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The Famiglia #1
Damiano's Rescue
He keeps everyone at a distance, but when it comes to her, he can't get close enough.
Damiano
As enforcer for the Galliano crime family, my only job is to keep our boss safe. I obliterate his enemies, I annihilate all threats, and I avoid any distractions—especially the kind that wants to spend the night after. So I should have crawled away from the stunning blonde who found me bleeding out in the park. And when I realized how truly awful she was at stitching me up, I should have run. But once she stroked my head just right, I couldn't go anywhere.
Then again, she thinks I'm in a coma. She has no clue that I hear every whispered secret and feel every warm caress. That sponge bath? I was wide awake and should thank her for how she handled the situation that. . . arose.
This girl has no clue what she's doing half the time, but I'm all in.
Paige
I have a dead-end job, my love life sucks, and Chicago's way too cold for a California girl. At least the mauled rabbit I rescued last month is doing great—I will pass the wildlife rehabilitator license exam this next time. I'm sure of it. So, when I stumble upon an injured man refusing to go to the hospital, of course I help him too. Not because he's perfectly sculpted from Italy's finest marble, but because he needs me. And since online videos taught me how to patch up my rabbit, I've totally got this.
That is, until Damiano's enemies track him down at my place, and he drags me into his dark world of violence, death, and destruction. No thanks, I'm out.
He's injured and she's in danger. Who's going to rescue who?
Damiano
As enforcer for the Galliano crime family, my only job is to keep our boss safe. I obliterate his enemies, I annihilate all threats, and I avoid any distractions—especially the kind that wants to spend the night after. So I should have crawled away from the stunning blonde who found me bleeding out in the park. And when I realized how truly awful she was at stitching me up, I should have run. But once she stroked my head just right, I couldn't go anywhere.
Then again, she thinks I'm in a coma. She has no clue that I hear every whispered secret and feel every warm caress. That sponge bath? I was wide awake and should thank her for how she handled the situation that. . . arose.
This girl has no clue what she's doing half the time, but I'm all in.
Paige
I have a dead-end job, my love life sucks, and Chicago's way too cold for a California girl. At least the mauled rabbit I rescued last month is doing great—I will pass the wildlife rehabilitator license exam this next time. I'm sure of it. So, when I stumble upon an injured man refusing to go to the hospital, of course I help him too. Not because he's perfectly sculpted from Italy's finest marble, but because he needs me. And since online videos taught me how to patch up my rabbit, I've totally got this.
That is, until Damiano's enemies track him down at my place, and he drags me into his dark world of violence, death, and destruction. No thanks, I'm out.
He's injured and she's in danger. Who's going to rescue who?
365 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 28, 2025
418 people are currently reading
213 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 113 reviews
April 22, 2025
1⭐️ DNF
I don’t think I’ve ever hated a male love interest as much as I hated that fuck face.
This man was not capable of talking or thinking about anything without mentioning the “Cat girls” who are the strippers at his club (? Or his bosses club OR WHATEVER)
He mentions them THIRTY SIX TIME. I checked.
“That may have been the best shower of my life, not including showers I've taken with any of the Cat girls. No question, those were better.”
“Holy fuck, this is a good piss. Euphoric. Better than a blowjob from any of girls at the Cat. Except for Candy’s. Hers are like bursts of rainbows are shooting out the tip of my dick while glitter snow-globes around in my balls.”
“The scar will be worse than it needs to be, but I don’t give a fuck about that. The Cat girls dig scars.”
Just three example of how he LITERALLY COMPARED EVERYTHING TO THE CAT GIRLS AND HOW SEX CRAZED THEY WERE
He thought about them CONSTANTLY I’m not joking
He was such a man and I’m not reading books to be confronted with real life men???
Hated everything about that guy. Didn’t have one good quality
“Love having squeaky-clean balls.”
He actually said that.
I don’t think I’ve ever hated a male love interest as much as I hated that fuck face.
This man was not capable of talking or thinking about anything without mentioning the “Cat girls” who are the strippers at his club (? Or his bosses club OR WHATEVER)
He mentions them THIRTY SIX TIME. I checked.
“That may have been the best shower of my life, not including showers I've taken with any of the Cat girls. No question, those were better.”
“Holy fuck, this is a good piss. Euphoric. Better than a blowjob from any of girls at the Cat. Except for Candy’s. Hers are like bursts of rainbows are shooting out the tip of my dick while glitter snow-globes around in my balls.”
“The scar will be worse than it needs to be, but I don’t give a fuck about that. The Cat girls dig scars.”
Just three example of how he LITERALLY COMPARED EVERYTHING TO THE CAT GIRLS AND HOW SEX CRAZED THEY WERE
He thought about them CONSTANTLY I’m not joking
He was such a man and I’m not reading books to be confronted with real life men???
Hated everything about that guy. Didn’t have one good quality
“Love having squeaky-clean balls.”
He actually said that.
Read
August 18, 2025I quit at 13 %. I just couldn't continue. He thinks about other girls alot....like, alot. Not my cup of tea.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 20, 2025
I saw this book and the one single thing that already pulled me in without even knowing what this book was about, was the fluffy bunbun in his arms. Then I saw it was a mafia romance, and I knew that this cover was destined to pop up on my screen.
The fact that it's both a mafia romance AND that the guy becomes best buddies with her bunny is perfect (I mean, I wouldn't want to date a mafia guy in real life, but please give me a dude who appreciates my bunnies as much as he does hers), but of course the book was not only pages of a pretty guy taking care of a cute pet rabbit. I mean, I wouldn't have minded that, but it was not the main plot of this book. So if we slide the whole bunbun situation to the side and just look at the story: It was fun. I went through the book very smoothly. There were some chapters I really liked, and there was also some great humor. I'll definitely check out the next book when the moment is there.
I got this book as an arc, and I'm very grateful for that. My thoughts are completely honest and voluntary, and come with a fluffy hug from my own bunbuns!
If you like to read about more books I liked, check out my Goodreads profile. I also sometimes post reviews on Instagram and talk about bookish stuff on Threads.
The fact that it's both a mafia romance AND that the guy becomes best buddies with her bunny is perfect (I mean, I wouldn't want to date a mafia guy in real life, but please give me a dude who appreciates my bunnies as much as he does hers), but of course the book was not only pages of a pretty guy taking care of a cute pet rabbit. I mean, I wouldn't have minded that, but it was not the main plot of this book. So if we slide the whole bunbun situation to the side and just look at the story: It was fun. I went through the book very smoothly. There were some chapters I really liked, and there was also some great humor. I'll definitely check out the next book when the moment is there.
I got this book as an arc, and I'm very grateful for that. My thoughts are completely honest and voluntary, and come with a fluffy hug from my own bunbuns!
If you like to read about more books I liked, check out my Goodreads profile. I also sometimes post reviews on Instagram and talk about bookish stuff on Threads.
April 21, 2025
Do you know how sometimes you can tell you’ll love a book right when you start it? That’s how I was with Leah Merrill’s Damiano’s Rescue. It’s no secret that I adore Mafia Romances—check out my Goodreads and my IG. And I must admit I often do judge a book by its cover. Leah Merrill got my attention with the chest and the bunny.
Cute cover aside, Damiano’s Rescue grabbed my attention with the FMC Paige’s free-spirited, quirky nature. Her lack of self-awareness came across in a fun and humorous way. Paige’s internal narrative was perfectly written, and her interactions with the mafia enforcer Damiano had some of the best comedic timing. I am still laughing about Damiano’s fake coma scenes and the pet store sequence, which I could easily see happening on the big screen. And Romeo, the adorable rabbit that is attached to Damiano.
Damiano’s Rescue is a highly captivating, fast-paced mafia romance with humor and lots of steam. I loved the introduction to Rob’s character and plot line, which will lead into Book 2.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘩 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰’𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺.
Cute cover aside, Damiano’s Rescue grabbed my attention with the FMC Paige’s free-spirited, quirky nature. Her lack of self-awareness came across in a fun and humorous way. Paige’s internal narrative was perfectly written, and her interactions with the mafia enforcer Damiano had some of the best comedic timing. I am still laughing about Damiano’s fake coma scenes and the pet store sequence, which I could easily see happening on the big screen. And Romeo, the adorable rabbit that is attached to Damiano.
Damiano’s Rescue is a highly captivating, fast-paced mafia romance with humor and lots of steam. I loved the introduction to Rob’s character and plot line, which will lead into Book 2.
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘈𝘶𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘳 𝘓𝘦𝘢𝘩 𝘔𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘨𝘪𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘤𝘰𝘱𝘺 𝘰𝘧 𝘋𝘢𝘮𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘰’𝘴 𝘙𝘦𝘴𝘤𝘶𝘦. 𝘐 𝘢𝘮 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘷𝘰𝘭𝘶𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘳𝘪𝘭𝘺.
April 25, 2025
This book had me crying (laughing) at the banter between Paige, the silly girl FMC, and Damiano, the hot Italian mafia enforcer. Paige finds Dom in the back of her car all banged up and proceeds to “nurse” him back to health, all the while he is playing like he is in a coma. The internal dialogue Leah writes for each of these characters is hysterical, yet so relatable. The spice was 🤌🏼 perfect. I thoroughly enjoyed myself reading this novel and look forward to reading Rob’s Struggle when it releases!
July 19, 2025
This has to be one of the worst books I’ve ever read. I’m mad that I finished it I should have dnf’d it.
March 17, 2025
4.5 stars --Possible spoilers near the end of my review.
I'm not going to lie, the cover caught my eye. Maybe not in a good way. I thought, what in the world is this? But then I read the blurb and immediately downloaded the book. Did the cover and blurb match? Not really, but it definitely made me want to see what this book was about!
So we have our heroine Paige, who I thought was really dumb, as in not all there. However, as I continued to read I realized she's not stupid, just really confident and optimistic, and that's really sweet. It also explains how she ends up taking care of a menagerie of injured animals as well as our hero, Damiano.
This book made me laugh a whole lot. I was not expecting as much humor in a mafia romance, but I truly enjoyed this book and watching the characters find their way. My only hang-up is the stereotypical third act breakup seemed like it didn't belong and didn't fit the storyline. However, that is often the case with 3rd act breakups, so it is what it is.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I'm not going to lie, the cover caught my eye. Maybe not in a good way. I thought, what in the world is this? But then I read the blurb and immediately downloaded the book. Did the cover and blurb match? Not really, but it definitely made me want to see what this book was about!
So we have our heroine Paige, who I thought was really dumb, as in not all there. However, as I continued to read I realized she's not stupid, just really confident and optimistic, and that's really sweet. It also explains how she ends up taking care of a menagerie of injured animals as well as our hero, Damiano.
This book made me laugh a whole lot. I was not expecting as much humor in a mafia romance, but I truly enjoyed this book and watching the characters find their way. My only hang-up is the stereotypical third act breakup seemed like it didn't belong and didn't fit the storyline. However, that is often the case with 3rd act breakups, so it is what it is.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 9, 2025
SO REAL
Damiano and Paige. An enforcer. A protector. A woman who has no future. She rescues him. She takes care of him thinking hes out but hes really playing possum. But he has drawn her into his world now.
Love how a man who swears he'll never but absolutly does when the one comes along. Loved these two charecters. They were so entertaining and intriguing. Theres humor and their banter…… well it was entertaining as well and grabs you emotionaly.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Damiano and Paige. An enforcer. A protector. A woman who has no future. She rescues him. She takes care of him thinking hes out but hes really playing possum. But he has drawn her into his world now.
Love how a man who swears he'll never but absolutly does when the one comes along. Loved these two charecters. They were so entertaining and intriguing. Theres humor and their banter…… well it was entertaining as well and grabs you emotionaly.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
July 14, 2025
loved it. I laughed so many times.
March 31, 2025
Damiano and Paige . . .
Damiano, an enforcer for the Galliano crime family, is a very tough guy. And yet when he meets Paige, a disaster waiting to happen, he is kind and protective with her, once he is conscious of course. He is injured when she finds him, semi-conscious but still aware and able to feel the pain of his wounds. But when she begins his “treatment”, she assumes he is in a coma and, although not medically trained, she dives right in to stitch him up! YouTube has provided most of her training, and she is confident she is doing the very best for her unlucky patient who continues to let her fix him up. The sponge bath is something that may take some time for readers to recover from. But once we stop laughing, we know to expect the unexpected at all times! When his enemies track him down, he will protect her at all costs! But will he have to walk away from her when he goes back to his “normal” job?
Damiano, an enforcer for the Galliano crime family, is a very tough guy. And yet when he meets Paige, a disaster waiting to happen, he is kind and protective with her, once he is conscious of course. He is injured when she finds him, semi-conscious but still aware and able to feel the pain of his wounds. But when she begins his “treatment”, she assumes he is in a coma and, although not medically trained, she dives right in to stitch him up! YouTube has provided most of her training, and she is confident she is doing the very best for her unlucky patient who continues to let her fix him up. The sponge bath is something that may take some time for readers to recover from. But once we stop laughing, we know to expect the unexpected at all times! When his enemies track him down, he will protect her at all costs! But will he have to walk away from her when he goes back to his “normal” job?
May 5, 2025
I was immediately hooked from just the blurb. Okay, maybe the cover with the hot guy holding a bunny was the first thing that caught my attention, but it was the blurb that made me buy it. Damiano is an enforcer who’s bleeding out in the park when Paige finds him and takes him home instead of a hospital, at his vehement request. What especially intrigued me about the blurb was that he thought she was a nurse, she’s not, and that she was so awful at stitching him up, she really is, and that he’s pretending to be in a coma.
Damiano is the ultimate no strings man with his set in concrete rules of no kissing, no cuddling and no sleepovers. Paige is the woman who’s going to make break all of his rules while he loves every minute of it. The humor throughout the book is laugh out loud funny. Whether it’s Damiano’s internal dialogue during his coma care, his utter disbelief at Paige’s naivety or the banter with either his best friends Rod and Salvo or Paige’s best friend, Gina. Everybody needs a best friend like Gina. She’s outrageous, funny and so full of life with a loyalty and support system for Paige that just doesn’t quit. There’s also a quiet inner strength about her and a mad mutual attraction going on with Paige’s Navy Commander brother, Brian, that I’m hoping will be explored more in a book of their own. And Rod and Salvo aren’t just his brothers in arms, they’re the brothers in his heart and they have his back in business and in life. Ride or die relationships are a theme throughout the book and I couldn’t get enough of any of them. There’s not a single character, no matter if they’re at the forefront of the story or brought in for one scene, that doesn’t just come to life and leave you feeling something by the interaction.
When a rival mob catches up to Damiano, he takes Paige with him along with the turtle and rabbit that she’s been rehabilitating. It’s absolutely enchanting to see a hardass like Damiano melt inside every time that he looks at his girl. Paige has a lot of trust issues with men thanks to prior relationships but with Damiano, she trusts him completely. It’s his job that she has a problem with that sets off a rollercoaster of emotion once the reality of their relationship sets in. For such an unbelievably crazy, fun ride on the way to falling in love, their heartache was as real as it gets and the time they took to see what they could and could not accept in order to be together was worth the reunion.
Heart, humor and angst. This books has it all and I’m looking forward to reading so much more of this series.
Damiano is the ultimate no strings man with his set in concrete rules of no kissing, no cuddling and no sleepovers. Paige is the woman who’s going to make break all of his rules while he loves every minute of it. The humor throughout the book is laugh out loud funny. Whether it’s Damiano’s internal dialogue during his coma care, his utter disbelief at Paige’s naivety or the banter with either his best friends Rod and Salvo or Paige’s best friend, Gina. Everybody needs a best friend like Gina. She’s outrageous, funny and so full of life with a loyalty and support system for Paige that just doesn’t quit. There’s also a quiet inner strength about her and a mad mutual attraction going on with Paige’s Navy Commander brother, Brian, that I’m hoping will be explored more in a book of their own. And Rod and Salvo aren’t just his brothers in arms, they’re the brothers in his heart and they have his back in business and in life. Ride or die relationships are a theme throughout the book and I couldn’t get enough of any of them. There’s not a single character, no matter if they’re at the forefront of the story or brought in for one scene, that doesn’t just come to life and leave you feeling something by the interaction.
When a rival mob catches up to Damiano, he takes Paige with him along with the turtle and rabbit that she’s been rehabilitating. It’s absolutely enchanting to see a hardass like Damiano melt inside every time that he looks at his girl. Paige has a lot of trust issues with men thanks to prior relationships but with Damiano, she trusts him completely. It’s his job that she has a problem with that sets off a rollercoaster of emotion once the reality of their relationship sets in. For such an unbelievably crazy, fun ride on the way to falling in love, their heartache was as real as it gets and the time they took to see what they could and could not accept in order to be together was worth the reunion.
Heart, humor and angst. This books has it all and I’m looking forward to reading so much more of this series.
March 27, 2025
Who knew a mafia romance could have you snorting with laughter while still delivering the dark, dangerous vibes? Well, Leah pulls it off spectacularly in this gem of a book. Sure, Damiano isn’t afraid to get his hands dirty—very dirty at times—but somehow, between the bloodstains and bullets, this story delivers some of the best rom-com-worthy moments I’ve read in a while.
Paige, our lovable, chaotic tornado of an FMC, is a walking disaster with a heart of gold, determined to get her wildlife rehabilitator license so she can save injured critters. But when she stumbles upon a different kind of wounded creature—a semi-conscious, bullet-riddled mafia enforcer in her car—her rescue instincts kick into overdrive. And, in true Paige fashion, she decides that YouTube is a perfectly acceptable substitute for medical school. Unfortunately for Damiano, her enthusiasm for stitching up a bullet wound far exceeds her actual skill. With a price on his head, Damiano makes the genius decision to play dead—or at least pretend to be comatose in order to stay where he is. What follows is a series of absolutely hysterical hijinks, including a rather awkward sponge bath scene that had me in stitches. No pun intended. But somewhere between dodging danger and wrangling Paige’s menagerie of misfit pets (including a three-legged rabbit and a turtle with a DIY shell repair), Damiano finds himself completely and utterly hooked on this disaster-prone, big-hearted woman. One of my favorite things about Damiano was the way he never once tears Paige down. Even when she’s a walking, talking calamity, he builds her up, supports her, and lets her shine. And the banter was absolute gold. The side characters, especially Paige’s BFF Gina, only add to the fun. The only part that didn’t quite land for me was the third-act breakup. It felt unnecessary given that Paige always knew exactly who Damiano was. But it did serve to showcase just how deeply he cared for her. All in all, this book was an absolute delight, and I’ll be front and center with the popcorn to see who brings Damiano’s boss to his knees.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Paige, our lovable, chaotic tornado of an FMC, is a walking disaster with a heart of gold, determined to get her wildlife rehabilitator license so she can save injured critters. But when she stumbles upon a different kind of wounded creature—a semi-conscious, bullet-riddled mafia enforcer in her car—her rescue instincts kick into overdrive. And, in true Paige fashion, she decides that YouTube is a perfectly acceptable substitute for medical school. Unfortunately for Damiano, her enthusiasm for stitching up a bullet wound far exceeds her actual skill. With a price on his head, Damiano makes the genius decision to play dead—or at least pretend to be comatose in order to stay where he is. What follows is a series of absolutely hysterical hijinks, including a rather awkward sponge bath scene that had me in stitches. No pun intended. But somewhere between dodging danger and wrangling Paige’s menagerie of misfit pets (including a three-legged rabbit and a turtle with a DIY shell repair), Damiano finds himself completely and utterly hooked on this disaster-prone, big-hearted woman. One of my favorite things about Damiano was the way he never once tears Paige down. Even when she’s a walking, talking calamity, he builds her up, supports her, and lets her shine. And the banter was absolute gold. The side characters, especially Paige’s BFF Gina, only add to the fun. The only part that didn’t quite land for me was the third-act breakup. It felt unnecessary given that Paige always knew exactly who Damiano was. But it did serve to showcase just how deeply he cared for her. All in all, this book was an absolute delight, and I’ll be front and center with the popcorn to see who brings Damiano’s boss to his knees.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 12, 2025
Damiano's Rescue is a standalone contemporary romance by Leah Merrill and is the first book of her new mafia romance series, The Famiglia.
This story is an interesting mix of gritty, mafia violence and crime, mixed with the soft tender-heartedness of a woman whose passion is to rescue animals (and plants), including rabbits and turtles.
Damiano is ex-Italian special forces and now lives in the US and is an enforcer Galliano crime family. He is a killer and is unrepentant. In fact, he enjoys torturing and interrogating his enemies to extract the information that his boss needs. When he is involved in a shoot out in a public park, he's in trouble for a multitude of reasons, but when he finds an old car, he meets Paige.
Paige is sweet and comes across as a tiny bit ditzy. But she has a massive heart, good intentions. And so when she finds Damiano bleeding out and he refuses to go to a hospital, she uses her skills from rescuing wildlife to save him.
For *reasons* Damiano makes out he's on unconcious for a number of days, in which time he observes Paige, and taking advantage of when she goes to work to shower, eat, etc. On finding out Damiano's awake, Paige finds herself tossed into a pool of confusion, between the whole mafia thing, her attraction for Damiano, the danger that seems to be coming after both of them. There's a lot going on and the attraction/romance is the simplest thing going on.
The characters here are complex and that is what kept me hooked. Damiano is not a good person, but he seems like he is the right person for Paige. Paige seems totally unaware, but really, she is a watcher and she isn't totally oblivious to what's going on. I really enjoyed the development of their individual characters as well as their development together as a couple.
I have to say, having a read of the sample from the next book in the series, I found myself having a bit of a laugh at Damiano. The guy is really a sweet teddy bear when it comes to Paige.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This story is an interesting mix of gritty, mafia violence and crime, mixed with the soft tender-heartedness of a woman whose passion is to rescue animals (and plants), including rabbits and turtles.
Damiano is ex-Italian special forces and now lives in the US and is an enforcer Galliano crime family. He is a killer and is unrepentant. In fact, he enjoys torturing and interrogating his enemies to extract the information that his boss needs. When he is involved in a shoot out in a public park, he's in trouble for a multitude of reasons, but when he finds an old car, he meets Paige.
Paige is sweet and comes across as a tiny bit ditzy. But she has a massive heart, good intentions. And so when she finds Damiano bleeding out and he refuses to go to a hospital, she uses her skills from rescuing wildlife to save him.
For *reasons* Damiano makes out he's on unconcious for a number of days, in which time he observes Paige, and taking advantage of when she goes to work to shower, eat, etc. On finding out Damiano's awake, Paige finds herself tossed into a pool of confusion, between the whole mafia thing, her attraction for Damiano, the danger that seems to be coming after both of them. There's a lot going on and the attraction/romance is the simplest thing going on.
The characters here are complex and that is what kept me hooked. Damiano is not a good person, but he seems like he is the right person for Paige. Paige seems totally unaware, but really, she is a watcher and she isn't totally oblivious to what's going on. I really enjoyed the development of their individual characters as well as their development together as a couple.
I have to say, having a read of the sample from the next book in the series, I found myself having a bit of a laugh at Damiano. The guy is really a sweet teddy bear when it comes to Paige.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 4, 2025
❤️🔥🐰Damiano's Rescue🐰❤️🔥
✍🏼: @authorleahmerrill
📍Ratings
5⭐️
3.5🌶️
2.5🖤
📍My Opinion
Hello, my girly girls!
It’s review day again, yay!
To say that I liked this book is an understatement; I feel like I’ve fallen in love with the book itself. The story has definitely stayed with me, and I know that this is a book I’ll be rereading throughout the years.
Paige is undoubtedly a very unique and special FMC. Her spontaneity made me fall in love with her, and she’s such a funny character. I definitely enjoyed laughing at every situation our FMC found herself in, but no one can deny that she has a heart so big that she would help any animal or person who crossed her path, although the question is whether they would make it out alive. 🤭😂
Damiano, our MMC. WHAT A MAN! I’m telling you, he had me on my knees in a second. You never know when you’ll meet the perfect person for you; it can be in a park in the middle of the night.. who knows👀🤭 I loved how, even though he was in a situation that could be described as dangerous, he let everything flow while allowing himself to be taken care of by his Angel; and his beloved rules? Well, who needs rules when the right person comes along?
This is a fast-paced book that hooks you from the first page. You can feel the tension between the characters from the start. There were definitely scenes that made me laugh like a little girl and others that simply made me want to have a fan in front of me to cool me down.
📍Do I recommend it?
Yes, yes, yes! Don’t even need to think twice!
I feel like this book is perfect for all types of readers, from those who want to see what dark romance is like without going too deep, to those who are looking for something lighter with excellent characters, a touch of humor, and spice.
So don’t wait any longer and order Damiano’s Rescue now. And when you have it, come back and tell me.
What was your favorite moment?
✍🏼: @authorleahmerrill
📍Ratings
5⭐️
3.5🌶️
2.5🖤
📍My Opinion
Hello, my girly girls!
It’s review day again, yay!
To say that I liked this book is an understatement; I feel like I’ve fallen in love with the book itself. The story has definitely stayed with me, and I know that this is a book I’ll be rereading throughout the years.
Paige is undoubtedly a very unique and special FMC. Her spontaneity made me fall in love with her, and she’s such a funny character. I definitely enjoyed laughing at every situation our FMC found herself in, but no one can deny that she has a heart so big that she would help any animal or person who crossed her path, although the question is whether they would make it out alive. 🤭😂
Damiano, our MMC. WHAT A MAN! I’m telling you, he had me on my knees in a second. You never know when you’ll meet the perfect person for you; it can be in a park in the middle of the night.. who knows👀🤭 I loved how, even though he was in a situation that could be described as dangerous, he let everything flow while allowing himself to be taken care of by his Angel; and his beloved rules? Well, who needs rules when the right person comes along?
This is a fast-paced book that hooks you from the first page. You can feel the tension between the characters from the start. There were definitely scenes that made me laugh like a little girl and others that simply made me want to have a fan in front of me to cool me down.
📍Do I recommend it?
Yes, yes, yes! Don’t even need to think twice!
I feel like this book is perfect for all types of readers, from those who want to see what dark romance is like without going too deep, to those who are looking for something lighter with excellent characters, a touch of humor, and spice.
So don’t wait any longer and order Damiano’s Rescue now. And when you have it, come back and tell me.
What was your favorite moment?
September 14, 2025
I didn't enjoy this book nearly as much as I hoped to. Maybe I just didn't know what I was getting into with this book, as I thought the blurb sounded pretty good, but the book was "meh."
I actually considered DNF-ing a few times in the first 25% of the book. Damiano is always thinking about the "Cat girls" at the stripper joint he, his friend, and boss frequent / own. He always thinks about how they've given him the best showers, the best days, the best "experiences," blah blah blah. It gets tiresome and just makes him seem more and more like a pig. It's pretty offputting. While he pretends to be in a coma like state with Paige, he does all of this AND thinks about how hot she is, about her body parts, etc. If you remove all of this, the book would be quite a bit shorter. After a while, I just just that - skipped over all of the "spicier" scenes to get on with the story. When you remove them, not a whole lot is going on.
To summarize? Paige rescues animals she comes across that need help. After releasing an opossum, she goes back to her car to find a bleeding man passed out, partially hanging out of her back seat. She takes him home to help him. He lays low, tries figuring out why someone turned on him, etc. Eventually, someone takes the blame, and that's pretty much the end of it. Paige was unknowingly in danger for a while since they associated her with him, but that doesn't go much further.
It's a bit of a dull book. I liked the animals, I liked Paige for the most part, especially her dedication to helping those in need and to protect those she cares about. I don't be reading any more books in this series, though.
I actually considered DNF-ing a few times in the first 25% of the book. Damiano is always thinking about the "Cat girls" at the stripper joint he, his friend, and boss frequent / own. He always thinks about how they've given him the best showers, the best days, the best "experiences," blah blah blah. It gets tiresome and just makes him seem more and more like a pig. It's pretty offputting. While he pretends to be in a coma like state with Paige, he does all of this AND thinks about how hot she is, about her body parts, etc. If you remove all of this, the book would be quite a bit shorter. After a while, I just just that - skipped over all of the "spicier" scenes to get on with the story. When you remove them, not a whole lot is going on.
To summarize? Paige rescues animals she comes across that need help. After releasing an opossum, she goes back to her car to find a bleeding man passed out, partially hanging out of her back seat. She takes him home to help him. He lays low, tries figuring out why someone turned on him, etc. Eventually, someone takes the blame, and that's pretty much the end of it. Paige was unknowingly in danger for a while since they associated her with him, but that doesn't go much further.
It's a bit of a dull book. I liked the animals, I liked Paige for the most part, especially her dedication to helping those in need and to protect those she cares about. I don't be reading any more books in this series, though.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 2, 2025
This could have been a five star read but the writing was a little sloppy sometimes you know like the author just had no clue what to write or how to make a solution for a situation.
While I liked how this two grow to more in the relationship and how Daminao fell for Paige and what his inner monologue said about her was really cute.
At the beginning we had some thoughts of him with strippers but not to much and I was ok with it because the moment he laid his eyes on Paige it was only her for him.
I loved the banter and how sweet Damiano was with Paige.He was so in to her and always looking out for her.
The writing in the beginning was amazing.
Why not them 5 stars ?
Because the stupid unnecessary breakup that’s why .
After she found him and he would give her all she deserved and desires she could handle him being and doing what she knew from day one ? Really ? He was always honest with her about his job for the mob for fucks sake she knew he is in the mafia.He did a good job to separate her from this side of his life.Instead of writing about them how they fight for each other came this boring last part with the nonsense her annoying bbf telling her to move on bla bla bla.
Then came the rush at the end and almost ruined the story for me.
But thats on the author here sorry to say this but after the Breakup part I skipped a lot like the unnessery stuff with her bbf’s stupid suggestions and relationship advice talk then this strange talk to her brother for what?!?
It wouldn’t be fair to rate it less then 4 stars because I really liked the beginning and Damiano with Paige the most of the book.
And they stayed faithful to each other….buh thx for that!
While I liked how this two grow to more in the relationship and how Daminao fell for Paige and what his inner monologue said about her was really cute.
At the beginning we had some thoughts of him with strippers but not to much and I was ok with it because the moment he laid his eyes on Paige it was only her for him.
I loved the banter and how sweet Damiano was with Paige.He was so in to her and always looking out for her.
The writing in the beginning was amazing.
Why not them 5 stars ?
Because the stupid unnecessary breakup that’s why .
After she found him and he would give her all she deserved and desires she could handle him being and doing what she knew from day one ? Really ? He was always honest with her about his job for the mob for fucks sake she knew he is in the mafia.He did a good job to separate her from this side of his life.Instead of writing about them how they fight for each other came this boring last part with the nonsense her annoying bbf telling her to move on bla bla bla.
Then came the rush at the end and almost ruined the story for me.
But thats on the author here sorry to say this but after the Breakup part I skipped a lot like the unnessery stuff with her bbf’s stupid suggestions and relationship advice talk then this strange talk to her brother for what?!?
It wouldn’t be fair to rate it less then 4 stars because I really liked the beginning and Damiano with Paige the most of the book.
And they stayed faithful to each other….buh thx for that!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2025
She has the heart for rehabbing wild animals. She has been doing it one project at a time and then releasing them back into the wild. She is releasing her latest possum, when she finds a man with gunshot wounds asking for her help. She ends up with him on her couch treating his wounds. Someone in his organization is a traitor and he isn’t sure yet who it is so he needs to lie low, pretending to still be unconscious while she’s treating him. But when she realizes that he’s heard all of the conversations she has secretly poured out to him thinking he couldn’t hear her, everything changes. This book exceeded my expectations. As far as the mafia aspect, it wasn’t very structured, and felt a little more like a blue-collar mafia than the traditional. Even with the mafia drama arc running through the story, the romance was still definitely at the forefront. It was very character driven with both of them being very unique and well detail, detailed. He is a big hunk of Italian man with muscles and green eyes, who has a natural way with animals, and tending plants. She is fun and quirky with a heart of gold and just wants to save things and make the world a better place, whether it is a dying plant on the curb or a baby squirrel that fell out of the tree she wants to save it. There is humor to this story, there are some very spicy times, and there are two unlikely people falling in love. It is really an enjoyable read with a happily ever after.
I received a free copy of this book as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.
November 13, 2025
Sorry, DNF at 30%. The FMC is completely clueless, and the MMC is a sex addict and by 30% I hadn't found anything likeable about him.
The cover art is hilarious and what got my attention. It was a cute hook as the MMC suffers a gunshot wound, and the FMC declares him a 'rescue'. I was giggling and enjoying it....right up until it became so absurdly bad and improbable it pulled me out.
Hey, FMC, if your patient hasn't moved or shown signs of life in FOUR days, and hasn't even gone to the bathroom, there's something going on. You did a bad sponge bath, but he takes a full shower while you're at work, and you don't even notice? But hey, just listen to your bestie when she suggests the best way to check for signs of life is to touch his junk. Great idea! And the MMC really thinks he can play comatose for four days....because her place is the only spot he can hide out and not a safe house?? Because he gets turned on when she 'nurses' him?? Just no, and his dialogue and thoughts....yeah I don't find him attractive or likable so couldn't get into his character at all.
I wanted to give it a chance because of the cute hook, but damn, the FMC is completely clueless, the MMC is really doing it for the sex, and the plot makes no sense. Sorry, but maybe if the reveal that he's really awake took place much sooner and not after four days, then it MIGHT actually make more sense.
The cover art is hilarious and what got my attention. It was a cute hook as the MMC suffers a gunshot wound, and the FMC declares him a 'rescue'. I was giggling and enjoying it....right up until it became so absurdly bad and improbable it pulled me out.
Hey, FMC, if your patient hasn't moved or shown signs of life in FOUR days, and hasn't even gone to the bathroom, there's something going on. You did a bad sponge bath, but he takes a full shower while you're at work, and you don't even notice? But hey, just listen to your bestie when she suggests the best way to check for signs of life is to touch his junk. Great idea! And the MMC really thinks he can play comatose for four days....because her place is the only spot he can hide out and not a safe house?? Because he gets turned on when she 'nurses' him?? Just no, and his dialogue and thoughts....yeah I don't find him attractive or likable so couldn't get into his character at all.
I wanted to give it a chance because of the cute hook, but damn, the FMC is completely clueless, the MMC is really doing it for the sex, and the plot makes no sense. Sorry, but maybe if the reveal that he's really awake took place much sooner and not after four days, then it MIGHT actually make more sense.
September 8, 2025
What's that you hear? My cackling all the way from the PNW? Yeah, sure is.
I'm not even sure where to start with this book, but I imagine this is sort of what unhinged real life mafia life may be like. Romance style.
Paige is truly one of the sweetest, most optimistic FMCs I've ever read. She rehabilitates animals she finds and now mafia enforcers who wind up in her car. And Dom? He thanks his lucky stars it's Paige who finds him and cares for him (even if it's not the best!) because it doesn't get better than Paige. He doesn't kiss, he doesn't cuddle, and he doesn't do sleepovers. Every rule thrown out the window when Paige enters his life. He takes care of her plants and Romeo the Rabbit (it's a real rabbit, not a toy).
All their interactions are top notch. Yes, the spice is great. Yes, Merrill writes in Italian (and nails it says someone who is still semi-fluent in it). But the banter and comedy? Serpentine, serpentine! I just about died snorting with laughter.
It's shocking it took a friend tagging me in a post to find out about this book and Merrill. I've already picked up the next one in the series to read and I can't wait for the 3rd book!
🔥Forced proximity
🔥Morally grey MMC meets chaotic and quirky FMC
🔥Praise kink
🔥Fake coma / fake nurse
🔥Standalone HEA
Thank you to Leah Merrill for the gifted copy!
I'm not even sure where to start with this book, but I imagine this is sort of what unhinged real life mafia life may be like. Romance style.
Paige is truly one of the sweetest, most optimistic FMCs I've ever read. She rehabilitates animals she finds and now mafia enforcers who wind up in her car. And Dom? He thanks his lucky stars it's Paige who finds him and cares for him (even if it's not the best!) because it doesn't get better than Paige. He doesn't kiss, he doesn't cuddle, and he doesn't do sleepovers. Every rule thrown out the window when Paige enters his life. He takes care of her plants and Romeo the Rabbit (it's a real rabbit, not a toy).
All their interactions are top notch. Yes, the spice is great. Yes, Merrill writes in Italian (and nails it says someone who is still semi-fluent in it). But the banter and comedy? Serpentine, serpentine! I just about died snorting with laughter.
It's shocking it took a friend tagging me in a post to find out about this book and Merrill. I've already picked up the next one in the series to read and I can't wait for the 3rd book!
🔥Forced proximity
🔥Morally grey MMC meets chaotic and quirky FMC
🔥Praise kink
🔥Fake coma / fake nurse
🔥Standalone HEA
Thank you to Leah Merrill for the gifted copy!
March 30, 2025
This book is amazing! If you're looking for a spicy Mafia romance, this is it! There is no slow build up in this story, you just hit the ground running and don't even think of stopping. I love that this is the start to a series, because I definitely want more of the lives of these Italian Mafia men and their other halves.
Dom can only be described as a ruggedly smoking hot dangerous man, with a soft and loyal interior that only a couple people experience. He definitely has a happy trigger finger since it comes with the territory, but to the delight of some people it's not just used for violence.
Paige is a cute caring independent woman on a mission to rescue poor innocent souls while looking for the courage to try for more in life. Her loving and caring touch may only result in a 50 percent success rate in some circumstances, but in a different light her touch has heads rolling.
Who knew that everything would change all in one night, and a snowball of events would result from a chance-encounter!
I highly recommend this book. The tension is high, the personalities are lovable, and the bedroom scenes are blush-worthy!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Dom can only be described as a ruggedly smoking hot dangerous man, with a soft and loyal interior that only a couple people experience. He definitely has a happy trigger finger since it comes with the territory, but to the delight of some people it's not just used for violence.
Paige is a cute caring independent woman on a mission to rescue poor innocent souls while looking for the courage to try for more in life. Her loving and caring touch may only result in a 50 percent success rate in some circumstances, but in a different light her touch has heads rolling.
Who knew that everything would change all in one night, and a snowball of events would result from a chance-encounter!
I highly recommend this book. The tension is high, the personalities are lovable, and the bedroom scenes are blush-worthy!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 7, 2025
So making a girl look so naive, gullible, and good at nothing, while showing the mc as this super multi talented dude who is an enforcer, knows how to take care of plants and animals, considered a good book!?
I don't care, that I am not amongst the majority, but honestly I absolutely hated the way paige was showcased as a girl, whose only talent lied in how sexy her body was, was legitly pathetic. It's not me saying, but what the mc keeps thinking too, yeah the mc needs the fmc, not for her spectacularly portrayed skills but because of her big tits and holes. She was a paralegal, but the author had to show that she gets fired from there, and got a job through Dom's enforcy way to help her get a job, cuz why not add another utterly pathetic trait into her character to make the mc look like a caring man. Yeah way to objectify a woman. The fact that it's written by a woman, makes me more sad.
No amount of the love(superficial surface level love) or the pitiful way of showcasing the story and the characters, could ever make me aww for this crap. I need bleach and time machine to erase the mistake of choosing to read this book.
I don't care, that I am not amongst the majority, but honestly I absolutely hated the way paige was showcased as a girl, whose only talent lied in how sexy her body was, was legitly pathetic. It's not me saying, but what the mc keeps thinking too, yeah the mc needs the fmc, not for her spectacularly portrayed skills but because of her big tits and holes. She was a paralegal, but the author had to show that she gets fired from there, and got a job through Dom's enforcy way to help her get a job, cuz why not add another utterly pathetic trait into her character to make the mc look like a caring man. Yeah way to objectify a woman. The fact that it's written by a woman, makes me more sad.
No amount of the love(superficial surface level love) or the pitiful way of showcasing the story and the characters, could ever make me aww for this crap. I need bleach and time machine to erase the mistake of choosing to read this book.
April 9, 2025
A good time! By MeemsAngel82
This was such a fun read! I'm warning you all now though, please do not read at work. This had be laughing so hard and I loved it! From the very start your attention is captured and held. The chemistry is hot and I had tears laughing so much.
She loves to save things and he is her biggest project of all.
Oh my goodness! The tears leaking out of my eyes! I love these two! So funny and so sexy. She had my empathy, this girl had such a huge heart and wanted to save and cuddle everything. That's delightful! He is appreciating her tender care and can't keep away. Together they have a crazy courtship and are so great together. One thing? The strip club he apparently frequents, he is VERY active there. And he thinks of his good times and various females he enjoys, several times over in the story. If it were just his friend doing so, ok. But it's our male lead and I don't get into stuff like that. To each their own. Regardless, a hysterical tale of taking care and needing someone. Loved this! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was such a fun read! I'm warning you all now though, please do not read at work. This had be laughing so hard and I loved it! From the very start your attention is captured and held. The chemistry is hot and I had tears laughing so much.
She loves to save things and he is her biggest project of all.
Oh my goodness! The tears leaking out of my eyes! I love these two! So funny and so sexy. She had my empathy, this girl had such a huge heart and wanted to save and cuddle everything. That's delightful! He is appreciating her tender care and can't keep away. Together they have a crazy courtship and are so great together. One thing? The strip club he apparently frequents, he is VERY active there. And he thinks of his good times and various females he enjoys, several times over in the story. If it were just his friend doing so, ok. But it's our male lead and I don't get into stuff like that. To each their own. Regardless, a hysterical tale of taking care and needing someone. Loved this! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
April 13, 2025
ღ BOOK REVIEW ღ
Damiano’s Rescue The Famiglia (Book 1)
Leah Merrill
★★★★
𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔~
I will be honest the cover grabbed my attention because cute bunny, opened the book because the blurb sounded intriguing and I love Mafia romance. I finished the book because I was hooked from the beginning with the literal laugh out loud snorting from the back and forth between Paige and Gina (her best friend). The laughing carries through out the book and tones down the darker theme that you get with Mafia.
Paige is portrayed as kinda not always self aware maybe even clueless but has a big heart and is overall sweet. Damiano was definitely nothing like I was expecting (in a good way). I loved the overall banter, quirks and the Famiglie feeling between the men. Gina deserves to be appreciated as well.
“𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝒸𝓊𝑒 𝒶 𝒻**𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓇, 𝒫𝒶𝒾𝑔𝑒? 𝒟𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒. 𝒯𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓀.”
The book is marketed as a standalone and it does have Paige and Dom finding happiness but some of the plot is not concluded and continues into book two which I absolutely will be reading when it comes out. The book was not at all what I was expecting going in and I’m glad I read it!!
Damiano’s Rescue The Famiglia (Book 1)
Leah Merrill
★★★★
𝑻𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒔~
I will be honest the cover grabbed my attention because cute bunny, opened the book because the blurb sounded intriguing and I love Mafia romance. I finished the book because I was hooked from the beginning with the literal laugh out loud snorting from the back and forth between Paige and Gina (her best friend). The laughing carries through out the book and tones down the darker theme that you get with Mafia.
Paige is portrayed as kinda not always self aware maybe even clueless but has a big heart and is overall sweet. Damiano was definitely nothing like I was expecting (in a good way). I loved the overall banter, quirks and the Famiglie feeling between the men. Gina deserves to be appreciated as well.
“𝒟𝒾𝒹 𝓎𝑜𝓊 𝓇𝑒𝓈𝒸𝓊𝑒 𝒶 𝒻**𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷𝑒𝒶𝓇, 𝒫𝒶𝒾𝑔𝑒? 𝒟𝑜 𝓃𝑜𝓉 𝒷𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓉 𝒾𝓃 𝒽𝑒𝓇𝑒. 𝒯𝒶𝓀𝑒 𝒾𝓉 𝒷𝒶𝒸𝓀 𝓉𝑜 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝓅𝒶𝓇𝓀.”
The book is marketed as a standalone and it does have Paige and Dom finding happiness but some of the plot is not concluded and continues into book two which I absolutely will be reading when it comes out. The book was not at all what I was expecting going in and I’m glad I read it!!
June 30, 2025
This is a steamy mafia romance with the violence and bloodshed I would expect, but it also had me laughing pretty much all the way through which is not something expected when reading a mafia romance. When Paige finds a bleeding man at the park she doesn't call the police, or an ambulance, oh no, she takes him home with her to nurse him back to health. Damiano is the enforcer for the Galliano crime family, but after being ambushed he doesn't know who he can trust. However, he is willing to let Paige to take care of him until he can figure out who he can trust, hopefully she won't kill him with her clumsy attempts to nurse him back to health, and while not in ideal part of the city nobody would look for him at her apartment. Loved these characters! The very unusual circumstance of their first meeting had me in stitches, and their fascinating, always entertaining dialog kept me glued to the pages and engrossed. Some unexpected twists in the plot and a happily ever after kept me engaged and made it nearly impossible to put this book down. I loved this book and recommend it to other readers.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC received from Hidden Gems.
I voluntarily reviewed a complimentary ARC received from Hidden Gems.
March 24, 2025
Not often a book will make me laugh out loud, but this? Extremely good banter between the FMC and MMC. (and later on between MMC and another Mafia guy). Paige rescues injured small wild animals in order to attain Wildlife Rehabilitation License. It is when she is actually releasing one of her more successful attempts that she comes across our MMC who has been shot and is now taking refuge in her car. She takes him home in order to attend his wounds and, although there are few butchered stitches, she does a better job with him than some of the critters from her past attempts.
MMC is a Mafia enforcer (so not a complete good guy), but once he catches a glimpse of his 'angel' tending his wounds and subjecting him to an interesting sponge bath he knows he can't let her go.
A great read if you are tempted to dabble in to your first Mafia romance. I'm looking forward to the subsequent books following the other characters depicted in this one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
MMC is a Mafia enforcer (so not a complete good guy), but once he catches a glimpse of his 'angel' tending his wounds and subjecting him to an interesting sponge bath he knows he can't let her go.
A great read if you are tempted to dabble in to your first Mafia romance. I'm looking forward to the subsequent books following the other characters depicted in this one.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
March 24, 2025
I know that the old adage says, don’t judge a book by its cover, but I’m glad that I ignored this rule when I saw the cover for Damiano’s Rescue by Leah Merrill. Once I saw that the cover included an attractive shirtless man cuddling a bunny, and the tagline nothing comes between a hit man and his bunny, I knew I had to read this book, and Im so glad that I did. Once I started this book, I was hooked and stayed up past my bedtime to finish it. I have been on a mafia book kick recently; and this book was a breath of fresh air for me. Paige and Damiano are probably one of my favorite book couples. Their banter had me laughing out loud multiple times, and the chemistry between them had the right amount of spice. The side characters were fun to read and I can’t wait to read more about them. Damiano’s Rescue was an amazing introduction to the Famiglia, and Im excited to read the rest of the series! I received an advanced review copy for free, and Im leaving this review voluntarily.
April 29, 2025
Damanio and Paige🥰
First book of the series The Famiglia. Damanio Zucco is the Galliano enforcer. Paige McAffe spends her life rescuing injured animals and get them back to health. She found Damanio, shot and almost dead, in her car one night after releasing one of her animals. And yes she will rescue him. What she didn’t know, he is in mafia and will put her life in danger. Will he protect her from his world? Will she accept him for who he is?
I was looking for new authors to read and I found her!!! Leah Merrill is why I read Dark Mafia Romance. Her stories are intriguing, fast paced, the plot is very well structured , no time out, I wasn’t able to stop reading !! Her writing is bold, funny and steamy-spicy-hot! The world she created is what Mafia men are made of. The brotherhood…OMG these men are to die for, but nothing will break their bounds…maybe a woman 😏
I’m in awe!! Give 5 star review but she deserves so much more!! I highly recommend this book!
First book of the series The Famiglia. Damanio Zucco is the Galliano enforcer. Paige McAffe spends her life rescuing injured animals and get them back to health. She found Damanio, shot and almost dead, in her car one night after releasing one of her animals. And yes she will rescue him. What she didn’t know, he is in mafia and will put her life in danger. Will he protect her from his world? Will she accept him for who he is?
I was looking for new authors to read and I found her!!! Leah Merrill is why I read Dark Mafia Romance. Her stories are intriguing, fast paced, the plot is very well structured , no time out, I wasn’t able to stop reading !! Her writing is bold, funny and steamy-spicy-hot! The world she created is what Mafia men are made of. The brotherhood…OMG these men are to die for, but nothing will break their bounds…maybe a woman 😏
I’m in awe!! Give 5 star review but she deserves so much more!! I highly recommend this book!
July 5, 2025
This is not my normal 1st choice of a read but I the cover caught my eye and the blurb intrigued me so I thought I would give it a go, I am really glad I did as I enjoyed reading this a lot, so much so that I ended up reading far later into the night than I had intended!
The story had humour, read well and it held my interest throughout. I liked getting to know everyone, trying to work out what would happen next, and seeing these two come together. I believed in Dom and Paige's connection and chemistry, they made me smile and laugh, they really did suit each other. I would love to know if anything happens between Paige's brother and best friend as there were sparks between them, and I definitely want to read book two, not only to see what Rob does next but also to see more I hope of Paige and Dom, and of course Romeo, what a little scene stealer!
I am voluntarily leaving this review after receiving an ARC from Hidden Gems.
The story had humour, read well and it held my interest throughout. I liked getting to know everyone, trying to work out what would happen next, and seeing these two come together. I believed in Dom and Paige's connection and chemistry, they made me smile and laugh, they really did suit each other. I would love to know if anything happens between Paige's brother and best friend as there were sparks between them, and I definitely want to read book two, not only to see what Rob does next but also to see more I hope of Paige and Dom, and of course Romeo, what a little scene stealer!
I am voluntarily leaving this review after receiving an ARC from Hidden Gems.
July 6, 2025
3 stars average
so this is part one of a four-part series of standalones. the three leads in the next books are also at least mentioned in this book. Rob who is the MMC in the second book is in this a lot and Massimo is in in this book and at least one scene. Johnny is talked about.
so I actually didn't mind this book and I will probably at least read Rob's book which is out already. now there are a few parts that are just okay. there is a lot of internal dialogue talk about his balls lol but the story plot line and the humor in this book or enough to get me to read the whole thing. although the FMC is a bit tstl ( too stupid to live) but the mmc doesn't really tell the FMC everything and how endangered she is. also there were a few scenes that felt like they were just like came out of left field like the third act break up could have been handled a lot better she just randomly decided I think it would have been a little bit better if she had started it from her POV and not his.
so this is part one of a four-part series of standalones. the three leads in the next books are also at least mentioned in this book. Rob who is the MMC in the second book is in this a lot and Massimo is in in this book and at least one scene. Johnny is talked about.
so I actually didn't mind this book and I will probably at least read Rob's book which is out already. now there are a few parts that are just okay. there is a lot of internal dialogue talk about his balls lol but the story plot line and the humor in this book or enough to get me to read the whole thing. although the FMC is a bit tstl ( too stupid to live) but the mmc doesn't really tell the FMC everything and how endangered she is. also there were a few scenes that felt like they were just like came out of left field like the third act break up could have been handled a lot better she just randomly decided I think it would have been a little bit better if she had started it from her POV and not his.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2025
I liked the characters in my book and the development was great. Paige is overconfident on the most adorable way (even though it did seem immature at times) and her best friend Gina is a riot! Damiano has a heart of gold and refuses relationships because he doesn't want anyone to get hurt. Deep down he has a soft heart for his plants and for animals.
Paige ain't sure how to balance what he does in his job with who he is as a person. After 'saving' his life, she came reconcile his violent work with his caring nature. In this book, she chases him after realizing those love is able to withstand his job, but she's worried he won't take her back.
He's everything she needs and he needs her softness to balance his job.
I loved the push and pull in this book and the friends who help them realize how much they need each other.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Paige ain't sure how to balance what he does in his job with who he is as a person. After 'saving' his life, she came reconcile his violent work with his caring nature. In this book, she chases him after realizing those love is able to withstand his job, but she's worried he won't take her back.
He's everything she needs and he needs her softness to balance his job.
I loved the push and pull in this book and the friends who help them realize how much they need each other.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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