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SERIES REVIEW: Mafia Bound Books 1 & 2 by K.M. Neuhold
Mafia Bound: Deadly Little Sparrow – K.M. Neuhold
Is there such thing as love at first bar fight?
I may be small and pretty, but what I lack in intimidation factor, I make up for in violence.I made a vow five years ago that the motorcycle club responsible for my brother’s death would pay the price, and I’m finally ready to collect. May God have mercy on the men who hurt my brother, because I don’t plan to.
Accidentally breaking the nose of the deadliest man in the city wasn’t my best move. Xaviaro Saviano, trigger man for the Moretti Crime Family… and now my own personal stalker. But if I have to go through him to deliver well-deserved justice, so be it.
As strange as it sounds, Xaviaro seems to want to help me more than he wants to hurt me. I can’t shake the man no matter what I do. Threatening him feels like foreplay, tying him up only turns him on… I could play nice, but that’s never been my strong suit.
I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t starting to grow on me, especially when he calls me his Deadly Little Sparrow from his knees. I’ve never met a man who could handle me, let alone one who can’t stop begging me for more.
Can love and revenge live in the same heart? I guess there’s only one way to find out…
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Submit
Artist: Brek Milo
Album: Submit
Mafia Bound: Beautifully Savage Butterfly by K.M. Neuhold
Being savage in the ring is one thing. The way Elio Moretti craves my violence outside the ring is another.
I feel like I’ve been fighting my whole life, and tapping out has never been an option.
I can live with owing money to the Morettis. I can even live with the constant guilt that my brother is the one paralyzed in a hospital bed while I live his dream. What I can’t live with is Elio Moretti, second in command to the infamous crime family, showing up to all my fights, sitting in the front row, watching me like he can’t look away, and barging into the locker room to patch up my wounds and invade my space.
The Morettis are monsters. Vicious, brutal sociopaths. So, why is Elio so eager to get on his knees for me?
He’s as desperate to give up control as I am to take it, but is giving in to these primal urges enough of a reason to sell my soul?
He claims there are worse people in this city than his family, and the deeper I get dragged into his world, the more true that’s starting to seem. Can I really fall in love with a Mafia underboss? Is it even possible to walk away?
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: Blow
Artist: Ghinsu
Album: Blow
Mafia Bound by K.M. Neuhold is a dark, gritty mafia romance series that dares to put mafiosos on their knees.
Deadly Little Sparrow opens the series with a revenge story and an unlikely romance between the avenger and the hitman stalking him. Sparrow, real name unknown, is out to exact vengeance against members of the motorcycle club who abused and murdered his brother.
Xaviaro Saviano, the most notorious hitman of the Moretti Family, spotted him at a bar and, after getting off the wrong foot, began stalking the smaller man. Partly as part of Moretti business crossing with the targeted MC, partly due to his strange but undeniably strong attraction to the deadly little Sparrow.
The plot didn’t delve deeply into the characters’ backstories. There is just enough barebones information to give credence to how Sparrow went from a former billionaire’s son to a highly skilled killer able to take down dangerous men twice his size.
Xaviaro was already established as not only the top hitman but also Enzo Moretti’s best friend and one of the Moretti boss’s inner circle. The thing to know about Xaviaro, he’s feared on the streets, submissive in the sheets. And he was quick to recognize the dominance of the smaller man. Sparrow took unholy glee in topping from the bottom.
The story did its best to be consistently intense. There’s a lot of focus on the kink and while the dynamics were enjoyable, there were moments that I tuned out because they were too blah.
Beautifully Savage Butterfly is Elio Moretti, underboss to the Family, obsessing over undefeated MMA fighter, Orion Barros. Orion couldn’t understand why one of the top Morettis kept coming to his locker room after his fights until Elio showed how willing he was to get down on his knees for him.
The MMA fighter is working overtime to pay Moretti debts and earn money to keep his paraplegic brother, Jack, in a good nursing home. When things took a turn for the worse, Orion had no choice but to make a deal with Elio, something he promised his brother he would never do.
I feel this was better executed than the first story. The backstories were more complete and the various threads were concluded more convincingly, even Jack was given his little HFN. The boss/brat dynamics wasn’t my favorite but Elio and Orion’s chemistry was sizzling!
This was also pretty intense and atmospheric throughout. You could almost smell the blood and sweat, and images of dimly lit alleys and shaky camera shots come to mind.
Another compelling part was the Morettis and Orion working together to stop a child trafficking ring. This was resolved in a suspenseful rescue mission while leaving an opening for future installments.
Mafia Bound is a mixed bag for now, but it’s mostly good. The Morettis as MCs are something I’m really excited about. They are a head-turning bunch, and here are the rest to watch out for:
Salvatore – I bet he’s next. He was tasked to look after the sassy night club dancer/hacker Dante and they played a significant part in the child trafficking investigation
Alessio – guy’s flirty with Dante but it’s mostly harmless. Not much is known about him yet other than he’s part of the inner circle and is a cousin
Enzo – ooh, this one I’m looking forward to the most. The big boss occasionally shows his softer side. There’s a mention of a rival Irish gang leader so hmm….
P.S.
Mafia Bound is best read in order. You can read Deadly Little Sparrow and Beautifully Savage Butterfly as standalones but the Morettis are worth knowing from the beginning.
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DEADLY LITTLE SPARROW: Kindle I Audiobook
BEAUTIFULLY SAVAGE BUTTERFLY: Kindle I 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!
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RELEASE BLITZ: Forbidden Puckboy by Eden Finley & Saxon James (Giveaway)
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NEW RELEASE BLITZ: The Anger Chronicles by Jessie Preisendorfer (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Simplicity by Nicole Dykes
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REVIEW: Angel’s Share by Layla Reyne
Agents Irish and Whiskey: Angel’s Share by Layla Reyne
Husbands Aidan Talley and Jameson Walker team up again as Agents Irish & Whiskey for their most precarious case yet in this established couple gay romantic suspense novel.
FBI agent Aidan Talley just wanted to spend the holiday weekend cheering on his husband’s basketball team. Instead, he’s investigating a cargo theft for the family business and coming face-to-face with a loose end from the case that almost tore him and Jamie apart.
Coach Jameson Walker may spend his days on the sidelines now, but Jamie refuses to stay there when it comes to his husband. When Aidan is cornered by his past, Jamie will do whatever it takes to ground him in the present, including stepping back into his hacker shoes for the Bureau.
Aidan and Jamie thought they’d seen it all, but the City of Angels has more than one ghost in store for them. As revenge and redemption collide, Agents Irish and Whiskey will have to trust in their love and their partnership to solve the case for the family they have, for the one they lost, and for the one they want to call their own.
Angel’s Share is the final book in the Agents Irish and Whiskey LGBTQIA+ romantic suspense series. While it can be read as a standalone, it is best enjoyed after reading the other books in the series.
Agents Irish and Whiskey by Layla Reyne were among the earliest MM books I’ve read (2017!). I never left Whiskeyverse because the succeeding spinoffs, Fog City, Trouble Brewing, and Perfect Play, kept me immersed in the City of Angels.
Angel’s Share surprised me because I didn’t expect we’d get another Aidan and Jamie story after the wedding novella. I didn’t want their series to end! I went from rating the first book, Single Malt 2 stars to one of the most memorable couples in MM romance.
This series finale opens with a luxury cargo stolen from no less than a Talley Enterprise ship. It led to a thrilling car chase with Jamie showing off his death-defying driving skills and Aidan meeting the last person he expected to see.
Angel is Aidan’s godson and the nephew of his late husband, Gabe. It seemed that the boy and his mother, Izzy, had fallen into hard times after they became estranged from their family due to their homophobic views. Aidan, in his survivor’s guilt after Gabe’s death, also distanced himself and had no idea that his underage godson was involved in illegal activities.
The plot brings the series full circle, interweaving Irish and Whiskey’s current lives with the case, exorcising past demons, and bringing closure to open threads. As Aidan is the SAC and Jamie is now a basketball coach and occasional FBI consultant/hacker, most of the action was told rather than shown. The rescue of Angel’s friend, Bev, would have been suspenseful, but it was mostly off-page.
This one is a me problem. I can’t exactly point a finger at a specific sentence, but the author has a way of writing, or maybe it’s the narrator’s style of delivery, that makes things seem more dramatic than they actually are. This is why I can’t finish the Perfect Play series. I kept rolling my eyes at how overly emo things sound. Here, it’s not as emo, and the story is very compelling.
Gripes aside, I loved the book! It felt like catching up with old friends! I am thrilled with everyone making appearances, from my fave badass babes, Mel and Helena, to Nick and Cam, even Levi, Marsh and their son, David, and of course Danny (my fave Talley). Even the other FBI agents who have their own books or I wish have their own books brought something fun to the table.
The newer characters were standouts as well. Angel went from a surly teenager to a protective friend and eager mechanic apprentice. It was a brief mention of them talking on the balcony but I’m totally shipping Angel and David. Hopefully, we get a book when they’re older.
Bev, our girl is feisty, sassy, and hella smart. Years of abuse and foster care didn’t dampen her spirits, and I’m happy she finally found her home.
And, of course, Aidan and Jamie giving me life with their strength and unconditional support to each other! It’s not so common to see the lives of married couples after the wedding, apart from epilogues. So I enjoyed seeing an established couple working together, saving their loved ones, with that absolute faith that his husband has his back no matter what.
Still with that palpable chemistry, that deep emotional connection, and that seamless synchronicity in work and personal life that makes Irish and Whiskey unforgettable even after all these years!
I complained about the “tell” parts earlier. The thrilling takedown made up for it, bringing in the big guns, bounty hunter Mel, and ninja assassin Helena, with Aidan’s team taking down mobsters, and dodging explosions. This is the action I’ve been waiting for!
Angel’s Share is about loss, grief, and long-buried fears, but it also reminded Aiden and Jamie of what matters most: love and the family we have or found. Fast-paced, and emotional, it’s happy forever we could wish for our Irish and Whiskey!
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitsSoundtrack: The Angel’s Share
Artist: Elly
Album: The Angel’s ShareP.S.
Agents Irish and Whiskey books are best read in order. Don’t miss the spinoffs, especially Trouble Brewing (Nick and Cam are top faves!), and Fog City (Silent Knight wrecked me!). Don’t listen to me about Perfect Play. I think most people will like that series.
If you like my content, please consider using my Amazon affiliate links below to buy your copy of Angel’s Share. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying Amazon purchases at no additional cost to you.
ANGEL’S SHARE: Kindle I 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!
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RELEASE BLITZ: Love and Loathing in El Olvido by Sylvia San Sebastian (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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COVER REVEAL: Reluctantly You by Cora Rose
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BLOG TOUR: Glitches of Gods by Jurgen “Jojo” Appelo (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: Entwined by Sean Ian O’Meidhir & Connal Braginsky (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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BLOG TOUR: Siren in the Rain by Chloe Archer (Excerpt & Giveaway)
