This book pulled me in from the very beginning! The storyline was intriguing and kept me interested all the way through and kept me wanting more…I needed to know what was happening next. Even though their marriage was arranged, Teague and Callie had an instant connection. Both are strong characters that would do anything for their families. I loved Callie and how strong she was. She had to be strong to survive her secret. Teague was a dream book boyfriend! He was protective of Callie and his family. The two of them together were electric! The sparks were definitely flying with these two! I really enjoyed this book and am looking forward to more of the O’Malleys!

A worthy addition to the Katee Robert cannon. I don't love mafia romances, but I will read anything she reads.

"Here's to the men who love us, the losers who lost us, and the lucky bastards who have yet to meet us."

I don't think I've read a Katee Robert book that I haven't liked. Dark Succession is no exception.

Dark Succession is an arranged marriage, mafia romance. Anytime two families make an alliance, leaving one in the dust, you know there is going to be war.

Callie and Teague were a dream together. He was so sweet and strong, and she was smart and brave. They had instant chemistry. Usually, insta-lust books are not my jam, but because of the pacing, I loved this one. Teague slowed their relationship down so they could get to know each other despite the cravings he had for her.

I felt like we could have gotten a little deeper into the details of the family business. Maybe see the two families come together on deals instead of just the backlash of their alliance. Maybe that will come later in the series?

I think this book sets the stage well for the rest of the series. After the bits of Carrigan and James, I can't wait to read their book!

I'm not overly interested in mafia romance, but in this case characters and storyline were very compelling. This is a republishing of the O'Malley series by Katee Robert from 2015 so it's nice to know we can continue with the series without having to wait until the next books are written.

There are 3 big Irish mafia families in this world, the Sheridans, O'Malleys and the Hallorans.. Callista is supposed to marry one of the sons in the Halloran who is known to be abusive to women. She is attacked by him and ends up killing him.

After that, Callista is engaged to a son in the other family, the O'Malleys. They meet and end up being interested in each other.

Meanwhile there are attacks from one family to another, and we are introduced to the "good" people in each family. While Callista and Teague are prepared to get married within a month, the sons in each family are trying to avoid an all out war.

I enjoyed the characters of Callista and Teague, and enjoyed seeing them get to their future as a married couple. I also enjoyed Teague's sister Carrigan meeting James Halloran and am looking forward to their story in the next book.

The book did end kind of suddenly, I guess making it more of a serial than a standalone. You could stop here but the overall "winning" family has not been determined by this point. Teague and Callista have their HEA though, so it could be considered a standalone if you want it to be.

Good series by Katee Robert, and recommended if you like Irish books, mafia books, and/or romance books.

I received a promotional copy and am giving an honest review.

I love Katee so much all her books are super fun easy to read and amazing on the spice this was so different it was amazing which I wouldn't except anything less from her

3.5/5 stars

Thank you to Forever for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This was good, but it was also a little slow. I’m not normally a fan of Mafia romance, but I am a HUGE fan of Katee Robert, so I knew I would like this one more than others. And I did! I loved Callie’s and Teague’s relationship, and I think this book set up perfectly for the rest of the books in this series.

Absolutely loved this mafia romance, marriage-of-convenience from Katee Robert. I know this is a reprint but i think that readers who like her Dark Olympus series are going to love the O’Malley’s. I cannot wait to read the rest of this series!

Classic Katee Robert but make it mafia-style 😌 when I read this it was quick and easy and satisfied the craving I had for something a little smutty BUT engrossing. I didn’t think I’d continue the series but I’m flying through the second and think it’s entertaining!

An organized crime romance novel that is sure to satisfy fans of the genre. Katee Roberts crafts a compelling narrative that leans heavily into the "Departed" of it all, sometimes at the expense of the romance. Still - a satisfying read!

This book had me hooked from the very beginning and I couldn't put it down until I finished it.

The characterization in this book is simply terrific. Each character is so well-developed and has their own unique personality that makes them stand out. The chemistry between the two main characters is electric, and their banter had me laughing out loud. I love the diversity. Katee will always be a one-click for me.

The story line is also top-notch. It's full of unexpected twists and turns that kept me on the edge of my seat. Absolutely adored Dark Succession

Katee Robert captured my attention with her Dark Olympus series so when I saw this backlist book receiving a new cover, I knew I wanted to dive right in! I was not disappointed! While I am new to mafia/dark romance in general, I thought this was exceptionally well done. My attention was hooked from the beginning and I was achingly rooting for the two mains to find a HEA. In typical Katee fashion, the spice was very hot!

If you are a fan of open door spicy contemporary romantic suspense books, you should add this to your TBR today!

Dark Succession is a mafia romance, which is my first of that romance subgenre. While I appreciated the tension and drama filled throughout, this reminded me why I don't read mafia books. From now on, I'll stick to other books published by Katee Robert.

Katee Robert is an incredibly hit-or-miss author for me, and unfortunately, this one was a miss. This was a bland and boring addition to the mafia romance genre that lacked chemistry between the incredibly banal characters.

I received an arc of Dark Succession for my honest review from Netgalley.

In the last year, I have read a lot of Katee's books and have become familiar with her writing style. While her Dark Olympus and Wicked Villains series tend to get a lot of air time on social media, I didn't hear a lot about this series, even though Dark Succession was previously published as the Marriage Contract. So, there was no outside influence or even spoilers. I walked in only knowing the author and story description.

I was invested from the first chapter with the story jumping right into the action. The main character, Callie, is likeable and I didn't hate the choices that she made even if they were the wrong ones. I didn't get mad at her or tell her she was being stupid lol. And Teague? I loved our MFC. I don't have anything really to say about him badly. He was sweet, sexy, and family-oriented... but, there were TINY MOMENTS I did want to tell Teague he was being stupid. But it was okay, I still loved him in the end.

There were a lot of characters introduced in this between the three families we read about, but even with one of those families having a set of seven siblings, I was able to keep up with who they all were. I also felt I had a good basic idea of all their characters too.

There were a few times when I caught myself saying out loud, "Excuse me, Katee. You did not!" and she delivered more emotions than I was expecting.

We know Katee is known for her spice. But ...if you're expecting Court of the Vampire Queen spice levels, you won't find that here. The spice levels were a lot tamer than any other novel I've read from Katee... but... they were still fantastic when they showed up. I think that Callie and Teague's relationship was really sweet and the spice they had was def more on the romantic side.

The overall timeline of the story was a little quick for me. I had a hard time with the story only taking over two week period for this love story to happen. However, the pace of the story wasn't an issue. I could see that this could have happened open even a couple of months and worked just the same.

The story is in third person, which generally I'm not a fan of, but it didn't bother me at all. I still felt like I could connect with the characters without it being from their POV. This book is part of a series of Mafia romances, starting with an arranged marriage.

Overall, I liked it. I am sad it's over and I want to read more. I will be continuing with this series but will wait until the next re-issue comes out. I have already preordered the next two in the series that will be released later this year, as well as a paperback of this one.

And a side note: I am highly invested in what will be happening in the next book ... with certain characters.

Only my second Katee Roberts read.... and the first was a novella. Wow - I really enjoyed this story - the mob, family, love, sex (not too much), drama....
Can't wait to read more. I finished this one in two days only b/c I had to work. I didn't want to stop reading once I started.

I am a massive Katee Robert fan, I'll probably read anything and everything by them. As much as I wanted to thoroughly enjoy this one, I couldn't. The storyline seemed to drag at some points and there was just so much inaction that it didn't do it for me. Maybe it's because I quickly got over my mafia trope obsession so this book just fell into line with the others that didn't do it for me. I'm thinking I probably won't pick up the rest of the series but that is still tbd.

If you're looking for a romance that has suspense and thrills, definitely pick this one up!

𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗯𝘆 𝗞𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗲 𝗥𝗼𝗯𝗲𝗿𝘁⁣
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Wow. This was my first dip into the pool that is Mafia Romance and I was not disappointed. The very first chapter shocked me and I think desensitized me for the rest 😂 ⁣
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I loved Teague and Callie separately as well as together. Both strong, both love their family and just want to do what is right by them, protecting them at all costs. Their chemistry was explosive right off the bat and their interactions were 🥵⁣
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This book showed the underbelly of the Irish mafia in Boston and it was so intriguing. So violent and unrelenting and I was completely pulled into this world and it’s characters. ⁣
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I’m invested in the outcome of the O’Malley siblings and I hope we get to continue their stories, especially Carrigan ⁣
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🌟🌟🌟🌟⁣
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Thank you @netgalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a reread for me, but you know me trash for Katee and this may be my favorite mafia series

CW: death of a loved one (past, and on page), gun violence, violence, emotional and physical abuse by a parent/spouse (historical, off-page), kidnapping, threatened sexual assault, murder, grief

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f contemporary romance
-mafia romance
-marriage of convenience
-insta attraction
-forbidden romance elements
-rival families

This book starts with a bang and then doesn't let up with the action. While it definitely sets up events for the rest of the series, it is entirely Teague and Callie's love story. Both feeling trapped with obligations with their families, they somehow impossibly fall for each other.

I love how both of them were just equally gone on the other. No games, they had to deal with their families and other drama, but the drama was not each other. Teague especially was just a simp for Callie and I adored how soft he got about her. Callie was so independent and not one to let the men in her life make decisions for her. These two had such amazing chemistry and you can't help but root for both of them.

Honestly reading this again just made me want to dive back into the rest of the series.

Steam: 3.5

Another great Katee Robert book and a great start to a new series! This series will take you through Boston's mafia and the three families that are on the brink of war.

What starts as an arranged marriage, Callista and Teague quickly find out that the arrangement may not be so bad and hit it off almost right away. However, both have secrets that threaten to push their families to war and prevent them from reaching the altar.

This is a really solid intro to this world and the dynamics between the three families. We meet the current leaders and the future heirs as well. Of course, the heirs may not always agree with current leadership and may find pushback from them or even within their own siblings. The side characters were really enjoyable, and I am excited to see more of them in future books! However, I think because this is more of an introduction to the world and the key players in it, the relationship between the leads felt rushed or more surface level. Don't get me wrong, the spice is there and there are still some really tender moments between them, but I am really looking forward to seeing the other siblings getting their HEA after seeing them grow and fight for it.

Again, a good introduction to this world and an enjoyable read. I am looking forward to the next one in the series and seeing how the families respond to the events at the end of the book!

Thank you, Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for providing an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

"Dark Succession" by Katee Robert is a thrilling romantic suspense novel that is sure to keep readers on the edge of their seats. The story follows Teague O'Malley, a man who despises everything about his family, including their reputation for being wealthy, powerful, and dangerous. When Teague is ordered by his father to marry Callista Sheridan, he is determined to cut ties with his family once and for all. However, when Teague meets Callista and sees the bruises on her neck and the trauma in her eyes, he vows to avenge her and keep her safe at all costs.

Katee Robert delivers a smoking hot series with the O'Malley family, and "Dark Succession" is no exception. The chemistry between Teague and Callista is scorching, and their interactions are filled with tension, danger, and desire. As the story unfolds, the suspense builds, and readers will find themselves completely engrossed in the dangerous world of the O'Malley family.

Robert's writing is gripping and her characters are complex and well-developed. Teague is a hero with a dark past, and Callista is a strong and resilient heroine who is keeping a dangerous secret. The twists and turns in the plot keep the reader guessing until the very end, and the final reveal is both surprising and satisfying.

Overall, "Dark Succession" is a must-read for fans of romantic suspense. It's a dark and thrilling ride that will leave readers wanting more. Katee Robert has once again proven herself to be a master storyteller, and this book is sure to be a hit with readers who love a steamy romance with a side of danger.