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Broken #3
Broken Trust
You can’t run from the past… or from a Bellanti.
I’ve always been a foolish girl.
I should have learned my lesson the first time a man betrayed me.
It hurt when Rico abandoned me. My father’s deal was agony.
Dante’s betrayal… it might kill me.
And there’s nothing I can do.
He’s not the kind of man who takes orders from his wife.
And he’ll never let me leave.
There’s nowhere I can go that he won’t find me.
My father forced me to marry him.
Dante made me love him.
It’s my turn to show them all what a Bellanti woman is...
Book Three of Three in the all-new angsty, sizzling Broken Series.
I’ve always been a foolish girl.
I should have learned my lesson the first time a man betrayed me.
It hurt when Rico abandoned me. My father’s deal was agony.
Dante’s betrayal… it might kill me.
And there’s nothing I can do.
He’s not the kind of man who takes orders from his wife.
And he’ll never let me leave.
There’s nowhere I can go that he won’t find me.
My father forced me to marry him.
Dante made me love him.
It’s my turn to show them all what a Bellanti woman is...
Book Three of Three in the all-new angsty, sizzling Broken Series.
292 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 9, 2021
817 people are currently reading
483 people want to read
About the author
Stella Gray
64 books744 followersStella Gray has always had her head in the clouds and has been writing since she was in high school. A contemporary romance author, she loves dark romances with morally gray men. When she’s not writing, she’s either in the kitchen testing out a new baking recipe or spending time in the great outdoors.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 104 reviews
May 27, 2023
#1 Broken Bride —2.5 stars
#2 Broken Vow — 1.75 stars
#3 Broken Trust — 2.25 stars
my main issue with this series is the fact that the H never grovelled and the h ALWAYS gave in so easily to his demands/the situations she landed herself in. i thought that some time away (temporary break up with the H) would do her spine some good and grow her some backbone, but nothing changed. the body betraying syndrome never went away either. i suppose, there was more action here than in the previous books, but nothing about the plot was really resolved. im not opposed to trying more of this authors books, but this first impression was not at all promising.
(read as an audiobook)
#2 Broken Vow — 1.75 stars
#3 Broken Trust — 2.25 stars
my main issue with this series is the fact that the H never grovelled and the h ALWAYS gave in so easily to his demands/the situations she landed herself in. i thought that some time away (temporary break up with the H) would do her spine some good and grow her some backbone, but nothing changed. the body betraying syndrome never went away either. i suppose, there was more action here than in the previous books, but nothing about the plot was really resolved. im not opposed to trying more of this authors books, but this first impression was not at all promising.
(read as an audiobook)
December 9, 2021
After Frankie found out the truth regarding the debt that her father owe the Bellanti's and how much that was owe she was devasted that Dante broke her trust, she left him again. I swear this couple can never get a break they have been marriage for all but two months and been to hell and back. First Frankie father sell her in an arranged marriage to settle a gambling debt and sold their winery as well, second Frankie "supposedly" 1st husband come to town and now Dante & Frankie are not legally marriaged so Dante kick her out the Bellanti estate and Rico her first huband just wanted to collect his part of the family wealth to find out they were not legally marriaged in first place. To add Dante was really still in love with Frankie and comes to her rescue and reclaims her. 3rd Frankie finds out after going back to work for Bellanit winery how much the debt was and that Dante was deceiving her all along after she gives him her 50% of her families winery.
Book 3 Frankie disappear in her red Jaguar not knowing it has GPS in it and Dante knows were she is. Frankie goes to Florida and rekindle her relationship with her estranged mother & finding out the truth on how their father blackmailed her to leaving her daughters. Frankie is now working in a greasy food diner that she can barely keep up. Dante interferes to try and help her, however with no avail. With the new illness and the threat over her and her sisters lives will Frankie take Dante help when he finally shows up at her work unannounced? The man Frankie loves to hate. Yes they leave open who acutal tampered with their fathers car, the race is on to find who responsible all while trying to keep their business legit and the people he loves safe. Will Dante finally let Frankie in on all the Bellanti's secrets? Forbidden is Marco Bellanti series let see if all will be reveal then...
Book 3 Frankie disappear in her red Jaguar not knowing it has GPS in it and Dante knows were she is. Frankie goes to Florida and rekindle her relationship with her estranged mother & finding out the truth on how their father blackmailed her to leaving her daughters. Frankie is now working in a greasy food diner that she can barely keep up. Dante interferes to try and help her, however with no avail. With the new illness and the threat over her and her sisters lives will Frankie take Dante help when he finally shows up at her work unannounced? The man Frankie loves to hate. Yes they leave open who acutal tampered with their fathers car, the race is on to find who responsible all while trying to keep their business legit and the people he loves safe. Will Dante finally let Frankie in on all the Bellanti's secrets? Forbidden is Marco Bellanti series let see if all will be reveal then...
October 4, 2024
It did not get better 🤡 even the cliffhanger did not get resolved. Girl drove over state lines to get away from him only him to touch her and was forgotten 🤦🏾♀️ the twists and turns made no sense either
Both MCs were bottom of the barrel
~~~~
It is not looking good but I’m still gonna be hopeful to the end 🤡
Both MCs were bottom of the barrel
~~~~
It is not looking good but I’m still gonna be hopeful to the end 🤡
March 26, 2022
That epilogue left me wanting Livvie's book asap. I spent the whole epilogue screaming at Frankie to show Dante that damn picture omfg. Anyways, I really love Dante and Frankie.
February 16, 2022
2 stars
I did it! I read the whole trilogy, line by line. It nearly killed my sanity, but I did it.
Same settings as the past two books: incoherent plots with bad editing (e.g. Ruby is suddenly an old timer at Bellanti office while she was a young thing in Book One - I guess that working with inanities all day does make you age at rapid speed!) The story was a little lack lustre compared to Book Two (thus knocking one star off this time) as there was less exalting romantic angst this time around. Frankie is still very bratty and hare-brained and the main issue that has always been between the H and the h is still there, unattended and conveniently forgotten until the next time Frankie wants to heat up things for some hot sex session.
Surprisingly, Frankie had the gall to reproach to Dante that his lack of communication and trust stand between them but I am not seeing her making much efforts to actually ask and learn the truth. It was really, really lame, that the author made Frankie kick such a fuss about the amount of her dad's debt and the issue of Dante not forgiving their loan (it was the whole cliffhanger of Book Two) and guess what? This issue is not revisited at all by the end of this book 🤬!!! Is this a joke?
My guess is that the author could not come up with a plausible reason, because else it would be of pure bad taste to keep that back for the next two trilogies with the two other brothers (I am assuming they will be trilogies as well - anyways, unless the next book is about Marco and Livvie, I am not seeing how long the author can keep back this piece of info as it would not make sense in Dante's book/s with Candi); that really feels cheap and it will already be old, uninteresting news by then.
The danger hanging over the Bellantis is of course not explained as the author wants to cash on it in further books (how can two mob families, one in Frisco and one in Chicago, not know about the kill notices when even petty creditors know about it??). And no real explanation about their dad either.
And what about Jessica and the addition of the tattooed bodyguard? Again contrived plotlines with ropes as thick as my wrist... for the Marco's book/s. The Bellantis are real sh*t for vetting it seems. Laughable indeed!
Anyways, I am so done with this trilogy and I am now free to cleanse my eyes with better literature. I will definitely skim-read Marco's and Dante's books because I am curious now that I invested time, but not curious enough to read them as I did this first trilogy. My tablet is fed up with the number of highlights and rant-comments I added while reading (a record for everything I have read so far) and it deserves a break 🤒.
P.S. Dear Author, you have the good ingredients, please fire your editor and find one who can bring out coherent flow in the plot.
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My review for Book One: here
My review for Book Two: here
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 10, 2021
anti-climactic
nothing is resolved
the H & h are happy but the greater issues that plague them are not addressed
The mystery of who is out to hurt the H and h is not resolved.
Ends with a teaser of the h's sister in trouble.
nothing is resolved
the H & h are happy but the greater issues that plague them are not addressed
The mystery of who is out to hurt the H and h is not resolved.
Ends with a teaser of the h's sister in trouble.
November 16, 2021
I Had Really High Hopes
Frankie and Dante finally got their HEA but not entirely, as there is still a threaten hanging over the Ballanti family. This book picks up where book two, Broken Vow, ended, and I had high hopes that book three would be way more intense, but it wasn't.
Frankie left Dante after discovering he was lying to her only to realize she was pregnant while staying with her mom and working as a waitress. Dante being who he is, knew exactly where Frankie was and went to bring her home when a threat against the family was uncovered. Dante continued to keep secrets, only revealing the bare minimum to Frankie when it became impossible to hide it from her and decided to get back in bed with the mob to protect his family at all costs.
The story is great, it has an excellent plot and fantastic build-up, but it was just anticlimactic. There were so many unanswered questions and unresolved issues. There is not a lot of action or violence, which is great if you do not like graphic stories, but there is a near-rape scene. So be mindful of that trigger.
Frankie went back to Dante without putting up much of a fight, and Dante is still arrogant, overbearing and bullheaded. I wish Frankie had more backbone and stood her ground especially given that she's carrying the next generation of the Ballanti's.
There were things I both liked and disliked about the main characters, but I absolutely enjoyed the secondary characters.
Frankie and Dante finally got their HEA but not entirely, as there is still a threaten hanging over the Ballanti family. This book picks up where book two, Broken Vow, ended, and I had high hopes that book three would be way more intense, but it wasn't.
Frankie left Dante after discovering he was lying to her only to realize she was pregnant while staying with her mom and working as a waitress. Dante being who he is, knew exactly where Frankie was and went to bring her home when a threat against the family was uncovered. Dante continued to keep secrets, only revealing the bare minimum to Frankie when it became impossible to hide it from her and decided to get back in bed with the mob to protect his family at all costs.
The story is great, it has an excellent plot and fantastic build-up, but it was just anticlimactic. There were so many unanswered questions and unresolved issues. There is not a lot of action or violence, which is great if you do not like graphic stories, but there is a near-rape scene. So be mindful of that trigger.
Frankie went back to Dante without putting up much of a fight, and Dante is still arrogant, overbearing and bullheaded. I wish Frankie had more backbone and stood her ground especially given that she's carrying the next generation of the Ballanti's.
There were things I both liked and disliked about the main characters, but I absolutely enjoyed the secondary characters.
June 5, 2023
Broken trust
I loved reading the growth of Frankie throughout this series, she was able to bring a cruel cold hearted Bellanti to his knees. I'm definitely paying attention to this author now.
I loved reading the growth of Frankie throughout this series, she was able to bring a cruel cold hearted Bellanti to his knees. I'm definitely paying attention to this author now.
October 30, 2021
Non-stop action from start to finish really kept me flipping the pages in this final book in the Broken Series from Stella Gray. As if I wasn't already captivated by Dante Bellanti, Broken Trust took my adoration to a new level! I LOVED, LOVED, LOVED Dante in this book. All his smoldering Alpha-male action had me wishing I could switch places with his beloved Frankie! Notice I said, "switch places" NOT "be her." I wanted to like her more, but it just was not happening. I didn't care for her at the beginning of this story, then I liked her a bit more in Book 2, so I was hopeful. Sadly, when I started reading Book 3, she annoyed me from the get-go and I just couldn't get past it. Oh well, you can't always love all the characters when you read. Luckily for me, Dante was large and in-charge in this book and I couldn't have been happier! He really captured all my emotions and held them hostage until the very end. Could he have been a bit less "cave-man" at times? Sure! But then, look who he was dealing with...his beautiful wife, Frankie, who was so childish at times, I had trouble remembering she was a married adult! My heart ached for Dante.
I just wanted to smack Frankie and tell her to wise up! HA! Basically, if you like Dante, you're going to LOVE this book and series! There was plenty of conflict, plenty of steaminess, and plenty of emotional ups and downs to go around and keep your interest. If you like these things when you read, then this series is for you. Grab it and enjoy! I did!
I just wanted to smack Frankie and tell her to wise up! HA! Basically, if you like Dante, you're going to LOVE this book and series! There was plenty of conflict, plenty of steaminess, and plenty of emotional ups and downs to go around and keep your interest. If you like these things when you read, then this series is for you. Grab it and enjoy! I did!
November 9, 2021
BROKEN TRUST by Stella Gray is book Three in the Broken Series. This continues the story of Dante Bellanti and Francesca Abbott 'Frankie. So, you really should read the previous books: Broken Bride and Broken Vow before starting this one. Dante is full on possessive when seeking to get his wife back. Especially shown when he turns up where she is working demanding that she return to him. Frankie is gonna give him a run for his money. This has been such a great Trilogy...a page turning read. I would recommend this series and this author's writing. I sure will be looking for more books from this author!
November 10, 2021
I’m so happy Dante and Frankie finally got there happy ending. They had so many ups and downs throughout this trilogy but all my questions have finally been answered and I’m happy how the series played out
December 16, 2021
Dante and Frankie are pure fire though there are alot of surprises and bumps in the road for them that keeps you turning those pages. I was so excited for this one and it delivered so much. My heart is happy.
March 1, 2024
❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
💋💋
Mafia Romance, kidnapping, imprisonment, abuse, violence.
💋💋
Mafia Romance, kidnapping, imprisonment, abuse, violence.
November 12, 2021
It was so lovely to jump back into this story since it’s been a roller coaster between Frankie and Dante throughout books 1 and 2. Their relationship (as most do in this genre) start off on someone be forced into a relationship that they didn’t want, for reasons they didn’t know, and then there’s an evolution of hate turning into love. and then of course there are lies and withholding of information that causes the fragile foundation to crumble.
What we saw at the end of book 2 is exactly that. They had something great, Dante was able to turn off the harsh cold side of himself for a bit and they went away and had a romantic weekend. All for that to come crashing down when Frankie discovered the terms of the deal that her father made with, and realizes that there was almost no value placed on her worth when she was traded to clear a debt.
So, we watched Frankie leave Dante and walk away from the life that they had, and we learn that she’s gone to Florida, to Miami to stay with her mom for a bit. While she’s there, she also learns that she’s pregnant, meaning that as much as she wants to be done with Dante, she never will be now.
Dante knows where she is, he’s tracked her and assumes that she’ll come back, but when weeks go by and that doesn’t happen, he decides to go after her. What we see from there is expected. Frankie is angry that he won’t leave her alone, yet she’s drawn to him from the chemistry and bond that they’ve developed. She finds that she can’t stay away, her heart won’t let her even though her head is telling her to run. IT’s not until he brings in the big guns, the whole family to bring her back and we see that turn a corner.
That break is short lived of course though because there’s someone gunning for the Bellantis and for the Abbotts and no one is safe. Livvie has to go into hiding. The sisters have to be extra protected by their husbands and there’s no idea yet who’s after them. We know that there’s a blonde man with a tattoo on his neck that paid off a mechanic to tamper with Dante’s father’s car which ended up in his death, and we also learned that a similar fate was planned for Marco which makes Dante even on more edge since Marco is a bit more free wheeling and a race car driver that doesn’t have boundaries.
We watch how the notion of a baby changes the dynamic of the entire cast – there are those that are happy and those that are happy with a twinge of jealousy. But we can only hope that it will firm up the bond in the families. until someone comes and hurts what doesn’t belong to him.
Both Frankie and her sister Charlie are caught in the crossfire, both end up in the ER and only one comes out relatively unscathed. The trajectory of this story changes and we can only hope for a better outcome down the road.
On top of all this nonsense, Jessica is still around and that angers Frankie almost as much as the lies on the circumstances of the marriage. Jessica wants Dante and wants to get everything that Frankie has but quickly learn that perhaps she’s now set her sights on another Bellanti and that cannot be a good thing for anyone.
So, in the epilogue, we see how things resolve, perhaps not to how we hoped, but then we realize that there is far more that hasn’t been tied up than we wanted. The idea that Livvie and her mom are protected, hidden in New Orleans is a reassurance, however when we realize who her bodyguard is, there’s an entire new reason to have anxiety. AND….her story isn’t the next in the series which means that we have to wait so much longer to find out how that works out. UNFAIR yet so smart by our author. We now get a story tied to Marco which I think will be great since he likes to live life far more dangerously than the other brothers.
What we saw at the end of book 2 is exactly that. They had something great, Dante was able to turn off the harsh cold side of himself for a bit and they went away and had a romantic weekend. All for that to come crashing down when Frankie discovered the terms of the deal that her father made with, and realizes that there was almost no value placed on her worth when she was traded to clear a debt.
So, we watched Frankie leave Dante and walk away from the life that they had, and we learn that she’s gone to Florida, to Miami to stay with her mom for a bit. While she’s there, she also learns that she’s pregnant, meaning that as much as she wants to be done with Dante, she never will be now.
Dante knows where she is, he’s tracked her and assumes that she’ll come back, but when weeks go by and that doesn’t happen, he decides to go after her. What we see from there is expected. Frankie is angry that he won’t leave her alone, yet she’s drawn to him from the chemistry and bond that they’ve developed. She finds that she can’t stay away, her heart won’t let her even though her head is telling her to run. IT’s not until he brings in the big guns, the whole family to bring her back and we see that turn a corner.
That break is short lived of course though because there’s someone gunning for the Bellantis and for the Abbotts and no one is safe. Livvie has to go into hiding. The sisters have to be extra protected by their husbands and there’s no idea yet who’s after them. We know that there’s a blonde man with a tattoo on his neck that paid off a mechanic to tamper with Dante’s father’s car which ended up in his death, and we also learned that a similar fate was planned for Marco which makes Dante even on more edge since Marco is a bit more free wheeling and a race car driver that doesn’t have boundaries.
We watch how the notion of a baby changes the dynamic of the entire cast – there are those that are happy and those that are happy with a twinge of jealousy. But we can only hope that it will firm up the bond in the families. until someone comes and hurts what doesn’t belong to him.
Both Frankie and her sister Charlie are caught in the crossfire, both end up in the ER and only one comes out relatively unscathed. The trajectory of this story changes and we can only hope for a better outcome down the road.
On top of all this nonsense, Jessica is still around and that angers Frankie almost as much as the lies on the circumstances of the marriage. Jessica wants Dante and wants to get everything that Frankie has but quickly learn that perhaps she’s now set her sights on another Bellanti and that cannot be a good thing for anyone.
So, in the epilogue, we see how things resolve, perhaps not to how we hoped, but then we realize that there is far more that hasn’t been tied up than we wanted. The idea that Livvie and her mom are protected, hidden in New Orleans is a reassurance, however when we realize who her bodyguard is, there’s an entire new reason to have anxiety. AND….her story isn’t the next in the series which means that we have to wait so much longer to find out how that works out. UNFAIR yet so smart by our author. We now get a story tied to Marco which I think will be great since he likes to live life far more dangerously than the other brothers.
December 8, 2021
3 stars
I think the character Frankie A person who is irresponsible, running away from problems such as marriage. When she knew that she was married and understood that marriage was legal. Why did she agree to marry Dante? If marriage to Rico wasn't legal. The marriage with Dante was null and void. When she explained to her sister She said she wanted a divorce but Rico disappeared, but the truth Rico tried to contact Frankie but she didn't answer. If she arranged the divorce in the first place Before marrying Dante The story wouldn't be messed up. And I'm even more irritated When she disobeyed and fled with her sister until she nearly had a miscarriage, I was furious. She knew how dire the situation was. She promised Dante that she would take care of herself. But she betrayed his trust. I think Frankie is very self-centered and unreasonable. from her own impatience She made the novel less enjoyable.
Dante, I sometimes confuse him with his actions.
Sometimes he thought of his father's words. Telling them not to trust women, they betray them, and Dante is very angry with Frankie over Rico. He cursed her harshly, but after a few chapters, he confessed that he loved her and was good to her. It made me very confused as to whether he was angry or not.
Sometimes I feel like Frankie and Dante are out of character. it's disappointing And there are still many issues that the writers haven't answered. It's like an unfinished story like Jessica
P.S. I've read Stella Gray's novels before, so I decided to buy this and found that the price was very high considering the number of pages. It's disappointing that I only paid 6.99 with 180-210 pages.
I think the character Frankie A person who is irresponsible, running away from problems such as marriage. When she knew that she was married and understood that marriage was legal. Why did she agree to marry Dante? If marriage to Rico wasn't legal. The marriage with Dante was null and void. When she explained to her sister She said she wanted a divorce but Rico disappeared, but the truth Rico tried to contact Frankie but she didn't answer. If she arranged the divorce in the first place Before marrying Dante The story wouldn't be messed up. And I'm even more irritated When she disobeyed and fled with her sister until she nearly had a miscarriage, I was furious. She knew how dire the situation was. She promised Dante that she would take care of herself. But she betrayed his trust. I think Frankie is very self-centered and unreasonable. from her own impatience She made the novel less enjoyable.
Dante, I sometimes confuse him with his actions.
Sometimes he thought of his father's words. Telling them not to trust women, they betray them, and Dante is very angry with Frankie over Rico. He cursed her harshly, but after a few chapters, he confessed that he loved her and was good to her. It made me very confused as to whether he was angry or not.
Sometimes I feel like Frankie and Dante are out of character. it's disappointing And there are still many issues that the writers haven't answered. It's like an unfinished story like Jessica
P.S. I've read Stella Gray's novels before, so I decided to buy this and found that the price was very high considering the number of pages. It's disappointing that I only paid 6.99 with 180-210 pages.
July 19, 2022
**I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest voluntary review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**
What a finale! This was pretty action packed from start to finish.
I like how we tied up Dante's story though I felt like some things between him and Frankie needed to be better resolved a little better. Maybe that's just a me thing though.
I'm excited for the next trilogy set in this world. The little inklings of what is to come in future stories has me eagerly awaiting the new series!
Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!
Full Review: https://wp.me/p7hLUw-3BF
Actual Rating: 4/5
November 23, 2021
Sigh. I’m usually a huge fan of Stella Gray but this series was just not it for me.
This book itself was just a jumble of scattered plot and inconsistent translation to the reader of what exactly was going on. While the plot tried to be there, it was just all over the place for me.
There wasn’t really a huge resolution per say but it’s somewhat there. Obviously it leaves it open ended enough for the continuation of the family story with another brother.
This book itself was just a jumble of scattered plot and inconsistent translation to the reader of what exactly was going on. While the plot tried to be there, it was just all over the place for me.
There wasn’t really a huge resolution per say but it’s somewhat there. Obviously it leaves it open ended enough for the continuation of the family story with another brother.
November 20, 2021
She is foolish. She continues to run. Her sister & her were stupid to go out for GNO on their own. She risked her baby. They both knew what they married into. I was disappointed in this final book.
November 9, 2021
First of all, can’t believe how much I loved this series!! Stella Gray is a new author and this whole series has been absolutely phenomenal!! So much angst and emotion in Broken Trust, it also took Her-culean strength to put this book down too. I was eager to see where Frankie went but also to see how Dante would get her home!!
At the end of Broken Vows Frankie has left NAPA in a blazing trail of dust. After finding out just how much Dante had scored the family property and her for left her steaming. So off she goes across country to her mom who lives in Florida. She’s working as a waitress in a greasy spoon café, getting paid next to nothing and to top it all off she finds out that she is preggo with Dante’s baby. Meanwhile Dante is getting anxious about her being gone and finally jets off to return her to California with him. During the time that Frankie has been gone Dante and his men have been trying to figure out who has it out for the Bellanti family. Of course you know that there is no way that Frankie is going to go easily.
Arriving at work Frankie is quickly cognizant of a customer with dark, shiny hair… turns out it’s Dante!! Needless to say there reunion was less than cordial ending up with Frankie loosing her breakfast in Dante’s lap… on his Tom Ford suit!! The best part of all of this was Frankie selecting his clothes and having him tell off her boss wearing them. I laughed my a$$ off!! And as you would expect, Dante took her from work to his luxurious room to recharge, eat and have his way with her. Once again, she will walk out on Dante. Taking her jag she’s off to clear her head.
Returning to her mom’s place she is met by not only Dante and his brothers but by her sisters, Livvie & Charlie too. There is a discussion regarding the safety of everyone and a plan is put into place for everyone’s safety. And then there is mysterious knock on the door but when Armani answers everyone is surprised to find that Dante has ordered Thanksgiving dinner for everyone to feast on. One again, Dante has shown what a good man he is and the lengths he will go to have Frankie by his side. I loved this so much and seeing the Abbott girls were all reunited with their mother. With plans in place for everyone’s safety they all fly to their final destinations.
One thing is for sure is that if you’ve thought you loved Dante before Broken Trust you are going to be absolutely smitten with him now. Him and Frankie are so filled with so much heat and passion. YIKES? And even though the road has been bumpy for these two be prepared for one hell of an ending too!!
At the end of Broken Vows Frankie has left NAPA in a blazing trail of dust. After finding out just how much Dante had scored the family property and her for left her steaming. So off she goes across country to her mom who lives in Florida. She’s working as a waitress in a greasy spoon café, getting paid next to nothing and to top it all off she finds out that she is preggo with Dante’s baby. Meanwhile Dante is getting anxious about her being gone and finally jets off to return her to California with him. During the time that Frankie has been gone Dante and his men have been trying to figure out who has it out for the Bellanti family. Of course you know that there is no way that Frankie is going to go easily.
Arriving at work Frankie is quickly cognizant of a customer with dark, shiny hair… turns out it’s Dante!! Needless to say there reunion was less than cordial ending up with Frankie loosing her breakfast in Dante’s lap… on his Tom Ford suit!! The best part of all of this was Frankie selecting his clothes and having him tell off her boss wearing them. I laughed my a$$ off!! And as you would expect, Dante took her from work to his luxurious room to recharge, eat and have his way with her. Once again, she will walk out on Dante. Taking her jag she’s off to clear her head.
Returning to her mom’s place she is met by not only Dante and his brothers but by her sisters, Livvie & Charlie too. There is a discussion regarding the safety of everyone and a plan is put into place for everyone’s safety. And then there is mysterious knock on the door but when Armani answers everyone is surprised to find that Dante has ordered Thanksgiving dinner for everyone to feast on. One again, Dante has shown what a good man he is and the lengths he will go to have Frankie by his side. I loved this so much and seeing the Abbott girls were all reunited with their mother. With plans in place for everyone’s safety they all fly to their final destinations.
One thing is for sure is that if you’ve thought you loved Dante before Broken Trust you are going to be absolutely smitten with him now. Him and Frankie are so filled with so much heat and passion. YIKES? And even though the road has been bumpy for these two be prepared for one hell of an ending too!!
March 29, 2023
4.00 There were things I liked about this story and things that made me take pause.
Dante's character throughout this trilogy has gone through changes with some in a positive way and others in a negative way. By book 3 he still had some obnoxious moods, but those moods became fewer in nature as he had to decide whether to become his father and continue his heinous legacy or to be his own man and choose the light over the darkness. He chose the light and started to become the man he wanted to be, not the man his father had tried to make him even when he had to engage the Mob into one last alliance in order to find out who was trying to wipe out his family. By books' end it still wasn't clear as to why he held the payment over Frankie's fathers head, instead of forgiving it as he had the others once Enzo was dead. I assumed it had something to do with getting control over Frankie's fathers' vineyard and further advancing the Bellanti Vineyards since he and his brothers had gone legit and were digressing from the Mob. His character fought the darkness that his father had instilled in him to finally put Enzo's memory where it belonged....buried. By books' end he had come full circle and started to understand what it meant to trust and love Frankie and appreciate the people that were there to support him unconditionally....his family.
Frankie's character was feisty, smart and didn't take allot of Dante's crap, but also did some stupid things. I can't believe she married Dante knowing that she had already (or believed she had) been previously married, but never divorced. I don't care how young you are or embarrassed you are, you don't just walk away without filing for a divorce from a man who duped you and then dropped you within days of getting married. She wasn't always great at picking her battles but got better in Book 3 since Dante could go from caring to cold very quickly. Overall, I liked her character and her determination not to be ran over by Dante, but didn't always agree with her actions in relationship to the consequences of those actions.
It was a good read and knew going into it that Marco, Armante and Livvi got their stories. I didn't expect the series to end with Dante and Frankie since there are nine books (with more to come) in the entire series, so the ending was no surprise.
I loved that the book took a Mafia family that was fighting and struggling to get away from the Mob, but was pulled back into it due to a threat that they thought had died years' before.
I suggest that you read all of the stories in this series because it is all interwoven.
Dante's character throughout this trilogy has gone through changes with some in a positive way and others in a negative way. By book 3 he still had some obnoxious moods, but those moods became fewer in nature as he had to decide whether to become his father and continue his heinous legacy or to be his own man and choose the light over the darkness. He chose the light and started to become the man he wanted to be, not the man his father had tried to make him even when he had to engage the Mob into one last alliance in order to find out who was trying to wipe out his family. By books' end it still wasn't clear as to why he held the payment over Frankie's fathers head, instead of forgiving it as he had the others once Enzo was dead. I assumed it had something to do with getting control over Frankie's fathers' vineyard and further advancing the Bellanti Vineyards since he and his brothers had gone legit and were digressing from the Mob. His character fought the darkness that his father had instilled in him to finally put Enzo's memory where it belonged....buried. By books' end he had come full circle and started to understand what it meant to trust and love Frankie and appreciate the people that were there to support him unconditionally....his family.
Frankie's character was feisty, smart and didn't take allot of Dante's crap, but also did some stupid things. I can't believe she married Dante knowing that she had already (or believed she had) been previously married, but never divorced. I don't care how young you are or embarrassed you are, you don't just walk away without filing for a divorce from a man who duped you and then dropped you within days of getting married. She wasn't always great at picking her battles but got better in Book 3 since Dante could go from caring to cold very quickly. Overall, I liked her character and her determination not to be ran over by Dante, but didn't always agree with her actions in relationship to the consequences of those actions.
It was a good read and knew going into it that Marco, Armante and Livvi got their stories. I didn't expect the series to end with Dante and Frankie since there are nine books (with more to come) in the entire series, so the ending was no surprise.
I loved that the book took a Mafia family that was fighting and struggling to get away from the Mob, but was pulled back into it due to a threat that they thought had died years' before.
I suggest that you read all of the stories in this series because it is all interwoven.
November 10, 2021
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.
I've always been a foolish girl. I should have learned my lesson the first time a man betrayed me. It hurt when Rico abandoned me. My father's deal was agony. Dante's betrayal...it might kill me. And there's nothing I can do. He's not the kind of man who takes orders from his wife. And he will never let me leave. There's not where I can go that he won't find me. My father forced me to marry him. Dante made me love him. It's my turn to show them all what a Bellanti woman is.
This is the third and final book in the Broken Series from Stella Gray. You have to read Broken Bride and Broken Vow first or you are going to be lost. From the start of this book to the very end you are going to be so engrossed and not able to put this book down. It is nonstop action from the first page to the last. If you have a thing for Dante Bellanti in the previous books then you are really going to fall so, so in love with him in Broken trust. I swear I need a Dante of my very own. He is the ultimate alpha male and he really lets all that alpha greatness in this book. Frankie is well....Frankie. I have never been her biggest fan and I at times wonder how these two every even make anything between them work really. I don't know if I never really could connect with her fully or if she is just one of these character's that you do not really like. Maybe he feels that way at times because he really lets it all fly in this book and Frankie is just really childish at times. You just really wanted to shake the snot out of her. Even still though it might sound like the book wouldn't be a five star read because of Frankie but it so is. It's a Dante fest and I was happy to ride out the ending of this book with him. Trust me you are probably going to want to smack Frankie around a little and that's fine too. We can't all like everyone all the time in all the books we read but even with that it's still a great book that just works and that is because of the great writing that I have fallen in love with too while reading the Broken Series.
I've always been a foolish girl. I should have learned my lesson the first time a man betrayed me. It hurt when Rico abandoned me. My father's deal was agony. Dante's betrayal...it might kill me. And there's nothing I can do. He's not the kind of man who takes orders from his wife. And he will never let me leave. There's not where I can go that he won't find me. My father forced me to marry him. Dante made me love him. It's my turn to show them all what a Bellanti woman is.
This is the third and final book in the Broken Series from Stella Gray. You have to read Broken Bride and Broken Vow first or you are going to be lost. From the start of this book to the very end you are going to be so engrossed and not able to put this book down. It is nonstop action from the first page to the last. If you have a thing for Dante Bellanti in the previous books then you are really going to fall so, so in love with him in Broken trust. I swear I need a Dante of my very own. He is the ultimate alpha male and he really lets all that alpha greatness in this book. Frankie is well....Frankie. I have never been her biggest fan and I at times wonder how these two every even make anything between them work really. I don't know if I never really could connect with her fully or if she is just one of these character's that you do not really like. Maybe he feels that way at times because he really lets it all fly in this book and Frankie is just really childish at times. You just really wanted to shake the snot out of her. Even still though it might sound like the book wouldn't be a five star read because of Frankie but it so is. It's a Dante fest and I was happy to ride out the ending of this book with him. Trust me you are probably going to want to smack Frankie around a little and that's fine too. We can't all like everyone all the time in all the books we read but even with that it's still a great book that just works and that is because of the great writing that I have fallen in love with too while reading the Broken Series.
December 19, 2022
I was super interested to see how things would resolve themselves with Frankie leaving California. I knew Dante wouldn’t let her go. I did feel like their reconciliation was a little underwhelming. I think I was looking for a bit of a big gesture from Dante. I did enjoy that we saw a bit more of the mafia aspect of the storyline. While I still felt like this story is mafia-light, there was a bit more action which was a great balance to the relationship aspect of the story. The ending was satisfying but left me with several questions. I’m not sure if they will be resolved in the rest of the series, but Jessica is a piece of work and needs to go. She is like a cold sore that keeps popping back up.
Frankie leaves Dante after discovering his lies and flees to her mother’s apartment in Florida. Trying to make a new life, things get complicated when she makes a discovery. Dante, unwilling to wait any longer, comes for Frankie. With the threats to the Bellanti family, Frankie agrees to return to California where she and Dante have a rocky reconciliation and she makes her place in their family.
The bones of this story were great, but there were a few misses for me. I wish that Frankie had consistently been the strong woman she is supposed to be. I found her impulsiveness and explosive anger towards Dante a little trying. There was so much miscommunication between Dante and Frankie. I wanted that moment where they were on the same page and presented a unified front against something. Sadly that moment really didn’t happen and it almost made me feel like the other shoe was going to drop again. However, I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes and to see how Stella ties up the loose ends she left for the rest of the series.
Frankie leaves Dante after discovering his lies and flees to her mother’s apartment in Florida. Trying to make a new life, things get complicated when she makes a discovery. Dante, unwilling to wait any longer, comes for Frankie. With the threats to the Bellanti family, Frankie agrees to return to California where she and Dante have a rocky reconciliation and she makes her place in their family.
The bones of this story were great, but there were a few misses for me. I wish that Frankie had consistently been the strong woman she is supposed to be. I found her impulsiveness and explosive anger towards Dante a little trying. There was so much miscommunication between Dante and Frankie. I wanted that moment where they were on the same page and presented a unified front against something. Sadly that moment really didn’t happen and it almost made me feel like the other shoe was going to drop again. However, I am looking forward to seeing where this series goes and to see how Stella ties up the loose ends she left for the rest of the series.
November 15, 2021
3.75-4 stars out of 5
Broken Trust is the third and final installment in the Broken Trilogy and cannot be read as a standalone. The series follows the arranged/enforced marriage between Dante and Francesca aka Frankie. Their marriage is volatile and at times toxic but you can't doubt their complete and utter love for each other, even following the cliffhanger at the end of both Broken Bride, the first book in the series, and Broken Vow, the second.
I really can't go into the story without giving away the previous books information so instead I'll focus on how I felt coming to the end of the trilogy.
I enjoyed the series as a whole. My reasoning for taking an entire star off my rating is down to the fact there are some unresolved issues at the end which will be revisited in the next interconnected series featuring other family members. I really wanted to get a little more resolution to the "whodunnit" part of the series. The rest of the series was great. I liked the world building and the plethora of secondary characters were well rounded. I liked the character growth and the development of a true bond between our wedded couple despite, or mayhap because of, everything that made them so wrong for each other.
Other than the big whodunnit thing the rest is tied up in a big beautiful bow and I was happy the story took us where it did. I would recommend the series as a whole.
My thanks to the author and Candi Kane PR for the early copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
Broken Trust is the third and final installment in the Broken Trilogy and cannot be read as a standalone. The series follows the arranged/enforced marriage between Dante and Francesca aka Frankie. Their marriage is volatile and at times toxic but you can't doubt their complete and utter love for each other, even following the cliffhanger at the end of both Broken Bride, the first book in the series, and Broken Vow, the second.
I really can't go into the story without giving away the previous books information so instead I'll focus on how I felt coming to the end of the trilogy.
I enjoyed the series as a whole. My reasoning for taking an entire star off my rating is down to the fact there are some unresolved issues at the end which will be revisited in the next interconnected series featuring other family members. I really wanted to get a little more resolution to the "whodunnit" part of the series. The rest of the series was great. I liked the world building and the plethora of secondary characters were well rounded. I liked the character growth and the development of a true bond between our wedded couple despite, or mayhap because of, everything that made them so wrong for each other.
Other than the big whodunnit thing the rest is tied up in a big beautiful bow and I was happy the story took us where it did. I would recommend the series as a whole.
My thanks to the author and Candi Kane PR for the early copy of the book in exchange for my honest opinion.
May 12, 2023
I was finally coming around to all the stuff I didn't understand about this series, such as why Dante became a pushover after falling in love with Frankie, or why no one will just get rid of the Abbott father, but nothing could have prepared me for the level of confusion I'd feel over Frankie's behavior.
Suddenly faced with the thing that has loomed over her in the first two novels, she becomes selfish, childish, bratty, loud, wrong, and flat-out annoying. Her unwillingness to compromise because she very suddenly has so many issues with the situation she found herself in then voluntarily reentered several times was perplexing. It seemed, at times, totally logic-defying for her to genuinely think it was okay for her to do things the way she was trying to do things in this novel, as if she'd suddenly completely forgotten who she was married to. I found her completely unlikable in this book, and it also made Dante unlikable as well, because within this trope, if he's the one supposedly in control and so big and bad, a lot of things that happened seemed like he wasn't in control or big or bad.
The plot collapsed a little in this one for me. I'll probably get back to this series in a few weeks, but Broken Trust really broke my trust.
3 ⭐️'s
3.5 🌶️'s
Suddenly faced with the thing that has loomed over her in the first two novels, she becomes selfish, childish, bratty, loud, wrong, and flat-out annoying. Her unwillingness to compromise because she very suddenly has so many issues with the situation she found herself in then voluntarily reentered several times was perplexing. It seemed, at times, totally logic-defying for her to genuinely think it was okay for her to do things the way she was trying to do things in this novel, as if she'd suddenly completely forgotten who she was married to. I found her completely unlikable in this book, and it also made Dante unlikable as well, because within this trope, if he's the one supposedly in control and so big and bad, a lot of things that happened seemed like he wasn't in control or big or bad.
The plot collapsed a little in this one for me. I'll probably get back to this series in a few weeks, but Broken Trust really broke my trust.
3 ⭐️'s
3.5 🌶️'s
November 5, 2021
This was the perfect ending for the Broken trilogy! Stella Gray has created an addicting and thrilling world of the Bellanti family. Dante and Frankie have been through a lot of ups and downs since their arranged marriage to get their HEA. After finally admitting their love for each other, Frankie finds out the truth behind her father’s deal with Dante. She runs away and hopes to retake charge of her life again. Broken Trust was a thrilling ride from beginning to end. Dante was still your overbearing, over protective, demanding, alphhole who would do anything to protect his family and the woman he loves. He was bit frustrating at times, because he always bulldozed over Frankie’s feelings and concerns. He always used their sexual attraction to placate her and bend her to his will. I enjoyed that Frankie always gave him crap for his way of always manhandling and trying to control her. Their chemistry was passionate and intense and super steamy at times. The suspense of who is after the Bellanti family kept me guessing who could it be and hopefully gets solved in the next book about Marco Bellanti. I’m excited to read who Marco falls for and can’t wait to read more.
November 14, 2021
Broken Trust is the third and final installment to the Broken Series by Stella Gray. This last book came with a little surprise twist that made me smile a lot. Since it’s unsavory to give any spoilers, I will be vague but I just have to underline how Dante was extremely lovable with his panicky planning and hilariously outrageous list-making when facing a certain subject matter with Frankie that he has to handle with delicacy against his inherently bossy nature.
In this last book of the series, we also understand a little bit more about Abbott sisters’ mother and her reasons for leaving her girls. We also understand better why Dante is the way he is with his over protectiveness with his family due to the true weight of responsibility that sits on his shoulders heavily.
Broken Trust was a perfect ending to a perfect series only with an exception of a tidbit of information given in the epilogue about the youngest sister Livvy! I found that cruel Stella Gray. I hope you have plans to immediately ease our minds with a new book that sheds light to that shocker.
I reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
In this last book of the series, we also understand a little bit more about Abbott sisters’ mother and her reasons for leaving her girls. We also understand better why Dante is the way he is with his over protectiveness with his family due to the true weight of responsibility that sits on his shoulders heavily.
Broken Trust was a perfect ending to a perfect series only with an exception of a tidbit of information given in the epilogue about the youngest sister Livvy! I found that cruel Stella Gray. I hope you have plans to immediately ease our minds with a new book that sheds light to that shocker.
I reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
June 28, 2024
I won’t lie. I started this in the middle of the night and may have read for a few hours before finally going to sleep!
See this is the third part of the trilogy and Frankie just made the dumbest mistake of her life. She ran from Dante. Ran across the country from Napa Valley to her Mother in Miami. There she’s working a crappy waitress job (like really???) when she finds out she pregnant.
Dante who has trackers on his wife knows where she is. Figuring he messed up he thought he’d give her some space. But after 3 weeks he’s lost his patience and goes to Miami to bring Frankie home.
Of course they head back to Napa together and they work on their marriage, also work on getting the 2 winerys aligned and celebrating that they’re having a child.
Until of course more danger surfaces. It was an enjoyable read that keep me involved until the very last page. So much so that I’m moving onto the next books in the series. Cause y’all know I’m a sucker for a series!
Read these as ebooks in my Kindle. Thank goodness for birthday Amazon gift cards…my kindle is heavy with new books!
See this is the third part of the trilogy and Frankie just made the dumbest mistake of her life. She ran from Dante. Ran across the country from Napa Valley to her Mother in Miami. There she’s working a crappy waitress job (like really???) when she finds out she pregnant.
Dante who has trackers on his wife knows where she is. Figuring he messed up he thought he’d give her some space. But after 3 weeks he’s lost his patience and goes to Miami to bring Frankie home.
Of course they head back to Napa together and they work on their marriage, also work on getting the 2 winerys aligned and celebrating that they’re having a child.
Until of course more danger surfaces. It was an enjoyable read that keep me involved until the very last page. So much so that I’m moving onto the next books in the series. Cause y’all know I’m a sucker for a series!
Read these as ebooks in my Kindle. Thank goodness for birthday Amazon gift cards…my kindle is heavy with new books!
November 4, 2021
Broken Trust by Stella Gray is book 3 in the Arranged Marriage Trilogy. The whole series is really great. I fell for Dante almost immediately. I could tell he was an amazing man. Nothing like his father nor Frankie’s father. He is strong, gorgeous and loving even if he is extremely possessive, controlling and hold his emotions inside himself. But it’s obvious how much he loves Frankie and would do anything for her even though she left him and he’s not even sure why. But enough is enough it’s time for her to come home.
Frankie on the other hand is intelligent, independent and sexy while being stubborn, hates to be controlled and will fight like hell for anyone she loves…including herself. When Dante shows up at her place of employment and demands she comes home…she has other plans and being told what to do by her lying, possessive husband is the last thing she intends to do. These two butt heads more often than not but the passion is sizzling. Every page will have you drooling for more. I received a free advanced copy to read and review.
Frankie on the other hand is intelligent, independent and sexy while being stubborn, hates to be controlled and will fight like hell for anyone she loves…including herself. When Dante shows up at her place of employment and demands she comes home…she has other plans and being told what to do by her lying, possessive husband is the last thing she intends to do. These two butt heads more often than not but the passion is sizzling. Every page will have you drooling for more. I received a free advanced copy to read and review.
December 20, 2021
Broken trust (Broken 3)
This is the third book in this series by this author. This is the continued story of Dante and Frankie, these two characters work so well together. This is one gripping read from start to finish, a wonderful, heart warming, exciting and fun story from start to finish. This is a fantastic end to these two characters' story and I will definitely miss them. This story is filled with angst, drama, suspense, romance, twist and turns and definitely lots of steam. This is a fantastic ending to this amazing trilogy by this author.
I was given an advanced reader copy of this book and this is my honest review
Release date - 09 Nov 2021
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May 1, 2022
OK this was somehow goodbye the end
In the beginning we have Frankie acting like the naïve child as she was when she first married Rico or she thought she married him
Running away from her problems without even sitting up and discussing about it with her husband acting like a child not wanting to give explanations or receive explanations
When he took her back there is this we’re gay but we’re not okay but I also didn’t understand some points that she made about her relationship that she didn’t like from her husband and I was totally with her
They’re a beautiful couple but there’s definitely a lot of things that they have to work through in a relationship in order to preserve their marriage despite the love that they feel for each other
I don’t like it belugs like that it doesn’t really come clerestory just takes us to another series and I don’t like that I just don’t like that but
PS livvie out here living
In the beginning we have Frankie acting like the naïve child as she was when she first married Rico or she thought she married him
Running away from her problems without even sitting up and discussing about it with her husband acting like a child not wanting to give explanations or receive explanations
When he took her back there is this we’re gay but we’re not okay but I also didn’t understand some points that she made about her relationship that she didn’t like from her husband and I was totally with her
They’re a beautiful couple but there’s definitely a lot of things that they have to work through in a relationship in order to preserve their marriage despite the love that they feel for each other
I don’t like it belugs like that it doesn’t really come clerestory just takes us to another series and I don’t like that I just don’t like that but
PS livvie out here living
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