Summary
One day, the life I lead will get me killed.
It’s my burden to carry.
One I easily accept.
One I never thought twice about until the day I met her.
While avenging his mother’s death, Declan Connolly trusts no one, not even the men sworn to be loyal to him as the leader of their Irish clan. The final warning Declan’s father gives him on his deathbed is one he holds close to his chest. But when Francesca Costa stumbles into his life, he must decide whether he will continue to heed his father’s warning or trust the Italian beauty that could destroy everything.
Excerpt
There are moments in a man’s life that determine the person he’ll become. But there’s only one defining moment that will forge the path he’ll follow. He may not even realize it at the time. It’ll breeze by as if it was just another day, another minute, another second. That single moment will be the one that changes everything. Most won’t be prepared for what follows.
I wasn’t most people.
If there was one thing I’d known from the day I was born, it was that someday I’d rule the kingdom my father had built. I was Declan Connolly, heir to the throne of one of the few Irish mobs left in the good ole U.S. of A. The land of the free. The land I’d rule without mercy until every man, once again, feared the Connolly name.
I leaned against the edge of the bar, attempting to focus on the woman before me. With one hand wrapped around my nearly empty glass of whiskey, my other traced the tip of my finger over the smooth, pale skin of her bare shoulder. She took another sip of her martini, a smile playing on her lips.
I hated martinis.
I hated blonde hair.
I’d probably hate her after tonight. She oozed of wealth and privilege. The spoiled type who didn’t know the meaning of a hard day’s work. My guess: she was here, flirting with me, only to piss off her rich daddy for not giving into her latest extravagant demands. But I was bored, and she was attractive and somewhat entertaining. She’d been coy all night, as if I couldn’t see straight through her.
“Let’s get out of here,” I said, then polished off the remnants in my glass.
Her smile grew on her ruby red lips as she placed her drink on the bar. “Depends . . .”
“On what?” I played along, even though I was growing tired of her already. I’d never been a patient man. And the fact she responded as if I’d asked her a question only annoyed me more.
“On whether you can tell me my name.” Her perfectly groomed eyebrow arched toward her platinum hairline.
We both knew I hadn’t bothered remembering it when she first introduced herself. I also hadn’t bothered giving her mine. There wasn’t a soul in this bar, in this town, who didn’t know my name. With a clenched jaw, I moved my eyes from her to the front door that had flown open, allowing a cool night breeze to sweep inside. A large man stepped into the seedy pub and scanned the crowded room quickly before his eyes met mine. Taking a few bills from my wallet to toss on the bar, I stood upright.
Review
(audiobook) Though I’m not sure I bought the romance, the story was gripping enough that it kept me interested to the end.
I still don’t know what to think of Declan. He’s introduced as the ultimate alpha male who doesn’t care about anyone and would do anything to get what he wants. Yet his reasons for protecting Francesca in the first place quickly become flimsy. On the other hand he’s prompt to withdraw his trust if someone in the organization messes up just once–if that someone has earned it, and it wasn’t easy to do. So yeah, I found doubtful how easily Francesca enters Declan’s world.
There’s attraction between Francesca and Declan, sure. A lot of lust. Maybe Francesca is attracted to danger. And maybe he’s intrigued by her fierce nature. But I don’t see how deeper feelings can come from that. Nevertheless, they fall for each other, though the love confessions are late in the story.
The suspense part is well done. We’re given bits of information here and there, and like the characters, we assume their meaning. And of course, we’re all wrong.
Prejudices and hasty conclusions are at the heart of the story. That’s why Francesca and Declan are enemies at the beginning, and why Declan hasn’t solved yet the mystery of his mother’s death.
The narration was impeccable. The male narrator expressed Declan’s coldness perfectly, while the female narrator did great with Francesca energy. A very good audiobook.
Quickie
- Series: Made #2 (can be read as a standalone)
- Hashtags: #mafia romance #romantic suspense #enemies to lovers
- Triggers: violence, death, rape threats, kidnapping
- Main couple: Francesca Costa & Declan Connolly
- Hotness: 3/5
- Romance: 3/5
- + great suspenseful plot with many twists and revelations
- – Declan’s reluctance to admit his feelings is kind of annoying
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