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Mafia Wars #1
Binding Rose
I was sold to my enemies.
You would think that being forced into a loveless marriage to ensure an alliance would be unheard of in this day and age. And in most cases, you would be correct in that assumption.
But not for me.
A cartel princess has no vote on who she can or cannot marry—much less love.
Any decision in my life was forfeited just by being born into the most powerful Mexican cartel there is.
Still, it does sting that I’m to be hand-delivered to the Irish mob and marry into the Kelly family, who my own brother has coined to be nothing more than bloodthirsty savages.
They’re animals, Rosa. Filthy, unscrupulous, vicious animals.
Those were his exact words, yet he still followed our father’s orders to walk me down the aisle, making sure I didn’t run from my obligation.
As if that was even an option.
All my choices were stolen away from me the minute I became another pawn to be used and abused at the hands of evil men.
Which leaves me to question…
Can a rose blossom in the dark?
Or will I have to rely on my thorns to protect me against the fate that’s been bestowed upon me?
Only time will tell if I’ll survive this cursed life or become another lost soul in these cruel and merciless Mafia Wars.
*Binding Rose is a full-length reverse harem novel in the dark and twisted Mafia Wars world.
*Recommended 18+ due to mature language, adult situations and sensitive content.
You would think that being forced into a loveless marriage to ensure an alliance would be unheard of in this day and age. And in most cases, you would be correct in that assumption.
But not for me.
A cartel princess has no vote on who she can or cannot marry—much less love.
Any decision in my life was forfeited just by being born into the most powerful Mexican cartel there is.
Still, it does sting that I’m to be hand-delivered to the Irish mob and marry into the Kelly family, who my own brother has coined to be nothing more than bloodthirsty savages.
They’re animals, Rosa. Filthy, unscrupulous, vicious animals.
Those were his exact words, yet he still followed our father’s orders to walk me down the aisle, making sure I didn’t run from my obligation.
As if that was even an option.
All my choices were stolen away from me the minute I became another pawn to be used and abused at the hands of evil men.
Which leaves me to question…
Can a rose blossom in the dark?
Or will I have to rely on my thorns to protect me against the fate that’s been bestowed upon me?
Only time will tell if I’ll survive this cursed life or become another lost soul in these cruel and merciless Mafia Wars.
*Binding Rose is a full-length reverse harem novel in the dark and twisted Mafia Wars world.
*Recommended 18+ due to mature language, adult situations and sensitive content.
462 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 7, 2022
About the author
Ivy Fox
44 books1,627 followersIvy Fox is a USA Today bestselling author of angst-filled, contemporary romances, some of them with an unconventional #whychoose twist.
So don’t be surprised if you pick up a book of hers and find out that her heroine ends up with more than one guy.
Wink wink.
Just like her, Ivy lives a pretty chill life, surrounded by her two most important men—her husband and son. The only thing that keeps her up at night are the fictional characters in her head that can't seem to shut up until she writes their story.
But she's gotten used to them running the show and is all too happy to oblige.
Books and romance are her passion.
A strong believer in happy endings and that love will always prevail in the end, both in life and in fiction.
For more news on current and upcoming projects, get the inside scoop and sneak peeks by stalking Ivy on Social media!
Website: https://www.ivyfoxauthor.com/
FB Author page: https://www.facebook.com/IvyFoxAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivyfoxauthor/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ivyfoxauthor
But for all the brave and sassy come join her FB reader's group - Ivy Sassy Foxes
So don’t be surprised if you pick up a book of hers and find out that her heroine ends up with more than one guy.
Wink wink.
Just like her, Ivy lives a pretty chill life, surrounded by her two most important men—her husband and son. The only thing that keeps her up at night are the fictional characters in her head that can't seem to shut up until she writes their story.
But she's gotten used to them running the show and is all too happy to oblige.
Books and romance are her passion.
A strong believer in happy endings and that love will always prevail in the end, both in life and in fiction.
For more news on current and upcoming projects, get the inside scoop and sneak peeks by stalking Ivy on Social media!
Website: https://www.ivyfoxauthor.com/
FB Author page: https://www.facebook.com/IvyFoxAuthor/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ivyfoxauthor/
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ivyfoxauthor
But for all the brave and sassy come join her FB reader's group - Ivy Sassy Foxes
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 886 reviews
January 26, 2022
Standalone reverse harem is damn hard to pull off. The author has to weave together a believable romance between a single heroine and several love interests which usually takes multiple books to accomplish. I've rarely seen it done well, so I was more than a little hesitant to pick this one up. I shouldn't have worried though. Ivy Fox pulled it off like a pro!
Binding Rose is a RH mafia romance, the first in a multi-author series. Organized crime families around the world are tired of the constant mafia wars. In order to make their lives easier, they agree to marry off their daughters to other crime families in hopes of avoiding violence, loss of life, and general problems between the families in the future.
Each book will be about one of the arranged marriages agreed upon in this book. (I'm assuming here.) All of them will be reverse harem, and if they are as good as this one, we're in for a real treat! Some great authors are a part of this series, and because Binding Rose exceeded my expectations, I'm going to give future Mafia Wars installments a try.
Rosa, the daughter of the Mexican cartel boss, is betrothed to Tiernan, son of the head of the Irish mob. While she accepted her role in her family, Rosa hoped that her arrangement could turn into something more than obligation. Tiernan is a slightly broken alphahole that refuses to let Rosa in despite his attraction to her, so he shirks some of his spousal duties, ordering Shay and Colin to pick up the slack. I'll let you guess what happens next.
Ivy Fox's writing style lured me in immediately. The characters she created here are incredible. They're three dimensional and distinct. Everything from their mannerisms to the way they fuck is expertly depicted.
Speaking of fucking, Tiernan's dirty talk deserves 5 stars in itself. I lived for his sex scenes! 💦😂 Aside from his sexual prowess, the way he couldn't help but show Rosa that she was his even when he tried to keep her at arms length made me go all gooey inside.
Shay's light hearted, cocky personality and flirtatious manner, and the way Colin, the loyal brute, turns into a gentle giant in Rosa's presence endeared them to me immediately. They're clearly attracted to her from the beginning, but they respect Tiernan too much to do anything about it. Once he gives them permission though, not even their love of Tiernan could prevent what happened as a result.
I do wish we would have had more time to watch these relationships develop and see them all together and happy. That being said, I think Ivy Fox did an amazing job given the time frame she has to work with. There is even a couple of things that I normally may dislike in an RH, but somehow she made it work for me! I'm seriously impressed.
If you're in the mood for a captivating, steamy, mafia RH standalone, you'll be hardpressed to find better!
Reverse harem fans, this one's for you!!
Binding Rose is a RH mafia romance, the first in a multi-author series. Organized crime families around the world are tired of the constant mafia wars. In order to make their lives easier, they agree to marry off their daughters to other crime families in hopes of avoiding violence, loss of life, and general problems between the families in the future.
Each book will be about one of the arranged marriages agreed upon in this book. (I'm assuming here.) All of them will be reverse harem, and if they are as good as this one, we're in for a real treat! Some great authors are a part of this series, and because Binding Rose exceeded my expectations, I'm going to give future Mafia Wars installments a try.
Rosa, the daughter of the Mexican cartel boss, is betrothed to Tiernan, son of the head of the Irish mob. While she accepted her role in her family, Rosa hoped that her arrangement could turn into something more than obligation. Tiernan is a slightly broken alphahole that refuses to let Rosa in despite his attraction to her, so he shirks some of his spousal duties, ordering Shay and Colin to pick up the slack. I'll let you guess what happens next.
Ivy Fox's writing style lured me in immediately. The characters she created here are incredible. They're three dimensional and distinct. Everything from their mannerisms to the way they fuck is expertly depicted.
Speaking of fucking, Tiernan's dirty talk deserves 5 stars in itself. I lived for his sex scenes! 💦😂 Aside from his sexual prowess, the way he couldn't help but show Rosa that she was his even when he tried to keep her at arms length made me go all gooey inside.
Shay's light hearted, cocky personality and flirtatious manner, and the way Colin, the loyal brute, turns into a gentle giant in Rosa's presence endeared them to me immediately. They're clearly attracted to her from the beginning, but they respect Tiernan too much to do anything about it. Once he gives them permission though, not even their love of Tiernan could prevent what happened as a result.
I do wish we would have had more time to watch these relationships develop and see them all together and happy. That being said, I think Ivy Fox did an amazing job given the time frame she has to work with. There is even a couple of things that I normally may dislike in an RH, but somehow she made it work for me! I'm seriously impressed.
If you're in the mood for a captivating, steamy, mafia RH standalone, you'll be hardpressed to find better!
Reverse harem fans, this one's for you!!
March 9, 2022
5 Thorns to Protect Me Stars ⭐
Daughters exchanged in the name of peace. A treaty signed between six notorious Mafia families throughout the US and Mexico. Because blood is thicker than water, and family is the only way to ensure that unnecessary bloodshed will stop, and business will continue to flourish in their own territories. Binding Rose is the first book in a multi author interconnecting Mafia Wars universe. And let me tell you my mind was blown!
I’m his most prized possession. And for all intents and purposes, that is exactly what I am. His to use and abuse. But while that thought used to unsettle me, now all it does is arouse me.
For 10 years Rose, a Mexican Cartel Princess knew her fate was sealed. Promised to the Irish King all she could hope for was a glimmer of humanity. Her body has been sold, but can this gentle hearted soul convince her husband to love her? And the moment she realizes she can't the Queen she was meant to be rises.
“I was broken long before you ever put your hands on me. Don’t think your abuse will make a dent or cause a crack.”
Born into this life, there is no peace to be had. Just measures to be put into place to prevent an all-in mafia war. Tiernan never wanted a wife especially one that's the enemy. He thought he had it all planned till Rose threw down the gauntlet. He thinks his brother Shay and his cousin Colin could run interference. And they did till they all fell in love with his wife. Let the real war begin...
Our lovemaking isn’t sweet or tender, but neither is our love. It’s messy and complicated, with too many battle wounds to count.
Holy fuck. This story was amazing. Dark, twisted, strangely romantic and erotic as hell. This is essentially a reverse harem but so much better than I anticipated. This author nailed it and I was enamoured, devastated in parts but completely in love with this story! Brilliant 🖤
Daughters exchanged in the name of peace. A treaty signed between six notorious Mafia families throughout the US and Mexico. Because blood is thicker than water, and family is the only way to ensure that unnecessary bloodshed will stop, and business will continue to flourish in their own territories. Binding Rose is the first book in a multi author interconnecting Mafia Wars universe. And let me tell you my mind was blown!
I’m his most prized possession. And for all intents and purposes, that is exactly what I am. His to use and abuse. But while that thought used to unsettle me, now all it does is arouse me.
For 10 years Rose, a Mexican Cartel Princess knew her fate was sealed. Promised to the Irish King all she could hope for was a glimmer of humanity. Her body has been sold, but can this gentle hearted soul convince her husband to love her? And the moment she realizes she can't the Queen she was meant to be rises.
“I was broken long before you ever put your hands on me. Don’t think your abuse will make a dent or cause a crack.”
Born into this life, there is no peace to be had. Just measures to be put into place to prevent an all-in mafia war. Tiernan never wanted a wife especially one that's the enemy. He thought he had it all planned till Rose threw down the gauntlet. He thinks his brother Shay and his cousin Colin could run interference. And they did till they all fell in love with his wife. Let the real war begin...
Our lovemaking isn’t sweet or tender, but neither is our love. It’s messy and complicated, with too many battle wounds to count.
Holy fuck. This story was amazing. Dark, twisted, strangely romantic and erotic as hell. This is essentially a reverse harem but so much better than I anticipated. This author nailed it and I was enamoured, devastated in parts but completely in love with this story! Brilliant 🖤
February 6, 2022
These authors dk how to write RH because this is straight up love cubes.
February 3, 2022
I was engrossed in this book, I was excited to read about mafia, arranged marriages, with an RH?!
The first 50% of the book I was nose deep into the storyline. It was one that I could not stop reading. But I was also a little skeptical because halfway into the book there was not even a beginning of an RH relationship.
I think this is the first book I’ve ever read that was supposed to be a reverse harem where I was genuinely wanting it to not be.
“An exotic flower plucked from her homeland and gifted to me on a silver platter to do whatever I want with. I could pluck out her petals, one by one. I could cut out her thorns and leave her defenseless. I could crush her in the palm of my hand if I so wished. Or I can nurture her and stand back to watch her blossom.”
The relationship between the main female and main male character were purely lust and sexual but it was so freaking good. And then the author just kind of threw in his brother and cousin when the main male character was being an asshole. But there was no relationship build up at all. It was almost 60% into the book where are you start to see who is going to form into this reverse harem.
And I just did not flow well at all for me. It was way too rushed. Complete InstaLove.
I don’t think she was ever with one of the men alone and had a single time with them before everyone was already magically in love with one another. The first half of the book would’ve been five stars. But unfortunately the last half just had me scratching my head a bit.
The whole premise of the book is fantastic though. There’s gonna be multiple authors writing about different characters. Different mafia/bratva all come together and make an exchange of one of their females, like a daughter or sister, to another family to keep the peace. So in this book it was the female coming from the cartel boss and marrying into the Irish.
I liked the book. I just did not love it.
The first 50% of the book I was nose deep into the storyline. It was one that I could not stop reading. But I was also a little skeptical because halfway into the book there was not even a beginning of an RH relationship.
I think this is the first book I’ve ever read that was supposed to be a reverse harem where I was genuinely wanting it to not be.
“An exotic flower plucked from her homeland and gifted to me on a silver platter to do whatever I want with. I could pluck out her petals, one by one. I could cut out her thorns and leave her defenseless. I could crush her in the palm of my hand if I so wished. Or I can nurture her and stand back to watch her blossom.”
The relationship between the main female and main male character were purely lust and sexual but it was so freaking good. And then the author just kind of threw in his brother and cousin when the main male character was being an asshole. But there was no relationship build up at all. It was almost 60% into the book where are you start to see who is going to form into this reverse harem.
And I just did not flow well at all for me. It was way too rushed. Complete InstaLove.
I don’t think she was ever with one of the men alone and had a single time with them before everyone was already magically in love with one another. The first half of the book would’ve been five stars. But unfortunately the last half just had me scratching my head a bit.
The whole premise of the book is fantastic though. There’s gonna be multiple authors writing about different characters. Different mafia/bratva all come together and make an exchange of one of their females, like a daughter or sister, to another family to keep the peace. So in this book it was the female coming from the cartel boss and marrying into the Irish.
I liked the book. I just did not love it.
May 9, 2022
I don’t have words…
September 10, 2022
I considered DNF-ing this multiple times and I don't DNF easily. In fact, I would've gladly tossed it to the trash if not because it was a buddy read.
The whole story revolves around Rosa, the daughter of the Mexican mafia family, who was "sold" to the Irish family in order to fulfill the peace treaty and stop the mafia wars.
Tiernan, the head of the Irish mafia and the main male character. Then we have Shay and Colin, Shay is Tiernan's brother and Colin is their cousin.
Shay is and I quote, the Irish version of Jesus Christ himself. First red flag, who told you saying your character looks like Jesus is attractive? It's not.
Colin is this scarred, mysterious and closed off man that immediately catches your attention because who doesn't like a broken hero? But he was so underdeveloped that when the time came to tell his tragic past it felt so flat that I didn't even care.
Tiernan is the king of alphaholes. In his wedding night he forces Rosa to drink because "Kellys drink and now she's a Kelly" and then proceeds to spank her as punishment because she danced with his brothers aka Shay despite her having belt beating marks from her father. The first time he slept with and deflowered her, he called her a whore, a slut and all kind of names. How does a virgin become a whore, I wonder. How does someone so "innocent" (as the author says Rosa is) likes to be humiliated on their first time, I wonder. I wonder about a lot of things and the only thing that comes to mind is straight up misogyny.
After their night together he gives her the cold shoulder because... I don't know, I still don't know. So she confronts him and tells him that she basically needs to get pregnant because our Rosa is obsessed with having babies. She wants to get pregnant so desperately that when Tiernan orders her to fuck his brother and cousin she does so glady. And because she's oh, so polite she even thanked them. And the best part? Tiernan have to be present on those "trying to get Rosa pregnant" sessions. Just delightful everything.
And because Tiernan is a narcissistic motherfucker he treats even worst after that because of how she makes him feel in a situation that was his doing.
So we get more than 300 pages of verbal abuse and hate after hate content and then a sloppy declaration of love at 86% of the book(I checked ) and everything is forgotten and forgiven. It's all water under the bridge, Rosa gets pregnant and they live happily ever after. I won't even mention the kidnapping move because that's a joke of a try to wrap everything up.
Have you noticed that I didn't mention Shay and Colin? That's because they don't have a role. This is NOT a reverse harem as it was promoted, there's some fucked up disfuncional relationship going on but it's not a rh.
The author took three of favorite subgeneres (rh, marriage of convenience and mafia romance) and made a huge mess out of them so thank you for nothing.
The whole story revolves around Rosa, the daughter of the Mexican mafia family, who was "sold" to the Irish family in order to fulfill the peace treaty and stop the mafia wars.
Tiernan, the head of the Irish mafia and the main male character. Then we have Shay and Colin, Shay is Tiernan's brother and Colin is their cousin.
Shay is and I quote, the Irish version of Jesus Christ himself. First red flag, who told you saying your character looks like Jesus is attractive? It's not.
Colin is this scarred, mysterious and closed off man that immediately catches your attention because who doesn't like a broken hero? But he was so underdeveloped that when the time came to tell his tragic past it felt so flat that I didn't even care.
Tiernan is the king of alphaholes. In his wedding night he forces Rosa to drink because "Kellys drink and now she's a Kelly" and then proceeds to spank her as punishment because she danced with his brothers aka Shay despite her having belt beating marks from her father. The first time he slept with and deflowered her, he called her a whore, a slut and all kind of names. How does a virgin become a whore, I wonder. How does someone so "innocent" (as the author says Rosa is) likes to be humiliated on their first time, I wonder. I wonder about a lot of things and the only thing that comes to mind is straight up misogyny.
After their night together he gives her the cold shoulder because... I don't know, I still don't know. So she confronts him and tells him that she basically needs to get pregnant because our Rosa is obsessed with having babies. She wants to get pregnant so desperately that when Tiernan orders her to fuck his brother and cousin she does so glady. And because she's oh, so polite she even thanked them. And the best part? Tiernan have to be present on those "trying to get Rosa pregnant" sessions. Just delightful everything.
And because Tiernan is a narcissistic motherfucker he treats even worst after that because of how she makes him feel in a situation that was his doing.
So we get more than 300 pages of verbal abuse and hate after hate content and then a sloppy declaration of love at 86% of the book(I checked ) and everything is forgotten and forgiven. It's all water under the bridge, Rosa gets pregnant and they live happily ever after. I won't even mention the kidnapping move because that's a joke of a try to wrap everything up.
Have you noticed that I didn't mention Shay and Colin? That's because they don't have a role. This is NOT a reverse harem as it was promoted, there's some fucked up disfuncional relationship going on but it's not a rh.
The author took three of favorite subgeneres (rh, marriage of convenience and mafia romance) and made a huge mess out of them so thank you for nothing.
January 9, 2022
ALL MY REVIEWS CAN BE FOUND ON MY BLOG: ABSTRACT BOOKS
Star Rating : 4.5/5 Stars
POV : Multiple
Cliffhanger : None
Hero : Teiran , Shay , Colin
Heroine : Rosa
Pace of the story : Moderate (a bit fast in the middle)
Angst Rating : 5/10
Heat Rating : 7/10
Triggers Involved : Past Trauma , Humiliation
Plot Summary :
The families have always been at war. So the one solution they all decide is to get their daughters married in one of the other head families. This way each family will have one daughter to care for and they can't hurt her because their own daughter will be with someone else too. Rosa is decided to be Teiran's wife. Within the pain of losing his baby sisters to a bunch of Russian monsters and in fear of whether they'll keep her safe as their wife or not, the last he needs or wants Is a wife of his own. That is until he sees Rosa. She is nothing like the spoiled brat he had thought of her to be. Her innocence draws him in and he knows that he will have her no matter what. Only he is not the only one who wants her. His cousins want her too and a single game of domination puts too much at stake and now all of them are wrapped up in a game of life and death. No one knows what the outcome will be.
Overall Opinion :
This is the first book of this mafia world and many authors are participants in this. Each daughter's book is given to a different author and this was Ivy's book! I have to say that this was by far my favorite read by her. Teiran is just omggg. The hottest and most dominant man ever! He is everything I wanted in a hero and so much more. Not to mention Shay and Colin are perfect as well. This one is a reverse harem mafia romance which is tethering at the edge of a dark and contemporary romance.
The best part about this book is the chemistry of the characters. Especially Teiran. He had this aura around him which made him the most mysterious character for me and I elevated towards him naturally! The ending of this book was crazy and the anticipation for the side character books drove me crazy. Especially that of Iris! I am waiting not so patiently for that one lol.
Definitely recommending this book to all the reverse harem mafia romance loving people out there. it has a bit of triggers and it is slightly dark so if you want a complete contemporary romance, then this one is not that.
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February 21, 2022
I enjoyed this one but for me it was overshadowed by my need to know what was happening with Iris.
I realise these books will probably be very similar but I was desperate to read the next one assuming it would belong to Iris. It doesn’t so I’m not sure now.
I realise these books will probably be very similar but I was desperate to read the next one assuming it would belong to Iris. It doesn’t so I’m not sure now.
May 25, 2022
Rant Review…. fair warning 😘😘😘
Having recently read other novels within the series I had a basic understanding of what to expect as well as the general outline when I started. Keep in mind I’m always a little harsher on mafia reads because they’re not always my jam but I’ve enjoyed these so far and they’re RH so here I am lol. For some reason I think I place more expectations on characters in these stories and that’s perhaps where this one lost me. An innocent woman (Rosa) from each of the top mafia/crime families are basically bartered for peace and will wed the son of their families sworn enemies. At first I really thought I just wasn’t in this mood for this type of book for a couple of reasons but when it all adds up, I had times of not being able to put down this angsty drama-geddon mess of a book but overall it still ends just OK for me.
Heroine Rosa was raised in Mexico with her cartel family, who are known to be savage traffickers of women. Rosa however really is a delicate flower and somehow just didn’t fit into the world even though she tried. I find it hard to believe Rosa doesn’t even know how to throw a punch and if I’m being honest that’s just disappointing. I mean what the hell did she do with all her time basically a prisoner on her fathers estate?
Her betrothed Tiernan basically wants nothing to do with her. He is rude and crude from the start and more of an asshole than a dark and delicious mafia man who will slowly win you over. He’s known for ten years that his whole life has led up to this moment of marrying Rosa and he acts like a stubborn child while I’m supposed to believe he’s the head of the Irish mafia….
It took some time before I came to the conclusion I just wasn’t enjoying the book because I absolutely HATED the supposed antihero Tiernan. Not only does he blame Rosa for an event she had absolutely no part in (which we don’t even learn about until the end), he goes out of his way to purposely be cruel. As a reader of many darker reads I just couldn’t grasp his actions and behaviors nor the heroines reactions. As is becoming typical of heroines, no matter how mean he is, she takes the metaphorical hits but can’t deny his lustful pull and will jump on him if he even blinks. The hero goes beyond being a standard asshole and I hated how he treated her. She’s not some rando off the streets dragged into this world, nor was she kept away from some of life’s cruelties yet in so many ways (I hate to say it) she’s weak and disappointing. So willing to toe the line when I just wanted some spunk or fire from her.
I belive after the first times she’s with the other two men Tiernan writes “slut” on her chest in red lipstick, then throws her down on the floor like trash after she gives him oral, storms out and blames her for every wrong in his life. It was too much for me, cry me a river you big baby smh. He forces them to have sex, which on that note-the whole situation on just felt wrong and dirty schemed up like that by him, I hated it. He even throws that in her face, but really it’s the always purposely denying her a ‘baby’ by cumming on her that makes it all add up negatively. I never could mesh with all of his issues and toxicity mixed with her innocence and then her liking the belittlement. Normally I can shrug off with books like this when the heroine is enjoying herself but something about Tiernan made me so stab happy I couldn’t get over it. I can’t even tell you how relived I was, when finally a ways into the book, it was confirmed to my eyes that this would indeed be a RH read. I too early placed Tiernan in a box that he never crawled his way out of. I was often hoping he’d fall in an elevator shaft, meet a stray bullet or have his brain microwaved by his phone then leaving her a widow to live on with his cousin and brother #sorrynotsorry …. Its not even until nearly the end when he has an epiphany and comes around. Too late for me buddy. He continued to be king asshole and I just never accepted him. There is a cute epilogue and I did stay up till 330 am addicted to the drama. Take that how you will, I’m not necessarily mad I read it. Venting has certainly helped 😜😜
Having recently read other novels within the series I had a basic understanding of what to expect as well as the general outline when I started. Keep in mind I’m always a little harsher on mafia reads because they’re not always my jam but I’ve enjoyed these so far and they’re RH so here I am lol. For some reason I think I place more expectations on characters in these stories and that’s perhaps where this one lost me. An innocent woman (Rosa) from each of the top mafia/crime families are basically bartered for peace and will wed the son of their families sworn enemies. At first I really thought I just wasn’t in this mood for this type of book for a couple of reasons but when it all adds up, I had times of not being able to put down this angsty drama-geddon mess of a book but overall it still ends just OK for me.
Heroine Rosa was raised in Mexico with her cartel family, who are known to be savage traffickers of women. Rosa however really is a delicate flower and somehow just didn’t fit into the world even though she tried. I find it hard to believe Rosa doesn’t even know how to throw a punch and if I’m being honest that’s just disappointing. I mean what the hell did she do with all her time basically a prisoner on her fathers estate?
Her betrothed Tiernan basically wants nothing to do with her. He is rude and crude from the start and more of an asshole than a dark and delicious mafia man who will slowly win you over. He’s known for ten years that his whole life has led up to this moment of marrying Rosa and he acts like a stubborn child while I’m supposed to believe he’s the head of the Irish mafia….
It took some time before I came to the conclusion I just wasn’t enjoying the book because I absolutely HATED the supposed antihero Tiernan. Not only does he blame Rosa for an event she had absolutely no part in (which we don’t even learn about until the end), he goes out of his way to purposely be cruel. As a reader of many darker reads I just couldn’t grasp his actions and behaviors nor the heroines reactions. As is becoming typical of heroines, no matter how mean he is, she takes the metaphorical hits but can’t deny his lustful pull and will jump on him if he even blinks. The hero goes beyond being a standard asshole and I hated how he treated her. She’s not some rando off the streets dragged into this world, nor was she kept away from some of life’s cruelties yet in so many ways (I hate to say it) she’s weak and disappointing. So willing to toe the line when I just wanted some spunk or fire from her.
I belive after the first times she’s with the other two men Tiernan writes “slut” on her chest in red lipstick, then throws her down on the floor like trash after she gives him oral, storms out and blames her for every wrong in his life. It was too much for me, cry me a river you big baby smh. He forces them to have sex, which on that note-the whole situation on just felt wrong and dirty schemed up like that by him, I hated it. He even throws that in her face, but really it’s the always purposely denying her a ‘baby’ by cumming on her that makes it all add up negatively. I never could mesh with all of his issues and toxicity mixed with her innocence and then her liking the belittlement. Normally I can shrug off with books like this when the heroine is enjoying herself but something about Tiernan made me so stab happy I couldn’t get over it. I can’t even tell you how relived I was, when finally a ways into the book, it was confirmed to my eyes that this would indeed be a RH read. I too early placed Tiernan in a box that he never crawled his way out of. I was often hoping he’d fall in an elevator shaft, meet a stray bullet or have his brain microwaved by his phone then leaving her a widow to live on with his cousin and brother #sorrynotsorry …. Its not even until nearly the end when he has an epiphany and comes around. Too late for me buddy. He continued to be king asshole and I just never accepted him. There is a cute epilogue and I did stay up till 330 am addicted to the drama. Take that how you will, I’m not necessarily mad I read it. Venting has certainly helped 😜😜
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 6, 2022
The CDC now recommends authors stop writing scenes with just spanking as the introduction to aMaZiNg steam. Also, when the woman blushes constantly because she is so innocent and when she keeps inadvertently turning on the man just by biting her lip. How is this all still a thing??
It's been like 10 years since the spanking kink first hit. And I'm not talking just a smack on the ass. I cringed so hard when Tiernan bent Rosa over his knee and spanked her for the first steamy scene. Are woman that hard up for sex that this still does it for you?....It's a serious question. I've got a whole list of books that have evolved in steam. I recommend the author expand her horizons and find out what is considered modern sex these days.
I also recommend this author read mafia and reverse harem books. She took 2 of my top favorite genres and destroyed them. This wasn't mafia and this wasn't a reverse harem. I feel bad for the woman that has never read a reverse harem and this is her first. I'd love to point you in the right direction. Please!
Besides the opening scene when the 6 notorious families meet to call a peace treaty, that's about all the mafia there is in this book. There's no violence, no grit, no intense action. You get one scene at the very end with a deranged Priest losing his shit because he thinks Rosa is committing a huge sin being with 3 men at the same time. But that has nothing to do with the mafia. Just a crazy man.
Why make it a mafia book if you aren't going to write any mafia related action? Just because there is a cease fire between the families, does that mean there are no other enemies in your territory?? Tiernan could have been an accountant with all the computer work he did. All rainbows and sunshine here. At least, that's how the epilogue depicts it. And they all lived happily ever after...
Oh, mafia life.
I say this wasn't a reverse harem because it wasn't decided before hand. Meaning, a lot a reverse harems, it's already established that they share and there is no problem with it. Or, they become a reverse harem because they all agree that this is what they all want.
Neither of those happened.
The peace treaty includes that the women need to get pregnant to carry on the line of that family. Well, Tiernan tells Rosa that it doesn't specifically state it has to be him, just any Kelly will do. So he decides that she can sleep with his brother and cousin to get pregnant. He does this out of anger because he says he doesn't want to have a baby with her. It disgusts him to even think about it. Rosa goes along with it because she's a ding dong. There really is no other way to describe her at this point. She wants a baby because she wants someone to unconditionally love her. What an idiot. Shay, Tiernan's brother, basically tells her that's not a reason to have a baby. But Shay and I both agree how stupid that reason was. He just won't call her an idiot or a ding dong like me.
Anyway, let's wrap this up. Tiernan has an epiphany that he loves Rosa, tells her that she can have him, Rosa decides she wants all three of them because she loves them all, Tiernan says no not going to happen, Rosa gets mad, she gets pregnant and Tiernan concedes. They all live happily ever after with their kids and all the other families.
The End.
The steam is cringe, it's not a mafia story, and it's not a reverse harem.
It's been like 10 years since the spanking kink first hit. And I'm not talking just a smack on the ass. I cringed so hard when Tiernan bent Rosa over his knee and spanked her for the first steamy scene. Are woman that hard up for sex that this still does it for you?....It's a serious question. I've got a whole list of books that have evolved in steam. I recommend the author expand her horizons and find out what is considered modern sex these days.
I also recommend this author read mafia and reverse harem books. She took 2 of my top favorite genres and destroyed them. This wasn't mafia and this wasn't a reverse harem. I feel bad for the woman that has never read a reverse harem and this is her first. I'd love to point you in the right direction. Please!
Besides the opening scene when the 6 notorious families meet to call a peace treaty, that's about all the mafia there is in this book. There's no violence, no grit, no intense action. You get one scene at the very end with a deranged Priest losing his shit because he thinks Rosa is committing a huge sin being with 3 men at the same time. But that has nothing to do with the mafia. Just a crazy man.
Why make it a mafia book if you aren't going to write any mafia related action? Just because there is a cease fire between the families, does that mean there are no other enemies in your territory?? Tiernan could have been an accountant with all the computer work he did. All rainbows and sunshine here. At least, that's how the epilogue depicts it. And they all lived happily ever after...
Oh, mafia life.
I say this wasn't a reverse harem because it wasn't decided before hand. Meaning, a lot a reverse harems, it's already established that they share and there is no problem with it. Or, they become a reverse harem because they all agree that this is what they all want.
Neither of those happened.
The peace treaty includes that the women need to get pregnant to carry on the line of that family. Well, Tiernan tells Rosa that it doesn't specifically state it has to be him, just any Kelly will do. So he decides that she can sleep with his brother and cousin to get pregnant. He does this out of anger because he says he doesn't want to have a baby with her. It disgusts him to even think about it. Rosa goes along with it because she's a ding dong. There really is no other way to describe her at this point. She wants a baby because she wants someone to unconditionally love her. What an idiot. Shay, Tiernan's brother, basically tells her that's not a reason to have a baby. But Shay and I both agree how stupid that reason was. He just won't call her an idiot or a ding dong like me.
Anyway, let's wrap this up. Tiernan has an epiphany that he loves Rosa, tells her that she can have him, Rosa decides she wants all three of them because she loves them all, Tiernan says no not going to happen, Rosa gets mad, she gets pregnant and Tiernan concedes. They all live happily ever after with their kids and all the other families.
The End.
The steam is cringe, it's not a mafia story, and it's not a reverse harem.
January 10, 2022
Okay, I truly feel this is Ivy’s best work yet. The thought and creativity put into this story is marvelous. She seriously blew me away.
We start off with several Mafia Families trying to establish a peace treat amongst everyone. The only solution is for everyone to give a daughter to marry a different family heir and they are randomly drawn.
So here we are, with the Irish Mafia Heir, Tiernan Kelly set to marry the Mexican Cartel Princess, Rosa. What I love about this is it’s like an arranged marriage, they’ve never met one another. So expectations are everywhere. Tiernan doesn’t even come to get Rosa from the airport, he sends his two right hand men, Shay, his brother, and Colin, his cousin.
Without giving too much away, the marriage happens. Both parties aren’t the happiest because their hands were forced. Rosa wants a child so she can get back to her country and home. The only problem is her husband refuses to give her what she wishes. So they make ‘an arrangement’ we’ll say. They both keep up their end of the bargain and while this happens feelings start to be had.
Rosa started off as a skittish, shy girl who was in a completely different country. She knew or had no one. By the end of the story this lady has done 180° and the backbone she grows is astounding. She wants what she wants and does not feel bad. She does not have any problem expressing her wishes now. She will not settle and I couldn’t be more impressed.
Again, this book is the absolute best by Ivy. I am so excited for her fans to read this and even new readers. I would honestly tell anyone who hasn’t read anything by ivy start with this. This was such a breath of fresh air. It had such different twist on any mafia story and I LOVED IT. I sincerely mean this. I would recommend it today and everyday. Hats off to Ms Ivy. She has left he shocked and down right excited for what else is coming this year book wise!
We start off with several Mafia Families trying to establish a peace treat amongst everyone. The only solution is for everyone to give a daughter to marry a different family heir and they are randomly drawn.
So here we are, with the Irish Mafia Heir, Tiernan Kelly set to marry the Mexican Cartel Princess, Rosa. What I love about this is it’s like an arranged marriage, they’ve never met one another. So expectations are everywhere. Tiernan doesn’t even come to get Rosa from the airport, he sends his two right hand men, Shay, his brother, and Colin, his cousin.
Without giving too much away, the marriage happens. Both parties aren’t the happiest because their hands were forced. Rosa wants a child so she can get back to her country and home. The only problem is her husband refuses to give her what she wishes. So they make ‘an arrangement’ we’ll say. They both keep up their end of the bargain and while this happens feelings start to be had.
Rosa started off as a skittish, shy girl who was in a completely different country. She knew or had no one. By the end of the story this lady has done 180° and the backbone she grows is astounding. She wants what she wants and does not feel bad. She does not have any problem expressing her wishes now. She will not settle and I couldn’t be more impressed.
Again, this book is the absolute best by Ivy. I am so excited for her fans to read this and even new readers. I would honestly tell anyone who hasn’t read anything by ivy start with this. This was such a breath of fresh air. It had such different twist on any mafia story and I LOVED IT. I sincerely mean this. I would recommend it today and everyday. Hats off to Ms Ivy. She has left he shocked and down right excited for what else is coming this year book wise!
March 22, 2022
Binding Rose was the introduction to the Mafia Wars series. In it, you sort of meet the bosses of certain mafias. Spoiler alert: shit went down and now they are offering peace. This peace is basically in the form of marrying off their sisters/daughters to a mafia lord. Of course, each person assumes the worst will happen to a beloved family member, but they end up agreeing to things. For now.
In this, you will meet Tiernan and Rosa. He is the heir to the Irish Mafia, and she is a princess of the Mexican Cartel. Things between them were sort of awkward for most of this book. I also didn't really understand the romance either. Mostly because of the arrangement and I just wasn't going with the vibe of it all.
Towards the end of the book, I guess things were better. Probably because the entire family already knew that she was sleeping with his brother and cousin. As well as himself. So, yeah, I think I was okay with it all before we reached the last chapter/page.
In this, you will meet Tiernan and Rosa. He is the heir to the Irish Mafia, and she is a princess of the Mexican Cartel. Things between them were sort of awkward for most of this book. I also didn't really understand the romance either. Mostly because of the arrangement and I just wasn't going with the vibe of it all.
Towards the end of the book, I guess things were better. Probably because the entire family already knew that she was sleeping with his brother and cousin. As well as himself. So, yeah, I think I was okay with it all before we reached the last chapter/page.
October 31, 2023
This book met my expectations and more, I reached a point where I did not want this book to end. I was very much team Shay but I'm glad they all ended up together lmao and kinda expected her to be forced to choose one and I was Team Shay but it's a dark romance so I'm not surprised. Anyways I can't wait to read the other books in the series, definitely recommend reading this.
March 11, 2022
I can’t decide whether this book is a clever approach to RH, or ridiculous in a bad way – so I’m giving it 3 stars.
The plot is the same basic set-up as it is for the other standalone books in this “mafia wars” universe: Rosa is the daughter of a crime family (in this case, a Mexican cartel), and she’s shipped off to marry one of their enemies (in this case, Tiernan, an Irish crime boss), for the purpose of peace.
So far, so good. The writing is decent, the scenario has the potential for lots of angst, and the characters are intriguing enough, if nothing special: Rosa is fairly well developed, and she wants to get pregnant so that she has a child to love – because she knows that her life with the Irish mob will be filled with everyone hating her. Tiernan is the gruff leader, and the other guys, Shay and Colin, are the fun one and the brooding one.
Where this book becomes weird – and either smart, or stupid – is how it does the set-up for Rosa being with all of them. RH usually takes one of two approaches: 1) the guys come as a group – often in some sort of gang or found-family scenario – and they’re used to sharing or WANT to share, so it’s no big deal and barely even a discussion. Or, 2) The guys are NOT already a group and the heroine meets them individually and she just likes all of them and for some reason, they’re all fine with the situation. Option 1 works much better and is more believable, I always prefer it. Option 2 often seems unfair to the guys, and makes the heroine seem kind of selfish.
But this book takes a route for the “worldbuilding” of why it’s an RH that I’ve never seen before: it becomes an RH through a strange mind-game that Tiernan plays with Rosa.
This is why I can’t decide if this book is a brilliant approach to RH, or wild in a way that’s distracting and too out-there. The RH situation doesn’t happen naturally – she feels drawn to the other two guys at first, but she’s also committed to trying to be a good wife to Tiernan – but then Tiernan gives them all a shove out of his own lack of thinking it through. It’s definitely unique and different from other RH books I’ve read.
The more I think about it, I do admire the audacity – both of this book and of Rosa. The whole situation is absurd. But RH is already a scenario that’s hard to find plausible just in terms of human behavior. The fact that this one is engineered by pettiness makes it feel deeply human! It’s more believable than the type of RH scenario where the heroine falls for the guys one by one, and they’re all just fine with it.
My basic conclusion is that this book is a MESS, but it’s kind of entertaining, and I do admire its audacity.
The plot is the same basic set-up as it is for the other standalone books in this “mafia wars” universe: Rosa is the daughter of a crime family (in this case, a Mexican cartel), and she’s shipped off to marry one of their enemies (in this case, Tiernan, an Irish crime boss), for the purpose of peace.
So far, so good. The writing is decent, the scenario has the potential for lots of angst, and the characters are intriguing enough, if nothing special: Rosa is fairly well developed, and she wants to get pregnant so that she has a child to love – because she knows that her life with the Irish mob will be filled with everyone hating her. Tiernan is the gruff leader, and the other guys, Shay and Colin, are the fun one and the brooding one.
Where this book becomes weird – and either smart, or stupid – is how it does the set-up for Rosa being with all of them. RH usually takes one of two approaches: 1) the guys come as a group – often in some sort of gang or found-family scenario – and they’re used to sharing or WANT to share, so it’s no big deal and barely even a discussion. Or, 2) The guys are NOT already a group and the heroine meets them individually and she just likes all of them and for some reason, they’re all fine with the situation. Option 1 works much better and is more believable, I always prefer it. Option 2 often seems unfair to the guys, and makes the heroine seem kind of selfish.
But this book takes a route for the “worldbuilding” of why it’s an RH that I’ve never seen before: it becomes an RH through a strange mind-game that Tiernan plays with Rosa.
This is why I can’t decide if this book is a brilliant approach to RH, or wild in a way that’s distracting and too out-there. The RH situation doesn’t happen naturally – she feels drawn to the other two guys at first, but she’s also committed to trying to be a good wife to Tiernan – but then Tiernan gives them all a shove out of his own lack of thinking it through. It’s definitely unique and different from other RH books I’ve read.
The more I think about it, I do admire the audacity – both of this book and of Rosa. The whole situation is absurd. But RH is already a scenario that’s hard to find plausible just in terms of human behavior. The fact that this one is engineered by pettiness makes it feel deeply human! It’s more believable than the type of RH scenario where the heroine falls for the guys one by one, and they’re all just fine with it.
My basic conclusion is that this book is a MESS, but it’s kind of entertaining, and I do admire its audacity.
January 7, 2022
Wow. I don't even know where to start! The world building is on point 🙌🏻 its told perfectly from beginning to end. It's just the right amount of information to get you hooked and understanding the concept... it pulls you in from the beginning and drags you right in deep to the mafia wars world. I legit felt like I was there with all of those brutes 😂 All the mafia families meet for a selection process which would bring them all into a peace treat, and what does that entail? The daughters from each mafia family would be hand selected by each of the mafia families and married off to the heir of a different family. I loved how we get a brief description of each mafia family and some of the heirs we will see in the other stand alone books, which by the way, I am SO READY FOR!!!
“Are we going to sit here and do this whole song and dance of who has the biggest c**k in the room, or are we going to come to an agreement where we stop killing each other?”
Tiernans love for his sister Iris is what first made me like him, the selection process was brutal for him and god it was all so intense! Who wants their baby sister being handed over to the enemies.
"Nothing keeps a man on his guard better than the suspicion that the woman lying beside him in bed can slice his throat while he’s at his most vulnerable."
We are then soon introduced to Colin and Shay 🥰 I automatically loved Shay, I could've kissed him at times for being so good to our Rosa ❤ and Colin, oh my god. My heart burst for him 🥺❤ Tiernan actually annoyed me several times, but my heart hurts for him and all that pain and anguish that made him that way. The ending was just perfection 🙌🏻 I dont want to go into any details but it was everything.
Now I've finished Tiernans and Rosa's story. I'm eager for the other books in the series from some other amazing authors 🖤 well done Ivy, it was amazing!
"Actions have consequences husband, it's time you faced yours."
“Are we going to sit here and do this whole song and dance of who has the biggest c**k in the room, or are we going to come to an agreement where we stop killing each other?”
Tiernans love for his sister Iris is what first made me like him, the selection process was brutal for him and god it was all so intense! Who wants their baby sister being handed over to the enemies.
"Nothing keeps a man on his guard better than the suspicion that the woman lying beside him in bed can slice his throat while he’s at his most vulnerable."
We are then soon introduced to Colin and Shay 🥰 I automatically loved Shay, I could've kissed him at times for being so good to our Rosa ❤ and Colin, oh my god. My heart burst for him 🥺❤ Tiernan actually annoyed me several times, but my heart hurts for him and all that pain and anguish that made him that way. The ending was just perfection 🙌🏻 I dont want to go into any details but it was everything.
Now I've finished Tiernans and Rosa's story. I'm eager for the other books in the series from some other amazing authors 🖤 well done Ivy, it was amazing!
"Actions have consequences husband, it's time you faced yours."
January 30, 2022
3.5⭐
Soo, again good premise, good character development but only for h and one of the Hs.. decent🔥
I love RH stories, but only if each character has equal amount of their character and individual relationship to the h development.. and it was certainly lacking development for other 2 love interests. Plus the way it was constructed, it wasn't equal relationship (at least initially).
Also, humiliation is not really my thing, and her reaction to T doing it didn't make sense to me..
Oh and reason why T was randomly cruel to her after their visit to his oarents house the first time? Was never explain..
Soo, again good premise, good character development but only for h and one of the Hs.. decent🔥
I love RH stories, but only if each character has equal amount of their character and individual relationship to the h development.. and it was certainly lacking development for other 2 love interests. Plus the way it was constructed, it wasn't equal relationship (at least initially).
Also, humiliation is not really my thing, and her reaction to T doing it didn't make sense to me..
Oh and reason why T was randomly cruel to her after their visit to his oarents house the first time? Was never explain..
Read
August 24, 2022KU READ.
I had some trouble getting into this story, but I still read it until the end. The chemistry among the heroes was strange. I loved the Patrick bit. It gave them humanity. HOWEVER. The pace or structure were nonexistent. For a RH, I feel this cheated us. This felt more like MF with a very reluctant and hot and cold hero that momentarily shares his girl because he's being moody. I found it weird how they called her Spanish Rose even though she is Mexican - is that offensive? I would like to know. I struggled to relate to the heroine BUT the hero hating on her so much eventually made it easier for me to like her.
I had some trouble getting into this story, but I still read it until the end. The chemistry among the heroes was strange. I loved the Patrick bit. It gave them humanity. HOWEVER. The pace or structure were nonexistent. For a RH, I feel this cheated us. This felt more like MF with a very reluctant and hot and cold hero that momentarily shares his girl because he's being moody. I found it weird how they called her Spanish Rose even though she is Mexican - is that offensive? I would like to know. I struggled to relate to the heroine BUT the hero hating on her so much eventually made it easier for me to like her.
January 9, 2022
Wow! The Mafia Wars shared world is off to an incredible start. Ivy’s Binding Rose, the first book in a shared world of Mafia RH, is a passionate and captivating arranged marriage romance with enemies to lovers and forced proximity themes.
I am bit particular about mafia romance and depending on the author, I’ve had some I’ve loved and others not so much. Ivy has truly nailed this genre, perfectly weaving together the politics, intrigue, and powerful family bonds that make up the intricacies of the mafia world. In order to put an end to decades of fighting and death, the heads of the most powerful mafia families come together in an unprecedented pact. Each family will promise their eldest daughter in marriage to another warring family. Chapter 1 of simply setting the scene and I was hooked!
I absolutely adore these characters and fell in love with Rosa and her men. Their romantic journey is paved with heartache and angst, but also passion, understanding and lots of love. Rosa is a passionate, loving and strong heroine. Her strength lies in her intelligence and drive, and it’s her eventual determination to find her happiness that leads to all of the characters getting their HEA.
I highly recommend this book for any lover of romance. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a dark romance although it has dark themes and does go into some level of detail in certain parts that could be triggering. Overall, this was an amazing start to the Mafia Wars world and I can’t wait to read what comes next!
I am bit particular about mafia romance and depending on the author, I’ve had some I’ve loved and others not so much. Ivy has truly nailed this genre, perfectly weaving together the politics, intrigue, and powerful family bonds that make up the intricacies of the mafia world. In order to put an end to decades of fighting and death, the heads of the most powerful mafia families come together in an unprecedented pact. Each family will promise their eldest daughter in marriage to another warring family. Chapter 1 of simply setting the scene and I was hooked!
I absolutely adore these characters and fell in love with Rosa and her men. Their romantic journey is paved with heartache and angst, but also passion, understanding and lots of love. Rosa is a passionate, loving and strong heroine. Her strength lies in her intelligence and drive, and it’s her eventual determination to find her happiness that leads to all of the characters getting their HEA.
I highly recommend this book for any lover of romance. I wouldn’t necessarily call this a dark romance although it has dark themes and does go into some level of detail in certain parts that could be triggering. Overall, this was an amazing start to the Mafia Wars world and I can’t wait to read what comes next!
February 7, 2022
3.5
This one was good, but I'm clearly excited for Iris' story. Having your brother prep you for years to learn to physically protect yourself before you're being sent to get married to the worst mafia family soon after you turn 18? The "What's happening to Iris?!" question overshadowed my mind while reading this book and I'm disappointed to know that her story is the last in this series of books. But I can't wait to see how K.A Knight writes her story!
On the whole, this one was a weird take on RH. The hero doesn't want to have kids with the heroine (for reasons xyz) and decides to distance himself from her. The heroine wants kids because she's barely experienced love all her life and wants to share her love with her kids. After having arguments and trying to get a one up on the heroine, the hero has the genius idea to get his brother and his cousin to give his wife a baby through the natural means. He gives this as an only option because he knows the heroine will reject the idea. Much to his surprise, the heroine decides that she's cool with it only if the hero is in the same room as them and watches them bang. Like I said..weird.
This one was good, but I'm clearly excited for Iris' story. Having your brother prep you for years to learn to physically protect yourself before you're being sent to get married to the worst mafia family soon after you turn 18? The "What's happening to Iris?!" question overshadowed my mind while reading this book and I'm disappointed to know that her story is the last in this series of books. But I can't wait to see how K.A Knight writes her story!
On the whole, this one was a weird take on RH. The hero doesn't want to have kids with the heroine (for reasons xyz) and decides to distance himself from her. The heroine wants kids because she's barely experienced love all her life and wants to share her love with her kids. After having arguments and trying to get a one up on the heroine, the hero has the genius idea to get his brother and his cousin to give his wife a baby through the natural means. He gives this as an only option because he knows the heroine will reject the idea. Much to his surprise, the heroine decides that she's cool with it only if the hero is in the same room as them and watches them bang. Like I said..weird.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 17, 2022
Binding Rose by Ivy Fox is a standalone reverse harem novel, which forms part of the Mafia Wars world. This is technically the first book in the world, but they can be read in any order.
The story begins with Rosa’s arrival at Boston just a day before her arranged marriage to Tiernan, the eldest son and leader of the Irish Mafia. The cold, intense and darkness of Tiernan comes across early on, along with the playfulnesses of Shay and the closed off, but intelligent Colin. Each of these men are not to be messed with, nor underestimated.
Rosa is about to learn all of this…but maybe she can break through a little. See who these men really are. Otherwise she’ll need to learn to survive in this new life for as long as she can. Be the wife she needs to be. Bear the children to ensure the family line continues. And finally be the one for her family to complete the transaction that she never agreed to. The sacrifice so to speak.
I shed more tears for Rosa than I thought I would throughout this story, as the emotions really do tug at your heart through a number of scenes.
In particular I cried a little at the emotional and solemn moment for Rosa at her wedding reception. The scene was perfectly written to capture not only Rosa’s feelings about the situation, but also her new in-laws who were also experiencing something similar with their daughter/sister being married to an enemy at the same moment. I felt like this scene was the breakpoint for changing the characters towards each other and the barriers would eventually slowly lift. This here was my moment of hope for Rosa and the family of Irish made men she’d married into, through no choice of her own or even her new husbands, these two are bound together and their marriage can be filled with hatred or they can learn to eventually be at peace with each other, and maybe even love.
I also cheered for Rosa, as she gained strength and determination in one of the biggest f you moments. That right there (obviously without going into detail) is why I think she grew to be one of my favourite female characters.
Ivy Fox mentions that this is the sexiest and filthiest book she has written, and I’ll warn you now that she more than delivers on that statement. I think at times Tiernan could even be classified as a vulgar villain, which is so completely opposite of the innocent Rosa. But eventually Rosa and Tiernan come together in some explosive scenes, that have been built on sexual tension and hatred. This also goes for the scenes where Rosa is with Shay and Colin, as their own relationships develop throughout the story. Rosa’s life is forever changed with these three men and the conditions that must be met to fulfil the treaty.
Warning: cold shower might be required, as the spice level is super spicy!
There’s beauty, heartache and an intensity (both good and bad) in this book that you’ll be thoroughly consumed by the words written.
Binding Rose is written with multiple POV’s from Rosa, Tiernan,Shay and Colin.
Each of these books can be read as a standalone and in any order, but the world is interconnected and there is mention of other characters briefly in the stories. These are noted as dark romance and do have some triggers.
Side note: The preface is captivating and the words flow so seamlessly that it will hook you. This is the same in each of the books, but I couldn’t not mention it as it sums up the world.
The story begins with Rosa’s arrival at Boston just a day before her arranged marriage to Tiernan, the eldest son and leader of the Irish Mafia. The cold, intense and darkness of Tiernan comes across early on, along with the playfulnesses of Shay and the closed off, but intelligent Colin. Each of these men are not to be messed with, nor underestimated.
Rosa is about to learn all of this…but maybe she can break through a little. See who these men really are. Otherwise she’ll need to learn to survive in this new life for as long as she can. Be the wife she needs to be. Bear the children to ensure the family line continues. And finally be the one for her family to complete the transaction that she never agreed to. The sacrifice so to speak.
I shed more tears for Rosa than I thought I would throughout this story, as the emotions really do tug at your heart through a number of scenes.
In particular I cried a little at the emotional and solemn moment for Rosa at her wedding reception. The scene was perfectly written to capture not only Rosa’s feelings about the situation, but also her new in-laws who were also experiencing something similar with their daughter/sister being married to an enemy at the same moment. I felt like this scene was the breakpoint for changing the characters towards each other and the barriers would eventually slowly lift. This here was my moment of hope for Rosa and the family of Irish made men she’d married into, through no choice of her own or even her new husbands, these two are bound together and their marriage can be filled with hatred or they can learn to eventually be at peace with each other, and maybe even love.
I also cheered for Rosa, as she gained strength and determination in one of the biggest f you moments. That right there (obviously without going into detail) is why I think she grew to be one of my favourite female characters.
Ivy Fox mentions that this is the sexiest and filthiest book she has written, and I’ll warn you now that she more than delivers on that statement. I think at times Tiernan could even be classified as a vulgar villain, which is so completely opposite of the innocent Rosa. But eventually Rosa and Tiernan come together in some explosive scenes, that have been built on sexual tension and hatred. This also goes for the scenes where Rosa is with Shay and Colin, as their own relationships develop throughout the story. Rosa’s life is forever changed with these three men and the conditions that must be met to fulfil the treaty.
Warning: cold shower might be required, as the spice level is super spicy!
There’s beauty, heartache and an intensity (both good and bad) in this book that you’ll be thoroughly consumed by the words written.
Binding Rose is written with multiple POV’s from Rosa, Tiernan,Shay and Colin.
Each of these books can be read as a standalone and in any order, but the world is interconnected and there is mention of other characters briefly in the stories. These are noted as dark romance and do have some triggers.
Side note: The preface is captivating and the words flow so seamlessly that it will hook you. This is the same in each of the books, but I couldn’t not mention it as it sums up the world.
January 12, 2022
A character driven mafia read that will have you falling for three mafia men and the sweet and intelligent heroine.
It must be daunting for an author to begin a multi author interconnected series. However Ivy fox mafia world building was perfect and I felt immersed in it.
She also is one of my favorite Reverse Harem writers because of her care of each characters personalities. They are unique yet play off each other.
Looking forward to the next.
ARC
RH. Contemporary mafia. Multi POV. Some mafia type violence.
It must be daunting for an author to begin a multi author interconnected series. However Ivy fox mafia world building was perfect and I felt immersed in it.
She also is one of my favorite Reverse Harem writers because of her care of each characters personalities. They are unique yet play off each other.
Looking forward to the next.
ARC
RH. Contemporary mafia. Multi POV. Some mafia type violence.
April 29, 2022
THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN A FIVE STARS IF IT WASN’T THE FACT THAT SHE FELL IN LOVE WITH HIS COUSIN AND HIS BROTHER?!?! AND THEY JUST WENT ALONG WITH IT SO DID THEIR MUM NOOOOO. The only reason i gave it an extra star is that if u can get over the fact of her literally having sex with his brother and cousin and being okay with it this is the book for you. I will be honest i didn’t fully finish this book because i was so disgusted. 0.5 stars don’t recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 4, 2022
man this had so much potential but ended up being literally so fucking absurd it cracked me up
January 12, 2022
one click these
Okay so firstly I’m addicted to mafia romance, then the icing on the cake… interconnected series!! I love little Easter eggs and overlaps. And to make it even better this is the beginning of an interconnected world featuring some of my favourite authors.
There’s just so much amazing in this world and I cannot wait to get my greedy little hands on all of the other instalments.
So this book introduces us to one of the six families that run the criminal underworld all over the globe. The Kelly Family are the Irish Mob and Tiernan Kelly is not one to be messed with. What starts as a forced marriage soon turns into a heated relationship, and with all great stories, that’s where things start to change dramatically. I was kinda hoping for this to turn into a spicy RH so when The relationship changed I definitely let out a little excited squeal. I’m trying to keep this spoiler free but if RH mafia is for you the you’re going to want to grab this one. I’m so excited to see what happens to the other daughters from these feuding families.
Okay so firstly I’m addicted to mafia romance, then the icing on the cake… interconnected series!! I love little Easter eggs and overlaps. And to make it even better this is the beginning of an interconnected world featuring some of my favourite authors.
There’s just so much amazing in this world and I cannot wait to get my greedy little hands on all of the other instalments.
So this book introduces us to one of the six families that run the criminal underworld all over the globe. The Kelly Family are the Irish Mob and Tiernan Kelly is not one to be messed with. What starts as a forced marriage soon turns into a heated relationship, and with all great stories, that’s where things start to change dramatically. I was kinda hoping for this to turn into a spicy RH so when The relationship changed I definitely let out a little excited squeal. I’m trying to keep this spoiler free but if RH mafia is for you the you’re going to want to grab this one. I’m so excited to see what happens to the other daughters from these feuding families.
January 8, 2022
This is book one of six in the interconnecting Mafia Wars character series by various authors.
So basically the 6 mafia families decide to marry their daughters into each other’s families to bridge peace and end the Mafia Wars between them. Each book will follow a different daughter.
I loved Rosa. She is kind of ‘uppity’ and formal, but she’s a mafia boss daughter and can verbally spar an opponent any day.
I loved the world building and am desperate to get my hands on the next in the book, Gunmetal Lily. I did feel like a few parts of the book were a bit rushed maybe to keep the book from being too long, but overall I really enjoyed the story!
So basically the 6 mafia families decide to marry their daughters into each other’s families to bridge peace and end the Mafia Wars between them. Each book will follow a different daughter.
I loved Rosa. She is kind of ‘uppity’ and formal, but she’s a mafia boss daughter and can verbally spar an opponent any day.
I loved the world building and am desperate to get my hands on the next in the book, Gunmetal Lily. I did feel like a few parts of the book were a bit rushed maybe to keep the book from being too long, but overall I really enjoyed the story!
January 11, 2022
What a amazing first book in the all new series from the mafia wars universe! This book was sooo good I loved the characters the world building the storyline just everything about it! The chemistry the character development was spot on it was literally everything I love about Ivy Fox’s writing I can’t recommend it enough! Captivating exciting sexy I’m OBSESSED with this world! I just can’t wait for the next book in this exciting all new mafia romance series!
May 31, 2022
I honestly hold back while writing this review, but I’m supposed to give my honest opinion so here it is.
⛓️ The story ⛓️
To make the Mafia Wars stop, the daughters of each of the families are given to another family. In this book, we follow the story of Rosa from the Mexican cartel, who ends up with the Irish mob.
I had some struggles with this book. First of all, throughout the entire story Tiernan was whining about how bad he felt for his sister, and how it wasn’t fair that she would be treated terribly by the family that she ended up with. Excuse me, you hypocrite?? He behaved like a straight-up ass throughout the entire book towards Rosa, without any reason whatsoever. I mean, This drove me mental, and I feel like his behaviour wasn’t excused at all, especially because he kept whining about hoping that his sister was treated well, but then proceeds to treat Rosa like shit.
What however bothered me the most, is the fact that this is a mafia book, but there wasn’t any mafia action. The only action in the entire book was near the end, but that wasn’t even mafia related. That’s literally the only moment that we saw the supposed terribleness of the main guys, who had literally been lovesick puppies up until that point. Where was the badassness that these men were supposed to show?? I also was not alright with the way the harem got formed, Tiernan literally forced them all together. Still not okay with that, but I’m glad Tiernan suffered for a while bye.
I must admit that I did enjoy the ending for a bit, the whole was really cute, and I did kind of tear up at that. I also enjoyed the action, however short it was.
⛓️ The characters ⛓️
🌹Rosa🌹
Not sure what I thought of her. I did like how she was sort of equally matched with Tiernan in wits, but I don’t like how she let him treat her like shit. If you’re supposedly used to all this terribleness in your past, you should’ve at least learned how to stand up for yourself. This was another thing, she mentioned how terrible her father treated her, but it was never explained why, what exactly he didI mean I know she had scars, but why did he treat her like that? etc. It just felt like a dramatic past had to be included to at least give her some depth which didn’t work but ok. Although I liked her, I also felt like she was a bit dramatic. She claimed to want to be left alone by her husband, but when Isn’t that literally what you claimed you wanted, what the fuck. I also got quite annoyed with the fact that she literally cries every time she has an orgasm, are you fucking alright girl?! But besides the things that bothered me, she was an okay character.
🍽️Tiernan🍽️
I’m not going to say a lot more about him, because I already made my opinion clear. He sucked without any good reason, and he behaved like a brat throughout the entire book. His denigrating behaviour towards Rosa wasn’t alright in any way, and I hatedhim it. His complete 180 came out of nowhere too; one chapter he hates her guts and the next he’s completely in love with her?? What????
💃🏻Shay💃🏻
Now Shay, him I did like. He’s literally the only guy who made some sense and saw that Rosa wasn’t to blame for anything. He’s honestly the only thing that I did really like in the book. Although I liked him, I felt like all of their sudden love confessions came out of nowhere? I feel like both he and Colin were never the badass mafia dudes that they were described to be, they immediately turned into lovesick puppies around her who could only be sweet. I don’t know, I’m just disappointed; I want badass alpha men.
🖼️Colin🖼️
We barely saw anything of Colin, and although I thought his backstory was sad, we still didn’t know anything about him. From one chapter to the next he was suddenly COMPLETELY in love with Rosa, which made no fucking sense?? They barely spoke 2 words, and we didn’t see anything of their relationship development. The same goes for Shay. The only guy that we saw a lot of was Tiernan, so it felt like this was basically just all centred around Tiernan and then the other guys were thrown in as an afterthought so it would become a harem. All of the characters were just really shallow, and I don’t love that at all.
⛓️ Overall conclusion ⛓️
Overall, I wasn’t a fan. The whole reason why Tiernan hated Rosa made no sense whatsoever, his insane asshole behaviour was not justifiable. The only action we got was near the end for a short while, and it wasn’t even mafia related. If I didn’t know this was a book in a mafia series, I would NOT have guessed that it was a mafia romance at all. Although it was supposed to be a reverse harem, we basically only got to see Tiernan’s development, and it felt like it was the Tiernan show. Not a fan, not a fan at all.
⛓️ The story ⛓️
To make the Mafia Wars stop, the daughters of each of the families are given to another family. In this book, we follow the story of Rosa from the Mexican cartel, who ends up with the Irish mob.
I had some struggles with this book. First of all, throughout the entire story Tiernan was whining about how bad he felt for his sister, and how it wasn’t fair that she would be treated terribly by the family that she ended up with. Excuse me, you hypocrite?? He behaved like a straight-up ass throughout the entire book towards Rosa, without any reason whatsoever. I mean, This drove me mental, and I feel like his behaviour wasn’t excused at all, especially because he kept whining about hoping that his sister was treated well, but then proceeds to treat Rosa like shit.
“Who I am has nothing to do with it. Everyone hurts. Some people just hide it better than others.”
What however bothered me the most, is the fact that this is a mafia book, but there wasn’t any mafia action. The only action in the entire book was near the end, but that wasn’t even mafia related. That’s literally the only moment that we saw the supposed terribleness of the main guys, who had literally been lovesick puppies up until that point. Where was the badassness that these men were supposed to show?? I also was not alright with the way the harem got formed, Tiernan literally forced them all together. Still not okay with that, but I’m glad Tiernan suffered for a while bye.
I must admit that I did enjoy the ending for a bit, the whole was really cute, and I did kind of tear up at that. I also enjoyed the action, however short it was.
⛓️ The characters ⛓️
🌹Rosa🌹
Not sure what I thought of her. I did like how she was sort of equally matched with Tiernan in wits, but I don’t like how she let him treat her like shit. If you’re supposedly used to all this terribleness in your past, you should’ve at least learned how to stand up for yourself. This was another thing, she mentioned how terrible her father treated her, but it was never explained why, what exactly he did
🍽️Tiernan🍽️
I’m not going to say a lot more about him, because I already made my opinion clear. He sucked without any good reason, and he behaved like a brat throughout the entire book. His denigrating behaviour towards Rosa wasn’t alright in any way, and I hated
💃🏻Shay💃🏻
Now Shay, him I did like. He’s literally the only guy who made some sense and saw that Rosa wasn’t to blame for anything. He’s honestly the only thing that I did really like in the book. Although I liked him, I felt like all of their sudden love confessions came out of nowhere? I feel like both he and Colin were never the badass mafia dudes that they were described to be, they immediately turned into lovesick puppies around her who could only be sweet. I don’t know, I’m just disappointed; I want badass alpha men.
🖼️Colin🖼️
We barely saw anything of Colin, and although I thought his backstory was sad, we still didn’t know anything about him. From one chapter to the next he was suddenly COMPLETELY in love with Rosa, which made no fucking sense?? They barely spoke 2 words, and we didn’t see anything of their relationship development. The same goes for Shay. The only guy that we saw a lot of was Tiernan, so it felt like this was basically just all centred around Tiernan and then the other guys were thrown in as an afterthought so it would become a harem. All of the characters were just really shallow, and I don’t love that at all.
⛓️ Overall conclusion ⛓️
Overall, I wasn’t a fan. The whole reason why Tiernan hated Rosa made no sense whatsoever, his insane asshole behaviour was not justifiable. The only action we got was near the end for a short while, and it wasn’t even mafia related. If I didn’t know this was a book in a mafia series, I would NOT have guessed that it was a mafia romance at all. Although it was supposed to be a reverse harem, we basically only got to see Tiernan’s development, and it felt like it was the Tiernan show. Not a fan, not a fan at all.
January 10, 2022
Oh holy hell what a freaking book. I absolutely loved it. This is book 1 in the Mafia Wars series and mercy was it intense as well as hot af those smexy scenes I swear could start a fire they were so hot🥵. What starts out as a peace treaty among the 6 Families where they each offer up their daughters to each of the son's of the families in order to keep the peace among themselves and to keep the bloodline strong as well.
Rosa Hernandez is from the Mexican Cartel and has known since she was 17 that she'd be getting married in 10 years to Tiernan Kelly from the Irish Mafia and knew that because of what her family does that she would be hated, but she's determined to make the best of it she just didnt count on Shay his younger brother and Colin his cousin and their feelings toward her and her feelings toward them.
I was so excited about reading this book 1)Mafia, duh, 2) one of my favorite arthurs and the final reason 3)Reverse harem, baby ooh boy Ivy wasn't kidding when she said it was one of the filthiest books she's written well book friends I. Am. Here. For. It.
I'd highly recommend reading this and no not just for the RH😂, but the book was just fantastic the words just flowed smoothly into the next as I turned the page to see what was happening next. Another 5 star from this arthur
Rosa Hernandez is from the Mexican Cartel and has known since she was 17 that she'd be getting married in 10 years to Tiernan Kelly from the Irish Mafia and knew that because of what her family does that she would be hated, but she's determined to make the best of it she just didnt count on Shay his younger brother and Colin his cousin and their feelings toward her and her feelings toward them.
I was so excited about reading this book 1)Mafia, duh, 2) one of my favorite arthurs and the final reason 3)Reverse harem, baby ooh boy Ivy wasn't kidding when she said it was one of the filthiest books she's written well book friends I. Am. Here. For. It.
I'd highly recommend reading this and no not just for the RH😂, but the book was just fantastic the words just flowed smoothly into the next as I turned the page to see what was happening next. Another 5 star from this arthur
February 11, 2023
Ten years ago the 6 most dangerous mafia families gathered at a peace summit where an agreement was reached. Each family would send a daughter in marriage to another family. Bloodlines would be merged and peace would exist. No one consulted the daughters but then, they never did. Mafia and cartel princesses were nothing more than possessions to be used by their fathers and brothers to secure deals for the family. Rose has known who she was to be married to since she was 17. She was to leave her home in Mexica and marry the Irish Mob Boss in Boston. These are her orders; this is her life. But can a rose bloom in enemy soil?
This is the first book in the shared Mafia Wars world. It is also my favorite book Ivy Fox has ever written. It's heartfelt and heartbreaking. It illustrates the cost of hate and the price of love. It's full of complex characters, not all of whom I liked. It was full of men who talked of honor and their word, men who took oaths but didn't live up to them; men who judged innocents for others' and their own actions. Cowards. But there were also men who surprised me and themselves, men with unexpected depth. And there were women who were never given any control over their own lives but still managed to define grace. The women displayed true strength and heart. They had mature innocence and provided hope. They are the balance to the darkness the men bring to the world. Finally, this first book set the stage for all of the books to come beautifully. I am eager for the rest.
This is the first book in the shared Mafia Wars world. It is also my favorite book Ivy Fox has ever written. It's heartfelt and heartbreaking. It illustrates the cost of hate and the price of love. It's full of complex characters, not all of whom I liked. It was full of men who talked of honor and their word, men who took oaths but didn't live up to them; men who judged innocents for others' and their own actions. Cowards. But there were also men who surprised me and themselves, men with unexpected depth. And there were women who were never given any control over their own lives but still managed to define grace. The women displayed true strength and heart. They had mature innocence and provided hope. They are the balance to the darkness the men bring to the world. Finally, this first book set the stage for all of the books to come beautifully. I am eager for the rest.
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