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Spontagio Family #1
Code of Honor
In a series debut for fans of Tracy Wolff and Sylvia Day, New York Times bestselling author Missy Johnson asks a burning question: What happens when love is undeniable—and taboo?
Pietro Gustovi is loyal, polished, and hard as stone, the kind of guy women want and men respect. At twenty-three, he’s survived tragedies that would break men twice his age. And he owes it all to his father’s closest friend, Giovanni Spontagio, who took him in as an orphaned teenager. Pietro would give his life for Giovanni . . . but his heart belongs to Giovanni’s daughter.
Raised in Chicago under the spotlight of power and privilege, Lucy Spontiago feels most alive on stage. Determined to become a prima ballerina, she escapes her father’s protective gaze long enough to audition for the ballet in New York City. Soon, however, Lucy realizes that she is not alone. Pietro is watching her back. And though he’s like a brother to her, Lucy cannot deny the thrill she feels knowing his eyes are on her.
Pietro could never betray his mentor by sleeping with his only child. But Lucy follows her passions, no matter how forbidden. Soon their nights are consumed by explosive, red-hot temptation—a dance that will expose shocking secrets and burn everything else to the ground.
Pietro Gustovi is loyal, polished, and hard as stone, the kind of guy women want and men respect. At twenty-three, he’s survived tragedies that would break men twice his age. And he owes it all to his father’s closest friend, Giovanni Spontagio, who took him in as an orphaned teenager. Pietro would give his life for Giovanni . . . but his heart belongs to Giovanni’s daughter.
Raised in Chicago under the spotlight of power and privilege, Lucy Spontiago feels most alive on stage. Determined to become a prima ballerina, she escapes her father’s protective gaze long enough to audition for the ballet in New York City. Soon, however, Lucy realizes that she is not alone. Pietro is watching her back. And though he’s like a brother to her, Lucy cannot deny the thrill she feels knowing his eyes are on her.
Pietro could never betray his mentor by sleeping with his only child. But Lucy follows her passions, no matter how forbidden. Soon their nights are consumed by explosive, red-hot temptation—a dance that will expose shocking secrets and burn everything else to the ground.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 25, 2015
16 people are currently reading
604 people want to read
About the author
Missy Johnson
85 books2,532 followersMissy lives in a small town in Central Victoria with her husband, and her confused pets (a dog who think she's a cat, a cat who thinks he's a dog...you get the picture).
When she's not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.
When she's not writing, she can usually be found looking for something to read.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
May 10, 2015
Sooooo this book...
This girl right here is a big Missy Johnson fan but this book was a total let down. I was so bored reading it that I found myself procrastinating so I don't have to pick up the book and read it...I haven't done that since I was studying for finals :P
I thought this mafia slut was going to be very excited but it turns out that this isn't really a mafia novel...sure it hints here and there of illegal dealings but beside the action is pretty dull.
Ohh...and this books has the worst "First experience" description I have ever read. I mean come on!!! After being in love and trying to hide that and stay away from each other for the last 8 years he finally kisses her and they start undressing. No biggy this far but she doesn't tell him she's a virgin so the foreplay takes less then the time you need to smoke a cigarette. Then...just after basically very little foreplay: (and I quote)
"Oh," I gasp as he enters me. I'm so wet that he slides in with ease, my muscles contracting around him. My nails dig into his chest as I ride him...
Seriously?
And of course she has an orgasm and there is no pain. I mean this is really how is supposed to be the first time you have sex. Right?
And as a true men after she tells him she was a virgin (but she rode him like a cowgirl) he freaks out and want's to leave because he feels guilty and knows they can't be together.
Don't ask me way but they just keep saying throughout the book that they can't be together and that it's better to go each on their way...Lucy to Paris to become a ballerina and Pietro to remain in Chicago and enter the family business (that we still don't know for sure what it is).
So that's all folks.
Do I recommend this novel? Not really. If you are Missy Johnson fans you might give it a go and see if you like it but otherwise not really. I was very tempted to give it 2 stars a DNF it a lot of times.
*ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
This girl right here is a big Missy Johnson fan but this book was a total let down. I was so bored reading it that I found myself procrastinating so I don't have to pick up the book and read it...I haven't done that since I was studying for finals :P
I thought this mafia slut was going to be very excited but it turns out that this isn't really a mafia novel...sure it hints here and there of illegal dealings but beside the action is pretty dull.
Ohh...and this books has the worst "First experience" description I have ever read. I mean come on!!! After being in love and trying to hide that and stay away from each other for the last 8 years he finally kisses her and they start undressing. No biggy this far but she doesn't tell him she's a virgin so the foreplay takes less then the time you need to smoke a cigarette. Then...just after basically very little foreplay: (and I quote)
"Oh," I gasp as he enters me. I'm so wet that he slides in with ease, my muscles contracting around him. My nails dig into his chest as I ride him...
Seriously?
And of course she has an orgasm and there is no pain. I mean this is really how is supposed to be the first time you have sex. Right?
And as a true men after she tells him she was a virgin (but she rode him like a cowgirl) he freaks out and want's to leave because he feels guilty and knows they can't be together.
Don't ask me way but they just keep saying throughout the book that they can't be together and that it's better to go each on their way...Lucy to Paris to become a ballerina and Pietro to remain in Chicago and enter the family business (that we still don't know for sure what it is).
So that's all folks.
Do I recommend this novel? Not really. If you are Missy Johnson fans you might give it a go and see if you like it but otherwise not really. I was very tempted to give it 2 stars a DNF it a lot of times.
*ARC generously provided by Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
August 13, 2015
I'm sad to say that I did not enjoy this book. I finished the book but it was a struggle. I will say that the blurb paints a Mafia related theme but I felt the story had only dabbles of what Mafia stories have. There was murder, secrets and kidnapping but it was poorly executed and did not hold my interest at all.
I could not feel the connection between the hero and heroine. I thought the pace would pick up and thus I would feel more emotions for the characters but sadly the story and characters remained flat, very predictable and lacked luster throughout the entire read.
I'm sorry to say that I can not recommend this book. It may be a case of me and not the book.......It is safe to say that my 1 star rating is another's 5 star read.
ARC given by LoveSwept publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
I could not feel the connection between the hero and heroine. I thought the pace would pick up and thus I would feel more emotions for the characters but sadly the story and characters remained flat, very predictable and lacked luster throughout the entire read.
I'm sorry to say that I can not recommend this book. It may be a case of me and not the book.......It is safe to say that my 1 star rating is another's 5 star read.
ARC given by LoveSwept publishing via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.
February 3, 2016
Nope, can't do it. I can't keep reading this PG version of a mafia story. No one has even died yet! As if that wasn't depressing enough, not even a hint of violence, men carrying weapons, etc. It's like all the fun of the mafia was bleeped out. If you take away the violence and constant death threats, what's the point?
The story is sort of NA, it is about college aged kids, one a ballerina and daughter of a mob boss. The guy is the orphan son of a slain mob boss that was raised by ballerina's dad & is now being groomed to take over one day. Except he knows nothing and he's the better character here. The girl is TSTL and annoyingly immature. The guy is in love with her and he's sweet and all, but a toothless geriatric dachshund is scarier. He does not give off "I'm a badass in the mob" vibes, more a lovesick fool that is disappointing me. I'm not even sure why there are sex scenes in this. Maybe a beta reader said "I feel like I'm reading Barney and Friends' version of the mafia, you better throw in some lackluster sex so it'll be NA." False. The uninspiring fumbling these two engage in made me fall asleep due to boredom. I've seen my forks and spoons eyeing each other more passionately than anything these two characters get up to.
The other very disappointing aspect of this book is the "mystery" of who murdered the male mc's parents. I knew from page 1 as blatantly if the villain was standing under a blinking billboard proclaiming "I did it! I killed your parents." And the male mc doesn't even use shady and nefarious ways to obtain info concerning the murders. I'm really not seeing any perks to being in the mafia from this book if you don't have connections other people would kill for. It's on the equivalent level of having a points card to a grocery store.
This book is getting a pair of cement boots from me.
The story is sort of NA, it is about college aged kids, one a ballerina and daughter of a mob boss. The guy is the orphan son of a slain mob boss that was raised by ballerina's dad & is now being groomed to take over one day. Except he knows nothing and he's the better character here. The girl is TSTL and annoyingly immature. The guy is in love with her and he's sweet and all, but a toothless geriatric dachshund is scarier. He does not give off "I'm a badass in the mob" vibes, more a lovesick fool that is disappointing me. I'm not even sure why there are sex scenes in this. Maybe a beta reader said "I feel like I'm reading Barney and Friends' version of the mafia, you better throw in some lackluster sex so it'll be NA." False. The uninspiring fumbling these two engage in made me fall asleep due to boredom. I've seen my forks and spoons eyeing each other more passionately than anything these two characters get up to.
The other very disappointing aspect of this book is the "mystery" of who murdered the male mc's parents. I knew from page 1 as blatantly if the villain was standing under a blinking billboard proclaiming "I did it! I killed your parents." And the male mc doesn't even use shady and nefarious ways to obtain info concerning the murders. I'm really not seeing any perks to being in the mafia from this book if you don't have connections other people would kill for. It's on the equivalent level of having a points card to a grocery store.
This book is getting a pair of cement boots from me.
August 26, 2015
It was not a bad book, but one I would say ..."so so"...
What I loved about it! Definitely Pietro!!! He was protective, caring and pretty sexy. The plot was interesting, loved the mafia gangsta going on in the story. I loved how loyal Pietro and Lucia were to each other and that Lucia didn’t live in her head.
About the things I didn’t like. First few chapters were engaging but half way through the story it went downhill. I could not connect with the characters as I wanted to. There was quite a bit of action and some suspense. The prose was predictable and cliched. Finally, I didn't buy the love connection between Pietro and Lucia. I do wish the book had explored more their emotions and Pietro’s dark past.
This one was not one of my favorites.
ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
What I loved about it! Definitely Pietro!!! He was protective, caring and pretty sexy. The plot was interesting, loved the mafia gangsta going on in the story. I loved how loyal Pietro and Lucia were to each other and that Lucia didn’t live in her head.
About the things I didn’t like. First few chapters were engaging but half way through the story it went downhill. I could not connect with the characters as I wanted to. There was quite a bit of action and some suspense. The prose was predictable and cliched. Finally, I didn't buy the love connection between Pietro and Lucia. I do wish the book had explored more their emotions and Pietro’s dark past.
This one was not one of my favorites.
ARC kindly provided by Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept (via NetGalley) in exchange for an honest review.
August 3, 2015
DNF @80%
It's taking me more than a month to TRY to finish this story and I can't do it. I was bored. It's that simple. Story and characters were not to my liking.
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
It's taking me more than a month to TRY to finish this story and I can't do it. I was bored. It's that simple. Story and characters were not to my liking.
*ARC provided by publisher via NetGalley*
August 17, 2015
3.75 stars
8 years ago, Pietro witnessed the murder of his parents. Giovanni was his fathers friend and takes Pietro in and moves him to his house in Chicago. When Pietro gets there, he meets Lucia, Giovanni's daughter. Pietro instantly feels a connection to Lucy and they form a friendship. He is in love with her but knows she is completely off limits. Lucy has dreams of being a dancer but lives under the constant control and supervision of her father. She sneaks away and goes to an audition in New York for the ballet and gets offered a position with them. Her father agrees to allow her to go to New York but Lucy doesn't know that she isn't going to be unsupervised. Giovanni is sending Pietro to watch Lucy to make sure nothing happens to her and Pietro can't let her know that he's there. For years Pietro has fought his feelings for Lucy but being so close to her makes it an impossible fight.
This is the first book in the Spontagio series and I am really intrigued. I didn't care much for Lucy's character but I really liked Pietro. Both characters were frustrating at times but I enjoyed their story. There are so many unanswered questions and this ends in a cliffhanger. It's hard for me to review/rate a book with an unfinished ending and there are no resolutions in this book but I know that I want to read the next book in this series to find out what's going to happen. This was suspenseful, sexy and a bit frustrating but I look forward to reading more in this series.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
8 years ago, Pietro witnessed the murder of his parents. Giovanni was his fathers friend and takes Pietro in and moves him to his house in Chicago. When Pietro gets there, he meets Lucia, Giovanni's daughter. Pietro instantly feels a connection to Lucy and they form a friendship. He is in love with her but knows she is completely off limits. Lucy has dreams of being a dancer but lives under the constant control and supervision of her father. She sneaks away and goes to an audition in New York for the ballet and gets offered a position with them. Her father agrees to allow her to go to New York but Lucy doesn't know that she isn't going to be unsupervised. Giovanni is sending Pietro to watch Lucy to make sure nothing happens to her and Pietro can't let her know that he's there. For years Pietro has fought his feelings for Lucy but being so close to her makes it an impossible fight.
This is the first book in the Spontagio series and I am really intrigued. I didn't care much for Lucy's character but I really liked Pietro. Both characters were frustrating at times but I enjoyed their story. There are so many unanswered questions and this ends in a cliffhanger. It's hard for me to review/rate a book with an unfinished ending and there are no resolutions in this book but I know that I want to read the next book in this series to find out what's going to happen. This was suspenseful, sexy and a bit frustrating but I look forward to reading more in this series.
**ARC provided in exchange for an honest review**
May 20, 2015
ARC received for review
A cliffy...really...so not nice. I wasn't expecting that. Pietro was so honorable and has loved Lucia for what seems like forever. What a way to say I love you for the first time. I don't like her dad at all. I really need the next part now cause that ending has me biting my nails. I don't want to wait till March 2016.
A cliffy...really...so not nice. I wasn't expecting that. Pietro was so honorable and has loved Lucia for what seems like forever. What a way to say I love you for the first time. I don't like her dad at all. I really need the next part now cause that ending has me biting my nails. I don't want to wait till March 2016.
September 3, 2015
Meet Lucia
She's left Chicago to pursue her dreams of being a ballerina in NY
This is Pietro
He's secretly in love with Lucia and has been tasked to secretly watch over her while she's in NYC.
My review:
A love that’s eluded them for years will now become a secret affair. A murder that’s been a mystery is one step closer to being solved. Secrets and lies abound in this first installment of the Spontagio Family series.
After his parents’ tragic demise at the age of fifteen, Pietro Gustovi was taken in by Giovanni Spontagio and moved to Chicago to live with him and his lovely daughter Lucia. After eight years under his wing, Pietro wants nothing more than acceptance from his mentor and would do anything for him, including putting aside his affection for Lucy. But denying his feelings proves impossible when he’s forced to watch over her.
Pursuing her dream of becoming a ballerina, Lucia Spontagio moves to New York leaving her father, friends and Pietro behind. Unknowing that her father has ordered Pietro to follow her and covertly look out for her. When the secret it out, loyalties are tested. Will Pietro betray his mentor? Will she give up her dream for love?
Where to begin? Le sigh. The blurb definitely caught my attention and I was prepared for a really exciting story after reading the dramatic prologue. But alas the tale progressed rather slowly, I found myself unable to connect with the characters and after a while I was actually peeved with both.
Lucia was basically a poor little rich girl whose father gave her everything she wanted except her “freedom.” It was difficult to feel sorry or even sympathy for a twenty one year old woman who gladly took her father’s questionable money for tuition, rent, food and basically everything and then bemoaned about being all alone following her goal and about her father being overprotective. It was no surprise that her father could manipulate and practically buy her off when he saw fit to do so.
I was also disappointed with Pietro’s lack of strength and character. I felt he was twiddling his thumbs while he’s finishing his economics degree but waiting for Giovanni to give him a job in the family business, which was never explained but hinted at being illegal. His moral compass felt askew considering he had an education with which to build a career but was adamant in following a lawless occupation as a forgone conclusion because it’s “in his blood.” I love bad boys and anti-heroes but they tend to be good people with tough choices. Pietro doesn’t fit in this category. But I think what bothered me the most was his blockhead, wishy-washy stance once he and Lucia cross the line from friends to lovers.
There were a lot of sweet, cute and sexy times between Pietro and Lucia but I never understood why they couldn’t be together. Because her father didn’t approved? Because Pietro didn’t feel he was worthy of her? There’s not a lot of background from which to deduce this and it’s never explained. I also felt there where plot holes regarding their friendship. How was it possible that they had lived under the same roof for years, they had been attracted to each other from the moment they laid eyes on one another, yet they hardly know about the other?
I feel the book had the elements and potential to be so much more but it fell short of being a good satisfying read.
Code of Honor is book #1 in the Spontagio Family series by Missy Johnson. It is a full-length, contemporary romance that ends with a cliffhanger. Told from both points of view.
* I was given an ARC of this book courtesy of the author via NetGalley. The excerpts are from that copy. *
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June 11, 2015
Basically this story is about Pietro, a supposedly brooding, hard as stone & loyal guy who was saved by his father's friend, Giovanni from a massacre which killed his parents. He was brought to live with Giovanni & his daughter Lucy. Lucy was a brat who always got her way but thought that she wasn't given enough freedom by his father. Lucy decided that she wanted to pursue a career in dance. Unbeknownst to her father, she went to audition in the New York Ballet Academy & unsuprisingly got accepted. She went head to head with her father when he knew that she wanted to move to New York. Finally Giovanni relented & let her went to NY but he asked Pietro to shadow her without her knowledge. And so this is how the story rolls, with Pietro spending his days in a coffee shop across the NYBA, watching every move she made. They had started texting right before she moved to NY. Until one day, she claimed that she missed Chicago & her family. Pietro showed up saying that he was on a business trip. Now now, this is where the story really went donwhill for me. Not that it was really interesting at first, but at least it was still tolerable. They professed their love for each other. And right after they had sex for the first time, Pietro immediately left, saying that he shouldn't have done it. Seems like a good way to break the heart of a girl you just had sex with Way to go, asshole! Then as they thought they were living in a bliss, being in each other's arms & having sex everyday, sth big happened & her father revealed that he had known what they were doing all along. They were separated & she was sent to France.
I couldn't connect with the characters. The heroine is a huge brat & the hero has no backbone. I don't even get the vibes that he is the brooding guy with a chip on his shoulder that he was supposed to be. The only thing he cared about was getting some from Lucy & being with her. I'm sorry but this story didn't work for me. Hell, even that cliffy didn't even make me wanna read the second book.
Thanks to Netgalley & LoveSwept from Random House for providing me with an arc.
I couldn't connect with the characters. The heroine is a huge brat & the hero has no backbone. I don't even get the vibes that he is the brooding guy with a chip on his shoulder that he was supposed to be. The only thing he cared about was getting some from Lucy & being with her. I'm sorry but this story didn't work for me. Hell, even that cliffy didn't even make me wanna read the second book.
Thanks to Netgalley & LoveSwept from Random House for providing me with an arc.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2016
*ARC copy received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review*
This book definitely got off to a slow start. Aside from cute convos and some flirting, things didn't pick up until 50% of the book was done. Then comes the sex and some mafia related activity. Not too many mafia aspects to the book though, until basically the end of the book. Pietro's parents being killed in the very beginning is as much as you get for a long while, in terms of action. It ends in a cliff changer.
This book definitely got off to a slow start. Aside from cute convos and some flirting, things didn't pick up until 50% of the book was done. Then comes the sex and some mafia related activity. Not too many mafia aspects to the book though, until basically the end of the book. Pietro's parents being killed in the very beginning is as much as you get for a long while, in terms of action. It ends in a cliff changer.
August 4, 2015
Firstly, I liked this book. I felt connected with Pietro and loved when the story flowed from his perspective. I just didn't love Lucy as much, she seemed a little too immature. 21 and still so under her father's wing? No wonder he was so over protective, Lucy never felt the need to act like an adult. I didn't dislike her though. Thankfully, she wasn't weak, and she didn't act entitled.
The forbidden love seemed a little much. I would think, considering the trust between Pietro and Lucy's father, that he would give his blessing, or at least not be as disapproving if they had approached him about the situation. And some of the side conflicts were a little difficult to care as much about. I understand Pietro's need for answers, but the entire mafia storyline kept getting shadowed by his stalking (I mean guarding) of Lucy.
The final conflict in the end had a satisfying twist that I only slightly anticipated, styled in a way that had me cheering for Lucy and Pietro. My biggest disappointment this weekend was that cliffhanger it ended on came up way too soon, and now, I just want to know happens! ~ George, 3.5 stars
The forbidden love seemed a little much. I would think, considering the trust between Pietro and Lucy's father, that he would give his blessing, or at least not be as disapproving if they had approached him about the situation. And some of the side conflicts were a little difficult to care as much about. I understand Pietro's need for answers, but the entire mafia storyline kept getting shadowed by his stalking (I mean guarding) of Lucy.
The final conflict in the end had a satisfying twist that I only slightly anticipated, styled in a way that had me cheering for Lucy and Pietro. My biggest disappointment this weekend was that cliffhanger it ended on came up way too soon, and now, I just want to know happens! ~ George, 3.5 stars
June 10, 2015
I'm a wreck! It can't end like this!!! (This is going to be a rant and rave review)
I thought this was a standalone. But, NOOO! You get a fucking cliffhanger.
I'm angry with Pietro, with Lucia, with Giovanni. I'm just mad.
1º You are in love with her, FUCKING BE WITH HER.
2º You are in love with him, YOU FUCKING FIGHT for your relationship
3º Giovanni, you are no saint so piss off and let them be.
That ending... Are you kidding me? 5% left and you think it ends badly but you are okay with it - or as okay as you can be-. 1% left and EVERYTHING changes.
Well, now that I have that out of my chest. I like the book. I think it's very sweet that they cared for each before their relationship and that there weren't many communication problems.
READ IT!!
I thought this was a standalone. But, NOOO! You get a fucking cliffhanger.
I'm angry with Pietro, with Lucia, with Giovanni. I'm just mad.
1º You are in love with her, FUCKING BE WITH HER.
2º You are in love with him, YOU FUCKING FIGHT for your relationship
3º Giovanni, you are no saint so piss off and let them be.
That ending... Are you kidding me? 5% left and you think it ends badly but you are okay with it - or as okay as you can be-. 1% left and EVERYTHING changes.
Well, now that I have that out of my chest. I like the book. I think it's very sweet that they cared for each before their relationship and that there weren't many communication problems.
READ IT!!
February 24, 2017
So this one is pretty much a solid 3 stars for me. It didn't blow me away story wise, but it wasn't bad. Sometimes I found the dialogue a little awkward, but I did like the 2 main characters. I'll probably read the next book in the series simply because of the cliffhanger.
ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review
ARC provided by Netgalley for an honest review
August 26, 2015
* A review copy was provided by the author via Netgalley for the Blog Tour *
~ 4 Stars ~
I don't know how to really write a review for this book. I enjoyed Code of Honor but I guess it just didn't WOW me. I have to say I just think that there was a lot going on in this book that at times it was kind of overwhelming. This is really hard to explain without giving major spoilers for the story, so I guess you'll just have to read the book and see what I'm saying.
I have read many book by Missy Johnson and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy all her books, some more than others, but isn't that always the case. I love her writing style. She also creates interesting and captivating characters and story lines. Code of Honor is no different. I liked the overall plot of this story, I just couldn't figure out what the main focus was supposed to be on, we got a lot of side plots built into this book.
Code of Honor is kind of a forbidden love story between Lucia (Lucy) and Pietro. Lucy is the only daughter to Giovanni, and Pietro was taken in by Giovanni when he was 15 and lost his parents. Giovanni has always treated Pietro like a son, so Pietro has this underlying loyalty to him. Pietro has also been secretly in love with Lucy since the day he met her, but he has forced himself to stay away. Lucy's dream has always been to be a ballerina, so when she auditions for the American Ballet Company in NY and gets accepted she is thrilled to go. Giovanni on the other hand is not so thrilled. He asks Pietro to go and watch over her without her knowing. Pietro jumps at the chance and from there we get to watch their relationship blossom. Along the way there is some mystery and suspense built into the story, which will leave you on the edge of you seat.
Code of Honor is written in Dual POV. I will warn you though if you aren't a fan of Cliffhangers, then I would wait for the second book to be released. This ending wasn't a total nail biter but had I known before hand that it ended this way, I know I would've waited. I will say that the Cliffhanger kind of came out of no where….The ending really didn't make a lot of sense to me, I guess I expected a little more lead into it. I kind of expected something like this could happen, but I think we needed more of the story to bring us to this spot. I felt like she left out some major part of the story. I don't know maybe it's just me.
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~ 4 Stars ~
I don't know how to really write a review for this book. I enjoyed Code of Honor but I guess it just didn't WOW me. I have to say I just think that there was a lot going on in this book that at times it was kind of overwhelming. This is really hard to explain without giving major spoilers for the story, so I guess you'll just have to read the book and see what I'm saying.
I have read many book by Missy Johnson and I have to say that I thoroughly enjoy all her books, some more than others, but isn't that always the case. I love her writing style. She also creates interesting and captivating characters and story lines. Code of Honor is no different. I liked the overall plot of this story, I just couldn't figure out what the main focus was supposed to be on, we got a lot of side plots built into this book.
Code of Honor is kind of a forbidden love story between Lucia (Lucy) and Pietro. Lucy is the only daughter to Giovanni, and Pietro was taken in by Giovanni when he was 15 and lost his parents. Giovanni has always treated Pietro like a son, so Pietro has this underlying loyalty to him. Pietro has also been secretly in love with Lucy since the day he met her, but he has forced himself to stay away. Lucy's dream has always been to be a ballerina, so when she auditions for the American Ballet Company in NY and gets accepted she is thrilled to go. Giovanni on the other hand is not so thrilled. He asks Pietro to go and watch over her without her knowing. Pietro jumps at the chance and from there we get to watch their relationship blossom. Along the way there is some mystery and suspense built into the story, which will leave you on the edge of you seat.
Code of Honor is written in Dual POV. I will warn you though if you aren't a fan of Cliffhangers, then I would wait for the second book to be released. This ending wasn't a total nail biter but had I known before hand that it ended this way, I know I would've waited. I will say that the Cliffhanger kind of came out of no where….The ending really didn't make a lot of sense to me, I guess I expected a little more lead into it. I kind of expected something like this could happen, but I think we needed more of the story to bring us to this spot. I felt like she left out some major part of the story. I don't know maybe it's just me.
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September 1, 2015
ARC provided in exchange of an honest review
Review original post:
http://collectorofbookboyfriends.com/...
book review: 3.5 stars!!
An amazing book which was, unfortunately, quite fast!
I adored everything about this story. I really did. The characters, the plot, the mystery. Although, the speed with which the story was unfolding did to it a great injustice. Most of the things in it were happening quite fast and you couldn’t enjoy it 100%.
But like I said, I loved it! I probably had already loved it just from reading the summary. And because I’m addicted with these books whose love story unfolds while dealing with the Mafia rules and generally, with the underground world.
So, there was no way for me to not read it! And I didn’t regret it! I was all over the book form the start and I was really devastated when it was over with this C R U E L cliffhanger! And not having a date for the second part? Not good for my sanity… :p
But let’s stay on how the story made me feel and not on how it finished!
I bet that my constant emotional state was “swooning”. Honestly, every time I was reading the thoughts of Pietro, I was hanging from his lips – not a matter of speech – and his thoughts. He was so unbelievably caring and in love with Lucy that you wanted to be in her place, in spite of her father’s behavior and overprotectiveness!
As for the erotic scenes between these two, there is one only way to describe it: thighs-clenching hot !! Swear to God, every time that I was reading these scenes, I HAD to go and sit under the AC so to not get a fever!
I really can’t wait to read the sequel! It’s almost impossible to wait!
Please, Missy! Hurry!! I beg you…… :)
Review original post:
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book review: 3.5 stars!!
An amazing book which was, unfortunately, quite fast!
I adored everything about this story. I really did. The characters, the plot, the mystery. Although, the speed with which the story was unfolding did to it a great injustice. Most of the things in it were happening quite fast and you couldn’t enjoy it 100%.
But like I said, I loved it! I probably had already loved it just from reading the summary. And because I’m addicted with these books whose love story unfolds while dealing with the Mafia rules and generally, with the underground world.
Follow your dreams, Lucy. Never let them out of your sight and take down anyone who tries to crush them.
So, there was no way for me to not read it! And I didn’t regret it! I was all over the book form the start and I was really devastated when it was over with this C R U E L cliffhanger! And not having a date for the second part? Not good for my sanity… :p
But let’s stay on how the story made me feel and not on how it finished!
I bet that my constant emotional state was “swooning”. Honestly, every time I was reading the thoughts of Pietro, I was hanging from his lips – not a matter of speech – and his thoughts. He was so unbelievably caring and in love with Lucy that you wanted to be in her place, in spite of her father’s behavior and overprotectiveness!
I need her in my life, in one way or another.
As for the erotic scenes between these two, there is one only way to describe it: thighs-clenching hot !! Swear to God, every time that I was reading these scenes, I HAD to go and sit under the AC so to not get a fever!
She was the only woman in the world for me and the only woman I knew I could never have.
I really can’t wait to read the sequel! It’s almost impossible to wait!
Please, Missy! Hurry!! I beg you…… :)
May 7, 2015
A cliffhanger really, that depresses me I hate them, but I loved this story. I loved the playfulness that ensued between Lucy and Pietro, "turn around then,” I retort. “Unless you’re planning to flash yourself to me, you don’t get to see my junk.” Reluctantly, she turns around. I drop my boxers and run for the water to the sound of her laughter." I also loved that he was willing to always take care of her, "you’re such a tease,” she hisses, her eyes flashing. She’s horny as eff and I plan to do everything to her the second we’re through that door." What I didn't love was Lucy's overbearing father. I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to reading the next.
August 24, 2015
This is a good start to a series that I see a lot of potential in this series, but this book was just a set up and that's clear, I thought it was really anticlimactic until almost the very end, and then everything just went up all at the same time. I do like the relationship between Pietro and Lucy, it makes sense why there was so much sexual tension, but he wasn't willing to act on it. I do believe that there is a shit storm coming and while there is real love between these two I don't think its going to easy. I excited to see what Missy Johnson is going to do with the second book because there were so many huge revelations at the end of this book.
August 26, 2015
2.5 stars
I'm gong to keep this short as I feel my lack of connection with the characters affected my overall enjoyment of Code of Honor. Makes me sad as I the summary sounded like my kind of read.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept for the advance copy
I'm gong to keep this short as I feel my lack of connection with the characters affected my overall enjoyment of Code of Honor. Makes me sad as I the summary sounded like my kind of read.
Thank you Netgalley and Random House Publishing Group - Loveswept for the advance copy
October 19, 2015
ARC received via NetGalley
July 24, 2015
The story and writing is good and I enjoyed this shorter novel.
I'm trying to keep out my bias about the cliffhanger ending (hate those with a passion and I never would have taken this for review had I known) and being let down by the scorching hot synopsis. I think this is more of a "romance" than a passion-filled trope. When I look at the cover, I see tormented alpha male. Maybe in the next book he'll start pushing back, not being pushed around.
Full review:
I thought this book had everything going for it. From the synopsis, I was sold on phrases like, “Pietro Gustovi is loyal, polished, and hard as stone…” and ” Soon their nights are consumed by explosive, red-hot temptation—a dance that will expose shocking secrets and burn everything else to the ground.” Sounds like red-hot romance, right? In my head, I was comparing it to Kresley Cole’s The Professional. Perhaps that’s where I went wrong because it turned out to have very little in common with its synopsis. Still a fine book, it just didn’t deliver what I was buying.
The story starts out from Pietro’s point of view as he’s moving in with Giovanni, a friend of his father’s. Pietro is fifteen years old and has just come to the United States to live after witnessing his family’s murder. Pietro’s new life mission has become to find those responsible for making him an orphan, and “make them pay”. Promising, right? An emotional fifteen year old with nothing to lose.
Fast forward eight years and we meet Lucy, Giovanni’s daughter whom Pietro grew up with. Her biggest concern is sneaking out from under her father’s goon squad security system to go to a ballet audition in New York City. Her father is concerned for her safety because of his business ties. But Lucy wants desperately to get out into the world.
And that’s where Peitro comes in. He does a favor for Giovanni in exchange for (hopefully) information leading him to his parents’ killer.
For being sold as being a strong, polished, hard as stone guy, Peitro was pretty wishy-washy when it came to getting what he wanted. I didn’t see much in the way of “alpha-ness” coming from him when dealing with Giovanni. He could have demanded the information he wanted but he kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting… and then finally did something on his own. It was frustrating.
I was kind of annoyed by Lucy’s character as well. I guess I don’t do well with women who don’t ultimately stand up for themselves when they are over 18 years of age. I know, these aren’t MY characters. This isn’t MY book. I just wasn’t keen on their traits.
The story itself was okay. The romance was sort of lacking, though. I didn’t get much until well into the story. And then to throw a cliffhanger on the ending! OH to the NOs!!!
With my extreme hatred of cliffhangers in romance (deny me my HEA and fear my wrath!), had I known this book wouldn’t have closure, I would not have taken this book for review. As it was, I was expecting too much from the synopsis.
I’m giving the story a 3 star rating based on the fact that there is no fault in the story – if this is your cup of tea, per se. There are no faults in the dynamics (pacing, structure, etc) of the book. This is just a case of me getting my expectations up too high. I can’t penalize an author for that… hence my rating.
So I recommend this book for those of you that like romances that have lots of ups and downs, arc over multiple books, and have several subplots that sometimes overshadow the romance.
Review appears on
I'm trying to keep out my bias about the cliffhanger ending (hate those with a passion and I never would have taken this for review had I known) and being let down by the scorching hot synopsis. I think this is more of a "romance" than a passion-filled trope. When I look at the cover, I see tormented alpha male. Maybe in the next book he'll start pushing back, not being pushed around.
Full review:
I thought this book had everything going for it. From the synopsis, I was sold on phrases like, “Pietro Gustovi is loyal, polished, and hard as stone…” and ” Soon their nights are consumed by explosive, red-hot temptation—a dance that will expose shocking secrets and burn everything else to the ground.” Sounds like red-hot romance, right? In my head, I was comparing it to Kresley Cole’s The Professional. Perhaps that’s where I went wrong because it turned out to have very little in common with its synopsis. Still a fine book, it just didn’t deliver what I was buying.
The story starts out from Pietro’s point of view as he’s moving in with Giovanni, a friend of his father’s. Pietro is fifteen years old and has just come to the United States to live after witnessing his family’s murder. Pietro’s new life mission has become to find those responsible for making him an orphan, and “make them pay”. Promising, right? An emotional fifteen year old with nothing to lose.
Fast forward eight years and we meet Lucy, Giovanni’s daughter whom Pietro grew up with. Her biggest concern is sneaking out from under her father’s goon squad security system to go to a ballet audition in New York City. Her father is concerned for her safety because of his business ties. But Lucy wants desperately to get out into the world.
And that’s where Peitro comes in. He does a favor for Giovanni in exchange for (hopefully) information leading him to his parents’ killer.
For being sold as being a strong, polished, hard as stone guy, Peitro was pretty wishy-washy when it came to getting what he wanted. I didn’t see much in the way of “alpha-ness” coming from him when dealing with Giovanni. He could have demanded the information he wanted but he kept waiting, and waiting, and waiting… and then finally did something on his own. It was frustrating.
I was kind of annoyed by Lucy’s character as well. I guess I don’t do well with women who don’t ultimately stand up for themselves when they are over 18 years of age. I know, these aren’t MY characters. This isn’t MY book. I just wasn’t keen on their traits.
The story itself was okay. The romance was sort of lacking, though. I didn’t get much until well into the story. And then to throw a cliffhanger on the ending! OH to the NOs!!!
With my extreme hatred of cliffhangers in romance (deny me my HEA and fear my wrath!), had I known this book wouldn’t have closure, I would not have taken this book for review. As it was, I was expecting too much from the synopsis.
I’m giving the story a 3 star rating based on the fact that there is no fault in the story – if this is your cup of tea, per se. There are no faults in the dynamics (pacing, structure, etc) of the book. This is just a case of me getting my expectations up too high. I can’t penalize an author for that… hence my rating.
So I recommend this book for those of you that like romances that have lots of ups and downs, arc over multiple books, and have several subplots that sometimes overshadow the romance.
Review appears on
October 5, 2015
At 15 years old Pietro’s whole world came crashing down around him. He had come home late from school, just 15 minutes mind you. He had decided to stop to by a comic book. Buy that comic book in all likelihood saved his life. Because as he was walking up the drive he saw a strange car in the driveway. Then he heard a gunshot ring out then the sound of his mother’s voice yelling. As he creeped to the side window to look in he saw the man shoot his mother in cold blood. He knows the shooter saw him but instead of coming after him he took off running.
Now a friend of his father Giovanni has brought him to his home in Chicago from Italy. Here he was 15 almost a man and all he wanted to do in curl up into a ball and cry himself to sleep like a child. He wanted to cry out like a child for his parents yet he couldn’t. He knew his father’s and Giovanni’s business enough that he knew he couldn’t yet he was tired and finding it so hard to focus. When he finally gets to Giovanni’s home, which is really a mansion, they are encountered by a young girl by one or two years who comes floating down the staircase. When Pietro sees her all he can think is flawless, skin radiant it was warming just to look at, and her smile was overwhelming to him.
She runs up and wraps her arms around her father telling him she missed him, as he watched. All the time as much as he hated to admit it even to himself he was jealous of their closeness. For he used to be that close with his parents. Before he could get to far into that train of thought Giovanni’s daughter turns and says, “And you must be Pietro.” He was taken aback by the warmth she was showing him. She stepped closer throwing her arms around his neck. He steps back, both surprised by the attention and embarrassed at how his body was reacting to this gorgeous girl that was so close. Heck he was a 15 year old boy for goodness sake.
At this point Giovanni introduces Lucia to Pietro. Both father and daughter have the same wide smile. She could wait to meet him since her father keeps her so isolated especially since her father and she lost her mother to cancer. He thought having Lucia around could make life easier to handle. But her father had other ideas.
Actually in the long run so do the both of them. She is an aspiring dancer ballerina in fact and Pietro he always knew he would be taking over the family business. In fact the morning of his parent’s death his father was talking about giving him more responsibility within the family business, code for the Italian Mafia. All he really knew was you either went with the plan or you came up dead. Well for sure his dad had a lot of enemies. Making him a target.
As time goes on both he and Lucia go to high school then college but she has a wanting to be in a dance company. Pietro knows this as does her father but he won’t allow it for her. Starting the riff to split Pietro from the man who saved his life. His love for Lucia clouds his judgement.
See how their story progresses and whether the two can escape this life of crime. Or if they can love with all their hearts with no sneaking around behind Giovanni’s back.
This was a really good book until the end then it leaves you hanging on a cliffhanger in the worse way. I really hate books like this that are not clearing up one couple or situation before moving on. I am giving this 4 stars for the drama of it. If I could I would give it a 3 ½ stars for the cliffhanger. Provided by netgalley.com.
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Now a friend of his father Giovanni has brought him to his home in Chicago from Italy. Here he was 15 almost a man and all he wanted to do in curl up into a ball and cry himself to sleep like a child. He wanted to cry out like a child for his parents yet he couldn’t. He knew his father’s and Giovanni’s business enough that he knew he couldn’t yet he was tired and finding it so hard to focus. When he finally gets to Giovanni’s home, which is really a mansion, they are encountered by a young girl by one or two years who comes floating down the staircase. When Pietro sees her all he can think is flawless, skin radiant it was warming just to look at, and her smile was overwhelming to him.
She runs up and wraps her arms around her father telling him she missed him, as he watched. All the time as much as he hated to admit it even to himself he was jealous of their closeness. For he used to be that close with his parents. Before he could get to far into that train of thought Giovanni’s daughter turns and says, “And you must be Pietro.” He was taken aback by the warmth she was showing him. She stepped closer throwing her arms around his neck. He steps back, both surprised by the attention and embarrassed at how his body was reacting to this gorgeous girl that was so close. Heck he was a 15 year old boy for goodness sake.
At this point Giovanni introduces Lucia to Pietro. Both father and daughter have the same wide smile. She could wait to meet him since her father keeps her so isolated especially since her father and she lost her mother to cancer. He thought having Lucia around could make life easier to handle. But her father had other ideas.
Actually in the long run so do the both of them. She is an aspiring dancer ballerina in fact and Pietro he always knew he would be taking over the family business. In fact the morning of his parent’s death his father was talking about giving him more responsibility within the family business, code for the Italian Mafia. All he really knew was you either went with the plan or you came up dead. Well for sure his dad had a lot of enemies. Making him a target.
As time goes on both he and Lucia go to high school then college but she has a wanting to be in a dance company. Pietro knows this as does her father but he won’t allow it for her. Starting the riff to split Pietro from the man who saved his life. His love for Lucia clouds his judgement.
See how their story progresses and whether the two can escape this life of crime. Or if they can love with all their hearts with no sneaking around behind Giovanni’s back.
This was a really good book until the end then it leaves you hanging on a cliffhanger in the worse way. I really hate books like this that are not clearing up one couple or situation before moving on. I am giving this 4 stars for the drama of it. If I could I would give it a 3 ½ stars for the cliffhanger. Provided by netgalley.com.
Follow us at: www.1rad-readerreviews.com
August 28, 2015
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Missy Johnson est souvent capable du pire comme du meilleur. Si ce roman n’est pas totalement raté, loin de là, il laisse un peu sur sa faim. Précisons aussi qu’il s’agit du premier tome d’une série et que le fin du roman nous laisse dans l’expectative. Loveswept, l’éditeur a visiblement voulu une romance qui se déroule dans le milieu de la mafia italienne. Il y a eu de très bons romans de ce type et c’est un contexte riche de potentiel. C’est donc d’autant plus dommage de ne pas totalement l’apprécier.
Tout commence avec l’arrivée du jeune Pietro à Chicago dans la famille d’une jeune fille, Lucy. Il vient de perdre ses parents, en Italie, dans un atroce assassinat. Il va être littéralement adopté par le père de Lucy. La jeune fille est superbe, s’entend immédiatement avec celui qui va vivre quasiment avec eux et lui est totalement amoureux d’elle au premier regard. Les années vont passer et Lucy va s’intéresser de plus en plus à la danse classique et Pietro s’intégrer aux affaires du père de Lucy que l’on devine bien sombres. Quand la jeune femme est intégrée au ballet de New York, son père va demander à Pietro de la suivre, secrètement et de la surveiller. Cela va tout changer entre eux.
Un des problèmes du roman est qu’il touche à plusieurs thèmes en les effleurant sans jamais s’y attarder. Vous avez donc le milieu de la mafia qui finalement joue un rôle assez modéré et extérieur au roman. Le meurtre des parents de Pietro n’ayant jamais été élucidé, il semble évident que ca sera un élément du livre mais on ne parle peu. Il en de même avec le milieu de la danse peu décrit, et du thème de l’amour qui naît entre deux amis élevés partiellement ensemble. Tous ces thèmes sont évoqués de façon assez superficielle ce qui ne leur permet pas de donner toutes les émotions qu’ils apportent habituellement. Les pages tournent, les rebondissements s’enchainent sans que cela soit vraiment palpitant pour le lecteur. C’est vraiment dommage car Pietro est intéressant, Lucy charmante. Le jeune homme est assez passif dans ce livre, pantin du père de Lucy, et comme il est amoureux depuis le départ, il n’y a pas non plus tellement d’enjeu sur leur relation.
On a aussi l’impression que le meilleur a été laissé pour le second livre. La fin du premier relance l’intérêt et les réponses aux questions seront certainement dans la suite, ce qui donne envie de la lire mais ce premier tome est un brin laborieux quand même. Malgré aussi le sujet, il y a peu de violence et de noirceur donc, au moins, vous pouvez le lire sans risque d’être choqué. Je me pencherai sur la suite tout de même mais Missy Johnson a déjà fait mieux.
Missy Johnson est souvent capable du pire comme du meilleur. Si ce roman n’est pas totalement raté, loin de là, il laisse un peu sur sa faim. Précisons aussi qu’il s’agit du premier tome d’une série et que le fin du roman nous laisse dans l’expectative. Loveswept, l’éditeur a visiblement voulu une romance qui se déroule dans le milieu de la mafia italienne. Il y a eu de très bons romans de ce type et c’est un contexte riche de potentiel. C’est donc d’autant plus dommage de ne pas totalement l’apprécier.
Tout commence avec l’arrivée du jeune Pietro à Chicago dans la famille d’une jeune fille, Lucy. Il vient de perdre ses parents, en Italie, dans un atroce assassinat. Il va être littéralement adopté par le père de Lucy. La jeune fille est superbe, s’entend immédiatement avec celui qui va vivre quasiment avec eux et lui est totalement amoureux d’elle au premier regard. Les années vont passer et Lucy va s’intéresser de plus en plus à la danse classique et Pietro s’intégrer aux affaires du père de Lucy que l’on devine bien sombres. Quand la jeune femme est intégrée au ballet de New York, son père va demander à Pietro de la suivre, secrètement et de la surveiller. Cela va tout changer entre eux.
Un des problèmes du roman est qu’il touche à plusieurs thèmes en les effleurant sans jamais s’y attarder. Vous avez donc le milieu de la mafia qui finalement joue un rôle assez modéré et extérieur au roman. Le meurtre des parents de Pietro n’ayant jamais été élucidé, il semble évident que ca sera un élément du livre mais on ne parle peu. Il en de même avec le milieu de la danse peu décrit, et du thème de l’amour qui naît entre deux amis élevés partiellement ensemble. Tous ces thèmes sont évoqués de façon assez superficielle ce qui ne leur permet pas de donner toutes les émotions qu’ils apportent habituellement. Les pages tournent, les rebondissements s’enchainent sans que cela soit vraiment palpitant pour le lecteur. C’est vraiment dommage car Pietro est intéressant, Lucy charmante. Le jeune homme est assez passif dans ce livre, pantin du père de Lucy, et comme il est amoureux depuis le départ, il n’y a pas non plus tellement d’enjeu sur leur relation.
On a aussi l’impression que le meilleur a été laissé pour le second livre. La fin du premier relance l’intérêt et les réponses aux questions seront certainement dans la suite, ce qui donne envie de la lire mais ce premier tome est un brin laborieux quand même. Malgré aussi le sujet, il y a peu de violence et de noirceur donc, au moins, vous pouvez le lire sans risque d’être choqué. Je me pencherai sur la suite tout de même mais Missy Johnson a déjà fait mieux.
August 17, 2015
I’m a big fan of the mafia romance genre and was happy and eager to read Code of Honor, which is also my first Missy Johnson book. Code Of Honor ends with an intriguing cliffhanger and I’m ready for the follow-up. At the center of the story is Lucia Spontagio, aspiring ballerina & only child of widowed mob man Giovanni Spontagio. Also at the center is Pietro Gustovi who was taken in by Giovanni when Pietro was orphaned at 15. Pietro clearly feels indebted to Giovanni and although he’s barely in “the life”, Pietro is tested by Giovanni with an assignment that leaves him at odds with his obligations to the Spontagio family.
From the start I was keenly interested in family dynamics at the Spontagio residence. Lucy toes the line for the most part, staying out of trouble and being mindful and respectful of her father. Giovanni's overprotective and controlling nature means that when she finds a way to pursue her dream she’s surprised that she actually gets the opportunity to follow-through with it and she doesn’t consider why he’d be so amenable.
Pietro has always been loosely identified as a “brother” to Lucia and Lucy has harbored a secret crush on him since the moment they met. Both in their early twenties now, it seems she’s never considered that they could anything more. With the circumstances that put them together and away from Giovanni’s eyes, they both start taking a few too many chances. Part of the story is told from Pietro’s viewpoint, I always love the balance of getting both perspectives. Pietro is fully aware of his obligations to Giovanni he’s always he’s been very truthful and steadfast to him. But he has also searching for answers about his family that he’ll never get from Giovanni, and this is where most of the action in the story begins and where Pietro’s faith in Giovanni is tested,
Code Of Honor is a sexy & sweet read so as you're enjoying the exploration of romance and love, the mystery element and mob life aspect is building in the background. But boy oh boy, when it starts, when the action picks up, it feels right to be rattled by where things go. Lucy is confusing ( I’ll chalk it up to her age) while Pietro remains steadfast and loyal, but you might be surprised at where he places his loyalty. Missy Johnson does a wonderful job with character development and backstory and I’m looking forward to the continuation of the storyline and uncovering the Spontagio family’s true definition of love.
4 #Stellina Stars and recommendation.
*I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review
From the start I was keenly interested in family dynamics at the Spontagio residence. Lucy toes the line for the most part, staying out of trouble and being mindful and respectful of her father. Giovanni's overprotective and controlling nature means that when she finds a way to pursue her dream she’s surprised that she actually gets the opportunity to follow-through with it and she doesn’t consider why he’d be so amenable.
Pietro has always been loosely identified as a “brother” to Lucia and Lucy has harbored a secret crush on him since the moment they met. Both in their early twenties now, it seems she’s never considered that they could anything more. With the circumstances that put them together and away from Giovanni’s eyes, they both start taking a few too many chances. Part of the story is told from Pietro’s viewpoint, I always love the balance of getting both perspectives. Pietro is fully aware of his obligations to Giovanni he’s always he’s been very truthful and steadfast to him. But he has also searching for answers about his family that he’ll never get from Giovanni, and this is where most of the action in the story begins and where Pietro’s faith in Giovanni is tested,
Code Of Honor is a sexy & sweet read so as you're enjoying the exploration of romance and love, the mystery element and mob life aspect is building in the background. But boy oh boy, when it starts, when the action picks up, it feels right to be rattled by where things go. Lucy is confusing ( I’ll chalk it up to her age) while Pietro remains steadfast and loyal, but you might be surprised at where he places his loyalty. Missy Johnson does a wonderful job with character development and backstory and I’m looking forward to the continuation of the storyline and uncovering the Spontagio family’s true definition of love.
4 #Stellina Stars and recommendation.
*I was gifted this book in exchange for an honest review
May 21, 2015
Missy Jonson books are amazing. I read breaking Noah and I fell in love with this Author. Code of Honor is another great book of hers. I loved the story line and all the anticipation which comes with this story. After reading the first few pages of this book, I was hocked. Who wouldn't! Reading the word "mafia" and then reading about a family's dead because they are connected to this life style and leave a survival.! that alone keep me on my toes! It is written beautifully and is not given much away so it makes you to want to know what is happening next.. The story is not just a love story. It has everything you want in a good book. It has lost, sorrow, gratitude, revenge and forbidden love. It has a huge hangover at the end of the book which make you more anxious to find out what will happen next.. This is a story of 15 year old Italian boy "Pietro" who lost his parents in a violent death and move cross the country and live with an associate of his father " Giovanni" whom has a daughter two years younger than him " Lucy" and he is extremely protective of his daughter and there is no way he would approve of their relationship, but he love him like a son and treat him like one. After eight years living with Lucy and her father, Pietro really want to be with Lucy but the obligation he has toward her father make it very hard for him to approach her and in another hand it is killing him to resist her. He also has another goal in his life. He wants to know who killed his parents and this might cost him a lot if he get his answer. It comes to the point that he has to chose between the revenge of his parents death or the love of his life. Lucy wants Pietro and she does everything to get wants she wants but there is something else that she loves more than Pietro or at least she think she does and the time comes that she has to chose. If this is not enough to keep you on your toes, there are enemies in Giovanni life that they know the way to get to him is to get the most precious things in his life which is his daughter and also there are so many people that they don't want Pietro to find the truth behind his parents death and they know that the most important person in his life is Lucy so she becomes a kidnap victim. Now, is it because of Pietro or is it because of her father that she became a victim? I don't want to give much away so you read it for yourself but let me tell you that you are in for a very exciting ride.
September 11, 2015
MISSY JOHNSON’S 5-STAR MAFIA NOVEL HAS MY HEART RIPPED IN TWO, WILL PIETRO’S HEART CHOOSE A CODE OF HONOR OR LOVE?
Pietro Gustovi was orphan at the age of 15 years old and taken under the guardianship of his father’s friend, Giovanni Spontiago and his daughter, Lucy Spontiago in the United States.
Feeling indebted to Giovanni, Pietro feels as if Giovanni constantly tests him with each assignment given and obligated to fulfill for the Spontiago family. Even though Lucy is only a few years younger than Pietro and growing up the last few years as siblings, chemistry has change between the two.
“His eyes connect with mine, like he’s searching my soul. I’ve never felt so exposed in all my life.”
Lucy loves dance ballet and with an over-protective father, she finds it difficult to peruse her dream to study ballet in New York with a father who treats her like a child instead of an adult. When Giovanni agrees to let Lucy to New York, she is shocked he is just going to let her leave to another city to study ballet but packs her bags.
What Lucy did not know , was her father was sending Pietro to keep watch over her in New York, but what Pietro was not expecting was to cross the lines for his feelings for Lucy and his devotion for Giovanni.
“What do I value more, a potential relationship with the woman I had been in love with for eight years or the respect from a man who has been like a father to me?”
With time in between watching Lucy, Pietro was trying to find out who murdered his parents after Giovanni told him countless times to let it go.
“Suddenly I’m fifteen again and alone, my soul empty and my heartbroken.”
When Pietro does not take Giovanni advice to leave the past in the past, danger comes back to haunt everyone.
Missy Johnson’s romance novel, CODE OF HONOR, has a wonderful balance of romance, mystery, and suspense require in a great mafia romance. Missy sparks many emotions from feeling SCARED, SADNESS, CHERISHED, SHOCKED, and SYMPATHETIC.
"Some things are about respect. Some people need to learn the hard way the importance of the code of honor."
Missy Johnson’s novel in the Spontagio Family series, CODE OF HONOR (Spontagio Family #1) – 5 AMAZING STARS!
Pietro Gustovi was orphan at the age of 15 years old and taken under the guardianship of his father’s friend, Giovanni Spontiago and his daughter, Lucy Spontiago in the United States.
Feeling indebted to Giovanni, Pietro feels as if Giovanni constantly tests him with each assignment given and obligated to fulfill for the Spontiago family. Even though Lucy is only a few years younger than Pietro and growing up the last few years as siblings, chemistry has change between the two.
“His eyes connect with mine, like he’s searching my soul. I’ve never felt so exposed in all my life.”
Lucy loves dance ballet and with an over-protective father, she finds it difficult to peruse her dream to study ballet in New York with a father who treats her like a child instead of an adult. When Giovanni agrees to let Lucy to New York, she is shocked he is just going to let her leave to another city to study ballet but packs her bags.
What Lucy did not know , was her father was sending Pietro to keep watch over her in New York, but what Pietro was not expecting was to cross the lines for his feelings for Lucy and his devotion for Giovanni.
“What do I value more, a potential relationship with the woman I had been in love with for eight years or the respect from a man who has been like a father to me?”
With time in between watching Lucy, Pietro was trying to find out who murdered his parents after Giovanni told him countless times to let it go.
“Suddenly I’m fifteen again and alone, my soul empty and my heartbroken.”
When Pietro does not take Giovanni advice to leave the past in the past, danger comes back to haunt everyone.
Missy Johnson’s romance novel, CODE OF HONOR, has a wonderful balance of romance, mystery, and suspense require in a great mafia romance. Missy sparks many emotions from feeling SCARED, SADNESS, CHERISHED, SHOCKED, and SYMPATHETIC.
"Some things are about respect. Some people need to learn the hard way the importance of the code of honor."
Missy Johnson’s novel in the Spontagio Family series, CODE OF HONOR (Spontagio Family #1) – 5 AMAZING STARS!
June 17, 2015
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Pietro is a broken man. His family was killed practically in front of him when he was young and then he was shipped off to live with the Spontagio family. Pietro grew up working for the Spontagio family, Giovanni in particular, and he fell in love with the one person that he couldn't have ... Giovanni's daughter, Lucy. Little did he know that Lucy had feelings for him as well.
I was excited to read this book because I recently read Breaking Noah by Missy Johnson and Ashley Suzanne. I absolutely adored Breaking Noah, so I guess you could say that I had super high hopes for Code of Honor. I wanted the same kind of magic that I experienced with Breaking Noah and unfortunately, it just didn't happen. I don't know exactly what it was that I was expecting but it wasn't this.
I think that from the first couple of chapters of the book, I was expecting a mob book but that just isn't what happened. To be honest, Code of Honor was a bit shallow for me. I was wanting this intricate book about how Pietro worked for Giovanni and what that entailed and how Lucy handled having her father in the mob but again, that just isn't what happened. This read as more of a romance novel with very little intrigue/mystery/suspense in it. I think I learned more about Lucy and her ballet than I did about the inner workings of the family that she was born into. I wish I could have learned more about each of the characters. I feel like I never got down to the nitty-gritty of who the characters were. I couldn't pick out their descriptions (physical and otherwise) if I was being held at gunpoint.
All of that being said, it wasn't a bad book ... it just wasn't what it could have been, I think. Seeing as how I loved another one of Johnson's books, I'll probably give her another shot just to see if this story was some sort of weird tangent that isn't the norm.
* I received this novel in exchange for an honest review *
June 21, 2015
What can I say about this book..
bikin bosen, iya.
bikin kesel, iya juga
Bikin nggak percaya, bener banget!
saya semangat sekali saat merequest buku ini di netgalley, bersorak girang saat request saya dikabulkan. walaupun sempat ditunda membacanya karena daftar antrian bacaan yang panjang, akhirnya saya memulai buku ini dengan bersemangat.
dari blurbnya saya bisa merasakan aroma mafia sebagai latar belakang tokoh. Tapi oh tapi semuanya hanya digambarkan secara tersirat atau samar-samar saja. Pietro diimingi-imingi menjadi pengganti Giovani kelak, tapi selama cerita berlangsung Pietro sama sekali tidak terlibat dengan urusan 'perusahaan' mereka. padahal sepanjang sejarah saya membaca novel-novel mafia, si pewaris biasanya sudah dipersiapkan sejak mereka kecil.
Dibandingkan dengan seri Wanted Men karya Nancy Haviland yang bikin saya jengkel karena mafia-nya sangat tidak smooth, buku ini terasa samar-samar saja.
kisah cinta antara Pietro dan Lucy juga tidak epic. lamaaaaa sekali bagi mereka untuk akhirnya bersama. dan setelah saya mulai pasrah bisa atau tidak menyelesaikan buku ini, tiba-tiba saja saya sudah sampai di penghujung cerita.
Apa saja yang terjadi? I really have no idea...
saya cuma ingat sebuah penculikan yang sangat tidak profesional, kemudian bang...bang...! si cewek diselamatkan.
bagian yang paling berkesan bagi saya adalah bagian2 akhir buku ini. Pietro dan Lucy memutuskan mengambil jalan masing-masing. Pikir saya,"tumben-tumbenan novel romance berakhir sedih?"
kemudian saya sampai ke halaman terakhir, dan kamu tahu apa yang saya temukan dibagian bawahnya?
Spontagio Family
Code of Honor
Code of Love (coming soon)
ternyata ada sambungannya!
Am I going to read it?
Not a chance!
bikin bosen, iya.
bikin kesel, iya juga
Bikin nggak percaya, bener banget!
saya semangat sekali saat merequest buku ini di netgalley, bersorak girang saat request saya dikabulkan. walaupun sempat ditunda membacanya karena daftar antrian bacaan yang panjang, akhirnya saya memulai buku ini dengan bersemangat.
dari blurbnya saya bisa merasakan aroma mafia sebagai latar belakang tokoh. Tapi oh tapi semuanya hanya digambarkan secara tersirat atau samar-samar saja. Pietro diimingi-imingi menjadi pengganti Giovani kelak, tapi selama cerita berlangsung Pietro sama sekali tidak terlibat dengan urusan 'perusahaan' mereka. padahal sepanjang sejarah saya membaca novel-novel mafia, si pewaris biasanya sudah dipersiapkan sejak mereka kecil.
Dibandingkan dengan seri Wanted Men karya Nancy Haviland yang bikin saya jengkel karena mafia-nya sangat tidak smooth, buku ini terasa samar-samar saja.
kisah cinta antara Pietro dan Lucy juga tidak epic. lamaaaaa sekali bagi mereka untuk akhirnya bersama. dan setelah saya mulai pasrah bisa atau tidak menyelesaikan buku ini, tiba-tiba saja saya sudah sampai di penghujung cerita.
Apa saja yang terjadi? I really have no idea...
saya cuma ingat sebuah penculikan yang sangat tidak profesional, kemudian bang...bang...! si cewek diselamatkan.
bagian yang paling berkesan bagi saya adalah bagian2 akhir buku ini. Pietro dan Lucy memutuskan mengambil jalan masing-masing. Pikir saya,"tumben-tumbenan novel romance berakhir sedih?"
kemudian saya sampai ke halaman terakhir, dan kamu tahu apa yang saya temukan dibagian bawahnya?
Spontagio Family
Code of Honor
Code of Love (coming soon)
ternyata ada sambungannya!
Am I going to read it?
Not a chance!
August 25, 2015
I am sad to say that this book just wasn't my cup of tea. It was a real struggle to get through it. I kept putting it down and reading something else, then coming back to just put it aside again. I read three books while trying to get through this one! Dangerously close to a DNF here!
I was interested in the blurb. Mafia guy's daughter runs away and joins the ballet. Mafia guy's henchmen continuously watches her making sure she's safe. Love expected to happen right? Nope, Wrong, Really??? I think there were good intentions here but it was just so poorly executed. There were some things that did happen throughout the story, but it didn't hold my interest-thus setting it aside. When the two finally got together, it was such a messed up deal. Unfortunately by then, I didn't really care. I felt no connection to the characters and although there was a real douchebag move done here, I was like oh well. I had high hopes for the story. Just fell flat for me.
I am sorry that a recommendation for this book is not coming unless it is totally overhauled and re-released. I am usually against giving one star reviews. In this case, I was extended a copy to honestly review, so I felt I needed to say what was lacking. It was a certifiable, bordering on DNF, struggle to read this. Maybe I would read other books by Missy Johnson, I just do not intend to continue with this series.
1 stars/3 flames
This book was provided to me by The Jeep Diva for the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions and rating in this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated
I was interested in the blurb. Mafia guy's daughter runs away and joins the ballet. Mafia guy's henchmen continuously watches her making sure she's safe. Love expected to happen right? Nope, Wrong, Really??? I think there were good intentions here but it was just so poorly executed. There were some things that did happen throughout the story, but it didn't hold my interest-thus setting it aside. When the two finally got together, it was such a messed up deal. Unfortunately by then, I didn't really care. I felt no connection to the characters and although there was a real douchebag move done here, I was like oh well. I had high hopes for the story. Just fell flat for me.
I am sorry that a recommendation for this book is not coming unless it is totally overhauled and re-released. I am usually against giving one star reviews. In this case, I was extended a copy to honestly review, so I felt I needed to say what was lacking. It was a certifiable, bordering on DNF, struggle to read this. Maybe I would read other books by Missy Johnson, I just do not intend to continue with this series.
1 stars/3 flames
This book was provided to me by The Jeep Diva for the express purpose of an honest review. The opinions and rating in this review are solely mine and in no way was I compensated
August 24, 2015
3 Stars
**I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.**
I really enjoyed this book. There was quite the chemistry between the characters as they both fight their feelings for each other.
I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of resolution in this book though. A lot of things are brought up, but nothing is confirmed or solved. Things are hinted at, but everyone just turns a blind shoulder so we never know for sure what her father is or isn't into as well as his parents.
I expected a lot more violence than there was. Pietro was supposed to be so hard and tough, but all we really see him do is work on his paper for school as he watched her from afar.
I wish we'd have gotten more of a connection between Pietro and Lucy when they were actually together instead of it feeling so rushed and emotionless... I felt their connection more when they were texting or talking on the phone or from inner thoughts of the characters.
Lucy complained about her friends not being there for her, but she didn't seem to really be there for her friends either. She wasn't as endearing as Pietro was to me.
I'll say there is a HUGE cliffy and I didn't care for that but I just hate them in general.
I'd read the next book just in the hope that we finally get all the answers that were kept from us in this one.
**Note: I reviewed an uncorrected copy and my review assumes the errors will be corrected before publication because there were MANY MANY errors in the book including things like going to sleep in the guest room only to wake up in HER room. Or being in a bar one moment but at his house the next.**
**I received a free copy of this book to read and review for Wicked Reads.**
I really enjoyed this book. There was quite the chemistry between the characters as they both fight their feelings for each other.
I felt like there wasn't a whole lot of resolution in this book though. A lot of things are brought up, but nothing is confirmed or solved. Things are hinted at, but everyone just turns a blind shoulder so we never know for sure what her father is or isn't into as well as his parents.
I expected a lot more violence than there was. Pietro was supposed to be so hard and tough, but all we really see him do is work on his paper for school as he watched her from afar.
I wish we'd have gotten more of a connection between Pietro and Lucy when they were actually together instead of it feeling so rushed and emotionless... I felt their connection more when they were texting or talking on the phone or from inner thoughts of the characters.
Lucy complained about her friends not being there for her, but she didn't seem to really be there for her friends either. She wasn't as endearing as Pietro was to me.
I'll say there is a HUGE cliffy and I didn't care for that but I just hate them in general.
I'd read the next book just in the hope that we finally get all the answers that were kept from us in this one.
**Note: I reviewed an uncorrected copy and my review assumes the errors will be corrected before publication because there were MANY MANY errors in the book including things like going to sleep in the guest room only to wake up in HER room. Or being in a bar one moment but at his house the next.**
May 23, 2015
I have a full review ready just waiting to get closer to release date. I reviewed this via netgally from the publisher for an honest review. I have to say it was a phenomenal read. Can't wait for more. This book was truly perfect I loved everything about it. It's a beautiful love story about two people who are meant to be together even though they aren't supposed to be. Peitro is this beautiful man who is desperately in love with Luse and would fall to the ends of the earth to save her. Only he knows he can never have her because her father would never allow it. As the story progresses we see these two open up to such a connection it takes your breath away. I was overwhelmed by the love and chemistry they share. But when something horrible happens they are both put to a test. Luce knows what she wants she has worked so hard for this moment even if she's getting it the wrong way. At this point I'm not going to lie I was so frustrated with her I couldn't believe she chose that how could she my heart broke for a moment. But then I realized that it was for the best. I am so excited to finish this series I will be biting my nails waiting with anticipation to see what happens. This author did a brilliant job bringing the story to life honestly the emotional pulls was amazing.
Reviewing for Night and Day book blog http://ndbbr2014.com Stephanie Powell
Reviewing for Night and Day book blog http://ndbbr2014.com Stephanie Powell
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