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I'm a mafia man who lives for power and family.

Some say I don't have a heart.

A client who owes a substantial debt to me and an associate has disappeared.

Sitting in his restaurant, I'm greeted by a woman who's a real spitfire.

She doesn't care that I'm Franco DeLuca a made man.

After a few more verbal exchanges things take a dark turn.

I'm now her protector.

We establish early on we aren't interested in relationships.

I keep telling myself I don't want anything to progress between us.

If that's true, why am I willing to die to keep her safe?



**Trigger warning** Dark romance elements and gore.

247 pages, Kindle Edition

First published February 14, 2023

391 people are currently reading
616 people want to read

About the author

Shantee' A. Parks (Posey Parks)

49 books115 followers
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Posey Parks a.k.a Shantee' A. Parks is an Amazon best selling author and the owner of Posey Parks Publishing.
Billionaire alpha romance suspense series: Relentless Chase, Not Giving Up, and Samantha Posey Love three book series, (Love Unfolded, Love Reveals, and Love Conquers) are filled with betrayal, drama, kidnapping, assassins, and Steamy Hot romance. The characters cross over into other series.
The Set Dilemma is a sexy historical romance standalone. Hidden Witness is a second chance mafia romance series sure to keep you hooked. The deeply captivating Billionaire's Stripper Virgin romance is a tantalizing must read.

Posey Parks will always give an unexpected Plot-twist in all of her books.

She's from Detroit, Michigan living in Atlanta, Georgia. Traveling is her other passion. She has visited London and Paris and would love to some day travel to Italy.

When not taking care of her family she is reading or writing "HOT & STEAMY" romance stories.
A happily ever after (HEA) is always important to her. She needs it as much as her readers do. Sometimes she can leave a cliff hanger, but she always gives an HEA at the end of either a stand alone or series!

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5 stars
331 (51%)
4 stars
141 (21%)
3 stars
86 (13%)
2 stars
39 (6%)
1 star
45 (7%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 81 reviews
Profile Image for Mairi Swan.
511 reviews38 followers
September 7, 2024
Um no. This book wasn't for me. The dialogues were at least cringey, there was no chemistry between the main characters and there were so many side characters or is it my idea? Anyway, I'm sad because I tried to but I'll be honest I skipped many parts, I just had to finish it.
Profile Image for Steph's Romance Book Talk.
2,870 reviews1,400 followers
February 12, 2024
4.25 Stars / 3 Steam Fans

Romantic suspense at its best!! The DeLuca family across the world and I loved it. It was a bit of a slow burn on the romance but when it does pop off it is fire.

CW: Childhood Trauma, Colorism, Mafia Deals, Drug Deals, Torture, Discussion of Sexual Assault, Memories of Sexual Assault, Grief, Loss

Video review available in Week 7: Feb 11 – Feb 17, 2024, weekly book reviews on Steph's Romance Book Talk (https://www.youtube.com/@stephsromanc...)
Profile Image for Bree.
476 reviews34 followers
February 15, 2023
Fun.

When one of Franco’s business partners disappears with his money he take an employee captive to get his attention. Little did he know that captive would change his life.

I enjoyed reading this. Franco and Kennedy are likable characters with tough past. Their relationship was cute.

Now I feel like their relationship development went at hyper speed. The first 50% was a lot. Although she was technically a captive she never actually felt like it. Once we get to the second half of the book, we settled in.


Overall, it was entertaining with lots of spice and action.
Profile Image for BookishBabeJenni .
199 reviews3 followers
September 6, 2024
The writing was just not for me. It felt awkward and stilted and the dialogue had them constantly saying each other's names and felt very unnatural.
Profile Image for bobamami.
253 reviews15 followers
dnf
April 23, 2024
Dnf at 25%.

I’m sorry, I tried to like this, I really did and kind of forced myself to keep going because my mama ain’t raise no quitter but the restroom scene was the last straw for me.

To be honest, I like the general ideas but I just wasn’t feeling it.

In fact, the only feeling I had the entire time was uncomfortable, well make it two because I was sure frustrated too.



The book reminded me of:
1. Those wattpad books back in 2012-2013, and they weren’t even the nice ones.

2. Back when I first learned how to conjugate verbs in my french class and my teacher told us to write 3 sentences as an exercise to practice those conjugations.


The writing was weird, all on the surface filled with tons and tons of unnecessary details and dialogues. Frankly speaking, I’m not a writer or anything but I don’t think everything should be documented. Like do I want to know what they do throughout the book? Yes. But do I want to know what they do so detailedly to the point that it felt like I was reading someone from elementary school or middle school’s diary? Hell no.

“I hung up the phone.

I’d tackle some of the assignment, then I’d party for the rest of the evening.

Fifteen minutes later, Saro dropped off the items I requested.
He said he’d return at five thirty. I smiled sweetly before he left.”


This paragraph was literally exactly what was in the book btw.

More example, this time dialogues,

“Thank you, Bonnie.”
“Kennedy, can I get you something to drink?”
“Yes, I’d like a Bacardi Limon with sprite.”

Bonnie smiled. “That’s one of my favorite drinks.”

“I love the smooth taste. And it packs a nice punch,” Kennedy laughed.
“It does,” Bonnie confirmed. “I’ll be right back.”

“Franco, are you strictly a whiskey man?” Kennedy asked.

“Balvenie twenty-one is a favorite. But I enjoy vodka too.”

The chef entered and placed the dishes on the table.

“Can I get you and your guest anything else?” Norman asked.

“Norman, for lunch tomorrow, prepare a vegan meal for Kennedy. Also, prepare at least one pasta dish for dinner daily.”

He bowed. “As you wish, sir.”

Norman glanced at Kennedy. “I hope the appetizers were to your liking.”

“They were. Thank you, Norman.”

“I’ll tell my assistant Kate you were pleased.”

“Yes, please do.” Kennedy grinned.

Norman vacated the room as Bonnie returned.

“Here’s your drink, Kennedy. Can I get either of you anything else?”
“No, have a good night, Bonnie,” I stated.

Kennedy waved. “Goodnight, Bonnie.”

My gaze lingered on Kennedy’s lips.


Am I reading a movie script or something because what was this? And it wasn’t really that good or interesting tbh.



Anyway, onto our two mains, Franco and Kennedy. God they annoyed me. The way they were repeatedly portrayed as this madly in love couple who had been through a lot and fought for their long-term-secret-forbidden-twisted-feuding-sides-families relationship, when in reality they’d just met each other for, like what, five minutes ago. FIVE. FRICKING. MINUTES. AGO. Ugh.

Moreover, the way they were described, individually, was so weird and off as well.
— Franco

Our Franco Loco, he was made out as this ruthless cruel lethal mafia, her words not mine, but he was constantly worried and questioned by his men whether his decisions were right or wrong. This degraded his image in my mind so bad because I get that sometimes, people made mistakes and one’s decision could be impractical or unreasonable and shit like I get it; but even with the smallest littlest thing, his men, especially that Clip guy, kept interfering made him look like a child who was only there for the name and was being controlled by other people, you know regent kind of thing. In reality I know he was not, he was in fact really smart, computer geek kind of guy, but the way he and the people around him acted left a bad impression on me and I didn’t like it.
— Kennedy

She was this hella sassy, feisty and strong woman who didn’t take anyone’s shit. I was actually excited for her character when she first appeared, but then poof, gone, that feeling went right out of the window literally 5 seconds later when she decided to obey Franco, a complete stranger who was basically holding her captive.
He was like
“Since your boss is gone, I’ll take you and will let you leave once your boss comes back”
and she was like
“Alright”
without much convincing from him and any resistance from her.
Then she proceeded to be mad at him, who was, again, a complete stranger and her kidnapper, because he didn’t walk her to her room (in his house), then spilled all her personal shits to him when he told her to say something about herself like she was in a job interview. I just don’t get it who does that? Certainly not me.

Not to mention, they kept saying their names in every sentence possible. And you may ask what’s wrong with saying their names? Yeah me too when I saw that review lol, but when I read the book, I finally understood and it irked me to my core that I just wanted to bang my head against the wall every time they said their names. If I did, I’d probably be in the hospital with a concussion.



Overall, I clearly didn’t finish this so I don’t really know if it’ll ever get better or not later on but it was not the one for me. It was underdeveloped which was really a shame because you have the right ideas but the wrong execution. Maybe I’ll try this again, maybe not, who knows but that’s it for now, sorry.

Profile Image for thebeespot72.
1,747 reviews185 followers
August 24, 2024
I've read several books from this series. I've enjoyed each one. They all have solid FMCs, and Quinn is another one. She's confident, and I love her internal dialogue. It doesn't differ too much from what Quinn says out loud. She stands up to Franco even when he holds her captive. Franco and Quinn both have intimacy issues, but their relationship works. They both understand each other and their pasts. The spice scenes are written well––there's some br33ding and l4ct4tion talk.
41 reviews1 follower
December 17, 2023
stupid book

This is the worst book I’ve ever read…so cringey I couldn’t even finish it! What’s with the main characters saying each other’s names every 2 seconds…..the dialogue utterly ridiculous as well ..
Profile Image for Nene.
1,786 reviews26 followers
February 17, 2023
Awesome!

If I could give this book over a five star I would. There were action from the beginning to the end. Posey Parks definitely knows how to write a mafia book. Franco and Kennedy was made for each other and hope to see them in her other books. This is my opinion I would recommend this book.
Profile Image for P.
653 reviews41 followers
January 31, 2025
DNF @26 so many issues with this. Downloaded as a freebie!
Profile Image for Antoinette Jones.
934 reviews9 followers
February 18, 2023
Beauty and the DeLuca Beast!! 🔥🔥🔥

This book was fire!! 🔥🔥🔥🔥 Posey Parks brought the heat with this addition to the DeLuca Savage Bloodline series. Quinn Carter owed Franco some money. But he was in the wind. While looking for Quinn at his restaurant he has an encounter with Kennedy. Right from the very first start there was an instant connection between Franco and Kennedy. No spoilers! But when I tell you I could barely put my Kindle and my phone down! I'm not joking. Franco and Kennedy's story was full of action, drama, sexual tension, sarcasm at it's best, some of the best torture scenes I've read, and passion with a whole lot of BDE to spare. I cannot say anything bad about this book. The epilogue was sooooo amazing and so sweet! Posey Parks is a boss!! She came through with the receipts big time. Trust and believe this book is worth reading. Add it to your TBR list. I cannot WAIT to see everyone reunite at the Assassin's and Mob wives couples retreat. You KNOW it's gonna get crazy.
39 reviews1 follower
March 1, 2023
Too Much Going On

While I generally love this author, I must say this wasn't the work I'm used to with her. It seemed as if there was just too much going on in one story. It was really hard to keep up with the original storyline. I almost stopped reading this one altogether but I was able to stomach this book that should have only taken a couple of days to read but turned into over a week. There was also A LOT of repetitive wording, especially the constant mentioning of "my husband " or "my wife". It was just too much.
Profile Image for Keepingupwithlauryn.
112 reviews1 follower
October 25, 2023
not it for me

This book read like a wattpad book and not in the good way I will say it was a tad step above and wattpad story but the writing was so lacking and somehow it was fast paced and slow at the same time lmao how does that even work??? The love story itself was okay I guess I was honestly just ready for the book to be done but I will say it was good enough I’m going to try more books from this author maybe it was just this story… idk but we shall see what happens next also it could be I was burned out on mafia books so take this review with a grain of salt
11 reviews2 followers
February 17, 2023
My First DeLuca Disappointment

This is the first DeLuca book I could not finish. The storyline was good but the writing was disjointed. The characters were not believable and the sex was thrown in randomly. Franco was too sappy and the overall dialog was corney. I absolutely LOVE the DeLucas' but this author did not do them justice. Very disappointing.
Profile Image for Yvonne Daniels.
2,704 reviews21 followers
August 22, 2024
Magnificent

WOW! This' is so full of suspense and romance. I really enjoyed these characters they are so amazing and captivating together. When you add in the drama along with tons of emotions plus some intriguing twists and turns then you have a story that's full of feelings and so entertaining. The story is marvelous with it's suspense and through the couple is estranged their love in past was the forever kind which makes them still in love with each other. Their relationship is loads of romance and heartache This is definitely a awesome story to read but for one thing and that's of course I still want more. Now I must tell you that I enjoyed Lynn, Val and Tasha in this they are my aces that I want in my life. This is a awesome series because they all works so well together. I must say this is truly fantastic story and I'm happy I read it TWICE I couldn't help myself. Now I'm excited for the next story which I Highly Recommend Reading part one and two. But there is a bonus there are characters from other books in this one and they make the second part keep you on the edge of your seat just as much as the first book in this series.You will enjoy, this one also because it has the character we all want most get hush. This is exciting and thrilling with captivating romance! All the characters will bring a smile to your face because their relationship which is such a delight and great to read. WOW I must say this is such a pleasurable experience. Even the secondary characters are fantastic.There is one thing I wish for and that is for more because I hate for a great thing to end. But overall this is well worth it.
Profile Image for IRLover.
166 reviews17 followers
March 20, 2023
Stronger together in love and family😘🥰😘

Franco and Kennedy did their best to push aside the pull towards each other but the longer they fought it the stronger their desire became🥰.

Franco was not to be messed with and was on the hunt for Quinn whom he lended money to help open a restaurant. He’d gone missing and ran into Kennedy who appeared to know a lot about him. Their encounter was a stressful affair as another rival gang was also looking for Quinn and Kennedy ends up becoming his captive😰. They have mirror personalities and their chemistry is super hot. Unbeknownst to Franco Kennedy was nothing like the woman he’d been with before. Her family was also not to be messed with and she was ready to confront those who wronged her. I feel the trauma they both endured in their youth definitely strengthened their connection and love for each other. These 2 were a power couple both enjoying the action and fighting their enemies😉.

I loved this couple and enjoyed their banter as it easily confirmed they were meant for one another❤️. Im glad that things also worked out for Quinn. This was a great addition to the Savage Bloodline series.
Profile Image for Denise  Anderson-Warren .
119 reviews5 followers
February 19, 2023
The dynamic duo

What a deep, rich story. Another DeLuca with a strong woman to love.

Franco is a true DeLuca through and through. The way he moved through his darkness was understandable once his true story was revealed. Kennedy, dealing with her own tragedy turned out to be the perfect fit for Franco. These two together could be nothing short of the dynamic duo.

I love the way Franco protected, respected, and showed Kennedy what she meant to him and their future together. I'm sure there were times he wanted to take the lead, but he was able to recognize that Kennedy was a true Queen pin, and she could take charge of certain situations.

I greatly appreciate that the author referenced connections to the previous DeLuca family, specifically his cousin Enzo being the Don back in Italy. Intertwining the other family reference builds congruency with the other books in the series.
Profile Image for Cherryl.
2,163 reviews1 follower
August 11, 2023
They were a match made in heaven.

Both Franco and Kennedy had the same dark side. Franco was missing his parents and Kennedy was missing her mother. Franco thought he was going to control his feisty mouthy captive but he soon found out that he loved her personality. Kennedy loved the strong DeLuca capo who would never hurt her and would wipe out anyone who would hurt her. They soon found out how well they worked together in getting rid of their enemies no matter who they were. Franco saw his queen in action and he was thrilled to have her by his side. She and her cousin Quinn could live the life they wanted on their terms a little easier now that family secrets were revealed.

Kennedy's father and step sisters were horrible and got just what they deserved. With the new Carter/DeLuca family merger, everything was beginning to look up and up for them. They now had their own families and HEA. No more running for Kennedy and Quinn
Profile Image for Phaze.
270 reviews1 follower
July 14, 2025
Franco and Kennedy



Franco and Kennedy cross paths when Franco goes the a restaurant looking for her cousin, who he had loaned money.

Kennedy is the daughter of a known kingpin from her home town. She does not want to have anything to do with the family business.

He takes her until her cousin return his money. Franco is also dealing with attempts against him and is trying to figure out who is behind it.

They then eventially have to deal with Kennedy's dad not wanting them together, but instead trying to force her to take over, so that he can retire.

Kennedy is trying to overcome the taunts of her childhood and Franco is the man to teach her
Profile Image for Kelsey Murray.
30 reviews2 followers
June 8, 2024
I get the story jumped around a lot, parts of the story weren’t fully answered even though it supposedly was. It was like listening to someone tell a story but skipped the ending. There were a lot of errors as well, quotation marks to indicate a character speaking when the character wasn’t, or a character would ask a question and the same character answered the question they asked when it was clearly suppose to be another character this made it really difficult to follow at times. I wouldn’t recommend the book to anyone.
Profile Image for Hunter Mason.
49 reviews8 followers
June 29, 2024
DNF at 17%…My first DNF ever and I’m so sad about it. I don’t like the idea of not finishing books because they can always get better but I just could not get past how this is written. The amount of grammatical errors made it difficult to read but the writing just seemed like a fanfic style story. They say each other’s name constantly and their conversations are a little cringy and have too many unnecessary phrases that lack depth or add any contribution to the conversation. It immediately felt like a mix of Beauty & The Beast and 365 Days. I just couldn’t do it.
Profile Image for Lea.
35 reviews1 follower
February 8, 2025
Not good.

Honestly disappointed, I usually love this trope. The whole book was cringy and poorly written.
The dialogue didn’t flow naturally at all and the characters used each other’s names a ridiculous amount of times (the name Franco appears 588 times and the name Kennedy 443 times). The storyline was disjointed and confusing. I hate to leave such a low rating because I know authors work hard and I don’t want to discount that but for me it read like a first draft; the idea was there but none of the parts connected properly.
Profile Image for Chelsie Marie.
565 reviews
February 26, 2025
dark emotional tense fast-paced
Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5 stars

Kindle/audiobook (audible) - strange mafia romance story. Character development could use some more work and several grammatical errors take away from the story. A lot happens in such a short book causing a lot of the deeper details and discoveries to be missed and left out along with backstories and development.
Profile Image for Maya Williams.
8 reviews
July 24, 2025
This was my very first mafia book that I’d ever read and it was a major let down. The plot was slightly problematic but the weirdly enough very surface level and not fleshed out. Additionally, the plot was predictable and left me bored at certain points. The “romance” was boring and unbelievable. I hated every character and the sex scenes were deplorable. The mafia aspect was generic as though the author took every generic plot point and compiled it into this book. I think it will be a while before I pick up another mafia romance book.
Profile Image for Erin N.
99 reviews4 followers
February 14, 2023
Another banger from Posey Parks!! She sure as H*LL knows how to write a mafia. Franco and Kennedy meet unconventionally, but over time the fire is ignited, and the bond grows tighter. From there as a reader, enjoy the ride cause the book is definitely a page turner. Drama, Steamy Scenes, Justice and Laughter, just to name a few, are what you will find in this book. You won't regret reading this book and owning it on your Kindle!
Profile Image for Vangi Fondue.
95 reviews1 follower
February 15, 2023
Black Mafia Family for real!!!

Queen, just what I wanted from the Deluca men....a true Black Mafia Queen Pin!!!! Now I feel complete cause Kennedy was a boss beast bish! Storyline on point! Action scenes double points! Love scenes setting all of Victoria secrets on fire! Absolutely loved Franco and Kennedy! From the Westside to the Durty South, this book was fire from open to close! And damnit, yes I finished it too damn quick and I want more already!
42 reviews1 follower
February 24, 2023
The DeLuca Trilogy

OK I'm going to have to read all the deluca's brothers and cousins book again Those books are awesome they added more more information than what we have when we got the 1 with them all for €0.99I have started reading the book Individually There is a lot of surprises so If anyone's read the books Go back and read each book alone You will enjoy it Thanks posey Your books are wonderful and I can't wait for the next women's retreat book🎆🎆
Profile Image for Cammyjoe.
1,429 reviews8 followers
April 16, 2023
Another DeLuca Savage

Franco DeLuca thought of himself of an unlovable Beast, … until beautiful Kennedy showed him what true love was all about. Together they are a force to be reckoned with… don’t ever give them a reason to turn against you… they are ruthlessly brutal!!
After all Franco is a DeLuca and Kennedy was raised in the same manner as him ( no spoilers) !!!!
Love it !!
2,670 reviews23 followers
January 14, 2024
Fantastic!

This was the Bonnie and Clyde of hear and now,meaning we not hearing it and you can get it. I just loved these characters from the start,they don't mince words or regret who they've become to survive. The story us not only interesting and action packed but it's full of romance and acceptance. This was really good writing and just a really good way to spend time. I would have loved to have gotten a entire story or a sneak peak back at them family and all.
51 reviews1 follower
March 13, 2024
NOR a book I could get in to

I’ve read nearly all 43 (actually 42) these books, and this by far is the worst one

The writing is disjointed, they’re just words on a page. I don’t know how else to describe how bad this book is. I ended up jumping to the very end just to see what happens and it just was horrible.

Since these stories are standalone, this is definitely one I would skip
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