The first in the Belles and Mobsters series, Luciano is dark and provocative. It’s the kind of romance that has you wanting more from the author.
The book starts with a flashback to when it all fell apart
for Luciano and Grace and then fast forwards to 3 ½ years in the future where
we find Grace, her son, and her best friend living in hiding in Sicily. Grace has
transformed from the sweeter more naïve version of herself to a strong woman
content enough with the life she’s living. Luciano is the domineering alpha of
a mobster that from the first pages clearly wants his wife back and will never
stop searching for her. It took him losing her to find that he needs her most,
and that’s sort of where we’re at during the start of the book. From there, we
find a world beyond them that’s got them wrapped up in its rather disturbing
clutches, and the two not only need to navigate each other but the obstacles
that lay in front of them.
The chemistry between Luciano and Grace is off the charts!
They both run hot, and together they’re explosive. These two are a case of
opposites attract, so it makes sense that they sort of complete each other when
they finally have moments together. Grace originally had kind of a dreamy, sweet
love for Luciano, despite how they got together in the first place, but now it’s
turned into more of a…let’s just say she has some complicated feelings. And for
Luciano, it takes losing her in the beginning to finally realize no one can
take her place.
Overall, I like this story, but I do wish there had been
more focus put on just the two of them together. I guess I just wanted to see
more of them rediscovering one another. Because of that, I’d actually give this
story more of a 4.5 rating, since I think that would’ve given the relationship
more substance. Also, I would’ve loved
to see Luciano work a little harder for Grace’s love and forgiveness. Like I
wanted him to grovel a bit. Grace is turned into such a formidable individual
that I think she deserved to be groveled to, but what would I expect from a
character like Luciano? I suppose the whole tough guy, take-what-I-want kind of
attitude is what makes him appealing, and it works for him as a character.
It’s a fantastic start to the series, and I’m glad we won’t
have to wait too long for the next book. These two will have you desperate to
know how their story unfolds and see how the larger story plays out in the future
books.
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