One Chance

The Marchetti Men #1

by Vee Taylor

I wanted to live.
Paint outside of the lines.
Get my ‘glow’ back.

After years of suffering from trauma, I wanted one chance to feel free.
So I had to run away. But does someone actually leave the underworld?
Running from the scariest monster, I ran right into HIM, a broken Made Man painted in lust and part of the same world I was bound to.

I was the object of his desire, his rule breaker, his obsession.

He taught me what protection felt like, what a healthy addiction tasted like.

When he took his barriers down and everything he stood for, it was too late, my past came running back.
But his Little Bear wouldn’t go down without a fight. And my protector would never give up.

I bet my life on that.

*18+ Please check book triggers before continuing as this is a dark billionaire romance with mafia ties*

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Mafia Romance, Contemporary, Billionaire Romance

416 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 25, 2023

Reviews

[Jamie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t normally rate books I DNF, but this was not good. So many contradictions, nastyyyy manwhore H, annoying h, and just all around not good. Also so many flashback chapters, which I hate

[Erica]

First off, huge thanks to the author and Good Girls PR for the copy!

Unfortunately, this was a DNF at 65% for me. I just felt like I was forcing it too much and didn’t want to push myself into a reading slump. Not even the smut could save me really. My reasons for dnf’ing are because this book has so much potential, but definitely could use some editing and fine tuning before it gets there. I genuinely feel bad that I didn’t love this, since I love dark romance

[Kim · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This one is for my readers who love morally grey men, a FMC who stands up for herself, an amazing story line and GREAT spice!

PHEW! I devoured One Chance and could not get enough of the characters, the spice, and the story line. TRUST ME when I say this is a TOP read of 2023, a MUST read!!


***SPOILERS AHEAD!!!***

In One Chance we meet Tatum, who has endured years of mental and physical abuse at the hand of her motorcycle club King of a boyfriend.

After many failed attempts to run away and escape the abuse, Tatum finally frees herself and lands in San Diego with a small backpack of possessions. She finds work, working at a diner and as a photographers assistant. She's found a group of friends, but no one knows her truth. She is still scared and scarred.

While working at a wedding, Tatum literally trips over a hunky man who literally saves her from her mean boss, and stands up for her. Mystery man, Julian, tracks her down and finds her at her other job, waiting for her to begin her shift at the diner.

Tatum is scared to give a man a chance, especially upon learning about Julian's ties to the underworld, the world she worked hard to escape from. Julian is a one and done kind of guy, but finds himself drawn to "little bear". He does not back down, and continues to send gifts and little notes to Tatum (swooooon).

I won't spoil too much more, but TRUST ME when I say this is a TOP read of 2023, a MUST read!!

[alexandra · Rating 2 out of 5]

✩‧₊˚ 𝟐 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬 ★ ★ ☆ ☆ ☆

★¸.•☆•.¸★ 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 •☆•.★

𝐓𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐦 𝐒𝐥𝐨𝐚𝐧𝐞 (h) starts a new life after her previous relationship becomes a living nightmare. Now she’s alone in a new town and has new friendships where she doesn’t have to explain her past. That is until she meets 𝐉𝐮𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢 (H) at a wedding, and when he takes a liking to her, he wants her in his life, but when his background seems to tie into the life she left behind, she doesn’t know if it’s something she wants again – even if it means losing Julian.

*•.¸♡ ★·.·´¯`·.·★ 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 ★·.·´¯`·.·★ ♡¸.•*

Cameron, her toxic ex-boyfriend, is introduced as someone who wanted to protect her and treat her with respect until he got her in the relationship, and now that he had what he wanted, he became a different person. Typical in abusive relationships, he was possessive but not in an MMC alpha way, and for sure in a controlling way — he didn’t allow her to voice her opinions. He physically harmed her when she attempted to leave the relationship. There are time jumps to indicate how she met him and how she fell for him in the first place; he was a brooding charming guy until he wasn’t. He showed her what he wanted her to see, and when he saw that she was interested in him, he completely changed his personality once they were together. It’s sad that he was so good to her but became a completely different person who made her life miserable once he showed her his true colors. She attempts to leave him various times, but she’s burdened by guilt about what he would do without her. Hence, she stays — demonstrating that she was so deep in the abusive relationship that she felt safer and protected at his side, then left him and started over. However, she finally left him and began her desired life in the new town. Cameron took advantage of someone with a bad childhood and knew she would feel safe with reassuring words and automatically shut it down once she gave him what he wanted. It’s infuriating that it worked, but she just wanted to be loved, which can apply to anyone.

When she meets Julian, it makes sense that they clicked because he’s alluring and saved her from falling, so I would have probably thought that was a charming move too. However, I was thrown off by his persistence and presence at her workplace when they interacted less than three times at the wedding, and suddenly, he demanded dates and called her “Little Bear.” Considering her previous history with Cameron, I would have assumed she would have had her guard 100% up, which it somewhat was, but she was a little too trusting around Julian. When he takes her on the date, he reveals his background and why he needs a background, so she automatically shuts him down because she can’t be in that world again, and at least he had the decency to respect that. However, what are the odds of meeting someone with a similar occupation as her toxic ex-boyfriend? She needed to catch a break and meet a lighthearted man. However, Julian was sweet and spent a long time charming his way through her life, and perhaps that was a red flag because Cameron did so too, but it felt more genuine.

Then again, it was weird that Julian did not want anything more than a one-night stand but still placed a GPS tracker on her card. Even worse, he tracked her down to the club, threatened the life of the guy she was dancing with and scared her. Don’t get me wrong, I love alpha male possessive MMCs, but Julian was so clingy when he didn’t know her. They had one dinner that didn’t end well and met at a wedding. Where is this obsession coming from? I wanted to see a gradual development between his interest in her and wanting to protect her, but the lines were so blurred that he was calling her his before they established what they were to each other. He felt chivalrous and not like her ex-boyfriend because he gave her a CHOICE; wow, so romantic 🤥.

“𝙒𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙙𝙤 𝙞𝙨 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙢𝙖𝙣 𝙥𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙞𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙙𝙨 𝙤𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙞𝙩. 𝘼𝙣𝙙 𝙞𝙛 𝙄 𝙨𝙚𝙚 𝙞𝙩? 𝙄 𝙬𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙢 𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙩𝙚𝙘𝙩 𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙤𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙚.”

Sometimes possessiveness is attractive, but not when he acts like he OWNS her and has no say in who she can or cannot interact with. If she wants to make him jealous or wants to hang out with other men, she should be able to without Julian freaking out and making a whole scene. He’s a grown man and needs to act like it. His behavior was not cute. It works for some men in dark romance books, but he doesn’t make it work 😶. Because WDYM, what belongs to HIM??? She didn’t even know him well enough for him to be acting like that. He gave her a sense of security and that’s what she was longing for, and that’s why the relationship worked.

˗ˏˋ 𝑯𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔´ˎ˗

▪️FMC self-care with a 🔫. INTERESTING.
▪️He spent every night outside her house and watched her 🏡.
▪️He pushed her head underwater and ✌🏽till she 🏁.
▪️The safe word was ICE because he teased her with a giant icicle 🧊. OKAY.
▪️He has a rule not to sleep with anyone twice, but she’s the exception because her 🐱 is addictive! WOW 😀. That’s all it took; she needed to spill her secrets. No, seriously, he needs to be fr.
▪️ Wax play - one for the books

And they say romance is dead 🥱. It clearly is alive and well with these two.

•.¸♡ 𝐎͢𝐕͢𝐄͢𝐑͢𝐀͢𝐋͢𝐋͢ ♡¸.•

I was just not entertained most of the time, and it lost me with the Little Bear pet name.

[Holliesbooksandbooze · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damn Vee! You leave us broken, sad and alone but you don’t bring in a hero to save the day you let your FMC find her own power and then give us a bonus morally gray drool worthy man! #crushedit

[Arianna · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶

I really wanted to love this book, but a few things just made it impossible for me to enjoy it. The grammar errors were impossible to look past. The flow of the story was extremely choppy, and in some areas, things just downright didn't make sense. The bones were good, but the execution needs work. The spice lacked important details and felt rushed, as did other areas of the story. I spent a lot of time skimming through during the second half of the book.

[Kelsey Nicole · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 ⭐️ saw this one on TikTok and wanted to give it a shot, was told it was a “dark romance” but I wouldn’t say it is, FMC escapes abusive ex (leader of motorcycle gang) and end up starting over in San Diego where she meets a mafia guy, the writing left a lot to be desired, so many literary mistakes that distracted from the story, had potential

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5!!! This book was truly spectacular. Aside from being a dual perspective story with alternating timelines & nice short chapters, these characters and their story was beautiful. Vee has such a fresh voice in her writing that made each moment enjoyable, whether it be sad, happy, silly, or spicy. And it was the perfect mix of each. I enjoyed that we got details into the FMC’s past, which shaped her as a character and made her growth that much more substantial. Also, the MMC? Hot and broody but secret golden retriever with questionable morals????? Sign me up! I already know this series is going to be an absolute go-to for me! Thank you Vee for sending me an advanced reader copy 🩷

[Latoya's Library · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was cute and i liked statues story but i feel like there was no development to get their relationship to such a strong stage

[Amara Rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

dnf'd at 70%

I just want to say Thank You first and foremost to Good Girls PR for picking me for this arc.

I want to keep this short because even though I can say a lot about this book, I also can't.

I was so excited for this book, however I was tremendously let down. The amount of repetition, immaturity, grammatical & spelling errors is outrageous to me.

So here are a few things that threw me for a loop…& not in a good way.

• The FMC continuously describes the MMC in the same way she describes her abusive ex. She’s literally telling you that she sees the same red flags in the MMC that she saw in her ex but somehow after a lengthy inner monologue about it, she comes to the conclusion that it’s different and enticing.

• The MMC takes her car to have it fixed while she’s at work (& while this would be a sweet thing, it was not as she’d already told him she didn’t want to get wrapped up in the dangerous life he lives because she’d done it before with previously mentioned abusive ex) He then sends his bodyguard to pick her up from work under the guise of taking her home, however she falls asleep on the drive & when she wakes up she sees she is in fact not at home but at…you guessed it, the MMC’s house. She then argues with the bodyguard telling him she’s not going inside and just wants her keys to which he explains the only way she’s going to get them is if she does. When she finally decides to go inside (just to get her keys & leave immediately after) it somehow leads to the FMC & MMC asking each other if they’ve killed before, and they both say yes. The MMC then proceeds to tell her to pick up his gun, she does and starts crying😐…AND IN THE SPAN OF A SECOND, she has her pants down as she sits on the kitchen counter and starts using it to play with herself..now chile🤦🏽‍♀️

• MMC not accepting the word ‘no’…he quite literally says multiple times he never takes no for an answer

• Somehow the MMC never sleeps with a woman more than one time, and because of it after the first time they watch each other get themselves off he’s convinced he won’t touch her again and goes on a long rant of why not. YET he finishes the rant by saying he’ll never let her go.

• Cringy dialogue…for example.
"It's your lucky day, baby. I'm so sorry for keeping you here, but you get it's for your safety, right? It's time you step up and become my queen again. You want to be my queen still, right? Because you forgive me."
"I have a favor to ask you. It's huge, but you know how much of a queen you are to me. This is your time to shine, baby. This is your time."
"Why do you have to be so suave?"
“Okay. IIl be your queen, and you'll be my king"
"I fucking knew it. You are part of a dangerous world,"

• Referring to one of the characters as ‘he/him’ even though they were introduced as ‘she/her’..very confusing if ya ask me.

There’s a lot more, but I am just realizing I did not keep this short & now it’s truly annoying me all over again🥲

[Laura Duffy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Summary

Overall rating: ⭐️⭐️ 2/5

Spicy rating: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 4/5

Fluff rating: 💖💖 2.5/5

💀 Multiple trauma triggers in this book - sensitive readers beware

Thank you to the author and Good Girls PR for the ARC

From the premise it sounded like something I would really enjoy. I love angsty dark romance with a tortured FMC overcoming trauma. Sadly I didn’t enjoy it the way I wanted to.

On the positive side. I did think it was an interesting representation of abuse and being stuck in a shame cycle when trying to leave an abusive relationship.

But unfortunately that’s where the positives stopped for me.

It really needs a strong edit/ proof read for the many mistakes that were present. The dialogue was awkward and very cheesy in parts and lots of repetitive phrases were used in a short period which ruins the flow for me.

There were some continuity errors that kept grating on me for example in one paragraph she’s “shuffling in her boots” when she walks then literally the same scene next paragraph or so her “heels clicked” is she wearing heals or boots? Or heals boots. It’s stuff like that that really drags you out of the moment.

One chapter the MMC refers to Cam (the baddie ex) by name even though he knows nothing of him yet, as if it was almost meant to be her POV. Again lacking continuity and flow.

The spicy scenes although frequent, felt really anti climactic to me too. So sadly this one wasn’t for me and I probably would recommend it.

[Taylor Mitchell · Rating 3 out of 5]

thank you vee and good girls pr for an arc!!

one chance is a steamy billionaire romance with dark elements and mafia ties. it was such a quick read once i got into it and has dual povs which i loved. the past and present chapters were nice because it helped get to see into tatum’s past a little as well. i have to say though, for me, the star of the show was our mmc julian. i just really liked him and some of the things he said were sooo sweet (and sometimes dirty) like gosh. i also liked how female empowerment felt like the biggest theme throughout the book. i felt that vee really wanted to emphasize how strong and resilient woman can be through dark times with tatum and i enjoyed getting to see her stand up, protect, and love herself as the story progressed.

if you like…
- billionaire romance
- touch her and die vibes
- possessive and protective mmc
- the cutest nickname
- mafia ties
- spice
- afraid to commit
- a hea
- dual pov’s
you’ll enjoy this quick and fast paced read!

[Windy Kennedy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I even begin? When I tell you I ate this book up, I mean I ATE THIS UP and left ZERO crumbs. This debut novel by Vee Taylor was stunning and outrageously good. I got an advanced copy and let me tell you, I am obsessed.

The way she was able to weave her words into something that created a living, breathing image in my mind? Magic. I laughed, cried, screamed and squealed like a child on numerous occasions during this book. Quite honestly, this has been one of my favorite reads this year.

We start off by meeting our leading lady, Tatum. She has overcome some pretty significant childhood trauma that led to some even darker trauma as an adult. She used to be bursting with color and life, but when we meet her in the beginning, she’s anything but. With the monumental decision that she can’t continue living this life of abuse and desperation, she takes this 8th attempt to escape (her lucky number might I add) and she does it. She starts brand new, somewhere warm and inviting as she finds herself and learns to love herself again. Sure, her jobs might not be perfect, but her new friends are and her new life is a far cry from where she was. She is on a mission to get her glow back.

Enter Julian, Mr. Tall, dark and morally grey. A chance encounter, perfectly timed to save Tatum from her one shot at being a YouTube star (in the worst way 🤣), is the beginning of something totally unknown and new for them both. He has ✨rules✨ but what are rules for other than to be broken?

AND DAMN IF OUR GIRL DOESN’T BREAK THEM ALL.

Desperately trying to avoid falling back into the world of crime and lawlessness, Tatum finds where she truly shines and where she is truly meant to be. And how could she resist the insanely attractive, tattooed Italian man covered in tattoos who smells like a living dream? Julian Marchetti has my WHOLE heart.

Full of witty banter, swoony lines and plenty of (surprising)🌶️🌶️🌶️ (IYKYK 🤣) this book had a choke hold on me. As far as Vee goes? I will read EVERYTHING she puts out there. Her writing is beautiful and truly paints a picture of what it is to be a survivor from emotional and physical abuse. She was able to make me truly feel all of the characters and side characters (whose stories I can’t wait for either. Maeve, I’m looking at you 👀) like they were my very own friends. The support and love they have for each other is so amazing to me.

I 100 million percent recommend this book, as always, check your trigger warnings. But this book was so wonderfully written, I can’t wait to read the next books.

Some of my favorite quotes:

🌌Per Aspera Ad Astra 🌌
🖤 “Good thing, I always loved villains in the fairytales I read growing up.”🖤
🌶️ “Keep calling me Daddy, and I’ll show you who Daddy is”🌶️
🥹"You’ve completely consumed me.”🥹

[Cassandra Mitchell · Rating 4 out of 5]

One Chance by Vee Taylor
4/5 Stars
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

•••Spoiler free review below•••

How does the saying go? A spicy mafia romance is good for the soul? It's something like that, I swear...

This was a fast paced and captivating read that sucked me in from the first chapter and kept me hooked until the very end. Told in present day and flashbacks, we see our FMC -Tatum - work to overcome her trauma and find happiness. All she wants to do is escape her previous life of crime and shady dealings but a chance meeting leaves her with the possibility of being sucked right back into the life she so desperately wanted to leave behind. Enter: Julian. He is everything she THINKS she doesn't want. But perhaps his differences from her ex make him the perfect man for her.

I can't wait for Marchetti Men book 2!

Read this book if you like:
- billionaire dark romance
- a FMC that saves herself
- multi-POV chapters
- a stand-alone interconnected series
- mafia

One Chance was just released this month and if it's not already on your tbr, it should be!
.
.
.
Special thanks to GoodGirls PR for sharing a free copy with me in exchange for my honest opinions.

Review on Instagram

[Olivia Nystrom · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Phew 😮‍💨 where does one begin?
This book had great spice, a badass FMC, and a great plot!

This book follows our FMC, Tatum, who has been in an extremely abusive relationship: physically and mentally for many years by her Motorcycle Club boyfriend.

On her 8th attempt she finally is able to flee from Chicago and head straight to California with only a small backpack full of a few personal items. Once arriving in California she meets Tony and Samuel who give her a place to live— she lands a job at a diner and a side photography gig. She meets some of her very best friends working at the diner who don’t know her past… yet! While working a wedding one weekend she LITERALLY trips over, Julian Marchetti — who then sticks up for her when her boss is giving her hell. The following days he finds the scoop on her and is persistent on waiting for her to start her shift at the diner.

And the rest… read for yourself. Absolutely LOVED and devoured this book. Excited to continue on in this series!

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book from the very beginning!
Check TW before reading!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Tatum is sucked into a dangerous world of crime and abuse when she gets together with Cam, a boss of a motorcycle club. After dealing with his abuse and deciding it’s time for her to get out, Tatum escapes and moves to California where she now lives her life as a waitress and an assistant photographer. While working at a wedding, Tatum meets hottie Julian 🥵 she is swept up in his commanding presence and thinks she’s in for just a one night stand. She soon finds out that Julian and Cam might not be that different and she has to decide if she’s willing to get back into the mob lifestyle. Can she trust Julian after dealing with the abuse and danger that Cam put her through for so long?

Tropes:
Mafia Vibes
Touch Her & 💀
Billionaire Romance
Dark Romance

I cannot wait to read more by Vee!!

[Jaclyn Fett · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨𝙰𝚁𝙲 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆✨
𝘖𝘯𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 (𝘈 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘦 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 - 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩𝘦𝘵𝘵𝘪 𝘔𝘦𝘯 𝘉𝘰𝘰𝘬 1)
𝘣𝘺 @veetaylorauthor

𝗢𝗨𝗧 𝗡𝗢𝗪!

𝗧𝗥𝗢𝗣𝗘𝗦
• 𝘉𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘦
• 𝘔𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢
• 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘙𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦
• 𝘔𝘰𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘎𝘳𝘦𝘺
• 𝘉𝘢𝘥𝘢𝘴𝘴 𝘍𝘔𝘊
• 𝘞𝘩𝘰 𝘩𝘶𝘳𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶?

😮‍💨 wooo this book was beyond my expectations. It was a great debut novel for Vee and the way she told Tatum’s story was amazing. Julian is the anti hero I didn’t know I needed. Check triggers 🤍

I can’t wait to meet Alex 🥵

[Amy Gower · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely devoured this book! It was so addicting i could not put it down. Such a fast paced read and keeps you wanting more. It had so much character growth and the fmc gaining back her power and control over her own life and with a gorgeous morally Grey mmc what more can you want!? Loved this book

[Madison · Rating 1 out of 5]

thank you to good girls pr & the author for the chance to arc read!

1.5 stars. the star is there bc i COULD see the vision. the .5 is there bc there were some genuinely good quotes in there.

let’s start off with the good.
1. the story is genuinely interesting. the fmc, tatum, is escaping an abusive relationship with her ex boyfriend, the leader of a motorcycle club who abuses her physically, sexually, and mentally.

2. i like the idea of the past/present trauma-to-healing. it was interesting and i haven’t seen it done exactly this way before.

3. some of the quotes about friendship/moments with her friends were great.

4. the found family dynamic is fun.

the middle
1. i could see that the author wanted to make the fmc a strong female character recovering from her abuse and trauma. i’m not sure that it translated well. she would have moments of immense strength, then immediately take 5 steps back and no longer be able to hold her ground.

2. the ultimate conflict with the ex boyfriend finding her is very interesting, however i didn’t feel that stress or anxiety i would’ve liked to. it didn’t feel like life or death or like the stakes were even that high.

3. it was spicy and the spice wasn’t necessarily bad, but i did have moments where i physically cringed (the tampon w the teeth) do w that what u will.

the not-so-good
1. i understand arcs are generally unedited copies. but with this arc being sent out and published soon afterward, i’m not sure it has the time it would need to edit this. there are multiple spelling errors, word misuse, and grammar mistakes.

2. some passages/phrases were repeated far too often. to the point where i highlighted it one time where she was saying she was drawn to her ex for about the fifth time. i got it. ur drawn to him. i think that some edits could definitely be made to cut down on some of the dialogue being repeated multiple times.

3. some of the way they spoke was interesting. and as we are in the not-so-good category, i mean in a not-so-good way. in about the 3rd or 4th thing her ex ever says to her he uses the word “profound” twice. and also “captivating”. but then goes on to say shitty. he’s also the leader of a motorcycle club. who apparently says profound and captivating often enough to use it in the 3/4th sentence he ever speaks to her.

4. there are some problems with… romanticizing. i hate to say this one. but the fmc uses the exact same phrasing to describe her attraction to the ex boyfriend and julian, “i was so drawn to him.” while i thought that the switching between past and present was interesting and not bad, there were moments of romanticizing the abusive man that didn’t sit right with me.

5. we all love a dark romance. we’ve all read our fair share. a dark, morally gray mmc is one of my favorite things. but specifically when he understands no means no. YES i am okay with dubcon. yes i’m okay with an fmc who SAYS no, but means yes. but i found that sometimes, even when she said no but meant yes, it still sounded like she was unsure if she meant yes or no, and in some cases it sounded like she was absolutely positive she meant NO. after the first date, she let him know that she no longer wanted to be involved in “this world.” okay, cool. it sounded like she was pretty damn sure of this, inner monologue and what she said to julian. however, julian took this as, “put a tail on me and send me things daily.” this didn’t give me the vibes of “im saying no but mean yes” the mmc literally says that he doesn’t like being told no. sir, sometimes no really does mean no.

6. he constantly tells her she has a choice, but then overrides that choice based on what he’d rather do.

to finish up, this book has some GREAT bones for a dark romance. the plot, the story, the characters it’s all THERE. this book would benefit greatly from an editor who’s not afraid to make some red marks on the pages and take stuff out and make suggestions. and the author has a wonderful ability to write some lovely quotes and create characters that stand out, but it just needs to be honed. i can see myself reading another book by vee taylor in the future once there’s some growth in her writing style. the story itself really was great, and while there were some scenes that were iffy (icicles are so DIRTY) for me, i can see the diamond in the rough here. it was interesting enough for me not to dnf, which truly does go to show the story was doing something well for me to finish. in total honesty, i had plenty of moments where i wanted to dnf, but felt i should push through. i wish this author the best of luck and hope to read another book by her in the future!

[Ashlynnrainreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love vee. So spicy and fucking hot

[Petra · Rating 1 out of 5]

„ I was a meek, lost female.“

This does not get one chance from me. Who wrote this? She was annoying, he was just off and all the others were just flat characters.

[S. Brookins · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story line was decent but the writing, sentence structure and detail were so underdeveloped that I had a hard time taking this book seriously. It felt juvenile.

[Heather Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tropes: Dark Romance, Billionaire, Mafia Ties, Obsessed MMC, Morally Grey MMC

Kinks: Masturbation, Anal Play, Kink Play

TW: Domestic Violence, Abuse, Rape, CNC, Dub-Con, Drug/Alcohol Use, Gun Violence, Gun Use, Kidnapping, Drowning, Murder

Thank you to the author for providing me with an E-ARC in exchange for my honest opinion!

This book follows Tatum and her journey to healing from being in a domestic violence relationship, and Julian, who is part of the mafia -- the same world where Tatum's ex is a part of. The story covers Tatum's past and future. When Tatum leaves her abusive ex, she decides to start working a wedding gig and that is when she runs into Julian.

This is Vee Taylor's DEBUT novel, and she hit it out of the park! Absolutely amazing story! I loved how the story switched from past to present and we got to see all of Tatum's life. I loved how much of a gentleman Julian was towards Tatum. He didn't force Tatum to stay with him, and he was so caring towards her feelings. I loved their chemistry so much! Seeing Tatum grow and be herself was one of my favorite things in this book -- because she was a BADASS. I loved this book, and I'm excited to read the next book in the series!

[Ariana Cisneros · Rating 5 out of 5]

If your thinking about reading dark romance this series is the perfect series to start with. Once you start you will not want to put it down! Such a great read with a roller coaster of emotions!

[Taylor Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5/5
🌶 3.5/5

I really liked Tatum and Julian's relationship. They had a lot of push-pull to their story and this book was overall written well! I really like how it had many surprises, but there was a couple of situations that were tad predictable. I really like how Vee wrote the internal dilemmas of an abused woman that many people don't understand. Please read TWs prior to reading!

[Paige · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️:4
🌶️: 3

I was fortunate to receive an eARC of One Chance by Vee Taylor for review - thank you @good.girls.pr

This is a dark billionaire/mafia romance, and it was a solid debut novel! The plot moved well, there was good character development, and I enjoyed the time jumps - it allowed for a better understanding of the FMC, Tatum. There is also dual POV throughout between Tatum and the MMC, Julian. The ending was definitely satisfying! Also - the cover is stunning 😍

Definitely check this out if you enjoy:
• Touch her and die
• Possessive and protective MMC
• Adorable nickname
• Spicy with some k!nk - check the TWs
• HEA ending
• 1st person dual POV

One Chance releases on July 25!

[Anais Rosa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
🖤Mafia romance
🖤Opposites attract
🖤Touch her and die
🖤Billionaire romance
🖤Found family

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥🔥.5

“You found me.”
“I will always find you. I’d go to the ends of the earth for you. And I’ll never spend a single living day without you.”

One Chance kicks off the Marchetti Man Series and marks Vee Taylor's debut novel.

Tatum, haunted by years of trauma, decides to break free from her painful past, but can one truly escape the clutches of the underworld? Fate leads her to Julian, a man entangled in the same dangerous world.

With Julian, Tatum discovers safety and a glimpse of a healthy relationship. However, her past resurfaces, and she refuses to surrender without a fight, while her protector remains unwavering in his promise to keep her safe.

In my first encounter with Vee Taylor's work, I ventured into the realm of dark billionaire romance and found it compelling. Tatum, despite her harrowing circumstances, displayed immense strength and determination, working and studying to pursue her dreams.

Julian, a figure in the mafia, was captivated by Tatum and willing to break his own rules for her. He offered her choice and agency in a world where she had little. Their relationship was a beacon of hope, a story of resilience, and a yearning for safety and protection.

Their chemistry was undeniable, leading to explosive and intimate moments, always with respect and care. The dual timelines added depth to the story, providing valuable background.

Amid the dark mafia romance, there were moments of tenderness, illustrating that after trauma, one can rebuild and find love and family that nurture and protect. Please be aware of potential trigger warnings when considering this book.

[Stacey Harper · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Vee Taylor's first book. I bought this book because I saw a TikTok from her where she stated that no one in her life believed that she could be an author as a career, they are wrong. I loved this book. It kept me engaged and wanting more, it had just the right amount of spicy scenes,with a storyline too. There were a few moments that were predictable, but most books are to me. I would suggest reading this! Id you like mafia romance, spice, billionaire romance... this is for you.

[Almina · Rating 1 out of 5]

He calls her “little bear” 😶‍🌫️ HAHAH
No plot, no chemistry between the mc’s they’re just chilling as like me LOL
There were so many flashbacks scenes which I hated it.

⚠️for my safety besties⚠️:
-Insta-Lust
-No cheating
-Age Gap (h: 25 / H: 32)
-OMD: her abusive ex boyfriend, he’s a killer. We saw cameos of her past but there was no intimated scenes. And he causes lots of drama.
-No V’s (I THINK, both celibate for a while.)

[Zoe O'Connor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Think of all the dark, delicious & spicy things you love about morally grey men. . . Add them all together & Julian Marchetti is the result