DNF December Review Blitz — Day #2: I’m sharing my thoughts on some book series that I have marked as incomplete as I have never finished the first novel(s) in the series. Find out why these weren’t for me:
Synopsis for Asher Black (from Goodreads):
It started with my bladder.
I didn’t mean to witness a shady deal in the restroom hallway.
I didn’t think twice when I called the cops.
And I certainly didn’t know who the club belonged to.Asher Black.
Former mafia hitman.
Billionaire CEO.
New York’s most eligible bachelor.When he shows up at my college, looking for the girl who called the cops on his business, I know I’m as good as dead.
What I don’t expect is his offer–he’ll pay my tuition and set me up with a cushy job after I graduate.
All I have to do is… be his fake fiancée.
Series: The Five Syndicates Series
Author: Parker S Huntington
# of Books: 4 (Full Reading Order Here)
There are novellas as well.
Book Order: Connected
Complete?: Yes
Genre: New Adult, Contemporary, Romance, Mafia, Dark, Suspense
Heat Rating: Toasty
Point of View: First Person, Alternating
Publication Dates: April 2017 – July 2019
Source & Format: Kindle Unlimited–eBook
Disclaimer: I stopped reading Niccolaio Andretti (Book #2) at 19% (start of Chapter 8). Find out why below…
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
When I read the synopsis for Asher Black (#1) on an ARC Galley website, I really wanted to read it. I love darker romances and the synopsis seemed like it would be a darker, perhaps quirky romance that was right up my alley.
Eventually, I did get a copy when I resubscribed to Kindle Unlimited and really enjoyed it. But, my subscription was ending and decided to leave the series at just that first book. A little over a year later, I picked up Niccolaio Andretti (Book #2) when I got Kindle Unlimited again…but things didn’t go so well this time around.
What I Liked:
–Not Super Dark–
While there are mafia mobsters involved, nothing is particularly violent or gruesome. It just as a slightly darker tone to the romances and an edge of danger to the story.
What I Didn’t Like:
–Unlikeable Characters–
This is more for Niccolaio Andretti (Book #2) than it was for the first book in the series, Asher Black. Perhaps if I read them closer together I would remember Minka as a character from Asher Black. But I didn’t find her a likeable character in the slightest. She has a backstory that conveys why she is the way she is but she still treated people like crap.
Will I Finish It?
Not the series. I enjoyed Asher Black (#1) as a standalone and I was happy to leave it there when I finished it…should have stayed that way.
My Series Rating: DNF
Asher Black 4/5 | Niccolaio Andretti DNF | [Ranieri Andretti N/A] | Bastiano Romano N/A | [Renata Vitali N/A] | Damiano De Luca N/A
If you like the edge of danger that comes from mafia romances and don’t mind a slower pace, these might work for you. But if you want something fast and hard, look elsewhere.
Read if You Like: darker romances, slow burns
Avoid if You: want faster pacing
- Rule by Jay Crownover (Marked Men Series #1)
- Broken Bride by Stella Gray (Broken Series #1)
Have you read this? Should I return to this series? Leave a comment!
