This author can write a dark book like no other. I devoured this story. Thanks Netgalley for the Arc

This book simply wasn't for me. I thought I'd enjoy this genre of books but I have found this hard to read to be honest.

If you want the hearts, flowers, and one true love kind of romance that is all nicely packaged in a big red bow, then stop turn around because KINGPIN is not that kind of book. But instead this book is raw, bloody, gritty, and dangerous. KINGPIN is where hearts will be torn and loyalties will be tested. Where the only thing that matters is survival.

ARC given in exchange for a honest review..
Just finished Kingpin.. Book 2 in the Cartel series.. LOVE!!!!! And seriously Dorian… I don’t want to like him but he kind of grows on ya.. and Mariana well I still love her.. She is Kick Ass.. even with everything she has been thru.. I am sooo stoked to get Empire.. Can not wait..
Thank you for this Amazing series..
Reviewed by Gail with Night and Day Book Blog ndbbr2014.blogspot.com

The first 80% of this book was just as bad as the first one. Then, for some reason, the last 20% was slightly better. I honestly still haven't figured out why though. Probably because Dornan finally shows that he truly is a terrible, terrible person.

The books are written well, just not a plot that I enjoy.

I really hope the next one is somewhat interesting. I came close to quitting this one a few times. And still might in the next book.

This book was just OK for me. I always recommend going ahead and reading a book, if it sounds interesting to you because I am just one person and just because I might not care too much for something, doesn't mean someone else might not love it.

I just realized I had not left my review here for this book! How could I have done that?! This is one of my ALL TIME FAVORITE series. I LOVE everything Lili has written. Her dark word are just so mesmerizing and captivating. I will one click every single one of her books without a blurb!

Gosh, where to start. There's not one thing I didn't like about this book. I read the Gypsy Brother's first so I knew what was going to happen at the end of these characters stories. Knowing what was going to come, it was really interesting watching it as it played out.

This is book two, you MUST read book one first. Mariana is still being held captive by Dornan. Mariana is in love with TWO men.

Ohhhh Dornan. I despise him with all my might, because ya know, Gypsy Brothers! I went into this series with an open mind, to try and learn to understand him and his evil ways but NO! He is just evil.

John Portland. Dornan's best friend. I was so nervous for them. SO wanting them to get their HEA. John is the total opposite of Dornan and Mariana is torn. She will never get away from Dornan.

Okay, no more spoilers here, just READ IT! There's no hearts and flowers here. Just raw, dark, gritty blood and pain.

Get ready for that cliffy! Lili does it so well!

My rating 5/5 stars!

I love the first book and even though it was a long time I read it I didn't have problem reading this one!This was gritty,dangerous,dark and twisted I loved it.

I read an advanced copy of this book. It was so much darker than the 1st. Parts of the book made me want to reach through and strangle a few of the characters and then towards the end I was fighting back tears. I cannot wait for book 3.

I am super dense and picked up this series and started reading it without realizing that I already know the end of this story because this series is a prequel to the gypsy brothers series which I read. If you've read the Gypsy Brothers series then you know that none of this shit ends well. Ain't no HEA for ANYBODY. I feel like you have to brace yourself for that before you start reading this series. If you just really want to see how Mariana, Dornan and Julz story starts and especially how Dornan winds up the guy you see in the Gypsy Brothers series, this is a must read. Lili St. Germain is brilliant, there are simply no two ways about it. The writing of this entire series is brilliant and completely transformational. When you are reading these books, you are sucked in to the very sick and twisted world where Dornan lives and Mariana is trying to survive. I don't know that I can say you'll be better off after this experience but damn, this writer is awesome.

Here's a weird thing, even though I know how the story of Mariana and Dornan ends, I couldn't stop myself from rooting for them and hoping that there could be some kind of alternate reality. There isn't. I always wondered how the situation with Mariana developed to where we find it in the follow up series and truthfully I was surprised at how it all happened. There is no indication in the Gypsy Brothers series that Mariana was so trapped by her circumstances. I was surprised to find that she was willing to choose Dornan even though she was his prisoner. Had it not been for her son, this story would've ended totally different.

As this book went on, I couldn't figure out what I wanted to happen. I wanted Mariana to wake the hell up and stop just existing as a prisoner. I wanted Dornan to get off the path to utter depravity. I knew for sure I wanted Murphy to die. I wanted John to find a way for Mariana to get her HEA and I also just wanted him to take Julz and flea the scene of the whole shit show. I just wanted so many things reading this book that it drove me almost insane.

But in the end, Dornan is just gobbled up by the filth into which he was born and works. It becomes a part of him and by the time Kingpin is over, I'm sad to report, all hope for Dornan is lost. The interesting thing is that the same way that we hope for Dornan as the reader, Mariana hopes for him to. The same way we watch Dornan fade away, Mariana is forced to accept that her Dornan is gone.

This is a great book but either read it when you are already depressed or when you are so happy nothing can bring you down. It's really doom and gloom but totally brilliant.

As mentioned in my review of the previous book in this trilogy, if you've read the "Seven Sons" series, then you know how this story will end.

It is years later and Mariana is still living within the world of the Il Sangue Cartel and the Gypsy Brothers. Her days are spent laundering money through creative bookkeeping and her only solace is precious little time spent with Dornan. Unfortunately, the darkness she has sensed in Dornan seems to be growing. When an undercover DEA agent makes Mariana an offer she can't refuse, she can't decide if this is yet another test of loyalty or a chance to finally be free.

I love this storyline because there is so much packed in...plenty of action, passion, heartbreak and betrayal. You won't want to put this book down!

Received via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This book is not for me no review left but I appreciate the opportunity.

Tough hero and heroine meet their match in one another. Gritty, gangster story!

Nine years later. Mariana has been living her life as a captive, she has made herself indispensable as a bookkeeper for the cartel and the Gypsy Bros. Dornan, in the small amounts of time she gets with him, is the only life in her life... until she realizes he may be the darkest part of it all. Everything has been hanging in a precarious balance, and it's all about to stop toppling...

Wow. This 2nd book in the series was engaging and impossible to put down. Mariana may have learned to lay low and do what she's told, but when things start to happen, she realizes she needs to start thinking about what is going on beyond her job and apartment. This story line twists and turns and everything is coming together that you just know the third installment is going to be a must read. I received a complimentary copy of this book for my honest and unbiased review.

4.5 stars

Book two in the cartel series picks up years after book one ends.

Mariana has spent years laundering money for the cartel in exchange for her life. But it is not much of a life...living locked up whenever she is it "working" and at mercy of the dark man she loves Dornan, Mariana is simply existing from day to day.

Then she learns a horrible truth about her family and everything changes.

I devoured this book...so much going on, I didn't want to put it down.

Mariana is still as strong as ever and faced with all kinds of new horrible things.

I loved the new characters in this one...John and Guillermo and how they enhance the story even more.



My thoughts:

<b>POV:</b> Switches between characters throughout
<b>Quick hook or slow starter?</b> 5 (I was hooked from the first chapter)
<b>Character development:</b> 4
<b>Level of Romance between characters:</b> 4
<b>Passion/Heat level:</b> 5 (disturbing at times but hot hot hot at others)
<b>Angst/Heartbreak:</b> 4 (this one is heartbreaking for most of the 2nd half)
<b>Cliffhanger?: </b> Yes, it will leave you dying to jump into the next book.

Overall, it was great and can't wait to see how the story will end.

***4 "Cholita!!!" stars***

As the pages are passing by, the story gets even more dark, brutal, savage and so damn fucked up!!!
Honestly, guys, this series is driving crazy my mortal compass, but it's so freakin' addictive!!!
You can't stop reading until you unravel anything fucked up shit that is hidden in there and of course, you're dying to see what will happen in the end, even though you can't see a light at the end of the dark tunel....
And damn, i don't think that i have any hope that we will have a nice ending, especially since i know how twisted and sick are both Ross's men!!!

"I didn’t want to rule the world.
I didn’t care about power.
I just wanted to be free."

Well, this story made me so damn sad... There is so much darkness in it, you know???
And i felt so bad for Mariana... Her situation was bringing me so much sorrow!!!
It was sad that after 9 years, she was still in love with Dornan because she thought that he saved her once upon a time.... Yep, Stockholm Syndrom for sure!!!
Because how can this be love when she is trapped and prisoner of her lover???

"I loved him. I loved him even in my darkest moments. Even in his."

She was the other woman, a mistress, a woman hidden from everyone... She couldn't do anything without being monitorized, she had a watch dog after her all the damn time, even inside her house and she never stopped living under Emilio's threats and filthy gestures...
And her lover was responsible for all of those things!!!!
Is this saving??? Is this love???

"You don't understand. He loves me. He saved me."
John looked at me sadly, the smile fading from his face.
"You call this saved?"

Well, after 9 years, nothing had changed for Mariana...
She was still a possession of the Cartel, even though she was working for them and she had some kind of liberties...
She was still with Dornan and they were very good together even though they weren't spending so much time with each other...
She was still living under Emilio's thumb and that creep Murphy still was after her...
But it was about time things to change....
For better or for worse???

"Dornan had been my salvation, but he was also my undoing."

Mariana is starting to see Dornan for who he really are...
Dornan is becoming more brutal than before.... The little humanity in him that we witnessed in the first book is slipping away from him and the things are getting uglier...
Mariana's love is becoming hate, and her heart is starting to beat for someone else...
But she will never be able to get away from Dornan and the Cartel...

“He’s not the person I met nine years ago. He’s scaring me. I don’t know how to help him out of this darkness he’s sinking into. It’s like poison, and I’m scared he’s going to pull me in with him.”

In here, we saw more of John and we met him better...
I liked him before, but now, i loved this guy... He was leading a life that wasn't fitting in his character and it was so damn pity!!!
John was a great father to Juliette and damn, in here, we realised the part that he took in this story and my heart was bleeding for him and for poor Juliette...

We also found out Dornan's seventh son because i was wondering where he had been....
But damn, the way he met his father was so bad!!!! Poor boy!!!
I think that this certain fact made me hate Dornan a little bit more...

"They say drowning is a peaceful way to die, but Dornan Ross wasn't so sure about that. He had been drowning in blood and lies his entire life."

Pff!!! Generally, the things got fucked up in so many levels in here...
You couldn't wrap your mind around all those facts...
To be totally honest with you, Mariana changed as well...
She did unspeakable things and yes, i know that you have to do many bad things to survive but my mind was mentally kicking my ass when i was trying to jystify her actions....
Yes, i know that she had to do all those things, but she was the only pure person in this fucked up story, i wanted her to stay untouched!!!

"In my head, I was already planning how to get away from him because he’d destroyed our love so swiftly, so brutally, I barely remembered what it was that had tethered us together for so many years."

Anyway...
The only sure thing is that i will keep reading those books, even if they kill me!!!
Yes, Gypsy brothers series too, even though i need a little break of all this dark atmosphere!!!
Nah, i don't think i will be able to take a break!!! Damn!!!!

***ARC generously provided via NetGalley for the exchange of an honest review***

It's so rare to see a characters transformation into the unforgettable monstrous villain he is when you first meet him. This trilogy is giving me exactly that. The Dornan I met in Cartel was NOTHING like the Dornan Ross I met when I read the Gypsy Brothers series and it's almost like night and day. In Kingpin, his change to the dark side is becoming more and more apparent.

I can see him losing his grip, better yet, I can feel him losing his grip.

To be totally honest, I was really intrigued by this book and was excited to read this entire series from reading the excerpts for all three novels. Unfortunately, after reading all three I just was not too impressed. I just couldn't find myself wanting to keep reading and it took me awhile to finally finish the books because I kept starting other books. I think the main reason for this was I just couldn't get into the storyline or the characters.

Wow this woman just keeps getting tougher and tougher. She keeps going through hell but keeps getting stronger. It is a disappointment when you trust a character like she did and then the unthinkable happens. Not gonna spoil it for you! But thank God she always has a helping hand, too bad even then there are some things that can't be prevented... I was wondering how the story would take the turn so that new feelings could come out on the open. What happens in this book is just the last drop, prepare for war!

This series has me completely in its clutches. How can I totally love a man that is so bad? Because Lili St Germain shows us his heart, who the real Dornan Ross is. Underneath all that terrible stuff that lies just below the surface, is a man with a heart. I was literally in tears during parts of this story. I like Mariana, too, though I will say the book took a turn I didn't really care for. I understand why the things that happen do. This world isn't perfect. Happily ever after just isn't in the cards. And John...I adore him, sympathize that he's stuck in a life he never wanted. Everything is about survival.
By the end, I'm supposed to hate Dornan, but he's secured a spot as one of my favorite book boyfriends ever.
Love a book that makes me think. This series does just that.