Eva Morelli is the good girl. Billionaire playboy Finn Hughes is nothing but trouble. But when things go wrong at Eva's family gala, he's the one who comes to her rescue.
Damage Control is a short story that takes place in the sensual & lush Midnight Dynasty world. The warring Morelli and Constantine families have enough bad blood to fill an ocean, and their brand new stories will be told by your favorite dangerous romance authors.
WARNING: This book is intended for readers eighteen years old and over. It contains material that some readers could find disturbing. Enter at your own risk...
This was published in the Meet Me Under the Mistletoe anthology under the title HALLELUJAH. They are mostly the same, so no need to click again if you've already read it.
Finn & Eva’s Short Prequel Is A Wonderful Combination Of Sweet, Steamy, & Dirty! It Is Steeped In Family Drama & Dark Secrets. Finn Is The Nonchalant Playboy Who Loves To Push The Boundaries. Eva Is The Unattainable Morelli Daughter. This Book Is Followed By One For The Money.
ABOUT THIS BOOK:
This book is the prequel to what appears to be a trilogy. Note that to date none of these titles are linked together and labeled as a series. So far, the unnamed series includes:
1. Damage Control (Finn & Eva’s story – a brief prequel) 2. One for the Money (Finn & Eva’s story, book 1) 3. Two for the Show (Finn & Eva’s story, book 2) 4. Three … ? ABOUT THE MIDNIGHT DYNASTY WORLD:
This story is part of the Midnight Dynasty world. It is a collection of books by various authors, each revolving around the warring Morelli and Constantine families. The families are surrounded by money and power, and marriages in their privileged world are arranged strategically. While it is not necessary to have read the related stories, you will obviously enjoy this story more with knowledge of the various related stories that precede it.
From what I have gleaned, the Morelli and Constantine children are still not entirely in the know as to the source of the feud, but it does involve the parents, Bryant and Sarah Morelli and Lane and Caroline Constantine. Some of the children have been pulled into the fray as well.
Many of the romances in this world entwine the two families. This book is no exception, but it is primarily a Morelli story. Technically, Finn Hughes is a Constantine. He was raised outside of the feud, however, and is considered neutral. He is the son of Geneva Constantine, making him the nephew of Caroline Constantine. As there are further books in the series, it remains to be seen whether or not the Constantine family becomes a bigger factor in Finn and Eva’s romance. His mother, for instance, has yet to enter their story. ABOUT THE MORELLI FAMILY:
Bryant and Sarah Morelli’s marriage may have been arranged, but their loveless marriage produced a large family – they have eight children. Bryant Morelli is smart and powerful, but he is fundamentally a broken man whose history of drinking has scarred his family. His drunkenness leads to abuse, which is the family’s dark secret. Although his son Lucian wrestled control of Morelli Holdings from Bryant, he continues to wield his power and influence. Sarah Morelli is proud of her English heritage, and she enjoys her esteemed social standing in Bishop’s Landing. She plays her role well, but she wears a mask to hide her unhappiness. She relies heavily on her daughter Eva for help with managing the household.
This is Eva’s story.
Leo is building his own empire. He married Haley Constantine, who is now pregnant. Their story is told in the Beast of Bishop’s Landing Trilogy by Amelia Wilde.
Lucian is CEO of Morelli Holdings, the family business. He married Elaine Constantine. Their story is told in the Starcrossed Lovers Trilogy by Jade West.
Sophia is a wild child, the opposite of Eva.
Carter teaches at Oxford. During this book, he is spending part of his summer on a geological expedition – but his family is not clear where he went. There is some mystery surrounding his character. When he pilots geologist June Porter to a remote island, things go wildly wrong. Their story begins in The Crash, a short prequel by Skye Warren.
Daphne is married to art collector Emerson LeBlanc. Like Eva, Daphne is considered a good daughter. The couple’s story is told in The Collector Trilogy by Amelia Wilde.
Tiernan is married to Bianca, a Constantine. Their story is told in the Dark Dream Duet by Giana Darling.
Lisbetta Anne-Marie just graduated from high school and is about to begin college. IN DAMAGE CONTROL, THE PREQUEL:
The Morelli holiday gala is a staple amongst the elite of Bishop’s Landing just outside of New York, and this year is no exception. What is new, however, is that a select few of the Constantine clan have been invited to attend. In light of the recent matches in the family, it was time to bury some of the animosity – publicly, anyway.
Eva Honorata Morelli, thirty-three, finds herself hard at work behind the scenes of the gala, managing the staff and problem solving, while her mother plays hostess. She is indispensable to her mother. Eva’s willingness to please has become equivalent to a full-time job, but she never shirks what she considers to be duty to family.
Phineas “Finn” Galileo Hughes, twenty-nine, finds himself at yet another Morelli gala, but this time things feel different. The thrill of parties and hookups seems to be fading. The sad eyes of Eva Morelli have always attracted him, but she had always felt unapproachable. This evening, however, he cannot seem to stop himself from seeking her out. What he discovers when he finds her behind the scenes has his blood boiling.
As the gala goes on, Finn begins to discover that he is not quite the same nonchalant playboy he had been. The things that had once excited him are losing their luster, replaced instead with an instinctive urge to step up and protect Eva Morell. Whether or not he is good enough for her is no longer relevant. This prequel ends with the gala, but their story picks up months later in One for the Money, book one of their series.
Finn and Eva’s story starts out at the eventful Morelli holiday gala. Finn has a wild side, but underneath his carefree persona lies a little darkness. Eva is his opposite. She is above reproach. Finn awakens something in her, however. She has lived for others for years, but Finn makes her want something for herself once again. The story is well-written. The plot is somewhat complex. The characters are compelling and real. The story is told in first person. The POV alternates between Finn and Eva. I rate this story 4.5 stars.
I was gifted a copy of this book for free in a Bookworm Box purchase. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Eva and Finn hit it off during a gala hosted by Eva’s family where they spend time piping whipped cream onto pies. Later that evening, he intervenes when he catches her father physically hurting her.
At 4 chapters, this prequel short story is a bit too short to be of much value. I would have rather it been tacked onto the full length.
Though, there seems to be some interesting rival family dynamics and a hint to some secrets that the two main characters are keeping. I’d be interested in picking up the full length novel.
This was one of my favorites of this interconnected Morelli/Constantine series that was included in the Meet me Under the Mistletoe anthology. From that moment that Finn and Ava were introduced, I knew they were going to be special. That story has been re-released into this story. It is a great book to read to familiarize oneself before starting One for the Money. I've read every book in the Midnight Dynasty world, and I have loved all of them. I highly recommend this book because you will fall in love with the characters just like I did.
Rating: 3.0 I liked Finns Character. He was confident in who he was and what he wanted. He clearly had feelings for Ava but doesn't see a long-term future with her or anyone given his future will follow his fathers. On the other hand, I didn't like Ava and found her annoying. She sees herself as the glue keeping her family together. Without her they would fall apart. When in actual fact her family treats her like a doormat. She willingly accepts being abused by her father while reminding me she is an independent woman. I also found some of the secondary characters like Leo (who threatens Finn to stay away from Eva) and Bryant (Eva Father) being a drunk bully who assaults her, were only there to further point out Ava is a doormat who likes to be controlled by others.
Oh, a tease of what is to come, setting up the stage and giving us an introduction to the players! Finn and Eva have chemistry that arcs off the pages, at any moment they are in a room together. She seems so innocent, but you can sense her backbone. He sizzles with danger and that is only solidified, though we don’t know how or why. Definitely whetted the appetite and can’t wait until these two get their whole story!
A good little scene, and I'm actually glad that I read it after One For The Money. The events of this short were mentioned within the full length book, and this certainly makes them make more sense. Though this alludes to Eva and Finn being much closer than they appear in the other book. I would love to see more of these little clips of 2 of my favorite Midnight Dynasty world characters.
I only saw this book after I’d read the first story by this author of Eva and Finn…so thought I’d go to the beginning❣️It definitely answered a few questions I had about Finn and how he knew certain things about Eva in the book, but I enjoyed this brief glimpse into their world. I’m eager to see what happens next🤩
this is a great short story. I didn't know about it before I read One for the money. I did wonder about the references to this short story in the book but didn't catch where to find it until the end of the book. can't wait to see how everything goes with these 2 great characters.
This is a taste of the sizzling chemistry that is bubbling between Eva and Finn.Eva has secrets and Finn is promising to uncover them.Would Finn be able to learn what goes on in the Morelli family or would Eva be his downfall.
I loved this little glimpse into Finn + Eva's beginning. I actually read One for the Money before finding Damage Control and was so happy we got to witness the party where they first had a connection. I loved the kitchen scene especially!
Fall into this gossamer web this amazing enchantress has woven. It's 1.50 am. Can't wait to buy the next installment and read more. Yes, it's compulsory. You'll get reeled in too. Just start reading.
03-01-2023 xnpsnrklbr... máár: Interconnected Morelli/Constantine series that was included in the Meet me Under the Mistletoe anthology dus 't maakt niet uit, lol!