Vow of Revenge by P. Rayne

Drama filled but somehow light, Vow of Revenge is a different take on mafia romance, but it worked for me. The first book in the series, this story revolves around Marcelo and Mirabella. He’s the new head of his crime family that supposedly didn’t survive an attack that took his father out. Surprising to everyone and especially Mirabella is that he survived that night and shows up to Sicuro Academy just as the school year is starting. She’s none too happy though, and their constant sparing begins right away. Add in the fact that Marcelo is at the school to figure out who had it out for him and his father, and whether or not these two will ever be able to work out is seriously in question.

I definitely enjoyed Mirabella’s character. She’s young, but I like that there are certain things she’s never going to be okay with in the life that’s been chosen for her. She’s tough and doesn’t make things easy on any of the men around her, which I found pretty entertaining and likeable. Then there’s Marcelo, and he’s every bit the macho tough guy you’d expect him to be. There were moments that I didn’t care for how unrelentingly difficult he tried to make things for Mirabella, but eventually he made up for it in his own ways. And the way they are together, and all the tension kept me turning the pages.

This isn’t a traditional mafia story, but then it’s not meant to be. I quite like this little world that P. Rayne has created. It’s secretive and teeming with drama, and the fact that it’s a place that houses so many similar yet different sorts of characters creates some suspenseful moments. Antonio and Sofia’s book is next in the series, and I’m certainly interested in how their story plays out.