From New York Times and USA Today bestselling author Rachel Van Dyken comes a new story in her Eagle Elite series… 

Every family has rules, the mafia just has more....

Do not speak to the bosses unless spoken to. 

Do not make eye contact unless you want to die. 

And above all else, do not fall in love. 

Renee Cassani's future is set.

Her betrothal is set. 

Her life, after nannying for the five families for the summer, is set

Somebody should have told Vic Colezan that. 

He's a man who doesn't take no for an answer. 

And he only wants one thing. 

Her. 

Somebody should have told Renee that her bodyguard needed as much discipline as the kids she was nannying. 

Good thing Vic has a firm hand.

**Every 1001 Dark Nights novella is a standalone story. For new readers, it’s an introduction to an author’s world. And for fans, it’s a bonus book in the author’s series. We hope you'll enjoy each one as much as we do.**

I did not think I even liked Vic when he was introduced in Eulogy.  I can admit now that I was so wrong. I fell for this broody, protector, assassin, and enforcer. The made man figuring out his heart still worked. He didn't feel good enough and has real reasons to hold back. But he was also lonely, struggling, and conflicted.

And his source of conflict was the nanny, Renee...the younger, college-aged woman he was supposed to protect. But seeing how he was pulled towards her and trying to fight it just got to me.

Renee is sweet, innocent, and keeps her head and eyes down. She's counting down the days to when she can leave her mafia kids nanny job and go back to school. She is intimidated by all the dangerous men, including Vic. 

But once he proves that he truly plans on being her protector, she sees him as more of a man. And their chemistry and need start to ramp up. They are supposed to fight it as it is a forbidden situation, but the temptation is great.

But she doesn't know all the secrets...his, theirs, or even ones that pertain to her. There is a lot going on under the surface and it seems to be on a "need to know" basis.

Vic has sworn an oath and duty to the family and ignoring that could get him or someone else hurt or killed. And just being around her seems to be a distraction. But her light keeps pulling him away from his darkness.

There are several underlying variables in play. There is danger and tension. There are secrets, lies, and hidden agendas. It's hard to know who to trust and what are the lesser of two evils.

And Vic is caught in the middle between duty and (what could be) love. Is there a way to keep her safe and somehow manage to get the girl he does not think he deserves?

This novella is a mysterious, suspenseful, sexy, forbidden love story. It can be read as a little intro in to this world, but I freakin love this series and highly recommend it. I got totally sucked right back into it all and these crazy, intense, unfiltered characters. They have no boundaries. I love their bickering, threats, witty banter, and taunting of each other. They are a dangerous, cunning, and loyal group. But crossing them is definitely not advised.

I am addicted and am looking forward to more books in this series. Maybe even a Russian? If she keeps writing them, I will keep reading them.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. 

Renee knew the rules for working for the bosses. She grew up in the life, but protected from the worst dangers. Now that she is working as a nanny for the bosses’ families she finds herself right in the middle of the danger. Her course is set, her future is set. She is protected.

Vic made an oath to the families, one that he has not had any trouble keeping, until she became part of his duties. Renee challenged him in a way he had not experienced yet. And she just might be worth breaking an oath over.

I loved the forbidden aspect of the story and the struggles the characters face because of their places within the family. Vic’s own struggle and decisions over the course of the book had me falling for him fast and hard. He seemed so closed off at first, that I had a hard time finding what Renee saw in him, but as they spent more time in close quarters I saw it too.

Renee (as with all the women in this series) is a strong, if young, heroine. She may not know everything that goes on with the families, but she knows enough and is smart enough to know she doesn’t want to know more. She struggles with the violence that is so commonplace in their day to day, but also realizes that it is the way it has always been.

For those who may not have experienced Rachel’s mafia world yet, this is a great place to jump in and test the waters. It has all the elements I have come to expect in the Elite series, but without a whole lot of need for the extensive backstory created in the earlier books of the series. Yes, there will be some spoilers, but this only glosses over a handful of major incidents and is a great introduction to the families and their lifestyle.

I received this book for free from the author in exchange for an honest review. This does not affect my opinion of the book of the content of my review.