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3.73 AVERAGE
3.73 AVERAGE
Carrigan O'Malley and James Halloran have a history - not a good one. His family kidnapped her not that long ago.
While she is trying to deal with that Trama, her father has declared she needs to get married, and James isn't happy about it, although they should have nothing to do with each other
I could get why someone would love this story; however, the fact that Carriagn has no power over her life and that isn't addressed is a bit annoying.
She just moved her loyalty, but she never fount that freedom. I mean, I can get the appeal, just not for me.
While she is trying to deal with that Trama, her father has declared she needs to get married, and James isn't happy about it, although they should have nothing to do with each other
I could get why someone would love this story; however, the fact that Carriagn has no power over her life and that isn't addressed is a bit annoying.
She just moved her loyalty, but she never fount that freedom. I mean, I can get the appeal, just not for me.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
lighthearted
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:
No
adventurous
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
hopeful
tense
fast-paced
Diverse cast of characters:
No
This was significantly darker and more plot heavy than I expected but overall I enjoyed it and really felt and believed the chemistry between the MC’s
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child abuse, Death, Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Sexual content, Violence, Excrement, Grief, Murder
Moderate: Confinement, Misogyny, Torture, Trafficking, Death of parent, Murder
Minor: Alcoholism, Suicide, Kidnapping, War
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
emotional
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
emotional
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Heated Rivals (previously published as The Wedding Pact) continues the drama and intrigue of the Katee Robert’s O’Malley family that was set up in the prior book. While I do recommend starting there for context, you can read this as a standalone and you should be able to follow the story and follow it on its own.
With the O’Malley and Halloran families being mortal enemies, that provided some great stakes for the romance. And some events of the previous book, particularly Callie Sheridan O’Malley’s role in the demise of one of the Hallorans, play a role in amping up the tension between the two families going forward.
And the strength in the central romance is in how it amps up that taboo tension, combined with compelling, interconnected individual arcs. Carrigan, for her part, fights against her father’s expectations of her to marry one of the men they expect her to, as a means for them to obtain more power. James reckons with the memories of his abusive father and brother, and while he does kidnap Carrigan, their dynamic translates into a beautiful relationship that inspired me to root for both of them to fight to beat the odds stacked against them. While I do still admittedly prefer Teague and Callie’s dynamic, James and Carrigan won me over as well.
This one felt a bit heavier on the romance dynamic, with the mafia dynamic being more in the background, whereas the first was more of a balance between the two. I can understand why…this is book two, and if readers follow the series, there’s less of a need to explain everything. While I did want a tad bit more of the family drama, I did appreciate that it could still be present, while allowing the romance and sexy bits to be center-stage.
This is another enjoyable installment in the O’Malleys series, and I’m eager to continue. If you enjoy mafia romance, I recommend checking this book/series out!
dark
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes