Synopsis
from Goodreads:
Lucia
It
all started with a contract signed by him, then by me, while our
families watched. While my father sat silent, a man defeated, giving
his daughter to the Benedetti monsters. I obeyed. I played my part. I
signed my name and gave away my life. I became their living,
breathing trophy, a constant symbol of their power over us. That was
five years ago. Then came the time for him to claim me. For Salvatore
Benedetti to own me. I had vowed vengeance. I had learned hate. And
yet, nothing could have prepared me for the man who now ruled my
life. I expected a monster, one I would destroy. But nothing is ever
black or white. No one is either good or evil. For all his darkness,
I saw his light. For all his evil, I saw his good. As much as he made
me hate him, a passion hotter than the fires of hell burned inside
me. I was his, and he was mine. My very own monster.
Salvatore
I owned the DeMarco Mafia Princess. She belonged to me now. We had won, and they had lost. And what better way to teach a lesson than to take from them that which is most precious? Most beloved? I was the boy who would be king. Next in line to rule the Benedetti Family. Lucia DeMarco was the spoils of war. Mine to do with as I pleased. It was my duty to break her. To make her life a living hell. My soul was dark, I was hell bound. And there was no way out, not for either of us. Because the Benedetti family never lost, and in our wake, we left destruction. It’s how it had always been. How I believed it would always be. Until Lucia.
Author’s Note: Salvatore and Lucia’s story is a steamy standalone romance with a happily-ever-after. No cliffhanger and no cheating. It is intended for mature readers.
Salvatore
I owned the DeMarco Mafia Princess. She belonged to me now. We had won, and they had lost. And what better way to teach a lesson than to take from them that which is most precious? Most beloved? I was the boy who would be king. Next in line to rule the Benedetti Family. Lucia DeMarco was the spoils of war. Mine to do with as I pleased. It was my duty to break her. To make her life a living hell. My soul was dark, I was hell bound. And there was no way out, not for either of us. Because the Benedetti family never lost, and in our wake, we left destruction. It’s how it had always been. How I believed it would always be. Until Lucia.
Author’s Note: Salvatore and Lucia’s story is a steamy standalone romance with a happily-ever-after. No cliffhanger and no cheating. It is intended for mature readers.
Stats
for my copy: Trade
paperback, CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, 2016
How
acquired: Bought.
My
thoughts: Mafia,
mobsters, gangsters, and the like – not the type of hero who has
ever appealed to me. Violent men in violent worlds, breaking laws and
laundering money and killing rivals. What's to love about those men?
But the author of this book is Natasha Knight, and I very much like
her, so I took a chance and doled out the $11.99 for it. And I'm
happy to say I have no regrets.
The
premise is a little horrifying. Two heads of rival mob families
signing a contract for peace between the families, with one man
giving his teen-aged daughter to the other man's son. Lucia is forced
to sign a contract that effectively gives ownership of her to
Salvatore. Would it hold up in a court of law? Of course not. Lucia
is a minor and slavery is outlawed. But the mob doesn't follow our
laws, and both Lucia's and Salvatore's fates are sealed that day.
Fortunately,
Lucia is sent away to a boarding school for the first five years of
the contract, so she's of legal age before she is actually physically
handed over to Salvatore. She hates him of course, and his father and
brother, not to mention her own father for putting her in this
position. But she's strong and feisty, and refuses to cower down.
The
story is told in first person POV, alternating between Lucia and
Salvatore, and I don't think the story could have worked as well
otherwise. Hearing Salvatore's side of the story, his thoughts and
feelings about a contract that he, too, was forced into, helped make
his character sympathetic. He wasn't just a mobster, he was a man who
lived under the thumb of his overbearing father, who still mourned
the loss of his older brother, and who was determined to protect
Lucia and make the situation as easy on her as he could, albeit while
still maintaining control of her.
Definitely
a relationship with a rocky start. And then a war is brewing, and
with Salvatore's brother and Lucia's sister and cousin involved, it's
hard to imagine our hero and heroine ever coexisting peacefully. When
you're born into a mob family, it seems your life is never just your
own, but you can't just walk away. For Salvatore, there is some soul
searching, a yearning for a different kind of life. Men who seek
redemption – what's not to love about them?
this is so nice post . really enjoy it .
ReplyDelete