A made man versus the cartel … the woman he was meant to recover. That leader’s wife. Every step he takes is risky, and one wrong move could leave them both dead. Too bad that’s not enough to keep him away from Valeria as he tries to find a way to free her.
Hope is a dangerous thing.
Love is even worse.
Here, everybody plays dirty.
No one can be trusted.
So, how do they get out alive?
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Note: Chris is book 3 in The Guzzi Legacy. It is a standalone novel.
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“She tasted of cherries, and vanilla. Sweetness, and sin.”
My love for mafia romances is always endless. They truly became my first love. Maybe they remind me of when I used to watch The Godfather movies or my fascination over organized crime. Add in some romance, you get a mind blowing story. There is only one author I always trust with the genre, Bethany-Kris. Her portrayal of a hard hitting maffia is so sublime and addictive. She opens a word of crime and chaos that make you fall in love. I fell in love with Chris. Captured by mesmerizing words, Chris is an incredible mafia romance with smashing characters and twisting story that gives you an unforgettable ride.
Chris is a magnificent standalone book in the Guzzi Legacy series. Let me tell you, I freaking and madly adore The Guzzi Legacy series. A touch of love in the chaos of the mafia pulls me in so deeply. Heart Pumping. Pulse Hitting. Page Turning. Scorching. Chris is a riveting tale full of suspense, danger and titillating love. A captivating mystery. A tangled web with a heart burning spin. An eye catching masterpiece. Chris is a romance with a passion filled build up and an amazing story with instant love. Bethany-Kris connects your heart with her heart tingling writing that traps both your heart and soul. You are tangled up in emotions that pierce through your heart.
Chris and Valeria give you all the feels. Omg, I felt my heart crack with their beautiful chemistry and heart bending attraction. Chris is the alpha with such a protective and loyal heart. Loyal to his family. Loyal to the one he loves. He is charming and powerful. He totally made me swoon. Valeria is a strong woman with a heart of gold. Faced with danger on ever turn, I truly felt for her. I admired her power to protect her daughter, Maria. With instant connection, Chris and Valeria slayed me with their passion and love.
I am so addicted to the Guzzi family. Their principles as a family are solid. Corrado, Alessio and Chris proved to be amazing read in the series. I cannot wait for more.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
The reader has been introduced to Christopher Guzzi since the first book, as he and Corrado are twin brothers. But at that time attention didn’t focus on him. The only thing shown is that the connection between the twins was strong – as imagined – and that Chris agreed to receive the same training as his twin (although he had certain traumas that would make his training much more difficult than for Corrado.)
Now the force within Chris is fully shown in this book.
Chris is determined, strong, brave, and when he decides to take a job further, nothing and no one can stop him. Not even knowing that he would have to negotiate with the boss of the Mexican Cartel, Jorge.
But not everything goes as expected, and in the midst of it comes Valeria, Jorge’s wife, who has her daughter Maria to protect.
Chris is a man on mission, but his heart can betray him.
Action from start to finish.
Hold your breath, the Guzzi brothers are here to stay.
5 stars
We really enjoyed Chris’s story, and it took us by surprise how completely different he is from his twin brother Corrado. We really enjoyed getting to know him, and we loved the fact that Chris picked a woman who was completely suited for him who was a survivor and determined to do whatever it takes to keep her loved one’s safe. Not only that, but we found Val to be strong and resilient and no matter the life’s blows that were dealt to her, she managed to still be kind loving and caring and a beautiful woman inside and out.
The chemistry between him and Val was smoking hot. What we loved about this relationship the most is that I felt that Chris courted Val’s daughter right along with her to gain love and affection from both of them.
The story had a great story line that was suspenseful and intriguing. We loved that there were allies to both Val and Chris in the most unlikely places. We loved the story from beginning to end as the story drew you right in from the very beginning and had you turning the pages to the very end. Furthermore, we are so loving this series and this Guzzi family, and I have to say that I have a bit of a soft spot for Gian.
Not only that, but we love seeing Alessio and Corrado and the other characters from other books grace the pages of this current story, as we sure do love them all.
This was a nice addition to this ongoing series and with every book I read from this author we fall a bit more in love with her works of fiction.
Valeria Lopez just wants a better life. Christopher “Chris” Guzzi has been given an important job to do. His father has an important part in this story. This story takes us out of the United States/Canada and takes us to Mexico.
With this latest in the Guzzi series we get to see some of the inner workings of a rival cartel. The Guzzi family may have an interesting family business but that doesn’t stop them from cherishing their women or significant others. Their latest rival seems to be the total opposite. You may start to wonder how our author is going to work things out between the two families.
This one takes a long time to develop because of what Chris must do. We also need to understand what Valeria has to endure at the hands of people that have only one agenda and that is to get more power in order to accomplish what they want. Because this takes so long to develop it keeps you on the edge of your seat wondering what is going to come around the next corner. Then we see the other side of Chris when it comes to women. He seems to have a way with women of all ages. The author makes those scenes seem so believable. Having the perfect happy ending was a great treat.
I was not compensated nor was I required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Bethany-Kris delivers another stunning organized crime romance with Chris! I loved how their worlds are interconnected with each other and we see another stunning plot where everything just falls perfectly into place.
Chris is a made man with a heart of gold who is willing to go beyond anything for someone he loves. Valeria Lopez is a victim of circumstances. She and her daughter Maria are just trying their best to handle the life they have been dealt with. You’ll see their wonderful mother-daughter love in this book.
When Chris entered the picture, it was like all three of them are meant to be. I cannot deny how I was just swooning over Chris the entire time I was reading this book. His love and devotion shows just how far he’s willing to go to protect both Valeria and Maria.
I loved the stunning charisma of all the Guzzi brothers. Seeing their stories unravel in the Guzzi legacy installment is truly wonderful. The hopeless romantic in me is excited to see more of these stories come to life in a book. Next up is Beni! Can’t wait!
Dare calls his father with a job that needs doing, Chris volunteers for the job and he finds out they are looking for Valeria, who had been forced to marry Jorge Lopez at fifteen, didn’t return home one night and his wife is concerned.
Valeria didn’t like where they were, but Jorge had finally found her after six years, she didn’t blame her friend it was a leaked photo from her private wedding, now she just had to survive.
Chris can’t believe the attraction he feels towards Valeria, he knows he has to gain her trust, finding out her husband hurt her he knows he has to get her away from him. Kissing her he knows she’s intoxicating, and he wants to find out what it is between them.
Chris makes her feel wanted in a way she never has before, everything is always demanded of her, the perfect cartel wife, but Chris makes her want things she doesn’t think she will ever be able to have. The way he is with her daughter is all she’s ever wanted her father to be like. Time is running out and Chris has to leave he promises he will come back and get both her and Maria and give her a chance to love, but will he be too late.
Chris is the twin brother of Corrado from the Guzzi family, but totally different in personality. He is loyal to his twin, family and the mafia. He accepts the task of retrieving the cartel boss Jorge’s wife Valeria. Valeria is in a hell not of her making but she has a cute daughter Maria to protect. Chris and Valeria are instantly attracted and Maria just makes the story even better. Will Chris be able to free Valeria and Maria? How will things turn out for the family? A great mafia read.
5 STARS
Bethany-Kris has got me hooked on all the Guzzi Men! Chris is no exception…I loved him! He may be a twin, but his personality is very different from Corrado.
“Chris was the one who, in the middle of chaos, would be as calm as the eye of a storm.”
Chris and Valeria have this amazing chemistry that you can feel and jumps right off the pages; with their many discreet looks and all their stolen moments. You could tell how amazing he would be for Valeria, which is great especially with her history.
“Beautiful things should be admired by the ones who care for them, and they should be told often of their worth and value.”
What I admired most about Chris is the relationship and how he treated Maria, Valeria’s daughter. I found this quote to be a perfect explanation and teaching moment for how Maria’s outlook should be for friendships.
“We’re friends, right? Friends make promises, and you made me a promise…We can be, Maria. But you didn’t have to make me anything to be that, okay? Friends are just friends because they want to be – we don’t have to give anything to our friends to keep them. Just our kindness, and the goodness in our hearts, huh? That’s what counts.”
I highly recommend reading this EPIC book! Chris is the third book in The Guzzi Legacy Series by Bethany-Kris and will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ARISTOCRACY!!!
This is the 3rd book in this phenomenal series, and what a beautifully memorising masterpiece this gifted author has penned! Chris is an assassin, but is determined to rescue Valeria and her daughter from where she is being held captive, and that is from the cartel. There is an instant attraction between Chris and Valeria, but will they be able to act on their feelings? This is a fast paced tale, which is filled with danger, action, suspense, intrigue and love. I was totally captivated throughout this addictive page turner, and highly recommend for all.
Christopher Guzzi is a made man. But he also has ties to The League. So when they call Gian asking for help with a job, Chris is the first one to volunteer. He doesn’t have any idea that what should just simply be a rescue job will turn out to be much, much more.
“It had been so goddamn long since she felt anything akin to hope. How sad was that?”
Valeria has given up hope that her life will ever be the happy way it was when she lived in the US with her best friend, Haven, far away from Mexico and all the corruption and evil the cartel brings. Then Chris and his father show up at the compound, and she starts to slowly see some lightening of the dark she’s been in since forced back to Mexico to marry the cartel leader’s son, Jorge. She doesn’t know Chris is there to rescue her, all she knows is she actually feels something for him, when she’s near him. But she can’t really bring herself to let him in, for fear of what her husband would do to her, but more importantly, would do to her daughter, Maria, if he ever suspected anything was happening between her and the gorgeous newcomer.
Chris never expected her. But somehow she’s gotten to him, and she and Maria have become so much more than just a rescue job.
“This job had turned out to be far more than what he had expected, but Chris would not complain about it. How could he when met these two wonderful souls because of it?”
Now the question is, can Chris organize a successful plan to rescue Valerie and Maria without getting himself and/or them killed before they make it across the border? Thank God for his twin, Corrado, Corrado’s husband Alessio, and The League. Now they just have to go and bring his loves back where they belong – safe, with him.
Oh God Chris! He is so freaking swoony! I honestly was not expecting him, at all. Not expecting his sweet nature, his huge heart. He’s so different than his twin, Corrado, so much lighter of spirit, but just as alpha, and just as in love. Gah, I LOVE him! I think he’s my favorite of all Bethany-Kris’ heroes. Thank God he’s paired with an equally amazing soul in Valeria, and that her adorable daughter is there to fill both their hearts. I love all of Bethany’s Mafia and The League couples, but I think these two, well, three really, just put themselves on the very top of that list. Now I can’t wait for more Guzzi Mafia action!
“Everything he wanted was right in his arms and sitting beside him. All around him. His father had been right. This was the good life.”
ARC via IndieSage PR.
I love, love, love this series. The impressive Cosa Nostra Guzzi men are heart-throbbingly swoon worthy with their fierceness and ability to love their women with respect and sexiness. Papa Gian taught his sons well! After Corrado’s fabulous duet I was looking forward to his twin’s story. That duet featured Chris quite a bit and I really had a good appreciation of who he is and his differences from his twin. His story is a stand alone but without reading Corrado’s stories you will miss out on some of his wonderful qualities. I hate to say it but this story left me wanting more of the trademark mafia brutality and violence. I thought we would at least get a few brutal glimpses of what really happened between Valeria and her husband or Chris having to pull out his deadly League talents. This story focused on the romance between Chris and Valeria without very much suspense or the enormously intense situations that are usually found in this author’s mafia stories. Oh, don’t get me wrong there were some tense moments where I thought Chris was in major peril along with the long suffering but resilient and lovely Valeria. The evil Jorge was ever present as a threat to their safety and I so loved his comeuppance. Chris was fabulous in his treatment of Valeria and her adorable daughter, Maria. I loved that little girl! I thought at first that our lovers were moving a little fast but as the story developed their connection was evident and their chemistry hot. Chris showed Valeria what real, sexy love was in that special Guzzi way. Jorge’s sister was a terrific character. I hope we see her in future stories. The ending was spectacular and I loved that Corrado and Les were involved when things got real. And of course it’s always good to see the Marcellos and their interesting relationship with the Guzzi men. The epilogue was wonderful and wrapped up the story in a satisfying way. As always the writing is outstanding and the characters are what I’ve come to expect from one of my favorite author. I can’t wait for the next Guzzi Legacy installment! I voluntarily reviewed an ARC.
I am absolutley in love with Chris Guzzi. We were introduced to Chris in his twin brother Corrado’s book and I have been waiting patiently for his story since that first chapter. I always love a Bethany-Kris Mafia Romance, but felt like she really hit it out of the park this time and did so while changing the setting from the cities and families that I am used to reading about to the cartels in Mexico. This book was fast paced and page turning. It was also HOT! Above all, it was a beautiful love story with two strong main charecters and an incredible group of supporting charecters. I am pretty sure that I fell head over heels in love with Chris after his first interaction with Val’s daughter. I always make sure that I have a few hours set aside to read one of these books because once you pick it up it is incredibly hard to put down.
This book took me by surprise.Chris and Val are something else entirely.
If you read Vow then you got a hint as to what might happened to Haven’s friend Valeria and to her daughter Maria.Wanting to know what happened exactly Marcellos hired The Leagaue to send someone to Mexico and see whether or not Val is there cause she want’s to.
That is where Chris comes into picture. You’ve met him in Corrado’s book and you already know that he is his twin brother,but these two couldn’t be more different.Chris goes to Mexico to see what is happening with Val and if necessary to rescue her,but he gets more than he bargains for.
Val was forced to marry when she was only 16 and from that point on she needs to do whatever necessary to survive her abusive husband and to protect her daughter. Now that Jorge has caught her again she is not sure that she will ever be able to escape him and be happy.
I loved this book because it was very passionate,honest and exciting.
Val is learning to trust a man while falling in love with him.She is brave,strong and all around amazing.
Chris didn’t expected to fall in love but he went for it all the way.His loyalties to his family is amazing.
The entire Guzzi family is something else.
This was great book with a secret love affair and a little bit of suspense to spicy it up.I enjoyed it greatly.
There is something about the Guzzi brothers. Chris Guzzi and his loyalty to his twin, his brothers, his parents, la famiglia and the League are impressive. He’s a made man with a heart of gold but with a resolve of steel. When something is asked of him, he does so with conviction. So when there is a retrieval job asked of him, he does so gladly. What he never saw coming was that this job would forever change him.
Valeria López is a victim of her circumstance. She will do anything to keep her daughter Maria safe even if that includes staying with her husband, Jorge, who is the boss of a ruthless Mexican cartel. But when Chris Guzzi comes with his father to negotiate a deal with Jorge, Valeria sees Chris and doesn’t realize that her life will forever change as well.
Most of this story takes place in Mexico where Chris must infiltrate the family in order to do what needs to be done. But during that time, Chris and Valeria grow close. He must convince Valeria to trust him. There is always danger around as Jorge is a ruthless man. But Chris is just as ruthless when he has a job to complete, especially now that the dynamics have changed. His feelings are involved now that complicate and increase the danger for all.
The story is complex with twists and turns. Retrieving will require help and Chris knows who he must call. What comes as a surprise is Valeria’s sister-in-law Abríl. She has always had Valeria’s back but she also is tired of living in the shadows. She brings an interesting twist to the story.
I must say I loved the development of Valeria and Chris but Chris with Maria was exceptional. When a Guzzi man loves, he does so with exceptional valor and heart. It is a trait all of the Guzzi sons learned from their dad. The ending made me sigh with sweet joy. I personally would have loved more time back home for the three of them. What can I say, I’m selfish with wanting more Guzzi family time.
Chris’ story was everything I hoped it would be and more! The suspense level remained high with the fear of how they could escape the clutches of the cartel. What I loved though was the promise of a new life, free of fear and full of unconditional love.
Another 5 Star hit by Bethany-Kris!!!
I loved this book! Bethany-Kris has created a man who is kind and tender, but is also part of the League, a private organization made up of Assassins. He takes on a job to rescue the beautiful Valeria from her very abusive husband, who is a member of the Cartel. I was extremely nervous from the time Chris arrived in their home. I wanted to keep reading and turning pages, yet I was scared about what was going to happen. It is an extraordinary book as are all of this author’s books. I have read every one of her books and love them all!
4.5 Chris Stars!
Not going to lie I FLOVE the Guzzis! Their unconditional love, loyalty and support of one another is EVERYTHING. Gian and Cara raised their boys right 🙂
Chris may be an identical twin but he is very much different from Corrado. He is a part of la famiglia where as Corrado is part of The League. Despite their different career choices they’re best friends and watch each other’s backs.
Valeria has been through a lot and it’s made her stronger, wiser and cautious. Everything she has endured and sacrificed is for her daughter. She has never experienced kindness from a man but that all changed when she met Christopher Guzzi. He gave her hope and showed her what it was like to be adored.
Chris + Val gave me the feels! Maria is the icing on the cake and lets not forget the cameos from Gian, Cara, Corrado, Ginny AND Les!!! Yes, I NEED more Guzzis in my life. So happy Chris + Val got their HEA and Abril is a force to be reckoned with!
Yet another amazing story for Mafia Queen.
Chris and Valeria just stole my heart and soul with their amazing characters and story.
If you’ve read Andino and Haven’s story this wraps up a lot of unanswered questions regarding the disappearance of Valeria and her daughter, Maria. Valeria is Haven’s best friend and an employee of her establishment but thought to be on the run again from her spouse. The old principal where if something can go wrong, it will yet work out for everyone good.
Christopher Guzzi is a trained specialist with the League and a made man in his mafia family. He’s given a retrieving assignment of an unknown woman for the League as it’s an high risk assignment that led to forbidden fruit, danger and chaos.
Valeria Lopez (Gomez) was recaptured by her abusive husband after a photo of her best friend wedding resurfaces. After returning Valeria resulted to a routine of submissive survival for herself and Maria knowing the deadly destruction of her husband demonic mindset and actions.
The author outstanding description of Chris was amazing and I loved every way this story was written. Chris and Valeria was an awesome power couple that as meant to be! It was also nice reading updates on the others in this series and a ending peace of mind for Valeria.
****I voluntarily received an Advance Review Copy of this book in exchange for my honest review****
After sitting out the first two books of this spin-off series, I couldn’t wait to get my hands on book 3, Chris. If you need a quick, obvious reason why, just take a gander at that gorgeous, intriguing cover. My fellow mafia romance book loving friends, he was well worth the wait. This alpha but sweet side to him leading man was the perfect match up to beautiful, resilient Valeria, the damsel in distress heroine. Still tied unwillingly to a Cartel mob abusive husband, she’s lived day to day doing whatever it takes to keep her daughter safe from her own daddy. Having run away and forcibly hauled back only made her life with this monster even worse.
Chris quickly gave new meaning to the term hero. My, oh my, did he ever. Cool, calm, calculating, yet lethal with an eye and heart set on vengeance and justice, he becomes a force to be reckoned with. What started out as a job becomes so much more.
Goodness, I loved the Marcellos cameos and their tie to this stand-alone, as well. Make no mistake, the Marcellos know how to make things happen. I also highly enjoyed the revelation about Chris’ sibling, who ultimately played a pivotal role, too.
Well, that’s enough, folks, because I definitely don’t want to give anything away. Just know I highly enjoyed this book and look forward to more books in this series.
Title: Chris, Series: The Guzzi Legacy (Book 3), Author: Bethany-Kris, Pages: 347, stand-alone but part of a series, alpha good guy mob hero, resilient beautiful heroine, forced to be married to an abusive monster mob guy, some graphic mob violence, has a child, VERY graphic smex scenes.
Book 1 – Corrado (M/F/M)
Book 2 – Alessio (M/F/M)
Book 3 – Chris (M/F)
Book 4 – Beni – no details available yet
Book 5 – Bene – no details available yet
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review, nor is there any affiliation or relationship between this reviewer and the author/publisher.)