Tag Archives: mafia

4 stars, Book Review

Staying in Vegas by Sam Mariano Review

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newarcbannerblurbstayinginvegasYou don’t want to miss what happens in Vegas…

When I met Rafe Morelli, he didn’t look like the biggest mistake I’d ever make; he seemed closer to the crime family version of Prince Charming. Charismatic, beautiful, and attentive—with an intoxicating air of power—Rafe was the stuff of my darkest fantasies.

What we had should have been a simple fling, no-strings-attached. My hot weekend with the sexy, dominant Vegas boss—a harmless memory to replay once I returned to my quiet, predictable life.

One tiny hitch in that plan: a panty-melting memory isn’t all he left behind. Now the stakes have changed, and I’m faced with a potentially life-altering decision. Do I stay away and enjoy my status as the only woman in known history who has played in the Morelli flames without getting burned, or do I risk everything and step back into the fire?

BOOK 1 OF 3 IN THE VEGAS MORELLI TRILOGY.

This trilogy can be read even if you haven’t read the original Morelli family series, but as it takes place AFTER that series, there will be Morelli family series spoilers. Two of the main characters from this trilogy were introduced in the original Morelli series. If you want to read the original series and experience it without spoilers, you may want to start there (with Accidental Witness).
Like the original Morelli family series, this trilogy is a continuing story following the same characters, NOT three separate-couple standalones.

— Goodreads — Amazon —

authorsammarianoFollow Sam Mariano on Facebook or check out her Blog! (She also recently opened an Instagram, sammarianobooks, if you’d like to follow there.) If you need to email her, she can be reached at sammarianoauthor@gmail.com (but she is sometimes tardy about checking email. Mateo is very demanding).

Sign up for Sam’s mailing list (to stay up to date on current projects–she won’t spam you! Only for notification of new releases or book sales.)

Because of You, Irreparable Damage, The Morelli Family Series, and Staying in Vegas are now available on Amazon! (And don’t forget to follow Sam’s Amazon Author page to get the newest releases.)

Sam Mariano has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She lives in Ohio and has a sweet and wonderful daughter.
Because of You was her first finished story (she started writing it when she was 18) and due to a full-time work and college schedule, it took her years to finish. She has also been telling people for years that there would never be a sequel (sorry, guys!)…which turned out to be a lie.
Sam Mariano is currently working on the sequels to Irreparable Damage and Because of You.
Feel free to find her on Facebook, Goodreads, or her blog—she loves hearing from readers!reviewstayinginvegas2

Staying in Vegas was my first dip into the Morelli family and Sam Mariano. Although I am probably going to go back and read the Morelli family series from the beginning (especially Mateo because he seems scary and ruthless and my kinda guy!), I had no trouble keeping up with Rafe and Laurel’s story. Well, Rafe, Laurel, and Sin’s story. The first book in the probably dramatic trilogy constituted more of Laurel and Sin’s relationship than Rafe and Laurel’s.

After reading this book, and then trolling the reviews on Goodreads, there’s one thing we can all agree on about this book: keep an open mind. There’s some definite Dom/sub vibes happening, though because I’ve never read one of Sam’s books I couldn’t tell you how far those are going to go. The ultimate, descriptive love triangle is happening, between Laurel Sin and Rafe that makes me want to hate Laurel.

I hate love triangles, and this one went beyond “I like two guys.” Rafe messes up, REALLY badly, and Sin swoops in like a kidnapping savior. Rafe then realizes he messed up when he thinks Sin is sleeping with Laurel. It’s a triangle that makes me anxious in every way possible. And I wanted to hate Laurel so much for seeming wishy-washy. I wanted to hate Rafe for not swooping in sooner. I wanted to hate them both and throw the book!

But I. Just. Couldn’t.

I understood why Laurel was feeling the way she was, and I understood why Rafe was a major jackass. I understood so much, that all I could do was hope and pray for Rafe and Laurel to get together sooner rather than later. There is a part of me (the part that’s consumed by anxiety over THAT CLIFFHANGER and also the dynamic between Rafe, Sin and Laurel), that wants to skip the rest of the series and just go read the other Morelli books, forever forgetting about this triangle. You know what though? I probably won’t, because as much as Sam caused me pain with this story, I LOVED IT.

stayinginvegas34star

**images used are from http://www.freeimages.com and all fonts are licensed, bought from http://www.creativemarket.com. For more info on the fonts used please contact me at caitscreatures@gmail.com**

Book Tour, Release Blitz!

Staying in Vegas by Sam Mariano is Live!

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Title: Staying in Vegas

Series: Vegas Morellis #1

Author: Sam Mariano
Genre: Mafia Romance

Release Date: April 4, 2018

Blurb
Nothing can prepare you for what happens in Vegas…
When I met Rafe Morelli, he didn’t look like the biggest
mistake I’d ever make; he seemed closer to the crime family version of Prince
Charming. Charismatic, beautiful, and attentive—with an intoxicating air of
power—Rafe was the stuff of my darkest fantasies.
What we had should have been a simple fling,
no-strings-attached. My hot weekend with the sexy, dominant Vegas boss—a
harmless memory to replay once I returned to my quiet, predictable life.
One tiny hitch in that plan: a panty-melting memory isn’t
all he left behind. Now the stakes have changed, and I’m faced with a potentially
life-altering decision. Do I stay away and enjoy my status as the only woman in
known history who has played in the Morelli flames without getting burned, or
do I risk everything and step back into the fire?
Purchase Links
AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU
Free in Kindle Unlimited

Also Available

NOW LIVE & $3.99 FOR A LIMITED TIME!!

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Free in Kindle Unlimited

Coming Soon

Releasing August 3, 2018

AMAZON US / UK / CA / AU

Author Bio

Sam Mariano loves to write edgy, twisty romantic reads with
complicated characters you’re left thinking about long after you turn the last
page. Her favorite thing about indie publishing is the ability to play by your
own rules! If she isn’t reading one of the thousands of books on her to-read
list, writing her next book, or playing with her adorable preschooler…
actually, that’s about all she has time for these days.

Author Links

 

4.5 Stars, Book Review

Look at your newest mafia obsession.

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newarcbannerblurbbloodandsecretsTake a walk on the wild side with Blood and Secrets. Lovers of Meghan March’s Mount series, Amo Jones’ Devils Own Series and The Elite Kings Club, and Tillie Cole’s Scared Souls series will lose themselves in this story of all-consuming passion, vengence, and dark dealings.

Don’t miss the first installment in a deliciously, seductive new series from author Rose Harper.

I’m dangerous. Calculated. Bloodthirsty.
The perfect motherfucking trifecta of crazy.

The name’s Mateo Calvetti, and Brooklyn belongs to me.
My reach knows no bounds, and I always get what I want.
Including the little gem currently twisting my insides.

She’s been promised to me since birth.
Nothing anyone says will change that.
She will be mine, whether she wants it or not.
I’m going to own her. Consume her. Fuck, I may even keep her.

Yet, something comes to light I never expected in my wildest dreams.
Blood, secrets, and lies all fall around my feet.
Carina Ricci isn’t what she claims to be.
It appears she’s just as fucked up as me.

Come on, baby, let’s make them scream.
Let’s show them what happens when you anger a King and his Queen.

This is volume 1 in Blood and Secrets, and is not suitable for anyone under 18. Some portions of this will be hard to read, so be warned before continuing onward. If you do decide to read, Blood and Secrets #1, just remember: The author is not responsible for any kindle’s being set ablaze from the raw passion and heated moments between a king and his queen.
Release Date: May 1st, 2018

Goodreads — Amazon (Coming Soon)

author29261298_155041311980631_2937846471862517760_n

 Goodreads — Facebook

reviewbloodandsecrets1

I broke my rule again. I fell in love with a book I know I shouldn’t– this book comes with major trigger warnings in case you (like me) didn’t really read the blurb. We all know by know I suck at reading warnings… One of the things I hate in books is abuse of any sort… Yet I want- nay need to see Carina put Mateo, and the freaking world, in it’s place.

Carina is being severely abused by her parents- they why isn’t revealed until the very end and HOLY PLOT TWIST. She has been promised to Mateo, the new boss for the Calvetti family. Even he isn’t sure why the mouse has been promised to him. He was promised a strong woman, a queen, but what he got was a broken woman. Since he has to marry her, he keeps his mistress.

Jerk.

Carina is from another mafia family, that was supposed to have been “trained” to be Mateo’s wife. Mateo takes her from her family when he hears from his informants she’s been in hell instead of training. This hell has broken her- temporarily- and he is furious. Although she’s supposed to listen to whatever Mateo says, she lashes out. This results in abuse (ugh). Not much, but still enough to make me want to shoot Mateo myself.

So why did I keep reading? Because Rose Harper drew me in from the beginning. I love a good mafia/dark romance, and I was so entranced by the characters, the dynamics between Carina, Mateo, and the guards, that I wanted to see what happened. And now I have to WAIT for the next book because apparently authors like to torture me with cliffhangers… KIDDING (maybe).

I know nothing about the mafia, or crime at all except what I watch on Gangland (yes- I’m a dork in case this hasn’t been established by my previous reviews), but this book seemed so real. Although I hated the way Mateo treated Carina, hence my 4.5 star review despite this book being so awesome, Rose Harper kept me entranced and captivated. I cannot WAIT for the next book. And you need to read this book so I can talk about it with someone. Because it is that good.

By the way, I only have two quotes for this review, instead of my usual three, because anything else would have given away plot lines and it was soooo hard to pick the ones I did.

bloodandsecrets24andahalf

Book Review

Review of KL Donn’s Luther

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Luther1

blurb

lutherkldonn.jpg2 Truths
I was ready to die
He saved me

And a lie
Rock bottom is your breaking point
Or is it?

**WARNING**
The Adair Empire is a dark and graphic romance that will push your buttons, and maybe your boundaries. Each book contains a new couple but ends with a plot cliff-hanger. Series must be read in order of release.

Amazon — Goodreads — Barnes & Noble

 

 

author

Krystal is a proud Canadian girl, hailing from Sherwood Park, Alberta. She has a strong dislike for the winter, and a love for spring. Married to her husband Steve, for 13 years, they have 4 beautiful read headed spawns ranging in ages 5-12. She has a strong love of coffee, sarcasm, and wine. (Not necessarily in that order either.)
She has been a published author for over 2 years now. With 9 full length novels (1 unpublished) and a dozen novellas with 3 published, 3 waiting to go into edits, 2 being rebranded, and 1 being extended into a novel.
Krystal loves to write about instalove between couples looking for love. She has a passion for contemporary romance and springs into menage as often as she can.
Currently, she is working on 2 new series, the Adair Empire (with the first 3 books already written). The Adair’s are a whole lot darker, dirtier, and grittier than what her readers are used to, but boy has she had a ton of fun writing them.
The What Happens When series will begin with Anonymous Bride on Oct 19 and continue with untraditional love stories. Bringing you all the good feels, a ton of love, and maybe – if you’re lucky 😉 a surprise baby or two!
With the exception of Anonymous Bride, you’ll be able to find all her books on all platforms!

You can find KL in any of these places! She loves to hear from readers all over the world!!
Contact her in any of these places:
Facebook — Friend — Reader Group — Twitter — Instagram — Email

Or stay up to date with all her latest releases here:
Amazon — Newsletter — Website — Bookbub — D2D release

review

luther2.jpg

Woah. That was my first thought after finishing this book. I had started with Luther, but after finishing I went back and bought King: 13 Little Lies, which is the first in the series. Holy crap this book was awesome, and I need the next book in the series.

This is the story of Ariel McCray, the daughter of evil incarnate Timothy McCray who deals in the skin trade business, and Luther Sutton, right hand to King Adair and the Adair empire. Luther is set to watch the McCray property, which is where he spots Ariel leaving the grounds. From the first flash of red hair, he is obsessed. Ariel is set to commit suicide because of what she’s been forced to do at her father’s hands, but Luther cannot let this happen.

This review isn’t long because the book was short, too short Ms. Donn can you extend this? Thanks! In fact, this book only gets 4 stars because I need more! (Ok just kidding it still gets 5 stars). If you’re not into death and gore, and people getting off on the death of bad people, then you should not read this series. This is for the crowd that enjoys dark romance. So you’ve been warned!

I fell in love with the Adair crew, and I really fell in love with Luther and his sociopathic tendencies. The way Luther is sick and twisted, but calls Ariel princess, following the King theme which I thought was awesome, seriously melted my heart. Not sure who is more twisted, K.L for writing the character or me for claiming him as my new love? Not sure, but it doesn’t matter. This book was amazing! and I can’t wait to read the next one!

These are not standalone. The first doesn’t end on a cliffhanger, but the second book most definitely does. I will be stalking K.L. Donn to see when the next book comes out.

5star

Freebie

10 Freebies You Need To Have

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On my Facebook page I’ve been sharing books that are showing up free on Amazon. So lets take a look at all the goodies that are available for free today… (in no specific order).

  1. Tough Love by Skye Warren

25089619A prequel about the sacrifices we make for love…

I sneak out of my room every night. My father’s guards don’t see me.

No one sees me, except him.

He’s the son of a foot soldier. My father is his boss. The boss. I shouldn’t even know Giovanni. And I definitely shouldn’t kiss him. Our relationship is doomed to fail, but that won’t stop me from being with him.

Not every girl wants to be a princess. I just want to be free.

Amazon: 4.3 Stars
Goodreads: 3.82 Stars

2. Forever and Ever Box Set Books 1-3 by E.L. Todd

35237582I’m in love with Skye Preston.

The Skye Preston.

The daughter of the wealthiest businessman in the world, and the most beautiful woman I’ve ever known. Her looks don’t compare to her golden heart. And her heart doesn’t compare to that big brain of hers.

But I could never tell her.

Because we’ve been best friends for twenty years.

She has a jerk for a boyfriend, and I’m not the only one who thinks so. The rest of the gang can’t stand him either. But I’m not the kind of guy to intervene. I respect her too much to pull a stunt like that.

But then I spot her at a party, too drunk to even walk. The men are eyeing her like easy prey so I take her home. But when we get there Skye is different. She looks at me differently. She touches me differently.

And she wants me differently.

Amazon: 3.9 Stars
Goodreads: 4.21 Stars

3. One Call Away by Emily Goodwin

35657273Chase Henson doesn’t play by the rules. He doesn’t let himself get attached, doesn’t stay in one place long enough to call anywhere home. So when he returns to the small town of Summer Hill for the first time in years, the last thing he expects to find is a reason to stay.

Sierra Belmont is lost. Devastated after a sudden tragedy that left her heart broken in a million pieces, Sierra is just barely getting by. Burying herself in work at Summer Hill’s only bookstore, all she wants to do is make it through another day.

And then Chase walks through the doors of The Book Bag, claiming he’s just there to buy a book. Rumors that he’s dangerous fly through the town, but Sierra isn’t afraid of him. He might be the last person she should be with, but he’s the only one who understands the depth of her pain. For the first time, Chase stands still, fighting the desperation to mend Sierra’s broken heart.

Always running, the past has never had a chance to catch up to Chase. But there’s a first time for everything.

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.34 Stars

4. The Cowboy and the Kid by Anne Mcallister

33141711Having a father is a big responsibility.
And finding him a wife is a challenge eight-year-old Becky Jones takes seriously. Ex-rodeo cowboy Taggart Jones is adamant. No marriage. Been there. Done that.

Not even if Becky’s dream candidate is her beautiful, blonde teacher, Felicity Albright, who knows about barrettes, patching up scrapes, and hates carrots as much as his daughter. Taggart’s still not interested. Much.

What’s a daughter to do? Becky’s nothing if not ingenious, and she’s determined to convince a stubborn Taggart and a bemused Felicity that they really have met their match.

The Tanner Brother series
Book 1: Cowboys Don’t Cry
Book 2: Cowboys Don’t Quit
Book 3: Cowboys Don’t Stay
Book 4: The Cowboy and the Kid
Book 5: Cowboy Pride

Amazon: 4.4 Stars
Goodreads: 4.32 Stars

5. Dropout by Jamie Schlosser

38659932JIMMY
Over the past year, I’ve been called a lot of things. Slacker. Troublemaker. Party animal.
I thought I was on top of the world. Turns out, I was pretty close to rock bottom.
Now I have a new title: college dropout.
Talk about a reality check.
But I’ve got a chance to redeem myself. One summer to turn things around. Two months to prove I’m not a complete f*ck-up.
It’s time to change.
I want to get back to being one of the good guys.

MACKENNA
I have everything I need to live out my dream of being a reclusive songwriter—my guitar, my notebook, and blissful silence.
At least, I did until Jimmy moved in next door.
With tattoos, piercings, and mischievous green eyes, he’s got bad news written all over him. And last time I got with a bad boy, it ended horribly.
Jimmy makes me feel things I shouldn’t feel. Want things I shouldn’t want. He’s a hazard to my carefully laid plans.
But he’s only here for two months.
I can resist him…right?

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.4 Stars

6. Property of Drex #1 by C.M. Owens

29516776EVE

What’s the most selfless thing you’ve ever done? What price tag would you put on the ability to save the ones you love?

They say the worst decisions are made by the desperate or the fools.

I was desperate enough to make a foolish decision to save my family. The cost? Me.

They may be a motorcycle club, but in all honesty they’re really an elite unit of criminals who just happen to drive motorcycles. They’re a business. An organization. A fully functioning army…

What I’ve learned? They work in the gray area; life and death is real; and everyone wants everyone dead. Okay, so maybe that’s dramatic… No. No it’s not. It’s legit.

I prepared for the worst, fully anticipating hating my new life. Turns out, I finally found out where I belonged. Oh, and I discovered I’m a little twisted or crazy. Maybe both.

Drex Caine, the man without a conscience, didn’t ruin me the way I thought he would. Instead, he made me feel like I was living instead of just waiting to live. And I can never go back to the way things used to be.

*Graphic Language
*Sexual Content
*Dual POV
Please note: Book 1 does end on a cliffhanger, but book 2 has the conclusion and will be released March 28, 2016. After book 2, the rest of the series can be read as stand-alone novels without cliffhangers and will have different main characters featured.

Amazon: 4.6 Stars
Goodreads: 4.28 Stars

C.M. Owens actually has quite a few novels for free. (Always the first one though because she’s a tease!) Blood’s Fury (Deadly Beauties #1), Hooked on the Game (Sterling Shore #1), Daughter of Aphrodite (Daughter Trilogy #1), The Devil’s Artwork (Faders Trilogy #1), Treasured Secrets (Coveted Saga #1).

7. The Gamble by Kristen Ashley

18246040Love is the greatest gamble of all…

Nina Sheridan desperately needs a timeout vacation. With a fiancé who can’t even remember how she takes her coffee, Nina wants some distance to rethink her engagement. Flying halfway around the world from England to a mountain town in Colorado should do the trick. But when she finds a gorgeous man at her rental cabin, Nina’s cold, lonely adventure suddenly heats up.

The owner of the house, Holden “Max” Maxwell is surprised by the beautiful woman who turns up at his door. But when Nina becomes ill, Max spends days nursing her back to health. A private man with a broken heart, Max finds himself drawn to the strong-willed woman. Soon it becomes impossible for Nina and Max to deny their growing attraction to one another. Yet even as these two wounded lovebirds think about taking a chance on a relationship, a dangerous secret from Max’s past emerges-and threatens to end their love for good.

Amazon: 4.4 Stars
Goodreads: 4.29 Stars

8. Emphatic (Soul Serenade #1) by Kaylee Ryan

Pageflex Persona [document: PRS0000038_00072]There comes a point in your life where you have to say enough is enough.

I wasted my college years on a guy who played with my head, played with my heart. I was blinded by the fairytale, the one that didn’t exist.

The day I gave up on the idea of happily ever after, my focus became me. Moving forward and establishing my career.

Until one day…

I didn’t expect him. My new boss, a six foot two, inked rock god. I believed I was working for the record label, I was wrong.

It’s impossible for me to keep my distance, believe me I’ve tried. He’s not who I expected him to be. He’s so much more he’s… Emphatic

Amazon: 4.5 Stars
Goodreads: 4.18 Stars

9. Bad Idea by Nicole French

38963304.jpgBad boy meets good girl. Sparks fly. Stars cross. And a bad idea is born.

From the start, I knew we were all wrong. For people like her, New York is a city of dreams, but for me, it’s a maze of burdens. Now my chance is here to leave and become more than the criminal everyone sees. There’s no reason to stay except…

The most beautiful eyes I’ve ever seen…

The most kissable lips I’ve ever known…

Now I have to break both our hearts to escape this concrete jungle. She might be the girl of my dreams, but I was always a bad idea.

Amazon: 4.5 Stars
Goodreads: 4.27 Stars

10. Black Ink by N.M. Catalano

30625884Alexander Black
Ruthless. Powerful. Dangerous. Intoxicating. Twisted. A prick.
There is nothing or no one beyond his reach anywhere in the world.
He uses any means to get what he wants.

He wants Gemma Trudeau. For two reasons, first, to find out if she helped her husband steal three million dollars from him. The second, he wants to do very bad, very twisted things to her.

He always gets what he wants.

Gemma Trudeau
Her life was destroyed. She’s alone, homeless with no money.
A brilliant successful lawyer, she must now beg to work for the one man who suffered as much as she did from her husband’s illegal schemes, the only one who can help her get her life back. What she didn’t know was he would rock her world.

Alexander Black has Gemma right where he wants her. The heat between them rages, leaving them in an constant aching burn.

A stranger breaks into her house and she’s terrorized. He has one purpose, to take her, bind her, force her into a night of raging passion, leaving her stunned, confused, and very, very satisfied. He promises he’ll be back. She can’t wait.

The Capo di Tutti Capi has offered her protection. But at what price?

Someone is stalking her. The mob who wants to own her? The faceless man who seduces her in the dark blindfolded? Or the one man who should hate her, Alexander Black?

Who can Gemma trust?

First book in the BLACK INK Series. A bit dark, a bit edgy, and a whole lot of heat. It does have a bit of a cliffhanger.
**18+ adult audience, very strong sexual content.**

Amazon: 4.8 Stars
Goodreads: 4.43 Stars