Another fun, steamy addition to the O'Malley series. A mafia romance with a TON of chemistry, this book was fun from start to finish. As a big fan of Katee Robert's Dark Olympus series, I've started branching out to her other work and she has single-handedly made me fall in love with this genre. I can't wait to see what she does next.

Heated Rivals is the second book in Katee Robert's O’Malleys series. I have been so exited to read this one since being introduced to Carrigan and James after their disastrous beginning in Book 1 (IYKYK). This book was spicy, smart, and just so much fun! Exactly what I'd expect from Katee. It's a romantic suspense, mafia romance that is surprisingly sweet and was such a quick and fantastic read.

From rival families, Carrigan and James are sworn enemies. However, they can't deny their attraction and the pull they feel towards each other. I loved the chemistry and slow burn aspect of this story. The romance fit in so well with the plot and the development of the story of this complex crime families. James was a sweetheart and I absolutely loved him. And Carrigan! She is so strong and fiercely loyal. I loved reading about her taking what she wanted and deserved, despite all the expectations placed on her by her father and oldest brother.

I loved that these books included chapters from the POV of other characters, giving us a little hint at what is to come next in this series. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

Would have been five stars if the ending wasn’t so abrupt!! Where’s the epilogue!!

What to expect in the O'Malley series: ⁠
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 sibling high jinks ⁠
🥵 steamy love scenes⁠
🔫 gun fights⁠
🎭️ kidnapping for the drama ⁠
🔗 familial bonds ⁠
👿 literal enemies to 😈 actual lovers ⁠

Obsessed!! Can't wait for all of them to be rereleased!

I've enjoyed Katee's other books, but I think due to this book being published a number of years ago, this book felt pretty outdated. James' manner of speech and nickname towards Carrigan felt cringy, and I didn't feel their relationship develop. It begins as enemies to lovers, but there was no growth; they just fell into each other. The extra POV chapters felt out of place as well- was the intention to introduce the next book's couple? The plot and pacing were written well and kept the story moving, but it's the characters that fell flat for me this time around. The conflict was superficial for how dark the theme around sex trafficking was, and never felt to me as though there was more danger to the story than surface level.

Heated Rivals is the second book in Katee Robert’s O’Malleys series, and the most recent rerelease. If you are a fan of mafia romance, and enemies to lovers romance with lots of sizzling chemistry, this book is a must read.

4.5/5 stars

James Halloran and Carrigan O’Malley are sworn enemies. Sure, they hooked up a club a few months ago, but that was before they knew each other’s names. It was also before James kidnapped Carrigan, and his family ordered her youngest brother’s death. Oops. So why can’t they seem to stay away from each other? Especially now, when Carrigan’s father’s decided it’s time for her arranged marriage to cement an alliance. But when the two are in the same room, sparks fly and they can’t keep their hands off each other. Is this overwhelming attraction worth the risk?

Is it weird to say a mafia romance is fun? I thoroughly enjoyed every twist and turn in this book. While bad things happen to bad people, Carrigan’s toughness and James’s devotion shine through their sometimes absurd circumstances. And in addition to tons of chemistry and steam, the banter between the two is also top notch.

Katee Robert writes great romances with lots of intrigue and tons of steam. While I don’t usually read mafia romance, the O’Malley family has drawn me in, and I can’t wait to read about the rest of these siblings.

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

James Halloran >>>>>>>>

“Wild lovely. We’re going wild.”

GOSHHHHHHH WHAT A RIDE. I was obsessed with James and Carrigan after the first book and getting to dive more into their story was 😍

For someone who kidnapped her and threw her in his trunk, he sure does have some redeemable qualities.

Getting to learn more about James bad boy exterior was everything I’ve ever wanted, do I have a new ultimate book boyfriend? Yes. Is it messed up? Yes. Do I care? Absolutely not.

Carrigan is a FIESTY lady and I love how she finally stands on her own two feet at the end of this story. Back her into a corner and you’ll find her claws out. OBSESSED. I cannot wait to read more in this series.

I’m convinced Katee Robert can do no wrong, and I’d probably read her grocery list and be absolutely riveted. This series has been so intense, but I found the relationship in this story to be so much more slow burn and the chemistry between the two characters was perfection. I love a well developed romance, and the mafia/crime family aspect was just an added bonus. I’m really enjoy the O’Malley series so far and can’t wait to finish it out.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for giving me a copy of this book to read and review. All of these thoughts and comments are my own.

I love mob type books and this was a fun one to read. I also really love Katee Robert books.

-Dangerous men ✔️
-Enemies to lovers ✔️
-Smut ✔️
-Funny banter ✔️

This book hit a lot of the categories I like to see in these type of books. It was super fast pace. It was a bit short but that’s okay. The characters were good and the plot was decent too. I did kind of just want more. It did feel kind of rushed but I don’t think it took away from the plot or book.

If you typically like Katee Robert books then I think you’d enjoy reading this one.

4 stars.

Well hello James Halloran, it is VERY nice to meet you

This book was a really enjoyable read, Im a big fan of Katie Roberts and this book was just want I needed. The book follows Carrigan O'Malley and James Halloran and their forbidden connection as their families are rivals in the mafia world of Boston.

I finished this book within a single day because of how much the plot sucked me in. these books have made me love mafia romance and I am very very thankful for that. The end of the book made me want to read the 3rd instillation so much more because of how they left off.

I can also really appreciate how both of these characters and grumpy and they find sunshine within each other. Carrigan is a powerful woman and she is who I want to be when I grow up.

this series is SPICYYYYY in the best way. I can't get enough. it also has a good plot and isn't just smut the whole time which is something I look for in a good spicy book.

As a fan of Katee Robert's "Dark Olympus" series, when I saw that this one was available as an eARC on NetGalley, I knew that I had to see if I could get a copy. Situated amidst the rivalries of three Irish Mob families in Boston, this installation centers on the relationship between Carrigan O'Malley and James Halloran, who, of course, are solidly star-crossed insofar as belonging to warring factions. Full of tension from walking alongside these characters as they navigate the precarious world of organized crime, exacerbated by the fact that the central ground of power is currently in upheaval, as well as the expected spice that Robert does so well, it is also witty and funny at moments, and genuinely heartbreaking at others. These are flawed, intensely human characters - and some are abhorrent, but they should be, and they're so satisfying to hate. While, of course, there's a layer of over-the-topness about it all, considering the content (by nature, Mob stories are A Lot), the characters are the saving grace.

(Although, for being a novel that - let's be honest - no one is really reading for any kind of plot, the plot is solidly-constructed, and moves at a nice clip.)

Even though I didn't do my research as thoroughly as perhaps I should have - I didn't realize that this was the second in a series - coming in blind didn't have a detrimental effect on the reading. It doesn't take long at all to suss out the dynamics at work among the characters - seen and unseen - although with so many characters in play, it does take a minute to remember who's who. (Something that would probably happen regardless of going in order or not. There are a LOT of siblings in the O'Malley family, specifically.) Overall, this is a perfect summer read, quick and entertaining, with really engaging characters, and I will definitely be looking for the rest of the series, because that's just who I am as a person.

This is the second book in the O’Malleys series by Katee Robert. This is a rebranding and rereleased with Forever (Grand Central Publishing). This book was formerly known as “The Wedding Pact”. This is the second book in the series. As I did not know that at the time I read it through. Do you pick up on what happened in the previous book with a different couple? Yes you do. But I am going to recommend reading it first, as I myself do own it but have not read it yet. I myself will be going back and reading it immediately.

Carrigan O’Malley is getting older. Her family has lost one of the brothers and she is now back in Boston after a time following his death. She was previously kidnapped by James Halloran and now they can’t stay away from one another. Between meeting up and texts conversations they find themselves pulled together time and time again.

The problem is…The younger brother that was killed was killed by a Hallogran. There is now a peace happening between the 3 biggest crime families but that does not mean that the other O’Malleys have forgiven…they definitely haven’t forgotten.

Carrigan’s father now tells her she must wed. SHe isn’t getting any younger and now at the age of 28 it is time. He has compiled a list of suitable men for her to marry. Of course we all know James is not going to be on this list.

I am excited to get back and read the first book in this series and the subsequent books after!

A great follow-up to 'The Dark Succession'! I think the first two novels in this series and the last one are by far the strongest. Most of the pairings in this series are enemies to lovers, but there's just something about the authentic connection between James and Carrigan that makes them shine.

Carrigan is such an interesting character and I really enjoyed getting to read her POV. She's an absolute powerhouse but often overlooked in her family because she's a woman. Her terrible father treats her like a bargaining piece and her life feels like it isn't her own. She meets James and all that changes. They've got a lot of tension right off the bat - not to mention that James did kidnap Carrigan not that long ago. He's one of the 'good' ones though. Well as good as you can be in the mafia world.

Carrigan and James' pairing worked really well and they had great chemistry! The build-up of 'you're my enemy' to 'we're enemies with benefits' to 'you're my safe space' to 'i love you' was great. It also solidifies my belief that these two are the strongest pairing in the O'Malley series.

I was DESPERATE for this book after I finished the first, Dark Succession (aka the Marriage Contract). (I did contact my home library an ocean away to get a hoopla account only for it to not even be there rip)

I NEEDED to know what was going to happen with Carrigan and James, because how could they get their HEA??? (I continued to ask myself that the whole book!)

And when I finally got to read their story it was SO worth it! James and Carrigan were as spicy/messy/perfect as you expect when their relationship started as a one-closet-stand turned kidnapping. Four months after the events of Dark Succession, neither can get each other out of their head. When they finally see each other again they both know they'll start a war that's just cooled if they're caught, especially because Carrigan is being forced to marry someone else.

Usually in mafia romances, she could just marry James and forge a new alliance, a win-win. But her family HATES his. Her brother has severed the forbidden friendship he had with James, his psycho brother killed her youngest brother (which you see has greatly affected all siblings), and her father is looking for a new alliance as new threats emerge in Boston. It's very clear that they may both die if together and Carrigan doesn't know if she can truly leave her family, even if she can't trust them.

I am so intrigued by Dmitri, especially knowing he is the MMC in the sixth book in the series. I'm so excited to continue reading this series, especially as Katee gives short POVs of the other characters which really weaves the threads to the other books.

Overall, I couldn't put this book down and needed to know how Carrigan and James, despite caring for each other, would get their HEA when they want to protect each other and keep the peace. They also need to gain trust after their disastrous beginning, but they do it and I can't wait to see them in the rest of the series. They're a couple that will fuck anyone up who tries to hurt their love and I ate it up.

This is the re-release of the Wedding Pact, second book in the O'Malley series. Thank you to Netgalley and Forever for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Feat: enemies to lovers, BOTH "i'll burn the world down for you", mafia romance, rival families, dirty talk, "mine", "I can't trust anyone but myself...and you", can't stay away, "the only time I feel happy or safe is with you", "i'll be her monster"

4.75 stars
3 spice

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

CW: human trafficking, violence, attempted murder, rape (briefly implied by a side character, off page), child abuse (physical and emotional past), death of a loved one (Past), grief

This is the second book in the series, while it can be read as a standalone it builds off events from the first so I recommend reading that one first.

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f mafia romance
-forbidden romance
-insta attraction
-I can't keep my hands off of you
-this is just a hookup

Katee Robert has a way of writing that tropes I wouldn't think would work for me, she writes and I just go oh yeah, yup I need more of this thanks. Of course some kidnapping is a meet cute for a relationship why not? Carrigan and James had an interesting start to their relationship. But now that Carrigan is being forced by her father to marry, James is her one spark of independence, even if he's the last man on the planet she should want.

I loved the dynamic between these two even more on reread. How every time they get together they can't keep away from each other, how they're each other's safe space from the mafia world they don't want to be in but are reluctant to leave out of the responsibility they feel. I am just enjoying reexperiencing this series so much and am jealous of everyone who gets to read it for the first time.

Steam:4

I love Katee's writing but after THAT death in the first book, I ALMOST didn't finish it. Now in #2, I know that, despite wanting to see how Carrigan and James work it all out, I just can't get over how sad THAT death makes me.
I might revisit this someday, if for nothing else, than for the sex and ending lol, but that day is not coming soon.

This was a good book! Star crossed lovers - mafia version. The main characters- Carrigan and James are great! Fast read and very sexy!!

I love Katee Robert. Will read literally anything she ever writes. I liked this better than the first one! James and Carrigan were 🥵

I devoured the first O'Malley book so fast. The little cameos of James and Carrigan were so good.

I went into this one expecting the same, but it wasn't as strong. I did blow through it quickly but it wasn't quite as captivating as the first in the series.

I still enjoyed it and will continue in the series.

Thank you Forever and Netgalley for the advanced readers copy!

Readers of Katee Robert will enjoy this refreshed title from her backlist. The tropes in this aren't usually my favorite, but her writing is so quick and lively, the book passes enjoyably! Another winner for Katee Robert and mafia romance fans!