Tempted

The Vampire Syndicate #0.5

by Rebecca Rivard

He prowled toward me.
Dark. Unsmiling. And wicked beautiful...

"One of the best series out today! Every book is action-packed and steamy."~ Series Addict
*Winner, 2023 RONE Award (Best novella)*

MILA
He's the heir to a vampire syndicate, the man who will rule after his father.
One evening, I accidentally trespass on his family estate...and now I'm his newest obsession.
I know he’s dangerous. I know this can't go anywhere.
But I can’t give him up.

GABRIEL
She's everything I'm not.
A young human who loves flowers and good food and sunny days.
I know she's not for me. A vampire prince, I'm duty-bound to mate with a princess from another syndicate. But I crave her with an unreasoning desire that shreds my control—and threatens everything I've worked for.
*A dark vampire mafia forbidden romance*

“Tempted: A Vampire Mafia Paranormal Romance is sensuality and desire. Like a smooth dark chocolate river, the forbidden romance unfolds with longing and elegance." ~ InD'Tale Magazine, Crowned Heart Review


TEMPTED is a 40,000-word prologue to PURSUED, Book 1 in the Vampire Syndicate Series by USA Today bestseller and award-winning author Rebecca Rivard. Download the book now and immerse yourself in a darkly romantic world of love, temptation and ruthless vampires...
*NOTE: Ends in a cliffhanger.*

Genres: Paranormal, Vampires, Fantasy, Romance, Dark, Paranormal Romance, Dark Romance

156 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2022

About the author

USA Today bestselling author Rebecca Rivard read way too many romances as a teenager, little realizing she was actually preparing for a career. She now spends her days with vampires, shifters, fae and other magical creatures, which has to be the best job ever.

InD'Tale Magazine calls her work "steamy, spellbinding romance with phenomenal pacing," and the Paranormal Romance Guild named her Vampire Syndicate Series a "must read." Her stories have won multiple awards including the prestigious PRISM, the RONE, and the Paranormal Romance Guild Reviewers' Choice Award.

If you crave steamy, emotionally charged romance between dangerous men and the women they'd raze cities to possess, Rebecca's books are for you. HEA guaranteed.

Reviews

[Kat valentine ( Katsbookcornerreads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempted is the prequel to the vampire syndicate series by the amazing Rebecca Rivard! I love this series and reading the beginning of how Gabriel and Mila met was a special treat. I love both of these characters and the passionate whirlwind of their relationship and how it caught them both off guard was awesome. The sex was deliciously hot and steamy and their chemistry off the charts hot. I adore vampires and Rebecca Rivard writes some of the best vamps I've ever read! I did read Pursued and it was awesome!!! Theirs also two more books! I love the whole syndicate vibe which reads mafia just with sexy hot vamps! Gabriel is a ruthless predator and trying to make daddy proud so he can one day takeover as the Primus and be the head of the Kral syndicate he's had to work hard because he's a dhampirs half vampire half human and the pure born vampires are just waiting for the crown prince to fuck up! And so when Mila walks into his life and fucks up all his well layed plans and even though he has feelings for her, his inner vampire and his father keep him from giving mila the one thing she wants and that's his love. With a fabulous storyline and some really great writing this is one series that you must read! And he's not the only sexy vampire! He has two brothers Zaq and Rafe who are just as dangerous and sexy as him! Three hot vamps ! It doesn't get any better then that!😉 until next time Luv's💕💋

[Coco.V · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great a fantastic introduction to the Kral Syndicate!


🎁 FREE on Amazon today (7/7/2022)! 🎁

[InD'tale Magazine · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Tempted: A Vampire Mafia Paranormal Romance” is sensuality and desire.

Read full review in the 2023 February issue of InD'tale Magazine.

[Helene Black · Rating 2 out of 5]

A bit too many consistency errors for my liking. Also has dual POVs which don’t add anything to the story. 😭 Well, at least it was a free read.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilling! That's the first word that came to mind as I started reading the beginning of Mila and Gabriel's story. I've read all the books in The Vampire Syndicate so I was familiar with these characters, but I was not prepared for the immediate chemistry and sexual tension between these two. Their union was explosive from the start. This prologue novella was a quick read, but I was enjoying it so much, I dragged it out much longer than I should because I knew the end was coming and I did not want to stop reading! Mila, a beautiful, young student just finishing her degree in agriculture crosses paths with Gabriel, a Dhampir Prince in the Kral Syndicate. Their chemistry is off-the-charts. They each have "plans" for a future life. Mila just can't see herself fitting into Gabriel's world, and Gabriel just can't see his world without Mila by his side. What will these two lovers do?!! You'll need to read on in "Pursued" to find out! Grab "Tempted" today and jump into this exciting world of vampires, dhampirs, and humans. I found it to be an exciting, action-packed, steamy thrill-ride of a read. Don't miss it!

[TJ · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is actually a very rich story for a novella! Although, the very best part was the added peek at the next book at the end. Now, THAT was one of the most masterful teases I have seen in a long while!

P.S. As a warning, this is a really steamy story (ei: there are multiple long and graphic sex scenes). They can be skimmed (I know because I did) but I do think those who like their stories hot will enjoy this story much more than those who don’t.

P.S.S. This story also ends in a HUGE cliffhanger (the reason for the need of that teaser snippet I mentioned).

[Melissa Flanagin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Was it bad? YEAH
Was it in anyway entertaining? EH
Will I read the next one? Yeah probably LOL

[Buffyanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't usually give 5 stars to a novella; they leave me wanting a full length treatment. But, Tempted is a most satisfying prequel that is an answer to my thirst for the Kral Brothers: the Dark Angels of the vampire syndicate world. The affair between Gabriel Kral and his true love Camilla "Mila" Vittore, before their reunion in Pursued, has always been an enticement on the edge of the Vampire Syndicate world.

Tempted delivers on the attraction, craving, and romance in full colour and depth. Mila wanders onto Gabriel's family estate one summer, "tempted" by his mother's flower garden. Gabriel allows her trespass because he is intrigued by the beautiful human. They develop a friendship that quickly leads to something more reservedly sensual. Gabriel knows he can't keep her, but is unable to resist her temptation also. Rebecca Rivard delivers a sexy and candid look at her main characters, with a maturity that comes with knowing them thoroughly and intimately. Telling the story of Gabriel and Mila's love and loss in a retrospective voice adds nostalgia and poignancy to the climax and ending.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tempted

Holy shiznet!!! What a gr8 story. Unfortunately it ends in a cliffhanger so I'm looking forward to reading the next book. I recommend this read. 5 Thumbs up

[Picky_Book_B1tch]

DNF at 15%. Was hoping for something different. This was a predictable mafia romance, with teeth.

[Mindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

What an amazing start to this series. Going in to this book, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew it was a vampire mafia type book, but I didn't know if I would like it. I'm so glad I gave it achance. The characters and story are so original, at least to me, and I was engaged and entertained the entire time I was reading it.

This book had plenty of steam, but it also had some romance and intrigue. I like the idea of the vampires having syndicates instead of covens. I like that, while vampires are known about, they don't necessarily parade around letting everyone know who is and isn't a vampire. It makes it seem a bit more mysterious than if they were just vampires in hiding.

I can't say I liked how the story ended. I don't like cliffhangers. However, since I know this is a prequel and Mila and Gabriel's story continues in the next book, I'm not too put off by it. I am excited to see if Gabriel can redeem himself and win back Mila's love, or if he screws the pooch and looses her all over again.

[Aղցela W. · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a short quick read that I thought was ok. Mila was caught trespassing on private property turns out the property belongs to Gabriel and his family turns out he is the crown prince of a vampire syndicate. This was my first time reading this author and I liked the premise of this book but to me it was almost cheesy at times. Mila becomes his obsession he wants to bond with her he wants her to be his mistress because his father won't let him have her as his mate. I liked that Mila didn't give in she didn't want to be his mistress she didn't want him for his money. This book ended on a cliffhanger which I felt could have wrapped up in this book. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling.

[Ana · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved reading the beginning of Mila and Gabriel's story. She is the sunshine to his otherwise dark world. But will the love she has for Gabriel be enough for Mila to stick around and will Gabriel's vampire side be able to keep his promise to her?

The Dark Prince is having his doubts about his world thanks to Mila. Mila is having her doubts about staying away from his world.

What will these love birds do to be able to live in both their worlds, read and find out.

[Luna ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an entertaining prologue and I‘m curious about the books in this series. The worldbuilding seems interesting and I like Mila and Gabriel.
Mafia x Vampires is an interesting combination and I‘m intrigued. I hope we will learn more about this world in the „real“ books and I‘m looking forward to read the story of Mila and Gabriel.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved experiencing the start of Mila and Gabriel, their story was the forbidden type which is always a fun read. A great introduction to the Kral Syndicate as well.

[Sarah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I legit don’t understand why she ran away for three years???

[Margie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great start to the series

Really enjoyed the morsel to the start of the trilogy. Looking forward to the next three books. Downloading them now.

[♥ I’d Rather Be Reading ♥ · Rating 2 out of 5]

- Main Couple: Gabriel/Mila
- POVs Included: Dual POVs (Gabriel, Mila)

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SUMMARY: (SPOILER WARNING)

Gabriel is heir to the Kral vampire syndicate — a mafia-like organization run by vampires. His father is the head of the organization. But he and his brothers are only half vampires (dhampires).

He meets a human named Mila when she accidentally trespasses on their property while on a hike. Over the course of a year they get to know each other and fall in love. But when he asks her to blood-bond with him, she runs away from him (and everything).

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REVIEW:

This was so B-O-R-I-N-G. I’ve actually already purchased the first book in the series for my Kindle and kind of regretting it. I wish I’d known about the prequel because I wouldn’t have bothered buying the first book if I’d read this free prequel first. Oh well.

It’s just very bland and dull. The characters are flat. They have no chemistry. Everything about it screams amateur and underdeveloped.

I also am not a fan of Gabriel being a rather weak version of a vampire. I typically prefer the love interest to be more powerful (especially when they’re a vampire or another kind of paranormal character).

Mila is the most vanilla boring person ever. There is nothing interesting about her at all. And nothing she does makes very much sense.

Like when she got so mad about him not telling her everything about him up front. He had good legitimate reasons and she overreacted.

And then she literally runs away after he wants to blood-bond her. She doesn’t just break up with him, she unnecessarily runs away from her entire life to get away from him (which sets up the first book). But why? It makes no sense. It’s not like he threatened her or anything. None of this made any logical sense and was just overly dramatic and a major overreaction on her part.

Overall I didn’t like this at all. I will read the first book since I already bought it (unfortunately), but I’m not really looking forward to it. :-/

[S · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5 - Reread after DNFing the first time.

It was meh, I dont really have many thoughts about it. I skimmed over the last half of the book. Both characters were a bit bland and not at all what I expected from a vampire novel. They're one of those couples that you know wouldn't last after the book is finished. I didn't like their push and pull, unrealistic, and, at times, toxic relationship dynamic. Especially at the end, when Gabriel kept insisting on a blood bond.

Her running away doesn't really line up with her character at the beginning of the book. In the beginning, she was upset at him for not telling her about him being a vampire (honestly, he didn't tell her for valid reasons), yet forgiving him the next second.

I most likely won't read the next book. The excerpt of it at the end of this book didn't really interest me, and left me feeling as if I was reading about completely different characters.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This novella did an excellent job at setting up the three full-length novels in the Vampire Syndicate series, and I just know after reading Tempted that I will be binging the other books right away.

I loved both Gabriel and Mila as characters. Gabriel is the eldest son and heir to his father's vampire syndicate, but as a dhampir, he has to prove himself to both his father and the men his father rules over if he ever hopes to be seen as a rightful ruler one day. Meeting and falling for a human woman is the last thing Gabriel should do, but Mila ends up being a temptation that will test Gabriel and everything he's ever known.

Mila was a perfect mix between headstrong and submissive where Gabriel was concerned. I loved that she had her own mind, and was strong enough to stand up to a dhampir and keep her boundaries in place. But Mila also loved him, and that was evident soon after they began their relationship. They definitely have an interesting dynamic, and it's clear that not only will Gabriel make an excellent syndicate leader, but Mila will also be the perfect queen to counter-balance his vampire side and remind him of his humanity.

Tempted does just enough to establish who all the major players are in the rest of the series, and even without a cliffhanger, I would have still been invested enough in Gabriel and Mila's story to want to immediately continue on. There was a lot of great set-up in this novella, and I highly recommend reading this one before diving into Gabriel's full-length novel.

[Kimberly · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Tempted (Prequel) & Pursued (Book 1) by Rebecca Rivard

This series sank its fangs into me from the very first page of Tempted 🩸—and I was hooked. Rebecca Rivard is a new-to-me author, but after devouring the prequel, I had to dive straight into Pursued 🔥, and wow, it did not disappoint.

Set in a world where humans, vampires, and dhampirs coexist under fragile treaties ⚖️ (with slayers keeping rogue vamps in check 🗡️), the worldbuilding is rich and immersive. I especially loved the introduction of dhampirs and thralls—concepts that felt fresh and added depth to the vampire mythos 🧛‍♂️.

Gabriel, the vampire crown prince 👑 and heir to the Syndicate, is everything you want in a paranormal hero—powerful, dangerous, and just the right amount of broody 😍. The chemistry between him and Mila is off the charts 💥, and the blood bond and mate-taking tropes are handled with a spicy, emotional intensity that kept me turning pages late into the night 🌙.

The dual POV in first person really worked for me—it gave insight into both characters’ emotions and motivations 💭, making the romance even more compelling 💘. And while this is part of a standalone interconnected series, the threads connecting the world and characters are tantalizing enough to make me eager for more 📚.

If you love:
• 🧛 Vampires coexisting with humans
• 🧩 Political intrigue & supernatural treaties
• 💉 Blood bonds & steamy romance
• 👫 Dual POVs with emotional depth

…then you need to read this series. I’m already counting down the days until the next book drops! ⏳📖

[Khanique McDaniel · Rating 3 out of 5]

CURRENTLY FREE ON AMAZON

I have questions. Many questions.

But then this is a prequel and it did what a prequel is supposed to do. I don't truly have any problems with it. I am more surprised that I was invested in the story.

I started this book because I know I would have a busy week ahead and I wanted something to read in the down times. Something I wouldn't be salivating to get back to.

I was right!

... But I also found that when I started, I didn't want to stop.

I don't understand why vampires need to also run mafias but it's the author's world and this is what she wants.

I love paranormal books that explore a society that knows about what goes bump in the dark and so I am hoping we explore that more in book one.

The sex is actually good and the characters aren't bad either. A lot to unpack and I am glad we had this introduction before we dive into the story.

[Jason Pettus · Rating 5 out of 5]

2024 reads, #47. I had the fun experience this year of being a judge for the Prism Awards, celebrating the best in paranormal romance publishing, and this is one of the entries I ended up reading for that. Therefore I don’t think it would probably be ethically good for me to be actually sharing my thoughts about each book’s quality here publicly, but I can at least confirm that all of them were great (not surprising, given that this was a contest and we can therefore assume everyone will submit their best work). Frankly, I’m mostly logging this simply so that it will count towards my total number of books read in the 2024 Goodreads Reading Challenge, so that I don’t end up reading all summer long and then have nothing to show for it here afterwards.

[Victoria Golby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely start to the series, drawing you in and introducing you to the three brothers who are the heirs to the vampire syndicate.
There were plenty of steamy moments, with Gabriel and Mila getting to know each other after he finds her in his mother's garden. I liked the idea of there being vampire groups, syndicates, similar to witch covens; and these being similar to mafia groups (with Prince Gabriel needing a security protection). They are known of but don't highlight what they are.
I look forward to reading the next book, to find out how their story continues and if Gabriel can win the battle he seems to be having with his inner vampire.

[Hannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting

I admit it was slow to start but I’m definitely ready to read the next book. It’s not a can’t put down book for me unfortunately but it definitely is a good storyline. I didn’t like the very drastic shift in personality of Gabriel from sweet and romantic and kind to very cold and rough towards the end of the book, it was to drastic and I’m not feeling like it flowed overly well. The first chapter of the second book (which is a snippet after the story) should have been the ending of this book because it gives you the cliffhanger you need to want to read the next book, had I not read that I likely wouldn’t be interested in the next book.

[Netta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not what I was expecting. The romance started too quick. Gabriel is too concerned about what his father thi KS of him and not really appreciating who he really is until he meets Mila. Mila is too easy going and a romantic. She's in love with him and he can't express his feelings based on being a vampire. Im not impressed. Not to mention that the ending wasn't very satisfying because it's clearly a cliffhanger but it could also be a standalone as Mila just fades into the mist. I don't like it. Overall it was wildly entertaining and not bad.

[JessiCrowreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tempted 👑💋💐

He’s the crown prince of a vampire syndicate and I’m his newest obsession.


Super fast read would have loved all of Gabriel and Mila’s story to have been compiled into one book felt a little shafted on that front, but I was warned it ended on a cliffhanger so that one is on me.

I did like the book another of my stuff your kindle day grabs. first book read by the author and I do enjoy her way with words. Hope that book to give these two and decent beginning or end however you want to view it.

[Karyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a sorry that pulled me in and kept me reading til I finished in one day. I like the pull between the two main characters. There is some pretty good spice in this book. I like how the author created her own world of vampires. And how Mila was strong (although I didn’t think she was in the beginning). This did end in a cliffhanger and I am definitely going to pick up the next book to see where we go from here.

[Lucy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rebecca Rivard smashed the strong female lead. Camilla had her dreams and knew what she wanted and even when a man got in the way she still stood by her hopes and dreams as she was on route to her dream job.

It was refreshing to see something other than russian, Italian or Irish in regards to the syndicate it was Slovakian this time.

Gabriel is kind and generous but I also appreciate that he has his flaws. He's proud and selfish.

Both characters are well written and I love the story line.

[Billy J Stratton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not exactly what I was expecting.

This book was not exactly what I was expecting. His family is not in the book much and the brothers are missing through most of the book. He travels back and forth to be with her and they both keep saying it’s gonna end but neither stops until the end. It’s definitely a cliffhanger.