Reviewed by Dan
This is a Series Review of Guns N’ Boys (Book One, Parts One & Two, Guns n’ Boys – Paris, and Guns n’ Boys – Homicidal Instinct)
AUTHOR: K. A. Merikan
PUBLISHER: Acerbi & Villani Ltd
SERIES REVIEW:
I really like this story so far. I had to laugh when I started reading it, because I’ve always wondered why I couldn’t find buy links from a publisher named Acerbi & Villani Ltd when I was reviewing other books by these sisters! Now I know why!
I think these books could easily be called Book 1, 2 & 3, as the two Parts of Book One are easily standalone book length on their own. Although…you wouldn’t want to read Part One, without continuing with Part Two, so I do understand why it was released that way. One word of warning, these books are quite long, so be prepared for a lengthy, but worth it, read!
The Series chronicles the story of Seth Villani, the milk toast son of a Sicilian Mafia Don. I’m seriously unsure that anyone could be as naïve as Seth, but his cluelessness does add to the story and offset the character of Domenico Acerbi. I love the chemistry between the two, and the situations they get into. There is quite a lot of violence, blood, murders and graphic details in this series, so it is not for the faint of heart. It is also as I said above really long. If you are looking for a short romantic read, this isn’t it! For any of you who like some violence, grit and drama, intermixed with some hot man on man sex, this one should be for you. If you haven’t read anything by these two sisters, I recommend you rectify that immediately!
I personally really enjoyed the series, and look forward to the next chapter in the story!
SERIES RATING: 
TITLE: Guns N’ Boys
SERIES: Guns N’ Boys #1
BLURB:
The Family is always right.
The Family doesn’t forget.
The Family pays for blood in blood.
Domenico Acerbi grew up in the shade of Sicilian lemon trees ready to give his life for the Family. Ready to follow orders and exceed expectations. A proud man of honor.
When Seth, the younger son of the Don is kidnapped, it’s Domenico who is sent to get him back. The man he finds though, is not the boy he knew all those years ago. Lazy, annoying, spoiled, and as hot as a Sicilian summer.
Seth Villani wants nothing to do with the mafia. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get a say when the Family pulls him right back into its fold after his mother’s death. Thrown into a den of serpents otherwise known as the Villani Family, Seth has to find a way to navigate in the maze of lies. But when Domenico Acerbi, the most vicious snake of them all, sinks his fangs into Seth, the venom changes into an aphrodisiac that courses through Seth’s veins.
Domenico knows his life is about to change when he gets the order to train Seth up to the role of future Don. Seth isn’t made for it. He isn’t even made. But a man Domenico knows he would never have to fear might just be someone he’s always needed.
If Seth is doomed to follow in his father’s footsteps, he might as well enjoy himself—with the most intoxicating man he’s ever met. Maybe he can even fool himself into believing that Domenico isn’t a handsome sociopath who kills for a living.
PART ONE
LENGTH: 323 Pages
REVIEW:
It isn’t surprising that Book One of Guns N’ Boys was released in two parts. Part One is 323 pages just on its own.
In Part One, we are introduced to Seth Villani, a mild mannered man who has been living in New York and going to school pursuing a degree in Communications. He is quite happy with his little twinky boy toy boyfriend and chooses to pretend his mafia family doesn’t exist. All that changes when Seth is kidnapped by the “Chinese”, a rival mafia of Seth’s father, the Don Dino Villani head of a Sicilian mafia. Seth is kept for a couple weeks, and the captors chop off his little finger and send it to his father.
After the two weeks, he is dragged from the cell and turned over to a group of Sicilians, headed by a man he doesn’t recognize. He does recognize though that the man is really freaking hot and even in pain he is fantasizing about the guy.
Very quickly he finds out that the guy is Dominico “Dom” Acerbi, a former childhood playmate, who he hasn’t seen since Dominico, then called “Little Mimmo”, attacked him with a kitchen knife, giving him a scar he still carries. Little Mimmo was trying to kill him, but Seth blocked the knife with his arm.
So now Seth’s father has chosen Dom to rescue him? What the hell is up with that? And not only is he rescuing him, he only gives him an hour and half to get his stuff together and then they are leaving for Italy. No mention is made about the boyfriend, so Seth assumes his secret is safe, since a Gay Mafioso is a Dead Mafioso.
Seth’s mother has just died, and luckily he is rescued in time to go the funeral. Imagine his surprise when he finds Dom fucking their driver in the Confessional at the church after the funeral. Dom doesn’t blink an eye and keeps on plowing into the man’s ass until he finishes, then calmly tucks it back into his pants and steps out. No remorse, no excuses.
Next they head back to the family estate and a meeting with the family. At that meeting the Don announces he has chosen his successor and it will be his younger son. The entire family is shocked. The older brother, Vincente, has long been assumed to be the heir apparent, and he is not happy about the change. Seth is shocked as well, he isn’t cut out for a life of crime in any way!
To help train him, Seth is sent off on a mission to Berlin with Dom. Their mission is to follow, and kidnap when the time is right, the woman who set up Seth for the Chinese to grab him. Seth has a definite score to settle with her, but can he stand being around the arrogant Dom?
I will be honest and tell you that I really wanted to reach into this book and grab Seth and just slap him up beside the head, on several occasions. The biggest being when he saw a hot young guy on a motorcycle, went over and chatted with him, and then took off with him in Berlin when he was supposed to be shadowing the woman! This just weeks after having been kidnapped by the Chinese and having his finger sawed off with a knife! Could anyone really be that numb? He is also one of those “entitled” rich boys and is clueless to the real workings of his family’s business. I’m really hoping he comes into his own in Part Two!
I liked Part One a lot and recommend it. I’m hoping in Part Two that something will happen which explain why the Don chose his younger son to take over! Because it certainly isn’t for his level headedness and ruthlessness!
RATING:
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PART TWO
LENGTH: 278 Pages
REVIEW:
Part Two picks up immediately after Part One. Seth and Domenico have returned to Seth’s family’s estate in Italy to meet Seth’s intended bride, Lucrezia Bruni. Seth’s father refuses to show Seth even a photo of the girl. When she arrives she seems very nice, for a woman, but is only eighteen years old and Seth feels very badly about misleading her. As she is the daughter of a drug dealing compatriot of his father, he can’t tell her the truth about himself.
The wedding occurs, and the consummation occurs. Then Seth and Domenico are sent off to New York immediately following on a mission. Seth is thrilled with this idea, since it will give him and Dom more time to be alone. He knows that eventually he will have to return to his wife and the life he has been forced into. He also knows that he will have to succeed his father at some point as the Don of their Mafia family.
I’d love to say that Seth matured between Part One and Part Two, but as little time as occurred in the plot between the two stories, there just wasn’t time. He is still the big softie that he was in Part One, and still prone to the same stupid mistakes, and lapses in judgment. At least he is safe for now, correct? Tell that to the guy who messes with Seth and then loses an ear!
So what happens when his older brother starts acting all chummy and pops over to New York unannounced? A total shit-storm is opened up. Lots of bodies, lots of blood, lots of double-crossing family members and a huge choice for Dom.
No more spoilers. I think I liked Part Two better than Part One, and I really liked Part One.
RATING:
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TITLE: Guns N’ Boys: Paris
SERIES: Guns N’ Boys #1.3
LENGTH: 38 Pages
BLURB:
— Midnight Mass might have to wait —
All Seth wants is a Christmas Eve to remember, with the man he loves. When Dom invites him to Paris, his dreams are about to come true. But the man waiting in the apartment they are to stay at changes the course of the trip. To Seth’s surprise, religion is a bigger issue for Dom than he’d thought, and it’s on a collision course with Seth’s atheism.
Their first Christmas together might end up memorable for all the wrong reasons.
REVIEW:
Guns N’ Boys – Paris is a nice little interlude in the continuing story of Seth and Dom. It takes place during the course of Book One, on a brief trip to Paris for Christmas.
Dom forgets to mention that the apartment they are staying at belonged to him and his ex, Francesco, a hot Catholic Priest! Dom didn’t know that Francesco had planned to surprise him for Christmas by being there when he got there. This story played to all of us that at one time or another have looked at a Catholic Priest and thought “what a waste”!
Only…Dom never really considered Priests as a waste, just as available hot men! How will Seth react when it becomes clear that his take on religion is diametrically opposed to Dom’s? How will they move past religion, and Francesco? And what about Lucrezia? We find out in this installment that she isn’t pregnant, from that one night when Seth tried to do his duty….
RATING:
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TITLE: Guns N’ Boys: Homicidal Instinct
SERIES: Guns N’ Boys #2
LENGTH: 266 Pages
BLURB:
— You can take a killer’s memory, but not his instinct —
All Seth wants is to live free with the man he loves. But escaping death at the hands of the mafia is just the beginning of an uphill struggle. When Domenico wakes up from his impromptu surgery and doesn’t even remember Seth’s name, Seth’s world falls apart. Suddenly it’s him who has to plan an escape from New York City and navigate their way to Mexico. All that without even knowing if the man of his life will ever love him again.
Domenico doesn’t know who to trust and what to believe. The man who introduces himself as his brother seems to hide dark secrets behind a cheerful smile. With the mafia breathing down their necks, there is no time to piece together the puzzle of Domenico’s life, and each time he thinks he’s solved it, a new part appears to be missing. Dom needs to find out who he really is, what he’s capable of… and what is the real story hidden behind Seth’s intense eyes.
REVIEW:
The sisters have done an excellent job with this book. Their writing is meticulous and they are able to write characters that are very believable. That said, I’m starting to truly despise Seth Villani. I can’t imagine anyone being as stupid as this individual. I mean seriously.
Book Two opens immediately following Book One – Part Two. Seth and Dom are at Seth’s Ex-boyfriends apartment, on the run from both the Mafia and the police. Dom has been unconscious since being hit in the face by a bullet, and when he awakens, he has no memories of his life. He remembers other stuff, like the Periodic Table, but can’t remember anything about his life, including Seth.
This is where I started disliking Seth. Your boyfriend/fiancé wakes up and has no memory. You’re the sons of the Don of a Sicilian Mafia. So you don’t tell him that because you want him to live a perfect life, without worries? Pretty sure that I would tell him everything, and immediately!
But no, Seth doesn’t. When they are forced to run from the police, Seth decides they should head for Mexico, because that was Dom’s plan before he was shot. Only problem, Seth isn’t sure where in Mexico, but it has to be safer than New York.
What follows is the misadventures of the two on the run. With the Mafia only steps behind them, how can they escape? I came to actually despise Seth when he was stupid enough (OK, some might call it naïve…but I didn’t buy that….and choose to use stupid to describe him) to talk to a news reporter at a local farmer’s market…spewing he was in town from New York, originally from Italy…getting the pig to make a special dinner for his boyfriend…etc. I was actually swearing at my Kindle at that point. Big sexy Italian, dressed in cowboy attire…can you say “viral video”. Moron.
What will happen when Vincente, the older brother who seized control of the Family when his father was murdered, catches up to them because of the video?
As expected, the book contains lots of hot man on man sex, a lot of violence, a lot of blood, torturing and murder. I enjoyed the book, except for Seth’s stupidity which really made it a little hard for me to read, as I kept getting madder and madder at him. I recommend the book, as long as you can deal with the irritation of Seth’s character. I understand he is supposed to be this big lug, non-violent, sweet guy. But come on, you the son of a Sicilian Mafia family, you can’t be that guy. We’ll see in the next installment if it all works out from the guys. I love everything these sisters write, so I’m sure I’ll be grabbing that next book as soon as it comes out!
RATING:
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