Salvatore: a Dark Mafia Romance (Benedetti Brothers) Paperback – July 14, 2016

This is by far the most refreshing mafia romance I’ve ever read. It’s not too dark, the eroticism is there, the romance is there, the family feud is there, the interactions among the characters are very good, and the structure of words and sentences that she crafted are just very good.I love the way the author develops its plot and how she brings us smoothly to understand what’s happening, what happened, and what’s about to happen. It’s very good foreshadowing and not just shoving the words to the readers. Readers are being asked to think and also guess the more we read.It’s what I think a product of an experienced and a very well educated author. They said, to be a good author, you have to be a good reader and read many books so you can write well. This is this level. Because many mafia romance books, I found that the writings are very basic and many times are not good at words craftsmanship.But why not 5 stars???From the first word I read on this book, I’ve been hooked up. Can’t put it down at all. It gets intense and emotional. However, the last 2 chapter before the epilogue, things are too downgraded. I mean, it’s like the anti climax is not satisfying. I love the drama when the male character is almost dead, but I don’t think after that, I can still get the story hooked up to me as amazing as the previous chapters.I also think the way The main characters reveal their love as in saying “I love you” is too basic, too casual. I just don’t find the sacred of this “love”. I see that through their care and make love and etc... they do show the love. But I just don’t get the feeling, that moment that I’ve been waiting when they declare their love in words. It seems to me just like another conversation of the day.I also don’t feel like the solution to the story, this whole big mafia plot is adequate. Yes, I know the author wants to slip her own message about life as how she sees it. But, I don’t feel that amazing feeling when she ended the story that way.I mean, she made a very good plot of a mafia. Very serious situation. Then, suddenly providing such solution as if the male character is just another rich guy who can just let go everything and live in a country side. It just doesn’t touch me at all as a reader.It doesn’t satiate my thirst of a great HEA. Yes, it’s HEA but I just don’t get the feeling. It’s what I can call “mediocre ending but stunning beginning”. Which you see how downhill is that? It should be a stunning ending despite whatever the beginning is!

Lucia was destined to be Salvatore’s from the start. The way they came to be in not the way people should. But the journey to happiness and freedom made it all worth it.

When I saw that Ms. Knight came out with a dark romance book focusing around the Mafia, I was conflicted on whether or not I should buy it. I love Mafia stores, but I'm not a dark romance story lover. Dark romances are just too scary for me. After awhile, I decided to purchase the book because the worst thing that could happen would be I didn't finish reading it.Oh my gosh!! I am SOOOOOOOOOOO HAPPY that I bought this book. It was unbelievably hot. The story plot was really good with a couple of twists thrown in to keep readers on their toes. The story was also very believable. It seemed like Ms. Knight did plenty of research on the Mafia to make it 100% accurate, instead of just watching The Godfather and writing the story after that.My favorite part about this story was Salvatore. The way that Ms. Knight described him, he sounded like the sexiest man alive. But more importantly, he was so sweet! After being forced to take Lucia DeMarco as his property, instead of humiliating her or forcing her to be his sex slave, he treated her with gentleness and kindness. It almost made me wish that I was in her place...almost. ;-) Then whenever Slavatore was around Lucia's little niece, Effie, I thought my heart was going to melt at how cute the two were together.I was planning on reading this book slowly, but once I started, I couldn't put it down! It was that good! I REALLY hope that Ms. Knight comes out with a sequel about Dominic. I'm dying to know what's going to happen with him after everything that was revealed in this story. Great job, Ms. Knight!

Okay, I just want to clear something up right now. There is nothing dark about the story. The premise- girl being signed over to a rival mafia family as a slave- could have been very dark, but it just wasn't at all. Unless we're comparing it to the Little House on the Prairie.This was actually a pretty light read, compared to all of the other mafia stories I've read. The mafia seemed to be such a small part of the story and only used as a way to make Lucia a slave and add a little conflict.The story begins with Lucia signing herself over to a rival mafia family because her father was backed into a corner and had no other choice. The beginning was actually great and really drew me in.Lucia is a tough as nails heroine almost to the point where you're like 'don't do that. That's stupid. You're going to get yourself killed.' She's seriously pigheaded and doesn't bow down to her 'captors' or hosts? Cause they really weren't awful to her at all. They were supposed to be these mean, cruel mobsters, but you never saw that.The story was told in a lot of Salvatore's pov, so you get to see a lot of his feelings and thoughts as the story goes on. I didn't like being in his head so much. But I'm not a fan of dual pov, I usually prefer to only be in the heroine's head. He's sympathetic and a pretty decent guy from the moment he meets Lucia. He didn't want to be her 'owner' but his father's word is law and he doesn't disobey him. But while he has a softer side, he is still domineering and pushy and says, "mine."Salvatore and Lucia share a connection from the moment they meet. Salvatore tries to 'punish' Lucia for not obeying and it turns into erotic foreplay. Lucia gives into everything he does to her. As soon as he touches her, she forgets that she's a slave. It seemed too easy to me. She was so tough, but just couldn't resist Salvatore's magic hands.They seemed to form an amicable relationship so soon and the conflict was resolved too early on for me. So when sixty percent hit, the story began to slow way down for me.The conflict with Dominic and Isabella was so predictable. And the 'conflict' seemed to end on a lazy conclusion. It didn't feel finished, but maybe she is saving something for another book. The ending was wrapped up in a neat little bow and I wasn't buying it at all.While I seemed to have some problems with this dark mafia romance (light where's the mafia stuff? erotica)it was decently written. The hero was pretty decent, although he acted like a sweetheart sometimes and then a dom with a mission others. The heroine was pretty impressive, even when I thought she was stupid and gonna get herself killed.Overall, an erotic read with a controlling, yet gentle hero and a tough as nails heroine.