-
REVIEW: Always The Villain by Brea Alepou & Skyler Snow

Vitale Brothers: Always The Villain – Brea Alepou & Skyler Snow
Cesare Vitale
Man. Myth. Legend.
Or at least thatโs how the world views me.
Theyโre not wrong; I would give anything to take back my throne. To have power again. Even if it means breaking all of my already weak familial ties.
Until I meet the one man that makes me pause.
Raphael is everything I have never wanted to admit I crave. Someone who sees the monster and still wants me just the same. But there’s more to Raphael than meets the eye. Can he be trusted?
In the midst of Vitale chaos Iโm forced to ask myself something Iโve never doubted before. What’s more important?
Power? Or love?
Book 6 in the Vitale Brothers series. This will be the final book.
Does Daddy Vitale really need a redemption story?
Vitale Brothers is a dark mafia romance series by writer duo Brea Alepou and Skylar Snow. The series follows the brothers as they navigate love and crime. The family is led by the eldest Benito (Say I Do) who has the unenviable job keeping his chaotic half-brothers, Gin (Paid In Full) and his twin Paolo (Never Say Never), Enzo (Take Me Apart), and Blake (End It All) in line.
Always The Villain is the final book starring the infamous Cesare Vitale, whom we all know is a deadbeat bastard out to oust Benito from power. All the brothers except Blake hate the old man, the youngest Vitale having fonder childhood memories of his father and so still wants a reconciliation.
Much younger at 26 to Cesare’s 54, Raphael is so dangerously obsessed with Cesare, he became a sex worker just to ensnare the man. When he has him in his clutches, he sinks his claws deep and doesn’t let go, the goal being to make Cesare dependent on him. As the story progresses, we learn why.
Apart from his obsession, there’s not much to Raphael. It is shown he likes revealing clothes and dresses similarly to Harlow. But where Harlow is fiery and feral, Raphael is hollow, his threats no bite at all. It’s not lost that father and son have similar love interests, a nod to apples not falling far from trees but if Benito and Harlow had nuclear-level heat, Cesare and Raphael are a wet rag.
Sure, the plot is mostly rough sex, humiliation kink, and dirty talk, but that’s all there is. I don’t feel a genuine spark. Their connection reads more like Raphael servicing a client, especially with Cesare calling him “whore” all the time.
Cesare has no appeal either. I’m not expecting him to suddenly turn into a new leaf just because he caught feels. Heck, his sons didn’t miraculously turn into saints either. It’s just that I don’t feel his feels. I’m not remotely convince he’s going monogamous just because he likes dick now. He is also given a sob story and a kitten but no, those are not enough to redeem the old man.
So this is a totally unecessary book. That Cesare’s sins are handwaved that easily is anti-climactic and lazy. However, him returning to the bossom of the family leads to full-on Vitale mayhem which I enjoy. The best parts of the book are the brothers and it’s worth the slog just to read their scenes.
Always The Villain is a story of power, lust, and obsession. A futile attempt to redeem a bastard and a meh romance that fails to ignite, overall, never mind this Vitale.
Rating:
2.5 Stars โ far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Always The Villain
Album: Michael Grant & The Assassins
Artist: Always The VillainVitale Brothers is an all-time favorite series and I agree with some readers that it should have ended with the glorious Paolo reveal in Never Say Never. It’s best to read the books in order, starting with the intense Enzo possessiveness in Take Me Apart, the hilarious Gin shenanigans in Paid In Full, the fiery Benito bloodlust in Say I Do and the take-it-or-leave-it Blake brattiness in End It All.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Always The Villain. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
ALWAYS THE VILLAIN: Amazon UK | Audiobook
If you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
SERIES REVIEW: His Enforcer & His Reaper (Unexpectedly Twisted Books 3 & 4) by Cora Rose

Unexpectedly Twisted: His Enforcer by Cora Rose
Working for a notorious mob boss like Anthony Costello for fifteen years has taught me a thing or two about dangerous men. I myself have been chiseled and beaten into someone to be reckoned with. And Iโve even come to relish in the pain, to crave it. But no one gets under my skin quite like Luca Rossi, Anthonyโs right-hand man. I hate him more than words can express, I always have. He torments me and toys with me, just a plaything in his twisted and cruel game of control, until Iโm feral with rage and barely able to contain myself.
But when a series of unidentified bodies begin showing up on our property and it becomes clear someone is trying to take the Costello family down, Luca and I are teamed up to solve the mystery. And working up close and personal with this man has me realizing that thereโs no one in the world quite as dangerous to me as him. Because the real reason I hate Luca so much, and maybe even the reason why I hate myself, is because heโll never really want me.
Rating:
2.5 Stars โ far from hate but not quite a likeSoundtrack: Lust To Love
Artist: Renforshort
Album: Off Saint Dominique

Unexpectedly Twisted: His Reaper – Cora Rose
Some say Iโm too soft and cuddly for a guy who wields bone saws and strings friendship necklaces with human eyeballsโbut I just call that work-life balance.
And honestly, I love my job as the Costellosโ reaper.
Lately, though, my biggest problem isnโt the dismembered corpses, itโs something far more seductive. Georgiy Sokolov. He smells mouth-watering, like disinfectant and fancy aftershave. Plus, he comes with a stern promise to ruin me with surgical precisionโand believe me, I will be begging him for it.
If only I could get him to return my textsโฆ
But when a shadowy evil threatens my found family, and my nightmares stir up repressed memories that somehow feel connected, Georgiy and I will stop at nothing to protect what is ours.
Armed with my bloody handsaw and Georgiyโs dainty scalpel, we try to uncover the dark truths about the past that haunts me and the Death that stalks me. Itโs all very romantic.
So if you’ve come to witness my final chapterโฆgood luck, friend.
My nameโs Bane. Say it while you still have your tongue.
Rating:
4 Stars โ minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Beautiful Monster
Artist: Lolux
Album: Beautiful Monster
Here I go with yet another dark mafia romance…
Unexpectedly Twisted by Cora Rose is a mafia romance series starring members of the Costello Family. The Silencer introduces mob boss Anthony Costello, who finds love with Tatum, his sonโs best friend. In His Prince, Anthonyโs younger son Angel falls for his husband after an arranged marriage with Mikhail Ivanov.
His Enforcer stars Luca, the underboss and Anthony’s bestfriend who used to be a third in his late wife’s bed. Bodyguard Viktor has a bad crush on the older man since he was a teenager.
Viktor is a favorite at the sex club being an exclusive bottom game for anything. One night, Luca witnessed him in a rather intense session, put a stop to it, took him home, and slept with him. Then, pretended it never happened for years.
Viktor makes no secret of his desire for Luca, which the underboss uses to his advantage, pushing the bodyguard’s buttons and cockteasing, knowing the younger man has no self-control. It happens so frequently that the supposedly straight Luca ends up sleeping with Viktor like a bad habit, having fallen in lust.
I like reading series in order and this was a necessary hurdle to get to the next installment. It is indeed a chore since I didn’t like Luca and there was barely any romance. It’s mostly lust with Viktor too needy, too desperate, too ready to bend just to get Luca’s dick in him.
Luca likes control and that’s all I can say about him as he had no other personality traits. There was some sob story tacked on the latter part but it was meh. I say, skip this if you can.
His Reaper stars Bane and his doctor boyfriend Georgiy Sokolov. Bane, the Costello’s torturer and interrogator who collects body parts and turns them into jewelry, was an instant favorite since the beginning. The series has a fantastic found family dynamic and Bane is fiercely protective of his loved ones who in turn adore the labrador retriever psycho.
In the previous books, Bane laid eyes on Georgiy, Mikhail’s interrogator, and immediately became obsessed. So much so he stood in front of Georgiy’s window and jerked off. Wasn’t a bit shy, was in fact quite proud when Georgiy caught him. They got into an off again, on again thing, and last we know, Georgiy ghosted and Bane was devastated.
Present day Bane, desperate to get Georgiy’s attention sleeps with other guys until Georgiy finds him and proceeds to tattoo his name on his butt. Trademarked and insured too as Georgiy wants to protect his property. Bane’s life and his family are in danger from his ex who betrayed them and Georgiy vows to exact his revenge.
This is absolutely the best book in the series!
The play of opposites is just pure delight with the touch-starved Bane bringing his lovable chaos into the touch-aversed Georgiy’s life. Bane is a messy, childish ball of energy, sharp and intuitive with no bounderies what so ever, while Georgiy is a highly skilled surgeon, a stoic, clinical, germaphobe giving Bane the calm, firm hand he needs. They build a relationship rooted in respect, obsession, and surprising tenderness.
I loved how Bane respects Georgiy’s limits, knowing when too much is too much. Bane is perpetually horny and Georgiy gets creative to satisfy his man, avoiding skin to skin contact until he gradually becomes comfortable with touching Bane. They are each other’s rock when past traumas and hurts resurface, particularly important during the full circle moment at the climax.
It’s not only the nuclear-level chemistry, but the all-consuming obsession and, most of all, the genuine care they had for each other is the deepest and most heartfelt in the entire series. Given that they’re the most fucked up characters too, cardboard Luca could learn a thing or two from them.
The book is chockful of content warnings: violence, blood, gore and heavy into voyeurism and exhibitionism. Bane has no qualms watching other couples have sex, whipping out his dick in public, and getting horny over every attractive man he meets.
He likes to cuddle with other couples in bed, joining them without warning. They let him knowing Bane is being Bane. Until Georgiy tattoos his claim and Bane happily finds his anchor in Georgiy
Georgiy stimulates Bane with machines and toys and one time, Anthony walks in on them. Instead of being embarrassed, the mob boss stands there and watches, hella cringe after he claims Bane is like a son.
Bane also plays matchmaker to Jax and Kit, encouraging the two men to get handsy in public while he watches and gets horny. The bonding ceremony is also very Georgiy and Bane with skin branding and more sex on display.
Content warnings aside, I want more Georgiy and Bane! Hearing Georgiy call Bane, “Bane of my existence” or “Bane of my life” everytime is making me swoon. To which Bane replies, โJust so you know, youโre the Georgiy of my life.โ Seriously, I died of squees…
We need the guards, too. Jax and Kit crackle with electricity, no wonder Bane is shipping them hard. Teddy ‘s silent appearances speaks volumes about how much of a teddy bear he is. Shipping him hard with Jake. The creepy and perverted Andromeda twins need their own book too. I’m super curious how they will handle their new boy when he wakes up from his coma.
Unexpectedly Twisted is a mixed bag of lust and love, with mafia shenanigans on the side. While there is an overarching thread running throughout the series and many recurring characters, the books can be read as standalones. You can skip the weaker installments, The Silencer and His Enforcer. His Prince is worth a read, mostly for the secondary characters.
Overall, nothing unexpected about the entire series but His Reaper redeems it in the most deliciously twisted way.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of His Enforcer and His Reaper. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
HIS ENFORCER: Amazon UK | Audiobook
HIS REAPER: Amazon UK | AudiobookIf you like my content, please consider supporting me on Ko-fi or PayPal. Your donations will help keep this website going. Thank you so much!
-
NEW RELEASE: Wonder Boy: Owned by Calan Mercer (Excerpt + Q&A with Author)
-
SERIES TOUR & NEW RELEASE: Bonded by Love by Gabbi Grey (Excerpt + Q&A with Author)
-
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Willing Captive by Ashlynn Monroe (Excerpt)
-
RELEASE BLITZ: Secrets and Lies by Willow Dixon (Giveaway)
-
RELEASE BLITZ: Wanting My Husband by Lexi Amber & Bec Benson
-
PROMO BLITZ: Drake by Jodie Harper
-
COVER REVEAL: Wanting My Husband by Lex Amber & Bec Benson (Excerpt)
-
NEW RELEASE BLITZ: Standard Tuning by Andi Tozier (Excerpt)





























