Emma saves Angel's life. She doesn't know he is a cartel heir. But saving Angel's life could make her become a target. So in order to be protected, she is forced to marry Angel.
I love arranged marriages stories. And mafia books. So this book is a winner.
The only problem was the end. Massive cliffhanger!! What am I supposed to do know?

Emma is minding her own business going about her day when she makes a delivery for the local Miami courier service she works for when she not only witnesses a shootout in a bar, but saves the leader of the cartel who was the target. Owing Emma a life debt, Angel brings her back to his family compound where his father decides that he must marry her to protect the family from fallout with the rival gang that was involved in the incident. Things don’t go as planned, however, when Emma and Angel start developing feelings for each other and gang politics become more prominent in their newly married life.

I am SO MAD at the ending. I know authors love a good cliffhanger for shock value but I am so mad!! And the interpersonal conflicts that seem so pointless and the victim blaming don’t help either. I really feel like we deserved more on Emma’s backstory and more on why Gustavo was such an asshole. Also we needed more of Lili. I get that this is a series and there will be more details on her in following books but we should’ve seen her and Emma’s relationship more than just on shopping trips. Overall this book was violent instalove mafia romance with some problematic elements but being the sucker I am I’ll have to read the next book to see how things are going with everyone.

OK, so I really liked this book all the way up to the end. I really don't like how it ended, I expected another chapter and more to it but it was so sudden it left me feeling miffed because that can't possibly be how it ends! ( id forgotten the warning of a cliffhanger so now I need to go look for the next one)
It's well written and I love the characters and their development.

The book was okay.. there was not a real plot line.. and I was not a fan of the ending. The spicy scenes were good but I did not like the development of the MCs.

Vicious Heir by Bella Ash is the First book in the Castillo Cartel Series. This starts the story of Emma and Angel. Emma was trying to make a delivery when she somehow got involved with a cartel shootout and saved Angel's life. This starts their story. This book does end with a cliffhanger setting us up for the next installment.

Full transparency: this is the first dark mafia romance I’ve read. I don’t think I can fully judge it since I have nothing to compare to but here are my thoughts.

Things I liked:
* Dual POV
* Overall storyline was interesting
* The cliffhanger ending - love and hate this!

Things I didn’t like:
* Emma was so close to her mom but didn’t even try to get the box of stuff her mom left her after she was told she wouldn’t be returning home.
* The relationship/lust felt really rushed at the beginning

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

my first book from this author and so enjoyed. Emma is in the club she is a courier. Delivering a message but then someone starts shooting. The person she is delivering to is their target, Angel. Who's father is very powerful. so, angel they take Emma with them to prove she not a traitor and she is not so Angel father says he got to marry her as he owes her and if she left the enemy would kill her. angel dad is a cruel man. but they both start falling in love with each other I not going to say no more but i so can't wait for book two what a cliffhanger

There was no conflict, no tension.
We're talking a mafia forced marriage and yet this story was absent of any romantic heat.
Both main characters are very against the forced marriage until 24 hours later when they are married and then they both accept their roles whole heartedly. It wasn't exactly instalove, but it was insta acceptance, especially from Emma who had her entire life uprooted.
I was expecting enemies to loves or at least resistant strangers to lovers, what I got was day in the life of a porper mafia wife.

I would give this book 3.5 stars! I definitely enjoyed it - I read it in two days 😅 This story revolves around a cartel family -Angel and a courier-turned-fiancé, Emma, who have to learn to love each other in less than ideal circumstances. Bella Ash did a great job writing this book, the story line was fast-paced - you get thrown right into the action! And, fair warning, it ends on a pretty massive cliffhanger so I’m ready for the next book. If you love mafia/cartel romances, arranged marriage tropes, this is the book for you. It handled them really well, made them believable and kept you wanting to read more. I think that the book could have delved even deeper emotionally to catch readers by the heart strings and help them connect to the characters even more. I enjoyed watching Angel and Emma’s relationship grow and I hope to get to spend more time with them in the next book!!

Special thanks to NetGalley and Bella Ash for this read!

Emma finds herself married to a mafia heir after she was in the wrong place at the wrong time and we spend the book navigating this new relationship and what it means for both her and Angel. I spent half of the book not sure if I even liked the MMC but lo and behold, he had me week in the knees in the last act.

I really enjoyed getting to see their relationship grow and what each other ended up meaning to the other. I know this is marketed as being the first book in the series but I was HOPING it was an interconnected standalone series but nope! I was hit with a cliffhanger (even though I kind of saw it coming towards the end) so now I have to wait to find out what happens.

Overall, it was a good, somewhat tame mafia romance and I will definitely be waiting for the sequel.

A solid 3.75/4 stars (rounded up because of Lara and Manny)

Emma was on her way to do her job. She had the luck to be at the right place at the right time to save someone’s life, however, it came with ties she did not expect. Angel after being saved by Emma is forced to marry her in order to save her life. Now the mafia knows her face they will strike back. Emma now has two choices; die or marry a mafia prince.

This is an enemies to lovers mafia romance with a twist of marriage of convenience. I would rate this a five out of five. Great characters and world building! Would read a book 2! NetGalley provided the ARC in exchange for a free and honest review.

No build up in this story at all. A lot of times in mafia romance you wait and wait until like 12 chapters in for something to happen. This wasn’t like that! It was action from the start until the end. I enjoyed the female mc point of view. The ending though… I need book two

Thank you to netgalley for the advanced reading copy of vicious heir. This was a pretty cut and dry Mafia romance compared to lots of others in my opinion

This book was a really easy read. I liked the plot, it was simple and clear to follow while still interesting. I also enjoyed the strong female characters in this, which are Lili, the cunning sister of Angel, and Lara, their capable and sweet housekeeper. There was a good balance of violence and plot, and the violence always fit well into advancing the storylines. The only reason I gave it four stars is because to me, the Spanish used felt a bit forced, although I speak Mexican-Spanish not Venezuelan-Spanish, so it might just be the language difference. The ending was a bit abrupt for my taste but overall it was well-written and in line with the actions the characters would have taken.

🤍 Cliffhanger
🤍 Mafia Romance
🤍 Dark Romance
🤍 Enemies to Lovers
🤍 Fake Marriage

Emma was in the wrong place at the wrong time. She doesn’t realise the consequences of her kind acts with throw her into bed with the devil…
Although Angel knows nothing but darkness, Emma is able to slowly uncover a different side to him (even though it was one step forward and a hundred steps back!)

This book ends on a cliffhanger, and I can’t wait for book two!

The story was amazing up until the end Angel is forced to marry Emma to clear up a life debt. He finds himself struggling because he would do anything for her and she would not necessarily do the same for him. Even though she is trying to settle into life as his wife. When he finds out she is kidnapped he moves heaven and earth to get her back and to end those that harmed her.

The ending threw me for a loop, I really hope the next book turns this book into a HEA, because I need that.

I loved all the Spanish words, I don't speak Spanish, and I don't see myself learning, but I do like to see words in other languages in my books.

That ending thoughhhh! What?! The cliffy was strong with this one! Definitely didn’t realize this wasn’t a standalone but other than that, it was great. I enjoyed the characters and the drool worthy H. I need book 2 like yesterday though. Please and thank you. Read this if you love this trope like me.

This is a dark romance/ mafia romance that is full of ups and downs and plot twists. Overall I did enjoy the book. I found the ending to be rather quick and unexpected. I didn't anticipate to be left on a cliff hanger, so I'm assuming there is a sequel in the works. I will read book 2!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC

An exciting intake on dark mafia romance with spice and roller-coaster rides. Plotwise it was very interesting. The build-up relationship between Angel and Emma was good despite the lack in chemistry. It would be much better if there are more plausible scenes where their relationship slowly grows together. Some characters baffles me such as Gustavo; he's supposed to be intimidating since he's the mafia boss but i didn't feel it. All i feel was annoyed at his pettiness. He should be ruthless yet hold a high reputation but he just seemed like a burn-out old man waiting in his deathbed.

The ending was abrupt and i didnt see it coming. It was a cliffhanger and i think it was good to keep readers anticipate the sequel if there is any.

« Vicious Heir » by Bella Ash is a dark story about the heir to a cartel and the woman who saved his life, the choices they had and the decisions they make. This ends in a cliffhanger. Looking forward to the next book to find out what happens to Angel and Emma.