Don't Make Me

Made Men #3

by Renee Rose

HE'S FORBIDDEN TO TOUCH ME.
I'm the Don's daughter. A mafia princess. He's my father's right-hand man.

When Carlo catches me taking my clothes off in a strip club,
he wants to haul me into my father's office.
I suggest an alternative–one more pleasurable for both of us.
He can handle my punishment. Dominate me the way he's always wanted.
Take care of my needs and, most importantly, keep my secret.

But we're playing with fire.
Every day, I fall a little more for the underboss
and if my father finds out...
It won't just be my future destroyed.
It could mean Carlo's life.

This stand-alone romance has no cliff-hangers, no cheating. HEA guaranteed.

Genres: BDSM, Contemporary, Romance, Mafia Romance, Contemporary Romance

218 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 13, 2022

About the author

15-Time USA TODAY BESTSELLING AUTHOR RENEE ROSE loves a dominant, dirty-talking alpha hero! She's sold over five million copies of steamy romance with varying levels of kink. Her books have been featured in USA Today's Happily Ever After and Popsugar. Named Eroticon USA's Next Top Erotic Author in 2013, she has also won Spunky and Sassy's Favorite Sci-Fi and Anthology author, The Romance Reviews Best Historical Romance, and has hit the USA Today list with her Chicago Bratva, Bad Boy Alpha, and Wolf Ranch books as well as various kinky anthologies.

For FREE RENEE ROSE BOOKS, go to this page: https://subscribepage.com/alphastemp

**Visit her blog at www.reneeroseromance.com
**Follow Renee at www.Facebook.com/ReneeRoseRomance - She loves to chat with readers!
**Follow her on Tiktok @authorreneerose
**Follow her on Instagram at www.instagram.com/reneeroseromance

WHAT OTHERS ARE SAYING ABOUT RENEE'S BOOKS:

"I savor Renee Rose's books as if they were the finest of champagnes" ~USA Today Bestselling Author Sierra Cartwright

"Renee Rose has an ability to write the most captivating, most intriguing, and the hottest books around." ~ USA Today Bestselling Author Alta Hensley

"A sexy tale for modern women that's as steamy as a locker room shower." ~Kirkus Reviews

"I've been completely blown away by this series" ~The Romance Reviews

"Nobody writes a bad boy hero like Renee Rose" ~USA Today Bestselling Author Cara Bristol

"If you are looking for a romance you can lose yourself in and think fondly of for days after, look no further. This is a Renee Rose book and this author is very good at what she does." ~USA Today Bestselling Author Maren Smith

"Hands down Renee Rose writes the sexiest, naughtiest, set your Kindle on fire romance." ~USA Today Bestselling Author Natasha Knight

"If you love your men dominant alphas and get considerable pleasure out of watching them have their lives turned upside down by the women in their lives on the way to their happily ever after, then you'll love this story." ~The Romance Reviews [TOP PICK]

"Rose always delivers with her erotic stories. It's hot, it's sexy, & don't forget the icy drink & fan when you read this one." ~Manic Readers

"I have yet to read a book by Renee Rose that I don't enjoy so much as to read it again and again." ~Bottoms Up Book Reviews

Reviews

[Liz [reads books] · Rating 5 out of 5]

4½ stars...
I really liked this one because the H was all in from the beginning and the heroine kept agreeing with him even though she never thought he was really serious.

[Kathy Heare Watts · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’M YOUR KEEPER

The second story in the Made Men series could read well as a stand-alone. The two main characters are Summer LaTorre and Carlo Romano. Summer is the daughter of Don LaTorre, and Carlo is his right-hand man. The story will have Carlo leaving Sicily and coming to America when his oldest brother, Mario, puts a hit on him. Carlo is taken in by the LaToree family and has feelings for Summer but never acts on them—not until he finds her at The Candy Shop, where she is working as a stripper.

The story’s plot will be about the secret relationship that develops between Carlo and Summer, one they must keep hidden from everyone, but especially her father. Carlo is dominant, and Summer a submissive, and these two have a strong chemistry when they get together. She thrives on his domination and power exchange. Summer has come from a bad relationship, and even her best friend warns her that this with Carlo is just a rebound, but is it? After John, she loses her self-esteem when he verbally abuses her, and with Carlo, she discovers that it wasn’t her, it was John.

Carlo: I’m sorry your thought something happened, bambina, but I’m not that guy. I’m not going to f*** around on you. Not ever. Look at me. You’re my girl. I’m not going to do anything to mess that up.
Summer: I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have freaked out. It’s just that John--
Carlo: I’m nothing like John.
Summer. I know. I’m sorry.
Carlo: Get in the car, and I’ll explain everything—if you want me to, that is.
Summer: Yes. I’m sorry. I need to hear it.

“My role as mafia princess has always been to turn a blind eye, ask nothing, see nothing. Accept the wealth that came from my father’s dealings.”

The story has plenty of angst, passion, and family issues. It includes violence, sex trafficking, kidnapping, and rescue. The good, the bad, and the evil all play their roles. It is trouble in families, life and death matters, and new beginnings. Sometimes, it is even doing what you know could get you killed, but doing it anyway because she is worth it. In the end, things work out, but getting there isn’t easy.

“Here’s the thing about forgiveness. Withholding it only costs you. It makes no difference to the person you’re mad at.”

[Leslie OBrien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Renee Rose is back at it with another mafia story in her enjoyable Made Men series. In it, we meet Carlo, who has moved to the US to escape his family, and Summer, who desperately wants to be seen for who she is instead of who she’s expected to be. In it, we have a great forbidden romance with all the Renee Rose touches that keeps readers coming back for more. Carlo is Italian debonair in all the yummy ways and Summer is both sweet and sassy. But when Summer presses her luck and gets in trouble, she agrees (maybe a bit toooo quickly) to turn herself over to Carlo for punishment and well, it just gets better from there.

[Court Small · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a new to me author, so I hadn’t previously read the first two books in this series, having said that this is a standalone and I didn’t feel I was missing anything from the story at all.
This is a well written forbidden mafia romance and I will be going back and reading the first two books as I loved all the characters

[Anij · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I want him to be my knight in shining armor.”

So we finally, finally get Carlo and Summer’s love story. This one was very different from the other two books in the series. There wasn’t as much action or angst. Instead it focused almost exclusively on their relationship.

We’ve always known Carlo was totally in love with Summer even though it was a closely guarded secret. We knew if Don Al even suspected Carlo wanted Summer he’d kill him, literally. Carlo knew this better than anyone so he did his best to hide his feelings. Not even Summer suspected.

I have to admit, I just loved Carlo. Turns out he’s a very deep well. I had no idea there was so much we didn’t know about him. His past broke my heart while the depths of his kinks surprised me. Such a naughty boy he was hiding under his elegant suits, perfect manners and calm façade. And such an oxymoron. A hard core sadist with a soft heart. He’s officially my favorite Bossman.

I only had two issues with this book. First was Summer. While she was a perfectly nice girl and everything I never felt any real connection to her. She was shallow, way too self-centered and incredibly indecisive. I didn’t see a lot of actual personality either. In a way I don’t think she deserved Carlo nor do I believe she cares as much for him as he does for her.

My second issue with the book was the lack of any real conflict. There were a few attempts, the bit with the Russian and Carlo’s concerns that Al would find out about them. But the few small conflicts were too easily and quickly resolved, even the one that began the story. While I have nothing against a solid love story I just like my mafia romances to have more action. Since the first two books had exactly that I was a little disappointed this last book didn’t.

Still, there was plenty of hot bedroom activity. Carlo is one hundred percent a sadist dominant and Summer his perfect submissive masochist. I loved how he was able to show both sides of himself to her. Summer completely understood that his extremely kinky games were just that, games. While he loved to play that way he also knew when he needed to not play and instead treat her as the woman he loved, providing her support, patience and comfort. He constantly put her well-being and desires first, even if it hurt him to do so. In so many ways he was pretty much a perfect man, except maybe the killing people part. I think I could overlook that and I’m sure Summer agrees with me.

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

[Lisbeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was ok, but the heroine as a selfish b.....

[Claire Cronin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The third book in this Made Men series, could easily be read as a standalone - this is Carlo and Summer's story.

Carlo is sent to America from Sicily after being targeted to be killed by one of his older brothers who thought he was going to step in and take over the family business! So Carlo is taken in by the LaTorre family and he ends up as the Don's right hand man. That was four years ago, and all that time since he first met Summer he has had a thing for her. But Summer is the Don's daughter and is definitely off the table and forbidden.

Summer is the mafia princess, but she has just gotten out of a bad relationship where her self esteem has taken an absolute battering and she feels worthless. She has taken up stripping at a local bar in order to give herself a bit of power of men and make herself feel better. That's when Carlo walks in and spots her, and decides to take her in hand.

Carlo is very dominant and has noticed Summer is not acting herself, and he gives her the choice of going to her father or letting him discipline her - she chooses him, who she has had a crush on for a while, and he takes her punishment seriously, with spankings galore and with his dominant nature he brings out the natural submissive in her.

I enjoyed this one, Summer is sweet and sassy and loves to push Carlo's buttons who is quick to deal out some much deserved punishment, which she quickly agrees to! Carlo is very quick to notice and know just what Summer needs and loves how well she responds to him. But his feelings run much deeper for her than he thought, she thinks she isn't a keeper, and Daddy dearest is still in the dark about their relationship!

Plenty of drama and angst with danger lurking not far away with the mafia connection. A good addition to this series.

[Daisy Knox · Rating 5 out of 5]

More reviews posted at Tales of Love, Life, and Murder

Is there anything better than a good forbidden romance? I loved this story. Carlo is the youngest son of a Sicilian don and he’s forced to flee to the US after his jealous, insecure brother orders a hit on Carlo. He’s adopted by an American don who treats him like a son and Carlo is groomed to be the underboss but he has a secret that nobody suspects: He’s in love with the don’s daughter so he’s biding his time until he figures out how to make that happen.

Summer has always lusted after her foster brother, as she calls him, but knows she’s forbidden fruit. He can’t lay a hand on her or it could cost Carlo his life so she has to be content fantasizing about this gorgeous, perfect man. Until the day he walks into the strip club and catches her act. Their attraction explodes but nobody can know. Will they be able to keep this fire under wraps or will it blow up in their faces?

I love these characters and everything about their story. Carlo is sweet and reverent of Summer but also filthy with a lot of kink. Summer’s the perfect daughter to her family, but they have no idea what her life is really like when she gets to drop the façade. These two bring the heat but still manage to make you swoon. I adored this one and can’t wait to check out more of the series.

[alyssa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Wasn't my cup of tea. A few things bothered me...

Somehow, I’ll have to figure things out because I want Summer for keeps. I’d hoped to someday be given Summer. To have earned her. But this will negate any chance of that.

First, it's frequently mentioned throughout the story that they've both secretly have been attracted to each other for the 4 years they've known one another, and yet they've clearly been with other people in those 4 years. Carlo seemed confident from the moment we met him that a) he can't have her and b) Summer is going to be his wife one day. So if he knew it was a possibility he could marry her, why would he sleep around? Clearly he didn't care about Summer enough to wait for her.

Secondly, practicing safe sex is great. Especially in real life. What I don't understand is why condoms are only used during vaginal sex but not oral? No talk of STD/STI status beforehand either just doesn't make sense to me. If authors are adamant on incorporating safe sex practices into their stories, I wish it would encompass ALL sexual activity, not just the vaginal/anal part.

Third, I hated the constant mention of the h's body being "too thin" and Carlo saying he wants to "fatten her up" and that he wants more to fill his hands. Imagine an H saying the opposite to an h that she is "too big" and he wished there wasn't so much to grab. It would be unacceptable. He either needs to accept her body the way it is or find someone else that meets his standards since he clearly has a lot to say about her figure.

Lastly, I didn't care for Summer or Carlo. Neither really caught my interest. DNF

[Mary Lynne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Don’t Make Me starts with a bit of an improbability—a mafia don’s daughter dancing at a strip joint. But Summer’s self-worth has taken a beating after her last relationship, and she’s trying to regain a sense of ownership for her sexuality. Too bad, then, that her father’s right-hand man finds her there and makes her pay for those choices in a particularly sensuous way….

I liked both Carlo and Summer as characters. Both have serious trust issues—he after his brother threatened his life, she from her romantic past. Seeing them use each other to overcome that was great. But I struggled at first with this book due to that opening. I wish Summer’s mental state had been presented first. But instead, Rose starts with her dancing, and without context, I had a lot of trouble accepting that a mafia don’s daughter would be able to get away with this.

There’s also a BDSM element to this in that Carlo is a dom, and it’s one of these situations where Summer is a natural submissive. That makes for some great sensual scenes, but it also means their relationship is a bit too easy for me. I would have liked to have seen Summer grow into her role, rather than automatically have everything work perfectly.

That means the danger in Don’t Make Me is external—Carlo dealing with dating his boss’s daughter and additional threats from the mafia lifestyle—and Rose handles this with aplomb. There were a couple of nice twists to this part of the story that I wasn’t expecting.

But the relationship itself was a bit too easy for me. It made Carlo and Summer fun to read about, but not characters that lingered in my mind.

[Tayler · Rating 2 out of 5]

I so wanted to like this book, I did. I’m sorry if my review comes off harsh but… yeah.

⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶/5


This book is a mafia romance. It deals with darker things like BDSM and different kink styles. Summer is the Don of New Jersey’s daughter and completely off limits. Carlo is a Sicilian monster seeking refuge with his uncle’s wife’s nephew, the don of New Jersey.

This story is very jumpy. First it begins with why Carlo is moving to New Jersey from Sicily. However, it’s barely there story at the beginning and it really doesn’t ever fill in those gaps for me.

Summer is randomly thrust on us as a stripper, but she’s a stripper for 2.5 seconds and then it’s never really brought up again except for when Carlo demands she never return.

You’re given a smidgen of a story then BAM sex scene. No real build up to the spice, it just kind of… happens?

I know that it’s reiterated in the book that Carlo isn’t a sexist pig, but everything he says sounds like he is. And he has to respond each time that he’s not… by saying he’s not…

Also we are randomly given the perspective of a cop in the middle of the book… I just…

Don’t even get me started on the fact that he told summer she didn’t need a SAFE WORD. 🙄

The spice is pretty good but the story itself is lackluster. It’s a quick read, but it just wasn’t for me.

Thank you, as always, for the eARC from Literally Yours PR in exchange for an honest review.

[Denise · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlo came to the US from Italy because his brother tried to have him killed. Working for the LaTorre family for the last four years has made his exile bearable. Though he missed his father's passing and his mother thinks he's dead, the LaTorre's treat him like family. He has eaten Sunday dinner at their home ever since he arrived and he watched Summer LaTorre as she grew into a beautiful young woman. A young woman who he just found working a stripper pole at The Candy Store. He knew she had been struggling ever since her dream of dancing ballet had ended when she had broken her foot. Her mother had insisted she enter the business program, but Summer's heart obviously wasn't in it. Then her idiot of a boyfriend had left her feeling unloved and useless. It was no wonder she had fallen so far, but enough was enough. When Summer offers to let him punish her if he won't tell her father about her pole dancing, he reluctantly agrees... well, maybe he wasn't too reluctant but he should be. If Don Alberto finds out that he kept this from him, or that he laid a hand on the princess, he might just end up dead. But Summer was worth it. Someone had to take her in hand and he was just the man for the job.

I was given an advanced copy of this book by the author. My review is voluntary.

[Liz · Rating 4 out of 5]

A forbidden romance between mafia underboss Carlo and the Don’s daughter Summer. Carlo has lusted after Summer since they first met but obviously given who her father was, knew it would be a death sentence if he were to act on the attraction. That is until one night when he’s at a strip club he catches her dancing on stage. When Summer pleads with him not to tell her father what she’s been up to he decides to make his move.

There are mild elements of BDSM in Don’t Make Me, mainly involving spanking with Carlo definitely a hero who needs to be in control. There is good chemistry between him and Summer and it was a change to read a romance where, at least to begin with, the hero was more invested in the affair than the heroine with Summer appearing to be still hung up on her ex-boyfriend. With an underlying story regarding the Bratva and sex trafficking, this made for an enjoyable read albeit a relatively short one. Personally I would’ve liked this to play a bigger part in the overall book and also the prologue dealing with Carlo’s reasons for leaving his home and family which is wound up in the final chapter but just felt a bit of an anti-climax for me. Don’t get me wrong, I enjoyed Don’t Make Me but not as much as I feel I could’ve.

[Kelsey Stone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlo and Summer form this relationship with so much tension you could cut it with a knife — a flame so hot it burns your hand.

Utterly forbidden, Carlo can’t keep his eyes off her and is completely obsessed with the don’s daughter Summer. He finds her anywhere but where she should be. From there, the romance was unavoidable. So deep and pure, you really do see them melt together as one slowly throughout the entire novel all the way until everything comes to a head.

I loved seeing Carlo turn into this overwhelmingly protective person by the end who’s no longer afraid of consequences. A man willing to sacrifice everything.

The ending is so sweet after the tension finally breaks. Knowing all the hiding and sneaking they had to do just made the ending sweeter to me. The whole ending had me crying by the time I was done reading it.

Renee writes these novels that start as storms and snap to sunshine with the drop of a hat. Her smooth writing will have you reading this novel all in one sitting. Highly recommend!

[Marlene Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlo joined the LaTorre Mafia four years ago when his brother issued a hit on him because he was cunning, watchful and could read people, so was named Consigliore at twenty-three...so his Uncle and Aunt sent him to New Jersey...where he was treated as one of the family, rising quickly in the ranks, went to Sunday dinner with LaTorre's every week, studiously avoiding their seventeen-year-old daughter Summer....now though Summer of legal age and was caught by Carlo dancing at a strip club...he was going to tell her father, but Summer begged him not to, saying she would take a punishment from him...but does she know what she's getting into? Summer was ballet dancer who was injured and now instead of majoring in dance, forced to switch to business...and hated her classes, had a former boyfriend who made her feel inadequate, where Carlo talked, listened and saw the real Summer...but her parents wanted her to marry a doctor or political hopeful, not a Mafia man...but you will need to read this spicy tale to see what happens. I voluntarily read this book through an Advanced Reader Copy.

[Kathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Powerful and Steamy Mafia Romance!!

Carlo Romano moves to the US when his brother tries to kill him, and becomes underboss to the LaTorre family.. Summer LaTorre is studying ballet, when an accident precludes furthering her career. After a breakup she goes to dance at a strip club for therapy for both her self esteem and dance.

When Carlo happens to see her, he takes her in hand rather than turn her in to her father. He has always intended to claim her, but he can no longer wait. He focuses on her self esteem, college work, and behavior;
“This is what I call an over-the-knee discussion You’re bared to me
in a humbling position, so I can correct you immediately if I don’t think you’re
being honest.”

Vulnerable, yet sassy, Summer thrives under Carlo’s care. If her father finds out - he may have a negative / deadly reaction. Emotional, scintillating, and a very satisfying read!

***** I am voluntarily leaving my honest review of this book *****

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlo has a lot on his plate. He was betrayed by those closest to him and now has a hard time letting his guard down (though I’m not sure he ever really would in this life- but you would have those you do trust, anyway, I digress). Summer comes along and he wants her but knows he cannot have her (boss’s daughter and all). She ends up needing a bit of correction and he helps her out, things progress from there. What gets me is Summer. Here she has this incredible guy who pushes all her buttons, not just physically but mentally and emotionally, yet she’s still looking in the past. She ends up really hurting Carlo. I wish he had made her grovel a bit, but that’s me and he’s better than that. There is a bit of a twist at the end and I’m glad everything worked out- but I wish everyone had groveled more to Carlo.

[Maggie May · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hot spanky sex: 5 ⭐️
Dominant hero: 5 ⭐️
Actually submissive heroine: 5 ⭐️ plus a bonus star for being likable and relatable
Storyline: 4 ⭐️
Pacing: 3.5 ⭐️ (it dragged a bit in the middle while she kept repeating that he wouldn’t want to get serious and he kept not telling her his intentions, but it picked up nicely at the end)

Mafia romances are never going to be especially my thing, but this one worked for me. The 11th hour crisis somewhat hinged on the hero acting out of character, but it allowed the heroine to figure herself out in an admirable way, and then there was a nice bit of excitement so I won’t complain too much. My only real complaint is that the heroine kept repeating to herself that “he doesn’t do relationships” and repetition seriously frustrates me. Other than that, the heroine was very good though. The couple made sense together.

[Nicole A · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don’t Make Me is book 3 in the Made Men series. It’s a forbidden mafia romance.
Carlo is the powerful, dominant underboss who came from Sicily to US because of a hit on him from his brother. He worked his way up to underboss, gaining trust from the Don.
Summer is a mafia princess, the Don’s daughter. She is struggling with her confidence, after a bad break up and career ending injury. She feels like she isn’t seen, until Carlo.
This story has a lot going on. There are great characters, who hold your interest and an interesting, fast-paced storyline that keeps you reading on.
Carlo and Summer are the perfect match. His dominance to her submissive nature. They care for each other and their attraction builds, even though they know it’s forbidden. Their romantic times are so hot and kinky, and Carlo’s mix of dominance and care makes you root for their HEA.
Don’t Make Me is a hot, forbidden, mafia read and I can’t wait for more from this series!!

[Wickla · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Carlo catches his boss’s daughter stripping he immediately removes her from the situation but instead of taking her home and walking away he stays and makes it clear he see’s behind the image she portrays at each family gathering.

Summer is struggling with self confidence and her identity in part to a previous boyfriend, working through her issues with Carlo she discovers more about herself but sneaking around behind her father’s back is risking Carlo’s position in the family.

Carlo & Summer have a lot to work through and even though the storyline is set in the made men world it is heavily focused on their growing relationship.

Was gifted an ARC copy of this book and would recommend to readers who like a little extra spice.

[Sissy's Romance Book Review · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't Make Me by Renee Rose is book Three in the Made Men Series. This is the story of Carlo and Summer. Carlo moved to the US about 4 years ago when his brother tried to kill him. Now he is working with the LaTorre family who have treated him like family. So much so he has dinners with them and this is how he meets Summer. Summer wanted to be a dancer but hurt herself which had hindered her dancing. Carlo has wanted Summer but knew it would be a dead end with her family until he finds her doing something that would upset her father more. This starts their story. Enjoyed this book and I hope to read more from this author.

[Nanc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Carlos came from Italy when his brother tried to have him killed - afraid he was going to take over the Family. He has been working for the LaTorre Don in the states and worked his way up to second in command. He found the Don's daughter, Summer, stripping in a club because her dancing injury and ex-boyfriend really did a number on her confidence. He takes her in hand but neither tell the Don what is going on. The story was very well written, the characters were scorching and entertaining. The ending was surprising and so well done. Really enjoyed this fast paced and delicious read. I received an arc and voluntarily left an honest review.

[Foodiegirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Renee Rose in this series. After an attempt on his life Carlo comes to the US on the recommendation of his extended family. He quickly rises becoming an important part to the family. Summer is the Don's daughter and is way too young but Carlo watches her for 4 years. Carlo steps into save her, when she gets caught doing something she shouldn't. Knowing he's playing with fire as the Don's daughter is off limits. He can't resist disciplining her and so much more, beginning a forbidden romance between the two. This is such a captivating and satisfying conclusion to a very steamy romance.

[MMSTFUATTDLAGG · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice/Steam: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Relationship: MW
Tropes/content: Mafia, boss/Don’s daughter, BDSM
Series: Made Men #3

I loved this book. Carlo was the perfect blend of passionate and emotionally mature. Summer was the misunderstood mafia princess whose self esteem was shattered by her ex boyfriend so she turned to stripping and Carlo just so happened to walk into her club. Not much of a spoiler as that is what happens in the beginning.

Their relationship is forbidden because Summer’s dad is the Don’s untouchable daughter and Carlo may be the Don’s right hand man but Summer’s parents want her to have a normal life.

[riana · Rating 3 out of 5]

this was meh. i expected angst but got dom/sub scenes instead 😭 i just didnt expect it. and i feel that it was already set for a wonderful story of longing and forbidenness. i also think that summer's character had such a large potential for a great character development but i didnt really see that :((( i just saw an abrupt shift in her character without the gradual change i expected. i also think that carlo didn't really show how he loved summer enough. (unlike what joey did 🥹 anyways, still, it was a fast easy read and had super spicy scenes. so if that's what you're looking for, definitely this whole series is for you

3 stars

[JigsawGirl · Rating 4 out of 5]

First and foremost, if a number of steamy scenes offend you, take a pass on this book. Carlo and Summer spend a lot of intimate time together.

Rest assured, there was more to this story. Other than the secret Carlo and Summer were keeping, there was action, danger, and suspense.

The suspense occurred with regard to a few issues. The relationship, the Russian, Mario, and Vince to mention a few.

The couple had a number of things to contend with before they reached their HEA.

I voluntarily read and reviewed the Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

[Linda · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a quick read for me! Once I picked it up…I really didn't want to put it down.

Plenty of action, dirty in the bedroom , as well as, the mafia I love!

I love Summer's rescue by Carlo, well more than one! This relationship is swoon-worthy for sure!

Carlo, what a strong, dominant alpha, gentleman, through and through!

Summer is struggling to find herself after an "abusive" relationship. Carlo "grounds" her!

I found my self smiling often, and squirming even more! Wonderful entertainment!

[D.K. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Carlos is a made man in the LaTorre family. Summer is the Don's daughter and if off limits. When a dance injury and a break-up with her boyfriend damages her confidence, Summer turns to dancing at a strip club. When Carlos sees her there he knows Summer needs a keeper. When Summer pleads with him not to tell her father, Carlos dishes out his own punishment. This turns into a forbidden relationship with obstacles at every turn. This was an steamy and intense read that I throughly enjoyed. I cannot wait for what is next.

[Jackie Moore · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love me a good Mafia book and there is just something about this author writes that makes you fall in love with her characters and have a hard time putting down the book.

I really loved Summer and Carlo. They were very fun to read about. And I love how you get some of their backstory and how things have lead up to them getting together. I was a bit sad that Summer was injured and couldn't dance like before. But I love how Carlo helps put her in the right direction. He was so good for her, but she was also good for him. And they just got so perfectly together.

[Mumto2girls · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was not my cup of tea although I am sure other people will like it. As soon as I read the word sadist, I knew I would struggle to like the book. There are elements of sadism and although that alone would not make me dislike a story, when those elements edged towards humiliation, I had to close the book and put it aside. I did eventually finish it and the ending is lovely. I have read almost everything that Ms. Rose has written and I count several of her series as some of my favourite reads. This one was not on that list although, as I said, I am sure that others will enjoy it.