Review // Owned by the Mafia by Aaron L Speer

I still want you a little afraid.
It's the most natural aphrodisiac.

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Owned by the Mafia by Aaron L Speer

Standalone
Release - March 30, 2023
Genre - Dark Romance / mafia
Multiple POV - 3rd person
Heat - 4 out of 5
Format - eARC provided by the author
Length - 452 pages

When Danielle Stone learns of her brother’s crippling debt to crime boss Salvatore Carlino, her first instinct is to help. Carlino makes her a one-time offer to wipe the debt clean and let her brother walk away with his life; her.

So she reluctantly agrees to be his plaything. At his beck and call, day or night.

As Danielle falls deeper into a world of violence and excess, the man she hates unleashes a craving she's never experienced before. And slowly, the closer they get, the line between Carlino’s most depraved desires and her own begin to blur.

While her brother hatches a plan to free her, an enemy watches from the shadows, biding their time. Waiting for not only an opportunity to strike, but for Carlino to show a chink in his armour, and the fate of New Haven hangs in the balance as Danielle just might be that chink.

Desperate to keep control of his empire and his senses, the previously untouchable Carlino is destined to lose. The only question is, will it be his heart, or his life?

Find it here: Goodreads * Amazon

My Two Cents

3.5 "Do two wrongs make a right?" stars

I've read quite a bit of mafia romance in my time, but I can honestly admit that reading Owned by the Mafia by Aaron L Speer is an experience I won't soon forget.

There's an edginess to his writing style that instantly grabs me and I never really know where the story is going. This time was no different. With so much going on, I had no idea if a happy ending of any sort was even possible (don't worry, it totally was).

First, there's Salvatore Carlino...
❥ he's the top man in town. He's got it all and everyone wants him and/or wants to be him
❥ when a man owes him money, he's usually taught a lesson. But this man has a sister and it's lust at first sight. An exception has to be made.

Then we've got Danielle Stone...
❥ she thinks she's got life right where she wants it until her brother screws up and she's left holding the bag
❥ she's with Carlino to work off her brother's debt. However, pesky emotions have her questioning why she's really staying

And then there's Paulie...
❥ he was a henchman of sorts and he had me cracking up. He took things quite literally and completed his jobs in over-the-top ways. Thanks for the laughs, my dude!

I'm being intentionally vague because any tidbit I add will potentially spoil it for you. There's a romance wrapped in mystery. Betrayal, death, and mafia mayhem were all around. So just read the book. Fall in love with Salvatore. Get a bit annoyed by Danielle. And love the ish out of the way this author plays with words.

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I have to admit that there was one part of this book that I couldn't shake. Something that bothered me and tainted my feelings for this story a bit.
Salvatore was dominant and had Danielle guessing about their status, her place in his life, etc.
When she got jealous without admitting that she was jealous and feeling possessive, she said some things that had Sal reacting in a bad way. He screwed another woman in front of her. Like she's tied up in the bed, watching him have sex with this woman in the same bed. YUCK!! Lesson learned, I guess.
So be warned!!

The Author

Welcome to the Speerverse. Aaron L Speer has been publishing since 2014 and has won 4 Book of the Year Awards* and the Golden Stake Award at the International Vampire Film and Arts Festival held in Transylvania**.

The Undeadly Secrets (Paranormal Romance) spans six books so far, with the latest Peace Keeper: Part Two released in 2021. Heart Breaker is scheduled for some time in 2023.

Fans of MMA romance welcomed the hard hitting Championship Collection; Undisputed, Unbroken and Unbroken 2 into the world.

2022 will see the release of his first MC offerings as part of the Rebel Souls shared world; Rebel Sacrifice and Rebel Savage

2023 will not only see the release of Heart Breaker but also his first Mafia Romance: Owned By The Mafia

Find out more here: https://aaronlspeer.com