Rocco (Ruin & Revenge, #3)

by Sarah Castille

Aiden Snow (Narrator)

Mafia enforcer Rocco De Lucchi is the best in the business. Cold, hard, and utterly ruthless, Rocco is the most dangerous of men. Feelings are a luxury he cannot afford-until a chance encounter brings him face to face with the only woman who found her way into his heart and touched his soul. Grace Mantini has spent her whole life running from the mob. The daughter of the boss's right-hand man, she is both a prize and a target. When Rocco walks back into her life, she wants nothing to do with the man who betrayed her and broke her heart. But only Rocco can protect her from the dangerous forces that seek to destroy her family. Can they escape the hands of fate closing around them? Or will love be the kiss of death for them both?--Provided by Publisher.

• ISBN10: 1515965252
• ISBN13: 9781515965251
• Publish Date: 6 March 2018 (first published 2 January 2018)
• Publish Status: Out of Print
• Out of Print: 14 March 2021
• Publish Country: US
• Imprint: Tantor Media, Inc
• Edition: Unabridged edition
• Format: Audiobook (MP3)
• Duration: 11 hours and 36 minutes
• Language: English

Reviews

[Nadz@Totally Addicted to Reading]

I immediately dived into Rocco, the third book in the Ruin and Revenge series upon completion of Luca. I was curious to learn how this story would unfold as the hero of this installment was a cold-blooded killer. The second most feared enforcer for the mob. I met him in the previous installment and I recognized that beneath his cold-blooded exterior he harboured deep-seated pain and I was desirous of learning what made him tick. What I learned was heart-breaking and painful.

Rocco knew only pain and loss for most of his life until the Grace Mantini, the daughter of an under-boss, entered his life. Despite their ten-year age difference, they forged an unbreakable bond. He became her protector, her best friend and her lover. They had plans to spend the rest of their lives together, but when Rocco was forced to kill to protect her their dreams were shattered. That incident changed their lives forever. Rocco became an unfeeling and cold-hearted enforcer who never questioned his orders to kill.

Grace left home after that fateful incident and spent most of her time trying to live her life separate from the mob. However, she would learn that no matter how far she ran, she could never out run her past.

This was a beautiful written second chance romance, and I enjoyed every moment spent in Grace and Rocco’s world. Watching them both find their way back to each other was such a delight. Their moments together were intense and passionate and their chemistry was hot enough to burn a hole through my headphones.

The flashbacks provided by the author allows the reader to understand the horrors they suffered along with how their relationship had developed. Reading about their past and watching them in the present fuelled my need to see them get their happily ever after. However, before they could accomplish that, there were several obstacles they needed to overcome.

The story had its share of danger and drama one would expect with a mafia romance. It was fast paced, engaging and emotional.

My issue with this installment was how it ended. I had hope to get an answer regarding Rocco’s heritage, but that information was never revealed.

Narration
Aiden Snow continues to narrate, and he did an excellent job as I expected. He brought life to the story and the characters.

Conclusion/Recommendation
Rocco delivered a steamy and passionate second chance romance that will put a smile on your face and leave you feeling contented.This review was originally posted on Totally Addicted to Reading

[thebookdisciple]

Rocco is a mafia enforcer who has given up his soul a long time ago. Grace, the daughter of a made man, escaped the mafia life once she learned about it. Rocco and Grace were in love, but Grace was young and Rocco was a vicious enforcer. After a terrible attack that left Grace scarred, she runs, leaving New York and Rocco behind.

While her father and brother were in Vegas for a visit/mafia business, Grace is thrust back into the danger of the mafia world. She is older and a bit stronger now and she is willing to fight for her family and for Rocco, even though he does everything possible to push her away. Rocco was abused as a child and has developed some seriously messed up coping skills. He harbors so much guilt over his life but is essentially powerless to change his station. I didn't expect to understand Grace and Rocco so much. I have nothing in common with these characters, yet Castille does a great job making them relatable and real. I also loved getting to see Mia and Gabrielle (and of course Luca and Nico).

The complex relationship between Grace and Rocco is the driving emotional conflict, but they do still have to figure out who put a hit out on Grace's father and brother and wanted to kidnap Grace. As you can expect in a mafia romance, there is danger and violence at every turn which keeps you engaged, but there is also the push/pull between Grace and Rocco that provides this odd sense of a slow burn (which is deceptive because they certainly are lots very sexy scenes!). Even when they are ready to rip each others' clothes off, you aren't sure if this time will be what finally reconnects these two. The chemistry is scorching but with the way Rocco shuts down and runs hot and cold with Grace at times, it felt like a slow burn that was going to end with a major explosion instead of a fire!

 

• POV: 3rd


• Tears: no


• Trope: second chance, mafia


• Triggers: spoiler


• Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series (you could read these in any order if you really wanted to but you would get some spoilers from previous books!)


• Cliffhanger: no


• HEA: yes with epilogue

Mafia series from authors like Rachel Van Dyken, Meghan March, Tijan, Terri Ann Browning ...then you will probably like Rocco!

 

Rocco

 
See full review on The Book Disciple

[Eve1972]

 
 
I LOVED book one in this series (NICO) but was disappointed in book two (LUCA) so this book was a make it or break it book for me. Well, let me just say this author not only made it, she blew it out of the water and ROCCO has now moved up to the top as my favorite book of this series. From beginning to end this was a total pleasure to read.


 


I found this one to be fantastically well written. It was a fairly long book, but It held my attention all the way through. The plot was engaging. Surprisingly, this wasn't very angsty. I thought for sure with Rocco's and Grace's history there would have been a lot more pushing away on both their parts, but nope, they pretty much get past their issues quite quickly.  I wasn't in the mood for a book filled with the heroine being bitchy and pushing the hero away, so Eve was a happy camper. There wasn't any OW/OM drama. Both had been with other people in their six years apart. The sex scenes were both smokin' hot and plentiful. There was an excellent array of secondary characters. Nico and Mia and Luca and Gabrielle featured in this one quite a lot. Along with a bunch of other VERY intriguing people. I hope very much we will see Mike get a HEA along with Olivia and Tom. Maybe even Ethan. The cast of secondary characters in this one really added so much to the story.
 

 


Both main characters were awesome. I can't think of a single thing I didn't like about either of them. Rocco was sexy as f-ck. He was alpha. He was badass. He was protective. He was tormented. His history will make you cry and I am dying to find out who his real family is. Grace had the potential to be a very annoying heroine. I figured she would be this judgy, bitter and angry woman who couldn't get over having her heart broken. She wasn't that AT ALL. Oh sure at the beginning she was a little prickly, but even then it was portraid in such a manner you couldn't help loving her feistiness. She was sassy. She was smart. She was strong. She was funny. She was sweet, and she embraced Rocco for everything that he was. She was actually one the best written heroines I have read this year. Last, it was all wrapped up in a sweet epilogue that ended things perfectly. I am not sure whose book is up next (I am hoping Mike's) but whoever it is I will stand in line anxiously awaiting its release. This one gets two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.