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.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Thank you to Forever and NetGalley for the eARC of this book in exchange for my honest review!
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I don’t know what made Forever decide to pick up and republish Dark Succession traditionally, but I am so happy they did! It’s a mafia romance about Teague, the heir to an Irish mafia family in Boston, and Callie, the daughter of a different mafia family who was thrust into the heiress role when her brother unexpectedly passed. Callie was originally set to marry Brandon Halloran, the heir of the third family running the city, but when push came to shove, Brandon actually ended up dead. Knowing that his death would cause an all out war, Teague and Callie’s family decide to have them marry so they can be a united front against the Hallorans. Callie and Teague’s relationship quickly blurs the lines between arranged and real, and they both are fighting their inner demons while trying to fight a war.
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I thought that this was incredibly cheesy but in the BEST way. I actually cried at one point, which was surprising for me with a Katee book, and I thought that Callie and Teague both were well developed characters. The plot was ridiculous, but isn’t it always in a mafia romance? I like that I was never too worried about the couple getting their happy ending, and appreciated that they had some hardships along the way.

A quick and super fun read!! I think this was a perfect mafia romance, especially for someone who isn't into them, or is looking to get further into them. There was suspense and action and very real stakes. Obviously amazing smut because.. Katee Robert duh
I cannot WAIT to read the rest of the series as it re-relases!!

Anything of Katee Robert’s is a five star for me - and this deliciously dark and smutty mafia romance just firmly places her in one of my top five smut authors of all time.

The three most powerful families in Boston - the Halloran’s, the O’Malley’s, and the Sheridan’s - are all well connected, well funded, and well armed. When an engagement between the Halloran and Sheridan heirs ends with an untimely death, a new marriage of convenience begins and a war of a lifetime unfolds. But as Teague and Callie try to keep their families safe and end the war before too many people are dead, they realize this marriage isn’t as much of a business move as it is a love story.

I absolutely loved the female characters of this book - Callie and Carrigan especially are such bad ass, strong, and fierce women that I could not help but root for them throughout the plot. I also loved how deliciously dirty and sexy the men - especially Teague - are, and even though there was sex throughout the whole book, the sex furthered the plot while also staying incredibly hot.

I’ve read other books by Katee Robert and this one falls right in line - I’m obsessed and will have to read the entire series.

As far as crime/mafia romance goes this one was fairly normal. I did really like the MMC, but most of the time I was mostly interested in the secondary characters. I felt like they had a lot more depth.

Dark Succession is an introduction to the O’Malley family, one of three crime families that run the Boston underground. In this book we focus on Teague, his struggles to be part of the family and his impending nuptials to Callista Sheridan, heir to one of the other two crime families.
Teague and Callie have an intense and instant chemistry that neither one try to deny but, as much as they might want to ignore it, an all-out war is brewing between their families and Hallorans. There are so many twists and turns from the start of this book that I wasn’t expecting. I adore the insta-love, “Who hurt you?” connection these two have from the jump. The story was an absolute roller-coaster of emotions that I couldn’t put down. It is mafia romance perfection.

Unfortunately, I am not a fan of people that are insta love and insta Crazy attraction. This made the book a little bit less believable, and I lost a little bit of interest in it because of that.

Thank you to Forever Grand Central Publishing, NetGalley, and Katee Robert for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

This was a solid mafia romance. The two main characters were intriguing and likable, the chemistry between them a bit Insta-lusty but still fun. I found there to be almost too many POVs and at times it got confusing which person was narrating at which time, because the POVs switched fluidly and quickly. There were also several sub-plots that could pull me out of the overarching story. The main plot was exiting and fun. Overall a solid book!

Mafia romance with a lot of spice! Both Callista and Teague have secrets that could endanger their lives and the story built nicely around the concept of trust and danger. Callista is a strong FMC who has gone through a trauma and Teague is the perfect counter-balance of over-protective MMC without being overbearing. There was a bit of insta-love going on, but with the short timeline of the story, it was expected so I didn't mind the trope. I highly enjoyed this book and I can't wait for the next book in the series!

Wow! I've been reading the Neon Gods series by Katee Robert and really enjoying it so when this came up I figured I'd give it a try. SO moody and dark and mafia-esque. The O'Malleys are a wild bunch and I'm super intrigued to see where this goes. I don't know if I love these but I for sure have to read the next one because the drama! Curse Katee Robert for hooking me in!!!

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for providing me with an arc for an honest review!

Thank you to Netgalley and Forever (Grand Central Publishing) for sending me a copy of this of this book.
It’s been a while since I have read a mafia romance, let alone a dark romance, and MAN I needed this, and it definitely helped that this book was AMAZING. Not only was the spice amazing, but the book included so many iconic mafia romance tropes like the who hurt you, and the big tuff mafia man being absolutely obsessed with his girl. I will definitely continue this series, it’s like a mafia version of Bridgerton, and I am now definitely looking forward to reading more of Katee’s books in the future.

"Whatever she'd expected from this kiss, it certainly hadn't been desire. Though DESIRE was too tame a word. She'd felt desire before, and this wasn't it. This was...need. All-consuming need that devoured everything in its path, leaving only destruction in its wake."

What You'll Find:
--Mafia Crime Romance
--Marriage of Convenience
--Possessive/Protective Alpha
--'Who Hurt You'
--Multiple POV

I really enjoyed this one. Despite it being very insta, and lighter for a mafia romance, I really loved their connection. They bring some serious sexual tension and chemistry. I liked that she was a strong heroine with a vulnerable side. And while I liked his possessive and protective side from the get go, he felt conflictingly, a little soft for a mafia romance at times. I also found there were many pockets of inner monologue that took me out of the story at times. Overall though, it was a quick enjoyable read. I am quite intrigued by the storyline setup, and its characters so I definitely want to continue this series. Looking forward to Carrigan's story!!

*I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Review in progress and to come.

I received a free copy of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review