Melina Stratakis and Antonio DeLuca are the lead characters in this dark mafia story and what terrific characters they are too. While Melina has been closeted all of her life, not in a protective manner though, and discouraged from having any opinions on things, she does have a determination and courage that is admirable. I love her caring manner, as well as her sassy side. Antonio is quite a bit older and yet their age difference doesn’t appear to even come up, it’s definitely not an issue. He is the head of the mafia in Miami and is used to things going his way so when things don’t, well… he’s not a happy chappy! I really liked his devout attention to Melina; his determination to protect her and get her away from her father.
In this fast-paced story there is so much action and drama that gets your heart pumping and racing. My heart was so broken for the way Melina had been treated by her father and brothers for all of her life. Equally, I felt so much anger towards her family, I wanted to do something drastic to her father in particular—let’s just say that when Ms Marie creates evil characters they are truly vile. As Antonio says, "Whatever that man is, he’s no father."
This is predominantly a darker story, however, there are some fabulous scenes with great humour. The quick comebacks, throwaway lines and sassy remarks (mainly by Melina 🤣) all combine to create a lighter atmosphere and bring a chuckle. It is also a story that incorporates events from the previous story and this is done expertly. Yes, there are some triggers as warned at the beginning, so be aware but I personally didn’t find anything too drastic.
I look forward to reading Marco and Helena’s story next, I think it could be a tad explosive. 😉