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Sinners of Boston #6
Ruined
I don’t do men.
Especially not Dominic Caruso—my boss, tormentor, and greatest weakness. He’s the kind of man who takes what he wants and leaves nothing behind. A dangerous mafia capo with a voice that makes me hate how easily I obey.
I should stay away.
But now we’re stuck together, and every moment with him is a battle I’m losing. His touch shatters me, and the way he looks at me makes me question everything I thought I knew about myself.
He’s not just breaking down my walls.
He’s ruining me—piece by piece.
And the worst part?
I can’t tell if I’m fighting to get away from him...
Or to belong to him.
Gay AwakeningOne BedBoss/EmployeeReverse Grumpy SunshineSecret Romance
This is Luca's story, the sixth book in the series, but a complete standalone. Please check the TW's in the book!
Especially not Dominic Caruso—my boss, tormentor, and greatest weakness. He’s the kind of man who takes what he wants and leaves nothing behind. A dangerous mafia capo with a voice that makes me hate how easily I obey.
I should stay away.
But now we’re stuck together, and every moment with him is a battle I’m losing. His touch shatters me, and the way he looks at me makes me question everything I thought I knew about myself.
He’s not just breaking down my walls.
He’s ruining me—piece by piece.
And the worst part?
I can’t tell if I’m fighting to get away from him...
Or to belong to him.
Gay AwakeningOne BedBoss/EmployeeReverse Grumpy SunshineSecret Romance
This is Luca's story, the sixth book in the series, but a complete standalone. Please check the TW's in the book!
400 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 26, 2024
343 people are currently reading
378 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Waltz
36 books1,488 followersVanessa Waltz is an author of Dark Bad Boy Romance and lives in Seattle with her two ill-behaved cats.
Before she settled in Seattle, she lived in Northern California where she studied English Literature at San Jose State University. She pursued a career in medicine before making an about-face to write full-time. She also pens psychological thrillers as Rachel Hargrove.
She enjoys beer tasting, live music venues, and singing her heart out at horrified bar patrons.
Vanessa is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Email: info@vanessawaltzbooks.com
Website: www.vanessawaltzbooks.com
Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/2JQ4PZ9
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JQ7i5R
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
Before she settled in Seattle, she lived in Northern California where she studied English Literature at San Jose State University. She pursued a career in medicine before making an about-face to write full-time. She also pens psychological thrillers as Rachel Hargrove.
She enjoys beer tasting, live music venues, and singing her heart out at horrified bar patrons.
Vanessa is represented by Jill Marsal of Marsal Lyon Literary Agency.
Email: info@vanessawaltzbooks.com
Website: www.vanessawaltzbooks.com
Facebook Group: http://bit.ly/2JQ4PZ9
Amazon: https://amzn.to/2JQ7i5R
Newsletter: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
January 11, 2025
"I love you, too. I’ve loved you since you broke into my house and tried to kill me.”
The wayyyy i lost myself in this book was unreal ( NO BC IT'S CONCERNING FR ). It literally EXCEEDED my expectations.
The first 50 % was the best thing I've read in dark romances in awhile. I ADORE THESE CHARACTERS SOOOOO FUCKING MUCH
The wayyyy i lost myself in this book was unreal ( NO BC IT'S CONCERNING FR ). It literally EXCEEDED my expectations.
The first 50 % was the best thing I've read in dark romances in awhile. I ADORE THESE CHARACTERS SOOOOO FUCKING MUCH
January 9, 2025
First things first. Dark romance where? These two were adorable, actually. Saccharine.
It's like these two idiots decided to take turns saving each other. Possible off-page conversation with each other?
D: Okay. That's my save for the week completed. Now you go.
L: Yay! I get to go again?! I just saved you last week!
D: Hurry up, already! I'm already antsy for the next time I get to barge in and save you.
🙄
But like I said. Adorable.
Also, deeply unserious.
“You would’ve killed him for me. God, Luca, that’s what I want. The anger, the jealousy, the madness. I want it all.”
FYI they weren't even together by this point.
But hey, at least they have a bomb meet cute.
"I’ve loved you since you broke into my house and tried to kill me.”
And I believe this shit, seeing as how they were both hard during this scene. I believe the words 'my cock could drill nails into concrete' were used.
I knew this book was going to be a joke (complimentary) when the self-confessed big bad guy that'd been trained as a Bratva hitman for ten years was......24.
Years.
Of age.
And he fumbled his first on-page hit on Dom(who's only been working with the mafia for a few years and hadn't been in the life before).
💀Like, come on, Luca. Such a big chip on your shoulder and this is what you've got? We were all rooting for you. Trained hitman, my ass.
To top it all off, he was Mr Self-Destruct incarnate. Never met a person who loved him he didn't want to push away. I get his issues, I do, but Dom has the patience of a literal saint. I hope there's a saint Dominic out there somewhere. If he is, he should know his namesake's out here REPRESENTING.
It's a good thing Dom was willing to lay himself bare 7,362 times because Luca was difficult.
"I can't keep chasing someone who doesn't want to be caught." but somehow he was still there when Luca was ready.
That said, it was fucking funny when Luca was all, "Fine, leave me like everyone else does!" via text but continued stalking the shit out of that man.
Is it really fine, then, Luca? Take your dumping like a champ.
All "I couldn't handle not knowing if you were okay."
Aww.
Like I said. A couple of adorable idiots.
As for Dominic acting like an elderly fountain of wisdom,
“I’ve been in this life a long time, Luca."—and the guy's twenty nine💀
Dfkm, Dom.
“You really think you can handle my shit forever?”
Dominic chuckled. “Already have. Longer than most could."
💀💀💀Fairrrrrr. Like I said, Luca was a bit of a pill. His push and pull with Dominic almost gave ME whiplash.
Anyway. In summary.
Absolutely not dark. Idk where that even came from. Lowkey unserious MCs. Enjoyed the shit out of it regardless.
It's like these two idiots decided to take turns saving each other. Possible off-page conversation with each other?
D: Okay. That's my save for the week completed. Now you go.
L: Yay! I get to go again?! I just saved you last week!
D: Hurry up, already! I'm already antsy for the next time I get to barge in and save you.
🙄
But like I said. Adorable.
Also, deeply unserious.
“You would’ve killed him for me. God, Luca, that’s what I want. The anger, the jealousy, the madness. I want it all.”
FYI they weren't even together by this point.
But hey, at least they have a bomb meet cute.
"I’ve loved you since you broke into my house and tried to kill me.”
And I believe this shit, seeing as how they were both hard during this scene. I believe the words 'my cock could drill nails into concrete' were used.
I knew this book was going to be a joke (complimentary) when the self-confessed big bad guy that'd been trained as a Bratva hitman for ten years was......24.
Years.
Of age.
And he fumbled his first on-page hit on Dom(who's only been working with the mafia for a few years and hadn't been in the life before).
💀Like, come on, Luca. Such a big chip on your shoulder and this is what you've got? We were all rooting for you. Trained hitman, my ass.
To top it all off, he was Mr Self-Destruct incarnate. Never met a person who loved him he didn't want to push away. I get his issues, I do, but Dom has the patience of a literal saint. I hope there's a saint Dominic out there somewhere. If he is, he should know his namesake's out here REPRESENTING.
It's a good thing Dom was willing to lay himself bare 7,362 times because Luca was difficult.
"I can't keep chasing someone who doesn't want to be caught." but somehow he was still there when Luca was ready.
That said, it was fucking funny when Luca was all, "Fine, leave me like everyone else does!" via text but continued stalking the shit out of that man.
Is it really fine, then, Luca? Take your dumping like a champ.
All "I couldn't handle not knowing if you were okay."
Aww.
Like I said. A couple of adorable idiots.
As for Dominic acting like an elderly fountain of wisdom,
“I’ve been in this life a long time, Luca."—and the guy's twenty nine💀
Dfkm, Dom.
“You really think you can handle my shit forever?”
Dominic chuckled. “Already have. Longer than most could."
💀💀💀Fairrrrrr. Like I said, Luca was a bit of a pill. His push and pull with Dominic almost gave ME whiplash.
Anyway. In summary.
Absolutely not dark. Idk where that even came from. Lowkey unserious MCs. Enjoyed the shit out of it regardless.
January 4, 2025
Tropes: enemies to lovers, Forced proximity, Mafia, workplace romance
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: very mild spanking and bondage
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: internalized homophobia, homophobia, hate crimes, murder, violence, organized crime, dubcon, unsafe sex
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: Neither MCs are cheating. Luca wasn't exclusive with Maria, they both knew that. A minor character Frank is cheating on his wife with other minor characters.
Other person drama: Luca was casually seeing a woman named Maria before he got with Dom, but he didn't sleep with her during this book. Dom was a bit jealous of Maria. And Luca was a bit jealous of Dom's ex Frank who was around. Neither MMC was with anyone else during book.
3.75 stars
Luca is 24. He was born into the Italian mafia, but at age 10 his family was murdered and he was taken captive by the Russian bratva. They used him as a punching bag, they abused him, and they converted him to be useful to them. They made him into their killer, and I made him do bad things to prove his loyalty. Luca was never loyal to them though, he was just a prisoner in a bad position and he played along to survive. A while before the start of this book, Luca killed the pakhan of the bratva to save himself and another prisoner and now he's back with the Italian mafia, but they don't trust him. So he is working a dead end job for Dominic, who is an ally/part of the extended Mafia family. Dominic makes him do s***** errands at all hours of the day. Luca hates being his b**** boy and is frustrated that no one will trust him. Luca is gay but he's never been with a man, and he's not even admitting it to himself that he is, because he was subjected to homophobia and witnessed hate crimes.
Dominic is 28. He is an out and proud man. He initially got kicked out of his family for being gay, but he made up with his father before his father passed. He has s***** Brothers though. Dom is attracted to Luca and enjoys needling him, Luca pains his gaydar, but he doesn't really think they could be together. Then Luca has enough and tries to kill Dom one night. And after that the sexual tension between them really simmers and eventually explodes. They start hooking up, but Luca is not out and he's constantly denying what they are and running away from Dom. There's a lot of push/pull. The conflict is, will Luca come out and there's also threats to both their lives from enemies.
This was a good book. I really loved the jealous / possessive dynamic. The sexual tension was nuanced. I liked that Luca was feral about hating his boss and Dom just played with him, entertained by him. There was some complex conflict on various levels. There were some meaningful moments, Dom was very supportive of Luca and his struggles. And I loved that Dom kept sneaking forehead kisses in when he thought Luca was asleep. The characters had good banter and there were some funny quips, I like a little humor with my romance!
Thinking of things that I didn't love...
- Dom let people get away with undermining him / bad behaviors, and that surprised me because this is a dark romance and he's a morally gray character, so I expected him to be more of a hardened person and not let people get away with s***. He forgave and gave too many chances in my opinion.
- Some of the tension kind of dissolved once they hooked up, I kind of wished that razor edge of tension had lasted longer. Because it was one of the best parts of the book!
- I feel like we didn't really see a good reason for Dominic to have such deep feelings for Luca. Luca didn't really do anything positive for Dom until later in the book, other than have sex with him. And Luca wasn't a shining positive personality. Dominic was in love with Luca very early, and it came across as kind of unearned love.
Some notable moments:
"“I went to your place to kill you.” “Instead you ended up tied to a chair, with my mouth on your neck. Clearly, you’re having a very difficult time processing that.” Luca’s jaw ticked. “You think everyone wants you. The whole world revolves around your inflated ego.” “Not the whole world, just you.” Luca’s glare could’ve melted steel. “Push me again, and one of us is going to regret it.”"
"Luca Costa was a mess, but he was my mess. And I wasn’t letting him go. He wanted this as much as I did. And I’d be damned if I let him forget it."
"I swallowed hard. “I’m gay.” Delilah froze, her lips parting. Santino didn’t blink. His dark gaze drilled into me. “I know,” he said finally. I stared at him. “What?” He tilted his head. “I’ve suspected it for a while, and then you made out with your boss right in front of me.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
Feels: 3/5
Steam*: 3/5
Kinks: very mild spanking and bondage
Angst: low
HEA: yes
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings: internalized homophobia, homophobia, hate crimes, murder, violence, organized crime, dubcon, unsafe sex
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: Neither MCs are cheating. Luca wasn't exclusive with Maria, they both knew that. A minor character Frank is cheating on his wife with other minor characters.
Other person drama: Luca was casually seeing a woman named Maria before he got with Dom, but he didn't sleep with her during this book. Dom was a bit jealous of Maria. And Luca was a bit jealous of Dom's ex Frank who was around. Neither MMC was with anyone else during book.
3.75 stars
Luca is 24. He was born into the Italian mafia, but at age 10 his family was murdered and he was taken captive by the Russian bratva. They used him as a punching bag, they abused him, and they converted him to be useful to them. They made him into their killer, and I made him do bad things to prove his loyalty. Luca was never loyal to them though, he was just a prisoner in a bad position and he played along to survive. A while before the start of this book, Luca killed the pakhan of the bratva to save himself and another prisoner and now he's back with the Italian mafia, but they don't trust him. So he is working a dead end job for Dominic, who is an ally/part of the extended Mafia family. Dominic makes him do s***** errands at all hours of the day. Luca hates being his b**** boy and is frustrated that no one will trust him. Luca is gay but he's never been with a man, and he's not even admitting it to himself that he is, because he was subjected to homophobia and witnessed hate crimes.
Dominic is 28. He is an out and proud man. He initially got kicked out of his family for being gay, but he made up with his father before his father passed. He has s***** Brothers though. Dom is attracted to Luca and enjoys needling him, Luca pains his gaydar, but he doesn't really think they could be together. Then Luca has enough and tries to kill Dom one night. And after that the sexual tension between them really simmers and eventually explodes. They start hooking up, but Luca is not out and he's constantly denying what they are and running away from Dom. There's a lot of push/pull. The conflict is, will Luca come out and there's also threats to both their lives from enemies.
This was a good book. I really loved the jealous / possessive dynamic. The sexual tension was nuanced. I liked that Luca was feral about hating his boss and Dom just played with him, entertained by him. There was some complex conflict on various levels. There were some meaningful moments, Dom was very supportive of Luca and his struggles. And I loved that Dom kept sneaking forehead kisses in when he thought Luca was asleep. The characters had good banter and there were some funny quips, I like a little humor with my romance!
Thinking of things that I didn't love...
- Dom let people get away with undermining him / bad behaviors, and that surprised me because this is a dark romance and he's a morally gray character, so I expected him to be more of a hardened person and not let people get away with s***. He forgave and gave too many chances in my opinion.
- Some of the tension kind of dissolved once they hooked up, I kind of wished that razor edge of tension had lasted longer. Because it was one of the best parts of the book!
- I feel like we didn't really see a good reason for Dominic to have such deep feelings for Luca. Luca didn't really do anything positive for Dom until later in the book, other than have sex with him. And Luca wasn't a shining positive personality. Dominic was in love with Luca very early, and it came across as kind of unearned love.
Some notable moments:
"“I went to your place to kill you.” “Instead you ended up tied to a chair, with my mouth on your neck. Clearly, you’re having a very difficult time processing that.” Luca’s jaw ticked. “You think everyone wants you. The whole world revolves around your inflated ego.” “Not the whole world, just you.” Luca’s glare could’ve melted steel. “Push me again, and one of us is going to regret it.”"
"Luca Costa was a mess, but he was my mess. And I wasn’t letting him go. He wanted this as much as I did. And I’d be damned if I let him forget it."
"I swallowed hard. “I’m gay.” Delilah froze, her lips parting. Santino didn’t blink. His dark gaze drilled into me. “I know,” he said finally. I stared at him. “What?” He tilted his head. “I’ve suspected it for a while, and then you made out with your boss right in front of me.”"
*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.
**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 1, 2025
4.5🌟
I'm absolutely obsessed with the banter between Dominic and Luca, especially how Dominic always reminded Luca that his attempt to kill him didn't work! 😂 The dynamic was wild. Luca's push-and-pull was so captivating yet so annoying; I was living for the moments when he got jealous. And when you add in their text messages? Perfection. I’m so glad this was the first book I read this year. I love them so much! 💖
I'm absolutely obsessed with the banter between Dominic and Luca, especially how Dominic always reminded Luca that his attempt to kill him didn't work! 😂 The dynamic was wild. Luca's push-and-pull was so captivating yet so annoying; I was living for the moments when he got jealous. And when you add in their text messages? Perfection. I’m so glad this was the first book I read this year. I love them so much! 💖
January 28, 2025
★★★★★. I’m easy to please and add in Dominic never giving up on Luca despite being hurt throughout the whole book. The banter was amazing. I thought the outlook Luca had on men being with men was interesting and it shows you how deep rooted the fear was in him.
I felt so bad for Luca. Reading his backstory and how that shaped him truly broke my heart. I loved reading him come to terms with everything and how he learned it’s okay to be gay. He truly did love Dominic. Him stealing the cufflinks is so real because he really first fell for him watching him roll up his sleeves like I get it man. His love confession was everything. I did get teary eyed reading him not fighting back and trying to gain loyalty. BUT IM SO HAPPY HE LEFT THE FAMILY! Nobody but Dominic, Delilah and Santino deserve him!
Dominic, I LOVED. I felt bad for him and with how his father kicked out him and then with his ex. I was so glad that Dominic didn’t have residual feelings yet more or so just that “why am I not good enough” feeling when Luca wouldn’t just give in. I did love how he was in the bedroom and how he wouldn’t let Luca feel shame for something. He truly just wanted Luca to himself. His proposal was perfect. He saw Luca for himself and loved him no matter what. He’s a real man!
I loved how both of them loved in their own way. Luca with protecting Dominic and Dominic with seeing Luca for himself. The jealousy scenes were amazing. First time, I’ve ever seen an ex get killed and all I gotta say is, 10s all around. The third act hurt. Yet Luca stalking Dominic for the three weeks was so funny and Dominic literally in despair over the texts was hilarious.
Will be reading Santino’s and Delilah’s story!
Don’t care for Vin’s at all. He was annoying.
I felt so bad for Luca. Reading his backstory and how that shaped him truly broke my heart. I loved reading him come to terms with everything and how he learned it’s okay to be gay. He truly did love Dominic. Him stealing the cufflinks is so real because he really first fell for him watching him roll up his sleeves like I get it man. His love confession was everything. I did get teary eyed reading him not fighting back and trying to gain loyalty. BUT IM SO HAPPY HE LEFT THE FAMILY! Nobody but Dominic, Delilah and Santino deserve him!
Dominic, I LOVED. I felt bad for him and with how his father kicked out him and then with his ex. I was so glad that Dominic didn’t have residual feelings yet more or so just that “why am I not good enough” feeling when Luca wouldn’t just give in. I did love how he was in the bedroom and how he wouldn’t let Luca feel shame for something. He truly just wanted Luca to himself. His proposal was perfect. He saw Luca for himself and loved him no matter what. He’s a real man!
I loved how both of them loved in their own way. Luca with protecting Dominic and Dominic with seeing Luca for himself. The jealousy scenes were amazing. First time, I’ve ever seen an ex get killed and all I gotta say is, 10s all around. The third act hurt. Yet Luca stalking Dominic for the three weeks was so funny and Dominic literally in despair over the texts was hilarious.
Will be reading Santino’s and Delilah’s story!
Don’t care for Vin’s at all. He was annoying.
December 30, 2024
One bed trope maybe if you squint. Sunshine grumpy maybe if you squint. It’s a mafia romance. Definitely not a standalone doesn’t make a whole lot of sense by itself.
Gay Awakening - if that's what were calling internalized homophobia
One Bed - if you squint upside-down?
Boss/Employee - ok I guess
Reverse Grumpy Sunshine - uh no? its a mafia romance everyone is grumpy and dark
Secret Romance - everyone knows. like everyone.
Gay Awakening - if that's what were calling internalized homophobia
One Bed - if you squint upside-down?
Boss/Employee - ok I guess
Reverse Grumpy Sunshine - uh no? its a mafia romance everyone is grumpy and dark
Secret Romance - everyone knows. like everyone.
January 6, 2025
Absolutely loved this shit. Was not expecting to enjoy this read at all lmfao mainly bc it’s really hard to do MM mafia for some reason?? But I ate this uppppp
December 30, 2024
So this was actually very, very good for about 90%. HAWT, well paced, witty, loved both characters, mafia angle done well. Then it got too long, I started to lose patience with Luca, and then it just felt drawn out for no reason. I kind of skimmed through to the end. But before the 90% mark, I was really loving it. This author is new to me and I was pleasantly surprised.
September 7, 2025
Une romance MM dans le milieu de la Mafia à Boston.
On retrouve ici Luca, le cousin Costa revenu d’entre les morts.
Enlevé à l’âge de 10 ans par la Bratva, il est devenu leur tueur. Aujourd’hui, il doit prouver sa loyauté et convaincre la famille qu’il est toujours un Costa, et non un instrument de l’ennemi.
Luca est placé sous les ordres de Dominic, l’un des capitaines de la Mafia Costa. Il le déteste : tout en lui l’agace. Pourtant, Dominic ne cesse de le pousser dans ses retranchements. Même lorsque Luca tente de le tuer, Dom continue de le provoquer.
Un gay assumé dans la Mafia, c’est assez inédit, mais Dominic s’en fiche et vit sa vie au grand jour. Très attiré par Luca, il se heurte à un mur : Luca, lui, refuse obstinément d’accepter sa sexualité, barricadée derrière des portes blindées.
Entre survivre aux traumatismes subis au sein de la Bratva, prouver sa loyauté aux Costa et lutter bec et ongles contre ce qu’il ressent, Luca est un personnage aussi fragile qu’attachant.
Le point faible de ce livre, selon moi, reste la traduction, vraiment bancale par moments, ce qui m’a empêchée d’apprécier pleinement l’histoire. Mais si ça ne vous fait pas peur, je le recommande quand même.
J’ai aimé Dominic et son côté protecteur, patient et compréhensif avec Luca. Il ne l’abandonne jamais, même quand il aurait peut-être dû.
Quant à Luca, on a vite envie de l’emballer dans du papier bulle pour le protéger de tout.
C’est une romance mignonne, avec juste ce qu’il faut d’action pour une Mafia Romance plutôt soft.
On retrouve ici Luca, le cousin Costa revenu d’entre les morts.
Enlevé à l’âge de 10 ans par la Bratva, il est devenu leur tueur. Aujourd’hui, il doit prouver sa loyauté et convaincre la famille qu’il est toujours un Costa, et non un instrument de l’ennemi.
Luca est placé sous les ordres de Dominic, l’un des capitaines de la Mafia Costa. Il le déteste : tout en lui l’agace. Pourtant, Dominic ne cesse de le pousser dans ses retranchements. Même lorsque Luca tente de le tuer, Dom continue de le provoquer.
Un gay assumé dans la Mafia, c’est assez inédit, mais Dominic s’en fiche et vit sa vie au grand jour. Très attiré par Luca, il se heurte à un mur : Luca, lui, refuse obstinément d’accepter sa sexualité, barricadée derrière des portes blindées.
Entre survivre aux traumatismes subis au sein de la Bratva, prouver sa loyauté aux Costa et lutter bec et ongles contre ce qu’il ressent, Luca est un personnage aussi fragile qu’attachant.
Le point faible de ce livre, selon moi, reste la traduction, vraiment bancale par moments, ce qui m’a empêchée d’apprécier pleinement l’histoire. Mais si ça ne vous fait pas peur, je le recommande quand même.
J’ai aimé Dominic et son côté protecteur, patient et compréhensif avec Luca. Il ne l’abandonne jamais, même quand il aurait peut-être dû.
Quant à Luca, on a vite envie de l’emballer dans du papier bulle pour le protéger de tout.
C’est une romance mignonne, avec juste ce qu’il faut d’action pour une Mafia Romance plutôt soft.
January 5, 2025
It was okey
February 3, 2025
swoon
I Luca and Dom yes please , this book was a even balance and plans and spice loved every moment 10/10 recommend
I Luca and Dom yes please , this book was a even balance and plans and spice loved every moment 10/10 recommend
January 8, 2025
I actually really liked this book and I liked that how even though it was part of a series I didn’t once feel like I was missing anything. Everything is pretty much explained so you get the context of what is happening.
Dom and Luca are boss and employee who fight more than anything. Dom is demanding and Luca feels like he’s earned a better role than an errand boy.
I loved both of these characters. My heart went out to poor Luca. He was born to Italian parents, Russians came in and killed them and then kidnapped him and kept him for 14 years. He escaped and then went back to his Italian family. He doesn’t feel like he has a place at all because his Italian family doesn’t trust him since he was raised Russian all those years. I felt so bad for him because he just wanted to be loved and didn’t think it would happen but then Dom came along. I loved the possessiveness!! Luca was not playing when it came to Dom.
I like how Dom pursued him. He was pretty relentless because he knew Luca was deeply closeted. He eventually became a cheerleader and champion for Luca and I loved that. There was a part where Luca beat someone up pretty badly but Dom went to bat for him and stuck up for him and then only berated him in private. He was there for Luca when no one else was. Not even his so called family. I’m not a fan of his family and meeting them in this book did not make me want to read their books that are in this series.
There is some OW drama with a girl that Luca is seeing. He’s so deeply closeted that he keeps her around trying to prove to himself he’s not. He does kiss her a few times in the book and he grabs her ass but he feels disgusted after he did it. Two of the times he kisses her is after he’s had a moment with Dom (he sucked Dom’s finger and let him give him a hickey) He also explained to Dom that he only had sex with her once (way before the book starts) and he hated it. Dom also flirts with her to make Luca jealous which Luca should have known he was doing because Dom is 100% gay.
There is some OM drama with Dom’s ex who keeps flirting with him and texting him but Luca quickly puts him in his place with his fists and Dom also puts him in his place with a threat about him having eat out of a straw for the rest of his life if he ever makes another comment about Luca!! Loved that! lol.
Anyway the reason for a missing star was there were like 3 back to back chapters of Luca pushing Dom away. Like I totally get why he did and I felt for him but it got old after a while. Also the sex scenes were very repetitive. They did the same thing over and over it seemed like. I do wish there were some more MM mafia books by this author though!!
NO CHEATING BETWEEN MCS
OW AND OM DRAMA ABOVE
THIRD ACT BREAK UP
TORTURE
MURDER
Dom and Luca are boss and employee who fight more than anything. Dom is demanding and Luca feels like he’s earned a better role than an errand boy.
I loved both of these characters. My heart went out to poor Luca. He was born to Italian parents, Russians came in and killed them and then kidnapped him and kept him for 14 years. He escaped and then went back to his Italian family. He doesn’t feel like he has a place at all because his Italian family doesn’t trust him since he was raised Russian all those years. I felt so bad for him because he just wanted to be loved and didn’t think it would happen but then Dom came along. I loved the possessiveness!! Luca was not playing when it came to Dom.
I like how Dom pursued him. He was pretty relentless because he knew Luca was deeply closeted. He eventually became a cheerleader and champion for Luca and I loved that. There was a part where Luca beat someone up pretty badly but Dom went to bat for him and stuck up for him and then only berated him in private. He was there for Luca when no one else was. Not even his so called family. I’m not a fan of his family and meeting them in this book did not make me want to read their books that are in this series.
There is some OW drama with a girl that Luca is seeing. He’s so deeply closeted that he keeps her around trying to prove to himself he’s not. He does kiss her a few times in the book and he grabs her ass but he feels disgusted after he did it. Two of the times he kisses her is after he’s had a moment with Dom (he sucked Dom’s finger and let him give him a hickey) He also explained to Dom that he only had sex with her once (way before the book starts) and he hated it. Dom also flirts with her to make Luca jealous which Luca should have known he was doing because Dom is 100% gay.
There is some OM drama with Dom’s ex who keeps flirting with him and texting him but Luca quickly puts him in his place with his fists and Dom also puts him in his place with a threat about him having eat out of a straw for the rest of his life if he ever makes another comment about Luca!! Loved that! lol.
Anyway the reason for a missing star was there were like 3 back to back chapters of Luca pushing Dom away. Like I totally get why he did and I felt for him but it got old after a while. Also the sex scenes were very repetitive. They did the same thing over and over it seemed like. I do wish there were some more MM mafia books by this author though!!
NO CHEATING BETWEEN MCS
OW AND OM DRAMA ABOVE
THIRD ACT BREAK UP
TORTURE
MURDER
January 22, 2025
This book was a somewhat underwhelming read. I found it difficult to fully engage with the story, experiencing periods of intrigue followed by significant lulls in interest. Neither of the main characters felt particularly well-developed, making it challenging to connect with them. While I did finish the book, I ultimately felt disappointed by the overall experience.
March 6, 2025
60% DNF
I was sick with the things that happened to Luca, all the injustice torture & mistreatment he receive all his life 😭 as i read this, i just realised that most Mafia book tends to not go as details as this book did in reallly describing the past of the member in the Mafia… even for main character. Because when people read the word “Mafia” that itself already seems to be well explain how horrifying their past must be to be that way yet this book go very details on what Luca have went through not only in his thoughts but also Luca himself talk out loud about it to Dominic.
That just make this book much darker than any other Mafia book i have read due to how details we know the horrible things done to him😭😭💔 also make me understand where all his anger and hatred coming from.
But my DNF is due to how tiring i felt reading this 😭😭 at first i did enjoyed it but the push & pull didn’t stop even until i was 60% in… as much as i love angsty romance… this angst hit different until it drain me reading it. Not sure due to my mood or whatever it is, might just be a me problem 🤷🏽♀️ but i did admit i can see the appeal towards this book hence the ⭐️ even with the DNF.
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Yes, Dominic dropped into my thoughts often. Wasn’t that normal? People hated their bosses. He was worse than some asshole boss. He held my future in his hands—one good word from Dom and I’d be back in the family—trusted and respected and…
Loved?
Not possible. No one loved me. They used me. Traded me for leverage against competing families. Hunted me down like a dog for murdering the Pakhan. The only way forward was through Dom.
The only life I could have and future that belonged to me by right and name and the hell I’d paid for fourteen years living in the Bratva.
€
“He’s also your cousin.”
“For fuck’s sake, the Russians are more family than Vinn or Santino. Russians pretended to be my family.” I shrugged, ignoring Dominic’s widened gaze. “I was ten when the Bratva dragged me off, Dominic. Ten. I learned Russian before I got a chance to speak proper Italian. I eat pirozhki, not panettone. Drink vodka, not wine. Your Christmas is December 25th, and mine is January 7th—”
“Luca.”
“The Romanovs are strangers,” I said. “But the Costas are worse.
“They’re your real family.”
“Family doesn’t test loyalty,” I snapped. “They don’t call a man weak. They don’t judge a child for not escaping a home lined with guns. I clawed my way back home after surviving fourteen years of hell, and not a goddamned one of them trusts me.”
€
I should’ve written him off after that meltdown, but I liked him. The guy had crows as pets. Like some fucked-up Disney prince. Every morning, he went out to the yard with a handful of scraps, and they swooped down. Sometimes he whispered to them.
It was cute.
I liked that he was nice to his neighbor. He hauled Mrs. Peretti’s mail up the stairs and gave it to her every single day. She talked his ear off about her garden, but he never cut her off. He did the right thing, quietly, when no one was watching. Not to feel good about himself. He just did it. I liked that.
People like Luca didn’t take. They gave, even when it cost them.
I was sick with the things that happened to Luca, all the injustice torture & mistreatment he receive all his life 😭 as i read this, i just realised that most Mafia book tends to not go as details as this book did in reallly describing the past of the member in the Mafia… even for main character. Because when people read the word “Mafia” that itself already seems to be well explain how horrifying their past must be to be that way yet this book go very details on what Luca have went through not only in his thoughts but also Luca himself talk out loud about it to Dominic.
That just make this book much darker than any other Mafia book i have read due to how details we know the horrible things done to him😭😭💔 also make me understand where all his anger and hatred coming from.
But my DNF is due to how tiring i felt reading this 😭😭 at first i did enjoyed it but the push & pull didn’t stop even until i was 60% in… as much as i love angsty romance… this angst hit different until it drain me reading it. Not sure due to my mood or whatever it is, might just be a me problem 🤷🏽♀️ but i did admit i can see the appeal towards this book hence the ⭐️ even with the DNF.
⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
Yes, Dominic dropped into my thoughts often. Wasn’t that normal? People hated their bosses. He was worse than some asshole boss. He held my future in his hands—one good word from Dom and I’d be back in the family—trusted and respected and…
Loved?
Not possible. No one loved me. They used me. Traded me for leverage against competing families. Hunted me down like a dog for murdering the Pakhan. The only way forward was through Dom.
The only life I could have and future that belonged to me by right and name and the hell I’d paid for fourteen years living in the Bratva.
€
“He’s also your cousin.”
“For fuck’s sake, the Russians are more family than Vinn or Santino. Russians pretended to be my family.” I shrugged, ignoring Dominic’s widened gaze. “I was ten when the Bratva dragged me off, Dominic. Ten. I learned Russian before I got a chance to speak proper Italian. I eat pirozhki, not panettone. Drink vodka, not wine. Your Christmas is December 25th, and mine is January 7th—”
“Luca.”
“The Romanovs are strangers,” I said. “But the Costas are worse.
“They’re your real family.”
“Family doesn’t test loyalty,” I snapped. “They don’t call a man weak. They don’t judge a child for not escaping a home lined with guns. I clawed my way back home after surviving fourteen years of hell, and not a goddamned one of them trusts me.”
€
I should’ve written him off after that meltdown, but I liked him. The guy had crows as pets. Like some fucked-up Disney prince. Every morning, he went out to the yard with a handful of scraps, and they swooped down. Sometimes he whispered to them.
It was cute.
I liked that he was nice to his neighbor. He hauled Mrs. Peretti’s mail up the stairs and gave it to her every single day. She talked his ear off about her garden, but he never cut her off. He did the right thing, quietly, when no one was watching. Not to feel good about himself. He just did it. I liked that.
People like Luca didn’t take. They gave, even when it cost them.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 8, 2025
The grumpy employee who found true love and happiness with his employer
This story shows how a grumpy employee found the love of his life when he believed no one would ever love him. Luca was kidnapped at the age of ten when the Bratva killed his parents. For fourteen years he lived in complete hell as the Bratva tried to turn him into a killer. He couldn’t understand how the Costa family didn’t try to find a rescue him. When he managed to get away after he killed the Pakhan. His family accepted him back but they gave him jobs to prove his loyalty to them. Everyday he was more frustrated because of how the family didn’t trust him. He was dealing with his sexuality as well. Dominic was his employer who tried to help him and he knew that he was in denial and tried to get Luca to see and understand who he truly was. Dominic was always demanding time by getting him to run errands but he was also coming on to him which Lucas was trying to fight. When Luca got hurt, Dominic stayed with him and tried to get him to admit who he was and tried to show him that he was truly loved. The story was well written with a good storyline and it kept me entertained until the last sentence. I intend to read the other books in the series. I highly recommend reading this book. My first time reading a book by Vanessa Waltz.
This story shows how a grumpy employee found the love of his life when he believed no one would ever love him. Luca was kidnapped at the age of ten when the Bratva killed his parents. For fourteen years he lived in complete hell as the Bratva tried to turn him into a killer. He couldn’t understand how the Costa family didn’t try to find a rescue him. When he managed to get away after he killed the Pakhan. His family accepted him back but they gave him jobs to prove his loyalty to them. Everyday he was more frustrated because of how the family didn’t trust him. He was dealing with his sexuality as well. Dominic was his employer who tried to help him and he knew that he was in denial and tried to get Luca to see and understand who he truly was. Dominic was always demanding time by getting him to run errands but he was also coming on to him which Lucas was trying to fight. When Luca got hurt, Dominic stayed with him and tried to get him to admit who he was and tried to show him that he was truly loved. The story was well written with a good storyline and it kept me entertained until the last sentence. I intend to read the other books in the series. I highly recommend reading this book. My first time reading a book by Vanessa Waltz.
September 5, 2025
Cuando el título te puede echar para atrás...
De primeras lees "Arruinada" y ves que se supone que es una historia M/M y ya esperas que la traducción sea de lo peor. Pero luego es verdad que no, está bastante bien... la traducción. Se entiende que por se parte de una saga, por coherencia haya querido mantener los títulos similares, pero me parece una decisión errónea. En castellano existe el género de los adjetivos por algo, no puedes aplicar las mismas reglas que en inglés.
Luego centrándonos en el libro, no entiendo qué lleva a una autora de género F/M a tirarse a la piscina del M/M. Zapatero a tus zapatos. Lo que supongo que le debe funcionar en uno (supongo porque no he leído ninguno) definitivamente no funciona en otro.
Y como último punto negativo, este ya creo que es culpa mía. Te tira a mitad de un universo que no conoces, personajes que no sabes de donde vienen; y que sin embargo sientes que deberías conocer. Pero claro, es el sexto libro de una saga. Pero es una saga F/M; y me consta que somos muchos lectores que sí leemos M/M pero no tocamos con una palo el F/M, así que estamos muy perdidos y sentimos que nos perdemos la mitad de la historia.
Por todo ello, salvo que pretendas leer los anteriores, no leas este libro; porque tampoco es que como libro M/M valga la pena.
De primeras lees "Arruinada" y ves que se supone que es una historia M/M y ya esperas que la traducción sea de lo peor. Pero luego es verdad que no, está bastante bien... la traducción. Se entiende que por se parte de una saga, por coherencia haya querido mantener los títulos similares, pero me parece una decisión errónea. En castellano existe el género de los adjetivos por algo, no puedes aplicar las mismas reglas que en inglés.
Luego centrándonos en el libro, no entiendo qué lleva a una autora de género F/M a tirarse a la piscina del M/M. Zapatero a tus zapatos. Lo que supongo que le debe funcionar en uno (supongo porque no he leído ninguno) definitivamente no funciona en otro.
Y como último punto negativo, este ya creo que es culpa mía. Te tira a mitad de un universo que no conoces, personajes que no sabes de donde vienen; y que sin embargo sientes que deberías conocer. Pero claro, es el sexto libro de una saga. Pero es una saga F/M; y me consta que somos muchos lectores que sí leemos M/M pero no tocamos con una palo el F/M, así que estamos muy perdidos y sentimos que nos perdemos la mitad de la historia.
Por todo ello, salvo que pretendas leer los anteriores, no leas este libro; porque tampoco es que como libro M/M valga la pena.
November 23, 2025
STRANA FAMILY BOOK BLOG
Il genere MM è diventato uno dei miei preferiti e Ruined mi sorpreso. È indubbiamente il migliore della serie! Luca lotta per la sopravvivenza, costretto a dimostrare quotidianamente la sua identità e la sua lealtà. Tuttavia, la sua vera essenza rimane un enigma anche per lui stesso. La sua mente è un turbine di caos, sensi di colpa e una negazione che lo consuma dall'interno. La sua sessualità, in particolare, è un punto di incertezza. Dominic, il suo superiore, non ha mai celato la sua omosessualità e si diletta nel provocarlo, impartendogli ordini per osservare la sua esitazione, ignorando però il tormento interiore che lo affligge. La loro relazione è straordinaria, paragonabile a un gatto che insegue un topo, ma anziché divorarlo, desidera accudirlo e proteggerlo dalle avversità del mondo. È una storia dolce, ricca di adrenalina, di tensione sessuale e di momenti emozionanti. Una coppia che ha lasciato un'impronta indelebile e che merita di essere scoperta. Il finale è coerente, delicato e puro, proprio come i personaggi. Nonostante la presenza di numerosi refusi, non mi sento di attribuire una valutazione diversa, poiché Ruined è una storia che non può essere oscurata. Auguro una piacevole lettura!
Valutazione: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️🌶🌶🌶
Emozione: 💘💘💘💘💘
Il genere MM è diventato uno dei miei preferiti e Ruined mi sorpreso. È indubbiamente il migliore della serie! Luca lotta per la sopravvivenza, costretto a dimostrare quotidianamente la sua identità e la sua lealtà. Tuttavia, la sua vera essenza rimane un enigma anche per lui stesso. La sua mente è un turbine di caos, sensi di colpa e una negazione che lo consuma dall'interno. La sua sessualità, in particolare, è un punto di incertezza. Dominic, il suo superiore, non ha mai celato la sua omosessualità e si diletta nel provocarlo, impartendogli ordini per osservare la sua esitazione, ignorando però il tormento interiore che lo affligge. La loro relazione è straordinaria, paragonabile a un gatto che insegue un topo, ma anziché divorarlo, desidera accudirlo e proteggerlo dalle avversità del mondo. È una storia dolce, ricca di adrenalina, di tensione sessuale e di momenti emozionanti. Una coppia che ha lasciato un'impronta indelebile e che merita di essere scoperta. Il finale è coerente, delicato e puro, proprio come i personaggi. Nonostante la presenza di numerosi refusi, non mi sento di attribuire una valutazione diversa, poiché Ruined è una storia che non può essere oscurata. Auguro una piacevole lettura!
Valutazione: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐️
Spicy: 🌶️🌶🌶🌶
Emozione: 💘💘💘💘💘
January 9, 2025
I enjoyed Luca and Dominic’s story. Luca works for Dom as an errand boy after being tested for his loyalty to his family. Luca was kidnapped by the Russians Bravta and trained as a soilder then he killed the leader and escaped to his family who thought he was dead from childhood. So to prove he isn’t a spy they are testing his loyalty. Dom is gay and hits on Luca. Luca is gay but he suppresses it and hates what he feels. Dom pushes his flirting and does so too far that Luca decides he must kill Dom. But Dom figures it out and catches Luca, handcuffs him and gives him a handjob and things escalate from there. But Dom is still his boss and runs a casino and has Luca doing work for him. The family testing him all the time. Luca is scared what ppl will do if they find him out because when he was a child the Russians burned a gay man alive in front of him. There was miscommunication, a break up, stubbornness and the like you’d expect from a mafia story. This is part of a series but the only MM one.
January 1, 2025
Lucas fue secuestrado de pequeño por los rusos, torturado y después de matar al phakan, logra volver a su hogar. Sin embargo, ese hogar lo pone a prueba, poniéndolo bajo la tutela de Dominic.
Me gustó mucho el libro, a pesar de las idas y vueltas que había entre los protagonistas. La aceptación de Luca por sus sexualidad llegó a ser algo cansino, pero comprensible. La actitud de Dominic hacia Luca fue la mejor, en todo caso, le dio su espacio cuando era necesario y lo empujó cuando debía aceptar ciertas cosas. Por eso me gustó mucho la primera parte del libro, fue coqueteo y una liberación hacia la sumisión. La segunda parte fue el ida y vuelta, que es comprensible en ciertas cosas. No me gustó mucho las huidas por parte de Lucas, aunque fueron necesarias en sí.
Estuvo bien, y supo manejar la temática de la mafia.
Me gustó mucho el libro, a pesar de las idas y vueltas que había entre los protagonistas. La aceptación de Luca por sus sexualidad llegó a ser algo cansino, pero comprensible. La actitud de Dominic hacia Luca fue la mejor, en todo caso, le dio su espacio cuando era necesario y lo empujó cuando debía aceptar ciertas cosas. Por eso me gustó mucho la primera parte del libro, fue coqueteo y una liberación hacia la sumisión. La segunda parte fue el ida y vuelta, que es comprensible en ciertas cosas. No me gustó mucho las huidas por parte de Lucas, aunque fueron necesarias en sí.
Estuvo bien, y supo manejar la temática de la mafia.
January 7, 2025
What I really like is that, as mafia men, they feel real. Not the comic book idiots that seem to be in many books. They feel hard core. Plus, their pasts are solid dark places contributing to their current struggles.
Luca is a walking tragedy and Dom is the man to save him. And their attraction is incinerating. Despite the dark backstory and subsequent dark/violent scenes this was a straight forward easy read.
*One annoying flaw is hanging on to the employee/boss thing. It doesn't need to be punctuated so late in the book.
**A second point that I have to mention is that there may be one or two too many capture-beating- savings. A little over the top.
I never really understood what they saw in each other to fall so hard so I treated it as an almost love at first sight.
All that said, I enjoyed this book a lot.
Luca is a walking tragedy and Dom is the man to save him. And their attraction is incinerating. Despite the dark backstory and subsequent dark/violent scenes this was a straight forward easy read.
*One annoying flaw is hanging on to the employee/boss thing. It doesn't need to be punctuated so late in the book.
**A second point that I have to mention is that there may be one or two too many capture-beating- savings. A little over the top.
I never really understood what they saw in each other to fall so hard so I treated it as an almost love at first sight.
All that said, I enjoyed this book a lot.
December 27, 2024
Luca’s story is so heartbreaking! To learn what he survived at the hands of monsters left me heartbroken. The demons and guilt that he still carries with him were not only not allowing him to live, they were drowning him.
Dominic has his own difficult past. It made me angry to learn how his family, especially his father, treated him.
The two of them together were combustible! Their chemistry was off the charts! I loved the buildup to their eventual explosive steamy times!!!
This was so much more than a mafia or forbidden romance. This was a story about what real love is; sacrifice, acceptance, forgiveness, and unwavering loyalty.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
Dominic has his own difficult past. It made me angry to learn how his family, especially his father, treated him.
The two of them together were combustible! Their chemistry was off the charts! I loved the buildup to their eventual explosive steamy times!!!
This was so much more than a mafia or forbidden romance. This was a story about what real love is; sacrifice, acceptance, forgiveness, and unwavering loyalty.
I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving my honest opinion.
December 27, 2024
Luca Costa is no stranger to life in a mafia family, but he is new to a life amongst the family he vaguely remembers from his childhood. His family doesn't trust him so the only job they would give him is working for Dominic Caruso, one of the capos and a very dangerous man. A man that makes Luca feel thing he doesn't want to feel.
Fascinating and realistic characters thrown together under less than ideal circumstances, but quickly discover that they want more than just a working relationship. Action and violence, steam, unexpected twists and a happily ever after. I thought this was a fantastic book and highly recommend it to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC copy of this book.
Fascinating and realistic characters thrown together under less than ideal circumstances, but quickly discover that they want more than just a working relationship. Action and violence, steam, unexpected twists and a happily ever after. I thought this was a fantastic book and highly recommend it to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC copy of this book.
January 3, 2025
I thought I might struggle a bit with this one based on another story with similar character tropes within a mafia romance. However, Vanessa Waltz crushed any negative expectations. Instead, I found myself laughing out loud often while reading the banter between characters, especially Dominic and Luca. I love the world created in this and sister series and as is to be expected from Waltz, the characters are witty and likable. I always find myself drawn into them and their story while rooting for them to accomplish all the things. I am never disappointed when I pick up anything by this author and I cannot wait to read whatever is next.
This book is being voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of the author, Vanessa Waltz.
This book is being voluntarily reviewed after receiving a free copy courtesy of the author, Vanessa Waltz.
January 28, 2025
Atypical mafia story
Unlike most mafia stories I’ve read, the mafia seemed to take a back seat in this book. There just wasn’t very much business about it, which was fine. Just a little odd & different. It was interesting how someone who was high ranking was openly gay though.
I really disliked Dom for the first half (?) of the book. He seemed so pushy & it was creepy feeling. Obviously his instincts were right though.
Luca was clearly struggling with his identity and his history and trauma didn’t help in the least. He self-sabotaged constantly & his behavior was hurtful to others, along with himself. Eventually we learned why he struggled so badly though.
The ending of the story was great. Very touching and full of feels ♥️
Unlike most mafia stories I’ve read, the mafia seemed to take a back seat in this book. There just wasn’t very much business about it, which was fine. Just a little odd & different. It was interesting how someone who was high ranking was openly gay though.
I really disliked Dom for the first half (?) of the book. He seemed so pushy & it was creepy feeling. Obviously his instincts were right though.
Luca was clearly struggling with his identity and his history and trauma didn’t help in the least. He self-sabotaged constantly & his behavior was hurtful to others, along with himself. Eventually we learned why he struggled so badly though.
The ending of the story was great. Very touching and full of feels ♥️
February 4, 2025
Luca was taken as a boy by the Russian Bratva that murdered his family. He was raised and trained to be a Bratva soldier, but he is an Italian and cousin to the Don of the Italian mafia. When he’s finally free from the Russians, he isn’t fully trusted by his blood family and is constantly being tested. All Luca wants is for someone to love him and care about what happens to him. Dominic is Luca’s boss and one of the only openly gay capo there is. Dominic is attracted to Luca and believes Luca is attracted to him, but Luca is in denial and a little homophobic. When they are stuck together in Luca’s apartment their relationship changes. It’s a great story by Vanessa Waltz, my only suggestion would be to have Luca be on the giving end of their sexy times, not always the receiving end.
December 28, 2024
3.5 Stars
I love this author and was excited to try an MM book by her, but this one just didn't work for me. The family entrigued me, and I wish we'd have seen more of them. I loved the idea of a mafia story with two alpha male leads. Unfortunately, I don't think that either of these two were very macho. Between the two of them, they spent half the book injured and recovering from jumpings, stabbing, and shootings, which made them seem incompetent. And for two guys supposedly raised and trained in the mob life, it just didn't work. Add in the constant back and forth with their feelings and internal debates throughout the entire book, I just didn't enjoy this one.
I love this author and was excited to try an MM book by her, but this one just didn't work for me. The family entrigued me, and I wish we'd have seen more of them. I loved the idea of a mafia story with two alpha male leads. Unfortunately, I don't think that either of these two were very macho. Between the two of them, they spent half the book injured and recovering from jumpings, stabbing, and shootings, which made them seem incompetent. And for two guys supposedly raised and trained in the mob life, it just didn't work. Add in the constant back and forth with their feelings and internal debates throughout the entire book, I just didn't enjoy this one.
January 13, 2025
It was alright.
The characters were well done but there were several continuity errors. The lack of prep during spicy times was uncomfortable and the ending was rushed.
The final showdown only worked because the top didn't answer his phone and didn't make any sense at all. Why would the antagonist send a text saying he had someone he didn't have? A phone call would have proven his bluff in a normal situation.
Why would you go off when your lover is in the hospital and ignore your phone?
It makes no sense.
Three epilogues but the final fight was summed up in two paragraphs.
Just frustrating that the ending was so obviously rushed.
The characters were well done but there were several continuity errors. The lack of prep during spicy times was uncomfortable and the ending was rushed.
The final showdown only worked because the top didn't answer his phone and didn't make any sense at all. Why would the antagonist send a text saying he had someone he didn't have? A phone call would have proven his bluff in a normal situation.
Why would you go off when your lover is in the hospital and ignore your phone?
It makes no sense.
Three epilogues but the final fight was summed up in two paragraphs.
Just frustrating that the ending was so obviously rushed.
January 27, 2025
Loved this book! Dom was sunshine. He was charming, flirty, and funny. While Luca was grumpy, broody, and possessive. I loved them both, although Dom was definitely something else.
Luca had so many things going on in his mind. He was trying to come to terms with being gay and his hot/cold attitude was annoying at times. I was sad when Dom left him but also, good for him. He needed to put himself first, and I didn't mind Luca groveling for a bit.
Their chemistry and tension were fire 🔥 they were intense and passionate, and all that possessiveness from Luca 🫠🥵🥵
I enjoyed reading this book very much. If MM grumpy/sunshine is your jam, then this is definitely it.
5⭐️ 3.5🌶
Luca had so many things going on in his mind. He was trying to come to terms with being gay and his hot/cold attitude was annoying at times. I was sad when Dom left him but also, good for him. He needed to put himself first, and I didn't mind Luca groveling for a bit.
Their chemistry and tension were fire 🔥 they were intense and passionate, and all that possessiveness from Luca 🫠🥵🥵
I enjoyed reading this book very much. If MM grumpy/sunshine is your jam, then this is definitely it.
5⭐️ 3.5🌶
January 1, 2025
I was so excited for another book in this series that I didn’t realise it was MM. Not my usual choice but willing to give it a go and wow! The author created this angsty tension between boss Dominic & his subordinate Luca. Luca has lots of issues to work through, including being closeted, and the feelings that he struggles with made me really adore this couple. This book felt more couple-focussed than plot-focussed & was an intense, spicy read.
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