Have you ever read a book, and you know it’s not very good, but it’s exactly what you’re in the mood for that day? That’s where I’m at with this one, or at least where I was while reading the first half. I was in the mood for some mafia goodness, so I decided to check this out – and the soapy, fast-paced storyline had me reading the first half before I knew it. Then I set it down… and didn’t go back to it until I noticed it on my Kindle two weeks later. I’d completely forgotten about it, and once I picked it up again, I realized how little emotional investment I had in the relationship. And the second half certainly didn’t do much to improve that. So, this wasn’t terrible – it actually has some very good moments and a highly bingeable quality – but it also wasn’t great either. With a stronger finish, it would’ve been a solid 3-star read for me… but the lackluster ending moves this closer to a 2.
The story follows Isabel, a teacher who discovers that she’s married to a stranger after the reading of a will. Turns out, they were both conned into signing the paperwork without their knowledge, and they’ve been secretly married for years. When Isabel goes to confront her husband, she learns that Gio is manhoe who is in the mafia. Not exactly marriage material. That’s not a problem though, because both Isabel and Gio are in relationships with other people, and the marriage is just an inconvenience. Unfortunately, things don’t go exactly as planned, and Isabel soon finds herself looking to Gio for help. While Gio has no time or patience for a wife, he’s drawn to Isabel in a way that he didn’t expect. As the two continue to spend time together, their relationship shifts.
I love a good mafia romance, and I don’t mind when they’re over the top. So I was looking forward to this one – the idea of a man who is immediately hooked on his wife the moment he meets her was too good to pass up. That’s… not how it plays out though. Gio might think Isabel is hot, but he has no interest in her for awhile. Plus, they’re both in relationships with other people for a decent amount of the story, and that made for some uncomfortable moments. Sexy, yes. Bingeable, yes. Emotional cheating (at least), also yes. Add in the fact that they spend a lot of time apart, and this certainly wasn’t giving me a case of the swoons. There are also SO MANY things that are glossed over or stereotypical, with sensitive content that wasn’t handled with the care it deserved (child prostitution/rape/trafficking among them). It’s like this follows the template of a good mafia romance, but it gets the details wrong. Still easy to binge in one sitting, but you might not be satisfied when you’re done.
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3aKkef9
Blurb:
From New York Times best-seller Claire Contreras comes a new, sexy stand-alone mafia romance novel . . .
Isabel Bonetti –
One minute I’m mourning the sudden death of my father, and the next, I’m getting calls from a lawyer saying they needed to read me my father’s will.
As far as I know, my father didn’t have much to leave. He was a blue-collar worker, through and through.
Or so I thought.
Everything topples down at once, the inheritance I’m left with and the truth about what my father did, but the biggest shock of all was finding out he’d married me off to a complete stranger without my consent.
By the time I show up at my supposed husband’s nightclub, I’m determined to leave with divorce papers signed, but nothing can prepare me for the man that awaits me on the other side of those doors.
Giovanni Masseria –
My father has done a lot of messed up stuff, but marrying me off to Charles Bonetti’s daughter, a complete stranger, may take the cake. I didn’t even know old Bonetti had a daughter and I want nothing to do with her or this marriage, until I’m told what staying married to her would mean for the empire I’m slowly trying to build. There’s no harm in staying married a little longer if it means I’ll cash out on those promises. I decide that I’ll cut ties with her as soon as that’s done.
That is, until she barges into my office demanding a divorce.
I wasn’t sure what I’d expected her to be like, but it certainly wasn’t . . . this.
A week ago, I didn’t know of her existence, and now, I can’t seem to escape her presence anywhere I go.
She doesn’t belong in this world and I know this won’t end well for either of us, but I can’t seem to stop reminding her who I am.
Her husband.
**Because I Need You is a complete standalone novel set in the same world as Because You’re Mine
Amazon: https://amzn.to/3aKkef9
About the Author:
Claire Contreras is a New York Times Best Selling Author who traded her psychology degree to write fiction. Don’t worry, she still uses her knowledge on every single one of her characters.
She’s a 2x Breast Cancer Survivor, who was born in the Dominican Republic, raised in Florida, and currently resides in Charlotte, NC with her husband, two adorable boys, and French bulldog.
Her books range from romantic suspense to contemporary romance and are currently translated in over fifteen languages. When she’s not writing, she’s usually lost in a book.
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