Mercy in Betrayal by Vi Carter / ER Whyte-review tour

Mercy in Betrayal (Son of the Mafia 4) by Vi Carter / ER Whyte-review tour

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date March 7, 2024

The is my prize and my penance…my obsession and possession.

I want to shake the hand of the person who gunned down my father. He was a rotten b*stard.
It’s just a pity I didn’t get to take his life myself.
Now, with my father gone, I am the new Don of the Scarpetta family.

A don’s murder requires retribution, though, and when I take my rightful place, the means presents itself.
She’s small, innocent, and kept locked away by her brother Cassidy.
I’m all about force and brutality, and I like to take what is mine. But even I can’t just snatch the Princess from the head of the Irish mafia.

No. I must woo her out of her cage, only to trap her in one of my own.
This little bird wants to fly…and for some reason I want to show her all the sky has to offer.

Even if it causes war between every mafia family in NYC.

•••••

REVIEW:MERCY IN BETRAYAL is the fourth instalment in the contemporary, adult SONS OF THE MAFIA dark, erotic, crime world romance series co-authored by Vi Carter and ER Whyte. This is Don Enzo Scarpetta, and Irish Mob princess Rowan O’Rourke’s story line. MERCY IN BETRAYAL can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary but I recommend reading the series in order for back story and cohesion as there is an ongoing theme throughout.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

If you have not read the previous instalments, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Enzo and Rowan) with a final chapter from Vivi, MERCY IN BETRAYAL follows in the wake of Enzo Scarpetta’s ascension to Don. The murder of his father and brother places Enzo on the proverbial throne of the Scarpetta Crime Family. With the approach of his sister Carina’s wedding to Luca Marzano (Enemies in Ruin 3), and the potential for war with the Five ruling families, Enzo Scarpetta finds himself facing a dilemma when a strong suggestion from the Romanov Bratva forces Enzo to consider claiming the hand of our story line heroine. Single, innocent and struggling with the demons from her past, Irish Mob princess Rowan O’Rourke is ripe for the picking but is about to discover that Enzo’s seduction is shrouded in secrets and lies. With the constant chatter and push from Ivan Romanov, Enzo learns that the ultimate betrayal may come from someone he knows, someone within the family organization. What ensues is the building relationship between Enzo and Rowan, and the potential fall-out when a fight for power takes aim at the ruling Five Families.

The world building is, once again, complex and intricate, as a struggle for control threatens the people at the top when other factors and families violently demand their place in power. Enzo Scarpetta has been thrown to the proverbial wolves with the murder of his father and brother, and in this, there are others who know more than he could have ever imagined.

The relationship between Enzo and Rowan begins as a seduction when Enzo targets our story line heroine. Rowan is completely unaware of Enzo’s criminal connections, and in this, she will discover, that an affair with Enzo means the possibility of another betrayal. The $ex scenes are intimate, passionate and aggressive.

There is another large ensemble cast of colorful secondary and supporting characters Rowan’s brother Cassidy and his wife Evie: Enzo’s sister Carina and her husband Luca, as well as several members of the Irish, Italian and Russian Crime families.

MERCY IN BETRAYAL is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The fast paced, character driven premise is detailed, twisted and tragic; the romance is spicy, seductive and provocative; the characters are determined, stubborn and spirited. MERCY IN BETRAYAL ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Sins of the Mafia
Vengeance in Blood
Enemies in Ruin
Redemption in Cruelty

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Haven’t started the series? The prequel novella-SINS OF THE MAFIA is FREE at these retailers: –>  Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.uk Amazon.au /

VI CARTER: When Vi Carter isn’t writing contemporary & dark romance books, that feature the mafia, are filled with suspense, and take you on a fast paced ride, you can find her reading her favorite authors, baking, taking photos or watching Netflix.

Married with two children, Vi divides her time between motherhood and all the other hats she wears as an Author.

She has declared herself a coffee & chocolate addict! Do not judge

AUTHOR LINKS

Newsletter and FREE book / Website / Facebook/Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Goodreads

ER WHYTE: E.R. Whyte is a multi-genre author, writing contemporary and new adult romance under E.R. Whyte, reverse harem romance under Evie Rae, and sweet romance under Elle Rae Whyte. Although it would no doubt make life easier to simply choose a genre, she loves romance in all its forms too much to ever do that.

She’s a simple girl at heart, living in a teeny-tiny Virginia town and spending her time finding herself, catering to various fur babies, and indulging her reading, writing, and photography habits. She loves being alone, bananas foster, and Pepsi.

Whyte worked as a high school English teacher for around a decade before she decided she really wanted more time to devote to her family and other fun stuff. Now she thinks up new ways to make tacos on Tuesday, explores the Marvel universe with childish enthusiasm, and spends entirely too much time on the computer.
Life is good.

AUTHOR LINKSFacebookTikTok

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Enemies in Ruin/Redemption in Cruelty by Vi Carter & ER Whyte

ENEMIES IN RUIN / REDEMPTION IN CRUELTY (Sons of the Mafia 2 & 3) by Vi Carter & ER Whyte-reviews

Enemies in Ruin
Sons of the Mafia 3
by Vi Carter & ER Whyte
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, erotic, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 15, 2023

The ink isn’t dry on the contract for my arranged marriage when my first and only love comes back to town.

The Pits demand five souls, turning men into monsters. I know this, as it took away my humanity when I was forced to kill my best friend.
It wasn’t just his life that ended that day but mine, too. I lost not only him, but his sister and my lover—who can never discover the truth of her brother’s death.
I swore before I snapped his neck that I would find out who runs the Pits and bring them to their knees.

I become an Untouchable, working in the shadows with law enforcement. The punishment for such betrayal is death.

I have nothing to lose, though. Nothing, that is, until Carina comes back to town.
She left as a girl and returned as a woman, rising beautiful and strong and a mafia queen in her own right.
Even as I crave her touch, my secrets are choking me along with the marriage contract I just signed to another woman.
But no matter how hard I try to stay away; Carina will always be the inescapable lure. The closer we get, the more danger we are in, until a hit on Carina forces my hand.

I have two choices.

Stay loyal to my family and let Carina die.
Or f*ck my family’s legacy and save the woman I love.

•••••

REVIEW: ENEMIES IN RUIN is the second instalment in the contemporary, adult SONS OF THE MAFIA dark, erotic, romance series. This is the west coast General-Queen Carina Scarpetta, and heir to the Marzano famiglia Luca Marzano’s story line. ENEMIES IN RUIN can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Luca and Carina), using two timelines, and Carina’s journal entries, ENEMIES IN RUIN follows the return to New York of Carina Scarpetta, the ‘disgraced’ daughter of Agostina Scarpetta. Following the death of her beloved twin Francis, and the humiliation at the hands of the man that she loved, Carina left to become someone more powerful than anyone could have imagined but her return came with the realization that the man she once loved has been promised to someone else, and Carina is determined to get her revenge for sins of the past. All is not well within the Five Famiglias of New York, and a war is about to encroach on everyone concerned. From the fighting pits to the contract on our heroine’s head, secrets reveal a heart breaking betrayal near the top of the chain. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Carina and Luca, and the potential fall-out as our couple are targeted, standing in the direct line of fire.

The world building continues to focus on the fight for control; the battle for power, for cities, for money and influence. With Carina’s return comes a contract for her life, a life Luca is determined to protect with his own.

The relationship between Carina and Luca is one of second chances but a relationship that destroyed our heroine’s heart. Pushed aside, and left on her own, Carina would become one of the most powerful women on the West coast, a woman who is going to prove she is willing to risk it all for vengeance against those who destroyed her life. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative but I am not a fan of the use of a certain four-letter word.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, questionable and powerful secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to the new head of the Irish mob Evie O’Hanlon, Commission Valachi Don Angelus, as well as several members of the Irish and Italian mob families and soldiers; and Carina’s father Agostina Scarpetta Not everyone can be trusted, most are trying to secure their own paths to the top.

ENEMIES IN RUIN is another tragic and dramatic story of power and control, danger and death, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, murder and mayhem, forgiveness and love. The fast paced premise is intriguing, intense and edgy; the romance is a chance at forgiveness and forever; the characters are desperate, determined, dynamic and animated.

Copy supplied by Booksprout

Reviewed by Sandy

________

REDEMPTION IN CRUELTY
Sons of the Mafia 3
by Vi Carter & ER Whyte
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, erotic, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK : Release Date November 14, 2023

They say she is a mafia princess. But when Evie O’Hanlon’s precious feet land on Irish soil, I realize everyone is wrong. She’s not a princess but a Queen.

A Queen I want to capture, play with, and then kill.

You can’t have competition, no matter how pretty the package is. And the package is very f*ucking pretty—so much so that my plan to kill her weakens the closer I get.
But my Queen isn’t exactly innocent. She weaves her own dark and dangerous web for me, one she freely admits to.
Together, we are gasoline and flame—explosive.
When we decide that we’d rather work together than against each other, our allies turn on us, and soon every move we make is marked by danger and death.
But every time they hurt us, they push us closer together.
So close that we ignite and burn the world around us to the ground.
Revenge is sweet. Loving Evie is sweeter.

•••••••

REVIEW: REDEMPTION IN CRUELTY is the third instalment in the contemporary, adult SONS OF THE MAFIA dark, erotic, romance series co-authored by Vi Carter and ER Whyte. This is Irish Mob Queen / Italian Mafia heir Evie O’Hanlon, and the head of the O’Rourke Mob Cassidy O’Rourke’s story line. REDEMPTION IN CRUELTY can be read as a stand alone but for back story and cohesion I recommend reading the series in order.

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Evie and Cassidy) REDEMPTION IN CRUELTY follows in the wake of Evie inheriting control of both the O’Hanlon and Papparado crime families. The death of her parents and her brothers has left Evie in charge wherein a trip to Ireland to regain control finds Evie confronted by Irish mobster Cassidy O’Rourke. Cassidy has plans for our story line heroine but betrayal from both sides push Cassidy and Evie to work together, in an effort to stay alive in the face of treason, murder and a fight for control. What ensues is building of both a sexual and professional relationship between Cassidy and Evie, and the potential fall-out as our couple are caught in a war in which very few will survive.

The world building is detailed and complex as several different and warring factions of the Irish mob want to rip control from the other side. The O’Hanlon’s blame the O’Rourke’s, and vice versa, and in this there is quite a bit of truth to the deceit and duplicity of everyone involved.

The relationship between Evie and Cassidy is one predicated upon a need for vengeance but with every opportunity for retribution Cassidy finds himself falling for a woman whose family he blames for everything that went wrong. Time spent together brings the couple closer but their closeness is the fodder that will make them a target of those who believe they have been betrayed. The $ex scenes are intimate and erotic.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, energetic and determined secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Cassidy’s siblings Mark, Derek and Rowan, as well as Evie’s housekeepers John, Meredith and their son Tadgh. The requisite evil has many faces-not everyone will survive.

REDEMPTION IN CRUELTY is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, murder and mayhem, determination, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, gritty, heart breaking and captivating; the romance is seductive; the characters are desperate, broken, and dynamic.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Sins of the Mafia
Vengeance in Blood

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

Haven’t started the series? The prequel novella-SINS OF THE MAFIA is FREE at these retailers: –>  Amazon.com Amazon.ca Amazon.uk Amazon.au /

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VENGEANCE IN BLOOD (Sons of the Mafia 1) by Vi Carter & ER Whyte

VENGEANCE IN BLOOD (Sons of the Mafia 1) by Vi Carter & ER Whyte-review tour

SINS OF THE MAFIA
(Sons of the Mafia .5)
by Vi Carter & ER Whyte
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, erotic, Mafia Romance

–> FREE prequel: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 21, 2023

Four mafia families who rule the underworld. A power struggle that leads to war. And a forbidden love that might set it all ablaze.
Damon
Valachi.
That was the name on my mother’s dying lips.
That one word would spark a war.
A war that I planned on winning.
I would go to the Valachi famiglia, and integrate myself into their world. I would learn their weaknesses and their secrets, and I would find out who was responsible for my mother’s execution.
Then I met Lorenzo Valachi’s daughter, Lulu.
She’s a queen in the making: strong, beautiful, and full of compassion. She’s also an innocent… and the only thing standing in my way.
Lulu lights a fire in me that threatens to burn hotter than my desire for revenge. I can’t have her, though–not if I want to avenge my mother.
So, I change my plans, just a little. I’ll have my vengeance, and Lulu, too.
Lulu
I’m trapped in a golden cage and men hold the key to my freedom.
My father controls his world with an iron fist. When he makes Damon, a made man, his right hand, a light is lit in my darkened world.
He makes me feel things I never thought would be possible.
The closer we get, though, the more I crave. Until one day, he cuts me off and leaves me in the cold.
Only this time I refuse to be silenced. This time I refuse to return to that dark cage.
Damon hasn’t just brought light into my world, but hope… and hope can be a very dangerous thing.

••••••••••

REVIEW: SINS OF THE MAFIA is the prequel novella in the contemporary, adult SONS OF THE MAFIA romance series co-authored by Vi Carter and ER Whyte.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Damon and Lulu) SINS OF THE MAFIA focuses on Damon’s need for revenge. Six years earlier Damon Papparado’s beloved mother was gunned down in a Mafia style hit, a drive by shooting, his mother would blame on the Valachi Crime Family. One year later, Damon finds himself the right-hand man to Don Lorenzo Valachi, a position that places our hero in the direct line to the top but all is not well within the Valachi family including a drunken matriarch, a spoiled sixteen year old princess, a son whose aspirations conflict with his father’s control , and their twenty-one year old daughter who quite possible could control them all. Another five years will pass, Don Lorenzo Valachi will die of presumed natural causes, and a now thirty-one year old Damon Papparado sees a chance to take revenge on the family that destroyed his life.

SINS OF THE MAFIA is an introductory novella that reveals a little bit of the history behind the need for revenge and a potential war between the Valachi-Papparado families. The premise is interesting but no conflict resolution, and no real anger or palpable tension; there is no romance only a stolen kiss or two; the characters are desperate and determined- the Valachi family thinks of themselves as above the rest but their dysfunctional family and attitudes is questionable at best. SINS OF THE MAFIA ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Own a copy

Reviewed by Sandy

_____________

VENGEANCE IN BLOOD
Sons of the Mafia 1
by Vi Carter & ER Whyte
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, erotic, Mafia Romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 20, 2023

I married my enemy’s daughter.
If I can’t make him pay for his sins… she will.

Valachi, the name of a rival mafia family, was the last word on my mother’s dying lips.
After years of careful deceit and planning, my moment of revenge has finally arrived.
The head of the Valachi family has died, leaving his innocent daughter vulnerable.
She is forced to take my hand in an arranged marriage.
By the time she learns my true identity, it will be too late.
As her new husband, I will have complete control over her.
I am the enemy in her bed.
Her naive happily ever after will become a nightmare as I use her to seize power, and enact my final revenge.

••••••

REVIEW: VENGEANCE IN BLOOD is the first full-length instalment in the contemporary, adult SONS OF THE MAFIA dark, erotic, Mafia romance series co-authored by Vi Carter and ER Whyte. This is the continuing story of twenty-nine year old, Damon Papparado, and twenty-five year old, Luciana ‘Lulu’ Valachi. Damon and Lulu’s story begins five years earlier, in the prequel novella SINS OF THE MAFIA .

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives Damon and Lulu, VENGEANCE IN BLOOD follows in the aftermath of the death of Don Lorenzo Valachi, leaving a hole in the struggle for power. To Luciani ‘Lulu’ Valachi’s horror, our heroine will discover that her late father has ‘sold’ her as payment for a debt to several different arms of the Italian Mafia, and if she refuses, her younger sister is to pay the ultimate price. Enter Don Lorenzo Valachi’s right hand man, Damon Papparado, who offers his hand in marriage to secure the safety of the Valachi sisters but all is not as it appears to be, and Damon’s offer of marriage comes with a caveat meant to destroy the Valachi family for sins of the past. What ensues is the acrimonious relationship, and marriage of convenience between Damon and Lulu, and the potential fall-out when the truth reveals a staggering secret, a battle for control, and the fight for power.

Don Lorenzo Valachi died without a male heir, his son having disappeared six years earlier. Expecting but not wanting to inherit her father’s seat on the Commission, and control of the Valachi crime family, Lulu will quickly discover that her father’s debts will be paid with her life and the life of her younger sister. As the different branches of the Italian Mafia take aim at our story line couple, the reality of the situation proves to be much more dangerous and dark.

The relationship between Damon and Lulu is tempestuous at best. Damon offers his hand in marriage, seducing our heroine into believing she is loved but Lulu will quickly discover the hopelessness of her situation, and the control Damon not holds over her future and her life. Lulu has married a man determined to exact vengeance for sins of the past, vengeance that may be misdirected, evil and deadly. Lulu has lost everyone she has ever loved excerpt her sister Vivi, but Vivi’s life has been threatened, and Lulu is paying the ultimate price. The $ex scenes are aggressive and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of powerful and dangerous secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Lulu’s sister Vivi; Damon’s sister Evie and their brother Marcus, as well as several members of the Italian mob.The requisite evil has many faces.

VENGEANCE IN BLOOD is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, madness and murder, acceptance and love. The premise is dark, dramatic, and intense; the characters are powerful , desperate and determined; the romance is predicated upon obsession, vengeance and need. VENGEANCE IN BLOOD ends on a happily ever after-for now.

Click The Reading Cafe for Sandy’s review of the prequel SINS OF THE MAFIA.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

VI CARTER: When Vi Carter isn’t writing contemporary & dark romance books, that feature the mafia, are filled with suspense, and take you on a fast paced ride, you can find her reading her favorite authors, baking, taking photos or watching Netflix.

Married with two children, Vi divides her time between motherhood and all the other hats she wears as an Author.

She has declared herself a coffee & chocolate addict! Do not judge

AUTHOR LINKS

Newsletter and FREE book / Website / Facebook/Twitter / Instagram / Bookbub / Goodreads

ER WHYTE: E.R. Whyte is a multi-genre author, writing contemporary and new adult romance under E.R. Whyte, reverse harem romance under Evie Rae, and sweet romance under Elle Rae Whyte. Although it would no doubt make life easier to simply choose a genre, she loves romance in all its forms too much to ever do that.
 
She’s a simple girl at heart, living in a teeny-tiny Virginia town and spending her time finding herself, catering to various fur babies, and indulging her reading, writing, and photography habits. She loves being alone, bananas foster, and Pepsi.
 
Whyte worked as a high school English teacher for around a decade before she decided she really wanted more time to devote to her family and other fun stuff. Now she thinks up new ways to make tacos on Tuesday, explores the Marvel universe with childish enthusiasm, and spends entirely too much time on the computer.
Life is good.

AUTHOR LINKS: Facebook/ TikTok

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