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Morelli Family #4
Family Ties
Francesca Morelli. Sweet as sin, like the cupcakes she slings at the Morelli bakery. Her sweetness and killer looks are what reeled me in, but her unexpected vulnerability really sealed my fate. I don't care if there’s a war brewing between our families. I don’t care if I have to go through her evil dictator of a brother. I will break down Francesca Morelli’s walls, I will make her mine, and I’ll keep her—no matter the cost. Salvatore Castellanos. If good men exist, I’ve certainly never met one—until the day my brother’s rival sauntered into my bakery. Raised around manipulation and unimaginable dysfunction, I know better than to invest in dishonest, dangerous men. I also know Salvatore is exactly that type of man—only, it turns out he isn’t. After years spent living in a shell, Salvatore opens me back up. He’s sexy and sincere, making well-intended promises he’ll never be able to keep. Even knowing he’ll ultimately break my heart, I can’t resist falling for him. But tensions are rising between our families, and whichever side wins, I know our love won’t make it out alive. Salvatore may be a man accustomed to getting what he wants, but as much as I wish otherwise, I’m the one thing he can never really have. *** THIS IS NOT A STANDALONE. This is book four, and read alone it will be confusing and weird. Also, you have to be as invested in the Morellis as you will be after books 1-3 in order to care about the Morelli madness accompanying this love story. DO NOT READ THIS BOOK FIRST, IT WILL BE A BAD TIME. ***
626 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 10, 2017
392 people are currently reading
1002 people want to read
About the author
Sam Mariano
44 books4,873 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 211 reviews
June 25, 2018
Family Ties is the 4th book in the Morelli Family series by Sam Mariano. It focuses on the characters, Francesca Morelli and Salvatore Castellanos, but don't worry, it also has a lot of Mateo, Mia, Vince, and the rest of the gang! In other words, the crazy carries on, and I loved every minute of it!
Francesca wasn't looking for love, and she definitely wasn't look for it with a member of a rival family. Unfortunately for her, we don't get to pick who we fall in love with. Francesca caught Salvatore's interest, and he knew he had to have her despite her last name.
After much hesitation and resistance, Sal gets Francesca to agree to date him. Things get serious between the two, but they know their families will never accept them as a couple. They're like a modern day Romeo and Juliet minus the teenage suicide.
Since the Castellanos' were the ones that sent Meg to poison Mateo, there's no way he will allow his sister to date one of them. Sal's father thinks the Morelli's have no respect for the old ways, each other, or anyone else. He hates them with a passion, and his son would be allowed to marry one over his dead body.
Sal and Francesca become more and more impatient with their families position on their relationship. Normal people would only have to deal with anger for going against their parents wishes in situations like these. These are not normal people. If you get in bed with a rival family, you have to be prepared to pay. With your life.
Family Ties was absolutely amazing! Forbidden romance is always so hot and romantic, and this was no exception. I loved that Sal and Francesca refused to let each other go no matter the risk.
Sal exceeded my expectations completely. I never expected to love him as much as I did! The same goes for Francesca. They won me over immediately, and I rooted for their characters from the start. The banter between the two of them was awesome! I laughed and swooned the whole way through the book.
Though I adore Francesca and Sal, getting to spend more time with the rest of the Morelli's was my favorite part of the story!
I just can't get enough of this crazy family! Thankfully, there are more books left in the series. P. S. I've already read them all, and I wasn't disppointed. ;p
I recommend this series to people that enjoy morally challenged characters. Fans of the series, shouldn't hesitate to pick up this one! If you haven't read any of the Morelli Family series yet, hop on the crazy train with me!
Francesca wasn't looking for love, and she definitely wasn't look for it with a member of a rival family. Unfortunately for her, we don't get to pick who we fall in love with. Francesca caught Salvatore's interest, and he knew he had to have her despite her last name.
After much hesitation and resistance, Sal gets Francesca to agree to date him. Things get serious between the two, but they know their families will never accept them as a couple. They're like a modern day Romeo and Juliet minus the teenage suicide.
Since the Castellanos' were the ones that sent Meg to poison Mateo, there's no way he will allow his sister to date one of them. Sal's father thinks the Morelli's have no respect for the old ways, each other, or anyone else. He hates them with a passion, and his son would be allowed to marry one over his dead body.
Sal and Francesca become more and more impatient with their families position on their relationship. Normal people would only have to deal with anger for going against their parents wishes in situations like these. These are not normal people. If you get in bed with a rival family, you have to be prepared to pay. With your life.
Family Ties was absolutely amazing! Forbidden romance is always so hot and romantic, and this was no exception. I loved that Sal and Francesca refused to let each other go no matter the risk.
Sal exceeded my expectations completely. I never expected to love him as much as I did! The same goes for Francesca. They won me over immediately, and I rooted for their characters from the start. The banter between the two of them was awesome! I laughed and swooned the whole way through the book.
Though I adore Francesca and Sal, getting to spend more time with the rest of the Morelli's was my favorite part of the story!
I just can't get enough of this crazy family! Thankfully, there are more books left in the series. P. S. I've already read them all, and I wasn't disppointed. ;p
I recommend this series to people that enjoy morally challenged characters. Fans of the series, shouldn't hesitate to pick up this one! If you haven't read any of the Morelli Family series yet, hop on the crazy train with me!
July 11, 2017
Nothing scream dysfunctional quite the way the Morelli’s do! Just when one web of lies gets untangled Sam Mariano has a whole new set in store!
I swear I’ll never get tired of this author or her infamous writing habits. She keeps me entertained, hanging on the edge of my seat, and like the romance junkie that I am, I’m always thirsting for more!
But see I made the colossal mistake of not reading the Irreparable Damage duet series. No it didn’t ruin the storyline or nothing but I had a few moments where a imaginary needle scratching a record loudly went off in my head. I was going…..what? So my advice to you if you haven’t already done so, read the duet beforehand.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
To say Family Ties is a continuation of Mateo isn’t exactly accurate. Sure... sure, he’s in here and his story continues. He's diabolical as ever but this more about his sister Francesca and the deadly games sweet desserts can have with rival crime family!
I swear I’ll never get tired of this author or her infamous writing habits. She keeps me entertained, hanging on the edge of my seat, and like the romance junkie that I am, I’m always thirsting for more!
But see I made the colossal mistake of not reading the Irreparable Damage duet series. No it didn’t ruin the storyline or nothing but I had a few moments where a imaginary needle scratching a record loudly went off in my head. I was going…..what? So my advice to you if you haven’t already done so, read the duet beforehand.
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2...
To say Family Ties is a continuation of Mateo isn’t exactly accurate. Sure... sure, he’s in here and his story continues. He's diabolical as ever but this more about his sister Francesca and the deadly games sweet desserts can have with rival crime family!
July 6, 2018
2.5 Long + Boring Stars
This isn’t going to be a pretty review. I will basically spend the entire review ranting. Looking, I like Sam Marino and I like this series. I liked the first three books, even the first book which a lot of people didn’t like, but this one. What happened?!
The entire series was retold by a different POV. < --- That was the downfall for me. To rewrite the entire series, but from Francesca’s POV was just BORING.
Okay, so we know from the ending of the last book that Francesca is with Sal. So, lets rewind to the very first book and see how they got together. I was fine with that. I kind of wanted to see how they fell in love and I loved how Sal was chasing after her. What I didn’t want was to re-read everything I already knew what happened.
The book is broken into 3 parts.
Part 1 was okay. Even though it was a re-telling, like I said, I liked getting to see how they got together.
Part 2 was oh so fucking boring. As much as I love dialogue based books I was skimming the entire thing because I didn’t want to reread everything.
Part 3 was better, but still boring. I skimmed still.
The book is LONG.
In my opinion, Part 2 should have been a novella, an in-between book and then part 1 and part 3 should have been meshed into the actual book. OH my god that would have made everything much better. About 70% of this book could have been edited out.
I did like the glimpses of Mia and Mateo because they are my favorite characters and I felt like after the first two parts of the book, I was only looking forward to reading about Mia and Mateo.
I keep on saying Family Ties was boring because I felt like nothing new really came along. I wanted more drama, something to get my blood going and I don’t like angst in books!
So I’m not like everyone and I didn’t like this one. BUT I’m finally caught up to the next book and I’m nervous as fuck. Will the author re-tell the story? Why does the next book have lower reviews? Will Mateo break my heart again? Will Meg die? Gah. So much.
If Mia and Mateo don’t get their happy ending I’m going to flip my shit.
This isn’t going to be a pretty review. I will basically spend the entire review ranting. Looking, I like Sam Marino and I like this series. I liked the first three books, even the first book which a lot of people didn’t like, but this one. What happened?!
The entire series was retold by a different POV. < --- That was the downfall for me. To rewrite the entire series, but from Francesca’s POV was just BORING.
Okay, so we know from the ending of the last book that Francesca is with Sal. So, lets rewind to the very first book and see how they got together. I was fine with that. I kind of wanted to see how they fell in love and I loved how Sal was chasing after her. What I didn’t want was to re-read everything I already knew what happened.
The book is broken into 3 parts.
Part 1 was okay. Even though it was a re-telling, like I said, I liked getting to see how they got together.
Part 2 was oh so fucking boring. As much as I love dialogue based books I was skimming the entire thing because I didn’t want to reread everything.
Part 3 was better, but still boring. I skimmed still.
The book is LONG.
In my opinion, Part 2 should have been a novella, an in-between book and then part 1 and part 3 should have been meshed into the actual book. OH my god that would have made everything much better. About 70% of this book could have been edited out.
I did like the glimpses of Mia and Mateo because they are my favorite characters and I felt like after the first two parts of the book, I was only looking forward to reading about Mia and Mateo.
I keep on saying Family Ties was boring because I felt like nothing new really came along. I wanted more drama, something to get my blood going and I don’t like angst in books!
So I’m not like everyone and I didn’t like this one. BUT I’m finally caught up to the next book and I’m nervous as fuck. Will the author re-tell the story? Why does the next book have lower reviews? Will Mateo break my heart again? Will Meg die? Gah. So much.
If Mia and Mateo don’t get their happy ending I’m going to flip my shit.
February 8, 2018
LOL. This is my 666th book read! Sure felt like it too.
I loved Francesca and Sal.
Again the threesome either needs to be honest or become a threesome. They are tiring and really know how to ruin a story.
I loved Francesca and Sal.
Again the threesome either needs to be honest or become a threesome. They are tiring and really know how to ruin a story.
May 18, 2024
I cannot review this without spoilers
August 7, 2022
Mateo excels at turning a hard no into an enthusiastic yes.”
this was extremely long. I can’t lie and say I was extremely invested in Sal and Francesca’s story, but I knew I needed to push through to get to book five, so.. on to book five.
this was extremely long. I can’t lie and say I was extremely invested in Sal and Francesca’s story, but I knew I needed to push through to get to book five, so.. on to book five.
April 9, 2023
4/5 ★★★★☆
𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚, 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡-𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚, 𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙨𝙤 𝙝𝙚'𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨. ♡
Phew! This was one 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦.
Seriously long. Like I had to take away one whole star from the rating, that's how long.
This was freaking 680 pages.
No book (other than a high fantasy romance) should be over 500 pages long. Just NO!!!
I loved Francesca and Salvatore's story.
Sure, the beginning didn't take me in quite that intensely and i was ready to give this book no more than 3★ because of that.
But then, the Mia-Mateo-Meg drama started and yayyy! No surprise how quickly I was sucked in this 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦!!
Initially I had my doubts about Sam changing POVs every sequel. But after this, I'll never doubt her writerly wisdom.
It's 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 to see the inner workings and thoughts of every member of the Morelli family.
After two books of hearing how awesome Meg is, I needed to bask in Francesca's blatant dislike of her.
I'm evil but i loved Francesca's stance on where matters stood with Mateo.
It was fun to see another mafia family, the Castellanos and the actual interaction between two rival mafia families 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘵. 𝘞𝘢𝘳.
Fun times!!
The banter between Francesca and Sal was 𝙊𝙛𝙛. 𝙏𝙝𝙚. 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨!
Like it was so good that it was better than Meg-Mateo-Mia at times and that's saying a lot.
I got to enjoy both sides of the mafia balance scales.
The reasonable, humane, super loving and loyal side of Sal and Francesca.
And the utterly unreasonable, super toxic, jealous and t̶o̶t̶a̶l̶ d̶u̶m̶p̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ f̶i̶r̶e̶ complicated side of Meg-Mateo-Mia-Vince.
I can't even say it's so bizarre and plain 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 because it's a mafia story.
No, those are still somewhat relatable. Somewhat, being the key word.
No, this is so Bizzare because it's a Morelli family story.
You really wanna hate them, but like Sal realises and accepts by the end ----Mateo probably adds something to the water supply of that castle-home of his and no one can escape the charm of the Morelli patriarch despite all his endless flaws.
I enjoyed this far better than the 3rd book but that's just because Francesca and Sal were more observant when it came to Mateo and Mia and Adrian just wasn't.
And it's obvious that i only read these books for scraps of Mia-Mateo.
I need help.
But by now Sam Mariano has her claws so deep inside my psyche that she could write literally anything and make me enjoy it.
*sigh*
Sam says one can stop reading after Book 4 and she's right that she's given half her readers the happy endings they so desire.
Unfortunately, for me, I'm a part of the other half.
I'm one of those miserable half who've been waiting for Book 5 since the end of Book 1.
But i realize that these intermittent books and this story had to happen for Mateo and Mia to reach the precipice they so clearly have.
I can't wait to get my hands on Book 5 and just finally read the ending I've imagined since the first book.
I don't want to steal Francesca's thunder because her story with Sal was in no way second grade and I'm totally downplaying how awesome these two are.
But well, I fell hard and fast for Mateo and Mia already and they have dibs on first place. Always.
That's that.
Will totally recommend to someone who likes Mafia romance!
𝙄𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚, 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙚𝙣𝙙 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙤. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙞𝙩 𝙡𝙞𝙨𝙩. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙝𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙨𝙤𝙪𝙡-𝙙𝙚𝙚𝙥 𝙖𝙩𝙩𝙖𝙘𝙝𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣 𝙬𝙝𝙤 𝙠𝙚𝙚𝙥𝙨 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙤𝙘𝙠𝙚𝙙 𝙖𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙘𝙖𝙨𝙩𝙡𝙚, 𝙩𝙤𝙧𝙘𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚 𝙗𝙧𝙞𝙙𝙜𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙢𝙞𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙖𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙨𝙘𝙖𝙥𝙚.
𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙣𝙤 𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙖𝙗𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙧𝙮𝙩𝙖𝙡𝙚𝙨 𝙞𝙨 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣'𝙩 𝙨𝙡𝙖𝙮 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙧𝙖𝙜𝙤𝙣. 𝙎𝙤𝙢𝙚𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙟𝙪𝙨𝙩 𝙜𝙤𝙩𝙩𝙖 𝙢𝙖𝙠𝙚 𝙖 𝙙𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙞𝙢 𝙨𝙤 𝙝𝙚'𝙡𝙡 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙥𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙨. ♡
Phew! This was one 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘳𝘪𝘥𝘦.
Seriously long. Like I had to take away one whole star from the rating, that's how long.
This was freaking 680 pages.
No book (other than a high fantasy romance) should be over 500 pages long. Just NO!!!
I loved Francesca and Salvatore's story.
Sure, the beginning didn't take me in quite that intensely and i was ready to give this book no more than 3★ because of that.
But then, the Mia-Mateo-Meg drama started and yayyy! No surprise how quickly I was sucked in this 𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘣𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰𝘹𝘪𝘤 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘯𝘢𝘥𝘰 𝘰𝘧 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘭𝘦!!
Initially I had my doubts about Sam changing POVs every sequel. But after this, I'll never doubt her writerly wisdom.
It's 𝘨𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵 to see the inner workings and thoughts of every member of the Morelli family.
After two books of hearing how awesome Meg is, I needed to bask in Francesca's blatant dislike of her.
I'm evil but i loved Francesca's stance on where matters stood with Mateo.
It was fun to see another mafia family, the Castellanos and the actual interaction between two rival mafia families 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘵 𝘱𝘦𝘢𝘤𝘦 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘱𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘧𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺'𝘳𝘦. 𝘈𝘵. 𝘞𝘢𝘳.
Fun times!!
The banter between Francesca and Sal was 𝙊𝙛𝙛. 𝙏𝙝𝙚. 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙨!
Like it was so good that it was better than Meg-Mateo-Mia at times and that's saying a lot.
I got to enjoy both sides of the mafia balance scales.
The reasonable, humane, super loving and loyal side of Sal and Francesca.
And the utterly unreasonable, super toxic, jealous and t̶o̶t̶a̶l̶ d̶u̶m̶p̶s̶t̶e̶r̶ f̶i̶r̶e̶ complicated side of Meg-Mateo-Mia-Vince.
I can't even say it's so bizarre and plain 𝘶𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭 because it's a mafia story.
No, those are still somewhat relatable. Somewhat, being the key word.
No, this is so Bizzare because it's a Morelli family story.
You really wanna hate them, but like Sal realises and accepts by the end ----Mateo probably adds something to the water supply of that castle-home of his and no one can escape the charm of the Morelli patriarch despite all his endless flaws.
I enjoyed this far better than the 3rd book but that's just because Francesca and Sal were more observant when it came to Mateo and Mia and Adrian just wasn't.
And it's obvious that i only read these books for scraps of Mia-Mateo.
I need help.
But by now Sam Mariano has her claws so deep inside my psyche that she could write literally anything and make me enjoy it.
*sigh*
Sam says one can stop reading after Book 4 and she's right that she's given half her readers the happy endings they so desire.
Unfortunately, for me, I'm a part of the other half.
I'm one of those miserable half who've been waiting for Book 5 since the end of Book 1.
But i realize that these intermittent books and this story had to happen for Mateo and Mia to reach the precipice they so clearly have.
I can't wait to get my hands on Book 5 and just finally read the ending I've imagined since the first book.
I don't want to steal Francesca's thunder because her story with Sal was in no way second grade and I'm totally downplaying how awesome these two are.
But well, I fell hard and fast for Mateo and Mia already and they have dibs on first place. Always.
That's that.
Will totally recommend to someone who likes Mafia romance!
July 9, 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:💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨.5
First Impressions
Family Ties is the book that features Salvatore and Fracesca and this is the book where we also get the answers of the slight cliffhanger that we received from Once Burned. This is a really LONG book as this starts pretty much at the beginning of the story but in Francesca's and Sal's point of view as this is when their relationship actually begins and we see it through the course of events that lead us to the present and whew this really took a long time and its almost 700 pages, it's REALLY a clunker to get through. It was a solid read, the romance itself, was really fantastic. I had some issues with the heroine and how she is with Mia and her brother. She is like obsessed with them being together and doesn't care who she hurts in trying to get them together. But I did how she is with Sal though and their relationship is very well done which is what saved this book for me.
First Line
"Jesus, Adrian, maybe you should've bought me a drink first."
Overall View
I really had a fun time with this one, but its very long and there were some things that could have been skipped over but some vital events happen in this book so I get why the author wrote it in the way she did. But its very well developed and a strong installment of the series.
Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance
Character Types: Mafia, Baker
Tropes: Forbidden Love, Retelling-Romeo and Juliet
Book Perspective
Multiple POV's
Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Plot Conflicts ---relationship itself is very minimal conflict
Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes read in order for sure.
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.
January 3, 2025
A little too long but overall a great installment to the series! LOVED Sal so much 😍
Read
September 21, 2025DNF
May 6, 2021
4.5 stars for the backstory to Sal and Francesca... yesssss
When book two happened, I questioned if Francesca was really the person that betrayed Mateo. Now we know how it all played out because of this book.
This book takes place during the timeline of books one through three and then some. The book starts off with Salvatore‘s perspective, which I adored because we got to see his point of view and how his feelings for Francesca started developing. Francesca is Mateo‘s sister and works at the bakery; well, she runs it. When Sal meets her, he’s instantly attracted to her, but she rebuffs him even though she doesn’t know who he is. She’s also very much attracted to him, but then she finds out who he is and that he’s one of her brother’s enemies. Because of her past, she keeps him at a distance, even though he’s very persuasive and insistent. Her ex basically used her to get to Mateo and she was burned because of it. She’s hesitant and untrustworthy of men and their ulterior motives when it comes to her and seeking a relationship.
He’s persistent and keeps at her until, finally, her walls start crumbling down. Eventually, she agrees to a date. And little by little, the relationship develops, and it becomes serious pretty quickly. The biggest obstacle is their families, from both sides. His father hates the Morellis and her brother hates the Castellanos. They need to keep the relationship a secret because of the repercussions that it could bring. Things need to be set in motion in order for them to be in peace, and both Salvatore and Francesca are willing to go through it, even if people have to be sacrificed.
I loved that this book takes place during all of books 1-3; it gave so much clarity to some of the questions/holes from those books. I never believed Francesca betrayed her brother, but dang, we find out what and why and how it all happened. I fell in love with Sal as soon as he admitted that he is not a CHEATER! Woo hoo! He can be alpha and a top dawg and still be faithful 🥰🥰🥰. I even appreciated that he was willing to go to any lengths to make Francesca’s ex pay for what he did to her. I mean, SWOON!!! *cue swooning lady*
This book was on the long side, but so much happened that it really needed to be! I hated that I had to keep adulting! I just wanted to lay down and read all day ugh. Sal and Francesca were 🔥. He was so understanding, SOOO patient (although I would’ve liked it if he hadn’t been so patient 👀... ). Their chemistry was 🥵. Amazing!
I especially loved how connected Mia and Mateo are... I mean... we even got a glimpse of Mateo’s vulnerability here. Although this is Sal and Francesca’s story, we still get so much of Mateo... and Mia... and their respective significant others 🙄. Gah. I can’t wait to read book 5!
When book two happened, I questioned if Francesca was really the person that betrayed Mateo. Now we know how it all played out because of this book.
This book takes place during the timeline of books one through three and then some. The book starts off with Salvatore‘s perspective, which I adored because we got to see his point of view and how his feelings for Francesca started developing. Francesca is Mateo‘s sister and works at the bakery; well, she runs it. When Sal meets her, he’s instantly attracted to her, but she rebuffs him even though she doesn’t know who he is. She’s also very much attracted to him, but then she finds out who he is and that he’s one of her brother’s enemies. Because of her past, she keeps him at a distance, even though he’s very persuasive and insistent. Her ex basically used her to get to Mateo and she was burned because of it. She’s hesitant and untrustworthy of men and their ulterior motives when it comes to her and seeking a relationship.
He’s persistent and keeps at her until, finally, her walls start crumbling down. Eventually, she agrees to a date. And little by little, the relationship develops, and it becomes serious pretty quickly. The biggest obstacle is their families, from both sides. His father hates the Morellis and her brother hates the Castellanos. They need to keep the relationship a secret because of the repercussions that it could bring. Things need to be set in motion in order for them to be in peace, and both Salvatore and Francesca are willing to go through it, even if people have to be sacrificed.
I loved that this book takes place during all of books 1-3; it gave so much clarity to some of the questions/holes from those books. I never believed Francesca betrayed her brother, but dang, we find out what and why and how it all happened. I fell in love with Sal as soon as he admitted that he is not a CHEATER! Woo hoo! He can be alpha and a top dawg and still be faithful 🥰🥰🥰. I even appreciated that he was willing to go to any lengths to make Francesca’s ex pay for what he did to her. I mean, SWOON!!! *cue swooning lady*
This book was on the long side, but so much happened that it really needed to be! I hated that I had to keep adulting! I just wanted to lay down and read all day ugh. Sal and Francesca were 🔥. He was so understanding, SOOO patient (although I would’ve liked it if he hadn’t been so patient 👀... ). Their chemistry was 🥵. Amazing!
I especially loved how connected Mia and Mateo are... I mean... we even got a glimpse of Mateo’s vulnerability here. Although this is Sal and Francesca’s story, we still get so much of Mateo... and Mia... and their respective significant others 🙄. Gah. I can’t wait to read book 5!
October 24, 2017
3.75/5 Stars
Continuing my buddy read with the excellent B. Truly. You can read her review here
Wow! Where to start... I really loved the first half of this book. Being in Sal's head was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed Fran too. But then we got to that pesky Mia/Vince/Mateo triangle.
Why does every girl in this book whose name begins with an M fall in love with Mateo? IDK. What I do know is that Fran has a split personality.
Vince, here's your sign:
Fran's matchmaking continues and this was hard for me to grasp. While she's planning her wedding, at the rehearsal dinner, and at the reception, were her thoughts consumed with her beloved Sal? Heck no. She was scheming to get Mateo and Mia together. That is Abby Normal.
And Meg is either truly stupid, has not a single jealous bone in her body, or is playing 4D chess with everyone. I suspect the latter.
Anyway, I must be brave because I am continuing on. Francesca, knock it off.
Continuing my buddy read with the excellent B. Truly. You can read her review here
Wow! Where to start... I really loved the first half of this book. Being in Sal's head was a lot of fun, and I enjoyed Fran too. But then we got to that pesky Mia/Vince/Mateo triangle.
Why does every girl in this book whose name begins with an M fall in love with Mateo? IDK. What I do know is that Fran has a split personality.
Vince, here's your sign:
Fran's matchmaking continues and this was hard for me to grasp. While she's planning her wedding, at the rehearsal dinner, and at the reception, were her thoughts consumed with her beloved Sal? Heck no. She was scheming to get Mateo and Mia together. That is Abby Normal.
And Meg is either truly stupid, has not a single jealous bone in her body, or is playing 4D chess with everyone. I suspect the latter.
Anyway, I must be brave because I am continuing on. Francesca, knock it off.
September 25, 2017
The Castellanos. Rival family to the Morellis. I must admit that this book is like a Romeo/Juliet romance of star-crossed lovers. With a twist!
I don't know where to start. Salvatore Castellanos. I love him. Seriously LOVE HIM.
He's dangerous.
He's hot.
He's loyal.
He's funny.
He's sweet.
I think Francesca could not have pick a better choice. She needs a man who can stand up to her brother. Not only does Sal have the cajones, but he has the power and smarts to back it up.
He heals all her wounds and make them better. This book answers the question on "What would you do for love?" In the world of grand gestures, Sal made a really big one. It's so epic and surprising.
As always, we see the rest of the Morelli characters because they would not be ignored.
We get propelled even more into the series. Francesca and Sal's perspectives lend a different view into the stuff that happened from AW onwards.
Please pick up your copy because you won't be disappointed.
I don't know where to start. Salvatore Castellanos. I love him. Seriously LOVE HIM.
He's dangerous.
He's hot.
He's loyal.
He's funny.
He's sweet.
I think Francesca could not have pick a better choice. She needs a man who can stand up to her brother. Not only does Sal have the cajones, but he has the power and smarts to back it up.
He heals all her wounds and make them better. This book answers the question on "What would you do for love?" In the world of grand gestures, Sal made a really big one. It's so epic and surprising.
As always, we see the rest of the Morelli characters because they would not be ignored.
We get propelled even more into the series. Francesca and Sal's perspectives lend a different view into the stuff that happened from AW onwards.
Please pick up your copy because you won't be disappointed.
July 12, 2017
I loved this book! I loved Francesca and Salvatore together. It kind of surprised me because I never cared for Francesca in the other books but she was hilarious and her open dislike of Meg was amusing. Salvatore was perfect, I loved his determination to win Francesca over. I also really liked the way this book was written, it went back on the timeline so we get to see them meet and fall for each other, and the aftermath. It was also dual POV, so we get both sides of their story. Sal and Francesca's love story was so fun, their conversations, the romance, this was definitely the sweetest book in the series. I also enjoyed that we got some Mateo/Mia scenes. I cannot wait to read more from this family.
August 20, 2025
This was a longggg book but I really enjoyed Sal and Francesca’s love story!! This is a really good mafia romance series and I already need the next book 😍
5 stars 🌟
5 stars 🌟
February 9, 2020
I really liked both Francesca and Salvatore together, they were so cute and adorable. I loved their romance and how it progressed in this book. It wasn't too fast, it was the perfect pace which i appreciated.
August 14, 2018
Bu Francesca'nın da işi gücü yok Mia ile Mateo'ya takmış kafayı...
Adamın omzundaki şeytan gibi minik minik doldurdu beynini de bakalım neler olacak :D
Meg'i de hiç sevmemesi hoşuma gidiyor gibi sanki... Yalnız ama bu kadarı da yapılmazdı yani :D
Ayrıca Salvatore da acayip sevilesi bir insanmış.. Hele Francesca için yaptıkları ♡♡
Adamın omzundaki şeytan gibi minik minik doldurdu beynini de bakalım neler olacak :D
Meg'i de hiç sevmemesi hoşuma gidiyor gibi sanki... Yalnız ama bu kadarı da yapılmazdı yani :D
Ayrıca Salvatore da acayip sevilesi bir insanmış.. Hele Francesca için yaptıkları ♡♡
Read
July 10, 2017LIVE!!!
http://amzn.to/2uEXwuO
http://amzn.to/2uEXwuO
March 1, 2018
Getting more and more sucked in with every installment!
August 21, 2024
would've been four and a half but the miamateo crumbs saved it ✌🏻
November 2, 2024
francesca doesn’t fuck with meg at all that’s my SISTER
April 7, 2018
4.5 stars
I love this series. I honestly cannot get enough of it. This is Sal and Francesa’s story and what a great story it is. If you have not read the three prior installments, please make sue that you do. This is a series and you will be lost if you have not read them.
From the moment Sal walks into The Morelli family bakery he is completely taken by Francesca. He wants to get to know her, but that is not something that will be easy to do. Sal is second in charge of the Castellanos family, which means that he is also rivals with Francesa’s family. Sal’s father hates Francesca’s brother Mateo and the feeling is mutual. But despite all of that, Sal is not about to give up. She is not lie the women that he is usually with. He needs to see her, to get to know her and make her, his. There is certainly an attraction there where she is concerned but dating Sal will only make her brother angry and that is not something that anyone wants to deal with. They begin to sneak around but at some point the truth will have to come out. How can two people from rival mob families truly be happy together? When the truth comes out, will their families accept their relationship?
I think what I loved the most about this installment was Sal and Francesca. He is so different from the man that you would expect him to be. Yes he is a mobster and not exactly a model citizen. He’s committed his share of crimes but when it comes to Francesca and her safety and loving her, he is just perfect. He’s not this mean, angry unreasonable person. He showers her with love and kindness and you can just see how much he loves her.
Francesca on the other hand is a little hesitant when it comes to them being together. Not because she doesn’t like him, but more because of who he is. She is afraid to get close for fear that he is using her in some way, but she is also afraid of the consequences of them being together. She is his prefect match though and once they bother give into their feelings their relationship will just make you melt. I was rooting for the two of them and tried to figure out how this would work. Sal would do anything to keep them together and believe me he does.
Family Ties has some twists and turns that I did not see coming. There were moments where I was on the edge of my seat because I never know what was coming next. This whole series I have gone in blind and just hoped for the best….lol Ms. Mariano has this ability of making me nervous going in but that is what I love about it. You never know what you will get, who you should love or hate. My emotions are all over the place with each book in this series. This is a series that is filled with drama, angst, laughs, tears, a swoon worthy mob boss who you will love to hate and even though part of you hates him, you cannot help but love him. And of course I am talking about Mateo. You can choose to end this series right here with this book or you can choose to continue to torture yourself and continue on with Resisting Mateo. I suggest you continue J
I love this series. I honestly cannot get enough of it. This is Sal and Francesa’s story and what a great story it is. If you have not read the three prior installments, please make sue that you do. This is a series and you will be lost if you have not read them.
From the moment Sal walks into The Morelli family bakery he is completely taken by Francesca. He wants to get to know her, but that is not something that will be easy to do. Sal is second in charge of the Castellanos family, which means that he is also rivals with Francesa’s family. Sal’s father hates Francesca’s brother Mateo and the feeling is mutual. But despite all of that, Sal is not about to give up. She is not lie the women that he is usually with. He needs to see her, to get to know her and make her, his. There is certainly an attraction there where she is concerned but dating Sal will only make her brother angry and that is not something that anyone wants to deal with. They begin to sneak around but at some point the truth will have to come out. How can two people from rival mob families truly be happy together? When the truth comes out, will their families accept their relationship?
I think what I loved the most about this installment was Sal and Francesca. He is so different from the man that you would expect him to be. Yes he is a mobster and not exactly a model citizen. He’s committed his share of crimes but when it comes to Francesca and her safety and loving her, he is just perfect. He’s not this mean, angry unreasonable person. He showers her with love and kindness and you can just see how much he loves her.
Francesca on the other hand is a little hesitant when it comes to them being together. Not because she doesn’t like him, but more because of who he is. She is afraid to get close for fear that he is using her in some way, but she is also afraid of the consequences of them being together. She is his prefect match though and once they bother give into their feelings their relationship will just make you melt. I was rooting for the two of them and tried to figure out how this would work. Sal would do anything to keep them together and believe me he does.
Family Ties has some twists and turns that I did not see coming. There were moments where I was on the edge of my seat because I never know what was coming next. This whole series I have gone in blind and just hoped for the best….lol Ms. Mariano has this ability of making me nervous going in but that is what I love about it. You never know what you will get, who you should love or hate. My emotions are all over the place with each book in this series. This is a series that is filled with drama, angst, laughs, tears, a swoon worthy mob boss who you will love to hate and even though part of you hates him, you cannot help but love him. And of course I am talking about Mateo. You can choose to end this series right here with this book or you can choose to continue to torture yourself and continue on with Resisting Mateo. I suggest you continue J
July 13, 2022
Kalau ini Salvatore & Francesca doang tanpa ada embel2 Matheo - Meg - Vince - Mia jadi cameo akan gw kasih bintang 4, gw suka sama Salvatore.. part 1 mesem-mesem sendiri bacanya, selera humornya tinggi trs bener2 bertekuk lutut banget dari awal liat Francesca meski tau Castellanos & Morelli kaga bakalan bisa bersatu. Terus pas mereka b2 mulai ktt (khayalan tingkat tinggi) dari nama anak, sampai mau liburan kemana sama anak-anaknya ntar.. aaww sukaaa kwkwkwkw
Sadly, part 2 kan pov nya Francesca, otomatis ada dramanya mereka b4 tu yg gak kelar2. Orang-orang pada kesel sama Francesca yg pengen Matheo sama Mia, dan gak suka sama Meg dari pertama, gw merasa wajar sih.. gimanapun Matheo kakaknya, setelah drama dengan Beth dan sekarang Meg yg aduuhhhhh... gw jg gak suka sama die, pengennya sama Mia aja kakaknya (Matheo sama Mia endingnya, di buku 7 setelah gw liat review rang orang, tp dramanya ngalahin telenovela ogah banget gw baca kwkwkwkw). Gw mulai males-malesan baca Part 2 nya, gw baca pov Francesca menggambarkan Meg, Vince yg masih pgn gw jorokin ke got! dan Matheo dgn mind games nya.. fyuh! melelahkan
Part 3, POV both Salvatore & Francesca... makin kesel dgn drama triple M + V itu, dan baca POV nya Salvatore liat Mia ckckckck... emang ya anak 18th itu antara goblok sama innocent beda tipis kwkwkwkwwkw. Kesukaan gw ke Salvatore menurun pas die memilih buat gak jujur ke Francesca dan Mamanya soal pembunuhan bapaknya + percobaan pembunuhan Matheo "the past will be the past" katanya.. meh lah!
Done.. gw gak akan baca Morelli series ini lagi.. dijamin naek darah ntar emosi kwkwkwkw
sengaja kaga gw hide!! ahahahahaha
Sadly, part 2 kan pov nya Francesca, otomatis ada dramanya mereka b4 tu yg gak kelar2. Orang-orang pada kesel sama Francesca yg pengen Matheo sama Mia, dan gak suka sama Meg dari pertama, gw merasa wajar sih.. gimanapun Matheo kakaknya, setelah drama dengan Beth dan sekarang Meg yg aduuhhhhh... gw jg gak suka sama die, pengennya sama Mia aja kakaknya (Matheo sama Mia endingnya, di buku 7 setelah gw liat review rang orang, tp dramanya ngalahin telenovela ogah banget gw baca kwkwkwkw). Gw mulai males-malesan baca Part 2 nya, gw baca pov Francesca menggambarkan Meg, Vince yg masih pgn gw jorokin ke got! dan Matheo dgn mind games nya.. fyuh! melelahkan
Part 3, POV both Salvatore & Francesca... makin kesel dgn drama triple M + V itu, dan baca POV nya Salvatore liat Mia ckckckck... emang ya anak 18th itu antara goblok sama innocent beda tipis kwkwkwkwwkw. Kesukaan gw ke Salvatore menurun pas die memilih buat gak jujur ke Francesca dan Mamanya soal pembunuhan bapaknya + percobaan pembunuhan Matheo "the past will be the past" katanya.. meh lah!
Done.. gw gak akan baca Morelli series ini lagi.. dijamin naek darah ntar emosi kwkwkwkw
sengaja kaga gw hide!! ahahahahaha
January 10, 2022
Not my fav...
For some reason I wasn't hard sold on this book. I really wanted to know what happened with Adrian, so I spent a long time just reading trying to get to that scene.
I think also this book isn't such a fav because I've never really liked the female "sister gets a book" perspective, I'm more interested in the men. I have this issue with other series as well, where for example the boss's wife has a sister and that sister gets a book because she ends up with a brother of the boss and so on, it's just never something I need.
I did like Salvatore, and I suspected for a long time before the 3rd book that they were in fact together, but I also don't like Francesca that much. I don't really like any of the women, I loved Meg in the 2nd book, but I can see where this is going now, and I'm not a fan. Probably because lMia is just... So young and acting her age, and Francesca is such a meddle.
I don't overly like meddled, even if she's thinking it's out of love, and also because all the Morellis have much more in common than they think. Haha 😂.
I am in such two sides with this series, because I am starting to believe that this series isn't about every couple gets a book and lives HEA. This is starting to look more and more like the main character in this series is just one man, Matteo, and his slightly naughty journey to getting what he wants.
And that is if anything, very new to me, ice never read a series like this.
Don't get me wrong, I Love Matteo, I love all of him, but this is very unconventional....
For some reason I wasn't hard sold on this book. I really wanted to know what happened with Adrian, so I spent a long time just reading trying to get to that scene.
I think also this book isn't such a fav because I've never really liked the female "sister gets a book" perspective, I'm more interested in the men. I have this issue with other series as well, where for example the boss's wife has a sister and that sister gets a book because she ends up with a brother of the boss and so on, it's just never something I need.
I did like Salvatore, and I suspected for a long time before the 3rd book that they were in fact together, but I also don't like Francesca that much. I don't really like any of the women, I loved Meg in the 2nd book, but I can see where this is going now, and I'm not a fan. Probably because lMia is just... So young and acting her age, and Francesca is such a meddle.
I don't overly like meddled, even if she's thinking it's out of love, and also because all the Morellis have much more in common than they think. Haha 😂.
I am in such two sides with this series, because I am starting to believe that this series isn't about every couple gets a book and lives HEA. This is starting to look more and more like the main character in this series is just one man, Matteo, and his slightly naughty journey to getting what he wants.
And that is if anything, very new to me, ice never read a series like this.
Don't get me wrong, I Love Matteo, I love all of him, but this is very unconventional....
July 10, 2017
Family Ties (Morelli Family #4)
By: Sam Mariano
4 Stars
Please make sure you have read the first 3 books in this series before starting this book!!! The series can end here or you can continue on with the other books planned on being released.
This book is all about Salvatore and Francesca and what a story it is. Can two people fall in love when they are from two families which hate each other? It’s a very scary process but when you truly love someone, you will do whatever it takes to make things work out.
We get lots of answers in this book. Like a behind the scenes look into things that had happened in the first 3 books. Holes that are now filled, leaving you to wonder what will happen in the next couple books!!!
Sam Mariano has certainly spun a web in this series! Can’t wait to see what happens in the following books to come.
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By: Sam Mariano
4 Stars
Please make sure you have read the first 3 books in this series before starting this book!!! The series can end here or you can continue on with the other books planned on being released.
This book is all about Salvatore and Francesca and what a story it is. Can two people fall in love when they are from two families which hate each other? It’s a very scary process but when you truly love someone, you will do whatever it takes to make things work out.
We get lots of answers in this book. Like a behind the scenes look into things that had happened in the first 3 books. Holes that are now filled, leaving you to wonder what will happen in the next couple books!!!
Sam Mariano has certainly spun a web in this series! Can’t wait to see what happens in the following books to come.
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
July 12, 2017
Five total dysfunctional stars!
This is one of those series that just keep getting better and better. The Morelli's are a truly dysfunctional family that we can't seem to get enough of. Family Ties gives us Francesca and Sal's story but also we learn more and get Francesca's view on what has happened up until now.
With these two being from two rival families, being together doesn't seem possible. Their story is fun, loving and deadly. Of course we get more Mateo and as far as I'm concerned we could never get enough of him. I absolutely love that man and I loved Francesca's scenes with him.
So excited to see where we are taken next with this series. Loved the story and I love the way the author tells it.
This is one of those series that just keep getting better and better. The Morelli's are a truly dysfunctional family that we can't seem to get enough of. Family Ties gives us Francesca and Sal's story but also we learn more and get Francesca's view on what has happened up until now.
With these two being from two rival families, being together doesn't seem possible. Their story is fun, loving and deadly. Of course we get more Mateo and as far as I'm concerned we could never get enough of him. I absolutely love that man and I loved Francesca's scenes with him.
So excited to see where we are taken next with this series. Loved the story and I love the way the author tells it.
May 28, 2019
I really enjoyed this opus! I know a few reviews say it's repetitive but it it's not really the case - whilst 60% of the book do a repeated timeline it is also very different as you see the events through Francesca and Sal's eyes. Francesca being part of the Morelli's you get to see (or at least get glimpses) of a very different side of Mateo and I think that just for this the repeated storyline is quite worth it. (i case you can't tell i'm in love with Mateo)
The relationship between Sal and Francesca is so amazing, it carries you away with the Romeo and Juliet feels.
I don't want to say too much as i don't want to spoil - but i can't wait ti sink my teeth in the next opus!!
The relationship between Sal and Francesca is so amazing, it carries you away with the Romeo and Juliet feels.
I don't want to say too much as i don't want to spoil - but i can't wait ti sink my teeth in the next opus!!
July 22, 2022
I am so confused... I think my struggle comes from book 2... I really loved Meg and her personality and even though I was really disappointed that Mia and Mateo didn't end up together after book 1 I really grew to support his relationship with Meg.
So I guess I just hate the way Meg was treated in this book. I hate Francesca and the way she spoke/treated Meg. I hated Mia, truly cannot stand her.. and I hate where this seems to be going. I think after all his bs I still liked Mateo and wanted him to be happy but I'm not sure how true that will remain.
So I guess I just hate the way Meg was treated in this book. I hate Francesca and the way she spoke/treated Meg. I hated Mia, truly cannot stand her.. and I hate where this seems to be going. I think after all his bs I still liked Mateo and wanted him to be happy but I'm not sure how true that will remain.
March 9, 2020
I LOVED Salvatore and Francesca's story, they are so cute together! A real modern day Romeo and Juliet! I loved how respectful and patient Sal was with her, she's right, he's so dreamy 😍
I really felt for Vince though, he's really not doing himself any favours 😔 the whole love square between Vince Mia Mateo and Meg is getting so intense I'm not even sure who I'm rooting for anymore! Sam certainly knows how to keep her readers on their toes!
I really felt for Vince though, he's really not doing himself any favours 😔 the whole love square between Vince Mia Mateo and Meg is getting so intense I'm not even sure who I'm rooting for anymore! Sam certainly knows how to keep her readers on their toes!
August 15, 2022
I did like Sal and Francesca story but I kind of resent how Sam uses Vince. Francesca supposedly loves him but rather than helping him with his relationship with Mia (either working on it or ending it) or working on Mateo to let Vince go, she instead encourages Mateo to ignore Vince and see Mia as his one, so he continues torturing Vince. He’s just a kid. And so is Mia but she at least gets to chose her path.
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