I read this fairly fast and got hooked into the story. I loved the characters and liked the mystery of learning about Ana and Gio’s past. If you like mafia romances this book would definitely be for you. It was fun to see the women in this world weild their power behind the faces of men, I would read other books by this author especially if there was a spin-off with Emma and Luke ;) There was a lot of spice, tension and suspense. I would rate this a 5 out of 5. This ARC was provided by Netgalley in exchange for a honest review.

"Blue Blood" by Lily Ragley offers readers a compelling and suspenseful journey into the world of organized crime, where power, secrets, and ruthless ambition collide. The book's description hints at a story filled with intrigue, danger, and complex characters.

The protagonist, who became the Don's bride at a young age, appears to be a central figure in this gripping narrative. Her portrayal as "perfectly perfect" on the surface, yet harboring a hidden past, sets the stage for a character with depth and complexity. The tension surrounding her secret and the consequences she may face once it is revealed promise to keep readers on the edge of their seats.

The concept of an arranged marriage within the mafia adds an intriguing layer to the story, as it suggests a complex web of alliances and power struggles within the criminal underworld. The mention of "dark mafia romance" indicates that the book delves into the complexities of relationships within this dangerous and secretive world.

Readers who enjoy stories of suspense, romance, and the intricacies of organized crime are likely to be drawn to "Blue Blood." It promises a thrilling and emotionally charged narrative that explores themes of loyalty, betrayal, and the high stakes of maintaining honor within the mafia.

In summary, "Blue Blood" appears to be a gripping and intense novel that will captivate readers who appreciate dark romance and stories set in the shadowy realms of organized crime.

3.5/5 stars! (4 rounded up)

Full review on Goodreads.

I had a Time™️ with this read. There were some things that REALLY got under my skin, but overall I had a pretty great time reading this and falling in love with Ana and Gio’s journey to falling in love. I’m happy where we ended up, and even some spots along the way!

My personal pros and cons I listed in my full review, and I know it seems like I hated this book or don’t enjoy it, but I think I would suggest this to anyone who is looking for a mafia romance that isn’t based on Stockholm Syndrome or other unhealthy dark romance tropes (not that it’s a bad thing! I also enjoy dark romance okay).

The longer I sit with this book, the more I feel I would love a reread!

ARC Review: 4/5⭐️ 3.5/5 🌶️

This was a great book! I couldn’t get enough of the plot and twists it had. I loved the characters, Gio is obviously a favorite. I loved how the relationship grew between Ana and Gio, it was so sweet. Looking forward to reading the next in the series.

Thank you the NetGalley and the author/team for allowing me to review this book.

I love this book, loved solving the mystery and all the action between the sheets, it was very spicy! Can't wait to read more bybthis author in the future.

4✨ Review
Blue Blood had a great storyline, full of intrigue, mystery, secrets, violence and spicy romance. It has a good balance of tension that carries you through the story straight to the end.I really enjoyed this. It had a lot more depth than I expected for a spicy arranged mafia marriage story. I loved Gio & Ana, they had great steamy chemistry and they were relatable too.
I really appreciate the tour through mafia affairs, business, and the revenge planning and scheming.
Ana struggles being the Don's wife while feeling like she’s not good enough, Gio is trying to keep his hold on the Family while seeking out those who orchestrated his family’s demise. Things I didn't really liked: Ana runs a couture clothing design business we get to see pieces of it, but she doesn’t have any strong personality traits, I didn’t like that and the fact that I didn't feel like the conflicts were clearly worked out. They’d fight, then have a bunch of sex. Normally I don’t mind, but the conflicts seemed to get brushed under the rug like their relationship had no conflict. Would’ve been more satisfying if Ana and Gio fought it out a little more.
Overall, I really enjoyed Blue Bloods. There was steamy sex and suspense which made it difficult to put the book down. I look forward to other books in the series.
Thank you @netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

🤰🤰🤰🤰🤰

thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

xxxxx

This book was a super engaging read. We start off at the arranged marriage of Ana and Gio. Both of them battling demons, each of them with their own expectations and anticipations when it comes to their union. Ana grapples being the Dons wife while feeling like she’s not good enough, Gio is trying to keep his hold on the Family while seeking out those who orchestrated his family’s demise.
I loved that everything came together, her past, his past, the schemes of other characters. Perfect book for anyone who likes mafia, arranged marriages, he falls first, touch her and d!e themes and tropes.

I received this eArc via Netgalley, this is my honest opinion/review.
Thank you Lily for the eArc, I have really enjoyed this one.

We follow Ana who is set to marry the new Don, Gio, in this mafia romance. We had a perfect amount of spice, connection and plot in this novel. Ana is a self taught dressmaker/seamstress. Gio knew from when he met Ana that he wanted her to be his wife, and Ana was never really sure if it she was just his mafia wife or if he was in love with her. Ana has quite the past and so does Gio. We see both characters pasts, and how it's moulded them into who they are. We jump back 2 years into the past e.g Ana and Gio meeting for the first time, Gio's parents, Ana and the bodyguard etc.

I enjoyed this a lot, especially reading about their past trauma. The spice didn't overpower the plot at all. I rated this book a 4 star read and 3 on the spice scale.

What to expect:
- Mafia Romance
- Arranged Marriage
- Suspense
- Dark
- Standalone novel

One thing I think could have been better was Ana's personality, we know she's a dressmaker and we get told little details about her job, and obviously we learn about what happened to her a year or two before her marriage. There's not as much character development as I would've liked. She came across as a strong woman but there wasn't much else which was a tad bit of a shame. That didn't make the story rubbish though, the story in general was a great read. But character development wasn't as much as I would have liked which is why this is a 4 star read for me.

Thank you Lily for the eArc and I cannot wait to read another novel by you!

Blue Blood is marketed as an arranged marriage mafia romance. This is the first book in The Family series.

Gio and Ana are betrothed to get married.

Ana comes across as a very independent women, with her own interest including a money making seamstress business which she has funded completely on her own without support.

The lead of the mafia families, and his wife are assassinated and Gio steps in as the new Don. Very quickly it becomes clear that there are a lot of old messes to tidy up and opposing fractions to get rid of.

Following the wedding, we learn more about the mafia business, the betrayals, and the fighting for power.

The wedding night is one to remember, not due to the spice, but rather due to one of Ana's innocent questions!

There is more intrigue and business than romance, but still plenty to enjoy.

This book is your typical mafia romance complete with an arranged marriage uniting two powerful families and betrayal amongst the ranks. While the overall plot was good, I found the book to be slow reading. There was, however, a decent amount of spice to make things more interesting.

Quick Take:
Characters,: 4/5
Plot 3.5/5
Spice 4/5
Writing 3/5
Plot 4/5


A quick read with a mystery, a bit of spice, and some ptsd/anxiety representation.

What worked for me, I really likes the FMC. She's confident in some areas of her life but still gives off the innocent vibe that will appeal to a lot of readers who love the mafia romance genre.

I wish we got Gio's pov, especially since Ana was so unsure of his thoughts and feelings.

Spice was good but some of it felt disjointed a bit. Still good! There'd be gaps from one point to the next that could have been fleshed out - no pun intended! It seems it may have been an attempt to let the reader use their imagination but the flow suffered for it.

I liked the mystery but wasn't exactly sure why it was so imperative to keep what happened a secret. Without spoilers, it seemed justified.

I'll be keeping an eye out for the other books in this standalone series, looking forward to see where the groundwork she laid with Emma and Luke goes!

I received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange of an honest review. Thank you NetGalley and the author for this copy.

I love a good mafia romance book and have read quite a few of them in the past. This is a pretty traditional arranged marriage mafia romance with a good storyline and enough spice to keep the romance interesting. I love that Gio was all in from the moment he met Ana and I liked how their relationship played out. Overall good plot and character development. I'm only rating this book 3/5 stars due to the fact that I feel this book, although entertaining, won't stand out amongst the other mafia romances I have read as for me there was nothing particularly outstanding to make it "special".

I really enjoyed this. It had a lot more depth than I expected for a spicy arranged mafia marriage story.
I loved Gio & Ana, they had great steamy chemistry and they were relatable too.

Blue Blood had a great storyline, full of intrigue, mystery, secrets, violence and spicy romance.
I think what sets this apart as being better than previous similar novels is that there was a such strong storyline, it wasn't just full of steamy sex scenes, it had substance.

I highly recommend and look forward to the next books in the series.

“If you’ve read one mafia book, you’ve read them all” is something I tend to live by when reading dark romance. HOWEVER, Blue Blood is remarkably refreshing in its delivery. Whilst there may be some cliches, I can not fault this book for its captivating story telling and extremely likeable main character. Could not put it down!!

I loved this book so much, it was marvelous. This couple was freaking amazing, they were so perfect together, their chemistry was out of this world, I loved them so much, literal goals. Gio was amazing, a perfect man, it was her for him since the very first moment, that man was infatuated and enthralled with her in a way that many people dream about. Ana was so strong, she had been through so much and she still rose above everything. She was such a good person and she really wanted to give her marriage a chance, she only saw him as himself, not as the rumors said he was. She gave him a chance when no one else would. They were there for each other, always, no matter what, and I love that. I can't praise this book enough. I just want to say I want a Gio for myself

Honestly could not put this book down had me hooked from the very beginning and that ending I need more

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Mafia romance
Arranged marriage
Recovering Trauma/grief
Power leader/ gentle partner
This book was a cacophony of romance tropes. What happens when the powerful leader of a mafia family marries the adopted daughter of a major family? The MF struggles with her perceived notions of inadequacy of being a leaders wife.
Im rating low because I was bored. There wasn’t anything that made this book stand out.

Ana (27) is arranged to marry Gio (31).

The good:
An ‘older’ MC was a refreshing take on Mafia romance.

Good balance of tension that carries you through the story straight to the end.

Story is set up in a way that gives you flashes of the past, and the trickle of information it gives is satisfying.

The ending is satisfying—a little of a dark, sticky emotional ending


The bad:
—Not a strong sense of character—Ana runs a couture clothing design buisness we get to see pieces of, but she doesn’t have any strong personality traits.
—Don’t feel l like the conflicts were clearly worked out. They’d fight, then have a bunch of sex. Which normally I don’t mind, but the conflicts seemed to get brushed under the rug like their relationship had no conflict. Would’ve been more satisfying if Ana and Gio fought it out a little more.

Overall, it’s worth the read!

I love a good mafia arranged marriage story. This was no different, I did really enjoy this.
A fast paced, no 3rd act breakup traditional mafia Don and Donna arc.
Ana and Gio were enjoyable to read about. They seemed to be the perfect pair and it was nice to see a softer mafia story as opposed to a dark. You still had the traditional mafia tropes, without all the gore.
If you’re new to mafia or want to give it a try, this would actually be a decent place to start. It light enough, fast paced and easy to follow along.
The only feedback I would give is about the time line. At points, the transition did feel a bit clunky and because of that clunky-ness, I felt the ending fell short for me. I wanted more at the end to feel a bit more settled with a conclusion. The fade to future was nice going into the epilogue, but it just felt incomplete.
I think if we had Gios’ POV, it would have added a nice aspect to the character development and to the story character arcs.

Overall, an enjoyable read that I would recommend to new mafia readers and would continue the series.

Thank you for the ARC.