Geralynn has only one memory before falling unconscious – a shot of absinthe topped with whipped cream.
The next thing she knows,
She’s tied up and in custody of Renzo Taviani – a violent psychopath with a reputation for kidnapping, assassinations… and worse.
This deranged, six-foot-five inch black-haired criminal claims she signed a contract agreeing to become his surrogate and to have this Italian man’s mixed race baby.
He claims to have proof she fully consented to this.
Geralynn knows she never would, but there’s no way out of the contract.
Renzo is dangerously possessive with a demanding appetite in the bedroom.
Now that he has his contract… he wants to collect every inch he’s due.
Geralynn doesn’t realize how far this rich man will go to keep her once he plants his seed.
If you enjoy BWWM Italian mafia crime family romance stories, you'll love this trilogy. Get Book #3 in this series of interconnected standalone stories.
For fans of the Pagonis family from the Greek Mafia Brotherhood, the Vicari family from the Long Island Mafia Romance Series or the Doukas family from The Amalfi Coast Brotherhood Mafia trilogy, this series is just for you.
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Again… so far all these books are exactly the same. I don’t know why I thought this one would be different. FMC having an ex that is horrible to her, a meddling little sister, forced contract under the influence of alcohol/drugs, headed to some lake, unknown location to keep FMC locked up, mafia family not liking black people… it’s literally the same as the first book just different characters.
This one truly threw me for a loop, the ending was confusing. Their sisters were forced into a marriage with the enemy and RAPED and the ending made it seem like it was all okay! like WTF!? Why didn’t they raise hell??? Why didn’t they go and kill off every single one of those men!? Make it make sense.
And the other part towards the end is the baby was supposed to be 8 months old but now they’re celebrating his 3 month celebration?? All I can do is shake my head. Not sure if I can keep reading the rest of this series. You now have 3 books with the EXACT same storyline. Nothing changes except for the fact that 3 sisters were brutally raped and forced into marriages in this book, and their brothers and family did nothing about it. The ending was rushed.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
By The Bourbon Sipping Bibliophile Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️☆☆ (3/5) Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ (High-Heat, Repetitive) Genre: Dark Mafia BWWM Romance, High-Stakes, Dual POV, Forced Proximity Format: E-ARC (approx. 300 pages)
The Pour: A Deal with the Devil, No Chaser
Forbidden Property thrusts the reader into the heart of the Buffalo Mob, centering on Renzo, a powerful and possessive mobster, and Geralynn, a woman caught in the crossfire of his dangerous world. Their connection is instant and inherently forbidden, raising the stakes from the very first chapter. This is not a slow burn; it’s a match struck in a gunpowder warehouse.
The book has all the right ingredients—intensity, moral ambiguity, and high-stakes danger—but the execution sometimes feels rushed, diluting the full flavor of the forbidden premise.
The Notes: What Worked + What Went Sideways 🥃 Smooth Sips (What I Enjoyed)
Volatile, Combustible Chemistry: The connection between Renzo and Geralynn is the main draw. It is raw, immediate, and serves as a powerful counterpoint to the darkness of the mafia world.
Dual POV Excellence: The alternating perspectives (Renzo/Geralynn) give insight into both the brooding mob politics and Geralynn's necessary strength and resilience. We know exactly what both characters are thinking, which helps drive the relationship forward.
🥃 Harsh Burn (Where the Book Lost Me) ⚡ Blazing Fast Pacing:
The pacing felt too fast, resulting in a thin timeline. The narrative leaps from forced proximity and initial resistance straight into deep devotion almost instantly, sacrificing emotional believability. Major emotional shifts were rushed, and the foundation of their relationship needed more time to set.
⚡ The 'Forbidden' Element Dissolves Quickly: The core premise—Geralynn as Renzo's "forbidden property"—loses its teeth too early. The high-stakes conflict and power imbalance that define the dark romance genre didn't play out long enough to feel truly earned or dramatically impactful. The external Mob dangers often felt easily managed.
⚡ Repetitive Spice: While the spice level is high-heat, the intimacy scenes lacked variety or deeper emotional tie-ins to the plot's progression. After a while, the heat felt repetitive, and the scenes began to blur together rather than building the emotional connection between the two leads.
⚡ Suspension of Morality Required: As is standard for the dark romance genre, Renzo is a criminal. However, the lack of narrative depth exploring the cost of this darkness on their relationship keeps the story from achieving true five-star complexity.
The Final Sip Forbidden Property features an undeniable, high-heat connection, making it an enjoyable, fast-paced read. However, issues with pacing, a lack of sustained conflict for the "forbidden" element, and repetitive spice prevent it from becoming a truly unforgettable pour. The intensity is all there, but the complexity needed more time to simmer.
If you enjoy instant connection, possessive heroes, and don't mind a quick timeline, you may enjoy this. But if you prefer your dark romances to have a slower, more emotionally torturous burn with deep character architecture, you may want to pour something else.
🥃 Drink Pairing: An Unbalanced Espresso Martini
A drink promising a sharp, intense, high-energy kick that instead tastes a bit too sweet and fades too quickly
Unbalanced Espresso Martini - The Quick Fix Edition
Ingredients 1.5 oz Vodka (to represent the immediate, strong impact) 1 oz Coffee Liqueur 1 oz Espresso (freshly pulled for the initial intensity) 0.5 oz Simple Syrup (too much of it, to represent the sweetness that dilutes the darkness) Coffee Beans for garnish
Tasting Notes 💥 An initial jolt of energy and heat. 🍬 Overly sweet, missing the bitterness it needs for balance. 📉 The intensity quickly fades into a flat finish.
Perfect for a book that starts with a rush of high-octane flavor but doesn't maintain its depth throughout the entire journey.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The racist male lead has a quick about face once he gets a taste of the cookie. He gets converted quickly and is on board with an interracial relationship and mixed baby on the way. The female lead is digging her heels in on principle regarding the changing feelings she has for the guy breaking her off. They eventually get on the same page. What stole my breath was the ending with the sisters. It threw me all the way off the bridge. I will admit that I don't watch Italian mafia movies so maybe this is just well known behavior. It really did not sit well with me their fate. How are we just letting all that slide?! I'm supposed to believe this family will go to bat for these sistahs but when it is their own blood their hands are tied because a racist priest was involved?! I read reviews on the next book and there was no mention of righting any wrongs from this book, so I'm done with this series. What about daughters born to their women? Will they just let that slide too if they are treated so vile?! Are they just thinking their girls will be safe since they will be mixed race?!
If you’re looking for an erotic book to read, then this is it. However, if you’re just looking for a good book to read with a good mafia type scenario, this is not the book
To me, overall, there could’ve been a lot less chapters and words because majority of the scenarios were redundant. The main characters had no real connection other than a forced situation and sex.
The author’s weaving of multiple storylines within this story made it more disjointed, especially towards the end of the book.
There chemistry identified outside the bed. We were told about it and not shown. All the unnecessary wording, and chapters in the beginning could’ve been replaced with more of how the showing of relationship growth.
Books in this series & the others intertwined in these story lines are hit & miss but redundant after so many books
While I can understand and appreciate the pull of dark romance not to mention the morally gray area of being dominated what I cannot accept that RAPE is so normalized and accepted as a form of bonding. There is no female agency.
Further, a woman’s sacrifice is the arc to the man’s redemption.
CC, Nicky and Angela were brutally beaten and raped in a fucking church by a priest concerned about foul language rather than the forcible marriage and raping or 3 women not revenged. The notion that they will eventually accept and possibly love their husbands is insulting.
I wish for more consensual domination, mutual vulnerability and transparency. It’s okay to want to be dominated, to be pursued, to push the boundaries of sexuality but we keep reinforcing that sexual coercion and rape is the only tool men have to use
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Worth the wait. Renzo and Geralynn’s story was well worth the wait. I loved the fact that they both fought their attraction for each other so hard and neither one was willing to admit how much they wanted to be together. I loved that Renzo was willing to give her up to prove that he really loved her and give her a chance to prove that she loved him too. I loved when Geralynn finally admitted her true feelings for Renzo, and they were finally able to be together. This truly was a happily ever after.
I'll start by saying this story was good. However the ending was rushed and confusing. I found it lacking in so many ways. Like the baby is 8 months then its a 3 month celebration. Then nothing to follow up on the trauma... then their getting married... the end. It was such a surprise. I kept thinking I have about an hour left in the book it's good to tie up loose ends, but the last hour is other stories. So weird. Anyway... I look forward to Peter's book. Hope it ends better.
We step back into the Italian mafia with this book but this time it’s about Renzo & Geralynn. I enjoyed reading about the couple! Renzo gives every bit of psych*, obsessed book boyfriend & I loved that about him. Geralynn was a nice fmc to read about & she stood on her boundaries when it came to Renzo.
Overall this was an intricate story & I liked reading about the couple. Some parts were hard for me to read because I literally was not expecting those events to happen but it didn’t deter me from finishing the book.
Renzo is a live wire waiting to explore. Geralynn is his sister Nikki, best friend. One night which was supposed to be one of fun and maybe a drink or two turns into something totally unexpected. Nikkie decides that Renzo and Geralynn should be mated. She drugs them and locks them in a room together. The fireworks began and their life's change forever. Nikki loses her best friend, and Renzo gains a woman he has wanted in secret. The question is will they learn to live together?
Mannn, Renzo and Geralynn’s story is truly smokin hot. From the jump street you already know that girlfriend can hold her own. But Renzo can make any women weak in the knees.
Their relationship is not just hot. But, dannnng… some things in their life time needs some extraordinary attention.
I’m so intoxicated with this whole series, and can barely contain myself. Brang on my boy … I mean my man … and show these youngsters how to do that thang.
Any opinions, recommendations, or suggestions expressed within this review our Solely and uniquely made by me. I originally and voluntarily had received in advance copy of this book via Bsprout.
Drama! This book is filled with it and Geralyn and Renzo are caught up in it thanks to his little sister. When a night of drinks turns into something else Geralyn wakes up to a reality she doesn't remember but finds herself all caught up in it. When Renzo tells her they have a contract will she fulfill it and let the sparks igniting between them lead them along the path to happiness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Geralynn is Renzo’s sisters best friend and Renzo doesn’t like her being around. Mostly because if he looks deep he knows he feels something for her and he can’t. But his sister disagrees and they’re stuck together. This book was good but it slightly missed the full mark for me. It feels like Renzo gave in quicker then he actually would have. I normally love me a mafia dark romance but this just wasn’t the book for me.
I read this in one sitting. Ms Jasper did not disappoint. This had the drama, darkness, alpha vibes, and the HEA I look for in books. There was also some new things in this book that I don’t believe any of her other male characters have been so unhinged to do. I can’t wait for the next one to come out.
Nikki was a piece of work & had no empathy because BFF do not treat anyone like she treated Geralynn. Love JJ’s book it’s just a little much with the name calling with Renzo. I am sure Roman was a cutie pie 🥰
Every plot of this series is the same. And I hate it. But this one went DARK. No one mentions the forced marriages and rapes at the end of the book! It was too dark for me. And everyone is fine with it?!
And the MFC wants to be a lawyer? Little hard if you're married to the mafia.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I put it out there in the u verse but this was dark yet intriguing...I know its fiction yet I wonder completely if some of he family dynamics is actually true hmmm very interesting
Ri muito com o Renzo, juro, não esperava que ele fosse tão caótico, não me entenda mal, as falas dele são problemáticas, porém, no contexto usado não tem como levar a sério, eu e meus amigos fazemos e falamos coisas piores. É insano e encantador ver um ser insensível amando.
I love this whole series. I love the characters. It is true family obligations. You have to take care of each other. You might not always get along, but you're there for each other. You might not always get things the way you want, but in the end, you get it.
This book was awesome! I'm not a fan of mafia books like I used to be but this series has been good. 🍍 I'm glad that I continued to read. Geralynn was pretty complicated. Renzo wasn't as crazy as we thought from the previous books.
Drama! This book is filled with it and Geralyn and Renzo are caught up in it thanks to his little sister. When a night of drinks turns into something else Geralyn wakes up to a reality she doesn't remember but finds herself all caught up in it. When Renzo tells her they have a contract will she fulfill it and let the sparks igniting between them lead them along the path to happiness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Drama! This book is filled with it and Geralyn and Renzo are caught up in it thanks to his little sister. When a night of drinks turns into something else Geralyn wakes up to a reality she doesn't remember but finds herself all caught up in it. When Renzo tells her they have a contract will she fulfill it and let the sparks igniting between them lead them along the path to happiness.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.