Tag Archives: Irish Mafia

When Kings Rise (O’Sullivan Brides 1) by Vi Carter-review tour

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When Kings Rise (O’Sullivan Brides 1) by Vi Carter-review tour

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Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3UiKmRw

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 7, 2024

My rivals are Dons; I am a King.

Three brides have been chosen for my pleasure and displeasure. One of them will become a King’s consort; the others will be discarded.

Until my decision is made, I get to feast on them all.

They are mine.

After the demise of my uncle, the O’Sullivan family has yet to choose the new Don. With two brothers and a vengeful, unhinged cousin also vying for the position, tension is rising in an already dangerous business.

Especially since no one knows that I’m responsible for my uncle’s disappearance.

Enter the Hands of Kings, a global cult with the ability to replace CEOs, Presidents, and Popes. And their leader, Victor, has his eye on me.

Few men were made to be Kings and Victor has plans for me, plans that do not require my approval.

But an unseen enemy is hiding and they know my secrets. They are manipulating the people around me with the intention of taking my crown.

A King is not so easily dethroned, especially when threats are made toward me and mine.

No one shall have my brides.

••••

REVIEW:WHEN KINGS RISE is the first instalment in Vi Carter’s contemporary, adult THE O’SULLIVAN BRIDES dark, erotic, romance series focusing on Irish Mafia King Diarmuid O’Sullivan, and his three virgin brides Selene, Naimh, and Amira.

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

Told from four first person perspectives (Diarmuid, Selene, Naimh, Amira) WHEN KINGS RISE follows in the wake of the murder of Diarmuid’s uncle Andrew O’Sullivan, and Diarmuid’s rise to ‘King’. The Kings is a cult-like organization with the ability to replace and control CEOs, Presidents and Popes, and Diarmuid’s time has come to take his place. Gifted with three virgin brides, Diarmuid is about to come face to face with his future, three woman as different as any three woman could be, but three women who could be the downfall of some powerful men. As the hunt for Andrew O’Sullivans killer intensifies, betrayal comes from within, taking aim at Diarmuid O’Sullivan.

The world building is detailed and complex. We are up close and personal with three woman who have been groomed to be a bride to a King but three women who are determined to take back control of their lives. Diarmuid O’Sullivan is much more than a King but a man with a need to control.

The relationship between Diarmuid and the three women is different on many levels: Amira who has suffered more then the others: Naimh is determined to protect her younger sister at all costs; and Selene wants to uncover the truth about Diarmuid and the Kings. Amira is determined to take everything and more, leaving the other women floundering for a post in Diarmuid’s world. The $ex scenes are provocative and aggressive.

There is a large ensemble cast of questionable and dark secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Diarmuid’s brothers Ronan and Lorcan, their embittered cousin Wolf; head of the Hand of Kings Victor Maddigan; investigative journalist Rian Morrissey; Niamh’s sister Ella, as well as the ’bride’s contemptuous parents.

WHEN KINGS RISE is a story of power and control, secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, murder and madness, family and relationships. The premise is dark, gritty, dramatic and intense; the characters are dangerous, powerful , determined and desperate. WHEN KINGS RISE ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

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 Pinterest

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Tarnished Throne (Reckless Reign 3)by Kristen Luciani-Review Tour

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Tarnished Throne (Reckless Reign 3)by Kristen Luciani-Review Tour

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

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3AxFiNM

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 4, 2021

Our world is built on a web of lies…and even the truth can’t set us free.

I always knew Patrick Mulligan was a man of many layers.
I just never imagined that peeling them back would awaken such a savage beast with the insatiable need to control and conquer everything and everyone around him.

My husband is a beautiful, vicious monster with a god-like body that is fueled by the wrath of the devil.
He can command me with a flash of his eyes and make me melt with the flick of his fingers and the delicious sting of his palm.

But dark secrets, deception, and betrayal litter our happily ever after.
They feed on the roots of our dangerously twisted fairy tale, threatening us at every turn.

I married the man of my dreams, only to have all of them shattered as soon as we said our “I dos.”
Because the true villain in our story is the one we never saw coming…and the one we’ll never escape.

•••••

REVIEW:TARNISHED THRONE is the third and final instalment in Kristen Luciani’s contemporary, adult RECKLESS REIGN dark, erotic, Irish Mafia, romance series focusing on Kyla Costigan, and Patrick Mulligan. TARNISHED THRONE should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book two VICIOUS VOWS. The RECKLESS REIGN series is a spin off from the author’s SINFULLY SAVAGE series but you do not have to have read the previous series to follow although several characters cross over, and references are made to past events.

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

NOTE: If you have not read book one or two, there may be spoilers in my review.

SOME BACKGROUND: The Mulligan family and empire continues to crumble from within. Patrick Mulligan is the new head of the Mulligan family, and with it comes the responsibility of cleaning the corruption that continues to reign. With the family near bankrupt, and his father’s failing health, a debt is called in, forcing Patrick to make a deal with the Cartel, a deal that is more dark and dangerous than he could have ever imagined

Told from dual first person perspectives TARNISHED THRONE picks up following the wedding of our story line couple, a marriage meant to merge the families, saving the Mulligans from financial ruin but Patrick’s father’s health quickly deteriorates, leaving Patrick struggling to stop the fall out that is rapidly tearing the Mulligan family apart. As his brother Niall’s spiral hits rock bottom, Patrick, along with Villani brothers (Sinfully Savage series) must devise a plan to take down the Cartel but the Cartel is the least of their worries when it is discovered that Bobby Costigan, Kyla’s father, has contracted with the Russian Bratva, and our heroine is now in the direct line of fire.

The relationship between Kyla and Patrick began a best friend’s younger sister affair in which Patrick had ghosted our story line heroine but an assassin had left Kyla a shell of her former self, and with it, the rebuilding relationship with Patrick was meant to secure the families’ place at the proverbial criminal underworld table. Kyla and Patrick’s love for one another is passionate and intense; the $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and seductive.

As in the previous instalments, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Kyla’s brother Logan, and their father Bobby Costigan; Patrick’s brothers Quinn and Niall, their father Declan; Patrick’s sister Heaven, her husband Matteo, and his brothers Massimo, Roman and Dante Villani (Sinfully Savage series); Cartel boss Pedro Castillo, and his sister Carmen. The requisite evil has many faces.

TARNISHED THRONE is another story of power and control; betrayal and vengeance; secrets, lies, obsession and love. The premise is dramatic and consuming; the romance is provocative; the characters are energetic, colorful and tenacious.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews

Corrupted Crown
Vicious Vows

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Website / GOODREADS / Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram/ YouTube

Kristen Luciani is a self-proclaimed momtrepreneur, beauty product junkie, and USA Today bestselling romance author with a penchant for stilettos, Silicon Valley, plunging necklines and grapefruit martinis.  As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…

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Vicious Vows (Reckless Reign 2) by Kristen Luciani-Review Tour

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Vicious Vows (Reckless Reign 2) by Kristen Luciani-Review Tour

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 October 7, 2021.

Betrayal can destroy everything we’ve built…
My fiancé is a tyrant, a monster dipped in gorgeousness with the power to make women melt at his feet.
Including me.

As the newly crowned boss of the Mulligan crime family, he never shows signs of weakness.
Only dominance.
When the sensual beast inside of him roars to life, I am his target.
His release.

He expects me to submit to him, to unleash the darkness buried down deep so he can temper his control in other areas of his life.
His steamy threats make my blood simmer, his strong hands and rough touch make my flesh sizzle.

But while fury powers him, revenge drives him.
And since I’m the only one who can help him control his inner beast by providing an outlet for his darkness, that makes me a very dangerous weapon.

••••••••

REVIEW:VICIOUS VOWS Is the second instalment in Kristen Luciani’s contemporary, adult RECKLESS REIGN erotic, dark, Irish Mafia, romance trilogy focusing on Kyla Costigan, and Patrick Mulligan. VICIOUS VOWS should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events and cliff hanger of book one CORRUPTED CROWN. The RECKLESS REIGN series is a spin off from the author’s SINFULLY SAVAGE series but you do not have to have read the previous series although several references are made to past incidences.

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

NOTE: If you have not read book one, there may be spoilers in my review.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kyla and Patrick) VICIOUS VOWS focuses on the ongoing troubles of the Mulligan family and empire as it continues to crumble from within. Patrick Mulligan is the new head of the Mulligan family, and with it comes the responsibility of cleaning the corruption that continues to reign. With the family near bankrupt, and his father’s failing health, a debt is called in, forcing Patrick to make a deal with the Cartel, a deal that is more dark and dangerous than he could have ever imagined but as Patrick calls in reinforcements for help, an old enemy sets his sights on the woman he loves. Ever vigilant, Patrick finds himself on the outside looking in, as his enemies continue to threaten from both inside and out.

The relationship between Kyla and Patrick is a forbidden romance; a best friend’s younger sister wherein Kyla’s brother Logan refuses to accept Patrick in the face of his criminal underworld lifestyle. Kyla has grown to love the boy/man that broke her heart, and in this Kyla and Patrick are looking towards their own happily ever after-if only they can first destroy the people hoping to destroy them. the $ex scenes are intimate and passionate without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

Once again, there is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including Kyla’s brother Logan, and their father Bobby Costigan; Patrick’s brothers Quinn and Niall, their father Declan; Patrick’s sister Heaven, her husband Matteo, and his brothers Massimo, Roman and Dante Villani (Sinfully Savage series); Cartel boss Pedro Castillo, and his sister Carmen. The requisite evil has many faces.

VICIOUS VOWS is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, obsession, money, family and love. The fast paced premise is dramatic and intense ; the characters are dynamic and charismatic; the romance is seductive and provocative. VICIOUS VOWS ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one CORRUPTED CROWN

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Website / GOODREADS / Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram/ YouTube

Kristen Luciani is a self-proclaimed momtrepreneur, beauty product junkie, and USA Today bestselling romance author with a penchant for stilettos, Silicon Valley, plunging necklines and grapefruit martinis.  As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…

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Corrupted Crown (Reckless Reign 1) by Kristen Luciani-Review Tour

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Corrupted Crown (Reckless Reign 1) by Kristen Luciani-Review Tour

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

Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3lTiO5F

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 9, 2021

My best friend’s sister needs protection and I need a wife.

Kyla Costigan.
I can’t even say her name without my mouth twisting like I’ve just tasted poison.
Because that’s exactly what she is – vicious and stubborn enough to battle the devil himself.

She also happens to be the sexiest, most gorgeous woman I’ve ever laid eyes on…and my best friend’s little sister.
Time has transformed every inch of her into a sultry vixen, but she still has a black heart trapped inside a body I’d die for.

Kyla is also the only woman who can to turn me into a power-hungry and ruthless animal, and right now, that’s exactly who I have to be if I’m going to save my family.
Turns out, we need each other.

So the arrangement has been made.
She-Devil is about to become a Mrs.
My Mrs.
That is, if we don’t kill each other first.
I’m going to need a bigger pitchfork if I have any shot of surviving.

•••••••••

REVIEW: CORRUPTED CROWN is the first instalment in Kristen Luciani’s contemporary, adult RECKLESS REIGN erotic, dark, Irish Mafia, romance trilogy focusing on Kyla Costigan, and Patrick Mulligan. The RECKLESS REIGN series is a spin off from the author’s SINFULLY SAVAGE series but you do not have to have read the previous series although several references are made to past incidences.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Kyla and Patrick) CORRUPTED CROWN follows the building but contemptuous relationship between Kyla Costigan, and Patrick Mulligan, the ‘heirs to the Irish Mafia crowns. Two years earlier, Kyla’s mother was murdered, leaving our heroine clinging to life. Fast forward to present day wherein the past has returned to finish the job, forcing Kyla under the protection of ‘assassin and enforcer’ Patrick Mulligan but all is not well in the Mulligan family in the wake of murder, fraud, secrets and lies. As Patrick is desperate to protect the woman he loves, said woman wants nothing to do with our story line hero having been the victim of one of Patrick’s one-night stands. What ensues is the acrimonious relationship between Patrick and Kyla, and the fall-out as the Mulligan family dysfunctional behavior is about to place everyone in the direct line of fire.

Patrick Mulligan has been in love with his best friend’s little sister for as long as he can remember but two years earlier, an assassin destroyed the Costigan family, and with it took a little bit of our heroine’s heart. Patrick is an enforcer for the Irish Mob, an enforcer who is about to discover that his own blood has once again betrayed the family, forcing Patrick into a corner from where he may not return. With the past h*ll bent on taking down the Costigan family, and the Mulligan family barely clinging to life, Patrick and Kyla are forced into an arrangement that is about to spiral out of control.

The relationship between Kyla and Patrick is a best friend’s younger sister forbidden romance such that Patrick believes he made a mistake falling for Kyle Costigan. Kyla remains heart broken and angry since Patrick ghosted her after one night together but Kyla is about to discover that nothing is ever as it appears to be. The $ex scenes are erotic, dramatic and intense without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.

We are introduced to Kyla’s brother and Patrick’s best friend Logan Costigan, and his father Bobby Costigan, as well as Patrick’s brothers Niall and Quinn, and their father Declan Mulligan.

CORRUPTED CROWN is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets, lies, murder and revenge. The premise is dark, gritty and dramatic; the romance is impassioned; the characters are broken, desperate and charismatic. CORRUPTED CROWN ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Website / GOODREADS / Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram/ YouTube

Kristen Luciani is a self-proclaimed momtrepreneur, beauty product junkie, and USA Today bestselling romance author with a penchant for stilettos, Silicon Valley, plunging necklines and grapefruit martinis.  As a deep-rooted romantic who prefers juicy drama to fill the lives of anyone other than her, she tried her hand at creating a world of enchantment, sensuality, and intrigue, finally uncovering her true passion. No pun intended…

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DELIVER US FROM EVIL(Deliver Us From Evil)by Monica James -review

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DELIVER US FROM EVIL (Deliver Us From Evil 3) by Monica James

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 21, 2021

With Babydoll gone, I’m going to do whatever it takes to find her.

I will lie.
Cheat.
Murder…and I’ll do so with a smile.

I’ll even sell my soul to the devil…because that’s who my father, Sean Kelly, is. He won’t stop until Belfast is his. He knows I’m at my breaking point. Just how far will he push until I lose myself to the darkness for good?

But I’m prepared to give it all away. She’s all that matters.

However, this life isn’t done with me yet.

A startling secret threatens to destroy me, and a new player is introduced into the game. I don’t know if he is a friend or foe. What I do know is that he has the power to change the world as I know it.

He wants what is mine.

My kingdom.
My name.
And my legacy.

But I am Puck Kelly—and every monster is scared of somethin’…and that somethin’ is me.

No more hiding in the shadows because I’m huntin’ youse, and this time, I won’t lose.

Run, wee monsters, run.

•••••••

REVIEW: DELIVER US FROM EVIL is the third instalment in Monica James’ contemporary, adult DELIVER US FROM EVIL dark, Irish Mafia, romance trilogy focusing on Puck ‘Punky’ Kelly, and Camilla ‘Cami’ ‘Babydoll Doyle. DELIVER US FROM EVIL should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up after the cliff hanger and events of book one.

NOTE: If you have not read books one and two, there may be spoilers in my review.

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

SOME BACKGROUND: At five years of age Puck ‘Punky’ Kelly witnessed the brutal rape and murder of his beloved mother Cara, and in the ensuing years Punky vowed vengeance against the Doyles, the family he blames for her vicious demise but secrets and lies are about to be exposed forcing Punky to choose between family and the truth, blood and oath. Having never forgiven his father for his lack of concern regarding the death of his mother, Punky knows it is only a matter of time before he takes his place on the proverbial throne but someone else is waiting for the perfect opportunity and Punky is about to pay the price. Focusing on a decades old feud in Ireland between the Kellys vs the Doyles, the Protestants vs the Catholics, Belfast vs Dublin in a fight for power and control of the criminal underworld in Ireland, DELIVER US FROM EVIL follows the rise to power, and the all out war to stay in control.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Puck and Cami) DELIVER US FROM EVIL focuses on the search for Cami Doyle, the woman who owns Puck Kelly’s heart but a woman who has become a pawn in a fight for control. With Cami missing, Puck finds himself at his father’s mercy, a man whose predilection for evil is only surpassed by our story line (anti) hero but even more secrets are about to be revealed and with it betrayal and vengeance come at a cost. Sean Kelly wants the ultimate control of Belfast and Dublin but needs Punky to fight for everything and more. What ensues is the fight for power and control, as Punky quick discovers that trusting anyone other than the woman he loves threatens everything and everyone he has put into play.

DELIVER US FROM EVIL is ultimately a story of betrayal, deception, double cross and revenge. Friends become enemies, enemies become foes, a fight for control means trusting no one but the woman you love. Monica James writes a another dark, gritty, raw and dark story of organized crime at its’ ugliest; where blood means family and death but family doesn’t always mean related by blood. The premise is twisted, tragic and haunting; the romance is unconventional and provocative; the characters are dangerous, edgy, broken and intense. DELIVER US FROM EVIL ends on a happily ever after-for now-I suspect the author has plans for several of the secondary characters.

Reading Order and Previous Reviews
Thy Kingdom Come
Into Temptation

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

Monica James spent her youth devouring the works of Anne Rice, William Shakespeare, and Emily Dickinson.

When she is not writing, Monica is busy running her own business, but she always finds a balance between the two. She enjoys writing honest, heartfelt, and turbulent stories, hoping to leave an imprint on her readers. She draws her inspiration from life.

She is a bestselling author in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Israel, and the U.K.

Monica James resides in Melbourne, Australia, with her wonderful family, and menagerie of animals. She is slightly obsessed with cats, chucks, and lip gloss, and secretly wishes she was a ninja on the weekends.

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