Wrecked

The Ruined Trilogy

by Nichole Rose

One look at his curvy captive and this Mafia boss will risk it all. Even if it means toppling his own kingdom to the ground...

Rafe Valentino
A life in chains was the deal I made with my father to win my twin's freedom.
My soul is black with the things I've done to keep my promise.
I never regretted any of it until now. Until her.
Amalia Santiago's bravado and fierce defiance make me feel alive in a way I never expected.
I was never meant to fall for her.
I don't deserve to put my filthy hands all over her pristine body.
She's supposed to be my prisoner.
But now, she'll become my world instead.

Amalia Santiago
When the devil came for my foster brother, I let him take me in his place.
I swore I'd find a way out of this mess for both of us.
Except Rafe Valentino wasn't supposed to have a heart...
And I wasn't supposed to fall for the ruthless crime boss.
So why do I come alive when he touches me?
Now, I'm one wrong move from destroying everything.
And nothing is what it seems.
How do I sacrifice the man I love to save my brother?

If you enjoy OTT possessive older men with a little bit of darkness in them and sassy, curvy heroines with heart, get ready to fall for Rafe and Amalia in this sweet and extra steamy romance. Each book in the Ruined Trilogy features a different Valentino brother and can be read as a standalone story.

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

253 pages, Paperback

Published April 12, 2022

About the author

Four-time award-winning author Nichole Rose writes deliciously dirty rom-coms, sports, and small-town romance, featuring relatable curvy women and the devoted alpha men who can't live without them. From obsessed billionaires to over-the-top hockey players to the firefighter next door, no one is safe from the hilarious, sassy women she sets loose on the world. She loves delivering relatable characters, hilarious banter, and enough heat to make you squirm.

Nichole also writes dark romance as Nichole Fallon.

When not writing, Nichole enjoys fine wine, cute shoes, and everything supernatural. She is happily married to the love of her life and is a proud ringleader in the world’s most ridiculous chihuahua circus. She and her husband live in central Arkansas.

Reviews

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve been wanting Rafe story since we saw him in Physical science and that storyline and we got it!!

Amalia knows she’s in deep when her foster brother does something and that’s betray his mob boss. Now Rafe is there wanting answers on where his ex lawyer is but when he meets Ama he feels something so he’s taking her “hostage” those are Ama words he just wants her for his queen.

Amalia also has a secret that she plans to keep from Rafe she tries to run away few times and isn’t successful at all but she grows closer to Rafe and feels guilty because of the secret she’s keeping. With someone after her and her brother still missing she makes up a lie that has her pushing Rafe away. And that man is heartbroken but he doesn’t give up when he finds out the secret and when someone threatens his woman,


No ow/om drama, no cheating,slight secondary chars, drama, sexy times, virgin gal and no manwhore

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶



Prologue
Slowinsta
Age gap
Pinning
Slight push away from both
Violence
No condom
Hea
Epilogue

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! Mafia boss gets his queen in the best of way. There was action, suspense, drama, revenge plots, steam upon steam! Even with the insta love I liked it.

Rafe was feared by all and cherished by some. Amalia is thrown into his life unknowingly to him. She wants nothing to do with him and his care for her. He fell first which was so refreshing. That dude knew how to sweet talk a woman and how to dirty her up too!

So glad I picked this book up on a whim!

[Michele McMullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, my word what a wild ride with this couple. Rafe and Amelia have chemistry and so much passion. Rafe is man looking for revenge, so he takes a captive. Amelia is sassy, smart, feisty and will not be told by anyone especially a gangster what she can do. They soon realize that their worlds are connected and intertwined with tragedy, mystery, secrets and lies. Loved their story.
~~Michele McMullen~~

[Cat H · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.7 stars.
Finally! We get to see Rafe’s POV.
We got Nico and Norah’s story a While ago and I’ve been wondering about Rafe and his girl since then.
Now we finally get the whole story.

And it is hot.
Amalia is so fucking feisty and does not take orders from Anyone. It’s so fun watching her fight with Rafe and order his men around.

The plot was fun and interesting even though short.
The sex was hot and dirty and steamy.

I had a really good time.
I’m glad we finally got the full story.

[Deborah · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5*

Enjoyable mafia romance. There’s danger, secrets and a family legacy at stake but nothing matters once Rafe sets eyes on Amalia. She’s his queen and he’ll do anything and everything to protect her. But does he actually know who she is?

[Oriana Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh bloody heck I freaking loved this story❤️❤️❤️ This was a great and interesting mafia romance. Rafe sees Amalia and just knows she will be his queen, but how he got her could be a problem 😉 Amalia knows about the cold and heartless mob boss.... But rumors that fly are not always the full truth. This story was so freaking sweet and romantic, with steam, darkness, lies and deception, angst , fun to read and captured my interest from the first page 👍👍👍 These Valentino men.... Hot damn🥵 They mighty fall hard and fast..... Can't wait for the others to get their HEA❤️❤️❤️

[Bego · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another hit from this author. Romance with some laughter, mystery and mafia. And completely safe!

I really loved this book. Amalia and Rafe are perfect for each other, and even with how they met, argued and some things that happened, they still get their HEA.

Details:
- Dual POV.
- BBW.
- Age gap: Amalia is 19 or 20 years old, Rafe is 38 years old.
- Virgin h, celibate H (he’s been celibate since before she was born.
- No cheating.
- No condoms.
- No OP drama.
- Epilogue 5 years later.

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

[Syd Springer · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a must read ASAP book! I loved Amalia and Rafe together. Amalia and Rafe's undeniable connection and chemistry just made this book almost melt your e-reader but all in the drama, action and everything else in this awesome book and I really didn't want to this book to end! I can't wait to see what the rest of the trilogy has in store us next! I would highly recommend this book and Ms. Nichole as a must read author.

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

[Paige Turner · Rating 4 out of 5]

I need therapy but in Italian

[Leslee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Who do you choose to save, your brother or the man you love? Amalia is a brave, fierce chick who has always known the dangers. Born into the mafia, adopted and hidden in plain sight, life hasn't been smooth. Now she is a prisoner to Rafael, a man her brother has betrayed. Rafe took her under the guise of luring out her brother. The truth is he couldn't possibly walk away from the woman who owns him from the moment they meet. Fate truly had a hand in bringing these two together. Rafe's burdens of his position and commitment to keeping his brother safe have imprisoned him. Amalia's defiance and fearlessness sets him free. These two had to fight for their happy ever after and that made it all the sweeter, 6 stars!

[Paige · Rating 5 out of 5]

What to say about Wrecked…it wrecked me in a beautiful way. We were first introduced to Rafe and Amalia in Physical Science, and although you don’t have to read that book to start this one, I’d highly recommend it. There we see just a bit of the man behind the mask Rafe constantly wears and start to understand his character a bit more. This book however was his journey, the peek into why he was the man he was and the character development was amazingly well done. Watching Rafe grow emotionally was so fun to see, but watching Amalia come into herself and own that confidence was beautiful. The way Rafe loved her was every women’s dream, and the twists and turns to this book kept you hooked. You thought it was going one way after seeing the ending in Physical Science, and then this book takes you in a different direction. Buckle up for an emotional rollercoaster, it’s 100% worth it!

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

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

Rafe & Amelia

I loved these two so much! Their push and pull I love how he fell first and he fell hard I love hot OTT Rafe is.the secondary characters are fantastic and I can’t wait to see more from the brothers! I feel like they are all gonna fall hard and fast and these women are gonna bring them to their knees!!! I can’t wait to dive into the next book!!!

[Tanmai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Damn! that was some serious insta-lust/insta-love but not the cringey kind.

The suspense, plot and the execution of the story was nice, kept me hooked to it.
It was cute, a little cheesy and had my all time fav "I'll kill anyone who hurts you" trope.

[Maria · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 senza infamia e senza lode sinceramente

[Speed · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 freaking love it stars!!!!!

Wow. This was the best! Rafael and Amalia fanned the pages on fire. Fuego baby! This book was everything. I love Mafia stories and Ms. Rose did not disappoint, Lol. Amalia is a strong and great heroine and Rafael is the perfect mob boss! Filled with love, hot sex, bloody killing, betrayal, and most importantly a HEA. I love Mattia, Luca, Gabe, and Diego!!! I hope they all get books! I need them all!!!!! 5 Stupendous, Marvelous, Terrific, Wonderful stars!!!!

Which book is next? Mattia??? I need it!!!

[Eve Rogers · Rating 5 out of 5]

**This is an ARC review. This was 🔥 🥵 hot!!! Totally outside of Nichole Rose writing but I loved it all the same. I would definitely recommend this as a must read.

[Nikki_Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Love it!! Nice, quick, short and sweet. I couldn't put it down. I was laughing so hard at some of the thing they said to each other. With an amazing HEA!!

Rafael meets Amalia when he is looking for his lawyer, who is her step-brother. Diego, Rafe's lawyer, knows all the Valentino family secrets, he has betrayed their trust. Rafe finds Amalia and makes her come back to his house so that he can draw Diego out. Rafe immediately falls for Amalia, she is feisty and lets Rafe know he is not the boss of her. Rafe locked Amalia in his bedroom while he goes out on business. Amalia tries to escape by climbing out the window with his belt and pants tied together. Rafe, knows this feisty, smart woman is made for him. Rafe tells Amalia she can go anywhere around the house, he won't lock her away, but she has to have two security guards with her. Amalia tries to leave several more times, injuring her ankle in the process. Amalia was only upset because Rafe left and she felt he left to seek companionship from other woman. When Amalia is soaking her ankle one the the guards approaches her, she feels very uncomfortable around him. That same guard is now going to be with Amalia and she doesn't want to call him out to Rafe because she know the consequences. Amalia just tells Rafe she doesn't like him. Amalia new security guard finds her in the library reading a book, when he tells her he know who she is and she will be leaving with him. There is a bounty on her head and he wants to collect. When Amalia goes with him she take a knife and just before leaving she slashes him with it. Rafe appears out of know where and throws Amalia's new security guard across the room. When Rafe takes him to the docks to kill him, Norah is a witness to this. Physical Science Rafe finds out that Amalia is working with her brother, Diego to take him down, but she has fallen in love with him as much as he with her. Amalia destroys all the evidence Rafe gives her because she doesn't want to incriminate him. Amalia goes to meet her brother to let him know she has destroyed the evidence but gets kidnapped by a rival family. Rafe and Diego team up to bring Amalia back home. They have an incredible HEA!!

[Ms. Shawn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rafe Valentino is a ruthless crime boss. He and his twin brother, Nico, were with their mom when she was killed and Rafe was shot in the stomach and almost died too. He was eleven. He knew Nico should go to college when Nico got a full ride to Harvard so Rafe made a deal with his father that he would stay behind and learn the business as long as his father left Nico alone. Rafe is only keeping the family business together to protect Nico and his two younger brothers.

Amalia Santiago was adopted by Alvise Butera out of the foster care system. Her parents were killed in a fire. Alvise knew her true identity and wanted to save her. He changed her name and protected her until he died. Diego Butera is her foster brother. Diego became a lawyer and got a job working for Rafe because Rafe killed his biological father. Diego is out to ruin Rafe and he comes up with a plan but needs Amalia’s help. Amalia willingly goes with Rafe as his “prisoner” but Rafe and Amalia instantly fall in love with each other.

Will Amalia be able to save her brother Diego and save the love of her life, Rafe? Will Rafe find out who Amalia really is and will that change how he feels about her? Will Rafe be able to protect Amalia? Will Rafe and Amalia live happily ever after?

I love that all the main characters are trying to protect their family members.

[Chalice · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

The couple: Rafe and Amalia

Romance trope: mafia
Series: Ruined Trilogy
Length: 193 pages

Plot: Amalia has lost a lot in her life, and she doesn't intend to lose her adopted brother, Diego. So she agrees to be taken by Rafe, who is responsible for the death of both Diego and Amalia's father. She can't let Rafe know who she really is though. This becomes more and more difficult as she starts to fall in love with her. What will he do when he realizes she's betrayed him?

Commentary: This was not the sunshiny, naive heroine I'm used to from this author! Amalia had an ulterior motive and she waited until she absolutely had to tell Rafe anything, and even then, Diego told Rafe some of it before Amalia did. I really felt so much anxiety about her keeping that secret after she started to fall for him. My favorite part was when we got the conversation between Rafe and his brother's girl, Norah. I remember reading that in Physical Science and liked seeing the connection between the two stories completed.

Previous book in the series: Physical Science
Next book in the series: Wanton

[Katie Goodson · Rating 5 out of 5]

PLUS SIZE MAFIA QUEEN <3 / INSTALOVE / FORCED PROX. / AGE GAP

Amalia has been on the run her entire life. When she was a baby, her family was killed in a house fire. She was the only survivor, orphaned and placed in foster care. Until Alvise, her adopted father, takes her in to live with him and his son, Diego. Alvise changes Amalia's name so that no one will know her true identity as the Cerrito family legacy. When Alvise dies, Diego takes care of Amalia by hiding her in gang territory. But he wasn't careful, so after he stirs a bunch of mess with the Valentino family, they come to Amalia. To find out whatever she knows about Diego and his whereabouts.

Rafe, the mafia king that everyone fears, did not plan on taking Amalia with him, but after he sees her, and she defies, speaks to him with disrespect, he is obsessed. He kidnaps her and holds her prisoner in his home. He wants Amalia as his reinita. And is determined that she isn't getting away from him, no matter how hard she tries. So he keeps Amalia locked away, guarded, until he can track down Diego, and get Genovese, another crime syndicate family head, off his back.

Notes: I LOVED THIS BOOK!!

[Hanna Barker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Geez Louise this book was soooo good! It was a little different from this author's usual stories (longer than usual and a bit darker content than her usual stuff) but dang was it a great story! We still get the obsessed and possessive alpha who knows right away that he has found his woman. When we met Rafe and Amelia briefly in Physical Science, which is Rafe's twin brother's story, I definitely did not expect the depth and utter perfection that was Rafe. He is such a complex character and this author did such a wonderful job showcasing all of his different sides perfectly. Rafe loved his family so fiercely that he gave up his freedom and happiness for his twin as a teen. He has the same mentality with his love for Amelia. She is his number 1 priority and the one thing that has the power to have him lose all control. I cannot say enough great things about this book and I cannot wait for Gabe and Luca's stories.

[Jen ♥ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐


Rafe (38) met Amalia (20/21) when they were looking for her foster brother. He took her with him and, right then, decided she'd be his queen.

This was fun and hot. I loved the feistiness of Amalia and how she got Rafe wrapped around her finger. It's also swoony to see a ruthless leader fall fast and hard for his tiger cub. 🤭

There's suspense, secrets, and a bit of violence involved; after all, the story revolves around an organized crime group.

Anyway, it was enjoyable, and the smut was damn hot. 🥵 These two were freaks in the sheets. But most of all, I love how they love one another and are both willing to sacrifice everything to ensure each other's safety. All in all, it was worth reading, imo.
 

Book info:
- Novella
- Insta-love
- Violence
- Death of a loved one (past)
- Virgin h, celibate H
- No cheating, opd, breakup
- HEA (5 years later, married with children)

[Kat4 · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved Rafe & Amalia❤️ Rafe may have been a dark prince, but he had a good heart. He was all in, willing to give up his own life for her. Amalia was the perfect soulmate for him. They may have seemed an unlikely match due to past circumstances, but they belonged together, and the heat between them🔥🔥😍 It was also fun to see Norah and Nico again, and the side characters(the good ones) also helped make this a fun story. Amalia's many escape attempts were quite entertaining!
Nichole Rose knocked it out of the park with her take on a Mafia romance. It could be considered Mafia-lite similar to the styling of Fiona davenport, jagger Cole, Alexa riley types of anti heroes... As in there is plenty of drama and mafia dealings, but there is no cheating, abuse or anything "safe readers" find unappealing.
This is a must read! Definitely recommend ❤️🔥

[Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Revenge or love, which one is stronger?

I loved this mafia lite story. It was entertaining and enjoyable although there was some violence. The characters were interesting and surprisingly likable for the most part. Carmine freaked me out as soon as we met him in the story. Unfortunately, he turned out to be exactly what he appeared to be. Rafe and Amalia met while he was looking for Diego. They were both attracted to each other immediately. Rafe decided that he was going to keep Amalia practically immediately. Amalia had secrets that she had to keep especially around Rafe. He treated Amalia like a queen - his queen. The connection between them was both hot and steamy but also sweet and loving. I loved their happily ever after. I recommend reading this book.

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

[Michelle Day · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG! Where do I start?! I have been waiting patiently (impatiently) for this book since I read Nico’s story. Rafe and Amalia’s story will NOT disappoint! Rafe is a Mafia boss (The mafia boss) who’s love and devotion to his brothers led him to where he is today. He doesn’t apologize for who he is or what he does to save the lives of his brothers. He is my favorite kind of hero. Amalia is a wonderful heroine who Rafe kidnaps and falls for. She is the one person who can break him, but she loves him just a fiercely. This is a story you NEED in your life and I don’t want to give anything away but YOU NEED THIS BOOK!!!.

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

[Lisa Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

He was supposed to go to school with his twin, but made a deal with his father so that Nico (Physical Science) could get out of the life that would ruin him. He never regretted the choice he made. When tracking down a traitor he finds her, Amalia, she makes him feel alive and so many other things.

Amalia has been in hiding, adopted by her foster father and her name changed. When her brother comes and tells her he is in trouble with Rafe Valentino, she is determined to find a way out. He is not as he seemed, he has a dark side, but he does everything for his family.

What will happen when he finds out her secret?.

I received an Advance Readers Copy of this book with no obligation to write a review.

[Rmqbookqueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wrecked was a wild ride from beginning to end, but so worth it to get Rafe & Amalia’s happy ending. If you love mafia books where the boss meets his perfect match that never listens to what he says then this is a must read for you.😂Even with Amalia always trying to get under Rafe’s skin, it only made their chemistry and the tension building between them more intense.

This story was filled with anticipation of Rafe finding out Amalia’s secret, and it was executed so well. I was tearing up for Rafe and Amalia when everything went down, and my heart was beating so fast when Rafe went to get his girl back. It was intense, but not very dark at all for anyone wanting to know. Nichole Rose gave us a great story with her style of HEA and as always it was a very satisfying ending.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amalia and Rafe are on opposite sides of a mafia war. Rafe sees Amalia and in order to get to someone close to her, he kidnaps her. At first, his feelings for her confuse him until he realizes that he’s in love with her. Fighting her feelings as much as possible, Amalia soon comes to love Rafe. She’s bigger girl so she doesn’t understand what Rafe sees in her.
Amalia is tough and sassy and gives as good as she gets. Rafe will do anything to protect her and Amalia comes to love Rafe unconditionally.
Theirs is a wonderful story and this author tells is beautifully. I’m so glad that I read this book!.

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

[Sara Willmore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been so excited waiting for this Valentino brothers story and I have not been disappointed. True its a bit darker than Nichole usual awesomeness but it still hits all the spots her usual books do with a little bit extra! Rafe is a very damaged and dark man who sacrificed everything for his brothers and Amalia has lost so much in her life, when Rafe sees her he know she is his and even thougth he thinks he is beyond redemption she sees the good in him. These two bruised souls heal each other and find redemption in each other.
AMAZING read with anough heat that the devil would need a fan but as with all Nicholes books has an awesome HEA.

[Dorothy Holness · Rating 5 out of 5]

wow 🤩 🤩

Okay I am not a fan of Mafia books, but Nichole Rose is one of my favorite authors so I had to read this. When I first started I kept looking at the names thinking to myself why are these names so familiar. Then I found out why. Nico Valentino from Nichole Rose book Physical Science. 😁 Well let’s just say this was a great read. I love how Amalia doesn’t take any crap from Rafe. I thought some of his guards were going to faint when she kept telling him no. You will laugh. You will gasp, you may even cry while reading this but I guarantee at the end you will be sitting like I am sitting now with a smile on your face. Great 👍🏾 Read Indeed.