Tag Archives: crime world

Thorns of War (Thorns of Omerta 8) by Eva Winners-review tour

Posted on by
14

Thorns of War (Thorns of Omerta 8) by Eva Winners-review tour

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 June 26, 2026

I spent my life mending fractured minds. Yet he was undoing mine,slowly, thorn by deliberate thorn.

I knew Greece was a mistake. But how do you resist the ghosts that have whispered your name for years, patient and unrelenting?

I never intended to step onto a battlefield of broken hearts and broken minds, yet there I stood, entangled in a silent triangle where every truth was a weapon and every silence a wound.

Each choice I made drew blood.

I was caught in the thorns of war, bound by invisible threads that kept those I loved forever just beyond my reach. The more I resisted, the deeper they cut. The harder I pulled, the more fate tightened its grip.

I began this story believing restraint was virtue, that love was mercy. I was wrong. Morality, I learned, is a luxury afforded only to those untouched by desire.

And Violet Freud was no Jane Eyre.

My conscience answered only to those I loved. And when this war ended, I would not emerge unscathed, but I would emerge victorious.

•••••

REVIEW:THORNS OF WAR is the eighth instalment in Eva Winners adult, contemporary, THORNS OF OMERTA dark, erotic, crime world romance series, a spinoff set in the KINGPINS OF THE SYNDICATE world. This is thirty-one year old, psychiatrist Violet Freud, and forty-one year old, Greek crime lord Lykos Costello’s story line. THORNS OF WAR can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary. THORNS OF WAR covers ten years in the life of our story line couple.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Lykos and Violet) THORNS OF WAR focuses on love, loss, grief and betrayal. Approximately fifteen years earlier, Violet’s sister Lily disappeared without a trace leaving the family spiralling, laying the blame on a sixteen year old Violet Freud. At twenty-one years of age, Violet would meet her future in the guise of Greek crime lord Lykos Costello, and following a one-night stand neither of their lives would ever be the same. Fast forward to present day, Violet Freud, now a practicing psychiatrist has been summoned to Greece where she will come face to face with her past, and a second chance may not be an option in the wake of Lykos’ anger and pain. Lykos is now a father of two, a father whose need to protect his children is paramount, including protecting them from the woman with whom he will fall in love.

The world building is intricate and twisted as the past is revealed for our story line couple; how Violet’s connection to the present is threatened by the family she no longer acknowledges, and Lykos need to claim Violet in the face of understanding what happened and why.

The relationship between Violet and Lykos begins as a one-night stand but Violet is determined to keep her secrets, and in doing so, watches from afar as the life she wanted moves on without her. Having lived a life in a dysfunctional family unit, Violet has only ever wanted to be loved but Lykos’ pain in the wake of secrets and lies, is about to come full circle, and our couple must come to terms with a new path moving forward. The $ex scenes are erotic and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

The colorful and determined secondary and supporting characters are often questionable and controversial. We are introduced to Lykos’s children Aria and Dimitros; his best friend Salvatore; Violet’s parents Mary and Dick Freud, and her friends Sienna, and Sophie. The requisite evil is familiar yet not.

THORNS OF WAR is a fast paced story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control,dysfunctional family values and relationships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is dramatic, gritty and edgy; the romance is emotional and heart breaking; the characters are broken, desperate and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Eva Winners released her first novel Second Chance At Love in 2020 and has been writing feverishly ever since. She writes about everlasting romance for every century focusing on characters emotional development and always guarantees an HEA.

She loves yoga, wine and her kiddos. In her spare time, she seeks adventures either hiking through trails, yoga or exploring the beaches.

Writing books has always been her passion and she brings real life to the forefront in everything she writes about.

Deeply passionate characters and stories will draw you in and you’ll never want to leave.

Follow her on social media to stay up to date with all her new releases!

CONNECT WITH EVA WINNERS:

FB group: https://bit.ly/3gHEe0e
FB page: https://bit.ly/30DzP8Q
Insta: http://Instagram.com/evawinners
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/eva-winners
Amazon: http://amazon.com/author/evawinners
Goodreads: http://goodreads.com/evawinners
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EvaWinners
TikTok: https://bit.ly/40IPbpM
Pinterest: https://pin.it/1vq7GIf
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3HCeoJF
Newsletter sign up www.evawinners.com

Share

Ravage / Ruin (Heaven & Hell ) by Elizabeth Knox-reviews

Posted on by
14

Ravage / Ruin (Heaven & Hell ) by Elizabeth Knox-reviews

RAVAGE
(Heaven & H*ll 7)
by Elizabeth Knox
Genre: adult, contemporary, crime world, dark, romance

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 September 26, 2025

Pain. Pleasure. Insanity.

Everything I craved was in the depths of Hell—and I knew I’d explore every sexual fantasy that ever crossed my mind.

That’s where I met Cassius Wolfe–the devil himself.

He was the kind of man who made the entire room fall quiet. A man who snapped his fingers and his men wouldn’t hesitate to shoot you between the eyes.

He was the man who promised to ravage me while he was in the city, and he kept his promise.

I knew nothing of Cassius Wolfe before this weekend, and now I couldn’t get him out of my mind.

The only problem? I had to wait an entire year to see him again.

Ravage is a prequel to Ruin, a very dark romance that will trigger you. This book is not for the light of heart. This spicy dark romance is intended for mature audiences only.

••••••

REVIEW: RAVAGE by is the prequel novella to Elizabeth Knox’s contemporary, adult RUIN dark, erotic, BDSM romance duet, a part of the multi-authored Heaven & H*ll series. This is Cassius Wolfe, and Selene Deveraux’s introductory story.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Selene and Cassius) RAVAGE follows the unconventional relationship between owner of the underground $ex club H8ll, and twenty-three year old Selene Deveraux. Approximately eight year earlier Selene Deveraux’s life imploded, and in the ensuing time our heroine struggled to make sense of what happened and why. Searching for something, anything to help her feel, our heroine finds herself at Club H8ll wherein all of her needs will be addressed by the darkness that is Cassius Wolfe. Three days of total control, Cassius is determined to break the woman he cannot forget but when Selene demands more, Cassius pushes Selene to rethink what it is she needs.

The world building is dangerous and dark; an atypical and unconventional pairing between a woman who is lost, and a man who is determined to own our heroine body and soul. The relationship between Selene and Cassius is gritty and dark; the $ex scenes are provocative and unique.

The secondary and supporting characters are interesting and dynamic. We are introduced to Cassius’ right hand man Vincent: owner of Purgatory Lucian, as well as Selene’s best friend Emilia, and her ex David.

RAVAGE is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, death and destruction, acceptance and loss. The character driven premise is dark, gritty and dramatic; the romance is limited to sexual domination and submission; the characters are desperate and broken. RAVAGE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

_______________

RUIN
(Heaven & H*ll 8)
by Elizabeth Knox
Genre: adult, contemporary, crime world, dark, romance

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 22, 2026

I killed her parents when she was sixteen.

Cassius

Years later, I made her fall in love with me. She wears my collar. Sleeps in my bed. Runs my empire at my side. And she has no idea that the man who owns her body is the same man who destroyed her world. Selene Deveraux was supposed to be a weapon. A tool. The judge’s daughter, sharpened into something useful and aimed at my enemies. I wasn’t supposed to need her. I wasn’t supposed to break when she found out the truth, held a gun to my chest, and didn’t pull the trigger. Now the Russians are circling, her best friend is bleeding in a chair, and the woman I ruined is the only person who can save everything I’ve built. She’ll have to choose—the man who murdered her parents, or the life he built for her on their graves.

••••••

REVIEW: RUIN by Elizabeth Knox is the eighth instalment in the multi-authored HEAVEN & H*LL dark, erotic, romance series. This is billionaire crime lord focusing on Cassius Wolfe, and Selene Deveraux’s continuing story. RUIN should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up one year after the events and cliff hanger of book seven and prequel novella RAVAGE.

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

SOME BACKGROUND: Approximately eight year earlier Selene Deveraux’s life imploded, and in the ensuing time our heroine struggled to make sense of what happened and why. Searching for something, anything to help her feel, our heroine finds herself at Club H8ll wherein all of her needs will be addressed by the darkness that is Cassius Wolfe. Three days of total control, Cassius is determined to break the woman he cannot forget but when Selene demands more, Cassius pushes Selene to rethink what it is she needs.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Selene and Cassius) RUIN picks up one year after the events and cliff hanger of RAVAGE in which Cassius sends Selene away wherein she will grow into a colder, stronger and more professional partner for our story line hero, but a partner who is about to discover that the man with whom she had fallen in love in the man who broken and destroyed her world.

The world building follows Selene’s rise to power within Cassius’ criminal organization. A woman, who in one year, learned to manipulate, operate and control almost every aspect of Cassius’ organization; a woman who would become Cassius equal as well as his most feared foe.

The relationship between Cassius and Selene is predicated upon power and control; a Dom/sub scenario in which the power slowly begins to balance until the reality of what happened and why shakes the foundations of their growing love. The $ex scenes are intimate and intense.

The secondary and supporting characters are powerful and intriguing. We are re- We are introduced to Cassius’ right hand man Vincent, Lionel, Peer and Paul, as well as Selene’s best friend Emilia, and her ex David. We are introduced to Natalia Cruz, one of the few heads of the criminal underworld, and Marco Salieri. The requisite evil has many faces.

RUIN is a story of power and control, betrayal and heart break, secrets and lies, forgiveness and love, grief and loss. The character driven premise is dramatic, edgy and tragic; the romance is seductive; the character are damaged, powerful and dynamic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Salvatore (Hunting Her 11) by Eden Summers-review

Posted on by
11

Salvatore (Hunting Her 11) by Eden Summers-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 May 29, 2025

It was meant to be a girls’ night. No guys allowed. Until one blind kiss had me caught in the devil’s web.
A monster in Armani.
An heir to the underworld.

He upends my life, his seduction smooth even as he offers two choices: get in his car or be shoved in his trunk.
No, thanks.
But when my past comes back to haunt me, there’s only one man ruthless enough to stand between me and the threat.
The same man who makes my heart race for reasons that should probably have me medicated.
Trusting Salvatore with my life is dangerous. But resisting him? Impossible.
Because he doesn’t just want me safe.
He wants me to remain by his side. As his queen.
And he’s not willing to let anything come between us.
Not fear. Not fate. Not even death.

•••••

REVIEW:SALVATORE is the eleventh and final instalment in Eden Summers’ contemporary, adult HUNTING HER dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is Salvatore Costa and Ivy Diaz’s storyline. SALVATORE can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion I recommend reading the series in order. Some of the events of SALVATORE crosses over with,and runs parallel to some of the events of REMY.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ivy and Salvatore) SALVATORE follows the acrimonious and bitter relationship between our story line couple. Ivy Diaz is best friends with Remy’s girlfriend Olivia, and both Ivy and Olivia work at Olivia’s family owned funeral home but all is not as it appears to be, and not only is Ivy hiding a secret,so too is her best friend Olivia Pelosi. Struggling with her first face to face with our story line hero, a man whose reputation precedes his introduction, the death of Olivia’s father is about to set a target on our heroine’s back. Ivy is hiding, on the run, and the Costa family’s need for information is about to pull Ivy back into the world from which she ran. Knowing her life will be forfeited regardless of who takes control, our heroine is now viewed as a threat, an enemy from within.

The world building focuses on the social structure and relationships between Salvatore, Remy, Bishop, Matthew and Abri, between themselves, and their uncle Lorenzo, a man who is determined to destroy our story line heroine. The dysfunctional family dynamics is paramount to the story line premise, blood means nothing but a curse to destroy -for Ivy as well when the Cartel demands her life.

The relationship between Ivy and Salvatore is tempestuous at best. The back and forth is often angry; the vitriolic spewing of hurtful names and accusations is heart breaking- the antagonistic behavior is threatening and blinding. Ivy’s inability to trust threatens everything including her friendship with Olivia Pelosi. The $ex scenes are erotic, and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and determined secondary and supporting characters including Salvatore’s siblings: Remy and Olivia, Michael and Layla, Bishop and Abri, their mother Adena, uncle Lorenzo, and several members of the Cartel. The requisite evil has many faces.

SALVATORE is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, dysfunctional family dynamics, family and friendships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is dark, dramatic and emotional; the romance is heart breaking and impassioned; the characters are desperate, dynamic and dangerous.

 

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Hunter
Decker
Torian
Savior
Luca
Cole
Ruthless Redemption
Seeking Vengeance
Bishop
Remy

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Eden Summers is a bestselling author of contemporary romance with a side of sizzle and sarcasm.

She lives in Australia with a young family who are well aware she’s circling the drain of insanity. Eden can’t resist alpha dominance, dark features and sarcasm in her fictional heroes and loves a strong heroine who knows when to bite her tongue but also serves retribution with a feminine smile on her face

WEBSITE/ NEWSLETTER/ FACEBOOK/ FACEBOOK GROUP/ TWITTER /GOODREADS/ AMAZON/ BOOKBUB

Share

Dance of Ruin (The Darkest Dance 2) by Jagger Cole-review tour

Posted on by
13

Dance of Ruin (The Darkest Dance 2) by Jagger Cole-review tour


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

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3QS6OQ6

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date April 24, 2025

He’s my villain, my ruin, my sweetest damnation.
I’ve always been a good girl.
The brilliant ballerina. The perfect politician’s daughter.
That is, until my father declares war on the Barone Mafia family, and I become the price to pay.

Now, the devil himself has his claws in me.
Nico Barone is a beautiful nightmare wrapped in leather and ink.
A criminal genius with malice in his veins and destruction on his lips.
He promises to break me.
To strip me until there’s nothing left.
To be the composer of my symphony of sin and ruin.

He thinks I’m the pawn in his game.
But this pawn will bring a king to his knees.
Even if it kills me.

••••

REVIEW:DANCE OF RUIN is the second instalment in Jagger Cole’s contemporary, adult THE DARKEST DANCE dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is Nico Barone, and ballerina Naomi Kim’s story line. DANCE OF RUIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. There is a slight cross over with the author’s Venomous Gods series.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from three first person perspectives (Nico, Naomi, Vaughn) DANCE OF RUIN follows Naomi as she is witness to a murder, and Nico Barone blackmails our heroine in exchange for her life. Naomi is the daughter of a man running for political office, but Naomi is also a victim and a survivor who finds herself a pawn in her father’s fight for power. Nico is determined to take away all of Naomi’s personal autonomy but in doing so will discover all is not as it appears to be. Another player has been circling the seats of power, and the group known as The Black Court is forced to step outside of their rules, and take back control from the people who are single-handedly killing for power.

The world building follows several paths including Nico’s control of our story line heroine. Naomi is an innocent in the world of organized crime but a woman who is about to become a pawn in the fight for power and control, and a victim of blackmail for something she did not do. Meanwhile, Naomi’s father journey to the dark side has repercussions and ramifications that will directly affect our heroine, going forward.

The relationship between Naomi and Nico begins acrimoniously as Nico is resolute in his need to break our story line heroine. Naomi immediately knows the control of her life has been forfeited but for reasons no longer under her control. Nico perseveres in taking down the people who have targeted our story line heroine but all is not as it appears to be, and Nico finds himself begging forgiveness for the sins of the past. The $ex scenes are provocative and erotic, and not without questionable consent.

The secondary and supporting characters include the return of the Black Court (The Hound, The Raven, The Wolf, The Bull, The Stag)- a group of self-proclaimed vigilantes in the world of organized crime; Naomi’s fellow dancers: Evelina, Milena, Vaughn, Naomi’s understudy Dove, Brooklyn, Bianca, and Madame Kuzmina; Don Carmine Barone and his wife Lyra Ostrova (Dance of Deception); Bratva Kingpin Kir Nikolayev. We are introduced to Naomi’s father Leonard Kim, as well as a new organized crime unit known as The Obsidian Syndicate. The requisite evil has many faces.

DANCE OF RUIN is a story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, obsession and cruelty, mistrust and misunderstanding, dysfunctional family dynamics, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is dark, dramatic and tragic; the romance is limited but impassioned; the characters are powerful, determined, desperate and aggressive.

Heed the trigger warning-they are dark and heart breaking.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one DANCE OF DECEPTION

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

A reader first and foremost, Jagger Cole cut his romance writing teeth penning various fan-fiction stories years ago. After deciding to hang up his writing boots, Jagger worked in advertising pretending to be Don Draper. It worked enough to convince a woman way out of his league to marry him, though, which is a total win.

Now, Dad to two little princesses and King to a Queen, Jagger is thrilled to be back at the keyboard.

When not writing or reading romance books, he can be found woodworking, enjoying good whiskey, and grilling outside–rain or shine.

You can find all of his books at www.jaggercolewrites.com

Grab a FREE book for joining my fans-only newsletter – https://dl.bookfunnel.com/8rld1ik3sd

FOLLOW: WEBSITE / Facebook / Bookfunnel Newsletter / Goodreads / Amazon Author / Instagram /

Share

Grim (Havoc of Sins 1) by JL Drake-review tour

Posted on by
13

Grim (Havoc of Sins 1) by JL Drake-review tour

 

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /Apple /

GOODREADS LINK: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/204591208-grim

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 5,2024

Many sins lay in the creases of my hands. Darkness and corruption are part of my life.
After hints from my brother that all is not right with the family business, I leave Mexico and return to Vegas. I have a responsibility to protect what’s ours, no matter the price or who gets in the way. Those who don’t fall in line will soon realize why I’m called The Vegas Reaper.

I demand order and obedience, so when I come head-to-head with our beautiful new hire, I’m faced with an unusual challenge, one that infuriates yet intrigues me.

When my hotel goes up in flames, my anger flares along with it. I pull on my cut and join The Devils Reach. The desert ride pays off, but there’s more at play here than I ever imagined, and I’m caught in a chess game of power from an unseen force. Deception, secrets, and chaos threaten my world. Could our new hire hold the key to it all?

Warning: This story is meant to be read in the reading order that can be found in my Amazon bio and website. There is a heavy crossover from my Devil’s Reach Trilogy through the Quiet Mafia Series, and my Dark Water Series, where Grim is first introduced.

••••••

REVIEW:GRIM is the first instalment in JL Drake’s contemporary, adult HAVOC OF SIN dark, erotic romance series, a cross over with the author’s Devil’s Reach Trilogy, Quiet Mafia Series, and the Dark Water Series. This is Las Vegas businessman and Devil’s Reach MC member Grimson ‘Grim’ Gates, and hostess Kenna Tame-Lodge.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise including graphic violence there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from three first person perspectives (Grim, Kenna, Simon) GRIM follows in the wake of the return to Las Vegas of Grim ‘Grim’ Gates. As part of the billion dollar hotel and casino business, Grim Gates return to Las Vegas is quickly followed by betrayal and trouble, trouble in the form of our heroine, Kenna Lodge, a young, abrasive and determined hostess who knows how to seal the deal, and get things done but all is not well in the high stakes games that control the criminal underground of Las Vegas, death and destruction are about to wreak havoc in the lives of Kenna and Grim . What ensues is the building but acrimonious relationship between Kenna and Grim, and the fall-out as Kenna is targeted for the sins of someone else.

The world building is detailed and busy. There are several big name and big game players both entering and leaving Las Vegas, and in this, Kenna finds herself on the precipice of losing it all. Grim suspects betrayal by someone he knows, yet when the players begin to surface, all bets are off except protecting the woman with whom he is falling in love.

The relationship between Kenna and Grim is tempestuous at best/ Kenna is hard headed, reckless, defiant, stubborn and plays a somewhat risky game of cat and mouse but she has met her match in Grimson Gates. Grimson doesn’t do relationships, yet he wants something more from our story line heroine, a woman who is pushing all of his buttons and more. As Grim and Kenna’s relationship becomes more personal, someone else is watching from the sidelines waiting to destroy them all. Grim is dangerous and dark, bossy and demanding, and in this, his reputation precedes his introduction to everyone he meets. The $ex scenes are erotic and intense.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, familiar and questionable secondary and supporting characters, many of whom were introduced in the Devil’s Reach trilogy including Brick and Minnie; Trigger and Tess., Rail and Morgan. We are introduced to Grim’s brothers Knox, Leo, and their parents Laurel and Jim; Jim’s attorney Cameron Tame aka Kenna’s father, and her sister Calli; Manager Jayden Wallace; PI Simon Gable; chef Dale, and Grim’s right hand man Jesse. The requisite evil has many faces including the Mexican Cartel, Vegas Mafia, local gangs, and someone very close to our story line couple.

GRIM is a dark, gritty and complex story of betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, power and control, dysfunctional family dynamics. The premise is edgy, raw, detailed and haunting; the characters are animated and charismatic; the romance is spicy and lively. GRIM ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

J.L. Drake is a bestselling author with multiple series published in several different countries. The Broken Trilogy is her best seller, and her next series, Quiet Mafia, has the same kind of homey feel sprinkled with some yummy darkness. 

She was born and raised in Nova Scotia, Canada, later moving to southern California. Though she loves the weather in Cali, she would sell her left kidney for a good rainstorm. Jodi’s love of the seasons back home in Canada definitely put in an appearance in her books.

When she’s not writing, you can often find her sitting somewhere along the coast of Huntington Beach, reading, or at home curled up on a couch with her two children and husband, binge watching Marvel movies.

SOCIAL MEDIA: Website / Goodreads / Facebook /  Instagram/

Share

TWISTED WEDDING (Costa Crime Family 1) by BB Hamel-review

Posted on by
15

TWISTED WEDDING (Costa Crime Family 2) by BB Hamel-a review

ebook only 99¢ USD Amazon.US / Amazon.ca /

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

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 19, 2023

I think my boss is stalking me.
Right up until the moment he proposes.

Adler Costa owns the Sunrise hotel and casino. He’s filthy rich, connected to some shady organizations, and I’m pretty sure he’s obsessed with me. Which isn’t so bad: Adler’s gorgeous, like a man straight out of my filthiest late-night fantasies. But when my addict brother gets caught stealing from the Costa family, I’m given a choice:

Marry Adler and pledge my life to him, or they’ll throw my brother into the ocean with a concrete block tied to his ankle .I’m not about to let my little brother get killed for one stupid mistake.
So I walk down the aisle and say the vows, which is when I learn there’s one more catch: Adler doesn’t only want a bride. He needs a baby.

••••••

REVIEW: TWISTED WEDDING by BB Hamel is a stand alone, contemporary, adult, dark, Mafia romance story line focusing on thirty-eight year old Atlantic City Sunrise casino owner Adler Costa, and twenty-six year old Black Jack dealer Casey Kiernan.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Casey and Adler) TWISTED WEDDING follows the forced marriage between our story line couple. Casey Kiernan’s brother Shane is an addict, and has stolen money from the Sunrise Casino in Atlantic City, the casino where Shane’s sister Casey is a Black Jack dealer. To pay for her brother’s sin, Casey is forced to marry casino owner Adler Costa, a marriage Adler claims is meant to secure his line of succession but secrets and lies are about to target our story line heroine when she discovers a past connection to our story line hero. What ensues is the building relationship between Adler and Casey, and the potential fall-out as sins of the past take aim at our story line heroine.

The world building focuses on a war between former friends, Atlantic City casino owners, and a family that is struggling with secrets from the past. Casey Kiernan has been caught in a power play-a pawn to be moved as secrets are revealed.

The relationship between Casey and Alder is forced marriage predicated upon the sins of the family but Alder’s secrets reveal a lifetime of guilt and grief, predicated upon a lie, and an obsession with our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and provocative without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and questionable supporting characters. We are introduced to Adler’s mother Vanessa Costa; Casey’s embattled brother Shane: her best friend Roxie; a well as casino owner Tony Vetch; Adler’s brothers Jayson, Erick and youngest brother Conlan; Security Big Dan, Will, Zach, Gerthold and Gianni. Here’s hoping the author has plans for Adler’s brothers.

TWISTED WEDDING is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, forgiveness and love. The fast paced premise is detailed, dramatic and edgy; the romance is seductive; the characters are struggling, dynamic and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Share

Dario (Carelli Family Saga 2) by Eden Butler-review tour

Posted on by
11

Dario (Carelli Family Saga 2) by Eden Butler-review tour

 

 

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play / Apple /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 14, 2021

DarioCarelli has one job—get the new bakery owner to fall in line.

Cuoricino, New York, their sleepy, small town, has rules. Rules his ironically kind-hearted mob boss brother set in place to keep everyone safe. But Ava Anderson has no intention of following a single one.

The woman is a hassle Dario doesn’t need. She ignores his ultimatums and mocks his intimidating guards, sending them back to him with a basket of baked goods and amped up on too much espresso. If Dario thought the charm he once had before landing in prison for a crime that wasn’t his would work, he’d teach Miss Ava a lesson in pleasure she wouldn’t soon forget.

But behind her sarcastic tone and forced smiles, Dario recognizes the same flight-or-fight look in Ava’s eyes that had grown sharper in his own reflection during his time locked inside one of New York’s roughest prisons: the desperation of someone with nothing left to lose. When Ava takes off, only to return months later pretending she’s not looking over her shoulder every time she walks down the street, Dario realizes there’s something more dangerous in Cuoricino than the enemies his brother’s rules try to safeguard: a woman he’d die to possess and kill to protect.

••••••

REVIEW:DARIO is the second instalment in Eden Butler’s contemporary, adult THE CARELLI FAMILY erotic, Mafia, romance series. This is Dario Carelli, and bakery owner Ava Anderson’s story line. DARIO can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information about the previous story line is revealed where necessary. Some of the events of DARIO cross over with, and run parallel to some of the events in book one SMOKE.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Dario and Ava) DARIO follows the tempestuous relationship between Dario Carelli, and bakery owner Ava Anderson. Six years earlier Reagan Roisin met a stranger, her would-be rescuer but all was not it had appeared to be. Fast forward to present day, Reagan , now known as Ava Anderson is a new store owner in the Carelli controlled town of Cuoricino, New York, and as such is expected to pay monthly fees to the family in question but our heroine has had enough of pushy mobsters for a lifetime, and refuses to pay the Carelli family. Enter Marco aka Dario Carelli, the man with whom Ava would fall in love but Ava’s life continues to spiral out of control, and with it, betrayal and deceit follow in its’ wake. What ensues is the turbulent and emotional relationship between Dario and Ava, and the potential fall out as Ava’s past demands retribution for betrayal and deception.

Ava Anderson is hiding in plain sight in Cuoricino New York but hiding is a relative term as her past continues to hold sway over her present. Refusing to give into the Carelli control, Ava finds herself facing the possible loss of her business but not before falling for a man who could break her heart. Dario Carelli never expected to fall for Ava Anderson but Ava is keeping secrets a dark and dangerous past. As the truth begins to unravel, Ava finds herself battling between head and heart knowing someone she loves is caught in the middle.

The relationship between Ava and Dario is predicated upon a lie, a lie that quickly begins to unravel as the truth is revealed. Ava is desperate to protect someone she loves but to secure a life she will have to betray the man with whom she is falling in love. From the outset, Dario has fallen for our story line heroine but struggles to remain neutral in the face of his family. Not only has his mother fallen for Ava Anderson but Dario is unable to stay away for a long period of time. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Dario’s large extended family: brothers Dimitri and Maggie (Smoke #1), parents Santino and Angelique Carelli, eldest brother Dante, their sister Toni ; Toni’s ex Luca DeRosa, their cousin Johnny, family associate and guard Dino, IT specialist Kat Harrell; as well as Ava’s soon to be ex Liam Shane, and her father Rory Connelly.

DARIO is a story of family and criminal enterprises, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, desperation and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is haunting and twisted; the romance is edgy and impassioned; the characters are broody, spirited and dynamic.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one SMOKE.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Eden Butler is an editor and writer of Fantasy, Mystery and Contemporary Romance novels and the nine-times great-granddaughter of an honest-to-God English pirate. This could explain her affinity for rule breaking and rum.

When she’s not writing or wondering about her possibly Jack Sparrowesque ancestor, Eden patiently waits for her Hogwarts letter, edits, reads and spends way too much time watching rugby, Doctor Who and New Orleans Saints football.

She is currently living under teenage rule alongside her husband in southeast Louisiana.
Please send help.

Newsletter: https://bit.ly/36QU4ll
Website: https://www.edenbutler.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eden.butler.10
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/edenbutlerwrites/
Reader Group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/345844502509364
Twitter: https://twitter.com/EdenButler_
BookBub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/eden-butler
Goodreads: https://bit.ly/2IU6bWN
Amazon Author Page: https://amzn.to/36Uuzzy

 

Share