From New York Times best-seller Claire Contreras comes a new, sexy stand-alone novel . . . When you grow up in a family like mine, it’s easy to identify the kind of men that are bad news. They’re the ones with experience. The ones with secrets. The ones that exude sex just by saying your name.From the moment I laid eyes on Lorenzo, I knew he wasn’t just bad news. He was the headline.But my head … bad news.
He was the headline.
But my head and my heart are at war.
He’s too mysterious, too gorgeous, too wild, and now, he wants me.
I should run far away. So why am I racing toward him?
I’m totally going to get burned. I know it. A man like Lorenzo won’t leave me unscathed.
He’ll make ashes of me.
*Because You’re Mine is NOT a dark romance! It is a 100% stand-alone novel. NO CLIFFHANGER!*
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Another on the edge of your seat page turner by Claire Contreras. She puts you through the wringer, and then heals you on the other side. Loren is smoking, Cat is determined but closed off to protect herself. They have to navigate a complicated, dangerous, family situation, one that Cat has tried to stay away from. It’s a great story, I loved it!!!
I am absolutely in love with this book!
Catalina and Lorenzo’s story is filled with the perfect mix of mystery and chemistry that grabs your attention from the start and doesn’t let go.
Catalina, the beautiful ballerina that has walked away from her past, is on the verge of being sucked right back in. When her sister asks her for a favor, it puts her on a path that leads straight to Lorenzo.
Gorgeous Lorenzo. A man that presents himself one way-but underneath it all, lies layers caked with secrets and a darker world that Catalina is all too familiar with.
The instant attraction is there but met with a first impression that is unfavorable. As the story unfolds, author Claire Contreras, flawlessly delivers snack sized information that all leads to the main course……and you will devour it like it’s your last meal!
As always with this author, it is well written, with a fantastic storyline and memorable characters. The love scenes are scorching hot and because I was easily sucked into this world, I hope to see Catalina’s siblings, Gio and Emma, get their own books.
I would highly recommend this book and any other book this author has written.
Simply put…Because You’re Mine should Become Yours.
I love a mafia love story and this one delivers!
Catalina is a ballerina. She’s also the daughter of a mob boss. Leaving behind that life after her fiance is gunned down, she changes her last name and starts over. Her and her sister move to NYC to begin a new life, without ties to their family.
A favor to her sister brings her to Lorenzo. She believes that he’s just a teacher at her sister’s school until they meet again off campus. Lorenzo wants Catalina and he’s not willing to take no for an answer.
Lorenzo is hiding some secrets…more like a truckload. All of them pertain to his affiliations and work.
These two had such an amazing connection and intense attraction from first sight. Their heat was off the charts! Lorenzo is complicated and doesn’t do any relationships after what his ex did to him. Catalina just wants a life without the mob connections. However, we don’t always get what we want. Sometimes our hearts overrule our heads.
This was a story that kept me up late because I needed to finish it! Lorenzo is all alpha, possessive and I LOVED it! So many secrets and twists that I never saw coming. I will be keeping my fingers crossed to get more of these characters.
Good Lord people!! Because You’re Mine was absolutely amazing!!! This story came out of nowhere for me and was so fantastic!! Anyone who knows me knows that mafia stories are my jam and honestly this story hit all the right spots!! Lorenzo and Cat were amazing and sexy and allllll of the things!! I am sooooo hooked!!
Gah!! This novel had such an incredible story. I loved the passion and history between the families. Cat and Lorenzo were addicting and I was hooked from the very first page. The banter was outstanding and the attraction and chemistry between them was fiery. I seriously loved every minute of this story! Cat was sassy and gave as good as she got and Loren was alpha to a tee but was just so addicting. I loved everything about this story. The entire cast of characters, the hot hero and heroine and the ongoing story arc that will no doubt continue in the next book. I seriously can not wait!! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
Claire has written a beautiful mafia story. I loved all the characters from this book. It was filled with action, suspense and more. Loren and Cat are an amazing couple. I loved how different they both were, with their lives especially, and how they fell in love. Loren is one hot man. This was such a great and fantastic mafia romance. Loved it.
Standing ovation for this book!!! I am so completely in love with Claire Contreras’ Because You’re Mine. LOVE. LOVE. LOVE!! Entertaining. Thrilling. Addicting. Intoxicating even. I could get love drunk on Claire’s words. To say I devoured this books would be a gross understatement.
Claire Contreras takes us on an intense, sexy, suspenseful ride inside the world of organized crime. Filled with secrets and lies, crime and murder, lust and love, I could NOT get enough!!! I wished I had more! The characters and the fiery passion they shared…. my God!! So good!! The connection between Lorenzo and Catalina was felt instantly.
Catalina is a new favorite heroine. Loved her strong will. Her independence. Her heart. I loved that she not afraid of Loren, who by the way is crazy hot, possessive and protective (*fans self). As the daughter of one of the mafia’s most feared leaders, she knows any connection between her and her family could be dangerous. She’s distanced herself from them; dedicating her life to her ballet/dance. Even when she is pulled back into that world, she hold her own.
Here is the thing about Because You’re Mine, once you start reading you’re definitely not going to want to stop. I am so utterly addicted to this book!! Because You’re Mine goes right to the top of my favorite Claire Contreras book right along with Paper Hearts. (*sigh Jensen) I don’t read a lot of mafia romance but this one I want to read over and over again!! I highly highly highly recommend this book! I can’t wait to read what is next from these characters.
This audiobook is available to listen for free with Kindle Unlimited.
This is a mafia meets ballerina story. It is Catalina and Lorenzo’s story. She’s a ballerina who helps her brother out at a club he’s opening and ends up giving Lorenzo a super hot lap dance. They meet under false pretenses and there are always secrets and lies between them but their chemistry is off the charts and so they embark on a secret affair.
I loved how this book always kept you guessing. You just wanted to know which side everyone was on and what was going to happen next. The story kept a good pace throughout and I enjoyed all the action. AND you know me, I love a good plot twist and I totally didn’t see that one coming.
Scarlett is a new narrator for me and she reads the majority of the book. She is able to give us all Cat’s emotions and helps us understand her inner turmoil. Stephen gives us Lorenzo and I enjoyed everything he brought to this audiobook.
A solid story, good narration, a fantastic plot twist and a peppering of heat.
Lorenzo and Catalina’s story, definitely a great story full of mafia, twist, and emotional turmoil. It’s dual POV and the audiobook is narrated by Scarlet Chase and Stephen Dexter, I really enjoyed Stephen’s narration he was on point, creating the perfect voice for Lorenzo, accent and all. The emotions were all there, however, Scarlet was a bit different from what I expected, she did good but I loved Stephen more. The story is fantastic, with great pace, and all the brilliant things Claire Contreras is known for. A must-hear for any mafia trope lover.
Because Your Mine is one of the few mafia romances that I’ve listened to. I know that I like Claire Contreras, and her writing always keeps me engaged, and this definitely fit the bill for me.
Although Because You’re Mine is a mafia romance, it is not dark. It’s at times haunting, it is always action packed, and it’s definitely fast-paced.
Catalina and Lorenzo are not the couple that you expect to match on paper. The ballerina and her sister’s professor, who turns out not to be who Catalina expected him to to be. There were so many twists and turns and connections that the book was always felt like something new was developing. I don’t want to go to far into the plot for fear of moving into spoiler territory, but just know that there are a lot of more connections between these two as you move through the story.
From a narration point of view, Stephen Dexter and Scarlet Chase definitely delivered on the spark, the emotion, the uncertainty and the fast paced nature of the story. Stephen in particular delivered on the sometimes frantic nature of Loren’s behavior and delivery. It was a real treat to listen to.
Catalina has been raised in a mafia family but with the losses she has suffered it is not the life she wants. Instead she focuses on her career as a professional ballerina until a favor for her sister sets her life on a collision course with Lorenzo (Loren).
Loren may be a lawyer but that is only part of who he is and he has an agenda when it comes to Cat. They are unable to deny the chemistry between them but along with that comes secrets, danger and betrayal unlike anything that Cat could imagine.
When Loren entered Cat’s life she was supposed to be a means to an end but he is about to find out that the petite ballerina just might be his downfall. Not only are Loren and Cat great characters but the secondary characters definitely add to the story. I enjoyed the way the narrators brought out the personality of the characters.
I’ve had this book sitting on my kindle and on my bookshelf since it came out. I realized recently that I hadn’t read it yet, so when I had the chance to listen to the audio, I took it. Claire is one of my automatic one clicks, so I had high expectations.
I enjoyed the storytelling and liked the chemistry between Catalina and Lorenza (aka Loren). The cast of characters and settings was totally to my liking. I liked that Catalina was this beautiful ‘older’ (by dancer standards) professional ballet dancer and was trying to distant herself from the lifestyle of her family in Chicago. She totally made her own life in NYC and did it on her own. I love to read about strong women and she was it. Then there was Loren. I liked who his character was trying to be at the beginning. He was like this rude guy that you could feel steam coming off of him, but you could tell there was so much more to him and his background. SO when they meet at a dinner and you get the ‘real’ Loren, the sexual attraction is just POW right off the page (or for me…the audio). From then on, the game is ON! The lifestyle. The attraction. The steam. The lies/coverup.
While I liked the story itself, the audio wasn’t my favorite. I liked the male narrator and he seemed like an authentic New York/east coast mafia member, but the female narrator bugged me. I liked when we got into the story, but it was when she announced each chapter and her inflection in her voice that just kept drawing me out. Such a small thing to pin point, but it was frustrating.
Overall, the story was good and I’d like to read the actual book to see how my feelings on the story may change. The audio was ok. The male narrator had me, but the female narrator I had mixed feelings about. But I can’t take away from the storytelling and the chemistry of the characters. They were hot and I enjoyed the romance between them and the backstory of their characters.
Because You’re Mine is a heartpounding, and sizzling story that held me captive from the first page to last. Cataline is a ballerina who has tried to stay away from her families business. She thinks she is innocently helping her sister when she unwittingly gets drawn in by a sexy professor. Lorenzo is more than he appears. He is mysterious, gorgeous, and has a dominance that should scare her but only draws her in. Lorenzo’s plans for Catalina has changed completely when he is seduced by the beautiful ballerina and her sassy mouth. Their fiery attraction is undenyiable and their chemistry is explosive. But Lorenzo has a job to do and he is putting both their lives on the line by claiming her as his. But when Cat learns his secrets, and enemies start taking out their vengence, will he be able to keep them alive long enough for her to forgive him? This is a twisty, roller coaster ride of a romance that’s unforgettably heart-wrenching, suspenceful, but has it’s tender moments as well.
Narrators Scarlet Chase, and Stephen Dexter were amazing as they brought this story to life. Chase nailed Caterina’s caring, strong, and sassy character perfectly. Dexter’s voice was perfect for the powerful, dangerous, yet vulnerable Lorenzo. I loved listening to them both as they drew me in and made this story even more exciting and sizzling.
I have heard a lot of good things about the author’s books, but I didn’t enjoy the last one I read so I wanted to try again. I liked this book so much more! Catalina had a lot of family baggage but was managing to make it on her own until her sister asked her for a favor. I loved how everything tied together in the end for Catalina.
I loveeeeeeeeeeeee!! a mafia story but one that focused on their story was caught and he knew how to conquer me with his personalities, good plot, personality and excellent fluidity!
I listened to this book and loved it. This is a mafia romance bad-boy meets good-girl who’s trying to outrun her family’s crime-ridden past.
Cataline is a ballerina who gets caught in the crosshairs of her family’s business and catches the eye of Lorenzo, who himself is a dangerous man. Just how dangerous? Catalina is going to find out.
The tension between Catalina and Lorenzo in the book is amazing. They’re both pretending to be someone they’re not and collide in an explosion of passion. *sizzle*
This was a dark, gritty, suspenseful, and thrilling journey to go on. I enjoy Mafia romances and this one didn’t disappoint. This book grabbed my attention from the beginning and kept me entertained till the end.
This was a so-so read for me. Pretty tame when compared to other mafia books and from what the blurb indicated.
I read everything this author writes
Sexy and downright addictive. The perfect escape!
It hurts my heart to say I didn’t love this book. I liked it but it didn’t blow me away and make me swoon and sigh like Claire’s other books. I even tried to re-read it to see if I missed something – missed the spark that would ignite my love for Lorenzo and Catalina.
The writing style is fine. I’m not put off my mafia style books. I’m ok with insta lust. I think it was because I didn’t understand the vibe between Loren and Cat and how their pasts were linked. A character who is portrayed as evil gets redemption. Plot bombs are exploded everywhere but they seem a bit left field.
Sadly this one was not for me.