5 stars I’ve been editing for L Steele for a few years now, and her books continue to improve. In this one, the author delves so deeply into the motivations, thoughts, fears, and passions of Jeanne and Luca, it’s difficult to remain detached. These are real people suffering through real problems, with the added twist of an enemy of the Mafia trying to kill them. And it’s mostly believable, at least, based on my little bit of knowledge from books and movies. Jeanne comes across as a goody-two-shoes at the beginning, even admitting she attended school at a convent and that’s why she can’t use any bad words. As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that she’s a strong woman who knows how to take care of herself and won’t put up with anyone’s bull. Along comes Luca. The second-oldest of the Sovrano brothers, who has featured fairly prominently in the rest of the Mafia stories, Luca turns out to be a huge revelation. This guy who came across as a major a-hole, and the kind of man I’d be inclined to avoid at all costs, turns out to be a romantic with a tender heart. I guess I shouldn’t be surprised. That’s one of Steele’s talents: she takes unlikable, domineering men and transforms them into loving partners through the power of love. She still manages to hold onto the animalistic and base tendencies of her heroes, and it helps to reveal their innermost feelings, the things they cannot express in words. What we learn about Luca is that he’s intense—he throws himself into everything he does, he’s volatile, he’s loyal, and he loves everything without restraint. One of the things I like best about this book is the relatively slow build of sexual tension between Jeanne and Luca. I’ve become accustomed to these books starting with a “bang,” pun intended. In a move unusual for this series, the couple doesn’t do anything more than flirt and kiss until almost page 50! God knows, Luca tries, but Jeanne seems to be resistant to his charms. Of course, like all of Steele’s heroes, he won’t force himself on her until she clearly tells him she’s ready. Then, like all of the others, he’s super-bossy. I enjoyed Luca’s internal dialogue, in which he was surprisingly self-aware, as when he thinks about Jeanne: “She seems like one of us. Only she isn’t. She’s someone who happened to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. Or the right place, if I’m being honest. Which I’m not.” And this, when he’s starting to realize the depths of his feelings for her: “She tries to burrow into me, as if she wants to crawl under my skin and live there. Doesn’t she know? She already has.” I love the banter between Luca and Jeanne and would love to add lots of examples, but I found this one, from Jeanne’s POV, particularly amusing: "If you think I’m going to simply fall in line with your command, then you have another thing coming." "Think," he drawls. "Eh? What do you mean?" "You have another think coming. It’s think, not thing." "No, it’s not. Think?" I scoff. "That makes no sense at all." I try to brush past him, and this time, he grabs my arm. "Have you been crying?" He peers into my face. "You have been crying." His voice hardens. "What happened?" Damn him, and his over-attentive gaze which never seems to miss a thing. And this time, it is thing. Not think. It couldn’t have been think in that previous sentence, could it? May 20, 2022
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Elizabeth J ConnorWriter. Editor. Proofreader. Archives
September 2022
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