From USA Today bestselling author Parker S. Huntington comes a steamy, slow-burn love story full of enemies-to-lovers banter, set in high school.Damiano De Luca: a curse with no cure.Before he ruled the De Luca family,before he became the man everyone feared,before he scoured an empire in search of me,he chose me to ruin.I was innocent.An untainted princess.The heiress to the Vitali mafia throne.… innocent.
An untainted princess.
The heiress to the Vitali mafia throne.
And I was in the wrong place at the wrong time when I met the wrong boy.
My name is Renata Vitali…
And this is not a love story.
Warning: This story ends in a cliffhanger. Renata Vitali is a ~35,000-word prequel novella in The Five Syndicates mafia romance series. It can be read before Damiano De Luca but does not need to be.
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He has picked her to rule over and he will do whatever he wants when he wants it. She was in the wrong place at the wrong time before meeting him. Life is not going to be easy for her. Can she escape him? Will he allow her to leave? How will this all ends? Follow to find out
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I absolutely loved getting to know Renata and Damian prior to reading Damiano De Luca. The way they met when they were seventeen and by eighteen, they were closer than two peas in a pod. But love sometimes has to make drastic choices which is never completely understood by any. They were both lonely for the same reasons. Broken homes, no close friends, hardly any freedom and yet they moved beyond their walls there to protect their hearts and found a kinship, a camaraderie, a soulmate. Ends with a soft cliffhanger. Excellent read. I highly recommend.
Okay so I am officially cheating on Asher Black. Damiano you have my heart! Oh my gawd I just loved this book! I loved the mention of high school, secret meetings (so romantic) and of course sexy Mafia men!
Making edits for this authors books is so easy due to the amount of detail she puts in to each and every one of her books! She’s just awesome!
I adored Damiano and Renata and I am so glad there story is two parts because one book just wouldn’t have been enough! Renata is fierce and I love the fact that Damiano doesn’t feel inferior to her! It shows the strength of their love!
I can always count on this author for an amazing read full of laughs and sitting-on-the-edge-of-your-seat mystery!
I have to give Huntington 5 shining stars for this enemies to lovers prequel. A mafia princess and a hidden prince? Yes, please.
This was a beautiful story of trust, how hard to build, and how easily broken.
A beautiful blossoming of a friendship, and the end of the very same.
Both a love story and not, all at once.
Huntington gave us the conquering of an empire, one note at a time.
I am floored. In absolute awe. My mind is blown.
I am in love with both a Damsel & a Knight, and I regret absolutely nothing.
Good Prequel – Renata’s story
Renata Vitali: A Mafia Romance is the first book I have read by Parker S. Huntington and is the prequel to the book Damiano De Luca. I was not sure what to expect when I picked this book up as you just never know if you will like a “new to you” author’s writing style and story telling ability. With Renata I did enjoy the story-line and the characters of Renata and Damiano. The author’s writing style is also pleasant.
This is the story of two teenagers who fall in love, Renata and Damiano, under very strange circumstances with a lot of other stuff happening at the same time. She is a mafia queen who’s father oversees the five main mafia families. He is a mafia prince who father is the Don of the De Luca family and he dad is more than a bit crazy.
There were some things in the story that did not make sense and some timelines that were off to me. But overall it was an interesting story that held my attention and I liked it. I look forward to reading Damiano De Luca next.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
This prequel to Renata and Damiano’s intriguing story! They are young but are well versed in the life of the mafia, and know how to play the game. Renata is staying with Damiano and his family and he feels protective of her right from the start. Even tho they are on different levels of the mafia hierarchy, they become undercover friends and unlikley allies. But politics and power are a dangerous game and this story is so captivating that I can’t wait to find out where it goes next. Desireé Ketchum and Zachary Webber are amazing as they bring this intriguing story to life. They really build the tension of the story and the hint of attraction between Renata and Damiano adding to Huntington’s edgy and exhilarating story.
So with this being a novella I wasn’t expecting too much from it but boy was I wrong! WOW!! This book was full of all the things, All the feelings, the action, the excitement. It made me want more!
If you are looking for an HEA, this isn’t it but it is everything else one could want in a book.
Renata Vitali is a mafia princess who was sent to live with the De Luca Devil’s Ridge, Texas as a punishment by her father. Renata ends up learning things about the De Luca family she didn’t even know about, like Damiano De Luca. How did she not know of his existence? It intrigues her why he would be kept a secret.
You get to see just exactly who Renata is and I loved her! I loved watching her and Damian learn about each other and seeing all the little things going on between the two of them.
This story is told in multiple POVs so you get to see a little of both sides and it is perfection!
A Vitali Mafia Princess. A De Luca Mafia Prince. Renata And Damiano Cannot Be Friends, But Both Lonely Souls Wish For So Much More When Forced To Live Together!
Renata Vitali, sixteen, has been banished to the small Texas town of Devils Ridge by her tyrannical father. She’d had an unconventional upbringing. Her family, the Vitalis, have governed the five major Italian mafia syndicates for centuries. Her father is boss, and she the lone mafia princess. He needs to keep her in line, so he sent her to the second oldest city in Texas, host to lighthouses, a beautiful coastal edge, and a cumbersome mafia presence.
Being sent to De Luca syndicate territory is punishment. The De Lucas are crazy and they don’t trust outsiders. Devils Ridge’s Head Devil, Angelo De Luca, appears to follow in the tradition of mad leaders when he picks Renata up and takes her to his home – now her home indefinitely. The intimidation starts immediately and Renata intuitively understands the tightrope she must walk in order to keep him in line. Her last name should ensure her safety, but De Lucas are a special breed of mafia and there are no guarantees. Angelo explains in no uncertain terms that he doesn’t want her there. He doesn’t like her family thinking they run the five syndicates. And he doesn’t like her spying on them.
Damiano De Luca, seventeen, is set to inherit the De Luca throne if his father doesn’t kill him first – an action not without precedence in the De Luca family history. Damiano lost his mother at a young age, and Angelo, his father, has spiraled downhill ever since. But Damiano has a plan to dethrone his crazy father, and it just might work.
When he discovers a Vitali girl – the princess – has arrived and will be staying in his home, he is curious to see her. He just doesn’t expect to find her snooping in his bedroom.
When their eyes connect, something happens between them. Damiano sees immediately that everything about her is a lie, that she is a distraction. Un-plucked eyebrows. Dyed hair. Frumpy attire. Sweat pants. Chipped polish. Bitten nails. Holes in her shoes. Yet she attracts him more than anyone ever had. But she is a Vitali, and that means that they will never even be friends.
Damiano and Renata are forced together by their families and yet can’t be further apart. They understand they can never be friends, but they are both incredibly lonely. Renata spends her days holed up in her room, while Damiano works tirelessly on his plan to remove his father from power. Neither can afford to trust anyone. He a prince, and she the out of reach Vitali princess – they have a lot in common despite their families’ great divide. The temptation is there, but neither can afford to give into it.
Damiano and Renata’s story is heartbreaking. They are clearly meant to be together despite their last names. But they must battle issues of trust before they can put their families aside. And even when they begin to trust one another, they cannot trust anyone else around them. Their slow burn love story ends without their HEA.
There are some areas of the book that might cause the reader confusion. Renata and Damiano are teens, still in high school. It isn’t immediately clear what Damiano’s age is, and it is a little surprising to discover he is so young. Further, despite the mafia angle, some of the exchanges between Angelo and both Damiano and Renata feel off as well. Although Angelo has the excuse of being crazy, it is sometimes surprising what he lets them get way with saying to him without punishment. The beatings aren’t terribly credible when Damiano is so capable of keeping Angelo in line verbally when needed. The need for it to be written like that is understandable, but it doesn’t quite do the job. Finally, the timeline sometimes feels unrealistic. Renata hides in her room for months before high school is mentioned, so it is a little surprising to learn she will go to school. Additionally, the pace of the couple’s relationship is questionable. With little supervision (another oversight by Angelo), and only a wall separating their bedrooms, when Damiano and Renata decide to trust one another, they apparently hold back despite the fact that they both seem to have prior experience. No conversation explains this, and the act itself never warrants much discussion when it finally occurrs, so it feels off. Furthermore, in the epilogue, Renata’s work experience and education normally would amount to six years later, so absent an explanation, five years feels wrong. Finally, it is difficult to accept that Damiano cannot find Renata when she is living near the first place he would likey look. Surveillance of her mother’s home would give him the answers he so desperately seeks.
This is the prequel to “Damiano De Luca.” Renata’s story is engaging. The plot and the characters are complex. Both Renata and Damiano have tyrannical parents who control them by extreme methods. Both hide behind a mask. And both have to find a path forward into adulthood if they want to survive. I rate this story 4 stars.
I received a free advance copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
After reading the reviews who suggested that I read this book before I read Damian De Luca I made the mistake of taking that suggestion and reading it, and was bored which surprised me because I love Mafia romance books but yeah this book did not live up to its hype and then I made the mistake of actually reading Damiano De Luca and was utterly confused on why it had gotten so many good reviews.
Renata Vitali, A Prequel to Damiano De Luca (The Five Syndicates Series) caught my eye with its beautiful cover and intriguing synopsis. Thus novella begins with a intriguing listen and continues till the end. Character’s are compelling with complex personalities. I absolutely love the witty banter between Damiano & Renata. A special blend of ingredients forward, prologue, quotes before each chapter & epilogue al interwined to create a poignant listen. Angst, passion, and intrigue swirling through the pages. The writing style draws you in & keeps you captivated until the end. I’m absolutely loving this series and this novella is no exception, as I love it to. Looking forward to listening to Damiano De Luca.
Narators Desiree Ketchum and Zachary Webber duet narration of this novella was impeccable. Their inflection flowed through flawlessly and smoothly. I absolutely love Zachary Webber’s baritone voice. Desiree’s voice is intoxicating and keeps you wanting more.
This was a GREAT story and I loved the characters ! Now I’m diving in to Damian’s story and can’t wait to ready more.
Wow. What a way to introduce a new author. Renata Vitali is a heart piercing prequel novella to Damiano De Luca. A mafia romance with an emotional and intense edge that will make you fall in love with it. The writing is absolutely intriguing. Renata Vitali pulls you into an angsty and heart pumping story that will make your heart quake. You will meet Renata and Damiano as they start a magnificent and punishing love.
ARC provided by author in exchange for an honest review.
Wow. This book brings out so many emotions and will leave you wanting to jump into the next to see how this story ends. I loved it and can’t wait for the next from Parker.
Renata Vitali
A Prequel to Damiano De Luca
By: Parker S. Huntington
Narrated by: Zachary Webber, Desireé Ketchum
Oh, Parker S. Huntington, you have set me up to fall for Damiano! This prequel is so good, letting us get a taste of what is to come. Renata Vitali is sent to live the the De Luca family as a punishment. But what is it really? Damiano De Luca has had a tough childhood, but has a plan. Does it include Renata? This look into the past of the dynamic duo is incredibly provocative, and enlightening. Renata is quite the character, full of bravado and totally unexpected since she is a girl. I love that she has voice, and isn’t afraid to use it. Damiano is quietly strong. Not to be underestimated, he will prove to be a worthy adversary. I cannot wait to hear their story!
Zachary Webber and Desiree Ketchum in duet narration are brilliant as Damiano and Renata. Webber pulls out a Texas accent, with perspective and vulnerability. Ketchum becomes Renata. I felt her come through with the belief in who she is, full of passion and attitude. Looking forward to hearing more in Damiano’s story!
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One of my favorite things about reading romance is the feeling of falling in love. Feeling a connection with the characters and allllllll the emotions deep down in your soul. You laugh when something is funny (despite getting weird looks from everyone around you.), you cry when your heart gets broken (and yes, Im a crier).
Parker S. Huntington brings all the feels. I absolutely loved every single word. Renata is such a strong, beautiful heroine. She’s got one heck of a backbone. I love her sass and how smart she is. And Damiano.. WHEW. Boy does he set your kindle on fire. He’s cunning, intelligent and smoldering sexiness all rolled into one.
This is such a great, quick read..One I devoured in a few hours. I was longing for more…and luckily book 2 (Damiano De Luca) came out shortly after. I highly recommend this book..this series is a definite must have in your library.
Renata is a mafia princess banished because of the secrets she holds. Damiano is son to a ruthless mafia Don that abuses him. The two clash as teens and the strikes are like lightning. What could have been the start of a relationship ends before it can begin. A good prequel for Damiano’s story.
I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am leaving a review.
This is a wonderful intro into the characters Renata and Damiano. They meet as teenagers and immediately have explosive chemistry. This is a great way to introduce these characters and their mafia families. I have the second book lined up so it’s straight on to that story!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book is the prequel to “Damiano De Luca” and what a fantastic read this book was! The great character and plot development kept me turning the pages as the storyline unfolded between Ren and Damian!
Fabulous. Five stars for a great prequel that gives us the backstory, which is an adventure of its own. Damiano and Renata are enemies to lovers. We first meet them as teens. They’ve both grown up with responsibilities and burdens. In this prequel we watch them come together in spite of what they should be doing. Parker S Huntington writes a fabulous story with well developed characters that don’t suddenly do or say stupid things. This is dark and gritty. I’m always eager to see this author release a book and this prequel comes right before the main story. (I voluntarily reviewed an ARC).
“I’m not upset that you lied to me, I’m upset that from now on I can’t believe you.”
This was my first read by Parker and definitely not my last. I love the strength of Renata. The unexpected vulnerability of Damiano. Not to disappoint…you have to have the angst in a great mafia read which you will have the disgust and urge for violence to wipe out a few of the family you’re introduced to.
“I don’t want to be his first love. I want to be his last love.”
Diving into Damiano DeLuca…I have a feeling I won’t be left disappointed!