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Mafia Brides #1
Dark Blood
"You will bend to my will, or you will regret it, princess."
For the first time in her life, Bianca Da Costa feels free, even when she is bound by chains. Kidnapped from under her mobster daddy's nose, she has no way of escaping the Hound - the Abbate crime family's most vicious hitman.
But maybe she doesn't want to escape. Maybe her savior is the dark beast himself... And to face him, Bianca will have to look right into the eyes of the monster.
Matteo Salini is trained to kill. Pumped with drugs and used to blood, he doesn't expect to flinch when he has to take Bianca's life. She's beautiful - there is no doubt in that.
But Matteo has women servicing him left and right, and he doesn't need a spoiled mafia princess to screw with his head. Bianca is much more than that though, and her tenderness finds its way under Matteo's rough skin. She might be his only chance of redemption.
She's his prisoner, he's her savior.
And DARK BLOOD is about to be spilled.
Full-length dark romance novel. No cliffhanger. No cheating. HEA.
This is the type of book that needs to come with a WARNING!
If you don't like your heroes dark & brooding, and your sex rough & dirty, look away now.
For the first time in her life, Bianca Da Costa feels free, even when she is bound by chains. Kidnapped from under her mobster daddy's nose, she has no way of escaping the Hound - the Abbate crime family's most vicious hitman.
But maybe she doesn't want to escape. Maybe her savior is the dark beast himself... And to face him, Bianca will have to look right into the eyes of the monster.
Matteo Salini is trained to kill. Pumped with drugs and used to blood, he doesn't expect to flinch when he has to take Bianca's life. She's beautiful - there is no doubt in that.
But Matteo has women servicing him left and right, and he doesn't need a spoiled mafia princess to screw with his head. Bianca is much more than that though, and her tenderness finds its way under Matteo's rough skin. She might be his only chance of redemption.
She's his prisoner, he's her savior.
And DARK BLOOD is about to be spilled.
Full-length dark romance novel. No cliffhanger. No cheating. HEA.
This is the type of book that needs to come with a WARNING!
If you don't like your heroes dark & brooding, and your sex rough & dirty, look away now.
274 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 25, 2016
148 people are currently reading
1013 people want to read
About the author
Isabella Starling
103 books2,652 followersUSA Today bestselling author Isabella Starling describes her books with three words: dark, dirty and forbidden.
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And don't forget to join my Facebook group Good Girls Love Bad Boys to be the first to see my new covers, receive ARC opportunities & connect with myself and other readers! We do tons of giveaways and author takeovers too.
Click on the pic below to join!
CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM!
https://www.instagram.com/authorisabe...
VISIT MY AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE!
https://amzn.to/3lhl4R5
VISIT ME ON FACEBOOK!
https://www.facebook.com/authorisabel...
FOLLOW ME ON TWITTER!
https://twitter.com/authorstarling
SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER!
https://subscribepage.com/isabellasta...
And don't forget to join my Facebook group Good Girls Love Bad Boys to be the first to see my new covers, receive ARC opportunities & connect with myself and other readers! We do tons of giveaways and author takeovers too.
Click on the pic below to join!
CHECK OUT MY INSTAGRAM!
https://www.instagram.com/authorisabe...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 114 reviews
July 22, 2016
The blurb says: "If you don't like your bad boys or BAD, look the other way."
The blurb should say: "If you don't like your bad boys to tell you they're BAD, but show you they're a pussy willow within the first 15%, look for an actual DARK book deserving of a warning for BAD boys.
This Book In One Gif
What's The What?
Mafia enforcer MMC, Matteo, kidnaps mafia princess FMC, Bianca.
He's the bastard child of the head of his family. She's the bastard daughter of the head of her family. Their families hate each other and his family has killed all but her and her father.
Matteo whisks an unconscious Bianca off to her inevitable death. We get a chapter with an unconscious Bianca, and Matteo TELLING us at 8% ...
So I'm thinking...
Not hardly.
She wakes up.
Five seconds later, these two are like two dogs in heat dry humping each other. I swear I've been transported from a mafia book to some HBO wanna be porno.
She immediately trusts him despite knowing he just killed her brother a week ago.
He's went from wondering if his men will rape her at 8% and seeking his father's approval to this at 16% ...
All mofo bets are off on killing/hurting her because he dry humps her and sees a wet spot on her innocent little pink panties for him.
So, he kidnaps her from his evil father whom he's never once disobeyed.
Off they go to his apartment to have a Dom/Sub scene straight outta FSOG - minus the sex because he ain't ready to take her virginity just yet. It was hard sacrifice through all her begging to be taken. Whatdaya know.. Chivalry from a trained monster.
True love~ aww.
He leaves her alone, but she can't even fathom running away now. Why? Electricity in her blood for him.
Baddamn... An actual evil villain appears to tear down Matteo's apartment door and kidnap her so he can pretend she's his dead sister.
Why, yes, this does makes 3 times she's been kidnapped in 48 hours.
Poor Matteo is beside himself with grief, guilt, and quickest voiced instalove in book history.
No fear, Matteo's daddy who hates him so much that he forbids Matteo from even addressing him as dad is there to console him and make a plan to get her back.
Silly me I thought the dude saying "she will die" meant he actually wanted her dead. I guess I should've known that was mafia code for if she's kidnapped by you for me, by you for you, and then by someone else altogether ... we'd save her, make her my daughter-in-law, and all live HEA.
Of course, the answer here is for Matteo and his dad to go to her dad for a reunion among enemies to save Bianca.
I digress. Is there really a need to tell you that they storm in with the bad guy's dick mere centimeters from rape penetration and that they save the day and her virginity before they all sit together and all but sing a lullaby to her in her childhood bedroom? No? Good, I'll spare us all the rest.
The Writing
If nonsense is your jive, then I should warn you that the writing itself is befitting for the plot and characters. IE it treats readers like complete idiots...
Bottom Line
1 star.
Rec on KU; Gee, thanks, Amazon.
For The Author
This appears to be the author's first book. So, I'd like to give precise reasons why this is a one star book. • The MMC character arc shouldn't go from TELLING the reader he is an emotionless killer to him BEING a Disney style Dom in love over the course of 15 minutes reading. Same with the villain going from an unloving parent who's hell bent on revenge and genocide of a family to a caring father, hero, and all around peacefully swell guy with no explanation. • The plot is but a bunch of talking points strung together with nothing in the middle. Examples: A vendetta spanning 20 years and that's murdered almost an entire family is resolved instantaneously? Three kidnappings in 48 hours? An 18-yr-old girl never been kissed but makes an immediate and unafraid submissive to an unknown man who just killed her brother, killed her longtime guards, and kidnapped her? • Readers aren't idiots. Mundane and common sense elements are given paragraph upon paragraph of explanation, but the actual plot points go from A to Z, skipping any and all letters between. Too much fluff surrounded by zero substance.
The blurb should say: "If you don't like your bad boys to tell you they're BAD, but show you they're a pussy willow within the first 15%, look for an actual DARK book deserving of a warning for BAD boys.
This Book In One Gif
What's The What?
Mafia enforcer MMC, Matteo, kidnaps mafia princess FMC, Bianca.
He's the bastard child of the head of his family. She's the bastard daughter of the head of her family. Their families hate each other and his family has killed all but her and her father.
Matteo whisks an unconscious Bianca off to her inevitable death. We get a chapter with an unconscious Bianca, and Matteo TELLING us at 8% ...
"I'm going to kill her to make my father proud."
"I wonder detachedly whether one of my men will rape her.. -
"All I am is a killing machine."
So I'm thinking...
Not hardly.
She wakes up.
Five seconds later, these two are like two dogs in heat dry humping each other. I swear I've been transported from a mafia book to some HBO wanna be porno.
She immediately trusts him despite knowing he just killed her brother a week ago.
He's went from wondering if his men will rape her at 8% and seeking his father's approval to this at 16% ...
You couldn't kill her now. Not after seeing that looks of lust in her eyes. My father hesitates, possibly the only moment I've seen him indecisive in my entire life. "She will die," he says, and it hurts. Why does it fucking hurt. I imagine her pretty face roughed up and bloodied, and it makes me want to vomit. Shit."
All mofo bets are off on killing/hurting her because he dry humps her and sees a wet spot on her innocent little pink panties for him.
So, he kidnaps her from his evil father whom he's never once disobeyed.
Off they go to his apartment to have a Dom/Sub scene straight outta FSOG - minus the sex because he ain't ready to take her virginity just yet. It was hard sacrifice through all her begging to be taken. Whatdaya know.. Chivalry from a trained monster.
True love~ aww.
He leaves her alone, but she can't even fathom running away now. Why? Electricity in her blood for him.
Baddamn... An actual evil villain appears to tear down Matteo's apartment door and kidnap her so he can pretend she's his dead sister.
Why, yes, this does makes 3 times she's been kidnapped in 48 hours.
Poor Matteo is beside himself with grief, guilt, and quickest voiced instalove in book history.
No fear, Matteo's daddy who hates him so much that he forbids Matteo from even addressing him as dad is there to console him and make a plan to get her back.
Silly me I thought the dude saying "she will die" meant he actually wanted her dead. I guess I should've known that was mafia code for if she's kidnapped by you for me, by you for you, and then by someone else altogether ... we'd save her, make her my daughter-in-law, and all live HEA.
Of course, the answer here is for Matteo and his dad to go to her dad for a reunion among enemies to save Bianca.
I digress. Is there really a need to tell you that they storm in with the bad guy's dick mere centimeters from rape penetration and that they save the day and her virginity before they all sit together and all but sing a lullaby to her in her childhood bedroom? No? Good, I'll spare us all the rest.
The Writing
If nonsense is your jive, then I should warn you that the writing itself is befitting for the plot and characters. IE it treats readers like complete idiots...
"I climb off the bed and find some clothes neatly folded in a stack on the chest in front of the bed. {PRECISE, THANKS} They're my size, in pastel pink and white. {LUCKY, AYE} I put them on reluctantly, only because I don't want to prance around naked. {HOPE NOT BEING KIDNAPPED AND ALL} It would only make the situation more dangerous and disconcerting. {YA THINK} The outfit consists of pink yoga pants and a white T-shirt. {I didn't catch that it was pink and white 2 sentences ago.} Too girly and childish for me, but I put it on nonetheless. {DONT CALL YOU PRINCESS FOR NOTHING} There's a set of lacy lingerie, as well, and I put that on first. {ALL THIS TIME IVE PUT MY LINGERIE ON LAST .}
Bottom Line
1 star.
Rec on KU; Gee, thanks, Amazon.
For The Author
This appears to be the author's first book. So, I'd like to give precise reasons why this is a one star book. • The MMC character arc shouldn't go from TELLING the reader he is an emotionless killer to him BEING a Disney style Dom in love over the course of 15 minutes reading. Same with the villain going from an unloving parent who's hell bent on revenge and genocide of a family to a caring father, hero, and all around peacefully swell guy with no explanation. • The plot is but a bunch of talking points strung together with nothing in the middle. Examples: A vendetta spanning 20 years and that's murdered almost an entire family is resolved instantaneously? Three kidnappings in 48 hours? An 18-yr-old girl never been kissed but makes an immediate and unafraid submissive to an unknown man who just killed her brother, killed her longtime guards, and kidnapped her? • Readers aren't idiots. Mundane and common sense elements are given paragraph upon paragraph of explanation, but the actual plot points go from A to Z, skipping any and all letters between. Too much fluff surrounded by zero substance.
June 27, 2016
Matteo is thought to be the deadliest enforcer in the business. He is also the son of the head of the Abbate crime family, although his father doesn't acknowledge the kinship. Matteo's current task is to kidnap and kill the rival family's last living heiress, Bianca.
This is a Mafia story. The storyline, the idea of the story is a great one. Captive to repay an old debt. It's the life of the mob. This story missed the delivery component. Matteo had the reputation that incites fear in everyone near and far in Mafia circles, but he's portrayed in several scenes as a needy, wimpy, easy to manipulate, easy to abuse boy. He's beaten several times by those lesser in statue than him. It's not an easy feat to reconcile the two personalities. The story makes Matteo character contradictory and unrealistic. There are several scenes that force the reader to question the research involved, question character development, and overall to believe and understand this story required huge effort. I think with an effort to focus on creating believable characters with realistic personalities, extensive plot and scene development, and delivery of the overall story, this could definitely become a 5-star read!
Disclaimer: As always with my reviews under four stars, I advise you to consider other reviews if deciding to purchase. This review is my opinion, my interpretation of this book and should be considered as such. This review is based solely on the book and no other components outside the pages of this book were taken into consideration while creating this review. This review does not and should not reflect badly on the author. This review is simply feedback, a tool that can be used for improvement of this story only.
2.5 stars
This is a Mafia story. The storyline, the idea of the story is a great one. Captive to repay an old debt. It's the life of the mob. This story missed the delivery component. Matteo had the reputation that incites fear in everyone near and far in Mafia circles, but he's portrayed in several scenes as a needy, wimpy, easy to manipulate, easy to abuse boy. He's beaten several times by those lesser in statue than him. It's not an easy feat to reconcile the two personalities. The story makes Matteo character contradictory and unrealistic. There are several scenes that force the reader to question the research involved, question character development, and overall to believe and understand this story required huge effort. I think with an effort to focus on creating believable characters with realistic personalities, extensive plot and scene development, and delivery of the overall story, this could definitely become a 5-star read!
Disclaimer: As always with my reviews under four stars, I advise you to consider other reviews if deciding to purchase. This review is my opinion, my interpretation of this book and should be considered as such. This review is based solely on the book and no other components outside the pages of this book were taken into consideration while creating this review. This review does not and should not reflect badly on the author. This review is simply feedback, a tool that can be used for improvement of this story only.
2.5 stars
maybe
October 7, 2016Free on Amazon.co.uk at the time of posting.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Dark-Blood-M...
June 27, 2016
4.5 Stars, GREAT debut novel
OK, from my understanding, this is her first book out, a debut, and if that is a fact then count me in on being a follower of her work in the future!!!!!
I loved it, I truly did:) The story was fast paced, it was intriguing, it was quick and easy and I read sitting out by the pool all in one afternoon!
Why not 5 Stars, well, I wanted "more" of the characters. I wanted to see their relationship develop even further. Yes, this was a quick read so i will give her that but because I LOVED the h and the H, I guess selfishly I wanted more together time with them and not just surrounded by the external "drama" if that makes sense!
All in all, I will definitely read more by her and look forward to see what she writes in the future:) I think for a debut, it was fantastic and she only has room to grow leaps and bounds:)
OK, from my understanding, this is her first book out, a debut, and if that is a fact then count me in on being a follower of her work in the future!!!!!
I loved it, I truly did:) The story was fast paced, it was intriguing, it was quick and easy and I read sitting out by the pool all in one afternoon!
Why not 5 Stars, well, I wanted "more" of the characters. I wanted to see their relationship develop even further. Yes, this was a quick read so i will give her that but because I LOVED the h and the H, I guess selfishly I wanted more together time with them and not just surrounded by the external "drama" if that makes sense!
All in all, I will definitely read more by her and look forward to see what she writes in the future:) I think for a debut, it was fantastic and she only has room to grow leaps and bounds:)
November 17, 2018
Steamy Reading.
Matteo and Bianca love story was more sweet than dark he quickly falls for his girl and we see a steamy relationship develop, with some darker aspects.
Matteo and Bianca love story was more sweet than dark he quickly falls for his girl and we see a steamy relationship develop, with some darker aspects.
November 15, 2016
Probably closer to 4-4.5 but since GR has yet to give us half stars. -_-
There are times, many times actually, that I end up regretting one clicking kindle freebies. This, however, was NOT one of those times. Initially, yeah sure...FREE PLUS ABS and I was sold. What a pleasant surprise! Dark Blood is very dark and gritty and could easily be 'too much' for some readers.
This book isn't perfect. Pretty damn far from it if I'm being honest. It could use a bit more editing and there were a couple of things that drove me insane. The no shower thing, I couldn't look over that. Not to mention, a very crucial scene, while powerful, didn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense to me. I mean you have a GROUP of onlookers, badass mafia types, and they couldn't stop ONE man? Really?...
Anywho, I still loved it. Despite the need for a more polishing, Dark Blood is an emotional, dark and gritty read with family at the center. Fantastic, even if flawed. I will be looking for more from this author and this series!
There are times, many times actually, that I end up regretting one clicking kindle freebies. This, however, was NOT one of those times. Initially, yeah sure...FREE PLUS ABS and I was sold. What a pleasant surprise! Dark Blood is very dark and gritty and could easily be 'too much' for some readers.
This book isn't perfect. Pretty damn far from it if I'm being honest. It could use a bit more editing and there were a couple of things that drove me insane. The no shower thing, I couldn't look over that. Not to mention, a very crucial scene, while powerful, didn't make a whole hell of a lot of sense to me. I mean you have a GROUP of onlookers, badass mafia types, and they couldn't stop ONE man? Really?...
Anywho, I still loved it. Despite the need for a more polishing, Dark Blood is an emotional, dark and gritty read with family at the center. Fantastic, even if flawed. I will be looking for more from this author and this series!
June 26, 2016
Matteo, aka the "Blood Hound": Illegitimate son of the head of the Abbate crime family.
Bianca: Illegitimate and only daughter of the head of the Da Costa crime family.
Matteo's father sends him in to kidnap and kill Bianca right under her father's nose. Bianca is well aware of the feud between her family and the Abbate's all though she's not aware of the reasons. After losing her older brother to the hands of her captor, she should fear for her life but finds herself lusting him instead.
Soooo, I loved the plot of this story. The synopsis had me watching the calendar for its release date.
I did not find Matteo to be the badass hitman described in the description. I actually found him to be wimpy and rather weak. He's supposed to be the family's best hitman yet he hit the wrong mark and weren't even aware of it until after it was said and done. He also allows people to push him around and decide his future (WEAK!).
I wouldn't call this is a dark read either. There were a couple of scenes where Bianca was hit (punched, back handed & whipped with a belt) but they weren't detailed. The sex was not rough or dirty but somewhat boring.
Bianca: Illegitimate and only daughter of the head of the Da Costa crime family.
Matteo's father sends him in to kidnap and kill Bianca right under her father's nose. Bianca is well aware of the feud between her family and the Abbate's all though she's not aware of the reasons. After losing her older brother to the hands of her captor, she should fear for her life but finds herself lusting him instead.
Soooo, I loved the plot of this story. The synopsis had me watching the calendar for its release date.
I did not find Matteo to be the badass hitman described in the description. I actually found him to be wimpy and rather weak. He's supposed to be the family's best hitman yet he hit the wrong mark and weren't even aware of it until after it was said and done. He also allows people to push him around and decide his future (WEAK!).
I wouldn't call this is a dark read either. There were a couple of scenes where Bianca was hit (punched, back handed & whipped with a belt) but they weren't detailed. The sex was not rough or dirty but somewhat boring.
February 9, 2017
I can't recommend this book.
Not in the least authentic. Limited word pool, relentless repetitions in one chapter, predictable storyline and shallow characters, if you can call this stereotypical behavior even owning a character.
In short: Shilling shocker or penny dreadful you may call it.
Not in the least authentic. Limited word pool, relentless repetitions in one chapter, predictable storyline and shallow characters, if you can call this stereotypical behavior even owning a character.
In short: Shilling shocker or penny dreadful you may call it.
July 14, 2016
I would have liked this more if Matteo was actually a bad ass hitman like he was described to be. He wasn't much of an alpha at all since he let a bunch other men push him around and decide his fate.
July 7, 2016
“He is her captor, and she is his salvation. (direct quote from synopsis.)”
This is my first book to read by Isabella Starling. I have to say for a first book she captured the Mafia and their hitmen perfectly. I definitely will be following her work. I loved the storyline and how the characters worked perfectly with it. The minor characters even played their parts perfectly. I can always tell if the author did their job if the book makes me laugh, cry, get mad, or even want to jump in the book and jump the Bad Boy’s bones myself. This book had me feeling all those feelings. Matteo Salini and Bianca Da Costa both come from Mafia families. They are both illegitimate children of their respective father. Bianca’s father treats her as if she were legitimate, a true daughter. Matteo’s father treats him as scum. He even went so far as to make Matteo his killing monster. Their families happen to be at war with each other. Matteo is the Abbate crime family’s most notorious and dangerous hitman. He was filled with drugs and blood by his own father in order to do his father’s bidding. He kidnaps Bianca right under her father’s nose and is supposed to kill her. But there is something about the Mafia princess that Matteo can’t seem to resist her, even though he has women to service him from his father’s house. “He is her captor, and she is his salvation. (direct quote from synopsis.)” This book is recommended for mature readers 18 years of age or older because of the violence and SEX!!!
No spoilers. ARC free book given in exchange for an honest review.
This is my first book to read by Isabella Starling. I have to say for a first book she captured the Mafia and their hitmen perfectly. I definitely will be following her work. I loved the storyline and how the characters worked perfectly with it. The minor characters even played their parts perfectly. I can always tell if the author did their job if the book makes me laugh, cry, get mad, or even want to jump in the book and jump the Bad Boy’s bones myself. This book had me feeling all those feelings. Matteo Salini and Bianca Da Costa both come from Mafia families. They are both illegitimate children of their respective father. Bianca’s father treats her as if she were legitimate, a true daughter. Matteo’s father treats him as scum. He even went so far as to make Matteo his killing monster. Their families happen to be at war with each other. Matteo is the Abbate crime family’s most notorious and dangerous hitman. He was filled with drugs and blood by his own father in order to do his father’s bidding. He kidnaps Bianca right under her father’s nose and is supposed to kill her. But there is something about the Mafia princess that Matteo can’t seem to resist her, even though he has women to service him from his father’s house. “He is her captor, and she is his salvation. (direct quote from synopsis.)” This book is recommended for mature readers 18 years of age or older because of the violence and SEX!!!
No spoilers. ARC free book given in exchange for an honest review.
July 11, 2016
Phenomenal new author who writes with passion. Amazing book filled with pain and love. I highly recommend!
July 14, 2016
"Some monsters are apparent to the eye, but others hide in the light."
4.5 darkly entrancing stars!
I adored DARK BLOOD: A Mafia Hitman Romance. It is a scintillating, irresistibly romantic, dark and thrilling tale that rendered me BREATHLESS!
This first installment in Isabella Starlings Mafia Brides series revolves around a pampered mafia princess who is kidnapped for revenge by the brutish son of a rival crime famiglia. The two warring clans have been feuding for the last fifteen years and Angelo Abbate's bloodthirsty vendetta against Nicolas Da Costa has escalated to EPIC proportions.
Matteo Salini, Abbate's reviled bastard son, has been raised for the soul purpose of being a killing machine. They were making their way through the Da Costa family lineage, and fast. At his maniacal father's orders, he has already taken out his mark's beloved son Lorenzo. Now he has been tasked with the job of putting out a hit on the ailing Da Costa's precious daughter, Bianca, the last surviving sole heir to the vast mafia empire.
He is so desensitized from feeling that Matteo relishes scaring the living daylights out of Bianca when his sleeping princess awakens from her chloroform-induced slumber, chained mercilessly in a dark, dank cell.
“Hey, beautiful,” I growl, stepping out of the corner.
“W-who are you?” She scrambles on her feet, trying to get away from me.
"I’m your worst f***king nightmare."
As always, Matteo is more than happy to do his father's bidding because nothing is more important then gaining his love and approval. "I don’t mind this life. I don’t care that the innocent signorina next to me is sentenced to die. I’ll only deliver the blow."
Growing up, Matteo was pumped full of drugs and trained by his father to kill like a dog. His moniker is the Blood Hound. "Smell blood, draw blood, kill, kill, kill." He’s the best weapon the Abbate family has.
"You’re a monster.”
“And you’re the goddamned beauty,” he snarls. “Except this isn’t a f***ing fairytale.”
But what starts off as a routine job becomes anything but when the soulless, savage hitman finds himself powerfully drawn to his beautiful, petrified captive. The virginal beauty stirs something primal in him...."something lustful, dark and so damned delicious" and for some reason he can't bring himself to hurt her.
"I want to comfort her. But at the same time, the beast inside me wants to take her. Ravage her. Explain to her that she was made for me."
And though every instinct Bianca has is telling her to run from her menacing captor, she sees glimpses of gentle tenderness and humanity in him and she can't help but be drawn to his dark, just as he is bewitched by her light.
"I want him to touch me. I want him to do bad things to me. And I know it's so goddamn wrong, but I can't resist. He's done something to me, messed with my head and played with my heart. I'm the puppet, and he's pulling on every one of my strings."
But dare the beauty try to tame the beast?? And even if she soothes the savage inside of him and succumbs to her traitorous desires for her family's sworn enemy, can her dark savior protect her from unspeakable harm or will they both pay the ultimate price for betraying their warring famiglias??"
WOWZER!!! Let me count the ways I enjoyed this book!!! I knew from the onset that DARK BLOOD was gonna be an addictive page turner but never imagined what kind of overpowering visceral hold it would have over me. Ms. Starling is an exceptionally talented new author and she has a gift for striking a deep emotional chord in the reader. The hypnotic chemistry between Matteo and his beloved princess was absolutely MESMERIZING and what started off as a brutal revenge tale morphed into a captivating, deliciously dirty, achingly tender love story that ultimately melted my heart!
I was so swept up into the story, in fact, that I felt every gutwrenching emotion these characters experienced as if it were my own!! Bianca's forbidden lust--and eventual all-consuming love--for her dark. brooding captor....a cold blooded killer she should loathe with every fibre of her being...coupled with Matteo's torturous struggle between light and dark were particularly entrancing.
Speaking of Matteo, the dark mafia prince is a big, brutish mass of delightful contradictions! Fiercely protective yet predatory, swoony yet savage, wickedly seductive yet gently doting, I was drawn to every part of him and and even when he'd was at his worst, his most sinister, I always saw the good struggling to overpower the bad.
Bianca was his perfect Achilles heel...so sweet and feisty and I relished her beguiling innocence as much as her unflinching courage. Even before her abduction, she was living in the prison of a different kind. She didn’t ask for this life...never wanted to be the sheltered princess living in a tower, inaccessible to anyone but immediate family. But it’s the life her father chose for her, and as it turns out, being at Matteo's mercy might be the lesser of the two evils.
Matteo and Bianca were a dream couple and exuded pure magic in each and every scene they shared!! They were hot, sexy, angsty, intensely romantic, and despite the dark, violent nature of this mafia romance, surprisingly enchanting too. And once they decide to fight for their love, watch out! The depth of their devotion was intoxicating and I had a plethora of warm, gushy feels throughout!! Together, their "broken pieces become one" and it is such a provocative sight to behold.
There is the perfect blend of breathtaking romance, melodrama, mob action, intrigue, subterfuge and gritty violence in this fast paced novel. In fact there were some major adrenaline pumping bombshells that kept me in a constant state of frenzied awareness. And just when I thought the worst had passed...BOOM!...another perilous plot twist unfolded.
All in all, DARK BLOOD, is a riveting, highly addictive dark mafia romance, penned by a gloriously gifted author, that I couldn't put down. Now I will wait with baited breath for the next sure-to-be-spectacular installment in the Mafia Brides series!
4.5 darkly entrancing stars!
I adored DARK BLOOD: A Mafia Hitman Romance. It is a scintillating, irresistibly romantic, dark and thrilling tale that rendered me BREATHLESS!
This first installment in Isabella Starlings Mafia Brides series revolves around a pampered mafia princess who is kidnapped for revenge by the brutish son of a rival crime famiglia. The two warring clans have been feuding for the last fifteen years and Angelo Abbate's bloodthirsty vendetta against Nicolas Da Costa has escalated to EPIC proportions.
Matteo Salini, Abbate's reviled bastard son, has been raised for the soul purpose of being a killing machine. They were making their way through the Da Costa family lineage, and fast. At his maniacal father's orders, he has already taken out his mark's beloved son Lorenzo. Now he has been tasked with the job of putting out a hit on the ailing Da Costa's precious daughter, Bianca, the last surviving sole heir to the vast mafia empire.
He is so desensitized from feeling that Matteo relishes scaring the living daylights out of Bianca when his sleeping princess awakens from her chloroform-induced slumber, chained mercilessly in a dark, dank cell.
“Hey, beautiful,” I growl, stepping out of the corner.
“W-who are you?” She scrambles on her feet, trying to get away from me.
"I’m your worst f***king nightmare."
As always, Matteo is more than happy to do his father's bidding because nothing is more important then gaining his love and approval. "I don’t mind this life. I don’t care that the innocent signorina next to me is sentenced to die. I’ll only deliver the blow."
Growing up, Matteo was pumped full of drugs and trained by his father to kill like a dog. His moniker is the Blood Hound. "Smell blood, draw blood, kill, kill, kill." He’s the best weapon the Abbate family has.
"You’re a monster.”
“And you’re the goddamned beauty,” he snarls. “Except this isn’t a f***ing fairytale.”
But what starts off as a routine job becomes anything but when the soulless, savage hitman finds himself powerfully drawn to his beautiful, petrified captive. The virginal beauty stirs something primal in him...."something lustful, dark and so damned delicious" and for some reason he can't bring himself to hurt her.
"I want to comfort her. But at the same time, the beast inside me wants to take her. Ravage her. Explain to her that she was made for me."
And though every instinct Bianca has is telling her to run from her menacing captor, she sees glimpses of gentle tenderness and humanity in him and she can't help but be drawn to his dark, just as he is bewitched by her light.
"I want him to touch me. I want him to do bad things to me. And I know it's so goddamn wrong, but I can't resist. He's done something to me, messed with my head and played with my heart. I'm the puppet, and he's pulling on every one of my strings."
But dare the beauty try to tame the beast?? And even if she soothes the savage inside of him and succumbs to her traitorous desires for her family's sworn enemy, can her dark savior protect her from unspeakable harm or will they both pay the ultimate price for betraying their warring famiglias??"
WOWZER!!! Let me count the ways I enjoyed this book!!! I knew from the onset that DARK BLOOD was gonna be an addictive page turner but never imagined what kind of overpowering visceral hold it would have over me. Ms. Starling is an exceptionally talented new author and she has a gift for striking a deep emotional chord in the reader. The hypnotic chemistry between Matteo and his beloved princess was absolutely MESMERIZING and what started off as a brutal revenge tale morphed into a captivating, deliciously dirty, achingly tender love story that ultimately melted my heart!
I was so swept up into the story, in fact, that I felt every gutwrenching emotion these characters experienced as if it were my own!! Bianca's forbidden lust--and eventual all-consuming love--for her dark. brooding captor....a cold blooded killer she should loathe with every fibre of her being...coupled with Matteo's torturous struggle between light and dark were particularly entrancing.
Speaking of Matteo, the dark mafia prince is a big, brutish mass of delightful contradictions! Fiercely protective yet predatory, swoony yet savage, wickedly seductive yet gently doting, I was drawn to every part of him and and even when he'd was at his worst, his most sinister, I always saw the good struggling to overpower the bad.
Bianca was his perfect Achilles heel...so sweet and feisty and I relished her beguiling innocence as much as her unflinching courage. Even before her abduction, she was living in the prison of a different kind. She didn’t ask for this life...never wanted to be the sheltered princess living in a tower, inaccessible to anyone but immediate family. But it’s the life her father chose for her, and as it turns out, being at Matteo's mercy might be the lesser of the two evils.
Matteo and Bianca were a dream couple and exuded pure magic in each and every scene they shared!! They were hot, sexy, angsty, intensely romantic, and despite the dark, violent nature of this mafia romance, surprisingly enchanting too. And once they decide to fight for their love, watch out! The depth of their devotion was intoxicating and I had a plethora of warm, gushy feels throughout!! Together, their "broken pieces become one" and it is such a provocative sight to behold.
There is the perfect blend of breathtaking romance, melodrama, mob action, intrigue, subterfuge and gritty violence in this fast paced novel. In fact there were some major adrenaline pumping bombshells that kept me in a constant state of frenzied awareness. And just when I thought the worst had passed...BOOM!...another perilous plot twist unfolded.
All in all, DARK BLOOD, is a riveting, highly addictive dark mafia romance, penned by a gloriously gifted author, that I couldn't put down. Now I will wait with baited breath for the next sure-to-be-spectacular installment in the Mafia Brides series!
December 4, 2018
This book needs a lot of editing, so many things just don’t work for me.
August 2, 2016
Isabella Starling book Dark Blood was gifted to me in an ARC in exchanged for a honest review. I am giving this book 5 stars because this was my first time reading a book from this author, and I have to say she blow me away with this story. I mean she gave me dark, twisted, and some crazy surprises. So with all of this of course would make a wonderful mafia book especially when you tie in a gorgeous innocent girl and a big messed up hot sexy alpha man. I want to say this was kind of a mafia Romeo and Juliet well of course I am really want to stress that its the dark twisted version lol. I think this one is a little better because the couple yes have to fight their families, but in the end they come to a understanding and their fathers can see that they really love each other, so the fathers accept them as a couple and even though they have to go through some hell to finally find some happiness they do finally get it. Bianca is tired of being watched all the time her dad is really protective of her, and for good reason he has a enemy that wants him to pay for what he has done to him, so of course to hurt Bianca dad his enemy goes what matters most to him his children. His knows that by getting rid of the children Bianca dad won't have an heir to carry on his legacy. But all Bianca wants is to be free and have a life, so once she kidnapped by her dads enemy she scared but also happy because she thinks maybe she can finally be set free. But once she taken by Matteo the bastered son of her fathers enemy she going to start to uncover more then she could ever dream of, and poor Matteo finally going to fine someone who really loves and accepts him for him. His also going to find out why his father hates Bianca family so much this information is also going to help him understand why his dad is such a monster. Bianca thinks Matteo saved her but she really saved him because she not only brought him love but she also helped him see his father for who he is, and help him stand up to his father in away everything they go through brings them close because Matteo sees apart of himself in his son. Matteo finally becomes real to his father where he can call him his son. I completely loved this whole book because of the background on both characters and what they both had to go through just to fine each other and finally be able to be happy. If you haven't read this book you should really check it out. I didn't want to spoil it by giving away to much of the book because it really deserves to be read for you to really understanding how magnificent this book is.
July 16, 2016
"Some monsters are apparent to the eye, but others hide in the light."
DARK BLOOD is a scintillating, irresistibly romantic, dark and thrilling tale that rendered me BREATHLESS!
This first installment in Isabella Starling's Mafia Brides series is a danger-packed revenge story featuring a pampered mafia princess who is kidnapped by the formidable son of a rival family. The two warring clans have been feuding for the last fifteen years and Angelo Abbate's vendetta against Nicolas Da Costa has escalated to EPIC proportions. Matteo Salini, Abbate's reviled illegitimate son, has been raised for the soul purpose of being a killer. He has already taken out his mark's beloved son Lorenzo. Now he has been tasked with the job of kidnapping--and eventually killing--the ailing Da Costa's precious daughter, Bianca, the last surviving sole heir to the vast mafia empire.
But what starts off as a routine job becomes anything but when he finds himself powerfully drawn to his beautiful, petrified captive. The virginal beauty stirs something primal in him... and for some reason he can't bring himself to hurt her. And despite the fact every instinct Bianca has is telling her to run from her captor, she sees glimpses of gentle tenderness and humanity in him and she can't help but be drawn to his dark, just as he is spellbound by her light.
But dare the beauty try to tame the beast?? And even if she soothes the savage inside of him, can her dark savior protect her from unspeakable harm or will they both pay the ultimate price for betraying their families?
Wow!!! Going in I never imagined what kind of overpowering visceral hold would have over me!!! The chemistry between Matteo and his beloved princess was absolutely mesmerizing and what started off as a brutal revenge tale morphed into an enthralling love story that ultimately melted my heart.
I was so swept up into the story, in fact, that I felt every gutwrenching emotion these characters experienced as if it were my own. Matteo and Bianca exuded pure magic in each and every scene they shared!! They were hot, sexy, angsty, intensely romantic, and despite the dark nature of this mafia romance, surprisingly enchanting too. And once they decide to fight for their love, watch out! The depth of their devotion was captivating and I had a plethora of warm, gushy feels throughout.
There is the perfect blend of breathtaking romance, melodrama, intrigue, subterfuge and mafia action in this fast paced novel. All in all, DARK BLOOD is a riveting dark romance that I couldn't put down.
DARK BLOOD is a scintillating, irresistibly romantic, dark and thrilling tale that rendered me BREATHLESS!
This first installment in Isabella Starling's Mafia Brides series is a danger-packed revenge story featuring a pampered mafia princess who is kidnapped by the formidable son of a rival family. The two warring clans have been feuding for the last fifteen years and Angelo Abbate's vendetta against Nicolas Da Costa has escalated to EPIC proportions. Matteo Salini, Abbate's reviled illegitimate son, has been raised for the soul purpose of being a killer. He has already taken out his mark's beloved son Lorenzo. Now he has been tasked with the job of kidnapping--and eventually killing--the ailing Da Costa's precious daughter, Bianca, the last surviving sole heir to the vast mafia empire.
But what starts off as a routine job becomes anything but when he finds himself powerfully drawn to his beautiful, petrified captive. The virginal beauty stirs something primal in him... and for some reason he can't bring himself to hurt her. And despite the fact every instinct Bianca has is telling her to run from her captor, she sees glimpses of gentle tenderness and humanity in him and she can't help but be drawn to his dark, just as he is spellbound by her light.
But dare the beauty try to tame the beast?? And even if she soothes the savage inside of him, can her dark savior protect her from unspeakable harm or will they both pay the ultimate price for betraying their families?
Wow!!! Going in I never imagined what kind of overpowering visceral hold would have over me!!! The chemistry between Matteo and his beloved princess was absolutely mesmerizing and what started off as a brutal revenge tale morphed into an enthralling love story that ultimately melted my heart.
I was so swept up into the story, in fact, that I felt every gutwrenching emotion these characters experienced as if it were my own. Matteo and Bianca exuded pure magic in each and every scene they shared!! They were hot, sexy, angsty, intensely romantic, and despite the dark nature of this mafia romance, surprisingly enchanting too. And once they decide to fight for their love, watch out! The depth of their devotion was captivating and I had a plethora of warm, gushy feels throughout.
There is the perfect blend of breathtaking romance, melodrama, intrigue, subterfuge and mafia action in this fast paced novel. All in all, DARK BLOOD is a riveting dark romance that I couldn't put down.
August 16, 2016
It's been awhile since I've rated a book this low and while I feel bad I just could not get into this book. I don't mind when the heroine is intrigued by the dark, brooding hero but Bianca went from being kidnapped, threatened and going into instant lust for the man who admits to killing her brother all within a blink of an eye. I had whiplash and even paged backwards thinking I must have missed something. Yes, we are told she's never been given physical affection but really?! One touch and all of a sudden she's whimpering for more from her brother's murderer?! I was also hoping since she was trying to become independent of her father's legacy that she would grow a spine at some point but she remains the weak heroine who gets pushed around and bullied through out the entire book. It would have been nice to see some growth in her character.
Then there's Matteo who I thought was going to be this brooding, kick butt hero who I was going to see him take on all comers who threatens his woman. He halfway fulfilled this but the other half of his character was somewhat whiny, needy and no the brightest so I found it hard to feel any sort of connection to him.
The only characters I even felt the slightest connections with were Bianca's and Matteo's fathers. At least they had some dimension to them and an interesting back story. Sadly that is probably the best part of this story.
Then there's Matteo who I thought was going to be this brooding, kick butt hero who I was going to see him take on all comers who threatens his woman. He halfway fulfilled this but the other half of his character was somewhat whiny, needy and no the brightest so I found it hard to feel any sort of connection to him.
The only characters I even felt the slightest connections with were Bianca's and Matteo's fathers. At least they had some dimension to them and an interesting back story. Sadly that is probably the best part of this story.
July 1, 2016
#DarkBlood #IsabellaStarling #Mafiabooks
Dark Blood
QueenZany 3.5 Star Review
Dark Blood
by Isabella Starling
Im such a Mafia junkie whore! If I sniff or hear that one is out. Then I'm on that mother fucker. Like a dog in heat!
What can I say about “Dark Blood”? The book is a dark Mafia romance thriller. Filled with sexual tension and primal desires. OMG my mind was spinning at some points! Crazy as turns! But the book was super quick read. It just wasn't as gritty as I like.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Dark Blood
QueenZany 3.5 Star Review
Dark Blood
by Isabella Starling
Im such a Mafia junkie whore! If I sniff or hear that one is out. Then I'm on that mother fucker. Like a dog in heat!
What can I say about “Dark Blood”? The book is a dark Mafia romance thriller. Filled with sexual tension and primal desires. OMG my mind was spinning at some points! Crazy as turns! But the book was super quick read. It just wasn't as gritty as I like.
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
June 27, 2016
Matteo is a hitman but I unfortunately didn't get the vibe of him being an alpha bad boy killing machine. He acts like a cringing puppy in the scenes with his father. It just went downhill from there.
Bianca comes across as a princess who constantly needed saving. I thought she would find her inner strength but no, she needed saving yet again.
They both could do with a bout of therapy to get over their parental issues, me thinks.
*** ARC provided by Author for an honest review ***
July 4, 2016
Overall I liked the book. I liked Bianca but Matteo...I don't know. He was portrayed as this "blood hound" who was had been trained to kill since childhood but he didn't really live up to that name. Many people pushed him around and he let other people decide what would happen to him and Bianca, that annoyed me he should have protected her better. Matteo just wasn't as dark and alpha as I wanted him to be.
June 25, 2016
Arc review
For honest review. Bianca was daughter to one mafia .matteo another, But because of their fathers friendship that went wrong now they are caught in the middle. Very good story ,but has a lot of dark reading at times . Very good
For honest review. Bianca was daughter to one mafia .matteo another, But because of their fathers friendship that went wrong now they are caught in the middle. Very good story ,but has a lot of dark reading at times . Very good
August 17, 2016
Dark and Hot
Matteo was hot!!!! Great chemistry between the two. Only reason I gave it 3 stars is I felt like it was more to the story and I'm missing some of it. Like its about 3 additional chapters needed to close all the gaps. But a good read nonetheless
Matteo was hot!!!! Great chemistry between the two. Only reason I gave it 3 stars is I felt like it was more to the story and I'm missing some of it. Like its about 3 additional chapters needed to close all the gaps. But a good read nonetheless
September 25, 2016
RIDICULOUS. Sorry. I have to say it. If it wasn't Kindle Unlimited I would demand my money back.
July 5, 2017
This Twisted Mess We're In
This book needs editing! There are some serious mistakes in here and continuity problems. Apparently, this is the author's first book. It's a good try, I liked the story, but there were just too many problems with the book to ignore. It's like different elements of many different books were picked out and thrown together into this one book. It's a mess, a twisted mess!
Mateo Salini,🐺🍌🌋✋ the bastard son, is a hit man🔫🔪 for his father, mafia Don, Angelo Abatte. Recklessly handsome, ruthless, loyal, and alpha, Mateo is tired of his father not recognizing him as a true son. His father treats him like an employee. Mateo does all the dirtiest work and gets nothing for it.
There is a long standing feud between the Abatte crime family and the Da Costa crime family. It's All over a woman, of course.
Like night and day, Bianca, the illegitimate daughter of the Mafia Don, Nicholas Da Costa, is loved and pampered, and prepared for her eventual rise to the head of the family, especially because her brother was just killed by Mateo, in an ordered hit by Don Abatte.
Bianca goes to see her father and he informs her she will be marrying a man he has chosen for her that is nearly forty years older than her age 18.
When she leaves in a huff, Bianca's guards are attacked and killed by Mateo and his "blood hounds" right on the Da Costa compound and she is kidnapped by him.
This book is ridiculous because Mateo has killed Bianca's brother, Lorenzo, just a few days before her kidnapping. Bianca💋🔥 knows this, yet she has no problem falling in insta 💘love and lust💋🔥 with Mateo🐺🍌🌋✋.
All the people in this book seem to be psychopaths.
No YEHAWs or ponies🐎 for this 🐕dog.!
This book needs editing! There are some serious mistakes in here and continuity problems. Apparently, this is the author's first book. It's a good try, I liked the story, but there were just too many problems with the book to ignore. It's like different elements of many different books were picked out and thrown together into this one book. It's a mess, a twisted mess!
Mateo Salini,🐺🍌🌋✋ the bastard son, is a hit man🔫🔪 for his father, mafia Don, Angelo Abatte. Recklessly handsome, ruthless, loyal, and alpha, Mateo is tired of his father not recognizing him as a true son. His father treats him like an employee. Mateo does all the dirtiest work and gets nothing for it.
There is a long standing feud between the Abatte crime family and the Da Costa crime family. It's All over a woman, of course.
Like night and day, Bianca, the illegitimate daughter of the Mafia Don, Nicholas Da Costa, is loved and pampered, and prepared for her eventual rise to the head of the family, especially because her brother was just killed by Mateo, in an ordered hit by Don Abatte.
Bianca goes to see her father and he informs her she will be marrying a man he has chosen for her that is nearly forty years older than her age 18.
When she leaves in a huff, Bianca's guards are attacked and killed by Mateo and his "blood hounds" right on the Da Costa compound and she is kidnapped by him.
This book is ridiculous because Mateo has killed Bianca's brother, Lorenzo, just a few days before her kidnapping. Bianca💋🔥 knows this, yet she has no problem falling in insta 💘love and lust💋🔥 with Mateo🐺🍌🌋✋.
All the people in this book seem to be psychopaths.
No YEHAWs or ponies🐎 for this 🐕dog.!
July 25, 2017
I thought this was an okay book to read.
I'm not too sure if I like how the relationship between the two main characters developed so quickly, especially given the manner in which they met. I think I would have preferred for it to have been more drawn out.
In terms of the book being a dark romance, yes it was dark but not as much as I was expecting or hoping it would be. I think if the story had been darker, I would have enjoyed it more than I did.
Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as I was hoping, it wouldn't stop me from reading more of this author's work.
I'm not too sure if I like how the relationship between the two main characters developed so quickly, especially given the manner in which they met. I think I would have preferred for it to have been more drawn out.
In terms of the book being a dark romance, yes it was dark but not as much as I was expecting or hoping it would be. I think if the story had been darker, I would have enjoyed it more than I did.
Even though I didn't enjoy this book as much as I was hoping, it wouldn't stop me from reading more of this author's work.
July 4, 2017
I started this book a couple hours ago and I did not want to put it down. I loved it! Bianca and Matteo's story had so many twists and turns that I didn't see coming. Matteo falls in love with Bianca the first time he sees her which just so happens to be when he kidnaps her for his father. The feelings are mutual between Bianca and Matteo but they have to overcome so much more in order to be together. I would recommend this to other readers it was amazing!!!!!!!
July 6, 2017
I really liked this book even though I felt like it was a bit short and moved along to fast.
I would of liked to read everything in more depth to give the story more.
I really hope we get to find out what happened with Lorenzo too. This left me wanting more!!
But if you want a dark, dirty read, this one is definitely it!
I would of liked to read everything in more depth to give the story more.
I really hope we get to find out what happened with Lorenzo too. This left me wanting more!!
But if you want a dark, dirty read, this one is definitely it!
October 27, 2020
I chose to read and review this book. I am a fan of this author and do enjoy her work a lot. This one was another great read. It is filled with passion action suspense thrill romance mystery and so much more that kept me glued to it. Amazing plot character and flow between chapters. I recommend it you will enjoy it a lot such great mafia world she created can't wait for the rest
September 19, 2017
Quick, intersting Read
I enjoyed Bianca & Matteo's story. I loved hearing each sides perception of what was happening! As with Isabella Sterlings other books, it captivated me. Cant wait to read another one of her books.
I enjoyed Bianca & Matteo's story. I loved hearing each sides perception of what was happening! As with Isabella Sterlings other books, it captivated me. Cant wait to read another one of her books.
May 8, 2018
Quick read with good base story
Honestly this is a great story that could have been drawn out longer with more detail and story. The sex scenes are really too much for me and I skipped them because the story made it better not those parts.
Honestly this is a great story that could have been drawn out longer with more detail and story. The sex scenes are really too much for me and I skipped them because the story made it better not those parts.
February 12, 2021
Omg you are pulled in from page one. I absolutely love this bpok. Dark, raw, entertaining , sexy and with i true alpha bad boy. Drama, betrayal , love and romance. This book has is at. Worth the read.
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