A dark and twisty Romeo and Juliet, with a heavy dose of mafia. Dark Succession is another wonderful addition by Katee Robert, featuring an arranged marriage turned sweet love story. The two main characters wants to do best by those they love, and that eventually means each other. This had strong female personalities that take zero crap and fight dirty. I loved this!

I wanted so badly to fall in love with this book but so much just fell short for me. The entire plot just felt SO rushed. The romance between Teague and Callie just appears from nowhere. Like they kiss once in an alley and they immediately are in love? I just didn't fall for it. It makes me sad that the next book in the series is another couple because I would have liked to see Teague and Callie actually like grow as a couple. Seriously, I think they spent a total of like three days together before the book ends.

I understand the reasoning for having snippets of James and Carrigan's POVs but in a story that already feels so pressed for time, it felt so unnecessary.

This all being said, I am so excited to read the next book.

Loved Callie and Teague's chemistry especially since they were an arranged engagement. Callie's first engagement was an awful person and this change is causing issues with the crime families that are at odds with each other. Love crime ring dramas though too much loss and playing people as pawns. It's the game though.

Damn that ending though. You were really scaring me and I liked it a little too much. I need to read The Wedding Pact now cause that set up was just too much. Is that book getting a makeover as well, I don't even know my own name at the moment.

Thank you readforeverpub and netgalley for the e-ARC for my honest and voluntary review.

I've been a big fan of Katee Roberts for awhile - I love the dark olympus and the wicked villains series. This was an enjoyable quick read that fizzled out as the story went on. Teague and Callie had great chemistry and really helped sell the mafia romance. I love a dual POV but this one just had too many and switched between them way too much for seemingly no reason?
Can't wait to see what Katee Robert comes up with next!

True Rating 3.5 stars

So, this was a lot of fun for a mafia story. It was just high stakes enough to make me intrigued to enter this mafia world that Robert has created.
Teague and Callie really were a fun couple. Yes, this one has some insta-love going on. The way Katee writes it, it doesn't bother me though. The way that they connect felt believable, and the way that they both have loss to push them forward fast, also made sense.
I'm excited to continue on in the series. Thanks again to the Publisher and Netgalley for this e-copy to check out the series.

5⭐️ 2.5🌶
This may be my new favorite book by Katee. I loved it so much!

This is a mafia romance with an arranged marriage, 2 main characters that I adored, a family that I can’t wait to read more of and a death I saw coming but still made me cry.

I think this is also the least spicy of all Katee Roberts books that I’ve read. There’s still spice and it’s still amazing though! This is actually more of what I consider my favorite amount of spice, my sweet spot, enough to satisfy 😉 but not too much that makes the book pure smut.

This one just had me hooked from the beginning and kept me hooked the entire time! Highly recommend

So mafia isn’t my fave romance sub genre but I love Katee so I had to give this one a try and she didn’t let me down! I adore Teague and Cassie! Mafia romance is usually a little too uncaring for me but Katee brought so much heart into it with them. Two children of Boston mafia bosses who just want to either get out or turn the family legal? Sign me up! Now that’s not to say there isn’t plenty of violence but I def felt like I could root for both of them separately and together.

This is def an instalove story bc there is literally so much going on in this book. Lots of world building to set us up for the rest of the series, which I can’t wait to read!

Dark Succession is the re-release of the Marriage Contract, the first in Katee's O'Malley family mafia romance series.

This book starts fast with Callie killing her fiance in self-defense. And even though he's the worst and his own family recognizes that, it's an insult they won't stand, but good news, they don't know she did it. Callie's father quickly arranges her marriage to another family, the O'Malley's, which adds further insult and war begins.

When Callie and Teague meet, he is immediately protective of her and their chemistry flies. While they get to know each other as their wedding comes up, they still can't trust each other yet. As they try to stop the war, they have their secrets, until they can't anymore...

Callie was smart and strong and her flaws were understandable and real. I loved how despite the secrets, there was no miscommunication or anger with the secrets. They're Irish mob kids, they get it and each other.

And the spice! Katee never dissapoints. They start strong and keep burning.

I am so excited to read the rest of the series, James and Carrigan lit up the pages and I need more of them! I can tell that Katee has only started the world and there are other threats (families) that will come into play later. I'll look forward to seeing how Callie and Teague carve their own place of peace with each other.

This was a well done mafia romance that was fast-paced and exciting (though not too stressful because you trusted in their machinations and strength).

Thank you to netgalley and Forever for an arc in exchange for an honest review!

Feat: arranged marriage, rival families, mafia romance, gets-it-done heroine, protective hero AND heroine, early spice

4.5 stars
2.5 spice

I am used to only reading Katee Roberts fantasy books so to read a mafia romance from her was quite the experience! In true Katee fashion, this was spicy and action packed. I enjoyed the plot and that we got to know the secret that was keeping the plot going. We also got multiple POV’s from Cali, Teague, and James.

I think where this fell flat for me was the insta-love. You’re telling me that the son and daughter of rival mafia bosses are forced into marriage and they just decide to get along immediately? They fall in love so quickly and it just seemed unrealistic. I was expecting a hateful, enemies to lovers type of vibe and just didn’t get that which is fine, just not for me.

Overall, this was a pretty good mafia romance that keeps you engaged with the plot + romance!

Dark Succession by Katee Robert is an arranged marriage romance with secrets, chemistry and suspense. Neither Teague O’Malley nor Callista Sheridan wanted the marriage, but once they meet, they cannot deny the attraction they feel. Teague is determined and protective and Callista was loyal and smart. Their marriage would forge an alliance between their families, but will secrets ruin what they can have before it’s too late? I enjoyed reading this story and am excited to read more from the series!

Happy reading!

3.5

one of the strongest starts to a series. I love how much Katee's writing styles shines in this. The mafia elements were perfect and I can't wait for the rest of hte series to be rereleased

Although I have been a pretty big fan of Katee’s Dark Olympus series so far, unfortunately, this one missed the mark for me.
 
The main reason being that the main characters fell in love almost instantly despite being arranged into a marriage neither of them claimed they wanted. And the storyline/writing just felt cheesy and a bit juvenile despite the mafia theme. Plus, there was just SO much repetitive internal monologue.
 
I don’t have intentions to continue this series, but I will continue to read Katee’s newer books because I do think she has really come into her style over the years.

Story of mafia and arranged marriages.
Teague O'Malley hates his father and wants his business destroyed.
Calista Was supposed to marry a man from anther mob family but then he is killed so she is then arranged to marry Teague. But then she gets to know Teague and he gets to know her and they actually like each other.
With the way Teague took care of Calista and trying to create a friendly front with the mob families he became my new book boyfriend. Loved him and Calista together.
Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the book to review.

This novel grabbed me by the throat from the first page, and will keep me in a chokehold long after. This story follows mafia-princess Callista who has been thrown into an arranged marriage by her father. Upon learning of this, Callie attempts to meet this man while disguised as a dancer at his club. This escalates into him attacking her, and in an attempt to defend herself, shoots him to get away.

Following his death, another leading mafia family of Boston swoops in to salvage the marriage by offering a candidate of their own family: Teague O'Malley. Teague and Callista have instant chemistry, that later develops into a relationship beyond either of them anticipated. All of this occurs whilst a mafia war brims on the horizon, and the characters are forced to make a choice that will define the future of their families and their relationship.

This novel was a well-developed dark / spicy romance. I still immensely enjoyed the storytelling and the depth of the side characters in this novel, which helped to make it more well-rounded and thought out. This novel also sets up future inter-connected stories, without leaving readers on a cliff-hanger.

Overall, this is one of the more "tame" of Katee Robert's stories, but is perfect for anyone wanting a quick and dirty dark romance with multiple POVs, morally grey characters, and an enemies-to-lovers dynamic.

We're not new to the queen Katee Robert around her !!! As always she delivers on plot with the through the roof smut!!! Read this if you like
He Falls First-Ish Vibes
Arranged Marriage of Convenience
Dark Romance
(VERY) Open Door Romance
Light Mafia
Suspense
Thank you to @netgalley and @readforeverpub for a gifted eARC and physical ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I couldn't put this down. I had to force myself to stop reading so I could participate in real life, which was a challenge. I loved this book and the tension that was created. I liked how the audience was all in on Callie's secret but watched the story play out as everyone else was unaware. I also adored Teague, he's absolutely perfect.
My three-star rating is because many phrases were reused multiple times in the book. I also didn't fully buy into the instant love. Usually, I'm okay with love at first sight, but in this instance, it was slightly strange to me for some reason. Things were also extremely rushed. For instance, there's a scene where they're driving somewhere. A conversation takes place. It's an extremely short conversation and by the time they're done speaking, they're already at the destination. It's as if the destination was just three houses down -- this seemed to happen a few times.

Overall, I would recommend this book and I will definitely be reading the series because I'm attached to Teague and Callie, and I also need to find more out about James. He's got my heart as well.

🖤 Arranged marriage
🖤 Who did this to you?
🖤 He fell first


Topics: death,

*this book starts out with a murder & attempted sa*

Callista “Callie” Sheridan is the heir to one of the prominent Boston mob families. Her father arranged a marriage to a man in a rival family, the Holloran’s, who is known to be rough on women. The night before the engagement was to be announced, Brendan turns up dead. The engagement is off & Callie is stressing out over the situation. She is confused as she is then put into a new arranged marriage with a member of the other prominent family, Teague O’Malley.

Teague O’Malley is the son of a mobster in Boston who is set up in an arranged marriage that is to be announced the next day. As much as Teague is disappointed in being forced to marry a girl he’s never met he is instantly smitten with Callista as soon as he meets her.

Meeting in the alley Teague & Callie end up in a heated kiss to distract from the marks on Callie’s neck. He is immediately protective & never wants anything bad to ever happen to her again after 5 minutes together. Gotta love that “who did this to you” trope.

He has also been slipping information to the feds about his father. This book was entertaining as all of Katee’s books are. I’m so thankful for the opportunity to read it under the new name!

This book has many POVs so just warning everyone who may see this incase you aren’t into that. It can get a little confusing to know who is talking initially but it’s not too bad.

I don’t want to give anything away so i hope you also enjoy! Thank you to the author Katee, the publisher & NetGalley!

This was AWESOME! Excellent storyline. It had this intense feel happening right from the beginning. I had such a sense of urgency while reading, I was excited to know about the world being created. Hot mob guys for the win!

Teague and Callie were fantastic. Feeling stuck but wanting to do what's best for their families. I got such a great sense of who they were and felt bad for them but love how they persevered. Their first meeting really set a perfect tone for them, the chemistry they had was electric. They have this nice pull towards one another happening. I thought their relationship had a nice build, it was sweet, caring, and hot all rolled into one. It was heated and electric but really sweet. I totally loved Teague and his attitude about being with her. Callie is feisty and strong and I loved her determination.

Loved all the different players and layers to this story. I thought it was fantastic how it was laid out and told from different POV's and perspectives. It really gave great insight into all the different characters that were involved. Love the conflict that's happening between the different families, it's very Sopranos-esq. It had this underlying suspenseful feel that I really enjoyed. I was totally onto it! Loved the details, build, and development. It was all great.

There was major discord between the different families, internally and externally, that really pulled me in. It's such an interesting dynamic and it creates a lot of tension. Loved getting an introduction to all the characters, excited to see what's up next for Carrigan and James because what the author set up is pretty fantastic. I cannot wait!

There is drama, emotion, love, and hotness but my overall feeling throughout was intensity. I just loved it. And that ending, action-packed! I love how it played out too and how the women were so strong and really did some smart thinking. Fantastic read!

Note: I previously read and reviewed this book when it was titled The Marriage Contract.

The first book in this series and I'm hooked. Teague and Callista seem to have an instant chemistry and I'm not mad about it. Both must fulfill their familial duties and enter into an arranged marriage. Also, I can't wait to read what happens between Carrigan and James!

Teague O'Malley loves his family but would rather distance himself and his younger siblings from the family business. He's unexpectedly ordered to marry Callista Sheridan in order to form a business alliance.

When they literally bump into each other at their celebration dinner, Teague is immediately taken with Callie. When he spots the bruises on her neck he decides he'll do everything he can to protect her. They quickly realize that they genuinely like each other and are quickly falling for one another.

But trouble is brewing because of their sudden engagement. Teague is working to stop the impending war never realizing that Callie could be at the center of what set this all off in the first place.

Thank you so much to the author, Forever, and NetGalley for this ARC to review.

I don’t read a lot of mafia romance, but I have to admit it’s kind of addicting. I would call Dark Succession mafia light. Katee Robert is a new to me author, although I see her books everywhere. I didn’t know what to expect and as I share often, going into a book blind is one of my favorite things. This story has a little bit of everything to keep you entertained and also hook you for the next book. Callie Sheridan is the daughter of a mafia boss. She is promised in marriage to the son of another major crime family. The story takes a turn here because Callie’s betrothed winds up dead. She’s at the heart of the scandal but nobody knows it. So much to say here about this, but you will get that secret quickly in the beginning-just don’t want to spoil it. This is where Teague enters the picture and the entire O’Malley family. The O’Malley’s see an opportunity to expand their empire. We get another arranged marriage, but this time it’s between Callie and Teague.
Callie quickly realizes Teague is not what she expected. There is something different about her new fiancée. Can he be one good man surrounded by all the crime and destruction? Can she actually have a marriage rooted in love and not be a pawn in the desire for power? Will her secret tear Teague and her apart? I won’t spoil it, but this story is a wild ride. It’s also very steamy and filled with lots of twists, turns, and some surprises, like betrayals and kidnappings. Just the average day in the life of a crime sindicate family. If you are looking for a mafia romance that isn’t too dark this one is for you. I’ll definitely be checking out more from Katee Roberts. 4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I was given an advance copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.