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Secrets of the Famiglia #1
Capo dei Capi
The lines that blur between love and war are often the only thing keeping you alive.
I wasn't a full Italian. My mother was a Russian, a female of the Bratva. To create peace between the Famiglia her family, the Bratva gave her up.
My father always said I was born lucky, I would never have to marry for power. I could choose. And for a while, I believed him. For a while, I thought I could marry Leonardo Catelli.
Until HE, Marco Catelli, eldest son of the Capo of the Famiglia lost his betrothed. Until he rose to be the Capo Dei Capi, The Boss of all Bosses. Until he needed an heir, a wife. Until he chose me.
My name is Aliyana Capello, daughter of Consigliere Sartini Capello and this is my confession.
"Bury him, mourn his fucking death. But come Monday morning you mine Aliyana." Marco
The story follows Aliyana Capello and Marco Catelli's life and the events leading them to the alter.
When Lorenzo Catelli is murdered, Marco promises to avenge his brother's death with the help of Aliyana and his siblings. But as the answers are found, more people in the 5th State are murdered. When a cold past comes back, Marco finally sees some light in his corner. But all is not as it seems.
Enemies are never far and few in the 5th State.
Forced into a war he never wanted to protect the one he loves, Marco must choose the extent of the crimes he will commit and the enemies he will make especially if that enemy happens to be his future wife.
I wasn't a full Italian. My mother was a Russian, a female of the Bratva. To create peace between the Famiglia her family, the Bratva gave her up.
My father always said I was born lucky, I would never have to marry for power. I could choose. And for a while, I believed him. For a while, I thought I could marry Leonardo Catelli.
Until HE, Marco Catelli, eldest son of the Capo of the Famiglia lost his betrothed. Until he rose to be the Capo Dei Capi, The Boss of all Bosses. Until he needed an heir, a wife. Until he chose me.
My name is Aliyana Capello, daughter of Consigliere Sartini Capello and this is my confession.
"Bury him, mourn his fucking death. But come Monday morning you mine Aliyana." Marco
The story follows Aliyana Capello and Marco Catelli's life and the events leading them to the alter.
When Lorenzo Catelli is murdered, Marco promises to avenge his brother's death with the help of Aliyana and his siblings. But as the answers are found, more people in the 5th State are murdered. When a cold past comes back, Marco finally sees some light in his corner. But all is not as it seems.
Enemies are never far and few in the 5th State.
Forced into a war he never wanted to protect the one he loves, Marco must choose the extent of the crimes he will commit and the enemies he will make especially if that enemy happens to be his future wife.
327 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 30, 2020
102 people are currently reading
130 people want to read
About the author
Shan R.K
41 books172 followersShan R.K is an internationally acclaimed author, known for her captivating works including Capo Dei Capi, Union of Death, and Beauty's Breath. With a passion for storytelling that started at the young age of nine, Shan has published over 20 books spanning across 8 different genres. From webnovels to dreame, Shan is a versatile writer whose works have captivated audiences worldwide.
At 26, Shan made her debut with the novel House of Legions, which marked the beginning of her journey as a published author. With each book she writes, Shan strives to take her readers on a journey of discovery, exploring new worlds and characters that are as diverse as they are intriguing.
When not writing, Shan leads a quiet life with her family, who she describes as 'not so fury.' Her ultimate goal is to become a best-selling author across all genres, and she continues to work tirelessly to achieve this.
At 26, Shan made her debut with the novel House of Legions, which marked the beginning of her journey as a published author. With each book she writes, Shan strives to take her readers on a journey of discovery, exploring new worlds and characters that are as diverse as they are intriguing.
When not writing, Shan leads a quiet life with her family, who she describes as 'not so fury.' Her ultimate goal is to become a best-selling author across all genres, and she continues to work tirelessly to achieve this.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
May 15, 2020
A slow burner
I'll be honest this one took a while, once establishing many characters and their families and how they are all connected, the storyline kicks in. It's complicated, inter woven and totally addictive. Duty, honor, sacrifice, agreements, expectations and revenge are all connected.
Definitely a page turner with good characters and dialogue, however there was too many characters to keep track of and I could have done with a family tree at the end.
I felt sorry for yana, and if I was her I wouldn't have forgiven him either. She didn't deserve to be used like that and he did use her. The ending was superb.
I think she is better off alone, strong, independent and keep those who mean the most close by.
Gabriel seems like a goodun, I really hold he's not the killer. I wouldn't rule her dad out of her sister who was taken by the Bratvia.
First book by this author and I am invested enough for the second part.
I'll be honest this one took a while, once establishing many characters and their families and how they are all connected, the storyline kicks in. It's complicated, inter woven and totally addictive. Duty, honor, sacrifice, agreements, expectations and revenge are all connected.
Definitely a page turner with good characters and dialogue, however there was too many characters to keep track of and I could have done with a family tree at the end.
I felt sorry for yana, and if I was her I wouldn't have forgiven him either. She didn't deserve to be used like that and he did use her. The ending was superb.
I think she is better off alone, strong, independent and keep those who mean the most close by.
Gabriel seems like a goodun, I really hold he's not the killer. I wouldn't rule her dad out of her sister who was taken by the Bratvia.
First book by this author and I am invested enough for the second part.
March 18, 2020
Was this book even edited? It was hard to focus on the actual story because of all the typos. You can look over a few but there were so many, I had to re-read the lines a couple of times to understand what was being said.
If it weren’t for the piss poor editing, I’d give this one 4 stars.
If it weren’t for the piss poor editing, I’d give this one 4 stars.
July 7, 2020
New author for me! Definitely a slow burn, well written mafia romance! 4 stars.
June 10, 2020
Ok where do I start with this.. I have read the second book so thought I would come back and write this review.
Firstly, the negatives. The spelling/grammar is pretty poor. It doesn't take away from the story but it is annoying and can interrupt the flow due to the frequency.
Secondly, the vast extent of families and their extending characters, for example:
The Catelli family:
Deno - future Capo
Marco -the hero and potential Capo Dei Capi
Leonardo - short tempered male slut
Anya - rule breaker, not the typical submissive Italian woman.. just as her brothers listed above, she is ruthless
Lorenzo - the youngest, the 'good' and 'normal' brother and best friends with the heroine
Then we have the Capello family:
There are 2 older siblings ( Fillipo and Guillia I think). The father married again and had Aliyana (the heroine), then married again (I know don't get me started!) and had the twins. The father also has children outside of wedlock who are mentioned and named.
The above doesn't include the misfit gang (Romero, Lorenzo - same person as above, Gabriel, Michel, and Aliyana) nor does it include their friends who i won't list, nor the Moretti family and at least another dozen characters. Are all these characters necessary? And if they are, a map of the characters and how they are related (there are a few bastards mentioned) should be included. I had to write notes to get my head around all the characters and how they are related/affiliated.
Final negative from me is the context. There are far too much unnecessary details that adds little to the readers understanding of how the story will progress. I found myself skim reading through pages at times since it was just waffle.
Now for the positives, I have read many dark mafia romances and none have a story quite like this. The heroine is like no other, she has freedom like no other and is intelligent and can hold her own amongst the mafia men who listen and respect her. I have to warn there is no sex scene in this book, it is PG at best with a couple of kisses only, but for me (who enjoys a decent scene of slap & tickle) that didn't take away from the story.
This book simply sets the scene and is an introduction to the characters and of what is to come. I would still recommend reading this book because book 2 picks up the pace and you need to read this before reading book 2.
Firstly, the negatives. The spelling/grammar is pretty poor. It doesn't take away from the story but it is annoying and can interrupt the flow due to the frequency.
Secondly, the vast extent of families and their extending characters, for example:
The Catelli family:
Deno - future Capo
Marco -the hero and potential Capo Dei Capi
Leonardo - short tempered male slut
Anya - rule breaker, not the typical submissive Italian woman.. just as her brothers listed above, she is ruthless
Lorenzo - the youngest, the 'good' and 'normal' brother and best friends with the heroine
Then we have the Capello family:
There are 2 older siblings ( Fillipo and Guillia I think). The father married again and had Aliyana (the heroine), then married again (I know don't get me started!) and had the twins. The father also has children outside of wedlock who are mentioned and named.
The above doesn't include the misfit gang (Romero, Lorenzo - same person as above, Gabriel, Michel, and Aliyana) nor does it include their friends who i won't list, nor the Moretti family and at least another dozen characters. Are all these characters necessary? And if they are, a map of the characters and how they are related (there are a few bastards mentioned) should be included. I had to write notes to get my head around all the characters and how they are related/affiliated.
Final negative from me is the context. There are far too much unnecessary details that adds little to the readers understanding of how the story will progress. I found myself skim reading through pages at times since it was just waffle.
Now for the positives, I have read many dark mafia romances and none have a story quite like this. The heroine is like no other, she has freedom like no other and is intelligent and can hold her own amongst the mafia men who listen and respect her. I have to warn there is no sex scene in this book, it is PG at best with a couple of kisses only, but for me (who enjoys a decent scene of slap & tickle) that didn't take away from the story.
This book simply sets the scene and is an introduction to the characters and of what is to come. I would still recommend reading this book because book 2 picks up the pace and you need to read this before reading book 2.
May 30, 2020
It is a hard read because of how it is written. You learn the background story as you go along. The story itself has such great potential and that is why I read the 2nd book. This is just a book where there are so many characters you need a dang map/ chart to tell you who is who and what they have done to keep up.
June 29, 2020
This is just the beginning
Wow I cannot wait to finish this series. This author sucks you in at the start. The intensity and details for character building is epic.
Loved it
Wow I cannot wait to finish this series. This author sucks you in at the start. The intensity and details for character building is epic.
Loved it
June 14, 2020
Wow
Great first book. What a cliffhanger. I'm about to buy book 2. Can't wait to start reading. And I love Yana.
Great first book. What a cliffhanger. I'm about to buy book 2. Can't wait to start reading. And I love Yana.
April 1, 2020
Well..
I didn’t like anything about this book
The characters
The plot
Another book I felt like maybe I missed the first one ?
You can’t read this book and know what’s going on .. it’s impossible.
Nothing really happens through most of the book.
Also the past and present ?? Wasn’t even marked to stay it was past or present . I want to read a book not figure out morse code.
I didn’t like anything about this book
The characters
The plot
Another book I felt like maybe I missed the first one ?
You can’t read this book and know what’s going on .. it’s impossible.
Nothing really happens through most of the book.
Also the past and present ?? Wasn’t even marked to stay it was past or present . I want to read a book not figure out morse code.
January 9, 2025
Between love and war lines are often blurred, and often, they are the only things that are going to keep you alive.
Aliyana Capello, half Russian, half Italian, female to the Bratva. In order to create peace between the Famiglia, the Bratva agreed to hand her over.
My father, he was always bragging that I was born lucky, that I'd never have to marry for power or money or anything but love. That it would always be my choice, I'd never be forced into a marriage I didn't want. My entire life, I always believed him. I wanted to believe him. But, there was always a part of me that didn't. Even when I thought I could marry Leonardo Catelli.
That is, until everything went South. Marco Catelli, eldest son of the Capo of the Famiglia, sadly and tragically he lost his fiancee. Then, just as suddenly, he became the Capo Dei Capi, The Boss of all Bosses. That's when it all changed for him and for me. He not only needed a wife, he needed an heir. And for whatever reason he chose me.
This book, this story, it follows the story of our FMC Aliyana Capello and our MMC Marco Catelli. And it's more than just the story of how they ended up at the altar, but it's all the events that lead up to them ending there.
It starts with Lorenzo Catelli, Marco's Catelli, being murdered. Marco, being a loving brother, swears to avenge his brother and find his killer. He knows that he will only be able to do that with the help of his siblings and one other, Aliyana.
Slowly, answers are found, and secrets are unwound, but as they come to light, more and more people in the 5th state wind up being murdered. Marco slowly sees more and more light in his corner when a cold past comes back into the picture.
Marco never wanted to go to war over anything. Honestly, he just wanted to live his life in peace. But, his hand has been forced and he now has to decide how far he's willing to go and what he's willing to do to make his enemies pay for what they have done and he has to ensure the safety and protection of his future wife and the family they want to have together.
I really enjoyed this one. The only thing that would have really been helpful would have been if there had been a family tree in the front of the book that I could have followed through the book. It would have helped me connect the dots and connect the characters a bit better.
I enjoyed that this was a bit of a complicated story that I couldn't untangle and figure out who-did-it. I loved how interwoven it was, and it was so addictive. The duty, honor, sacrifice, agreements, and revenge they are all so connected, and you can't separate them, and that's something that I actually really enjoyed in this one.
This is an addictive page-turner with amazing character development and dialogue. The character arcs and plot lines are just stunning. Shan took their time plotting out every little detail with their character development, and it really shows here in the way it all plays out.
And that ending. The cliffhanger. It was superb. It was a perfect chefs kiss. All I can say is I hope that Gabriel isn't the killer. Gabriel seems like one of the good ones. Now, I can't say that I am ruling out Aliyana's dad or even her sister. Those two, they just rub me the wrong way.
I have to get my hand on book 2, Union of Death, and book 3 Queen of Killers when I have an opportunity. I am curious about what happens next, and I do want to find out who the killer is.
Aliyana Capello, half Russian, half Italian, female to the Bratva. In order to create peace between the Famiglia, the Bratva agreed to hand her over.
My father, he was always bragging that I was born lucky, that I'd never have to marry for power or money or anything but love. That it would always be my choice, I'd never be forced into a marriage I didn't want. My entire life, I always believed him. I wanted to believe him. But, there was always a part of me that didn't. Even when I thought I could marry Leonardo Catelli.
That is, until everything went South. Marco Catelli, eldest son of the Capo of the Famiglia, sadly and tragically he lost his fiancee. Then, just as suddenly, he became the Capo Dei Capi, The Boss of all Bosses. That's when it all changed for him and for me. He not only needed a wife, he needed an heir. And for whatever reason he chose me.
This book, this story, it follows the story of our FMC Aliyana Capello and our MMC Marco Catelli. And it's more than just the story of how they ended up at the altar, but it's all the events that lead up to them ending there.
It starts with Lorenzo Catelli, Marco's Catelli, being murdered. Marco, being a loving brother, swears to avenge his brother and find his killer. He knows that he will only be able to do that with the help of his siblings and one other, Aliyana.
Slowly, answers are found, and secrets are unwound, but as they come to light, more and more people in the 5th state wind up being murdered. Marco slowly sees more and more light in his corner when a cold past comes back into the picture.
Marco never wanted to go to war over anything. Honestly, he just wanted to live his life in peace. But, his hand has been forced and he now has to decide how far he's willing to go and what he's willing to do to make his enemies pay for what they have done and he has to ensure the safety and protection of his future wife and the family they want to have together.
I really enjoyed this one. The only thing that would have really been helpful would have been if there had been a family tree in the front of the book that I could have followed through the book. It would have helped me connect the dots and connect the characters a bit better.
I enjoyed that this was a bit of a complicated story that I couldn't untangle and figure out who-did-it. I loved how interwoven it was, and it was so addictive. The duty, honor, sacrifice, agreements, and revenge they are all so connected, and you can't separate them, and that's something that I actually really enjoyed in this one.
This is an addictive page-turner with amazing character development and dialogue. The character arcs and plot lines are just stunning. Shan took their time plotting out every little detail with their character development, and it really shows here in the way it all plays out.
And that ending. The cliffhanger. It was superb. It was a perfect chefs kiss. All I can say is I hope that Gabriel isn't the killer. Gabriel seems like one of the good ones. Now, I can't say that I am ruling out Aliyana's dad or even her sister. Those two, they just rub me the wrong way.
I have to get my hand on book 2, Union of Death, and book 3 Queen of Killers when I have an opportunity. I am curious about what happens next, and I do want to find out who the killer is.
April 28, 2021
This has to be the MOST CONFUSING BOOK I have ever read. I cannot count how many characters mentioned within the first 5 pages. No details of their back story of how they are associated with the man in characters. Honestly I’m not even sure who the main characters are any more! I have to stop ready at 34%. And that is me TRYING. I think the summary of the book had a lot going for it but I got a headache trying to keep it. The worst part of my experience is probably the grammar! It was like reading a 14yr old child’s essay. It was all over the place. I think the author needs to have a clearer storyline and allow the characters of the book to build. I really can’t believe that 34% into the book I still didn’t understand what I was reading 😳😳
June 19, 2021
Confusing but an ok book
First, there are way to many characters in this book with no preface of who is who. Then the H is one minute former Army, then former Navy and back to former Army. I’m going to continue to read the series but 8 hope the author at the VERY least correct what branch of the military the H was in. Again. A preface of who all the characters are would t hurt either.
First, there are way to many characters in this book with no preface of who is who. Then the H is one minute former Army, then former Navy and back to former Army. I’m going to continue to read the series but 8 hope the author at the VERY least correct what branch of the military the H was in. Again. A preface of who all the characters are would t hurt either.
September 13, 2020
Difficult to follow
I'm sorry but this book was not well written. Too many characters to keep track of, poor sentence structure, just hard to follow. I kept reading hoping it would straighten itself out. I don' t mind a cliff hanger or a suspense series but most of the time I had no idea what she was talking about.
I'm sorry but this book was not well written. Too many characters to keep track of, poor sentence structure, just hard to follow. I kept reading hoping it would straighten itself out. I don' t mind a cliff hanger or a suspense series but most of the time I had no idea what she was talking about.
November 11, 2020
There are too many characters and too many errors. I was lost through most of the book trying to figure out who everyone was. I needed a family tree because somehow everyone is someone’s cousin. The editing was bad. Missing words or words spelled wrong. The story was hard to follow because I couldn’t figure out all the characters and when I finally thought I might have it, the book ended.
September 17, 2020
Nice story but it badly needed an editor. I had a hard time reading it..so many grammatical and spelling errors.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews