Owned

Brutal Kings #1

by Mya Grey

The main character is a villain. If you’re looking for redemption, enemies-to-lovers, and a bad guy and good girl dark romance, you will find it on these pages.

Nikki Love

I was drunk and he was dangerous.
I can tell even with my hazy vision.
He saved me from a stranger who had thought I was easy prey,
But despite his dark and dangerous presence, I felt at peace.
I’ve never felt safe,
Not with a man I called dad which had gambled me away,
This mystery man had held me close and I felt protected and vulnerable in his arms.
But safety is an illusion. And he is no hero.
I may have just fallen for the villain.

Because—as I soon discover—having a Brutal king save your life comes with a motive.

Dario Caraldi wanted something from me in return.

Warning: Adult content only.
Twisted, forbidden love, dark mafia single daddy romance, enemies to lovers dark romance series. You'll find yourself sweating from the hot and steamy encounter. If you enjoy anti-hero, alpha bad boy, and good girl, you'll want to read Brutal Kings. These alphas are way too hot for a villain. Guaranteed steamy passionate love saga romance.

Romantic suspense, forbidden love saga, bad boy good girl mafia romance no cheating.

Genres: Dark Romance, Novella, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Mafia Romance, Dark, Contemporary Romance

71 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 11, 2022

Reviews

[Rae (semi-hiatus)]

DNF@34% Um WHAT.

I’m honestly shocked. I get that this is a novella and things move fast but this was actually ridiculous. FMC gets drunk (drugged?) and is 2 seconds from passing out after being attacked and doesn’t even see this man save her. Fast forward to one sentence later when she wakes up in a strange room, where the unknown strange guy is, and one of the first things he says is “I don’t fuck girls who smell like liquor” then brings her to the shower???? Um excuse me?! RUN, GIRL, RUN. But nope. He gets into the shower with her and cue sexy times. I’m grossed out.

Then I read shit like this: “I feel utterly inadequate compared to all that male beauty.” 🙄

So apparently he’s the MMC 🙃 I’ve literally never read a book where there isn’t at least some, any, build up between the MMC and FMC when they first meet. We don’t even know his name. Blech.

[Natalia · Rating 3 out of 5]

Book 1: 3⭐

Although I'm not a fan of their first encounter (cliché and dubious consent, very rappy) I actually enjoyed the rest of the story!
Both characters are very interesting and keep getting more interesting the more we learn from them!

I love Andy, (almost snorted coffee through the nose with her first interaction with Matteo) really hope there will be a book for Andy!

[Coco.V]

🎁 FREE on Amazon & on Apple iBooks today (5/30/2022)! 🎁

[Aղցela W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was book 1 in the "Brutal Kings" series. This was a short quick read. Nikki Love's day just went from bad to worse when her dad tells her that he sold her to pay his gambling debt. I really liked Dario he is a single father who is also a hot sexy mafia boss. I really liked the beginning of this series. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

[Jennifer Halloway ong · Rating 5 out of 5]

This Author is new to me , I was browsing for a new book and the cover reeled me in . Starts out with betrayal of the worst kind from Nikki’s father and a surprise twist from a night of rescue and then passion !! This story checks off everything I was looking for , the characters and storyline are incredibly written. I’m so excited I found another great series to read and can’t wait to read the next installment !!

[Lady Raven Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay. This is pretty good. I do enjoy the characters, and the idea of the story is good. Now the reason for 4 stars. I don't understand why people don't write about the country they are from. There is terminology in here that doesn't fit with what we say here in the US. Also, is it Mafia or Cartel? I don't mind the cliffy. But I do wish it would have been in one book. I'm not a fan of a book ending at 81%. I feel like I’m missing out on other things.

[Korkoi · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Unexpected Trajectory of Her Life -
The last thing Nikki expected when her father asked her to meet him was to discover he has lost her in a bet whilst gambling and more importantly, it was to a grubby letch who tried to assault her. However, a stranger stepped in to save her and she ended spending one mind blowing night with him. Unfortunately, what Nikki later discovered the connection she had with Dario and the fact that her life was no longer hers. Nevertheless, even though Dario tried everything to maintain his distance from Nikki, he ultimately failed after a while. This was such a great story, that I believe you will enjoy just as much as I did.

I received a copy of this book free and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[M Erin · Rating 3 out of 5]

she isn’t a nun!

I am going to assume the author is British, or at least from a commonwealth country. It took me most of the first book to figure this out, but as the story was set in Las Vegas it was a tad confusing for me initially as the terminology is different, ie pants mean’s underwear not that he took his pants off twice. Also, turns out some nurses in the UK are called “Sister”, even if they are not nuns. This one confused me greatly until I looked it up. The story itself is decent, although at times very confusing. I have gotten through the first two books in the series and as I write this I am realizing there are more issues than just terminology.
A lot of things just aren’t clear in the books. It took me forever to even figure out what mafia branch the MMC is in. The author refers to a Russian whore, so originally I thought Bratva, Dario is not a name I knew the origin of as it isn’t heard in the US often. Some of the names could be Hispanic, but they aren’t referred to as cartel. Nope, turns out they are Italian mob. Was in book 3 before I figured that out.
In addition, I don’t know what the author thinks life in the US is like, but the type of racism she is writing doesn’t occur in an upscale private school. There is racism there, but it is much more subtle and I haven’t heard anyone under the age of 70 use the term halfbreed, certainly not kids. If everyone believes the kid is Italian and Russian he’s considered white by pretty much anyone that isn’t a first generation immigrant. But back to my point, rich people teach their kids to be more subtle in their racism. You can’t have the bad press of your child using racial slurs bec

[Helen King · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the book but when I started the book I developed a sense of dread. Then Nikki is meeting with her father and he shares that he sold her to pay off his debt. She felt she had no choice but to agree to this arrangement or her father would sell her younger sister who she loves like she is her own child. Nikki is having a very, very day. So she has a few drinks to wrap her head around the fact that she has to agree to this or her younger sister who she adores would have to endure this fate. When she finishes her drinks, she decides to go home but is a little unsteady on feet. The three guys from the bar comes along and insists on helping her and one of the guys accosts her. And who appears to a gentleman comes along and saves her from being raped and he takes her to a suite in the hotel and he has plans to have his way with her. She is passed out from drinks and the adrenaline rush from her scare. The unnamed stranger waits for her to awaken and he insists she take a shower only he joins her. She is needy without realizing she is needy and he proceeds to have his way with her. He loves it so much, that he gives her the remaining night of incredible sex. They both finds a great deal of pleasure in their ministrations. The next day or two she finds out who bought her and it turns out to be her hookup that saved her from her rapist.

I can’t wait to see how this story unfolds. The detail of this book is smoldering!! The action in this book is so vivid I feel I’m there where the action is occurring!! Smoking hot!!!

[Paige · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’m giving this 3 stars for what I’ve read of the whole 5 book series. I’m now DNF on book 4 at 62% because the female MC’s actions have gotten past the point of annoying. It’s like the more sex she has with Dario the dumber she gets. And they have sex A LOT. I would say it’s about 70% of each novella. Way too much for such short books. They never talk, they know nothing about each other, all they do is have sex.

I was going to DNF when Dario was telling Nikki how he was going to send her back to his cousin to get raped by him and all of his friends and she’s getting aroused all because he’s touching her. I pushed through but then almost stopped again when Dario decided he would invite over women he’s been with because he hates his feelings for Nikki. She sees him with these women and goes and takes him upstairs and literally jumps on him and has sex with him like he didn’t just have these women all over him. Also again when he gets shot and she does literally NOTHING to help even though she’s a freaking nurse. Just let’s him bleed out in her arms.

I kept asking myself if I’m so annoyed why am I still reading but there was something about the writing that kept me intrigued. The writing was really good and I think all of my stars go towards that. Also for Dario’s possessive vibes. I’ve never given stars on a DNF but since I did completely read the first three novellas this is my rating for those all together.

[Damaris Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the beginning of the story of Nikki and Dario. She is a nurse and take care and protect her younger sister that is in college. Her dad is a gambler and lost her in the casino. He is now property of a mysterious man, Mr. Caraldi. It was her or her sister. After got notified by her dad about the situation, she was almost raped by a man but was saved by another man who took her to his suite at the hotel. There, no names shared, she had the most hot night of her life. The next day, she received a text sealing her fate, she has a meeting with her owner, Mr. Caraldi. What she did not know was that Mr. Caraldi was the same man she spent the night with. Now she has to work in his casino and also in the hospital. There at the hospital, she met his son Dani and defended him. There was a connection between her and the little kid. Her work at the casino was better than she thought until she heard a conversation between Dario and the man who almost raped her. Dario owned her and he is not going to let her leave him. Great book and characters. I can't wait to read Book 2. Highly recommended.

[Diane · Rating 5 out of 5]

I voluntarily reviewed a copy of "OWNED" This is a Dark twisted Forbidden Mafia Romance, with angst, danger, violence, passion, single dad, suspense, intrigue, our hooked to the end.
Nikki Love is a nurse who cares for & protects her younger sister Sophie who's in College, her father is a gambler who loses so much at Dario Carlo's casino he now owes him a debt when he calls Nikki tells her what happened, shes now become property of Dario Caraldi she tells at him finished with him tells him to leave her alone she has to much to drink.
Nikki almost gets raped by a guy but she's saved & spends the night, no names with the man who made her feel safe not knowing this man is non other than Dario Caraldi who now owns her, the man she spent the night with.
Nikki now has to work for at the casino & the hospital where she ends up meeting Dario's son Dani & defended him.
I definitely recommend to get this amazing well written story to follow Nikki & Dario's story to see if they get a HEA I'm so looking forward to the next book in this series.

[LadyofDreams · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was not your mafia romance. I loved the way it started off and the story flowed. Nikki and Dario are both likable characters, and love that Dani, Dario’s son, is also an important part of the story. I admit, there are instances in the book where I question Nikki’s intelligence; but for some reason, all of these sorts of books seem to write female main characters that do stupid things, especially considering the circumstances of the story. That being said, I enjoyed the book and plan on reading others in the series. There is spice, and probably a fairly good bit of it. The book has issues with editing; it was not well-edited, if that matters to you. It’s set in Las Vegas, all of the main characters are presented as American born, yet they use paracetamol, which is uncommon in the U.S., instead of acetaminophen, and refer to Nikki, a pediatric nurse, as Sister Love, which hints at the book having been written by someone from perhaps the UK or Commonwealth Country. The editing could have been much better.

[Ms. Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dario Caraldi’s family may not be always on the straight and narrow but Dario runs a legitimate hotel. He is doing it right for his son Daniele.

Nikki Love is a nurse. Her father is a gambler and she tries to stay away from him as much as possible. He summons her to a casino and tells her that he gambled her and lost. She was basically sold to a man to pay off his 3 million dollar debt. She is furious and ends up having a few drinks at the bar after she yells at her father to leave her alone. She is only going to put up with his antics because she is trying to keep her younger sister Sophie safely at college. She ends up having too much to drink and a one night stand that was amazing.

The next day she finds out that her amazing, sexy one night stand was with Dario, the man that now owns her. Dario makes it clear that he doesn’t do relationships and this is a business deal. When she’s not working at the hospital, he has her working in the casino.

[JenMcJ · Rating 2 out of 5]

I guess this is one book put out a few chapters at a time. I didn't realize it when I bought (yes, bought) a 71 page chapter book. I also didn't realize that this was a story set in Las Vegas by a writer that must be British that has no American beta readers. It was so weird to read a nurse called Sister Love. Every time that came up it took me out of the story until I had to go find out what country called their nurses that. It never became a normal thing. I kept thinking she was a nun. Additionally, the female doctor has to be the most unprofessional, sexually harassing woman I've ever come across in a book. I am sure it was done for humor but it was so gross.

There were other parts that were head scratching as well because they just didn't fit into American life correctly.

Anyway, this type of story telling, 70 - 80 pages books all strung together, is not for me. I'm not going any further.

[Asulley4785 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark, Intense, and Completely Addictive!

Owned: Brutal Kings by Mya Grey is a wild ride from start to finish! This book pulls you straight into a world of danger, power, and passion where every page keeps you guessing what will happen next. The chemistry between the main characters is absolutely explosive—raw, emotional, and perfectly balanced between love and chaos.
Mya Grey does an incredible job building a gritty underworld that feels real, with characters that are both flawed and unforgettable. The writing is sharp, the pacing never lets up, and the emotions hit hard. It’s dark romance done right—gripping, steamy, and full of heart beneath all the brutality.
If you love possessive antiheroes, strong heroines, and stories that blur the line between pain and pleasure, this one’s a must-read. I couldn’t put it down!
🔥 Highly recommend for fans of dark, intense, and passionate romance!

I received an ARC copy and this is my honest review.

[Elisa Castro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sister Love

Owned is book one in the series Brutal Kings by author Mya Grey. A tantalizing treat. This beats “ wham Bam. Thank you ma’am.” any day of the week. OK so I’m just going to start the dad(I’m gonna try to be nice), he’s useless. He loses a bet and guess what his daughter is the bet. Well, technically she’s not, but she’s collateral and he threatens her, to go through with it by threatening her little sister. And then in the same night some bad guy tries to you know. She gets saved, and then this guy kind of takes advantage, but we want him to take advantage. Then she helps a little boy, turns out it’s a small world. Oh did I say that SEX was absolutely mouthwatering good. And I don’t even care at this point it was a cliffhanger, so yeah Im gonna to read book two.
Enjoy!!

[Vicki Stephens · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owned is the first book in the Brutal King Series which features Nikki Love, a nurse whose father loses her in a card game for three million dollars, and Dario Caraldi, a single father of Daniele/Dani and one of the mob bosses of a cartel who owns and runs a legal casino. Dario wins Nikki in the card game, spends a night with her, and allows her to work her contract off at the casino. She and Dani surprising meet at the hospital when he is injured. This is a well written and quick moving novel with amazing characters and a storyline with drama, questionable sexual consent, and steamy passion. The book ends in a cliffhanger and continues in Craved where their story continue.

I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

[Sheila Fowler · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dark and very steamy

Nikki's father loses a ton of money gambling. The only way he can pay his debts off is to sell his daughter. My God what an awful father! He even threatens to sell off her younger sister instead of her. Nikki wallows in one too many drinks, and one unsavory character tries to rape her. She's saved by a man who beats the snot out of her would-be assailants. Little does she know, this man is who her father owed money to.

He's hot, dangerous, a single-father, and is a Mafia King. Boy did her father mess up!

This story was quick, but it contained so much storyline. Reading both stories back to back was the best idea! Now I can't wait for book #3!

[Babara-Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not a fan of mafia stories but when Mya Grey sent the blurb I was intrigued and signed up for the ARC……

Now I say holy moly what a start to an amazing series!

A father gambles his eldest daughter who is a nurse, away for a gambling debt owed to a mafia boss when said mafia boss saw a photograph of daughter and wanted her…..

Nikki Love is rescued one night from an attempted rape in the car park by an enormous gorgeous dark stranger and this is where Nikky Love and Dario Caraldi starts their steamy bad boy good girl enemies to lovers journey!

I look forward to the second book- Craved!

[Sue Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

O.M.G. Hose me down with cold water! This first story in this series literally starts with a bang! A mysterious dark stranger rescues nurse, Nicole from a certain sexual assault after her father ‘loses’ her in a $3Million bet. An alpha to top all alphas – wastes no time in bringing the heat. The reader will adore this sexy ‘bad boy’ single parent. I loved the way this story builds to a cliff-hanger – can’t wait to read the next ‘instalment’!

[S I · Rating 5 out of 5]

Owned & Craved by Mya Grey
Nicole & Dario’s story will bring out the madness when you find out how her father lost money big time and just offered up his daughter for payment! Not to just any nice boy, oh no he gave her to the mafia, a casino owner Dario. Theres so much more in this, underline feeling starts developing and some consideration but all so temptation! These two story’s are fast and exciting and you’ll love this! I can’t wait to read book 3!

[Sammye · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an addictive start to a new series: Brutal Kings. I loved it! Dario is So swoon worthy and Nikki is a very likable character. Their chemistry is combustible. Then, throw in Dario’s sweet little son, Daniele, and it’s perfect! The book is a very short, fast paced read with a cliffhanger. Cannot wait to read Craved. *this honest review is based on a complimentary copy from the author*

[Just_Another_Book_Lover]

DNF at 49%

So it's not a standalone novella which I didn't realize until now.. Although it's a novella, I just couldn't continue..The first 2 chapters were just irritating. I mean how can one have a one night stand in the same night when one is almost getting raped..Read far too many Novella's to know how these stories go but it's too awful. Besides, The mmc & mc were just bland for a novella couple..So yeah a big no no for me.

[Veronica De Peza-Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

A steamy addictive story
A sexy entertaining page turner that will rock you. The main characters Dario Caraldi & Nikki Love are strong, likeable individuals who are thrown together unexpectedly and find their chemistry out of this world. The first book in the series is enjoyable, interesting and full of steam.

[Ilene G> · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good start of the series.

There is a trigger involving the heroine. I enjoyed this story. Nikki and Dario are good characters with chemistry. Dario is a loving father to his son. This is a quick read. I liked seeing Nikki's life as a nurse, while also working at a casino to pay her father's gambling debt. Ends in a cliffhanger. I will be reading the next book.

[Shantelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yaasssss

Oh. My. Goodness! Part #1, and already there's heat, comedy, and sexy mafia? One scene had me laughing so hard i read and reread it, over and over again. I already know this will be my favorite series all around!! Cannot wait, next part!

I received a free ARC copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review

[Tara Williamson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short but spicy

Check your triggers first off please and thank you
The spicy was so good and the unknown of what will happen next. Having your own father lose you in a poker game is bad. But finding out that you could have ended up in the one guys hands over the hot ones. Not sure if you should be great full or what!

[Susan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Cliffhanger

This had the opportunity to be a good story but the reason I gave it only 2 stars is this it ends on a cliffhanger, this book is less than 100 pages as are the rest of them. I like series books but they don't end in cliffhangers This is almost as bad as Vella where you have to keep purchasing if you want to finish the story. Bait and hook...nope, not for me.

[Lorraine Anton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good to great

This was a good book. The characters, plot and storyline were good too.

This is a Dark mafia romance. Although I haven't read any romance in this first book.
It did have gambling, an a person given for someone's debt.

Of course there was Hot sex scenes too.

It has a cliffhanger!