El heredero implacable

Castillo Cartel #1

by Bella Ash

Le salvé la vida, y él me odia por eso.
¿Cuál fue mi recompensa? ¡Un matrimonio con el diablo!

No esperaba conocer así a mi futuro en una discoteca, en medio de un tiroteo, y con él apuntándome con un arma a la cabeza.

La verdad es que le salvé la vida. Ahora, Ángel Castillo, el heredero del cartel criminal más sanguinario de Miami, está en deuda conmigo y, para saldarla, decime hacerme parte de la familia. Su oferta es tan fría como su corazó o me caso con él o me doy por muerta. No tengo muchas opciones que digamos, ¿no?

La familia Castillo es despiadada y su estilo de vida me aterra, pero el que más miedo me da es Ángel. Entonces, ¿por qué me la paso mirándolo? ¿Por qué me muero por sentir sus manos en mi piel? Debería escapar, pero sé que Ángel jamás me dejará ir. También sé que no debería desearlo ni soñar con sus caricias.

El implacable heredero del clan Castillo me trata como si yo fuera de su propiedad… y a mí me encantaría que me haga suya.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Mafia Romance, Forced Proximity, New Adult, Contemporary

352 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 18, 2023

About the author

Bella Ash is a dark mafia romance author. She loves writing dark, alpha heroes who find themselves obsessed with their strong, sassy heroines. Her stories are filled with action, suspense, steam—plus captivating anti-heroes and the woman who can’t help but learn to love them.

To you, dear reader, she promises intense emotion, edge-of-your-seat action, and always and forever an HEA that will leave you satisfied and smiling.

Bella lives with her family in Chicago and loves to go on old Mafia tours to find as many little tidbits to use for her books as possible. When she’s not writing, she loves to spend time with her handsome hubby, go to Broadway shows, or drink way too much dark coffee.

Reviews

[Meg ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

you can't bloody leave it there???!!!!!






i've gone feral feed me more bella ash pls

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

First time reading this author and I am sold! The cartel/mafia aspect was in the forefront and Angel definitely fit the bill of being a ruthless and dominant lead. I loved his character; he was cold and a bit of an ass, but not an asshole. He got better as he and Emma got to know each other more as well.

As far as Emma, she was quite pragmatic in light of the situation she was put in, but it was adapt or die, so not much choice there. I'm glad she wasn't trying to fight with him every step of the way.

Now, my only gripe is... The next story is Omar's, which is great because he brought some fun into the story, BUT, what about that cliffhanger? Is Angel and Emma's story going to continue in Omar's? Pick up again in book 3? What is the situation here because I will come back and drop this to a 1⭐ if that's not the case lol. With that, if you're not into huge cliffhangers and clarification that it's a 'to be continued', you've been warned.

[Sam Lance · Rating 3 out of 5]

Warning this has spoilers!

Vicious Heir by Bella Ash is a forced marriage mafia book. I rated this book 3 stars out of 5 stars. It has a decent amount of spice in it and there’s a couple tropes that pop up in this book: possessive a*hole, love/hate, unexpected baby, and parental trauma. I thought the plot was easily to stay engaged especially as I finished it in one day. It seemed very rushed in the beginning and then started to slow down and more interesting about halfway through the book. The rushed part is a big part as to why this got only 3 stars. Not only did the plot feel rushed but so did the relationship with Angel and Emma and I’m not just talking about them being married so quickly. I also gave this three stars because there’s being an a*hole who loves the female character but don’t know how to say it and there’s another of being an a*hole as part of a generic character to make the main female character feel bad.
Vicious Heir starts off with Emma walking into deliver a package to Angel as a courier. Shortly after delivering the package, a rival mafia family starts shooting up the area. Emma forces Angel down and saves him from receiving a fatal blow. Angel then is forced to take her back to his compound to see what to do with her since he now owes her a life debt. His father forces a marriage to ensure that Emma is safe and to produce an heir as Angel is the heir to the Castillo mafia. Angel’s father is a ruthless and cruel man who doesn’t take no very well. While there is no love or want to get married, the marriage happens regardless. From the wedding kiss, desire was sparked between Angel and Emma. Emma then begins to learn what the meaning of being a mafia matriarch is and Angel starts learning what it’s like to have something that is solely yours and how to be his own kind of husband. Angel helps Emma heal from her mother’s passing from cancer and they both start developing feelings. Emma fights the feelings as she doesn’t want to be in love with a morally dark gray man and Angel doesn’t want to seem soft towards his wife as his father never was to his own wife. During this time, Angel’s dad is trying to build a peace alliance with the rival mafia family even though it all seems to be a trap. Eventually Angel disagrees with his father on building the alliance in front of the rival family which embarrasses and upsets his father. His father then attempts to have pregnant Emma murdered. Angel finds her in time and they both confess their love for each other. Angel’s father is forced into retirement at hospice and Angel takes over. The books ends on a cliffhanger of Angel visiting his father in his dying hours and Angel is shot by the rival family.
One thing I really liked about this book was the idea of family love in this book. You can see how much Emma loved her mom purely based on all the heartbreak she feels for the loss of her mother. Plus, it was so sweet when Emma found out she was pregnant that she wanted to be just like her mom for her own baby. I also thought the love between Omar, Lili and Angel was amazing. It’s loyalty and devotion all wrapped up in a way that having an abusive family could only create. Most mafia books don’t show that kind of love between siblings as they are usually fighting to be heir. I also thought it was sweet how much they all wanted to protect their little cousin Manny from being part of the clan so early.
There were a couple things I disliked about this book, but the biggest thing was whirl-wind love affair that seems to happen in this book. They even joke about Angel being in a Stockholm marriage. Emma is essentially kidnapped and forced into a marriage or be killed. She obviously doesn’t want to be killed but then she just basically throws herself at Angel in bed. She fights her feelings of love, but it just seemed like it was a forced writing to have her change all her own morals to fall in love with him.

[thebrunettebibliomaniac · Rating 4 out of 5]

arc review
This was my first book by ‘Bella Ash’ and i was not disappointed. Every chapter kept me more intrigued waiting to get to the next.

i loved Emma she was fearless and it so beautiful too see ,mainly when reading a mafia romance we always find the fmc meek for the first half of the book ,but Emma was different she stood her ground however terrified she felt inside

[Catbytheseareads ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

rtc cliff hanger ending on this

[Carol · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 Stars

I should have just dnf'd this and moved on. I clearly love torturing myself and blaming it on being too tired to start another book 😆

This story wasn't outright bad. Atleast not the writing. It was okay. The entire plot, premise and characters is what ruined it for me. The main reason I hated this book and what made me dnf/begin skimming is at the end of my review btw. It's a doozy if you care about the MMC apologizing and groveling for screwing up and a having FMC who stands up for herself because this one never did!

I mean the criminal family and their screwed up dynamic with their hatred and underlying trauma and abuse was what it was. Nothing that surprised me tbh. But the way it all played out was just...not great.

It was simplistic and predictable. Worse was the FMC. God, she was just unbelievable and ridiculous. If there was one thing about this book I could point at and say yep! that's what ruined it for me...it'd be her.

Which is sad because initially I found her a little intriguing. Even if she was getting hooha tingles even while handcuffed and threatened by the MMC. Like, I gave her some grace to get her shit together but alas that was no the case.

Ultimately I blame the author. Because in what world does the most average chick of undetermined age (seriously why was no ages mentioned at all?!) who's struggling to get by in her sad little life get drawn into some assassination attempt and not only save the random guy she she's delivering a package to but not freak the fuck out after watching him murder like six to ten people in front of her? Or show any signs of self preservation when he treats her like she's shit on his shoe and that her existence is a big ass inconvenience for him? And has the nerve to talk about how she finds him attractive and how something he says or does turns her on all after she's seen him murder multiple people, kidnap her, and then threaten her with torture and death?!

Like this girl had no sense. AT ALL.

I hated her the longer the story went on because of her own stupidity. How was I supposed to just buy that this random ass normal chick got swept up into some criminal family and just, I dunno, accepts it without much of an argument or fight? She didn't attempt to escape once before being forced to marry him. And she happily just throws her virginity at her new husband the same day they marry. Literally what the hell was that?!

No, it wasn't romantic or sexy. It was absolutely unrealistic is what it was.

Frustrating too! Because we go on to see this chick who absolutely does not fit into this criminal cutthroat world and clearly isn't comfortable in it nor approves of it seemingly just accept her new place in life. She just falls into the role of housewife by cooking for the MMC and trying to find her place. And all the while she's happy to screw her hot dangerous husband, without protection btw. No safety here!

And this dumbass only considered running once she realizes she's pregnant. Only then? Really?! And how dumb is that to even consider doing when the MMC married her to protect her from the other crime family who had supposedly put out a hit on her for witnessing the assassination attempt at the opening of the book? Sure let's run off with no money, no plan and no way to keep yourself safe and all in the name to protect the unborn child you gave no fucking thought to creating with a complete stranger when you screwed him as many times as you could without ever discussing using protection, if he was clean or if either wanted kids at all!

See? Absolutely moronic.

And the MMC? 😂 My god what an immature and emotionally constipated jerk. Man, he wasn't even close to any sort of dark anti hero or redeemable alphahole. He was just rude and selfish and didn't know how to handle his emotions at all. Idegaf his shitty abusive father was mostly to blame. He didn't need to treat the FMC the way he did much of the book..And it was only made worse by how the FMC would just let him treat her this way. I genuinely thought she had some backbone but apparently not. Just enough to ask him to fuck her and refuse him the ability to kiss her on the lips apparently!

Honestly I just need my stories to make a tiny bit of sense ok? This one didn't. It was ridiculous and unbelievable how this girl came to be involved in their world and I'm just supposed to believe it?

I hated watching her fall into the little wife role by cooking and trying to care for the MMC. And so quick she was to learn Spanish to please everyone and try to play the perfect hostess. And it wasn't just because she was afraid of being punished or killed if she didn't fall in line. Sure, maybe a little and more at the beginning but the rest was all her choices.

I hated it. Like she could have been a badass and instead she just decided to be the good little wife and sex it up with her new husband and mope about missing her mother after nursing her through her cancer. Ugh.

Alright, I'm done. Just...major book regret for reading this all the way through even with heavy skimming.

Edit: I wrote this at like 5am after finishing so I totally forgot the major point in the book where I began skimming heavily because hell no y'all!

So, there was this point where the FMC goes to a bathroom in the other side of the house to take her pregnancy test. Her logic was that she could toss the test if it wasn't positive there so no one would find it. Anyway, she takes one step out of the bathroom only for a huge dude to shove her head first into the wall and began groping her. She manages to throw her head back into his nose right as he was going for her dress and then magically her husband appears to tackle the dude off her.

Now, usually I'd be like yes sir! Protect your woman! Any minute he'll be all up on her and making sure his girl is okay, right? RIGHT?! WRONG! Dude proceeded to yank her wrist and drag her back to their rooms in the west wing and berate her about "snooping" through the house. Which was specifically something he warned her NOT to do when he first kidnapped her. She manages to tell him she was using the bathroom, not snooping but nah, this dude ain't listening AT ALL. So she's understandably upset. She just found out she was pregnant, then is immediately attacked, nearly raped and then thinking she's safe with her husband finds herself being accused of being stupid and unable to listen to instructions all the while he never once asks her if she's okay or how she is or what she was ACTUALLY doing on that side of the house. So, she yells at him to leave her alone, that's she wants to just sleep and eventually he does leave.

Because here's the kicker, she was attacked by one of his creepy uncles!

Later we see him in his office stewing over everything that happened and his younger brother comes in and learns what went down. His brother then goes "didn't she know not to go into that side of the house?!" And the MMC is like "yeah dude I warned her not to go snooping!" but his brother is like "you know how the uncles are! you warned her they're not safe to be around anything in a skirt, right?" and the MMC is like 😶 "I told her not to go to that side of the house! and the brother is like 😳🙄 "dude that's not the same thing! she wasn't snooping and you didn't warn her about the rapey uncles?!?!"

And so after all that went down, I guess some time passed. A few hours, a day? two days? idk it's very confusing and clunky tbh. And the MMC is in the gun range with his brother when their baby sis shows up with the FMC to practice. Up to that point I guess they still hadn't spoke. or hashed things out apparently. And he can't stop watching her and she's intentionally ignoring him. But then he crowds her to try and show her how to shoot and you literally blink and he's dragging her off to a bathroom and they screw like bunnies. Then he runs away.

Like, what the ever loving hell was that?! No groveling, no apologies, not even asking how she is or finally trying to get her side of the story or admitting you handled that situation badly. Nada. And not a peep from the FMC about his lack of apology or even about her still being upset with him. Zilch! She just throws her kitty around willy nilly and doesn't care about standing up for herself.

That was the true breaking point of the book for me

And worse, the FMC just gives it up for free AGAIN with no grovel or argument after he locks her up when he realizes she was planning to escape too! She's like "awe my hubby still came to me for comfort despite being mad at me and locking me up like a prisoner!" *tosses kitty at him like a jungle cat in heat*

🤣😂😆

[Romanticamente Fantasy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Voto - 3,5
.
Polvere d'arte - per RFS
.
Fenici, il finale di questo romanzo vi lascerà un po’ interdetti. Stavolta parto dal finale, sì, perché mi ha fatto rimanere un po’… così. Chiunque legge dark/mafia romance sa che certe cose succedono e che i protagonisti devono sempre (e sottolineo sempre) guardarsi le spalle! E invece il primo capitolo si chiude con un colpo di scena parecchio scontato, che mi ha dato sui nervi. Penso che anche un bambino di due anni avrebbe intuito ed evitato. Viene lasciato però uno spiraglio aperto, essendo solo primo di una serie.

Angel é il primogenito, colui che prenderà il posto del capofamiglia dopo la morte del padre, che per fortuna non sarà molto lontana. Perché dico ciò? Perché ci sono mafiosi con almeno una parvenza di codice d’onore e chi invece non ne ha affatto. Beh, il padre di Angel appartiene alla seconda categoria, la più infima e brutale. Fortunatamente Angel, Omar e Lily sono dei fratelli affiatati e, nonostante siano cresciuti in un ambiente malsano sotto tanti punti di vista, si spalleggiano e si aiutano a vicenda.

Emma salva la vita per puro caso a Angel, che quindi ha un debito a vita con lei. E il padre cosa pensa di fare? Di farli sposare rendendo la vita del figlio un inferno. Lui proverà a ribellarsi, ma ogni volta sarà severamente punito. La nostra protagonista, dal suo canto, non ha molte possibilità di scelta e sposa quest’uomo spietato ripromettendosi, dato che non può scappare, di farsi valere almeno un po’. Anche se… lui la fa vibrare con un solo sguardo e i suoi pensieri, ogni volta che lo vede, sono ben lontani dalla purezza alla quale appartiene. Unica cosa che riesce ad ottenere é il non farsi baciare sulla bocca, perché per lei si tratta di un gesto intimo, da innamorati. Lui, anche se irritato, non si arrabbia e non la forza in questo senso. L’unico modo che hanno ambedue di sfogare la loro frustrazione é il sesso: ogni due per tre, dopo ogni discussione o malinteso, finiranno sempre col farlo. Questo tenderà a unirli e a farli scoprire leggermente ogni volta. Ma non sarà facile per loro capire chi sono i nemici, chi veramente tiene alla famiglia e comprendere se una storia nata per caso e basata esclusivamente sul sesso possa diventare qualcosa di più.

Dovranno imparare ad accettare la vita dell’altro, a fidarsi e, cosa più importante, ad amarsi incondizionatamente. E, si sa, tutto questo non è per niente facile.

Il Pov è alternato tra i protagonisti, le scene di sesso sono presenti ovunque, a volte sono accennate altre descritte in maniera discreta, ma il tipo di scrittura non coinvolge molto il lettore. È un romanzo che si legge tranquillamente in qualche ora e devo dire che, se all’inizio non vedevo l’ora di finirlo, alla fine mi ha deluso parecchio per lo sviluppo scontato che ho trovato soprattutto in chiusura. Se devo sottolineare personaggi da lodare, indico tutti e tre i fratelli, ma soprattutto Lily, che ha capito, a sue spese, cosa vuol dire nascere e vivere in quella famiglia o, meglio, sopravvivere nella casa in cui sei nata e dalla quale non puoi scappare.

Leggerò sicuramente il secondo capitolo, giusto per togliermi il dubbio sul finale del primo. Fatemi sapere se la pensate come me.

[Mandy Sickle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I Received Vicious Heir in return for an honest review from NetGalley.

It was supposed to just be a delivery Emma never expected that one delivery would change her life when she saved Angel from the shooter. Angel forced to honor the life debt does exactly as his father asks and marries her. This way she's safe no one would go after his wife it would be war, and his debt is paid.

They can't deny the chemistry between the two of them and as much as he fights it Angel find himself developing feelings for Emma. While Emma is trying her best to be the good wife as she will be the matriarch of the family eventually. As they both find themselves getting along the connection grows but not everyone is happy about them falling for each other and danger is looming. Danger is around every corner will they survive?

I adore Emma she takes being forced to marry Angel the future leader of the family in stride, working hard to find her place as she can't deny her attraction to the brooding man. I knew after the first kiss that I loved Angel she's exactly what he needs and complements him well. The chemistry between the two is steamy, and who doesn't love a strong alpha male.

I loved the characters I found myself cheering the on as they made leaps and bounds in there relationship. The author did an amazing job creating a captivating story that I found hard to put down. I couldn't wait to see what would happen next and ended up staying late to finish the book. This book is a cliffhanger and I can't wait for the next one I need to know how it all plays out. This is my first book by the author and I'm looking forward to the next. I honestly loved it all the feels a great first installment.

[Natasha · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚠️TW: dead mom⚠️

4.25 Stars Rounded Down

This book was wow. When you thought you knew what was going to happen, things would take a turn.

Reasons for Rating Reduction:

-Emma was so close to her mom and she just let it go that she could never get anything back from her apartment (most likely including memories and pictures of her mom). Not realistic, made things a little flat
-Emma's kidnapping was a little...quick. It all took place over the course of a few pages. Would have liked a little more suspense

The ending alone however, added a whole star to my review. I definitely didn't see it coming and an unpredictable twist will always be a win in my eyes.

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

I saved his life. And he hates me for it.
My reward? A marriage to the devil.

I did really enjoy this book so much I read it in a day! The POV from Angel was my favorite. I loved that it kept you engaged from the first chapter and was nonstop action from the start. Not 10 chapters of building up to the excitement. Does have a dash of spice added into also, which never hurts.

⭐️4/5
🌶️3/5

[fatima. · Rating 2 out of 5]

the way i had no interest in reading the second book but that ending happened

[Hart's Reader Group · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this read. How they met, how the H won the h over despite the lack of trust, the drama with the family. And then, I get to the end, take a deep breath and relax because it is now the HEA.... NOPE! Cliffhanger! That was some messed up bullshit right there. Warn someone! I don't know if I'll want to read what happens next. To me, the H and h got their HEA, the rest of the drama doesn't interest me.

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

[Mery · Rating 4 out of 5]

⚡️Mafia
👰🏻‍♀️ Marriage of convenience
🔺 Cliffhanger
👫 Dual POVs

TW. Cliffhanger, violence, murder, kidnapping….

Emma wasn’t where she was supposed to be. She saved a man’s life and now she has to marry him. Angel is a dangerous man, Emma learns that right away. He first threatens her life and then forces her to marry him. Now she’s married to a powerful and fearless man, heir to the Castillo Family. Emma has to learn how to survive in this new deadly world but she doesn’t know who to trust..

First of all, I didn’t read that many Mafia romances but I think this one is totally on topic. Although I think it’s the first one I read that has one of the main characters who doesn’t belong in the mafia world already. I like that storyline where Emma has to learn how to live as the ‘matriarch’ as they say.

Even though the Mafia’s world is something that most of us don’t know (I hope so for you guys at least), I never felt like it was unrealistic. Romanticize for the good of the book but there weren't some huge things happening that felt like it could never happen in real life. It’s my opinion though !

We have the typical mafia man : bossy, dangerous, sexy as hell and violent (with everyone except the female main character obviously). He had a complicated childhood and was obviously bred to one day lead the Family. Emma is a bit different and less stereotypical I think. She lost her mother and had to take care of her, so she’s very independent. Also she’s a total stranger to this world. It was nice seeing this bridge between them (and also seeing them cross that bridge and meet in the middle I guess). I think all the mafia romances I’ve read have been about two families reuniting (so both parties already knew the word).

Vicious Heir really reminded me of The Sweetest Oblivion. It has some similar tropes and details, and even though they have their differences, those two books could be on the “if you liked this book, read this one” recommendation tag.

I’d like to thank Netgalley and the Publisher for the opportunity to have read this book !

[Maura · Rating 4 out of 5]

Your classic enemies-to-lovers trope, but make it mafia. When Emma saves Angel at a club, he owes her a life debt and she is imprisoned while they do a background check to ensure she isn't working for their enemies. Both are forced into a marriage by Angel's father as a punishment. But will it end up working out that way?? They can't deny the attraction brewing between them, no matter how difficult it is for Emma to accept the man she may be falling for is a dangerous killer. There's action, betrayal, spice, and QUITE the cliffhanger. I can't wait to read the next one to see how it all turns out!

I was given an advanced copy to read from NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 Stars - CLIFFHANGER!!

RATING SYSTEM:
5 – Absolute love
4 – Enjoyed it
3 – I liked it… mostly
2 – Forced myself to finish, but at least I finished
1 – Couldn’t finish it

Moments:
My highlighting system involves highlighting scenes I enjoy, find funny, and things that make me go “aw”. I was torn during this book, there were 4 scenes that I particularly enjoyed, 6 that I found funny, and 4 solid “aw” moments.

What I Liked:
I very much enjoyed the format and plot. I also liked the way losing Emma’s (FMC) virginity is described, everyone always talks about the pain but that’s not what I experienced and it’s always nice to read about a character who “experienced” something similar to you. I very much enjoyed the relationship between Emma and Lili (Angel’s sister), and Lili is a great character.

What I disliked:
I think I’m just a little picky because my feelings were hurt on Emma’s behalf, but I wish there were some more apologies. I still warn anyone who doesn’t like when anger is taken out verbally, to be cautious. He says some mean things in the beginning that he doesn’t apologize for. However, his big apology in the end made me very happy. Then, he keeps it going, and all I could think was “thank GOD”.

Notes: This book is written in the alternating first-person POV of Emma (FMC) and Angel (MMC). Emma has moved to Miami to get a fresh start after her mother passed away. She is a delivery courier, and she’s gone to Angel’s club to give him a package when a shoot-out occurs. She saves his life, so his father forces him to marry her to appease his new life debt. Neither of them particularly want it but they both go through with it for safety. After the wedding the book is pretty much sex and danger. There are moments of kindness from Angel.
Characters: When we finally see Angel’s soft side, it is a welcome sight. Truly. Emma is still kind of neutral territory for me. She doesn't stand up for herself very much but she also isn’t a complete doormat.
Plot/Story: I do like the premise of forced marriage. The main villain is cliche, though he does have the villain thing absolutely down. Couldn’t see one redeemable feature, but he also wasn’t in your face about it. He acted like his actions were totally normal and reasonable.
Romance: I would call this an emotional slow-burn with a physical fast-pace. They jump into physical activities very quickly, and the emotional stuff comes much slower. It reads very much like Emma has to teach him that caring is okay, because he was taught that he was not. It makes me feel so sad that he didn’t get that. And it does explain the way he pulls away. I was okay with this because I didn’t get “begging” vibes from Emma so much as “internal struggle” vibes from Angel.
General: There are some themes in this book to be wary of such as verbal abuse (Angel to Emma in my opinion), physical abuse (Angel’s father), and an (almost) SA (it was stopped, but he was going to do it - he is punished for trying later).

Quotes that made me Feel Things:

“I apologize for trying to make the best of a shitty situation,” she said flatly. “I won’t do that in the future.”

“...wipe your face, you look ridiculous…”

“...keep out of my fucking business, no one wants your opinions.”

She giggled, and I liked the sound. I liked her smiles and the soft look in her eyes when she was happy.

I smiled; I liked her soft like this.

“Is this going to hurt” Manny asked. For all his bluster, he sounded so young. “Not as badly as getting shot,” I said. “That’s… not as comforting as you might think,” he said.

“Yeah, to stop him from raping me,” I said, pulling down the covers on my side. “I’m such a horrible person.” I rolled onto my side, facing away from him. “Get. Out.”

“I’m sorry,” I said, kissing the scratch on her nose. A tear fell. “I’m so sorry.”

“I’m sorry for treating you like you’re fragile, but I know I have a lot to make up for. I haven’t treated you right.”

Overall:
I liked this book, it was a fun read. I will read the next one to see how the cliffhanger is resolved, plus I am now more invested in the story between Emma and Angel. I want to see more of the soft-side of Angel, the protective side. He has some real potential. Would have been a solid 4 stars if Angel apologized for some of the stuff he said in the beginning, which I won’t specifically mention here cause it’s kind of spoiler, but he was mean.

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

[sweetness_v · Rating 4 out of 5]

One word,
INTENSE

finished the book in one sitting.
It was actually really intriguing tho the Forced mafia marriage trope is pretty common. It’s the story!
I kid you not i actually felt how the characters developed into their feelings and roles.
Angel (MML) was such a stuck up most of the time, with mostly being unreasonable but then you see that it is all because of his father and childhood so eventually when he meets Emma (MFL) he starts loosening up. There were instances where i wanted her to slap him hard but then also at points i went, ‘okay that’s kinda hot’
Yes, it was an instant lust in the beginning but then he eventually did fall for her, it was just hard for him to fully comprehend his emotions.

Tho nothing out of the ordinary with the plot, it was still pretty fun to read.

Tbvh we never really got a good psychical description of the characters so it was hard for me to imagine faceless people lol

Okay, but the end left me struggling
Why is it a cliffhanger? Now i gotta read the other book man😭😂

Got my free copy from netgallery💛

[Claire Weglowski · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed this a lot, I love to read mafia books and this did not disappoint me at all, she saved his life and how they meet is a true enemies to lovers story, the plot was gripping the whole way through, how the characters grow through the story is brilliant, I found myself completely gripped throughout and couldn't put it down, and oh my gosh that ending, how could it be left like that just wow.
i enjoyed this that much that i have looked for this authors other books straight away.

[Deea (Andreea) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Hmm... I have mixed feelings. While I found this a quick, enjoyable read and I loved the writing and the dark mafia theme, some things didn't sit well with me. It felt rushed, impersonal and did we really need a cliffhanger?!

More details to come

*arc provided by the author in exchange for a honest review

[Lizz (Beer, Books and Boos) · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5

This is my first book by Bella Ash, and I wasn't disappointed. Now I just want to know who told Bella Ash she was allowed to break my heart like she did. I was hooked from page one, but it did lag in the middle, then picked up again. I can't wait to read the next book in this series, so I think I can wait a few months.


Thank you, Netgalley, for letting me give my honest review

[Giusy Luca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma non ha avuto una vita facile. Cresciuta solo con la madre, a causa di una malattia si occupa di lei fino alla sua scomparsa. Decide di rifarsi una vita e ripartire da zero in un'altra citta, durante un turno di lavoro si trova suo malgrado tra il fuoco incrociato di due cartelli della droga, salvando la vita a Angel l'erede dei Castillo. 

Costretta a sposarsi pur di salvarsi la vita non sa che i veri nemici sono proprio tra le fila della famiglia.

Angel insieme al fratello Omar e alla sorella Lili da anni sono costretti a subire l'ira del padre, sarà Angel il primogenito che prenderà il posto come capo della famiglia una volta la morte del padre, ma a quale prezzo?

"Nessuno me l’avrebbe portata via. Nessuno poteva toccare ciò che mi apparteneva. L’avrei fatto a pezzi se ci avesse provato."

Angel dopo un attentato da parte della famiglia rivale sarà costretto ad onorare il suo debito nei confronti di Emma per avergli salvato la vita. Costretto dal padre a sposarla si accorge in breve tempo che quello che inizialmente vede come un imposizione si trasforma in un sentimento di amore e rispetto e solo quando la vita di Emma sarà in pericolo capirà i suoi veri sentimenti verso la sua "esposa".

Ma ci sono persone che tramano per dividerli riusciranno a salvarsi? 

Una storia abbastanza intrigante e scorrevole unica pecca è che ho trovato la scrittura un pò acerba, i dialoghi poco ricercati e avrei preferito più approfondimento sulla vita dei protagonisti, tutto sommato però una storia interessante. Il finale lascia molti punti di domanda, adesso aspetto il secondo libro per sapere come si evolverà la storia tra Angel e Emma.

Ringrazio l'autrice per la copia ARC

[Lola · Rating 2 out of 5]

Loved the premise of this and er... well the cover didn't hurt the eyes either.

I poured the tea, cracked open the biscuits and prepared to enjoy. I was barely pages in when I started to roll my eyes. More of that later.

When courier and heroine Emma, is tasked with delivering an envelope to a man called Angel she has no idea that she is walking in on an attempt on his life by a rival gang. She spots a gun aimed at this stranger and pushes him aside therefore saving his life.

Through some weird mafia small print, Angel now is duty bound to marry her whether either of them want to or not Yep this is weird, but yep this is fiction so I can tolerate the utter ridiculousness of this part of the plot.

What I can't tolerate is sentence structures that don't make sense. The hero has her shackled after she has just witnessed a bloodbath and she actually says to herself 'I told myself I was afraid'...say WHAT now? 'It was even more unsettling than his words had been before' Phew..... This is hard work.

So it goes on. It simply is not well written. The characters lack chemistry and the heroine is such a pushover as to be impossible to get behind. The hero, for me, had nothing particularly personable going for him.

There is potential - the plot is there - it just really needs a sharp pencil and some tough decisions.

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

[Brooke · Rating 5 out of 5]

Viciously Delicious

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪/5
Plot: 5/5

I couldn't get enough of this book. I devoured it every time I opened my kindle, and was beyond sad at the ending. I cannot stand a cliffhanger. Especially jelly when the next book is 6 months away. But ill be darned if I don't pre-order that book because I need to know all the ins and outs of the Castillo Cartel.

Emma and Angel are meant to be even if they are pushed into a relationship. I loved Emma because she had such a spunk about her that she didn't let recede even when things were at their worst. 

Angel had solo mug on his plate, mainly family who didn't understand boundaries. With being second in command and the heir to the cartel he knew that he had no choice than to be the best leader his father never could have been. 

With so much going on there were able to work through so much and fight for what they wanted and needed but he'll hath no fury like a woman scorned. She will light you and everything else up like the 4th of July. 

With so much going on, I have to say that they both dealt really well with all the shananagins. 

When family is supposed to be the most important thing, because not only is it dependent on your livelihood but your life it can be difficult. 

Dealing with family is always the hardest when you don't agree, but you have the utmost respect because it is all about honor. It's hard to hold fast to that when you disagree on so much. 

Angel had been in such a a place of responsibility and I feel to a point he was always told to be a certain way. And taught to be that way because that was the only way you could survive being the head of the cartel like his father. I wish he would have explored more of his feelings regarding Emma during the book because I think he could have seen that he didn't have to be that way. Especially not with her. Because she was going to be his saving grace. She learned to love him even with the small bits of himself he slowly gave to her. I think like most women we always hope and dream of the day you get the attention and love you have always wanted. When you do get it we revel in it because we have a sliver. But we take everything we can because we feel as if they are finally giving a little. 

I really was hoping that Angel would have been a little more open towards her to show her the ways of the matriarch, since he thrust her into this life. 

I really enjoyed this book and am so looking forward to the next in the series!! 

Thank you so much to the author and Netgalley for the free review copy. All opinions are my own and not influenced by the free book. 

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A riveting read I thoroughly enjoyed, great characters and amazing story and scenario

Gustavo was the head of the Bratva and he was a tyrant to both of his sons and also to his daughter and it is obvious that he has little love for any of them like most things in his life they simply filled a need and did not allow any sentiment for either of them, not even for his daughter.

When Angel had been at a club she had observed as a bartender pulled a handgun and attempted to shoot him in the back, she had called out a warning and was responsible for saving his life and this now meant that he owed her a “Life Debt”.

She had found herself being taken away from her home and this had them meant that she needed to accept within 24 hours that she was to become Angel’s wife if she wanted to continue to living.

Their wedding had been an in personal affair and even though their attraction had been strong, they had to be careful around his father and his uncles who were predatory and had tried putting their hands on her several times.

As Emma forms a friendship with Angel’s sister and brother she discovers a major fact that will mean a change in her life, unfortunately Angel is unaware his father has been spying on all of his transactions and had decided he no longer believed his daughter-in-law was a good fit for his son.

Angel’s brother realises that he is going to have to watch Angel’s back if he was to stay safe but how could he possibly anticipate that the person most at risk was Emma and that it could possibly be the end of Angel.
I guarantee that you will love every moment of this simply amazing book and I guarantee that you will love this the first book in this series. You like me will be left waiting for the next book in this wonderful read, action and intrigue filled read that has you hanging on every word.

I assure you that you will love every moment of this book it is simply a fantastic read.
I voluntarily received and review an Advanced Reader Copy
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading any future publications; keep up all the great writing.

I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Start of the Castillo Cartel that in alone should tell you to Hang on and buckle up this is a wild ride, dangerous men, alpha’s personified, possessive, oh, gorgeous, brooding all the makings of a story consisting with three D’s (dark, delicious, and dirty) 😊. There will be suspense, betrayal, death, darkness, secrets reveled, violence, hope, forgiveness, and maybe even love (ALL THINGS TO EXPECT FROM THE MAFIA WORLD). By the time you’ve figured out who is who and what is what, you’re already hooked, and you may as well give up the fight and prepare yourself for an all-nighter! CAN’T SAY YOU WEREN’T WARNED!!!!! OKAY BELLA IS GOING TO PUSH YOU OFF THE CLIFF WITH THIS ONE LEAVING US HANGING ..IT’S NOT RIGHT I TELL YOU…NOT RIGHT AT ALL WE NEED TO KNOW HOW THIS WILL END!!! ☹ Emma in the wrong place at the right time to save a mans life being who she is it was the right thing to do and didn’t care if he acknowledged it or not, she saved him because it was the right thing to do but he didn’t see it that way in fact he gave her a choice marry him or die all for saving his life. Angel sexy as all get out cartel not interested in getting married to the beauty who saved his life but in world were his father makes all the decisions makes him marry her as a form of punishment a life debt can go ignored so forcing her into an arranged marriage bringing her into his world one, she didn’t know existed which consist of drugs, violence, blood, more blood and oh yeah death., Now they are both trapped in a world neither can ever escape from his father upset that things didn’t go as planned, he want to push Angel but all he did was make him want to be different from his family, neither of them expected to love each other in fact all she knew was she should hate him not feel anything other than hate throw in that the head of the family dying of cancer and instead of accepting it he because a monster we want to see gone but will they ever have something normal, can their love survive being with /around Gustavo, will he protect her when needed, do they take the guy out who had the intentions to kill him, but still remains where are they headed since Ms. Bella left us hanging!.

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

[Cherry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book made me nearly cry, laugh, shake my head in irritation and made me feel many more things. My favorite things was the style of writing and how well the characters were portrayed. Even though the good and evil characters were established from the start, It still kept me wondering how it could end. Like I said, I loved the writing style. Everything was so well detailed and explained that I didn't have to read the same sentence over and over again so I could understand what they were doing (Especially on the love scenes). The Dual POV's really helped me grope the situation and what was happening, which made the story more enchanting at the end. 80% of the book, I felty the action, irritation and the building love. And the other 20%, I just melted into the love and fluff.

Found family, enemies to lovers and some mafia romance combined. It hooked me from he beginning. I especially enjoyed the fast paced start where the building didn't linger for several chapters but instead got straight to the point and took us on a journey. I like books that don't over-explain everything and make the books so slow paced and like 500 pages. It was sweet and kept hooking me back into the story and plot.

The sibling loyalty was everything. Omer, Angel and Lili's sibling banter made me love them even more (Manny just made me laugh all the way). Their loyalty, strength and vulnerability made everything so much better.

Lastly, Angelo and Emma...they were just incredible. I loved how even though Emma was afraid, she witted her way through and Angelo eventually opened up in his own way. What made it even better is that even though Angelo was in a Cartel, he made sure to protect Emma and get her consent throughout everything. He truly made me chuckle with his inner voice towards the ending. Though I still had some questions left in the end like why didn't Emma let Angelo kiss her on the lips? But I feel like we are gonna get some of the answers in the second book.

Overall, I loved the book even though I still have some unanswered questions. ı can't waşt to follow up on the cliffhanger cause I need to at this point (Im really invested in the plot).


(ARC read)

[꒰ঌAlejandra໒꒱ ♥️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wait what!? I thought this was a standalone. Where is my HEA?? Just push me off the cliff with this cliffhanger. I’m screaming on the inside trying not to spoil anything. BUT WHAT THE HEII! I need to know that book 2 is on the horizon. I’m a mess of emotions right now. How could you do this to me Bella Ash? You just snatched my happiness and crumbled it to smithereens. And I love you for it. It was amazing! I loved Angel and Emma. I love that she is morally neutral. I really dislike the FMC that wants to save everyone. Embrace the lifestyle! Six stars.

Spice level (1-5): 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Saving a man’s life should earn you a pat on the back and a ‘thank you’. Instead, Emma gets a husband she didn’t ask for and is thrown into the Cartel world. Angel may be gorgeous but there is no denying he is dangerous. When your options are to comply or dye the answer is obvious, right?

I would recommend Vicious Heir to everyone and their granny. If you love cartels, forced marriage, forced proximity, won’t admit your feelings slow burn, insta lust, surprise baby, falling in love with your spouse, FMC that’s accepting to her new life, soft only for you MMC, you’ll love Vicious Heir. Read the trigger warnings. This book does contain attempted SA, mafia stuff, abduction, violence, gore, unaliving, mentions of drugs, etc. For the mafia junkies this one is for you!

Warning: Reading Vicious Heir may make you save a hot mobster’s life so his father will make him marry you. May make you buy the store just to fire the clerk for being rude and discriminatory. May make you crave arepas. May make you learn Spanish. May make you go to target practice. May make you feel completely hollow on the inside with the unknown looming over your head because of that cliffhanger. I’m not over it. Read responsibly.

*I received an Advance Reader Copy for free via Cherrylily ARCs and I am leaving an honest review of my own volition. All thoughts are my own.*

[Maya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fast paced and slightly addictive

If you’re looking for a book that starts fast and keeps an equally swift pace throughout the rest of the plot then this is one that should stay on your radar.

Slight Summary:

In the first few pages we have a shootout where our leading lady, Emma, saves our possessive cartel-leader-in-training Angel. A fact that Angel’s father is not too happy about, so much so that he orders Angel to go through the steps of making Emma his wife as penance. While Emma has no choice but to go along with the plan or face what would be her inevitable death. Who would’ve thought one kind moment would be so life altering for either party? From there we get to watch their story unfold as they navigate the tricky situation that has become their life.

Some elements you can expect to see:

Obviously a forced marriage, a possessive Angel with a noticeable soft spot for his wife, a feisty Emma who works to stay alive but refuses to be complacent, and an ending that puts you on your toes waiting for the next install.

Review:

This story was one that I could quickly read through especially with the story line moving at such a steady pace. Although I did enjoy the writing style of the book, it did have some of the expected plot points other books from this trope tend to lean towards. Regardless of that fact the author did a great job at keeping you engaged in what the outcome would be up until the end. And that ending… although I would like to have words about it I can say I’m not mad about it. I’m excited to see where they will go with their next installation to the series. So if you want something that focuses on drawing you in and keeping you there with a fast story line you would be missing out by not taking a chance with this story.

[The Dragon Den Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review of Vicious Heir by Bella Ash
* * * * *
It's only the beginning of this dark romance series, and I am hooked!

One quick choice changed Emma's life.
She was only doing it out of reflex. She was a good person. She was not horrible or part of some evil scheme. She was only delivering a package...no knowing she was bait.
The life of the man she saved is now holding her prisoner, in his home and in matrimony.
Angel didn't want to marry the beautiful woman that saved him, however, a life debt is something that cannot be overlooked. Now, they were both stuck in an arrangement that neither can escape that also has Emma tossed into a world that has her trembling.
Drugs, guns, violence, blood and death. Back room deals and meetings that would send good people shivering in fear. Egotistical males with ideas of how women should be.
However, Angel is not the man she assumed him to be.
He is more trapped that she could assume.
They need each other in the craziness. In the troublesome family that promises loyalty.

I am not one for mafia romances, I have probably said this enough, yet this book was another exception. I mean, dude, way to leave me hanging and wanting more!
Emma has some serious back bone. She adapted and still made it work out for herself. Thankfully Angel is not like the other older men in his family. He still is pained from the loss he suffered, and promises to better than those in his family when it comes to his wife. Even when they aren't so snuggly first off.
With the piled up betrayals and secrets, I can only wonder how it will all come together.
So many characters I want to see happy endings for and if they get their own story!

[Angie Barnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bella Ash has written a 5-star book. This is the story of Emme and Angel. Angel is at his club and Emma has delivered a package for him. She saves him from being shot and he thinks that she is part of the plan to kill him. He asked her who sent her and she tells him that she was sent from South Beach Deliveries and for him to call her boos to check. When she wants to leave, Angel tells her that Luis Rojas will be looking for her and Angel is the only one who can protect her now. Gustavo, Angel's father is not happy when he hears about what Angel did and how Emma saved him. Gustavo tells Angel that he will marry Emma by the end of the week. Angel had taken Emma to his home and locked her in a bedroom and when he goes to tell her that they are to be married, she is not happy. At first things between Emma and Angel do not go well. They don't want to be married at all. Finally, Emma and Angel work things out between them until Emma finds out she is pregnant. Emma tells Angel's sister Lili that she is pregnant and that she can't stay with him and raise her child in the cartel. David, her bodyguard hears that and when they get back home, he goes to tell Angel but Lili tries to stop him. When Angel hears that Emma plans to leave him, he goes to her and takes her back to the bedroom she was first in and locks her in. Somehow, a man gets in and kidnaps her. When Angel finds out she has been taken, he learns that his father was behind it. Angel goes after Emma.
Will Angel find Emma in time?
If so will things between them work out?
This bookending will leave you hanging about Angel.

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

[Carmella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Emma has moved to start over. She had been nursing her mother, who had cancer, until her death.

Angel was part of the Castillo Cartel. He is next in line to rule when his father steps down.

Emma works for a delivery service and meets Angel when she delivers an envelope to him. Gunfire erupts and Emma pushes Angel, saving his life. He now owes her a life debt.

He can't let her go, she will be killed by the opposing Cartel. His father tells him to marry her....

They marry, much to Emma's dismay. She really has no choice if she wants to live. Adjusting to marriage is sometimes difficult but this is even worse. Not only has Emma married a stranger, she has to learn what is expected of her and being a Cartel wife.

They are attracted to one another and that helps to break the ice a bit. Then Emma learns she is pregnant and fear overtakes her. How can she raise a baby in this type of environment? She decides she has to leave...

This is when all hell breaks loose. Angel locks her in a room so she can't leave, then she is taken and she knows if she doesn't get away she will die. Will Angel save her?

Will they survive the evil that comes from inside their Cartel as well as another Cartel?

The book was pretty good except that it ends in a Cliffhanger, grrrr.
I probably would have not read it if I had known, regardless of how much I like it.

Angel is so cold at first and Emma tries so hard. Angel does start to thaw out and actually starts to get to know Emma better but danger still lurks...

I received a copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving this review.