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kle105's review against another edition
4.0
This story has a lot of mystery, intrigue, and smoking hot romance. Lorenzo (Loren) is putting himself in the path of Catalina (Cat) but the reasons why are unknown.
Cat agrees to attend a college course for her sister Emma who is away on assignment in Chicago. While taking the class Cat, gets tangled with the teacher Loren. He may be sexy as sin, but he isn't going to make it easy on her. He makes it known he is interested but Cat doesn't have time for games, she is busy as a full time principal dancer. Loren has a dark side to him and he keeps it hidden from Cat as much as he can.
When some people from Cat's past reappear, nobody is safe. A war is started and Cat and Loren are just some of the targets. While Cat has distanced herself from her mobster father, she isn't safe from his enemies. Cat also has to wrestle with how she feels about Loren once she discovers his ties to her fathers world.
This story had a lot going on but it also drew me in and I am not usually one for Mafia romances. Very well told, lots of steam, and a dominate alpha that is hot as sin!
Cat agrees to attend a college course for her sister Emma who is away on assignment in Chicago. While taking the class Cat, gets tangled with the teacher Loren. He may be sexy as sin, but he isn't going to make it easy on her. He makes it known he is interested but Cat doesn't have time for games, she is busy as a full time principal dancer. Loren has a dark side to him and he keeps it hidden from Cat as much as he can.
When some people from Cat's past reappear, nobody is safe. A war is started and Cat and Loren are just some of the targets. While Cat has distanced herself from her mobster father, she isn't safe from his enemies. Cat also has to wrestle with how she feels about Loren once she discovers his ties to her fathers world.
This story had a lot going on but it also drew me in and I am not usually one for Mafia romances. Very well told, lots of steam, and a dominate alpha that is hot as sin!
whiskey_kitten's review against another edition
2.0
This book tried to do way too much in 250 pages and didn't necessarily do it effectively. The FMC was also an annoying crybaby (I'm pretty sure she cries at least twice a chapter), her conclusions and motivations made absolutely no sense.
This book was a struggle to finish and definitely turned me off from the rest of the series.
This book was a struggle to finish and definitely turned me off from the rest of the series.
eroseno's review against another edition
dark
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
banaamelia's review against another edition
3.0
Started off really good but then went steeply downhill very fast
dami_96's review
adventurous
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
This book was okay. It got me out of my reading slump. Thank God the main character wasn't a fucking pushover which they normally are for these kinds of book. More build up then actual sex scene but was good.
cherry_reads's review against another edition
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
romecca's review against another edition
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.0
rachelabel's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
meggie82461's review against another edition
4.0
(ARC provided in exchange for an honest review, publication expected July 12th)
4 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was actually my first Claire Contreras, but when it was delivered to my kindle and I saw the HOT cover- and the fact it was a mafia romance- I immediately jumped in. I wasn't disappointed, either- I stayed up far too late just to finish this, and even though it's my kid’s birthday and a national holiday, I have zero regrets!
"Some men pretend they want control. They play with handcuffs and floggers and remind you continuously that you're theirs. Men like Loren don't need to play games to remind you that you're at their mercy."
The story is told primarily from the POV of Catalina AKA "Cat". She is a 28-year-old ballerina. She found out years ago that her family was heavily involved in the mafia by turning on a late-night special on organized crime. Her mom ran away from the family, tragedy happened, and ultimately, her brother Gio is in deep, whereas Kat and her sister Emma distanced themselves from the family both physically and emotionally. However, as we all know, the mafia is in your blood, and it's damn near impossible to hide from people that make a life of living above the law. Enter Lorenzo- the less I say about him, the better. There are a few chapters sprinkled in from Loren's POV. From the outset, his suspect motives and dark edge make the reader leery of him, but his sex appeal? That shit is clear as day. Damm, I think he forced me to ovulate a week early. While Loren doesn't operate on the right side of the law, and his genuine interest in Cat is often called into question, there's no denying the explosive chemistry that exists between the two of them from the very beginning.
"...and yet, that's how this man makes me feel- a little awkward in his presence and yet somehow worse in his absence."
From their (orchestrated) first encounter, the sparks fly between Cat and Lorenzo, and nowhere are they more plentiful than in the bedroom. Jesus, these two scorched up the pages when they were alone. It's insta-lust, not insta-love. I didn't blame Cat in the slightest for falling for his games, but I did feel awful that she unknowingly fell for the type of man she had spent her whole life running from. I knew Lorenzo was keeping things from her- that's obvious from the very beginning- but even I was surprised by the truth when it was uncovered. I don't think I would've given in and forgiven him as quickly as Cat did, but the truth is that she was never equipped for these types of games. There's a reason she ran from that life. Also, he's fucking hot, so there's that. Cat was somewhat of a doormat, but it wasn't like she only gave in to Lorenzo. She took care of herself and everyone else, often shying away from confrontation in the process, so the fact that she didn't stand up to Loren like she probably should've wasn't as frustrating as I would've expected. After all, her life was jam-packed full of lies and betrayal, especially involving the people that claimed to love her.
When it comes to men like Loren, mysterious and dangerous, I'd have to accept that love and fear come in one shiny, fucked up package.
I try not to judge ARC's based on grammar or technical errors, since they aren't the final product. Regardless, there weren't many, and the ones present didn't affect the story. However, there were plot holes, as well as a few details that were a bit too far-fetched for me. For example, when we find out Lorenzo's tie to Cat, I found it very hard to believe that Cat would've never seen him before in her life. Also, the overall organized crime structure was blurry; I had no idea where the majority of the characters stood in the hierarchy, nor did I ever really get a good handle on what exactly Lorenzo did for a living (we'll just say he wore a few different hats and leave it at that). That being said, the people and their complicated relationships with one another more than made up for these small problems. All of the characters were intriguing; I genuinely cared about the majority of them. They were humans that made mistakes, but that made them all the more relatable. These people were not caricatures; their involvement in organized crime didn't insulate them from the things that come with being human. They struggled with a lot of the same things we do each and every day, just with a lot more violence and betrayal sprinkled in for good measure. The plot was suspenseful enough to make me stay up way later than I should've, mostly so that I could know how the story ended for each and every one of them. Finally- and maybe most importantly- was that the characters largely stayed true to themselves. Criminals don't turn into saints overnight, after all, especially when they have been raised a certain way. Love can change how you look at things, though; everyone knows that. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and hope that your love together is enough to keep the wolves at bay. As for me, I'm hoping that we get to read more stories from this world, because there are a few characters that deserve their own happily ever after!
"You can't catch a butterfly and expect to keep it in a glass jar forever."
The words weigh heavily on my chest. I wasn't trying to keep her in a glass jar. I was just trying to keep her- period. I'll build a fucking atrium if that's what it takes.
4 Stars! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This was actually my first Claire Contreras, but when it was delivered to my kindle and I saw the HOT cover- and the fact it was a mafia romance- I immediately jumped in. I wasn't disappointed, either- I stayed up far too late just to finish this, and even though it's my kid’s birthday and a national holiday, I have zero regrets!
"Some men pretend they want control. They play with handcuffs and floggers and remind you continuously that you're theirs. Men like Loren don't need to play games to remind you that you're at their mercy."
The story is told primarily from the POV of Catalina AKA "Cat". She is a 28-year-old ballerina. She found out years ago that her family was heavily involved in the mafia by turning on a late-night special on organized crime. Her mom ran away from the family, tragedy happened, and ultimately, her brother Gio is in deep, whereas Kat and her sister Emma distanced themselves from the family both physically and emotionally. However, as we all know, the mafia is in your blood, and it's damn near impossible to hide from people that make a life of living above the law. Enter Lorenzo- the less I say about him, the better. There are a few chapters sprinkled in from Loren's POV. From the outset, his suspect motives and dark edge make the reader leery of him, but his sex appeal? That shit is clear as day. Damm, I think he forced me to ovulate a week early. While Loren doesn't operate on the right side of the law, and his genuine interest in Cat is often called into question, there's no denying the explosive chemistry that exists between the two of them from the very beginning.
"...and yet, that's how this man makes me feel- a little awkward in his presence and yet somehow worse in his absence."
From their (orchestrated) first encounter, the sparks fly between Cat and Lorenzo, and nowhere are they more plentiful than in the bedroom. Jesus, these two scorched up the pages when they were alone. It's insta-lust, not insta-love. I didn't blame Cat in the slightest for falling for his games, but I did feel awful that she unknowingly fell for the type of man she had spent her whole life running from. I knew Lorenzo was keeping things from her- that's obvious from the very beginning- but even I was surprised by the truth when it was uncovered. I don't think I would've given in and forgiven him as quickly as Cat did, but the truth is that she was never equipped for these types of games. There's a reason she ran from that life. Also, he's fucking hot, so there's that. Cat was somewhat of a doormat, but it wasn't like she only gave in to Lorenzo. She took care of herself and everyone else, often shying away from confrontation in the process, so the fact that she didn't stand up to Loren like she probably should've wasn't as frustrating as I would've expected. After all, her life was jam-packed full of lies and betrayal, especially involving the people that claimed to love her.
When it comes to men like Loren, mysterious and dangerous, I'd have to accept that love and fear come in one shiny, fucked up package.
I try not to judge ARC's based on grammar or technical errors, since they aren't the final product. Regardless, there weren't many, and the ones present didn't affect the story. However, there were plot holes, as well as a few details that were a bit too far-fetched for me. For example, when we find out Lorenzo's tie to Cat, I found it very hard to believe that Cat would've never seen him before in her life. Also, the overall organized crime structure was blurry; I had no idea where the majority of the characters stood in the hierarchy, nor did I ever really get a good handle on what exactly Lorenzo did for a living (we'll just say he wore a few different hats and leave it at that). That being said, the people and their complicated relationships with one another more than made up for these small problems. All of the characters were intriguing; I genuinely cared about the majority of them. They were humans that made mistakes, but that made them all the more relatable. These people were not caricatures; their involvement in organized crime didn't insulate them from the things that come with being human. They struggled with a lot of the same things we do each and every day, just with a lot more violence and betrayal sprinkled in for good measure. The plot was suspenseful enough to make me stay up way later than I should've, mostly so that I could know how the story ended for each and every one of them. Finally- and maybe most importantly- was that the characters largely stayed true to themselves. Criminals don't turn into saints overnight, after all, especially when they have been raised a certain way. Love can change how you look at things, though; everyone knows that. Sometimes you have to take a leap of faith and hope that your love together is enough to keep the wolves at bay. As for me, I'm hoping that we get to read more stories from this world, because there are a few characters that deserve their own happily ever after!
"You can't catch a butterfly and expect to keep it in a glass jar forever."
The words weigh heavily on my chest. I wasn't trying to keep her in a glass jar. I was just trying to keep her- period. I'll build a fucking atrium if that's what it takes.