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His Forced Sicilian Bride
A marriage of convenience, kidnapped to be his bride, mafia romance by Jackie Ashenden.
Taken…
to love, honor—and obey!
Vincenzo. Every cosa nostra family will bow to me. The Salvatores are no exception. I’ll force their loyalty by kidnapping their heir, Caterina, from her arranged nuptials. The woman I once saved during a hit on her family will be my bride by nightfall. Though, submissive is one thing Caterina isn’t. I find I like that…
Caterina. I should be immune to the Sicilian’s dark allure; he’s a reminder of all I’ve lost, including my freedom. Yet the respect he gives me is intoxicating. And soon I’m willingly surrendering myself to our wedding night…
From Harlequin Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
Taken…
to love, honor—and obey!
Vincenzo. Every cosa nostra family will bow to me. The Salvatores are no exception. I’ll force their loyalty by kidnapping their heir, Caterina, from her arranged nuptials. The woman I once saved during a hit on her family will be my bride by nightfall. Though, submissive is one thing Caterina isn’t. I find I like that…
Caterina. I should be immune to the Sicilian’s dark allure; he’s a reminder of all I’ve lost, including my freedom. Yet the respect he gives me is intoxicating. And soon I’m willingly surrendering myself to our wedding night…
From Harlequin Escape to exotic locations where passion knows no bounds.
200 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 28, 2026
About the author
Jackie Ashenden
589 books989 followersJackie has been writing fiction since she was eleven years old. Mild mannered fantasy/SF/pseudo-literary writer by day, obsessive romance writer by night, she used to balance her writing with the more serious job of librarianship until a chance meeting with another romance writer prompted her to throw off the shackles of her day job and devote herself to the true love of her heart – writing romance. She particularly likes to write dark, emotional stories with alpha heroes who've just got the world to their liking only to have it blown wide apart by their kick-ass heroines.
She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.
She lives in Auckland, New Zealand with her husband, the inimitable Dr Jax, two kids, two cats and some guppies (possibly dead guppies by the time you read this). When she's not torturing alpha males and their stroppy heroines, she can be found drinking chocolate martinis, reading anything she can lay her hands on, posting random crap on her blog, or being forced to go mountain biking with her husband.
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
May 9, 2026
2,5 stars
May 11, 2026
This is a forced marriage mafia trope. FMC is about to marry a mafia dude in an arranged marriage when MMC walks in and kidnaps her.
He ends up marrying her instead and we have the whole insta love-pull thing going on with under developed characters and lacking chemistry. Also, FMC was just plain stupid and annoying but this is HP so I don’t expect much.
If you want a brainless read with not much expectations, this one is for you.
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley for an honest opinion.
He ends up marrying her instead and we have the whole insta love-pull thing going on with under developed characters and lacking chemistry. Also, FMC was just plain stupid and annoying but this is HP so I don’t expect much.
If you want a brainless read with not much expectations, this one is for you.
I received an advanced copy from NetGalley for an honest opinion.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Wolf of Sicily and his Siren
A forced marriage by kidnapping, as a contemporary romance, feels a bit archaic and limited. In this fascinating story, however, the author defies expectations by giving us characters who are refreshingly honest and introspective. They have such a tortured history, despite the 20 years that have passed, a history which established a terrible, horrible, yet hopeful bond between them. The first order of business, beyond Caterina accepting that Vincenzo will be in charge, regardless, is to finally come clean about the details of the tragedy that forged their families together, for better or worse.
Then the real power play begins - how can Vincenzo keep Caterina, without her feeling like she has no choice in the matter? Giving her a choice means he might lose her, and that's a risk he's not willing to take. But having a wife who feels like a prisoner isn't a viable option, either, and that's where the best of this story starts to take shape. Vincenzo has to let go of what he's relied on for years in order to see his dream fulfilled, while Caterina has to decide just how far she needs to fly away in order to secure her freedom. This was beautifully done, and makes this book well worth reading.
The entire story takes place in just a few days, so the action does feel a bit rushed, and there were a few inconsistencies that kept me from giving this a full five stars. But aside from these minor issues, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and read it completely through in one sitting. If you love power exchange, strong-willed heroines, and a taste of old-world mafia, this is the romance for you.
A forced marriage by kidnapping, as a contemporary romance, feels a bit archaic and limited. In this fascinating story, however, the author defies expectations by giving us characters who are refreshingly honest and introspective. They have such a tortured history, despite the 20 years that have passed, a history which established a terrible, horrible, yet hopeful bond between them. The first order of business, beyond Caterina accepting that Vincenzo will be in charge, regardless, is to finally come clean about the details of the tragedy that forged their families together, for better or worse.
Then the real power play begins - how can Vincenzo keep Caterina, without her feeling like she has no choice in the matter? Giving her a choice means he might lose her, and that's a risk he's not willing to take. But having a wife who feels like a prisoner isn't a viable option, either, and that's where the best of this story starts to take shape. Vincenzo has to let go of what he's relied on for years in order to see his dream fulfilled, while Caterina has to decide just how far she needs to fly away in order to secure her freedom. This was beautifully done, and makes this book well worth reading.
The entire story takes place in just a few days, so the action does feel a bit rushed, and there were a few inconsistencies that kept me from giving this a full five stars. But aside from these minor issues, I thoroughly enjoyed the story and read it completely through in one sitting. If you love power exchange, strong-willed heroines, and a taste of old-world mafia, this is the romance for you.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
This has a great interrupted wedding scene. Caterina is at her wedding for her arranged marriage. She’s a mafia daughter about to marry a mafia guy. Then The Wolf, Vincenzo, the big baddie, walks in with his henchmen, and walks out with Caterina thrown over his shoulder. The opening is great and sets the scene for bickering and flirting and these 2 fighting for control. At one point she pulls a gun on him, and Vincenzo is intrigued!
What follows is a crazy emotional 48 hours of these 2 figuring what the hell to do with each other. Caterina kind of lost me in her demands. She’s been a daughter of the cosa nostra her whole life but thinks she could actually live normally with a job, pet cat, boyfriend. That’s cute but seems unrealistic. Vincenzo kidnapped her from what was going to be an arranged marriage. She is mad he’s not going to get her out to live in hiding the rest of her life.
But for a quick hit mafia kidnapping to marriage this is pretty fun. There were some great scenes and banter.
Thanks to Harlequin for the arc.
What follows is a crazy emotional 48 hours of these 2 figuring what the hell to do with each other. Caterina kind of lost me in her demands. She’s been a daughter of the cosa nostra her whole life but thinks she could actually live normally with a job, pet cat, boyfriend. That’s cute but seems unrealistic. Vincenzo kidnapped her from what was going to be an arranged marriage. She is mad he’s not going to get her out to live in hiding the rest of her life.
But for a quick hit mafia kidnapping to marriage this is pretty fun. There were some great scenes and banter.
Thanks to Harlequin for the arc.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
So fast paced that 60% of the book takes place in the span of 24 hours. While I liked that the opening chapter immediately jumped into the story, the chemistry between the main characters was lacking. The conflict was a tried and true one for romance: one MC wants a life with love, and the other MC refuses to accept any semblance of love. The back and forth between the MCs as they worked to resolve this conflict was flimsy, and too circular. The FMC wants agency and a life outside the mafia, but when the MMC agrees to give her a new life, she changes her mind and insists on staying. Freedom isn’t out there, it’s with you. 🙄
A fast read, that unfortunately didn’t work for me.
This had a light touch of the 365 Days book/movie vibe.
A fast read, that unfortunately didn’t work for me.
This had a light touch of the 365 Days book/movie vibe.
August 11, 2026
clearly a slow day at the office for me
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
This author always does a great job with a damaged hero, and this is another quick, enjoyable read.
Most Harlequin stories move in a certain way, and I had fun watching all of the bluster and "scary dangers" that were implied when Vincenzo Argenti crashed Caterina Salvatore's arranged wedding, and grabbed the bride from the altar before she took her vows.
Whisked away with threats of harm, Caterina is faced with few choices, but finds a way to uncover the whys and hows of where she finds herself - wedded to the feared "Wolf of Sicily". As we know from others from this prolific and entertaining author, Caterina has the ultimate control here, and she is smart enough to uncover the events that lead Vincenzo to his choices, and ends up falling for him, just as he falls for her.
I recommend this read, and more from this prolific author.
My ARC was provided by Netgalley, and I voluntarily leave my thoughts.
Most Harlequin stories move in a certain way, and I had fun watching all of the bluster and "scary dangers" that were implied when Vincenzo Argenti crashed Caterina Salvatore's arranged wedding, and grabbed the bride from the altar before she took her vows.
Whisked away with threats of harm, Caterina is faced with few choices, but finds a way to uncover the whys and hows of where she finds herself - wedded to the feared "Wolf of Sicily". As we know from others from this prolific and entertaining author, Caterina has the ultimate control here, and she is smart enough to uncover the events that lead Vincenzo to his choices, and ends up falling for him, just as he falls for her.
I recommend this read, and more from this prolific author.
My ARC was provided by Netgalley, and I voluntarily leave my thoughts.
June 4, 2026
This book is about power, choice, and confronting the past. Vincenzo’s decision to kidnap and force a marriage with Caterina feels deliberately old-world and dramatic, yet the story quickly deepens into an emotionally charged exploration of two people bound by a tragic shared history. Twenty years after the event that tied their families together, long-buried truths finally demand to be revealed.
Jackie Ashenden’s strength lies in her characters’ emotional honesty. Vincenzo and Caterina are complex, introspective, and shaped by pain, guilt, and longing. The tension comes not only from the forced marriage premise, but from Vincenzo’s realization that real love cannot exist without choice. His struggle to loosen control and risk losing Caterina adds emotional depth, while Caterina’s fierce determination to protect her independence gives the romance a compelling push and pull.
Although the story unfolds over only a few days making the pacing feel rushed at times, the emotional intensity keeps the pages turning. With strong chemistry, dramatic stakes, and themes of freedom, forgiveness, and trust, this passionate mafia romance delivers a gripping and satisfying read.
Jackie Ashenden’s strength lies in her characters’ emotional honesty. Vincenzo and Caterina are complex, introspective, and shaped by pain, guilt, and longing. The tension comes not only from the forced marriage premise, but from Vincenzo’s realization that real love cannot exist without choice. His struggle to loosen control and risk losing Caterina adds emotional depth, while Caterina’s fierce determination to protect her independence gives the romance a compelling push and pull.
Although the story unfolds over only a few days making the pacing feel rushed at times, the emotional intensity keeps the pages turning. With strong chemistry, dramatic stakes, and themes of freedom, forgiveness, and trust, this passionate mafia romance delivers a gripping and satisfying read.
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews