A review by loverofromance
Toxic by Maggie Cole

5.0

Toxic is the first book in the newest series by Maggie Cole but it is connected to her "Mafia Wars" series, so if you enjoyed that book then, I think that you will really enjoy this one here. I was so in for this one here, I really don't know why I waited....oh yes I do, I knew it would be ANGSTY. We have seen this relationship teased over the last few books of the "Mafia Wars" series and I was curious to see where this author would take it. I have to say the moment that I started this one I couldn't put it down at all. Its definitely an easy book to stay up late night reading with.

The gist of the story is that, our hero and heroine: Dante and Bridget have been hooked for each other since they were teenagers. But Dante drove Bridget away and burned his bridge with her, and when he was ready, she had met her husband Sean O'Malley. Now its been almost two decades later, Bridget is a widow after seeing her husbands murder and being raped by his tormentors, and her children's lives were threatened and she left Chicago and their family. But now her children are teenagers, and hate her because she is keeping secrets to keep them safe. Dante is back in her life, forcing her to live life again but she knows her enemies are out there if she breathes a word to anyone of the truth, but will her love for Dante be enough or will the secrets be their undoing?

There was something so magnetic about this romance and I just never wanted their story to end. My heart broke for Bridget. Now we see glimpses of this in the later books of the Mafia Wars, but I was eager to see her find a HEA, she really deserves it. You can see how torn she is in the secrets, and this isn't something she can easily reveal because the families are finding traitors everywhere and she doesn't know who she can actually trust. Dante is such a solid rock for Bridget, she is struggling to live life and now she doesn't know if she let go of the past and especially Sean to embrace what she could have with Dante.

The manner in which the author wrote this story was super brilliant and I an not sure why I waited so long on this one here. I absolutely loved it and I am eager to pick up the second book. I know that one is going to be a doozy though haha However, Toxic was beyond beautiful and really captured the essence of what makes mafia so great and the layers of emotion that was delivered was so beautiful. If you are a fan of mafia romance, and have yet to read this author...you need to get your booty in gear!