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The Giannotti World #1
Merciful Vows
A bittersweet second chance romantic suspense standalone.
It's impossible to shield your heart from a man who knows you so well. A man who is your husband. The father of your children. The love of your life. A man like Giulio Giannotti.
I thought we would last forever...but we won't. Not when he doesn't believe our abducted child is still alive. Not if I continue to lose myself in this chaotic hope. Not until our daughter is found.
It scares me...the stark reality of how cruel life can be to us, how twisted secrets turn to sacrifice and how there's always someone in the misty shadows lurking...watching.
Tonight marks six months since we lost it all. It should bind Giulio and me closer together, yet the moment his hot gaze lands on mine, it's all over. The pact I made with myself to reserve all my nerves shatters into a million pieces as those eyes burn straight through me.
They're heavenly fire. And it's as if he can see me. All of me...
If this is supposed to be the end of us, then why does it feel like it's only just the beginning?
Merciful Vows is the first book in the emotionally gripping interconnected world set in Seattle: 'The Giannotti World'. Intended for Mature Audiences 18+.
It's impossible to shield your heart from a man who knows you so well. A man who is your husband. The father of your children. The love of your life. A man like Giulio Giannotti.
I thought we would last forever...but we won't. Not when he doesn't believe our abducted child is still alive. Not if I continue to lose myself in this chaotic hope. Not until our daughter is found.
It scares me...the stark reality of how cruel life can be to us, how twisted secrets turn to sacrifice and how there's always someone in the misty shadows lurking...watching.
Tonight marks six months since we lost it all. It should bind Giulio and me closer together, yet the moment his hot gaze lands on mine, it's all over. The pact I made with myself to reserve all my nerves shatters into a million pieces as those eyes burn straight through me.
They're heavenly fire. And it's as if he can see me. All of me...
If this is supposed to be the end of us, then why does it feel like it's only just the beginning?
Merciful Vows is the first book in the emotionally gripping interconnected world set in Seattle: 'The Giannotti World'. Intended for Mature Audiences 18+.
470 pages, Kindle Edition
First published May 25, 2021
96 people are currently reading
1216 people want to read
About the author
Vanessa Luisa
7 books122 followersVanessa Luisa is a Top 100 Amazon Bestselling author of sexy romance laced with angst, dirty-talking alpha heroes and the sassy, strong heroines who bring them to their knees.
She’s best known for writing steamy, tension-filled age gaps, sometimes gritty, sometimes forbidden, but always driven by an intense emotional connection with real characters, raw situations, and hard-earned happily ever after.
Vanessa lives in Melbourne, Australia, and when she isn’t writing, you can find her at strength Pilates, yoga, or obsessing over the NHL. She enjoys almond lattes, binge-watching ‘80s Magnum P.I. (yes, a toned, bronzed Tom Selleck slowly emerging from crystal blue water lives rent-free in her head), and of course, heart-eyeing NYC.
Happy reading!
Xoxo
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She’s best known for writing steamy, tension-filled age gaps, sometimes gritty, sometimes forbidden, but always driven by an intense emotional connection with real characters, raw situations, and hard-earned happily ever after.
Vanessa lives in Melbourne, Australia, and when she isn’t writing, you can find her at strength Pilates, yoga, or obsessing over the NHL. She enjoys almond lattes, binge-watching ‘80s Magnum P.I. (yes, a toned, bronzed Tom Selleck slowly emerging from crystal blue water lives rent-free in her head), and of course, heart-eyeing NYC.
Happy reading!
Xoxo
VANESSA'S SOCIALS:
Join my Newsletter/Mailing List
Follow me on Facebook
Follow my Instagram
Follow my Twitter
Join my Facebook reader group: Vanessa Luisa's Lovelies
Join my BookBub
Follow my Pinterest
Follow me on Amazon>
Join my Spotify
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 102 reviews
May 25, 2021
4.5 stars !!
“𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑣𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑, 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟. 𝑇𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑜 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟, 𝑛𝑜 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡, 𝑛𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔.“
This book is basically all about mystery, thrill and everything mafia, along with the tension, angst and romance. Considering it’s Venessa’s debut and I signed up for the ARC without any context, I’m so glad that I gave this book a chance.
I always say this but mafia romance doesn’t have to be JUST romance. There should be thrill and excitement to keep the reader involved and at the edge. And trust me this book did all those things. Right from the beginning the plot wrenched my heart, it’s an emotional, twisted second chance romance. Basically what I needed to read.
Literally in love with the characters. Giulio and Valencia are a true power couple. Their story was complicated and gave me all sorts if feels. But it’s all worth it.
The writing was incredible! I literally have no doubt saying that I would love to read where the author takes this story! She literally served us with a masterpiece. Go read this book if you’re into thrilling mafia, second chance romance. ♥️
“𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑦 𝑣𝑒𝑖𝑛𝑠 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒 𝐼 𝑙𝑜𝑜𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑑𝑜 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑔𝑒𝑡 𝑏𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑑, 𝑡𝑜 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑡𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟. 𝑇𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑 𝑎 𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑛𝑜 𝑓𝑒𝑎𝑟, 𝑛𝑜 ℎ𝑢𝑟𝑡, 𝑛𝑜 𝑓𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔.“
This book is basically all about mystery, thrill and everything mafia, along with the tension, angst and romance. Considering it’s Venessa’s debut and I signed up for the ARC without any context, I’m so glad that I gave this book a chance.
I always say this but mafia romance doesn’t have to be JUST romance. There should be thrill and excitement to keep the reader involved and at the edge. And trust me this book did all those things. Right from the beginning the plot wrenched my heart, it’s an emotional, twisted second chance romance. Basically what I needed to read.
Literally in love with the characters. Giulio and Valencia are a true power couple. Their story was complicated and gave me all sorts if feels. But it’s all worth it.
The writing was incredible! I literally have no doubt saying that I would love to read where the author takes this story! She literally served us with a masterpiece. Go read this book if you’re into thrilling mafia, second chance romance. ♥️
May 1, 2022
2.75/5⭐️
I loved Giulio and Valencia
everything about them and their family was heart wrenching, soul crushing amazing second-chance romance book. And no its not a MAFIA book even tho the names sound like it
too bad the story is just too goddamn confusing.
---spoilers ahead---
the romance was the best part of the book. The story and their emotions about the “situations” (not relating to their love life) was rather boring. I had no idea what was going on with Bradley being a good guy but also “borderline sexually assaulting MC” - Giulio’s words. Wtf is wrong with Marcus and despite being a brother I can’t tell if hes good or bad. Helena was kinda just there. The story about their child getting kidnapped was surprisingly not the only plot in the book there were so many more problems that should've never happened cause it was so BORING and later confusing. I only stuck around cause Giulio and Valencia are adorable and their LOVE is so pure.
Ironically one of the best grovelling i’ve seen but also he didnt rlly do much wrong in my opinion. They both lost a child and had different opinions on it. I Don’t think Giulio ever did anything “bad” but man did he work hard and cared for her even tho they were separated for 6 months.
despite all of that I found the story dragged on wayyy to much.
After Giulio shot the guy aiming a gun at Valencia and she freaked out cause her husband is a murderer. Valencia is freaked out about her husband having a gun and has killed before. like girl calm down he just saved your life, give him 2 secs to explain
On top of that her other 2 kids also get kidnapped and Giulio says the same line for the 14523th time. “I am a terrible father” we get it you have major daddy issues but now is not the time.
-Then Giulio also gets kidnapped ?!
-And she goes with the kidnappers without backup to save her family ???
- Then later the kidnapper gives her a gun and tells her to shoot giulio and after an excruciating 14 seconds the turns around and shoots the kidnapper. I mean how can it be that easy!!???
-they spilt up
-but later have sex and marry again
-oh but right after theres a fire at his work
-giulio is arrested post-coital
-suddenly Bryce is now BFFS with them
-helena is just there
-i dont even know what is happening with marcus
-oh giulio has mommy issue too
I can’t even follow what’s going on cause the story just doesn’t make any sense at that point.? The rest of the book is a whole mellow dramatic plot of them trying to save their children and theyre family but also have sex right before a new tragedy strikes. they have so many near death experiences I honestly don’t understand how stupid they are like just don’t split up from each other ? Haven’t you ever seen a horror movie?
I love the parts when’re giulio and Valencia talk and rebuild their relationship and even the 🌶 scenes are VERY WELL WRITTEN. But the story is just to damn confusing.
I loved Giulio and Valencia
everything about them and their family was heart wrenching, soul crushing amazing second-chance romance book. And no its not a MAFIA book even tho the names sound like it
too bad the story is just too goddamn confusing.
---spoilers ahead---
the romance was the best part of the book. The story and their emotions about the “situations” (not relating to their love life) was rather boring. I had no idea what was going on with Bradley being a good guy but also “borderline sexually assaulting MC” - Giulio’s words. Wtf is wrong with Marcus and despite being a brother I can’t tell if hes good or bad. Helena was kinda just there. The story about their child getting kidnapped was surprisingly not the only plot in the book there were so many more problems that should've never happened cause it was so BORING and later confusing. I only stuck around cause Giulio and Valencia are adorable and their LOVE is so pure.
Ironically one of the best grovelling i’ve seen but also he didnt rlly do much wrong in my opinion. They both lost a child and had different opinions on it. I Don’t think Giulio ever did anything “bad” but man did he work hard and cared for her even tho they were separated for 6 months.
despite all of that I found the story dragged on wayyy to much.
After Giulio shot the guy aiming a gun at Valencia and she freaked out cause her husband is a murderer. Valencia is freaked out about her husband having a gun and has killed before. like girl calm down he just saved your life, give him 2 secs to explain
On top of that her other 2 kids also get kidnapped and Giulio says the same line for the 14523th time. “I am a terrible father” we get it you have major daddy issues but now is not the time.
-Then Giulio also gets kidnapped ?!
-And she goes with the kidnappers without backup to save her family ???
- Then later the kidnapper gives her a gun and tells her to shoot giulio and after an excruciating 14 seconds the turns around and shoots the kidnapper. I mean how can it be that easy!!???
-they spilt up
-but later have sex and marry again
-oh but right after theres a fire at his work
-giulio is arrested post-coital
-suddenly Bryce is now BFFS with them
-helena is just there
-i dont even know what is happening with marcus
-oh giulio has mommy issue too
I can’t even follow what’s going on cause the story just doesn’t make any sense at that point.? The rest of the book is a whole mellow dramatic plot of them trying to save their children and theyre family but also have sex right before a new tragedy strikes. they have so many near death experiences I honestly don’t understand how stupid they are like just don’t split up from each other ? Haven’t you ever seen a horror movie?
I love the parts when’re giulio and Valencia talk and rebuild their relationship and even the 🌶 scenes are VERY WELL WRITTEN. But the story is just to damn confusing.
May 11, 2021
𝐌𝐞𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐕𝐨𝐰𝐬: 𝘼 𝘽𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙧𝙨𝙬𝙚𝙚𝙩 𝙎𝙚𝙘𝙤𝙣𝙙 𝘾𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙞𝙘 𝙎𝙪𝙨𝙥𝙚𝙣𝙨𝙚 is the debut novel by author Vanessa Luisa. I am very impressed that this is only Vanessa’s first novel. The full length, stand-alone novel was an emotional roller coaster with twists and turns throughout. The novel takes place after the HEA, meaning once the couple is already married, already happy, already have children and have led happy lives. In the blink of an eye everything goes wrong, and their lives are destroyed by a sinister plot.
The book takes us through a plethora of emotions as Giulio Giannotti and Valencia Giannotti are 6 months into the biggest tragedy of their lives, their infant daughter being abducted. A parent’s worst nightmare comes true, a majority of the beginning of the novel takes us through how Valencia and Giulio are dealing with their new normal. As we read, we uncover that they could barely deal with it and the stress of it all led to a separation. The couple has opposing views on how to handle the investigation of the abduction of their daughter.
Hints of who could have done this are planted throughout the story. As the couple, now living apart, move through their lives, secondary characters leave you wondering what their true intentions are. There are incredibly frustrating moments between family members, friends, colleagues, and the couple themselves. I was intrigued with how the couple dealt with the loss. Valencia struggles to cope and Giulio battles reminders of his past. Questions arise in our minds as evil intentions and twisted characters make you wonder who wants the couple’s downfall. At certain points, I suspected everyone.
Valencia and Giulio must decide if their marriage can handle their rift. Can they make it work for their children? Is their baby daughter dead or does someone have her? Who could it be? All of these questions are answered in the book.
A portrayal of marriage and overcoming obstacles takes place. Learning to coparent, struggling with loss, dealing with guilt. There are lots of topics and struggles here, but there are also sweet moments and laughter. The moments between Giulio and Valencia were so sweet. I loved how strong their love was and the lessons that took place in the end. Giulio treated Valencia like a queen which was nice to see. I love a man treating his woman the way she deserves to be treated.
I am so grateful to have received an ARC and am leaving my review voluntarily.
The book takes us through a plethora of emotions as Giulio Giannotti and Valencia Giannotti are 6 months into the biggest tragedy of their lives, their infant daughter being abducted. A parent’s worst nightmare comes true, a majority of the beginning of the novel takes us through how Valencia and Giulio are dealing with their new normal. As we read, we uncover that they could barely deal with it and the stress of it all led to a separation. The couple has opposing views on how to handle the investigation of the abduction of their daughter.
Hints of who could have done this are planted throughout the story. As the couple, now living apart, move through their lives, secondary characters leave you wondering what their true intentions are. There are incredibly frustrating moments between family members, friends, colleagues, and the couple themselves. I was intrigued with how the couple dealt with the loss. Valencia struggles to cope and Giulio battles reminders of his past. Questions arise in our minds as evil intentions and twisted characters make you wonder who wants the couple’s downfall. At certain points, I suspected everyone.
Valencia and Giulio must decide if their marriage can handle their rift. Can they make it work for their children? Is their baby daughter dead or does someone have her? Who could it be? All of these questions are answered in the book.
A portrayal of marriage and overcoming obstacles takes place. Learning to coparent, struggling with loss, dealing with guilt. There are lots of topics and struggles here, but there are also sweet moments and laughter. The moments between Giulio and Valencia were so sweet. I loved how strong their love was and the lessons that took place in the end. Giulio treated Valencia like a queen which was nice to see. I love a man treating his woman the way she deserves to be treated.
I am so grateful to have received an ARC and am leaving my review voluntarily.
May 24, 2021
What the hell? I am in shock and awe!!!
I cannot believe that this book (that I just put on my top read of 21 list!) is a debut!!
Seriously I am speechless.
I came onto goodreads towards the end of the book as I was procrastinating and didn't want the story to end, so wanted to line up more reads by this author... AND THERE WERE NONE!!!
How can this be a debut???
I seem to find one or two debut authors a year that blow me away, and this author is definitely one of them.
This book has no stop action from cover to cover, with a plot and characters that will break your heart and mend it over and over.
I was transfixed from the first page till the last, and was already in awe of the authors talent before I realized it was a debut book.
The twists, turns and races against the clock will continually keep you guessing whether there is a happy ending or not.
Hope this isn't the last time we see this brave family and their friends.
Do yourself a favor and ONE CLICK IMMEDIATELY.
I cannot believe that this book (that I just put on my top read of 21 list!) is a debut!!
Seriously I am speechless.
I came onto goodreads towards the end of the book as I was procrastinating and didn't want the story to end, so wanted to line up more reads by this author... AND THERE WERE NONE!!!
How can this be a debut???
I seem to find one or two debut authors a year that blow me away, and this author is definitely one of them.
This book has no stop action from cover to cover, with a plot and characters that will break your heart and mend it over and over.
I was transfixed from the first page till the last, and was already in awe of the authors talent before I realized it was a debut book.
The twists, turns and races against the clock will continually keep you guessing whether there is a happy ending or not.
Hope this isn't the last time we see this brave family and their friends.
Do yourself a favor and ONE CLICK IMMEDIATELY.
May 26, 2021
Have you ever wondered what happens after the HEA when the H and h are married and have kids?
Merciful Vows, debut novel by Vanessa Luisa is a heartbreaking second chance romance revolving around married couple Giulio and Valencia Giannotti. Giulio and Valencia’s infant daughter was kidnapped six months ago, and this tragedy broke them. The stress and aftermath of their daughter’s abduction caused their separation. Merciful Vows is a journey of overcoming obstacles while dealing with loss and grief. It was frustrating, raw, intense, emotional, and heart-wrenching.
Vanessa Luisa’s debut novel has blown me away. This book had angst, suspense, mystery, romance, and made me feel all the feels. I could not put this book down. The characters were intriguing, relatable, and realistically flawed. The plot was absolutely captivating. There were so many twists and turns and Vanessa provided little morsels of information about who could have kidnapped their daughter throughout the book. I enjoyed the emotional journey this book took me on and I felt these characters' emotions. Vanessa’s writing is impressive and I can’t believe this is her debut novel. I’m looking forward to more books from The Giannotti World!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Merciful Vows, debut novel by Vanessa Luisa is a heartbreaking second chance romance revolving around married couple Giulio and Valencia Giannotti. Giulio and Valencia’s infant daughter was kidnapped six months ago, and this tragedy broke them. The stress and aftermath of their daughter’s abduction caused their separation. Merciful Vows is a journey of overcoming obstacles while dealing with loss and grief. It was frustrating, raw, intense, emotional, and heart-wrenching.
Vanessa Luisa’s debut novel has blown me away. This book had angst, suspense, mystery, romance, and made me feel all the feels. I could not put this book down. The characters were intriguing, relatable, and realistically flawed. The plot was absolutely captivating. There were so many twists and turns and Vanessa provided little morsels of information about who could have kidnapped their daughter throughout the book. I enjoyed the emotional journey this book took me on and I felt these characters' emotions. Vanessa’s writing is impressive and I can’t believe this is her debut novel. I’m looking forward to more books from The Giannotti World!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
April 14, 2022
4.5 ⭐️
Giulio and Valencia have been married for years, but recently separated due to something traumatic they experience. This book portrays marriage and overcoming obstacles and learning how to communicate.( there’s miscommunication and I know some hate the miscommunication trope, but it’s so worth it). There are some heavy topics discussed and Vanessa does such a good job with it.
Giulio is a king, although separated he still loves her so no other woman drama. Love seeing him get jealous and possessive
“That’s what you get for touching my family.” Giulio grits, gripping the collar of his worker’s bloodied jean jacket to emphasize his point. “What did you do to her? HEY! I said what DID YOU DO TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE?” I mean HOT 🥵
Or “The bastard knew exactly what placing his hands on my wife would do to me. This is it. The final straw. Nobody fucking touches Valencia. Nobody fucks with my family. This is personal and he will get everything coming his way.” So yes I mean I love him
Giulio and Valencia have been married for years, but recently separated due to something traumatic they experience. This book portrays marriage and overcoming obstacles and learning how to communicate.( there’s miscommunication and I know some hate the miscommunication trope, but it’s so worth it). There are some heavy topics discussed and Vanessa does such a good job with it.
Giulio is a king, although separated he still loves her so no other woman drama. Love seeing him get jealous and possessive
“That’s what you get for touching my family.” Giulio grits, gripping the collar of his worker’s bloodied jean jacket to emphasize his point. “What did you do to her? HEY! I said what DID YOU DO TO THE LOVE OF MY LIFE?” I mean HOT 🥵
Or “The bastard knew exactly what placing his hands on my wife would do to me. This is it. The final straw. Nobody fucking touches Valencia. Nobody fucks with my family. This is personal and he will get everything coming his way.” So yes I mean I love him
May 9, 2021
-Jenna, ☆☆☆☆
This is my first read from this author and she blew me away! This is a spectacular story! We meet our characters Giulio and Valencia at one of the hardest times in their lives. This story starts out differently from other stories in the fact that our characters are already married. Their youngest daughter has been kidnapped and it has put a great strain on their relationship.
This story is filled with all kinds of emotions. It takes you on a roller coaster with so many ups and downs. You'll want to scream at them but then squeeze and hug them the next minute. Just when things are going well, bam! You'll be hit with a shocker. It's also filled with mystery that kept me constantly guessing what was going to happen next. And in amongst all of that is the angst and emotions of two people who have lost themselves and as a couple. It was a beautiful story of working together and trusting in each other. It was pure love. Definitely recommend this one!
This is my first read from this author and she blew me away! This is a spectacular story! We meet our characters Giulio and Valencia at one of the hardest times in their lives. This story starts out differently from other stories in the fact that our characters are already married. Their youngest daughter has been kidnapped and it has put a great strain on their relationship.
This story is filled with all kinds of emotions. It takes you on a roller coaster with so many ups and downs. You'll want to scream at them but then squeeze and hug them the next minute. Just when things are going well, bam! You'll be hit with a shocker. It's also filled with mystery that kept me constantly guessing what was going to happen next. And in amongst all of that is the angst and emotions of two people who have lost themselves and as a couple. It was a beautiful story of working together and trusting in each other. It was pure love. Definitely recommend this one!
May 28, 2021
I was so excited about this one but… it became boring and kind of annoying. I’m so over women being so easy scared and not badasses even when it comes to protecting their family.
April 10, 2022
honestly i'm proud i didn't dnf lol
May 7, 2021
If you've ever wondered what lives on after a stories HEA, Merciful Vows brings to the table a second chance, angsty and emotional read to show you just that.
From the first page this story was heart wrenching with emotion. And every page after I wished only for something good to happen and shine through.
Giulio and Valencia show how pure their love is for one another even when their personal views have caused them to separate. The fight in them stands and there's a huge push and pull for them to try and reach their happy ending again.
The stories pace is quite slow and mellow at the beginning full of angsty emotion so it was a book you need to pace yourself with. It also shows a lot of secondary characters that bring questions to the table able their motives and keep you anticipated to discover what conclusions may be made.
If you're looking for a read full of angsty emotion, slow burn to lead to dramatic anticipation, then this is for you.
Thank you Vanessa Luisa for the review copy.
From the first page this story was heart wrenching with emotion. And every page after I wished only for something good to happen and shine through.
Giulio and Valencia show how pure their love is for one another even when their personal views have caused them to separate. The fight in them stands and there's a huge push and pull for them to try and reach their happy ending again.
The stories pace is quite slow and mellow at the beginning full of angsty emotion so it was a book you need to pace yourself with. It also shows a lot of secondary characters that bring questions to the table able their motives and keep you anticipated to discover what conclusions may be made.
If you're looking for a read full of angsty emotion, slow burn to lead to dramatic anticipation, then this is for you.
Thank you Vanessa Luisa for the review copy.
May 13, 2021
I special shoutout to the author for providing me with an ARC of her debut novel! I love supporting Australian authors and I was so excited to receive this book to my kindle! With this in mind, I firstly would love to express how impressed I was with her writing. Her writing (and who ever edited the novel) was flawless and almost perfect.
I haven't read many mystery romances, so was very intrigued and went into this book completely blind. This story follows Giulio & Valencia. They met when young and it was love at first sight. They then were married and had 3x children within 2 years of knowing each other. This story then picks up after their HEA. They have been married for 7 years when their youngest child is abducted when she is only 2 months old. This of course bought tension between the couple where one believes she is still alive and they should be searching for her, while the other has given up hope and wants to move on with their life. They are officially separated and trying to live separate lives in-between split custody of their remaining 2x children.
Until Valencia finds herself jobless, and Giulio offering her a temporary job at his architecture firm while she gets back on her feet. This brings the two quite close again, where it is quite obvious their lust has not faded. If only their emotions would catch up to their lustful thoughts. They try to work together in building that connection, while also trying to move on from the past with their daughter still missing.
It was truly emotional to see two characters who clearly love each other so much, to be experiencing the distance that becomes when a couple loses a child.
As they start to reconnect, clues from the past start to emerge and the mystery starts to take place. Is their daughter alive? Who would abduct such a young girl and still care to look after her after 6-7 months of the abduction has pasted? Why are they suddenly receiving mixed notes in the mail and mysterious characters hanging around?
I don't want to give anything away but the mystery will keep you reading. I personally actually had a feeling who the abductor was but I was surprised about one of them. I won't say much more... YOU HAVE TO READ IT YOURSELF!
Available worldwide from 25th May - Highly recommend for those looking for a mystery romance.
4/5 Stars with 2/5 Steam rating.
I haven't read many mystery romances, so was very intrigued and went into this book completely blind. This story follows Giulio & Valencia. They met when young and it was love at first sight. They then were married and had 3x children within 2 years of knowing each other. This story then picks up after their HEA. They have been married for 7 years when their youngest child is abducted when she is only 2 months old. This of course bought tension between the couple where one believes she is still alive and they should be searching for her, while the other has given up hope and wants to move on with their life. They are officially separated and trying to live separate lives in-between split custody of their remaining 2x children.
Until Valencia finds herself jobless, and Giulio offering her a temporary job at his architecture firm while she gets back on her feet. This brings the two quite close again, where it is quite obvious their lust has not faded. If only their emotions would catch up to their lustful thoughts. They try to work together in building that connection, while also trying to move on from the past with their daughter still missing.
It was truly emotional to see two characters who clearly love each other so much, to be experiencing the distance that becomes when a couple loses a child.
As they start to reconnect, clues from the past start to emerge and the mystery starts to take place. Is their daughter alive? Who would abduct such a young girl and still care to look after her after 6-7 months of the abduction has pasted? Why are they suddenly receiving mixed notes in the mail and mysterious characters hanging around?
I don't want to give anything away but the mystery will keep you reading. I personally actually had a feeling who the abductor was but I was surprised about one of them. I won't say much more... YOU HAVE TO READ IT YOURSELF!
Available worldwide from 25th May - Highly recommend for those looking for a mystery romance.
4/5 Stars with 2/5 Steam rating.
May 25, 2021
I will admit that I read most books for the romance. Sure, it's nice when there's an interesting plot to go along with the romance, but I live for the tension, the angst, the passion and everything else that comes with a well told love story. With Merciful Vows I came for the romance but stayed for the suspense. The plot really sucked me in and I was there for the mystery, all the clues, all the suspects. The second chance love story, while very well told and realistic, just didn't really speak to me like I hoped it would. I didn't connect with either character and, while I rooted for them and empathized with their circumstances, their relationship just didn't give me the flutters that I need to feel in order to really buy into it. Having said that, the writing is excellent, especially for a first time author. At times the word choices felt a bit odd, but it didn't really take away from the flow of the story. I would definitely intrigued by the world Ms. Luisa built in Merciful Vows and will be on the lookout for any future books by this author.
May 11, 2021
Wow! Merciful Vows starts right of pulling at the heart strings. Giulio and Valencia are such a power couple. Their pain is raw, it hurts to read their story, but their love is fierce.
This is one of those books you find yourself yelling at the characters, wanting to give them a hug and crying. The ups and downs, and the in between. It sucks you in from the beginning and doesn’t let up. You want all the answers but you have to wait, and that wait is torture at times. Such a beautiful story!
This is one of those books you find yourself yelling at the characters, wanting to give them a hug and crying. The ups and downs, and the in between. It sucks you in from the beginning and doesn’t let up. You want all the answers but you have to wait, and that wait is torture at times. Such a beautiful story!
August 6, 2022
4 stars
Giulio owns my heart ❤️
This man... I want one for me!!
The book is second chance and although it's not my favorite tropes I loved it here.
How Valencia and Giulio fell back in love 🥰 adoroooooo!
The mystery was okay but honestly I was so invested in the romance I'll forget I got the twist very early on.
Still this book was gorgeous 😍
Can't wait to read more of VL.
Giulio owns my heart ❤️
This man... I want one for me!!
The book is second chance and although it's not my favorite tropes I loved it here.
How Valencia and Giulio fell back in love 🥰 adoroooooo!
The mystery was okay but honestly I was so invested in the romance I'll forget I got the twist very early on.
Still this book was gorgeous 😍
Can't wait to read more of VL.
November 5, 2021
Sorry I should've finished it in 2-3 days but I got distracted by other stuff that I forgot to continue this book for few days.
Trigger warning for this book: depression
I would give the first half of the book a four stars and the other half a two stars, sorry, some things feels a little tad dramatic and dragged so it makes me lose a little interest in them, I just want to know how it'll end and who have their kids. I was invested and rooting for Valencia and Guilio, their relationship is intense and soul deep, there's also a lot of swoony scene. They have their own trauma and each other's presence help them handle it better. The suspense scene sometimes feels rushed or makes me questioned some details, I think it would be better if the author provides us with some more details to support the scene. So yeah, plotwise it was good but there's a lot of potential for it to be better.
Trigger warning for this book: depression
I would give the first half of the book a four stars and the other half a two stars, sorry, some things feels a little tad dramatic and dragged so it makes me lose a little interest in them, I just want to know how it'll end and who have their kids. I was invested and rooting for Valencia and Guilio, their relationship is intense and soul deep, there's also a lot of swoony scene. They have their own trauma and each other's presence help them handle it better. The suspense scene sometimes feels rushed or makes me questioned some details, I think it would be better if the author provides us with some more details to support the scene. So yeah, plotwise it was good but there's a lot of potential for it to be better.
January 30, 2022
Love Giulio and Valencia, actual tears came out of my eyes reading some of these parts. The destruction of their relationship was so real and raw, to the point where you feel for each of them, because you know they want to be together forever, it's just their differences set them apart. The ending shocked me to the core, I got so into the book, it felt like the person who did this to them actually betrayed me too. Overall, it's a great book and deserves more attention for this style of second chance trope.
August 29, 2021
I liked the beginning but it became very repetitive and dramatic really quickly. The wife also annoyed the shit out of me.
June 5, 2024
5⭐
The perfect second chance romance! I want a love like V & G's 😭😭😭 Love love love this book!
Edit:
05 June 2024
I still love this book just as much 😭😭😭
The perfect second chance romance! I want a love like V & G's 😭😭😭 Love love love this book!
Edit:
05 June 2024
I still love this book just as much 😭😭😭
May 17, 2021
Emotional. Suspense. Beautiful. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Vanessa Luisa wrote her heart out in her debut novel 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑉𝑜𝑤𝑠, the emotions in this book were raw and intense- but above all it is a story of healing, hope and love.
“Sometimes in life, we ponder too much. We think everything has to have a solution when it doesn’t. Sometimes the best thing to do is to live in the moment and watch what happens. Often, the best things in life are unplanned.”
Giulio and Valencia’s story is a second chance that comes after they get their HEA. 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑉𝑜𝑤𝑠 starts as a slow burn and that carries through to around 40% of the book, however, it is filled with suspense, drama, humour, romance, and raw emotions that had me clawing at my heart. It is guaranteed to leave you in ALL THE FEELS. I lost count of the times I wanted to throttle a character (or two) and I did have to put my kindle down because it was so maddening at times. And yes, when it got steamy it was HAWTTT!!
There were some aspects of this book that I felt could’ve been fine-tuned and improved upon but overall the storytelling was good, especially considering the complexity of the plot.
Can Giulio and Valencia get their second HEA? These two had me so torn; I wanted to serve them divorce papers and put them on different continents at one point. IT WAS FRUSTRATING! But I love their love, and especially how they grew together and as individuals. The secondary characters all had a varying contribution to the story, and I especially loved Valencia’s sister, Helena. She is the kind of sister every girl deserves. It was the constant “where is she?” and “who took/ has her” that kept me hooked with copious amounts of self-doubt whenever I came up with a theory.
I’m so happy to have taken a chance on this author. This is a book that I'd recommend to lovers of angsty, suspenseful contemporary romance, or anyone wanting to try something new or support a debut author.
Vanessa Luisa wrote her heart out in her debut novel 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑉𝑜𝑤𝑠, the emotions in this book were raw and intense- but above all it is a story of healing, hope and love.
“Sometimes in life, we ponder too much. We think everything has to have a solution when it doesn’t. Sometimes the best thing to do is to live in the moment and watch what happens. Often, the best things in life are unplanned.”
Giulio and Valencia’s story is a second chance that comes after they get their HEA. 𝑀𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑉𝑜𝑤𝑠 starts as a slow burn and that carries through to around 40% of the book, however, it is filled with suspense, drama, humour, romance, and raw emotions that had me clawing at my heart. It is guaranteed to leave you in ALL THE FEELS. I lost count of the times I wanted to throttle a character (or two) and I did have to put my kindle down because it was so maddening at times. And yes, when it got steamy it was HAWTTT!!
There were some aspects of this book that I felt could’ve been fine-tuned and improved upon but overall the storytelling was good, especially considering the complexity of the plot.
Can Giulio and Valencia get their second HEA? These two had me so torn; I wanted to serve them divorce papers and put them on different continents at one point. IT WAS FRUSTRATING! But I love their love, and especially how they grew together and as individuals. The secondary characters all had a varying contribution to the story, and I especially loved Valencia’s sister, Helena. She is the kind of sister every girl deserves. It was the constant “where is she?” and “who took/ has her” that kept me hooked with copious amounts of self-doubt whenever I came up with a theory.
I’m so happy to have taken a chance on this author. This is a book that I'd recommend to lovers of angsty, suspenseful contemporary romance, or anyone wanting to try something new or support a debut author.
January 4, 2022
“sometimes in life, we ponder too much. we think everything has to have a solution when it doesn’t. sometimes the best thing to do is to live in the moment and watch what happens. often, the best things in life are unplanned. do you know the most important person in this equation?”
“me.”
…
merciful vows is an emotional second chance romance. the emotions that this story evoked from me throughout the books was, overwhelming to say the least. it had me feeling everything. it’s a story of tragedy, suspense, mystery, action, angst etc. but there is also resilience, strength, hope, and love. lots of love despite the storm.
i don’t think i’ve ever read a second chance romance where the main characters are already married and have a family. so this was quite refreshing, in a sense, for me. the main characters, oh how i admire them and their qualities as individuals, a couple, and most importantly, as parents. i’m not going to lie, i was definitely frustrated during some scenes in the book with the mc’s decisions and what not, but that’s the beauty of it. i felt like i was in that relationship with them, haha. also, not only were the main characters well developed and beautifully written, but so were the side characters. who i am hoping get their own stories too.
vanessa luisa has written an emotionally heartbreaking story so beautifully. i can not wait for what else she gives us.
“me.”
…
merciful vows is an emotional second chance romance. the emotions that this story evoked from me throughout the books was, overwhelming to say the least. it had me feeling everything. it’s a story of tragedy, suspense, mystery, action, angst etc. but there is also resilience, strength, hope, and love. lots of love despite the storm.
i don’t think i’ve ever read a second chance romance where the main characters are already married and have a family. so this was quite refreshing, in a sense, for me. the main characters, oh how i admire them and their qualities as individuals, a couple, and most importantly, as parents. i’m not going to lie, i was definitely frustrated during some scenes in the book with the mc’s decisions and what not, but that’s the beauty of it. i felt like i was in that relationship with them, haha. also, not only were the main characters well developed and beautifully written, but so were the side characters. who i am hoping get their own stories too.
vanessa luisa has written an emotionally heartbreaking story so beautifully. i can not wait for what else she gives us.
May 25, 2021
🆁🅴🆅🅸🅴🆆
🖤💔Merciful Vows💔🖤
Story of hope, love, guilt and resilience. This book had me feeling everything.
“𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓋𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓎.”
Trope: second chance, romantic suspense
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No (first book in interconnected world)
POV: Dual
Book Score: 4+/5
Book Review
———��————————
Giulio & Valencia….sigh all the feels
I have to say this is my very first book where the story is second chance for a couple that has been married for years, but recently separated following family tragedy. Because of this the story comes with some heavy feelings of responsibility, carrying the burden, raw emotion, figuring out how to reconnect with the person who is the love of your life. I fluctuated between wanting to throw my kindle away and rooting for them. The emotions run very high for both of them, and they often react in a way they regret afterwards. Through it all I do feel like they grew as individuals, and started to listen the other person more.
“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘂���𝗻𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. 𝗧𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗻𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁, 𝗻𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.”
The book starts on a slower note for probably first 30-40%, but oh boy does the action pick up after. In some ways it had a little bit of a telenovela feel, and I mean that in the most complimentary way, as it’s one of my guilty pleasures and I just get sucked in. I stayed up reading until past 2am because I needed to know how it all unravels. And where is the sweet baby Addilyn?? In the midst of all the action this line completely made me cry: “𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁. 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.” G was ready to die for his family 🥺 he was so dedicated, yet stubborn.
Two secondary characters that stood out V’s sister Helena and Bryce. I’m hoping Helena gets her HEA too. But Bryce… oh boy oh boy I had love and hate relationship with him and kept switching. He is one of those characters that annoys you, is an ass, but all of a sudden sneaks up on you. Now that I think about it I kind of want him to end up in some sort of an age gap (of course) where the girl is a total spitfire and he has no idea what to do with himself. Great debut by Vanessa. Excited to see where she takes the rest of this series.
🖤💔Merciful Vows💔🖤
Story of hope, love, guilt and resilience. This book had me feeling everything.
“𝐼 𝓌𝒶𝓃𝓉 𝓉𝑜 𝒸𝒶𝓇𝓇𝓎 𝓉𝒽𝑒 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓋𝓎 𝒽𝑒𝒶𝓇𝓉 𝒻𝑜𝓇 𝓎𝑜𝓊, 𝒷𝒶𝒷𝓎.”
Trope: second chance, romantic suspense
HEA: Yes
Cliffhanger: No (first book in interconnected world)
POV: Dual
Book Score: 4+/5
Book Review
———��————————
Giulio & Valencia….sigh all the feels
I have to say this is my very first book where the story is second chance for a couple that has been married for years, but recently separated following family tragedy. Because of this the story comes with some heavy feelings of responsibility, carrying the burden, raw emotion, figuring out how to reconnect with the person who is the love of your life. I fluctuated between wanting to throw my kindle away and rooting for them. The emotions run very high for both of them, and they often react in a way they regret afterwards. Through it all I do feel like they grew as individuals, and started to listen the other person more.
“𝗧𝗵𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗳𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗶𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘃𝗲𝗶𝗻𝘀 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝘁𝗶𝗺𝗲 𝗜 𝗹𝗼𝗼𝗸𝗲𝗱 𝗮𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗮𝗹𝗹 𝗜 𝘄𝗮𝗻𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝗱𝗼 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝗴𝗲𝘁 𝗯𝘂���𝗻𝗲𝗱. 𝗧𝗼 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘁𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗳𝗿𝗼𝗺 𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗱𝗮𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿. 𝗧𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝗮 𝗽𝗹𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗻𝗼 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝗿, 𝗻𝗼 𝗵𝘂𝗿𝘁, 𝗻𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴.”
The book starts on a slower note for probably first 30-40%, but oh boy does the action pick up after. In some ways it had a little bit of a telenovela feel, and I mean that in the most complimentary way, as it’s one of my guilty pleasures and I just get sucked in. I stayed up reading until past 2am because I needed to know how it all unravels. And where is the sweet baby Addilyn?? In the midst of all the action this line completely made me cry: “𝗜𝗳 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗶𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘆 𝗶𝘁 𝗻𝗲𝗲𝗱𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼, 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗶𝘁’𝘀 𝗮𝗹𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁. 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁. 𝗜 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗶𝘀𝗲 𝗜’𝗹𝗹 𝗯𝗲 𝗮𝗹𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁.” G was ready to die for his family 🥺 he was so dedicated, yet stubborn.
Two secondary characters that stood out V’s sister Helena and Bryce. I’m hoping Helena gets her HEA too. But Bryce… oh boy oh boy I had love and hate relationship with him and kept switching. He is one of those characters that annoys you, is an ass, but all of a sudden sneaks up on you. Now that I think about it I kind of want him to end up in some sort of an age gap (of course) where the girl is a total spitfire and he has no idea what to do with himself. Great debut by Vanessa. Excited to see where she takes the rest of this series.
May 27, 2021
I am seriously impressed with Vanessa Luisa. This was a great debut novel and I can't wait to read more by her. From the second I started reading this book I couldn't put it down. This story was absolutely heart wrenching and emotional. I mean from the first few chapters I knew I was in for it. Our main characters, Giulio and Valencia, had me from the beginning. I knew right away that I was going to love them. The relationship, connection and passion they have for one another is so strong from the get go. I was constantly rooting for them every chance I got. The start of the book was definitely a little slow for me and could have been tweaked a little bit more, but overall I loved this book. I love reading new authors and can't wait to see what else she has up her sleeves.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I received an eARC in exchange for an honest review.
December 1, 2022
I knewwwwwww. I just knewwww it. This was amazing. I’m officially the biggest fan of this author!
She is absolutely phenomenal and I cannot believe the twists.
I’ve read every book she has written as of now and each one totally got me thinking something diffeeent than I thought would play out which I loved so much
The love between the characters in all her books are soooo deep and connected and there is no room for anything else
I cannot wait for more of this universe.
I truly truly truly hope that Bryce gets a book. He truly needs one. I need his story. Get him some love and the next book! STAT
She is absolutely phenomenal and I cannot believe the twists.
I’ve read every book she has written as of now and each one totally got me thinking something diffeeent than I thought would play out which I loved so much
The love between the characters in all her books are soooo deep and connected and there is no room for anything else
I cannot wait for more of this universe.
I truly truly truly hope that Bryce gets a book. He truly needs one. I need his story. Get him some love and the next book! STAT
May 5, 2022
Okay the way the brother is so easily manipulating or should I say blackmailing the H because of something he holds on him is so immature and shallow I can't believe. He can make him do anything with just what, a threat that he will call the cops about something he saw YEARS ago with no substantial or physical evidence?? Really? Not only he blackmails him to keep him in the job, but also the douchebag friend of his who literally f*cks on work, blatantly DISRESPECTS the Boss of the office while fucking a new intern bitch..and he can't do a shit about it because the brother doesn't let him to...and he threatens to call the cops ...I mean really? This guy stupid and doormat beyond belief. He is NO Alpha man. So the brother can make him do anything with this threat..has he ever thought as why would a cop believe a drunkard partying asshole against a successful architect brother who has better reputation? By this logic he can make him drive out all good employees and hire all his asshole friends instead, can he not? This is immature to the T.
And the H is such an idiot it's hard to sympathise. He believes his daughter is dead because there are no leads...has he ever stopped to think as WHY would someone take an infant baby? They don't get ransom calls or any other blackmailing. And he never suspects his asshole brother too who has been threatening him!! I mean he counts as an enemy doesn't he?? He can atleast hire a PI to keep an eye on his blackmailing brother, can he not? But no, he just accepts his daughter is dead because he wants his own mental peace and gives up. There are so many red flags around him but he ignores them all like an ostrich burying its head in sand. He will fight with his wife because SHE believes their daughter is alive. Wow. This guy is a TSTL hero. He has no intimidating power towards douchebags whatsoever. He cant do shit to protect his wife in workplace or his kids at home. I don't get how a man can be so powerless who has money and connections. And the way HE is put in his place by his brother and his douchebag friend in office in front ALL othet employees is simply embarassing. You are the boss! How can you let an employee talk to you like a high school bully? Their altercations are also immature like a highschool drama. Did I say he is no Alpha man? Yes. He is not even Beta, he falls somewhere far below in the pack order. Only with good looks. Never seen one before this.
And the h is right in taking matters into her own hands because this man has proven he cannot be trusted. He has given up long before, decieved her by not sharing crucial information, persuaded her into giving up all hope...how do you think she will have enough trust in him to make him part of the final act when her child's life depends on it? A man who has already accepted his daughter is dead cannot be trusted to bring safety to her again. It sounds cruel but that's reality. Trust cannot be mended perfectly once broken and your mind will work differently when it comes to that person. I can't believe the H in this book is such a coward. My heart went out for Valencia. She is so strong. He abandons her to face everything on her own when he should be her wall to lean on. He should be the rock to stabilize her. Instead it's him who destroys her more. He is such a timid asshole who can't put his selfishness aside to protect himself and be there for his woman that he causes more damage by lying and decieving. I just wanted to go into the book l, slap him, shake him for good measure to get his head out of the ass.
And I have problem with this therapeutic writing style. This whole book felt like a mental health guide book instead of a second chance romance mystery. There are heaps and heaps of talk of what should be done what's right what's wrong instead of the actual story. Some authors should control their preaching and wannabe mental health counselor urges and put more substance into the plot than write big round dialogues about various issues. Okay we get it you want to give a message about depression, marital discord and parenting but put that shit into intelligent plotwise not give us self-righteous preaching through dialogues. Normal people don't talk like that. Normal people have simple conversations. They don't write handbooks in one night about how to cope with depression. That shit is ridiculous. That doesn't happen even for actual depression patients.
Now take this example- His son asks why he shouted at mom when he forbade his kids to do so..he says he is sorry he made a mistake and he will "be better in NAVIGATING his feelings around his mother". What? "Navigating"? Who the fuck talks to a 6 year old like this? What does he know about Navigating feelings?? This can't be real.
It was so pretentious and fake I rolled my eyes.
The H is frustrating me and I hope I finish this book.
And the H is such an idiot it's hard to sympathise. He believes his daughter is dead because there are no leads...has he ever stopped to think as WHY would someone take an infant baby? They don't get ransom calls or any other blackmailing. And he never suspects his asshole brother too who has been threatening him!! I mean he counts as an enemy doesn't he?? He can atleast hire a PI to keep an eye on his blackmailing brother, can he not? But no, he just accepts his daughter is dead because he wants his own mental peace and gives up. There are so many red flags around him but he ignores them all like an ostrich burying its head in sand. He will fight with his wife because SHE believes their daughter is alive. Wow. This guy is a TSTL hero. He has no intimidating power towards douchebags whatsoever. He cant do shit to protect his wife in workplace or his kids at home. I don't get how a man can be so powerless who has money and connections. And the way HE is put in his place by his brother and his douchebag friend in office in front ALL othet employees is simply embarassing. You are the boss! How can you let an employee talk to you like a high school bully? Their altercations are also immature like a highschool drama. Did I say he is no Alpha man? Yes. He is not even Beta, he falls somewhere far below in the pack order. Only with good looks. Never seen one before this.
And the h is right in taking matters into her own hands because this man has proven he cannot be trusted. He has given up long before, decieved her by not sharing crucial information, persuaded her into giving up all hope...how do you think she will have enough trust in him to make him part of the final act when her child's life depends on it? A man who has already accepted his daughter is dead cannot be trusted to bring safety to her again. It sounds cruel but that's reality. Trust cannot be mended perfectly once broken and your mind will work differently when it comes to that person. I can't believe the H in this book is such a coward. My heart went out for Valencia. She is so strong. He abandons her to face everything on her own when he should be her wall to lean on. He should be the rock to stabilize her. Instead it's him who destroys her more. He is such a timid asshole who can't put his selfishness aside to protect himself and be there for his woman that he causes more damage by lying and decieving. I just wanted to go into the book l, slap him, shake him for good measure to get his head out of the ass.
And I have problem with this therapeutic writing style. This whole book felt like a mental health guide book instead of a second chance romance mystery. There are heaps and heaps of talk of what should be done what's right what's wrong instead of the actual story. Some authors should control their preaching and wannabe mental health counselor urges and put more substance into the plot than write big round dialogues about various issues. Okay we get it you want to give a message about depression, marital discord and parenting but put that shit into intelligent plotwise not give us self-righteous preaching through dialogues. Normal people don't talk like that. Normal people have simple conversations. They don't write handbooks in one night about how to cope with depression. That shit is ridiculous. That doesn't happen even for actual depression patients.
Now take this example- His son asks why he shouted at mom when he forbade his kids to do so..he says he is sorry he made a mistake and he will "be better in NAVIGATING his feelings around his mother". What? "Navigating"? Who the fuck talks to a 6 year old like this? What does he know about Navigating feelings?? This can't be real.
It was so pretentious and fake I rolled my eyes.
The H is frustrating me and I hope I finish this book.
January 15, 2022
God I never knew I could get frustrated from a book so much but here I am... There so much going on in that book which I just couldn't relate to... I tried completing the book so many times that even though it was supposed to be a relaxing time for me it just became a pure headache for me
Let's start with the most irritating character of the book
The main female lead.... VALENCIA
What is wrong with her... Goooooooodddddd!!!!!! She is so self absorbent and just have been talking about how the abduction of her daughter is affecting her and her alone. She don't understand that the child was just not hers but also of the man who has already suffered so much in life and is now feeling as a failure as he couldn't save his own blood.. She thinks that she and her husband are on different page and if he shares her ideology and hope only then could they both save their marriage and as a mother whatever she says and does is the only right thing and every one should do the same and agree with her. But what I don't understand is why can't she try and understand why her hu is adamant that the child could be dead and not have the same hopes like her. Her family is yet another story as they are even more toxic than her and she goes to talk to them. No family encourages other to ruin their marriage and children lives like her does. Annnd my hate for her intensified after the Bar scene where she was all about having excitement and adrenaline rush when BRYCE was flirting cause it was soooo long she did that but when he was kissing her it was all the man's fault and none of hers which again I think was wrong
Let's go to the Main male lead.... Guilio
Anything excessive is wrong for all and he just is tooo gentlemanly too sweet and cari
caring which no one deserves especially
Valencia cause whatever effort he makes she and her depression her words not mine circles back to the kid and their different outlook about it. He goes around getting beaten from his brother, employees etc and no one respects him which is something I don't like at all. His sister in law for whom he did so much just thinks that he is not worth it for her sister and not even an ounce of thankfulness for him. His step brother is a fucking idiot and overall other than his own kids no one really care about him.
So all in all of you like a boon that is all about going back and forth and have an almost predictable ending This book is for you otherwise it's damn hard to connect to the characters
Let's start with the most irritating character of the book
The main female lead.... VALENCIA
What is wrong with her... Goooooooodddddd!!!!!! She is so self absorbent and just have been talking about how the abduction of her daughter is affecting her and her alone. She don't understand that the child was just not hers but also of the man who has already suffered so much in life and is now feeling as a failure as he couldn't save his own blood.. She thinks that she and her husband are on different page and if he shares her ideology and hope only then could they both save their marriage and as a mother whatever she says and does is the only right thing and every one should do the same and agree with her. But what I don't understand is why can't she try and understand why her hu is adamant that the child could be dead and not have the same hopes like her. Her family is yet another story as they are even more toxic than her and she goes to talk to them. No family encourages other to ruin their marriage and children lives like her does. Annnd my hate for her intensified after the Bar scene where she was all about having excitement and adrenaline rush when BRYCE was flirting cause it was soooo long she did that but when he was kissing her it was all the man's fault and none of hers which again I think was wrong
Let's go to the Main male lead.... Guilio
Anything excessive is wrong for all and he just is tooo gentlemanly too sweet and cari
caring which no one deserves especially
Valencia cause whatever effort he makes she and her depression her words not mine circles back to the kid and their different outlook about it. He goes around getting beaten from his brother, employees etc and no one respects him which is something I don't like at all. His sister in law for whom he did so much just thinks that he is not worth it for her sister and not even an ounce of thankfulness for him. His step brother is a fucking idiot and overall other than his own kids no one really care about him.
So all in all of you like a boon that is all about going back and forth and have an almost predictable ending This book is for you otherwise it's damn hard to connect to the characters
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 26, 2022
ugh yes the second chance married couple with problems trope gotta be my favourite genre
May 25, 2021
I cannot wait for the release of this book. I’m looking forward to reading it.
Update:
Merciful Vows was an emotional roller coaster. It was raw, passionate, heart wrenching, suspenseful, and frustrating (in a good way). This is a story of what happens after you thought you were finally living your happily ever after.
Giulio Giannotti was a man with a traumatic past, but he was a fighter and survivor. Now a successful business owner and happily married with kids, there was nothing that could possibly bring him back to the dark world that once consumed him. That is until a horrific tragedy threatened to take it all away - his business, his marriage, family, and even life.
I’m not going to talk much about the plot because this is one of those novels you are going to want to experience yourself . Trust me, the journey is very well worth it. The author, Vanessa Luisa, has written a masterpiece that allowed us to really get to know the characters inside and out. With most novels, the vulnerability of the characters isn’t exposed until mid-very end, but Merciful Vows was different. From the very beginning we are introduced to two very broken characters. Giulio and Valencia are two people who love very deeply but after they are faced with horrible tragedy, even their love may not be enough for their marriage to survive.
There was so much in this book that truly resonated with me. Not only did i relate to Valencia’s desperation and depression, but also with her relationship with her sister Helena. Their relationship evoked so many emotions in me.
There was so much I love about Vanessa Luisa’s writing and the way she was able to give us these imperfect characters who were struggling and dealing with loss, tragedy, and mental health. There aren’t many books that really address the mental health of the characters and how difficult it is to get that professional help when we need it. Through Valencia, she proved to us that we are not alone and that it is okay to ask for help. Sometimes we cannot do it alone and have to rely on the help of others no matter how hard that is.
I can go on and on about this book and still none of my words will do it any justice. Vanessa Luisa really knocked her debut novel out of the park. Not only did she gives us Giulio and Valencia, but we got Marcus, Helena, and Bryce. Merciful Vows is a story about lost and betrayal; about hope and forgiveness. This is a story about how tragedy changes us as a person and we stop being the person we once were. Giulio had to learn to love the woman Valencia was now and Valencia had to learn to accept Giulio as he was. The angst between them was INSANE!
I hope everyone who reads this book gets to experience this emotional journey and fall in love with Giulio, Valencia and their entire family.
Just a few of my favorite quotes:
“Our hidden imperfections say a lot about who we are at the surface.”
“Liars make the best promises.”
“Those who tell ya to leave are often the ones who need ya the most in the end.“
Update:
Merciful Vows was an emotional roller coaster. It was raw, passionate, heart wrenching, suspenseful, and frustrating (in a good way). This is a story of what happens after you thought you were finally living your happily ever after.
Giulio Giannotti was a man with a traumatic past, but he was a fighter and survivor. Now a successful business owner and happily married with kids, there was nothing that could possibly bring him back to the dark world that once consumed him. That is until a horrific tragedy threatened to take it all away - his business, his marriage, family, and even life.
I’m not going to talk much about the plot because this is one of those novels you are going to want to experience yourself . Trust me, the journey is very well worth it. The author, Vanessa Luisa, has written a masterpiece that allowed us to really get to know the characters inside and out. With most novels, the vulnerability of the characters isn’t exposed until mid-very end, but Merciful Vows was different. From the very beginning we are introduced to two very broken characters. Giulio and Valencia are two people who love very deeply but after they are faced with horrible tragedy, even their love may not be enough for their marriage to survive.
There was so much in this book that truly resonated with me. Not only did i relate to Valencia’s desperation and depression, but also with her relationship with her sister Helena. Their relationship evoked so many emotions in me.
There was so much I love about Vanessa Luisa’s writing and the way she was able to give us these imperfect characters who were struggling and dealing with loss, tragedy, and mental health. There aren’t many books that really address the mental health of the characters and how difficult it is to get that professional help when we need it. Through Valencia, she proved to us that we are not alone and that it is okay to ask for help. Sometimes we cannot do it alone and have to rely on the help of others no matter how hard that is.
I can go on and on about this book and still none of my words will do it any justice. Vanessa Luisa really knocked her debut novel out of the park. Not only did she gives us Giulio and Valencia, but we got Marcus, Helena, and Bryce. Merciful Vows is a story about lost and betrayal; about hope and forgiveness. This is a story about how tragedy changes us as a person and we stop being the person we once were. Giulio had to learn to love the woman Valencia was now and Valencia had to learn to accept Giulio as he was. The angst between them was INSANE!
I hope everyone who reads this book gets to experience this emotional journey and fall in love with Giulio, Valencia and their entire family.
Just a few of my favorite quotes:
“Our hidden imperfections say a lot about who we are at the surface.”
“Liars make the best promises.”
“Those who tell ya to leave are often the ones who need ya the most in the end.“
July 31, 2021
★ ★ ★ ★ ½
“𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙, 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡.”
I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance, especially with the ‘marriage in trouble’ trope. They just give me all the feels, and this book done that x10! I loved it, the plot was so interesting it’s one I haven’t read before, I just had to keep reading to find out the outcome of the story.
This story follows 𝘎𝘪𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢 𝘎𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪 who are living separately and sharing custody of their twin children, after their baby daughter was abducted 6 months ago. Their views on what has happened to their baby are what ultimately led them to separating, Giulio believes after 6 months with no leads on the case that their baby isn’t alive. Whereas Valencia believes she is and is not giving up hope, she can still feel her in her heart so she’s not giving up on finding her.
“𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎, 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑒.”
𝐼 𝑡𝑎𝑝 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡. “𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.”
❥𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎 was such a strong character, I loved her the way she held on to hope for her family and fought for them even while fighting her own battles with depression made me love her even more.
❥𝐺𝑖𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑜 was such a swoon worthy hero seriously! He’s sooo romantic it gave me all the butterflies, but don’t be fooled he would seriously kill anyone you hurts his family. The way he loves Valencia and his kids is so beautiful.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟.
𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔! ✨💛
“𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑔𝑜𝑜𝑑 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑏𝑎𝑑 𝑤𝑖𝑡ℎ 𝑦𝑜𝑢, 𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎. 𝐼 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑙𝑙, 𝑤ℎ𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑠𝑡.”
I’m a sucker for a good second chance romance, especially with the ‘marriage in trouble’ trope. They just give me all the feels, and this book done that x10! I loved it, the plot was so interesting it’s one I haven’t read before, I just had to keep reading to find out the outcome of the story.
This story follows 𝘎𝘪𝘶𝘭𝘪𝘰 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘝𝘢𝘭𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘪𝘢 𝘎𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘵𝘪 who are living separately and sharing custody of their twin children, after their baby daughter was abducted 6 months ago. Their views on what has happened to their baby are what ultimately led them to separating, Giulio believes after 6 months with no leads on the case that their baby isn’t alive. Whereas Valencia believes she is and is not giving up hope, she can still feel her in her heart so she’s not giving up on finding her.
“𝐿𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎, 𝑡𝑒𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑚𝑒.”
𝐼 𝑡𝑎𝑝 𝑚𝑦 ℎ𝑒𝑎𝑟𝑡. “𝑅𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒.”
❥𝑉𝑎𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑖𝑎 was such a strong character, I loved her the way she held on to hope for her family and fought for them even while fighting her own battles with depression made me love her even more.
❥𝐺𝑖𝑢𝑙𝑖𝑜 was such a swoon worthy hero seriously! He’s sooo romantic it gave me all the butterflies, but don’t be fooled he would seriously kill anyone you hurts his family. The way he loves Valencia and his kids is so beautiful.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑠𝑡𝑜𝑟𝑦 𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑤𝑒𝑒𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑑𝑜𝑤𝑛 𝑟𝑖𝑔ℎ𝑡 𝑔𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑡 𝑡𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠 𝑏𝑢𝑡 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠 𝑏𝑒𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑖𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑏𝑜𝑢𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑚 𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑤𝑎𝑦 𝑏𝑎𝑐𝑘 𝑡𝑜 𝑒𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟.
𝐸𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑛𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑠 𝑡𝑜 𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑙𝑦 𝑖𝑡’𝑠 𝑠𝑜 𝑎𝑚𝑎𝑧𝑖𝑛𝑔! ✨💛
May 25, 2021
Merciful Vows was such a great read! I really enjoyed reading it and I'm in love with Vanessa's writing style - I can't believe this is her first novel! I loved the development of the characters and their journey to mend their relationship. The plot was well-paced and the plot twists - expect the unexpected. That's a 100% rec to anyone, but keep in mind that it really is bittersweet and for some just... heavy. I can't even say how many times I cried together with Valencia or Giulio, but there were also numerous times where I laughed with them. Vanessa's just won a place on my top authors list and I'm "patiently" waiting for other books!
January 2, 2023
“Then if no storm lasts forever…the sun will soon come up again and kiss our skin. We’ll see the other side of this. Let’s not fear anything anymore.”
4.5 ⭐️
This book was inspiring and incredible. This story gives you hope. Everything Giulio & Valencia had to overcome is inspiring.
The plot was what kept this interesting. It was mysterious & it had me wondering who the hell was capable of kidnapping their daughter…the ending shocked me.
Overall, this was a good story.
4.5 ⭐️
This book was inspiring and incredible. This story gives you hope. Everything Giulio & Valencia had to overcome is inspiring.
The plot was what kept this interesting. It was mysterious & it had me wondering who the hell was capable of kidnapping their daughter…the ending shocked me.
Overall, this was a good story.
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