My husband shattered my heart. Squeezed it in his fist until it burst under the pressure, then wiped my tears away with his bloody hands, whispering sweet nothings against my lips. Yet he is what my heart so desperately wants, will happily take slice after slice for even as thoughts of his betrayal pick at the edges of my soul. After three long months he’s decided it’s time for me to come home, … home, sucking me back into the black void that is him. I’m just a pawn in this bloody business and not even my big bad husband can keep me from it’s clutches.
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My Heart by A.J. Wolf is book one in the Bloody Business series. From page one you are thrown into the life of Remy and Beverly, a married couple who are fighting to keep their marriage going through trauma, forgiveness and lack of understanding. Bev is called home by her husband Remy as he feels like she has had enough time by herself, licking her wounds which she feels he has caused. Here in starts the drama of them picking up where they left off, with Remy and Bev coming to some home truths about their whole situation.
This book is a mafia themed book and we can see that as a reader through the actions that both Remy and Bev have to do to stay safe, alive and to get answers. It is heart-breaking to learn what Remy has done to keep not only Bev safe but also his ‘family’ where blood is thick and decisions have to be made based on the rules, not the heart.
Bev and Remy’s relationship are both complex and intriguing as you know that they both care for each other and have strong wills! Remy is the tattooed, bad boy of the mafia but he also has a soft side when it comes to his wife. Bev, although going through the loss of someone close to her, she has the snark and sass of a strong-willed heroine which I love to read about.
There is so much going on in this book, not only from the dog (who is awesome) but also from other characters such and Donatello and Andreas who give back as good as they get to both Bev and Remy, but also shows a strong bond of family.
This is definitely a series that you’re going to want to read!
4 Stars!!
From the second that I read the synopsis I couldn’t wait to pick this up! This story pulled me in from the get go and I needed to know more. I finished reading it one sitting and I enjoyed it!
These characters and their journey kept me on my toes throughout, waiting to see what would happen next. I really liked how I felt their emotions with every page turn and how the more I kept on reading the more I connected to them.
With My Heart, Ms.Wolf created such an awesome and addictive read! This was my first time reading her words and I can’t wait for more!
*I volunteered to read and review a copy of this book from Wildfire Marketing Solutions / the author*
Review of My Heart by AJ Wolf
My Heart is a story that could have easily stretched itself into a duet with just Remy and Beverley’s story. Instead the book starts in the middle of the action. This move could have easily been alienating but instead draws you into the story more fully. Remy and Beverley are well written. I loved Dylan and Rico. Both characters really made me laugh. My only criticism of the book is that there aren’t a lot of characters so figuring out who the bad guy wasn’t hard. That being said the enjoyment of the story is Remy and Beverley reconnecting. This is a strong 4 out 5 star book. I’m looking forward to reading Delaney’s story next.
Trigger warnings: Violence, it’s a mafia romance it’s pretty expected. Overall the violence is well written and not over the top.
I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.
#ajwolf #bloodybusiness #mafiaromance #excitingread #sexyread #contemporaryromance
“You know we aren’t divorced. And even if we were, I’d still want you…its only ever been you.” – Remy
My heart is entertaining and kept me turning the pages until the very end. It is a mafia romance that is told in dual POV. It tells the story of Beverly and Remy, a married couple, who very much loves each other but is separated due to a betrayal. As they try to find their way back to each other, a whole lot of heartbreak as well as outside forces are plotting against them. Can they find their happily ever after?
To be honest, this book was SO GOOD but I had a hard time with the star-rating. I love the suspense, the moments of hilarity that are sprinkled in and the utter devotion you can feel these two have for each other. Throughout the book, however, I couldn’t help but think this was the second book in a series that ended on a cliff-hanger or that I was missing something.
There is a background to their relationship, marriage and eventual separation and yet we are given none of it. We start at the point of separation and I can’t help but feel this book could have been extraordinary if only we could’ve experienced the buildup to this separation. The feels and the story would’ve been more poignant and impactful knowing how Bev and Remy’s relationship came to be as well as how close Bev was to her twin.
That is not to say this story was not amazing, it was. The funny moments as well as the love and friendships make these characters feel real. I became so invested that I cannot wait to read about the other characters in the book and their respective stories.
From the beginning, I pegged Bev as a fighter and she did not disappoint. She fought for her independence, her relationship and even her life. I couldn’t have asked for more from her character. Well, maybe for her to be a little less stubborn.
Remy by contrast is your regular mafia man. Alpha, demanding, sexy and protective. What he feels for Bev was made abundantly clear from the beginning and he fought with everything he had for her, their life and her love. Definitely swoon-worthy material right there.
This is the first book I read by AJ Wolf. She definitely made an impression and I will be reading more from her.
I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
This is the debut novel by AJ Wolf and I adored it!
For a mafia romance with some darker themes, this felt like a lighter read. It focuses on the fractured marriage between Beverly and Remy Luciano. Picking up 3 months into their separation, you feel the ache and love they still have for each other. This one was a sweet slow burn and fit the storyline perfectly. Would I have loved more steamy moments because I like things dirty-YES. But the story felt complete as is.
I fell hard for these characters and their love for each other. They had such sweet chemistry even at the lowest part of their relationship.
I’m told the author’s working on a prequel and I can’t wait! I’d love to know how their love story began and see their relationship develop into the achingly beautiful love we see in this book.
My Heart is a well crafted love story with a little action, just the right amount of heartache, and all the delicious feels! Highly recommend!
My Heart was a really surprising book!
It was a gorgeous story and was not what I was expecting at all.
Bev and Remy are the definition of true love. A mafia love story where the mafia king is head over heels in love and idolises his wife. The love they have for one another is out of this world and honestly gave me butterflies. His words so sweet and were full of love and adoration.
We started the story with Bev running from her husband because of something he did. It painted a specific picture and I expected Remy to be this cold and heartless guy but when we were finally introduced to him, my heart couldn’t take it. He is anything but. Well to her at least. As head of the Mafia, he is ruthless and does what he needs to do.
My Heart is one of those books that you will feel so many emotions while reading. Part of the story is heartbreaking but at the same time it is such a beautiful love story. I loved the humour around Dylan and the side characters make you want to know more about them.
Being a mafia romance, of course there is a little action. It wouldn’t be a mafia book without it.
A quick read that will leave your heart full and bursting with happiness.
***STORY***
“My problem isn’t that I hate my husband, it’s that I love him so deeply I’d slit my throat if it meant sparing his.”
I am so lucky my friend pushed me to read this book! After reading the prequel (which was slow and felt like it was written by a completely different author), I’d had no desire to read the rest of the series. Because I was “buddy reading” the box set with a friend, she told me how different this book was from the prequel, how much better it was, and informed me that it was actually written before the prequel. Needless to say, I would’ve missed out on a great story if I had judged this entire series on the prequel!!!
Although this is one of the worst proofread books I’ve ever read (see details below), I was consumed by the story from the very beginning!! I can’t pinpoint exactly what it is that I liked so much about the way Wolf wrote this book, I just know that I loved the way the story made me feel!! The characters and their emotions consistently felt genuine and real. There’s also a lot of action happening in this book, suspense that had me eager for more! If I could change anything about this book, I would have made the details more graphic, especially the darker scenes. Overall, though, it’s a really great story, and I am excited to read Delaney’s book next!
***REVIEW OF EDITING/PROOFREADING***
As I already mentioned, this book is in desperate need of a professional proofread. I honestly believe Wolf only inserted commas where she wanted to indicate a pause, perhaps not even aware there are “rules“ for punctuation, grammar, etc.. For specifics, continue reading …
There were incorrect words such as using TO instead of TOO, ANY WAY for ANYWAY, MIGHT even though it should’ve been MAY, EXCLAMATION for EXPLANATION, LOCK DOWN for LOCKDOWN, and ONTO even when it should’ve been ON TO.
According to the Chicago Manual of Style (CMOS), ellipses should have spaces on either end. However, Wolf sometimes used ellipses with spaces on just one end or neither end. In addition, these ellipses were not used as they are supposed to be, instead substituted for en dashes, commas and sometimes even for periods. Similarly, semicolons were not used appropriately, also used to replace other forms of punctuation. There were many sentences that contained multiple semicolons as well. In fact, there were quite a few run-on sentences – one sentence went the entire length of my Kindle page!
Apostrophes to indicate possession with words ending in the letter S were not notated correctly and there were words that were capitalized that should not have been (for example, “They are clearly playing Tug.”). There were sentences with the extra words (“he be broke my soul”), several sentences with missing letters or the wrong word (“I squirm under is gaze,”), and there was even one sentence that began in lowercase (“looking up,”).
Regarding commas:
-There were no commas after introductory phrases (“Spinning on my heel I stomp towards the staircase,”)
-There were no commas before any pronouns, even names of characters (for example, “Who do you think it is Dylan?”)
-The FANBOYS rule was not followed
-Commas were inserted after all coordinating conjunctions at the start of sentences even though they shouldn’t have been
-Commas did not follow introductory terms such as OH at the beginning of sentences (for example, “Oh good idea” should have been, “Oh, good idea”).
–Commas did not offset interrupters in the middle of a sentence such as THOUGH
-Commas we’re not inserted between multiple adjectives (for example, “Giant old iron windows”).
***Anyone can hire a proofreader, but talent cannot be purchased which Wolf has in spades! She just needs a proofreader to make sure her eloquent stories follow all the rules!***
Wow I loved this book! It was a little confusing at the beginning because it starts at the middle of the story, but when you get further in the book you start to get answers. Beverly is a spitfire, sassy and has a mouth of a sailor (wich I loved). It makes her feel real. Her relationship with Dylan is so fucking cute and hilarious. The shit that dog does to the guys and Beverly’s reactions is super funny. The love Remy has for Beverly is beautiful. With his “profession” you would think he’s cold and heartless, and maybe he is with others, but with Beverly he’s sweet, gentle. I loved them as a couple and can’t wait to know more about Donatello and Laney’s story in the next book
“The pain in his voice calling out to my own like a lone wolf desperate for his pack.”
I’m so glad I found this author! Remy is just the right combination of ruthlessly brutal Capo and devoted husband that I absolutely adore in mafia romances. My Heart starts off with Beverly having spent three months in isolation from her husband. Her separation from him quickly comes to an end and their reconciliation is a tough road to travel. Duty, betrayal and loyalty war inside Remy and Beverly. The story is told in dual POV which is great since Remy and Bev are at odds during portions of the book. I also enjoyed that Wolf uses Italian phrases and words seamlessly throughout the story, that was a beautiful touch. Overall I thought the story was enjoyable and would gladly continue reading the series.
I don’t normally read mafia romance books but I did read this one. Honestly, it sucked me in from the first page! I could feel the pain and heartache coming off the page from Bev and then I needed to know wtf happened! The whole story was amazing, the writing was fantastic, and of course the ending was everything! It does have a hea but there is plenty of heartache, blood, fights, murder, sweat, and tears in between. Bev and Remy have a unique story and it is one of my favorites now. I love them. I love the Capo Famiglia (Remy) and all the italian and mafia business intertwined. There are also some steamy scenes thrown in which are always a favorite
My Heart is a mafia drama that had me with goosebumps and intrigued from the first chapter. Bev is brokenhearted and left with so many questions on why did he do it? Bev loves her husband but she can’t understand why her brother. Remy is head of the mafia family, but he misses his wife and will stop at nothing to bringing her home. This book is full of drama, twists and turns and I was hooked. This is my first book by A.J. Wolf but it definitely won’t be the last.
“Here’s the thing I’m a lover of mafia romances. Yes, I admit it so when I read the blurb almost inmediatly knew that I needed to read this and OMG this was so incredible! I’m out of words! A.J. Wolf was a new author to me so I wasn’t sure how this will developed but I absolutely adored it. I’ve read so many books and every couple is somehow different with their own special things and let me tell you that Bev and Remy… they were something unique and lovely. Remy he had that soft side for his wife that just made me love him more and Bev, well let’s just say that she knows exactly where she’s and dealing with it didn’t scared her. This story had me laughing, on the edge and in love. A must read!”
3.5 Stars
I’m not sure if this is a debut novel but they are a new to me author and it was an enjoyable read. This is primarily a book about Remy and Beverly a married couple who at the start of the book are estranged. I didn’t realise this was a mafia book so the first few chapters were a little confusing for me but when it all became clear I started to get into the story and characters much more. The romance was a bit of a slow burn which considering they are married was a little strange. I feel a large portion of the story was missing and that was their back story, I wanted to know how they met how long they’d been married just to see them in happier times. I liked the darker parts of the story when the mafia drama comes to a head.
What a great mafia romance and debut book for this author ! I LOVE a mafia romance with all the twists and turns and this book didn’t disappoint! This story follows Remy and Beverly, there married and are separated due to problems they are having but seem to really love each other. This is a sweet slow burn romance with some dark themes and this couple I fell for instantly! The chemistry between these two, the love they have for each other was very beautiful and told beautifully. I definitely felt the emotions coming of the pages that these characters were feeling and that too me is good writing and makes for a great story ! Definite must read and definite 5 stars from me !
*** I voluntarily reviewed an advanced complimentary copy of this book ***
This was a really good mafia story that took a few surprising turns that I loved. This follows Beverly and Remy who even though they really love each other there’s major reasons on why they separated but they can’t get one another out of there system and little do they know there’s hands in what happened.
This is the 1st book in a new series and is Bev and Remy’s story. These two loves each other but a betrayal separates them, and this story is about them trying to navigate their way back to each other. This is a well written emotional roller coaster, which is heart-breaking, heart-warming, and with witty banter and suspense which all lead to an all-consuming and humorous mafia romance story. I look forward to reading the 2nd book and I recommend for all.
5 MAFIA STARS!! This book was a perfectly written mafia story. We had everything from crime, great characters, family and love to add the final touch. I was completely addicted from the beginning to the end. A.J. Wolf sucked me in and I know she will you too.