Say My Name

by Jenika Snow

From USA Today bestselling author Jenika Snow comes a gritty mafia romance where the villain blurs the lines between right and wrong...and love and hate. She came to me looking for salvation. She came to me looking to save a family that didn’t even want her. But I didn’t want money. I didn’t want her father’s and brother’s debt paid off in blood. My obsession went far deeper than anything I’d ever experienced. It was fast and hot, an inferno that leveled everything around me like a trigger being pulled. I sent her away, humiliated her, made her think I wanted nothing from her. That was the biggest lie I’d ever told. Because what I wanted was everything from her. I was the villain. The bad guy. And she’d be mine.

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

242 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 23, 2023

About the author

Jenika Snow is a USA Today Bestselling Author, and has been a published writer since 2009.

She can be found at:

www.jenikasnow.com
FB: www.facebook.com/jenikasnow
Twitter: twitter.com/jenikasnow
Email: Jenika_Snow@yahoo.com

Reviews

[Jen ♥]

Spoilers



Well, this was bad.

I don't care that Matteo is an anti-hero; I've read books with such characters. But what pissed me the most about this is the fact that, I think up to 70% of the book, he only wanted Liliana to be his whore, specifically for two weeks.

I thought I could get past this, but he was so repetitive about how she's temporary and just an itch needed to be scratched. He paid for her anyway by setting up a bank account with an amount that would last her a lifetime.

Then, when the two weeks came, he sent her away with hurtful words, like really cruel and harsh words, because he realized she's a weakness he can't have. Then a month had passed; it turned out he didn't even last a day after sending her away, he then resorted to stalking her.

Then one night, a guy tried to sexually assault Liliana, and since Matteo was in the area, he came to her rescue immediately and killed the guy.

With the way he ended things between them, I had so much hope that Liliana would stand up for herself and, you know, exhibit some self-preservation. But disappointingly, she didn't.

After Matteo killed the guy, he dragged her back to his car and told her they were going home. The pathetic FMC didn't even fight and caved in so easily and quickly. Gosh, why do I have to always read about doormat FMCs?

I don't even know why I finished this atrocity. This is definitely not for me. I really should listen to my gut when it tells me to stop. 🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️🤦‍♀️

[Kursed Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Liliana Johnson tries to bargain with crime lord, Matteo Amato, she finds herself ill prepared.

Matteo is accustomed to getting and taking what he wants. When the naïve Liliana realizes she stepped into the devil’s den, he lets her leave and believe she’s safe. When the time is right, he collects his due.

Dang!! I loved the many sides of Liliana. She was naïve while simultaneously caring and strong. Although a hardened criminal to the world, Matteo has a soft spot for his Sunshine. That’s my favorite kind of hero!

As always, Jenika perfectly delivers a heat, heart, and HEA combo!

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️1/2
Burn: 🔥🔥1/2
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🥴🫣🥵🫠😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}

🗂 Genre: Dark Romance

✨ Tropes: Antihero, Debt Payment, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forced Proximity, Insta-Obsession, Organized Crime, OTT Jealous/Possessive, MINE!, Rich Boy/Poor Girl, Touch-Her-and-💀, Who Hurt You, Virgin h

💋 Kinks: 🍑, Cum Jammer, Domination, Finger Licking Good, Praise, Spit

⚠️ Warning: The angst in this slow-burn will edge you to the point of combustion!

🚩 Safety Squad: Unalìvínġ, Vïolėnçe, and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!

📣 Type: Say My Name is a standalone.

🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Liliana is in a rough spot when she heads over to meet Matteo he's a drug lord and a huge name in the bussiness and she knows her father and brother owe him tons of money, her plan sell her body to him. He sorta dismisses her, but he's drawn to her. He has plans for his girl, but he has to make sure the ones who left marks on her face are taken care of 😈😈😈

We love a man who is already saying, "Who did this to you!!" Muahah Matteo didn't waste any time with Lil family who hit her. He showed them he means bussiness when he had them chained, and well, it didn't go for them, lol. From there, the relationship was light speed she did push away for about 5.4 seconds, but she wanted every dirty deed ;). There is a push away from Matteo when he thinks her life could be in danger because of who he is. He didn't last long, but he kept his distance in case his girl needed him.


No ow/om drama, no cheating, drama, Sexy times, virgin gal and no manwhore

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5


Slowinsta
Prologue
Praise
Degradation
age-gap (15 years)
Separation few weeks
Power play dynamics
Violence
Gore/torture/murder
Anal
Somnophilia
light spit play
Hea
Epilogue

[Kate V · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 smut-scale stars!

Liliana is caught in the crosshairs of Mafia King Matteo and is surprised when he doesn’t want to snuff out her light but harness and keep her light instead.

“Liliana dolce e vulnerabile. Non voglio ucciderti.” Sweet, vulnerable Liliana. I don’t want to kill you. His smile was slow and big, and it terrified me. “Voglio farti mia.” I want to make you mine.

Matteo was dominating and possessive. He didn’t hold back and apologized for nothing when it came to his girl. I just love these unhinged alpha males. Liliana was both timid and brave and I genuinely liked her character and her resolve to love Matteo.

This was fast paced and hot as hell. Jenika knows how to write dirty and delicious and I’ll always be here for her alpha males.

“I want to fuck you. Plain and simple. I want that cherry between your legs. I want your virgin blood to coat my cock as I take it for the first time.” I finished my drink and leaned forward again. “And I’ll do all of that and more every day I have you here until I’m so ingrained in your head and body, you’ll never get rid of me.”

[Bookish.Midnight. and. black · Rating 1 out of 5]

dark romance my a** !!! this is porn . read until 20%of the book and then skip read to be sure because I honestly thought that something will happen

[destiny · Rating 4 out of 5]

when he witnesses someone manhandling her so he unalives that person, bIood spraying everywhere and he just licks the bIood off her face >>>

yeah i’m fucking obsessed 😇

this is a dark mafia romance, age gape (15 years), insta lust, stockholm syndrome, obsession, captor / captive, family debt, somno, praise, degradation, power play dynamics, biting, marking, gore, torture, violence, spit play, duo pov, and standalone 💙

SOMEONE SEDATE ME BEFORE I GO LOOKING FOR MY OWN MAFIA HUSBAND WHO’S SO OBSESSED WITH ME HE COULD LITERALLY EXPLODE

liliana just found out how much debt her brother and father put their family in. they’re in deep and now that they messed with the wrong man, liliana is trying to find a way to settle it without any bloodshed. she gathers the courage to meet with matteo to offer herself up as payment since she can’t come up with that amount of money in such short notice. but the thing is … she’s super innocent. she has never been in a situation remotely close to this. the only way she thinks would help her family is to offer up her virginity, her body to the most ruthless man alive 🤭 matteo already had plans for liliana’s family. he wanted to ruin them as they owed him a shit load of money. but the moment he looked into liliana, he knew she would be coming to see him. the only way she was able to set up a meeting was because he allowed it. he is a man obsessed with this innocent wildcat and he just has to have her. even if that means removing everyone from her life so she has no one. even if that means he keeps her prisoner until she submits.

OH MY GOD I LOVE THEM
I LOVE LILIANA
I LOVE MATTEO
I LOVE THIS BOOK

all my insta lust babes come forward 🧎🏻‍♀️ this book actually had me by the god damn throat !! the way matteo held himself back until liliana submitted … oh. my. god. we love a man who puts her above everything else. especially above his own needs. he would literally creep into her room just to watch her sleep and give her forehead kisses 🥹 his primal urges are soooo dark and yummy i swear i was wearing pants one second and the next i was suddenly a puddle 🦵🏼💦🦵🏼 liliana is such a wonderful and precious character. she’s just the type of character that you immediately fall for 🫀 she’s so innocent yet she’s such a fighter. she only knew her family and wanted to keep them safe, but did they ever treat her the same? did they put her first before anyone else? or was it beating her up their way of showing their “love”? her brother and father are douchebags and i’m glad they got what they deserved. good riddance 😒

immediately add this to your tbr !! you will not regret it besties. it’s super quick and i literally finished in like a day 🤩

🌶️🌶️

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5 stars

Tropes : enemies to lovers, rich guy x poor girl, J/P H, alpha H
Ending : HEA
Triggers : violence, gore, torture, d💀aths, murder, forced proximity, mention if child abuse
Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Angst : 🔥🔥🔥/5
OM/OW drama : OM (H was the jealous type)
Celibate while separated: yes I think (separated for a couple weeks)
Intimacy details: virgin h, cum jammer, no condom, anal, oral, daddy kink, spitting, rough sex, a bit choking
Standalone/Series : standalone

Hero : Matteo Amato
Heroine: Liliana Johnson

A darkish quick read for me. Pretty good but nothing memorable.

Matteo was the typical anti hero, rough and dark. Liliana was the perfect damsel in distress. He was pretty obsessed with Liliana from the beginning and after he killed both her abusive dad and bro, he forced her to be with him.

Soon they slept together after Matteo ‘bought’ her with money and freedom. She had to be ‘his’ for 2 weeks and he’d give her money and let her go.

Per usual they started to feel more towards each other, then Matteo got scared of his feelings and he pushed her away.

A little separation before Liliana realized she wanted to be with him and they got their HEA. No baby(ies) in the epilogue tho, but at least Matteo proposed to Liliana.

An okay read for me.

P.s the spitting part was yucky and I’m not a fan of it so it turned me off whenever it happened 😂

[Marcia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Such a catchy title, I love it.

This was a quick, FILTHY, and praise-filled read. Enjoyable enough if you're not expecting too much. You get the typical third-act break up? If that's what you call it which left a tiny bit of angst, but other than that, lots of spice.

If you're a praise-fan 🙋‍♀️, this will give you that quick fix.

"Use your words, you beautiful, fucking girl."

I mean.... 🔥🔥

[Birdie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think for some readers this book will probably be a hit, the story was pretty good and engaging at times, not much outside drama so the book is mainly about Liliana and Matteo.

As it turns out, I'm just not into degradation. At all.

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love when JS books have a darker, grittier vibe.
Love me a mean, hard Hero who's actually obsessed and so in love with our heroine. They're my favorite :)

[✶ ✶ Hummingbird ✶ ✶]

Self-Note:

Avoid
She is a doormat
He treats her badly till 70% of the book
Body-Betraying Syndrome
NO GROVEL

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Lissa Smith Reads'~A Bookaholics Bookshelf · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rated
4 Stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Kindle Unlimited Read

[tane'a · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️

[lena ★ · Rating 3 out of 5]

if i read tiny or little one more time, i might’ve cried

[Daniela Tavares · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/6.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.5/5.

If you’re looking for a book that is quick, k!inky and darkish then this is for you.
Matteo is a very possessive man and he always gets what he wants and it just so happens that once Liliana crosses his path, he decided right then and there that she will be his next possession and once he realized the battle he had just to get her where he wanted her, made him even more obsessed with her.
Liliana had the short end of the stick when it comes to her family and so Matteo very quickly takes care of it but because she put herself in his path, she now has to handle the brewing storm that is Matteo.
She struggles with the feelings Matteo invokes in her but she is also a curious woman and Matteo lays it so thick that she has no choice but give in.

I liked their dynamic even though she was a bit too bratty for me. Matteo just loved her say no but in reality what she really wanted was Matteo unleashed and by the end she got it exactly what she wanted.

With the third act I was expecting something more however I liked how it went down. I just think it would’ve been better if Liliana went back and demanded her place right next to Matteo just like she thought she should do but in the end Matteo was the one to bring her back which I’m not mad about.

* I read an arc of this book. *

[Sammie Bow · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️

This was very fast paced with a MMC that was OTT possessive and unhinged which is what I wanted. In saying that I would of like more mafia plot and for this to be set over a longer period but it was still a ok read.

POV: Dual, 1st person.
SERIES or STANDALONE: Standalone.
TROPES: M/F adult, age gap, mafia romance.
SIZE: 232 (last page) Kindle pages.
CHARACTERS: Matteo & Liliana (unsure of ages but FMC is a young adult)

PLOT: 3 📚
ROMANCE: 2 ❤️
SPICE/STEAM: 3 🌶 (slight degradation & daddy talk)
DARKNESS/TRIGGERS: 2 😈 (violence, murder, attempted SA)

⚠️ My bookshelves can contain spoilers.

[Tiffany's TBR · Rating 2 out of 5]

This story has plenty of elements that fans of dark, fast-paced romance might enjoy—mafia tension, stalking, steamy scenes, and a dramatic, high-stakes plot. However, I personally struggled with the characters. The male lead is undeniably cruel, and I had a hard time understanding how the heroine fell in love with him.

The female main character often came across as very passive, rarely standing up for herself with anyone. She even offered herself to him to save her family, yet later acts as though she wouldn’t make sacrifices for money, which made her actions feel inconsistent. Because of this, it was hard for me to feel connected to—or truly like—either of them.

Still, if you’re looking for a quick “wham bam thank you ma’am” read with degradation, intense spice, stalking, and mafia themes, this book may be exactly what you’re in the mood for. It just wasn’t quite the right fit for me.

[Emmy Thompson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Matteo & Liliana

An unhinged obsessive mafia man. Check. A virgin FMC with some deep dark desires. Double check.

Matteo knows he wants Liliana right away and stops at nothing to get her bud struggles with his desire to keep her. These two have some serious chemistry and tension right away and he certainly doesn’t hold back once she agrees to be his for those two weeks. They aren’t super spicy together but his commanding dark presence will absolutely make you melt while reading. Liliana was a bit skittish and nervous but she also was the perfect balance to Matteo. There weren’t a lot of mafia moments and the plot was more around him struggling with his
feelings. As always Jenika delivered a steamy mafia romance that kept it bloody yet simple too. Can Luca get a book too???!

[Leslee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh this man, this couple is smoking hot! Matteo is like the devil himself, leading Liliana down the path straight into temptation. She is sweet but horribly beaten down by her brother and father. Matteo has never had a weakness, completely ruthless and focused on business. He has no reason to change that until he sees Liliana and it all goes out the window. He shows her that she can break away from them, that she can walk away and live her life. What he didn't count on was becoming so addicted to her. Lawdy, this was so intense and spicy, I couldn't help but devoured it!

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story!!

This is a well written story which has emotions, humour, intrigue, suspense, twists, danger, challenges, and love which all leads to an entertaining and steamy addictive page turner
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

[Theresa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Normally I start my reviews off by giving a small description of what the book is about, but for this one, I’m going to start off by saying how freaking hot the s*x scenes are. Like panty melting hot. Um, Matteo’s got the dirtiest mouth ever and I freaking loved it! Even though it doesn’t seem like it, I love how strong willed and independent Lilana is. She doesn’t want Matteo but something about his darkness calls to her. Matteo is just as captivated by Liliana as she is of him and is very possessive of Liliana and there is massive touch her and die vibes. Well, literally touch her and die vibes. I love dark, possessive, and mysterious men and Matteo is no exception! I enjoyed this book so much! I was instantly sucked into the plot and the characters! It was a quick and easy read! This is a dark romance so be cautious when reading!

[Roxana.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Actually....I didn't like Liliana's character....she was kinda...stupid...I'm sorry to say that...but I didn't like her.
Girls in Jenika's books are amazing....really amazing but Liliana...no...poor Mateo 🥲🥲

[Kass · Rating 5 out of 5]

You can never go wrong with a dark romance book by Jenika.
This book is semi dark but oh so spicy.
It's every bit of perfect plus it's kind of short.

So if you're looking for a hot possessive man that is respectful but takes what he wants then this is it 😉

[Katie Murphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick and smutty 💅

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Smutty dark mafia romance at its best.

If you love books by Jenika Snow you already know what to expect 🧎‍♀️😈🥵👄🖤

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I could not, and did not want to, put this down and I begrudged having to when adult responsibilities dared come knocking.

Jenika writes sensational spice and this was no different. I ate it up and licked the plate clean. I live for a mafia romance when the big bad scary MMC finds himself softening for the FMC and these two are a match made in Hell. Say My Name was a quick, veryyyy spicy read with age gap, captor x captive, praise/deg, a touch of daddy kink, a sprinkle of humiliation and a whole heap of touch her and d1e. Whilst it's a mafia romance, it is light on the actual mafia-ing and the plot is the romance (which is fine, I personally don't mind that).

[T Rojo · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC REVIEW (thanks Jenika!)

Gruesome murders with a side of spitting and Stockholm syndrome be still my heart!

[LibraryofR · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review:

Ever since I started reading Jenika each book gets better and better. These characters definitely belong to one another. The villain gets the girl is a great quote to put as the cover because it's true. He kills for her and protects her and watches her closely. She fought him for awhile and put herself down and he taught her to not do that. It's spicy and oh so good!

[andrea ♡ · Rating 1 out of 5]

1⭐️ cut the show.

this shit was so fucking bad wow like I expected a little dickhead who redeems himself 🙂‍↕️ but this was not the case at alllll—

Matteo was an ass who got off humiliating Liliana, the dumbass who likes to be fucked raw and without no care beforehand (HE TOOK BOTH OF HER VIRGINITIES IN ONE THRUST BRUH) like that shit had to fucking hurt but she liked him afterwards???? Like whatttt

anyway this book was dumb, Matteo was dumb, Liliana was dumb, and um I was also dumb for reading this shit without reading the reviews beforehand 🙂‍↕️

[Trinity · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.75/5 🌶🌶🌶/5

TW - kidnapping, violence, gore, torture, murder, drugs, parental abuse (physically, verbally, mentally, mentioned and recounted), shitty upbringing, rehab (secondary characters, mentioned), murder, death of a parent and a sibling (murder, on page), anxiety, panic attack (mentioned), attempted SA (secondary character to FMC)

CW - degradation, power play, biting, marking, hand necklaces, light somnophilia (i.e., no penetration), spit play, Daddy honorific (brief, no age play)

Tropes - crime / mafia, age gap, dark, obsessed, possessive

This book is light on plot but I still found it enjoyable, to say Matteo (MMC) was obsessed with Liliana (FMC) is an understatement. Initially he basically coerces her into a 2 week arrangement which he pays her for with more money than she can spend in her lifetime just so he can have her but we quickly see his obsession grow into something more, especially when reading from his POV.

The 2 week deadline and her just being his whore is constantly reinforced by Matteo but he was only really fooling himself.

The smut was defo smutting in this one 🥵🥵🥵 if you need a palette cleanser, look no further

Scale:
⭐️ - would've DNF'ed / continued out of spite
⭐️⭐️ - shit, but whatever
⭐️⭐️⭐️ - meh, could've been better
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - lit 👅
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - loved it, inject this shit into my veins 🤪

🫑 - no smut
🌶 - no point
🌶🌶 - mediocre at best
🌶🌶🌶 - standard smut, hot
🌶🌶🌶🌶 - 🥵 okay, some CW
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶 - fuck me 🥵🥵 CWs / filthy with a side of filth - see Poison / Room Twenty-Two: Hide and Seek