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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I’ve found another new to me author and I’m so angry at myself. How have I never read any of their books before. This is book five in the series but can be read without reading the prior books but I will be doing back to get them all.
Sometimes prequels can be a hit or a miss but OMG this was an intense ride. I loved the writing the characters and the story. We see how Reneta and Damiano meet, how they go from enemies to friends and how they fell hopelessly in love and all the heartache in between.
If this is the appetizer to the full story I can’t wait to get my hands on Damiano
This is my first time reading this author’s work and I am intrigued. I enjoyed this slow burn romance between Vitali princess Renata and DeLuca heir Damian. This story sets the scene for Damian’s book and gives us a glimpse into the character’s first meeting and falling in love. This book gives us an insight into the DeLuca family and its psychotic patriarch Angelo. It end on a cliffhanger and I look forward to reading the next book.
Knight & Day or Princess and Damsel? – Fantastic read!
It was my first read from this author and I enjoyed the writing style and the way the story line was built. The build up of tension kept me interested and raised my curiosity, made me want to read further to see what’s going to happen next. And the writing is unique, it is hard for me to explain but I felt it is outstanding and excellent and it stands out from the rest of the novels.
The story set up in the world of syndicates where showing any emotions is seen as a weaknesses. Hurt, betrayal and broken trust that all lead to the broken hearts. I easily connected with both main characters and the ending caused that now I need more, I need so much much more of Renata and Damiano. Can’t wait to dive into their next book.
Well hell, I fell madly in love with this novella from the very start!!
Renata Vitali is a generously brilliant, poetic in fashion, work of literal art!
Soul crushingly good!!
Let’s start with the fact this is a prequel, I knew that going in as it’s noted in the description, it’s also not a happy ending type of story …hence the word prequel. But, what it is is a wonderfully written enemies to lovers, secret friends novella. An intro to Damiano De Luca and Renata Vitali’s story that will leave you wanting more. And lucky for us, we don’t have to wait long at all. Did I mention I adore second chance stories? I cannot wait for theirs. It’s going to be ALL the things. I can already tell.
Renata Vitali is the Mafia Princess you can’t help but love. She’s calm under fire. Has an air of innocence and indifference yet stands her ground. I loved her fierceness especially considering her age. And the fact that she makes decisions based on her heart even though she’d have everyone believe she doesn’t have one. Damiano De Luca on the other hand, swoon, what’s not to like? He endures so much for others which says the most about the sort of man he is…and if he’s like that at 18, what is he going to be like years from now? GAH! I cannot wait to find out. Don’t get me wrong, he has some A-hole tendencies but that just makes him all the more endearing…maybe I’m weird. I loved that most of their meetings were in a library…isn’t that where all good romances start? Parker is the queen of building sexual tension and she didn’t fail us with this novella either. It was palpable and screaming from the pages, and once they finally stopped fighting their attraction it was pure perfection. I cannot wait to see what she has in store for this couple next.
I loved that this novella gave us all a common enemy. Damiano’s dad (I refuse to give his name as he isn’t worthy of one…do you get the feeling I really hate him?) is the worse of the worse and I’m so glad things played out the way they did for him. That’s a testament to Parker’s skill that she can make you both love and hate characters based on the attributes she gives them and world builds so wonderfully that you become invested in the story and the characters lives. This story also has a mystery weaved through it and I’m looking forward to the possibility of that being expanded upon in the next book.
I might have mentioned a time or two that I love duet narration, and this one was done to perfection. Desiree Ketchum and Zachary Webber are pure gold in this book, and I cannot wait to hear them in the next – Damiano De Luca. When I read the book and Renata described Damiano as having a voice like Zachary Webber I thought it was fun and a nod to audiobook fans but hearing it? I couldn’t help the chuckle that arose. I love when narrators are mentioned in books, but it’s always hilarious to me when it’s a narrator working on said book. What makes it even more fantastic is the fact that Zachary Webber carried the character so well, that he truly was Damiano. He’s always been a favourite when it comes to the more emotional scenes and there are a couple in this book (although maybe emotional isn’t the right word) that he just nails, the delivery is so spot on that you can’t help but be affected by it. Desiree Ketchum was pure perfection as Renata Vitali. Her performance of the character was brilliant. You felt that fierceness that the character had bleed through the speakers. I’m sure it’s not easy to balance the innocence of the character’s age with how she handled herself but somehow Desiree managed it and to a degree that it was convincing, you believed she would act in these ways. It was a wonderful listening experience. Both Zachary and Desiree did a great job with the Italian accent and it didn’t sound over the top. Their voices really complemented each other, I look forward to more work from them together. The casting was on point big time with this book. There were no production issues of note.
*Impatiently waiting for Damiano De Luca*
They were supposed to be enemies, they were supposed to hate each other, but when they become friends that all changes. Like a mob style Romeo and Juliet, she was mafia princess and he was a mafia bosses son. But one sentence seemed to of changed their friendship, I can not wait to read more about these two.
Renata Vitali is the daughter of Margot Vitali, who family enforced the peace between the five syndicate. She returned home early one day to catch her father in an uncompromising position and led to believe that he sent her away to another syndicate territory in Devils Ridge, Texas. There she would meet Angelo DeLuca, the head of the DeLuca crime family and his son, Damiano DeLuca.
Damiano DeLuca is the son of Angelo DeLuca and the head of the DeLuca family. He is reckless, cruel and dangerous. Damiano is a well kept secret from many in the syndicate family that he is the son of Angelo for reason unknown. He began receiving expensive cigars with instructions from a benefactor on solving many secrets activities within his fathers organization. The unusual actions led him to distance himself from his father presence until he meets their new houseguest, Renata Vitali. Who is Damiano benefactor? Who really sent Renata to the DeLuca territory?
This story was an awesome prequel to Damiano DeLuca book and it was written in the Mafia Romance series awhile back. A great page turner!
******I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and voluntarily leaving an honest review******
I could give all the traditional accolades like “She’s done it again!” or “Riveting!” or “You can’t miss this one!” While they are well deserved accolades, it can’t compare to Parker’s writing being some of the most addictive writing out there and my kind of drug.
Loved this prequel to Renata and Damiano’s first encounters as teens… the secret Prince of the De Luca Family and the Princess of the Five Syndicate world. Full of not-so-typical teen age angst, but so much more! Love, lust, lies and betrayal – the cornerstones of mafia life. Highly recommend this. 5 out of 5 stars.
I have both this and Damiano‘s stories to read. I like to get their past before heading into their future and what all happened after Renata ran away and the emotions they fell being separated from their soul mate. This one is from both POVs when Ren is turning 17 and ends after she’s 18 and being scared away from Damiano. How their unlikely friendship all started and how they got on each other’s nerve, a truce and later when scared words are spoken.
My first read from the author and I like it.
Smart conversation, strong girl who prefer to be the Knight instead the princess, a Prince who’s more a damsel to her that no one see need to be save beside her.
Although the author claim you don’t need to read this before the full book, I’ll say this book still need to read before so you’ll see Renata and Damiano in their “innocent” time and how their feeling grow.
Wow! This is my first book by Parker S. Huntington and I have found a new author to add to my favorites list. Damiano and Renata were EVERYTHING! This storyline sucked me in so hard. The writing was gorgeous. Everything was so deeply developed that this didn’t feel like a prequel. I was left with secrets and questions and I need answers NOW!
WOW!! Parker S Huntington delivers yet again with Renata Vitali. This book is the prequel to Damiano De Luca and tells the story of how they met, fell in love, and ultimately fell apart. It is beautiful, it is witty and it is heartbreaking.
I loved every minute of it and cannot wait to read what happens next in Damiano De Luca
RENATA VITALI AND DAMIANO DELUCA…SEEMS LIKE FATE..
I loved this novella….it is the perfect prequel to the next book in Parker S. Huntington’s The Five Syndicate Series, DAMIANO DELUCA… Obviously, it ends on a cliff, but it’s a prequel….we, we should expect that…we get to see the beginning of the relationship between mafia princess, Renata Vitali and mafia prince, Damiano DeLuca……I fell in love with these characters, and the book did it’s job…I couldn’t wait to read Damiano’s book…..This author gets better and better…..
This is my first book by this author and it was absolutely amazing. This is a second chance, enemies to lovers type of book. It will keep you wanting more. Can’t wait for the next book.
I’ve been following this series since book 1 and each book keeps getting better and better. Renata Vitali is the prequel novella to Damiano DeLuca the 6th book in The five Syndicates series. It was gripping and engrossing and will have you at the edge of your seat and hooked until the very end. It combined enemies-to-lovers, YA and mafia tropes into a fascinating tale that gave us the perfect introduction to Damiano and Renata relationship.
You will love these well-developed complex characters, and will be consumed with the story-line. It will evoke a range of emotions from you and will leave you wanting more after its ended. Yes this was a novella but it felt like so much more. This author was able to infuse so much into these chapters that you felt like it was a full length novel.
Renata Vitali was captivating page-turner worthy of a 5 star status. I loved it and would highly recommend it to all YA and Mafia lovers.
This is a wellwritten and fastpaced book.
I love the intriguing and entertaining storyline and the characters.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This book CONSUMED me…DEVOURED my attention…DEMANDED it. Read in less than twenty four hours, this book is epic. The chemistry between Renata and Damian crackles with electricity and fire. One of the best mafia books I’ve ever read.
Holy WOW, that was good. Exquisite and intriguing, Renata Vitali is the perfect prequel to Damiano De Luca, introducing readers to this couple. The chemistry is combustible from the very beginning as 17-year-old Damian meets Renata. A mafia princess, Renata was taught from a young age that fear and trust are weaknesses so she has learned to shield her emotions and analyze people within seconds. When she looks at Damian, she sees someone who can hold his own with her, but also a man in need of her assistance. What follows is the story of how these two guarded teens come to know and love each other… only for it all to crumble.
I am absolutely looking forward to the full length book that follows this prequel. The writing is fantastic, the characters are complex and likeable despite the claws they show the world. I so enjoyed the easy conversation these two share – trading barbs while knowing they are attracted to one another on a level that goes more than skin deep. This book is a great tease as to what will follow in Damiano De Luca, making it impossible to not want to find out what happens to this ill-fated couple after both of their hearts (and the reader’s) are ripped out.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.