Surrender: An MM Mafia Romance

Ruthless Daddies 2 #7

by R. Phoenix

Fox When I was hired to kill Cristiano Fiore, I thought I'd get in, take the shot, and get out. I didn't count on the explosion. I didn't count on him rescuing me. I didn't count on him taking care of me, dominating me, and giving me the best sex of my life. I didn't expect the word "Daddy" to make me feel so safe. He's making it harder and harder for me to go back to my old life. I know this can't last. I know he doesn't mean it. But every minute together makes me hope for the one thing I haven't dared dream a place to belong. Cristiano Mafia life is full of danger, so it's no surprise when I find myself the target of an assassin... but the subsequent explosion seems like overkill. When it becomes clear that someone is trying to take out both of us, the only choice is to work together. I've never been a caregiver, or a Daddy, before, but there's something about Fox that makes me want to take care of him in every way imaginable -- including the bedroom. But when the dust settles and we solve this puzzle, can I really trust someone who tried to kill me not to try again? Surrender is part of the Ruthless Daddies multi-author collab and a complete standalone. Want more deliciously morally gray Daddies and boys? Grab the whole series!

Look inside for content warnings and tags, or visit the authors' websites for more information.

Genres: M M Romance, BDSM, Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Contemporary, Enemies To Lovers

256 pages, Paperback

Published July 31, 2023

About the author

R. Phoenix has an unhealthy fascination with contrasts: light and dark, heroes and villains, order and chaos. She believes that love can corrupt and power can redeem. Her muse is a sadomasochistic slave driver who thinks it's terribly amusing to give her the best ideas when she just got comfortable and warm in bed, and she passes on that torture to her readers. She also tries entirely too hard to be funny, and she mercilessly inflicts her terrible sense of humor upon anyone who speaks to her. She'd love it if you'd say hello!

Reviews

[Lilly [Hiatus due to School] · Rating 5 out of 5]

"My lover, my would-be assassin, my boy"

Surrender is an MM Mafia romance part of the Multi-Author Ruthless Daddies 2 series.

Cristiano, consigliere of one of the powerful Dons in New Bristol, goes to his warehouse to finalize a deal. What should have been a routine meeting with no issues turns into chaos when the other party fails to arrive, and an attempt on is life his made.

Fox has been sent to take out Cristiano. He ends up failing, getting injured and captured when he’s caught up in an explosion. It seems that he was also set up and was meant to not return from his job. Fox, now a prisoner of Cristiano, starts to question his feelings and where his loyalty lies as he gets closer to the mafioso.

I liked how their relationship developed and grew as they worked together to figure out who hired Fox to take out Cristiano. Their connection is instant and intense. Fox had no childhood and was raised in a toxic environment to be an assassin by an abusive horrid man. The kindness and care that Cristiano shows him rattles him, and he doesn’t know how to accept it. He only knows punishment and pain. He’s a masochist and a boy but lucky for him, Cristiano is a Dom and a Daddy who is ready to give him what he needs.

“Punishments are beatings and whippings and spankings, not… not some fucking words.” I try to fight, for all the good it does me. Punishments are just supposed to hurt, and feel good when I push against the healing wound, not do… whatever the fuck he’s doing to my head.

“Sometimes crying can be cathartic.” Especially in battered and beaten boys, who weren’t brought to love the pain but instead to fear it and crave it out of some misguided sense of needing to be punished

“Fox, Fox, Fox… I just want to find out everything about you and tell you all the good things all the time until you start believing them. I want you to realize you’re worth more than just being fucked and used and… beaten.”

Cristiano does give Fox the pain he needs and craves. He has a tight control of his emotions, but with Fox as his sub and boy, he can push their boundaries further to points that he could never do with other partners in the past. Fox desires harsher marking and a really firm hand.

I also loved the possessiveness between them. Once they’re together, Cristiano is ready to remove anyone who hurts or makes a move on his boy. He’s soft only for him and makes his ownership clear.

I decided somewhere in the middle of that that I’m going to keep him. He’s mine, whether he wants to be or not, and I’m not letting him go. He can be an assassin, my pet assassin, if he needs to risk his life for the sake of adrenaline or money or whatever else motivates him.

“You’re mine,” he says, and there’s such confident assurance in his voice that I can’t help but believe him. “I’m not giving you up, Fox. Even if you want me to, I… Call me an abusive bastard if you want, but I’m not letting you go.”

There's a couple of side characters that caught my eye and would love to see more of them.

This story is definitely on the darker side and has violence, it’s a mafia story after all.

Overall I really enjoyed Surrender! I’m quickly becoming a fan of Mafia romances and this one checked off a lot of boxes for me, loved how it had many elements I enjoy reading in darker romances.

If you enjoy dark mafia romances, Daddy kink, age gap, D/s I recommend it. Please check TWs as this story has content that may be triggering for some.

TWs: Daddy kink, age difference (late 30s + early 20s), D/s, painplay, masochism, electro stimulation, cock & ball torture, spanking, cock cages, bondage, noncon praise kink, past child abuse, flogging, homophobia, gore/violence, eye trauma (to villain)

[⭐Toonasa⭐ •Romance Book Lovers' Haven• · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark MM romance that I very much enjoyed, tho I had only started with the intention of checking it out - not completely reading it.
Fox is the twink assassin sent to Kill Cristiano who's in mafia! They started off on the wrong foot but right as C did save Fox heh. Captured...but Fox seduces C & C tries to not fall for his antics...but they both do!

This was a intriguing story with the mystery of who attacked them, as the 2's past is revealed, as C grapples being a daddy - which he never has before. The sexy times are hot. F is a total masochist & C loves being a sadist 😏. Close to end, C takes F without lube (or much prep as far as I remember)- I must say I've mixed feelings about it but no one was hurt & both wanted it, so who am I to judge.

As I wrote before I was only gonna read few chaos to check the book out, due to this mindset I skimmed/skipped a few scenes. The 1st chap & later half few scenes. So my review/rating is of what I read, I hope to read it fully soon! Really liking this series.

Fast/Skim read: Aug 8 2023.
Review: Aug 10 2023.

[Ro {semi-hiatus} · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars cos Raissa and Adara are my ppl for real. they always write the filthiest stuff and i am always here for it even if i question myself afterwards. these authors are reserved for my Sick Nasty Slut Recs Only cos they go heavy on the masochism even when they're throwing the soft stuff at you to temper it out. this is definitely more tame than some others - especially by Raissa lol but i loved it maybe even more so bcs of it.

[True Loveislovereview · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cristiano in his late thirties has a solid position in the Cresci mafia Family. He got a target on his back, in the heat of the game there’s an unexpected explosion and his assassin gets hurt. Cristiano takes him home and takes care of him. He has to know who paid Fox for this job. It seems they both are targets.

Fox keeps his mouth about his client but runs his mouth with brattiness, tantalizing Cristiano, begging him to hurt him.
A strange bond is forming, crazy, obsessive, possessive, and protective, aware of the fact Fox has one job, and one job only!

You get what is expected from a mafia story, deceit, threats, death, family hierarchy, bodyguards. I’m not gonna tell you what’s going on here, read it yourself.
You also get what is expected from a (ruthless) Daddy story, scorching encounters! A bratty boy who loves pain and is demanding af, a Daddy who wants to give him that pain, and much more.

The story was entertaining and Cristiano and Fox were hot together. For me, it was a bit dragging and repetitive, and… *whispers* a bit soft, sorry, I know there are bloody ruthless moments, still.
Overall a good story, captivatingly written, with a bunch of sexiness and action!

[book_reader_addict · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good Daddy/boy book!!! Loved it! Remember to read all the TW 🔥 Loved the dynamic between the characters, their growth and falling in love❤️ And it’s absolutely filthy!! These authors are new one-click authors for sure!
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Kerry]

dnf @76%

I'm not invested in these characters or this story. There is no chemistry between Cristiano and Fox. The sex scenes aren't hot or kinky. I don't care who is trying to kill Cristiano. I was really hoping for a hot, kinky, dark story, but this didn't live up to that IMO.

[Ashley -Goldstarreads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh, what a kinky, fun, and twisted ruthless daddy story. Wolf and Phoenix delivered another kinky, dark MM romance. Cristiano is an arms dealer and consigliere for the Cresci family, Fox is an assassin sent to take Cristiano out. Fox gets himself caught by Cristiano and the two team up to figure out who tries to kill them both. The story is all about solving who is trying to kill them while this Daddy/boy duo get to know each other. They have lots of kinky fun. I absolutely loved the noncon praise kink. Fox definitely needed those words. Fox was an endearing little brat. My heart hurt for him and what his life has been like. He is a true masochistic painslut. Cristiano was the perfect ruthless daddy, in charge, take no prisoners attitude of a mafia man but also has a sweet loving side to him, that had true loyalty and honor. The sex was spicy hot. From the beginning these two men had excellent chemistry even though they had to work to trust each other and get to a place of feelings. I love it when they get all possessive. Lots of action and adventure, a mystery to solve, and sweet, kinky sex made for a great story. The writing was fantastic as always for a Wolf and Phoenix story. The story is told in dual first person POV, it is strict top/bottom. If you have triggers, heed the warnings.

[die.reading · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh god! What a ride!
Raissa and Adara always deliver dark romance in its finest. Pay attention to the trigger warnings, they always have the correct ones in place and that's just another reason to love them.
As it said at the beginning, the relationship has unsafe practice of bdsm.
We follow Cristiano and Fox into the mafia world, trying to figure out who is out to get them. While they are it, sparks start flying. Cristiano knows he is not being responsible but he can't stop... And Fox doesn't want him to.
Their dynamic was exquisite, develop with time and good reasons behind it.
I loved every minute of this book.
Read it if you like: daddy trope, violence, plot twists, alphaholes.

[SJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This entire series sounds intriguing. I saw this one first, hope they don’t have to be read in order. I don’t see a mention of that. I’m skipping #1 because three alpha Daddies and one bratty boy is just too much hotness overload!!
* Read
It took me awhile to get into this one, a dark Mafia book. The level of pain inflicted and described was pretty intense, more than many a BDSM scene. It wasn’t just germane to the plot, it was the plot. A raised from childhood to be a soulless hitman is a plot device I have read before. The flashbacks of Fox being taken by his handler were gruesome and beyond sad. He is a killing machine who is so used to physical abuse, that it is the only way he feels anything.
He and Mafia consigliere Cristiano meet in a violent hit turned ambush.
Fox becomes Cristiano’s prisoner and his obsession. Cristiano is no stranger to BDSM club pain scenes.
I don’t usually stick with a book where I’m not into one or both MCs, as happened here. Attractive, maybe, but they weren’t written to be panty dropping like many an MM MC.
This was a story of catharsis through primal sex and pain infliction. I kept reading and after the 30% point the story clicked for me. Perhaps because Fox and Cristiano became a team after an unknown adversary and the growing fascination and unwilling trust they had in each other was well written. The scenes with Cristiano’s crime family were intense and I was drawn into that plot line. The characters were interesting and I checked to see if mob boss Silvano gets a book.
Even though this was not mainstream love or romance, there were deep feelings between this older and younger man.
I’m glad that it was written that Fox had a lessening of anguish of his mutilated psyche. What Cristiano gives him through sex and scenes and words, calms him.
This was a well written book with real sounding dialogue.
Something Cristiano said about a life in organized crime resonated:
“Work comes first; in our line of business it’s not about how we feel, but about what we have to do to save ourselves.” I thought that gave insight into a dreadful lifestyle. An interesting book!

Reading the name ‘Robin’, which was a plot point, and it is Sara Teasdale’s birthday(b. 1884)has me wanting to share this:

The Look
Strephon kissed me in the spring,
Robin in the fall,
But Colin only looked at me
And never kissed at all.
Strephon’s kiss was lost in jest,
Robin’s lost in play,
But the kiss in Colin’s eyes
Haunts me night and day.

[⭐️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daaaamn this was so good!! I devoured in one sitting. Gosh this scratched the itch i didnt know i had! I have a thing for twink assassins being tied up and flogged lmao but also taken care of afterwards. I love reading about them being a complete mess in one chapter and then being complete badass in the next!! I rly dont care for mafia stories but i think im starting to like Daddy/boy books 🤔 PROTECT UR GOOD BOY!!!!!!!

[Bailey Oswald · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3/5 ⭐️
✨
Summary: Mafia life is full of danger, so it's no surprise when I find myself the target of an assassin... but the subsequent explosion seems like overkill. When it becomes clear that someone is trying to take out both of us, the only choice is to work together.
✨
Review: This book goes along with the Summit, I probably should have read this one first, not that it really matters other than it gives away that Fox and Christino got together. I really liked this series it's very easy to read and has short chapter. Read it all sitting in an airport basically.

I have to go back through the series and figure out the correct way to read the series because I want to continue, I am a Ho for anything Mafia and to have it be MM is even better.

[Michi · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great mix of characters. These two were all about the fun, banter, and heat. I love that they were unapologetic about who they were and neither asked the other to compromise.

A perfect balance of dark and romance.

[Bee · Rating 3 out of 5]

I might have to do a reread. This had all the elements I normally like but I just didn’t really feel the connection between the main characters.

[Liza · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was good. Only thing I didn’t like was that MC2 was always like „my stamina is not like it used to be because I’m so much older than him“.

[Lila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe a bit too bloody for my taste

Fox is an... Interesting character, that's for sure. I kind of like his bloodthirsty, crazy vibe. Christiano might be the more messed up one in this relationship.

I can't get on with everything in this book. The bloody, and pain-loving part is a bit too much for me.

The one thing I find frustrating though, is the fact that Fox just KNEW Briar's pronouns before anyone said a word. What if it was someone who just enjoyed dressing androginously but still went by hetero normative pronouns? I like when non binary characters are included, but surely people might make a mistake when referring to them the first time they meet them?

Overall, not bad but it gets a bit repetitive and monotonous with the scenes and storylines. I did skip some parts toward the end.

[RN · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when authors take what are basically unredeemable characters and somehow make you care about them. That’s exactly what happened here. I should not have cared what happened to Cristiano and Fox – the things they do in their line of business are truly terrible – and yet… I so wanted them to find what they needed with each other. Fox is a particularly complex character, and when we see his vulnerability, it’s actually a bit heartbreaking. The way these two men tread warily around each other as they establish a relationship is fascinating - how much can each trust the other?…it’s a very delicate line they have to walk and things aren’t always how they appear. The story is gripping, the relationship between the two men is complicated and intense (check the content warnings). I absolutely recommend this book. I already want to read it again!

[Little Miss✨️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

10/10 would read this again!

How can a book about arms-dealing, mafia and major childhood trauma be so damn CUTE?! 😭❤️❤️ I absolutly LOVE this book!! And I kinda want more from them! I want to know about Fox childhood. My poor, sweet Fox!!

I also loooove that they're still in New Bristol. And someone is making a cameo 🥹

This is my first m/m book, but it defintly won't be the last!!! And this book is VERY inclusive and LGBTQ+ friendly! 🥰

I got this as an ARC, but this is 100% my honest opinion.

5/5⭐️
5/5📝
4/5🌶

[Catharina · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5 stars

This was a really nice listen and just what I want from a dark, mafia romance. It had action, it had blood, it had mafia scheming and intrigues and it had bunch of dark, unhinged sex. But it was also surprisingly deeper at some points than one would expect at first glance. The narration of the audiobook was also excellent and made the whole experience even more fun.

[Cory · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woah! That book was CRAZY hot. Mind the content warnings, but this was freaking delicious (and dirty).
I will freely admit that unhealthy D/s relationships are totally my catnip and they're hard to find.
Fox and Cristiano were perfection together.
The overall plot and mafia piece was interesting, but really it was all about Fox and Cristiano, their scorching chemistry, and the way they gave each other exactly what the other needed, even if it was serious f*cked up.
I loved this book.

[Jessica Sexton · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️
4/5🌶️

This was my first official MM book and I loved it! I have always loved MM in my why choose so I’m not surprised! I love Fox’s brattiness! And who doesn’t love a good brat who could unalive you very easily! I am so happy I ventured into the MM world and cannot wait for more!

[e · Rating 3 out of 5]

i read this in like 3 hours because i was procrastinating studying. i LOVE fox but the constant “daddy” and the smut wasn’t for me. it was fun and i LOVED the plot. the characters and the plot made the book work for me.

[Crystal Knapp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed in the United States This is apart of the Ruthless Daddies season 2.I loved Cristiano and Fox.Cristiano was checking something out at his warehouse when someone tricked him Fox was hired by an unknown client to kill Cristiano. Cristiano and Fox made a deal to figure out who was trying to kill Cristiano and who set it up.

[Ajumi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not bad at all, but since I am a big fan of Adara Wolf and also generally enjoy books by R. Phoenix, I was kind of expecting more? I don’t know, it was fine, but it definitely won’t become a favourite of mine, even though this should be right up my alley.

[MunWolfieSNM · Rating 4 out of 5]

I want to hurt all over and know that every one of those bruises is his.

4.5⭐️

This would be easier for me if the would-be assassin wasn’t so damn cute.

Me lo he leído en literalmente un día, no podía soltarlo.

I’ve been called a lot of things, but soft has never been one of them. Yet here I am, feeling completely and utterly gone for this boy—this red-headed brat who’d tried to kill me—and his tears threaten to break even my cold heart.

Este es el libro que tenía que haber leído antes de Submit y Control, y me arrepiento un poco de no haberlo sabido antes. Hay varias cosas que me ha estropeado haber leído primero los otros.

Fox laughs, and that sound goes straight to my fucking heart.
“Thank you, Daddy,” he says, blowing a kiss at me.
Yep. Straight to my heart.
I’m fucking screwed.

Por ejemplo, en el primer capítulo narrado por Fox no nos dicen su nombre, sino que pone ??. Así que no me llevé la sorpresa porque ya sabía su nombre. Igual que la primera vez que Cristiano le llama little fox ya me di cuenta de que el nombre se lo ponía él, y me hubiese gustado no sospecharlo para llevarme la sorpresa cuando empieza a llamarle Fox. Que aún así casi me desmayo al darme cuenta. Qué bonitoooooo.

He’s filled me completely, consumed me, turned me into this pathetic, sobbing mess and he still fucking wants me.

O el hecho de que Silvano sabía que estaban intentando matar a Cristiano. Hubiera estado todo el libro sospechando de él, pensando que era malísimo, para al final ver que medio sí medio no. Al leerlo después, ya le quería mucho y ya sabía que en el fondo es una cosa preciosa (bien en el fondo y solo para Kyran).

Fox cried for me, called me Daddy, obeyed me—and I’m pretty sure I’m ruined for anyone else.

Lo bueno es que como ya los conocía estaba muy emocionada por leerlos.

Deliciously, perfectly broken, in so many pieces I’m not sure I’ll ever be whole again without him. Fuck, I don’t want to be without him.
“Stay with me,” I say. “I’m not letting you go back. Fuck Corbin, fuck his rules, and fuck his attempts to kill me. I’m not letting you go.”
It isn’t just a matter of life and death, not anymore. I really can’t stand the thought of Fox returning to someone who used to hurt him, who used him.

De este libro, además de los protas, me encanta cómo se conocen. Fox es un asesino a sueldo y le han mandado matar a Cristiano, pero falla y Cristiano le encuentra, y cuando planea llevárselo para interrogarlo, explota el edificio en el que están. Resulta que han intentado matarlos a ambos! Así que Cristiano se lo lleva herido y lo cura, para luego decidir que le va a poner un collar, que por algún motivo ellos llevan directamente a lo sexual como si fuera lo lógico, y trabajar con él para encontrar a la persona que traicionó a Fox (el hombre que mató a su familia y lo crio y enseñó a matar) y quién quiere matar a Cristiano (Peter, un miembro de la mafia que quiere ascender puestos).

“Daddy… You aren’t going to leave, right? I’m your Fox no matter what?”

Ambos se gustan prácticamente desde el principio. Y su relación va evolucionando a medida que pasan tiempo juntos y empiezan a obsesionarse el uno con el otro, con lo que se hacen sentir mutuamente. Fox se enamora de Cristiano por cómo le trata, y Cristiano se enamora de Fox porque le da la libertad de ser quien es y dar rienda suelta a su oscuridad interior.

My lover, my would-be assassin, my boy.

Otra cosa maravillosa de este libro son las escenas hot. BDSM del duro. Amamos. Daddy Kink. Adoramos. A Fox no le hace llorar que le den azotes en todas partes, que le electrocuten la polla o que se la metan sin preparación, pero llora como una magdalenita porque Cristiano le dice que es su good boy. Porque mi niño había escuchado toda su vida que era malo y no servía para nada. Y entiendo la liberación que tiene que ser para la bestia interior de Cristiano saber que haga lo que haga con Fox, este lo va a soportar e incluso pedir más. Son almas gemelas, perfectos el uno para el otro y terribles a ojos del resto. Me encantan.

“One day you’ll know that even if you don’t think you’re anyone else’s good boy, you’re still my good boy.”

Qué satisfacción cuando matan a Corbin. A. La. Mierda.

I need this, need him, this obedient boy who would say anything for me, do anything for me, even if it hurts.
Maybe especially if it hurts.

[Whitney · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5; I was really into it

The more I think about this book the more I feel like four stars actually seems kind of low because of how much I liked it. That being said, it's not a full five stars for me either.

I usually never talk about negative things first but to be fair I do have a lot of good to say and this is my one negative. Though depending on who you are it may not even be a negative. Anyways, the book takes a minute to find its footing. It starts out really strong in the two chapters, but then struggles to find the balance between interesting mafia story and hot sadistic smut. It did feel like I was reading two different things at a couple points and there were times where it felt like more attention was given to one side of the story than another. I don't know how much sense I'm making but hopefully I'm making some.

Now, all of that being said, once the book figured out what it wanted to do oh is it good. The mafia side of things feels real and authentic. This is not a rejected script from The sopranos. There is mistrust, there are lies, and there is a mystery that you can follow along with and probably even figure out. Personally, I had more fun just going with the flow. The world feels real even though it is very much a fancy.

Then there's a smut which if you know anything about these two, you know it's going to be good. It is on the darker side of kink but that's in the trigger warning and honestly kind of the selling point for me. Cristiano and Fox are hot and I had a lot of fun watching them unleash and then come together. This isn't p*rn but there is a lot of smut and I was never upset. It never felt repetitive.

I do quickly want to mention that as fun as this book is (and maybe that's kind of messed up for me to call it fun) it is pretty angsty. Neither Fox or Cristiano are in a a great place. They have a lot of demons and trauma that they have to go through and you will see them go through it, especially with Fox. But in a world of rom-coms and unnecessary angst I do find books like this that balance the emotions very well refreshing. I think that along with the smut is its strongest point.

I don't know if I've sold anyone on this book. This is an author duo you either love or stay very far away from. Personally, I had a great time even if the beginning was a little rough.

[Plushie · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5/5

Rounded up since this was pretty good until about 50%-60% in. I'm pretty upset that this turned out to be another part of a string of flops for me.

It started off very promising and I was completely onboard even with the barebones of a story. Cristiano and Fox just worked and I loved their banter and flirting. Yes, it was insta-lovey, but somehow I didn't mind because there was a very captivating push and pull between Cristiano and Fox's dynamic. In fact, I'd preferred if it stayed focused on their relationship from beginning to the end than whatever ended up happening.

Everything was fine as long as the mafia plot stayed in the background. But no, the writers then realised they needed to tie up some story, which would have been fine if they didn't try to do it so offhandedly. The entire thing just seemed like an afterthought; so haphazardly shoved in there and then calling it a day. No one's actions made any sense. There was no stakes, because for a bunch of dangerous mobsters and assassins, everyone acted irrationally without an iota of intelligence. But hey! It doesn't matter, because the annoying plot's out of the way, we could get back to the banging!

There was so much potential, but none was capitalized upon. So much could have been done with Fox and Corbin's relationship. Their entire encounter near the end could have been emotionally devastating, twisted and complex. But nope, smartass Assassin man just parked his ass at home waiting for Fox to show up this entire time. Really?!? And then he's promptly offed without much of a fight. What a major let down. I also laughed at the prospect of Silvano being the next Don. Oh boy. I was looking forward to reading Silvano's story after this, but after his dumb display I've decided to drop the idea altogether. And Cristiano? After what Silvano tried to pull, I'd leave him hanging out to dry instead of continuing to be his Consigliere. I just don't get it. I think the writers were trying to give Silvano and Cristiano one of those dangerous, he's too useful to lose, frenemy relationships, but it was a dud through and through.

This should have just stayed with the banter and smut, and left the mafia politicking to better writers.

[Bookstagramtea · Rating 2 out of 5]

I wanted to like this. It has promise - initially the mafia vibes were more realistic than some I've read before and the writing style suited me.

Unfortunately, after an initial scene, maybe two, it became apparent that this wasn't going to deliver on romance, nor on the mafia aspects.

Firstly, we rarely see our MCs interacting in a non sexual way, which leaves romance to the side and would call this erotica. I don't have a problem with erotica, but I do when I chose to read a romance.

The side characters flit in very briefly and impersonally, and even though we know some will be important later since it's clear they are designated for future books by their gay status alone, they're so short lived, disconnected and disloyal that the whole reason I like reading mafia romance is lost - loyalty and family is everything, yet this book has none of that.

The interactions between characters are all disconnected in some way. There are glimpses of personality - a heart ache when two brothers (albeit not in blood) clash, for example - but these are very far and few between. Though our MCs have issues, I wanted them to at the very least feel towards each other - if not to the one's Cristiano was supposedly loyal to - and everything was so disassociative that I didn't really feel anything for anyone.

A mafia romance where the right hand man isn't valued? Strange choice for the authors. Then to make characters know things then not act on knowledge or put two and two together was another odd choice, because it just left the reader wondering why the characters were so incompetent and disloyal. Disloyalty really did spoil this for me.

As for the ending, it was cut short. We never find out about Fox's family, his real name or where he comes from, despite the info needed to expose this being right there at around 70%. This actively disappointed me, where the other things weren't what I was expecting and it lost a star for this alone.

The writing style was good and I've no doubt the authors had the skills to deliver what I was after, though characters were very individualised and nobody seemed to have that mafia family vibe, so I won't be reading on with this series.

Not the books for me.

[Caia · Rating 5 out of 5]

As a subscriber of the https://wolfandphoenix.com page
I got an early signed copy of Surrender by Adara Wolf and R. Phoenix
and I’m uber excited!

So no wonder I gobbled it down, like the book-addict I am
so here are some of my messy thoughts fresh from the source of my mushed up brain:

Were we’re following Cristiano, consigliere of one of the Dons of New Bristol, and Fox, a young assassin AKA bratty murder twink.
An assassination gone wrong forces them to become ‘reluctant allies’
(Well, Fox may or may not be an actual hostage)
however, both need to figure out who wants them dead!

“We’re going to have lots of new experiences together, Fox. I can just see it now.”

Both can’t deny their instant attraction to each other, and while Fox is shameless from second one,

“It seems like we both want the same thing, Daddy.
Why not have some fun with it?
We fuck each other senseless,
we track down our bomber,
we murder him and
fuck in the pool of their blood…”

Cristiano is a bit more reserved; The mafia world doesn’t deal well with anything other than “straight men”, but he’s not afraid to put Fox in his place!

“Do you know how beautiful you sound when you beg?” he murmurs.
“I could just… listen to that forever. For you to beg for me to stop, to keep going…”
He laughs, and the sound is a little dark.

The air is sizzling hot in almost every interaction & I was living for the intense kinky scenes,

“Mm. Daddy, be careful, or we’ll give everybody here an X-rated show,”
I say as I mouth along his wrist.
“It’s already X-rated,”
he murmurs to me, gripping my throat again.
“Look at all the blood on the floor. Would it be more X-rated if we fucked?”
“We could bump it up to triple-X.”

as well as the cozy moments between them!

“Are you… blackmailing me into a date with you?”

Fox is a bratty little painslut & once he made Cristiano to his self-declared “Daddy” there’s almost nothing to stop him bratting out every chance he gets. A punishment is a delightful pastime activity after all…too bad, Cristiano finds ways to get behind Fox’s façade & makes him cry just beautifully!

Deliciously, perfectly broken, in so many pieces I’m not sure I’ll ever be whole again without him.

I loved the dynamics we got from Cristiano, who’s never been a Daddy before & Fox, who’s a firecracker on the outside but carries wounds not just on his body.

The forced proximity over a span of days definitely brings out the obsessive possessiveness in both MCs & I’m here for it!

“You’re mine, Daddy,” I tell him earnestly.
“And I’ll keep a special pistol just to shoot anyone who dares touch you.”

The possessiveness goes both ways by the way and I couldn’t be more satisfied with their “love” declarations …hehehe

“I think I should tattoo my name into your flesh
—or maybe carve it in myself.
What do you think about that, little fox?”
I groan loudly and grind my cock against his thigh.
“Yes, please.”

Surrender gave me a Daddy/Boy dynamic I didn’t knew I needed in my life, dacryphilia, noncon praise, masochism including CBT (“C” stands not for cognitive…), a lot of impact play with various implements& all the Mafia appropriate violence&gore!
(Full content info is provided by the authors! Please check TW up front)

[Carol (bookish_notes) · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was looking forward to this book, but it’s quite a conundrum. I’ve read books by both authors before, when they wrote separately and even together, and this book is nowhere near as dark as I was expecting? I don’t know if it’s because this book is technically a part of an anthology series of sorts with other authors contributing to the Ruthless Daddies series, but THIS story felt like a roller coaster where the story seemed to WANT to be the dark romance I’m familiar with from both authors, and at other times it felt like an attempt at a regular/light contemporary romance. I would have loved this book so much more if it leaned into the dark romance side of things 100% of the time. Instead, it’s giving me dark romance-lite.

I will say this book starts out strong. The authors provide a detailed note on content warnings and tropes that are present in this book. I appreciate that a lot. The content notes and tropes provided by the authors include surrender, contains scenes of Daddy kink, age difference (late 30s + early 20s), D/s, painplay, masochism, electro stimulation, cock & ball torture, spanking, cock cages, bondage, noncon praise kink, past child abuse, flogging/belting, homophobia, threats of watersports, gore/violence, eye trauma (to villain), dacryphilia (arousal from tears), and forced proximity. This book portrays unsafe and unhealthy BDSM practices and coping mechanisms.

The story starts off with Cristiano Fiore and his men in the middle of an arms deal. But things go terribly wrong. He almost gets shot by an assassin, and the assassin almost winds up getting blown up in the process (to no fault of his own, because he wasn’t the one who set up those bombs). Now it becomes a mystery to figure out who hired an assassin to kill Cristiano, and who might have wanted them both dead. Cristiano takes the assassin captive in order to try to find out more information.

I don’t think the mystery aspect was too difficult to figure out, or maybe I’ve read one too many mystery books because I didn’t find it hard at all. But this book does try to balance the mystery/mafia plotline with a fledging new relationship between an assassin and his mark.

Cristiano is every bit as terrible as I expected him to be. At least at first. Then he weirdly grows a conscience in the last half of this book, like suddenly worrying about consent and it’s super weird considering what he does to his captive assassin right off the bat. I was expecting Cristiano to, I don’t know, maybe be more like Captain Tracht from Adara Wolf’s Under His Heel series, or even like the guys from the authors joint Spoils of Victory and Breeding Contempt books. Considering this book takes place in New Bristol like the authors other joint series, I would’ve expected more or less the same types of characters. But, alas. It turns out Cristiano is a man with more morals than the men he interacts with.

We don’t know the assassin’s name, so he goes by what Cristiano decides to call him - Fox. This is mainly due to his red hair. Fox is an interesting character, and we do find out more about him and how he ended up being an assassin as the book goes on. I wouldn’t necessarily say it ends on a satisfactory note thought because I still have questions.

This book could easily have been longer, or part of a duology/trilogy to flesh out the characters and their backstories more. This story makes way for a lot of sex scenes instead, and I’m not opposed to that. Dd/lb books can be a hit or miss for me, but I actually thought that aspect of the book was fine. I know that isn’t necessarily everyone’s thing. I just wish we had a more fleshed out story outside of the sex scenes and seeing Cristiano and Fox navigation their insta-lust relationship. I want to say this story takes place within a week, maybe two at most so it just doesn’t give their relationship time to breathe.

This book is told in an alternating first-person present-tense POV between Cristiano and Fox, and I think it’s fine. I have no complaints in that regard. The characters are different enough that I didn’t have a problem knowing who was who as I was reading from each character’s perspectives.

Something I think is worth pointing out is that for the first time that I’ve read romance books, the one time a character gets something suspicious in the mail, it seems there was a threat that it COULD have actually been anthrax? It was some sort of white powder at least. Everyone’s fine, but it always annoys me in books when people with enemies always just open their mail willy-nilly with no sense of danger. This promised a threat of danger if nothing else.

Something I liked about this book is the character Briar. They’re Cristiano’s housekeeper (but seems like they’re a bit more than that since they’re a “housekeeper” for a mafia man). Briar is also trans? Maybe? It’s never said outright, but Briar is very naturally introduced into the story with they/them pronouns and it’s as simple as that. It’s refreshing to have a nonbinary character in dark romance at the very least. Yes, there was a nonbinary character in the Under His Heel series, so Adara Wolf seems cognizant of writing nonbinary characters (haven’t read enough R. Phoenix to know if she does the same), but I appreciate them showing up in dark romance books.

I want to say this book takes place after the Breeding Contempt series with Vanessa, but I’m not sure. I’m not into the breeding kink and pregnancy in books in general, but that’s the impression of the timeline I got from reading this book and knowing that series a little bit. Could be wrong though. Giulio Pavone does show up in this, and he is as messy as ever. No love lost between him and Cristiano, except now Cristiano owes Giulio a favor. Will we ever find out what that might be? There’s no news of a second book between Cristiano and Fox, but I wouldn’t hate it if there was. If only to get some answers that have been nagging me since finishing this book.

Something I wanted to mention, and I’m not sure if this was just part of the eARC I had, but there was one instance of a footnote in this book? I’m not sure if that was on purpose, or an idea that was abandoned along the way and removed in the final copy of this book. But I did find the one footnote strange around the 19% mark in chapter 4.

Overall, I think this book would’ve been better served if there was a hint of another book with Cristiano and Fox. I did find the characters interesting, but they could definitely have been fleshed out more, or maybe I just wish there was more story with the both of them because I’m honestly not used to reading standalones. I would have also loved this book a lot more if the story leaned harder into the dark part of the dark romance. I know both authors CAN do it, so I’m just confused here why they didn’t. This story felt more like a dark romance-lite book, and that’s just not really something I’m into at all.

***Thanks to the authors for giving me an e-ARC to read and review!***

[read•me•romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

Surrender // R. Phoenix , Adara Wolf
✨ Stand-alone in the Ruthless Daddies 2 Shared World

🖤This was absolutely everything I want in a dark daddy book! I literally devoured this- could not put it down- shirked all my responsibilities- SORRY, NOT SORRY- it’s that good. 🖤

😈Y’all, I just love a double psycho. Both of these characters are cuckoo for coco puffs and I am HERE FOR IT. Christiano is our hardened, d•minant, s•distic mafia man. When someone tries to take him out, he’s not expecting the pretty ginger twink to be his assassin. Even less is he expecting Fox and his m•sochistic bratty self to feel the same pull that he does. 😈

🔥Okay, now it’s time to get mushy, because this writer duo does that to me. Do not get me wrong, these two are WILD, the shmink is 5 alarm fire. But the hurt comfort!!! The hurt comfort hits just as good! Y’all know I go weak in the knees for that hurt comfort/ shmink combo. 1000/10 HIGHLY RECOMMEND, cannot wait to reread when it comes on audio this May! 🔥

🖤 Mafia / Assassin
🔥 S•distic Daddy / M•so bratty boy
☠️ Dark and Twisted
😈 Captive/ Revenge
🔪 Possesive, Touch him and ☠️
❤️‍🩹 Hurt Comfort
💥 Violence, Action, Suspense
🔥HIGH HEAT

🔥K!nky tags:
Strict Top/ Bottom: yes
D/s Daddy/boy
Intense S+m
CRYING SHMINK 🥵
H•mili•tion / Degradation
Praise
Electro- Stim
CBT
Sp🍑nking/ Impact/ Discipline
Size Difference
Needy Bottom
C•m Play
🐔 Cage
Primal
Diiirty Talk
Psychological Shmink
B•ndage
Marking

✅ book has listed trigger warning.

💋 @read.me.romance