Her Vengeful King is book one in the Black Heart series by A.N. Stauber. The book focuses on the characters Haley Savino an Army Veteran and abuse survivor and Callum Murphy, heir to the Boston Irish Mafia. Cal is instantly taken by Haley when he sees her, but she is quite aloof with him and doesn’t want to get involved due to past hurts. Cal also sees that Haley has a lot of baggage and wants to get to the reasons why she protects herself so much. On the opposite side, Haley doesn’t want to get involved in the mafia and especially with another man. She has quite severe PTSD which we see throughout the book and lots of interactions and dealings with life throw her, but Cal doesn’t seem to take the hint and crawls his way under her skin.

This was quite a heart-breaking read, due to what Haley is trying to overcome. There are definitely moments of despair on both her and Cal’s part. Her because she is trying to move forward and life keeps throwing up roadblocks and for him because he can see Haley cracking, especially when another incident happens within the story which nearly breaks her completely.

Cal’s family also play an important role in the book for both Cal and Haley, it is almost as though Cal lets Haley borrow his family so that she can see what a positive family dynamic looks like. The book does handle some very difficult subjects and may have some triggers for some readers. Overall, a really good, emotional read!

ARC received for a fair, honest and sometimes long review. All opinions are my own. 😊

More of my reviews can be found on my blog: http://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com

This book could have went so many ways and it stayed in the middle. The writing was good and the book overall was good. But my opinion it stayed in the middle.

Haley had a tragic childhood, from losing her twin sister in an accident to the trauma and abuse from her stepfather, she suffers from PTSD. She uses alcohol to chase away the demons. Callum is being groomed to take over as the Mafia boss. He is a bad man, used to getting any woman he wants, and then promptly kicks them out. Callum never one to even remotely want a girl friend is instantly drawn to the bombshell that is Haley. Callum’s presence soothes the demons that run wild in Haley. The connection these two have for one another runs soul deep. I love that Haley is not a pushover and gives as well as she gets. I mean she goes head to head with a Mafia Boss. She sees him, feels the spark, and pushes him away. What a story of attraction, despair, panic attacks, trauma, a stalker, steam, and a mob boss that wants to protect. Haley is such a strong woman but so broken and yet- Callum is making her feel again and that is good. I loved the push and pull of Haley and Callum's growing relationship..

This author is new to me and this story has made me a big fan! I loved it. The characters are complex, intriguing, and the men are kinda antiheroes. Callum and Haley have off the charts chemistry and their journey is intense, sexy, and will have you completely invested. I read it in one sitting. I couldn't put it down. And that ending! Holy cliffhanger!

I was disappointed with this book and left feeling a little whiplashed. This is a dark romance with dual POV’s but I felt like the pacing was off. I felt like things went way too fast for the main female protagonist and we’re all over the place. She went from panic attacks that left her reeling to sunshine and rainbows with the main male protagonist. I also felt like the pacing from his POV was also off. I did like the concept of mob boss meeting his match and I also enjoyed the dual POV so I knew what each was thinking. I just felt the pacing was off and the story itself was rushed.

This was so well written. I was engrossed from the first page and it ticked all the boxes of my expectations . I would definitely recommend to others.

This was an engrossing read but not for the faint of heart. There could be triggers for some readers as it touches on child abuse, rape, loss of a sibling and violence. As a reader, I was rooting for both characters – Haley and her traumatic past and Callum who was reared to follow in his mob father’s footsteps. I really appreciated having dual POV as it better explained Callum’s softer feelings despite his propensity to violence. I was a little shocked on how quickly Haley was able to be intimate with Callum without any counselling since I think this is unrealistic. However, this is fiction. There were quite a few story threads but it was never confusing nor boring. This story does end with a HFN as Haley and Callum’s story continues with the next book which I look forward to reading,.

Her Vengeful King by A.N. Stauber is the First book in the Black Heart Series. This is the story of Haley Savino and Callum Murphy. Haley has return for the military and is attending a gather for a fellow military friend when she meet his brother Callum. Haley is attracted to Callum but her past doesn't allow her to trust anyone. Callum is the heir to the Boston Irish Mafia. Callum isn't a easy man and due to his lifestyle didn't really feel he would find someone he would love but when he meets Haley she pulls something in him that he can't walk away from. Enjoyed their story and I hope to read more from this author.

Oh my god! I devoured this book in a few hours!
I couldn’t stop reading.
Such a good story but a little triggering in places.
I will definitely read again!

It’s my first read by this author and I really enjoyed the tortured heroine and mega possessive hero.

It’s a long read but the characters have a lot of depth to them. Check your CW: attempted rape, history of child abuse, PTSD, panic attacks, violence

This is a huge read that is full of adventure romance and takes the reader on a journey of self discovery. The characters are interesting and engaging, and the chemistry leaps off the page. There's an element of suspense and intrigue, which adds to the funnn

Her Vengerful King is steamy. Has the I-hate-everyone-but-her trope. Family man who protects his own. I liked reading about Haley’s journey. I always liked dark romances with bad ass mob bosses that protect their woman and avenges her. And this book is it.

Haley and Callum make a very strange pairing, but boy is it a hot pairing! Definitely not a book for the faint hearted. Brilliantly written, it keeps you intrigued from the start. Callum is the monster you want only to see the soft side of, so you close your eyes yo the blood, as does Haley. As for the steam......Bring on the next book

This book was read thanks to NetGalley


If there is something you should know about me, it's that i am really judgmental with dark romances, because usually author fail to control the "dark side of the romance" and we end up with a toxic love story.... this wasn't the case the author did a good job, because she touched some dark areas and I never felt triggered by them.

Kudos to A.N. Stauber.

Warning: this book has the potential to trigger a person who is dealing with PTSD, or issues of abuse, sexual abuse, rape, familial violence, or loss of a sibling.

Wow, I mean, what do I even say about this book. It was feisty, sexy and gripping all at the same time. The book made me tear up; it made me laugh and it made my heart happy all at the same time!

This was excellently written and just the right amount of smut for me. I absolutely loved Callum (didn’t like what he done) but I loved him as a person and when he started to become more open to Haley and open up to her, I loved seeing his soft side.

Haley is a strong woman, she would fight for anything to make it right and she definitely done this throughout the book. She has had a hard life but she never let it get to her.

I can’t wait for their journey to continue! Huge thanks to @authoranstauber and @netgalley for allowing me this ARC!

Truly enjoyed reading this book, and couldn’t put it down. Haley is so strong yet damaged at heart, Callum is the caring mobster who protects and avenges her, whilst guiding her back to her true self by showing her love and sharing his family.. A well written dark romance.

I devoured this book. It was very much your typical morally grey mobster meets woman with troubled past and they fall hard and fast for one another but boyyyy I was hooked. I always much prefer a dual POV when it comes to any type of romance and this did not disappoint. We get to know both MCs and the relationships to those around them and with each other really well. Callum's softness and patience with Haley and her strength to stand up for herself and put him in his place when necessary was everything 🙌🏻 The banter between them was a great reprise from the darker topics and the spice was *spicy*. This read was an absolute roller coaster and I need the second book immediately!

This book covers some deep and dark topics so, as always, please check the trigger warnings before embarking down the mudslide!

This book was amazing. Couldn’t hardly put it down. Waiting on pins and needles for the next one. A broken girl meets the right monster for her because sometimes you don’t need a knight in shining armor to save you, sometime you need a monster.

Ugh yes! Loved this story. I am from MA so any story with Boston is already better in my biased opinion. The steamy parts were great and the story was as well. I loved the main characters and I loved that Haley was a vet, you dont see that represented often. Overall it was a great read and I finished it in one day!

OH MY LORD. 😮‍💨🥵
This is my first read by this author and I cannot wait to read more by her. I loved Haley so much. She was a badass surgeon who was so complex and strong willed. She has lots of layers and trauma that she has gone through and it was awesome to see her development.
Callum.. the Boston Irish mafia king was soo good for her. I loved seeing how he helped her and treated her. I’m a sucker for the “I’ll burn the whole earth to the ground for you” type of character and that’s exactly how Cal was.
I loved how this story incorporated Callum’s family and that they loved and welcomes Haley like she was apart of their family, I think that was something she was always longing for & deserved!

So thankful for this E-Arc and now I REALLY need the next book. Especially with that ending. 😅