Cruelest Contract

Storm's Eye Ranch #1

by Cora Brent

Expect plenty of twisted surprises when a bookish accountant confronts an offer she can't refuse from a dangerously seductive mafia ranch boss.

I’ve been given a choice.
Either I can marry one of the four fearsome Tempesta brothers…
Or I can bury my own troubled twin brother after his latest misdeeds.
With almost no family left alive, this is a sacrifice I will make with no hesitation.

As a cruel favor, I’m allowed to choose which of the Tempesta brothers I’ll walk down the aisle with.
One week among them is all the time I’m given to make up my mind.
Just one week inside their vast ranch fortress in a remote corner of Wyoming to decide which of these intimidating men I’ll agree to marry.

They are all different.
All gorgeous and seductive.
And all uniquely challenging in their own way.
But only one of them stands out and fascinates me to the point of obsession.

Years ago, Julian Tempesta saved my life and now our intense physical attraction is undeniable.
Julian, as the charismatic eldest brother, is also the natural leader and protector, not a man who intends to use me and then callously crush my heart to pieces.
When Julian says this marriage will be real, I believe him.

I’m in far too deep by the time I understand the truth.
I’ve foolishly trapped myself in a devil’s bargain.
And now my ‘husband’ will be my undoing…

Mafia meets Yellowstone....
*Bookish Introverted Accountant and Morally Grey Mafia Ranch Boss
*Arranged Marriage
*Dark Western/Mafia
*MY WIFE Obsession
*Secretive Brotherhood
*Protect Her At All Costs
*Gothic Atmosphere
*Possibly Haunted House
*Stand Alone with HEA

Genres: Dark Romance, Westerns, Romance, Mafia Romance, Forced Proximity, Dark, Contemporary

492 pages, Unknown Binding

First published September 10, 2025

About the author

I'm a huge fan of insta-love , grunge era flannel, my vintage Kenmore sewing machine, embroidered dishcloths and absolutely everything that has to do with 1980s pop culture (i.e. leg warmers, scrunchies, big hair, early Madonna, boom boxes, wood paneled walls, stonewash jeans, etc).

If you believe in Happily Ever After and improbable love stories, chances are I'll love you too!!

Email: corabrentwrites@yahoo.com

Reviews

[Mora · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s been a while since I read mafia books, and this one was good! I really enjoyed it.

There was one thing I really didn’t like, the MMC wasn’t open with the FMC about family business! He refused to tell her when she asked and kept a lot of stuff from her, whether it was important or not. That really annoyed me. I wanted him to treat her differently, not like every other guy in her family. (He probably did it because he was obsessed with protecting her. The book ended and we never heard about this again. Will he always keep family business from her to “protect” her? Or did that change after the ending?)

“That piece of his life will not be shared. It’s reserved for his father and his brothers and the grim armed men in their Mafia entourage.
A dull thud inside my chest might be disappointment. Or it might be jealousy, that there are parts of him beyond my reach.
In many ways, the Mafia is unknown to me. I’ve unwillingly lived on the margin of that violent club for my entire life and I’ve never felt a burning desire to know what goes on. Even if I did, women aren’t welcome there.”

(Update: I asked the author about it and she was really nice and answered me:

"now that he’s head of the family he shares everything with his wife".

Now I can finally feel at ease, that question was really eating at me. I don’t like it when the MMCs doesn’t open up to their FMCs. I’m glad to see Julian sharing everything with Cecilia).


PS. I really got invested in the tragic love story of Cassio & Teresa (the MMC’s parents). Teresa was killed 25 years ago and Cassio is still madly in love with her and he’s never moved on. He always talks to her ghost and even does some rituals with his sons to show respect for her. We got so many glimpses of their love throughout the book that my heart just broke for him. He lost the love of his life way too early.
Ngl, I might’ve teared up a bit near the end 😔.
______

Book info:

— H (29) / h (25)
— Cowboy Mafia
— Marriage of convenience
— Small town
— Insta-lust/attraction
— Possessive, protective, thoughtful MMC


Safety:

— Low angst
— The MCs’ sexual history:
╰➤ The H was the typical mafia guy, so he’d had his fair share of women.
╰➤ There’s some brief mention of his past, plus that when he was younger (17) he hooked up with the h’s cousin (he said he didn’t have sex with her, but they did enough stuff / it was just mentioned twice and it didn’t bother me! I even forgot it was brought up at some point).
╰➤ The H has been celibate for a year.
╰➤ The h isn’t a virgin, she has had several boyfriends in the past.
╰➤ The h has been celibate for two years.
— No ow/om/cheating
— No scenes with other people
— Separation (multiple times) because of the H’s family business:
The H’s father sent him away for family business through the book, so he missed most of the important moments with the h. (Both of them are struggling with being apart, which is also an important part of the plot and the angst).
— HEA


Trigger:

— Loss of loved one (the h’s parents / the H’s mother)
— Loss of a parent (present / on-page)

[cajareads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was definitely one of the books where I wished it was longer especially with the angst. I read this in one setting because it kept me on the edge until the very end. And I applauded this author for giving us conflicts and angsts without using any other woman drama! And idk about anyone else but I’m so tired of long and detailed smut scenes so imagine my (pleasant surprise) when the spice was fleeting and not that long and not too much!

I mentioned before that it’s getting repetitive to read about lust-filled thoughts from the mmc pov and unfortunately it did happen in this book but because it’s Julian, I can overlooked it. I really liked how he acted like his age. When his other brothers were acting like annoying and obnoxious boys (don’t worry you’ll ended up liking these guys later on), Julian on the other hand, acted very mature and somewhat cold but not in a brooding way.

I love the fmc. She’s very strong and honestly, too good for her own family. I absolutely loved it when she demanded fidelity from Julian (which he gladly accepted). Bare minimum I know but I loathed it when these mafia women (in other books) never questioned about their husbands on their loyalties and fidelities like how Cecilia did.

And oh they got married literally half way through the book so expect some dramas and angsts! Like I said, I wished there were a lot longer but I also feel like the pace was just perfect for it not to be too draggy.

I cannot wait for the next book in the series. Tbh I’m not really a fan of the rest of the brothers because they’re huge manhoes but I loved the author’s writing so I’m looking forward if she/he can change my opinion on the other brothers.

One thing though that bugged me was that one scene where Julian and his brothers were having a meeting and then he said “the most important thing to keep in mind is that no one outside this room fucking matters. You got that, boys? No one” and that didn’t include Cecilia because she wasn’t in the room and she overheard this. This was never mentioned again and idk, it just really doesn’t sit right with me. I guess somehow this was resolved with how the book ended but yeah it still rubbed me the wrong way.


Safety deets:
100% safe
No cheating
Non virgins
No other people drama
Celibate hero for over a year
Celibate heroine (forgot how long but it’s been a while I think)

A lil note on the mmc, when they were younger and didn’t really know each other well, Julian hooked up with Cecilia’s cousin and this was mentioned twice in the book and this didn’t bother me because they were mentioned briefly and short

[Sabrina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

3.5 Stars

[Crystal LoCicero · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good start to a series...

"Your first lesson about life with us, Cecilia, is that ladies are always first."


This is Dark cowboy mafia...arranged marriage... found family... I mean it really is a smorgasbord of good tropes. I really liked the twist and turns the story took. It was a little insta-love and the time jumps were a little annoying, but overall I really had a good time reading it. I am excited to see more tidbits of this couple in the next book. And I have a feeling about the possibility of the next books couple and, whew, I am excited.

[Traci · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chapter 1 he’s talking about being with other women. It’s been a while for him, but still. Ended up being a non issue.

Cecilia and Julian. Both from mob families. He shielded her as a young teen at a wedding massacre.

There are 4 brothers. Crazy, but likeable.

Long story, but I didn’t lose interest.

[C · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.25⭐️

[Kaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

A bit boring… she lowkey was a pick me.
“ Julian.. Look at me. Look at me” 🥴

[mel · Rating 2 out of 5]

is the cruelest contract in the room with us?! it was an okay contract, one that was far better than anything the FMC's family had conjured up for her.
the main characters were completely one dimensional. the brothers said they would test her character... ok? and the test was...? reading 3 lines out of her journal? and her passing the test by suggesting they go to a club to show how unaffected she is...? YAWN. in general, i wasn't convinced even in the slightest that she had a backbone or that she wasn't a complete doormat to be honest. julian on the other hand had potential, yet any time i expected him to "show who's boss", he failed to deliver? he failed to be possessive, to be jealous, to enact the "touch her and die" mentality. his brothers could have made sexual innuendos all day, yet to me it seemed like julian was okay listening to it without feeling the need to strangle his brothers.
the sex was VANILLA as fuck, there was no possessiveness at all, no passion or real heat. he failed to portray that he's the mafia with his actions, yet they call themselves mafia numerous times. for most of the 2nd half of the book he was away on some stupid missions that i skipped reading to the point of missing almost 9 months of the FMC's pregnancy. she decorated the nursery with his brothers.... talk about lame.

[Kiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cruelest Contract, Book 1 of the Storm's Eye Ranch series, was about 29-year-old Julian Tempesta, mafia ranch boss and eldest brother of the Tempesta siblings, and 25-year-old Cecilia "Cici" Grimaldi, a mafia princess, an accountant, and twin sister to Gabriel Grimaldi.

Twelve years before the book started (it's in the prologue), Cici, just 13 at the time, had been attending her eldest brother, Matthias's, wedding when a rival family killed his new bride and their parents, as well as many of her other family members. Julian, just 17 at the time, shielded Cici from the assault, thus saving her life. Her brother Angelo, 2 years older than her, and her twin brother also survived the attack, along with Julian's 3 brothers and father.

Twelve years later, after having fled the massacre, changing her name to "Cecilia Leone", and trying to build her life away from the mafia family she had been born into, Cici was brought back to save her twin, who had been accused of cheating at cards and had killed a "made man" from another mafia family, from certain death. The head of that family demanded she marry his grandson in exchange for her brother's life. However, Julian's father had other ideas. He wanted one of his sons to marry her so that their family would control the West Coast. So, to save herself from being forced to marry a stranger, and to save her brother, she would have to marry one of the four Tempesta brothers (Julian, Tyberius "Tye", Gaetano "Getty", and Fortunato "Fort"), although she would get to choose which one after spending a week in their home.

This was one of the better mafia romance stories I've ever read. It had the perfect balance of romance, mafia issues, drama, angst, and spiciness to keep the story flowing consistently. The emotional rollercoaster had all the usual twists and turns, with a few added loop-da-loops to make it interesting. It even had a decent plot twist that, while somewhat expected, was timed perfectly to keep the book from lagging.

Both of the main characters were well-written, fleshed out, and fully developed. Their maturity level never wavered, and they both had plenty of room for the growth they each had to make. The secondary characters were pretty awesome as well.

For the first book in a new series, this was very well done and earned a full five-star rating and the right to be added to my Keeper for the Shelves collection. I can't wait for the release of the second book.

[G · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved

[Lina K · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve read many arranged marriages books, BUT this one is something else! Cecilia and Julian >>>>>>

Wooow, the way they’re in their 20s and being so wise and thoughtful. Ugh, I love them! Need to hug them 🥹❤️‍🩹

[Michella · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars. If you are looking for a mafia/cowboy/forces marriage storyline this one is for you. Definitely a slow burn but with explosive chemistry between Julian and Cecilia. The twist and turn will intrigue you until the end.

[Camii · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Odio perderla de vista. La necesidad de protegerla y tenerla solo para mí es feroz, pero también está impregnada de una dulzura dolorosa" ⭐⭐⭐⭐

✨Otra historia de Cora Brent con un matrimonio arreglado de mafia terminado✨

Cecilia es una princesa de la mafia y cuando cumplió la mayoría de edad decidió irse a vivir lejos y cambiar su apellido porque después de perder a una parte importante de su familia se dió cuenta de que ella no quería formar parte de la mafia y se alejó de ese mundo creyendo que había dejado todo atrás, cosa que cambia cuando su hermano gemelo se mete en problemas y para salvar su vida debe casarse con uno de los hermanos Tempesta.

Julian es el hermano mayor de la familia y futuro heredero, el desde el primero momento en el que supo que Cecilia tenía que casarse decidió que ese puesto sería suyo ya que la atracción que sintió al verla fue mucha y con el tiempo que pasaron juntos su decisión fue un echo ya que ella también se sentía atraída por el y tomaron la decisión de casarse (y que el le hubiera salvado la vida cuando eran adolecentes hacía que su conexión sea especial)

Ellos tuvieron una etapa de luna de miel que fue hermosa, compartieron muchas cosas importante de su vida y Julian era muy detallista con Cecilia, el realmente la veía y quería que ella se sintiera especial ya que si bien su matrimonio fue una obligación el quería hacerla feliz, cosa que logro porque Cecilia en el y su familia encontró un hogar cosa que perdió hace años y con el era feliz.

Esto va a sonar feo y es todo lo contrario pero cuando Cecilia descubrió lo del embarazo se fue todo por el barranco, yo sentí mucha empatía por Julian y entendí porque se alejo de ella y no vivió el embarazo junto con su esposa, el problema fue que nunca expreso sus miedos con ella y cuando el se iba para eliminar a sus enemigos porque no quería que haya peligro para Cecilia y sus bebés ella creía que se estaba alejando porque no estaba de acuerdo con el rumbo que tomo sus vidas y ella estaba sensible por el embarazo y era horrible leer como se sentía cuando el estaba lejos (que ellos no hablaran tampoco sumaba nada)

Julián tenía muchas responsabilidades en su vida sobre todo se sentía muy responsable de sus hermanos y que el ame y cuide de su familia no estaba mal el problema era que ahora tenía una esposa e hijos y al alejarse constantemente, y no expresar sus sentimientos en voz alta empeoro la relación que tenían. Admito que me hubiera gustado ver mas sobre la disculpas de Julian y que le explicará a Cecilia porque el se mantuvo alejada de ella porque de repente vino todo el drama de la mafia y no tuvieron la conversación seria que necesitaban para aclarar lo sucedido anteriormente, además Julian le echo en cara muchas cosas a ella que la lastimaron y me falto mas disculpas y aclaraciónes de su parte porque si bien estaba su arrepentimiento desde su punto de vista nunca le dijo puntualmente las cosas a ella.

En fin se re extendió esto. El final es taaaan lindo ♥️

[NiCoLeTa E. {Addicted To Books} · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4,5 "The list queen!!!" stars***



"The contract has already been written.
There is no cancellation clause."

This was a cowboy/mafia romance and it was very intriguing to get mixed these two in one. Don't you think???
Also, one of my beloved tropes, the one of arranged marriage was also in here, and it had me on edge all the time!!!
I liked Cecilia and her calmness very much!!! She was thrust back into this world without really wanting it, but she did it with dignity and fiercelessness!!!
As for Julian??? He was a talking, moving thirst trap!!! LOL!!! The same goes for the rest of the Tempesta brothers!!!! Is it getting hotter in here???

"All of the Tempesta brothers are staggeringly good looking. Sexy. Magnetic.
But Julian?
He sets my blood on fire with one look."

Cici had lived through a tragedy when she was younger and the Tempesta clan was there to witness it!!!
Years later and while Cecilia is living away from her family and the world that she was born into, a proposition is coming to shake her newfound peace!!!
In order to save her twin brother, she has to choose one of the Tempesta brothers to marry and this decision has to be made in a week!!!
Now, she is trapped in a ranch with four brothers fighting for her hand, but was it really a choice after all??? Julian was the one who was outshining all the rest of them in her eyes and the choice wasn't even a choice after all...

"If I'm not careful, the contest will be over before it starts and I'll be owned by Julian Tempesta forever."

I liked the concept of this story...
I liked Cecilia and Julian!!! In my eyes, these two were always meant to be!!!
Julian once upon a time, saved Ceci and they were bound by tragedy!!!! Also, their hearts were doing somersaults every time that they were in each other's presence!!!
And even though, there was much denial in the sentimental department, the actions were showing us differently!!!
Yep, they had many obstacles to overcome, but they were made for each other!!!

"Julian did warn me not to fall for him. I just failed to listen."

And now, I am here for the rest of the brothers!!!
I am really hoping that the next story will be about Getty!!! This man was... frustrating, but appealing at the same time and if his woman will be Alice, it will be a very interesting story!!!
You really need to meet the Tempesta brothers!!!!

"The day she chose me was the day my destiny began."

**I received an ARc for the exchange of an honest review**

[Lemon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Plot: 4/5 • Smut: 2/5 —————> Cecilia’s parents are murdered before her eyes. She’s saved by an ally, Julian. Her three brothers survive, along with Julian’s brother.


She escapes from under her grandfathers thumb and goes off to college in a different state and tries to have a normal life. Until her twin brother gets into some trouble. She’s put up for sacrifice to save his skin. She’s to marry one of the tempesta brothers. Julian is the eldest tempesta brother and she always remembers her saving her the night her parents were murdered.


She arrives on their ranch and you can clearly tell when reading the young three tempesta brothers are just wild and unattached. Julian is the only one who actively shows affection and attention towards Cecilia. He’s always remembered her.


There’s a lot of back and forth with Julian learning to take over for his father. he’s not around a lot towards the middle/end of the book. Julian and Cecilia do get their happy ending but they have a lot of hurdles. One big one from an unsuspecting source. It was kind of sad.


All in all this cowboy mafia book was a fun ride. You always knew Julian and Cecilia were going to wind up together. That part was pretty predictable. 🤠

[Merry One Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

A determined love for Julian and Cecilia

This is an interesting story and romance for Julian and Cecilia. I enjoyed reading it and all the characters. The main characters had lots of siblings to enhance the story. I cannot say that it felt cruel in the arranged marriage. The mandatory marriage felt like the best choice for Cecilia; she was given a choice of any of the brothers. Julian and Cecilia came together by necessity to save Cecilia’s brother Gabriel’s from his own bad choices and temper. The storyline actually had their feelings develop on their own, with close proximity. This is a mafia based story so there is violence and blood woven into the storyline to add to the credibility of the story. Mind any triggers that you may have. There is a happy ending. Read On!

[Ms. Amnah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cruelest Contract by Cora Brent had me from the very first page. The beginning was deep, intense, and impossible to look away from, it grabbed me and refused to let go. When Cici moved in with the Tempesta family, I was ready for chaos. I was all in. Secrets, tension, danger… I was bracing myself for everything to explode.
But then the story began to slow. Pages passed, and I kept waiting for that next big moment, the shock, the reveal, the what just happened. And when it finally came? It came fast. Too fast. Suddenly she’s heavily pregnant with twins, already in her third trimester, and I was sitting there like… wait, WHAT? The shift was jarring.
And Gabriel, he truly caught me off guard. I did not see that coming at all.
I wanted so badly to give this book five stars because the concept and opening were that strong. But the dragging middle and the rushed pacing at the end pulled me out of the experience. Still, it was powerful enough to earn a solid 4 stars.

[Keza Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow I love me a spicy HOT cowboy romance, but this far exceeded what I was expecting.

Cecilia has had more heartache than most. After witnessing the murder of her parents she wanted nothing more than to escape the life of her family. Now thanks to her twin brother she is thrust back in by being asked to move to the Tempesta's family ranch and pick a brother to marry.

Only Julian Tempesta is truly the only man in the running for her hand.

Julian took one look at the girl he saved years ago to the woman she has become and decided she would be his.

Only it wouldn't be a loving marriage.

I cannot believe the intensity of the connection between Julian and Cecilia.
Passionate, intense and explosive. Julian was a possessive but good husband and really freaking thoughtful.
Cecilia was the perfect wife for him.

This book was heartbreaking and heartwarming to read. There was so much of it I felt my heart go out a time or two.

Those Tempesta brothers were really something else. each different in their own way.
I can't wait to see more from this series.

I definitely recommend 👌

[Chaos · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was a fine story but just that. Cecilia and Julian were ok characters. They both had some serious trauma from losing a parent/parents, which I feel sad for them. It really affected every aspect of their lives in different ways. I found what Cecilia ended up losing at the end so much worse. She was betrayed by everyone. But the story and the plot wasn't 500 pages worth. It easily could have been 300 pages. I expected so much more twists and turns to make the page count worth it. Overall, it was an OK story.

[Melissa Wright · Rating 3 out of 5]

Julian and Cecilia had me in a chokehold from the prologue. Although this book was pretty predictable with a small twist, it was good. I mean, mafia cowboys, enough said. Julian is OBSESSED with Cecilia even if he doesn't want to admit it. The brothers were incredible, and I can't wait to read their future stories. The love of family is so strong through every page. It's definitely worth reading the new series.

[Tara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars.
I was looking for something with mafia plot but where the smut didn’t feel like I was reading an assault. This was exactly that in those departments. This man was in fact a piece of shit husband for about 85% of the book, but whatever. More interested in the brothers than in Julian so this series will be seeing more of me in the future

[hitynka · Rating 5 out of 5]

CORA YOU DID THAT AGAIN😭😭😭

[Savannah.marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. The brothers all bring something to the table. I can’t wait to read the next book.

[Hailey Siedel]

DNFing. This book is so wordy! So much inner monologue. I was on page 104 and nothing has happened really and impatient.

[Alina · Rating 2 out of 5]

this was pretty meh, it wasn't good nor bad. although it would have been better if they actually spent time together in the book instead of with side characters and also if he hadn’t hooked up with her cousin years ago, which was such an odd addition to the plot. what was the point of having him fool around with her cousin even if it was when he was 17, just weird.

[Bookish Shannon · Rating 1 out of 5]

Fits into the "booktok trash" genre.

Someone needs to give me a long, hard talking to for sticking around for most of this book because it was utterly horrendous.

I have witnessed more chemistry between, well, literally ANYTHING. These two main characters are TRASH.

Julian is boring, stone faced and emotionless. He's an actual corpse with words.

And what do you mean Cecilia wants to reproduce with a man she's been married to for barely a heartbeat and doesn't really know him?

Ugh.

As for everything else - the plot was boring, the time jumps were weird, the character development was nonexistent and actually seemed to go backwards and everything about the characters were infuriating.

[sloom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Made me sob at 3:30 AM. So incredibly good I loved how this wasn’t the typical devil in a suit mafia. Julian was so sweet and Cecelia was such a strong FMC.

Summary:
14 years ago Cecelia was at her older brother’s wedding when a shooting happened and her parents, her brother’s bride and countless others died. She only survived because Julian, their family friend tackled her and covered her the entire time. Throughout the 14 years, Cici uses Julian’s face as a way to calm down. Now, she gets a phone call from her twin Gabe that he got in trouble. He murdered someone from the Seattle mafia and the only way to get him pardoned is to marry one of the Tempesta boys. Her brother Angelo takes her to their farm and their dad informs her that she has a week to decide which of them she wants to marry. From the very beg though Julian staked his claim on her. The tempesta boys are a bit intense but Cici hold her ground. After less than a week she decides to marry Julian when he courts her and a few weeks later they get married. Julian is pulled every which way though and he’s always busy. About 3 months after the wedding Cecelia find out she’s pregnant and her and Julian are ecstatic. One day after Julian has been traveling for weeks with out them really talking she finds him in his fathers study with his family and she overhears him saying that her family is irrelevant and that no one outside of the room matters. She obviously gets upset by this and becomes even more distant. On Christmas Day Cecelia invites her brothers Gabe and Angelo for dinner. They come stay and a storm disables the security system. At the same time there’s an explosion on the farm and men with guns rush in. Julian takes his brothers to fight the men and orders that Cecelia’s brothers be locked up because he suspects them. He also asks his father to protect Cecelia. While in the safe room Cecelia hears Gabe’s voice and opens the room for him. He tries to drag her with him and they pass by Julian’s dad who was hit in the head by Gabe. Cecelia tries to run when Angelo comes to them and he and Gabe face off and Angelo runs away. Cecelia tries to fight Gabe off and he somehow catches fire and she pours alcohol on him to accelerate it. Angelo called the Tempesta boys while this happened and they come in and shoot Gabe dead. Julian’s dad ends up passing away that night and he reunites with his wife and one true love. About a year later Cecelia has a picnic with her 2 twin boys and her husband and brother’s in law join her. They live happily ever after.

[Booklovernokayy · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️

*POTENTIAL SPOILERS*

Cora Brent, you had me crying at 2am 😭. And also had me kicking my feet at the tension because I wanted Julian to get together with Cecilia already. This is a slow burn, and it was done amazingly. The tension, the build-up, their chemistry was EVERYTHING!

Cecilia Grimaldi is a mafia princess and witnesses her parents and family die at the hands of enemies during her brother’s wedding at 13. Julian is only 17 and does not hesitate to shield his body over hers to protect her and save her. “Don’t look… “Just don’t look at it. Look at me instead.” That moment becomes her comfort for the next twelve years to ease her anxiety and calm her down.

She has a choice to marry one of the Tempesta brothers, and the tension was beautiful, sexy, and left you wanting so much more — and they haven’t seen each other for twelve years… so when he sees her photo, he um sends himself a copy 👀😜.

Julian MotherFu*kin Tempesta 🔥, hot, sexy, cowboy mafia man. He follows his father's footsteps and takes over the Tempesta empire, so what happens when he starts falling for Cecilia and tries to navigate his marriage and his duty as a Mafia leader?

Cowboy Mafia is a new trope for me, and I loved every second of it. Julian and Cecilia are hot, beautiful, and I love everything about them. Tell me how this man acknowledges her little quirks, likes and favourite things ( even though he has his hacker find every piece of information about her 😅🥹). He delivers, and she hasn’t picked him yet. He is so attentive to her and is careful with her after her injury from horse riding, or the little things, after her family’s death.

I loved the relationship Cecilia builds with each Tempesta brother. Tye, Getty and Fort are wild, chaotic, funny, and protective and have my heart. I love them 🥹. Their bond grows stronger, and she finally gets the family she wanted since her own family’s death. But she knows her heart belongs to Julian… even if they do have a contract marriage. They start with a marriage where family, safety and protection are promised, and that changes when it develops deeper into love. I want to say so much more, but just go read this book!

[LANA VERITY · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fire, Baby! This was Cruel and SO, SO Hot.
My Thoughts:
I don't know what I expected, but it certainly wasn't this! "Cruelest Contract" delivers exactly what the title promises: a cruel, high-stakes, and unbelievably passionate arrangement between two people who seem to hate each other more than they breathe. Cora Brent knows how to play with tension, and this book is pure, unadulterated adrenaline.
The Characters:
Oh, Alex! He is an absolute tyrant, a despot, and just a truly awful human being... yet, I couldn't tear my eyes away from him. His sheer dominance and cold calculation sent shivers down my spine. He is the epitome of that dark, "book boyfriend" archetype we all, shamefully, love to hate (and secretly crave).
And Paige? Our heroine is straight-up fire! She's not a broken damsel in distress; she's a woman with a sharp tongue and incredible inner strength. The way she resists, the way she fights for her dignity in this monstrous situation, earned my complete respect. Her emotional battle with Alex and her own heart is what kept me completely hooked.
The Plot:
The plot might be somewhat predictable for seasoned "enemies-to-lovers" readers, but the execution? The contract that forces them together is full of emotional whiplash that left me breathless. The chemistry between them... it's not chemistry; it's a thermonuclear reaction! Every one of their scenes crackles with tension, and the explicit moments made me blush (in the best way possible).
Final Verdict:
If you are looking for a sweet, fluffy romance, walk away now. This book is dark, occasionally toxic, but if you love when characters play dangerous games and the passion is intense enough to melt your Kindle, you need to read this. I only deducted one star because sometimes I wanted to scream at Alex to "Stop being such an a-hole!" But, hey, that's part of his charm, right?
P.S. I immediately need the next book! I literally cannot wait to see where they take this relationship.

[JenBookEnthusiast · Rating 5 out of 5]

** ARC Review **

I had the pleasure of reading an ARC copy of Cora Brent's, Cruelest Contract and I'm providing my honest review.

WOW! I was completely and wholeheartedly absorbed in this story from the very beginning. I couldn't stop reading until the end and I want more!!!

I absolutely love the Tempesta brothers! Julian as the eldest has his hands full with his brothers, managing the mantel of responsibility as next in line of his father's position, balancing their livelihood as cowboy MAFIA which is an unique twist in that world that works well for them and then there is Cecilia. I really enjoyed Julian's POV as he tries to balance his two worlds as the strong, decisive second in line of the family, to being the person he envisions he has to be with Cecilia and what kind of relationship he thinks he wants to what he really needs. The compelling and tragic way you are introduced to Cecilia and Julian from the start of the story had me so emotionally attached to them that I experienced an emotional rollercoaster where one moment I'm crying to laughing out loud (usually from something one of the brothers have said or done), then upset to blushing! I really love seeing Cecilia show her quiet strength and intelligence as she adjusts to her new circumstances and fights for what she wants for herself and Julian.

This story will have all of your senses and emotions all wrapped up in this family as you follow Julian and Cecilia's story. Be prepared to experience a mix of broody, sexy, funny, heartfelt, endearing, and some intimidating characters in this story. There is something for everyone!

Well done Cora Brent! I can't wait to read the next installment of the Tempesta family series.