The Enforcer: An Enemies-to-Lovers Romance

by Kennedy Slope

Failure is not an option.

Matteo Blanchi is destined to be a mafia enforcer, so his father's adamant demand that he finish high school makes no sense to him. He’d rather party his days away, enjoying his wealth and privilege. But when his father makes it clear that he will disinherit him if he doesn’t finish school, Matteo knows he needs to get his act together.

Enter Sophia Luchreza.

Sophia is desperate to break away from her family. Her resentment towards her father grows by the day, and when he informs her he’s unable to pay for her college, Sophia realizes she is desperate enough to help her greatest enemy.

Matteo and Sophia were once friends, but after a misunderstanding, they’ve grown to hate one another. Can they find common ground when they realize someone is trying to destroy the tentative peace between the two of them, or will old distrust drive the wedge between them even deeper?

This book contains dark themes, adult situations, and language. Recommended for 18+

283 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 23, 2024

About the author

Kennedy Slope has always had a wandering mind. She's written a million romances in her head, but "The Duke's Contract," is the first one she's decided to share with the world. In her past lives, she has been a teacher, a waitress, and for a brief moment, she sold copiers. Currently, she resides in Virginia with her husband where she enjoys drinking too much coffee and binge-watching HGTV.

Reviews

[Grinning Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cat’s Stats
MMC/FMC- Matteo and Sophia
Genre- New Adult Romance
Length- 325 pages
Heat- 🌋🌋🌋 They do the things and use the P word.
Series? Y. Also connected to a previous series by the same author.
Safety? YMMV. I say yes, but there’s the appearance of cheating, even though it doesn’t actually happen, and discussion of past S.A. and attempted R.
Other triggers- violence, substance abuse, alcohol abuse, roofies, language, sex, mean girls.
Tropes- Friends to Enemies to Lovers, Teen Angst, Dysfunctional Family FTW, Cinderella, Debutante Ball, Star-Crossed Lovers, Virgin Heroine, Bully.
Mewsings
What I liked- I liked Sophia, who could have been really annoying because of her perfection, but wasn’t. I liked Matteo because of his zest for life and his love for Sophia. The author has a gift for making people who otherwise would be irritating or unlikable into people who are interesting to read about and easy to like and connect with. This is the author’s greatest strength.
What I didn’t- there wasn’t enough backstory to the character who caused most of their troubles and who worked to make sure that the MCs didn’t make up with each other. There wasn’t enough motive or reason for them to hate Sophia and Matteo so much. It’s not good narrative practice to say “because crazy”.
What concerns me- this is a difficult book to classify. On the one hand it’s about teenagers. On the other hand, it’s recommended for ages 18+. Personally, I think older teens can handle mature content if they are given enough trigger warnings, but not everyone will agree with me. And the characters and their angst and issues are a little young for readers of Adult Romance. I classified this as New Adult because it’s aimed at readers between ages 18 and 25 or so, with the main volume of it being weighted towards the younger side of those numbers.
Still, it was entertaining, and the main characters were great.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Nate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Matteo and Sophia’s story. Matteo Blanchi is destined to follow in his father's footsteps as a mafia enforcer. So when his father insists he finish high school, Matteo is baffled. He’d much rather revel in his wealth and privilege. But with his inheritance on the line, Matteo knows he must get his act together—or lose everything. Enter Sophia Luchreza. Sophia is determined to escape her stifling family ties. Her resentment toward her father intensifies when he reveals he can’t afford her college tuition. Desperate and out of options, Sophia turns to her former friend and current enemy: Matteo. Once close friends, Matteo and Sophia are at odds due to a past misunderstanding. When they realize someone is out to disrupt the fragile peace between them they must confront their shared past. Can they overcome their animosity to uncover the truth, or will their mutual distrust drive them further apart? It was an entertaining read. And voluntarily leaving this review.

[Nichole Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick and easy read. I enjoyed the plot and Sophia and Matteo's characters. Through the book, we see a lot of growth in Matteo. And even with Sophia, she finally stood up for herself with her dad and so-called best friend. She put herself first over the people that pretended to care for her and left home for her own mental health and to grow into the person she needed and wanted to be. I loved seeing them come back together in the end, both changed and in a better place mentally for each other and their relationship.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this book, it took me a bit to get into it but about 20% in I was hooked and devoured the rest of it.

There were quite a few grammatical errors from about 80% on and for me to notice them it is something because I'm awful at grammar 🤣

The story itself was great, I loved the plot and the twists, I love a protective MMC and one that cares enough to put his feelings aside to ensure she is safe and protected.

All in all I enjoyed it and I would recommend

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

Matteo and Sophia were friends growing up but something happened during freshman year that made them hate each other. Now as seniors, Matteo is failing and his father wants him to graduate. So Sophia tutors him. They start to hang out and get closer.
Some things from their past come to light that makes them reevaluate their relationship.

I enjoyed this book a lot. Good character development and engaging story.

[Sam Allen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A grower

Layers of depth to this story. Well developed characters. Steamy adult romance with twists and turns. A great read.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lauren Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book so much, I read it in one sitting. There were some grammatical and punctuation errors so I did not give it a 5/5. Overall, really enjoyed this book and recommend it to others!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Mylene Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great summer read. Matteo and Sophia fell out of friendship, when they were young teens. Now Matteo is using blackmail to get what he wants and needs badly from Sophia. Lies and jealousy are leading the way for these two being friends is far down the list.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this ARC through Book-sirens for an honest review.

4 ⭐️
2.5 🌶️
2.5 🖤

Tropes:
Enemies to lovers
Bully
Mafia
Possessive MMC
Found Family

I actually loved the love story between Matteo & Sophia. Matty was the classic possessive MMC that had great character development throughout.
I read this book in one sitting, after the first 15% the twists and turns had me hooked and I loved the darker aspects.
There were some grammatical errors, as well as the FMC taking longer to grow and develop, that prevented me from giving 5/5 stars. I would have preferred darker themes also for 5 stars, though still enjoyed the story overall.

These are my thoughts and opinions only.

Happy reading
😊👗📚