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Donati Bloodlines #3
Thin Lives
Emma Donati
Some days, it felt like Emma had just imagined it all.
Like maybe everything she had been with Calisto was just a dream.
Emma knew it was crazy—it was impossible to forget what she had shared with Calisto Donati. All their love, the stolen moments, their foulness together, and the beauty underneath it all were real.
They were real.
But he didn't know.
He didn’t know any of it.
And little by little, with every day that passed her by, Emma found she was losing those pieces that reminded her they had existed once.
Just like the rosary.
All too soon, Emma knew … there would be nothing left.
Calisto Donati
Emma hadn’t given him a choice.
Her, not him.
Yeah, that’s what Calisto was going to keep telling himself. He refused to feed into the strange curiosity he had about Emma Donati. It had been building from the moment he’d first seen her face after he’d awakened. He wouldn’t admit that for longer than he cared to admit, he thought there was more behind her false smile, polite words, and the distance she put between her and him—that there might be more to them.
He couldn’t.
Except … he was feeding into it.
Calisto just wasn’t sure what it was.
But tonight he was going to find out.
Whether she wanted to tell him or not.
***
The final Bloodlines novel.
Some days, it felt like Emma had just imagined it all.
Like maybe everything she had been with Calisto was just a dream.
Emma knew it was crazy—it was impossible to forget what she had shared with Calisto Donati. All their love, the stolen moments, their foulness together, and the beauty underneath it all were real.
They were real.
But he didn't know.
He didn’t know any of it.
And little by little, with every day that passed her by, Emma found she was losing those pieces that reminded her they had existed once.
Just like the rosary.
All too soon, Emma knew … there would be nothing left.
Calisto Donati
Emma hadn’t given him a choice.
Her, not him.
Yeah, that’s what Calisto was going to keep telling himself. He refused to feed into the strange curiosity he had about Emma Donati. It had been building from the moment he’d first seen her face after he’d awakened. He wouldn’t admit that for longer than he cared to admit, he thought there was more behind her false smile, polite words, and the distance she put between her and him—that there might be more to them.
He couldn’t.
Except … he was feeding into it.
Calisto just wasn’t sure what it was.
But tonight he was going to find out.
Whether she wanted to tell him or not.
***
The final Bloodlines novel.
ebook
First published September 6, 2016
47 people are currently reading
881 people want to read
About the author
Bethany-Kris
107 books4,260 followersThe author of too many novels to count, Bethany-Kris is a Canadian, lover of much, and mother to four sons, a glaring of cats, and a pack of dogs. A small town in Eastern Canada where she was born and raised is where she has always called home. With her boys under her feet, a snuggling cat, barking dogs, and a spouse calling over his shoulder, she is nearly always writing something ... when she can find the time.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 243 reviews
February 25, 2017
1.5 Stars
Boy, this thing nosedived like a plane being piloted by Harrison Ford.
Too bad, it had so much potential.
Boy, this thing nosedived like a plane being piloted by Harrison Ford.
Too bad, it had so much potential.
September 13, 2016
4 STARS
This was a great ending to this mafia forbidden romance. There were twists and turns and I adored how the author wrote Calisto’s still attraction to Emma even when he had no memories of her.
”You’re what I’m missing. You’re hiding it-hiding a lot, and I’ll figure it out –“
I have to point out that Emma’s parents needing her to marry in the first book and then were pretty much missing the whole series was just odd. Still, the ending was truly creative and I just loved how things wrapped up to save face for both characters and their futures!
”Ti amo, Emma – I always loved you, even when I couldn’t remember you,” he told her. Emma blinked away the tears coating her lashes. “I knew you did. I was just waiting for you to remember, too.”
This was a great ending to this mafia forbidden romance. There were twists and turns and I adored how the author wrote Calisto’s still attraction to Emma even when he had no memories of her.
”You’re what I’m missing. You’re hiding it-hiding a lot, and I’ll figure it out –“
I have to point out that Emma’s parents needing her to marry in the first book and then were pretty much missing the whole series was just odd. Still, the ending was truly creative and I just loved how things wrapped up to save face for both characters and their futures!
”Ti amo, Emma – I always loved you, even when I couldn’t remember you,” he told her. Emma blinked away the tears coating her lashes. “I knew you did. I was just waiting for you to remember, too.”
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January 10, 2021Buy Now at the vendor of your choice | https://www.bethanykris.com/dbpartthr...
August 30, 2016
5 “At the end, Emmy.” STARS
The third and final book in the Donati Bloodlines Series was simply fantastic. From the very beginning, Bethany-Kris captured the intensity and raw emotion of a truly unforgettable forbidden love story.
"Did love justify suffering? Would it ever justify pain?"
Calisto Donati and Emma were a dirty and dangerous secret. Lives would be shattered, blood would be shed and some may even be killed if their secret was ever discovered.
“I keep hoping…”
“For what?”
“For something impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible, Emma.”
This book picks up from the heart-wrenching cliff hanger of book 2. I felt every ounce of Emmy’s fear, longing and despair as she tried to protect her unborn child, while hoping against everything that Cal would figure things out.
“Her life felt so thin – it only became thinner with every passing day.”
And for Calisto, his turmoil and frustration was real and raw. Seriously, my heart ached throughout a good two thirds of this book.
Emotions were high, danger was palpable and hope was only a glimmer as Emma and Calisto navigate the treacherous pathways of La Cosa Nostra.
“She loved the way he touched her, and how he never handled her like glass. She loved his roughness, his harsh breaths in her ear, and the heat that pulsed between them.”
This was all kinds of fantastic. I FLOVED the Epilogue and the freakin' bread crumbs for the future generation. Bethany, you're a tease. I want the Legacy Series NOW!! And I'm calling it from now, Cross Nazio Donati is mine! #Claimed!
**ARC generously provided by Bethany-Kris in exchange for an honest review.**
For more reviews and blog posts.
____________
Before reading:
GAH!! The conclusion of Emma and Calisto! I'm going in.
The third and final book in the Donati Bloodlines Series was simply fantastic. From the very beginning, Bethany-Kris captured the intensity and raw emotion of a truly unforgettable forbidden love story.
"Did love justify suffering? Would it ever justify pain?"
Calisto Donati and Emma were a dirty and dangerous secret. Lives would be shattered, blood would be shed and some may even be killed if their secret was ever discovered.
“I keep hoping…”
“For what?”
“For something impossible.”
“Nothing is impossible, Emma.”
This book picks up from the heart-wrenching cliff hanger of book 2. I felt every ounce of Emmy’s fear, longing and despair as she tried to protect her unborn child, while hoping against everything that Cal would figure things out.
“Her life felt so thin – it only became thinner with every passing day.”
And for Calisto, his turmoil and frustration was real and raw. Seriously, my heart ached throughout a good two thirds of this book.
Emotions were high, danger was palpable and hope was only a glimmer as Emma and Calisto navigate the treacherous pathways of La Cosa Nostra.
“She loved the way he touched her, and how he never handled her like glass. She loved his roughness, his harsh breaths in her ear, and the heat that pulsed between them.”
This was all kinds of fantastic. I FLOVED the Epilogue and the freakin' bread crumbs for the future generation. Bethany, you're a tease. I want the Legacy Series NOW!! And I'm calling it from now, Cross Nazio Donati is mine! #Claimed!
**ARC generously provided by Bethany-Kris in exchange for an honest review.**
For more reviews and blog posts.
____________
Before reading:
GAH!! The conclusion of Emma and Calisto! I'm going in.
February 28, 2017
Predictable, yes, but enjoyable! That epilogue left me feeling like a big pile of mush, though! I loved it!
September 6, 2016
4 "love will prevail in the end" stars
So i got the CLOSURE to the "impossible" epic love of Calisto and Emma...
and it's trepidation all over again...
It was long awaited journey in search of the truth...the Calisto's lost memories and the threats Affonso put on Emma's life...where we were left with at the end of the book 2.
And i was pulling my hair rooting as Calisto was roaring in the book
"I just want answers."
And boy, so did I...
It s a chase against the time, secrets, the danger, the betrayal and the final closure needed when the lives of Calisto s loved ones come in danger...and his memories come rushing back...the only rules Calisto ever cared for keeping...FAMILY. Protect the family. HIS family.
It is also a great opening into another spin-off featuring the starlight of the new generation...Cross Nazio Donati
Thin lives will be ALIVE on September 6th, 2016. so make sure you don t miss the completion of this "impossible forbidden" love that couldnt be more right for them both in the end.
I especially liked the re-visit of Filthy Marcellos...since they are still one of my fav mobsters ;)
September 28, 2020
What started off a wee bit on the iffy side in the first book morphed into what I know Bethany-Kris will always deliver - a totally phenomenal read. And the Donati Bloodlines was just that.
I said in one of my updates that the mafia, amnesia, forbidden love, amazing story and writing, twists and turns galore and a love that transcends all = total freaking book nirvana
That sums up just how much I adored Calisto and Emmy's story.
I said in one of my updates that the mafia, amnesia, forbidden love, amazing story and writing, twists and turns galore and a love that transcends all = total freaking book nirvana
That sums up just how much I adored Calisto and Emmy's story.
October 21, 2019
5+ - lines drawn in sand - stars
They were star-crossed. They were impossible. Alone they were miserable. Together they won.
Thin Lives is a trilogy by Bethany-Kris. Each book continues the prevoius and should be read strictly in order:
1 - Thin Lies
2 - Thin Lines
3 - Thin Lives
" And lies can only be spun so many ways before the web is just a tangled mess that anyone - even the blindest of person - could see... "
The third book continues the story of Emma and Calisto while they desperately fight for their love and happiness.
Thin Lives took place five months after the teriible cliffhanger that Bethany left for her readers at the end of Thin Lines . Calisto lost his memory and Emma tries desperately to survive in the cruel world that her husband inflicts on her. This fight is the most important in her life as she has so much to lose and so much is at stake.
Once again I simply admire Emma . She is the true survivor and fighter here. I was amazed how much she is ready to sacrifice. While reading this book I understood that I want to be just like her - patient, sefless and different.
Calisto is typical Calisto. He is a fighter! I felt sorry for him and his struggle but in the end I understood that it's his enemies who I should have felt sorry for. He fought for what he believed was his and he got it.
This book was the rght combination of emotions and actions. Not too much but not too little.
I loved the conclusion to their story. I was devastated by the loss but I loved the way Bethany tied all loose ends and made their ending spectacular. And That epilogue. I'm swooning right now and preparing for all those delisious releases coming our way.
This book is typical Bethany and I like it so much. With each book I just falling more and more in love with her style and writing. No matter what she writes, I'll read it because she is uncapable to write anything bad.
***ARC provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review***
They were star-crossed. They were impossible. Alone they were miserable. Together they won.
Thin Lives is a trilogy by Bethany-Kris. Each book continues the prevoius and should be read strictly in order:
1 - Thin Lies
2 - Thin Lines
3 - Thin Lives
" And lies can only be spun so many ways before the web is just a tangled mess that anyone - even the blindest of person - could see... "
The third book continues the story of Emma and Calisto while they desperately fight for their love and happiness.
Thin Lives took place five months after the teriible cliffhanger that Bethany left for her readers at the end of Thin Lines . Calisto lost his memory and Emma tries desperately to survive in the cruel world that her husband inflicts on her. This fight is the most important in her life as she has so much to lose and so much is at stake.
Once again I simply admire Emma . She is the true survivor and fighter here. I was amazed how much she is ready to sacrifice. While reading this book I understood that I want to be just like her - patient, sefless and different.
Calisto is typical Calisto. He is a fighter! I felt sorry for him and his struggle but in the end I understood that it's his enemies who I should have felt sorry for. He fought for what he believed was his and he got it.
This book was the rght combination of emotions and actions. Not too much but not too little.
I loved the conclusion to their story. I was devastated by the loss but I loved the way Bethany tied all loose ends and made their ending spectacular. And That epilogue. I'm swooning right now and preparing for all those delisious releases coming our way.
This book is typical Bethany and I like it so much. With each book I just falling more and more in love with her style and writing. No matter what she writes, I'll read it because she is uncapable to write anything bad.
***ARC provided to me by the author in exchange for an honest review***
April 13, 2020
Thin Lives es el tercer y ultimo tomo de la trilogia Donati Bloodlines, y continua justo donde finalizo Thin Lines.
Uno de los aspectos que mas he admirado a lo largo de estas tres novelas es el desarrollo tan real que han sufrido Cal y Emma, los dos empiezan siendo de cierta manera en Thin Lies para luego evolucionar de forma magistral en los siguientes libros, no me refiero solo a que han madurado con el paso de las historias ( que lo han hecho y se ha notado ) sino tambien a que, asi como toda la trilogia ha tenido una progresion desde su inicio, ellos tambien son personajes distintos a lo que que conocimos por primera vez.
Algunas de las novelas que he leido de Bethany - Kris llevan la tematica de mafia a otro nivel, es simplemente como si el genero fuese otro protagonista en sus trabajos, un punto que me encanta y con el que siempre disfruto, en cambio en estas historias esa parte esta mas diluida, no es que a los libros les falte manipulacion o secretos, sino que el " negocio " no esta tan presente como nos tiene acostumbrados la autora, con eso no digo que me haya desagradado, sino todo lo contrario, me sorprendio gratamente el cambio.
Como cierre de trilogia es bastante bueno, tal vez me falto mas accion y derramamiento de sangre pero a grandes rasgos fue todo lo que imaginaba al ser la ultima novela, ademas el epilogo fue mi sueño echo realidad : largo, con muchos detalles y que te deja con ganas de saber mas sobre Cross y Camila.
En definitiva, Thin Lives fue una lectura increible y absorbente que me hizo disfrutar como una niña pequeña, espero pronto poder tener en mis manos las historia de Camila y Tommaso y la de Cross y Catherine, tienen pinta de que seran impresionantes.
3.75 Estrellas!
August 27, 2019
This series has always been a strong 4 stars for me. But this last book isn't as engaging as the first two books. That's not too say that this series isn't worth reading. I will still rate this as a 4 stars mafia series. But if I were to rate this final book alone, it will be a 3 stars.
This review will contain spoiler if you haven't read the prior two books.
From the ending of Book 2, we knew that Emma is pregnant and Calisto has amnesia. What an awesome cliffhanger right?
But in Book 3, I feel that there isn't much happening, there is lack of drama and action which I craved. Calisto is sitting there and feeling confused about himself. Emma is trying her best to keep her baby safe and she can't do anything to help Calisto beside waiting for him to remember. Affonso the ass, feeling smug about the new baby and trying to stop Calisto from gaining his memory. As you can see, all three parties in this story is pretty much in a position of 'wait and see'.
The only part that was interesting is the last quarter when Calisto finally gain his memory and trying to extradite his family from Affonso's grip. However, when the ending come, I feel a bit anti-climatic. I understand we need to face some harsh reality, but nonetheless, the epilogue fill me with a bittersweet moment. I'm hoping the author plan a spin off of this series because I need a more fulfilling closure for Calisto.
This review will contain spoiler if you haven't read the prior two books.
From the ending of Book 2, we knew that Emma is pregnant and Calisto has amnesia. What an awesome cliffhanger right?
But in Book 3, I feel that there isn't much happening, there is lack of drama and action which I craved. Calisto is sitting there and feeling confused about himself. Emma is trying her best to keep her baby safe and she can't do anything to help Calisto beside waiting for him to remember. Affonso the ass, feeling smug about the new baby and trying to stop Calisto from gaining his memory. As you can see, all three parties in this story is pretty much in a position of 'wait and see'.
The only part that was interesting is the last quarter when Calisto finally gain his memory and trying to extradite his family from Affonso's grip. However, when the ending come, I feel a bit anti-climatic. I understand we need to face some harsh reality, but nonetheless, the epilogue fill me with a bittersweet moment. I'm hoping the author plan a spin off of this series because I need a more fulfilling closure for Calisto.
September 30, 2019
5 STARS!
There are some books that play out like movies in your head and you forget you're reading. Thin Lives was that book. In fact the whole series was just that. It all played out like a very vivid movie.
After the craziness that left me so angry, hurt, sad, mad ANGRY in Thin Lines I was so anxious to start Thin Lives. I usually stay away from Amnesia related story lines because I can't handle the angst and the character not remembering the lover etc. But in Thin Lives.... I loved how it was executed. I absolutely loved it. I felt Calisto's struggle as he tried to remember and I felt Emma's pain every time she was around Calisto and he couldn't remember her.
Thin Lives picked up a few months after Thin Lines. Calisto has no recollection of the last 2 and a half years and he's trying to remember anything that happened within that time frame. He knew something wasn't right from the moment he woke up at the hospital. Things aren't making sense and the more he digs the more he's confused about the things he remembers. He's especially confused about the unexplainable attraction he feels for his uncle's - the Don's - Wife. It's forbidden. He knows it and he can't seem to fathom why he would have feelings for someone that's unattainable. The closer he tries to get to her the more she tries to push him away and he doesn't understand why... Yet. He just wants answers... Things aren't making sense especially with the way Affonso had been acting around him.
And this was one of the main reason why I loved how this was executed. We know the truth but we are rooting so hard for Calisto. For him to keep digging and question everything and everyone around him.
And then we had Emma. She's pregnant and trying her best to make sure that everything is going as planned with the pregnancy and that she's healthy and her baby is healthy. Every time she sees Calisto... it's just painful. For her and for us readers. THE ANGST WAS SO REAL AND ALMOST UNBEARABLE! She wants so bad for him to just remember but it's a life or death situation. There were so many times I wanted her to just tell Calisto the truth!
But freakin' Affonso.
The manipulation from Affonso was simply disgusting. Affonso is the worst type of villian. He can come across as ~almost~ human when he discusses his *love* (gag) for Calisto or 'his' unborn child (delusional or what) but then he fucks it up by being just him. He's the type of guy that feels like he's entitled to do whatever wherever and doesn't care for repercussions. He doesn't care for anyone but himself. He's a monster. A snake. A fucking pig. I lost count of how many times I said 'I hate Affonso'. I actually despised him with such passion. The way he treated Emma was disgusting and so unacceptable. He didn't care for anyone but himself. Can you feel my hatred for the guy?
Bethany-Kris has such a flawless writing style. I can read her writing forever. The flow of the story and how every thing links and the story telling nature makes the story even more pleasant to read. There was so much going on and so much unraveling happening. And it was all handled and revealed effortlessly. I just sat back and enjoyed the ride. In the end I was so satisfied with everything. I was more than happy with how it all worked out. Granted the journey there was full of lies, betrayal and heartbreak but we got there. Bethany-Kris didn't let me down (as usual) and she gave Emma and Cal the ending they deserved.
----------
Sidenote: The epilogue has me very excited for Catherine and Cross' story. There's a very interesting story there and I want to know more! I had to reread Legacy just to read the two having a conversation with each other.
June 16, 2017
***** 4 Stars *****
Cannot be read as a standalone
Thin Lives is the final book to the Donati Bloodlines series. I can't believe it's over!
Cal is fighting to regain his lost memories, and Emma is doing whatever she can to protect her unborn child and herself.
There's just so much angst in the story! I've read other stories by Bethany-Kris, and so far this series is my favorite.
Cannot be read as a standalone
Thin Lives is the final book to the Donati Bloodlines series. I can't believe it's over!
Cal is fighting to regain his lost memories, and Emma is doing whatever she can to protect her unborn child and herself.
There's just so much angst in the story! I've read other stories by Bethany-Kris, and so far this series is my favorite.
October 21, 2019
Leave it to Bethany to give us an awesome story as always. She really never disappoints.
Book three picks right up where book two stopped and thank god it did! I needed to know how this series would end.
After the accident, Calisto loses his memory of the past few years, and he’s trying to figure out what he’s missing.
‘He knew he was missing something. More than memories. More than passing days and months. More than conversations, family and burials and business. Something important was missing.’
Emma keeps her hope that he’ll get his memory back. He just needed that one moment that would bring everything back.
‘They weren’t hopeless. Net yet’
But nothing in life ever comes easy, and they’ll find out the hard way.
I seriously love Bethany’s writing. I felt like I was right there with the characters and I felt every emotion to the core.
The way Calisto was trying to get his memory back and was getting frustrated in the progress really kept me on the edge of my seat.
But I felt like for the last book of this series, too much time was focused on this and not the end. I loved how it all played out but the ending felt a little rushed to me. I needed more.
At the end of the day, this book was the perfect conclusion to a series that I invested emotionally in. I loved these characters beyond words, and finding every piece of the puzzle was an amazing ride to be on.
4 stars for this book, but the complete series is a 5star one for me!
‘It wasn’t about winning anyway. Love wasn’t about battles’
Book three picks right up where book two stopped and thank god it did! I needed to know how this series would end.
After the accident, Calisto loses his memory of the past few years, and he’s trying to figure out what he’s missing.
‘He knew he was missing something. More than memories. More than passing days and months. More than conversations, family and burials and business. Something important was missing.’
Emma keeps her hope that he’ll get his memory back. He just needed that one moment that would bring everything back.
‘They weren’t hopeless. Net yet’
But nothing in life ever comes easy, and they’ll find out the hard way.
I seriously love Bethany’s writing. I felt like I was right there with the characters and I felt every emotion to the core.
The way Calisto was trying to get his memory back and was getting frustrated in the progress really kept me on the edge of my seat.
But I felt like for the last book of this series, too much time was focused on this and not the end. I loved how it all played out but the ending felt a little rushed to me. I needed more.
At the end of the day, this book was the perfect conclusion to a series that I invested emotionally in. I loved these characters beyond words, and finding every piece of the puzzle was an amazing ride to be on.
4 stars for this book, but the complete series is a 5star one for me!
‘It wasn’t about winning anyway. Love wasn’t about battles’
January 20, 2017
The last chapter of Calisto and Emma's story.
This was beautiful! 10 out of 10 to this series!
I felt every second of Emma's torment, watching Calisto be lied to, watching him love the man who ruined his mother's life, watching him look at her with no recognition, watching him forget who he really was. And having to go through another pregnancy on her own. She lives in fear and anxiety of what her husband will do to her...to her son...to Calisto if he ever remembers.
Calisto has no recollection of the past two and half years of his life. His mother is dead. His Uncle is remarried and his wife looks at him with some emotion he can't place. Affonso says to leave it in the past and move forward but Calisto starts noticing that things aren't adding up. His Uncle was different, he acted distant. But why would the man who raised him be acting so...cold. What happened in the two and half years that he has no memory of?
Tension is so damn high in this one!
Every time Cal would get some sort of flashback or feeling I'd be cheering and begging him to remember Emma, who she was to him.
Everything turned out alright in the end.
No one will ever really understand the pain, torment, sorrow, loss that Emma and Cal went through just to be together. Was it wrong? Yes. Emma was a married woman, but that marriage was a sham...the love Cal and her shared was the only true and pure thing in that entire situation.
I'm not a fan of cheating, but Emma was Cal's first and never stopped being his despite the ring on her finger and change of last name.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR CROSS AND CATHERINE'S STORY!!!!! Gimme gimme gimme!
OOOOOH and who their daughter ended up marrying!!!! Love how the different series are in the same world and are all connected. I wish there was a scene with Cal and Tommas though. That would've been amazing.
This was beautiful! 10 out of 10 to this series!
I felt every second of Emma's torment, watching Calisto be lied to, watching him love the man who ruined his mother's life, watching him look at her with no recognition, watching him forget who he really was. And having to go through another pregnancy on her own. She lives in fear and anxiety of what her husband will do to her...to her son...to Calisto if he ever remembers.
Calisto has no recollection of the past two and half years of his life. His mother is dead. His Uncle is remarried and his wife looks at him with some emotion he can't place. Affonso says to leave it in the past and move forward but Calisto starts noticing that things aren't adding up. His Uncle was different, he acted distant. But why would the man who raised him be acting so...cold. What happened in the two and half years that he has no memory of?
Tension is so damn high in this one!
Every time Cal would get some sort of flashback or feeling I'd be cheering and begging him to remember Emma, who she was to him.
Everything turned out alright in the end.
No one will ever really understand the pain, torment, sorrow, loss that Emma and Cal went through just to be together. Was it wrong? Yes. Emma was a married woman, but that marriage was a sham...the love Cal and her shared was the only true and pure thing in that entire situation.
I'm not a fan of cheating, but Emma was Cal's first and never stopped being his despite the ring on her finger and change of last name.
I CANNOT WAIT FOR CROSS AND CATHERINE'S STORY!!!!! Gimme gimme gimme!
OOOOOH and who their daughter ended up marrying!!!! Love how the different series are in the same world and are all connected. I wish there was a scene with Cal and Tommas though. That would've been amazing.
December 27, 2020
Son las 5:22 a.m y sí, recién me voy a dormir😅
Amé muchísimo esta historia! Cal y Emma me encantaron un montón!
Muero por leer las historias de Cross y Cam.
Amé muchísimo esta historia! Cal y Emma me encantaron un montón!
Muero por leer las historias de Cross y Cam.
November 6, 2020
3.5 Stars
July 8, 2022
4.5/5 ⭐️ I LOVED/HATED THE 25+ YEARS JUMP TL AT THE END
December 12, 2022
stayed till 4 am to finish this and I swear you will never meet a man more green-red flag in a mafia book like calisto … he took I will kill for you to Harry kanes penalty level is all I will say
don’t touch emmacalisto they are private property.
don’t touch emmacalisto they are private property.
September 6, 2016
ARC Received from Author for an Honest Review
Affonso was manipulating Calisto and the affection he held for his uncle. He was using Calisto's own feelings and confusion against him, making him seem like a paranoid party.
The final book in the Thin Lines trilogy comes to an end with Thin Lives. Emma and Calisto's struggle to achieve their love comes to a bitter sweet end. Obviously, they have a happy ending but the secret that they have together still thrives, and only a select few know about the secret. Lives are pulled together from the rumble left in the previous book. Set in New York the dramatic cliffhanger in the last book is given the best in ending in Thin Lines. Written in third person point of view of both Emma and Calisto, the book provides culmination to a splendidly written and enjoyable read.
"What is it?" Calisto asked suddenly. "It's all over your face-you're just standing there like you don’t even know which way to go."
Much changes and progress is made in the crime world of the streets of New York. Emma as a character has a significant development as will be revealed as the story progresses. Emma as a character has developed much in terms of strength, making the best of the situation she is dealt with and lastly the addition that is the very core of her love. Calisto on the other hand struggles with the reality and what is presented to him by his uncle Affonso. Their duel continues as Affonso and Calisto will continue to play a game of cunning manipulation and deceit. Affonso the villain of the story becomes more agitated as time slips by and sets his sight on Calisto's kinship in a never ending cycle of blood and greed.
Calisto thanked God for his shitty luck and someone else's stupidity. A man should never leave a scene until he was sure his target had stopped breathing. That was one of the first rules he'd learned growing up under Affonso's direction.
The plot was well woven with suspense, mystery and romance in a web of deceit and betrayal. The author kept the pace steady towards a faster side and with an epic epilogue which sets a path for the future. The book is well written and I have always been a fan of the author's quotes, they are among the best in the genre hands down. Truly worth the time and effort. The book is also edited well and the author's writing flair is like icing on top. The downside would be that I believe Emma and Calisto's characters weren't strong enough for me to swoon about, I would have really liked something different in them which would have made them standout.
Emma was tired of walking on eggshells, of being afraid.
Truly a well-deserved end to a remarkably written suspenseful read, starting with Thin Lines and ending with Thin Lives another journey of the mafia comes to an end. Thin Lives is a page turning read which tells the story of Emma and Calisto towards their happy end. I hope to read more from this author and since I love her writing style. Sometimes a good writing style helps one decide on the next book. There are more to come from this author and I hope I would continue to be amazed by the talent held by some. Enjoy!!
And when he did ..when he had that answer Affonso was going to wish that his death would be as easy and quick as God would provide to him for his years of lies and betrayals.
But Calisto wasn't God-certainly not Affonso's.
Life isn’t without it's thorns, if it's the flower that is desired the thorns must be overcome.
Affonso was manipulating Calisto and the affection he held for his uncle. He was using Calisto's own feelings and confusion against him, making him seem like a paranoid party.
The final book in the Thin Lines trilogy comes to an end with Thin Lives. Emma and Calisto's struggle to achieve their love comes to a bitter sweet end. Obviously, they have a happy ending but the secret that they have together still thrives, and only a select few know about the secret. Lives are pulled together from the rumble left in the previous book. Set in New York the dramatic cliffhanger in the last book is given the best in ending in Thin Lines. Written in third person point of view of both Emma and Calisto, the book provides culmination to a splendidly written and enjoyable read.
"What is it?" Calisto asked suddenly. "It's all over your face-you're just standing there like you don’t even know which way to go."
Much changes and progress is made in the crime world of the streets of New York. Emma as a character has a significant development as will be revealed as the story progresses. Emma as a character has developed much in terms of strength, making the best of the situation she is dealt with and lastly the addition that is the very core of her love. Calisto on the other hand struggles with the reality and what is presented to him by his uncle Affonso. Their duel continues as Affonso and Calisto will continue to play a game of cunning manipulation and deceit. Affonso the villain of the story becomes more agitated as time slips by and sets his sight on Calisto's kinship in a never ending cycle of blood and greed.
Calisto thanked God for his shitty luck and someone else's stupidity. A man should never leave a scene until he was sure his target had stopped breathing. That was one of the first rules he'd learned growing up under Affonso's direction.
The plot was well woven with suspense, mystery and romance in a web of deceit and betrayal. The author kept the pace steady towards a faster side and with an epic epilogue which sets a path for the future. The book is well written and I have always been a fan of the author's quotes, they are among the best in the genre hands down. Truly worth the time and effort. The book is also edited well and the author's writing flair is like icing on top. The downside would be that I believe Emma and Calisto's characters weren't strong enough for me to swoon about, I would have really liked something different in them which would have made them standout.
Emma was tired of walking on eggshells, of being afraid.
Truly a well-deserved end to a remarkably written suspenseful read, starting with Thin Lines and ending with Thin Lives another journey of the mafia comes to an end. Thin Lives is a page turning read which tells the story of Emma and Calisto towards their happy end. I hope to read more from this author and since I love her writing style. Sometimes a good writing style helps one decide on the next book. There are more to come from this author and I hope I would continue to be amazed by the talent held by some. Enjoy!!
And when he did ..when he had that answer Affonso was going to wish that his death would be as easy and quick as God would provide to him for his years of lies and betrayals.
But Calisto wasn't God-certainly not Affonso's.
Life isn’t without it's thorns, if it's the flower that is desired the thorns must be overcome.
September 23, 2019
4.25 Stars
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Not a standalone, please read the previous novels prior to reading this review.
‘He knew he was missing something. More than memories. More than passing days and months. More than conversations, family and burials and business. Something important was missing.’
The Donati Bloodlines series pulled me into its grasps and never let me go. They're the kind of books you read in one sitting, in order, just to get the full effect of the story. Thin Lives is no different, the story is just as gripping, especially after the cliffhanger we're left with at the end of Thin Lines. Best read in order, Thin Lives brings us back into the action-packed, suspense fueled world of Emma and Calisto, two star crossed lovers at the wrong end of the mafia's attention. The stakes are upped in Thin Lives, the drama kicked up a notch, the anxiety layered on thick, and the unknowns piling up. I knew this was going to be the closure I needed in the series, but I didn't know what to expect. Bethany-Kris did not let me down. From accidents to "accidents," the reader is in the midst of every twist and turn, left with only the ability to root for Calisto and Emma as they fight against the world they'd accepted for so long. There's nothing easy about these two, their relationship is just as impossible in this final book as it has been in the past, but the fight is real and the steps they take to make the impossible possible made me turn every page just that much faster.
If something feels wrong to you, it probably is. If it doesn't seem right, then it isn't. Dont trust based on loyalty and blind faith. He is not who you think he is.
Like the previous two novels, I was swept right back into the story, in love with Bethany-Kris' ability to write such distinctly unique characters with different thoughts and dialogue styles. The characters came to life for me, the bloodshed seemed to happen before my very eyes, and as things got tense I scooted right to the edge of my seat, prepared for anything. This conclusion takes everything the previous two novels built upon and provides readers with the ending they desired from the very beginning, only with a lot more depth and action than your usual HEA. Bethany-Kris also delivers with a detailed epilogue, that wasn't necessarily my style, but did answer all the reader's burning questions. It also allowed us to see the future, the next books to come from the always incredible storyteller of mafia romance.
I know you're what I'm missing...
The Donati Bloodlines are an absolute favorite of mine; I love Emmy, and I have a little dark spot in my heart for Cal. If you are a fan of mafia romance and looking for an author who tells the story right, Bethany-Kris is it for you.
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Not a standalone, please read the previous novels prior to reading this review.
‘He knew he was missing something. More than memories. More than passing days and months. More than conversations, family and burials and business. Something important was missing.’
The Donati Bloodlines series pulled me into its grasps and never let me go. They're the kind of books you read in one sitting, in order, just to get the full effect of the story. Thin Lives is no different, the story is just as gripping, especially after the cliffhanger we're left with at the end of Thin Lines. Best read in order, Thin Lives brings us back into the action-packed, suspense fueled world of Emma and Calisto, two star crossed lovers at the wrong end of the mafia's attention. The stakes are upped in Thin Lives, the drama kicked up a notch, the anxiety layered on thick, and the unknowns piling up. I knew this was going to be the closure I needed in the series, but I didn't know what to expect. Bethany-Kris did not let me down. From accidents to "accidents," the reader is in the midst of every twist and turn, left with only the ability to root for Calisto and Emma as they fight against the world they'd accepted for so long. There's nothing easy about these two, their relationship is just as impossible in this final book as it has been in the past, but the fight is real and the steps they take to make the impossible possible made me turn every page just that much faster.
If something feels wrong to you, it probably is. If it doesn't seem right, then it isn't. Dont trust based on loyalty and blind faith. He is not who you think he is.
Like the previous two novels, I was swept right back into the story, in love with Bethany-Kris' ability to write such distinctly unique characters with different thoughts and dialogue styles. The characters came to life for me, the bloodshed seemed to happen before my very eyes, and as things got tense I scooted right to the edge of my seat, prepared for anything. This conclusion takes everything the previous two novels built upon and provides readers with the ending they desired from the very beginning, only with a lot more depth and action than your usual HEA. Bethany-Kris also delivers with a detailed epilogue, that wasn't necessarily my style, but did answer all the reader's burning questions. It also allowed us to see the future, the next books to come from the always incredible storyteller of mafia romance.
I know you're what I'm missing...
The Donati Bloodlines are an absolute favorite of mine; I love Emmy, and I have a little dark spot in my heart for Cal. If you are a fan of mafia romance and looking for an author who tells the story right, Bethany-Kris is it for you.
October 21, 2019
*5 Cross Nazio Donati stars*
WOW! What a great ending to an amazing series! This book was so action packed...never knew what will happen at each and every turn.
This story is so different from the Filthy Marcello's series or The Chicago War series...it's raw...it's dark...it's powerful! No words can describe it.
Emma...I'm so freaking happy she got her happily ever after! My poor heart kept breaking over her situation :( she is such a strong emotional character.
Calisto...one of the BEST fictional characters EVER written! He was so badass in this book...especially after his memory returned. When he got his revenge...I laughed like a crazy person :)
And I LOVE it when the Marcello family make a cameo...Always imagine badass music intro playing. ;)
That ending though! New generation kids are everything! After Legacy I was intrigued with the whole Catherine Marcello and Cross Donati relationship. Yet again there was reference to it here in Thin Lives...can't freaking wait for the series! Ahhh need more!!! And please oh please tell me Cross will know the family secrets one day...Calisto deserves hearing that word in truth!
WOW! What a great ending to an amazing series! This book was so action packed...never knew what will happen at each and every turn.
This story is so different from the Filthy Marcello's series or The Chicago War series...it's raw...it's dark...it's powerful! No words can describe it.
Emma...I'm so freaking happy she got her happily ever after! My poor heart kept breaking over her situation :( she is such a strong emotional character.
Calisto...one of the BEST fictional characters EVER written! He was so badass in this book...especially after his memory returned. When he got his revenge...I laughed like a crazy person :)
And I LOVE it when the Marcello family make a cameo...Always imagine badass music intro playing. ;)
That ending though! New generation kids are everything! After Legacy I was intrigued with the whole Catherine Marcello and Cross Donati relationship. Yet again there was reference to it here in Thin Lives...can't freaking wait for the series! Ahhh need more!!! And please oh please tell me Cross will know the family secrets one day...Calisto deserves hearing that word in truth!
October 21, 2019
5 PERFECT STARS!!!!
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review*
Bethany-Kris you never disappoint.
Emma and Calisto's story continues.....
So much angst tension and emotion just waiting for every thing to come full circle in this book and when it finally does BAM. Lines have been crossed and too many lives are at stake. Enemies are lurking and allies are being formed it's time to put an end to it all. No one is safe.
Don't even get me started on the epilogue OMG. I loved it right until the very last word.
Perfect conclusion to Emma and Calisto's story.
*ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review*
Bethany-Kris you never disappoint.
Emma and Calisto's story continues.....
So much angst tension and emotion just waiting for every thing to come full circle in this book and when it finally does BAM. Lines have been crossed and too many lives are at stake. Enemies are lurking and allies are being formed it's time to put an end to it all. No one is safe.
Don't even get me started on the epilogue OMG. I loved it right until the very last word.
Perfect conclusion to Emma and Calisto's story.
consider-later
June 20, 2016
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June 25, 2020
Will post my review very soon.
August 3, 2025
prob one of the few mafia books that rly moved me💕 so glad they finally got their happy ending after everything they went through, they def suffered more than jesus. the epilogue made me tear up, it felt like i was part of their little family too and i can’t wait to read crosscatherine
December 11, 2021
i love emma and calisto so much. their story was a rollercoaster of emotions but I’m glad they got the ending they deserved🥺 definitely one of my favorite mafia couples.
August 26, 2016
Gather around the table, my Donati Bloodlines book-loving friends. It’s time for the grand finale/winner takes all, high stakes mafia romance conclusion to this epic series by Bethany-Kris. The mafioso cards were first shuffled and hands dealt in Book 1, Thin Lies, leaving Calisto and Emma wishing Lady Luck and the Queen of Hearts had been more on their side. Calisto was forced to fold, not even show his hand, and let his uncle, Affonso, walk away with the ultimate prize...Emma as his beautiful bride. Round two left them still in the game but mostly playing under the table as they tried to keep their “can’t be denied” attraction/affair a secret. But the jaw dropping, cataclysmic Calisto catastrophe at the end dealt them both the worst possible hand imaginable.
In round three, Thin Lives, Emma is forced to wear her best poker face and continue playing the charade of happy marriage to Affonso, the monster Don we all love to hate. She knows he won’t hesitate to take her completely out of the game “permanently”, especially if she reveals to anyone she’s carrying Calisto’s baby. Her only hope is Cal’s memory returns in time to claim what is his...her heart and his son.
Fortunately for us, Cal may have lost his memory of the last 2.5 years, but he hasn’t lost his mafioso marbles. He can sense something is off, starting with his uncle’s elusive/evasive responses and then confirmed by the fleeting, pleading expressions he sees in Emma’s eyes. That is whenever he is even allowed to be in the same room with her. Finally, between his frame by frame repeating nightmare of his car accident and flashbacks involving Emma, he starts to put the pieces together. The clock is ticking, however, as murder and mayhem breaks out around them. Turns out someone will kill to keep him from learning the truth.
With some unlikely help from other sources, Cal proves he can outplay them all by using patience, sheer determination, and carefully thought out payback retribution. You see, he not only wants to end the marriage connection between Emma and Affonso, but all aspects, as well. With assistance from the Marcellos brothers, namely Gio, he does just that. Let’s just say, you had better watch out when you ask Giovanni to step in. He doesn’t hesitant to go OTT to get the job done.
With writing that flows, heart wrenching angst, hold your breath drama, we finally see this couple get their HEA. As you’ve likely guessed, things get rather messy. After all, ultimately in the mafioso world of romance, it usually takes blood and bullets to get your message across.
Is this the end? With a lengthy epilogue involving Emma and Cal’s children, it appears there likely will be a series spin-off eventually, interwoven with mafia families from Bethany-Kris’ other series. You can darn well bet I’ll be all in to see the next Donati generation continue the legacy.
Title: Thin Lives, Series: Donati Bloodlines (Book 3), Author: Bethany-Kris, Pages: 309, not a stand-alone, meant to be read in serial order, final book, HEA, ultimate payback time, MC are only intimate with each other, no love triangle, heroine is still unwillingly married to hero’s relative, mafia related drama/violence, determined hero, only a couple VERY steamy scenes with lusty language, Marcellos brothers cameos.
This series is not a "Goodreads Safety Romance" since heroine is married to another man. However, she is only intimate with the hero in book 3.
Book 1 – Thin Lies, 5/2/16, Pages: 268 (Calisto & Emma), cliffhanger
Book 2 - Thin Lines, 6/20/16, Pages: 306, (Calisto & Emma), cliffhanger
Book 3 – Thin Lives, 9/6/16, Pages: 309...the conclusion
(This review is based on ARC ebook received via the author in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No monetary compensation was made. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher.)
In round three, Thin Lives, Emma is forced to wear her best poker face and continue playing the charade of happy marriage to Affonso, the monster Don we all love to hate. She knows he won’t hesitate to take her completely out of the game “permanently”, especially if she reveals to anyone she’s carrying Calisto’s baby. Her only hope is Cal’s memory returns in time to claim what is his...her heart and his son.
Fortunately for us, Cal may have lost his memory of the last 2.5 years, but he hasn’t lost his mafioso marbles. He can sense something is off, starting with his uncle’s elusive/evasive responses and then confirmed by the fleeting, pleading expressions he sees in Emma’s eyes. That is whenever he is even allowed to be in the same room with her. Finally, between his frame by frame repeating nightmare of his car accident and flashbacks involving Emma, he starts to put the pieces together. The clock is ticking, however, as murder and mayhem breaks out around them. Turns out someone will kill to keep him from learning the truth.
With some unlikely help from other sources, Cal proves he can outplay them all by using patience, sheer determination, and carefully thought out payback retribution. You see, he not only wants to end the marriage connection between Emma and Affonso, but all aspects, as well. With assistance from the Marcellos brothers, namely Gio, he does just that. Let’s just say, you had better watch out when you ask Giovanni to step in. He doesn’t hesitant to go OTT to get the job done.
With writing that flows, heart wrenching angst, hold your breath drama, we finally see this couple get their HEA. As you’ve likely guessed, things get rather messy. After all, ultimately in the mafioso world of romance, it usually takes blood and bullets to get your message across.
Is this the end? With a lengthy epilogue involving Emma and Cal’s children, it appears there likely will be a series spin-off eventually, interwoven with mafia families from Bethany-Kris’ other series. You can darn well bet I’ll be all in to see the next Donati generation continue the legacy.
Title: Thin Lives, Series: Donati Bloodlines (Book 3), Author: Bethany-Kris, Pages: 309, not a stand-alone, meant to be read in serial order, final book, HEA, ultimate payback time, MC are only intimate with each other, no love triangle, heroine is still unwillingly married to hero’s relative, mafia related drama/violence, determined hero, only a couple VERY steamy scenes with lusty language, Marcellos brothers cameos.
This series is not a "Goodreads Safety Romance" since heroine is married to another man. However, she is only intimate with the hero in book 3.
Book 1 – Thin Lies, 5/2/16, Pages: 268 (Calisto & Emma), cliffhanger
Book 2 - Thin Lines, 6/20/16, Pages: 306, (Calisto & Emma), cliffhanger
Book 3 – Thin Lives, 9/6/16, Pages: 309...the conclusion
(This review is based on ARC ebook received via the author in exchange for an honest, unbiased opinion. No monetary compensation was made. There is no relationship/affiliation between the reviewer and the author/publisher.)
October 21, 2019
THE END 5 million stars
Holy Batman in Gotham! The epic rollercoaster ride from mafia hell has come to an end. I am reeling from everything that has happened. The sheer emotional turmoil and upheaval has left me numb. By the end of Thin Lines, I was ranting and raving at the author. I was unable to comprehend what the author was making Emmy and Cal go through. I wanted to wrap them up in a cocoon and shoot Affonso at the same time.
Thin Lives starts off with the heartbreaking news that Cal remembers nothing of what has transpired in the last two and half years. All the pain and suffering and the great love that was Cal and Emmy’s was NO MORE. WTH! What were you thinking?!... Was what was going round and round in my head as I glared at the author. If glares could maim, Bethany-Kris, my beloved Mafia Queen would be hurt. That is how mad I was. So thus the story continues, with Emmy being the shell of her old self. She tries to be invisible, because all she cares about is her baby as she tries to minimize herself as much as possible to keep out of each of the monster that resides inside the body of Affonso. And then the whole Cal and his take on his beloved uncle *commence gagging*. If there was one person I would feel no qualms at all to shoot or maim, it would be this mafia boss.
And then there was Cal, lost and unable to remember the past two and half years. He doesn’t understand the significance of the poker chip or the rosary *commence wailing in agony*, which he wakes to find in his hospital room. He doesn’t understand that look that his uncle’s wife gave him or why she keeps hiding herself whenever he’s around. He doesn’t get why he’s being isolated when he doesn’t remember anything. He needs answers that no one is willing to give him. They all want him to wait as if magically his memory would return.
And then one night he’s startled awake by a memory and rushes to investigate and finds the utter chaos waiting for him. I was screaming by this point, because I just knew, I knew what Affonso was up to. And Emmy watched helplessly on the sidelines as Cal was once again manipulated by his beloved uncle *commence more gagging*.
But Cal being who he is, doesn’t believe everything is as black and white that his uncle is making everything to be. He questions things that do not make sense, and then when he’s on the verge of something, BAM! Bullets hail down like the wrath of god and THE END.
Yes, dear readers, well that wasn’t the END but that’s what happens. I almost dropped my kindle or fake throw it at Bethany-Kris. URGH! Emmy is left all alone while Affonse gets more and more aggravating, IF you can believe that. And then the whole baby thing happens again and I DID not want to read on. I just couldn’t, by this time I was completely numb. The dark was enveloping the little bit of hope and light that I had.
I wanted Cal to rain terror on Affonso, I wanted him to sweep down and rescue his love and baby. I wanted so many things, yet Bethany-Kris stood at the door to my happiness with her best friend Affonso as guard. If you want to know whether Cal and Emmy get their HEA, you have to read this to THE END. And another warning, the epilogue had me bawling like a baby. I was sooooo freaking unable to get my eyes to stop leaking. READ THIS FREAKING SERIES OR FOREVER HOLD YOURSELF RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT READING THE QUEEN OF MAFIA’S BEST BOOK EVER. Well one of her best everrrrr.
Holy Batman in Gotham! The epic rollercoaster ride from mafia hell has come to an end. I am reeling from everything that has happened. The sheer emotional turmoil and upheaval has left me numb. By the end of Thin Lines, I was ranting and raving at the author. I was unable to comprehend what the author was making Emmy and Cal go through. I wanted to wrap them up in a cocoon and shoot Affonso at the same time.
Thin Lives starts off with the heartbreaking news that Cal remembers nothing of what has transpired in the last two and half years. All the pain and suffering and the great love that was Cal and Emmy’s was NO MORE. WTH! What were you thinking?!... Was what was going round and round in my head as I glared at the author. If glares could maim, Bethany-Kris, my beloved Mafia Queen would be hurt. That is how mad I was. So thus the story continues, with Emmy being the shell of her old self. She tries to be invisible, because all she cares about is her baby as she tries to minimize herself as much as possible to keep out of each of the monster that resides inside the body of Affonso. And then the whole Cal and his take on his beloved uncle *commence gagging*. If there was one person I would feel no qualms at all to shoot or maim, it would be this mafia boss.
And then there was Cal, lost and unable to remember the past two and half years. He doesn’t understand the significance of the poker chip or the rosary *commence wailing in agony*, which he wakes to find in his hospital room. He doesn’t understand that look that his uncle’s wife gave him or why she keeps hiding herself whenever he’s around. He doesn’t get why he’s being isolated when he doesn’t remember anything. He needs answers that no one is willing to give him. They all want him to wait as if magically his memory would return.
And then one night he’s startled awake by a memory and rushes to investigate and finds the utter chaos waiting for him. I was screaming by this point, because I just knew, I knew what Affonso was up to. And Emmy watched helplessly on the sidelines as Cal was once again manipulated by his beloved uncle *commence more gagging*.
But Cal being who he is, doesn’t believe everything is as black and white that his uncle is making everything to be. He questions things that do not make sense, and then when he’s on the verge of something, BAM! Bullets hail down like the wrath of god and THE END.
Yes, dear readers, well that wasn’t the END but that’s what happens. I almost dropped my kindle or fake throw it at Bethany-Kris. URGH! Emmy is left all alone while Affonse gets more and more aggravating, IF you can believe that. And then the whole baby thing happens again and I DID not want to read on. I just couldn’t, by this time I was completely numb. The dark was enveloping the little bit of hope and light that I had.
I wanted Cal to rain terror on Affonso, I wanted him to sweep down and rescue his love and baby. I wanted so many things, yet Bethany-Kris stood at the door to my happiness with her best friend Affonso as guard. If you want to know whether Cal and Emmy get their HEA, you have to read this to THE END. And another warning, the epilogue had me bawling like a baby. I was sooooo freaking unable to get my eyes to stop leaking. READ THIS FREAKING SERIES OR FOREVER HOLD YOURSELF RESPONSIBLE FOR NOT READING THE QUEEN OF MAFIA’S BEST BOOK EVER. Well one of her best everrrrr.
December 4, 2021
First read Sep 2019: ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 3 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
Re-Read Nov 2021: ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 4 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
“The day she broke her marriage vows and started an affair with her husband's secret son was the day she had become the bad guy in her own story.”
not me tearing up at the epilogue💀
I loved this trilogy. I love it. My criticism the first time I read this book was that it was too slow and it felt boring. Now, two years later, loving slow burn books and books that take its time, this didn't bother me at all. It felt like an organic and natural progression.
I don't have much to say, I loved it. Still mad at how they kept the secret from Cross, though. That'll always seem unnecessary to me. And just mean.
Calisto and Emma will forever have my heart, bye.
p.s. the Marcellos make an appearance as well as Connor from Inflict.
*NOTE: this a trilogy about a forbidden romance and it should be read in order*
OG review:
Such a good couple, I loved them so much. This wasn’t my favorite book because i felt like it was dragged too much and idk it just felt somehow flat and dull for me. This is still such a good mafia story despite the little flaws. I’m sad Cross was left in the dark but I hope we settle that down on his story. Can’t wait to read his book!
Re-Read Nov 2021: ‧͙⁺˚*･༓☾☆ 4 stars ☆☽༓･*˚⁺‧͙
“The day she broke her marriage vows and started an affair with her husband's secret son was the day she had become the bad guy in her own story.”
not me tearing up at the epilogue💀
I loved this trilogy. I love it. My criticism the first time I read this book was that it was too slow and it felt boring. Now, two years later, loving slow burn books and books that take its time, this didn't bother me at all. It felt like an organic and natural progression.
I don't have much to say, I loved it. Still mad at how they kept the secret from Cross, though. That'll always seem unnecessary to me. And just mean.
Calisto and Emma will forever have my heart, bye.
p.s. the Marcellos make an appearance as well as Connor from Inflict.
*NOTE: this a trilogy about a forbidden romance and it should be read in order*
OG review:
Such a good couple, I loved them so much. This wasn’t my favorite book because i felt like it was dragged too much and idk it just felt somehow flat and dull for me. This is still such a good mafia story despite the little flaws. I’m sad Cross was left in the dark but I hope we settle that down on his story. Can’t wait to read his book!
╭─━━━━━━━━━━━━─╮
• Donati Bloodlines Trilogy •
Thin Lies #1 ─ 4.25 stars
Thin Lines #2 ─ 5 stars
Thin Lives #3 — 4 stars
Behind the Bloodlines #3.5 — 3.5 stars
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This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 29, 2016
Arc provide by author for honest review.
I absolutely love anything Bethany-Kris writes. She cannot go wrong and she proved that yet again with this powerful conclusion to the Bloodlines series. My heart ached for Cal throughout the entire book. It was heartbreaking to watch as he struggled to regain his memories and fit the pieces of his life back together. Emmy struggled in her own way, having to stand by as Calisto treated her with indifference, watching him fight with himself to remember his past, and with having to live with the secrets she was keeping from Cal. I did get frustrated as times throughout this book. I wanted some issues to be resolved a little sooner so that the H/h could spend more time together, but it was written the only way it could really happen. I was also frustrated with Cal at times towards the end when I did not think he was moving fast enough or doing all he could to protect Emma. I also felt that Emmy was not as strong in this book and definitely not as strong as some of Bethany-Kris's other heroines. However, she wasn't meant to be. That's not who she is. She is tough in her own way.
Overall, I thought is was a brilliant end to the series and can't wait for more from this author!
I absolutely love anything Bethany-Kris writes. She cannot go wrong and she proved that yet again with this powerful conclusion to the Bloodlines series. My heart ached for Cal throughout the entire book. It was heartbreaking to watch as he struggled to regain his memories and fit the pieces of his life back together. Emmy struggled in her own way, having to stand by as Calisto treated her with indifference, watching him fight with himself to remember his past, and with having to live with the secrets she was keeping from Cal. I did get frustrated as times throughout this book. I wanted some issues to be resolved a little sooner so that the H/h could spend more time together, but it was written the only way it could really happen. I was also frustrated with Cal at times towards the end when I did not think he was moving fast enough or doing all he could to protect Emma. I also felt that Emmy was not as strong in this book and definitely not as strong as some of Bethany-Kris's other heroines. However, she wasn't meant to be. That's not who she is. She is tough in her own way.
Overall, I thought is was a brilliant end to the series and can't wait for more from this author!
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