Michael Valente…My father was the Underboss of an organized crime family. He was murdered when I was a teenager leaving me broken. My mother died in a tragic accident, her death annihilated me. My life was in shambles until Victor Pastore, one of New York’s most notorious gangsters and my late father’s best friend, recruited me to work for him.Everyone expected me to walk in my father’s shadow, … my father’s shadow, to be the prodigal son, the next big thing to hit the mob. I was torn between filling those expectations and walking the straight line my mother wished I had. Nothing made sense and I felt as if I was just passing through life.
The only beacon of light in my otherwise dark world was the one girl that was off limits to me. The one girl who could bring me to my knees consuming my mind, body and soul.
She’s the sweetest temptation I’ve ever known and the most illicit.
Nikki Pastore….
My father’s a gangster. My boyfriend’s is the king of New York’s nightclubs. I am often labeled as Vic’s daughter or Rico’s girl, never just Nikki. I struggle for people to acknowledge me for the woman I am and not for the men in my life. I’m fighting a losing battle.
There is only one person who sees me for me, my Mikey.
He’s wild.
He’s reckless.
He’s hot as hell.
He’s completely unattainable, but oh so tempting.
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I don’t know why it took me so long to start this series but wow glad I finally did!!! I loved this book. I loved Mike and Nikki’s characters. The sassiness of Nikki cracked me up. I loved how smart Mikey was!!!! I also loved the side characters Victor, Jimmy, Anthony, Adriana!!! I can’t wait to read the rest!!!! The MC really caught my eye too.
Illicit Temptations
Great start to this brand new series, author Janine Infante Bosco has woven such a great story that I’m on the edge of my seat waiting anxiously for the juicy details, amazing just amazing
I really liked this book. Mikey got a bit on my nerves with his poor me attitude for awhile but I loved the development of his character throughout the book.
Illicit Temptations was amazing read. I always love the friend to lovers romance but when you add in the Mafia it made it more exciting. This was fast paced and action packed. Nikki and Mickey were great together. This is the first book in the Tempted series and I can’t wait to read the next one in the series.
This book introduced me to Janine & her series of amazing books. After reading this story I was addicted to her series, it is one that should not be missed. I was hooked from word #1. You want action, this is the series for you. So glad I found Janine & her awesome stories.
Loved this story! Mickey and Nikki are hot together! Being friends and then more definitely works! I love how they tried to ignore what was there but it was meant to be. I’ve never read a book about the mob before but loved it!!
I really love Anthony and Adrianna story. Very emotional and I found myself crying at how much they loves each other and everything that keeped getting in their way to be the family they both wanted.
Michael the guy has gone thru so much first his father died now his mom is on life support about to die. Michael’s dad’s best friend Vic is finally there to help Michael well that’s what we think. Then there’s Nikki she’s torn does she really love Rico? Or does Nikki still have feelings for her child hood crush Michael. All I have to say is Wow this book is crazy! Mob bosses,drama,suspenseful and romantic all in one! Who’s lying and who’s telling the truth?? It shows you that you never know the truth till BAM it hits ya in the face! I can’t wait to read more of this series it grips your heart waiting to read what’s next! Reviewed for Sweet & Spicy Reads – ARC provided for a honest review *** 5/5 stars!
Michael Valente has no direction. In his life, he has known many heartbreaks and tragedies. He lost his father to mob violence when he was just a teen. His mother immediately moved him away from the only home and friends he had ever known to keep him away from the bad element that killed his father.
Now years later he has to bury his mother after she dies in a tragic car accident. Feeling lost and alone, he decides to stay in the old neighborhood. Victor Pastore his father’s best friend and the man his father took a bullet for vows to be there for Mike like he should have been all those years ago.
Mike realizes it’s not Victor he wants to build a relationship with but his younger daughter Nikki Pastore. When Mike moved away, Nikki was a little girl with pigtails, braces and a sweet smile he could never forget.
Nikki is not the little tag along Mike remembers. She is a woman with a body he can’t stop dreaming about taking. Grown up Nikki is gorgeous, but she’s off limits besides, he has nothing to offer her no job and no future. He is a screw up and Nikki deserves so much better.
Illicit Temptations is not just a mafia romance. There is a lot of emotion, angst and plenty of sexual tension to go along with the mafia family theme. Janine carries us with the characters as they grow and change throughout the book. Told in alternating points of view, Mike and Nikki talk about how growing up in a mafia family isn’t all it’s cracked up to be.
Mike wants to be a better man than his father was but he doesn’t think he has it in him. Nikki makes him want more out of life she helps him see the possibility of a future.
There were so many facets to this book, love, drama, and laughter. When Mikey and Nikki go on the run you can expect things to heat up between them fast. Even Nikki’s Aunt Gina is hot for Mikey and of course, we can’t forget Nikki’s gun-toting grandma she was a hoot. The comic relief was a great addition to the story.
Victor Pastore, the patriarch or godfather if you will, of the family has had many great successes in his business career, but he has also had many failures in his family life. One of his biggest regrets is not being there for his best friend’s son after he gave up his life to save Victor’s. There is a very poignant moment between Mike and Victor that completely tugs at your heart.
Adrianna, Nikki’s sister and Mikey’s childhood friend Anthony had me hooked on wanting their story from the beginning. Something big happened there and I am looking forward to reading it in Forbidden Temptations.
As I have grown to expect from Janine this is a great well-written story that keeps your attention from the prologue that starts off with a bang to the epilogue that leave you wanting more of these amazing characters. This tale has romance, a little mob suspense and just the right amount of zing to keep you glued to the page. The phone sex scene will blow you away. Even though it is a series, this book you can read as a standalone. Anthony and Adrianna’s story is next and I for one can’t wait to find out how things end up for these two souls destined to be together.
I read this out of order of course so i kinda knew already what was going to happen towards the end, but leading up to the end was holy crap amazing. I felt like I really got to know more of the characters. So not my first time reading anything by this author and wont be my last thats for damn sure. Nikki and Michael have this wonderful pull between them that is back and forth over and over again, being friends for them helped the romance come to life. I loved how it was more about the mafia side of things then the MC like the last few stories are based on the MC, while they show face, the amount they did was great; only because you got more Victor’s family. This is the first story in the series and one of my fav, short and fast paced it turned out super amazing. MUST READ!!!
***I recevied this copy for free in exchange for an honest review***