A solid 4.5*

A mafia YA romance full of twists and turns.

I usually see the twist coming but I didn't see this one!

I should start by saying I don't read much romance, but that cover and the tagline ‘Romeo and Juliet meets The Godfather’ had me hooked. I do love a nonstop action mafioso read - think The Godfather, The Piranhas, Gomorrah, etc.

Persephone Gracewell—known to her friends as Sophie—strives to keep a low profile in the quiet suburb of Cedar Hill, just outside Chicago, especially after her father is unexpectedly jailed for murder. But her life takes a thrilling twist when a family of five criminally handsome Italian brothers moves into a local sprawling, gothic mansion long rumoured to be haunted.

Sophie can’t help but be drawn to Nicolo, whose dark, almond-shaped eyes glimmer with secrets and feel hauntingly familiar. As their electric chemistry ignites, she discovers a world of danger and intrigue lurking beneath the surface. Their romance intensifies, but with each stolen kiss and smouldering glance, dark warnings swirl around them—warnings that imply they should stay apart.

Eager to uncover the truth about their hidden connection, Sophie embarks on a thrilling investigation. The deeper she delves, the more she uncovers about the brothers' shady past, their ties to the Mafia, and the chilling truths about her father and the family secrets that bind them all.

Younger readers, particularly those aged 14-18, will be swept away by Sophie and Nic's passionate and ill-fated romance, full of yearning and heart-stopping moments that are packed to the brim with Romeo and Juliet and Westside Story vibes, or maybe he's more Hades to her Persephone?

While Sophie’s sluggish unravelling of her family’s connection to Nic might test some readers' patience, as might his blabbermouth tendencies for someone sworn into the life of omertà, the finale is sure to leave them breathless and eager for the next instalment - I immediately ran to download them to my Kindle. With a sizzling romance at its core and a slow-burning mystery, this (fairly tame) tale promises to keep you entangled in its web. 3.5⭐

Many thanks to the publisher for the opportunity to read Vendetta, the first in the Blood for Blood trilogy, via NetGalley.

This was very twisty... but honestly I think the main character Sophie needs to have a word with herself because her priorities are alllll messed up. Why does she not listen to anyone's advice to stay away from this strange mysterious family that's just moved to town - even when members of that family themselves tell her so! She's stubborn to the point of being very annoying, which is frustrating to read. I did like that she has such a strong female friendship in this book and that that doesn't waver, especially considering this was originally written in the 2010s. I'm not entirely sure I care enough to continue with the series, especially with the love triangle that appears to be being set up, but if you like a cheesy, easy read, it's not necessarily a bad book.

I should have dnf’d.

I have enjoyed Catherine Doyle’s other books and expect a certain level of angst in YA but this was too much. The dialogue made me cringe, the weird insta love was not believable and basically all of the characters were the worst. I appreciate I’m not the target audience but this was bad.

This also should have been a standalone, there is no where near enough plot to drag it out. I can’t say I’d recommend this one.

Overall, this wasn’t for me, but may still appeal to lovers of YA romance with a mafia edge.

In this house we stan @catdoyleauthor but we're utterly unaware of this her first trilogy having only encountered her with the stormkeepers island. Regardless the first installment of this YA mafia romance kept me enthralled. Sophie only wants to get through the summer working at her family's diner with her best friend. But then Nic and his brothers arrive in town, the sons of the man her father killed in self-defence. She finds herself falling for Nic even as his family wants to destroy hers exposing secrets she had no idea existed.
Vicious, brutal, and swoony all at the same time I loved every twist even as Sophie makes utterly terrible decisions and I know the quality will continue through the next two books having read everything else Catherine Doyle has written (except Dagger and Flame which is glaring at me from the TBR) and I can't wait for my copies to fall through the door on the 2nd of January.

*ACTUAL RATING: 4.5 STARS*

----------- WHAT I ENJOYED ------------
- Last year, I read Catherine Doyle's newest fantasy release, The Dagger and the Flame, and it was definitely one of my favourite reads of 2024. So, when I saw this book on NetGalley, I immediately put in my request and had my fingers crossed. Not only was I super curious to try one of her contemporary novels, but I was also excited by the premise of the story as mafia romances are one of my favourite sub-categories of the genre. And now, after reading, I'm happy to say that Catherine Doyle is fast becoming one of my favourite YA authors.

- This book was just ridiculously readable. I honestly haven't been this absorbed into a story for a while, and so I just really loved this reading experience. I was completely gripped by every dark twist and turn this story gave me, and wanted to know what was next for our characters, especially our main character Sophie. Now, the synopsis gives a lot away in terms of the dynamic of the Falcone family, but that didn't make it any less exciting to see Sophie figure out their secrets for herself.

- Speaking of the Falcone Family secrets, I loved the way that the mafia/ crime elements were handled in this story. It definitely raised some interesting questions and themes as our characters reflect on their own morals and involvement with crime. In particular, it created an interesting conversation around what makes a good or bad person, and questions if people who do bad things are in any way redeemable. I think this was handled really well for a young adult audience, especially as Sophie is an outsider who really reflects on these questions herself, and doesn't condone any of the violence throughout the book.

- In all respects, Sophie was a great main character to follow, in my opinion. Did she have some moments that just made me want to shake some sense into her? Yes, absolutely. However, I thought that this just made her character feel more realistic as she is a sixteen year old who has been introduced to a darker side of life so...it is understandable that she made some decisions that could be seriously side-eyed. But, at her core, she is a character that is strong-willed and loyal - she follows her gut and doesn't let anyone put her down. She is such an awesome character, and I'm really excited to see how she develops throughout this series now that she has been introduced to the criminal world.

- As well as Sophie, I really liked being introduced to the chaos that was the Falcone Family. Each brother has such a unique personality and role within their family dynamic, and I think it will be fun to explore that throughout the series. I really loved Luca the most - I think he is the character that is going to grow the most throughout this series as he has so much potential. His relationship with Sophie was so interesting, as you can tell he is putting up a very icy exterior, but he is really just trying to keep her safe in the only way he knows how. I think his character is going to add some drama the further into the series we go, and I absolutely cannot wait.

- Nic was also a really interesting character to follow, as his perspective on his lifestyle was so romanticised. He sees him and his family as above the law as he believes they are protectors, and that really adds into the dynamic that he develops with Sophie. They really quickly form an attachment, with him placing himself as her protector very early on. However, while this makes him seem like a very safe character, I think he is going to be someone who is very unpredictable throughout the series, due to his warped sense of morality. And that makes him a very fun character to add into the mix.

------- WHAT DIDN'T WORK FOR ME -------
- As I said, Sophie and Nic form an attachment very quickly, and while this created an interesting dynamic, it also made their relationship feel very insta-lovey. As this is marketed as a YA Mafia Romance, I wanted the romance to be quite well executed, but found it to feel a bit under-developed due to its fast pace. However, I am still interested to see how their relationship develops as the series continues.

------- OVERALL -------
I had such a fun time reading this book. I was making predictions (which I didn't want to give away here in case of spoilers), was completely absorbed by the drama, and basically couldn't put this book down. I can't believe that I hadn't heard of this series before, but now that the rest of the series has been re-published, I am absolutely going to be picking up the next book. Like, as soon as I have finished writing this!

Thank you again to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I should point out that at first I thought it was a fantasy when I was inclined to read this one, so I don't know if that affected my expectations when I read it.

Now yes, we get into a mafia romance, yes as you read, this author brings us an intrepid romance where our protagonist begins her summer wanting to go as unnoticed as possible and only work in the family restaurant, since her father has been imprisoned; but this plan is thwarted when an Italian family of five brothers moves in, and she is strongly attracted to one of the brothers. Secrets, danger, romance and volatile.

If you like mafia romance, this is a great choice, the author's pen has been interesting to read.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

I was really interested to read this series after seeing that they had all been given new cover designs with really pretty special editions in Waterstones.

I didn’t really know anything about these when I started reading them, figured it was best to go into it completely blind
I had no idea that this would be a YA mafia romance, or that I would enjoy it so much! It sounds really counterintuitive for it to be a YA mafia romance (those things really shouldn’t go together) but somehow it did actually work really well.

I am also a massive sucker for Romeo and Juliet retellings, so that was even more of a reason to read this book, and it didn’t disappoint!

I thought the whole thing was really easy to read and understand, everything flowed so well and the pacing was really well balanced too. I don’t think there was a single second where I was confused or thought things had gotten boring.
It really did have me hooked right from the beginning.

While I did enjoy it, and found a lot of aspects of it to be really enjoyable, I don’t think that this was 100% the book for me, or that I was the target audience this time around.
Again, I did enjoy it, but it did read a little young (which is obvious and makes complete sense because it is YA, but I would say that it is definitely on the younger side of the spectrum)
The other thing is that I found a great deal of this book really far fetched. It was basically at the point where we meet Nic and his brothers and learn that they mysteriously have ties to the Mafia… again, I think its because this is targeted to a younger audience that it just felt so farfetched and a little bit cringe to me.

Overall, a really enjoyable read though!

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for giving me the opportunity to read a copy of this book

I recently read the Twin Crowns series and The Dagger and The Flame and really enjoyed them so I was keen to pick up more books by Catherine Doyle. Vendetta is the first in a series of YA mafia romance that are currently being republished. This is a fun, easy to read book with an interesting story line and characters. I will definitely be picking up the rest of the series at some point.

Well I wasn't expecting to love this as much as I did. The writing was addictive and I got swept up in all the action. It started off so innocently but that really did escalate didn't it?! Also i feel like Luca is my favourite

Cant wait to read more. In fact I ordered the whole series!

Really fun mafia romantasy. Love Catherine Doyle highly recommend this!! First in a series and can’t wait to read more

After recently reading Cat Doyle most recent book, this one definitely felt like it had been written a while ago, as Doyle's writing style has evolved since Vendetta was first released.
The style of prose read young and I found myself longing for what I expect from her writing style now.
That being said I think as a young grade book with Romeo and Juliet Mafioso vibes it does it's job. It was an easy read and I enjoyed the characters.

I really enjoyed this! Mafia romance isn't usually my thing but once the story got going I was hooked and couldn't get through it quickly enough. The ending was exciting and full of lots of revelations, leaving me eager to read the next book

Unfortunately I couldn’t get into this one. It felt dated and can see why I would have been popular when it was originally released. Also I know it’s a YA, but it felt a bit young for me.

Who knew YA mafia romantic suspense was a thing!?

I read this so quickly and enjoyed it a lot, full of teenage drama and angst but also the darker side of adult themes such as murder and organised crime.
Fast paced and well written I look forward to book 2

I received this book as an ARC and provide and honest review

I was really looking forward to this book and wasn't aware it is the first of an old trilogy being re-released.
Initially I was really enjoying this book as Sophie meets the mysterious Nic and his brothers.
She later finds out their pasta are linked and he is part of a Mafia family.
Then, for me, it got a bit far-fetched.
I enjoyed reading this but not quite sure how I feel about it after reading.

This is one of my all-time favourite book series, and I am so glad it is getting a beautiful cover change.
More people need to read this.
If you enjoy Romeo and Juliette, but as a mafia -teen-style, then you will love this.
ALL the tension.
All the suspense.
Good-looking guys.
It's honestly addictive!

I’ve read other books by Catherine Doyle and I was surprised by this book (series).

I’m excited for their rerelease!

Overall the characters are dorky. It felt like a lighthearted mafia romance?

Overall the story was entertaining and the characters were likable!!!

I have adored other works by this author however this one i didn't enjoy ass much. The writing didn't have the same feel as to her other books which is what originally made me what to pick up this series

I had so much fun reading this book.

Mafia style Romeo and Juliet twist, romance with non of the cheesy gooeyness that typically comes in a YA book.
I absolutely adored the friendship between Sophie and Millie, something really healed me reading them together and made it feel like an actual real life friendship.
Nicolo... Your bad boy with morals.
I loved reading about the brothers. Their loyalty to one another, you knew there was a darker side to them all but you didn't care. Just happy to be along for the ride.

I will say, I feel like I want to see more of Luca in the next books. And for some reason I feel like there could also be something with him... maybe I'm reading into it too much but I hope there is more.

And that is to say I will definitely be reading the next books when they are re-released. Already got me hooked.