An angsty college mafia romance from USA Today and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Rixon Raiders series.
Arianne Capizola is her father’s daughter.
Humble. Hardworking. Honest.
She’d rather spend her days helping at the local shelter than brushing shoulders with her vain and entitled classmates.
Niccolò Marchetti is his father’s son.
Dark. Dangerous. Deceitful.
He’d rather spend … classmates.
Niccolò Marchetti is his father’s son.
Dark. Dangerous. Deceitful.
He’d rather spend his days getting bloody in the ring than attending class and keeping up pretences.
When their paths cross at Montague University neither of them are willing to drop the walls they’ve spent so long building. But he can’t resist the girl with stars in her eyes, and she can’t forget the guy who saved her that night.
There’s only one catch.
Nicco isn’t Arianne’s knight-in-shining-armor, he’s the son of her father’s greatest enemy.
He is the enemy.
And their families are at war.
*Prince of Hearts in the first book in Nicco and Ari’s duet. Due to mature content that some readers may find distressing, this book is recommended for readers 18+
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This book consumed me. And I need more…now! I was a little hesitant to read it since it’s book one in a duet and those always have killer cliffhangers. But I heard amazing reviews about it so I had to check it out. I am so glad I did. Nico and Ari are freaking epic. They shouldn’t be together. They are from families that are enemies. Them being together is major drama. But love doesn’t care. Nico is her savior after all. But that threat he saved her from isn’t gone and Nico isn’t able to always protect her. They go against what their families expect and chose love. That decision sets a chain of events that they can’t come back from. And it’s not over. Yes there is a cliffhanger but it’s not as devastating as I was afraid of. But I do need the next book … like now! I had so many emotions during this book. And so many characters I wanted to hurt myself! Warning before you start this book, it’s will take over your heart. It was all I could think about as I listening. These narrators did an amazing job at bringing Nico and Ari’s world and their story to life. I felt like it was all real. And I am on the edge of my seat waiting for the next book!
*I received a free copy of this book which I voluntarily chose to write an honest review for.
What an explosive start to a new series! Arianne has led a sheltered life as the only heir to a powerful man. Finally given freedom to attend college she meets a man. Nicco is almost too good to be true but then she finds out who his father is. Talk about some forbidden romance this one is a doozy. A mature angst romance that will have you flipping the page over and over again. I really liked it so I give it 4/5 stars.
I have become a big fan of L.A. Cotton’s work over the last 2 years. I loved the “Wicked Bay” series and the “Rixon Raiders” series. I am glad to report that I also really enjoyed this first book in the “Verona Legacy” series.
Part of me loving this book, has to do with the fact that “mafia” themed romances are one of my favorites. Throw in the “forbidden love” trope and I am sold!!!
Adrianne Capizola, heir of the Capizola family, and Niccolo Marchetti, son of the mafia boss … both from very influential families… and enemies by birth. So, of course, they had to go and fall in love!!
L.A. Cotton did not hold back on this one and what started out as a sweet forbidden love story, turns into so much more. Secrets, heartbreak, war, angst …but also lots of love will keep you on the edge of your seat… Nico really is my kind of guy 😉
The cliffy bummed me out, but the wait should not be too long …
Ps: for those who need to know… check the triggers 😉
First off let me say I’m so angry about how poor Arianna’s life has gone so far. When will men stop fucking sweet, strong, innocent girls over. Okay rant over. Also this book may have some triggers for some people just a warning.
Now even though I’m angry this was still an amazing book. I started it thinking I’d read a few chapters before bed & now it’s 1am and I’m so so mad about this cliffhanger! I knew it was coming but late summer seems so far away to get the next part of their story.
I loved Nicco, like right from the very beginning. He is everything. Yes he’s a badass but I love how much he loves her. I love his world the most.
Arianna is so innocent, smart, caring, kind & she belongs with Nicco.
I won’t give anything away these two are easily up there as my favourite la cotton characters along with the Rixon Raider couples. I love how much they love.
Now if you love a dark mafia romance than this book is for you. It is so well written that you won’t be able to put it down. It does end on a slight cliffhanger so for those of you who can’t wait maybe wait for the next book to come out. But it’s worth it! This is easily one of my favourite dark romances of the year.
I received an arc of this book in return for an honest review.
OH MY GOD!!! My heart!!!
I can already tell it’s going to take me a few days to get over Nicco and Arianne. I can’t wait for book two!! I need to know what happens next!! Seriously what is the end game?!
These two take star-crossed lovers to a whole other level. You fall in love with both of them and you can’t help but feel their pain and heartache not to mention love. There is so much these two need to overcome, I refuse to give spoilers but I will say that if you are a fan of Shakespeare you will love this story. This take on one of the oldest and most beloved love stories is a page turned and you will not regret one-clicking. Now I am going to have to figure out what to do with myself until the next book…. *dramatic sigh*
Nicco and Arianne’s story is astonishing, so intense and emotional it will hook you from the first page. I couldn’t put it down, all the twist and turns I never saw coming had me on edge. I need book 2 like now! I love Nicco, he stole my heart. Brilliant 5 stars!
For never was a story of more woe than this of Ari and her Nicco! LA Cotton hits us with an edge of your seat Romeo and Juliet infused mafia, angsty college romance. Two feuding mafia families, two star crossed lovers chained down by the weight of their family legacies, and an all consuming infatuation that blossoms into an epic romance.
Like the original R and J story, this is an insta-love, immediate connection, fated souls story- Ari and Nicco are immediately drawn to each other, their souls becoming immediately infused from their first moments together. At first the obstacle is that both are living behind public facades necessary because of their family’s notoriety, but once the truth is outed, we all know the classic obstacle- feuds, violence, and power.
Nicco and Ari are pretty adorable together- she’s sheltered, trying to embrace the version of herself she’s never been allowed to be. Nicco is brooding and numb. Both feel restrained by their last names, and their connection becomes to spark that re- ignites their souls.
Overall, I liked this story- but it did start out slow. And, since we have so many obstacles, we didn’t get as much “together” time with the couple as I’d like- I buy their connection and chemistry, but don’t feel like they KNOW each other yet. (but then again, neither did R and J) About 60% through though it picks up, and then I was hooked- and LA starts to play with the R and J story less literally, so you are on your toes more. Be warned- several CLIFFY situations- this is a duet! Floored by that ending- what is going on!?!?!
If I could give this book more stars I would. It was THAT good. I was speechless at the end. I had no words to describe how good this book was. That never happens to me! I really need #2 like yesterday. I love Lianne and have read all of her books. This book is now firmly at the top and I never thought anything would beat my man Jase #QB1 there!
Nicco and Ari definitely don’t have an easy ride in this book. The twist, turns, angst and romance keep you on your toes and wanting more all the way to the end. The feelings, attraction and chemistry jumps off the page when you are reading and you can feel it between them. It is off the charts. Reading this I went through all the emotions. I laughed, cried, was happy and got angry. BUT it was worth it! So worth it.
I love all the other characters and would love for them to get their own books. I need to know more about them all!
This was Lianne’s first mafia book. She hasn’t just dipped her toe in the water she has dove in, won that race and owned it . This is a fantastic book and the cover is absolutely smokin’ . My favourite cover too date. Well done girl, you totally rocked this
4
This book has an amazing world built around it. Every name and thing that makes reference to Romeo & Juliet fascinated me, because it was really well made. Also, the star-crossed lovers is always great to read.
Nicco is great! He has a great bad boy loving til it hurts thing going on and it was great.
Ari is way to good, but good bordering in the not smart at all… and this was a little bit frustrating.
The mafia topic is amazing and there were lots of mysteries and enemies that nobody suspected.
Going straight to book 2
This story gave me Romeo & Juliet vibes but times 10! I was hooked with Nico and Ari from the beginning and found myself unable to blink at times because I didn’t want to miss anything. Their chemistry and connection is palpable but their families being at war makes it difficult for them to bring them walls down. This was one amazing start to their story.
A Sizzling Romeo & Juliet with a Twist!
As my first duet review, the story of Nicco Marchetti and Ari Capizola is a sizzling, modern-day “Romeo & Juliet” tale with a twist! This page-turning, steamy, dark romance duet will leave you yearning in Prince of Hearts and ignite in King of Souls.
Nicco and Ari are polar opposites in every way; bad boy-good girl, ruthless-honest, dangerous-kind. Enemies. Lovers. And when the two are brought together by fate, and torn apart by jeopardy, there is no end to the depths that either of them will go to. This dark mafia romance was rightly filled with angst, passion, and a cliffhanger!
Prince of Hearts was the first book I had read from the author in 2020, and I have grown to enjoy other valiant works by L. A. Cotton. And King of Souls is magnetic, explosive, and redeeming! The covers and titles piqued my interest, and the story did not disappoint!
If hot, passionate, mafioso alphas and the trailblazing women who love them are of interest, then the Verona Legacy series is for you! I look forward to the next book in the VL series, Villain of Secrets, about Enzo Marchetti and Nora Abato!
** Triggers: There are some elements to the story that can be distressing.**
Memorable Quotes:
“Does it scare you?”
“What?”
“To know that you’re mine. To know that I already love you completely. Heart, body, and soul.”
Excerpt From
Prince of Hearts
“Life isn’t fair, Arianne. It’s cold and cruel and painful. But there are sparks of light in the dark. You are my spark, amore mio. Your brightness outshines the darkness in my soul.”
Excerpt From
King of Souls: Nicco and Ari Duet #2 (Verona Legacy)
L. A. Cotton
This is a new author for me, and one hell of start to this series. I was drawn into this story from the very beginning. It’s full of drama, suspense, action and danger.
I can’t wait to find out what’s going to happen next with these characters.
“For never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo.” — William Shakespeare
Prince of Hearts tells the story of forbidden love between two college students twisted in their family’s mess. A modern-day retelling of Romeo and Juliet with a mafia twist, this book was addictive the whole way through.
“We were both pawns. Her unknowing. Me unwilling. Both of us bound by our family’s legacies.”
Arianne Capizola has been isolated in her teenage years so that she could be safe from the enemies of her father. After a lot of convincing, her father agrees to let her attend Montague University. It’s there that she meets Nicco. Niccolo Marchetti may not want the responsibility of being the sole heir of his mafioso father, but it’s in this prince’s blood… When Nicco and Ari meet, they fall fast and hard, blind to the fact that their families are rivals and the hostility between the Marchettis and Capizolas runs deep.
I may as well have been glued to my kindle during reading Prince of Hearts, and I bet it will only get better in book 2. Ari and Nicco have a pure love between them. Their tragic, star-crossed love resembles Romeo and Juliet’s story–but will they share their fate?
There was a part of this book that took me by surprise. I hadn’t seen it mentioned in any reviews or as a trigger warning in the beginning of the book. Although I like to know what I’m getting into, this is not usually a dealbreaker for me. However, I think the repercussions and the fall-out of that kind of event was not covered to the extent I think would have made sense.
I hope Arianne stands up as a strong character in book 2. I see that she is headed in that direction, and I would like to see her stand up to her family and seek justice.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for a review.
Wow what an amazing story, from start to finish it completely consumed me.
It was a rollercoaster of emotions, I felt everything, from unbelievable sadness to unbelievable rage and everything else inbetween.
If I could give it more stars I would
1000% recommended
ARC KINDLY PROVIDED BY THE AUTHOR.
I honestly have no words.
This book is a rollercoaster of emotions and intensity and I love it.
Once I started reading it I couldn’t stop, Nicco and Ari’s story is so addictive.
I have no words to describe how good this book is.
The characters are so intense, I honestly felt like I was being attacked, I loved them, I love that they’re so good for each other, and not only Ari and Nicco but also the rest, Nora, Matteo, Bailey, even Enzo, they’re so loyal and can’t wait to read more about them
The thing I love about this book is that the author knew how to balance the romance and the mafia world, she gave us beautiful parts between Ari and Nicco but she also gave us the dark and the danger of the mafia world, this story is so much more than just a romance, it has everything I love.
AND THAT END, god that end, I still can’t believe it, I need to know what the fuck is going to happen with Nicco and Ari!.
I loved the book, I love l. a. cotton’s writing style and cannot wait to read more about Nicco and Ari’s love story.
If you’re into romance, mafia, danger and drama, you should definitely read this book.
Are you looking for your Prince of hearts and a world full of passion, angst, heartbreak and mafia? Then this is the book for you!
HOLY HECK, the first installment of the Verona Legacy series and my heart is still pounding from this ending!?
The forbidden love had me captivated and lets be real, WE ALL WANT WHATS WE CAN’T HAVE!! Nicco is the alpha, hot bad boy who falls in love with the forbidden girl and would essentially treat her like a queen. But when the girl is your families arch enemy, can only mean one thing… HEARTBREAK
Ari at first comes across a submissive character afraid to be the real her. But she really comes alive during this book and she becomes a fiercely sassy girl. Her love for Nicco is enticing and mesmerising and i am dying to know more!
I love that the other characters play a huge part of this book and gives an insight into all them. NORA is best friend goals & i friggin love her character! I need me a Nora as my bestie!
I am so diving straight into book two!! Thank you LA Cotton for another outstanding and captivating read
It’s always a great start for me when the book or series combines so many tropes that I love… college, mafia, slight enemies to lovers (if we’re including extended families anyway), and when that book or series is written by one of my fave authors, all the better! The intro to this new Verona Legacy series is awesome! I love the play on Romeo and Juliet (down to the names chosen… hello, Montague University!), and the story itself was so entertaining and fast-paced, which I love. Ari is such a great character and Nicco is so dreamy!! Incredible ending too, that cliffhanger was SO perfect – looking forward to reading the finale of this awesome duet!
This is my first experience with this author…
Oh. My. Wreckage.
Because I’m wrecked. This book wrecked my heart. The feels were so vicious, the intensity so high, that it felt like I’d taken a shot of epinephrine to the heart. Like my heart was literally trying to beat its way out of my chest. Forget reading for relaxation before bed. Forget sleep, period. I was up until 4 AM finishing this book, and who knows how much longer trying loosen the grip Nicco and Arianne’s story had on me.
Trying to keep myself from starting the next book immediately.
This college mafia romance was fraught with anguish. I don’t always enjoy super-angsty books, but I couldn’t peel my eyes away from the screen as I devoured every single word of this one. I don’t know how Arianne kept going when I could barely hold myself together as I read. It was neverending, the heartache and agony and betrayal that continued to be piled on top of her. This story was not for the faint of heart and comes with a major **Trigger Warning** from me to you.
Nicco was everything a young mafia prince should be: intense, dangerous, sexy, and brooding. And when those transformed into protectiveness and possessiveness over Arianne… It took my breath away. Their whole star-crossed lovers romance took my breath away. Their fathers were enemies. They fell in love before they knew they were supposed to be enemies. He was brutal where she was tender. All the things stood in their way, but they fought every obstacle to try to be together. GAH!!! Their love was so tragically beautiful it hurt sometimes.
This is Part 1 in a duet about Niccolo and Arianne, so there will be a second book to read to finish their story.
If the mafia lover in you connects to the mafia lover in me (and you can handle the triggers and angst), I recommend this book.
I received an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
They were never meant to meet.
They were never meant to want each other with a passion.
But they did.
Arianne met Nicco are a date gone wrong and his voice makes her feel safe, but she gives him the name she’s using on campus, Lina.
Something about Lina draws him in wanting to protect her, Nicco knows she doesn’t know who he is, and he wants to keep it that way she’s not for his world, but he still wants her.
What happens when they find out about their families, will the feuding families ensure that they will never be together or accept that they belong together.
Does end on a cliff hanger can’t wait to read the next book.
~~top 10 recommended~~
Omg L.A. Cotton has just teared me in every way with Nicco and Arianne. This book from the start you can tell it is going to be one that will stay in your head. It may be a New Adult story but this is much more between these two families. We all know the story of Romeo and Juliet but here is the thing L.A. Cotton doesn’t make it just a simple tale. Nicco has an obligation to fill and no matter how much he wants to run away his fate has been sealed since he was born. Then we have Arianne who by all counts may seem too naive yet she is like a bird ready to spread her wings and live her own life. The love between these two is not just passionate but you can feel their love leaping off the pages. This is just the first part and their so much more about these two that it is really between life and death. Loved it.
“I received an eBook copy from the publisher for the purpose of an honest review. I was not compensated for this review: all conclusions are my own.”