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The Venetian and the Rum Runner: A 1920s Gay Historical Romantic Suspense
New York City, 1924
Once their paths cross, their worlds will never be the same.
Danny Moore and his crew only meant to rob the hotel suites of rich guests. He wasn’t supposed to find himself in gangster Ricky il Sacchi’s room. And il Sacchi wasn’t supposed to wind up dead. Now Danny has the attention of another notorious gangster.
Carmine Battaglia is intrigued by the Irish thieves who would have made off with a huge score if not for il Sacchi’s death. They’re cunning, careful, and exactly what he needs for his rum running operation. But Danny’s already lost two brothers to the violence between New York’s Irish and Sicilian gangs, and he’s not about to sell his soul to Carmine.
With a gangster’s blood on his hands, Danny needs protection, whether he likes it or not. And that’s to say nothing of the generous pay, which promises to pull him and his crew—not to mention their families—out of destitution.
Working together brings Danny and Carmine to a détente, then to something so intense neither can ignore it. Something nearly enough to make them both forget the brutal tensions between their countrymen.
But the death of Ricky il Sacchi hasn’t been forgotten. And someone is determined to make Danny bleed for it.
The Venetian and the Rum Runner is a 144,000-word gay historical romantic suspense novel set during Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties.
graphic violence, PTSD
Once their paths cross, their worlds will never be the same.
Danny Moore and his crew only meant to rob the hotel suites of rich guests. He wasn’t supposed to find himself in gangster Ricky il Sacchi’s room. And il Sacchi wasn’t supposed to wind up dead. Now Danny has the attention of another notorious gangster.
Carmine Battaglia is intrigued by the Irish thieves who would have made off with a huge score if not for il Sacchi’s death. They’re cunning, careful, and exactly what he needs for his rum running operation. But Danny’s already lost two brothers to the violence between New York’s Irish and Sicilian gangs, and he’s not about to sell his soul to Carmine.
With a gangster’s blood on his hands, Danny needs protection, whether he likes it or not. And that’s to say nothing of the generous pay, which promises to pull him and his crew—not to mention their families—out of destitution.
Working together brings Danny and Carmine to a détente, then to something so intense neither can ignore it. Something nearly enough to make them both forget the brutal tensions between their countrymen.
But the death of Ricky il Sacchi hasn’t been forgotten. And someone is determined to make Danny bleed for it.
The Venetian and the Rum Runner is a 144,000-word gay historical romantic suspense novel set during Prohibition and the Roaring Twenties.
graphic violence, PTSD
530 pages, Hardcover
First published September 23, 2020
91 people are currently reading
389 people want to read
About the author
L.A. Witt
226 books2,741 followersL.A. Witt and her husband have been exiled from Spain and sent to live in Maine because rhymes are fun. She now divides her time between writing, assuring people she is aware that Maine is cold, wondering where to put her next tattoo, and trying to reason with a surly Maine coon. Rumor has it her arch nemesis, Lauren Gallagher, is also somewhere in the wilds of New England, which is why L.A. is also spending a portion of her time training a team of spec ops lobsters.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
Authors Ann Gallagher and Lori A. Witt have been asked to assist in lobster training, but they "have books to write" and "need to focus on our careers" and "don't you think this rivalry has gotten a little out of hand?" They're probably just helping Lauren raise her army of squirrels trained to ride moose into battle.
Visit her website at http://www.gallagherwitt.com/.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
March 20, 2021
Audiobook: ***5 Stars*** - Michael Ferraiuolo is the king of accents! His voice of the villain creeped me out! Damn, this guy can pull off some evil laughter. With an accent. ;-)
Story: ***4 Stars*** - Very slow burn romance in a pretty authentic and atmospheric setting... L.A. Witt can do really good Mafia stories. :)
Story: ***4 Stars*** - Very slow burn romance in a pretty authentic and atmospheric setting... L.A. Witt can do really good Mafia stories. :)
Read
August 28, 2020Available September 23.
Audio coming soon (narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo, who is the reason I wrote this book).
Audio coming soon (narrated by Michael Ferraiuolo, who is the reason I wrote this book).
July 25, 2021
4.5
Right, I loved this book. So very much.
I was a bit reluctant initially: I had this book on my TBR list for ages before I bought it and even then, I did not start it immediately. I think the reason is because I'm not sure where I stand on gangster-related books, especially when it's Sicilian gangs-related: I'm Italian and I know my country's bloody history with gangs, like any other Italian. So I was pretty sure I couldn't mindlessly enjoy books that romanticize gangster violence (even though I do consume this kind of media). But the premise of "The Venetian and the Rum Runner" sounded amazing, and 1920s novels are my weakness, so I started reading this prepared to overlook some things. However, I was amazed at how well the author dealt with the subject: in balanced and, in my opinion, respectful way, and I can also say that this was a novel that was more about two people finding love across a social divide and in spite of prejudices, and less about gangster life.
I absolutely adored the whole cast of characters and the story was truly amazing: action-packed and twisty, intricate and interesting, and it left me on the edge of my seat. It contained fights and heists, found family and love and thoughtful conversations about morals and God. It also contains a LOT of lovesick gazing across an office and accidental hand-touches, and I cannot say the amount of times I wanted to jump inside the book and push the two MCs idiots together and scream "NOW KISS".
Needless to say, I loved them a lot. Danny with his genious plans and his pragmatic side, and Carmine, who is definitely not your usual gangster, because he spends half of the novel being weak in his knees and lovesick everytime he looks at Danny. While he was swooning for his Irish rum runner, I was swooning at him being a sweetheart.
I also loved the whole cast of side characters, but James and Giulia deserve a special mention (and they also deserve their own HEA).
"The Venetian and the Rum Runner" has showed me how much I love 1920s-historicals and the atmosphere was truly stunning. If you love that, and a slow-burn that will leave you equal parts frustrated and swooning, this is the book for you.
Right, I loved this book. So very much.
I was a bit reluctant initially: I had this book on my TBR list for ages before I bought it and even then, I did not start it immediately. I think the reason is because I'm not sure where I stand on gangster-related books, especially when it's Sicilian gangs-related: I'm Italian and I know my country's bloody history with gangs, like any other Italian. So I was pretty sure I couldn't mindlessly enjoy books that romanticize gangster violence (even though I do consume this kind of media). But the premise of "The Venetian and the Rum Runner" sounded amazing, and 1920s novels are my weakness, so I started reading this prepared to overlook some things. However, I was amazed at how well the author dealt with the subject: in balanced and, in my opinion, respectful way, and I can also say that this was a novel that was more about two people finding love across a social divide and in spite of prejudices, and less about gangster life.
I absolutely adored the whole cast of characters and the story was truly amazing: action-packed and twisty, intricate and interesting, and it left me on the edge of my seat. It contained fights and heists, found family and love and thoughtful conversations about morals and God. It also contains a LOT of lovesick gazing across an office and accidental hand-touches, and I cannot say the amount of times I wanted to jump inside the book and push the two MCs idiots together and scream "NOW KISS".
Needless to say, I loved them a lot. Danny with his genious plans and his pragmatic side, and Carmine, who is definitely not your usual gangster, because he spends half of the novel being weak in his knees and lovesick everytime he looks at Danny. While he was swooning for his Irish rum runner, I was swooning at him being a sweetheart.
I also loved the whole cast of side characters, but James and Giulia deserve a special mention (and they also deserve their own HEA).
"The Venetian and the Rum Runner" has showed me how much I love 1920s-historicals and the atmosphere was truly stunning. If you love that, and a slow-burn that will leave you equal parts frustrated and swooning, this is the book for you.
May 9, 2022
⭐︎
4.25 stars rounded down!
⭐︎
My first outing with an L.A. Witt book in quite awhile, and overall it didn't disappoint.
In many ways, this is similar to probably my fave work by this author and one my favorites in general, If The Seas Catch Fire, which is more modern day mob/gang stuff, but it takes place in 1924 during prohibition when alcohol was illegal, and many crime families became very rich because of this, doing illegal "rum running."
This one is more rooted in reality, though, as there are several real figures/families in this or mentioned at the very least. It just so happens to have a gay love story at the center of it.
Danny Moore is an Irish immigrant to the states, who has been through it. Over the years, he's lost two of his three brothers due to gang violence, specially the Italians vs. Irish gang violence - that was a real thing back that day - and only has one left, who doesn't want him to have anything to do with the mob or any crime in general.
But Danny, who is probably early to mid-twenties (I'm thinking like 24 or so), is a petty theft with his gang of seven others, and when they try to rob rich people from a hotel on New Year's Eve, Danny ends up killing a higher ranking member of one of the Italian crime families, in order to protect a woman he thought was in danger. That gets the attention of several people, including:
Carmine Battaglia, who is a made man, an underboss of a smaller Italian crime family, but is Half-Sicilian - and I guess specifically, Sicilian mobs are very anal about any made man of a their mob being full Sicilian - so Carmine has to work extra to prove himself. Doesn't matter that he's fully Italian. Because one of his parents isn't from Sicily, he's looked as a "half-breed" almost.
So he is called the Venetian by other gangs because of that.
When he's impressed by what Danny and his crew were able to do at the hotel - and the fact that woman Danny saved was his sister - he asks for Danny to meet him, with a proposition to work for him as a Rum Runner, and of course he'd get paid pretty handsomely for it.
Danny at first refuses, and even seems to hate Carmine, simply for being Italian. But soon after he refuses, he realizes how hard it is to make a honest life in America, and how much their families are struggling just to put food on the table.
So he goes back and accepts, and asks his crew if they want in as well.
And so starts Danny and his crew Rum Running for Carmine and his crime family. It also helps add some extra bit of protection for Danny, who is in danger of the family of the man he killed wanting retribution and killing him.
The boss of the family is more rational and willing to work with them, but the nephew of the boss and brother of the man Danny killed, Salvatore, is more of a loose canon, and he becomes a big problem as the story goes on.
And as time goes on, Danny and Carmine get closer. They only ever see each other in Carmine's office to get the money Danny and his crew are owed from the runs, but still...they can't help but be attracted to each other and drawn to each other.
They are both gay, but of course have to keep it extremely quiet. There are bathhouses and the like they go to in secret, but as it was, that was all kept under wraps.
But the way Danny and Carmine look at each other...the way Carmine, a gangster, comes to care for Danny so much, when Danny should just be another one of his employee...it walks a fine line.
I did love their chemistry a lot, and I did love these two together so much.
And I get that it's so hard for them to do anything more when they have to do it all behind tightly closed doors, but I was wishing for more smut than we got.
We get some great kissing scenes, and one great, long sex scenes where we get them doing it twice. Those were great, but greedy reader that I am, I wanted more.
I wanted this to focus less on the gangster/crew/rum running stuff and more on these two. While that stuff was good, and interesting most of the time...I'm not here for that. I'm here for the romance, for the passion, for these two falling in love. And yeah, for some hot sex to go along with that.
Which we got...twice, in one big scene. So not on two separate occasions even. I wanted them to not be able to control their passion, at least once, and they maybe almost get caught. Not all the way, because obviously that would be so dangerous, but maybe almost...like maybe they're kissing and they hear someone coming so they have to spring apart and act natural.
Something like that would have been nice. So while overall I enjoyed this and it was such a well done story - a long one too. Over 500 pages - it took me so long to finish because of the lulls in interaction for these two. I wanted more, more, more from them.
And in between great scenes between these two, there were several stretches of Danny doing rum runs with the crew, and it was pretty detailed - a time when I wish it had been a little glossed over, tbh - and maybe some other stuff going on, and some things from Carmine's side as well.
After a big event that happens near the end, these two don't see each other for at least 2 weeks, maybe a little more than that, and I'm like why? Why have them go through this big event and then after a conversation in Carmine's office - and a very light kiss - we don't get them in a scene together for longer than necessary.
I wanted so much more with these two that the lack of them together at times frustrated me and is a big part of why I gave .75 stars off and rounded down to 4 stars, when otherwise I would have given this 5 stars.
The other niggle for me was a the very end. The climax happens and it was well done and heart pounding and all that stuff, and we get the aftermath, and then and that's all well and good, but then it ends and that's it.
I wanted an epilogue. I wanted to see how they were fairing together, if they were settling into a life together, whatever that is for them in the year 1924. I mean, I know there's going to be another book - either it's out already or not, I don't know - in the series, but it looked to be about Danny's best friend, James, so that tells me this is the end of Danny and Carmine's story, so I just would have liked a more solid, rounded out ending to just see these two more settled.
It was a tentative HFN, and I guess maybe a more solid HFN would have been nice, for me.
But other than those things, I did enjoy this overall. The side characters were very well done, very three dimensional, and I came to love Danny's crew as much as Danny (didn't mean I needed to read about them on Rum Runs all the time, just saying...).
The plot overall was very well done too. And the fact that it's fairly realistic is interesting too. I mean, I know the goings of Danny and Carmine are fictional, of course, but I mean more the inner workings of the Crime families and how things going down in the gangs, things like that. It definitely isn't a safe or boring life, that's for sure.
So overall, this was very strong and I did love it. I just wish we had gotten more of Danny and Carmine together, and a more solidified ending for them.
But I do definitely recommend this. It's long, but definitely worth the read, and a great book to revisit this author with.
Definitely two thumbs up from me! 👍
My first outing with an L.A. Witt book in quite awhile, and overall it didn't disappoint.
In many ways, this is similar to probably my fave work by this author and one my favorites in general, If The Seas Catch Fire, which is more modern day mob/gang stuff, but it takes place in 1924 during prohibition when alcohol was illegal, and many crime families became very rich because of this, doing illegal "rum running."
This one is more rooted in reality, though, as there are several real figures/families in this or mentioned at the very least. It just so happens to have a gay love story at the center of it.
Danny Moore is an Irish immigrant to the states, who has been through it. Over the years, he's lost two of his three brothers due to gang violence, specially the Italians vs. Irish gang violence - that was a real thing back that day - and only has one left, who doesn't want him to have anything to do with the mob or any crime in general.
But Danny, who is probably early to mid-twenties (I'm thinking like 24 or so), is a petty theft with his gang of seven others, and when they try to rob rich people from a hotel on New Year's Eve, Danny ends up killing a higher ranking member of one of the Italian crime families, in order to protect a woman he thought was in danger. That gets the attention of several people, including:
Carmine Battaglia, who is a made man, an underboss of a smaller Italian crime family, but is Half-Sicilian - and I guess specifically, Sicilian mobs are very anal about any made man of a their mob being full Sicilian - so Carmine has to work extra to prove himself. Doesn't matter that he's fully Italian. Because one of his parents isn't from Sicily, he's looked as a "half-breed" almost.
So he is called the Venetian by other gangs because of that.
When he's impressed by what Danny and his crew were able to do at the hotel - and the fact that woman Danny saved was his sister - he asks for Danny to meet him, with a proposition to work for him as a Rum Runner, and of course he'd get paid pretty handsomely for it.
Danny at first refuses, and even seems to hate Carmine, simply for being Italian. But soon after he refuses, he realizes how hard it is to make a honest life in America, and how much their families are struggling just to put food on the table.
So he goes back and accepts, and asks his crew if they want in as well.
And so starts Danny and his crew Rum Running for Carmine and his crime family. It also helps add some extra bit of protection for Danny, who is in danger of the family of the man he killed wanting retribution and killing him.
The boss of the family is more rational and willing to work with them, but the nephew of the boss and brother of the man Danny killed, Salvatore, is more of a loose canon, and he becomes a big problem as the story goes on.
And as time goes on, Danny and Carmine get closer. They only ever see each other in Carmine's office to get the money Danny and his crew are owed from the runs, but still...they can't help but be attracted to each other and drawn to each other.
They are both gay, but of course have to keep it extremely quiet. There are bathhouses and the like they go to in secret, but as it was, that was all kept under wraps.
But the way Danny and Carmine look at each other...the way Carmine, a gangster, comes to care for Danny so much, when Danny should just be another one of his employee...it walks a fine line.
I did love their chemistry a lot, and I did love these two together so much.
And I get that it's so hard for them to do anything more when they have to do it all behind tightly closed doors, but I was wishing for more smut than we got.
We get some great kissing scenes, and one great, long sex scenes where we get them doing it twice. Those were great, but greedy reader that I am, I wanted more.
I wanted this to focus less on the gangster/crew/rum running stuff and more on these two. While that stuff was good, and interesting most of the time...I'm not here for that. I'm here for the romance, for the passion, for these two falling in love. And yeah, for some hot sex to go along with that.
Which we got...twice, in one big scene. So not on two separate occasions even. I wanted them to not be able to control their passion, at least once, and they maybe almost get caught. Not all the way, because obviously that would be so dangerous, but maybe almost...like maybe they're kissing and they hear someone coming so they have to spring apart and act natural.
Something like that would have been nice. So while overall I enjoyed this and it was such a well done story - a long one too. Over 500 pages - it took me so long to finish because of the lulls in interaction for these two. I wanted more, more, more from them.
And in between great scenes between these two, there were several stretches of Danny doing rum runs with the crew, and it was pretty detailed - a time when I wish it had been a little glossed over, tbh - and maybe some other stuff going on, and some things from Carmine's side as well.
After a big event that happens near the end, these two don't see each other for at least 2 weeks, maybe a little more than that, and I'm like why? Why have them go through this big event and then after a conversation in Carmine's office - and a very light kiss - we don't get them in a scene together for longer than necessary.
I wanted so much more with these two that the lack of them together at times frustrated me and is a big part of why I gave .75 stars off and rounded down to 4 stars, when otherwise I would have given this 5 stars.
The other niggle for me was a the very end. The climax happens and it was well done and heart pounding and all that stuff, and we get the aftermath, and then and that's all well and good, but then it ends and that's it.
I wanted an epilogue. I wanted to see how they were fairing together, if they were settling into a life together, whatever that is for them in the year 1924. I mean, I know there's going to be another book - either it's out already or not, I don't know - in the series, but it looked to be about Danny's best friend, James, so that tells me this is the end of Danny and Carmine's story, so I just would have liked a more solid, rounded out ending to just see these two more settled.
It was a tentative HFN, and I guess maybe a more solid HFN would have been nice, for me.
But other than those things, I did enjoy this overall. The side characters were very well done, very three dimensional, and I came to love Danny's crew as much as Danny (didn't mean I needed to read about them on Rum Runs all the time, just saying...).
The plot overall was very well done too. And the fact that it's fairly realistic is interesting too. I mean, I know the goings of Danny and Carmine are fictional, of course, but I mean more the inner workings of the Crime families and how things going down in the gangs, things like that. It definitely isn't a safe or boring life, that's for sure.
So overall, this was very strong and I did love it. I just wish we had gotten more of Danny and Carmine together, and a more solidified ending for them.
But I do definitely recommend this. It's long, but definitely worth the read, and a great book to revisit this author with.
Definitely two thumbs up from me! 👍
October 24, 2025
A-Z Challenge Book V
I’m having a hard time trying to figure out what I want to rate this. The main reason is that although L.A. Witt obviously did her research into what New York mafia was like in the 1920s, she got the hierarchy all wrong. This made me angry for most of the book and distracted me every time it was mentioned (which was a lot). Let me explain.
Carmine Battaglia is said to be the underboss of the Pulvirenti gang. Okay, I got it!
Maurizio Pulvirenti is repeatedly called the capo. Yep, got that too. HOWEVER!!!
Carmine is constantly deferring to Maurizio. There lies the rub. A capo DOES NOT OUTRANK an underboss! I don’t care how you look at it, it just isn’t so.
Mafia rankings:
Boss/Don: he’s the absolute head of the outfit
Underboss: he only answers to the Boss/Don
Consigliere: some outfits don’t have anyone filling this title, but he answers to the above two ranks
Capo (caporegime): he is in charge of the “soldiers” or crews in the outfit. You could liken him to a captain in the military. Part of his salary even goes to the underboss.
Soldiers: these are the armed wise guys
Associates: this is pretty clear just from the title
That is the hierarchy. Even the FBI has a little diagram similar to a family tree of these rankings on their website. There was ONE exception to this. In 1931 (irl), which is later than the setting of this book, Salvatore Maranzano briefly set himself up as "boss of bosses" in New York and gave himself the title of “The Capo di Tutti Capo”. It was brief and only loosely accepted today according to several articles I read.
So every time Carmine deferred to Maurizio, it ticked me off big time. I have angry faces in my notes throughout the book! Why couldn’t the author just make Carmine the capo? If she wanted to make it like the example above, there should’ve been a note at the beginning of the book stating that Maurizio, even though being referred to as the “capo”, was indeed the “Capo di Tutti Capo”.
Overall, I enjoyed the story of The Venetian (Carmine Battaglia) and the Rum Runner (Danny Moore). It was exciting and kept me engaged. Even the side characters were great! The two MCs had depth to them although I would’ve liked to know their age difference. Their descriptions were very vague and matched the average Italian and Irishman’s descriptions. Danny and Carmine’s intimate scenes were emotional. It was quite a slow burn. When they finally came together, it was lovely. Very well done.
There was a lot of repetition that could’ve been pared down. It was a lllooonnnggg book and the ending was wrapped up too quickly. I wish more time had been spent on the two MCs after the big conflict and less time with all the repetition throughout the book. (The conflict was not between the two MCs. Thankfully, the “big breakup” was completely absent in this book. Yay!!)
1 star for the ranking fumble, 4 stars for the story. So, 2.5 stars. I also didn’t like the audiobook at all. I’ve heard great things about Michael Ferraiuolo, but I really didn’t care for his narration.
I’m having a hard time trying to figure out what I want to rate this. The main reason is that although L.A. Witt obviously did her research into what New York mafia was like in the 1920s, she got the hierarchy all wrong. This made me angry for most of the book and distracted me every time it was mentioned (which was a lot). Let me explain.
Carmine Battaglia is said to be the underboss of the Pulvirenti gang. Okay, I got it!
Maurizio Pulvirenti is repeatedly called the capo. Yep, got that too. HOWEVER!!!
Carmine is constantly deferring to Maurizio. There lies the rub. A capo DOES NOT OUTRANK an underboss! I don’t care how you look at it, it just isn’t so.
Mafia rankings:
Boss/Don: he’s the absolute head of the outfit
Underboss: he only answers to the Boss/Don
Consigliere: some outfits don’t have anyone filling this title, but he answers to the above two ranks
Capo (caporegime): he is in charge of the “soldiers” or crews in the outfit. You could liken him to a captain in the military. Part of his salary even goes to the underboss.
Soldiers: these are the armed wise guys
Associates: this is pretty clear just from the title
That is the hierarchy. Even the FBI has a little diagram similar to a family tree of these rankings on their website. There was ONE exception to this. In 1931 (irl), which is later than the setting of this book, Salvatore Maranzano briefly set himself up as "boss of bosses" in New York and gave himself the title of “The Capo di Tutti Capo”. It was brief and only loosely accepted today according to several articles I read.
So every time Carmine deferred to Maurizio, it ticked me off big time. I have angry faces in my notes throughout the book! Why couldn’t the author just make Carmine the capo? If she wanted to make it like the example above, there should’ve been a note at the beginning of the book stating that Maurizio, even though being referred to as the “capo”, was indeed the “Capo di Tutti Capo”.
Overall, I enjoyed the story of The Venetian (Carmine Battaglia) and the Rum Runner (Danny Moore). It was exciting and kept me engaged. Even the side characters were great! The two MCs had depth to them although I would’ve liked to know their age difference. Their descriptions were very vague and matched the average Italian and Irishman’s descriptions. Danny and Carmine’s intimate scenes were emotional. It was quite a slow burn. When they finally came together, it was lovely. Very well done.
There was a lot of repetition that could’ve been pared down. It was a lllooonnnggg book and the ending was wrapped up too quickly. I wish more time had been spent on the two MCs after the big conflict and less time with all the repetition throughout the book. (The conflict was not between the two MCs. Thankfully, the “big breakup” was completely absent in this book. Yay!!)
1 star for the ranking fumble, 4 stars for the story. So, 2.5 stars. I also didn’t like the audiobook at all. I’ve heard great things about Michael Ferraiuolo, but I really didn’t care for his narration.
November 14, 2025
4.5 stars.
This is truly a hidden gem in a sea of MM romance books. I highly recommend this book if you want the glitz and glamour of 1920s NYC (Prohibition era, Roaring Twenties), but also a great suspense plot rooted in an underworld where shades of grey prevail. Witt did extensive research via books and visiting NYC for the worldbuilding and character crafting aspects, which includes the socioeconomic and cultural landscape. (Some of the side characters mentioned were real people in the organized crime scene during the time period.)
The slow burn romance between Carmine, the Italian underboss, and Danny, the Irish rum runner was filled with tension, yearning, and an overarching suspense plot that thankfully didn't overshadow their connection. Their love story's eventual HEA felt earned instead of shoehorned in by copy and paste, low stakes coincidences. The MMCs learn how to trust each other in business despite the rivalry between the Italians and Irish, then later as lovers.
However, I couldn't ignore the glaring inaccuracy of the mafia/famiglia hierarchy regarding Carmine as the underboss, while Maurizio is the capo. Yet, Carmine appears to be outranked by Maurizio throughout the narrative. I think correcting the error might've changed parts of the journey for Carmine's HEA with Danny, but not the destination.
I appreciated the way Witt depicted Danny's PTSD, which was with the utmost care and sensitivity. It was also refreshing to have two closeted MMCs in a historical romance who weren't laser focused on internally hating themselves and struggling with their sexualities. External forces of the time period facilitated the MMCs being closeted, but there were still many instances of queer visibility and joy besides the romance and HEA. The queer side characters and settings weren't just footnotes to check mark inclusivity boxes.
I hope Witt eventually writes more for this series because at least one more book was planned according to the end of my hardcover edition. The side characters have so much potential, and the HEA was fairly open ended to accommodate more Carmine quests.
- - -
Notable quotes
In the beginning, Carmine had been everything Danny was meant to hate and distrust, and now Danny couldn't make him promise not to walk through fire for him.
*
When Carmine didn't speak, Danny found the words: "Maybe I'm a fool who needed to come within a hair of losing you, but now that I have..." He rubbed his thumb along Carmine's. "Now I'm afraid to."
Carmine swallowed. There'd been a time when those dark eyes had intimidated and even infuriated Danny, but they were so soft now. So knowing. So understanding.
*
Carmine leaned closer. "That's all I know, Danny. That the only thing in the world that scares me now is losing you."
This is truly a hidden gem in a sea of MM romance books. I highly recommend this book if you want the glitz and glamour of 1920s NYC (Prohibition era, Roaring Twenties), but also a great suspense plot rooted in an underworld where shades of grey prevail. Witt did extensive research via books and visiting NYC for the worldbuilding and character crafting aspects, which includes the socioeconomic and cultural landscape. (Some of the side characters mentioned were real people in the organized crime scene during the time period.)
The slow burn romance between Carmine, the Italian underboss, and Danny, the Irish rum runner was filled with tension, yearning, and an overarching suspense plot that thankfully didn't overshadow their connection. Their love story's eventual HEA felt earned instead of shoehorned in by copy and paste, low stakes coincidences. The MMCs learn how to trust each other in business despite the rivalry between the Italians and Irish, then later as lovers.
However, I couldn't ignore the glaring inaccuracy of the mafia/famiglia hierarchy regarding Carmine as the underboss, while Maurizio is the capo. Yet, Carmine appears to be outranked by Maurizio throughout the narrative. I think correcting the error might've changed parts of the journey for Carmine's HEA with Danny, but not the destination.
I appreciated the way Witt depicted Danny's PTSD, which was with the utmost care and sensitivity. It was also refreshing to have two closeted MMCs in a historical romance who weren't laser focused on internally hating themselves and struggling with their sexualities. External forces of the time period facilitated the MMCs being closeted, but there were still many instances of queer visibility and joy besides the romance and HEA. The queer side characters and settings weren't just footnotes to check mark inclusivity boxes.
I hope Witt eventually writes more for this series because at least one more book was planned according to the end of my hardcover edition. The side characters have so much potential, and the HEA was fairly open ended to accommodate more Carmine quests.
- - -
Notable quotes
In the beginning, Carmine had been everything Danny was meant to hate and distrust, and now Danny couldn't make him promise not to walk through fire for him.
*
When Carmine didn't speak, Danny found the words: "Maybe I'm a fool who needed to come within a hair of losing you, but now that I have..." He rubbed his thumb along Carmine's. "Now I'm afraid to."
Carmine swallowed. There'd been a time when those dark eyes had intimidated and even infuriated Danny, but they were so soft now. So knowing. So understanding.
*
Carmine leaned closer. "That's all I know, Danny. That the only thing in the world that scares me now is losing you."
Read
July 8, 2022We've got a 1920's romance between an Irish rum runner and Italian mafia underboss. What could go wrong?
The page count, apparently. I enjoyed the premise, the characters, the era, all of it, but goodness gracious is this wordy. Lots of parts that don't advance the plot or characters.
DNF around 80% because I just ran out of steam.
The page count, apparently. I enjoyed the premise, the characters, the era, all of it, but goodness gracious is this wordy. Lots of parts that don't advance the plot or characters.
DNF around 80% because I just ran out of steam.
February 15, 2021
I liked it .... although as I began reading, it took a while to get really interested in the story. Set in NYC in 1924, we get the flavor of the era, with Italian gangsters and Irish crews fighting and dying for territory and the rich getting richer, while the poor try to scrape along the edges of society. Danny Moore finds himself between a rock (a dead Italian gangster) and a hard place (agreeing to work for Carmine Battaglia).
Danny and his crew set to work and devise various schemes and plots to outwit the Coast Guard - and steal contraband from other gangs. With success comes huge amounts of money from Carmine and soon Danny and the crew are making some serious bank. Danny slowly comes to respect Carmine, as well as learning that he and Carmine share values and attitudes, as well as sexuality.
Witt does an excellent job of balancing the adventure of Danny's heists with the slowly growing relationship beween Danny and Carmine, and it's all "fun and games" untl suddenly it isn't and Danny and his crew find themselves in a truly terrifying situation with very intense and realistic brutality. Witt keeps the tension going and going as the brother of that dead gangster comes back for revenge, and Carmine works to protect and save the man he loves.
There is a second book coming in the series and I'm looking forward to reading about James, Danny's best friend, as well as keeping track of Carmine and Danny as they work towards a life together. 4 stars.
Danny and his crew set to work and devise various schemes and plots to outwit the Coast Guard - and steal contraband from other gangs. With success comes huge amounts of money from Carmine and soon Danny and the crew are making some serious bank. Danny slowly comes to respect Carmine, as well as learning that he and Carmine share values and attitudes, as well as sexuality.
Witt does an excellent job of balancing the adventure of Danny's heists with the slowly growing relationship beween Danny and Carmine, and it's all "fun and games" untl suddenly it isn't and Danny and his crew find themselves in a truly terrifying situation with very intense and realistic brutality. Witt keeps the tension going and going as the brother of that dead gangster comes back for revenge, and Carmine works to protect and save the man he loves.
There is a second book coming in the series and I'm looking forward to reading about James, Danny's best friend, as well as keeping track of Carmine and Danny as they work towards a life together. 4 stars.
June 23, 2021
Not sure if LA Witt knows how to write a quick story – but also not sure that I want her to know how. A very slow burn, but with a gripping story of prohibition mobsters that you don’t mind waiting for the romantic elements to heat up. Carmine and Danny are wonderfully crafted characters and the entire world is created so brilliantly that my brain could not leave it behind when I turned off the audio. Michael Ferrauiolo once again does an astoundingly epic job of bringing this world and men to life so that they live in my memory forever.
December 18, 2021
Listened to this in audible. It was really really long with multiple crises where one of the MCs was in mortal peril. The romance was slow burn and the attraction between the two MCs wasn’t really explained. There was just a lot of meaningful looks.
As an audiobook, it was great to listen to whilst at work. I don’t think I would recommend it in book form though.
As an audiobook, it was great to listen to whilst at work. I don’t think I would recommend it in book form though.
May 7, 2021
Book Reaction: https://neverhollowed.com/2021/05/07/...
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
Rating: 4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bits
March 22, 2021
tl:dr: DNF.
At 11% in, I've just finished rolling my eyes at yet another scene with Danny re-re-re-hashing his current trouble.
If this wasn't free, I'd have DNF'd this right here.
Haha as it turns out, I can't make myself read more, so I am in fact stopping here. How is this so boring?
At 11% in, I've just finished rolling my eyes at yet another scene with Danny re-re-re-hashing his current trouble.
If this wasn't free, I'd have DNF'd this right here.
Haha as it turns out, I can't make myself read more, so I am in fact stopping here. How is this so boring?
September 21, 2020
I am a HUGE fan of L.A. Witt’s books and ever since she started to talk about this one, I was curious. Very curious. Right from the first pages, I knew I was in for a treat. I can’t even describe how good this book is. The characters, the story, the dialogues…. Everything is so good, so historical thar it’s impossible not to imagine a whole world based on her words. Carmine and Danny are the main MCs, but all the side ones are just as good and have their own story. I don’t wanna give too much on the story, but this is so different from LA’s previous works that… I’m amazed how she managed to write a slow burn mafia history book, not missing a single beat. It doesn’t get boring or dragged; quite the contrary. Even the slow burn fits perfectly in here!
Can’t wait for more from the other characters and, also, Michael’s narration of this will be spectacular :)
Carmine and Danny are now on my top 3 of favorite Of Lori’s boys, along with Dom & Sergei (If the Seas Catch Fire) and Ryan & Misha (Master Will Appear).
Can’t wait for more from the other characters and, also, Michael’s narration of this will be spectacular :)
Carmine and Danny are now on my top 3 of favorite Of Lori’s boys, along with Dom & Sergei (If the Seas Catch Fire) and Ryan & Misha (Master Will Appear).
November 15, 2020
Well-researched historical setting, and a very slow burn appropriate to the time and characters.
April 22, 2021
Definitely more romance than action, this 1920s gangster M-M romeo-juliet-ish plot was interesting at the start but somehow I lost interest past the midway point. Not sure why as I then started skipping forward a few places to get to the end. The rum-running exploits were well detailed and provided some excitement but the gangland turf-warfare between different groups didn't grab my attention as much.
MC Danny showed some chutzpah at the start but somehow faded into a ethically and morally-conflicted pacifist mess thereafter before finally re-emerging to help save the day at the shootout finale. I much preferred Carmine's characterization overall. I do hope that secondary character James gets his own story though as I believe this is a new series from the author. 3 stars at best and I may give the next book a try to see if my interest continues.
MC Danny showed some chutzpah at the start but somehow faded into a ethically and morally-conflicted pacifist mess thereafter before finally re-emerging to help save the day at the shootout finale. I much preferred Carmine's characterization overall. I do hope that secondary character James gets his own story though as I believe this is a new series from the author. 3 stars at best and I may give the next book a try to see if my interest continues.
January 30, 2024
Audio : 5 +⭐️
Story: 4,5⭐️
.
So yeah first I’ll just say that the narrator of the audiobook? So good 🤌👌 I mean wow.
Thank you good sir.
.
As some by now may now, I’m a sucker for a great historical romance. And this one delivered. Especially on the plot side, it was a very engaging story from that part alone…. The characters were also very nuanced and I loved to follow both the MC’s Povs… they hade distinctive voices and lives and I loved them and theirs very much. The romance was slow burning and perfect in its execution.
I was thriving while listening to this one. Truly. It was such a wonderful read.
My first foray into LA Witt but I dare say that it isn’t the last.
Story: 4,5⭐️
.
So yeah first I’ll just say that the narrator of the audiobook? So good 🤌👌 I mean wow.
Thank you good sir.
.
As some by now may now, I’m a sucker for a great historical romance. And this one delivered. Especially on the plot side, it was a very engaging story from that part alone…. The characters were also very nuanced and I loved to follow both the MC’s Povs… they hade distinctive voices and lives and I loved them and theirs very much. The romance was slow burning and perfect in its execution.
I was thriving while listening to this one. Truly. It was such a wonderful read.
My first foray into LA Witt but I dare say that it isn’t the last.
October 25, 2025
MC’s Carmine & Danny! Sicilian & Irish. It’s a period time book set in the early part of the 20th century. Gangsters and Irish immigrants trying to survive. Sicilian and Irish are notoriously known as enemies. However there are times they can and will work together. I love how it’s all brought together throughout this story. The ending is rather rushed. I would love to know what happens next with all of the characters. Overall I give it 4 1/2 ⭐️’s. Great buddy read with my sister! 💜💜💜
July 16, 2022
Makes Illogical Logical
This is a risky proposition L.A. Witt has placed before us.
First, it takes place in 1920s New York City during Prohibition, not a familiar milieu for historical MM dramas.
Secondly she matches up thugs from two ethnic groups--immigrant and first generation Italians and Irish--who, at that time, were very proficient at avoiding any contact with each other or if it occurred, leaving death and destruction in their wake.
Third, the two MCs, Carmine Battaglia and Danny Moore, are not only secretly gay but develop a slow burn relationship outside of what has accidentally turned into a big-time, and illegal, financial bonanza, i.e., stealing and smuggling booze destined for the speakeasy circuit.
Shockingly, Ms. Witt totally succeeds in bringing credibility to each of those propositions. As a native New Yorker of Italian heritage who grew up with neighborhood stresses with the Irish, and having been steeped in the history of the city for years, I can say she created a real-time situation in absolutely every respect. Plot-lines, sub-plots, secondary characters--everything is not only credible but all of it works.
I would urge you to read the blurb and get into this one as soon as you can. It is one of the most brilliant MM historical romance-adventures, and is worthy of a sequel, fast. Bravo!
This is a risky proposition L.A. Witt has placed before us.
First, it takes place in 1920s New York City during Prohibition, not a familiar milieu for historical MM dramas.
Secondly she matches up thugs from two ethnic groups--immigrant and first generation Italians and Irish--who, at that time, were very proficient at avoiding any contact with each other or if it occurred, leaving death and destruction in their wake.
Third, the two MCs, Carmine Battaglia and Danny Moore, are not only secretly gay but develop a slow burn relationship outside of what has accidentally turned into a big-time, and illegal, financial bonanza, i.e., stealing and smuggling booze destined for the speakeasy circuit.
Shockingly, Ms. Witt totally succeeds in bringing credibility to each of those propositions. As a native New Yorker of Italian heritage who grew up with neighborhood stresses with the Irish, and having been steeped in the history of the city for years, I can say she created a real-time situation in absolutely every respect. Plot-lines, sub-plots, secondary characters--everything is not only credible but all of it works.
I would urge you to read the blurb and get into this one as soon as you can. It is one of the most brilliant MM historical romance-adventures, and is worthy of a sequel, fast. Bravo!
February 3, 2022
I enjoyed this book. I wanted to read this book the second I read the summary. It's been on my radar for a few months now. 15 hours for an audiobook is a hell of a commitment, though. And, now that I've finished the book, it's painfully obvious it didn't need to be 15 hours.
144k words is impressive. LA Witt is clearly a creative powerhouse. There are a lot of ideas rolling around in that beautiful brain. It's amazing. I'm suitably impressed.
But this novel suffered some really bad pacing and exposition. Slow burn is one thing but this was ... this read like bad editing. There was a lot of repetition with little payoff. There were entire hours where I would fall asleep and have to start the chapter over. I forgot entire characters in the interim.
I don't want to be mean. I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the characters. Much to the chagrin of my closest friends, I was invested in Danny and Carmine's relationship. I was rooting for them. But gosh darn it, it took so long to get there that I almost bailed three times.
The beginning is good! It's a good set up. I love the flavor of Danny and his band of thieves. I love Julia. I love the nightclub. I love Carmine. I love the drama and suspense the beginning builds up! -- but then it just stalls for about 50,000 words of "and then we did the thing, but in a different way! whew! That was close (with no real suspense or threat)!"
It ends great, too. Action packed. I wound up staying up until 1 AM listening to the last three hours of the novel. I was riveted. I wanted to know how it ended, what would happen to my faves, if the threads from the beginning would finally pay off! (And it was very satisfying!)
But, gosh, that whole center was slow and unnecessary. It felt like the filler episodes of an anime series without the flashy theme song or meme-able moments.
I also didn't get a good feel for the world? There was quite a bit of Irish vs Italian political commentary but I didn't feel like it was in the 1920s at all. There was a bar? And a church? They ran rum past the coasties? Some people were shot? Some people were worked to death and on the verge of homelessness? The Spanish Flu commentary was a great touch but felt weirdly modernizing with the current pandemic. All of it felt weirdly modern. I feel like it would have benefitted from people reading papers or gathering around a radio at some point. Maybe talk about what kind of fashions were in style. The most historically tied point in the plot that I enjoyed was the talk about pay and wages -- $14 a boat! We'll live like kings! -- but it wasn't revisited in the 15 hours of listening.
Did I enjoy it? Yes...? I would I recommend it to anyone? No.
I feel like this is one of those "good bones" situations where word count definitely does not equal quality. Some things shine when they've had a few churns through the revision machine -- I think this is one of them.
144k words is impressive. LA Witt is clearly a creative powerhouse. There are a lot of ideas rolling around in that beautiful brain. It's amazing. I'm suitably impressed.
But this novel suffered some really bad pacing and exposition. Slow burn is one thing but this was ... this read like bad editing. There was a lot of repetition with little payoff. There were entire hours where I would fall asleep and have to start the chapter over. I forgot entire characters in the interim.
I don't want to be mean. I enjoyed the story. I enjoyed the characters. Much to the chagrin of my closest friends, I was invested in Danny and Carmine's relationship. I was rooting for them. But gosh darn it, it took so long to get there that I almost bailed three times.
The beginning is good! It's a good set up. I love the flavor of Danny and his band of thieves. I love Julia. I love the nightclub. I love Carmine. I love the drama and suspense the beginning builds up! -- but then it just stalls for about 50,000 words of "and then we did the thing, but in a different way! whew! That was close (with no real suspense or threat)!"
It ends great, too. Action packed. I wound up staying up until 1 AM listening to the last three hours of the novel. I was riveted. I wanted to know how it ended, what would happen to my faves, if the threads from the beginning would finally pay off! (And it was very satisfying!)
But, gosh, that whole center was slow and unnecessary. It felt like the filler episodes of an anime series without the flashy theme song or meme-able moments.
I also didn't get a good feel for the world? There was quite a bit of Irish vs Italian political commentary but I didn't feel like it was in the 1920s at all. There was a bar? And a church? They ran rum past the coasties? Some people were shot? Some people were worked to death and on the verge of homelessness? The Spanish Flu commentary was a great touch but felt weirdly modernizing with the current pandemic. All of it felt weirdly modern. I feel like it would have benefitted from people reading papers or gathering around a radio at some point. Maybe talk about what kind of fashions were in style. The most historically tied point in the plot that I enjoyed was the talk about pay and wages -- $14 a boat! We'll live like kings! -- but it wasn't revisited in the 15 hours of listening.
Did I enjoy it? Yes...? I would I recommend it to anyone? No.
I feel like this is one of those "good bones" situations where word count definitely does not equal quality. Some things shine when they've had a few churns through the revision machine -- I think this is one of them.
June 6, 2022
This is actually a 3 1/2 star read but I'm rounding down. My husband always gets on my case for rating things too favorably but this book was different in its badness. Allow me to elaborate:
The premise was good. Prohibition. A small gang of cunning Irish thieves target the wrong people and one of them finds himself reluctantly protected by a small Italian mafia family. It's enemies-to-lovers and you know how much I'm into that. Also? Sloooooow Buuuuuurrrn. You gotta love a slow burn.
Except.
This was a slow burn because the author felt like she needed to include every. Single. Itty. Bitty. Tiny. Detail. Into this book. A plot would happen. Then Danny would have internal musings on it. Afterwards, Carmine would have internal musings on it. Then they would talk to their respective associates about it. There would be reiterations of conversations. Rehashes of previously stated knowledge. Lots of internal musings. I've read books before that were inexpertly "fleshed out" to make a story go from a smutty novella to actual novel length. This feels like the opposite side of the same coin: the author didn't want to cut anything and it ended up being 556 pages.
While this story had really good bones, it was under so much fat that it was no longer the pleasurable read it should have been. Which sucks, because it did have a good premise. Witt could really benefit from a good editor. This had so much potential to be a five star.
There were a few things I loved about this book. I liked the hand-holding in the back of the car scene. Super soft. I really appreciated a plot twist about a certain character. For being such an over-explanatory story, I didn't see the twist coming at all. Also, at the end, there's a teaser for the next installment that involves that same character and I found myself wanting to read it despite the bog I just drudged through.
I only hope that Witt gets a better editor this time around.
The premise was good. Prohibition. A small gang of cunning Irish thieves target the wrong people and one of them finds himself reluctantly protected by a small Italian mafia family. It's enemies-to-lovers and you know how much I'm into that. Also? Sloooooow Buuuuuurrrn. You gotta love a slow burn.
Except.
This was a slow burn because the author felt like she needed to include every. Single. Itty. Bitty. Tiny. Detail. Into this book. A plot would happen. Then Danny would have internal musings on it. Afterwards, Carmine would have internal musings on it. Then they would talk to their respective associates about it. There would be reiterations of conversations. Rehashes of previously stated knowledge. Lots of internal musings. I've read books before that were inexpertly "fleshed out" to make a story go from a smutty novella to actual novel length. This feels like the opposite side of the same coin: the author didn't want to cut anything and it ended up being 556 pages.
While this story had really good bones, it was under so much fat that it was no longer the pleasurable read it should have been. Which sucks, because it did have a good premise. Witt could really benefit from a good editor. This had so much potential to be a five star.
There were a few things I loved about this book. I liked the hand-holding in the back of the car scene. Super soft. I really appreciated a plot twist about a certain character. For being such an over-explanatory story, I didn't see the twist coming at all. Also, at the end, there's a teaser for the next installment that involves that same character and I found myself wanting to read it despite the bog I just drudged through.
I only hope that Witt gets a better editor this time around.
Want to read
April 27, 2022🎁 FREE on Amazon today (4/27/2022)! 🎁
May 10, 2021
4.5 stars
This review and much more can be found at Love Bytes Reviews
Danny Moore is a leader to an Irish gang of thieves. But on New Year’s Eve and what should be their greatest score, it seems that Danny and Bernard, one of his crew, have managed to break into the room of notorious gangster Enrico il Sacchi. Worse than that though, Ricky arrives early back to his room in the company of a lady. When they argue and Ricky is threatening and looming over her, Danny can’t stay hidden and while he saved the lady, Julia Battaglia, he now is in the crosshairs of one of the most important and deadly families in New York.
When Carmine Battaglia is brought in to take charge of his sister Julia, he discovers the rest of the crew of Irish thieves. He sees an opportunity to find the man who probably saved his sister and managed to get into the New Year’s Eve party and pull off such a heist. But when Danny comes to see him when summoned, there is little more than hate in his eyes. Danny’s lost two brothers already. New York City has been brutal to both Irish and Italians. The luck and talent to survive in corrupt and brutal New York in the 1920s. Between the dirty cops, the made men and the petty thieves.
Grudgingly, Danny agrees to work for Carmine. It’s not like there are any choices in ways to make money and take care of their families. Carmine’s respect for Danny’s men and their skills and the more work he gives to Danny and his crew, the more contact they have. And Carmine can’t get Danny out of his head in between their meetings. And Danny is the same. But their violent lives continue to get in the way and their jobs get more and more dangerous. There is a price to pay for the chances they are taking.
Despite the situation with the il Sascchis, Carmine is determined to keep Danny safe. But Danny has a target on his back after a batched job that puts him back in the sights of the mob. And the danger continues to escalate.
Whoa! This is a really really slow burn. I began to wonder if anything would ever happen between Carmine and Danny 🙂 But given the time and place and the realities of both of their lives, it makes sense. There is a long buildup of trust between the two of them as would have been necessary. But just when they come to an understanding things go so sideways 🙁 When Danny and the whole crew get into the trouble, Carmine’s determination The danger that is never far from Danny makes things more urgent between them after a near miss. There is a lot of heat between them and it’s so well written. In addition the supporting characters are vivid and have their own stories. This included Carmine’s family, Danny’s crew and even his priest. It’s a smoldering heated story with alternating action and passion. As usual Michael Ferriauolo is superb and his period music adds another level of enjoyment. Bravo! Well done and highly recommended.
This review and much more can be found at Love Bytes Reviews
Danny Moore is a leader to an Irish gang of thieves. But on New Year’s Eve and what should be their greatest score, it seems that Danny and Bernard, one of his crew, have managed to break into the room of notorious gangster Enrico il Sacchi. Worse than that though, Ricky arrives early back to his room in the company of a lady. When they argue and Ricky is threatening and looming over her, Danny can’t stay hidden and while he saved the lady, Julia Battaglia, he now is in the crosshairs of one of the most important and deadly families in New York.
When Carmine Battaglia is brought in to take charge of his sister Julia, he discovers the rest of the crew of Irish thieves. He sees an opportunity to find the man who probably saved his sister and managed to get into the New Year’s Eve party and pull off such a heist. But when Danny comes to see him when summoned, there is little more than hate in his eyes. Danny’s lost two brothers already. New York City has been brutal to both Irish and Italians. The luck and talent to survive in corrupt and brutal New York in the 1920s. Between the dirty cops, the made men and the petty thieves.
Grudgingly, Danny agrees to work for Carmine. It’s not like there are any choices in ways to make money and take care of their families. Carmine’s respect for Danny’s men and their skills and the more work he gives to Danny and his crew, the more contact they have. And Carmine can’t get Danny out of his head in between their meetings. And Danny is the same. But their violent lives continue to get in the way and their jobs get more and more dangerous. There is a price to pay for the chances they are taking.
Despite the situation with the il Sascchis, Carmine is determined to keep Danny safe. But Danny has a target on his back after a batched job that puts him back in the sights of the mob. And the danger continues to escalate.
Whoa! This is a really really slow burn. I began to wonder if anything would ever happen between Carmine and Danny 🙂 But given the time and place and the realities of both of their lives, it makes sense. There is a long buildup of trust between the two of them as would have been necessary. But just when they come to an understanding things go so sideways 🙁 When Danny and the whole crew get into the trouble, Carmine’s determination The danger that is never far from Danny makes things more urgent between them after a near miss. There is a lot of heat between them and it’s so well written. In addition the supporting characters are vivid and have their own stories. This included Carmine’s family, Danny’s crew and even his priest. It’s a smoldering heated story with alternating action and passion. As usual Michael Ferriauolo is superb and his period music adds another level of enjoyment. Bravo! Well done and highly recommended.
did-not-finish
June 28, 2025DNF. No rating.
I’m going to be totally honest with you. I’ve been listening to this book off and on for a year. Yes, one entire year, and I’m still not done. So I’m calling time.
I’ve noticed this year that the quality of LA Witt’s writing has decreased even as her word count has exploded. This book, first published in 2020, is a good example of a bloated text absolutely circling the drain for pages and pages on end.
It’s a slow burn historical mafia romance that reads like a no burn romance. And while I’m sure the prohibition aspects of this book, along with gay NYC nightlife and Irish vs Italian culture wars are well-researched, accurate detail is useless when the plot goes nowhere fast and for a very long time.
This one is not for me. Pass.
Merged review:
DNF. No rating.
I’m going to be totally honest with you. I’ve been listening to this book off and on for a year. Yes, one entire year, and I’m still not done. So I’m calling time.
I’ve noticed this year that the quality of LA Witt’s writing has decreased even as her word count has exploded. This book, first published in 2020, is a good example of a bloated text absolutely circling the drain for pages and pages on end.
It’s a slow burn historical mafia romance that reads like a no burn romance. And while I’m sure the prohibition aspects of this book, along with gay NYC nightlife and Irish vs Italian culture wars are well-researched, accurate detail is useless when the plot goes nowhere fast and for a very long time.
This one is not for me. Pass.
I’m going to be totally honest with you. I’ve been listening to this book off and on for a year. Yes, one entire year, and I’m still not done. So I’m calling time.
I’ve noticed this year that the quality of LA Witt’s writing has decreased even as her word count has exploded. This book, first published in 2020, is a good example of a bloated text absolutely circling the drain for pages and pages on end.
It’s a slow burn historical mafia romance that reads like a no burn romance. And while I’m sure the prohibition aspects of this book, along with gay NYC nightlife and Irish vs Italian culture wars are well-researched, accurate detail is useless when the plot goes nowhere fast and for a very long time.
This one is not for me. Pass.
Merged review:
DNF. No rating.
I’m going to be totally honest with you. I’ve been listening to this book off and on for a year. Yes, one entire year, and I’m still not done. So I’m calling time.
I’ve noticed this year that the quality of LA Witt’s writing has decreased even as her word count has exploded. This book, first published in 2020, is a good example of a bloated text absolutely circling the drain for pages and pages on end.
It’s a slow burn historical mafia romance that reads like a no burn romance. And while I’m sure the prohibition aspects of this book, along with gay NYC nightlife and Irish vs Italian culture wars are well-researched, accurate detail is useless when the plot goes nowhere fast and for a very long time.
This one is not for me. Pass.
November 14, 2021
I have a book hangover and it was so worth it.
I've had this book on my to-read list for a bit, but didn't start it until I happened to come across the audiobook version. I am on the road for work a lot, and this audiobook was incredible - based in 1920s NYC and featuring Irish thieves and Italian gangsters, having their dialogue read in their accents really added to this story - I recommend it regardless, but if possible, go for the audio book. I often only listen while driving, and read silently when I'm in bed or home - this had me listening even when I wasn't on the go, and digging up the ear buds for when I was eating lunch. The story itself is intense - far more intense than I was expecting, which is probably on me, this being a book about gangsters and all. I loved it, I laughed and cried, and I truly appreciate the research that went into this story - especially specifically to the underground queer culture of NYC in the 1920s. Five stars, and a bunch of tear-moistened tissues.
I've had this book on my to-read list for a bit, but didn't start it until I happened to come across the audiobook version. I am on the road for work a lot, and this audiobook was incredible - based in 1920s NYC and featuring Irish thieves and Italian gangsters, having their dialogue read in their accents really added to this story - I recommend it regardless, but if possible, go for the audio book. I often only listen while driving, and read silently when I'm in bed or home - this had me listening even when I wasn't on the go, and digging up the ear buds for when I was eating lunch. The story itself is intense - far more intense than I was expecting, which is probably on me, this being a book about gangsters and all. I loved it, I laughed and cried, and I truly appreciate the research that went into this story - especially specifically to the underground queer culture of NYC in the 1920s. Five stars, and a bunch of tear-moistened tissues.
March 17, 2024
Original Audiobook Review March 2024:
When I discovered this book last St. Patrick's Day I was over the moon with such a delicious find so I couldn't think of a better time to give the audiobook a listen. I loved The Venetian and the Rum Runner just as much as my original read and now that I have the audio I can listen to it for years to come. Truth is I can't think of a single thing to add to my original review that would express my love of Danny and Carmine further without letting a spoiler slip out. As for the narrator, Michael Ferraiuolo, this is my third book I've heard him read and I enjoyed immensely. He really adds that extra something special to the story that needs to be met when listening for me. What is that extra special something? The feeling of being inside the story, being on the fringe, as if I am a patron in the bar seeing everything firsthand. Getting all the characters and emotions so personalized that I find myself waiting for the sponsor's ad to break in as it does in the old radio shows of the 40s & 50s I collect. Ferraiuolo has done just that, made the words come alive, together with LA Witt's storytelling this is a must experience in one form or another.
Original Review March 2023:
Every St. Patrick's Day I go to my book rec groups on FB asking for Irish-themed stories, maybe it's just Irish characters, set in Ireland at least in part, and a special kudos to any that actually have at least a St. Patrick's Day scene. This year someone rec'd The Venetian and the Rum Runner by LA Witt. So glad they did because . . . YUM! Talk about a story I've been looking for on multiple levels.
1920s✅
Prohibition✅
Mafia✅
Irish characters✅
Mentions of Influenza Epidemic of 1918✅
Post WW1✅
Just so many of my boxes ticked.
I love the whole slow burn trope and this may be one of the slowest slow burns I've read in recent memory and that is not a bad thing. The era and even more so the alpha male label that gangsters are known for wasn't exactly conducive for those who were LGBT. Besides the immoral umbrella too many saw LGBT as falling under, it was also seen as weakness when it came to the mafia. Let me tell you there isn't any man in this story that is weak. There are characters who may see themselves as weak for a variety of reasons but they aren't, nor are they broken. They have just seen too many horrors in the world that leaves them hurting. Danny's friend James is a perfect example. He may be a priest but he also served during WW1 and those nightmares will always follow him. I loved the friendship between James and Danny, they understand each other and accept each other.
As for Danny, as one who has many Irish branches in my family tree I may not understand the battles between the Irish and Italians in 1920s New York-based mafia(my ancestors came through Canada to Wisconsin in the mid-1800s) but I do understand the stubbornness Danny feels in his opinion of Italians. I am definitely stubborn and know that I mainly inherited that trait from the Irish side. I think it's that stubborn certainty to have ill will against all Italians for the actions of a few and still be able to work for them when he is faced with no other options, it shows a lot of courage on his part.
Carmine. What can I say about Carmine? He too has some preconceived notions on the Irish but it's not really deep seated in hatred like Danny's for Italians. His willingness to work with them also shows a level of courage and growth. His relationship with his sister, Giulia, is your standard brother/sister and though he only has her protection in mind with his actions, it is pretty clear early on that Giulia is not shrinking violet.
Put these two men together and you have a chemistry that is instant(although not explored other than inner monologues for quite a while) and never ending. Frankly I loved the progression the men take from boss man/rum runner to oh so much more. I will admit I can see where it could almost be too slowburny for some but not me. Could the author have lessened some of the inner musings? Sure. Would those cuts have made the story better? Maybe. Would I have wanted to see it shorter? Hell No!
I can't imagine it being written any other way than how the author has told it. It's that combination of main characters growing, secondary characters showing their friendship and loyalty, bad guys being super bad, good guys having some bad tendencies but done with a purpose, romance, mystery, heat, suspense, and heart that makes The Venetian and the Rum Runner so bloody brilliant!
As for what draws me to the genre . . .
Maybe it's having grown up about 30 minutes from St. Paul that went a long way to pique my interest in the era. I don't think enough people realize just how many gangsters of that era came through the area. You can still find the tommy gun bullet holes in the Wabasha Caves nearly 100 years later. Maybe it's the glamour side that Hollywood has always portrayed that decade to be. Obviously it's not all glamour and Hollywood has never had a problem with fact-stretching but as a little girl I can't deny that film genre went a long way to forming my interest and as I got older and the realities of the time became more clear, my interest was already embedded.
I've read a few stories that touched on my earlier checklist and loved them all, there's just not enough in the LGBTQ+ historical mafia genre to feed my hunger. Or perhaps there are and I'm just not looking in the right place. Whatever the answer is to that, at least this LA Witt novel crossed my reading journey and I'm beyond thankful for that.
Whether you are a fan of historical 1920s prohibition era mafia stories or not, I still highly recommend giving The Venetian and the Rum Runner a chance. It is most certainly not a quick read but it is an entertaining one that kept me hooked all the way through and left me sad when I reached the last page. I've already purchased the audiobook and look forward to many re-visits to come.
When I discovered this book last St. Patrick's Day I was over the moon with such a delicious find so I couldn't think of a better time to give the audiobook a listen. I loved The Venetian and the Rum Runner just as much as my original read and now that I have the audio I can listen to it for years to come. Truth is I can't think of a single thing to add to my original review that would express my love of Danny and Carmine further without letting a spoiler slip out. As for the narrator, Michael Ferraiuolo, this is my third book I've heard him read and I enjoyed immensely. He really adds that extra something special to the story that needs to be met when listening for me. What is that extra special something? The feeling of being inside the story, being on the fringe, as if I am a patron in the bar seeing everything firsthand. Getting all the characters and emotions so personalized that I find myself waiting for the sponsor's ad to break in as it does in the old radio shows of the 40s & 50s I collect. Ferraiuolo has done just that, made the words come alive, together with LA Witt's storytelling this is a must experience in one form or another.
Original Review March 2023:
Every St. Patrick's Day I go to my book rec groups on FB asking for Irish-themed stories, maybe it's just Irish characters, set in Ireland at least in part, and a special kudos to any that actually have at least a St. Patrick's Day scene. This year someone rec'd The Venetian and the Rum Runner by LA Witt. So glad they did because . . . YUM! Talk about a story I've been looking for on multiple levels.
1920s✅
Prohibition✅
Mafia✅
Irish characters✅
Mentions of Influenza Epidemic of 1918✅
Post WW1✅
Just so many of my boxes ticked.
I love the whole slow burn trope and this may be one of the slowest slow burns I've read in recent memory and that is not a bad thing. The era and even more so the alpha male label that gangsters are known for wasn't exactly conducive for those who were LGBT. Besides the immoral umbrella too many saw LGBT as falling under, it was also seen as weakness when it came to the mafia. Let me tell you there isn't any man in this story that is weak. There are characters who may see themselves as weak for a variety of reasons but they aren't, nor are they broken. They have just seen too many horrors in the world that leaves them hurting. Danny's friend James is a perfect example. He may be a priest but he also served during WW1 and those nightmares will always follow him. I loved the friendship between James and Danny, they understand each other and accept each other.
As for Danny, as one who has many Irish branches in my family tree I may not understand the battles between the Irish and Italians in 1920s New York-based mafia(my ancestors came through Canada to Wisconsin in the mid-1800s) but I do understand the stubbornness Danny feels in his opinion of Italians. I am definitely stubborn and know that I mainly inherited that trait from the Irish side. I think it's that stubborn certainty to have ill will against all Italians for the actions of a few and still be able to work for them when he is faced with no other options, it shows a lot of courage on his part.
Carmine. What can I say about Carmine? He too has some preconceived notions on the Irish but it's not really deep seated in hatred like Danny's for Italians. His willingness to work with them also shows a level of courage and growth. His relationship with his sister, Giulia, is your standard brother/sister and though he only has her protection in mind with his actions, it is pretty clear early on that Giulia is not shrinking violet.
Put these two men together and you have a chemistry that is instant(although not explored other than inner monologues for quite a while) and never ending. Frankly I loved the progression the men take from boss man/rum runner to oh so much more. I will admit I can see where it could almost be too slowburny for some but not me. Could the author have lessened some of the inner musings? Sure. Would those cuts have made the story better? Maybe. Would I have wanted to see it shorter? Hell No!
I can't imagine it being written any other way than how the author has told it. It's that combination of main characters growing, secondary characters showing their friendship and loyalty, bad guys being super bad, good guys having some bad tendencies but done with a purpose, romance, mystery, heat, suspense, and heart that makes The Venetian and the Rum Runner so bloody brilliant!
As for what draws me to the genre . . .
Maybe it's having grown up about 30 minutes from St. Paul that went a long way to pique my interest in the era. I don't think enough people realize just how many gangsters of that era came through the area. You can still find the tommy gun bullet holes in the Wabasha Caves nearly 100 years later. Maybe it's the glamour side that Hollywood has always portrayed that decade to be. Obviously it's not all glamour and Hollywood has never had a problem with fact-stretching but as a little girl I can't deny that film genre went a long way to forming my interest and as I got older and the realities of the time became more clear, my interest was already embedded.
I've read a few stories that touched on my earlier checklist and loved them all, there's just not enough in the LGBTQ+ historical mafia genre to feed my hunger. Or perhaps there are and I'm just not looking in the right place. Whatever the answer is to that, at least this LA Witt novel crossed my reading journey and I'm beyond thankful for that.
Whether you are a fan of historical 1920s prohibition era mafia stories or not, I still highly recommend giving The Venetian and the Rum Runner a chance. It is most certainly not a quick read but it is an entertaining one that kept me hooked all the way through and left me sad when I reached the last page. I've already purchased the audiobook and look forward to many re-visits to come.
July 31, 2025
There are 2 things about this book that could have very easily not worked for me: It 1) is over 500 pages long and 2) has a romance understated enough that this almost kinda maybe reads more like historical suspense than historical romance.
And yet, as a whole, it worked so, so well for me. It’s satisfyingly grounded in the Prohibition period and the Italian mafia setting, with real stakes that climb higher and higher. The slow burn, slow build romance is full of longing looks across a desk, accidental touches, and handshakes held just slightly too long. It’s socioculturally aware, with discussions of immigrant experience, Irish-Italian conflict, the weirdness of the mafia bloodline obsession, and post-WW1 trauma. Thrown in a couple of great side characters (including one whose story I need stat!!), and you’ve got a winner in my book (heh).
Basically, what I’m saying is that this is exactly the kind of vibes I want from a Prohibition-era book. (Also, a big reminder of how close white Americans are to being immigrants ourselves.)
☝🏻 Pro tip: Listen to the Michael Ferraiuolo’s fantastic narration in the audiobook; it made the admittedly intimidating page count fly by.
Rating: 👍🏻👍🏻 (really liked)
And yet, as a whole, it worked so, so well for me. It’s satisfyingly grounded in the Prohibition period and the Italian mafia setting, with real stakes that climb higher and higher. The slow burn, slow build romance is full of longing looks across a desk, accidental touches, and handshakes held just slightly too long. It’s socioculturally aware, with discussions of immigrant experience, Irish-Italian conflict, the weirdness of the mafia bloodline obsession, and post-WW1 trauma. Thrown in a couple of great side characters (including one whose story I need stat!!), and you’ve got a winner in my book (heh).
Basically, what I’m saying is that this is exactly the kind of vibes I want from a Prohibition-era book. (Also, a big reminder of how close white Americans are to being immigrants ourselves.)
☝🏻 Pro tip: Listen to the Michael Ferraiuolo’s fantastic narration in the audiobook; it made the admittedly intimidating page count fly by.
Rating: 👍🏻👍🏻 (really liked)
July 31, 2024
4.25 stars
A MM romance set in NYC in the 1920s in the world of gangsters and bootleggers ... it's a catalog of my favorite things, in fact I write such stories too. So I was predisposed to like it. However, it did try my patience until I realized that the romance is not uppermost in author L.A. Witt's mind. She wants to tell the big-picture story of these men's lives, including their families and friends. I mean, when the first kiss comes at the eight-hour mark in the audiobook, that's taking slow burn to the limit. It wouldn't bother me so much if there weren't so many repetitive scenes that don't advance the plot. At that eight-hour mark, the plot heats up as well as the romance, and everything moves more quickly from that point.
It's flawed, needed a much tighter edit, and I warn anyone coming to this wanting primarily a romance -- This ain't it. But if you want an interesting story set in the milieu described above, I recommend it.
A MM romance set in NYC in the 1920s in the world of gangsters and bootleggers ... it's a catalog of my favorite things, in fact I write such stories too. So I was predisposed to like it. However, it did try my patience until I realized that the romance is not uppermost in author L.A. Witt's mind. She wants to tell the big-picture story of these men's lives, including their families and friends. I mean, when the first kiss comes at the eight-hour mark in the audiobook, that's taking slow burn to the limit. It wouldn't bother me so much if there weren't so many repetitive scenes that don't advance the plot. At that eight-hour mark, the plot heats up as well as the romance, and everything moves more quickly from that point.
It's flawed, needed a much tighter edit, and I warn anyone coming to this wanting primarily a romance -- This ain't it. But if you want an interesting story set in the milieu described above, I recommend it.
May 13, 2023
This novel takes a long time to get going. It takes a very long time for any real connection to form between the two main characters. If that's 'pining', count me out. While I'm equally no fan of love by the second chapter, this is excruciating.
Yes, it's an historical novel but the necessary scene-settng shouldn't get the way of pushing the plot forward. There are way too many liquor runs. Danny and his crew have to prove themselves to the gangsters to make sense of what follows, but we don't have to see each episode.
The gangs and ways of evading Prohibition come across well. The expected violence is realistic but restrained in tone. What's less well done is giving any real sense of 1920's New York. It feels as though the action is happening in a vacuum. That's a pity because some local colour would've been good.
Not really one for me.
Yes, it's an historical novel but the necessary scene-settng shouldn't get the way of pushing the plot forward. There are way too many liquor runs. Danny and his crew have to prove themselves to the gangsters to make sense of what follows, but we don't have to see each episode.
The gangs and ways of evading Prohibition come across well. The expected violence is realistic but restrained in tone. What's less well done is giving any real sense of 1920's New York. It feels as though the action is happening in a vacuum. That's a pity because some local colour would've been good.
Not really one for me.
September 7, 2022
Entertaining but not wholly believable -- not the plot so much as the vibe. It's a dilemma in writing romances where your MC is a criminal, a vampire, a pirate, etc. Are you going to make him do so many bad things that he's not worth rooting for, or err on the side of making him too likeable and nonviolent for his ostensible profession? I felt the depiction of mobsters in this book erred in the latter direction.
I enjoyed the clever tricks Danny's crew employed to get their contraband past the Coast Guard. As other reviewers here have noted, there were too many redundant scenes. I would have liked more scenes of the outside world to enhance the 1920s atmosphere.
Father James stole the show. Multifaceted character full of surprises. I would read another book about him!
I enjoyed the clever tricks Danny's crew employed to get their contraband past the Coast Guard. As other reviewers here have noted, there were too many redundant scenes. I would have liked more scenes of the outside world to enhance the 1920s atmosphere.
Father James stole the show. Multifaceted character full of surprises. I would read another book about him!
September 23, 2020
Fantastic hijinks with a side of gangster life
I had a bit of a hard time getting in to the book initially. I liked the characters and the story line, but I still struggled. By the time that Danny and his crew begin rum running, I was hooked and didn't want to put the book down. I loved the historical aspect of the book, especially the bathhouses and the underground tunnels that the gangsters utilized. I also enjoyed the slow burn between Danny and Carmine. Their love was forbidden by law, but shouldn't have been. They both moved mountains to save the life of the man they loved and I was here for it.
I had a bit of a hard time getting in to the book initially. I liked the characters and the story line, but I still struggled. By the time that Danny and his crew begin rum running, I was hooked and didn't want to put the book down. I loved the historical aspect of the book, especially the bathhouses and the underground tunnels that the gangsters utilized. I also enjoyed the slow burn between Danny and Carmine. Their love was forbidden by law, but shouldn't have been. They both moved mountains to save the life of the man they loved and I was here for it.
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