A NEW standalone mafia romance from bestselling author Catherine Wiltcher★★★★★ “An emotional, suspenseful, and incredibly sexy story with unforgettable characters and a breathtaking plot…” – Just Let Me ReadRICKI rose from nothing to own this city.A smooth-talking bastard with an empire of sin.I have the connections to crush my enemies.I have the looks to take what I want.I was so used to … have the looks to take what I want.
I was so used to winning that I never saw her sleight of hand.
Now I’m dancing with the devil, and she’s holding all the aces.
NINA
I jumped from my father’s penthouse to drown in this city.
Just another damaged princess hiding in plain sight.
They offered me freedom in exchange for his downfall.
Get close.
Uncover his secrets.
Destroy his empire from the inside out.
It seemed so easy…and when you’re as broken as I am, there’s nothing left to lose.
Except for my heart.
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This author captivated me from the first word!! This emotional, sexy, over the top mafia romance had me panting and hanging onto the edge of my seat. I love the dark and dirty alpha that this author brings to the world.
The characters are well developed, the plot is enthralling, and the steaminess and chemistry is off the charts. I highly recommend this book, especially for mafia romance lovers!!
Rick and Nina have been through so much!! They meet under circumstances beyond theur control. Their story is tough and full of bumps and twists, but together they see they can survive anything.
This book is totally up my alley. I love when my H is a bad boy alpha. I also love that Rick didn’t show his feelings for her right away. Her betrayal was definitely deep and I wasn’t sure if she would make it out alive. I was anxious from the beginning to see how this would play out and it didn’t disappoint.
I wrote this review based on an advance reading copy that the publisher sent me.
Wow, what a book! This one grabbed me right off and I could not put it down. This is my first time reading this author but it definitely won’t be my last. I’m going to be checking out her other books next. This one has bad guys who are also good, bad guys who are worse than bad, Bratva, Italian mobsters, human trafficking, promises made 16 years ago that changed lives and a choice that needs to be made. You really need to read this one!
Gutted…
But only in the best of reading ways… Rick and Nina’s journey was beyond dark. Black with shades of black? No, I think there is a special shade of black just for this story. How to describe their lives and everything that led them to each other is beyond any words I can think of. The author, however, had all the delicious words and more…
Set in this author’s Santiago world, this standalone gives more of the grit and heart I’ve come to expect. The twists and turns are endless and fueled by anger and fire, fear and sorrow and a yearning for more. Rick and Nina deserved love and they fought for it. Hard. They put everything else aside as they battled each other, their enemies and even their friends. This stomach in your throat, tightrope-walk kind of read was addictive, having me turn those pages even through my fear… A lot of uncertainty, a wheelbarrow of hope and a few tears later…. Was it worth it? OMG, it was so, so worth it!
This is one of the best stories I’ve read this year. This review may say five stars but there are a whole lot more you just can’t see…
*5 Sad and Fierce Stars*
*Reviewed for Nerdy Dirty & Flirty
He is dark and twisted, with a sass and a dirty mouth. He is devilishly handsome – with a fixation on blonde girls. he is witty, sharp and funny. he came from nothing but now he owns New York City… he is the guy in the expensive Armani suit… Rick Sanders!
if you are not careful, he will chew you up and spit you out like you were nothing. (Oh, i forgot… like Rick says …”i dont spit, its your job baby” haha).
if you havent met him yet as one of the side characters in the Santiago trilogy, you better go and read this trilogy! it is deliciously HOT and DARK!
this book is about his Story, his demons he is facing ever since he was a young boy.
one decision he took as a teenager will bear such heavy consequences and will alter his life and others.
is he a good man or a bad one? i will let you decide after you will read his story. as for me… i love him!
in this book we also learn about Nina. a young woman who did not have an easy life as a Russian Bratva princess. through her, we get a glimpse of the dark world of the mafia and bratva.
she is sent to destroy Rick, with no option to refuse. there is so much at stake here.
will she be able to complete her task? or is she going to drown in her own misery and fail?
this book is so exciting! i was flipping the pages wanting to get more and more.
Catherine crafted a fantastic story line here, with wonderful English, descriptions and glorious characters. we even get bits and pieces of Dante Santiago (my love!!!).
the book is spicy and contain some dark themes and some very very HOT sex scenes!
i enjoyed it immensely and can not wait to read more books by this author.
Bravo! I was thoroughly entertained by this mafia romance! Friendships are tested as secret agendas are in play. Rick was a hot as hell self-made businessman who learned how to come out on top the hard way, yet he was still that vulnerable little boy who wanted to do right. Sad and fierce, perfect! Nina was a damaged woman who took life’s lessons and a mother’s love and survived the hardships, and she was tough as nails under that frightened little girl’s heart. I loved her character! This was a balls to the walls story from beginning to end!
“Adapt to the next blow in life, change and grow, and always keep flowing forward like water. ”
I wasn’t expecting such raw emotion from these characters.
Yeah, I knew it would have those “heart-pounding close your eyes ” moments. I was even prepared for the betrayals and lies. What I wasn’t prepared for was the anxiety that I felt for Nina, the easy way she crawled under my skin how she became more than just a two-dimensional character.
Nina had to choose and either choice was going to cost her a piece of her soul – Take a bit of that emerald from her eyes.
Her character had so much light and vibrancy to her. Even after everything she had endured. She still believed.
Then there was Rick. Not sure how to describe the little boy playing in a grown man’s shoes. Sarcasm was a shield for him, a well-crafted defense mechanism that hid the pain of his guilt from exposure.
Be prepared going in
You’ll laugh – hate – love – and hope
You’ll want to skip ahead – just to be sure – but don’t
Life is about the journey and this is one you won’t want to miss
Holy crap…
Alright, I mean I have heard of this author and I have heard good things. I think she is kind of new, I’m not too sure, but either way… This book was amazing. It took me by surprise. She is the prime example of why I have started taking chances on new-to-me authors, and new authors in general. You never know what you’ll find when you step out of your comfort zone and I found this to be intoxicating, consuming, enticing and just an incredible read. I was hooked from page one right through to the last page of the book.
Well, Nina and Rick’s connection and their chemistry are off the charts… You knew they were meant to be from the beginning. The author wrote these two perfectly. Both Rick and Nina had horrible upbringings, painful and things no one should go through but they did, their past has made them the people they are today and I think that’s one of the reasons these two were so perfect together, yet it was tragic… Tragically beautiful. The biggest thing that bought these two together was a pain, but it was more than that too. There was so much emotion, depth, and angst in this book and between these two. It was all-consuming. As the story progress, the deeper this plot gets, the more secrets, lies, betrayal surfaces, and the plot continues to thicken… The author had no problem throwing in twists and turns in there I didn’t see coming. The writing style was perfection and I read this with ease. It wasn’t a slow burn, but it wasn’t a fast-paced insta love either. It was perfectly balanced out.
Overall, this book was just an intense, addictive and such amazing read. I’m so glad I took the leap and finally read something by this author.
5 Stars
As always when I think of this author, I know I’m in for the ride of my life. As we delve deep into the underbelly of the dark and dangerous formal life in NYC. After reading the Santiago trilogy I fell hard and fast for the cocky American Rick Sanders. His flair and attitude were always a welcome in this dark and twisted world of drugs and trafficking. As for Nina, her story was shrouded in darkness that never seemed to leave her when the sun rose. I loved the way their past, present and futures were weaved together. I just couldn’t out this book down. An amazing read.
Another hot story by Catherine Wiltcher, you do not want to miss it! This is Rick’s and Nina’s story! Emotions run high with every turn of the page! Will Rick and Nina get their happily ever after or will the secrets they both hold be the death of their relationship before it even gets started?
Love this book. Rick and Nina both have had a difficult life, but once they meet neither of them can deny the attraction. They both are strong people, but will the other bring the other down? Or will they become stronger together? Both have pasts they want to forget, but need to work out of their minds. Hopefully they are strong enough to survive and make each other whole!!!
A fun, sexy read!
She did it again! Rick Sanders is every bit as arrogant (in the best way) and commanding as I knew he could be. The little half smile he gets… I can just see him. The adult equivalent of that one incredibly sexy guy we all knew in high school. The one who was bad. The one who broke the rules, smoked, and could have any girl he wanted. That’s Rick, but as an adult. He is bad (or is he?). He is arrogant (yeah, that one is without question). He gets what he wants, when he wants it. Including women. But what happens when a woman well removed from his normal type crashes into his life and catches his eye? Well, I think we know what happens… (cue the sexy times music).
Just as she did with the Santiago trilogy before it, she has again crafted a sexy alpha man who will have any woman (including me, admittedly) swooning (is that drool?) right from go. Naturally the relationship progressed a bit quicker in this one than in the trilogy because of it being a standalone, but it still had a natural arc of push and pull from both sides.
I loved all of the suspense and secrets. All of the reveals that came out in the end. And I really loved getting to “see” our beloved favorite characters from the Santiago trilogy (I see you over there, Joseph! <3).
The steam she has created with this universe, burst forth from her imagination, will incinerate us all. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!
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Rick. Rick. Rick. In the Santiago Trilogy, you were such a smarmy, douchy f-boy that I didn’t like you at all. But now Rick my boy, I see what you were hiding. Emotions. Big emotions that you kept hidden behind that facade. You were always a protector, trying to help others. But you buried that part of you deep inside of you. Then a little bird flew into your life. Nina. Nina who was always there, even when you didn’t know it. Nina who went through so much and was let down time and time again until you. Two worlds that collide then burns into a timeless piece of art.
Love love love Rick and Nina story. I always thought Rick was a pain in the you know what until I read this book.. It was such a page turner. Must read
Slick Rick and his little bird this book is a spin off but can be read as a stand alone. We first get to see rick in the Santiago trilogy and he had me wanting him to have a book straight away. I didn’t think id love him as much as i did but he was hot and dirty in this book and of course he still likes to wind Dante and Joseph up with his humor.
Rick Saunders was always a smooth talking Casanova with money and with a restore for every situation hes in. meeting Nina he wants her from the get go only he doesn’t realise who shes related to. That being said he doesn’t care either. Nina is a survivor and will do what ever it takes for the ones she loves. Nina was the perfect fit for slick rick
100% recommend hope we see more of his stepson Sam in the future
I love cocky club owner Rick Sanders! He’s sin in a suit with women falling at his feet but he’s a once and done man until Nina, a new bartender at his club, catches his eye. Nina must get close to Rick to get information to save her sister but as the attraction between them intensifies, Rick risks everything to help Nina and to right his past wrongs. I was on the edge of my seat from the first page to the last and hope to see more of Rick & Nina in Catherine’s future work!
“I’m not the sort of man you date, sweetheart. I’m the worst antidote to this life. I kill more than I cure.”
It’s been too long since I picked up one of Ms Wiltcher’s books because she never disappoints. Devils & Dust was a page turner, with an epic storyline that took me back to the Santiago trilogy. Imperfect characters who pull you into their damaged worlds and share their souls. A plot that is twisted, brutal and heartbreaking. The narrative is authentic, the words flow easily and are oh so delicious, you’ll want to savour every damn one until there are no more to read.
The addition of fine art and Nina’s appreciation and interpretation was a treat. I found myself laughing at Ricks honest responses way to often. Please give me more.
“You can’t love a devil. There’s nothing to cling on to as he rips a twister through this world, destroying everything in his path.”
I fell head over heels for Rick and his snarky sarcasm in The Santiago Trilogy and couldn’t wait to dive in to his standalone!! He came from nothing, wields power and females with no remorse covering for the demons and skeletons screaming from his past. In comes an unlikely crossing of paths, a hesitant attraction shrouded in secrets and cloaked in lies. I was riveted by the fall, the culmination of the way the couple’s pasts intertwined, and getting to see favorites from other series as his story unfolded. Exciting, raw, and fast moving, you won’t put it down!!
“She’s my past, my present, and every single frame of my future.”
A must click
I’m so glad I decided to throw away responsibility, and read this before starting the second part of the Grayson duet. What a fantastic story, full of beautifully broken characters, and an action packed plot that will keep you on the edge of your seat from cover to cover.
This story grips your heart and rips at your guts. Nina may appear as a broken dove, but don’t be misled, she is the strongest and most resilient of women. Her connection to Rick is instantaneous and mesmerizing. In such a crazy world, they connect. Ms. Wiltcher’s characters are strong, defiant, wise beyond their years but underneath all that, they are honorable in their way and sexy to boot.
I read and reviewed a copy of this book.