Innocent

Omertà #1

by Anna Widzisz

A cruel, dark world, ruled by ruthless men for whom power, money and control are everything. A world in which women are supposed to be meek, obedient and respectful. Even, or especially for the Mafia Princess.
Lynette Selvaggio had grown up in the shadow of her family. Never allowed to thrive, voice her opinions or simply be herself. And it had never bothered her. Until her life dramatically changed in a matter of seconds. One decision set in motion a series of events she could never come back from. Faster than she was able to handle. And being surrounded by monsters lurking behind every corner and sadistic murders the escape became a distant, unreachable illusion.
There was no way out. The target on her back made it clear. All she wanted was to break free, yet the world she’d been born into seemed intent on breaking her instead.
She was the girl nobody knew could be an angel, and still her light was setting everything around her on fire. But above all else, she’d always been innocent.

Innocent is a debut, full-length novel. It contains graphic violence some may find offensive.

Genres: Dark Romance, Mafia Romance

370 pages, ebook

First published October 1, 2019

About the author

Anna Widzisz was born in Poland, got a degree in International Business, and promptly decided spreadsheets weren’t nearly as exciting as smoldering mafia bosses and morally questionable love interests. She’s been writing since she could hold a pen (or possibly a sword—no one’s sure).

When she’s not plotting betrayals or spicy slow-burns, she’s reading like it’s a competitive sport—or actually playing one (she swears it balances out the time spent emotionally wrecking readers). Her fascination with the Mafia runs deep—like, can quote The Godfather in two languages deep.

Approach with caution: she’s charming, clever, and might just make you fall in love with a villain.

https://www.instagram.com/annawidzisz...
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Reviews

[Miranda Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75 stars

"There was a girl sitting alone, her legs hugged to her chest."

Lynette Selvaggio is just your average everyday girl...oh except for she's a mafia princess.

"The problem with those rumors was that they were one hundred percent, absolutely true."

But with that position comes many, many restrictions.

Her father demands complete and utter obedience - and for the most part, Lynette goes along with it...until now.

"That is why we decided that the best course of action is for you to marry his oldest son, Noah."

For the first time in her life, Lynette has found a reason to resist.

"She always obeyed. But not this time."

The plot started on a high not and kept that energy throughout.

I was really intrigued by the politics surrounding the Selvaggio family - so many underhanded dealings and sneak undertakings.

I rather liked Lynette as a main character and really empathized with her situation, even though she did sometimes make typical teenage decisions (which was a little frustrating).

Though. I did have a bit of a difficult time believing the premise.

Everything hinges on her marrying to follow her father's wishes....but I honestly couldn't see why she didn't say no.

She tells the audience over and over that she needs to follow his orders but part of me just wanted to shake her and tell her that it isn't the middle ages - that women can, and do, say no once in a while.

That being said, this book was definitely entertaining and engaging!

With thanks to the author for sending me a free copy in exchange for an honest review

YouTube | Blog | Instagram | Twitter | Facebook | Snapchat @miranda_reads

[Jennifer McGurk Finn · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book from the author, Anna Widzisz. This is the authors debut book and in my opinion she did a great job. I’m a sucker for a good mafia story and this one nailed it. I don’t wanna say too much and give anything away so I’ll be vague. What I will say is it’s a tale of lies, deceit, and betrayal that will have you on the edge of your seat until the thrilling conclusion.

[Louise H's Book Thoughts]

The author kindly offered me an advanced review copy of this book. I didn't realise from the blurb that wasn't a genre I normally read, so I don't feel it would be fair to give a rating since it very much wasn't 'my cup of tea'. Usually I read sub genres of romance, meaning I am a very character driven reader, needing to connect with the main protagonists in some way and to believe in their relationship with one another. This connection is what I usually base my judgements on, I enjoy books that engage me on an emotional level, where as this was more of an intellectual style of read. However if the blurb intrigues you and you enjoy suspense stories then I do recommend trying Innocent.

Written in the third person, the story had quite a narrated feel and was evocative of the film noir genre. The pace was good and whilst the story moved both forward and backwards in time, those chapters set in the past were clearly labelled so that the story was easy to follow. It was a necessary tool to allow the story to unfold and information to be disseminated appropriately. There are plenty of breadcrumb clues that will have you second, third and fourth guessing as the story unfolds.

The heroine, Lynette (who was frequently and somewhat confusingly referred to by her surname), is sixteen and there are several supporting male characters ranging from the same age to significantly older. The blurb doesn't really tell you a great deal about the story, partly to avoid spoilers I'm assuming.

Lynette is not quite your everyday high school student, she'd love to be but being the daughter of a mafia Capo doesn't make her popular. She is a lonely girl until a fellow student ignores all the gossip and befriends her. Along side her trying to live a normal life are some mysterious messages she keeps getting. What unfolds is a tale of lies, betrayal and deceit which twist and turn to a shocking conclusion.

[Natalia Lourose · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book ♥️ the slow burn / suspense elements are killer. Anna does a great job of connecting you to the characters and building anticipation. I was definitely on the edge of my seat most of the book.

Must read!

[cardansjudee · Rating 5 out of 5]

5+ Stars!
She surprises me with her stories everytime I swear. I loved innocent so much!
So, Anna herself had warned me that it won’t have much romance but still I read read this beautiful covered book and I loved it!
It had the fantasy novel kind of romance which means you won’t get a LOT of romance but you will get bits and pieces of romance for sure.
Noah Falcone. Sir please marry me. I love this guy so much! I mean Noah would threaten someone and I would find that hot 😂🙈. I swear I love him with my whole heart.
Lynette. Well dude you made choices which I would never make in your place first of all. I mean you are getting to marry Noah but still this girl left him and went for Drew. Never mind.
The twists, ending and the start itself was unexpected for me. I shipped Lynette with 2 men (that 1st one was just a 2 min or something thought lol) but the girl ended up with neither of them.
No matter what, in this book we got to meet Noah 😌😌😌😌. That’s all the motivation you need to read this book.
I loved how the book was written and I personally enjoyed it a lot!
Although half of the review is filled with my thirst filled thoughts of Noah Falcone 😂🙈 this book is worth a try!
Also, Anna if you read this, sorry for disturbing you with my thoughts and stuff everytime I read your books but then I’ll do the same disturbing thing again when I read your other books so never mind...... 😂🙈

[Kira Laurent · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had so many different opinions that I was intrigued to read it. Find out for myself. I feel like I have to warn you - go through this book with an open mind. It's totally not what you expect. I liked Noah even though I probably shouldn't. It was more of a crime story than romance (but I saw the author's warning about that). However, the suspense, family matters and MAFIA was there. The ending destroyed me (until I reached out for a second book).
I have never read two books so quickly. The author seems like she disappoints and then there's "SURPRISE BITCH! YOU THOUGHT"

[V. Domino · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5
Innocent
Omertà Book One
By @annawidziszauthor
•
This book was incredible.
It’s not your typical romance but throughout the book you can easily see that there is romance brewing... but who will it be? This book is written in third person narrative but the author writes well so it’s easily to follow along.
•
I’m interested in learning more about our lead female Lynette and her fate. She a feisty hot head and I love that about her.
Noah is that potential love interest you want to hate but can’t. I’m 🤤🤤over him.
I’m hyped for book two!

[Anna Widzisz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys!
I feel like I need to speak about this here as well. I've already mentioned it on my Instagram, however, I get some messages about this book.

THIS IS MAFIA BOOK. If you are mainly looking for romance PLEASE start from the second one.

I am well aware of the fact that this book isn't focused on romance. I never said it was a romance book. I prefer to stick to the idea of mafia books more. But "Untamed" is romance just as much as it's mafia and crime. Consider this when deciding whether to read or not.

And also, thank you for all reviews. I appreciate each and every one of you. The good and the bad reviews (as long as they are constructive because I improve my writing upon them).

Love,
Anna

[Mark Lusardi · Rating 5 out of 5]

A dark and compelling story of lies, injustice and deceit that unpeels itself, like an onion, to reveal more layers of mystery that lead you to an absolutely amazing conclusion, but no spoilers here. You will have to find all that out for yourself. This beautifully written novel is definitely not one to miss! What an incredible debut. I have the feeling we will be seeing paperback versions of her writing in places like Waterston’s before too long. Can’t wait for her next book. Hopefully another masterpiece! 5 stars from me!

Mark Angelo Lusardi

[Christy · Rating 1 out of 5]

Unbelievable. Not a Romance people.

This book dragged endlessly. And had so many flashbacks that make absolutely no sense. And then there is the ending! I absolutely DETEST books where one of the main characters are killed off. This book had a lot of potential. I did really like that you couldn’t hate either potential love interest. I guess you could try to hate Noah but not as much as you would think. And there is not much resolution about the supporting characters either.

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good story. No spoilers...I did not expect the ending. It was not the average girl in a mafia family book. I hope there is more from this author!

[Rachael · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a roller coaster ride. Omg. I feel like I read the synopsis and still had no idea what it was about and still gave it a try. The main character is a sixteen year old mafia princess who feels trapped in her life and longs for normalcy.
The way this was narrated was a bit hard to follow at times and mad things confusing. Overall, the plot was intriguing and there were a lot of surprises and things that didn’t come together until the end.
This to me is not really a mafia romance book. No spice and not a whole lot of romance. Just a lot of drama.

[Echo's Journey Through Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

Wow me reading this has been a long time coming. I'm so glad I finally picked it up because ahhh I loved it so much! Absolutely adored Lynette and the mafia world in this is incredible!

[Parminder]

Read 4/2/2021.
DNF.
Too many characters. Disjointed story

[Staphy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Review/Reseña en Español/English

Español

No sé dónde comenzar este libro me dejo satisfecha, es el primer libro de la serie y es bastante introductorio en el mundo donde se lleva a cabo, trata de la mafia por supuesto pero no es un libro de romance si tiene pero muy poco, es más dulce y lindo, para que lo consideren y si les gustan los libros de crimen este es para ustedes.
En fin, el libro trata de Lynette Selvaggio, una joven de 16 años que vive una vida solitaria al ser hija del Capo, hablemos de los rumores, odio a morir los rumores, si quieres que te odie juzga a las personas, solo deseada que todos los que hablaban mal de ella murieran, porque en serio los rumores arruinan la vida de las personas y pobre ella soportando eso. Me gusto que trato de no darle importancia e intento llevar una vida normal, sin embargo, eso no duro mucho tiempo porque comenzó a recibir mensajes acosadores, siendo ahí donde comenzó la locura.
Drew es un buen chico, no lo ame pero me gusto que respetara a Lynette y su relación fue muy tierna, especialmente me gusto que no se dejara llevar por los rumores y decidera conocerla antes de juzgarla como los demás, ahora sus amigos los odie espero que les vaya mal en la vida fin.
La trama, fue muy entretenida y me sorprendió que solo le atine a unos de los sospechosos, quería estar mal pero nunca estoy mal y me sentí muy traicionada, porque llego un punto donde no dude de él pero me desilusiono, Lynette si bien es madura para su edad, no hay que olvidar que es una adolescente e hizo muchas cosas estúpidas y guardo muchos secretos, que probablemente hubieran evitado muchos eventos, aun así me pareció un buen inicio de serie, me encanto el final esperaba que terminara así y no me decepciono.
P.D.: Noah y Flavio, ya estaba interesada desde que leí Crossfire pero ahora lo estoy más.

English

I don't know where to start with this book, it left me satisfied, it is the first book in the series and it is quite introductory in the world where it takes place, it deals with the mafia of course but it is not a romance book but it does has a little, it’s sweet and cute, if you like crime books this is for you.
Anyway, the book is about Lynette Selvaggio, a 16-year-old girl who lives a lonely life as the Capo's daughter, soo let's talk about rumors, I hate rumors, if you want me to hate you, judge people, I only wish that all those who spoke ill of her die, because seriously rumors ruin people's lives and poor her enduring that. I liked that she try not to give it importance and try to live a normal life, however, that did not last long because she began to receive harassing messages, which is where the craziness began.
Drew is a good boy, I didn’t love him but I liked that he respected Lynette and their relationship was very cute, I especially liked that he did not get carried away by rumors and decided to meet her before judging her like the others, now his Friends, hate them I hope that things go bad in their life.
The plot was very entertaining and it surprised me that I only got a few of the suspects, I wanted to be wrong but I am never wrong and I felt very betrayed, because I reached a point where I didn’t doubt him but I was disappointed, Lynette although she is mature for her age, we must not forget that she is a teenager and did many stupid things and keep many secrets, which probably would have prevented many events, even so it seemed like a good start to the series, I loved the end I hoped it would end like this and it did not disappoint me.
P.D .: Noah and Flavio, I was already interested since I read Crossfire but now I am even more.