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Forbidden #1
By Any Other Name
This is an alternate cover edition for isbn13: 9781942206132
A deadly rivalry.
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.
Genevieve "Genna" Galante knows a thing or two about causing trouble. After all, it's engrained in her DNA. As the only daughter of Primo Galante, notorious boss of the Galante crime family, her life is dictated by a certain set of rules… rules Genna was never very good at following.
Matteo "Matty" Barsanti never wanted anything to do with the family business, but as the first-born Barsanti son, certain things are expected of him. It's his duty, according to his father, to help take down the enemy... even if that enemy means something to him.
A chance encounter on an elevator changes the course of lives, causing the biggest trouble of Genna's young life. The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti. She's heard it said time and time again. So what happens when she falls in love with one of them?
The story of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of the biggest rivalry New York has ever seen, determined to make it… if only they can survive their parents' feud.
A deadly rivalry.
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.
Genevieve "Genna" Galante knows a thing or two about causing trouble. After all, it's engrained in her DNA. As the only daughter of Primo Galante, notorious boss of the Galante crime family, her life is dictated by a certain set of rules… rules Genna was never very good at following.
Matteo "Matty" Barsanti never wanted anything to do with the family business, but as the first-born Barsanti son, certain things are expected of him. It's his duty, according to his father, to help take down the enemy... even if that enemy means something to him.
A chance encounter on an elevator changes the course of lives, causing the biggest trouble of Genna's young life. The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti. She's heard it said time and time again. So what happens when she falls in love with one of them?
The story of star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of the biggest rivalry New York has ever seen, determined to make it… if only they can survive their parents' feud.
281 pages, Paperback
First published February 23, 2015
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 641 reviews
April 30, 2021
Romeo and Juliet-ish trope is not a favourite of mine as it rarely ends well; likewise, the angst and unnecessary feuding are often unbearable. By Any Other Name altered my perception and made the concept of forbidden love between spawns of feuding families marginally bearable.
This is my first book by Darhower. The writing? Sublime. Characters? Multi-faceted. Moreover, the story of star-crossed lovers was deftly executed. Sure, we get some insight into the Galante v Barsanti feud and the violence that subsequently follows mob families, however, it was not gratuitous and the story proceeded seamlessly.
It fell short of 5 stars because I was unimpressed by the female protagonist, Genevieve. She was the least charismatic of the entire cast, likewise the development of character. Perhaps I'm being too hard on an 18-year-old, still, one would imagine growing up in a family such as hers would have imbued her with more mad survival skills than what was exhibited. In addition, the premise ensured a level of predictability that detracted from the story.
Overall, enjoyable and a nice baseline to reel us in for the next book.
February 10, 2017
4 Stars!!
I always had a thing for anything mafia related and for forbidden stories as well, but I have to admit I was reluctant to read this one. First, because I knew is a modern day ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story and I’m not really a fan of this Shakespearean novel and secondly, because I thought it will be too young adult-ish for me. Well, it wasn’t and I’m happy to say it surprised me in a very good way. I’m a big fan of this author. She always writes interesting, unputdownable stories and with this novel she delivered an exciting forbidden tale, balancing the romance and suspense very well.
New York is a hot spot for organized crime. The city is controlled by five families, although two hold the most power around Manhattan: the Galantes and the Barsantis. There was a time when the five families managed to live together in peace, but everything changed between the two of them 16 years ago when something tragic happened and the Galantes and the Barsantis became enemies.
Genevieve “Genna” Galante is the only daughter of Primo Galante, the head of the Galante crime family. While her father has rules and certain expectations, Genna is not very good at fallowing directions. She’s wild, reckless and not as innocent her father tends to believe. She was always controlled by him and her older brother and there are times when she just wants to escape, to be someone else. She knows that her father means well and that her family has many enemies and she also knows about the Barsantis.
Matthew “Matty” Barsanti is the firstborn son of the Barsanti family. He hasn’t been around in years, recently graduating college and coming back to spend some time with his terminally ill mother. Not many know that he’s back in NY and he prefers everything to stay this way since he hates ‘the family business’, who his father is and what everyone expects from him – to be the next head of the Barsanti family.
Genna and Matty are drawn to each other from the moment they met, neither of them knowing who the other really is. When they find out their families are mortal enemies, they try –not very hard- to stay away from each other, but their connection and later the feelings for each other are too strong to care about the consequences.
Despite the fact this one is a modern day ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story and despite the fact there is some insta-love between the two main characters, I really enjoyed this one. It wasn’t the best mafia romance I have ever read or the best book I have read from this author, but it was a good solid, intriguing, suspenseful read, so it goes without saying I’m looking forward to read the next installment/s in the series.
Both Gemma and Matty were likeable characters, had depth most of the time and were well developed. Gemma was from the beginning portrayed like a wild young girl, but while she was wild, she wasn’t portrayed as stupid or naïve, fact that I really liked. Even if she’s only 18 years old, she wasn’t immature or annoying. In fact there were times when I liked and appreciated very much her strength and determination. I loved her loyalty to her family as much as I loved her feelings for Matty.
Matty was pure and simple a sweetie. I loved his character. Very endearing from start to finish. I loved the way he loved Gemma and his protectiveness and adoration towards her.
Gemma and Matty were adorable together. I love them! Loved how easily they connected with each other from the beginning, how their relationship progressed and of course their banter and sexy innuendos.
I have to say this story kept me at the edge of my seat. ‘Watching’ Gemma and Matty risk everything to be together wasn’t easy at times, because like I mentioned above the story was suspenseful as much as it was romantic, but their love story was very sweet. The secondary characters were likeable as well even if they had their own flaws. Both Gemma’s brother and Matty’s brother were interesting, well developed characters and I liked the two MC’s relationship with them.
The epilogue was very intriguing to say the least. I have many questions so is safe to say I’m dying to know how everything will come to an end for these two young lovers. Overall, an entertaining read that kept me glued to the pages from start to finish.
"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet."
Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2
I always had a thing for anything mafia related and for forbidden stories as well, but I have to admit I was reluctant to read this one. First, because I knew is a modern day ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story and I’m not really a fan of this Shakespearean novel and secondly, because I thought it will be too young adult-ish for me. Well, it wasn’t and I’m happy to say it surprised me in a very good way. I’m a big fan of this author. She always writes interesting, unputdownable stories and with this novel she delivered an exciting forbidden tale, balancing the romance and suspense very well.
New York is a hot spot for organized crime. The city is controlled by five families, although two hold the most power around Manhattan: the Galantes and the Barsantis. There was a time when the five families managed to live together in peace, but everything changed between the two of them 16 years ago when something tragic happened and the Galantes and the Barsantis became enemies.
”Their families didn’t just carry animosity – they were mortal enemies, hell-bent on destroying each other. The two of them were a disaster waiting to happen, and they had just been fooling themselves if they thought anything good could come out of this thing.”
Genevieve “Genna” Galante is the only daughter of Primo Galante, the head of the Galante crime family. While her father has rules and certain expectations, Genna is not very good at fallowing directions. She’s wild, reckless and not as innocent her father tends to believe. She was always controlled by him and her older brother and there are times when she just wants to escape, to be someone else. She knows that her father means well and that her family has many enemies and she also knows about the Barsantis.
“The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti."
Matthew “Matty” Barsanti is the firstborn son of the Barsanti family. He hasn’t been around in years, recently graduating college and coming back to spend some time with his terminally ill mother. Not many know that he’s back in NY and he prefers everything to stay this way since he hates ‘the family business’, who his father is and what everyone expects from him – to be the next head of the Barsanti family.
“He just tried to survive it. He'd been trying to survive it since he was a kid, too young to have to deal with having a bounty on his head.
The son pays for the father's sins.”
Genna and Matty are drawn to each other from the moment they met, neither of them knowing who the other really is. When they find out their families are mortal enemies, they try –not very hard- to stay away from each other, but their connection and later the feelings for each other are too strong to care about the consequences.
“He was a Barsanti. He was one of them. She should have been disgusted. She should've been consumed by hate. But looking at him, all she could feel were those butterflies.”
Despite the fact this one is a modern day ‘Romeo and Juliet’ story and despite the fact there is some insta-love between the two main characters, I really enjoyed this one. It wasn’t the best mafia romance I have ever read or the best book I have read from this author, but it was a good solid, intriguing, suspenseful read, so it goes without saying I’m looking forward to read the next installment/s in the series.
Both Gemma and Matty were likeable characters, had depth most of the time and were well developed. Gemma was from the beginning portrayed like a wild young girl, but while she was wild, she wasn’t portrayed as stupid or naïve, fact that I really liked. Even if she’s only 18 years old, she wasn’t immature or annoying. In fact there were times when I liked and appreciated very much her strength and determination. I loved her loyalty to her family as much as I loved her feelings for Matty.
"I risk coming here, because one of us has to take that risk. One of us has to be willing to take the chance."
Matty was pure and simple a sweetie. I loved his character. Very endearing from start to finish. I loved the way he loved Gemma and his protectiveness and adoration towards her.
Gemma and Matty were adorable together. I love them! Loved how easily they connected with each other from the beginning, how their relationship progressed and of course their banter and sexy innuendos.
"What am I gonna do about you, princess?" She gazed at him, her stomach finally settling down. "Love me," she whispered. Matty smiled, reaching over and brushing the back of his hand along her flushed cheek. "I already do."
I have to say this story kept me at the edge of my seat. ‘Watching’ Gemma and Matty risk everything to be together wasn’t easy at times, because like I mentioned above the story was suspenseful as much as it was romantic, but their love story was very sweet. The secondary characters were likeable as well even if they had their own flaws. Both Gemma’s brother and Matty’s brother were interesting, well developed characters and I liked the two MC’s relationship with them.
The epilogue was very intriguing to say the least. I have many questions so is safe to say I’m dying to know how everything will come to an end for these two young lovers. Overall, an entertaining read that kept me glued to the pages from start to finish.
"You're right that we shouldn't. But I won't agree that we can't. We can, and I want to.”
February 17, 2015
LOVED IT!!!
It was like I was parched and By Any Other Name quenched my thirst with a big dose of WOW.
I love when Ms. Darhower writes mafia stories because I know her books are going to hit the spot, for me. By Any Other Name is a modern day Romeo and Juliet, in the fact, it’s about the forbidden love of two people from feuding families.
New York is controlled by five crime families: the Galantes, the Barsantis, the Amaros, the Genevas and the Calabreses. For a brief passing moment the Chicago crime family, the DeMarcos, are mentioned. I love that they were mentioned because it automatically made me think about Sempre. It's just noted in a conversation and does not play a role in the story. So, it's not neccessary for you to have read Sempre to be able to read this book.
An incident took place 16 years ago that started a rivalry between the Galantes and the Barsantis. To this day, these two powerhouses stay in their own territory to prevent war. Only problem is when a chance meeting between Genna Galante & Matty Barsanti occurs with neither one realizing the other’s last name. Like their counterparts, Romeo and Juliet, they have a quick connection to each other.
The rivalry between the two crime families, Galante and Barsanti, had me conflicted. One moment I supported the one family and the next I was 100% with the other family. Part way through, I decided, I had no clue which family was in the right and which was in wrong. Therefore, I resolved to stay neutral on which family was justified in their actions until the rest of the puzzle on why they are fighting is revealed.
One of my favorite relationships in this book was Genna and her older brother, Dante. The reason I enjoyed it so much was because it reminds me of my own kids relationship. My son is responsible to make sure his sister arrives to and from her activities safely just as Dante was responsible for Genna. My kid's bond was formed when they were little and my daughter relied heavily on her brother because he was the only one who could understand what she was saying… he always knew and would speak for her. Genna and Dante's bond was formed in those early years too. It was like the author looked into our family, minus the mafia stuff, and captured the essences of the older brother protecting the younger sister aspect. ”You’re my little sister. It’s my job to look after you.” -Dante
While, I wouldn’t classify the ending as a cliffhanger I would say it’s more like the story is unsettled. We are left with loose ends that need resolution. I’m longing for book two and the anticipation on when it will be released has me like a fat kid in a candy store.
One final note. At the end of last Ms. Darhower announced she was releasing a new book and I was excited because, ”As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.” -Winnie the Pooh
I LOVE her mafia books. READ THIS BOOK!
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Release date: 2/23/2015
Pre-order | order: http://amzn.to/17k7o1z
SERIES:
To find out when the next book in the series will be released click here.
GIVEAWAY: 2 kindle copies. Find info here->http://wp.me/p4uAPW-1b0
**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
It was like I was parched and By Any Other Name quenched my thirst with a big dose of WOW.
I love when Ms. Darhower writes mafia stories because I know her books are going to hit the spot, for me. By Any Other Name is a modern day Romeo and Juliet, in the fact, it’s about the forbidden love of two people from feuding families.
New York is controlled by five crime families: the Galantes, the Barsantis, the Amaros, the Genevas and the Calabreses. For a brief passing moment the Chicago crime family, the DeMarcos, are mentioned. I love that they were mentioned because it automatically made me think about Sempre. It's just noted in a conversation and does not play a role in the story. So, it's not neccessary for you to have read Sempre to be able to read this book.
An incident took place 16 years ago that started a rivalry between the Galantes and the Barsantis. To this day, these two powerhouses stay in their own territory to prevent war. Only problem is when a chance meeting between Genna Galante & Matty Barsanti occurs with neither one realizing the other’s last name. Like their counterparts, Romeo and Juliet, they have a quick connection to each other.
The rivalry between the two crime families, Galante and Barsanti, had me conflicted. One moment I supported the one family and the next I was 100% with the other family. Part way through, I decided, I had no clue which family was in the right and which was in wrong. Therefore, I resolved to stay neutral on which family was justified in their actions until the rest of the puzzle on why they are fighting is revealed.
One of my favorite relationships in this book was Genna and her older brother, Dante. The reason I enjoyed it so much was because it reminds me of my own kids relationship. My son is responsible to make sure his sister arrives to and from her activities safely just as Dante was responsible for Genna. My kid's bond was formed when they were little and my daughter relied heavily on her brother because he was the only one who could understand what she was saying… he always knew and would speak for her. Genna and Dante's bond was formed in those early years too. It was like the author looked into our family, minus the mafia stuff, and captured the essences of the older brother protecting the younger sister aspect. ”You’re my little sister. It’s my job to look after you.” -Dante
While, I wouldn’t classify the ending as a cliffhanger I would say it’s more like the story is unsettled. We are left with loose ends that need resolution. I’m longing for book two and the anticipation on when it will be released has me like a fat kid in a candy store.
One final note. At the end of last Ms. Darhower announced she was releasing a new book and I was excited because, ”As soon as I saw you, I knew an adventure was going to happen.” -Winnie the Pooh
I LOVE her mafia books. READ THIS BOOK!
✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦✦
Release date: 2/23/2015
Pre-order | order: http://amzn.to/17k7o1z
SERIES:
To find out when the next book in the series will be released click here.
GIVEAWAY: 2 kindle copies. Find info here->http://wp.me/p4uAPW-1b0
**Complimentary copy in exchange for an honest review.**
February 17, 2015
”Trust me…I know the enemy when I see it.”
The Galante and the Barsanti's are NYC’s top Italian crime families. They used to be close knit but horrific events in the past have cemented a rivalary that has bleed into the city streets and is carried on by their now grown children.
”Their families didn’t just carry animosity – they were mortal enemies, hell-bent on destroying each other. The two of them were a disaster waiting to happen, and they had just been fooling themselves if they thought anything good could come out of this thing.”
Genevieve “Genna” Galante is wild and reckless even with her big brother, Dante’s constant protection. Still even she knows better than to go near a Barasanti. When yet another reckless teenage prank lands her in the courtroom facing a ton of community service hours she’s down and out.
A chance meeting in the courthouse elevator with a hot guy has Genna spending the day with this Matty B and getting very hot and heavy over this amazing man. Matteo “Matty” Barsanti is the first born of the Barsanti family he hasn’t been around is years from boarding schools and college his return has been kept on the down low and neither realizes that they are in fact the others mortal enemy.
Matteo is willing to risk his life and his standing with his family to spend time with Genna. He’s the family’s bookie and isn’t interested in more. Matteo takes the chance for the girl who’s stolen his heart damn the consequences.
”"I risk coming here, because one of us has to take that risk. One of us has to be willing to take the chance.”
"He didn't scare her, not in the least. What scared her was the way she felt about him."
Both Genna and Matteo’s brothers are highly ranked in their family’s business and are strong and protective over them so what happens when the truth of their relationship comes out? Both heads of these families are hell bent on ending the other once and for all. Blood is shed, lives are lost and our couple is in the cross fire.
”The son pays for the father’s sins.”
Overall, this was a good mafia read that accurately mentions areas of Manhattan and the story’s main focus consistently stayed on this couple’s relationship. I did feel that both families lack of church and/or connection to religion was odd, being a New Yorker and an Italian Catholic myself. The character’s speech also didn’t have a New York vibe to it either. Also, the few meals weren’t very authentic but pretty generalized. However generalized both family’s Italianism and New Yorkism was to me, the story was exciting and heart stopping especially approaching the ending. I’m interested in reading further about this modern day Romeo and Juliet and where things amongst the families will be after the smoke settles.
*ARC kindly provided by J.M. Darhower in exchange for an honest review*
February 19, 2015
2 stars!
Before I start my review, I want to clarify that at first I set the book down at the 87% mark because I couldn’t take it anymore. After a while I did pick it up again and finished, and I liked what I read in the ending so I bumped up my rating from 1.5 to 2 stars. It doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t like most of the book but it’s something I thought to add.
Now…about this book. I haven’t felt this frustrated and annoyed by a story and its characters in a while. Once the rage passed, I only felt extreme disappointment that a J.M. Darhower book wasn’t a winner for me, because up to this point I have read and enjoyed all of her work. She’s an author I’ve come to trust implicitly, and because so I believed going in blind would enhance my reading experience – all I knew about this book was that it was a forbidden mafia romance. Looking back, I wish I had done a little more digging because if I had, I would’ve deduced this book wouldn’t be for me.
My review from this point on will contain spoilers, all minor in my opinion. If you want to go in blind, I suggest you stop reading here.
For my first contention, this book is literally a modern spin of Romeo + Juliet, one of my least favorite pieces of literature because of all the over-the-top drama and insta-love, and as to be expected, this book was also over the top and contained insta-love that was reminiscent of both the Shakespearean play and Monster in His Eyes (I liked this one but it was also my least favorite of this author’s books). This quality alone would’ve signaled warning bells, and because it’s my fault for not doing a little more research on it, I don’t hold this against the author and have not factored it into my rating at all.
What did drag down my rating by a whole lot though was this so-called forbidden romance and the feud between the hero and heroine’s families that drove a wedge between their relationship. Here are some aspects that made this forbidden romance not so forbidden:
-Of course the hero and heroine have mindblowing sex before they know they’re from enemy families and fall for each other like that. Basically before the forbidden part takes place they’re already in deep.
-The hero Matty has never been tied to mafia life like his other family members. I guess it was convenient to have him be disillusioned with that side of his family and he wants nothing more to get out of it; thus, he had no qualms of striking up a relationship with the daughter of his family’s enemy.
-Same goes for the heroine Genna. She did have some inner turmoil over whether or not she wanted to purse a relationship but it didn’t last long. On top of that, her character rubbed me the wrong way. Even though she was eighteen, she was incredibly shallow, naïve, and immature, acting like Daddy’s spoiled princess and no joke, I despise girls like that in real life so of course it didn’t work well fictionally either. For prime examples, refer to her trial with the judge when she was caught stealing a car and the period of her community service at a soup kitchen.
In addition, the actual feud between Matty and Genna’s families has a very, VERY weak basis which in turns weakens the forbidden aspect to the romance. Part of both families’ need for vengeance is revealed in the gripping prologue (which I liked by the way) and later on in a flashback, but I was disheartened that the author never took the time to explain just WHY these events occurred to stem so much hatred between the two families. It certainly felt like they were thrown in just to feed the drama and be a filler reason to why Matty and Genna couldn’t be together – not that it actually stopped them.
Many of the events that occurred required a great deal of suspension of disbelief in order for me to enjoy the story, and I’m sorry to say, but unless a book is paranormal or fantasy, suspending disbelief is not something I can do. My biggest complaint is a big plot spoiler, but for those that have read the book you may know what I’m talking about…
Lastly…clichés! Clichés everywhere! Probably the biggest one that drove me up a wall is yet another spoiler and well jeez. Amidst all the chaos that’s happening, throwing that in was just drama overload and by this point, I didn’t care about anything. I didn’t care about the romance, didn’t care about the dumb feud that lacked a solid basis, didn’t care about the story. After ranting and then bouncing off different takes of the book with a friend who had read this already, I picked up the book once again and read to the end, which I’m glad I did, because the epilogue was great for me.
If you’re still reading my review, I thank you for your patience reading all my word vomit but as you can see, this book didn’t work for me at all. The prologue and epilogue were fantastic, but the innerds…not so much. I’m still a huge fan of this author though and do look forward to her upcoming books.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Before I start my review, I want to clarify that at first I set the book down at the 87% mark because I couldn’t take it anymore. After a while I did pick it up again and finished, and I liked what I read in the ending so I bumped up my rating from 1.5 to 2 stars. It doesn’t change the fact that I didn’t like most of the book but it’s something I thought to add.
Now…about this book. I haven’t felt this frustrated and annoyed by a story and its characters in a while. Once the rage passed, I only felt extreme disappointment that a J.M. Darhower book wasn’t a winner for me, because up to this point I have read and enjoyed all of her work. She’s an author I’ve come to trust implicitly, and because so I believed going in blind would enhance my reading experience – all I knew about this book was that it was a forbidden mafia romance. Looking back, I wish I had done a little more digging because if I had, I would’ve deduced this book wouldn’t be for me.
My review from this point on will contain spoilers, all minor in my opinion. If you want to go in blind, I suggest you stop reading here.
For my first contention, this book is literally a modern spin of Romeo + Juliet, one of my least favorite pieces of literature because of all the over-the-top drama and insta-love, and as to be expected, this book was also over the top and contained insta-love that was reminiscent of both the Shakespearean play and Monster in His Eyes (I liked this one but it was also my least favorite of this author’s books). This quality alone would’ve signaled warning bells, and because it’s my fault for not doing a little more research on it, I don’t hold this against the author and have not factored it into my rating at all.
What did drag down my rating by a whole lot though was this so-called forbidden romance and the feud between the hero and heroine’s families that drove a wedge between their relationship. Here are some aspects that made this forbidden romance not so forbidden:
-Of course the hero and heroine have mindblowing sex before they know they’re from enemy families and fall for each other like that. Basically before the forbidden part takes place they’re already in deep.
-The hero Matty has never been tied to mafia life like his other family members. I guess it was convenient to have him be disillusioned with that side of his family and he wants nothing more to get out of it; thus, he had no qualms of striking up a relationship with the daughter of his family’s enemy.
-Same goes for the heroine Genna. She did have some inner turmoil over whether or not she wanted to purse a relationship but it didn’t last long. On top of that, her character rubbed me the wrong way. Even though she was eighteen, she was incredibly shallow, naïve, and immature, acting like Daddy’s spoiled princess and no joke, I despise girls like that in real life so of course it didn’t work well fictionally either. For prime examples, refer to her trial with the judge when she was caught stealing a car and the period of her community service at a soup kitchen.
In addition, the actual feud between Matty and Genna’s families has a very, VERY weak basis which in turns weakens the forbidden aspect to the romance. Part of both families’ need for vengeance is revealed in the gripping prologue (which I liked by the way) and later on in a flashback, but I was disheartened that the author never took the time to explain just WHY these events occurred to stem so much hatred between the two families. It certainly felt like they were thrown in just to feed the drama and be a filler reason to why Matty and Genna couldn’t be together – not that it actually stopped them.
Many of the events that occurred required a great deal of suspension of disbelief in order for me to enjoy the story, and I’m sorry to say, but unless a book is paranormal or fantasy, suspending disbelief is not something I can do. My biggest complaint is a big plot spoiler, but for those that have read the book you may know what I’m talking about…
Lastly…clichés! Clichés everywhere! Probably the biggest one that drove me up a wall is yet another spoiler and well jeez. Amidst all the chaos that’s happening, throwing that in was just drama overload and by this point, I didn’t care about anything. I didn’t care about the romance, didn’t care about the dumb feud that lacked a solid basis, didn’t care about the story. After ranting and then bouncing off different takes of the book with a friend who had read this already, I picked up the book once again and read to the end, which I’m glad I did, because the epilogue was great for me.
If you’re still reading my review, I thank you for your patience reading all my word vomit but as you can see, this book didn’t work for me at all. The prologue and epilogue were fantastic, but the innerds…not so much. I’m still a huge fan of this author though and do look forward to her upcoming books.
ARC provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
July 15, 2015
4 Stars
Are you sitting down for this? Because what I'm about to tell you here is so shocking, it's crazy! *whispers* (this is the first J.M. Darhower book I've read) *pause for dramatic gasps* I know! I'm not sure what rock I've clearly been living on there, but I have found my way out and seen the light because I am definitely a huge fan after finishing this book
Star crossed lovers on opposite ends of rivaling mafia families? Sign me right up!
Genevieve "Genna" Galante is the youngest child and only daughter of Primo Galante; the notorious and ruthless head of the Galante crime family. She may be daddy's little girl, but she's no innocent. If there's trouble to cause, she's in the thick of it. Her life is kept under tight control by her father and older brother who is set to take over the family business. Gemma may be a trouble maker that loves to break rules, but there's one thing she knows
While her family has plenty of enemies, the most dangerous is the rivaling mafia family, the Brasanti's. A deadly rivalry that began years ago. A rivalry where no one is spared, and Gemma knows the price her family paid that began the ruthless war between the two families.
Gemma longs to escape the rules, the life, the restrictions, the death of it all. Then one night she looks into a pair of the most striking blue eyes she's ever seen, and is completely captivated by the man that owns them. Matty. But what she doesn't realize is that the man that captures her heart in just a few short hours happens to be the first born son of her family's rival.
Sure this had a little insta-something feel to it, but hey, you are reading a Romeo and Juliet-esk romance after all. I loved how the author managed to have that but also stretch it out and truly build up the chemistry between these two characters.
I was afraid that with Gemma being only 18 years old, she may come off as too naive and annoying for my tastes, but that was never the case. While she may have been young, she had a sensibility to her that was beyond her years and circumstances.
I absolutely adored her and Matty together. It definitely helped that the story is told in alternating POVs (though I did find myself wishing it was in first person, as I felt it may have helped me to connect even more to the characters).
The focus of the book was more so on the romance, though you do get bits and pieces of the history of these two families. You get a lot more from Gemma's family than you do of Matty's, however. There's a few hints that are dropped here and there about what began the rivalry and there's clearly a huge piece of the puzzle that is still missing from Matty's side, but you won't be getting much here. This book truly set up the romance aspect, while leaving the reader with plenty of questions to have you burning for the next book.
I loved all the secondary characters, and the plot had me glued to the pages from beginning to end. I think I spent the last 30% of the book with my heart in my throat, just waiting for that other shoe to drop. With stories of this nature, you just know that all shit is about to hit the fan sooner rather than later, but you just never know when or how. I was on the edge of my seat until the last page, and after that ending? I'm dying to know how everything concludes.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
Shall I compare thee to a...uh...whatever the hell Shakespeare compares thee to."
"A summer's day, but I'm more like a winter storm."
"Ice princess," he joked, softly kissing her as he gripped her hips. "You feel warm to me."
Are you sitting down for this? Because what I'm about to tell you here is so shocking, it's crazy! *whispers* (this is the first J.M. Darhower book I've read) *pause for dramatic gasps* I know! I'm not sure what rock I've clearly been living on there, but I have found my way out and seen the light because I am definitely a huge fan after finishing this book
Star crossed lovers on opposite ends of rivaling mafia families? Sign me right up!
Genevieve "Genna" Galante is the youngest child and only daughter of Primo Galante; the notorious and ruthless head of the Galante crime family. She may be daddy's little girl, but she's no innocent. If there's trouble to cause, she's in the thick of it. Her life is kept under tight control by her father and older brother who is set to take over the family business. Gemma may be a trouble maker that loves to break rules, but there's one thing she knows
While her family has plenty of enemies, the most dangerous is the rivaling mafia family, the Brasanti's. A deadly rivalry that began years ago. A rivalry where no one is spared, and Gemma knows the price her family paid that began the ruthless war between the two families.
Gemma longs to escape the rules, the life, the restrictions, the death of it all. Then one night she looks into a pair of the most striking blue eyes she's ever seen, and is completely captivated by the man that owns them. Matty. But what she doesn't realize is that the man that captures her heart in just a few short hours happens to be the first born son of her family's rival.
"What?"
"You."
"You had me," she whispered, cheeks flushing at the reminder.
"I did," he agreed. "But the past isn't what matters. I live in the present, Genna. I live in the NOW. I had you, yeah, but what I want is to HAVE you."
Sure this had a little insta-something feel to it, but hey, you are reading a Romeo and Juliet-esk romance after all. I loved how the author managed to have that but also stretch it out and truly build up the chemistry between these two characters.
Matty's brow furrowed. "Sure."
"How do you fix your hair so your horns don't show?"
I was afraid that with Gemma being only 18 years old, she may come off as too naive and annoying for my tastes, but that was never the case. While she may have been young, she had a sensibility to her that was beyond her years and circumstances.
I absolutely adored her and Matty together. It definitely helped that the story is told in alternating POVs (though I did find myself wishing it was in first person, as I felt it may have helped me to connect even more to the characters).
"It does," she agreed, suddenly queasy as she admitted it out loud. "I feel kind of like Julia Roberts."
"Pretty Woman?"
"Sleeping with the Enemy."
The focus of the book was more so on the romance, though you do get bits and pieces of the history of these two families. You get a lot more from Gemma's family than you do of Matty's, however. There's a few hints that are dropped here and there about what began the rivalry and there's clearly a huge piece of the puzzle that is still missing from Matty's side, but you won't be getting much here. This book truly set up the romance aspect, while leaving the reader with plenty of questions to have you burning for the next book.
I loved all the secondary characters, and the plot had me glued to the pages from beginning to end. I think I spent the last 30% of the book with my heart in my throat, just waiting for that other shoe to drop. With stories of this nature, you just know that all shit is about to hit the fan sooner rather than later, but you just never know when or how. I was on the edge of my seat until the last page, and after that ending? I'm dying to know how everything concludes.
ARC courtesy of author in exchange for an honest review
For more reviews visit
June 2, 2020
2nd read: January 25,2018
I've read this book almost 2 years ago and last night in a sudden decision I wanted to read it one more time and my goodness, it was still sooooo good! Because this book belongs to my queen! Yeah, JMD never disappoints me.... :)
--------------------------
1st read: March 5,2016
OMFG Why the hell I wait to read this book? Why nobody warned me? That was Woooow. I loved it. :) Matty & Genna’s chemistry were of the charts. So fucking hot and so funny together. :)
And it’s 3:20 am in Turkey right now and I’m so fucked. How am I gonna sleep now? That epilogue. Holy shiiit! J.M.Darhower, I need 2nd book. I want it anytime soon. Is there going to be a 2nd book? God, why did I do that myself? How am I gonna wait now? Fuuuck!
That’s me when I read the last sentence of the epilogue.. :-\
I've read this book almost 2 years ago and last night in a sudden decision I wanted to read it one more time and my goodness, it was still sooooo good! Because this book belongs to my queen! Yeah, JMD never disappoints me.... :)
--------------------------
1st read: March 5,2016
OMFG Why the hell I wait to read this book? Why nobody warned me? That was Woooow. I loved it. :) Matty & Genna’s chemistry were of the charts. So fucking hot and so funny together. :)
And it’s 3:20 am in Turkey right now and I’m so fucked. How am I gonna sleep now? That epilogue. Holy shiiit! J.M.Darhower, I need 2nd book. I want it anytime soon. Is there going to be a 2nd book? God, why did I do that myself? How am I gonna wait now? Fuuuck!
That’s me when I read the last sentence of the epilogue.. :-\
February 15, 2015
4 STARS! ★★★★
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti."
When it comes to mafia reads, there is no doubt that JM Darhower is one of the queen of mafia writings especially with her Sempre series that managed to deliver a storyline so riveting and thrilling that had me glued to my Kindle all day long. By Any Other Name is no exception to her ability to once again transports her readers back into the dark world of the mafia, leaving us to deal with the violent acts that plagued the streets of whilst allowing us to witness the tragic fate of the young star-crossed lovers who were born into this mess.
The story revolves around the Galante's and the Barsanti's; two of the most powerful mafia families in the streets of NYC. What used to be a strong friendship between these two had turned into a deadly rivalry after a tragic event in the early years. Now the remnants of that has left both families vowing to take revenge and neither will stop until one has been completely obliterated.
A chance encounter of being stuck in an elevator brought Genna, the sole daughter of the Galante and Matty, the firstborn son of the Barsanti together where they shared an undeniable connection. They hit it off later during a couple of drinks but unbeknownst to each other, they're each their own mortal enemy. When the truth is out, it proves to be a battle of the heart wants what it can't have and with family loyalty that stands in their way, ultimately which would triumph?
I'm a complete sucker for these modern Romeo & Juliet storylines and coupled with the fact that it's done in a mafia-based setting, I found myself knee in deep with this story at every turn. There was a good balance of romance and suspense that didn't leave a dull moment at all. I could feel the trepidation radiating off me while watching these two risking and fighting for their chance at love despite the circumstances that were attached to their family names.
There was definitely some insta-feelings going on in this read but I didn't find it to be completely off-putting as things did move at a gradual pace between these two. What kinda sets this apart with the Sempre series is that this one focuses more on the forbidden romance aspect over the mafia plotline. There was no escaping from the brutal scenes that came along with the ride as we delved into this gritty world, but I was hoping to have a more detailed backstory of the war waged between these two families. I wanted to understand what really drove these two into a blood-shedding vengeance.
Overall as the title puts it, By Any Other Name definitely captured the star-crossed lovers aspect well and be ready to put your heart on the line for Genna & Matty. The first instalment definitely leaves a lot to be answered but it was nothing short of heart-pounding and filled with passionate scenes. It does end with a mini cliffy which I'd say, is similar to Sempre's ending where it ends off with enough closure but still leaves you dying for the next one. I can't wait to see what's next for the Galante and Barsanti!
By Any Other Name is the first instalment in the Forbidden series.
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Follow our blog for more reviews!
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti."
When it comes to mafia reads, there is no doubt that JM Darhower is one of the queen of mafia writings especially with her Sempre series that managed to deliver a storyline so riveting and thrilling that had me glued to my Kindle all day long. By Any Other Name is no exception to her ability to once again transports her readers back into the dark world of the mafia, leaving us to deal with the violent acts that plagued the streets of whilst allowing us to witness the tragic fate of the young star-crossed lovers who were born into this mess.
The story revolves around the Galante's and the Barsanti's; two of the most powerful mafia families in the streets of NYC. What used to be a strong friendship between these two had turned into a deadly rivalry after a tragic event in the early years. Now the remnants of that has left both families vowing to take revenge and neither will stop until one has been completely obliterated.
"Their families didn't just carry animosity- they were mortal enemies, hell-bent on destroying each other. The two of them were a disaster waiting to happen."
A chance encounter of being stuck in an elevator brought Genna, the sole daughter of the Galante and Matty, the firstborn son of the Barsanti together where they shared an undeniable connection. They hit it off later during a couple of drinks but unbeknownst to each other, they're each their own mortal enemy. When the truth is out, it proves to be a battle of the heart wants what it can't have and with family loyalty that stands in their way, ultimately which would triumph?
"I risk coming here, because one of us has to take that risk. One of us has to be willing to take the chance."
I'm a complete sucker for these modern Romeo & Juliet storylines and coupled with the fact that it's done in a mafia-based setting, I found myself knee in deep with this story at every turn. There was a good balance of romance and suspense that didn't leave a dull moment at all. I could feel the trepidation radiating off me while watching these two risking and fighting for their chance at love despite the circumstances that were attached to their family names.
There was definitely some insta-feelings going on in this read but I didn't find it to be completely off-putting as things did move at a gradual pace between these two. What kinda sets this apart with the Sempre series is that this one focuses more on the forbidden romance aspect over the mafia plotline. There was no escaping from the brutal scenes that came along with the ride as we delved into this gritty world, but I was hoping to have a more detailed backstory of the war waged between these two families. I wanted to understand what really drove these two into a blood-shedding vengeance.
Overall as the title puts it, By Any Other Name definitely captured the star-crossed lovers aspect well and be ready to put your heart on the line for Genna & Matty. The first instalment definitely leaves a lot to be answered but it was nothing short of heart-pounding and filled with passionate scenes. It does end with a mini cliffy which I'd say, is similar to Sempre's ending where it ends off with enough closure but still leaves you dying for the next one. I can't wait to see what's next for the Galante and Barsanti!
By Any Other Name is the first instalment in the Forbidden series.
ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.
Follow our blog for more reviews!
February 25, 2015
4 Forbidden Stars.
Two Italian families. A huge feud between them. The daughter and the son of the head of the family fall in love. A forbidden love story.
No, this isn’t Romeo & Juliet.
This is present NY, where the two biggest Italian criminal families hate each other over an event a few years ago. Until an expected encounter in a broken elevator changes everything.
Because that was the day when Genna and Matty met. And then they fall in love even knowing that they shouldn’t be close to each other. Sometimes love is stronger than our own will.
But when both of their fathers are just waiting for the perfect opportunity to put the other down and get revenge, what will they choose first? Their love or their family?
Since I’ve read “Sempre” that this author is an automatic “one-click” of mine. So far, she never disappointed, and this book was no exception.
This was an amazingly written, modern spinning of the “Romeo & Juliet” (luckily, with a different ending… so far). If you’re afraid of going in because for some reason this is shelved as dark, do not fear, this is not dark. Yes, there are a few shocking moments, but isn’t a dark reading. But it’s an emotional love story that will keep on edge and leave you wanting more. I need the next installment, now!!
Go ahead, gibe this a try!
Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: I liked how Genna was kind of a badass and not a “goody-two-shoes” heroine. She said exactly how she saw it and wasn’t afraid of go after what she wanted. There was some moments where I felt frustrated with her, but overall, she was a strong heroine and I liked her a lot. Matteo or “Matty” was pretty damn good either. He also didn’t waver when it came to be with Genna, and he was sweet and loyal. A really good hero. I can’t wait to read more about them in the next books!
Steam: Some heated scenes.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
Two Italian families. A huge feud between them. The daughter and the son of the head of the family fall in love. A forbidden love story.
No, this isn’t Romeo & Juliet.
This is present NY, where the two biggest Italian criminal families hate each other over an event a few years ago. Until an expected encounter in a broken elevator changes everything.
Because that was the day when Genna and Matty met. And then they fall in love even knowing that they shouldn’t be close to each other. Sometimes love is stronger than our own will.
But when both of their fathers are just waiting for the perfect opportunity to put the other down and get revenge, what will they choose first? Their love or their family?
Since I’ve read “Sempre” that this author is an automatic “one-click” of mine. So far, she never disappointed, and this book was no exception.
This was an amazingly written, modern spinning of the “Romeo & Juliet” (luckily, with a different ending… so far). If you’re afraid of going in because for some reason this is shelved as dark, do not fear, this is not dark. Yes, there are a few shocking moments, but isn’t a dark reading. But it’s an emotional love story that will keep on edge and leave you wanting more. I need the next installment, now!!
Go ahead, gibe this a try!
Rating: 4 Stars.
Characters Development: I liked how Genna was kind of a badass and not a “goody-two-shoes” heroine. She said exactly how she saw it and wasn’t afraid of go after what she wanted. There was some moments where I felt frustrated with her, but overall, she was a strong heroine and I liked her a lot. Matteo or “Matty” was pretty damn good either. He also didn’t waver when it came to be with Genna, and he was sweet and loyal. A really good hero. I can’t wait to read more about them in the next books!
Steam: Some heated scenes.
Sensible Subjects:
Love Triangle:
Cheating:
HEA:
July 14, 2019
3.5*
Ms. Darhower's always managed to fascinate me. Her romances starts like so many other books by the end they always stand apart in one way or the other. Here too, the way the romance started was flimsy and weak but as the story progressed it turned into a tightly knitted web where with each chapter things got dangerous and interesting. And it ended with a cliffhanger, guess I have no choice but to start second book right away.
Ms. Darhower's always managed to fascinate me. Her romances starts like so many other books by the end they always stand apart in one way or the other. Here too, the way the romance started was flimsy and weak but as the story progressed it turned into a tightly knitted web where with each chapter things got dangerous and interesting. And it ended with a cliffhanger, guess I have no choice but to start second book right away.
October 14, 2018
A deadly rivalry.
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.
*****5 thousand, million, billion, trillion stars*****
If you haven’t heard it before, I’ll say it again. Romeo & Juliet was probably the first story I ever fell in love with. So when my FAVORITE author wrote a story based on Romeo & Juliet about star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of a Mafia rivalry in New York, I knew my mind was about to be blown.
And blown, it was.
Matty and Genna belong to two rivaling mafia families, and after a chance encounter – just like Romeo and his beloved Juliet - they instantly have this connection and feel this pull toward one another. And in true JM fashion, CRAZY drama ensues with an ending that makes you want MORE.
I don’t know how she does it. I don’t know how JM Darhower creates these stories, these characters, that make you instantly fall in love and wish it were real life, and you were somehow apart of them. Maybe it’s Matty and Genna’s banter.
"Another?" she asked, picking up the water to take another sip, this one to soothe the sting in her chest. "You said one drink."
A sly smile curved his lips. "I like to keep them coming."
"Is that right?"
"Absolutely." He stood, leaning across the table, his lips near her ear. "Maybe you'll let me show you later."
Maybe it’s the way Matty isn’t this overly abrupt sexual person, but rather a quiet, thoughtful, confident, sexy MAN. Maybe it’s the side characters she creates, like Enzo and Dante and Primo who just steal the show with their amazing one-liners and sometimes intense conversations. But whatever it is, I freaking ate this story up.
His thumb grazed her lips, slightly swollen from his hard kisses, as a smile softened his expression. "I didn't think you could be more beautiful," he said, "but then you went and screamed my name."
I ADORED THIS BOOK LIKE NO OTHER. No one will ever top this woman’s writing and the characters she’s made. They can try, but for me, there isn’t anything like her books. I really truly didn’t think she could top Sempre, but damn it, she did. And Matty is now MY #1. My book husband. My everything.
This story made me squeal and smile and cry and swoon and scream and made me want to rip my hair out and then had my heart pounding and then made me fall in love. (This cycle was repeated about 32 times).
READ IT. Read it read it read it. Because I promise you if you don't, you are missing out.
Also- a little something extra to help keep up with all those amazing characters while reading:
Find Me On:
Instagram ❤ FB Page ❤ FB Blog ❤ Blog
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.
*****5 thousand, million, billion, trillion stars*****
If you haven’t heard it before, I’ll say it again. Romeo & Juliet was probably the first story I ever fell in love with. So when my FAVORITE author wrote a story based on Romeo & Juliet about star-crossed lovers caught in the middle of a Mafia rivalry in New York, I knew my mind was about to be blown.
And blown, it was.
Matty and Genna belong to two rivaling mafia families, and after a chance encounter – just like Romeo and his beloved Juliet - they instantly have this connection and feel this pull toward one another. And in true JM fashion, CRAZY drama ensues with an ending that makes you want MORE.
I don’t know how she does it. I don’t know how JM Darhower creates these stories, these characters, that make you instantly fall in love and wish it were real life, and you were somehow apart of them. Maybe it’s Matty and Genna’s banter.
"Another?" she asked, picking up the water to take another sip, this one to soothe the sting in her chest. "You said one drink."
A sly smile curved his lips. "I like to keep them coming."
"Is that right?"
"Absolutely." He stood, leaning across the table, his lips near her ear. "Maybe you'll let me show you later."
Maybe it’s the way Matty isn’t this overly abrupt sexual person, but rather a quiet, thoughtful, confident, sexy MAN. Maybe it’s the side characters she creates, like Enzo and Dante and Primo who just steal the show with their amazing one-liners and sometimes intense conversations. But whatever it is, I freaking ate this story up.
His thumb grazed her lips, slightly swollen from his hard kisses, as a smile softened his expression. "I didn't think you could be more beautiful," he said, "but then you went and screamed my name."
I ADORED THIS BOOK LIKE NO OTHER. No one will ever top this woman’s writing and the characters she’s made. They can try, but for me, there isn’t anything like her books. I really truly didn’t think she could top Sempre, but damn it, she did. And Matty is now MY #1. My book husband. My everything.
This story made me squeal and smile and cry and swoon and scream and made me want to rip my hair out and then had my heart pounding and then made me fall in love. (This cycle was repeated about 32 times).
READ IT. Read it read it read it. Because I promise you if you don't, you are missing out.
Also- a little something extra to help keep up with all those amazing characters while reading:
Find Me On:
Instagram ❤ FB Page ❤ FB Blog ❤ Blog
February 26, 2015
FIVE
Shall I compare thee to a .. uh ..
whatever the hell Shakespeare compares thee too .."
STARS
Genevieve and Matteo .. ♥
Forbidden love story? Count me in! I liveth for these sorts of novels. As soon as I readeth the description I kneweth I hadst to devour t as soon as possible. Shakespeare's playeth has't been incorporated as well as has't been the basis in many worketh of literature and film. Thus the "Romeo and Juliet" aspect madeth t more alluring. I love the idea of star crossed lovers which is wherefore t wasn't difficult to enjoy this novel. Twas a first time readeth by this author.. I can in earnest sayeth I am extremely excit'd to readeth further instalments in this series. I at each moment behold forward to see different cultures incorporated in mine readings which is wherefore I wast extremely pleased with the Italian. The story thee may asketh?.. The Galante and Barsanti art two families atwar. Genna and Matty wast drawn to each other long ere their family name wast mentioned. Those gents should stayeth hence from each other but how can those gents.. these feelings art developing.. stout and fast! It'll has't thee breathless, tearful, and suspense.
*Shakespeare Lingo Translator*
By Any Other Name J.M. Darhower
- Sleepless, Readmore. Twitter
Shall I compare thee to a .. uh ..
whatever the hell Shakespeare compares thee too .."
STARS
Genevieve and Matteo .. ♥
And maybe you enjoy this whole
Star-crossed Shakespearianbullshitromance,
Maybe that appeals to you ..
They call it tragedy for a reason .."
So I sneak out to the garden to see you.
We keep quiet 'cause we're dead if they knew
So close your eyes... escape this town for a little while .. ►♫
Forbidden love story? Count me in! I liveth for these sorts of novels. As soon as I readeth the description I kneweth I hadst to devour t as soon as possible. Shakespeare's playeth has't been incorporated as well as has't been the basis in many worketh of literature and film. Thus the "Romeo and Juliet" aspect madeth t more alluring. I love the idea of star crossed lovers which is wherefore t wasn't difficult to enjoy this novel. Twas a first time readeth by this author.. I can in earnest sayeth I am extremely excit'd to readeth further instalments in this series. I at each moment behold forward to see different cultures incorporated in mine readings which is wherefore I wast extremely pleased with the Italian. The story thee may asketh?.. The Galante and Barsanti art two families at
*Shakespeare Lingo Translator*
My only love sprung from my only hate .."
[Juliet: I, V, 147]
Romeo,
take me somewhere we can be alone.
I'll be waiting; all that's left to do is run.
You'll be the prince and I'll be the princess .. ►♫
By Any Other Name J.M. Darhower
- Sleepless, Readmore. Twitter
July 3, 2015
★★★★★ 4.5 Star-Crossed stars★★★★★
Oh my God ! What was that ? Well, what ever it was, its was defiantly an amazing read!
By Any other name captured my attention from the very first page.The story-line,the characters,the secondary characters..There was nothing about this book I found lacking.I defiantly don't regret pulling an all-nighter for this read. ♥
Picking this book yesterday was both the Best and the worst decision ever ! :'D
THE BEST: Because its been a LOOONG TIME since I've read anything this GOOD from the mafia genre.
After Ruthless People,completely entranced me under its spell a few years ago,I found my self comparing every other mafia with Melody & Liam's story only for it to eventually come up short..
But this book made me forget ANY-OTHER book had ever existed as I slowly devoured its contents page by page,word by word....And for that Im grateful :)
THE WORST: Because I'll have to wait for GOD-KNOWS HOW LONG, for book II !! Which,after that cliffhanger,I would prefer to have right now !!
Final Verdict: Loved this book,though probably it was more of a one-time read than anything :)
Would I recommend this read ?
Yes ! Defiantly ! What are you waiting for lovelies...I know this story end on a cliff-hanger.But I promise you,this one's bearable honey ;)
Will I be reading more from this author?
Another yes ! Ive already got Monster in His Eyes on my TBR ! So excited for more of her fab writing !
Any warnings or possible triggers ?
The basic plot line of By Any other name is adapted from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. A story notoriously known for INSTA-LOVE.
So if you are NOT A FAN OF INSTA-LOVE. This book is defiantly NOT for you !
Oh my God ! What was that ? Well, what ever it was, its was defiantly an amazing read!
By Any other name captured my attention from the very first page.The story-line,the characters,the secondary characters..There was nothing about this book I found lacking.I defiantly don't regret pulling an all-nighter for this read. ♥
Picking this book yesterday was both the Best and the worst decision ever ! :'D
THE BEST: Because its been a LOOONG TIME since I've read anything this GOOD from the mafia genre.
After Ruthless People,completely entranced me under its spell a few years ago,I found my self comparing every other mafia with Melody & Liam's story only for it to eventually come up short..
But this book made me forget ANY-OTHER book had ever existed as I slowly devoured its contents page by page,word by word....And for that Im grateful :)
THE WORST: Because I'll have to wait for GOD-KNOWS HOW LONG, for book II !! Which,after that cliffhanger,I would prefer to have right now !!
Final Verdict: Loved this book,though probably it was more of a one-time read than anything :)
Would I recommend this read ?
Yes ! Defiantly ! What are you waiting for lovelies...I know this story end on a cliff-hanger.But I promise you,this one's bearable honey ;)
Will I be reading more from this author?
Another yes ! Ive already got Monster in His Eyes on my TBR ! So excited for more of her fab writing !
Any warnings or possible triggers ?
The basic plot line of By Any other name is adapted from Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet. A story notoriously known for INSTA-LOVE.
So if you are NOT A FAN OF INSTA-LOVE. This book is defiantly NOT for you !
February 28, 2015
Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want.
Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want.
Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want.
Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want.
Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want.
This blurb ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤this book ️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want.
Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want.
Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want. Need. Want.
September 5, 2016
★★★★★ 4.5 Stars ★★★★★
Now LIVE!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/17rjLZb
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1vsL7ZZ
In my opinion, J.M. Darhower writes the best Mafia romance and recreating a classic tale of forbidden love and family vendettas is no easy feat. This is a modern day Romeo & Juliet that will have you glued to your kindle from the heartbreaking prologue.
The streets of New York are controlled by five Italian families, each with their own territories. For years, the Barsanti and the Galante families have been involved in a feud and know never to overstep the invisible boundaries that have been laid down for decades without paying a heavy price.
Genna Galante is 18, she is a mischievous and sassy girl who is overprotected by her father and brother. When she is caught stealing a car, her father arranges things so that she gets sentenced with community service. As she is leaving the courthouse, she becomes trapped in an elevator with a handsome young man who she becomes quite captivated with and after talking about anything and everything, they decide to go out for some drinks and get to know each other more.
6 years her senior, Matty-B is the son of Roberto Barsanti, and is back home after many years away to spend time with is dying mother. He is sensitive and kind and wants nothing to do with the dealings of his family business that his father and brother are so heavily involved in. He reluctantly agrees to become their bookie and plans only to stay as long as his mother needs him.
Things become complicated when they discover each others true identities, but when Matty's mother encourages him to go for what he wants, he decides he will pursue Genna no matter what the dangerous consequences may be.
As with all tragedies, the course of true love will never run smoothly, especially when past secrets and a lies come to a head.
This was one of those books that I savoured, I wanted to read it slowly. I fell in love with Matty, you always know that a man who treats his mother with such affection and love will make a fantastic book hero. He was loyal to those who loved him and he was sexy to boot.
I also loved the relationship between the siblings, the protectiveness of Dante towards his sister and the deep-seated respect between Matty and Enzo.
This is the first book in the Forbidden series, and ends on a story cliffhanger with a HFN for Genna & Matty. Told in dual third person POV.
ARC gratefully received from the author in exchange for an honest review
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Now LIVE!
Amazon: http://amzn.to/17rjLZb
Amazon UK: http://amzn.to/1vsL7ZZ
In my opinion, J.M. Darhower writes the best Mafia romance and recreating a classic tale of forbidden love and family vendettas is no easy feat. This is a modern day Romeo & Juliet that will have you glued to your kindle from the heartbreaking prologue.
The streets of New York are controlled by five Italian families, each with their own territories. For years, the Barsanti and the Galante families have been involved in a feud and know never to overstep the invisible boundaries that have been laid down for decades without paying a heavy price.
Genna Galante is 18, she is a mischievous and sassy girl who is overprotected by her father and brother. When she is caught stealing a car, her father arranges things so that she gets sentenced with community service. As she is leaving the courthouse, she becomes trapped in an elevator with a handsome young man who she becomes quite captivated with and after talking about anything and everything, they decide to go out for some drinks and get to know each other more.
"She was head over heels, unabashedly swept off her feet by Matty-B.
Insta-love, how fucking cliche."
6 years her senior, Matty-B is the son of Roberto Barsanti, and is back home after many years away to spend time with is dying mother. He is sensitive and kind and wants nothing to do with the dealings of his family business that his father and brother are so heavily involved in. He reluctantly agrees to become their bookie and plans only to stay as long as his mother needs him.
Things become complicated when they discover each others true identities, but when Matty's mother encourages him to go for what he wants, he decides he will pursue Genna no matter what the dangerous consequences may be.
As with all tragedies, the course of true love will never run smoothly, especially when past secrets and a lies come to a head.
"...he was starting to wonder if he could truly ever have her.
Not as long as our families are dead set on killing each other"
This was one of those books that I savoured, I wanted to read it slowly. I fell in love with Matty, you always know that a man who treats his mother with such affection and love will make a fantastic book hero. He was loyal to those who loved him and he was sexy to boot.
I also loved the relationship between the siblings, the protectiveness of Dante towards his sister and the deep-seated respect between Matty and Enzo.
This is the first book in the Forbidden series, and ends on a story cliffhanger with a HFN for Genna & Matty. Told in dual third person POV.
ARC gratefully received from the author in exchange for an honest review
February 23, 2015
NOW LIVE - > AMAZON
6 Beautiful Star Crossed Stars
J.M. Darhower did it again. She created a story I loved, craved and I couldn’t get enough of.
#BOOKHANGOVER
I loved LOVED LOVED By Any Other Name (BAON). It had EVERYTHING I look for in a read.
Romance CHECK
Star-crossed lovers CHECK
Drama CHECK
Steam CHECK
LOVEABLE characters CHECK
Genna is a Galante and Matty is a Barsanti. Sixteen years ago a tragedy occurred which altered the relationships between both families. Two families, once two friends are now enemies. Matty has been away since the tragedy, but he’s back in town.
Genna and Matty get stuck in an elevator and develop a fast and insta-lust relationship. Neither know who each other are and do not care.
Oh god, could the beginning get any better? I love the Prologue. It set the tone of the book and it got me ready for the string events, because this is a Darhower book, I know I’m going to get emotional. I loved how Genna and Matty meet. It’s very fast, but the pace was PERFECT.
I can’t stress how much I love the tone and pace of this book. I could have read hundreds of more pages, yet I was completely satisfied with the amount I got.
It’s like pure magic.
Of course, nothing good can happen with two star crossed lovers and thus the angst, drama and roller coaster of events begin. I gobbled it up like a hooker needing a fix. I love every second of it. I love the secondary characters too. I loved reading about Genna’s brother, Dante and Matty’s brother Enzo. I love that the book is focused around family.
I love the main characters as well. Genna’s character is at first reckless and I question how much I was going to like her, but soon, I saw her true colors and it made me simply like her more. She’s a strong girl, but has a heart of gold and loves her family.
I like how Matty was never involved in his family, but when got back in town, he’s thrown in the thick of it and he doesn’t want anything to do with it. I love his positive relationship with his brother and I love his affection with Genna.
The thing that worked so well for me was just the balance of everything. I had just enough everything and it always kept me on my toes. I had the right balance of backstory, character development, issues and getting to the big finale that left me with a good book hangover.
If you are a fan of Sempre, Darhower or just want a good romance book, THIS IS FOR YOU. I recommend to all.
An Arc was provided in exchange for an honest review
AMAZON $2.99
6 Beautiful Star Crossed Stars
J.M. Darhower did it again. She created a story I loved, craved and I couldn’t get enough of.
#BOOKHANGOVER
I loved LOVED LOVED By Any Other Name (BAON). It had EVERYTHING I look for in a read.
Romance CHECK
Star-crossed lovers CHECK
Drama CHECK
Steam CHECK
LOVEABLE characters CHECK
Genna is a Galante and Matty is a Barsanti. Sixteen years ago a tragedy occurred which altered the relationships between both families. Two families, once two friends are now enemies. Matty has been away since the tragedy, but he’s back in town.
Genna and Matty get stuck in an elevator and develop a fast and insta-lust relationship. Neither know who each other are and do not care.
Oh god, could the beginning get any better? I love the Prologue. It set the tone of the book and it got me ready for the string events, because this is a Darhower book, I know I’m going to get emotional. I loved how Genna and Matty meet. It’s very fast, but the pace was PERFECT.
I can’t stress how much I love the tone and pace of this book. I could have read hundreds of more pages, yet I was completely satisfied with the amount I got.
It’s like pure magic.
Of course, nothing good can happen with two star crossed lovers and thus the angst, drama and roller coaster of events begin. I gobbled it up like a hooker needing a fix. I love every second of it. I love the secondary characters too. I loved reading about Genna’s brother, Dante and Matty’s brother Enzo. I love that the book is focused around family.
I love the main characters as well. Genna’s character is at first reckless and I question how much I was going to like her, but soon, I saw her true colors and it made me simply like her more. She’s a strong girl, but has a heart of gold and loves her family.
I like how Matty was never involved in his family, but when got back in town, he’s thrown in the thick of it and he doesn’t want anything to do with it. I love his positive relationship with his brother and I love his affection with Genna.
The thing that worked so well for me was just the balance of everything. I had just enough everything and it always kept me on my toes. I had the right balance of backstory, character development, issues and getting to the big finale that left me with a good book hangover.
If you are a fan of Sempre, Darhower or just want a good romance book, THIS IS FOR YOU. I recommend to all.
An Arc was provided in exchange for an honest review
AMAZON $2.99
February 17, 2015
Title: By Any Other Name
Series: Forbidden #1
Author: J.M. Darhower
Release date: 23rd February, 2015
Rating: 4 "Roman Cokes" stars
Cliffhanger: Yes
HEA:
”What’s in a name? that which we call a rose
By any other name would smell as sweet;”
How about a Barsanti? Or a Galante? The names of two notorious crime families, once friends now deadly rivals. A feud that started years ago shows no signs of waning. The vivid opening scene giving insight into what would become a feud that would spill over to the next generation.
Genevie "Genna” Galante was too young to remember the events of that day but it’s lasting effects serve as a constant reminder. The fable-like stories told and the warnings of her father are enough to strike fear when the name Barsanti is uttered.
“The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti.”
Young and somewhat carless, Genna finds herself in trouble often. Being the only daughter she feels suppressed under the watchful eye of her father Primo and brother Dante, maybe it’s the need to be seen as just Genna that leads her to make reckless decisions:
They say the night is the darkest just before the dawn. Say if you're gonna break the law, thats the perfect time to do it.
Her latest misdemeanour sees her slapped with court ordered community service and the icing on the cake, getting stuck in the lift on her way out of court. But every cloud has a sliver lining and her lining comes in the form of handsome stranger “Matty”. With nothing to do but strike up conversation, the stolen time they share is enough to make an impression and move their encounter to another location.
Matteo "Matty" Barsanti is the elder (almost prodigal son) son of her farther’s mortal enemy. Recent family events have forced him to return but taking up the helm of the family business is something he wants no part of, but honour and loyalty do not permit him to simply walk away.
But even in his reluctance, he too has heard the stories. He too knows the way of the streets; who his friends and enemies are.
“The Galante family bred spineless, callous cowards, led by the biggest heartless brute of them all. Primo.”
The discovery of each others identities is met with obvious shock and horror and although they do try to stay away, the connection they feel is enough for them to sacrifice their safety.
It is a dangerous game they play, a game that includes far more casualties than themselves. They playfulness of their relationship subtracts from the veil of danger they shroud themselves in for being together and I enjoyed that aspect even if they themselves did not much to do with the dealings of Mob life.
“How do fix your hair so your horns don’t show?”
If West Side Story, The Bronx Tale and Romeo and Juliet all got together and got it on, By Another Name is their love child. I enjoyed the combination of romance, mob life and forbidden love. The last scene may have had me swiping furiously for more but it’s far from the final act.
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March 15, 2015
4.5 Fantastic Stars
"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." -Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2
By Any Other Name is a love story of two Italian Americans living in the midst of an Italian Mafia War. The Galante and Barsanti families are mortal enemies. New York has been divided and each family has their own dwelling to run. "Never the two shall meet." Until Genna Galante and Matty Barsanti end up stranded in a broken down elevator. Then everything changes.
Genna is a floundering, reckless, and wild young woman. She is always getting herself into trouble. Ruled by her overbearing father and protective brother, she still manages to end up on the wrong side of the law. One thing she has always known stay away from the Barsanti's.
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti," he'd said. "You see one, you run the other way."
Then a trip to the courthouse sends her directly into the arms of Matty Barsanti.
Matty has been living away from his family. Now a successful college graduate, he has returned to spend time with his ailing mother. Even though he doesn't want anything to do with the family business, he is swept in. Matty is put in charge of running the books. While at the courthouse supporting his brother, he meets Genna. Was it lust at first sight? You betcha! Did I care? Not in the slightest! Wasn't it love at first sight for Romeo and Juliet?
Genna and Matty survive their elevator episode and go out for drinks. They have no clue that they are from feuding families. They just know they are attracted to one another. After spending some sexy time together, Matty wants more of Genna.
"You had me," she whispered , cheeks flushing at the reminder. "I did," he agreed. "But the past isn't what matters. I live in the present, Genna. I live in the now. I had you, yeah, but what I want is to have you."
Genna is awestruck by Matty, She cannot wait to be with him again!
When the realization is made, they are both heartbroken.
Genna knows that nothing good can come from entangling herself with a Barsanti. Her brother would kill him if he found out. Matty confides in his cousin that he has fallen for a girl from the dark side.
"How could that girl, that glowing angel dropped from Heaven straight into his defunct elevator, be that barbarian's spawn?"-Matty
After a heartfelt visit with his mom, Matty makes the decision to pursue Genna.
"Life's short. Too short. Trust me. You'll never have enough time. So it doesn't matter if you think this girl might be all wrong for you. You want her? Then go for her."
Of course his mom has no idea who he has fallen for. He knows it is reckless. He knows it could get them both killed but he just cannot stay away.
Genna is such a strong heroine. She is loyal to her family and despite her attraction to Matt she knows he is bad news. Matty begins to visit Genna nightly while she is working at a food kitchen. The court ordered community service has been wearing her down and now Matt's presence begins to heat things up.
"Don't act like you Galantes are all roses," he replied. "You've got more thorns than you do petals, princess."-Matty
Eventually Genna concedes and they go out on a date. The banter between the two is off the charts. I loved how quick witted they were with each other. Despite the insta lust things turn quickly into love.
"I get it. You didn't expect this, you didn't expect me to be who I am, but I didn't either, Genna. I didn't expect you to be one of them. But you are, and I am. It is what it is. What do you need me to do? Because I'll do it, whatever it is. I'm not going to let you get hurt,"-Matty
Their romance was so tender and the steam factor was set to high voltage throughout! As the romance is building, tensions are rising between the two families. Genna is terrified that they will be found out. Matty is determined to be with Genna and keep her safe.
By Any Other Name is a fresh modern Romeo and Juliet. The writing is action packed and the love story leaves you weak in the knees. The dual POV gives you the foresight to empathize with both sides of the war. You cannot help but feel disgust over the violence and yet you realize it is great pain that has caused this feud. J. M. Darhower is a true artist of text. She paints vivid pictures that keep you thoroughly engaged in the story. Of course, I am a HUGE theatre chick so this story had extra sentimental value for me. I highly recommend this read and will be waiting on baited breath of the next installment of the series. As for the HEA?
"What’s in a name? That which we call a rose By any other name would smell as sweet." -Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 Scene 2
By Any Other Name is a love story of two Italian Americans living in the midst of an Italian Mafia War. The Galante and Barsanti families are mortal enemies. New York has been divided and each family has their own dwelling to run. "Never the two shall meet." Until Genna Galante and Matty Barsanti end up stranded in a broken down elevator. Then everything changes.
Genna is a floundering, reckless, and wild young woman. She is always getting herself into trouble. Ruled by her overbearing father and protective brother, she still manages to end up on the wrong side of the law. One thing she has always known stay away from the Barsanti's.
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti," he'd said. "You see one, you run the other way."
Then a trip to the courthouse sends her directly into the arms of Matty Barsanti.
Matty has been living away from his family. Now a successful college graduate, he has returned to spend time with his ailing mother. Even though he doesn't want anything to do with the family business, he is swept in. Matty is put in charge of running the books. While at the courthouse supporting his brother, he meets Genna. Was it lust at first sight? You betcha! Did I care? Not in the slightest! Wasn't it love at first sight for Romeo and Juliet?
Genna and Matty survive their elevator episode and go out for drinks. They have no clue that they are from feuding families. They just know they are attracted to one another. After spending some sexy time together, Matty wants more of Genna.
"You had me," she whispered , cheeks flushing at the reminder. "I did," he agreed. "But the past isn't what matters. I live in the present, Genna. I live in the now. I had you, yeah, but what I want is to have you."
Genna is awestruck by Matty, She cannot wait to be with him again!
When the realization is made, they are both heartbroken.
Genna knows that nothing good can come from entangling herself with a Barsanti. Her brother would kill him if he found out. Matty confides in his cousin that he has fallen for a girl from the dark side.
"How could that girl, that glowing angel dropped from Heaven straight into his defunct elevator, be that barbarian's spawn?"-Matty
After a heartfelt visit with his mom, Matty makes the decision to pursue Genna.
"Life's short. Too short. Trust me. You'll never have enough time. So it doesn't matter if you think this girl might be all wrong for you. You want her? Then go for her."
Of course his mom has no idea who he has fallen for. He knows it is reckless. He knows it could get them both killed but he just cannot stay away.
Genna is such a strong heroine. She is loyal to her family and despite her attraction to Matt she knows he is bad news. Matty begins to visit Genna nightly while she is working at a food kitchen. The court ordered community service has been wearing her down and now Matt's presence begins to heat things up.
"Don't act like you Galantes are all roses," he replied. "You've got more thorns than you do petals, princess."-Matty
Eventually Genna concedes and they go out on a date. The banter between the two is off the charts. I loved how quick witted they were with each other. Despite the insta lust things turn quickly into love.
"I get it. You didn't expect this, you didn't expect me to be who I am, but I didn't either, Genna. I didn't expect you to be one of them. But you are, and I am. It is what it is. What do you need me to do? Because I'll do it, whatever it is. I'm not going to let you get hurt,"-Matty
Their romance was so tender and the steam factor was set to high voltage throughout! As the romance is building, tensions are rising between the two families. Genna is terrified that they will be found out. Matty is determined to be with Genna and keep her safe.
By Any Other Name is a fresh modern Romeo and Juliet. The writing is action packed and the love story leaves you weak in the knees. The dual POV gives you the foresight to empathize with both sides of the war. You cannot help but feel disgust over the violence and yet you realize it is great pain that has caused this feud. J. M. Darhower is a true artist of text. She paints vivid pictures that keep you thoroughly engaged in the story. Of course, I am a HUGE theatre chick so this story had extra sentimental value for me. I highly recommend this read and will be waiting on baited breath of the next installment of the series. As for the HEA?
March 16, 2015
Review Posted 15 March 2015
5 MaFiOsO StArS
So Lemme Tell You a Story...My Story
I will never forget my visit to NY, my friend and I had been wondering around China Town one evening when we decided we wanted to go to Little Italy for something to eat!!
We hailed a cab and jumped in, the cabby asked "Where to Ladies"
We replied "Little Italy"
Well, this Cabby shrieked in he's most New York'ern theatrical voice "Get'd Outta Here..Are You kidding Me...It's just over there!!" pointing in the direction of a street across the way.
We roared with laughter and sheepishly apologized and got outta the cab and walked the very short distance it was!!
I'll never forget walking down this street in Little Italy...it was cold, real cold..outside some of the restaurants, cafes were tables, the street lined with hot car's Lamborghini and such like.
Sitting around one of these tables were these guy's I swear MY MIND RUN-A-MUCK ....I imagined they were MAFIA...in fact I bet my KNICKER'S on it they were!!
The old guy was rubbing he's hands in front of he's face blowing into them to keep warm...real menacing looking... Yep he was the Don I swear!!! The Don and he's hench men putting the world to right...that then was when I fell in love with all things MAFIA.
Soooo, enough of My Story...what I'm getting at is...reading one of JM Darhower's books MADE me feel as if I had been transported right back there...she truly is the queen of Mafia stories!!
By Any Other Name is another masterpiece in Darhower's collection of stories.
I loved this amazing story, would I recommend it....Ab-So-BlooDiE-LuteLy!!
5 MaFiOsO StArS
So Lemme Tell You a Story...My Story
I will never forget my visit to NY, my friend and I had been wondering around China Town one evening when we decided we wanted to go to Little Italy for something to eat!!
We hailed a cab and jumped in, the cabby asked "Where to Ladies"
We replied "Little Italy"
Well, this Cabby shrieked in he's most New York'ern theatrical voice "Get'd Outta Here..Are You kidding Me...It's just over there!!" pointing in the direction of a street across the way.
We roared with laughter and sheepishly apologized and got outta the cab and walked the very short distance it was!!
I'll never forget walking down this street in Little Italy...it was cold, real cold..outside some of the restaurants, cafes were tables, the street lined with hot car's Lamborghini and such like.
Sitting around one of these tables were these guy's I swear MY MIND RUN-A-MUCK ....I imagined they were MAFIA...in fact I bet my KNICKER'S on it they were!!
The old guy was rubbing he's hands in front of he's face blowing into them to keep warm...real menacing looking... Yep he was the Don I swear!!! The Don and he's hench men putting the world to right...that then was when I fell in love with all things MAFIA.
Soooo, enough of My Story...what I'm getting at is...reading one of JM Darhower's books MADE me feel as if I had been transported right back there...she truly is the queen of Mafia stories!!
By Any Other Name is another masterpiece in Darhower's collection of stories.
Two families, both alike in reputation,
The Barsanti and the Galante families,
In the streets of New York,
where a power struggles gives way to a deadly rivalry,
and Forbidden Love ensues....
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti."
I loved this amazing story, would I recommend it....Ab-So-BlooDiE-LuteLy!!
November 18, 2015
2.5 STARS
Those were the words that Genna, daughter of boss of big crime family in New York, were taught to believe all her life. But what will she do when she accidentally falls in love with one of Barsantis?
By Any Other Name can be easily described as modern Romeo & Julia story set in New York mafia environment. I am huge fan of Mrs. Dahower's Forever Series (in fact it is the best mafia series I have ever read) so of course that I was highly looking forward to reading this novel. It had potential to become one of those great plot-driven stories with strong charismatic characters that I'm used to from J.M. Darhower.
However, this story ended up being heavy on reckless romance and very light on actual plot. If you require slow burn romance in your books, this is not for you. I wouldn't go as far as calling it insta-love, but romance between Genna Galante and Matty Barsanti starts out of nothing and pretty quickly. Besides lust and sex, I didn't feel any real connection or deep feelings between the main duo. The visible transition from lovers to couple was missing and made romance part look flat in my eyes. Moreover, it made this whole "let's-risk-our-lives-and-lives-of-our-family-for-the-sake-of-our-love" topic quite unrealistic.
But what else would you expect from young coddled and spoiled mafia Princess? Genna was 18 years old girl who paid attention only to cars, the way she looked and guys she dated (or wanted to date). Sounds shallow, right? Well, her care-free life got all turned upside-down in this novel. Cue character development. But even though Genna got better through out the story, she never evolved to character I could truly admire and root for. And at the end, I just did not really care what happened to her.
Story in By Any Other Name flowed easily, it was a quick read and I read it in one sitting. Still, background story was lacking and mafia life was kind of far-fetched in my opinion. And as you already know, romance itself was not enough to make me fall in love with this book. My final verdict? Read at your own risk. Or check other reviews.
*ARC provided by author as an exchange for honest review*
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti," he'd said. "You see one, you run the other way."
Those were the words that Genna, daughter of boss of big crime family in New York, were taught to believe all her life. But what will she do when she accidentally falls in love with one of Barsantis?
"The Prodigal Son and the Ice Princess, huh? Sounds like a terrible fairy tale."
By Any Other Name can be easily described as modern Romeo & Julia story set in New York mafia environment. I am huge fan of Mrs. Dahower's Forever Series (in fact it is the best mafia series I have ever read) so of course that I was highly looking forward to reading this novel. It had potential to become one of those great plot-driven stories with strong charismatic characters that I'm used to from J.M. Darhower.
However, this story ended up being heavy on reckless romance and very light on actual plot. If you require slow burn romance in your books, this is not for you. I wouldn't go as far as calling it insta-love, but romance between Genna Galante and Matty Barsanti starts out of nothing and pretty quickly. Besides lust and sex, I didn't feel any real connection or deep feelings between the main duo. The visible transition from lovers to couple was missing and made romance part look flat in my eyes. Moreover, it made this whole "let's-risk-our-lives-and-lives-of-our-family-for-the-sake-of-our-love" topic quite unrealistic.
But what else would you expect from young coddled and spoiled mafia Princess? Genna was 18 years old girl who paid attention only to cars, the way she looked and guys she dated (or wanted to date). Sounds shallow, right? Well, her care-free life got all turned upside-down in this novel. Cue character development. But even though Genna got better through out the story, she never evolved to character I could truly admire and root for. And at the end, I just did not really care what happened to her.
Story in By Any Other Name flowed easily, it was a quick read and I read it in one sitting. Still, background story was lacking and mafia life was kind of far-fetched in my opinion. And as you already know, romance itself was not enough to make me fall in love with this book. My final verdict? Read at your own risk. Or check other reviews.
*ARC provided by author as an exchange for honest review*
MORE REVIEWS ON MY BLOG Reading Is My Breathing
March 24, 2015
5 EXPLOSIVELY FORBIDDEN STARS!!!
Holy Fuck! Amazing! That's what I'm talking about! Omg, that ending!
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti," he'd said. "You see one, you run the other way."
Well, if you've read any of my other reviews, you know that JM Darhower is my absolute favorite author. When I read her Sempre series last year, I suffered from the worst book hangover known to man for like a month! Every single time I get to the end of one of this author's books, I am crying my eyeballs out. Not like a few tears. I'm talking sobbing and hyperventilating! Either because of the story itself or because I am so sad when it's over because I get so damn attached. Ughh! I'm a masochist apparently but I fucking love every second of it! While I don't think that anything is ever going to touch the magic that she brought to life with the Sempre series, this book was no different in the sense that, I was bawling like a little bitch at the end of it and I was desperate for more!!!
I am not going to recount the story. Basically it is a very forbidden mafia romance involving two people from opposing families; the Galantes and the Barsantis. Once again, being an avid, die hard mafia junkie (I saw The Godfather Trilogy when I was 12 and it changed my life!! I was supposed to be a gumar or a mob wife. I don't know where the fuck I went wrong!!), you can depend on this author to bring you authenticity and an accurate portrayal of what it is like to live in this life. Genna is the typical "guinea" princess; sheltered spoiled, entitled, rebellious. She's not unlikable though. While she is naive and spoiled, she also has humanity and she is compassionate. And Matteo (I refuse to call him "Matty") reminds me of Michael (from The Godfather) where he was the son that was sent away for his protection and has no interest in the family business. However, as he soon comes to learn all too well, you don't really get a choice. This life chooses you.
"You really do have a death wish, don't you?" "I wouldn't call it a wish," Matty said. "It's more of a disinterest." "Disinterest." "Yes." "I hate to break it to you, bro, but you ain't gotta be interested in death for it to find you." "Death has been after me since I was young," Matty said. "It doesn't matter what I do… when it's ready to find me, it will."
I absolutely loved Matteo if for nothing else, for the fact that he wasn't afraid to question this hatred that had been bred into all of these characters since they were kids, senselessly. And I loved how in the beginning, Genna didn't know better but to just go along with the things her father and brother would say about the Barsantis, but by the end, she too was questioning everything and refusing to accept anything they said at face value. I think this theme alone speaks volumes in examining a lot of the hatred in American society today.
Yeah, it's a bit insta-lovey in the beginning but...hello, it's a Romeo and Juliet themed story (which I loved). That would be like getting shocked and upset over it being a forbidden love story, IMO. And it was only in the beginning. After that, I felt their connection and was fully invested in them making it out of this gruesome reality they are surrounded by.
"...if you stay, I'll keep you safe. I'll protect you, no matter what. I won't let anything happen to you. But I can't be with you, Genna, and not be with you anymore."
As usual, damn you JM for making me fall in love with yet another batch of emotionally flawed secondary characters! Gahh!! Yes, you get the sense that there is A LOT we don't know. I have a feeling that the second book is going to drop a ton of bombs on us about the background here.
Some people will say that the feud between the Galantes and the Barsantis is over the top. Well, unfortunately, it's not AT ALL. It's over land, money, and power. I hate to go all political but, when you look at the situations that we are involved in as a country with the Middle East alone, they are about the same exact things. So, I loved every bit of it. Could it have used a bit more intimacy? Sure. But, this is J.M. fucking Darhower, the Queen of Mafia romance so for me, I was 110% entertained with every word I got. But, you do have to be really into the mafia stuff to enjoy this author's books. It's not just something going on in the background. It's front and center.
What I really need to know is....WHEN THE HELL DO WE GET THE NEXT BOOK?!?!?!!
"What am I gonna do about you, princess?" She gazed at him, her stomach finally settling down. "Love me," she whispered. Matty smiled, reaching over and brushing the back of his hand along her flushed cheek. "I already do."
Holy Fuck! Amazing! That's what I'm talking about! Omg, that ending!
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti," he'd said. "You see one, you run the other way."
Well, if you've read any of my other reviews, you know that JM Darhower is my absolute favorite author. When I read her Sempre series last year, I suffered from the worst book hangover known to man for like a month! Every single time I get to the end of one of this author's books, I am crying my eyeballs out. Not like a few tears. I'm talking sobbing and hyperventilating! Either because of the story itself or because I am so sad when it's over because I get so damn attached. Ughh! I'm a masochist apparently but I fucking love every second of it! While I don't think that anything is ever going to touch the magic that she brought to life with the Sempre series, this book was no different in the sense that, I was bawling like a little bitch at the end of it and I was desperate for more!!!
I am not going to recount the story. Basically it is a very forbidden mafia romance involving two people from opposing families; the Galantes and the Barsantis. Once again, being an avid, die hard mafia junkie (I saw The Godfather Trilogy when I was 12 and it changed my life!! I was supposed to be a gumar or a mob wife. I don't know where the fuck I went wrong!!), you can depend on this author to bring you authenticity and an accurate portrayal of what it is like to live in this life. Genna is the typical "guinea" princess; sheltered spoiled, entitled, rebellious. She's not unlikable though. While she is naive and spoiled, she also has humanity and she is compassionate. And Matteo (I refuse to call him "Matty") reminds me of Michael (from The Godfather) where he was the son that was sent away for his protection and has no interest in the family business. However, as he soon comes to learn all too well, you don't really get a choice. This life chooses you.
"You really do have a death wish, don't you?" "I wouldn't call it a wish," Matty said. "It's more of a disinterest." "Disinterest." "Yes." "I hate to break it to you, bro, but you ain't gotta be interested in death for it to find you." "Death has been after me since I was young," Matty said. "It doesn't matter what I do… when it's ready to find me, it will."
I absolutely loved Matteo if for nothing else, for the fact that he wasn't afraid to question this hatred that had been bred into all of these characters since they were kids, senselessly. And I loved how in the beginning, Genna didn't know better but to just go along with the things her father and brother would say about the Barsantis, but by the end, she too was questioning everything and refusing to accept anything they said at face value. I think this theme alone speaks volumes in examining a lot of the hatred in American society today.
Yeah, it's a bit insta-lovey in the beginning but...hello, it's a Romeo and Juliet themed story (which I loved). That would be like getting shocked and upset over it being a forbidden love story, IMO. And it was only in the beginning. After that, I felt their connection and was fully invested in them making it out of this gruesome reality they are surrounded by.
"...if you stay, I'll keep you safe. I'll protect you, no matter what. I won't let anything happen to you. But I can't be with you, Genna, and not be with you anymore."
As usual, damn you JM for making me fall in love with yet another batch of emotionally flawed secondary characters! Gahh!! Yes, you get the sense that there is A LOT we don't know. I have a feeling that the second book is going to drop a ton of bombs on us about the background here.
Some people will say that the feud between the Galantes and the Barsantis is over the top. Well, unfortunately, it's not AT ALL. It's over land, money, and power. I hate to go all political but, when you look at the situations that we are involved in as a country with the Middle East alone, they are about the same exact things. So, I loved every bit of it. Could it have used a bit more intimacy? Sure. But, this is J.M. fucking Darhower, the Queen of Mafia romance so for me, I was 110% entertained with every word I got. But, you do have to be really into the mafia stuff to enjoy this author's books. It's not just something going on in the background. It's front and center.
What I really need to know is....WHEN THE HELL DO WE GET THE NEXT BOOK?!?!?!!
"What am I gonna do about you, princess?" She gazed at him, her stomach finally settling down. "Love me," she whispered. Matty smiled, reaching over and brushing the back of his hand along her flushed cheek. "I already do."
December 3, 2016
This is the first book I've read about forbidden love, like Romeo and Juliet, but in a contemporary landscape. All of this mix with mafia and rivalry elements made this read an absolute delight for me from the beginning until the end.
You have to read the plot all by yourself and promise not to take sides. Being like a normal version of Romeo and Juliet, we are faced with the hard decision of choosing a side. Genna's family or Matty's? For me it was kind of impossible.. There were scenes where one family was right, one where the other was and it totally blurred me, making me just witness the events hoping a middle way was going to be reached.
Genna and Matty were an unique couple, fighting for their love in a scenario where everything was against them. Genna although being only 18, was a very strong and determined heroine, a little bit wild for my tastes, but I connected with her and found her very interesting. Matty was...Matty!! He had this mystery aura around him and put me under his spell from second 1. I liked the way he treated her, the way he loved her and how determined he was to keep Genna. A thing that I admired at both heroes was their loyalty for their families, although they love each other and were aware of it being forbidden.
The tension and action were 90% present in this book, and the love story is so genuine and sweet, although I felt that it was really not developed as it deserved. I wanted more more romantic scenes, more feelings from them and maybe some scenes where they get to explore more in depth their love.
Either way, it was a hit for me, keeping me pinned to its pages until the very end! Please go faster with the sequel!!
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
You have to read the plot all by yourself and promise not to take sides. Being like a normal version of Romeo and Juliet, we are faced with the hard decision of choosing a side. Genna's family or Matty's? For me it was kind of impossible.. There were scenes where one family was right, one where the other was and it totally blurred me, making me just witness the events hoping a middle way was going to be reached.
Genna and Matty were an unique couple, fighting for their love in a scenario where everything was against them. Genna although being only 18, was a very strong and determined heroine, a little bit wild for my tastes, but I connected with her and found her very interesting. Matty was...Matty!! He had this mystery aura around him and put me under his spell from second 1. I liked the way he treated her, the way he loved her and how determined he was to keep Genna. A thing that I admired at both heroes was their loyalty for their families, although they love each other and were aware of it being forbidden.
The tension and action were 90% present in this book, and the love story is so genuine and sweet, although I felt that it was really not developed as it deserved. I wanted more more romantic scenes, more feelings from them and maybe some scenes where they get to explore more in depth their love.
Either way, it was a hit for me, keeping me pinned to its pages until the very end! Please go faster with the sequel!!
For more reviews please check https://readwithloveblog.wordpress.com
March 9, 2015
Title: By Any Other Name
Author: J.M. Darhower
Genre: Romantic Thriller/Suspense
Type: Book 1 of Forbidden series
POV: Third Person - Dual
Rating:
Genna Galante was the daughter of a notorious mob Boss. Even coddled and protected by her father and brother, she always seemed to find trouble. One day her trouble brought her to the courthouse where she met with Matty B.
They stuck up a friendship until they realized who each other really was. Matty B. turned out to be Matteo Barsanti, the first born son to a rival crime boss the Barsanti family.
The Galantes and the Barsantis used to be allies until an event blew everything apart making them mortal enemies. Genna and Matteo defied the odd and chose to be together in secret. But secrets could only hold for so long and the repercussion of their choices could very well mean another deadly war.
I’ve always been a fan of mafia/cartel romance because I love some actions on the street in between actions on the bed. Before starting this book, I was hoping for some blood spill, but that didn’t actually happened by much.
By Any Other Name focused more on the romantic aspect than the family business, and I’m actually okay with it because I loved the story. The story of young forbidden love might sounds cliché but when set in the crime world, it made a much more interesting read.
One of the things I love about J.M. Darhower books are she wrote young characters but the writing made them seemed more mature than their actual age – which is a good thing for me.
I loved Matty. He was just a reluctant Mafia prince (which reminds me of Carmine *sighs*) who wanted a girl he shouldn’t have. I adore him from the very beginning.
I like Genna too. She could hold on her own against Matty and I especially love their innuendo filled banters. One of my favorite one was the “10 inch steak scene” and it was amusing to find out that was an actual real life experience by the author.
I also love both of supporting characters Enzo (Matty’s brother) and Dante (Genna’s brother). I find myself wanting more of them.
The conclusion of this book was pretty open ended and I’m really looking forward to see which direction it will go.
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
Author: J.M. Darhower
Genre: Romantic Thriller/Suspense
Type: Book 1 of Forbidden series
POV: Third Person - Dual
Rating:
Genna Galante was the daughter of a notorious mob Boss. Even coddled and protected by her father and brother, she always seemed to find trouble. One day her trouble brought her to the courthouse where she met with Matty B.
They stuck up a friendship until they realized who each other really was. Matty B. turned out to be Matteo Barsanti, the first born son to a rival crime boss the Barsanti family.
The Galantes and the Barsantis used to be allies until an event blew everything apart making them mortal enemies. Genna and Matteo defied the odd and chose to be together in secret. But secrets could only hold for so long and the repercussion of their choices could very well mean another deadly war.
I’ve always been a fan of mafia/cartel romance because I love some actions on the street in between actions on the bed. Before starting this book, I was hoping for some blood spill, but that didn’t actually happened by much.
"You're right that we shouldn't. But I won't agree that we can't. We can, and I want to.”
By Any Other Name focused more on the romantic aspect than the family business, and I’m actually okay with it because I loved the story. The story of young forbidden love might sounds cliché but when set in the crime world, it made a much more interesting read.
One of the things I love about J.M. Darhower books are she wrote young characters but the writing made them seemed more mature than their actual age – which is a good thing for me.
"That was totally better than sex."
Matty laughed, stepping toward her, his gaze intense as he leaned close. "Something tells me you've been having sex with the wrong people, then."
I loved Matty. He was just a reluctant Mafia prince (which reminds me of Carmine *sighs*) who wanted a girl he shouldn’t have. I adore him from the very beginning.
I like Genna too. She could hold on her own against Matty and I especially love their innuendo filled banters. One of my favorite one was the “10 inch steak scene” and it was amusing to find out that was an actual real life experience by the author.
I also love both of supporting characters Enzo (Matty’s brother) and Dante (Genna’s brother). I find myself wanting more of them.
The conclusion of this book was pretty open ended and I’m really looking forward to see which direction it will go.
For more reviews/reveals/giveaways visit:
September 2, 2016
***4,5 bloody "Romeo & Juliet" stars***
For fuck's shake!!!! What was that ending???
Oh, man!!! That book was sooo... good, but it made me soooo... angry!!!
All this hatred and vengeance made my heart bleeding...
Why the hell have the things to be like that???
How meaningless was all this rivalry???
"An eye for an eye… a tooth for a tooth… a hand for a hand… a foot for a foot…"
A son for a son...
Oh, God!!! And when this circle of blood will ever stop??? When noone had been left behind???
Yeah!! Really nice, guys!!! Good luck with that!!!
I don't think that i'll ever get over that nasty feeling inside me...
But I'm so pissed of with both the heads of Galante and Barsanti families...
Did they even remember how this hatred started??? Because i'm not so sure about that!!!
They used to be best friends and one day from nowhere the rival started...
First foul??? A innocent 8 year old boy died from a bomb in a car...
And that was the beginning of the destrustion!!! Or was it before????
Now, sixteen years later, a man and a woman meeting unexpectadly in an elevator in the court-house... Yeah, you heard right!!! That was how Matty and Genna met each other...
And the two of them fell in love with each other, but after a while they found out the truth...
They were opponents... mortal enemies...
He was a Barsanti and she was a Galante!!!
Both of them grew up with the lesson that they have to stay away from each other, but the heart has its own mind and make its own choices... Both Genna and Matty tried to fight away this feeling, but it was impossible!!!
They didn't ask to be a part of it!!! They hated it with every cell of their body, but they stucked in the middle because of who they were, because of their identities...
Even though around them was an open, bloody war, they couldn't let go each other...
And the worst of all was that this war became more and more brutal than before...
Lives had been lost, hearts shattered and what left behind at the end???? Pain and more pain...
I'm so curious to learn what will happen next...
What will be the conclusion to this beautiful but heartbreaking story???
This was a story for a modern Romeo and Juliet, whose families belong to the mafia circle!!!
An epic love story with so many twists...
I want so badly for the dead end circle of blood and destruction to come to an end!!!!
Can't wait for the next book!!! Please, hurry!!!
For fuck's shake!!!! What was that ending???
Oh, man!!! That book was sooo... good, but it made me soooo... angry!!!
All this hatred and vengeance made my heart bleeding...
Why the hell have the things to be like that???
How meaningless was all this rivalry???
"An eye for an eye… a tooth for a tooth… a hand for a hand… a foot for a foot…"
A son for a son...
Oh, God!!! And when this circle of blood will ever stop??? When noone had been left behind???
Yeah!! Really nice, guys!!! Good luck with that!!!
I don't think that i'll ever get over that nasty feeling inside me...
But I'm so pissed of with both the heads of Galante and Barsanti families...
Did they even remember how this hatred started??? Because i'm not so sure about that!!!
They used to be best friends and one day from nowhere the rival started...
First foul??? A innocent 8 year old boy died from a bomb in a car...
And that was the beginning of the destrustion!!! Or was it before????
Now, sixteen years later, a man and a woman meeting unexpectadly in an elevator in the court-house... Yeah, you heard right!!! That was how Matty and Genna met each other...
And the two of them fell in love with each other, but after a while they found out the truth...
They were opponents... mortal enemies...
He was a Barsanti and she was a Galante!!!
Both of them grew up with the lesson that they have to stay away from each other, but the heart has its own mind and make its own choices... Both Genna and Matty tried to fight away this feeling, but it was impossible!!!
They didn't ask to be a part of it!!! They hated it with every cell of their body, but they stucked in the middle because of who they were, because of their identities...
Even though around them was an open, bloody war, they couldn't let go each other...
And the worst of all was that this war became more and more brutal than before...
Lives had been lost, hearts shattered and what left behind at the end???? Pain and more pain...
I'm so curious to learn what will happen next...
What will be the conclusion to this beautiful but heartbreaking story???
This was a story for a modern Romeo and Juliet, whose families belong to the mafia circle!!!
An epic love story with so many twists...
I want so badly for the dead end circle of blood and destruction to come to an end!!!!
Can't wait for the next book!!! Please, hurry!!!
September 7, 2016
This story is likened to a Shakespearean tragedy. Romeo and Juliet to be exact. And its title definitely makes the reader want to draw comparisons. However, the tragedy of this story is far greater than what Shakespeare created.
The love that developed between Genna Galante and Matty Barsanti was both sweet and pure. It was also strictly forbidden. Their families were more than feuding. They were at war and were mortal enemies. The hatred festered and was fed from one generation to the next. Genna was taught that the only good Barsanti was a dead one and Matty's lessons weren't any different. But that didn't and couldn't stop them from falling for one another.
There was so much bitterness and hate and anger and violence. Genna and Matty wanted no part of it. Unfortunately, the choice wasn't theirs to make and it seemed that everyone got caught up in the war. The death count rises and Matty just wants to escape it all, with Genna. But their families have other plans.
I'm excited to read book 2. I need more of these characters and I need to know what really happened to Dante. The epilogue was excellent but I'm wondering how long the stalemate will last.
XO
The love that developed between Genna Galante and Matty Barsanti was both sweet and pure. It was also strictly forbidden. Their families were more than feuding. They were at war and were mortal enemies. The hatred festered and was fed from one generation to the next. Genna was taught that the only good Barsanti was a dead one and Matty's lessons weren't any different. But that didn't and couldn't stop them from falling for one another.
"A smile lit up her face, the kind of smile that could replace sunshine without you even noticing a drop in temperature." Dante, regarding Genna
"That's what I want," he said quietly. "What I get for winning."
"What?"
"You."
"You had me," she whispered, cheeks flushing at the reminder.
"I did," he agreed. "But the past isn't what matters. I live in the present, Genna. I live in the now. I had you, yeah, but what I want is to have you."
There was so much bitterness and hate and anger and violence. Genna and Matty wanted no part of it. Unfortunately, the choice wasn't theirs to make and it seemed that everyone got caught up in the war. The death count rises and Matty just wants to escape it all, with Genna. But their families have other plans.
I'm excited to read book 2. I need more of these characters and I need to know what really happened to Dante. The epilogue was excellent but I'm wondering how long the stalemate will last.
XO
October 30, 2019
*** 4.5 Ay Mi Cora.. STARS ***
J.M. Darhower is MAHQUEEN!! Para los libros de mafia ella se pinta solita es mi autora favorita de este género LA AMO!!
Esta es un historia de mafia al puro estilo Romeo y Julieta en lugar de tener a los Capuleto y los Montesco y las calles de Verona, aquí tenemos a los Galante y Barsanti en las calles de New York enfrentados en una rivalidad que lleva años, todo empezó con una tragedia no se sabe quien realmente la comenzó (espero que me lo aclaren en el siguiente libro) pero parece no tener fin hasta que se vean destruidos.
En medio de esa guerra entre familias surge el amor entre Matteo Barsanti o Matty B como al le gusta que lo llamen y Genevieve Galante o Genna.
Obviamente es un amor prohibido porque amarse es como si estuvieran traicionando a sus respectivas familias, el odio y la venganza los sobrepasa y un futuro junto es casi imposible.
Todo en esta historia me gustó
- Los protagonistas
- Los personajes secundarios
- La trama
- El final OMG!! EL FINAL
Hablemos de los protagonistas y empecemos con Genna; difícilmente una chica de 18 años me logra agradar del todo pero Genna lo hizo, la chica era rebelde típica chica mimada pero a lo largo de la historia maduró mucho era muy chistosa, decidida, amaba a su familia pero también luchaba por lo que quería sin arriesgarlos y eso me gustó mucho de ella.
Matty B hay que puedo decir de mi Matty es tan bello, es divertido, sexy, inteligente es dulce y amoroso Me encantó su personaje desde la primera aparición No es el típico chico mafioso de mato a todo el mundo y shalala, a él no le gusta ser esa persona y siempre ha nadado contra corriente para estar lo menos involucrado posible.
A pesar de que al principio parece muy instalove pues no es así, si hay esa chispa, esa química y atracción mutua pero el amor va llegando poco a poco. Las escenas de sexo estuvieron bastante hot y lo que más me gustó es que no todo en ellos se basó en el sexo.
Ahora me toca mencionar a mi personaje favorito de este libro Mi bebé Enzo Barsanti, un príncipe de la mafia que ama, respira y vive para la organización, fue inevitable no caer rendida a sus pies. YO QUERÍA UN LIBRO DE ÉL.
Ese final es uno de los mejores que he leído, ME ENCANTÓ, el epílogo es tan tan, no sé no puedo describirlo pero me dejó con mis feelings a flor de piel con melancolía y tristeza.
Pd. Al casi final del libro por algo que ocurrió no quería leer el siguiente libro pero no hay manera de NO LEERLO lo tengo que hacer así que ahí te voy.
J.M. Darhower is MAHQUEEN!! Para los libros de mafia ella se pinta solita es mi autora favorita de este género LA AMO!!
Esta es un historia de mafia al puro estilo Romeo y Julieta en lugar de tener a los Capuleto y los Montesco y las calles de Verona, aquí tenemos a los Galante y Barsanti en las calles de New York enfrentados en una rivalidad que lleva años, todo empezó con una tragedia no se sabe quien realmente la comenzó (espero que me lo aclaren en el siguiente libro) pero parece no tener fin hasta que se vean destruidos.
En medio de esa guerra entre familias surge el amor entre Matteo Barsanti o Matty B como al le gusta que lo llamen y Genevieve Galante o Genna.
Obviamente es un amor prohibido porque amarse es como si estuvieran traicionando a sus respectivas familias, el odio y la venganza los sobrepasa y un futuro junto es casi imposible.
Todo en esta historia me gustó
- Los protagonistas
- Los personajes secundarios
- La trama
- El final OMG!! EL FINAL
Hablemos de los protagonistas y empecemos con Genna; difícilmente una chica de 18 años me logra agradar del todo pero Genna lo hizo, la chica era rebelde típica chica mimada pero a lo largo de la historia maduró mucho era muy chistosa, decidida, amaba a su familia pero también luchaba por lo que quería sin arriesgarlos y eso me gustó mucho de ella.
Matty B hay que puedo decir de mi Matty es tan bello, es divertido, sexy, inteligente es dulce y amoroso Me encantó su personaje desde la primera aparición No es el típico chico mafioso de mato a todo el mundo y shalala, a él no le gusta ser esa persona y siempre ha nadado contra corriente para estar lo menos involucrado posible.
A pesar de que al principio parece muy instalove pues no es así, si hay esa chispa, esa química y atracción mutua pero el amor va llegando poco a poco. Las escenas de sexo estuvieron bastante hot y lo que más me gustó es que no todo en ellos se basó en el sexo.
Ahora me toca mencionar a mi personaje favorito de este libro Mi bebé Enzo Barsanti, un príncipe de la mafia que ama, respira y vive para la organización, fue inevitable no caer rendida a sus pies. YO QUERÍA UN LIBRO DE ÉL.
Ese final es uno de los mejores que he leído, ME ENCANTÓ, el epílogo es tan tan, no sé no puedo describirlo pero me dejó con mis feelings a flor de piel con melancolía y tristeza.
Pd. Al casi final del libro por algo que ocurrió no quería leer el siguiente libro pero no hay manera de NO LEERLO lo tengo que hacer así que ahí te voy.
May 18, 2015
5 - "The Prodigal Son and the Ice Princess." Stars!
By Any Other Name is the first book I have read by J. M. Darhower, and those that know me, know I am not one to throw around 5 star ratings without good reason, but this book ticked every damn box I have ever had with regards to my reading ‘likes’, and added a few more for good measure. It was the kind of book that once you have finished it, you go online and one-click everything else you can find that has been written by that author without giving it a second thought (which I did).
”She must be some girl.”
You just know, that they are going to be keeping you happy with their stories for the years to come, and add them to the auto-buy list with no further questions asked. That was this book; this is that type of author.
Rivalry, revenge, families at war, forbidden love… all of these tropes aren’t new, but when put together and mixed with just the right amount of author talent, and word magic they are winners. J. M. Darhower definitely has that skill, and then some, the story, the lives it encompassed and the way it all weaved together throughout the book, was the perfect mix of everything.
”Don’t plant your seeds in someone else’s garden or you’re liable to be buried six-feet under with fertilizer.”
I will admit my first impressions of Genna were totally wrong, when you start the book you initially think, ’spoiled little, mob-girl but as the story progresses you see that on the surface appearances can be so, so deceiving. I loved her attitude and snarky comebacks, this is a girl who isn’t afraid to fight for what she wants, even if the ramifications are far reaching and almost outside of her control.
”It’s too late for me… I’ve already looked the soul-stealer in the eyes.”
Matty, once again as the story grows and develops turns out to be more than you are initially expecting of him, not your usual son of a mobster, the business, that kind of life and the expectations that come from it are so far outside of what he wants for himself, he has only really returned to town for the one person he still truly loves.
So the God has a little bit of the devil in him.
After a chance meeting with Genna, things start to progress at break-neck speed for them, when they realize just what kind of connection they have on a personal and familial level. The repercussions are many, the consequences unimaginable and the losses unexpected…
This wasn’t a book that I am likely to forget any time soon, and I think that will be the same for a lot of readers. I hope we see more from the Forbidden Series and this author in the very near future.
ARC generously provided by J. M. Darhower, it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.
By Any Other Name is the first book I have read by J. M. Darhower, and those that know me, know I am not one to throw around 5 star ratings without good reason, but this book ticked every damn box I have ever had with regards to my reading ‘likes’, and added a few more for good measure. It was the kind of book that once you have finished it, you go online and one-click everything else you can find that has been written by that author without giving it a second thought (which I did).
”She must be some girl.”
You just know, that they are going to be keeping you happy with their stories for the years to come, and add them to the auto-buy list with no further questions asked. That was this book; this is that type of author.
Rivalry, revenge, families at war, forbidden love… all of these tropes aren’t new, but when put together and mixed with just the right amount of author talent, and word magic they are winners. J. M. Darhower definitely has that skill, and then some, the story, the lives it encompassed and the way it all weaved together throughout the book, was the perfect mix of everything.
”Don’t plant your seeds in someone else’s garden or you’re liable to be buried six-feet under with fertilizer.”
I will admit my first impressions of Genna were totally wrong, when you start the book you initially think, ’spoiled little, mob-girl but as the story progresses you see that on the surface appearances can be so, so deceiving. I loved her attitude and snarky comebacks, this is a girl who isn’t afraid to fight for what she wants, even if the ramifications are far reaching and almost outside of her control.
”It’s too late for me… I’ve already looked the soul-stealer in the eyes.”
Matty, once again as the story grows and develops turns out to be more than you are initially expecting of him, not your usual son of a mobster, the business, that kind of life and the expectations that come from it are so far outside of what he wants for himself, he has only really returned to town for the one person he still truly loves.
So the God has a little bit of the devil in him.
After a chance meeting with Genna, things start to progress at break-neck speed for them, when they realize just what kind of connection they have on a personal and familial level. The repercussions are many, the consequences unimaginable and the losses unexpected…
This wasn’t a book that I am likely to forget any time soon, and I think that will be the same for a lot of readers. I hope we see more from the Forbidden Series and this author in the very near future.
ARC generously provided by J. M. Darhower, it was my pleasure to provide the above honest review.
February 17, 2015
★Complimentary Copy provided by the author in exchange for an honest review★
TITLE: By Any Other Name
SERIES: (Forbidden, #1)
AUTHOR: J.M. Darhower
GENRE: Romance | New Adult | Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: February 23rd 2015
MY RATING: ★★★★★
J.M.Darhower has done it again!! This book like all her previous books was epic, I've been on a Mafia binge lately and when I saw an email from the author I did the noodle dance of joy!!
BEST FRIENDS /MORTAL ENEMIES
I was only eight when I lost my best friend
A Forbidden Romeo and Juliet story of two families vying to destroy the other..This just had me glued to my ipad the whole time, full of angst, love, hate, loss, suspence, Mafia families at war you name it this book had it all, towards the end I was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering how it was all going to end, to wanting to throw my ipad at something..Now I'm sitting here writing up my review and my mind is still reeling!!
Sometimes Good Things, Come From Bad Things
It all started with a bomb and one life lost, and from that day forward revenge was on everyone's lips..
By Any Other Name is a story of two families who by all accounts used to be close until that fatal day where everything changed..
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti."
A deadly rivalry.
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.
THE SONS PAY FOR THE FATHERS SINS
From grand theft auto to being stuck in an elevator and meeting "Matty" Matteo Barsanti neither knowing who the other is..
LOYALTIES DIVIDED
This guy..No this God..Had been zapped straight off the pages of GQ and transplanted right here in her elevator, never in her life had she seen eyes like his, she stared at him utterly speechless., his arms were covered in tattoos, so the god has a little bit of devil in him
THE PRODIGAL SON AND THE ICE PRINCESS, CONSORTING WITH THE ENEMY
Genevieve "Genna" Galante "Cars were her first love, arguably her only true love."
DECEPTION OFTEN HID BEHIND THE KINDEST SMILES, PSYCHOPATHS RAN THE STREETS
Brewing hostility, distrust, tensions running high day in day out..
RUSSIAN ROULETTE
"Galante" The name mean't gallant, brave, amorous, when as far as he was concerned, those people were anything but. The Galante family bred spineless, callous cowards, led by the biggest heartless brute of them all, Primo
FIGHT OR FLIGHT
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
A hand for a hand
A foot for a foot
A son for a son
"A car for a car"
VENGEANCE ~ AN EYE FOR AN EYE
TITLE: By Any Other Name
SERIES: (Forbidden, #1)
AUTHOR: J.M. Darhower
GENRE: Romance | New Adult | Contemporary Romance
RELEASE DATE: February 23rd 2015
MY RATING: ★★★★★
J.M.Darhower has done it again!! This book like all her previous books was epic, I've been on a Mafia binge lately and when I saw an email from the author I did the noodle dance of joy!!
BEST FRIENDS /MORTAL ENEMIES
I was only eight when I lost my best friend
A Forbidden Romeo and Juliet story of two families vying to destroy the other..This just had me glued to my ipad the whole time, full of angst, love, hate, loss, suspence, Mafia families at war you name it this book had it all, towards the end I was sitting on the edge of my seat wondering how it was all going to end, to wanting to throw my ipad at something..Now I'm sitting here writing up my review and my mind is still reeling!!
Sometimes Good Things, Come From Bad Things
It all started with a bomb and one life lost, and from that day forward revenge was on everyone's lips..
By Any Other Name is a story of two families who by all accounts used to be close until that fatal day where everything changed..
"The only good Barsanti is a dead Barsanti."
A deadly rivalry.
Two families at war.
Nobody is safe, not even the innocent.
Especially the innocent.
Blood will be spilled.
THE SONS PAY FOR THE FATHERS SINS
From grand theft auto to being stuck in an elevator and meeting "Matty" Matteo Barsanti neither knowing who the other is..
LOYALTIES DIVIDED
This guy..No this God..Had been zapped straight off the pages of GQ and transplanted right here in her elevator, never in her life had she seen eyes like his, she stared at him utterly speechless., his arms were covered in tattoos, so the god has a little bit of devil in him
THE PRODIGAL SON AND THE ICE PRINCESS, CONSORTING WITH THE ENEMY
Genevieve "Genna" Galante "Cars were her first love, arguably her only true love."
DECEPTION OFTEN HID BEHIND THE KINDEST SMILES, PSYCHOPATHS RAN THE STREETS
Brewing hostility, distrust, tensions running high day in day out..
RUSSIAN ROULETTE
"Galante" The name mean't gallant, brave, amorous, when as far as he was concerned, those people were anything but. The Galante family bred spineless, callous cowards, led by the biggest heartless brute of them all, Primo
FIGHT OR FLIGHT
An eye for an eye
A tooth for a tooth
A hand for a hand
A foot for a foot
A son for a son
"A car for a car"
VENGEANCE ~ AN EYE FOR AN EYE
March 15, 2015
I just have to say that I love this modern Romeo and Juliet story meets the Italian mob :D
The Galante and the Barsanti families are at war for the last 16 years and they hate each other. That hatred has been passed to all the generations. So when Matty (the Barsanti heir) meats Genna (the Galante princess), get stuck in an elevator and can't seam to get enough of each other things don't look to good for them.
That encounter leads to a hot pool table sex and to both of them wanting a repeat :D
When they find out who each other is they both know that this can't go anywhere but that doesn't stop them. They decide to give it a try...against all odds...and in the end they fall in love.
This was a beautiful story filled with vengeance, murder and hate but somehow their love manages to stand out among all that...
The only problem I had was with the ending. I'm not sure exactly if it was meant to be a cliffhanger or not but at least there was a HEA...sort of...because the ending leaves you hanging a little bit and there are still some unanswered questions.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next book. Hopefully there will be a next book.
Please J.M. Darhower give us the next book soon...please!!!
The Galante and the Barsanti families are at war for the last 16 years and they hate each other. That hatred has been passed to all the generations. So when Matty (the Barsanti heir) meats Genna (the Galante princess), get stuck in an elevator and can't seam to get enough of each other things don't look to good for them.
That encounter leads to a hot pool table sex and to both of them wanting a repeat :D
When they find out who each other is they both know that this can't go anywhere but that doesn't stop them. They decide to give it a try...against all odds...and in the end they fall in love.
This was a beautiful story filled with vengeance, murder and hate but somehow their love manages to stand out among all that...
The only problem I had was with the ending. I'm not sure exactly if it was meant to be a cliffhanger or not but at least there was a HEA...sort of...because the ending leaves you hanging a little bit and there are still some unanswered questions.
I guess I'll just have to wait and see what happens in the next book. Hopefully there will be a next book.
Please J.M. Darhower give us the next book soon...please!!!
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