Captured Solace by Raya Morris Edwards

 

After the death of her parents, Sienna has grown up under the thumb of her cousin Lucien, the Italian mafia boss. In return for a college education, she must marry a man of his choosing and become a pawn in his alliance with the Russian-American mafia. Now her deal with Lucien has come due. Sienna finds herself surprised by her new husband, Viktor. He's quick-witted, surprisingly gentle, and undeniably attractive. But beneath it all, is he the same brutal, ruthless killer as every other made man she's ever known? Captured Solace by Raya Morris Edwards was published in April 2022. 

Sienna is very young acting in this book. I was surprised she was in her twenties and not in her teens. I felt like for having mafia family members she was very sheltered on normal every day things. She has many faults and I actually had a hard time really liking her. Viktor, you know his history but you know that it obviously effected the way he has become. But, he seemed like he held back his true personality even from the reader. I felt like I missing some things of his personality for going through all that he went through. I saw more personality of his in another book then the book of his own. The plot had points where it became repeated and the other times where it felt like it was hard to catch up. Sometimes I had to stop reading it as I was getting bored. I think those parts should have been speed up. All in all it was a decent read. 

Quotes that I Loved 

"Be a good girl and I won't do it again." 

"Let me make you feel good, baby," he breathed. "I'll fuck the attitude out of you later, I promise you that." 

"Keep moaning for me, baby girl," he ordered. "I want to hear how good you feel." 

"Maybe you're just not a good enough girl to get that yet." 

"Oh, so your cock is a gift" She jutted her chin. "Hmm, more like a reward." 

"Your full of it." 

"Not as full as you could be if you behaved yourself." 

Tropes 

Mafia -Organized Crime

Age Gap

If you want to read about Lucian's story click here.

Captured Ecstasy by Raya Morris Edwards

 

Promising young soprano, Rosalia Antonucci, wants nothing more than to attend an expensive music academy for vocal arts. She unexpectedly finds the solution in the mysterious Peregrine Calo, the wealthy diplomat for the Italian-American mafia. What she thought was a simple marriage of convenience becomes something more as she is pulled into Peregrine's dark world. Captured Ecstasy by Raya Morris Edwards was published in October 2022. 

I really liked another book by Raya Morris Edwards that I stumbled upon booktok so I thought heck I should check out this one. This one was different then the other. It was not as much mafia driven as the other book. But this book was intense in the smut areas. Let's first talk about the famous main characters. 

Rosalia, I felt terrible with how her family treated her not as much as Olivia from the other book. Though Rosalie was more mental abused then anything with her family. They ignored her and she just did her own thing. So not surprising to see she just does what Peregrine wants. She felt a little flat to me as I wanted to know more of her thoughts about everything. I was confused in the way she did think though and how she could fall in love with him and trust him right away. Peregrine...first off...why Raya did you name him that. I don't even know how to pronounce his name so it was hard to focus on him. He was intense in the bedroom but I wanted more of him. He was gone for a lot of the book so I didn't get to know him enough to fall in love with him. Which made me super sad. 

The plot was okay, it was not the greatest as I felt like didn't have a build up. They were instantly having sex when the main characters did not know each other. Also I wanted to see Peregrine beat the crap out her step-brother. But alas he did not. I felt like the whole book was lacking especially considering I read another book from this author. It had a great....I mean amazing smut scenes that really make you think. Never though that fear was a turn on. It's a decent book and will be a good read. Worth a check. 

Tropes

Dark Romance 

Mafia

Arranged Marriage 

Check out other books that BookTok Got Me to Read

Quotes That I Liked

Political science, international relations, foreign policy, and to top it off, a law degree. It didn't feel like school at that point, it felt like bragging. Like he was taunting the world. Do your worst. I can take it. I'm Peregrine fucking Calo. 

"Sheath your claws, kitten," he said coolly. "They're not any use against me." 

"Fuck, look at you being such a good girl for me." 

"Peregrine bent, taking my face in his hand. "Put your tongue out," he ordered. I obeyed and he let the saliva drip from his mouth and into mine and I went over the edge. - I am adding this but I gagged at the thought of this happening....shudder. 

Captured Light by Raya Morris Edwards

 

Olivia Barone has had her future planned out for her from the moment she was born. Grow into a beautiful, manicured mafia princess and marry underboss. Lucien Esposito. But when she finally meets him, she realizes he's more dangerous than she ever imagined. He's handsome, ice cold, and hungry for power. But is that exactly what she needs to become the woman she was born to be? Lucien was falsely accused, he endured horrific torture at his boss's hand before his name was cleared. For years, he waited, biding his time and pretending to be idea mafia underboss. Now it's time to make his move. Captured Light by Raya Morris Edwards was published in November 2021. 

Another book that I found on BookTok that I had to read to check out. This book, I started to read when going on a quick road trip with a friend. I was going with her to pick up her mom and drive back to where she lives. This book was so different that I couldn't put it down. Let's talk about the two main characters a bit as this book is A LOT! 

Olivia Barone had to mask her personality so much to be the perfect mafia princess. She had arranged marriage since she was an infant to a guy who was a teenager at the time. CRINGE WORTHY. Her mom literally starved her and if she did anything outside the rules that were so tight her dad would abuse her. She was told that her being a virgin until she wedded her arrange groom was for the mafia greater good. This girl had so many issues that I couldn't wait for her personality to really shine and I hopped that it would happen in this book. I was not disappointed. There is a quote in the book that when the groom says it you know that he was not going to let her hide her true potential but her true personality. Lucien Esposito is an extreme Bad Boy. He has so many layers to his personality and so much past that shape him and in this book you get to peal back each layer of that onion to see glimpse of his personality. That you get to see when it comes to Olivia. Ahh...I wish there was more books on these two characters because I fell in love with them. 

This plot of the book is so perfect. It had so many turns and the author did an amazing job on not revealing everything but leaving little hints. Especially when you are in the mind of one of the main characters. There were places where I wanted to scream at some of the characters and things that I thought was going to happen that didn't. But then find out later explanation of why it didn't. I love the romance in this book though I feel like it was a little rush from oh I like you to oh my goodness I love your every being. But it's normal in a romance novel. This book is the perfect combination of mafia romance and dark romance. Also let's talk about the smut scenes. Make sure you have a fire extinguisher nearby when you read because it's spicy and heat. To some scenes are so hot you will be on fire. 

I highly recommend this book if you like the mafia tropes that come with romance novels. You won't be disappointed as this book has action, romance, and smut. 

Tropes

Dark Romance

Mafia 

BDSM 

BookTok Made Me Read It books here. 

Quotes that I Like

"I wondered why you were so thin," he murmured. "You don't look as if you should be, you look like you should have...curves. But I can see your whole collarbone, pressing up under your skin. It's awful." I blinked, glaring at the ground. "Thank you, I've always wanted to be awful." 

I wanted to fuck her on that fifty-thousand dollar antique bed until he broke into pieces. 

"Men are like rooks, we have to face our enemies straight on. But women, they are the queen, they are deadly, and they can move any way they want." "I hardly think I'm the queen," I said. "You will be when I'm done with you, " he said. 

"I want you to be a good girl and come around my cock." 

"Good girl."