Silent Vows (Byrne Brothers 1) by Jill Ramsower-Review & Excerpt tour
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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date October 17, 2022
I wanted out of the mafia and unexpectedly got my wish,
only it’s worse than I ever could have imagined.
I’ve been promised to the Irish.
An arranged marriage in the name of alliance.
I have no choice.
My father will kill me if I refuse.
In two short weeks, Conner Reid will become my husband.
The ruthless Irishman threatens my composure and intoxicates my senses.
He represents everything I hate in this world yet summons my darkest cravings.
I can’t escape him.
The worst part is, I’m not sure I want to.
Because my life is in danger, and Conner may be the only man who can save me.
•••••
REVIEW:SILENT VOWS is the first instalment in Jill Ramsower’s contemporary adult THE BYRNE BROTHERS dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is Irish Mafia heir Connor Reid, and twenty year old Noemi Mancini’s story line.
WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Noemi and Connor) SILENT VOWS follows the building relationship and arrange marriage between Irish Mafia heir Connor Reid, and twenty year old Noemi Mancini. Six months earlier, a car accident took the life of Noemi’s mother, and in the wake, our heroine opted to become a selective mute. Refusing to talk, fearing she would meet the same fate as her beloved mother, Noemi became a prisoner in her father’s home, a prisoner whose life was threatened on a daily basis. In the hopes of procuring more power and control, Noemi’s father Fausto Mancini offered his daughter to the Irish mob, an offer Connor Reid jumped at the chance to partake but Connor suspected all was not well in Noemi’s life, and with the help of his family, began to investigate the man who offered up his daughter to the highest bidder. What ensues is the building relationship between Noemi and Connor, and the potential fall-out as the Irish, Italian and Albanian Mafias are pushed together in a war for power and control.
Noemi Mancini is about to jump from the frying pan into the fire but the fire may be preferable to the potential future left waiting at home. Noemi knows that her father has plans, plans that involve our story line heroine but threats of a different nature continue to haunt Noemi in the wake of her mother’s death. Connor Reid hadn’t planned on marrying but something about Noemi gave Connor Reid pause. From the outset, Connor suspected Noemi was but a pawn in a much larger game, a reluctant pawn with a possible end date if she does not comply.
The relationship between Connor and Noemi is an arranged marriage between two powerful crime families but Connor never expected to fall for the silent daughter of the Italian Mafia, a daughter whose secrets run dangerous and dark. Noemi knew her time with her father was coming to an end, and marriage to Connor was a preferred alternative to what was waiting at home with her dad. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate.
We are introduced to Connor’s cousins Keir Byrne, and Shae; his right hand man Bishop; Noemi’s brother Sante, their father Fausto, as well as Noemi’s cousin Pippa, and several members of both extended families.
SILENT VOWS is a story of power and control, murder and obsession, betrayal and revenge, secrets and lies, family and relationships, friendships and love. The fast paced premise is captivating and intriguing but not as dark and gritty as many of the Mafia/crime world story lines; the romance is erotic and intense; the characters are determined, desperate and dynamic.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Sandy
Read the First Chapter HERE!
My lips parted in surprise.
I’d expected innuendo and manipulation. Such a direct line of questioning hit at the very heart of my worries and unsteadied me.
I shook my head and tried to dart beneath his arm. Conner wedged his body in front of the door, blocking my path completely and bringing us chest to chest. I sucked in a shock of air, then narrowed my eyes defensively.
He wasn’t remotely unsettled by my display of irritation. If anything, his intensity only darkened further in the dimly lit basement hallway—a villainous storm threatening to crumble me to my foundations.
“Protective is one thing. I get the sense this is more, and I think I ought to know if it’s going to be a problem.” His eyes narrowed a fraction, the difference between tension and savage ferocity in one tiny twitch of a muscle. “He ever hurt you?” The words were deadly calm.
Oh God. Why was he doing this?
He needed to stop asking questions, and I needed to stop thinking his questions meant he cared. This was all probably about control and power, not me. I had to shut it down. Now. The best way to accomplish that was not to look like a scared little girl.
Taking a small step back, I opened my clutch and pulled out a pen, then took his hand in mine, palm up. It’s so much wider than I expected. Rough and solid muscle. Hands that knew hard work, like squeezing the life out of an enemy.
I mentally scolded myself to focus and wrote two letters across the full surface of his palm.
NO.
Releasing him, I peered up in challenge. Conner stepped forward, placing his leg between my thighs and swiveling us until my back was against the wall next to the door. I didn’t squirm or respond, knowing I couldn’t show doubt or weakness if I was going to shut down his questions.
“Not so fragile as they implied, are you?” he purred above me.
I took his tie in my hand, pulling him slowly lower until our noses almost touched, and shook my head slowly side to side. His hands came to rest on either side of my head as he brought his cheek to mine, his hint of stubble creating a delicious friction against my skin.
“Good, because I’m not remotely gentle.” The words were a black promise, raw and demanding and utterly intoxicating.
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Jill is a Texan, born and raised. She manages the hectic social calendars for her three active children and occasionally spends an evening with her dashing husband. Aside from being an author and a mom, she’s a travel junkie and loves to read when she is not lost in her own stories.
With Jill’s books, you can count on confident heroines, plenty of steamy tension, and deliciously assertive leading men. There are no guarantees in life, but with her books, you know everything will work out in the end. However, a perfect ending would not be nearly as satisfying without a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Jill loves to add plenty of adversity in her stories, creating unforgettably dynamic characters and sneaky plot twists you will never see coming.
