My goodness. This book was gold!!!! I feel like I’ve struck a pot of gold!!! It was that good. The story, the characters, the romance, everything was just on point!! This is what I expect from a good NA novel. Sizzling romance that literally burns through the pages (or in my case screen of the phone XD ). Luca. Or god Luca. For once the cover of the book is doing justice for Luca. It helps you figure out what he would be like. Also full Italian characters??? Of course I loved it. I won’t say anymore in case I spoil the book but if you’re thinking twice to read this book? Do not!!! This is worth everything!!!!!!

Surprising!

Luca and Alessia have a story full of twists and turns and completely unexpected moments. It also has sweetness, an alpha male and genuine love.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

This is the first book I have read by Jill Ramsower and it won't be the last.
Luca and Alessia's story is not your typical mafia tale. The story twists and turns until almost the end and kept me, the reader, captivated and eager for more.
Great story and I loved the acknowledgement at the end. It gives you insight into Jill as an author and a person.

This was a new author for me, and I initially chose the book because the cover caught my eye. I really liked Luca. He was strong and demanding but patient when he needed to be. Alessia did not appeal to me quite as much. She seemed to make really poor naive or oblivious decisions. She also was a bit too wishy washy as to whether she wanted to be with Luca or not. Granted, that is just my personal opinion, but she wasn't a favorite. Other than not being an Alessia fan, I actually enjoyed the story. The chemistry was good, the place moved along well, and Luca stole the show. I wish the author had not made the choice to exclude him from the big suspense climax and it's immediate aftermath. I was really disappointed by that. I was, however, really intrigued by Alessia's dangerous rescuer. I'd like to read more about him. Some of the mafia elements came across a bit cheesy to me, but I do think the author has talent and is a great technical writer. On a very positive note, the book was very well edited, and the personal picture and story at the end were really interesting.

Net Galley provided an ARC for honest review.

A mafia read that was solid without the usual mistress/OW nonsense - so refreshing! Looking forward to more books in this series!

Alessia thought there was not a redeeming quality about Monday. She couldn’t complain, she was gainfully employed by the largest construction company in NYC. She was the Associate Director of Marketing . Alessia’s boss was Roger Coleman boss-Roger Coleman- was the smarmiest, most disgusting man in the city. When her fifty five year old boss started hitting on her it was repulsive and unsettling. She’d done her best to discreetly brush aside his advances and discourage his behavior. But after a year he’d yet to cease his efforts. Unlike her sisters, she had made the choice to go into the family business. She wasn’t going to let her scumbag boss make her walk from what she had dreamed about since she was a kid. But than before his business trip Roger her to his side as he was talking and caressed her butt cheek. Alessia froze until his assistant had said he only had two hours before his flight. Alessia was ashamed she had froze and hadn’t stopped her boss. She then left the building. She had a number of options on how to handle the situation but which one was best . definitely not going to her father who owned the company. She had shover her boss’s pursuit in a dark corner of her mind. Aside from her boss, she loved her job. She had been the parent pleasing child, who wanted her Mom and Dad to be proud of her. More specifically her dad, she strived most to impress him. He father had made it clear from day one she had to earn her job. She got off the elevator on the second floor and rode the escalator to the first floor. Than in front the lobby she striding away from the security post she noticed a man in a blue suit. He was a masculan beauty personified. She’d never seen him before, she’d come to recognize many of the buildings occupants. There was no way she would have forgotten that man. When she got outside Alessia thought she had never been so entranced by a man. She was having lunch with her cousin Giada- who was also her best friend. She had been Alessia’s best friend as long as she could remember. Alessia didn’t have tons of friends and that was fine with her. She had two sisters and three female cousins and that was plenty of girl drama in her life. Giada told her at lunch she had to file a complaint against her boss or she would go down to the office and raise holy hell. Alessia said she would file a complaint with HR. Alessia’s apartment was her sanctuary. Her family had always been wealthy . Right out of college Alessia had been able to afford a beautiful place in downtown Manhattan. She didn’t need a roommate either. It was her place to unwind. And allow the stress from the day to fall from her shoulders. She got in the elevator with the same man she had seen earlier that day, than the elevator got stuck. He said his name was Luca as he extended his hand. He asked if she worked in the building, than he added he was there on business. The elevator came to life but he stopped again and told her to give her his phone but to unlock it and she did. He said he would like to hear more about her family . Than he out back in her purse. He said he’d be in touch. Luca had never wanted to have sex in an elevator as much as when he was in one with Alessia. Luca could see each and every thought and emotion as it crossed behind those wide intelligent eyes. The woman was sophisticated, gorgeous, and dripping with a surprising amount of innocence. She had clearly been drawn to him . Most people. Even when they had no clue who he was , withered in his presence, a part of Alessia wanted to withdraw but hadn’t. The woman was even more intriguing than Luca had expected. Sure, she was gorgeous , which was why he zeroed in on her to begin with. But there was something else that called to him. Rafi was one of the few people Luca trusted. Alessia had been distracted all morning byu thoughts of Luca. Than as she was going back to work,she almost walked into oncoming traffic but Luca pulled her back. She agreed to go out to dinner with her that evening how could she say no? He saved her life. Alessia ran into a man she had known from college and he warned her Luca was a bad guy.
I enjoyed this book. It had a lot in it: lies, intrigue, mystery, family loyalty, forbidden lust, Mafia, betrayed, and a lot of twists and turns. I liked the author bought in sexual harassment as it is a problem in the work place. I The end was a little loose for me. I didn’t want to put this down even though at times it dragged i just kept going. Alessia and Luca had such hot chemistry I really liked the plot and pace. I enjoyed watching Luca and Alessia relationship together and how they interacted. I enjoyed watching their relationship grow. I loved the characters and the twists and turns of this book and I recommend it.

I enjoyed this book in the beginning but when it turned into a mafia romance I just couldn't get past it. Not my cup of tea.

Forever Lies by Jill Ramsower is the First book in The Five Families Series. This is the story of Luca Romano and Alessia Genovese.
Alessia is fresh out of college and is out to prove to her family that she deserves a top position at their company. So she is set to work her way up through the ranks just like everyone else. Alessia has even been dealing with a boss that hits on her but she is determine to this. Alessia ends up meeting Luca and their is a immediate attraction and they start going out but Luca has some secrets that Alessia won't like but one thing Luca knows is that he wants Alessia and he always gets what he wants.

Sexy and mysterious, the hero in this book runs the show. From the moment Alessia lays eyes on Luca, he commands all of her attention - and that’s exactly the way he wants it. The author lets his motives unravel slowly throughout the book, leaving the reader in a state of unease about what he wants from her. The writing is solid and the story moves quickly, though I could never truly come to love either character.

The story follows Alessia, a young woman working her way up the family business. She’s strong in some ways and weak in others - for example, she’s proving her worth at work, but can’t seem to bring herself to do anything about her boss’s unwanted advances. It’s this contradictory personality that catches Luca’s attention when they meet; he’s a strong and powerful man who likes a woman who isn’t a total pushover, but knows when to submit. After their initial meeting, Luca begins pursuing Alessia relentlessly, but we know it’s not just because he’s attracted to her - there’s more lurking beneath the surface with this man.

I enjoyed the author’s writing style quite a bit; the pages move quickly and it’s easy to get lost in the story. I would’ve liked more interaction in their initial elevator meeting; if I had felt the chemistry sizzle between them more before learning more about Luca, I think I would’ve connected more strongly to him. In the end, I liked both characters to a certain extent but had issues with them both - Luca really does love how submissive Alessia is, and she comes off as naive and weak at times. It didn’t always feel like a partnership because he commands the room. That being said, it’s an interesting and sexy book. Thank you, NetGalley, for providing me with an ARC. That cover really hooked me and I enjoyed reading this new-to-me author. I am voluntarily leaving a review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4 STARS

Sensational story that will tempt and tease! Jill Ramsower is a new-to-me author and she has done an incredible job of entertaining me with Alessia and Luca's story. I love how they meet...there's just something so intimate about elevators. If you love hot alpha males, you're going to love Luca!

Forever Lies is the first book in The Five Families Series by Jill Ramsower and is a MUST read that will join the ranks of the BIBLIO-ELITE!!!

It is no secret I've been in a HUGE book slump recently. Nothing in the romance genre has been blowing me away. So it goes without saying I was nervous to start this one. Jill Ramsower is a new "to me" author, so I wasn't sure what to expect. However, I love a good mafia book, so I strapped myself in to enjoy the ride...

And you know what? I enjoyed this book a lot. The hero was decent. He wasn't a manwhore. There was no OW drama. The heroine wasn't a virgin. She maybe came across a little naive at times, but overall I really liked her. The writing was good. It moved along at a good pace. The plot was interesting and held my interest. There was a great cast of secondary characters. And it ended in a happy for now with a loose end that I assume will be picked up in the next book. All in all, yours truly will give this one, two solid thumbs up.

Alessia works for her father's company, and while she might be the bosses daughter, she doesn't use that to her advantage as she's starting off at the bottom. True she has a sleazy boss that shouldn't be around females, ever, but she's got him handled, at least, she thinks she does. Enter Luca, there's an instant attraction to him. There's something about him that makes her want to get to know him. But when she finds out he's in the mafia, she goes running, trying to forget the feelings that have settled into her heart. But forgetting a good man isn't easy to do.

When I signed up to review this I told Jill that I wasn't a huge fan of mafia romances but wouldn't hold my bias in my review. I think the problem was I just wasn't reading the right mafia romances because I loved Forever Lies!I think what I love about this is while the mafia is at play, the other aspects take up more of the book. There are so many things going on, it's a great balance of the two.

I'm a fan of Ramsower because she writes incredibly well-written, well-edited books with multi-dimensional characters. I liked that she included sexual harassment because it's a huge problem in the world that needs to be addressed. The chemistry between Alessia and Luca is intense, as Alessia says it "...I could feel parts of me going molten and fusing to Luca, welding us together." *super steamy*. I'm definitely keeping my eye out for future books in this series, very well done!

The book starts out great. It has great characters and a great arc build. Then comes a great twist around the middle. Alessia is the heroine. She has a chance encounter with Luca. She is really excited because he is gorgeous, and she noticed him the day before. From there, they go on a few dates to learn they have explosive chemistry. “The twist” causes some problems and opens Alessia’s eyes to the real world. The story has a nice ending, and I can’t wait to read more when more of the series comes out!

This was so freaking good, I literally read it in one sitting. I was hooked from page one.
I've never really read mafia romances, but I had high hopes for this one since I loved Jill's Fae Games series. I was not disappointed.
There are lots of twists, lies and betrayal that you won't see coming
Forever Lies is one of my favourite starts to a new series. I'm so looking forward to seeing what Jill, has in store for the rest of the series! I can't wait. 😍
I recommend it~