A mafia romance about best friends turned enemies by Rachel Van Dyken, the number one New York Times bestselling author of the Eagle Elite series.
The enemy of my enemy is my friend… take care of anyone who gets in our way.
But ever since the incident.
Ever since Him.
There’s been a war in our little clique.
After all, a house divided cannot stand.
He’s the problem, not me.
He used to kiss me like I was his oxygen.
Now he looks at me like I’m his poison.
But we both drank it, again and again, never believing there would be a day when our love would start a war.
And our friendship would shatter into a million pieces.
Then again, the worst thing you could do in the mafia is hang on to hope that your life will be normal.
The second worst thing?
Fall in love with your best friend.
Enemy.
And heir to the Nicolasi throne.
more
Yes! ALL THE STARS!
This was an absolutely epic story and I love that nothing is held back. The violence, the love, the chemistry, the respect, the tragedy, the loyalty, and the intensity; it is all 100%!
It never ceases to amaze me how this author can completely rip my heart out, stomp all over it, put it through a grinder, and then manage to slowly put it back together in the end. This is an unputdownable, passionate, and ruthless story and I couldn’t put it down.
A. Must. Read. Mafia. Romance.
I am so happy we get a new series from the Queen of Mafia romances. I am so in love with this world and never want to let go. I can’t wait until this Winter and we get the next book!
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
5 DEADLY SEXY STARS!! OMG….This book had me on the edge of my seat all the way through. Serena and Junior’s story is deadly, sexy, hot, drama, family and friends and will keep you flipping pages. This mafia story was so different….it hooked me right away. I can’t wait for the next book. You must read this book and hook yourself.
Rachel Van Dyken is the queen of mafia romances to me and this book slayed me. Serena and Junior have gone through every level emotion you can imagine friendship/love/hate they had it all and tried to taper down how they felt cause they knew it would bring consequences. Oh the angst and hotness of this book!!!
Ruthless Princess by Rachel Van Dyken is the book 1 in the Mafia Royals series. This is Serena Abandonato and Junior Nicolasi’s story.
They are the children of the leaders of two of the five families. Serena and Junior have a forbidden love type relationship. They were best friends from childhood and that turned to love. But due to the sins of their parents, their fated to hate one another, not love. This is a slowburn romance where the main characters go from BFF to Enemies-to-lovers. This is an extraordinary story that is filled with raw, gritty, dark, twisted, gripping, emotional, intense, heartbreak, brutal, steamy, romantic , and oh the feels. Serena and Junior will have you rooting for them , for their love and for their Romeo/Juliet type of relationship. Ms. Van Dyken has written quite the dark mafia romance that will take the reader on the journey from start to finish. I can’t wait to read more by Ms. Van Dyken.
My Rating: 4.5 stars ********
I absolutely fell in love with RVD’s Mafia series, Eagle Elite, so to now be able to read about the next generation in a brand new mafia series has made this dark romance lover very happy. Don’t worry if you haven’t read Eagle Elite though (although you really really should!) because you can start right here and become just as addicted as I am.
If you’ve read Rachel’s mafia books from the beginning, you know they actually started off quite tame, and as she’s written more and more of them, they’ve become darker, more violent, bloodier, sexier, steamier, and now she’s definitely found her dark romance mojo because she’s not holding anything back anymore! Dare I say that this new generation just might be better than the original!!
With characters you won’t be able to stop thinking about…some that may even haunt your dreams, in good and bad ways, this story is truly ruthless and it gutted me in ways I didn’t expect.
Serena and Junior may have loved each other at 16, but they had always known that their parents would kill them for being together…literally. So, family had to come first and as years went by, their love turned to hate. The twist and turns were unexpected, which is saying something because I know to brace myself for the unexpected!
Death, destruction, and mayhem with love winning out in the end, but beware because there’s a lot of blood and tears shed along the way.
Being able to escape back into the Eagle Elite world has been a treat I didn’t know I needed. In a world where “Blood in. No out.” is a way of life, I should have known this book was going to leave a mark on heart.
I can not stress enough that you do not have to read EE to dive into this spin off series. That being said, I couldn’t not not recommend you to read those. The last few are, with out a doubt, some of thee best books I’ve ever read. Nothing has effected me as much as Eulogy did, but man, this one gave it a run for its money.
This is insane, wonderful, twisted, but man there’s nothing better than it. Top 5 book of the year, no doubt about it. Rachel has kicked of this series with a book so powerful that she’s cemented herself as the gold standard for Mafia Romance for me.
That being said….I’m still gonna need more Chase as his politician self…..kthnxbai
Seriously…… I neeedddsss it bad.
OMG, I don’t know where to start. I thought I loved the Eagle Elite Series, but this is so much more. I am in love with these characters. This is my new favorite series. This one really shocked me, it has a lot of feels. I was crying, yelling NO, then happy with sappy tears. I really loved their parents stories but this is so much more, the children are ruthless and powerful but know when and where to use it. I guess you can say they had good teachers. Serena and Juniors story was gutting me but then there was Ash, I cried for what he went through and what he had to do because of his role in the family. Don’t miss this first book in the series, these characters are great and I can’t wait to read more.
Ruthless Princess by Rachel Van Dyken is the First book in the Mafia Royals Series. This is the story of Junior Nicolasi and Serena Abandonato. This series does have a prequel called ‘Royal Bully’ in addition to that this is a spin off of the Eagle Elite series. But I thought this was a standalone book.
Junior and Serena are the mafia type Romeo and Juliet I thought. They are starting to take their position in life and in their mafia family. This was a dark romance read that the author took you into their world and had you go through a lot of emotions. This book was nothing short of a page turner for me. I loved it and can’t wait for the next book in this series.
Rachel Van Dyken has knocked it out of the park with this next generation of Eagle Elite!!I
Reviewed in the United States on May 19, 2020
I have to admit that I did not think it was possible for Rachel to outdo herself but this next generation of Mafia royalty is beyond words. I devoured this book in one sitting and was left wanting more! Rachel has written these multilayered characters that appear one way to the world but their secrets are their own and they keep them on lock-down.
Ruthless Princess was a story of mafia,family, loyalty and fighting for what you want. When they say blood in no out, they mean it literally. This story shows the dark, bloody, gritty and haunting side of the mafia and it was a suspenseful, twisted, heartbreaking roller-coaster ride of emotions, love, hate and learning what your willing to risk. I cannot praise Rachel Van Dyken enough for her imaginative, suspenseful and gut wrenching and addictive mafia spinoff series. I can’t wait for the next book in this amazing series!
Ruthless Love and a Bitter Princess. Rachel Van Dyken doesn’t do anything half-way. Ruthless Princess is ruthless on your heart, mind, and soul.
If you’ve never had the RVD Mafia experience, you found an incredible way to start it. Ruthless Princess is a stand alone in her new series of stand alones. It’s a way to get your feet wet. It’s a baptism of blood and death. A love so intense you aren’t sure you will survive it as the reader. For those that have followed the EE, this is a freaking cherry on a sundae.
Eagle Elite next generation is like learning your favorite series ever is being continued indefinitely. Yeah, I freaked out, yelled, and danced. I also am plotting a way to do an entire EE reread because ending this novel is like losing family all over again.
Every time I finish one of RVD’s mafia books, I crave The Family all over again. If they could makes these books into movies (all the Eagle Elite) I would watch them on a permanent loop!
Ruthless Princess gives us the OG Elect and the NG (next generation) in a chess match. Worth dying for…Absolutely. Blood in. No Out.
“Two Twirls” will always catch me in the feels. Now, my jaded mafia loving heart is going to cling to “as long as we both shall live.”
Ruthless Princess and her King are going to tear you apart cut by cut. They are going to gouge your eyes, rip sinew from your bones, and make you want the quick death. Their love will destroy even the most hard hearted. Their hate will hurt even more. Because a hate like theirs inspires your heart to do anything for one more minute, one more touch, one more…everything.
Raise your wine glass, shot glass, or in the case of the OGs- your gun, and solute the bravest, dumbest, and best the NG has to offer us…so far! To Serena and her King, Junior DeLange-Nicolasi.
There is way to much to say about this book that I can’t because I don’t want to give everything away. I loved how strong both Serena and Junior are. I love how they try to put the family first. This book made me laughter and cry and completely lose tract of time. Once I started I couldn’t put it down. This is an amazing book and I can’t wait to find out what happens next.
I was a little hesitant and not prepared to love the next generation Of Eagle Elite but what a fool I was because Blood In…No Out!
I loved this book. It was engrossing, dramatic, emotional, heartfelt, gritty, humorous and sexy. The list of adjectives could go on and on. The characters are fleshed out and suck you right in.
This was Junior and Serena’s story but I love how you get insight into some of the cousins whose stories will come after without ever feeling they’re taking away from our main characters. I honestly devoured this book and cannot wait for more secrets to unfold in the books to come.
I highly recommend this book and would note that it can be read on a stand alone basis without having read the original Eagle Elite series.
I was provided with a copy of this book from the publisher; there was no inducement or obligation and I opted to leave a review.
I am loving this series and can’t believe need to wait till January for the next instalment. Suspense, family drama, murder and action. It wouldn’t be a mafia book without a hierarchy. The elect children have decided that things are going to be different and take things into their own hands. A great read and thrilling throughout.
OMG OMG I honestly dont read so much mafia romance just Rachel’s books and after reading this one i KNOW why is this. She as an incredible way or write this story that once i started reading i cant stop!!
Junior and Serena story is EVERYTHING and more that i have been waiting once she announced she was writing this book! the book has drama, sexy and hot moments, amazing second characters that i cant wait to read more about them.
Honestly I wont say anything else because i dont want to write a spoiler but if you have read any of the other mafia romances by Rachel you NEED to read this one as soon as is available, because is soo perfect that you wont stop reading once you started.
With this book Rachel has secure her crown as my Queen for Mafia Romance!!!
What a rollercoaster, I’ve survived it. Mafia book shoot me with adrenaline, my heart was pounding so fast but it’s what’s we like when we read this kind of book and this one. I wasn’t prepared for it, I didn’t know the parents I went on it with a blindfold.
all this secrets and rules made my head spin. The first chapter push you in the forbidden land, let’s break rules and don’t let them catch you, make us bleed in and don’t let a trace about what you’ve done, this is what this book did to me.
There is a lot of chemistry in this book, Love and Hate in this story mean the same thing, but the passion the characters put in it hell, I’m 100% for this love hate thing, I don’t want fairytale in this world.
This Mafia royalty family got me for good, the next gereration are stronger and Serena follow her gut and I like it, she’s not here to stay behind the boys, she’s here to rule . The equality between them is marvellous and the girl didn’t shade a tears about it.
I can’t wait for what is coming at them, this family is ruthless and I like it. I’ll say no more because there is so much and I need to keep everything for myself you just need to enjoy as much I’ve enjoyed it.
“ ’ .”
Gonna be honest. It took me awhile to REALLY get into the headspace for this.
But once I really dived in, it blew me away.
The dynamic between the family members, the way the kids were willing to take charge of their destiny. It was an all consuming ride.
Not gonna lie. I cried a little at certain parts.
But it was worth it.
Love
***5 “The Phoenix has risen!!! stars***
“Our love was impossible.
And I knew more than her -how easy love could start a war.”
Wow!!!! Just wow!!! I’m really impressed with this world that Rachel Van Dyken has create in here!!!!
The next generation is even more impressive than the first one!!!!
I won’t hide to you that some times the things that were happening in here were seeming unreal, but this crazy world of brutality it might exist somewhere out there!!!!
This story was full of blood, hatred, heartbreaking, steamy and hilarious moments, but also full of sweet and sour moments!!!!
There are so many rules that have to be followed in here and in order to survive, you have no other choice to follow them. Or not???
“We were a dynasty in the making.
We’d had no choice but to learn how to fight.”
Before i start talking about this story, i have to mark that you have to read before “Bully Royal”… a small novella that showed us how things turned out the way they were!!!
Junior Nicolasi and Serena Ambadonato are the spawns of two of the big bosses in the mafia… They are mafia royalties, but their fathers weren’t always best friends… And because the previous generation had gone through too many shits, they have place some rules upon the next generation…
Nobody of the kids has to full around inside their own circle, no having sex, no falling in love…
Breaking this rule will mean death!!!!
A little bit cruel, don’t you think??? But that was their reality!!!!
“Never had there been such hatred between a king and queen.”
“Mine. It had all been mine.
Until we were both forced to choose.
And choosing her -would have killed us all.”
Asher, Serena’s cousin and Junior’s best friend, saw the signs very early… He knew that Junior and Serena were all over each other and in order to save their lives, he decided to destroy their love…
At the present, Serena and Junior are having a weird relationship full of hatred. Or not???
The only thing that is remaining into their eyes is hate for each other and a deep hole inside their hearts that had been caused from each other…
They are trying very hard to work together as part of the Elect, but at the same time, they are not losing a chance to get on each other’s throat!!!!
“One day… I’m going to kill you.”
“You can’t kill what’s already dead.”
“The fear, you could almost smell it -I lived for it- it was all I had now that love was gone, now that my heart was obliterated.”
What will happen when after all this time these two are forced to live under the same roof???
Will their old suppressed feelinsg return back with a bigger force than before???
Will they risk their lives because of their feelings??? Or they will keep playing the game and stay far away from each other???
“There were no stiches strong enough, brave enough, for a broken heart like mine.
Best it stayed broken, so it never had to feel that first slice.
The pain is never in the days after you lose your heart to someone.
The pain is in the moment you realize that your forever is no longer your future, but your past.”
I won’t hide to you that this book made my heart ache very badly…
It was aching for Serena and Junior’s behalf…
Yep, they were strong and bloodthirsty as hell, but they had a great weakness… Each other!!!
And as much as they wanted to believe that they had gotten over their time together, there was a big hollow space on their souls that could be filled only with each other…
Their struggles were leaving me breathless and my heart was in so much hurt for these two….
They were just made for each other and their families were keeping them apart!!!!
“He was the guy who used to hold me when I cried.
Now he was the reason for my tears.”
“It was for the best, her hate.
Because if I had her love -I wouldn’t be able to become the monster my dad needed me to be- the monster she needed me to be- to keep her safe.”
I can’t tell you how much i loved Serena and Junior!!!
They were both batshit crazy, but who wasn’t in this group???
They were both strong and determined to save the other from this awful fate!!!!
But keeping them apart was impossible in every way that could count!!!!
They had masked their love into hate in order to survive, but was it worth it after all???
“Serena Abandonato was my suicide mission.
And my heart couldn’t help but beat…yes.”
“It’s in my blood; my blood is damaged.”
“It’s not your blood that’s damaged.”
“If not my blood, then what?”
“Your heart.”
“I guess you would know, wouldn’t you? Since you still have it.”
Well, these two weren’t the only people that i loved fiercely in here…
All the kids in this crazy mafia royal family were so loveable in a very strange way!!! LOL!!!!
But my heart broke so much for Asher as well!!! I felt like a weird repeat of the past and my heart couldn’t handle his pain!!!!
Also, i loved that the next generation decided to not be punished for their father’s sins and to take matters into their own hands…
Also, I’m very angry with the heads of the families, especially Nixon!!! What the hell, man????
“I ‘d been baptized in bad blood.
While he’d been baptized in death.
Both moments had created us, formed us, and both moments would define us.”
“We’re better than this, Ash. We’re better than our parents. We need to fix this. Not make it worse.”
P.S. If you’re probably wondering, you can find the old generation books as the “Eagle Elite” series, but “Mafia Royals” series is brand new and you can read it without reading the EE before!!!
I’ve personally read only the first book in the “Eagle Elite” series, but now, i’m craving them and i need to go back!!!!
“To be who you’re meant to be-you must. When power’s taken -it must be stolen back.”
***An ARC kindly provided for the exchange of an honest review!***
YALL! Rachel Van Dyken has gone uncensored and I am HERE for it! This book was dark, twisted, raw, hot, and more. The family ties are there and strong as we have seen with this family. Everybody will be tested in this. I cannot come up with the words to describe this, but one second I was cursing Rachel and in the next crying and then laughing through the tears. RVD’s writing is phenomenal and has gone to a new level. I absolutely loved this book to pieces. Also, Asher-Tank-Breaker are mine. I am so ready for the next installment. Mafia is a wild ride- so buckle-in.
This book IS NOW LIVE! I know. It is exciting.u2060
This is a whole new crew. The kids of the Mafia Families we can to Love with the Eagle Elite. You can start brand new with this series and dive right in with Ruthless Princess and it will be everything you need it to be and more.u2060
Rachel takes it to an entire new level ith this book and you aren’t ready for it. But dive in anyway because you wont regret a single second of it.u2060
Junior and Serena are a new breed fo Mafia. They are passionate and dark and the literally sexual tension while you read this book jumps off the pages. I couldn’t put it down once I started. I have read all the others book int his world so I LOVED to get to see old faces, but his book is written to hat you can dive in brand new with this book and not be lost at all.
Rachel perfectly crafts a new generation of Mafia to fall in love with and I am left salivating for the next book because this book? BROUGHT IT.
5+++ stars! “I laughed, I cried, it was better than Cats”. No. Seriously. This first installment of Rachel Van Dyken’s new mafia series will have you tearing up on one page and belly laughing on the next.
“I’m good at this; you made me good at this. I’m not your princess anymore, I’m your assassin, I’m your right hand, and I was born to be ruthless, just like my dad.”
It’s the brand of writing we have come to expect, the viciousness and the emotion we crave, and the characters we both love and hate. I can’t wait for the next to be released!