El Diablo è morto. The Devil is dead.In the underworld when a leader falls, another leader is ready to rise. I’m that leader. This is my time to rule.But stepping into my brother’s shoes, comes with a price, an inheritance of both gold and blood.Are you ready for a war? No rules, no boundaries. Every man for himself.It’s showdown.“You take from me, I take from you. I’m heartless and abide to one … heartless and abide to one rule and one rule only: protect La Famiglia.
Protect my own blood. The rest of you don’t count. My name is Ramirez, Ramirez De la Crux but they call me The Soulless Man.
Note to reader: Crux is a mafia, dark romance novel. Although it can be read as a standalone, it is highly recommended that you read Skins, Scars, and Filomena first, to fully understand characters, love stories, secrets and course of events.
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Dark gritty and fast paced, this fast paced emotional read had me on the edge of my seat.
This mafia cartel romance was full of surprises.
This book can be read as a standalone although I think I need to read the other books to further enjoy this story line.
4.5 stars!
No, no, no, no! I wanted that ending to be different. I think i sat on the edge of my seat all the way through. I don’t think I have any nails left. Ramirez was the brother with a heart and soul, I’m heartbroken that his life ended the way it did. I was really hoping that he made a remarkable appearance at the end. I honestly don’t know how I feel now. Alejandro I hated from Skins, nothing surprised me about him, he was evil through and through. But Filomena and Ramirez were just handed a terrible life. They got sucked into a family that they weren’t meant to be a part of.
Loved the book, the story was well written and the characters were intriguing. Once I started I could not get enough, from the start till the end I was engrossed I was even on the edge of my seat with twists and turns, lust and passion, strength. The short story of eroticism of sensation. Do yourself a favor and buy the book you want be disappointed.
Thank you for allowing me to review your book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sweet oh sweet death, come for me.
Crux is the last book in the dark romance mafia series by Laura Rossi. I have read each book and fell in love with most of the characters this author has created and others I’ve hated with a passion. She does a fantastic job of drawing you inside every book and I’ve felt that she has tossed me out at the end of each one leaving me weeping mess with my heart broken and Crux isn’t any different. I feel I’ve lived along side each character I’ve been drawn to and Crux is the one I loved the most. He is trying to fill his dead brother shoes which this leads him to discover something from the past and he will find out who really did kill his wife. My heart was shattered into tiny pieces as I was finishing this book which is so amazingly written that you can’t help but keep turning the pages. I can’t recommend this book or series enough and I cant wait to see what this author comes up with next.
Wow this story is one emotional rollercoaster! This book is dark and can be read as a standalone or after reading the prior books in the series. Ramirez is thrust into a situation he never wanted but now he has it he has to do what needs to be done for his family. Be prepared to read this cover to cover as it’s a book that grabbed me from the beginning and made it impossible to put down until I had finished it.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Wow what did i just read. What a hot read from the very first page. This is a steamy read and amazing hot.
I have no words for how I’m feeling right now after reading this book! I’m stunned! This book was SO amazing! This is officially my favorite Mafia series! It’s in a league of its own. There was so many lies and corruption and backstabbing and revenge and heartbreak. I am going to have a major book hangover from this book. I loved it so much. Im still speechless! All I can say is wow! Just wow!
Omg what a heartbreaktastic book Rossi!!
Equal parts heinous and poignant, barbaric and heart wrenching.
Those who live by the sword shall die by the sword.
This adage could’ve been etched on the De La Crux family crest, Kill Them All the theme song of this bloodsoaked saga of a Mafia family in the underground world of drug dealing, extortion, murder and kidnapping in Naples and Rome, Italy. The picturesque cities have a river of blood and filth flowing under the tourists’ feet, the violent mob bosses are hiding like rats, below ground, in ancient tombs, in the city of the dead.
The Alliance rules absolutely, It’s all about control, power, drugs and money. Gipsies, Maracones, Spadas, De La Cruxes, the Rebels. Fighting like cats over the slice of a bigger pie in the Towers
Ramirez De La Crux is a Shakespearean Hamlet like figure, the Ghost of his brother Alejandro and Francesca haunting him to take revenge. His mother’s betrayal and his father’s atrocities sitting on his head like a crown of thorns make his life a virtual minefield of emotions. He has endured the loss of love and brotherhood, had his peers back stab him literally
“the gangster, the whore and the priest. Life is just a fucking sick joke.”
Guess who kills who by the end..you’ll be surprised!!
The story is action thriller running on pure adrenaline. Heady rush of cocaine and beautiful women drives De La Crux men. They are Barbarians, dominating, super control freaks. From Alonso to Ramirez and Alejandro in between, they are possessed with an unslakable thirst for blood and tears, exacting with an iron fist from their victims & their women.
I was sick with worry for Ramirez, he was my most fave character who still had slivers of conscience in his darkened chamber of a heart. His destiny shaped by both Nature& Nurture, he was born into violence, christened with blood and fights battles on all fronts everyday!!
“There’s nothing left in me to save. He just can’t see it. He just can’t see I am the darkness—I’m part of it. I’m the devil knocking on heaven’s door, looking for a safe harbour for his loved ones, just to save them. Then, the devil goes back to his living hell to fight the other demons. Until the last one stands; until I stand.”
He has a death wish but every second he’s alive, he is demonically hunting down and crushing opposition in his kingdom. Putting out fires, keeping Alliance off his back, dealing with traitors and spies, trying to keep his family safe and dodging death. I was like, sit down lad, take a breather!!!
Rossi has thoroughly researched the underground world in Italy, her words building up the tension to an orgasmic high, violence and passion both written with unharnessed wildness & power. So much happening in such a small space had me anxious.
“Nothing bothers me; nothing touches me anymore. They say I take other people’s souls because I want mine back. I consume everything I touch. I play with death.”
Then came the climax. I have not bawled for a villain more in my life….it was uncontrollable grief that swept through me and I immediately pm’d Rossi to damn her to hell, sobbing my guts out. She heartlessly cooks the just desserts and serves it with an evil smile on her face.
The series is out now, so you can binge read it like I did.
Rossi, you are INSANE, certifiably CRAZY to have conjured up this bunch of irredeemable monsters in this bone chilling story
A sure treat for dark lovers
5 stars for The Soulless Man. Senz’Anima.
We knew Alejandro was trash of the worse kind. An awful excuse for a man and proud of it. We saw him get his due. We loved Filomina, cried with her, felt her pain, stood by her as her son took his life. We thought we knew the other son. The one she saw broken that day, the one that was conceived in love. We knew nothing. Everything we knew about him is a lie. His wife and child stolen from him. Created into the soulless $astard he was. He tried to help. Tried to come out of his fog long enough to make a difference. Everything he knew was a lie. Deceit, lies, betrayal. He had a bright spot but his fear of corrupting everything he touched held him in chains.
This is so dark, unexpected but so true to the character. I have watched this author evolve in the best of ways but this was so unexpected. It’s such an emotional read waiting for Crux to implode but it’s so much more than that. This author shows she will go where her characters take her and do them justice in their way. An amazing read that will have you putting the world to the side to see what vile thing will happen next. How far to the dark side will he let revenge take him? Can he ever truly recover? It’s not the hea you’re expecting but it’s the only one for Crux.
Wow! I’ve been on the edge of my seat from start to finish. Holding my kindle in a death grip. Not believing what I was reading as everything unfolds….So good!
This was a dark, twisted, emotional read. Not for the faint hearted. Would recommend read earlier books first. Though can be read as standalone. Can’t wait to read more by this author. Will definitely reread this series.
In this story we learn how Ramirez became “The Soulless Man”, and how he is driven by rage. This is a well written flawless story which is dark, intense, raw, gritty, heartbreaking, twisted, and filled with secrets and revenge which all lead to a powerful and addictive story. I was totally captivated throughout and hats off to this gifted author for an amazing and thrilling story.
“Her hatred is like a new drug to me: I feed on it. It makes me feel stronger, alive. I haven’t felt alive in so long.”
I’m still blown away days later!! The story of the youngest De La Crux BLEW MY MIND!! Gritty, raw, real, intense, unexpected, mesmerizing, and addictive!! My heart broke, my tears fell, there was beauty as much as pain….it took me on a ride I didn’t want to end. The action, the swirling questions, the secrets revealed, the pain, the gripping journey he took, not to mention the brazen hotness….it left me breathless, chest tight, tears in my eyes, and a smile on my face!! This may be my favorite of the series!! I didn’t see ANY of it coming. I thank the Author for providing a copy to review.
“I don’t make a move. I let her ache for it and dread it. I leave her hanging, our closeness suffocating the reason out of her. I want her to feel cornered. I want her to feel nothing but the pounding in her chest. I want her to listen to her body, lose her mind.”
~~~Erika, Book Haven Book Blog
If you have read Skins and Scars by this author, then you’re going to love Crux! But I believe you can also read it as a standalone.
“Senza Anima, the Soulless Man. That’s what they call me. If you know who I am, you do your best to avoid me. If you don’t, you better trust your instincts and keep away.”
Crux, is a dark rollercoaster that will bring you down to the gutter and even try to drag you all the way down to hell. It’s gritty and twisted. It’s not a story for the weak minded.
“I don’t care he’s not Alejandro, Ramirez inherits his brother’s wrong doings. Blood bonds have its drawbacks, that’s exactly what I am. His drawback. His nightmare. I won’t rest until the De la Crux are punished for their sins.”
Ramirez Da la Crux, just lost his brother. And he’s now in charge. The new leader, but the problem is, Ramirez never wanted to be the leader. He was satisfied by just following his brother. To be the Soulless Man. And if you read Scars, you remember all the problems Alejandro was stirring down in Naples…yeah, guess who’s going to have to clean up after him?
“Who are my enemies? The ones that walk around me, the ones that keep in the shadows? Or maybe they are not so invisible, maybe they are right beside me.”
We get to know about Alejandro’s mysterious brother, Ramirez. We get to know his past, how he become the Soulless Man. Do Ramirez have what it takes to be new the leader? Will he be as ruthless as his brother was?
“It’s a killer asking another killer for guns. Killers doing what they think is right for the women they love.”
What a twisted journey this book was! This author took twists and turns to a whole new level!! The last 30 % of the story, I did not see coming. Wow!
-Stina, Book Haven Book Blog.
“I can wait. I have all the time in the world. No place to go, nobody to be. I’m the dead man coming back for more.”
I am at a loss for words. This book has affected me more so than any other book I’ve read. It’s been nearly a week since I finished this book, and my heart still hurts and Ramirez De la Crux invades my thoughts daily. I don’t normally re-read books, but this one? Oh, yeah. I’ll be re-reading this one for sure.
Following the death of his brother, Ramirez finds himself the head of the De la Crux mafia organization. As he tries to find his footing, asserting his ruthlessness,while at the same time, concealing his weaknesses, he finds his world falling apart and his control hanging on by a thread. Keeping his enemies close may be the only way to keep hold of his territories and the financial windfalls his drug trafficking brings. But trying to determine who is friend and who is foe is proving more difficult than he could have imagined.
As the paranoia runs rampant, he no longer knows who he can trust, and who is looking for his head on a platter. A secret is revealed to him that will turn his world upside down, making revenge his ultimate goal. With a plan in place, an unlikely ally, and a final resolve of how this will all end, will Ramirez finally find the peace that has been out of his reach for so long?
I can’t tell you how heart-wrenching this book is. On one hand, Ramirez is a ruthless killer, and on the other, you see a hurt little boy under it all. The heartbreak over the loss of loved ones, the betrayal of those he trusted, and the redemption offered but never taken, Ramirez is a character you both hate and love. I swear, I just wanted to hug him by the end, and slap him all at the same time. Loved, loved, loved, this book. It is not a stand alone. You need to read Skins, Scars, and Filomena first,but trust me, once you start this series, you won’t be able to stop.
I’ve read them all. Skins, Scars, Filomena and now Crux and wow! This story blew me away, we’re given a non stop dark Mafia romance filled with an endless roller coaster ride of emotions. Ramirez, being a De La Crux lives quite the different lifestyle than the ordinary man. The Soulless Man is set on revenge but in the process finds more then he saw coming. The character details draw you in, you connect and feel deeply for each of them. An unbelievable ending to a phenomenal series, I truly didn’t expect anything I’ve read
Crux feels nothing inside of him. His soul died the night Francesca was brutally murdered. Since then, his life had been one miserable day after another. Working for the family business and dealing with his enemies is stressful and he only finds solace with his drugs and alcohol. He doesn’t know how he has existed like this.
When his brother dies, everything changes because he is now in charge of the family business. Crux is an emotionless man, void of feelings and full of anger and sorrow. He is consumed with rage and believes revenge is the only answer. He needs to feel pain so he can experience what his beloved Francesca went through. His late father molded him into a monster, much to the dismay of his loving mother, Filomena. He hallucinates about his late wife and finds comfort in knowing that someday they will be together forever.
I felt heartbroken while reading Crux’s story and I desperately wanted him to find happiness again, but he was in such a dark place that it was impossible for him to ever be happy. He lived in a world of darkness, danger and despair. I found his self destructive behavior disheartening but in the end, I realized he could never fight his nightmares and leave the past behind. Laura Rossi certainly knows how to delve into the psyche of a troubled man, who never had the chance to lead a normal life. She is a brilliant and gifted writer whose eloquent prose made me think and feel while I was reading, and wistful when I got to the end.
I’M in total shock as I DID NOT see this book playing out as it did, so perfectly written, drawing you in to this deep dark Mafia world of crime, murder, sex and drugs.
Ramirez evoked emotions I didn’t think I would feel for him but I ended up being totally drawn to him. Blown away and devastated but totally in awe at Laura’s skills as she ties up this incredible series…. I highly Recommend this book.
Just closed my kindle on this fantastic book. Crux, the title is perfect for this story.
This book is part of a series, you should totally read Skins, Scars and Filomena prior to reading Crux to fully understand the entire background. But if you insist on reading a standalone, this book can be read on its own. Don’t say I didn’t warn you though! This series is a must read!
Crux is Ramirez De la Crux aka The Soulless Man story. It’s a dark, gritty and very emotional journey that this author takes us on. Drugs, Sex and violence is what Ramirez thrives on. But now that he is the leader, will the remaining La Famiglia be protected or will the entire family fall?
Holy Cow, this book…my heart is in my throat after reading this story…pulsating rapidly. Never thought the De la Crux family was so messed up! This book though, we find out all the secrets that were hidden so well… La Famiglia…what does that truly mean???
Omg i have finished this book and as I loved the first two i knew i’d probably like this one !!! BUT HOLY SNOWBALLS IN HELL !! I got everything i wanted and everything i did not expect!!! Dark, Twisted, steamy, but omg this family !!!! my emotions are still in a tangle, how this author gives us such deeply twisted characters but yet makes us root for them is beyond me !!!
Crux is man who is not only broken, but a man who has been manipulated his whole life, a brother who has betrayed and vilified him right from the beginning. Crux is the Soulless man, a cold blooded murderer, a horrible man, a vengeful man and a man who will also have you emotionally in bits !!! The twists and turns in this book had me feeling like someone from the exorcist ! I literally couldn’t wait to get from one page to the next, the cruelty, the plotting, the betrayals, the pain OMG i was relishing each and every moment yet at the same time i wasn’t sure wether i loved this author or maybe wanted to glare at her !! I found my self in a little bit of unkown situation for me, when the ending come i’ve never been so torn with an outcome !!! YA ALL GOTTA READ THIS !!!!!!!!! BUT YOU MAY NEED THERAPY AFTER !! I’M HERE FOR YA !!!!
I would highly recommend reading Skins, Scars and Filomena first as all these book gives us the information to dive into this one
Wow!! Brilliant!!
I was left numb at the end of this book…..in shock, even!!!
I honestly didn’t know which way this story was going to go, even half way through and near the end, I was still wondering what would happen next! And well, I certainly didn’t expect any of what did happen!! I have sobbed like a baby; you know, the ugly crying, can’t breath type of sobbing!!!!
Such brilliant writing from Laura again; amazing twists in the De la Crux series with suspense, emotions making me feel like I walked every step and took every breath with Ramirez! Just brilliant!!! I now need to re-start with Skins and read the whole series again!!! Highly recommended!