This book gripped me from the beginning, but then lost me.
So the beginning was great, but it quickly got drawn out to where I was wondering when it was going to get to the plot twist etc. I loved his possessiveness!

The cliffhanger left me wanting to hurry and get the next book in the series!

I didn’t mind the story in this book, though the MMC refusing to put on a condom when the FMC asked him to bothered me. What made this hard for me was the male narrator. He sounded like a 1950’s gangster movie star with that fake sounding transatlantic accent. I kept expecting him to say “now see here fella” and it really took me out of this story. It might be a good read in an ebook or physical book.

Books like this make me want to wait until the series is completed - fortunately, the final book should be out soon! I just finished It Kills Me by Penelope Sky and will be immediately starting book two..... that cliffhanger, though!!

This was like mafia mixed with Succession... it was delicious! Scarlett is being groomed to take over her father's mafia, but she soon butts heads with a new business partner, Axel. Scarlett knows that she should never date someone that works with her, but she is finding it very hard to resist.

Axel comes off as an absolute jerk at first, but he was hard for this reader to resist as well - he has morals despite being part of some unsavory activities.

Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo did a masterful job narrating. Thank you to Netgalley this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

What the actual hell was that ending like seriously 😒 ugh 😣 it made me rate this book much lower there was no reason for that cliffhanger! I need book two this can’t be their end it that dad is an ass!

This type of story is not for everyone, If you have read other books by Penelope Sky you know what you are getting into. I listened to the audio book, and have listened to another by this other, and I think I will have to read the books rather then listen to the books because I do not care for the female narrator and could not get through the audio. Will update my review after I have read the book. Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC of the audio.

Dreamscape Media and NetGalley provided me with an ALC copy of this audiobook in exchange for my honest review. Thanks to both of them for this opportunity!

Going into this book, I was excited. I am a fan of many genres, dark romance, forbidden love, and mafia romance included. While there are a few triggers, I do not feel like this is dark romance. There is potential for it to darken in upcoming books, but if I am being honest the author's writing style and level of darkness made me think that she is a new dark romance writer. and a lot of this book fell flat This made me look her up and she has a lot of books released, but the publication dates are so close together that it confirms my suspicions that maybe she should slow down during her writing process and put more thought into the words written. I am a firm believer that if you describe something well the first time that it isn't necessary to repeat it, but she constantly reminds us about how big he is and how pretty she is - both referring to their private parts. I am not sure where all this review will go, so I am choosing my language very, very carefully!

I also think that the book was ended in a way that was supposed to be a draw dropping cliffhanger, but it just felt rushed and unfinished. Without giving away too many details, the encounter with both characters fathers right before the hospital visit would have been a much more emotional and shocking cliffhanger.

Are there things that this book left unanswered that I wonder about? Absolutely, but not enough to make me start looking into release dates or future plans. There are just too many other books that fit these genres that are written better.

This is a Dark Romance, and this is the first book in the Betrayal series. This type of book is not for everyone, and there are things in this book that could upset a reader. I liked the characters ok, but I felt it took me awhile to connect to the characters. The storyline was ok, but I really did not like the ending. This book's ending leaves you hanging and wondering what happened, but what really upset me is it really did not feel like an ending at all. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.

I loved it. I can't WAIT for the second book now! I need to know how this plays out. It wasn't super predictable like most erotica books are, somewhat, but there are twists and turns you don't expect. I fell in love with Axel, the character he plays, the man he is. Scarlett, I am not gonna lie, near the end drove me bonkers with her lack of confidence. I wish I could punch her dad in the face. Story was well written, flowed nicely, and as a very, VERY easy listen!

Another great story with sexy characters and even crazier lives though somehow they end up in bed. I didn’t want this book to end and can’t wait to read the next one.

I listened to the audiobook of It Kills Me in two sittings. It was so good and I was invested from the very beginning. This book is a forbidden romance between a drug lord’s daughter and one of his biggest clients. Scarlett grew up being told not to mix business and pleasure, but it’s hard to stick to the rules once she gets involved with Axel. This book is full of twists and secrets and had my full attention from the very beginning. Thank you NetGalley, Dreamscape Media, and Penelope Sky for sending me a copy in exchange for my honest review.

It Kills Me by Penelope Sky doesn't leave much to the imagination in the first book in the Betrayal series. Scarlette has always been the apple of her father's eye. Dante never thinks that the men that Scarlette dates are good enough for her. In walks Axel, Dante's new buisness partner. The only thing Axel can think about is Scarlette and how he can make her his. The only thing coming between them is Dante. Just like her other books this one is hot and steamy. If you like Katee Robert, Mia Sheridan,Emily McIntire, or Geneva Lee you will love this book. I would like to thank both NetGalley and Dreamscape Media for giving me an advanced copy of this audio book.

While this book has the passion and romance a reader looks for when reading this type of book I did not feel very connected to the story. The characters were fine - although most of the time the focus was simply on describing their physical appearances over and over again, especially with Axel. There is a strong intensity of passion and desire that revolves around Scarlett and Axel which is very clearly portrayed to the reader. However, almost every display of their intense love to each other ends up being expressed in very graphic details. The smaller moments are missed. Finally, there is not much depth to the story itself. The plot is very weak and hardly noticeable since the main focus is the intensity between Scarlett and Axel.

I did enjoy both the narrators for this story. I think each portrayed their character well. Their voices match the personalities of the characters and the narration flowed along easily.

"Attention all book lovers! I just finished my first audio book by Penelope Sky and I am completely hooked. This forbidden romance featuring Axel is an absolute must-read. The narration is expertly done, with the different character voices bringing the story to life. I don't want to give anything away, but I can't wait for the second book to be released. Trust me when I say that you won't be disappointed - this book is truly amazing. So, what are you waiting for? Dive into this captivating tale and experience the magic for yourself!"
Thank you NetGalley and Dreamscap for this opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

The audio was so cringey I got the ebook from my library to finish the story. It was in fact the story that was cringey, the narrators just made it a little worse.

Overall rating 3.5 stars
I would have rated this five stars if it had a little bit more depth and if I was warned about the cliffhanger.

The chemistry and general connection between Axel and Scarlet was palpable. I enjoyed their banter, steamy scenes, and the growth between the characters.
I would have liked more exploration into the mafia side of things - an explanation into the business,

Narrated by Ramona Master and Michael Ferraiuolo
*Both narrators were new to me but I adored both voices. They did a great job portraying the angst in the final 15% of the book.

* Forbidden romance
* Mafia
* All the secrets
* Crime boss daughter x business partner

I was able to review this audiobook thanks to NetGalley, Penelope Sky, and Dreamscape Media.

Sometimes you just need a “my daddy is a drug lord and I love his hot younger business partner” book to cleanse the palate. Not sure if this fully did it, but it sure was spicy! 4/5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

I’m not a fan of cliffhanger endings, so that irked me a bit (I don’t like waiting for sequels!), so I guess I’ll just sit here sulking until book two comes out… hopefully soon?

(Thank you, Dreamscape Media and NetGalley, for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.)

I’ve not read mafia romance before so I wasn’t sure if this type of MMC could make me overlook his illegal activities to be drawn in. But after the touch her and die moment, I was fully on board. Then we have forbidden romance, which I’m also a sucker for so I was still very interested. Finally, I caught feelings for this couple right when the MCs realized they had as well.
There are so many different levels of moral grayness and yet Penelope Sky found just the right level for each of the characters to appeal to me. It was also impressive how well she crafted an MMC who was hard and masculine but had a soft side. The spicy scenes were great and the romance was sweet.
The ending killed me! I was not expecting a cliffhanger!

Scarlett's father asked her to succeed him as the mafia boss. Axel is their new partner. But Scarlett's dad made it very clear that she should never mix business with pleasure...
This "dark" mafia, forbidden romance is book 1 in the Betrayal series. I feel like this tried to be a dark romance and failed. You can't simply say the FMC and her father are at the head of a gang and call it dark. And the spice was comical at best. It was so cringy, it felt borderline like a parody. The story was redundant and nothing big really happens. Axel was an ass. "She was stubborn, like a man." I'm sorry. What? The most stubborn people I know (including myself) are women. What a weird thing to say... And girl, we get it, he has a big dick, no need to repeat it 50 times... They had dub con sex a few times, and yet she belives him instantly when he tells her he didn't do what he did time for? And the FMC saying "He wouldn't hurt a fly" when talking about Axel, WHO IS IN THE MAFIA?!?! Anyway. I have read many fantastic reviews about this, so clearly, it was not for me. Also, know that this ends on a cliff hanger.
I received an advance review copy of this book for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

𝟜 𝕤𝕥𝕒𝕣𝕤 🌟 𝕣𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨

🄸🅃 🄺🄸🄻🄻🅂 🄼🄴 - 🄿🄴🄽🄴🄻🄾🄿🄴 🅂🄺🅈

👠 𝔉𝔬𝔯𝔟𝔦𝔡𝔡𝔢𝔫 𝔩𝔬𝔳𝔢
👠 𝔐𝔞𝔣𝔦𝔞
👠 𝔖𝔢𝔠𝔯𝔢𝔱𝔰
👠 𝔄𝔩𝔭𝔥𝔞 𝔪𝔞𝔩𝔢 𝔙𝔦𝔟𝔢𝔰

Scarlett the only child and successor of a Drug lord Catches the Eye of Axel her fathers business partner, they work together but don't like each other.

Scarlett and Axel fall hard and fast while in a secret forbidden romance - sneaking around is obviously the answer.... but is it?

Thank you to @netgalley and @dreamscape_media I really enjoyed the audio I adored the female narrator she seemed to fit well, the Male Narrator sounded a bit too posh for the type of guy I was reading about.... and the cover photo... but other than that the story brilliant I finished in two days!!!!

It Kills Me is the first book in the Betrayal series which is a dark mafia romance and I was here for it. I was so consumed by their story and I just kept wanting more and more. It was high tension, high heat, high angst, danger, forbidden, it was just everything. I am obsessed with these 2.

I loved the banter between Axel & Scarlett. Their chemistry was undeniable. The way Axel pushed Scarlett to go after what she wanted and the way she believed in him, was always there for him was so swoony. He is just all alpha male, will do anything for his girl and only has eyes for her, i'm in love.

I can't wait to start book 2 this ended on a cliffhanger that just shattered my heart in a million pieces and I need to know what happens.

🎧 The narration by Ramona Master & Michael Ferraiuolo was great. It took me a few chapters to really love his voice but then I got used to it and it fit. I really enjoyed their performance, they kept me hooked and engaged through it all.

✨️ Thank you to @netgalley, @dreamscapemedia & @penelopesky for my gifted audiobook in exchange for an honest review.