"Let me go," I gasp, "let me the hell go." His grasp tightens. I reach over to try to pry his fingers off but he doesn’t release me. He continues to stare at my face like he’s unable to tear his gaze away. My heart slams into my rib cage. My blood thumps so loudly in my ears I think I am going to faint. "Please, don't do this."
Luca Sovrano. One of the Sovrano Seven. Ruthless Capo. Dangerous Villain. The most beautiful man I've ever seen.
Our paths should never have crossed, but when he's thrown into the same cell as me we are trapped together. And forced to play a dangerous game to survive.
When he asks me to pose as his pretend wife, I agree. But what begins as a fake relationship, Blows up into real life longing.
When we escape together, he vows to protect me.
But who will save me from him when he finds out my secret...?
A brutal mob boss is brought to heel by the fiery spirit of a jazz dancer who teaches him the meaning of love, in this standalone enemies to lovers, fake marriage billionaire romance. 1-Click NOW
L. Steele loves to write romance novels featuring powerful men and strong women who bring them to their knees. When she's not writing she enjoys trading trivia with her filmmaker husband, watching lots and lots of movies, and walking nature trails.
Mafia Obsession by L.Steele is the 7th book in the Arranged Marriage Series. All I can say is Holy Cow! How did you trick me again woman!!! I mean…fool me once shame on you, but fool me twice…shame on me! And you got me twice! Same Series, Same scenario, same reaction! My heart and soul is wrapped up so tight with these guys. I can’t handle it when there is heartbreak, but when they find their woman…their true love…their whole world…I melt. It’s like magic. L. Steele your writing is just so magical, but it’s more. It’s earth shattering! Earth quaking, eye awakening! It’s everything and so much more. And that ending!? What the heck! I’m already drooling for more! Massimo and Olivia are going to set the world on fire, burn themselves from the inside out, and then let it consume everyone and everything around them! I can’t wait!!! I received a free advanced copy to read and review.
* Thank you to Socialbutterflypr and to author for giving me this arc. *
This book had me worried a few times but obviously I worried for nothing. It was an addicting story and I can’t seem to get enough of the Sovranos.
Luca Sovrano, the Capo, I liked from previous books already but from the beginning of this book till the end was the best. Now with that said he was starting to get on my nerves being so damn oblivious to his feelings but I still love him. He’s cocky , self-centered, don’t care for feelings cause that is for the weaklings and not him or so he thinks. It was very satisfying seeing him crumble beneath his feelings towards Jeanne. Also y’all, he has a mouth on him 🥵🫠💦! Then a thing happened and I’m in disbelief cause what I read surely couldn’t be what I read and I started panicking a little but then I looked down to my kindle and it said almost 2h left. Right there I took a deep breath and told myself “ everyone is gonna be okay”. I love/hate when authors make me doubt what I know/believe.
Jeanne got me worried at the beginning. When a character can’t curse, I start to get worried but she was so fiery and entertaining. I love the “curse” words she came up with such as “dickwaffles” 😂. She didn’t crumble when she was in the situation she was in at the beginning of this book even though nothing similar ever happened to her and I wholeheartedly appreciated that. Luca definitely needs a wife who doesn’t fall apart in front of dangerous situations. Sexy times? It was just that, sexy. The dirty talk was amazing. 🔥🥵💦🫠🫠
I can’t wait to read Massimo Sovrano and Olivia’s story, it’s gonna be great.
L. Steele does it again, I agree with a few other reviews that the series keeps getting stronger. Part of that is you continue to keep peeking into the other brothers' lives in this story which ticks a box as if you have read the other earlier books, you are totally emotionally invested in their adventures. But this story has you engaged within Chapter 1 ! That is hard to do, you get so many questions rattling through your mind that you can't put it down. Without spoilers (as I hate that) going to offer a review. This is an innocent, spitfire woman that gets thrown into Italian Mafia bulls%!* and has no choice on control. Along with that comes Luca (Mr Bossy Hot Mafioso) to save her, NOT fall in love with her sassiness (RIGHT). Luca is confident and LOVES a woman's body. Again, without the spoiler, let me say "A woman's most self-confident concern ..., he tears through that unabashedly, repeatedly and does the thing you would NEVER think a man is willing to do in the bedroom". OMG can't believe L.Steele went there. Made me horrified AND go "Am I uncomfortable ... maybe...", the next time I was cheering him on !! Leave it at that and you HAVE to read this book! ALso, she does very well making you run to grab the next book then DOH !! have to wait until November .... Massimo/Olivia, counting down the days ..... you are on my calendar
Great if you like plots that make no sense and sexual assault- because that’s all this was for at least the first half. Gets consensual after that but oh my god is the plot stupid and the writing pedestrian.
This is the 7th book in the Sovrano Mafia series. (The first 3 books tell Michael Sovrano's and Karma's story. They also give a history of the Sovranos and tell how Michael became the Don. Each subsequent book deals with a different Sovrano brother. There are 7). This one is Luca Sovrano's and Jeanne's story. If you've been following this series, you know Luca was the hot headed brother, the one with a chip on his shoulder. The one who shoots first and asks questions later. You've gone the gamut from liking him to hating him because he betrayed his brother (the Don), then liking him again when he comes back to the family but never quite trusting him because of that chip on his shoulder. It wasn't until book #6 (Sebestian (Seb) Sovrano's and Elsa's story that we begin to see another side of Luca that entices you, and in the end makes you crave his story.
Luca and Jeanne meet when both are kidnapped (separately) by Freddie and held in the same lock up. Freddie is the criminal enemy of the Sovranos. He's hated them because their father betrayed him many years before. Since the father is now dead, he wants to take his revenge on the sons. I thought what Freddie wanted of Luca and Jeanne at first, was a little odd, but in a way does make sense. It's Freddie's way of gaining power over a Sovrano, the power he lost when their father betrayed him. His way of humiliating a Sovrano the way he himself was humiliated when he lost everything and all respect in the criminal world after the betrayal. He wants to play with his captive before ending him. Jeanne is just collateral damage...A piece to his schemes only because she was in the wrong place at the wrong time .
Of course, Luca being Luca, he manages to escape with Jeanne. She needs to return to Palermo as quickly as possible, but with Freddie still after them and her life now in danger, she is forced to rely on Luca to get back to Palermo quickly, and for protection. As such, she finds herself coerced into an arrangement with him. What follows is a battle between growing feelings and denial of them, while trying to keep her safe.
You know the saying "the bigger they are the harder they fall".... that's Luca. Yes, he's big, but in this case, I don't mean size. Luca lived and breathed the mafia lifestyle, believed it was in his blood and who he was. If he wasn't " Capo" he was nothing. He was strongly opposed to attempts to go legit, believing it was an affront to that heritage and ancestors. He was also the most adamant about not wanting to ever marry and tie himself to one woman, in spite of his deceased grandmothers wishes . He never wanted to be like his bothers who'd already found their soulmates. He believed that made them weak. Watching Luca take the fall and seeing his transformation was an amazing and beautiful thing. Luca was definitely redeemed in this book, and you will love the woman who redeemed him. She is strong and capable of standing up to him. (Takes a strong woman to tame a Sovrano.)
Some words of warning:
1. The sex in this one is hot and DIRTY (that's Luca) and even involves a certain time of the month (you get my drift ladies?); so if you're one of those who think sex (all kinds) at that time of month is gross, you might want to skip those pages, but you'll be missing a lot.
2. Sometimes, if you have to stop reading for what ever reason, in particularly emotional parts, you can lose that emotional connection when you get back to it. If you like to feel ALL the emotions, cry with your characters, I would suggest that when you hit the 70% mark, you make sure you have enough time to finish that last 30% uninteruppted.
I received and ARC in exchange for my honest review, but have already pre-ordered this one. Note: There were a few typos in this ARC. These errors should be corrected in the final release version. I only mention it here to make a point. Usually when I find errors in an ARC book from one of my favorite authors, I highlight, screen shot, then email to the author. I did screen shot two of them, but honestly, I was so into this story that I forgot to do couple. Guess I'll have to re-read this again to catch the ones I missed. (No hardship there, this is definitely a re-read book).
This one is a 5 star for me. Entertaining and at times very emotional. Yes, I cried! Now I am so looking forward to Massimo's story next. Already pre-ordered that one too.
What an awesome story, this story was packed with so much suspense it was intense. This story was a page turner, from the moment we started turning the pages, I was hooked and by chapter 2 we knew we were not going to be able to put the book down until it was finished. These characters we simply awesome, so many engaging and fun characters, especially the mafia wives.
Love the nickname Jeanne aka Angel gave Luca alphaahole it fit him to a tee! Talk about one intense sexual dirty talking Capo, that man could make a girl's panties wet with his voice alone. Loved his possessiveness, his bossiness, sexual innuendo, and he may come off as an iceman with no heart, but, you would be wrong. He is capable of emotions, feelings like love and even heartache, it's just buried under that armor he wears.
Jeanne aka Angel was just perfect in every way for Luca, we loved that she was mouthy and sassy, could hold her own with the sexy mafia man. Loved her fire and passion, this woman was a force to be reckoned with. Her snipes at Luca, priceless!
Talk about chemistry holy hotness there was fire and flames between Luca and Angel and all the sniping at one another made things hotter and even more intense. Talk about needing a firehouse to put out the flames. That is just how brightly these characters burned together.
We loved the story from cover to cover, what a fantastic read as well as the entire series. This read and its series definitely have memorable characters. This one goes into the keeper pile and worth rereading time and time again as well as this series.
A wonderful read, great addition to the Sovrano Mafia family and their second in charge
Two separate individuals have been kidnapped and then have been put in room with people that they have never seen or heard of before in the case of Jeanne who had been picked up on the street after finishing her training for the upcoming stage show of Beauty and the Beast.
Luca had grown up in the Mafia life and knows that there is a chance he could be kidnapped or killed by some assailant so it was always essential they be aware however he had ben hit over the head and the drugged and the woke up who knows where?
When they escaped together after the discovered their capture had been arranged by Freddie Nielson and he give them an ultimatum which they either conformed to or else he would put a bullet in their head and that was never going to happen.
The couple escape after they discover they have been transported to England they have to make their way back to Italy and the family all pull together and come to the rescue. Luca propositions Jeanne with an option if he is going to get her back to the stage and her show in Italy she has to marry him and they have to pretend that they are happily married and in love so that he had fulfilled Nonna’s dying wish.
Read this wonderful story and I guarantee that you will be like me and unable to put the book down until you reach the end and find out the outcome.
I assure you that you will love every moment of this book it is simply a fantastic read. I voluntarily received and review an Advanced Reader Copy I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading any future publications; keep up all the great writing.
Luca Sovrano had always coveted the power that Michael, as the older brother, had and from the beginning of the first book he was challenging Michael. But the lion was not as fierce as they paint it and the family and what it represented for him, made him return to the herd and try to adjust to his position within it. Intense, stubborn, and given to not mincing his words, he was determined to go against the current, not to get caught up in the nets of a woman as had happened to his brothers, much less give in to the demands of his deceased. grandmother. The opportunity to get away with it and be one step ahead of his family presented itself and his impulsiveness and cockiness, left him in no doubt. The surprise that awaited him did not see it coming and the net fell on him. I was impressed by how kinky, not to say dirty, Luca was and how he took Jeanne out of her prudishness and made her a part of him. With a fight with himself Luca was in denial when the reality of his feelings for Jeanne was obvious to everyone. I suffered with some scenes, I got sentimental because of the intensity of the emotions, and I liked that Jeanne was a strong character who could confront Luca. Exciting, intense, exciting, and very suspenseful this story of Luca and Jeanne that kept me enjoying the narrative until the end. Voluntarily reviewed this copy.
I loved Jeanne and Luca's story. I didn't know why Luca thinks he doesn't deserve or want love because how he is with Jeanne is a chef's kiss. Of course, he tries to deny it and convince himself and Jeanne that it's a fake marriage and they're only convincing his brothers. Their story is full of suspense, action, love and sexiness.
"★★★★★This book made 50 Shades of Grey look like a child's book." - Joann Woods-Yoder "★★★★★...Thought my heart was going to explode. Soooo good." - Nicole Steele Veracruz "★★★★★Hot and dirty and SO Luca! Read it, you won't regret it! (But you might cry a bit!). My Luca! - Bonny Bernaldo Cropper
𝗘𝗻𝗴𝗮𝗴𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗟𝘂𝗰𝗮 𝗦𝗼𝘃𝗿𝗮𝗻𝗼... ✓ Alphahole ✓ Super bossy ✓ Explosive ✓ Steadfast ✓ Loves everything without restraint
If you like an enemies-to-lovers, romances with LOTS of passion, tons of humorous banter, self-reveling internal dialogue and a trapped in the same cell, then 𝐌𝐀𝐅𝐈𝐀 𝐎𝐁𝐒𝐄𝐒𝐒𝐈𝐎𝐍 is just for you!
Read an excerpt "What did you say?" "Nothing." I scowl at him. He purses his lips, then seems to come to a decision. "Remember the camera?" I glance up at the small device hidden in the ceiling, and the hair on my forearms rises. "That’s not creepy at all," I murmur. "Well, I have this fetish." I whip my head in his direction. "Excuse me?" "Now, don’t jump to conclusions." His chest rises and falls. "It’s just, I like being on display." I blink. "You mean, like being watched?" "Exhibitionism. It’s my kink." A pulse thuds to life low in my belly. No, no, no. I will not be turned on by this talk of kink and fetishes and such. "So, you’re trying to say that—" "Being on camera makes me horny." I gape. Seriously, my mouth falls open, and I know I’m staring at him like he just told me he’s from another planet—which he might be, because I’ve never in my life heard something so… kinky. "So, if someone is watching you… it makes me want to put on a performance?"
OH MY!! You know the saying..." The tougher they are, the harder they fall" ? Well that was Luca. He is definitely Michael's enforcer. To be kidnapped just didn't seem possible. To wake up to an Angel, and wanting to corrupt her, that fit him to a T. His Angel, Jeanne, made him work for it, and OH BOY did he work at dirtying her all up. There wasn't anything Luca wouldn't do to ensure Jeanne and his family were safe and to what lengths he'd go to get their beginning of a very happy ever after. No cheating or cliffhanger. Their personal passions may not be for everyone, yet overall this devil definitely singed her wings. This entire series is definitely one, one would want to read in it's entirety. It has all the feels. The good, the bad, and the ugly, plenty of intrigue, along with the hard falls these brothers go through to gain their strong, capable and passionate women. Enjoy!
Aahhhhh L. Steele does it again!! Another great freak’n book!!! Oh my gosh it was amazing!! I really loved Jeanne & Luca’s story!! It was so good & I couldn’t get enough!! & I can’t wait to read Olivia & Massimo’s story!!
This right here is a must read!!
“This book was given to me in exchange for my honest review."
This is the seventh book in the Sovrano Mafia series. Except for the first three which revolve around Michael and Karma’s story each subsequent book is about one of the seven Sovarno brothers. I would suggest as the stories are interlinked you read the entire series. In fact you’d be best to read the Bad Boys Billionaires series as well as not only will this add to your enjoyment there is also a thread running through these books going right back to when the billionaire seven were abducted and from what I gather there is going to be more of a crossover between the billionaires characters and the Sovrano Seven. The focus of this book is Luca and Jeanne.
Well what a ride this book has been, it certainly started with a bang and boy it did not let up. Jeanne is an actress and dancer who was focused on her role, her big break when she was kidnapped and held for days. Then Luca was thrust in her cell having also been taken by Freddie a nemesis of the Sovarno family. He holds a grudge against them as their father took credit for Freddie’s idea of kidnapping a group of wealthy boys which should have seen Freddie’s reputation soar.
It’s fair to say from Luca’s character in the previous books he’s quite bullish and aggressive in his views even if that puts him at odds with his brothers. His focus has been on La Costa Nostra and he’s put out that he will never been number one despite his commitment being to further his Family’s cause. Whilst it’s clear he loves his brothers Luca comes across as an obstinate man who is not easily swayed. That being said although initially his relationship with Jeanne is accidental she seems to break down his barriers and sees the real Luca. For a man in his profession that’s probably the scariest thing he’s ever faced.
When Jeanne and Luca first meet Freddie has a set idea of what he wants them to do, Luca is an exhibitionist and wants quite the “performance” from the duo. It’s clear that Freddie wants to humiliate the Sovarno’s anyway he can even if that’s turning Luca’s own kink against him. Whilst Luca may not be adverse to it getting out is the first priority and my can Luca (and Jeanne) deliver on that. I also loved the appearance of a couple of characters from the billionaire series! Luca and Jeanne make a deal to have a fake marriage if Luca can ensure Jeanne makes it to her opening night. Thus fulfilling Luca’s Nona's last wish and proving to his brothers he’s settling down and being more trustworthy.
Whist Jeanne comes across as quite a moral woman (blame it on the nuns) but she’s quite feisty who knows her own mind and won’t be run over by her own personal Hulk in Luca. She can hold her own and also does something his own brothers seem to struggle with and gets him to see another perspective. Jeanne struggles with the whole Mafia lifestyle, and all it entails. She’s a normal girl who has been accidentally thrust into a whole new world. With Michael’s aim to legitimise the Family’s business where does that leave Luca. Can he really become the CEO of the new business rather than Capo given how thoroughly he associates with being part the Mafia and values his family’s heritage. Can he prioritise Jeanne‘s safety and well-being and be part of this transition.
Jeanne must seek protection from Luca given the very real threat of Freddie. Jeanne and Luca’s growing feelings for one another, the push/pull between them and Luca’s internal monologues and breaking down Luca’s walls really added depth to their characters. Their relationship is off the charts-hot doesn’t even cover it! Given how Luca’s abandonment issues have shaped him can he really take the leap and let someone else in that could leave him like his mother (suicide) and Michael (study) did. Can a fake relationship really be his salvation. Is Luca the big bad Capo who lives and breathes all things Mafia really willing to make the ultimate sacrifice in life, love and in business to ensure the woman he loves safety. It’s fair to say after all the ups and downs Luca has been through in the previous books he’s really redeemed himself with this story although what he’s put Jeanne through I think my hair would go a tad grey! Can Jeanne see through to the real Luca and can she forgive him all I can say is I echo his brothers… grovelling lots and lots of grovelling.
I voluntarily received and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy. This is one emotional ride but I loved every minute of it. It’s clear the author is invested in her characters and in creating the best story she can. Go get this book, you will not regret it and now I can’t wait for Massimo and Olivia’s book…it’s going to be a long few months.
I’ve been editing for L Steele for a few years now, and her books continue to improve. In this one, the author delves so deeply into the motivations, thoughts, fears, and passions of Jeanne and Luca, it’s difficult to remain detached. These are real people suffering through real problems, with the added twist of an enemy of the Mafia trying to kill them. And it’s mostly believable, at least, based on my little bit of knowledge from books and movies.
Jeanne comes across as a goody-two-shoes at the beginning, even admitting she attended school at a convent and that’s why she can’t use any bad words. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that she’s a strong woman who knows how to take care of herself and won’t put up with anyone’s bull. Along comes Luca. The second-oldest of the Sovrano brothers, who has featured fairly prominently in the rest of the Mafia stories, Luca turns out to be a huge revelation. This guy who came across as a major a-hole, and the kind of man I’d be inclined to avoid at all costs, turns out to be a romantic with a tender heart. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. That’s one of Steele’s talents: she takes unlikable, domineering men and transforms them into loving partners through the power of love. She still manages to hold onto the animalistic and base tendencies of her heroes, and it helps to reveal their innermost feelings, the things they cannot express in words. What we learn about Luca is that he��s intense—he throws himself into everything he does, he’s volatile, he’s loyal, and he loves everything without restraint.
One of the things I like best about this book is the relatively slow build of sexual tension between Jeanne and Luca. I’ve become accustomed to these books starting with a “bang,” pun intended. In a move unusual for this series, the couple doesn’t do anything more than flirt and kiss until almost page 50! God knows, Luca tries, but Jeanne seems to be resistant to his charms. Of course, like all of Steele’s heroes, he won’t force himself on her until she clearly tells him she’s ready. Then, like all of the others, he’s super-bossy.
I enjoyed Luca’s internal dialogue, in which he was surprisingly self-aware, as when he thinks about Jeanne: “She seems like one of us. Only she isn’t. She’s someone who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place, if I’m being honest. Which I’m not.”
And this, when he’s starting to realize the depths of his feelings for her: “She tries to burrow into me, as if she wants to crawl under my skin and live there. Doesn’t she know? She already has.”
I love the banter between Luca and Jeanne and would love to add lots of examples, but I found this one, from Jeanne’s POV, particularly amusing: "If you think I’m going to simply fall in line with your command, then you have another thing coming." "Think," he drawls. "Eh? What do you mean?" "You have another think coming. It’s think, not thing." "No, it’s not. Think?" I scoff. "That makes no sense at all." I try to brush past him, and this time, he grabs my arm. "Have you been crying?" He peers into my face. "You have been crying." His voice hardens. "What happened?" Damn him, and his over-attentive gaze which never seems to miss a thing. And this time, it is thing. Not think. It couldn’t have been think in that previous sentence, could it?
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.
Luca Sovrano. One of the Sovrano Seven. Ruthless Capo. Dangerous Villain. The most beautiful man I've ever seen. Our paths should never have crossed, but when he's thrown into the same cell as me we are trapped together. And forced to play a dangerous game to survive. When he asks me to pose as his pretend wife, I agree. But what begins as a fake relationship. Blows up into real life longing. When we escape together, he vows to protect me. But who will save me from him when he finds out my secrets?
This book will have you hooked from the beginning and you will not want tot lay it down until you are finished. I loved every single second of it and I feel like this series just keeps getting better and better. From the very first chapter you head is filled with questions. Luca Savrano is one of the Sovrano Seven but he has always envied the power that his older brother carries from being the first born. He never ever fails to challenge Michael either. He is now having to adjust because he has found out that what he believed and represented to him in fact was not what it seemed. He is setting out to prove himself and he sure isn't getting caught in the web of some woman like his brothers have done. When he finds the opportunity to get one up on his family he is so cocky and in such a hurry to take it that you know that the world as he thinks he knows it is about to implode. Jeanne might have just cast her net wide enough tot snag the man but he might just be the one to show her that life as she knows it could be so much better. These two have some smoking hot chemistry and will met the kindle right in your very hands at times. I am sure you will get frustrated a time or two like I did. But , isn't that the fun of reading? To experience all the emotions. I loved this book and I can't wait to see where the next one takes us.
I really enjoyed reading/listening this book, as I ended up falling in love with Luca and Jeanne. What a couple!!
First we have the exhibitionist, the domineering, commanding persona of the Cosa Nostra's capo, in one corner and in the other is the sweet, chilled, calm jazz dancer and actress, who sees the world in an innocent way, thrown together. What could possibly go wrong.
He swears like....Well like a Mafioso
She doesn't swear.....just like the nuns taught her in Catholic school.
He loves to use blindfolds and whips, spanks, while bound and then has sex with his women where everyone can see him!!
She's as vanilla as they come and has never had oral sex to date!!
And never the twain should meet!!
Except thanks to Freddie, they DO meet and all so they'll do the deed many, many times as he records them.....hmmm. Can anyone see where this might all go?!?! Who here thinks Freddie is going to get what Freddie wants?? Anyone?? Nope?? Me neither 🙈🙈🙄🙄
This book is funny and gritty, more so than any of the others so far and is definitely my favourite.
And adding to the experience are two of my favourite narrators, Aaron Shedlock and C. J. Bloom!!
They both have a great range in voices and accents and really bring the characters on page alive.
However, this is the first time that C. J failed with one!! The "accent" she did for Freddie was all wrong. I know that she was attempting a cockney accent and having lived in Essex for the last twenty years, I've met and are friends with several people who were originally from East London and none have ever sound like that. She just went a little too far as it became unbelievable and a little annoying and insulting.
But other than that the performances where fantastic.
As for recommending I'd say that would be a yes on both audio and book. 👍😉
I read the book in 2 days since my body requires sleep and that was 2 days ago. I had to think about this one before I reviewed it. I don't usually do anything but leave however many stars then move on to the next book but I had to say something about this one. When I first finished reading it I wanted to give it a 1. I don't think I've ever given a book a 1 before but I was so irritated by what I had read. ***Spoilers starts here*** First I have never read a romance book that made me want to vomit. I thought the worse thing I'd ever read was foot fetish stuff, it completely grosses me out but all the period talk in this book was so much worse than foot fetish scenes. I'm fine with having sex if you are on your period but oral while on your period and over and over at that, just no. I honestly got physically ill while reading it. There should be some kind of warning bc I have a very open mind and will try just about anything once but that was completely disgusting and out of character for both characters in my opinion. First, they barely know each other, I've been with my man for 25 years and would never allow it let alone let him put a tampon in me. We've been together since I was 15 and he's never tried oral during that time of month and I've never wanted it and he's never put a tampon in me or taken one out of me. Like seriously, a warning label would have been nice! I also feel like I don't really know the characters all that much bc I kept wanting more of Massimo and Olivia, their story, especially Olivia's, really intrigues me. So after a couple of days thinking about it the story wasn't horrible but sadly it was definitely the least favorite of mine from this series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Maffia Obsession is book seven in L Steele's Arranged Marriage series and I quite enjoyed reading it. So far I've only read books six and seven in this series and so far I've enjoyed the series. Both of the books that I've read have been different from other mafia romances that I've read. Yes there are tropes in them that I've seen before but she's given them twists to make the stories unique. While I'm sure this was purposeful one of my favorite aspects of Mafia Obsession was that I got a Beauty and the Beast vibes from this book. Having always loved Beauty and the Beast I could see how this is could be loosely based off of the tale. I mean girl gets kidnapped, is forced to spend time with a man who is a beast of a man, rough, unkind, uncaring, and only wanting what he wants. It's that forced proximity has them falling in love, unbeknownst to one another, until it might be too late for them to get their fairy tale ending. And what really cinched it for me was that the female lead, Jeanne, was playing Belle in the play adaptation. And a climax of the story happened while she was on stage so to me it just tied together so well for me. After reading the end of this book I've very much looking forward to seeing what is going to happen next in this series. L. Steel has set up what I'm sure is going to be a great book with Massimo and Olivia considering by the end of the book he's agreed to have an arranged marriage to a mafia princess...
3.75 stars First time reading this author. The beginning of this book reads like a romcom rather than a Mafia story. The action scenes are ridiculous. So many guns trained directly on the hero, and he kills every one of his opponents, even as he’s being chased by cars, while he’s out in the open riding a motorcycle. But the scene that aggravated me most was that as the bad guys are almost upon them, the dumbass heroine stands there arguing with the hero rather than getting her ass on the bike so they could escape. Jeanne takes obstinacy to a new level, always putting up a fight… just because. So, Luca rescues her ungrateful ass from her kidnapper, and in return, she grudgingly agrees to a fake marriage to help Luca out. She insists she won’t sleep with him, knowing that she desperately wants to. Instead she reminds him that she won’t do it, every chance she gets. When Luca negotiates her monthly stipend from a hundred thousand dollars to one million just for staying married to him for thirty days, after which she’ll be able to divorce him, and still get the mil every month…indefinitely….I’d almost had enough and nearly threw my Kindle across the room...but I didn’t. Eventually Jeanne and Luca started to grow on me, and I enjoyed the second half of the book. But I gotta say, that thing that Luca does….yeah, that one….I’m so NOT into it. Anything but that, and it was all good. Though I’m not interested in reading the previous books, I do want to read Massimo’s story, and probably Adrian’s story, after that.
This book was hot, hot, hot and so very dirty but it was what I expected from Luca Sovrano from the very first moment we met Luca. I knew there was another side to Luca and in this book we get to understand the myth behind the man. Luca does not believe in entanglements but all that changes when Jeanne comes into his life in unexpected circumstances. In Jeanne, Luca has met his match and even though Jeanne is very innocent, we discover she also has a very dark side. These two together made the book combust with every union and though neither was willing to admit their love for each other you could feel it in their emotions and their words. Ms Steele has delivered an outstanding, fiery read and when you add danger to the mix Luca’s alpha protective side truly comes out in full force. A great read that will deliver drama and some very hot and steamy passion which is not for the faint at heart but gives us an insight to the passion that Luca Sovrano has always kept hidden. Highly recommend this book and this series and we still have a couple more to go so I can only expect that Ms Steele will be upping the stakes much, much higher because every book that I have read has only surpassed my expectations immensely.
I received an arc copy from the author and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.
Luca Sovrano is quick to anger, quick to react and quick to retaliate. He's the Sovrano brother who challenged Michael for the leadership of the mafia family and for the affections of his wife, Karma. He's been ambushed and thrown into a cell where he finds another captive, Jeanne Watson. She was also ambushed on the street and remembers only the sickening smell of whatever knocked her out. Now she faces off with Luca, taken in by his roughness, but also his beauty. Neither has any idea why they're being held captive until the Sovrano family's nemesis walks through the door with plans for them both. Freddie Nielsen, the man who came up with the plan to kidnap The Seven in the UK, but Luca's father seized the plan as his own and immediately made the Cosa Nostra a essential player in the mob. Now it's payback time, and Freddie won't be deterred. With Luca and Jeanne's escape, their love story begins with Luca's insistence that Jeanne become his wife. Luca can't believe that she says yes, as long as he proposes to her with a ring, but he has his own proposition for her. This is a darkly sexy story with some kink thrown in, and Luca succeeds in redeeming himself with how he cares for Jeanne, even if he has to almost destroy her to save her. It's a wonderful story and the set-up to Massimo's story is tension-filled!
This is the eighth book in the Savrano world. It features Luca the second son and now Capo in the Cosa Nostra. He has struggled with his ambition and loyalty. Then there is Jeanne. She is a jazz dancer and actress. She is kidnapped by the Sovrano’s number one enemy. A few days later they kidnappers throw Luca into the cell with her. She doesn’t know what to think of this very fit, large, intimidating man. Plus he is too gorgeous to be real. They soon find out that they were placed together as a punishment/black mail attempt. The enemy expects Luca to have sex with Jeanne while they record it. Obviously Jeanne refuses. Somehow Luca manages to overpower the captors and the escape. While they are waiting for help to come, Luca proposes a fake marriage. This will ensure Jeanne’s safety and it will get his brothers to quit nagging him to fulfill a promise to their Nonna. All this happens in the first few chapters. And it only gets more dangerous and darker from there. This book was hard for me to put down. The characters are richly developed and endearing. L. Steele has created a wonderful and dark world that draws you in. I can hardly wait for the next brother to fall. I did receive an advance copy for my honest review.