Envy brings the reader back to the world of the Cosa Nostra with all the mafia guys. If you haven't read the series, you could read this as a stand alone; however, I don't think you will appreciate the story as much if you don't have all the history. Vic was introduced in Eulogy but was a very minor character. Renee is a totally new character to the series.
Renee is the nanny for Nixon and Trace's daughter, Serena, and Phoenix and Bee's son, Junior. She is terrified of the bosses. Her father is a made man and has been working with the families her whole life, but she is still not comfortable with the death and destruction. Vic makes her REALLY uncomfortable. He is an enforcer for the 5 families and always looks pissed off. Renee thinks she only has a few more days before she heads back to college...then her whole world changes.
Vic is the quintessential broody grump. Even though he is an Abandanado, he works for the families and has to take orders from the bosses. His newest assignment is to keep Renee safe and keep her in the dark about who she really is. Renee is determined to break through Vic's shell and I admired her tenacity. I liked that she wasn't a blushing virgin; its odd for me to say that, isn't it! But, she needed to be a bit confident and self assured in order to push Vic's buttons. And once they finally get on the same page?! Holy hotness!
But the ending? Oh my gosh. I had no idea the depravity that Andrei was involved in and it really shocked me. If you have triggers, you might want to check the warning below.
Envy is a great addition to the Eagle Elite series for readers who, like me, are always begging for more mafia men. This is my favorite RVD series and I devoured Envy in one sitting because there was no way I was gonna stop until it was over!
- POV: dual 1st
- Tears: yes
- Trope: mafia, secret identity
- Triggers: Andrei is running a human trafficking business. The customers can buy women for sex or for tourture. There is a graphic scene in the club at the end that might be too much for some readers
- Series/Standalone: stand alone within an interconnected series
- Cliffhanger: sno
- HEA: HFN
Lev by Belle Aurora, Midnight Rescue by Elle Kennedy, Judgment Road by Christine Feehan...then you will probably like Envy!
See full review on The Book Disciple