Summary
What happens when an unstoppable force meets an immovable object in the field of death?
In the dark underbelly of the mob, Tristan Caine has been an anomaly. As the only non-blooded member in the high circle of the Tenebrae Outfit, he is an enigma to all – his skills unparalleled, his morality questionable, and his motives unknown. He is lethal and he knows it.
As does Morana Vitalio, the genius extraordinaire daughter of the rival family. What Caine does with weapons, Morana does with computers. When a twenty-year-old mystery resurfaces, Morana infiltrates Caine’s house, intent on killing him, unaware of a tie that binds them together. Hate, heat, and history clash together with unexpected sparks.
But something bigger, something worse is happening in their world. And despite their animosity, only they can fight it down.
Personal Review
This book was an emotional rollercoaster, like most mafia romances. The main tropes within this book are enemies to lovers along with touch her and die. It was a good book for setting up the overall conflict of the series and for establishing the characters of the series as well. This book does have a happily ever after of sorts, and the last chapter of the book is a real doozy of a chapter to be certain. Morana was not an annoying female main character, meaning that she wasn’t a damsel in distress. She took care of herself and was able to defend herself if necessary.
Now I won’t lie there were aspects of the story I didn’t care for. The author did mention in the beginning of the book about there being repetitive thoughts, so there is a lot of staring and there is a lot of whiskey and sin going on in the book. That aspect does get a little annoying, but overall the book is very good. The romance in the book does build at a good and understandable pace.
“Don’t you know not to run away from predators, sweetheart? We like the hunt.”
– Chapter 12 The Predator
The Characters
Morana
She is supposed to be this tech genius, but she doesn’t really show her skills in this book at all. She does however show that she is a force to reckon with in different ways. She is extremely mouthy, smart, and strong and she shows this mainly towards Tristan and at times her father. Morana has proved that she can go toe to toe with Tristan multiple times which is impressive since he is supposed to be this big bad scary mob man. To be fair there is a scene where she does get shot by Tristan at one point and she doesn’t hold it against him so I mean there is that. Overall her character was well fleshed out and she had depth to her character. She wasn’t just a mouthy smart mob boss daughter she also had a sense of vulnerability and genuineness to her.
Tristan Caine
It’s hard to explain a character that you don’t get to really know in the books that well. He is a protector by nature, which isn’t surprising. He also has a tragic past which has understandably shaped him into who he is today. He is a complete and utter force to be reckoned with and is an equal match to Morana in every way. He proves throughout the book that violence does not bother him at all and that he is a complete and utter alpha. Now would I say he is an alphahole, yes yes I would for sure at the beginning of the story. He has an air of arrogance, over-protectiveness, and he is controlling. Throughout the book, his character improves and becomes a better human being, especially in the last couple of chapters and the window scene.
Dante
Dante is basically the best friend/brother of Tristan. You don’t learn much about his character, but you do get the sense that he is a lot smarter than he appears to be. He is also pretty in touch with his emotions which can’t be said about Tristan. He is less of an alphahole and smarter and more sensitive than Tristan is in my opinion. Hopefully, we get to learn more about his background and history in the next book.
Amara
We only get a couple of scenes with Amara and in those scenes, she makes a definite impact. She is a friend to Morana when she needs one which seems to be constant. She is strong for sure based on what we end up learning about her past, and she is compassionate which would be hard to be with her history. Again I would like to learn more about her and have more scenes with her in the next book because her story seems so interesting. I really want to learn about her history with Dante especially since there seems to be something there.
You assume I have a heart wildcat.
– Chapter 4 The Predator
Conclusion
The book was a good first book for a mafia series. It establishes the characters, the conflict, and the primary characters. You get ensnared in the world of the Dark Verse and you want to learn about everyone’s individual history to see why they are the way they are. You become invested in all of the characters and hope that everyone ends up with a happy ending. Even the minor characters become integral in the story and you wish them the best. Overall, this book makes me hopeful that the following books in the series will be good.