Review: ELICIT by Rachel Van Dyken

ELICIT by Rachel Van Dyken

(Eagle Elite #4)

August 11, 2014

404 pages

Genre: New Adult Mafia Romance 18+

Contains: Sex, profanity, violence

Source: Personal purchase

Cursed, numb, rejected, scorned, wicked, sinister, dark, twisted...my name is Tex Campisi and this is my legacy. I killed my father in cold blood and lost my soul right along with him.
I crave war more than peace, and I'm about to take my place in history as the youngest Capo dei Capi in the Cosa Nostra...that is until someone stops me, saves me from myself.

But the only person able to do that...is my best friends sister, Mo Abandanato, and she just ripped my heart out and asked me to hold it in my hands while she put bullets through it.

Im cursed so I did it.
I'm numb so I held it.
I'm wicked so I liked it.
I used the pain Mo caused as a catalyst to turn into my biggest nightmare--the five families greatest enemy. It's my turn to take a stand, knowing full well I'm going to lose my mind to the madness that is the American Mafia. I've always been told Blood is thicker than life. I wish I would have listened. Because regardless of who you love? You will betray. You will kill.
Blood Always Wins.
The only way out is death...yours.

Welcome to the Dark Side of the Family.

I've been waiting for Tex and Mo's story since the beginning. But let me tell you, from the very start this story felt like a roller coaster was running through my belly. I will admit to cheating and taking peeks ahead in the story because Tex and Mo, and all the secrets and intensity, were causing me great anxiety. But even though I cheated (just a little, not a lot), I loved the flow of this story and how all the twists and turns wove their way to the very end. Seriously, this was a wild ride.

Now, Tex and Mo are not perfect. We know they love each other. We also know they've hurt each other. But uncovering the love and the lies, the sweetness and the secrets, is what really made this story, and their love story, that much greater. Ultimately, despite whatever happened between them, they are such a great couple and I couldn't stop rooting for them, knowing I would be incredibly disappointed if they did not work out. Oh, but when these two kids get their acts together, it's a beautiful thing. I loved them.

But layered on top of just Tex and Mo's romantic drama, is a whole lotta mafia drama. Tex is faced with taking over a mafia family, becoming the Capo, dealing with conflicting loyalties, murderous enemies, and a questionable future. Enemies and alliances are managed, which have deep potential consequences on any relationship with Mo or his mafia "brothers" in general. How all these secrets and lies, twists and turns, unfold was completely gripping until the very end. Loved it!

The EAGLE ELITE Series:

ELITE #1

My Review ~ Amazon

ENFORCE #1.5

My Review ~ Amazon

ELECT #2

My Review ~ Amazon

ENTICE #3

My Review ~ Amazon

ELICIT #4

My Review ~ Amazon

EMBER #5

Amazon

ELUDE #6

Amazon

EMPIRE #7

Expected publication, November 2015

Review: ENTICE by Rachel Van Dyken

ENTICE by Rachel Van Dyken

(Eagle Elite #3)

May 13, 2014

325 pages

Genre: New Adult Mafia Romance 18+

Contains: Sex, profanity, violence

Source: Personal purchase

“As burns this saint, so burns my soul. I enter alive, and I will have to get out dead.”

Chase Winter let the love of his life slip through his fingers and into the hands of his best friend and mafia boss of the Abandanato family. Now that he's been given a second chance to right a wrong--he refuses to let his own selfishness stand in the way. The only problem? He's not fully in possession of his heart, so when Mil De Lange, the girl who's innocence he stole, and heir to the worst of the worst mafia families in the US, asks him for a favor. He actually says yes, not realizing that that one yes has the power to destroy them all.

Mil's been in love with Chase as long as she can remember, but as the years went by, the love turned to hate, and now that he's agreed to help her, she's wondering if she made a fatal error. Because Chase isn't a teenager anymore. He's a hot blooded male, bent on owning every part of her body and soul, and willing to kill anyone in his path who dares stand in the way.
It's time for secrets to finally be revealed...but make no mistake, it's going to take a lot of bloodshed for those truths to be discovered.

You've never read a New Adult Mafia story like this before...loyalties will be tested, lovers reunited, and friendships obliterated. Welcome to the Family. Blood in--No out.

Even though I waivered between wanting to wring Chase's neck and wanting to feel sorry for him in the last book, I was looking forward to his chance at redemption and a chance at real love in this book. Because despite my frustration at Chase's previous attitude and disappointment, he is such a fun, likable guy (you know, when he's not killing people), and I was rooting for him. And I wasn't disappointed with 'Entice'.

One of the things I liked about this book was getting the combined backstory between Chase and Mil, along with their current predicament. Because a Mafia-driven marriage might be considered a predicament. With Mil dealing with her new and dangerous position as Boss, and Chase consoling a broken heart, these two had a bit of a mess between them. Fortunately, life has a way of turning things around, and as Chase and Mil adjust to their new life, and new dangers, their hearts and feelings are adjusting as well.

Chase and Mil together were super sweet, bringing out the best in each other. So I really liked their developing relationship and how well-suited they were for each other. But I also loved being around the whole mafia family, squabbling, gun slinging, blood spattering and all. Catching up with Nixon and Trace, and finally feeling great about them, was fantastic. Then also seeing other members, and the potential of future stories hooked me in even more. Seriously, I'm not stopping here. 'Elicit', here I come!

The EAGLE ELITE Series:

ELITE #1

My Review ~ Amazon

ENFORCE #1.5

My Review ~ Amazon

ELECT #2

My Review ~ Amazon

ENTICE #3

My Review ~ Amazon

ELICIT #4

Amazon

EMBER #5

Amazon

ELUDE #6

Amazon

EMPIRE #7

Expected publication, November 2015

Review: ELECT by Rachel Van Dyken

ELECT by Rachel Van Dyken

(Eagle Elite #2)

December 10, 2013

336 pages

Genre: New Adult Mafia Romance 18+

Contains: sexual references, profanity, violence

Source: Personal purchase

Would you die for the one you love?

Nixon Abandonato made his choice. And now he has to pay the price. Tracey is the love of his life, but being with him has made her a target of his family's enemies. The only way to keep Trace alive is convince the world she means nothing to him.

Trace Rooks has fallen irrevocably in love with the son of her family's sworn rival, and she knows in her bones nothing can tear them apart. Until Nix suddenly pushes her away and into the arms of his best friend... But Trace isn't ready to give up on a future with Nix--and if he won't fight for them, she will.

In the end, a sacrifice must be made. A life for a life. For what better way to cover a multitude of sins than with the blood of a sinner . . .

'Elite' hooked me on this series, so once I finished 'Enforce' I jumped right into 'Elect'. Here we get the continuing story of the Eagle Elite, their love lives and mafia lives. Trace, Nixon, and Chase, along with the rest of the gang, took me on quite the wild ride. The combination of mafia war and love triangle was crazy. These guys could not catch a break, except perhaps a broken heart. I really felt sorry for Trace, Nixon, and Chase, but mostly for Trace. I wanted to yell at these guys and the unfair way her emotions were treated. I know they were stuck between and rock and a hard place, but I still felt indignant on her behalf. I also felt the frustration for all involved, battling life and death choices, family ties and sympathies, and requited and unrequited love. This is an exciting series, and I'm flying through the pages, ready for the next one.

The EAGLE ELITE Series:

ELITE #1

My Review ~ Amazon

ENFORCE #1.5

My Review ~ Amazon

ELECT #2

My Review ~ Amazon

ENTICE #3

Amazon

ELICIT #4

Amazon

EMBER #5

Amazon

ELUDE #6

Amazon

EMPIRE #7

Expected publication, November 2015

Sunday Post: Weekly Wrap-Up (8.23)

The Sunday Post is a weekly meme hosted by Caffeinated Book Reviewer. It's a chance to share news, recap the past week on your blog, showcase books, share upcoming news, etc. See rules here: Sunday Post Meme. 

What's Up With Me This Week:

We're back from our road trip, and it was crazy but also quite eventful and wonderful. Now we're back to life and reality, prepping for school and all that good stuff.

What I Read Last Week:

  
 
Entice #3 by Rachel Van Dyken
Elicit #4 by Rachel Van Dyken
Ember #5 by Rachel Van Dyken
Elude #6 by Rachel Van Dyken
The Game Plan by RL Mathewson

My Reviews Last Week:

  

Elite #1 by Rachel Van Dyken (my 4.5 star review)
Enforce #1.5 by Rachel Van Dyken (my 5 star review)
The Piano Man Project by Kat French (my 3 star review)

What I'm Listening To:

 
Unwind #1 by Neal Schusterman (finished)
Unwholly #2 by Neal Schusterman (started)

What I'm Currently Reading:

End of Days by Susan Ee