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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This is the first book in the White Monarch series and it immediately sucks you into Natalia, Diego and Cristiano’s world. This is a fast-paced, dark, emotional read with a great slow burn romance thrown in. Since this is the first book in the series, expect a cliffhanger, but it really just makes the anticipation for book two that much more sweeter. This book has all the angst that I would expect from a Jessica Hawkins book. I cant wait for the next one!
If you’re looking for a classic Jessica Hawkins book… this isn’t it.
When going into a romance novel, you expect some type of connection. I was sad to see none in here. I don’t need sex every chapter or anything. I don’t even need the sex but I need a connection. At times I thought maybe we were about to get it but then it would turn back to the business, the cartel.
I’m hoping book two brings the heartache and love. I want to see why you would die for someone. Not just because you’ve known them your whole life.
I skimmed a lot of this book which is why I took a star away and then because there was so much story about the cartel and the workings of it, I had to take another one away.
I do have hope for this next book though so bring it on.
I can’t wait to see where this story goes next
Violent Delights is a sensual tango between three people. Jessica Hawkins leads you around the dance floor as she introduces us to strong willed, intriguing characters who cut in and out of the dance with an allure of secrecy. The slow building tempo is enriched with heritage, honor and tradition. Each character more passionate than the next. Closely guarded secrets keep you guessing as Latin heat is cranked up a notch with each chapter.
I’m a huge fan of Jessica Hawkins. She absolutely stuns her audience with this forbidden cartel story. Who’s the ‘leader’ and who’s the ‘follower’ is yet to be determined. Book two can’t arrive fast enough.
4.5 Stars!!!
Wow!! Just WOW!!! Jessica Hawkins has set us up for quite the ride with this first book in the White Monarch series! I bit my nails and twirled my hair nervously while devouring page after page of this great book!!!
Trust no one.
Never draw a weapon unless you meant to kill.
Loyalty didn’t guarantee loyalty, even to your own blood.
Anyone, even the most loyal disciple, could turn.
Natalia is the mafia princess. Her family has taken in the brothers Diego and Cristiano which are from the De La Rosa family. Diego has always been Natalia’s one and only love. Promises are made from a very young age that the two of them will be together forever.
It’s all a puzzle waiting to be put together. Absolutely loved this book! With the ending that occurs in this one, I will be refreshing my kindle daily for book 2!
#BookBistroBlogApproved
Holy wow! From the cover of this story to the words inside, I loved everything about this first book in the White Monarch trilogy!
One horrible night in the past leaves rippling effects for every character in this book; especially Natalia, Cristiano, and Diego. Good glory! The twists and turns in this book are crazy! I’m have so many questions. I can’t help but applaud the author for how intricately she plotted this story. I’m so excited that we get two whole more books with this amazing, complex world and all of the characters who live in it.
Again, holy wow! This book started and ended in true cartel style! After that ending, I can’t believe we have to wait 3 months for book 2! I’m going to be waiting very impatiently and continue to think over the things that were revealed in this first book to see if I can piece together any bit of this puzzle.
Grateful to have received a complimentary ARC copy to honestly review.
“She is mine.” Three words. Two different men.
A life, future, and love I don’t get to choose.
Violent Delights is book one in the White Monarch trilogy, an addicting new series from USA Today bestselling author Jessica Hawkins.
Natalia is a woman who has no options even though she’s given the illusion that she does. Her father is the head of a Mexican cartel and sends her to the states for schooling. She is in love with his right hand man and a man he had saved as a child, Diego . She wants to take Diego away from that life and have a happily ever after. Life in the cartel doesn’t work that way all the time. Diego’s brother, Cristiano reappears in their lives after being on the run for murder. He has other plans for the two of them.
This story has many twists and turns that you’re not sure who to trust. I loved that. Natalia is strong in her convictions which may be her biggest downfall. Diego has some hidden agenda that made me rack my brain to figure it out. The biggest mystery is Cristiano. His dominiring presence thrills and scares Natalia all at the same time. She doesnt know how to respond to him. I can’t wait for more and have more mysteries solved.
I’ve always enjoyed Jessica Hawkins books and Violent Delights is no different. This book has a bit of the same vibe/feel as Slip of the Tongue did a few years ago. While the storylines are not similar at all… perhaps it’s the writing that’s bringing me back to one of the first books I read by Jessica Hawkins. I really feel as though writing a review for this book is dangerous. It seems impossible to talk about the book without wanting to gush about the storyline but I’m going to do my best to talk about what this book did to my heart and my feelings.
Violent Delights is a nail bitter! I felt totally immersed in the world Jessica Hawkins created. And what a world this was! It was dangerous and pretty twisted. I really was delightfully shocked by the storyline. It really is quite a daring story line and I’m delighted that Miss Hawkins decided to tackle this series. I love the mafia ties and the possessive feelings the characters expressed. This is going to be one hard book to tie all together. It’s one that feels like an ol’ time story but with edge and heart.
Miss Hawkins is a creative genius! I felt truly transported into her story. It’s really a magically way to write. The characters are incredibly layered. You’ll either love them or hate AND love them so much. The brothers, Diego and Cristiano are built up and you’ll have no idea which way this story is going to turn out! I know that I am fully invested in this story and will be counting the days until I get the follow up story!
I received an ARC of this book with the hope that I would leave an Unbiased Opinion. I was not required to leave a review, positive or otherwise, and my opinions are just that… my opinions.
I couldn’t wait to get my hands on this after reading the blurb. It sounded like my kinda book. Two brothers feuding. A woman caught in the middle…what’s not to love? Saying that I did struggle to really get into this book. The first half didn’t grip me but that all changed in the second half. Once you’re caught up with the background, the pace picks up and that was it for me. I wasn’t putting this book down for anything. Full of intrigue, mystery and betrayal this had me coming up with all sorts of theories.
A really good start to a new series and the ending is set up brilliantly for the next book. I can’t wait to see if any of my theories are right and find out what happens next.
This start to the White Monarch trilogy will get you hooked right from the start. You’ll be addicted to Natalia, Diego and Cristiano’s story. The story is such a page turner because all you want is to know what will happen next. Who are the truly good or bad guys? Is the reality you think you know the real truth of what happened? Is the person you love really the person you want and desire? What happens if you’re in the middle of a cruel and violent world? Can you be saved? Can someone save you or do you have to save yourself?
So many questions…. left in such a cliffhanger!!! Can’t wait for more!!
“She is mine.” Three words. Two different men.
A life, future, and love I don’t get to choose.
Violent Delights is book one in the White Monarch trilogy, an addicting new series from USA Today bestselling author Jessica Hawkins.
This book was so much more than I could have imagined. The turmoil. The emotions. The beauty of it all. Natalia, Diego and Cristiano had me turning pages from the start. This story took me by surprise and rocked me to my core. Great job Jessica. I’ll be waiting for June.
Wow
I don’t even know what to say other than Jessica Hawkins just delivered such an amazing and unforgettable story. Just when you think Jessica couldn’t give us another epic book, she gives us Violent Delights. Please note that if you’re going into this book you need to keep in mind that it is a SERIES.
Violent Delights is a story about a girl who she wants to be happy with the love of her life. Natalia hasn’t had an easy life, but she is working on making it better with the guy who she loves. I loved Natalia, she’s such a queen, she loves hard, and truthful to who she is and what she wants. The last thing she expects is to be stuck in between two broths.
Diego and Cristiano… wow, I got to say, I was going into this story loving the good guy but ended p loving the bad boy who I know isn’t who he claims he is. Diego and Cristiano have one thing in common, and that is they both want the same girl.
Get ready for the suspense, the shock, the thrill, and the unforgettable story you’re about to read. I cannot wait for book two…. Do we really have to wait until June for the next book??
THIS IS A MUST READ!!!!
Oh my gosh, Jessica has done it again. This love triangle is intense. I felt like I could not read it fast enough. I’m not sure whether I love Diego or Cristiano more!! What I do know is June can not get here soon enough! I need more.
What a ride Jessica Hawkins has brought us on with the first book in the White Monarch series, Violent Delights. I was on edge from beginning to end, I’m still on edge after I finished and I can’t get enough of this story. I loved it so much. My mind was trying to figure out what happened, what was about to happen and never did I get anything right. Passionate and romantic, Natalia Cruz, the only daughter of the Cruz cartel empire. Diego and Cristiano de la Rosa, my goodness what a journey with these two brothers. They are so different and so alike in so many ways. And Natalia is right in the middle of it all. Wow!! The slow burn, Jessica Hawkins style, will burn you slow, will tease you and it may kill you. Loved the setting, could feel the Mexican style ambience and kudos to the author for making sure that the Spanish was well translated, spelled and used within the context of the language. I can’t wait to read the next book.
‘m going to start by talking about the conclusion of this book. What a way to end a book. I mean wow! I was hanging on EVERY word from about 80% on, it was building and building and then boom. I defiantly have very strong feelings about some of these characters and theories galore. I’m curious to see if I’m correct or way off. I guess we’ll find out in book 2.
So I have to say I wasn’t expecting a book like this from Jessica Hawkins! Kinda cartel-ish/mafia-ish but not fully. Kinda a love triangle but I know who my favorite is already and can’t wait for more. Hoping for more of one character’s POV in the next installment of the trilogy! I was totally sucked in and am dying for book 2!!
I had originally gotten the impression that this would be a love triangle, but it really isn’t. Yes, it is about a girl caught between two brothers, but for different reasons (unless that changes in the next book).
In true to Jessica Hawkins form, this one has a super slow burn. You just know something big is coming, but you have no idea when. Around the halfway point, the first bomb is dropped. We didn’t find out about the biggest turn of events until the very end. It does end on a cliffhanger, but it’s book 1 of 3, so that is to be expected.
Jessica balanced writing a romance in the world of the cartel, with ease. She made it gritty and believable but still had that spark that made you feel connected to Natalia and Diego’s love story. It is mostly told from Natalia’s POV, which I felt was necessary for setting the scene for what was to come.
Although, there is a lot of action happening throughout the entire novel, the core ‘action’ doesn’t happen until around 90%. It is a lot of setting the stage for what’s to come, up until that point.
I can’t wait to see what’s to come. The twist… so not what I was expecting.
Jessica Hawkins is one of my favorite authors!! She never fails to disappoint me whenever I pick up one of her books and Violent Delights is further proof of that. She has a way with drawing you in and keeping you captivated and at the edge of your seat wanting more!! Jessica has once again outdone herself in this first book in the White Monarch trilogy. I’m not a huge fan of mafia/cartel books and I was a little iffy after reading the blurb of this book but Violent Delights is so much more than that! It is about the cartel life, but I wouldn’t really classify it as in the mafia genre completely.
This book was filled with intrigue, deception, violence, power plays, tested loyalties, confusion, and a whole lot of passion. This is just the beginning of a very fascinating story that I need the second book to right now!! I don’t know how I’m going to be able to wait till June and then November for the rest of the White Monarch trilogy. I absolutely loved Natalia, Diego, and Cristiano. Just when I think I Iove one guy, something happens to make me rethink everything. This story will definitely have you on the edge of your seat rethinking every little thing that is happening and wondering what’s right and what’s wrong and leaving you wanting more at every turn.
I thought the first half of this book was a little slow for my liking although I still devoured every single word and was left wanting more! I really can’t recommend this book enough and I cannot wait till book 2 comes out!