From USA Today bestselling author Willow Winters comes a HOT mafia, standalone romance.
I was innocent before him, and he wanted nothing more than to ruin me. And if I'm honest, I wanted him too, even knowing I shouldn't.
I knew he was a bad man, it doesn't take more than a single look to know it. Dark eyes and a charming smile that's made to fool girls like me. Still, I caved; I gave into temptation.
And then I saw something I shouldn't have. Wrong place, wrong time. The mafia doesn't let witnesses simply walk away.
Regret has a name, and it's Vincent Valetti. He won't let them kill me, but he's not going to let me go either.
Willow started writing after having her little girl, Evie, December 2015. All during her pregnancy with Evie she continued to read and she only wanted to read romance. She was reading a book a day — sometimes two.
In January 2016 Willow was staying up late with Evie and just thinking of all these stories. They came to her constantly so she finally sat down and just started writing. She always wanted to do it so she figured, why not? Today Willow cannot be happier for making that decision!
BLURB: He was supposed to take my life... Instead he made me his. Valetti crime family underboss Vincent Valetti is hot. Like… jaw dropping, lip biting, panty wetting kind of hot. Tall and muscular, with the kind of dominant, cocky attitude that makes a girl’s knees go weak. He commands respect and fear from the familia, and he deserves it. He’s earned it. As for women… they can have one night and the most amazing f*ck of their life, but that’s all they get. Until Elle Hawthorne. Gorgeous, curvy, and looking for an escape, she calls to Vincent. Her innocence begs him to take her… f*ck her, ruin her for all other men. Worse, he wants to protect her. In Vincent’s care, Elle witnesses a terrible crime -- and if she breathes a word of it, the Valettis are screwed. Torn between the woman he craves and loyalty to his family, Vincent is put to the test. He should kill her, but he can’t let that happen. He won’t. Vincent’s a man who takes what he wants. And he wants Elle all to himself. She was in the wrong place and at the wrong time. Now she belongs to him. How far will Vincent go to protect the girl who should be next on his hit list?
FREEBIES are often good for MORE than one day. I have gathered all my FREEBIES on a special shelf: Kindle-freebies (currently over 600 books) https://www.goodreads.com/review/list...
What was that?? Really? Not the best work from Miss Winters. I am shock. His Hostage is like writen by amateur. The plot is bad, the characters are confusing. I feel like being in a train wreck. And now my head spinning.
Miss Winters trying so hard to box in BDSM, dark mafia hero, and weak doormat heroine. And it ends up like a train wreck. I just can't....
in the beginning, just the fucking beginning pissed me off to the point thats when i knew the book would be bad. the hero’s first chapter pov was about 5 pages and he said “sweetheart” 12 fucking times. what in the insta love cry fuckery is this. no not only was it that but the prologue was AGAIN a lust scene and they are strangers????
137 sweethearts in total. the book is 200 fucking pages long ITS ANNOYING and noticeable.
anyways... the first book was WAYYY better
valetti crime family dirty dom - 2 stars his hostage - 1.25 stars rough touch - tbr cuffed kiss - tbr bad boy - tbr
His Hostage Extended Epilogue ( #2.1) By Willow Winters
Willow Winters Can do no wrong in my eyes when it comes to the Valetti Family, so when I was gifted this short but sweet addition you must realize how happy I was Elle &Vince few stolen moments from their wedding, plus we see Dom & Becca- We also see Mr. impatient Vince at the baby shower
Recommended you starting from the Benning 1- Dirty Dom- Dominic 2- His Hostage- Vince 2.1- His Hostage Extended Epilogue 3- Good Girl- Kane 4- Bad Girl- Tommy 5- Bad Boy- Anthony
Thanks again Willow Winters for this short but sweet addition to Valetti Crime Family Gifted by Author
It happened all so fast.. That's what bothered e a bit I guess because it was all so fast. But still the blurb spoke to me and made the book very good. Still I have a bit of hate for her mother.. I know, I know it's not she herself but the alcohol talking, but still that's very low and mean!
So don't take my review to heart, because it isn't because I found it to fast that you will feel the same.
I'm sorry for the short review, but I'm not sure what all I can mention. It's a short read so maybe that's why it all felt so fast.
Ok I did not expect to like this book at all. The first book Dirty Dom was not for me it was straight drama and mostly smut. However, this story started the same with them having a physical relationship before they even know each other. It reads like porn to me honestly. This changes fast but it still had me cringing and going WTF every few minutes. And this is why it took me so long to read it. Until the mid way mark. Then, we finally have a story that you can get behind. Yes there is drama Lama XL but also a good story. She gets kidnapped, bonded and gaged, arrested, then kidnapped again. Yes it's full of action and hot sex. Much better than I thought for sure and really f*cking HOT!
Elle is a good girl who's working hard but is being dragged down in life and debt by her alcoholic mother. All she does is work, she's no friends and she's still a virgin and after yet another argument she finds herself struggling to concentrate on her studies. 'I’m tired of sacrificing everything for her, but I just can’t say no. I can’t abandon her. Even if it’s draining the life out of me. I’m just lucky I was able to transfer to a local university so I could move back in with her.' So when she's faced with the most attractive man she's ever seen she's so tempted to just kick loose and have some fun for a change. Vincent Valetti's family is the mob and he's the underboss he's also a manwhore, he loves women and they love him but then he sees Elle and something about her, her innocence draws him in but he makes a mistake and Elle sees something she shouldn't and now he's got a real problem on his hands and Elle's life hangs in the balance. I really enjoyed this, I wasn't sure at first because it soon becomes apparent that Elle's mother is playing her for a fool and I struggle with books where one character is totally being taken advantage of. 'I wish I didn’t have to pay her f***ing bills, so I could move back to my shitty little apartment. Her poor decisions keep f***ing me over. I can’t afford to live anywhere but with her now. Why the hell did she get a mortgage? Did she have to f*** me over like that? She had to know she couldn’t afford it. I told her not to do it. I knew this would happen. And now I’m stuck here helping her ass out again...' That said I loved Vincent and I liked that this was a dual POV book so we understood the struggle he was going through and just how badly it could all turn out and while I was annoyed with Elle at times I liked her more towards the end. While I enjoyed this it's fairly short at 188 pages and there's nothing really new but it left me wanting more which is always a good sign. #### If you sign up to the authors mailing list you get the extended epilogue, another 3 chapters.
I'm not going to give this a star rating because I read it knowing that I probably wasn't going to like it based on my feelings for Dirty Dom. I can't really fault the book for being pretty much all the things I hate, I shouldn't have read it at all.
BUT because earlier this week I read these amazing freaking stories Crow & Reaper, I have developed a mafia men obsession so I'm trying books I would never have otherwise considered. (This same thing happened back in January when I decided to try some Motorcycle Club themed stories - I sometimes have really bad ideas, I recognize this.)
After reading Dirty Dom I knew this series wasn't for me but the H in His Hostage is introduced so I was curious about his story. Not just no, but hell to the fuck no
I'm assuming later books in this series will have the Anthony and Tommy characters and probably the Johnny/Clara romance, but I just can't. I know there is a market and interest for these books, I am not that audience.
2.5 ⭐’s I’ve owned this for quite a while and noticed I have the audiobook, so I decided to clear it off my TBR while raking leaves. The blurb sets it up… virgin h hooks up with the sexy mobster H then sees something she shouldn’t…
First, the good… it’s a quick, easy read and the narrators (Lance Greenfield and Samantha Prescott) do a nice job. The not so good… the main characters are dull. Vince was not badass, and Elle was mostly whiny or horny. The first 50% is slow going, but it does picks up… but there’s always a layer of fluff/cheese present.
The prologue has a weird, repetitive format where the mc’s thoughts ping pong back and forth throughout their initial meeting. (almost every other sentence with Vince’s thoughts bold)
Oh my god. It feels so good. I have to focus on staying quiet. She’s loving what I’m doing; her body is so damn responsive, just like I knew she would be.
I wish I could let her go, but if I do, I know the family will have to get rid of her. If he’d just let me go, I wouldn’t say anything. She’d swear up and down not to talk, but it wouldn’t be enough.
I’ll plead with him, he has to believe me. I wish I could believe her, but there’s no way I can risk it.
It’s distracting and doesn’t flow well, but it’s only like that the first chapter. The following chapters follow the standard alternating POV’s.
Bottom Line- I read mafia/criminal for an anti-H… and some grit… and some action. Unfortunately, Vince didn’t live up to my anti-H standards. The action did eventually pick up… it just took too long to get going. It wasn’t awful, but it wasn’t really enjoyable either. I skimmed chunks and was bored a lot. I probably would’ve DNF’ed, but I hate not finishing books I pay for.
His Hostage by Willow Winters Valetti Crime Family #2
GENRE: Mafia Romance NARRATION: Dual POV BOOK DETAILS: Standalone but Book 2 of the Valetti Crime Family Series AUDIO AVAILABLE? Whisper-sync Voice Ready
THE STORY: Vincent Valetti is the son of a mafia boss, cocky, sexy and dangerous. He takes what he wants, when he wants and when a sweet blonde woman walks into his bistro he knows exactly what he wants next.
Elle Hawthorne blonde, beautiful good girl walks into the Valetti family restaurant hoping to get some quiet time to study but unbeknownst to Elle she had just walked into the mafia headquarters. She is in the wrong place at the wrong time and now she is in danger. Can Vince protect her even when it’s his own family who is out for her blood?
MY THOUGHTS If the cover alone doesn’t have your panties in a twist then the dominating, possessive sweet talking alpha male Vince certainly will. This bad boy is such a cocky sweetheart it’s easy to forget he is the Mafia boss’s son.
This was a short and easy read. Not too dark, not too dramatic but a good balance of naughty and nice. An entertaining read of Insta love/lust some action in-between and a HEA.
MY RATINGS: (All ratings are out of 5) HERO RATING: 4 HEROINE RATING: 4 BLUSH RATING: 3 ROMANCE RATING: 3 PLOT RATING: 4 OVERALL: 3 ½ Blushing Stars
DO I RECCOMEND THIS BOOK? , If you are after a quick entertaining read then you will enjoy this.
Narrated by: Greenfield, Samantha Length: 6 hrs and 41 mins
Samantha’s voice was too mature to fit in with Elle’s character, her speech was breathy and shaky and overly exaggerated.
Lance was a good match for his character. He has that deep dominating tone that was needed for Vince. His Mafia expressions were really good and added to the listening experience.
Narrators matched to characters: 3/5 Overall Rating: 3/5
For the love of... Damn that first half of the book was stupid and pointless. It would've been way better with out the roofies and stupidity.
Mind you stupidity was all over the damn place. Please see example #1, as it pretty much tells you the stupidity of this particular messed up piece of ... book?
'I feel like a king. Her king. I'm her entire world right now. I rule over her body. I own her.' MF if you said that out loud with me around... And then some of this.
And Elle you stupid stupid virginess idiot. Like you can't make a fucking decision for yourself. Like his dick (litteraly) ways are making you fall under his spell or something. (Though I can't lie, I might've too but with more fight in order to get me some of that man flesh. *wink*wink*) Like W.T.H. You simpering .... *insert word that fits here*
But you know what? I'll still read the rest of these anyways.
His Hostage Valetti Crime Family #2 By Willow Winters
I just love new & upcoming Arthurs …. Amazing read by Willow Winters.
Elle is a college student that comes into their bistro to find some peace & quiet from alcoholic mother only find herself face to face with the Hottest Male Specimen she has ever seen…. Elle is shy virgin willing to try just about anything to please Vince
Vince, the son of Leo the head of the Vaeletti mafia family brother of Dom (from the 1st book) And also a man who takes what he wants. And he wants Elle all to himself. After Elle witnessing something that she shouldn’t have, Elle ends up with Vince protecting her, but who going to protecting Vince from Elle?
How far will Vincent go to protect the girl who should be next on his hit list? Will Elle survive any of this? Will Vince do whatever he can to keep her safe ? But will it be enough?
**ARC generously provided by author in exchange for an honest review.**
Five stars for " His Hostage ". Well written, hard to put down book!
When Elle Hawthorne came home from school to help her Alcoholic mother and hopefully get her in rehab she had high hopes of being able to continue her education but trying g to concentrate at home was more and more problematic. Elle has found a spot to study at least she believes so, she has Found the Valetti Family Bistro which looks like a quite place to study and have a drink or two ; but once inside, she encounters something even more distracting than her alcoholic mother; Vince Valletti, just a hot God she can not stop looking at who seems to be taking in the sight of her as well. Unlike the shy, quite and naive Elle, Vince jhas no problem approaching her and going for what he wants . Before long the two of them are in the back office wrapped in one another's arms and Vince wants more. Elle however is not ready to take the next step and runs. And she runs right into the wrong room, saving her virginity but possibly loosing her life instead. Vince is the underboss of the Valetti crime family and he knows that Elle should be killed , no witness , being the motto , but he just can not do it, or allow it, hell it was all his fault she ran and he did not follow hot on her heels ; besides which she has gotten under his skin. Vince's power may stop his men from killing her but he needs to make her forget what she saw, and he is hoping a few rookies may be the just the trick they need. Roofie her and put her in his bed, see what she remembers in the morning. Hostage for a knight though turns into being a hostage for many more and a greater desire on Vince's part to keep her; but how to keep her safe from the rest of the familia and not able to talk to the police. Several drinks later and his solution comes to him, get her pregnant and marry her.
So what happens? Does she escape? Does Vince keep her? Does Elle get on board with the baby plan? Dos she want Vince to keep her? Pick this second book in the Valetti Crime Family series up and find out! Arc received from author for an honest review!
I liked this one, though I didn’t love it. The premise pulled me in right away, Elle is a hardworking girl constantly weighed down by her mother’s alcoholism and debts. It was easy to feel for her, because she really is sacrificing so much of herself. At times it was frustrating to watch her get taken advantage of, but it also made her journey more compelling.
When Vincent enters the picture, things heat up quickly. He’s the kind of mobster/antihero that’s both magnetic and messy, and his chemistry with Elle added tension and intrigue. That said, the story moved very fast in places, and sometimes I wished there had been more buildup before the drama kicked in. A few of the twists felt over-the-top, but they definitely kept me turning the pages.
Overall, this was a quick, dramatic, and steamy read. I liked the balance of action and romance, and while it didn’t quite blow me away, I still found myself engaged and wanting to see how everything played out. Thanks to Hambright PR for the gifted book.
DNF... Ooookay. I'm so sick of the unrealistic reactions with characters. I don't know about you but looking at someone who's good looking doesn't make my body go into a meltdown & turn my panties into a waterfall. And I don't know anyone else that this happens to. When shit hits the fan & Vince is trying to get information from Elle to see what she remembers seeing, he treats her like all she said & does is entirely her fault. She's done nothing wrong but is being treated like she did the worst thing possible. If you're gonna run a business that is open to the public & plan on doing shady shit, how about not having the place open? That would be the smart thing, I would think.
Mob/Mafia romances are a hit and miss for me. It hard to find one that I like because they always trip one of my many triggers. His Hostage was a pleasant surprise. We have Elle, a goody two shoes girl that was in the wrong place and at the wrong time.
And we have Vince, the Don’s son. Like the typical bad boy mafia prince he is, what he wants he normally gets. When he lays on Elle it’s lust at first glance. The chemistry between this dirty talking alpha and his sweet Elle is HOT! Although not everything worked for me, (the cold and calculated manipulative way that Vince treats Elle in the beginning, ugh!) Vince surprised me with how he was able to redeem himself. Because in the first half, he not only kidnaps Elle but plans (as a last resort) to kill her. Granted he doesn’t want to go through with it, but still it was kind of a romance killer, waiting for the other shoe to drop.This is not a rosy, flowers and candle light romance.
However once Vince claims Elle, and they both let down their walls, these two were good together. I loved the protectiveness towards each other, their loyalty and their dark and twisty love (because tbh it’s little f*cked.)
Safety: Both H and h are in their early to mid-twenties. No Cheating, No OM/OW drama, ends with a HEA and an epilogue.
This is one of the best mafia books I have read in a long time and I must admit that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it. The story covers Elle, the daughter of a alcoholic mother going into a Italian family restaurant to study and accidentally sees a man covered in blood and obviously being tortured. Vince, the son of Leo the head of the Vaeletti mafia family abducts Elle and decides that she is going to belong to him and that's it. What you will find in this story is drama, suspense, action, abduction, roofies, first time, bondage, mild BDSM, drug running, murder, guns blazing, revenge, emotional feelings, falling in love, marriage, pregnancy and erotic scenes. I am really impressed at how well the story-line was thought out and written with good scenes descriptions and the emotions of fears and desires that the characters displayed with the situations they found themselves in. I will in all honesty recommend this book to people that like to read a well written mafia book with a HEA.
Great look at the reception and gender reveal of another Valetti baby. Vince and Elle are a good couple.. brief recap with Dom and Becca. Great family!!
This was a very good book. Vince, and Elle come together in a very unconventional way. They also ender many obstacles. This book was definitely worth the read.
Anche se la trama è differente dal primo volume della saga, le vicende seguono la stessa traccia. Si passa in pochi giorni dal sesso all’amore, al matrimonio, ai figli; le donne arrivano ad accettare il controllo del marito sulla propria vita e si trasformano in umili cagnolini e fanno loro da incubatrici.
" Non posso evitare che il solo pensiero di portare in grembo suo figlio mi faccia desiderare di averlo dentro di me. Mi sento viva tra le sue braccia. Voglio perdermi nel suo tocco."
Incredibilmente, la Winters è riuscita a proporci un altro matrimonio basato sul nulla e maturato in quarantotto ore spacciandolo per amore vero: si tratta di un matrimonio riparatore reso necessario per salvare la vita di Elle, testimone di un episodio di mafia.
Di nuovo, come nel primo volume, la consapevolezza di “amare” nasce dopo una serie ravvicinata di rapporti sessuali soddisfacenti. Da notare che la protagonista era vergine, per cui il giudizio sulla qualità dei rapporti potrebbe essere falsato, ma non abbiamo nessun dubbio che si tratti del “vero amore” disneyano, dato che Vincent non la uccide, anche se dovrebbe. È un segnale importante, no?
" Per ora, vado bene su entrambi i fronti, anche se la possibilità di innamorarmi di Vince è in cima alla mia lista. Un uomo sexy che sa come scoparmi, proprietario di una casa e con un cucciolo adorabile? Sì, grazie!"
Anche in questo episodio assistiamo all’evoluzione di una donna emancipata e combattiva (anche se più fragile e più giovane rispetto a Becca) in una “donna della famiglia” completamente soggiogata: una donna che fa figli e non chiede, non pensa, non decide, non si muove se il marito non approva. Di nuovo, ci viene spacciato questo come un finale appagante. Ma almeno lei non è morta, no?
«A chi appartieni, Elle?». Sgrano gli occhi e il mio cuore salta un battito. So la risposta, ma è rimasta intrappolata in gola. Ingoio il groppo e gli rispondo con un sussurro. «A te». «Giusto. E tu ascolterai quello che ti dico, vero tesoro? Farai come ti viene detto». Il mio basso ventre si contrae alle sue parole. Ovviamente non capisce quanto questo mi ecciti.
D’altra parte, questi ragazzi mafiosi appaiono come eroi positivi: dolci, corretti, amanti perfetti, generosi, ricchi e dominanti. Si preoccupano di tutto, non occorre certo contraddirli.
«Mi perdonerai quando affonderò nella tua fica stretta fino in fondo. Ne hai bisogno tesoro, smettila di dire cazzate e lascia che mi prenda cura di te.»
Nonostante la caratterizzazione non sia in grado di differenziare Elle e Vincent dai protagonisti del primo volume (sembra di leggere addirittura le stesse frasi in alcuni casi), lo stile è scorrevole e rapido, a dire il vero a tratti anche squallido e volgare. Ci sono momenti d’azione e conflitti che mantengono alto l’interesse e incentivano la lettura. Tuttavia, non bisogna porsi troppe domande, per esempio sul come una ragazza vergine possa pensare di proporsi per una sveltina con uno sconosciuto (salvo poi, naturalmente, rifiutarsi di andare fino in fondo).
" Sono passate due settimane. Due settimane durante le quali ho riempito la sua fica avida e bisognosa con il mio seme e ho cercato di metterla incinta."
Mi hanno invece convinta le dinamiche tra i due protagonisti, che devono imparare a fidarsi l’uno dell’altra, così come restano convincenti anche le innumerevoli scene piccanti, per quanto mantengano un rigore quasi maschile nella narrazione. . Nayeli - per RFS
0 stars!!!! DNF AT 43% ⚠️TRIGGER WARNING: drugged, raped, no consent, kidnapping, forced sex, and manipulating⚠️ I'm sure there's more, but that's what I remember
I had this on my reading shelf since 2022 and it's about fucking time it's going on my dnf shelf.
In summary of this atrocious book, fmc saw something in the bistro kitchen that she wasn't suppose to see, so the mmc drugged her with some roofie (however it's spelt), kidnaps her and takes her so some shed in the woods, drug her even more by forcing down the spiked water, gaslight her into saying that she wanted him badly and forced her to have sex without consent to which he basically raped her. NOT ONLY THAT, HE TELLS HER "yeah that's a normal pain feeling." SIR NO ITS FUCKING NOT YOU PIECE OF SHIT. I'm sorry to this author but what part of that is romantic????? I don't care if this is classified as dark romance and Mafia, this is just straight up disgusting.
The mmc really pisses me off. A walking ick. There is a special place in hell for him. I genuinely beg, DO. NOT. READ. THIS!!! SAVE YOURSELF!!!!!!
This is the second book in the Valetti Crime Family series. After reading the first one, I was hoping for Dom's brother to get a book... and here it is. Our H is Vincent Valetti and our h is Elle Hawthorne.
Vince is an underboss for the Valetti family. His brother is Dom (from the 1st book) and his father is the boss. He is a hard man that demands respect and his father's approval means more to him than anything. He is sitting at the bistro, owned by the mob, while his cousins are finishing up in the back. He is bored and checking his stock portfolio when she walks in.
Elle is a college student looking to get away from her mother and do some studying. Her mother has taken out credit cards and a mortgage in her name and she is now forced back to the new house to help her. Unfortunately, her mother is a mean drunk that is never going to change. When Elle find s she bistro she is excited to relax and do some studying... until Vince joins her.
Vince is enamored by Elle while she is ridiculously attracted to him. He takes her in the back and they fool around a little before Elle realizes that this is wrong. When she attempts to leave she opens a door she shouldn't and everything goes wrong. When Elle wakes up, she can only remember bits and pieces. Vince refuses to let anyone touch her when this is his fault. He can only hope that what they used to make Elle forget, really works.
My heart broke for Elle. Her mother was an abusive alcoholic that used her daughter. She never felt bad for what she was doing and had no intention to change. Vince was a hard man. He felt horrible for what happen to Elle because of him but he also wanted her for himself. This was a great 2nd book. I hope we get a book for Tommy with him finding his good girl next ;)
Amazing read by Willow Winters. This is a story about Elle, whose mother is an alcoholic who gets involved with one man after another and now she is living with Elle with no income. There is so much weight on Elle's shoulders and she just needs to go to a bar and get a drink and study for her exams. She spots a little place and goes inside. Once she is there she pulls out her laptop but notices she does not have Wi-Fi. All the while Vince is watching her. He walks over and sits down at the table with her, and her mouth drops open at the sight of him. She knows he is only after one thing and she is still a virgin and she is there to study. However, with everything that has been happening lately, she does end up in another room with Vince, you will have to read the book to get the details here. Elle witnesses something when she starts to leave, which to the group, if there is a witness then they have to take them down. Vince on the other hand, does not want her to die so they give her a roofie. When she wakes up she is not sure where she is yet she see's Vince and remembers his name. That causes concern and they want to take her out if she remembers, she should not have remembered his name. Vince takes her to a safe house to keep her safe until he can figure out what to do. He gives her another roofie hoping that she would forget. This is a great story, you will meet Vince's family, his gang and their spouses, as well as Elle's mother. Close to the end Elle is taken in for questioning. They heard she had been kidnapped by Vince and was needing her statement. Will she turn Vince in? Later she is captured by others who would not think twice about killing her. Will she be saved? Will she die? Will they be able to rsecue her in time. Great read!