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Morelli Family #2
Surviving Mateo
Mateo Morelli.
The mere mention of his name is enough to strike fear into the hearts of grown men. The most ruthless crime lord in Chicago isn’t a man you dare cross. But when the second most feared crime lord shows up on my doorstep the night of my husband’s wake, he doesn’t give me much of a choice.
My late husband owed Antonio Castellanos a lot of money, but the magnanimous boss is gonna do me a solid—I get to pay my debt, and keep my daughter alive. All I have to do is one little favor.
That favor?
Seduce and kill Mateo Morelli.
**PLEASE NOTE: These are not standalones. Mateo’s story starts in Accidental Witness (and continues in Once Burned). If you don’t read Accidental Witness first, you will not have the background you need on his character and you won’t follow his story very easily. ***
The mere mention of his name is enough to strike fear into the hearts of grown men. The most ruthless crime lord in Chicago isn’t a man you dare cross. But when the second most feared crime lord shows up on my doorstep the night of my husband’s wake, he doesn’t give me much of a choice.
My late husband owed Antonio Castellanos a lot of money, but the magnanimous boss is gonna do me a solid—I get to pay my debt, and keep my daughter alive. All I have to do is one little favor.
That favor?
Seduce and kill Mateo Morelli.
**PLEASE NOTE: These are not standalones. Mateo’s story starts in Accidental Witness (and continues in Once Burned). If you don’t read Accidental Witness first, you will not have the background you need on his character and you won’t follow his story very easily. ***
226 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 27, 2017
732 people are currently reading
1445 people want to read
About the author
Sam Mariano
49 books4,844 followersFollow Sam Mariano on Facebook, Instagram (@sammarianobooks), or check out her Blog! If you need to email her, she can be reached at sammarianoauthor@gmail.com (but she is sometimes tardy about checking email. Mateo is very demanding).
Sign up for Sam's mailing list (to stay up to date on current projects--she won't spam you! Only for notification of new releases or book sales.)
All of Sam's books are available on Amazon! (And don't forget to follow Sam's Amazon Author page to get notified about the newest releases.)
Sam Mariano has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She lives in Ohio and has a sweet and wonderful daughter.
Because of You was her first finished story (she started writing it when she was 18) and due to a full-time work and college schedule, it took her years to finish. She has also been telling people for years that there would never be a sequel (sorry, guys!)…which turned out to be a lie.
Sam Mariano is currently working on Dante’s book (if you’re a Morelli reader) and some other WIP.
Feel free to find her on Facebook, Goodreads, or her blog—she loves hearing from readers!
Sign up for Sam's mailing list (to stay up to date on current projects--she won't spam you! Only for notification of new releases or book sales.)
All of Sam's books are available on Amazon! (And don't forget to follow Sam's Amazon Author page to get notified about the newest releases.)
Sam Mariano has been writing stories for as long as she can remember. She lives in Ohio and has a sweet and wonderful daughter.
Because of You was her first finished story (she started writing it when she was 18) and due to a full-time work and college schedule, it took her years to finish. She has also been telling people for years that there would never be a sequel (sorry, guys!)…which turned out to be a lie.
Sam Mariano is currently working on Dante’s book (if you’re a Morelli reader) and some other WIP.
Feel free to find her on Facebook, Goodreads, or her blog—she loves hearing from readers!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 362 reviews
November 16, 2017
Surviving Mateo, Book 2 in the Morelli Family series by Sam Mariano, focuses on the characters of Mateo and Meg. Mateo is the head of a notorious crime family, and Meg is the widow of a man that owes money to one of Mateo’s rivals, Antonio Castellanos. Though Meg’s husband is deceased, Antonio still expects to be repaid but not in the form of money. He wants Meg to seduce and poison Mateo for him, and in exchange, her debt will be considered paid in full. Even if Meg wanted to refuse him, she couldn’t, because he threatened her daughter’s life.
Despite Antonio’s threat, once Meg meets Mateo, she is taken aback by how much she likes him and decides she can’t go through with it. Besides, Mateo Morelli is a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them. He realizes what Meg is up to right away and calls her out on it. She avoids telling him about Castellanos by making up a story about the whole situation, and instead of killing her, he winds up making her his employee and basically, his prisoner, too.
Sparks fly every time Meg and Mateo interact, so it’s not long before they are sharing a bed. Everything seems to be going amazingly well, but Meg lives in constant fear of being found out. In Mateo’s world, loyalty is everything, and secrets don’t stay buried forever. It’s just a matter of time before he discovers the truth about Meg. Will her deception land her six feet under?
Surviving Mateo is everything I hoped it would be and more! Sexy, witty, and well written, my attention never wavered. The dialogue is perfection, and I loved getting to see all the characters from the previous installment. That being said, my favorite thing about this book hands down has to be the two main characters. Meg and Mateo make a fantastic pair!
Mateo Morelli isn’t a good man. He is conniving, selfish, vicious, and arrogant throughout the entire first book, but there is no denying he was the main reason I was dying to read this one. Mateo infuriated and at times completely disgusted me, but I was drawn to him at the same time. The Mateo we see in this book is almost like a totally different man, but we still know how despicable he can be. I love seeing all his different and contradictory sides. He’s as ruthless as he is charming and as scary as he is sweet. Truth be told, I wish every book focused on Mateo, because he is such an interesting character that I could go reading about him forever. I never had trouble understanding why the heroine in either book felt such a magnetic pull towards him, because I felt it, too! That is good writing, folks!
Meg is Mateo’s perfect match. I would say the main reason for that is because she is a crazy bitch. lol Only someone half out of their mind would enter into a relationship with him, especially the way that she did it. The woman constantly put herself at risk, and the way she thought about things made me believe she should be put on medication. I loved her crazy ass though! She is hilarious, caring, and stupidly brave. I enjoyed reading every word that came out of her mouth. The way she never let herself feel threatened by Mia and befriended her instead made me love her even more. It wasn’t an act either. Meg is as genuine as they come.
I would recommend this series to anyone that loves mafia romance or romance in general. This isn’t a super dark and gritty read. It has its moments, but it’s also sweet and funny. I never wanted it to end, because I was enjoying myself too much. Now, I’m like a Mateo addict eagerly awaiting my next fix! Thankfully, I already have book 3 waiting for me on my kindle. Sam Mariano, give me the good stuff!
ARC generously provided for an honest review.
Despite Antonio’s threat, once Meg meets Mateo, she is taken aback by how much she likes him and decides she can’t go through with it. Besides, Mateo Morelli is a lot of things, but stupid is not one of them. He realizes what Meg is up to right away and calls her out on it. She avoids telling him about Castellanos by making up a story about the whole situation, and instead of killing her, he winds up making her his employee and basically, his prisoner, too.
Sparks fly every time Meg and Mateo interact, so it’s not long before they are sharing a bed. Everything seems to be going amazingly well, but Meg lives in constant fear of being found out. In Mateo’s world, loyalty is everything, and secrets don’t stay buried forever. It’s just a matter of time before he discovers the truth about Meg. Will her deception land her six feet under?
Surviving Mateo is everything I hoped it would be and more! Sexy, witty, and well written, my attention never wavered. The dialogue is perfection, and I loved getting to see all the characters from the previous installment. That being said, my favorite thing about this book hands down has to be the two main characters. Meg and Mateo make a fantastic pair!
Mateo Morelli isn’t a good man. He is conniving, selfish, vicious, and arrogant throughout the entire first book, but there is no denying he was the main reason I was dying to read this one. Mateo infuriated and at times completely disgusted me, but I was drawn to him at the same time. The Mateo we see in this book is almost like a totally different man, but we still know how despicable he can be. I love seeing all his different and contradictory sides. He’s as ruthless as he is charming and as scary as he is sweet. Truth be told, I wish every book focused on Mateo, because he is such an interesting character that I could go reading about him forever. I never had trouble understanding why the heroine in either book felt such a magnetic pull towards him, because I felt it, too! That is good writing, folks!
Meg is Mateo’s perfect match. I would say the main reason for that is because she is a crazy bitch. lol Only someone half out of their mind would enter into a relationship with him, especially the way that she did it. The woman constantly put herself at risk, and the way she thought about things made me believe she should be put on medication. I loved her crazy ass though! She is hilarious, caring, and stupidly brave. I enjoyed reading every word that came out of her mouth. The way she never let herself feel threatened by Mia and befriended her instead made me love her even more. It wasn’t an act either. Meg is as genuine as they come.
I would recommend this series to anyone that loves mafia romance or romance in general. This isn’t a super dark and gritty read. It has its moments, but it’s also sweet and funny. I never wanted it to end, because I was enjoying myself too much. Now, I’m like a Mateo addict eagerly awaiting my next fix! Thankfully, I already have book 3 waiting for me on my kindle. Sam Mariano, give me the good stuff!
ARC generously provided for an honest review.
June 28, 2021
mmm this one didn't hit like the last one did, which is a shame bc i actually loved meg (h). she had the same thing that zoe from Untouchable does in that i couldn't tell if she has a galaxy brain and was lightyears ahead of me and that's why her thought process sometimes makes no sense to me, or if i'm reading way too far into it and she's actually scarily dumb. it's one or the other and i love maxing out my three brain cells trying to figure it out
she was so incredibly unbothered, it made everything so much fun. i love when heroines are tstl but not in an aggravating way, but in a way that's super messy and makes me a bit awed watching them like holy hell this bitch don't give a single fuckkk
look, mateo appreciated it too:
🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃
no but fr tho i thought meg was actually v mature. i loved how she reacted to situations and saw the world, she was a very unique heroine. her and mateo clicked, their fucked up brains meshed in a good way and that's what i need out of my scummy couples.
i'm a bit disappointed tho bc i liked mateo in the last book better 🤡🤡🤡 i should get cancelled for saying that. he was straight up disgusting in that book and i definitely don't condone any of the physical aspects of hisactions *coughs* crimes, but he showed off his manipulativeness way more in that book and mindfuckery is my fav trait in a villain, he was entertaining af 🤷🏽♀️ in this book what he did was more so just blatant lying, and while i still find that shit hilarious, it takes much less skill. so.... i guess all im trying to say is....
BRING BACK VILLAIN MATEO
*deep sigh* whatever tho, he was still funny in this one-
see? we got a cutie-patootie on our hands 😍 moving on from the main couple and into a more general sense, the conversation between mia (last books heroine) and meg (this books heroine) was painful to read. that awkward moment when some random girl befriends you to ask sex advice on how to please your rapist... byeeeee.
this convo brought up an issue i have w most sam mariano books and an overall pet peeve of mine in dark romance. it happened in book 1 of this series and boy on the bridge as well: after the hero sexually assaulted the heroine, she ends up comforting him about it. in boy on the bridge the heroine goes as far to comfort him by telling him that what he did wasn't sexual assault, when it CLEARLY was. in this book, the heroine from last book tells the heroine from this one that what mateo did to her in book 1 was not rape, and let me tell you from the bottom of my soul: IT WASSSS. it was one of the most blatant depictions of disgusting rape i've read. going by the books i read, this one thing is prob a strange thing to harp on out of everything, but quite honestly it fucks up the entire experience.
ive read books w all types of deplorable behavior, so that's not my issue, the difference is in those books- there's kind of this universal acknowledgment amongst the characters, the author, and the reader that we all know what's happening is fucked up. the book is dark and we know what we signed on for, but we also know the relationship is trash and what's happening is bad. so when you get the vibe that the author and/or the characters don't know that what's happening is fucked up and bad, the whole system is out of wack and i'm left feeling icky. when the characters start rationalizing away rape it feels like the book is exiting dark romance territory and entering a place where the relationship is trying to justify itself as 'good', and i just don't like that, i find it gross.
in the end tho, that's not the reason im rating this lower than the last book. i just think this book had 2 MC's with a ton of potential but not much happened and the book was kinda tame and boring. also i hated the deleted scene. mateo answering yes to mia's final question.... 🗣 fuck thattttt. the correct answer is NO no one could ever replace meg.
she was so incredibly unbothered, it made everything so much fun. i love when heroines are tstl but not in an aggravating way, but in a way that's super messy and makes me a bit awed watching them like holy hell this bitch don't give a single fuckkk
look, mateo appreciated it too:
"You know those punching bag balloon things with weighted bottoms, every time you hit it, it bounces right back up with a big smile on its stupid face?"
"Sort of? You're older than I am. I've vaguely heard of these."
"Well, you're one of those in human form."
🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃🙃
no but fr tho i thought meg was actually v mature. i loved how she reacted to situations and saw the world, she was a very unique heroine. her and mateo clicked, their fucked up brains meshed in a good way and that's what i need out of my scummy couples.
"You're the strangest combination of warm and cold I've ever come across."
i'm a bit disappointed tho bc i liked mateo in the last book better 🤡🤡🤡 i should get cancelled for saying that. he was straight up disgusting in that book and i definitely don't condone any of the physical aspects of his
BRING BACK VILLAIN MATEO
*deep sigh* whatever tho, he was still funny in this one-
"No phone, no contact with the outside world. I’ll let you read a story with the girls before bed. You’ll sleep with me. I’m not going to kill you because I’d fucking miss you too much, but I'm going to make your life hell."
see? we got a cutie-patootie on our hands 😍 moving on from the main couple and into a more general sense, the conversation between mia (last books heroine) and meg (this books heroine) was painful to read. that awkward moment when some random girl befriends you to ask sex advice on how to please your rapist... byeeeee.
this convo brought up an issue i have w most sam mariano books and an overall pet peeve of mine in dark romance. it happened in book 1 of this series and boy on the bridge as well: after the hero sexually assaulted the heroine, she ends up comforting him about it. in boy on the bridge the heroine goes as far to comfort him by telling him that what he did wasn't sexual assault, when it CLEARLY was. in this book, the heroine from last book tells the heroine from this one that what mateo did to her in book 1 was not rape, and let me tell you from the bottom of my soul: IT WASSSS. it was one of the most blatant depictions of disgusting rape i've read. going by the books i read, this one thing is prob a strange thing to harp on out of everything, but quite honestly it fucks up the entire experience.
ive read books w all types of deplorable behavior, so that's not my issue, the difference is in those books- there's kind of this universal acknowledgment amongst the characters, the author, and the reader that we all know what's happening is fucked up. the book is dark and we know what we signed on for, but we also know the relationship is trash and what's happening is bad. so when you get the vibe that the author and/or the characters don't know that what's happening is fucked up and bad, the whole system is out of wack and i'm left feeling icky. when the characters start rationalizing away rape it feels like the book is exiting dark romance territory and entering a place where the relationship is trying to justify itself as 'good', and i just don't like that, i find it gross.
in the end tho, that's not the reason im rating this lower than the last book. i just think this book had 2 MC's with a ton of potential but not much happened and the book was kinda tame and boring. also i hated the deleted scene. mateo answering yes to mia's final question.... 🗣 fuck thattttt. the correct answer is NO no one could ever replace meg.
July 3, 2018
I enjoyed this book much more than the previous one and that’s mainly due to Meg.
Mateo is a strong character and he completely stole the last book. But here Meg is definitely the woman for him. And it was refreshing to not only have an intelligent female with a sense of humour. But she accepted Mateo as he was, she didn’t try to change him or whimper when he was talking about revenge she supported him.
It made for a good read.
I enjoyed this book and both Mateo and Meg but I absolutely loved Colin. Now I know it’s only a brief appearance but he’s the reason I’m moving straight onto the next book. I’d planned to move away just long enough to read a book I’ve been waiting ages for that’s just been released. But Colin has convinced me to keep going.
The one thing I don’t like is this attraction that Mia still has for Mateo.i know he’s an attractive charismatic character but after what happened plus the fact that she’s supposed to love Vince...
April 30, 2017
I so wanted to hate this book because Mateo! He's evil to the core and I hate that I love him.
This book was freaking genius! I don't think the author could have given Mateo a better heroine than Meg. I so want to be her when I grow up. Strong, sassy, funny - no, hilarious, takes no prisoners and loves with her whole everything. Mateo grew on me, even though I didn't want him to. That's some brilliant writing.
I'm pissed at Mia, I hate that she lied and after finishing this book I still don't think her and Vince will last. That makes me sad.
This book was freaking genius! I don't think the author could have given Mateo a better heroine than Meg. I so want to be her when I grow up. Strong, sassy, funny - no, hilarious, takes no prisoners and loves with her whole everything. Mateo grew on me, even though I didn't want him to. That's some brilliant writing.
I'm pissed at Mia, I hate that she lied and after finishing this book I still don't think her and Vince will last. That makes me sad.
April 20, 2017
4 "the Morelli way" stars
Fuckin A
I wanted to read about Mateo Morelli, the cruel dangerous immoral bastard of a mobster since book 1 -Accidental witness
And here we go...down this mother fuckin roller coaster!
I liked this better than book 1, and adding a great female character to the equation, Mateo surely found his match and he finally sucumbed to the one thing he held power over, both working for and against him...or did it?
There are still tensions and intense sparks inside the Morelli family as our heroine tries to cope with the "new" circumstances revolving her and her new arrangements. After her husband's death, who left a huge gambling debt to a rival mafia family, The Castellanos, she's blackmailed into performing an impossible task - to come close, seduce and kill Mateo Morelli - the enemy and a rival of the mentioned family. The set up, she's thrown into, quickly goes to bust when Mateo easily cracks all her disguises and instead of ending her life, he scares her to the point that she has no choice but to obey his every word.
And again what Mateo wants, Mateo gets.
She's now living under his roof, under his reign, for his pleasure, basically whatever his heart mind and that dark soul wish, she needs to convey...and she does but with a spite and a backbone. while she fights lies, deceits and hush-hush secrets involving the Morellis.
Something that took Mateo by surprise and will slowely crash his paranoia walls, hard armour and cruel mind and eventually heart.
like I said, this one's better in storyline, in action and adding a great female charachter to match this ruthless mobster only spikes up the intense revolving towards the possible HEA for them both...
Looking forward to the next in line...in the Morelly family :)
***ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review***
April 23, 2017
I really have to give a huge shoutout and standing ovation to Sam Mariano on this five bullet casing masterpiece. Just when I thought she was gonna take us in one direction, this crafty artist sent me spiraling in another. The outcome wasn’t what I’d been expecting…...it was so much more! Thank you….thank you!
I’ve never made it any secret my disdain for Mateo. In truth I loath the monstrous villain. Yes he’s panty dropping hot and have so much sex appeal and charisma. This powerhouse don is a force to be reckoned with, so it comes as no surprise why so many people wanna kill him, myself included.
Knowing my luck, saying those few attributes he’d love nothing more to give me my own pair of cement shoes and have me sleeping with the fishes. But it was those heinous acts that kept me turning the pages and left me clamoring for more. You Mateo lovers out there are gonna love reading his book wink wink. You know who you are!
Meg is the newest addition in this slippery slope. One false move and it very well could be her last. But don’t let her pint size looks fool you, she’s nobody’s victim. Part Nancy Drew with uncanny abilities to ferret out the truth she gets caught up in the maze of lies and deceit. I admire her strength, quick wit and sense of humor.
Certainly will be interesting to see how all this plays out in the end. My gut says just because book two is finished Mateo is not. I just can’t picture him changing his spots nor would I want him to!
December 29, 2021
I actually really loved this story...
Meg's husband dies with tons of debt hanging over his head. The night of his wake, a mob boss swoops in to collect. The payment he wants isn't exactly what you'd expect though. He wants her to kill his enemy mob boss, Mateo Morelli. She agrees because she has a young daughter who is being threatened. Things don't go quite according to plan and her life takes a strange turn after the failed murder attempt!
Great writing. Great story. I kept turning pages, because I needed to know what was going to happen next. The hero and heroine in this book are absolutely perfect together IMO! There is no one else more perfect for them. If you're going to read this book you HAVE to remember that it's a mafia romance and not everything is by the book or conventional in the romance genre standard. Sometimes you want to strangle the hero. Maybe he's more of an anti-hero really. Anyway the story felt fresh, and it was entertaining. Highly recommend to anyone that loves mafia romance!
So. I really liked this book.
I liked it so much that I think I'm going to stop reading the series.
The author is a great writer, and I can slowly see her piecing together a storyline that I am already not a fan of.
I LOVE Meg & Mateo. Therefore I want them to stay endgame. Way too much foreshadowing in this book, and that little extra scene at then end nearly confirms it. Not a fan of where this may be going, AT ALL! Which means before I get HIMYM'd I'm going to stop reading.
Meg's husband dies with tons of debt hanging over his head. The night of his wake, a mob boss swoops in to collect. The payment he wants isn't exactly what you'd expect though. He wants her to kill his enemy mob boss, Mateo Morelli. She agrees because she has a young daughter who is being threatened. Things don't go quite according to plan and her life takes a strange turn after the failed murder attempt!
Great writing. Great story. I kept turning pages, because I needed to know what was going to happen next. The hero and heroine in this book are absolutely perfect together IMO! There is no one else more perfect for them. If you're going to read this book you HAVE to remember that it's a mafia romance and not everything is by the book or conventional in the romance genre standard. Sometimes you want to strangle the hero. Maybe he's more of an anti-hero really. Anyway the story felt fresh, and it was entertaining. Highly recommend to anyone that loves mafia romance!
So. I really liked this book.
I liked it so much that I think I'm going to stop reading the series.
The author is a great writer, and I can slowly see her piecing together a storyline that I am already not a fan of.
I LOVE Meg & Mateo. Therefore I want them to stay endgame. Way too much foreshadowing in this book, and that little extra scene at then end nearly confirms it. Not a fan of where this may be going, AT ALL! Which means before I get HIMYM'd I'm going to stop reading.
June 30, 2018
4 --- Well I wasn’t expecting this, but I still liked it
I was REALLY confused when I started Surviving Mateo because I thought he was going to end up with Mia. I mean, he said he would have sex with her again after the last time they did it, but then this chick Meg comes to play and I had to read a bit to get on the Meg train.
Look, I like Meg. She’s a little feisty and kind of crazy, but she fits Mateo crazy. Do I like Mia better? Yeah. Do I secretly want Meg to die so Mateo can be with Mia … well yeah.
Mateo’s character changes and the author makes him a lot nicer to make him more pleasing to the eye. He’s still a ruthless character, but don’t worry, no raping in this one.
I’m on the fence if I like the nice Mateo. I guess I can get on the Mateo train because the book was easier to read and I basically stayed up late reading it. I didn’t like the fact the plot had a secret in the book. You know where the Heroine hides one fact about herself, other than that, it was a nice read.
I will read the next book even though it’s about someone else, but I’m crossing my fingers Meg will die later in the series.
I was REALLY confused when I started Surviving Mateo because I thought he was going to end up with Mia. I mean, he said he would have sex with her again after the last time they did it, but then this chick Meg comes to play and I had to read a bit to get on the Meg train.
Look, I like Meg. She’s a little feisty and kind of crazy, but she fits Mateo crazy. Do I like Mia better? Yeah. Do I secretly want Meg to die so Mateo can be with Mia … well yeah.
Mateo’s character changes and the author makes him a lot nicer to make him more pleasing to the eye. He’s still a ruthless character, but don’t worry, no raping in this one.
I’m on the fence if I like the nice Mateo. I guess I can get on the Mateo train because the book was easier to read and I basically stayed up late reading it. I didn’t like the fact the plot had a secret in the book. You know where the Heroine hides one fact about herself, other than that, it was a nice read.
I will read the next book even though it’s about someone else, but I’m crossing my fingers Meg will die later in the series.
May 15, 2024
Call me what you want but I did like Meg just not with Matteo. I want to keep my lips sealed in these written reviews. Let’s just say I want some more fuckery with Mia.
Read
July 7, 2023No rating but adding notes:
I love this series but I skimmed Meg's book. It was for a really good reason, though 😂
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
After finishing book 1, I was excited to continue with the series. I was especially interested in learning more about Mateo Morelli (my husband). Unfortunately, I couldn't get into Meg. In retrospect, I just couldn't see her playing the role of the heroine. So I started reading more reviews for this book and for the others in the series to see what the deal was. I'm soooooo freaking glad I didn't fall for her! PHEW 😅 Readers who are endeared to Meg are going to be hugely disappointed as the series continues, because Meg is NOT Mateo's love. She never was. I KNOW that now that I've finished the series myself. But for me, it was obvious from the beginning that something was off about her AND her relationship with Mateo. I was right!!! It was alway Mia. Mia and Mateo are the main couple in the series. Things get really complicated as Meg and Mia become best friends, and Meg and Mateo continue their relationship. But it's very important to note that Meg ends up as collateral damage in Mateo's schemes to get Mia to be his. The man was obsessed with Mia, as I was with them. Team Mia & Mateo all the way.
In this book, Mateo's interactions with Meg are not what they seemed, and that's because we only see things from Meg's PoV, never Mateo's. As we learn later on in the series, it was all a farce. Man, does Meg get the short end of the stick. I should have felt terrible for her, really, because she wasn't a bad person. (Btw, I enjoyed her witty remarks throughout the series.) But hello, I'm evil 😂 And to me, she was the other woman and I needed Mateo to show me she meant NOTHING to him. He does. Sorry to Meg. And the readers who believed she got her HEA, bless their little hearts. 😱
Don't let the end of book 5 fool you either, thats not Mia and Mateo's HEA. You must wait til books 6 and 7. It's all worth it in the end.
I love this series but I skimmed Meg's book. It was for a really good reason, though 😂
MAJOR SPOILERS AHEAD
After finishing book 1, I was excited to continue with the series. I was especially interested in learning more about Mateo Morelli (my husband). Unfortunately, I couldn't get into Meg. In retrospect, I just couldn't see her playing the role of the heroine. So I started reading more reviews for this book and for the others in the series to see what the deal was. I'm soooooo freaking glad I didn't fall for her! PHEW 😅 Readers who are endeared to Meg are going to be hugely disappointed as the series continues, because Meg is NOT Mateo's love. She never was. I KNOW that now that I've finished the series myself. But for me, it was obvious from the beginning that something was off about her AND her relationship with Mateo. I was right!!! It was alway Mia. Mia and Mateo are the main couple in the series. Things get really complicated as Meg and Mia become best friends, and Meg and Mateo continue their relationship. But it's very important to note that Meg ends up as collateral damage in Mateo's schemes to get Mia to be his. The man was obsessed with Mia, as I was with them. Team Mia & Mateo all the way.
In this book, Mateo's interactions with Meg are not what they seemed, and that's because we only see things from Meg's PoV, never Mateo's. As we learn later on in the series, it was all a farce. Man, does Meg get the short end of the stick. I should have felt terrible for her, really, because she wasn't a bad person. (Btw, I enjoyed her witty remarks throughout the series.) But hello, I'm evil 😂 And to me, she was the other woman and I needed Mateo to show me she meant NOTHING to him. He does. Sorry to Meg. And the readers who believed she got her HEA, bless their little hearts. 😱
Don't let the end of book 5 fool you either, thats not Mia and Mateo's HEA. You must wait til books 6 and 7. It's all worth it in the end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 18, 2019
Don't like anyone in this series, especially Mateo and he's the main character so🤷
May 3, 2018
In the last book, Mateo was a twisted, manipulative asshole. He's a rapist and a murderer. Some of the people who "work" for him are technically slaves. The world would be a better place if he no longer existed. Knowing he was that despicable human being, I expected this book would be really dark especially since he met the woman he falls in love with by her being sent to kill him. He did do a few really shitty things to Meg, but for the most part, he was a sweetie with her. I didn't want him to be brutal to her, but it seemed so OOC for him to be nice and trusting. It's even weirder considering she lied and hid her true reason for meeting him the whole time. Any other person would have been killed for that regardless of how he felt.
I loath Meg. She was a sociopath. She was unfeeling and self absorbed. Worst of all she was stupid. Every idiotic thought that came into her head was instantly blurted out, which isn't wise when dealing with hardened criminals. She should have been killed for being so dumb. Honestly I think less of Mateo for wanting to be with someone who is such an airhead. Evidence of some of Mateo's most heinous crimes was right in Meg's face, but she didn't believe it since the two people involved lied to her. IMO it was quite obvious they were lying. I have a hard time respecting her since she had been raped and essentially knew Mateo was a rapist. Apparently denial is powerful. Another mark against Meg was her lack of concern for her kid. She didn't miss being around her much and was never concerned about how being raised in such a fucked up household where women were treated like second class citizens would affect her.
I expected this to be so much better. I never expected to like Mateo knowing his history, but I did expect him to be a manipulative prick. He failed miserably on that score. As screwed up as it is, his relationship with Mia is far more interesting than his with Meg. I hope Meg doesn't play a big role in the rest of the series or I won't be enjoying them much.
I loath Meg. She was a sociopath. She was unfeeling and self absorbed. Worst of all she was stupid. Every idiotic thought that came into her head was instantly blurted out, which isn't wise when dealing with hardened criminals. She should have been killed for being so dumb. Honestly I think less of Mateo for wanting to be with someone who is such an airhead. Evidence of some of Mateo's most heinous crimes was right in Meg's face, but she didn't believe it since the two people involved lied to her. IMO it was quite obvious they were lying. I have a hard time respecting her since she had been raped and essentially knew Mateo was a rapist. Apparently denial is powerful. Another mark against Meg was her lack of concern for her kid. She didn't miss being around her much and was never concerned about how being raised in such a fucked up household where women were treated like second class citizens would affect her.
I expected this to be so much better. I never expected to like Mateo knowing his history, but I did expect him to be a manipulative prick. He failed miserably on that score. As screwed up as it is, his relationship with Mia is far more interesting than his with Meg. I hope Meg doesn't play a big role in the rest of the series or I won't be enjoying them much.
October 12, 2021
I picked up this series after reading Untouchable last year. I remember being unimpressed with the first book and finding Vince boring and Mia bland. BUT I remember lovinggg Meg in this book. She was such a breath of fresh air and I finally thought Mateo had changed his ways. Psych!
The stupid fucking shit rapist Mateo and dumbfuck Mia were doing while being in a relationship with other people screwed with my mind. No wonder I never got around to rating these books and completely dumped this series. I was still new to the dark and slightly twisted romance genre and I thought my naivete was behind me not loving this series. But reading reviews about the following books in the series I can see that I was NOT wrong and these people are truly fucked up. I can take a dark hero and the twisted shit he does but I will not romanticize rape. It wasn't even dub-con it was blatant RAPE and even Mia the dumbass says so. Also, he had sex with Meg and gets engaged and knocked her up but continues to love Mia. Yup, that's true love alright.
The only person I liked in this series was Meg but the author very conveniently said in her fb group that Meg was never meant to be the heroine. That she was always a villain. Yeah, no. Fuck that shit. The author also mentioned that Mateo never ever had any romantic feelings for Meg. The fact that she looked like Mia was her saving grace. What? What kind of fuckery is this? SHE TOOK A FUCKING BULLET FOR THAT FUCKTARD.
Why are you bringing in other characters and making it look like they have their HEAs with them but then switching it up in the other books? Also I read Meg and Mia turn into sister wives and have threesomes with Mateo?!?! This continues for 4 years btw and Meg is knocked up again. And just because people were mad that you turned Meg into a spineless and stupid bitch, you tried to flip the script and say the audience was wrong in assuming she was the heroine when all along she was the villain. Yeah, because I should assume the love interest and FMC in a dark romance is the villain when it's her love story you're talking about.
It always irked me that I never completed this series but after reading reviews on how crappy it was and how it ends I'm so fucking happy I stopped. Past Twinkle was onto something and I love her for it.
Fuck Mateo and Mia. They suck hairy balls.
The stupid fucking shit rapist Mateo and dumbfuck Mia were doing while being in a relationship with other people screwed with my mind. No wonder I never got around to rating these books and completely dumped this series. I was still new to the dark and slightly twisted romance genre and I thought my naivete was behind me not loving this series. But reading reviews about the following books in the series I can see that I was NOT wrong and these people are truly fucked up. I can take a dark hero and the twisted shit he does but I will not romanticize rape. It wasn't even dub-con it was blatant RAPE and even Mia the dumbass says so. Also, he had sex with Meg and gets engaged and knocked her up but continues to love Mia. Yup, that's true love alright.
The only person I liked in this series was Meg but the author very conveniently said in her fb group that Meg was never meant to be the heroine. That she was always a villain. Yeah, no. Fuck that shit. The author also mentioned that Mateo never ever had any romantic feelings for Meg. The fact that she looked like Mia was her saving grace. What? What kind of fuckery is this? SHE TOOK A FUCKING BULLET FOR THAT FUCKTARD.
Why are you bringing in other characters and making it look like they have their HEAs with them but then switching it up in the other books? Also I read Meg and Mia turn into sister wives and have threesomes with Mateo?!?! This continues for 4 years btw and Meg is knocked up again. And just because people were mad that you turned Meg into a spineless and stupid bitch, you tried to flip the script and say the audience was wrong in assuming she was the heroine when all along she was the villain. Yeah, because I should assume the love interest and FMC in a dark romance is the villain when it's her love story you're talking about.
It always irked me that I never completed this series but after reading reviews on how crappy it was and how it ends I'm so fucking happy I stopped. Past Twinkle was onto something and I love her for it.
Fuck Mateo and Mia. They suck hairy balls.
April 20, 2017
I was absolutely OBSESSED with Mateo in the first book & I was secretly rooting for him all the way. There's something about the devil that entices you. It's an aura he possesses. Evil and sexy. And absolutely dangerous combination. And on Mateo Morelli, it's about a thousand times worse and I LOVE IT. I didn't think he was going to settle down any time soon. I was expecting a lot more mind games with Vince and Mia, I thought it was just a continuation of that.
But Holy Canoli, Mateo Morelli met his match and she's the feistiest girl with a sense of humor that's borderline INSANE. I honestly have no words. Sam Mariano is quickly becoming my go to author because the words she writes, the stories she creates and the absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions she makes us feel is crazy. I swear most of the time, I think Meg had a death wish. It was just the way she stood up to him, never fearing but always lusting. It's like her crazy saw the crazy in Mateo and knew they were meant to be.
We see a side to Mateo I honestly thought I would never see. I thought he'd be a bit harsher considering everything that happened in book one. But it's like he's done a complete 180 and become someone else. Someone he's always been deep down inside. And it makes us fall deeper and deeper in love with him. That doesn't mean he doesn't have his days. He's still the Boss and he'll do whatever he wants. But what happens when the King of Mind games, meets the Queen and all he's losing all his pieces to her? War. Collision. Absolute fireworks. A love so hard and rough, hot enough to make your toes curl and your body tingle.
This book will absolutely DESTROY you and I'm falling deeper and deeper into the Morelli family web and I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE! I can't wait to see who's book is next, I absolute LOVE THIS SERIES! Get this book now! You'll definitely want to read it and find out what I'm talking about!
But Holy Canoli, Mateo Morelli met his match and she's the feistiest girl with a sense of humor that's borderline INSANE. I honestly have no words. Sam Mariano is quickly becoming my go to author because the words she writes, the stories she creates and the absolute rollercoaster ride of emotions she makes us feel is crazy. I swear most of the time, I think Meg had a death wish. It was just the way she stood up to him, never fearing but always lusting. It's like her crazy saw the crazy in Mateo and knew they were meant to be.
We see a side to Mateo I honestly thought I would never see. I thought he'd be a bit harsher considering everything that happened in book one. But it's like he's done a complete 180 and become someone else. Someone he's always been deep down inside. And it makes us fall deeper and deeper in love with him. That doesn't mean he doesn't have his days. He's still the Boss and he'll do whatever he wants. But what happens when the King of Mind games, meets the Queen and all he's losing all his pieces to her? War. Collision. Absolute fireworks. A love so hard and rough, hot enough to make your toes curl and your body tingle.
This book will absolutely DESTROY you and I'm falling deeper and deeper into the Morelli family web and I NEVER WANT TO LEAVE! I can't wait to see who's book is next, I absolute LOVE THIS SERIES! Get this book now! You'll definitely want to read it and find out what I'm talking about!
July 3, 2023
This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.
Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️🦸🏻♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞.5
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5
First Impressions
Surviving Mateo is the second book in the "Morelli Family" and this is where we Mateo's book and I knew that this one would be a wild ride, but the moment that I read the blurb, I knew that this would be a wonderful read and it definitely was and I just adored just about everything about this book and loved it more than the first book. There was just so much more focus on the relationship and not as much difficult consent issues as what we saw in the first book and no love triangle aspects so most definitely a plus there. I absolutely enjoyed our heroine here and I really felt like their dynamic was just right and really balance each other out and Mateo has definitely met a woman not too afraid of him, which he most definitely needs.
First Line
There too much food.
The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Mateo Morelli
Head of the Morelli Family, doesn't trust anyone, not even his own family. He is determined to prove himself and will do anything to survive and reign supreme over his territory.
The Heroine:Meg
Meg is caring and compassionate, but will do anything to protect her daughter. She will do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. She is passionate and has a unique perspective of life.
Summary
When Meg's husband is killed for not paying his debts, the Castellanos come to her and blackmail her for her daughter's life, and if she doesn't kill Mateo Morelli, she and her daughter will pay the price. Meg will do anything to protect her daughter, no matter the price even if it means killing a man she has never met. When she meets Mateo, instant chemistry and a bond forms between them. But Mateo finds out that she is there is kill him and instead of killing her, he brings her and his daughter to his home. She becomes his maid in his castle of a home but provides a safe place for her daughter. She takes life as she is given and isn't afraid to embrace what a life with Mateo could mean. But there is much more going on with the Castellanos than meets the eye, will the trust she has built with Mateo be destroyed or will their relationship survive?
What I Loved
Surviving Mateo is absolutely a win of a read and I couldn't get enough of this one. And honestly I have no idea how I am not just going to be able to binge this series, I just want to binge the whole series haha but I know how I read and that wouldn't be too good. So taking some time with this series. So Surviving Mateo was such a page turner of a read and couldn't seem to put it down. Which seems to be the norm for reading a Sam Mariano novel. There is something about her writing style that pulls me in every single time to her stories.
In this one, after book one, I was really expecting something even more bananas, but this book just felt so much more normal than the first book. haha I had a blast with the set up between them. And yeah, the whole she killing him? was pretty hilarious. She was obviously so green, and their plan was awful. But despite that, there is a wonderful dynamic that builds between Mateo and Meg. Meg was a hoot! She keeps Mateo (MATEO of all people) on his toes. She doesn't balk at his paranoia or controlling personality, she actually gets off on those elements to his character. I love that she was able to match him in that way, and not fear his controlling nature. She seeks to prove he can trust her in the little things, and I really loved that about her. And when their relationship gets tested, I just adored her strength and determination to prove herself. Even when he practically rapes her, she lets him so technically it's not rape, because she understands his feeling of betrayal and hurt that is festering. The way that she understands Mateo in ways that are so unique considering she isn't from the mafia world, was so refreshing. I honestly couldn't imagine anyone better suited to Mateo and I can't wait to see where the family goes from here and more from this couple.
What I Struggled With
Nothing much to be honest! It wasn't quite a five star read, but it got close!
Overall View
I found Surviving Mateo to a brilliant story that delivered all the heart and thrilling edges I come to appreciate in a dark romance, definitely eager for the next one.
Favorite Quote(s)
This is so shitty. I finally meet the man of my dreams and I have to kill him.
“In everyone else’s book, I’m a villain. You look at me like I’m a hero.”
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance
Character Types: Mafia, Single Parent
Themes: Class Difference, Kids, Family Bonds, Dubious Non Consent
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Blackmail, Boss and Employee, Rags to Riches
Book Perspective
1st POV
Recommendation For Reading Order
Highly Recommend you NEED to read these in order. And literally the author has a whole PAGE devoted to this haha
Steam/Spice Explanations
Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.
April 12, 2021
4.5 stars... Oh Mateo....
There is something so captivating about Mateo. I don’t know if it’s his alphaness, his possessiveness, or his authoritative demeanor, but he is definitely a captivating character.
In this book, we meet Meg, a recently widowed woman who has a three-year-old daughter. Her husband owes lots of people money, and one of them comes to the wake. She is approached by a man, a rival of Mateo’s, and is basically being forced to poison and kill Mateo or suffer the consequences, the consequences being the death of her daughter. Meg is forced to comply and finally meets Mateo.
When she meets him, she is enthralled by him. They end up leaving the scene and they go to a restaurant. However, Mateo is so paranoid that he ends up figuring out that she’s trying to kill him. He threatens to kill her daughter as well, but this time she actually sees what he intends to do. She is repentant and pleads for her life and her daughter’s. She promises to be loyal and to do whatever he wants. She then becomes his maid and starts working for him.
The chemistry between Mateo and Meg is intense, because everything with Mateo is always intense. I have to admit though- there is something still going on between Mateo and Mia, so I found myself longing for more scenes with both of them. In book one, the tension between Mia and Mateo was more delicious for some reason. However, that didn’t take away from what was going on between Meg and Mateo. They are definitely into each other, but Mateo has a hard time trusting people and that’s something that is continually present and a continual rift in their relationship.
I honestly can’t wait to read book 3, Adrian‘s book. This series is addicting LOL.
There is something so captivating about Mateo. I don’t know if it’s his alphaness, his possessiveness, or his authoritative demeanor, but he is definitely a captivating character.
In this book, we meet Meg, a recently widowed woman who has a three-year-old daughter. Her husband owes lots of people money, and one of them comes to the wake. She is approached by a man, a rival of Mateo’s, and is basically being forced to poison and kill Mateo or suffer the consequences, the consequences being the death of her daughter. Meg is forced to comply and finally meets Mateo.
When she meets him, she is enthralled by him. They end up leaving the scene and they go to a restaurant. However, Mateo is so paranoid that he ends up figuring out that she’s trying to kill him. He threatens to kill her daughter as well, but this time she actually sees what he intends to do. She is repentant and pleads for her life and her daughter’s. She promises to be loyal and to do whatever he wants. She then becomes his maid and starts working for him.
The chemistry between Mateo and Meg is intense, because everything with Mateo is always intense. I have to admit though- there is something still going on between Mateo and Mia, so I found myself longing for more scenes with both of them. In book one, the tension between Mia and Mateo was more delicious for some reason. However, that didn’t take away from what was going on between Meg and Mateo. They are definitely into each other, but Mateo has a hard time trusting people and that’s something that is continually present and a continual rift in their relationship.
I honestly can’t wait to read book 3, Adrian‘s book. This series is addicting LOL.
September 6, 2021
I'm disappointed with this author
April 7, 2023
3.75/5 ★★★★☆
"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤. 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨...𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙞𝙩. 𝙉𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚-𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨." ♡
Please understand that this review won't make sense to anyone who hasn't read Book 1 already. So read that before reading this review. These are no standalones.
You need to be accepting of Sam Mariano's unique style of writing and committed to the dark and dangerous world of the Morellis to really enjoy this wild, wild ride!
𝙎𝙤, 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 ---
The second book in the Morelli Mafia Family series was....something else. It was, for the most part, not what I expected.
Full reveal, I was expecting more of Mateo-Mia-Vince troubles. I'm a horrible person, sue me.
But the introduction of a new FMC, Meg, wasn't too bad either.
I 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 Meg! I'm shocked because I didn't think I'd enjoy reading about anyone with Mateo that wasn't Mia, but I genuinely enjoyed Meg and being inside Meg's POV for this book.
She's a strange, totally incomprehensible and unrelatable at times but a super brave badass who figures out how to "channel" Mateo by the end of this book.
In a lot of ways, this book was better than the first. For one, it wasn't 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 as the previous one. And also, there was a lot more banter which I always dig!
Meg wasn't scared of Mateo! I can't even process that! Everyone is scared of Mateo but she wasn't and she accepted his darkness (mostly! Or what she knew of it at least!) and that was 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦!
I'm guessing that's how she charmed someone like Mateo Morelli to fall in love. ♡
Yes! Spoiler! Mateo falls in love!
And I can't believe I'm about to write this, but 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘰'𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬!
(I'm still not sure how I feel about that.)
Yes, he still acted all selfish and paranoid and dangerous and didn't trust anyone but he was somehow.... loving. And attached.
And.... 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.
As I live and breathe--- 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐'𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺! (Well, for anyone that wasn't Mia, that is.)
I realize that I'm risking sounding quite repetitive. But the more I see Mateo and Mia interact, I can't help but feel deep down inside that they are the ones who should end up together. But, oh well.
This is just the second book, I still hold out hope.
I realize, on some level, that this book and this pairing was needed.
We needed to see that Mateo could be human. That he was capable of caring for and loving another human being. That he could be hurt and vulnerable too.
Mia needed to see how Mateo could be with a woman who was willing to look past his darkness and accept it all. Mia needed a look behind the dark curtain.
And boy! Mateo was a total heartthrob. He was mischievous and fun-loving and gift-giving and generous and bantering and what not.
Of course he was still the jealous monster who didn't trust anyone and believed everyone was out to get him, murder him and betray him.
But at least we got to see the full picture in this book!
Yay!
"𝙄'𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄'𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡."
(( You say that Mateo but you literally didn't make Meg's life hell. You were such a softie in this one.
I swear, Meg didn't suffer a tenth of what Mia had in the last one. That suffering alone gives Mia more of a right over Mateo than anyone else.
That's just the way it is. I don't make the rules. ))
Meg and Vince might hate me for this. But I'm totally Team Mia and Mateo!
The 1.25 ★ deduction in the rating is solely because I needed more Mia-Mateo here.
It halfway broke my heart when Mateo told Meg that she was his favorite person in the world!
Nooooo......
It's supposed to be Mia!
P. S. There was a deleted scene at the end of the book. Sort of like a bonus. And it had a conversation between Mia and Mateo.
Yes.
That patched up my heart. Somewhat.
And gave me hope.
*fingers crossed*
It is what it is.
The heart wants what it wants.
P. S. There was more character growth in this one when it came to Adrian, our protective cuddly homicidal looking teddybear. And I can't wait to read his book next.
I loved his deadpan dialogues. And he is BFFs with Mateo despite how adamant the two are about denying it.
They're totally the bestie bros.
"𝙄𝙩'𝙨 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜, 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙖 𝙈𝙤𝙧𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙞, 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙄 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩. 𝙄 𝙙𝙤. 𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙧𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙤𝙛 𝙬𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙣 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙩𝙧𝙞𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡𝙚𝙙. 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙗𝙡𝙚𝙢 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙞𝙨...𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙞𝙨𝙣'𝙩 𝙖𝙣 𝙤𝙥𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣. 𝙄𝙛 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙝𝙤𝙤𝙨𝙚 𝙖 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙤𝙛 𝙪𝙨, 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩'𝙨 𝙞𝙩. 𝙉𝙤 𝙩𝙖𝙠𝙚-𝙗𝙖𝙘𝙠𝙨." ♡
Please understand that this review won't make sense to anyone who hasn't read Book 1 already. So read that before reading this review. These are no standalones.
You need to be accepting of Sam Mariano's unique style of writing and committed to the dark and dangerous world of the Morellis to really enjoy this wild, wild ride!
𝙎𝙤, 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙜𝙤𝙚𝙨 ---
The second book in the Morelli Mafia Family series was....something else. It was, for the most part, not what I expected.
Full reveal, I was expecting more of Mateo-Mia-Vince troubles. I'm a horrible person, sue me.
But the introduction of a new FMC, Meg, wasn't too bad either.
I 𝘭𝘪𝘬𝘦𝘥 Meg! I'm shocked because I didn't think I'd enjoy reading about anyone with Mateo that wasn't Mia, but I genuinely enjoyed Meg and being inside Meg's POV for this book.
She's a strange, totally incomprehensible and unrelatable at times but a super brave badass who figures out how to "channel" Mateo by the end of this book.
In a lot of ways, this book was better than the first. For one, it wasn't 𝘩𝘢𝘭𝘧 𝘢𝘴 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 as the previous one. And also, there was a lot more banter which I always dig!
Meg wasn't scared of Mateo! I can't even process that! Everyone is scared of Mateo but she wasn't and she accepted his darkness (mostly! Or what she knew of it at least!) and that was 𝘩𝘶𝘨𝘦!
I'm guessing that's how she charmed someone like Mateo Morelli to fall in love. ♡
Yes! Spoiler! Mateo falls in love!
And I can't believe I'm about to write this, but 𝘔𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘰'𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘱 𝘦𝘥𝘨𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘭𝘮𝘰𝘴𝘵 𝘴𝘦𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘥 𝘴𝘰𝘧𝘵𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘥 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬!
(I'm still not sure how I feel about that.)
Yes, he still acted all selfish and paranoid and dangerous and didn't trust anyone but he was somehow.... loving. And attached.
And.... 𝘷𝘶𝘭𝘯𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦.
As I live and breathe--- 𝘐 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘐'𝘥 𝘴𝘦𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺! (Well, for anyone that wasn't Mia, that is.)
I realize that I'm risking sounding quite repetitive. But the more I see Mateo and Mia interact, I can't help but feel deep down inside that they are the ones who should end up together. But, oh well.
This is just the second book, I still hold out hope.
I realize, on some level, that this book and this pairing was needed.
We needed to see that Mateo could be human. That he was capable of caring for and loving another human being. That he could be hurt and vulnerable too.
Mia needed to see how Mateo could be with a woman who was willing to look past his darkness and accept it all. Mia needed a look behind the dark curtain.
And boy! Mateo was a total heartthrob. He was mischievous and fun-loving and gift-giving and generous and bantering and what not.
Of course he was still the jealous monster who didn't trust anyone and believed everyone was out to get him, murder him and betray him.
But at least we got to see the full picture in this book!
Yay!
"𝙄'𝙢 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄'𝙙 𝙢𝙞𝙨𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤𝙤 𝙢𝙪𝙘𝙝, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙄'𝙢 𝙜𝙤𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚 𝙝𝙚𝙡𝙡."
(( You say that Mateo but you literally didn't make Meg's life hell. You were such a softie in this one.
I swear, Meg didn't suffer a tenth of what Mia had in the last one. That suffering alone gives Mia more of a right over Mateo than anyone else.
That's just the way it is. I don't make the rules. ))
Meg and Vince might hate me for this. But I'm totally Team Mia and Mateo!
The 1.25 ★ deduction in the rating is solely because I needed more Mia-Mateo here.
It halfway broke my heart when Mateo told Meg that she was his favorite person in the world!
Nooooo......
It's supposed to be Mia!
P. S. There was a deleted scene at the end of the book. Sort of like a bonus. And it had a conversation between Mia and Mateo.
Yes.
That patched up my heart. Somewhat.
And gave me hope.
*fingers crossed*
It is what it is.
The heart wants what it wants.
P. S. There was more character growth in this one when it came to Adrian, our protective cuddly homicidal looking teddybear. And I can't wait to read his book next.
I loved his deadpan dialogues. And he is BFFs with Mateo despite how adamant the two are about denying it.
They're totally the bestie bros.
May 6, 2017
Surviving Mateo
By Sam Mariano
4 Solid Stars!!
My goodness, after reading Accidental Witness, I knew I needed to find out more about Mateo. This book delivered!
Mateo is one man you never want to be on his bad side. You won’t survive…plain and simple.
When Meg is confronted by the family her deceased husband owed money to… She basically seals her deal with death.
What Meg didn’t count on was Mateo allowing her to live. Live she is allowed…. But under his ‘terms’. Mateo now has a new ‘maid’ to do as he pleases with, whenever he pleases, however he pleases.
Not only do feelings shift and a new place is set at the Sunday table, we find out the history of Mateo. What he went through to become the most ruthless crime lord in Chicago. What a story he has to tell!!!
Bring on the next book in this series!!!
Follow us on---
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By Sam Mariano
4 Solid Stars!!
My goodness, after reading Accidental Witness, I knew I needed to find out more about Mateo. This book delivered!
Mateo is one man you never want to be on his bad side. You won’t survive…plain and simple.
When Meg is confronted by the family her deceased husband owed money to… She basically seals her deal with death.
What Meg didn’t count on was Mateo allowing her to live. Live she is allowed…. But under his ‘terms’. Mateo now has a new ‘maid’ to do as he pleases with, whenever he pleases, however he pleases.
Not only do feelings shift and a new place is set at the Sunday table, we find out the history of Mateo. What he went through to become the most ruthless crime lord in Chicago. What a story he has to tell!!!
Bring on the next book in this series!!!
Follow us on---
FB – https://www.facebook.com/groups/BookB...
Blog -https://bookbistroblogcom.wordpress.com
Blog -https://bookbistroblogger.blogspot.com
Twitter - https://www.twitter.com/BookBistro
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/BookBistroBlog
June 21, 2018
I actually liked this one a bit. The first one was a no no no..
In this one Matteo is actually a "nice" guy. Maybe I'm easily persuaded too, can be. I liked Meg a lot! She was feisty a tid bit weird and a lot of ballsy. But for being a mom full time going to seeing your precious girl so little it didn't seem to matter to her. I don't have kids so I don't know how I would act, but I think I would be more scared for her and trying to be with her all the time.
I like Adrian but I'm not continuing this journey. It's been enough for me.
Don't let my review stop you! Many people loved this series so it's a me not the book thing!
In this one Matteo is actually a "nice" guy. Maybe I'm easily persuaded too, can be. I liked Meg a lot! She was feisty a tid bit weird and a lot of ballsy. But for being a mom full time going to seeing your precious girl so little it didn't seem to matter to her. I don't have kids so I don't know how I would act, but I think I would be more scared for her and trying to be with her all the time.
I like Adrian but I'm not continuing this journey. It's been enough for me.
Don't let my review stop you! Many people loved this series so it's a me not the book thing!
August 5, 2018
İlk kitaptaki Mateo nerede, bu kitaptaki Mateo nerede?
Bir insan bu kadar mı değişir?
Şoklar içerisindeyim!
Madem öyle, Mia'nın suçu neydi diye sorarım sana Mateo????
Umarım böyle devam edersin, ne diyeyim!
Bir insan bu kadar mı değişir?
Şoklar içerisindeyim!
Madem öyle, Mia'nın suçu neydi diye sorarım sana Mateo????
Umarım böyle devam edersin, ne diyeyim!
May 14, 2017
Ohhhhhhh Mateo.
This sums him up from Book 1:
He's totally hot, all powerful in his little corner of the universe, and he can be a bit pushy to those around him that he feels affection for.
AND NOW!!! MATEO GETS HIS OWN BOOK!!!
Prepare yourselves.
THINGS GO DOWN.
Relax. You're gonna enjoy it.
I was so unprepared. I was like, "I know Dark Romances, alright?"
Not like this.
This. Was. Awesome. DIFFERENT. Surprising. And hilarious. Thought I knew where it was going; Nope.
Seriously. I laughed so hard with this book. Was not expecting that.
And...
I loved it even more than Accidental Witness.
We get to see more Mateo
*swoooooons* and that's allllwaaaaays a good thing
When I first posted this review I wasn't sure if the author would reveal who Mateo's heroine would be. I walked in blind, and it was AWESOME - I was glad I did.
But. Now that the cat's out of the bag.
Meg was one of the funniest heroine's I've ever read.
I wasn't sure how the author was going to go with this one after Accidental Witness; I wasn't sure if Mia was going to get swept up in Mateo's dark web again or if there'd be a new woman for him to play with.
Wrong on both guesses.
Meg enters.
She's FUNNY, she's sweet, she's a little crazy, she's a GOOD person.
Oh. And Mateo doesn't get a chance to play with her.
Because she's got to kill him.
The book moves beautifully fast; it was so perfect, there was at no point a place I got bored, or treaded bookwater waiting for things to happen - THINGS DIDN'T STOP HAPPENING! I had so much fun with this one.
I LOVED Mateo's *DARKNESS* in Accidental Witness. I HATED him in Accidental Witness.
I fell in love with Meg in Surviving Mateo. And I fell in love with the side of Mateo that she brings out.
And this girl.
She can keep this guy on his toes.
Perfect, perfect match for him. I'm officially adding this one to my Top Fave Books of all time.
And this book has heart!
Annnnnd I can't even tell you about it and it's killing me.
I'm going to have to hit Mateo's Sweethearts (the Facebook group where fans of the series can join in Mateo Group Therapy) and get it all out there.
There's gonna be A LOT to go over.
And that's what I'm leaving you with for now.
I'm sorry. For now, I can't say more.
I have a few points I might add later but... THIS IS SPOILER FREE SO FAR. That's right. I DID IT!!!! *whew*
But I can promise you this: you'll love how it all goes down.
Totally.
This sums him up from Book 1:
He's totally hot, all powerful in his little corner of the universe, and he can be a bit pushy to those around him that he feels affection for.
AND NOW!!! MATEO GETS HIS OWN BOOK!!!
Prepare yourselves.
THINGS GO DOWN.
Relax. You're gonna enjoy it.
I was so unprepared. I was like, "I know Dark Romances, alright?"
Not like this.
This. Was. Awesome. DIFFERENT. Surprising. And hilarious. Thought I knew where it was going; Nope.
Seriously. I laughed so hard with this book. Was not expecting that.
And...
I loved it even more than Accidental Witness.
We get to see more Mateo
*swoooooons* and that's allllwaaaaays a good thing
When I first posted this review I wasn't sure if the author would reveal who Mateo's heroine would be. I walked in blind, and it was AWESOME - I was glad I did.
But. Now that the cat's out of the bag.
Meg was one of the funniest heroine's I've ever read.
I wasn't sure how the author was going to go with this one after Accidental Witness; I wasn't sure if Mia was going to get swept up in Mateo's dark web again or if there'd be a new woman for him to play with.
Wrong on both guesses.
Meg enters.
She's FUNNY, she's sweet, she's a little crazy, she's a GOOD person.
Oh. And Mateo doesn't get a chance to play with her.
Because she's got to kill him.
The book moves beautifully fast; it was so perfect, there was at no point a place I got bored, or treaded bookwater waiting for things to happen - THINGS DIDN'T STOP HAPPENING! I had so much fun with this one.
I LOVED Mateo's *DARKNESS* in Accidental Witness. I HATED him in Accidental Witness.
I fell in love with Meg in Surviving Mateo. And I fell in love with the side of Mateo that she brings out.
And this girl.
She can keep this guy on his toes.
Perfect, perfect match for him. I'm officially adding this one to my Top Fave Books of all time.
And this book has heart!
Annnnnd I can't even tell you about it and it's killing me.
I'm going to have to hit Mateo's Sweethearts (the Facebook group where fans of the series can join in Mateo Group Therapy) and get it all out there.
There's gonna be A LOT to go over.
And that's what I'm leaving you with for now.
I'm sorry. For now, I can't say more.
I have a few points I might add later but... THIS IS SPOILER FREE SO FAR. That's right. I DID IT!!!! *whew*
But I can promise you this: you'll love how it all goes down.
Totally.
May 21, 2017
Oh my god, so much Mateo.
This book did not go the way I thought it would. This is not what I expected from book two of this series. And when I first started it, I got really scared. I was like "WTH is going on right now? Who is this chick? WHAT IS HAPPENING? THIS ISN'T RIGHT."
I was freaking out.
But it turns out Meg's really funny, and Mateo through her eyes made me all melty. When he murdered her childhood molester's face off? Bedtime stories? The loaded gun in the dungeon (though honestly I partially suspect that wasn't loaded and he was testing her ass, but she passed, so we'll never know). There's so much. And I wanted to be so mad, because I don't care how funny Meg is (her buzzfeed listicle line on their date killed me dead), HE CAN'T MARRY HER. He belongs to Mia. I don't know when I don't know how, but they're meant to beeeeeeee. Don't do this to me.
Anyway.
Meg!
Meg is a crazy person. Endearingly crazy, humorously crazy, but this chick is cookoo for cocoa puffs. She's this normal little nobody with some game and a passing resemblance to Mia, and she manages to interest Mateo. I get it. She's pretty cool. She just isn't Mia, so wtf, Mateo. you're supposed to steal her back from Vince! Give Meg to Vince. I don't care. Figure it out!
The crazy thing is I do really like them together. But I like him with Mia better. I mean, I'm convinced I would. From peeks! (He would've given it all to her!) From my own personal fantasies and predispositions. I don't care. The blurb says these are not standalones and knowing Mateo the way I do (we have a close personal relationship, ok?) I'm saying this isn't the end of his story.
Cannot wait to read the next one.
July 11, 2017
Messed up
Ok I really don't know what to say about this one. I liked the story in many ways and it made my stomach turn at the same time.
The plot was good. Kept you reading to see what was going to happen. Meg was something else and made you laugh out loud. Matteo seemed different in this book. Softer with more feelings. I don't know if this was deliberate or not, but it was very noticeable.
Now the parts I didn't like. Mia and Meg, really we had to go there?! Then they were friends?!? Not jiving for me and to me just extremely tacky and seems like it is there for shock value. I mean just to say that hey if anything happens to me leave your boyfriend and take care of my guy because I know you two still have a connection and you love him. Poor Vince. I can truly say I really really dislike Mia. I know this is a mob story, but the kids were like an inconvenience. Meg went from an all in mom to just concentrating on Matteo. Meg never getting pissed off at Matteo really got to me at times, but I guess he needed some one as crazy as him.
Again another story that you just can't look away from. Again I must be up for more torture because I am reading on to the next.
Ok I really don't know what to say about this one. I liked the story in many ways and it made my stomach turn at the same time.
The plot was good. Kept you reading to see what was going to happen. Meg was something else and made you laugh out loud. Matteo seemed different in this book. Softer with more feelings. I don't know if this was deliberate or not, but it was very noticeable.
Now the parts I didn't like. Mia and Meg, really we had to go there?! Then they were friends?!? Not jiving for me and to me just extremely tacky and seems like it is there for shock value. I mean just to say that hey if anything happens to me leave your boyfriend and take care of my guy because I know you two still have a connection and you love him. Poor Vince. I can truly say I really really dislike Mia. I know this is a mob story, but the kids were like an inconvenience. Meg went from an all in mom to just concentrating on Matteo. Meg never getting pissed off at Matteo really got to me at times, but I guess he needed some one as crazy as him.
Again another story that you just can't look away from. Again I must be up for more torture because I am reading on to the next.
June 13, 2017
4 STARS ☆☆☆☆
October 27, 2020
I was enjoying this book until fucking Mia.
January 5, 2021
I love love Meg!! She’s perfect for Mateo.
June 29, 2021
I was sure that Matteo and Mia are a match made in heaven but the author likes to play with my heart and she introduced us, Meg, a widow that has to kill Matteo in order to save her daughter's life, because Matteo's enemies, the Castellanos, threatened her. Her ex-husband had a lot of debts and now she owes them.
Meg is trying to make Matteo think that she is just a girl that wants to have fun with him, but Adrian, his right hand, is not easily fooled. When Matteo confronts Meg and shows her daughter in a coffin, Meg has to speak fast, because if she doesn't confess, her daughter will be dead. She confesses that she wanted him dead because Matteo ordered her late husband death * not because she was put to the task by the Castellanos.*
Matteo decides that he isn't finished with her, so she is not working as a maid at his house. and soon after, they start to have sex. Matteo moves Meg into his bedroom, and they are now together .
Meg is trying to make Matteo think that she is just a girl that wants to have fun with him, but Adrian, his right hand, is not easily fooled. When Matteo confronts Meg and shows her daughter in a coffin, Meg has to speak fast, because if she doesn't confess, her daughter will be dead. She confesses that she wanted him dead because Matteo ordered her late husband death * not because she was put to the task by the Castellanos.*
Matteo decides that he isn't finished with her, so she is not working as a maid at his house. and soon after, they start to have sex. Matteo moves Meg into his bedroom, and they are now together .
August 24, 2025
4.5 Stars
I didn't expect this, since I hated Mateo in the first book, but I liked this one lot. Better than Mia and Vince's story.
I didn't expect this, since I hated Mateo in the first book, but I liked this one lot. Better than Mia and Vince's story.
June 23, 2024
oh my gosh yall she actually made a female character with a personality and guess what… *gasp* she’s actually funny, love meg 💝
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