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War Within

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THIS BOOK IS CURRENTLY UNAVAILABLE. It will return!

Running an entire empire is no easy task for anyone, not even Don Giovanni Rovati. While he is focused on the storm brewing with another family, a much more sinister war is happening within his own. Jealousy, power, and the promise of money are enough to make anyone crazy.

One woman will stop at nothing to ruin him. While he is starting to fall for her, she has other plans. One slip up causes her to be targeted by those around Giovanni, and he is now fighting to protect the woman who is plotting his demise. Not everyone is who they claim to be in the dark world of this life.

Sometimes you have to kill your own blood to save yourself in the end, and sometimes you have to go through tribulations before you can have your happy ending.

Follow the Rovati Family on their journey to save their family from the war within.

Paperback

Published November 1, 2021

8 people are currently reading
121 people want to read

About the author

V.B. Emanuele

14 books334 followers
Valentina Emanuele (V.B. Emanuele) is an international bestselling dark romance author who began writing professionally for a serial, visual story app, under the username VioletBlue. She quickly found herself wanting to expand her art, and wrote her first online novel, The Veil, in 2019. After the rapid success of the book, she released several more online novels before deciding she wanted to publish them. Just Business was the first book to launch the Club Euphoria Novels and Valentina's publishing debut.

She has lived in both Europe and the United States and obtained a Fine Arts degree and English Literature degree. When she is not writing or reading, she can be found active outdoors, participating in fitness challenges and events, cooking, or traveling.

Official Links With All her Socials:

https://vbemanuele.com

(This account is managed by the V.B. Emanuele PR team)

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5 stars
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7 (9%)
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5 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 39 reviews
Profile Image for Torri Heat.
Author 26 books441 followers
August 15, 2021
This was definitely my favourite book of V.B. Emanuele's yet!! It kept me on my toes, and I was constantly guessing what was going to happen next.

The mob side of things in her story was incredibly fleshed out, but didn't weigh down the overall story. It was perfect.

I found myself really hating one character (no spoilers!!) and I was like wtf is she doing?!?!?!? And then, at the end, it ALL MADE SENSE.

I believe this was originally supposed to be a short prequel to the Italian Billionaire series, but I completely understand how V.B. got carried away with the story -- it's amazing, but definitely sets up for the future books that I cannot wait for!
Profile Image for Confessions of a Bookaholic.
842 reviews40 followers
May 31, 2022
Yeah, so I don't know what I just read but I definitely know that no author has EVER had my brain working so hard to figure out what exactly is going on....who is who and what is what....I mean that in an absolute positive way...I am impressed!!!! This story could not have had any more curveballs in it than there was. I thought I knew what was going on...nope....turns out I was nowhere near correct in my guessing/theories. This book went in a direction I absolutely did not expect! Attempting to review it is hard as not to give spoilers!!!

This is my first V.B. Emanuele book and I am going to binge everything that she has available. I enjoyed her writing style so much. She throws so much at the reader to keep them reading in the hopes of getting answers then out of leftfield more info comes your way to discredit what you were previously thinking and on goes the cycle of not being able to put this book down...lol! By the time I got to the end of this book I had a huge dislike for one of the characters, a total book boyfriend crush on Emir and Gio, and wanting so much more on other characters. I will literally be counting down the days until the next book releases!!!
4 reviews
June 4, 2022
I read this book and waited to write this review because I wasn't sure how to even say what I wanted to say. I swear the author made it impossible to write a review without spoiling the book LOL! Every single page of this book had me on the edge of my seat. I couldn't put it down. I can't put any of this author's books down. Like The Veil, I also read this one in one day because every page had me needing to find out what was happening next.

Luca made me a laugh a lot. His interactions were so cheerful but he was always so f*cking crazy. Emilio has my heart. I know he's got a soft side. It might be hidden but he does! Carmine and Lily and Emir and Valentina were all GOALS and I can't wait to see what happens with them. I HATED JANE! But I know that was the point. The author did a great job with her. Wow! That's a good thing LOL! And last, Giovanni. God! I need a man like him. I love him! I could read about him all day! The spice in this book was off the charts and the plot was so f*cking insane!!!!! I need book 2 NOW!!!!! Chefs kiss. :*
Profile Image for Cheryl.
6,615 reviews237 followers
August 15, 2021
Don Giovanni Rovati, boss of the Rovati Crime Family. He and his younger brothers, Emilio and Luca are the brains and backbone of the Rovati family. They have a take no prisoners type of attitude.

Don is not one to settle down. That is until he got involved with Jane. Now all he wants to do is protect her. Yet, it is hard to do when you have enemies around every corner.

I have recently gotten back into Mafia themed books. It has only been a few months ago that I started getting back into this genre. Well I have to tell you that this newest offering by author, V.B. Emanuele will leave you hungry for Mafia books. In fact, it will leave you asking for seconds. Thankfully, there is a book two coming.

If you are a fan of SOA, then, you will want to pick up this book. It is not to be missed!
Profile Image for annasbook nookk.
970 reviews74 followers
August 14, 2021
This is the first book I've read by V.B and I'm eager to read more.
It had me gripped from the start.
A Dark Mafia suspense book that was twisty and gritty.
I loved the plot and characters and can't wait to read more of the series. Giovanni had my heart.
What a ending...I wasn't expecting that at all.
Profile Image for Laila Mills.
1 review
August 10, 2021
War Within is wonderfully written. The entire Rovati family has my heart, and I sincerely cannot wait for the rest of this series to come out. Well done, VB Emanuele!
Profile Image for Bunny.
18 reviews
December 21, 2022
"War Within" is a shell of a title that does not really represent what the book is about. Frankly, even after finishing the book, I still cannot pinpoint the inciting incident or even the central conflict of the book.

The characters were too stiff and one-dimensional for me, there was a lot of telling and not enough showing. A lot of statements "told" how a character generally acted and what their personality was in a "here's some bit of information on me" manner which I believe could've been put in a better manner. I couldn't form an emotional connectivity to any of the characters.

Another issue was how almost all of the men in the book had a similar character tone. I get it that they're all brooding mysterious mafia men who like to use women for pleasure and refuse to have feelings but they're all also supposed to be individual humans who act differently from each other. A reader should be able to differentiate between them just by the way they think or talk and not for the sole reason that the placement of their name clarifies who the speaker is. Moreover another annoying aspect was that all the women seemed to have a very "he's so hot and he fucks so good" thinking as a central aspect of their role. They've been depicted as the weak ones that are pro at being dumb and are heavily dependent on the men around them. Which . . . honestly, is very unamusing or irritating if anything. 

Jane's character was very questionable because she's supposed to spy on Giovanni so it would be assumed that she was worthy of being entrusted with such a risky task, especially if Gio is known to be a dangerous man. But she's not strong (didn't see her putting up a fight even once in the entire book), clearly not good at her job (as it's been stated that she failed to gather any valuable information in all the years she's worked as his personal assistant), didn't make a single smart move and was easily pushed around by those around her, all her actions seemed to be accompanied with the excuse 'I will ruin him later but for now I'll enjoy getting fucked because he's just so good'. And that just left me with one question, "Why exactly was she given her job?" The only reason that made sense to me was that her boss was equally bad at his job. And if the answer is that she wasn't terrible at her task then more instances need to be shown where she's actually done something valuable because all the scenes in the book is either her fucking Giovanni, whining to her boss or getting in trouble.
Safe to say she really tested my patience everytime the focus was on her. 

I also really did not understand or could see a reason for why Gio would fall for her at all other than the reason 'she's pretty'. I mean if you tell me that he, a man who treats women the same as toys & refuses to ever get attached to anyone, bumped into Jane and then suddenly there were stars in his eyes and all his principles went down the drain, it would be difficult to digest.

All the relationships were very fast-paced and superfluous. Gio fell for Jane out of nowhere, not much was shown about Emilio's feelings, Lily moved on from her prior relationship before I could even blink. The only relationship that didn't make me want to frown was Val and Emir's. 

Coming to the antagonist(?) of the book, Marco. Power and greed are comprehensible reasons to turn against your family. But then again, there was not enough tension between both sides once his true motives were revealed. For someone who's spent a lifetime loving his children and said that family came before business for him, Gio sure did decide to kill him pretty quickly. And if the excuse for that is that it was to protect the woman he loved/was falling for then that just makes me question him more because even then he's loved his son for a much longer time. Even upon his death, the way Gio's emotions were depicted was a very surface level representation and not given enough emphasis on.

The plot itself didn't feel like it was running in any clear direction. The incidents were messy and the entire story felt like it was jumping from one incident to another without efficiently wrapping up the prior thing.

I really tried to be patient with the book, hoping that at one point I would reach something that would make the book worthwhile for me but it just didn't do it for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for A S Daveed.
8 reviews1 follower
August 20, 2021
I’ve read this book for the second time and I’d have to say this version of it is a lot more captivating. It keeps you on the edge of your seat. Eager to know what happens next. The unexpected twist and turns and don’t even get me started on the emotions evoke in it. I have followed V.B. Emanuele from the begin and everything she write is mind blowing. You don’t want to miss out on this one!!!!

Do I recommend this book? Hellllll YEAH!!!!!
Profile Image for Ashley Crimmins.
356 reviews3 followers
August 29, 2021
Holy smokes this books was wild! V.B. Emanuele did a fantastic job of making you feel like you were part of the story. She threw twists and turns at you like it was nobody’s business while filling it with suspense and steam. I cannot wait to keep reading this series!
Profile Image for Dani Clark - Clark Book Reviews.
136 reviews18 followers
September 2, 2021
"𝘛𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘋𝘰𝘯 𝘎𝘪𝘰𝘷𝘢𝘯𝘯𝘪, 𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘧𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘧𝘪𝘳𝘴𝘵."

War Within was a great quick read! I haven't read many Mafia books, but this one is making me want to start reading them! V.B. Emanuele did a fantastic job pulling together the Mafia world for this book. There was plenty of action throughout, a thorough plot and just enough romance to keep you hooked.

Jane is the secretary of billionaire Giovanni Rovati, or how his family knows him, Don Giovanni Rovati. Not only does he own a huge company, but he is also the head of his family. Giovanni has enemies all over, but little does he know, one will infiltrate his family and try to burn him from the inside out.

I can't wait to see where Giovanni's family ends up in the next book. Having the sneak peak of chapter one was such a tease! Thank you to V.B. Emanuele for an advanced copy of the book. Grab your copy today, you won't be disappointed!
34 reviews
June 10, 2022
this mafia story has a little bit of everything romance, action, steamy scene, betrayal, murder and love of course. Giovanni Rovati Billionaire and boss of the mafia then you have Jane personal assistant. When you start reading you think it is again typical story assistant and boss relationship . No wrong here it is also that Giovanni and Jane come together but the story of their relationship is just great. I love the main characters as well as the other characters in this book. I can't wait for the sequel of the Rovati family. This book is definitely recommended!!! compliment to the author this book is excellent :)
292 reviews9 followers
June 10, 2022
This was my first mafia romance novel and my first book by VB Emanuele and it certainly won’t be my last. I enjoyed this book a lot.

I have taken a real interest in mafia style books, digging deep into their world of power,destruction and loyalty. This book focuses on the fictional crime family the Rovatis.

I love the romance side of this book just as much as I loved the blood and tears side of things. I love how relationships between several of the characters were pushed to the max, how there was deceit and lies formed to cover each other.

I love the twists in the book. Some were just gobsmacking and I wouldn’t think it would have been possible, however they definitely felt real considering in the mafia life anything is possible and cover ups are just the beginning!

I look forward to book two, which I will be itching to read. The ending was just too much for 😭

Thank you to VB Emanuele and Micheal Von for a complimentary digital copy for reviewing purposes only.
1,162 reviews5 followers
June 12, 2022
Full disclosure - Mafia is not my usual trope, but this sounded so interesting that I had to try it! I am glad that I did. V.B. Emanuele is certainly a talented author. This book kept me on my toes and managed to hold my interest the whole time.
Giovanni is the head of both legal and illegal business. He has a personal assistant named Jane. All of the characters were well developed and for the most part likable. I do not want to leave any spoilers, but this book was a great read! I will definitely be looking for more books by this author.
Author 3 books26 followers
August 28, 2021
OH MY GOODNESS. This is the first book I have read by V.B. Emanuele and I am in love! It is absolutely amazing. The first chapter caught my attention and I had a hard time putting it down. This book keeps you on your toes. There are so many twists and turns that you don't expect. I thought I had figured something out, and then I realize that I was wrong but it turned out even better. It is amazing!

I recommend it to anyone and everyone! I can't wait to read more from V.B. Emanuele!!
Profile Image for Alicia Fournier.
11 reviews
May 25, 2022
Fuck this story is so good. The amount of emotions I felt through out it. The hate I felt, the wanting I felt. This book was a goddamn masterpiece to read. I was on edge, couldn’t put it down, literally lost sleep because I couldn’t stop reading. The author pulls you in and you can’t get out, you can feel the emotions of the characters, you fall in love with them. It was absolutely brilliant. It makes you crave more. I 100% would read this again and again because it was that good.
Profile Image for Amy.
1,497 reviews5 followers
June 24, 2022
Wow such a twisted book. That Jane is one conniving broad and she got her just dessert in the end. Kinda gross but eh that’s what happens when you mess with the mafia . Gio very cool and collected in the beginning until he got together with Jane. I can’t believe some of the things that happened like betrayal, killings, even repaired old friendships. This book has it all ! I can’t wait to read the following story.
Profile Image for Michelle.
59 reviews
January 21, 2022
This is by far my favourite book of V.B. Emanuele’s. And in my opinion it’s also the best book she has written. I loved characters and I hated characters. I was happy and I was sad. And let me tell you I was shocked multiple times… I found myself thinking “Wow I did not see that coming.” I may have even gasped a time or two. I will definitely be hitting up the next book in the series asap!
Profile Image for Ashleigh.
84 reviews6 followers
June 1, 2022
Wow, just wow!
If you’re new to Mafia Romance do not be afraid to try this book out. A enthralling story, I couldn’t put it down!
Amazing back and forth with the characters, and I’ve never been so angry with some characters!!!
Can not wait for the next one in the series, and hope for some more spice!
Profile Image for Emily Johnson.
12 reviews1 follower
August 1, 2021
V.B. Emanuele does it again!!! Once I started I didn't want to put it down, real page turner. Just like her stories lots of detail and different themes throughout the book. Definitely recommend and can't wait to read the rest of the series.
Profile Image for Rin.
5 reviews
August 28, 2021
I was super stoked when the announcement of this series was released. This story doesn't disappoint. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. VB Emanuele has outdone herself and I can't wait what she has instore for us next!
Profile Image for Hana .
Author 1 book30 followers
August 31, 2021
One of V.B Emanuele’s best works! From start to finish this story was sexy, intense and brutal. It’ll make your toes curl in both a good and bad way! I can’t wait for the rest of this series, I smell a best seller coming on!
79 reviews9 followers
May 24, 2022
This book takes you on an endless roller coaster ride! Jane is Giovanni's assistant and becomes something more. But Jane has a hidden agenda as to why she becomes closer to him. This book is action packed and keeps you guessing in till the end!
Profile Image for Reina Ruiz.
Author 0 books12 followers
May 21, 2022
Just WOW.
This book has truly got me into my emotions.
Giovanni is truly amazing. Every twist and turn had me guessing and surprised with the outcomes. I found myself crying, screaming, laughing and cheering. Everything made sense in the end but wow whew the emotional damage.
The plot is amazing and this story is so unique not like mafia stories you see but I loved it.
Which was heart wrenching but amazing, all I have to say is READ THIS BOOK and I’m so excited for Book 2 😭😭🥹😍😍😩🫶🏾
4,269 reviews52 followers
June 11, 2022
So trying to review without revealing spoilers is hard so I will say it is suspenseful, twists, secrets, steam and well written. I recommend this book. My first by VB unable to put it down, well written and highly recommend reading it. Fantastic read
Profile Image for Debbie.
18 reviews3 followers
August 22, 2021
This is definitely one of my favorite V.B. Emanuele books and I have read them all…. It kept me on my toes and had me constantly trying to anticipate what would happen next. I honestly love when a book can grab me and hold me captive to it, and War Within has done just that. I feel so invested in Don Rovati and his family I can’t wait to see what comes next ……
Profile Image for Wendy.
466 reviews27 followers
June 10, 2022
This book was one great big roller coaster ride and getting to the end was heart stopping! Just when I thought I had figured this plot out I get surprised. This is really like no other book I have read and I love the author for it!
Profile Image for Lindsey.
15 reviews
June 18, 2022
This book was so good. It keeps you in your toes and trying to figure out what’s gonna happen next. There is one character I did not like because of his attitude but it all made sense in the end. Great book.
Profile Image for Amanda J.
534 reviews6 followers
June 12, 2022
This was an amazing thrill ride. I was completely drawn into this story right from the beginning; it had mystery, suspense and romance. All of that made such an interesting storyline which threw a few curveballs just to keep us on our toes. I must say the attention to detail within the storyline was superb, we got to know a few different characters without it weighing down the rest of the story. I loved Giovanni's love for family, he may have been stubborn at times but I'd take a strong alpha mafia man any day. This is definitely a great read and I cannot wait for the next!
3 reviews
June 13, 2022
What a book!! Throughout the whole novel, I couldn’t predict anything, which I loved, as it keep me wanting more and more! Each character’s hidden agenda keeps up a roller coaster of emotions, but kept me obsessed nonetheless! Everyone definitely needs to read this book, and once you pick it up, you won’t be able to put it back down!!
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