I really liked this book by Jill Ramsower! I loved the male lead and would love to read more in this series.

5 Stars for Blood Always ( The Five Families Book 3 )

ARC received from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own & have not been influenced in any way.

LOVED THIS BOOK & new to me author's writing style !!

First let me start by saying how awesome is this cover - perfection as Matteo Deluca.

This is Book 3 in The Five Families - it can be read as a standalone but if you are like me you will then want to dive into the remaining books to read more on these fabulous characters.

I'm relatively new to the mafia genre for romance but this book at least for me has it all ...

Arranged marriage
Great characters in Maria and Matteo
ABSOLUTELY LOVED MARIA !!!
Strong heroine
Great plot twists that I did not see coming
Mutual attraction with sizzling chemistry
HEA

What a story line - could not put Blood Always down & read in one sitting.
I love when Netgally introduces me to new authors who's work I just know I am going to become a HUGE fan of ..

Highly recommend this book & series !!

This was a decent mafia romance. I wish there would have been a little more character development but the story itself was well-balanced. There were a couple of issues I felt were left a little open ended. The writing was great as it always is with this author and I enjoyed seeing the characters from previous stories.

Ahhh loved this so much! I'm so in love with this world and characters Jill has created!
In this Five Families story, you learn so much more about Matteo and Maria that had been shrouded in secrecy in previous books.
Felt like some things were a little rushed and left unanswered. But I enjoy the overall story, it had all the feels, steamy scenes, the push and pull and some mystery with some twists I didn’t see coming.
Looking forward to reading more!

What happens when your father asks you to marry into the family that you’ve hated your entire life? You agree because you would do anything for your family and you go into it like the business arrangement it is.

Except, Matteo is more than just a business arrangement, he’s oh so easy on the eyes and those tattoos? Those are just the finishing touches. And Maria has to admit, he’s pretty charming.
As far as Matteo, he’s drawn in from the start. Maria is feisty but clever, she can be rash and quick to heat, but he admires her for her strength and cunning. But she brings out the beast inside of him, and that isn’t always good for her, especially when he’s making commands he isn’t honoring himself, at least in her eyes. It brings out her rebellious streak. These two together can guarantee you will be in for a wild ride.

While Maria exudes confidence, she is, in her words, broken. There are reasons for her quiet strength, reasons she shied away from commitment, and Matteo wants to uncover those reasons. These two together? Hello, sexy time. They are incredibly good together. I had been looking forward to Maria’s story, and Jill did not disappoint. Maria is the strong yet vulnerable female lead we had been waiting for. Sexy and swoony, Blood Always is more than just a mafia story, and it will hook you from the start.

From start to finish, BLOOD ALWAYS was absolutely amazing and had me all in the feels. I was instantly in love with Matteo. But I knew I would after all the times he made appearances throughout the series. There was just something about him; something magnetizing. I was so very excited to dive into the very essence of Matteo De Luca and get to know him more.

I wasn’t sure how I would take a book based off Maria. She was always this untouchable character to me with hardly any emotions. But thankfully, we learn so such about her and why she lived her life the way she did. And why her walls were erected so high. Her past broke my heart. But I am so glad Matteo was there to pick up the pieces. No other man could do it. He was absolutely made for her.

Ramsower proves once again she is writing force to be reckoned with. She writes mafia romance with precision and heart. So when you crack open one of her books, you can be assured you will be getting a fabulously written story. 5 Stars!

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC to read and give my honest opinion. Last book of this trio, but honestly could stand alone. The oldest sister Maria is a firecracker... she’s quiet, controlled, and quite deadly. Her father wishes her to marry into one of the other mafia families to create less strife and stronger ties. She agrees as Matteo De Luca steps forth to claim her as his bride.

What did I like? This is a true fashion mafia families read with some bad blood between the families. Where the younger two are marrying out of love, Maria marries for honor. A ton of wrong has been done to Maria and the only way to get through it is to make it right. This was a climatic book with a good HEA.

Would I recommend or buy? This was a pretty good book but if your getting all the reading pleasure a series should be read in order. As a reviewer it’s not always the case to get the prior books. I read books sometimes to see if they can be as good as a stand alone and this book works. Great mafia book, and a good recommendation.

Thoughts for the author? Congratulations on your new release! Kudos to the completion of a series, a very good series. Maria and Matteo were great characters.

A good mafia romance, not the first in this series but you can read as a standalone and you won’t really be missing out. Great to see more about these characters as we only had basic information in other books, a nice story and you’ll find it hard to put down.

You'll be hooked right from the start!!

Blood Always, is an Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance that will get you hooked right from the start. This is the third book into The Five Families series, and as the previous installments, it'll keep you turning the pages until the very end.

Maria Genovese is the oldest of the Genovese children, and she is bestowed to marry Matteo De Luca, the underboss of the Gallo family. They both know this is a marriage of convenience an nothing more.

Maria and Matteo's journey is intense, intriguing, enthralling, fill with lust, passion, distrust, hate and much more. Their story has everything you love in a well-built mafia romance that is absolutely fantastic.

I don't like spoilers, so I won't go into detail, just know that I highly recommend this fabulous series!!

When two mafia families arrange a marriage to bring them all together and stop bloodshed, a love match isn’t planned. Maria and Matteo both have a history of family violence that has affected them greatly. Maria intrigues Matteo because, not only is she beautiful, he discovers her ability and need for retribution. I was saddened, disgusted and angered at some characters. Fortunately, there was also passion and love that made the angst worth the struggle.

Usually I’m all about a good mafia romance. Even an unconventional one with a strong female character. And this one sounded right up my alley. However, I couldn’t get into this one. I attempted to skip around and it had some good high lites, just wasn’t the book for me.

If you've read either of the two previous books in Jill Ramsower's The Five Families series, as I have, then you'll know that Maria is a bit of a difficult character. The oldest of the three sisters, she is the last to get her story. In the previous books, she's been tough, standoffish and very different from sisters Alessia and Sofia. I was interested to know why Maria is as hard as she is and if there is a softer underbelly underneath her armour.
A character like Maria needs a strong man and in Matteo, that's certainly what she gets. The marriage between them may be arranged for political reasons, but from the moment they meet, there's plenty of fire and passion.
In some ways, I found this an odd story. There are secrets between the two and it takes a while for them both to admit to their feelings and to what they are hiding, but in many ways, this was almost in incidental part of the storyline. The feelings between them, their relationship and the Mafia family setting take a much more prominent role in the story.
I really liked Maria and Matteo together, he didn't dominate her or control her, even though he is used to being the boss. In many ways, they were much more of a partnership and equals than you might first expect. She also managed to show a more vulnerable side, without losing any of that strength.
I really enjoyed Blood Always and I'm looking forward to more in the series. I believe that we have three cousins to hear from yet.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

When I received the ARC of Blood Always, I dropped all my other books. Because I really needed my Jill Ramsower fix! And did she deliver... We move on to Maria, sister of Alessia (Forever Lies) and Sofia (Never Truth). She has agreed to be married of to one of the underbosses of the Gallo family, to create blood ties to the Genovese family. Although she hasn't seen her husband-to-be, Matteo de Luca, she already hates his guts. Because the Gallo family was responsible for her brother's death.
But Maria's loyalty to her father and her Mafioso family is greater than her disgust of the Gallo's. So, if she is to show a happy front, to bring peace among the Five Families, then so be it. What she didn't expect, was the pull towards Matteo.
The conversations, with jabs and sharky remarks are wonderful. And you can feel the slow burn between Maria and Matteo building. Silent, but inevitable. And of course, Jill throws in some unexpected twists and turns. So, in the end, you will finally understand the magnitude of the betrayal of uncle Sal and the reasons for the enormous hatred Maria has against the members of the Gallo house.
Breathtaking, wonderful and what a ride! And now we have to wait for the next part in the series.... If you can't wait: try out the Fae Games, because they are also fantastic. Five out of five stars from me and a special thank you to Netgalley, Jill and Victory editing for providing the ARC.

This was the third book in the series & and my favorite. I loved getting to know above Maria. She was so elusive & cold in the other books. Loved her & Matteo.

Matteo has a fierceness about him, especially where his woman is concerned, "...I don’t care how gorgeous she is or how much she hates me— she is my woman, and you will effing respect that. You understand me?” I liked seeing Matteo playful, "... now, get in the car,” he commanded as he swatted my ***..." I liked this book, I fell in love with Matteo.

This author has me completely hooked on her books! Matteo and Maria are expected to form a partnership of the most sacred variety, but they have to learn to trust more than their libidos in order to make it work. Add in the fact that Matteo has a missing mafia boss, secrets he’s unable to share, Maria has secrets of her own and old, painful memories, and we have a recipe for possible disaster. And the second these two start to trust, another wrench is thrown into the mix. When tempers are short and combustible but love is behind every feeling and fight, these two manage to find their way past all of their issues in the perfect way that only a true mafia family can.

Fantastic!

I loved Matteo and Maria's book! They had a rough ride full of emotion and awesome banter but it was worth it for one of the best HEAs I've read.

I voluntarily read an advanced copy.

This book has everything! It is an arranged mafia romance. Mateo is a strong underboss. Maria is also a strong women who is very much a part of the mafia world. She is prickly and cold and he wants nothing more than to get past that exterior. Together they have a great push, pull relationship. It is a slow burn romance with off the charts chemistry. This is my favorite book within this series!