Author: Bella Di Corte
Series: Gangsters of New York #1
Age: Adult
Genres: Crime, Romance, Suspense
Publication Date: May 8, 2020
Source: eBook
Purchase: Paperback | Kindle
Synopsis:
I hungered to be seen.
There were three things I knew about Capo Macchiavello:
He was gorgeous.
He was reclusive.
He was considered one of New York’s most savage animals.
And he wanted me as his wife. A simple arrangement – you do for me, I do for you. Nothing owed, no expectations. Except for one: never leave.
Life was never that simple, though. By the age of twenty-one, I was parentless, jobless, and homeless, and I had come to learn the hard way that nothing was ever free. Even kindness comes with strings.
Capo might’ve been the only man to ever see me, but I had made a vow to myself: I would never owe anyone anything. Most of all, the man I called boss.
I killed to stay hidden.
Mariposa Flores thought she owed nothing to no one, but she owed everything…to me, the ghost the world had once called The Machiavellian Prince of New York.
My Rating:
Quote(s) I Like:
"Reality differs from person to person, soul to soul, perspective to perspective." - Vittorio
"I can't promise something that isn't mine to give." - Capo
"It is nice to have a best friend, but when your best friend is also your lover, it completes things." - Mari
"If love touched me, I'd never, ever sell it out. If love drove my life, I'd be its main chick. Ride or die, Capo. Would I sell my body to live? We both know the answer to that. Would I sell out love for the sake of this arrangement? Never! I'd die first! So, no, I do not love him in that way!" - Mari
"Scars on skin meant living. Blood on knuckles meant living. Dirt on white clothes meant living. Living meant taking chances, even if we got soiled up in the process." - Capo
"In a way, Mariposa is childlike, and in another, a woman. It is a delicate balance to be enough of both without taking away from the other. Being too much of one eliminates the other completely." - Nonno
"The heart cannot beat without an open flow. If it has clots it will die. Think of a marriage in these same terms." - Uncle Tito
My Thoughts:
This was such an interesting read. I haven't read a mafia romance in a while, so I wasn't sure how I would like this, but I was pleasantly surprised by this. Bella Di Corte did an excellent job of meshing a steamy romance with a gritty story set in New York. I absolutely fell in love with this story!
Capo is an intriguing man with a dark and unfriendly past. Betrayed by those he loved, he vowed to get vengeance on all. He was all hard, but he had such a softness to him that I just fell for. He was never a one-sided character to me. He had his dominant side which was amazing, but seeing him get jealous or begin to understand his feelings made me so mushy inside. His hands were stained in blood from a young age so to see him embrace innocence and love was beautiful.
Mariposa was given a horrible hand at life. Learning her present condition and how it tied into her past broke my heart. However, she was a fighter. She wanted to live and she fought for that right. I love that she wasn't a naive little princess, but rather was a warrior queen. She had spunk, attitude and knew how to negotiate. Mari gave me life!!
The romance was everything!!! This wasn't steeped in sex which was refreshing, but of course when the sex scenes happened they were steamy!!! I enjoyed seeing them really grow in their love and friendship with one another.
The drama was so interesting for me. Between the family issues, the found family trope and then the mafia politics, I just couldn't put the book down. I had to read it straight through because of how I wanted to know more.
I definitely plan to read the sequel, Marauder, because I want to know more about Cash and Keely after what happened in this book!!
About the Author:
Bella Di Corte has been writing romance for seven years, even longer if you count the stories in her head that were never written down, but she didn’t realize how much she enjoyed writing alphas until recently. Tough guys who walk the line between irredeemable and savable, and the strong women who force them to feel, inspire her to keep putting words to the page.
Apart from writing, Bella loves to spend time with her husband, daughter, and family. She also loves to read, listen to music, cook meals that were passed down to her, and take photographs. She mostly takes pictures of her family (when they let her) and her three dogs.
Bella grew up in New Orleans, a place she considers a creative playground.
She loves to connect with readers, so don’t hesitate to email her at belladicorte@gmail.com if you’d like to reach out.
Giveaway
$10 Amazon gift card
Thank you to Xpresso Book Tours for having me on the blog tour!