DNF at 61%

I'm so sad to say it, but this one is gonna be a dnf from me. I've loved all of Robert's other books, so I really expected to love this one, but sadly that wasn't the case. For whatever reason, the saccharine sweet romance and the mafia aspects just didn't gel. If one of those aspects had been removed, it might've been fine, but they just didn't work for me.

Thanks to Netgalley for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review

Dark Succession, a reissue of The Marriage Contract, by Katee Robert is a smoking hot romance novel about the dangerous and powerful O'Malley family. Teague O'Malley despises everything about his family and is ready to cut ties with them for good, but his father orders him to marry Callista Sheridan to create a business alliance. However, when he meets Callista and sees the bruises on her neck and trauma in her eyes, he vows to avenge her.

Callie didn't expect to be attracted to Teague and is drawn to his lethal grace and coiled power. However, she is keeping a dark secret, and what Teague doesn't know could get him killed. As they get closer, they find themselves in trouble.

The story is well-paced and keeps the reader engaged from start to finish. The chemistry between Teague and Callista is sizzling, and the tension between them is palpable. The author has done an excellent job of creating a vivid world of the O'Malley family, their power, and their dangerous reputation.

Overall, Dark Succession is a fantastic read, perfect for fans of romantic suspense. The updated language and new cover will attract new readers, while old fans will appreciate revisiting the story with fresh eyes.

4.5⭐️ I was pleasantly surprised by this! The plot is great, spicy scenes are hot, and the whole family aspect is fantastic. This is different from most arranged marriage books I've read and I love that! Their connection is so strong, despite everything else going on.

~Callista always knew she would have her husband chosen for her but it's safe to say Teague O'Malley was a surprise she didn't see coming. One look at the bruises on her neck and he makes it his mission to destroy whoever touched her.~

I love that we got Teague's sister, Carrigan's, POV in a few scenes! Very curious on what happens with her and a certain someone because holy crap.

*I received an ARC of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review with my honest opinion.*

I’ve never read a Katee Robert book til now. To be honest, I have so many auto buy authors that I rarely try new ones. I just don’t have the time or money to take chances on books that I may not like. But during quarantine I didn’t have anywhere to go so I just a chance, and I’m so happy I did.

I’ve read a few mafia series and really enjoyed them. When I started The Marriage Contract I was pleasantly surprised to see it was mafia and then I knew I was gonna like it.

There was tension and emotion and of course romance. My heart was racing a few times but I couldn’t stop reading. Teague and Callie had some crazy chemistry. When we first see them together you just knew the sparks were about to explode. And I swear every time he calls her Angel, I melt into a puddle on the floor.

With three ruling families there’s bound to be tension around. So this was a nice set up to what the next books will be about. There’s so many siblings running around and I can tell their stories are gonna be fun. Especially the next book! Man, talk about sparks!

1. I love Katee Robert’s work!
2. I need more of this series!
3. How am I just now hearing about this series?
Dark Succession is book one in The O'Malleys series by Katee Robert and y’all it was fire!
I love dark mafia romance stories. And Robert’s has written one full of drama, intrigue, emotion, romance and love.
I enjoyed reading the romance that develops between Calista and Teague. It seems they have that instant attraction, slow building it’s way up to a romantic relationship.
They were just fantastic together. The hotness and intensity. The romance was steamy and satisfying. I just loved it.
The suspense/action were phenomenally done. And once I started this book I literally couldn’t stop.

Arranged marriages. Three Boston crime families. Wealthy. Powerful, and full of scandalous family secrets.
This is one of Katee Robert’s book that should not be missed!

"I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

Thank You NetGalley and Forever for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Dark Succuession by Katee Robert is a reissue of her original book, The Marriage Contract, that originally released in 2015. This edition has some updated language and will be available as a trade paperback with a stunning cover in May.

I never read the original book so this was my first experience with this series. In this story, we follow Callie, who by a crazy chain of events causes some feuding among mafia families. She is supposed to be in an arranged marriage with Teague, a son of the O’Malley family. So I was hoping for some tension between the two of them but it was much more instalove than I wanted. I just wanted a bit more angst. I loved the family dynamics in this book as Teague has several siblings and I found the parts with them in it the most interesting. The feud between the mob families was definitely tense and you never knew who was safe or who to trust.

For a seasoned Katee Robert reader, this book lacked something her other books do not and that was spice. On a scale of all romance books, I’m sure this one would be on the spicier side, but for a Katee Robert book, it was about 1/5 peppers of heat. Which didn’t bother me because I liked all the politics and characters but I know some people will be disappointed. One thing is certain, she has definitely grown exponentially as an author in the eight years since this book came out. I’m hopeful the rest of this series gets the new cover treatment because I wouldn’t mind collecting them all!

This book was originally published under the title The Marriage Contract in 2015 and I read it years ago but when I saw Forever was publishing it as Dark Succession I jumped at the chance to reread a marriage of convenience I'd read years before.

I remembered parts of the story but it was still a good reread. I really admire Callie's strength. I love women who stand up for themselves. I also loved Teague. I especially admire him for trying to be the peacemaker in such a violent area.

This marriage of convenience for me was unique because unlike the times when the couple seems to need time to figure out being a couple these two figured it out fast. I really loved the connection and chemistry they shared.

I recommend this to anyone that likes the mafia type books with quite a bit of steam.

I received an advanced copy of this book through NetGalley. This is my honest review

Such a solid mafia romance. I devoured this entire series. Katee Robert will also be an easy to read author for me

This was so bad I don't actually know what to say. Insta-love, ridiculous plot, bad writing, and absolutely not a thing to redeem it. I wouldn't have finished it except I was up during the night and couldn't sleep. It helped.

There are three major crime families Halloran's, the O'Malley's, and the Sheridan's
One of the Halloran's sons has just been murdered and they're out for blood. Teague O'Malley father has ordered him to marry Callista Sheridan. Once her see her with her bruises he knows she's been abused, and he must marry her to protect her. Strong independent Callista has taken things in her own hands the man her father wants her to marry is a monster, and now she has a secret that could destroy them all. A captivating book that starts out fast with a murder and the mafia families scrambling to show their strength before an all-out war starts. I love how Teague is with Callista, he's patient, he knows she has a secret she's been hiding. She will not tell him who abused her, so he can protect her. I have voluntarily read and reviewed this excellent story.

💜🖤 Dark Succession ARC Review 🖤💜

Thank you so much to Katee Robert and netGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book!!

Dark Succession is a dark mafia romance set in Boston. Mob Princess Callie just escaped an arranged marriage. However, instead of the freedom she desires, she now finds herself engaged to the son of another mob family. Teague knows it’s his responsibility to marry Callie, but what he doesn’t expect is his actual desire for her.

This was such a fun mafia story!! Teague and Callie were wonderful together and I enjoyed their relationship. However, I felt at some points their story was overshadowed by the larger mafia drama going on. This story jumped to a few different POVs, including some side characters, and I feel like I lost some of the connection between Callie and Teague. I would have liked to have seen more of their relationship and interactions together throughout the book. But that’s definitely just a “me” issue and not a book issue

Overall, this was a solid three star read for me and a fun kickoff to a series! I’ll definitely be reading the rest of the series as they release!There were a few spicy scenes throughout the book - and Katee always does spice well, so three flames for spice!

If you enjoy dark mafia romances with strong women, broody possessive men, arranged marriages, and lots of family vibes - then definitely pick this one up!

Review posted on Instagram and Goodreads. Will be posted to Amazon upon publication

This is a reissue of of the marriage contract by Katee Robert. This is the first in a series of what used to be known as the O’Malley’s. It’s a mafia romance, and this is the book that originally sent me down the hole of looking for more mafia romances. The book starts off with a bang and keeps moving quickly afterwards.
We are introduced to the three main ponte families who are the mafia rulers in the setting of Boston. We have the Sheridan, Hallorahans and the O’Malleys. We start out by meeting Kelly Sheridan. Callie is supposed to marry one of the sons and the other families, and due to circumstances it ends up having to be Teague
O’Malley who was not the original choice of her father.

Both Callie and Teague want their families to no longer be in the prime business. Teague was earlier trying to figure out a way to get his younger siblings out while Callie would like to turn. Her family‘s business is legitimate. They both have chemistry from the beginning and you can see how they would make a strong couple.

I really enjoyed all of the intrigues and there is definitely tragedies that happen to different families in this book. It’s a fantastic first book of a series and you really do want to hear the stories of all the rest of the O’Malley siblings.

Where there’s mafia romance, there’s bound to be arranged marriages and abductions and bloodshed, and we get a bit of it all in this book. Teague and Callie are made for each other, in that I’ve never seen two people make a series of bad decisions one after the other like these two. Instead in trying to be noble, they both just end up being foolishly destructive. I initially thought it was only Teague getting on my nerves with his holier than thou attitude and consequent half baked plans, but turns out Callie matched him idea for idea and they both really just needed to chill. Even though I get that they each had pressured that they were dealing with in their own way.

The best part of this book, hands down, is the O’Malley siblings and their complicated relationships. Aiden and Carrigan are clearly the superior O’Malleys so far. While Callie and Teague were mostly meh, the romance set up for the next book at the back end of this one is already more promising and more explosive than these two were in their own book. The action kicks into high gear in the second half of the book, and the stakes get unexpectedly higher too, so that overall this feels like more of an origin story of the O’Malley series rather than a true first book and I’m excited to see what comes next.
Thank you to Forever (Grand Central Publishing) & NetGalley for allowing me to read this book

The O'Malley series by Katee Robert is getting a revamp!! May 9th the series is getting new covers and titles and I'm so excited I can hardly stand it!!!
⁠
The first book in the new revamp is called Dark Succession.
⁠
What to expect in the O'Malley series: ⁠
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 sibling high jinks ⁠
🥵 steamy love scenes⁠
🔫 gun fights⁠
🎭️ kidnapping for the drama ⁠
🔗 familial bonds ⁠
👿 literal enemies to 😈 actual lovers ⁠
⁠
I love a good mafia / arranged marriage romance and this series is at the top of the list!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4 stars
3 chili peppers



Dark Succession (previously published as The Marriage Contract) is at the top of its group of mafia/ marriage of convenience combo romances. Dark Succession is the start to the O’malley series, and it really starts with all the best the series has to offer. Teague O'Malley is the tough, protective, strategic partner that Callie Sharidan absolutely needed. After being in an arranged marriage with the oldest son of another mafia family- who meets an untimely demise, Callie is then paired up with Teague who she is skeptical of from the beginning but also wildly attracted to.

This is the start of a war between Boston’s Mafia families and while it is a mafia romance book Katee Robert layers in some incredibly deep emotional topics in as well. This is one of the darker Katee Robert books I have read but that darkness makes the emotions run more deeply.

The logic/rationale of the book was a little touch and go for me- you have to suspend a lot of disbelief when reading mafia but even that wasn’t enough for me to be disinterested. I also wish that there was more of an opportunity to warm up to the other characters in the series. Had I read this one before the others in the series I probably would have hated the other characters a lot more. And while they are damaged they are very likable in their own books.

Katee Robert is rising star in the book world for a reason. I cannot recommend this author enough. I would even argue that she has gotten even better since the original publishing of this book.

it should also be noted as the new edition had a total rehaul that these upgrades were absolutely needed. Dark Succession is worthy of a cover and title that indicate how great the material is and I think these upgrades do just that. As well as modernize the book quite a lot.

Melodramatic, implausible story combined with insta-insta-love and this one really didn't work for me.

I love so many authors its hard to pick a favorite, but when it comes to monster romance of any kind Katee Robert is my go too and an author I always recommend.

Teague hates everything about his family and when his father orders him to marry Callista to create a “business” alliance, Teague is ready to quit the family once and for all. However, things change when Teague meets Callie and sees the bruises on her neck, and the trauma in her eyes. He vows to do everything in his power to avenge her. Callie wasn’t prepared for this. As they get close, Callie can’t help but wonder if the secret she’s keeping could get Teague killed and that scares her.

Katee Robert does monster romance so amazingly that I thought I would have no problem with this re-release of a more traditional contemporary romance. Some of my favorite aspects were present, the smut – she always delivers there. But I felt the story was lacking overall. I expected things to be darker than it was based on it being a mob romance. I did enjoy the love story between Callie and Teague, it was a great instant love story. There was just so much going on that I felt it took away from the story. I can definitely see this book setting up for the rest of the series.

Grab your copy of this re-release May 9th. I love the new cover!

Thank you to the publisher Forever (Grand Central Publishing), @readforeverpub, and Netgalley @netgalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Katee Robert will forever be an author I can count on. I always enjoy her books and Dark Succession was no different. I can't wait to read the rest of the series!

I always love a good dark mafia romance, but did not expect to love the characters as much as I did and to have my heart ripped out multiple times. OH the tears and anxiety! Katee what are you doing to me?!

Callie was exactly what I wanted her to be. Fierce yet vulnerable as she accepted her forced need to become the heir to her family. The grief she still held on to from the death of her brother but her willingness to see the good in people and sacrifice herself to preserve it.

Teague was not what I expected at all. Usually the mafia MMC is this hardened shell that needs to be cracked where Teague was a soft heart from the beginning. I so loved getting his POV alongside Callie's and could feel his love for his family within the story.

I liked the pacing of the book. I didn't feel like it dragged at all and I found it hard to put down. I felt like the ending was a bit quick and wanted more of their story (this caused a late night search for whatever bonus content I could find). Otherwise, I definitely recommend this book.

⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ / 5
🌶 🌶️ 🌶️ 🌶 /5

Second book by this author I've read and I loved it , not once did I want to put it at all.steamy, hot and sexy is the only way I can describe this book.

A mafia romance that actually has some good and wholesome love in it too? Obsessed. Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the advance copy.