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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
Toxic is the first book by Maggie Cole in here new series it’s connected to her previous series "Mafia Wars" I personally didn’t read that series and i am not planning on it and maybe that is the reason i gave it 4 starts because it had parts that was not clear for me and missing which might have been mentioned in the previous series non the less I really liked it.
Dante and Bridget had a thing for each other since they were teenagers but dante is toxic and he ruins everything they drift a part , the hero tries to get back with her a few times but she doesn’t agree then she gets married and has a family but Dante still loves her but he dims down his love and passion as he knows their is no point anymore.
Something happens he gets back into her life and he is adamant to make her his this time and ow boy he does, it was so emotional, angsty and toxic on both ends but I truly loved it, the tention and the magnetic pull between then was unbearable but so worth it at the same time its filled with trigger warnings and explicit scenes in details please know that going it.
It was my first book by this author but she found her way into my heart
Trops:
-Dark Mafia romance
-single mom
-Second chance
-Friends to lovers
-Dual POV
-Gore & explicit
Dante and Bridget had a thing for each other since they were teenagers but dante is toxic and he ruins everything they drift a part , the hero tries to get back with her a few times but she doesn’t agree then she gets married and has a family but Dante still loves her but he dims down his love and passion as he knows their is no point anymore.
Something happens he gets back into her life and he is adamant to make her his this time and ow boy he does, it was so emotional, angsty and toxic on both ends but I truly loved it, the tention and the magnetic pull between then was unbearable but so worth it at the same time its filled with trigger warnings and explicit scenes in details please know that going it.
It was my first book by this author but she found her way into my heart
Trops:
-Dark Mafia romance
-single mom
-Second chance
-Friends to lovers
-Dual POV
-Gore & explicit
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
When I see Mafia and Romance I immediately add the book to the TBR, and what's better than to read the series before it is even released and get to know the characters before anyone else?
I loved the book, I did have some small issues with it, that I'll discuss below.
So general bookwise: it was a good book, and I even forgot that book is not yet released and went straight to amazon to get the second one! My major issue was with the timeline. The book starts 24 years ago, and then each chapter was a move up on the timeline, and somewhere in the middle I got lost where we were and while I am a maths major I'm not a fan of mixing maths and spicy books. ^_^.
Another thing that I was a bit disappointed in was that spice and the whole mafia were not as descriptive as I would have liked to be. (okay, maybe I'm reading a tad bit too much dark romance, where everything is more explicit). But anyway, we get our share of spicy (even if it wasn't as descriptive as I would have wanted, it was a really good quality spice). and what I mean about "whole mafia" is that my torture episode was cut short, and I wanted a little bit more.
But let's talk about characters too! Bridget - I liked her, she was too submissive in parts, but her character was greatly written, and her trauma and what happened to her and how it shaped her behaviour was realistic. We meet Bridget when she's only 16, and while the main-main events of the book are happening when she's in her 40ies and while the transition is not long and very detailed, we get to see her from different perspectives.
Dante, or better said daddy... Yes, he's the toxic daddy, that you hate in chapters 1-5, but after that, you cannot not like him. I mean who wouldn't like an Italian man who can unalive someone, be an idiot and pine for a girl and fuck up his relationship (or maybe not).
I loved Dante, but another character that I also loved was his twin - Gianni. I do have a soft spot for psychos. Gianni is not my usual psycho, but he's that character that has one-track mind when it goes to plans, murder and love interest. So I'm thrilled to to read the second book.
So, if you're a fan of mafia romance, and were looking for your next fix, grab your copy on the 14th when it comes out!
XOXO
Katie
When I see Mafia and Romance I immediately add the book to the TBR, and what's better than to read the series before it is even released and get to know the characters before anyone else?
I loved the book, I did have some small issues with it, that I'll discuss below.
So general bookwise: it was a good book, and I even forgot that book is not yet released and went straight to amazon to get the second one! My major issue was with the timeline. The book starts 24 years ago, and then each chapter was a move up on the timeline, and somewhere in the middle I got lost where we were and while I am a maths major I'm not a fan of mixing maths and spicy books. ^_^.
Another thing that I was a bit disappointed in was that spice and the whole mafia were not as descriptive as I would have liked to be. (okay, maybe I'm reading a tad bit too much dark romance, where everything is more explicit). But anyway, we get our share of spicy (even if it wasn't as descriptive as I would have wanted, it was a really good quality spice). and what I mean about "whole mafia" is that my torture episode was cut short, and I wanted a little bit more.
But let's talk about characters too! Bridget - I liked her, she was too submissive in parts, but her character was greatly written, and her trauma and what happened to her and how it shaped her behaviour was realistic. We meet Bridget when she's only 16, and while the main-main events of the book are happening when she's in her 40ies and while the transition is not long and very detailed, we get to see her from different perspectives.
Dante, or better said daddy... Yes, he's the toxic daddy, that you hate in chapters 1-5, but after that, you cannot not like him. I mean who wouldn't like an Italian man who can unalive someone, be an idiot and pine for a girl and fuck up his relationship (or maybe not).
I loved Dante, but another character that I also loved was his twin - Gianni. I do have a soft spot for psychos. Gianni is not my usual psycho, but he's that character that has one-track mind when it goes to plans, murder and love interest. So I'm thrilled to to read the second book.
So, if you're a fan of mafia romance, and were looking for your next fix, grab your copy on the 14th when it comes out!
XOXO
Katie
dark
emotional
sad
tense
fast-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:
Yes
Wasn’t what I thought it would be. The jump in time wasn’t it
In the beginning, each chapter jumped ahead in time a significant amount. I feel like it’s throwing the whole story off. I might come back to this at some point.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
4.5 stars I was a little surprised that this featured characters that were in MC's other Mafia series which I absolutely loved, so a lot of this is events that I knew from that, but not the earlier things or the angst that Bridget had to live with all those years. I wanted to know a lot more about her because she'd gone through it losing Sean and his entire family to her secrets. Dante has always regretted letting Bridget get away and to see him so doggedly determined to get her back was a delight. I am so happy to be back in the mafia world and I if you've never read a Maggie Cole book before, you could easily start here. I volunteered to read and review an early copy of this. All opinions are my own.
dark
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I am floored by this book. The pacing was just right, so I could enjoy the character's actions and the situations they were in.
The characters themselves were written so well by Maggie; you could feel the emotions along with Dante and Bridget. The character development, especially Dante's, was a treat to see. He went from the "toxic" high school boy who treated Bridget like a toy to a emotionally mature and strong man who stopped at nothing to earn Bridget's love and trust. Bridget was a complex character with whom I enjoyed and got annoyed by.
Overall this book is a great read and you'll definitely want to curl up with a snack and a blanket as you delve into a world of organized crime and sexy characters.
The characters themselves were written so well by Maggie; you could feel the emotions along with Dante and Bridget. The character development, especially Dante's, was a treat to see. He went from the "toxic" high school boy who treated Bridget like a toy to a emotionally mature and strong man who stopped at nothing to earn Bridget's love and trust. Bridget was a complex character with whom I enjoyed and got annoyed by.
Overall this book is a great read and you'll definitely want to curl up with a snack and a blanket as you delve into a world of organized crime and sexy characters.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, Rape, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Torture, Toxic relationship, Alcohol