance steeped in Irish folklore.

I can’t remember anymore if my grandfather’s eyes were blue or green, but I’ll never forget the way they wrinkled at the corners when he laughed at one of his own jokes. Or the way they sparkled with mischief when he told me tales about the magical creatures that dwelled in the forest behind his humble Irish sheep farm—shy fairies who liked to eat tea biscuits, cruel witches who liked to eat children, a moody lake spirit with a taste for expensive gifts.

As a child, I believed every fantastical word. But when he warned me about the mute boy who also lurked in those woods, the one the priest had declared to be the spawn of Satan himself, I refused to listen. Kellen wasn’t evil. He was kind, and beautiful, and special, and hurting. He was my friend. And with every summer I spent stolen away with him in those enchanted woods, he grew to become so much more.

But when I return to Glenshire as an adult, grieving and engaged to someone else, all those legends quickly morph into nightmares.

My grandfather had been right about everything, especially the boy.

If only I had listened.

WARNING: If you are a sensitive reader or find certain topics to be emotionally triggering, please exercise self-care and select a different book. Devil of Dublin is intended for mature audiences who enjoy dark subject matter, tortured anti-heroes, explicit adult content, graphic violence, heart-pounding suspense, fairy-tale worthy love, and gorgeous Irish scenery. If that sounds like you, then welcome to Glenshire!

AMAZON

I was no longer human or demon or even fucking breathing. I was simply hers—mind, body, and cursed black soul.

Now look, did I bother to read the blurb before adding this book to my TBR? Absolutely not. If the author wasn’t enough to convince me, this cover sealed the deal. So did I know what I was getting into when I started it outside that it’s a dark mafia romance? Absolutely not.

This story caught me completely unaware in all the best of ways. Funny enough, had I knew the direction it would take, I probably wouldn’t read it. I don’t typically love the sweet soulmates vibes. But did that one ray of sweet light help brighten the sheer darkness that was the rest of this story? Absolutely.

BB Easton wrote an incredible story with two tortured characters who are simply made for each other. You know what I love in dark romance? It’s when it makes me feel. I don’t want the shock value of graphic scenes, it’s the chills it gives you. And the mere alluding to the past these two characters had was enough to have chills going down my spine. Darby and Kellen met as children. Kellen was already in his own particular hell, while Darby was the sunny and sweet girl that befriended the town’s pariah. And when they meet again years later, Darby is not the girl he knew, but she also is.

Now I’m not generally a fan of the insta thing, and while I wouldn’t necessarily categorize this as insta love, it wasn’t not insta love either. It was full of depth, emotion, pain, and healing. It was unlike any other mafia romance I’ve read, and that’s saying quite a bit.

Wall Street Journal bestselling author BB Easton lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her long-suffering husband, Ken, and two adorable children. A few years ago, she quit her job as a school psychologist to write books about her punk rock past and deviant sexual history full-time. Ken wasn’t super excited about that, but now that he’s appeared in three of her books and inspired a TV show character, he’s incredibly supportive.

BB’s debut memoir, 44 Chapters About 4 Men, went on to inspire the Netflix original series, Sex/Life, which was viewed by 67 million households worldwide within the first month making it the 3rd most-watched Netflix original series of all time. Because she had so much fun writing 44 Chapters, BB went on to publish four more wickedly funny, shockingly steamy, and heartwarmingly autobiographical books, one for each man in her memoir—Skin, Speed, Star, and Suit.

The Rain Trilogy—a dark, immersive, end-of-the-world romance—was BB’s first work of fiction. Or at least, that’s what she thought when she wrote it in 2019. Then, 2020 hit, and all of her dystopian plot points started coming true. Hoping to fix everything, BB returned with a fun, feel-good romantic comedy called Group Therapy, but alas, the world is still on fire … and so is BB’s desire to write intense, us-against-the-world romances. Her next release, Devil of Dublin, is a dark Irish mafia romance steeped in folklore and family secrets.  

You can find BB procrastinating in all of the following places:

Website: www.authorbbeaston.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/author.bb.easton

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@bbeaston

Facebook: www.facebook.com/bbeaston

#TeamBB Facebook Group: www.facebook.com/groups/BBEaston

Twitter: www.twitter.com/bb_easton

Pinterest: www.pinterest.com/artbyeaston

Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/user/bbeaston

Goodreads: https://goo.gl/4hiwiR

BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/bb-easton

 

Review: Nicky The Driver by Cate C. Wells

NICKY THE DRIVER
Series:
Underboss Resurection #2
Genre: Contemporary Romance, Mafia
Author: Cate C. Wells
Release Date: September 2, 2022

He can’t take his eyes off me.

I remember Nicky Biancolli from school. Back then, he was always staring. My cousin warned him off, and after that, he faded into the background.

Now, ten years later, he’s in my mother’s kitchen at two in the morning, and there’s a dead man in a pool of blood on the floor. Lucca Corso—the rat who killed my father—says that if I don’t marry Nicky to make peace between our families, the little brother I raised is next.

I don’t have a choice.

I have to go with the man who looks like he wants to eat me alive, and I have no idea whether this is about following orders or something much darker.

All I know is that Nicky isn’t stalking me anymore. He owns me now, and no one is going to stop him from taking what he wants.

Nicky the Driver is a dark mafia romance. It’s the second book in The Underboss Insurrection series, but it can be read as a standalone. Intended only for adult readers. HEA guaranteed.

NOTE: This story contains scenes that may be difficult for some readers. Please check the Look Inside for details.

AMAZON

Some men have Jesus. God and country. A dream. Ambition. I have Zita.

I became instantly obsessed with this world when I first read Run Posy Run. And when I saw that it will be a series? Sign me up immediately!!! And when I read the blurb to this book, I had to have it! I love me a good stalker, and beyond the cold blooded killer for hire persona, Nicky is a dang cinnamon roll. He’s completely and entirely obsessed with Zita beyond all reason, and when I tell you I was here for it, I mean I WAS HERE FOR IT. Oh and an arranged marriage? Yes please!

Is this when you rape me?” I squeeze my balled fists tighter, so hard my knuckles ache.
He rolls onto his back and stares at the ceiling, his mouth twisting in the corners. “Not tonight. I got a headache,” he says.

Zita is a mafia princess who grew up in the life and no stranger to the darkness of it. After the death of her cold and brutal mafia boss father, she’s still dealing with the fall out. Her only desire is to keep her family safe, especially her younger sibling. She’s happily engaged to her high school sweetheart, but the sins of her father still hang over her family. So when their life is on the line and she has the choice to keep them safe in exchange for marrying her stalker from school, she’s not thrilled, but she agrees.

She’s beautiful. Her smile fucks my heartbeat up. Her body haunts my dreams. I know she doesn’t see it that way, though.

I loved the build up of this book. I loved how obsessed Nicky is with Zita yet he handles her with kid gloves. He will literally do anything for her and my heart swooned. Zita in turn took a bit to warm up to. She’s a complex character and watching her deal with her ED was very painful, particularly when you see how aware she is of the toll it takes on her and yet unable to stop. At times I wanted to scream at her for the way she pushed Nicky even though you can see the man would sell his soul for her. But given that she was happily engaged and forced into the marriage, I understood it too.

Up until the end this was a solid 4 star read for me. But then the lackluster rushed ending brought it down. It felt like there should have been half a book left when I finished. It didn’t feel satisfying nor complete. We literally go from 0 to 60 to come a screeching halt to 0. There was so much that was left unresolved, but the main part was the relationship. I just didn’t buy it. They spend the entirety of the book with Zita pushing Nicky away. We don’t get the satisfaction of seeing her fall for him. We didn’t get the satisfaction of the love. It just felt very surface level. I also felt like for the big chunk of the book that Zita’s ED made up, it was also left not dealt with. I did see that Cate will have a bonus epilogue in her newsletter, but I can’t help but feel this book needed more. It could have easily been twice longer and not suffered for it. I would have loved more of these two and felt so much was left unresolved by the time we hit the end, that I couldn’t felt a pang of disappointment.

Did I enjoy the story? Absolutely! Was it my favorite, not quite, but you can’t love them all. Ultimately this was one of those middle of the road reads that I enjoyed but just didn’t love.

Review: Black Skies Riviera by Catherine Wiltcher

BLACK SKIES RIVIERA
Series: Cristo Sinners #1
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance
Author: Catherine Wiltcher
Release Date:
April 19, 2020

An arranged marriage mafia romance where love is a debt no sinner can pay…

Issa Dubova is the queen of cloudy diamonds:
A Bratva princess.
My reluctant new wife.
A pretty bargain in exchange for the names of the men who killed my father.

I’m a black suit of spades:
Determined to bury both her and my demons.
I never asked to see the shape of her heart.
I never asked for her to fill the blank spaces of mine.

But the mafia wants her secrets.
I’m not the first she betrayed.
And Issa? Sweet, not-so-innocent Issa?
She’s now a debt no sinner can pay.

Black Skies Riviera is a heart-stopping, enemies to lovers romance with NO cliff-hanger and a guaranteed HEA. For mature readers only.

AMAZON 

Mine.” He groans it into the kiss, and I swallow down every drop of his possession like it’s my favorite poison.

This book has been on my TBR since release. I’ve been itching to read it but also putting it off. I tend to stay away from books with Russian speaking characters because if I get one more dose of google translate, I may lose it. I’m nitpicky, ok? And it’s a rare occurrence when a foreign language is done correct and not half assed in an indie published book. Le sigh. Let’s just say I have PTSD when it comes to this. But I digress. After a week of struggling through indecisive readerdosis (that’s the medical diagnosis for can’t pick a fucking book to save my life”), I settled on this one. And was immediately hooked!

With his broad shoulders, solid muscularity, and black ink crawling out from underneath the cuff of one wrist, he looks like a fallen angel on a trajectory straight to hell.

The Count of Monte Cristo is one of my absolute favorite stories. So any book with a nod to it will immediately hold my attention.

Fourteen years of anger and revenge driven planning. An arranged marriage of power and deception. A seemingly innocent Bratva princess and the fixer for the mob who picks no side but the one that brings him money. Yes please and thank you.

This was a story that was full of twists and turns, and while the ending was a touch predictable, it still had me at the edge of my seat.

Aiden is a ruthless business man with ties to everyone and no one. He’s given fourteen years of his life to man who helped solidify him into the brilliant criminal his is today for the promise of revenge. Two names. Two names that have kept him going and are now just one grasp away…but come with a new caveat. A marriage he doesn’t want to a woman he doesn’t know.

Issa has grown up in glass cage and had it shared when she finds out the man her father really is; the brutal head of the Bratva and a cold blooded killer. But she’ll do anything to protect her sister and her secret, even if it means paying the price of her sister’s disappearance with a marriage to a man she never saw coming.

I was immediately sucked into the story, though I did feel in times the pacing was a touch off. It was ether too quick or too slow and descriptive. But the story telling itself was gripping and well written, so it didn’t bother me much. The romance was deliciously wicked and I loved seeing the layers peeled back on both Aiden and Issa. There’s some secondary characters mentioned who I will be immediately grabbing the books for The Santiago Trilogy and A London Villain.

Sadly for the little Russian there was here, it was incorrect, though in the grand scheme of things, it didn’t bother me much because at least it was close enough. I’m just being nitpicky and it won’t even faze most readers.

If you like deliciously layered dark mafia romance, you need to read this one. I for one will be immediately grabbing the majority of this author’s backlist.

Review: Her Rebellion by Natasha Knight & A Zavarelli

HER REBELLION
Series: THE RITE TRILOGY #2
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance/Secret Society/Captive Romance
Author: Natasha Knight & A Zavarelli
Release Date:
May 24, 2022

I am a Sovereign Son. A king within The Society.

With a look I send men to their knees.

Yet she stands tall against me, taunting me with her rebellion.

But we all have rules we must live by.

Even me.

And I have broken the most sacred.
I took her to my bed.

I claimed that which did not belong to me.

And now that the beast within has had a taste, it wants more.

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Start the trilogy with HIS RULE #1!!!

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How does this feel?” He cups the back of my head and kisses me, melting some of my resolve. “How does it feel every time you steal a piece of my soul like the little thief you are?”

What is it about this IVI world that’s just completely enraptured me? It’s archaic, brutal, and completely addictive. And this book? I loved it even more than the first book.

I took you because I couldn’t help myself.” The confession spills free on a ragged breath. “Because you are so goddamn addictive, you’ve fucking cursed me the way you curse all men, little monster.”

It’s interesting considering how much I hated the seemingly spoiled and vapid Mercedes in the The Society Trilogy how much I love her in this one. This is a woman with many layers, and the more that are peeled back, the more captivated you are by her. This is also a woman who’s been through hell and back, and lost none of her strength for it.

This second installment begins right where book one ended, and the long road to recovery that Mercedes has after her coming face to face with Judge’s past. Judge, who is seemingly calculated and reserved, has his composure crumple. Where in book one he was determined to stay away from Mercedes and drive a wedge between them, in this one he can’t stay away from her. But he knows it’ can only be temporary and eventually Mercedes will have to marry the appropriate society husband. But he doesn’t understand yet why the mere thought of it sends him spiraling.

There’s so many twists and turns which kept me at the edge of my seat. Some predictable, and some I never saw coming. And that ending? I can’t even. I need answers and the conclusion like YESTERDAY!

About A. Zavarelli:

A. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.

When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.

She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.

Connect w/A. Zavarelli: 

Facebook | Facebook Group | Instagram | Twitter | Mailing List | Website | Goodreads | Amazon | Bookbub

About Natasha Knight:

Natasha Knight is the USA Today Bestselling author of Romantic Suspense and Dark Romance Novels. She has sold over half a million books and is translated into six languages. She currently lives in The Netherlands with her husband and two daughters and when she’s not writing, she’s walking in the woods listening to a book, sitting in a corner reading or off exploring the world as often as she can get away.

Connect w/Natasha: 

Website | Facebook | Facebook Group | Twitter |  Instagram | Pinterest | Goodreads | Bookbub | Amazon  | NL Signup

Review: Pageant by Lilith Vincent

PAGEANT
Series: Pageant #1
Genre: Dark Mafia Reverse Harem Romance
Author: Lilith Vincent
Release Date:
May 11, 2022


One woman. Three mafia men. A twisted marriage game…
 
The dangerous life I escaped has seized hold of me again. Three men have snatched my freedom and they’re playing a twisted game of power, hearts, and blood.
 
My captors glitter like diamonds in the dark, each one more handsome and ruthless than the last. Konstantin, the scarred and heartless ringleader, and mastermind of my fate. Elyah, the demon from my past who once craved me and now covets my demise. Kirill, a bloodthirsty maniac with depraved needs who thrives on misery and mayhem.
 
Sixteen women are forced to compete in their twisted pageant, and one by one we’re eliminated until there’s only one jewel left. My captors’ desire burns as hard as their cruelty, but the true torment only begins when the pageant ends.
 
Heavy is the crown that glitters on the winner’s head.
 
Author’s note: Pageant (Pageant, 1) is the first book in a Russian mafia reverse harem duet and ends on a cliffhanger. The heroes only have hearts, eyes and dicks for the heroine. It contains captive themes, violence, and a Why Choose romance with ruthlessly possessive men. The story is dark and potentially triggering, so please read responsibly.
 
ADDITIONAL CONTENT WARNING: There is an on-page miscarriage in Chapter Four. This book contains captivity, mild torture, dubcon, gun play, knife play, group sex scenes and other deviant sexual activities (Bonus downloadable content: non-con somnophilia, non-con drug use)
 

AMAZON 
Free in Kindle Unlimited 
 
ALSO AVAILABLE 
Contestant – a FREE prologue novella 
Download here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/pnm7hm58b6 
 
COMING SOON 
#2 Crowned – Releasing September 30
AMAZON 

She can have my entire soul. Every last drop of me.

Well now, this was a doozy. And here I am, desperate for more. Am I sorry?? Not even a little.

If you know me or follow my reviews, you already know I love the f*cked up ones. And it doesn’t get more f*cked up than these three. Elyah, Kirill, and Kostya was like the unholy trifecta and I was here for every depraved moment of it.

Now going into this book, as with most dark romance, suspend your disbelief. I had to turn off the logical part of my brain that questioned a woman running from her past, ‘hiding’ in plain sight as a runway fashion model. But then, I just couldn’t care less because the story completely sucked me in.

I love when a story catches me off guard and manages to surprise me, and this one did that and more. Lilia was this perfect mix of unpredictable and fierce, and she still caught me by surprise at the end in all the best ways. Here’s a woman who gets captured by three psychopaths and forced to participate in a barbaric pageant of a completion that none of the women truly want to win. The crown to belong to the men. But unlike the other women in captivity, she refuses to bow down. She’ll go down swinging, even if it costs her everything. She’s survived hell before, and she’ll do it again. What she doesn’t expect is that blast from her past to be one of her three captors and for his fierce hatred of her.

The history between Elyah and Lilia is an interesting one that skated almost a bit on the insta love scale for me, which isn’t usually my favorite. But the dynamics of their present was enough to buffer that for me. I did find their back and forth to be quite sudden, but it didn’t bother me because the other two men added enough spice to keep it lively.

This book is dark, brutal, and downright depraved. And this girl? Gobbled it right up!

Lilith Vincent is a steamy mafia reverse harem writer who believes in living on the wild side! Why choose one when you could choose them all.
 
AUTHOR LINKS
 
Newsletter: https://www.subscribepage.com/lilithvincent
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lilithvincentauthor
Facebook Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/649473483113116
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@lilithvincentauthor

#DGRFave & Review: Brutal Vows by J.T. Geissinger

BRUTAL VOWS
Series: Queens & Monsters #4
Genre: Mafia Romance
Author: J.T. Geissinger
Release Date: April 28, 2022

An Irish mobster with a brutal grudge.
An Italian mafia princess with a dark secret.
Two enemy empires joined in sacred marriage vows.
Let the hating games begin.


Reyna

If this arrogant Irish mobster my brother sold my niece to thinks I’m going to play nice over this arranged marriage BS, he should think again.
I don’t care if this match with the Mob will make my brother capo of the Five Families.
I don’t care how much money, territory, or power it will gain us.
I especially don’t care that the Irishman is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.
I won’t allow my innocent niece to suffer the same way I did.
Even if I have to kill him.

Spider

I’m supposed to marry sweet, beautiful Lili. So why can’t I stop thinking about her swamp witch of an aunt?
Reyna who hates me. Reyna who challenges me. Reyna with the guts of a Viking, the body of a fertility goddess, and the attitude of a feral cat.
Nothing good can come of what I’m feeling for a woman who’s not the one in the wedding contract I signed.
A woman I want so much, I’ll have to burn the whole world down to get.
If she doesn’t kill me first.

AMAZON

He’s a riptide and I’m swimming far out in dangerous waters, getting pulled under fast no matter how hard I fight to stay afloat.

This book was hands down. MY. TOP. FAVORITE. IN. THIS. SERIES. And quite frankly one of my top reads of the year. OMG. This banter. It was finger licking good! UTTERLY DELICIOUS!

She glares at me. “Your charm could sweep a girl right off her feet, you know that?”
“Wait till you see my cock. Then you’ll really be swooning.”

Did I mention the banter?

Careful. You’re dangerously close to breaking your promise about your temper already.”
“That’s because you could turn Father Christmas into the Grinch, woman.”
“What did I tell you about using the word ‘woman’ as a pejorative?”
“Something I couldn’t hear over how loud your resting bitch face was screaming.”

Because oh my GAWD the banter!

His voice low, he says, “I’ve been thinking.” “Really? Did you borrow someone else’s brain?” “Very funny, viper.”

Who would have thought that a man who was mostly unassuming until Savage Hearts would come in to steel the show like this? And here I thought no one could top Declan for me!

But you know what I love the most about this series? The sassy, spitfire heroines. And Reyna? How could one possibly top the sassy that was Sloane? With the black freaking widow! MY GOD. This woman was everything. A cosa nostra widow, who holds down the family while making her brother think she does. The woman who lived through hell and rose out of the ashes a fierce warrior who has no desire to rely on a man, god forbid ever marry one. So when her beloved niece gets arranged to wed a Irishman, she has some opinions about it. And the immediate chemistry between her and the man her niece is betrothed to? Highly inconvenient.

You bring out the bastard in me. Now let’s see if I can get you to do something with that mouth other than slice me to ribbons.”

I had no idea how the author would bring these two together, but it was the most satisfying thing I’ve ever read. Their chemistry, their banter, their BANTER. MY GOD THEIR BANTER. I lived for it.

THIS is the kind of heroine I love to read about. A woman with a set of brass ones that gives men a run for their money. And a hero who would burn down the world for her. I. AM. OBSESSED.

If you haven’t read this series, you haven’t lived. And if you haven’t read this book, I don’t even want to talk to you. I question your life choices.

Copyright © 2015 · Dirty Girl Romance

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