Finnegan O’SheaThe Sons of Munster have been living this life for generations. We have our own protocol, our own traditions, dating back to when two families merged and created our syndicate in Ireland. Now, we have our strongholds in Philly and Chicago, and the wrong man holds the highest position. The day my uncle decided to betray us, he signed his own death warrant, and after a five-year … and after a five-year hitch in the can, I’m ready to take everything from him. In order to ensure the demise of his management, I have to get close to him. I need to earn his trust and that of his closest associates. I’ll be the top earner he wants me to be. I’ll be the very image of a conventional family man.
For that to happen, this Irish bastard has to find himself a wife. Someone sweet and compliant who will stand by my side and make me look like I have too much to lose to screw over the head of the family.
Emilia Porter
When it rains, it pours, so I guess it’s been pouring for eighteen years now. Being from an old mining town that’s full of drunk cautionary tales, I spend my days juggling—and failing—school, work, and paying the bills so my dad can drink himself into a stupor. Then this freaking guy rolls into town in his expensive sports car and thinks I should marry him. This isn’t the fifties, and there isn’t a snowball’s chance in hell I’ll marry a well-known mobster. No matter how much money he promises me. No matter how intensely the chemistry sizzles between us.
He asks for three years of marriage. Then I’d be set for life, independent and free to start fresh on my own. Free to walk away. Who the hell does he think he is?
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Finnegan didn’t think that he would fall in love with Emilia, when he chose her as his bride. For Emilia anything was better than the life she had before she met Finnegan. It took her a while, but she resigned herself to marrying him and before long after she agreed she fell in love with him as well.
With the anticipation of the sequel, I finally found time to start This Life I . I was pleasantly surprised by Cara Dee’s multi-talent in executing a well-written drama-filled mafia romance. I am familiar with her daddy kinks and MM angst, but this story was not only totally different from all of her other works that I have read so far, but also different from the typical mafia romance. It was refreshing to see the hero being portrayed as an honorable, loyal and traditional mobster instead of an arrogant merciless anti-hero. I love that instead of wining loyalty and respect with brute force and bloodshed, Finnegan uses his wits to outsmart his enemies. This unique take worked for me and I absolutely enjoyed the story.
I wasn’t prepared to fell so deeply in love with Finnegan. He was loyal, sweet and romantic. But don’t get me wrong, groomed by his grandfather to one day lead the Sons of Munster syndicate, he was a liar, a cheater and a manipulator when he needed to achieve what he wanted. Emilia was feisty and I loved her sass and strength. Even though she was only 18 years old, she had a strong opinion and wasn’t afraid to fight back when needed. Marrying Emilia was part of Finnegan’s calculated plan to overrule his malevolent Uncle John. But he had not expected to meet his match in Emilia. It was a gift to watch them fall in love and grow into the people they were as the book proceed. Their story was definitely unfinished and I’m so looking forward to reading the next installment.
This Life I is probably the best book I’ve read in years. I literally could not put it down! Beautifully written characters, with so much room to grow. A story line filled with the seedy underbelly of mobsters and criminals, but also love and romance and family. The tale that is being told about Finn and Emilia is one I am hooked on! I cannot wait to read This Life II. I am waiting on pins and needles.
This book has everything the irish mobster bad boy. The sweet innocent yet strong female lead. Love sex action. I couldnt put it down which plesently surprised me because it’s not my ususl type of book which is also why i really wanted to recommend it because someone might pass it over as a “not my type” book. Believe me this book is everyones type!! I am dying for book 2 and just finished this one!
Finnegan has spent his whole life working towards being the best Son of Munster even if he has to break the law more then usual. Too young to be a head of the family O’Shea, he searches for a bride. Emilia Porter is a senior in high school and his future bride if he has any say. A rocky relationship begins between Emilia and Finn, agreeing to a marriage of three years. As a devout Catholic Finn is hoping to make the marriage a lifetime commitment. Ugh the twist towards the end had me balling my eyes out.
Dee gives the reader all the feels: Laughter, sadness, oh no he didn’t, etc moments that make the book come alive. I love me some mobsters and Dee did not disappoint. It is a fine line between making them a ruthless killer and lovable to the women and reader. Dee straddles this line with ease, the reader is rooting for the O’Shea brothers and family and want them to succeed. I can’t wait to read more of the Sons of Munster.
I voluntarily am reviewing this as an ARC. This is the first time I’ve read this author and the story was full of emotions, love, passion and sarcasm. It grabs you with all the twists and turns along with putting you in the life of the Irish Mafia. Normally only read the HEA, however can’t wait for Part II to finish the story of the Whistler and Princess.
Finnegan is part of a crime family/faithful to the church/bad boy or so you think. Finnegan needs a wife and knows who he wants along with pay back. He will do anything he can to secure Emilia to be his wife even for just a short period. Finnegan is so cool headed with everything going on around him.
Emilia doesn’t trust many people along with trying to finish school/work and taking care of her father. When Emilia is offered an opportunity to leave the life she’s known she’s unsure of what to do. What’s a girl to do? She sees a tight knit family in Finnegan’s family which is anything unlike hers.
Take a chance on the family and author/book you’ll enjoy it.
This is my first read from Cara Dee, and it won’t be my last. I have read some mafia books that were great and some okay. This Life 1 was really good. It started out like all books, the heroine is a young girl without one parent. The other is an abusive parent, and she can’t wait to leave this town. Here’s where is gets unusual the hero just got out of prison, but the really crazy part is how he and his brother decided to get marry so they can look mature enough to the elders. Emilia Porter and Finnegan O’Shea are the lovely couple who meet in this special situation. I was really surprised that I was going to enjoy this book. I am waiting anxiously for the next book because the ending to This Life I blew me away.
This book isn’t one that would normally catch my eye, however by recommendation of one of my favorite authors, I read it. I am so glad I did.
The story starts with Finnegan O’Shea, an up and coming mob boss, planning his revenge while finishing out a prison sentence. Emilia Porter is an 18 year old wanting to escape her life. She’s always had to support her drunk father. When Finnegan O’Shea offers her a way out, she is slow to accept. She knows who Finn is and what his family is a part of, but as she gets to know them, she realizes her perception was a bit off. Their arrangement quickly becomes one of love rather than the contract that was signed. Emilia fits right into their family and keeps Finn on his toes. I loved the range of emotion Cara was able to convey. I felt as if I was feeling everything the characters were. I look forward to part II.
This story had me a page one, the brash first person point of view rolling from Finnegan brings you right into the thick of the life the Sons of Munster have built in the US, enter strong, sassy Emilia and I knew I wouldn’t be able to put this book down. The interplay between the characters as each one faces their personal struggles made me lean in for more. As Finnegan and Emilia navigate each other and the world around them a beautiful love story unfolds. Cara Dee had me right up until the last page and I can’t wait to hear more from these two characters as well as their family and friends in future books!
I had no clue what to expect when I began reading This Life I. I also generally don’t read about mafia and mobsters, but I am glad I picked this book up. I had never heard of nor read any of Cara Dee’s work and I have clearly been missing out!
This Life I is a work of art. Packed full of innuendos and puns that had me flipping pages like they were on fire. All of the characters bring their own charm to this book. I adore Emilia and Finnegan. Emilia’s sass is off the charts and I can not wait for This Life II.
In this book Finnegan tells Emilia that she isn’t predictable and that she has him hooked. This book was Emilia for me, hooked from the first page!
This is my first Cara Dee book and I now have another new author to add to my must read more of list. So this is a mafia arranged marriage story with a difference. Finn is the one pulling all the strings and whilst we know his ultimate motive is power he still manages to keep some secrets. The Emilia we meet at the beginning is a young woman fighting to survive her upbringing counting the days down until she can escape then Finn comes into her life. I found myself laughing at inappropriate moments at the guys antics. We do see some of the more brutal moments of mafia life but feel this a scene setting book. We are introduced to all the main players in the family and some of their enemies but there is still so much to discover. I have a feeling that Emilia is going to have alot to say in book two which hopefully won’t be long.
It took a bit for me to get into this book, the beginning was a bit slow. Once I did though I was hooked. If you like mafia romances this is a must read. It is easy to fall in love with the bad boys of the Sons of Munster. Finnegan is a rare treat, so much into traditions and the old ways. Emilia is very much a strong woman at heart and once she gains some confidence goes after what she wants. The coming together of these two is a great read. I cannot wait for the next book to see where this series goes. My one and only complaint is the smoking throughout the story. It seems like pointless filler to me and not necessary for the story.
If you like mafia stories than this one is absolutely for you!! I was recommended this and I an so super glad I read it. Finnegan is part of the Irish mob and boy is he something. At the beginning, I wasn’t completely fond of him but he quickly grew on me….. and our heroine Emilia felt the same way. Emilia is a fantastic heroine. She’s tough but has a soft side. Together they are perfection! I loved their chemistry, both humor and steaminess…..shew! The storyline kept me page turning till the very end and I could not put it down! Although the ending left me gasping and wanting more!
This story pulled me in from the start. Finnegan comes across as your usual bad boy, part of a family history of crime, and yet he surprises you and you can’t help but fall for him. Emilia has had a tough life and she hasn’t turned 18 yet. She is strong, resilient, and will do what she needs to survive. When Finnegan walks into Emilia’s life, she is not sure she can trust him, and Finnegan will do what he needs to make his deal happen. But what happens when feelings start to evolve and they’re not sure what will come of the deal that has been laid down? Finnegan and Emilia will pull you in and take you for one crazy, emotional, fun-filled, yet heartache journey. I can’t wait to see what happens next with these two in the next book!
I’m hooked and I don’t mind it at all.
This book is everything I’ve been wanting in what I call an “Ultimate Bad Boy/Good Girl” novel. To be honest, I didn’t know how I was going to feel about it in the beginning. I love a good bad guy, but Finnegan did some things that I didn’t know if he could be redeemed for. Or if he even deserved it. However, the author explained the thought process of Finn and how he only did these things to look out for Emilia and her safety and then it didn’t matter to me. In fact, I found myself wondering where my own Finn was…without the mobster lifestyle of course.
Emilia on the other hand is amazing and tremendously likeable. She is a good girl, but not too cliche. She believes in a justice system and believes that those that are doing wrong should be dealt with accordingly. However, when she gained access to the O’Shea family and learned how they were as people, I began to feel the same as her. I didn’t want anything bad to happen to them at all. I was falling in love with them right along with Emilia.
The author has a way of getting you attached to characters that you wouldn’t think you would ever like. In a good way, of course. And then RUINING EVERYTHING! In still…an amazing way. Few books have been able to bring me to tears and this is now one of them.
I can’t wait for the next one!
Holy Moly…
This book is downright amazing. Admittedly I do not usually enjoy “Mobster” Romance but this book is so much more than your typical Mobster Romance.
Ms. Dee’s writing is flawless and emotional. Her characters are written in way that makes you feel like they are real; they are written in way that allows you to connect with them.
This Life I is a beautifully written story of finding love and overcoming obstacles. I find it difficult to explain how beautiful the writing is. The characters are multidimensional and the story is diverse and interesting.
This Life I by Cara Dee is an amazing inside view for anyone who has ever wondered about the lifestyle within organized crime families. The added benefit of knowing this family’s deep values and roots makes it hard to put this book down. Each of the characters, their reasons, and deep values each holds, makes it feel as if one is reading a documentary rather than fiction. The only difference is that the level of suspense keeps one hooked for the next paragraph, page, and chapter. It took me mere hours to read this because I could not put it down. Just when I thought I’d figure out what was coming next, Ms. Dee would surprise me with an unexpected twist. I cannot wait to read the next novel in this series. I’m hooked!
One of my favorites of all time
Loved it and look forward to the next.
My kind of Mafia story!