"... phenomenal. Sexy, heart-stopping and exciting. I couldn’t put it down... " - Craves the Angst
SERIES: (standalone)
AUTHOR: Tijan
AGE GROUP: New Adult/Adult
GENRE: Contemporary Romance/Mafia
RELEASE DATE: March 3, 2018
PAGES: Approx. 395
COPY PROVIDED BY: Author
MY GOODREADS REVIEW LINK
RATING: 5 Stars!
CLIFFHANGER: No
BOOK BLURB:
There were always whispers about my roommate at Hillcrest Academy.
The wealthiest of the wealthy sent their kids to our boarding school, and Brooke Bennett had been at the top, though I never quite knew why. She was fun and outgoing, but she kept quiet about her family. The only things she showed me were photographs of her brothers.
I became fascinated with her second-oldest brother. Kai Bennett.
He was the most of them all. Smoldering. Hypnotic. Alluring.
Kai had eyes that pulled me in and a face that haunted my dreams.
Then I met him.
He came to our school with their father, and that’s when I learned what kind of family Brooke came from. They were mafia, and Brooke’s oldest brother was dead. Her father said accident, but Brooke said murder.
Three months later, her father died, and Kai became the head of the Bennett Family. Brooke left Hillcrest for good, and that was the last time I saw her.
Fourteen years later, I’m staring at her face on the television. Brooke is missing.
Two days later, Kai Bennett kidnaps me.
The wealthiest of the wealthy sent their kids to our boarding school, and Brooke Bennett had been at the top, though I never quite knew why. She was fun and outgoing, but she kept quiet about her family. The only things she showed me were photographs of her brothers.
I became fascinated with her second-oldest brother. Kai Bennett.
He was the most of them all. Smoldering. Hypnotic. Alluring.
Kai had eyes that pulled me in and a face that haunted my dreams.
Then I met him.
He came to our school with their father, and that’s when I learned what kind of family Brooke came from. They were mafia, and Brooke’s oldest brother was dead. Her father said accident, but Brooke said murder.
Three months later, her father died, and Kai became the head of the Bennett Family. Brooke left Hillcrest for good, and that was the last time I saw her.
Fourteen years later, I’m staring at her face on the television. Brooke is missing.
Two days later, Kai Bennett kidnaps me.
REVIEWER'S NOTE: I received an eARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
5 Stars!
The Review:
Being a fan of this author, it came as no surprise that I loved this book. But what did surprise me is HOW MUCH I LOVED THIS BOOK!
I’m not usually a mafia romance lover. I like them well enough, but it’s not my go-to genre. However, Tijan has a way of writing that always consumes me, especially her mafia/crew type books. Her characters are always strong, independent and ruthless ... especially the heroes. I love them all. But as much as I’ve loved her other mafia/crew type heroes, that enormous basket of love doesn’t compete with the love I quickly developed for Kia Bennett. I want that hot, mafia bossman in the worst way!
Bennett Mafia was phenomenal. Sexy, heart-stopping and exciting. I couldn’t put it down. Not. For. One. Millisecond!
Story/Characters...
Riley Bello was born into a world of monsters. She lived in constant fear her first twelve years of life. Then, after being sent away to Hillcrest Academy where she met her roommate and soon to be best friend, Brooke Bennett - mafia princess, her life became a revolving door of change and sacrifice.
Years later she would come face to face with one of those monsters. The first time she saw Kia Bennett was in a picture on her best friends wall. She was fascinated. Then she met him in person and those piercing eyes, that flat, emotionless mask covering his too handsome face, that overwhelming air of authority ... he affected her in ways she didn’t understand. And he scared the crap out of her.
Years later, she saw him again, only this time he’d kidnapped her and demanded information from her she couldn’t give him.
Kia Bennett is the king of the Bennett Mafia and he’s on a mission to find his missing sister and nothing will stop him.
Riley is no stranger to bad things. Her past is complicated and she’s spent the last few years immersed in a world of brokenness and hiding. So she’s not shocked in the slightest the minute the devil comes knocking.
Kia is darkness where Riley is light.
He hurts people. She saves them.
He is merciless. Ruthless. Scary. She is compassionate. Giving. Fearless.
Their common ground? They are both honest, loyal and will protect those they care about with a terrifying fierceness unlike any other.
The minute Kia kidnaps her, Riley knew her life would never be the same. What she didn’t count on was the instant attraction. That all-consuming pull he has over her. And she has to decide if she’s willing to join him in the darkness or try to salvage the life she left behind.
This read was everything!
Action packed.
Emotionally fueled.
Solid, exciting story that compelled me forward to the next page at every turn.
Well told, unfettered writing with firey chemistry between two badass mains I literally couldn’t pick a favorite from if I tried ... because they BOTH kicked serious ass!
And as always, amazing side characters who cemented the familial feel/bond of a Tijan book.
The Wrap Up:
The entire read was amazing! I was captivated and delighted. But those last few chapters? I was enthralled! As I sank into the pages, I was taken from my mundane surroundings and buried in a mafia world where the author didn’t play around at the edges of darkness. No, she threw this reader right in the middle of it and held me captive until the electrifying end.
To say I want more of Kai and Riley is an understatement. To say I want more of the entire Bennett clan is too simplified of a comment. If this turned into a series, I’d shout praises to the book gods from the highest building I could find. I loved it that much!
You want a damn good read? Tijan is your author and this book should be at the top of your list!
BUY IT NOW ... (free on KU)
Paperback: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0999769138
CONNECT WITH THE AUTHOR ...
Website: www.tijansbooks.com
Bennett Mafia website: www.tijansbooks.com/bennett-mafia.html
Reader group: https://www.facebook.com/groups/TijansFanPage/
Other news, The Boy I Grew Up With's audio is live today!
TIJAN LINKS – PLEASE TAG HER! ☺
... Book Excerpt from BENNETT MAFIA by Tijan ...
I woke in a bed with the softest sheets I’d ever felt, and drool. So much drool.
It took a second for me to catch up, but once I did, I bolted upright with a gasp.
It was pitch-black outside.
Glass doors. The same modern bedroom with an entire apartment just beyond the doorway and the soft glow of a light on in the other room.
I was in Kai Bennett’s room, in his bed.
Could I close my eyes, go back to sleep, and wake up in Oz? Was that an option? I’d take it in a second if so.
The sound of a page turning came from the next room. Then I heard a chair push back.
Soft footsteps came until he stood in the doorway.
The light was on behind him, casting him in full shadow, so I couldn’t see any details except his very trim and toned silhouette.
Why’d someone so evil have to be that good looking?
“Why’d you take me?” I shifted to a sitting position, pulling the sheets around me and noting that I was in a different shirt and wore boxer briefs over my underwear. He’d changed my clothes.
That was low on the list of problems, but… “Where are my clothes?”
He let out a soft and tired-sounding sigh. “You stumbled going into your room and hit your head. My brother didn’t notice the blood trickling down your back, but my guards did. They alerted me.” He nodded. “Your clothes were bloody. They had to be changed.”
Now that he mentioned it, my head was pounding.
I touched the back of my head and hissed, feeling a large bruise. The fact that I hadn’t noticed that spoke volumes. I was too consumed by everything else.
And speaking of that, on to my second question. “What do you know about 411?”
He answered without hesitation, crossing his arms over his chest and propping one shoulder against the doorframe. “I know they helped hide you and your mother. I know they’re relatively new, but they’re effective. They have heavy funders backing them, and I know they set up one man for murder, who is now in prison. I know your employers might mean well right now, but they are dangerous.”
I blinked a few times, taking that in.
I winced on the inside when he mentioned the frame job. That had been an operative who went rogue, but no one fought to defend the guy.
I scowled. “He tried to murder his wife.”
“But he didn’t.”
I snorted. “You’re sticking up for the one slightly innocent monster? You?”
Watch your tone, Riley. You forget who you’re talking to.
I could hear my mother’s voice admonishing me, and I bit my lip as soon as the words were out. It was too late, though. I waited, watching to see if this infamous murdering monster would come toward me now.
He didn’t move, just murmured, “You are not a good enough fighter to speak like that to me.”
That same shiver went up my back. There was a deadly warning in there too.
I swallowed over a lump. “I’m sorry.”
But was I? Was I really?
He had murdered. Cord. His father. Brooke?
I frowned. “You’re looking for Brooke? That’s why you kidnapped me?”
“Among other reasons, yes.” He lifted his head again, straightening from the doorframe and taking a step toward me. Just one step—enough to be imposing, slightly intimidating, but still giving me space to breathe so I didn’t scare away.
He was so measured, so calculating.
“My sister contacted you the day before yesterday. I want to know where she is.”
All the oxygen left the room, and my head started spinning again. “You think—what? No.”
“Yes.” His voice was hard now. Gone was the subtlety. “Brooke asked me to keep tabs on you. She cares about you. You work for a network that specializes in helping people disappear, and I know she was desperate. She went to you; I know this much.”
He took another step toward me.
I sat up straighter, rolling to my knees and then to my heels, ready to spring if I needed to.
Another step.
He squatted next to the bed so he was level with me, and now I could see him. He’d shifted out of the shadows, and I saw how fierce his eyes were. They blazed with anger and determination.
His perfect lips barely moved as he grated out, “You will tell me where she is.”
I swallowed again. The lump in my throat had doubled in size.
He wasn’t going to take no, but I had to try. “Before I saw your sister on the news, I hadn’t really heard much from her since you drove her away from Hillcrest. I swear to you that’s the truth.”
His eyes narrowed. “I know you know where she is, but don’t worry. If you won’t tell me, I know others who will.” He stood abruptly and went back to the main room.
I scrambled out of bed and padded after him.
I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. I don’t think anyone could’ve been.
I thought he had been reading a book, maybe looking over files for his business. I’d been sleeping in his bed, and he was waiting with a glass of wine beside a fire. Something cozy like that.
I was so wrong.
As I got to the doorway, I saw them, and someone started screaming.
It was me.
It took a second for me to catch up, but once I did, I bolted upright with a gasp.
It was pitch-black outside.
Glass doors. The same modern bedroom with an entire apartment just beyond the doorway and the soft glow of a light on in the other room.
I was in Kai Bennett’s room, in his bed.
Could I close my eyes, go back to sleep, and wake up in Oz? Was that an option? I’d take it in a second if so.
The sound of a page turning came from the next room. Then I heard a chair push back.
Soft footsteps came until he stood in the doorway.
The light was on behind him, casting him in full shadow, so I couldn’t see any details except his very trim and toned silhouette.
Why’d someone so evil have to be that good looking?
“Why’d you take me?” I shifted to a sitting position, pulling the sheets around me and noting that I was in a different shirt and wore boxer briefs over my underwear. He’d changed my clothes.
That was low on the list of problems, but… “Where are my clothes?”
He let out a soft and tired-sounding sigh. “You stumbled going into your room and hit your head. My brother didn’t notice the blood trickling down your back, but my guards did. They alerted me.” He nodded. “Your clothes were bloody. They had to be changed.”
Now that he mentioned it, my head was pounding.
I touched the back of my head and hissed, feeling a large bruise. The fact that I hadn’t noticed that spoke volumes. I was too consumed by everything else.
And speaking of that, on to my second question. “What do you know about 411?”
He answered without hesitation, crossing his arms over his chest and propping one shoulder against the doorframe. “I know they helped hide you and your mother. I know they’re relatively new, but they’re effective. They have heavy funders backing them, and I know they set up one man for murder, who is now in prison. I know your employers might mean well right now, but they are dangerous.”
I blinked a few times, taking that in.
I winced on the inside when he mentioned the frame job. That had been an operative who went rogue, but no one fought to defend the guy.
I scowled. “He tried to murder his wife.”
“But he didn’t.”
I snorted. “You’re sticking up for the one slightly innocent monster? You?”
Watch your tone, Riley. You forget who you’re talking to.
I could hear my mother’s voice admonishing me, and I bit my lip as soon as the words were out. It was too late, though. I waited, watching to see if this infamous murdering monster would come toward me now.
He didn’t move, just murmured, “You are not a good enough fighter to speak like that to me.”
That same shiver went up my back. There was a deadly warning in there too.
I swallowed over a lump. “I’m sorry.”
But was I? Was I really?
He had murdered. Cord. His father. Brooke?
I frowned. “You’re looking for Brooke? That’s why you kidnapped me?”
“Among other reasons, yes.” He lifted his head again, straightening from the doorframe and taking a step toward me. Just one step—enough to be imposing, slightly intimidating, but still giving me space to breathe so I didn’t scare away.
He was so measured, so calculating.
“My sister contacted you the day before yesterday. I want to know where she is.”
All the oxygen left the room, and my head started spinning again. “You think—what? No.”
“Yes.” His voice was hard now. Gone was the subtlety. “Brooke asked me to keep tabs on you. She cares about you. You work for a network that specializes in helping people disappear, and I know she was desperate. She went to you; I know this much.”
He took another step toward me.
I sat up straighter, rolling to my knees and then to my heels, ready to spring if I needed to.
Another step.
He squatted next to the bed so he was level with me, and now I could see him. He’d shifted out of the shadows, and I saw how fierce his eyes were. They blazed with anger and determination.
His perfect lips barely moved as he grated out, “You will tell me where she is.”
I swallowed again. The lump in my throat had doubled in size.
He wasn’t going to take no, but I had to try. “Before I saw your sister on the news, I hadn’t really heard much from her since you drove her away from Hillcrest. I swear to you that’s the truth.”
His eyes narrowed. “I know you know where she is, but don’t worry. If you won’t tell me, I know others who will.” He stood abruptly and went back to the main room.
I scrambled out of bed and padded after him.
I wasn’t prepared for what I saw. I don’t think anyone could’ve been.
I thought he had been reading a book, maybe looking over files for his business. I’d been sleeping in his bed, and he was waiting with a glass of wine beside a fire. Something cozy like that.
I was so wrong.
As I got to the doorway, I saw them, and someone started screaming.
It was me.
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