***4.5 ‘Sinatra’ Stars***
It’s funny, I had just finished Luca when I saw that Rocco was the next book up in the series and I had a total “Huh?” moment because I couldn’t for the life of me remember meeting a Rocco in either Nico or Luca’s books...and then the lightbulb went off, I did a little search in Luca to see if my brain had indeed figured it out (which it did), gave myself a little mental slap and then got all kinds of excited because Rocco aka Frankie was one of my favs in Luca and the one I wanted to know more about and I wasn’t disappointed. This book gave me all the smexy, alpha AF moments mixed with a good dose of suspense, humor and heart that kept me turning the pages until the very end.
Rocco, Frankie (I LOVE how he got his nickname), Rocco...I don’t care what you call him, the man was all kinds of alpha AF smexy, even if he was scary AF (though that actually made him more smexy IMHO) but beneath the cold exterior lives a man whose heart is warmer than most believe and when pieces of that heart start to appear he becomes even more lethal. Grace is sassy, strong and determined. There is a dash of naivete that still lives in her, despite what she’s lived through, and she desperately wants to live in a world where things are black and white, but she comes to realize that living in the grey isn’t as horrible as she once believed.
We have a mix of taboo and second chance romance in a mafia world and it simply makes things that much more explosive when it came to Rocco and Grace’s journey. They have a connection between them that is soul deep and they are equally matched in more ways than one. The physical attraction between them is smexy as all get out, and takes the lead when it comes to their ‘reunion’, but slowly the heart and mind come around and they end up being a fun couple to be around and a definite force to be reckoned with.
While Luca still is my favorite, thus far, of the series, I thoroughly enjoyed Rocco. The writing was engaging, the pacing was good and I enjoyed the multiple POV’s. The plot twists and turns were a mish mash of “Really?” and “Oh...I didn’t see that one coming” but all made sense in only a way it could in a Mafia world. The conflict between Tony and Nico is still unresolved, but I like how things are moving within Nico’s sect of the family. And as for the crazy cast of characters that populate this world, I loved catching up with Nico, Mia, Luca, Gabrielle and the rest of crew loyal to Nico, which comes as no surprise, but the weird thing is this time around I don’t have a clear favorite amongst them, but I do have a guess as to who the next book could be about...but we’ll see if I’m right or not when it’s announced, and even if I’m not, make no mistake that I’ll still be looking to get my hands on it ASAP!
~ Copy provided by the publisher via NetGalley & voluntarily reviewed ~
Cold, hard and utterly ruthless, Rocco is the most dangerous of men. Feelings are a luxury he cannot afford—until a chance encounter brings him face to face with the only woman who found her way into his heart and touched his soul.
Grace Mantini has spent her whole life running from the mob. Daughter of the boss's right hand man, she is both a prize and a target. When Rocco walks back into her life, she wants nothing to do with the man who betrayed her and broke her heart. But only Rocco can protect her from the dangerous forces that seek to destroy her family. Can they escape the hands of fate closing around them? Or will love be the kiss of death for them both?
Release Date: January 2nd. 2018
I reviewed this book on my blog as well. I absolutely loved Rocco he has very a very tortured soul. Very well written review. What's next on your list?
ReplyDeleteThank you, Sue! Rocco was definitely my kind of alpha, though Luca is still my number one. I have Private Reserve by Diana Sobolewski up next and then I'm diving into Tuesdays at Six by KJ Lewis. Both authors are new to me , so I'm looking forward to them both.
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