This was such an angsty forbidden romance.
Scarlett is such an incredible, intelligent woman, she is her father’s successor and that makes her off limits.
Axel is intense, gorgeous, and bows to no one, so when he sees something he wants, he goes after it.
The passion and chemistry between Scarlett & Axel is so intense, he is so intense but also shows her that she is cherished & loved.

Their relationship has gone so far past casual, & just when they thought they were safe, things go sideways.
I can’t wait to see what happens next, and how Axel will handle the events from the ending of this book.
I have a feeling Scarlett & Axel will have a hard & bumpy road ahead of them.

Daddy didn't have a son to take over his business so Scarlett is going to, if Daddy every dies. His one rule, don't have a relationship with anyone in the business. That is fine until Axel comes in. He immediately notices her and it is definitely returned and father certainly notices and warns him away. However, these two cannot keep their hands off each other. Warning! This one ends on a cliffhanger.

DNF @ 39% review based on this portion of book

Story: 1.5 ⭐️
Steam: 3 🔥
Audio: 3 🎧

I don’t think this author is for me. The pacing is a bit weird, both rushed and also slow. The dialogue was cringey and often felt forced. The authors use of the same word (p*ssy) over and over felt weird and I hated it.

I am not rooting for these characters at all. He instantly wanted her but she was in a relationship, the second it’s over they hop into bed together with no lead up or anything.

I’m just bored and tired of cringing. I think I’ll skip this author.

I adore a good forbidden romance; add in the "family business" dynamic and I am all in! Scarlett is set to take over for her father. Axel works with Scarlett's father, who expressly forbids them from seeing each other outside of a business capacity. Unfortunately their chemistry has a mind of it's own and they develop feelings for each other. The alpha energy Axel brings makes their relationship spiiiiicy! But Scarlett holds her own, which made me love her even more. Axel definitely met his match with her.
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I wish I had known going into this listen that it ended on a cliffhanger. I felt like the story was really picking up and then of course just stopped. That being said, it didn't change my rating just would have been good to be prepared for. I cannot wait for the conclusion!

This was an excellent book. It was a good mix of the mafia world and a steamy romance. I also really liked the depiction of Florence, Italy. It does leave on a bit of a cliffhanger since it's a trilogy so this series would be great to binge read.

This story, the narrators, the characters, it was all so good!!!

I love a good audiobook, but even more so when it’s done so well. The forbidden aspect of this story and the tension in the narrators voices made this so great and such an enjoyable listen!

Axel and Scarlett are messy but so good!! The way he sees her and protects her, this man would do ANYTHING for her. He’s so calculated, quiet, and confident who wouldn’t fall for him? Their chemistry is spectacular and seeing two hard headed individuals accept that they are exactly the others been looking for was everything!!! I was on the edge of my seat and I cannot wait for what’s to come after the cliff hanger!!!

Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo did a fantastic job bringing these characters to life!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Penelope Sky, and Dreamscape Media for graciously sending me the audiobook to review. As always, all thoughts are my own.

This was a fast-paced and steamy read with a solid storyline. As a fan of mafia romance, I found it quite enjoyable. However, I wished the narrative had explored the mafia's operations more thoroughly rather than just their meetings. While the story kept me engaged throughout, the conclusion left me somewhat disappointed.

A forbidden romance and it’s a steamy one! I liked how the FMC stood up for herself but hated how her father treated her and ultimately Axel. It’s hard to imagine this world but the author did a good job of making it realistic. This book will leave you hanging though, so be warned.

🌀Synopsis
Scarlett’s dad is letting her learn more and more of the business. She’s happy about that except in the ways it limits her. Her biggest limit being Axel. He catches her eye and vice versa but her father makes it known he is off limits.
When the two continue their escapades he reminds them both. When they still won’t stop he finally forced Axel’s hand and he is going to have to choose between her and his family.

Over protective after leading his daughter to do what he wants her to do. Scarlett falls in love with her fathers fence, while they think they are hiding it Axel gets pulled aside by her father and told to stay away from Scarlett. But time and time again they go back to each other. Until Scarlett’s father has had enough and forces Axel to break his daughter’s heart.

Cliffhanger. What happened to Scarlett’s mom?

In this new dark romance series by Penelope Sky, we follow the forbidden romance of Scarlett, the daughter and successor of a mob boss, and Axel, the disgraced son of a billionaire who made his own billion by turning to a life of crime. These two have a budding attraction that goes nowhere for a long time since Scarlett has a boyfriend, but when the boyfriend breaks her heart in a public forum, Axel steps in to comfort her. Dante, Scarlett's dad, forbids Axel from seeing his daughter and Scarlett has no idea the cruelty her father is capable of. So you have this budding romance in the foreground and the darkness of Dante in the background. However, I found the plot to be interesting with all the crime, forbidden romance, and Scarlett learning the ropes to take over for her father. The romance itself is kind of mediocre, it is less romance and more spice, so if that is what you are looking for this story is the one for you. It focuses heavily on spice with a dash of plot and a hint of romance. It is still entertaining and a short read. There are plenty of triggers for those who aren't into that kind of thing, so be aware that "dark romance" tends to have more of the "dark" in it than your fluffy rom-com.

This book was just okay for me. I normally love mafia romances this one just didn't cut it for me. I did like the narrators they did a good job but I just couldn't get into this audiobook.

Thank you netgalley and dreamscape for the arc.

This is a Dark Romance it was a quick and easy read and this is the first book in the Betrayal series. I like the idea of a woman in charge but her father is a walking red flag. Axle tries his best to show is concerned but she wont see it. It ends on a cliffhanger and felt like this was part 1 of a book not a end of book 1. it took me awhile to connect with the characters but got round to them. I will be continuing the story I'm curious to see where she takes this story.


***Thank you to NetGalley, for this audio-arc in exchange for my honest opinion.

Thank you NetGalley and Penelope Sky for the ARC!! I liked the story but the characters themselves didn’t feel like they had a lot of depth to me. It felt very stereotypical, especially the voices for the audiobook. I did, however, love the plot and the realness from the connection between the two main characters!

It Kills Me is a fast-paced, steamy mafia romance that kept me hooked. I loved Scarlett's determination and her chemistry with Axel, though I wished the plot delved deeper into the mafia's world. The dual narration by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo was fantastic, making it easy to follow and adding depth to the characters.

However, the ending left me frustrated. Scarlett's abrupt change of heart felt inconsistent, which was disappointing. Despite this, it was an entertaining listen, and I’m excited to see what happens next in the series. If you enjoy intense, spicy romances with compelling characters, this audiobook is worth a try.

3.5 stars
Axel and Scarlett's story is complicated. Scarlett is the to be the successor to her father's kingpin business. Axel is his new distributor. Per her father's rules: business should never mix with pleasure but what do you do with an attraction like theirs, boiling to the point of no return?

Well, they kept it a secret. But that doesn't stop her father from threatening him to stay away from her. Axel has some things on his criminal record that raised red flags for him. While Axel clears it up with Scarlett, her dad still isn't convinced.

This book is on the" quicker" slow burn side and does end on a cliffhanger. Though she believes Axel's side of the story, she's quick to dismiss anything they have by the end of this book. The characters, though her specifically, have lots to grow.

✨️𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬+𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒓𝒔✨️
- age gap, alpha-male, boy obsessed, business partners, dark romance, forbidden romance, forced proximity, friends with benefits vibes, mafia romance, mutual pining, workplace romance, ow/om drama

Honestly you can not go wrong with a mafia romance. I have to say I didnt like that her father was kinda shitty when she already didnt have a mom. But her romance with this man saved me. I love that she could be who ever she wanted and could eat away in front of him. Im sorry but who doesnt love pizza and a hot bath. With that ending I def will finish the series.

This book was phenomenal! I really enjoyed it and loved the FMC narrator! She did a fantastic job! Big fan!!

For fans of:
- Brutal Birthright series
- Sinner's series
- Sinner's Anonymous series

Scarlette is a mafia/gang heiress whose entire life is devoted to following in her father's footsteps. He has strict rules on how his business should be run and how she should behave which he believes are the secret to his drug ring's success. His number one rule, above all else, is to never, ever, under any circumstances mix business and pleasure. Scarlette idolizes her father, so she is happy to live her life following her father's rules, but when she meets Axel, her father's hot new business partner, she is tempted to rebel against her father's rules for the first time.

This book includes:
- dark forbidden romance with a dangerous man
- "But Daddy, I love him!"
- morally gray, protective MMC
- fancy parties with glitz and glam
- mafia/European gang and drug dealers
- instant attraction
- dual POV
- TW

"It Kills Me" doesn't veer from the classic mafia man stories that are popular in the dark romance genre. Axel is strong, wealthy, single-mindedly devoted, and ruthless for the one he loves. Scarlette's father adds an interesting dynamic and I liked that it remained unclear if he was a hero or a villain for most of the book. If you're looking for a fast-paced drama, you've found it.

I didn't love Scarlette and I felt her character didn't have a clear personality. Sometimes she was bold and confident, other times she was meek. I also found her sheltered to the point of naivete, which was frustrating because she was already very dumb and oblivious. I also did not enjoy Axel's backstory since it perpetuates that women are golddiggers to the point of lying about assault and sending an innocent man to jail. So harmful and unpleasant to read. There was just a lot of misogyny in the writing in general, every female character except Scarlette was either villainous or a jezebel.

I listened to it on audiobook and I thought the production was good. However, Axel was supposed to be a wealthy European aristocratic heir, so the strong transatlantic accent from his narrator was distracting for me.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, Penelope Sky, and Dreamscape Media for the opportunity to review this book. This review is also available on my GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

I did enjoy this story and definitely want more! What a cliffy!

I didn’t love the male narrator for this character. His voice did not seem to match the character portrayed so that made it difficult to get into. His voice seemed too regal and not rugged enough for the role. I did enjoy the female narrator though!

Loved the way the male character wasn’t put off by the idea that he may be in love with the fmc . I definitely want to see where this story goes whenever book 2 comes out