Ruined By Revenge

Feretti Syndicate #1

by Sherry Blake

“I was raised to hate him. Trained to destroy him. And then I was forced to marry him.”𝐙𝐨𝐞
Damiano Feretti murdered my father.
Byron Easton, the man who took me in, taught me to weaponize my desire for revenge.
To live for nothing but vengeance.
Now, I’m contracted to play the perfect fiancée in an arranged marriage to the ruthless monster.
Enticing the man I’m sworn to betray. Faking a smile as I tear him and his empire apart from the inside.
The dangerous Italian mafia boss turns out to be blazing hot, every muscle carved like marble.
My body yearns when he comes close. One look from him is enough to ruin me.
But I'm bound by a debt. I cannot forget my mission. Cannot erase my hatred. Cannot let my body betray me.
If I want to survive I must destroy this tattooed brute in a sleek suit. The cold-blooded killer in my bedroom-my new husband.
But living in his mansion, secrets are revealed, impossible truths come to light. How can I be sure what's real?
I play along with the demon's demands but am I the one being played and if so, by whom?

𝐃𝐚𝐦𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐨
I don’t trust Byron Easton.
His empire is crumbling, and his “gift” — Zoe — is too perfect to be real.
But one look at her, and I knew she’d ruin me.
Smart. Poised. And hiding something behind those calculating eyes.
This engagement was meant to be a tactical move.
But I want her — body, mind, secrets and all.
She thinks she’s infiltrating my world.
She has no idea I’ve already stepped into hers.
And I don’t plan on walking away.

*Ruined By Revenge is a full-length dark mafia, forced marriage, enemies to lovers romance loaded with vengeance, betrayal, secrets, lies and most of all, a ton of steam heat. No cheating and a guaranteed HEA.

This is the first book in Feretti Syndicate mafia series. Each book in this series features a different couple and can be read as a standalone, but for maximum enjoyment, follow the recommended reading order.

Praise for Feretti Syndicate Series

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ If you like Mafia stories this is a doozy. It has a little bit of everything and lots of heat, deception, lies that change everything when the truth comes out and some excitement you might not see coming. I’ve never read this author before but I will be reading more.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ I lost my sleep! The characters were well written and the story had some twists and turns to make for an interesting read.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Lots of good twists and turns in this one that keeps you reading to the very end.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Drama, action, schemes, betrayal, retribution, family in all its forms, love, acceptance, sanctuary. All that good, gritty mafia stuff. And underneath it all, some smoking-hot smexiness and swoony romance between our MCs. I can tell I'm going to LOVE this series!

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ An emotional page turner! It is a captivating love story with drama and steam, sexual tension and chemistry, twists and turns, and engaging secondary characters.

Genres: Mafia Romance, Dark Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Romance, Audiobook, Smut

538 pages, Kindle Edition

Published May 6, 2025

Reviews

[Angela Jennings · Rating 2 out of 5]

The story wasn't bad, but the continuity errors were astounding. Dinner tomorrow, then tonight, then tomorrow. He's naked, now she's watching him undress. The story is in NY, but then they're in Chicago - no mention of a flight - then they're driving home.....? Again, the story was fine, but so many continuity errors was aggravating.

[Vishous · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5
I should be packing, bur here I am finishing a book I wanted to DNF after every chapter. The idea wasn't so bad at all. But the execution was terrible. There wasn't a character that didn't irritate me. The author's writing style obviously isn't for me.

[Michellelovesreading · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good book. I’m excited to read the next one.

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Jesmin Nawaz · Rating 3 out of 5]

This series has been on my TBR for some time and I'm glad I finally started it. Damiano is your usual mafioso alphahole who his rough around the edges but soft for his lady love. Lots of banter, lots of laughs, lots of spice. The plot was good and I can see one over arching story line. I loved the dynamics between the brothers and Luce. Zoe, I have to say, was hella annoying especially when she knew better than to go out when shit was going down. It was because of her that Luce went through so much trauma. Then they didn't even really address the fact that Zoe was at fault. I can't wait to see Luce get her man because these Farretti brothers are about to lose their shit! Good start to the series.

[Lara · Rating 3 out of 5]

El libro está bien. Tiene buena trama y está muy bien escrito, pero no he conectado con él y no lo he disfrutado como me hubiera gustado.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

AQUÍ VAMOS A ENCONTRAR DE TODO:

- Errores gramaticales.
- Faltan signos de interrogación/exclamación de cierres.

....................................................................................

ANTES DE SEGUIR, LES QUIERO CONTAR...

Me abrí una cuenta en Substack y me haría mucha ilusión si me apoyasen allá al seguirme.

Les dejo enlace y vista previa de mi primer post:.

Primer post en Substack

....................................................................................

- Gente que de pronto se tutea y luego pasan a hablarse de usted en la misma conversación.
- Detalles como "tomaremos el jet privado" y luego al acto siguiente "van en coche" o "el chofer nos lleva" y luego en los siguientes párrafos se habla de "Damiano conduce".

Me parece que esto lo hicieron sin ningún tipo de corrección o edición.

Una lástima porque la historia y todo el misterio de la venganza tenía potencial, pero yo ya no remo este barco como para aguantarme algo tan mal escrito de casi 500 páginas (Y ES APENAS EL LIBRO UNO).

No lo recomiendo para nada, quizás más adelante me anime con otro de esta serie pero realmente no prometo nada.

[Loli · Rating 5 out of 5]

Romance mafioso intenso, con una trama que empieza por una venganza, y poco a poco van surgiendo dramas, dudas, intrigas y sospechas. Y sin olvidar la historia de amor que se va fraguando entre los dos protagonistas, Damiano y Zoe.
Secretos y mentiras que a medida que se van esclareciendo, van dándole giros y vueltas a la historia y que te mantienen en la lectura intensamente hasta el final. Mafia pura y dura, con lo que eso conlleva, una lectura brutal si te gustan ese tipo de historias.

[Rachael Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok I do want to say that firstly this book was really good in terms of a story, the storyline the characters the development it was all very good however in terms of writing it wasn’t great. Miss typed words, extra words that didn’t need to be there and sentences that didn’t make sense, or random letters just put there.

[Ary.lectora · Rating 3 out of 5]

Me gustó, pero igual tuve que ir avanzando rápido porque lo encontré un tanto lento y rebundante. Pero si final fue buenísimo.
Lo anterior no me detiene a dar una oportunidad a los demás libros de la saga. Espero que solo mejore

[Lisbeth]

Es muy cliché. Le falta desarrollo.

[CarlaJorge · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick and entertaining read… the revenge-driven plot kept things interesting.

[Canadianmombooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ 2🌶️ Enemies to lovers, arranged marriage & revenge. Good plot with some spice was a little longer than necessary and no epilogue in the book.

[Cara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruined by Revenge

Ruined by Revenge is the first book in the Feretti Syndicate series by Sherry Black. This was a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers mafia romance that centred around Damiano and Zoe.

Damiano is the Don of the Italian Mafia and has seen his fair share of heartache. The wait of protecting the only family he has left is on his shoulders. Zoe was born and groomed to hate Damiano because she was told he was the one that disappeared her father.

I quickly became engrossed in this story and not able to put it down. While there were some minor grammatical and spelling errors, I did find the writing to be addictive.

When Zoe's legal guardian proposes a marriage between the two of them, she knows this is what she has been trained for. Damiano doesn’t trust easily, so he knows they have to be up to something. These two characters danced around each other, and the chemistry between them was palpable.

While the romance was slow burn, there was plenty of action and suspense to keep the reader interested. The premise of the story was a good one, and the twists were well done. I didn’t quite understand the length of time that Byron waited and the connections to everything were surprising.

The world building and the involvement of the side characters help to set up the rest of the series. There was a significant event that happened toward the end of the story that is worth noting as it could be quite triggering to some. Readers will know when they are approaching this part of the book.

Overall, Ruined by Revenge was a quick read. Fans of mafia romance will enjoy this story.

[Suzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The cover and blurb drew me in. The setup had all the tropes I love in a mafia romance—enemies to lovers, an arranged marriage, a handsome, dangerous mafia boss, and a beautiful, strong FMC. The book centers on an arranged marriage between the FMC and MMC, where she’s the pseudo-adopted daughter of his enemy and sent to spy on him. He’s hit with insta-lust but is emotionally closed off due to the death of his pregnant fiancée.

They get married and spend a good part of the story dancing around their mutual attraction. When they finally give in, the FMC continues to hold onto her secrets, which leads to misunderstandings and feelings of betrayal. There’s a third-act breakup, but it all wraps up with a HEA. It followed a familiar formula, but something about the execution didn’t fully land for me.

The story started off strong and I was into it, but it lost me in parts. Some scenes dragged, while others felt abrupt. There were also moments where new characters were introduced like we should already know them. And at one point, the MMC mentions that his former fiancée betrayed him, but it’s never brought up again. Little things like that added to the overall inconsistencies.

I probably made it to about 70% before I started skimming. It’s a slow burn, but not the kind that builds that delicious angsty tension. The MMC’s inner thoughts about his attraction to the FMC—what he wanted to do to her, how badly he wanted her—were 🥵, and they had me ready for some seriously steamy scenes. When they finally got there, the scenes were good, just not as intense as I’d expected.

There were also a couple of steamy scenes toward the end that I ended up skimming over—not because they weren’t well-written, but because they followed some heavy news about a side character. I felt bad about what happened, so it was hard to immediately shift gears into spice mode after that.

I didn’t hate it, but the execution just fell short for me.

[Lauren · Rating 1 out of 5]

If I could do negative stars I would.
I hate sloppily written, rushed books that really show the author doesn’t care about what she’s writing. It’s just a rush to finish and wgaf about the actual story or the things that make a good story. This one is so riddled with typos, contradictions, and just bad writing.

Here are some examples:
Zoe calls Scarlett who she says has been her best friend since college. College - which means age 18. And it’s mentioned that “When my [Zoe’s] father died, she [Scarlett] held me through countless nights of tears without asking questions I couldn't answer.” huh!? Her father died when she was 12. So this statement would need altering, like when Zoe missed her father Scarlett held her through countless nights of tears. Or something like that. The author needs to edit carefully as stuff like this tells me the book was quickly and carelessly produced.

First Damiano notices Zoe by the pool and observes that she was reading a book and hadn’t noticed him, but waxes poetic with “Those eyes though - fuck me. Even from this distance, I can see they're an intense green, sharp and intelligent. They remind me of expensive emeralds I once saw in a private collection. The kind of eyes that could make a man forget his name.”
Then upon getting home from meeting with Zoe’s “father” he’s angry over the idea of an arranged marriage and recalls, “The blonde from the pool flashes through my mind - those calculating eyes watching me from behind designer sunglasses.” So which is it? Either he was able to see her eyes as she sat by the pool and she didn’t notice him or she was calculating and studying Damiano behind her sunglasses as she sat by the pool. I hate when authors aren’t investing into their stories, and details like this should not be overlooked in a good book.

How exactly does a diamond bracelet hide split knuckles from punching a bag without gloves?
Why is she Miss Easton? She got rid of her dad’s last name, her family name, at age 12, to take Byron’s name. I mean I get it for purposes in public but it doesn’t make sense that Byron’s butler calls her that too.

Holy errors! “Damiano told Byron that her sister will arrange the details for the menu and all the things that thank God I didn't had to do by own, like a happy wife - to - be.”
So much wrong in this one sentence.
- his sister
- have to do
- by myself (or) on my own

This chick is bipolar. She’s angry that Damiano is “forcing” her into their arrangement. Uh that is not at all how it went and she’s the one who wanted this to bring him down.

What!? “Given who her father is - was -“ Why did he add “was,” as far as Damiano knows her father is Byron, the guy he just got into business with. There is no ‘was’ - he didn’t die, marriage doesn’t make him not her father.

40%!! So Damiano increased it from the negotiated 35%? That makes no sense.

I’m so irritated with how stupid the writing is so often. Damiano hears Zoe laugh and sees a man talking to her and demands to know who he is. Then walks over and addresses the man by name (Marco). So he knew who the man was or he didn’t.
Ohmygosh. It says he ignores Zoe’s question but she never asked a question. WTF!!?

At first Alessio was someone who joined ‘the family’ after high school, now Damiano refers to Alessio and Enzo as his brothers. this book is too stupid to continue.

You think he murdered your father yet your friend is encouraging you to have hate sex with him. Am I the only sane person reading this trash!?
And then when Zoe does have sex with Damiano, and tells Scarlett, Scarlett explodes with “You what the fuck?" Scarlett's voice rises several octaves. "Please tell me you're not talking about Damiano fucking Feretti." "It just happened." I press my palm against my forehead. "After the gala, we were arguing and then..."
"Zoe, have you lost your mind? This is the man who killed your father!"
So Scarlett is also bipolar. Because what!?!?

Why is she playing coy about knowing how to shoot when she shot down a challenge about shooting upon first meeting Alessio. This is so dumb.

I began to skim many chapters ago as it’s the only way to get through such a poorly written story. And it still makes me cringe. How can anyone actually take this book seriously!?

[Passion and Words · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ein Mafia-Boss und eine nach Rache dürstende Tochter eines seiner Opfer – die Geschichte hat großes Potenzial ist aber leider katastrophal geschrieben

Zoe wird ab ihrem 12. Lebensjahr von Byron großgezogen, nachdem ihr alleinerziehender Vater von Damiano Feretti kaltblütig erschossen wurde. Er bildet sie aus, eine Waffe gegen ihn zu sein. Dann ergibt sich die Chance, einen Deal mit Damiano durch eine Heirat zu festigen und Byron schafft es, ihm Zoe als Ehefrau „zu verkaufen“. Sie ist von Hass gegen Damiano zerfressen und soll ihn aber als Ehefrau überzeugen, ihn für Byron ausspionieren, um ihm und seiner Feretti-Familie den Todesstoß zu versetzten. Auch Damiano hat die Ehe mit Zoe nicht angestrebt, hat er doch seit der Ermordung seiner schwangeren Frau der Liebe und einer Beziehung abgeschworen.

Gefallen hat mir, dass Zoe sich von Damiano nicht hat unterbuttern lassen, sondern ihm Paroli bietet. Sie ist tough, kann genauso gut schießen, wie ihre Leibwächter und boxt in ihrem Fitness-Raum. Auch ihr klarer Wertekompass hat mir gefallen.

Die Story hat viel Potenzial, aaaaaber… Das Buch wurde ganz offenbar mit KI übersetzt: Sprichwörter wurden wortwörtlich ins Deutsche übertragen, die Ansprache wechselt bei den gleichen Personen zwischen sie und du oder Informationen werden verschluckt, die später dann plötzlich auftauchen, als wenn man sie hätte wissen müssen. Aber wenn man des Englischen mächtig ist, dann kann man wenigstens halbwegs verstehen was gemeint ist.

Was ich nicht mehr auf die Übersetzung zurückführen kann, sind die vielen Unklarheiten. Die zeitliche Abfolge ist häufig abstrus, es gibt Fehler in der Fortführung, so als wüsste die Autorin nicht mehr, dass sie den Sachverhalt von zwei Seiten komplett anders dargestellt hat oder Szenen sind total unlogisch. Wie soll z.B. ein Armband aufgeschlagene Fingerknöchel verdecken? Oder erst hat Zoe Angst vor der Hochzeitsnacht, weil sie Damiano nicht will, später wird es so dargestellt, als ob sich beide von vornherein einig gewesen seien, das Bett nicht miteinander zu teilen. Eine Szene ist sogar zwei Mal fast direkt hintereinander enthalten, nur in unterschiedliche Kontexte gesetzt. Und mir hat an vielen Stellen die Orientierung gefehlt, was da jetzt gerade passiert.

So kann man die Geschichte leider nicht richtig genießen und sie kann nur wenig Spannung entfalten. Aber auch inhaltlich ergibt Vieles nicht so viel Sinn. So will Zoe Damiano eigentlich verführen, ihm nahekommen, sein Vertrauen gewinnen, um an seine Geheimnisse zu kommen, tut aber genau das Gegenteil, nachdem sie bei ihm eingezogen ist. Oder auch das Motiv von Byron und was er da geplant hat, hat sich mir überhaupt nicht erschlossen. Wenn das, was er am Ende angerichtet hat, das war, was er wollte… das hätte er doch schon viele Jahre früher und viel einfacher haben können…

Wenn du Interesse an der Geschichte hast, versuch’s auf jeden Fall lieber mit dem englischen Original.
________________________________________
Kategorisierung

Achtung: Die folgende Kategorisierung enthält Spoiler!

📚 Romance-Sub-Genre: Contemporary, Dark
👥 Altersgruppe der Hauptfiguren: New Adult
➿ Plot-Trope: Afraid to commit, Bad girl-bad boy, Dude in distress, Emotional scars, Enemies to lovers, Marriage of convenience, Morally grey, Pregnancy, Secret identity, Sworn off a relationship, Widower
🌎 Setting-Trope: MC / Mafia
⚤ Geschlechterkonstellation: Hetero
💞 Beziehungsstruktur: Monogam
🔪 Spannung: Medium
🖤 Darkness: Grau
💓 Emotionalität: Gering
🧠 Psychologische Tiefe: Oberflächlich
🧐 Glaubwürdigkeit: Unglaubwürdig
❤️ Sympathiefaktor der Hauptfiguren: Sympathisch
😆 Humor: Wenig
👫 Klassisches Rollenmodell: Teils teils
💋 Anzahl Spicy Szenen: 6
🔗 Spielart Spicy Szenen: Vanilla
🔥 Explizitheit Spicy Szenen: Medium
🎨 Originalität der Erzählweise: Teils teils
👀 Erzählperspektive: Wechselnde Ich-Erzähler:innen

Filtere dir die für dich passenden Romances zurecht unter: Lustlektüre.de

[BiblioDarling · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Rating System (as of 8/14/2025):
⭐: It was a struggle to read. I almost DNF
⭐⭐: This could have been so much better.
⭐⭐⭐: Good/Average
⭐⭐⭐⭐: Great book. I will probably reread it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐: I absolutely loved this book.
***********************************************************************
Triggers:
🚩Sexual Assault/Rape
🚩Death of Parents
🚩Violence
🚩Implied Torture

Tropes:
💕Mafia Romance
💕Hate/Enemies to Love
💕Arranged Marriage
💕MF Romance
💕Part of a Series
💕HEA
💕Alpha Female
💕Surprise Pregnancy
💕Suspense/Mystery
💕Family Drama

Spice Level: 🔥🔥🔥
Spice Level Rating System (as of 9/4/25)
🔥: Clean. Handholding. Kissing.
🔥🔥: Non-Descriptive/Implied on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥: Hot-Descriptive on Page Sex
🔥🔥🔥🔥: So Hot—Do Not Read in Public
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥: Oh My-BDSM. Blood Play. Smut.
************************************************************************
Quote:
Tomorrow, I'll sit across from my father's murderer and smile. I'll laugh at his jokes, meet his eyes, pretend I don't see blood on his hands. Because that's what Byron wants. That's what I owe him.

Summary:
An event happened many years ago that has affected the lives of the FMC and MMC. FMC has been led to believe that the MMC is the cause of the event. Her adopted father arranges a marriage with the MMC. The FMCs mission is to get close to the MMC and then destroy him and his family from the inside.

But sometimes everything is not what it seems. What happens when feelings start to arise and truths are revealed? HEA

Review:
I have been on a dry spell when it comes to finding a new mafia series/author. I saw this book mentioned in a Facebook group and decided to give it a try. I am glad that I did. Yes, there are some minor plot points that contradict each other. Yes, the book could have used a beta reader. But the meat of a great mafia romance is there.

I enjoyed the author's writing style. I loved that the FMC wasn't helpless and that she had support from her bestie. I loved it when the MMC began to realize how much he felt for the FMC. I really enjoyed it being the FMC who rescued the MMC.

This is the first book in the series. I already purchased the rest of the series and the spin-offs. I will be reviewing them as well. There are certain stories I am especially looking forward to.

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[AMG · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mafia/Enemies to Lovers/Revenge/ Dual PoV

SYNOPSIS: The FC’s father died when she was 13 and she was adopted by the head of a crime syndicate who then raised her as a weapon and taught her that her father had been murdered in cold blood by the head of the Ferretti crime family. When she is 24 she is then married to the man she believed killed her father with an aim of being the weapon that destroys him and brings down his organisation. The MC is a cold man whose fiancée and unborn child were killed 12 years earlier. The story revolves around the distrust between the FC and the MC, how they fall for each other despite everything going on and the background of intrigue around exactly what happened to the FC’s father and the MC’s fiancée.

HEAT LEVEL: 🌶️🌶️/🍆🍆 There’s spice once the MC/FC connect. It doesn’t take over the book but does ramp up a bit.

In summary, this is an OK mafia story whose focus is on the characters and their relationship rather than on action. There is very little violence (although there are descriptions of violence in the past) with a degree of pointless angst and some drama.

The FC was likeable, described as unbelievably beautiful and clever, but the premise of her belief in the man who had adopted her and lack of questioning how she had been raised and treated annoyed me from the start. As her belief that her father had been murdered by the MC was fundamental to the story and was the basis for much of the angst in the story that jarred. The MC was likeable and a hot, older, possessive alpha type as is usual with mafia MCs. Unfortunately the writing was a bit repetitive with constant references to the FC’s hidden smiles and the MCs glimpses of vulnerability (which became annoying quickly) and there was no real story development with much of the book just treading water and simply describing various interactions between the FC and MC before suddenly hitting the climax 🥱. The climax itself felt a long time coming and all a bit “storybook villain” 🦹🏻‍♂️. By that I mean that the villain of the story had spent literally years playing the long game and yet all of a sudden the wheels seemed to come off and he was just a mad man whose actions made no sense.

There is a decent amount of world building and relationship building but it does not go beyond the basics to give background and substance to the characters and the narrative. If you are looking for a dark, dramatic or action packed mafia story then this is not it. This is more the light, fluffy kind where really, the fact that the MC is mafia makes no real impact on the story. He could just be a tycoon for all the difference it would make.

So, if want you want a story high on pointless angst with some spice, a focus on the characters and a strong MC then this would while away a few hours.

[maya · Rating 5 out of 5]

♥︎ Maya's Reads ♥︎

*Spoilers Ahead*

Okay for some context i have had this series saved to read since December 2025. Another thing was that I actually found this series actually scrolling on Amazon. What caught my attention was the covers and immediately I knew that they were mafia books so i took a picture and finally got around to reading them, not knowing there are so many books but i’m determined to finished this series!! So here it goes…

For this book, Damiano and Zoe were truly the epitome of a true enemies to lovers in an arranged marriages. I enjoyed the fact that right away we got introduced to plot, for sure this book didn’t disappoint in that area nor did it in others. The fact that Zoe was essentially groomed into revenge by her uncle and using that Damiano was the one who killed her dad. What i loved about their relationship was that Zoe throughout their interactions where it be the dinner, wedding, at Omerte the Club and etc., she constantly challenged Damiano. That was the best trait of her character because it gave her a backbone and allowed for Damiano to see her as an equal. I think them getting distracted and actually falling for each other that they forgot that they were both trying to get revenge or had a mission in mind; Zoe was finding dirt of Damiano to take down his empire as revenge and Damiano figure out if Zoe was a spy or not. I think when it comes to his character I think the fact that he was trying so hard on himself and essentially accepted the fact that he shouldn’t be worthy of happiness and love(like his siblings were telling him the entire book), and in part because of his ongoing grievance of Bianca. I think once they found out that Bianca and her dad died on the same day that was the climax of the story and believe me reading it all crumble, it hurt!! LIKE HIMM PUTTING HER IN THE DUNGEON!! SHE WAS PREGGO! HIS SISTER HELPER HER ESCAPE!! THEN THEY GET KIDNAPPED! DAMIANO SISTER GETS RAPED! ZOE UNCLE ACTUALLY KILLED BOTH PREGGO BIANCA AND HER DAD. LIKEEEE WHATTTT?!!!!

I’m glad they are happy but wow the ending of this book was great!! Can’t wait to see Enzo’s book!!

★★★★★ overall rating

[Geeky Author · Rating 3 out of 5]

Trauma explains behavior — it does not excuse willful blindness.

I get being traumatized at a young age and feeling grateful to the person who took you in. That said, at some point you have to act like the adult you are and recognize the manipulation happening right in front of you.

This book felt unnecessarily long, with very little actually happening to move the story forward. It easily could have been at least 100 pages shorter. The pacing was off, dragging in places where it should have been tighter. There were also clear editing issues — for example, the description refers to Bianca as his wife, when in reality she is his fiancée.

The story flow was especially confusing. Some key scenes where the MCs supposedly get to know each other — scenes important enough to justify them falling in love — happen after the third-act breakup, the resolution, and the mutual confession of feelings. At that point, those conversations felt awkward and oddly placed, as if they belonged to an entirely different draft.

That said… chemistry? Explosive.
When they finally lost control and kissed, it was undeniably HOT. 🔥🔥🔥


Unfortunately, I absolutely despised what happened to Lucrezia. She was hands down the best character in the book — the most mature, emotionally intelligent, and level-headed despite her age. And don’t even get me started on Zoe and Damiano. While Lucrezia is going through a major medical crisis in the hospital, her brother and sister-in-law — who is indirectly responsible for what happened to her — are at home having sex? Deeply inappropriate and incredibly jarring.

There was a good story hiding in here somewhere, but questionable pacing, odd scene placement, and baffling character decisions held it back from being truly satisfying.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

🌶🌶🌶 spice 3
I might be generous giving this book 4 stars and 3 spice and I honestly do not know where I am going with this but here we go...

WTF did I just read? I couldn't decide if it was good, bad, or annoying. Okay, so there was only one annoying part but it drove me insane. How many times does a character have to same the same thing? "you're playing a dangerous game"/ "you're playing with fire" BUT WAIT I did give this a 4 star for a reason I just have to get through the bad first.

This book is IMO a slow burn and I guess I didn't get the small moments or maybe I missed something? But the FMC said she wouldn't use her body to gain trust or to get closer to him, but the basically what she did. And for believing that this man the MMC killed your father it happened pretty quickly and she didn't even actually try anything other than planting a bug in his office?? come on! I feel like if the FMC is made out to be a bad ass then let her be a bad ass. Byron literally calls her his asset and tells her he molded her into a weapon to take down Damiano.

Okay lets talk about MMC. He was so sweet in his own way, when he loves he loves hard and he loves and cares about so many people who keep getting hurt, I mean the book starts with his pregnant fiancé getting shot and how he failed her. He needs control and when he finds out who the FMC's father is... He feels week he feels stupid he feel manipulated all the rage. But when baby sis takes FMC and runs away to save her from him you don't get as much emotion.

look the book was good it held my attention more than I thought it would however I will say I wish this book was two, it needed to be two!

and small spoiler but The best part of the book was when the MMC was caught and Byron was going on and filling in all the details on how everything happened. 👏

[Hearth Li · Rating 3 out of 5]

I would have given this 5 stars if not because the climax and the ending and other things

Basically I loovveeeeee it until I realize the first mistake. The author clearly wrote “Bianca” as his wife in the first chapter and later she was written as fiancée.

Then, the climax and the ending just took away every single thing the author had built. It took away the highlights from Zoe. It went over to Lucrezea instead. Very weird because Zoe is the main character. And wha happened to Lu, despite very sad, I can’t have myself empathize with her because it didn’t make sense. It took away my concerns over Zoe to Lu who despite was an amazing character, is not supposed to be exploited in this story where Zoe should be the spotlight.

And then the ending. Gosh I’m so disappointed. Because the love words at the end … from Damiano… is written so beautifully but was not depicted very clearly throughout the story. Like it felt empty. Not showstopper kind of confession. Just so disappointed because I was so loving the story until the moment Lu and Dam were kidnapped. Very disappointed because from there, everything is just disappointing. And then the fact that Alessio and Enzo and everyone in the house never really had enough screen time but suddenly Zoe was described as a sunshine or some savior for these people … lights… when her character has never really had enough exposures to show that.

I suggest learn from Neva Altaj. She wrote her character not through words but by showing it.

[Lydia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ruined by Revenge had me hooked from the start and even though I really enjoyed it, it definitely fell a little short for me in some areas.

Zoe was raised from the age of 13 to be this highly trained spy/assassin seeking revenge for her father’s death… but honestly, we barely got to see any of those skills. Girl was out here doing the complete opposite of what she supposedly learned from her father’s friend who raised her. 😭 That’s really where the story lost some points for me because the potential for her character was HUGE and it just never fully delivered.

Now Damiano? Whew. 😂 The man was down bad from the second he saw Zoe. Possessive, “mine,” touch-her-and-die energy… he was EVERYTHING. The tension between them was so good, and there were definitely some hot moments 🥵 but I honestly think the romance could’ve hit even harder if Zoe’s character had been written stronger.

Between all the manipulation, lies, chaos, and action, this book kept me entertained the entire time. And then the ending… a whole cliffhanger? I’m already jumping into the second book because I need answers, even though it focuses more on Enzo’s story. Honestly though, if you didn’t want to continue the series, I think Zoe and Damiano’s story could’ve ended there just fine.

Overall, it was still a really good read and I’m definitely enjoying the series so far.

[Jenn Brunier · Rating 2 out of 5]

Too Much Inconsistency

I love a good mafia romance. The storyline here sounded promising, but this one really threw me off with the timeline inconsistencies as well as the confusion over the characters’ positions in a room.

Didn’t the villains take a sledge hammer to our MMC’s knee and yet he walked out of that warehouse with only a dislocated shoulder? Even in the hospital, no mention of the knee!

Another time he calls his little sister the endearment he uses for the FMC. Weird. Must have been a mistake.

I was intrigued by the FMC being raised to bring down the mafioso. Her training sounded extensive like she was an assassin, but only once did she use a gun to bring down a bad guy. Nothing at all happened to show off her skills. How can you tout your character as badass and never show any badassery? Total tease and not in a good way!

My final complaint was the gratuitous rape (off screen) of one of the side characters! Completely unnecessary. Not only that, but the MMC and FMC had sex the same night of the assault while the side character was in the hospital. Really??!!

The ending dragged on and on. I skimmed it searching for a purpose. The only thing that popped up was a hook for the next book. I won’t be reading that.

[Angie Baer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Confession time: lately I’ve been deep into mafia stories. 😂 Don’t ask me why—I just am.

So of course I had to start a new series, and the Feretti Syndicate kicked off STRONG with ‘Ruined by Revenge’ by @sherryblakeauthor. What a way to open a series and for me to be introduced to this author. 👏🏽

✨ Tropes I devoured:
🖤 Mafia romance
❤️ Enemies to lovers
🔥 Revenge-driven plot
💥 Intense chemistry
⛔️ Touch her and you die
⏳ Slow-burn vibes
👀 Morally gray characters
🤝 Great supporting cast / found-family energy

I appreciated that while there is spice, it’s not a lot so I was able to skip those parts, and also, it’s not the whole point of the story (because some books are too much). The plot is actually super engaging, the tension is chef’s kiss, and the chemistry between the characters jumps right off the page. Zoe and Damiano’s chemistry is so good—it never feels forced or rushed, just intense and natural.

And can we talk about the supporting characters?? So good. They added so much depth and kept me fully invested.

I flew through this book in five hours because I could not put it down. If you love mafia romance with a strong plot and balanced spice, this one’s worth picking up. 📖🔥 Special mention for the stunning cover art. So vivid.

[Midnightfairies · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first book from this author.
The book started well, and kept me interested.
The middle was a little dull, and I had to push through.
I was starting to feel that it was incredible “soft” for a mafia book.
However at about 75% it picked up and the last quarter was really good.
Here’s my thoughts…

What I liked…

* Lucrezia…I think she was my favourite! And my heart broke for her…I see she gets her own book, but not fur another 5 books!!! We needed her story next.

* I liked the way the “dead fiancé ” situation was handled. A lot of readers hate the dead wife/gf/fiancé trope. However this was handled well. We felt Damianos love for his fiancée, without it detracting from his love for Zoe.

* I became intrigued with the side characters, and I’m looking forward to their books, it’s a shame Scarlet didn’t get a book.


What I didn’t like as much…

* The book quite dull in the middle

I think I will go onto the next book, Enzos story. I just hope each book isn’t a rinse and repeat story.

[Kathy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was asked if I would like to read the book which is a new author to me and I accepted. I’m really happy that I did. This is a book about the Feretti family and someone trying to take them down. When revenge is all you grew up wanting but find out everything you’ve been told since you were a child are lies, what does a girl do? Well you find within the pages of this book that both Damiono and Zoe are both being used in one way or another. When the truth comes out as to who is really responsible for what these two went through, will they get justice for their loved ones? I don’t like to give away anything about the stories as it’s not fair to the author but you can get an idea from my little snippets what the book will be about. It was a good read with enjoyable characters. This is the first book in this series and it looks like Enzo which is another Feretti brother will be getting his story soon. Enjoy. #badboyupdate.

[Brooklyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

There were parts of this book I loved, and then parts I hated. I am still on the fence with what I thought.

there were some sentences that just felt super weird to me, and at times almost like the author was flat out using the wrong word. But I think overall, I did enjoy the story line. Zoe falls flat to me as a FMC. If I was Scarlet I think I'd stop answering her phone calls, Zoe just complains ignores any advice she gives then hangs up on her.

Also the bugging his office plot line felt completely unnecessary, we don't ever find out much other than one little paragraph of snippets but she makes it seem like that's from a new bug she placed and not from the first one. The author wrote that the office is checked for bugs often and somehow a bookcase filled with hundreds of hiding places wouldn't be a place they would check??

Damiano is also nothing special, he's every Mafia Don ever.

[Patricia Brioux · Rating 4 out of 5]

YESSSSS!! Mafia romance is one of my favourite genres and this one absolutely delivered; tension, danger, obsession, and characters that live rent free in my head.

Zoe—YES. Strong, resilient, and impossible not to root for.
Damiano—HELL to the YES 🙌 Cold—but is he?, powerful, morally grey, and exactly the kind of man I read mafia romances for.
Enzo—woohoo, chaotic king energy. Who doesn’t love the second born?
Alessio—swoon. Soft moments + danger = I’m done for.
Scarlett—BFF material, ride-or-die forever.
Lucrezia—poor, sweet Lucrezia, my heart actually hurt for her.
Byron—piece of shit Byron. Bye, bitch.

Okay, high stakes, emotional damage, and obsession in all the right ways. I am fully hooked and counting down for the next book because I need more immediately. Mafia romance has me in a chokehold and I am not mad about it 🖤🔥

[revieweswithracqs · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revenge plots and romance. Because clearly that always ends well.

This kicks off the series with betrayal, family politics and a hero who thinks vengeance is a solid long-term plan. Enter the heroine, who complicates everything simply by existing and refusing to be intimidated. I do enjoy watching a powerful man realise his carefully laid scheme has feelings attached. Inconvenient.

The tension is immediate and properly dark, but there’s enough emotional depth beneath the power struggle to keep it from feeling flat. It’s intense without tipping into parody, which is a delicate balance in mafia romance.

If you like calculated heroes, high stakes and passion tangled up with payback, this will absolutely deliver.

Broody, dramatic and deliciously petty. Happy reading.