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4.02 AVERAGE
4.02 AVERAGE
dark
emotional
fast-paced
Note: This is part of the Underworld Kings – "A multi-author series of standalone books filled with mafia families waging war, danger and violence, arranged and forced marriages, angst, love, and everything in-between." This is the only book I’ve read in the series and it stands fine on its own.
I loved this mix of dark romance, mystery, and suspense. Alessio works for a secret organization far scarier than the Mob and Natalia is determined to infiltrate. She secures a job as nanny to Alessio’s son, Nino. Everyone has secrets and as they are revealed the repercussions spread far and wide.
Zavarelli’s writing dragged me in and I was completely invested in Alessio, Natalia, & Nino’s HEA. I also adore single parent/nanny tropes - and this had some unique spin to it. I don’t want to give anything away because there were so many twists and turns in this story.
Just be ready to hang on for hot sex, push/pull, and never knowing what’s going to happen when you turn the page. Great read.
CW (spoilers):
Several violent murders, SA/mutilation/attempted drowning of female main character in past that’s graphically described & results in pregnancy, SA & Murder of male secondary character
8/2022 - rec from oritty_books_and_i IG
I loved this mix of dark romance, mystery, and suspense. Alessio works for a secret organization far scarier than the Mob and Natalia is determined to infiltrate. She secures a job as nanny to Alessio’s son, Nino. Everyone has secrets and as they are revealed the repercussions spread far and wide.
Zavarelli’s writing dragged me in and I was completely invested in Alessio, Natalia, & Nino’s HEA. I also adore single parent/nanny tropes - and this had some unique spin to it. I don’t want to give anything away because there were so many twists and turns in this story.
Just be ready to hang on for hot sex, push/pull, and never knowing what’s going to happen when you turn the page. Great read.
CW (spoilers):
Several violent murders, SA/mutilation/attempted drowning of female main character in past that’s graphically described & results in pregnancy, SA & Murder of male secondary character
8/2022 - rec from oritty_books_and_i IG
i don’t know how to rate this honestly. i devoured the first 55% of the book and then - something happened
i loved most of the book. the chemistry was off the charts, the plot was interesting, i loved the bonds between the characters (natalia, alesso and nino)… but some parts had me pretty mad
- i wish the words rape had been uttered. that one guard’s wife ? she was raped. along with several other women. i feel like it’s downplayed in the guard’s discourse. and natalia of course. and while her trauma is seen as trauma, i wish it wasn’t described as « stealing her innocence »
- i suspected pretty early on that she might have been raped (i don’t even want to get into why, part of it has to do with how some authors value their fmc’s ´innocence’…) and hate the way she refereed it even in her mind (i know it’s because we were to learn the whole story later on but still ??)
- alesso’s reaction ?? idc about who he just lost or the fact that he’s confused. does the author hate women? natalia’s lived the most awful thing and alesso…. strangles her ? never should have been written. EVER. and then…. SHE goes to console HIM? and he decides to use her. you’ve got to be kidding. let’s stop it with the stereotypical perfect little martyr who has been through the most gruesome shit yet remains altruistic and whatnot
- the mmc is one of those people who don’t believe women, he basically testified calling his brother’s wife a liar (on top of hesitating to believe natalia) and a survivor ends up with him? « he never showed any sign » lmao
- even after they get married, he can’t forgive or understand her? how old is he exactly ? let’s compare both of their situations ? she didn’t know him and he was in the wrong here, standing along with monsters. yet he doesn’t get it and keeps hurting her while she openly tells him she loves him and pursues him? a guy who didn’t even bother to learn ASL for her ? they don’t even have conversations off pages the whole book, it’s simply à obsession based on lust at this point
« i had to hurt her so i couldn’t destroy her later » people who think like this deserve the very worst
« experience taught me love was an illusion » i’m sorry for what happened to him, but how is it men get to never move on while women have to be their crutch even though they’ve been through ten times worse ? i know we’re not supposed to compare trauma but come on?
and he didn’t have to grovel or even support her even once. it was always natalia doing it for alessio
this book really took a turn for the worse. a few pages tarnished a lot of the story and then it kept going, and natalia honestly deserves better
but i realized a bit late that this author wrote ghost and i had similar criticism for that book
i loved most of the book. the chemistry was off the charts, the plot was interesting, i loved the bonds between the characters (natalia, alesso and nino)… but some parts had me pretty mad
- i wish the words rape had been uttered. that one guard’s wife ? she was raped. along with several other women. i feel like it’s downplayed in the guard’s discourse. and natalia of course. and while her trauma is seen as trauma, i wish it wasn’t described as « stealing her innocence »
- i suspected pretty early on that she might have been raped (i don’t even want to get into why, part of it has to do with how some authors value their fmc’s ´innocence’…) and hate the way she refereed it even in her mind (i know it’s because we were to learn the whole story later on but still ??)
- alesso’s reaction ?? idc about who he just lost or the fact that he’s confused. does the author hate women? natalia’s lived the most awful thing and alesso…. strangles her ? never should have been written. EVER. and then…. SHE goes to console HIM? and he decides to use her. you’ve got to be kidding. let’s stop it with the stereotypical perfect little martyr who has been through the most gruesome shit yet remains altruistic and whatnot
- the mmc is one of those people who don’t believe women, he basically testified calling his brother’s wife a liar (on top of hesitating to believe natalia) and a survivor ends up with him? « he never showed any sign » lmao
- even after they get married, he can’t forgive or understand her? how old is he exactly ? let’s compare both of their situations ? she didn’t know him and he was in the wrong here, standing along with monsters. yet he doesn’t get it and keeps hurting her while she openly tells him she loves him and pursues him? a guy who didn’t even bother to learn ASL for her ? they don’t even have conversations off pages the whole book, it’s simply à obsession based on lust at this point
« i had to hurt her so i couldn’t destroy her later » people who think like this deserve the very worst
« experience taught me love was an illusion » i’m sorry for what happened to him, but how is it men get to never move on while women have to be their crutch even though they’ve been through ten times worse ? i know we’re not supposed to compare trauma but come on?
and he didn’t have to grovel or even support her even once. it was always natalia doing it for alessio
this book really took a turn for the worse. a few pages tarnished a lot of the story and then it kept going, and natalia honestly deserves better
but i realized a bit late that this author wrote ghost and i had similar criticism for that book
This is such a beautifully layered story with grit and a lot of diverse emotions!
It has dark and gruesome moments, but those moments aren’t the sum of the story.
It’s much bigger than a dark romance/mafia romance.
I do love the secret society organization aspect, it’s a bit of a twist on mafia/organized crime. I think the author made it interesting by making it more of an original thing.
It’s a story that made me feel everything! I was so intrigued by both Natalia and Alessio.
Both are characters that hold things in, they don’t put their feelings and intentions out there.
It made for a read that kept surprising and entertaining me. I was completely interested and invested the whole way through the book.
Also, I think having a heroine who can’t speak made for so many unique interactions, I think it was done really well and I adore this part of the Natalia and her journey, her way of communication and her tenacity in general was so inspiring.
Also, it made for compelling interactions with the other characters.
Nino brings so much humanity and big heart to this story. He is at the center of many of my favorite scenes. (I’m not a big fan of kids in romance, however he stole my heart and his role in the story is so very important.)
There’s a lot of mystery and suspense, especially with Natalia. I loved wondering what was going on, guessing at her past and her intentions.
There’s very interesting chemistry between the two main characters, it’s a very different dynamic than expected. I am a fan, it works for me 100 percent!
I love them! Hot, emotional, angsty and unpredictable.
The romance is slow to happen, the moments there are hit that much bigger because they are rare.
There are plenty of surprises in this story. It is so well written, completely engaging and an incredibly unique and exciting story!
I absolutely loved it! This is a case of a story actually exceeding my high expectations.
It has dark and gruesome moments, but those moments aren’t the sum of the story.
It’s much bigger than a dark romance/mafia romance.
I do love the secret society organization aspect, it’s a bit of a twist on mafia/organized crime. I think the author made it interesting by making it more of an original thing.
It’s a story that made me feel everything! I was so intrigued by both Natalia and Alessio.
Both are characters that hold things in, they don’t put their feelings and intentions out there.
It made for a read that kept surprising and entertaining me. I was completely interested and invested the whole way through the book.
Also, I think having a heroine who can’t speak made for so many unique interactions, I think it was done really well and I adore this part of the Natalia and her journey, her way of communication and her tenacity in general was so inspiring.
Also, it made for compelling interactions with the other characters.
Nino brings so much humanity and big heart to this story. He is at the center of many of my favorite scenes. (I’m not a big fan of kids in romance, however he stole my heart and his role in the story is so very important.)
There’s a lot of mystery and suspense, especially with Natalia. I loved wondering what was going on, guessing at her past and her intentions.
There’s very interesting chemistry between the two main characters, it’s a very different dynamic than expected. I am a fan, it works for me 100 percent!
I love them! Hot, emotional, angsty and unpredictable.
The romance is slow to happen, the moments there are hit that much bigger because they are rare.
There are plenty of surprises in this story. It is so well written, completely engaging and an incredibly unique and exciting story!
I absolutely loved it! This is a case of a story actually exceeding my high expectations.
like i read it a few days ago and i don’t remember anything but… i love kids
“Alessio Scarcello can’t terrify me. After all, I’ve already met the Devil himself.”
Brookelynne came through with this friend’s choose pick. I was in a slump and this got me right out of it. There were a lot of things about this story that were very unique for underworld/crime books. A. Zavarelli made each of the characters so much more than what you first expect or than what meets the eye. Also the comeuppance you hope for is absolutely extraordinary (in all its deprived glory).
4.5 - ish.
This finished so damn strong. It was a three stars for most of the journey, I admit. The beginning felt a little weird to me, it picked up but then the middle seemed to drag on. I was almost tempted to put it down - I'm glad I didn't. Although my feelings about this book were all over the place, one thing that wasn't all over the place was the writing. The entire book was written consistently well.
This finished so damn strong. It was a three stars for most of the journey, I admit. The beginning felt a little weird to me, it picked up but then the middle seemed to drag on. I was almost tempted to put it down - I'm glad I didn't. Although my feelings about this book were all over the place, one thing that wasn't all over the place was the writing. The entire book was written consistently well.
Once again this arthur never fails to blow me away, and this book is no exception. I absolutely loved Alessio and Natalia their story was everything I was hoping, dark, sexy and lots of madness. This book had a bit of everything and all the things I love: mafia, suspense, twists I didn't see coming, dark and phew the heat between these 2
Girl, did I read a different book than everybody else here? Because this can’t be that 5 star read everyone’s reviewing