Burdens

The Vendetta #3

by SeRaya

He’d felt lost… until she breathed life back into him

People say our pasts weren’t meant to define us, and for the last thirty years, I’d gone to great lengths to untangle myself from the weight of my legacy.

My name is Noah Barrera and I’d lied to everyone about who I was, even the people I loved most.

And it’d worked. Until now.

I had to end my family’s tainted history once and for all.

What I didn’t expect was to be taken captive by none other than the woman I loved and discover that she now worked for the person I despised the most.

The same man I fled from and my father.

The odds may be stacked against us, but I’d do anything to make her mine again.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Second Chance, Mafia Romance, Dark

327 pages, Kindle Edition

First published August 6, 2024

About the author

SeRaya is a hopeless romantic twenty-something living in one of her favorite places in the world. She loves writing swoony and steamy love stories about fierce and imperfect characters who find their happily ever afters. Her stories may be emotional rollercoasters and she does have a weakness for slowburns, but that never tempers the heat that comes when it ignites.

She's always had a love for writing and is so happy that she gets to share her characters with you!

When she's not frantically trying to make her deadline, she loves being cozied up with a good romance book, rewatching her favorite shows, and discovering new food places.

To stay up to date on SeRaya’s upcoming projects, connect with her on social media, sign up for her newsletter, or go to her website authorseraya.com.

Reviews

[bookish · Rating 3 out of 5]

I devoured this book in a mere two hours, thanks to the author's addictive and fast-paced writing style. The story follows Amalia and Noah, who share a one-night stand, only to discover they're agent and recruit the next day. As they navigate their complicated relationship, Noah vanishes, leaving Amalia heartbroken. Years later, the tables turn when Amalia becomes his captor after he's kidnapped.
The highlights of this book are undoubtedly Amalia, the feisty, cunning, and ruthless female lead, and the Moroccan mafia setting. I adored Amalia's character and had no complaints about her portrayal. Her complexity and strength made her amazing. However, my primary issue lies with Noah, His character lacked the depth and charisma I've come to expect from a love interest. If the entire book had been written from Amalia's perspective, I might have given it a higher rating. The plot was engaging, and the tension-filled scenes between Amalia and Noah was hot Despite my reservations about him



***ARC Provided By Good Girls PR.***

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25
I loved the 2nd book so I'm a little bit disappointed with this book, I just feel like the writing was different in this one and the relationship progression wasn't fully developed or happened too quickly in the last 70%. Which I understand with the whole plot I just think the pacing and the structure could have been better.

[kaleigh · Rating 2 out of 5]

11/22/24 ~

1.5⭐️

What went wrong? I have no idea.

I did not connect with the writing, the characters, or the story at all. Which is weird because I rated the first book in this series 4.5⭐️ and I loved it. I’m not sure if maybe I just wasn’t in the mood for this book or what, but I did not like it all it.

I think one of my biggest issues with this book is how quickly the relationship happened. Yes, it was second chance, but they hadn’t seen each other for years.

Here is exactly what I remember about the plot with no spoilers: he gets taken captive by her, flashback chapters of them first meeting years ago, yada yada yada, they sleep together and then the next day say I love you, the end.

I am almost certain I did not read that they went on a date at all in the now timeline. They basically slept under the same roof for a little while, slept together, said I love you the next day, he opened up about his past, and then they were on to fighting bad guys😈

Safety:
• No virgins
• separation but no talk about if they were celibate or not. The H kept saying it’s been 10 years since he felt her 😺 but there was no mention if he felt any other 😺 during that time.
• no OW
• no OM- in previous timeline there is one guy who flirts with her the night after she slept with the H. He is an old hookup but she turns him down and he is never mentioned again
• no talk about safe sex (this lowkey bothered me because these people haven’t been with each other in ten years…like y’all for real don’t want to know if the other has an std or not??) and even though they did not talk about safe sex, they did not use a condom either (to each their own)

🤞fingers crossed by next read will be better🤞


11/19/24 ~

I see no safety reviews for this book so I shall take one for the team and dive in🫡

[Veena · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️

[destiny · Rating 5 out of 5]

seraya never fails to make me feel all the feels in her books. i cried, i laughed, i got so scared, i was trembling, i got hot and bothered.

thank you for giving me the opportunity to arc read this ❤️

the second i heard that the fmc was the captor, i immediately ran 🏃🏻‍♀️ amalia is such a baddie and everything i aspire to be. her strength and confidence … ugh chefs kiss 💋 she played her role as undercover while in the cartel so well. the way she was able to keep her humanity after spending so many years under there was just insane. i honestly would’ve lost my mind. but not amalia. i absolutely love her 🫶🏼

don’t even get me started on noah … the MAN !!! he’s such a golden retriever book boyfriend and the things he said about amalia just had me crumbling 🙂‍↕️ i’m so down bad for him. i felt him deeply with burying your feelings so no one knows what’s really going on. he kept secrets to keep those he loves safe. he is someone who always puts others before himself. noah found his home with his friends and that was just so beautiful 🥹

this damn epilogue had me SOBBING 😭 i’m so unwell. i loved seeing the gang all together at the end and it was just so bittersweet. the fact that sienna was watching F1 trying to explain to sofia had me LAUGHING SO HARD 😂😂 that was such a perfect ending !!!

🌶️🌶️🌶️ (no bc when noah said “just putting it back where it belongs” I MELTED)

[Megan Moser · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a unique take on a mafia romance. Seraya did a great job of not over complicating things even though the story bounces back and forth from Present day to the Past. I also like how she was more realistic with the emotions of the characters.

For instance, the FMC is this enforcer for one of the most powerful mafia leaders but she is actually an undercover cop who is walking a thin line between remembering who she really is and fully embodying the mask she is wearing at the enforcer. I can only imagine in real life undercover cops on long term assignments must go through this and this is the first book I have read that has brought that up. It makes it easier to really connect with the characters, sympathize for them, but also get really frustrated with them lol.

🔥 Mafia
🔥 Undercover cop
🔥 Anti-heroes
🔥 Age gap
🔥 Professor/ student
🔥 Book 3 in series

[Erica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes all you need in life is a fast paced mafia romance ✨

I flew through this lol, it’s so action packed and the romance had me absolutely HOOKED. I haven’t read any of the other books in this series, and I’ve never heard of this author before, but I really want to try her other books now!

[Shay · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

Easily the best FMC of the entire series, i love her. The book was cool, Omar’s ending was too easy - far too easy than i had hoped but this was still good.

Series Rating: 3⭐️
Series Ranking:
* Ashes
* Burdens
* Nemesis

[Ajla Obic · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️
I initially signed up for this arc because I heard it was a second chance romance which is a trope I LOVE (when done correctly) and it was captor x captive but the fmc is the captor, which I thought was super unique & sounded so cool! Unfortunately I didn’t quite love it as much as I had hoped I would :( It was still a good book & the plot was interesting & suspenseful, it just kinda read long for me even though it was only 300 or so pages long. I found myself skimming a lot towards the end. Maybe I’m just in a weird slump rn? Idk😭

Amalia was a total badass. She’s intelligent & fearless, stands her ground & knows what she wants & what she deserves. She was patient & empathetic towards Noah during his vulnerable moments which I loved. Noah is a man who isn’t afraid to show his feelings which is a huge green flag. He’s also intelligent & fearless, and despite having such an awful & unfortunate upbringing, he always remained sweet & grounded.

Whilst the chapters set in the past showed that amalia & Noah fell in love quite quickly, the present chapters were giving major slow burn vibes! But the scene where Noah asks Amalia to forgive him for the past had me on my knees😩🫦 it was so damn hot! The spicy scenes were chefs kiss🤭

I recommend that you read the first 2 books in the series before this one because it was a little confusing for me as this is the first book in the series that I read.

𝐑𝐞𝐚𝐝 𝐢𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞: Captor x captive, professor x student, Moroccan mafia, undercover cop, age gap, second chance, morally grey fmc

Thank you to SeRaya & Good girls PR for the arc in exchange for my honest review🤎

[seher · Rating 3 out of 5]

↬ review: 3 stars ☾ ❦
this book had so much going for it with the tropes and ideas. it's mafia, special agents, and diverse characters, so i was HERE for it. but the execution of everything fell a little short for me.

i was so ready for the reversed captor x captive trope and the dynamic to give me all the tension, but my man was barely even a captive before the situation completely changed. they hardly had time to play out those power dynamics, and i was like, "wait, that's it??"
i needed more build-up before everything flipped.

then there's the main plot: years of planning to kill this one person, and when it finally goes down, it happens way too fast and easy. i wanted some epic and high-stakes showdown, but it just fizzled out.

also, there was that 10-year time jump in the relationship between the main characters, which also felt unrealistic. not that i'm here for hyper-realistic romance, but i do need to understand the bond between characters, and the sudden leap in their connection left me scratching my head.

however, the found family is chef's kiss. just don't expect the plot and tropes to blow your mind. it's fun and easy to read, nothing more and nothing less.

[Sarah♡books · Rating 3 out of 5]

3/5 🌟

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

SeRaya's novel Burdens chronicles the dark romance between agent Noah Barrera and hitwomen, Amalia Abara.

You know that feeling of being so engrossed in a well-written Wattpad that you find it hard to put down because of the captivating writing, intriguing characters and tropes?? I never knew how much I missed this feeling until reading this novel, which really gives out such vibes.

There is no doubt that Noah and Amalia were made for one another. They complemented each other's personalities perfectly and were such a badass couple.

However, it was too soon after for Amalia to cave in to Noah. Simply put, I think there might have been a hate fuck snuck in there for the drama and angst.

Never missing, SeRaya consistently provides her readers with what they want and need. 

*Thank you to the author, SeRaya, for providing me with this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.*

[Sammie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

The tropes, triggers, and blurb drew me in. I like that while this was a captor/captive rimamce, it was the FMC as the captor, which was intriguing. I haven't read anything like that before, and I do love a bada$$ FMC. I also really enjoyed that it was a Moroccan Mafia!

Avaliable is strong, independent, and stands her ground. She knew what she wanted and she went for it.

Noah had a traumatic childhood, and despite leaving that line life as a child, it affected him more than he sometimes wanted to acknowledge. It followed him around and affected his relationship with Amalia. She was very patient with Noah, who truly believed he was not worthy of being loved.

The book is set in past and present tense, and while the past moved fast paced, the present was a really slow burn with only a few spicy scenes (although the spice was nice when it did hit).

That being said, while I enjoyed the book, I was expecting more from what I had read of the blurb. I may have read too many Mafia romances previously and was expecting more brutality, blood, and dark themes.

If you love a Mafia read, with an age gap, a strong FMC, slow burn, and second chance, I would recommend this book.

Thank you so much to SeRaya and Good Girls PR for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[morganinpages · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was absolutely ECSTATIC to hear that I was getting an ARC for this book! The blurb was so enticing bc who wouldn’t want to read about a second chance romance where she is the captor and he is the captive??!!!! Like how fun and different! This book was honestly so fun from the beginning and definitely held my interest. I absolutely loved being able to see the past and present perspectives of each character as it really added to seeing how their relationship was in the past. It was so cute seeing their first meeting in the bar and how shy Noah was!! And our queen Amalia? I knew she would be so firstly and go for what she wanted. This book was honestly so good and a definite must read. It is the third in the series, so you HAVE to read the first two first. Although I really liked this book, I feel like it should have been shorter or less wordy. It was only about 300 some pages, but was so wordy that it felt longer. Also I just didn’t like Noah’s character all that much in this book which is so surprising since I loved him in the other books. Honestly this was a good book, but could have been a bit different to make it great.

[clicktojointhemafia]

wasn't a fan of ashes but was the phattest fan of nemesis, so LETS GOOOOO

[laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

oooooh roles were reversed this time 👹 this is a captive and captor romance but plot twist: SHE is the captor!!!!! isn’t that so cool.

Amalia and Noah are just the perfect couple and them being together makes SO much sense, they were just made for each other.

ps: the fact that we’ll never get Kai and Valentina’s book should be illegal. period!

[Sohini · Rating 4 out of 5]

SO WHO FINISHED THE NEXT BOOK WITHIN A FEW HOURS? ME. YES, ME.

SeRaya never disappoints 😔🙏🏼

[Farhia · Rating 2 out of 5]

There was so much I didn’t like about this book… it was painful to finish it omg 😩

It was overly descriptive, boring and not well written

The series should’ve ended with the second book…

[ᴹⁱʰᵃᵉˡᵃ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Burdens - SeRaya
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Writing a second chance romance is a tough job, but SeRaya did it so so good. Add to it a slow burn that kills you with each chapter and moment between the main character + a cartel storyline, danger and a morally grey FMC… well, you got a perfect story that you can’t miss cause you’ll sure love it.

Noah and Amalia met years ago and their feelings bloomed from the very beginning, but something happened and they parted ways - and not in a good way. Now, she’s working for a dangerous man and he just happened to be kidnapped… with her being the captor.

Isn’t that an unexpected way to meet each other again? I would say YES and since I found out about this I was so excited to see what will happen and how are they going to give themselves a chance 🤭

A bad ass female character and such a perfect to put on the list of book boyfriends male character… and their emotions that you could easily feel through every word, phrase, page, chapter. Their stories and what they’ve been through. I was simply emotional at some points and how everything connected with the other two books, how the writing style evolved.

I have to say, it was a good read, one that I enjoyed and I would of wanted some more pages of Noah & Amalia 🥺

With all that I said, I’ll add that I really recommend this series and that I will miss it, Jamal & Sienna my favourites forever, Sofia & Theo, the ones that started it all and of course, Noah & Amalia. SeRaya managed to write such a beautiful series and I am so happy to have been able to ARC read from the first book and cannot wait to see what’s coming next ❤️

[Hajar KADIOUA · Rating 3 out of 5]

Fucking finally. It took me 12 days to finish Burdens by SeRaya, and that alone should tell you everything. I’m not usually a slow reader, but this one dragged me down like I was carrying its title on my back.

Was it bad? No. Was it gripping? Not really. It was fine. A solid 3 stars.

I did like that Amalia was the morally grey one for once. She’s strong, complicated, fierce and I respect that. Noah’s story was worth getting to know, and I’m glad I stuck with it for him.

But overall? The pacing felt off. The dual timelines weren’t doing the story any favors, and there were moments where I just… zoned out. If you’re into slow burns with heavy emotional baggage and strong female leads, you might vibe with it more than I did.

For me? Let’s just say this burden is lifted.

[ashley ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I knew from my read of Ashes, that I was going to enjoy the next book in The Vendetta series by Seraya.

It was nice getting to know some background about Noah's childhood and his previous relationship with Amalia. As soon as we were introduced to her I just knew she was going to be a bad ass FMC 💃🏽 and Noah was going to have to put in extra work to gain her trust back.

Love, love, LOVE anything SeRaya puts out. Can't wait to see what she has for us in the future!

Read if you like

🤎 Age Gap
🤎 Captive/Captor but she’s the captor
🤎 Morally Grey FMC (She’s the mafia’s Sicario)
🤎 Second Chance
🤎 Moroccan mafia

[Cynthia Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

There are simply not enough words to describe how this book made me feel.

Overall, this is a second chance romance but once you really dig in to it there is a family trauma from both MCs.
Amalia was abandoned by her mother and Noah’s dad was an abusive father, boss of a drug cartel.

This book is a romance but the true meaning behind this story to me will forever be the trauma that stays with you when it comes from a parent. There is nothing else other than years of separation not being enough to erase the pain and hurt caused by a parents abuse towards their child.

Please check triggers before reading.

Now, the romance in the book was somewhat spicy and there is a lot of throwbacks as he is reminded of his (Noah) time with his captor (Amalia) 10 years before this story takes place. She is currently working for his father and takes him as her captive.
There are some twists and turns that surprised me along the way.

[Kimberlyyyreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Full RTC 🌟

[Lianne Scheepers · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mafia romance is a little different from what I’m used to. Mostly it’s Italian mafia or Russian mafia (which I honestly both enjoy). But this is Moroccan (please correct me if I’m wrong!) mafia, and it sets itself apart from most mafia romances.

It’s about the son of a dangerous cartel boss (Noah), who barely escaped death at the hands of his own father. Starting a new life, with a new last name, in order to remain hidden from his father and the dangerous men working for him.

At the most unexpected moment he crosses paths with Amalia, his former lover, the one that got away ten years ago. Next to staying alive, while taking down his father, Noah is now also determined to make Amalia his again.

Both characters have a good background story, and I truly enjoyed both their POV’s. It’s easy to feel for these characters, and their chemistry and heartbreak had me turning page after page. The story is well written, a twist here and a turn there. This book was not easy to put down.

[Ada’s Book Review · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨ I received this book as an ARC for my honest review✨

Rate: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨

Amalia and Noah's story is a second-chance romance that hits all the right notes. Amalia is a total powerhouse—strong, fierce, and commanding respect wherever she goes. Noah, on the other hand, is dreamy and immediately captivated by Amalia. Despite his rough upbringing and a family that failed him, he finds hope and belonging in her. Even after years apart, their connection is still electric.

Amalia’s initial resistance to Noah makes sense given their past, but what they really needed was a heart-to-heart. Noah’s journey from a lonely, scarred individual to a redeemed partner is both touching and real. The way Amalia supports him through everything shows her deep, hidden love.

Seraya’s take on mental health issues adds real depth to Noah’s character, and Amalia’s empathy towards his past is heartwarming. The mafia subplot and the epilogue were exciting and tied things up perfectly. Their love story, full of resilience and redemption, is unforgettable.
However, while the book is interesting and suspenseful, it did feel a bit long and dragged in parts, even though it’s only around 300 pages. The slow-burn romance was a bit frustrating at times, but the steamy scenes were definitely worth it. Amalia and Noah's chemistry is undeniable, and their journey from past lovers to captor and captive was unexpected and thrilling.

Overall, the book was a good read with a unique twist on the second-chance romance trope. If you're a fan of intense chemistry, emotional growth, and a touch of danger, this story is definitely worth picking up.

SeRaya created a stunning series, and I'm thrilled to have read it from the very first book as an ARC reader. I can’t wait to see what’s next!

[Haley Shina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Amalia is the star of this show!
I showed up with a tiny bit of interest in Noah but Amalia kept me in it.

She is an agent years into a cartel assignment when the man that broke her heart shows up in a cell. On one hand, she is ruthless and cunning in her role but on the other this man saw another side to her from before this assignment forced her to be this person. I think there is supposed to be some grappling with who she is vs. what her job is and maybe there is some, but I think it could have been more developed. Noah on the other hand, experiences his past, earlier past and present all at once and is left spinning to figure out how to handle all the situations he ran away from. He seemed to be able to talk about his feelings in the present, but it makes me question why he never reached out if he did indeed have growth prior to seeing her again. I will say, I think Amalia forgave him way too quickly. But the spice and emotionality of that scene was written perfectly, I just wish some more graveling was inserted prior to that and maybe that's a me problem lol.

I loved the back and forth between the past and present, that was so well done. It wasn't confusing or annoying like it could have been and actually added a lot of context to the story & relationship. Also, I loved the ending with everyone back together. I do recommend reading books 1 & 2 first to fully appreciate what this ending means for everyone involved.

Overall, I keep coming back to that maybe some depth was missing. It was hinted at but I think this author absolutely has the capacity to get there. The writing is good enough that I know there is more behind it, it may just take some time or a particular story for it to unfold.

Thank you to the author and good girls PR for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Kala · Rating 2 out of 5]

I’m sad to say that this book did not do it for me. I’m disappointed because I had high hopes for this one. The tropes in this book was what got me. BUT, alas, it did not live up to my expectations.

To be fair, this is a 3rd book in the series. It can technically be read as a standalone because the previous books focused on other characters. However, I wonder if I would have felt a little more connected to these characters if I had read the previous books. I guess I’ll never know.

Spoiler incoming…
I think the problem for me with this book is that it centered so heavily on both characters wanting to kill Noah’s father, that all the background story on these two MCs fell a little flat for me. In fact, other than Noah’s deep (well-deserved) hate for his father, I didn’t really get any other strong emotion from either MCs. I wish we would have gotten MORE background on these two. I think that would have helped me feel deeper for these characters. All I got was the first encounter of them meeting and then a brief mention of him leaving her after a year…a YEAR! And these two were saying “I love you” to each other after 10 years of it speaking. I’d understand if it was a fast burn but…this needed some kind of angst or…more history as to how/why they were in love.

Ugh and I was so looking forward to reading about the bada$$ FMC and, while it’s written that she’s dangerous and morally grey, we don’t really see/read any actions of her being dangerous.

I’m sorry! I’m sad that this is the first book I’m reading by SeRaya but, it just isn’t the story for me. And, as this is the third book in the installment, I don’t feel a pull to read the other books.

[BRI · Rating 5 out of 5]

All good things must come to an end 🫶🏼🥺

⏳Age Gap
🖤Captive/ Captor but she’s the captor
⏳Morally Grey FMC (She’s a mafia Sicario)
🖤Second Chance Romance
⏳Moroccan Mafia

My Advanced Copy Review (4.5/5 ⭐️, 2.8/5 🌶️)
Noah Brown has kept a secret about his identity and who his father is from everyone he’s close to. Including those he loves the most. He knows it’s time to end his father’s legacy, but what happens when the woman he loves is working for the one Noah hates the most, his father? And now, she’s taken him captive, and the lies he’s told come crashing down around them. Will the truth be enough to absolve the pain he caused her? Or will the years passed put a dent in their relationship? One thing for sure is that he’ll never stop until she’s his again. This book was WILD!! The past and present were well executed, with just enough details to put you in the character's mindset. It really made you feel like you were there experiencing it all with them. Even after ten years passing, the explosive chemistry and tension Amalia & Noah had was so evident that even a simple touch set them off into feeling what they once had. My girl Amalia was such a BAD B! She was so relentless in her mission and toeing the line between good and bad, but she demolished it, to say the least. And Noah, while still such a sweetheart, had that dog in him, willing to fight anyone who hurt or wanted to hurt his loved ones. It was such a great ending to the series, and I’m so sad that these characters are gone, but I love the tied little bow of it all at the end. So so good!

Thank you to SeRaya and Good Girls PR for allowing me to read this advanced copy and the whole series!

[Selma · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25 Stars

I still can't believe this is the last book of the Vendetta series. I already miss all the characters so much.

I loved the glimpses of Noah and Amalia in the past. It made me connect to them more and it was nice to see how their story started. The chemistry between them was instant!

Amalia and Noah have my heart. Noah is so sweet I want to protect him at all costs. A man who isn’t afraid to show his feelings is a man who has my heart. Amalia is so strong and feisty, I instantly fell in love with her. After all these years the love between them is still so strong. Together they make such a strong couple 💕

The epilogue had me emotional. It was full of surprises and I loved that all the characters had their happy ending.

Thank you SeRaya and Good Girls PR for providing me with the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion

[Mery · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even have much to say about this one. All I can say is I loved every single thing in this book , Noah and Amalia were so good together I fell for them SO HARD
and both of them will forever have my heart.
Seraya has done it again! She never fails to surprise me. I will never forget this series 🥹. I cannot wait to read more from you 🫶🏻