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Mafia Lullaby
My trainer. My keeper. Snatched up and given to Costello for training, I am to learn how to be perfect in the most wicked of ways. He calls me a Lullaby girl and tells me my fate is sealed.This underground house of ruin can easily destroy me. I wonder how much it has corrupted him.He promises to find a way out. I only have to obey him, follow him, trust him.But I’m not sure I’ll escape before the inevitable happens. Before, he ruins me.***Previously released with the title Mafia Lullaby. This book contains dark and extremely spicy elements. Read if you like the decadent taste of dark.
324 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2020
416 people are currently reading
446 people want to read
About the author
Alta Hensley
117 books2,425 followersAlta Hensley is a NYT & USA Today bestselling author of dark romance where the villain always gets the happily ever after.
Twisted, clever, and occasionally unhinged, her books deliver morally gray anti-heroes, sharp-tongued heroines, and happily ever afters that taste even sweeter after a little ruin. With a signature blend of grit, wit, and heat, Alta’s stories prove one thing: Villains deserve love too.
Alta lives on the foggy coast of Oregon with her husband, two daughters, and a pair of dogs who think they’re in charge. When she’s not writing redemption for the irredeemable, she’s walking the coastline or sipping craft beer in eccentric little bars that feel like they belong in her books.
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Twisted, clever, and occasionally unhinged, her books deliver morally gray anti-heroes, sharp-tongued heroines, and happily ever afters that taste even sweeter after a little ruin. With a signature blend of grit, wit, and heat, Alta’s stories prove one thing: Villains deserve love too.
Alta lives on the foggy coast of Oregon with her husband, two daughters, and a pair of dogs who think they’re in charge. When she’s not writing redemption for the irredeemable, she’s walking the coastline or sipping craft beer in eccentric little bars that feel like they belong in her books.
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AltaHensleyA...
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Alta-Hensley/e...
Website: www.altahensley.com
Instagram: https://instagram.com/altahensley
Bookbub: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/alta-...
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@altahensley
Join her mailing list: https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 151 reviews
June 25, 2020
Whilst this deals with dark themes of captivity and sex slavery, it didn't hit very high on my dark-o-meter.
I was surprised at the number of reviews that mentioned finding the DD/lg theme disturbing, I thought it featured fairly minimally. Ariana's co-captives had been regressed mentally to a 6 year old, via drugging, though if you don't regress, well there's no returning to your normal life, which leaves living out your days in a whore house, or not living at all.
To my mind the shock factor/ horror comes from the fact that these are drugged sex slaves being sold off to goodness knows what future abuse. The age play element was mainly calling their trainer Daddy, the reader being told they were colouring and the fact that they had 'nannies' who looked after them during the day. I was more concerned that we didn't truly see much in the way of any credible training, if I'm honest.
The writing flows seamlessly and I couldn't say author A wrote this part, whilst B definitely wrote that. The two voices were blended into a very easy to read writing style. The characters felt very firm and consistent, the story had good pace and, whilst it is similar to many other "captive" stories, I definitely found it to be an enjoyable read. Both Ariana and Costello were likeable characters and their story was quite sweet, if also a bit kinky and a lot 'wrong' (though NOT for the kinky element I hasten to add!).
It was all just a little too nice for my tastes, a little too gentle with its timely interventions and easy solutions. I like my captives to suffer and other than a few spankings/paddlings I didn't really experience that. I didn't feel enough fear, terror or despair from Ariana, nor menace and cruelty from Costello. In fact he was just far too nice and gentle a man, particularly considering he was involved in the abduction, torture and training of sex slaves. Acknowledgement was given to the fact that he was a "bad man", and Ariana did challenge him over his attitude and regard of his previous trainees. I just couldn't marry the man we saw in Mafia Lullaby with the job he was doing.
I would have enjoyed this more if they had both been a little bit fiercer, if there had been more fire and fight. However that's because I like my captive romances on the pitch black end of the spectrum and I'm confident this book will be perfect for many readers who like a lighter shade of grey. Mafia Lullaby is still a well written book and one that is definitely worth giving a try.
****
PS to those who know they have similar reading tastes to me, and to my fellow Dark Erotica groupees, I wouldn't call this dark. The darkest part is that she is kidnapped. Just warning 'cos I know how black you like your reads!
I was surprised at the number of reviews that mentioned finding the DD/lg theme disturbing, I thought it featured fairly minimally. Ariana's co-captives had been regressed mentally to a 6 year old, via drugging, though if you don't regress, well there's no returning to your normal life, which leaves living out your days in a whore house, or not living at all.
To my mind the shock factor/ horror comes from the fact that these are drugged sex slaves being sold off to goodness knows what future abuse. The age play element was mainly calling their trainer Daddy, the reader being told they were colouring and the fact that they had 'nannies' who looked after them during the day. I was more concerned that we didn't truly see much in the way of any credible training, if I'm honest.
The writing flows seamlessly and I couldn't say author A wrote this part, whilst B definitely wrote that. The two voices were blended into a very easy to read writing style. The characters felt very firm and consistent, the story had good pace and, whilst it is similar to many other "captive" stories, I definitely found it to be an enjoyable read. Both Ariana and Costello were likeable characters and their story was quite sweet, if also a bit kinky and a lot 'wrong' (though NOT for the kinky element I hasten to add!).
It was all just a little too nice for my tastes, a little too gentle with its timely interventions and easy solutions. I like my captives to suffer and other than a few spankings/paddlings I didn't really experience that. I didn't feel enough fear, terror or despair from Ariana, nor menace and cruelty from Costello. In fact he was just far too nice and gentle a man, particularly considering he was involved in the abduction, torture and training of sex slaves. Acknowledgement was given to the fact that he was a "bad man", and Ariana did challenge him over his attitude and regard of his previous trainees. I just couldn't marry the man we saw in Mafia Lullaby with the job he was doing.
I would have enjoyed this more if they had both been a little bit fiercer, if there had been more fire and fight. However that's because I like my captive romances on the pitch black end of the spectrum and I'm confident this book will be perfect for many readers who like a lighter shade of grey. Mafia Lullaby is still a well written book and one that is definitely worth giving a try.
****
PS to those who know they have similar reading tastes to me, and to my fellow Dark Erotica groupees, I wouldn't call this dark. The darkest part is that she is kidnapped. Just warning 'cos I know how black you like your reads!
June 30, 2020
Overall 3 stars
Plot 3.5 stars
Characters 2 stars
Extra 4 stars
Steaminess 4 stars
Overall
Lullaby Mafia wasn’t bad. The issue was that there wasn’t really anything holding it together. The characters are relatively flat. The plot is pretty loose. The sex was pretty good, but it took too long to get there. The writing wasn’t bad, but it didn’t hold it together.
This was a book that had a cool idea, and I won’t forget the idea, but I certainly will forget the plot, the characters, and the sex. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t good.
Plot
The whole plot centered around a magic drug (Lullaby) that turns girls into Littles (in a DDlg way). Then they’re sold as sex slaves who are addicted to the magic drug. Cool idea. Boring execution.
Characters
The characters were not memorable. They didn’t even really make sense to the story. Their backstories are about three sentences long, and their emotional growth is minimal. I did not like them. At all.
Extra
The drug is a super cool idea. That’s what convinced me to try the book. Sadly, the actuality was that it was a DDlg book without any of the real DDlg mentality with most of the “real” parts that are the actual draw to the kink replaced with sexual slavery and abuse. It just didn’t work. But it was a cool enough idea to keep me in it.
The DDlg scenes where the relationship was the focus rather than sex acts were really good. The Daddy side of the H was one of the only redeeming factors of the character. I enjoy a good DDlg story, and this took a sidetrack that didn’t quite work out. Sexual slavery and DDlg just don’t go well together. Once again, cool idea, but the actuality was just a weird sex slave thing.
The extras were cool enough of ideas that I’ve got to give the authors credit for them. The story could have been a really good read with a unique take on a lot of common themes. Instead, it just didn’t quite nail any of them.
Steaminess
This book is all about the sex. Except there’s not a lot of sex. Tons of spanking. There’s also a little bit of booty lovin’, which is always a plus in my book.
I have two problems with the sex scenes. One, I can only handle so much spanking without some good sex, and sex doesn’t happen until about ¾ of the way through.
Two, there’s a scene with a thermometer and an asshole, and well, no one should ever be fucked with a thermometer. Ever. That’s not my thing, and instead of it being sexy, it made me laugh out loud which is not what a sex scene should do.
Overall, I was not miserable reading Lullaby Mafia, but it just didn’t make me happy. It was very meh. I would not recommend this book, but I wouldn’t count the authors out. The writing wasn’t bad, and the ideas weren’t bad. I would definitely give either of the authors another shot.
Plot 3.5 stars
Characters 2 stars
Extra 4 stars
Steaminess 4 stars
Overall
Lullaby Mafia wasn’t bad. The issue was that there wasn’t really anything holding it together. The characters are relatively flat. The plot is pretty loose. The sex was pretty good, but it took too long to get there. The writing wasn’t bad, but it didn’t hold it together.
This was a book that had a cool idea, and I won’t forget the idea, but I certainly will forget the plot, the characters, and the sex. It wasn’t bad. It just wasn’t good.
Plot
The whole plot centered around a magic drug (Lullaby) that turns girls into Littles (in a DDlg way). Then they’re sold as sex slaves who are addicted to the magic drug. Cool idea. Boring execution.
Characters
The characters were not memorable. They didn’t even really make sense to the story. Their backstories are about three sentences long, and their emotional growth is minimal. I did not like them. At all.
Extra
The drug is a super cool idea. That’s what convinced me to try the book. Sadly, the actuality was that it was a DDlg book without any of the real DDlg mentality with most of the “real” parts that are the actual draw to the kink replaced with sexual slavery and abuse. It just didn’t work. But it was a cool enough idea to keep me in it.
The DDlg scenes where the relationship was the focus rather than sex acts were really good. The Daddy side of the H was one of the only redeeming factors of the character. I enjoy a good DDlg story, and this took a sidetrack that didn’t quite work out. Sexual slavery and DDlg just don’t go well together. Once again, cool idea, but the actuality was just a weird sex slave thing.
The extras were cool enough of ideas that I’ve got to give the authors credit for them. The story could have been a really good read with a unique take on a lot of common themes. Instead, it just didn’t quite nail any of them.
Steaminess
This book is all about the sex. Except there’s not a lot of sex. Tons of spanking. There’s also a little bit of booty lovin’, which is always a plus in my book.
I have two problems with the sex scenes. One, I can only handle so much spanking without some good sex, and sex doesn’t happen until about ¾ of the way through.
Two, there’s a scene with a thermometer and an asshole, and well, no one should ever be fucked with a thermometer. Ever. That’s not my thing, and instead of it being sexy, it made me laugh out loud which is not what a sex scene should do.
Overall, I was not miserable reading Lullaby Mafia, but it just didn’t make me happy. It was very meh. I would not recommend this book, but I wouldn’t count the authors out. The writing wasn’t bad, and the ideas weren’t bad. I would definitely give either of the authors another shot.
May 19, 2020
I read few stone books so I was curious about this book because of the blurb. And I gotta say I have no problem with daddy kink. But I'm not into age play.
And when I read this well it wad a different sorta dd/lg type of play. The girls didn't even know they were littles they were drugged by a drug that turned them into Littles which was wrong in that type of world. I felt bad for them every girl that was there.
As for our MC Ariana and Costello she wasn't effected by the drug like the other girls and I knew the things he did were to keep her safe but idk. I just couldn't connect to them I sorta skipped a lot of the book and stopped at 70% I couldn't read it anymore..
I gave it an extra star because the cover was pretty.
Low angst, Seconrary charas, Drama, sexy times, no virgins (dude trained other girls so yeah)
Recommend- ehh no
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Slow-burnish
Spanking/discipline
Non-con/dub-con
Daddy kink
Age play
Mentions of f/f
Drugged
Anal play/sex
Mentions of group sex/gangbangs (with other girls)
No condom
HFN
And when I read this well it wad a different sorta dd/lg type of play. The girls didn't even know they were littles they were drugged by a drug that turned them into Littles which was wrong in that type of world. I felt bad for them every girl that was there.
As for our MC Ariana and Costello she wasn't effected by the drug like the other girls and I knew the things he did were to keep her safe but idk. I just couldn't connect to them I sorta skipped a lot of the book and stopped at 70% I couldn't read it anymore..
I gave it an extra star because the cover was pretty.
Low angst, Seconrary charas, Drama, sexy times, no virgins (dude trained other girls so yeah)
Recommend- ehh no
Cover-⭐⭐⭐
Slow-burnish
Spanking/discipline
Non-con/dub-con
Daddy kink
Age play
Mentions of f/f
Drugged
Anal play/sex
Mentions of group sex/gangbangs (with other girls)
No condom
HFN
May 18, 2020
This story just blew me away!
The combination of this writing duo is extraordinary! I love both of their writing and together they are explosive.
Costello works for a family, managing things, doing errands, and getting little's ready for their forever daddy. And he does his job well. Along comes Ariana, and things change quickly.
I loved this story and I am hoping there are more to come, as there are so many stories left unsaid with this book.
The combination of this writing duo is extraordinary! I love both of their writing and together they are explosive.
Costello works for a family, managing things, doing errands, and getting little's ready for their forever daddy. And he does his job well. Along comes Ariana, and things change quickly.
I loved this story and I am hoping there are more to come, as there are so many stories left unsaid with this book.
June 13, 2020
4.5 stars
I have probably read 25 or 30 abduction stories, but none with this premise! “The House” trains women for the most unique clientele I’ve ever read about!
Like the authors say, “This place steals women and sells them. Keeping them addicted to a drug that wipes out who they really are so they can play to the fantasies of a bunch of assholes.”
Aside from some proofreading mistakes, everything about this book impressed the hell out of me!
I have probably read 25 or 30 abduction stories, but none with this premise! “The House” trains women for the most unique clientele I’ve ever read about!
Like the authors say, “This place steals women and sells them. Keeping them addicted to a drug that wipes out who they really are so they can play to the fantasies of a bunch of assholes.”
Aside from some proofreading mistakes, everything about this book impressed the hell out of me!
May 24, 2020
The people that have abducted Ariana are very crafty as their experience has ensured that the women they take are virtually untraceable. Her normal, boring life is about to take a dark turn when she finds herself being drugged and trained to act like a little girl for the men who are willing to pay quite a price for the thrill of having one of these women. The only problem is that these drugs aren’t working on her which only fuels her desire to escape.
Costello is her trainer and he has been very successful at his job. He is cold and detached which allows him to treat the women as a means to an end and not people or he least he had been able to until Ariana came into his life.
Intrigue, twists and hot chemistry as Ariana and Costello have met their match in each other.
Costello is her trainer and he has been very successful at his job. He is cold and detached which allows him to treat the women as a means to an end and not people or he least he had been able to until Ariana came into his life.
Intrigue, twists and hot chemistry as Ariana and Costello have met their match in each other.
April 27, 2022
April 2022: new title:
img src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/59/40/24/59...
Because of Dolly (which I read last month; 5 stars!) I'm on a Measha Stone reading spree! My expectations for this book were sky high! I didn't read any reviews and went in blind.
What to say about this book? If you like DD/lg and dark reads, you'll probably love this book.
The story was absolutely unique! Never read something like this before. Maybe because DD/lg is not 'my thing'? 😉
Anyway, unfortunately for me 😁 Mafia Lullaby was about Daddies and little girls... with a dark-ish twist. The book deals with dark themes (abduction, captivity, sex slavery) but somehow it didn't feel really dark to me.
The DD/lg thing made me
and even
The premise (training woman and selling them as 6 year old sex dolls) was creative. Young woman were abducted, drugged with 'Lullaby' (a drug to make them compliant and act like a six year old) and trained to be sold to rich perverts (forever Daddies) who want to own a little girl to use and abuse (rape and kill).
⚠️ ⚠️
A lot of sex in this book; mainly 'training' sessions to prepare the girl for the buyers (forever Daddies) and a lot of punishments to teach the little girl to behave and prepare her for so called 'adoption'.
The ideas (training and selling women as little girls) and the working of the organisation were very creative and well made up.
All and all... not a bad story. However, for me, the emphasis was too much on the sex. I would have preferred less sex and more action.
Rating? The story kept me entertained throughout the whole book.... but the DD/lg aspect really didn't work for me. So 3 stars it has to be.
At the end of the book the Authors ask: "Should we rescue another Lullaby girl?"
Nope... as far as I'm concerned, once was enough. 😉
EE; BotM June 2020.
Amazon: paperback 324 pages.
img src="https://i.pinimg.com/564x/59/40/24/59...
Because of Dolly (which I read last month; 5 stars!) I'm on a Measha Stone reading spree! My expectations for this book were sky high! I didn't read any reviews and went in blind.
What to say about this book? If you like DD/lg and dark reads, you'll probably love this book.
The story was absolutely unique! Never read something like this before. Maybe because DD/lg is not 'my thing'? 😉
Anyway, unfortunately for me 😁 Mafia Lullaby was about Daddies and little girls... with a dark-ish twist. The book deals with dark themes (abduction, captivity, sex slavery) but somehow it didn't feel really dark to me.
The DD/lg thing made me
and even
The premise (training woman and selling them as 6 year old sex dolls) was creative. Young woman were abducted, drugged with 'Lullaby' (a drug to make them compliant and act like a six year old) and trained to be sold to rich perverts (forever Daddies) who want to own a little girl to use and abuse (rape and kill).
⚠️ ⚠️
A lot of sex in this book; mainly 'training' sessions to prepare the girl for the buyers (forever Daddies) and a lot of punishments to teach the little girl to behave and prepare her for so called 'adoption'.
The ideas (training and selling women as little girls) and the working of the organisation were very creative and well made up.
All and all... not a bad story. However, for me, the emphasis was too much on the sex. I would have preferred less sex and more action.
Rating? The story kept me entertained throughout the whole book.... but the DD/lg aspect really didn't work for me. So 3 stars it has to be.
At the end of the book the Authors ask: "Should we rescue another Lullaby girl?"
Nope... as far as I'm concerned, once was enough. 😉
EE; BotM June 2020.
Amazon: paperback 324 pages.
May 16, 2020
I just dont really get it.... I really like alta's books... but this one really nothing happened and then it ended. I kept waiting for something to really happen but it didnt even at 60% into the book... its started off interestingly enough..I'm a bit dissapointed and surprised.
June 13, 2020
I was definitely sucked into this story. It is a type of kink lifestyle and human trafficking that I know little about, so the topic was disturbingly interesting.
June 3, 2020
I couldn't get enough of Costello & Ariana's book. Great characters. This was such an intriguing read. And a new author for me. I received a free copy of the book. And am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
May 18, 2020
The writing and editing of this novel was clean, with few typos that I caught in the ARC version of this manuscript. The world building of the House and Lullaby drug and was vibrant. The characterization was competent, with both hero and heroine being complex individuals. The development of the romantic relationship was good, as far as dark romance goes. I just had a hard time picturing a man who actively trains and rapes sex slaves without any moral qualms being capable of real connection and love with a woman. This novel was the first by these authors that I have read, and the premise and storyline was not one that personally appealed to me, with the sex slavery and age play elements, but it was well written and I can see how other people would thoroughly enjoy this story. The plot and pacing was exciting and interesting. There was a medium amount of angst on the heroine's part, which is understandable and consistent with the trauma she was going through. The stakes were very high in this story, and the authors were really good at making me doubt the possibility of an HEA. This story used the Enemies to Lovers trope, and also the Daddy trope. The world building, plot, and pacing were four stars. The characterization was also four stars. The development of the romantic relationship was three stars, because I did not really buy into these two character's relationship. The combined score for this novel was four stars. I rounded up. This novel had a Happy Ever After ending instead of a cliffhanger, so that is a big plus for this story. I recommend this story to fans of dark BDSM romance with age play elements. I personally do not plan to buy myself a keeper copy of this novel.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 19, 2020
3 stars
Normally, I enjoy both of these authors immensely. The premise of this story and the blurb were intriguing. Even though this is a much different way of creating a Daddy/little story, it was frustrating, to say the least. I think that is because I was expecting it to have darker undertones. Yes, it had kidnapping and coercion but for some reason, I never got the impression of this being sinister type dark that I was expecting. Even though the idea and Uncle Frank were repugnant it still left me feeling meh. It had the potential to be so much more, especially, the ending of what needed to be done in order to get a chance at a HEA.
I am still a fan of these authors but this was a big miss for me.
Normally, I enjoy both of these authors immensely. The premise of this story and the blurb were intriguing. Even though this is a much different way of creating a Daddy/little story, it was frustrating, to say the least. I think that is because I was expecting it to have darker undertones. Yes, it had kidnapping and coercion but for some reason, I never got the impression of this being sinister type dark that I was expecting. Even though the idea and Uncle Frank were repugnant it still left me feeling meh. It had the potential to be so much more, especially, the ending of what needed to be done in order to get a chance at a HEA.
I am still a fan of these authors but this was a big miss for me.
May 20, 2020
Be warned, this is a dark captive romance which some people may find disturbing. The women in this story are generally not there of their free will, so there are non-con elements to the story. That said if you are ok with these elements than you may enjoy the story. I didn't necessarily dislike the story, but I didn't particularly like the main characters, Costello or Ariana. I've read similar stories before but in those instances I cared more about the couple and therefore enjoyed the story more. So hopefully if these authors continue this series to give the other "little girls" a story, and I hope they do, I will definitely read them.
May 21, 2020
this story is crazy lol.
i'm kind of ok with the daddy kink but little girl play? hell NO
-NANNY'S
-PLAY DATES
-NURSERY'S
-DIAPERS
-NAP TIMES
-GIRLS drugged to be "little girls"
-punishments
-corner punishment
-training for adoption
-foster program
etc etc etc
It was really strange i had to skip a little because the "training" was OTT...
but.... if we ignore all of that "training" we can see a different side of Costello.
I liked the last part of the book , and i wish we knew more,a good epilogue or something,and more of them as a couple ...
Overall it was a strange but an ok read.
i'm kind of ok with the daddy kink but little girl play? hell NO
-NANNY'S
-PLAY DATES
-NURSERY'S
-DIAPERS
-NAP TIMES
-GIRLS drugged to be "little girls"
-punishments
-corner punishment
-training for adoption
-foster program
etc etc etc
It was really strange i had to skip a little because the "training" was OTT...
but.... if we ignore all of that "training" we can see a different side of Costello.
I liked the last part of the book , and i wish we knew more,a good epilogue or something,and more of them as a couple ...
Overall it was a strange but an ok read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 12, 2020
Deliciously dark and devious. Several of my favorite authors have been pairing up for books, and this time they hit the jackpot. With a twisted plot and men who operate on the wrong side of the law, readers are in for a treat. I didn’t know whether to live or hate Costello, and I wanted to leap into the pages to do what I could to save the Lullaby girls. Such was the depth of emotion these authors managed to pull from me as I became engulfed in this book. Feast on the deliciousness that is this book!
May 17, 2020
Just wow! An intense crazy ride that I wholeheartedly loved reading! It is a dark, twisted concept that only comes along with authors who truly defy the box. While I did put it down so I would not throw my device I wouldn't have it any other way! Incredible writing! An absolute must read as you will take a journey experiencing visceral emotions that had me wanting to be written into the book the first couple chapters and doing serious damage. Well played Ladies!
July 27, 2020
The whole story is replusive!!!
This story is crap. DD do not need to kidnap drug mind-rape. The playroom is just a brothel for raping the mentally disabled. ( 6year-olds can not give consent!!!) The kidnapped victim(not heroine) falls for her captor and abuser. CALL BULLSHIT!!!!@#@@!!
This story is crap. DD do not need to kidnap drug mind-rape. The playroom is just a brothel for raping the mentally disabled. ( 6year-olds can not give consent!!!) The kidnapped victim(not heroine) falls for her captor and abuser. CALL BULLSHIT!!!!@#@@!!
May 20, 2020
Mafia Lullaby: A Dark Captive Romance by Alta Hensley and Measha Stone was wroth with a Dark, Disturbing, Depravity that had me at a constant state of mental, and emotional disconnect.
I found myself trying to rush through this book, with every intent to read something light, cleansing, and a little less disturbing.
I kept telling myself that this was someone's creative work of art, but I found myself thinking, that somewhere, there are those that think that this behavior of taking away someone else's freedom, for his/her own enjoyment is acceptable.
I understand roleplay, and fantasy are things that each individual decides for himself, or herself, but I was nauseated on several occasions.
In my mind Costello, was an Antihero, that I got a glimpse of on a surface level, but I didn't ever really see beneath the in depth layers.
I get that he was dealing with life the best way that he knew how, and enjoying it, but I never really connected with who he really was deep down.
Costello's relationship with Ariana was true to form in that it was stilted and nonconsensual, but I guess that was to be expected, since the title states that it is a Dark Captive romance.
Ariana, the h, had a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome, and her and Costello's relationship was just wrong in so many ways.
This was definitely not my cup of tea, but the reality is, that this is someone's cup of tea, and if it is your's, drink up.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I found myself trying to rush through this book, with every intent to read something light, cleansing, and a little less disturbing.
I kept telling myself that this was someone's creative work of art, but I found myself thinking, that somewhere, there are those that think that this behavior of taking away someone else's freedom, for his/her own enjoyment is acceptable.
I understand roleplay, and fantasy are things that each individual decides for himself, or herself, but I was nauseated on several occasions.
In my mind Costello, was an Antihero, that I got a glimpse of on a surface level, but I didn't ever really see beneath the in depth layers.
I get that he was dealing with life the best way that he knew how, and enjoying it, but I never really connected with who he really was deep down.
Costello's relationship with Ariana was true to form in that it was stilted and nonconsensual, but I guess that was to be expected, since the title states that it is a Dark Captive romance.
Ariana, the h, had a severe case of Stockholm Syndrome, and her and Costello's relationship was just wrong in so many ways.
This was definitely not my cup of tea, but the reality is, that this is someone's cup of tea, and if it is your's, drink up.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 18, 2020
**3 1/2 stars**
I’m a hug fan of both Ms. Hensley and Ms. Stone.
I love their books and the plots in them.
The premise of Mafia Lullaby intrigued me.
I’ve read lots of books with an abduction theme.
But this story was somewhat unique for me.
The evil men who want the Lullaby Girls are really depraved.
All persons who what to obtained a stolen person of course is evil.
But what’s different here is that these men’s wants are more disgusting.
Ariana is taken off the streets and her life as she knows it vanishes.
She is going to be trained to become a Lullaby Girl.
Ariana fights and strategies to escape her captivity.
I liked that she was strong and so determined.
Costello is a member of the mafia family that steals,trains and sales the girls.
He is their best trainer and paid well for his services.
It is now his duty to start training Ariana and get her ready for the next auction.
I didn’t really feel an emotional connection between Ariana and Costello.
Their is lust present but not the bond of something on a higher level.
Their bodies physically reacted to one another.
But that’s all I felt between them.
I admired Ariana throughout the book.
Except towards the end where I lost some of my admiration for her.
Costello never really redeemed himself in my eyes.
It felt like,for me,he never really felt bad for his role in ruining lives.
I love the antiheroes in dark stories.
But Costello just didn’t do it for me.
Mafia Lullaby does have an interesting plot and it’s very new concept.
So that kept and held me attention throughout.
I’m a hug fan of both Ms. Hensley and Ms. Stone.
I love their books and the plots in them.
The premise of Mafia Lullaby intrigued me.
I’ve read lots of books with an abduction theme.
But this story was somewhat unique for me.
The evil men who want the Lullaby Girls are really depraved.
All persons who what to obtained a stolen person of course is evil.
But what’s different here is that these men’s wants are more disgusting.
Ariana is taken off the streets and her life as she knows it vanishes.
She is going to be trained to become a Lullaby Girl.
Ariana fights and strategies to escape her captivity.
I liked that she was strong and so determined.
Costello is a member of the mafia family that steals,trains and sales the girls.
He is their best trainer and paid well for his services.
It is now his duty to start training Ariana and get her ready for the next auction.
I didn’t really feel an emotional connection between Ariana and Costello.
Their is lust present but not the bond of something on a higher level.
Their bodies physically reacted to one another.
But that’s all I felt between them.
I admired Ariana throughout the book.
Except towards the end where I lost some of my admiration for her.
Costello never really redeemed himself in my eyes.
It felt like,for me,he never really felt bad for his role in ruining lives.
I love the antiheroes in dark stories.
But Costello just didn’t do it for me.
Mafia Lullaby does have an interesting plot and it’s very new concept.
So that kept and held me attention throughout.
May 9, 2020
Mafia Lullaby is a quick novella about a captured girl and her mafia connected trainer. It's dark, dirty and depraved. Ariana is taken from her life to enter a world of "daddies" and "little girls". The theme is a little disturbing as these captive women are given a drug called Lullaby to regress them into 6 year old girls. They dress as little girls, speak like little girls and even color and take baths together. It's very creepy. The "daddies" are the men who train the women for their "big girl time" and to eventually be adopted to their "forever daddies". Ariana falls for her daddy, Costello, and they embark on a dangerous journey of lies and deceit in order to survive this mafia controlled environment. Although I enjoy dark and sexy books, this one felt a little wrong to me with the whole "daddy" and "little girl" element. I don't mind the words used, it was the drugging and regressing that felt kinda gross. I enjoyed parts of it but as a whole it just wasn't my cup to tea.
Disclosures: I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Disclosures: I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
May 13, 2020
What a fascinating read. When I first started reading the beginning I thought it was just going to be another kidnapping a woman for sexual purposes. No this was a little more twisted than that. A really intriguing storyline when you realise what the lullaby is and does. The characters in this story each held their own and some you hate, some you felt sorry for and some you absolutely loved and these were the main characters Costello and Ariana. When Ariana was first introduced to the house and what went on there some of her thoughts were really funny. It was a very good job she was a strong woman otherwise god knows what would have happened to her. Costello, although he came across as strong and dominant, as Ariana got under his skin and he started to question what he was doing turned out to be a darling. Definitely a page turner and some anxiety towards the end as to what was going to be resolved. A very enjoyable read and I hope Alta does Shelby's story after. Highly recommended. I love this author and have read most of her books and I recommend her other books as well.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
July 6, 2020
A dark story with a touch of a satisfying happy ending. The storyline is tricky, thrilling and well woven, the characters are neatly worked out and everything is very well written, the dance along the abyss is excellently executed.
The relationship building alone didn't quite reach or convince me, something was missing in the moments of the DD/LG seasons. Instead of captivating and deepening the connection, I was rather distracted and wondered how the frame story would go on, what would happen next and how everything could be neatly resolved. The advancement and telling of the story was very well done, the dramatic progress was captivating, the mafia theme well implemented.
A good book with tension, story and character, it always oscillates between 3 and 3,5 stars but it doesn't reach the 4 in my rating, but I wasn't satisfied enough at the end, although the idea of the story is great.
The relationship building alone didn't quite reach or convince me, something was missing in the moments of the DD/LG seasons. Instead of captivating and deepening the connection, I was rather distracted and wondered how the frame story would go on, what would happen next and how everything could be neatly resolved. The advancement and telling of the story was very well done, the dramatic progress was captivating, the mafia theme well implemented.
A good book with tension, story and character, it always oscillates between 3 and 3,5 stars but it doesn't reach the 4 in my rating, but I wasn't satisfied enough at the end, although the idea of the story is great.
May 19, 2020
Mafia Lullaby: A Dark Captive Romance by Alta Hensley and Measha Stone is a dark, twisted, steamy and intense novella read that keeps the reader on the edge of their seat.
This story isn't your run of the mill Daddy/littles read for its quite twisted and dark.
Costello and Ariana's story isn't your light and airy love story; it's full of raw, gritty, dark depraved romance and sexual heat. The combo team of Alta Hensley and Measha Stone makes for a delicious, taboo treat. The story has taboo things and sensitive topics. Costello and Ariana have this twisted yet beautiful connection. I loved their chemistry ; the fight to be together is strong. The DG/lg story is amazing.
My Rating: 4.5 stars *******
This story isn't your run of the mill Daddy/littles read for its quite twisted and dark.
Costello and Ariana's story isn't your light and airy love story; it's full of raw, gritty, dark depraved romance and sexual heat. The combo team of Alta Hensley and Measha Stone makes for a delicious, taboo treat. The story has taboo things and sensitive topics. Costello and Ariana have this twisted yet beautiful connection. I loved their chemistry ; the fight to be together is strong. The DG/lg story is amazing.
My Rating: 4.5 stars *******
May 26, 2020
What happens when you get two authors like Measha Stone and Alta Hensley together to write a mafia romance? You get a dark story that is basically kinky af. I mean, imagine kinky books and then multiply that by about 100000 and you may have the idea.
I like Ariana. I think that she's really smart. She's had to be in order to survive. I think that she's also very canny too, which is really important with the life she's currently living. She has also learned to endure, which a lot of people discount. Being able to endure means that you can get through a whole lot without breaking.
Costello isn't bad overall, but he has a real journey to go through while he's in this book, and it's one I heartily approve of. He needed to have that journey in order to be deserving of Ariana.
I like Ariana. I think that she's really smart. She's had to be in order to survive. I think that she's also very canny too, which is really important with the life she's currently living. She has also learned to endure, which a lot of people discount. Being able to endure means that you can get through a whole lot without breaking.
Costello isn't bad overall, but he has a real journey to go through while he's in this book, and it's one I heartily approve of. He needed to have that journey in order to be deserving of Ariana.
June 17, 2020
I gave it 3* using Amazon's own Rating System.
Found it to be mainly a silly fantasy, with the cringe-worthy 'Daddy' stuff going on, but was an easy read. FMC was a tad 'wearing'; too dumb for words. Her mouth nearly got her killed. BUT the Alpha Costello? Just the Alpha you'd hope to meet if you found yourself in a similar predicament to 'baby girl'. Heaven forfend. 😂 Worth reading just for Costello; love an Alpha who never changes.
It was OK. I liked some of the story, but not all of it. It was overall an enjoyable read, but not earth shattering or one I'll remember by tomorrow. Certainly not the worst book I've ever read, just not great imo. I would read more by the author, and am in fact about to do so: Caged.
This book was Free to read with Kindle Unlimited UK.
Found it to be mainly a silly fantasy, with the cringe-worthy 'Daddy' stuff going on, but was an easy read. FMC was a tad 'wearing'; too dumb for words. Her mouth nearly got her killed. BUT the Alpha Costello? Just the Alpha you'd hope to meet if you found yourself in a similar predicament to 'baby girl'. Heaven forfend. 😂 Worth reading just for Costello; love an Alpha who never changes.
It was OK. I liked some of the story, but not all of it. It was overall an enjoyable read, but not earth shattering or one I'll remember by tomorrow. Certainly not the worst book I've ever read, just not great imo. I would read more by the author, and am in fact about to do so: Caged.
This book was Free to read with Kindle Unlimited UK.
May 22, 2020
I really wanted to love this, but I’m not a huge fan of the DD/lg theme so there were aspects that didn’t work for me. That being said I did like the captive aspect and I liked how Costello fell for Arianna. There were some suspenseful moments, but things seemed to be resolved rather quickly in each case. I would have liked a bit more bite to the dark theme of the story.
Hero (Costello) 4 | Heroine (Arianna) 4 | Plot 3 | Writing Style 3 | Steam 3 | Romance 3 | Angst-Suspense 4 | Darkness 3 | Humor 1 | Secondary Characters 3 | Drama-Conflict 3 | Mystery 3 | Twists 4 | Action 4 | Pacing Steady | Dual POV | MF | Mafia | Dark| Overall 4 Stars
#MSBB
Hero (Costello) 4 | Heroine (Arianna) 4 | Plot 3 | Writing Style 3 | Steam 3 | Romance 3 | Angst-Suspense 4 | Darkness 3 | Humor 1 | Secondary Characters 3 | Drama-Conflict 3 | Mystery 3 | Twists 4 | Action 4 | Pacing Steady | Dual POV | MF | Mafia | Dark| Overall 4 Stars
#MSBB
May 29, 2020
Two of my favorite authors writing together is a dream come true. Mafia Lullaby is an interesting story and unlike anything, I thought it would be. I do not want to give anything away because I think this book is well worth jumping in without knowing anything about it.
Mafia Lullaby is well worth the read. If you have ever read Alta or Measha then you know it is well worth the time and effort to read. Enjoy!
May 13, 2021
I Really Enjoy Mesha Stones Writing And Other Series But This Was Just God Awful I Thought The Reviews Were Just Because People Forget That It Is An Erotica But It Like It Truly Does Basically Create This Idea That Pedophiles Are Okay In A Sense And Glamorize It It Was Just A Disturbing Read With No Redeeming Factors And Overall Strange And I Love Reading Read Dark Material But This Served No Purpose
June 11, 2020
I wondered why I never gave DD/LG a chance now I know why. Its gross. I don't find a grown women pretending to be a little girl sexy. Ugh everytime she said "sorry Daddy or yes/no Daddy it made my stomach turn. I finally found a genre I hate!.
May 24, 2021
Ariana goes to draw money out of the bank to discover her account is empty. She then goes to the bus stop where she is kidnapped and put into a car. When she wakes up she doesn’t know where she is but when she wakes up Costello is there and he gets her a cup and tells her to drink the medicine. Ariana threw the cup at him do so she earned a spanking and so starts her time in the house. The next day she drinks her medicine which is called Lullaby. The ideal of it is to make them forget and regress back to a child. The drink has no effect on her so she has to pretend that she is a child. I’m not spoiling the rest but it’s a good read.
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