stucknbooks14's review against another edition
5.0
I never thought I’d ever see him again. I never thought I’d need him to rescue me. And I certainly never thought I’d grow to fear them.
Fifty-five chapters, plus an epilogue. Well over five hundred pages. And never once did it feel too long. By the end, I felt like it wasn’t enough! If you liked Sicko, this is comparable. Just, without Sicko. Kinda. There’s a lot of information right off the bat. It’s like a mafia 101 history class. So if it’s your first time dipping your toes into the chaos of mafia romance, it’s a great thing! Bennett’s attraction and flirtation towards Sierra knew no bounds. Including when she was being held against her will, like it was totally the time and place for that! There’s another time jump, and secrets are exposed. I won’t expose them here...but I will at the bottom of this review, because I have words. Ben’s infatuation becomes deadly protective REAL quick. Nothing will come between him and those he loves. And it’s more than the usual ‘romantic’ mafia love possession. It’s not about power, it never is with Ben. It’s truly a strong love, and bond. He knew loving her was dangerous. He knew the power that gave others. But it didn’t matter. Ben would have Sierra no matter what. I loved seeing the big bad powerful man take control of his emotions and his love. Ben had a beautiful sweet side, and he wasn’t afraid to show it! I hoped more than anything that the conflict between them wasn’t going to be because he broke her heart. I trusted him just as much as she did. I usually prefer for them to earn that from me, but Ben made it easy. I loved that their conflicts were easily (and quickly) solved with open and honest communication. The story focused on Ben and Sierra reuniting, figuring themselves out, and creating a united front. The chaos around them was just the dirty details. I was brought to tears when Ben was threatened because of his love for Sierra, and was sick to my stomach for the rest of the book. Thank heavens for happy endings! Is there anything more perfect than a mafia man with sweet words and a loving heart?
My Favorite Quotes:
•”You are breathtaking tonight. You steal all the air from my lungs every time I look at you.”
•”There is no one else, Firefly.”
•”The only woman I want is you.”
•”No one f!cks with my girl and gets away with it.”
•”You are the only woman for me. Now and forever.”
•”I have spent what seems like an eternity dying to have you back in my bed.”
•”I want to f!ck this insatiable need for you out of my system, only to begin all over again, because there is no quenching my thirst when it comes to you.”
•”My queen never begs.”
•”Every day, you make me want to be a better man.”
7/10 Dirty Birdy
9/10 Mafia Romance
7/10 Second Chance
There are spoilers below this point
Sierra drove me nuts for entirely too much of the book. As a mom, I understood her need to protect her child. But to be so stubborn that she couldn’t just let Bennett help do exactly that?! He has the power and manpower to get that done! Put your own personal feelings aside, and let him do that! No matter how many times he told her about all the dangers, she blatantly ignored it and remained stubborn. It quite literally took something terrible happening for her to FINALLY see Bennett’s reasoning. Imagine that!
Fifty-five chapters, plus an epilogue. Well over five hundred pages. And never once did it feel too long. By the end, I felt like it wasn’t enough! If you liked Sicko, this is comparable. Just, without Sicko. Kinda. There’s a lot of information right off the bat. It’s like a mafia 101 history class. So if it’s your first time dipping your toes into the chaos of mafia romance, it’s a great thing! Bennett’s attraction and flirtation towards Sierra knew no bounds. Including when she was being held against her will, like it was totally the time and place for that! There’s another time jump, and secrets are exposed. I won’t expose them here...but I will at the bottom of this review, because I have words. Ben’s infatuation becomes deadly protective REAL quick. Nothing will come between him and those he loves. And it’s more than the usual ‘romantic’ mafia love possession. It’s not about power, it never is with Ben. It’s truly a strong love, and bond. He knew loving her was dangerous. He knew the power that gave others. But it didn’t matter. Ben would have Sierra no matter what. I loved seeing the big bad powerful man take control of his emotions and his love. Ben had a beautiful sweet side, and he wasn’t afraid to show it! I hoped more than anything that the conflict between them wasn’t going to be because he broke her heart. I trusted him just as much as she did. I usually prefer for them to earn that from me, but Ben made it easy. I loved that their conflicts were easily (and quickly) solved with open and honest communication. The story focused on Ben and Sierra reuniting, figuring themselves out, and creating a united front. The chaos around them was just the dirty details. I was brought to tears when Ben was threatened because of his love for Sierra, and was sick to my stomach for the rest of the book. Thank heavens for happy endings! Is there anything more perfect than a mafia man with sweet words and a loving heart?
My Favorite Quotes:
•”You are breathtaking tonight. You steal all the air from my lungs every time I look at you.”
•”There is no one else, Firefly.”
•”The only woman I want is you.”
•”No one f!cks with my girl and gets away with it.”
•”You are the only woman for me. Now and forever.”
•”I have spent what seems like an eternity dying to have you back in my bed.”
•”I want to f!ck this insatiable need for you out of my system, only to begin all over again, because there is no quenching my thirst when it comes to you.”
•”My queen never begs.”
•”Every day, you make me want to be a better man.”
7/10 Dirty Birdy
9/10 Mafia Romance
7/10 Second Chance
There are spoilers below this point
Sierra drove me nuts for entirely too much of the book. As a mom, I understood her need to protect her child. But to be so stubborn that she couldn’t just let Bennett help do exactly that?! He has the power and manpower to get that done! Put your own personal feelings aside, and let him do that! No matter how many times he told her about all the dangers, she blatantly ignored it and remained stubborn. It quite literally took something terrible happening for her to FINALLY see Bennett’s reasoning. Imagine that!
gasoline_allie's review against another edition
2.0
2 stars mostly because there were parts of the book where I thought it was improving. (I was wrong, but whatever.)
devonlee's review against another edition
5.0
Whew! This book is not a book you try and start a half hour before bed when you have work the next day.
It's next day and I'm writing this with multiple coffee mugs on my desk as I sip on my energy drink.
I was sucked in instantly and could not put it down.
Sierra and Ben have all the chemistry.
Ben is the alpha-hole we all hate to love. And swoon over when he finally realizes he can't fight it and he needs to stop being a d!ck.
One of the best standalone Mafia romances I have read!!!
It's next day and I'm writing this with multiple coffee mugs on my desk as I sip on my energy drink.
I was sucked in instantly and could not put it down.
Sierra and Ben have all the chemistry.
Ben is the alpha-hole we all hate to love. And swoon over when he finally realizes he can't fight it and he needs to stop being a d!ck.
One of the best standalone Mafia romances I have read!!!
mymessytbr's review against another edition
2.0
Loved the build up to them getting together but once they did it was just over the top like a soap opera.
holly_lawxo's review against another edition
3.0
Enjoyed this but not a fan of the baby/child trope.
elinsophie's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
2.5
kfriend's review against another edition
5.0
Mafia romance has always been my favorite sub-genre, so pair that with one of my favorite authors of all time and Condemned to Love is literally a dream- I’ve been dying for Siobhan to take a crack at mafia, and she does not disappoint! This is everything I want in a mafia romance! Sexy, dangerous, intriguing, and wildly entertaining- Condemned to Love is the swooniest mafia romance I have ever read. Somehow both dark and sweet, gritty yet emotional, intimate yet action packed, I could not put this story down! I am addicted to Ben and Sierra- I want to live in this mafia world forever.
Like all Siobhan stories, this one is FULL of surprises, this story is action packed with tons of twists, danger, betrayal, and jaw dropping surprises, and I’m not going to give you a single hint! But these characters, I just LOVED them. Siobhan is one of my favorite heroine writers of all time- she brings such nuances and layers of strength to the women in her stories, and Sierra is one of my favorites she’s written. She’s everything I want in a mafia leading lady- she’s tender, empathetic, sweet, exuding a charming vulnerability and open heartedness. She’s the “light” of the story- but she is far from weak. There’s a solid tenacity that underscores her light- this is a woman who won’t compromise on her beliefs, and who refuses to be walked over- she has steel when she needs it, and softness when she doesn’t. I love her contrasts, and I loved her open heart.
But BEN- oh Ben. He’s the swooniest mafia man I’ve ever read. I love how Siobhan constructs him- she lets him have the framings of a mafia boss- the darkness, the possessive alpha dominance, the capacity to do deplorable things- but this doesn’t define him as a character. Because Ben is still a hero-in really nuanced and interesting ways that contrast with the trope standard. AND HE IS SO DREAMY. Sexy, dark, and dangerous- just enough edge to keep us on our toes. But Siohan gives him nuance, makes him more defined than just a “mafia boss” archetype. He’s also incredibly self-aware emotionally, progressive in his leadership, and he loves with a charming romantic streak that has me sighing with delight. Unlike other mafia heroes who lack the capacity to love, Ben has it in spades- he just chooses to repress it, out of stoic responsibility and a grounded understanding of the perils of his life. But his firefly, the sweet little Sierra, arouses his protective instincts, thrusting a man capable of an epic love to confront fate. And when this man's full emotional range is unleashed- HOLD ON TO YOUR OVARIES! Total dark hero dreamboat.
These two are So hot together-and Siobhan so smartly invests in their shared history so we really understand the emotional intimacy between them. They share a solid and enchanting connection that just cannot be severed- irregardless of time, adversity, or difference. They are magic together- there’s a dynamic pull between them that I felt jump off the page, and it is just SO romantic. And so well matched. Sierra just wants to be SEEN, to have a love that is healthy, that is pure- and what irony that she finds herself loving a man who once belonged to another and now has erased love as a possibility. Her capacity to love wholly, nonjudgmentally and unconditionally, makes her the perfect match for our mafia man, Ben- a man who has always seen her for the beautiful creature she is, and a man who makes sacrifices for her in ways no one else will, just when she needs it. AND THEY ARE HOT- sexy, but also really tender and sweet in places. I could not get enough of them and this world- and there are some secondary characters that are just begging to have their own stories- I just want Siobhan to dwell in this mafia world forever.
This story seems to be written with so much thoughtful care- a carefully architected and well paced plot that twisted and turned and had me hanging on the edge of my seat, interesting and unexpected characters whose emotional journeys captured my heart, and intentional, and clearly well researched, mafia world building that consumed and enchanted me. Siobhan Davis and mafia were a pairing clearly meant to be, and I, for one, am desperate for more! Condemned to Love was delicious and delightful romantic entertainment- more more more!
Like all Siobhan stories, this one is FULL of surprises, this story is action packed with tons of twists, danger, betrayal, and jaw dropping surprises, and I’m not going to give you a single hint! But these characters, I just LOVED them. Siobhan is one of my favorite heroine writers of all time- she brings such nuances and layers of strength to the women in her stories, and Sierra is one of my favorites she’s written. She’s everything I want in a mafia leading lady- she’s tender, empathetic, sweet, exuding a charming vulnerability and open heartedness. She’s the “light” of the story- but she is far from weak. There’s a solid tenacity that underscores her light- this is a woman who won’t compromise on her beliefs, and who refuses to be walked over- she has steel when she needs it, and softness when she doesn’t. I love her contrasts, and I loved her open heart.
But BEN- oh Ben. He’s the swooniest mafia man I’ve ever read. I love how Siobhan constructs him- she lets him have the framings of a mafia boss- the darkness, the possessive alpha dominance, the capacity to do deplorable things- but this doesn’t define him as a character. Because Ben is still a hero-in really nuanced and interesting ways that contrast with the trope standard. AND HE IS SO DREAMY. Sexy, dark, and dangerous- just enough edge to keep us on our toes. But Siohan gives him nuance, makes him more defined than just a “mafia boss” archetype. He’s also incredibly self-aware emotionally, progressive in his leadership, and he loves with a charming romantic streak that has me sighing with delight. Unlike other mafia heroes who lack the capacity to love, Ben has it in spades- he just chooses to repress it, out of stoic responsibility and a grounded understanding of the perils of his life. But his firefly, the sweet little Sierra, arouses his protective instincts, thrusting a man capable of an epic love to confront fate. And when this man's full emotional range is unleashed- HOLD ON TO YOUR OVARIES! Total dark hero dreamboat.
These two are So hot together-and Siobhan so smartly invests in their shared history so we really understand the emotional intimacy between them. They share a solid and enchanting connection that just cannot be severed- irregardless of time, adversity, or difference. They are magic together- there’s a dynamic pull between them that I felt jump off the page, and it is just SO romantic. And so well matched. Sierra just wants to be SEEN, to have a love that is healthy, that is pure- and what irony that she finds herself loving a man who once belonged to another and now has erased love as a possibility. Her capacity to love wholly, nonjudgmentally and unconditionally, makes her the perfect match for our mafia man, Ben- a man who has always seen her for the beautiful creature she is, and a man who makes sacrifices for her in ways no one else will, just when she needs it. AND THEY ARE HOT- sexy, but also really tender and sweet in places. I could not get enough of them and this world- and there are some secondary characters that are just begging to have their own stories- I just want Siobhan to dwell in this mafia world forever.
This story seems to be written with so much thoughtful care- a carefully architected and well paced plot that twisted and turned and had me hanging on the edge of my seat, interesting and unexpected characters whose emotional journeys captured my heart, and intentional, and clearly well researched, mafia world building that consumed and enchanted me. Siobhan Davis and mafia were a pairing clearly meant to be, and I, for one, am desperate for more! Condemned to Love was delicious and delightful romantic entertainment- more more more!
mariiiaah's review against another edition
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
ben & sierra