Reviews by the Wicked Reads Review Team

Mary – ☆☆☆☆☆
Grace Mantini left New York after her world was shattered by a ruthless man. And he destroyed the love she had for one man. She ran to Las Vegas and thought she was okay, until her father and brother show up for a funeral. Grace didn't want to believe that her father was part of the mob but when she learned the truth, she ran. Now that they are all in Vegas and at a mob funeral, Grace has to see all these mobsters again. But when she sees Rocco, her heart starts beating again after six years.

Rocco was saved from an orphanage, or so he thought, but he was raised to be a mob enforcer. His life was to be a hired killer and feelings were not part of his life. So falling in love with Grace was not supposed to happen. But she was the only light in his dark world.

When a contract comes to Rocco that will destroy Grace, he has to find a way to protect her and not complete the contract. He has to protect her family and keep her safe. He has to find out who sent the contract and why? Can he get Nico and the family to help him to protect her and her family? Will they find out who will be sent to fulfill the contract if Rocco doesn't? Can Grace trust Rocco to tell her the truth about the contract and to protect her and her family?

I loved this story and it was hard to read about Rocco and his upbringing, but the one thing in his life he lived for was Grace. This series is great and worth the read if you love a great mob story; each story is about a different mobster and each story is just as great. So get this series, sit back, and enjoy the ride that is the Ruin & Revenge series. I hope you love it as much as I have.


Lee’Anne – ☆☆☆☆
Mafia books are one of my favorites and this series has been great so far. I really enjoyed the storyline in this one, I love that though the main characters were previously involved and meet back up, they don’t immediately fall back into bed together.

Rocco, aka Frankie, was adopted by a man who trained him to be a deadly killer with no emotion, stripping him of everything that meant anything to him at an early age. He meets Grace, a Mafia princess, when she’s just a little girl and the two spend a lot of time together with him acting as her bodyguard. They have a deep connection, and when she becomes of age the two get together, but when Rocco’s father finds out he goes to an extreme to get rid of their relationship and it sent Grace running across the country. Now, years later, the two cross paths again, but this time Grace isn’t running away and will do whatever she can to keep Rocco.

There are two reasons I’m giving four stars instead of five. The first being that I didn’t like how soft Rocco becomes at the end, at the beginning he’s this fierce badass who doesn’t take it from anyone, and then all of a sudden, he’s a big softie who tears up when talking about one of the other guys who is hurt. It was an abrupt change in his character and very weird, other than that though, I did love both main characters. My second reason is that there are SO many characters introduced at the beginning of the story that it’s confusing and took me several chapters to sort things out, and when you add that almost everyone had nicknames, it was a lot. I think reading this book in one sitting is your best bet because otherwise, keeping the characters straight is even more difficult – luckily, it’s a fast-paced story that you won’t want to put down, so reading in one sitting isn’t a problem! Rocco and Grace have a sweet story with just the right amount of mafia roughness to make this a great read. I look forward to more from this series!

4 Feel Nothing Crowns

There is something that I love about a series that has an over-arching plot line while giving readers standalones with each book. Maybe it is all the sub-plots the author has to juggle. Maybe it is the satisfaction of getting a completely story but also being forced to wait for the final big resolution. Either way, this series has been one of my favorite, for the plot as well as this mafia world the author has created.

Rocco is an enforcer in the mafia. He was brutalized as a child in order to create a killing machine who follows orders only. He is never meant to feel, but he falls in love at a young age. This relationship leads to disastrous consequences that shapes who he becomes as a man. Although he is talked about be the secondary characters as this man with no soul, I didn’t really see it. Readers don’t really get to see him do anything that bad. He is in the mafia so we expect violence, but nothing really warranted his reputation. Readers also see him with Grace, and when he is with her he feels it all. Readers will like his character though, as he is honorable, even as a criminal, and he loves and protects what is his, giving him attributes readers love in a romance hero.

Grace, like the previous heroines in the series, grows and changes. She has adamant beliefs about the mafia and wants nothing to do with them. Everything is black and white for her. As the novel progresses, however, she begins to see it isn’t so clear cut, that there are shades of grey. Additionally, we see her change as the people she cares for are threatened. Even as she evolves, the core of who she is didn’t. She just figures out how to live in this world.

The plot is one filled with suspense and plot revelations galore. Readers get that second chance romance with a hint of danger. The author does a fantastic job of keeping readers on their toes with the suspense with the use of foreshadowing. These hints get readers thinking and anticipating how the story is going to play out, and I can honestly say I didn’t figure it out until right before it is all revealed. The resolution is also fantastic, and the author gives and HEA while still adhering to the rules of the mafia world.

Rocco is another great addition to this series. Suspenseful and sexy with a dash of romance, the third installment will have readers glued to their books.

I didn’t want it to end! 😭😭

Everything is right with the world again! It wasn’t perfect, but it so damn close! I floved Rocco and literally did not want it to end. I got to the last page and still tried to flip to the next. Rocco and Grace made that much of an impression.

So, here’s what I loved:
The characters – The main characters were superb together. They’re both fairly complex and so is there relationship. I particularly enjoyed Rocco. He made a great impression on me while reading Luca, so it was fantastic to read his love story. Grace is beautiful, flawed, and stronger than she realizes. Watching her character grow and evolve was pure joy.
Here's what you really need to know. Rocco is a badass. He’s the enforcer that’s down to do whatever to handle business. You know what they say….bad-boys do it better! And Rocco is certainly a bad-boy. LOL
The storyline is entertaining, exciting, and pretty action packed. I enjoyed the taboo aspect of the story. It wasn’t always front center, but the age difference played a significant role in how these characters interact with one another.
The writing was so much better this time around. Not perfect, but really good. I definitely recommend it to lovers of Mafia romance, alpha-heroes, and 2nd chance romances.

Grace is the daughter of an underboss in the mob but has been running from them for years. Rocco was an orphan and adopted by De Lucchi, trained to be hard, ruthless and to kill. Rocco knew it was for the best when Grace was taken from him but now he has a second chance. This is a fast-paced read with plenty of drama and suspense. I loved the chemistry between Rocco and Grace. The story really draws you in and has plenty of emotion. I really liked it.

This is my first Castille book and actually my first mafia romance as well. I honestly didn’t think I’d enjoy it as much as I did. I found the first 30% or so hard to get into, but once the story started to ramp up, I really found myself pushing to read late into the night, even though I had a 6AM flight to catch.
I thought the characters were well written and I loved the backstory between Rocco and Grace. I am now about to download “Nico” and “Luca” because I have to see how their stories came about.
4 strong stars from me.

I started this thinking we'd get some more closure on the unfolding dispute for Vegas... sigh... just more questions for now. But Rocco aka Frankie is the scary guy to end all Mafia scary guys, of course not for Grace. Their relationship was forged through years of daily activities and a love that couldn't be broken. When they are torn apart by brutal circumstances it leaves scars beyond the visible. But years later when they are faced with danger their need for each other breaks the chains. Grace is the light to Rocco darkness.

“How could something that felt so right be so wrong? His hell on earth was finding the other half of his soul and not being able to keep her.”
Grace may be the daughter of an underboss, but ever since she found out the truth behind her father’s “job” she has tried to distance herself from the reach of the mob as much as possible. That meant a painful separation in more ways than one from the man who captured her heart, but running away from New York to land in Vegas seemed the only reasonable solution for her at the time.
Rocco is such a conflicted man! Being a De Lucchi is a curse, and his adoptive father is one of the cruelest bastards that exist. Cesare adopted Rocco out of an orphanage and immediately began brutally training him to be an emotionless, fearless and at times sadistic soldier. Fortunately Cesare couldn’t strip away Rocco’s core goodness and heart no matter how hard he tried, and when Rocco met Grace for the first time his protective instincts immediately kicked in. He knew their 10 year age difference was a problem and did everything he could to maintain a certain level distance, but he couldn’t help falling in love with the girl who had wisdom beyond her years in some ways and who loved to sing Sinatra with him. When Cesare ripped her from his life with his typical cruelty and brutality, it served to harden Rocco’s heart a bit more but he knew that her leaving was for the best. He was trained to be a stone cold killer who obeyed orders, and her goodness and light didn’t deserved to be tarnished by his life.
Now years have passed and Grace has unexpectedly reappeared in his life which throws Rocco into a state of upheaval. He tries to have a code in the work that he does, but at the end of the day he is still a lowly enforcer who obeys orders and his method of purging the darkness in soul will make some shudder. Grace still hates everything about the mob but when she sees Rocco again for the first time in years, the memories and feelings come flooding back. Then violence erupts all around her, and when Grace finds herself in danger, Rocco is immediately there to step in as her bossy, alpha male protector.
When a pint sized female stands up to the man who makes other grown men quake in their boots and he reacts with uncharacteristic emotion, those who know him best cannot believe it but they are actually happy to see it. Rocco may be part of the De Lucchi crew, but Luca and Nico trust him, and Mia and Gabrielle have found reason to loop him into their inner circle too even if he is reluctant to acknowledge it. They try to take Grace under their wing too, but she still struggles with what they do and who they are. As the danger increases she starts to show a different side though where she is more accepting of what Rocco does and how he does it. Uncertainty fueled by her friends and family still fuels tension between them though as she wonders whether she is just seeing what she wants to see or if she is being played.
Rocco’s story had plenty of angsty moments, suspense, danger, and a whole lot of heat when he and Grace finally get on the same page! I loved that we got to see more of Nico and other familiar faces from the prior books in the series, but don’t worry- you can absolutely read this book as a standalone if you haven’t started the series yet.

Rocco is an amazingly written tale of second chance romance. If you are a fan of the trope this book will tick that box for you. More than that - this story will pull you into the dirty, secretive, topsy turvy world of the mafia - and it will leave you breathless and on edge while also rooting for an HEA. Sarah Castille has written the men in this series to be Alpha, hardcore, and yet - with the woman who owns their heart - they are ruthless in a different regard.

Rocco hasn't had a great life, he's suffered a lot and he's found ways to cope with life the way it is - ways that allow him to forget what he'd like to have, to move past some of his pain - or at least allow himself to numb the feelings - but the moment he finds himself back in the same orbit as Grace - well everythings off the table - because Rocco finds that he's not so capable of walking away again and this Grace just might not let him.

Grace thought she'd escaped the mafia, thought that by breaking free of her family and their business and moving away and taking hold of her own life that she was out of it - but the truth is - she'll never really be free of the mafia. And if she can't be free - then why shouldn't she try to find a way to make it work - why shouldn't she have the man she's loved and never forgotten. It's not a simple change, there's more than acceptance needed but Grace is about to figure out she's not the meek and mild creature those around her expect - and she's also seen a side of Rocco that she now understands more fully.

Grace and Rocco have a lot to work through, there's a lot of history there, painful memories and a loss of trust - but more than that is a connection that transcends and pulls htem both together time and again, making them see they are better together than apart. The interactions between these two had me feeling a touch of everything, from their mutual hurts, to a little humor, from that feeling of a deep connection to understanding and more. As they work together - they discover more about each other and their place in the world and in each others lives.

Rocco is another wild ride into the dark underworld of the Mob - one where evil resides in plain site, and you aren't always sure who to trust. But it's also a tale of unconditional love, of true acceptance - acceptance of ones self and of others. Take a trip through the turns and find yourself lost among these characters and give this book and this series a try. You won't be disappointed.

Having read Nico and Luca's story I was excited for Rocco's story and how he was going to get out of his mess. From the begining his connection with Grace is laid out and the tragedy that became of their love story is heartwrenching. Both Ricco and Grace know their connection was once in a lifetime- neither ever found anything or anyone that could hold a candle to their once shared love. But with the mob being the basis of the relationship and warring sides involved it's nearly impossible to be together.

I enjoyed the love story with Grace and Ricco and the great struggle they faced and the devotion each had to fight for the impossible. I had a hard time feeping separate or following all the mob lingo and heirarchy but it wasn't so bad to detract from the story.

Ricco was a scary enforcer feared by the biggest and baddest of the underworld. Watching him melt to a glob of goo when it came to Grace was awesome.

I love a series that connects with the characters easily and this, the third in Sarah Castille's, Ruin & Revenge is just such a book.
Rocco is full of heart stopping, grip tightening action.
Together Rocco and Grace create such steamy chemistry you'll keep turning the pages just to see what happens next.
I fell in love with Grace. She's everything a strong heroine should be. Even though she was scared sometimes.
The way Grace drew courage from the fear made me want to be her when I grow up. And her complete, unconditional faith in Rocco...that's what really loving someone should be.
At first, Rocco was a little scary to me. Who wouldn't be frightened of someone so hard, cold and ruthless. But as I read, Rocco's heart began to show.
He's truly a bad boy Mafia enforcer, but the way he let Grace see his soul? Completely sigh worthy.
Of course there's trouble, a little blood shed and mayhem inside the pages of this book.
I was a little disappointed to not find out what Rocco wanted so desperately to know.
Hopefully the answers he and I both want to know will come in a future installment.
Sarah Castille is a master story teller and I hope this series never ends.

ROCCO is the third instalment in Sarah Castille’s contemporary adult RUIN AND REVENGE erotic, mafia romance series set in Las Vegas, Nevada. This is mafia enforcer Rocco De Lucchi, of the De Lucchi crew, and psychologist/jazz singer Grace Mantini’s story line. ROCCO can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

Told from dual third person perspectives (Grace and Rocco) ROCCO follows the second chance romance between mafia enforcer Rocco De Lucchi, and Grace Mantini, the daughter of the New York underboss, and a woman whose has spent most of her adult life running from the mob. A recent funeral for a mutual acquaintance finds Grace pulled back into the lifestyle she wants desperately to forget, but a lifestyle that has cruelly imbedded itself upon the man that she loves. A crime-family divided will pit blood against blood, and family against friends forcing Rocco to choose between his heart and the mob. What ensues is the rebuilding relationship between Rocco and Grace as Grace and her family are targeted by an unknown source, and the potential fall out when Grace discovers the truth behind Rocco’s re-appearance in her life.

Six years earlier Grace’s life was all but destroyed by retribution and retaliation against the man that she loves. Unable to fulfill his duty to the man that destroyed his life Rocco watched as Grace became the victim of his father’s cruelty and pain. Running from New York Grace thought she found the solace and freedom from the lifestyle she had grown to hate but Vegas was now home to the man who stole her heart.

All of her life Grace has been sheltered from her father’s lifestyle, a lifestyle that has caused so much pain including the death of her mother, and the physical and emotional scars our heroine hides from the world including the man that she loves. Rocco De Lucchi’s life has been harder than most as the adopted son of one of the most feared and reviled mafia families. Broken and battered, Rocco needs the physical pain to control the beast that formed by years of misery and abuse. An anti-hero at best, Rocco is a man feared for his cold, calculating ability to kill but a man whose softer side has only been seen by the woman he loves. A true alpha with issues of control, Rocco is not the usual romantic hero. An order from his father forces Rocco to disobey- a decision that could affect the New York and Las Vegas crime families and their power to control.

The relationship between Grace and Rocco is one of second chances; a rekindling romance originally destroyed by power and greed, and a man who isn’t afraid to take what doesn’t belong. The $ex scenes are intimate, erotic and intense but I dislike the use of a certain four letter word that I find unacceptable in a romance storyline. There is a limited S/M scene involving our story line (anti) hero that may be troubling for more sensitive readers.

There is a large ensemble cast of secondary and supporting characters including several members of various mafia families. We are reintroduced to Nico and Mia (Nico #1), Luca and Gabrielle (Luca #2); Grace’s father Nunzio Mantini, and her brother Tom ; self-appointed crime boss Tony Toscani; Rocco’s most trusted soldier and former MMA fighter Mike; Rocco’s father Cesare De Lucchi, the head of a group of professional enforcers; and Tiffany, a woman with secrets of her own.

The world building continues to focus on the violent and murderous world of the Las Vegas Italian mob. No one is safe; everyone is suspect; retribution and murder are the price for disobedience and defiance. The violence is graphic although the author does limit the virtual visibility of the blood, guts and gore.

ROCCO is an emotional story line of one woman’s struggle to move on from the past, and one man’s battle between honor and heart. The premise is gritty and raw; the characters are colorful, charismatic and tragic; the romance is passionate, seductive and rebellious.



THE READING CAFÉ: http://www.thereadingcafe.com/rocco-ruin-and-revenge-3-by-sarah-castille-a-review/


GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/2165041574


AMAZON.COM: https://www.amazon.com/review/RQOIJIL98OG1H/ref=cm_cr_srp_d_rdp_perm?ie=UTF8&ASIN=B071GLH4C2


BOOKBUB: https://www.bookbub.com/reviews/1974181073


B&N: (Sandy_thereadingcafe) posted

CHAPTERS/INDIGO (Sandy_At_the_Reading_Cafe) posted

Review featured at www.books-n-kisses.com

This is the third in the series but the first one I read. I have never read a mafia romance that I can remember and while this was ok I am not sure the series would be for me.

The other thing I had a hard time with was the May/December romance. It just seemed icky since Rocco knew Grace as a child.

This story was just not at all what I expected and really not up my alley.

Disclaimer:
I received a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

Sarah Castile does the mafia trope right with Rocco, the third, stand-alone book in her Ruin & Revenge series. It’s a gritty and exciting second-chance romance that hits all the right spots.

Grace fell in love with Rocco, a ruthless mafia enforcer, when she was young and he was assigned to protect her. A traumatic event torn them apart and scarred Grace, and she escaped the life of the mafia by leaving Rocco and her family behind to move to Vegas. When she runs into Rocco years later and discovers he lives in Vegas now as well, she realizes she is still has feelings for him, but she does not want to be involved with the mafia.

Rocco believes he sold his soul years ago, but Grace is the one person who has ever given him hope that he could be someone different. Their reconciliation becomes especially complicated when Grace’s father is singled out for assignation, and Rocco’s loyalties are torn. He and Grace are compelling as they slowly learn to trust each other and themselves again, and their reunion is bittersweet. Rocco harbors so much guilt over his life as an enforcer and his evolution, with Grace’s help, is heartwarming. They are well matched, and their chemistry is explosive. Rocco is scorching hot, emotional and thrilling.

I voluntarily read an advanced reviewers copy of this book

I love the Ruin & Revenge series. Sarah Castille did a great job building all of the characters and their back stories. Rocco as an individual was great because he was soooo strong and ruthless when it came to everyone except for Grace. Grace was great because she had so many layers. She was this good girl...with moments of shyness but had the power to change it up with a bad girl core.

Overall this book was great. It lost a star because while it was sugar coated with young love there was an age difference that kind of threw me and I could not let it go. The age difference may not bother others but I couldn't get past it. Don't get me wrong if not for that... this book would be a 5 star...knock out of the park hit! I applaud you yet again Sarah for daring to step out of the box and give the readers something other than a cookie cutter romance.

Amazing! Loved this book!! Loved Rocco and Grace! Their chemistry was off the charts!! The book was very well written and I enjoyed the storyline. A definite must read!!

The De Lucchi’s are enforcers in the mob. They are the lowest of the low and can hold no rank in “the family.” They are called upon to do the worst jobs that no one else wants to do. It is horrific what these people do to their kids to make them the psychopaths they need to be to do the jobs they do without emotion or scruples.

Rocco (Frankie) is the adopted son of the head of the De Lucchi’s. Even with the unspeakable things done to him, he still manages to have a conscience. He has been slowly aligning himself to the Nico Toscani family because he likes the way they do business.

Grace Mantini is the daughter of a high-ranking New York mafia boss, has a psychology degree, sings radio jingles and loves to listen to and sing jazz. She left the inner circle at 18 when she discovered who and what her family and Rocco really were. She has been struggling to find where she belongs and what she’s meant to do with her life since then.

Grace and Rocco met when she was 10 and he was 20. He drove her and her brother wherever they wanted to go and was their protection. These two are immediately drawn to the other through their love of jazz. When she turned 16, and he was 26, they became lovers. Bit of an ick factor there. Although, because of the emotional and physical trauma Rocco endured from his adoptive father, and his lack of socialization, I would imagine he was emotionally immature despite the horrible things he was required to do. Not to mention she was the light to his darkness that he was desperately seeking. Maybe I’m over thinking, looking for justification, because I liked the two of them together.

It’s 6 years later, and they meet again after a mobster’s funeral her father requested she attend. She discovers Rocco now lives and works in Vegas where she has been residing since fleeing New York. They realize they still have feelings for each other. When he learns her life is in jeopardy, Rocco knows no one can protect her as well as he can. These two have issues to work out and it’s an interesting ride.

The mystery is well woven into the romance. I figured out who was behind it all but didn’t see the twist coming. I had a little trouble with Grace’s character in the beginning but liked who she became as the story progresses. I loved how it all ended and how Rocco dealt with everything. The author does a great job with character development and intertwining the romance with the suspense. I look forward to the next book in the series.

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC provided by NetGalley and the publisher.

OMG! I loved Rocco. He was so broken yet beautiful on the inside. And Grace was perfect. She was strong yet vulnerable. Together they were a force. This book was so intriguing. You knew something was going to happen. But I never seen “that” coming. What a twist! Great writing, great mystery, and a great love story! A perfect suspenseful romance.

This is a great book; this is the third book in the Ruin & Revenge Series written by Sarah Castille. Cold, hard and utterly ruthless, Rocco is the most dangerous of men. Feelings are a luxury he cannot afford—until a chance encounter brings him face to face with the only woman who found her way into his heart and touched his soul. Grace Mantini has spent her whole life running from the mob. Daughter of the boss's right hand man, she is both a prize and a target. When Rocco walks back into her life, she wants nothing to do with the man who betrayed her and broke her heart. But only Rocco can protect her from the dangerous forces that seek to destroy her family. This is a great book with a wonderful story and well developed characters. This book will keep you reading long into the night. If you are looking for a great book, then you need to read this book. I am looking forward to reading the next book by this great author. I voluntarily reviewed an advanced reader’s copy of this book. The free book held no determination on my personal review.

The third installment in Sarah Castille's Ruin & Revenge series, Rocco, is an action packed story filled with so many delicious elements. But the one that drives this story is the very existence of the once upon a time lovers, Rocco and Grace. The world these two inhabit is not friendly at all and once again Ms. Castille represents the brutality of the mafia in Las Vegas to perfection. There's lots of drama, lots of blood and a ton of anxiety. Having read both Luca and Nico I had a sense for the environment, but Rocco and Grace have unique ties to the La Cosa Nostra. They have a history with each other that is about to complicate their lives.

This is a fast paced story that while set in the present, needs flashbacks to show the connection between these forbidden lovers. Yes, the ten year age difference and Rocco's role as enforcer & hit man once divided them. Reunited by circumstance, Rocco and Gracie find their connection remains strong, but Rocco is tasked with an action that is certain to break Grace.

Grace is a really dynamic character, softened by her long history with Rocco and her love for this one man. She's been merely existing, hating her family's connection to crime, but when Rocco comes back into her life she's forced to roll with the change. The threats are never ending but she's got some chutzpah and finds an amazing amount of strength in which to battle both of their demons.

Rocco is a broken man, nearly devoid of emotion, but there's one person he simply can't help but feel for. He's torn between knowing his role and his work in the organization and just what completing his current assignment would do to him and to Grace. It's quiet a quandary. He knows the score, he's smart enough to see through the lies, so when he finds his loyalty in question, he knows to mask what he feels. There are so may challenges for these two and they really do involve life and death. The age difference is the least of their worries.

I love all the inter-workings and how Castille depicts the mafia world. Every character is colorful; some deranged, some naive, and all of them transformed by the dangerous world they inhabit. Rocco is a great addition to the series and one I recommend.

This is the third book in the series. I haven’t read the other two books and didn’t feel like I was missing anything or confused. This is also the first book I have read by Sarah. This book had a lot going on. Grace is a mafia princess who doesn’t like the mafia. Six years ago, she ran and now she is faced with her past. Rocco is an enforcer for the mafia. He didn’t choose to be who he is. Rather this life was forced on him. Rocco and Grace share a past. But forces beyond their control tore them apart. Now they may have a second chance. They are older and have learned things. Rocco maybe the only person who can save Grace and her family. This book has romance, danger, and so much more. I felt for Rocco. He was forced to do the things he has done. Broken by people who were supposed to love him. Grace was young when she and Rocco were first together. Now she is older and more mature, sure of what she wants and that maybe she can have who she wants despite the mafia connections. Things aren’t as they seem and many people are working behind the scenes to make things happen. I am eager to read the first two books in this series. I have already added them to my TBR list. I look forward to reading more books by Sarah in the future.
I was given this book in return for an honest review.