Dark Succession was my first foray into the world of Katee Robert romance, and WOW! I was immediately captivated by her writing. The mafia world she created was dark and dangerous, and I was utterly engrossed. I loved the family, the drama, and the side stories woven into the main plot. Arranged marriages have always been a trope that I enjoy, and this one did not disappoint! The complicated but scorching hot relationship between Callie and Teague was perfectly done. I really enjoyed the interplay between the possessive male and strong female characters. Their instant attraction was sizzling hot and practically burned the pages! Whew! Did I enjoy it!! I highly recommend spicy romance lovers read this one! I will definitely grab the rest of this series as soon as possible!! I can't wait to read the rest of the O'Malley siblings' stories!!⁠

Thank you, @readforeverpub and @netgalley, for the opportunity to review an eARC of this fantastic book!

I'm a big Katee Robert fan, especially her Dark Olympus series, so I was really excited to give Dark Succession a try. This was my first Katee Robert book without anything supernatural in it so I wasn't quite sure what to expect. I was really impressed with this one! The only thing I didn't enjoy was how forced the romance felt at the beginning. I'm not a fan of insta love and I prefer to see feelings develop naturally over time. I loved everything else about this book. The writing style was everything I've come to love and expect from the author. The plot was fast paced and engaging. I loved the chemistry between Callie and Teague so much. They make an amazing power couple.

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for this arc in exchange for an honest review.

This is a re-issue of one of Katee Robert's earlier works. It appears the entire series is being re-issued and renamed. The series centers around one of 3 active Boston Irish crime families, the O'Malleys, which each book focused on a different sibling. This one centers on the 3rd child and 2nd son, Teague, and his arranged marriage with the daughter of a rival crime family. The arranged marriage trope seems like a bit of a stretch for this kind of setting, but if you roll with it, it's a pretty satisfying story.

Can you believe that I have never read a mafia romance until now? Let me just say, that I loved this one! 3 competing mafia families in Boston? Yes, please! I loved that Callista wasn’t waiting around for someone to come save her and that Teague was the one that wanted out of their world. They were such a great match from the very beginning! I can’t wait to see what happens to the rest of the O’Malley’s.

I am a big fan of Katee Robert and this book was no different! I really liked this book! The chemistry between the two main characters- Callie and Teague- was off the charts hot! Upon their first meeting, you could just tell that things were going to get spicy and fast! The book in general was a great mafia story. It had suspense, romance, action, and mystery. I would definitely recommend it to anyone!

Twists and turns and I love this new cover as it really matches her others. This was dark and spicy and man I need book two now. This was totally unpredictable and just wow. Must read!

I have loved discovering this reissue from Katee Roberts! I am more familiar with her Olympus series, so I was pleasantly surprised by this tory. I can see the writing she has become peeking, and it's awesome. Very entertaining read!

Teague, a reluctant member of Boston's mafia family, is pulled back into the fold when his father orders him to marry Callie, the Sheridan heir. As their marriage contract ignites a war among the families, their chemistry and Teague's captivating nature make this mafia romance a thrilling read. Excited to continue the series!

I'm not sure how I missed Katee Robert having a mafia romance series before but I'm so happy I've found it. I'm already so excited to read the rest of the series after this book. The series follows the O'Malley siblings as each of them find love each in their own, somewhat chaotic, way. Dark Succession is an Arranged Marriage romance which I'll admit I'm not usually a fan of but I really didn't mind this one probably because the characters started to fall in love before they even got married and when they got married it was on their own time and not the family's.
Also the secret Callie has - which you do find out right at the beginning - honestly such a power move, very dangerous and almost got her killed, but still. I feel like the secret wasn't as over the top dramatically revealed as secrets sometimes are. The reveal did cause some overall drama but not a whole lot between Callie and Teague which was appreciated.
The romance between Callie and Teague was phenomenal and I couldn’t have asked for it to be better. The passion between the two is undeniable and the need to protect they feel towards one another it wonderful. Also just the overall dynamic of their two personalities was so much fun to read.
I can't wait to get reading the rest of the series!

Thank you so much to Forever and Netgalley for letting me read an eARC of Dark Succession! I really enjoy the way Katee Roberts writes, so I was super excited to read this re-issue of her older book The Marriage Contract!
Dark Succession 4/5 Stars
Summary from Goodreads: *** This is a REISSUE of The Marriage Contract with some updated language to be published for the first time in trade paperback with a brand new title and cover. ***
The New York Times bestselling author of Radiant Sin delivers a smoking hot series about the O'Malley family—wealthy, powerful, dangerous and seething with scandal.
Teague O'Malley hates everything associated with his family's name. And when his father orders him to marry Callista Sheridan to create a "business" alliance, Teague's ready to cut ties once and for all. But then Teague actually meets Callista, sees the bruises on her neck and the trauma in her eyes and vows he will do everything in his power to avenge her.
Everyone knows the O'Malleys are dangerous. But Callie wasn't prepared for his brand of lethal grace and coiled power. His slightest touch scorches through her. But the closer they get, the more trouble they're in. Because Callie's keeping a dark secret—and what Teague doesn't know could get him killed.
I really, really liked Dark Succession! The spicy scenes were great and spicy and I loved the backdrop of these three families being a part of the Boston Irish mob scene. I loved Teague and Callie as main characters so much and all of the secondary characters we met were so great too! I got so tied to all of them, so not only did I really enjoy reading this book, I cannot wait to read the others too now. I thought that the way that the mob scene and the politics there were written were done so well. I really liked being able to see the rivalries and the thought that went into these arranged for land and other benefit marriages that were happening. Parts of the book were so gut wrenching and I loved that Katee Roberts wasn’t afraid to do things that would be super devastating to her characters, which would then be devastating to us as readers. Overall, I really enjoyed Dark Succession and I think y’all should pick it up as soon as possible!

This was such a great book about Teague who has an arranged marriage with Callista who he wants nothing to do with until he sees the bruises and wants to protect her with his life. I’m all here for Katee Robert’s books, especially after reading her Dark Olympus series. This book did not disappoint and I really enjoyed this mafia story. It has the perfect balance of plot and spice (which Robert is perfect at). I really enjoyed the conflicts in the story and the way the book was written. The pacing was smooth and I honestly didn’t realize I was almost done with the book until I was close to the end. I like the world that this book is set up to be and I heard it gets bigger once you get more involved in the series. This book is written from dual perspectives which I enjoyed.

Callie is the main FMC and when I read the summary, I thought she was going to be weak but actually she is pretty tough. I enjoyed her character and how involved she was with the family business. She had a great character development and I enjoyed reading her story. Now Teague is such an amazing character when he cared for his family. I loved seeing his relationship develop and reading from his pov. With the side characters, there were many and some stole the spotlight like James. The romance is arranged marriage but I love seeing the romance develop between the main characters and seeing their chemistry. There were some very spicy scenes and it was hot.

The ending was well done and I’m very excited to read the next book with different characters. I know I will be having fun exploring this mafia world with different characters as I love mafia stories. This book was well written though I do have to say that something was lacking that I can’t place. It’s still a good book and I do recommend reading it especially if you love Sophie Lark and Cora Reilly.

This was my first mafia style romance! I really enjoyed it, I wasn't sure at the beginning... but I soon got sucked into the story. I loved how badass all the characters were and the whole thing felt oddly believable haha. I love Katee Robert's writing!!

Thank you netgalley and foreverpub for the earc and finished copy in exchange for an honest review.

I had zero issues getting into Dark Succession. Instead, I had a hard time putting it down!

This is a reissue of The Marriage Contract with an updated name, cover, and some language.

There’s action almost immediately. I was on the edge of my seat at a few points throughout the book. And now, I want more!

I will say, this book was far less spicy compared to some of Katee’s other books! If you like mafia romance, this could be a good introduction to Katee Robert for you.

This one is a quick read that will keep you turning the pages!

Thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for the opportunities to read this book. The review expresses my own opinion.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for this e-book in exchange for my honest review.
Normally I’m not into mafia romance but I like Katee Roberts’ Olympus series so I decided to go for this one.
Compared to other mafia romance, I felt like Callie and Teague had more depth than I was expecting. The story was a bit predictable in that it was an arranged marriage between former mafia rivals. I did like the introduction to the O’Malley siblings. Carrigan seems pretty kick ass so I might have to read the next book 😉
I found the FBI angle didn’t really fit into the story they way it should. It seemed like this frustrating path to nowhere. Speaking of frustrating….how did no one connect Callie and Brendan? Apparently everyone knows he’s a sick d-bag and she was engaged to him then she shows up all squirrely with bruises? And no one thought “what about Brendan?”. Ahhh I hate when characters are oblivious.
All in all it was worth the read for the smut alone. Katee Roberts writes some hot stuff 🌶️

Dark Succession (and the entire O'Malley series) is actually a previously published series but got a makeover.
I'm not sure why I hadn't heard of this series before.
I've read Katee Robert's work before - although I will admit to it only being Dark Olympus so far.
When I enjoy an author, I usually will go through their entire Goodreads profile and add all the books that call to me.
But somehow, I missed this series.
Which is a shame, because I really enjoyed Dark Succession.

I enjoyed the characters. The plot line. It was entertaining and sexy. My only complaint was the lack of tension. It doesn't take long for our main characters - Callista and Teague - to fall for one another, despite it being an arranged marriage. And listen, I get it. If you have read my other reviews, you know it totally depends on my mood.
Sometimes I love a tension-filled slow-burn romance.
Other times I want it quick and dirty.
I guess when I read this I was hoping for a little more angst. Obviously, I won't let this affect my review, but if you are looking for more of a slow burn, I wouldn't jump into this one right away.
If you don't care either way, I definitely recommend it. Even if you are not a fan of Katee Robert's other work. As Katee has grown as a writer, her writing has more of an edge, and more of a fantastical element to it. So reading a contemporary romance written by her was fun and new.
Is it the most original? Nope.
But is it romantic and steamy? Yes.
And from what I can tell the next book in the series is about - I'm excited to continue this series.

If you love a mafia romance, you honestly won't go wrong with Dark Succession. It definitely leans more heavily on romance than the mafia world, so you won't come across any disturbing torture/murders. There is violence, but not descriptive. It's probably the lightest mafia romance I've ever read - and I got to say, its nice to read a book in this genre and not cringe from the less savory parts of the mafia world.

I've only ever read Katee Robert's "Dragon Bride" and "Neon Gods" series and I am always amazed how she can flow so well through all these different romance genres. It takes a special person who can do monster romance AND mafia romance well.

This book is great if you enjoy enemies to lovers, found family, mafia romance and Marriage of Convenience!

The first book in the O'Malley's series with a few updates since it was originally published. 3 families in power, using marriage alliances, bought loyalty and the ever-present threat of war to rule Boston. A strong fmc who wants to protect her people and herself is engaged to a brutal man. With his death, comes a new engagement to the other power family in Boston, setting off a war between the three families.

I love a good mafia romance and though insta-love isn't a favorite for me, I really enjoyed the way Katee brought Teague and Callie together. Callie is a strong leader; both she and Teague share a vision of leaving their city better than they found it, improving their family legacies. Teague lives his life wanting to escape the family business but refusing to leave his siblings behind. He's a good man at his core and when he meets Callie, he has an immediate shift to protector. The way they learn to love and fight for one another made this quick read very enjoyable!

If you're new to mafia romance, this is a great place to start.

- insta love
- mafia romance
- multiple povs

3.5-4 ★

Thank you, Forever Pub, Katee Robert and NetGalley for this arc!

I am in love with anything Katee Roberts writes, and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. The spice was good, and the plot was sprinkled enough to keep me hooked. You will like this book if you like anything else Katee Roberts has written.

Dark Succession by Katee Robert is mafia romance at its best.

Teague O'Malley and Callista Sheridan, two virtual strangers, find themselves suddenly engaged. As children of rival mafia families, their marriage marks a new alliance between the two houses. Unfortunately, their engagement is also a slap in the face to the other local mafia family. Callista had been affianced to Brendan Halloram, the heir to the Halloram mafia, before he met his recent and untimely end at the end of a Desert Eagle. The fact that Callista is the one who pulled the trigger is a secret she'll do anything to protect. Brendan was a monster, and it was self-defense, but that won't matter to his father, who is set on vengeance.

On the verge of all out war, Teague and Callista have to decide if they can trust each other with their biggest secrets. Their survival, and the survival of everyone they love, may depend on it. Because the Halloram family is out for blood.

This arranged marriage romance has the steam you'd expect from Katee Robert, and even though it's different in tone from her Dark Olympus series and her fantasy-monster-romance Deal with a Demon series, it's still classic Katee.

If you're new to the mafia romance genre, this would be a good place to start. It isn't as dark and brutal as Sophie Lark's Brutal Prince series, and it isn't as gritty as Tijan's.

Thank you to Forever Pub for my advance review copy.

3.5/5 📖

This book was previously published as "The Marriage Contract." It's book one of a six book series, and it's a mafia romance, so I had to read it! I loved Teague because he immediately accepted the attraction and the chemistry he had towards Callista. Callista had a huge secret that was keeping her from fully giving in to Teague, but once she realized she had fallen for him too, she would do anything to protect him, even if it meant coming clean.

Their chemistry was good, and you can tell from the start that he fell first and hard, but Callista had no other choice but to fall for Teague.

This book is out now, so make sure you grab it if you like:

📚 Marriage of Convenience
📚 Mafia Romance
📚 Found Family
📚 Enemies to Lovers