Confession

Constantine Brothers #2

by Rina Saint

I’ve been keeping secrets from my boss. I have to. Because how the hell do you tell a straight man that you’ve been in love with him for years?

If he found out, everything would collapse, and I’ve worked so hard to hold my life together, all these pieces that I don’t deserve: a home, a position, trust. But it’s only getting harder because he keeps watching me, keeps touching me—and I can’t handle it.

I try to tell myself that it’s in my head, but it’s not. Something’s changed between us, and I don’t understand. I don’t know what to do, and I’m terrified that I’m going to do something really, really stupid.

I just have to lock down. I’m good at that. I’ve been doing it for years. I don’t need anything. I swear I don’t. But then he touches me again, unnecessarily, like he’s trying to figure something out, and everything I tell myself I don’t need, everything I can’t have anyway, feels very much like everything I can’t live without.

Genres: M M Romance, Dark Romance, Dark, Friends To Lovers, Romance, BDSM, Found Family

255 pages, Kindle Edition

First published September 19, 2025

About the author

Rina loves her romances dark and dirty. Her books take you into the erotic lives of her complex, morally gray characters. If you love high intensity and fabulous smut, you're in the right place.

Reviews

[Emna · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️
◇ARC Review◇:

💕🖤I need silence for a while—but I need it with him.💕🖤

WHAT IS BETTER THAN a book that makes you gasp, laugh, swoon, clutch your chest, scream at your Kindle, and maybe even question some things in your life ???— all in less than 200 pages??? Yep, congratulations, this one did it.

From the very very beginning, I was hooked, completely swept into the story, and emotionally tangled in ways I wasn’t expecting. You really need to be in the right mood for this one. Pick it up casually and you might feel lost, thinking, “Wait… what is happening?” But if your mood matches the MESS, it’s absolutely addictive. I loved the story, I connected with the characters, and honestly, I think I even enjoyed it more than Book 1. That first book was fun, but this one had me shaking my head, gasping, and whispering to myself, “No way…Damnnn ... they did not just do that???? HUH !!!!!”

Let’s be real: the emotional depth could have been stronger. And yes, the author clearly loves a hot, steamy scene — which is great, don’t get me wrong — but I wanted more than just the sexy moments. I wanted to feel the tension, the love, the heartbreak between Vitali and Quinn. At 200 pages, it feels like getting a tiny dessert: sweet and satisfying, yes, but you’re left staring at the plate wishing there was more to savor.

Now, Quinn falling in love at first sight, becoming obsessed, and risking everything for Vitali? Definitely a little wild. And Vitali suddenly realizing he isn’t straight and acting on it almost immediately? Rushed. The bi-awakening felt almost like a blink-and-you-miss-it moment. But you know what? None of that ruined the story. Their chemistry was magnetic, their connection felt real, and I found myself cheering for them, laughing with them, and yes, crying just a little.

The opening grabbed me from page one. Dark, intense, and full of action, it threw me straight into scenes that had my heart racing and my eyes glued to the pages. I devoured it like popcorn at a thriller movie, each chapter leaving me hungrier for the next. It’s not perfect. It’s messy, sometimes ridiculous, but it works. For a quick, bingeable dark romance, it’s EXACTLY what you want.

And then… the twist. Oh wow. I didn’t see it coming. I gasped, I laughed nervously, and yes, I might have scared my cat with my reaction. It wasn’t just drama for drama’s sake — it hit hard, it was emotional, and it was perfectly executed (can you believe that??????). I had to put the book down a few times just to collect myself. That’s the kind of twist that sticks with you long after you close the final chapter.

The relationships beyond the main couple were heartwarming. The supporting characters were funny,cool , and sweet, but the brothers???????? My.damn.heart. Watching Vitali deal with being ignored by his sibling, and seeing Quinn step in to support him, melted me. Those moments were real, touching, and full of understanding. I could have spent pages just watching them interact. If this book had been longer, I would have sobbed teeeeeeaaaaars of joy.

Overall, this book was a wild, funny, sexy, heartbreaking rollercoaster. I don’t regret a single moment of reading it. Would I reread it? FUCK NO — my poor heart has already been attacked enough and honestly, it’s just not reread material 🤷🏻‍♀️. But for a crazy, bingeable, emotional ride, it’s perfect. It’s messy, intense, steamy, heartbreaking, and addictive. It’s consuming, ridiculous, and unforgettable. If you pick it up, make sure you’re in the right mood, have snacks ready, and maybe a heart-rate monitor because this one will hit you right in the feels.

[Sandy Kay · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG please be great please be great! Can't wait! (update: IT WAS 🥳)

Review:

Why 5? Because I will abso-tively posi-lutely re-read this gem again. And again. Another imperfect but perfect-for-me read from this author who continued to grab me by the throat and not let go for the entire book.

Even if the grip was more gentle at first this time. It tightens...and tightens...

This is the sequel to Possession, featuring the brother of one of those MCs (and those MCs are with us here! Hooray, Roman and Lucas!). Vitali is the head of his mafia family and is recovering from the fright given him by the injury sustained by his bodyguard, Quinn, in book 1.

Feelings Vitali can’t name and isn’t used to have been...nudging him...haunting him...forcing him to reflect on why he now feels he should be guarding his bodyguard rather than letting Quinn put himself in the line of fire to protect Vitali. Because if Quinn had died? Well. That just isn’t an acceptable consideration for Vitali.

Quinn is confused and distressed by his employer’s sudden hovering. Confused, because... putting himself in the line of fire for Vitali is literally Quinn’s job. Distressed, because, as close as they’re getting, it’s becoming really, really difficult to hide what he feels for Vitali from Vitali.

The pining is real! Ah. So good. Pining, yearning, hiding, anguish...I eat this for dinner and ask for fourths. Or more.

The development of the evolving emotions between the men was handled well, nuanced and powerful, credible and not too fast, but fast enough to build to a raging inferno in a satisfying time. Vitali’s bi-awakening might have been overdue, and maybe he’s a little too good at sex stuff for someone who’s been only with women, but, their two-year friendship set the foundation to make their new connection fast and authentic and HOT. The way Vitali reads Quinn and understands his subconscious needs and gets the reasons behind his hot-cold attitude was 🔥. They have terrific chemistry from jump and it builds and tangles and twists and works, becoming more than Vitali imagined and Quinn ever dared hope for. Oh that poor man, just...hiding his feelings all that time...! And when you find out...!!! GAH. Wow. 🤯🥰

Oh, yeah, did I mention the plot twists?! Keep reading. They’re coming. There is of course a battle for territory between Vitali and his rivals the DiMaggios, and there are some stellar and shocking revelations in store.

Ha ha ha.

I guess my only wish was for more resolution to Vitali and Roman’s (the brothers) relationship, more of that on page, and a bit of a wider scope on Vitali’s businesses, legit and not, and some info on fallout with the authorities. Maybe things wrapped up a little too nicely? I shouldn’t complain.

Total love for this book, and I can’t wait to read whatever the author writes next. The story isn’t as intense as Possession (few are or even can be), but it amps up as you go into a beautiful peak and finale and delivers another gripping emotional read.

HEA, mafia don – bodyguard, bi-awakening (with GFY feel), rival mafia suspense plot. NO cheating/sharing/annoying OM action, totally safe for me. Minor jealousy in a good way (but then...I do love a man who is jealous over his man and doesn’t yet know why...! 😂). I appreciate the way this author handles past lovers/backstory; the mention is there when applicable but does not intrude on the romance. Not even when that past turns out to matter quite a lot. It’s still...past. WHOOSH. Well done, Rina Saint. Highly recommended.

My thanks to Gay Romance Reviews for the ARC; this is my free and impartial opinion.

[BelleLovesRomance · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️ 4.5/5 — Dark, angsty, mafia feels with emotional gut punches that kept me hooked. 🖤
🌶 3/5 — Enough spice to steam up the pages, but it’s the tension that scorched me. ❤️‍🔥

💭 My Ramblings 💭

I read Possession a few months ago and it instantly became one of my favorite reads of 2025—so naturally Confession was on my September most-anticipated read 👀✨. It’s good, but it ain’t Possession. Vitali and Quinn gave me raw, intense, vulnerable feels (which I ate up like a gremlin at 3 AM 😆) but they didn’t chokehold me the way Roman and Lucas did. Still though, the emotional punches landed, and the kitchen tension alone had me squealing like a banshee. 🥵😂

🔫💪🏻 The MCs 🔫💪🏻

Vitali — The head of the Constantine family himself. Confident, hot-headed, arrogant, but also carrying a whole lotta guilt. He blames himself for not catching Anton’s betrayal sooner, for Roman being sold into the underground fighting ring—so he shoulders everything like a martyr. Straight as a ruler…until Quinn takes a bullet and suddenly Vitali can’t ignore what’s been simmering underneath 😏🔥

Quinn — My poor, broken baby 😭💔 Childhood trauma for days: burned saving his mom, ended up killing his dad in self-defense, lost his mom anyway, grew up in the system, covered in scars outside and inside. He’s been pining over Vitali for two freakin’ years, convinced he’s unlovable. Calm and tough on the surface, but under all that? Broken, touch-starved, craving someone to finally choose him 🥺💕

🔥👀 Jealousy, Possessiveness, and Crackling Tension 💥💋

Quote:
I sense Vitali moving closer, but I’m still surprised as shit when his fingers close on my wrist as I reach for the receipt. I freeze.
An electrical current goes through my body when he leans into me and whispers in my ear, “I didn’t think you were into women.”
I shiver. I can’t help it.
“I’m not.” God, he’s close to me. I can feel the heat of his body.
“Then why were you flirting with her?” There’s something dark in his voice. Something dangerous. My cock stiffens.
“You’re the one who wanted me playing bartender instead of doing my real job.”
Vitali’s irritated exhalation is right by my ear. It makes goosebumps rise all over my body. His fingers slide from my wrist down my hand to the receipt. The touch sends a heavy pulse into my dick. He tugs the receipt out from under my fingers. He crumples it up and throws it away, trashing my tip—and the blonde’s number.

💭 Like HELLOOO?? Vitali out here crumpling paper and my self-control in the same move 😫🔥 Jealous, dangerous, possessive—this man doesn’t just simmer, he fucking boils, and I’m burning right along with him 🫦🌡♨️

Quote:
When I start walking across the kitchen toward him, he tenses but doesn’t move. I crowd into him, my polished shoes inches from his bare toes. I pick up his glass from the counter and drain it. My arm brushes his elbow as I set it down. He shivers. I step closer, one foot between his. He sucks in a breath.

💭 Bruhhh how am I supposed to breathe when Vitali’s out here being a jealous menace one second, and a crowding, glass-stealing, tension-dripping nightmare the next?? The electricity is insane—I was squealing, kicking my feet, feral at some ungodly hours 😫⚡️

💡 The Realization — It Took a Bullet, Genius 🤦🏻‍♀️😮‍💨

Quote:
Lucas smiles. “I should’ve known you would have everything.”
Quinn’s lips tug. He’s embarrassed. Fuck, he’s cute. What in the goddamn hell is wrong with me that I didn’t see it? Two fucking years he’s lived here. Am I stupid?

💭 Yes, bro, you’re fucking stupid 🙄. Two years of Quinn right under your nose and you only clue in after he gets shot? 😑 Took a damn bullet for your brain to reboot. Slow clap for you 👏🏻😂

🏃🏻‍♂️ Quinn, STOP Running Away! 💔😭

Quote:
He pulls away the second it’s over.
And he does. As soon as I pull out of him, he stands up. He doesn’t look at me. That’s the worst part. His eyes are down as he fixes his pants. He’s scowling vaguely. There’s a bit of lingering anger, but mostly he looks confused and vulnerable.
I want to reach out to him, but I can tell he wouldn’t accept it, and I don’t want to see him shut down like he did last night. That fucking killed me. I’d rather he be angry.
So I have to stand back and watch him deal with shit on his own. Then I have to watch him walk away from me.

💭 Quinn… babe… you’re KILLING ME 😩. I get it—you’re broken, you’ve got demons, blah blah—but why the fuck do you gotta shut Vitali out every damn time? 🥲 Hold his hand, ugly-cry on his shoulder, BITE HIS HEAD OFF IF YOU MUST, just don’t walk away. 😣 Watching you detach like this? Hurts worse than the angst you’re drowning in 🥴🫠💔

❤️‍🔥🔥 Owned, Chocked, and Wrecked 🍆💦

Quote:
He wedges a finger between my teeth and forces my mouth open as he pushes his cock into it.
My eyes roll back in my head at the way he penetrates me. When his cock hits the back of my throat, he stops. I look up to see his eyes on me. His lips are parted. His eyes are heavy lidded.
“I had no idea this would look so fucking beautiful.”
…
“Are you gonna come for me? Choking on my cock?”
”Look at me,” he orders.
The second I look up and see his face, I come. My cry is strangled by his dick in my throat.

💭 Excuse the fuck outta me but—THIS?? This is not just a blowjob scene, this is a spiritual awakening 😩🙏🏻. The eye contact, the possession, the way Quinn literally explodes just from Vitali’s voice and command??? I WAS GONEEEE 🫠. Dom-level filth paired with beauty—like porn poetry, and my ass is feral. 🥵🔥

📝 TLDR 📝

Pick this one up if you’re into:
💔 Broken, touch-starved MC who thinks he’s unlovable
🥵 Straight-until-him MC realizing his feelings way too long (yes, I'm side eyeing you Vitali 🤨)
🔥 Crackling sexual tension that makes you scream into a pillow
☠️ Jealousy, possessiveness, and protectiveness cranked up to a thousand notches
👊🏻 Mafia/dark contemporary vibes with family drama
🫠 Angst that squeezes your heart but still gives you HEA

P.S. And if I’m being totally honest, me rounding it up to 5⭐️here on GR? Yeah, that’s 100% because I got to see Roman and Lucas again. 🤭💕

Quote: (Special Scene of Roman and Lucas)
“Roman?”
I look up to see Lucas in his sweats and t-shirt in the doorway. His eyes are worried.
Roman is looking his way. His jaw is tight. He’s not happy. Lucas approaches anyway.
He’s the one Roman needs. I’m not. I start to get up, thinking I should leave, but Lucas shakes his head slightly, so I settle back into my chair.
Roman’s hand lifts up and Lucas takes it. He swings his leg over Roman, straddling him face to face. He settles on my brother’s lap.
Nobody on earth could do that with Roman but Lucas. But even with Lucas, Roman tenses. He makes a bad sound like he doesn’t want this, but Lucas puts his arms around Roman’s neck and says quietly, “It’s okay for him to see.”
Lucas rests his face against the side of Roman’s head. A shudder wracks Roman’s body. His arms come up jerkily then close around Lucas, and Roman presses his face against Lucas’s shoulder.
I feel a strange mix of relief and sadness and understanding. Roman doesn’t want me to see him like this, but he trusts Lucas so much that he yielded to him. It’s so beautiful and so heartbreaking.
My throat tightens as I watch them. Their connection. Their trust.

-
Quotes: ⚠️ Spoilers ⛔️

“Should you be doing that?” I ask as I walk past him kneading pasta dough at the kitchen island. The glare I get from those hazel eyes. Jesus. If looks could kill.
-
“What the fuck is wrong with you? You think you can fucking double back like that instead of staying with me? You did that on purpose. You knew I thought you were behind me.”
“It was gonna give you more time, and what the fuck is wrong with you, coming back in there when I cleared your exit?”
“You were in there, asshole! Did you think I was gonna fucking leave you? Jesus Christ, you fucking did. For fuck’s sake, Quinn. Don’t ever fucking do that again.”
-
I still have my hand on his hip, but I reach my other up to the back of his head. I curl my fingers in his short brown hair and take a tight hold at his scalp. A sound breaks from him. His eyes close and a shudder goes through his whole body. I pull his hair, tilting his head back, baring his throat.
“Stop,” he begs. He grabs the edge of the counter on either side of himself.
“If I kissed you now, would you want it?”
“You’re drunk.”
I pull his head back further. “Answer my question.”
I watch his pulse fluttering, watch him swallow. I watch him fight himself. He doesn’t want to answer me.
I drag my hand from his hip to his abs. His stomach contracts sharply. I glide my hand up to his chest, wrinkling his shirt and brushing over one of his taut nipples. I curl my hand lightly around his throat. He shudders so hard that his knee knocks against mine.
I bring my face close to his and let my lips graze his jaw as I repeat, “If I kissed you now, would you want it?”
“Yes,” he confesses.
-
When he starts washing his hands, I move toward him. He doesn’t tense like he has in the past, but his eyes are wary when they flick to me.
You know what? He’s right to be wary. He’s in my sights now, and there’s no escaping. And that’s why I need him to understand what he seemed to be struggling with last night when he so idiotically thought I was going to fire him. I lean into him until my shoulder is pressing against his. I whisper in his ear, “You do not get to leave.” I barely stop myself from adding, Ever. “Do you understand?”
He swallows hard.
-
“I loved fucking your mouth. I loved seeing your lips around my cock. I loved how your eyes were streaming, how you gagged and struggled with my dick down your throat.”

“And when you came, choking and screaming on my cock? You were the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen in my life.”
-
I want him to understand that he’s mine. I think, in a way, he always has been. How the hell did he imagine that I was going to let him go, much less fire him?
Quinn says, “I need this to be just—oh, fuck. Jesus Christ,” he cuts off when I squeeze his dick.
I know what he was going to say. He needs this to be just sex, as though we’re going to start fucking and somehow continue with everything else as though things will stay in their own little boxes.
He’s fucking delusional.
-
Pinning his head down, I set the toy to his hole and push in the first few beads. When he cries out, I slow down and watch, fascinated, as his hole stretches to take each new bead. I drag it back out before reaching the final beads, then I push it in again. His moan is deliciously filthy.
“You’re making me leak so bad.”
-
Quinn is quiet and relaxed until I start to pet his damp hair, then he squirms and tries to get away from me. I pull out, gasping at the too-much sensation.
I roll onto my side, hooking an arm around him and scooting across the bed, dragging him with me to get him away from where he came on the sheets. He isn’t happy. He wants away from me.
“Just relax.”
“I don’t do this part.”
“Too bad.”
“Red.”
“It doesn’t work like that.”
“Red.”
“Quinn. You already are safe.”
He’s breathing hard, upset, angry. I haven’t forgotten the tear I swiped from his eye as I fucked him. I want him to talk to me, but that’s too much to ask right now. Maybe this is too much too. He really wants me to leave, just like he wanted to escape after he blew me in my office.
But that’s not going to work. I need him to relax. So I threaten him, “Do you ever want to do this again?”
He breathes angrily for a while. Then he grits out, “Yes.”
“Then just lie here with me and breathe.”
He struggles with it, god does he struggle. I don’t know what’s going on in his head, but I just start breathing against the back of his neck, and I keep my arm hooked around his ribs until he calms down.
-
“Are you sore?”
“No,” I lie.
He bites my neck because he doesn’t believe me. I shudder in pleasure.
“I like pain.”
“You have to be honest with me. I can handle the truth, but I can’t handle you lying to me. Do you understand?”
-
I step close behind him. He stiffens and starts to step away, but I hook my arm around his waist and pull him back against me. I slide my other hand up to his throat.
“Don’t make this about sex.”
“It’s not about sex,” I tell him as I drag the hand I have hooked around his waist down to the button of his jeans. I flick it open. I glide his zipper down and reach inside to massage the swiftly hardening length of his cock through his briefs. My own cock is stiff and aching against his ass.
This is about me scaring him, and that’s why he’s relaxing as I take control and force him to feel that I’m here and that everything is fine, that he can let go of his fear and anger, that he can trust me.
“It’s okay,” I whisper against his ear. He stiffens at that and tries to pull away, but I tighten my grip on his throat and his dick, which is now rock hard.
“It’s okay,” I tell him again, forcing him to hear it, and this time his throat relaxes under my hand. His head tilts back to rest on my shoulder as he yields to me.
-
“You are never, ever, ever to do anything like this. I do not care how angry you are with me or how angry I am with you. This is the one thing I could never, ever forgive. Do you understand me?”
The thing is, I don’t. I don’t understand at all.
-
“I know what you did, but it took me a good goddamn minute to sort through my own shit enough to see it clearly. And what I saw was that you chose me instead. What I don’t know, Quinn, is why.”
“Because… I love you. I have for years. I have ever since I laid eyes on you. I fell in love with you the first goddamn second, and I’ve only fallen more in love with you every second since.”
-
“But you’re wrong. You’re so goddamn fucking wrong because I do love you and I really always have and I don’t know why it took me so long to understand it and I’m sorry. I’m sorry that I was stupidly slow. I’m sorry that I’ve been so fucking impatient with you. I’m sorry that I hurt you and I am so fucking sorry that you got this far ahead of me tonight. And don’t you ever do any shit like this again because you would fucking kill me.”
“Vitali—”
“And that’s a lot of words, so let me boil it back down, Quinn. I fucking love you.”
-
“But you’re right to want those things.”
“No, it’s dumb.”
“I want those things. Is that dumb?”
“No.”
“I want those things with you.”
“You could do so much better than me.”
“No, I couldn’t.”
“Don’t be—”
“I couldn’t do better in a million fucking years. You are everything I could ever, ever want. I fucking love you.”
Tears pool in his eyes. “Don’t, Vitali.”
“I fucking love you.”
“Stop.”
“I fucking love you.”
“Please,” I beg because I’m crying now too. “Please, Quinn.”
I don’t even know exactly what I’m asking for, but he’s gives it to me anyway. He rolls over in my arms and wraps his around me. His body fully entwines with mine. His face buries against my throat, like he finally believes me, like he finally trusts me. And he finally cries like I think he’s needed to for years.
And so do I.
-
“I love you,” as he tunnels deep inside me. “I fucking love you.”
As we ease down from it, Vitali settles behind me, still buried deep, still with his fingers caught in mine and I tell him, “I love you too, Vitali. God, I do.”
-
“Why did you leave?” he whispers.
“Because you were asleep. You’re being irrational, Vitali.”
“I don’t care.”
“Why are you being irrational?”
“Because I woke up and you were gone and—fuck.”
When he cuts off like that, when his hand gets shaky, I realize how much I scared him the other night. He told me, more than once. I did hear him. But I feel it now. I understand it. I really scared him, and he’s not over it.
“I’m sorry,” I tell him quietly. I can see in his eyes that he knows what I mean, what I’m referring to. That night.
“I need you,” he confesses softly.
“I need you too.” I wrap my arms around him and haul him tighter against me.
-
“I love you. Don’t say it back. Just listen to me. Believe me—please. I love you.”
“I love you too.”
-
His hand curls around my thigh. “As long as you come home with me, I guess,” he teases.
“I am home with you, Vitali.”
His hand squeezes my thigh, and the movie plays.
-

⚠️ Detailed spoilers below ⛔️

RC and MCs:
🔫💪🏻 MM, strict top/bottom
🔫💪🏻 Vitali Constantine 32yo and Quinn Richmond (his age isn't specified)
🔫💪🏻 Vitali: Head of the Constantine family. Half Greek, half Italian.
🔫💪🏻 Quinn: Vitali's bodyguard. He's a high school dropout.
🔫💪🏻 Vitali: Top, dom, straight to bi/GFY, dark eyes, dark hair, muscular, tatted-up (neck, hands, shoulders, chest), hairless from the neck down, olive complexion, 6ft2/188cm
🔫💪🏻 Quinn: Bottom, sub, gay, hazel eyes, short
brown hair, muscular (way more than Vitali), ruggedly handsome, 6ft1/185cm

Genre and tropes:
🔫💪🏻 MM dark contemporary romance
🔫💪🏻 Bodyguard/boss romance
🔫💪🏻 Crime family background
🔫💪🏻 Found family
🔫💪🏻 Pining (Quinn has secretly been in love with Vitali for two years)
🔫💪🏻 Bi-awakening/GFY (Vitali)
🔫💪🏻 First times
🔫💪🏻 Breaking down emotional walls
🔫💪🏻 Morally gray MCs
🔫💪🏻 Mutual protectiveness
🔫💪🏻 J/P MC (Vitali)
🔫💪🏻 Touch him and die
🔫💪🏻 Not a touchy-feely man, but touch-starved (Quinn)
🔫💪🏻 First committed relationship for both MCs
🔫💪🏻 Pet names: Baby

Safety info:
🔫💪🏻 Angst: High
🔫💪🏻 OPD: Sasha (she's Vitali's other bodyguard) and Quinn cuddle platonically sometimes (they started doing it before Quinn and Vitali got together).
🔫💪🏻 Cheating/sharing: No
🔫💪🏻 Third act breakup: No
🔫💪🏻 Ending: HFN
🔫💪🏻 Epilogue: No
🔫💪🏻 POV: Dual, 1st person
🔫💪🏻 Series structure: Interconnected standalone

Spice and kinks:
Power dynamics, D/s dynamics, semi-public sex (in Vitali's office at his club Eclipse, in the underground garage at Vitali's house), blowjob, coming untouched (Quinn come while giving head), come in pants, dirty talk, sex toys (black beaded silicone rod with a handle), bareback, rough sex, hand necklace, rimming, finger fucking, kitchen sex, rough sex, angry sex, making love (gentle, intimate sex)

CW/TW:
Depression, passive suicidal tendency, torture (not of MCs), violence, death, mentions of past parental abuse, gunshot wound on MC, sexual images used for blackmail (pics of one MC with an SC. Blackmail is from another SC), childhood trauma

[Pauline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This ended up being a lot more emotional and sweeter than I expected?!

I really liked both MCs: Quinn with his tough exterior but quiet longing and softness inside, and Vitali with that steady, protective devotion that sneaks up on you. Their relationship felt like a genuine awakening - and somehow more emotional than sexual for me?

Because the sexual dynamic itself confused me a bit at times. Not in a necessarily bad way, just… I’m not sure I fully understood some of the choices or the MCs behaviour at some points?
But the yearning, the pining, the slow opening-up and tearing down of walls? Loved all of that.

The cameos from Roman and Lucas were a highlight and made me ridiculously happy. And seeing how much Vitali longed for the kind of connection and trust they have made me go aaaw more than once 🥹

My only real complaints: the mafia plot wrapped up a bit too easily, and the ending felt like it needed just a little more closure. Also, this book could definitely use another proofreading pass - there were many typos and missing words that pulled me out of the flow.

But overall I genuinely enjoyed this. Emotional awakening, mutual longing, a bit of possessiveness (what can I say, “mine” always works for me), and characters who made me feel more than I expected. It was a good time.

3,5⭐️

[patrícia · Rating 4 out of 5]

CONFESSION | Bodyguard Romance | Constantine Brothers #2
4 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

So, Quinn and Vitali… JFC, the yum yumness of them should be forbidden! 🫦 There’s something about two alpha men in love that just *works*. Or maybe it’s simply *them*. 🫶 They’re my favorite so far—the story is balanced, full of depth, character development, vulnerability, healing, and yes, obviously, loads of rough, hot, and sweet sex. 🔥

Their story is really one of awakening—not just sexual, but emotional. 💖 Vitali doesn’t realize what Quinn means to him until he almost loses him, and once he does, he refuses to let go. Quinn, meanwhile, has always known, at least subconsciously, that he desperately needs the kind of love Vitali is capable of—but it terrifies him. He’s learned to survive without it and must learn how to accept it. That’s why their intimacy feels different from other Constantine stories: it’s less about breaking each other down and more about learning to love and be loved. 💌

I usually ignore mafia shenanigans since they aren’t my thing, but here it’s part of their personas and it works (ish). Roman and Lucas also appear—their unhealthy possessiveness still very present, but that’s a Constantine hallmark. 🕴️

Moments that had me licking my lips 🫦 and drooling 🤤:

↪️ **Pining** 👇 “When Vitali starts walking, part of me wants to just stay where I am, maybe forever, but I won’t let him go alone. \[…] I know, I fucking know, that after two years of being so goddamn careful, in one stupid, thoughtless moment, I’ve destroyed everything.
There’s no going back from kissing a straight man.” 💔

↪️ **Bi awakening** 👇 “I love that I’m getting to touch him like this. I push my finger inside him.
His moan has me closing my eyes and pushing deeper. I stroke inside him, exploring, \[…] hunting.
‘Fuck!’ he barks, body jerking when I find it. His hands fist on the sheet. I stroke again. He spasms.
‘Mmm,’ I hum, pulling my finger free. ‘I like that.’” 🔥

↪️ **Coming in his pants bj** 👇 “Are you gonna come for me?” he rasps. “Choking on my cock?”
I can only moan and shudder and keep working him.
“Look at me,” he orders.
The second I look up and see his face, I come. My cry is strangled by his dick in my throat. As I jerk and seize \[…] while my dick pumps hot and uncontrolled in my jeans, Vitali buries himself deep and ejaculates so hard his cock kicks inside my throat, choking and gagging me as I release another hot pulse of cum.” 😳💦

↪️ **Bossiness vs sassiness & denial** 👇 He doesn’t comply. He’s frustrated with my bossiness and feeling stubborn. I have \[…] been steamrollering him. But he likes it, even if he kind of hates it too. It gives him something to fight, and that’s what he needs. He needs me to dominate him, but he needs it to be real dominance. He’s not going to simply give it to me. 👑💥

↪️ **Toys first (that girth 😮‍💨)** 👇 “Pick a fucking toy, Quinn, I need inside you.” I start stroking my cock.
“Then what do we need a toy for?” he asks.
“It’s been a while for you.”
“So?”
“So, Quinn. You’ve sucked this thing.” 🔥

↪️ **Safeword** 👇 “I need to know that you’ll use it.”
“I won’t,” he argues. “I don’t want you to stop. That’s the point.”
\[…]
“If I know you have a safe word, I know I don’t have to stop. That is the point.” 🛑

↪️ **Black cat vs mafia golden retriever** 👇 “You’re such a black cat sometimes.”
“A black cat?”
“Wary. Bristly. Annoyed when people try to pet you.”
“For fuck’s sake.” \[…]
“You’ve surely heard of people being referred to as black cats? You know, there’s the black cat and the golden retriever.”
\[…]
“And are you supposed to be the golden retriever?”
He shrugs. “I can be friendly.”
“Bullshit.”
“I can be easygoing.” 🐈‍⬛🐕

↪️ **Romanticized the prickly black cat** 👇 “What’s going on? You prepared this.”
“It’s just a quilt.” \[…] It’s also oil and some candles.
I manage to get him onto the bed. \[…] I light the candles.
“You’re being so weird,” he says, but his hand smooths its way up my side.
“Yeah, well.” 🕯️💖

↪️ **Need pain to come** 👇 I love fucking him roughly, I really do. But I love this too. He’s different when he’s soft like this.
I slow fuck him until he’s whining. \[…] He’s hard enough that he should come, but he’s not going to, not from something this loving. So I grip his throat and bite his neck until he cries out, but I just keep slow fucking him until his mind shuts down and his body is mine. I feel it happen, the way he simultaneously yields to me and tightens. 🔥💦

↪️ **I love you** 👇 “I love you,” as he tunnels deep inside me. “I fucking love you.”
He keeps saying it until I’m panting, writhing under him. He says it until I come in dizzying, endless waves. Vitali groans and thrusts into me as I orgasm until his cock starts pulsing hotly inside me. His teeth scrape lightly on my shoulder as he buries himself deep. I thread my fingers with his and let him milk me with his orgasm.
As we ease down from it, Vitali settles behind me, still buried deep, still with his fingers caught in mine, and I tell him, “I love you too, Vitali. God, I do.” 🫶

↪️ **First times** 👇 “I didn’t know this was going to be so hard.”
“You thought it was just going to be sex.”
“No, you thought it was just going to be sex. I thought it was going to be …” I shrug. “I don’t know.”
“Easy,” he supplies. “That’s because you’ve never had an actual, um, whatever this is.”
“Relationship, Quinn, Jesus.” He blushes. \[…]
“I’ll take that as a never.” 💌

↪️ **Neediness** 👇 “Why did you leave?” he whispers.
“Because you were asleep. You’re being irrational, Vitali.”
“I don’t care.”
“Why are you being irrational?”
“Because I woke up and you were gone and—fuck.” \[…]
“I’m sorry,” I tell him quietly. \[…]
“I need you,” he confesses softly.
“I need you too.” I wrap my arms around him and haul him tighter. His hand slides to the back of my neck as we meet in a deep, hungry kiss that lifts so much of the heaviness.” 🫦

Unfortunately and as usual with Rina’s books, the ending felt a bit *“It’s over? That was it?”* It’s always slightly too open, not only with Quinn and Vitali, but also with the family and the DiMaggios. I didn’t necessarily need a lame epilogue but something that allowed me to rest assured that they were ok in the future. Also the mafia problems were sooooo easy resolved, felt a bit unrealistic.

Quinn and Vitali’s story isn’t just about hot sex—it’s about awakening and learning to love. 💖 Vitali discovers what Quinn truly means to him only when he almost loses him, and Quinn faces the terrifying truth that he needs this love and must learn to accept it. Their emotional growth makes their intimacy feel profound, vulnerable, and incredibly satisfying. Combined with the sizzling, rough, and sweet sexual moments, this book hits every note I could want in a romance. 🔥🫶

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.


⚠️trigger warning
Choking
Rough sex
Angry sex
Depression
Passive suicidal tendency
Torture (not of main characters)

[Elizabeth (semi-hiatus) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I know the truth. I know what he’s been hiding. And I’m going to make him confess it.

Anyone who says they don't love bodyguard romances is a liar- it's one of the greatest tropes out there. A true classic. Bodyguard Quinn has been in love with his boss Vitali for years, but has no hope of reciprocation because Vitali is straight. But ever since Quinn put his life on the line for his boss, Vitali has been looking at him in a different way, and trying to keep him out of dangerous situations. Quinn isn't ready to put his heart on the line for what he thinks is straight curiosity and experimentation, but it's hard to resist the man he's always wanted more than everything. With so many secrets and and repressed desires between them, will insanely hot chemistry be enough to help these two accept the happiness that's right in front of their noses?

I want him. I want inside him. More than that, I want him to understand that he’s mine. I think, in a way, he always has been.

Rina Saint came out of nowhere and damn every book has been so good so far!! Possession (Constantine Brothers #1) was incredible, and Confession is also amazing, but in a completely different way. Vitali and Quinn are very similar characters- they have incredibly high standards for themselves, and find it difficult to accept their own weaknesses. They are both protectors who will do anything to keep each other safe- that's easy for them. What's difficult is opening up and showing vulnerability to those they love. The majority of the book is a dance between Vitali and Quinn of advancing and retreating as they get to know each other. Both of them need to learn that they're worthy of love and that there's true strength to be found in surrender. I loved the book, and Rina is great at delivering great characters, engaging plotlines and smoking hot smut!

“I couldn’t do better in a million fucking years. You are everything I could ever, ever want. I fucking love you.”

Rating: 4.25
Angst: 3.5/5
Steam: 4/5

I received an advance copy of this book and this is my honest review.

[Brooke · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars ⭐️

“If I kissed you now, would you want it?” “Yes,” he confesses.

I don’t know what is up with me, because this had all the right elements for me to love it, but I just didn’t.
And I’m not even sure I know why.

A high-stakes, angsty mafia bodyguard romance, queer awakening, bodyguard pining for his boss. That sounds amazing, right? Add in Quinn’s unexpected submissive side, and theoretically this was supposed to be an easy five for me.

I didn’t feel anything for these characters or this book. I didn’t feel the connection, the passion, the hurt. The reading experience was lackluster compared to book one, and I found myself not really caring how their story was going to end.
This is definitely a case of ‘it’s me, not you’, because Rina Saint is always a hit for me, and I guess I just wasn’t in the right mood for this particular story.
Rounding up because there’s nothing wrong with this book, and it’s actually a sexy romance full of great hurt/comfort moments.
A great pick if you like scary alpha men falling in love, mafia action and drama.

“I need you,” he confesses softly. “I need you too.”

I received a copy of this book from Gay Romance Reviews, and this is my honest review.

CW and NSFW info (spoilers):
- Depression
- Torture (not MCs)
- Violence/death
- Mentions of past parental abuse
- Choking
- Rough sex
- Light D/s dynamic
- Top/bottom
- Rimming
- Multiple orgasms
- Toys

[Renae Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession is a fantastic mafia bodyguard romance that I could not put down. It is exhilarating, entertaining, and unpredictable watching Vitali and his bodyguard of two years, Quinn, discover their mutual attraction after Quinn is injured during a violent encounter. After this incident, Vitali must come to terms with feelings that are shocking, surprising, and entirely welcome. Quinn, on the other hand, has been hiding his feelings for his boss for years and, due to many obstacles, has never been open about his hidden feelings.

Together, these two have incredible chemistry that is both combative and consuming. They both have intense reactions to each other, and watching them navigate this new aspect of their relationship is fascinating and utterly addictive. I couldn't get enough of their story and highly recommend it.

*** I reviewed a complimentary copy of this story.***

[Freya · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ 3.5🌶️

📝 REVIEW & THOUGHTS:

I read Possession a few months ago and loved it. I decided to pick up the second book Confession, and while it was fun and pretty hot, it wasn’t as good as Possession, in my opinion. The romance is less dark than the one of book one, and it wasn’t sweet at times. Still a pretty fun book to read about a bodyguard being in love with his boss.

🏷️ TROPES & TAGS (possible spoilers):

Genre/subgenre: contemporary dark romance (Mafia feels)
Pairing: MM
POV: 1st person, dual
Angst: medium
Burn: medium
Vibe/mood: darkish, hot
Pet names: baby
Characters’ ages: 32/not specified I assume also in his 30s
HEA: yes, HFN-ish

Broken and touch starved MC who thinks he’s unlovable
Bi-awakening
Bodyguard/boss
Jealousy and possessiveness
Mutual protectiveness
Pining
Found family
Morally gray MCs
Crime family

🌶️ SPICE & K!NKS (possible spoilers):

Strict top/bottom or versatile: top/bottom
Heat: 10 scenes, medium heat
Oral
Anäl
Rimming
Domination
Rough sęx
Angry sęx
Choking
Lovemaking
Multiple Os

⚠️ CONTENT WARNINGS (possible spoilers):

Dubcon: no
Noncon: no
OM/OW: no
3rd act breakup: no
Graphic violence
Gūn violence and gunshot wound
Murders
Mentions of abusive father and domestic violence (past)
Mentions of MMC unaliving his father (past)
Mentions of mother being an addict (past)
Mentions of dead mother
Mentions of MC being orphan and going into the system
Alcohol consumption
MC feeling unworthy of love
Smoking (cigars)
Some depression
Torture (not of MCs)
Sęxual images used are blackmail


* Fyi about 🌶️ levels: I rate spice on a combination of quantity, quality, length, intensity and explicitness of the scenes. K!nks are listed separately and generally do not directly affect the steam level to keep it fair for non k!nky books.

[⋆｡°✮ Lucy InTheSky ✮°｡⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how I feel about this one. It definitely doesn't come close to Possession, scratch that out. It doesn't.
It's not as well developed, doesn't have the hype, you don't feel like you're in a Mafia book and Vitale's character as the head of the Constantine family just got completely wasted for this lukewarm sob story with no edge.



I definitely am disappointed. I'm giving this 3.5 - 3.75⭐ and I'll round it down.

🟣 Mafia boss / his bodyguard
🟠 Gay / GFY (maybe a bi-awakening, we didn't come that far)
🔵 Around 30/32
🟢 Both tall, muscular, almost no height difference (tattoos/scars)
🟣 Hurt/comfort
🟡 They had a past, but it wasn't addressed, the story starts in the middle, gives you this turnaround in the second half, a lot isn't said
🌶️ Good sex and a lot of it; kissing, holding, cuddling; rimming, very little oral, a lot of penetrative sex scenes; excl t/b

Basically, this story should have been fantastic. Even toned down, the way the author wanted it, it’s about Vitale, the mafia boss and Roman's rich, ruthless and powerful brother and if you remember him from Possession, then you know his story should have been a total banger.

Quinn is Vitale's bodyguard and lives at his house. He was originally hired by the rival DiMaggio family to take out Vitale. Instead, when he comes to work for him, Quinn falls in love at first sight and switches sides.
By the time their present story takes place, he’s been Vitale’s bodyguard for a few years and it’s only after Quinn is nearly killed on the job that Vitale freaks out and finally starts acknowledging his growing feelings for him.



The problem is that none of this is told particularly well. These are crucial parts of the story, yet they don’t really happen on-page. Quinn's story should've been told in full, starting with his abusive childhood, his dark past working for dangerous people and then his falling in love with Vitale. All this before we even get to them being in the present moment and Vitale realizing there's something more to his attachment to Quinn.

The buildup to the point where Vitale and Quinn start getting closer and finally have sex was actually quite good, despite everything. Their sex was great too. You can tell there’s a lot going on behind the scenes, especially with Quinn. His struggles with intimacy are detailed and portrayed pretty well. That said, he starts to get on your nerves pretty quickly, because he never lets up, not until the very last page. That emotional breakthrough where they get really close and it's not just sex, isn't there. The author was trying to do it, trying to put it in there and make it happen, but it didn't work, at least for me it didn't and I think that’s ultimately why their love story doesn’t feel believable.

The revelation of Quinn working for Vitale while knowing he was supposed to kill him isn’t treated as a big deal at all. And when they start hooking up and Quinn finally allows himself to get close to someone he feels so strongly about, he’s essentially given a free pass when Vitale finds out the truth that Quinn is basically an assassin who was meant to end him. Vitale’s reaction is like oh well, he picked me, so we’re good



… are you for real? Is this for real? This should have been a big deal, the ultimate act of treason, right? It's the mob! Instead, there’s no action, no drama. Even if the author didn’t want to make things dramatic between Vitale and Quinn, there still needed to be something to make it interesting, and there just wasn’t anything. What we did get was this pointless push and pull between them that led nowhere.

I honestly thought Vitale would be kidnapped, that he’d find out Quinn was there to kill him and that Quinn would save him and earn his love. That would have made sense, especially since it felt like Quinn couldn’t fully ease into their relationship because he didn’t believe he’d earned it.

Instead, Vitale just loved him, just like that. The progression to that point bothered me, it wasn’t well done. Your ultimate dream guy who's also a mob boss is finally giving you a green light and you get to experience all these things with him, but him just loving you, just like that, here it is, you're welcome? No wonder Quinn was so out of it! And speaking of intimacy, it could have consisted of more than just eating popcorn on the sofa and calling it a relationship.



This story should have been much more interesting and at least a bit more dramatic than it was. This type of story simply doesn’t fit Vitale and Quinn's characters. It was a hit and a miss. A big miss, if we're looking at the previous installment. It was all there, the characters, the setting, the background, but yeah, a miss in the end.

Roman and Lucas are mentioned and present quite a bit and they were more interesting in a single scene at the end than Vitale and Quinn were throughout the entire book. I’ll probably re-read their book just to get this taste out of my mouth.

The author needs to step it up and really deliver with the next installment.

[Lydia Ralte · Rating 3 out of 5]

While I found this enjoyable, I wished it was not as rushed.

[Whitney · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ (I think, idk)

Quinn + Vitali 🖤
Bodyguard | Pining | First times


Book 1 hit better for me. That book was absolute perfection. But this was a good close to this duet. Quinn liked to say dumb shit in the beginning, but I ended up loving him anyway. Poor thing was secretly so in love with Vitali for so long. I'm glad he finally got his man.

I also loved that we saw some of Roman's healing develop in this book, too.


....


"God, you're beautiful. So beautiful."

"You want me to fuck you like I hate you Quinn? Is that what you like?"

"Why is it so hard for you to believe that people care about you?"

"I need you to trust me when I say I love you. I need you to believe me, deeply and absolutely."

"I want to fire you."
"Why?"
"Because you're not my employee anymore. You're my ... hell, I dont know. You're mine."


....



⚠️potential spoilers below in detailed tropes, content, and warning lists










Tropes/content:
Bodyguard secretly in love with his client
Quinn has secretly been in love with Vitali for two years
Protectiveness
Jealousy from "straight" guy first
Pining
Accidental kiss
Bi-awakening/ gay for you
Office blow job + throat fuck
💦 in pants while giving head
Bareback
Brought to tears during sex
Quinn tries to use safe word once they're done and cuddling but Vitali just reminds him that he's already safe
Bodyguard is submissive in bed
Garage sex
Surprise "baby"
Dirty ass eating
First time gay guy gets his ass eaten
Quinn likes to get roughly fucked. The soft stuff is hard for him
Rough sex
Choking
Biting
"You could do so much better than me"
Non sexual naked skin to skin
Deep emotional conversation that results in them both sobbing
Love making
Touch him and die
Touch starved, broken man hiding behind tough exterior
Unrequited love
HFN (no epilogue)
Strict roles
First committed relationship for both of them
Lots of cameos from Lucas + Roman - we saw Roman finally break down in front of his brother and it was beautiful
Two brothers in the picture but mostly all a found family



Warnings:
Healing shoulder injury from gunshot wound on MC
Violence
Gunshot wound on MC (non life threatening)
Sex without prep
One MC thinks he's unlovable
Sexual images used for blackmail (pics of one MC with someone else. Blackmail is from side character)
Childhood trauma (Quinn got burned from his dad after trying to save his mother from him. Ended up killing his dad in self defense. But his mom died too and he has all the burn scars. He ended up in the system afterwards)
Sasha & Quinn cuddle platonically sometimes (they started doing it before Quinn and Vitali got together). It does make Vitale jealous a bit.

[Laura Lou · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Confession is book two in the Constantine Brothers series. This dark MM romance story is about Vitali and Quinn.

Vitali is the head of the Constantine family. Quinn is his bodyguard and has had to hide the fact that he has been in love with him for a couple years. Vitali is straight but is starting to see Quinn in a different light ever since he was injured. And although Vitali hasn’t been attracted to a man before, I love how he was ready to jump all in with Quinn. I was not expecting for Quinn to have his walls up and such a dark past, and I loved how Vitali was patient with him.

The found family was amazing and I enjoyed getting more of Roman and Lucas. I definitely enjoyed all the action in this story, and after reading the twist, I just couldn’t wait to see how it was all going to play out. I will say the ending did leave me wanting more of Vitali and Quinn.

[Jane aka Coughy019 (Safety info included) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: bodyguard/mafia boss
Feels: 2.5/5
Steam*: 2.5/5
Kinks: dominance/submission, choking, pain kink, rough sex, toys
Angst: low
HEA: HEA
Pairing: MM
Triggers/potential icks/content warnings/representation: violence, murder, gore, panic attacks, depression, suicidal behaviour, past child abuse and domestic violence (Quinn's father)
Cheating between MCs: No
Any cheating: No
Other person drama: Quinn has worked for Vitali for 2 years and he's been in love with him pretty much the whole time. He's pined a bit for him. During those two years, they've very likely both been with others, but there's nothing explicitly commented on. Once they hook up in the present, neither of them are with anyone else. Vitali gets jealous a few times over other people interested in Quinn, and he gets shown a sextape of Quinn with someone two and a half years ago.

3.75 stars

Vitali is 32 and he's the head of a crime family. He just got his brother Roman back after he escaped from the slavery he was in. The family is trying to adjust and it's going through an uncomfortable phase. Quinn has been Vitali's bodyguard for 2 years. Quinn is gay and has secretly been in love with Vitali for most of those two years. But it was hopeless, because Vitali identified as straight and didn't see him like that.

Quinn got shot before the start of the book and he's healing from that, and Vitali is feeling protective of him. He can't stop looking at Quinn and worrying over him, and he's got this sense of discomfort, something's not quite fitting in place with him. After a heated exchange, Quinn kisses Vitali and everything clicks into place for Vitali. He's attracted to Quinn... And it's more than that, he loves him, he's so important to him. He's possessive of him and wants to claim him and have him as his. And Vitali realizes that Quinn is attracted to him and it says if Vitali smelled blood, the way he chases Quinn to the ground now that he has that in with Quinn.

Quinn is suffering with a lot of guilt and mental health damage that he has suffered during his rough life. He's not ready to be happy, to be loved. He needs pain, he needs punishment and roughness. And Vitali and Quinn struggle with the push and pull of giving what Quinn needs but also trying to give him something healthier. Plus they're also under threat from another Mafia family.

This was a nice book. I kind of wish we had seen the characters fall in love a little bit more. Because the book started with Quinn already being in love with Vitali, and Vitali already having developed all that feeling for Quinn already and it just being brought to the surface by a kiss. So I missed some of that build up. But it was nice how in deep for each other they were. They had intense chemistry and they were all in together.

I do prefer Lucas and Roman's book. Lucas and Roman really had an us against the world dynamic and they trusted each other so much. Quinn and Vitali were never really on the same page, they weren't working together as one unit well, they didn't fully trust the other person with themselves.


Some notable moments:

I like how Vitali was ready to claim Quinn from the first moment he felt attraction for him. Everything clicked into place for him. "“You’re experimenting.” “Maybe you don’t need to tell me what I’m doing, Quinn.” “Then what are you doing?” Claiming you. I don’t care that it’s too soon, that it makes no sense, that I haven’t even fucked him yet. I know. But I stop myself from saying it, and Quinn fills in my silence."

Vitali was so jealous of Quinn cuddling with his asexual friend. "As he starts building three burgers, he asks her, “Do you ever wish there was another woman here?” Sasha squeezes a horrifying amount of mustard onto her burger. “Not really. I love my boys. Though I’m a little bit worried that Vitali might not let Quinn watch movies and cuddle with me anymore.” “Cuddle? What the fuck are you talking about?” “It’s very innocent,” she claims. Quinn comes back from checking his phone. He gives me a wary look, clearly sensing trouble even though he didn’t hear what Sasha said. “What?” “We’ll discuss it later,” I grumble and snatch a bun from the bag."


*FYI about steam: I rate steam based on a combination of quality & quantity. I note kink separate from steam because I don't want to underrate steamy reads that don't have much kink.

**Note about spoilers: I like to comment on the plot of a book in reviews, so I almost always mark my reviews as containing spoilers. But I try to avoid spoiling the big dramatic moments! As a reader, I personally like to know what I'm getting into before I read a book so I know more about the content and if it's to my taste/mood, so I try to give that information in my reviews for myself when I'm considering rereading and also for other readers.

[martina (the life of a chaotic reader) · Rating 3 out of 5]

unfortunately i only read one other book by this author and i absolutely loved it.
however it’s so different from this one that it left me disappointed.
this one doesn’t have anything wrong, it’s just that i was expecting something completely different

[Zainab · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book left me with the same energy as opening the fridge 10 times and still not knowing what i'm looking for. I was expecting... something? and it wasn't delivered so now my brain and feelings are lowkey ???-core

[Kati *☆･ﾟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4**** stars


A crime family boss and his bodyguard.

I mean, there was not a lot of plot and I mostly had the feeling what plot there was was only to intensify the romance. And damn if it didn’t work for me. I ate it up.

“I want to fire you,” I tell him because that’s where I’m at. His eyebrows draw down. I brace for him to say, Fuck no, or Fuck you, but instead he asks, “Why?” “Because you’re not my employee anymore. You’re my … hell, I don’t know. You’re mine.”

************
Constantine Brothers Series

Book 1 - Possession - 4.0 stars
Book 2 - Confession - 4.0 stars

[Monikat · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story has two dark, lonely gentle, yet dangerous men dancing around each other's feelings while discovering each other sexually. An odd match, a mob boss living his bi awakening and the body guard who has been in love with him a long time, never expecting to be reciprocated. While Vitali takes charge in pursuing the affair, Quinn has fears and trauma not letting him completely believe that what they have is real and not a straight man's experiment.
Oh but the shattering, life changing moments when Quinn gives in are so brutally heartbreaking, when he finally let's go of what he's been through is so cathartic. It's beautiful to read.
Add in the mafioso drama and the love of found family plus seeing more of Lucas and Roman and this was another great read from Rina Saint.

[Julia (bookish.jka) · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Just because I don’t know exactly what I’m doing doesn’t mean I’m experimenting.” “That’s kind of the definition of experimenting,” he says wryly. “And you don’t do relationships.” “We already have a relationship,” I point out. “Then you understand how complicated this might get.”

Rina Saint is a dark MM romance author and Confession is the second book in her Constantine Brothers series. Not as dark as book 1 Possession, this one still has some dark themes and of course we're dealing with the mafia, so buckle up! This is Vitali and Quinn's story and I was totally here for it.

What To Expect:

🖤MM mafia romance
🖤Mafia boss/bodyguard
🖤Forced proximity
🖤Found family
🖤Bi-awakening
🖤Violence
🖤Steamy first times
🖤D/S vibes
🖤HEA

4 solid stars

[reverie]

dnf @30%

maybe it was a me issue, but confession failed to live up to my expectations. while possession was great, and put the author on the map for me, this second installment feels like a clear downgrade. i'm bummed because of how eagerly i'd been waiting for it, but the writing and the characterizations of the mcs just doesn't hit the mark. it feels messy and falls extremely flat. not what i've come to expect from the author, and not something i could put up with any longer 😓

[Audi♡]

DNF 80ish% I'm not feelin the connection between them..their lack of communication was terribly annoying.
Now all of a sudden Quinn is an ex-spy for the bad guy?....
weird. I didn't like this one.

[Kate V · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars!

O MY GOSH. I’ve been salivating for Vitali and Quinn and Rina Saint did not disappoint. There was so much heat, passion and raw emotion packed into this short story I want to tear up at the sheer magnitude of how their story made me feel.

Quinn was injured in the last book and it’s here that Vitali realizes just how much Quinn means to him. More than a bodyguard, more than a friend and more than a passing experiment. Quinn has always been in love with Vitali but kept his emotions locked down for fear of destroying the place he has made for himself in Vitali’s life. But Vitali SEES Quinn now and Quinn has no idea what’s coming for him.

“You know what? He’s right to be wary. He’s in my sights now, and there’s no escaping.

Vitali and Quinn have so much to work through. Their internal struggles were real and so humanizing. Rina didn’t write these men as untouchable or unbelievable. She made them messy but I loved that Vitali and Quinn just knew what each needed in most moments. That shared perceptiveness really solidified their relationship for me. Built originally on bodyguard and friendship and then turned sexual but in more of a healing way.

“I loved fucking your mouth,” I tell him. “I loved seeing your lips around my cock.” Those lips, still swollen, part slightly. He starts breathing harder. I stand from the chair. “I loved how your eyes were streaming, how you gagged and struggled with my dick down your throat.”

However, they didn’t just use sex to speak. They actually communicated and not in a sappy way either. Both felt like there were things in life they didn’t deserve or had to atone for and I adored the way they each broke each other’s walls down to prove that wasn’t the case.

“And when you came, choking and screaming on my cock?” His eyes close and he shudders. I wrap my other hand around his covered dick, eliciting a needy little sound that makes me ache. “You were the most gorgeous thing I’d ever seen in my life.”

While their love story was at the forefront, the underlying suspense plot was also wonderfully written. It was a perfect compliment to the way their relationship organically transformed. I absolutely loved their story and their love even when it felt gritty and heartbreaking. I just truly loved Vitali and Quinn.

“I couldn’t do better in a million fucking years. You are everything I could ever, ever want. I fucking love you.”

This read was a five stars for me for so many reasons. I love Rina Saint’s MM books. She has an amazing ability to make two alpha males build a beautiful relationship despite all their internal and external challenges and still come out stronger. Loved this.

[Catarina Águas · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC review

Amazing book.
I loved the first book in the series and this one was no diferent.
Vitali had an epiphany after seeing Quinn hurt, and realizes he has been attracted to him all this time. He wants Quinn and it's as simple as that.
Quinn was really guarded and never thought his feelings would be reciprocated, but lo and behold, they were.
Their chemistry was seriously of the charts and I was eating it up

[Lola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re-read #2 with my ears on 3/23/26

I listened to all the other Rina Saint audiobooks out there so I decided to go back to this one as well. The audio itself was good, it was duet just like all of her others which is a relief for me. My only niggle with this one is the voices for the side characters - I wish JF Harding (Vitali) had voiced Lucas and Sasha and that Ryan Stone (Quinn) had voiced Roman instead of the reverse.

I felt a little less connected to the story this time around but that might have been more because I was listening to this in the background while doing something unpleasant and not really the story itself. I still wish we'd been given more time with their little family and I would have liked to see how Vitali and Quinn handle their new dynamic. Knowing that Rina Saint is giving us a Possession novella soon soothes all that ails me, though.

*******************************************************************
Tbh I was worried about this book. Possession is in my top books of the year (probably THE top) but I knew I was going to have to temper expectations with this one. Rina Saint is an excellent author but the setting/circumstances in Possession were part of what made the story so compelling and that obviously couldn't be replicated here. And while I enjoyed the bits that we got to see of Quinn and Vitali in the first book, I knew they weren't going to be Roman and Lucas or have a similar dynamic. After reading, I can confirm that, of course this wasn't as good as Possession, but it ended up being more solid than I had started to fear.

Quinn was absolutely the biggest shock of the book for me. I'm not totally sure why I had assumed he was a sunshiny guy (thinking back on Possession that's not how he was) but for some reason that's what my brain expected. In reality, he was kind of a mess. He's been in love with Vitali for two long years and has done his best to bury it. It's clear he thought that he could just go on like that, forever pining for his straight boss while continuing to do his job and keep him safe. But after Quinn was shot at the end of Possession, Vitali finally realizes that he's attracted to him. This ends up being a double edged sword for Quinn. He's being offered the chance to finally have Vitali's sexual attention but it's painful to have that and know (assume) that he can't have more. He thinks Vitali is experimenting/having a queer awakening that isn't really about HIM. So he tries very hard to see it as just sex and gets pretty hissy and prickly toward Vitali in order to maintain that. I just felt for him the whole way through. He was depressed, didn't think he was good enough, and he truly could not accept good things for himself. It was such a struggle for him to communicate but I was rooting for him so hard when he (finally) started trying.

I felt surprised by Vitali at first - I think maybe I expected more angst/denial surrounding his awakening? But then realized I totally shouldn't be - he's Roman's brother; of course he's going to just decide someone is his and not think too hard about how that works or what it looks like. Plus he was obviously accepting of everyone else's sexualities so there wasn't likely to be internalized queerphobia. I actually loved him in this. I loved that HE ended up being the pursuer. I loved that he (mostly) understood Quinn and tried to give him what he needed. And his jealousy was delicious - completely unfounded but delicious. His sense of responsibility and his need to do all the things by himself because "it's his job" and he wants to keep everyone safe except himself was frustrating but totally in line with his character.

Their relationship was volatile for nearly the first 3/4 of the book, mostly due to Quinn feeling the need to keep Vitali at a distance, but also because Vitali's newly accepted feelings toward Quinn led to him not allowing Quinn to do his job. Kind of hard to let someone be your bodyguard when you're suddenly more concerned with their safety than your own. I love how Rina Saint writes characters who seem to deeply know and understand one another. There were a lot of good moments where they instinctively knew what the other needed - like when they needed space and when they should be pushed. And I did like their banter. I loved how Vitali tried to romance Quinn. I did, however, have mixed feelings about the sex. I think most of the issues stemmed from Quinn being a masochist coupled with some feelings of self loathing which make for a dangerous combination. He refused to engage in safe sexual practice (tried to refuse a safe word, refused to accept aftercare) and, while I understand that was important in showing where the character was at, it made things uncomfy for me. I loved in Possession how sex was used as a way to reflect the emotional intimacy between Roman and Lucas - how they trusted/understood each other and their needs. I know that's what was happening here (showing the progression of their relationship using sex) but it was still uncomfy for a while. To be fair, after the first half, I did enjoy it - they did discuss things and moved into a more healthy dynamic.

The background plot was decent but the ending resolution felt super rushed. Didn't care though because that's not what I was here for anyway. I loved seeing all of the family interactions - I wished there were more. I would have loved to see more of Quinn and Lucas's relationship as well as Quinn and Sasha's (and maybe just more of Sasha all together). I also think there 100% absolutely should have been more resolution between Vitali and Roman. Vitali had a lot of feelings about Roman, and Quinn had good insight but there was never a conversation between Vitali and Roman and that was a real disappointment. I know that it'll take time for Vitali to accept that he can't "fix" Roman and that he doesn't need to hold on to his guilt but there still needed to be a conversation where he acknowledges that to Roman and promises to work on it going forward. I did appreciate the glimpses we got of Roman and Lucas though. I'm still wishing she would write a follow up novella or even a short story - I just miss them and want more of them.

All in all this was a solid story for me and I will continue to look forward to Rina Saint's work.

Nicknames: baby (a couple times)

Sometimes when I’m alone, I wonder if my obsession with him is self-sabotage or some shit. Like, as long as I’m in love with Vitali, I’m totally immune to harm because nothing can come of it. But that explanation falls apart as soon as I’m in his presence—because nothing hurts like being around him. And yet, it’s the only place I want to be.

I bring my face close to his and let my lips graze his jaw as I repeat, “If I kissed you now, would you want it?” “Yes,” he confesses.

Habit is funny like that. You do what you always do. Lock a door. Lie. Kill people. Bury your love deep inside yourself so you can survive the pain of it.

I started to—” He breaks off. “Fuck.” He covers his face with one hand. “You started to what?” I ask when he doesn’t go on. He’s silent for a long time, but I think he’s trying, so I wait. “Want things,” he finally says. “Things I’d worked really hard to not let myself want.”

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Safety (may contain spoilers)

SA/rape: None

Other person drama: None but a past lover of Quinn's features in the plot.

[Caroline Forrester · Rating 2 out of 5]

1.5 ⭐️

🔫 Mafia (Dark) Romance
🧑‍🍳 Mafia Leader/Body Guard
🔫 D/s Dynamics
🧑‍🍳 Black Cat/Kinda Golden Retriver
🔫 Grumpy/Grumpier

🖤 No third act breakup
🩶 No OM Drama
🤍 Strict Roles

I hate rating a book so low. I try to read reviews ahead of picking up a book so the odds I’m choosing a book I’ll enjoy are better. This normally means I rarely read something less than three stars for me. I thought I would enjoy this, especially after liking the first one, but alas…

Frankly, this book felt like a mess to me. The biggest issue was the sheer amount of typos I found. I try to give grace because it’s hard to catch everything… BUT that normally extends to a couple. Maybe five if the book was long. In this book I found over 25 and the story is only about 200 pages. They’re mostly simple misspelled words where you can tell a finger slipped on the keyboard, but to have this many, it makes me think there wasn’t even an editor.

The mafia aspect of the story was also confusing and everything easily resolved. It felt like a weaker plot because of it. I also felt like there was a lot left unresolved (conversations about trauma, Vitali and Roman having a conversation, etc) and ultimately I think the story was too short to properly address darker/deeper/more important topics.

Lastly, I really feel this needed trigger warnings. I know that it’s not required of authors, but it would have gone a long way, especially considering the relationship dynamic. It’s clear they had a D/s dynamic but it was not a healthy portrayal of that kind of relationship. There weren’t healthy discusses of boundaries. Vitali demands a safe word and then a few pages later proceeds to INGORE IT! How is that okay? It’s also not addressed after and while I’m not triggered by this content, a lot of people might be and it was uncomfortable. It’s nice for the author to lay that out ahead of time and it also gives them the chance to say they don’t support/recommend disrespecting safe words or things of that nature if they’d like to make that clear. Maybe that’s just my personal preference, though.

Ultimately, it feels like this book could have gone through more story boarding and editing ahead of its release.

[Liseth · Rating 1 out of 5]

Meh. Too insta, too fast. i gotta say the writing is passable given the MM genre standards though

[haletostilinski · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ 3.5 stars rounded up ⭐️

Overall a good second installment in this series (and my second read of this author overall.)

In my opinion, this was just a tad too short. I think Vitali and Quinn needed a bit more room to breathe once they settled into coupledom for the ending to feel complete to me.

Obviously there's still plot threads left open for future books in the series, and that's fine, but relationship wise it felt a bit left open too, not fully into HEA territory. Still a solid HFN, but still.

While Vitali (which sounds like such a last name instead of a first that Quinn saying that all the time felt a bit...weird? Or not weird per se, but a bit off idk) and Quinn had pretty good chemistry overall, and I enjoyed a good portion of their interactions, and there was definite passion between them - oh man did I love when they got especially rough during sex but then slowed it down too - but Quinn himself was a bit of a roadblock in my giving this 4 stars and above.

Now I understood Quinn's character, I did. He's been through a LOT, and has trauma up the wazoo, and has never felt true, real love and doesn't know how to handle it when he gets it with Vitali.

But...goddamn he could be frustrating as fuck. It was always one step forward, two steps back with him. Or not even one step forward, but like an infinitesimal step forward and ten steps back. Like...it got a bit...annoying, frustrating, tiring?

Like, sorry, he was an asshole to Vitali about it all too. And he knew it and yet didn't really...do much about it? Didn't really apologize...ever? Like there's someone going through shit and having understanding for it and then someone...not taking responsibility for their actions? Like again, I liked Quinn a lot, overall, but he frustrated me at times too. Vitali let him get away with too much, even as he did get angry sometimes.

Also the big reveal with Quinn...I mean in some ways I'm glad that it didn't blow up like it usually would, but in some ways it didn't make much sense, the way Vitali reacted, or his recovery to finding it all out.

It was just too easily wrapped up and Quinn got away with some pretty big shit? Like of course we know that Quinn fell in love with Vitali and so couldn't go through with killing him, like I get that, but he...was working for the enemy? He slept with Alesso??? I know it was before he ever met Vitali, but it shouldn't matter? He was WORKING for them? I feel like it's not just something you get over? Even though it was clear Quinn had dropped that shit and his loyalty very much lied with Vitali..

But idk after several instances of Quinn being kind of a total asshole to Vitali, that was the biggest thing and it all just kinda was revealed and then...oh well?

I get that Quinn needed love, he needed someone on his side and needed to learn to accept love and it being shown to him by Vitali was bit, but...idk, it bugged me.

This is why I felt this needed to be longer, to let it breathe. Like maybe we could have gotten a before flashback too, to Quinn starting out, to see why he fell in love with Vitali, to get that initial connection, so that all would have landed much better too, and wouldn't have felt like something kinda...glossed over?

And yeah, for a man in love with Vitali, Quinn really really sucked at showing it a lot of the time. While I partially understood that too, I was like...wait, who was the one in love with who for 2 years? Vitale, after realizing his attraction and feelings, was all in basically, and he was not good at hiding his want and desire. Quinn...was the opposite a lot of the time.

So it took away from my enjoyment of this one compared to the first book. Like Lucas and Roman were both SO into each other and they showed it and the possessiveness was *chefs kiss* and they just clicked on all cylinders from the start.

These two...not so much? And that was basically all because of Quinn. His fears and trauma response are all understandable, but...doesn't make him any less frustrating, got to say. And he rarely even internally gushed about Vitali much less outwardly so it was hard to tell that he was head over heels for the guy.

I needed more from him a lot of the time. He started to show it toward the end, but...man definitely needs a lot of help, a lot of work on himself and it felt like the book barely scratched the surface before it was just over, so...yeah.

This one just fell short of the mark a bit. Overall still good, with good chemistry and firey passion. It just missed the mark, mainly with Quinn, as well.

Hopefully the next book in this series picks back up to be like the first, even though I have no idea who it'll be about - unless it's Quinn and Vitali and we dive deeper into their relationship, maybe? Because they could use it, tbh. And it'd make me feel a bit better about this book if their story/relationship could be continued and strengthened in another book.

Until the next one!

My Ratings for the Constantine Brothers Series:

✨ Possession: 4.75 stars ( my review)
✨ Confession: 3.5 stars

[BookGeek1987 · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve read Possession and loved it. I’m a massive fan of obsessive/possessive/codependency. Plus throwing in a mafia setting - the second half - meant I was a very happy camper.

I on purposely went into this book keeping my love for the first book separate. I did not expect the same level of intensity. So if you want a carbon copy of Possession then please note you do not get that here.

What you do get is a common ‘gay for you’ (Vitali) concept combined with a pining bodyguard (Quinn). What I did like is we got a lot of thought process from Vitali, it wasn’t just like ‘oh I’m going to sex Quinn up now as I love him’ but he considered his feelings carefully. We did get jealously around Quinn whilst he was trying to work out his feelings which was a nice addition on the possessive front. Quinn had a semi tragic backstory but we got minimal info on this. I would have liked more background or just understanding of his depression, it did feel superficial.

The sex was uncomfortable for me. I’m not a fan of under-negotiated kink, and I was not a happy bunny at all when a safe word is used and ignored as ‘you don’t mean it’. Like, no, it’s a safe word, they’re sacrosanct. Plus if you d/s during sex you 100% don’t go full on d/s when you’re angry/looking to punish, then leave the poor sub with no aftercare in a semi comatose state. So, yeah, I was not happy. Plus, there was kinda an apology but not?

As to the plot, we did get a good couple of little twists that I really did not see coming. I really enjoyed the plot side of this with the rival mafia. It was just the relationship that let it down massively.

For me this is 3 stars, I enjoyed the plot and our cameos from Roman and Lucas. But the relationship was very meh from me and the sex issues mentioned just gave me the ick.

I received this as an ARC from gayromancereviews.com and this review is completely truthful and honest. I would have read this anyway without receiving it as an ARC as I like the author.

[peoniesandmm · Rating 5 out of 5]

!!!quinn & vitali!!!

not sure if it’s a 4.5 or 5 star rating! however, amazing per usual & the smut is hot af 🤏🏽🤏🏽 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️🤪🤪

would have loved a little more possessive vibes, but that’s just my personal preference. loved this story and these boys together sooooooo much.

[Thush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5 stars