Duivelse belofte

Vows and Vengeance #1

by Bella J.

Onze families zijn de twee meest machtige families in deze stad. Precies daarom is onze trouwdag één grote leugen. Het is niet meer dan een schertsvertoning om de hele wereld te laten zien dat er zojuist een pact is gevormd dat sterker is dan God.

Wij zijn vreemden van elkaar. Vreemden die voor het altaar staan en elkaar trouw beloven tot de dood ons scheidt. Liefde heeft hier niets mee te maken. Mijn aanstaande haat me alsof ik de dochter van duivel ben.

Maar zelfs die intense haat was nog geen reden voor mijn vader om in te grijpen en te voorkomen dat ik in de handen zou vallen van een man die niets liever wil dan mij zien lijden. Gian Silvestro zal er alles aan doen om mijn leven tot een ware hel te maken… tot de dood ons scheidt.

Hij denkt dat ik zwak ben, dat hij me zal breken. Maar hij kent me niet.

Ik ben mijn hele leven al klaargestoomd voor de rol.
Voor de rol van Satans perfecte echtgenote.

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

209 pages, ebook

First published November 16, 2020

About the author

Bella J. is an International and Amazon top 100 bestselling author.

Writing DARK ROMANCE with twists, Bella has an affinity for the ruthless men of the MAFIA world and weaves tales that will leave you breathless and questioning your own moral compass.

When she's not busy creating worlds where danger and romance dance a tango, you can find Bella soaking up the sun in the vibrant city of Cape Town, South Africa. Her writing lair is occasionally invaded by her husband, two kids, and a basset hound who reigns supreme.

A firm believer that laughter is the best medicine, Bella infuses her fictional dark worlds with some wit and humor that peppers her novels.

So buckle up for a thrilling ride through the shadows of romance where happily ever afters have a dark side.

Reviews

[Anovelqueen · Rating 4 out of 5]

***4.0 STARS***

Daniela Moretti has been forced into a marriage she doesn’t want to protect what she loves. Gian Silvestro has been forced into a marriage to fulfill his duty as the oldest son, but make no mistake about it. He hates the arrangement merging the two families and he absolutely detests his wife Daniela because she has the Moretti blood running through her.

Gian tries his best to break his wife psychologically. He is ruthless in his determination to show her his disdain and hate. He puts her through hell and he is definitely not some Prince Charming. He is the devil as he says but does his machinations work? Will he break his wife and leave her a shell?

This was a very well written dark romance. Gian is an anti-hero and he does not endear the reader. You feel for Daniela because she has been forced into hell. How does this couple ever come to a HEA? Is it even possible? The book ends on a huge cliffhanger that I kind of guessed was coming but not the execution of how it occurred . Looking forward to seeing how this one ends.

[⚔Irunía⚔ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Update: Holy Moly, the second book ( The Devil's Vengeance) contains heroine's multiple rape and torture scenes so my temptation to finish the series just for the sake of finishing can go to hell.

Just another VERY typical in many aspects arranged marriage mafia story. I've already read it all *sobs😢 inconsolably*.

What never ceases to amaze me, though, is how the heroes in such stories tend to direct their endless hatred for the heroines' families at their new brides. And I'm supposed to believe these wussies are actually alpha males incarnated? 😂

It makes me incredulous that an adult man can actually be "forced" to marry some chick by his/her parents. What makes me even more incredulous is how every second alpha male in mafia romance punishes a usually innocent of any crime heroine for his own weakness.

On some occasions the enemies to lovers trope in mafia books is executed exceptionally well but, sadly, not here.

Nothing that would make this story unique and different from a great number of similar ones. I think that's my main problem with this book along with the fact that I didn't feel any connection between the characters.

The heroine is not an iconic doormat but her displays of backbone are very limited and short-lived, I'm afraid.

OF COURSE she falls prey to the hero's charms way too soon, show me a book where they don't, for a change😂.

And this is the 2nd thing that never fails to amaze me: how the heroine's mind is almost always "disconnected" from her body. All this out of the blue "I hate him but I want him" attitude is annoying as fuck🙄🙄🙄. Nevertheless, the heroine grew on me a little bit.

I don't care much about the hero although I generally tend to love jerk heroes (I'm that depraved, lol). I guess it's just my preference that the hero is evil by nature instead of him becoming prey to rage caused by his helplessness in particular circumstances *shrugs*🤷‍♀️. I still haven't figured it out why sometimes the villain/jerk/asshole/ruthless routine works for me and why at other times it doesn't.


I'm not sure whether I want to continue reading, seeing as this one ends on a cluffhanger. I'm not that interested in the plot and I'm not sure I want to read the 2nd part just to get to the HEA...

[Nazanin · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars

Told in dual POV, 1 st person, it’s the first installment in The Devil Duet and ends on a bloody cliffhanger. This was my first read by this author and I loved it. Wondering why I hadn’t read anything by her before. It’s well-written with a good dose of angst, an arranged marriage, and an enemies-to-lovers story with dark elements. About characters; Gian was an alpha who was an @ss for most of the time but an alphahole that I loved. He had this urge to dominate his Faye… he hated her but was also possessive of her. Daniela was fiery and strong. What a backbone she had! She wouldn’t bend to his every whim; she wouldn’t break easily. Their relationship was so intense and hot! Overall, it was a page-turner and hope you love it too!

[The Avid Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book....
Was it bad? Nope.
Was it good? Not really.
It was just teetering on the edge of being an average read.

I didn't love it, but I didn't hate it either. I just wanted to be done with it because I was bored out of my mind.

Basically, you take every cliche –arranged marriage, the hero's vendetta against the heroine's father, the usual doormat heroine, hero's brother having a thing for the heroine– and here you have this book. I don't have anything against cliches if they're done well but this book failed to do them justice.

Lastly, I finished the book and then realized it was going to have a sequel too. I really need to start reading blurbs because many times I'll read a book and then find out it is part of a duet, trilogy, or series. Why can't I just spend 2 minutes reading a blurb before committing myself to a whole series?

[▪️ᖇITᗩ▪️ · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book was so good that it had me keep turning pages. I really did enjoy it.

WARNING: It's a major cliffhanger.

Can wait till book 2!!!🖤💋

[Lilith *EUPHORIA_READS_* · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE REVIEW FOR THE BOOK: THE DEVIL'S VOW.

GENRE: DARK ROMANCE.
AUTHOR:BELLA. J
TYPE: BOOK #1
POV: DUAL PERSPECTIVE.
MY RATING: 5 " DARK, CHILL INDUCING " STARS.

Daniela Moretti has been sold to her worst nightmare. Forced into an arranged marriage just for the sake of a business deal...and her husband turning out to be a controlling, depraved selfish man is just the icing on the cake.
Gian Silvestro never in his wildest dream imagine a Moretti wife. He despised anything to so with a Moretti and to share his life with one is going to be gruesome. But when he sees Daniela for more than her last name, he is mesmerized by her.
Secrets are awakening from the dark.
This marriage of convenience is turning out to a bad omen for more troubles ahead.

It's official guys. Bella j. can do wrong working in the dark romance genre. I have read many Forced arranged marriage books but this just tipped the scale for me. I had chills just reading the prologue part and what comes next what every bit I expected and so much more.

Gian...Well, people, he is the perfect Anti hero...No remorse, regret...dominating and possessive of what he calls his, Daniela. I never thought an Antihero could be topped, Saint...I was right but Gian is on the same level for his darkness and mastermind of twisting the situation for his own advantage. He did some TERRIBLE things to Daniela but still, there is some redeemable part beneath his cruel facade...DEEEEEEPPPP WITHIN.

Daniela was such a selfless character...I could feel for her. All her choices have been ripped from her and she ALLOWED it to happen to protect the ones she loves. But she was strong. When I expected her to broke, she came out to be stronger. And that was what enamoured me about the whole situation.

There are many unanswered questions here...but what I got answered for shook me and that ending was out of the blue...MAJOR CLIFFHANGER ALERT.
I can't wait to read more from Gian and Daniela...

[Lady Raven RAVE! · Rating 3 out of 5]

Style: Dark Romance
Story: 3/5
Sexual: GOOD
Enjoyment: 3/5
Male: Alpha, Jealous, Dark and Sexy
Series: Book 1 (Cliffhanger)

I became a fan of Bella J when I read ‘The Sins of Saint’ trilogy, as I find her writing style for that series my type and style of writing. With saying that, I have mixed emotions about this book. I don’t think it was that bad, but it wasn’t great either.

I think personally why it teeters on almost boring for me, there were no change of scenery and other characters. Apart from the wedding, 98% of this book took place at Gian’s mansion, and the rotating characters were Gian, Daniela, Dorian and Gabriela(the housekeeper).

Oddly enough, although it didn’t wow me, I still felt the need to keep reading as the triangle that was Gian, Dorian and Daniela almost read like a telenovela. Gian, he explained that sexually, he always suppresses his dark needs, but I really didn’t get that when they finally had sex, and he let go. I still found him sexy and appealing for an antihero. Daniela, she was definitely not a weakling as she tried to be strong. Her emotions were definitely up and down. Of course, as other characters starts to come into play, and a plot is revealed, there is a cliffhanger.

Overall, I don’t feel like, the author always needs to do cliffhangers, for this, it wasn’t necessary. After reading a book, you definitely remember how a book and the characters made you feel. For this, it was lukewarm. So, when part 2 comes out I’ll probably read it eventually but it won’t be at the top of my list.


***I don’t equate these stories to real life. It’s definitely about personal taste and what you would or want to tolerate with the stories you read. I hope this review was helpful.

[❁ lilyreadsromance ❁ · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is definitely the case where I think I read a different book than y'all.

Though, I was intrigued by that prologue (as I thought that would be the tone of the book), however the rest of it was... boring?

And the reveal of what the hero actually did with the girls... I was like, come onnnn. Give me a proper antihero please. If you want to make him a douchey asshole, let's take it through all the way.

[Bella J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

🥀 𝒯𝒽𝑒 𝒸𝑜𝓂𝓅𝓁𝑒𝓉𝑒 𝒹𝓊𝑒𝓉 𝒾𝓈 𝓃𝑜𝓌 𝒶𝓋𝒶𝒾𝓁𝒶𝒷𝓁𝑒 𝑜𝓃 𝒶𝓊𝒹𝒾𝑜! 🥀
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭'𝘴 𝘝𝘰𝘸 & 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘋𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘭'𝘴 𝘝𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘦 𝘣𝘰𝘵𝘩 𝘯𝘰𝘸 𝘢𝘷𝘢𝘪𝘭𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘈𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘰.
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹'𝘀 𝗩𝗼𝘄: https://geni.us/TDV1audio
𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗗𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗹'𝘀 𝗩𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲: https://geni.us/TDV2audio

[PP's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

My dark romance loving heart is in pure bliss. The Devil's Vow by Bella J. was a beautifully twisted and gloriously sinful arranged marriage mafia romance. It has one of the most lethal and gorgeous antiheroes I ever read with equally sassy and fierce heroine. Dark. Depraved. Debauched. Dramatic. Perfection!

Daniela Moretti has been sold by her father in an arranged marriage to Silvestro family. She is only doing this task as a business arrangement because Gian Silvestro is the last man she wanted as husband. Brutal. Dark. Violent. Hateful. She will try her best to resist him and defy him but Gian is determined to break her. And sometimes the true devil can hide his nature before causing havoc.

Oh. My. Goodness. I love Gian. Like so much. With everything. This man is phenomenal. Just the right kind of tortured, explosive, dominating, dirty, powerful, gorgeous and everything. He act like a monster as he hates the Moretti family and this marriage is against his wish. So he pushed Daniela and tortured her mentally. But slowly we can see the other side of darkness. He is still messed up inside but he has a tender caring part too. This balanced contradiction brought me to my knees. Of course Daniela played catalyst in everything. This girl is amazing. Her situation is not the best. But she is so proud, stubborn, determined and fierce that she is ready to face the terrifying life and conquer the fears. The chemistry was mindblowing! So hot, so steamy, so heartaching, so angsty, so filthy, so intense! It was all consuming and I was shaking inside. They were dancing this slow dangerous dance and the emotions were cutting me deep! The story had twists and turns and that ending was just too shocking! I cannot wait for the second book. My jaw hit the floor!

The feels hit me hard and the dark desires were driving me crazy while reading The Devil's Vow by Bella J. A must read dark romance of 2020.

I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

[Maddy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was such a confusing and annoying story.

One minute the heroine is strong and feisty, the other minute weak and crying.

One minute the douchebag hero is mean and rude, the other soft and caring.

🤷‍♀️

It’s told from both MCs’ POV yet we never really get a feel or understanding of them. There was no build up of their relationship and it heavily relied on the “magical” vagina trope 🧙‍♀️i.e. despite hating the heroine with all his heart, the minute he has sex with her, he’s smitten 🙄. As for the heroine..don’t get me started! I had hopes that with her initial feisty comebacks she would have some backbone, but alas, she had the typical body betraying syndrome that a lot of dark romance heroines suffer from 🤦‍♀️. What is it with these virgins who go putty at the first sign of a six-pack even if said six-pack is highly obnoxious and mean. Where is your self respect?????

Oh, and how could I forget the piece de resistance...the utter hypocrisy of the hero. As a hobby, he rescues human trafficked women who have been physically and sexually abused yet the way he acts/treats the heroine in the beginning beggars beyond belief 🤯

I will be reading the next book. I know! I know! But I got both before starting this one. It’s the last time I get suckered in by a book cover.... (Well I hope 😳 it is!).

[Lora · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️ 2.5 stars ⭐️

I feel neutral towards this book - neither I liked it, nor I disliked it. Too many things happening, feelings changing all the time, and somehow there’s a sequel, which I’m afraid I won’t read. Not to mention the aggression, brutality at some point toward the main heroine. It lost me.

[Izzy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This ends on a cliffhanger.

[daemyra, the realm's delight · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s like a 3.8. Better than Bella J’s Alexius and I bring this up because both are basically the same plots except this is more dark. The hero is mean to the heroine…. But the hero and heroine’s characterization are a bit awkward. Hero goes from hating to being kind. Aw he’s giving her a dinner and a pet project to do around the house! But then her crying in a collapsed heap on the floor when he puts his hands on her and then the next chapter, she’s not at all bothered. I get it but the delivery is not good.

Also I have to stop reading arranged mafia marriages where the hero’s mad at being forced to marry. I’ve become desensitized to the conflict.

[Snow · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,75 stars

So, first of all, I love Bella J's work. I have read almost every book of hers and I know what to expect from her writing, cause she knows how to write. Period.

BUT in spite of the good writing skills, the too familiar trope or cliche-ed one, if you like, the fact that there was a lack of connection between the characters. It was too sudden of a gap to cross over, from them being hateful and resentful and disdained towards each other and then bam - an overnight change to acceptance and gentleness and all around transformation...

that just didn't sit right, I wanted it too, though.
I devoured the book in one sitting (hence the fab writing) but it left me adrift and bedazzled, from the scary dark intriguing prologue, Bella J did a great job of suspenseful lingering mystery (even though I kind of guessed it before the ending *wink*) towards the punching twist in the very end leaving us all with a cliffy...yaaaay

My bad, for not getting the info on that from the very beginning, LOL, I would in fact wait for the second book to come out...so I can read them both in peace...ahahha

anyway, despite my grumpiness, I am eagerly awaiting the second instalment, cause well damn, but I need to see the solution to the messy chaos Belly J left us with.

[Wendy Livingstone · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, where to start with this review!! Daniela and Gian are pawn forced into an arranged marriage in exchange for an alliance between two Mafia families. Gian is dark, brutal, and violent and is the heir of the Silvestro empire who hates the Moretti family with a passion and being forced into an arranged marriage leaves him determined to break Daniela. Daniela was brought up in a gilded cage until she fulfilled her duty to the family, and Gian pushes her to her limits. This is a well written flawless story which certainly tests boundaries. This story is dark, intense, raw, gritty, twisted, depraved, emotional, and is a steamy and all-consuming and riveting page turner. I look forward to reading more from this talented author and I recommend her work for all overs of a dark tale.

[Julez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not big on the mafia front but suspense, triggers and a hint of mystery and drama was there. It was a very interesting book. Not boring at all.

[Kay Daniels (Kay Daniels Romance) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my!! What is this deep, dark hole that I've fallen into?! Bella J is a new author for me and while dark romance is not a new trope and disclaimers are not out of the ordinary in this realm, I just want to say...Bella's are no joke!! (Whew, fanning myself)

Okay, now that that is out of the way...The Devil's Vow touches a lot of dark taboo subject matter; blood play, rough handling, rapy vibes...and all of this is not in a consensual BDSM environment, but it is between husband and wife. So, if this is not your thing, please don't venture into Bella's world, but if you like stepping into the fantasy of a great antihero who you absolutely hate to love then Gian Silvestro is perfect.

Daniela Moretti has been sold into marriage by her father to the Silvestro family to secure business. Yes, this is modern times, but powerful families still exist and business deals can be procured by tying families together. Think of this like a modern day Romeo and Juliet, but where the Montagues and Capulets actually made a deal to sell off Romeo and Juliet before they ever met one another. In this version the star crossed lovers still have a high probability of dying in the end, but instead of insta love, there is insta loathing between them. 

The Devil's Vow opens with a prologue that will keep you guessing, who is the monster that lurks in Daniela's world. This question will keep you turning pages right up until the cliffhanger...sorry to say, yes, there is a whopper.

Back to turning those pages...Gian is a man you are going to hate to love. While the arranged marriage isn't one he wanted, he doesn't make Daniela's life any easier when she steps into his world. Gian is domineering, extremely dark, and definitely depraved, but there is something inside that is worth redeeming...otherwise he wouldn't be worth the hero part of the antihero status...at least I hope there is. 

Daniela tries her best to keep a spine of steel while Gian constantly breaks her down. Growing up in her father's household where she knew she was no better than a traded commodity, she already has walls built up around her heart, but Gian is something she never accounted for. He plays her body and pulls on her emotions like no one ever has.

Playing with the devil has never burned quite so good.

[Abstract ♥ Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS



Bella Jewel has hit us with a phenomenal book once again!!
I am seriously addicted to these Dark romances of hers! The way she writes and spins the story to give us the perfect twists and keeps us at the edge is my new drug. She makes us fall for the man in the book whom we know is not a hero by any means and she does that ruthlessly! Gian and Daniela had a similar tale to that.

Gian has always hated Daniela. Daniela always knew her fate. And now she is bound to the cruelest man ever known and is clearly aware of his hate for her. Not that she can do anything about it! The way the story is spun is amazing. Gian was a very dark character and he did not hold back by any means! The way he tormented her had me hating him most of the times but then there is one thing that I can't wait to see is his redemption! I hope he works for it lol.

The dark scenes had in shivers whereas the rare vulnerable moments had me gasping for more! I can't wait for more from this author and these characters! I already know that their journey is gonna be explosive I can't wait o see how it all turns out!


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[Travelogged Blogs · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange of an honest review**
Daniela Moretti's father forced her into an arranged marriage into the Silvestro family. It was a buisness arrangement that would benefit her father. As she was the eldest Moretti daughter, she was arranged to marry Gian Silvestro. Both of them didn't want the marriage as their families were enemies. Gian despised Daniela's father and didn't want the marriage at all.
"Dressed in white, I was nothing more than a sacrificial lamb adorned in wealth hoping the gods will accept my family's offering."
Gian was violent, ruthless, rude, dominating, possessive, secretive, charming and dark but he was redeemable.
"I will never claim to be a good man Daniela. But I won't break my word."
He seemed to hate Daniela but later proved to be very tender and caring.
"Gian Silvestro was the devil, a beautiful beast. And I was the lamb he craved to slaughter."
Daniela was a strong character. She was brave, proud, feisty, selfless and had a backbone. She didn't let Gian walk all over her and stood her ground.
Their chemistry was sizzling hot and the books was full of angst, romance, tension, twists, suspense & drama. The epilogue left me with lots of questions. I'm waiting for book two!
This book is a must read ;-p
"Who are you? I whispered." -"I'm the devil, remember?"

[Jess☺️ · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Devils Vow by Bella J is book one in the series and so far it's full to the brim with an arranged marriage, darkness and a complete pig of a Mafia boss (who just so happens to be a sexy alpha male), it's definitely gripping but the cliff hanger is definitely bad for one's heart 📖

[Kristen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like a strong alpha male, protective and loving... A gentle giant but once the hero starts treating the heroine bad and is demeaning then I'm put off from a book, this didn't do it for me.

[Lydia's Bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy fudge cookies!!! What did I just finish reading?! WOW. Just, wow. I absolutely DEVOURED this book and right off the bat, I will tell you that this is a TOP 2020 FAVE.

Daniela and Gian’s story is one that will test your boundaries. In true Bella J fashion, you will find yourself cringing at some scenes because HOLY CRAP, WHAT IS HAPPENING, and just as well, you’ll be swooning during others because HOLY CRAP, YES! Another thing I know for sure is that you will be turning the pages to read more as if your life depended on it. This book is THAT good and all-consuming.

I won’t go into details because TRUST ME, you need to experience the journey that is the book. But do know that this book, like practically all of Bella’s, is not for the faint of heart.

FIVE STARS!!

[We Like them Dark Book Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG this book were do I even begin... it is an intense, fast-paced, thrill ride of a read that sucks you in and doesn't let go even after you finished reading it!

Daniela is destined to marry a man of her father’s choosing weather she wants it or not as an arrangement she is married off to Gian Silvestro. They are both in an arrangement that neither wants.

Gian is a handsome devil and he admits to being the devil at every turn. He hates Daniela just for the pure and simple fact of who her father is and he treats her with disdain and lets her know how much he hates her.

Daniela is strong willed and a fighter so she refuses to show her new husband any weakness or allowing him to break her.

How will these two opposites find love let alone middle ground within their marriage? This is one you will have to read just for the chemistry and thrills that jump off the pages of this book. It is a cliffhanger ending and I. CAN. NOT. WAIT for the next book in this series.

As a first read by this author this book definitely has me wanting to read so much more from her.

[Renee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.

Daniela
I was never a beloved daughter. Only a prized possession to be kept in a gilded cage until my father was ready to trade. It was my duty, carved in stone and written in blood that one day my virtue would be exchanged for an alliance. And now, that day has come. Gian Silvestro, heir to the Silvestro empire, will accept me as his wife and seal my fate with a kiss that holds a thousand promises. But to him, our vows only mean one thing. I am bound to him...and shackled to his hate.

I am going to go ahead and warn you that this is a dark mafia romance. One that I also devoured in a day. This is the story of Daniela, a girl who wants nothing more than to live her life but also know that she is being forced in more ways that one to marry Gian to unite the Silvestro and Moretti families. However he dad is not the best man in the world and while she knows what her father does I don't think she knows the extent of everything because Gian can't stand her father and the way he conducts business and what he does. So no their wedding day while she is upset for different reason Gian is just filled with hate for her father and after the wedding she quickly learns of his hate for her family and he is going to take it all out on her. However Gian is holding secrets of his own and Daniela the secret of why she is doing what she is doing by marrying him. I have to shut up now or I am going to give something away. Everything is so not how it seems and by the end of the book I think I finished it with my jaw on the floor, a tear in my eye and just absolutely floored. You guys do not want to miss this book if you love mafia books like I do. I have to say too that I need the next book in my hands now. I am dying to know what is going to happen. The Prologue to this book is just wow so I know this second book is going to gut me probably. But, that's the fun of reading dark romances. They push me and I love that about them. If you have never read a Bella J book this is a good one to start with and then you will be hooked like me and devour every book she has ever written.

[Judy Robichaud · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE DEVIL’S VOW IS NO FAIRYTALE. IT’S STRAIGHT UP MADNESS & EXACTLY WHY I LOVED IT & COULDN’T GET ENOUGH.

I’ve had a few days now to regain my composure after reading this unbelievably intense, incredibly suspenseful and sinfully decadent 5-STAR read by the uber talented author Bella J.


I mean, OMG are you kidding me? Just when I thought Bella J. couldn’t outdo herself from her last series, The Sins of Saint, which is my #1 favorite for 2020, she wallops me over the head with this little delight, The Devil’s Vow.


All is not right in the life of Daniela Moretti. She’s been bartered into marriage with her family’s public enemy #1, The Silvestro’s. Specifically, to Gian Silvestro as a lucrative business decision that benefits both families.


Love failed Daniela. Both by blood and by marriage. A fate that has been her crucifixion. Her cross to bear and hers alone. She was sacrificed. Tethered to a man she loathed. Ordered by the one man who should have protected her.


To make peace with all that’s happened to her, she made a promise to herself. She will protect the one person who was shielded from the truth. But at what cost to her? A life for a life. One life saved while the other is lost in the abyss shrouded in uncertainty.


Since the day she said her vows, the world as she knew it disappeared. Now her world is tainted with darkness, fear and the arousing touch of the devil himself. A touch that’s laced with lust and something more, something she secretly craves. All leaving her with feelings and unfamiliar stirrings deep inside her.


But something stays the same throughout the entirety of this book. These newlyweds have a battle of wills. Both hating the position they both find themselves in and neither giving in. Who will reign victorious?


Gian Silvestro is a monster. A monster filled with hate. Hate for the blood that runs through Daniela veins. He’s the true definition of an alphahole. I absolutely loved hating him and just when I thought he was a lost cause for redemption, he softened and discovered what a beauty he has in his wife.



Daniela is strong. She’s determined to make lemonade out of the lemons she’s been given. And let me tell you she’s put into some very fearful situations while facing off with her beloved. I absolutely adored her strength. Her willingness to sacrifice her own happiness to save another from an uncertain future is a match for Gian’s and his agenda . When push comes to shove, she’ll show you what she's made of. Turns out Gian’s greatest challenge became his greatest weakness.



Not everything is what it seems. On the contrary. There are so many twists and turns woven into this story that you will keep guessing every step of the way. There’s a wolf in sheep’s clothing who prowls nearby, waiting to pounce and strike his prey. And that wolf attempts to take what isn’t his to take. That stirs up the devil. All I’ll say is hell hath no fury like the devil who could lose that very thing he covets most. His sacrificial lamb, his woman, his wife. Who is the sinner and who is the saint?



Danger lurks around every corner and it’s anyone’s guess as to who the devil really is. There are so many villains to choose from. What lies beneath that deception is a fear and darkness so much worse than the nightmare Daniela now lived in on the surface.


That deception left me with my jaw hitting the floor and my tongue dangling out the side of my mouth like some silly emoji. Leaving me begging for just a few more drops of water, a few scraps to tie me over with one of the best cliffhangers I’ve ever read. What was it? I’m not telling but it’s EPIC!


Lines are blurred and lines are crossed. Those that are crossed tested me. What I would normally find as unacceptable behavior now has me questioning my own strength, my own tolerance, my own conviction. What behaviors would I put up with in the name of survival?



If you’re looking for a romance with all the hearts and flowers, look elsewhere. Take my word for it. The Devil’s Vow is no fairytale. This is straight up madness. That’s exactly what I loved about the book I couldn’t get enough of. It’s a thrill a minute with every word I read and every page I turned. I swear this story left me hanging on the brink of insanity.


I can’t express how much I loved this book. How much I recommend this book to all my dark romance lover friends. Do you have courage to take the journey into madness right along with Gian & Daniela? I hope so. Because if you don’t you are missing out on a read of a lifetime. My heart never pumped so fast while reading a romance whether it was dark or not.


I for one CAN NOT WAIT for the next installment, The Devil’s Vengeance to see where their journey takes them. In the meantime, I’m going to go hug my cat and watch a comedy.

[Nerdy Dirty & Flirty · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Stars ~ Jess

I thoroughly enjoyed this one. It made my dark heart happy. There were enough chess moves throughout the story to make me want to see how they played out. There are two people who despise each other so much that it seems as if they will never work it out. And now there are a few huge question marks that have me going author stalking.

Daniela is the eldest daughter in the Moretti family. Her duty is to make her father's alliances grow and save her sister. To make that happen she has been used as a bargaining chip and is forced to marry none other than Gian Silvestro. I enjoyed Daniela's character. She is feisty and gives almost as good as she gets. She is actually easy to please if someone was a bit more willing to look beyond her name. When faced with a whole lot of drama, she just wants to have the answers and does not shy away from danger.

Gian loathes the Moretti's. He doesn't care that Daniela has done nothing to deserve his hatred. He comes across as cold and demanding. He is unfeeling and cares little for anything. And then he hears his wife laugh and realizes that he does have some feelings deep down. While he doesn't know what to do with them, they are there nonetheless. He can be a complete jerk, but there is something about him that you want to tame (or not).

There are some key players that you meet along the way and how they fit into the overall story I found quite interesting. There are still secrets to uncover and something big that we only scratch the surface of. I knew at about 50% that we were never going to make it to where we started. There were a couple of predictable elements but a number of things that I didn't see coming. I cannot wait to get my hands on what is next. So if you will excuse me I have some stalking to do.

[A Book Lover's Emporium Book Blog · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a dark, dual POV enemies to lover’s story that captured my attention from the beginning with its disturbing start. This is a fast-paced Mafia story that had my heart and mind on a constant rollercoaster of emotions. The smooth flow and addicting storyline helped make it a quick and easy read.

I wasn’t sure how I felt about Gian at first. He has a hard outer shell but on the inside, he is softer and has a good heart. I think there’s a lot of good in him even though he doesn’t see it. Daniela and Gian are forced into marriage by their families so it’s a little tense and uncomfortable in the beginning, but they have a good connection, as well as a realistic outlook about their situation.
I loved Daniela, she’s strong and challenges him constantly, which he doesn’t take well. She knows that she needs to make the best of this situation, as they both let their guards down you can see that they are committed to making it work and might even enjoy it. Although I hope she doesn’t lose that fight in her.

I am so ready for The Devil’s Vengeance. I have so many questions and hoping that I will get some of them answered in book two. There seem to be layers of stories in here that I have no doubt will come out as the story progresses.

[Valentina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this story by chance and it was more than I could have hoped for. Arranged marriage, mafia, enemies to lovers with a heroine who was more than a match this the hero. Daniela “Faye” Moretti agrees to marriage into mafia family Silvestro, the soon to be head, Gian. A rocky start to their marriage but the sexual chemistry was strong, tangible. Events are more than they appear.

Excellent story, unputdownable. I read it without pause into the night. Great characters, loved the bad boy Gian and his fighting his attraction to his Faye; Daniela, altruistic, resilient, and strong. There was so much to uncover in this story alongside their smoky love story. The pace was perfect, not unnecessarily drawn out with overly descriptive filler. It was well-written. I arrived to the end without realizing it. Just an excellent story. Beware of the cliffhanger. Can’t wait for part 2.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was read in one sitting, it wasn't a long book and also it was quite fast paced so I just kept reading as it was easy to do.

An arranged mafia marriage story with a few twists to keep you on your toes. And the chemistry between the 2 main characters is there.

The prologue really drew me in but we didn't get that scene in this book so I was abit disappointed with that, with the way it ended, all of that must go down in book 2 which I will be going into next.

Lucky for me I was late to this party so the second book is already available as it ends on a cliffy and I need the rest now.