This box set contains 'Guns n' Boys' books 1 - 3, a special ('Paris'), and a FREE M/F spin-off, 'Blood & Marriage'.
--- Love like butterfly knives in the stomach.---
Domenico Acerbi. The Villani Family’s best assassin. Ruthless. Vicious. With no patience for weakness. Seth Villani. The Don’s son. Clueless. Stubborn. In dire need of someone to keep him in line.
Domenico Acerbi grew up ready to give his life for the Family. Ready to follow orders and exceed expectations. A proud man of honor. The last thing he wants to deal with is training the Don’s son for his future role within the organization. Lazy, annoying, spoiled, and as hot as a Sicilian summer, Seth Villani is no mafia material. But a man who could never become a threat might just be what Domenico needs.
Seth Villani wants nothing to do with the mafia. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get a say when he’s pulled back into the fold. Thrown into a den of serpents otherwise known as the Villani Family, Seth has to find a way to navigate the maze of lies. But when Domenico Acerbi, the most vicious snake of them all, sinks his fangs into Seth, letting go becomes impossible.
If Seth is doomed to follow in his father's footsteps, he might as well enjoy himself with the most intoxicating man he’s ever met. Maybe he can even fool himself into believing that Domenico isn’t a handsome sociopath who kills for a living.
WARNING: Adult content. Sizzling hot scenes. If you are easily offended, this book is not for you. ‘Guns n’ Boys’ is a gritty story containing violence, offensive language, abuse, and morally ambiguous protagonists. Behind the morbid facade, there is a splash of inappropriate dark humor, and a love story that will crawl under your skin.
K. A. Merikan is a duo of queer writers who don’t believe in following the well-trodden path. In their books you can dip your toe into dangerous romance with mafiosi, outlaw bikers and bad boys, all from the safety of your sofa. They love the weird and wonderful, stepping out of the box, and bending stereotypes both in life and in fiction. Their stories don’t shy away from exploring the darker side of M/M romance, and feature a variety of anti-heroes, rebels, misfits, and underdogs who go against the grain. Be prepared for shocking twists, dark humor, raw emotions, and sizzling hot scenes.
K.A. Merikan also writes steamy M/M romcoms as Devon Doe.
I really enjoyed reading this series, and find it very interesting. So much was happening in this series that I couldn't stop reading. Once I finish one book in the series, I right into the next one. I purchased this series in a box set of three books + two additional books included in the set. What crazy things Love would do to you, especially when you're protecting the one you love. Dom really loved Seth, he would kill or die protecting him, and he killed a lot of men doing it. I'm looking forward to reading the book four in the series. K.A. Merikan please keep them coming.
What a ride, my God this box set is an explosive mix of murderous Mafiosi and gorgeously dangerous guys. With all sorts of taboos, death, mayhem and illegal dealings, the three novels and two short stories in this collection bring to life Seth and his reluctant bodyguard Domenico almost in beautiful 3D.
Their relationship jumps off the page, brutal and passionate, tortured and calm, forgiving and reckless, emotional and ice-cold, these two Italian men scorch their way through one drama and crisis to another, bringing along a whole host of interesting side kicks and characters.
It's not all dark though, there are plenty of humorous moments, plenty of heart warming still and quiet moments, plenty of heart breaking moments.
The two short stories brilliantly flesh out the first three novels and while I don't usually like M/F appearing in the middle of an M/M series, in this case Lucrezia and Santo's romance worked perfectly as insight into what was happening on the other side of Seth and Dom's daring escape.
Sex is all ends up epic but the true joy is in the crafting of two wondrous men who are both vicious at times, both a little bit broken, both a little bit trapped into their Family roles but who, together, find the strength to try and break free.
3 to 3.5 stars rounded up because I love these authors. Wasn't sure about the MCs at first; both men got on my nerves almost as badly as they got on each other's. The best word I can think of to describe how the 3-book/2-novella omnibus made me feel is......uneasy. The material wasn't out of my comfort zone, but there were parts of the book(s) that made me uncomfortable. However, by the end of the book(s) I found myself rooting for Domenico and Seth, and I immediately got Guns n' Boys: Swamp Blood via my KIndle Unlimited subscription. This is one of those series that I'll end up devouring quickly, because I can't stand not knowing what will happen next.
Guns n Boys is first and foremost the love story of Seth Villani and Domenico Acerbi: two men built from wildly different materials who keep colliding until resistance becomes impossible. It’s also a genre blender: part romance, part action-thriller, part crime saga, part emotional pressure cooker. Merikan moves through all of it with unnerving ease.
He Is Poison is where everything ignites. The premise hooks immediately, but it’s the intimacy that seals it. The dual POV is a gift: Domenico’s hyper-aware, brutally honest interiority crashing into Seth’s quieter, burdened decency. Seth has lost everything familiar; Domenico has never learned how to want without control. Their dynamic is combustible. Once they arrive in Berlin, the heat turns ferocious—consent-forward, gay-positive, precise, and unmistakably written by people who understand how sex between men actually works. Even after they cross that line, the tension doesn’t dissipate. Control issues abound, and watching them circle each other is half the pleasure. The fight choreography is sharp, the emotional beats land, and the novel does not even pretend to close with neatness.
He Is Mine deepens everything. Seeing the men together yet emotionally misaligned is painful—but brief enough to stay delicious. Seth shines here, and the possessiveness on both sides simmers just under the surface. Domenico’s emotional opacity becomes genuinely frustrating, especially when Seth deserves clarity—but that frustration is earned. The rings are devastating. 💍 💍 The church scene is audacious, intimate, and somehow tender. Merikan continues to excel at writing sex that is both explicit and affirming, never flattening it into dom/sub shorthand. There’s a smart meta-commentary here, too, on how gay relationships get mislabeled through heterosexual frameworks. Domenico’s choice—career versus love—lands with real weight. The action sequences crackle, the cliffhanger hits hard, and the irony of who saves Domenico is pitch-perfect.
Paris feels lighter on the surface, but remains emotionally loaded. Seth’s excitement is infectious; Domenico’s history looms. Seth is right to push back on religious pressure—but the book smartly complicates that stance when nihilism becomes its own kind of imposition. The intimacy remains impeccable, and the romance—often accidental, often begrudging—keeps sneaking up on them both. It’s quieter, but no less meaningful.
Homicidal Instinct is where Merikan flexes hardest. It’s dark, funny, brutal, and emotionally devastating all at once. Seth’s introspection deepens, and Domenico’s memory loss creates a particular kind of anguish that’s as painful to read as it is compelling. (This is how you write angst.) The action remains exceptional—varied, grounded, and intimate—and the sensory detail, especially smell, is stunningly accurate. The humor lands constantly (Domenico’s hypocrisy, the snacks, the animals, the one-liners), which only sharpens the darkness when it hits. The ending is harsh, necessary, and deeply satisfying in its refusal to offer easy comfort.
Then there’s Blood & Marriage, the outlier—and, surprisingly, it works. Told through Lucrezia’s eyes, it offers a different lens on the GnB world. The prose is elegant, the emotional naivety believable. Lucrezia’s sharp edges—especially around Seth—are not flattering, but they feel honest. Seeing Domenico from the outside, watching Santo become more fully human, and glimpsing lives that could have been lends the saga added texture. The conclusion is gentle and hopeful without undermining the chaos elsewhere.
The early volumes of Guns n Boys are messy, intense, funny, violent, erotic, and unexpectedly tender. Seth and Domenico are not easy men, and their love is not a soft one—but it’s precise, deeply felt, and earned over blood, jealousy, fear, and choice. Merikan doesn’t sanitize any of it—and that’s exactly why it works.
He is Poison - 5 ⭐️ He is Mine - 5 ⭐️ Paris - 5 ⭐️ Homicidal Instinct - 5 ⭐️ Blood & Marriage - 4 ⭐️
Omg! Where do I start. Seth is the weakest, dumbest, person ever. Dom is verbally abusive and has aggression issues. Their relationship is toxic. This storyline is pretty good but the characters are not.
Considering I started with Book 7, I had to backtrack and start with Book 1. This is a three book box set, and though not as good as 7 and 8,are still decent reads.
This series was so lovely, I love the adventures of Seth and Dom and the way they are so in sync with their feelings and their love for each other. I can't wait for the final book release.