Reviewed by Valerie

TITLE:  Forbidden Mafia Prince

SERIES:  The Malgavio Duet #1

AUTHORS:  Brooke Blaine and Ella Frank

PUBLISHER:  Self-Published

LENGTH:  216 pages

RELEASE DATE:  July 25, 2022

BLURB:

“What are you going to do with me?”
“Whatever the hell I want.”

In Manhattan, tensions are rising. In a play for power, the Rossetti family has made a decisive blow, crippling their rivals—an act that has forced the Fiores to make a desperate move to maintain their supremacy.

Many miles away, Luca Davis, a young medical student, has no idea his life is about to change. No idea that everything he’s been told about his life has been a lie.

Enter Domenico Rossetti, the ruthless Mafia prince. Powerful and unforgiving, he’s a savage in a suit—and the one who holds the cards when it comes to his new captive.

But when the war escalates and both are forced into seclusion, the two men are faced with a new threat: the rising sexual tension between them. You don’t fall for the one person you’re supposed to hate, but it’s a temptation neither can resist. Because falling in love with the enemy isn’t only wrong—it’s forbidden.

And the cost for defying everyone will be their lives.

REVIEW:

First, the good news:  Forbidden Mafia Prince is outstanding.

The bad news:  There’s a whopper of a cliffhanger.

More good news:  The second part of this duet will be out in just a month. It’ll be worth the wait.

The best news:  Did I mention this enemies to lovers story is freaking fantastic? And I’m not even a fan of mafia stories. I am a big fan of the Brooke Blaine/Ella Frank duo, though, so this was a must read for me.

Poor Luca Davis. He’s on the cusp of fulfilling his dream of being assigned a coveted rotation at Yale Medical School. Literally minutes later he’s rendered unconscious and abducted when walking across campus to his dorm. When he awakens he finds himself in a nightmare he didn’t know was possible – being held hostage by mafia thugs in some kind of basement room of torture and interrogation. Luca’s told he is the heir to the vicious Fiore family but he denies knowing anything about them. The Fiores … rivals and enemies of the Rossetti crime family who have kidnapped Luca.

Luca is an likable, hard-working student from a nice family. Now he’s a terrified prisoner with no chance of escape from Dom Rossetti, the second in command and the heir of the Rossetti family. Many things can be said about Dom: violent, ruthless, cruel, sexy. He and his father have sought vengeance against the Fiores for years. Dom is ordered to stay put in his father’s penthouse with Luca until told otherwise. Cue the forced proximity trope and the dynamics it incites.

The situation with Dom and Luca is akin to Stockholm Syndrome in that Luca is physically attracted to his captor even though he thinks he’s a bloodthirsty monster. And, the longer he remains a hostage, the more he starts to believe there might be more to the man. By the end of this book, there are signs that Luca is starting to trust Dom more than the alternative – the Fiore family – and needs Dom’s help.

“There were so many layers to him that contradicted each other, and with every little bit Luca learned, he could see the cracks in the armor. Was Dom a vicious psychopath? Yes. Was that all he was? Luca didn’t think so.”

This dark story is suspenseful, violent, and filled with action from almost the beginning. There’s only one graphic scene and it’s not very bad. I wouldn’t call it a romance, at least not yet, but the sexual tension between Luca and Dom is powerful. Dom knows, though, that any type of relationship would be forbidden. Their families are dangerous enemies, plus there’s no way Dom would be permitted by his father to be gay. Living up to his father’s expectations isn’t easy; Dom’s life is not his own.

“How was it possible to find someone like that attractive? Luca should be disgusted, horrified, and he was. But there was also a part of him that couldn’t help the reaction of his body when Dom wasn’t being a complete asshole or covered in blood.”

Luca is such a likable guy, both as an innocent victim and when he gets lippy and begins to stand up to Dom. Dom is somehow both revolting and compelling simultaneously. I can’t wait to see how his character arc progresses.

I have no idea how the multitude of conflicts are going to resolve themselves in the next book but I’m eagerly (and not so patiently) awaiting the conclusion of this duet. I’m sure Sinful Mafia Prince will be equally as exciting and entertaining, hopefully with the addition of a romance element. While this book is different from Blaine and Frank’s usual fare, it contains the same excellent writing, intriguing characters, and thoughtful plot development. It’s not to be missed. Highly recommended.

RATING: 

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