Reviewed by Cindy
TITLE: Predatory Obsession
SERIES: Lupo Syndicate Book 1
AUTHOR: Trinity Black
PUBLISHER: Self-published
LENGTH: 239 Pages
RELEASE DATE: December 18th, 2023
BLURB:
They underestimate me.
I’ve always been “the pretty boy.”
My enemies think I am weak and will crack under pressure.
Kidnapped, tortured, beaten, starved…
I do not give in. I do not break.
I know the Lupos will come for me.
But I never expect it to be Dante, the Boss himself, the man of my deepest desires…
No one harms the one I love and gets away with it.
Matteo is the younger brother of my consigliere.
I shouldn’t fall for him, but I do…
He is my soulmate. My obsession.
My rivals take him, torture him, nearly kill him…
They will get what is coming to them.
I am the predator and now they are my prey…
But with betrayal around every corner, we’re unsure who to trust. Can I keep the love of my life safe as enemy attacks escalate?
Note: Predatory Obsession is a hurt-comfort MM Daddy Romance with morally ambiguous characters. This age gap story features steamy scenes, gratuitous violence, and an overprotective Daddy doing everything to keep his boy safe. Guaranteed HEA with no cliffhanger.
REVIEW:
Dante and Matteo are chracters I really wanted to like.
Matteo is a smart, determined young man who desperately wants to belong to Dante. He tries to see the good side of things even when everything is horrible. He understands who Dante is and loves him for it anyway.
Dante is violent and well aware of the dangers of his lifestyle. He covets Matteo with all he has and when someone takes him, he will do anything to get him back. Matteo is under his protection, even if the younger brother of his best friend will never belong to him.
I had a really hard time getting into this story. It feels like it started in the middle of the story instead of the beginning. My biggest issue is that the chemistry between the two men seems very forced at times. Especially the whole “Daddy” aspect. It feels like it comes out of no where and the vibe is never quite right.
Liking Matteo is easy, and I ended up feeling sorry for him for most of the book and I’m not sure that’s what the author was shooting for.
Dante never becomes “likable” for me. I’m usually a big sucker for the mafia man with whose only softness is the person he loves beyond reason, but Dante never really seems to fall for Matteo. It’s like the softness never quite gets there.
I can see where the Author was going with this story. The connection between Dante and his men is interesting but I would have loved to have seen a little more interaction with his brothers, especially because I’m assuming that’s who will be starring in future books. The relationship between Matteo and his brother come off a little better, but still lacked a little something.
While I undersatnd that these guys are all criminals, they lack the passion that I’m used to in this genre. The love never really seems to change the characters and I just didn’t get lost in the story like I should have.
I will be checking out the next book because I have faith that this newish author will learn and grow from here and I think they have the potential to be really good!
To wrap up, the premise is good and the character are interesting, but there’s just something not quite right with the chemistry and it comes off feeling forced to me.
RATING: 
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