Sarah Castille has scored a home run with this one. I dived in head first with no looking back. I couldn't put this book down. I was sucked into the world that Ms. Castille has created, and she has me hooked and ready for more.

Men in the Mafia are most often seen as irresistible by women because they are seen as forbidden. They are considered bad, and/or dangerous, by other men because they seem disreputable, and not law abiding men. But, I call bull on this. They are just like any other man. They work, they live, they love, and they can get hurt too. Also, they protect what they consider “Mine”!
I received an e-copy of this story for my honest review.

Sarah Castille is masterful of writing complex and alpha heroes who are determined as they are downright sinful as well as fierce and compassionate heroines that perfectly compliments each other. I've found myself rooting for Luca and Gabrielle in their individual lives and circumstances as well as them together.

Luca by Sarah Castille was a boatload of sexy deliciousness. I can’t believe I waited so long to read this book, having read and enjoyed the first book four years ago.

This book hooked me from the start, and putting it down was a difficult task. Every chance I got I made sure I was listening to this dark, edgy, and forbidden romance.

The story began with Gabrielle Fawkes, who had been shot while working on a case, which involved capturing the drug kingpin who murdered her husband. The outcome of her getting was her being pulled from the case. However, her determination and hunger for revenge wouldn’t let that stop her from going after the man responsible for her pain and grief. Falling in love was definitely not on her agenda. Then she meets the sexy and dangerous Luca Rizzoli who also was in the hospital after taking a bullet that was meant for his boss.

Luca had no idea she was a cop and she was not aware of his mob ties. The one thing they were aware of and could not deny was the sizzling attraction between them. On different sides of the law, they had nothing in common except for the drug lord they were both hunting.

Gabrielle was not like any woman Luca has been with. She is courageous, a fighter and takes crap from no one. I admired how she stood up to Luca and his fellow mob friends.

Luca is a man who knows what he wants and has no problem pursuing it, and he wants Gabrielle. A play boy at heart, but that was before Gabrielle entered his life. He believes women should be protected at all cost, so knowledge of Gabrielle placing herself in dangerous situations did not go down well with him. However, he would learn that she was not a woman to be coddled.

I loved them both, and I rooted for them throughout the story. I thought they balanced out each other and their chemistry, wow was scorching hot.
I found the secondary characters captivating. There was one in particular (Frankie) that piqued my curiosity.

I loved how the story flowed and it had me on the edge of my seat for most of it. My only issue is how the storyline regarding the drug lord played out. After such a great build up, the manner in which it was tied up was disappointing.

Overall, Luca proved to be a thrilling. A story about greed, power, jealousy and undying devotion.

Oh Luca Luca Luca how I enjoyed reading your story! This is the first book that I have read by Sarah Castille and she has made me a fan of hers.

I can’t wait to read more!

I voluntarily reviewed this book.

Intense to the core. This is one of those dark and gritty novels that I absolutely love. Luca and Gabrielle are on fire in more ways than one. A chance meeting that explodes with chemistry and attraction puts these two in more danger than either one could have imagined. A good story however you could see that ending coming a little bit sooner than I would have liked.

Of the three in the series, this was my favorite. Luca and Gabrielle had great chemistry and were equally well-developed and strong characters. I wasn't sure how it would work out in the end (mafia vs. police), but I was very satisfied.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley for an honest review.

Luca, luca, luca. A steamy novel for sure and very entertaining! Sarah Castille is skilled in the art of writing love scenes and I can't wait to read more from this author! I recommend this book.

Sarah Castille has turned in a fun, sexy, mafia-style read! It's the perfect dark romance that will keep you going until the very end!

Nico was one of my absolute reads of 2016. I had no reservations about slapping 5 stars on the review and singing Sarah Castille's praises to anyone who would listen. The book was absolutely everything I look for in a mafia romance--realistic, gritty, brutal, sexy, and emotive. Because of that, I immediately added Luca when I came across this second installment of the series. Unfortunately things didn't work out quite as planned.

While I enjoyed many aspects of the book, it didn't hold a candle to the first book in the series. I'm not certain what happened here, but it almost feels like I'm reading a completely different author. Where I felt Nico was prolific and over the top in the very best ways, Luca (at times) feels stilted and basic. I'm truly questioning my sanity here. It's like the tale of two books!

I'll start with what I absolutely about Luca. The storyline is great. Luca is amazing. He's sexy and smooth, like I love my men. This is where I feel Castille really excels as a writer. The over the top characterizations of her male characters immediately reels me in.
I also, to my shock, adored Gabrielle. She's a total babe and badass. It's refreshing to see a female character, particularly in this sub-genre, be strong and fearless. Hell, she even saves him a time or two. She's a total #girlboss and I fracking loved it.

Now for the part I absolutely hated. The addition of a third POV. Paola, in my humble opinion, is a complete waste of paper. I can understand using him a plot device, but there was no reason for his story to take up so much of a book focused on two other people. He was utterly useless. I could have done without that.
There were also a few inconsistencies with Luca. In several places his character and coloring were completely different. I'd like to think that this is due to that fact that the ARC may not have been fully edited, so I won't allow that fact to weigh on my opinion of the book. So, with that said, ignoring the inconsistencies and minor issues, this was a good read. I enjoyed meeting more of the crew. I loved getting a glimpse into Nico's life after marriage and the setup for additional storylines.
So, with that said, overall I enjoyed the book. The twists and turns were expertly crafted. The characters are outstanding, so I'm considering this to be a small win.

<b> 3.5 Stars </b>

I loved this book. Then again I've loved all the books the author has written. This one was unique from her MMA ones though. I am a little bit impartial to those! However, the storyline was nothing short of amazing.

I was given an ARC copy of this book by the publisher in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own and do not reflect anyone else's.

The dark, dirty world of the Vegas Mafia is the setting for the Ruin & Revenge series by Sarah Castille. Luca is the second book and follows Nico’s ruthless crime boss Luca Rizzoli and police detective Gabrielle Fawkes. If you are a fan of the dark stories where the women bring out the wee bit of a soft side in their men then this is definitely a book and series for you to check out. This novel can be read as a standalone even though the events at the beginning tie into the first book, Nico, you don’t really need to know about anything that happens in it to understand what is going on in this book.

Luca picks up not too long after the events in Nico. After saving Nico’s life, Luca ends up in the hospital where he meets his golden angel Gabrielle. There is something about her that he just finds alluring even though she is the complete opposite of the type of woman he is normally attracted. Luca owns an Italian restaurant but he is also a crime boss for Nico. Luca is used to killing people to help his crime family, but when he meets Gabrielle, a woman bent on killing a certain man, knowing that she could never kill anyone (or at least shouldn’t have too), he decides to help her on her quest. Unfortunately, police and mafia don’t mix so if Nico should ever find out about their arrangement one or both of them could be killed.

Luca is a lady’s man. He has already done his Italian heritage marriage and he doesn’t plan to do that again so he has an endless stream of one-night stands. Gabrielle is one that he originally thought would be a one and done but there is something about her he just can’t get enough of. Luca knows he is signing his own (and possibly Gabby’s) death warrant if he continues to pursue a relationship with her. I believe he can tell how torn up she is on the inside and he is helping her to open up to new experiences, even if those experiences are solved with kinky sex. Being a part of the Mafia, Luca has a lot of rules he must follow and with Gabby he’s breaking a lot of those rules.

Gabrielle is a broken woman. Revenge has been the only thing on her mind for the past two years. She knows who brutally killed her husband and she will do everything she can to stop that man, including dying herself as long as that man goes down with her. Gabrielle knows that Luca isn’t being entirely truthful with her but she doesn’t push it. She also knows he’s hiding a dark secret of his own and she believes that she can crack it.

I hate to play the comparison card but at the beginning of this novel I just kept imagining that Luca was Lucifer and Gabrielle was Chloe from the TV show Lucifer. Mainly because of Luca’s fascination with his suits/one-night stands and Gabrielle because she was blonde, a cop and having to deal with being a female in a naturally male driven profession. They have a reluctant partnership at first but not like they do in the show. Sorry, I’m a huge fan of this show so it really bled into how I saw these characters. Luca is Lucifer just without the accent.

Overall, there are some really dark tones and themes in this series. There are a lot of deaths, a few told graphically that may turn off some readers. There are four different POVs throughout this book. Luca is intriguing and action-packed and even though I had a pretty good idea of the twist I still didn’t imagine it in its entirety. The bad guy is one evil, effed up dude. I really enjoyed the chemistry between Luca and Gabrielle. I was really surprised how much I liked this book since I have kind of been turned off the death and destruction front lately.

I’m honestly on the fence with this book. I have love and hate for it.

I love this Mafia world that Sarah Castille has created.
Yeah maybe the Mafia isn't really a good thing, but Sarah gives these men and women real heart's.
Luca Rizzoli is a made man. He's tough and hard. His heart is hardened to all except maybe his Mama who's a take no prisoners kind of Italian woman. Because of a betrayal so big, even Luca's little boy can't touch his heart.
Gabrielle Fawkes's life is thrown into a tailspin when she walks into her house and finds a horrifying sight. She begins a career that doesn't make her happy but gives her a chance for vengeance. But even that's taken away when she makes a mistake that her boss won't overlook.
A chance encounter puts her in Luca's world of made men and Mafia rules. She's a by the book kind of girl so dealing with the world Luca lives in gives her doubts about the kind of man he is.
Together Luca and Grabrielle find a way to deal with the shades of grey she's learning life sometimes is. And out running the danger that's chasing her.
Gabrielle also shows Luca that sometimes things aren't always what they seem.
This book y'all. I'm telling you. Sarah writes her men tough and hard but with hearts of gold and her women tough as nails enough to stand up to those men.
Luca is everything a good romance should be.
Each book in this series is a stand alone but do yourself a favor and get into them all.

Really enjoyed the concept of this story and the two characters Luca and Gabrielle and how their two respective career paths mean they wouldn't normally be working together... but the idea works and adds that extra something for the reader. Really enjoyed the adventure, the way everything played out and i will definitely be looking forward to further from this author and from the series.

This book was actually a lot better than I thought it was going to be. I was a little nervous about Luca.. He was always kind of rough and I was specifically nervous that his lady love was going to be a detective because of Luca's dad. I was so worried he was going to be a complete jerk to her and he wasn't at all. I loved him. Seriously he is one of my all time favorite heros. I mean f you don't like the alpha hero type then you will hate him because he was the alpha of all alphas. But he was not mean to her AT ALL! Even when he found out she was a cop. I just loved him. I would give this book 5 stars for Luca alone but luckily the story line was also pretty fantastic. I won't lie.. I really don't read a lot of mob type books but I did love this one.. I loved Luca. He made this book. And I mean.. get. the audiobook. You will thank you me when you hear his voice. I am dead serious. Hell even if you don't want to listen to it, go listen to a sample. You WILL thank me.

I really enjoyed this book..not only the story was compelling and suspenseful, but it was also scorching hot and the characters were great.
Gabrielle is a cop on a revenge path after her husband was brutally killed..she is now after the mexican cartel and the leader that killed her husband.
Luca is a mafioso and he is after the same man for different reasons.
As soon as they meet you can feel their attraction..but as the story progresses and things are revealed, is clear that these two aren't meant to be..unless one of them changes alliances or job.
There are a few sentences in Italian, from Luca obv, which are for the most part correct ( Sorry, I am italian and I couldn't not say it lol) which made me happy..and Luca can come across as a caveman and following ancient rules and roles, but it is what it is..and it's the way it was and still is at times..but I am rambling lol
I think it's an interesting read and well balanced between Luca and Gabrielle 's personal and professional lives and everything that revolves around them

This book was full of lust, suspense, danger and twists. The sexy play was off the charts and I just had to set the book down so I could catch my breath! There was a lot going on is Luca and it was one of those reads you need to make sure you don't have anything to do for a bit because you wont want to set it aside. It consumes you.

The writing was very descriptive and extremely complex. I could definitely close my eyes and picture the scenes in this book. Some were quite gruesomely vivid which just made it that much more real. I would definitely recommend this book to those who love their romance on the rougher side.

So so good!! I was instantly hooked from page one!! Plenty of interesting dialogue, and tons of steam make for one exciting book!!

Sarah Castille has certainly gained a fan in me with her Mafia centered romance series Ruin & Revenge. I feel like I'm peeking behind the curtain in the lives of the Toscani family and their business dealings, being careful not to move so they don't see me. With Luca, she ups the ante on the "forbidden love" aspect as everyone knows that the mafia and law enforcement do not co-mingle. But restaurateur and capo Luca Rizzoli and widowed and revenge driven police officer Gabrielle Fawkes don't know what they don't know and soon find themselves unable to get enough of each other.

As much as the old school ways of the "family" make me a little crazy (goomahs and all), I love the cultural references. Castille does an amazing job setting up Luca's situation. We met him in Nico, so we knew a bit about him. But as the star of his own story he is a bit more formidable. And sexy. Very, very sexy. He's got a great backstory and his front as a restaurant owner sets the reader up for some very fun food scenes. His family interactions are traditional, giving the reader some interesting secondary characters to ponder over.

Gaby is a different breed of female detectives and she's bent on avenging her murdered husband. Luca is the first man to get under her skin and together the two are combustible! Gaby is pretty naïve to the nature of Luca's work and is also pursued by fellow police officer and friend Jeff. But Jeff, well he's just not Luca and we have to wonder if she really knows him. He certainly gave me pause.

Gaby does have a side to her that Jeff can't see and it's something that only Luca draws out. She's brave and also feels very protective of Luca - something he's not used to. He awakens more than her sensuality and the whole she finds Luca wholly distracting.

There's many challenges, many people motivated by greed, pride and lust which makes make this a fast paced and thrilling read. There's a secondary storyline with Paolo, a young man a part of Luca's crew that plays well in to the clever twist that I didn't see coming. This is one of those rare romance stories where find myself chewing my husbands ear off. He's made me love mafia films so he's going to hear about it when I'm reading it. It's a fun fast paced story and one I recommend to any readers of mafia romance (and my husband).