Nico by Eva Winners

Tension, crazy chemistry, and plenty of steam are what Nico is all about. The second in the Belles and Mobsters series is the perfect book for your mafia romance fix.

Bianca is a widowed, single mother to young twin girls. She’s struggling to make ends meet and has the added stress of worrying about if her past will catch up to her and her family. On the other hand, there’s Nico who’s the mafia boss blackmailing Bianca into marriage with him and is looking for revenge for more than just the money he claims is the reason behind the forced vows. These two seemingly meet by chance and weeks go by before they reconnect. When they do, a very scared Bianca is coerced into marrying Nico, and from there there’s a lot of drama that follows the two as their relationship progresses.

Bianca and Nico are just absolutely hot together! They’re so opposite each other, but it’s in the most delicious way. Their fights are total spectacles in the most dramatic ways, which completely works in this book. It’s almost comical in a way to see how they bounce off one another but then so, so satisfying to see them work it all out. Bianca is an otherwise lovely and sweet single mother, but the way she fights with Nico shows another side to her. In those moments, she becomes feisty and is probably the only one to be able to stand up to Nico and his rather arrogant nature. In contrast, he’s a real tough guy that’s another person when he’s with her. It’s like they level each other out, and I loved it.

There’s a lot of build up to their forced marriage, but I feel like it added to the story for the most part. Yes, it took a while for the two to finally come together, but it made the story and the series as a whole stronger by building the base of the conflict. This is not an instalove sort of book, but then if it was would the premise of the book be even remotely believable? I think not. Personally, I like when there’s a buildup of tension and angst. It makes the climax of the story that much better to me as the reader. Plus, their explosive chemistry results in off-the-charts steaminess, and it makes the book their romance that much more compelling.

Whether or not if you’ve read the first book in the series, Luciano, Nico is an exciting mafia romance that you won’t be able to put down. I do suggest reading the first book in the series, because the first book lays the groundwork for the other books. Either way, I highly recommend Nico. I know I enjoyed it immensely.