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emilyrpf's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
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
4.0
haletostilinski1's review
4.0
⭐︎4.25 stars rounded down!⭐︎
My first outing with an L.A. Witt book in quite awhile, and overall it didn't disappoint.
In many ways, this is similar to probably my fave work by this author and one my favorites in general, [b:If The Seas Catch Fire|25456336|If The Seas Catch Fire|L.A. Witt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1430403912l/25456336._SY75_.jpg|45222619], which is more modern day mob/gang stuff, but it takes place in 1924 during prohibition when alcohol was illegal, and many crime families became very rich because of this, doing illegal "rum running."
This one is more rooted in reality, though, as there are several real figures/families in this or mentioned at the very least. It just so happens to have a gay love story at the center of it.
Danny Moore is an Irish immigrant to the states, who has been through it. Over the years, he's lost two of his three brothers due to gang violence, specially the Italians vs. Irish gang violence - that was a real thing back that day - and only has one left, who doesn't want him to have anything to do with the mob or any crime in general.
But Danny, who is probably early to mid-twenties (I'm thinking like 24 or so), is a petty theft with his gang of seven others, and when they try to rob rich people from a hotel on New Year's Eve, Danny ends up killing a higher ranking member of one of the Italian crime families, in order to protect a woman he thought was in danger. That gets the attention of several people, including:
Carmine Battaglia, who is a made man, an underboss of a smaller Italian crime family, but is Half-Sicilian - and I guess specifically, Sicilian mobs are very anal about any made man of a their mob being full Sicilian - so Carmine has to work extra to prove himself. Doesn't matter that he's fully Italian. Because one of his parents isn't from Sicily, he's looked as a "half-breed" almost.
So he is called the Venetian by other gangs because of that.
When he's impressed by what Danny and his crew were able to do at the hotel - and the fact that woman Danny saved was his sister - he asks for Danny to meet him, with a proposition to work for him as a Rum Runner, and of course he'd get paid pretty handsomely for it.
Danny at first refuses, and even seems to hate Carmine, simply for being Italian. But soon after he refuses, he realizes how hard it is to make a honest life in America, and how much their families are struggling just to put food on the table.
So he goes back and accepts, and asks his crew if they want in as well.
And so starts Danny and his crew Rum Running for Carmine and his crime family. It also helps add some extra bit of protection for Danny, who is in danger of the family of the man he killed wanting retribution and killing him.
The boss of the family is more rational and willing to work with them, but the nephew of the boss and brother of the man Danny killed, Salvatore, is more of a loose canon, and he becomes a big problem as the story goes on.
And as time goes on, Danny and Carmine get closer. They only ever see each other in Carmine's office to get the money Danny and his crew are owed from the runs, but still...they can't help but be attracted to each other and drawn to each other.
They are both gay, but of course have to keep it extremely quiet. There are bathhouses and the like they go to in secret, but as it was, that was all kept under wraps.
But the way Danny and Carmine look at each other...the way Carmine, a gangster, comes to care for Danny so much, when Danny should just be another one of his employee...it walks a fine line.
I did love their chemistry a lot, and I did love these two together so much.
And I get that it's so hard for them to do anything more when they have to do it all behind tightly closed doors, but I was wishing for more smut than we got.
We get some great kissing scenes, and one great, long sex scenes where we get them doing it twice. Those were great, but greedy reader that I am, I wanted more.
I wanted this to focus less on the gangster/crew/rum running stuff and more on these two. While that stuff was good, and interesting most of the time...I'm not here for that. I'm here for the romance, for the passion, for these two falling in love. And yeah, for some hot sex to go along with that.
Which we got...twice, in one big scene. So not on two separate occasions even. I wanted them to not be able to control their passion, at least once, and they maybe almost get caught. Not all the way, because obviously that would be so dangerous, but maybe almost...like maybe they're kissing and they hear someone coming so they have to spring apart and act natural.
Something like that would have been nice. So while overall I enjoyed this and it was such a well done story - a long one too. Over 500 pages - it took me so long to finish because of the lulls in interaction for these two. I wanted more, more, more from them.
And in between great scenes between these two, there were several stretches of Danny doing rum runs with the crew, and it was pretty detailed - a time when I wish it had been a little glossed over, tbh - and maybe some other stuff going on, and some things from Carmine's side as well.
After a big event that happens near the end, these two don't see each other for at least 2 weeks, maybe a little more than that, and I'm like why? Why have them go through this big event and then after a conversation in Carmine's office - and a very light kiss - we don't get them in a scene together for longer than necessary.
I wanted so much more with these two that the lack of them together at times frustrated me and is a big part of why I gave .75 stars off and rounded down to 4 stars, when otherwise I would have given this 5 stars.
The other niggle for me was a the very end. The climax happens and it was well done and heart pounding and all that stuff, and we get the aftermath, and then and that's all well and good, but then it ends and that's it.
I wanted an epilogue. I wanted to see how they were fairing together, if they were settling into a life together, whatever that is for them in the year 1924. I mean, I know there's going to be another book - either it's out already or not, I don't know - in the series, but it looked to be about Danny's best friend, James, so that tells me this is the end of Danny and Carmine's story, so I just would have liked a more solid, rounded out ending to just see these two more settled.
It was a tentative HFN, and I guess maybe a more solid HFN would have been nice, for me.
But other than those things, I did enjoy this overall. The side characters were very well done, very three dimensional, and I came to love Danny's crew as much as Danny (didn't mean I needed to read about them on Rum Runs all the time, just saying...).
The plot overall was very well done too. And the fact that it's fairly realistic is interesting too. I mean, I know the goings of Danny and Carmine are fictional, of course, but I mean more the inner workings of the Crime families and how things going down in the gangs, things like that. It definitely isn't a safe or boring life, that's for sure.
So overall, this was very strong and I did love it. I just wish we had gotten more of Danny and Carmine together, and a more solidified ending for them.
But I do definitely recommend this. It's long, but definitely worth the read, and a great book to revisit this author with.
Definitely two thumbs up from me!
My first outing with an L.A. Witt book in quite awhile, and overall it didn't disappoint.
In many ways, this is similar to probably my fave work by this author and one my favorites in general, [b:If The Seas Catch Fire|25456336|If The Seas Catch Fire|L.A. Witt|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1430403912l/25456336._SY75_.jpg|45222619], which is more modern day mob/gang stuff, but it takes place in 1924 during prohibition when alcohol was illegal, and many crime families became very rich because of this, doing illegal "rum running."
This one is more rooted in reality, though, as there are several real figures/families in this or mentioned at the very least. It just so happens to have a gay love story at the center of it.
Danny Moore is an Irish immigrant to the states, who has been through it. Over the years, he's lost two of his three brothers due to gang violence, specially the Italians vs. Irish gang violence - that was a real thing back that day - and only has one left, who doesn't want him to have anything to do with the mob or any crime in general.
But Danny, who is probably early to mid-twenties (I'm thinking like 24 or so), is a petty theft with his gang of seven others, and when they try to rob rich people from a hotel on New Year's Eve, Danny ends up killing a higher ranking member of one of the Italian crime families, in order to protect a woman he thought was in danger. That gets the attention of several people, including:
Carmine Battaglia, who is a made man, an underboss of a smaller Italian crime family, but is Half-Sicilian - and I guess specifically, Sicilian mobs are very anal about any made man of a their mob being full Sicilian - so Carmine has to work extra to prove himself. Doesn't matter that he's fully Italian. Because one of his parents isn't from Sicily, he's looked as a "half-breed" almost.
So he is called the Venetian by other gangs because of that.
When he's impressed by what Danny and his crew were able to do at the hotel - and the fact that woman Danny saved was his sister - he asks for Danny to meet him, with a proposition to work for him as a Rum Runner, and of course he'd get paid pretty handsomely for it.
Danny at first refuses, and even seems to hate Carmine, simply for being Italian. But soon after he refuses, he realizes how hard it is to make a honest life in America, and how much their families are struggling just to put food on the table.
So he goes back and accepts, and asks his crew if they want in as well.
And so starts Danny and his crew Rum Running for Carmine and his crime family. It also helps add some extra bit of protection for Danny, who is in danger of the family of the man he killed wanting retribution and killing him.
The boss of the family is more rational and willing to work with them, but the nephew of the boss and brother of the man Danny killed, Salvatore, is more of a loose canon, and he becomes a big problem as the story goes on.
And as time goes on, Danny and Carmine get closer. They only ever see each other in Carmine's office to get the money Danny and his crew are owed from the runs, but still...they can't help but be attracted to each other and drawn to each other.
They are both gay, but of course have to keep it extremely quiet. There are bathhouses and the like they go to in secret, but as it was, that was all kept under wraps.
But the way Danny and Carmine look at each other...the way Carmine, a gangster, comes to care for Danny so much, when Danny should just be another one of his employee...it walks a fine line.
I did love their chemistry a lot, and I did love these two together so much.
And I get that it's so hard for them to do anything more when they have to do it all behind tightly closed doors, but I was wishing for more smut than we got.
We get some great kissing scenes, and one great, long sex scenes where we get them doing it twice. Those were great, but greedy reader that I am, I wanted more.
I wanted this to focus less on the gangster/crew/rum running stuff and more on these two. While that stuff was good, and interesting most of the time...I'm not here for that. I'm here for the romance, for the passion, for these two falling in love. And yeah, for some hot sex to go along with that.
Which we got...twice, in one big scene. So not on two separate occasions even. I wanted them to not be able to control their passion, at least once, and they maybe almost get caught. Not all the way, because obviously that would be so dangerous, but maybe almost...like maybe they're kissing and they hear someone coming so they have to spring apart and act natural.
Something like that would have been nice. So while overall I enjoyed this and it was such a well done story - a long one too. Over 500 pages - it took me so long to finish because of the lulls in interaction for these two. I wanted more, more, more from them.
And in between great scenes between these two, there were several stretches of Danny doing rum runs with the crew, and it was pretty detailed - a time when I wish it had been a little glossed over, tbh - and maybe some other stuff going on, and some things from Carmine's side as well.
After a big event that happens near the end, these two don't see each other for at least 2 weeks, maybe a little more than that, and I'm like why? Why have them go through this big event and then after a conversation in Carmine's office - and a very light kiss - we don't get them in a scene together for longer than necessary.
I wanted so much more with these two that the lack of them together at times frustrated me and is a big part of why I gave .75 stars off and rounded down to 4 stars, when otherwise I would have given this 5 stars.
The other niggle for me was a the very end. The climax happens and it was well done and heart pounding and all that stuff, and we get the aftermath, and then
Spoiler
Carmine and Danny have to leave New York to stay safeSpoiler
when they leave New YorkI wanted an epilogue. I wanted to see how they were fairing together, if they were settling into a life together, whatever that is for them in the year 1924. I mean, I know there's going to be another book - either it's out already or not, I don't know - in the series, but it looked to be about Danny's best friend, James, so that tells me this is the end of Danny and Carmine's story, so I just would have liked a more solid, rounded out ending to just see these two more settled.
It was a tentative HFN, and I guess maybe a more solid HFN would have been nice, for me.
But other than those things, I did enjoy this overall. The side characters were very well done, very three dimensional, and I came to love Danny's crew as much as Danny (didn't mean I needed to read about them on Rum Runs all the time, just saying...).
The plot overall was very well done too. And the fact that it's fairly realistic is interesting too. I mean, I know the goings of Danny and Carmine are fictional, of course, but I mean more the inner workings of the Crime families and how things going down in the gangs, things like that. It definitely isn't a safe or boring life, that's for sure.
So overall, this was very strong and I did love it. I just wish we had gotten more of Danny and Carmine together, and a more solidified ending for them.
But I do definitely recommend this. It's long, but definitely worth the read, and a great book to revisit this author with.
Definitely two thumbs up from me!
sebrahn's review
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Murder and Torture
lbrick363's review
3.0
sweet story…
With just a few pieces of drama. I love a good period piece and the action in this book was good.
With just a few pieces of drama. I love a good period piece and the action in this book was good.
escapistlit's review
emotional
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? No
5.0
hankerchiefghost's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
“It’s death every way I turn, and even if it’s only tonight, I want to feel alive.” He stroked Carmine’s cheek and whispered, “I want you.”
kaje_harper's review
4.0
Well-researched historical setting, and a very slow burn appropriate to the time and characters.
_isabel_'s review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Right, I loved this book. So very much.
I was a bit reluctant initially: I had this book on my TBR list for ages before I bought it and even then, I did not start it immediately. I think the reason is because I'm not sure where I stand on gangster-related books, especially when it's Sicilian gangs-related: I'm Italian and I know my country's bloody history with gangs, like any other Italian. So I was pretty sure I couldn't mindlessly enjoy books that romanticize gangster violence (even though I do consume this kind of media). But the premise of "The Venetian and the Rum Runner" sounded amazing, and 1920s novels are my weakness, so I started reading this prepared to overlook some things. However, I was amazed at how well the author dealt with the subject: in balanced and, in my opinion, respectful way, and I can also say that this was a novel that was more about two people finding love across a social divide and in spite of prejudices, and less about gangster life.
I absolutely adored the whole cast of characters and the story was truly amazing: action-packed and twisty, intricate and interesting, and it left me on the edge of my seat. It contained fights and heists, found family and love and thoughtful conversations about morals and God. It also contains a LOT of lovesick gazing across an office and accidental hand-touches, and I cannot say the amount of times I wanted to jump inside the book and push the two MCs idiots together and scream "NOW KISS".
Needless to say, I loved them a lot. Danny with his genious plans and his pragmatic side, and Carmine, who is definitely not your usual gangster, because he spends half of the novel being weak in his knees and lovesick everytime he looks at Danny. While he was swooning for his Irish rum runner, I was swooning at him being a sweetheart.
I also loved the whole cast of side characters, but James and Giulia deserve a special mention (and they also deserve their own HEA).
"The Venetian and the Rum Runner" has howed me how much I love 1920s-historicals and the atmosphere was truly stunning. If you love that, and a slow-burn that will leave you equal parts frustrated and swooning, this is the book for you.
I was a bit reluctant initially: I had this book on my TBR list for ages before I bought it and even then, I did not start it immediately. I think the reason is because I'm not sure where I stand on gangster-related books, especially when it's Sicilian gangs-related: I'm Italian and I know my country's bloody history with gangs, like any other Italian. So I was pretty sure I couldn't mindlessly enjoy books that romanticize gangster violence (even though I do consume this kind of media). But the premise of "The Venetian and the Rum Runner" sounded amazing, and 1920s novels are my weakness, so I started reading this prepared to overlook some things. However, I was amazed at how well the author dealt with the subject: in balanced and, in my opinion, respectful way, and I can also say that this was a novel that was more about two people finding love across a social divide and in spite of prejudices, and less about gangster life.
I absolutely adored the whole cast of characters and the story was truly amazing: action-packed and twisty, intricate and interesting, and it left me on the edge of my seat. It contained fights and heists, found family and love and thoughtful conversations about morals and God. It also contains a LOT of lovesick gazing across an office and accidental hand-touches, and I cannot say the amount of times I wanted to jump inside the book and push the two MCs idiots together and scream "NOW KISS".
Needless to say, I loved them a lot. Danny with his genious plans and his pragmatic side, and Carmine, who is definitely not your usual gangster, because he spends half of the novel being weak in his knees and lovesick everytime he looks at Danny. While he was swooning for his Irish rum runner, I was swooning at him being a sweetheart.
I also loved the whole cast of side characters, but James and Giulia deserve a special mention (and they also deserve their own HEA).
"The Venetian and the Rum Runner" has howed me how much I love 1920s-historicals and the atmosphere was truly stunning. If you love that, and a slow-burn that will leave you equal parts frustrated and swooning, this is the book for you.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence
Moderate: Torture
thesincoucher's review
May 2021, 30%: the historical setting is amazing and the characters are really good, but the romance felt a bit flat and it's too long for something that wasn't completely hooking me.
terriaminute's review
I am so bored. Like, there's been a murder and there will be a love interest, and I... Don't care.
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