Mafia's Dirty Secret

Mafia's Obsession #1

by Summer Cooper

She’s desperate for love, any kind will do…

Unwanted. Ungrateful. Bitch.
That’s what Marie’s mother always calls her.
She never wanted Marie in the first place and never stops reminding her.

Marie almost escaped her abusive mother once.
If only she really could have been a bitch.
If only she could have left and let her mother rot away in her sickbed...
She could be at university now, studying to become a doctor.

Instead, she’s trapped in a place where she’s an outcast.
Day after day, taking care of her mother’s every need and enduring every abuse.

Until she meets him.
Surely, a man like that wouldn’t notice her. Except… he had.
But good things never happen to someone like her, do they?
What if the rumours about him being mafia are true?
Would it even matter?


Warning: Story contains strong language, domestic abuse and adult scenes that may be upsetting. Intended for adults only.

Genres: Romance, Contemporary, Dark, Mafia Romance, Contemporary Romance, Chick Lit, Dark Romance

286 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 21, 2020

About the author

Besides her love of chocolate, dogs and music… reading and writing is Summer’s number one route to escape from crazy friends, family and the in-laws!

She found her own happily ever after with a martial arts fighter who also happens to be an adorable IT geek! Now, she loves to write about hot alpha males that come with a pretty face and covered in tough-as-nails muscle... who are secretly looking for their true soul mate (shhh…)!

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READING ORDER

Screaming Demons MC Series
1. Rough Start
2. Rough Ride
3. Rough Choice
4. Rough Return
5. Rough Patch
6. Rough Road
7. Rough Trip
8. Rough Night
9. Rough Love

Dark Desires Series
1. Dark Desire
2. Dark Rules
3. Dark Secret
4. Dark Time
5. Dark Truth

New Earth Series
1. His To Take
2. His To Mate
3. His To Save

Box Sets
Too Much To Love (A Ten-Book Romance Box Set)
Filthy Rich (A Five-Book Billionaire Romance Box Set)
Big Bad Shifters (A Ten-Book Paranormal Romance Box Set)
Down Right Dirty (A Ten-Book Romance Box Set)

Reviews

[Summer · Rating 1 out of 5]

The classic narsisistic mother-daughter relationship was the main theme. Too much reliving the same abuse, sometimes it was very boring. The inner dialog of the heroine was too much, almost ruminative. The hero was like a two dimentional cartoon character. No emotion, no depth, nothing except he was georgous. The words used by the hero like ‘my dear, love, ect’ was like from another century. I could not understand if he was a duke or made man. The story was weak, boring and depressive.

[Denise · Rating 4 out of 5]

I give this book 4 stars for several reasons. One - I found it pretty depressing. Two- the only place we learned much about Matteo was the series description which made it into a spoiler. Three - it is a series so it is a cliffhanger.

Marie's mother has always made it clear that she wished Marie has never been born. Her mother said hateful things to her all her life and often physically abused her. Just as she thought she would escape to college, her mother informed her that she was sick. Eventually diagnosed as Parkinson's disease, her mother continues to deteriorate but she is just as abusive as she ever was. Marie's life is a never-ending nightmare. She got qualified as a caregiver so she makes a little money to care for her mother. Her mother corrects social security and that is the only monies coming in. Marie has closed off most of the house and in the summer the only AC is in her mother's room. A woman comes in for a short time each day to check on her mother, giving Marie a chance to run errands or have a cup of coffee and read a book.

Marie first catches sight of Matteo while she is loading groceries and he is pumping gas. She ends up lost in thought about him and he almost runs over her as she is returning her cart. She next sees him at the local coffee shop and he sits down with her and talks for a few minutes. They start meeting up for coffee and eventually she goes to his huge house for dinner.

So why is this gorgeous Italian man interested in this woman who is a pariah in her own small town? What can be possibly see in a woman who had few social skills, no idea how to apply makeup, and usually dresses in shorts and tank tops? I guess we will have to wait for book 2 to find out.

I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.

[Tammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great start to a new mafia series. Marie came close to escaping her horrible mother but instead she stayed to take care of her. She meets Matteo and she is shocked to believe he may be interested in her, but could he be getting close to her for another reason? There are rumors about him being in the mafia, what will happen if they are true? Fast-paced read with lots of drama and suspense. I look forward to more in the series.

[BP34 · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the first book in the Mafia Obsession Series and is a good start to the series. As is often the case with a series, you are left with a cliffhanger. It's hard not to shed a tear or two for Marie at the abuse she continually gets from her mother. In spite of the physical and verbal abuse she got from her since birth she is a dedicated daughter taking care of her mother. The first part of the book focuses on their relationship. Then Matteo enters the picture. He is a gorgeous Italian that she meets by accident at a gas station. She wonders why he's interested in her as she's rather plain and lacks social skills. Is there another reason why he sought her out and continues to 'bump' into her. Why does he continue to find out more about her and her life. She never knew her father and her mother always said she wished she'd never been born. There are some clues that maybe her father was 'connected' in some way to the mafia. The author does a great job of defining the characters, especially Maria and her emotional state. The book starts off a little slow but rapidly picks up speed and it becomes a page-turner as we got to the meat of the story. I have a feeling that the next book is going to be a blockbuster. I can't wait to see how this story develops. I read an arc via Bad Boy Update and voluntarily chose to review it,

[Patricia Hoffstaetter · Rating 4 out of 5]

This mafia romance starts off with a dark, manipulative undertone & it is a bit slow to start but as the reader continues reading, it develops an intriguing storyline that has some well-described, heart-wrenching situations. The characters are portrayed as individually unique with unusual personalities that start to develop quite nicely as one gets further into the story.
There is: a sick but ungrateful abusive mother (Ruby), a dutiful but rather naïve innocent daughter (Marie Hebert), a conniving man (Matteo Mazza), some twists, drama, suspense, abuse, secrets, mystery, despondency, memories, sadness, an unexpected encounter, attractions, surprises, a life-threatening situation, devastating news, emotional distancing & hope. Please note that this book does end on a cliffhanger.

[Cheryl Graham-Petit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mafia's Dirty Secret is the first book in author, Summer Cooper's Mafia's Obsession series. This fast-paced and heart-wrenching mafia romance story is packed with drama, suspense, mystery, secrets, and so much more. Forewarn: This book does end on a cliffhanger.

I volunteered to review an advance reader copy of this book.

[Patricia Charlton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok book

I have to admit the last part of the book was the most interesting.
The author spent the entire book on the love / hate relationship of Mother & Daughter and I have to admit it was very repetitive regarding her Mother’s care.
I really think this story could have been told in one book and it’s only the last part of the book from Matteo’s POV that will get me picking up the next book in this story.
I have still given 3 stars as I hate to be too negative but I really have to admit I was very bored with the repetitive Ruby/Marie storyline it wasn’t needed for an entire book in my opinion.

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon today (6/17/2021)! 🎁

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mafia's Dirty Secret is book one in the Mafia Obsession Trilogy. A full-length standalone novel with no cheating and ends on a mind-blowing cliffhanger. The characters are compelling and tantalizing with a plot driven storyline that grabs your attention from the start and keeps you engrossed, and hook with it's non-stop mystery, twists and turns and suspense. A fast paced quick read that's addicting and unputdownable. This is Matteo and Marie story. It is tale of Cinderella and the evil step-mother but instead of a step-mother it's actually her biological mother. doing all the evil vile and cruel things.
Marie has endured harsh and unusual punishment both physically and verbally abuse at the hands of her mother all through childhood and now in her adulthood. Her mother didn't want her in fact she often tells her what a mistake she was and waste of skin she was, but through all these abuse Marie still loves her mother. Her only trapped her dad with the hopes of keeping him but it didn't work because he was already married and also a mob boss out of New York until his death. Marie thought that she was finally going to escape the physical, verbal, emotional and psychological abuse and the leave hell of a town and her abusive mother and possibly start living some life.
But then she got thrown a curve ball, when her mother got diagnosed with Parkinson disease and she now had to be the caregiver because if she left she wouldn't have anyone to take of her. She knew her mother deserve a daughter like her because of her nasty disposition, but after all she was still her mother in spite of her nasty ways she still love her. This book is hard to read. It was heartbreaking and gut-wrenching the abuse and inhumane treatment that Marie had to endure was unimaginable and think that her own mother is inflicting these treatment make it even worse. She didn't have any friends and was isolated away from everyone all because of her mother promiscuous way, alcoholism, and excessive ranting. Because of her mother's actions they were both outcasts from the towns people.
She didn't have any life because her mother was bedridden and couldn't do anything for herself and at times would be intentionally mean to get a rise out of her. The only reprieve she got from her life was when the nurse comes each day for hour to check her and that's when she got the chance to do something for herself or run errands. One day Marie meets this handsome, mysterious and compassionate stranger name Matteo. Matteo was this dark and mysterious figure that showed up in town. And she's always running into him, before long they started talking. This was on one of the days of her many outings in town when the nurse gave her a break. The two became fast friends and Marie started to confide in him about her problems and the harrow that's her life. Marie was beautiful, kind-hearted, sweet and innocent without any worldly experience. Matteo is attracted to her and the pureness and found himself fall for her.
Marie had never have anyone shown such kindness before as her life is only surrounded by ugliness. They're whispers in town amongst the towns folks that he's affiliated with the mafia but they never talked about it. Matteo treated Marie like queen he even went as far as paying someone to stay with her mother one day so that they could have some quality time together. He has given her strength and build her up as a woman and now she has grown a backbone enough that she can stand up to her mother. However, Matteo is harboring some very dark secrets that she's unware of. Marie mother can tell that she had been around and she warned her to stay away from him in fact all men specifically men who are apart of the mafia. The last time Marie saw Matteo he said that he had to go back to New York and there's something that he needs to discuss with her but she hasn't heard from him since.
Even though they would exchange racy text messages when he was there he has gone radio silent. There's no information mentioned about Matteo in the book and why he was so interested in Marie and why he made sure they connected. Marie's mother had died and she's devastated and the one person who she had grown to love and trust is no way around. What could be that important for Matteo to pick up and leave after he had spent so much time trying to woo Marie? Did he knew her father, and will he come back to town now that Marie is free of responsibilities? The story ends on a mind-blowing cliffhanger.

I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shirley · Rating 5 out of 5]

this is a series and so means >>>{we don't know much about Matteo except the series description which kinda made it into a spoiler... it is a series so it is a cliffhanger.} But we do know a lot about the female character.....
Marie ...... she has spent her whole life being hated, abused and mistreated by her mother... At eighteen, her mother becomes ill and needs full time care which turned out to be Marie.... She was basically a prisoner in her own home, with a one hour reprieve a day when a nurse came in. She met a handsome man in town one day who showed interest in her. ... Book 1 ..... They got close quickly, but then he went away. Can't wait to see what happens next! ....
{the only place we learned much about Matteo was the series description which kinda made it into a spoiler... it is a series so it is a cliffhanger.}

Marie's mother has always made it clear that she wished Marie had never been born. Her mother said hateful things to her all her life and often physically abused her. Just as she thought she would escape to college, her mother informed her that she was sick. Eventually diagnosed as Parkinson's disease, her mother continues to deteriorate but she is just as abusive as she ever was. Marie's life is a never-ending nightmare. She got qualified as a caregiver so she makes a little money to care for her mother. Her mother collects social security and that is the only monies coming in. Marie has closed off most of the house and in the summer the only AC is in her mother's room. A nurse named Jane comes in for a short time each day to check on her mother, giving Marie a chance to run errands or have a cup of coffee and read a book.

Marie first catches sight of Matteo while she is loading groceries and he is pumping gas. She ends up lost in thought about him and he almost runs over her as she is returning her cart. She next sees him at the local coffee shop and he sits down with her and talks for a few minutes. They start meeting up for coffee and eventually she goes to his huge house for dinner.
So why is this gorgeous Italian man interested in this woman who is a pariah in her own small town? What can he possibly see in a woman who had few social skills, no idea how to apply makeup, and usually dresses in shorts and tank tops? Sadly ... we will have to wait for book 2 to find out.

[Renee Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Life has not been easy for Marie. Her mom, Ruby led a colored life when she was younger & thinking that getting pregnant would secure her life into luxury. When it didn't happen, she raised Marie as a single mom. The town & church people treated both Ruby & Marie as outcasts. Marie was abused all her life, both physically, emotionally & verbally. Marie had lost her chance to leave Louisiana forever when her mom was diagnosed & needed full-time care for a number of years. On one of her errands out, she lays her eyes on the most handsome man ever - Matteo. He keeps popping up & works his way into her life. He is smooth as silk, sly as a fox, secretive, deceptive & he does everything right by saying the right things, giving her confidence & hope, as a boyfriend which attracts her. Her mom may be bedridden but she smells a rich man's cologne on Marie. She warns her to stay away from all men, including the mafia men. Of course, Marie is like the moth attracted to fire & can't stay away from him so she doesn't listen to her mom.

Very little is known about Matteo except through Marie's naive innocent eyes. The thought he's somehow involved with the mafia, is quite a turn-on to Marie. After her mom dies, he is cryptic & ghosts her which leaves Marie & us readers, scratching our heads wondering if we'll get our questions answered in book 2. This novel does lay the groundwork on how Matteo worms his way into Marie's life but we don't know why.

I'm anxiously waiting to find out what book 2 is all about & I'm hoping more of my questions that arose while reading about Matteo's involvement & his plans for her will be clearer. Ms. Cooper does know how to spin a great novel with the cloak of secrecy & mystery woven throughout this story. Love it!

I volunteered to read this ARC & leave an honest review.

[Andrea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marie Hebert's dreams of attending LSU were shattered when her thankless mother's health became her responsibility. Ruby had Parkinson's and it was Marie's duty to care for her day and night. No more dreams, just the reality of living with and caring for a mother who told her constantly that she was an unwanted, ungrateful bitch. The criticism and slurs came daily and Marie could only wish that her mother were one of those sweet angels she saw with their children, but that was not her reality. After a most vicious verbal attack by her mother, Marie stood up to her and let her know that she couldn't speak to her like that anymore. Afterward, Ruby was rather nostalgic and seemed to be speaking to her mother. She talked about her mother's beauty and stardom and how she didn't want to go into the same business. Ruby didn't listen and followed in her mother's footsteps, but didn't find the same stardom and wound up pregnant with some Mafia guy's child...Marie. No wonder she detested her. No wonder she wasn't wanted. Then she runs into a gorgeous man who looks at her as if he's interested. Matteo begins to pay attention to her and makes her understand that he is, indeed, interested. A whirlwind romance with Matteo teaching her about the life she's never experienced, makes her feel alive and gives her confidence. She finds an inner strength and, when her mother belittles her one too many times, Marie stands up to her. Ruby gives a little sigh and knows that her daughter is now ready to fend for herself. But what about Matteo? After her mother dies, he becomes a little distant and isn't the same around Marie. He tells her he has to go to New York and, when he gets back, they are going to have a talk about her mother. Marie imagines all possibilities and none of them are good. We have to wait right along with Marie, until the next book in the series. Cliffhangers are tough! 

[Charlene Gaskins · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story was depressing. I may not have liked the story line or theme of book one, but the writing and editing was good, hence the three rating.

The two main characters Maria and Mateo were as different as night and day. Maria was a deeply flawed personality that was easily manipulated and controlled. She had no backbone or desire to fight back acquiescing to her mother's tyrannical treatment day in and day out. She allowed herself to be beaten down by a sick woman throughout book one. It got old quickly. I like my characters to have some backbone and sense of survival; Maria's character did not. Having read countless novels from this genre I am use to dark characters and dark themes. This theme wasn't as dark as many of these novels are, but was pitiful and at times pathetic when it came to the verbal abuse inflicted on Maria from her mother.

Very little is divulged about Mateo or his attraction to a wall flower like Maria that suffers from years and years of abuse. She's not a character that stands out or that you would notice. She has learned to blend in to her surrounds unnoticed. It may be her mother's past with the mafia or may have something to do with who her father is. I wish the author would have delved deeper into developing Mateo in book one instead of focusing so much on Maria and her nasty mother.

This is a series so we will see if the author expands upon the story line in book 2. Many authors get right to the story in book one while others choose to slow the story line down giving the reader enough to continue reading but not enough to divulge the crux of the novel. This works well with suspense but not always in this genre.

[Ellen Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Heartbreaking.
Oh my word Marie's story had me in tears at times, how heartless Ruby was to her. A mother is supposed to protect her but she took everything about her bad life out on Marie how can you beat a young child, constantly putting her down. Even being sick Ruby made Marie's life hell whilst she's looking after he as nobody else would as she had alienated the whole time who in turn hated Marie even though they had no Idea what she was going through. I couldn't believe how strong Marie acted going about looking after her mother especially the way she treated her & Jane then Regina the nurses who came to look after her for an hour or so could see how bad Ruby treated her but helped her in the best way they could. When she met Matteo he was the one good thing that brought a little bit of light into her dark life & helped her ways she didn't realise she needed, she had someone who cared about her for the first time in her whole life but Ruby tried to spoil that. She didn't know everything about him but he made her feel special but when he left her to go to New York straight after her mother's funeral he started to act differently towards her but she didn't know why.
I can't wait for the next book but he had better not hurt her.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gladys Mills · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mafia's Dirty Secret. The title is a little deceiving. I expecting this book to consume me with crime all around, and I get a different beginning to the story. It started slow and built up to a great read! Marie is stuck in her small town taking care of her mother who is very ill and can't do for herself. She has endured so much abuse from her mother since she was born. Her mother abused her repeatedly because she never wanted Marie. But that didn't stop Marie from taking care of her mother. The agency sends someone out to be with her mother so Marie can do some shopping or go to the pharmacy. One while out she meets a man at the cafe'. She hears whispers he may have ties to the Mafia, but Marie doesn't care. Matteo and Marie strike up a friendship that leads to more. Just when she needs him, Matteo goes to New York and she doesn't hear from him. Marie deals with losing her mom with the one true friend she has in the town. Everyone else ignores her because of her mother and the mess she left. The cliffhanger leaves with wanting to know more because Matteo left saying he had something to talk to Marie about concerning her mother. This book was good! ***I voluntarily read a Review Copy of this book. All opinions stated are solely my own and no one else’s. * * *

[Rose Winkle · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have read many other books by Summer Cooper and have enjoyed the stories with ups and downs beginning to end, but this was a bit different.

The title just seems off to me because it is focused around Marie who is truly ignorant to an actual normal reality around her. It is a “Mafia” book but none of it actually goes into connection to a mafia in general other than a couple parts when Marie’s mom said don’t be near a mafia or how there is a moment when Marie is in the library and two women were gossiping how they thought Matteo was in one.

Marie had a terrible mother with one of the worst childhood’s possible and yet she somehow lies for her mom when social workers come by. This happens and it angers me that children and adults after such a childhood are never taught to be themselves.

Marie is just a very naive adult as she continued to let her mother torture her after finishing high school. She never even tries to save herself because her lack of reality.

I hope the next book in series shows that Marie wakes up to the real world and that she finally feels free of abuse even though she was allowing her mother to take advantage to be abusive by words and fists for 10 years!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mikki D · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel sorry for this poor doormat of a girl, well technically woman although she seems to be as naive as a 5 year old girl. Immediate warning signals when Mr perfectly, rich, handsome comes sniffing her way. She is so desperate for love and companionship she laps up Matteo's advances with no hesitation nor question.

The story has a different twist to it which I like, my main gripe is that it's painfully slow and somewhat repetitive. Yes we get that Ruby was a sorry excuse of a mother to Marie by the first chapter, however this point is continually made for 85% of the book! Similarly, we know Matteo is too good to be true, but again this only progresses in the plot 90% way through the book.

At the end of the book there's a taster of what's to come and you find out this all has something to do with a debt from 27years ago??! Surely if someone less you a debt and you want that money, 27 years is a long time to wait before trying to reclaim that debt! Quite bizarre. I'm reading the next instalment just to see how the author intends to spin this crazy yarn.

[J.p · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received this arc in exchange for an honest review. I am a huge fan Of ms coopers style of writing. This book although a slow starter, reels you in and you feel invested in the characters in particular Marie who the book really concentrates on. She is a naive, innocent young lady who has been cruelly mistreated mentally and physically by her mother all her life. Her life and dreams are put on hold when she has to take care of her cruel mother when diagnosed with Parkinson’s. The only ray of sunshine is an hour away from her mother with Matteo, a stranger who takes an interest in her and soon love blossoms for her, just when she thinks her life may start with him he disappears! We don’t learn much about matteo he does seem to like her and is good to her but hopefully we learn what his motives and secrets are. I can’t wait to find out hopefully in mafias fake bride as this one ends in a cliffhanger. Well done once again Summer. Tvm.

[Rosemary · Rating 5 out of 5]

I viewed this story as a pre-quell to the next book in the Mafia's Obsession series, Mafia's Fake Bride because the entire book apparently leads up to the meat of the story which I hope will be revealed in Book 2. Matteo mysteriously shows up and strategically begins bumping into Marie, a girl who is presently taking care of her abusive but terminally ill other. Ms. Cooper paints a very vivid picture of the hard and unloving life Marie has had to endure from her mother yet, she still has devoted herself to caring for her as if she had instead been a loving a nurturing mother. There are clues that Matteo may have been sent by the Mafia to either deal with or otherwise learn more about Marie who's father was apparently a "connected" man who died before Marie was born. My curiosity is going crazy trying to find out what secrets will come out in the next book and I can't wait to find out.

I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest and totally voluntary review.

[An · Rating 4 out of 5]

Marie's life is not pretty. A caregiver to her vicious mother, she spends most of her day in servitude, except her daily break of one hour.

It is during those breaks she begins to see attractive newcomer Matteo around town and wonders what he is like.
They eventually meet and she finds the attraction is mutual.

As they get to know each other, more and more of Marie's life
with her mother Is revealed. Matteo is very comforting to Marie and she gains strength from his support.

But it seems there are secrets that are between Marie and Matteo that are not known to Marie and are not revealed in this book. This book ends on a cliffhanger that has you chomping at the bit to find out what's going to happen next and what is Matteo really hiding.

Although not a fan of cliffhangers,  I enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the next installment which I'm certain  will be from Matteo's point of  view.
I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this title.

[Carmela Dimattia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book by Summer Cooper very much. My heart broke for Marie many times while reading her story but then Matteo became a constant in her life and I was so happy for them both. Matteo seems to be genuinely interested in Marie but that ending has me questioning whether he cares for Marie or, god forbid, was only passing the time with her. I have faith that everything will work out for them. Well written with so much happening in Marie’s life as she is looking after her invalid mother and then we have the handsome and mysterious Matteo. They are so perfect together and have so much chemistry and I was hooked from the very beginning. Cannot wait to read more about them and their journey in life. This is my first book by Summer Cooper and what an introduction it was into her world. I will definitely be reading more of her books. Highly recommend this book.

I received an arc copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Grinning Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

MMC/ FMC- Matteo and Marie
POV- 3rd person focusing on Marie’s viewpoint
Genre- Mafia Romance
Heat- they do the things but use euphemisms to name the parts
Series? Y, book 1/3
Safety: No Cheating/Sharing, No S. Violence, No HEA
Cliffhanger? Kind of; story not resolved
Triggers- language, explicit erotic content, graphic details relating to a character’s final illness, Domestic Violence, abuse
Tropes- Do-Si-Do With the Mafioso, Virgin Heroine, Bad Boy/Good Girl, Rich Man, All of the Other Reindeer, Alpha Male
What I liked- no matter how abusive her mother got, Marie didn’t give in to the temptation to be abusive in return. The author handled the difficult topics without sugarcoating, but with sensitivity and respect.
What I didn’t- I’d have liked to have seen parts of the story from Matteo’s viewpoint.
Verdict - I liked the story enough to want to read book two. Onward!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heather Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mafia's Dirty Secret is book 1 of Mafia's Obsession, this book follows the story of Marie and Matteo. When I first read the overview for Mafia's Dirty Secret I found myself intrigued to find out what this book was all about. I'm so glad that I did decide to read this book, even though I'm kind of happy that this book did end within one book. I thought author Summer Cooper did an amazing job of beginning Marie and Matteo's story in Mafia's Dirty Secret. I thought this book to be both suspenseful and a page-turner. Mafia's Dirty Secret had me on the edge of my seat what to know what was going to happen next to both Marie and Matteo. Now I'm not going to give any details on this first book because I don't want to spoil the first book of Mafia's Obsession. I'm looking forward to read book 2 of this series to see what happens between Marie and Matteo.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Coastie Mom · Rating 4 out of 5]

I do not think that I have ever disliked someone as much as I disliked Ruby. I understand tough love and wanting to make sure your children are capable of navigating in this world without you, but she went OVERBOARD! Poor Marie was a bright young woman who dropped everything to take care of her sick mother who always mentally and emotionally abused her. Marie has no confidence, no backbone and is way too innocent. Her mother has been “banished” from the church and has everyone bad mouthing her and Marie. Marie is looked down upon and not talked to.

We are introduced to Matteo – a rich, hot looking man who takes an interest to Marie and treats her like a queen. Marie loves the time she gets to spend with Matteo, but after their special night, he leaves for New York with no explanations and Marie believes that what her mother said about men is true.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Caroline Reichardt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great story about Marie and Matteo. It was amazing how they met at the grocery store parking lot. Marie is very naive about anything to do with men. She has been kept under her mother’s thumb all her life. She has been physically and mentally abused her entire life. Matteo under his aunt’s orders begins to woo Marie. She enjoys her days and nights with him right from the start. Marie has given herself to Matteo in every sense. Marie’s mother has passed away and at the funeral Matteo tells her that he has been called back to New York and that he has to talk to her about her mother. Marie has not had a good conversation with Matteo since he went back to New York and is worried about what he wanted to talk to her about. I would have liked more to this story but I understand that there is two more books in this series. I received a free copy of this book. I am leaving this review of my own free will.

[Heidi · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great start to Matteo and Marie. Marie has been abused physically and mentally abused by her mother her whole life. She is now taking care of her mother in the final stages of Parkinson’s. Now her mother is even more cruel to her. She meets Matteo when he almost runs her over. Then, they keep running into each other. This feels a little like a prequel to their relationship. They spend time together and become closer, and Matteo is so understanding and caring towards Marie. You get to see what happened in Marie’s life, but don’t really know much about Matteo. I am very excited and can’t wait to find out more about Matteo and find out why he is acting the way he is. So glad I don’t have to wait too long. I really liked this storyline and the characters. This is a great start to this trilogy.

[Kazza · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great first installment. it was Just heartbreaking to read what poor Marie had to go through while caring for her mother. However her Mother Ruby was very hateful towards Marie too, blaming Marie for the loss of marie's dad and the fact that their small town where they lived, didn't like how Ruby trapped Marie's Dad on purpose. Especially considering that he was married to a mob queen at the time. It was so upsetting to read how hard Marie had it, she was treated worse than a dog. Bless Matteo he saw something good in Marie and came across really sweet. He made her start to believe in herself but was what he was saying or is he made to say it... excellent first read. Felt it wasn't exciting enough and was a slow burn to get going.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jennifer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ms. Summer Cooper has just published a book that will suck you right in and keep you up all night reading until the end.

Mafia's Dirty Secret is jammed packed with immense talent. Marie Herbert and Matteo Mazza's story is absolutely riveting and I was floored by the literal genius of Ms. Cooper. Honestly, as a child abuse victim myself, I can 100% say that Summer nailed the mindset of Marie's character to a 'T'. Their's is a journey not yet done and I can't wait to get my hands on the next release (Mafia's Fake Bride).

I was beyond fortunate to have requested an advanced reader's copy of Mafia's Dirty Secret in exchange for my honest and voluntarily given opinion. I couldn't recommend this release or Author more.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marie spends her days and nights doing the same thing as the day before. Taking care of her mother who's bedridden, only getting an hour a day to do all the running around, grocery shopping, picking up prescriptions, etc.
One day when she was sitting at an outdoor café enjoying her favorite, a latte and croissant she spots the most gorgeous man she'd ever seen in her life in a classic car that she'd dreamt of being able t get a ride in...
I must say that this book was so enjoyable and I really loved Marie's character, Matteo's as well. The story was so good and I got totally lost within it. I can not wait to read what happens next.
I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader copy of the book. I loved it!

[Meme · Rating 3 out of 5]

I wavered between two or three stars. Two stars because of Marie and her lack of a backbone, she was a doormat. Not only that but the majority of the story is her and her mother's interaction. When Matteo shows up in the story there is no background on him, it's just he shows up one day kind of thing. We do get a little bit of a story from his POV, but it's not much. His interactions with Marie caused me to wonder what his motives really were. There are some very hot interactions between Marie and Matteo but those aren't until over 50% of the way through the story. It just seemed like a too good to be true kind of situation. This story is book one, so we are left on a cliffhanger.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.