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.