Ties that Bind Us was everything I was expecting and then some. Nicole Knight took me on a freaking emotional roller coaster with this one! I was in absolute happy tears by the end of this page turner.

Rating: 4/5 ✨
Spice - 3/5 🌶️

🔥Slow Burn
❤️ Enemies to Lovers
✨ Forbidden Love
❤️ Possessive

Ties that Bind Us is a dark romance featuring Ava Moretti, youngest daughter of the Moretti Mafia, and Nick Caponelli, Son and heir to the Caponelli Mafia. Did I forget that the Moretti's and Caponelli's are sworn enemies in the mafia world. Ava just wants to prove to her father she is just as valuable to him as a son. She has gone to law school with the hopes of being a defense attorney for this reason alone, but nothing she does is ever good enough for him. To him she is the problem, wild child that he would rather not have to deal with. So when Nick Caponelli suggest a marriage arrangement with Ava to create peace and unite the two families, her dad very willingly agrees.

This book was such an emotional roller coaster. We go from Ava meeting Nick (unknowingly neither knows who the other is), to her fighting her inner demons and addiction with drugs, to her falling in love with Nick, to the betrayal of her own blood, and loss. I was an absolute wreck after reading this!

Overall, if you are obsessed with morally grey mafia men, like myself, then this is the book for you! Nicole Knight has made it on to my automatic read author list after this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad books for gifting me a copy to read and review!

I have not read a mafia romance that I've LOVED in forever. This was something very unexpected for me.

First - don't just a book by it's cover. I don't think you'd realize how dark this book gets at times based on the very feminine pink cover. I love that it was like a hidden gem.

Second - I fell in love with Nick and Ava. Their chemistry was absolutely OFF the charts. I want more of their story.

Okay so I did not except a darker romance based on the cover but I was PLEASANTLY SURPRISED!! I loved the mafia trope with this book! I loved the surprise within the book that Ava felt after seeing the one night stand, Nick. Nick is somebody that would make anyone absolutely SWOON. I was in love throughout the whole novel.

Oh my! I had forgotten how much I love a good mafia romance! I love a bad boy! Nick is the entire package, good & bad.

I loved the storyline and how it progressed! I love, love, love this book!

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad Books for allowing me to read this ARC for my honest review.

#NetGalley #TiesThatBindUs #NicoleKnight

Ava is a mafia Princess , she's smart, fierce and sassy. Ava does not like to be told what to do or who to be.
Nick is next in line to head the Caponelli mafia, and he is strong willed, arrogant and always gets what and who he wants.

When these two strong personality's collide by chance, neither of them know they are from rival families. They are like two stars colliding together , after a night together they think they will part ways and never see each other again. However fate is a fickle thing.

Ava is faced with huge decisions to make, Will she stay true to she is and follow her heart and her own path or will she be who her family has been preparing her to be her whole life.

I'm not one who is huge on the mafia romances, however i read a webcominc that got me in to the genre and when i came across This one it sounded way to good to pass up and I'm SO GLAD i got the ability to receive the Digital ARC for review. If your new to mafia romances or a seasoned reader I think youll enjoy this. I thoroughly enjoyed this much more than I thought i would.

The romance is *chefs Kiss * amazing but the dynamics between all the characters is so well written as well.

Nick and Ava were written so well for each other and your heart will be rooting for them every step.

Thank you NetGalley and Wattpad Books for the Digital ARC.
Check out my website for reviews and more at www.lexariffe.com

ties that bind us | nicole knight 💍🖤
⭐️⭐️⭐️

*Thank you @netgalley and wattpad publishing for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 🫶

Looking for an arranged marriage/mafia romance/steamy instalust story? This one’s for you 🥀

I was so thrilled to read a mafia romance! It was entertaining, fast paced and light despite the darker topics. 🖤

Maybe I was expecting something deeper, maybe I was not in the right mood : I thought it was good -don’t get me wrong- but it didn’t stand out to me. I really liked the arranged marriage and the forced proximity in this book, but everything was so quick -insta-lust, insta-love, wedding, moving in, etc.- that I couldn’t truly « believe » it. 💍

Nick Caponelli tho (🔥) : I will not shut up about him! It was refreshing to see this mafia man with such power willing to share it so honestly with his partner. Also, we always love when the MMC is head over heels and would k*ll for the FMC (it would be traumatizing irl but shhh 🤫)

This book was just beautiful and one I really enjoyed. I will for sure will be sharing this with others and hope people read this because the story was so well told and written. It flowed perfectly and I didn’t want to put it down.

Honest Feedback

THIS REVIEW CONTAINS SPOILERS

| mafia romance | contemporary romance | dual POV | work in progress | eARC | netgalley | marriage of convenience | arranged marriage | one night stand | family drama | trauma | drug use | insta love |

I hate writing bad reviews, so instead, I want to take this opportunity to provide some honest feedback that can hopefully be taken as constructive criticism. I think this story has massive potential; however, not only does it need another round of editing, but I have some issues with the story, the development of the characters and their backstories, and the overall outcome.


This story started strong; it was laid out nicely, and the meet-cute was executed with finesse. However, the timeline that followed was disconcerting. The characters have their one night stand, and then as they are looking back on their time together, there are details about the night prior that are shared, which felt like they would have been more relevant in the moment versus in memory.

As the story continues, the characters express and strengthen their opinions on not wanting to be in a committed relationship while simultaneously dealing with the reality that there are deeper feelings attached to the agreed-upon one-night stand. This escalates as there is an arranged marriage between the MMC and the sister of the FMC. However, this does not last long, and I think it was just too perfect. It makes the impact on the characters seem inconsequential because the arrangement does not last long before it is restructured to be between the MMC and the FMC.

Just in terms of believability, there are issues for me with the fact that these two characters know of one another by family name, however, their paths have never crossed. For this to be feuding rival families, you would think there would be more knowledge about the other. At the bare minimum, you would think that the families would know how many children their rival family has and most likely their genders, as crime families are passed from father to son. This can easily be explained by the FMC's father keeping the women in his family "in the dark;" however, the FMC is described as somewhat of a wild child who doesn't fit into the confines of her delegated role. From the way the FMC thinks, behaves, and feels, it is hard for me to imagine that she would be so content with being kept in the dark. Her entire personality feels rebellious, and she wants to be part of her family's organization, whether that's known or in secret.

In line with this, the FMC has very strong feelings about arranged marriages, female roles within her family's organization, and the idea of being in a committed relationship in general. It was so unbelievable to me that she just accepted an arranged marriage, even if it was with someone she knew she liked. Due to her nature, I expected a lot more fight from her just for being put in that position, regardless of who the marriage was to.

I also feel that to keep the story dramatic, there were several moments of whiplash where things happen that don't last very long. One such instance is the arranged marriage between the MMC and the sister of the FMC, as mentioned earlier, but there are a few other instances. One such instance is the surprise pregnancy and the themes of addiction and drug use that came out of nowhere. As someone who has addicts in her family, it is unrealistic to me that someone who had to go to such extensive lengths with rehab would drink so freely. As alcohol goes hand in hand with the use of other substances, someone who overdosed and went to rehab and is now drinking alcohol after 6 or more months so casually seems very unlikely to me.

One other thing I want to mention before I get into how the story ends is that throughout the story, there are people being spoken about, introduced, and referenced often. I found that there were so many names, people, and associations that just weren't necessary and diluted the strength of the story. As characters came and went, some played a role, and then their role basically vanished. For example, Bella, the FMC's sister. She played a major role at the beginning of the story, but as our own FMC's story progressed, Bella was completely excluded from the story. Not to mention that Bella's entire personality changed the last time she interacted with our FMC. Bella felt malicious toward our FMC without any explanation or further resolution. As a reader, when this occurred, it felt like the author was leaving herself a window to continue writing in this world, and if that is the case, I do not think this was executed in a way that was conducive to either story.

Lastly, as the story ends, we are given an epilogue where the couple has decided to adopt a child after the loss of their own child. This is explained in one sentence as the MMC's mother was adopted. If this is going to be the basis of their choices, aside from losing a child of their own, it should have been a more discussed point earlier in the book or a part of the plot in the story rather than a single mention in the epilogue. Suprise. They adopt a child, but she's already pregnant with a child of their own. This choice is messy, and it does not contribute to or strengthen the story in any way. Losing a child is traumatic, and on top of all the other trauma happening, I don't think that adoption would truly be the peace these characters needed to move past it.

I do hope the author never has to read this, but these are my honest opinions, and in no way should my words dissuade you from reading this story if you are truly interested. Overall, regardless of the issues, I did like the story. I just personally think it may need to be reworked and strengthened before publishing.

Happy Reading, Friends xx

Ties that Bind by Nicole Knight is the gripping debut in the Caponelli saga, drawing inspiration from the timeless Romeo and Juliet. The story revolves around Nick (Romeo) and Ava (Juliet), who embark on a remarkable journey that's as passionate as it is explosive.
As soon as I met Ava, I was captivated by her fiery persona. Whenever she crosses paths with Nick, there are sparks flying. The dual POV narrative enriches the story, particularly when we see their initial meeting from Nick’s perspective. I felt more connected to the chemistry created by describing their connection and attraction from each of their POVs. As a result, I eagerly anticipate their next meeting.
As fate brings them together, things get complicated when Ava discovers Nick is the sworn enemy of her mafia family. When her father insists Nick marry her sister for the sake of the family business, chaos ensues. Nick’s determination to prove his love for Ava is the quintessential Romeo move.
The twists and turns are riveting and could make you pissed off at the same time, especially with Ava's sister's involvement in the club scene (you'll understand once you read!).

Thank you, Nicole, for kickstarting this thrilling Mafia Romance series. I can’t wait to see where the saga takes me next.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for this book!!

What a great book! I really enjoyed this book. I couldn’t put it down. The author has such a good writing style. This was a first for me by this author but will not be my last! I enjoyed the characters. They had good chemistry.

The whole premise of the book is what drew me in, after that I was disappointed. The writing style felt mediocre at best unfortunately. It was riddled with spelling issues that the more I caught, the more I noticed. The formatting made it difficult at times to tell who was saying what line and I found myself having to read parks multiple times just so I can figure out what was going on. There was also time skips that would not be obvious until after you had already started them. You would be in the middle of a conversation or seeing and then it would be anywhere from a few hours to a few weeks later.

Overall, I did enjoy the banter, but for families that are supposed to be so badass and scary they were sweet (except Ava’s dad) it felt like everything that was a problem would resolve itself way too simply and it felt like more of a soap TV show that a book.

Overall not a terrible book but could use some work.


2.5/5 stars
3/5 spicies

I didn’t realize this was a mafia romance, which normally I don’t really like. This was pretty good, lots of twists and turns and keeps you on your toes.

Long story short: read this book if you want to be swept up in an enjoyable love story that has the twists and turns of mafia life woven into it. I would reread this just to enjoy it all over again.

This is what I would call a mafia romance beach read, meaning you can buckle in, and enjoy the ride and be throughly entertained with all the twists and turns while being swept up into the love story at the heart of it all. I really enjoyed this book, I couldn’t get enough of Ava and Nick from the very beginning. I was intrigued by the mystery man that Ava can’t get out of her head and thought it was endearing that Nick was equally impacted by her and doing everything he can to find out who his mystery woman is. They had such an undeniable magnetism towards each other, you could feel it coming off the pages every time they were together.

There wasn’t much about this book that I didn’t enjoy, apart from the true bad guy (unnamed to prevent spoilers). Ava had been through so much trauma and didn’t feel she deserved the intensity of Nick’s love for her. He truly did everything to protect her and I loved the contrast of how his family was with her, compared to her own family. Everything that they went through eventually made them so much stronger together.

I was hooked from the first chapter, I became more and more invested in Nick and Ava's story. A beautiful love story, entwined with a world of crime and violence, kept me turning pages far into the night.
Absolutely recommend. you want and need to read this

an emotional roller coaster that drew me in on page one.
It kept me guessing, and I am so glad that I got to read this.
Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy!

3.5⭐️

I had the pleasure of reading Ties That Bind Us through NetGalley, and I’m grateful for the opportunity to dive into this Mafia romance. The story centers around Nick and Ava, two intriguing characters whose paths cross in a world where secrets and danger lurk at every corner.

The initial meeting between Nick and Ava was captivating, and I appreciated how their identities were hidden from each other, adding an element of mystery and tension. Their relationship starts off on a suspenseful note, which had me hooked from the very beginning. As they come together once again, their connection deepens, leading to the development of a complex romance filled with emotional highs and lows.

Nick, the Mafia don, embodies every expectation of that role. He’s powerful, commanding, and has that irresistible charm that draws you in. His character fits perfectly within the dark and dangerous world he inhabits. On the other hand, Ava’s backstory is rich with history and layers, which, while adding depth to her character, left me somewhat conflicted. Her past shaped who she is, but there were moments where I wasn’t fully sure how I felt.

The plot of the story itself was solid, and it had a good mix of drama, suspense, and romance. There were ups and downs for both Nick and Ava, each facing their own challenges and obstacles, which kept the narrative dynamic and engaging. Their chemistry was undeniable.

Overall, Ties That Bind Us is an engaging Mafia romance with compelling characters.

I read this title when it first appeared on Wattpad, so reading it as a published book was so nostalgic! This read is on the lighter side of a mafia romance, great for those wanting to dip their toes into that specific genre! The romance was super cute!

Originally a 2.5 star read (but rounded up to 3 since I really liked Nick)

While I loved the chemistry and the banter between Ava and Nick, and I found this story to be quite cute; a part of me was honestly left disappointed. While I could get past some of the grammatical errors (barely), I found the character inconsistency quite frustrating; like, Ava was really into Nick in the beginning and then it kind of goes back and forth with her being into him to not wanting him, back to wanting him and then doubting if she should be with him (it honestly kind of gave me a headache). But I honestly think the biggest issue I had was that it was pretty predictable and at times pretty cringy, I had to kind of force myself at times to continue reading. No hate or anything to this book or to the author, the story was good and kept me hooked at times, there was just a lot of things going on and a lot of things that I felt were off or unnecessary.

Overall, it was a cute read, but it simply wasn't for me.

This was a fun, quick read. It was a little bit predictable, but I think that's because I've read so many mafia romances before. I would still recommend this book; it's well-written. The editor could have corrected a few grammatical errors, but other than that, it's a solid book!

This was a fun twist to arraigned marriage.

Having a one-night stand only to find out they are your future spouse!

There is so much Chemistry between Ava and Nick. I really loved Ava as a strong and feisty female not the damsel in distress. But it is nice seeing the two sides of her.