They say the devil goes by many names, and I know four of them:Ciro, Hale, Zaid, and Lucas.My father was once a powerful player in the Chicago underground, but six years ago, he left that life behind.We changed our names.Our identities.Our lives.The ghosts of the past never forgot him though. They never forgot me.Dad promised me we were safe, but I should’ve known that was just another one of his … but I should’ve known that was just another one of his lies.
The past always finds you, and mine finds me on my wedding day when four brutal, dangerous men drag me from the altar in a hail of gunfire.
Four men who used to be four boys.
Four boys I cared about.
Four boys I left behind.
They’re not the same boys I knew though, and whatever we may have once been to each other, it doesn’t matter anymore.
Because they’re only one thing to me now:
My captors.
Vicious Kings is book one of The Dark Elite series. This is a reverse harem new adult dark romance series that includes high steam, violence, and foul language.
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This is the first book I Have read From eve Ashwood and have got me hooked . enjoyed Vicious Kings I couldn’t put it down it was amazing book I can’t wait until the next book come out
This book has everything you need. Bad boys. Strong main character. It is a great read that captivates you. Grace thought she had put her past life behind her but little did she know her life would become hectic. You fall in love with the guys and root for Grace. I can’t wait for the next book
You can run but you cant hide, it may have taken 6 years, but on the day of her wedding hell in the shape of Zaid, Lucas, Ciro, and Hale come calling and Grace and her father find out once in the mafia you never walk away. Omg amazing, couldn’t put it down you want to keep reading but dont want it to end fabulous read. I voluntarily reviewed this book.
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When the past comes back for you will you be ready. That’s what happens in this start of a new series when Grace is about to marry the man of her dreams her past shows up. But she quickly sees that her once 4 best friends are not the same people they were. Grace don’t know who to trust and there are so many secrets and much darkness to this story. It definitely kept me turning pages wanting to know what happens next. I absolutely love Eva’s way of capturing you in her stories there hasn’t been any I haven’t completely loved. This one is no different and I can’t wait to read the next book in this series. If you like darm sexy mafia stories you don’t want to miss this one it’s amazing.
I love Eva and her writings. But I have to say that Vicious Kings has now become my favorite from her. I have kinda been going through a rough patch on reading, and I completely devoured this read in one setting. I was captured by the characters and the plot and i could not put down my kindle until the end. I was not to be interrupted.
In Vicious Kings we get a dark mafia romance rh that will be keeping you on your toes about what is going on. I connected to Grace as a character right off the bat. I was rooting for her and her dream of just a normal life. She was going so far as to marry someone that she somewhat loved. But when things go wrong on her wedding day, her life will forever be changed. Her saviors turn out to be her captors. Captors that she grew up with. Captors that she has a history with. But she must struggle with are they there to help her or hurt her? With betrayal all around who can she trust?
So honestly if you are looking for a good dark mafia read, well honestly if you are looking for a good read period, this book is for you. I cannot wait to see what happens next with Grace and the guys.
I absolutely loved this mafia RH! I’ve been on a paranormal kick lately so it was nice to read something contemporary with believable situations. Mafia books aren’t my favorite genre, but this one sucked me in immediately. There was so much action and backstory. It was interesting to see how the characters interacted with one another after being separated for 6 years and how much they’ve changed over the years. I really loved Grace’s character. Despite being in the situation she was in, she was strong, resilient, smart, and compassionate. She connected to each of her guys on a different level, and it was nice to see that those old sparks were still there. I’m especially looking forward to her and Ciro’s relationship. I want to know so much more about what happened to him and to see him open up more as the story progresses. I know I’m going to enjoy this series and am anxious to discover all the little secrets that the author is keeping from us.
Oof, this book! These characters! Eva Ashwood delivers yet another RH hit, this time with a darker, mafia theme and I’m here for it.
We meet Grace on what’s supposed to be the happiest day of her life, but it quickly takes a nosedive and the rest of the book is a rollercoaster of emotions, steam, and intrigue! Having grown up in the mafia lifestyle, Grace is no wallflower. She has steel in her bones, and she’s going to need it when she comes face to face with her once childhood friends, Hale, Ciro, Lucas, and Zaid.
The four are no longer the boys she once stood side by side with in her youth, but have turned into hardened mafia soldiers in a powerful syndicate. But even still, she’s able to catch glimpses into her former friends and once the cracks start to form, it doesn’t take long for all the walls to crumble.
Vicious Kings does a terrific job of setting up the foundation for this series and I am super excited to see where the story goes from here!
It should of been a day where dreams come true, a fairytale in the making but instead it was a day of blood and death.
The past caught up with her.
Four boys, now men who once captured her heart now hold her life in their hands.
Will they nourish it, or extinguish it…
Wowsers!! what a fantastic start to a new dark and dangerous series!
The first few chapters had me glued to my kindle. I couldn’t believe what was happening before my eyes, but at the same time I couldn’t look away either!
As the wild boys gradually introduced themselves my heart settled and silently begged me to add them to my book boyfriend list.
Their feelings of obvious anger, hatred, lust, need and want were fascinating. Their actions had my mind racing and my temperature rising.
Grace the girl who’s future was destroyed drew many different feelings from me.
I felt devastated on her behalf, and sympathised with her. I wanted her to gain what her heart desired so badly and with every page I turned I hoped she achieved it.
Not many books can pull you in so deeply, but this did. I can honestly say I’m not suprised though as I’ve read most of Eva Ashwoods books.
Each aspect from the amazing covers to the different genres appeals to me and her style of writing entices me back every single time.
I feel after reading this that Eva definitely needs to let the darkness in her mind free some more as this was impossible to put down and I devoured it in one sitting.
I eagerly await more of this dangerously addictive series!
Vicious Kings is so good! I was truly blown away with how diverse of a writer Eva was! She killed it! Grace is and her guys are unlike any other harem and their dynamic and roles are so different from other harems. Ciro, Hale, Zaid and Lucas are such in-depth and real characters from the very beginning you get to see how the function as a group but also what makes them tick. I seriously can’t wait to see what kind of emotional roller coaster Eva takes us on in book two because book 1 was a wild ride with twists and turns you won’t see coming until they happen.
*Spoiler Alert*
Retribution and Revenge are huge motivators for Hale, Ciro & Twins Lucas and Zaid. Grace (FMC) gets caught up in the middle of it. A shotgun wedding has a different meaning to her in this book and she ends up getting kidnapped by her old friends. My god the sexual tension and unfulfilled feeling that Grace & the guys have steamed up my kindle! Its so hot to read though. This is a fantastic start to this series and a flaming damn fine read. Cant wait for book 2
Oh my! This is my first book by Eva Ashwood and I’m hooked. This is a dark mafia themed book. I couldn’t put it down once I started. I loved it. Graive thinks her father took her away from the only life she knew to keep her safe after her mother’s death. Things change quickly on what is supposed to be wedding day. When Grace is reunited with the men of her past things begin to spiral quickly. She’s a strong character having so much to deal with and not knowing who to trust. I really enjoyed how she is written. I’m dying to learn more about Ciro and his past. Really intriguing story!
I’ve come to expect a rollercoaster ride of emotions from Eva and book 1 in this new series did not disappoint. From page one I didn’t know who to trust, you to want, or who to feel, just like Grace. Eva was able to throw in typical Mafia violence without being to hardcore, which I appreciate. And there is so much angst and pent up sexual tension my Kindle could have caught ! All that, plus one hell of a cliffhanger is going to have be not so patiently waiting for more!!
Dark mafia romance. Grace thought she had escaped mafia life 6 years ago but now is a captive of men she used to know. This pulled me in quickly and before I realised it I was halfway through. Some things may be triggering for some. Obviously there are interactions with the guys and she is a captive so consent is murky.
As a devout Eva Ashwood reader, I’m not surprised to say she did it again! This book will sink its hooks into you and refuse to let go, leaving you turning page after page well into the night. Ciro, Hale, Zaid, and Lucas will all work their way into your heart and mind in different ways just as they work their way into Grace’s mind, and under your skin. Leaving you with a great cliffhanger and desperate for more, Vicious Kings has you anxiously awaiting the release of book 2.
WHAT A START TO A NEW SERIES!! First off, if you have read any book by Eva then you know this is going to be good. She did not disappoint me. So we have mystery, betrayals, tragedies and love/lust. Grace is living her life and about to take another step when tragedy hits. Next thing she knows she is in a van with some very familiar eyes. Not just one set of familiar eyes but four! Say what! Yeah and this can’t be good, right? Well what do you think will happen when you are taken by the mafia! Oh man this book does get steamy as the story builds. Be prepared to have your head spin cause I sure did not see some things coming. I cannot wait to see what will happen next.
I hate when I read the reviews first, because they nearly set me off from reading this book, but I kept seeing it mentioned on tiktok, so I decided to just give it a go.
First of all, the heroine is lost and confused and has a lot of introspection, WHICH MAKES SENSE GIVEN WHAT IS GOING ON. and all four guys are hot as can be.
Second of all, if pulls you straight in. I was reading and reading without pausing and nearly overbrewed my coffee. I was reading while folding laundry.
Third of all… yes, some things were predictable, but romance is predictable, and the genre is predictable, and yet I was still left guessing.
I’m going to read book 2 now, even though I have things to do, but I’m giving this a 4.5. I didn’t really enjoy the initial few pages, and I thought a few things moved to fast, but I would totally reread it again.
I finished the trilogy in 1,5 days. It was flowing so smoothly and getting me into all the main characters’ mindset that I actually didn’t want it to end. The epilogue was great but then I downloaded the bonus epilogue too (which was exactly what I was hoping by the way ), that’s how much I didn’t want it to end. I recommend this series to anyone who loves mafia romance books with reverse harem fun I loved it
Quick easy read. But super boring even though there seemed to be a lot going on. I didn’t really like the main character and didn’t really get to know the guys. Nothing is explained. It just felt like a whole lot of words strung together to make up a story. There didn’t feel like there was any meat to the story. Even the spicy scenes weren’t that great. I do hope it gets better in the next book
This is an amazing start to this new series! I am loving the characters and the storyline! I love all of the action, intrigue, and sexiness! I cannot wait for the next book!
I didn’t hate the series, but I didn’t love it either. I love some of this authors other books and I love a mafia romance so I dove into the series. I kept waiting for something ‘more’ throughout all three books. The storyline was decent and the spicy scenes are amazing, I just felt like it fell a little flat. I also felt like Cairo’s character drew the short stick. He didn’t get much character development he needed/deserved. I felt like he was in the background most of the series.