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Bellanti Brothers #9

Captive Heart: Armani

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Nothing lasts forever… except the Bellanti’s hatred for the Bruno family.

My family prepared me to fight.
My best friend taught me loyalty.
My husband showed me who I am.

And now I’m caught between them all.

The thing about secrets is that they always come out.
The past is never gone.
No one expected it to explode.

I finally understand why my life led me here.
I was the only one who could uncover the truth.

And I’m damn sure I’m the only one who can prevent a war.

Men have pushed me around my whole life.

But I was built for this… I am Mrs. Armani Bellanti.

308 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 6, 2023

146 people are currently reading
144 people want to read

About the author

Stella Gray

64 books746 followers
Stella Gray has always had her head in the clouds and has been writing since she was in high school. A contemporary romance author, she loves dark romances with morally gray men. When she’s not writing, she’s either in the kitchen testing out a new baking recipe or spending time in the great outdoors.

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5 stars
310 (66%)
4 stars
113 (24%)
3 stars
34 (7%)
2 stars
9 (1%)
1 star
1 (<1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews
Profile Image for Abby.
2,022 reviews68 followers
December 1, 2023
Lots to unpack here! This book was quite action packed and had edge of your seat moments. Definitely held some twists I didn’t see coming. Armani and Candi still don’t have great communication, but they were learning to work together. The danger around them seemed to grow and they needed to stop the war waging around them. This family learned to lean on each other. I enjoyed how the narrators brought Candi and Armani to life
1,068 reviews34 followers
April 12, 2023
3.5 Armani and Cindy's story was good, but not as good as Dante and Marco's stories. The final book in the series answered many questions, put to rest many issues that had plagued the couple and the Bellanti family throughout the series, but still felt short-changed. Armani was a master manipulator who at times felt unsure how to deal with the mole and the aftermath of his actions. The fact that he used Candy as a source to get information from Juliana about Sergio was notable, but often times put Candy's life in jeopardy even after marrying her. His character seemed hot and cold and a bit indecisive as to how to use Candy throughout the series, but managed to get adequate information from her. When she told him about Lilli and Julianna and her belief that they were one and the same, he called her a liar which really sucked. He spent too much time having sex with her and not enough time communicating with her.

Armani took three complete books to finally believe Candy and ended the final book with him admitting that he loved her. He was a very hot and cold, manic type of character. He was difficult to like or give a pass on his behavior because it was so bizarre at times. He dropped bombs on Candy constantly with little explanation and then expected her to drop her panties because that is the one thing that they had in common - sex. Her character definitely grew a spine in book 3 (probably due to the baby) and told him to go to hell several times, but still had sex with him at the drop of a hat. Ugh.

Candy's character was the one that grew in this book, even with her devotion to Juliana who at times seemed contrived; but eventually began to see what Juliana was really up to. Originally I thought her character had to be dumb as a rock to do what Juliana and Sergio wanted her to do when she really had nothing in the game. I still think that part of the storyline was a bit of a stretch (who becomes a mole in a Mafia stronghold for a friend you have known for only four years) but did set the stage for a different type of storyline in this genre.

All in all it was a good finish to their story. This has been a good solid series to date.
Profile Image for Kelsey Stone.
503 reviews20 followers
April 4, 2023
after the second books cliffhanger, I have been beyond anxious about reading the last book and the inevitable conclusion of Candi and Armani’s rollercoaster of a story.

I may have gotten frustrated too much over Armani’s hot and cold mannerisms albeit he did have all the thoughts that Candi was still trying to find a way in to ruin the Bellanti family. But with Candi knowing a life changing secret, we see her use it to her advantage, taking her time to bring it up to the family.

Armani, after putting her in harms way without her knowledge finally does get it through his thick head that he does seem to have grown attached and have true feelings for Candi. But also the time he starts believing she has instead ‘trapped him’.

We see Armani struggle with being human and having weaknesses while dancing around a situation that needs to be handled significantly more delicate as the story progresses. We also see, however, how his struggle impacts Candi on a physical and emotional toll. Even if it makes her work harder and be significantly more self reliant up until Armani finally gets it.

Towards the end he really does redeem himself, and recovers lost family. The epilogue at the end really does bring the story to the perfect ending and I will forever sit and hope there’s more books involving them.

This book broke my heart and put it back together again. It pulverized it in all the worst and best ways. I sobbed. A lot.

The Bellanti family has been a marvelous read. Top notch. Highly recommend.
Profile Image for Dora Harvey.
1,122 reviews11 followers
April 11, 2023
Wow! What can I say! A page turner indeed!! This book is the twist worthy conclusion of Armani and Candi’s story that we waited for with bated breath from the moment we experienced that cliffhanger from the previous book—what a ride! Reading this kick-ass story had me speechless. This dark and suspenseful Mafia romance is packed with lots of action, murder, mystery, twists and turns. This story is an emotional rollercoaster, captivating, sexy, steamy, intriguing, intense, and dangerously addictive—it will keep you on the edge of your seat!! Candi and Armani are full of surprises—I was flabbergasted with the unexpected revelations that happened, but it was jaw-dropping good! Although Candi is married to Armani, she did something that put Armani and his family in danger—not of her own volition, but that of the Brunos. Will the Bellanti’s nemesis continue starting a war? The threat against Armani’s and his family is now more discernible than ever. Will this put Candi’s life in jeopardy? What happens when you find out the truth isn’t always what it seems? What happens next? Well, read this amazing story and find out—you won’t regret it! Stella Gray delivered a powerful, addictive, intriguing, and all-consuming Mafia romantic story that will lure you into the wee hours and beyond. I highly RECOMMEND this book! I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book.
Profile Image for Lauren - SERIESous Books.
1,863 reviews64 followers
April 11, 2023
**I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest voluntary review. All opinions are my own and not influenced by my source.**

What a fantastic finale! This was one addicting, non stop read; I loved every minute of it!

The danger and suspense of the family ties and drama amped this story up right from the start. I loved how I never really knew what was going to happen next. I had a hard time putting this book down because there were great twists at every turn!

And Candi and Armani" I love their "hate to love you" energy. They've got such amazing chemistry between them. Swoon! But I also loved their individual character growth throughout this series.

Everything in this world comes together to create an epic finale. This world has cemented Stella Gray as a must read contemporary romance author for me -- I will definitely be checking out her other works. And I can't wait for the new spin-off!

Check out more spoiler-free book and series reviews on my blog SERIESousBookReviews.com as well as read book series recaps!

Full Review: TBP
Actual Rating: 5/5
Profile Image for Carol (bookish_notes).
1,822 reviews135 followers
skim-read
April 28, 2023
This was very silly. So much unnecessary dramas and the drama didn’t even have a big ending? I don’t know, this whole series is weird because they’re technically mafia and you have the Bratva involved too but it’s like, keeping violence to the bare minimum. They’re going to TALK about it but not really do anything. There’s one death of a secondary character in this book but he’s forgotten by the end and I guess they forgave the guy who ordered the hit? I don’t even know.

The pregnancy storyline is very silly and annoying.

Ending this epically long series with a prayer in the epilogue on the very last page?? I couldn’t roll my eyes any harder.

Sadly, no more cats were acquired by the end of this series. Should’ve gotten more cats.

There is a spin-off coming with Candi’s best friend Juliana but I don’t know yet if I’ll read it. The way her character did a complete 180° in this book was SO sudden and so weird. Are we going to forget how she manipulated Candi for all those years pretending to be her best friend only to put her in harms way with no apologies?

This book was very silly and a bit of a mess. Glad I only got it in KU and could skim read the story.
Profile Image for Karen_Lee_Reads.
1,301 reviews46 followers
March 27, 2023
Captive Heart: Armani
(Bellanti Brothers Book 9)
By Stella Gray

I couldn’t have asked for more! Everything we wondered about was dealt with and there were surprises all around.

I was shocked at how quickly I was done, but in all honesty I never put it down and there was good reason for that, this story moved and moved quickly, I personally did not want to miss a thing!

Author Stella Gray gave her readers several emotional moments and I just wanted to hug Candi when she needed hugs.

Armani took his sweet time making some very important decisions but in the end his biggest decision was done for love and that was a huge step for him.

The tension ran high in several parts and I found my own fingers crossed a time or two because no knowing was driving me crazy.

This entire series has been a great ride and I am so glad I was able to be a part of it.

I’m looking forward to her next series.
Profile Image for Laurie.
461 reviews12 followers
November 1, 2023
Captive Heart by Stella Gray is book 3 of the Captive Bride trilogy series. I wish I would have been prompted to have read Dante and Marco’s trilogies prior to reading/listening to Armani and Kandi’s trilogy. I would have enjoyed the series a bit more. It took me until chapter 4 to figure out this was a mafia series. The characters needed a bit more back story development. Aaron Shedlock and Stephanie Rose narrate all 3 stories in the trilogy. I had a very difficult time listening to Stephanie Rose as Kandi. Her voice was almost robotic with forced emotion not a natural sound/rhythm. Aaron Shedlock was better but he seemed like he was forcing the sternness because Armani is a mafia boss. I wanted to know the end of the story so I continued and finished the trilogy. I did like learning that Armani does grow as a man who learns to truly love his wife and future child.
Profile Image for Kelly G (Now Accepting Book Boyfriend Applications).
1,113 reviews87 followers
December 2, 2023
🎧AUDIO REVIEW🎧

Narrated by: Stephanie Rose & Aaron Shedlock

The conclusion to this family saga was PHENOMENAL!!! I am so in love with Candi and Armani! They were beyond fantastic. I love thier back and forth.... how Candi grew into her own strength, how Armani softened up a whole lot! This trilogy just hit the spot. Stella Gray has turned me into a fangirl! I am so excited to look into her other works (especially the rest of the Bellanti brothers!)

And the narration was so on point! I was pulled into this story so far that I didnt even want to try to find my way out! I was so sad to see thier story come to an end, but I am really excited to see if there is more to come from this wold!


Story 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Swoon 😍😍😍
Angst 💔💔💔💔
Narration 👏👏👏👏👏
Profile Image for Chris.
656 reviews
March 27, 2023
I was completely held captive by Armani and Candi's story in the final book of this trilogy! The action was non-stop from the beginning. Things seemed to move fast and furiously as Candi and Armani navigated life changes and mafia troubles. At times it was intense!

I loved the emotions that played between Candi and Armani. The characters were beautifully written and came to life as I read. The steaminess between these two was off-the-charts hot! This story took some unexpected twists and turns which were really interesting and kept me turning the pages. When I arrived at the end, I was more than happy and satisfied! Candi and Armani's story was definitely my favorite story of all the Bellanti Brothers stories. Don't miss it!
Profile Image for Audiobook Obsessed.
731 reviews39 followers
March 25, 2023

This book tied up all the loose ends from one and two. Secrets were revealed and mysteries solved.

✨Overall for the series✨

I really love @stellagrayauthor story telling. But you will enjoy these types of books, or you won’t.

Candi isn’t always the strongest heroine, but Armani isn’t always ready to show his emotions and let her in. So yes there is a lot of back and forth but I don’t see their story unfolding any other way. I mean she’s a spy for the Bruno Mafia which the BELLANTI absolutely hate, and obviously I ate that up!

Captive Bride - 5 ⭐️
Captive Rival - 4 ⭐️
Captive Heart - 4 ⭐️

Over all for the series - 4 ⭐️

I can’t wait for more from this author.
241 reviews2 followers
April 14, 2023
Captive Heart is the third book in Amarni and Candi's trilogy and it answers a lot of questions that were raised in the first two books.
But while answering questions there are still plenty of twists and trust with the Bellanti's still needs to be built up.
I was glad that one of the answers was not readily accepted - sorry I don't want to say more as it will ruin part of the story for those that have not read the trilogy yet. Have a read and let me know if you know which one I am talking about.
I recommend that you give Stella Gray's Captive Trilogy a chance, especially if you like Mafia Romance novels.

Profile Image for Becca.
562 reviews17 followers
December 24, 2023
My Rating: 4.5/5

My Thoughts: I've loved all the Ballanti brother's books. Armani and Candi's story concludes in this book. This book is filled with plenty of drama, spice, heartache, and twists. The final revelations are brought to light. Candi and Armani continue to struggle with their relationship throughout this book. They both are headstrong and firmly believe in what they've been told. While they both agree internally that they want to continue this relationship, their guards are up. Every time there is a hint of betrayal, they are quick to blame one another. I enjoyed how they both came together in the end and were able to work out their differences. I highly recommend this series.
3,412 reviews19 followers
April 19, 2023
Captive Hearts is the final book in the Captive Trilogy and concludes Armani and Candi’s turbulent relationship. This well written book had suspense, mistrust, unexpected twists, an unpredictable plot, and sizzling passion. The questions raised in the first two books are answered in this third book. I highly recommend this excellent Trilogy written by on of my favorite contemporary authors, Stella Grey.
I received a free copy of this book by Paige Press LLC and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
391 reviews4 followers
April 27, 2023
Stella Gray is a phenomenal author. She will hold your attention throughout the entire story.

I have read the entire series for the Bellanti brothers. I enjoyed reading how Armani character developed, going through so many stages. And Candi is consistently there to support Armani, because she loves him. I recommend the book to those who loves Mafia Romances. The bad boy that falls in love for the first time. The rating is a 5 because it was a great story, I didn’t want it to end.
Profile Image for Robin.
689 reviews10 followers
November 19, 2023
I mean wow, I was truly on edge through this book. I am amazed at how all the pieces came together and the final conclusion was a bit shocking to me. I was so invested in this couple of Candi and Armani so seeing it through to the end was beautiful to listen to it all unfold. There were so many details finally coming out of the woodwork built into this series. What a beautiful conclusion.
Aaron Shedlock and Stephanie Rose did an amazing job bringing these characters through their story. I would listen to more of their work.
Profile Image for it.sgottabethebooks.
1,873 reviews88 followers
November 27, 2023
This is final book in Armani Bellanti’s trilogy. It went by quicker than I anticipated but nonetheless consuming. The performers slayed and gave us a finale that deserves praise. The couples sent me on a ride was full of twists and turns. The push and pull, the tension, the angst… this isn’t a story that delivers an instant hea. The author puts us through a whirlwind of emotions before we get to that point. Overall, the narrating was superb and I think the narrators were perfect for Armani and Candi’s journey. Bravo.
Profile Image for Kavya .
249 reviews7 followers
January 14, 2024
God, it's crazy that i decided to read ALL three books

Armani is a coward, do not attack me for this. And Candi is a woman with no backbone whatsoever. He treated her like sh*t, I understand why in the first book but this!? It was too much and she did not hold one grudge? No groveling could be found, not even in the end. Candi was such a pathetic written character and so was Armani and you are telling me this is being hardcore romanticized? It's a great thriller trilogy but it's not fit for the readers expecting anything else.
Profile Image for United Indie Book Blog.
4,683 reviews85 followers
March 27, 2023
Captive Heart is book 3 in Candi and Armani’s story. Secrets are uncovers and Armani has to decide if he wants to fully trust Candi which is frustrating because he knows she loves him! Ugh! But after trying to save his family and avoiding a war everyone gets their HEA and I love each page! Im not sure which Bellanti brother I love more but their spouses are all kick ass women! I always look forward to Stella Gray’s next book!

Review by Raychel
Profile Image for Cindy Montgomery.
176 reviews2 followers
April 6, 2023
Best of the Best! Love this❤️

This is a fantastic way to the conclusion of not only this trilogy but the end of this very well written series. I have enjoyed the journey of the Bellanti Brothers so very much. Captive Heart is full of action and surprises. Armani goes through many struggles and changes but becomes the man he truly is. This is one of my favorite series of all time! If you like action, suspense, love and conflicts then this is a great read!
Profile Image for Athena D..
977 reviews59 followers
April 7, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 STARS

I loved the conclusion to Candi & Armani's story! There were a lot of ups-and-downs, truly a roller-coaster of emotions. The secrets that were discovered were unexpected and shocking to say the least. I've truly enjoyed all the Bellanti Brothers books, I suggest you start this series now if you haven't already. Captive Heart: Armani by Stella Gray is a MUST read that will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ELITE!
1,571 reviews27 followers
April 7, 2023
The final book in Armani and Candi's story and it's jam packed!

Secrets come to light, truths unveiled, plans made and two people who are well suited but one of them won't bloody admit it! Will it be too late by the time he realises he needs her?

I like that the brothers and their girls are all still there, it's good to catch up with them and I'm excited for what comes next!







*I voluntarily received an arc and this is my honest review. 3.5/4
1,121 reviews6 followers
April 14, 2023
Our heroine, Candi, has been stuck between a rock and hard place ever since her best friend, Juliana, talked her into spying on the Bellanti family for their enemy, the Bruno Family. Our Hero, Armani Bellanti, decided to trap the "spy" by marrying Candi to keep her close. In this concluding book, our author brings all the twisty complicated details together in a satisfying ending as Candi becomes the catalyst to bring peace and security to the Bellanti family. Fabulous ending!
837 reviews8 followers
March 26, 2023
The final book in the Armani series. Finally we get to read how things end for Armani and Candi. Lots of angst, more drama and more angst. There are more danger and more sexy things. Love the twists and turns. Armani gets angry and upset... lots of misunderstandings.. Total drama... BUT very happy ending. Totally love it.

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.
545 reviews
April 6, 2023
This was the third and final book and boy did it pack a punch. Of the three brothers, Armani is my favorite. Armani and Candi's story from start to finish was everything I could want in a story. The twists and turns, the spiciness, the angst all wrapped up together to make this an amazing story. I highly recommend this series.
81 reviews1 follower
April 8, 2023
definitely worth the wait!!

The twists and turns have kept me going!! This was completely exhausting!! I didn’t see this escalating and becoming as enthralling as it was. The entire book (first to last page) has me wanting more!

I am not ready for it be finished. Juliana’s is next and I cannot wait!!
Profile Image for Shelley.
79 reviews
April 10, 2023
Perfect ending...

For now! Now I can't wait for Juliana's story to start! That was a nasty teaser at the end. Obviously I hoped for a happy ending for Armani and Candi I just wasn't expecting it to be so close to the end! I don't need to go on about their chemistry, I did that for the whole series
Profile Image for Margarida.
594 reviews16 followers
October 13, 2023
Well, I finished this series that I loved so much. Loved it. All the Bellanti Brothers had issues that strong women helped them with. It was really great. Lots of spice with great stories to accompany, oh! Lots of action, too! There were so many times that I felt like I was in the middle…dodging the bullets😉
Highly recommend it! ☺️
Displaying 1 - 30 of 46 reviews

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