Emilia-All I’ve ever wanted was to marry for love.But girls like me don’t have that luxury.We are used as pawns in a game we can’t control.The game? It’s called Mafia. I was foolish enough to try to change the rules? and I lost.Luca-She was promised to me years ago.And he dared to take her from me.Dared to touch what was mine.I put an end to that.I hope he’s enjoying the view from his dirt … room.Emilia-My beloved’s killer placed a ruby ring on my finger and called me his queen. But that red gem symbolizes something different for me. It represents the blood shed by those I love most.Hell was empty the day we wed.Because the devil was standing before me and said “I do.”Luca-I saw her as a possession.A shiny toy I didn’t want other boys to play with.But she’s so much more.Beautiful and brave and strong and broken all at once.She tastes like everything I’ve ever wanted.Emilia-Hidden and patient.I wait for the perfect time to seek my revenge.But slowly, I feel him possessing me.His heart is full of darkness? and I still want every inch of him.Hard as I try, I can’t escape loving this beautiful monster.Luca-I’m waiting patiently because I already know that she’s mine.Mine in a way that no one will ever understand.Even if she hasn’t yet realized it.For love, I’d do anything. For her, I’d do everything.
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Okay, so there are a few things I have to say about Waiting for my Queen by Georgia Cates…
I absolutely enjoyed this riveting, dark, disturbing, and twisted story. Georgia invites you into this world that you expect to be the same as everyone else has written. A dark mafia boss that steals the girl away. But Georgia takes it so much deeper. I wouldn’t say Waiting for my Queen is darker as there is no darkness in the love that Luca and Emilia have for each other. At the beginning of the story, there is NO love at all. Once the love between the two is there the love is pure and engaging.
Luca is a dark and disturbed man. He lets drugs and emotions rule his life before Emilia. I have to say drug use in a book is a huge trigger for me, but I powered through because that is what makes his book so interesting. You almost need the drugs due to the time era and because of what he does at the beginning of the book and how he explains why he does what he does.
Emilia is young and makes a few mistakes in this book, but emotions and family obligations are a lot for a 21-year-old. How she deals with both of those I command her. Luca does not make anything easy for her in this story. But she does show him that love, affection, and commitment can change the future you want.
I have to be honest, I am hoping because of the time era that Georgia starts us on that we are going to get more of this family. Rather it is Luca’s brothers and Emilia’s sisters, or the second generation…
The author warns that Luca is an a-hole. That is correct. He starts off as a huge one. He wants what he wants and he does everything necessary to get it. He wants Emilia. He doesn’t care about what she wants. He wants her and he makes the moves necessary to get her. Even if that means she hates him for it.
The author also warns that you will hate Luca. I can’t speak for anyone but myself, but I never hated him. Did he annoy, aggravate, frustrate and irritate me? Most definitely. He does some seriously questionable ish that had me screaming at my kindle for his utter stupidity at times, but underneath it all, at his core, it was pretty obvious how amazing he could be. Especially when it came to Emilia and what he wanted their relationship to be.
This story hits you from the get-go!
First I loved the time frame of when this story took place! I was having some flashbacks to my young girl days reading this. Second, the soundtrack for this story, I loved how the music played into the evolution of Emilia and Luca.
Oh my me, Luca Rossini…this is a character you are going to hate to love. But with Ms. Cates phenomenal storytelling skills, you are going to realize that Luca is redeemable, he is a true mafia man and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. And what he wants is the betrothal that was promised to him years ago.
Emilia is grace under pressure. She is steel wrapped in silk. She is strong when she has to be and knows when to bend when she must. She has plans, revenge and vengeance is what spurs her on her quest for justice for her family.
The chemistry between Emilia and Luca is on fire! The line is almost transparent between love and hate between them.
If you are looking for an angsty, dark and steamy tale, look no further than this new story from Georgia Cates!
Mafia…check
Alpha male…check
Sassy heroine…check
Steamy…double check!
This book clicked all of my five star boxes and then some. I loved it! Georgia did an incredible job with Luca and Emilia. Lots of tension and grit. Just when I thought there was absolutely NO WAY Luca could be redeemable, man oh man. He did and then some. And I didn’t even fathom the possibility of that happening. Great read and can’t wait to see if there will be any more books with these characters in them. Across the board it was amazing. Don’t miss out!
Lucca and Emilia’s story takes place in 1978. At the beginning I couldn’t stand Lucca at all. His actions were completely despicable. I did not see how he could redeem himself. But as the story progressed I slowly started falling in love with him and rooting for them. Give him a chance and he might surprise you.
I really enjoyed their story and didn’t want it to end.
I really enjoyed this book! It was a fast paced book that I didnt want to put down. I didnt think I was going to be into this book in the beginning but my mind changed quickly! If you like dark mafias and antiheroes I would definitely recommend this one!
Was given an arc for an honest review
An alpha male of Luca that you love to hate. A herione in Emilia that all she wanted was to love someone in marriage. But being a mafia world with arranged marriage with impossible to have that dream. A must read by Georgia without a doubt.
I had such high expectations for this book and story. I love Mafia stories, but this book just did not do it for me. And don’t get me wrong I am a Georgia Cates fan.
I was never able to connect with the characters or the storyline. I actually put it down, walked away and picked it back up again a few days later and it still never resonated with me. There are some things that are forgivable, there are some things I can get passed but that was not the case with this story.
I found nothing forgivable or redeemable about Luca and nothing strong about EmiliaI am all for redeeming a bad guy, but I have to find likable qualities in him and there were none. . The path they traveled to find their HEA was disgusting.
4 Stars
Review by Elizabeth
Late Night Reviewer
Up All Night with Books Blog
Waiting For My Queen is the first book by Georgia Cates that I have had the pleasure of reading. Waiting For My Queen captured my attention with the blurb but also because it is a mafia book. Anything to do with the mafia, I have to read.
Emilia knows the rules of the Mafia life but she does not let that stop her. She is dead set on proving that love can conquer all but can it? When things do not go as Emilia planned she sets out for revenge against the one man who cost her her entire world. Will she succeed in her revenge or will she fall in love on the way? Only time will tell.
Luca is the definition of a bada**. He was promised Emilia’s hand in marriage years ago but now things have changed. Or have they? Luca will do anything to get his way even if it means killing everyone who stands in his way.
Luca and Emilia could not be more different if they tried. Luca has a heart of stone whereas Emilia wears hers on her sleeve even though she tries to hide it. There were a lot of feels that surrounds this book and mostly I stayed mad at Luca through it. Luca has a lot of growing up to do in order to prove himself. Emilia wants her revenge on Luca but again, her heart shows more than she realizes.
My only issue with the book was how immature they both came off to be. I don’t want to go into details because it contains spoilers so I won’t. Other than that, it was a good book to read and I am looking forward to what Georiga comes out with next.
Wow! Absolutely blown away with this book. This is Georgia Cates as we’ve NEVER seen her before! Waiting For My Queen was a mafia romance that checked off all the boxes of what I love about reading: an alpha anti-hero bound by his family legacy, a strong heroine that will do anything for her family, a winding road to redemption, and an ULTIMATE enemies-to-lovers ROMANCE!
This story is told from dual POV and a complete stand alone. Lovers of mafia romance from LJ Shen, Cora Reilly, and Meghan March will DEVOUR this book! 1-click RIGHT NOW!
Waiting for My Queen is an old school, New York mafia story, circa late 1970’s. Disco, cocaine and arranged marriages are the norm. But what happens when you try to change the rules? Consequences are felt deep and wide. In the author’s note Georgia Cates asks that we give Luca Rossini, the antihero, time before we decide that he’s unredeemable. By chapter four I wasn’t sure that it would be possible.
“I never wanted money or power. Love and happiness have been my only true desires in life.”
Emilia Bellini is betrothed to Luca Rossini. This has been planned since birth. Circumstances and situations make this a difficult transition with several dark scenes as a result. As their story moves forward I felt many emotions. Shock, fury, anger and then relief to name a few.
“A queen will always turn her pain into strength and strength into power.”
The writing is straight forward. The story has a strong and steady build up. I loved watching the evolution of Emilia and Luca and that included the intimacy and passion that sparked between them. It was definitely a difficult path to redemption for Luca. The 70’s music and the family traditions completed the mafia vibe and rounded out their story.
“Once upon a time, a devil fell in love with an angel.”
Waiting for My Queen will keep you on your toes as you fly through the pages, I read it in just about one sitting. I would definitely read more as there are many siblings and secondary characters that have stories to tell.
4 stars
#AuthorGeorgiaCates #WaitingForMyQueen #Mafia #Sexy #AlphanMale #StrongFemale #HotAndSexy #Love
Waiting for my Queen by Georgia Cates is a standalone dark and twisty mafia romance about two people, promised to each other since they were babes and all the drama that ensues when one tries to break the agreement. The darkness that resides within Luca versus the light that Emelia brings to his life. It is quite possible that this book might trigger some people but i found it to be a little dark and that Luca needed to do much to redeem himself but overall I was very happy with this story. From the terrible wedding scene, to the calm stubborness of Emilia, to the gradual change that takes over luca. Loved it! Enjoy!
Waiting for my Queen: A Dark Mafia Romance is my first book to read from Georgia Cates. I came in with no idea what would lie behind the pages, but the title had me quite interested. I am happy to say, I enjoyed this and the title definitely came through in the end.
Do opposites really attract? What about arranged marriages…do they work today? With the title of this book you definitely have to throw in the underworld when considering questions of this sort. Is proactive planning with human lives a smart thing?
Luca is powerful, ruthless, deadly and the alpha leader of the family. Growing up, he has learned to lead with an iron hand, and he leaves nothing to chance. But a hard heart can be softened sometimes.
Emilia is beautiful, talented and truth be told, alpha female. She is still growing into one role when the unthinkable happens and she is thrust into another. Vengeance can be keen and cruel, but time can heal when the heart is pure.
Watching these two discover each other, and pull together was heartwarming. Mafia life does not often allow for such things but Luca and Emilia fight major odds to give us a love story that came about from patience and forgiveness from all parties.
There were times I felt the story veered with so many irons in the fire but then it is mafia life after all. In the end I could not stop reading until the HEA I hoped for came about. This is one I definitely enjoyed.
My first read with this author. I’m not usually a fan of the enemies to lovers trope but I found this very entertaining. Ms. Cates just gained a new reader in me!
Oh god! I just love a good mafia story, how the main character is strong, confident, all alpha, and gets what he wants, and this one didn’t disappoint me, it was perfect, and I fall in love with the story, how the author new how to complement and intertwine the main characters , this one is a must, and I promise that it isn’t going to disappoint you.
When I knew that I would have the opportunity to receive this arc in exchange to an honest review, I didn’t think twice about sign up. Although it is my first book about the author, the fact that the subject was about the Italian mafia set in the 70’s, was a “yes, I want it!”.
“Once upon a time there was a devil who fell in love with an angel.”
At the beginning of the story there is a warning from the author about Luca Rossini’s attitude. A good detail for me to try not to hate him. The guy is conceited, impeccable and has only one goal. Get at all costs, the girl who was promised for marriage by her parents, since they were children.
Emilia Bellini is naiive. She was not interested in continuing with the pact that her family made. His heart belonged to another person and in her plans was not joining Luca. But he always gets what he wants and won’t let his queen be taken away.
“Luca Rossini is greedy, but also highly intelligent, a dangerous combination.”
When Emilia had no choice but to accept her new destiny, she decides to play hard, in the only way she can. Entering a certain mental game. And I really enjoyed it! How I would have liked this fight to continue! That Emilia was more aggressive.
“Hating him is my new disease. I’ll never be free of him. Until I send him to hell where he belongs.”
Emilia had to play her cards well. However, in the process of hating him, he ended up learning to love him.
And that’s the dark part of the story. After everything Luca did at the beginning to get her by his side, she yielded to her charm. With the passage of time, Luca became the man who would give everything to protect her.
“We’re both a little fucked up, but together, we are unstoppable.”
Although this story is fiction, the Italian mafia is not, nor what happens within the organization, Emilia’s reaction seemed implausible, after the event that marked her. I enjoyed this reading, the steamy and romantic moments between Emilia and Luca. And even more, what Emilia achieved at the end of the road. Because a true queen knows how to tame her king.
“A queen will always turn her pain into strength and strength into power.”
This was my first Georgia Cates book and tbh i wasn’t sure what to expect but she didn’t disappoint me. I’m not normally into reading books set in the past and this one is set in the 70’s but I was kept drawn into this mafia romance.
I really liked the characters, especially Luca when I really shouldn’t have. He was a bad boy that you can’t help but like, he was beautifully dark. Emilia was the opposite to him, she was sassy, outgoing and determined.
The storyline was well paced and along with the other characters it kept your attention throughout.
This will definitely not be my last book by Georgia Cates
4.5 stars
Mafia is my favorite sub-genre. It is for that reason that I am VERY picky. It has to be done right and feel authentic. This book definitely did that for me. It had all the qualities that I look for; a plausible story, great characters, authentic portrayal, steam, and an alpha strong man that knows how to show his softer side.
I was worried when this book started how the author would manage to make Luca, the Hero, redeemable. Especially, with HOW this relationship came to be. I am not sure that I could have forgiven him if I had been Emilia. Somehow, the author not only made it happen but she did it epically. I LOVED Luca. I also loved that this story was set during the late ’70s and early ’80s. So much of it still felt like it was written in a current time period, but the special remembers of life before cellphones or computers were nicely done. It made me appreciate it even more because it is not something that is seen very often and made me enjoy reliving my 70’s and 80’s with these characters (granted I was a decade younger than the characters in this book it still made me melancholy.)
I did struggle with how the story was resolved with Emilia and her mother as that was the only thing that didn’t feel authentic in regards to the Mafia. I did, however, appreciate how the author tied in Luca to this as another way to show a softer side to him.
A mafia tale that will rake you over the coals with visceral reactions of fear, anger, just, and disbelief. Emilia and Luca were promised to each other as children, mafia families and betrothed arrangements are common place. But Emilia falls for Nicolo. Her father barging her freedom but at what cost to the Bellini family?
On her wedding day the truth of mafia bargaining is revealed and will break your heart. Luca will stop at nothing to have Emilia for himself. Loving Luca is damn hard! It took me six chapters to find my way to liking him. The author asks us to give him a chance, but man was it tough to do.
Georgia Cates is a wonderful story-teller who shakes your emotions to the very core.
Oh how I love the characters that Georgia creates. We are introduced to the world of Luca and Emilia. Get ready you have been warmed that Luca will be a tough man to like let alone love! This revolves around mafia families in the back in the 70’s and 80’s . Emilia’s family promises her to Luca but he is not the man she wants but it isn’t her choice. She must live the life that has been chosen for her . Luca always gets what he wants and she belongs to him. Get ready for a crazy wild ride with the alpha man and his queen!
~~Michele McMullen ~~