Review ~ Mafia Bride ~ CD Reiss

*I received a free copy of Mafia Bride from Paige Press LLC via Author. This has in no way influenced my voluntary review, which is honest and unbiased *

Some girls dream of marrying a prince, but I never imagined I’d be sold to a king.

Santino DiLustro.

The king.
The monster.
The keeper of secrets.

When he forced me to marry him, I cried for love I’d never know.
When he locked me away, I cried for the freedom I lost forever.
Every other tear I’ve shed is for my soul, because I’m falling for the devil himself.

With Mafia Bride , Reiss returns to the world of the Italian mafia and it’s a world I delight in. Being more fully immersed in the customs, the rules, the violence…it’s all so foreign and yet fascinating. And Reiss’s writing is exceptional. She’s the only author I’ve read whose words are beautiful in their brutality. I was enthralled from the first page.

The first time I see Santino, I don’t know how old his is, but I am 12, and he is a man. Though I expect him to carry all the subtle and seductive dangers of men, his menace is controlled, with the direction and force of gravity.

He comes to my uncle’s house, where I’ve lived since I was a child, after my parents were shot in the streets of Naples.

He stands at the door. Sunlight behind him. Silhouette of a god. Perfect. Michelangelo’s David, saying my uncle’s name–Guglielmo–with an accent that sounds like the wind in the grape vines and the voice of a volcano consciously choosing not to erupt.

-Mafia Bride, pg 1

Violetta was sent to America to after her parents were gunned down in the streets of Italy. She’s been raised by her aunt and uncle in a way she felt her future was her own. It was not.

Enter Santino. Re Santino. They call him King. Violetta saw him when she was younger and just seeing him was life changing for her. The day he arrives for a family dinner? Life altering in an irrevocable way.

Mafia Bride sees Violetta and Santino settling into marriage. *bwahahaha* Violetta must learn a new way of life – one she was born to. Santino – well, he doesn’t have to do anything but I think he chooses to attempt to win over his new wife. There is trouble in the mob world though. Of course there is. Violetta is in danger from more than Santino daring to woo her.

There are lots of questions yet to be answered. Witnessing the courtship between Santino and Violetta has been entertaining and I feel Violetta in  particular has experienced some emotional growth. She and Santino have much in common, which is what I think Santino saw in her early on. The why of him wanting her as his wife.

Plot lines and character development aside, Reiss’s writing kept me flipping the pages and savoring every word. Every part of the story is told exquisitely and felt viscerally. It’s why I love her books. To say I’m eager for the next installment is an understatement. May 25 can’t get here soon enough. 😉

Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2021 New Release Challenge

About Brandee @ (un)Conventional Bookworms

Brandee is a mom of 3 and a soon-to-be empty nester. She is also an avid reader, a genre omnivore, and a compulsive one-clicker - but she's in recovery. Besides being a reader, she's also a writer and hopes to divide the vast quantities of spare time she'll soon have between reading and finally publishing her first book.

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