Blog Tour: Enrage: Rachel Van Dyken
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Release Date July 31, 2017
Enrage is the next standalone in the international best selling mafia series, Eagle Elite.
Part of a world I loathe.
Part of a family who hates me more than I hate myself.
Living with a girl who reminds me of my darkness.
I'm. In. Hell.
Also known as the Cosa Nostra.
My life was over the minute I stepped off that plane.
Son to a murdered mob boss.
Heir to a throne of murder and lies.
My name is Dante Nicolasi.
And there will be blood.
Spoiler Free review because the mafia has to keep some secrets!
"This isn't a fairy tale, and if it was, I sure as hell wouldn't be the prince."
Dante Nicolasi is undergoing some serious training at the hands of the bosses...like "whatever doesn't kill you makes you stronger" kind of training sessions. He is young, intense, angry, intimidating, but also harbors his own inner fears and demons. He is full of hatred and rage over circumstances and desires revenge. This is his chance to prove himself worthy of his bloodline.
El was basically a spoil of war. The Italians saved her from the Russians and now she is under their protection. She has lived a hard life full of abuse. She feels numb, dead, used, and unworthy. She is full of anxiety and fear, and hates feeling trapped. She is a young woman lost in a new environment and is not sure who to trust.
El was basically a spoil of war. The Italians saved her from the Russians and now she is under their protection. She has lived a hard life full of abuse. She feels numb, dead, used, and unworthy. She is full of anxiety and fear, and hates feeling trapped. She is a young woman lost in a new environment and is not sure who to trust.
Dante and El are sent to Eagle Elite as new students. And lets just say there is a whole lot of new drama going on since we last checked in with the school. Dante and El's dynamics begin to evolve due to a need for protection, a tentative friendship, sexual attraction, and a gradual build up of feelings. But it seems their lives are not meant to be truly compatible. Dante has a lot of struggles regarding his role in the family and self worth. He tries so hard to resist the pull of El. It is hard to protect someone when he believes she might need protection from himself or his lifestyle. But El is also sassy, brave, and tough. And she is not afraid to stand up for what she wants.
Would sharing their pain and demons make it better or worse? Is the danger and risk worth feeling alive in each other's arms?
This book in intense, violent, emotional, but also funny and entertaining. This group is fierce, dramatic, and brutal. Dante and El are two people living in chaos with no real guarantees of safety or a future.
Italians. Russians. Danger. Family. Bloodshed. Secrets. Money. Betrayal. Loss. Heartbreak.
There are blurred lines between right and wrong and the mafia plays by their own rules and beliefs.
Blood. Loyalty. Family. Honor. Independence. Class.
This is a mafia story. There is a lot going on with the other characters, the families, the threats, secrets, lies, danger, and violence. But it is also a love story about breaking down barriers and trying to find a bit of hope and happiness in their violent world. Both of them took a bit of warming up to because they were in extreme emotional situations and so unsure of everything in the beginning. Dante was incredibly intense and unfocused, and El was broken down and skittish.
This is about them trying to find their own inner strength, purpose, and learning to trust. These characters in this series are not assured of happy-ever-afters, so they have to live hard, love hard, and live well. They honestly never know when one day might be their last. They never know who is going to need saving and when.
This one took me longer to read because it was just so much to take in! It wore me down. It kept me thinking. It had me so full of tension. It completely broke my heart. It revolted me and made me angry at times. There were definitely some twists and surprises...some I never expected. It was mesmerizing and captivating, but in a total raw and demanding way. It is like that train wreck you cannot look away from, but you know that you are going to see things you don't want to. But this is the life with the families. Blood in. No out.
Rachel Van Dyken is not afraid to shake things up. I never dreamed she would take the series in the direction she is. This one expertly sets up the next book with a tease. I cannot wait for more of these characters!
I was gifted a copy in exchange for an honest review.
No spoilers!
The Eagle Elite series has never been about taking the easy road. There is no easy road when family is blood in, no out.
Dante Nicolasi is settling into life with Cosa Nostra. Participating in daily training with the bosses, he has a lot on his plate as he starts classes at Eagle Elite.
El is no stranger to danger and terror. Now that she is under the protection of the Italian families, life is a little easier and she is adjusting to her new freedoms. But the protections she is receiving from the Italian families can only last so long and school isn’t the safe place she imagined it would be.
The games these families play aren’t always easy to swallow, nor are they always cut and dry. There is a lot going on in this book, between the main couple and the rest of the families. At times I was uncomfortable with what I could see coming, at times I couldn’t see how thing would sort themselves out. Danger is around every corner as Dante and El navigate their new roles.
I found myself drawn back into Rachel’s mafia world very quickly. The heads of the families are all nearby as Dante is tasked with investigating what is going on at Eagle Elite. Watching this close-knit group of family reminded me of all the trials they have faced over the series and made me wish I could fit in a series re-read, especially as I hit the end and was faced with the emotional climax of Enrage.
This was not an easy end to read. It absolutely fit, but part of me needs to go back and read a few of the previous books in the series because it hurts to think about where they are now. I imagine the next book in the series is going to be one that readers clamor for and I can’t wait to have it in my hands for so many reasons.
A few people walked by and stared at us, it looked like he was kissing my neck, like we were normal college students sharing a moment.
Nope. Wrong story, kiddos.
He just offered to kill someone for offending me, run along, nothing to see here.
“After,” I said. “Kill him after he stops being useful to you, to the bosses.” I couldn’t believe what was coming out of my mouth, what I was agreeing to. “Yes.”
Dante pulled back, his face broke out into a smile. “How messed up is it that I’m actually looking forward to that moment?”
I gulped. “It’s in your blood.”
“I wish it wasn’t,” he said gruffly. “I wish I didn’t crave it — dream about it — almost as much as I wish I didn’t feel guilt every day because of it.”
I sighed and put my hands on his chest, then ran them up around his neck, he didn’t move, or flinch, so maybe we were having a moment as our mouths almost touched. “The only shame in life, is not being who you were truly born to be. If that means you kill the bad guys — kill the bad, guys Dante. Just don’t lose your soul in the process.”
“And if it’s already gone?” He croaked his eyes darkening as he slowly leaned in until his forehead touched mine.
Days ago I would have been terrified that his body was this close.
Days ago, I would have shoved him away and run.
Days ago, I would have shuddered that his bloodstained hands were running up and down my skin.
But today.
Today was different.
Today I closed my eyes and drank in the wicked scent of Dante Nicolasi, the cologne mixed with soap. I inhaled.
And opened my eyes again.
Yesterday I was angry. I was afraid.
Today. Against the tree.
Pinned by Dante’s arms.
I was safe.
“I’ll help you find it,” I whispered.
“Just don’t damn yourself in the process, El.” He cupped my face with his right hand, his eyes fell to my mouth, his half-lidded seductive look could stop a girl dead in her tracks.
The wives always talked about how attractive his father was, even at an older age.
Almost like he’d aged backward.
Dante was no different.
If it was possible for a human to get more attractive by the day — he’d be the one to prove you right.
“Are you going to kiss me again?” I asked hopefully.
“No.” He pulled away.
My heart sank into my stomach.
“Because I don’t want to start something I have no intention of stopping.”
My head jerked, our eyes locked, and I saw it. The honesty.
“Told you I’d never lie to you, El.” His voice had a warning edge to it, like I shouldn’t push him, push whatever invisible boundaries he’d mentally set up between us. His eyes never left mine.
And I knew, this was what he looked like when he was telling the truth.
His eyes pierced through my defenses in an unapologetic search for my heart, my soul.
And I let them.
“We should get to class.” I finally found my voice and started walking, he fell into step beside me.
And I spent the rest of the day thinking about the non-kiss.
And the promise that came with it.
Every book in this series is a stand alone except Elude and Empire (Sergio's full story)....
Eagle Elite Series:
ELITE (#1):
ELECT (#2):
ENTICE(#3):
ELICIT(#4):
BANG BANG(novella):
ENFORCE (#1.5--Male POV):
EMBER(#5):
Rachel Van Dyken is the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today Bestselling author of regency and contemporary romances. When she's not writing you can find her drinking coffee at Starbucks and plotting her next book while watching The Bachelor. She keeps her home in Idaho with her Husband, adorable son, and two snoring boxers! She loves to hear from readers!
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