From USA Today bestselling author Parker S. Huntington comes a steamy, slow-burn love story full of second-chance romance.“If ever I am gifted the opportunity to betray you, I’ll take it. If life hands me the chance to destroy you, I will. Today. Tomorrow. Ten years from now. I will always seek revenge. And you will never stop looking over your shoulder.”Ten years ago, I crushed Damiano De Luca’s … shoulder.”
Ten years ago, I crushed Damiano De Luca’s heart,
vowing false promises I never delivered.
The revenge? Didn’t happen.
The destruction? As if I could.
Betrayal? Not. A. Chance.
We were 18 when I left, taking my secrets with me.
Now at 28, there’s no trace of the jaded mafia prince with the protective streak.
He’s crueler. Colder. More calculated than ever.
And he’s glaring at me from a funeral pew,
looking at me and my wedding ring like we should be the ones buried six feet under.
The war is back on, but I’m not that teenaged girl anymore.
This time, there will be blood.
And it won’t be mine.
Damiano De Luca is a full-length standalone novel in The Five Syndicates mafia romance series.
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First of all, I have to say that the covers for Renata Vitali (this book’s prequel) and Damiano de Luca are my favourites of the Five Syndicates series so far. This book answers some of the questions raised in Renata Vitali. There is a bit of repetition of the chapters, which I appreciated, so I could be reminded of what had previously occurred, what was being addressed now, and perhaps an alternating POV of past events. The timeline was well-done, incorporating events in previous books which were occurring simultaneously with Renata & Damiano’s story. I don’t want to say much about the plot, which will contain spoilers if you are new to the series. Renata is strong, brought up to not show weakness, trained by her mother to think ahead, & be unassuming and underestimated. Renata & Damiano, you can feel their anguish at being apart, how well they complete each other when they are together, and their absolute love and loyalty to each other. Fantastic Mafia story, beautifully told, with a new era of the Five Syndicates to come.
I received a copy of this book. My honest review is voluntarily provided.
Damiano DeLuca finally reached his new level in the mafia organization after his father is dethroned and contained in a senior system. He is the new mafia boss of the DeLuca organization yet he lacks the feeling of serenity. His determination to find information and unanswered questions about Renata Vitali remains a mystery and exhausting. He finally has a second chance meeting at Vincent Romano funeral ten years later.
Renata Vitali left Devil Ridge like a jetliner ten years ago to get far away from the mafia life and Damiano DeLuca. It was another shock to the couple as the Benefactor and person behind sending Renata (a pawn) to DeLuca territory was revealed!
The story provides flashbacks interspersed into the story with present day chapter.
It is written alongside with Bastiano and Ariana’s story where another secret is revealed to Damiano as he learned his father had many hidden closets in his life.
A great second chance story filled with hidden agendas, lies, deception and secrets.
******I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and voluntarily leaving an honest review******
Damiano De Luca by Parker S. Huntington is going to suck you in the explosive, passionate and poignant story from the first page. I was melting and hurting and crying and having goosebumps all through this unforgettable ride.
Damiano and Renata squeezed my heart so damn hard that I am aching badly! And did I say it was hot? Like radioactive panty melting hot? The writing was so beautiful and brilliant! Damiano and Ren both made my jaw drop way too many times! I wanted highlight the whole book because the words were perfection! Be still my beating heart! Damiano is so gorgeous, so vulnerable, so dominating. He can be really calm, collected and calculating. But when it comes to Ren, he shows his emotional side. And that is just incredible to read. Ren is the true Knight! She was controlled and used and hurt but she is so strong. Well she is the queen but she has to walk ten years and thousand miles to realise that. They have that once in a lifetime kind love that never fades and never stops.
This is a story of second chance, revenge and redemption. The plot is positively intriguing and captivating. Ten years ago Renata Vitali broke Damiano De Luca’s heart and her own too. Now Damiano has claimed the throne of De Luca family and has the big job of cleaning his family name and gain respect of other syndicates. Renata is here to attend the funeral of one of the most revered Mafia man from Romano family and their paths collide. Years of mistrust, heartache and pent up longing explodes and almost destroy them. But through the maze of conspiracy, power plays and mind games; they find their way to each other. Nothing is sexier than all consuming love!
Parker S.Huntington’s writing was exceptional and mindblowing in Damiano De Luca. She created an amazing mafia love story with innumerable twists and turns. It was sensual and seductive . It was heartbreaking angsty. It was pure, dark, raw and honest perfection!
Received ARC for Honest Review
Damiano DeLuca is the 6th book in The Five Syndicates Series. This novel was gripping and engrossing, filled with secrets and lies, twists and turns, it was so much more than just a romance as there was much bigger story being played out which just blew my mind.
This novel evoked so many emotions from me as I read through the story. I laughed, I cried, I mourned, I swooned, I just felt it all. Parker S Huntington outdid herself with this novel, I was hooked and could not put it down. This series just keeps getting better and better with each now book, the stories evolving yet always tying back to a central character to come full circle.
Damiano DeLuca was another phenomenal addition to this series. This page-turner was well-crafted and layered and I absolutely loved it. Definitely worthy of a 5 star status I would highly recommend this novel to all lovers of Second Chance and Mafia Romances.
SOMETIMES, FATE NEEDS A PUSH..OR..MOM KNOWS BEST
I loved this book….I hope you have read this whole series, but, absolutely, if you haven’t, read it as soon as you can….The last book, RENATA VITALI, was a prequel to DAMIANO DELUCA, and it is about the beginning of this couple’s relationship and love story…..
Ten years have passed, and Damiano DeLuca is now head of the DeLuca Syndicate and Renata Vitali is a second grade teacher in a small town, unknown to Damiano…….When a tragedy occurs, their paths cross, and the feelings are still there…..Although they both have their doubts about the possibility of a real reunion, it’s what they both want….they just have to decide to trust each other, and that may be the hardest thing they ever try to do….
I have read all of the FIVE SYNDICATE Series books, written by Parker S. Huntington, and she just gets better and better with every book….She writes with an intelligence and humor, I love, but don’t always get, in books…I feel lucky to have “discovered” her…
So engrossing, this tension-filled book will make you lose sleep because it’s impossible to put down. The writing here is fantastic, drawing you into this second chance love story and leaving you wanting more. Though it can definitely be read as a standalone, reading the prequel (Renata Vitali) will give you a much richer reading experience – there are little breadcrumbs along the way that someone who has read the prequel will pick up on but others may not. Besides, to fully appreciate the depth of Renata and Damian’s feelings for each other, you need to know their history.
The story follows Renata, a mafia princess who met and fell for Damian when she was a teen. They’ve always had a push/pull relationship where they understand each other in a way that no one else does, but they also challenge each other. Ten years ago, Renata left Damian in an attempt to keep him safe, but neither one has truly gotten over the other. When they are brought together by a funeral, they are forced to confront their feelings and discover where the last 10 years have taken their lives. There are plenty of unresolved feelings here – he wants and loves her despite the fact that she left him, and she never wanted to leave him in the first place. Needless to say, they have a lot to work out if they have any chance of a future together. Add in the complications of the mafia and meddling families (plus the ring on her finger), and it’s a very complex situation.
I absolutely loved Renata Vitali (the prequel, not the person – though I loved her too). To say that I had high hopes for this book would be an understatement, and it did not disappoint. The depth of emotion between these two makes it a gripping read from the start. It’s a slow burn that combusts into a downright filthy read, done in a way that enhances the story rather than detracting from it. For a syndicate leader, Damian is truly a loveable and caring man, always making sure he has Renata’s best interests at heart, just as she does him. I never would’ve expected to like a mafia romance this much, but the book doesn’t dwell on some of the darker aspects of that lifestyle, which makes it easier to enjoy the romance. Can’t wait to read more from this author.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Five AMAZING MIND-BLOWING STARS!!!! I quickly was so entranced with this story that I couldn’t wait to see where it led to next. At the same time, I didn’t ever want it to end. The story is so exceptional and brilliant. It was steamy, unique, action packed and phenomenal. I couldn’t get enough and don’t think I ever will of Damian and Renata.