Maggie Blackbird

Today, I’m reviewing La Famiglia: Dante, part two of The diRuggiero Mafia Family Saga, a contemporary romance by Laura Sutton.

Title: La Famiglia: Dante
Series: La Famiglia: Elias, #2
Author: Laura Sutton
Publication Date: March 20, 2021
Genres: Adult, Contemporary Romance

A crime boss. A meek accountant.

When she enters his world… will she be able to find her way out?

Will she even want to?

Blurb:  Cassie Lockhart is alone in the world, save for her beautiful and troubled sister, Amber. When Amber gets in over her head in the world of organized crime, Cassie dives headfirst into the darkness to save her.

Dante diRuggiero rules his world by taking what he wants, uncaring who he may hurt in the process. He can’t help but be intrigued by the shy, plain woman who comes to his club, pleading for the sake of someone else. He sees beneath her mousy exterior and finds a woman so loyal she would sacrifice herself for those she loves. It’s that loyalty that draws him in at first, and then her passion makes him burn.

When Amber’s poor choices force Cassie to choose between her sister and Dante, will she choose the person she has tried to protect all her life, or the man that would never betray her? Can Dante keep her safe from the war brewing in his dark world?

Note:  Dante is book two in the steamy diRuggiero Mafia Family Saga.

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This is the second book in the diRuggiero Mafia Family Saga.  To read this book, you don’t have to read the first one.  This story is exclusively Dante and Cassie’s.  With that said, the material is very light for a mafia romance.  I was expecting much darker.  Mind you I wasn’t disappointed by the sweet romance between the pairing.

I won’t get into what is already said in the blurb.  Let’s say what grabbed my attention was Cassie.  I do enjoy the “mousey” heroine trope, so I was expecting the worst for her at the hands of Dante, but this does not happen.  There is an instant connection between the two from the start.

I will say the position Dante offers Cassie surprised me a bit.  Nobody caught the “skimming” beforehand, and now he’s trusting a stranger with his money.  What makes Dante think if he couldn’t catch shady goings-on before from his underlings, if he can catch if Cassie is also going to take him for a ride?  So yeah, this did confuse me and seemed a bit unrealistic to trust a total stranger with $$$.

But this premise is needed for the plot, so I did my best to suspend reality to go along for the rest of the book, because it’s Cassie’s loyalty that impresses him.

I liked Cassie.  She didn’t have the easiest life, and she made the best out of a very bad situation while growing up.  The same can’t be said for her sister Amber.  I must say, I really liked Amber.  She had many flaws that made her pop from the pages.  If there is ever story between Marco and Amber, I will for sure read it.

Anyhoo, back to Dante and Cassie.  Dante is a bit soft for a don, but a very likeable and strong hero.  I expected him to be ruthless, but he is easily won over by Cassie.  Although there is insta-attract, the romance is based on lots of chats and communication.  I really liked this part of their romance.  No misunderstandings.  No game playing.  They were two mature adults who dealt honestly with each other.  This is what made the romance a “win” for me.  It isn’t often I come across this in romances.

There are times when a scene is repeated in both main characters’ POV.  I found this unnecessary.  I always think “pick one.”  Because the author is talented enough to convey body language, sub-text, etc. while in the one character’s POV.

I do admire how the author handled the “love” part of the novel.  She stayed true to character for both Dante and Cassie.  Well done.

The dialogue is realistic.  The secondary characters are interesting.  The descriptions are done wonderfully.  I was given enough to use my imagination but also plant me in the setting.  The suspense was also well done.  I enjoyed the hunt for who was being the powerful don.

I recommend the novel.  It’s a nice read.  But if you are expecting something darker, this book won’t be for you.

Have you read Dante?  If so, do you agree with my review?  If you haven’t read the book, would you be willing to now?