Sempre by J.M. Darhower
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Well color me surprised! Sempre by J.M. Darhower exceeded my expectations and added a few new twists on the classic mobster romance. With all of the seedy characters, vendettas and intrigue this series has the potential to continue through several more books while retaining their audience.

First, to even explain these characters and give a fair review I may be giving away some minor spoilers. Rest assured that these facts would have been discovered within the first few pages in the book so I don’t feel too guilty.

Haven Antonelli is a slave. She grew up in the middle of the desert, sleeping in a filthy barn and was repeatedly physically, mentally and emotionally abused. Through a series of events she’s sold to Dr. DeMarco and meets his youngest son, Carmine. For the first time in her life she sleeps indoors, in her own room and on an actual bed. Take a moment to wrap your head around the change in her circumstances and how ignorant (through no fault of her own) she would have been to everyday life. Now here’s where my first complaint comes into play. Upon walking into Dr DeMarco’s office at the hospital this was her reaction…”It was orderly, books lining a shelf and folders neatly stacked on his desk. There weren’t any personal items, no family pictures or World’s Greatest Dad coffee mugs.” How in the world would Haven even have an opinion about his office. Based on her own admission she had never been off the farm. She wasn’t allowed to watch TV or read books. Therefore she would have no form or reference in which to ascertain that his office was anything other than normal. Several more times through the book Haven’s reactions seemed outlandish for someone who had been so abused and sheltered.

Tess, Tess, Tess…who are you? Carmine’s older brother, Dominic has a long term girlfriend named Tess. She’s mentioned several times throughout the story but we never know much more than her name. I would have like a little more information about her and her involvement with the DeMarco family. It’s mentioned that she’s less than thrilled that her boyfriend has a girl living in his house but nothing more develops. Who wouldn’t have enjoyed a little snarky banter between Tess and Haven?

Now let’s address the romance aspect of the book. Even though there was an aspect of “insta-love” that some readers dread it wasn’t overdone. Yes, both characters have an immediate attraction to each other but I LOVED the slow burn and progression of their feelings that J.M. Darhower created. The intimacy was handled very elegantly by being described but avoiding the raunchy factor that some books have. Carmine’s cheeky comments regarding his physical relationship with Haven kept things fun.

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An Obsession with Vengeance by Nancy Haviland
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

Ahhh Maksim, my silver-eyed lover. I was wondering how far in the series it would take to get to your romance. And here it is! 3rd book of the series and I was ready to discover his secrets.

With the perfect combination of nerdy computer hacker, tattooed bad boy and mysterious club owner I was optimistic about Maksim’s story. From a tortured childhood and absent parents this guy had more demons in his past than the other “Wanted Men” thus far. Combine that with Sydney Martin’s secretive and defensive personality I was eager to read their story. Sadly, I kept finding my mind wandering and had to re-read several pages because it wasn’t capturing my attention as the previous books had. SPOILER ALERT- At first, Sydney’s reluctance to tell Maksim about her son made sense. But as the threats got worse her son NOT her secrets should have been her top priority. After an “explosive” threat she sends her son off with an unsuspecting family unaware of the grave danger that was lurking. How is that plausible?!? While she hid in a safe house her son was virtually unprotected.

Alas, Nancy Haviland wrapped up the story with a beautiful bow and I’m satisfied with the ending. So far there are no other books in the series but if Nancy decides to bless us with more “Wanted Men” I hope that there will be less predictable conflict and fresh characters to keep the story interesting.

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Deathless & Divided by Bethany-Kris
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I admit I’m sicker than a dog and am hopped up on DayQuil and Sudaffed. Bear that in mind in the event this review turns into the ramblings of a deranged housewife.

First, I’d like to thank the heavens above for mobster romances. Such a sexy mix of sin and pleasure. My first introduction to this genre was Cora Reilly’s “Bound by” series. (If you haven’t read that series stop everything and read those books! I’m serious. Just do it.) Quickly followed that fantastic series with Bethany-Kris’ “The Arrangement”. It was a steamy book but a little too much sex to be believable and not enough content for my liking. (Yes, check outside your windows! I just said that a book had too much sex! Certainly pigs are flying!) J.M. Darhower’s “Monster in his Eyes” certainly falls in this category but left me with mixed feelings as did Tijans Books’ “Carter Reed”. Belle Aurora’s “Lev” falls somewhere in between.

Now that you’ve survived my listing of mobster romances let me assure you that “Deathless & Divided” was one of my favorites. Why? Well, the dirty talk and sex scenes certainly didn’t shy away from anything. But above that the author did a great job showcasing the nitty gritty of mob life whereas other series have painted it with rose colored glasses. There was lots of blood, senseless killings, vendettas and characters posturing for more leadership & power. The character’s reactions (for the most part) were reasonable and I could sympathize with their struggles.

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