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Stripped #4
Hold You Against Me
Once upon a time the daughter of a mafia king fell in love with a foot soldier.
This fairy tale didn’t have a happy ending.
My sister and I barely managed to escape alive, and we’ve lived in relative hiding ever since. I’m safe now, but I can never forget the boy who gave his life to save mine.
Except there’s a chance that he’s still alive. And he’s fighting a war.
Even knowing the risks, I have to find him. I have to find some way to protect him, the way he protected me. But he isn’t the boy I left behind. He’s a violent man. A criminal. And he’s been waiting for me—the final pawn in a dark game of survival and love.
This fairy tale didn’t have a happy ending.
My sister and I barely managed to escape alive, and we’ve lived in relative hiding ever since. I’m safe now, but I can never forget the boy who gave his life to save mine.
Except there’s a chance that he’s still alive. And he’s fighting a war.
Even knowing the risks, I have to find him. I have to find some way to protect him, the way he protected me. But he isn’t the boy I left behind. He’s a violent man. A criminal. And he’s been waiting for me—the final pawn in a dark game of survival and love.
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First published May 31, 2016
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May 26, 2016
༺**Complimentary Copy**༺ Provided by the author
"Skye Warren" in exchange for an honest review..Thank you!!
TITLE: Hold You Against Me
SERIES: (Stripped, #4)
AUTHOR: Skye Warren
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: May 31st, 2016
MY RATING
A Slow burning second chance romance
I was assured by the author that this could be read as a standalone, mafia reads are one of my all time fav weaknesses when it comes to this genre so I am so keen to see what journey she takes me on with this book.
Once upon a time the daughter of a mafia king fell in love with a foot soldier.
HOLD YOU AGAINST ME: We meet this unlikely duo seventeen year old Giovanni and fifteen year old Clara who sneak around the estate at nights to meet up at the pool house.
Giovanni is my secret, a shard of glass buried
so deep in my soul it would kill me to remove it.
Lately though they seem to be getting that much closer, moments when Giovanni is on the verge of reaching out and touching her but then pulls himself back every time.
Until he doesn't, one stolen kiss
On a night when I wanted to be bad,
I experienced my first kiss.
It's the best and bad thing I could have imagined.
Clara's father is a member of a notorious mob, and Gio's father is a foot soldier who guards the security of the grounds.
I was raised to be a mafia princess
someone who shuts her mouth and looks pretty..
Clara and her sister finally escape the confines of there life within the mafia with the help of Gio, leaving him behind.
She's now attending art school living out her dream, dating a student named Shane, in the beginning he made her feel desirable - coveted until he didn't.
We aren't on the run anymore, but in my darkest hours I can't shake the feeling that we should be.
Thinking Gio is dead Clara struggles daily to let go of the memory of the boy she loved, sketch after sketch she draws him by memory, holding onto that last thread of him on paper.
I see him everywhere
He is the memory of a dream when I wake up
He's the man at the street corner, gone the moment I blink.
He's my last regret.
GIOVANNI COSTAS, 18, of Henderson, Nevada,
passed away of unknown causes.
Whatever he did to distract them so that my sister and I could escape cost him his life.
Then out of the blue Clara's world is shaken to it's core, when she awakens up in a limo from a drugged sleep to find a dark familiar figure is sitting in the darkest corner of the limo watching her from the shadows.
He drugged me, this faceless man.
Why did he take me?
It won't be for anything good, that's for sure.
Clara and Gio's long overdue reunion occurs eight years later.
Who are you?"
Have I really changed that much, Bella, that you don't recognise me?"
Gio is nothing like the sweet boy she left behind, the man he is now is dark, his soul is tainted, he's got blood on his hands, he's capable of anything.
“The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he?"
GAH if I wasn't a fan of this authors I am now!! This book was beyond epic, I fell in love with these characters, the anticipation, the grit, the heartbreak this book ticked all my boxes when it comes to the mafia genre.
"Skye Warren" in exchange for an honest review..Thank you!!
TITLE: Hold You Against Me
SERIES: (Stripped, #4)
AUTHOR: Skye Warren
GENRE: Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: May 31st, 2016
MY RATING
A Slow burning second chance romance
I was assured by the author that this could be read as a standalone, mafia reads are one of my all time fav weaknesses when it comes to this genre so I am so keen to see what journey she takes me on with this book.
Once upon a time the daughter of a mafia king fell in love with a foot soldier.
HOLD YOU AGAINST ME: We meet this unlikely duo seventeen year old Giovanni and fifteen year old Clara who sneak around the estate at nights to meet up at the pool house.
Giovanni is my secret, a shard of glass buried
so deep in my soul it would kill me to remove it.
Lately though they seem to be getting that much closer, moments when Giovanni is on the verge of reaching out and touching her but then pulls himself back every time.
Until he doesn't, one stolen kiss
On a night when I wanted to be bad,
I experienced my first kiss.
It's the best and bad thing I could have imagined.
Clara's father is a member of a notorious mob, and Gio's father is a foot soldier who guards the security of the grounds.
I was raised to be a mafia princess
someone who shuts her mouth and looks pretty..
Clara and her sister finally escape the confines of there life within the mafia with the help of Gio, leaving him behind.
She's now attending art school living out her dream, dating a student named Shane, in the beginning he made her feel desirable - coveted until he didn't.
We aren't on the run anymore, but in my darkest hours I can't shake the feeling that we should be.
Thinking Gio is dead Clara struggles daily to let go of the memory of the boy she loved, sketch after sketch she draws him by memory, holding onto that last thread of him on paper.
I see him everywhere
He is the memory of a dream when I wake up
He's the man at the street corner, gone the moment I blink.
He's my last regret.
GIOVANNI COSTAS, 18, of Henderson, Nevada,
passed away of unknown causes.
Whatever he did to distract them so that my sister and I could escape cost him his life.
Then out of the blue Clara's world is shaken to it's core, when she awakens up in a limo from a drugged sleep to find a dark familiar figure is sitting in the darkest corner of the limo watching her from the shadows.
He drugged me, this faceless man.
Why did he take me?
It won't be for anything good, that's for sure.
Clara and Gio's long overdue reunion occurs eight years later.
Who are you?"
Have I really changed that much, Bella, that you don't recognise me?"
Gio is nothing like the sweet boy she left behind, the man he is now is dark, his soul is tainted, he's got blood on his hands, he's capable of anything.
“The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he?"
GAH if I wasn't a fan of this authors I am now!! This book was beyond epic, I fell in love with these characters, the anticipation, the grit, the heartbreak this book ticked all my boxes when it comes to the mafia genre.
May 26, 2016
Fairy tales aren’t for the girls who have a choice. They’re for the girls shoved into corners, trapped in darkness, bent over desks. Places where hope is an act of bravery. Where believing in love is an act of rebellion.
I can distinctly remember my feelings of desolation and confusion when I finished Tough Love, the series prequel, and immediately went in to Love the Way You Lie only to find that it was not more of Clara and Giovanni's story, but the story of her sister, Honor. I loved that book, loved every book in this series, but there's not a couple I've longed to read more of than Clara and Giovanni. My need to see them get their closure, to get ANYTHING after how brutal that prequel was to them, was immense. This entire series has been a delicate balance between brutality and sweet, satisfying romance for every character in every book. At times hard to read, this series has been rife with heartbreak, pain and grief, but I've never been more ready to see a couple get to the other side than this one.
The love he once felt for me, the conflicted desire he feels now. The torture did change him, harden him, but I’m beginning to fall for the man he is now.
I'm drawn to Skye Warren's stories like a moth to a flame. Her beautiful writing style, her captivating storylines that toe the invisible line between sensuality and brutality, between darkness and hope, are both addictive and unforgettable. Hold You Against Me, the story of Giovanni and Clara, has unequivocally been my most anticipated read from this author. I was completely taken by their ill fated romance in the prequel. They were the characters I always hoped to see glimpses of as I read each installment, stories about other interconnected characters, as Warren painstakingly dragged out my anticipation for the conclusion of Clara and Gio's own story. This series unfolded just as it should, beautifully and painfully, the wait difficult for me because I craved their story so desperately. Well, the wait was worth every ounce of my frustration and longing because Giovanni and Clara's story is fantastic. Heartbreaking. Frustrating. Maddening. Sensual. Romantic.
There’s a kind of intimacy in telling the truth, a seduction with every layer and lie fallen away.
This is a story of two young lovers reuniting as strangers after so many years apart. This is a story of the secrets and deceptions that separate them even once they're together again. This is a story of Clara finding everything she ever wanted firmly locked within the life she never wanted to return to. Hold You Against Me was tortuous to read but in such a different way than the other stories in this series. While the previous books were wrought with violence and pain that made for a difficult read, the pain in this story comes by way of emotional torment. I had such a visceral reaction to Giovanni's coldness, his impenetrable stoicism, his stark indifference. It was so hard to wrap my mind around the idea of the boy you once loved being right in front of you yet never more distant. Warren beautifully illustrates this powerful love story of characters separated by time, by violence and fear and death, and now by secrets and a bloody mafia code. Clara's private longing and her inability to move on from the memory of Gio is so profound within these pages, that it makes it so much more heartbreaking when she finds that the boy she lost is gone forever, the man he's become a stranger.
As far as Skye Warren stories go, Hold You Against Me is one is the most romantic I've read. Her stories are always about love at their core, but it's often difficult to feel the simple romanticism of them beneath all of the violence and cruelty and brutality that distorts it. There's an innocence about Clara that never faltered and a softness in Giovanni that reminds us of the boy he once was despite the man he's become. The glimpses of their vulnerabilities threaded through this gritty storyline allowed for a much more emotional, romantic storyline than I ever expected. This second chance mafia romance lived up to everything I hoped for and so much more. This is the story I've been dying for, and it's a story I never expected. Beautifully layered, romantic and sexy, Skye Warren delivers a complex story of fierce loyalty, absolution, and endless love. The writing in this book is as breathtaking as the story is unforgettable. I absolutely loved it.
I can distinctly remember my feelings of desolation and confusion when I finished Tough Love, the series prequel, and immediately went in to Love the Way You Lie only to find that it was not more of Clara and Giovanni's story, but the story of her sister, Honor. I loved that book, loved every book in this series, but there's not a couple I've longed to read more of than Clara and Giovanni. My need to see them get their closure, to get ANYTHING after how brutal that prequel was to them, was immense. This entire series has been a delicate balance between brutality and sweet, satisfying romance for every character in every book. At times hard to read, this series has been rife with heartbreak, pain and grief, but I've never been more ready to see a couple get to the other side than this one.
The love he once felt for me, the conflicted desire he feels now. The torture did change him, harden him, but I’m beginning to fall for the man he is now.
I'm drawn to Skye Warren's stories like a moth to a flame. Her beautiful writing style, her captivating storylines that toe the invisible line between sensuality and brutality, between darkness and hope, are both addictive and unforgettable. Hold You Against Me, the story of Giovanni and Clara, has unequivocally been my most anticipated read from this author. I was completely taken by their ill fated romance in the prequel. They were the characters I always hoped to see glimpses of as I read each installment, stories about other interconnected characters, as Warren painstakingly dragged out my anticipation for the conclusion of Clara and Gio's own story. This series unfolded just as it should, beautifully and painfully, the wait difficult for me because I craved their story so desperately. Well, the wait was worth every ounce of my frustration and longing because Giovanni and Clara's story is fantastic. Heartbreaking. Frustrating. Maddening. Sensual. Romantic.
There’s a kind of intimacy in telling the truth, a seduction with every layer and lie fallen away.
This is a story of two young lovers reuniting as strangers after so many years apart. This is a story of the secrets and deceptions that separate them even once they're together again. This is a story of Clara finding everything she ever wanted firmly locked within the life she never wanted to return to. Hold You Against Me was tortuous to read but in such a different way than the other stories in this series. While the previous books were wrought with violence and pain that made for a difficult read, the pain in this story comes by way of emotional torment. I had such a visceral reaction to Giovanni's coldness, his impenetrable stoicism, his stark indifference. It was so hard to wrap my mind around the idea of the boy you once loved being right in front of you yet never more distant. Warren beautifully illustrates this powerful love story of characters separated by time, by violence and fear and death, and now by secrets and a bloody mafia code. Clara's private longing and her inability to move on from the memory of Gio is so profound within these pages, that it makes it so much more heartbreaking when she finds that the boy she lost is gone forever, the man he's become a stranger.
As far as Skye Warren stories go, Hold You Against Me is one is the most romantic I've read. Her stories are always about love at their core, but it's often difficult to feel the simple romanticism of them beneath all of the violence and cruelty and brutality that distorts it. There's an innocence about Clara that never faltered and a softness in Giovanni that reminds us of the boy he once was despite the man he's become. The glimpses of their vulnerabilities threaded through this gritty storyline allowed for a much more emotional, romantic storyline than I ever expected. This second chance mafia romance lived up to everything I hoped for and so much more. This is the story I've been dying for, and it's a story I never expected. Beautifully layered, romantic and sexy, Skye Warren delivers a complex story of fierce loyalty, absolution, and endless love. The writing in this book is as breathtaking as the story is unforgettable. I absolutely loved it.
June 9, 2016
I had been waiting for Giovanni and Clara's story ever since reading 'Tough Love'. With each new book in the series, I hoped that it would be their story. Talk about leaving me hanging! Finally, I got the story I've craved since the very beginning!
For those that had forgotten, or didn't read 'Tough Love', the prequel novella was provided at the beginning of the book. At first, I panicked, thinking that the original novella had just been retired and I wasn't getting the story I'd waited for after all. Once I got ahold of myself and skipped forward, I found exactly what I've been waiting for all this time.
Clara is attending art college, dating a total douchebag and trying to maintain her cover. She is still haunted by Giovanni's memory, but believes him dead. Honestly, her life was pretty depressing. The only things keeping her going was her love for her sister and best friend and a stray dog that she was trying to warm up to. Like I said, depressing.
Giovanni has spent years climbing his way to the top of the Mafia hierarchy. As unlikely as it may be, he has gone from being tortured in the basement to ruling the city. He is now the Las Vegas Capo and he still wants Clara.
After being drugged, Clara wakes up in the back of a limo to find that Gio is still alive. Her relief is soon overshadowed by the realization that he is not the same boy that she loved years ago. This Gio is colder, harder and more reminiscent of her cruel father than the boy she remembered. The old Gio may be alive, but he's also dead.
Tables have turned and the boy who helped her escape this life is now the one to drag her back to it. He plans to marry her, irregardless of whether or not she consents. He needs her name to cement his position as Mafia royalty. Once again, she finds herself a prisoner in her home.
I loved seeing these two come together again. Despite being angry at Gio, I knew they would find each other again. I couldn't imagine that these two would ever be complete without each other. Yes, he was overbearing, manipulative and callous at times. Given what he'd been through, it wasn't surprising though. Regardless, I still loved him!
If you've followed this series, or even if you haven't, this is a great love story. Two young lovers separated, only to be reunited years later and much changed. Great love story. Classic storyline.
Gio and Clara are still my favorite couple from this series. My only gripe is that some of the events toward the end seemed a little rushed. After all the build-up and anticipation, it felt a little anti-climactic to have things just work out perfectly in such a brief period.
Overall, I thought this was great addition to the series and a fantastic conclusion to Gio and Clara's story. I was so glad to finally get the closure that I've craved for these two. Everything worked out perfectly in the end.
For those that had forgotten, or didn't read 'Tough Love', the prequel novella was provided at the beginning of the book. At first, I panicked, thinking that the original novella had just been retired and I wasn't getting the story I'd waited for after all. Once I got ahold of myself and skipped forward, I found exactly what I've been waiting for all this time.
Clara is attending art college, dating a total douchebag and trying to maintain her cover. She is still haunted by Giovanni's memory, but believes him dead. Honestly, her life was pretty depressing. The only things keeping her going was her love for her sister and best friend and a stray dog that she was trying to warm up to. Like I said, depressing.
Giovanni has spent years climbing his way to the top of the Mafia hierarchy. As unlikely as it may be, he has gone from being tortured in the basement to ruling the city. He is now the Las Vegas Capo and he still wants Clara.
After being drugged, Clara wakes up in the back of a limo to find that Gio is still alive. Her relief is soon overshadowed by the realization that he is not the same boy that she loved years ago. This Gio is colder, harder and more reminiscent of her cruel father than the boy she remembered. The old Gio may be alive, but he's also dead.
Tables have turned and the boy who helped her escape this life is now the one to drag her back to it. He plans to marry her, irregardless of whether or not she consents. He needs her name to cement his position as Mafia royalty. Once again, she finds herself a prisoner in her home.
I loved seeing these two come together again. Despite being angry at Gio, I knew they would find each other again. I couldn't imagine that these two would ever be complete without each other. Yes, he was overbearing, manipulative and callous at times. Given what he'd been through, it wasn't surprising though. Regardless, I still loved him!
If you've followed this series, or even if you haven't, this is a great love story. Two young lovers separated, only to be reunited years later and much changed. Great love story. Classic storyline.
Gio and Clara are still my favorite couple from this series. My only gripe is that some of the events toward the end seemed a little rushed. After all the build-up and anticipation, it felt a little anti-climactic to have things just work out perfectly in such a brief period.
Overall, I thought this was great addition to the series and a fantastic conclusion to Gio and Clara's story. I was so glad to finally get the closure that I've craved for these two. Everything worked out perfectly in the end.
May 23, 2016
Oh My God.. Gio!!
Wow, where to start? The amazing plot? The outstanding writing? Or the fantastic Characters?
The plot... wow, it blew me away, this storyline had me gripped from the get go and never let go... it was truly outstanding..
The outstanding writing? Skye managed to let us feel as though we were part of Gio and Clara's world..
The characters, The life Clara grew up in, the neglect and abuse she suffered, yet she is this amazingly strong character, I loved her!
Gio, oh Gio, my heart broke for him and what he suffered! He is a hard man. Yet, This hard, cold man, has the softest heart for those he loves!!
The romance of the story adds a layer to such a phenomenal dark read...
Love, Love, Love this book!!
I urge everyone who loves Mafia romances, or Dark Romances, to read this book, you will not be disappointed!
Wow, where to start? The amazing plot? The outstanding writing? Or the fantastic Characters?
The plot... wow, it blew me away, this storyline had me gripped from the get go and never let go... it was truly outstanding..
The outstanding writing? Skye managed to let us feel as though we were part of Gio and Clara's world..
The characters, The life Clara grew up in, the neglect and abuse she suffered, yet she is this amazingly strong character, I loved her!
Gio, oh Gio, my heart broke for him and what he suffered! He is a hard man. Yet, This hard, cold man, has the softest heart for those he loves!!
The romance of the story adds a layer to such a phenomenal dark read...
Love, Love, Love this book!!
I urge everyone who loves Mafia romances, or Dark Romances, to read this book, you will not be disappointed!
May 23, 2016
5 'I want to be your darkest everything.' stars.
.....Giovanni is my secret,
a shard of glass buried so deep in my soul.....
it would kill me to remove it.
I have been waiting for Clara and Gio's story since I read Tough Love back in March of 2015, and let me say it was so worth the wait. Clara is an art major and she just finished a big project for The Grand that could make or break her career. She has her own place and a boyfriend, trying to live her life like a normal college student. But no matter how hard she tries the memory of Giovanni is always there haunting her at every turn. She needs to get out of her toxic relationship and move on from her painful past, forget the boy who gave his life to save her, and be happy. Can she ever really be free? Or will she always be what she was raised to be?
....I was raised to be a mafia princess...
someone who shuts her mouth and looks pretty....
Clara's life gets turned completely upside down when she wakes up in a car and a dark, familiar figure is there watching her. Giovanni is back from the dead, and he has plans for her, but he is no longer the boy she knew. His experiences have changed him, he is cold and aloof, nothing like the Gio she loved. Can she learn to love him again? Will Clara be able survive the dangers and the isolation that go along with mafia life again? Or is history doomed to repeat itself and leave her and Giovanni shredded forever? Read and see!
"I want to look at you like this."
"Like what?"
"With hope in your eyes, like you know me."
I honestly don't know how to convey my feelings about this story adequately. It's so beautifully written with lyrical prose that has an edge to remind you that this is so much more than a love story. This book is everything I wanted and more for Clara and Giovanni. It broke my heart and put it back together again and I can't imagine it being any better. Skye may be famous for her dark sexy tales, but she has a romantic side too, and it shines in this book.
***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review***
.....Giovanni is my secret,
a shard of glass buried so deep in my soul.....
it would kill me to remove it.
I have been waiting for Clara and Gio's story since I read Tough Love back in March of 2015, and let me say it was so worth the wait. Clara is an art major and she just finished a big project for The Grand that could make or break her career. She has her own place and a boyfriend, trying to live her life like a normal college student. But no matter how hard she tries the memory of Giovanni is always there haunting her at every turn. She needs to get out of her toxic relationship and move on from her painful past, forget the boy who gave his life to save her, and be happy. Can she ever really be free? Or will she always be what she was raised to be?
....I was raised to be a mafia princess...
someone who shuts her mouth and looks pretty....
Clara's life gets turned completely upside down when she wakes up in a car and a dark, familiar figure is there watching her. Giovanni is back from the dead, and he has plans for her, but he is no longer the boy she knew. His experiences have changed him, he is cold and aloof, nothing like the Gio she loved. Can she learn to love him again? Will Clara be able survive the dangers and the isolation that go along with mafia life again? Or is history doomed to repeat itself and leave her and Giovanni shredded forever? Read and see!
"I want to look at you like this."
"Like what?"
"With hope in your eyes, like you know me."
I honestly don't know how to convey my feelings about this story adequately. It's so beautifully written with lyrical prose that has an edge to remind you that this is so much more than a love story. This book is everything I wanted and more for Clara and Giovanni. It broke my heart and put it back together again and I can't imagine it being any better. Skye may be famous for her dark sexy tales, but she has a romantic side too, and it shines in this book.
***ARC provided in exchange for an honest review***
May 25, 2016
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Title: Hold You Against Me
Author: Skye Warren
Series or Standalone: Part of the Stripped Series
Category: Dark, Romance
POV: Dual
Characters: 5
Plot: 5
Scorching Level: 5
HEA: Not telling.
I have been waiting for Giovanni's story for a while!!! I was so excited for this book and I wasn't disappointed!
We met Giovanni and Clara in Tough Love and this book takes our characters in a tumultuous ride full of darkness, danger and endless love!!!
Skye Warren is my to go author when I want something gritty and emotional. This book is even more romantic than her previous books in the series and in a way more intimate.
Clara is living the life her sister has fought for; away from danger and darkness. They are finally away from the mafia. She is in college, she is an amazing artist and she has a boyfriend.
But not everything is as it seems. Shane, her boyfriend, is certainly not like Giovanni, the man she still loves. Giovanni was the man she promised herself to but he is also the man she left behind when she escaped with her sister.
Life and fate has an odd way of bringing people together and when these two get together again love gets even deeper and more complicated.
Why? Because Giovanni is not dead like Clara believed. He is very much alive and he is back into her life to either save her or condemn her.
I look like a supplicant. I feel like one. He's some kind of altar and I'm praying that he is real.
But Giovanni is not the boy she remembers. He is older, darker, rougher; he is a changed man full of scars. He is also the new Capo in the place of her father.
"I'm someone else now, someone darker. Someone you don't want to know."
When Giovanni decides to bring the mafia princess back into the family, Clara is in for a big surprise. Is Giovanni the man he was or is he back to claim her life as his own? Forced into an unbelievable situation, Clara must make choices; she must also guard her heart.
Great character development!! I didn't expect the twists and turns and I fell in love with this story. Definitely one of my favorites in the series.
The author manages to capture the reader's attention and her unique writing kept me glued to my seat. Fantastic story and well worth the wait!!!! I highly recommend it!
5 Stars
March 2, 2019
“I would have gone to my grave never knowing a woman if I hadn’t taken you.”
Please give me just a moment to gather my thoughts because WOW! I mean, where do I even begin? I literally just finished and I definitely feel the need to recount my feels. Right. This. Minute. So, I'm going to apologize in advance if I'm haphazard.
Have you ever woken up in the morning and just known that the day was going to be a good one? The sky is clear and blue, but it's not too hot and not too cold. Everything is bright and possibilities seem endless. Nothing can go wrong at all because the planets have aligned... Now, imagine that perfect day is an author. That's right, like seemingly perfect days, flawless authors aren't so easy to stumble upon either. But every time I read the latest Skye Warren release, I am completely gobsmacked all over again by her flawlessness. Her word choices are just beautiful; whether she's writing about cold-blooded murder or professing undying love, every sentence is deliberate and poignant and nothing is ever overdone. If there is a formula for how to write intense, bittersweet, honest, raw, charming books, this lady has nailed it. I'm yet to be disappointed by her work and I feel quietly confident that I never will.
Hold You Against Me is one of those books that it feels like I have been waiting forever for. I started reading the Stripped series when only Tough Love and Love The Way You Lie were available. I remember starting LTWYL and thinking whoa whoa whoa, what's going on here?! Where did Clara and Gio go!? While I definitely understand why their story had to wait, it did not make the wait any easier. For our convenience, Skye has included the Tough Love prequel but if I'm being honest, I was too keen to get to the new parts and I skipped a re-read.
Clara and Gio's long-awaited reunion is set eight years later. Clara is haunted by the memory of Gio and is struggling to come to terms with her grief and let go. I was torn between actual heartache for her and wanting to reach into the book and reassure her that he actually did survive. I know, the feels were real! Gio proceeds to set a new standard in dark book boyfriends, not by wooing Clara back (we wouldn't be reading these books if that's what we wanted anyway!) but by kidnapping her. What's a little kidnap between long lost loves, after all. And all the while, he is adamant that no trace of the boy she loved remains.
As their story progresses, we get some pretty dark glimpses into the twisted and frankly evil world from which Honor and Clara first escaped. And we learn that appearances are not always what they seem and even monsters have redeeming qualities.
“The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he? I think he might be a little of both, but the two can’t exist side by side. They’re fighting each other, battling within him. It remains to be seen which side will win.”
It's safe to say that if you like your romance with a side-serve of childhood demons and questionable intentions, or if like me, you just can't get enough of Skye's writing, you will love this one too. Beneath the shadowy layers lurks a truly wonderful age-old tale of a boy and a girl and a love worth risking it all for; worth fighting for; worth dying for. And when you reach that final page and let out that one last sigh of contentment, you won't be able to help thinking, "She's done it again."
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
Please give me just a moment to gather my thoughts because WOW! I mean, where do I even begin? I literally just finished and I definitely feel the need to recount my feels. Right. This. Minute. So, I'm going to apologize in advance if I'm haphazard.
Have you ever woken up in the morning and just known that the day was going to be a good one? The sky is clear and blue, but it's not too hot and not too cold. Everything is bright and possibilities seem endless. Nothing can go wrong at all because the planets have aligned... Now, imagine that perfect day is an author. That's right, like seemingly perfect days, flawless authors aren't so easy to stumble upon either. But every time I read the latest Skye Warren release, I am completely gobsmacked all over again by her flawlessness. Her word choices are just beautiful; whether she's writing about cold-blooded murder or professing undying love, every sentence is deliberate and poignant and nothing is ever overdone. If there is a formula for how to write intense, bittersweet, honest, raw, charming books, this lady has nailed it. I'm yet to be disappointed by her work and I feel quietly confident that I never will.
Hold You Against Me is one of those books that it feels like I have been waiting forever for. I started reading the Stripped series when only Tough Love and Love The Way You Lie were available. I remember starting LTWYL and thinking whoa whoa whoa, what's going on here?! Where did Clara and Gio go!? While I definitely understand why their story had to wait, it did not make the wait any easier. For our convenience, Skye has included the Tough Love prequel but if I'm being honest, I was too keen to get to the new parts and I skipped a re-read.
Clara and Gio's long-awaited reunion is set eight years later. Clara is haunted by the memory of Gio and is struggling to come to terms with her grief and let go. I was torn between actual heartache for her and wanting to reach into the book and reassure her that he actually did survive. I know, the feels were real! Gio proceeds to set a new standard in dark book boyfriends, not by wooing Clara back (we wouldn't be reading these books if that's what we wanted anyway!) but by kidnapping her. What's a little kidnap between long lost loves, after all. And all the while, he is adamant that no trace of the boy she loved remains.
As their story progresses, we get some pretty dark glimpses into the twisted and frankly evil world from which Honor and Clara first escaped. And we learn that appearances are not always what they seem and even monsters have redeeming qualities.
“The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he? I think he might be a little of both, but the two can’t exist side by side. They’re fighting each other, battling within him. It remains to be seen which side will win.”
It's safe to say that if you like your romance with a side-serve of childhood demons and questionable intentions, or if like me, you just can't get enough of Skye's writing, you will love this one too. Beneath the shadowy layers lurks a truly wonderful age-old tale of a boy and a girl and a love worth risking it all for; worth fighting for; worth dying for. And when you reach that final page and let out that one last sigh of contentment, you won't be able to help thinking, "She's done it again."
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*
May 28, 2016
Genre: Dark Romance
Type: Standalone Book 4 from Stripped series
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
Clara Moretti was born a royalty - a mafia royal. As daughter of the Capo, both her and her sister's lives were planned out regardless of their willingness. A boy she was in love with helped them escaped their father's clutches. Years later, she's living a normal life but she never forgotten the boy she left behind.
Giovanni Costas was the son of a lowly foot soldier. When he stayed behind after helping the sisters escaped, he was thought to be dead. But he came back bigger, darker and more powerful than ever. And he wanted her back, but not the way she wanted it to be.
I've love Gio and Clara since I read their novella, Tough Love. They have been my favorite couple in the series even without their own book. I'm happy that they finally get their story.
I adored young Gio. He evolved into someone completely different, skirting dangerously between good and evil. He might no longer be the sweet boy he once was, but I still love him especially with the darkness within him.
Clara's love for Gio was undying, even after he changed. But I love that she wasn't unnecessarily blinded by it. She was rational and unselfish.
I really like their story of young innocent love made ugly by situations. Both of them had secrets and fears to overcome, and whatever they did, it was out of love or necessity.
Hold You Against Me is a story of two individuals forced apart by an ugly past and brought back together by wants and needs. It would appeal to people who prefer lighter dark romance book with non violent mafia elements.
Note: This book comes with the prequel novella, Tough Love
Books in the series:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Type: Standalone Book 4 from Stripped series
POV: First Person - Female
Rating:
Clara Moretti was born a royalty - a mafia royal. As daughter of the Capo, both her and her sister's lives were planned out regardless of their willingness. A boy she was in love with helped them escaped their father's clutches. Years later, she's living a normal life but she never forgotten the boy she left behind.
Giovanni Costas was the son of a lowly foot soldier. When he stayed behind after helping the sisters escaped, he was thought to be dead. But he came back bigger, darker and more powerful than ever. And he wanted her back, but not the way she wanted it to be.
I've love Gio and Clara since I read their novella, Tough Love. They have been my favorite couple in the series even without their own book. I'm happy that they finally get their story.
Whatever they did to him changed him, turned something off inside him. And I understand why he’s showing me this. The boy I loved really did die years ago.
I adored young Gio. He evolved into someone completely different, skirting dangerously between good and evil. He might no longer be the sweet boy he once was, but I still love him especially with the darkness within him.
Clara's love for Gio was undying, even after he changed. But I love that she wasn't unnecessarily blinded by it. She was rational and unselfish.
"How could I fall in love with you when I loved you with every breath, every heartbeat, every lash of the fucking whip? When you invaded my dreams, my hallucinations. I can’t stop loving you, bella. I’ve tried. God help me, I’ve tried.”
I really like their story of young innocent love made ugly by situations. Both of them had secrets and fears to overcome, and whatever they did, it was out of love or necessity.
Hold You Against Me is a story of two individuals forced apart by an ugly past and brought back together by wants and needs. It would appeal to people who prefer lighter dark romance book with non violent mafia elements.
Note: This book comes with the prequel novella, Tough Love
Books in the series:
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
June 2, 2016
★★★★4 Lost Love Stars★★★★
" The family changes people. We may not newborn evil, but we turn that way if we stay".
Well I can definetely say the Mafia does know how to deliver one hell of a action packed drama when it comes to being in "The Family" and blood or not, you will never forget the tale of Giovanni and Clara. These two had a story long in the making and I'm glad I got to witness all the ups and downs of their journey to finding each other again.
Being the young daughter of one of the most feared Mobsters, it hasn't always been an easy feat for Clara. Non stop Security, always having to be prim and proper to maintain appearences, has essentially become the norm for her but that life has been long gone for the past eight years since she escaped with her older sister. Living the life that her sister has always wanted for them, Clara is now a twenty-three year old happy Art student. Even though she's happy with her new found life, there has always been one thing that she's been missing and eight years haven't made a difference in her grief. Giovanni was the love of her life and when you love someone like that, how can you possibly move on? But life as she knows it is about to change drastically and the former fantasy of having that love come back is making her rethink those feelings.
Dark and consuming is what Giovanni has now become. He wasn't always that way but when you're life no longer becomes your own and you literally come close to death, it eventually changes you. Good vs.Evil is what they say but when you turn to the dark side, evil becomes your mantra. Giovanni is on a mission to get back the woman he's once lost and come hell or highwater, he's getting her back.
"The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he? "
This was a very enjoyable read for me. The mob,the underlying that something dangerous is right around the corner mix in with a dash of suspense was the perfect recipe for a mafia story. I loved Giovanni and Clara's interaction with each other and even though they were seperated for years, that passion and closeness was still there. If you like a little bit of darkness in your reads, then this really is the book for you.
*Arc kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
" The family changes people. We may not newborn evil, but we turn that way if we stay".
Well I can definetely say the Mafia does know how to deliver one hell of a action packed drama when it comes to being in "The Family" and blood or not, you will never forget the tale of Giovanni and Clara. These two had a story long in the making and I'm glad I got to witness all the ups and downs of their journey to finding each other again.
Being the young daughter of one of the most feared Mobsters, it hasn't always been an easy feat for Clara. Non stop Security, always having to be prim and proper to maintain appearences, has essentially become the norm for her but that life has been long gone for the past eight years since she escaped with her older sister. Living the life that her sister has always wanted for them, Clara is now a twenty-three year old happy Art student. Even though she's happy with her new found life, there has always been one thing that she's been missing and eight years haven't made a difference in her grief. Giovanni was the love of her life and when you love someone like that, how can you possibly move on? But life as she knows it is about to change drastically and the former fantasy of having that love come back is making her rethink those feelings.
Dark and consuming is what Giovanni has now become. He wasn't always that way but when you're life no longer becomes your own and you literally come close to death, it eventually changes you. Good vs.Evil is what they say but when you turn to the dark side, evil becomes your mantra. Giovanni is on a mission to get back the woman he's once lost and come hell or highwater, he's getting her back.
"The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he? "
This was a very enjoyable read for me. The mob,the underlying that something dangerous is right around the corner mix in with a dash of suspense was the perfect recipe for a mafia story. I loved Giovanni and Clara's interaction with each other and even though they were seperated for years, that passion and closeness was still there. If you like a little bit of darkness in your reads, then this really is the book for you.
*Arc kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review
June 1, 2016
★★ 4.5 stars! ★★
Hold You Against Me is the book I have been waiting for in the Stripped series. Ever since I read the novella, Tough Love, I have been dying to find out what happens in Giovanni and Clara’s story. I am so happy that we finally get the answers we've wanted for so long in Hold You Against Me. It’s the perfect ending to the series and may I just say, it’s also the most romantic book of the bunch.
Clara and Giovanni were torn apart when they were only 15 and 17. After living on the run, Clara believes that she has left her mafia life behind her. She also believes that Giovanni died after helping her escape. Of course, she is wrong on both parts when Gio kidnaps her, takes her back to her childhood home, and keeps her captive, forcing her back into the role of Mafia Princess.
Time and life have changed both Clara and Gio, but they are still the same together--just older and rougher than they were before. Gio says that Clara shouldn't want him, but after eight years of thinking he was dead, she can't help herself.
I loved the new and ‘improved’ version of their relationship. Clara shows so much strength and determination throughout the book, while Gio struggles to remain detached and unaffected by her. Thankfully, the love he has for Clara shows through the cracks in his facade, making him completely endearing to me. His sweetness definitely outweighs his impermeability and roughness.
Skye Warren’s writing typically walks the line between pleasure and pain, acceptable and depraved, sensual and rough—which is exactly why I am drawn to her books. They push me out of my comfort zone and challenge my expectations. Hold You Against me is more sweet and romantic, yet it still retains Skye Warren's signature edge and bite. While, technically, kidnapping is involved in the storyline, I didn’t really really find it offensive. It just shows the strength in Warren's writing and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
▸ ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
▸ Order: Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | iBooks | Nook
▸ For more reviews, visit
Hold You Against Me is the book I have been waiting for in the Stripped series. Ever since I read the novella, Tough Love, I have been dying to find out what happens in Giovanni and Clara’s story. I am so happy that we finally get the answers we've wanted for so long in Hold You Against Me. It’s the perfect ending to the series and may I just say, it’s also the most romantic book of the bunch.
Clara and Giovanni were torn apart when they were only 15 and 17. After living on the run, Clara believes that she has left her mafia life behind her. She also believes that Giovanni died after helping her escape. Of course, she is wrong on both parts when Gio kidnaps her, takes her back to her childhood home, and keeps her captive, forcing her back into the role of Mafia Princess.
Time and life have changed both Clara and Gio, but they are still the same together--just older and rougher than they were before. Gio says that Clara shouldn't want him, but after eight years of thinking he was dead, she can't help herself.
I loved the new and ‘improved’ version of their relationship. Clara shows so much strength and determination throughout the book, while Gio struggles to remain detached and unaffected by her. Thankfully, the love he has for Clara shows through the cracks in his facade, making him completely endearing to me. His sweetness definitely outweighs his impermeability and roughness.
Skye Warren’s writing typically walks the line between pleasure and pain, acceptable and depraved, sensual and rough—which is exactly why I am drawn to her books. They push me out of my comfort zone and challenge my expectations. Hold You Against me is more sweet and romantic, yet it still retains Skye Warren's signature edge and bite. While, technically, kidnapping is involved in the storyline, I didn’t really really find it offensive. It just shows the strength in Warren's writing and I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next.
▸ ARC generously provided in exchange for an honest review.
▸ Order: Kindle | Paperback | Kobo | iBooks | Nook
▸ For more reviews, visit
February 21, 2022
2.5-star...DNF @ 46% & skimmed til end.
MEH or the BAD: ***SPOILERS***
Too contrived writing, as if trying to make more drama to fill pages until 74% when the actual drama/secrets were finally revealed. 23Yo h's character sounded better when she was 2ndary character in Love the Way You Lie (Book1 & her older sister was the h) & she was written better then too. I still like her overall more than her sister. BUT this h's characterization in this book was inconsistent & made her look wishy-washy. As if she couldn't make up her mind if she loved H or hated him/wanted to marry him or not/if she was touched by his self-sacrifices for her or not really/if she liked his possessive-protectiveness of her or felt controlled by it. She tended to swiftly change from 1 mode to another with H so she annoyed me. She ended up looking immature & game-playing. Lacked emo/emo growth. Meh sexual tension/detailed S scenes.
The GOOD:
25yo H's character was more likable. He changed from a sweet boy to a roughed-up & rough mafia boss who learned the trade from surviving his 3-month torture 8 years ago for helping h & her older sister escape from their mafia-boss father & her sister's fiance. He endured so much because he loved h. Loved H's self-sacrificial & faithful love for h to remain a virgin/celibate during their 8-year separation & knowing that h likely thought he was dead & that she dated others. Loved his stalkery obsession with her. I did wonder though why he didn't approach her much sooner, when he was already a made man/had been stalking her probably for years/& she was safe & of legal age. He'd already taken over her father's estate & his mafia leadership so why wait until h was 23 & dating other men?
Sexual History:
Virgin h thought H was dead based on the obituary she read about his death 8 years ago. She tried to date other boys & did have a frat-boy BF but she still kept dreaming of H & couldn't go through sex with them. She kissed other boys but let her BF touch her boobs & butt. Her BF kept pressuring her for sex & she actually was about to let him finally de-virginize her out of guilt & pressure but H beat up her BF who insisted of smexxing h outside a bar in case she changed her mind. Not sure who else H kissed but he was a 25yo virgin when he de-virginized 23yo h on their wedding night.
MEH or the BAD: ***SPOILERS***
Too contrived writing, as if trying to make more drama to fill pages until 74% when the actual drama/secrets were finally revealed. 23Yo h's character sounded better when she was 2ndary character in Love the Way You Lie (Book1 & her older sister was the h) & she was written better then too. I still like her overall more than her sister. BUT this h's characterization in this book was inconsistent & made her look wishy-washy. As if she couldn't make up her mind if she loved H or hated him/wanted to marry him or not/if she was touched by his self-sacrifices for her or not really/if she liked his possessive-protectiveness of her or felt controlled by it. She tended to swiftly change from 1 mode to another with H so she annoyed me. She ended up looking immature & game-playing. Lacked emo/emo growth. Meh sexual tension/detailed S scenes.
The GOOD:
25yo H's character was more likable. He changed from a sweet boy to a roughed-up & rough mafia boss who learned the trade from surviving his 3-month torture 8 years ago for helping h & her older sister escape from their mafia-boss father & her sister's fiance. He endured so much because he loved h. Loved H's self-sacrificial & faithful love for h to remain a virgin/celibate during their 8-year separation & knowing that h likely thought he was dead & that she dated others. Loved his stalkery obsession with her. I did wonder though why he didn't approach her much sooner, when he was already a made man/had been stalking her probably for years/& she was safe & of legal age. He'd already taken over her father's estate & his mafia leadership so why wait until h was 23 & dating other men?
Sexual History:
Virgin h thought H was dead based on the obituary she read about his death 8 years ago. She tried to date other boys & did have a frat-boy BF but she still kept dreaming of H & couldn't go through sex with them. She kissed other boys but let her BF touch her boobs & butt. Her BF kept pressuring her for sex & she actually was about to let him finally de-virginize her out of guilt & pressure but H beat up her BF who insisted of smexxing h outside a bar in case she changed her mind. Not sure who else H kissed but he was a 25yo virgin when he de-virginized 23yo h on their wedding night.
May 30, 2016
Gio and Clara's story is finally here! For those who have been following this series since the prequel, Tough Love, I'm sure you have been dying to get your hand on this. I can't believe Skye Warren make us wait until Book 4 to give us Gio and Clara. For those who have not read Tough Love, don't fret, the author is kind enough to include the novella in the beginning of this book as well.
Ever since fleeing the mafia life and living in hiding with her sister, Clara Moretti had been trying to move on with her life with her studies and a new boyfriend. But the boy who had sacrifice his life for her freedom still haunt her everyday. She can't stop missing and dreaming about the life she will have if only Gio is still here.
It had been eight years and Giovanni Costas has now rise up in the rank. No longer just the son of a lowly foot soldier, now he had taken over the Moretti's mansion and ready to take back what belong to him.
I had been imagining how Gio and Clara's story will pan out, but never did I expect Gio to be so different. He is definitely all grown up now and no longer the kind and sweet boy we used to know. After years of mourning, Clara was more that elated to realize that Gio is still alive. She is ready for the perfect reconciliation with her teenage love, but she was taken aback when she find out that Gio is now even more immense into the mafia life and demanding to bring her back by force.
I love Gio. He seems so in control and dangerous. I know the way he came back for Clara is far from a romantic gesture, but I knew he had his own reason. We can see they are both very much in love with each other but the circumstances was far from perfect. Clara is having a hard time accepting the way of life of a mafia. She is the kind of girl who balked at the sight of violence. Which lead to reason why this is just 4 stars for me. I find that Clara is taking too much time to come to terms with who Gio is. Things do work out towards the end for them, but I wish it happen much earlier.
Ever since fleeing the mafia life and living in hiding with her sister, Clara Moretti had been trying to move on with her life with her studies and a new boyfriend. But the boy who had sacrifice his life for her freedom still haunt her everyday. She can't stop missing and dreaming about the life she will have if only Gio is still here.
It had been eight years and Giovanni Costas has now rise up in the rank. No longer just the son of a lowly foot soldier, now he had taken over the Moretti's mansion and ready to take back what belong to him.
I had been imagining how Gio and Clara's story will pan out, but never did I expect Gio to be so different. He is definitely all grown up now and no longer the kind and sweet boy we used to know. After years of mourning, Clara was more that elated to realize that Gio is still alive. She is ready for the perfect reconciliation with her teenage love, but she was taken aback when she find out that Gio is now even more immense into the mafia life and demanding to bring her back by force.
I love Gio. He seems so in control and dangerous. I know the way he came back for Clara is far from a romantic gesture, but I knew he had his own reason. We can see they are both very much in love with each other but the circumstances was far from perfect. Clara is having a hard time accepting the way of life of a mafia. She is the kind of girl who balked at the sight of violence. Which lead to reason why this is just 4 stars for me. I find that Clara is taking too much time to come to terms with who Gio is. Things do work out towards the end for them, but I wish it happen much earlier.
May 24, 2016
Skye Warren delivered another amazing book in the Stripped series with Hold You Against Me. Warren's writing is filled with intensity and emotion that brings life to the story and its characters. Gio and Clara's story is a passionate, thrilling, and darkly delicious ride that left me breathless until the very end. Clara escaped the stifling mafia life she grew up in with the help of Gio, a son of one of her father's foot soldiers. She has believed him to be dead for years, only to find he is very much alive and is ready to reclaim his place in her life. The storyline was a gripping one, with just enough suspense and romance to keep me on the edge of my seat. Having read Tough Love, the novella that introduces Gio and Clara, I couldn't wait to see how things would change between them once they reconnected.
Warren did such a great job with both of these characters. Clara is someone who never truly found her place in life after escaping her past. She holds on to Gio's memory with an iron-like grip, and although she appears on the surface to have moved on, there will always be a gaping hole in her heart that he left behind. She is stronger than she gives herself credit for, but her greatest weakness will always be Giovanni. Gio is drastically changed from the boy he was, and his life experiences have hardened him, making him ruthless, cold, and calculating. Warren wrote his character in such a fascinating way, and with each page I was yearning to learn more about him and the man he has become.
"I'm someone else now, someone darker. Someone you don't want to know."
Even with his agenda in place, Gio couldn't conceal his fierce protectiveness of Clara. I loved the push and pull between them. No one can create tension between two main characters like Warren can, and that tension always culminates in some highly charged and unbelievably erotic sex scenes. Gio and Clara coming together was an explosion of epic proportions, and each encounter only got hotter and hotter.
"It feels like I'm on fire from the inside out, flames of need licking my body on the inside, the heat and pressure of him from the outside. And the worst part is how I want to give in, to let him scorch me."
The suspense level in this story was high, but that did not overshadow the romance that was taking place. The connection between the two of them had only strengthened over the years, and no time or distance could diminish the intensity of their feelings for each other. I loved how dedicated they were to each other even during their separation. No one could affect Clara like Gio could, and no one could hold a candle to Clara in Gio's eyes.
"I think there could be a million different incarnations of you, and I'd fall in love with every single one."
The storyline that the author weaved was full of action and intrigue, and the encounters between Gio and Clara are emotionally charged and full of angst. They had some big hurdles in their path, both with each other and from outside forces, and they had to fight for their happiness. The epilogue was beautifully written and emotional, wrapping up this epic love story in the most perfect way. I am so sad to say goodbye to this amazing series, which will forever be one of my favorites.
Warren did such a great job with both of these characters. Clara is someone who never truly found her place in life after escaping her past. She holds on to Gio's memory with an iron-like grip, and although she appears on the surface to have moved on, there will always be a gaping hole in her heart that he left behind. She is stronger than she gives herself credit for, but her greatest weakness will always be Giovanni. Gio is drastically changed from the boy he was, and his life experiences have hardened him, making him ruthless, cold, and calculating. Warren wrote his character in such a fascinating way, and with each page I was yearning to learn more about him and the man he has become.
"I'm someone else now, someone darker. Someone you don't want to know."
Even with his agenda in place, Gio couldn't conceal his fierce protectiveness of Clara. I loved the push and pull between them. No one can create tension between two main characters like Warren can, and that tension always culminates in some highly charged and unbelievably erotic sex scenes. Gio and Clara coming together was an explosion of epic proportions, and each encounter only got hotter and hotter.
"It feels like I'm on fire from the inside out, flames of need licking my body on the inside, the heat and pressure of him from the outside. And the worst part is how I want to give in, to let him scorch me."
The suspense level in this story was high, but that did not overshadow the romance that was taking place. The connection between the two of them had only strengthened over the years, and no time or distance could diminish the intensity of their feelings for each other. I loved how dedicated they were to each other even during their separation. No one could affect Clara like Gio could, and no one could hold a candle to Clara in Gio's eyes.
"I think there could be a million different incarnations of you, and I'd fall in love with every single one."
The storyline that the author weaved was full of action and intrigue, and the encounters between Gio and Clara are emotionally charged and full of angst. They had some big hurdles in their path, both with each other and from outside forces, and they had to fight for their happiness. The epilogue was beautifully written and emotional, wrapping up this epic love story in the most perfect way. I am so sad to say goodbye to this amazing series, which will forever be one of my favorites.
October 10, 2019
I don’t “do” Mafia novels … well that’s neither a new statement nor is it an interesting on. Except maybe when you consider that I just read “Hold You Against Me” (Stripped #4) by Skye Warren and I am trying now to gather my thoughts and feelings about it.
My feelings concerning mafia stories were born in my childhood when they were all over the television, they were violent, cold and dirty. There was never an ounce of real love in them and I could never even begin to understand why someone would like to see them.
I changed my reading preferences already several times during my live and I probably will change them some more but not even some of my favorite authors could bring me to read a mafia novel.
And then there was Skye Warren – I am not sure anymore how I came to read “Deep” – but I know I was pondering whether that intriguing blurb was worth or not to make an exception to my rules and it was.
So when read the blurb for this book I did not even hesitate for a second to request reading it as an ARC. I was now given the chance and well – I am not going to say that it changes my mind on mafia stories in general – but I will read a mafia book from Skye Warren at any time.
Yes the story is dark and its dirty. It is violent and wrong in so many ways I cannot even comprehend where to start. But there are a few things that are totally different.
I refuse to go into details but let me say in general that the way the story develops is one thing that is different.
But the biggest difference is there is love. Love that may travel a wrong way but it is still Love.
Interesting was that Sky Warren even managed to sneak in one of my biggest triggers – and I read through it because she “sold” in a way that worked for me – again because there was LOVE. Definitively misguided especially at that time, because …lets say vaguely there are such inventions that are called a doorbell.
But this love pure in its essence and that is what made me swallow and read on through my trigger.
(which by the way is my only complain about this story…) The blurb describes a certain situation different – I am talking about the part containing “I have to find him. I have to find some way to protect him, the way he protected me” – reading this misguided me a little, because what actually happens is one of my triggers and I think I might not have chosen the book if I had known.
But I am happy I did and I was rewarded with a beautiful Love Story thank you Skye.
April 5, 2020
4.1*
Definitely worth reading!
Definitely worth reading!
May 6, 2020
I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would. Both protagonists have really good chemistry. They are drawn to each other. This book has a good plot, nice protagonists. However, the lack of angst was a bit irritating. I needed more angst and character development.
I also wanted more scenes of other side characters other than the protagonists. A more elaborated scene of the suffering of the male protagonist would add more depth to the plot. It was harder to understand him because we know what happened but it wasn't very clear. Also, it would have been more interesting if the author added more scenes of the female protagonist adjusting her life again in the mafia. Nonetheless, it was entertaining.
I also wanted more scenes of other side characters other than the protagonists. A more elaborated scene of the suffering of the male protagonist would add more depth to the plot. It was harder to understand him because we know what happened but it wasn't very clear. Also, it would have been more interesting if the author added more scenes of the female protagonist adjusting her life again in the mafia. Nonetheless, it was entertaining.
June 12, 2016
4.5 Fairy tale Monster Stars
Fairy tales aren’t for the girls who have a choice. They’re for the girls shoved into corners, trapped in darkness, bent over desks. Places where hope is an act of bravery. Where believing in love is an act of rebellion. Fairy tales are for girls who dream of happy endings, knowing they might not live to see tomorrow.
I loved the conclusion to this beautiful story. Tough Love, the prequel to this series is where we first meet Giovanni and Clara. It was also my first Skye Warren book, and I have not looked back! Skye includes the entire Tough Love prequel in this book.
My Gio:
It takes a monster to take down a monster.
My Clara:
He dragged me back into my worst nightmare and somehow made me want it.
The story begins in the prequel. Clara is a mafia princess who feels trapped in gilded cage. Her father is not a good man and means to make her marry a horrible man. Clara meets Giovanni, a foot soldier, when she is 15 and he is 17. She is able to escape her father’s evil clutches with the help of Giovanni. Hold You Against Me continues the story 3 years later, when Clara believes Gio to be killed for helping her escape.
Those are not his scars. They’re mine. He took them for me.
This is NOT your typical fairy tale. Skye Warren tends to write on the darker side, which is why I love her so much. She warned her readers that this book is on the lighter side of her darkness, but I still enjoyed it so much! She always makes me FEEL something in every single one of her books, and this one did not disappoint. Skye’s writing is sensual, beautiful, and smart. Her heroines seem real, trapped, trying to break free of some sort of struggle.
If you love mafia romance, this book/series is for you! I have a soft spot for mafia men. The danger, the tattoos, the darkness, the power, the broodiness, just do it for me!
I love Skye Warren to the moon and back.
I would read her grocery lists.
*Can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting from the beginning because this series is worth it! Hold You Against Me is the 4th book in the series, but any of these books can be read by themselves.*
Stripped Series
Tough Love (#0.5) – Included in Hold You Against Me
Love Way You Lie (#1) - Love the Way You Lie
Heartbreak (#1.5) - Heartbreak
Better When It Hurts (#2) - Better When It Hurts
Even Better (#2.5) - Even Better
Pretty When You Cry (#3) - Pretty When You Cry
Caught For Christmas (#3.5) - Caught for Christmas
Find me on
Fairy tales aren’t for the girls who have a choice. They’re for the girls shoved into corners, trapped in darkness, bent over desks. Places where hope is an act of bravery. Where believing in love is an act of rebellion. Fairy tales are for girls who dream of happy endings, knowing they might not live to see tomorrow.
I loved the conclusion to this beautiful story. Tough Love, the prequel to this series is where we first meet Giovanni and Clara. It was also my first Skye Warren book, and I have not looked back! Skye includes the entire Tough Love prequel in this book.
My Gio:
It takes a monster to take down a monster.
My Clara:
He dragged me back into my worst nightmare and somehow made me want it.
The story begins in the prequel. Clara is a mafia princess who feels trapped in gilded cage. Her father is not a good man and means to make her marry a horrible man. Clara meets Giovanni, a foot soldier, when she is 15 and he is 17. She is able to escape her father’s evil clutches with the help of Giovanni. Hold You Against Me continues the story 3 years later, when Clara believes Gio to be killed for helping her escape.
Those are not his scars. They’re mine. He took them for me.
This is NOT your typical fairy tale. Skye Warren tends to write on the darker side, which is why I love her so much. She warned her readers that this book is on the lighter side of her darkness, but I still enjoyed it so much! She always makes me FEEL something in every single one of her books, and this one did not disappoint. Skye’s writing is sensual, beautiful, and smart. Her heroines seem real, trapped, trying to break free of some sort of struggle.
If you love mafia romance, this book/series is for you! I have a soft spot for mafia men. The danger, the tattoos, the darkness, the power, the broodiness, just do it for me!
I love Skye Warren to the moon and back.
I would read her grocery lists.
*Can be read as a standalone, but I recommend starting from the beginning because this series is worth it! Hold You Against Me is the 4th book in the series, but any of these books can be read by themselves.*
Stripped Series
Tough Love (#0.5) – Included in Hold You Against Me
Love Way You Lie (#1) - Love the Way You Lie
Heartbreak (#1.5) - Heartbreak
Better When It Hurts (#2) - Better When It Hurts
Even Better (#2.5) - Even Better
Pretty When You Cry (#3) - Pretty When You Cry
Caught For Christmas (#3.5) - Caught for Christmas
Find me on
June 24, 2016
DNF. I read more than half and couldn’t take it.
This is the type of 1st person point-of-view writing that I don’t like. All the conflict is in the head of the heroine - not enough happening outside her head. It’s internal angst, grief, worry, and mental ponderings.
The Kindle book includes the prequel novella “Tough Love” and the regular book “Hold You Against Me.” It’s all one story so I’m talking about both of them together.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Clare (with 1st person Gio during his torture scene). Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual content: none in what I read, but another reviewer said there was sex at 70%. Setting: current day mostly Nevada. Copyright: 2016. Genre: New Adult, contemporary romance.
This is the type of 1st person point-of-view writing that I don’t like. All the conflict is in the head of the heroine - not enough happening outside her head. It’s internal angst, grief, worry, and mental ponderings.
The Kindle book includes the prequel novella “Tough Love” and the regular book “Hold You Against Me.” It’s all one story so I’m talking about both of them together.
DATA:
Narrative mode: 1st person Clare (with 1st person Gio during his torture scene). Swearing language: strong including religious swear words. Sexual content: none in what I read, but another reviewer said there was sex at 70%. Setting: current day mostly Nevada. Copyright: 2016. Genre: New Adult, contemporary romance.
February 29, 2020
I’m not going to write a long review, because I need to start the last book in the series.
But I am going to say that this couple needed more action. I had a completely different image regarding Gio because I read Tough Love first and there he was just a boy who protected his love and helped her run away. But here... he was still protective, but a man with strenght and he was also rough and haunted by demons. I also think that he should have explained to Clara why he didn’t like the sound of water.
I had no idea what was behind the problems Gio was facing... not until Maria and Clara were taken. And I was so surprised!
I’m glad that Clara got the wedding she needed by the end tho. ❤️ Finally a wedding by the way!
Fav quotes:
“Chin up, darling. The vultures only circle when you bleed.”
“I think there could be a million different incarnations of you, and I’d fall in love with every single one.”
But I am going to say that this couple needed more action. I had a completely different image regarding Gio because I read Tough Love first and there he was just a boy who protected his love and helped her run away. But here... he was still protective, but a man with strenght and he was also rough and haunted by demons. I also think that he should have explained to Clara why he didn’t like the sound of water.
I had no idea what was behind the problems Gio was facing... not until Maria and Clara were taken. And I was so surprised!
I’m glad that Clara got the wedding she needed by the end tho. ❤️ Finally a wedding by the way!
Fav quotes:
“Chin up, darling. The vultures only circle when you bleed.”
“I think there could be a million different incarnations of you, and I’d fall in love with every single one.”
June 6, 2016
I am pretty sure that will be Clara & Gio's story.
................................................................................................................................................................................
Gio long lost Clara's love come back from the dead and seems to reasamble nothing from the person that he was.
Clara is doing art and dating yet she does not feel happy or that she doing the right thing. Everybody is happy but not her. So is kidnapped by Gio and they have to marry, she is in danger and her sister and her baby too. Clara has no reaction, of course. She agrees because she believe in true love yet she stills is a prisonner. Things got heavy and she was kidnapped AGAIN. Gio appears and save the day.
The book is very quickly and we expected some great revelation but no..
1. Clara and her sister was in danger and yet after the married we not know who was after them or if they will.
2. How Gio is the new boss?? Excuse me but that explanation was lame. He assume the command a common son's soldier?
3.After that Clara kidnapped she has no purpose? About her college, friends. Every is basically ok that she married a mob boss and she will live with him.
I like their sex scene was also pure, hot and a careness of a lost love.
................................................................................................................................................................................
Gio long lost Clara's love come back from the dead and seems to reasamble nothing from the person that he was.
Clara is doing art and dating yet she does not feel happy or that she doing the right thing. Everybody is happy but not her. So is kidnapped by Gio and they have to marry, she is in danger and her sister and her baby too. Clara has no reaction, of course. She agrees because she believe in true love yet she stills is a prisonner. Things got heavy and she was kidnapped AGAIN. Gio appears and save the day.
The book is very quickly and we expected some great revelation but no..
1. Clara and her sister was in danger and yet after the married we not know who was after them or if they will.
2. How Gio is the new boss?? Excuse me but that explanation was lame. He assume the command a common son's soldier?
3.After that Clara kidnapped she has no purpose? About her college, friends. Every is basically ok that she married a mob boss and she will live with him.
I like their sex scene was also pure, hot and a careness of a lost love.
June 23, 2016
“Fairy tales are for girls who dream of happy endings, knowing they might not live to see tomorrow”
- Clara
* * *
“I want even more than this. I want forever.”
- Clara
* * *
“I mean that you’re everything, the end and the beginning. I’ve never touched another woman, never wanted to. It was always going to be you or nothing at all.”
- Giovanni
* * *
“Having you would solidify my standing with the family…but the truth is I took you for myself. Because I wanted you. I wanted you the entire time, and in a moment of weakness, I let myself have you.”
- Giovanni
- Clara
* * *
“I want even more than this. I want forever.”
- Clara
* * *
“I mean that you’re everything, the end and the beginning. I’ve never touched another woman, never wanted to. It was always going to be you or nothing at all.”
- Giovanni
* * *
“Having you would solidify my standing with the family…but the truth is I took you for myself. Because I wanted you. I wanted you the entire time, and in a moment of weakness, I let myself have you.”
- Giovanni
May 30, 2016
*Tough Love and Hold You Against Me*
“I’m someone else now, someone darker. Someone you don’t want to know.”
We do love our Mafia romance reads, there’s just something about a tortured hero with a ruthless side and a touch of vulnerability, a man who will sacrifice anything for the woman he loves, a dark tale with danger and suspense in plentiful supply. When that’s brought to life by an author whose words and stories continually captivate us, we know to buckle in for one fabulous ride.
‘Suddenly his lips are against mine, warm and soft. God, I’ve seen those lips smile and twist and curse a blue streak, but I never imagined they could be this soft. ‘
Our hearts were pounding through Tough Love, the prequel story to Hold You Against Me (included in this book) that introduced us to Giovanni Costas, the eighteen year old son of a Mafia foot soldier and fifteen year old Mafia Princess, Clara Morietti who share a friendship and a blossoming love that is so beautiful and innocent in a world steeped in tradition, violence and danger. The Mafia way of life; where power is king, where marriage is a business transaction that has no place for love, a fact Clara and her sister Honor are about to experience. After all, Mafia Princesses are raised to look pretty, marry well and keep their mouths shut. Yet, they didn’t count on the love and sacrifice Gio would make to ensure Honor and Clara wouldn’t have to suffer that fate.
The prologue for Hold You Against Me is told in Gio’s point of view and what a harrowing, painful and heartbreaking prologue it was. The lengths this young man was prepared to go, the pain he was forced to endure and the loss he experiences all for love left our hearts a shattered mess.
“Where is the boy who held me in his arms when I cried? What happened to the boy I loved?”
Eight years later Gio and Clara come face to face once again, however, gone is the gentle hearted boy and in his place is a menacing, dangerous and damaged man, yet we didn’t have to dig too deep to expose glimpses of the tender man behind the hardened exterior.
“I want to look at you like this.”
“Like what?”
“With that hope in your eyes, like you know me.”
Those dangerous, brooding Mafioso men who we know, beneath it all, love their woman with passion and devotion make our pulses race and our knees weak. We can’t resist them …when they utter the word, ‘bella’ with such feeling, such possessiveness…well, we’re gone for. And we were well and truly gone for Giovanni, a ruthless tough guy with a loving heart that beats for solely for Clara.
“Bella,” he says, a wealth of meaning encapsulated in a single word. The love he once felt for me, the conflicted desire he now feels.
As for Clara, we found ourselves unable to connect to her on a deeper level. That was until we went back and read Love The Way You Lie. As hers and Honor’s story interconnects with this one, we felt we needed this background to her character to fully understand her plight and why it’s important to read Honor’s book. Clara never forgot the boy who stole her heart with whispered reassurances.
‘It’s right that I spent years mourning his death, because the boy I knew is truly gone.’
Skye Warren delivered a gripping and vividly mesmerising dark story which gave us a glimpse into the treachery, deceit and perilous world of the Mafioso. There is a passion in her words that challenges the reader and a beauty in her prose grips us in its clutches. This is a story fans of Mafia romance will devour, but please read in the order we’ve mentioned below to gain the optimum reading experience of Gio and Clara’s story.
✲✲✲✲ ✲✲✲✲
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May 25, 2016
I loved this book with Clara and Gio. It was definitely worth the wait for this one to come out. The plot of the book was excellent.
This one was dark romance at its finest.
Clara is the Mafia Princess and an art major at Uni. She has become independent and moved out of Honor and Kip’s house. She constantly remembers Giovanni and draws him but she thinks he is dead based on an obituary announcement. She has a boyfriend who is a major jerk and you really see how growing up in her “father’s” house damaged her emotionally.
“I’ve always had a weakness for dangerous men, part survival instinct and part reckless desire.” -Skye Warren. Hold You Against Me (Kindle Location 1047).
She did a commission of a statue for The Grand (strip joint her sister worked at the feed them now turned burlesque club) and is there during its unveiling.
“We’re here to celebrate the women inside, beneath skin and muscle, bone-deep. The resilience of the human spirit. We’re here because we want to bask in their strength, if only for a few hours. As if even the sight of them raised up will lift us too.” -Skye Warren. Hold You Against Me (Kindle Locations 1084-1086).
She goes home early and drinks some water that is left for her but just before she closes her eyes she remembered she left the glass half full and the glass of water she drank was full. Clara’s life takes a sudden twist when she wakes up in a moving limo with a strange man who seems oddly familiar. Gio has changed from the years when he knew Clara. He is darker and cold with somewhat sinister plans for Clara.
“I’m on my knees in front of him, because somehow sitting on the seat beside him feels presumptuous— but I don’t mind. I look like a supplicant. I feel like one. He’s some kind of altar, and I’m praying that he’s real.” -Skye Warren. Hold You Against Me (Kindle Locations 1170-1172).
We got to read the heartbreaking tale about how much Gio suffered for helping the girls escape.
We got to find out why Clara didn’t like the office in her “dad’s” house.
Will Clara learn to love the new Gio just like she loved his younger self? Will history repeat itself and Clara end up just like her mother?
*No mention of Kip being her brother almost as if Honor and Kip never told her nor any mention of the jewels that belonged to her mother being giving to her.*
This one was dark romance at its finest.
Clara is the Mafia Princess and an art major at Uni. She has become independent and moved out of Honor and Kip’s house. She constantly remembers Giovanni and draws him but she thinks he is dead based on an obituary announcement. She has a boyfriend who is a major jerk and you really see how growing up in her “father’s” house damaged her emotionally.
“I’ve always had a weakness for dangerous men, part survival instinct and part reckless desire.” -Skye Warren. Hold You Against Me (Kindle Location 1047).
She did a commission of a statue for The Grand (strip joint her sister worked at the feed them now turned burlesque club) and is there during its unveiling.
“We’re here to celebrate the women inside, beneath skin and muscle, bone-deep. The resilience of the human spirit. We’re here because we want to bask in their strength, if only for a few hours. As if even the sight of them raised up will lift us too.” -Skye Warren. Hold You Against Me (Kindle Locations 1084-1086).
She goes home early and drinks some water that is left for her but just before she closes her eyes she remembered she left the glass half full and the glass of water she drank was full. Clara’s life takes a sudden twist when she wakes up in a moving limo with a strange man who seems oddly familiar. Gio has changed from the years when he knew Clara. He is darker and cold with somewhat sinister plans for Clara.
“I’m on my knees in front of him, because somehow sitting on the seat beside him feels presumptuous— but I don’t mind. I look like a supplicant. I feel like one. He’s some kind of altar, and I’m praying that he’s real.” -Skye Warren. Hold You Against Me (Kindle Locations 1170-1172).
We got to read the heartbreaking tale about how much Gio suffered for helping the girls escape.
We got to find out why Clara didn’t like the office in her “dad’s” house.
Will Clara learn to love the new Gio just like she loved his younger self? Will history repeat itself and Clara end up just like her mother?
*No mention of Kip being her brother almost as if Honor and Kip never told her nor any mention of the jewels that belonged to her mother being giving to her.*
February 12, 2018
I liked this more than I thought I would. Gio and Clara were sweet together. Gio went through some really horrible experiences, but retained his sweetness when it came to Clara! The mafia suspense was interesting. I wish it had a better epilogue set a few years into the future.
May 25, 2016
GRIPPING MAFIA ROMANCE
Part 1 Tough Love to be read first (Free Novella ) http://www.amazon.com/Tough-Love-Roma...
A story about the sacrifices we make for love...
I sneak out of my room every night. My father's guards don't see me. My sister doesn't see me. No one sees me, except him.
He's the son of a mafia foot soldier. My father is the boss. I shouldn't even know Giovanni. And I definitely shouldn't kiss him. Our relationship is doomed to fail, but that won't stop me from trying.
Not every girl wants to be a princess. I just want to be free.
Tough Love is a sweet, coming of age story, a friends to lovers story withing the Mafia family that you don't get chance to explore, contains a cliffy and a plot with danger elements and suspense. But good news book 2 is coming.
Hold you against me was a beautiful story of sacrifices and all consuming love that destined Gio's and Clara's future. A modern day Romeo and Juliette.
Written with style that flowed, taking you through intense moments, danger,intimacy to heart-warming scenes, told in Clara's pov.
I was gripped throughout and wanted to know how it played out. The balance of the writing, highlights the low lights to hot scenes was what had me as a reader gripped.
So many beautiful words:
Clara: This place were In , this is water and he is air.
" I have dreamed about you every night" he says his voice course. " Now that you're here, it almost hurts to look at you. Your so bright and beautiful and good."
A recommended Mafia romance with lies, deceit, danger,bloodshed and a love that never died.
Arc gratefully received for honest review: BBBf-sizzlereads & L.AB.B
http://www.BBBf-sizzlereads-bestbookb...
Part 1 Tough Love to be read first (Free Novella ) http://www.amazon.com/Tough-Love-Roma...
A story about the sacrifices we make for love...
I sneak out of my room every night. My father's guards don't see me. My sister doesn't see me. No one sees me, except him.
He's the son of a mafia foot soldier. My father is the boss. I shouldn't even know Giovanni. And I definitely shouldn't kiss him. Our relationship is doomed to fail, but that won't stop me from trying.
Not every girl wants to be a princess. I just want to be free.
Tough Love is a sweet, coming of age story, a friends to lovers story withing the Mafia family that you don't get chance to explore, contains a cliffy and a plot with danger elements and suspense. But good news book 2 is coming.
Hold you against me was a beautiful story of sacrifices and all consuming love that destined Gio's and Clara's future. A modern day Romeo and Juliette.
Written with style that flowed, taking you through intense moments, danger,intimacy to heart-warming scenes, told in Clara's pov.
I was gripped throughout and wanted to know how it played out. The balance of the writing, highlights the low lights to hot scenes was what had me as a reader gripped.
So many beautiful words:
Clara: This place were In , this is water and he is air.
" I have dreamed about you every night" he says his voice course. " Now that you're here, it almost hurts to look at you. Your so bright and beautiful and good."
A recommended Mafia romance with lies, deceit, danger,bloodshed and a love that never died.
Arc gratefully received for honest review: BBBf-sizzlereads & L.AB.B
http://www.BBBf-sizzlereads-bestbookb...
September 21, 2017
All of the books after the first one are darkish but no were close to as dark as #1. I'm a little let down but they are still very enjoyable. This one even has a Virgin Hero and while he does bad things he actually kinda sweet.
Safety - Both virgins. She was dating someone in the beginning of the book.
"I mean that you're everything, the end and the beginning. I've never touched another woman, never wanted to. It was always going to be you or nothing at all."
Safety - Both virgins. She was dating someone in the beginning of the book.
July 20, 2017
Originally posted at Booklovers For Life
All the mafia books I’ve been reading recently are so. freaking. good!! Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but these recent mafia romances are so engrossing and enticing, and Hold You Against Me is no exception. I read this one as a standalone and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a little dark and intense, but also surprisingly sweet, which I loved. Skye Warren delivers an addicting romance I couldn’t put down. The blurb intrigued me, but the story was what got me hooked. A long-lost love come back to life… except he’s no longer Prince Charming, but rather, the villain.
Hold You Against Me opens up with the novella Tough Love, which introduces us to Clara, a mob princess, and Giovanni, a mob soldier. Here, they’re teenagers who are just falling for each other… until Clara has to run away and Gio has to give his life up for her to escape. Eight years later, Clara is using the freedom her love gave her to be an art student happy with her life. She’s never once forgotten Gio and his sacrifice… but it turns out nothing was as she believed when her lost love comes back, only turned dark, deadly, and dangerous.
I love Skye Warren’s writing. She’s able to write in a way that sucks the reader right into the story, feeling everything right alongside the main character. I could feel Clara’s awe, wonder, and relief at finding Gio still alive, juxtaposed with her feelings of despair, hurt, and helplessness at the heartless man he’s had to become. As the new leader of the mafia, Gio embodies everything Clara wanted to escape from as a young girl, but he’s returned only to drag her back into that world.
I loved Gio’s determination to getting Clara back, even though I hated that meant Clara losing her freedom again. There were so many ups and downs to this novel – I loved it! I couldn’t stop reading and trying to find out how everything would turn out between these two lost loves. And even though there are some dark parts (like the mafia and oh, kidnapping), the romance was sweeter than I could’ve imagined. Clara and Gio have both changed, for better or worse, but the love they have for each other has never diminished over the years. Their love swept me away – these two are IT for each other, and I was in awe of their devotion to one another.
If you love your dark reads on the sweeter side, I can’t recommend Hold You Against Me enough. It’s got a little suspense, an intriguing mafia world, and a heart-wrenchingly sweet romance to make this an entertaining read from start to finish. Now that I know how wonderful Hold You Against Me is, I’m so excited to read the rest of the series!
Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.
Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.
Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1RKFo5W
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1Wvt5m9
Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!
All the mafia books I’ve been reading recently are so. freaking. good!! Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but these recent mafia romances are so engrossing and enticing, and Hold You Against Me is no exception. I read this one as a standalone and it didn’t disappoint. It’s a little dark and intense, but also surprisingly sweet, which I loved. Skye Warren delivers an addicting romance I couldn’t put down. The blurb intrigued me, but the story was what got me hooked. A long-lost love come back to life… except he’s no longer Prince Charming, but rather, the villain.
Hold You Against Me opens up with the novella Tough Love, which introduces us to Clara, a mob princess, and Giovanni, a mob soldier. Here, they’re teenagers who are just falling for each other… until Clara has to run away and Gio has to give his life up for her to escape. Eight years later, Clara is using the freedom her love gave her to be an art student happy with her life. She’s never once forgotten Gio and his sacrifice… but it turns out nothing was as she believed when her lost love comes back, only turned dark, deadly, and dangerous.
The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he? I think he might be a little of both, but the two can’t exist side by side. They’re fighting each other, battling within him. It remains to be seen which side will win.
I love Skye Warren’s writing. She’s able to write in a way that sucks the reader right into the story, feeling everything right alongside the main character. I could feel Clara’s awe, wonder, and relief at finding Gio still alive, juxtaposed with her feelings of despair, hurt, and helplessness at the heartless man he’s had to become. As the new leader of the mafia, Gio embodies everything Clara wanted to escape from as a young girl, but he’s returned only to drag her back into that world.
I loved Gio’s determination to getting Clara back, even though I hated that meant Clara losing her freedom again. There were so many ups and downs to this novel – I loved it! I couldn’t stop reading and trying to find out how everything would turn out between these two lost loves. And even though there are some dark parts (like the mafia and oh, kidnapping), the romance was sweeter than I could’ve imagined. Clara and Gio have both changed, for better or worse, but the love they have for each other has never diminished over the years. Their love swept me away – these two are IT for each other, and I was in awe of their devotion to one another.
When I was younger, I longed for freedom as if it were a place. I longed for love as if it were a person. In the end I found both back where I started, with the man who loved me all along.
If you love your dark reads on the sweeter side, I can’t recommend Hold You Against Me enough. It’s got a little suspense, an intriguing mafia world, and a heart-wrenchingly sweet romance to make this an entertaining read from start to finish. Now that I know how wonderful Hold You Against Me is, I’m so excited to read the rest of the series!
Thanks to the author for generously providing me an ARC to review.
Quotes are taken from the ARC and are subject to change in the final version.
Amazon Ebook: http://amzn.to/1RKFo5W
Amazon Paperback: http://amzn.to/1Wvt5m9
Liked this review? Subscribe to Booklovers For Life for more!
June 2, 2016
I’ve loved Skye Warren’s books for a few years now, and whenever I’m in the mood for well-written, dark, angsty, HOT fantasy, she’s at the top of my list.
I first fell in love with Skye’s The Beauty Series (sexy, forbidden romance between a slightly older professor and his student/employee), but I might love her 'Stripped' Series even more. These characters and their experiences are so heartbreakingly raw. By the time the protagonists reach their HEA, you’ve witnessed the battles that brought them there and goodness, is the happiness well-earned!
But if you’re like me at the end of Tough Love you’re wondering what in the world happens to Clara and Gio! Is Gio dead? If not, do these two eventually find their way back to each other? Well, Skye finally gives us their story in Hold You Against Me, and it is SO worth the wait!
As soon as I had this novel in my hands, I binged it in about 8 hours… but it was so easy to get swept away. 'Hold You Against Me' is so well-written, so compelling that I couldn’t put it down. The pages flew by; it almost felt like I blinked and five chapters would be gone. I LOVE 'Hold You Against Me' and it definitely deserves every one of those five stars!
***Read the full review at We So Nerdy!
I first fell in love with Skye’s The Beauty Series (sexy, forbidden romance between a slightly older professor and his student/employee), but I might love her 'Stripped' Series even more. These characters and their experiences are so heartbreakingly raw. By the time the protagonists reach their HEA, you’ve witnessed the battles that brought them there and goodness, is the happiness well-earned!
But if you’re like me at the end of Tough Love you’re wondering what in the world happens to Clara and Gio! Is Gio dead? If not, do these two eventually find their way back to each other? Well, Skye finally gives us their story in Hold You Against Me, and it is SO worth the wait!
As soon as I had this novel in my hands, I binged it in about 8 hours… but it was so easy to get swept away. 'Hold You Against Me' is so well-written, so compelling that I couldn’t put it down. The pages flew by; it almost felt like I blinked and five chapters would be gone. I LOVE 'Hold You Against Me' and it definitely deserves every one of those five stars!
***Read the full review at We So Nerdy!
May 25, 2016
Hold You Against Me - Skye Warren
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This book follows on from the Tough Love novella, which I hadn't read ... why ? how did I miss this ? Well from the first few pages I was completely captivated, loving every minute - one of those books you want to savour and seriously never want it to end.
Gio and Clara's story is beautiful and disjointed.
Clara, a mafia princess, has never got over the loss of Giovanni and most of her artwork revolves around her memory of him. Everything changes for Clara when she wakes up in his car, the man she has always loved who she thought was dead. However is he still the same man, can she love who he has now become ?
"Anyone who touches you will die. I'll kill them myself". A shiver racks my body. "Then who will keep me safe from you?".
I was raised a mafia princess, bred to marry a king. That makes me the queen.
Having read all of the Stripped Series (except Tough Love ...until now) and loved them all, I have to say this is probably by far my favourite. I felt all those emotions and turmoil. Personally I love a good gritty dark mafia romance and this is all of those beautifully rolled into one. Skye you have done it again, I can't wait for more.
August 22, 2017
3.5 Stars
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