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3.51 AVERAGE
3.51 AVERAGE
Oh my gosh, this blew me away! Totally not what I thought this was going to be! If you don't know me, then you may not know that I'm a reader who basically goes in blind. I have many authors that I trust that the story will be amazing. I've been spoiled from soo many things just by accident looking at reviews or what have you... So, that's probably part of the reason why I go in blind.
But anyway. Back to the book!!
Like I said, this was amazing. I love that it had that dark element and involved crime. You know me (if not, now you do) and my dark books - I am a sucker for them! So I love that Claire wrote a book like this! Absolutely loved!
But anyway. Back to the book!!
Like I said, this was amazing. I love that it had that dark element and involved crime. You know me (if not, now you do) and my dark books - I am a sucker for them! So I love that Claire wrote a book like this! Absolutely loved!
I wasn’t built for this life.
This was a good read. It’s mafia, which I love. Cat is a ballet dancer, and she’s a heroine that’s pretty strong on her own. Lorenzo is hot, and a bit jealous and possessive. They are both keeping secrets. Some bigger than others. Plus there is so much going on around them. I love so many of the side characters and want to know more about them!
I will say that at some points I just felt like something was missing. Like I was waiting for an even bigger bang, but I still wanted to read the story anyway. Maybe that doesn’t make sense, but I kept thinking it so I’m adding it to my review.
It’s got mafia vibes, and a steamy romance... you can’t get much better than that with me. I’m excited to see what comes next in this world!
This was a good read. It’s mafia, which I love. Cat is a ballet dancer, and she’s a heroine that’s pretty strong on her own. Lorenzo is hot, and a bit jealous and possessive. They are both keeping secrets. Some bigger than others. Plus there is so much going on around them. I love so many of the side characters and want to know more about them!
I will say that at some points I just felt like something was missing. Like I was waiting for an even bigger bang, but I still wanted to read the story anyway. Maybe that doesn’t make sense, but I kept thinking it so I’m adding it to my review.
It’s got mafia vibes, and a steamy romance... you can’t get much better than that with me. I’m excited to see what comes next in this world!
Cat and Loren are everything. This mafia standalone had me dying to know what would happen next. Cat is a principal dancer in a ballet company and Loren is a lawyer. Both omit their connections to the mafia. They have a very complicated relationship where their past is intertwined like Cat could never imagine and Loren doesn’t tell her until he is forced to. But the past always comes back and they have to fight their way through it. I love this book and all the twists and turns I didn’t see coming.
I just don’t know what to say , i know that her father is a cappo and all the bullshit mob thing Doesn’t matter enough for her Didn’t talk to him. But her father made her do a fucking miscarriage fuck him girl !! She Crap herself for don’t give a shit anymore and girl you was right until the end of the fricking book , ridiculous!! The book didn’t developed Emma’s history with her Mother plus everything was so confusing to understand , i swear that I loved Lorenzo and Catalina but the history doesn’t involved the way that I thought it would.
I love this book so much! He had all the alpha and steam and storyline then on top of the that the things I never saw coming. Love this book so much!!! I think Emma and Gio both need their own books.
Book Review: Because You’re Mine by Claire Contreras
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“Everything that came before Lorenzo is hazy in my memory. Not worth mentioning.”
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When growing up in the most feared mafia family, it’s easy to identify the kind of men that are bad news. Catalina Masseria knew this as soon as she laid eyes on her collage professor Lorenzo Costello. Their instant attraction kicks start a series of events playing out that’ll leave you wanting them together badly.
.
This is a stand-alone mafia romance novel which will have you hooked. I LOVE mafia books so I was really excited to start reading this one!
.
Once I started this I didn’t want to put it down and I was addicted! Actually finished it in only a couple days!
.
The writing was captivating and had an amazing style to it. I enjoyed the suspenseful plot and the many twists and turns it involved of new information you kept finding out as you read along, leaving me always shocked to find out that there was always more.
.
The chemistry from the very start between Lorenzo and Catalina alone was just beautiful. She challenges him and he gets possessive and territorial of her. Together they were a hot ball of amazeballs that I loved! The other characters also added so much more to this story that it needed.
.
The concept of dangerous mafia world of Loren and the elegant ballerina world of Cat colliding together kept me wanting more as it’s something I haven’t read before.
.
I do feel that it needed more MAFIA in this mafia book as those aspects weren’t involved as much as I’d hoped. Saying that it was still soooooooo goooooodddd!
.
A sexy, suspenseful and exciting story that I recommended for anyone looking for an interesting read!
.
Rating = 4.5/5
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Bonnie x
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“Everything that came before Lorenzo is hazy in my memory. Not worth mentioning.”
.
When growing up in the most feared mafia family, it’s easy to identify the kind of men that are bad news. Catalina Masseria knew this as soon as she laid eyes on her collage professor Lorenzo Costello. Their instant attraction kicks start a series of events playing out that’ll leave you wanting them together badly.
.
This is a stand-alone mafia romance novel which will have you hooked. I LOVE mafia books so I was really excited to start reading this one!
.
Once I started this I didn’t want to put it down and I was addicted! Actually finished it in only a couple days!
.
The writing was captivating and had an amazing style to it. I enjoyed the suspenseful plot and the many twists and turns it involved of new information you kept finding out as you read along, leaving me always shocked to find out that there was always more.
.
The chemistry from the very start between Lorenzo and Catalina alone was just beautiful. She challenges him and he gets possessive and territorial of her. Together they were a hot ball of amazeballs that I loved! The other characters also added so much more to this story that it needed.
.
The concept of dangerous mafia world of Loren and the elegant ballerina world of Cat colliding together kept me wanting more as it’s something I haven’t read before.
.
I do feel that it needed more MAFIA in this mafia book as those aspects weren’t involved as much as I’d hoped. Saying that it was still soooooooo goooooodddd!
.
A sexy, suspenseful and exciting story that I recommended for anyone looking for an interesting read!
.
Rating = 4.5/5
.
Bonnie x
(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.
First time reading this author.
I was so excited based off the blurb and the hype around the release that I was heavily disappointed while reading the book.
I felt there could have been so much more to the plot with all the potentials the characters were discussing relating to the mafia.
There was NOT enough Mafia in the book and we never knew who was in charge aka running the shots. I felt confused throughout the entire book when the characters were referring to one another, at times it wasn’t clear what roles they had to play in the mafia.
The whole situation revolving the girls mother was confusing, at least I found.
However, I LOVED the ballet aspect of the book that had me enamoured. I loved Lorenzo. The smut scenes were good too.
Definitely will give her other books a try.
I was so excited based off the blurb and the hype around the release that I was heavily disappointed while reading the book.
I felt there could have been so much more to the plot with all the potentials the characters were discussing relating to the mafia.
There was NOT enough Mafia in the book and we never knew who was in charge aka running the shots. I felt confused throughout the entire book when the characters were referring to one another, at times it wasn’t clear what roles they had to play in the mafia.
The whole situation revolving the girls mother was confusing, at least I found.
However, I LOVED the ballet aspect of the book that had me enamoured. I loved Lorenzo. The smut scenes were good too.
Definitely will give her other books a try.