Savage Pride Duet
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Release Date: November 3, 2021
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance, Retellings
Blurb:
Zeno De Rossi is arrogant and callous. Nothing like the boy I grew up with.
He's poised to take over the most powerful mafia family in New York.
To him, I'm nothing but the daughter of a soldier- a member of the staff at his grand estate...
Until his estranged brother comes home and shows an interest in me.
Now, I'm trapped in a dangerous dance between two men who hate one another.
Both have secrets.
Neither is safe.
They won't quit until they destroy one another, and I have become their weapon of choice.
Review:
I received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Going into this, I honestly had no idea what I was getting into. I knew it was a dark romance with mafia ties, but nothing more. I ended up loving it.
While I was reading, I found myself swept away by Jill Ramsower's writing. I'd gone almost 70% of the way through the book without anything major happening and was still sucked in. I questioned whether that was normal for me to enjoy a book that was slower and took its time to build up the world of the mafia. After texting my friend to see if it was normal (had to know!) she put it perfectly when she said, "That's a sign of a good book! Or that she wrote good characters." <-- EXACTLY.
I would venture to say that this book is almost a prequel to the events that will happen in the second book. The reader has to get to know Zeno, Luisa, Gia, Nevio and the rest of the players in this dark and dangerous world to really enjoy the events of the second book. Like some other books, Savage Pride has flashbacks to when Zeno, Luisa and Nevio were younger, but only a few and they fit perfectly into the story.
There was very little by way of smut and as a person who loves to read some steamy scenes, I wondered if it would feel like the story was lacking. It did not lack at all! The tension through text messages was palpable and the conflict that Luisa is enduring enhanced the story. The first book ends with a HUGE revelation and on a little bit of a cliff hanger.
I'm writing this review after finishing Savage Pride and will jump into Silent Prejudice in order to write that review. I highly recommend this book and am anxious to read the conclusion, in Silent Prejudice. Jill Ramsower is a new to me author that I look forward to exploring a lot more of!
⭐⭐⭐⭐
Release Date: December 1, 2021
Genre: Dark, Contemporary Romance, Retellings
Blurb:
They say the truth can set you free, but it can't undo the past.
A past filled with secrets, lies, and heartache.
Zeno De Rossi unleashed a bomb when he told me the truth about our families.
He thought an explanation would bring us closer.
But how can I trust a man who has kept so many secrets?
How can I love a man who has caused so much pain?
Uncertainty haunts my every thought, but I may not have the luxury of choice..
In yet another cruel twist of fate, I've drawn the attention of a monster.
A man obsessed with ruining me.
I see no option but to put my life in Zeno's hands.
Like it or not, he's the only one who can keep me safe.
But will my heart be safe from him?
Review:
I received this ARC in exchange for my honest review. As always, please check trigger warnings.
Silent Prejudice is the second book in the Savage Pride Duet and picks up after the bombshell has been dropped about family ties between the De Rossi's and the Banetti's. I was caught up in the story once again just from the style of writing Jill Ramsower has.
I loved that we were still able to see Luisa stand her ground and take charge of her life, while also seeing her struggle with her feelings for a man who at one time cast her off without remorse. Zeno has come to the conclusion that he can no longer deny his feelings for Luisa and has laid his heart on the line with the thought that he's already lost all hope.
This story delves further into side characters as well as life in the Giordano mafia family. Maybe I'm crazy, but I could have had just a little more danger and suspense from this book since the first book set it up so beautifully. We get what I would refer to as Mafia Light in Silent Prejudice. So while it doesn't take away from the story, I believe it would have easily been a five star read with just a little extra dark and dangerous. Spice was wonderful, storyline was great, but I wanted just a little bit more of the Mafia lifestyle and dangers associated with it. Loose ends were tied fairly quickly and I wanted a bit more suspense before it happened.
This retelling of Pride and Prejudice gave me the same feels as the original story, but gave it a spin that mixed my nostalgia for the classic Jane Austen book with spice and twists from a modern day dark romance. I recommend checking it out and also falling into Jill Ramsower's other works, I certainly will!
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