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Bound by Vows #1
Desperate Vows
Desperation can make you do insane things. Like marry a monster…
Claire
Fathers are supposed to protect their daughters.
But my father wants to force me into an arranged marriage to get his hands on my trust fund. I can’t let that happen.
So, I’m going to marry someone else first.
Lucas Kalantzis is a Greek mafia boss with eyes as dark as his soul. I chose him because I thought he’d be easy to leave when the time was right.
Now, I’m starting to realize just how wrong I was…
Lucas
A temporary marriage of convenience to a stranger in exchange for a load of cash? Sure. Why not?
But Claire Benoit isn’t just any stranger. She’s a pretty little pawn I can use to get revenge on my enemy—her father. It was the perfect plan.
Until she looked at me with those sweet, innocent eyes of hers and ruined everything.
Now, I’m thinking I need a new plan. One that ends with Claire being my real wife.
Til death do us part…
Desperate Vows is a no spice (kisses only), contemporary mafia romance with plenty of suspense and a guaranteed happily ever after. Download today and get ready to fall for Claire and Lucas.
Author's There's also no spanking. None
Claire
Fathers are supposed to protect their daughters.
But my father wants to force me into an arranged marriage to get his hands on my trust fund. I can’t let that happen.
So, I’m going to marry someone else first.
Lucas Kalantzis is a Greek mafia boss with eyes as dark as his soul. I chose him because I thought he’d be easy to leave when the time was right.
Now, I’m starting to realize just how wrong I was…
Lucas
A temporary marriage of convenience to a stranger in exchange for a load of cash? Sure. Why not?
But Claire Benoit isn’t just any stranger. She’s a pretty little pawn I can use to get revenge on my enemy—her father. It was the perfect plan.
Until she looked at me with those sweet, innocent eyes of hers and ruined everything.
Now, I’m thinking I need a new plan. One that ends with Claire being my real wife.
Til death do us part…
Desperate Vows is a no spice (kisses only), contemporary mafia romance with plenty of suspense and a guaranteed happily ever after. Download today and get ready to fall for Claire and Lucas.
Author's There's also no spanking. None
318 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 20, 2024
121 people are currently reading
226 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
September 10, 2024
This was the first book I've read from Bree Livingston/Kess Avalon and it definitely pulled me into the story fast.
Now before I get too far into this review please note that:
This is a Physical Intimacy Level 3 book. So lots of heat, moderate innuendo, and descriptive making out.
This has moderate swearing. 11 uses of dam*, 8 uses of hel*, 4 uses of whor*.
This has moderate violence with people dying, getting shot, tortured, rape, child/adult illegal prostitution etc. Nothing is very detailed or gory necessarily but it is definitely there and talked about.
This is a Mafia romance in every sense. The MMC is definitely morally gray who does what he needs to do to protect his family and to get revenge for those who have hurt him and his family. And because of that it deals with hard topics and the harsh realities of the mafia world.
Now, if you are okay with all of that being included, this book will keep you entertained as you try to figure out who is "good", who is "bad" and how is this all going to be figured out.
Claire is a wonderful FMC who is trying her best to not let her awful father determine her value or direction in life. Your heart breaks for her and what she has went through because of him. You want her to feel safe and to find joy.
Lucas, the MMC, is so well written. I love that there is such this balance in him between the harsh protector and the tender hearted man. He truly loves his family and those in his circle, but just like Claire you just are never sure who is he really.
Going on the journey of this book with Claire and Lucas definitely takes you on a road of twists and turns. You never know what will happen or who you should trust.
If you want a more gritty mafia book with higher heat while still being closed door give this one a try.
Now before I get too far into this review please note that:
This is a Physical Intimacy Level 3 book. So lots of heat, moderate innuendo, and descriptive making out.
This has moderate swearing. 11 uses of dam*, 8 uses of hel*, 4 uses of whor*.
This has moderate violence with people dying, getting shot, tortured, rape, child/adult illegal prostitution etc. Nothing is very detailed or gory necessarily but it is definitely there and talked about.
This is a Mafia romance in every sense. The MMC is definitely morally gray who does what he needs to do to protect his family and to get revenge for those who have hurt him and his family. And because of that it deals with hard topics and the harsh realities of the mafia world.
Now, if you are okay with all of that being included, this book will keep you entertained as you try to figure out who is "good", who is "bad" and how is this all going to be figured out.
Claire is a wonderful FMC who is trying her best to not let her awful father determine her value or direction in life. Your heart breaks for her and what she has went through because of him. You want her to feel safe and to find joy.
Lucas, the MMC, is so well written. I love that there is such this balance in him between the harsh protector and the tender hearted man. He truly loves his family and those in his circle, but just like Claire you just are never sure who is he really.
Going on the journey of this book with Claire and Lucas definitely takes you on a road of twists and turns. You never know what will happen or who you should trust.
If you want a more gritty mafia book with higher heat while still being closed door give this one a try.
May 10, 2025
3.5⭐
a pretty good book, it does deal with tough topics just so you're aware going into it. I liked the story, the kissing scenes were a bit more on the steamy side, but it never went past kissing.
a pretty good book, it does deal with tough topics just so you're aware going into it. I liked the story, the kissing scenes were a bit more on the steamy side, but it never went past kissing.
May 9, 2025
Okay so this book was fun and had a lot I enjoyed especially Lucas like ughhh he was amazing. Protective, strong, and had that serious mafia energy but still soft with her?? Yes please
It’s a clean mafia romance, so no spice at all and that’s always a win for me. There was action, secrets, and forced proximity, which I really liked.
But… Claire??
She was sweet, yeah, but soooo not confident. Like girl, stand up I love shy and innocent girls, but not when they’re constantly doubting themselves and acting like they’re not enough. I wanted her to grow more, to feel strong in herself, you know
I still enjoyed it overall. It was a light read with tension, emotion, and a hero I totally adored. Just not a fave
Tropes:
• Marriage of convenience
• Mafia romance
• Clean romance
• Protective male lead
• Forced proximity
• Secrets from the past
It’s a clean mafia romance, so no spice at all and that’s always a win for me. There was action, secrets, and forced proximity, which I really liked.
But… Claire??
She was sweet, yeah, but soooo not confident. Like girl, stand up I love shy and innocent girls, but not when they’re constantly doubting themselves and acting like they’re not enough. I wanted her to grow more, to feel strong in herself, you know
I still enjoyed it overall. It was a light read with tension, emotion, and a hero I totally adored. Just not a fave
Tropes:
• Marriage of convenience
• Mafia romance
• Clean romance
• Protective male lead
• Forced proximity
• Secrets from the past
June 1, 2024
I was SO EXCITED about starting this book & was SO excited to fall in love with the story... but it fell FLAT!
It was horrible. I was so disappointed.
It was short, poorly written, the dialogue was bad AND cringey, redundant, and too annoying.
Parts that were cool or finally interesting were sped up and skipped over, but all the other scenes were too long and drawn out: boring!
It was all wrong.
The trope was great... but that's all that was good. Yep, just the trope. That's it. 🤷🏻♂️
Claire being all sad about missing her mom was overdone; it was annoying how she had such bad anxiety about it and was clinging to Thea and some old lady to regain some semblance of normalcy.
The ending was TRASH! Boring, predictable, and worst of all: cringe.
Lucas? Okay, I liked him, but this whole story was too badly written for me to really enjoy him!
He was so nice to Claire and he said all the right stuff, but this book was just so baaaaad! 😔
I finished reading this book just because it was so short, and while I truly appreciate that it was a clean romance, everything about it was bad.
It was horrible. I was so disappointed.
It was short, poorly written, the dialogue was bad AND cringey, redundant, and too annoying.
Parts that were cool or finally interesting were sped up and skipped over, but all the other scenes were too long and drawn out: boring!
It was all wrong.
The trope was great... but that's all that was good. Yep, just the trope. That's it. 🤷🏻♂️
Claire being all sad about missing her mom was overdone; it was annoying how she had such bad anxiety about it and was clinging to Thea and some old lady to regain some semblance of normalcy.
The ending was TRASH! Boring, predictable, and worst of all: cringe.
Lucas? Okay, I liked him, but this whole story was too badly written for me to really enjoy him!
He was so nice to Claire and he said all the right stuff, but this book was just so baaaaad! 😔
I finished reading this book just because it was so short, and while I truly appreciate that it was a clean romance, everything about it was bad.
December 24, 2025
3.5 Stars
First-time author. As with most mafia settings, it's a bit darker without the gory details and language. I appreciated the ability to write a clean and language-free story that still piqued my interest. It started really strong, but the writing got "childish" at times, which left me confused at times. I liked both main characters, Claire and Lucas. I thought they complemented each other well.
"...the air of grace and sophistication."
Rating: PG-13 -some aggresive situations
Language: clean read
Recommend: yes
First-time author. As with most mafia settings, it's a bit darker without the gory details and language. I appreciated the ability to write a clean and language-free story that still piqued my interest. It started really strong, but the writing got "childish" at times, which left me confused at times. I liked both main characters, Claire and Lucas. I thought they complemented each other well.
"...the air of grace and sophistication."
Rating: PG-13 -some aggresive situations
Language: clean read
Recommend: yes
September 26, 2024
While a fairly interesting read, it seemed to cover the same ground a bit too often. It was intriguing and I appreciate that only kissing was ever involved, although those were some pretty hot scenes. Just not four stars for me.
January 6, 2026
I can’t decide on a rating but I did read it all in one sitting so it was good enough for that
Read
April 21, 2024I find it hard to rate this book. It is well written but it wasn’t my style at all. Very violent and morally grey. I found it to be an interesting read but not something I would seek out nor would I be interested in reading further books in the series.
September 19, 2024
I absolutely loved this book.
This is one of the books were u wonder if you'll write a review that will justify it
Firstly, I just want to say this is the first mafia book I have ever read in my entire life so I didn't know what to expect at all
When reading this book I found my self wanting more sitting at the edge of my seat cause like omgosh
Secondly Thank you to @closeddoorromance cause I would have never seen this book if not for her review on goodreads.
Imma be honestly the only reason I even picked up this book was because of the heat level ✋😞 (ik:( ) but I'm a lady on a missionary who wants to find books that are clean but make me feel hot (IYKYK) and this was definitely it🤭
The world building and the character building was amazing . I literally read this book in one sitting cause I couldn't put it down, I just had to keep reading wanting to know what would happen next
I absolutely loved Lucas *swoon*😩 everyone needs a man like him one that would burn the world for them cause wow he W soooo hot <3
I love Claire I wish I had her as a friend cause I would give her the biggest hug known to man because she went through a lot, I found my self wanting to cry and hug her(I don't pity her cause I'm 180% sure she wouldn't want that) she is such a baddie, the strongest FMC I have ever read
Also the tension between Lucas and Claire was delicious, to say the least, the romance was out of this world and as an added bonus the plot was just as amazing,like how did Bree think of this is beyond me honestly
I absolutely dispise her father & Marco the author wrote them soo well ,you can clearly tell that this women has talent
She is immediately an auto buy author, added to my favorite list
The side characters ,amazing (did I mention that the plot was mind blowing)
I absolutely loved Thea she is so iconi I want no Need a Thea in my life
I loved Lucas' family like I can't gush over them enough
This book is funny, angsty, heartbreaking,the drama (let keep not get started).
I literally found myself either tearing up or wanting too cause the things in this book are a little deep tho this is clean it talks about hard topics . did I mention the tention between the main characters it wasn't forced but flowed the way they developed together phenomenonal I couldn't recommend this book enough bit be ware of triggers
Trigger⚠:
-rape(with young kids/teens)
-abuse
-human trafficking
-cancer (of page)
-killings (not descriptive)
-molestation
Tropes:
😩age gap
😩Mafia
😩My wife
😩Arranged marriage
😩Touch her you die vibes
😩Burn the world for you
😩Obsessed
😩Family fond-ish
😩Baddie FMC
😩Protective MMC
😩Fire kisses
😩Hot tension
😩Crazy plot
This is one of the books were u wonder if you'll write a review that will justify it
Firstly, I just want to say this is the first mafia book I have ever read in my entire life so I didn't know what to expect at all
When reading this book I found my self wanting more sitting at the edge of my seat cause like omgosh
Secondly Thank you to @closeddoorromance cause I would have never seen this book if not for her review on goodreads.
Imma be honestly the only reason I even picked up this book was because of the heat level ✋😞 (ik:( ) but I'm a lady on a missionary who wants to find books that are clean but make me feel hot (IYKYK) and this was definitely it🤭
The world building and the character building was amazing . I literally read this book in one sitting cause I couldn't put it down, I just had to keep reading wanting to know what would happen next
I absolutely loved Lucas *swoon*😩 everyone needs a man like him one that would burn the world for them cause wow he W soooo hot <3
I love Claire I wish I had her as a friend cause I would give her the biggest hug known to man because she went through a lot, I found my self wanting to cry and hug her(I don't pity her cause I'm 180% sure she wouldn't want that) she is such a baddie, the strongest FMC I have ever read
Also the tension between Lucas and Claire was delicious, to say the least, the romance was out of this world and as an added bonus the plot was just as amazing,like how did Bree think of this is beyond me honestly
I absolutely dispise her father & Marco the author wrote them soo well ,you can clearly tell that this women has talent
She is immediately an auto buy author, added to my favorite list
The side characters ,amazing (did I mention that the plot was mind blowing)
I absolutely loved Thea she is so iconi I want no Need a Thea in my life
I loved Lucas' family like I can't gush over them enough
This book is funny, angsty, heartbreaking,the drama (let keep not get started).
I literally found myself either tearing up or wanting too cause the things in this book are a little deep tho this is clean it talks about hard topics . did I mention the tention between the main characters it wasn't forced but flowed the way they developed together phenomenonal I couldn't recommend this book enough bit be ware of triggers
Trigger⚠:
-rape(with young kids/teens)
-abuse
-human trafficking
-cancer (of page)
-killings (not descriptive)
-molestation
Tropes:
😩age gap
😩Mafia
😩My wife
😩Arranged marriage
😩Touch her you die vibes
😩Burn the world for you
😩Obsessed
😩Family fond-ish
😩Baddie FMC
😩Protective MMC
😩Fire kisses
😩Hot tension
😩Crazy plot
September 16, 2025
This book was pretty good! Lucas was for sure a morally grey character, and at first he seemed like he was going to be really grumpy but then he ended up being really sweet.
To me it felt like Claire was crying the whole time 😅 I get she went through a whole lot, and I would probably cry too, but it just felt like every time I turned the page from her finishing crying, she was crying again. Other than that I think she was a strong character and she wasn’t just a dumb girl looking to be in a relationship, she was looking for a solution to a problem and trying to save her own life.
Overall this was a good book and it’s always great to find a clean mafia romance!
To me it felt like Claire was crying the whole time 😅 I get she went through a whole lot, and I would probably cry too, but it just felt like every time I turned the page from her finishing crying, she was crying again. Other than that I think she was a strong character and she wasn’t just a dumb girl looking to be in a relationship, she was looking for a solution to a problem and trying to save her own life.
Overall this was a good book and it’s always great to find a clean mafia romance!
May 13, 2024
This is not my kind of book. I read it because I love Bree Livingston's books and thought I'd give it a try. I enjoyed the relationship between Claire and Lucas and his family as well, but I was not a fan of the mafia revenge parts of the book. If you enjoy that, then I think you'll like this story.
May 20, 2025
I gave up..
I felt like this book was written by ai??
I didn’t get interested with the characters i gave it so many chances but in the end i put It back in the shelf
So cringy and they kissed in chapter 7?? 🤦♀️🤦♀️
Anyway i was so excited for this book but i ended up disappointed ☹️
(DNF page:200)
I felt like this book was written by ai??
I didn’t get interested with the characters i gave it so many chances but in the end i put It back in the shelf
So cringy and they kissed in chapter 7?? 🤦♀️🤦♀️
Anyway i was so excited for this book but i ended up disappointed ☹️
(DNF page:200)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 13, 2024
This book was different. I have read several books by Bree Livingston, and loved them. She doesn't write Christian fiction, but it is clean and curse-free.
I pulled up all of her books on Amazon, and this one popped up, so I borrowed it on Kindle Unlimited. And didn't realize right away that another author's name is on the cover. On Amazon, Bree's name is also listed on the credits, and the publisher is Bree Livingston Publishing...so not sure what is up with that.
Onto the book: It is kind of dark. The main characters are all in mafia families. The male, Lucas is in charge of his family as the oldest and his parents dead.
Claire's father is in charge of theirs, and is into bad stuff like human trafficking, sex trafficking - including very young girls. As is one other mafia family.
There are some uses of hell and damn....which surprises me as the formerly mentioned Bree does not have any in her books.
I did enjoy the book...it is kind of bad guys vs worse guys. To be honest, it is not one I would have read had I known more about it and the content, and I am not sure what rating to give it. It is well written, and I did like the two main characters. Lucas, not so much at the beginning, but he did redeem himself.
So I settled on 4 stars. I never give Christian fiction that has bad language 5 stars, and this is not Christian fiction, but will still detract a star from it.
I pulled up all of her books on Amazon, and this one popped up, so I borrowed it on Kindle Unlimited. And didn't realize right away that another author's name is on the cover. On Amazon, Bree's name is also listed on the credits, and the publisher is Bree Livingston Publishing...so not sure what is up with that.
Onto the book: It is kind of dark. The main characters are all in mafia families. The male, Lucas is in charge of his family as the oldest and his parents dead.
Claire's father is in charge of theirs, and is into bad stuff like human trafficking, sex trafficking - including very young girls. As is one other mafia family.
There are some uses of hell and damn....which surprises me as the formerly mentioned Bree does not have any in her books.
I did enjoy the book...it is kind of bad guys vs worse guys. To be honest, it is not one I would have read had I known more about it and the content, and I am not sure what rating to give it. It is well written, and I did like the two main characters. Lucas, not so much at the beginning, but he did redeem himself.
So I settled on 4 stars. I never give Christian fiction that has bad language 5 stars, and this is not Christian fiction, but will still detract a star from it.
March 12, 2025
A mafia book without spice and a good plot!!!
I've been struggling with finding clean romance with enough action but is geared towards an adult audience. There's indications of spice, and the tensions is 100000% there but no written spice!
I wouldn't call this dark romance or a morally grey mmc either since him and his entire family is full of vigilantes.
I will say that the style of writing made it a bit difficult to follow the plot but eventually it all makes sense. Although I was confused about how they both liked each other yet still believed either was working with Franklin. I felt for Claire alot especially with the way her father treated her.
I absolutely LOVED Thea's character and hope she gets her own book but I'm not sure. And getting hints of the next book was great.
I wish we found out if Franklin was Claire's biological father and I wish we got to see Marco die but I'm hoping the next book has it.
Overall, a great read, fairly short, could've been a bit more in detail so the plot would've been easier to follow.
Oh and I still don't understand why people do the garter thing at weddings. That physically made me cringeeeee.
I've been struggling with finding clean romance with enough action but is geared towards an adult audience. There's indications of spice, and the tensions is 100000% there but no written spice!
I wouldn't call this dark romance or a morally grey mmc either since him and his entire family is full of vigilantes.
I will say that the style of writing made it a bit difficult to follow the plot but eventually it all makes sense. Although I was confused about how they both liked each other yet still believed either was working with Franklin. I felt for Claire alot especially with the way her father treated her.
I absolutely LOVED Thea's character and hope she gets her own book but I'm not sure. And getting hints of the next book was great.
I wish we found out if Franklin was Claire's biological father and I wish we got to see Marco die but I'm hoping the next book has it.
Overall, a great read, fairly short, could've been a bit more in detail so the plot would've been easier to follow.
Oh and I still don't understand why people do the garter thing at weddings. That physically made me cringeeeee.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 23, 2025
Finally
Find me a good closed door Mafia story. This story got me in my feels. There was definitely some emotional travesty that happened. There was great character development, both the main characters and side characters were very likable. But oh my, the villain? Literal hate to the villain. This was fantastic And it wasn't ruined by smut this was real romance real emotion no lust It was wonderful
It was written well the FM wasn't vs chaotic mess of word salad. She wasn't helpless and Do frustrating Do frustrating unintelligent things To get herself in trouble The main character was written well She was a damsel in distress but it wasn't her fault she got in this situation. she didn't make it worse. as emotional as the story was the character was not driven by emotion. I really enjoyed this character. Which was nice to see cause that rarely happens with the female man character The male main character was likable like I said before he was definitely Gray or maybe even an anti hero But it didn't really go into detail in the gray areas It was a very light read with more emotional aspects rather than violence and Sexual scenes.
Find me a good closed door Mafia story. This story got me in my feels. There was definitely some emotional travesty that happened. There was great character development, both the main characters and side characters were very likable. But oh my, the villain? Literal hate to the villain. This was fantastic And it wasn't ruined by smut this was real romance real emotion no lust It was wonderful
It was written well the FM wasn't vs chaotic mess of word salad. She wasn't helpless and Do frustrating Do frustrating unintelligent things To get herself in trouble The main character was written well She was a damsel in distress but it wasn't her fault she got in this situation. she didn't make it worse. as emotional as the story was the character was not driven by emotion. I really enjoyed this character. Which was nice to see cause that rarely happens with the female man character The male main character was likable like I said before he was definitely Gray or maybe even an anti hero But it didn't really go into detail in the gray areas It was a very light read with more emotional aspects rather than violence and Sexual scenes.
May 11, 2024
This was a book that definitely was edgy and talked about the effects of an emotionally abusive and controlling father on his daughter. I feel that, as powerful as her father was, it would take an equally powerful man to rescue Claire from his schemes. Lucas is that man.
As a reader, I found myself hoping that 1) Claire wouldn't end up married to younger version of her father, and 2) that Lucas could figure out Claire's father's plan before it was too late.
I loved how Lucas' protective instincts were fired up on Claires behalf! And that Claire's nurturing nature was softly grabbing Lucas' heart.
It's a little unclear as to whether Lucas and family stop their illegal activities for good, or only one aspect of them (that's the impression I get). However, what is clear is that they love Claire and she loves them.
An edgy read for us clean romance readers, but the door doesn't have to close because there's nothing going on behind it. This couple saves their conjugal relations until after they are married.
As a reader, I found myself hoping that 1) Claire wouldn't end up married to younger version of her father, and 2) that Lucas could figure out Claire's father's plan before it was too late.
I loved how Lucas' protective instincts were fired up on Claires behalf! And that Claire's nurturing nature was softly grabbing Lucas' heart.
It's a little unclear as to whether Lucas and family stop their illegal activities for good, or only one aspect of them (that's the impression I get). However, what is clear is that they love Claire and she loves them.
An edgy read for us clean romance readers, but the door doesn't have to close because there's nothing going on behind it. This couple saves their conjugal relations until after they are married.
September 20, 2024
Well gosh golly, what a ride!
The tension, the kisses, the twists, the mystery! It was one of those books you read in a day because you can't stop thinking about it, and it reads so fast. It was action-packed.
The characters are so well written. I wonder if they could have their own dedicated books. I know Ari does, as the book that follows this is his. I adored Thea in a way. Loyal, kick butt, and unafraid.
I think I'll pick up the second at some point.
Tropes:
Found family.
Touch her and die.
Finding her voice.
Arranged marriage/marriage of convenience?
🌶 Spice: Kisses only.
⚔️ Violence: Yes.
💭 Language: Some.
There are a few TW: If you want to know what it is, you can message me, and I'll tell you.
The tension, the kisses, the twists, the mystery! It was one of those books you read in a day because you can't stop thinking about it, and it reads so fast. It was action-packed.
The characters are so well written. I wonder if they could have their own dedicated books. I know Ari does, as the book that follows this is his. I adored Thea in a way. Loyal, kick butt, and unafraid.
I think I'll pick up the second at some point.
Tropes:
Found family.
Touch her and die.
Finding her voice.
Arranged marriage/marriage of convenience?
🌶 Spice: Kisses only.
⚔️ Violence: Yes.
💭 Language: Some.
There are a few TW: If you want to know what it is, you can message me, and I'll tell you.
January 11, 2025
Super cute!!
I loved this book! The way you get emotionally attached to her from the beginning. The hard life she has lived. Your heart just breaks. Then you meet Lucas and OMG. She needed someone to truly love her and him thinking he would never find love and that no one could love him. The dark themes and steamy kisses. 🤌 I highly recommend this book to everyone. I believe this is a book that open door and closed door readers will enjoy! Easy, quick read. Can't wait to read the next one!
- Enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers
- FMC personal growth throughout the book
- MMC morally gray, but a total cinnamon roll
- Found family
- You're mine ❤️❤️❤️❤️
TW: The story revolves around r*pe and child tr*fficking
I loved this book! The way you get emotionally attached to her from the beginning. The hard life she has lived. Your heart just breaks. Then you meet Lucas and OMG. She needed someone to truly love her and him thinking he would never find love and that no one could love him. The dark themes and steamy kisses. 🤌 I highly recommend this book to everyone. I believe this is a book that open door and closed door readers will enjoy! Easy, quick read. Can't wait to read the next one!
- Enemies to lovers to enemies to lovers
- FMC personal growth throughout the book
- MMC morally gray, but a total cinnamon roll
- Found family
- You're mine ❤️❤️❤️❤️
TW: The story revolves around r*pe and child tr*fficking
September 18, 2024
Ok look 💀 I read strange things in times of distress
Writing: 7/10 she had me laughing and sometimes not on purpose
Swoon: 10/10
MMC: 1000/10
FMC: 9/10? Idk she’s great. She went through a lot. I just feel bad for her honestly.
Violence: 7/10 didn’t bother me at all
Some thoughts: when this woman said closed door I thought she meant fade to black. NOPE. She said the door is closed!!! But for not fading to black she sure did talk about wanting to a lot. I was obsessed with the dual POV. She did a lovely job on that. Lucas said/called Claire “my wife” 1000 times and I swooned equally every time. My new life goal is to just have a man want me like Lucas wants Claire. Also age gap is mwah.
Writing: 7/10 she had me laughing and sometimes not on purpose
Swoon: 10/10
MMC: 1000/10
FMC: 9/10? Idk she’s great. She went through a lot. I just feel bad for her honestly.
Violence: 7/10 didn’t bother me at all
Some thoughts: when this woman said closed door I thought she meant fade to black. NOPE. She said the door is closed!!! But for not fading to black she sure did talk about wanting to a lot. I was obsessed with the dual POV. She did a lovely job on that. Lucas said/called Claire “my wife” 1000 times and I swooned equally every time. My new life goal is to just have a man want me like Lucas wants Claire. Also age gap is mwah.
September 18, 2024
Claire is just a pawn in her fathers game and when the man she thinks can save her is approached by her father to wed her....what will she do?
Lucas just wants to keep his promise to his father and keep things clean and his family out of the mafia game. Will he decide that his marriage of convenience is worth the cost of revenge or will he take a chance on his new wife?
This was a fun story with the Mafia elements and the MOC. Lucas and Claire really have trust issues they have to get over, but they sure do have tension and fire together.
Lucas just wants to keep his promise to his father and keep things clean and his family out of the mafia game. Will he decide that his marriage of convenience is worth the cost of revenge or will he take a chance on his new wife?
This was a fun story with the Mafia elements and the MOC. Lucas and Claire really have trust issues they have to get over, but they sure do have tension and fire together.
September 24, 2024
I did enjoy this. You guys have no idea how long I've been looking for a clean mafia book. I really liked the fmc, she was someone so vulnerable, strong, and yet fierce, that I instantly loved her character from the first page. She went through a lot and still had courage. Even though I liked the story, I didn't connect with how fast their romance occurred. It was too insta-love which is not my thing. And I feel like a lot of things were contradictory and confusing where I had to go back and reread to make sure I wasn't wrong. I think I just wanted things to be fleshed out more?
March 24, 2025
Who knew I would like a plot-moving, closed-door, mafia romance?
This was a fun and refreshing read that I picked up and finished less than 24 hours later. There were a few moments I questioned things, but overall it was different and fun and everything you'd think of a mafia romance without being descriptive and too dark.
The main character's juxtaposition of being violent but also being protective in a dual POV tale was different than my normal read and I was here for it.
Thank you to the author for a free review copy.
This was a fun and refreshing read that I picked up and finished less than 24 hours later. There were a few moments I questioned things, but overall it was different and fun and everything you'd think of a mafia romance without being descriptive and too dark.
The main character's juxtaposition of being violent but also being protective in a dual POV tale was different than my normal read and I was here for it.
Thank you to the author for a free review copy.
November 14, 2025
⭐️3.6
Finished this in one sitting... fast, easy to get through, and I liked the writing style and the overall story.
Claire is a strong FMC who's trying to break free from her horrible father's influence, and you really feel for her.
Lucas is written with a nice balance, tough on the outside, surprisingly gentle underneath, but still unpredictable.
The plot has enough twists to keep you guessing who's good, who's bad, and who can actually be trusted.
This is a true closed-door mafia romance...
I enjoyed it.
Finished this in one sitting... fast, easy to get through, and I liked the writing style and the overall story.
Claire is a strong FMC who's trying to break free from her horrible father's influence, and you really feel for her.
Lucas is written with a nice balance, tough on the outside, surprisingly gentle underneath, but still unpredictable.
The plot has enough twists to keep you guessing who's good, who's bad, and who can actually be trusted.
This is a true closed-door mafia romance...
I enjoyed it.
April 21, 2024
This story was so well written that it’s impossible to put down! There’s so much emotion and since it’s a mafia story there is plenty of danger to get past so they can be together! The twists and turns will take you by surprise and it’ll have you on the edge of your seat but wow was this so enjoyable to read. It’s definitely a pg-13 on the scale but solidly for me in the clean category. If you like Bree Livingston’s style of books than this one will be a good fit!
February 17, 2025
Overall an intriguing read and one of its kind (closed-door Mafia romance) but while still staying true to the dark elements. Family values mentioned frequently. A few giggling and kicking feet moments. A few heart-shattering ones too. Although a bit of a slow start, the middle was solid, and included a satisfying happy ending. Liked the chemistry between the main characters and the dual POV. Can’t wait to read the sequel.
April 21, 2024
Wow! Talk about a morally grey hero lol. I'm definitely torn on whether or not this counts as HEA🤣 And it's not as clean as most of Bree's books . I'd say it's PG13. It touches on some sensitive topics and there's mob violence. But it was written so well and hey... Maybe I'm a glutton for punishment, but I thought it was a 10 out of 10!
September 17, 2024
Everything you want in a Mafia romance and none of the things you don’t
I love this book. I love Mafia books, but they’re always full of smut and things I just don’t want to read. This book had suspense. Suspicion. Drama. Growth. Steamy kisses. Desire. All without the smut. I love the gritty characters who are real and relatable and trying to change. Absolutely recommend.
I love this book. I love Mafia books, but they’re always full of smut and things I just don’t want to read. This book had suspense. Suspicion. Drama. Growth. Steamy kisses. Desire. All without the smut. I love the gritty characters who are real and relatable and trying to change. Absolutely recommend.
October 15, 2024
The romance was hard for me, it felt like the fell way fast. Not very spicy. Maybe like a level 2. Still closed doors and only kissing.
A lot of trigger warnings I wasn’t ready for. Two or three curse words but that was it.
Rape, drugs, violent descriptions of murder. I should have expected because of the mafia etc but it was a lot.
A lot of trigger warnings I wasn’t ready for. Two or three curse words but that was it.
Rape, drugs, violent descriptions of murder. I should have expected because of the mafia etc but it was a lot.
August 29, 2025
This is my first introduction to Kess/ Bree’s writing. I thoroughly enjoyed this story/ series. The main characters were complex but likeable. You get your happy ending plus an opening for further development of the story with the next books in line. A clean mafia romance, loved it! We need more for those who do not want smut in their books! These books also highlight the horrors of trafficking and abuse, so be mindful of that.
December 21, 2024
Wow! Loved this one! Make sure your schedule is clear because this one pulls you in and you cannot put it down! Perfect for those who love mafia but don’t want explicit details. Loved Claire & Lucas and that they found each other.
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