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Queens & Monsters #4
Brutal Vows
An Irish mobster with a brutal grudge.
An Italian mafia princess with a dark secret.
Two enemy empires joined in sacred marriage vows.
Let the hating games begin.
Reyna
If this arrogant Irish mobster my brother sold my niece to thinks I’m going to play nice over this arranged marriage BS, he should think again.
I don’t care if this match with the Mob will make my brother capo of the Five Families.
I don’t care how much money, territory, or power it will gain us.
I especially don’t care that the Irishman is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.
I won’t allow my innocent niece to suffer the same way I did.
Even if I have to kill him.
Spider
I’m supposed to marry sweet, beautiful Lili. So why can’t I stop thinking about her swamp witch of an aunt?
Reyna who hates me. Reyna who challenges me. Reyna with the guts of a Viking, the body of a fertility goddess, and the attitude of a feral cat.
Nothing good can come of what I’m feeling for a woman who’s not the one in the wedding contract I signed.
A woman I want so much, I’ll have to burn the whole world down to get.
If she doesn’t kill me first.
Author's Note:
There is a thirteen-page epilogue set in the future not included in the ARCs that will be in the digital and paperback versions.
An Italian mafia princess with a dark secret.
Two enemy empires joined in sacred marriage vows.
Let the hating games begin.
Reyna
If this arrogant Irish mobster my brother sold my niece to thinks I’m going to play nice over this arranged marriage BS, he should think again.
I don’t care if this match with the Mob will make my brother capo of the Five Families.
I don’t care how much money, territory, or power it will gain us.
I especially don’t care that the Irishman is the sexiest man I’ve ever seen.
I won’t allow my innocent niece to suffer the same way I did.
Even if I have to kill him.
Spider
I’m supposed to marry sweet, beautiful Lili. So why can’t I stop thinking about her swamp witch of an aunt?
Reyna who hates me. Reyna who challenges me. Reyna with the guts of a Viking, the body of a fertility goddess, and the attitude of a feral cat.
Nothing good can come of what I’m feeling for a woman who’s not the one in the wedding contract I signed.
A woman I want so much, I’ll have to burn the whole world down to get.
If she doesn’t kill me first.
Author's Note:
There is a thirteen-page epilogue set in the future not included in the ARCs that will be in the digital and paperback versions.
394 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 28, 2022
5400 people are currently reading
37607 people want to read
About the author
J.T. Geissinger
42 books24.1k followersJ.T. Geissinger is a New York Times, USA Today, Publishers Weekly, and Amazon Charts bestselling author of thirty-five novels and novellas. Ranging from funny, feisty romcoms to intense erotic thrillers, her books have sold over twenty million copies and been translated into more than two dozen languages.
She is a three-time nominee in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and the HOLT Medallion for Best Erotic Romance.
Newsletter ➡️ http://bit.ly/1IbgZZI
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Amazon ➡️ http://amzn.to/1xQN4za
She is a three-time nominee in both contemporary and paranormal romance for the RITA® Award, the highest distinction in romance fiction from the Romance Writers of America®. She is also a recipient of the Prism Award for Best First Book, the Golden Quill Award for Best Paranormal/Urban Fantasy, and the HOLT Medallion for Best Erotic Romance.
Newsletter ➡️ http://bit.ly/1IbgZZI
Reader group ➡️ http://bit.ly/2xbtnY3
Amazon ➡️ http://amzn.to/1xQN4za
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,659 reviews
June 5, 2025
5 Insane, But Lovely Stars ⭐
Apart from the fact that my ovaries nearly exploded from that gorgeous specimen on the front cover; Brutal Vows has to be one of my favourite books by this author. I mean, a blood thirsty heroine known as the Black Widow and a hero annihilated at first glance? This book was fab!
There’s no way out for her, though. I’m taking this til-death-do-us-part thing very fucking seriously.
Which means she’ll have to kill me to get away.
Just when I thought I may have reached my mafia arranged marriage quota, this story had a twist I was desperate for. Reyna and Quinn were perfect together. Shame they weren't betrothed to each other...
Reyna Caruso knows exactly what family loyalty means especially since she's already paid her dues in blood. Vowing never to marry again, she spends her days tending to her family. When her brother promises her niece to the Irish Mob, Reyna being displeased is an understatement.
From first meetings, this is how one writes hate at first sight. Reyna was not pulling any punches. No mafioso would ever be good enough for her niece especially the Irishman Homer Quinn aka Spider. Regardless how breathtaking he is, his arrogance alone is a red flag. Yet the deal is done or is it?
I honestly don't want to spoil it, but obviously the marriage doesn't go ahead and Reyna somehow finds herself as Mrs. Quinn. Gah the path to happiness in their instance is paved with blood, remorse and such unforseen tenderness. I mean I didn't know whether to giggle or cry.
“What if I didn’t like it?”
“We’d make a safe word. Like… Black Widow, for instance.”
She says tartly, “Or I could just punch you in the face.”
I will say that both characters were phenomenal. Quinn did not call Reyna, a viper for no reason. Completely feisty and brave, only Quinn could rival her strength. These two set the pages alight whether they were either trying to strangle one another or fuck each other silly. I mean their love affair was smouldering. What a thrill! ❤️
ARC provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
Apart from the fact that my ovaries nearly exploded from that gorgeous specimen on the front cover; Brutal Vows has to be one of my favourite books by this author. I mean, a blood thirsty heroine known as the Black Widow and a hero annihilated at first glance? This book was fab!
There’s no way out for her, though. I’m taking this til-death-do-us-part thing very fucking seriously.
Which means she’ll have to kill me to get away.
Just when I thought I may have reached my mafia arranged marriage quota, this story had a twist I was desperate for. Reyna and Quinn were perfect together. Shame they weren't betrothed to each other...
Reyna Caruso knows exactly what family loyalty means especially since she's already paid her dues in blood. Vowing never to marry again, she spends her days tending to her family. When her brother promises her niece to the Irish Mob, Reyna being displeased is an understatement.
From first meetings, this is how one writes hate at first sight. Reyna was not pulling any punches. No mafioso would ever be good enough for her niece especially the Irishman Homer Quinn aka Spider. Regardless how breathtaking he is, his arrogance alone is a red flag. Yet the deal is done or is it?
I honestly don't want to spoil it, but obviously the marriage doesn't go ahead and Reyna somehow finds herself as Mrs. Quinn. Gah the path to happiness in their instance is paved with blood, remorse and such unforseen tenderness. I mean I didn't know whether to giggle or cry.
“What if I didn’t like it?”
“We’d make a safe word. Like… Black Widow, for instance.”
She says tartly, “Or I could just punch you in the face.”
I will say that both characters were phenomenal. Quinn did not call Reyna, a viper for no reason. Completely feisty and brave, only Quinn could rival her strength. These two set the pages alight whether they were either trying to strangle one another or fuck each other silly. I mean their love affair was smouldering. What a thrill! ❤️
ARC provided by the author in exchange for my honest opinion.
April 20, 2022
📚'🅱🆁🆄🆃🅰🅻 🆅🅾🆆🆂'📚 Is the final full length romance book in 'J.T. Geissinger's 'Queens & Monsters' series. It picks up where the previous book left off.
🙌 SPIDER 🙌 I knew going into this he was going to bring me to my knees with his story!! His was the book I was highly anticipating and once that landed on my ipad it was game over.
An arranged marriage with a twist...
I eat my previous disgruntled words I'd uttered over Spider and his lost love, she has nothing on the black widowed viper, he’s met his match in this book and she's utter perfection for him, she’s sassy, strong and everything he needed to stand beside him. This had so many LOL moments, I crazy love this authors wacky humour, throw in all those swoony moments and all those moments in between where I’m hit in the feels, the author didn’t hold back on the 🔥🔥🔥🔥 one bit! These two were on fire!
The only thing for me is with the wrap up of this series I wish there was a bit more action, a bit more grit and bang to end it all on a high note!!
But all in all these two were perfect for each other, both a wee bit broken, dark pasts but together they were perfection.
![Profile Image for Carol [Goodreads Addict].](https://www.goodreads.com/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fi.gr-assets.com%2Fimages%2FS%2Fcompressed.photo.goodreads.com%2Fusers%2F1626057011i%2F10717098._UX200_CR0%2C33%2C200%2C200_.jpg&w=128&q=75)
April 26, 2022
Brutal Vows is book four in the Queens & Monsters series by J.T. Geissinger. This is the final book in this series that I’ve loved so much. And what a way to end it! This is Spider’s book, a sort of enemies to lovers/insta-lust story. I might be the only one but I feel like this one was a little lighter than the others? I smiled so much at the banter between these two. I couldn’t love them more! I think with every book, I felt like it was my favorite but this one was just so fantastic!
Spider is second in command under Declan (from book two) in the Irish Mob in Boston. Spider has decided that it is safer for his heart to enter into a loveless, arranged marriage that would be beneficial to his boss, tying two powerful families together. What he hadn’t counted on is his bride to be’s Aunt, an angry, spitfire of a woman that most men are so afraid of, they won’t even look directly at her. She challenges Spider in every way and he can’t even be in the same room as she is without being turned on by her. But that’s not what he wants. He wants a safe, quiet wife, not someone he has to worry about killing him in his sleep.
Reyna Caruso is thirty three years old, a widow, sister to Gianni who is the head of the Caruso family, and aunt to Liliana, the bride to be. I LOVE REYNA!!! This woman is so strong, so smart, so tough, so resilient, so everything! She holds nothing back.
What should you expect with this book? So much snark, smiles, steam, swoons, surprises and suspense as well. These big bad mafia men think that they are in charge but the people that are really in charge are the women that they love. It is these women that hold all of the power. This was the perfect book to wrap up this series. Now we will all be waiting to see what our favorite author does next!
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
Spider is second in command under Declan (from book two) in the Irish Mob in Boston. Spider has decided that it is safer for his heart to enter into a loveless, arranged marriage that would be beneficial to his boss, tying two powerful families together. What he hadn’t counted on is his bride to be’s Aunt, an angry, spitfire of a woman that most men are so afraid of, they won’t even look directly at her. She challenges Spider in every way and he can’t even be in the same room as she is without being turned on by her. But that’s not what he wants. He wants a safe, quiet wife, not someone he has to worry about killing him in his sleep.
Reyna Caruso is thirty three years old, a widow, sister to Gianni who is the head of the Caruso family, and aunt to Liliana, the bride to be. I LOVE REYNA!!! This woman is so strong, so smart, so tough, so resilient, so everything! She holds nothing back.
What should you expect with this book? So much snark, smiles, steam, swoons, surprises and suspense as well. These big bad mafia men think that they are in charge but the people that are really in charge are the women that they love. It is these women that hold all of the power. This was the perfect book to wrap up this series. Now we will all be waiting to see what our favorite author does next!
For more about this book and so many others, come and visit me at Carol's Crazy Bookish World.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/Carol...
July 25, 2022
My fancasts for the main characters. The pictures are 100% accurate and you can't change my mind.
THE HERO:
THE HEROINE:
PLOT:
This story is about Quinn and Mrs. Quinn. Quinn was not suppose to marry Mrs. Quinn, he was suppose to marry Mrs. Quinn’s niece. But Mrs. Quinn niece was in love with the pool boy. So Mrs. Quinn stepped in, the gracious queen that she is, to be Quinn’s wife so there wouldn’t be any more conflict between the Italian and Irish mafia.
THOUGHTS:
I thought the pacing for this book was extremely weird, cause up to 50% was the plot that I described above. It reminded me of a very mild form of The Viscount Who Loved Me in the aspect that the female MC is disliking the male MC and trying everything in her power to not let the H pursue something with the OW. This whole timeline until the wedding doesn’t span long .. maybe a week or a bit longer, but then at around 50% is the wedding and the wedding night between Quinn and Mrs. Quinn takes 10% of this whole book.. so from 50-60% it’s just of them having sex and I thought the pacing felt off?
You know how you associate certain author with certain tropes? For me JTG is the queen of banter and sassy & feisty heroines and she delivered with those two tropes once again in Brutal Vows. So just for the banter I’m always entertained enough and flew through these 400 pages, but Carnal Urges is still the best book in this series imo. The characters were okay for me, I didn’t really get too attached to them. But I’m blaming that more on the fact that every time I see their names, especially the H’s name, I’m starting to cry and can’t take them seriously. I’m sorry.
┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
QUEENS & MONSTERS SERIES
#1 Ruthless Creatures – 2.25 stars
#2 Carnal Urges – 3.5-3.75 stars
#3 Savage Hearts – 2.5 stars
#4 Brutal Vows – 2.75 stars
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙
THE HERO:
THE HEROINE:
PLOT:
This story is about Quinn and Mrs. Quinn. Quinn was not suppose to marry Mrs. Quinn, he was suppose to marry Mrs. Quinn’s niece. But Mrs. Quinn niece was in love with the pool boy. So Mrs. Quinn stepped in, the gracious queen that she is, to be Quinn’s wife so there wouldn’t be any more conflict between the Italian and Irish mafia.
THOUGHTS:
I thought the pacing for this book was extremely weird, cause up to 50% was the plot that I described above. It reminded me of a very mild form of The Viscount Who Loved Me in the aspect that the female MC is disliking the male MC and trying everything in her power to not let the H pursue something with the OW. This whole timeline until the wedding doesn’t span long .. maybe a week or a bit longer, but then at around 50% is the wedding and the wedding night between Quinn and Mrs. Quinn takes 10% of this whole book.. so from 50-60% it’s just of them having sex and I thought the pacing felt off?
You know how you associate certain author with certain tropes? For me JTG is the queen of banter and sassy & feisty heroines and she delivered with those two tropes once again in Brutal Vows. So just for the banter I’m always entertained enough and flew through these 400 pages, but Carnal Urges is still the best book in this series imo. The characters were okay for me, I didn’t really get too attached to them. But I’m blaming that more on the fact that every time I see their names, especially the H’s name, I’m starting to cry and can’t take them seriously. I’m sorry.
┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
QUEENS & MONSTERS SERIES
#1 Ruthless Creatures – 2.25 stars
#2 Carnal Urges – 3.5-3.75 stars
#3 Savage Hearts – 2.5 stars
#4 Brutal Vows – 2.75 stars
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙
April 29, 2022
“Psychotic machismo!”
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 😟😤😍🤬🥰
The heroine: Reyna (a.k.a. Viper) - she is furious when her brother tells her he is going to marry off her niece Liliana, to a member of the Irish Mob. Rey knows that all mafia princesses are good for as far as the men are concerned, is for making profitable matches through arranged marriages. But her niece has barely turned 18 and Reyna thought the girl would have more time.
The Hero: Quinn (a.k.a. Spider) - he is second only to the head of the Irish Mob, Declan from Carnal Urges and he is willing to do what his boss wants in order to make a good deal with the Italians, so he agrees to marry Lili. He plans to let her live her own life and thinks she is too young to have a real marriage, which isn’t what he wants anyway.
The Story: Rey is against the custom of arranged marriages in the mafia because she was married off to an abusive husband who made her life hell until his death. She hates Spider on site and isn’t afraid to show it. Spider is extremely attracted to Rey, but the last thing he wants is a wife whom he is attracted to. He wants to focus on other things and had a bad experience with love in the past.
I don’t want to give away anything so I won’t get into more than I already have which is all from the start of the book, but I will say that this book aligns perfectly with the rest of the series in both the steam and the characterizations. Reyna is totally fierce and an interesting person, she is not your standard abused heroine afraid of her own shadow. Spider is sexy and sinfully delicious. The two of them together are like vinegar and baking soda, the eruption is so fun to read about.
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💚🖤💜❤️
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Story/Plot: 📕📗📘📙📔
World building: 🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
Character development: 😟😤😍🤬🥰
The heroine: Reyna (a.k.a. Viper) - she is furious when her brother tells her he is going to marry off her niece Liliana, to a member of the Irish Mob. Rey knows that all mafia princesses are good for as far as the men are concerned, is for making profitable matches through arranged marriages. But her niece has barely turned 18 and Reyna thought the girl would have more time.
The Hero: Quinn (a.k.a. Spider) - he is second only to the head of the Irish Mob, Declan from Carnal Urges and he is willing to do what his boss wants in order to make a good deal with the Italians, so he agrees to marry Lili. He plans to let her live her own life and thinks she is too young to have a real marriage, which isn’t what he wants anyway.
The Story: Rey is against the custom of arranged marriages in the mafia because she was married off to an abusive husband who made her life hell until his death. She hates Spider on site and isn’t afraid to show it. Spider is extremely attracted to Rey, but the last thing he wants is a wife whom he is attracted to. He wants to focus on other things and had a bad experience with love in the past.
I don’t want to give away anything so I won’t get into more than I already have which is all from the start of the book, but I will say that this book aligns perfectly with the rest of the series in both the steam and the characterizations. Reyna is totally fierce and an interesting person, she is not your standard abused heroine afraid of her own shadow. Spider is sexy and sinfully delicious. The two of them together are like vinegar and baking soda, the eruption is so fun to read about.
“Was that jab about egos directed at me?”
“Not everything is about you, Prince of Arrogance.”
“That’ll be King of Arrogance, if you please.”
I voluntarily read & reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts & opinions are my own.
Blog|Goodreads|Facebook|Instagram|Twitter|BookBub
June 12, 2022
Instead of formulating a cohesive review, here is a list of disjointed thoughts. (I’m just following the book’s lead 🤪)
+ Finally, a hero who thinks fucking an 18 year old girl is gross.
+ Enemies to Lovers stories with this specific tone of weird formality and stiff hatred are so uninspired. (Don’t be ridiculous, Mr. Quinn! You’re my arch nemesis!) Who the fuck has time to have an arch nemesis? In this economy? Grow up.
+ The plot is so disjointed. None of the scenes flowed. What was with that stupid drive to a random carnival to angrily ride the carousel and then stomp back home? Why was that even included?
The tactical swat team attack featuring military-grade explosives at a residential home? Umm, okay… I guess
+ Why are his nipples randomly pierced? He’s 38.
+ Mrs. JTG, I mean no disrespect… but it was so obvious that a white woman was writing this when we got scenes about what a good Italian cook Reyna was. You don’t stir a giant pot of ‘carbonara sauce’ with a wooden spoon like it’s a simmering soup. An authentic Sicilian cook doesn’t ladle carbonara sauce into a bowl of noodles and then top it with a slice of garlic bread I’m— !!!
+ I’m tired of this specific genre of Girlboss Baddie Heroine— where we keep being told what an absolute lethal viper girlboss she is, but she’s just bitchy and rude and traumatized and needs a therapist!!
It’s always the same old story— a woman whose worth is measured by how much abuse she bravely, admirably withstood at the hands of men. I’m tired of that shit. It doesn’t resonate with me. It’s so…. male gaze-y to me. Oh, she was abused for 14 years? Get her on that Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and get her a therapist! Stop romanticizing abuse as an opportunity for women to show their strength through tolerance. It makes me feel gross.
+ Spider’s backstory was traumatic for the sake of shock factor. I felt nothing, it was too unbelievable. Leaving it at the first 3 deaths would have been way more impactful than adding 40+ for no reason.
+ The sex wasn't sexy to me, and I usually vibe with JTG's style. I just want to know who told authors that spontaneous anal is a transcendental experience. Why are y’all lying…
—
I feel like JTG is just pounding these out without much thought. None of these books have resonated with me the way the OG Beautifully Cruel did. The pacing and characters are sloppy— we never truly understand why these people are suddenly ready to kill themselves for each other after meeting last week.
I like JTG and I’m not going to stop picking up her new releases, but it’s also been a while since I wasn’t disappointed.
+ Finally, a hero who thinks fucking an 18 year old girl is gross.
+ Enemies to Lovers stories with this specific tone of weird formality and stiff hatred are so uninspired. (Don’t be ridiculous, Mr. Quinn! You’re my arch nemesis!) Who the fuck has time to have an arch nemesis? In this economy? Grow up.
+ The plot is so disjointed. None of the scenes flowed. What was with that stupid drive to a random carnival to angrily ride the carousel and then stomp back home? Why was that even included?
The tactical swat team attack featuring military-grade explosives at a residential home? Umm, okay… I guess
+ Why are his nipples randomly pierced? He’s 38.
+ Mrs. JTG, I mean no disrespect… but it was so obvious that a white woman was writing this when we got scenes about what a good Italian cook Reyna was. You don’t stir a giant pot of ‘carbonara sauce’ with a wooden spoon like it’s a simmering soup. An authentic Sicilian cook doesn’t ladle carbonara sauce into a bowl of noodles and then top it with a slice of garlic bread I’m— !!!
+ I’m tired of this specific genre of Girlboss Baddie Heroine— where we keep being told what an absolute lethal viper girlboss she is, but she’s just bitchy and rude and traumatized and needs a therapist!!
It’s always the same old story— a woman whose worth is measured by how much abuse she bravely, admirably withstood at the hands of men. I’m tired of that shit. It doesn’t resonate with me. It’s so…. male gaze-y to me. Oh, she was abused for 14 years? Get her on that Blue Cross Blue Shield PPO and get her a therapist! Stop romanticizing abuse as an opportunity for women to show their strength through tolerance. It makes me feel gross.
+ Spider’s backstory was traumatic for the sake of shock factor. I felt nothing, it was too unbelievable. Leaving it at the first 3 deaths would have been way more impactful than adding 40+ for no reason.
+ The sex wasn't sexy to me, and I usually vibe with JTG's style. I just want to know who told authors that spontaneous anal is a transcendental experience. Why are y’all lying…
—
I feel like JTG is just pounding these out without much thought. None of these books have resonated with me the way the OG Beautifully Cruel did. The pacing and characters are sloppy— we never truly understand why these people are suddenly ready to kill themselves for each other after meeting last week.
I like JTG and I’m not going to stop picking up her new releases, but it’s also been a while since I wasn’t disappointed.
May 5, 2022
3.5 stars
My favourite of the series. Hands down.
The heroine is exactly how I perceive a badass woman to be. I know people love Sloane (I’ll spare you another rant about how much I hate her) but Reyna is the one who really embodies all the attributes I see as powerful in a person: intelligence, confidence, elegance, courage and independence. She’s who I want to be when I grow up - except I’m already grown up so maybe in a next life.
As I was saying, that was my favourite thing about the book, the female character plus the plot. And I don’t mean the whole plot (I’ll tell you later why) but whatever followed after 40/50% in.
This book had actually more intrigue, and plot points and characters which were involved in one way or another and just made the experience richer for me as a reader. There was something to always keep me entertained or looking forward to apart from the developing romantic relationship.
Now the reason I can’t give this a full 4 stars is because the beginning of the book really painted Spider in a not so likeable light. I didn’t like the misogyny he displayed. I like my gangsters feminists 🤷♀️. Now, I don’t think that he is a misogynist at heart, just that at the start of the book, he kinda only thought of himself and his misery and his ego. Later he did redeem himself but I just felt like he put himself in a position which gives me some insight into his character and it was not good. Now, time to explain. He agrees to a marriage to an 18 year old girl. 18. He is 38. I know that in the romance genre there are plenty of age gaps and plenty of books which can make the imbalance of power and maturity work and give us a good story. But here the story was that Spider was gonna end up with our heroine who is 33, so to think that a man I was falling for had agreed to marry my barely 18 year old niece (even if he wasn’t attracted to her - that’s not the point) - and he didn’t see anything wrong with tying such a young, innocent and immature girl to himself, it rubbed be the wrong way. Not to mention he was mean to Reyna the h when clearly she was against the marriage because she just wanted the best for her niece.
Now the worst thing about this story was that Spider would have married the 18 year old Liliana, he was gonna go through with it 100% - he was literally at the altar waiting for her but he only didn’t end up married because Lili’s boyfriend showed up and ruined the wedding. I would have liked if we were told or shown that he was gonna call off the wedding or something. Anything. But how much could he have loved Reyna if he was too stubborn to not marry the niece? In the mafia - that marriage was for life - he could never divorce or change his mind. So I don’t get it. He was also very volatile and had moods that would swing so fast it would give me whiplash. I get insecurity and trauma (we find out some things about his past) but that doesn’t really redeem him in my eyes. I liked him in past books, but here he was bitter and he took it out on himself and others in my opinion.
My favourite of the series. Hands down.
The heroine is exactly how I perceive a badass woman to be. I know people love Sloane (I’ll spare you another rant about how much I hate her) but Reyna is the one who really embodies all the attributes I see as powerful in a person: intelligence, confidence, elegance, courage and independence. She’s who I want to be when I grow up - except I’m already grown up so maybe in a next life.
As I was saying, that was my favourite thing about the book, the female character plus the plot. And I don’t mean the whole plot (I’ll tell you later why) but whatever followed after 40/50% in.
This book had actually more intrigue, and plot points and characters which were involved in one way or another and just made the experience richer for me as a reader. There was something to always keep me entertained or looking forward to apart from the developing romantic relationship.
Now the reason I can’t give this a full 4 stars is because the beginning of the book really painted Spider in a not so likeable light. I didn’t like the misogyny he displayed. I like my gangsters feminists 🤷♀️. Now, I don’t think that he is a misogynist at heart, just that at the start of the book, he kinda only thought of himself and his misery and his ego. Later he did redeem himself but I just felt like he put himself in a position which gives me some insight into his character and it was not good. Now, time to explain. He agrees to a marriage to an 18 year old girl. 18. He is 38. I know that in the romance genre there are plenty of age gaps and plenty of books which can make the imbalance of power and maturity work and give us a good story. But here the story was that Spider was gonna end up with our heroine who is 33, so to think that a man I was falling for had agreed to marry my barely 18 year old niece (even if he wasn’t attracted to her - that’s not the point) - and he didn’t see anything wrong with tying such a young, innocent and immature girl to himself, it rubbed be the wrong way. Not to mention he was mean to Reyna the h when clearly she was against the marriage because she just wanted the best for her niece.
Now the worst thing about this story was that Spider would have married the 18 year old Liliana, he was gonna go through with it 100% - he was literally at the altar waiting for her but he only didn’t end up married because Lili’s boyfriend showed up and ruined the wedding. I would have liked if we were told or shown that he was gonna call off the wedding or something. Anything. But how much could he have loved Reyna if he was too stubborn to not marry the niece? In the mafia - that marriage was for life - he could never divorce or change his mind. So I don’t get it. He was also very volatile and had moods that would swing so fast it would give me whiplash. I get insecurity and trauma (we find out some things about his past) but that doesn’t really redeem him in my eyes. I liked him in past books, but here he was bitter and he took it out on himself and others in my opinion.
May 1, 2022
5 STARS
This book was hands down. MY. TOP. FAVORITE. IN. THIS. SERIES. And quite frankly one of my top reads of the year. OMG. This banter. It was finger licking good! UTTERLY DELICIOUS!
Did I mention the banter?
Because oh my GAWD the banter!
Who would have thought that a man who was mostly unassuming until Savage Hearts would come in to steel the show like this? And here I thought no one could top Declan for me!
But you know what I love the most about this series? The sassy, spitfire heroines. And Reyna? How could one possibly top the sassy that was Sloane? With the black freaking widow! MY GOD. This woman was everything. A cosa nostra widow, who holds down the family while making her brother think she does. The woman who lived through hell and rose out of the ashes a fierce warrior who has no desire to rely on a man, god forbid ever marry one. So when her beloved niece gets arranged to wed a Irishman, she has some opinions about it. And the immediate chemistry between her and the man her niece is betrothed to? Highly inconvenient.
I had no idea how the author would bring these two together, but it was the most satisfying thing I've ever read. Their chemistry, their banter, their BANTER. MY GOD THEIR BANTER. I lived for it.
THIS is the kind of heroine I love to read about. A woman with a set of brass ones that gives men a run for their money. And a hero who would burn down the world for her. I. AM. OBSESSED.
If you haven't read this series, you haven't lived. And if you haven't read this book, I don't even want to talk to you. I question your life choices.
Find me on:
He’s a riptide and I’m swimming far out in dangerous waters, getting pulled under fast no matter how hard I fight to stay afloat.
This book was hands down. MY. TOP. FAVORITE. IN. THIS. SERIES. And quite frankly one of my top reads of the year. OMG. This banter. It was finger licking good! UTTERLY DELICIOUS!
“Wait till you see my cock. Then you’ll really be swooning.”
Did I mention the banter?
“That’s because you could turn Father Christmas into the Grinch, woman.”
“What did I tell you about using the word ‘woman’ as a pejorative?”
“Something I couldn’t hear over how loud your resting bitch face was screaming.”
Because oh my GAWD the banter!
Who would have thought that a man who was mostly unassuming until Savage Hearts would come in to steel the show like this? And here I thought no one could top Declan for me!
But you know what I love the most about this series? The sassy, spitfire heroines. And Reyna? How could one possibly top the sassy that was Sloane? With the black freaking widow! MY GOD. This woman was everything. A cosa nostra widow, who holds down the family while making her brother think she does. The woman who lived through hell and rose out of the ashes a fierce warrior who has no desire to rely on a man, god forbid ever marry one. So when her beloved niece gets arranged to wed a Irishman, she has some opinions about it. And the immediate chemistry between her and the man her niece is betrothed to? Highly inconvenient.
I had no idea how the author would bring these two together, but it was the most satisfying thing I've ever read. Their chemistry, their banter, their BANTER. MY GOD THEIR BANTER. I lived for it.
THIS is the kind of heroine I love to read about. A woman with a set of brass ones that gives men a run for their money. And a hero who would burn down the world for her. I. AM. OBSESSED.
If you haven't read this series, you haven't lived. And if you haven't read this book, I don't even want to talk to you. I question your life choices.
Find me on:
July 1, 2025
Reread in June 2025 for Patreon!
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Reread for 2022 favorites.
Audiobook this time. And delightful as always.
6 stars
3.5 on the spice scale
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Reread for 2022 favorites.
Audiobook this time. And delightful as always.
6 stars
3.5 on the spice scale
March 16, 2023
4.5 stars rounded up.
Gah! I liked this book but had some issues with the beginning. Spider (Quinn/Homer) wasn’t the same beloved blushing sweetie that I loved in books 2 & 3. He was an @sshole and it frustrated me. The animosity he felt towards Reyna seemed both unwarranted and uncharacteristic. Ya, I get that he’s a gangster and has to be a bit more hardened to be Declan’s number two, but I’d have thought the Spider in previous books would have had some empathy as to why Reyna was wary of him. Also he had way more charm in previous books, in this one (at least the first part) he was a boorish caveman.
Reyna was great however, she was fierce and served serious sass throughout the book. This book had less action and intrigue than I would have expected, and once they got together it was pretty much 90% sex for the remainder of the story. We didn’t get any cool Declan or Kage POV here either which I was disappointed in. I would have liked this series to have gone out with a bigger bang, but because I liked Reyna and ultimately liked Spider once he stopped being an ass and fell in love with her I am giving this a higher rating.
I really liked the praise kink and that Reyna was more the dominant one in their relationship, even though Spider was still a strong male lead, he was good with being second in command sexually and in the rankings of the mob/mafia crime organizations. When they finally got together it was 🔥 and the banter was still epic.
So good finish for the series, but I would have liked slightly more action and more appearances from Kage and even Malek. Nice epilogue though, very satisfying.
Gah! I liked this book but had some issues with the beginning. Spider (Quinn/Homer) wasn’t the same beloved blushing sweetie that I loved in books 2 & 3. He was an @sshole and it frustrated me. The animosity he felt towards Reyna seemed both unwarranted and uncharacteristic. Ya, I get that he’s a gangster and has to be a bit more hardened to be Declan’s number two, but I’d have thought the Spider in previous books would have had some empathy as to why Reyna was wary of him. Also he had way more charm in previous books, in this one (at least the first part) he was a boorish caveman.
Reyna was great however, she was fierce and served serious sass throughout the book. This book had less action and intrigue than I would have expected, and once they got together it was pretty much 90% sex for the remainder of the story. We didn’t get any cool Declan or Kage POV here either which I was disappointed in. I would have liked this series to have gone out with a bigger bang, but because I liked Reyna and ultimately liked Spider once he stopped being an ass and fell in love with her I am giving this a higher rating.
I really liked the praise kink and that Reyna was more the dominant one in their relationship, even though Spider was still a strong male lead, he was good with being second in command sexually and in the rankings of the mob/mafia crime organizations. When they finally got together it was 🔥 and the banter was still epic.
So good finish for the series, but I would have liked slightly more action and more appearances from Kage and even Malek. Nice epilogue though, very satisfying.
May 6, 2022
Oh man. I’ve so many feelings. All great ones. Swoony ones. Hopelessly in love ones. I finished this book with the biggest smile on my face.
I didn’t think it could get better than Carnal Urges but I think it it did, or it’s on par, and right now I don’t know what to do with myself. Why did it have to end? 🥺
This series has been incredible to read. Start to finish. Highly recommended to read the series in order too.
I didn’t think it could get better than Carnal Urges but I think it it did, or it’s on par, and right now I don’t know what to do with myself. Why did it have to end? 🥺
This series has been incredible to read. Start to finish. Highly recommended to read the series in order too.
May 5, 2022
5 Viper vs Spider stars ⭐
A mafia book with combos of a great plot, all the bloody-gory action, chemistry+smut and hilarious banter? 🥺 those are rare and my favorite 😍
Spider (our H) is 🥵🥵🥵🥵 i mean look at the damn cover 💦 + even though he's vicious mobster, he has a heart of pure gold and he loves to receive praise in bed 👀 *Swoon*
Reyna (our h) is a widow (people literally call her black widow, for obvious reasons) is super strong bad ass bitch with all the knowledge of the mob to become a freaking politician.
MY PERSONAL THANKS TO THIS AUTHOR FOR NOT TURNING A BAD MAFIA HEROINE INTO A DOORMAT 🙏
This was so hilarious i was shaking while reading this, i couldn't control my ugly snort laughter 🤣🤣🤣
Hero ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Heroine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chemistry/smut ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Character development ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Safe to read ✅
This was my favorite in this series ❤
A mafia book with combos of a great plot, all the bloody-gory action, chemistry+smut and hilarious banter? 🥺 those are rare and my favorite 😍
Spider (our H) is 🥵🥵🥵🥵 i mean look at the damn cover 💦 + even though he's vicious mobster, he has a heart of pure gold and he loves to receive praise in bed 👀 *Swoon*
Reyna (our h) is a widow (people literally call her black widow, for obvious reasons) is super strong bad ass bitch with all the knowledge of the mob to become a freaking politician.
MY PERSONAL THANKS TO THIS AUTHOR FOR NOT TURNING A BAD MAFIA HEROINE INTO A DOORMAT 🙏
This was so hilarious i was shaking while reading this, i couldn't control my ugly snort laughter 🤣🤣🤣
Hero ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Heroine ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Plot ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Chemistry/smut ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Character development ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Safe to read ✅
This was my favorite in this series ❤
April 28, 2022
banter + hate + tension + enemies with benefits = perfection!
THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING.
Spider (Declan’s second in command) is told he has to marry the daughter of one of the heads of the Italian mafia. He goes a long with it, but when he meets his new bride she doesn’t do anything for him. She’s young, naive and not for him. Enter Rey. She is his bride’s aunt, and she is strong, fierce, been through hell and speaks her mind. And she HATES Spider.
The banter between them is AMAZING. I laughed, I got butterflies and JT does an amazing job at building tension between them. They slowly start realizing there is a thin line between hate and lust. So what happens when his wedding day comes, but his bride isn’t who he wants?!?
I AM IN LOVE WITH SPIDER. He’s volatile, yet a romantic. He hates Rey but he can’t stay away. He’s been broken terribly in the past, and is just trying to survive and Rey is the shock of life he needed.
REYYYY if you loved Sloan like I did you will be OBSESSED with Rey. She holds her own not just with Spider but all the made men. She easily proves she’s the smartest in every room all while flirting and bantering her way in to Spider’s heart. She’s been through literal hell and told herself never again, and it was beautiful to watch her find the love she deserved.
I am so sad that this series has come to and end, but I think JT ended it perfectly. This series will hold a special place in my heart and I think this book may just be my favorite!!
TW: abusive ex husband, detailed description of abuse, talk of past sexual assault, ptsd, physical and mental scars, on page violence, death, mafia dark themes
5/5 ⭐️ plot
4/5🌶 spice
**arc given for honest review**
just an update - I finished this book 2 days ago, and it's ALL I've been thinking about. Like I want to re-read this. This is a 10/5 star read from me for sure!
THIS BOOK WAS EVERYTHING.
Spider (Declan’s second in command) is told he has to marry the daughter of one of the heads of the Italian mafia. He goes a long with it, but when he meets his new bride she doesn’t do anything for him. She’s young, naive and not for him. Enter Rey. She is his bride’s aunt, and she is strong, fierce, been through hell and speaks her mind. And she HATES Spider.
The banter between them is AMAZING. I laughed, I got butterflies and JT does an amazing job at building tension between them. They slowly start realizing there is a thin line between hate and lust. So what happens when his wedding day comes, but his bride isn’t who he wants?!?
I AM IN LOVE WITH SPIDER. He’s volatile, yet a romantic. He hates Rey but he can’t stay away. He’s been broken terribly in the past, and is just trying to survive and Rey is the shock of life he needed.
REYYYY if you loved Sloan like I did you will be OBSESSED with Rey. She holds her own not just with Spider but all the made men. She easily proves she’s the smartest in every room all while flirting and bantering her way in to Spider’s heart. She’s been through literal hell and told herself never again, and it was beautiful to watch her find the love she deserved.
I am so sad that this series has come to and end, but I think JT ended it perfectly. This series will hold a special place in my heart and I think this book may just be my favorite!!
TW: abusive ex husband, detailed description of abuse, talk of past sexual assault, ptsd, physical and mental scars, on page violence, death, mafia dark themes
5/5 ⭐️ plot
4/5🌶 spice
**arc given for honest review**
just an update - I finished this book 2 days ago, and it's ALL I've been thinking about. Like I want to re-read this. This is a 10/5 star read from me for sure!
August 24, 2025
She is super mean to him so naturally he falls in love 🖤👰🏻♀️🤍enemies with benefits and sprinkles of (reverse) praise & breeding kink!
Reyna is an ice queen with a huge grudge towards men (I mean…fair!). She is a domestic violence survivor and will die before she sees her own niece sold into an arrange marriage 💍✨ How convenient that the ‘expected groom’ is a tall Irish mafioso with huge feet. Reyna might just slip and fall into a wedding dress….
My favourite moments:
✔️ he calls her ‘wee viper’ & loves needling her
✔️ SMUT BAPTISM
✔️ they recreate scenes from her historical romance novels!
✔️ Spider is the biggest SIMP!!
✔️ he is obsessed with her cooking & demands meals
I absolutely loved the fiery dynamic between Rey & Spider. We get to experience them go from enemies with concealed attractions to a couple that would DIE for each other. I don’t know which character I loved more, the Queen B Reyna that gave 0 fucks or her biggest SIMP that would literally kill people for disrespecting her. I’m all for big bad mafia men melting for their women!
“Fucking hell, you’re gorgeous. My sweet girl. I’d kill an army for you. I’d burn down empires and lay all their gold at your feet.”
“You’re a privilege I don’t deserve, but I’m going to spend the rest of both our lives trying to be worthy of you.”
AND ALL THE WHILE he is singing her praises she is literally telling him to go eat grass 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 make him crawl hunnnnie!
Italian/irish mafia romance
posessive mmc
arranged marriage
bad ass fmc
bickering & banter
communication KING
smuttiness 3.5/5
disrespect her & die
found family
HEA
Reyna is an ice queen with a huge grudge towards men (I mean…fair!). She is a domestic violence survivor and will die before she sees her own niece sold into an arrange marriage 💍✨ How convenient that the ‘expected groom’ is a tall Irish mafioso with huge feet. Reyna might just slip and fall into a wedding dress….
My favourite moments:
✔️ he calls her ‘wee viper’ & loves needling her
✔️ SMUT BAPTISM
✔️ they recreate scenes from her historical romance novels!
✔️ Spider is the biggest SIMP!!
✔️ he is obsessed with her cooking & demands meals
I absolutely loved the fiery dynamic between Rey & Spider. We get to experience them go from enemies with concealed attractions to a couple that would DIE for each other. I don’t know which character I loved more, the Queen B Reyna that gave 0 fucks or her biggest SIMP that would literally kill people for disrespecting her. I’m all for big bad mafia men melting for their women!
“Fucking hell, you’re gorgeous. My sweet girl. I’d kill an army for you. I’d burn down empires and lay all their gold at your feet.”
“You’re a privilege I don’t deserve, but I’m going to spend the rest of both our lives trying to be worthy of you.”
AND ALL THE WHILE he is singing her praises she is literally telling him to go eat grass 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 make him crawl hunnnnie!
Italian/irish mafia romance
posessive mmc
arranged marriage
bad ass fmc
bickering & banter
communication KING
smuttiness 3.5/5
disrespect her & die
found family
HEA
April 29, 2022
Hate to do this but...
The fact that the hero, Quinn, often had suicide ideations while not receiving ongoing treatment was so deeply troubling. Likewise, Reyna’s abuse at the hands of her dead ex-husband.
These two should not be together much less get married unless after they’ve had hours of counselling. And even then.
Anyway, their enemies-to-lovers banter was cute and all; still, I wonder what would have happened if the niece hadn't gotten pregnant. Would Quinn have actually gone through with it? That little twist seemed too convenient and I eye rolled when Rey -who’d sworn off marriage- eagerly stepped in because of course she did.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2025
⋆˚࿔ review 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
5⭐️
And he really did Spider had me falling for him and I’m just as shocked as you are 🤭.
I went in expecting to hate this book… and now it’s everything to me.
A badass, smart-mouthed FMC and an MMC who gives it right back? Banter perfection. This author knows how to write tension and chemistry, the push and pull, the fire, the softness when they’re alone? Flawless.
Rey was brutal to him at times, and I loved every second of it 🙂↕️. The way they balance each other out had me kicking my feet. Their dynamic? Just chef’s kiss.
Spider what happened to you?? You had a whole personality shift and suddenly I’m a fan. Maybe he’s been saving it all for this book because wow.
Rey was such a good mother figure to Lili, so protective and full of heart. She made the book for me no question.
That ending though… I can’t decide if the author is a mastermind or just plain evil. Maybe both.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
I hate spider rn, so hopefully he redeems himself in this
5⭐️
And he really did Spider had me falling for him and I’m just as shocked as you are 🤭.
I went in expecting to hate this book… and now it’s everything to me.
A badass, smart-mouthed FMC and an MMC who gives it right back? Banter perfection. This author knows how to write tension and chemistry, the push and pull, the fire, the softness when they’re alone? Flawless.
Rey was brutal to him at times, and I loved every second of it 🙂↕️. The way they balance each other out had me kicking my feet. Their dynamic? Just chef’s kiss.
Spider what happened to you?? You had a whole personality shift and suddenly I’m a fan. Maybe he’s been saving it all for this book because wow.
Rey was such a good mother figure to Lili, so protective and full of heart. She made the book for me no question.
That ending though… I can’t decide if the author is a mastermind or just plain evil. Maybe both.
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
I hate spider rn, so hopefully he redeems himself in this
September 8, 2025
give reyna her own book where she just verbally annihilates things, because she was the only one with a pulse (and sharp edges) in this whole story, especially compared to homer's unseasoned cock.
April 29, 2022
4,5. What a great book! I loved everything!
It’s worth the reading
It’s worth the reading
April 30, 2022
3.5🌟
I think the highlight for me about this whole series is definitely the banter and the only reason why i kept reading these books bc if we're being real here the mafia plot is a joke😂
GAH Spider and Viper had the best chemistry so far imo.
Idk if that's because i love enemies to lovers and that first chapters when they're hurling insults at each other but secretly eye fuck was sooo good and intense.
Reina was such a badass bitch i loved her. She was in an abusive marriage for 14 years and everything she went through was heartbreaking😭 but then she went and became the Capo of the Italian mafia.😌 like i said, badass.
Spider is actually a huge marshmallow.
I've always liked him beside the fact that he kinda sucked at communication and had this hot and cold attitude sometimes. But he was so sweet and just wanted to protect Reina all the time.😩
However, there wasn't any big plot. I think i'm used to more action in mafia books and these are a little more on the tame side.🙄
so beside their relationship i'd say when they got together all they did was fuck. And then in the last 2 chapters everything happened and wrapped so abruptly.
but they were cute and got me out of my reading slump AND no one actually annoyed me. which was surprising to say the least.
I think the highlight for me about this whole series is definitely the banter and the only reason why i kept reading these books bc if we're being real here the mafia plot is a joke😂
"I’ve never seen an attractive serial killer, but I bet this is exactly what she’d look like."
GAH Spider and Viper had the best chemistry so far imo.
Idk if that's because i love enemies to lovers and that first chapters when they're hurling insults at each other but secretly eye fuck was sooo good and intense.
Reina was such a badass bitch i loved her. She was in an abusive marriage for 14 years and everything she went through was heartbreaking😭 but then she went and became the Capo of the Italian mafia.😌 like i said, badass.
“You should also keep in mind that vipers are venomous…and they eat spiders for lunch.”
Spider is actually a huge marshmallow.
I've always liked him beside the fact that he kinda sucked at communication and had this hot and cold attitude sometimes. But he was so sweet and just wanted to protect Reina all the time.😩
“Viper. My lovely, lethal wife. You’re fucking perfect, inside and out. Don’t ever worry about disappointing me. You couldn’t. Even when you’re homicidal or hurling insults, you take my breath away.”
However, there wasn't any big plot. I think i'm used to more action in mafia books and these are a little more on the tame side.🙄
so beside their relationship i'd say when they got together all they did was fuck. And then in the last 2 chapters everything happened and wrapped so abruptly.
but they were cute and got me out of my reading slump AND no one actually annoyed me. which was surprising to say the least.
“I just wifed a viper.”
My laugh is faint and disbelieving. “And I just married an insect.”
September 3, 2024
This man could be a pinup model.
At least my vagina thinks so. A five-alarm blaze has erupted in my underpants. I’m going to have to go in search of a fire extinguisher to put these roaring flames out.
Brutal Vows is my second J.T. Geissinger book, and the second to mention a conflagration in a woman’s underpants. At least it wasn’t threatening the entire eastern seaboard this time, but who knew things could be so combustible down there? These books should come with a fireman’s hose attached.
Will this win a Nobel Prize for Literature? No. Is this even a good romance novel? Not really. But it is fun. It’s a roller coaster: artificial, manufactured entertainment, a little jarring, a little titillating, fast, joyful, and I felt like I got what I came for as it rolled to a stop.
A few noteworthy surprises: the most enjoyable wedding in a romance ever. It was hilarious, genuinely delightful. For that alone this book was worth reading. But in addition, it was fun to see a romance book poking fun at romance books while itself embracing romance books by having the main characters reenacting cheesy scenes from romance books. Rey and Quinn communicated, yay! Declan invited the new couple to dinner and Sloane prepared the food, noooo.
As for the brother who tried to trade his daughter for personal gain? Not sorry at all.
At least my vagina thinks so. A five-alarm blaze has erupted in my underpants. I’m going to have to go in search of a fire extinguisher to put these roaring flames out.
Brutal Vows is my second J.T. Geissinger book, and the second to mention a conflagration in a woman’s underpants. At least it wasn’t threatening the entire eastern seaboard this time, but who knew things could be so combustible down there? These books should come with a fireman’s hose attached.
Will this win a Nobel Prize for Literature? No. Is this even a good romance novel? Not really. But it is fun. It’s a roller coaster: artificial, manufactured entertainment, a little jarring, a little titillating, fast, joyful, and I felt like I got what I came for as it rolled to a stop.
A few noteworthy surprises: the most enjoyable wedding in a romance ever. It was hilarious, genuinely delightful. For that alone this book was worth reading. But in addition, it was fun to see a romance book poking fun at romance books while itself embracing romance books by having the main characters reenacting cheesy scenes from romance books. Rey and Quinn communicated, yay! Declan invited the new couple to dinner and Sloane prepared the food, noooo.
As for the brother who tried to trade his daughter for personal gain? Not sorry at all.
April 28, 2022
dnf @ 40%
bloody not having a good time mate. simply not having a craic luv
bloody not having a good time mate. simply not having a craic luv
April 23, 2022
Whoah!! I'm seriously kicking myself for not reading anything from this author or the other books in the series because I freakin enjoyed this one. A lot! Where the hell have I been?!! This was sexy at the highest level, dangerously entertaining, and a match made in heaven for two characters who went through hell and found a piece of heaven in each other.
Reyna has been through her fair share of trauma but she’s made it out on the other side. Her main purpose in life now is to take care of her niece and make sure that her family is well protected and still holds some sort of power. But when a contract is drawn up between her family and a mysterious powerful irishman, Reyna knows that she has to do whatever it takes to protect the most important thing to her by any means necessary.
I really had no clue what I was getting into when I started reading this book. From the minute I read the first chapter I knew that I was going to like it. Reyna was a bad a** b*tch and let me tell you, she bowed down to no one. She was forced to develop a thick skin after going through a horrific past and I loved that she knew her worth now.
The chemistry in this story was a freakin five alarm fire!! I didn't know if these two wanted to kill each other or tear their clothes off but I think that it was definitely a combination of both. Their banter had me laughing out loud and sweating at the same time for fear that one might push the other too far and then we’re looking at a funeral in the next chapter but I loved it.
Knowing that this is the final book in this series, I'm glad that I got to be a part of it, if only for a little while. This couple made a lasting impression on me and I won't be forgetting them any time soon. I will be going back to read the other books in the series because they're that good and I know that all of them are downright sinful! If you’re looking for a new dark series to start, I recommend you do it with this series.
October 2, 2022
Best Mafia Romance I’ve read
I read, rated AND reviewed this months ago, but Amazon and GR are being lil butts and not saving it.
This was a phenomenal read. My favorite mafia romance so far. Mainly because of two things: Reyna and Spider.
Reyna has to be in my top 10 fav FMCs of all time. She’s so badass, I wanted to be her (or be with her - it’s all very confusing 😌). She had a tragic history and used her coping methods to become like polished steel. She honestly didn’t care what people thought of her, she knew she was the shit. But the main thing I loved? She was a thirty-something year old woman who acted AND talked like it! This goes for both MCs actually. Her love for her niece really showed what kind of person she is and what all she would sacrifice for those she loves.
Spider (Homer- the MMC) was funny and an incorrigible asshole yet he was also sweet. He wasn’t power hungry, he just wanted to do the right thing (well, for a criminal lol). I loved how he didn’t go out of his way to be cruel to Reyna at first, he actually sparred with her verbally, and it wasn’t a turn off to him to have an intellectual, beautiful, and powerful woman as his partner- in due time, of course. He also wasn’t a misogynist which is rare to find in male characters in dark, particularly mafia, romance. He backed her in all her endeavors and that was hot af.
What was also hot af was the spice oh my lord. Those two peeps were made for each other. I almost got third degree burns just from reading about them. (It might’ve been my phone overheating from how long I was reading. Read it all in one sitting 👀).
I’m sure I’m forgetting something awesome to say about it, but considering how long it’s been and that I actually remember the characters and plot, it’s obviously a good book. This was my first J.T. Geissinger and I’m sure it won’t be my last. With that said, this is a stand-alone. And I highly recommend it.
I read, rated AND reviewed this months ago, but Amazon and GR are being lil butts and not saving it.
This was a phenomenal read. My favorite mafia romance so far. Mainly because of two things: Reyna and Spider.
Reyna has to be in my top 10 fav FMCs of all time. She’s so badass, I wanted to be her (or be with her - it’s all very confusing 😌). She had a tragic history and used her coping methods to become like polished steel. She honestly didn’t care what people thought of her, she knew she was the shit. But the main thing I loved? She was a thirty-something year old woman who acted AND talked like it! This goes for both MCs actually. Her love for her niece really showed what kind of person she is and what all she would sacrifice for those she loves.
Spider (Homer- the MMC) was funny and an incorrigible asshole yet he was also sweet. He wasn’t power hungry, he just wanted to do the right thing (well, for a criminal lol). I loved how he didn’t go out of his way to be cruel to Reyna at first, he actually sparred with her verbally, and it wasn’t a turn off to him to have an intellectual, beautiful, and powerful woman as his partner- in due time, of course. He also wasn’t a misogynist which is rare to find in male characters in dark, particularly mafia, romance. He backed her in all her endeavors and that was hot af.
What was also hot af was the spice oh my lord. Those two peeps were made for each other. I almost got third degree burns just from reading about them. (It might’ve been my phone overheating from how long I was reading. Read it all in one sitting 👀).
I’m sure I’m forgetting something awesome to say about it, but considering how long it’s been and that I actually remember the characters and plot, it’s obviously a good book. This was my first J.T. Geissinger and I’m sure it won’t be my last. With that said, this is a stand-alone. And I highly recommend it.
August 18, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Spider had his heart torn out and shot to pieces in the last book. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back and his fucks to give are all gone. So he agrees to an arranged marriage to the 18 year old daughter of the Cosa Nostra.
Then he meets Reyna, the girl’s aunt who is hands down the best FMC that Geissinger has ever written and that badass bitch is in my top 5 heroines of all time.
The banter of course is spot on, sheer perfection throughout the entire book. I couldn’t get enough of the back handed compliments nor the in your face insults.
I don’t know if it was a me thing but out of character, I preferred them when they hated each other. I felt like there was way more chemistry.
Yeah, the sex was hot … the first time or two. I can’t believe I’m saying this but too much bloody sex. I love smut, you all know this but I want variety. And for like 50 pages they had the same vanilla sex over and over again. I was jumping for joy when she choked on his cock and took it from behind.
Now for the audio that I patiently waited for … it was well worth the wait! Troy Duran was brilliant as always and Tara Langella was a major find. I have no doubts that she’s part of what made Reyna the brilliant character she was.
I loved the colorful cast of characters and I enjoyed hating some as well. Reyna’s mother tops the list, she never failed to crack me up.
All the intrigue and action was so good, I love how everything played out. I honestly couldn’t have asked for more.
Other than a few hiccups, it was a thoroughly entertaining read.
🌶🌶🌶
🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧
Spider had his heart torn out and shot to pieces in the last book. It was the straw that broke the camel’s back and his fucks to give are all gone. So he agrees to an arranged marriage to the 18 year old daughter of the Cosa Nostra.
Then he meets Reyna, the girl’s aunt who is hands down the best FMC that Geissinger has ever written and that badass bitch is in my top 5 heroines of all time.
The banter of course is spot on, sheer perfection throughout the entire book. I couldn’t get enough of the back handed compliments nor the in your face insults.
I don’t know if it was a me thing but out of character, I preferred them when they hated each other. I felt like there was way more chemistry.
Yeah, the sex was hot … the first time or two. I can’t believe I’m saying this but too much bloody sex. I love smut, you all know this but I want variety. And for like 50 pages they had the same vanilla sex over and over again. I was jumping for joy when she choked on his cock and took it from behind.
Now for the audio that I patiently waited for … it was well worth the wait! Troy Duran was brilliant as always and Tara Langella was a major find. I have no doubts that she’s part of what made Reyna the brilliant character she was.
I loved the colorful cast of characters and I enjoyed hating some as well. Reyna’s mother tops the list, she never failed to crack me up.
All the intrigue and action was so good, I love how everything played out. I honestly couldn’t have asked for more.
Other than a few hiccups, it was a thoroughly entertaining read.
July 21, 2022
ALL HAIL QUEEN RAYNA!
This book had one of the BEST FMC I have ever read: Rayna. Not only was she a badass, but she was smart, sarcastic and confident. I adored her! I loved Spider from the previous books and loved him even more in this book. The banter between Rayna and Spider was EPIC! The chemistry between them was hot AF 🥵. There aren’t enough good things I can say about this book!
Also, I listened to this on audible and can confidently say it is quite literally the BEST audiobook that I have ever listened to! Not only was it duet narration but both the female and male narrators were PHENOMENAL! The female narrator was perfect for Rayna’s sarcasm and dry humour. The male narrator was growly and put on a super sexy Irish accent. I. ADORED. THE. AUDIO!!!!!
This book had one of the BEST FMC I have ever read: Rayna. Not only was she a badass, but she was smart, sarcastic and confident. I adored her! I loved Spider from the previous books and loved him even more in this book. The banter between Rayna and Spider was EPIC! The chemistry between them was hot AF 🥵. There aren’t enough good things I can say about this book!
Also, I listened to this on audible and can confidently say it is quite literally the BEST audiobook that I have ever listened to! Not only was it duet narration but both the female and male narrators were PHENOMENAL! The female narrator was perfect for Rayna’s sarcasm and dry humour. The male narrator was growly and put on a super sexy Irish accent. I. ADORED. THE. AUDIO!!!!!
August 10, 2025
Love at first Seething Hatred Venomous Sight 🍀❤️🐍❤️🍀
Honestly, this sat at 3stars for a bit then 💥BOOM💥 5stars instantly, and it stayed there too!!
Screw the plot getting thicker, it F*cking Jackknifed and Blew-up like Armageddon 🧨💥🤯 Absolutely WICKED!!!!
Let’s begin with The Queens:
Natalie = The Sweet yet Sassy Queen
Sloane = The Bada** Queen
Riley = Queen of Monster(s), and now…
Reyna = “Queen Devil Bitch of All Existence” 👑💋👑 A.K.A: Black Widow 🕷️
and this WARNING is why she’s a True Queen: “Just imagine the information I have, Massimo. Daughter of a Mafia don, wife of a Mafia captain, sister of the head of one of the Five Families … I’m a f*cking mother lode of fun information.”
plus this is the only Queen who: right after she stabs a man in his neck, “in a black dress and stilettos, carrying a high-caliber rifle at the ready as she heads off to hunt armed intruders, her full hips swaying and her long dark hair flaring out behind her like a flag.” , then she shoots the guy who shot Spider!!! 👑🐍👑
Spider/Quinn & Reyna are both highly educated in murderous banter, I absolutely love it (I may have said quite a few of these in my past 😆😆) insults, banter, warnings, nicknames - loved them all❣️
I honestly thought Spider was in his mid 20’s in the previous books of the way he was written (alllll that blushing), and was thinking and liking that she was going to be a bit older than him too, thennnn ✨✨✨ he’s 38 & she’s 33… huh??! 🫨 Alright, I’ll just go with the flow ✅
Grandma is awesome, especially when she flirts with the big Irish men 😆🤪
Liliana, first you need a good a**kicking of reality, spoiled, mouthy brat… yet you’re lucky your secret love has a powerful uncle!! Yes, yes, she’s sweet and all 🙄
💟 HELLO Kieran… always love a good MMF/MFM (I’m hoping there’s a book???)
😡I’d love to see some of these “Mafia Men” (abusers & those that turn a blind eye) take 14years of whippings & beatings and see how they are, they can dish it out but are whimpering little b*tches when it’s doled out back onto them (right Gianni 🧐)
📒 This definitely got sooooo much better the more you read it, especially after the halfway point
🍀💚🐍💚🍀
113 highlighted bits, including 2 pages of pure yummmmm😈
Cover-wise: I favour the B&W Tattooed Hands a lot more than the knife & yellow flowers, both are Wicked-Nice, but I’d rather purchase (paperback/hardcover) the set with B&W cover AND the extra pages/chapters/ deleted goodies, etc …for now, the colourful ones shall stay in my iPad since they have the extra goodies 💟😈💋😈💟
Honestly, this sat at 3stars for a bit then 💥BOOM💥 5stars instantly, and it stayed there too!!
Screw the plot getting thicker, it F*cking Jackknifed and Blew-up like Armageddon 🧨💥🤯 Absolutely WICKED!!!!
Let’s begin with The Queens:
Natalie = The Sweet yet Sassy Queen
Sloane = The Bada** Queen
Riley = Queen of Monster(s), and now…
Reyna = “Queen Devil Bitch of All Existence” 👑💋👑 A.K.A: Black Widow 🕷️
and this WARNING is why she’s a True Queen: “Just imagine the information I have, Massimo. Daughter of a Mafia don, wife of a Mafia captain, sister of the head of one of the Five Families … I’m a f*cking mother lode of fun information.”
plus this is the only Queen who: right after she stabs a man in his neck, “in a black dress and stilettos, carrying a high-caliber rifle at the ready as she heads off to hunt armed intruders, her full hips swaying and her long dark hair flaring out behind her like a flag.” , then she shoots the guy who shot Spider!!! 👑🐍👑
Spider/Quinn & Reyna are both highly educated in murderous banter, I absolutely love it (I may have said quite a few of these in my past 😆😆) insults, banter, warnings, nicknames - loved them all❣️
I honestly thought Spider was in his mid 20’s in the previous books of the way he was written (alllll that blushing), and was thinking and liking that she was going to be a bit older than him too, thennnn ✨✨✨ he’s 38 & she’s 33… huh??! 🫨 Alright, I’ll just go with the flow ✅
Grandma is awesome, especially when she flirts with the big Irish men 😆🤪
Liliana, first you need a good a**kicking of reality, spoiled, mouthy brat… yet you’re lucky your secret love has a powerful uncle!! Yes, yes, she’s sweet and all 🙄
💟 HELLO Kieran… always love a good MMF/MFM (I’m hoping there’s a book???)
😡I’d love to see some of these “Mafia Men” (abusers & those that turn a blind eye) take 14years of whippings & beatings and see how they are, they can dish it out but are whimpering little b*tches when it’s doled out back onto them (right Gianni 🧐)
📒 This definitely got sooooo much better the more you read it, especially after the halfway point
🍀💚🐍💚🍀
113 highlighted bits, including 2 pages of pure yummmmm😈
Cover-wise: I favour the B&W Tattooed Hands a lot more than the knife & yellow flowers, both are Wicked-Nice, but I’d rather purchase (paperback/hardcover) the set with B&W cover AND the extra pages/chapters/ deleted goodies, etc …for now, the colourful ones shall stay in my iPad since they have the extra goodies 💟😈💋😈💟
July 27, 2022
27/07/22: Listening 🎧 to the audio book and holy hell 🔥🔥🔥 this whole series has set the bar so high for audio books that I don't even want to bother with audio that's not duet narration. Also Troy Duran saying filthy things while I sit at traffic lights is actually a hazard 😂
---------
The couple that praises together, stays together (and has filthy hot sex)
Just when I think I have a favorite H from this series (Declan), Spider comes along in all his sexy Thor like glory with his soft romantic side and fierce need to protect and disrupts my ranking. Also, finally a male character with his own praise kink. Hallelujah!!
I didn't want this book to end, in fact when I got to the last 15 minutes in my Kindle I had to put it down because I knew the end was coming and I just didn't want to say goodbye to all these characters.
Loved the ending, loved every single one of these couples and I'll say it again, Geissinger writes consent in the sexiest way ever. I want more of it in my books and I'm greedy and want more from this mafia/mob world.
The sex in this book was next level too. I think this was the most spicy in the whole series.
---------
The couple that praises together, stays together (and has filthy hot sex)
Just when I think I have a favorite H from this series (Declan), Spider comes along in all his sexy Thor like glory with his soft romantic side and fierce need to protect and disrupts my ranking. Also, finally a male character with his own praise kink. Hallelujah!!
I didn't want this book to end, in fact when I got to the last 15 minutes in my Kindle I had to put it down because I knew the end was coming and I just didn't want to say goodbye to all these characters.
Loved the ending, loved every single one of these couples and I'll say it again, Geissinger writes consent in the sexiest way ever. I want more of it in my books and I'm greedy and want more from this mafia/mob world.
The sex in this book was next level too. I think this was the most spicy in the whole series.
May 30, 2023
4,0 ✨✨✨
I loved this series.😍
Super hot. 🔥🔥🔥🫦
I loved this series.😍
Super hot. 🔥🔥🔥🫦
May 1, 2022
Brutal Vows is the fourth book in the Queens & Monsters series and features Reyna the Viper/Black Widow and Quinn (Spider). Reyna has dealt with her fair share of pain being married to a monster for 14 years and growing up in the mafia. She knows how the men of the mafia see women and yet she has thrown punches discreetly and done what she could for herself with the choices that were taken from her. When Reyna is free of the loveless and abusive relationship she was forced to be in, she promises to protect her niece from the same fate. So when she hears that her niece is set to be in an arranged marriage to an Irishman, she is rightfully enraged.
Quinn has a devastating backstory and you know part of his story from a previous book in this series. I'll admit I didn't love him in the past but you see a whole new side to him and can't help but fall for the man he shows the world and the man he hides from the world. He never wants to marry for love and agrees to marry for alliance purposes only. But when he meets his betrothed's aunt, well let's just say it was a meeting of fire and ice. The interactions between Spider and Reyna were vicious but there was also an underlying attraction that neither wanted to acknowledge. The more they interact, the more it was obvious they had met their matches.
But Quinn is set to marry Reyna's niece and Reyna has vowed never to marry again. What happens when the best laid plans fall apart and Reyna and Spider have a new path to navigate?
I'll be honest, I did not care for the first 30% of this book (mainly because of personal preferences) but after that mark, I loved it. Spider was the perfect combination of arrogance, vulnerability and possessiveness. Reyna was an incredibly strong woman but still carried herself with grace and femininity. Put the two of them together? You've got a power couple of epic proportions. Their relationship was all encompassing and I loved their "mine" attitudes toward each other.
The twists and turns in here were entertaining, the steam was well hot as hell and the story and banter/humor was engaging. I enjoyed getting glimpses of past characters and I loved the evolution of Spider and his Viper. I am really sad to see this world end!!
Quinn has a devastating backstory and you know part of his story from a previous book in this series. I'll admit I didn't love him in the past but you see a whole new side to him and can't help but fall for the man he shows the world and the man he hides from the world. He never wants to marry for love and agrees to marry for alliance purposes only. But when he meets his betrothed's aunt, well let's just say it was a meeting of fire and ice. The interactions between Spider and Reyna were vicious but there was also an underlying attraction that neither wanted to acknowledge. The more they interact, the more it was obvious they had met their matches.
But Quinn is set to marry Reyna's niece and Reyna has vowed never to marry again. What happens when the best laid plans fall apart and Reyna and Spider have a new path to navigate?
I'll be honest, I did not care for the first 30% of this book (mainly because of personal preferences) but after that mark, I loved it. Spider was the perfect combination of arrogance, vulnerability and possessiveness. Reyna was an incredibly strong woman but still carried herself with grace and femininity. Put the two of them together? You've got a power couple of epic proportions. Their relationship was all encompassing and I loved their "mine" attitudes toward each other.
"There’s no way out for her, though. I’m taking this til-death-do-us-part thing very fucking seriously."
The twists and turns in here were entertaining, the steam was well hot as hell and the story and banter/humor was engaging. I enjoyed getting glimpses of past characters and I loved the evolution of Spider and his Viper. I am really sad to see this world end!!
July 28, 2025
updated reread/relisten... .... and we're back up to 5 stars!!! What a way to end this awesome freaking series!! I wasn't as impressed the first time I read this, but I've read/listened many times since then and I freaking fall in love more and more each time. Plus....
vital
audio info below.
Homer "Spider" Quinn (38, super sexy Irish stud muffin) was left jaded and resentful after the whole Riley/Malek situation. He’s decided marrying for love isn’t in the cards for him and asks Declan (Irish mob king) to arrange a marriage for him that is beneficial to the mob and won’t leave him brokenhearted. He’s set to marry a young Liliana Caruso in order to bind the Irish and Italian families together. When he arrives for the first meeting, he's knocked on his ass by her aunt and becomes the recipient of her sharp-tongued barbs.
Reyna Caruso (33, Viper, QUEEN) is known for allegedly having killed her abusive husband and has since sworn off all men. She's immediately attracted to Spider and also instantly hates him for agreeing to an arranged marriage with her niece. They trade barbs like playing cards. Wedding bells ring - but the one walking down the aisle isn't set in stone.
Contracts, carousels, Fabergé eggs, gun fights, pool boys, "get to the kissing part", hot as fuck sex, contract negotiations, video, changing of the guard, and one epic as fuck HEA!
SEX: Good lord. Hands down the best sex out of all the books. I’m surprised I didn’t start humping the air while reading this. It’s ridiculously hot. There was one time I literally had a full body shiver while I was listening to the audio. First time is at 51%, and damn they go hard after that.
"Tell me you need my cock. Tell me you want me to fuck you. Tell me you’ve been dreaming about it every night and aching for it every day, the way I have."
"You can’t blame me, lass. You’re a goddamn wet dream. You’re perfection. Every time I look at you, I think I could go blind."
REYNA: Yes!!!! She's got dry snark instead of Sloane's peppy snark. First time I read her I thought she was just a rude bitch. When I listened, I really started to recognize who she was and felt her on a woman-to-woman level. She suffered for so long at the hands of an abusive husband who she was forced to marry at age 16. Take that into account when you read her. There's one line that has pissed me off to no end when other FMC's have said it, and I'll tell you why I didn't hate her for using it. . Reyna is the ultimate “boss bitch” (as the saying goes). I can't tell you all her virtues without giving everything away.
SPIDER: This Spidey isn't the funny, adorable one from books 2 & 3. He's jaded for the first half of the book. The second half, you get his tender heart and his giant D. I absolutely LOVE him.
Once they get together, he becomes EVERYTHING you could want him to be. I fell in love with him myself. I also think his and Reyna’s love is better than all the other couples. YES, I SAID IT! He absolutely worships Reyna. Like worships her. I also love how he doesn’t try to control her. He recognizes her as his Queen and lets her shine. He also respects the hell out of her. PS - You can tell that JT regretted making his first name Homer. He's only called Homer once, I think. She calls him Quinn the entire time - even when she's climaxing.
MISCOMMUNICATION: There are a couple of times where there's a little miscommunication - but it's completely understandable and it's all resolved immediately. Ms. Dess bitched about it, but she can....
GET OVER IT: I have a feeling some will be pissed that he agrees to marry an 18-yo girl. I don't care. He made the decision based on his hurt feelings, and he had absolutely ZERO plans to consummate that marriage. It was going to be on paper only.
COMPLAINT: Without giving anything away.... there were two big things that happened, and I felt Rey deserved the honor of dealing with both events, instead they were handled by other people, and she was only told about them later. I wish there had been more blood involved. I think after all she's been thru - she deserved it.
LAUGHS: It's not the same type of belly laughs that Sloane & Daddy D gave us, but they're still excellent. I cackled so many times.
AUDIO: I've both read and listened, and hands down recommend the audio. Troy Duran’s voice in this one we all love, duh. But Tara Langella giving a voice to Reyna is what really sells this character. I think she did an excellent job. When I read the book, I hated Reyna. I thought she was snobby and just a rude bitch. When I listened, the dry snark really came thru and you could tell she wasn't being a bitch, she was just this proud, strong woman who had been hurt and abused. This is so well acted. Money well spent.
EPILOGUE: I loved it so much. It was an HEA that included all the couples.
In the end, even if I hadn’t loved the story, Spider’s massive cock earned 5 stars all by itself. What can I say? I have a weakness!!!! There is no cure for it!
SIDE PIECES:
Mamma: Reyna's mom is EVERYTHING. That woman killed me.
Gianni: Reyna's brother.
Juan Pablo: Lilianna's boyfriend
Alvaro Jalisco: Juan Pablo's uncle. Head of Jalisco Cartel. Enemy of Sinaloas Cartel, which is enemy of Irish mob.
Aria: Related to Reyna, and love interest to Kieran.
Massimo: head of the DeLuca family. Took our Kage's boss, Maxim.
Tomasi Berlasconi. He’s as dumb as a rock.
Alessandro Ricci. He’s a good man. Brilliant strategist.
Aldo LaRosa. Mob guy.
Killian Black: His actual story is told in “Cruel Paradise”. I haven’t read that yet, but I kind of wish I had so I would get who he is in this series
All I know is that I’m here, in a place I never dreamed I’d be, with a woman who makes me feel like life might be worth living after all...... My stunned, achy, battered heart .......It’s been bitten by a viper with sharp fangs and the sweetest venom.
Homer "Spider" Quinn (38, super sexy Irish stud muffin) was left jaded and resentful after the whole Riley/Malek situation. He’s decided marrying for love isn’t in the cards for him and asks Declan (Irish mob king) to arrange a marriage for him that is beneficial to the mob and won’t leave him brokenhearted. He’s set to marry a young Liliana Caruso in order to bind the Irish and Italian families together. When he arrives for the first meeting, he's knocked on his ass by her aunt and becomes the recipient of her sharp-tongued barbs.
Reyna.... who makes my blood boil and my dick hard and speaks to me with the kind of disrespect no man would dare to.... Reyna who hates me. Reyna who challenges me. Reyna who has the guts of a Viking and the body of a fertility goddess and the attitude of a feral cat.
Reyna Caruso (33, Viper, QUEEN) is known for allegedly having killed her abusive husband and has since sworn off all men. She's immediately attracted to Spider and also instantly hates him for agreeing to an arranged marriage with her niece. They trade barbs like playing cards. Wedding bells ring - but the one walking down the aisle isn't set in stone.
"Fucking hell, you’re gorgeous. My sweet girl. I’d kill an army for you. I’d burn down empires and lay all their gold at your feet."
Contracts, carousels, Fabergé eggs, gun fights, pool boys, "get to the kissing part", hot as fuck sex, contract negotiations, video, changing of the guard, and one epic as fuck HEA!
I’ll love her forever. My wife. My viper. My warrior. My queen. I will worship at your feet for all eternity.
SEX: Good lord. Hands down the best sex out of all the books. I’m surprised I didn’t start humping the air while reading this. It’s ridiculously hot. There was one time I literally had a full body shiver while I was listening to the audio. First time is at 51%, and damn they go hard after that.
"Tell me you need my cock. Tell me you want me to fuck you. Tell me you’ve been dreaming about it every night and aching for it every day, the way I have."
"You can’t blame me, lass. You’re a goddamn wet dream. You’re perfection. Every time I look at you, I think I could go blind."
REYNA: Yes!!!! She's got dry snark instead of Sloane's peppy snark. First time I read her I thought she was just a rude bitch. When I listened, I really started to recognize who she was and felt her on a woman-to-woman level. She suffered for so long at the hands of an abusive husband who she was forced to marry at age 16. Take that into account when you read her. There's one line that has pissed me off to no end when other FMC's have said it, and I'll tell you why I didn't hate her for using it. . Reyna is the ultimate “boss bitch” (as the saying goes). I can't tell you all her virtues without giving everything away.
SPIDER: This Spidey isn't the funny, adorable one from books 2 & 3. He's jaded for the first half of the book. The second half, you get his tender heart and his giant D. I absolutely LOVE him.
Once they get together, he becomes EVERYTHING you could want him to be. I fell in love with him myself. I also think his and Reyna’s love is better than all the other couples. YES, I SAID IT! He absolutely worships Reyna. Like worships her. I also love how he doesn’t try to control her. He recognizes her as his Queen and lets her shine. He also respects the hell out of her. PS - You can tell that JT regretted making his first name Homer. He's only called Homer once, I think. She calls him Quinn the entire time - even when she's climaxing.
MISCOMMUNICATION: There are a couple of times where there's a little miscommunication - but it's completely understandable and it's all resolved immediately. Ms. Dess bitched about it, but she can....
GET OVER IT: I have a feeling some will be pissed that he agrees to marry an 18-yo girl. I don't care. He made the decision based on his hurt feelings, and he had absolutely ZERO plans to consummate that marriage. It was going to be on paper only.
COMPLAINT: Without giving anything away.... there were two big things that happened, and I felt Rey deserved the honor of dealing with both events, instead they were handled by other people, and she was only told about them later. I wish there had been more blood involved. I think after all she's been thru - she deserved it.
"You’re the most perfect thing I’ve ever seen in my life. And you’re all mine, aren’t you, baby?"
LAUGHS: It's not the same type of belly laughs that Sloane & Daddy D gave us, but they're still excellent. I cackled so many times.
AUDIO: I've both read and listened, and hands down recommend the audio. Troy Duran’s voice in this one we all love, duh. But Tara Langella giving a voice to Reyna is what really sells this character. I think she did an excellent job. When I read the book, I hated Reyna. I thought she was snobby and just a rude bitch. When I listened, the dry snark really came thru and you could tell she wasn't being a bitch, she was just this proud, strong woman who had been hurt and abused. This is so well acted. Money well spent.
EPILOGUE: I loved it so much. It was an HEA that included all the couples.
In the end, even if I hadn’t loved the story, Spider’s massive cock earned 5 stars all by itself. What can I say? I have a weakness!!!! There is no cure for it!
SIDE PIECES:
Mamma: Reyna's mom is EVERYTHING. That woman killed me.
Gianni: Reyna's brother.
Juan Pablo: Lilianna's boyfriend
Alvaro Jalisco: Juan Pablo's uncle. Head of Jalisco Cartel. Enemy of Sinaloas Cartel, which is enemy of Irish mob.
Aria: Related to Reyna, and love interest to Kieran.
Massimo: head of the DeLuca family. Took our Kage's boss, Maxim.
Tomasi Berlasconi. He’s as dumb as a rock.
Alessandro Ricci. He’s a good man. Brilliant strategist.
Aldo LaRosa. Mob guy.
Killian Black: His actual story is told in “Cruel Paradise”. I haven’t read that yet, but I kind of wish I had so I would get who he is in this series
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