ARC received from NetGalley and the Publisher in exchange for a review.

I'll go for a 3.8 star rating, is it the first time I'm almost leaning onto the 4 star mark? Yes. Will it be the last? I hope not because well, here's the breakdown. Grace Mantini does not want anything to do with the Mafia but she can't outrun it, not when it's family. She comes home to attend a funeral of the man who was supposed to be her husband. An alliance that never fell through because someone's always got a hit out on someone among the Mafia. She meets Rocco, a DeLucci, his name alone cause chaos among their world. They are Enforcers who never miss, never back down from a fight and never leave questions unanswered. However, Rocco's always had it for Grace and when someone puts out a hit on her family, her father and brother, he finds himself going against his contract, protecting and not enforcing. It's a first for him and for her too.
I loved the back story. I found it refreshing to delve into their past, understanding the history between them and just how far apart they were driven.
The pace is fast and action packed with twists and turns.
Now, the reason why I'm not so keen on the 4 star mark is because I found the unraveling of the suspense a bit off my expectations. I know, I am not the Writer (love your plot Sarah) but in between Grace and Tony's capture and their rescue, something just didn't add up for me. I'd love to read Tony's story because well, the guy took a knife.

I first came across Sarah Castile in her MMA themed novels. I fell in love with that series. Mafia romances are my weakness. I very rarely find an author who can realistically write about the mafia underworld in a way that isn’t overblown and ridiculous. That being said I have added Sarah to my list of authors who can accomplish said task successfully. I loved Rocco and I can’t wait for the next book!

Wow! Another winner in the Ruin and Revenge series! I love the characters in this story and how they struggle to find a way to survive in the crazy world of mafia life. Rocco was adopted by his father for the sole purpose of being trained as an enforcer, while Grace in the mafia princess that fell in love with him when she was a teenager. Then Rocco's father forced him to commit an unspeakable act in front of her, so she ran away from Rocco and the mob.

Years later, when they cross paths again, their forced to face their feelings and to sort through an elaborate series of sins and lies, never being sure what the truth is.

Fans of the genre will love this book. This one had me turning pages just as quickly as possible. If you like your romance with a side of dirty, and sin, you will love this novel.. The author is on my must read authors' list.

Sarah Castille is a master a mafia love stories. This series sucked me in from the start, and I couldn't put Rocco down. He was terrifying and yet had a soft side that made my heart melt just like Grace's did. Not only did I fall in love with him, but I adored Grace. She was so real, not perfect, but genuine. And she was a strong woman. Taking this journey with the two of them wasn't always easy, but I loved every single minute. This is one of my favorite series of all time. I can't wait for the next one.

Rated 3.5 Stars

I struggled with Rocco, it took me a while to get into it because I found the beginning very repetitious and couldn't connect with the main characters. I loved the premise and taboo element but as a whole it didn't work for me like the previous book did. However I am looking forward to the next book in the series.

Who you are and who I am...light and dark...it would never have worked."

The Ruin & Revenge series is personally one of my favorites by Sarah Castille. And Rocco's story had bewitched me. A broken bad boy that feels unworthy of love..... the amount of suffering he had to endure as a child... He deserves so much.

The first time Grace's eyes fell on Rocco, she knew he was the one for her. Sharing the love of Sinatra, they became fast friends and so much more. But after one night everything changed, packing her bags she runs away no one knowing where she went.

Years later, she returns to the same city she promised herself never to return..... but while attending a funeral, she feels his presence without looking. The intense pull, his scent... it is all too much for Grace. And is far too tempted to run again.... but soon danger is at her door and Rocco is hell bent on protecting her.

Such a beautiful, heartbreaking love story.
Grace and Rocco deserved one another from the start.
And seeing them fall in love all over again, made my heart hurt.

6 Beautiful Stars

Brief overview and then some of my thoughts/issues with the book.

Rocco worked for Grace's father. He drove Grace and her brother where they needed to go. There was a ten year difference in age, Grace was ten when she first laid eyes on Rocco and became infatuated immediately. At age sixteen Grace and Rocco's friendship evolved into love and a relationship. Unbeknowest to Grace her father was part of the mafia (she thought he was a successful businessman). A horrific event reveals to Grace the her beloved Rocco is really a mob enforcer and her father a mob boss. She is revolted and traumatized, she runs aways to Las Vegas and becomes a therapist.

Six years later her father is in town for a funeral and is shocked to see Rocco at the funeral as well. Grace's Father is also trying to arrange a marriage for Grace. They go out to dinner and to discuss his plan/wishes. During dinner her father is killed and Rocco comes to the rescue.

From there we are pulled into who and why her father is killed and is Grace safe? Rocco is there to protect her. The two still have unresolved feeling for each other, hate and love. A lot is revealed about their relationship as well as what transpired with her Father. The mystery of their past and the death of her father all come together in the end.

As I stated a brief synopsis of the story. The writing is excellent as well as the story/plot-line, somewhat. Why a three star rating?? I really had an issue with Grace. You are given a strong impression of her trauma and how it devastated her, as well as her total disgust for the mafia. But as the story progressed its like a different Grace emerged/evolved that was more accepting and okay with the workings of mafia. In the end I didn't really recognize Grace from the one in the first and second chapter of the book. I accept that characters change and evolve, but what was so stark and clear was her disgust and distain for what her father and Rocco did.

Again writing was excellent (except my issue with Grace's character) as well as pacing. But just couldn't let go of the Grace problem.

3.5 to 4*


Having loved Nico and Luca to a lesser extent I was excited but a little apprehensive about reading this and as a result I pushed back starting but once I had it didn’t take me long to get engrossed in the story.

Grace Mancini is the daughter of a high ranking New York mafia boss but she’s living in Las Vegas, having spent her youth in blissful ignorance believing her father to be just a business man her world came crashing down years later.
At 10 years old her and her younger brother Tom were given a driver Rocco and Grace even at ten years old was infatuated with him, at sixteen she pursued and caught him and despite the fact that he was ten years older she fell madly in love and for six wonderful years they were everything to each other. But then one night their world collapses, Grace runs and Rocco is left to deal with the consequences.

They haven’t seen each other in six years.

Rocco is a member of the De Lucchi crew, a brotherhood of assassins who are required, on pain of death, to train a son or an orphan to take their place so the crew will exist in perpetuity.

His adoptive father Cesare tortured and abused him and it’s horrific the life he’s lead, the things he’s had to do and the torture he’s suffered.

So Grace and Rocco are both in Las Vegas along with her father and brother and everything is about to hit the fan.

There’s no spoilers here just my opinion.

I had very mixed feelings on Grace early on, at times she really annoyed me yet at others she was okay. She won me round in the end but it was touch and go for a long while.

Rocco, well who doesn’t love a dark tortured bad boy/ruthless assassin?

I’ve given 3.5 to 4* which I think is fair, it’s an entertaining read but it dragged in places and was repetitive in others but overall I enjoyed it and I’m looking forward to the next one.

I voluntarily read a review copy kindly provided by NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

Who you are and who I am...light and dark...it would never have worked."

I'm loving the Ruin & Revenge series. But I must say, Rocco is my favorite so far. I can't resist a broken bad boy and this one broke me. After being inside his head and learning what he suffered as a child, I wanted so much for him. I wanted Grace for him...

Grace fell in love with Rocco when she was only 10 years old. They shared a love for music, especially Sinatra. They were friends and later more. But a tragic event sent her running from him and the mob that she wanted no part of. She moved to Vegas and pursued a career different from the one she had always dreamed of. The one that was lost to her now.

Years later, Rocco and Grace end up attending the same funeral. The fact that she feels his presence before she actually sees him was her first clue that the feelings she has for him haven't died during their separation. Learning that he actually lives in Vegas too was a bigger surprise. Though she's tempted to run again, he convinces her that she needs him to protect her and her family from the danger that threatens their lives.

Now that she's older, she's not so innocent. That darkness in Rocco that was so scary is now kinda sexy. What used to be black and white, is now kinda gray. Things become clearer and more confusing at the same time as she struggles with her feelings for him and what he does for the mob. Will she ever be able to forgive him?

This forbidden romance was beautiful and heartbreaking. I fell hard for the characters and became totally invested in their struggle to overcome so many obstacles thrown at them from all sides. I also enjoyed getting to spend some time with Nico & Lucas and their women. I'm excited to see what is coming next. The line forms here...

Loved it! I gave this four stars because I figured out part of the ending, but. It is still a great book. If you are into mafia fiction this is a great series!

I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rocco is a tough as nails enforcer in the mob who is known far and wide for his savagery. He thinks of nothing except his next “job”. He doesn’t get personal feelings involved because feeling don’t belong in the merciless world of the mafia. He learned that lesson the hard way years ago when he was tasked to protect Grace Mantini, the daughter of a mafia underboss. Grace wormed her way into his heart until one horrific night ended them as a couple!

Grace Mantini is considered to be a mafia princess, a title she never wanted. Between her mother getting murdered in a mafia revenge plan and then her first love, Rocco, breaking her heart, Grace left New York for Las Vegas to create a brand new start. So when her past collides with her future Grace is unprepared to face the feelings toward Rocco she has long suppressed. Grace finds herself in danger once again, but will she be able to trust Rocco to keep her safe!!? Further more, can she trust him with her heart!?!?

Wowzer!!!! Once again Sarah Castille has given us an addictive, steamy and suspenseful novel in Rocco! Being that Rocco is the third novel in the Ruin & Revenge series and I loved the first two books (Nico & Luca), I was pretty secure in the fact that I would enjoy Rocco— boy was I right! I loved Sarah Castille’s version of a second chance romance mafia style! The pacing was fantastic and I thought the twists and turns were timed perfectly. I loved getting updates from past favorites and I really hope Sarah Castille keeps this series going for a long, long time! If you are in the mood for a romance novel filled suspense, than you need to 1-click this 4.5 star read!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Rocco is a mob enforcer, someone to break bones and yes, to kill when needed.

Grace ran from her family when she found out just what they were, finding out that her father was the right-hand man for a mobster. She moved away and started her own life.

When she and Rocco meet up again she knows her life will never be the same again. Her father has come to town for a funeral and she goes with him out of respect and this when he life starts to spiral out of control..
Power is always an issue with the mob and there is always looking to take advantage. Will Rocco and Grace be together? Will they survive the challenges ahead of them?

Grace is the only woman Rocco has ever loved but he knew it couldn't work and it was proven when his "father" made him show Grace what he really was.

I was really shocked by the upbringing Rocco had and my heart broke for the little boy who would never have what kids his age had. It didn't matter what he wanted, it was what he did to survive.
Grace was the only part of his life that made him feel human.

Grace has never gotten over Rocco. She has gone on with life but it was nothing like she had thought it would be. Some of her dreams were shattered that last night with Rocco...

Rocco doesn't think he has anyone, friends, that care but maybe as a whole they can fight the evil forces that are out to destroy everything he knows and loves.

I have to say that I have read many of this author's books and she always makes it such a great adventure for me! I feel the violence in her words, the love, the fear and the desires for a life.

ARC received for review

Rocco and Grace have a past, but get back together with lots of drama and hot sex. There's someone running around trying to kidnap her and kill her family. The flashback to their past was nicely done, but it did drag in places. Not sure which of the crew I want to get a HEA next.

"Grace had flayed his soul until there was nothing left for him but to embrace the darkness he had been fighting for years. He had lived for her. Breathed for her. He would have died for her."

"He had been drifting since he lost Grace. He'd lost faith and accepted his fate. But now that he's found her again, and she had awakened something in him he had buried long ago. Hope."

"For the first time, he felt a flicker of hope that maybe there was someone in the world that could handle all that he was, that maybe this time she could accept the ugliness inside him."

Rocco was a totally unexpected and consuming read. It is the third book in the Ruin & Revenge series and it follows the story of Grace and Rocco.  Rocco is cold, ruthless and 100% dangerous. He prides himself on his ability to not let feelings cloud his mind and decisions. He's lived a hard life and his life is about to get even more complicated when he has an unexpected reunion with Grace. Grace is the only one he ever let get close and in the end, he only ended up getting burned.... Grace has spent her whole life hating the mob. She wants nothing to do with them or the lifestyle. But, being the daughter of the boss's right-hand man....it doesn't leave her with much of a choice. When she is unexpectedly reunited with Rocco, it turns her whole world upside down. He broke her heart and some hurt isn't easy to forget. Now, fate has other plans and both of their worlds will be forever changed. Can time heal all wounds? There is only one way to find out...

Overall, I thought this book was a terrific read. It pulled me in from the very first page and is a book that you can easily finish in just one sitting. I loved the idea of this story, and can't help but fall in love with characters that deserve a second chance, despite all the odds. I adored Grace and understood her. Her life wasn't easy and circumstances broke her. She made the best out of the cards she was dealt and was doing all she could to just survive....Rocco...Ugh! I didn't know if I wanted to love him or slap him. He had me conflicted most of the time, but I won't lie, as much as he frustrated me, I couldn't wait for him to redeem himself.

I thought Rocco was a fantastic addition to the Ruin & Revenge Series. I loved all the drama and suspense. There was intriguing danger and action. There was romance and just the right amount of sexy good times. A great book to spend the day getting lost in.

ARC Kindle Copy for Review

I received a free, advance copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley. This is my unbiased and voluntary review.

Mafia princess once again meets her first love a mafia enforcer. It did not end well this first time around. Will the second time go any better?

Grace Mantini ran away from New York to Vegas when she learned that both her boyfriend and her dad have Mafia connections which got her mother killed. Not wanting to live in that circle she ran off to start a new life and not wanting anything to do with them.

When her father comes to town to attend a funeral, she attends so she can see her father and brother but she also runs across Rocco. Ten they meet again at a restaurant when Rocco was supposed to kill her father but someone else shoots him instead sending her father in the hospital.

Each still in love with each other but the stakes are too high. Can they be together or will they end up dead instead? Mob romance with killings.

So awesome I don’t know how to even begin to explain it without giving anything away. Mobsters. A beautiful, scarred woman and a handsome Mafia enforcer. Sexy. Romantic. And a little funny.
Grace is the daughter of a mob boss. Six years ago she found out her father was part of the mob and her lover was a killer. She ran to Vegas and sings jingles for commercials and is a therapist but doesn’t use her degree. Her father and brother come to visit and the guy her father wanted her to marry was killed and the man she lost her heart to, shows up at the cemetery.
Rocco was adopted and raised to be a Mafia enforcer. He is deadly and nobody messes with him. He has loved Grace for years and now that he has found her again, no one will take her away. But first he has to find out who has put a contract out on Grace and her family. Then maybe he’ll finally get the life he wants.
I have been waiting for this book forever. Was not disappointed. Ms. Castille writes the most fantastic stories. They make you feel like you’re right there with them. Secrets. A book that will have you up all night reading it.
* Voluntarily read and reviewed this for netgalley *