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De Bellis Crime Family #1
A Sinner's Promise
Gio
Being the eldest son has always been a blessing and a curse. I was raised to be one thing and one thing only.
A monster.
My father did everything in his power to make sure that’s exactly what I became too.
He wasn’t expecting that the monster he created would be the one to take him out though.
Now I’m in charge. Of the family, the empire. Everything.
I’m learning real fast that being the boss isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The first order of business was finding a new place to live. I didn’t want my four younger brothers to have to remain in the house of horrors, aka our childhood home, any longer than they had to be.
But the second I lay eyes on my new realtor, my sole focus becomes making her mine in every way possible.
Eloise
I’ve worked my ass off to land the elite property listings in Melbourne.
The downfall? Elite properties come with elite assholes.
I’ve learnt over the past year how to deal with the suggestive comments and overly friendly touches from prospective buyers.
When I meet my latest client, Gio De Bellis, all my skills seem to go on vacation.
Because one look at him has me wanting to throw caution to the wind and give in to the temptation he’s offering.
But my career is way more important to me than one sinfully appetizing, hot piece of man candy. At least, I think it is…
A Sinner's Promise is book 1 in the De Bellis Crime Family Saga, All books in this sereis are stand alone dark romances.
Being the eldest son has always been a blessing and a curse. I was raised to be one thing and one thing only.
A monster.
My father did everything in his power to make sure that’s exactly what I became too.
He wasn’t expecting that the monster he created would be the one to take him out though.
Now I’m in charge. Of the family, the empire. Everything.
I’m learning real fast that being the boss isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. The first order of business was finding a new place to live. I didn’t want my four younger brothers to have to remain in the house of horrors, aka our childhood home, any longer than they had to be.
But the second I lay eyes on my new realtor, my sole focus becomes making her mine in every way possible.
Eloise
I’ve worked my ass off to land the elite property listings in Melbourne.
The downfall? Elite properties come with elite assholes.
I’ve learnt over the past year how to deal with the suggestive comments and overly friendly touches from prospective buyers.
When I meet my latest client, Gio De Bellis, all my skills seem to go on vacation.
Because one look at him has me wanting to throw caution to the wind and give in to the temptation he’s offering.
But my career is way more important to me than one sinfully appetizing, hot piece of man candy. At least, I think it is…
A Sinner's Promise is book 1 in the De Bellis Crime Family Saga, All books in this sereis are stand alone dark romances.
508 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 22, 2024
About the author
Kylie Kent
91 books3,179 followersKylie made the leap from kindergarten teacher to romance author, living out her dream to deliver sexy, always and forever romances. She loves a happily ever after story with tons of built in steam.
She currently resides in Perth, Australia and when she is not dreaming up the latest romance she can be found spending time with her three children and her husband of twenty years, her very own real life instant-love.
Come join me in my reading group on Facebook Kylie's Steam Room.
She currently resides in Perth, Australia and when she is not dreaming up the latest romance she can be found spending time with her three children and her husband of twenty years, her very own real life instant-love.
Come join me in my reading group on Facebook Kylie's Steam Room.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 525 reviews
February 18, 2024
Insta-love (like insanely instant) without any kind of reason or explanation. The characters felt really immature - like a teenager writing a story about how they think adults act. There were some good moments, but overall I was underwhelmed. I especially disliked how the sexual assault was handled.
January 23, 2024
This was okay, but I feel like it could've been a few pages shorter. Nothing much really happens in the story. It only revolves around the couple—the things they do together or individually—and finding the people who are destroying Gio's family businesses.
This was insta-lust turned into love, and, tbh, I don't even know why Gio fell for Ellie the first time they met. I knew from Ellie's side that it was based on physical appearance, but on Gio's side, I didn't even see his reasoning. 🤷♀️
Anyway, I feel like some parts were dragging and unnecessary and were put more like filler. Also, the end of the villains was so anticlimactic. They should've suffered more for what they did.
Overall, this was okay. I loved the OTT possessiveness, love, and dedication of Gio. I actually like this book only because of him. I really don't care much about Ellie. She's weak most of the time and has only held her ground on multiple occasions. I'm not interested in hormone-driven FMCs; they're no fun to read. Anyhoo, this was still okay, and I did enjoy some parts.
Book info:
- Insta-lust (or love at first sight, idk)
- Forced proximity
- Violence, death, torture, gore
- On page r@pe (by the villain)
- Patricide
- No cheating, omd, breakup
- Owd (mild and not encouraged)
- HEA (with epilogue 10 yrs later)
This was insta-lust turned into love, and, tbh, I don't even know why Gio fell for Ellie the first time they met. I knew from Ellie's side that it was based on physical appearance, but on Gio's side, I didn't even see his reasoning. 🤷♀️
Anyway, I feel like some parts were dragging and unnecessary and were put more like filler. Also, the end of the villains was so anticlimactic. They should've suffered more for what they did.
Overall, this was okay. I loved the OTT possessiveness, love, and dedication of Gio. I actually like this book only because of him. I really don't care much about Ellie. She's weak most of the time and has only held her ground on multiple occasions. I'm not interested in hormone-driven FMCs; they're no fun to read. Anyhoo, this was still okay, and I did enjoy some parts.
Book info:
- Insta-lust (or love at first sight, idk)
- Forced proximity
- Violence, death, torture, gore
- On page r@pe (by the villain)
- Patricide
- No cheating, omd, breakup
- Owd (mild and not encouraged)
- HEA (with epilogue 10 yrs later)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 6, 2025
2.5⭐️
Why are you gonna make a book this unnecessarily long and then fuck up the ending, I’m sorry did you run out of pages because you wasted so much time dragging out the filler shit in the middle? How anticlimactic was that conclusion with the bad guys, especially after what happened to Ellie. I hated how the whole assault was handled.
This started off so well too, I loved the insta love and his obsessiveness of Ellie and then it just got boring.
Dual pov
Mafia
No omd/ no real owd
HEA
Epilogue 10 years later still happily married with 3 kids
Why are you gonna make a book this unnecessarily long and then fuck up the ending, I’m sorry did you run out of pages because you wasted so much time dragging out the filler shit in the middle? How anticlimactic was that conclusion with the bad guys, especially after what happened to Ellie. I hated how the whole assault was handled.
This started off so well too, I loved the insta love and his obsessiveness of Ellie and then it just got boring.
Dual pov
Mafia
No omd/ no real owd
HEA
Epilogue 10 years later still happily married with 3 kids
Read
April 7, 2024Meh. DNF 50%. Idk how this is “dark”, but maybe my meter is broken. It’s all insta-lust, the mc’s hook up and become a couple within the first 20% and there’s little to no romantic tension. It’s barely even a mafia book, and maybe it gets darker later on but I’m too bored to find out.
April 6, 2024
»You know, everyone else might jump and ask how high at your every command, but I'm not ever going to do that, no matter how good your dick might be.«
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑬𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆
She was sweet and very lovely as a character. I liked the way she treats Gio and his brother and she was relatable as a person.
❥ 𝑮𝒊𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒊
He was the perfect man. A mob boss with a big soft spot for his girl. His surprises and acts of love were just wow.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book was all I need in a mafia romance. A lot of action, smut and likeable characters.
The writing style is awesome and while reading I didn‘t recognise that this was over 500 pages. I was caught up on the story and the pages just flew by. Still this book could have been shorter because there isn‘t very much plot happening on page. We follow the couple and there was a bit of crime/secrets/mystery but not worth of 500 pages.
Eloise and Giovanni are perfect and super cute together. I enjoyed their dialogue and dating time. Like all relationships in Kylies books everything develops very fast and there is no unnecessary drama between the main characters. The tension was chef kiss and I loved the way Gio treats Eloise - like a true queen.
I liked Gios brothers and I‘m looking forward to read their books as well. The author has made me love this big, crazy family and I laughed a lot at some scenes.
I wouldn‘t consider this book as darkromance but please keep in mind that some plot lines may be triggering and there is mention of sexual abuse and violence.
Overall this was a highly enjoyable read and I can‘t wait for the other books in this series.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes, above all if you like light and cute mafia romance with happy end. If you enjoyed other books from Kylie Kent then you will love this one too.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓
plot: 4/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
mafia, he falls first and harder, insta love, possessive and protective hero, crazy family, real estate agent x mob boss, forced proximity
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: both in their late twenties I think
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
When She Unravels - Gabrielle Sands
Deviant Hearts - Jagger Cole
Marriage of Sin - B.B. Hamel
Destroy Me - Michelle Heard
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑬𝒍𝒐𝒊𝒔𝒆
She was sweet and very lovely as a character. I liked the way she treats Gio and his brother and she was relatable as a person.
❥ 𝑮𝒊𝒐𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒏𝒊
He was the perfect man. A mob boss with a big soft spot for his girl. His surprises and acts of love were just wow.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book was all I need in a mafia romance. A lot of action, smut and likeable characters.
The writing style is awesome and while reading I didn‘t recognise that this was over 500 pages. I was caught up on the story and the pages just flew by. Still this book could have been shorter because there isn‘t very much plot happening on page. We follow the couple and there was a bit of crime/secrets/mystery but not worth of 500 pages.
Eloise and Giovanni are perfect and super cute together. I enjoyed their dialogue and dating time. Like all relationships in Kylies books everything develops very fast and there is no unnecessary drama between the main characters. The tension was chef kiss and I loved the way Gio treats Eloise - like a true queen.
I liked Gios brothers and I‘m looking forward to read their books as well. The author has made me love this big, crazy family and I laughed a lot at some scenes.
I wouldn‘t consider this book as darkromance but please keep in mind that some plot lines may be triggering and there is mention of sexual abuse and violence.
Overall this was a highly enjoyable read and I can‘t wait for the other books in this series.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes, above all if you like light and cute mafia romance with happy end. If you enjoyed other books from Kylie Kent then you will love this one too.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓
plot: 4/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬
mafia, he falls first and harder, insta love, possessive and protective hero, crazy family, real estate agent x mob boss, forced proximity
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: both in their late twenties I think
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
𝐬𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐫 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬
When She Unravels - Gabrielle Sands
Deviant Hearts - Jagger Cole
Marriage of Sin - B.B. Hamel
Destroy Me - Michelle Heard
June 14, 2024
Insta love and nothing really happens. Dnf at 50%
January 25, 2024
I did like this.
No intimate details other than the Hero and heroine.
No details of previous relationships etc.
Introduction to series, several brothers.
I think Santos fiancé isn't dead, her face unrecognisable but he knew it was her because of the tattoo on her wrist, I'm not buying it.
A bit insta.
HEA.
No intimate details other than the Hero and heroine.
No details of previous relationships etc.
Introduction to series, several brothers.
I think Santos fiancé isn't dead, her face unrecognisable but he knew it was her because of the tattoo on her wrist, I'm not buying it.
A bit insta.
HEA.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 18, 2024
✨ARC Review✨
Now let me tell you the I adore the Valentino brothers but they are now going to have to share my heart with De Bellis brothers👏🏼
I did not expect to sob reading the prologue of this book I can tell you that but it definitely sets up the story for Gio and in particular Santo, who will be the last book in this series.
But anywho I’m getting off topic because this is Gio and Eloise’s story and it was a rollercoaster😮💨 The main characters first meet after Eloise’s boss asks her for a favour to show a house to a client because he is unable to make it, and thus this is where Gio first lays eyes on Eloise. Being perfectly honest it was a done deal for Gio the second he laid eyes on Eloise. That man knew what he wanted and he went directly after it🤌🏻 Oh how I love a persistent man👀
One of the sweetest things I loved about this book was Gio refused to buy a house until he found Eloise’s perfect house , because in his eyes she would be moving in with him in the near future.
This is a fast burn romance with plenty of spicy 🔥 Gio and Eloise have perfect chemistry.
I enjoyed the little cameos we got in this book from Alex Manici, Theo and Matteo Valentine, and also Dani and Allister👏🏼 I also loved how Kylie gave us snippets of Gabe and Daisy’s relationship.. it has made me even more excited for the their book🫶🏼
One thing I would highlight is that I would pay close attention to the TWs of this book before reading.⚠️
Thank you so much to the author for providing this e-arc for my honest thoughts 💭
Now let me tell you the I adore the Valentino brothers but they are now going to have to share my heart with De Bellis brothers👏🏼
I did not expect to sob reading the prologue of this book I can tell you that but it definitely sets up the story for Gio and in particular Santo, who will be the last book in this series.
But anywho I’m getting off topic because this is Gio and Eloise’s story and it was a rollercoaster😮💨 The main characters first meet after Eloise’s boss asks her for a favour to show a house to a client because he is unable to make it, and thus this is where Gio first lays eyes on Eloise. Being perfectly honest it was a done deal for Gio the second he laid eyes on Eloise. That man knew what he wanted and he went directly after it🤌🏻 Oh how I love a persistent man👀
One of the sweetest things I loved about this book was Gio refused to buy a house until he found Eloise’s perfect house , because in his eyes she would be moving in with him in the near future.
This is a fast burn romance with plenty of spicy 🔥 Gio and Eloise have perfect chemistry.
I enjoyed the little cameos we got in this book from Alex Manici, Theo and Matteo Valentine, and also Dani and Allister👏🏼 I also loved how Kylie gave us snippets of Gabe and Daisy’s relationship.. it has made me even more excited for the their book🫶🏼
One thing I would highlight is that I would pay close attention to the TWs of this book before reading.⚠️
Thank you so much to the author for providing this e-arc for my honest thoughts 💭
April 25, 2024
The more I think about it the worse this book gets. Gio is the worst mafia don ever. He loses dozens of men and multiple businesses to a weak rival it takes him months to track down— but not before he SAs his wife.
While at the same time, he literally murders his brother’s English teacher in the dining room of their house for saying his wife isn’t very smart. What the hell? And her family is fine with Gio murdering her sister’s shitty boyfriend who we are given no info about other thsn one day he just decides to beat the shit out of her.
Ellie is ridiculously fine with Gio murdering people who mildly annoy him, but then acts like she doesn’t understand why she needs protection. And speaking of protection, Gio has dozens of his men guard Ellie every time she leaves the house except for when she’s alone in houses with male clients? Make that make sense. The r@pe scene felt so unnecessary.
Before the 85% mark I would have given this book 2-3 stars but the r@pe scene was gratuitous and the ending was terrible. Add on the constant references to other characters’ stories that I assume are future book plots and it was all I could do to finish it.
While at the same time, he literally murders his brother’s English teacher in the dining room of their house for saying his wife isn’t very smart. What the hell? And her family is fine with Gio murdering her sister’s shitty boyfriend who we are given no info about other thsn one day he just decides to beat the shit out of her.
Ellie is ridiculously fine with Gio murdering people who mildly annoy him, but then acts like she doesn’t understand why she needs protection. And speaking of protection, Gio has dozens of his men guard Ellie every time she leaves the house except for when she’s alone in houses with male clients? Make that make sense. The r@pe scene felt so unnecessary.
Before the 85% mark I would have given this book 2-3 stars but the r@pe scene was gratuitous and the ending was terrible. Add on the constant references to other characters’ stories that I assume are future book plots and it was all I could do to finish it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 12, 2025
I'm so confused. The 'feelings' between the characters, their whirlwind romance, and subsequent quick marriage are completely incomprehensible. The mafia world aspect also feels off. The main character and his brothers seem more like generic thugs than menacing mobsters. Overall, I felt like I was reading a chaotic fanfiction where the author tried to cram in everything they could, rather than a well-crafted novel.
July 25, 2024
Це було дуже цікаво. Гарно прописаний мафіозний світ. Також класнний початок від кожного брата. По сюжету ми розуміємо, які вони з себе.💖
Чекаю історію Санто, бо ну дужеее інтригуюче. Приємно що тут показані здорові стосунки між героями. Хоч Джіо і жорстокий мафіозі, але він робить все аби вберегти Еллі.
Кінцівка трошки засмутила, але це не затьмарило всю книгу.✨
Джованні (Джіо) - Капо родини Де Белліс, та їх імперії. Має чотирьох братів: Гейб, Марселло, Він, Санто. І завданням Джіо було знайти нове місце проживання, щоб вберегти братів від будинку жхів їх дитинства.
Але в той момент, коли він бачу свого нового ріелтора, його єдиною метою стає зробити її своєю всіма можливими способами👑.
Елоїза ( Еллі) - рієлтор елітної нерухомості в Мельбурні.
Елітна власність дорівнює елітним мудакам.
За останній рік вона навчився давати відсіч непристойним коментарям і дотикам потенційних клієнтів.
Але коли вона зустрічає Джованні Де Белліса, усі навички, здається, забуваються.
І один погляд на нього викликає бажання відкинути обережність і піддатися спокусі, яку він пропонує.😏
Чекаю історію Санто, бо ну дужеее інтригуюче. Приємно що тут показані здорові стосунки між героями. Хоч Джіо і жорстокий мафіозі, але він робить все аби вберегти Еллі.
Кінцівка трошки засмутила, але це не затьмарило всю книгу.✨
Джованні (Джіо) - Капо родини Де Белліс, та їх імперії. Має чотирьох братів: Гейб, Марселло, Він, Санто. І завданням Джіо було знайти нове місце проживання, щоб вберегти братів від будинку жхів їх дитинства.
Але в той момент, коли він бачу свого нового ріелтора, його єдиною метою стає зробити її своєю всіма можливими способами👑.
Елоїза ( Еллі) - рієлтор елітної нерухомості в Мельбурні.
Елітна власність дорівнює елітним мудакам.
За останній рік вона навчився давати відсіч непристойним коментарям і дотикам потенційних клієнтів.
Але коли вона зустрічає Джованні Де Белліса, усі навички, здається, забуваються.
І один погляд на нього викликає бажання відкинути обережність і піддатися спокусі, яку він пропонує.😏
January 28, 2024
Gio never thought he would find a woman for him, sure he saw his brother fall in love with the love of his life. When his life takes a sharp turn, everything changes and one thing he needs is to hold his family together. As the new head of the De Bellis mafia family they need to show force and work though the trauma's that have his his family. Meeting Eloise while looking at a new house is unexpected and Gio can't stay away. He knows she is it, the timing is terrible but he is not letting her go.
Eloise is trying to establish her career, she does not need the distraction of Gio. Gio though breaks through all her hesitancy and she finds herself falling hard for the man who vows to protect her from any threat. What happens when the protective bubble bursts though?
What a way to start a new series. Kept me riveted, Gio is pure charismatic alpha male while Ellie keeps him on his toes. She pushes back and it surprises Gio. I thought the family dynamic was fascinating and anxious to see how the rest of the series unfolds.
Eloise is trying to establish her career, she does not need the distraction of Gio. Gio though breaks through all her hesitancy and she finds herself falling hard for the man who vows to protect her from any threat. What happens when the protective bubble bursts though?
What a way to start a new series. Kept me riveted, Gio is pure charismatic alpha male while Ellie keeps him on his toes. She pushes back and it surprises Gio. I thought the family dynamic was fascinating and anxious to see how the rest of the series unfolds.
free-on-amazon-today
April 2, 2024Free 2 April 2024
November 13, 2025
I gotta find me a Gio.😭😭🙃
June 8, 2024
is it perfect? no. did I eat it up? yes.
for 500+ pages, it's pretty plotless. (still loved it, sue me.) it's insta-lust, turned insta-love. the FMC gave it up pretty easy, I'm way more interested in Santo's story.
now I see a few issues with the series - the epilogue was 10 yrs into the future, will all stories pick up then? probably not. i wish we would've known more about the villain, and how the war came to be .. the book is long, again 500+ pages, but it's just .. smut lmao.
i liked it. it made me giggle a few times, some gasps. but again, no plot lol. it was a bunch of teenie plots, into one big story.
for 500+ pages, it's pretty plotless. (still loved it, sue me.) it's insta-lust, turned insta-love. the FMC gave it up pretty easy, I'm way more interested in Santo's story.
now I see a few issues with the series - the epilogue was 10 yrs into the future, will all stories pick up then? probably not. i wish we would've known more about the villain, and how the war came to be .. the book is long, again 500+ pages, but it's just .. smut lmao.
i liked it. it made me giggle a few times, some gasps. but again, no plot lol. it was a bunch of teenie plots, into one big story.
January 22, 2024
I wanna start by saying thank you to Kylie and team for this ARC!
Kylie writes my favorite mafia romances and this one was no exception, the De Bellis family is going to be a great story line to follow. Gio is a man obsessed, Eloise is quickly matched his energy but I love her strong will. This one is a instalust vibe with all the spice, Gio really did anything that he could to get the girl and kept that energy when he had her - him refusing to buy a house until it was somewhere she could see herself living before they were even together and then buying her, her own business to run?! Obsessed with him. He has a huge heart, especially for a mafia don. He cares for his family so much and Eloise creates such a great relationship with each of the boys - I love her being a part of this family. I cannot wait for the the rest of this series (really hoping for a story of healing for Santo 🥹).
Make sure to check TW for this story as there are some heavy plot lines!
Kylie writes my favorite mafia romances and this one was no exception, the De Bellis family is going to be a great story line to follow. Gio is a man obsessed, Eloise is quickly matched his energy but I love her strong will. This one is a instalust vibe with all the spice, Gio really did anything that he could to get the girl and kept that energy when he had her - him refusing to buy a house until it was somewhere she could see herself living before they were even together and then buying her, her own business to run?! Obsessed with him. He has a huge heart, especially for a mafia don. He cares for his family so much and Eloise creates such a great relationship with each of the boys - I love her being a part of this family. I cannot wait for the the rest of this series (really hoping for a story of healing for Santo 🥹).
Make sure to check TW for this story as there are some heavy plot lines!
May 11, 2025
skipped the ending.
March 16, 2024
[3.5] the insta love was quite a bit too fast for me!! i think this set up the rest of the books really well bc i was looking forward to when we’d see the others again rather than the MCs… excited for gabe and santo’s books.
January 15, 2024
I would like to start this review by saying that I never thought I could love a family as much as I love the Valentinos, but the DeBellis brothers have me all up in my feels and looking forward to what’s to come.
Gio meets Eloise at a showing for a house. We knew we were in for a wild ride from their first en”counter”! 😉
Gio and Ellie have this instalust that is honestly so hot and develops quickly! Gio is a MMC who is so easy to adore! He loves Ellie but avoids being stalkerish, (ie Dom and Theo) and he still gets his girl!
Old man DeBellis tried so hard to ruin his son, but with Ellie, Gio overcame all of that and turned into an amazing man.
Not only is the steam off the charts but the relationship is real, raw, and evolves into a magical love story.
I so enjoyed the brothers and Ellie’s girl gang. Those men and women add so much depth and enjoyment to the story! The relationship that Ellie has with each brother will warm your heart ❤️❤️ I loved the cameos from Alastair and Xavier and Shardonnay!!
There are some very heavy themes in this book, but they are written beautifully. The scenes are raw, real, and will make you weep. Kylie has given us her strongest, fiercest FMC to date! Not only does she bring Gio DeBellis to his knees, she takes care of herself and knows what is best for her!
I cannot wait for Gabe and Daisy! Oh and don’t skip a single word…..you’ll miss Zoe! I have a feeling she, Ellie and Daisy will become not only sisters but the best of friends 💕💕
Gio meets Eloise at a showing for a house. We knew we were in for a wild ride from their first en”counter”! 😉
Gio and Ellie have this instalust that is honestly so hot and develops quickly! Gio is a MMC who is so easy to adore! He loves Ellie but avoids being stalkerish, (ie Dom and Theo) and he still gets his girl!
Old man DeBellis tried so hard to ruin his son, but with Ellie, Gio overcame all of that and turned into an amazing man.
Not only is the steam off the charts but the relationship is real, raw, and evolves into a magical love story.
I so enjoyed the brothers and Ellie’s girl gang. Those men and women add so much depth and enjoyment to the story! The relationship that Ellie has with each brother will warm your heart ❤️❤️ I loved the cameos from Alastair and Xavier and Shardonnay!!
There are some very heavy themes in this book, but they are written beautifully. The scenes are raw, real, and will make you weep. Kylie has given us her strongest, fiercest FMC to date! Not only does she bring Gio DeBellis to his knees, she takes care of herself and knows what is best for her!
I cannot wait for Gabe and Daisy! Oh and don’t skip a single word…..you’ll miss Zoe! I have a feeling she, Ellie and Daisy will become not only sisters but the best of friends 💕💕
January 26, 2024
I don’t know how Kylie comes up with her stories but I am not complaining because this was amazing!
January 21, 2024
4.5⭐️
This was my first ARC and I was not disappointed!
Gio De Bellis had made it as one of my top book boyfriends after this book.
From the very beginning of this book there’s drama and I was hooked. Gio a mob boss after all and Kylie lets you in on all the chaos of mafia life.
When Eloise, a real estate agent and shows Gio a house. He is obsessed with her from the start and wastes no time in perusing her.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re a client and I’m selling you a house.”
“We’re friends first.”
“We’re not…”
Gio holds up his hand. “I swear to God Ellie, finish that thought and I’m going to come over there and show you along with everyone else in this bar just how f*cking friendly we are,”
This was my first ARC and I was not disappointed!
Gio De Bellis had made it as one of my top book boyfriends after this book.
From the very beginning of this book there’s drama and I was hooked. Gio a mob boss after all and Kylie lets you in on all the chaos of mafia life.
When Eloise, a real estate agent and shows Gio a house. He is obsessed with her from the start and wastes no time in perusing her.
“Why not?”
“Because you’re a client and I’m selling you a house.”
“We’re friends first.”
“We’re not…”
Gio holds up his hand. “I swear to God Ellie, finish that thought and I’m going to come over there and show you along with everyone else in this bar just how f*cking friendly we are,”
January 21, 2024
ARC Review 🤩
This was my first ARC, and what a way to start!
Gio, the eldest brother of the De Bellis family and newly appointed Don,falls head over heels for Elouise (Ellie), the estate agent showing him a house for him and his 4 brothers.
The banter between the 2 of them had me smiling most of the time! Their instant chemistry and lust was incredible to read. Ellie fitted in so easily with the De Bellis family and the brothers loyalty to her is exactly what you want fitting into a new family.
Loved everything about this story and would recommend everyone to read it, you will not be disappointed!
This was my first ARC, and what a way to start!
Gio, the eldest brother of the De Bellis family and newly appointed Don,falls head over heels for Elouise (Ellie), the estate agent showing him a house for him and his 4 brothers.
The banter between the 2 of them had me smiling most of the time! Their instant chemistry and lust was incredible to read. Ellie fitted in so easily with the De Bellis family and the brothers loyalty to her is exactly what you want fitting into a new family.
Loved everything about this story and would recommend everyone to read it, you will not be disappointed!
December 24, 2024
It showed promise at the beginning but it dragged on and on.
Oh boy. Having read and loved the merge series I was expecting a lot from this book. I’m not sure what happened to this author or did I have rose coloured glasses on with the merge series? I’m genuinely shocked. There’s way too many things wrong with this book. I hated Eloise. She’s weak and insipid and yet at times she bosses Gio round and it didn’t make sense. She’s so weak that she’s been with Gio for months and her best friends don’t know anything about their relationship as shes ‘scared’ their opinions will put her off him! 😱😱 See what I mean? She lives with Gio and hasn’t told them, and her mother doesn’t know either. There’s a lot of mistakes as well. In one scene her best friend is devastated that her boyfriend/boss cheated on her, then a few days later they’re all out having cocktails together, and her friend is madly in love with her boyfriend.
Elli meets Gio when she’s showing him round a house, as she’s a realtor. Gio takes one look at her and instantly wants her. I’m really not sure why, as she acts like a shrew with him for quite a long time. This starts off s*x scenes in every house that she shows him. Elli doesn’t want to fall in love with him but she does, and Gio falls really quickly too. I’m not sure how though. This book is 497 pages long, yet the author skims over the beginning of their relationship. Which I’m sorry but it dragged on and on for 497 and we don’t see how their love starts. 😡😡😡
Gio is supposed to be the big mafia don, yet someone is killing all his men, and wrecking his businesses. That doesn’t make sense either. He must have lost about twenty men. How many men has he got? How does he replace them? How does he recruit them? It didn’t make sense who the baddies were and it was never explained. A lot of the book is never explained.
🔵 Where is Eloise’s dad?
🔵 What happened to Gio’s mother? He said their father killed her but it never explained why.
🔵 Why did their father do something awful at the beginning of the book?
🔵 Who were the baddies?
🔵 Why were the baddies targeting the family?
🔵 Gio has loads of men guarding Ellie, yet one day she’s brutally attacked and doesn’t have anyone guarding her!
🔵 Ellie’s attack is written terribly. It felt very gratuitous.
This book is way way too long, yet there are a lot of unanswered questions. I think the author is leaving the answers for each brothers book, but it’s put me off reading them.
Sorry it’s really not good.
Oh boy. Having read and loved the merge series I was expecting a lot from this book. I’m not sure what happened to this author or did I have rose coloured glasses on with the merge series? I’m genuinely shocked. There’s way too many things wrong with this book. I hated Eloise. She’s weak and insipid and yet at times she bosses Gio round and it didn’t make sense. She’s so weak that she’s been with Gio for months and her best friends don’t know anything about their relationship as shes ‘scared’ their opinions will put her off him! 😱😱 See what I mean? She lives with Gio and hasn’t told them, and her mother doesn’t know either. There’s a lot of mistakes as well. In one scene her best friend is devastated that her boyfriend/boss cheated on her, then a few days later they’re all out having cocktails together, and her friend is madly in love with her boyfriend.
Elli meets Gio when she’s showing him round a house, as she’s a realtor. Gio takes one look at her and instantly wants her. I’m really not sure why, as she acts like a shrew with him for quite a long time. This starts off s*x scenes in every house that she shows him. Elli doesn’t want to fall in love with him but she does, and Gio falls really quickly too. I’m not sure how though. This book is 497 pages long, yet the author skims over the beginning of their relationship. Which I’m sorry but it dragged on and on for 497 and we don’t see how their love starts. 😡😡😡
Gio is supposed to be the big mafia don, yet someone is killing all his men, and wrecking his businesses. That doesn’t make sense either. He must have lost about twenty men. How many men has he got? How does he replace them? How does he recruit them? It didn’t make sense who the baddies were and it was never explained. A lot of the book is never explained.
🔵 Where is Eloise’s dad?
🔵 What happened to Gio’s mother? He said their father killed her but it never explained why.
🔵 Why did their father do something awful at the beginning of the book?
🔵 Who were the baddies?
🔵 Why were the baddies targeting the family?
🔵 Gio has loads of men guarding Ellie, yet one day she’s brutally attacked and doesn’t have anyone guarding her!
🔵 Ellie’s attack is written terribly. It felt very gratuitous.
This book is way way too long, yet there are a lot of unanswered questions. I think the author is leaving the answers for each brothers book, but it’s put me off reading them.
Sorry it’s really not good.
April 17, 2025
Started well..
It really did, but then it just fell short sadly. I've never been a fan of the extreme "don't even buy me groceries because I'm such an independent woman" shpiel. So sadly Ellie grated on me throughout the book. There is stubborn and strong, and then there is just plain idiocy, and sadly she kep falling into the 2nd. I also disliked how she argued, made the simplest things into an argument and also kept threatening to leave. It got old really fast. The red flag in this book isn't the guy, he's a dam golden retriever, it's the woman, haha.
The plot started well, but about half way through the book it started feeling winded. The protagonists were never really introduced, they then was appearantly "low level thugs" but somehow they managed to completely evade Gio with his army of men and resources, for several months. That didn't make sense. And when they find out what all this is about? It doesn't even make sense to them, not to mention the reader. It's all left as a mystery. I guess you might find out more as the series continues, but the book dragged on for way too long, it just felt like at least 20% is pure filler.
I really wanted to like the book, but all these things just kep frustrating me. There is just too much Talking about being a bad ass Mafia family, and extremely little showing it.
It fell flat.
This all was extremely frustrating because ithr writing isn't bad, it started really well, the story had a nice flow, it just then kept flowing and never actually getting to the point so to speak.
It was a shame.
It really did, but then it just fell short sadly. I've never been a fan of the extreme "don't even buy me groceries because I'm such an independent woman" shpiel. So sadly Ellie grated on me throughout the book. There is stubborn and strong, and then there is just plain idiocy, and sadly she kep falling into the 2nd. I also disliked how she argued, made the simplest things into an argument and also kept threatening to leave. It got old really fast. The red flag in this book isn't the guy, he's a dam golden retriever, it's the woman, haha.
The plot started well, but about half way through the book it started feeling winded. The protagonists were never really introduced, they then was appearantly "low level thugs" but somehow they managed to completely evade Gio with his army of men and resources, for several months. That didn't make sense. And when they find out what all this is about? It doesn't even make sense to them, not to mention the reader. It's all left as a mystery. I guess you might find out more as the series continues, but the book dragged on for way too long, it just felt like at least 20% is pure filler.
I really wanted to like the book, but all these things just kep frustrating me. There is just too much Talking about being a bad ass Mafia family, and extremely little showing it.
It fell flat.
This all was extremely frustrating because ithr writing isn't bad, it started really well, the story had a nice flow, it just then kept flowing and never actually getting to the point so to speak.
It was a shame.
February 24, 2026
★★☆☆☆ (2/5)
I debated hard on rating this book… I even consulted my boyfriend and we both landed on a 2-star rating.
The writing itself isn’t phenomenal, but I don’t usually rate based on prose unless it’s genuinely terrible or unreadable. Overall, this was just okay for me. It started strong: I enjoyed the morally grey, possessive, obsessive MMC Gio at the beginning, and the tone initially hooked me. However, his character seemed to do a full 180 midway through, suddenly becoming very soft and overly sappy, and the transition didn’t feel natural or believable.
I also originally liked El, our FMC, but her personality started to feel inconsistent as the story progressed. Even though this is fiction, I still need character development and plot progression to feel logical and cohesive — and here it felt jerky and uneven. Around the 250-page mark, the plot felt prolonged and my interest started to fade.
One positive for me was the brother dynamic, which I genuinely enjoyed.
Please check trigger warnings before reading.
I debated hard on rating this book… I even consulted my boyfriend and we both landed on a 2-star rating.
The writing itself isn’t phenomenal, but I don’t usually rate based on prose unless it’s genuinely terrible or unreadable. Overall, this was just okay for me. It started strong: I enjoyed the morally grey, possessive, obsessive MMC Gio at the beginning, and the tone initially hooked me. However, his character seemed to do a full 180 midway through, suddenly becoming very soft and overly sappy, and the transition didn’t feel natural or believable.
I also originally liked El, our FMC, but her personality started to feel inconsistent as the story progressed. Even though this is fiction, I still need character development and plot progression to feel logical and cohesive — and here it felt jerky and uneven. Around the 250-page mark, the plot felt prolonged and my interest started to fade.
One positive for me was the brother dynamic, which I genuinely enjoyed.
Please check trigger warnings before reading.
February 11, 2025
More a 4.5 ⭐️
This was a wildly entertaining and spicy (🌶️🌶️🌶️) mafia romance packed with an absolute obsessed without boundaries MMC, lust, and also emotional depth.
The audiobook is narrated in dual by Sofia Lette and Shane East
You also have guest appearances by Dorje Swallow, Antony Davis, Vincent Shabah, and Renato Angeli, in the long prologue which set the stories of all the brothers - Gio, Santo, Gabe, Marcello, and Vincenzo.
This isn’t just a romance between Gio and Eloise —it’s a high-speed, hilarious, blood-soaked, adrenaline-fueled journey where love and death walk hand in hand. (And maybe too much I love yous for my liking).
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. But prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of passion, bloodshed, and family drama.
Trigger Warnings: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Torture, Violence, Murder and Trauma are significant parts of the Story.
This was a wildly entertaining and spicy (🌶️🌶️🌶️) mafia romance packed with an absolute obsessed without boundaries MMC, lust, and also emotional depth.
The audiobook is narrated in dual by Sofia Lette and Shane East
You also have guest appearances by Dorje Swallow, Antony Davis, Vincent Shabah, and Renato Angeli, in the long prologue which set the stories of all the brothers - Gio, Santo, Gabe, Marcello, and Vincenzo.
This isn’t just a romance between Gio and Eloise —it’s a high-speed, hilarious, blood-soaked, adrenaline-fueled journey where love and death walk hand in hand. (And maybe too much I love yous for my liking).
Would I recommend it? Absolutely. But prepare yourself for a rollercoaster of passion, bloodshed, and family drama.
Trigger Warnings: Emotional abuse, Gun violence, Rape, Torture, Violence, Murder and Trauma are significant parts of the Story.
September 17, 2026
Nothing happened in the first 70%. The FMC is not written quite well and not much about her. She is independent, says "shit" and "f**k you" a lot and of course the original " I like you for your d**k" comment🙄
The MMC at least is trying to create a relationship between them.
Nothing much plot wise and it makes me believe there are way to many pages of nothing.
I didn't particularly liked the way they met. Having a sexual encounter with a client in a professional meeting it's not my thing. What is trying to show?that women are not good at anything else?😕 Sad
And when the assault happens, of course she doesn't want to create any issues and decides to hide it and keep the trauma for herself.
Her words "This is going to destroy him"
What is this? The author hates women or something?
I am not sure now if I should continue with series...
The MMC at least is trying to create a relationship between them.
Nothing much plot wise and it makes me believe there are way to many pages of nothing.
I didn't particularly liked the way they met. Having a sexual encounter with a client in a professional meeting it's not my thing. What is trying to show?that women are not good at anything else?😕 Sad
And when the assault happens, of course she doesn't want to create any issues and decides to hide it and keep the trauma for herself.
Her words "This is going to destroy him"
What is this? The author hates women or something?
I am not sure now if I should continue with series...
September 28, 2024
I just couldn't put it down.
I loved every second of this one and found a new "mafia-boss-boyfriwnd" to join my fictional harem. Gio os perfection, and the thing he does with icecubes!!!! Holycannoli! Hot 🔥🌶 hot 🌶🔥 hot 🔥🌶 and there is something weirdly enticing about a fictional hot, possevive and violent to all that threatened his woman, antihero mmc, i just can't resist.
Check trigger warnings because there are gruesome scenes and some heavy and triggering scenes too.
Loved the narration and the fmc mild Australia accent was a boce change.
The only complain is that i felt the end was rushed, i wanted some people to in there to really suffer to pay forntheir sins.
Over all, I'm addicted and want to know what will happen to each of the brothers.
I loved every second of this one and found a new "mafia-boss-boyfriwnd" to join my fictional harem. Gio os perfection, and the thing he does with icecubes!!!! Holycannoli! Hot 🔥🌶 hot 🌶🔥 hot 🔥🌶 and there is something weirdly enticing about a fictional hot, possevive and violent to all that threatened his woman, antihero mmc, i just can't resist.
Check trigger warnings because there are gruesome scenes and some heavy and triggering scenes too.
Loved the narration and the fmc mild Australia accent was a boce change.
The only complain is that i felt the end was rushed, i wanted some people to in there to really suffer to pay forntheir sins.
Over all, I'm addicted and want to know what will happen to each of the brothers.
April 26, 2024
Gio & Eloise or El as her nickname is
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Wow I really love this story!
Gio was so OTT and confident and his filthy mouth was so perfect.
Eloise fighting (banter) with him was so funny in the beginning.
Then of course El went through the absolute worst thing you can think of (TW) and I related to her (and what she went through) and the trauma she endured and the aftermath of that.
It was written so well and cared for so much.
I loved this book and cant wait for the rest of the series!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
Wow I really love this story!
Gio was so OTT and confident and his filthy mouth was so perfect.
Eloise fighting (banter) with him was so funny in the beginning.
Then of course El went through the absolute worst thing you can think of (TW) and I related to her (and what she went through) and the trauma she endured and the aftermath of that.
It was written so well and cared for so much.
I loved this book and cant wait for the rest of the series!
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