Queen B’s Decree:
Nero: It was refreshing to see a story set in my hometown of Kansas City…even though the subject matter was mafia. Now, before I get too deep into this, suspend your disbelief and accept that the mafia includes high schoolers. Nero, our Hero, is the teen-aged son of the local mob boss and is your typical asshole alpha male. I do have to remind myself that he is in high school, as his mannerisms act older than his age. Elle, our Heroine, has the unlucky misfortune of witnessing a murder. DUN DUN DUN! You can guess…Nero is assigned to watch Elle and discover what she knows (and apparently the mafia has some morals as they refuse to kill minors?!?). But I digress. I still can’t pinpoint what drew me to this book, as my degree of enjoyment has decreased with every re-read.
Vincent: Oh Vincent. My love for you is unending. Unlike with Nero, re-reads have not diminished my love. Our Hero, Vincent, is similar to Nero as he is attempting to become a Made Man with the mafia. Vincent is slightly insane, bossy, while protective. Lake, our Heroine, is Vincent’s stepsister’s best friend. Her father owes money, and she attempts to work off his debt. It is while working that Vincent finds her and they reconnect. Lake is a likable character, who seems to show no fear of her employers (while in this case, she really should show some restraint!). Overall, I adore the relationship between the two, as you can see them work together and grow.
Chloe: What a fuster. I thought this was a new book. Instead I’m reading Nero all over again, albeit from Chloe’s point of view. And have you ever read a character so weak? Why are Amo and Lucca even interested in her? Pre-this book, I was much invested in a Chloe/Amo happily ever after. Post-this book, I hope Amo finds his happily ever after with a different character, as Chloe clearly doesn’t deserve him. And yet…I will probably read the next in the series, aptly titled Lucca (I suppose I can guess who Chloe picks after all…) if only to get an ending to this cliffhanger.
Lucca: It took me over a year to gain the courage to open this book and read. And after finishing it, I still don’t know what to say about Lucca and Chloe. We finally got the background on Chloe and discover how she was scarred. The rest of the plot felt minimal. And yet, it felt long. It took me getting to about the halfway point before it truly held my interest. My precious Amo was there, but it just felt uncomfortable, and I don’t think it was handled well. To be honest, the best part of this book was meeting the twins from the “other” mafia family in town.
Angel: Praise Jesus and tattoos. Angel saved this
series for me; I was about to walk away. But thank your broken-and-evil stars! Angel brought a lightness to this series…which I somehow don’t understand (since so much evil and dark happened). But Adalyn was funny! She just rolled with the punches. She was the first heroine we’ve met that wasn’t afraid of any of the mafia men. And Angel, while broken and damaged (like everyone in this entire series!), was loyal and surprisingly sweet. A bit of a disappointment, my beautiful Amo was…not nice. Broken and mean. I’m curious to see how he earns his redemption, and that will be what keeps me reading. I’m too invested now.
Drago: Drago was another surprise from this series. The arranged marriage that starts off with enemies soon turned into lovers. I loved Katarina. She was strong and protective of her family, no different to how Drago works to protect the Carusos. This felt light and happy, even with all the mafia death going on.
Maria: Ugh. Just another Chloe in which much of the plot and dialogue had previously been published in an earlier book. And love triangles feel so dated. Best part of this story was the length.
Dominic: TONS of flashbacks. While I appreciate seeing Dominic’s past so as to understand his psyche, the flashbacks were overwhelming. I also still don’t really understand why he was so enamored of Maria. Dominic really was a pretty good character, protective and loving of his family and then you may ask why he was attracted to a sociopath? This series has gone off the rails and I think I may officially be done.
Dark Ties: This was cowritten with Jamie Begley and incorporates another series (that I haven’t read). It’s about Dante Caruso, which is Nero and Maria’s father. I…I can’t do it. I can’t revisit them. But for the sake of completeness, Dark Ties has been added to the list!