Endurance

Maura Quinn #2.5

by Ashley N. Rostek

Jamie & Louie


Grief and fear are a destructive combination.
Together they can make even the perfect man act irrationally.


Jamie

I failed to protect my family.
I won’t fail again.
I know she’ll end up hating me.
But it’s the price I’m willing to pay.
I can’t lose another person I love.
Especially not her.


Louie

Maura has become a shell of the woman I love.
Jameson is spiraling and I’m helpless to stop it.
They need me to stay strong for them.
I’m trying.
But the temptation to spiral right alongside Jameson is hard to resist.


***This is a 2.5 novella that retells events that transpired in Endure the Pain from Jamie's and Louie's POVs. Please do not read this unless you've read Endure the Pain first as it contains spoilers and will be hard to understand.
***Warning: This is a dark and twisted tale with violence, foul language, and sexual content. May contain triggers.

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, M F M, Dark, Menage, Contemporary, Why Choose

159 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 22, 2021

About the author

Ashley N. Rostek is a wife and mother by day and a writer by night. She survives on coffee, loves collecting offensive coffee mugs, and is an unashamed bibliophile.

To Ashley, there isn’t a better pastime than letting your mind escape in a good book. Her favorite genre is romance and has the overflowing bookshelf to prove it. She is a lover of love. Be it a sweet YA or a dark and lusty novel, she must read it!

Ashley’s passion is writing. She picked up the pen at seventeen and hasn’t put it down. Her debut novel is Embrace the Darkness, the first book in the Maura Quinn series.

For updates and sneak peeks on her upcoming projects, follow her on social media. Links below.

https://www.facebook.com/ashleynrostek/
https://www.instagram.com/ashleynrostek/

Reviews

[G · Rating 5 out of 5]

“The pain will pass, I promise. You just have to endure it until it does.”

Can this story get even sadder?
Firstly, I'd like to start by saying the Maura Quinn series is by far my favourite. Maura is a great FMC and love that she has a primary role in the family. In saying this, the POVs of Jamie and Louis were just as tragic as Maura's in book 2. It was really eye-opening to see how Jamie and Louis dealt with their grief and guilt.
I can't wait for the three of them to heal from their loss.The ending of this book and book two has me itching to read book 3. I just want them to have their HEA.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This novella actually gave a needed insight towards Jamie and Louie after that whole shit they tried to pull out in book 2. Like, a really shitty thing to do, no matter how good of an intention they had. It's a good novella to have in between waiting for the next book (which someone got to summarise what happened because I have poor memory).

[✧ FLINN ✧ (Semi-Hiatus) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Okay. It was mostly a repetition of book 2 from Jamie and Louie’s POV.

[a · Rating 2 out of 5]

useless

[Ren || Reading What I Want · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a fantastic change of pace in this series! It was the perfect length for a novella. I LOVE Maura, like full on lady boner Maura, so I admit I held a grudge against Jamie and Louie after Endure the Pain, especially against Jamie.

After reading this book, told in alternating POVs between Jamie and Louie...I STILL hold a grudge, maybe even more so. Their choices were bad. SO bad. Almost too bad, if you know what I mean. I see their side of it, but Jamie says it all when he says he fcked it all up. Cuz, yea, yea he did. Then Louie!! 😭

And then that ending? What Louie says about what's going to happen? I really, REALLY hope not or it will kill me. Things need to straighten out ASAP, y'all.

I am invested. 🤣

[Sammy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endurance is a novella in the Maura Quinn world. Read it after book 2 and before book# 3!

Ok so we all know how shit hit the fan in the end of book 2 and how painful some scenes were.. thank you Ashley.. but book 2.5 lets us go back to experience some scenes from the perspective of Louie and Jamie. I loved being able to see inside their heads and understand their pain, because it wasn't just Maura who went through something horrific, it was all of them. Jamie and Louie make a lot of mistakes but they're human and all they want is for Maura to be safe and happy.

I really enjoyed going back to reliving some of book 2 and getting a refresher on the series. Of course, this novella ends on a cliffhanger which will lead us into book 3. I'm so stressed about what will happen next!!

[Sanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was so nice to read the whole story from the boys eyes. I fell even more in love with all of them. Even though my heart sometimes bleeded, it was wonderful.  This book was again a wonderful piece of art that sucked me in from the first page. And now i can't even wait more for the next book!

[Irma *Irma The Book Whisperer* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endurance is written from Jamie & Louie's POV. It really answered a lot of questions of why they did what they did and acted they way they did. As soon as I started reading, I knew I wasn't moving until the last page.

Their story is gritty and raw.

Well-written and well-paced!

[Shedevilreads Bookstagram · Rating 5 out of 5]

Endurance by Ashley N. Rostek is a romantic suspense novella in the Maura Quinn series.

The book does come with a “Warning: This is a dark and twisted tale with violence, foul language, and sexual content. May contain triggers.”

I absolutely loved getting Jamie and Louie’s points of view from the events that transpired in Endure The Pain. Ashley is an amazing writer! I could feel all the emotions that Jamie and Louie were going through. I can’t wait for the next book in the series to be announced.

I would highly recommend this series if you like romantic suspense, dark romances, or mafia romances.

[Rebecca Norvitz Norvitz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ashley Rostek has broken me with this book. This is a novella to the Maura Quinn series written in the guys POV’s. Endurance Book 2.5 is something I never knew I needed. I have been completely obsessed with this author and this series since the moment Embrace the Darkness was released. Maura is a strong FMC. Her personality is witty with a side of crazy and she’s a shoot first ask questions later type of person. You learn Maura’s story in books 1 and 2. This book is written in her men’s POV during a difficult part in the story. I cannot explain to much without giving away major spoilers. This book is dark and heart wrenching! This is not RH, it is a ménage book. Ashley you better fix me! PS...Jaime is Kenia’s, Louie is Megan’s, and Asher is mine!

[Adrienne Sperla · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a much needed addition to the series and get ready for all the emotions. I absolutely love Jamie and Louis and think they are beyond perfect for Maura. They really disappointed me in book 2 but this novella redeemed them completely. This book is told in Jamie and Louis’s POV and we get to see their side of the story. All their pain and reasons for their decisions. The love they share for Maura is absolutely beautiful and breathtaking. I can’t wait for the 3rd and final book in this series. If you haven’t started yet you need to grab Embrace the Darkness ASAP. The series is amazing!

[Zoe-Amelia Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know this book isn't even released yet but I NEED THE NEXT ONE LIKE NOW!

How many times did you need to break my heart 💔😭

I was a little disappointed with our boys in the last book, but after reading their POVs and being inside their heads and understanding everything they went through and their thought processes... Well I can forgive them 😍

These emotionless men are quite often hard to read and that probably why we were so hard on them in the last book. Their love for Maura truly holds no limits, and we get to see that during this book 🖤

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great novella coming from the boys pov's. I feel like we needed this to see what they were feeling and what their thoughts were after everything that had gone on in the first 2 books as it affected both of them aswell.

I mean, I was pissed with some of the things they did in the last book, so getting their perspective was refreshing to see that they just truly care for her and want her to be safe.

Now the wait is on for book 3 because re living that cliffy just wasn't good for the soul.

[Anna (read.all.night) · Rating 4 out of 5]

Seeing some of the events of Endure the Pain from the perspective of the guys was great. Jaime and Louie are perfect and their point of view helped add depth to the story and universe. I can’t wait to see what happens next and I feel like I’m waiting at the top of a roller coaster. I need to know!
This continues to be one of my fav mafia series and you should definitely read it!

4✨✨✨✨

[Jackie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5-4 stars

I’m actually not quite sure how I feel about this series. Some of it was good and some of it felt a bit off. I’m torn between having liked the heroine sometimes but also finding her kind of annoying at others. The whole “I’m going to let my darkness in” thing that was mentioned 100x got a bit old and the relationship with the third member of their trio felt a bit underdeveloped. Overall though I did find the story entertaining and I plan to read the third book whenever it comes out.

[Tanja · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endurance is a novella written from Jamie and Louie's perspectives on events happening in the Endure the Pain book. Plot-wise it doesn't give us anything new, but it does give us an outlook on their feelings during these events and explains their actions a bit better. I wouldn't say it's a necessary read for this series but it's nice to see things from their perspective

[Daphnne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yep totally in love both of them

I always understood why Maura needed them both and this just cemented it for me. I love being able to see what went down from their POV. Man but I hope they get their mafia HEA!

[Duchessbookworm · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book was needed in order to get perspective from Jamie and Louie. Now I NEED book 3.

[Ariella · Rating 5 out of 5]

amazing

I absolutely love this book. Maura is strong badass women. My heart breaks Maura and Jamie and Louie. I can’t wait to see what happens next.

[tuna · Rating 1 out of 5]

1.5 yeto

[Asia · Rating 2 out of 5]

[Main Energy · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not sure why this was really needed but ik

[Beth Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Once again, the Maura Quinn series leaves me SHOOK.

I adore this series as anyone who knows me knows, and this book was no different! In-fact it was completely refreshing and interesting to read the story from each perspective of our favourite men.

Although much of this book was their perspective from ETP we do get some extra story too which is amazingggg!

It was exciting to see inside the heads of both Jamie and Louie. After the tragic events both they and Maura go through, I thoroughly enjoyed getting to read their thoughts and feelings around everything that occurred.

The love they have for Maura is addicting and this book has made me love them even more! All they hope and wish is for her to be safe, happy and loved, and that is what they try to give her.

Waiting IMPATIENTLY for book 3. Ashley, once again you've smashed it!

[Jenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading the snapshots from book 2 from the point of Jamie & Louie. It really answered a lot of questions of why they did what they did and acted they way they did. Also, knowing how they felt about their family situation (No spoilers! Go read book 2!) was just heartbreaking. How they each felt about what happened and how they were each trying to deal with it. This book really enhances the story from book 2 which was filled with so much action, suspense and pain (both physical and emotional). This was a beautiful read and while it is not a must read to continue the series, you will be seriously missing some details that are amazing and beautifully written. So... it really is a must read, in my opinion, if you are reading the series. Don’t miss it!!

[Thea™ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Endurance is only a repeat of scenes from book #2 Endure the Pain (the 3 months Maura went 'missing' after she lost the baby), but then in Jamie's and Louie's POV. Not bad, but nothing new.

[Victoria Weston · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a quick read in the Maura Quinn series 2.5 and is from the guys point of view, Jamie and Louie. This quick novella gives us the reasons if you like on why they made certain decisions and did what they did.
We get to look on the other side of things so instead of seeing what Maura did which was book 2 we see what was happening to the guys and to Stefan and the plan that they had.

I love the way that this author writes and the suspense really pulls you in and you can really feel the emotion from the guys on how torn they were on helping but trying to protect her, they just went about it totally the wrong way.
I love that when I pick up a book from this author I know that I will be captivated throughout and the story will be amazing. You must read the series in order to get the full experience of the whole story and what is going on because they leave on cliff hangers and I cant wait to read book 3 in this series. This is a must read.

#endurance #endurethepain #embracethedarkness #mauraquinn #ashleynrostek #mafiaromance #irishmob #bookstagram #bookblog #bookish #booknerd #darkromancereads #darkromancebooks #readersofinstagram #enemiestolovers #newadultromance #reviewshelpauthors #bookblogger

My BLOG
https://www.facebook.com/VickisMagica...

[Kendra Wynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 bad ass *****

I found this author and read witsec for my first book and completely fell in love with all of the main characters! I was so pissed when I realized the rest of the series wasn't out yet! I immediately started to look at other books by this author and was not disappointed! Maura is a complete bad ass and I love Jamie and Louie! I can't wait to see where this series leads.....but just like witsec the series isn't complete yet! Grrrrr! I need to know what happens next! However I think this book was a little unnecessary and the author could have just started on the next book! I was excited to get to see Jamie and Louie's pov but it pretty much was a recap of the last book and not much was different. I thought maybe we would get some incite into what they went through for the three months Maura was gonna but it pretty much just said she was gone and then picked up when they found her at the hotel without much of what Jamie and Louie were up to in that time. Instead of putting out pretty much the same thing we could have just done with the next book in this series!

[romance book club · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have no words, I am obsessed.

First off I have a massive crush on Maura, I think I'm in love with a woman for the first time in my life.

This series had me gripped from the begining, boy did it start with a bang. I ended up reading all three books in less than two days.

Maura is an absolute badass, and I feel like I say this a lot about heroine's, but believe me when I say, you have never read another woman like her. The only other character I think would come close, would be Lana from the Mindfu*k series. And those are high standards!

"You’re it for me. My everything. I don’t care if you want to walk beside me in this life or take the lead, as long as you’re with me, that’s all that matters.”

The men in this book, ALL THE MEN is this book. I loved them all, despite their faults.

I went into this book blind and strongly recommend. Ashley has fast become one of my favourite authors, a definate must.

[Ken · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found myself craving this series more and more, the deeper I got into it. I truly enjoyed the plot twists and the character development, but definitely thought the last book could've used a little more time to breath and develop. As soon as you discover the mole(s) and traitor(s), they're gone or 'taken care of'... and then we're right back into normal life. That was a bit disappointing for how well everything else had developed and been thought out.

The biggest disappointment however was the ending. I feel like there should've been an extended epilogue to cover a slew of additional information that we only barely cracked into as readers. All in all though, everything was tied up nicely.

*I didn't do a full breakdown like I usually do here because it was too similar to what I had already stated in my previous two reviews of the first two books in this series. These are just my final thoughts.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved getting to see into Louie & Jamie's heads during the events of Endure the Pain and slightly after, giving us a little sneak peek into what book 3 will be like as well as the answer to the freaking book 2 cliffy Ashley left us on. Short & sweet take on just how far the guys are willing to go for Maura, letting nothing & no one stand in their way. Absolutely cannot wait for book 3 - bring it on! 😍
.....
When I’d asked her what color my morals were, she had responded with ‘a shade or two lighter than black.’
.....
“You and I are the same. If the two of us were on a sinking ship with three thousand other people and I had a choice between saving you or them, I’d choose you. I wouldn’t hesitate.