Grieved Loss

Bellandi Crime Syndicate #3

by Adelaide Forrest

Calla

I’ve never known pain like when I lost my husband, never known the fear that came with wondering how I would suddenly support my two kids. So when an anonymous benefactor stepped forward on my husband’s behalf, I never questioned it.
And then Ryker comes from the shadows to show me the truth, determined to show me what his brand of love can be. He demands everything from me, my heart, my soul, my body.

And he won’t stop until he’s taken everything.


Ryker

For years, I watched my Sunshine from the shadows, letting her live out her simple life with the man who didn’t deserve her. My loyalty to the Bellandis demanded nothing less, but when her husband is shot down in a drug deal gone bad, there’s nothing that will stop me from stepping in and claiming Calla and the kids as my own.

I give her one year to grieve, to adjust to life without him. But when the year is up, rising tensions in my world threaten to steal her away from me. I won’t let anything come between us.

Not even Calla herself.


Grieved Loss is a full-length standalone novel with an HEA, but the series presents a better reading experience when following the suggested reading order.
This series contains dark elements, including an over-the-top antihero who does as he pleases. Please read at your own discretion.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Mafia Romance, Dark, Contemporary Romance, Contemporary, Forced Proximity

478 pages, Kindle Edition

First published July 1, 2020

About the author

Adelaide fell in love with books at a young age and quickly discovered her love for writing soon after. Since then, she’s become a self-professed plot hoarder of over 300 book concepts.
After receiving her degree in Psychology, Adelaide went on to work in a therapeutic riding facility. When her daughter was born, Adelaide traded out her boots to be a stay-at-home mom. In 2019, she added author to those job duties after a lifetime of dreaming about it.

She lives in New York with her husband, two children, and their dog and cat who all make up the center of her world.
For updates, please visit www.adelaideforrest.com or follow her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdelaideForr...
or instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adelaidefor...

Reviews

[Jenn (The Book Refuge) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reread in 2023 for Patreon.

This was to revisit and just as Bonkers as before.
.
...

I don't know what happened here, but I was fully engrossed. This was nothing like I have read before.

Our hero has a plan and our heroine is just along for the ride... but it was also strangely a fantasy. Like, who wouldn't want this big, hunky, pierced hero to sweep in and handle their whole life. Love their children and give her unlimited orgasms...

no... just me?

Oh well..

TW: breeding kink... yup that happens.

4.5/5 stars

[eilidh · Rating 3 out of 5]

if this book was written with a different ending it could easily be a domestic thriller bc ryker is fucking INSANE and definitely needs copious amounts of therapy before he and calla could be in anything resembling a healthy relationship.

i think this series would work so much better for me if the endings included the hero’s owning up to their mistakes or realizing that their crazy alphaness isn’t always okay or that they took certain situations in their relationship too far or were too controlling.. but no. instead the books always conclude with all the blame for any conflict in the relationship being placed on the heroine who is literally being gaslit and manipulated to no end and having all of her choices on the relationship (or her body!!!) taken away from her. like no shit calla is kind of upset by being tricked by some stalker guy into moving her and her kids into his warehouse just bc he’s obsessed with her. like, if the point of all that was for the hero to realize it was fucked no matter how much he loved the heroine, i’d be amenable… but it just doesn’t happen. and while i find the characters and the premise of these books fun and do have a good enough time reading them because of how absurd and mindless they are , i genuinely don’t think they’re good romances because of this weird misogynistic relationship setup and dynamic that is never resolved or changed for the better.

[Liz [reads books] · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I even say?? This book was fantastic! The Hero was OTT alpha extreme - just the way I like em! Okay this dude was probably the most jealous, protective, possessive Hero that I've read in A WHILE. He took it way too far and I loved every second of it.
I mean...

• "Does he protect you? Does he provide for you? Does he feed your children and tuck them in at night? Does he bring Ines stuffed wolves and play soccer with Axel? Does he kiss you and make love to you?” he asked when I jerked my head away from his hand. “No. I do those things, Calla. He is not your husband anymore.”
• Calla was mine because of my willingness to do underhanded things to make her mine.
• Once she was my wife, nothing would stop me from putting a baby in her belly.
• "You will never leave me. Do you understand me when I tell you that?"
• "I am a Bellandi man, regardless of what my last name is. There is no divorce in this life, Sunshine."
• "If I ever see another man touch you, I'll kill him while you watch, Tesoro." It wasn't often I referred to just how violent my nature could be, but I needed her to understand that there were hard limits for me. Things that would push me too far and make me expose to her just how much of a monster I was.

5 big stars and a top spot on my list of Best Reads of 2020

[hannahreadsbooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

I know I shouldn’t write a review of a book that I dnfed but this one made me so mad that I have to. i’m usually fine with dark romances or mafia romances, and I’ve already read the first book in the series and I was fine but there’s something about this one. I did not like how much they gaslighted the main character, like all her loved ones and the other wives acted like she was crazy for not liking a man who kidnapped her against her will and forced her into his life. An example of this is when the love interest raped The main character and all the other wives were congratulating her like she wasn’t a victim of sexual assault and that it was completely normal. I know for them because they’re with mafia men it is but it made her question her feelings and that made me mad.I am all for possessive mafia men as long as they understand that the girl is her own person and has a right to make her own decisions. The only highlight of the book was the kids because they were somewhat cute but other than that I did not enjoy it.


also The love interest had a piercing on his… shaft(just to stay pg) and the whole time I was imagining it would get stuck in her… folds, it was a big ick for me.

[🦉Maggie Whitworth · Rating 4 out of 5]

❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋

This one was so hard to like in places, i found it both disturbing and traumatic.
In other places I know Ryker was doing it because he loved her, but I still questioned wether he was really just an obsessive stalker .
A really difficult character to become accustomed to.

Her and the kids I felt sorry for even in the end I still had difficulty getting to grips with everything that was happening.

Nevertheless, brilliantly written and very entertaining to read, made me really sit up a take notice.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favorite Bellandi ❤

Story: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Trope: stalker
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Triggers: dubcon

Ugh!!! This story!! Ryker seriously ticket very single one of my boxes. Never wavered in his affection, made her kids his own, and obsessed with his Roma at psycho stalker level: expert ❤

[Perpetual Reads (Angel) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Grieved Loss is Book 3 in the Bellandi Family series and it tells the story of Ryker & Calla. Calla was married to a dirty cop who worked for the Bellandis and was killed by a drug dealer accidentally. This left Calla as a widow and a single mother of two children, Axel & Ines. Ryker came to her rescue once when Axel was a baby and he fell in love with her at first glance. However he knew he couldn’t have her so he waited in the shadows for years until her husband passed away. After that, all bets were off and nothing would stand in his way of making Calla and the children his.

Now, I know that this is a dark romance, but I’m honestly not sure how to feel about how the events of the story play out, and I’ve read and loved plenty of stories with morally grey and straight up villainous characters. It’s a love story about a stalker/kidnapper and his obsession so it’s not for the faint of heart. There are many moments in the story where Calla’s freedom of choice is taken away in the book, and nothing is really done to address this.

That was a bit disappointing for me, because there were similar elements in the first two and the story always resolved with the Mafia MC acknowledging this and working towards treating his partner as an equal. That was missing in this story. If I’m being honest, it just felt like Ryker bulldozed into their lives, uprooted them, and decided he knew what was best for them, while Calla just gave up fighting for her right of choice and just accepted her fate as inevitable.

I really enjoyed seeing Ryker as a father though, and the love and dedication he had for the kids. Learning about his history also shed light into his character and explained why he is the way he is. Unfortunately, we only really hear his story towards the end of the book when it was revealed by someone else and he had no choice but to explain what really happened. Don’t get me wrong, it was heartbreaking, but I felt it would have had more of an impact on Calla and the story if he had chosen to be vulnerable and reveal it to Calla out of his own free will. I think that would have done wonders for allowing both of them to establish trust with each other.

Given that the author did such a great job in the first two novels of resolving the tension, hurt, mistakes and misunderstandings between the couples, this book was a bit of a let down for me.

[Izzah ꒰Duchess of Cabria ಇ ⭑✧ ᴏɴ ᴘᴀᴛʀᴇᴏɴ ✧ ⋆꒱ · Rating 1 out of 5]

UUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUURRRRGH! Calla needs to put on some sturdy boots and overalls and go dig around until she unearth a few ounces of self esteem.


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🕮⋆˚࿔✎𓂃 𝐣𝐨𝐢𝐧 𝐦𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐲 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐲 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐥 𝐫𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰
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[girlwithhearteyes · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

I have such mixed feelings about this story.

The dynamic is soooo OTT in the problematic alpha male way - know that going in. He’s all “I’ve been stalking you for years and times up - you and your kids are mine now, and there’s nothing you can do about it”, and she’s all “you’re crazy, I’m my own person and make my own choices…” but then major body betrayal. Did I read the whole thing? Yes. It’s like I had major body betrayal too, but of the eyes kept reading kind.

I did like how Ryker was undeniably devoted to his family though, including the kids. That was great. Probably would have liked this book more if (possible spoiler) they had both given a little bit, but instead it seemed like Calla just accepted that Ryker’s crazy ways led to the right outcome..

A note on the audiobook - I wan’t a fan of the female narrator (the end of her sentences all went up in a weirdly dramatic way) so switched to the ebook.

[Amy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I love alpha men but this one was just too OTT. To move a women and her kids into your house without them ever meeting you and calling them HIS kids right away...bonkers! Then he calls into work for her and has her house sold without her knowledge!?!? I know this is fiction but this is too much. To top it off her dad is okay with everything. Thinks it’s a good idea for his daughter and grandkids to move in then marry a complete stranger. Just because the men think they know what is good for her. CRAZY!!!! My first and last time reading this author.

[CeCe · Rating 1 out of 5]

I don’t understand why Callie had two kids with her husband, Chad, when at 5% she did not feel comfortable leaving even one of them with him.

I did not care for the heroine and I did not understand why the hero cared so much for the heroine.
The heroine was oblivious and stupid. Her husband was not that clever and able to hide his crap from her. DAH!!

DNF. I was unable to connect.

[*CJ* · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Grieved Loss" is the story of Calla and Ryker.

I adored Ryker. Yes, he was a bad man. Yes, he killed people. But he loved the heroine to pieces. He watched her from afar for years, waited for her to grieve, was so caring and loving towards her kids and respected her consent as well as *some* boundaries.

This was super sweet.

Safe for me
4/5

[Farscapegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunshine and her Shadow. I was so excited to be on the ARC team for this one. The first book in the Bellandi series introduced Ryker as Matteo's psycho torturer who was waiting to claim Calla and her two kids after letting her have a year to grieve her dirty cop husband who had been killed. I knew Ryker would be an interesting character, but I was unprepared for the mix of single minded obsession and sweet loving family guy. Ryker blew me away with his intense sensual pursuit of Calla and dreamy caring father figure toward her kids, Axel and Ines.

Calla was realistically traumatized by his insistent claiming of her and the kids as his family. I related to her shock at her attraction to Ryker while she struggled with disbelief over his depth of passion, love and honest connection to her. Calla's self worth was scarred by past experience of indifference from her dead husband so her struggle to play catch up with Ryker's demand for immediately living together and moving forward as a couple was understandable. Calla held her own and was strong.

I loved their banter. "Meatball" is forever connected to this book for me now. Lol The chemistry and sex were HOT. Ryker is totally a psycho, possessive jerk that will kill to keep his family, and would never harm a hair on their head. Sometimes mafia guys in books will be abusive to their women, I'm so glad to say there was none of that here.

I'm looking forward to Simon's story so much more now. I feel the connection of similar childhood trauma that created a bond between Ryker and Simon while heartbreaking, it made me want to see who Simon will find to bare his soul and trust. These men deserve strong, caring women that will support the man and see beyond the murder and mayhem lifestyle. Ryker found and captured Calla, I hope Simon is next.

[Simply Joe. · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF @46%

I wanted to read this book because I thought the plot was a cute storyline and while it was, it was also very, veeeerryyy cringey.

Calla Lilly had no.back.bone, none. At first, I was rooting for her for trying to stand her ground against Ryker but damn, as the book went further along, it’s like she had none remaining and even though she would cry and fight, she never was able to actually cast out her no and stick to it.

One major thing that made me stop reading were the first and second smut scenes. The first one because regardless of her saying “no” and “stop” REPEATEDLY, he continued and she “gave in”. That’s SA. And the second one, when she was asleep. Like bro…I would understand if she liked him or was even married to him and genuinely loved him, the waking up to s€x would be great but like…that’s not the case.

Also the lowkey high key misogyny in this book stresses me out so much. The comments he dad made about her not being “suited” to live alone and take care of her children by herself????? the comments he made about her staying home and taking care of the kids; the whole view of women in this book….ew.

I wouldn’t recommend this book, in fact I would tell people to save themselves the headache and constant annoyance.

[Caitlin · Rating 5 out of 5]

My favourite in the series so far! Which is surprising, since I hate reading books with a big focus on children.

[Eva ✧ ࣪ ⋆ ⁺₊ ⋆ evathedreamer ₊˚.⋆ ☾ ⋆⁺₊ ✩ · Rating 5 out of 5]

His sunshine ☀️ and her shadow 👤 (or his victim and her stalker.. but who cares 🫣 I enjoyed it)
The story of Calla and Ryker was intense.. I mean, Ryker is waaay possessive and very dominating ..and borderline insane!

This book has it all! Deranged stalking, forced proximity, threats, and brutal murders. It also has a sweet and fun side, with pampering, loving family dynamics, adoration and undeniable attraction.. there might also be some Stockholm Syndrome and other sketchy things 😅 but that is just part of the Bellandi Crime Syndicate series 😁 oh and it’s also nice and spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I might’ve read too many of these kinds of books because this man seemed sweet and kind - but he is a fucking psychopath 😅 a killer! A man who enjoys to torture people 🙈
..well he was so sweet to his woman and their (her) kids, even though his timeline is crazy! And he expects too much too soon..
He truly loves her (or is obsessed with her.. but again who caaares 🫣). He prepares to be with her for years before he claims her.. he keeps an eye out for her, he designs his house to accommodate her and the kids 😁 it’s all good 😇 😈 definitely an over the top alpha - but I’m here for it 😏

This is somewhere between 4 and 5 ⭐️’s

[Mia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I never write reviews on books, no matter how bad I deem them to be, I usually like it or I don’t and then I move on. I’m struggling to just leave it when it come to this book. I don’t completely hate this book, but I’m not exactly fond of it either. I’m a very big fan of the possessive/protective alpha male character who adores the heroine, main thing that drew me in to the book as well as the good reviews. I think I got a quarter of the way through before I hated Calla (FMC) for how utterly pathetic she was showing to be. I respected her at first for how she kept going for her kids after her husband died, but then it just went down hill. She has literally no backbone whatsoever and that really fucks me off more than anything. Ryker (MMC) makes her do everything; from forcing her and her kids to move in with him, calling them his kids when their not straight off the bat of meeting them, forcing Calla to marry him, not letting her pick her own wedding dress or date and right down to physically forcing her to tattoo her forearm with their wedding date when she has expressively told him she doesn’t want to. Every “no” that comes out of her mouth he ignores, and she just takes it, no matter how many times it’s described that she’s upset by it or furious at him for doing so. The blame isn’t all on her, it’s mostly on Ryker who has the disgusting flaw of doing what he wants no questions asked, but she just takes it laying down like an obedient little wife. I wouldn’t have minded or been as angry at the characters if there was some development, but there wasn’t, they stayed the same throughout and it’s something I can’t look over.

On a better note, I thought it was written well, some of the interactions between the two main characters I adored, bi it could have been amazing if Calla wasn’t such a pussy and Ryker could understand the word no. Tbh I don’t understand how so many people have rated it 5 starts. I take it the majority of people reading it have non backbone either or no quarrels about the behaviour in the book, but that’s their flaw not mine. And now that’s off my chest, I can say I’m not OVER IT

[Flo₂₂ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Firstly i would like to say that i usually avoid and skip the books where they had been already married before especially if they had kids with others.
So this is one of the reasons why i couldn't like it more than this.
I tried anyway to like it and i wanted to jump into it because i was really curious about this blurb, and yes i loved it but only because of Ryker, i liked how crazy and OTT he is, and i liked and hated at the same time that he didn't take her sooner...he let her being in that marriage and to do another kid too 🤦‍♂️😅🙄
I loved the way he was with her and how he was J/P and obsessive of her but so sweet at the same time.
I hated her mostly tho especially the last half of the book, it annoyed me how she keep questioning him, i mean, i could get it before, but not after you know? it just bugged me how she was, i just felt like he deserved better in a way you know? she didn't truly appreciated what he did for her and how much he loved her kids too, i get it he stalked and toke them but after being also married? i didn't like and accept her behavior, also i felt like this book was to slow and i was getting bored about her back and forth...i dunno.
Anyway it was a good read, considering my pet peeves it did great, if it wasn't for me not liking the h and her past it could be easily a 5 star. But i can't give more as it is.

[Sara Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you are looking for a super protective, obsessed, borderline psychotic alpha, look no further - Ryker is in the building. The steps that he goes to in order to claim Calla are over the top insane. I love all of that and the HEA that follows.

I’m knocking off a star because of the overly precocious children - they were, at times, cringeworthy and my eyes rolled out of my head so many times that it took away from the story. Other than that, it’s a fun and entertaining story with a psychotic alpha lead.

It’s part of a series but you don’t need to read the first two to understand what’s going on here. I will say Ryker has been obsessed with this woman throughout the first two novels so the build up for this book was intense. The other couples from the two prior books make appearances.

I received an arc for an honest review.

[Mandy Carnley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don’t even know where to begin.. I have so many thoughts on this book and not sure I can even write them all down. I will start with if you haven’t read the first two books in this series do yourself a favor and start there. It’s not necessary but it is more enjoyable to get the dynamic of the Bellandi family and how they operate. That is where we first meet Ryker. I had a feeling he was gonna be an interesting character and boy oh boy was he... Ryker is a very complex character but thoughtful in ways you can’t even imagine. He’s rough around the edges and a stalker/killer but yet your heart still roots for him.. The author did an amazing job of making you want to root for him and for him to get his HEA. He falls in love with Calla the first time he sees her but she is unavailable but Ryker is patient and waits until he can have her and after that all bets are off. Calla was a hellcat and a perfect match for Ryker.. her husband has died (I wasn’t sad) and she is grieving. He wasn’t really present so she isn’t missing much. Her kids are adorable and Ryker gives them just as much attention as Calla. He knows they are a package deal. Calla struggles with letting Ryker in probably because of the way he went about things and getting her to fall in love with him wasn’t going to be easy... I kept wondering how was this gonna play out how could they even possibly get a HEA? They do get there and it’s a beautiful ride... my favorite part of this whole book that really made me fall hard for Ryker was when he mentions that he practiced with a doll putting a kid in a car seat and buckling them in.. I mean he thought of everything... I can totally picture this Alpha male doing this and it just makes me chuckle.. If you like Alpha/possessive males then Ryker is your guy.. Actually so are Matteo and Lino (the first two novels). Also this a mafia/syndicate type novel so if you are someone that hates that genre this probably isn’t the book for you. If you love them this is totally your book. I love them but am very picky about them this was definitely a 5star book in my opinion. I was very lucky to receive an ARC for this book yesterday and literally could not put it down it releases in July 16th I believe. Happy Reading and If you choose to read this book drop me a line and tell me your thoughts!

[Kathyjacks · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been obsessed with the Bellandi men since Bloodied Hands was released with Mateo and Ivory’s story . Then we got Samara and Lino. This installment was about Ryker and Calla . Ryker is Mateo’s gruesome enforcer . He kills and he enjoys it . He becomes obsessed with Calla who is a cop’s wife . When Calle becomes a widow Ryker knows it’s time to make Calla and her two children his. If you have ever read Izzy Sweet’s book Taking Lilly this is a similar premise . Ryker is a delicious, controlling , alpha freak and I loved every second of it . He wants Calla, he takes her, he wants her children as his own, and he wants her pregnant and bonded to him in every way . This is my dream man . He’s not for
everyone but if you like your heroes to be jealous , possessive, and psycho Ryker is for you . The whole Bellandi family owns my heart. These men are ruthless killers but with their women and children they become teddy bears !

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the 3rd book in this series and is Ryker and Calla’s story. Ryker is lethal and executioner for the Bellandi family, and for years her has been obsessed with Calla. Calla has lost her cop husband when a drug deal goes wrong and is left to somehow support her two children and herself, as well as grieve. Ryker steps in as an anonymous benefactor, and is allowing Calla to grieve for one year, before he steps up to pursue her intensely. I loved how Ryker was so caring to the two children. I always knew that Ryker would be a complex and intriguing character, and patient. This is a well written story which is emotional, heartbreaking, and with loss, grief, and witty banter. I was totally enthralled throughout this addictive page turner, and I look forward to reading more form this author, whose wok just gets better and better. I recommend this for all.

[Kathy T · Rating 1 out of 5]

Warning Spoilers

There are just too many thing wrong with this book. And I thought Matteo was bad in first book Hero, if you could call him one, Ryder, was obsessed, severely controlling to abusive. He forced his ‘Massive’ pierced thing into her to control her. He won’t use a condom, so he could tie her to him forever, with a baby.
He used sex to get what he wanted over and over.
He demanded her obedience and love. He packed her house and moved her in with him, before she even knew him.
She, Sunshine or Calla, was lame, pitiful and a weak character. Only good thing about her, was that she did well with her kids.
Hard to find a redeeming quality, but I finished the stupid book.
So sorry Arthur. Not reading 2nd or 4th books.

[Cyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

At least my 3rd re-read of this book.
Ryker is awesome. I love how he tries to make life better for Calla and the kids, even before they get together. He just steam rolls her and I like how all her kids and family eat it up, especially her dad. I also like that there is grey area dub-con. I feel for Ryker though, she takes a while to trust him, but he should have seen some of the sketchy stuff told to Calla coming. All the Bellandini men take what they want but so far most of all Ryker. I love how he sees himself in the kids, even though they aren't his biologically.
The kids are great. The relationship he has with them is so deep. Calla going into the Meatlocker....and Rykers response when she leaves....GOLD.
For sure read this.

[Peggy M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Let me first start by saying that if you’re not a fan of a dominant, obsessive, criminal stalker guy, who doesn’t know the word ‘no’ or just ignore it, then this story isn’t for you. But if you love a dominant, obsessive, dangerous mafia guy, who knows with just one look that he has found his soulmate and will do ANYTHING he can to have her and to protect her and will love her two children like they are his own then you will love this book.

‘Grieved loss’ is the third book in the ‘Bellandi Crime Syndicate’ series and I would recommend that you start this series with the first book. That will give you more insight into the mafia world created here and the relationships between the guys and the couples.

We met the main male character Ryker in the previous two books as a secondary character. Because of his ‘specific, bloodthirsty work’ for the Bellandi family and his cold demeanor I was very curious how Ryker would behave in a relationship and as a father figure. And after reading this story I can tell you that Ryker went ALL in. After stalking and looking after Calla and her children for many years, he knew her inside out and he used every trick and knowledge to manipulate her into being together with him. Ryker was just like a steamroller. In real life, I would stay far away from him but here in this story, I liked his focus, his attention and his thoughtfulness. Although there were also moments that I thought he should give Calla some breathing room but I also think that just wasn’t in his obsessive and dominant character.

I liked Calla very much. She was kind but also strong. She protested Ryker’s domination in her own way but she didn’t do anything foolish to provoke him. The threat of a mafia war created more suspense in the story. Calla’s children were so cute and so loveable. It was so wonderful to see the bound and love between them and Ryker. He spoiled them but he was also there for them if they needed them. The Bellandi guys may be very dangerous mafia criminals but when they are spending time with their children and wives, they have a gentle side and are very patient. It’s fascinating to experience it.

The story was told from both POV’s. ‘Grieved loss’ was a great story. I’m looking forward to the next story in this wonderful mafia series.

[KittyLuvr · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, I am in looooove! Ms. Forrest hit this one out of the ballpark AND hit every one of my buttons!! And Ryker, oh Ryker, he is one of the MOST dreamy anti-H's I've ever read.
Ryker is lethal, cunning, intelligent, a borderline serial killer, is the Executioner for the Bellandi Crime family. He glories in both his work & his results as well as the process itself; he's physically huge, naturally terrifying & emotionally frigid. Or is he? For this deadly man has been stalking Calla/h for years . . . .
And Calla, a widow, is raising 2 young children by herself. Torn & agonized about the conflicted feelings she has for her deceased husband & their marriage, rabid about doing the best for her children no matter what, I found her to be a heroine I actually liked (almost unheard of for me) A LOT. Focused on moving forward as well as caring for & protecting her children, her small family finds themselves at the very center of Ryker's sudden & overwhelmingly intense & warp speed attentions & actions, & much like a Black Hole he is impossible to avoid or escape.
This is a moving & beautifully written story of two vastly different people from completely different worlds who are suddenly thrust into a chaotic & wild existence together.
Ms. Forrest has deftly created a heroine with layers & layers of emotional angst to overcome &/or move forward from. The reader easily empathizes with Calla, wishes her peace, healing & most of all, love. And Ryker, this reader ACHED for him & his past, for his emotional loneliness & his intensely craving need for the light & love Calla could possibly give him. While the s*xual tension between Ryker & Calla is increasingly intense & keeps the reader on delicious sensual tenterhooks.
And there are scenes in this where I DEFY ANY reader to NOT TEAR UP or get a LUMP in their throat. Because I sure as h*ll did without shame or embarrassment.
And Ryker has chiseled in stone that they WILL be HIS. End of discussion. But Ryker has a dark past & even darker present & Calla is terrified of & yet drawn to this deadly man who has barreled into their life. She finds herself desperately wrestling with her conscience & morals when it comes to the Bellandi’s Executioner.
If you want to FEEL, want to CARE about, HOPE for the H/h to find their peace, healing & LOVE; you want secondary/supporting characters that you enjoy reading about & ADD to the story without bogging it down in any way, you want a beautifully written novel that allows you to sink enthusiastically into the journey the characters are taking: Read this one. I did. I loved it. Everything about it. A truly wonderful Mafia romance touched with the perfect amount of dark overtones.

[Adiaha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sunshine & her Shadow 😍 was not expecting to fall in love with the executioner but dammit the author did it again! I can’t get enough of this world and the characters Adelaide created.

[Jay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This book was intense. If you thought Matteo was OTT, just wait until you read about Ryker. I enjoyed this book and was hooked right away! If you’ve read the first two books, you surely don’t want to miss this one. Ryker is all in, focused, and so very 🔥🔥🔥. It’s been a few days since I finished the book, and I’m still feeling a little like my mind was blown. Intense alpha male-check. Scenes that set the pages on 🔥-check. Sweetness like you wouldn’t believe-check. Obsessive behavior-check, check, and check.

[Ash ~ bookmaniac~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4STARS!!!

This book was so much better than I thought. I totally enjoyed reading the story of Calla and Ryker.This book can be read as a standalone but its better to read the series in order and if you have read the previous book you already know a little about ryker. He is the chief executioner of the Bellandi's and he has his eyes set on Calla.
She is a widow with two children and Ryker steps into her life as a benefactor but just like the other Bellandi's, he is very authoritative and he knows what he wants and he gets it and apparently Calla is his sunshine.

One thing that might annoy to some people is that he took charge of her life, moved her in with him against her wish, stalked her and even had cameras in her old house and all of these things seem very unfair for Calla but after reading the first two books in the series you get an idea that that's how these men are made and it has been told in the book as well. During one of the conversation between Ivory, Samara and Calla, ivory told her, that's how these men are made when they want something they get it and apparently the men's world revolve around their women so they are very important and they think that is the only way to show their love.

I thoroughly enjoyed the book and I really liked the relationship between Calla and her dad it was so sweet and the way ryker treated the children was so adorable and this book had me in tears so many times. It was a really good read and I am excited to read the fourth work in the series .

Re reading-
recently i re read the first two book in the series and decided not to read this one but then the last book in the series is releasing at the end of this month and thought why not this one too
while reading this the second time i could understand calla more better, the conflict she was going through was the same i as a reader was conflicted about that how can you want someone who take away your choices, is demanding as hell and a murderer but he cared about her,was good to her kids and she felt safe secured and loved. And love doesn't really have to make sense. it just is what it is and so was there's different but it was whole and passionate.loved the book and this is one of the best mafia series i've ever read

[Hannah Clitheroe · Rating 2 out of 5]

DNF, but might try again? Ryker intrigued me in the other 2 books so I was READY to figure this man out..
I was bored, usually a book can captivate me in a few pages but this one I was sitting there wondering how I was only on page 44 and still not feeling it.

Ryker was a LUNATIC, he was so creepy! Not the aw, he has some redeeming qualities, no like "Buffalo Bill he's going to wear my skin like clothing" creepy. I wanted to know what made him be so obsessed with Calla? Like what started it? That needed to be mentioned FIRST THING, because 44% into the book, I was clueless and creeped out. Because it sure wasn't her striking personality. Girlfriend didn't really have one.

Calla was okay, she had no backbone and literally let Ryker TAKE HER INTO HIS HOUSE, ignoring the fact that this man had her CHILDREN'S BEDROOMS SET UP and everything! And on top of that, if my husband died and I had a random beneficiary, I would be lawyering up and figuring out who this person was. Not playing dumb for a full year.

I get that Calla had children, but if I had to read "my boy" "my princess" "my boy" ONE MORE TIME, I was going to snap. Her kids were, 5 and 2? But for some reason Axel was more like my 30 year old boyfriend with the way he spoke and how he acted. Like, what 5 year old is the man of the house after his father passes away? NONE.

I usually love this authors' books, they grip me, I love the writing, the characters, but his one.. this one made me beyond uncomfortable and I wanted to drop kick both Calla and Ryker in the face.