Reviewed by Sadonna
TITLE: Deadly Little Sparrow
SERIES: Mafia Bound
AUTHOR: K.M. Neuhold
NARRATORS: Nick J. Russo and Declan Winters
PUBLISHER: K.M. Neuhold Publishing LLC
LENGTH: 10 hours and 3 minutes
RELEASE DATE: January 26, 2023
BLURB:
Is there such thing as love at first bar fight?
I may be small and pretty, but what I lack in intimidation factor, I make up for in violence.
I made a vow five years ago that the motorcycle club responsible for my brother’s death would pay the price, and I’m finally ready to collect. May God have mercy on the men who hurt my brother, because I don’t plan to.
Accidentally breaking the nose of the deadliest man in the city wasn’t my best move. Xaviaro Saviano, trigger man for the Moretti Crime Family… and now my own personal stalker. But if I have to go through him to deliver well-deserved justice, so be it.
As strange as it sounds, Xaviaro seems to want to help me more than he wants to hurt me. I can’t shake the man no matter what I do. Threatening him feels like foreplay, tying him up only turns him on… I could play nice, but that’s never been my strong suit.
I’d be lying if I said he wasn’t starting to grow on me, especially when he calls me his Deadly Little Sparrow from his knees. I’ve never met a man who could handle me, let alone one who can’t stop begging me for more.
Can love and revenge live in the same heart? I guess there’s only one way to find out…
REVIEW:
In this kickoff to a new series set in what seems to be an East Coast city that has a crime family that controls the goings on. Xaviaro Saviano is the enforcer for the Moretti crime family. Enzo Moretti is a childhood friend and he joined the family and is good at this job – whether it’s collections or taking care of problems. Permanently. One even he happens to be in a bar when a cocky twink shows up and causes trouble while looking for someone. Xav can’t have that and while he’s breaking up the fight, the hot young guy with the sparrow tattoo breaks his nose. Huh. That’s new and unusual.
Xav can’t get the guy out of his head and so he looks for them. He feels like this guy is going to be trouble – one way or another, but he also can’t stop the draw he feels. When he does catch up with Sparrow, he learns that he’s there to avenge the death of his brother. He’s been trained by a notorious and elusive assassin and he’s looking to take out 4 guys of a biker gang. He’s good with a knife, but Xav is worried about the messes he’s leaving behind and what will end up happening if he keeps going off without any backup and leaving bodies around. Oh, and he also finds out that Sparrow is indeed a dom and is more than willing to take the control that Xav really wants to give up.
As Sparrow continues to look for his marks, Xav keeps an eye on him. Enzo is worried that Xav is not focusing and he’s also a little bit hurt that Xav hasn’t told him about Sparrow. Then there are some new wrinkles and it’s time for Sparrow to be brought into the fold to deal with this biker gang problem once and for all. But what does that mean for Xav and Sparrow? Will Sparrow stay around?
Since this is the first in a series, we get the setup of the mafia world here. The key players are Enzo and the Moretti family including his brother Elio and Xav. Sparrow is new in town and causing waves 🙂 I absolutely loved Sparrow’s nickname of Murder Marshmallow for Xav, because certainly when it comes to Sparrow he is. He’s also not above helping someone who is caught in domestic abuse or taking care of his friends. The only thing I really wanted more of was information on Sparrow – including his actual name. He’s faked his own death, so hopefully we will find out more in the next book. The rest of the characters are ripe for romance, so I am interested to see where this goes. Lots of action and steam and some funny moments too 🙂
The narration of this book is spectacular. I love dual narrators from both MC POVs and this one is set up perfectly. Nick J. Russo’s performance of the frenetic energy and dominant energy of Sparrow is fantastic. Sparrow is definitely a but unhinged in his pursuit of his revenge and it takes him a bit to realize that he maybe does need some assistance. Declan Winter’s performance of the closed off assassin that is Xaviaro is perfect. He’s gruff and grumbly and yes, a murder marshmallow. The way these two play off each other and the dom/sub dynamic were well done here. Sparrow definitely comes off as cocky and someone unconcerned about pissing off the local mafia, but he comes around to realize that maybe he can accomplish his goal with a little help. There’s plenty of steam, plenty of death and some very cute scenes too that give insight into both Xav’s possessiveness and his desire to give up control. Plus there is a fun grandmother that I really hope we see more of 🙂 Recommended.
RATING: 
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