Pride by Penny Knight

Oh, you wanted a sweet romance? Sorry, this is mafia life.

Lilly Moretti is living a lie. After escaping an arranged marriage to a monster, the daughter of a mob boss is living free under a secret identity and flourishing in her new life.
That’s until she’s kidnapped by a mysterious stranger determined to take her back, ignoring her desperate pleas. The stubborn drop dead gorgeous tough guy drags her back to the devil she tried to escape, and all Lilly can do is prepare to face her ruin.

Ren Vitali has a lot to prove. As the new head of the Vitali Crime family, he knows all eyes are on him. His plan is fool proof: kidnap the girl and collect the money her father owes, then never look back.
But when he comes face to face with the beautiful, smart mouthed woman intent on driving him crazy, feelings of another kind arise. When he discovers he’s returning her back to a sadistic madman, doubt creeps in. And when that scum sets his cruel eyes on her, the decision is made. The only way to protect her, is to marry her.

With her past coming for her, Lilly’s only hope of surviving is to run. But Ren refuses to let her go, and he doesn’t fight fair. Not just because he looks like every girl’s fantasy, but because he takes shots at her heart. Showing Lilly for the first time, a ruthless mafia boss with a heart does exist.

My Review

This mafia romance is a gritty, slow burn and has dark themes. Mostly about a damaged Mc, forced proximity, and finding Mr. Right. The author does a great job of having lots of slow burn almost to the point of losing interest in the story and then eventually moving into a very steamy part of the book. I did enjoy the gritty unfiltered parts of the story but this book has trigger warning all over it. If you are sensitive to certain topics don’t read it. The author doesn’t shy away from, including things like abuse, murder, kidnapping, and other horrors in the story. However, I did think the way they were presented and talked about was very integrated into this story and didn’t feel at all forced. The author did a great job of including sensitive topics without too much detail. I did enjoy the ending of this book. I also found I connected to Lilly the main character. By the end, I was dreaming and gasping right along with her. 

Lilliana or Lilly hints at an interesting backstory as we get introduced to her she is working. A promotional party briefly clues us in with talk of a new identity, new hair color, and painful past. She is familiar with the cruel reality as both her father and Sergei have been part of her past. She is familiar with the mafia lifestyle and macho men. The book begins with trouble as Ren and his syndicate bring her back to the past. 

Ren is a complicated person one minute he is a big bad mafia don and the next he shows his human side. I don’t have a read on him yet.  I like that he has a sense of humor, not all bravado. Ren is more gentle than I expected for a Mafia family head. Oh, this book gets steamy as he deals with the pent-up tension she causes. Life seems good for her as she gets adapted to her new circumstances. 

We spend a lot of time in this book getting moments of humanity from both Lilly and Ren while also looking back and remembering the worst parts of their lives. I’m pretty sure of what the author is trying to accomplish but I hope it has a point as I am honestly struggling to get thru this book. We go back and forth pushing and pulling till finally something changes for Lilly and Ren. I loved the slow burn and we do get a steamy scene.  

The end of this book goes from a living dream life to a nightmare for Lilly. The end of this book has some serious trigger warnings. If you weren’t tipped off by now to the horror of what was coming in this mafia romance the end may not surprise you but it may turn your stomach and it could trigger some people. Thru the gritty ending, we do get a happily ever after or at least a happy-for-now ending. 

If you would like to read Pride by Penny Knight you can find this book on Amazon. As an Amazon Associate, I earn on qualifying purchases.

If you like this book you may also enjoy books with these tags and categories Mafia Romance, Forced Proximity, and Slow Burn.