Tag Archives: Mafia/Mob

Taken Back

By Alyna Amorosi

Synopsis

Sonya Valentina is a struggling waitress who has recently lost her mother. She got hired as a hostess at a strip club owned by a mysterious foreigner. One of their regular customers is a cocky Russian mobster. Sonya has never gone for the bad boy type, but this brash and dangerous bad boy somehow makes her feel… safe.

Dmitri Veselov has the looks of a model… well, except for his scars and prison tattoos. He’s as heartless in dating as he is vicious in handling his business. And this Russian stud already has every stripper at Sultan’s Palace squirming in their G-strings.

But when he meets Sonya, he has feelings of comfort and trust like he hasn’t felt since before his happy childhood took a tragic turn into a brutal life of death and violence.

Yet with a mafia war raging, his mob boss uncle’s massive fortune on the line, and more dark secrets than he can count, should Dmitri allow Sonya into his world?

Taken Back has some steamy scenes (and they get a bit rough!) It also has a suspenseful plot, wild surprises, and characters I hope you’ll love as much as I do.

Review

I am a sucker for Mafia Romance particularly when you throw in a dominate Russian – Dmitri was one hot and powerful man. This story at the start reminded me a lot of the Kristen Ashley book “Knight”, although not the same length and set in different environment, this had similar ingredients – naïve beautiful honest girl and a hot as hell Kingpin who fought his attraction but in the end nothing could keep them apart. This was definitely more grittier and had elements of the real seedy side of life including drugs.

I really enjoyed how this story was told, you are given both main characters and what is happening in their individual lives and then together, you could easily follow the storyline and there were hints of Sonya and Dmitri’s connections throughout the book until the poignant moment when it all crashes together. The reader was taken not only on a journey of romance but a suspenseful ride especially with Sonya and a dangerous job opportunity and there are characters that will have you guessing what part they are playing in this game of Mafia chess and who will come out on top.

Overall I enjoyed the ending and how we saw the characters complete the connections past and present, their time at the cabin was beautiful considering Sonya’s horrific few days and I was definitely kept on the edge of my seat. I was glad we were given some romance at the end after the few chapters of real dirty and deceitful actions by people Sonya trusted.

My only complaint is I did find some parts rushed towards the end.

Taken Back

My Rating:

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Torture to Her Soul (Monster in His Eyes #2)

By J.M. Darhower

Synopsis

Don’t say it unless you mean it…

It’s a simple concept, one I’ve said time and again, but something people don’t seem to comprehend. You should choose every syllable carefully, because you never know when somebody will hold you to your word.

Somebody like me.

I’m not a good man. I’m not. I know. I have enough darkness inside of me to rid the world of every stitch of light. But there’s one I could never harm, one light I couldn’t bring myself to snuff out.

Karissa.

She thinks I’m a monster, and maybe I am. I taunt her with my touch, get a thrill out of torturing her soul. But I’m not the only one. The world is full of monsters, and I’m not the most dangerous one out there.

Not even close…

God help me, I love her.

I do.

And God help anyone who tries to take her from me.

Review

Great continuation from Monster in His Eyes (Monsters in His Eyes#1).

This is told from Naz POV which is interesting to see how he monitors the inner torture and turmoil that Karissa is struggling with and how he monitors and communicates with her. I loved the mind games, the way they did not overly converse at the beginning but how body language and their daily actions were portrayed and gave you such emotion and raw power.

The story flowed really well for me and I could easily follow the many storylines with Ray and then both Naz and Karriss’s families.

More family secrets are revealed, we learn more of Naz and his Mob connections and how they continue to affect everyone around him and who is playing games.

How strong is Karissa to stand up for what she feels and believes she deserves, her love for Naz is amazing and Killer was a beautiful addition to the end of this story.

I am scared but really looking forward to reading Target on our Backs (Monster in His Eyes #3). I have so many wishes for these two characters and I would love for Ray to get his just desserts. I am not sure if I am ready to say goodbye to Naz and Karissa.

Torture to Her Soul (Monster in His Eyes #2)

My Rating:

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Monster in His Eyes (Monster in His Eyes #1)

By J M Darhower

Synopsis

Ignazio Vitale is not a good man.

I suspect it, the first time I see him, sense the air of danger that surrounds the man. He has a way of commanding attention, of taking control, of knowing what I’m thinking before I even do.

It’s alarming and alluring. It’s dark and deadly. It’s everything I’ve ever wanted but the last thing I truly need. Obsession.

It doesn’t take him long to draw me into his web, charming me into his bed and trapping me in his life, a life I know nothing about until it’s too late. He has secrets, secrets I can’t fathom, secrets that make it so I can’t walk away, no matter how much I beg him to let me go. I see it sometimes in his eyes, a darkness that’s both terrifying and thrilling. He’s a monster, wrapped up in a pretty package, and what I find when I unmask him changes everything.

I want to hate him.

Sometimes, I do.

But it doesn’t stop me from loving him, too.

Review

I read Monster in His Eyes first in 2014 and this is my second time – I loved it then and still do today, I have picked it up again as I need to read books 1 and 2 as I want to buy Target on Our Backs (Monster in His Eyes #3) and I want to return to Naz & Karissa.

The age difference (he is 36 and she is 18) between Karissa & Naz works for me as Karissa probably needs someone his age in her life considering the erratic and transient way she was brought up by her mother. Karissa although naive in the ways of the world is also still very fragile but also adaptable and open to people outside the norm – hence her attraction and acceptance of Naz and his weird and overbearing ways. I think she simply wants to be cared for and protected from the big bad mystery man. Her life is hard and the way they connect right from the beginning is intense and very fast paced but again works, it is romance with handsome and debonair mafia men.

Naz – is he a monster? In Karissa’s eyes he is caring for her and providing one minute beautiful slow sexual connections and then hot, fast passionate sex. Nah has so many shades to his character, you are simply always kept wondering even as some secrets get revealed.

This is told from Karissa’s perspective which does help you understand her much better than Naz who is dark and dangerous. There are so many clues dropped but they all do not click together until the end of this story, it definitely leaves you wanting more.

Monster in His Eyes (Monster in His Eyes #1)

My Rating:

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Dominated (The Enforcers #2)

By Maya Banks

Synopsis

For fans of E. L. James, Sylvia Day, J. Kenner and Meredith Wild . Dominated is the second in a sizzling hot erotic romance series, The Enforcers: these men don’t play by the rules – they make them.

In Drake’s shadowy world, his enemies would exploit any weakness he had in order to bring him to his knees, and so he’s never allowed himself to care about anyone…never exhibited any vulnerability, and it made him a force to be reckoned with. Until Evangeline – a woman who slipped past his defenses like no one had ever managed. She was his to protect and ultimately, to do that, he had to do the unthinkable and drive the only good thing in his world away.

Devastated and destroyed, Evangeline doesn’t know what made Drake turn on her in such a shocking manner. She only knows she’ll never be the same. He once freed her from all her inhibitions, only now she is a prisoner to never-ending pain. But when Drake finds her again, she realises there is more to his world than she ever imagined, and she must decide if she can once more trust – and submit – to the man who holds her wounded heart in his hands. And he must convince her of just how far he’ll go to regain her love and forgiveness.

For more exciting and steamy romance, read the whole series: Mastered, Dominated, Kept. And don’t miss Maya Banks’s emotionally seductive Surrender trilogy: Letting Go, Giving In, Taking It All.

Review

Oh my GAWD – again Maya Banks had made me put a book down and go put on some big girl panties to continue reading to the end – just brilliant !! This series is becoming another favourite like her “Surrender Trilogy” or her “Breathless Trilogy” – yes I am a Maya Banks stalker and I do not care one bit!!

So Dominated picks off right from Book 1 which was fantastic as Maya leaves us hanging. During Dominated I admit I was not happy with Drake and I was starting to think ill thoughts of him particularly towards the ending – which is why I put the book down as I was very upset with him.

You must read “Mastered” first before reading Dominated otherwise will not make sense.

Angel, she is just a beautiful girl and I love her immensely, we again get beautiful moments with her and Drake’s “men”. Also really enjoyed seeing more of her parents and how they become entwined into the story, the ending was simply beautiful and made me so happy and I forgave Drake for being a douche bag.

I was wondering about one of the surprises and so happy it came to fruition towards the ending which made me stop reading and enter into iBooks and pre-order “Kept” Book 3 as in no way am I going to miss the final instalment of Drake and Angel.

Dominated (The Enforcers #2)

My Rating:

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Kingpin (An Italian Mafia Romance #1)

By W S Greer

Synopsis

Alannah Sullivan met Dominic Collazo when she was only in the fifth grade. She knew him when the other kids called him names and made fun of his over-sized facial features. She knew him when he was a shy introvert with a quick temper. She knew him when he was first introduced to the mob lifestyle by his father, a made man in the St. Louis mafia. Alannah knew Dominic before anybody could see his potential, and she fell in love with him when she was just a teenager… just in time for her family to pack up and move away from the city and the boy she loved.

But, Alannah is back now, and after ten long years, Dominic Collazo is all grown up. No longer the quiet loner, Dominic is larger than life, and every woman’s fantasy. He’s a rich casino owner with the looks of a Greek god, and an alpha male persona to die for. He’s also a captain in the notorious Giordano crime family.

When the two of them meet again in the lobby of Lumiere Place Casino & Hotel, Alannah has no idea that her second chance with Dominic will also be her biggest curse. As drama immediately ensues and bullets start to fly, Alannah has to ask herself if Dominic is worth all the trouble that comes with him.

Would you risk everything to be with the love of your life, even if he’s the mafia’s newest KINGPIN?

Review

OK I love Mafia Romance, have read quite a few in fact, this was a bit of hit and miss for me.

What I loved about this – great Mafia story, had all the family history and power plays and we followed Dominic and Alannah growing into teenagers. Dominic was one handsome and brutal man with a strong presence physically upon the pages of this story. You could feel his passion for life as a Mafia man with no apologies to anyone for how he lives his life.

What I kind of missed in this story for me is that there was simply not enough sexual chemistry/tension between them. Dominic was a strong and powerful man, I needed to feel that passion upon the pages between them – we were given great glimpses from the author when they had dinner together and when they had passionate sex as adults. To me we had so much of the Mafia Story and not enough romance and passion, I suppose after the way their younger years were so well written I needed the love story.

Don’t get me wrong I really enjoyed reading this but I was just left a little hot under the collar so to speak as the romance was a bit lacking for me.

The ending obviously gives us a glimpse that his role within the Mafia is perhaps still evolving.

Kingpin (An Italian Mafia Romance #1)

My Rating:

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Witness

By Rachael Orman

Synopsis

I saw something I wasn’t supposed to see.
Married someone I shouldn’t have.
But I got away.

It’s been five years but I think my time has run out.
People aren’t who they seem.
Things aren’t how they look and I’m finding out the hard way that my life is no longer my own.

Review

This is short and packs a punch and I really enjoyed it.

To be honest I really wanted a few more chapters, I would have loved one explaining further her relationship with Michele and the night she became a “Witness”. I also could have read more of the intense scenes during the highly traumatic events that unfold in the chair, what was he doing when she passed out? God I wanted to know so bad!! I kind of had a hunch about one of the characters being a bit shady and I was right and he sent chills up my spine with the way he punished the “Witness”. This has some violent scenes that had me shaking and wincing with imagined pain.

I cannot believe how quickly I devoured this, it has such great bones.

The sex scenes between them are hot, fiery and passionate with a true sense of needing a physical connection to another human being considering they both were living as recluses so to speak for different reasons.

Loved, Loved, Loved the ending.

Witness

My Rating:

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RIP

by Rachel Van Dyken

Synopsis

Pretty things aren’t meant to be broken.
But I broke her, and now we both have to pay the price.
I’m her nightmare.
I’m her savior.
And now that I have her signature on an ironclad contract, I own her body and soul.
She doesn’t remember me.
She will.
It’s inevitable.
Because as much as I know I need to stay away, for fear of unlocking the memories I helped her father bury–I can’t.
She was the apple in the Garden, dangled in front of me, her core so tempting and sweet. A voice whispered. Just. One. Bite.
I bit.
I tasted.
I fell.
Welcome to the world of the Russian mafia, where death, is your only future.

My Review

I do feel like a need a bit a therapy after reading this – what a tortured pair of lovers.

This was a great twisted tale and one of the best parts was we had both characters talking us through their tale of love, despair, secrets and heartache.

Nikolai carried such secrets and burdens and we were given clues and snippets all the way through to the last few chapters – I was glued to the pages trying to keep up – great story telling by the author.

Maya, what a beautiful girl and so strong considering who her family was and the lies and betrayals you uncover as she does.

We get to meet a whole group of can I say really hot Italians and now I find out they have their own series and I am dying to find out how the women in their lives tame them.

Nikolai and Maya – their connection makes sense as you travel through the pages and with them on their journey in finding light amongst the darkness of their lives.

RIP

My rating:

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Sparrow

by L J Shen

Synopsis

Troy Brennan

Every Southie in Boston knows that name. The son of a dead mobster. The heart-throb with steel-blue eyes. “The Fixer” who can make or break you in this city.

Oh, and my new husband.

Sparrow Raynes

That’s me. No one seemed to remember my name up until he barged into my life.
But then he caged me.
Kidnapped me.
And killed every chance I had to run away from the place where we grew up.
Put simply, Troy Brennan clipped my wings.

I have dreams, big ones, but I doubt he’ll ever let me chase them. I have no idea why he decided to take me as his wife. But I do know this: pissing off this man will not do me any good. At all.

Sparrow is a standalone, full-length novel. It contains graphic violence and adult situations some may find offensive.

My Review

Fantastic dark mob read and I could pick this up and start reading again, I did not want to leave Sparrow or Troy. You knew as you began that Sparrow had something special, within the first few chapters I had chills and a smile on my face. This story flowed so well, had its moments of drama and mystery that all helped to build the story to its end.

Sparrow was such an incredible character, she was defiant and passionate but also insecure at times, you could see how she was twisting Troy and making him doubt his initial intentions or overall plans. Troy was dominant, alpha, stubborn but incredibly loyal and protective of what’s his – a man not to be messed with – hot hot hot.

This is a brilliant standalone and you will not want to put it down once you being.

Great characters, lots of back story about how they came to be, all boxes ticked for me including passionate interactions both physical and mental between Sparrow and Troy.

Sparrow

My rating:

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The Marriage Contract (The O’Malley’s #1)

by Katee Robert

Synopsis

New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Katee Robert begins a smoking hot new series about the O’Malley family-wealthy, powerful, dangerous and seething with scandal.

Teague O’Malley hates pretty much everything associated with his family’s name. And when his father orders him to marry Callista Sheridan to create a “business” alliance, Teague’s ready to tell his dad exactly where he can stuff his millions. But then Teague actually meets his new fiancée, sees the bruises on her neck and the fight still left in her big blue eyes, and vows he will do everything in his power to protect her.

Everyone knows the O’Malleys have a dangerous reputation. But Callie wasn’t aware just what that meant until she saw Teague, the embodiment of lethal grace and coiled power. His slightest touch sizzles through her. But the closer they get, the more trouble they’re in. Because Callie’s keeping a dark secret-and what Teague doesn’t know could get him killed.

My review

I did enjoy this mob romance story and it did flow well for me and the whole waiting for the wrong people to find out who killed who and get their wanted revenge.

First off, two characters I loved and felt such intrigue and connection to was actually James and Carrigan, I do not know what it was about them two but they just clicked on the pages as we followed the suspense and action of these three families and their conflicts.

For me I tried to think why I could not fully connect with Callie and Teague and I put it down to the fact we were introduced to so many characters within the three families so it kind of felt like information overload. Sometimes I did feel a bit bogged down in the who, what and where that when Callie and Teague and their romance was thrown in I was like – what?

I mean she supposedly has to marry a guy her father chooses and yet can sneak off and have sex with him, she is a mafia princess, I kind of expected her to be some pure virgin type, she was actually quite sexually experienced for me.

The other weird thing was when the girls all went out clubbing with no protection in the middle of a mafia war, just did not make sense to me.

Anyway, I did enjoy this and will be looking forward to reading The Wedding Pack (The O’Malley’s #2) releasing in April 2016.

My Rating:

The Marriage Contract (The O’Malley’s #1)

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Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1)

by Roxie Rivera

Synopsis

Desperate to find her sister, Erin goes to the only man in Houston who can help her–Ivan Markovic. The intimidating, tattooed Russian operates one of the most elite mixed-martial arts training centers in the world but it’s his shadowy past and reputed connections with Houston’s underworld that interest her most.

To find her sister, she’ll need the help of her big, scary Russian protector—but asking for help from a man like Ivan carries a steep price, one that might just include her heart.

My Review

If you like Russian Mob Romance that has a fast paced story line with protective alpha males you will find this enjoyable. It is a quick read but there are some really great character’s introduced that I think will make this series good value. It is like all first books in a series, you meet a bunch of characters that obviously make up the rest of the series but do not really learn that much. It would have been such a better book if just that little bit longer for me.

Erin and Ivan’s connection is quick and you don’t get the build up but I still found this enjoyable and who does not like a protective, alpha and strong male.

Erin has a strong love for her sister, perhaps a bit naïve but shows that she is a caring person who is just what Ivan needs to soften his hard edges.

Mob Romance which was light and easy reading for a weekend.

Ivan (Her Russian Protector #1)

My rating:

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