Caterina is committed to keeping her family safe, no matter the cost. Although they are no longer supposed to be involved in the mafia, Caterina’s father has created a huge debt for himself. She goes to Rex, the king of the mafia, to make a deal, but what he wants from her isn’t what she was expecting.
Quarter Finalist
Assessment:
Plot: Diana A. Hicks has a dozen or so romances to her credit, and in this one she shows how adept she is at creating a steamy ambiance right from the beginning of the story. In this tale of thwarted desire, loss, betrayal, and family above all else, Hicks keeps readers on the edge of their seats and, at the end, looking forward to the next installment of the Beast Duet series.
Prose/Style: The story is told from two points of view, Rex’s and Caterina’s, in alternating chapters. Sentences are short and the vocabulary is easily accessible; the action moves forward at breakneck speed without distractions from descriptive text.
Originality: The plot of the story is routine but well-executed with many unexpected twists. The sex scenes and the tension leading up to them permeate the text, and include the unusual element of a Japanese form of bondage verging on S&M, reminiscent of Fifty Shades of Grey but handled in Hicks’s unique style.
Character Development/Execution: Tex and Caterina are multi-dimensional characters, each of whom has their own agenda and their own quirks. Lust is what pulls them toward each other as they discover what they each really want and what they will compromise to get it.
Date Submitted: August 20, 2021
"This book was so dark and wicked! Diana A. Hicks set up a greatstoryline for Caterina and Rex, and I am very excited to pick up thesequel and find out how their story ends."
