The Viper

Sacco Family #1

by Margaret McHeyzer

I knew who he was the moment I saw him at my sister’s wedding. His family have a notorious reputation for the way they run the East Coast. My sister might be marrying his brother, but I plan to stay far away from him.
However, I find myself in a predicament which forces me to live in his home. At first, I fight his overprotective and controlling ways, but slowly I’m becoming attracted to his intense obsession.

My brother wants them both, but over my dead body will he have Rose. I’ve already claimed her, whether she likes it or not. Make no mistake, that blue-eyed lioness will be mine.
There’s a war brewing with an unseen enemy, and I’ll do everything in my power to keep her safe.
Whatever it takes.


*Mafia romance
*Triggers

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Mafia Romance, Dark, Enemies To Lovers, Contemporary, Forced Proximity

267 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 12, 2023

About the author

NEW YORK TIMES BEST SELLING AUTHOR OF UGLY AND MISTRUST

I’m a two-time New York Times bestselling author for my stand-alone books Ugly and Mistrust. To date I’ve published over 30 books!
I’m first generation Australian born and live in Sydney with my husband, two daughters and my rescue-dog, Kingston!
I love to write stories to connect my readers to my strong, courageous characters…with some spice sprinkled between the pages.
The characters I write about can pop into my mind anytime and anywhere. From the shower, to washing dishes, playing with my puppy or even in my dreams. My characters can sometimes be intrusive, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.
Thank you for taking this journey with me and I truly hope you love reading my stories as much as I love writing them.

Reviews

[Salma]

dnf’ed 10%

this had potential but the pacing was a little off & he was straight out the bat obsessed but they never met & he wasn’t obsessed in like the good way ahahhaha

[Tai Nelson-Barnes · Rating 1 out of 5]

Reviewed by FLB

So I am a huge dark mafia fan. And I really, really tried to enjoy this book. I'm not sure if this book is close to what a "real" mafia life would be like for the women. But when the h and H ate arguing about h's sister being beaten by the H's brother- which happens to be the sisters husband - then goes straight to sex with H. Nope, that was the last straw. Women beaten, maybe, but to just forget your sister is being beaten so you can get laid really bothered me.

DNF

[booknotez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a book about two sisters Rose & Eliza.

Eliza gets married to Adrian Sacco which makes Rose also family. Rose wants nothing to do with the family but can’t deny she is attracted to the younger brother Dominic.

Mafia men intimidating?!?!?! Not for our Rose/Rosa though. Rose stands up to Dominic and doesn’t hesitate to stand up for her sister despite how much she despises Adrian(her sister’s husband)

Dominic & Rose are a hot couple and there relationship whilst reading was so natural one could feel they meant to be together.

I really felt for Eliza, I was hoping she’d reveal the secret she’s hiding from Rose and Dominic but I guess we’ll have to wait for book two not just for her secret but what also happens next in Rose & Dominic’s relationship.

[lowkeyreader · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've read the author's books before but this is the first time I've read a mafia romance by her. And I've got to say it kind of disappoints me because I absolutely loved the books I've read by the author. Just not this one. The writing was not it and the characters are not great. The FMC is so immature while the MMC is not the anti-hero you want to love. This is not my favourite from the author.

[💗Lady V💗 · Rating 2 out of 5]

Rose and Dominic 💕

Stars: ⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️
POV: Dual
Standalone
Book # 1 of Sacco Family
Please read TW before reading this book
Tropes:
✨Mafia
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Dark Romance
✨Possessive/Obession

Ehhh I really didn’t feel it with this book. I didn’t like how the Mafia men treated women in this book.

I get that Rose is very protective of her sister Eliza after finding out she had bru*ses but I felt like this book was a lot about her and not the main characters in this book. Rose I liked her in the beginning she tough girl but towards the end I just want to sl*ap the sh*t out of her🙄😒she just not smart at all. Ugh don’t get me start with Dominic😑 I’m surprised I even finished this book.

I don’t think I’ll be reading the next book “The Don”. Maybe I don’t know…I really didn’t like Ruben Sacco character in this book.

[Shabby -BookBistroBlog · Rating 5 out of 5]

A tale of two sisters Eliza and Rose. Eliza is forced to marry into mafia family of Saccos.
Brothers are smitten by these sisters but where Eliza succumbs due to some pressure, Rose stands up and fights.
Interesting age gap, mafia romance
4 stars
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[ies · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entah 3.5 entah 4 bintang.. galau gw, bagus sih.. tapi ada part yg merasa ni heroine bodoh amat dah! masa die kabur dr keluarga Sacco, nolongin kakaknya yg digebukin suaminya (ngumpetin istilahnya) tp tetep di kota yg sama, cuma stay di hotel reot dan tetep pergi kerja! pas mbak Rose bilang ke Eliza bsk pagi bakalan ambil semua duitnya di bank trs kabur bareng kirain bakalan pindah negara, taunya pergi ke hotel doang buahahahah.. lah ya orang bodoh jg tau pertama kali nyari tu ke tempat kerja!! kesel gw pas baca!

masalah dan musuhnya gak kelar di buku ini, harus baca The Don kl mau tau lanjutannya.. tp gw males, karakternya Eliza tstl dan age gap kan.. sama pamannya Dominic kwkwkwkw

[Ashley Carr, LSoR · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a new to me author, and I definitely will be reading more of her books. She develops her characters well, and the storyline is intriguing and entertaining. This story follows Rose and Dominic. Starting off the story is Rose’s sister marrying Dominic‘s brother, who has no respect for women, and he wants Rose for himself also. Thankfully, Dominic put a stop to this, but Rose doesn’t make it easy on him. Dominic is an alpha man who is ruthless and supremely arrogant. Rose is fiercely independent and butts heads with Dominic all the time to get what she wants. This story doesn’t end on a cliffhanger per se, but there is so many unanswered questions, and hopefully book 2 will answer them for us.

[Tanya · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her sister is marrying his brother but they also want her but he will not allow it. Especially once he had his taste of her and he will go to war if he needs to. What will happen? Who will start the war? Can she get free of them all? See how she gets on
I received an advance copy from hidden and I want to review

[CYNDY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good

This is a great start to this series. I can't wait to read more. Rose is one hell of a woman and has met her match in Dominic.

[Liessa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Hoe slecht kan je een dialoog maken?

[BookKraves · Rating 4 out of 5]

Entranced

From the beginning of this book, my antennas went up. Curiosity about the hidden secrets, a brother's betrayal, and the mystery surrounding what Eliza knows had me entranced.
Eliza hastily marries Adrian and her sister Rose can not fathom why she's with him given the abuse. This places Rose on Adrian and his brother Dominic radar. After a series of messy mishaps, Rose is forced to move in with Dominic, which makes it even harder for Rose to fight the attraction between them. Moreover, Dominic notices discrepancies in their businesses and Adrian's worsening drug use.

This book had me in a bind. The author wrote this book in such a way that it kept me wanting more because of the hidden secrets. I got caught up in the web of lies, betrayal, and deceit.
I liked Rose's strength and the love she has for her sister. There's something about Dominic that I can't put my finger on, but he's giving touch her and die vibes and strong jealous/possessive qualities.

There is definitely more to come with Dominic and Rose, and I can't wait to get more of them.

[Maggie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Very poorly written (like really, really poorly), but it's mildly entertaining.

I was into it at first, because despite the bad writing, the FMC started off super feisty and wasn't taking shit from the male characters. But it didn't take long for it to morph into your cliche cookie-cutter "when he touches me my brain cells go poof" trope, so I was ultimately disappointed.

The FMC is also just... not smart. Toward the end, she and her sister decide to run away to get away from her sister's abusive husband. And their version of running away... is staying in the same damn city and simply staying in a hotel, while the FMC continues to go to her same job. And she rents out the hotel for a month, basically wasting some of her very limited money and making it clear she doesn't plan to do the smart thing and keep moving around. I lost all hope for the plot at that point, although I didn't have much to begin with.

[Julianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm gonna be completely honest. I only read this book because I wanted to read the second one which I heard would only make sense if you read this one first. They weren't wrong. But I wish I didn't have to read this one.

*Rose pushes Eliza to tell her why she married Adrian*
*Eliza refuses to tell her*
*Rose tells her she wishes their parents were here*
*Eliza scoffs or makes a negative comment about their parents*
*Comment and reaction go RIGHT OVER ROSE'S HEAD*

The amount of times this happened was absolutely ridiculous and made me hate Rose's character. Also, the fact that she knew her sister was being abused and was so willing to get involved with his brother? Like.. wasn't even worried he might be the same? And then he literally sticks up for his brother, over and over AND OVER again, despite knowing Adrian was abusing Eliza? And then Rose is totally okay with being with him despite him enabling his brother?

I was just angry like 90% of this story, and annoyed the other 10%.

(That being said the second book isn't bad, not great, but worth the read, and I do recommend reading this one if you are gonna read it.)

[Kiara || theromancebookaddict · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well that’s as a waste of my time. Dnfed 60%. Started off strong great plot out lay, strong mfc, sexy mmc. That’s about where it started to snow ball really. First off yeah I get it’s a dark romance it one of favourite things to read. This how ever was like whip lash. Mfc started of strong, fierce then next she was meek and weak then back to fierce then back to meek. Good god stick with the one. Then it just go really cringy as soon as they started having 🌶️ time. That’s not even going into that the emphasis was on the mmc being the not such a pig brother and while he was chasing her ogling another women while someone else was 🌶️ing her. Any way wasn’t for me clearly. Hopefully I’ll find a good mafia romance that will knock my socks off at some point

[~lil maso~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reviewed by Robyn for Saucy Reviews on Kinky Korner

4 1/2 stars

Right from the first page in the prologue I was intrigued about what was going to happen and completely hooked into the story by the first chapter. By the very end I kept trying to read more, I need more now! 😫

I absolutely love Rose’s strength, her courage and determination. She has a fantastic sense of humour but discovers a darker side that Dominic heaps her to accept. Rose is fiercely protective of her sister, Eliza, and you can tell it pains her not being able to help her when she tries to do so—over and over.

Dominic Sacco is one alpha male who, when he sees someone he decides is the right one for him, he trails a blaze to her and doesn’t deviate from that trail. He might be possessive of Rose but then again he is the capo. He has a much better sense of what it takes to look after a woman than his older brother, Adrian. Oh boy, does that guy irk me to the maximum, he is abusive, insulting, selfish, untrustworthy and his attitude to everything is disgusting.

The mafia businesses are showing some discrepancies and I think it’s reasonably easy to consider who is causing the problems but then again I felt there was more to it—and I was right 😉. I love the suspense in this story, it certainly had my heart racing at times. I need to know Eliza’s secrets though, that’s a very clever ploy by the author to not reveal them in this book. Although some may not agree, I gave an extra half a star because it truly makes you want to know what happened in the past and what is going to happen. Bring on book two, The Don!

*ARC received in exchange for an honest review*

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[Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

The moment Rose saw Dominic at her sister Eliza's wedding to Adrian Sacco she knew who he was. He was her brother-in-law's younger brother. Their family has a notorious reputation for the way they run the East Coast. Her sister might be marrying into this family, Rose is planning to stay as far away from this family as she possibly can. However she finds herself in a mess and she finds herself having to live in his home. She is not about to let his overprotective and controlling ways rule her like. However she can not deny that the more time that goes by the more attracted she finds herself to his intense obsession.
Dominic knows that his brother wants both Eliza and Rose. But he can't have Rose. The moment he sees her at the wedding he knows that this woman is the woman for him whether she likes it or not. Nothing is going to stop him from making her his. However there is a war brewing and he is after all the capo. However, the war is now with an unseen enemy. He will do everything in his power to keep Rose safe. Whatever it takes he is going to do. You can bet your life on that.
This is book that will keep you on the edge of your seat
If you love really obsessive alpha males then you are going to love Dominic. He is a man on a mission to make Rose his. However she is hiding a huge secret from both her sister Eliza and Dominic. This might derail everything but we have to wait to see what that secret is and what that secrets has in store for all these character's. I loved Rose and Dominic. I also like Eliza but man I really felt for this girl. Her husband Adrian is a really horrible human being. He is abusive, really selfish, you can't trust him with a ten foot pole and he is so selfish with an attitude that will just make him want to throat punch him. This book does end in a cliffhanger but you will want to know what is going to happen as soon as you finish this book.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

The start of this book really makes your hackles raise and wonder what is happening and why there is a wedding. It's like you can almost feel that there is something going on and Margaret does well here by really piquing your interest.

Rose's sister doesn't seem happy at all to be married. The banter between Dominic and Rose is good. They have an easy back and forth bickering that makes you chuckle. Right away we know his brother is a douche.

The further we get into the story the more realise how strong and independent Rose is. She will do anything to protect her sister, they are the only family each other has.

Dominic is an alpha, he is domineering and is instantly captivated by Rosa. He soon realises that she is going to be a handful. When Rose has to move in with him she tried to defy him at every turn. She won't back down from him and I think this is what Dominic needs. He needs someone that can handle who he is and what he does and be able to stand by his side.

I was intrigued by what was going on. While this book I felt, centred around Dominic and Rose, there is something brewing within the Sacco family and Dominic is trying to figure out what, all while trying to tame his lioness.

I felt in between with the writing style. This was my first book by this author so I wasn’t used to her style. I did enjoy the book, but there were a couple of times that I felt were a little contradictory. Overall I did enjoy the book, it isn't like other Mafia books that I have read, in that personally, I didn’t find it took dark. That is not to say someone else wont as we all have different tastes.

Being the first book, I felt this was a good introduction to the Sacco family and I am looking forward to finding out more.

[Robyn Corcoran · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 1/2 stars
I wrote this review for Saucy Reviews on Kinky Korner.
Right from the first page in the prologue I was intrigued about what was going to happen and completely hooked into the story by the first chapter. By the very end I kept trying to read more, I need more now! 😫

I absolutely love Rose’s strength, her courage and determination. She has a fantastic sense of humour but discovers a darker side that Dominic heaps her to accept. Rose is fiercely protective of her sister, Eliza, and you can tell it pains her not being able to help her when she tries to do so—over and over.

Dominic Sacco is one alpha male who, when he sees someone he decides is the right one for him, he trails a blaze to her and doesn’t deviate from that trail. He might be possessive of Rose but then again he is the capo. He has a much better sense of what it takes to look after a woman than his older brother, Adrian. Oh boy, does that guy irk me to the maximum, he is abusive, insulting, selfish, untrustworthy and his attitude to everything is disgusting.

The mafia businesses are showing some discrepancies and I think it’s reasonably easy to consider who is causing the problems but then again I felt there was more to it—and I was right 😉. I love the suspense in this story, it certainly had my heart racing at times. I need to know Eliza’s secrets though, that’s a very clever ploy by the author to not reveal them in this book. Although some may not agree, I gave an extra half a star because it truly makes you want to know what happened in the past and what is going to happen. Bring on book two, The Don!

[Carmella · Rating 3 out of 5]

Our main characters in this book are Dominic and Rose. They meet when Rose's sister Eliza, and Dominic's brother Adrian, are about to marry.

Now, Dominic's brother Adrian is just despicable. He really thinks he is getting a 2 for 1, where he will be able to have both sisters! Once Dominic has met Rose he informs his brother not to ever touch Rose, Rose will be his.

Dominic and Adrian both feel that a woman will do whatever they want without question, this is the way they were raised. The difference though is that Dominic would never abuse a woman as Adrian does.

Rose is pulled into Dominic's world slowly. She doesn't believe in his 'me man, you woman' attitude and tells him so. This only intrigues Dominic more. Rose's sister is being abused and is pulling away from Rose and Rose wants to know what is going on. She has questions about why Eliza even married Adrian but Eliza sidesteps Rose's questions.

Rose and Dominic do become closer but Rose is attracted to his darker side, which I felt was odd because she still pushes against his dominant persona. He does do better as time goes on with telling her if something is going on if he can. Her safety is his first concern.

While this is a HEA there were a few areas left open and left me with questions. There is another book after this, featuring Dominic's uncle Rueben which may answer these questions but I don't know if I liked the book enough to continue the series.

I received a free copy of this book and am leaving an honest review.

[Lori Kays · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is getting so tiring. When will authors realize that "strong independent woman" does not mean "yappy obnoxious broad". I probably should have DNFed at 24%, when the H described in detail how attracted and how much he wanted to fuck another woman while he was supposed to be interested in the h 🙄 or maybe the 3,000th time "YOB" (yappy annoying broad) said "It's Rose not Rosa!" But we all know I'm a book masochist, so I made myself suffer through this one. The "bad guy" was obvious by chapter 3, while the H was completely oblivious to it until it was literally staring him in the face. He was also a terrible "Alpha Male" who let Rosa run her mouth and be an annoying pain in the ass for 290 pages more than he should have, he even lets her leave. Rosa was a complete joke. She had zero action to back up her never ending angry-girl rantings(I get the irony, but I'm not a romance heroine, I'm a harried reader tired of terrible characters) Her idea of "running away was to take the H's car, which obviously had a tracker, stayed in the same city and went to work at the same job 😂 What even was that? She had the intelligence of a grapefruit and just wanted to argue about everything. It's a shame because the sex scenes when they finally happened were HOT HOT HOT and she acted normal and decent for once, but as soon as she was done, she was back to being her usual irritating self. All in all, a tedious frustrating read.

[Kristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rose meets Dominic at her sisters wedding something is wrong though the bride looks desperate and the groom Adrian is slime and the Uncle the Don has eyes only for the bride what is going on Rose tries to convince her sister Elise to just walk away not to marry the Mafia underboss Adrian but her refusel only causes things to get worse after the wedding and now Dominic wants Rose. Dominic serves under his brother Aidren his brother wants both women but Rose is his his brother is spiraling out of control and someone is undermining there business and skimming from then he has to protect Rose but she test his patience.

So this book has a good plot the beginning is interesting then it lags a little the sex scenes were good and the one suspenseful moment towards the end was good. The only issues I had were the abrupt ending and some scenes didn't flow well I couldn't figure out who was speaking at any given time it didn't happen often but it was and issue is the author worth a second read for me yes because I can overlook the things that did annoy me to see if the second book in what assume is a duet will tie up all the loose ends the brother the theft those bikers and whatever secrets Elise is keeping from everyone. I was allowed to read and advance copy of this book via HiddenGems but I also have a copy of this book as well. Also a note there is and issues of abuse but not between Rose and Dominic however if this is a trigger for reader's I wouldn't read this book.

[Taylor Johnson · Rating 4 out of 5]

“𝑨 𝒘𝒊𝒔𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒏 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒕𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝒎𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒆 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆. 𝑻𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒋𝒐𝒃 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒐 𝒌𝒆𝒆𝒑 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒔𝒂𝒇𝒆, 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎, 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏 𝒂𝒏 𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒉 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔, 𝒔𝒐, 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕’𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒍𝒚 𝒘𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰’𝒎 𝒈𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒐.”

T h e V i p e r - Margaret Mcheyzer

Before jumping into my actual review, here’s a big ol ‼️‼️ : there are no TW/CW listed in this book and there should be imo. I know, it’s a dark mafia, there’s probs gonna be some potential triggers, but they should be listed. If this book sounds up your alley, double check them (but, from my perspective, the main trigger is domestic abuse)

ANYWAY…

I’ve definitely been in the mood for some mafia romance (aka I just watched Legend with Tom Hardy 🤤), so this seemed like a good choice and booooy was I right. This was just what I needed. It’s the perfect mix of mafia dealings and romance.

Dominic and Rose’s dynamic is just perfect. He’s demanding and controlling and so strangely kind, she’s stubborn and self-assured. It’s really a match made in heaven for me.

I absolutely loved that there were plenty of scenes of the behind the scenes mafia tension and dealings, and that it wasn’t just revolved around Rose (and her sister).

The spice was spicin’, but not over the top. The bathtub??? Mama LIKEEEEEY.

I *was* left with quite a few unanswered questions sooo onto book two with hopes they’re answered, I guess?

Overall, would recommend!

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Disappointing

While the story itself turned out to be an interesting one, there were a few things wrong. First, I realized part way through that I wasnt enjoying it.

Secondly, it wasn't a polished final copy that we're given to read. There is need for a proofreader to adjust for wrong words, missing words, and just peculiarly said things. The empty Scotch glass is laid down on a table and on the floor. It would have seemed more appropriate to 'set' it down on those surfaces.

Thirdly, it felt unfinished. While there was an HFN, it seems all the questions raised, and the secrets declared, are all there for book 2 to solve.

Okay, I can deal with that. What I am not willing to put up with is the lack of editing/proofreading, when there are so many other good mafia series out there by authors who show respect to their readership. Try Serena Akeroyd's The Five Points' Mob Collection, and A Dark and Dirty Sinners' MC Series. And Jill Ramsower's The Byrne Brothers Series. And Sabine Barclay's The Ivankov Brotherhood series. And S.R. Jones's Bratva Blood series. These are all well written, well edited, and enjoyable through and through. And there are other good mafia authors as well. You dont have to settle for this.

[Marena Grondziowski · Rating 2 out of 5]

Underwhelming

Ugh. Where do I begin..?

First of all, this felt like it was written by a high school student. I almost DNF’d it because of the writing style alone, but I try my best to finish all books that I start, so I ended up finishing it.

The dialogue was hard to follow…I had to re-read entire sections to figure out who was saying what.

I felt myself cringing while reading this book. It just didn’t do it for me. I love these Dark Mafia Romances, but it was boring, the characters were not exciting to me at all, and overall I was left feeling very underwhelmed.

Rose is annoying- she goes from hating Dominic to being interested so randomly. Like nothing even happens for her to start liking her .

Dominic makes me cringe. His character isn’t developed very well, and overall his dialogue was just silly.

Rose kept repeating the same sentences to her sister “I wish I could help you. If only mom and dad were here” and her sister‘s response was always the same…like there was some big secret about their parents…but we never found out about it.

The ending lead into a second book. So, everything that happened in the first wasn’t resolved, but I won’t be reading the next book, so I guess I won’t know what happens.

[Kath Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Viper - The Sacco Family - Book 1

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Loving this introduction to a new series by Margaret McHeyzer

The characters are brilliantly crafted and hold so much passion and emotion.

Rose and Dominic are an incredible match, though circumstances are not what they seem for Rose.
Rose’s sister Eliza marries into a family with a dubious background, and this leaves Rose in a precarious situation of supporting her sister and living under the same roof with the seriously hot, Dominic.

Rose is feisty and doesn’t back down from what she believes in. Her sisters nuptials only complicate things, making their relationship difficult to negotiate under the ever watchful eyes of the Sacco brothers.

Dominic is a mafia man,through and through. He’s ruthless and arrogant and doesn’t accept failure. He wants to secure Rose for himself and will stop at nothing to attain her.
Rose, on the other hand, doesn’t just fall for him. She’s more about the equality and challenges Dominic at every opportunity, driving him crazy.

A fabulously developed plot and great characters. Can’t wait to read the next in the series.

I definitely recommend reading this book and the Sacco Family series.

[Shelly Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is Rose and Dominic's story. It's fast pace and draws the reader in from the beginning. The author did a good job with the story arc & while there's insta attraction, she didn't fall into the insta love trope that has become very hard to believe. The characters are multi-dimensional. Rose is fiercely protective of her sister and takes nothing from her new brother-in-law. Dominic starts out simply trying to protect Rose and be loyal to his brother. That quickly changes.

The connection Rose and Dominic have for each other evolves slowly into love but it's half the fun watching them get there. This is a two-book series so to get the full mafia story line, you'll have to read book two, but the relationships are different. That helps because it's not simply are redo with different main characters. Rose is a fireball and protective who slowly learns to accept her feelings for Dominic and allows them to develop. Dominic is overprotective and domineering but has a sense of humor. They find in each other what they need to feel at home.

Received an advanced reader's copy through Hidden Gems and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Vicky.lovesreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first book I have read by this author.

Book #1 Sacco Family
4⭐️
2🌶️

This story follows Rose and Dominic. It starts with Rose’s sister Eliza getting married to Dominic’s brother who has little respect for women. He wants to claim Rose too but Dominic puts a stop to it. Rose or as Dominic calls her Rosa or my Lioness (swoon) is feisty and stands up for what she believes in. Her relationship with her sister is very important but since she got married it becomes much more difficult to see her.

Dominic is a typical mafia man, demanding, ruthless and arrogant. He wants Rose and will do everything to get her. She however doesn’t just fall all over him and instead meets him head on, challenging him and making him crazy.

I really enjoyed the push/pull of their building relationship. They had some spicy moments which was delicious to read.

We are left with unanswered questions which I’m interested in finding out more about. I will be reading book #2 when it’s released.

I recommend reading this book and starting the Sacco Family series.

[Stacey Foss · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you like Mafia romance, you will like this one it is fast paced with twists and secrets. Rose's sister is marring Adrian against what rose thinks she should do. Rose can't stand the family and feels this is a big mistake. When Dominic see's Rose, he instantly knows she will he his. There are so many secrets in this book that your mind will be thinking and trying to figure out what is happening but that makes the mystery and suspense that much better. Rose sees her sister fading away as her marriage continues and the abuse gets worse, Rose is determined to get her away from Adrian. Dominic is nothing like his brother and he has to prove himself to Rose but these two are a match made for each other. He brings out her darkness and she can't be the queen to stand by his side. This book is a wild ride you won't be able to put down and steam you can't forget. These two melt the pages as they find happiness with each other. I will definitely read another book by this author. I was given this book as an ARC for my honest review.

[Kernia_Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good from the beginning. Then the Fmc, Rose became annoying. I thought I would come back to this but I can't. Book 2 looks more promising...because I can see some drama going on in there. Hopefully it is because sometimes that don't always work. The sex was great..I think and that's about it because this looks like Eliza and Ruben's book in other people's Pov.🤷‍♀️

● “I’ll do it.” He drags his disgruntled gaze over me. “I’m the underboss, you’re just a capo.”

Adrian said that....but isn't a Capo higher than an underboss?????? Didn't the author say Adrian has more power than Dominic???? Adrian is older, no? It's not making sense.

That was my last straw tbh. It's giving one of those great books I have read on Wattpad.

You might love it...if you just want mafia and sex🤷‍♀️🤷‍♀️
If you don't like 🖤dark🖤 romance.....with hard-hearted men....then...
I'm a kidnapping/arranged marriage trope kind of girl. 😬It's just that I love watching these merciless men fall to their knees and grovel.🤷‍♀️