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It was a debt to be settled, a price to be repaid.Sold. My body, mind, and soul, given to the most terrifying man I’ve ever met. Enzo King. Violent, commanding, gorgeous, and sinister. He’s a killer, a thief, and feared by many. He has the ability to pin me to the ground with one single look and make me feel things I don’t want to.Feeding off my fears, he holds me captive in his mansion away from the rest of the world. I know what’s to come. He’ll break me. Take from me. Own me. Soon enough my life will no longer be my own, but his. Every part of my body, every breath I take, and every beat of my heart will belong to him.He’s determined to settle the debt by taking everything from me, what he doesn’t know is that he’ll never have my soul or my love.**This book was previously published in 2014 under the title Indebted, but has been completely rewritten with new character names, and a more in depth story line. You’re not getting the same story from before, this is a brand new story.**

220 pages, Kindle Edition

First published November 30, 2014

1324 people are currently reading
5570 people want to read

About the author

J.L. Beck

235 books7,079 followers
J.L. Beck is the USA Today Best Selling author of unapologetic romance. She lives in WI with her husband, two kids, and four dogs. She enjoys writing and recently starting a literary agency to help represent authors in the industry.

To learn more about her books or interact with her go here: https://linktr.ee/jlbeckbooks

J.L. Beck xoxoxo

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5 stars
1,517 (31%)
4 stars
1,433 (29%)
3 stars
1,100 (23%)
2 stars
456 (9%)
1 star
276 (5%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 686 reviews
Profile Image for Susanna Needs a GREAT Book Please.
111 reviews
August 10, 2016
People, people, people...just because the author is giving away a kindle and one of the entries is writing a review doesn't mean you have to lie your face off whist writing said review.

There is absolutely no way all the four and five star reviews can be anything but fake. I felt like I was reading a teen age girl's diary of what it would be like to be with a "mafia king'.

And seriously? The title is obviously riding on Pepper Winter's coattails, and all her teasers look suspiciously like everything Pepper has been putting out for her own Indebted books. If you're going to attempt to pay homage (read: rip off) your favourite dark author, please at least make it legible. The repetition, the lack of story structure, simplistic grammar, the idiocy of the characters, it was all almost too painful to finish. I forced myself to finish and hit the very predictable cliff hanger ending which usually means that 1) the author can't make it through her own book and has to send it out in parts, or 2) the author wants more money. I can only hope people will have caught on by book two, it tanks, and author is sent scurrying to a creative writing class.
Profile Image for ★¸. • * ° * ༺*Blanka*༺*°°*•.¸. ♥★.
2,367 reviews319 followers
June 11, 2017

I had so many high expectations for this story.. Your father borrowed money from the king of mafia, he wasn't able to pay it back, so now you have to pay daddy's debts back on your back..
First, the thing that bothered me most was there was nothing mafia like about this book.. Ok yes, he was italian, and he enjoyed murdering but that is as far is it went.
Zerro was this huge softie who is supposed to be the mafia king, he lets the girl get away with a lot of back talking.
It was like a lion attacking a kitten and then kitten scratching back, both character seemed to need straight-jackets. One moment he is threatening to kill her for walking out, the next he is all lovey dovey.
Both of them had so many personalities I lost interest within a few pages, but finished...barely.

Would I recommend it? No. If you want laughs and giggles, go for it!
Profile Image for ❥ KAT ❥ Kitty Kats Crazy About Books.
2,611 reviews10.8k followers
December 4, 2014
MY RATING ☆☆☆☆☆ Indebted (A Kingpin Love Affair Vol: 1) by J.L.Beck

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I freaking f-ing loved this!! More gray than dark but oh so so good!! I can not believe this is the first book I have read of this authors, what freaking rock have I been under!!

You know your reading a good book when life that day just passes you by and then you know when it's getting boomeranged right up there on your favourite shelf is when days later your mind is still asking you what the f*ck did you just read and your mind is still reeling from that mother fukka of an ending!! Well for me this is one of those books!!

KILL OR BE KILLED

Intruders, a mothers cry, a young boy hides, a shot in the dark, one shot that forever changed Zerro's life..

I made a promise to my mother. Someday, when I was much older, I would make those bad men pay, they owed me their lives, and I will make sure they paid their debt. ~ Zerro

AVENGING A MOTHERS DEATH

Borrowing money from the mafia, without the intent of paying it back, is the same as saying come and get me, I'm ready to die. I found out you have a daughter, I bet she's very capable of handling dear ol' Dad's debt. You have two weeks until I come back to collect your debt. If you don't have it by then, I will be choosing your alternate payment. One way or another, you will pay me.

And that is where it all begins!!

MAFIA KING

Never question me, Bree. I could f*ck and kill you faster than you would be able to say no. I'm not a good guy; I'm not someone you should be sitting with here, talking and acting as if we're normal. We're not normal. This interaction between us is not normal. You're merely paying off a debt, which makes you about as good as the rest of the money that comes in and out of this house. Keep quiet, don't ask questions, and do as I say, and you won't be hurt.

BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE

BEEP BEEP BEEP BEEP mother bugga of a cliff hangar!!

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AND THEN!!

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Profile Image for Candace.
1,179 reviews4,974 followers
November 29, 2015
I liked this book, but it didn't blow me away...until the last page, when it ended with the mother of all cliffhangers. Aargh! I am so damn frustrated right now. I'm probably going to buy book 2, just because the ending is killing me, even though I didn't fall in love with the rest of the book. I know I would most likely hang it up and not continue this series if it weren't for that damn ending. Now, I know I'll buy it just to see what happened. Grrr...
Profile Image for MarvelUsReads.
359 reviews61 followers
September 20, 2020
(4.5 Stars)

Absolutely captivated! J.L.Beck and C.Hallman left us eager for more in their most recent mafia series Indebted. Bound to the monster,Enzo and forced to repay her father’s debt. Amara finds herself entangled in a dangerous web, submerged in an unpredictable and treacherous world.In a world swarming with deceit, doubt,and mistrust lies beneath a villain far worse than her monster! Will his love be enough to save her? We anxiously await the conclusion to their story!

www.marvelusreads.com
Profile Image for Book Maniac Forever.
1,127 reviews387 followers
September 9, 2020
** LIVE EARLY **

⭐️ 5 "Kill Or Be Killed" Stars ⭐️
Wow! What did I just read? Indebted was such a thrilling, magnetic novel and that ending... shocking! J.L. Beck & C. Hallman created two main protagonists with such a tangible pull between them and the action packed story had me hypnotized all read long.

When Amara’s father find himself in debt toward Lorenzo King, she becomes collateral. The young, naive woman is taken as payment by the big mafia king. As much as their relationship should be one of utter hate, there’s a certain attraction simmering between those two, making every single one of their interaction charged with potent lust.

It’s been a while since I’ve come across a heroine this fierce and defiant! I adored Amara and her fire! She knows Enzo is a very bad man, but doesn’t shy away from provoking him with her smart mouth. As much as she’d like to loath the man, she’s fighting with her conflicted feelings toward her ruthless captor. Her head knows he’s callous, but her body can’t help but feel the alluring pull between them.

Enzo is also the kind of anti-hero I appreciate a lot. He’s unapologetic of his heartless ways and stay true to his mafia leader persona. Under all his dangerousness though, little sparks of feelings are hiding. Amara slowly but surely erodes his armor with her attractive personality. I so loved how he’s possessive and alpha, but shows little moments of tenderness toward the girl. He’s a supreme dirty talker and got me all hot and bothered. Seriously, that man is HOT and irresistible. Together, this pair is combustible and share some highly sensual and filthy instants!

The suspense and action was stimulating with unexpected twists that had me questioning everything. This wild ride of a story isn’t finished and I’m now dying to get the follow up book, Inevitable. I have so many interrogations about that evil ending!

** ARC received in exchange for an honest review **
Profile Image for Kristina.
542 reviews
June 25, 2016
Dear Friends Who Love Dark and Twisty Erotica. This book is a waste of time. Thank god I was able to read this via my kindle unlimited. With all of the warnings that the author attached to this book - it's dark, I don't condone this type of activity - I *thought* I was in for one heck of a read. But no. I was ready to DNF it at THE 47% point. Aside from the random killings of people none of us knew at all from the story, there was nothing dark here. Oh and the cliff hanger ending - totally saw that coming and it looks like folks here are falling for they're believing happened. Don't fret. It didn't happen. Wait for book 2.
Profile Image for leewyb.
38 reviews
December 7, 2014
I feel bad that when ever I rate a book with one star but I suffered, I really did.
This book has so much potential, not the in the same way a teacher is trying consult a student, but it has a really nice story line... In theory
So many things happened that I just found my self shouting at my poor kindle "come on! That is just too stupid to happen"

I'm no mafia chick but I saw enough movies to know that the head of the family is not getting his hands dirty. And he will not talk about killing some one over the phone!!!

Bree- The dude just kicked your father and you are thinking how hot he looks?! Girl, you need to check your head because baby this is not natural!

After I got some of my frustration out I'll move on to the next book. But before I go, if you like books that has no connection to reality (but not the paranormal kind) this is the book for you.
Profile Image for ღTierraღ.
51 reviews
April 20, 2015
I enjoyed the dark aspect of the book with the "nonredeemable" aspect of the male protagonist. I would recommend this to those looking for a "lighter" dark romance (:


Until next time readers,
Tierra x
Profile Image for Brigid Brown.
944 reviews24 followers
September 8, 2020
What happens when your father borrows money from the Mafia and can't pay it back? Unfortunately for Elena she finds out....She's Indebted to Enzo King.

This has everything I like in a mafia romance and more!

Hot mafia boss ✔
AlphaHole ✔
Virgin heroine ✔
Hot and Steamy ✔
Dark themes ✔

I really enjoyed the characters of Enzo and Elena. Though they come from different worlds, they do have something in common and that allows them to get close. It doesn't hurt that they have this amazing chemistry. Does Elena have trouble separating the "good" Enzo from the bad? Absolutely!! Obviously, this book is full of angst, which I love, but it also has moments of humor because while Elena may be young and rather innocent, she is sassy and a bit feisty.

This being book one of a duet, I knew that there would be a cliffhanger and let me tell you it is the mother of all cliffhangers!!! I can't wait for book 2!!!!
Profile Image for SB*needs low angst books*.
348 reviews203 followers
December 27, 2015
Dnf
I tried this book to see if I would like it and I just didn't. The heroine Bree got on my last good nerve. She was so freaking annoying that it took my interest out of the book. She act like she is so smart but is still so dumb. The things she says and does are just not believable to me. One thing about a dark story is that you have to be able to like something about the characters or you don't you won't like the book. I didn't and did not finish it.
Profile Image for ♛ Garima ♛.
1,008 reviews182 followers
Want to read
September 16, 2016
Before reading
I wanted to read 'Indebted' by Pepper Winters but as that was not available in KU, I found this. Let's see then.



Around 25% -

Not going to happen. That dude has just hurt your father and you want to lick bourbon from his chin! If someone even laid a finger on MY father, I will cut his hand, just to make sure. Priority girl, please.
3 reviews
December 6, 2017
Its not great to write a bad review,but this one was unavoidable. After reading all the great reviews,I had high expectations from this book.

Don't get me wrong.I have a high tolerance for reading any kind of drama, and the only time I had ever stopped reading something was due to it being too dark and disturbing to handle. So I am not exaggerating when I say that this is the first time that I had ever stopped reading a book because it was so annoying (stopped at 33% BTW).

To point out a few things :

1. The story seems so random.the scenes are jerky and awkward and a lot of times I had to go back to check whether I'd missed a page.

2. Bree. Is she stupid? And I pose that as a serious question, because the way she acts she seems like one. First off, she has no personality. She seems so disinterested and all her actions seem like an afterthough. Its just so strange.
She sees Zerro kill someone, gets upset about it, starts crying, but 10 seconds into being in his proximity, all she can think about is licking (or something) him? Like are you fucking kidding me? And then she wonders if she is crazy. Like duh! All this girl can think about is how hot the guy is and he really shouldn't kill people because they can't pay him back. Like a moron she keeps repeating the same thing with not followup dialogues at all. She shows no self preservation instincts, no normal sustaing fear and absolutely no brains at all.

3. And Zorro, like what the hell is his problem? I know mommy loved him and he is sad, but dude! Enough! Act your age and position. He has never meet Bree before, he sees her, takes her away, and then after a few very lame verbal spars, he just rolls over and go to sleep. Not that he can't be a nice guy or anything, but for a hard core mafia king who takes no shit, he does tend to take a lot of crap from Bree. It was so unrealistic.
And don't even get me started about the self introspection about his feelings towards Bree and her influence on her. Like seriously, he literally met her YESTERDAY. This is so absurd. He kills a bunch of people in front of her and banishes her to the dungeon, checks on her in a few days and feels bad that he slapped her. And its the same guy who never gives a shit about anything. All because he has less than 24 hours in the company of a curvy (whatever the hell that means), 20 year old who has a low IQ ( which is possible, seeing her inability to understand the gravity of her situation for the longest to!e, tendency to repeat the same unproductive actions etc).

This book is so lame. I suppose my previous experience with this genre has raised my bar and this one definitely doesn't meet it.
Extremely amateurish. Its possible that it improves eventually but....NO! Not reading this.

Profile Image for  Linathebookaddict  .
1,553 reviews407 followers
January 10, 2015
*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review*

First of all let me say that I had never read anything from J. L. Beck....WHY???? I deeply regret that. Lol
What a great start to this series. Alzerro is gonna stick with me...for a long time. The mob King gave me whiplash, I swear to God!!! Him and his dirty mouth are a wicked combination, not to mention his moodswings. You want to punch him and then snuggle him. Bree handled him well though.
Kudos to the author for creating a heroine that I loved by the way. She is a spitfire this one. Bree and Zerro make quite the explosive pair. Chemistry is everywhere and despite Zerro's wicked ways she can see there is more to him that meets the eye. I cannot wait to find out more about him. Oh, be warned; there is some hotness lurking in these pages *fans herself* and a wicked cliffy.
5 Stars from me. Cannot wait for the next part.
Profile Image for Akana.
145 reviews22 followers
November 20, 2014
description


I usually don't read books when I don't have all the parts in the series, BUT I received this book as an ARC in exchange for honest review so I read it. Let me tell you, I could kill J.L and myself, her for sending it to me and myself for taking it.

You ask yourself why? Well, HOW IN THE HELL DO YOU THINK I'LL MANAGE TO WAIT FOR THE NEXT PART OF THIS (I don't EVEN have an adequate word to describe awesomeness) BOOK, WITHOUT LOSING MY DAMN MIND??!!

description

If you are fan of dark romance you're in for a treat! I have read J.L's Bittersweet series and they were great, but with this book, it's like she became someone else. I have to say that i like both sides :)


description

Alzerro “Zerro” King.. my God! That man is just.. don't know how to describe him. Take Q from Monsters in the Dark, take Caleb from Captive, take Fox from Destroyed, take Antonio Spinelli from Spin and Jessie from This Man and you have our Zerro.

Mind blowing, right?!

He's dark, cruel, mean, insensitive, a killing, impassive, son of a bitch BUT above all else, he's a tortured soul. Even though he's a grown up, he's still that kid behind that wooden wall that saved his life.

But is his life really saved? Do you really live a life killing, running, hiding your emotions or is it just barely surviving and waiting for an angel to come and save you? Do people like Zerro deserve saving? Does God create soul mates for people without souls?


description


Bree.Thank you God, that I finally found a badass heroine. She's tough, strong and I dare to say much stronger than Zerro! I say this because, she had some serious shit in her life but she didn't become a ruthless bitch. I can't say much without giving you spoilers, the thing with this book is that every sentence, in one way or another, reveals secrets that someone who hasn't read it yet shouldn't see.

I had a hard time choosing parts for teasers, first cause I LOVED it all, and second - spoilers. I really hope that everyone will enjoy it, at least as half of much as I did! Counting seconds until next part!!

Great job Josi!!

description
225 reviews7 followers
August 28, 2020
I’ve said it before and I’ll repeat myself again... every book I read that has been written by these two fine authors simply blows me away. I hate to be redundant, I really do, but how else can I term my appreciation for this excellent writing duo?

Yet again JL Beck and C Hallman present a finely constructed, edge of your seat mafia thriller. It’s one of my favorite tropes, so of course I got pulled in from the first page. Enzo (Lorenzo) and Amara are two very interesting characters. Her light to his darkness is simply fascinating.

She’s a payment for a debt but he sees and wants so much more than that. She’s drawn to him but his inner monster frightens her. And it should. That monster is one dark S.O.B.

Like I’ve said before, I love the way these two portray mafia men. It’s true to form, and they don’t try to whitewash them with flimsy excuses for their behavior. They are dangerous, plain and simple. I appreciate this.

The story is tightly written, alarming at points, thrilling at others, with a good measure of loving scenes that satisfy quite well. It ends on a cliffhanger as it’s a duet, so prepare to finish the book with a rather high sense of anxiety. I loved every page. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for Erin McKinley.
275 reviews17 followers
November 23, 2014
I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Bare with me cuz I just finished 30 seconds ago and OMG that ending!

I loved this book. So different from anything Josi has EVER written. Zerro is a ruthless killer till he meets Bree. Bree turns his world upside down. When she went with him to repay her fathers debt, I thought she was just gonna give up and say TAKE ME. That's doesn't happen. She challenges him in every way and that's why she becomes a distraction. She's in his head making him feel things he hasn't since his mom died. She's falling for him even tho she shouldn't. This book has so many twist and turns, it keeps you on the edge till the very end. Ugh, cliffhanger depending what you think. Now I need book two cuz it CAN'T end that way.

P.S. Fuck Mack! Grrrrrr.

((HUGS))
11.3k reviews46 followers
October 2, 2020
Does the King find his Queen or will he discard her with the debt is paid

Indebted is the first book in the King Crime Family duet. It is the story of Amara and Lorenzo. Lorenzo King was born into and raised to be part of the King family, Mafia crime that is. He is twenty-five years old, now the leader of the family and as such he is brutal, cold, calculating, violent, and will pounce on anyone who is weaker. Amara's father has a bit of an issue in that he cannot pay money that he owes to Lorenzo. So as payment Amara is in essence given to Lorenzo. She is a college student who is smart, beautiful but also naive/innocent. But she is also tougher than anyone ever thought, least of all Lorenzo.
This is a nicely written story that definitely deals with some darker and gritty issues wrapped into a mafia "romance". Amara and Enzo do have chemistry, both the physical and the battle of the wills kind. She begins to learn who he is and what happened to make him behave the way he does as the story progresses. I had a bit of a harder time connecting with the characters so for me this was a good story but not the best I have read by this writing team.
Note - This book does end with a cliffhanger to be continued in the next book, Inevitable. We shall see just what happens with Amara and Enzo and how far down the dark hole she ends up getting dragged by him........or maybe she drags him out of his dark hole.

I received a copy of this book for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Profile Image for May Reads Books.
684 reviews
August 28, 2016
WOW! LOVE THIS BOOK!
WARNING: DO NOT READ THIS BOOK UNLESS YOU ALSO HAVE BOOK 2!! BIG CLIFF HANGER!!

This is a DARK, Bloody, mystery, romance book.
First off this is NOT an insta "Love" book.... I would say there was an Insta "Connection", but not love right away.

The character development of the characters are AMAZING! There is A LOT of push and pull between the characters, and just one OMG moment after the other. I could NOT put it down.

If you like the dark, gritty, harsh love romance books..... this is for you!

Safe read!
Profile Image for  Sonya ♕Chatterbooks book blog♕.
1,014 reviews1,181 followers
December 3, 2014
3.5 - 4 stars***

I love a dark read.There's just something that's hauntingly scary & unconventional about them.That being said, while I liked this story, I didn't LOVE it.We meet Zero who is a Mafia king that does what he wants,when he wants & kills people like its a freakin hobby of his. Bree is a College student that came home from school break where she learns that her father owes Zerro a lot of money & he has no way of paying it back. Bree decided to offer herself up as payment & so the story begins.

I liked the concept of this but I found myself not really all that intrigued by Zero or Bree in the beginning. I didn't feel that strong connection in the beginning with both characters. As the story progressed, it it did get better so I was happy about that.The one thing that I think messed it up for me was some of the writing. Instead of I'm or we're, it was I am & we are.That ruined the flow of the story for me.

Was this a Dark read? Yes it was.Zerro is f*cking nuts but it wasn't that bad compared to other dark books that I've read.Is there a cliffhanger? Jesus H there is!! Its a crazy one too.I was shocked that the author did this W.T.F!! Will I read part 2? Hell yes.I would be crazy not to.

:)
Profile Image for ren ♡ .
402 reviews986 followers
January 31, 2021
Indebted had a lot of potential. It had a lot of my favorite mafia romance tropes (daughter paying off father's debt, enemies to lovers...). But the tropes in Indebted felt like it had all been thrown in together without much development. We are told many things but never really told why. And I had a lot of questions regarding some of the character's decisions which made me feel like the heroine and the hero were oddly inconsistent at times.

Did anyone else dislike the hero? Some of the hero's dialogue came off sort of cringey and very rapey... (Also, I tend to give books where the kidnapped victim falls into lust immediately after being captured, lower ratings. It's a pet peeve of mine.)

Rating: 1/5
Profile Image for Helen.
86 reviews3 followers
December 7, 2014
DNF at 63%. I just didn't care anymore. I was so excited for this book and I had high hopes since I saw all the 5 star reviews but this just felt like a total flop to me. Bree must be one of the dumbest heroines I've read in a while. I just flat out couldn't stand her.
Profile Image for Debbie♥ love my Ducks♥.
279 reviews29 followers
December 8, 2014
This book was fast paced, exciting, erotic, dark and in the end of course is the mother of all cliffies. I absolutely loved this book! I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoy a dark mafia read. I am off to read more by this author♥♥♥
Profile Image for Puss'N'Books.
204 reviews272 followers
September 14, 2020
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Reviewed by PussnBooks.net



Review by Puss’n’Books. Reviewing the darkest, most erotic and taboo books we can find. Click HERE for your next disturbingly sexy read.


This book started out with a brutal scene and of course, that got me right into it, lol.
I love a good mafia story when it’s done right and this one certainly was!

I thought I had figured out who had done what and how it was going to end right from the beginning but!!! I was wrong! (yes it happens once in a blue moon).
So, yeah, points for surprising me, lol!

AMARA
I liked this lass.
She was just your average 20-something making her way in the world, off to uni, thinking she knew what was what in life.

Her mum passed on a year or so ago and she was nervous about leaving her da’ to deal with the farm alone.
After getting an email asking her to come home, however, her whole life just got fucked right up.
Dad has borrowed money that he can’t pay back and the only things they’ll accept are either her going willingly with Enzo or they kill her pops.

I have to say as the story went on the more I liked her.
She spoke her mind...maybe a little too much, lol, but that’s what I liked.
It kept just ‘slipping out’ and I loved how that infuriated Enzo.
She’s got some spirit, I’ll give her that.
“Did you just yell at me?” I ask coolly. Now she really did hit a nerve, and the only way I know how to deal with things that get on my nerves is to kill them. Except I can’t kill her. Lowering her voice and keeping it even, she answers, “I told you exactly what I’ve wanted to since you tied me up in my home.” This time she is the one radiating coldness, and that angers me even more. This woman is infuriating. I hate and love it at the same time. No one talks to me like she does. Even through her fear, she can’t help but speak her mind, and there is something refreshing about that.

She also has a wee bit of a dark and kinky side that she nothing about before meeting him. And of course, she was a virgin before he got to her - you know how I love a good virgin heroine story.

ENZO
This guy is a prick. And he gives zero fucks if it offends you.
He has a very dark side that he has actually nurtured in order to get revenge for his mother.

He’s the big boss of one of the top mafias and has long ago lost any humanity...or so he thought until he met Amara.

He gets what he wants.
Always.
And no one talks back to or disses him.
Ever.

Until, again, he meets Amara.
I feel myself growing feral with every word that slips from her mouth. She’s mouthy, she’s sinfully sweet, and she’s extremely dangerous to my sanity.

He is intense and hot as sin...and also quite possibly a little unstable.
But all the best ones are!
Awesome alpha-hole, lol.

SIDE NOTE
Can we just take a moment to appreciate that an author finally wrote a heroine that didn’t ‘love the taste of his come’ !!!
Hot semen hits the back of my throat, and though it tastes salty and absolutely disgusting, I swallow every last drop.

We don’t all love the taste!
But some of us love the power we hold over them while we do it, ye ken?

SEX SCENES
Oh yeah...I had my hips rocking along with Amara a few times during this book, lol.

“Please,” she greets me with a begging plea as she lifts her other leg to place it over my shoulder to allow me to grip her ass and bring her pussy to my face. She smells delightful, and I can’t decide what I want to do more— fuck her or eat her out. I nuzzle her, and I feel her legs grip my face tighter. I smile like the prick I am. My tongue darts out, circling around her clit. “Fuck…” she cries out. Her fingers grab at my hair. Fuck is right… Nothing in this world can pull me away from her. Leaning forward, I lick her from back to front until her legs are shaking. Her hips move feverishly, and I can tell from the purrs she is making that she is right there. I enter her slowly with one finger, testing just how close she is. Her muscles clench around my thick digit as I suck her clit into my mouth. Who knew such a small, little thing could bring such great pleasure? “Oh...” She barely gets a word out as her pussy grinds against my face. I don’t mind, though. I’m smiling, sucking, and nipping at every piece of her. She tastes just as she smells, and I pull my face away to remove my own clothes. “I’m going to fuck that tight pussy now, piccolo.” A sigh leaves her mouth as I blanket her body with mine. I stare into her hooded eyes. Parting her thighs, I position myself at her entrance. My cock is stiff with need. Dipping a finger inside of her, I take the wetness from within and rub it onto my cock. I stroke myself hard, a hiss leaving my mouth as I press into her folds. “This is what you do to me. You make me a crazed monster…” I murmur against her flesh. My teeth bite down on her shoulder as I push into her ever so slowly. She is tighter than anything I have ever felt. A cry escapes her lips as I release my hold on her shoulder and look into her eyes. Being a virgin, I know she is overwhelmed with emotion and pleasurable pain, so I sit still for a moment before pushing into her all the way. No words need to be said. I plan on spelling everything out plainly and simply. My strokes and bites will be my words. “Your pussy is mine…” I croon as I wait for her to adjust to my presence inside her. It is all mine for the taking. I’m going to pound her so hard…“Yes, yours,” she implores, her eyes rolling into the back of her head as I pull out and slam back into her. I grab her ass and tilt her hip up to give me better access. My muscles clench, and I know I’m going to tear her apart if I don’t slow down. “You get what I give.” I don’t sound like myself as I pull out and push back into her. My cock is swelling. I feel my balls squeezing, wanting to release even though we have hardly begun. Sweat covers our bodies as I stare at her, nose to nose.


Final Thoughts on INDEBTED by J L Beck
This was a great read with believable characters and a brilliant storyline not to mention the hot AF scenes, lol. I am anxiously awaiting the next book!
4 stars


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Profile Image for Monadh.
209 reviews34 followers
September 30, 2020
Assembly gone wrong

I am going to do something I am actually quite loathe to do: review a book that I didn’t finish. I got to 61% and then just couldn’t force myself to read even one more page.

From the blurb and other reviews (at the time of writing this book had an average of 4.7 stars rating on AMZ) it had all the right ingredients I love in a mafia romance: anti-hero tortured by his past, innocent heroine willing to pay off her father’s debt with her body, violence, dub-con, enemies-to-lovers trajectory.
So the parts were all there, but mostly they weren’t quite right and on top of that they were assembled wrong. It felt as if the authors had used story-telling building blocks that were wonky to begin with and then failed to weave them into a coherent narrative.

First the indebtedness premise: it’s not satisfactorily explained how this comes about in the first place. The mother of the heroine, who was sort of the organiser in the family, dies of cancer. There is an insurance settlement. Father tells daughter everything is ok and sends her off to college. Turns out there is not enough money, so he turns around and borrows money from the mafia. It’s not quite clear what his profession is, but they live in a farmhouse. So where did the money from the insurance go? Why would he lie to his daughter? And how on earth did he even get into contact with the mafia in the first place? And why would the mafia boss concern himself personally with a little rural debtor?

Second, the anti-hero: I failed to really connect with him emotionally. In the prologue we hear his mother getting killed defending him. But at this point we still don’t know why, what happened in the aftermath or what really motivates him (aside from a generalized hatred of the world). He is violent, not in a controlled and calculated manner, but like prone to often unmotivated violent outbursts. He is volatile and inconsistent, which makes him a feared tyrant in my eyes, but nothing ressembling a leader or efficient mafia boss. His lack of control over himself also makes it impossible for him to be in control of the heroine.
Also, it’s never satisfactorily explained how and why Enzo settles on the idea of kidnapping Amara in lieu of her father’s debts in the first place, it just happens.

Third, the heroine, who seems a improbable mixture of virgin and nymphomaniac. I get that she is physically attracted to Enzo, but it is not a gradual development, but her feelings jump between fear and desire, and it’s not always plausible what prompts one or the other reaction. I also had problems with the 1st person POV, where on the one hand she claims to be petrified, but on the other hand her thoughts/inner monologue don’t reflect her state of mind but continue to be clear and rational.

Fourth, the money: insofar as their main goals are concerned, the mafia is just like any legal organisation: they want to make money. Usually this involves anything from gun-running, drugs, prostitution/human trafficking, betting, gambling, protection rackets, money lending and whatnot. After 60% we still have no clue how Enzo’s crew make their money, aside from the money lending. And there ist he rub: they just go around and kill all their debtors. Even if one weren’t opposed to this practice on moral grounds, it’s just plainly bad business for obvious reasons…

Finally, one of my pet peeves: authors thinking they need to stick foreign language bits into their narrative and then getting it wrong. In Italian all nouns are gendered (either masculine and feminine, there is no neutral). Adjectives have to agree with the nouns they modify, so they are also conjugated. Enzo frequently uses "piccolo" (little one) as term of endearment for Amara and it drove me nuts; if anything, it should be "piccola", since it refers to a woman! This is a common feature of romance languages, so in Spanish you have chiquito/chiquita, depending on whether you are referring to a boy/girl!

I get that this is escapist fiction, so it’s fantasy, not real, but still, within the universe of the story actions, motivations and feelings need to make sense, and here they sadly mostly don’t. I wish a good content editor had worked on these problems with the authors since I feel this could have been a much better book. As it is only 2 stars from me.
Profile Image for Marci.
62 reviews
January 10, 2015
First of all let me say that I hate giving low ratings and when I do I try my best to explain why. The plot of this book was good. J.L Beck manages to bring the reader into a world of mafia, murder, lies, betrayal and love. I loved the idea of reading a dark book (this is the first one I've ever read) and it was an okay read. So you ask yourself why isn't this a 5 star? Why was it simply okay? Well, for a couple of reasons. Number 1 was that certain things were pretty unrealistic, mafia lords do not get their hands dirty instead they make others kill for them. For me personally I believe J.L should've done a bit more research on Mafias and although this is fiction I simply can't overlook that. Number 2 for me was grammar. I understand we all make mistakes but I believe that in a published book things like grammar shouldn't go unnoticed. Simple things like then/than, my/me, past/present tense, be/been, missing words or extra words just drive me insane (these were some of the ones I caught but there were a couple more I don't remember just bc I kept reading through it). So I dropped a star off because of those grammar issues. Another problem I had was Bree; she takes another star from Beck. I felt like Alzerro was such a well developed character and Beck knew exactly where she was taking him and what she was doing with him but when it came to Bree she lacked something. I can't quite put my finger on it but Bree got on my nerves, there were times I wanted to get inside the book and shoot her myself (that's how much she frustrated me). Usually characters don't make me angry but Bree sure did. There's certain things she did (which I won't mention bc everyone hates spoilers) that just aren't acceptable. Last but not least, the cliffhanger at the end? Holy fudge, I hate cliffhangers so much and this cliffhanger came out of nowhere and made the book end abruptly. Almost as if to make sure the reader purchases the next book. I wish authors gave us a warning about cliffhangers before we purchased their books. I don't want to buy a whole bunch of books in a series when I hate one of the main characters (Bree) so I guess I'll never know how this story ends. I refuse to spend money and risk reading a book that might possibly end in another cliffhanger or might possibly end up with as many grammar issues as this one did. So if you like cliffhangers and poor grammar by all means, read this. Otherwise go on and skip it. My apologies to the author for the honest criticism of her book. This book just didn't do it for me and I hope you can accept my humble opinion.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
52 reviews4 followers
December 2, 2014
I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review:

"The gun in his hand was cocked and loaded. The light glistened off the metal of the gun as I watched him place the cold barrel against the side of my head..." WOW!! From beginning to end this book you never know what's coming next because J.L. Beck has changed the game again...keeping it fast paced and full of surprises!

“Were the Mafia. I’m the king and I don’t take payments, unless they’re in blood, so tell me who shall be paying today?” - Alzerro King. You'll simultaneously love Zerro and yet hate him...because he is a complex, calculating, cold, charming bastard who is a whole new level of dirty...devious, mischievous, intelligent, and completely ruthless (and that's just outside the bedroom). Even the most vicious of hearts have been broken at some point...but can they ever be mended?

Bree is the epitome of innocence...or is she? Her depth of character, compassion, and comprehension of life's challenges have been hard earned. The love and loss she has endured will serve her well as she offers up her life to 'el ray' in a valiant exchange and effort to save her father from certain death. Never did she expect to lose her heart to a man she finds repulsive and without remorse. But the heart wants what it wants...and one can discover the darker aspects of themselves when placed in certain situations.

Can she offer Zerro redemption without condemning herself? Can she save them both? Add Indebted to your To Be Read list today and find out on December 2nd!!

J.L. Beck is an up and coming author - full of promise! She will have you laughing, crying, swooning in no time...all the marks of a great author. For more awesomeness by J.L. Beck check out her Bittersweet series today!

IndebtedJ.L. Beck
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