Withered Rose

by Valicity Elaine

A Christian Romantic Suspense Novel
Book One in the Withered Rose Trilogy

Rosa De Luca has finally escaped the Italian mafia. She wants nothing more than to live a life free of crime, violence, and lawlessness. When she takes up shelter with a Christian family just outside New York City, she finds God and she finds peace. But her peace is shattered when her father dies, and her brother hunts her down.

All at once, Rosa is forced back into the life she only just escaped. As punishment, she is married to the German underboss, Amory Jäger. But her will has not been broken. Nothing says Rosa can’t escape again and this time, God is on her side.
But when she gets the chance to escape, Rosa hesitates. She wants to leave the mafia, but after getting to know Amory, she isn’t sure she wants to leave him.

Meanwhile, Amory is looking forward to having a new bride. He doesn’t want to get married, but he’s willing to do whatever it takes to keep the family business afloat. It also doesn’t hurt that Rosa is absolutely beautiful.
But Amory is a mafia underboss and Rosa is a Christian woman. Her faith is standing right between them, and he hates that. The sting of her refusal to marry him runs deep. But something in Amory feels drawn to Rosa despite their differences.

DISCLAIMER/WARNING
Withered Rose is a Christian story. There is no foul language and no graphic scenes of sex, violence, or gore. However, our characters are members of the mafia which may present an environment some readers consider triggering. Topics such as gang violence, abuse, and distribution of illegal substances will be introduced throughout the book.
This novel is appropriate for mature Christian audiences ages 17+
Please read at your own discretion.

SERIES ORDER
Withered Rose
Clipping Thorns (August 2022)
Starting Over (Fall 2022)

Genres: Christian, Romance, Christian Romance, Christian Fiction, Dark Romance, Clean Romance, Mystery Thriller

312 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 9, 2022

About the author

I love fantasy and magic and quirky high school stories. Writing is my passion, Jesus is my life.

Reviews

[Nanah · Rating 2 out of 5]

I honestly really loved the plot of book 1 atleast I really loved the beginning. But the instant attraction and change on Amory’s part to Rosa threw me off a bit. I did like how strong and confident Amory originally came off but it’s like he’s taking constant slaps to the face whenever he’s with Rosa and walks away with a tail between his legs. It’s just degrading. Certain actions and dialogue he would say especially to Rosa just didn’t sound like the original character I saw threatening a Russian with a stick. Where was he the rest of the book? Idk

DONT even get me started on Rosa. I’ve been trying to emphathize with her character since the beginning but she makes it so incredibly hard. I truly just don’t like her. She’s truly a spoiled character has no grasp on the real world. Being a Christian doesn’t mean you live in LaLa land. It’s not that I don’t understand why she ran away to escape that life but at what point do you still not understand. Amory is not going to harm her. He forgave her countless times when SHE was in the wrong. She said she wouldn’t put the family in danger then RUNS OFF with Aurthur THUS absolutely putting the family in danger when she fully knows the mafia is always watching her. It was a selfish outlook and I don’t understand in what way that was Christ like. Honestly her whole character felt like religion to me. Just talking about God when it was convenient for her but not actually living it out. She was in constant judge mode as if she’s any better than the rest of them. “For ALL have sinned and fallen short from the Glory of God.” She seemed to have forgotten that one. None of us are righteous that’s why we NEED Jesus. Life just isn’t about repentance, it’s about surrendering your life to Christ and understanding that He’s the only way to free us and cleanse from our sins. Because of Him we can restore communication with the Farther and be in eternity with Him.

She plays the victim so much and I love how her cousins and best friend had to be like bro you’re not special and if anything you got the best treatment. But she always said “well I can’t talk to you guys about this because you wouldn’t understand” like your best friend literally got married off to an old man because of you and you can still say something like that? You got the best “bad” guy there was and instead of atleast Thanking God that he wants to make the marriage work and doesn’t treat you bad as all the other men who treat their woman like absolute garbage you constantly act and say stupid and wrongful towards him.

And on their wedding night….why is she acting like sex inside a marriage is a sin??? I’m sorry I forgot where that’s included in the Bible. AND IT WAS RECIPROCAL SHE WANTED HIM TOO! But denied him because “she felt wrong cause she may be acting on lust??” Huh?????And tried to look for the Bible for answers and yet again DOESNT look for the right stuff. “The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife does not have authority over her own body but yields it to her husband. In the same way, the husband does not have authority over his own body but yields it to his wife. Do not deprive each other except perhaps by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control.”1 Corinthians‬ ‭7‬:‭3‬-‭5‬
She seemed to have forgotten that too. If she felt like God placed her in this marriage then ACT LIKE IT AND STOP WHINING. Her constant pouting is very much like Job. And I love Job but girl come on start being the servant God calls us to be. I’m not saying be docile and roll with the punches but atleast try to make the marriage work without constantly trying to leave and judge him. Just downright embarrassing him bro it’s sad. How can anyone be lead to Christ like that? She couldn’t even say she loved the man. YOURE CALLED TO LOVE HIM regardless of your feelings like my goodness I truly don’t see Christ living in this girl at all.

For the good parts of this book. I loved the no cursing aspect while feeling still dangerous. I loved dialog between mafia men I felt like I was in the room especially with the strongholds. I really did like Amory in the beginning. But the constant belly flutters and gasps?!!!! Bro like what guy does that..let alone thinks like that. I just want these men to be more a little more realistic.

[Morgan · Rating 1 out of 5]

I always feel terrible writing a bad review, but there were so many things that didn't sit right with me. First off, Rosa and Amory are both INCREDIBLY immature. Whenever they have a disagreement, Amory lashes out to hurt Rosa and Rosa doesn't know how to communicate, so she shuts down and runs away.
Second, Rosa is a spoiled brat. She rain away from the mafia, but in doing so her best friend was punished by being engaged to an old man. And what does Rosa do once she's brought back and engaged to a handsome and caring man who is willing to try and make their marriage work? She cries about it to her friends about how bad she has it and "they wouldn't understand".
Third, as a Christian, I also believe to that you should stay pure till marriage, and even though Rosa doesn't love Amory yet, which is also VERY important, she acts like Amory is the worst person ever even AFTER giving her multiple chances, forgiving her, and trying to make her comfortable with the whole terrible predicament. He even begins reading the Bible to help understand her. I MEAN COME ON.
I was so incredibly annoyed and frustrated by the end of the book that when I found out it left off on a cliffhanger with them getting a divorce and Amory getting remarried I was SO CLOSE to flinging my phone across the room. I would love to know what happens, but I refuse to me drug along with Rosa and Amory's nonsense.

[Adeline Ruth · Rating 1 out of 5]

rosa is stupid

[𝕸𝖎𝖈𝖍𝖆𝖊𝖑 𝕮. · Rating 1 out of 5]

Okay, I appreciate that this book is spice-free, but it definitely isn't christian, at least it doesn't feel that way to me.
That's alright for me though, because I didn't need it to be Christian, I just wanted a clean mafia romance... But if you're looking for a wholesome christian read, this ain't it.
It's literally all about sex (Rosa didn't want to sleep with Amory even thought they literally got married), so if you're okay with that, good.

Honestly, with how mature this book is, it's weird for it to be "christian", if you get what I mean. To have a book like this and then toss in all this preachy stuff in between, it's pretty annoying. Not that I don't love the Lord, but I'd just like a clean mafia romance, not all this mature content, and then some bible verses sprinkled in afterwards. I don't know how to say what I mean, but you might get it. :)

I didn't rate this book very highly because Rosa is VERY annoying, it takes way too long for anything to happen, and the ending of this book is garbage. It's a cliffhanger, and it isn't even written well. I didn't know that this trilogy was all about Rosa and Amory- I thought they were just three different mafia romances in the same universe. I don't even want to read another book to see what happens, but I might-not sure yet.

At first, I sympathize with Rosa's wish to not sleep with Amory on the night of their wedding... and then I don't. She puts him off, and off, and off.... and it's like, GIRL, you gotta understand how lucky you are and that you need to relax and just be with your husband. She thinks everything's about her and she doesn't realize that she could've married a WAY worse mafia guy (abusive, ugly, old, or mean) and been forced to do tons of stuff that she wouldn't like.

Amory is so nice and lets her have her way, but then she takes advantage of that and pushes her wants to the extreme. She doesn't get that "yeah, we need to be married (not just on paper) or else these gangs can't aid each other and real alliances can't be built". NOT TO MENTION PEOPLE'S LIVES ARE ON THE LINE BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR.
That's the whole point of arranged marriages in the mafia world; Hell, if that's all it took to form a legit alliance between powerful gangs was a wedding and an afterparty, he certainly wouldn't need YOU and they'd happen way more often + with less struggle & effort.

What makes all this worse is that Amory is actually truly in love with her, so you can scratch all that very important stuff I said about why they needed to be together, and realize he literally wants to be with Rosa.... BECAUSE HE LOVES HER!!!!
He's not trying to be manipulative, he literally just wants to have you!.... And Rosa is still a jerk. What's the point, Rosa? You're already married to him for life (she doesn't believe in divorce), why not go through with it? You got a break already because Amory didn't force you on your wedding night, now take a couple days to yourself and then just be with him.
Gosh, Rosa was so annoying.

While Amory is my favorite, he has his bad points, too:
He's a rude jerk, and a terrible communicator.
HOWEVER, these two things aren't that bad AT ALL compared to how ridiculous and stupid Rosa is in this entire book.
Yes, he's rude, but he gets better right away because he loves Rosa so much and she's changing him for the better.
Yes, he doesn't communicate very well, but that's only after trying to work things out with Rosa and she ruins everything!!!! Of course he needs to back off and have some time alone! She never sought him out to fix things!!


Also, no matter the circumstances, Rosa DID in fact wait until marriage. She does NOT now have to worry about sleeping with her literal husband. She was being SO "pick-me" and over-the-top about the whole situation. Girl, you did what was right, you stood up for your goals and standards (WHICH BY THE WAY: Amory never ONCE asked her to sleep with him BEFORE THE WEDDING), and now you need to chill out and just be with your husband. Oh my gosh, give me a break, ROSA!!

So, all-in-all, Amory is perfect, and Rosa sucks.

I don't like this book, sorry.

[Rosie✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read my very first Christian dark romance and here is how it went.👇🏼

👉🏼 in the beginning I was very hesitant, not knowing what to expect and then I was introduced to Amory and I was even more hesitant. 😬 but then… I kept on reading and Withered Rose wrapped me in it’s story and I was HOOKED!

👉🏼 I’m a slow reader when it comes to physical books but I literally couldn’t stop thinking about Withered Rose! 🥀 I wanted it to be night time so I could pick it up again. And I would rush to do my chores and errands so I could read again.

👉🏼 4.75⭐️ for me.

👉🏼 triggers: this is a Christian DARK ROMANCE, there is a lot of things that you can expect to read when you are reading about the mafia: torture and murder. This is a closed door book + fade to black. There is no swearing or cursing.🫱🏼‍🫲🏽 The female main character is Christian and it shows throughout the book.

👉🏼 tropes: forced proximity, marriage of convenience & enemies to lovers.

I already got book 2 because I need more. I hope to read more from @valicityelaine

#darkromance #christiandarkromance #closeddoorromance #cleanbooks #bookishpost #bookreview

[kindleprincess _ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Barely a chirstian book

[Lon (arimayleetitus’svrsn)]

𝟒 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬☆

“She is too delicate for this world. Too gentle for the treachery and deception of the mafia.“

𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐲:
𝐖𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐢𝐬 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝟐𝟎 𝐲𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝟑𝟎 𝐲𝐫 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞. 𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐞𝐟𝐬 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐛𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐰𝐫𝐚𝐩 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐢𝐭. 𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐩𝐬 𝐟𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐠𝐨𝐚𝐥 𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐞𝐨𝐩𝐥𝐞 𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫.


“Rosa De Luca is not the Flower of Manhattan anymore. She’s a withered rose. And she’s going to be my wife.“

𝐀𝐠𝐞: 𝟏𝟓+
𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐜𝐞: 𝟐/𝟓 (𝐧𝐨 𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐬𝐦𝐮𝐭, 𝐣𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐤𝐢𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐠, 𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭, 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐬𝐞𝐱𝐮𝐚𝐥 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤)
𝐋𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐮𝐚𝐠𝐞: 𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐞
𝐓𝐰𝐬: 𝐠𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐟, 𝐠𝐨𝐫𝐞, 𝐩𝐞𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐮𝐫𝐞, 𝐬𝐨����𝐞𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐝𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞

“How has she managed to hold on to her faith in a world like this? How could she believe God exists—and that He loves her? If that were true, she wouldn’t be here. With me.“

𝐀 𝐥𝐢𝐥 𝐫𝐚𝐧𝐭:
𝐖𝐡𝐢𝐥𝐞 𝐢 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤, 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐢𝐫𝐬𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐥𝐟 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐀𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐖𝐀𝐘 𝐭𝐨𝐨 𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐭𝐟𝐮𝐥. 𝐇𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐟𝐮𝐥𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐚𝐬𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐢𝐠𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐞𝐝 𝐑𝐨𝐬𝐚’𝐬 𝐟𝐞𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬. 𝐋𝐮𝐜𝐤𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐢 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐢𝐭 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭 𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐫𝐤𝐬 𝐦𝐞 𝐥𝐨𝐥.

“I’m the enemy here. The monster in her perfect love story.“

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐲𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐭:
𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐝𝐨𝐰𝐧-𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐱 𝐰𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐞𝐧 (𝐟𝐭 𝐣𝐨𝐞 𝐣𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐬)
𝐎𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐡𝐮𝐫𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬-𝐩𝐚𝐥𝐨𝐦𝐚 𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐭𝐡
𝐇𝐨𝐰 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐚 𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐞-𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐲
𝐈𝐧 𝐣𝐞𝐬𝐮𝐬 𝐧𝐚𝐦𝐞-𝐤𝐚𝐭𝐲 𝐧𝐢𝐜𝐨𝐥𝐞
𝐑𝐚𝐢𝐬𝐞 𝐚 𝐇𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐥𝐮𝐣𝐚𝐡 𝐛𝐞𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐥 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐜
𝐆𝐨𝐝 𝐨𝐧𝐥𝐲 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰𝐬- 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐲
𝐌𝐞𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬- 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐧 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐲
𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐢𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐤-𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐢𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐫𝐚𝐦𝐬

“She’s praying. The sight makes me burn with an emotion I can’t place.“

[Jess Mora · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG NOOOOOOOOOOO

this was the best romance book i’ve read in a hot second. Loved every page! So freakin good! This might just be my new favorite author. We’ll see:)

I loved that the author includes faith in her books. There were actual quotes of scripture!!!! Again, i LOVED this!! On to book #2!

[Shannon Bolton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Christian romance but it's very gritty Christian romance. This will not be for everyone. Quite honestly, I'm not positive exactly what I think but the author definitely tells a good story.

[Robin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not sure what happened and why, when I posted my review through my Kindle app, it never showed up here on Goodreads. I'm seriously tired of waiting. It's been long enough. What I'm posting here will, therefore, be a little different than what shows up on Amazon.

I love Valicity Elaine's writing. She's an author extraordinaire. Her way with words easily puts you into the story, helps you relate to or picture the characters easily, and keeps you riveted to the story. I dislike that everything I've read by her is part of a series and requires you to keep reading further installments to finish the whole story, but that's just a personal preference. The three stars I gave this book are completely due to her skill as a writer.

Now, the reason I could not give five stars to this story follows. I'm not a huge fan of mafia tales to begin with. I took a chance on this one because it was marketed as a Christian mafia story and I was intrigued by how this might be achieved. In a nutshell, I wasn't so satisfied with how the story panned out on that front. For those who normally look for a Christian book to read, they expect there to be certain limits that are held to. Implications of what usually would show up as graphic in a secular novel, are generally accepted, I think, but this book really, really pushed those limits further than I like to see. Also, for those who care about this part, there are a couple mild curse words, but again, they fit the characters who are using them, though I'd have expected them to come from /different/ characters than who they actually did come from.

Not only that, the ending was so upsetting to me. I hoped for something solid, some kind of indication that all would be well in the end, but that didn't happen since the story doesn't end. I cannot tell you how extremely disappointed I was at the end of this book. It's not my cuppa, so I won't be continuing the series, so I'll never know how the story ends for these two main characters. I can imagine how I would hope it to end, but I won't be continuing this series.

However, if you do enjoy mafia tales and you're looking for something with less gratuitous violence, sex, and rough language, then I'd recommend it to you. It just pushed the boundaries too much for me and I think it would be better marketed as just a mafia romance story written by an author who is a Christian, so it's a bit cleaner than one would expect.

[Andrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my review for the first two books of the weathered Rose series. First, I have to say that the premise of a mafia series that is based on characters with Christian values was really intriguing to me. I have to say that the author did a really good job with the plot of the story so far, I care about all of the characters and what happens to them. It’s also interesting and how she explores their spirituality. I really like the male main character as he grapples with his faith and the reality of his life he’s put in so many situations where he wants to reach out to God, but then doubts that God is really speaking to him because of the difficulty of the mafia life , now Rosa, the female main character is a really difficult character to understand in the first book. She comes across as completely aloof to the real world and continues to behave in a way that is contrary to her Christian beliefs. She almost exhibit no fruit of the spirit reading some of the reviews from book one I can understand why a reader would not like Rosa. She gets better in book 2, but only slightly. I don’t know if the author intended to write her this way, but she is such a conflicting character. She approaches almost every situation as a victim, and as a result, she is very self-righteous. She really believes that she is right in every situation. She consistently breaks her promises to Amory and is extremely critical and judgmental of everyone in the mafia even though she grew up in the same environment, and for most of the people there, they don’t really have a choice. She has more grace for Arthur in book one then she does for her husband for the first two books. At the end of book 2 I would have like to see Rosa actually exhibit Grace kindness, understanding, and empathy instead of her usual victim, like approach when she was questioning Amory’s new position. I really think that Rosa could be a strong partner to Amaury. If she wasn’t so selfish, I would like to see Rosa be a safe place for him to let his guard down and for her to minister to him as his wife, but I doubt that I’m going to see that in book 3. TBD

[Ellie Talbot · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5⭐️ *GREAT BOOK BUT NOT CHRISTIAN*

I really enjoyed this book! I finished it SO QUICKLY. However, if you are wanting to read this book bc it is “Christian” and to avoid topics such as sex, drugs etc. then I would steer clear of this book. While it doesn’t have any “sex scenes” is does have explicit language insinuating such topics which can be just has harmful as reading the scenes themselves. I did appreciate that there was no fowl language ie cuss words. I loved the story and thought it was very well written and I will definitely be finishing this series, but I did want to put out there that while the main FML is a Christian and is open about her faith, I wouldn’t necessarily categorize it as Christian Romance bc it still has heavy sexual descriptions and other topics. This book does have a disclaimer though! I would definitely listen to the disclaimer and not have anyone under 17 read it.

All in all I enjoyed the dual POV and the character development happening and I’m excited to see where the author takes Rosa’s and Amory’s love story.

[mfoniso · Rating 1 out of 5]

I do not write this to be mean or malicious, but this book was simply not good, which is extremely disappointing because it had such high potential.

when TikTok said clean Christian dark Romance, I admit I was confused and unfortunately, I was more confused reading this. It was clean, and i loved the biblical references but the characters just did not make any sense, a lot of the things that occurred literally left me saying “what the heck is going on” out loud, and overall just not having a good time!

this was a nice attempt but it was not executed properly and felt juvenile and not flushed out in all aspects.

[Sylvia McLeod · Rating 1 out of 5]

cliffhanger

Books should have an ending. I-feel that is just a con to make you buy the next book to have no ending like this.

[Stinareads † 🇵🇸🍉 · Rating 1 out of 5]

As a Christian I was so excited to read this series, but it’s horrible

[Siviwe Vumisa · Rating 1 out of 5]

Rosa is unbearable

[Carolyn Norman · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first heard of Christian romance novels I thought why? Because isn’t the reason we’re drawn to Romance novels is the discovery of love, the intimacy and the HEA. I was curious as to how this would work cause I’m not really into fade-to-black love scenes.

So to say that I was engaged and enthralled with this story from beginning to end really speaks to the author’s skill in crafting a good story. Also why I’m rating this 4.5 ⭐️. And why I will be reading more of her books.

The story:
Rosa de Luca is a mixed race Mafia Princess. Her father, an Italian Mafia Don, married a Black woman to form an Alliance with a Black Mafia/Gang.

Amory is the next in line in the German mafia family. He marries Rosa to form an alliance with the Italians and the Black Mafia.

Rosa is a devout Christian and has challenges with being unequally yoked with Amory who believes in nothing. So they don’t consummate their marriage because Amory sincerely cares for Rosa and doesn’t want to take her by force.

This of course leads to challenges. Challenges with unforeseen consequences. Consequences that deny them a HEA at the end of Book 1 and leads us into Book 2.

Who would have thought that a Christian Mafia Romance would be so good! Borrowed this from Kindle Unlimited.

[Katelyn Schesser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had such high hopes for this book but now I’ve decided to not even finish the series.

Is it bad that I agreed with Amy for most of the book? And Rosa was def acting like a spoiled brat for most of the book.

And now there know there’s full on cheating tropes in the next books but still horrible communication? Ya no

I’m down with the mature scenes and what not, but not the immaturity and brattiness.

[Grace T · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is literally so good. I had no clue there were sequels and as I started getting towards the end of the book I was like there’s no room to turn this around.

So sweet and you can truly see Jesus woven into it ☺️

[Alieke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have so many highlighted quotes from this book❤️

[Magdalena Bergt · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have so many feelings. I'm so obsessed with this plot and the characters. Everything I've wanted in a book, this had it. I just ordered the rest of the series💀

[Chaos · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was so excited to start this, especially after seeing the authors tik tok. It's up my alley and without all the spice that sometimes I get tired of. I'm not sure what I was expecting, but it wasn't this. I adore Christian fiction, even without being one myself. What I don't like is a character acting like a massive hypocrite and not Christian but religious. There's a massive difference between the two.

I hated Rosa. At first, I liked her and thought I'd love her, but once she was sent back to NYC, she became insufferable. She acted like a spoiled entitled brat! She has absolutely no grasp on the real world, nor does she care. She is selfish and does not care about anyone else but herself. She proves over and over again by running away and causing issues. Knowing full well Minnie and the family would be harmed because of her actions. She judged everyone no matter what they did, even Father Serrano, who was just trying to help her!!! Rosa only talked about God when it was convenient for her and used it as a way to be better than anyone else. Then the whole consumating the marriage thing had me feeling all sorts of weird. She's married, and she thinks sleeping with her husband is a sin? Please make it make sense 🙄

Her cousins are the best part of the book. I love them so much, and I so wish they would have been a bigger part of the book. Though, with the way Rosa treated them, I'm glad they weren't. Again, Rosa playing the victim card like her cousins weren't punished for what she did 🤦‍♀️

As much as I hated Rosa, I still enjoyed the fact that this book didn't have any cussing or spicy scenes! It had a dark romance feel without all the other stuff! Bravo to this author for showing that it's possible to write dark romance without cursing and without spice. It was a nice little break from the usual.

[Gwenneth Iwwah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so this was my first Christian dark romance, and gosh, was this a lot. At first, the book had me pretty invested (might be because I'm a fast reader, either way). This book was a roller coaster.

The whole (or the middle of the) book had me giggling, blushing, smiling, and kicking my feet in the air. Especially when Rosa and Amory got engaged and the scene where they kissed for the first time (my emotions started from there).

Now let's talk about Amory, so I absolutely love morally grey men, and Amory was definitely one of them. I don't think I have anything bad to say about his character since he is meant to be the way he is. Tmi, but the introducing scene of Amory was so funny, the was he was threatening the Russian, ahahah.

Well, Rosa, on the other hand, idk I don't hate her, but just the way there was back and forth between her and Amory about sex was kind of annoying. It took a lot of my willpower to stop me from cursing. I know where Rosa is coming from for not wanting to sleep with Amory, but still, he's her husband and I don't think I'd be wrong to sleep with him even if she doesn't love him (idk, don't quote me on this).

Now the ending... God, it broke me apart, I had not expected it at all. My jaw literally dropped on the floor, and I was left staring at the wall. Also, I cried. Yeah, the end broke me that bad. I really didn't think Amory would actually take the other girl as his fiancée. But just as the book broke me, the next book fixed me just as quickly. Spoiler alert: but they didn't actually get annulment. SO, with all that being said, this book was great and a 4 star read from me!

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love dark mafia romance. Wanted to give this book a try to get away from reading smut/spice all the time. So when this popped up on Tiktok as a Christian based dark romance, I was all in. Firstly, the story definitely tells the dark side of mafia life. It's full of violence, greed, betrayal...etc, so I got what I expected on that side. Now, onto the relationship between the two MCs. I liked Rosa the 1st part of the book, but after she was forced back home and then into a marriage with Amory, she was getting harder to like. Christians are usually accused of being judgemental of others, and Rosa fell into this character a lot throughout the story. She judged her husband, the priest and the cousins wife, and so on. I felt at times she was acting like a brat and using her faith to suit her. Amory was very patient with her, even though there were a few times he reacted negatively to a couple of situations. He always kept his word to her and never forced her into doing anything, respecting her faith. Even reading the Bible himself to help him understand. Rosa went back on her promises several times throughout the story. She seemed to never acknowledge the effort he was putting in for her and their marriage. Basically, it was all about her and her feelings. I try to remember that she is pretty young, and maybe maturity has a lot to do with it, but at the same time, you have a hard time believing how blind and selfish she seems to come off. Rosa is very hard to root for in this book. Hard to feel bad for her with the ending of this first book. I mean, what else could Amory do at this point?

[Nelly · Rating 5 out of 5]

So captivating!! Right from the start I was hooked! One thing I didn't like was the way that the character sometimes address the readers. Uhm I'm not fan of that technique. But overall I def recommend. It is my first time reading Christian novel and I loooooved the way she included some relatable stories in the Bible.

[libby · Rating 1 out of 5]

honestly I just couldn’t with Rosa, she made everything difficult for no reason at all.

[Bella · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! who knew a Christian mafia romance would be very interesting and have me loving it so much. The story was so engaging, and I was so involved with the characters. I was so hooked that I just dropped every other book and focused on this one.

Now I know some people might find the concept of Christian plus mafia in a story odd, but I like to think about it as unique. Kudos to the author for even attempting and succeeding in writing and publishing such a story. I love what she said in her author's note about writing what she would like to see more of in the Christian romance market. Which I really like because when I started reading Christian fiction, it felt very bland and I felt like there were no variety and the stories were not engaging and interesting but over time,as I began to find more Christian authors as well as different genres in the Christian fiction market, my entire experience changed. So I get where she's coming from, and I fully support her. Whether we like it or not, our belief in Jesus Christ is hard to grasp for unbelievers but when we show them in our different ways and callings(like the way this author does) that no matter who or what you are Jesus loves you. I tell you that it becomes easier for them to understand and seek Jesus Christ. All that to say, I'm glad we have a book like this, and it is my hope that people will read and want to know more about Jesus.

Now over to Rose, so many times we're dealt with stuff that we wish we weren't dealt with, and we're wondering why God would allow that to happen to us. I have been there too, but I'm reminded of Joseph and all that he went through even from his own family, but yet God was on top of things, and in the end, everything worked out for good. Yes, I know we don't get that in this book, but surely we can see that the process is ongoing. So, while like Rose, it's hard and painful, let's keep trusting like Joseph that God will make things beautiful in his time.

I really like Amory and Rose's chemistry, and they're not there yet, but uhhhhh!!! I can just tell they'll be a power couple. God bless Amory for being somewhat patient with Rose as an unbeliever and a mafia lord ( that sounds like God doing something). Also, can we talk about the feelings Rose had even after she was married because those are valid and I could understand her. Navigating that whole what we're told before marriage and the reality of after marriage is something real. I'm not married yet, but I just kept feeling like omgosh. That's something nobody talks about.

Huge love for my girl Gisela for all the advice she gave to Rose. Especially when she spoke about 1 Peter 3:1-2 . Most times, we're so quick to expect the other person to change and be good, but I think it's in our doing and living Christlike lives that the other person would be won over.
Honestly, I could write a whole essay about this book, but I'll stop here. I can't wait to continue the series because it's just too good for words. Thank you, Valicity Elaine, for such great work. I am so blessed to have come across and read your work.
PS: I found out about the book on tiktok, so yea, social media does have its benefits.

[Kali · Rating 4 out of 5]

Quick read, I read it in two days. Very easy to read and understand. I am a fan of mafia stories, so I know how dramatic it can get. I also like reading about arranged marriages. I took this recommendation online hoping it would be God centered. I didn’t expect much from the book. I felt Rose being hypocritical and thinking she’s better. I did not like her character. That said she’s not the worst ever written, I hope she learns more in the other books but not sure if I’ll read them. I will break down my review in 3 sections, what I liked what I didn’t like and portrayal of Christian beliefs.

Things I liked:
I enjoyed the read, it was simple and easy and I didn’t get bored. At times I cringed but that didn’t stop me from reading. I think Christian books can be cheesy and it makes me stop reading. I was a fan of Amory as a character, I was able to relate with him more. Kinda get bad for him at times. Personally I feel like he could have been written scaryer. I didn’t get the vibe that he was dangerous or scary as he should be.

Things I didn’t like:
I didn’t like rose, it took me half way to realize it’s because she’s very immature, ignorant and a hypocrite it made me feel upset by her actions and always hiding behind that she’s a Christian and Knowing God. I think that was on purpose, I hope that her character gets redemption in the end I hope.

Christian beliefs:
I love to read books and read things with a critical eye when it comes to people portraying Christianity. I would have hoped her struggles would mold her into a person God wants her to be in this book. Instead she is idolizing a relationship, saying how God wants her to be with a Christian man that loves her like God. Taking her situation into account she needed to show her devotion to God by her obedience to her husband and oppressors, not as a pushover but as a submission to God for then He would bless her. You can tell through her actions that she was , as others have stated, religious. There was no real connection to God which is what I would have hoped for, that she would find connection and build her trust in God. Her words were empty on the page as I read. Learning about God from a young age doesn’t make a person more knowledgeable in the Word. I would give her Grace that she is young and dumb and I myself have been in her shoes thinking I know better when I did not. pers I feel a lack of biblical writing and I do not believe this Book should be a strictly Christian recommendation. There are many books with Christian influences that do it well, that don’t bear the title Christian. I like the references in the book but I did have lots of critiques with Rose. After letting it marinate for a day I kind of wanted to read more.

[Aubrey Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am absolutely obsessed with Elaine's mafia romances! While I felt like the very beginning of this book was a lot slower than some of her others, but once the MMC and FMC met, I felt like the story really took off, and was so emotionally and character driven that I found myself relating to and understanding characters I didn't expect I would.

I love Rosa. Her Christian convictions and the conflict they create for her are so relatable. I think every Christian has at some point struggled between the pull of worldly temptations and their desire to follow Christ. I love seeing Rosa's journey trying to follow Christ in an environment that makes it very difficult.

I also love Amory. I love his struggle to resolve his life as a mafia underboss and his desire to grow closer to Rosa and understand her beliefs. While their exact circumstances and the details of their struggles, both individually and as a couple, may not be realistic or similar to readers, the emotional core is very relatable. And I absolutely love that!

This book does have a lot of dark topics, such as murder, torture, abuse, neglect, and others. Bu,t it is not graphically described, and it is not glorified or presented as good. I think that's a hard thing to accomplish, and Elaine pulls it off very well.
There is also an open door scene, but again, nothing is graphic and a lot is left to interpretation.

[Georgia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really really want to like this story, I promise. I was so intrigued by the idea that a dark romance could also be clean and have Christian ideas. I am so disappointed in Rosa as a main character. She is absolutely childish and selfish. She somehow manages to melt the heart of this macho mafia dude but she can’t see past her own little world to the bigger picture throughout the entire book. The dude is reading the Bible to figure her out, giving her all the space she can handle and is willing to die to preserve her dumb virginity and she doesn’t even acknowledge that in her own mind. She has various dialogues throughout the book where her friends are telling her how spoiled she is being and how good she really has it, but she maintains that they just don’t understand. I am honestly in Amory’s camp right now which feels strange. I can’t even blame him for his decision. But on top of all of this frustration to find it ends in a cliff hanger….girl… I don’t know if I can handle one more page of this nonsense but I will probably subject myself to it. I really do want to support this author and I love the idea behind this story so much. I just wish that these characters had a little more sense and development.