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This fairy tale didn’t have a happy ending.

My sister and I barely managed to escape alive, and we’ve lived in relative hiding ever since. I’m safe now, but I can never forget the boy who gave his life to save mine.

Except there’s a chance that he’s still alive. And he’s fighting a war.

Even knowing the risks, I have to find him. I have to find some way to protect him, the way he protected me. But he isn’t the boy I left behind. He’s a violent man. A criminal. And he’s been waiting for me—the final pawn in a dark game of survival and love.
      

" The family changes people. We may not newborn evil, but we turn that way if we stay". 
Well I can definetely say the Mafia does know how to deliver one hell of a action packed drama when it comes to being in "The Family" and blood or not, you will never forget the tale of Giovanni and Clara. These two had a story long in the making and I'm glad I got to witness all the ups and downs of their journey to finding each other again.

Being the young daughter of one of the most feared Mobsters, it hasn't always been an easy feat for Clara. Non stop Security, always having to be prim and proper to maintain appearences, has essentially become the norm for her but that life has been long gone for the past eight years since she escaped with her older sister. Living the life that her sister has always wanted for them, Clara is now a twenty-three year old happy Art student. Even though she's happy with her new found life, there has always been one thing that she's been missing and eight years haven't made a difference in her grief. Giovanni was the love of her life and when you love someone like that, how can you possibly move on? But life as she knows it is about to change drastically and the former fantasy of having that love come back is making her rethink those feelings.

Dark and consuming is what Giovanni has now become. He wasn't always that way but when you're life no longer becomes your own and you literally come close to death, it eventually changes you. Good vs.Evil is what they say but when you turn to the dark side, evil becomes your mantra. Giovanni is on a mission to get back the woman he's once lost and come hell or highwater, he's getting her back. 

"The soldier or the boy. The monster or the lover. Which one is he? " 

This was a very enjoyable read for me. The mob,the underlying that something dangerous is right around the corner mix in with a dash of suspense was the perfect recipe for a mafia story. I loved Giovanni and Clara's interaction with each other and even though they were seperated for years, that passion and closeness was still there. If you like a little bit of darkness in your reads, then this really is the book for you.

FANMAIL, ETC

SOCIAL MEDIA

"Trust is a fragile thing, and gluing the pieces together of something that has already broken twice before is a difficult task". 
After the crazy cliffhanger in "Dirty Girl", I kept asking myself: How the heck is Cav going to explain this and get back in Greer's good graces because let's face it, that was a soap opera cliffhanger Friday edition. Cav certainly had a lot of groveling to do to win back Greer's trust and I couldnt wait to see what he was going to do. Will he win back Greer? After all, once that trust is gone, it's pretty hard to earn it back.

Greer is completely devasted by Cav's lies. Doing the only thing that makes sense to her right now, she leaves him completely alone in Belize and travels back home with her brother Creighton.Knowing she gave him one of the most sacred parts of her, the betrayal feels that much worse and all she wants to do right now is drown her sorrows. In Greer's eyes there's no amount of explanation that can undo the hurt that Cav has cost her and because of the media, she has to stay in hiding. That means no phone, internet, or TV or in human cases going batsh*t crazy until the press dies down. But Cav has other ideas and it includes winning her back. Whatever he has to do, he's going to do it and he won't stoo until Greer is back in his arms for good.

"I'll do whatever it takes. When you're the prize, there's no line I won't cross". 
Cav has done a lot of things in his life that's made him good and bad but one important detail he never mentioned to Greer has left her completely heartbroken. Did he plan on hurting her? Absolutely not. But when you decide to not share one of the most beneficial part of your history, that's exactly what happens and now he's lost the woman he loves. For now that is. If it's one thing that Cav has it's determination and come hell or highwater, he's going to get back Greer.

I loved that Ms. March didn't waste any time with getting on with the story and we learned more of Cav's background with his father and what role he played in his father's bussiness. Even though he came from such a different upbringing from Greer, Cav has managed to make something out of himself and be the kind of man that she would be be proud of to call her own. He wasn't perfect at all and I HATED that he lied to her in the first place but he really thought he was doing the right thing and for that I respected him.

As for Greer, I wanted her to make Cav grovel a hell of a lot more! Even though I liked his character, I felt like she gave in too easily when it came to forgiving him . I was honestly expecting a full on blow out with these two and some much in need grovelling but I didn't get that. I wanted her to make him work just a little bit more in earning back her trust. Aside from that, this was a very nice conclusion to Cav and Greer's story and I would love to see Banner get her own hot mess of a book. 

  I have lost everything. My purpose My love My soul Death knocks on my door, I want to answer, but every time I reach for the handle -- the promise I made her brings me back. So I breathe. I live. I hate. And I allow the anger to oil beneath the surface of a perfectly indifferent facade. I am broken, I don't want to be fixed. But the Empire is crumbling and it's my job to fix it. My job to mend the pieces that were scattered over thirty years ago. A trip to New York, only one chance to redeem a lost part of our mafia family. The only issue is, the only way to fix it, is to do something I swore I'd never do again. An arranged marriage. Only this time. I won't fall. Or so help me God, I will kill her myself. My name is Sergio Abandonoto, you think you know my pain, my suffering, my anger, my hate? You have no idea. I am the mafia. I am the darkness. Blood in. No out.

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EXCERPT

Sergio looked ready to strangle me. “No. I don’t believe I asked for an annoying little sister, but if that’s what you’re offering, please don’t let me stop you. Just know, I won’t hesitate to put you over my knee if you get out of hand.” The minute the words left his mouth. I froze. He froze. The taxi driver stared little laser like holes into the rearview mirror. And Sergio leaned toward me. I swallowed as tension swirled around us. He gripped me by the chin and turned my head to the side, his lips brushing my ear. “It’s like you have a death wish.” “You wouldn’t do it.” He pulled back as both of his eyebrows shot up, and then he looked down, like he had spotted something. I followed the direction of his gaze and let out a little gasp as a gun dug into my stomach. “It’s been directed at you for the last four minutes,” Sergio said through a practiced smile. “I meant what I said. Listen well. I keep my word. Kiss me, and blood will be spilled.” “Y-you’re a crazy person!” I hissed, shoving at his chest. “And I wasn’t going to kiss you!” “Sure you weren’t.” He put the gun away. “Good talk though, right? Oh look, the movie theater.” To say that I scrambled out of the car like a kid running away from her kidnapper would be a gross understatement, but the minute my feet hit the pavement, I paused. My body told me to run. The guy had pulled a gun. On me. I didn’t even watch violent movies.    

Get the beginning of Sergio's story in Elude

Twenty-Four hours before were were to be married--I offered to shoot her. Ten hours before our wedding--I made a mockery of her dying wish. Five hours before we were going to say our vows--I promised I'd never love her. One hour before I said I do--I vowed I'd never shed a tear over her death. But the minute we were pronounced man and wife--I knew. I'd only use my gun to protect her. I'd give my life for hers. I'd cry. And I would, most definitely, lose my heart, to a dying girl--a girl who by all accounts should have never been mine in the first place. I always believed the mafia would be my end game--where I'd lose my heart, while it claimed my soul. I could have never imagined. It would be my redemption. Or the beginning of something beautiful. The beginning of her. The end of us.

AMAZON / iBOOKS / NOOK

  Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers! You can connect with her on Facebook www.facebook.com/rachelvandyken or join her fan group Rachel's New Rockin Readers. Her website is www.rachelvandykenauthor.com. FACEBOOK / TWITTER / GOODREADS / AMAZON AUTHOR PAGE / NEWSLETTER