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REVIEW: Never Say Never by Brea Alepou & Skyler Snow
Vitale Brothers: Never Say Never – Brea Alepou & Skyler Snow
I’d do anything for my family. Even go undercover and devote my life to the FBI so they can continue to thrive. Everything I do is for the Vitale name. I just have to focus, complete my job, divert attention and stay out of trouble.
But trouble finds me.
Not just me, but York Washington. He’s my boss, but more than that he’s my friend. When he and his daughters are thrown into danger I have no choice but to step into the light. Finally, I get to go back home.
But home is a strange hellscape I no longer understand.
While a war wages on, I’m caught between who I am and who I was with a man I’ve betrayed. There’s no happily ever after for me.
The fourth book in the Vitale brother series. Each book can be read as a standalone but best enjoyed read in order. HEA guaranteed.
The Vitale Brothers is an all-time favorite series, and each brother is memorable in his own way. I thought this would be a trilogy, so learning Gin has a twin in the previous book, Say I Do, made my jaw drop.
Never Say Never finally unveiled Gianpaolo Vitale. Going undercover in the FBI for his family as Paul Gallow, he keeps tabs on cases and passes information to Benito, the only brother who knows about his mission. Paul is known as a man whore in his department, dating coworkers left and right and getting in trouble with HR.
But the man Paul is really crushing hard on is his boss, York Washington, an Idriss Elba of a hunk who’s good at his job and keeps his personal life private. And so he was pleasantly surprised to discover York in a gay bar and that he has twin daughters.
The plot highlights Paolo’s dual identity. In the first part, as Paul, I wouldn’t say there’s none of the darkness but mostly hints of a deeper obsession. You got to hand it to Paolo. The man buried his Vitale so deep it didn’t feel like a Vitale book at all. I was even borderline bored.
It took me a while to warm up to York. A 46-year-old widower and first-time gay, he’s still figuring out most things. Paolo is eager to lend a hand and I get that York doesn’t want to complicate things with a subordinate. At the same time, the older man wants to explore his sexuality.
The thing with York is that he’s hot and cold for almost the entire book and I wasn’t convinced he’s actually in love with Paolo. Also, his characterization lacks depth. It was only at the end that he stood out as a character.
My favorite in the first part is Paolo and York’s twin daughters. Paolo adored the girls from the get-go and would die to protect them. And being a twin himself, he knows all about the mischief the clever girls cook up, even taught them a trick or two.
And we all agree, we could do without the nanny. This character was terrible and unnecessary.
When York and the twins were in danger, he didn’t hesitate. When Gianpaolo shed the Paul Gallow persona, revealing his Italian heritage, his tattoos, and became a full-on Vitale, it was glorious!!! And this is where the real crazy starts! I wish we got to this part sooner because this is what I came for.
“Sanity was only a facade with me. I was born into chaos and I wielded mayhem freely.”
You can tell he and Gin are twins because Paolo is one fucked up motherfucker with fucked up thoughts and zero qualms dub-conning his boss into staying in the Vitale building for their safety. He has already declared the twins his daughters, whether York agrees or not. I loved how fiercely protective he is of those he loves.
My favorite in the second part is when the Vitales unleashed hell on their enemies. It was a spectacular free-for-all violence, gore, and mayhem with a dash of humor, usually involving a brother’s weapon of choice. All the known brothers were there, plus Benito’s beloved monstrizio, Harlow, because as the queen, he has to have the head of the enemy.
I have yet to meet a Vitale I didn’t love, and Gianpaolo stands rightfully beside Gin, finally completing the Murder Twins. Paolo was thrown in a unique position and showed his true colors much later, but he proved a Vitale through and through.
Overall, Never Say Never is a mixed-bag yet ultimately thrilling story of loyalty, trust, and family, where the mind says no, the heart says yes, and the blood screams vengeance.
Rating:
3.5 Stars – that place between like and loveSoundtrack: Say It First
Artist: Sam Smith
Album: The Thrill Of It AllP.S.
Vitale Brothers is best read in order. Each brother is fascinating so go ahead and meet them all.
Take Me Apart by Brea – Vitales like to live dangerously and Enzo did it by kidnapping a cop
Paid In Full by Brea – Gin found himself a twink he can’t let go
Say I Do by Brea – Benito don’t do things by halves so he married a complete psycho
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NEVER SAY NEVER: Kindle | Audiobook
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SERIES REVIEW: Resurrectionist by Isobel Starling
Resurrectionist: The Shooting Season – Isobel Starling
Monday 20th December 1897.
Mr. Benedict Hannan, the owner of Hannan’s Auction House in Fitzrovia, receives a letter inviting him to attend the sale of a private collection of Fine Art and antiquities belonging to the Late Lord Percival Ardmillan. Ardmillan is known to Benedict, or rather his son Euan is, and so, Benedict hurriedly travels to the West Highlands to fulfill his dream of owning a particular item from the Lord’s collection—something that he has coveted for thirty years.
In Scotland, Benedict meets the collectors who were invited to bid in the auction. He discovers that the auction of the private collection is not as straightforward as he had imagined.
Forced to come to terms with his past and present desires, Benedict finds himself in the thrall of a mysterious traveler and in turn, gets more than he bargained for!
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Seed
Artist: The Academy Is
Album: Santi
Resurrectionist: The Gentleman’s Thief – Isobel Starling
Tuesday 28th December 1897.
Mr. Benedict Hannan, the owner of Hannan’s Auction House in Fitzrovia, London, receives an unexpected visitor at his Bloomsbury home. The man on his stoop sends Benedict’s heart into a flutter, and on inviting the mysterious stranger into his house, he is inviting mystery, adventure, and volcanic desire.
Sebastian Cavell—master thief, gives the impression he has sought out Benedict for the sake of business, but the kind of business Sebastian has in mind has nothing to do with making money!
Cavell has been tasked with finding the whereabouts of a missing German aristocrat. With Benedict’s society connections, Sebastian gains access to his Gentleman’s Club and to men whose behavior is not so gentlemanly!
Benedict is pulled into the circle of a dangerous secret society and he not only learns the truth about the mysterious Sebastian Cavell, but learns the truth about himself and all he truly desires.
FYI: This is historical Gay romance and contains scenes of a graphic sexual nature.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Seeds
Artist: Yoke Lore
Album: Seeds
Resurrectionist: Infernal Vices – Isobel Starling
January 1898
Benedict Hannan has veered off his celibate, godly path and onto one of erotic exploration with his beloved criminal Sebastian Cavell. He is also trying and failing to rid himself of the insidious bonds of the deviant cabal Fratres Seminis. The cabal drew Benedict into their blasphemous schemes at the behest of his ex-lover Lord Euan Ardmillan. However, now Ardmillan is out of favour with the leader, Lawrence Blake, and considered to be a betrayer.Benedict’s relationship with Sebastian grows ever closer, but it’s his friendship with fellow acolyte Charles Ashe that leads to a discovery that could end Lawrence Blake for good. They must tread carefully, for when the young, blond hedonist Leopold Von Liebenstein returns to London, Blake’s nefarious plan to dabble in ancient Greek magic and pass through the veil draws ever closer to completion.
Infernal Vices is an M/M historical romance and contains graphic descriptions of gay sex.
This book is a work of art created by human imagination. No AI was use for the writing or artwork in this book.
Theft of the contents of this book or cover artwork for machine learning (AI) is strictly prohibited.
Rating:
4.5 Stars – perfection is only half a step awaySoundtrack: Seeds of Gold
Artist: Closure in Moscow
Album: Pink Lemonade
Resurrectionist by Isobel Starling is a historical MM romance that, as a blind read, turned out to be unexpectedly deep, dark, and dirty. The stories were written as a serial, and I’m glad I read it when all the installments were already released because those cliffhangers were something else!
The first book, The Shooting Season, is the shortest. It introduces us to Mr. Benedict Hannan, a solitary 50-year-old owner of a successful auction house and the first-person narrator. His old friend and former lover, Lord Euan Ardmillan, invited him to participate in an auction of his late father’s collection.
This led Benedict to an ancient Greek artifact, the Staff of Asclepius, a phallic statue said to be magical and used in ancient rituals. A secret collector of phallic artifacts, he felt drawn to the statue. It is also during this part that he learns of Euan’s nefarious plans for him and meets The Gentleman Thief.
In the second installment, The Gentleman’s Thief, Benedict struck a friendship with Sebastian Cavell, The Gentleman Thief. This friendship quickly turned romantic as Sebastian soon confessed his attraction for Benedict had begun long before he made his identity known to the older man.
Benedict, who considered himself a god-fearing man, wrestled with his conscience but couldn’t deny his feelings. However, Sebastian’s open and intense affection not only encouraged Benedict to come out of his shell but also made him more daring and resourceful. Sebastian’s sense of adventure is truly contagious.
Sebastian works as a sort of procurer, retrieving lost items for their owners. His partnership with Benedict also involved working on his case to locate a missing young German baron and returning him to his family. And this is where things took a darker turn.
We get a sex cult, pornographers, orgies, charlatans, grooming of impressionable young men, and so much unhygienic consumption of body fluids it was a wonder no one got sick. The Staff of Asclepius is sought after by these men because it was rumored to bestow immortality. The statue was lost during the auction in the first book, and guess who has it now.
In the last installment, Infernal Vices, Sebastian and Benedict collaborated to dismantle the sex cult from Book 2. Benedict infiltrated the cult, pretending to be a believer while secretly gathering information to pass on to Sebastian. Along the way, they found unlikely allies and prepared for the big takedown.
The series presented different facets of homosexuality, highlighting the Greek practice of pairing an older man with a younger one.
There is the pure kind of love between Benedict and Sebastian. While there is a 15-year age gap, the dynamics between them were more or less equal. And it is Sebastian who helped Benedict’s character grow and explore outside his comfort zone.
Benedict, as a narrator, tends to be self-deprecating, initially believing himself flawed and weak for his homosexuality. He sounded so insecure I was surprised to learn his age.
Later, his voice becomes more confident, especially when realizing that he can navigate the insidious workings of the cult and that there’s nothing morally wrong about his relationship with Sebastian, and his gravitas as a 50-year-old gentleman of considerable means shines through.
I wanted Sebastian’s POV, but seeing him through Benedict’s eyes enhanced his enigmatic and compelling presence. He is a man of many talents and protects his identity through various disguises. And with journalists and the police pursuing The Gentlemen Thief, Sebastian’s solution to that problem was ingenious!
Seeing him pop up as different characters was fun! Our boy clearly had it bad that he couldn’t stay away from Benedict, and his character as Birdy was a ray of sunshine! I’m tickled pink every time he calls Benedict, “dear heart.”
There is also the more lustful relationship between the young Baron Leopold and the older men who held him in thrall. Leo’s relationship with Blake and Cavendish was a bastardization of love. The two older men dote on him but also manipulate and use him for their evil plans. They lured him into the cult and made him believe he is destined for greatness.
Lawrence Blake is an American theosophist, con man, and the head of the cabal who called themselves Fratres Semenis. I felt like his character was based on David Bowie, especially the heterochromatic eyes and head-turning presence. In cahoots with him is Lord Benjamin Cavendish, along with other influential men of similar inclinations.
The cult worships the semen, believing that drinking a man’s seed will give them the wisdom and vitality of that man. The rituals, a.k.a. orgies, were quite graphic and gross. Leo is the Vessel and, thus, the receiver of most fluids. The young man had no inkling of the tragic fate that awaited him.
Among the unlikely allies is Charles Ash, a journalist and artist, who is really just in the cabal for the sex. Charles is crushing on Benedict, which makes the old man uncomfortable, but I’m glad they ended up as friends because Charles is charming and a good guy.
Another favorite is Nisa, a half-Indian, half-British heiress with a surprise connection to one of the characters. I wished she made her appearance sooner. Our girl is a gifted actress, skilled in martial arts, and one heck of a sharpshooter. I loved the part she played at the end. The big takedown was spectacular!
Resurrectionist is a potent mix of romance and erotic, suspense and intrigue, secret identities and occult rituals, plus a dash of magic you have to see to believe. Overall, a thrilling, passionate exploration of love, lust and snakey statues.
P.S.
I highly recommend audiobooking this because Gary Furlong was fantastic!
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RESURRECTIONIST: Kindle | Audiobook
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SERIES REVIEW: Extradiction & Protection (Mobsters + Billionaires Books 1 & 2) by Kelly Fox
Mobsters + Billionaires: Extradiction by Kelly Fox
Fun fact: You can take the man out of the Mafia and put him in a fancy Manhattan high-rise, but that man’s always gonna have a little bit of mobster in him. Which probably explains why I told off my arrogant billionaire CEO, Rand Wolfe, in front of the entire company.
After our little exchange goes viral, I’m left with the choice of letting my father’s men toss Wolfe’s disrespectful ass into the Hudson or helping him escape. Long story short, I’m hiding out in the billionaire’s penthouse with my father’s extradition order hanging over my head.
Only…Wolfe’s nothing like I thought he’d be. This wealthy, powerful man is actually interested in what I have to say, and his alpha-hole façade falls apart completely when we’re alone.
God, he comes alive under my hands.
With other families getting involved and my father’s threats looming in the background, am I mob enough to save the man I’m falling for?
Extradition is a Manhattan romance that features an ex-mobster with a heart of gold, a billionaire with a tiny humiliation kink, and a snarky cast of criminals, reprobates, and other corporate types.
This is the first book in the Mobsters + Billionaires series. #dangerswoon
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitSoundtrack: The Wolf
Artist: Mumford and Sons
Album: Wilder Mind
Mobsters + Billionaires: Protection – Kelly Fox
I wait for the signal at crosswalks. I pay my taxes on time. And, despite my association with a certain Mafia family, I run a clean business providing security for Manhattan’s wealthy elite.
I don’t break the law.
Dr. Madhuban Laghari—Mads—is my newest protectee and my biggest problem. He fights his security protocols at every turn and makes me question all of my carefully crafted rules. Especially the one about not falling for the world’s most adorable billionaire.
Every time we go back and forth, I fall a little harder.
More dangerous than our sexy banter is the fact that the threats against him are starting to escalate.
He doesn’t want to face the reality that he’s got a stalker tracking his every move, not to mention the Russian government trying to steal his technology. The closer we get, the more I know I’ll do anything to protect him.
If his enemies dare to put a hand on my billionaire, they’ll discover how Mafia I can get.
***
Protection is a cameo-filled, globetrotting romance that features a reluctant mobster, a billionaire with questionable taste in fashion, and a found family made entirely of morally gray do-gooders.The books in this series are stand-alones, and the HEA is always guaranteed.
Rating:
4 Stars – minor quibbles but I loved it to bitSoundtrack: Worth Fighting For
Artist: The Movement
Album: Always With Me
The combination of mobsters and billionaires had never crossed my mind, but when author Kelly Fox put them together, I realized it was an obvious and unexpectedly intriguing pairing!
Also, who doesn’t swoon for dangerous, deadly men and their ‘touch him and die’ vibe when it comes to their adored boyfriends?!
Series opener Extradiction kicked off with a mic drop walk-out scene where Joe Portelli puts the posturing billionaire Rand Wolfe in his place. I’ll keep the details to a minimum because this is one of the best parts and started a series of exciting events that led to Joe living with Rand.
Rand quickly realized Joe was an asset, and working with him would improve the company’s image and more. The two started working closely to convince Wolfe Sr and other old school board members to improve work conditions for their employees. They met a brick wall but Joe and Rand were determined to make positive changes.
Rand also realized he could let himself be vulnerable around Joe, and Joe would instinctively give Rand what he needed. They don’t have much in common, but both men have complicated relationships with their fathers, and this impacts much of the story.
While BDSM isn’t my cup of tea, and Joe’s magic dick was a bit much, the evolution of their relationship and the undeniable soul-deep connection that formed was a joy to witness! This is such a fun and delicious read, the kind I found myself so entertained that I could ignore the inconsistencies.
For example, we can totally ignore the elephant in the room, a.k.a. Joe “there’s no such thing as an ethical billionaire” Portelli is also Joe mooching off and being okay with said billionaire spoiling him with designer suits and thousand-dollar VR games.
Forced proximity did its magic, creating a spectacularly sizzling chemistry between Joe and Rand! Add to that the swoony alpha protectiveness of Joe, tapping deep into his mafia soul to save his beloved billionaire from the bad guys! Also, lots of cuddles and pasta dinners!
Coming full circle is the squee-tastic closing scene where I squee-ed so hard!!! It was the perfect happy ending for this power couple!
The series also introduces us to lots of unforgettable characters, pairings for the succeeding books, and secondary characters who made their mark. The couples from each book come together to play poker every week.
Aside from Joe, the mobsters are could-be-could-be-not-actual brothers starting with security specialist Edgerton, mob boss Luca, and unhinged psycho Hopper. The billionaire contingent and Rand’s friends are money geek Ford and tech genius Mads.
There’s also a mysterious RICO agent stalking Hopper. Adding their snark and good sense to the mix are Greyson, the butler, and Sherry, Rand’s PA.
Protection is about security specialist Anthony Edgerton assigning himself to protect tech billionaire Dr. Madhuban Leghari from a stalker. Mads is fighting hard to keep his invention away from people with malicious intent. It has gotten so bad, that there were even kidnapping attempts.
This is narrated by Declan Winters, and unfortunately, his voices for Mads and Anthony were so similar that it took me a while to realize the POV changes.
The story opens with a rather manic internal dialogue by Mads, and the rest of the chapter is chaotic because Mads’s energy is on hyperdrive. At first, he came off as a horny teenager, then just a horny adult, but he was amusing, and he was a ray of sunshine.
Mads made it well-known from the get-go he was crushing on Anthony. Tried as he might to resist, the immovable, taciturn Anthony stood no chance against the unstoppable force that is Mads.
This has the size difference and opposites attract tropes in play. Anthony is Captain America, while Mads is a scrawny 5’7, tall in Asia, chibi in the US. Anthony is also a rule-follower, a code he has because of his complicated family history. And protecting his loved ones, especially the sunshine-y Mads, is making him break his rule.
While I liked the first book more, I couldn’t help but be charmed by Mads and his loyal bodyguard, Anthony. Sure, the love declarations were cheesetastic, and there were plenty, but they were heart melting too!
The cameos certainly piqued my interest. Couples from the author’s Wrecked: Guardians series contributed their skills and crazy in the action-packed rescue scene. It was quite a treat, even though I haven’t read their series yet.
I’m also hoping the author would write a story about Olga, the spy secretly helping Mads, and Ryder, Mad’s goth tech expert. Loved how Olga kicked ass as Ukrainian spec ops while Ryder kicked ass with her keyboard.
The books are in dual first-person POVs. Expect action and some violence, plenty of humor and steam,
Extraction is narrated by Blake Lockheart who did a fabulous job! The rest of the books are narrated by Declan Winters. He’s one of my top narrators so other than the point mentioned above, his narration was very engaging.
Mobsters+Billionaires should be read in order. Ethical mobsters and billionaires might be a myth but they sure fall in love for real.
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MOBSTERS + BILLIONAIRES: Kindle | Audiobook
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RELEASE BLITZ: Savage by Brooke Blaine & Ella Frank (Giveaway)
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12 TOUR DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Tentacle on 34th Street by Kelex
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12 TOUR DAYS OF CHRISTMAS: Deck The Hulls by Kat Cassidy
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COVER REVEAL: Protecting the Witness by Kimberly Knight & Rachel Lyn Adams
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RELEASE BLITZ: Neutral Zone Trap by Crea Reitan
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AUDIO TOUR: Nightcrawler by Patricia Logan (Excerpt & Giveaway)
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PREORDER BLAST: Neutral Zone Trap by Crea Reitan
