Review: Mobster's Gamble: Chicago Mob Series Book 1 by Amy Rachiele

Print Length: 132 pages

Published: (January 23, 2016)

From Goodreads.com: Carlo Caruso runs the family businesses. The son of mob boss Ennio Caruso, Carlo knows his place and he is up to the challenge of taking care of both the casino business and the not-quite-legal “other” business, all without drawing unwanted attention from the authorities. But when a group of cult extremists, headed by a guy who calls himself Priest, decides to target his family’s casino as a den of sin while attempting to recruit for their cause, Carlo may be in for a challenge he has never been trained for.

Anya was born inside the walls of a cult and has never known anything different. Anya’s beauty has always stirred the wrong kind of attention from the leader and then, when he was gone, his son. Anya has had a complicated and volatile relationship with Priest since she was a little girl toddling around in the religious commune. She knows she deserves better but has no idea how to go about getting it.

Can Carlo and Anya overcome their upbringing and find love?

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My Rating: 4 stars out of 5

I have to say that this was one of the most unique premises that I have read in a very long time and I was interested to see how it would play out between the pages. These characters couldn't have been more different from each other - worlds apart actually. And while that made the story more interesting - I was disappointed in the lack of real build-up between these two before they jumped into bed and declared their love for one another. I was also disappointed that crucial information seemed to be missing when it comes to a certain scene involving Anya. I don't want to give too much away for future readers - however I will say there definitely needed to be more detail as to how she ended up in a certain place and why. I can't imagine Priest allowing her much freedom, so how was it she found herself at that place at that time? 

Other than that, this book was tender in parts, and almost heart-breaking in others. I cannot imagine having to grow up and live as Anya did. And yet for all she had to endure she still managed to be a strong female character. And despite Carlo's temper and violent lifestyle - he managed to find the strength to give her the gentleness she deserved. This book definitely showed the crueler side to life, and one that is often overlooked in "romance" stories. 

Overall, I enjoyed watching the events of this story play out, and would read more from this author. 

DISCLAIMER: I received a complimentary copy of this novel in exchange for my honest review. This has not affected my review in any way. All thoughts and opinions expressed in this review are 100% my own.

Mobster's Gamble is available from Amazon.com