Tag Archives: Bella Ray

Merciless Sinner (Empire of Sin 1) by Bella Ray-review

Posted on by
13

Merciless Sinner (Empire of Sin 1) by Bella Ray-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK : Release Date April 14, 2026

Ten years ago, the man I loved vanished.
I thought he abandoned me.
I survived anyway.

I built a life without Massimo Manetti. Married the wrong man. Raised my son in silence. And buried the truth so deep even I almost believed it didn’t matter.

Then my world was torn apart.

My son and husband were taken.
And the only man powerful enough to get them back is the one who never knew he was a father.

Massimo rules Las Vegas with blood and control. He’s ruthless. Possessive. Dangerous. And he’s demanding answers I’m not sure I’m ready to give.

Because saving my child means trusting the man I never stopped loving.

I won’t beg.
I won’t break.
And I won’t lose my son.

As enemies close in and old betrayals surface, I have to decide if giving Massimo the truth will save us… or destroy everything.

••••••

REVIEW: MERCILESS SINNER is the first instalment in Bella Ray’s contemporary, adult EMPIRE OF SIN dark, erotic, romance series, a spin off, set in the author’s SAVAGE KINGS OF NY world. This is Las Vegas Mafia leader Massimo Manetti, and assistant Jenna Kingsley -Whitford’s story line.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Massimo and Jenna) MERCILESS SINNER follows in the aftermath of the abduction of Jenna Kingsley-Whitford’s ten year old son Amauri, and her husband Carter Whitford. Massimo and Jenna were high school sweethearts and an horrific betrayal would bond our couple together in more ways than one but when Massimo vanished from Jenna’s life, she discovered she was pregnant, and was forced to marry someone she didn’t love. Fast forward to present day, Jenna’s husband and son are abducted, and the only man she trusts to find her son, is the man she believes left her alone. Massimo Manetti is a fair but cruel Kingpin , the head of the Manetti crime family on the Las Vegas strip but the arrival and appearance of a desperate Jenna Whitford proves his heart remained frozen even in the face of horrific news until Massimo learns the existence of his son, a boy he never knew, but a boy he was determined to raise as his own. As Massimo and his crew begin a deep dive into the abduction of his son, Massimo will uncover a trail of betrayal from outside and within.

The world building follows several intersecting pathways that culminate in the ultimate betrayal for our story line couple. A rise to power for both Massimo and Jenna’s father Senator Kingsley meant a potential war for our heroine’s heart but Massimo will discover the Senator’s actions have long killed any of his daughter’s affections, leaving a woman determined to find her son, and exact revenge on everyone who did them harm.

The relationship between Massimo and Jenna is one of second chances; a rekindling romance that was destroyed by power and greed, and the ultimate betrayal by the people they trusted. Massimo and Jenna believed they were abandoned by one another in their time of need, never knowing the truth until a long forgotten memory and a random conversation sets into motion ten years of vengeance. The $ex scenes are limited but passionate and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, controversial, questionable and desperate secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Jenna’s son Amauri, and her husband Carter Whitford; Jenna’s father Senator Preston Kingsley, and part of his security team Sean and live-in assistant Marianne Hale; Massimo’s men Enzo, Alessio, Gabe and Damiano, as well as the return of Stephano and Oksana Conti (Ruthless Kings/Savage Kings of NY). The requisite evil has many faces .Betrayal comes from all sides.

MERCILESS SINNER is a slow building story of betrayal and vengeance, power and control, secrets and lies, dysfunctional family dynamics, relationships, friendships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is dark, dramatic, and edgy with plenty of contemplation, reflection and introspection; the romance is seductive and forgiving; the characters are desperate, determined, and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Ruthless King (Savage Kings of NY 5) by Bella Raye-review

Posted on by
13

Ruthless King (Savage Kings of NY 5) by Bella Raye-review

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 26, 2026

He calls me his storm… He just forgot storms don’t obey kings.

I needed to get his attention, so when the hospital asked if they should notify someone, I said, “Yeah, call my husband. Tell him Temporale. His name is Stephano Conti.”
Since I knew he wasn’t married, it was sure to get his attention.
I wasn’t dragged into this world.
I was born into it.
Bratva blood. My father’s favorite assassin. His sharpest secret.
Stephano Conti is the son of an Italian king, heir to an empire built on betrayal. He should’ve been my target, not my salvation. But one shared secret turned into a mission neither of us could walk away from. Now we’re hunting his believed dead brother, and unravel the conspiracy that could drown both our families.
He calls me zhena.
I call him marito.
Wife and husband by name, enemies by nature.
Together we steal secrets meant to stay buried, trade bullets for vows, and blur the line between devotion and destruction. When we finally find the truth, I’ll have to decide whether to keep the title of wife—or make myself a widow.
Because loving a man like Stephano Conti isn’t a fairytale.
It’s a contract signed in blood.

•••••

REVIEW:RUTHLESS KING is the fifth and final instalment in Bella Ray’s contemporary, adult SAVAGE KINGS OF NEW YORK dark, erotic, Mafia series. This is Stephano Conti, and Bratva assassin Oksana Arsenyev’s story line. RUTHLESS KING can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Stephano and Oksana) RUTHLESS KING focuses on the rescue of Stephano’s brother Nico, and the ensuing fallout as decades long secrets and lies begin to emerge. Approximately three years earlier, Stephano’s younger brother Nico was capture and held prisoner by the Venezuelan crime syndicate, and Oksana is the first to discover his whereabouts but upon her return, Oksana is ambushed, and finds herself the ‘virtual prisoner’ of our story line hero. In an effort to survive, Oksana agrees to a fake marriage with Stephanoe Conti, a marriage than in reality will strengthen La Famiglia in the wake of things to come. With the Venezuelan’s on the run, and the Bratva quietly gaining control, La Famiglia is about to clean house when betrayal from within threatens everyone involved.

The world building is dark, complex and detailed as a myriad of crime syndicates engage in a fight for power. Secrets reveal decades of lies and deception, lies that can ultimately change the balance of power.

The relationship between Oksana and Stephano begins as a rescue. Oksana is her brother, Pakhan Grigori Arsenyev’s right hand, tech genius and assassin, and as such she is a person unto her self. Shocked by the woman with whom he is falling in love, Stephano will cede some of his control when Oksana proves she is just as capable and compelling as any one of the men in charge. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and seductive.

There is a large ensemble cast of powerful, familiar and charismatic secondary and supporting characters including the previous story line couples. From the Venezuelan Cartel, Russian Bratva, and the Italia Mafia, the players are numerous, dangerous and often questionable.

RUTHLESS KING is a character driven story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The revealing premise is richly layered, intricate, dramatic and edgy; the romance is fated and ; the characters are animated and dynamic. RUTHLESS KING ends on a happily ever after for now-the author has plans for a new series EMPIRE OF SIN, set in the Savage Kings of New York world.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Share