mooncricketjp's review against another edition
3.0
I liked the story but did feel that a lot of the situations just weren’t realistic - and when I say that I mean natural…I don’t know. Some of it was great, other parts were not.
thebritishbibliophile_'s review against another edition
5.0
'One of the best mafia romance novels I've read in a very long time! Lilian Harris is on fire, giving us every single drop of sinful goodness.' - The British Bibliophile
Thank you to Grey's Promotions for sending me an ebook ARC for me to read and leave an honest review
Sinful Vows (Messina Crime Family #1) is the first novel in this sinfully promising new mafia romance series from Lilian Harris. As a fan of mafia romance, I knew I had to request a copy to read this the moment I spotted it on the new list of sign-ups at the time. Time to meet the mafia mobster!
Not wanting a wife, Michael Marino promises not a safe environment for any woman who so happens to come his way. The only exception? His six-year-old daughter. She is the apple of his eye and perhaps the only girl to have ever wormed her way into his closed-off heart. But for how long? One woman unknowingly might change that, and Michael is powerless--not something he is used to being-- to stop it.
Time is not on Michael's side. Two weeks is all he has to find not only a bride, but place for one in his life. Resisting something he's never wanted to have, or even thought he would have, is thrust upon him when the right woman hijacks his life and breaks into his house. Who better to fit into the lifestyle he leads, than a woman who got in under his nose? Cue Elsie.
Elsie is the opportunity that skips knocking on the door, instead letting herself right on in. Michael needs a wife, Elsie needs a life. Two birds are being killed with the same stone that is the impending marriage that benefits them both. Although it begins as a marriage of convince, will it end that way? Will it end at all? There's only one way for you to find out.
A year is what Michael contracts Elsie to. A year of being his wife then he's free to run his empire as she goes about living a life she's been withheld from doing--not at Michael's doing--for almost a decade. A lot can happen in a year, but in the corrupt world Michael lives, breathes and was born into, a lot can happen in only a day. The days Elsie and Michael spend together will be far from dull, that's a promise. A war is brewing, and Michael is on the front line. And so is his family.
Elsie manages to win one person over immediately, and it's not her soon-to-be husband. It's his daughter. The girl has a big heart and loves fiercely without question, including a stranger suddenly in her life which Elsie very much is. She takes Michael's daughter into her arms and her heart without question and the more she is seen with her, the more Michael wonders if she's really meant to be his instead of a pawn in the game he's playing. She touches him like she's not afraid to be bitten by the hand that feeds her, and she sees the man behind the metaphorical mask that everyone else sees.
But is Elsie enough to make everything better, tick all the boxes and be the magical cure to cure all the ills plaguing Michael? She's put to the test, as is everyone around her, when the impending war lands right on their doorstep and she's plunged once more into the world she has so bravely escaped. Her life is once more thrown into jeopardy and as a consequence, so is Michael and his daughter's. It's a dangerous an sinful domino effect.
Was Michael right all along? Is no woman safe in his world, even the woman who--as his now wife--should be the safest kept woman of them all?
Sinful Vows is as it says on the tin, sinful in every sense of the word. Lilian Harris delivers a story that is both gripping, sexy, sinful and suspenseful. Everything that I know and love about mafia romance books has been done to the highest level of perfection, producing something that blew my literary socks off. It's been a hot minute since I've enjoyed such a book like this, one that possesses deep, dark undertones and a storyline, and I'm glad that her efforts paid off because I have been coloured most impressed.
Though this is the end of Michael & Elsie's story, this is not the end of the series. I'm in it for the long haul and am buckled in for the next ride we will put through when we dive back in, sometime in the near future.
Thank you, Lilian, for creating something I'm very proud to put as a top read. A must read for all.
Five stars.
---------------------
ALC Review - October 7th 2023
Sinful Vows by, book one in Lilian Harris’ Messina Crime Family series, narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton.
This was the read that first introduced me head-first into the amazing world of Lilian Harris and her writing. As a massive dark romance/mafia romance reader, I knew the second I saw this book sign-up, I had to read it. There was just something about it that drew me in and by the time I had finished the last page, I knew I had found a new favourite author who I’d be sticking with for a while yet.
When I saw from Lilian herself that this series would be adapted into audiobook, I couldn’t contain my joy and excitement. I’ve been getting more and more into audiobooks since 2019—having discovered a few favourite narrators along the way—, and since I’m only on one ALC team, I had the time and the means to listen to who Lilian would chose to lead us on this audio adventure.
Cue Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton. I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Teddy in numerous audiobooks in the past, but Callie would be new to me so I was looking forward to hearing her voice for the first time, and how she would bring the FMC to life through our ears.
The beauty of books allows for each reader to individually picture a scene, a character, a moment, but there’s only one shot at hitting the mark when it comes to the narration. One voice—or more—to bring out the essence of the character from the pages and Teddy and Callie both hit that mark. Michael’s sinister, dominating and soul-shaking self was perfected by Teddy in how he portrayed him through his voice. He was so unnervingly good at channeling Michael and all that came with him, that I had to pause the audiobook for some recovery time. What. A. Performance. He was equally matched and complimented by Callie as our FMC, Elsie. Callie brought the determination, bravery and backbone of the character to life brilliantly, and she was a delight to listen to. Such a lovely voice and a perfect match to Teddy’s titillating tones.
Even though I knew the story from having previously read the book, this audiobook was in a whole new league of its own and I cannot even begin to describe just how much steam, suspense, smut and oh so much more was turned up ten notches thanks to the out-of-this world narration. You’ll just have to take my word for it and find out for yourselves because trust me, it’s worth what you’ll experience listening to this audiobook by the end.
I was a fan of this book before listening to the audiobook, but I’m even more of a fan now thanks to it. It’s got me ramped up and excited for the future audiobooks to come for this series, without a shadow of a doubt. Teddy and Callie have hyped me up for what the rest of the audiobook series has to offer.
Brilliant job all round both to the narrators, and to Lilian for choosing them as our main characters. I’m thoroughly satisfied.
Thank you to Grey's Promotions for sending me an ebook ARC for me to read and leave an honest review
Sinful Vows (Messina Crime Family #1) is the first novel in this sinfully promising new mafia romance series from Lilian Harris. As a fan of mafia romance, I knew I had to request a copy to read this the moment I spotted it on the new list of sign-ups at the time. Time to meet the mafia mobster!
Not wanting a wife, Michael Marino promises not a safe environment for any woman who so happens to come his way. The only exception? His six-year-old daughter. She is the apple of his eye and perhaps the only girl to have ever wormed her way into his closed-off heart. But for how long? One woman unknowingly might change that, and Michael is powerless--not something he is used to being-- to stop it.
Time is not on Michael's side. Two weeks is all he has to find not only a bride, but place for one in his life. Resisting something he's never wanted to have, or even thought he would have, is thrust upon him when the right woman hijacks his life and breaks into his house. Who better to fit into the lifestyle he leads, than a woman who got in under his nose? Cue Elsie.
Elsie is the opportunity that skips knocking on the door, instead letting herself right on in. Michael needs a wife, Elsie needs a life. Two birds are being killed with the same stone that is the impending marriage that benefits them both. Although it begins as a marriage of convince, will it end that way? Will it end at all? There's only one way for you to find out.
A year is what Michael contracts Elsie to. A year of being his wife then he's free to run his empire as she goes about living a life she's been withheld from doing--not at Michael's doing--for almost a decade. A lot can happen in a year, but in the corrupt world Michael lives, breathes and was born into, a lot can happen in only a day. The days Elsie and Michael spend together will be far from dull, that's a promise. A war is brewing, and Michael is on the front line. And so is his family.
Elsie manages to win one person over immediately, and it's not her soon-to-be husband. It's his daughter. The girl has a big heart and loves fiercely without question, including a stranger suddenly in her life which Elsie very much is. She takes Michael's daughter into her arms and her heart without question and the more she is seen with her, the more Michael wonders if she's really meant to be his instead of a pawn in the game he's playing. She touches him like she's not afraid to be bitten by the hand that feeds her, and she sees the man behind the metaphorical mask that everyone else sees.
But is Elsie enough to make everything better, tick all the boxes and be the magical cure to cure all the ills plaguing Michael? She's put to the test, as is everyone around her, when the impending war lands right on their doorstep and she's plunged once more into the world she has so bravely escaped. Her life is once more thrown into jeopardy and as a consequence, so is Michael and his daughter's. It's a dangerous an sinful domino effect.
Was Michael right all along? Is no woman safe in his world, even the woman who--as his now wife--should be the safest kept woman of them all?
Sinful Vows is as it says on the tin, sinful in every sense of the word. Lilian Harris delivers a story that is both gripping, sexy, sinful and suspenseful. Everything that I know and love about mafia romance books has been done to the highest level of perfection, producing something that blew my literary socks off. It's been a hot minute since I've enjoyed such a book like this, one that possesses deep, dark undertones and a storyline, and I'm glad that her efforts paid off because I have been coloured most impressed.
Though this is the end of Michael & Elsie's story, this is not the end of the series. I'm in it for the long haul and am buckled in for the next ride we will put through when we dive back in, sometime in the near future.
Thank you, Lilian, for creating something I'm very proud to put as a top read. A must read for all.
Five stars.
---------------------
ALC Review - October 7th 2023
Sinful Vows by, book one in Lilian Harris’ Messina Crime Family series, narrated by Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton.
This was the read that first introduced me head-first into the amazing world of Lilian Harris and her writing. As a massive dark romance/mafia romance reader, I knew the second I saw this book sign-up, I had to read it. There was just something about it that drew me in and by the time I had finished the last page, I knew I had found a new favourite author who I’d be sticking with for a while yet.
When I saw from Lilian herself that this series would be adapted into audiobook, I couldn’t contain my joy and excitement. I’ve been getting more and more into audiobooks since 2019—having discovered a few favourite narrators along the way—, and since I’m only on one ALC team, I had the time and the means to listen to who Lilian would chose to lead us on this audio adventure.
Cue Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton. I’ve had the pleasure of listening to Teddy in numerous audiobooks in the past, but Callie would be new to me so I was looking forward to hearing her voice for the first time, and how she would bring the FMC to life through our ears.
The beauty of books allows for each reader to individually picture a scene, a character, a moment, but there’s only one shot at hitting the mark when it comes to the narration. One voice—or more—to bring out the essence of the character from the pages and Teddy and Callie both hit that mark. Michael’s sinister, dominating and soul-shaking self was perfected by Teddy in how he portrayed him through his voice. He was so unnervingly good at channeling Michael and all that came with him, that I had to pause the audiobook for some recovery time. What. A. Performance. He was equally matched and complimented by Callie as our FMC, Elsie. Callie brought the determination, bravery and backbone of the character to life brilliantly, and she was a delight to listen to. Such a lovely voice and a perfect match to Teddy’s titillating tones.
Even though I knew the story from having previously read the book, this audiobook was in a whole new league of its own and I cannot even begin to describe just how much steam, suspense, smut and oh so much more was turned up ten notches thanks to the out-of-this world narration. You’ll just have to take my word for it and find out for yourselves because trust me, it’s worth what you’ll experience listening to this audiobook by the end.
I was a fan of this book before listening to the audiobook, but I’m even more of a fan now thanks to it. It’s got me ramped up and excited for the future audiobooks to come for this series, without a shadow of a doubt. Teddy and Callie have hyped me up for what the rest of the audiobook series has to offer.
Brilliant job all round both to the narrators, and to Lilian for choosing them as our main characters. I’m thoroughly satisfied.
its_aislinn's review against another edition
4.0
“Sinful Vows” takes mafia romance to a whole new level.
Energetic, suspenseful, and romantic are all words I would use to describe this book. The book starts off by introducing us to two girls: Kayla and Elsie. Kayla and Elsie, as we come to learn, are best friends that were trafficked together 9 years ago (with their best friend Jade, whose whereabouts are unknown). A surprise encounter with our MMC, Michael, leads to Elsie taking a chance at escaping. When Michael finds Elsie in his home, he strikes up a deal: if Elsie agrees to be his wife for one year, then after the year is up she will be free.
AHH, are you screaming yet?! This book includes so many of my favorite tropes: marriage of convenience, touch her and you die, and he falls first and falls hard. And it wouldn’t be a mafia romance if there wasn’t a heavy dose of enemies to lovers.
What makes “Sinful Vows” different is that Michael has a secret child, a daughter named Sophia. Sophia is naive to their life, and Michael has worked tirelessly to ensure she doesn’t know of what he does until she is much older. Sophia is Michael’s world, and he would lay down his life for her without a second thought.
Naturally, this means that Michael’s enemies cannot know about Sophia, as she is his Achilles heel. Internally, Michael wants to give Sophia a mother who will love her, but externally, he never lets anyone close enough to become that.
Enter Elsie.
Without giving too much away, Elsie is a total rockstar. She treats Sophia as her own and forms such a special bond with her. With Michael, Elsie gets under his skin from the get-go. She pushes his buttons and is so feisty. Michael says that he doesn’t want a woman who stands behind him but a queen who leads aside him and he truly gets that in Elsie. She’s his equal in all ways. Their relationship was tumultuous at times but the ending was worth all of the pain. Like a good mafia romance, Michael would burn the world if Elsie asked him to, and he made it his mission to hunt down all those who hurt her while she was trafficked.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m giving it a 4.5, only because the third act breakup felt unnecessary to me. Other than that, a delicious mafia romance.
Energetic, suspenseful, and romantic are all words I would use to describe this book. The book starts off by introducing us to two girls: Kayla and Elsie. Kayla and Elsie, as we come to learn, are best friends that were trafficked together 9 years ago (with their best friend Jade, whose whereabouts are unknown). A surprise encounter with our MMC, Michael, leads to Elsie taking a chance at escaping. When Michael finds Elsie in his home, he strikes up a deal: if Elsie agrees to be his wife for one year, then after the year is up she will be free.
AHH, are you screaming yet?! This book includes so many of my favorite tropes: marriage of convenience, touch her and you die, and he falls first and falls hard. And it wouldn’t be a mafia romance if there wasn’t a heavy dose of enemies to lovers.
What makes “Sinful Vows” different is that Michael has a secret child, a daughter named Sophia. Sophia is naive to their life, and Michael has worked tirelessly to ensure she doesn’t know of what he does until she is much older. Sophia is Michael’s world, and he would lay down his life for her without a second thought.
Naturally, this means that Michael’s enemies cannot know about Sophia, as she is his Achilles heel. Internally, Michael wants to give Sophia a mother who will love her, but externally, he never lets anyone close enough to become that.
Enter Elsie.
Without giving too much away, Elsie is a total rockstar. She treats Sophia as her own and forms such a special bond with her. With Michael, Elsie gets under his skin from the get-go. She pushes his buttons and is so feisty. Michael says that he doesn’t want a woman who stands behind him but a queen who leads aside him and he truly gets that in Elsie. She’s his equal in all ways. Their relationship was tumultuous at times but the ending was worth all of the pain. Like a good mafia romance, Michael would burn the world if Elsie asked him to, and he made it his mission to hunt down all those who hurt her while she was trafficked.
In short, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I’m giving it a 4.5, only because the third act breakup felt unnecessary to me. Other than that, a delicious mafia romance.
debbie2232's review against another edition
5.0
Once again Lilian Harris has written an outstanding book!
Sinful Vows is the first book in the brand new series Messina Crime Family. This book is about Michael and Elsie. Michael needs a wife and decides after discovering Elsie hiding in his house that she will be his wife. After escaping nine years of hell, Elsie accepts Michael’s offer to marry him because she wants to be able to save her two best friends and believes that Michael might be able to help.
In the beginning Michael appears to be very cold and heartless, but that is just him shielding himself. He has a lot of self doubt, and doesn’t want to let anyone into his heart. Trust me when I say you will start to really like Michael once you learn more. He may seem cold but he is so sweet to his daughter Sophia. And when Elsie suddenly appears in his life, everything he has done to avoid those things starts to crumble. Elsie has been through so much pain and suffering for over nine years. She is such a strong character that never gave up, even through her hardest struggles she stayed strong. This is definitely a very dark story, so make sure to check TWs before reading.
Lilian Harris is such an amazing author, and she never writes a bad book! Sinful Vows is a very addicting read that I could not put down. It’s such an interesting story and I highly recommend it if you like dark mafia romance.
This was a fantastic start to her brand new series and I cannot wait to see what comes next!
5 stars!!!
spicycronereads's review
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
Now, I like a lot of spice, but this book was more spice than plot. And a little too insta-love for me.
Elsie the FMC had been through nine years of being trafficked and sexually assaulted, but somehow within a week was head over heels in love with the MMC, Michael. Sophie, Micheal’s daughter, was an interesting touch to the story, and her backstory was maybe the most interesting part of the whole Book.
Were it not for needing a single dad and mafia story for a reading challenge, I probably would not have finished it.
Elsie the FMC had been through nine years of being trafficked and sexually assaulted, but somehow within a week was head over heels in love with the MMC, Michael. Sophie, Micheal’s daughter, was an interesting touch to the story, and her backstory was maybe the most interesting part of the whole Book.
Were it not for needing a single dad and mafia story for a reading challenge, I probably would not have finished it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Trafficking, Gun violence, and Physical abuse
Moderate: Sexual violence and Kidnapping
readingwithmrleo's review
challenging
dark
emotional
sad
medium-paced
3.5
3.5/5
Make sure to check trigger warnings before diving into this one. This is a dark mafia romance, and when I say dark, I mean pitch black dark.
I had a hard time deciding what to rate this one for some reason cause I read it really quickly, but still, some parts felt long to me. It started fast and I was hooked but then it slowed down and it took me a while to be hooked again, but when I was, damn, I WAS. And that ending? I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING NOW. What a cliffhanger... not sure I’ll survive.
I loved the whole protector vibes we got in here. And it’s definitely a case of I’ll kill you if you touch her (or even look at her!) which I’m always a fan of. Michael was so damn loveable and I was so happy Elsie found him. Their story together evolved nicely, I just wasn’t a fan of how quick it went... In my head, I couldn’t help but think it was months when it was only a few days. So that bugged me a little... but then, I’m definitely not a fan of instant love so blame me for that haha!
Overall, I’d say the middle part of the book was a little redundant at times somehow, but then it got better. The plot vs. spice ratio was a little too focused on spice for me but I know most people love that so if you’re into it, you’ll be happy for sure! The main plot of the story was so good and the twists and turns by the end caught me off guard honestly, I just couldn’t put the book down. Michael's family dynamic was something I very much appreciated and I certainly want to know more about what will happen to them in the future.
Thanks to the author for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
Make sure to check trigger warnings before diving into this one. This is a dark mafia romance, and when I say dark, I mean pitch black dark.
I had a hard time deciding what to rate this one for some reason cause I read it really quickly, but still, some parts felt long to me. It started fast and I was hooked but then it slowed down and it took me a while to be hooked again, but when I was, damn, I WAS. And that ending? I NEED TO KNOW EVERYTHING NOW. What a cliffhanger... not sure I’ll survive.
I loved the whole protector vibes we got in here. And it’s definitely a case of I’ll kill you if you touch her (or even look at her!) which I’m always a fan of. Michael was so damn loveable and I was so happy Elsie found him. Their story together evolved nicely, I just wasn’t a fan of how quick it went... In my head, I couldn’t help but think it was months when it was only a few days. So that bugged me a little... but then, I’m definitely not a fan of instant love so blame me for that haha!
Overall, I’d say the middle part of the book was a little redundant at times somehow, but then it got better. The plot vs. spice ratio was a little too focused on spice for me but I know most people love that so if you’re into it, you’ll be happy for sure! The main plot of the story was so good and the twists and turns by the end caught me off guard honestly, I just couldn’t put the book down. Michael's family dynamic was something I very much appreciated and I certainly want to know more about what will happen to them in the future.
Thanks to the author for the eARC. All opinions are my own.
thebookishcajun's review against another edition
3.5
I love a single dad, and I love mafia, so when I saw this was a single dad/mafia romance, I had to give it a listen! I love a morally grey guy who is wrapped around their daughter's little finger. And that's exactly what Michael was. Of course, it was hard enough in his line of work and protecting a little girl. Never did he ever intend on including a second person in that protective bubble, but he also never planned on Elsie sneaking into his house. Michael's daughter Sophia was so precious, and such a bright light amid some of the darkness.
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and my heart broke for what Elsie and her friends endured. However, while I know this is fiction, there were some plot points and decisions that I questioned. A couple side plots also seemed to be wrapped up a little too neatly, but I am curious to see where things go from here.
🎧: I adore both Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton as narrators, and this was another wonderful performance from the both of them.
𝚝 𝚛 𝚘 𝚙 𝚎 𝚜:
🖤 dark/mafia romance
❤️ single dad
🖤 marriage of convenience
❤️ forced proximity
🖤 only one bed
Overall, I enjoyed the story, and my heart broke for what Elsie and her friends endured. However, while I know this is fiction, there were some plot points and decisions that I questioned. A couple side plots also seemed to be wrapped up a little too neatly, but I am curious to see where things go from here.
🎧: I adore both Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton as narrators, and this was another wonderful performance from the both of them.
𝚝 𝚛 𝚘 𝚙 𝚎 𝚜:
🖤 dark/mafia romance
❤️ single dad
🖤 marriage of convenience
❤️ forced proximity
🖤 only one bed
jsromancebookblog's review against another edition
5.0
A delectably spicy romance with an addictive storyline, Sinful Vows is exactly the sort of dark mafia romance I love to read. This is Michael and Elsie’s story, and when it begins, we find that Elsie is being held captive and made to “work” after being trafficked. Michael’s taking over for his father as the head of their crime family, and when we first meet him, he’s inadvertently come into contact with Elsie but only at a distance. She’s desperate to leave and secretly escapes by way of Michael, which is partially how they find themselves in a marriage of convenience (for him)/forced marriage (for her). He’s also got a lot weighing on him, including the expectation that he’ll marry. However unfortunate a circumstance they’re made to be in, there’s a true connection between them, but will personal fears and outside forces keep them apart?
I loved the way this story developed. There’s plenty of spice, but then the plot is really well thought out and even sets you up for what’s next up in the series, which I appreciate. The progression of events lends to a believable storyline, and then there’s this simmering tension throughout the book that’s ever present in a way that makes you need to find out what’s going to happen. There’s drama that plagues Michael and Elsie’s lives, which makes their story so engaging. Add in the twists and turns, and it’s exactly all that that made this book so completely unputdownable for me.
And I adore how absolutely deep these characters are and how complicated their love is. Michael is this seemingly tough guy that from the outside someone would assume couldn’t be rattled, but he deals with so much inner turmoil and fear of losing the people he cares for most and that makes him actually quite vulnerable. Then there’s Elsie, and despite all the horrors she’s lived through, she’s come out of it all still sweet but so strong and fiery. She’s the perfect counterpart to Michael and can hold her own against him.
I devoured this romance, and if you enjoy steamy, dark mafia romances then you’re absolutely going to want to give this book a read. Next up is Michael’s brother’s book, and I’m beyond excited for it.
I loved the way this story developed. There’s plenty of spice, but then the plot is really well thought out and even sets you up for what’s next up in the series, which I appreciate. The progression of events lends to a believable storyline, and then there’s this simmering tension throughout the book that’s ever present in a way that makes you need to find out what’s going to happen. There’s drama that plagues Michael and Elsie’s lives, which makes their story so engaging. Add in the twists and turns, and it’s exactly all that that made this book so completely unputdownable for me.
And I adore how absolutely deep these characters are and how complicated their love is. Michael is this seemingly tough guy that from the outside someone would assume couldn’t be rattled, but he deals with so much inner turmoil and fear of losing the people he cares for most and that makes him actually quite vulnerable. Then there’s Elsie, and despite all the horrors she’s lived through, she’s come out of it all still sweet but so strong and fiery. She’s the perfect counterpart to Michael and can hold her own against him.
I devoured this romance, and if you enjoy steamy, dark mafia romances then you’re absolutely going to want to give this book a read. Next up is Michael’s brother’s book, and I’m beyond excited for it.