Title: Inside Job
Author: Monica Rush
Publication date: April 2nd, 2019
Series: The Mafia #1

Summary: It’s always hotter…

Leaving my sweet, innocent Betty five years ago nearly broke me, but as the boss’s top enforcer, my first duty is to protect the family at any cost. Even if that cost meant never seeing my little honeybee again. Never to taste her kiss, never to see her smile. My sacrifice would have been worth it if it’d guaranteed her safety.

Only, it didn’t.

Now I’m back to track down the threats closing in on the only woman I’ve ever allowed myself to love. Betty knows me better than anyone, and I’ll never rest until she’s safe—and back in my arms, forever.

On the inside.

I’ll protect her with my life, because she is my life.

Review: This story is a novella, it only has 82 pages so if you want a quick introduction to the series it shouldn't take too long to read. I have no issues with age gaps, but I draw a very big line at age gaps with minors. Honestly if the kid was like a year older maybe I wouldn't have such a problem but even then I wouldn't be able to date my current boyfriend when I was 18. I'm glad we met later in life, almost 10 years later. Thankfully the only part involving the minor is the 5 years earlier part but it's still weird for me. The warning on the book isn't an actual warning. There should be an actual warning for the age gap and grooming that happened. I really like the story itself and wish it was a full length novel because Hawk is an absolute badass and Betty is an absolute dreamer.

This was a short fast read with lots of action. Hawk who had left five years ago is back and is now trying to keep Betty safe. He is ten years older and when he was there the first time he called her “honeybee”. Now someone wants her dead along with him and the man he works for. His boss the head of the family tells him to take her and keep her safe. He does that and more until she answers her phone from someone she knows and all hell breaks loose. Now wondering if she will see anyone alive again Betty is thinking to herself if I make it out of this I will do what Hawk says next time if there is one. See if Hawk can find her and deal with the problem. A quick read.

"Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the advance copy of this book, in exchange for an honest review."

Loved this book very much. It had just enough sweet, sexy romance and the storyline was great! I highly recommend!

Very sweet romance with lots of hot sexiness! Hawk and Betty are a great couple with combustible chemistry. Hawk left sweet Betty five years ago. He sacrificed his love for her to keep her safe. Now he's back and Betty is free. Hawk will make her his and keep her safe from the danger surrounding his mafia ties.
Fun read!

This is a short novella but it packs a hell of a punch it doesn't feel short or rushed in any way. I really liked the way Rush wrote this book. It was short, simple and exciting. Although there were scenes that seemed to me a little exaggerated, the plot kept the whole novel alive. A decent read.

Romantic suspense done right and to the max. Don’t miss it. “Monica Rush” expertly braids together action, and romance in a propulsive page turner suspense thriller!! Can’t wait to see what this author writes next. Totally recommend

Five years ago Hawk was sent on a special mission by his mafia boss he is their senior enforcer and has been with the family for twenty years he had to leave Betty (his honeybee) behind to do the job. Now he has returned and his latest job is to protect Betty and this time he won't leave her

This is a short novella but it packs a hell of a punch it doesn't feel short or rushed in any way

This was the first Novella I've actually enjoyed. Monica Rush is did a great job in a short story.
Hawk is a Mafia family enforcer for the last 20 years. He was sent away on a special mission for 5 years, when he was called on to return home by Mr. Grimm. When he came back he was greeted by Betty (his honeybee) who has worked for Mr. Grimm for the last 10 years.
His new order was to protect Betty. Mr Grimm knew there was no one else qualified to protect her better than Hawk. Hawk would never let anything happen to his honeybee.

Inside Job is book one in Monica Rush’s The Mafia series and follows the story of Hawk (a mafia enforcer) and Betty who works in legit side of the business, and also babysits on occasion. Hawk and Betty endured a brief and forbidden love many years ago, and now with Hawk’s return five years later, he plans to reclaim his woman.

While I enjoyed the concept and direction the story was taking, I did feel readers were missing vital background information, and a rushed version of this couples history. The story is a short, quick read, but could have been so much more.

My new favorite author to read. These books are hot and sexy. I really liked this book and look forward to more

Hawk and Betty's story is the focus of this short little novella. Hawk, enforcer for the Grimm crime family, has been undercover for five years on a mission to make it look as if he has abandoned his role with the family. He has been brought back for another mission which sacrifices all of that work. He's back to protect his most prized love...Betty...his honeybee. Betty has worked for the crime lord, Mr. Grimm, for ten years and he treats her much like an adoptive daughter. He senses someone is trying to frame her for some sketchy activities. Therefore, he calls back his most trusted enforcer, Hawk, who he knows will put her safety above everything else.

The story moves quickly as it is a novella. There really isn't time to build up to anything. You pretty much have to jump right into it. I know that's often a challenge for me but I was willing to try because I love mafia stories. I found things I both liked and wished had more detail in the end. For that reason, is why I settled on the 3 star rating. That said, I really liked Hawk and Betty so I bumped it up to 3 1/2 stars just because of their chemistry.

Sorry, this book just wasn’t for me. Novellas are a tricky format because they require a full story to be told in a very short amount of time, but Inside Job was lacking any real depth at all. The story follows Betty and Hawk, who have been separated for 5 years and are suddenly reunited when Betty unknowingly finds herself in danger from the mob. There were sparks between them before Hawk left to do some secretive work for the mob, but Betty was only 17 at the time (to his 30), so they had not done anything physical at that point. When Hawk returns, things turn sexual immediately (graphically and not very romantic). There is no explanation of the time spent apart, there is no question that they will immediately jump into bed, there is no discussion over the fact that he plans to impregnate her, and Hawk leaves Betty in the dark about the danger she’s in. While there were elements to this book that I enjoyed - the description of the book seemed promising - the execution was not fulfilling.

Hawk Majors, an enforcer for the Grimm's family falls in love with young, seventeen year old Betty. He leaves but comes back five years later and bam. Lust? Check. Alone time in a cabin? Check.

Inside Jobs has the plotline to be a great book- but it lacks. Betty is constantly described as innocent by the author, Mr. Grimm and Hawk, but how innocent can a person working for a crime family be? And why does a mafia enforcer think of his woman as "honeypie" all the time?

With better character development, Inside Jobs could be a great book. But for now? It's just a quick easy read if you're looking for something to kill time with.

Great, quick read. Quick storyline that sucks you in from the beginning. This book will definitely pique your interest if you like submissive females, over bearing alphas, role-playing and a high steam/ sexy factor. Overall this was a good read.

Hawk is a mafia enforcer and Betty works for the Head of the mafia by answering phones in one of his legit businesses and babysits his grandkids.
These two have always loved each other even when they shouldn’t have. After 5 years away, Hawk is back to claim his woman.
I liked the premise of this story, but I felt it lacked something. We were missing too much of the story... it seemed watered down.
Decent story which I did finish though.