Savage - Anna Ray

 He scares the living daylights out of me. But not for the reasons he might think. And that scares me even more.

Hazel

He’s magnetic. Tall and commanding.
Heartbreakingly gorgeous.
Borne of ice. Ruthless.
Dangerous.
And his dark, mesmerizing gaze is locked onto me.
This man is fantasy in the flesh.
Callum O’Daire.
Darling of Boston’s moneyed society and king of the underworld.
And I’m here to ask a favour from this soulless creature. Beg, if I have to.
I despise him. Body and soul.

Callum

Hazel Brentwood.
Even from a distance, she’s striking.
Stands out.
Eyes like dark gold that glittered with fire and untapped passion.
She needs my help. But I hate the Brentwoods.
All of them.
Old money that covers sins and crimes that will never be answered to
The very thing keeping Hazel so pampered and pretty.
Blood money.
If anyone’s going to tear her to shreds, to destroy her, it’s going to be me.
My way.

Sultry stares, passionate embraces, and suspense await you inside Savage. This enemies-to-lovers mafia romance will have you flipping the pages, begging Callum or Hazel to make the first move!

My Review

This was a bit of an unusual 'romance.' There was certainly chemistry between our hero and heroines and the relationship between them developed into something more than attraction, but in many ways, this book had more of a mystery element to it. I think that this was partly because there was something about it that reminded me of Raymond Chandler novels. That sounds a bit odd and it's perhaps not an obvious similarity, but there was something there.

Hazel and Callum both have things that they want to get to the bottom of and while Callum does his best to keep Hazel out of things, it's clear that she's not going to let him find out everything on her own. She might have grown up in a privileged world, but she has plenty of grit and determination.

This was a really good read. A romance with a really big helping of mystery and with plenty of twists and turns before we get to the end. 

Addicted - Anna Ray

 It only makes matters worse that our fathers despise each other.

Reunited after all this time.

I never could have imagined that she was the ballerina on stage.

The one I swore I would have.

Emilia Fierro was just someone I used to know, but now... she’s so much more.

Like light and dark, she seems to contrast me in every way.

I, Nero Nicastro, am meant to inherit my father’s crown as Don Nicastro.

And she’s a Manhattan darling, born and raised in the Upper East Side.

There isn’t space in my future for this girl from my past, yet her pale blue eyes are haunting me.

It only makes matters worse that our fathers despise each other.

My destiny seemed inescapable, but now I wonder if this angelic creature might be my chance for salvation.

My Review

Nero and Emilia knew each other as children. She had a crush on him when they were younger, but he always teased her and didn't really notice her as anything more than a slightly irritating daughter of his mother's friend. Now, years later, he sees her on stage performing Romeo and Juliette and knows that he needs to get to know her. 

The book starts with a ballet performance of Romeo and Juliette and while this isn't a straight modern interpretation of the story, it's clear that it's a big influence. Nero and Emilia's father were once friends but after a business fall out they now hate one another. The chemistry between Nero and Emilia is so strong that it doesn't matter to them how their parents feel.

I do enjoy books where the characters have darker sides to them. Nero is certainly not all hero with his Mafia connections and the things that he is forced to do for his father. He isn't all bad either though and the romance with Emilia certainly brings more of this side to light.

I enjoyed this dark mafia romance and liked reading about Nero and Emilia's world. 

Luciano Castelli - Anna Ray

 

Luciano Castelli

Luciano Castelli: An Enemies-to Lovers Romance, an all-new mafia romance is coming April 29th 2021. It's
the first book in the Dangerous Mafia Royals. 

 

MJ

My entire life I've fought against the constraints my family held me in. I was the precious bird in the gilded cage. So far from all my dreams.  Until I met Luc. I was practically forced to be around him all the time. I never imagined that he'd be this pretentious or rude. But he's proving to be something more than the arrogant mafia prince.

Luc
I'm not perfect. I make mistakes, but I always pay my dues. When MJ walked into my life, I knew that nothing good can come from this spoiled little princess. She has no idea what she got herself into. Every moment with her is sweet torture, and it comes with the price.  She will be the end of me. 

 

Do they have what it takes to end up together, or if everything will come crashing down?

My Review

What a read this was. I had expected your usual Mafia romance, which of course this is and I do really like, but this was far more than I expected. It probably helps that this is an enemies to lovers story, which I do really enjoy. MJ and Luc really don't like each other when they first meet, but of course, the line between love and hate is a thin one. They are certainly far from indifferent about one another. Even when they begin to thaw towards each other, this isn't an instant reconciliation. They have much to overcome before they become lovers. 

Compared to similar books, this romance is a drawn-out one and is all the more delicious for it. It burns slow, but hot. Luc is lovely. Dark and brooding, but with a soft centre that he tries, and fails to conceal. He and MJ make a fantastic couple, they work so well together, even when you're left frustrated that they just can't seem to see where they should be going.

That isn't all this story is. There is also an underlying suspense element. While much of this is dealt with in this book, don't expect it to be all wrapped up by the last page. There's more to come, I assume in the next book. I think it will deal with MJ and Luc's friends Knox and Silvia. Either way, I'm looking forward to reading it.

This was a wonderful read and one that left me quite sad that it had finished when I reached the last page. I hope that it won't be long until I get to return to Luc and MJ's world.