This book was everything I expected mafia, romance and quite violent. Makenna and Dante were a great lead couple, neither expected to find love, tons of secrets, twists and turns. A great mafia romance 

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion

Wow.... I didn’t expect this. This is not just a sweet romance. Two strong mafia families, an arranged marriage between very strong characters,, heat, violence and retribution throughout, Great storyline. Definitely worth a read.

I received an arc from Victory editing for an honest review. 
This was one of those books that grabs you from the very beginning to the last page, even then I did not want it to end I was still looking for more pages of the story. 
  The book opens with two people meeting each other agreeing to marry five years later., Makenna Gallagher looks nothing like the girl that Dante Bianchi remembers from five years earlier. As a matter of fact, he is attracted to her which he was not expecting. Especially when the shooting begins at their wedding and she is right there shooting with percussion then afterward takes charge and helps with the care his brother needs for his wound.
  Dante begins to see that what he thought was going on with his family really was not and she and her family really had control. He needed to get on board. He also needed to find out who was after them at their wedding. 
  Everything about this book and the characters really makes this story especially the relationship between the two of them hot which really adds to this book and keeps the pages turning. A really good story and one that is different than a normal mafia book which was nice. Good characters to go along with the story.

“𝚆𝚎’𝚛𝚎 𝙸𝚛𝚒𝚜𝚑, 𝚠𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚛𝚝 𝚏𝚞𝚜𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚊𝚗 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚘𝚜𝚜𝚒𝚋𝚕𝚎 𝚝𝚎𝚖𝚙𝚎𝚛.“
🩸🩸🩸🩸
*ARC ᴘʀᴏᴠɪᴅᴇᴅ ɪɴ ᴇxᴄʜᴀɴɢᴇ ғᴏʀ ᴀɴ ʜᴏɴᴇsᴛ ʀᴇᴠɪᴇᴡ*
Bloody Union was everything I needed and more! I got my ARC by requesting through @netgalley and in all honesty, I requested it then waited and waited refreshing my kindle every 10 seconds. I couldn’t read anything in the meantime because I just knew I needed it. Bloody Union is the first in the Made Series and Brooke Summers has really set us all up for a fab bloody mafia series with this one👏🏽 .
🩸🩸🩸🩸
Makenna was a surprise. What a boss ass bitch. Every turn of the page she shocked me, which is super refreshing in the mafia romance book world. Her life is anything but simple or ordinary, and when someone close to her hurts her beyond repair her whole life as she knew it changes into so much more. When the arrangement for her marriage is set up, there’s no longer an option to hide her secrets.
🩸🩸🩸🩸
Dante is sooooo not what I was expecting. I was expecting someone harsh, harsh was not what I got. Well that’s wrong, he’s harsh with everyone around him apart from Makenna. For his wife he makes the exception to show her how much she means to him. He’s bold and supportive of all of her decisions.
🩸🩸🩸🩸
Brooke Summers’ writing in this is simple but effective to execute the perfect story of Makenna and Dante. The love they fall into is quick and unexpected, but as the reader, you fall right along with them. I’m so happy I was lucky enough to get the chance of an ARC - Bloody Union was just what the doctor ordered to kick start my 2021 in the world of books.
🩸🩸🩸🩸
ℙ𝕝𝕖𝕒𝕤𝕖 ℕ𝕠𝕥𝕖: 𝕥𝕙𝕚𝕤 𝕓𝕠𝕠𝕜 𝕚𝕤 𝕟𝕠𝕥 𝕒𝕧𝕒𝕚𝕝𝕒𝕓𝕝𝕖 𝕗𝕠𝕣 𝕡𝕦𝕣𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕤𝕖 𝕦𝕟𝕥𝕚𝕝 𝟚𝟙𝕤𝕥 𝕁𝕒𝕟𝕦𝕒𝕣𝕪 𝟚𝟘𝟚𝟙.
(BUT... let me tell - you it’s worth the wait)
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a digital arc of this book, all opinions expressed here are my own.

Bloody Union by Brooke Summers is the first book in the Made series and the first book I have read by this author. It is a mafia romance and NOT my typical read, but that cover just totally grabbed my attention.

Mackenna is Irish and Dante is Italian. Their arranged marriage is destined to bring the Clann and the Familigia together. Mackenna is a strong, kick ass female in a male dominated world. Dante accepts and adores this and the two fall madly into insta-love. Romero, Alessio and Finn are just three of their brothers, faithfully following their Bosses orders while adding snark and extra humanity to the story. Romero was my favourite side character and I’d love to read a book about him in the future.

Overall I recommend giving this book a chance. I was surprised how much I enjoyed it and will look up more by this author in the future. 4 stars.

“To new beginnings and being the motherfucking monsters we were born to be.”

This was a fast paced book. I enjoyed it. I like that McKenna is a strong female. She can take care of herself. She’s not innocent or quiet. She’s strong, outspoken, confident and can kill in an instant without a problem. 
It’s insta love between Dante and McKenna as soon as they’re together. I just didn’t buy the love between them. We’re told about how much they love each other and they say it to each other but it lacks emotion. 
There are some secrets that are revealed along the way. And there’s a bit of action but not much happens. 
It needs more emotion and it’s very predictable. No angst or edge of your seat moments. It needs a bit of suspense, angst. 
It was an enjoyable read. Didn’t bore me or make me skim through the pages.

ARC provided by NetGalley for an Honest Review
This book was 🔥🔥🔥🔥. I’ll admit the blurb had me more than intrigued. I’m not normally a mafia reader because as we all know it’s a mans world. However I’ve been on a strong badass heroine kick lately and the character of Mackenna sounded right up my alley. Holy shit was I spot on, this is a woman who isn’t afraid to get her hands dirty that’s for sure. Mackenna is a whirlwind and an amazing character. I loved everything about her. Not only has she learned to grow in a predominantly male run ‘business’ she revels in it and rules all on her own. Hell she even gets in the ring with men the size of bears without batting an eye. I don’t think either MCs knew what to expect with their arranged marriage but they were a match made in heaven and sparks fly immediately. It didn’t even take Dante long to accept and believe in her, in fact he ate up everything she dished out. There is no question these two were meant to be and I loved how well they communicated. Even when Mackenna had secrets she knew when to fill Dante in so there wasn’t this long drawn out distance between them. In fact if they didn’t have so many responsibilities I imagine it’d be hard to pry these two off one another. The book was very fast paced and jam packed with action. I was sucked right in and am already looking forward to the next one featuring one of Mackennas nephews.

Gosh this book is awesome. I was a bit taken back by the cover, and initially said nope not my type of book. It is the epitome of don't judge a book by its cover. Yes there is blood, but that is the double meaning. Literal blood, then blood ties meaning family. 
So Kenna has lived through alot in her nineteen years. 
Dante her arranged fiance is one powerful MF. 
What he does not expect is to be so drawn and in awe of his intented. That is not what this arrangement was about. But one look at Kenna all grown up, and to see her take a punch and shrugg it off was a turn on.
But these two families have secrets, demons and bad members. 
Secrets always have a way of coming out.
Demons have a way of surfacing. 
Rotten family members have a way of being dealt with.
The wedding is a wash in blood and loyalties will be tested.
Power shifts.
Decisions
A war has started and families devided.

I'm usually not one for mafia romance. Bloody Union drew me in quickly and kept me interested in the story. There was romance, drama, action and blood. So much blood, but I enjoyed the story as a whole.

This is not the typical mafia story. It has traditional elements like joining families and arranged marriage, but the majority of the book isn’t typical. I loved the strong heroine Makenna. She is Irish and is being joined with Dante, who is Italian. This union is supposed to join both families to become stronger. These two have big secrets and big surprises.

If this author isn't anywhere on your TBR for 2021 add her immediately. Bloody Union by Brooke Summers is a beautifully written masterpiece. Makenna and Dante's book was a book that I couldn't put down. If you are a huge fan of Mafia like I am, you must read this book. You will not be disappointed.

I loved this story. I'm usually not very big on Mafia romances. I felt that this was kind of mafia lite because yes there was some Mafia stuff but not a lot. The characters were interesting and likable. Dante's brothers were the absolute best. Makenna's family was crazy but they also seemed like a family for the most part. Finn was definitely the best of her brothers. Dante was awesome. He was totally alpha, but he didn't have a problem with Kenna (Makenna) taking the lead or being the boss. Dante seemed to be intrigued or maybe fascinated by how Kenna was when she was in charge. I'm sure that had something to do with how women acted in his circles. Kenna and Dante were definitely drawn to each other even though they didn't want to be. Luckily for them, the universe works in mysterious ways. I loved their happy ever after. I recommend reading this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a copy of this book. I have also purchased a copy of the book.

I loved this book and when they try and create peace between two ruling families Mackenna, daughter of the Irish mob, and Dante, son of the Italian mob are destined to wed, but how can this occur as it has the makings of disaster written all over it. Surprise, surprise all is not what it seems as Mackenna is anything but meek and mild. Her tragic past has shaped her making her core steel strong and it’s this strength that attracts Dante more than a submissive nature could. While the twist is unlike any other mafia story that you’ll read the strong leads, both male and female create a nice diversion. I loved the chemistry and dynamic between two such strong main characters, but McKenna shined for me the most.

‘‘Twas the cover that drew me in as I am very much a person who will read a book because it has a nice cover. Sometimes it works sometimes it doesn’t. This it both Did and didn’t work for me...

It’s been awhile since I’ve read any mafia/crime family type of a book but I’m not opposed to such so why not? We start with an arranged marriage and a string of secrets you can’t help but to be curious about. Am I took curious for my own good? Yup. So onto the adventure with Kenna the Irish mob daughter with so many secrets and a shocking background and Dante the Italian mob son who is a cold blooded killer. They did not choose to be put together but for their families they do what is necessary and if this marriage will keep the peace it’s worth it, right? 

Dante gets far more than he ever bargained for with his new wife. Including a surprise attack at their wedding moments after saying “I do”. He expected a docile wife who might have a bit of an attitude but what he got was something else entirely. The question then becomes who is Kenna really and what all is she hiding? Plus there’s the whole who and why their wedding was attacked and are their traitors in their midst? And the biggest question of all is what exactly happened to Kenna all those years ago? And of course can Dante handle the surprising revelations about his new wife? 

With a marriage that starts literally drenched in blood the story can of course only get bloodier from there....

I didn’t not like this book it might just be the writing style that seems a bit odd to me. And maybe because Dante and Kenna react to things in an unbelievable way and they like go from strangers to partners in a blink. It’s almost love at first sight-ish but not because it didn’t exactly happen like that. I don’t know something about the two of them was just off for me. And it’s like if this was a movie they would be overacting. At that said I can appreciate the fact that Kenna is strong willed and doesn’t back down and used what happened to her to make her stronger. And it’s nice that he’d and Dante are equals there’s no question in that from the moment she reveals the truth of her situation to him he’s like ok we are in this together. Which sounds nice until you kinda realize that she over shadows him and he’s just kind of there. 

At about 40% the book went from promising and interesting to extra very very extra and a bit of a mess throwing in a bunch of people and side situations. Like everything to do with Kinsly seems like there is a book missing that explains that whole situation. 

So I’m the end didn’t hate it didn’t love it but I couldn’t resist the bloody wedding dress. As it was my first read from this author I’m not sure if this is just how she writes or if it’s just this book. 

Upon discussing this book with a friend I’ve come to the conclusion that it’s kind of soap opera-ish life if you turned the various mafia organizations into a soap opera.

So pleased I found this book. It was so good! 

Once I seen this stunning cover, I had to know the story behind it. I just didn’t see any of this coming. I was glued to my kindle from beginning to end. It was so addictive! Love a good mafia romance.

3.25 stars [thank you to the publishers and netgalley for my eARC in exchange for my honest review]

I am a huge fan of this sub genre of mafia/cartel romances. And because of that I’ve read quite a few and I did enjoy this book and it is far better than some of the ones I have read recently it’s not perfect but I did enjoy the romance and our characters. Loved Kenna as a strong woman in a mans world, who isn’t afraid to say her mind and act on it too. 

Unlike some of them I read in the last couple of weeks in this books we actually got to see the workings of the Mafia family, the family interactions, the brutal work and loyalty. However I felt the focus was mainly on the Irish family I would’ve liked to have seen more of the Italians and what Dante and his brothers did before the wedding. We get very swept up in Kenna’s families work, and that kind of takes over. The second group I had with this book was too much focus on Kenna’s Secret at the start they also couldn’t have made it more obvious if they put the flashing lights around it, if you were trying to get someone to keep a secret you wouldn’t be mentioning it every other word, it could’ve been done in a more subtle, natural way. 

Overall I thought this was a good mafia romance it was a nice balance between the workings of the mafia and the actual romance side of things. It was definitely setting it up for the rest of the series but there were a couple of minor things that brought my rating down.

This is the first book I’ve read by this author-I was lured in by the blurb and the cover, both of which were true to this story.  I love books that has capture my attention in terms of both characters & plot, and this story has it covered.  This is the first book in the Made series, and it makes me so excited to know that more books set in this world are coming!  This story focuses on Dante Bianchi, underboss to his father in the Italian Mafia & Kenna, daughter of Irish Clann leader Seamus Gallagher.  What struck me most about this book: how bada$$ Kenna is, and how her strength is so revered by her husband.  These two are equal in all ways, and I adore the dynamic created by the author. Both Dante & Kenna have lots of family & family and loyalty are everything.  Much revolves around family alliances and betrayals, so you get to know the secondary characters quite well, too.   There are lots of secrets that are revealed in this book, so to say too much would add spoilers.  If you haven’t read this book, stop reading reviews & dive in!

Bloody Union was everything its cover promised:  a violent and action packed mafia romance novel. 

A bit over the top at times and a few typos, but still an entertaining story. I also appreciated that unlike a lot of mafia romance novels that I have read in the past, Dante genuinely respected Kenna. 

I will definitely check out more of this author's work.

I have received this ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Ohh man. It has been a while since I dove into a mafia book and I was very excited to get Bloody Union. In it, you will meet Makenna and Dante. She is Irish and he is Italian. So basically we are family already because I'm both. Other than that, they are both in the mafia and haven't been on the best of terms. Well, things will hopefully be better once they get married.. maybe.

Not going to lie, this book had betrayal in it and I ate it all up. Each page and chapter was beyond addicting and I couldn't help but root for these badasses. Makenna has been underestimated her entire life. So when some secrets come out in the air.. it wasn't surprising that people didn't take a liking to her. So she did what any normal person does in the mafia.. she kills them.

Then there's Dante, and he would honestly do anything for her. There was just something about these two that they just ignited. They protected one another and watched them grow as well. Heck, they were two people you don't want to fuck with. Heck, the entire family seems dangerous.

In the end, I'm excited for the next book because I am super worried about Melissa and her family dynamic. Why do the women always be treated beneath these men? Just like Makenna said.. they are more dangerous and no one fucks with the boss.

Brooke is a new author for me. I devoured this book in one day!!

An arranged marriage, turned into a great love story. You never expect things to go wrong on your wedding day, but in a Mafia world, anything can happen.

Makenna and Dante were a great power couple. Neither one expected to find love. Makenna is a strong heroine that can hold her own and then some! Dante is a powerful hero that will do anything to protect his wife. Great story line filled with drama, action and steam.