I’m the right-hand man to the rising star of the East Coast mafia. But he’s not the one who’s always had my allegiance. It’s Carina, his sister, the one woman who’s had my heart in a vise grip ever since she came back from school. But she’s off limits, and some lines, once crossed, can never be redrawn.
I tell myself to keep my distance, but the more she tempts me, the more I falter. Carina isn’t just beautiful, she has secrets, ones that bring danger to her doorstep. But I’ll never let anyone harm her, and when she’s threatened, i’ll stop at nothing to keep her safe and in my arms.
MINK's Cozy up with your kitty to read this tale of true love, longing, and a happily ever after.
I'm going through such a bad novella stump rn- I've read the majority of all my go-to author's books so I'm struggling to find good novellas (so don't be afraid to drop any recs 🥲💳💥💳💥💳).
So I was really happy when this one came out.
I didn't love the couple- plainly because the miscommunication just got really repetitive, especially considering it was present in some of the other couple's books.
I had been eagerly awaiting Gilly and Carina's story and while enjoyable this one was not my favorite. Butcher still holds that title😉 I did adore Carina for her spunk though.
The devotion is definitely unexpected; what I mean you should NOT expect it. The H in this story was a brute -not in a caring, sexy, playful way - it felt more like I was witnessing a beat down where the hero was rude and unapologetic. He hurt the heroine multiple times in ways that did not feel very consensual to me. Plus he could not make up his mind on whether he wanted the heroine or not.
I was quite dissatisfied with this one, especially because the previous book was quite fun.
———————————————————————————— RATINGS:
Plot : 1.5 📚💫 Sprinkled around.
World Building(Immersion): 1 🌎 Dipped my toes.
Angst : 1.5 👹💫 Slapping the mosquito dead and scratching the itch. The H made so uncomfortable.
Funniness: ❎ No funny moments.
Scariness: 1.5 💀💫 It tried. The H was terrible.
Romance: 1.5 💖💫 Not romantic.
Spice: 3 🌶🌶🌶 Explicit.
Goriness: 3 🫀🫀🫀 Someone died and I got to see what happened.
Sadness: ❎ No sadness.
Overall star rating : 1.5 ⭐️💫 This book gave me the ick
———————————————————————————— 🚨🚨🚨MILD SPOILERS 🚨🚨🚨
Romance Safety:
Safeish? There is no cheating or nothing like that. There was some drama involving other people. But what made this not feel safe was the hero. He was not warm or endearing or even dangerous in an alluring way. He felt creepy and like a dirty bully. The h was too meek for all the disrespect he dished out.
Romance trope: brother's best friend Length: 138 pages
Plot: Carina is in love with Gilly, but he won't give her the time of day. That's fine - she has plans of her own. Her plans are dangerous though and it seems like Gilly might need to step in anyways.
Commentary: The thing with the Badgers was a little funny - high school girls saving the world! The "twist" with one of her suitors being the bad guy was pretty obvious. I couldn't believe the girls hadn't been caught before, to be honest. I was a little irritated with Gilly, the way he didn't just take charge once and for all; instead, he did this back-and-forth thing with a coating of "I'm not good enough for you" on top (and a side of "your brother won't allow it). This wasn't the strongest entry in this series of connected books but it was fun in the end.
I read up to 40% of the book and I don’t like anything about Gilly. He’s a bully. So far, he hurt Carina emotionally, spanked her, and forced her to go down on him. All because he’s not man enough to admit his feelings.
My reviews always contain spoilers, I write them so I can remember the story.
4.5/5 stars
Mink does not disappoint with Gilly and his Carina. These two have had crazy chemistry and it’s been building to a fever pitch, something has to give. That something is Gilly’s famous cool headed control. He literally snaps. When provoked by Carina he turns into a version of himself even he doesn’t recognize. Carina has been in love with Gilly for years, when she was brought home from her all girl’s boarding school she can’t escape her feelings for him. Gilly really noticed Carina when she returned, not just as Antonio’s little sister, but as a beautiful woman he can’t stay away from. He knows he can’t have her she’s to young and his loyalty is to Antonio. And that is the problem, Carina wants his loyalty she wants him to pick her. The two push each others buttons and the sexual tension is hot, just like in the two previous books, Unexpected Queen and Unexpected Love. Carina knows who her family is she just hasn’t found her place in it but her brother has prepared her for a life as a mafia member. So it’s no surprise when she and her two very smart besties from school do little covert operations to get bad guys. Things get complicated in the last mission and Gilly and Antonio have to get involved. When she’s caught by Gilly returning home they argue and he calls her a brat when she sasses him. He wants to claim her but instead he spanks her. The next morning to get back at Gilly she tells Antonio she want to get married or go abroad to college. Antonio suspecting their interest in each other agrees to her meeting eligible sons of other prominent mafia families. To punish her Gilly takes her into the kitchen pantry and makes her give him a blowjob. This was a bit jarring, the two haven’t even kissed yet, no tender touches or moments and he’s got her on her knees sucking him off. She does enjoy it and after sasses him again. It was out of character for Gilly to “force” her, I guess it’s to show how much she throws him off kilter. When one of the mafia princes, Falco knows she was responsible for her almost failed mission that cost him a lot he blackmails her. Gilly rescues her and finally they kiss and have their first time together, she’s a virgin he has been celibate for years or is a virgin, it’s not clear. Gilly tells Antonio about him and Carina, letting him know he picks her above all else, even Antonio his boss. That was the correct answer and they get Antonio’s blessing. They make a plan to get Falco and things go only slightly off script. Epilogue with them married and more sexy times. I liked how strong and smart a character Carina was in the previous books, she stays that way in her book too. Sometimes heroines change when paired with a love interest, she doesn’t. I also liked her two bestie who helped with their missions to get rid of bad guys. I hope they get books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
It was okay, I guess. I just couldn't connect with the characters very much.
Mink also has all the other characters from previous books in this one, and they took up a lot of "screentime" in the book, which made me not like the book at times. I loved the other couples and their stories, but this story just dragged for me.
Also, Gilly really needed to make up his fucking mind about what he wanted from Carina, because he had that hot and cold thing going on and it was NOT attractive and only made me annoyed.
Hopefully the next Mink book I read will be better. I still love her stories and her creativity, but this one was a flop for me.
And one more thing, this story didn't have any kitties in it, which is one of her trademarks and what draws me to her books so much.
DNF This was horrible. Gilly is a horrible man, forcing himself on an 18 yo. I hated this book so much. I will never read anything from this author again
Edit to add more context :
This book literally ruined my day. I was hoping for a cute and spicy story, but what I got was a story about a sex predator obsessed with an 18 year old girl whom he has known ever since she was a kid.
Gilly doesn't love Carina. He desires her. When we are on his POV we only get over the top descriptions of her sensual body and all the things he wants to do to her. It's not hot, it's disgusting.
For a guy who goes back and forth between his feelings and the obligation he has to Antonio, he has no issues whatsoever assaulting Carina whenever he wants. I could have forgiven the spanking scene, but when he stole her from her friends to drag her to the pantry and forced her to suck him, that was when I felt like someone punched me in the guts. That scene was so hard to read, not only because it was not consensual (Carina might have teased him a little, but she never accepted his previus advances) but also, because once Gilly is satisfied he lets her go and doesn't even feel any remorse for what he's done. Carina even says she's shocked with what just happened, too shoked to even tell on him which is behavior consistent with that of an SA victim.
I wanted to dnf after that but forced myself to keep on reading only because I wanted to find out how the subplot would be resolved with the mysterious man Carina was investigating for human trafficking , but after Gilly raped her once again in the bathroom at the dinner party, I just couldn't keep going. He even gloats about how he came inside of her and she has to walk around the party dishevelled and smelling of sex. Typical predator behavior.
Where's the caring Gilly who was ready to marry her on a heart beat when he thought she was pregnant? Where's the so called level headed guy who was able to resist Carina's advances all along for fear of hurting her or her brother? I don't know where he went but this is not him. This guy is a monster.
By the time the story began, Carina had already moved on from her infatuation with him and was just trying to get on with her life. I was actually surprised to see her having a life of her own outside the romance, with her own group of friends and her own vigilante activities. That was great, if slightly out of place for these types of novels, yet I was very intrigued about the mystery she was investigating. Too bad I'll never get to see what happens with that story line since there's no way I'll pick up this book nor this author ever again.
I really don't understand all the 5 star reviews. I guess we don't all react the same way to clear portrayals of sexual violence
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Unexpected Devotion was about Carina Palermo and Gilly (Really? No last name). It was a decent, mafia-ish story. I rarely get to read about a heroine who isn't quite as innocent as she seems and a hero who isn't quite as challenging as they want to appear. It would have been better if the author had given more detail into how the heroine and her friends got to be the bad @sses they were supposed to be, but unfortunately, the reader wasn't given that information. The story just sort of dropped in after-the-fact. Some of the story was a bit cheesy, and some was a tad on the far-fetched side of believable. The FMC was a touch immature for all the antics she got up to, and the skills she was purported to have had were enough to make one scoff at the idea that an 18-year-old girl, fresh out of boarding school, would have any knowledge of. The MMC, who was supposed to be a sort of right-hand man to "the rising star of the East Coast mafia", not only took liberties that would have put a bullet between his eyes, but he also was more of a beta male than an alpha. He was indecisive for most of the story and when he finally took a stand for what he wanted, it was almost over the top in how he managed to do so. It had a lot of angst and drama, with more than a touch of humor. The twists and turns were typical of such a novel, so there were very few surprises. For what it's worth, it wasn't a bad story, but it needed more tweaking to be a great book. Because of that, I could only give it a three-star rating.
“The family that disposes of bodies together, stays together.”
Carina defnitely has a charm, but unfortunately Gilly was as charmless as they could make him, maybe after they got together he was such bearable person but OOF the hot-cold personality gives me heebie-jeebies It is a wonder Carina didn't gut his spineless ass
however they were tooo cute after whatever conflicts happened, will always enjoy their banter
I absolutely LOVED the two previous books before this one. But this one with Gilly and Carina was really a disappointment. Most of the times in romance books, it's the heroine who seems to be wishy-washy, but with this one it's Gilly constantly going back and forth on his acting on his feelings or keeping them a secret...staying or finally leaving. Carina...well she tried. That's all I can say. She wanted to pretend she was Miss Independent and didn't need Gilly and was ready to move on from her feelings for him. Yet the minute he gives her any kind of attention she's laps it up like a cat lapping up milk. Then for her to play games to make Gilly mad just had me rolling my eyes so hard I'm shocked they didn't pop out. Wish I would've just skipped this one and been able to keep my idea of Gilly and Carina that I had in my head safe instead of replacing it with this.
**I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book**
Gilly was NOT it. He couldn't make up his damn mind and it felt like everyone knew his feelings but were just waiting for him to act. And he was so mean about it when he did act. Like that first scene in the pantry when he snaps on Carina. Like, what if she wasn't into it? His best friend would have had to kill him.
Also Carina was feeling so unworthy and ignored by him. It hurt to read it all. And when he finally tells her he is ready and wants to claim her virginity for his, she gave in way to easy. After years of pining and being ignored, it would have matched her character to tell him to fucking prove it. And have him go to her brother first and finally stop keeping her a secret. Which is what hurt her the most. But no, she gave in right away and I was beyond annoyed.
I picked this book because I was browsing on what to read next and hell I don't regret it. I love how the story went straight to the point giving us everything without unnecessary details. I am a sucker for Brother's best friend/ right hand. Mink am I going to read all of your books this year consider it done. Going back to the story Carina a Rebel who likes to take matters into her own hands. Gilly a well center tempered person who tried so hard to keep away from Carina. A love story who surged from just a simple glance. This story delivers everything quick and straightforward and I loved it for it.
So much fun. Seemingly unrequited love, but mutual pining. So much sexual tension. Love the girl group in this one so much, and love that they also get their own books
Contains: age gap (younger woman, older man), mafia, vigilante girl group, gun/ knife violence, human trafficking (not by main characters), drug manufacturing for distribution (not by main characters), j/p guy, sassy gal, strong family loyalty, yes they bang (oh boy do they), no cliffhanger, no cheating (but she flirts with other guys on purpose), happily ever after, standalone in an interconnected series.
It it was a fast-paced read with a badass heroine who was really to fight for what she believed in alongside her very smart friends. She is not the stereotypical mafia princess, that's for sure. On the other hand, I disliked Gillies with his hot and cold attitude towards Carina. She put up with a lot from his indessisive H that struggled with his loyalties and he is the only reason I am giving a 3 star review to this book instead of four. Other than that, it was an excellent read. Recommended
Carina may be the younger sister of a mafia kingpin, but she’s not like other mafia princesses. Sure, she probably grew up protected and cherished, but her family lets the women have their own minds. Antonio taught her how to protect herself, never wanting her to be defenseless. Taking a gap year after she graduates from an exclusive boarding school, what could go wrong? Can she snare the right hand man who’s loyalty and devotion belong to her brother? This might be the start of the most powerful mafia family in fiction.
Creo que ha sido el que más me ha gustado porque Carina tiene mucha personalidad, además que el trope de Princesa x Guardaespaldas es de mis favoritos. Gilly se me ha hecho un poquito raro y no he terminado de empatizar por completo con sus problemas, y me hubiese gustado que se hubiese arrastrado más por Carina pero entiendo que en 100 páginas no te da para desarrollar mucho. De todas formas es entretenido y lo he devorado.
2★ » Carina es la parte de mí que nunca supe que me faltaba. Ella me da una chispa de fuego salvaje que parece arder a través de mí, todo el camino hasta el centro de mi corazón donde ella vive.
—Lo disfrute mucho más que los otros, aunque no fue gran cosa honestamente. Carina me gusta muchísimo más que Bianca o Angelica, aunque no logre conectar con ella del todo, Gilly estuvo bien, me gusto, pero no fue nada nuevo.
I was definitely waiting for this one and it did not disappoint! I feel like Gilly and Carina have been in love forever so getting their story is amazing. Them finally getting together is everything. The added drama is so much more, just the added flair that was needed. Short, sweet and steamy!
Perfect read. I loved this series. MINK doesn’t disappoint. While Gilly was just as panty drenching as the other men in the Palmero crew, his journey to finally giving in to love is chef’s kiss.
Honorable mention to Butcher whose sense of humor stole my heart in Unexpected Love. ❤️
Oh my.....these two are something else. Gilly and Carina are spicy and I am all for it. I really like her rebellious, bratty attitude. She was not completely submissive and gave him a run for his money. Looking forward to Antonio and Angelica and The Butcher and Bianca's stories. Another Mink story and family to fall in love with!!
Buen termino de la trilogua, con una protagonista independiente, guerrera y decidida, que lucha por sus principios y deseos. Y un protagonista masculino que intento controlarse ante la tentación, pero esta fue mas fuerte, al igual que su amor. Libro corto, rápido e intenso, con harta acción y s e x.
esperaba más, me aburrió un poco, cero drama, cero conexión emocional entre los personajes (igual es corto el libro, así que tampoco esperaba mucho jajajaja) pero en sí, Carina con Gilly se me hicieron un poco irritantes, sus personalidades no me gustaron 🫠
Another great addition to the series! I think this one was my favorite 😍 ❤️ I highly recommend this one to those who love the short and sweet and steaming hot ♨️ world of Mink!
I have been waiting and wanting to read Gilly & Carina story for quite some time now, and it was worth the wait. It had just the right amount of drama and romance. I hope her friends get their stories told as well.
Oh my goodness these books are everything. Gilly and Carina were another amazing couple in this group. Perfectly over the top and alpha and just enough drama. Loved it.