He’s Pink, the personal enforcer for the boss of the New York mafia. She’s Gigi Rey, a supermodel known across the globe. They live two entirely different lives but before the mob and the fame, they were Lev Arsov and Gigi Parker. Two people struggling to make it—who met by chance—before life got in the way. Five years have passed since the nights they shared together, but Fashion Week brings … together, but Fashion Week brings Gigi back to New York and straight into Lev’s path once more, when her work obligations tangles with the mafia’s business. In this world, that’s never a good thing.
They aren’t the same people now. He’s a single dad doing whatever he can for his daughter. Gigi can’t walk down the street without the world watching. A lot has changed. The one thing that didn’t? How they keep finding their way into each other’s heads … and beds.
If only it was that simple.
If only the tabloids didn’t back them into a wall.
If only they saw it coming.
If only they could go back to the time before he was … Pink.
If only.
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Pink is a 112k standalone Mafia Romance set in Bethany-Kris’s Commission World.
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Oh, man! What. A. Ride! Made me fall in love and ripped me to pieces in a matter of a single book experience.
If that didn’t tell you enough, I loved this book. From beginning to end – Lev to Pink and Gigi Rey Parker to Gigi Rey – every single second of this book was amazing.
We started off with two people trying to find their place in the world and when their paths cross it’s nothing short of explosive. As always, life gets in the way, responsibility calls and commitments are to be fulfilled – these are the things that kept Pink and Gigi from one another for five years, but they never forgot one another.
When these two find each other again, the chemistry is still there but they are two entirely different people. Lev has become Pink mafia enforcer and father while Gigi has become Gigi Rey supermodel – the chemistry is still there but the obstacles are as well.
What is exposed by Gigi’s experience is heart-breaking but to see her face it head on as she did made me SO proud to be a woman – fictional character or not – the strength of a woman is something we should all celebrate. As for Pink, his love for Gigi is there the entire time – he doesn’t once stop to worry about anything except his love for her and his daughter.
An absolutely great book, beginning to end! Highly recommended.
Pink / Lev is the enforcer for the boss of the mafia, and Gigi is a supermodel, and even though these two are total opposites the chemistry between them is explosive. Now 5 years later they meet again but now Lev is the single dad to a little girl, and Gigi is used to her life in the limelight. This is a well written flawless story which is this gifted author at her outstanding best. This story is intense, raw, gritty, and filled with danger and suspense which all leads to a steamy and all-consuming read. I was captivated throughout this addictive page turner, and I highly recommend for all.
2.5 stars
Anyone who is an avid fan of mafia romance knows there are several depths of intensity that exist in this genre. Some have little to none (with only implied off screen steam/mob violence), some have grey areas open to personal interpretation, and then there are the OTT undeniable, dark territories one can willfully or accidentally stumble into. While, again, the far end of this spectrum has such unredeemable dark characters/backdrop there is not even a glimmer of light shining in their miserable, torturous world. That’s why a well written synopsis is so very important, folks.
If you are lucky enough, you come across an author who seems to consistently nail the vincincity you always shoot for on that scale. As a huge Bethany-Kris fan, her The Chicago War and Filthy Marcellos fit that niche with me, along with several other books of hers. Pink had one grey element that quickly morphed into a very dark, unwelcome turn I try to avoid in all my reads. It all comes down to I just wish it hadn’t been thrown in. The situation was traumatic enough as it was. Yeah, it left the door open for better late than never heroics, bravery, and resilience, but I felt it came at the expense of something too horrific happening that wasn’t necessary. Gigi had endured enough. Unfortunately, I can’t overly describe it to you for fear of a massive spoiler you may or may not wish to know in advance. I’ll have to leave it at in the past this author has always protected her leading ladies from this, especially after being with the hero.
Though I enjoyed the parts of this storyline with Lev and Gigi when they were acting like a real couple (not just a booty call) and Andino and other blink of an eye cameos of some other characters I’ve come to know and love, I can’t shake the lingering disappointment this hot button trigger was included. Again, she usually does not include this type of heroine element, which has always set her apart in a very positive way in my eyes. My heart is numb and my eyes burn from implied, unseen images that were later confirmed at the very end.
Btw, was I the only person who noticed Lev mentally pushed Gigi to the curb the moment a big reveal was unleashed at the end of “Before”? The secret keeper obviously didn’t think much of him as a man to do something like that. He obviously did not miss that person either. Yet, he claimed to be fond of them. That set-up scenario had his man card taking a hit from me, as well.
I know I may just be picky about this. But I am what I am. It made me sad and ruined my overall enjoyment of the entire book.
Title: Pink, Author: Bethany-Kris, Pages: 350 (starts with the prequel “Before” which is 105 pages), five year l-o-n-g separation, very graphic/nothing left to the imagination smex scenes, no mention of OP during that time, can only assume they did not stay celibate, trigger content.
(I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I was not given any payment or compensation for this review. There is no relationship or affiliation between this reviewer and the author, publisher,
Pink was a good read! After reading Before I just needed MORE of Lev & Gigi 🙂
When Lev is at work he’s Pink. Despite the nickname is not soft. He does what his boss asks him to do and while on one of those jobs he happens to run into Gigi again after 5 years. In the years they’ve been apart Lev has been working for Andino Marcello and is great at his job. When he’s home with his daughter he’s just daddy. Gigi blew up in the fashion world. Her face on magazines world wide.
I LOVE the relationships Lev has with Andino, Arely, Nessa and Gigi. I just LOVE the world BK has created and FLOVED Les + Corrado’s cameo.
Pink, the mysterious enforcer of Andino Marcello. We have heard about him but we didn’t know about him, until now. Lev Arson is a man that you can’t help but fall in love in for his loyalty and his commitment.
Pink’s story…….I loved him being him, I loved him being a father, I loved him finding his soulmate and I loved his relationship with Andino, his Boss. This story revealed so many sides of Pink that I couldn’t have possibly imagined.
Gigi Rey Parker and Lev had that connection from the first time they met. It took some time but they were always a match suppose to be. Gigi Rey, now a supermodel, and her time back in NYC had her meeting up with Lev, now a mafia enforcer. It was their second chance but it wasn’t easy. There was Lev’s child, Arely, a mafia connection that Andino was not on board with and a wild card that took things to the extreme.
I loved the romance and the passion and the loyalty in the story. I always love when I’m transported into the Marcello world and also in this case, having some Canadian love hit the spot in the most wonderful of ways!!
Romantic Suspense just the way I like it!
I had the opportunity to read the first 10 chapters of this book and fell in love with the backstory of how Lev and Gigi’s first met. I was swept up in their passion as soon as they locked eyes on each other. They met before Gigi found fame on the runway and Lev became Pink, an infamous enforcer for a Mob Boss.
Gigi gained my respect by being true to herself and not getting caught up in the hype of her business. Her work was her life. From what she said to the food she ate and the way she styled her hair was all determined by her agency. Impressively, she implanted her personality in when she could by sending her fans a sincere peace gesture. What saddened me was her successful glamorous lifestyle was lacking friends.
Lev’s (aka Pink) devotion to Andino and his daughter never faltered. He always looked out for the people he loved and didn’t let the little things in life get to him. His life was work and home. Wash, rinse and repeat. He and Andino respected each other but their time together was strictly business. At the same time, Andino’s willingness to use up all his resources to help Pink when he desperately needed a miracle beautifully illustrated the solid brotherly love they shared.
Together Lev and Gigi were perfect for each other even considering professionally their relationship was problematic. The attention Gigi attracted played havoc with the protective cocoon Lev had created for his young daughter. I loved how all the relationships in this story that mattered were effortless. This is where I need to mention there is a rather dark patch in the story that may be a trigger for some readers. It was graphic enough to leave no doubt in my mind what was occurring but page wise it is only consumed a small percentage of the overall story.
I made the epic error of squeezing in 10 minutes of reading at work during lunchtime and unbeknownst to me I had happened upon the aforementioned dark twist in the story. Freaking out and feeling every ounce of fear for all the characters caught up in the drama, I quickly closed my Kindle. Thankfully, my fear was tempered when I opened my Kindle again and the arrival of familiar help was announced. I knew as soon as I saw the measures that had been put in place that the baddies’ time on this earth had become a rapid countdown.
Again, I was blown away by my growing love for Andino. He is the ultimate villain I despised in Catherine and Cross’ trilogy and yet here I am having warm feelings for the guy. I enjoyed the way other characters from BK’s Commission World were woven into the story. While this can easily be read as a standalone, I believe my appreciation for this book was enhanced by knowing the background story of the secondary characters that were called upon to help Lev and Gigi.
This story had the perfect mix of suspense, romance, witty characters and good times. Kudos to BK for keeping me reading when the proverbial shit hit the fan and turning the tables of justice just in time for me to not lose my book buzz. By the final chapter I was riding a book high that I was eager to sustain. A Mafia romance with the unusual twist of the main character who would never become a made man yet still delivered a well-paced story that kept my heart pounding. Thank you BK for another awesome read!
What a rewarding and absorbing read! With so much atmosphere and a blend of grit and glamour, Pink pulled me into Lev’s world where he works to survive and, despite his hard background band straightened circumstances, always has time in his big heart, for others. He is a great character! A man of few words, but a man of his word. His meeting with Gigi is one of immediate attraction on both sides and the start of huge changes in both their lives.
This story is character driven, with some heat, but, mostly, with lots of heart. The origin of ‘Pink’ is funny, sweet and, in the circumstances perfect. It is wrapped up in a precious bundle! Lev’s relationship with Andino is brilliant, and brings that lovely touch of a friendship, that on the surface, seems unlikely, but proves to be true.
With action, baddies, adventure, love and heart, Pink is a book which has proved to be a book which has me searching for more titles by this author. Fabulous!
I have said it time and time again that if this author writes it, Then I will read it. There is just something about the way that she writes that speaks to me. I get lost in the story and characters.
The first part of this book is the prequel of how Lev and Gigi met before they were Pink and Gigi Rey. I loved that story so much because it showed who they were before their worlds changed. For Gigi, as a famous world-renowned model and for Lev as the right-hand man of Adino. From the start, these two had a connection. I wasn’t sure how these two were going to cross paths again considering they were from two very different worlds. I should have known that the author would have a plan for that, and she did it perfectly.
Everything about this story felt authentic and real. From the friendship between Pink and Andino and their world to Gigi and what it might be like as a model having no control over anything and only being something as a means to sell an idea/image than as a person. I loved watching Lev as he slipped between the two worlds of being a daddy (and a dang good one at that) to Arely and being in the midst of the mafia life. Watching him and Gigi battle for a relationship when the last thing someone in Lev’s position is the exposure of being connected with a high fashion model, was interesting.
This book is full of action and suspense. Getting to see some old favorites pop up in this one was both a pleasant surprise and also bittersweet, especially with the reasons why. My heart hurt for Gigi. This particular section was my favorite, even though it was rough because it felt authentic in watching Andino make all the pieces fall into place to get these characters, and his friend, the happy ending that he, as well as Arely and Gigi, deserved. I, also appreciated the darker elements of this story because it only strengthened the reasons that two of my past favorites did the things they do because unfortunately, it is needed because there are monsters everywhere. I was surprised at the little twist as to WHY it turned out the way it did and how it came to be and liked that the person behind everything got their comeuppance. It should have been more though in my opinion considering how many this likely happens to in this field.
Looking forward to whatever this author has next. For now, though, this book just moved up to my top favorite from this author. And this cover? Beautiful.
Holy Moly, I couldn’t put this down. Lev and Gigi are explosive and I couldn’t get enough. There are twists and turns and pasts and presents and futures that had me on edge the entire time. Through it all I could feel their connection and their inability to let the other go. Amazing!
Another fantastic book by Bethany-Kris. She never ever disappoints us. I loved Pink, a personal enforcer for Andino Marcello. We learned about Pink’s back story in “Before” when he had nothing until Andino and then he met GiGi. It’s a heart-stopping love story between a mob man and a super model and a daughter. I absolutely loved how devoted Pink is to his daughter. I was melting inside every time he caught her up in his arms. And the obstacles he and Gigi had to face after a five year separation will keep you on the edge. You will love this story! Read it today!