From USA Today bestselling author, Khardine Gray, comes a smoking hot Mafia romance with a drool-worthy, possessive bad boy you’ll wish was yours… a dangerous man and I get what I want.
Women, money, power. It all comes easy to me.
All of it… except her…
20% Angel, 80% devil…
The night Maria stormed back into my life, she reminded me I never had her.
Killing me softly with that body made for sin and her beautiful eyes, everything about her was temptation.
One taste and I wanted more. So much more.
The problem was, she knows I’m bad news and she’s already running from trouble.
Her ex-con ex wants her dead.
I don’t care who he is, he doesn’t know who he’s messing with.
Nothing’s going to stop me from protecting her.
I get what I want. And I want her to be mine.
Maria
I was the girl who had to pick the worst bad guy, and I never learned my lesson.
I witnessed my abusive ex murder a man in cold blood, and he knows I’m the one who told the cops it was him.
When he gets mysteriously cleared of all charges I know I’m as good as dead.
I’m fleeing for life and I have to protect my son.
It’s not a good idea to run from one bad guy to another.
Yet that’s exactly what I’m doing.
Being with Dante is exactly that.
Tall, dark and sinfully gorgeous.
That’s him.
The spark that sizzles between us draws me in.
His touch ignites something deep inside me I should deny.
He’s a mistake, yet everything I need…
The problem was, I know he’s bad news, but I also have a secret.
One that could make him turn from me.
I never meant for any of this to happen.
Stolen Kisses is a standalone, full-length mafia romance and a part of the Gangsters and Dolls series.
Gangsters and Dolls series is a spin off from The Accidental Mafia Queen series. Continue the adventure with these sizzling hot, drool-worthy Alpha males.
Meet the Chicago Familia in these series by USA Today bestselling author, Khardine Gray!
The Accidental Mafia Queen
1.Mafia Boss
2.Mafia Scars
3.Mafia Love
Gangsters and Dolls
1.Dirty Hearts
2.Stolen Kisses- Coming soon
3.Remember when we – Coming soon
4.Double Edged Hearts- Coming soon
5.The Sting of love – Coming soon
more
Drama continues with Dante and Maria. He’s determine to find his sisters killers and bring them to justice. As for Maria, well she comes off as fierce and protective of her son but I think the girl has a few issues with how she treats Dante. This nonstop drama will have you glued to your chair and reader until the last page. I voluntarily agreed to receive an ARC of this book for an honest review.
This series is fantastic. I really loved this book a lot. Suspenseful, romantic and more. I loved the characters and the suspense with every page. I can’t wait for the next book to read.
I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.
Protective Alpha Mafia man and his brothers
Stolen Kisses by Khardine Gray is the first novel I have read by this author and I really liked it. I found the author’s writing style to flow well and the story-line was well thought out along with the good character development. I have not read the first book in this series, Dirty Hearts, nor the series The Accidental Mafia Queen that this series is spun off of, so I was not sure what to expect. However, I was able to quickly pick up the characters and story-line even if I felt a few times that I missed some background.
Stolen Kisses is the story of Dante and Maria. She was the best friend of Christina, who was Dante’s sister. Christina was murdered and Maria fled Chicago to start over somewhere else. Now it is 10 years later and Maria is back in Chicago after fleeing her husband with their four year old son, Flynn. Dante and Maria spark like live electricity but she turns him down because she is focused on supporting and protecting Flynn. Soon danger comes her way and Dante steps in to protect them, along with help from his other capo’s and boss.
I received a free ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review. My opinions are all my own.
I just loved this book. It was so well-written that it captured my mind and I was dragged along for the ride. Once I started reading I could not put it down until I read the last page.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
** spoiler alert ** Maria has always had an obsession with bad men. Dante worked his way up, but never forgot the first girl he ever wanted. She is on the run and needs protection. Will Dante be able to keep her safe? Will Maria finally get the family she has always longed for?
I’m a sucker for this author’s mafia books and this one did not disappoint. I loved how they are the right mix of drama, love, steam, and action. I didn’t blame Maria for being scared, but loved how she was determined to do whatever it took to keep her son safe. I loved how Dante was determined to do anything to protect those he loved and how he accepted what Maria brought with him and loved her son like his own. Great read!
Although it was ten years ago the memory of finding his sister Christina, he failed, never found the killer. It should have been easy in his circle, unless they were bigger than him, but years later he still had nothing. Claudius who was both his boss and friend has contacted a PI that has no allegiance and won’t be worried about what he finds, giving him hope again.
Dante knows Maria is in some sort of trouble the way she looked and, but he saw the spark in her eyes, and he’s going to do something about it. Seeing her, he knows she must need money, he offers her to stay with him, but something isn’t right, and he knows he still wants her.
Dante had changed, he was the type of man she would have swooned over before, even though she swooned over him now, god took his time making this one, she knew she couldn’t stay in Chicago long and there was a secret that she knew that would get him killed. What happens if Franco finds her.
Dante remembered what Maria had said, he could touch her and do what ever he wanted if he made six figures a month, sometimes he makes seven, letting Maria know he’s claiming her, she’s his and everything including her son is his. One night with Maria and he knew he was keeping her forever, but what happens when he finds out the secret she’s been keeping, the one thing he’s wanted to know for years.
Maria and Dante are old friends but it’s only when they are older, and Maria returns to Chicago to hide herself and her son from her ex-husband do they become lovers. In their shared history they also have the death of Dante’s sister who he still mourns and has never been able to find her killer. There is a lot of emotion, action, drama and suspense in the telling of this story. It’s a really wonderful book.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Dante had always wanted Maria but she was his sister’s friend so he didn’t act on it. Then he and his sister fell out of touch with each other and he moved on with his life in the family business. Now Maria shows up looking for his sister because they had a fight and hi sister stopping answering her calls. Sparks fly between them but Maria is still adamant about not being with him. When they go looking for his sister only to find horrible news instead. Maria ends up running and starting a life in Florida. She thinks that she has met the perfect man and settles down. However she learns soon how wrong she is and runs back to Chicago. Dante is stunned when he sees Maria again after so long but its like no time has past for them. Will Dante finally get his woman? Can they find out who was behind what happened to his sister?
This is an amazing story that will draw you in from beginning to end. The chemistry between them is off the charts hot. This is a well written and very entertaining story. I would recommend this book to any book lover.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is book 2 of the Gangsters and Dolls series and can be read as a standalone.
Stolen Kisses is Dante and Marie story and is very well written with great characters.
He is looking for his sister’s murderer, she is looking for freedom and security for herself and her son.
Marie is on the run from her violent and vengeful ex.
This story is an intense page turner from beginning to end. It’s a great second chance suspense romance .
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I’m having fun watching these mafia guys find their true loves, then trying to balance their “work” and home life. Dante and Maria have known each other for years, and Maria was his sister Christiana’s friend/roommate. But after Christina’s death, Maria left town to start over in Florida.
When you learn of Maria’s upbringing, it isn’t a surprise that she would lack the confidence to go for the one guy she really liked – Dante. But when she comes back to Chicago with her son, will she be able to resist the attraction to Dante.
Meanwhile, clues start to turn up as to who killed Christina and her unborn baby. But will Dante be able to avenge his sister’s death without meeting his end?
This story will keep you on the edge of your seat and maybe even jump a time or two at the turn of events.
STOLEN KISSES is the second instalment in Khardine Gray’s contemporary, adult GANGSTERS AND DOLLS erotic, mafia romance series. This is thirty-five year old, Chicago Mafia capo Dante Giordano, and thirty-one year old, Maria Ferrara’s story line. STOLEN KISSES can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story line is revealed where necessary. The Gangsters and Dolls series is a spin off from the author’s Mafia Queen series.
Told from dual first person perspectives (Dante and Maria) using present day and memories from the past, STOLEN KISSES follows the best friend’s brother relationship between thirty-five year old, Chicago Mafia capo Dante Giordano, and thirty-one year old, Maria Ferrara. Ten years earlier Dante’s sister, and Maria’s best friend Christina Giordano was murdered by an unknown assailant. Five years later Maria would head to Florida in an effort to start anew. Fast forward to present day wherein Maria has returned to Chicago in an effort to protect her four year old son Flynn from her ex-husband whose recent release from prison has sent our heroine on the run. Enter Chicago Mafic capo Dante Giordano, the man whom Maria has never stopped loving. What ensues is the quick building relationship between Maria and Dante; the ongoing search for Christina’s killer as Maria struggles with secrets from the past.
Maria Ferrera is in trouble. With the recent releae of her ex-husband from prison Maria is desperate to find shelter and security for their four year old son. Never expecting to face Dante Giordano, old feelings resurface when Dante proclaims Maria as his own. Dante Giordano blames himself for his sister’s murder, a murder he was unable to prevent. For the past ten years Dante has searched for his sister’s killer but recent events will bring new information to light.
The relationship between Dante and Maria is a best friend’s brother romance. Dante had lusted after Maria Ferrara but Marie had eyes for someone else. Christina’s death drove a wedge between Dante and Maria, a wedge that would push deeper when secrets are revealed. The $ex scenes are intimate and passionate, without the use of over the top, sexually graphic language and text.
There is a large ensemble cast of energetic and colorful characters including Chicago Mafia Don Claudius Morientz, and his wife Ava; Claudius brother Lucian; former Mafia Don Marcus Morientz; Gio, and Alex; as well as Maria’s son Flynn; her aunt Vira, and cousin Sophia. The requisite evil has many faces.
STOLEN KISSES is a fast paced story of family, friendship, betrayal, and love; a story of power and control; of murder, lust and greed. The premise is engaging and entertaining; the romance is seductive and captivating; the characters are dynamic and edgy.
I found the story of Maria and Dante to have just the right amount of violence and romance. It is a mafia story, but although there is a lot of violence and revenge in this story, it is not overly descriptive. You know what happens and you know they are though bad guys, but still they all have a hearth and are fiercly loyal to each other and those around them. I have not read the first book in this series, but I did not feel like I was missing anything.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
An amazing second book in the Gangsters and Dolls series; a compelling and well thought out, on the edge of your seat captivating read! It is a well written, fast pace page-turner with lots of action, drama, suspense, humour, and intrigue to look forward to. The characters are strong and complex and their chemistry is intense and undeniable.Highly recommended.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Dante’s Patience Finally Pays Off When Maria Shows Up After A Long Absence And Sparks Begin To Fly!
Ten years ago Dante, twenty-five, and his sister Christina, twenty-one, had a falling out. Christina’s best friend Maria, also about twenty-one, showed up four days later looking for her, saying they had a fight, too – and it was a big deal if Maria showed up at Dante’s door. His attraction to her was not really a secret, and she shunned his advances. Dante had known Maria twelve years, since he arrived in Chicago.
Raphael Rossi was the Chicago mafia boss. When Dante’s father died, Raphael sent for his family and set them up in Chicago; they were linked back in Italy. Dante became an associate and was working his way up. Maria mostly ignored Dante, or tried hard to show him what type of man she was really into (rich and powerful), yet he always had a soft spot for her.
Maria Ferrara loved danger and dangerous guys with deep pockets. Alphas. Christina had idolized Maria. Now Christina she was pregnant. And she had changed recently. Even Maria is worried when Christina claims she wants to destroy the baby’s father and they, too, have a falling out.
Concerned for Christina, Dante and Maria go together in search of her and find her dead, bloodied on a bed in a luxury penthouse.
Five years ago, Maria had disappeared. She had run away for her own safety. Starting over in Florida, she met a nice banker and married him, soon giving birth to a son, Flynn. But when reality set in, her husband Franco wasn’t what he had seemed, and soon he became abusive.
Today, Dante still looks for Christina’s killer. The penthouse hadn’t been registered to anyone. Raphael had no names to offer. The investigation hit a dead end. But Dante’s friends, Claudius, Gio, and Alex, have his back. They force him to not visit Christina’s grave more than monthly.
Claudius is the new boss of the Chicago operation. Dante thinks Claudius plays favorites with him, knowing him longest. Each was given the title of capo, but Claudius had also given rank. Dante was #1. Gio #2. Alex #3.
A little over a year ago Claudius got vengeance on the man who killed his first wife. Claudius thus understands Dante’s need to avenge his sister, and he tasks his PI to look for clues for Dante.
When Maria finds herself on the run, she goes back to Chicago where she crosses paths with the handsome and super successful Dante. Things heat up between the two amidst all the danger. The couple works through their feelings while bracing for Franco’s appearance and searching for Christina’s killer.
Dante and Maria’s story is a lesson in patience. It is sad to see the wasted years and stolen kisses. Yet Dante’s love for Maria is so pure and beautiful in contrast to the dangerous world they live in that it captures you! The couple deserves their HEA.
This story can be read as a stand-alone, although there are a number of references to the past and events that took place in other books. The writing could be improved with the help of an editor, but the story is good. While I have no immediate suggestions on the best way to present the references to the past, they comes across here as choppy and disruptive. I rate this book 3.5 stars.
I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Sometimes you gotta take what you want; kisses and more
Stolen Kisses: A Bad Boy Mafia Romance (Gangsters and Dolls Book 2) by Khardine Gray is a well written mafia romance with an awesome alpha bad boy. Dante is a true gangster bad boy with a heart of gold and charm your panties off seduction. Maria has always been the one that got away for Dante and Maria knows it, finally willing to admit it and allow herself to want it.
Besides these two lively characters, their chemistry and relationship, the plot is two-fold. Both Dante and Maria have stuff going on that kept me fully engaged and captivated. At times the suspense had me holding my breath and speed reading to the resolution. This one is intense, both emotionally and suspenseful danger.
Overall, a very well written mafia romance with wonderful characters who finally get their HEA. Best of all, there’s another book to read so fans of this series can get more of these Gangsters and their Dolls!
I read an ARC of this book and voluntarily share my review.
I really loved this book and Dante and Maria were an amazing couple. Khardine Gray did an amazing job with this book. the characters were strong and well-developed. The storyline was intense with the Chicago mafia in the forefront. Fast-paced and full of danger, this book will keep you page-turning. I read an arc and voluntarily chose to review.
I love how we get to see each one of the Four get their happy ending and Dante was the one story I was waiting to read. You gave us so much information throughout the others that it always had me guessing. Dante lost his sister in a horrible way and to find d her like that, it’s just unimaginable. In finds solstice in her best friend Maria. She’s running from her past, one that just might get her killed. She knew in a way what happened with his sister but just didn’t have enough evidence to prove but when her n r w life comes to a halt she has to find a friend. She does and as we watch their love grow we see the others become more of a new family. This series is awesome and I give it 5 stars. I voluntarily read and reviewed this book as an Advanced Reader’s Copy.
This is the second book in this series though each nook is a stand alone but as they are all such great reads I would recommend that you read Dirty Hearts book 1 and Remember when we book 3
This is the story of Dante Giordano and Maria Ferrara . He is a member of the Chicago mafia and his boss and best friend is Claudius (Book 1) for ten years he has been hunting the man that killed his sister and he won’t rest until he finds and eliminated that person. Then he runs into Maria she was his sisters best friend but now she is also on the run she married a man and when she saw him kill someone she turned him in now he has got out with no charges laid and he is determined to kill her for betraying him She will do whatever she needs to in an effort to protect her son. As the attraction between these two grows Dante will step up to be the man he needs to be to keep her safe but when the dust clears will they have a HEA together You will have to read to see
Wow! This was suspenseful but intriguing. It had me at the edge of my seat, or Kindle. I needed to know the secrets and what would happen next. Maria and Dante have this undeniable chemistry that had me rooting for them and for Dante to protect her. It was sweet, dark, and just the right steam to make you want more!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I had read and loved the first book in the series and was really counting down the days for this one! This book is Dante and Maria’s story.
Dante Giordano is the capo of the new Chicago Mafia family with Claudius Morientz as the boss. He continues to grieve and seek revenge for ten years into the unexplainable death of his sister. His searches resulted into dead ends until his boss and best friend, Claudius enlisted a specialist in finding hidden secrets.
Maria Ferrara was the best friend of Christina Giordano and always seeking a dream life with the wealthy and prestigious men of society. Her desire became a nightmare as she marries the opposite and she is on the run with a four year old son from her deranged ex-husband.
This story is filled with conspiracy, actions and suspense as several secrets are revealed about political corruption. The magnificent four proved the strength and family commitment once again! A great addition to the series.
******I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and voluntarily leaving an honest review******