Nothing Without You

by K.B. Barrett

The Demons don’t always sit in the back row silently haunting you.
Sometimes they chase you.

Winter grew up like every other girl. Till her reality was torn away. Her demons have beaten her down, leaving her a twisted shell of who she used to be. But when one man saves her, believes in her and doesn’t give up, she starts to see that the demons can’t hold you down. Not if you fight them.

Mark has spent his life searching to fill the gaping hole in his chest. An ache that he was starting to think would forever haunt him. His life choices haven’t helped. Creating a darkness that slowly crept up, set on destroying him. The only light is the semi family that he has built around him. Finding Winter was a coincidence, one that only fate could provide. But when Mark’s family buckles under the pressure, will Winter be able to save him and keep the Mancini family together?

Will they be able to battle the demons enough to finally find where they belong?
Or will the scars of battle tear them apart.

Because without each other, they are nothing.

Genres: Romance, Dark Romance

376 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 1, 2022

About the author

K.B Barrett lives on the Southern Oregon Coast with her wonderful husband and three kids. Her love of books started early, due to her grandmother who was an avid reader and encouraged her to love books. Eventually, she had too many ideas and so she started writing her own books. She loves camping with her husband, traveling to new destinations, and enjoying coffee in one of her many colorful mugs.

You can Follow her and find all her links here:
www.authorkbbarrett.com/links

Reviews

[K.B. Barrett · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝐍𝐨𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐘𝐨𝐮
𝘛𝘩𝘦 3𝘳𝘥 𝘣𝘰𝘰𝘬 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 '𝘐 𝘍𝘰𝘶𝘯𝘥 𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘕𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘴' 𝘪𝘴 Out Now!
https://amzn.to/3tqllb3

🖤𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐑𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞
🖤𝐒𝐞𝐱𝐲 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐀𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚 𝐌𝐞𝐧
🖤𝐒𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐇𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐞
🖤𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐚 𝐋𝐢𝐭𝐭𝐥𝐞 𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬!

SO GOOD! This book was so good! I absolutely LOVE this series by K.B. Barrett, the characters, storyline, plot twists.. I love it all!-GoodReads Reviewer

[DeeReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

K.B. Barrett is a new author for me and I really enjoyed Mark and Winter's intense but revealing story. To see both the hero and the heroine grow to accept their flaws and love each other regardless was so cleverly written that it drove me to tears. Mark was so protective of his 'beautiful little bird' but when Winter begin to Mark's protector aka cheerleader to 'her Mark' well let's just say I was saying in my head Yassssss!

Although this story could be read as a standalone, I'm so interested in reading the other alpha male stories in this engaging series: Dominic, Rick and Danny. I also enjoyed the H/h connection to Branson, Rosita, and even the sheriff, Connor.

5 smexy stars!!!!💥💥💥💥💥

[Amy Sharpe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this!!!
Read books 1+2 first though to get the full experience of awesomeness.
Mark and Winter are beautiful, strong, sweet, sexy and just perfect.
Perfect mix of love, danger and strong characters that you will fall in love with, especially Mark.... SWOON
Now off for a re read of all 3 books.
5 star read

[•Cici• Theory of A Dreamer Book Blog♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Everything I Need and Anything For You I instantly started looking forward to this third installment in this series! I picked this one up as soon as i could and got right back into the I Found You world! I enjoyed this third book!

Winter and Mark's journey isn't an easy one. I really liked how i went through so many emotions throughout reading with these characters. I wasn't sure how everything was going to play out which i liked.

With Nothing Without You, Ms.Barrett has created such a good read! I am looking forward to the fourth book in this series, Something About You!


*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from HEA PR & More / the author*

[Jennifer Pierson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Without You deals with some serious topics, but I did love how K.B. Barrett handled it as she started us out in the aftermath, and it was powerful as I felt all Winter's pain like it was my own. Her family sold her to a brutal psychopath, and when Mark rescued her, she couldn't even talk because she was so traumatized. Mark has his own demons, and while he was adopted into a new family, he still feels like he's an outsider. It didn't get any better when one of his brothers called him home, and that brother was so rude to Winter that Mark packed it all up & they left. She had been healing while with Mark, and he had her in counseling which also helped her so Winter was talking a lot more. Both of them had secret feelings for the other but it was complicated until it wasn't. The place they end up at has crazy things going on with a fire, and Mark being taken. Of course Mark's brothers came, and the judgemental Dominic was at it again so Winter had to find help on her own, and it was so awesome to see her come into her own at that point. However, was she able to find & rescue him?! You'll have to hit those one click buttons to find out! HIGHLY HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

[Shawna Jimenez more.books.forever · Rating 5 out of 5]

Winter is beautifully broken and who would ever think that Mark is the one that will put her back together again. Mark care for Winter so much and he would wait a lifetime for her to be ready. This story was beautiful, broken and filled with love and trauma and learning to navigate through all of that. Watching both of these characters not only grow individually but together was fantastic. This author as a true gift of making you feel every emotion out characters are going through. I was captivated from the very beginning and finished this book In one sitting. Definite must read

[Idalia Helaena · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Mark goes undercover for Dominic, he never expected to find her. Winter is beautiful, broken, and afraid, but Mark is determined to put her back together again. And he’s willing to wait as long as it takes for her to heal. Mark cares for Winter, cares for her more than he does anyone else. And Winter has spent so long being beaten down, that she feels apprehensive at the thought that Mark could set her free. But all she has to do is take that first step.

Wowowowowow!!! This was a beautiful story full of trauma, love, and everything in between. I loved how Mark waited so long for Winter to be truly ready to be with him. And he never pushed her, not once. As for Winter, I love how she grew into herself. She went from being so broken to so bold, and I loved that transition. I completely recommend!!!

[Pam Gough · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a ARC book which I was sent free so I could review it.

I realised that there must have been previous books in this series, probably about Mark's 'brothers'.
To be honest this book was not for me, probably didn't help as I had no background to Mark's character. The storyline was good but it all seemed a tad rushed to me and a little predictable.
Worth reading and liked Winter's character but wouldn't have paid for the book.

[Jenn the Readaholic · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who knew that it would be Mark’s destiny that almost broke every single alliance and bond forged among this family by choice? And who knew it would be the presumed “weakest link” who puts it all back together? This was a rollercoaster of a read, from two people saving each other while figuring out their own purpose in life, to irrational anger and squabbles that threaten to destroy everything that they’ve worked so hard for, to the truth coming out and Winter proving to all just how strong and determined she is.

I was SO angry at one person for much of this book. The instant dislike and anger and almost jealousy nearly ate him up. And when faced with a true emergency, that person was incapable of holding onto that legendary control. But really, when the man you love is on the line, a woman will mount up and ride to save him faster than even his family could.

I felt every desperate and depressed breath pressing down on Mark’s chest and wanted to cry for him a few times. And I felt every need to cheer when Winter found her voice and ripped into someone who needed a come to Jesus moment. And even with all of that, this story continued the theme of “family by choice but thicker than blood” that this series has built upon. And that made every single second of angst and misery absolutely worth it.

Add to the anticipation of Danny’s story the prospect of learning more about two brothers and an unlikely duo of good and presumed bad, and this author has my attention. I can’t wait to see where she goes next!

[Melissa Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

I didn't expect to like this book as much as I did so I'm happy to say that it is definitely worth the read. However, some pointers I feel could have made it better would to have the name of whose chapter it was at the chapter, it was sometimes guess work yo know for sure who's perspective I was reading.

This book was so full of love and war. The love between winter and mark was so amazing and the constant growth they went through shows that love is possible no matter what.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[World Of Books 65 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The I Found You Series has truly been a work of art in the dark Mafia genre, each story has stood out on its own as a shining example of what ‘Great’ should look like. The first two couples stories had captivated me but ‘Nothing Without You’ has truly blown my mind, KB Barrett has put her heart and soul in Mark and Winter’s gripping yet emotional story, she beautifully brought to life the chemistry between our couple while drawing us into the sensitivity around Winters traumatic past. Mark blow my mind with his patience and love for Winter, as he leads her out of the darkness. But it wouldn’t be an I Found You book without this author still keeping us on the edge of our seats until the end!

This story truly gave me goosebumps and that funny feeling in my chest all the way until the end!

[Mei · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an ARC of this from BookSirens so I’m not sure if the amount of editing mistakes are included in the final retail copy but this book could’ve really done with some proofreading. Sometimes it was hard to follow who was talking and doing actions as the story was written in third party and it would just say ‘he’ did something and you’d think it was one character only to realise it was someone else that did it.

This is book 3 of a series but it was marked as being able to be read as a standalone. I was mostly able to follow the story except I was confused about the relationship between Dominic, Rick, Danny and Mark. From reading the book, I got the feeling that Dominic was the father figure that took in Rick and Danny and Mark was adopted by Sergio and Dominic left him to live with Sergio so that Mark would have a sense of family. But it wasn’t until the end of the book that I realised ALL of them were ‘sons’ adoptive or otherwise of Sergio.

Dominic is a retired Mafia head. He and the rest of the boys are no longer in the business. Winter was sold by her father to Ernesto, the newest head of another Mafia/Cartel (are they different?) as payment for a debt. Mark is sent undercover to locate Ernesto and along the way discovers there is an innocent girl, Winter, who he needs to save. We don’t know why Dominic has sent Mark on this mission other than he’s ‘gone back on his word’. Maybe it’s mentioned in the previous books?

I really liked the strength of Winter in the face of her past and moving forward, fighting to be with Mark and standing strong, finding her voice when needed. She formed her own opinion of others as she met them and not from their pasts. I liked Branson’s character. He was the overall ‘good guy’ in the story despite being on parole, he was a gentle giant and looked out for for.

Overall I enjoyed watching Winter and Mark also who seemed to be on the outside of the ‘family’ grow together, lean on each other and both find that they each made their lives whole.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oh my god, this book was so good. My only regret was not reading the first two books before this one to appreciate the other characters more (not the biggest fan of Dominic though). But my heart went out to Mark and Winter for all of the horrible things they had to endure. I loved watching their healing process as well as watching them fall in love, being able to find comfort within each other.

“Your Mark?” he asked softly in a tone that she couldn’t decipher as he glanced at her.

“Yes. You’re my Mark.”

This book may be considered as slow burn to some as both characters spent a lot of time healing from their traumas so nothing really happens between the two until maybe at the 40% mark . There are times where it gets repetitive with the whole “you’re mine” “my Mark” thing and there’s a lot of sex scenes in the book. And he does get very jealous and possessive especially towards the end of the book. So if you’re not into OTT males, this book may not be for you.

Also trigger warning, the story mentions child abuse, rape, getting sold, etc.

There were very little mistakes that I noticed like Mark’s name in lowercase m instead of uppercase a few times. Or how an Identification card (ID) was described as a square when they are rectangular. I also don’t think it’s appropriate for the therapist to be mentioning that she just got off the phone with Mark and assumed why Winter would be calling. Isn’t that like a violation to his privacy or something? And if Mark had gotten 100+ stitches on his back, wouldn’t he be laying on his stomach instead of sitting?

I also thought it was a bit confusing at times when one character would talk and talk again in the next line/paragraph if that makes sense. Like Winter said something and in the next line/paragraph she talks again instead of Mark.

But regardless, I loved the story and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

[Katy · Rating 3 out of 5]

(I received an ARC for this book)

Not all women want a Prince Charming. Sometimes we need someone that can battle our demons.

The mafia, cartel, and a MC all in one book?! There is not a dull moment! Winter has been held captive for two years, and in swoops Mark to save his little bird. A mafia related shooting that goes to plan, without a mess? Now THAT’S new! From her trauma, she’s obviously in need of healing, and Mark lets her have every moment to do that. On her own terms. He never rushes her, never pushes her. Even when he wants to, for an entire year. I would have liked to see a little bit of that year, instead of seeing the “sudden” change in their feelings towards each other. Even with their terrible pasts, they’ve found trust in each other over their time together. In ways they both deserve. This was more of a story about family, trust, and healing than it ever was about organized crime. But, it does play a big role in who they are, and who they come to be. This is a dual POV (and there’s random chapters from other characters’ POV), but it’s sometimes hard to follow because it’s not labeled. It sometimes read third person.

My Favorite Quotes:
•”I want to stay with you.”
•”I’m not going anywhere. Not til you tell me to.”
•”I’m nothing without you.”
•”I know I shouldn’t push you, but I don’t know if I can wait for you to catch up.”
•”And to know that I’m you first, you only...it means more than you will ever know.”
•”Thank you for never giving up.”
•”You’re my Mark.”
•”Little bird, don’t you know that I would be nothing without you.”

Make the playlist the author provides. It’s worth it!

4/10 Dirty Birdy
7/10 Mafia Romance

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved seeing both the main characters heal together and each other as well as finding peace, happiness and love with each other. This was a standalone and technically it reads OK as such, but the mentions of previous characters and events kind of made it obvious you were missing some vital info. I think reading the previous books are ideal and I'm going to go back and do so to not feel completely out the loop. I loved Bronson's character and want to know his story and see him get his brother and a hea with whoever he ends up with. I'm glad Winter's brothers weren't involved with their dads actions and it was sweet to see their reactions to their reunion and they still loved and accepted her. Hopefully along with Bronson's story, we get a couple MC books with their stories as well. I liked the epilogue, after it said the end I didn't think there was one until I turned the page, it was very cute and funny, I was a bit disappointed there wasn't a baby for them though. Overall good read. I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily

[Marni Ortiz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Having read the first two books in the series , I can’t express how excited I was to have received a arc copy of this wonderful book . Nothing without You , deals with slime serious topics but K.B Barrett handled it so beautifully. From the very start I was engulfed into winters world and all the emotional struggles she had to endure my heart truly broke for her on so many levels . Winter was sold by her family to a crazy psychopath, when mark rescued her she was so traumatized she could hardly even speak . Mark , I genuinely loved him as well , both of the these amazing and intriguing characters have so many layers to them , I loved watching them get peeled back throughout the story . Mark he has his own demons as well . I don’t want to give to many details away as this really is w story that needs to be experienced personally. What I will say is that these two just had my heart completely. I can’t truly express how phenomenal this book is !!! I highly recommend

[Melissa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a 3.5 star book for me. Overall I think it was really well done. This is one of the few romances that I've read where the trauma the main character goes through is actually handled correctly. After our hero rescues the heroine from her abusive situation, they don't jump straight into a relationship, which was very refreshing to see. A year passes before anything romantic happens and our heroine actually goes to therapy.

All that being said, I found both of the main characters to be a little blah. Winter, our heroine, develops more of a personality as the story moves along, but Mark remains blah throughout. I also thought some of the plot points with Mark's "family" to be unnecessary drama.

All that being said I did enjoy the story and I really appreciate how Winter's trauma was handled which is rare in this dark(ish) romance genre.

Thanks to BookSirens for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Emma bramley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing without you

This is the first time I've read a book by this author and I was totally blown away from the start. This is the amazing story of Mark and Winter, these two characters are strong, sweet and definitely hot and steamy together. This story has the perfect mix of love, danger, drama, suspense and strong characters that you will be hooked from the first page. This book will have you reading long into the night. I can’t wait to read more from this author in the future, this was such an amazing read.

I was given a copy of this book and this is my honest review
www.obsessedbookreviews.com

[Cathryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark and Winter had both been severely betrayed by family that were supposed to love and cherish them. After Mark gets Winter out of her captivity, can they continue to save each other or will the odds stacked up against them proof to be too much?
This was my first book by Barrett I found it to be an enjoyable mafia romance. I liked being witness to the character growth of both Winter and Mark. There were several times when I really felt Mark’s pain. The plot moved quick enough for me, however I think there could have been a little more suspense thrown in. I liked reading about secondary characters, especially Branson and the relationship between them and our leads. Dominic didn’t do anything for me though. I look forward to reading another book from this series. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book from BookSirens. All opinions in this review are my own and freely given.

[Krissy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

Received as an ARC and leaving my honest review. Trigger warning that there is mention of abuse and torture.

This is a standalone in the series so there are other characters appearing and some parts felt like there was a back story that I was missing since I didn't read the earlier books. But there was still enough links between the characters that it wasn't too bad. I liked the character development for both Mark and Winter, you could feel their troubled past and pain, their chemistry and love for each other and the peace and healing both needed and got. As this is a bit of a mafia story, you can expect violence, so if you don't like violence/ death, then this book is not for you. I loved the plot, pacing and the bit of suspense and of course the chemistry between Mark and Winter. Will definitely be checking out the other books in this series!

[Mg Meredith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Without You was a intensely messy emotional story of Mark and Winter and their journey toward happiness forgiveness and accepting that each in their on way was enough and that sometimes it takes more than being blood related to find the family you was meant to belong with those people that can accept you for both your strength and weaknesses. The storyline flowed smoothly and with just the right amount of drama and action to keep things moving forward as you witness the growth of all major characters you will have old friends from previous stories featured and will be introduced to new quirky likeable characters from future stories if your ready for a crazy bumpy emotional ride then pull up a seat and enjoy the journey .
I received a advanced reader copy of this book and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Jean · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is book three in The I Found You Series and it is Winter and Mark's story and it is a must read. I absolutely loved this book as it took you in right from the start and kept your attention throughout the book. The characters and storyline along with the twists and turns is what makes this book a real page turner and I couldn't put it down as it was so addictive. The chemistry between Winter and Mark was so strong and you could feel it sizzling of the pages of this book. K.B. Barrett is a new author to me and I can't wait to read more books in the future as it was so well written and definitely worth reading.

I Voluntarily Reviewed an Arc Copy of this book.

[Damaris Rivera · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is really deep and beautiful. Winter was sold to a sick man that destroyed her from the inside. Mark saved her and she was not able to even talk. Mark has also his internal issues and demons but he wanted to help her to heal after her suffering. They were able to heal together and work with their own demons and problems to finally be together. This book keep you reading until the end. The author wrote an amazing work writing this book and I highly recommend it! Great plot and characters! A must read book.

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

[Christina Rodrigues · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nothing Without You is the third book in K. B. Barrett’s I Found You series. It is a mafia romance novel filled suspense, amazing characters and an interesting storyline. I loved Mark and Winter together. They have both had a very difficult and unusual upbringing but they were able to support each other as they built a relationship on love, trust and understanding. They journey together was well written and heart wrenching, and I couldn’t put the book down until I was finished. I haven’t yet read the first two books in this series, but I definitely will before book 4 comes out.

This is a voluntary review of a copy received from BookSprout.

[Suzanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another wonderful, intense book in the "I found you" series. The men in this series love with everything they have and everything they are. Mark is no different.

Winter is a cartel leader's "fianceé" although he's kept her locked up for two years. Talking wasn't allowed, he starved her regularly causing her to sneak into the kitchen and in order to steal something to eat.

I write spoiler free reviews I can't say too much more except:

This is an intense ride with Mark and Winter both coming to realize that maybe they've found their One in each other. I loved it!

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

[Maja · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first read from this author. Apparently this is the third book I had no idea. The story is written in the third person point of view which is a huge deal breaker for me and something I don't particularly love because it makes the story impersonal for me.
With this book it really felt like I was missing something. It's sad that I didn't know it was the third book, because even at the beginning I felt like I was missing something.

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

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can’t underestimate power of woman and love .
Good storyline ,characters you going to root for. Broken bodies but not souls .When he rescued his “little bird” he knew that she is his missing piece of broken heart.
They are for each other to heal ,reclaim family and love .
It was also some fun to see her get her bearings back and definitely steamy part.
Great suspense romance and I need to read about other brothers.

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

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nothing Without You is a fantastic title for this amazing story!


My gosh, what Winter dealt with!

Mark, her rescuer, was absolutely amazing! So patient, so caring, such a great MAN!

Can Mark help his little bird fly? Fingers and toes crossed!!! I swooned for sure!

I have been on a mafia binge for quite a while and this author's addition to the trope just wonderful and oh so satisfying!

I'm definitely sticking around for more!

[Elesha's book fun gossip · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great read with a captivating storyline. Winter and Mark have a intertwined relationship she has had a traumatic past and is broken he is her hero how saved her and is trying to repair her song the way there are complications but over all there is underlying chemistry and passion romance. Amazing characters enjoyable story.

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

[Mary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mark and Winter's story is beautiful. She is terribly broken with what all she has been through but Mark seems to help her put her life back together. he is dealing with his own demons and she seems to help him. I really enjoyed this story. It definitely deals with some big issues but I think the author does a good job with the subject matter. I love the characters and the plot is intriguing, tragic, passionate and loving.