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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Move over Romeo there is a new badboy in Verona . L.A Cotton seriously slayed this book. Nicco has ruined me! He is all broody, bad Boy with a heart of gold. He fell fast and hard for Arianne but that connection between them just jumped off the pages. You could feel the chemistry and emotions. This Romeo and Juliet-esque story is all-consuming. It is a book that will have you enamoured and enthralled. I can’t recommend Prince of Hearts enough. I am looking forward to book two like there is no tomorrow. The suspense and divide between the two families has me so intrigued. I need to know it all! My heart hurt, it felt love, just overall so much feels. This is worth all the stars!!
Arienne and Nicco’s story was one written in the stars. Their instant connection and love was undeniable, and watching them orbit around each other knowing they shouldn’t be together made my heart ache for them.
Arienne is innocent and naive. She has been out of the public eye for 5 years, and just wants to be a normal teenager.
Nicco has had to grow up fast and lives a completely different life than what Ari thinks. He’s had to do things he’s not proud of and will end up leading a life he doesn’t want.
The events that take place will have your heart in your throat. You will be feeling so many emotions at one time, and not know whether you want to wrap them in your arms to protect them or punch them in the throat.
This book is a duet so it ends on a cliffhanger. I kinda saw the result of the cliffhanger coming, but the predictable outcome didn’t take away from the books awesomeness.
– An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
FIVE TRUE LOVE STARS for Arianne and Niccolò !!!
ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!!!
Whatever I write, it will never be enough to describe how much I’ve enjoyed reading this special and unique book.
I’m following and reading Lianne’s books for almost two years and she never disappointed me.
Every book she writes has a special place in my heart not only because of its storyline but also because every time I connect with the main characters.
But, this book is different.
Not only that I love storyline and characters.
It’s much, much more.
This book made me believe in true love again.
And after I finished with reading it left me speechless.
“Prince of Hearts” is a modern Romeo and Juliet story that will steal your heart from page one.
Arianne is a female character for who you’ll want to have her happily ever after.
She is slowly growing through the whole book to become a strong woman who will do anything for the man she loves even if her family doesn’t approve their relationship because of the bad blood which is between two families for years.
Niccolò is a male character I didn’t expect to meet in this book.
At first, he seemed to be a bad heartless man but in the end, he shows that he has a kind heart inside and he will do anything to protect the woman he loves more than anything.
I need Niccolò in real life!
Ari and Nicco’s relationship is everything!
I fell in love with their sweet and forbidden love.
The way Nicco treated Ari is something every woman deserves in her life. That there is someone who will protect her but believe in her and her dreams.
If you’re looking for a college romance with forbidden love and mafia trope, then this is definitely a book for you!!!
Highly recommended!!!
P.S. Can’t wait for King of Souls !!!
Nicco is mine !!!
4.5 stars!
Wow! Oh wow! L.A. Cotton blew me away with this starcrossed, angsty, new adult, mafia romance. Filled with drama, secrets, forbidden love, and family rivalries, I seriously could not put Prince of Hearts down! This amazing book put me through the absolute wringer of emotions and all I wanted was more and more. Gawd, this book is so dang good.
I am just gone, gone, gone for Nicco and Arianne. Nicco, especially, has my heart. The way he cares for his Ari, his Bambolina, was just all kinds of swoony. He would move heaven and Earth to protect her. And because of this, he faces an internal battle between his love for Ari and his loyalty to his family.
I adored Arianne! She is so sweet and innocent and maybe a bit too naive. After being hidden away five years, she, along with her amazing best friend Nora, is allowed to go to college and have real life experiences. When she meets Nicco, their chemistry is felt immediately.
Unfortunately, not all she experienced was good. My heart hurts for her pain and the betrayal she faces. The lack of support from her family was incomprehensible. As we got to the end, I swear I could have raged against the whole entire establishment. I was so angry.
When I started reading Prince of Hearts I thought it was going to be a typical new adult college romance with maybe a few darker elements thrown in here and there. However, L.A. Cotton flipped that switch real quick. This story is far more complex and dramatic than I expected.
Even though Prince of Hearts is a very instant love romance and I know some have an issue with that (I personally don’t mind it), this story is a perfect example of how to do it correctly. The connection didn’t feel forced or disingenuous. You know and feel how much Ari and Nicco care for each other. I just love these two so so much.
Prince of Hearts ended with one heck of a cliffhanger. I’m dying. Dyyyying to get my hands on book 2. I can’t wait!!
Cinque stelle oscure, decadenti e angosciate! Una scarica di adrenalina di pericolo, desiderio e decadenza racchiusa in un bel pacchetto. Dipendenza pura!
Holy guacamole! L.A. Cotton has slayed me again with her newest release Prince of Hearts! She killed me right in the spot with the mother of all the cliff-hanger endings. I’m aching for more. This Romeo and Juliet inspired book is the most unique and refreshing way to bring back to life a classic. In form of an angsty mafia college romance. Such a brilliant, dark and intense way. I’m left speechless and breathless. This book is a dangerous and thrilling combination. So deliciously forbidden. Beautifully written and brutally raw.
It is no secret that I love dark romance. Angst, danger and forbidden romance are my kryptonite. And the mafia trope is the cherry on the top of this succulent cake. It is a promise of explosive passion and tragic consequences. Add a family feud, a dangerous hero with lots of secrets and a good girl craving freedom to the equation and the result is a collision of clandestine desires and unavoidable yearning!
Forget about Romeo and Juliet’s story right away, this is something more. L. A. Cotton waved her own touch into this fantastic story to make it her own and provide enough twists, emotions and inescapable love to keep readers completely lost into the world of the Verona Legacy series. Dangerously dark, deliciously dirty and aesthetically gripping. Like the stars in the sky Prince of Hearts shines through the darkness. The lyrical words and poetic storyline lulled me, consumed me and swallowed me whole. Pure agony and poetry. Hypnotic and hauntingly divine.
Arianne Capizola, the heir to the Capizola Empire, grew up in a gilded cage for many years yearning freedom. Her wings were clipped. Perfectly protected in her home to keep her out of the public eye like a lonely magnolia blooming in the dark. When her father granted her some freedom and agreed that she can attend Montaque University to experience what all other girls her age got to experience, she was ecstatic. To attend college under an alias with her best friend as roommate was a price she gladly accepted to experience life in the real world for the first time.
Enter here Niccolò Marchetti, the tortured heir to Dominion, the son of a capo. The ruthless Prince of Hearts. He is dark, dangerous and has done questionable things in the past. His loyalty lays with his family, nothing could break that until he meets Lina. That’s when he started to question himself. He could feel it in his soul. Lina was trouble, a distraction he didn’t want or need. He will do anything to protect her even if it means jeopardizing his family success.
Niccolò and Arianne’s story is intense, forbidden, romantic, suspenseful, sometimes gut wrenching and beautifully raw, filled with clandestine meetings, a complicated love which could get them both killed in cold blood and a war between their families. Both of them fell in love like they were destined to. Each step they take to be together will be tainted and fate will pull them apart. There is more they didn’t know. Secrets are exposed and trusts are revealed. Will they be strong to survive everything?
Una storia di primo amore, amore complicato, amore disordinato mescolato con un po ‘di ingenuità dall’eroina a baci e rivelazioni rubati. Preparati per una storia d’amore esplosiva e proibita che ti lascerà senza fiato!
I can’t love Prince of Hearts enough. Hands down, it’s a top 2020 romance that may be my favourite L. A. Cotton masterpiece to date! Counting the days for the epic finale of Nicco and Ari’s journey!
Nicco and Arianne’s story has a modern day mafia twist on the classic Romeo and Juliet style story. Their story will take you on a journey that with the help of a few twists and turns along the way, will hold your attention from start till finish and have you awaiting the second book with baited breath…
I can’t recommend this book enough, the characters are likeable and well written, the chemistry between the two main characters is undeniable and the tension between these families is riveting.
Book: Prince of Hearts
Author: L. A. Cotton
Rating: 4/5 stars
“Heavy is the head that wears the crown.”
I signed up for this book promotion because I fell in love with the premise, I am a fan of Shakespeare and who doesn’t love a forbidden love story? Well, I do and Prince of Hearts is one of the best modern inspired by Romeo and Juliet’s tragedy I’ve read in a long time. Well done Ms. Cotton, well done!
The book is about Nicco Marchetti and Arianne Capizola’s forbidden love, I personally adore Nicco he is what every girl dreams of, a bad boy with a heart of gold who would stop at nothing to get the girl. And Arianne is our female lead that is so endearing and easy to love that you don’t stand a chance like Nicco did to stop it.
The book starts kind of slowly but I, later on, I understood that was just the calm before the storm, it really was. After 50% of the book is where shit hits the fan, literally. I was not expecting that plot twist and though it broke my heart, it only added to the beauty of Nicco and Arianne’s love story.
I do not want to give more about the book but I do need King of Souls NOW! So if you are looking for an angsty and beautiful love store, this is the one for you!
ARC provided in exchange for an honest review.
Romeo and Juliet are alive and going to university! This is a thrilling premise, you guys. I was all over it since moment zero.
I can’t resist a forbidden romance with a family feud in between, and if the boy is a bad boy with secrets and the girl is a good girl craving freedom… then it’s a promise of angst and passion.
Passion is one thing that the male character oozes. He really has a strong reaction to the female character right away. First it is chivalry, then longing for something good, then real desire that pulses in his hot body. Yay.
New Adult mafia trope is quite catchy. Young lovers in college falling deep in a doomed love much like a Shakespearean tragedy. Indeed, the Marchetti and the Capizola have a convoluted history of dark deeds, twisted liasons, and criminal bonds, and it all comes spilling out all over the youngest generation, the heirs and heiresses of a dangerous empire.
That’s one thing I liked about this story. The family secrets that unravel around the main characters as they slowly realize they are setting themselves up against murderous powers. Love conquers all, so Ariana and Nicco still want to love each other fiercely. And they can’t help it. It’s first love, hurricane emotions and ardent desires. I liked them both. They represent two sides drawn to each other like a magnet and metal. She is inexperienced and sweet, yet craves to spread her wings and doesn’t hesitate to challenge her shackles when it matters. He is a bad boy through and through, but has a sweet spot for the beautiful girl of his dreams that entices his best features.
The plot pits the blooming love against the family feud. Devious machinations on both sides are playing in the background and zeroing in on the couple. I don’t agree with some decisions the characters make, but maybe they’re too young and immature. Yet they believe in their wild love and show defiance to family rules. That made it more interesting, they defy the statuos quo. However, I wasn’t expecting the cringing twist that plunges them into horrid circumstances. They keep coming like a bull, too.
I couldn’t come to terms with why they kept dark things secret until they exploded like a bomb. That’s my least favourite part of the novel, along with a very juvenile style at first. Fortunately, the plot gets really intense and highly triggering which suits the dark mafia theme.
It’s a marriage between The Godfather and Romeo & Juliet. As such, it ends on an irrevocably dramatic note, so we are more than warmed up for an exhilarating continuation.
Wow, I was not expecting such an intense edge of my seat read, but Cotton delivered, making this my favourite book of hers to date.
POH is a modern day Romeo and Juliet re-telling and I fell so hard for this story and our dreamy hero Nicco. He comes in like a knight in shiny armour, all heroic, saving the day, then falling so so hard for a girl he shouldn’t, Arianne.
Arianne stumbles across Nicco at one of the worst moments of her life, he helps her out and the connection between them starts from there. Both Nicco and Arianne are from opposing families and would never be accepted together, however, their deep rooted feelings can’t be kept apart.
I LOVED Nicco, our Dark Prince, so hard. He’s all alpha, so protective and willing to risk everything he knows for his ‘Bambolina’.
There is a good amount, of good and damn right evil side characters and I just loved the relationship between Arianne and Nora. I’d love a loyal, funny and caring best friend like her and I hope she gets her own story, with Enzo???
Beware, there are triggers of rape in this book.
I’m so glad Cotton has taken on a Mafia story and is so different from her other releases with its dark themes. Their story has so many obstacles in their way, with twist and turns and a whole lot of love. This is a quick, exciting read that I read in one sitting as it was so addictive and I’m now desperate for their conclusion after that cliffhanger!
ARC received for an honest review
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Overall Ratings;u2063
First Sex Scene – 95%
POV – Duel
Hero –
Heroine –
Story –
Steam –
Chemistry –
This is my first book from LA Cotton and I really enjoyed it. Prince of Hearts is a modern Mafia retelling with all the Romeo and Juliet vibes and it worked so well. Set in Montague University in Verona Country there are families at war. The Hero Nicco Machetti and heroine Arianna Capizola are the heir’s to their families thrones. Our leads meet by chance but neither of them know who the other is for some time as their chemistry grows. Nicco is already part of the Mafia life, hardened to some of the darker sides; yet Arianne has been hidden away and his naive to the lifestyle her father is embroiled within.
There are many great secondary characters that add to the story, and only help strengthen your connection to the characters as a reader. Prince of Hearts was a well paced novel, it flowed, it was easy to read and each and every one of the characters were developed and you quickly understood their motives and purpose within the story. Everyone knows the basic premise of the tragedy that is Juliet and her Romeo, and you may be fooled to think that Prince of Hearts will play out the same way. Well I think you will be pleasantly surprised. This book takes a turn I respect the Author for making, I think it served as the perfect catalyst to create the split needed and add fuel to the fire for book two.
I became thoroughly invested in this story, the chemistry, the longing the loyalty and the conflict served up left me 100% satisfied; but I can’t deny I want more of everything to come in book 2!
This is my first book by L.A. and I enjoyed it.
Romeo & Juliet is one my favorite plays and when I saw this was the subject for this book I immediately signed up.
Arianne & Nicco first meet in the most disturbing circumstances but instantly a pull is felt for Nicco to protect Arianne and is curious to learn more about her.
They learn the realities of their families but not before they fall deeply in love with one another. The twist and turns will keep you flipping the pages. You feel the love Nicco has for Arianne and when she decides to take control you will be rooting for her!
Can’t wait for the next book!
“Prince of Hearts” is only my second book from L.A. Cotton. However, with this synopsis I couldn’t possibly pass this up. The story gave me everything I wanted and so much more!
Arianne Capizola has been living a shelter life, more like a prisoner than a young woman. With her being the only heir to the Capizola empire, her father has kept her locked for the last 5 years. After all this time she has the opportunity to be normal by attending Montague University under an alias. Nicco Marchetti never wanted the life he’s been leading. Being a capo and the future boss of the Dominion mafia, he only knows darkness. That’s why when an innocent looking, beautiful woman crosses his path, he has to stay away. He never anticipated Ari. They are both in for a wild ride!
“All I’d wanted was a normal life. Then I’d met Nicco, and it was like being in a fairytale. My very own prince to chase away the monsters and protect my heart. But it was all a lie. The truth was much worse. The truth was my life had just become a living nightmare. One I didn’t know how I would survive.”
This book gave me all the feels. The author definitely knows how to make us feel the emotions, the angst, the pain, the love. I was right there with Ari and Nicco and so invested to see them succeed. Sadly, I knew that this was supposed to be a duet, so I was ready to be left hanging for now. Ari and Nicco are perfect together, but their relationship is doomed before it even began. The story is loosely based on Romeo and Juliet, so it’s understandable that these star-crossed lovers will have to go through hell and back before they can even be together…
5 NICCO AND ARI STARS!! I was consumed by this book all the way through. Nicco and Ari’s story will touch every part of your heart and have flipping pages. I am so excited for the next book…..I need it now. You definitely need to start this series.
L. A. Cotton ( #)
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This is my first L.A.Cotton book and I’m quite happy that this one was my first. Usually I’m not a fan of remakes but this Romeo &Juliet story was cute and enjoyable.
“’ — ’ .”
If you love forbidden, mafia, college romances….this one will knock you over because it’s all of that and more!
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Arriane has been sheltered her whole life, and after being kept away from the public’s eye she attends Montague University. She is the mafia princess to her father’s legacy of Verona county without knowing what she will inherit. She lives a life full of unknown secrets and lies that will make you cringe and want to cry for her. But as a character she was a bit weak and I kept waiting for her to explode.
When her world starts to fall apart Nicco is there to save her. What she doesn’t know is he is the one person off limits in every way!
“’ .”
Nicco – the soft hearted mafia prince. He has to abide to his father’s orders and be who he needs to be.He’s the heir to the family who hates Arriane’s in every way! When he meets Arriane he doesn’t know who she is but when he does…
Nicco’s world is turned upside down when he lays eyes on Arianne for the first time and after that nothing is the same for either one of them!
” ’ , ’ . .”
Together they must tread the dark and unknown waters and learn that nothing and no one is as they seemed and even the closest to them cannot be trusted.
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Disclaimer- I recieved an ARC for my honest review**
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Prince of Hearts kicks off the brand-new Verona Legacy series and is book 1 in Nicco & Arianne’s duet.
I love a good retelling, especially Romeo & Juliet. And this, by far, is my favorite.
“It’s crazy, right? You can’t fall for someone you hardly know.”
“You can if it’s written in the stars.”
It’s taken me a few days to get my thoughts together for this review, and I still haven’t fully figured out the best way to explain how much I loved this book without giving anything away. What I can say is L.A. Cotton did a fabulous job of taking one of the most beloved stories, putting her own twist on it, and making me love it more than the original. Sorry, Shakespeare.
I loved these characters so much, the storyline is perfectly paced and addicting. I couldn’t put it down but wanted it to go on forever at the same time. And I can’t remember the last time I highlighted so many quotes in a book!
This was an amazing beginning to what I already know will be an incredible series, and I highly recommend it. Be warned, though, this story does end with a cliffhanger! The conclusion is coming at the end of the summer, and I will be impatiently counting down the days to find out what happens!
*4,5 stars*
With a touch of Romeo & Juliet and a bad boy all rolled into one comes a duet series that will make your heart pound a million times faster. The story of Arianne and Niccolò is definitely not one to miss and makes you wish you could read so much faster as you just want to know what happens next but damn that cliffhanger got to me as I just want to know that everything will be okay in the end ‘cuz that’s what the two characters deserve after everything they have been through. I really felt for Arianna and just wanted to be able to hug her. I already know book two is going to break my heart!
Arianne is tired of being cooped up inside and is excited to be able to go to university with her best friend but there’s just one thing that nobody can know and that is her last name and that she’s the daughter of one of most powerful men in town. Ari will try to do whatever it takes to lead a normal college life and live every day to the fullest but when she meets Niccolò, there’s just something about him that ignites a spark that makes her feel so alive but when Nicco finds out who she truly is, there’ll be a lot that they’ll have to fight for. But there’s so much more going on than they know and bit by bit the veil is uncovered but danger lurks ahead. Will they find a way to be together?…
L.A. Cotton has created a riveting and gripping tale of love, lust and passion in Prince of Hearts. This new world is exciting and terrifyingly addictive!
Arianne, the only daughter of Capizola family has finally been let out of her protected house and allowed to attend college. Being the sole successor of the most powerful mafia of Verona County, she lived a painfully sheltered life. And everything about the world intrigues her. Then she meets Nicco while running from an unfortunate incident. And they feel this instant electrifying chemistry. But Nicco’s family is the enemy to Arianne’s. And Nicco is too dark and raw for someone sweet and innocent like Arianne.
Give me a tortured bad boy any day and I will be sold. And Nicco checks all my boxes like a pro. He is dangerous, he is alpha, he is broken, he is violently passionate and he is everything I crave! Arianne is exactly opposite. She is too naive and simple for the cruel world of mafia war. But she has this silent power and ability to love the beast unconditionally. Their love story is doomed from the start as the toxic mafia politics infiltrates every bit of their epic love. You will curse, you will cry, you will be going crazy and you will love this explosive and intense romance. It is a distinct retelling of Romeo and Juliet in a fascinating way.
If you love Mafia Romance, Prince of Hearts should definitely be in your TBR. L.A. Cotton’s intoxicating and incredible writing made this one an amazing read!
Received ARC for honest review
Prince of Hearts is the first book in the new Verona Legacy series by L.A. Cotton. I’m not usually one to read mafia books, but this author is one of my absolute favorites. So of course I was going to give it a go, and let me tell you, it most certainly did not disappoint. Get ready to meet the star-crossed lovers, Arianne Capizola and Niccolo Marchetti.
Arianne’s father is a very powerful mafioso, and he didn’t want her to get caught in the crossfire. So for the past five years she has been homeschooled in order to protect her and keep her out of the public eye. The only friend that she has is Nora, the daughter of a man who serves her father.
All Arianne has ever wanted is to live a normal teenage life, but that didn’t seem to be in the cards for her. But things begin to look up when her father agrees to let her attend Montague University with the stipulation that her best friend goes with her.
One night, while out with his cousins, Nicco comes across a beautiful girl who appears to have been hurt. He comes to her aid and makes sure that she is okay before driving her home. From there, the sparks ignite and a love written in the stars begins to blossom.
The relationship between these two is sweet and swoon worthy. But they say good things never last. As secrets are revealed and lies are uncovered, things begin to crumble down. Then tragedy strikes, leaving hearts broken and a love divided.
I absolutely loved this story! It was wonderfully written with a perfectly executed plot and well developed characters. It hooked me and reeled me in from the very start. This is a completely captivating, must read mafia romance. Five stars for Arianne, Nicco and Prince of Hearts!
This is a great New Adult Forbidden Mafia Romance book!
I typically stray away from forbidden romances because they can be a bit taboo and I have to be in the mood for that. But I enjoy it when it’s forbidden in the sense that two families haven’t mixed in the past or are from different sides of the tracks. And that is exactly what this is. Two people from feuding families meeting and falling head over heels in love with each other. This book has lots of unknowns so you will be unfolding their story as you read and discovering just how far from destined these two are.
Arianne is ignorant of the history of her family other than the little things she’s learned growing up. She has a journey of discovery throughout this book as secrets are uncovered and the reality of her situation is unfolded. In the beginning, I was a bit torn about her because she seemed very clouded but I think she grew a lot throughout the book. Nicco is the son of the mafia boss and his life, like Arianne, has been completely mapped out for him since birth. And falling in love with Arianne was never a part of the plan. But now they must figure out how to be together in a world where they were meant to hate each other.
There is an instant love situation between these two and the one thing I wish I would’ve seen more of was them together and dialogue creating this bond they have. But I still enjoyed the journey of these characters and I hope we get more moments between the two in the next book! And I can’t wait to see how the supporting character’s stories pan out also!
This is a duet so there is a cliffhanger!
Ive been dying to get my hands on this book. LA Cotton is one of my favourite authors, everything she seems to write I fall in love with. This book is a different genre to what she normally writes. A book inspired by Romeo and Juliet was just what I had been missing in my life.
I loved everything about this book, I couldnt put it down and ended up staying up late to finish it. I needed to know what was going to happen.
Ari and Nicco’s relationship was doomed from the start. They have this forbidden love and you cant help but hope that they make it threw everything.
I loved evwrything about this book from the cover, to the characters and the whole story. LA Cotton takes us a rollercoaster of emotions throughout and ends it on a huge cliffhanger. I am dying to get my hands on the next book. I NEED to know whats going to happen!!