Carla Throughout my entire life I’ve only wanted one thing — independence. It might seem easy, but it’s quite the contrary. It’s nothing but a myth in my family because my life is not my own. It never has been and it never will be.At least, not until now.I made a deal with my father to gain some aspect of freedom. I would marry a Romanian Clan leader to unite their vast mafia with our family … their vast mafia with our family hitman business. Two powerful families coming together, creating the most feared partnership in the world.
I only wonder if my new husband will take the independence I cherish so dearly away from me, or will he open the door to my cage and set me free.
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Carla wants freedom and independence. In order to accomplish this she gives in to her father to marry a man of the Clan hoping that he will give her the independence she so desires. Joining two Clans will be powerful.
Phillipe is somewhat conservative whereas Carla is more open to her sexuality. Loved the banter and steamy scenes.
When threats try to destroy the Clans they must unite in order to survive.
Cliffy.
Not sure about this one for me
Ruthless is the first book in The Clans series by Elizabeth Knox which I have read. I have read and liked other books by this author so had high hopes when I started this one, plus the book description looked like would be very interesting. For the most part I thought the story-line was good but there were definitely things which had me wondering what I was reading. Both Carla and Philippe are characters who have split personalities in a way.
For me I found this story hard to finish as I just did not really care that much for Philippe and really was wondering what Luna’s character was doing telling parts of the story from her POV, as she is Philippe’s assistant. I may go back and read some of the previous books in this series to see if I can get a better understanding on The Clans world by this author and see if I can then get a better understanding on Carla and Philippe.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
Loved the book it was great, the story was well written and the characters are interesting. Carla is sick and tired of not having any freedom, she has gone as far as asking for an arranged marriage which will benefit both family’s. Philippe is willing to marry Carla but was not prepared on her wildness. They are total opposites they do match perfectly, it hot, excitement, drama, chaos and stimulation that the mind just has to have more especially with this book.
Thank you for allowing me to review your book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Review Rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars – My first read into this series brings me into Carla’s world, a mafia princess who is used to getting her way, though her father does not realize it. An advantageously arranged marriage will open more doors for Carla, allowing her more freedom, she reckons, with a man whom she hopes to mold to the new life she intends to live without limits. Her independence is fiercely guarded, and she intends to keep it no matter what, along with making her dreams come true and taking what pleasures she wishes along the way. Philippe is the leader to the Romanian Clan, older than her, and his eyes are opened wide when he sets them upon her one year later after their agreement to be married is firmed, in sudden realization of what kind of woman she is: wild, strong-willed, and uninhibited.
There is a third POV from Luna, Philippe’s assistant, which took the reader on a tangent when it came to her intentions, but it did ultimately serve to move the story along. I did not find Philippe’s character to be solidly developed, as it was contradictory in parts, and his actions were those not expected of as a leader of a powerful clan.
I enjoyed this book from beginning to end. It was a great with the having characters that are well developed and engaging and have plenty of chemistry. The flow of the storyline was steady and smooth.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
In the minority with this book. Sorry, just not for me.
I thought the writing was very well done, but the storyline just wasn’t for me. As a mafia romance, Philippe was a contradiction. Fully immersed in the mafia lifestyle but still wanting to be a good guy, which he was. I liked him and his character a lot, but he always seemed one step behind, and was a bit gullible especially when it came to Luna. His whole reaction and dealings with Luna were frustrating and painful to read.
I disliked the heroine in this story, but there were parts that I really liked about her. She was strong, feisty, and no shrinking violet even though her father called all the shots for her life and future. I loved the way she stood up to any woman who threatened her relationship with Philippe, she was way more assertive in what she wanted and more protective of their relationship than he was. I didn’t like her dishonesty, selfishness and her cheating. Doesn’t matter to me if it was FF relationships, it was still cheating.
Her whole personality kind of revolved around her sexuality and the FF scenes were always popping up in this storyline. It didn’t enhance her relationship with Philippe. By the end of the story, I had a hard time caring about the outcome of this uneven couple.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I love the dynamics of this duel authors, this mafia world they have created is both thrilling and exciting with breathless action throughout.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Carla Isn’t Terribly Likable, And Philippe Is Too Gullible. Only His Earnest Desire To Love Her Can Overcome Her Shortcomings.
Carla Moretti, an Italian woman in Seattle in her early thirties, wants freedom from her assassin father and his rules. She loves to play around and let loose as an escape – and doesn’t discriminate between men and women. Her one thing that belongs to her is her restaurant, which she pours herself into.
The Romanian Clan is into arranged marriages which solidify alliances, and Carla sees agreeing to one as her only chance at freedom from her father. The clan matches her with Philippe from Munich. A good match, her Romanian sister-in-law tells her. Philippe is a good man who will be very good to her.
Philippe Sala, roughly mid-thirties to early forties, is a procrastinator and sometimes speaks without thought. He isn’t prepared when he discovers that Carla has a wild side and says a few things he probably shouldn’t have. He is fairly conservative, but he committed to the arrangement and has to give Carla a chance.
Carla and Philippe have a very odd courtship. Little is known about Philippe, and what is known of Carla isn’t terribly likable. Only Philippe’s earnest desire to love her can overcome her shortcomings. They seem to earn an HEA, but the biggest obstacle to that appears to be MIA, and without an explanation of how that resolved, how happy their ever after is remains a mystery.
There are many inconsistencies which may frustrate some readers. First, Carla states she is closest in her family to Enzo, then states that Sal is the only one she considers real family. Next, before anything has been defined, Carla talks Philippe into a threesome when at the same time she is upset he was with another woman, accident or not. Moreover, she had justified her promiscuity by explaining she lets off steam with people she knows, which is better and less risky than finding a stranger, yet she brings a stranger into their bed. Further, Carla desperately wants freedom throughout the book. It is her driving motivation, yet it is not well defined. Another oddity is the two friends Carla makes roughly three to four months prior to her wedding – Phoebe and Nicola. Though she has just befriended them and cannot meaningfully further the friendship after marriage and moving to Germany, she is considering asking them to stand up for her in the wedding. Towards the end, it is inexplicable why Philippe, who has wisely limited his contact with Luna, moved her away, and limited her involvement with the wedding, would choose to pick her up personally on his wedding day and have her participate with him on pre-wedding activities. And there is no excuse for dropping her off at his apartment, which is also Carla’s home. Cab fare would have been the correct choice. Luna’s whereabouts are never addressed after this. Does she survive? Is paternity established? Finally, Philippe’s second in command, Florin, betrays him much too quickly for much too little. It is not credible.
This book is an easy read. The POV alternates between Carla and Philippe, with a few chapters from Luna’s POV. The plot is somewhat developed but not tight. The characters aren’t well defined but the length puts limitations on their depth. Carla is not terribly likable, and Philippe comes across as too gullible to make a credible clan leader. I rate this book 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’ve missed a couple of the books in this series, and I’ll need to go back & read them to get the full benefit of the plot arc. Carla is being used to unify her family with Philippe’s. Carla needs a lot more freedom than her family allows, and hopes her loveless union to Philippe will provide that. Philippe’s expectations are completely different, and watching the two of them figure this out together is fascinating. Carla’s character was so confident & sexually free. Watching Philippe trying to catch up to Carla was the best part of this book for me. He was patient & tried to be understanding, & be a good man to her. There is the element of looming danger and it was killing me to wait & see what was coming. Now, before Covert arrives, I have some catching up to do because this series is great!
I received a copy of this book. My honest review is voluntarily provided.
I was totally hooked from the very beginning with this well written storyline and strongly written characters! Carla and Philippe’s story was so intriguing that I read this book in one sitting!
I really enjoyed reading this book.
The story was well written and had me hooked from
page one until the end. This is the 8th book in The Clans series.
Carla wants her independence and the only way to get it is to
marry. Philippe is the leader of the Romanian Clan. So they agree to marry.
Their chemistry is sexy.
I laughed and cried and wanted to throw something. I have many questions that
need answers.
I can not wait to read the next book in this series.
I would recommend this book to others.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book 8 in the series and is fabulous!! I had so many feeling as a I read this book. Carla a strong willed woman who also knows her place in the family batters with her father for some sort of happiness. But when she meets her assigned husband Philippe oh my!! To watch the relationship grow and all they grow through!! Highly recommend!!!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An arranged marriage is Carlas way to freedom or so she hopes.Living under the rule of her Italian Mafia family she has done whats is expected of her.She hopes that the man she had a say in choosing will still allow her the freedom she craves. Philippe is an Romanian Clan Leader and Is hoping that he and Carla can find common ground and fall in love,she is proving to be a handful for him.As their wedding day draws nearer things don’t go as smoothly as they want.One woman is on a mission to destroy it all and claim Philippe for herself.
The Clan series is a page turner and you will love it from start to finish .
Loved this book. Philippe and Carla’s story captivated me from the start. A storyline full of intriguing twist and turns that kept me riveted to every word. I couldn’t put it down until the last word was read. I can’t wait to read the next book.
A thrilling, riveting, and emotional ride to go on. Kept me on the edge of my seat. I absolutely enjoyed every moment of this story.
Carla gives you all she has in this one. We will get to know her inside and out. A kinda outdated event is to happen but in this one we will see how it unfolds with taking us over bit by bit. Philippe isn’t what I thought he would be like, finding that I was becoming engrossed in this one for sure. This one slowly sneaks up on you taking you by surprise. You will soon forget what you thought going into this while it gives you new ones with what really is going on as this unfolds that by the time you reach the end, you think already?
Ruthless by Iris Sweetwater and Elizabeth Knox is another outstanding book in this series by these two amazing authors. This story was exciting, riveting and raw from the first page of this sexy love story between Phillipe, Romanian Clan leader and Carla Mafia princess and what transpires during their arranged engagement to join the clans and the mafia. The interaction between conservative Phillipe and uninhibited Carla who is bold and sensual and has no regrets for her actions was engaging. Carla is so into sex with both men and women, that at times Phillipe is left amazed trying to understand this strong independent beautiful woman that he is engaged to and how far will he have to go to join Carla’s bedroom activities to keep her satisfied? When these two interact with each other the sparks between them is explosive and steamy, can these two opposities become romantically involved with each other? Ruthless had so much drama and intrigue about the dealings between the Clan and Mafia as well as betrayals and revenge that is being devised by someone close to Phillipe. As their wedding day arrives, the threat is put into place to destroy everyone that Phillipe and Carla loves. Who will survive this attack? Once the threat is exposed, you witness feisty Carla take on danger head first and when reunited with Phillipe nothing can stop these two. But true to Iris and Elizabeth’s creative writing, we are left wondering what happened to the other characters in this story that had such an impact with the relationship between Phillipe and Carla. You will be captivated by this story which will have you on edge from beginning to end, this sexy, exciting story is a must read! Can’t wait for the next book. I voluntairly reviewed an advanced copy of this book
Awesome book!!
Loved Ruthless, but so far I’ve loved all The Clans series by Elizabeth Knox and Iris Sweetwater. This series only keeps getting better and I can’t wait to see what’s going to happen next in this series. Love reading about Carla and Philippe. You get a little bit of everything in this new Clans book.
OMG !! I loved this book. Philippe and Carla’s story captivated me from the start. A storyline full of intriguing twist and turns that kept me riveted to every word. I couldn’t put it down until the last word was read. I can’t wait to read the next book. I totally recommend it.
Carla and Philippe is a another excellent addition to this series. This book gives you all the twist and turns, action, a whole lot of heat and steam. This gave me goose bumps from the banter and their slow burn romance. An amazing read and can’t wait to read more and more from these ladies