I was born a princess among criminals. An untouchable among thieves. Heiress to a life others have killed for, and one I’d do anything to escape. I vowed not to leave without Diego, my first love and best friend, but if his ruthless brother has his way, I won’t leave at all.Cristiano de la Rosa is a man as big and bold as his legend. Once upon a time, he was our cartel’s best soldier . . . until … . . until he became my family’s worst enemy. And a man like Cristiano will bend fate to his will to get what he wants—even if it means tearing me from another’s arms.
Because in the de la Rosa family, old grudges run deeper than loyalty, and betrayal is a three-letter word: war. But this feud isn’t between enemies—it’s between brothers. And I’m the prize.
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5 Monarch Butterfly stars
WOW, WOW, WOW! What an intriguing start to another attention grabbing series by Jessica Hawkins.
There are so many pieces to unravel in this journey between Natalia, Diego and Cristiano. There are things we’ve been told, details we think we know, clues we’ve been given, but is it all a ruse?!?! I love an engaging romance with mystery, deceit, lies and betrayal. We get all of that and more!
You know an author has struck a chord with her readers when the chatter and discussions about the details of the story are analyzed in such detail, you’re pretty sure you’re in an episode of CSI. This is why I read!
Like any other family cartel, there is betrayal, violence and corruption. And in the middle of this sexy web of chaos is Natalia, Diego and Cristiano. They each bring different and essential details to this story, it’s hard to think of one without the other, or all of them!
What a great start to the White Monarch Trilogy. Yes, it’s a trilogy and you will need to read all three books to get the answers we all want and are dying for. And that ending though…
OMFG! Is it June, yet??!!
This is one of those stories when you can take a good guess at what is going to happen, and you so want to be right but you so DON’T want to be right, either! LOL
“You’ve already met your true love.”
Natalia Cruz is the princess of her father’s cartel. Innocent and sheltered, but brave and stubborn, too. She also has demons that haunt her.
Diego de la Rosa is her best friend and love of her life – the constant in her life, her rock, her future.
Cristiano de la Rosa is the monster of her nightmares. Older, mysterious, the prodigal son. He ignites feelings which both arouse and repulse her.
“My body drew toward his, as if he were the sun pulling me into its orbit.”
Gah!! This story is like a game of chess with an opening gambit that totally sucks you in. Each character piece is introduced into the game as the story develops. All the characters have an endgame – some have their moves planned out, some make their move as a reaction to others. I spent the whole time anticipating what would happen next. I found it nail-biting and butterflies-inducing. There are lots of questions and I’ve come to my own conclusions but this author is good at leading you up the garden path!
I was absolutely caught up in this story. It was thrilling, tense, suspenseful, and I loved the chemistry between the characters. I’m absolutely gagging for the next book and June can’t come soon enough!!
FYI – I’m totally #TeamCristiano! <3
Violent Delights by Jessica Hawkins a five-star read that will delight you. This is the first novel in the White Monarch series and be warned you will become obsessed!! The three main characters of this story Natalia a princess among the criminals of the cartel, Christiano and Diego, each have a compelling tale to tell interweaved with each other and one that will draw you in and not let you go. One girl between two brothers is always going to lead to trouble, but this time it may lead to war. Its such a great story that you won’t be able to put it down. Jessica Hawkins has once again proved why she is one of the best authors I have ever read. I am convinced that this series is going to be one of the best of the year.
When tragedy struck Natalia’s family, she had to decide who was in the right and who was wrong. Cristiano or Diego, both are brothers but are standing on different sides. Diego continues to stick by her and they develop feelings. Is he there for right reasons or using her? Cristiano has been gone but once back will it change what Natalia believes happened that terrible night. Both brothers want her but who will she choose?
I have one line for you. STOP READING THIS REVIEW AND GET THE BOOK. This story should come with a fair warning like ” Your heart is about to be wrecked by Jessica Hawkins and she will leave you in a beautiful mess.” Trust me, you NEED this book. Violent Delights is intense, dark, twisted and then some more. This is the sorcery of Jessica Hawkins and her brilliant writing.
I cannot give you the story line because every secret is important. You have to go in blind to get the full impact. It was an adrenaline fuelled ride from the first page. The violent and dangerous world of Mexican cartels where every step is a bloody war to survive. Families are not tied by blood relations but over loyalty and powergames. And Natalia de Rosa is caught between two brothers after she returns to her home after a long time. She has seen so much and suffered so much yet she is strong, devoted and dedicated to the point of martyrdom! She wants to escape but can she really outrun the devil?
Diego and Cristiano both were adopted by Natalia’s father even though they are sons of a rival family who tried to bring de Rosa family down. Now years later everything has changed. Diego stays in close relation with Natalia’s father. He is the childhood sweetheart she loves more than her life. But I had an odd feeling in my stomach about this guy. He is too smooth, too charming and too nice. And on the other hand is Cristiano, the exact kind of man who makes me weak on my knees. The prodigal son is back to clear his name, for revenge, for redemption, for claiming what is his. He is brooding, dominating, depraved, powerful and intense. He is almost vile yet I feel so captivated by his character. Just like Natalia. I feel he has so much more hidden behind the crude rough exterior.
Jessica Hawkins is a genius mastermind of writing insane mind games and thrilling nail biting stories. I honestly don’t know who is right and who is wrong. I doubt everyone’s motivation. My mind is in chaos right now. The story has layers and twists you cannot even start to imagine. The characters change colours and the story changes direction at every turn. My head is spinning from the possibilities. And the ending is just cruel. I cannot believe she left me with that scene! What am I supposed to do with my life till then?
Violent Delights is not simply a mafia love story. This is the kind of story that grabs your absolute attention like your life depends on it. It claimed my heart and soul. I am a helpless puppet in hand of Jessica Hawkins who pulled the string of my heart in every direction. And that is the best feeling as a reader!
Received ARC for Honest Review (less)
Oh my wow! I’m speechless and wishing it was June! I loved this book! It is different and wonderfully written!
Start with slowburn, the author build up my emotion for all the characters. But one moment in that masquerade party with Christiano… My knee goes week. My heart goes tump tump so wild. All my senses scream yes for him. While he was suppose to be the villain.
With intricate plot, the author take me in a journey through Natalia POV. It’s mind games. What you see is not always what you get. Everything doesn’t always what it seems. But my heart keep saying north, when all, specially Diego keep whispering to Nathalie who’s the real villain.
Crazy how Ms. Hawkins write this first book in her new trilogy. The mind games are puzling. You will have doubts about what you see n hear. You will have second tought of the guy you’re rooting for. But one thing for sure for me… Christiano is the one for me. He is that perfect villain. And the ending of this book cemented that.
The intrigue! The suspense! Caught between two brothers in such a delicious way! I must say, I’m not the biggest fan of slow burn romances. But this book was excellently and tastefully written. I’m a lover of bad boys and big age gaps, so I was quickly drawn to Cristiano… What can I say!
Things that I loved about this book?
– Mexican cartel setting
– age gap
– so suspenseful!
– slow-burn (Diego! )
– world building
– the feels!!!
The entire book being mostly in Natalia’s point of view was refreshing. She is relatively young, but being a daughter of a cartel leader kinda makes you grow up fast. I loved diving into her thought processes, and found that I almost mirrored her thinking. I can just tell that in book 2, she is going to be a force to be reckoned with!!!!
It’s been a while since I’ve read a good cartel romance book and Violent Delights (Book One-White Monarch Series) fulfilled my needs. It has an addicting storyline that I couldn’t put down. The angst level is high, the suspense is killer and loyalties are tested beyond belief.
The element of mystery appealed to me and just when I thought I had the plot figured out, Ms. Hawkins showed me that things were not what they seemed. Natalia, Cristiano and Diego’s characters are a great combination of defiance, strength and cunning behavior. The power struggle between them reeled me in and the angst was enough to make me want to bite my fingernails off!!
I’m rating Violent Delight as 4 1/2 stars simply because there wasn’t as much sexiness and steam as I anticipated. With that said I definitely recommend reading it and I’m on the edge of my seat waiting to read Violent Ends.
Dayyyum! This is one helluva must read book! It will consume you and leave you chomping at the bit for more!
Violent Delights is the first book in a trilogy and boy am I hooked!
A love triangle and betrayal leave two brothers at odds and fighting over everything including the same woman.
Natalia is somewhat young and naive but she is absolutely loyal and will do anything for those she loves.
Having seen her mother die after a violent act as a child, she now has distrust and hate for Cristiano, a man who had only engendered trust in her before. She has also grown to love and care for her childhood best friend, Diego.
Diego is also Cristiano’s brother and there is no love loss between these two. What they do have is a want for the same woman, Natalia.
Amidst betrayal, lies and games can love flourish?
This book was so absorbing. From the beginning I was completely captivated with the characters and the plot.
Natalia is still young and naive. I wanted to strangle her at times for her willful blindness. I cannot wait to see her growth throughout the next books.
I don’t know how to feel about Diego. In the beginning, I was all for him and Natalia being together. Now, however, I have many doubts about them being together and his character as a whole.
Cristiano, my gawd! Yes, please! I loved his calculating character. His darkness and mysterious ways called to me. Is he bad? Is he good? What is he really up to? I can’t wait to find out.
For those who love a lot of carnality in their books, this one is a little tame. The spice and the foreplay, however, kept the sensuality at a simmer.
This story from the beginning tied me in knots and with a cliff-hanger ending, it doesn’t look as though I will be set free any time soon.
So impatient for the next book in the series!!!!!
I received an ARC of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
WOW!!!! Just when I think Jessica Hawkins can’t get any better, she introduces us to Natalia and the world in which she lives. One fueled by uncertainty, violence, betrayal, and love. But who’s love; that of her long time best friend, Diego? Or Diego’s brother Cristiano, loyal soldier and protector turned outcast and being hunted for his betrayal?
This book was so well written, it had my attention from the very first page and held it throughout the entire book! I read it in one sitting, literally couldn’t put it down!
I simply can’t wait for the remaining books in this series!
What a way to kick off a new series Jessica has done it again on totally hooked. There was nothing I didn’t enjoy about this story. For me mafia books have to grab you with the sense of danger and intrigue and boy oh boy does this one have it.
Natalia is the princess the prize that Diego and Cristiano are fighting over but there is more at stake. Family honour, competing cartels, murder and betrayal is present throughout the story. Who to trust who to believe Cristiano or Diego I’m not sure but I know I don’t trust Diego at all.
This is a fascinating start to this series what’s next I’ve no idea but I can’t wait to find out.
reviewed by Sweet Spot Sisterhood
OMG! Jessica Hawkins has done it again! She has set up the White Monarch Series with a bang, literally, so much so it will keep you on the edge of your seat, waiting for the next line, sentence, paragraph, and chapter. The plot, the twists, the turns and the events of this story are captivating.
These are just a few of my favorite lines from the book. Happy reading, insert evil laugh!
“She is mine.” Three words from two different men. A life, future, and love I don’t get to choose.
“The ferryman demands a toll to take passengers to the underworld, I said, this one’s on the house. Safe travels to hell, hermano.”
” en el nom re del Padre, y del Hijo, y del Espiritu Santo. Promento amarte y respetarte todos los dias de mi vida. Amen.”
“She is yours in the eyes of God, but in every other way, she is mine. Saying otherwise won’t change the fact.”
“I will rain down a fury the likes of which not even the Maldonados have seen.”
I tend to go into books blind. I rarely read reviews. And while I did on this one, I don’t often read blurbs. The blurb on this book got my interest up, but I really didn’t expect such a masterfully plotted book.
There were so many things about this story that had me sitting on the edge of my seat, gripping at my heart as I chewed my fingernails to shreds. From the moment I met Cristiano, I was intrigued – and considering the circumstances, I have to wonder how messed up that makes me. He was billed as a viscous monster, a brutal murderer. And yet, from the very start, something in me screamed that what was happening wasn’t right. I needed to know the truth, and I couldn’t read fast enough to find out what it was.
Diego and Natalia seemed so right together, and yet something – perhaps the same thing that had me begging for a deeper look at Cristiano – was whispering quietly that there had to be something wrong. How is it that I crave the monster while questioning the protector, the lover, the man of my dreams?
That is the mastery behind this book. It has me questioning myself, questioning right and wrong, and salivating for more of this amazing story.
And yes, this is a trilogy, but I’m so glad that it is. Because I’m not done with this. I need more Cristiano. I need to unwrap the mystery that’s hiding within Diego. And I need more of Natalia’s special brand of courage. This book ended with the most perfect kind of cliffhanger – the perfect resolution to so many things, the perfect promise of all the dark and delicious things to come.
Love, love, loved this amazing beginning to what promises to be an awesome series. Word for word, it sunk it’s claws in me and kept my attention the entire ride. I loved all the characters but, I have to say, I was rooting for Cristiano the whole time. Just love me a bad boy. There is a cliffhanger and I will be eagerly awaiting the next book.
Wow!! Ok. To start this is book one of a trilogy, so yes, there will be a cliffhanger and I am not going to lie, it’s a stunner! That all being said, this series gets off to one heck of a start. Dark, emotional and intense, this book introduces you to the characters and the story starts to unfold. With a plot that features Mexican Cartels , an unhappy Mafia Princess and brothers that are enemies, you know that you better “buckle up”, because things are going to get gritty, raw, intense, emotional, steamy and dangerous! I’m already fully invested in Cristiano, Natalia and Diego’s story and need more right now!
Omg! I absolutely loved this heart pounding, beautiful story! It held me captive from the very first page and I can’t stop thinking about it! This love triangle takes place in the corrupt and violent world of the Mexican Cartels. Where family is everything, and loyalty, and trust is precious. Natalia was born into this life but yearns for a life of love and safety. She was young when she suffered her first heartbreaking loss. Now 11 years later, she begins to question everything she remembers and believed from that fateful day. Natalia is so strong and smart but a bit naive as well. Her loyalty is unwavering, but she is learning her trust may be misguided. Brothers, Cristiano and Diego de la Rosa have everything on the line and Natalia is the key. They are both alluring and dangerous, with their own agendas, and are ruthless in their rivalry to win Natalia. This fast paced, thrilling story is so seductive and riveting, and had my heart racing! It was so beautifully written with brilliant banter and sexual tension that leaps right off the page. This first book in the White Monarch trilogy will leave you breathless! I loved this beautiful masterpiece and can’t wait for the next book, Violent Ends!