Kingpin: Book 2

OMG, could anything be better than the Gypsy Brother's, could Lili Saint Germain get any better with the Cartel series. The answer to that is YES YES YES. Amazing book that is wonderfully written and the story of Dornan Ross and Marianna continue's from the first book Cartel, these books are a prequel to the Gypsy Brothers series.Even though in the Gypsy Brothers series I tended to loathe Dornan, I knew deep down he had some good in that heart of his, and in Kingpin we get to see the good side, the kind heart, how he grew up and what makes him the way he is in the Gypsy Brothers books. I felt so sorry for him, ending up really liking him and by the end I was in love with him !!! Yep not something I was prepared for in any way. He is seriously hot and comes across as sexy as hell, and he and Mariannna fall in love in a warped kind of way.Marianna - feisty with a run away mouth that gets her in to trouble more often than not, but a woman you have to totally admire and pity at the same time. They are digging themselves into a deeper pit with the help of Dornan's best friend John and the excitement, the tension, the OMG moments flow off each and every page keeping you on the edge of your seat, or in my case up very late into the early hours finishing this extraordinary book !!!We as fans of Lili have waited patiently for this second book, but oh my it was sooo worth the wait. I'm now champing at the bit for Empire, the third and final book in this series.I can't recommend that you read this series enough. Start with the Cartel series and move on to the Gypsy Brothers series, you won't regret it and you will never forget the impact these brilliant books will have on your life.One of my favourite series ever, 5 wonderful shining bright well deserved stars, if I could give more I would without hesitation.Lili Saint Germain, you rock girl and I love you dearly for bringing these books into my life. Well done !!!!!!!!!!!

God I love him,I hate him,I love him, I hate him !!!!!I couldn't decide on an emotion Dornan fcuking Ross is like no other he's a nasty evil mother sucker you just love too hate but towards the end of this book I flat out hated him and his sick and twisted ways.Poor Mariana she just can't catch a freaking break from one dire situation to another the nine years between Cartel and Kingpin have not been easy by any stretch of the imagination having read the Seven Sons books I know how she meets her end I just hope in Empire she finds a bit of happiness before then !!!!Another amazing 5* read from the twisted ruthless mind of Lili St GermaineRoll on Empire now !!!!!

This is a love/hate story. Mariana is still in the same dire situation as in the previous book but now she has seen far more of the IL Sangue Cartel/Gypsy Brothers business dealings and how sick and evil these people really are. Drug Trafficking and money laundering was bad enough, Mariana has witnessed at first hand, the lowest side to their business and it seems too much to bear the lengths that they will go. Dornan has us in turmoil with our love/hate relationship, and his own discovery of a ghost from his past seems to have tipped him over the edge to the dark side, we knew it was too good to be true as our feelings took a turn for him in Cartel. It can only get worse for Mariana.

Well what can i say that has not been said by the other reviews other than I agree with every single word, i loved this book as with another reviewer Dornan was horrible in Gypsy Brothers but in the Cartel series he is so much nicer, although i have already re-ordered Empire i know how this book will conclude and looking forward to see how Lili weaves this story in her own brilliant way. Would recommend this book plus the Gypsy Brothers series.

WOW!!!!OMG Lili has blown me away with KingPin this has been one rollercoaster.Mariana was so loving and accepting,I felt so much for John, he was like a knight in shining armour,Dornan well what can i say about him?? you get to see why he has done the things he has done, he tried so hard to be a better man and you get to see a few glimpses of the man he really tried hard to be.Now i cant wait to see how Empire turns out and find out more answers to my many questions i have.

Not for a split second, every single one of these books related to the Gypsy Brothers has you enthralled from beginning to end, and definitely has you holding your breath waiting for the outcome. If you have yet to read any of Lilis books I suggest you do it now you won't find another series as raw and heart-wrenching at the same time , I look forward to Empire coming soon and I'm sure it will be a massive climax to this fantastic series, thanks again Lili. X

A fantastic 2nd book in the series. Again, very dark deep and dangerous and after 9 lonely years I am so glad that she is going to try and get out of there with John and the kids. I hope they succeed ... GULP!! UPDATE - OMG ... Im traumatised!! Just went to download book 3 and its not out until NEXT YEAR - arghhh, rock rock rock

It is unreal how you get to see dornan, john and marianna, how they develop into the characters that shape the seven sons series and how much their actions affect and determine juliette and jason and the path that had been set for them. I can see where dornan starts to unravel the little triggers that unleash the monster that he becomes. Brilliantly written.

Lili has done it againI was addicted from the first page, right up until the last pageDornan is starting to show his true colours but Lili writes him in a way that you can't help but love him...even though you want to stab him with a forkMariana is still biding her time, will she get her hea? I love her character, her determination and her strengthThere are so many questions and I can't wait for Empire to get all the answers

I read this from already knowing how things eventually will end for these characters but as I read it's like I knew nothing about them in the first place and become ABSORBED in what is gong on!! What I didn't like about was that it ended...chomping at the bit to read what I know transpires next but ready how it does. Lili you are wickedly talented!!!!!

Another awesome book! I couldn’t stop reading and can’t wait to start on the next one. Nail biting for sure.

Addictive novel, really enjoying it. Can not put it down for hours, keeps you intrigued to what is going to happen nexy

Great read Lili!! Looking forward to book 3!

Great read can't wait for the next book does she get out

Great Cannot wait for the third book.

Love how the book just gets straight into it

Loved it....... Being on the next

This second book in the 'Cartel' fast-forwards nine years into Mariana's captivity. Still trapped in the same apartment, unable to leave of her own volition, and spending her days cooking the books for the cartel, Mariana remains devoted to Dornan. She loves him, despite it all.Regardless of her love for Dornan, Mariana spends most of her time alone, longing for his next weekly visit. She's come to realize that she will always have to settle for scraps where Dornan is concerned. He will never place her first. They will never get out of this life. They are never going to be together in any meaningful way, beyond the stolen moments that she treasures each Sunday.As Mariana comes to terms with her life circumstances, she commits to stay the course. However, Murphy has a need for her particular skill set. With her family again threatened, she is forced to undergo drastic measures to ensure the safety of her son. Her actions will change everything.Finding herself in a really bad spot, Mariana calls on Dornan, only to be reminded of her place in line behind his wife, family, and business. Desperate, she calls on John to help her fix the mess she's made, changing the dynamics of their relationship forever. Now, this man knows all of her most dangerous secrets, things that Dornan doesn't even know.As this story progresses, we have a front row seat to the decline of Dornan. Little by little, the darkness of his daily business has seeped into his soul, leaving a cold, callous man in it's wake. He cannot un-see the things that he's seen, and it is slowly killing the humane side of him.Eventually, Mariana has to face the fact that the man she loves, no longer exists. She finds comfort in the arms of his best friend and begins to look for a way out.This book was far more gritty and raw than the first book in the 'Cartel' series. Even though I know where this story is headed, I cannot pull myself away from it. I have loved every minute of this story. Even knowing that this will end horribly, I am dying to get my hands on the next book.

A subtitle for this book could be the devolution of Dornan Ross. I can't believe I actually felt bad for him in Cartel, believing he had some redeeming qualities. In Kingpin it's easy to see the guy we know from the Gypsy Brothers series. He is heartless, ruthless, with little no regard for human life unless it's his boys.Mariana is the most patient, badass, imprisoned woman. In the 9 years since she gave her life to Emilio Ross in return for him sparing her family, she has endured. She lives locked away under constant surveillance of Emilio, Dornan and her bodyguard and babysitter Guillermo. She's a bookkeeper for the Il Sangue cartel and launders blood and drug money. She only gets Sunday with Dornan and even after all these year, she still believes she's in love. He delivers his version of pain and pleasure mix and she believes him her savior."I had been somebody's mother, once upon a time. And now, I was nothing. A piece of property. A mistress. A money launderer. A whore."But, a person can only take so much. When her straw breaks, Mariana's life turns into a mess of blood, regret and chaos. After 9 years of relative peace, knowing her debt will never be paid, it's time for action. The second half of this book is wild ride.I do recommend the Gypsy Brothers series be read before Cartel series. Although we know how this Dornan and Mariana "love story" ends, it's the journey that matters. I can't wait for Empire!!

Kingpin is part 2 of the Cartel Series and it did not disappoint! It was filled with a lot of suspense, confusion for Mariana and Dornan, and we watch as this book starts out 9 years later and what happens.Mariana has spent the last 9 years a prisoner in her apartment. She goes to work 5 days a week for the Cartel, and on Sunday she waits for Dornan's visits which have become sporadic at best. Mariana knows this is all she will ever have in exchange for the protection Dornan gave her 9 years ago. Now however she watches as the darkness slowly invades Dornan, as well as herself, and she does two things she thought in her wildest dreams she would never do.On top of this, she is always alone, never getting anything but Dornan's little scraps of time. Unfortunately Murphy has been coming in her life to threaten her to do certain things for him, he needs her help, and tries to get it by threatening the lives of her family and son. Mariana is forced to make a choice, and involves John, when Dornan is too busy to help. This makes her know even more she will never be first, and at the same time the dynamics between her and John change as well.Mariana loses any hope after Dornan creates the ultimate sin in her eyes, not once but twice, which makes her afraid of him forever. Mariana loses something precious to her, and she just shuts down.This book is filled with death, violence, blood, and so much killing, and at the same time there is also glances of a love that is slowly dying. The plot twists in and around adding so much angst and uncertainty and it is bringing everything into focus for the final book in this series.Mariana knows that her Dornan, the man she thought she loved all these years, has been slowly turning into his father, and there is nothing she can do anymore. Will Mariana run? Will she lose the nerve to take off and stay, living this life? What will happen to all of them?I gave this book 5 stars, and can't wait to read the conclusion of this series!

It’s been eight long years since Dornan set eyes on Mariana and managed to keep her for himself. Mariana has become a valuable asset to Emilio and his associates with her talented book keeping skills. It’s a simple life, if she doesn’t step out of line. Complying with what is expected of her keeps her and her family alive and sustains her desire to survive. Cautiously guarding her secrets and embracing the security Dornan offers her for what it is. He’s provided her with a sanctuary and along the way she has grown to love him and what he represents. Their arrangement is tempered by what it is, a mutual arrangement benefiting them both providing a slither of sanity denied to them when in the company of others.Slowly Dornan’s cold and heartless behaviour emerges, leaving Mariana divided by what she sees. What we are exposed to in the Cartel series is the slow transition from man to monster, far from complete but the signs are there. No one is spared, all fed by injustices and tragedies with everyone focusing on their own survival.In the beginning I found Kingpin hard to get back into. Between the dark and murderous scenes and the coverage of the illegal trade they ply, I had to recall the empathy I experienced for Dornan in the first book. It doesn’t take long for the story to take hold. What stayed with me, hitting hard throughout reading Kingpin was knowing so many people were used as pawns merely because of their family connections or being associated with the Cartel. Being familiar with the characters, this was not a surprise.Kingpin ends on a cliff hanger but having read the Gypsy Brothers series I didn’t find this an issue. Empire, the next book in the Cartel series has already been added to my TBR list!

4.5 starsBook two in the cartel series picks up years after book one ends.Mariana has spent years laundering money for the cartel in exchange for her life. But it is not much of a life...living locked up whenever she is it "working" and at mercy of the dark man she loves Dornan, Mariana is simply existing from day to day.Then she learns a horrible truth about her family and everything changes.I devoured this book...so much going on, I didn't want to put it down.Mariana is still as strong as ever and faced with all kinds of new horrible things.I loved the new characters in this one...John and Guillermo and how they enhance the story even more.My thoughts:POV: Switches between characters throughoutQuick hook or slow starter? 5 (I was hooked from the first chapter)Character development: 4Level of Romance between characters: 4Passion/Heat level: 5 (disturbing at times but hot hot hot at others)Angst/Heartbreak: 4 (this one is heartbreaking for most of the 2nd half)Cliffhanger?: Yes, it will leave you dying to jump into the next book.Overall, it was great and can't wait to see how the story will end.

‘What do you do when you want something you can’t have?’ ‘I wait,’ I whispered, my own convictions sliding away like melted butter as he rested a hand on my hip, just above my panties, and squeezed. ‘And then?’ “When nobody’s looking, I take it.”This book kept me on edge the whole time! This is how you write good cartel/mafia. My teeth feel as though they are chattering Because I literally don’t know what in the world is going to happen. I love Mariana so much! She is strong, ballsy, mouthy, and smart. I can’t wait to see what plan she concocts in this next book.