What do you think?
Rate this book
Made in Love and Blood
Francesca Gallo grew up surrounded by violence no one names. In her world, love comes at a cost.
Salvatore Gallo never wanted to be a made man, but what one wants and what they must do are rarely the same thing. So, he made a deal with the devil that left him paying for decades—one tragedy after another.
Nico Russo's entire personality has been shaped by surviving one moment to the next. With a father who would rather he bleed than breathe, finding a way to make it through the day is business as usual.
A lie told a decade ago changed all their lives forever.
Made in Love and Blood opens a dark contemporary crime-family saga about inherited violence, what love and loyalty mean, and the terrifying truth of being fully known. Nothing stays buried forever.
Salvatore Gallo never wanted to be a made man, but what one wants and what they must do are rarely the same thing. So, he made a deal with the devil that left him paying for decades—one tragedy after another.
Nico Russo's entire personality has been shaped by surviving one moment to the next. With a father who would rather he bleed than breathe, finding a way to make it through the day is business as usual.
A lie told a decade ago changed all their lives forever.
Made in Love and Blood opens a dark contemporary crime-family saga about inherited violence, what love and loyalty mean, and the terrifying truth of being fully known. Nothing stays buried forever.
- GenresDark RomanceRomance
530 pages, ebook
Published September 10, 2026
About the author
Bethany-Kris
110 books4,261 followersThe author of too many novels to count, Bethany-Kris is a Canadian, lover of much, and mother to four sons, a glaring of cats, and a pack of dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, a snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a spouse calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something ... when she can find the time.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews
Read
September 12, 2026Now Live!
Read the Blog Post.
Or download your Free copy direct from BK.
Made in Love in Blood is intended to be FREE everywhere. And it should be, now. If you were a reader who preordered a copy, please return it and don't feel bad to get your copy at no cost.
Happy reading. xo
Read the Blog Post.
Or download your Free copy direct from BK.
Made in Love in Blood is intended to be FREE everywhere. And it should be, now. If you were a reader who preordered a copy, please return it and don't feel bad to get your copy at no cost.
Happy reading. xo
Read
August 30, 2026A solid start to a series but I go where marriage in crisis and age gap goes. Sal and Carinas dynamic stole the show for me. A former supermodel with substance abuse issues and an eating disorder forced to marry the older consigliere who’s a single dad and a pill popper? Paid In Love and Blood will be seeing me.
September 12, 2026
***arc provided by the author in exchange of an honest review***
It’s been a long time since I’ve read BL books. Like her other works this was also a quite interesting storyline. The characters were well written and in my opinion I feel Sal and Carina had great chemistry and I definitely want to read their back story. Cannot wait to meet the other new characters in the rest of the series.
It’s been a long time since I’ve read BL books. Like her other works this was also a quite interesting storyline. The characters were well written and in my opinion I feel Sal and Carina had great chemistry and I definitely want to read their back story. Cannot wait to meet the other new characters in the rest of the series.
September 2, 2026
Review of advance copy received from Author
4/5 Stars
Sorry not sorry that my review is long. I don't believe in short form content.
Bethany-Kris was my first foray into the mafia romance. The Donati Bloodlines Trilogy, Chicago War SeriesandSeasons of Betrayal Seriesremain some of the best mafia romance novels that I have read. Her other works such as the Songs of the Hunted (sometimes known as The Huntedwere equally thrilling.Needless to say, I was devastated when Bethany-Kris stepped away from writing. Don’t get me wrong, there are other mafia romance books/writers that I adore (e.g. - The Maddest Obsession by Danielle Lori or the Underboss Insurrection Series by Cate C. Wells). Yet, as that saying goes, there is something about your first love… So, when I found that Bethany-Kris was returning to write a mafia romance I was beyond thrilled. When she offered me the opportunity to read Made in Love and Blood before its publication date, you best believe I said yes as soon as I could.
In Made in Love and Blood, we are introduced to the Gallo family. The patriarch Salvatore “Sal” Gallo is forced to balance what it means to be a good father, a made man, and his relationship with his much younger second-wife, Carina. Then you have Sal’s teenage daughter Francesca “Frankie” Gallo who is born into the mafia life, yet is incredibly sheltered and almost naive to it. The far from picture perfect family is dealt a dramatic blow when Sal is asked to care for Nico Russo, the boss’ trouble-making son. This puts Frankie and Nico in each other's orbit, a thing that they haven’t been in since they were children and forced apart due to something that Nico didn’t do. Through this, Bethany-Kris establishes the start to what I can only presume is going to be a complex family saga.
The book is unlike Bethany-Kris’ other work. It certainly feels more mature, dealing with more serious themes and heavier topics. It is also such an insight into how Bethany-Kris has grown as a writer, as she tackles writing in the genre that made her famous in a different way. While the book is set in the mafia world, and Bethany-Kris is most known for her romance, this book seems so much more than just another mafia romance. Instead the book unfolds slowly, allowing elements of the mafia world, violence, and romance to sit on the back burner, as we watch the family drama and personal dynamics slowly simmer into being.
This decision allows for audiences to witness the best of Bethany-Kris’ writing flourish. This is exemplified through Carina, a character that seems to be becoming a fan favourite. Carina starts out cruel and almost unforgivable (Bethany-Kris’ words not mine). Yet, as the book continues Bethany-Kris is able to write her in such a way that had me continuously second guessing my opinion on Sal’s young wife and her relationship with other characters. Through Sal, Nico, and Frankie’s perspectives we are able to see Carina as such a complicated and nuanced female character. One that is both almost unforgivable due to the violence she spews to others, yet completely unforgettable due to her choices, past, and relationship with other characters. The way Carina in these relationships is both so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The way that the book balances both realities, allows for Carina to become a fan favourite overnight.
But the best of Carina can be seen through her relationship with her husband Sal. Their marriage is fraught with complications due to their significant age gap, personal problems (substance abuse, eating disorders, and affairs), and differing priorities. Yet, even with all of these in mind Sal and Carina had me kicking my legs and giggling. They were definitely the best relationship in this book (if we ignore Sissy and Larkin of course). I would go to the extent to say that Carina and Sal are the best relationship that Bethany-Kris has written, but Calisto and Emma exist… What can I say, I am a Calisto and Emma truther above all. Carina and Sal’s relationship is so toxic and filled with pain, love, and everything in between and oh my days, I love it.
While the slow burn of the book allowed the story to slowly and beautifully explore these relationships, it also became a point of contention for me. The book at times seemed to lack the action packed drama that marked her other books, making it drag a bit (until Carina and Sal were on page again, that is). This was not at all helped by the fact Nico and Frankie’s developing relationship was one that I was not a huge fan of. Nothing against them as characters, but I feel like age is catching up to me, and young love does not intrigue me as much as it once did. I am sure that there are other fans of Bethany’s writing who would simply adore these characters and their love story… But it was not my cuppa. Which leads me to the final chapters of the book. The events that transpired between Nico and Frankie helped to establish the events in the next couple of books of the series. However, the events and the particular trope between Nico and Frankie were not my cup of tea. Again, I understand why this is important to future events in the series, why discussing these social issues is important, and how it might reflect actual sensibilities in mafia culture. However, I simply do not care for this trope. It’s me, not you.
That being said, I am so excited for the rest of this family saga that Bethany-Kris is creating. Personally, I am dying to read book five, Paid in Love and Blood, just because the older generation have me in a chokehold. However, I am intrigued as Made in Love and Blood includes a sneak peak into Darling, Dove. I have a feeling that while Nico and Frankie did not call to me in Made in Love and Blood, we will be seeing their relationship develop in a completely different stage in their life, which could be incredibly fun.
Especially, if you have seen the “The end is near…” blog post. LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN “This is SO MUCH WORSE THAN A LOVE TRIANGLE” BETHANY?!
Until next time. Be safe, and use protection.
4/5 Stars
Bethany-Kris was my first foray into the mafia romance. The Donati Bloodlines Trilogy, Chicago War SeriesandSeasons of Betrayal Seriesremain some of the best mafia romance novels that I have read. Her other works such as the Songs of the Hunted (sometimes known as The Huntedwere equally thrilling.Needless to say, I was devastated when Bethany-Kris stepped away from writing. Don’t get me wrong, there are other mafia romance books/writers that I adore (e.g. - The Maddest Obsession by Danielle Lori or the Underboss Insurrection Series by Cate C. Wells). Yet, as that saying goes, there is something about your first love… So, when I found that Bethany-Kris was returning to write a mafia romance I was beyond thrilled. When she offered me the opportunity to read Made in Love and Blood before its publication date, you best believe I said yes as soon as I could.
In Made in Love and Blood, we are introduced to the Gallo family. The patriarch Salvatore “Sal” Gallo is forced to balance what it means to be a good father, a made man, and his relationship with his much younger second-wife, Carina. Then you have Sal’s teenage daughter Francesca “Frankie” Gallo who is born into the mafia life, yet is incredibly sheltered and almost naive to it. The far from picture perfect family is dealt a dramatic blow when Sal is asked to care for Nico Russo, the boss’ trouble-making son. This puts Frankie and Nico in each other's orbit, a thing that they haven’t been in since they were children and forced apart due to something that Nico didn’t do. Through this, Bethany-Kris establishes the start to what I can only presume is going to be a complex family saga.
The book is unlike Bethany-Kris’ other work. It certainly feels more mature, dealing with more serious themes and heavier topics. It is also such an insight into how Bethany-Kris has grown as a writer, as she tackles writing in the genre that made her famous in a different way. While the book is set in the mafia world, and Bethany-Kris is most known for her romance, this book seems so much more than just another mafia romance. Instead the book unfolds slowly, allowing elements of the mafia world, violence, and romance to sit on the back burner, as we watch the family drama and personal dynamics slowly simmer into being.
This decision allows for audiences to witness the best of Bethany-Kris’ writing flourish. This is exemplified through Carina, a character that seems to be becoming a fan favourite. Carina starts out cruel and almost unforgivable (Bethany-Kris’ words not mine). Yet, as the book continues Bethany-Kris is able to write her in such a way that had me continuously second guessing my opinion on Sal’s young wife and her relationship with other characters. Through Sal, Nico, and Frankie’s perspectives we are able to see Carina as such a complicated and nuanced female character. One that is both almost unforgivable due to the violence she spews to others, yet completely unforgettable due to her choices, past, and relationship with other characters. The way Carina in these relationships is both so heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The way that the book balances both realities, allows for Carina to become a fan favourite overnight.
But the best of Carina can be seen through her relationship with her husband Sal. Their marriage is fraught with complications due to their significant age gap, personal problems (substance abuse, eating disorders, and affairs), and differing priorities. Yet, even with all of these in mind Sal and Carina had me kicking my legs and giggling. They were definitely the best relationship in this book (if we ignore Sissy and Larkin of course). I would go to the extent to say that Carina and Sal are the best relationship that Bethany-Kris has written, but Calisto and Emma exist… What can I say, I am a Calisto and Emma truther above all. Carina and Sal’s relationship is so toxic and filled with pain, love, and everything in between and oh my days, I love it.
While the slow burn of the book allowed the story to slowly and beautifully explore these relationships, it also became a point of contention for me. The book at times seemed to lack the action packed drama that marked her other books, making it drag a bit (until Carina and Sal were on page again, that is). This was not at all helped by the fact Nico and Frankie’s developing relationship was one that I was not a huge fan of. Nothing against them as characters, but I feel like age is catching up to me, and young love does not intrigue me as much as it once did. I am sure that there are other fans of Bethany’s writing who would simply adore these characters and their love story… But it was not my cuppa. Which leads me to the final chapters of the book. The events that transpired between Nico and Frankie helped to establish the events in the next couple of books of the series. However, the events and the particular trope between Nico and Frankie were not my cup of tea. Again, I understand why this is important to future events in the series, why discussing these social issues is important, and how it might reflect actual sensibilities in mafia culture. However, I simply do not care for this trope. It’s me, not you.
That being said, I am so excited for the rest of this family saga that Bethany-Kris is creating. Personally, I am dying to read book five, Paid in Love and Blood, just because the older generation have me in a chokehold. However, I am intrigued as Made in Love and Blood includes a sneak peak into Darling, Dove. I have a feeling that while Nico and Frankie did not call to me in Made in Love and Blood, we will be seeing their relationship develop in a completely different stage in their life, which could be incredibly fun.
Especially, if you have seen the “The end is near…” blog post. LIKE WHAT DO YOU MEAN “This is SO MUCH WORSE THAN A LOVE TRIANGLE” BETHANY?!
Until next time. Be safe, and use protection.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Thank you so much Bethany for this arc!
4.25★
Oh my goodness, where do I even begin? I recently discovered Bethany-Kris and her incredible backlog of thrilling mafia books, and I wholeheartedly believe she just does it best. So receiving this ARC had me ecstatic—and for good reason. I was promised a compelling introduction to a multi-generational mafia series, and that is exactly what I got!
We’re introduced to the Gallo and Russo families through three POVs: Salvatore Gallo, Francesca “Frankie” Gallo, and Nico Russo. Sal is navigating his responsibilities as a father, husband, and consigliere for the famiglia, while Frankie faces looming adulthood and Nico struggles with being the boss’s troubled second son, all while the latter two become increasingly intertwined.
Bethany is at her best when balancing romance and mafia politics, but Born in Love and Blood takes a slower, refreshing approach. Rather than diving straight into the action, she carefully builds the characters, conflicts, and relationships that will eventually unfold across this six-book saga which was essential as this book deals with complex themes and heavy topics as will the following books. And the exploration of different relationship dynamics??? Insanely complex. Sal & Frankie, Sal & Nico, Frankie & Nico, Sal & Carina, Carina & Frankie, I could go on. But my absolute favorite was easily SalCarina and that’s not to say it was even the best which is insane to me.
Carina was probably the most polarizing character in this book. Initially, I saw her as cruel and almost irredeemable, but through the different POVs, she became so much more nuanced. I especially loved that her actions were never excused; instead, we were given the context to understand her. She’s incredibly flawed and complicated, yet somehow she broke my heart and stole it at the same time.
And SALCARINA. Oh, how I loved them. Imagine my shock finding out they almost weren’t canon?! Surprising to absolutely no one, I hear marriage in crisis and I’m there, so of course I loved them. Their marriage is messy, toxic, complicated, heartbreaking, and somehow still so heartwarming. I started this book thinking Carina didn’t deserve Sal (a CRIME, I know) and ended it thinking Sal needs to prove every day that he deserves HER. They had me giggling, screaming, crying, and experiencing every emotion under the sun. Easily my favorite Bethany couple and we’ve just scratched the surface. I’ve already gone back to reread their chapters because they truly made this book for me.
Frankie and Nico gave us a younger romance that contrasted perfectly with SalCarina’s more mature one. I naturally gravitate toward mature couples, but I loved the different energy their young love brought, especially with how much they’re already dealing with individually and together. They were messier in a wilder way. I’m so ready to see them again when they’re older and maybe wiser… although “wiser” might be debatable.
All in all, I loved this with my whole heart. It gave me everything I was promised and left me completely obsessed with these characters. As the beginning of a six-book, multi-generational saga, it did exactly what it needed to do, and I cannot wait for what comes next. I am literally on my hands and knees waiting because the snippets I’ve seen… it’s about to be a whole other level of stressful!
4.25★
Oh my goodness, where do I even begin? I recently discovered Bethany-Kris and her incredible backlog of thrilling mafia books, and I wholeheartedly believe she just does it best. So receiving this ARC had me ecstatic—and for good reason. I was promised a compelling introduction to a multi-generational mafia series, and that is exactly what I got!
We’re introduced to the Gallo and Russo families through three POVs: Salvatore Gallo, Francesca “Frankie” Gallo, and Nico Russo. Sal is navigating his responsibilities as a father, husband, and consigliere for the famiglia, while Frankie faces looming adulthood and Nico struggles with being the boss’s troubled second son, all while the latter two become increasingly intertwined.
Bethany is at her best when balancing romance and mafia politics, but Born in Love and Blood takes a slower, refreshing approach. Rather than diving straight into the action, she carefully builds the characters, conflicts, and relationships that will eventually unfold across this six-book saga which was essential as this book deals with complex themes and heavy topics as will the following books. And the exploration of different relationship dynamics??? Insanely complex. Sal & Frankie, Sal & Nico, Frankie & Nico, Sal & Carina, Carina & Frankie, I could go on. But my absolute favorite was easily SalCarina and that’s not to say it was even the best which is insane to me.
Carina was probably the most polarizing character in this book. Initially, I saw her as cruel and almost irredeemable, but through the different POVs, she became so much more nuanced. I especially loved that her actions were never excused; instead, we were given the context to understand her. She’s incredibly flawed and complicated, yet somehow she broke my heart and stole it at the same time.
And SALCARINA. Oh, how I loved them. Imagine my shock finding out they almost weren’t canon?! Surprising to absolutely no one, I hear marriage in crisis and I’m there, so of course I loved them. Their marriage is messy, toxic, complicated, heartbreaking, and somehow still so heartwarming. I started this book thinking Carina didn’t deserve Sal (a CRIME, I know) and ended it thinking Sal needs to prove every day that he deserves HER. They had me giggling, screaming, crying, and experiencing every emotion under the sun. Easily my favorite Bethany couple and we’ve just scratched the surface. I’ve already gone back to reread their chapters because they truly made this book for me.
Frankie and Nico gave us a younger romance that contrasted perfectly with SalCarina’s more mature one. I naturally gravitate toward mature couples, but I loved the different energy their young love brought, especially with how much they’re already dealing with individually and together. They were messier in a wilder way. I’m so ready to see them again when they’re older and maybe wiser… although “wiser” might be debatable.
All in all, I loved this with my whole heart. It gave me everything I was promised and left me completely obsessed with these characters. As the beginning of a six-book, multi-generational saga, it did exactly what it needed to do, and I cannot wait for what comes next. I am literally on my hands and knees waiting because the snippets I’ve seen… it’s about to be a whole other level of stressful!
Review of advance copy received from Author
I've always loved bethany kris books, because of how well the romance would be done amid the tense, serious and definitely fatal plot, which adds a thrill to it. its why her chicago series is my favourite, i think it's the pinnacle of everything i like and best of bethany kris! so when I saw her coming back, I was ELATED, and even more so when I found out she's coming back an multi generational mafia series which is everything I love.
this book has a pretty interesting choice from the let go, we follow three povs— sal, nico and frankie. sal is the father of frankie, and nico is the love interest of frankie. so she connects them, but sal and nico are also connected in different ways, I won't get into spoilers and take out the fun lol there are so many interpersonal relationships to keep an eye out on aside from nicofrankie as romance. we have a romantic subplot of sal with his wife, carina, who is my favourite character of them all by the end, which I didn't think she would be at the beginning! we have salnico, carinafrankie, and other relationships I won't be able to get into without spoiling again, so basically look at this book like a mafia fiction combined with mafia romance. it does have romance, and it HFN because of it being a series, BUT i would still consider it mafia fiction because of the dynasty of gallos and russos and how it's gonna shape the whole series.
and to my favourite part now, SAL AND CARINA. I hate them, I love them, I want them to separate but I also want them together. I'm not sure I'll ever think sal is deserving of carina, but carina is not hurt by just him out of all the people she has known. so it's..... complicated. that's a word one can use a lot to describe many relationships in this book lol. I love sal and carina nonetheless, i screamed bc of them, i loved bc of them and i hated bc of them. they made me feel so much. the show stealers of the book easily.
I did struggle to love nico and frankie as much as i loved salcarina but I think after the glimpse of 2nd book, I'll love them more next👀 and I'm respectfully waiting for the messy shit in 2nd book and the sapphic romance and especially MY DOVE. MY DEAR DOVE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ALREADY YOU'RE THE BEST CHILD MY PARENTS CAN HAVE MWAH. yeah safe to say I'll be so much more intrigued to read 2nd book bc of dove ☺️💗 my darling girl that love her best friend fi ☺️💗
overall, this was dark, painful, shocking, daring and heartfully messy. definitely check the trigger warnings before reading! I'd say it's pretty heavy.
thank you so much to bethany for the arc!
this book has a pretty interesting choice from the let go, we follow three povs— sal, nico and frankie. sal is the father of frankie, and nico is the love interest of frankie. so she connects them, but sal and nico are also connected in different ways, I won't get into spoilers and take out the fun lol there are so many interpersonal relationships to keep an eye out on aside from nicofrankie as romance. we have a romantic subplot of sal with his wife, carina, who is my favourite character of them all by the end, which I didn't think she would be at the beginning! we have salnico, carinafrankie, and other relationships I won't be able to get into without spoiling again, so basically look at this book like a mafia fiction combined with mafia romance. it does have romance, and it HFN because of it being a series, BUT i would still consider it mafia fiction because of the dynasty of gallos and russos and how it's gonna shape the whole series.
and to my favourite part now, SAL AND CARINA. I hate them, I love them, I want them to separate but I also want them together. I'm not sure I'll ever think sal is deserving of carina, but carina is not hurt by just him out of all the people she has known. so it's..... complicated. that's a word one can use a lot to describe many relationships in this book lol. I love sal and carina nonetheless, i screamed bc of them, i loved bc of them and i hated bc of them. they made me feel so much. the show stealers of the book easily.
I did struggle to love nico and frankie as much as i loved salcarina but I think after the glimpse of 2nd book, I'll love them more next👀 and I'm respectfully waiting for the messy shit in 2nd book and the sapphic romance and especially MY DOVE. MY DEAR DOVE I LOVE YOU SO MUCH ALREADY YOU'RE THE BEST CHILD MY PARENTS CAN HAVE MWAH. yeah safe to say I'll be so much more intrigued to read 2nd book bc of dove ☺️💗 my darling girl that love her best friend fi ☺️💗
overall, this was dark, painful, shocking, daring and heartfully messy. definitely check the trigger warnings before reading! I'd say it's pretty heavy.
thank you so much to bethany for the arc!
Review of advance copy received from Author
Ahhhhhh!!!!! BK IS BACKKKKKKKK, and this book quickly became one of my favorites from her. Nico and Frankie were everythingggg. There were both such complex characters, with so many things that made them come together and threatened to tear them apart. From the prologue, I knew that this book would be full of complicated relationships that would not easily be remedied. Both between Frankie and Nico, and Sal and Carina. I couldn’t have imagined the secrets that would come to light. The traumas behind so many of the things each of them do. Or the love that was there, even if it had to be dug from the dirt some.
Especially with Frankie and Nico, who, on the surface, have it all. But the things they had to sacrifice and the things they’ve had to suffer to have it made them into people who had jagged edges that sometimes cut each other when the other got too close.
The tension was high, and so was the romance. The arguments were fierce, and so was the love. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Quickly fell in love with Frankie, Nico, and Sal. Slowly fell in love with Carina. And hated HATED Giorgio and Marco.
Especially with Frankie and Nico, who, on the surface, have it all. But the things they had to sacrifice and the things they’ve had to suffer to have it made them into people who had jagged edges that sometimes cut each other when the other got too close.
The tension was high, and so was the romance. The arguments were fierce, and so was the love. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. Quickly fell in love with Frankie, Nico, and Sal. Slowly fell in love with Carina. And hated HATED Giorgio and Marco.
September 11, 2026
Bethany Kris’ comeback is all a girl needs to save this year reading wise.
I have always been a fan of her series and she gave me crosscatty and emmacal so I will always trust her and her writing so I was super excited to get into this book.
It was definitely a great start to a series. It felt different from her usual work: more complex, darker, more mature even. I was intrigued by all the characters we met but I have to say my favorite was Carina. I don’t want to give much away but she stole the show. She’s fascinating and I could help but be drawn to her the most.
And her relationship with Sal got me. I am a sucker for marriage in crisis.
Overall this was great and I appreciated how unique and plot oriented it was. Sadly, now I am left craving book 2 which seems like it will be even better from the little teaser we got. Dove is already my princess!
*arc kindly provided by the author in exchange of an honest review
I have always been a fan of her series and she gave me crosscatty and emmacal so I will always trust her and her writing so I was super excited to get into this book.
It was definitely a great start to a series. It felt different from her usual work: more complex, darker, more mature even. I was intrigued by all the characters we met but I have to say my favorite was Carina. I don’t want to give much away but she stole the show. She’s fascinating and I could help but be drawn to her the most.
And her relationship with Sal got me. I am a sucker for marriage in crisis.
Overall this was great and I appreciated how unique and plot oriented it was. Sadly, now I am left craving book 2 which seems like it will be even better from the little teaser we got. Dove is already my princess!
*arc kindly provided by the author in exchange of an honest review
September 21, 2026
3.5+ Stars
Excited to delve into this new series. A very generous freebie that won’t leave you hanging even though this is just the beginning.
Frankie and Nico made for a good couple and I was keen to see their romance evolve.
I always struggle rating a BK book, as I find myself rating it against her other work. Having read at least 30 of her books, and counting her as one of my favourite authors, I need someway of differentiating between books! So my 3.5+ rating is by no means a negative one and as such I will round it up for Amazon when I post it there.
What I struggled with:
- Gorgio’s unforgivable behaviour and attitude. He was evil personified IMO
- Marco’s behaviour was lower than a snake’s belly
- Salvatore’s backstory
What I loved:
- Carina. She grew on me to the point she became one of my favourites by the end of the book!
- Big Mike and I hope we get to hear more from him in future books!
Excited to delve into this new series. A very generous freebie that won’t leave you hanging even though this is just the beginning.
Frankie and Nico made for a good couple and I was keen to see their romance evolve.
I always struggle rating a BK book, as I find myself rating it against her other work. Having read at least 30 of her books, and counting her as one of my favourite authors, I need someway of differentiating between books! So my 3.5+ rating is by no means a negative one and as such I will round it up for Amazon when I post it there.
What I struggled with:
- Gorgio’s unforgivable behaviour and attitude. He was evil personified IMO
- Marco’s behaviour was lower than a snake’s belly
- Salvatore’s backstory
What I loved:
- Carina. She grew on me to the point she became one of my favourites by the end of the book!
- Big Mike and I hope we get to hear more from him in future books!
September 19, 2026
BK IS BACKKKKKK
it was the comeback i’d been waiting for most, and it really didn’t disappoint it even surprised me. without a doubt salcarina stole the show for me. they were exactly what i wanted to read about that toxic, marriage in crisis dynamic and a huge age gap between a supermodel and a made man? CHEF KISS i can't wait to read the sixth book to learn more about their past.
nico and frankie weren't bad either that young lovers dynamic with a touch of stepcest was wonderful.
it was the comeback i’d been waiting for most, and it really didn’t disappoint it even surprised me. without a doubt salcarina stole the show for me. they were exactly what i wanted to read about that toxic, marriage in crisis dynamic and a huge age gap between a supermodel and a made man? CHEF KISS i can't wait to read the sixth book to learn more about their past.
nico and frankie weren't bad either that young lovers dynamic with a touch of stepcest was wonderful.
Review of advance copy received from Author
i just know im going to love the next book in the series omg🙏ready to see more of sal, carina and the whole family😭
September 10, 2026
5 stars
BK can't do wrong.
Brilliant start can't wait for the next one.
BK can't do wrong.
Brilliant start can't wait for the next one.
Want to Read
August 26, 2026Death to everyone that got this arc instead of me❤️
Displaying 1 - 13 of 13 reviews