This wasn't for me.
I'm not sure if my tastes have changed since the series started but I found the banter childish.
No intimate scenes other than the Hero and heroine though the heroine thinks she sees evidence of him flirting with another member of staff. It's innocent enough.
Hero pushed away.
I think it's supposed to be a bit like enemies to lovers but it just didn't work for me.

While this book is one of a series, it is enough of a standalone that if you haven't read the other books, you aren't going to be lost because it really focuses pretty tightly on Michael and Brielle. People from previous books are side characters, but that's all they really are.

Brielle has just gotten a job as the pastry chef at the classy restaurant, Palermo. It's her first job out of culinary school, and she's really excited to have it.

Michael is in Chicago after having left New York because his fiance was murdered. Now he's back with his best friend and working as the security director at Palermo, while actually being high up in the Syndicate. When he meets Brielle, he sees that she wears a bracelet that is familiar to him, and he has to figure out what she knows about him.

I kind of wanted to smack Michael around for a while. He really pushes and pulls Brielle. And Brielle, reacting to how he's acting, gets some ideas that may not be 100% accurate. Her reactions are perfectly understandable, and ones that any reasonable person would've gotten. But, once Michael figured out his stuff, he turned out not need smacked. I like Brielle, overall. Most of the time she's pretty strong, and she's very vocal about what she wants and needs, it's not her fault that there are people who aren't always above board. She has a very generous and caring heart. ( )

4.9 Stars

I have eagerly been awaiting this story for a while. Actually, I await every book of this series on baited breath. This book lived up to its hype in my mind because yet again this author knocked it out of the park. She wove another spell around me and had me living amongst the Chicago Syndicate elite. I am a girl from Idaho. I know nothing about the Mob. Yet, in this story, I feel like I know everything which is not an easy feat but in turn, shows how remarkable her storytelling abilities are. She writes with clarity and precision. She doesn't sugarcoat the lifestyle nor does she romanticize the idea that this lifestyle is legal. Instead, she finds the romance in the characters that live in this life of criminal activities. I look past what they are doing or why. Instead, I see the men and women who love with a sense of fierceness and loyalty that it makes my jaded heart believe in love.

Michael. Sweet lord. This delicious man is everything. I was expecting him to be more alphaole. Instead, he was a man with immense guilt and anger. Brielle. I loved that she was innocent and diligent at the same time. She might have appeared naive in many ways but she saw things in ways that many others would not give a second thought. Together, these two were the perfect balance for each other.

Again, the author did an amazing job having the other characters become secondary in this book allowing Michael and Brielle to shine yet allowing a sense of familiarity. This book is a standalone in the series and if this was the first book someone read it wouldn't leave them confused. Yet, for a diehard like me, having a chance to read about the previous characters made it feel like family and that my favorite characters were still living on, almost like an extended epilogue. I would still highly recommend that everyone start at book one because it is that good.

I am so happy that I discovered this author and series. There were many years that I did not read. Life got in the way and I forgot that I liked it. Then I went back to college to pursue a degree in Literature and I rediscovered that passion. Yet, for years I only had time to read the cannons of literature. Once I graduated I discovered reading for pleasure again. I discovered this author with the purchase of my kindle and my love of mafia romance began. To say that I love this author would be an understatement. I have followed her and this series since it started. I eat up all of her words. ALL. OF. THEM. ( )

I received an ARC for this book. I have never read one of Soraya's books. I will now be going back and reading the Syndicate series. I loved this book. In the beginning I wasn't sure if I liked Brielle. I thought she was a little immature. By the end I loved both her and Michael. I'm glad he was able to overcome his past and move on with Brielle. The back and forth was killing me!! I also really liked the story line...it was easy to follow and tons of ups and downs. I liked the supporting characters also. Now I just have to go back and read the rest of their books!! Definitely hooked on this series now. ( )

Rcvd an ARC at no cost to author..Soraya what have you done to me? I have to admit that I haven't read all the book, I know I know shame on me. So now I have to find the time to start at the very beginning because I fell in love with Michael. I found these two had a great chemistry together, and I have had others tell me this series was good, so now you probably wont hear from me because I have a lot of catching up to do, guess its a good thing it is the weekend..Enjoy! ( )