'Luca' by Sarah Castille is Book Two in the "Ruin & Revenge" series. This is the story of Gabrielle Fawkes and Luca Rizzoli. I have read the previous book but I feel this can be a standalone book if you wish to do so.
Gabrielle is a detective that is looking into activities in a drug cartel along with avenging her husbands death. Luca is in a crime family and a ladies man. But these two finding their attraction to hard to ignore. But can these two from the opposite side of the road have allot to overcome to get to their happy ending.
I enjoyed Luca being the strong man that he was and trying to protect Gabrielle. But Gabrielle was an even stronger person and she tried to protect him too.
This has been such a great and exciting series!
"My honest review is for a special copy I voluntarily read."
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It has been a while since I have read a romance with a male love interest who was involved in the mob so when I got the chance to read Luca I was so intrigued to find out more about this story and on top of that I had heard nothing but fantastic thing about Sarah Castille books. I was so excited to dive into the story and it was fantastic.

We mainly follow Luca & Gabby and these two could not further apart, well at least career wise , with Gabby being a Detective in the police force and Luca being a crime boss , however the minute these two saw each other they just clicked and nothing could keep them apart . The romance was sexy , like red hot sexy , however the steamy hot sexy times wasn't the only thing that made them stand out to me, it was the way they opened up to each other , these two people who for most of these lives have built these walls around themselves because of all the pain they have went through in there lives being vulnerable with each other was one of my favorite parts of this book . I felt that Sarah Castille did an excellent job creating a romance that was sexy, that made your heart race and at the same felt very real , raw and emotional at the same time.There was so much going on this book , this book constantly kept me on my toes, constantly kept my eyes rushing from word to word needing to know what would happen next . This story was fantastic and I cannot wait to get my hands on the next book in the Ruin & Revenge series. If you love all these things in your books you should definitely get a copy as soon as you can.

This is not my typical romance read. I don't usually read Mobster books. I did really enjoy this book and couldn't put it down. I did feel that this book was very similar to Shifter Romance books. Luca kept saying in his mind "Mine" and his major protectiveness. Luca remind me of all the books I read and the person has found their mate. I did figure some of the stuff out way early in the book but that didn't stop me from enjoying this book. I am happy the publisher asked me to read this book.

Danger, angst, deception, passion, Sarah Castille delivered a thrilling read with the second installment in her Ruin & Revenge series. This dark and fast-paced ride into the mafia underworld is centered on Luca Rizzoli and Gabrielle Fawkes, two intriguing heroes on opposite sides of the law.

Luca is the loyal capo of his closest friend, Nico Toscani, head of one of the big Italian crime families in Vegas, Gabrielle is a detective responsible for an investigation into the activities of a drug cartel. They are both shooting victims and find themselves in the same hospital room. They have this insta-attraction going on from the first meeting.

I loved the conflicting emotions in this story, the heroes see justice in a very different way, Gabrielle is a rule follower, Luca follows the rules of his crime family. According to mafia rules, association with cops is forbidden, and the punishment for infringing them is extreme. And yet Luca can’t stay away from Gabrielle, she has become his obsession. He is torn between his loyalty to his family and his love for Gabrielle. The mirror has two sides: he is dark, brooding, dangerous and a cold killer, and yet he is tender, protective and loving with her.

Gabrielle is strong, assertive and honest. She doesn’t understand the social hierarchy in his crime world, and she doesn’t care obviously. She can’t accept the submissive role of a mafia wife, but she makes him believe he is capable of feeling. To save Luca, Gabrielle is ready to go rogue and break a lot of rules.

This sexy romance and edge-of-your-seat suspense with some breathtaking twists was a captivating read. It started a bit slowly, but Sarah Castille did a great job of building up the tension and I was hooked until the very last page! She introduced several intriguing secondary characters, and I’m really looking forward to Rocco’s story. I recommend this book (and this series) to all mafia romance lovers. 4.5 Stars

ARC generously provided by the publisher, via NetGalley.

It's been awhile since I read the first book but it started to come back to me who Luca was in. He's quite the playboy charmer and I'll admit, I wasn't sure I was going to like him. He goes through woman like candy, but when Gabrielle snagged his attention I liked what I saw.

Luca was still too much of the charmer at first but the more he was around Gabrielle the more possessive he became and there was no other woman. As independent as I am, I couldn't help but love his view on how to care for "his girl".

Gabrielle is a tough as nails detective. I like a strong heroine but sometimes those strong ones won't allow a man to care for them. She had a few stubborn moments but the more into the story as they got to know each other better, the more fun I had with their banter.

The first book seemed a bit darker and more grittier and this one felt more safe. I liked them both for what they were. I'm curious who will be the next couple and if the author changes it up once more. I'm hoping for Frankie's story. I'm a sucker for the cold hearted. ARC provided by NetGalley.

When two people get shot in different incidents, they end up in the same hospital room. They know nothing about each other but the chemistry between them is steamy and their interactions build the tension. What happens when one of them proves to be an undercover cop investigating the crime mobs and the other is actually a crime boss? Can they develop their relationship without compromising their ethical beliefs? You’ll have to read it to discover what happens!

This is a real page turner with a strong, hard and hot leading man attracted to one woman who he should really avoid! The characters are brilliantly developed by this talented author and the plot has plenty of suspense, mystery and danger to keep the reader enthralled from start to finish. It is a great suspense filled, steamy and dangerous adventure and enjoyable read, a page turner that I highly recommend to anyone who enjoys these genres.

I am very happy to say that I requested and was gifted a copy of this novel via NetGalley; this is my honest opinion after choosing to read this hot, action packed book.

I just loved this book!! Luca was in the mob and Gabrielle was a cop, their relationship was wrong on so many levels. Luca was amazing, I just loved him. He was sweet, dominate and sexy. Gabrielle was kind, caring, and able to take care of herself. Will these two be able to make it work or will their professions get in the way? I really loved this book, the twist at the end wasn't expected but was great. I highly recommend this book!!!

When Gabrielle lost everything that mattered to her, she had one thought. Revenge for all that she had lost. It had driven her every thought for two years until she met Luca. He was everything that she had ever wanted. His power consumed her and ignited every desire she had. Both of them broken in some way and no matter how strong they are they needed each other to heal. Love Sarah Castille's books and the strong characters that make you want to stand up and cheer when they find the one who completes them.

Is it time to move on? Gabrielle has tried so hard to move on after her husband's death but she can't find out why he was killed and she has just gotten herself thrown off a case because she was to hasty. She is about to meet the one man that she should be running from but he helped her and she likes what she sees. Luca is a man that knows what he wants, he wants her but she is still a cop and the family won't take that so well.
Can they work together to find the answers that they both seek and maybe find happiness together? But Gabrielle is still in danger and the man that she thought was a friend took everything away from her and he wants her all to himself but is it too late for Luca to save her? A great interesting read.

Luca is a great possessive alpha hero and Gabrielle is a strong, independent heroine.

Secondary characters really added to this story, especially Paulo’s and Luca’s mom – couldn’t get enough of her and my heart just broke for him.

Tons of steamy sex.

Plenty of internal dialogue if that’s your thing – it’s not for me.

Slow, steady pace.

An unsurprising twist.

Told in dual POV along with Paulo’s

Safe in that Luca doesn’t sleep with anyone else after meeting Gabby.

Other than violence, no apparent triggers in my opinion.

ARC provided for an honest review

I just couldn't seem to get into this. At all. I've read a bit of Mafia related books (Russian) and I can honestly say those are more "manly" than this Luca character. From what I saw he was a womanizer and lived for it. Yes he had a wife. Yes he "loved" her. Yes he had a mistress. Sure that's what people most expect about Mafia men but they way he spoke about women I just didn't like. I couldn't get past the unrealisticness of this.

Everything I could want in a Mafia Romance, Sarah Castille just gives you more!!! I loved Luca and Gabrielle's story. It is not only a mafia story, but a forbidden romance. We have Luca who is cold, calculated and the mafia boss. Gabrielle tries to harden her heart and soul. She is out for revenge. She is a detective that is working on taking down the mafia. This is where the forbidden part comes to play.

There is a whole lot of drama and intensity with this story. You go on a roller coaster ride and can feel the craving that Gabrielle feels when it comes to her connection with Luca. Luca starts to feel for what seems like the first time. The hot sexy scenes had me turning up the A/C. The power that these two have together was just electrifying.

Towards the end my heart was pumping hard. Will Luca give it all up if it means to save Gabrielle? I loved Nico, and now love Luca. I am addicted to these series <3

***5 ‘Mio Angelo’ Stars***

I loved Nico (the book, though the man was pretty damn smexy). The vibe and writing and all the various, and crazy, characters that I got introduced to but the one that stood out the most was Luca. I wanted to know more about him and dear lord did I get what I asked for in the most deliciously dirty, panty melting and heart melting way ~ yeah...I know...just roll with it ~ This book had it all and kept me turning the pages just to see what would happen next with Luca and Gabrielle and kept me tapping the screen even when there were no more pages because I needed more.

I adored Luca. The man is all kinds of large and in charge alpha male. He’s also ruthless and doles out his brand of justice without thinking twice doesn’t miss a beat and doesn’t let anyone and that saying about how Italians are born to seduce? Yeah, the man breaths and you’re more than willing to drop your panties. He opens his mouth and you don’t even have to worry about them, they’ll have melted off. I only had one issue with the man, and considering everything it’s funny that it was only one, because I couldn’t believe he just accepted it (yup, vague but it’s part of the storyline so *zips lip*) but it does get worked out in the end.

Having dealt with heart shattering losses, Gabrielle hit rock bottom but with the help of her friends, and the need for revenge, she’s picked herself up and found a purpose to continue living. I adored Gabrielle. Knowing what she went through had me admiring her strength and conviction, even if it was a little tunnel vision, but I couldn’t blame her at all. This woman had moxie and a protective streak a mile wide. There were somethings that she was a little blind to, but once the blinders came off, she got down to business.

Luca and Gabrielle together were all kinds of fun and smexy. From their first meeting there were fireworks, whether it be their dominant personalities butting heads or the heat the gave off during those panty melting smexy times, and the show never ended. I had to laugh at how honest they were with each other, while not being absolutely honest ~ sounds odd, but when you read the book you’ll totally get it. I loved watching as they knocked down each other’s walls and ended up helping the other become stronger in the end. There were quite a few bumps in the road for them, but I liked how there wasn’t a lot of angsty-ness when it came to them together and loved where they were at the end of the book.

I had a lot of fun reading this book. The suspense storyline was very well done and I will say I figured that something wasn’t right with one of the characters early on and got a small portion of what was really going on correct, which in my book is a total win-win situation. Luca and Gaby were great characters and the supporting cast were all very well written. We do get to spend a little time with Nico and the other family members, but Matteo and Frankie were my favorites and I cannot wait to get my hands on Rocco’s book!

LUCA by Sarah Castille is the first book by this author that I have read. I enjoyed it and sure was plenty of action. Luca is a mob guy..Gabrielle is a detective whose husband David was killed by Garcia a drug boss.....both Luca and Gabrielle hate drugs and how they wreak lives. Jeff is David's best friend and also a cop.....he also has the hots for Gabrielle.... When I started I did not see a way to a HEA....but Sarah pulled it off. Looking forward to reading more of her work.

I was so happy to get this chance at the ARC, and was not dissappointed. Luca a resturant owner and also a crime boss in the mafia has his share of problems. Trying to prove he isn't his father's son who turned states evidence against his family, he is extra careful in his dealings.
Gabby a cop who was after her husbands killer and a famous drug dealer was not focused on anything but that. And when Luca and Gabby meet in the hospital they neither expect to form the relationship they do especially since there worlds don't mix. Gaby is a little spit fire in her life and Luca's job does not scare her in the least, the way she talks to his coworkers cracks me up. The chemistry between the two is great! The book had the perfect amount of suspense, love and hot melting sex to make the story.
I can't wait for the more of this series. Honest review in exchange for ARC.

Who doesn't love a bad boy? And Luca is a bad boy who finds his soft spot, Gabrielle. I love reading mafia stories there is just something so hot about these alpha males, but what I loved in this story was that Gabrielle was no simpering mouse hiding out behind her tough guy she was front and center taking on all comers.

The Capo and the detective…

This is the second book in the Ruin & Revenge series that can be read as a stand-alone.

As a Capo in the Toscani family loyalty is vitally important to Luca Rizzoli, he’s trying to regain the honor betrayal cost his family years ago. There are rules in the Mafia to strictly follow, little did Luca know that the gorgeous woman he’d met in the hospital, his blonde angel, also healing from a gunshot wound that he later had an encounter with would test his adherence to those rules. He did take a shot for his Don. Will that be enough to save him from consorting with a woman who would be considered an enemy?

Besides mafia business, Luca owns a high class Italian restaurant. He’s invited his angel to stop by which she eventually did setting in motion a change in course that once started couldn’t be stopped. With his track record on relationships he’s not one to trust a woman but this one differs and he can’t get enough of her, he really should give her up before the family finds out what she is. When his angel fights to save him from justifiable punishment what is a man to do? He never thought he’d want a woman that fought by his side being the alpha protector that he is but he’d be lying if he said he didn’t find it sexy as hell. (The detective saving the mobster was a great emotional and humorous scene.)

Two years since her husband was killed by the head of a drug cartel and Detective Gabrielle Fawkes is still working on avenging his death. She’d thought they’d had the killer cornered in a warehouse and she jumped the gun and was shot. While in the hospital she met the sexiest well-dressed man, he said things to her in Italian which sounded lovely even if she couldn’t understand what was said. Needing a change with two friends she takes Luca up on his offer to dine at his restaurant and that leads to an encounter neither will soon forget. They are an incendiary combination neither has known such with anyone else. At the time she doesn’t know what Luca really does but will it matter when she learns? When they find they have a common enemy will they join forces? Is anything possible for such a pairing? Meeting Luca made Gabrielle feel alive again for the first time since her husband died. She might be a detective but she’s a rebellious one feeling the constrictions of the law which doesn’t always provide true justice.

This reader doesn’t always like the things the mafia does but this author has a way with the characters that makes you not just like but understand them, they are human beings like the rest of us. We learn the history of what makes them who they are as the story unfolds, what drives them. That this mafia group stays away from drugs and human trafficking makes them palatable. And who hasn’t ever once wished they could take vengeance against someone that has hurt them or theirs?

This was an enjoyable read, this book had a sexy, suspenseful story line with a twist that you might not see coming. Luca and Gabrielle were characters who completed each other, what had been void inside them that needed filling became whole. And those mafia rules? Well rules are meant to be broken…

An advanced reading copy was obtained from the publisher via NetGalley.

4.5 stars

3 Mafia Stars-
Take a hot smokin Alpha Mafia man- pair him up with a beauty and then have them both fight against others... Throw in that smokin' hot sexy times and you will be good to go...
Did have a few slow moments... but was a decent read.

Ok let me start by saying that i hadn't read the first book in the series, Nico, before i read this one. Of course ill be reading that one now ASAP lol. I have read other books and series' by Sarah Castille and have always been a fan of her work so i knew in advance that i would probably enjoy this book. Oh Boy did i ever enjoy this book! I couldn't put it down. I loved Luca's cockyness and i loved his dedication to his Family...both blood and his Mafia family. I really enjoyed the fact that these characters were willing to battle for their relationship against their professions. I love a against all odds story!

I was so excited to read Luca's book after loving Nico and this book did not disappoint. Luca is a strong mafia man trying to redeem his father's tarnish to the family name. Struggling also with raising his "son" alone, Luca has sheltered his heart after constant disappointments. ENTER GABRIELLE FAWKES! Gabrielle is on a mission of vindication of her own. After the death of her husband and a precious loss, Gabrielle will not stop until she brings the elusive Garcia to justice. When she encounters the gorgeous restaurateur named Luca she is intrigued, excited and has to see him again. These two are so electric together and cannot deny the connection they have. So what's the problem when two consenting adults have the hots for one another and start to get emotionally entangled you might ask? WELL-- he is mafia and she is the police...a detective to be exact!

Completely against the mob rules, Luca cannot stop what is going on between he and Gabrielle. After witnessing the danger she is in with her job and possible connected associates, Luca sticks his neck out and takes Gabrielle. Gabrielle realizes Luca might be more than a restaurant owner but sees the good in him and might just understand his brand of justice. Circumstances show her that police justice sometimes is not very effective or rewarding or even a deterrent.

I loved the passion and romance, and the wildness of Luca and Gabrielle. Their relationship was greatly written drawing you in to root for their love to last. The mafia portion is dark and absolutely wonderful. Greatly enjoyed this book!