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The Five Families #0.5

First Confession

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Carlotta isn’t about to sit and wait for Prince Charming to come to her. She’s far too impatient for that. But the man she has her sights set on may be more cunning and dangerous than she anticipated.

In this Five Families short story, bestselling author Jill Ramsower gives readers a thrilling peek at the origins of the Genovese family and the woman who started it all. Because behind every great man, is an even greater woman.

**First Confession is a 5,000 word short story.

ebook

First published January 1, 2020

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About the author

Jill Ramsower

61 books3,571 followers
Jill is a Texan, born and raised. She manages the hectic social calendars for her three active children and occasionally spends an evening with her dashing husband. Aside from being an author and a mom, she's a travel junkie and loves to read when she is not lost in her own stories.

With Jill’s books, you can count on confident heroines, plenty of steamy tension, and deliciously assertive leading men. There are no guarantees in life, but with her books, you know everything will work out in the end. However, a perfect ending would not be nearly as satisfying without a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Jill loves to add plenty of adversity in her stories, creating unforgettably dynamic characters and sneaky plot twists you will never see coming.

Find her on Facebook here-->https://www.facebook.com/jillramsower...
Never miss a release! Sign up for her newsletter here-->https://jillramsower_234b.gr8.com/
Check out her website here-->https://www.jillramsower.com/


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Community Reviews

5 stars
67 (31%)
4 stars
58 (27%)
3 stars
71 (33%)
2 stars
11 (5%)
1 star
6 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for Vanessa Ortiz.
420 reviews11 followers
January 2, 2026
Carlotta is not like her peers - she refuses to play the role of a docile and submissive woman. She knows a powerful man needs a strong woman by his side and she is determined to be just that. In need of a date for an upcoming wedding, she sets her eyes on Enzo. She enacts a plan to ensure she is successful. But will her extensive planning backfire or is this the start of a blossoming relationship?

This super short story provided the perfect insight into the origin story of the Genovese family. It was interesting to see Carlotta's spunkiness shine - which is a trait that is very evident in her daughters. I am obsessed with this universe and adore seeing these small glimpses into other characters' lives.

🔥 "I was intrigued with the girl who was bold enough to go after what she wanted. She was funny and energetic and wasn’t afraid to call things like she saw them."
Profile Image for K.J. Sweeney.
Author 2 books50 followers
October 17, 2020
Despite having loved all of the five families series so far and before that the Fae Games by Jill Ramsower, I've only just got around to signing up for her newsletter. I should have done so much sooner as I got this little short story as a bonus. It really is a short story (only 5000 words) but it tells the story of Enzo and Carlotta, parents to the three sisters who feature on the first three books of the five families series. It really only shows how they initial meet and I would like to see more of their story. Even so this is a fun read and I really enjoyed it.
Although this takes place before the main characters of the main Five Families series have even been born, I think that this possibly works better after you've read a few of the books, but it doesn't really matter.
Profile Image for Destiny.
255 reviews9 followers
August 8, 2025
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

I honestly don’t know what to rate or review a short story but this a good way to start off the series!

I accidentally read Silent Vows last year without knowing there’s a reading order so I’m going back to the beginning 😅
Profile Image for Kirsten_BookRants.
317 reviews19 followers
January 5, 2025
Carlotta's performance at the deli deserved an Oscar 🤣.

"Enzo didn’t want a meek woman because there was no challenge in it. He wanted fire and passion, and he knew how to wield his own power to focus that flame without smothering it. Nothing was sexier than a man who was confident in his strength and enjoyed a good challenge." 😍 Yesss!

This was too short and I needed more. Carlotta and Enzo seems like they were a force to be reckon with and I would love to read a full length book about them.

Nice little introduction into the five family series, and I just know their daughters will be equally as ambitious as their mother.
481 reviews4 followers
June 5, 2025
3 stars average.

"Enzo and Carlotta Genovese. This was their origin story. The romance that brought Maria, Alessia, and Sofia into being... welcome to the Five Families world!"


so this is your pretty average standard novella. I haven't read any of the other books for the series but it looks like this is written after those as like a little teaser show how the girls parents met. it's pretty easy straightforward you don't have a lot of information but some information of sprinkled in there.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Patricia (Spellbound Stories Trish) .
3,086 reviews121 followers
June 26, 2023
As I was reading the fabulous series I discovered there was a prequel on the mom and dad so naturally I had to read this.

I loved the brief insight to Carlotta and Enzo! I loved seeing how cunning Carlotta was and how her and Enzo came to be. I seriously wanted more but I’m happy with what I get in the Five Families series!
Profile Image for sarah ღ.
386 reviews4 followers
April 22, 2021
I got this book for free for signing up for the author's newsletter.

I loved the first book in the series and really enjoyed this short story about Alessia's parents and how their family started. It was a quick and fun read and I liked the glimpse into their history.
3,052 reviews8 followers
October 4, 2021
Enzo and Carlotta. How these two began. This is short and sweet. Gives you an idea how the family dynamics started. Both are bold and not afraid to go after what they want. Hurrah for confidence.
Profile Image for Lauren.
374 reviews2 followers
July 23, 2024
Super short story about the mother and father of the Lucciano crime family.
Things I liked: figuring out their personalities and where they came from
Only thing I will say: I wish there was more to it. But I don't think that was the point of this novella
Profile Image for Kelly.
730 reviews2 followers
March 28, 2024
This was a good kick off to this series. Always helps having some back story.
Profile Image for Shanna Smith.
261 reviews10 followers
December 28, 2024
In the beginning there was Enzo and Carlotta...

Have you ever wondered where the story of your family truly started? How the patriarch and matriarch of your family met? This is the story of how The Five Families started and it's quiet cute.

I would like to have a little more of their story but honestly this was just enough for now.
Profile Image for Lori.
18 reviews2 followers
July 7, 2025
Good for a short novella. Looking forward to the series.
Profile Image for RAY.
930 reviews2 followers
July 27, 2025
It was fine. I am fine.
Profile Image for Bree.
181 reviews
January 13, 2026
3⭐️
I liked this. It was a cute little prequel for the five families series. it was just enough to give me a feel for the Author's writing style. I'm excited to see what this series will give us.
Profile Image for Pauli.
133 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2026
Estuvo bien para conocer la pluma de la autora, me gustó.
Profile Image for Kat.
154 reviews
January 12, 2026
PSA: I am not great at articulating my thoughts. This is just my opinion. Love what you love!

Actual Rating: 3.5 Stars

I am not going to give this review the same amount of detail as the others since this was just as 23 page short-story to kick off the series. I had to look just where to even find this because the story was not available on Kindle Unlimited like the other novellas. If anyone else is interested in this, you can sign up for the author's newsletter and get the document for free!

~*~*~*~Character Reviews~*~*~*~

The FMC:
Carlotta Donata - 3.5 Stars
I can't really make a huge assessment on characters as there was really little chance for development considering the length of the story. As it is, Carlotta seems to think she knows what is going on in the mafia dating world but gets a (figurative) slap-in-the-face when she finds out she is wrong. I like how she is clever and goes for what she wants - in the end getting the guy she is aiming for.

The MMC:
Enzo Genovese - 3.5 Stars
Again, there was really very little to go on here but I did like what I saw. I appreciate the Enzo wants something outside of the norm for a mafia wife, that he wants to be challenged. I am hoping to see more of him in the books to follow.

~*~*~*~Parting Thoughts~*~*~*~
I eager to see how more of this story is put into context through the books to follow. It is a little meet-cute between the parents of the FMCs in books 1-3 so the readers can have that background. I'm not sure why this story was even necessary to be some separate thing considering it was 23 pages long, but likely seems to be a promotional incentive to sign up for the author's newsletter. This should have just been some bonus chapter at the end of book one.

~*~*~*~Questions to Consider~*~*~*~

Would I Buy the Book?
Yes. I technically do own it as I was emailed it for free after signing up on the author's website.

Would I Re-Read the Book?
No. This was just a quick little one-off.

Will I Continue the Series?
Yes! I am excited to see how everything will connect together.

"Because I was intrigued with the girl who was bold enough to go after what she wanted."
Profile Image for Kaitlyn.
1,752 reviews
October 4, 2020
Yeah, I’m going to need more of Enzo and Carlotta’s story!

Series Rating: (5 ⭐️ average)
0.5 First Confession ★★★★★
1. Forever Lies ★★★★★
2. Never Truth ★★★★★
3. Blood Always ★★★★★
3.5 Where Loyalties Lie ★★★★★
4. Impossible Odds ★★★★★
5. Absolute Silence ★★★★★
Novelette. Guilty Stars ★★★★★
Profile Image for Calina.
80 reviews2 followers
December 31, 2023
Reading this after the Byrne Brothers but before starting the Five Families books. It was interesting, but not knowing the characters made it less enjoyable I think. I still did like it though, just very quick.
Profile Image for Regina Lopez.
1,166 reviews7 followers
March 3, 2024
Una mujer que encuentra lo que quiere y logra obtenerlo
El mundo debería ser así de lindo siempre
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews