J.M. Darhower - Sempre Redemption (Forever Series #2) - ♥♥♥♥♥ - (ARC Review)

Synopsis:-

In this thrilling and sexy follow-up to Sempre, two young lovers struggle to keep their relationship intact after they become deeply enmeshed in the dangerous mafia-run crime ring they once tried to overthrow.

Haven Antonelli and Carmine DeMarco have been through a lot. Haven was taken in by Carmine’s father, and with his family’s help, she escaped a gruesome fate. However, saving Haven from the dark intentions of a mafia family cost Carmine a steep price: he was forced to swear loyalty to them.

Now, still passionately in love, Carmine and Haven must face the fall-out of Carmine’s forced service, as Haven discovers terrifying secrets about the family that enslaved both her and her mother—and why she matters so much in this intricate web of lies.

______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The Romance Vault's Verdict - ♥♥♥♥♥ worthy Bellisimo hearts

I received an ARC of this book from the Publishers Simon and Schuster in return for an honest review.

Oh my, oh my, I am sitting here a bit dazed and am slightly brain fuzzed as to where to start my review.  I suppose the first thing to say is this; Without a doubt this book is an outstanding sequel.  Sempre Redemption will resonate with me for a long time and I pity any book I read next to have to follow in it's wake because the bar has been set so high after reading this as oh my Lord what a cracking, heart pounding, tear jerking, gob drooling, lip smacking, Mafioso mayhem read this is!

Now if you had asked me yesterday would I ever feel the need to cry over a hard hitting, unbending, emotionless, black and white mafia boss then the answer would have been 'Are you mad!'  Today that answer would simply be a nod of my head.  Jeepers this book throws you through an emotional loop again, I found Sempre emotional because of Haven and her finding her place and being visible, I found Redemption emotional because of the answers coming to light and all the pieces falling into place and living the strain of 'the lifestyle' and all it entails.  The journey though as we become privy to the answers is action packed, seedy, gritty, shocking, mind slewing and just downright riveting.  Yes you may find yourself disagreeing with the turn of events but unquestionably how this book is delivered is spot on.  The word freedom and all it involves is like an electrical pulse throughout.  How it's given and taken like the flick of a switch but it is always in the background thrumming and alluring with want and need.   Both Carmine and Haven struggle to find their own, the obstacles seem too much and forever in their way.

Haven finds herself having to live with the repercussions of Carmine's joining with Salvatore and Carmine is massively struggling with what is to be expected of him now he is part of the La Cosa Nostra with Corrado his direct boss he finds himself on a destructive path with a penchance for Grey Goose and a need to numb his pain.  His constant worry of what is going to be asked of him or happen to him each time his phone rings is slowly doing him in.  And lets of course not forget Vincent in this heady mix of Mafia bosses,  what he's been trying to ignore with Haven keeps nagging at him all the time and when things happen to do with Haven he tries to ignore but deep down he knows what she says and shows might be right and then what Carmine is told to do and my God it's explosive reading.

Each character you come across in this series are all necessary, there simply are no unnecessary people taking up space to puff this out.  From Father Alberto to Gia DeMarco, they all play brilliant roles.  This story just rolls along, it builds and builds, knocks you for six every so often along the way, reduces you to tear filled eyes and then manages to either shock you again or bring forth a smile.  I hope someone in T.V. guru-land or Hollywood comes across this because this is so visually delivered it's fantastic.

I do have one last thing to add after reading this series.  And that is I feel J.M. Darhower pens an explosive American crime filled book very much like Martina Cole pens an explosive English crime filled book.   J.M. Darhower in my opinion needs to take a seat next to the likes of Martina Cole for their compelling, shocking and riveting reading and excellent, expressive diction and their seemingly ease at bringing all things 'Gangster' so vividly to life.   This is a first class saga that should not be missed by anyone that wants more than just romance and likes to be a little (or a lot) shocked along the way.

I wholeheartedly recommend this series and in case your wondering and holding back, Haven and Carmine's story concludes perfectly in this book.

Links to Purchase:

UK Link     US Link

Check out the blog tour section to find out more about J.M. Darhower and read an excerpt from Sempre Redemption - Click here - cms.theromancevault.webnode.com/products/blog-tour-j-m-darhower-sempre-redemption-/