ARC Review: LOYALTY by Bethany-Kris

Fresh out of prison after serving a three-year sentence, Johnathan Marcello wants to get back to normal business as a mafia capo. The rules set out for him are clear—keep out of trouble, maintain a low profile, and stay stable. But stability is a delicate balance for a man like John, and shaky ground is only a single step away.

A chance encounter with a blue-eyed woman might just change his whole world.

Siena Calabrese’s life revolves around cooking numbers, and scrubbing books clean. After all, a girl is only useful to men in the mafia, if she isn’t totally useless. As long as she does what they want, then she can maintain the illusion of freedom. But illusions are only delusions in the grand scheme of her life, and reality is far more dangerous.

A man with secrets might just be the one thing she didn’t know she needed.

In this life, family is everything. Or, that’s how it should be.

Distrust.
Love.
Betrayal.
Loyalty.

Mix it all together, and it makes for a volatile city.

A war is coming.

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REVIEW

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Johnathan Marcello is bipolar. There, I said it. He was diagnosed as a teen and has been trying to thrive despite his mental illness ever since. Over time, his behavior has alienated the people he cares the most about, leaving him to feel alone, unworthy, and distrustful. Locked up for three years, he’s hoping to get some semblance of his life back. He understands his limitations and feels he’s got better control of his condition. Until he doesn’t.

Siena Calabrese is a virtual prisoner in her family. They are the hated enemies of the Marcello family and for good reason. But she is nothing like the people she shares blood with. And John is quick to see the truth of her and she of him. Together they are much stronger than apart and both know that what they have is so right, no matter how wrong everyone else deems it to be.

Read like a modern-day, mafia-style Romeo and Juliet, although hopefully not as tragic, John and Siena found love in a hopeless place. Yes, I’m singing along now lol. But seriously, their families are another story. On one side, you have the Marcellos trying to ensure John’s sanity, keep the peace, forge a stronger bond with him, all while maintaining the status quo. On the other, you have the Calabreses deviously plotting away at something underhanded that you can’t quite put your finger on. You just know they’re up to no damn good!

I loved how intense each scene was between John and Siena. Their instant chemistry was sizzling and I enjoyed how they played off of each other. She was understanding and John was as honest as he could be. However, I think what I loved the most about this story, aside from revisiting some of my favorite characters (hello Cross!), was how eloquently and passionately the author revealed the layers of John’s psyche. I couldn’t help but feel overwhelming compassion for him. It was worded in such a way as to give me a chance to REALLY see things from his point of view. How something so simple could be a trigger for his irrational thoughts, his paranoia, his distrust, his hurt, his lashing out, his extreme pain. It was beautiful and devastating and desperate and genuine. It only made me love him even more.

There’s plenty of romance and action and intrigue to keep the plot entertaining and while this was a lot tamer on the eroticism side of things than I’m used to from the author, it was also very character-driven, which I could appreciate. John and Siena’s story isn’t complete and I’m on edge just waiting to read the continuation in Disgrace, coming in April.

Release: 03.05.2018 | Genre: Mafia Romance | POV: Dual - 3rd person | Heat: 2.5 | John + Siena Book 1