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Tempted
This was supposed to be just business. No one said anything about falling in love.
I can’t stand Daniel Marino. He’s an insufferable flirt, a womanizer, and all he seems to care about is money—and sex. But he’s also the one paying me, and I need the money too much to turn down the job. Still, I feel like there must be more to him than a businessman and a playboy. If only he would let me see it.
Laura Byrne is the first woman to resist me in years. The moment she stepped into my office, I knew I wanted her in my bed. I might be her boss, but she still doesn’t back down from my challenges. And it just makes me want her more. The longer I spend pursuing her, the more I realize this isn’t just about sex anymore. It’s about making her mine.
Daniel and Laura will have to navigate a rough road to become closer, and even if their differences don’t tear them apart, Daniel’s mafia enemies might.
Read on to see how the sparks fly when these two heated personalities collide!
Tempted is the first book in the Mafia Sinners Series and can be read as a standalone Enemies-To-Lovers Mafia Romance.
I can’t stand Daniel Marino. He’s an insufferable flirt, a womanizer, and all he seems to care about is money—and sex. But he’s also the one paying me, and I need the money too much to turn down the job. Still, I feel like there must be more to him than a businessman and a playboy. If only he would let me see it.
Laura Byrne is the first woman to resist me in years. The moment she stepped into my office, I knew I wanted her in my bed. I might be her boss, but she still doesn’t back down from my challenges. And it just makes me want her more. The longer I spend pursuing her, the more I realize this isn’t just about sex anymore. It’s about making her mine.
Daniel and Laura will have to navigate a rough road to become closer, and even if their differences don’t tear them apart, Daniel’s mafia enemies might.
Read on to see how the sparks fly when these two heated personalities collide!
Tempted is the first book in the Mafia Sinners Series and can be read as a standalone Enemies-To-Lovers Mafia Romance.
94 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2020
270 people are currently reading
287 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 219 reviews
September 15, 2020
ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.
Quick but a disappointing book. It's more of a contemporary romance than a mafia romance. Daniel Marino is a CEO who decided to go into the mafia business (he's a son of the Don but he doesn't really delve into the dark side as he runs his own company) but without a secretary, it's difficult to organize everything and hires Laura Byrne.
These two hit off right away and the insta-connection irks me. It's not even an enemies-to-lovers. The lack of character development is a let down. For a made man, Daniel is too weak for my taste and he's quite dumb. The mafia aspect is just inserted here and truly, there's zero build up. The conflict easily resolved and I find it unbelievable.
This book has a potential. It just needs direction and more research about mafia.
Quick but a disappointing book. It's more of a contemporary romance than a mafia romance. Daniel Marino is a CEO who decided to go into the mafia business (he's a son of the Don but he doesn't really delve into the dark side as he runs his own company) but without a secretary, it's difficult to organize everything and hires Laura Byrne.
These two hit off right away and the insta-connection irks me. It's not even an enemies-to-lovers. The lack of character development is a let down. For a made man, Daniel is too weak for my taste and he's quite dumb. The mafia aspect is just inserted here and truly, there's zero build up. The conflict easily resolved and I find it unbelievable.
This book has a potential. It just needs direction and more research about mafia.
February 18, 2021
Not the Version to Read
But since this IS the version I read and I already wrote the review, I'm going to go ahead and post it. MY SUGGESTION TO THE AUTHOR WOULD BE TO GET THIS ONE OFF AMAZON so people naturally go to the other version - (explanation at bottom).
Initial Review
This book was a completely random pick for me. It's also the author's debut from what I can tell so I'm taking that into consideration in commenting on it. As the title says, Tempted falls under both the enemies-to- lovers trope and the Mafia trope. And in some ways, it's succeeds, especially given the limited number of pages that relegate it to a short novella over a novel. That being said, in other ways it fails. There were just some things that were missing for me. And included in those things were 'enemies-to-lovers and on a smaller note, a real feeling of Mafia. No, I'm not trying to be confusing - it's just I could see what the book was shooting for but it didn't necessarily mean it made it onto the page.
Daniel Marino (H) is some grand womaniser from the history that's shared with us. He has gone through PA's like water due to not being able to keep from getting them into his bed. That's how Laura, a completely different breed of woman, ends up coming to interview and take the spot. Laura is in a position where she need the job badly due to commitments she has to be able to financially fulfil. And so when Daniel offers, she jumps at the offer, even if she is turned off by his less than professional behaviour.
So, you've got a guy from a Mafia family, an H and an h that have the potential to really go back and forth (if you're going from enemies to lovers) and the chance to really play with chemistry... but...
I think what this story lacked for me was less seeing the chase and more having it jumped over but alluded to. I also felt that their sex scene when it finally came didn't bring the hotness with it or let you feel any intense chemistry between them. Without dissecting the whole thing, my initial thought at the end was the book didn't feel 'rich' enough and there was a certain 'dryness' to it that made it miss it's mark.
I was also more aligned with Daniel than with Laura, her naivete seemed somewhat unbelievable for being a New Yorker and being as limited in scope as she was about the mafia. I also needed to see her developed more. There was a certain lack of distinction to her and given she took the job due to caring for her mother, it felt strange to never have a glimpse into her personal life or even just her thoughts.
What this story needed was to be fleshed out!
I'm leaving this at 3*** stars (since there's no .25, .50, .75's) but would probably shave a tad off given what I'm used to reading.
NOTE: Just saw after completing this version that the author has since released a longer version coming in at 172 pages vs the 94 pages contained here. After taking a sneak peek and quick read of the opening chapter - it already appears to be much more polished and seems to flow where this one didn't!
So I strongly recommend you go with
if you're going to give this one a go!
But since this IS the version I read and I already wrote the review, I'm going to go ahead and post it. MY SUGGESTION TO THE AUTHOR WOULD BE TO GET THIS ONE OFF AMAZON so people naturally go to the other version - (explanation at bottom).
Initial Review
This book was a completely random pick for me. It's also the author's debut from what I can tell so I'm taking that into consideration in commenting on it. As the title says, Tempted falls under both the enemies-to- lovers trope and the Mafia trope. And in some ways, it's succeeds, especially given the limited number of pages that relegate it to a short novella over a novel. That being said, in other ways it fails. There were just some things that were missing for me. And included in those things were 'enemies-to-lovers and on a smaller note, a real feeling of Mafia. No, I'm not trying to be confusing - it's just I could see what the book was shooting for but it didn't necessarily mean it made it onto the page.
Daniel Marino (H) is some grand womaniser from the history that's shared with us. He has gone through PA's like water due to not being able to keep from getting them into his bed. That's how Laura, a completely different breed of woman, ends up coming to interview and take the spot. Laura is in a position where she need the job badly due to commitments she has to be able to financially fulfil. And so when Daniel offers, she jumps at the offer, even if she is turned off by his less than professional behaviour.
So, you've got a guy from a Mafia family, an H and an h that have the potential to really go back and forth (if you're going from enemies to lovers) and the chance to really play with chemistry... but...
I think what this story lacked for me was less seeing the chase and more having it jumped over but alluded to. I also felt that their sex scene when it finally came didn't bring the hotness with it or let you feel any intense chemistry between them. Without dissecting the whole thing, my initial thought at the end was the book didn't feel 'rich' enough and there was a certain 'dryness' to it that made it miss it's mark.
I was also more aligned with Daniel than with Laura, her naivete seemed somewhat unbelievable for being a New Yorker and being as limited in scope as she was about the mafia. I also needed to see her developed more. There was a certain lack of distinction to her and given she took the job due to caring for her mother, it felt strange to never have a glimpse into her personal life or even just her thoughts.
What this story needed was to be fleshed out!
I'm leaving this at 3*** stars (since there's no .25, .50, .75's) but would probably shave a tad off given what I'm used to reading.
NOTE: Just saw after completing this version that the author has since released a longer version coming in at 172 pages vs the 94 pages contained here. After taking a sneak peek and quick read of the opening chapter - it already appears to be much more polished and seems to flow where this one didn't!
So I strongly recommend you go with
if you're going to give this one a go!
August 6, 2020
I really enjoyed the premise of this story. It had loads of potential. I just wanted it to be fleshed out more. The characters felt one-dimensional and the suspense wasn't driven hard enough for me. But I liked it and that's all that really matters.
* book borrowed through KU *
* book borrowed through KU *
March 21, 2021
3.5/5 stars
This was not really the mafia romance I expected. When thinking about mafia romance, I think about a male main character that is a little dark, is active in the illegal scene and has no issue with violence, guns, etc.
While tempted started off really cliché with the male protagonist having a little fun with two women, Daniel was actually pretty tame. Sure, he was bossy and a little dominant, but he never wanted to have anything to do with illegal things. He stays away from these things and only participates to do something good for his father. He is actually a pretty nice guy deep down, caring for this family. The only real “issue” I see with him are his bedtime stories. And that is basically Camilla’s fault, because she is the worst, self-centered person on the planet. Another point for him actually being a decent guy is that he actually asked for her permission before kissing her, even though in the heat of the moment. I really appreciated this!
Laura is a really strong female character. She obeys, when she is told something, but that doesn’t mean she cannot stand up for herself. She is confident and doesn’t let Camilla tell her things to make her insecure. Instead she tears Camilla down, which really was a power move.
Now, this book is a fairly short novella which I knew before going into this book. Obviously I also knew that with a book of this length there wasn’t much room for character development or to take things slow. So I won’t heavily base my rating on the following points. I just wish this book was a little longer. The very first scene between these two felt a little rushed and not really in sync (for lack of better wording). And the action scene in the end has been resolved a little too quickly. Same as with the scene of the epilogue. I felt like it came upon me without warning. I wish that book 2 would be a continuation of their story.
These issues aside I must say that I enjoyed the characters though and as it was a fairly quick read, I am sure I will check out book 2 as well! 🥰
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
This was not really the mafia romance I expected. When thinking about mafia romance, I think about a male main character that is a little dark, is active in the illegal scene and has no issue with violence, guns, etc.
While tempted started off really cliché with the male protagonist having a little fun with two women, Daniel was actually pretty tame. Sure, he was bossy and a little dominant, but he never wanted to have anything to do with illegal things. He stays away from these things and only participates to do something good for his father. He is actually a pretty nice guy deep down, caring for this family. The only real “issue” I see with him are his bedtime stories. And that is basically Camilla’s fault, because she is the worst, self-centered person on the planet. Another point for him actually being a decent guy is that he actually asked for her permission before kissing her, even though in the heat of the moment. I really appreciated this!
Laura is a really strong female character. She obeys, when she is told something, but that doesn’t mean she cannot stand up for herself. She is confident and doesn’t let Camilla tell her things to make her insecure. Instead she tears Camilla down, which really was a power move.
Now, this book is a fairly short novella which I knew before going into this book. Obviously I also knew that with a book of this length there wasn’t much room for character development or to take things slow. So I won’t heavily base my rating on the following points. I just wish this book was a little longer. The very first scene between these two felt a little rushed and not really in sync (for lack of better wording). And the action scene in the end has been resolved a little too quickly. Same as with the scene of the epilogue. I felt like it came upon me without warning. I wish that book 2 would be a continuation of their story.
These issues aside I must say that I enjoyed the characters though and as it was a fairly quick read, I am sure I will check out book 2 as well! 🥰
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
January 27, 2021
BOOK REVIEW Templet
3⭐️⭐️⭐️
Style: Mafia Romance
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Dark Level: 3/5
Sexual: GOOD
Triggers: NO
Male: Sexy & Jerk
Series:
Pages: 2267
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
STORY:
I really liked this story, but I felt the title does not fit. This seseemed more like an office romance with a little suspense with a drip of mafia. I think the anticipation of it being a mafia had me excited but felt let down a bit. However, it felt more like an office romance.
ENJOYMENT / CHEMISTRY:
I liked Daniel even though he came off like a sexist jerk in the beginning. Changing his women like he changes his underwear. His interview scene with Laura had me engaged because I like their interaction together. Their chemistry and energy were good. Laura, was likable too and good for Daniel in the end.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
No secondary characters worth mentioning that I would hope for a book 2.
Overall, not a bad read, but disappointed that the mafia theme got lost a little. However, still liked the office romance aspect of it.
***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read and hope this review was helpful.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
3⭐️⭐️⭐️
Style: Mafia Romance
Story: 3/5
Enjoyment: 3/5
Dark Level: 3/5
Sexual: GOOD
Triggers: NO
Male: Sexy & Jerk
Series:
Pages: 2267
Kindle Unlimited: Yes
STORY:
I really liked this story, but I felt the title does not fit. This seseemed more like an office romance with a little suspense with a drip of mafia. I think the anticipation of it being a mafia had me excited but felt let down a bit. However, it felt more like an office romance.
ENJOYMENT / CHEMISTRY:
I liked Daniel even though he came off like a sexist jerk in the beginning. Changing his women like he changes his underwear. His interview scene with Laura had me engaged because I like their interaction together. Their chemistry and energy were good. Laura, was likable too and good for Daniel in the end.
SECONDARY CHARACTERS
No secondary characters worth mentioning that I would hope for a book 2.
Overall, not a bad read, but disappointed that the mafia theme got lost a little. However, still liked the office romance aspect of it.
***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the books you read. I know we all have different opinions and preferences with what we read and hope this review was helpful.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
September 9, 2020
ARC received for review
Short and quick. It could have been so much more. I did like Laura and Daniel's interaction and chemistry. His ex was a piece of work.
Short and quick. It could have been so much more. I did like Laura and Daniel's interaction and chemistry. His ex was a piece of work.
September 11, 2020
This was an incredibly short read. For lovers of novellas and short-stories this is perfect, for me I felt it lacked any kind of depth or plot development. Naturally the focus was on the romance, however, the novel is described as a Mafia story, but there is very little Mafia. It's good to see that this is the beginning of a series, I hope to see growth of a story in the future series!
*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
*I received this book free from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review
August 8, 2020
3 stars—TEMPTED is the first instalment and novella in Anna Ray’s contemporary, adult MAFIA SINNERS Mafia romance series. This is heir to the Marino Crime family Daniel Marino, and PA Laura Byrne’s story line.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Laura and Daniel) TEMPTED follows the building relationship between heir to the Marino crime family Daniel Marino, and PA Laura Byrne. Daniel Marino doesn’t do relationships and his last few PAs learned first hand each time Daniel crossed the line of professional decorum. Hiring Laura Byrne meant Daniel had to stop himself from crossing the same line in an effort to keep his PA from walking away. When a smaller mob boss asks for a face to face meeting to talk about a future business venture, Daniel brings along Laura when said mob boss wants to meet Daniel’s other half but all does not go according to plan when Laura becomes the target in a dangerous game of power and control.
TEMPTED is a fast paced, quick read that is a basic introduction to the Mafia Sinners’ series. The conflict is limited and easily resolved but the relationship between Laura and Daniel barely touches the surface of the story line premise. Days and weeks go by where the reader is not privy to the relationship particulars between Daniel and Laura, or business dealings of the Marino family or Daniel himself, in this the world building and characters building is lacking in details. The premise is engaging but feels incomplete; the romance and building relationship between Daniel and Laura is mostly implied; the characters are more or less one-dimensional. The basic set up is good, and there is definitely potential but a little more attention to details is necessary.
Copy supplied for review
Told from dual first person perspectives (Laura and Daniel) TEMPTED follows the building relationship between heir to the Marino crime family Daniel Marino, and PA Laura Byrne. Daniel Marino doesn’t do relationships and his last few PAs learned first hand each time Daniel crossed the line of professional decorum. Hiring Laura Byrne meant Daniel had to stop himself from crossing the same line in an effort to keep his PA from walking away. When a smaller mob boss asks for a face to face meeting to talk about a future business venture, Daniel brings along Laura when said mob boss wants to meet Daniel’s other half but all does not go according to plan when Laura becomes the target in a dangerous game of power and control.
TEMPTED is a fast paced, quick read that is a basic introduction to the Mafia Sinners’ series. The conflict is limited and easily resolved but the relationship between Laura and Daniel barely touches the surface of the story line premise. Days and weeks go by where the reader is not privy to the relationship particulars between Daniel and Laura, or business dealings of the Marino family or Daniel himself, in this the world building and characters building is lacking in details. The premise is engaging but feels incomplete; the romance and building relationship between Daniel and Laura is mostly implied; the characters are more or less one-dimensional. The basic set up is good, and there is definitely potential but a little more attention to details is necessary.
Copy supplied for review
August 7, 2020
This is my first read from this author and thought this was a sweet short story that would have worked better if it was part of an anthology rather than as a standalone novel. Daniel is the classic redeemable hero and Laura is the classic girl with a good-heart heroine. It was a given that there would be a HEA but how quickly it came!
The story begins strong with the two of them meeting, push and pull bantering and then… all of sudden Daniel meets Sal. What struck me as odd was that Sal wasn’t part of the dinner crowd that Daniel’s father arranged when he invited the beards of all the boroughs and other key members. Considering that Daniel’s father recommended the strip club to him and Sal owned the club…. It just seemed odd that the first time Daniel met him was at the club and not at the dinner or through his ex-fiancé, Camilla. In any event, that wasn’t a make or break plausibility point for me.
I struggled with the post-dinner events after Daniel and Laura had dinner with Sal and Bianca. Up until there, there’s really been no blatant interest between them. Some mild flirting and looks, sure, but suddenly on the drive back we go from zero to 80 in what seems like under five seconds. That was where I found it to be rushed too much. I think the two of them could have teased each other a bit more before the dinner at Sal’s or at least in the drive back. Laura’s sudden assertiveness, while refreshing, just seemed out of character for her (or at least the character she had up to that point). I liked how she and Tom tried to draw out the good in Daniel and think that if this was developed into more of a longer read, those angles should have been explored more. Overall, it was a fun read and do hope the author reconsiders and develops parts of this novel more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The story begins strong with the two of them meeting, push and pull bantering and then… all of sudden Daniel meets Sal. What struck me as odd was that Sal wasn’t part of the dinner crowd that Daniel’s father arranged when he invited the beards of all the boroughs and other key members. Considering that Daniel’s father recommended the strip club to him and Sal owned the club…. It just seemed odd that the first time Daniel met him was at the club and not at the dinner or through his ex-fiancé, Camilla. In any event, that wasn’t a make or break plausibility point for me.
I struggled with the post-dinner events after Daniel and Laura had dinner with Sal and Bianca. Up until there, there’s really been no blatant interest between them. Some mild flirting and looks, sure, but suddenly on the drive back we go from zero to 80 in what seems like under five seconds. That was where I found it to be rushed too much. I think the two of them could have teased each other a bit more before the dinner at Sal’s or at least in the drive back. Laura’s sudden assertiveness, while refreshing, just seemed out of character for her (or at least the character she had up to that point). I liked how she and Tom tried to draw out the good in Daniel and think that if this was developed into more of a longer read, those angles should have been explored more. Overall, it was a fun read and do hope the author reconsiders and develops parts of this novel more.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 22, 2021
I loved this book.
I'd read other books by this author so I wanted to read another one.
This is Daniel & Laura's story.
Daniel's got 99 problems ... and Laura is definitely one of them.
Between family and business, it seems everybody is out to get him.
Laura's got her own problems. Especially her mom. One that she wants to resolve.
This book is good, love the suspense and the raw honesty the characters have to come to before they get what they want.
Really enjoying this author.
I'd read other books by this author so I wanted to read another one.
This is Daniel & Laura's story.
Daniel's got 99 problems ... and Laura is definitely one of them.
Between family and business, it seems everybody is out to get him.
Laura's got her own problems. Especially her mom. One that she wants to resolve.
This book is good, love the suspense and the raw honesty the characters have to come to before they get what they want.
Really enjoying this author.
September 19, 2020
I love mafia romance books so I jumped at the chance to read this. I thought it had a good premise and I liked the dynamic between Daniel and Laura. I just wish this were longer so the story could develop more and explain why some things happened.
Daniel is the son of a mafia don. He tried to be a legitimate businessman and built a realty empire, but is starting to get back into the crime game. He hires Laura to be his assistant and is surprised when she doesn't fall at his feet and challenges him. I thought the pair had good chemistry and I enjoyed their flirting. Laura is strong and I appreciate that she doesn't let Daniel push her around.
There were some unanswered parts of the story that I would have liked filled in. I think if this had been longer the author would have been able to flesh this out more. We didn't really find out why Daniel was getting into the mafia game after being legitimate. Also some spoiler things that didn't quite make sense because of too little information.
Maybe this will be expanded someday and I'm looking forward to more from this author.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review
Daniel is the son of a mafia don. He tried to be a legitimate businessman and built a realty empire, but is starting to get back into the crime game. He hires Laura to be his assistant and is surprised when she doesn't fall at his feet and challenges him. I thought the pair had good chemistry and I enjoyed their flirting. Laura is strong and I appreciate that she doesn't let Daniel push her around.
There were some unanswered parts of the story that I would have liked filled in. I think if this had been longer the author would have been able to flesh this out more. We didn't really find out why Daniel was getting into the mafia game after being legitimate. Also some spoiler things that didn't quite make sense because of too little information.
Maybe this will be expanded someday and I'm looking forward to more from this author.
I received this book in exchange for an honest review
June 14, 2021
This was an ok book. The idea behind it was good. I liked Daniel and Laura. I don't know that this is a true enemies-to-lovers though. He's attracted to her and is flirting with her, but she isn't responding because she needs the job so she can continue to help her mom. They didn't really fight about anything.
The mafia aspect seemed like it was an afterthought. This would've been better as just a contemporary romance I think. Or we need more background with Daniel and the mafia piece. 80% of this book focused on his realty business working with Laura. Why he decided he wanted to be part of the family business was never really explained entirely. It almost doesn't make sense because he's really successful in the realty business he created. This book was just too short to really get the depth with the characters I really need in a book.
I loved the epilogue! Wish we could've had a little more because I do really think that Daniel and Laura are great for each other!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The mafia aspect seemed like it was an afterthought. This would've been better as just a contemporary romance I think. Or we need more background with Daniel and the mafia piece. 80% of this book focused on his realty business working with Laura. Why he decided he wanted to be part of the family business was never really explained entirely. It almost doesn't make sense because he's really successful in the realty business he created. This book was just too short to really get the depth with the characters I really need in a book.
I loved the epilogue! Wish we could've had a little more because I do really think that Daniel and Laura are great for each other!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
February 7, 2021
English and Spanish review.
Thanks to netgalley for the advance reading copy.
English
When I started this book, I knew it was not going to be the best thing I would ever read, but I wanted a light read. And yeah, I was correct.
You see, this is the typical story of a mafia boss - who at the same time owns a company - and an employee, who fall in love and do hot things. Like all stories of this type, the mafia boss, Daniel, is a man who is super tormented, does not believe in love and, obviously, is super-hot. And Laura, the employee, is an ordinary girl who needs the money and doesn't want to mess with Daniel. But we all know this is going to go to hell.
Ok now let's move on to the good things.
• Personally, I like the Wattpad vibes it has (maybe this is bad for you, but I did enjoy it.)
• It is very quick read, - it is also short so that’s also why - it is not a reading that you have to think much about.
• he never treats her bad, but you know, that is a bare minimum of human decency.
• It's a lot of fun - but I'm sure it's not the point lol - just don't take it so seriously.
Bad things.
• No character development, null, nothing. Does not exist. Laura’s mother was sick and you only hear about it like two times, and in the end, we did not know what happened to her. And Daniel, we know nothing about him, neither his interests, nor what he doesn’t like, nothing; the only thing we know is that he's a fuckboy (man). And this is very bad for me because I couldn’t connect with the characters, nor feel empathy.
• Daniel is the type of man that, looking at him from an objective side, you don't want in your life.
• It is literally like any other mafia romance story. There is no point that I have not seen in another book of this type
• At first, he looked at her a lot and made her feel uncomfortable, and she couldn't say anything because she was desperate for the work and he was her boss. I can only imagine it if he had been a super old man and, just thinking about it, it disgusts me.
• There are not many sex scenes. In fact, there are only 1. I put this in the bad things because some people may not like it.
• The sex scene was a bit uncomfortable for me, actually.
• There weren't many female figures, but the ones that did were very bad - Daniel's ex treated Laura very badly and then there were only girls who wanted to be with Daniel because of his money. - obviously, except for Laura. So, it is not very feminist or women supporting women, really.
• The plot twist was a TRASH, you could see it coming and it was resolved very quickly. And also, very cliché.
• He called her doll. 💀😭
• I was cringing the whole time, and there were so dialogues that just was not it. Like these ones:
‘’My last one (secretary) had been cute, and she definitely looked good in all those little pencil skirts she wore, but after the first time I slept with her, she started getting way too clingy. That was a huge red flag for me, so I had to get rid of her pretty soon after.’’
‘’ “Thanks,” I replied, disappointed that his little dossiers didn’t come with photos; I probably could’ve ruled a couple out then and there.’’
He didn't care about skills just views ah ah, not good
That's it. Remember not to be like me, don't take this book seriously. Just have fun reading it.
Spanish review
Cuando empecé este libro sabía que no iba a ser lo mejor, pero quería una lectura ligera. Y en las dos cosas estaba en lo correcto.
Verán, esta es la típica historia de un jefe de mafia – que al mismo tiempo tiene una empresa – y una empleada, que se enamoran y hacen cosas hot. Como todas las historias de este tipo, el jefe de la mafia, Daniel, es un hombre que esta super atormentado, no cree en el amor y, obvio, esta super guapo. Y la empleada, Laura, es una chica común que necesita el dinero y que no quiere meterse con Daniel. Pero todos sabemos que eso se va a ir al carajo.
Ok, ahora pasemos a los puntos buenos
• Personalmente, me gusta las vibras de Wattpad que tiene (tal vez esto sea malo para ti, pero a mi si me gusto.)
• Es muy rápido de leer, – también es corto así que también es por eso – no es una lectura con la que tienes que pensar mucho.
• Nunca la trato mal, pero, ya saben eso es un bare mínimum de decencia humana.
• Es muy divertido – pero estoy segura que no es el punto lol – ,Solo que no lo tomen tan en serio.
Puntos malos.
• No hay desarrollo de personajes, nulo, nada. No existe. Laura tenia a su mama enferma y solo lo mencionaba, y al final no supimos que paso con ella. Y Daniel, pues no se sabe nada de él, ni sus intereses, ni lo que no le gusta, nada; solo que es un fuckman. Y esto es muy malo para mi porque no pude conectar con los personajes, ni sentir empatía.
• Daniel es el tipo de hombre que, viéndolo desde un lado objetivo, no quieres en tu vida.
• Es, literalmente, como cualquier otra historia de mafia y romance. No hay ningún punto que no haya visto en otro libro de este tipo
.
• Al principio, el la miraba mucho y la hacia sentir incomoda, y ella no podía decir nada porque estaba desesperada por el trabajo y él era el jefe. Solo me lo imagino si hubiera sido un señor super viejo y, solo de pensarlo, me da repulsión.
• No hay muchas escenas de sexo. De hecho, solo hay 1. Esto lo puse en puntos malos porque puede que a algunas personas les moleste.
• La escena de sexo fue un poquito incomoda para mi, la verdad.
• No hubo muchas figuras femeninas, pero las que había eran muy malas – la ex de Daniel trato muy mal a Laura y luego, solo habían tipas que querían estar con Daniel por su dinero. – obviamente, a excepción de Laura. So, no es muy feminista ni women supporting women, la verdad.
• El plot twist fue una BASURA, se veía venir y se resolvió muy rápido.
Eso es todo. Recuerden no ser como yo, no tomen este libro seriamente. Solo diviértanse leyéndolo
Thanks to netgalley for the advance reading copy.
English
When I started this book, I knew it was not going to be the best thing I would ever read, but I wanted a light read. And yeah, I was correct.
You see, this is the typical story of a mafia boss - who at the same time owns a company - and an employee, who fall in love and do hot things. Like all stories of this type, the mafia boss, Daniel, is a man who is super tormented, does not believe in love and, obviously, is super-hot. And Laura, the employee, is an ordinary girl who needs the money and doesn't want to mess with Daniel. But we all know this is going to go to hell.
Ok now let's move on to the good things.
• Personally, I like the Wattpad vibes it has (maybe this is bad for you, but I did enjoy it.)
• It is very quick read, - it is also short so that’s also why - it is not a reading that you have to think much about.
• he never treats her bad, but you know, that is a bare minimum of human decency.
• It's a lot of fun - but I'm sure it's not the point lol - just don't take it so seriously.
Bad things.
• No character development, null, nothing. Does not exist. Laura’s mother was sick and you only hear about it like two times, and in the end, we did not know what happened to her. And Daniel, we know nothing about him, neither his interests, nor what he doesn’t like, nothing; the only thing we know is that he's a fuckboy (man). And this is very bad for me because I couldn’t connect with the characters, nor feel empathy.
• Daniel is the type of man that, looking at him from an objective side, you don't want in your life.
• It is literally like any other mafia romance story. There is no point that I have not seen in another book of this type
• At first, he looked at her a lot and made her feel uncomfortable, and she couldn't say anything because she was desperate for the work and he was her boss. I can only imagine it if he had been a super old man and, just thinking about it, it disgusts me.
• There are not many sex scenes. In fact, there are only 1. I put this in the bad things because some people may not like it.
• The sex scene was a bit uncomfortable for me, actually.
• There weren't many female figures, but the ones that did were very bad - Daniel's ex treated Laura very badly and then there were only girls who wanted to be with Daniel because of his money. - obviously, except for Laura. So, it is not very feminist or women supporting women, really.
• The plot twist was a TRASH, you could see it coming and it was resolved very quickly. And also, very cliché.
• He called her doll. 💀😭
• I was cringing the whole time, and there were so dialogues that just was not it. Like these ones:
‘’My last one (secretary) had been cute, and she definitely looked good in all those little pencil skirts she wore, but after the first time I slept with her, she started getting way too clingy. That was a huge red flag for me, so I had to get rid of her pretty soon after.’’
‘’ “Thanks,” I replied, disappointed that his little dossiers didn’t come with photos; I probably could’ve ruled a couple out then and there.’’
He didn't care about skills just views ah ah, not good
That's it. Remember not to be like me, don't take this book seriously. Just have fun reading it.
Spanish review
Cuando empecé este libro sabía que no iba a ser lo mejor, pero quería una lectura ligera. Y en las dos cosas estaba en lo correcto.
Verán, esta es la típica historia de un jefe de mafia – que al mismo tiempo tiene una empresa – y una empleada, que se enamoran y hacen cosas hot. Como todas las historias de este tipo, el jefe de la mafia, Daniel, es un hombre que esta super atormentado, no cree en el amor y, obvio, esta super guapo. Y la empleada, Laura, es una chica común que necesita el dinero y que no quiere meterse con Daniel. Pero todos sabemos que eso se va a ir al carajo.
Ok, ahora pasemos a los puntos buenos
• Personalmente, me gusta las vibras de Wattpad que tiene (tal vez esto sea malo para ti, pero a mi si me gusto.)
• Es muy rápido de leer, – también es corto así que también es por eso – no es una lectura con la que tienes que pensar mucho.
• Nunca la trato mal, pero, ya saben eso es un bare mínimum de decencia humana.
• Es muy divertido – pero estoy segura que no es el punto lol – ,Solo que no lo tomen tan en serio.
Puntos malos.
• No hay desarrollo de personajes, nulo, nada. No existe. Laura tenia a su mama enferma y solo lo mencionaba, y al final no supimos que paso con ella. Y Daniel, pues no se sabe nada de él, ni sus intereses, ni lo que no le gusta, nada; solo que es un fuckman. Y esto es muy malo para mi porque no pude conectar con los personajes, ni sentir empatía.
• Daniel es el tipo de hombre que, viéndolo desde un lado objetivo, no quieres en tu vida.
• Es, literalmente, como cualquier otra historia de mafia y romance. No hay ningún punto que no haya visto en otro libro de este tipo
.
• Al principio, el la miraba mucho y la hacia sentir incomoda, y ella no podía decir nada porque estaba desesperada por el trabajo y él era el jefe. Solo me lo imagino si hubiera sido un señor super viejo y, solo de pensarlo, me da repulsión.
• No hay muchas escenas de sexo. De hecho, solo hay 1. Esto lo puse en puntos malos porque puede que a algunas personas les moleste.
• La escena de sexo fue un poquito incomoda para mi, la verdad.
• No hubo muchas figuras femeninas, pero las que había eran muy malas – la ex de Daniel trato muy mal a Laura y luego, solo habían tipas que querían estar con Daniel por su dinero. – obviamente, a excepción de Laura. So, no es muy feminista ni women supporting women, la verdad.
• El plot twist fue una BASURA, se veía venir y se resolvió muy rápido.
Eso es todo. Recuerden no ser como yo, no tomen este libro seriamente. Solo diviértanse leyéndolo
January 15, 2021
*I was kindly gifted this in exchange for an honest review via netgalley*
Wow! This was such a fun book. I couldnt put it down. It was gripping, exciting, funny, sexy. Just a great read.
I loved the multiple POV's, especially Daniel's. I always have a soft spot for romances from men's POV's. The characters were decently developed considering the length of the book and the amount of time dedicated to the plot. I loved the bad guy, he was so easy to hate, perfection! The plot was brilliant. Very well paced. I didnt even notice how far into the book was until I read the Epilogue.
I enjoyed the writing. It was heavily thoughts and dialogue based which fitted with the fast paced drama and plot. The sex was tastefully written but also smutty enough to be classes as erotica.
It was a nice romance. It could potentially have used a little more relationship building that wasn't sex/appearance based, but its a short novel so thats understandable.
Overall a nice read. Definitely recommend if you want something quick, fun and action-packed.
Wow! This was such a fun book. I couldnt put it down. It was gripping, exciting, funny, sexy. Just a great read.
I loved the multiple POV's, especially Daniel's. I always have a soft spot for romances from men's POV's. The characters were decently developed considering the length of the book and the amount of time dedicated to the plot. I loved the bad guy, he was so easy to hate, perfection! The plot was brilliant. Very well paced. I didnt even notice how far into the book was until I read the Epilogue.
I enjoyed the writing. It was heavily thoughts and dialogue based which fitted with the fast paced drama and plot. The sex was tastefully written but also smutty enough to be classes as erotica.
It was a nice romance. It could potentially have used a little more relationship building that wasn't sex/appearance based, but its a short novel so thats understandable.
Overall a nice read. Definitely recommend if you want something quick, fun and action-packed.
August 12, 2020
A swift, entertaining short romance between a Mafia prince and his smart assistant.
Half mafia romance and half office romance, this story has fast-paced chapters in both male and female POVs. While the male character is quite a playboy with not many redeeming qualities, he ends up being totally in love and a hero for his lady when the time comes. He is a hard, flirty boss, yet she puts him in his place and does a good job.
There's room for a steamy encounter, some shady dealings and family time. What I really liked is the surprising twist when his dark world collides with their affair.
Easy to read and the interactions at work are attractive. I was curious about Daniel's mafia dealings because his situation is not the typical one. In order to be more engaging, though, I believe the story needs a bit more depth and detail. The fact that this is a series is promising. Maybe there’s a way to introduce a character or seed of a story to connect it with the next one so that it acts like a hook.
Half mafia romance and half office romance, this story has fast-paced chapters in both male and female POVs. While the male character is quite a playboy with not many redeeming qualities, he ends up being totally in love and a hero for his lady when the time comes. He is a hard, flirty boss, yet she puts him in his place and does a good job.
There's room for a steamy encounter, some shady dealings and family time. What I really liked is the surprising twist when his dark world collides with their affair.
Easy to read and the interactions at work are attractive. I was curious about Daniel's mafia dealings because his situation is not the typical one. In order to be more engaging, though, I believe the story needs a bit more depth and detail. The fact that this is a series is promising. Maybe there’s a way to introduce a character or seed of a story to connect it with the next one so that it acts like a hook.
September 17, 2020
Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the gifted copy, all thoughts are my own.
I'm a sucker for mafia romance. This book was no exception. Tempted reads really quickly, I honestly wish it was longer but am happy to see it's the first in a series.
It contains a lot of flirting, banter, a bit of steam, and some action. There are also sweet moments, sassy moments and times you may just want to shake a certain character (cough, cough, *Daniel*).
Definitely worth the read if you enjoy dark or mafia romance.
I'm a sucker for mafia romance. This book was no exception. Tempted reads really quickly, I honestly wish it was longer but am happy to see it's the first in a series.
It contains a lot of flirting, banter, a bit of steam, and some action. There are also sweet moments, sassy moments and times you may just want to shake a certain character (cough, cough, *Daniel*).
Definitely worth the read if you enjoy dark or mafia romance.
October 17, 2020
I’m obsessed with all things mafia and when I saw this book I knew I had to read it. I knew it would be short even before I read it and for a short book it really good. Would of been 5 star if it was a bit longer and had a bit more detailed. For example it would of been nice to have a bit more info on Laura and her mum.
Daniel is a super hot CEO but decided to work for his father organisation.... he needs a woman by his side and he chooses his new assistant but isn’t his biggest fan.
I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
Daniel is a super hot CEO but decided to work for his father organisation.... he needs a woman by his side and he chooses his new assistant but isn’t his biggest fan.
I will definitely be reading more books by this author.
March 16, 2021
Boring at Best
The flow was a little choppy. It didn’t seem as though the connection was forced. I didn’t understand how he could include her into mob life by having her sign a NDA. Then she is working the job to pay her mother’s’s medical bills yet they don’t meet the mother. Also, why were there no police involved with the shooting of a mafia person in a condo building. Then the intimate scene was dry and clumsy. I have it two stars because there weren’t many spelling errors.
The flow was a little choppy. It didn’t seem as though the connection was forced. I didn’t understand how he could include her into mob life by having her sign a NDA. Then she is working the job to pay her mother’s’s medical bills yet they don’t meet the mother. Also, why were there no police involved with the shooting of a mafia person in a condo building. Then the intimate scene was dry and clumsy. I have it two stars because there weren’t many spelling errors.
October 7, 2020
This is a really short story more than it is a book. It will only take you about 2 hours to complete it however it didn’t catch my interest too much so I stopped and went to another book.
Still, it was cute. It’s a realistic story about 2 people that meet at work. He has mafia family business as well as a legitimate real estate company. She is his PA.
It ends abruptly but I’ve read way worse short stories so this is definitely not bad and good even for being so short.
Still, it was cute. It’s a realistic story about 2 people that meet at work. He has mafia family business as well as a legitimate real estate company. She is his PA.
It ends abruptly but I’ve read way worse short stories so this is definitely not bad and good even for being so short.
January 25, 2021
This book isn’t really what it is advertised. This isn’t an enemies to lovers story. Daniel and Laura, the love interests, never even really disliked each other. Also, it isn’t a mafia story. Daniel isn’t part of the mafia and while the mafia gets a little involved at the end—which is solved all too easily—I wouldn’t consider the mafia a large part of the story at all.
I did like Daniel and Laura together after I got over the beginning. Laura is a good character and has some spunk as well. I didn’t buy Daniel’s quick turn around from planning on having sex with Laura very soon to treating her with some respect.
Overall, a quick and ok read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of the ARC in return for an honest review.
I did like Daniel and Laura together after I got over the beginning. Laura is a good character and has some spunk as well. I didn’t buy Daniel’s quick turn around from planning on having sex with Laura very soon to treating her with some respect.
Overall, a quick and ok read.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a free copy of the ARC in return for an honest review.
October 14, 2020
This is a short read, but more like office romance more than mafia one. Fun at times, but the character development really hasn’t been done well. There's not a lot of action and no real chemistry at all. Not really one for me
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion
September 10, 2020
This sounded like a good book, but I was a little disappointed. It seemed to lack depth and could have been better if the characters and the plot were developed more. Hopefully, the books following will be better.
Want to read
February 15, 2023Jan. 10, 2023 Amazon purch
August 9, 2020
I’d rate this book 3.5 ⭐️
I’ve got this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was good. I’d say it was rather short than what I’m used to, but either way a good read.
I’ve got it all from this book...mafia, romance, hate, danger...if the book was longer I bet the scenes would dig deeper into me and I would’ve rated it higher.
I feel like the author wanted a try in mafia romance books and wrote this as a trial kind of book.
The writing style was good, it wasn’t slow nor super fast.
I’d say the book can have a continuation...IF the author hasn’t started on one yet, which I don’t know.
I’d say this book is for those who are not sure if mafia romance is for them and want to give it a try.
I’ve got this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
This book was good. I’d say it was rather short than what I’m used to, but either way a good read.
I’ve got it all from this book...mafia, romance, hate, danger...if the book was longer I bet the scenes would dig deeper into me and I would’ve rated it higher.
I feel like the author wanted a try in mafia romance books and wrote this as a trial kind of book.
The writing style was good, it wasn’t slow nor super fast.
I’d say the book can have a continuation...IF the author hasn’t started on one yet, which I don’t know.
I’d say this book is for those who are not sure if mafia romance is for them and want to give it a try.
September 22, 2020
His Convenient Wife👰💕
ADULT Alpha 🐺 Mafia?🔪🔫 Romance💕.
Daniel Marino🐺🍆⛲ runs a large real estate company in NYC. Besides picking up bimbos💃 at bars for one nighters 🌙, He goes through personal assistants like tissue paper, mostly because he insists on taking them to bed at some point. This would never fly in the real world 🌎, since he would be sued for sexual harassment.
This time, though, he gets Laura💃💋, a young woman who really needs the job to help with her mother's medical bills. She's willing to put up with his constant innuendos and the airtight NDA, because she needs the money!
At the same time, his father wants to bring him into the Family business, and for that he needs to be stable, he needs a wife👰!
Laura💃💋 seems like a good choice👰, but she isn't cooperating!
ARC Provided by Hidden 💎Gems.
I also got this ebook with KU.
The story is written in first person from Dual points of view. Not my favorite, but it seems to be prevalent in contemporary romance💕.
ADULT Alpha 🐺 Mafia?🔪🔫 Romance💕.
Daniel Marino🐺🍆⛲ runs a large real estate company in NYC. Besides picking up bimbos💃 at bars for one nighters 🌙, He goes through personal assistants like tissue paper, mostly because he insists on taking them to bed at some point. This would never fly in the real world 🌎, since he would be sued for sexual harassment.
This time, though, he gets Laura💃💋, a young woman who really needs the job to help with her mother's medical bills. She's willing to put up with his constant innuendos and the airtight NDA, because she needs the money!
At the same time, his father wants to bring him into the Family business, and for that he needs to be stable, he needs a wife👰!
Laura💃💋 seems like a good choice👰, but she isn't cooperating!
ARC Provided by Hidden 💎Gems.
I also got this ebook with KU.
The story is written in first person from Dual points of view. Not my favorite, but it seems to be prevalent in contemporary romance💕.
October 7, 2020
A successful (and legitimate businessman), Daniel decides its time to return to the family business. Like a prodigal mafia prince looking to get in the game, his father couldn't be prouder. Daniel's smart, shrewd, and in control. He's the perfect scion, except for one thing...he's too much of a playboy to be taken seriously by the other families. But that may not be an issue now that the delectable Laura enters his radar.
Laura is a recent business grad with a lot on her plate. As the care-taker to her ailing mother, she'd do anything to get a salaried position, if she could just get her foot in the door. When she takes the job as Daniel's PA, sparks fly and she realizes her plate is now piled high.
TEMPTED: A Mafia Romance by Anna Ray hits the big themes in this one. It has a terrific set up for a wild mafia romance and all the big plot points to keep you reading. The handsome mafioso who always gets what he wants, the sexy (and smart) personal assistant who seems to be the only one who can resist his charms, thus pushing him closer to her until he realizes he's in love and that he'd do anything for her....right?
Things that worked for me:
1)The characters. Daniel and Laura were a good match and had balance. Laura was thoughtful and complex. Daniel, while a little douchey, was actually appropriately portrayed for his character. There was a good chemistry between them.
2) The plot. I love a good "prodigal son/daughter/whoever returns home" type of story and that's what this was. Daniel has already made a name for himself, but has a desire to go back to his roots and I find that very intriguing for a character.
3) Well written narrative. The flow of the work is easy to consume. Always a pleasure to read something written in the way Ray has mastered.
4) The banter between the two main characters. It was natural and had me wanting to read more scenes with them.
Things that didn't quite work for me:
1) The main problem I had with this book was the pacing and length. What I read, I enjoyed. But I wanted to be more immersed in the story. I felt like there was so much opportunity for reader's to experience what the characters experienced, but it wasn't given the page time. I wanted to experience more of the banter between Daniel and Laura. I wanted to be more of a part of his internal struggle and his conflict between falling for her and knowing that in doing so, he was putting her in danger. Same for Laura. She knew he was dangerous (and her boss). I wanted to experience more internal conflict about making the "right" choice with her. In relation, I wanted a more detailed account of the side stories. The bad guys were bad, but I wanted more to them. It just seemed a bit off pace and I wanted the story to slow down and take the time to show me exactly what the characters were experiencing.
Because of this, I'm giving this book 3.5 stars. I liked it, and I think Anna Ray is a solid author. I would definitely read more of her books. But for this particular story, I wanted more involvement as a reader. If I could see more of that romance unfold, this would easily be a 4.5-5 star review. Still, it's a quick and enjoyable book and I would recommend it to people looking for quick read mafia romances.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
Laura is a recent business grad with a lot on her plate. As the care-taker to her ailing mother, she'd do anything to get a salaried position, if she could just get her foot in the door. When she takes the job as Daniel's PA, sparks fly and she realizes her plate is now piled high.
TEMPTED: A Mafia Romance by Anna Ray hits the big themes in this one. It has a terrific set up for a wild mafia romance and all the big plot points to keep you reading. The handsome mafioso who always gets what he wants, the sexy (and smart) personal assistant who seems to be the only one who can resist his charms, thus pushing him closer to her until he realizes he's in love and that he'd do anything for her....right?
Things that worked for me:
1)The characters. Daniel and Laura were a good match and had balance. Laura was thoughtful and complex. Daniel, while a little douchey, was actually appropriately portrayed for his character. There was a good chemistry between them.
2) The plot. I love a good "prodigal son/daughter/whoever returns home" type of story and that's what this was. Daniel has already made a name for himself, but has a desire to go back to his roots and I find that very intriguing for a character.
3) Well written narrative. The flow of the work is easy to consume. Always a pleasure to read something written in the way Ray has mastered.
4) The banter between the two main characters. It was natural and had me wanting to read more scenes with them.
Things that didn't quite work for me:
1) The main problem I had with this book was the pacing and length. What I read, I enjoyed. But I wanted to be more immersed in the story. I felt like there was so much opportunity for reader's to experience what the characters experienced, but it wasn't given the page time. I wanted to experience more of the banter between Daniel and Laura. I wanted to be more of a part of his internal struggle and his conflict between falling for her and knowing that in doing so, he was putting her in danger. Same for Laura. She knew he was dangerous (and her boss). I wanted to experience more internal conflict about making the "right" choice with her. In relation, I wanted a more detailed account of the side stories. The bad guys were bad, but I wanted more to them. It just seemed a bit off pace and I wanted the story to slow down and take the time to show me exactly what the characters were experiencing.
Because of this, I'm giving this book 3.5 stars. I liked it, and I think Anna Ray is a solid author. I would definitely read more of her books. But for this particular story, I wanted more involvement as a reader. If I could see more of that romance unfold, this would easily be a 4.5-5 star review. Still, it's a quick and enjoyable book and I would recommend it to people looking for quick read mafia romances.
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
May 14, 2021
I enjoyed reading this. It was fun, steamy and sprinkled with a good dose of humour. It was a quick read, and the main characters were easy to follow. The plot moved along at a nice pace and there wasn’t too much that brought me out of the story.
My main issue was the insta-love bit was, awkward. This might be a plot spoiler, but the moment went from Laura being all I don’t believe your reasons for getting back in the family business to don’t you see I’m already accepting you for who you are. Like a complete 360 in under an hour. Under half when you factor in it would take them as long to talk as it takes a reader to read. Honestly, it was fast, unrealistic and a bit all over the place. The confrontation seemed out of left field, the ex, whom he hasn’t spoken to in forever just magically showing up during the all-important conversation was oh too convenient: plus it didn’t segue into Laura’s complete 360 as well as it should have. As far as last act drama goes it was hard to connect with.
The only other thing was all the flirtation and sass from Laura’s interview with Daniel kinda went up in smoke. It was all fun and games and then it was a month later. Then time passed again. So other than the one scene, you didn’t really get to see all this adult-style cat and mouse because the author just mentions that it happens. Considering how fast the story progresses you don’t have time to feel this absence of interaction/tension, but it would’ve made for much more fun considering it’s clear the author can do it well.
The steamy scenes. Just yummy, delicious goodness. Honestly, we could’ve had a few more pages of this if only to get more of Daniel in his shirtless awesomeness. I mean priorities. I could’ve done with more of that. And Laura’s best friend was everything. Where can I sign up for one of those. She definitely needed more page time. Also, it would’ve been nice to know specifically what was ailing Laura’s mom. It was a big part of why she needed the job. If it was mentioned it wasn’t obvious enough because I missed it.
Finally, and this is def a plot spoiler, in the end when Laura shouts at Daniel about how he’s not even going to put up a fight, this got one of my biggest eye-rolls in a while. Like a man has a gun to you and has you’re recent boyfriend surround by men with guns and you’re questioning why he’s giving up so easily because, you know, he can totally not be shot by multiple humans if he does something stupid like provoke them. His response just upped the overall cheese of the situation. The whole scene had ‘it happened because that’s what the writer wanted’ written all over it. It’s safe to say the whole ending wrap-up, including the epilogue, kinda took the wind out of a rather enjoyable book and used up all of my suspension of belief points.
Overall this was a good read regardless of my emotional response to the ending scenes. Good writing, decent plot, and good steamy fun. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and satisfying romance.
My main issue was the insta-love bit was, awkward. This might be a plot spoiler, but the moment went from Laura being all I don’t believe your reasons for getting back in the family business to don’t you see I’m already accepting you for who you are. Like a complete 360 in under an hour. Under half when you factor in it would take them as long to talk as it takes a reader to read. Honestly, it was fast, unrealistic and a bit all over the place. The confrontation seemed out of left field, the ex, whom he hasn’t spoken to in forever just magically showing up during the all-important conversation was oh too convenient: plus it didn’t segue into Laura’s complete 360 as well as it should have. As far as last act drama goes it was hard to connect with.
The only other thing was all the flirtation and sass from Laura’s interview with Daniel kinda went up in smoke. It was all fun and games and then it was a month later. Then time passed again. So other than the one scene, you didn’t really get to see all this adult-style cat and mouse because the author just mentions that it happens. Considering how fast the story progresses you don’t have time to feel this absence of interaction/tension, but it would’ve made for much more fun considering it’s clear the author can do it well.
The steamy scenes. Just yummy, delicious goodness. Honestly, we could’ve had a few more pages of this if only to get more of Daniel in his shirtless awesomeness. I mean priorities. I could’ve done with more of that. And Laura’s best friend was everything. Where can I sign up for one of those. She definitely needed more page time. Also, it would’ve been nice to know specifically what was ailing Laura’s mom. It was a big part of why she needed the job. If it was mentioned it wasn’t obvious enough because I missed it.
Finally, and this is def a plot spoiler, in the end when Laura shouts at Daniel about how he’s not even going to put up a fight, this got one of my biggest eye-rolls in a while. Like a man has a gun to you and has you’re recent boyfriend surround by men with guns and you’re questioning why he’s giving up so easily because, you know, he can totally not be shot by multiple humans if he does something stupid like provoke them. His response just upped the overall cheese of the situation. The whole scene had ‘it happened because that’s what the writer wanted’ written all over it. It’s safe to say the whole ending wrap-up, including the epilogue, kinda took the wind out of a rather enjoyable book and used up all of my suspension of belief points.
Overall this was a good read regardless of my emotional response to the ending scenes. Good writing, decent plot, and good steamy fun. I’d definitely recommend it to anyone looking for a quick and satisfying romance.
September 19, 2020
3.5 Stars
Tempted is a short office/mafia-ish romance about CEO Daniel Marino and his new PA Laura Byrne and their combative relationship turned whirlwind romance. Daniel is the heir of one of the largest mafia families in the state. He previously took a different road and decided to make a name for himself outside of his family name/ties. That is until now. Laura is in desperate need of a new job to continue paying for her mother's medical bills.
I was a little let down because when I see "mafia romance" or "enemies-to-lovers" I have certain expectations that were not met. I do not feel like Laura and Daniel were enemies, they just were not friends. Enemies in a mafia romance, to me, is a rival family and/or one of its members. I do wish that, if Daniel were truly going to be the heir to the "family," he was somewhat aggressive. He is less aggressive/tough and more beta than alpha compared to other characters in the genre.
I know that it is a novella and so a lot of story had to be packed into fewer pages, but it was not enough. I did not feel like I wasted my time reading it however, it left much to be desired. I needed more from the characters (Daniel), more detail, and just more story. With all of that said, I still enjoyed this novella. I loved that Laura was able to hold her on when dealing with Daniel's advances. He was used to women falling for him and over him without much effort. I appreciated Laura's strength in that sense and her ability to have the courage needed to protect herself and Daniel in the end. I also appreciated the fact that Daniel was so adamant about protecting Laura and that her safety was more important than his own. Even with the issues, I did have, I think it was well written overall and makes for a good short read.
Voluntarily reviewed after I received a free copy of this book courtesy of HiddenGems and the author, Anna Ray, in exchange for my honest review.
Tempted is a short office/mafia-ish romance about CEO Daniel Marino and his new PA Laura Byrne and their combative relationship turned whirlwind romance. Daniel is the heir of one of the largest mafia families in the state. He previously took a different road and decided to make a name for himself outside of his family name/ties. That is until now. Laura is in desperate need of a new job to continue paying for her mother's medical bills.
I was a little let down because when I see "mafia romance" or "enemies-to-lovers" I have certain expectations that were not met. I do not feel like Laura and Daniel were enemies, they just were not friends. Enemies in a mafia romance, to me, is a rival family and/or one of its members. I do wish that, if Daniel were truly going to be the heir to the "family," he was somewhat aggressive. He is less aggressive/tough and more beta than alpha compared to other characters in the genre.
I know that it is a novella and so a lot of story had to be packed into fewer pages, but it was not enough. I did not feel like I wasted my time reading it however, it left much to be desired. I needed more from the characters (Daniel), more detail, and just more story. With all of that said, I still enjoyed this novella. I loved that Laura was able to hold her on when dealing with Daniel's advances. He was used to women falling for him and over him without much effort. I appreciated Laura's strength in that sense and her ability to have the courage needed to protect herself and Daniel in the end. I also appreciated the fact that Daniel was so adamant about protecting Laura and that her safety was more important than his own. Even with the issues, I did have, I think it was well written overall and makes for a good short read.
Voluntarily reviewed after I received a free copy of this book courtesy of HiddenGems and the author, Anna Ray, in exchange for my honest review.
January 27, 2021
I loved this book. And I love reading and watching things about the Mafia. Why? No idea but it's something that sparks my interest. Other gals want to watch rom coms and I love that to but I also love movies like Goodfellas and The Godfather. Give me a shoot em up any day.
So, when I learned that Mafia Romance is an actual genre I jumped at the chance to read one. This book is fabulous. It's dangerous enough to know that if you're not careful you'll be sleepin' with the fishes and sexy enough to make you melt.
Daniel is just the kind of guy I love to read about: strong, sexy as sin, cocky, used to getting what he wants and in the right circumstances scary in his own right. The reason I love reading about strong men in books is because yeah you have that side of the coin but a lot of times people forget that there is also another side: caring, protective, loving, and often times more sensitive then a lot of people give them credit for.
Laura is also a wonderful character because she's not some dumb bubbleheaded dimwit that gets her way because of her looks. Is she beautiful? Of course but she also has the brains and the humility to be able to pull it all together. Daniel is the kind of guy she loves to hate but in this instance she just can't seem to leave him alone. They are definitely drawn together and even though there are a whole lot of ups and downs with them, in the moment of trouble Daniel does everything he can to save her, save them from a really bad group of Mafia scum.
This book just radiates passion, possession, power, and protection. I loved it. Could not put it down.
I highly recommend, especially if you love your men just a tad on the dark side and your female characters on the mouthy side.
I was given this book to read and review by BookSirens. All opinions are my own.
So, when I learned that Mafia Romance is an actual genre I jumped at the chance to read one. This book is fabulous. It's dangerous enough to know that if you're not careful you'll be sleepin' with the fishes and sexy enough to make you melt.
Daniel is just the kind of guy I love to read about: strong, sexy as sin, cocky, used to getting what he wants and in the right circumstances scary in his own right. The reason I love reading about strong men in books is because yeah you have that side of the coin but a lot of times people forget that there is also another side: caring, protective, loving, and often times more sensitive then a lot of people give them credit for.
Laura is also a wonderful character because she's not some dumb bubbleheaded dimwit that gets her way because of her looks. Is she beautiful? Of course but she also has the brains and the humility to be able to pull it all together. Daniel is the kind of guy she loves to hate but in this instance she just can't seem to leave him alone. They are definitely drawn together and even though there are a whole lot of ups and downs with them, in the moment of trouble Daniel does everything he can to save her, save them from a really bad group of Mafia scum.
This book just radiates passion, possession, power, and protection. I loved it. Could not put it down.
I highly recommend, especially if you love your men just a tad on the dark side and your female characters on the mouthy side.
I was given this book to read and review by BookSirens. All opinions are my own.
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