Cassandra Oliver, a small town girl with big dreams, left Vermont with nothing but hope for a better future and a job waiting for her as a nanny in Boston. She knew this move would be life changing in so many ways. Having spent her childhood shuttled from one family to another; every decision made for her - Cassie made a promise to herself, that when she was on her own, she would be the one in control and she would allow no one to make her think differently.
“My happiness does not come from how much is in my bank account; it is the arms that hold me at night that make me far richer than anyone I know.”
For Sakis Carras, one of the most powerful, wealthiest and dangerous men on the East Coast, the words spoken by his friend haunted him. His successful business empire, which he started from the ground up, was everything he had worked so hard for and he was living the American Dream. Sakis controlled his empire with no apologies or regrets - until he met Cassandra. Letting her into his life, Sakis realized quickly that he had met his match in every way and he learned the hard way that she could not be so easily controlled.
I grew up in Maine as a ward of the State from the age of five to eighteen. Having been shuttled from foster home to foster home I must confess it wasn't always easy trying to figure life out. My imagination was the place I could go and live and sometimes hide from the real world.
I have been writing poetry and short stories since the age of 8, never really understanding that, even I, could put the stories out there for readers until I was in my forties.
I am just like all of you. I like to read and am a fan of many authors. I struggle with everyday problems and crisis', from financial to relationships, even to somehow getting through the passing of a baby we named Arianna. Like you, I laugh, I cry and I bleed when I am cut.
I am so grateful for every one of you and for taking a chance in reading my books. Whether or not you like my writing, and I hope you do :D, just the simple fact that you did give me that chance means more than you will ever know. "When the world says give up HOPE whispers, 'try it one more time'"
I just picked this book up since I was in the mood for a mob story. I love stories about the poor girl with no family who moves to a new town and captures the eye of a mobster.
Cassie moves to Boston. She visits a pizzeria frequently where she catches the eye of a man Sakis. Sakis is part of the Greek mob. Cassie is innocent and really does not know much about Sakis and his business, but she is not stupid either. She speaks her mind and that is what catches Sakis's eye.
Everything was going good until 48% when I realized how much of a douche the Stakis is. He was inconsiderate and controlling. I frequently wanted her to end up with Stephan instead. All the men in this story are infatuated with Cass for some strange reason. She was a damn doormat. Their pasts were unclear, and would have gone a long way in explaining some actions or their personalities.
In this book you will see Sakis and Cassie meet in the most unconventional way I have ever read and then when Sakis sees Cassie it's admiration for her immediately. Cassie is a strong-will young lady with her own past demons (rape victim) flourish into a hard, kind-hearted,strong and rebellious take no s**t kind of lady, don't you just love her. This book has it all...action, a little bit of mystery and a whole lot of sexy bits.The writing style is fantastic and noticeable that the author is very talented. The dialog really pulls you into the book and makes you feel like you are a part of the storyline. I quickly fell in love with these characters such as Stephan, Emily, and Sean? I really really hope these guys get their own books because it is worthy after their closeness with the H/H. I’m so excited with what else is to come from this amazing author. Keep up the good work and don't get DISTRACTED!!!!
This is actually a re-read but the first time I read this was before I joined Goodreads. I love this book and while Sakis is a bit of a db, I absolutely love Cassie and Stephan.
What a great mafia book, I could not put it down once I started reading it. I absolutely loved Cassie, she is someone I want to be best friends with. If you love mafia books then you should read this.
This is my first book by this author. This is not an interracial romance.
This is Cassandra and Sakis story. Cassandra is a 20 something young innocent leaving her past behind to start a new life. Sakis is a Greek Mafia Boss who is attracted to Cassandra. Even though she is young and innocent she is a strong woman and can hold her own.
Stephan is the enforcer who also loves her and tries to keep her safe whilst not revealing that both he and his boss are in the Mafia.
I really enjoyed every bit of the story. I know it felt like the story was more about Stephan and Cassandra than Sakis but I see them as joined at the hip. Stephan wants to keep his boss and his lady safe because he respects her. He knows there will never be anything between them.
Ok I have mixed feelings about this book. I felt like the hero of this book seemed to have everyone else doing his job for him. Like for instance his friend who happens to be his right hand man is the one who is constantly taking care of the herione in this story. When she is taken, its his right hand man that goes after her and ultimatly kills the guy who took her, where is sikas? Plus we see that both sikas right hand and the atf agent have developed feelings for her but nothing is ever done or said, it just seemed a little unbelievable to me.
A great love story that was uniquely written. I loved how the author relayed the story in a manor that expressed what each character was feeling. Instead of dual or multi point of view. It was narrated in a way the flowed naturally. Cassie was a smart, strong, big hearted young lady with an old soul and Sakis was a genuine, strong, gentleman who balanced just on the wrong side of the law. Their story progressed naturally and never seemed unbelievable. This coupled with some mystery, excitement, and sexy times made this book a complete package.
This was an ok book, I think the story was good but the characters were lacking. Cassandra went from naive farm girl to self assured woman in a blink of an eye. Sakis was hard to get to know. You didn't get to interact with him a lot. Cassie talked more with his bodyguard/right hand man and even the ATF agent more than the man she loved. I think if the interactions between the main love interests would have been more abundant than this would have been a better read.
I picked this up as a freebie and was excited to try a new author and enjoy the mobster theme.
The beginning never grabbed my attention and I started skimming. The stilted dialogue, lack of character development and just a meh feeling is how the book ends for me. Sad but it happens. If another book becomes free by the author I'll check it out and attempt the author again hopefully this was a fluke.
It was a good book and I liked it was my first thoughts when I finished this book. Cassie was great in personality, sakis controlling, Stephan I felt was special and he needs a story along with Derek. Emily and Sean were great also.
*received for free through Goodreads first reads Overall I found this book enjoyable and easy to follow. The characters weren't perfect and the story had a few holes but that didnt detract from my reading experience.
3·5 stars. it was a pretty good book, a little confusing with it jumping to different people's POV. a few spelling errors but that's just minor. I enjoyed the book and the story line. worth the read
It is not my usual genre, but I enjoyed it. I recently met the author and it was fun reading her book. The next one is already in the pile of to-reads. 😀Thanks, Kelly!