I’m a powerful criminal.I know fire when I see it.Valerie is too feisty for her own good.I bring the world down to its knees.But she isn’t scared of me.Not yet.She hasn’t seen the real face behind this mask.The man that I’m capable of turning into. But she does trigger the monster within me. One that will devour her until she submits herself completely to me.
Carlyle
By ravenscott
Edit-wise, MS. Scott did a much better job with this one than the first book in The Syndicate box set, Theo. Whew! That one had bad editing! There are still a few “hot” spots in Carlyle’s book, but they won’t distract from the enjoyment of the story.
Be careful though, enjoyment is a relative term for this story. You will find a mess of revenge and retribution, mafia style, in these pages. For Carlyle it’s sweet; for you, maybe not so much. There’s several beat downs, tortures and murders of men and women. Carlyle clearly sends the message that nobody should go against him or the ones he loves.
And he does love him some booty! He gets himself a main squeeze and they are happy for now. We’ll all have to read on to see how well that sticks. All the books are interconnected, so where one ends the next one begins. It’s a good thing they come as a boxed set.
He is ruthless and dark and she is going to have to adapt to it as he is not letting her go
Carlyle is the second book in The Syndicate series and continues stories about the Santino brothers. This is the story of Carlyle and Valerie. He is the oldest of the brothers and the heir to the empire. He is also ruthless and brutal. Valerie is a young woman with a lot of secrets. They meet at a coffee shop and it is an instant attraction between them. Carlyle is not only starting a relationship with Valerie but he is also trying to figure out who wants him dead and is fighting with the Italians.
This story has a lot going on with it, some good and some bad. I had not read the first book in the series before this one so I felt a bit like I was missing certain things in the story-line and characters. Then there is the fact that Carlyle is not a really likeable character as he is not only ruthless with enemies and in the family empire but he is a bit all over the place with Valerie also. For her part our plucky h does not realize what she is getting into with Carlyle. But there were a few things that she shared about her past that just turned me off. I am not a prude and require my heroine’s to be pure like fresh snow but at the same time somethings can just go a bit far for me. The story-line itself was interesting but it did jump around and was a bit hard to follow at times.
In the end I am in the middle on this book as I liked parts and not others.
I received a copy of this book for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Carlyle (the book) is the 2nd book in series so has some elements from Book 1. It builds more of the background story and gives some info that is mentioned in Carlyle. Oh my…Carlyle is so intense and ruthless, with borderline sociopath, and seems to be cold, mean-spirited, control freak which makes it very hard to relate to him. On the other hand , Valerie is hiding a lot about her life and keeps her secrets very close to her chest. When they are together though sparks fly. The chemistry between them is hot and steamy. There is so much going on that you don’t want to put this book down. This book has so much twist/turns, drama, danger, suspenses, enemies, survival, intrigue, action, adventure, humor, mystery/secrets, surprises, family, anger, friends/friendships, fear, pain, conflict, resolution, confusion, confidence, strength, courage, trust, truths, stubbornness, struggles, protection, tension, turmoil (emotional), arrogance, annoyance, hate, heartbreak, trials/tribulations, acceptance, threats, betrayal, frustration, determination, patience, violence, revelations, chaos, happiness, romance, passion/lust and love. It’s is just one long roller coaster ride. I highly recommend this book if you love Mafia Romances. Just a warning…if you have triggers this book is not for you. Hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
A Dark Mafia Romance Carlyle The Syndicate Book 2)
This was a good story Carlyle is in fact a scary but passionate personality. His hard work and trust issue are pretty valid. In this book we have character from the previos book that have matured into trust worthy individuals. I would recommend this book…
This is the 2nd book in this amazing series and is Carlyle and Valerie’s story. Carlyle is the eldest of the Santino empire and heir to the empire. Valerie and her twin sister start working for Carlyle, not knowing who he actually is, and their lives are soon in danger. This is a well written story which is a thrilling story with an in-depth and intricate plot, filled with action, danger, suspense, twists, surprises, and love. I was hooked and intrigued throughout and look forward to reading more from this author whose work I recommend for all.
I voluntarily read and reviewed this as an ARC
Wow! Raven Scott took me on a wild ride and revealed many facets of Carlyle I never expected. Valerie, whose past is beyond tragic, was the catalyst to opening that doorway and understanding the man buried beneath the beast. The rollercoaster begins another sky high climb and I can’t wait for the free fall in the next book in this series.