Grace Mantini left her family behind years ago to build a new life in Las Vegas. Everything was working out fine until she reconnected with the family. A funeral soon followed.
Rocco De Lucchi has come to Vegas on family business. He didn't expect to find a reason to change his life.
Our lead characters have a tragic shared past, but they are both very different people now.
This is a Mafia story, so expect lots of violence and a strong macho hero. He is not a nice or good man. There is some serious soul searching going on. A sexy and action packed story that is part of a series that is best read in order, although you can read each book on it's own.

So just to start off, this is the first book in the series that I’ve read, so I was going in blind - and now I can’t wait to go back and read the others!

I loved Rocco - he was Uber protective of Grace and despite everything she’d been through, Grace was strong and stood her ground.

I haven’t read too many Mafia style books but I have to say this is up there as one of my favourites, I can’t wait to go back and read Nico and Luca so I can get an even better feel for the whole series!

Readers can read this as part of the series or you can read it as a stand alone Novel.

The story starts off with a death and a woman trying to find a life away from murder and the mob. Sex is what comes to mind with this book and creepier. Rocco is a creepy who has been lusting after a person ten years young them him. Wouldn't be a big deal if the lusting and sex happened after she was even 18 but NOPE!

While the writing was decent the characters were lacking anything more than a sexual relationship and everything. Grace went from wanting to distance her self from the mob but has no problem working for them and accepting it as a part of her life. Grace could have been strong but the author took that away from the second chapter.

The book is nothing more than an erotic read for women.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin Publishing for the advance copy.

Rocco by Sarah Castille
Ruin & Revenge #3

Grace is a mafia princess and ten years old when she meets Rocco.
Rocco is an enforcer who was adopted and ruthlessly trained to be the “best” at doing the worst.
The two have a past that was ripped asunder in New York but are given a second chance at love in Las Vegas

This is a dark story that is difficult to boil down into one succinct pithy review. So…

What I liked:
* Rocco: he was strong and ruthless and got the job done but he had not given up his humanity…not completely…though someone wanted him to. And…what an alpha male both at work and in the bedroom!
* Grace: that she worked to wrap her mind around her mafia roots, loved her family, tried avoid violence and yet learned to defend herself should she need to.
* Their love story – that it stood the test of time and brought them a HEA in the end
* That the book ended with hope – 1. That Rocco may find a place that will be more in keeping with his talents and heart, 2. That Rocco might find out who his family really is and 3. That Rocco and Grace will have a happy life together in the future…at least as happy as Mafia families can have.
* The supporting characters. I can see a spin-off for Ethan and his band. I can see Mike and Tom both finding a HEA with someone in the future.

What I did not like:
* Cesare: I know I was not supposed to like him but I really REALLY was happy when he got his due.
* Tony and some of the other creepy mafia types that so deserve to get planted six feet under.
* Teresa – though I could see why she was as she was…wonder if she will find happiness or rot in jail?

The book was action packed and a page turner that left me wanting more in whatever book may follow. I enjoyed the story and yet wondered just how Grace managed to evolve from a bit of a wimp to a kick-*ss much stronger person that could condone what she did.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4.5 Stars

Grace was the piece of his soul that was missing. She was the crack in everything that made him the hardened Mafia enforcer. Her simple touch made him dream of everything when he felt lost in a sea of emotions he wasn’t familiar with. It was simply too much. They drifted apart, only to find one another six years later. One thing that has changed is Grace. She shoes away from attention due to a scar on her face. Making tentative steps to secure her dream while trying to remain strong is a constant struggle. Rocco reappears and the feelings they have for one another are twisted in words that would cut your soul. Will they beat the odds and find their way back to each other?

Rocco is a mafia enforcer who has given up his soul a long time ago. Grace, the daughter of a made man, escaped the mafia life once she learned about it. Rocco and Grace were in love, but Grace was young and Rocco was a vicious enforcer. After a terrible attack that left Grace scarred, she runs, leaving New York and Rocco behind.

While her father and brother were in Vegas for a visit/mafia business, Grace is thrust back into the danger of the mafia world. She is older and a bit stronger now and she is willing to fight for her family and for Rocco, even though he does everything possible to push her away. Rocco was abused as a child and has developed some seriously messed up coping skills. He harbors so much guilt over his life but is essentially powerless to change his station. I didn't expect to understand Grace and Rocco so much. I have nothing in common with these characters, yet Castille does a great job making them relatable and real. I also loved getting to see Mia and Gabrielle (and of course Luca and Nico).

The complex relationship between Grace and Rocco is the driving emotional conflict, but they do still have to figure out who put a hit out on Grace's father and brother and wanted to kidnap Grace. As you can expect in a mafia romance, there is danger and violence at every turn which keeps you engaged, but there is also the push/pull between Grace and Rocco that provides this odd sense of a slow burn (which is deceptive because they certainly are lots very sexy scenes!). Even when they are ready to rip each others' clothes off, you aren't sure if this time will be what finally reconnects these two. The chemistry is scorching but with the way Rocco shuts down and runs hot and cold with Grace at times, it felt like a slow burn that was going to end with a major explosion instead of a fire!
(link live on blog on 1/1/18)

LOVED this book! Exceptionally well written and these characters are just perfectly imperfect. but their flaws make them the amazing characters they are.

Rocco has always known exactly how his life would turn out. After all he'd been groomed to be a mob enforcer most of his life. No other option had ever been available to him. So when the young girl he had fallen for when he was younger had said she wanted no part of the life her father lived, he made it easy and walked away. Now she's back in his life again and walking away from Grace Mantini a second time might be impossible.

Put this one on the must read list. I highly recommend it.

This is the third book in the Ruin & Revenge series. You can read it as a standalone. I loved the first book, Nico. The second books was okay. This one fell short for me.

I usually don’t have an issue with age gaps. But, this one rubbed me wrong. Rocco says he fell in love with Grace when she was ten. That’s not the issue though. I get puppy love. This isn’t puppy love. He was twenty. She was just a child and he was an adult.

The physical aspect started when she was sixteen. I *think* it was just kissing then, but still, a twenty-six year old with a sixteen year old. Yuck.

I just couldn’t get past that. If the physical relationship would have started when she was older, I would have been fine with it.

I think I’m done with this series now. I do like Mike, but he was stupid. So was Tom.

I have to admit that Rocco is not among my favorites from Sarah Castille...

I really didn't like Rocco or Grace which makes it harder to get invested in the story. The writing is well done as usual, but the flshbacks and lack of empathy for the characters made it a harder one to enjoy.

I just love this series. The strong women that are portrayed are amazing. After leaving New York, Grace made a life for herself in Vegas. Six years later we runs into the man that broke her heart, her life is thrown into turmoil. Now Rocco is the only man that can protect her. This was an awesome book and kept me on my toes. It was a very emotional read as well. I can't wait for more.

3 stars

Slow and doesn’t flow well but finally makes it to a good HEA.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

Mafia enforcer Rocco De Lucchi is the best in the business.
That says it all- Rocco is a man to be feared and also a man you want in your bed...This is a terrific read for those who love a Mafia theme and love story... there is a woman who ran for the dark... but Rocco is her pull back...and the two of them works.

***4.5 ‘Sinatra’ Stars***

It’s funny, I had just finished Luca when I saw that Rocco was the next book up in the series and I had a total “Huh?” moment because I couldn’t for the life of me remember meeting a Rocco in either Nico or Luca’s books...and then the lightbulb went off, I did a little search in Luca to see if my brain had indeed figured it out (which it did), gave myself a little mental slap and then got all kinds of excited because Rocco aka Frankie was one of my favs in Luca and the one I wanted to know more about and I wasn’t disappointed. This book gave me all the smexy, alpha AF moments mixed with a good dose of suspense, humor and heart that kept me turning the pages until the very end.

Rocco, Frankie (I LOVE how he got his nickname), Rocco...I don’t care what you call him, the man was all kinds of alpha AF smexy, even if he was scary AF (though that actually made him more smexy IMHO) but beneath the cold exterior lives a man whose heart is warmer than most believe and when pieces of that heart start to appear he becomes even more lethal. Grace is sassy, strong and determined. There is a dash of naivete that still lives in her, despite what she’s lived through, and she desperately wants to live in a world where things are black and white, but she comes to realize that living in the grey isn’t as horrible as she once believed.

We have a mix of taboo and second chance romance in a mafia world and it simply makes things that much more explosive when it came to Rocco and Grace’s journey. They have a connection between them that is soul deep and they are equally matched in more ways than one. The physical attraction between them is smexy as all get out, and takes the lead when it comes to their ‘reunion’, but slowly the heart and mind come around and they end up being a fun couple to be around and a definite force to be reckoned with.

While Luca still is my favorite, thus far, of the series, I thoroughly enjoyed Rocco. The writing was engaging, the pacing was good and I enjoyed the multiple POV’s. The plot twists and turns were a mish mash of “Really?” and “Oh...I didn’t see that one coming” but all made sense in only a way it could in a Mafia world. The conflict between Tony and Nico is still unresolved, but I like how things are moving within Nico’s sect of the family. And as for the crazy cast of characters that populate this world, I loved catching up with Nico, Mia, Luca, Gabrielle and the rest of crew loyal to Nico, which comes as no surprise, but the weird thing is this time around I don’t have a clear favorite amongst them, but I do have a guess as to who the next book could be about...but we’ll see if I’m right or not when it’s announced, and even if I’m not, make no mistake that I’ll still be looking to get my hands on it ASAP!

So good! I couldn't put it down! This was full of action, hotness, and wonderful drama. I was drawn in and didn't want to get out. This series is a definite must read!

This was the first book I read in the series and I think I would have probably enjoyed it more had I read the others. I was intrigued by the synopsis and the book had a lot of promise. It just was slow going in the beginning. I almost quit a few times because I just wasn't feeling the main characters. I did like the story beyond the characters romantic relationship and I felt the book picked up at about half way when the characters got together. At times I had a hard time following the dialogue and the format of the book was confusing at times. It would quickly change from Grace's point of view to Rocco's without a break and it was hard to follow.

Rocco De Lucchi loved only one woman, Grace Mantini and when she left his heart went with him. Years later Rocco is near her again, but his bitterness for her has grown and he only focuses on his job. Thrown together by circumstance, Grace sees Rocco has changed and is not the man she remembers. When a betrayal happens and Grace is thrown into it, Rocco is again by her side but can each other put the pieces of their past together to have any hopes of a future?

This had a major twist I was not anticipating where Rocco was concerned. I like that each book in this series is so different from the first one. Rocco has a major chip on his shoulder and I liked that Grace had backbone and didn't let him get away with his behavior. Intriguing read that captivated from beginning to end.

Sarah Castille turned up the heat with Rocco, the third book in her Ruin & Revenge series. So far, it is my favorite book in the series.


I don't enjoy the mafia romance books, but with that being said, I am really loving this series. It's because the characters are so amazing. The hero of each book has captured my heart but none quite like Rocco. Our hero really had a hard way to go as an enforcer for the infamous De Lucchi crew. Make no mistake Rocco had a dark side, but he and Grace had a heartbreaking past, that would make any soft hearted reader root for them. I wanted them to be together so badly that I overlooked Grace's self righteous attitude. Besides, she had her own share of scars to heal. By the end of this incredible twisting story Grace had found the strength to fight for what she wanted so that was good enough for me.


Rocco is another great book in this mafia romance series. It's loaded with action, passion, and mafia intrigue. As usual, the writing was excellent and the characters were amazing. I am hoping for more books in the series.

A mafia enforcer gets a second chance…

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

Adopted by a cruel man and trained to be a deadly mafia enforcer, Rocco De Lucchi is a cold man whose emotions were drilled out of him but they periodically resurface as they do when he sees the girl, now a woman, that he couldn’t stay away from years ago. She was the only one who ever cared about him and their dalliance brought her physical and emotional pain. Though years have passed the magnetic draw she poses has not even slightly diminished. He’s still ten years her senior but she’s not the young idealistic girl anymore but a woman who knows what she wants and has gained inner strength.

Daughter of a mob boss, Grace Mantini was traumatized as a young girl from the death of her mother, learning what her family was involved in and watching the man she loved become a made man in front of her. With her face cut by a sadistic man she ran from New York City and created a new life for herself in Las Vegas away from the mafia and surrounded by normal people but you can never totally walk away from the mafia. With her father and brother in town to talk to her and attend a funeral her life is about to change. It’s not her family that concerns her as much as the man she once loved, he’s back and she’s never forgotten him or that she couldn’t save him.

For these protagonists the only person in their lives who struck a chord within them was each other, though time and space separated them that resilient tether between them never ceased and now they have unfinished business to attend to while navigating the dangerous machinations of mafia members around them. Has fate given them a second chance? Or will it destroy them both this time?

This story had strong compelling characters who exhibited much personal growth and the plot is rich with suspenseful traps for the couple to maneuver/survive and deep emotions. For this reader though, the story was marred by the anti-hero broaching wanting to have anal sex with the heroine which this reader finds to be a total turn-off. Thankfully the author chose not to include that kind of scene but the fact that it was mentioned, and more than once, and that there was touching of that orifice ruined the read. This reader doesn’t like to be wary, and not in a good way, of what might come next, surprise plot twists are always welcome, atypical sexual behaviors are not and should be disclosed in the blurb so the reader can decide to pass on the read. This is the first time I have run across this issue with this author.

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

3.5 stars

This series is so good, love mafia books period but this series has an extra twist to them with there strong women as the love interests. Rocca an enforcer for the mob let the love of his life go for so many reasons when she ran after finding the truth out. He has had a rough life and thought it best, her being hurt once was enough for him. Grace a daughter of an underboss lived a sheltered life during her earlier years, once she discovered the truth of her family and life she ran. She lived on her own for 6 years building her own life away from the mob. She see's her father and brother for the first time and her world is turned upside down in so many ways. Can she realize how wrong she was running from life then and the love of her life once. Can Rocco see he is a good person and that everyone deserveses happiness. Hated to see it end! Honest review in exchange for ARC.

What an intense, emotional, sexy story this was! I am a huge fan of mafia romance, and Sarah Castille absolutely knocked this one out of the park. Rocco was fabulously written and well-plotted story that had me completely enraptured. Rocco and Grace's story was heartbreaking and emotional. These were two people who had been through so much both individually and together, and I was rooting so hard for them to get their happy ending.
Castille did a great job with the mob elements in this story. This book is part of a series of standalones, and not having read the other two books, I never once felt lost or unsure of details. Rocco and Grace had a complicated history and everything was brought back to the surface when they came together again. I am a big fan of an author showing rather than telling, and Castille did so in this book with the flashback scenes. Through them, the reader is able to experience pivotal moments between the couple first hand. The back and forth between them at the beginning was just as good as the moments after they came together. The intimate scenes were well done and further showcased the intense connection between Rocco and Grace. I loved everything about this story, from the pacing of the plot to the development of the characters, to the depth of emotion in the story itself. This was my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last.