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Marchetti Mafia #1
מפלצת יפהפייה
"כל עוד הלב האפל שלי פועם, הוא פועם בשבילך."
הייתי צריכה להיות חכמה יותר ולא לעשות עסקה עם מפלצת.
כשהחבר שלי לשעבר מוציא חוזה על הראש שלי, יש רק גבר אחד שאני יכולה לברוח אליו להגנה.
כריסטיאן מרצ'טי.
ראש משפחת המאפיה מרצ'טי.
אבא של החברה הכי טובה שלי.
המוצא האחרון שנותר לי.
אבל ההגנה של כריסטיאן לא מגיעה בחינם.
ומה שהוא רוצה עלול לעלות לי בחיי.
הוא מלך המאפיה, ואני הקורבן שלו.
ועכשיו, אני חייבת להפוך לאשתו.
מפלצת יפהפייה הוא רומן מאפיה שיש בו את כל הטרופים האהובים: נישואי שידוך, פער גילים, שונאים לאוהבים ומתח מיני מחשמל.
צ'ריטי פרל היא סופרת רבי־המכר של הוול סטריט ג'ורנל, היו־אס־איי טודיי, אמזון ואפל, אשר ספריה כובשים שוב ושוב את המקום הראשון ברשימות המובילות.
הייתי צריכה להיות חכמה יותר ולא לעשות עסקה עם מפלצת.
כשהחבר שלי לשעבר מוציא חוזה על הראש שלי, יש רק גבר אחד שאני יכולה לברוח אליו להגנה.
כריסטיאן מרצ'טי.
ראש משפחת המאפיה מרצ'טי.
אבא של החברה הכי טובה שלי.
המוצא האחרון שנותר לי.
אבל ההגנה של כריסטיאן לא מגיעה בחינם.
ומה שהוא רוצה עלול לעלות לי בחיי.
הוא מלך המאפיה, ואני הקורבן שלו.
ועכשיו, אני חייבת להפוך לאשתו.
מפלצת יפהפייה הוא רומן מאפיה שיש בו את כל הטרופים האהובים: נישואי שידוך, פער גילים, שונאים לאוהבים ומתח מיני מחשמל.
צ'ריטי פרל היא סופרת רבי־המכר של הוול סטריט ג'ורנל, היו־אס־איי טודיי, אמזון ואפל, אשר ספריה כובשים שוב ושוב את המקום הראשון ברשימות המובילות.
299 pages, Paperback
First published October 11, 2022
929 people are currently reading
6213 people want to read
About the author
Charity Ferrell
46 books3,135 followersCharity Ferrell is a Wall Street Journal, USA Today, #1 Amazon, and #1 Apple bestselling author.
She resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. When she’s not writing, she’s hanging out with her dog, on a Starbucks run, shopping online, or spending time with her family.
JOIN MY NL: https://bit.ly/2YHF7im
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WEBSITE: http://charityferrell.com
FOLLOW ME ON:
TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@charityferrell
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/authorcharityferrell
INSTAGRAM: @charityferrell
She resides in Indianapolis, Indiana. When she’s not writing, she’s hanging out with her dog, on a Starbucks run, shopping online, or spending time with her family.
JOIN MY NL: https://bit.ly/2YHF7im
JOIN MY READER GROUP: https://bit.ly/31ugXIY
WEBSITE: http://charityferrell.com
FOLLOW ME ON:
TIK TOK: https://www.tiktok.com/@charityferrell
FACEBOOK: www.facebook.com/authorcharityferrell
INSTAGRAM: @charityferrell
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 718 reviews
October 18, 2022
When her ex-boyfriend doesn’t take their breakup well and places a bounty on her, Natalia Carprio has few people to turn to for help. The lack of options is how she finds herself on her knees for her best friend’s father, Cristian “Monster” Marchetti.
Natalia has made some bad choices, but owns her mistakes and won’t let Cristian or anyone else treat her badly. Sometimes skating the line between strong willed and reckless, Monster respects her fire despite himself.
While not exactly an original storyline, I loved our characters and their personalities. Particularly Cristian who remains true to no-fcuks-to-give attitude throughout. I’m definitely looking forward to Benny’s story!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🥺🤬🥵😳😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}
🗂 Genre: Mafia Romance
✨ Tropes: Age Gap (23), Alphahole Hero, Forbidden, Forced Proximity, Mafia/Bratva/Crime Family, Debt Payment, Arranged Marriage, Enemies-to-Lovers, Touch-Her-and-💀
💋 Kinks: Spanking, Domination
⚠️ Warning: This book may cause blushing, squirming, combusting panties, and/or self-care.
🚩 Safety Squad: VïoIencė, UnaIivîng, Mild OW/OM Drama, and other triggering El. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Gorgeous Monster is part of the Marchetti Mafia series, but can be read as a standalone.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
Natalia has made some bad choices, but owns her mistakes and won’t let Cristian or anyone else treat her badly. Sometimes skating the line between strong willed and reckless, Monster respects her fire despite himself.
While not exactly an original storyline, I loved our characters and their personalities. Particularly Cristian who remains true to no-fcuks-to-give attitude throughout. I’m definitely looking forward to Benny’s story!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤
Heat: 🌶🌶️
Range of Emotions: 🥺🤬🥵😳😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual}
🗂 Genre: Mafia Romance
✨ Tropes: Age Gap (23), Alphahole Hero, Forbidden, Forced Proximity, Mafia/Bratva/Crime Family, Debt Payment, Arranged Marriage, Enemies-to-Lovers, Touch-Her-and-💀
💋 Kinks: Spanking, Domination
⚠️ Warning: This book may cause blushing, squirming, combusting panties, and/or self-care.
🚩 Safety Squad: VïoIencė, UnaIivîng, Mild OW/OM Drama, and other triggering El. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Gorgeous Monster is part of the Marchetti Mafia series, but can be read as a standalone.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
October 22, 2022
Delicious reading!
It’s worth the reading.
It’s worth the reading.
December 1, 2023
I tried. Mafia romance is still not my thing. At all.
From the way it's written to the pet names used - it hurt me.
From the way it's written to the pet names used - it hurt me.
October 14, 2022
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (4.5)
Trope: enemies to lovers, age-gap, alphahole
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
Natalia Carprio got herself in a bit of a bind. She decided she wanted to break up with her mobster boyfriend, but he wasn't having it. If he wasn't going to have her, no one was and he ends up putting a hit on her. With no where else to run, Natalia approaches Cristian Marchetti, her best friends dad and head of a rival family to her ex, asking for protection. Cristian plans on using Natalia to take the rival family down, but could care less how the fallout affects Natalia... until he does.
I really ended up liking Gorgeous Monster and I wasn't sure if that was going to be the case in the beginning. Cristian is one cold mofo in the beginning and there was really no redeeming qualities, lol. Natalia is 22 years his junior, super impulsive, but also has a caring heart that finally works to wear Cristian down. I really liked how his softening to her didn't happen like a flip of a switch and how he never really changes who he is. He's an arse in the beginning and he's one at the end, lol. The writing was good, the storyline was interesting even while a bit predictable, and it moved quickly. Gorgeous Monster was my first Charity Ferrell book, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for the next books in the series! Can't wait for Benny's story!
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes contain spoilers
Trope: enemies to lovers, age-gap, alphahole
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥
Natalia Carprio got herself in a bit of a bind. She decided she wanted to break up with her mobster boyfriend, but he wasn't having it. If he wasn't going to have her, no one was and he ends up putting a hit on her. With no where else to run, Natalia approaches Cristian Marchetti, her best friends dad and head of a rival family to her ex, asking for protection. Cristian plans on using Natalia to take the rival family down, but could care less how the fallout affects Natalia... until he does.
I really ended up liking Gorgeous Monster and I wasn't sure if that was going to be the case in the beginning. Cristian is one cold mofo in the beginning and there was really no redeeming qualities, lol. Natalia is 22 years his junior, super impulsive, but also has a caring heart that finally works to wear Cristian down. I really liked how his softening to her didn't happen like a flip of a switch and how he never really changes who he is. He's an arse in the beginning and he's one at the end, lol. The writing was good, the storyline was interesting even while a bit predictable, and it moved quickly. Gorgeous Monster was my first Charity Ferrell book, so I wasn't sure what to expect, but I'll definitely be on the lookout for the next books in the series! Can't wait for Benny's story!
⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes contain spoilers
August 15, 2023
I don’t think it’s any secret at this point that I didn’t care for this book. I thought I would DNF it but I ended up reading it all. Do I regret reading it? Kinda, but it’s done now. Here are my thoughts:
Cristian, despite being a mafia leader, a monster, described as a psychopath - he was interesting. I didn’t like him but his chapters were tolerable and are probably how I made it through the book. He was fine. Natalia sucked. She sucked so much. Honestly, I hate her and not in any kind of enjoyable way. I hated her and hated hating her. I genuinely wanted her to die and/or for Cristian to kill her. That would never happen in a romance, but I longed for her to just go away. She played games, she was entitled, she behaved like a child. She had no trauma or childhood to justify her behavior. She was just like that because she felt like it. She has no redeeming qualities.
So Cristian is fine, Natalia sucks, and the mafia qualities of the book are over-the-top. This story is way too loud about him being “bad” and them being mafia criminals. It’s cliché and farcical with the over-dramatization of how evil everyone is while also not specifying anything. They just killed people who owed them money. A lot of people. So, they’re loan sharks of the mafia sort, I guess.
The twist was obvious but the author did a good job at tying earlier information in, so credit there. And I don’t necessarily mind obvious twists. Most are. I’m rarely shocked in books so I just accept that by about the midway point, I’ll have a good idea of what’s going to happen.
Cristian, despite being a mafia leader, a monster, described as a psychopath - he was interesting. I didn’t like him but his chapters were tolerable and are probably how I made it through the book. He was fine. Natalia sucked. She sucked so much. Honestly, I hate her and not in any kind of enjoyable way. I hated her and hated hating her. I genuinely wanted her to die and/or for Cristian to kill her. That would never happen in a romance, but I longed for her to just go away. She played games, she was entitled, she behaved like a child. She had no trauma or childhood to justify her behavior. She was just like that because she felt like it. She has no redeeming qualities.
So Cristian is fine, Natalia sucks, and the mafia qualities of the book are over-the-top. This story is way too loud about him being “bad” and them being mafia criminals. It’s cliché and farcical with the over-dramatization of how evil everyone is while also not specifying anything. They just killed people who owed them money. A lot of people. So, they’re loan sharks of the mafia sort, I guess.
The twist was obvious but the author did a good job at tying earlier information in, so credit there. And I don’t necessarily mind obvious twists. Most are. I’m rarely shocked in books so I just accept that by about the midway point, I’ll have a good idea of what’s going to happen.
October 25, 2022
“As long as this black heart of mine beats, it is yours.”
Gorgeous Monster had me in a chokehold from the prologue. Even though this one starts out with a punch it surprisingly takes a minute before we get to the romance/spice. The plot where Cristian is…rescuing/using Natalia is the main focus for the first chunk of this story and I was totally invested in HOW these two would go from there to together. The tension and the build up between these two was intense.
Cristian is an unfeeling monster from the start. Natalia slowly brings out something in him, but once again he is not great to her in the beginning, but it’s mafia romance so I always sort of expect that element. All that said, I loved this story. I loved the side characters. I loved the slow building romance between these two. I only wish I had more from these characters already. I don’t know how I’m going to last the wait for Benny’s book.
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR9d3pWL/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRHww2Np/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRHK1Mk2/
TW/CW - gun violence, death, some on page gore
Gorgeous Monster had me in a chokehold from the prologue. Even though this one starts out with a punch it surprisingly takes a minute before we get to the romance/spice. The plot where Cristian is…rescuing/using Natalia is the main focus for the first chunk of this story and I was totally invested in HOW these two would go from there to together. The tension and the build up between these two was intense.
Cristian is an unfeeling monster from the start. Natalia slowly brings out something in him, but once again he is not great to her in the beginning, but it’s mafia romance so I always sort of expect that element. All that said, I loved this story. I loved the side characters. I loved the slow building romance between these two. I only wish I had more from these characters already. I don’t know how I’m going to last the wait for Benny’s book.
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTR9d3pWL/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRHww2Np/
Tiktok - https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTRHK1Mk2/
TW/CW - gun violence, death, some on page gore
Read
April 4, 2024sometimes i find myself wishing i had a bestie with a hot mafia dad
January 12, 2023
⭐️⭐️ two stars -
Annnnd…. we’re back to my regularly scheduled mafia-smut-reading fest 🤣📖
Two stars for this one - and this book gets to fall under my unnecessarily difficult Goodreads rating scale; where it’s a “two-star read that I enjoyed” 💁♀️😂
What I liked:
✔️ mafia smut - duh
✔️ the fmc’s internal snarky commentary. She was snappy and fun, and I enjoyed reading her thoughts. They weren’t too over-done, either
✔️ the fake/arranged marriage trope - just my fave *snap
✔️ enemies to lovers trope - this is one of those that should be on the “he doesn’t want her” Goodreads list
This is a strong, solid two, because there are things I didn’t like:
👎 age gap - yes, I am aware that this is the whole premise of the story; I just don’t like the fact that our h is the H’s daughter’s bff. Too high on the “ick” factor for me. So just personal preference 💁♀️
👎 inclusion of a sexy scene that features our H’s son (secondary romance). This just increased the “ick” for me, so just no
👎 a lot of the dialogue is very high on my cheese factor scale, and induced some giggles - “take it, b*#ch” 🤣 I can’t with that 🤣🤣
Overall, this was somewhat-fun mafia smut. I would try this author again when I’m in-between books, which is often for me (I often read several books simultaneously 💁♀️).
A lot of fellow reviewers I follow liked this one, so you might too. It was good enough for me to read/skim all the way through 💁♀️ Would not re-read, but will try author again.
Two solid stars.
Annnnd…. we’re back to my regularly scheduled mafia-smut-reading fest 🤣📖
Two stars for this one - and this book gets to fall under my unnecessarily difficult Goodreads rating scale; where it’s a “two-star read that I enjoyed” 💁♀️😂
What I liked:
✔️ mafia smut - duh
✔️ the fmc’s internal snarky commentary. She was snappy and fun, and I enjoyed reading her thoughts. They weren’t too over-done, either
✔️ the fake/arranged marriage trope - just my fave *snap
✔️ enemies to lovers trope - this is one of those that should be on the “he doesn’t want her” Goodreads list
This is a strong, solid two, because there are things I didn’t like:
👎 age gap - yes, I am aware that this is the whole premise of the story; I just don’t like the fact that our h is the H’s daughter’s bff. Too high on the “ick” factor for me. So just personal preference 💁♀️
👎 inclusion of a sexy scene that features our H’s son (secondary romance). This just increased the “ick” for me, so just no
👎 a lot of the dialogue is very high on my cheese factor scale, and induced some giggles - “take it, b*#ch” 🤣 I can’t with that 🤣🤣
Overall, this was somewhat-fun mafia smut. I would try this author again when I’m in-between books, which is often for me (I often read several books simultaneously 💁♀️).
A lot of fellow reviewers I follow liked this one, so you might too. It was good enough for me to read/skim all the way through 💁♀️ Would not re-read, but will try author again.
Two solid stars.
September 4, 2024
3.5 stars 🌟
It bad , book 2 is better.
It bad , book 2 is better.
November 24, 2024
1 star
DNFed @ around 35%
This was bad, guys.
This was really bad.
Seriously, this was like a very juvenile, immature to the core vision of mafia.
Vito Corleone would be turning in his grave if he ever had a glimpse of what was happening in this book.
The hero who is in his 40s, the big mafia dude was acting like a 16 year old, hormone driven boy.
The heroine, who was also acting like a spoiled 13 year old brat, was so fucking stupid and so freaking annoying, I srsly just couldn't stomach her idiocy any minute longer.
There's no consistency in the hero's actions.
There's zero depth in the characters.
The writing was bad, the storyline was boring and completely unbelievable.
Plus, all that banter that was supposed to be funny?
Well, newsflash, it wasn't.
It was cringeworthy and only showed how immature the characters really were.
I can see many people liked this.
I am, however, in the minority here, as always lol.
I absolutely believe this was a waste of my time and I am happy I got this from a library.
This was my first read from this author and I dunno if i wanna come back for more.
She has some other books I have on my TBR so i might give them a go later.
But definitely not now.
DNFed @ around 35%
This was bad, guys.
This was really bad.
Seriously, this was like a very juvenile, immature to the core vision of mafia.
Vito Corleone would be turning in his grave if he ever had a glimpse of what was happening in this book.
The hero who is in his 40s, the big mafia dude was acting like a 16 year old, hormone driven boy.
The heroine, who was also acting like a spoiled 13 year old brat, was so fucking stupid and so freaking annoying, I srsly just couldn't stomach her idiocy any minute longer.
There's no consistency in the hero's actions.
There's zero depth in the characters.
The writing was bad, the storyline was boring and completely unbelievable.
Plus, all that banter that was supposed to be funny?
Well, newsflash, it wasn't.
It was cringeworthy and only showed how immature the characters really were.
I can see many people liked this.
I am, however, in the minority here, as always lol.
I absolutely believe this was a waste of my time and I am happy I got this from a library.
This was my first read from this author and I dunno if i wanna come back for more.
She has some other books I have on my TBR so i might give them a go later.
But definitely not now.
March 30, 2023
3.5 stars
Let me start by saying I’m so torn about how to rate this book—on the one hand. I highly enjoyed the story. On the second, I’m so picky with mafia romance. Especially the Italian mafia. I expected more brutality and darkness. On some levels, the author did. Most times, she didn’t. It's a me problem.
I love the age gap best friend's father. The banter is fantastic; I love how Natalia challenges Christine. She cracked me up one too many times.
Without spoiling, some of the mafia details glance over, and a few minor plot holes.
dnf
April 10, 2023DNF @ 31%
My friends enjoyed this one so I'm sure it's a me thing.
These are just my personal opinions:
I'm not buying into the characters AT ALL. It feels so cliché. I'm a trope-y romance lover but this book is terribly unconvincing. The dark/taboo themes fell flat. In my opinion, the author was trying too hard to be edgy but couldn't pull it off. Christian is annoyingly mean and boring and whatshername has no personality, unless you count being a mafioso's sex-toy a personality. Maybe it gets better? Idk
My friends enjoyed this one so I'm sure it's a me thing.
These are just my personal opinions:
I'm not buying into the characters AT ALL. It feels so cliché. I'm a trope-y romance lover but this book is terribly unconvincing. The dark/taboo themes fell flat. In my opinion, the author was trying too hard to be edgy but couldn't pull it off. Christian is annoyingly mean and boring and whatshername has no personality, unless you count being a mafioso's sex-toy a personality. Maybe it gets better? Idk
![Profile Image for Corinne [hiatus].](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1603449181i%2F94376563._UY200_CR13%2C0%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 7, 2023
DNF - 70%
Finally had enough of this mafia romance. The hero is an a-hole, the heroine is sassy and unafraid, there's insta-lust. This book is boring.
She has a bounty on her head and asks for his protection. He starts by treating her really badly but ends un marrying her.
He ends up being sweet to her. Meah!
Finally had enough of this mafia romance. The hero is an a-hole, the heroine is sassy and unafraid, there's insta-lust. This book is boring.
She has a bounty on her head and asks for his protection. He starts by treating her really badly but ends un marrying her.
He ends up being sweet to her. Meah!
February 5, 2023
Beyond 5 Cristian and Natalia Dark Romance Stars
I do love it when I pick up a book and from the first few lines , I am HOOKED. Mafia romances can be a little bit hit or miss for me but having acquainted myself with the Marchetti family , I am all in. I need more of this family.
Cristian Marchetti (mid 40's) is the Don of the Marchetti family and he is renowned for his cruelty , ruthlessness and cool head. Men either revere or hate him. Women want him , although since his wife was murdered years before, he is picky about who warms his bed. His Mafia empire has dominated his life...until now.
Natalia Carprio (early 20's) is best friend's with Gigi Marchetti and has been since they were 16. Gigi is in Italy visiting family and when Natalia finds herself in serious trouble with an ex boyfriend she ends up asking Cristian , Gigi's dad, for help.
At the start I was clutching my pearls a bit at the way Cristian behaved towards Natalia. The character development is excellent and even though I was shocked , I remained very curious and invested in him. He won me over for sure.
From my research on her, she’s never been much of a drinker. Her newfound attraction might be my fault. I’ve been known to drive people to drink—as well as throw themselves off buildings and disappear from their families.
For all the dodgy things he does , there is no grovel - this is a mafia romance after all - but there is a delicious unravelling of frosty outer layers to the heart of an intensely passionate man who goes to extremes for the woman he loves. *swoons*
Natalia is in my Heroine's Hall Of Fame. I loved everything about her. She is immensely likeable and her inner thoughts made for addictive reading.
I’ll take being tipsy to drunk any day. Tipsy is so superior. You get the benefits of that buzz, but your brain still functions. I can count to one hundred, spell Mississippi, and walk in a straight line.
She is kind , funny , strong and resilient.
Honestly, Cristian never stood a chance.
The dialogue between them is snappy , entertaining and addictive to read.
“This was supposed to be more of a transactional situation.”
That makes me sound a little too Pretty Woman, but whatever.
“Was sucking my cock part of this transactional situation?” Cristian smirks, self-satisfaction laced with every word of his response.
And that makes it more Pretty Woman.
Natalia brings the esteemed Mafia boss back down to earth. She fascinates him at some level , exasperates him on another. When he expects her to stay home for her own safety...
“What do you suppose I do then?” She raises her arms before dramatically dropping them to her sides. “This is a nice home—don’t get me wrong. The problem is, it’s bore city, hanging out here alone.” My home has been referred to as many things. An architect’s dream. Immaculate. Castle-like. Bore city was never one of them
The secondary characters are all interesting and as the first book in the series , this author sets lots of things in motion for future novels really well. Benny gets his story next. I can't wait to read more. Gigi's tale will be intriguing and I so hope Gretchen gets a book too.
I have read , and enjoyed , other books by Charity Ferrell but this is hands down my favourite of hers. I don't think she has written Mafia romance before but I'm delighted that she has now. Gorgeous Prince releases 6th March 2023 and I am itching to get my hands on it.
I highly recommend this age gap (23 years) , best friend's Dad , marriage of convenience , mafia romance. There is violence on page. There is a lot of sex.
I read it on KU but I will buy it to keep because I loved it that much. Kindle book is 278 pages. Finishes at 89% and there is an excerpt of an earlier novel Just Neighbors.
I also listened on audible. Excellent narration by Kylie Stewart and Tor Thom. (Listening time 7 hours 7 minutes).
HEA? Yes and the most enticing set up for Benny's book , Gorgeous Prince.
Cheating? No
I do love it when I pick up a book and from the first few lines , I am HOOKED. Mafia romances can be a little bit hit or miss for me but having acquainted myself with the Marchetti family , I am all in. I need more of this family.
Cristian Marchetti (mid 40's) is the Don of the Marchetti family and he is renowned for his cruelty , ruthlessness and cool head. Men either revere or hate him. Women want him , although since his wife was murdered years before, he is picky about who warms his bed. His Mafia empire has dominated his life...until now.
Natalia Carprio (early 20's) is best friend's with Gigi Marchetti and has been since they were 16. Gigi is in Italy visiting family and when Natalia finds herself in serious trouble with an ex boyfriend she ends up asking Cristian , Gigi's dad, for help.
At the start I was clutching my pearls a bit at the way Cristian behaved towards Natalia. The character development is excellent and even though I was shocked , I remained very curious and invested in him. He won me over for sure.
From my research on her, she’s never been much of a drinker. Her newfound attraction might be my fault. I’ve been known to drive people to drink—as well as throw themselves off buildings and disappear from their families.
For all the dodgy things he does , there is no grovel - this is a mafia romance after all - but there is a delicious unravelling of frosty outer layers to the heart of an intensely passionate man who goes to extremes for the woman he loves. *swoons*
Natalia is in my Heroine's Hall Of Fame. I loved everything about her. She is immensely likeable and her inner thoughts made for addictive reading.
I’ll take being tipsy to drunk any day. Tipsy is so superior. You get the benefits of that buzz, but your brain still functions. I can count to one hundred, spell Mississippi, and walk in a straight line.
She is kind , funny , strong and resilient.
Honestly, Cristian never stood a chance.
The dialogue between them is snappy , entertaining and addictive to read.
“This was supposed to be more of a transactional situation.”
That makes me sound a little too Pretty Woman, but whatever.
“Was sucking my cock part of this transactional situation?” Cristian smirks, self-satisfaction laced with every word of his response.
And that makes it more Pretty Woman.
Natalia brings the esteemed Mafia boss back down to earth. She fascinates him at some level , exasperates him on another. When he expects her to stay home for her own safety...
“What do you suppose I do then?” She raises her arms before dramatically dropping them to her sides. “This is a nice home—don’t get me wrong. The problem is, it’s bore city, hanging out here alone.” My home has been referred to as many things. An architect’s dream. Immaculate. Castle-like. Bore city was never one of them
The secondary characters are all interesting and as the first book in the series , this author sets lots of things in motion for future novels really well. Benny gets his story next. I can't wait to read more. Gigi's tale will be intriguing and I so hope Gretchen gets a book too.
I have read , and enjoyed , other books by Charity Ferrell but this is hands down my favourite of hers. I don't think she has written Mafia romance before but I'm delighted that she has now. Gorgeous Prince releases 6th March 2023 and I am itching to get my hands on it.
I highly recommend this age gap (23 years) , best friend's Dad , marriage of convenience , mafia romance. There is violence on page. There is a lot of sex.
I read it on KU but I will buy it to keep because I loved it that much. Kindle book is 278 pages. Finishes at 89% and there is an excerpt of an earlier novel Just Neighbors.
I also listened on audible. Excellent narration by Kylie Stewart and Tor Thom. (Listening time 7 hours 7 minutes).
HEA? Yes and the most enticing set up for Benny's book , Gorgeous Prince.
Cheating? No
September 1, 2025
Gorgeous Monster
Mad Man. Mafia Don. Marchetti Monster.
Since the dawn of time the story has been the same. Men go to war over beautiful women. Wether to conquer them, control them, love them, to feed their obsessions and their egos.
So what happens when you run into the arms of a bigger monster to avoid an lesser evil?
star rating: 4.75/5 stars
Hot, check. Older, check. Best friend's father? check...
Normal girls get to break up with cheating scum. Not when the when scum is the next in line to become the head of the Lombardi family.. Vinny gave Natalia two choices, be with him in life or be without him in death. But Natalia had another option up her skirt. Run headfirst into the protection of the Marchetti Monster.
FRTC
Mad Man. Mafia Don. Marchetti Monster.
Since the dawn of time the story has been the same. Men go to war over beautiful women. Wether to conquer them, control them, love them, to feed their obsessions and their egos.
So what happens when you run into the arms of a bigger monster to avoid an lesser evil?
star rating: 4.75/5 stars
Hot, check. Older, check. Best friend's father? check...
Normal girls get to break up with cheating scum. Not when the when scum is the next in line to become the head of the Lombardi family.. Vinny gave Natalia two choices, be with him in life or be without him in death. But Natalia had another option up her skirt. Run headfirst into the protection of the Marchetti Monster.
FRTC
October 31, 2022
4 / 5 ⭐
OK, it was unexpectedly good?
Tropes
✨ Mafia romance
✨ Age-gap (H is 23 years older than the h)
✨ Taboo relationship / best friend’s father
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Arranged marriage
Natalia Carprio is in a desperate situation when her mafia ex-boyfriend wants to kill her.
She is forced to seek help from her best friend's father, who heads one of the biggest mafia families: Cristian Marchetti.
In the beginning, the hero doesn't give a damn about the situation or the heroine, which surprised me.
As long as it is for his personal gain, he would not hesitate to kill her, hand her over to the enemies, or marry her off to someone else, no matter if she is best friends with his daughter or not.
And this goes on for a while, so much so that I wondered if the hero was redeemable. But little by little things change. I must say that I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters: the sexual chemistry, the banter, and the dominant & possessive side of the Hero.
But make no mistake, even if the Hero ends up falling in love with the heroine, he remains an anti-hero and an asshole until the end.
Safety/ Spoilers
🟣 No sharing or cheating
🟣History: H is a widower. While he has flings with other women, he is described as picky in his choice of partner and is not a man-whore. The heroine had three previous boyfriends.
🟣OM: The ex-bf of the h, the main antagonist, wants her back. The Hero’s son hits on the heroine (not seriously) and it makes the H jealous.
🟣 OW: One of the past lovers of the Hero is jealous of the h and tries to humiliate her, but the H don’t care about her.
🔥 Spanking
🟣 HEA
TW
🔴 Murder & Assault scenes
OK, it was unexpectedly good?
Tropes
✨ Mafia romance
✨ Age-gap (H is 23 years older than the h)
✨ Taboo relationship / best friend’s father
✨ Enemies to lovers
✨ Arranged marriage
Natalia Carprio is in a desperate situation when her mafia ex-boyfriend wants to kill her.
She is forced to seek help from her best friend's father, who heads one of the biggest mafia families: Cristian Marchetti.
In the beginning, the hero doesn't give a damn about the situation or the heroine, which surprised me.
As long as it is for his personal gain, he would not hesitate to kill her, hand her over to the enemies, or marry her off to someone else, no matter if she is best friends with his daughter or not.
And this goes on for a while, so much so that I wondered if the hero was redeemable. But little by little things change. I must say that I really enjoyed the relationship between the two main characters: the sexual chemistry, the banter, and the dominant & possessive side of the Hero.
But make no mistake, even if the Hero ends up falling in love with the heroine, he remains an anti-hero and an asshole until the end.
Safety/ Spoilers
🟣 No sharing or cheating
🟣History: H is a widower. While he has flings with other women, he is described as picky in his choice of partner and is not a man-whore. The heroine had three previous boyfriends.
🟣OM: The ex-bf of the h, the main antagonist, wants her back. The Hero’s son hits on the heroine (not seriously) and it makes the H jealous.
🟣 OW: One of the past lovers of the Hero is jealous of the h and tries to humiliate her, but the H don’t care about her.
🔥 Spanking
🟣 HEA
TW
🔴 Murder & Assault scenes
October 10, 2022
This is the first in a new series, and this is Natalie and Cristian’s story. When Natalie’s ex-boyfriend does not take their breakup well, he orders a hit on her, leaving Natalie with no option but to go her best friend’s father for protection. Cristian is ruthless, feared, cruel, violent, and a sexy alpha, and he is the head of the Marchetti mafia family. Natalie is feisty and strong willed, and she is no walkover, she gives as good as she gets, but Cristian’s protection comes with a price. This is a well written enemies / lovers’ romance, with emotions, humor, witty banter, and love, which leads to an entertaining and compelling page turner.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.
October 7, 2022
Okay, I was not expecting that at all, but I was very pleasantly surprised at this! Charity said she went darker to clear her head, and now I'm gonna need her to write this level all the time.
I mean--
Father's best friend ✔️
Arranged marriage ✔️
Dubious consent ✔️
Cold mafia man who only has a heart for his woman ✔️
Hilarious Banter✔️
Touch her and you die vibes ✔️
The. Motherfucking. Heat ✔️✔️✔️🍆🍆🍆🍆🥵🥵🥵🥵
Honestly this checked all my boxes!! And the small look we got into the next book for Benny and his sweet but psycho bride?! I NEED IT!
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions!**
I mean--
Father's best friend ✔️
Arranged marriage ✔️
Dubious consent ✔️
Cold mafia man who only has a heart for his woman ✔️
Hilarious Banter✔️
Touch her and you die vibes ✔️
The. Motherfucking. Heat ✔️✔️✔️🍆🍆🍆🍆🥵🥵🥵🥵
Honestly this checked all my boxes!! And the small look we got into the next book for Benny and his sweet but psycho bride?! I NEED IT!
**I received an ARC of this book and these are my honest opinions!**
February 26, 2023
DNF at 75%.
This felt recycled and I couldn't get into it.
This felt recycled and I couldn't get into it.
October 7, 2022
To say I am obsessed with Gorgeous Monster by Charity Ferrell will be a gross understatement. Cristian and Natalia's story was dark, twisted, sizzling hot and explosive. This dark mafia romance checked every point in my list. Forbidden. Filthy. Violent. Cristian is the most perfect and dangerous kind of antihero and Natalia matched him and challenged him with her fierceness. Best friend’s father..do I have to say anything more to appeal to my fellow dark romance lovers?
Natalia broke up with one of the mafia man from Lombardi family and now there is a price on her head. Only one person can protect her. Her best friend’s father and head of New York mafia, Cristian Marchetti. But he doesn't do anything without a price. She has to get married to him. It is supposed to be a fake but Cristian is a gorgeous Monster and too hard to resist.
This is a big age gap and there are triggers. It is a dark romance and you can expect your limit to be pushed. Cristian is unapologetically antihero. He is ruthless, merciless and cruel. No doubt about it. He has spent his life trying to be the vicious mafia king. He did promise to protect Natalia but it was not all good will at the beginning. He manipulated and tortured and used his crazy ways to win the deals. But slowly it became more than a game and Natalia became more than a pawn. This woman is just fierce all the way. She is in a messy and lethal situation. But she hasn't lost her fire. She is being reckless and feisty and keeps on pushing Cristian but it worked well. Because Cristian needed a woman who won't bow down to his power and charm. It was so sexy..total pantymelting hot material. It was depraved and destructive and I am here for it. Cristian gets all growling over possessive and over protective and obviously my heart and panties were lost cause. I cannot resist a bossy, brooding and cold hearted antihero who grows all soft for his woman. The suspense was so good. And I cannot wait for more from this world.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
Natalia broke up with one of the mafia man from Lombardi family and now there is a price on her head. Only one person can protect her. Her best friend’s father and head of New York mafia, Cristian Marchetti. But he doesn't do anything without a price. She has to get married to him. It is supposed to be a fake but Cristian is a gorgeous Monster and too hard to resist.
This is a big age gap and there are triggers. It is a dark romance and you can expect your limit to be pushed. Cristian is unapologetically antihero. He is ruthless, merciless and cruel. No doubt about it. He has spent his life trying to be the vicious mafia king. He did promise to protect Natalia but it was not all good will at the beginning. He manipulated and tortured and used his crazy ways to win the deals. But slowly it became more than a game and Natalia became more than a pawn. This woman is just fierce all the way. She is in a messy and lethal situation. But she hasn't lost her fire. She is being reckless and feisty and keeps on pushing Cristian but it worked well. Because Cristian needed a woman who won't bow down to his power and charm. It was so sexy..total pantymelting hot material. It was depraved and destructive and I am here for it. Cristian gets all growling over possessive and over protective and obviously my heart and panties were lost cause. I cannot resist a bossy, brooding and cold hearted antihero who grows all soft for his woman. The suspense was so good. And I cannot wait for more from this world.
I reviewed an early copy voluntarily
November 1, 2022
3.5 stars
“As long as this black heart beats, it is yours.”
Let’s start by saying this was my first Charity Ferrel book so I went into this kind of blind.
It was a good story had the makings of a decent book. Unfortunately I think that you can tell it’s the first time she wrote a mafia book. NOTHING against that at all because it’s a great book for a beginner.
I did enjoy this as the story got going. The beginning was a little off for me because I felt like I was reading 1/4 of the way in already, it was like I was missing something. It picked up and definitely got more interesting and the set up for the next story are two left me intrigued.
If you’re a seasoned mafia reader just go into this with the knowledge that it’s more of a beginner read 🙃
“Place your ass in this chair before I spread you out on the table and let everyone watch me fuck you into obedience.”
“As long as this black heart beats, it is yours.”
Let’s start by saying this was my first Charity Ferrel book so I went into this kind of blind.
It was a good story had the makings of a decent book. Unfortunately I think that you can tell it’s the first time she wrote a mafia book. NOTHING against that at all because it’s a great book for a beginner.
I did enjoy this as the story got going. The beginning was a little off for me because I felt like I was reading 1/4 of the way in already, it was like I was missing something. It picked up and definitely got more interesting and the set up for the next story are two left me intrigued.
If you’re a seasoned mafia reader just go into this with the knowledge that it’s more of a beginner read 🙃
“Place your ass in this chair before I spread you out on the table and let everyone watch me fuck you into obedience.”
June 10, 2023
Natalia’s ex mafia heir boyfriend puts a hit out on her when she breaks up with him because he’s a cheater. She goes to Cristian the King of the mafia and also her bff’s dad. He decides to use her as bait to do
Mafia stuff. He might kill her or he might keep
Her. He is a stone cold dude. Hard
Core asshole that eventually becomes putty in her Hands after the long haul for the hea.
Mafia stuff. He might kill her or he might keep
Her. He is a stone cold dude. Hard
Core asshole that eventually becomes putty in her Hands after the long haul for the hea.
February 25, 2023
It was a good read but when I read a mafia I expect LOTS of action from the book, and I didn’t get it from this book, unfortunately.
On other note I’m excited to read Benny’s story.
On other note I’m excited to read Benny’s story.
October 9, 2022
4.5
A quick mafia story. And a steamy one too. I'm rereading this often.
A quick mafia story. And a steamy one too. I'm rereading this often.
October 12, 2022
+ Shelves: Best Friend’s Father, Arranged Marriage, Forced Proximity, Age Gap (+20), Hea
October 14, 2022
Honestly, this book had moments of being really wild, and it was super entertaining. Was it the best book I’ve read this year? Nope - there’s some clumsy and choppy writing and I think the pacing of the relationship was a bit off and I wasn’t sure I believed Cristian’s switch to loving Natalia. But! I had a lot of fun reading it. It was clear the author was having fun with this premise, even if that meant making Cristian a genuinely terrible person (for the most part). I admired the commitment to him behaving so awfully all of the time, and being really honest, it did make the dynamic between Cristian and Natalia really fun.
Natalia was a really entertaining heroine - I liked how she played games and stood her ground against Cristian, despite how scary he was. Obviously their relationship was toxic in a lot of ways, but the sex scenes were (mostly) hot and the chemistry was high between them. Again, I didn’t quite believe the switch from lust to love - I think it needed a bit more development for that - but overall, it did work quite a lot for me.
Look, this book isn’t perfect in a lot of ways, but it kept me entertained and I flew through reading it. It’s ridiculous at points - but it was fun in its own dark, silly way. Definitely problematic, but no one is reading this kind of romance for its morals, so if you’re looking for something dark, sexy, and definitely over-the-top, this is a good place to start.
Content Notes: Marriage of convenience, best friend’s dad / daughter’s best friend, mafia.
Warnings:
Other: .
Natalia was a really entertaining heroine - I liked how she played games and stood her ground against Cristian, despite how scary he was. Obviously their relationship was toxic in a lot of ways, but the sex scenes were (mostly) hot and the chemistry was high between them. Again, I didn’t quite believe the switch from lust to love - I think it needed a bit more development for that - but overall, it did work quite a lot for me.
Look, this book isn’t perfect in a lot of ways, but it kept me entertained and I flew through reading it. It’s ridiculous at points - but it was fun in its own dark, silly way. Definitely problematic, but no one is reading this kind of romance for its morals, so if you’re looking for something dark, sexy, and definitely over-the-top, this is a good place to start.
Content Notes: Marriage of convenience, best friend’s dad / daughter’s best friend, mafia.
Warnings:
Other: .
October 11, 2022
"Here lies the war of Natalia"
I am going to be really blunt here -
In the beginning, I would have introduced her to a vat of acid
HOWEVER...
Somewhere along the way, before I walked away, she grew up
She found that filter that separated the kiddy from the adult
She even became likable
And now I am invested
"She's my glass of liquor after a long day of work"
Cristian made no pretenses that he had a heart or that he even cared
Not one little bit - No give - Oh well - To bad so sad
Being the king of his city meant he had to be cruel and the best leaders are the ones who get in the pits right alongside their people
That required him to be void of any emotion
"That's my way of saying I breathe for you"
I admit I almost walked away from this read - She just irritated me to no end
I get it is fiction but for me, there has to be something to make it believable, some sort of connection to reality
I am not sure at what part everything changed but I found I was at the end of the story and excited to see who fell next
The author found her groove
This has all kinds of triggers, steamy smexy scenes, crimson rivers,
plays a little out in the left field at times, has a HEA,
and our monster does have an oreo filling but only for his two girls ;)
I am going to be really blunt here -
In the beginning, I would have introduced her to a vat of acid
HOWEVER...
Somewhere along the way, before I walked away, she grew up
She found that filter that separated the kiddy from the adult
She even became likable
And now I am invested
"She's my glass of liquor after a long day of work"
Cristian made no pretenses that he had a heart or that he even cared
Not one little bit - No give - Oh well - To bad so sad
Being the king of his city meant he had to be cruel and the best leaders are the ones who get in the pits right alongside their people
That required him to be void of any emotion
"That's my way of saying I breathe for you"
I admit I almost walked away from this read - She just irritated me to no end
I get it is fiction but for me, there has to be something to make it believable, some sort of connection to reality
I am not sure at what part everything changed but I found I was at the end of the story and excited to see who fell next
The author found her groove
This has all kinds of triggers, steamy smexy scenes, crimson rivers,
plays a little out in the left field at times, has a HEA,
and our monster does have an oreo filling but only for his two girls ;)
January 30, 2023
I binged this, I couldn’t stop! HOLY MOLY! I was iffy in the beginning but it got so good!!
Natalia needs protection and knows just the man to provide it. Her best friends dad is the head of the Marchetti Mafia Family and a rude prick.. he’s willing to help but nothing he does it out of the kindness of his heart. Cristian didn’t become the mafia king by showing weakness or trusting just anyone.. She’ll do what he says or he’ll give her to the Lombardi family on a platter.
My God this was intense! Cristian makes you want to murder him about 50% of the time. I really disliked him at first. But when that man opens up and shows a tiny bit of his black heart, holy freaking cow. Natalia is one lucky ass woman, let me tell you. I love how much spunk she has and uses it to push Cristian’s buttons. LOL she has some balls.
Idk why I like mafia romances so much because if a man ever treated me this way, I’d cry. No question about it. 😂
Also, I freaking loved Benny! The end scene had me DYING. I cannot wait for his story!
Natalia needs protection and knows just the man to provide it. Her best friends dad is the head of the Marchetti Mafia Family and a rude prick.. he’s willing to help but nothing he does it out of the kindness of his heart. Cristian didn’t become the mafia king by showing weakness or trusting just anyone.. She’ll do what he says or he’ll give her to the Lombardi family on a platter.
My God this was intense! Cristian makes you want to murder him about 50% of the time. I really disliked him at first. But when that man opens up and shows a tiny bit of his black heart, holy freaking cow. Natalia is one lucky ass woman, let me tell you. I love how much spunk she has and uses it to push Cristian’s buttons. LOL she has some balls.
Idk why I like mafia romances so much because if a man ever treated me this way, I’d cry. No question about it. 😂
Also, I freaking loved Benny! The end scene had me DYING. I cannot wait for his story!
October 10, 2022
Ooooh! I loved reading this book so much, I just couldn't put it down.
Cristian is definitely an anti-hero and I fell for him hook, line and sinker 🥵
He doesn't apologise or change from the ruthless, cruel man that he is.
Natalia is so fierce with a smart mouth and won't back down to Cristian just because he's a mob boss, like everyone else does around him does.
When things start getting sexy between these two we get to see how possessive and dominating Cristian is and holy hell is he HOT! 🔥🔥
I cant wait to get my hands on Gorgeous Prince because Benny's book is going to be amazing, I just know it. Neomi is not going to take ANY shit from him 🖤
Cristian is definitely an anti-hero and I fell for him hook, line and sinker 🥵
He doesn't apologise or change from the ruthless, cruel man that he is.
Natalia is so fierce with a smart mouth and won't back down to Cristian just because he's a mob boss, like everyone else does around him does.
When things start getting sexy between these two we get to see how possessive and dominating Cristian is and holy hell is he HOT! 🔥🔥
I cant wait to get my hands on Gorgeous Prince because Benny's book is going to be amazing, I just know it. Neomi is not going to take ANY shit from him 🖤
April 6, 2023
So I woke up at 230 this morning (insomnia sucks … hello menopause 😳) to see that my preorder of Gorgeous Prince had dropped on my kindle and I remembered I hadn’t read this first book yet. I wasn’t gonna get back to sleep anytime soon so I decided … why not now?
I loved Christian and Natalia together. I’m not usually a fan of huge age gaps but these two were so much fun together. Natalia brings out things in the mafia Don you totally would not expect and she is just so sassy.
And that cover ☺️❤️.
This is my first book by this author and she killed it!! Love her writing style.
I loved Christian and Natalia together. I’m not usually a fan of huge age gaps but these two were so much fun together. Natalia brings out things in the mafia Don you totally would not expect and she is just so sassy.
And that cover ☺️❤️.
This is my first book by this author and she killed it!! Love her writing style.
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