I personally really enjoyed the book. This is my first why choose/ reverse harem so I went in not knowing what to expect. I figured I would be rooting for one guy the whole time but that wasn’t the case. I liked all the guys but two definitely stand out above the rest. Upon recapping this book/ suggesting to my roommate she told me about an amine she watched with a very similar plot. So if you have watched Yona of the Dawn you are gonna get severe deja vu. Despite all this I look forward to book two!

This book everyone!!
There's not much to say without spoiling but if you like spicy romance, mafia and a reverse harem you need to pick up this book.
It ended on a cliffhanger and let me feel all the emotions so beware of that!

This was surprisingly the least spicy why choose mafia romance book I have read - and I found it quite refreshing. Don’t get me wrong, there still is spice, but the focus is more on the relationships between the main characters and the plot, which helped the reader connect more with the characters.

The story surrounds Leona, a mafia princess who experiences a horrendous betrayal and a great deal of trauma, resulting in her seeking refuge with her broody bodyguard among a group of assassins. What I loved most about this book was that despite you thinking you knew what was going to happen, plot twist by plot twist, the author keeps you on your toes. Also, each of the main characters were perfectly crafted, with so many layers to each of them. I loved watching their characters evolve over the course of the book, especially our beautiful Leona growing into the badass woman we see at the end of the story - and that quote that led to the title of the book - YASSS QUEEN! 👑 But be warned by the cliffhanger at the end of the book - I am itching to read the next book in The Shadows Syndicate to see what happens next! 🖤

Not sure where to start for this book.
I struggled to get into it at first and found it didn't seem to drag me in as much as I'd hoped.
Would give the a 3⭐️ just because I felt something was missing.

this book had me HOOKED omg. I absolutely loved the characters and their interactions. The book was filled with betrayal and angst and I need the next book!!! That cliffhanger has me on the edge of my seat!

Thank you Netgalley for this copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
TW: explicit violence, brief mentions of torture and trafficking, explicit sex scenes.
Tropes: why choose MMFMM, found family, mafia, bodyguard, childhood friends to lovers, he falls first, syndicate men, virgin FMC.

What I loved: I absolutely loved how fast paced this was, there was very rare times I was bored while reading it. I was expecting a lot more spice from this book than what was delivered but I found that I really liked that the spice doesn’t start till about the middle of the book and remains pretty light (in my opinion) up until the end, so we got to focus a bit more on the chemistry and Leona’s feelings that are growing with each individual man. I also loved how she would meet some of them not realizing they were apart of shadows and their chemistry was immediately off the charts. I also absolutely loved what a bad bitch Leona was and that she kept proving everyone around her wrong.

What I didn’t: I hated how Leona’s father pretty much let her be defenseless and an easy target, especially with all of the dangerous work he and their family are involved in. He even explains to her that she was at higher risk of being kidnapped and put into things such as the skin trade so It just didn’t make logical sense that he wouldn’t have his mafia princess train to defend herself from that type of future. I also wish we got some more of her and Obi, cause his chapters were some of my favorites.

Blood in The Water by R.E. May
Rating: 4/5
Publication Date: 8 April 2024
Tropes: Mafia, Why Choose, Found Family, Bodyguard/Client.

What a book!

Leona, the epitome of a mafia princess wants nothing more than to marry her best friend, Max. But life always throws you a twist one way or another and on her 21st birthday, Max’s actions lead her straight into the arms of her loyal bodyguard, Caspian.

Blood in the Water is full of twists and turns that kept you turning page after page, and let’s not even speak about that ending.

I highly recommend Blood in the Water, it packs a punch with non stop action.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Rachel May Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Bring on book 2!

Blood in the Water is book one in The Shadows Syndicate series by RE May.
I love me some mafia romance! And RE May has written a damn good one!
I can’t wait for the second book. Which means I’m going to have to keep my eyes glued to NetGalley so I don’t miss it!
This entertaining, dark why choose mafia romance was so captivating.
I loved everything about it.

Thank You NetGalley and Rachel May Books for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!

Really loved this book! Leona was such a strong, powerful and intelligent female main character. I admired her being unapologetically herself and the journey she went on throughout the book. Perfect mix of spicy and sweet, just wish there was more as I loved the relationships so much, more Caspian next time please. Definitely did the mafia romance justice and what's better than 1 man? 5! Loved the plot and the twists and turns of the book, just wish I didn't have to wait for the next installment but I'm sure it will be well worth the wait!

I devoured this book in 2 days!!! This was my first Mafia-romance/why choose book. It's hard to believe this will be the authors first published work. Her writing is exceptional and comes through as if its from a seasoned author. The only thing I would add to the book is a pronunciation page. Some of the names and other languages were hard for me to get. I loved the FMC and her journey into her power. I'll be waiting in pins and needles for the next book in this series.

- Leona is a mafia princess, daughter of Don Luciano. She's been infatuated with Max since she was a kid, but her bodyguard, Cas, is in love with her.
- during Leona's 21st birthday party when she goes looking for her father and Max so they can be there for the birthday cake cutting, she discovers the ultimate betrayal.
-In the chaos that follows, Caspian (Cas) has one goal... Get Leona out of there and keep her safe. When he realizes the other Italian families might be involved he has no choice but to call in a favor to the Irish mafia.
-Leona and Cas make out to Philadelphia and plan to catch a plane to the west coast but when Cas gets shot at the airport it sparks a determination in Leona to get revenge for Max's betrayal.
- Leona decides to contract a group of assassins to kill Max but when Cas is taken and tortured she teams up with the assassins to rescue him.
- Leona goes from being a overly protected princess to a powerful woman who isn't afraid to get her hands dirty and i loved every bit of it! The way she is on a mission to take back what's hers and isn't afraid to claim what she desires easily has made her one of my favorite book characters ever.

4.5 stars
4 spice

DUDEEEEE! This book was so good. It had my attention from the very first chapter and really drew me in. Hands down this is too 5 in my list of mafia romances!!!
And the ending…..ughh I love it.

Omg… wow… amazing. Totally 11/0 no more!

The story follows Leona (FMC) a Mafia Princess journey from being a spoilt princess into a true badass Queen. Leona’s life did a complete tuen when her close friend and crush of many years, Max, murders her father at her 21st birthday party. Her bodyguard (Cassian) and her escape to temporary safety. Leading her to The Shadows - a team of highly skilled assassins and the plan to take revenge of her father’s murder.
This spicy why choose Mafia romance definitely had me sitting on the edge of my seat and at times taking a few calming breaths when it got steamy.
So if you are after a Why choose Steamy Mafia Romance which is full of drama, that is action packed, then this is the book for you!
The twists in the story and the cliff hanger at the end!
I can’t wait for the second book as see how the relationships between all the MMCs and Leona.

This was a definitely a good book. You have a sheltered 21 mafia daughter, Leona, who is about to have her world fall apart. Her bodyguard Cas is definitely going to win the battle to save her life and to win her love. Will they both make it out alive together or will things change?

This book enraptured me from the very beginning! I couldn’t put it down! I loved the pace of the story and felt like it was realistic. This is going to be a series and I love when why choose romances are multiple stories because then it really gives the time for all the relationships to develop in a way that feels natural. All of the MMCs in this book were amazing and well thought out. I loved learning about each characters backstory and why they became who they are. Caspian was my absolute favorite but I related most with Ciel! The plot twist really threw me for a loop because even though I kind of saw it coming, the characters didn’t react the way I thought they would and I loved that! The way this book ends has me anxious to read the next book and I cannot wait for that to release!

Okay but why was I literally in TEARS not even half way in to the book???? Idk what RE put in this book to make me so attached to the characters buuuut I am obsessed. However.. the cliffhanger.. not cool! lol

5/5⭐️ and 4/5🌶️ Blood in the Water is a mafia why-choose romance.
I received this book as an electronic ARC. This does not in any way affect my review- all thoughts and opinions are completely my own! :)
Leona’s (our FMC) life did a complete 180 when her close friend and love interest of many years, Max, murders her father at her 21st birthday party. After Leona and her loyal body guard, Cassian, escape to temporary safety, Leona decides she wants revenge on Max for her father’s death. As Leona is staying under the radar so Max and his people don’t find her and Cassian, she tries to gain the support of “the shadows” (4 of the world’s best assassins) to aid her in her revenge. Through the book, Leona goes through much growth and self discovery from understanding her priorities and goals to exploring her sexuality/love life in ways she never has before. The mafia princess we meet at the beginning of the story quickly turns into an upcoming queen. (We love to see the female empowerment!!)
If you are in need of an action-packed, spicy, why-choose mafia romance with an FMC that screams female empowerment, this is the perfect book for you! Especially in the last half of the book, I was constantly at the edge of my seat, unable to put down the book. While the action of the book kept me on edge, so did the romance! I loved Leona’s relationship dynamics and I cannot wait to see how they develop in the next book. Sometimes it is hard to find spicy books with a good plot, but you will absolutely not run into that issue here! Even if you took all the romance and spice out of this book, it would still have a captivating plot!
Overall, I absolutely loved Blood in the Water and I highly recommend it to anybody even remotely interested in reading it! Obviously mafia romances aren’t everybody’s cup of tea, but if it is your cup of tea, this book is amazing and you HAVE to read it! It is truly hard for me to write this review without spoilers because I just NEED to talk about every little detail! (Also I LOVE that we get multiple POV’s!)
(Also, I must add that Cassian is overprotective-bodyguard PERFECTION. He would do absolutely anything to keep Leona safe and he makes my heart melt. So if that is also your thing, that is just another reason for you to read this book!)

Tiktok review link: https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTLrFrggt/
Instagram review link: https://www.instagram.com/p/C5D6bk7gz_l/?igsh=MXJtM25mZHR5dm1tOQ==

For those not sure please check trigger warnings!
I liked this a lot, I felt the characters were well written and the plot was fast paced. My only complaint is the slow burn AND THAT CLIFF HANGER! But I will be continuing the series

A mafia princess and her loyal bodyguard are on the run after the devastating betrayal of the man she expected to marry. Now they must enlist the help of four ruthless assassins to survive and get the ultimate revenge.

R E May’s new, fast-paced, reverse harem novel, Blood in the Water, has it all; action, conflict, drama, sexual tension, and emotions. I was hooked right from the beginning. The characters are fully developed. The story is told through multiple POVs, giving the reader a glimpse into each character’s motivations. The backstories of each are revealed organically and fit each personality. Dialogue is natural and witty. The stakes are high right from the start and keep escalating to an explosive cliffhanger ending leaving the reader wanting more, which the author promises will come in the fall of 2024.

The romance is definitely a slow burn, which I will admit is not my favorite, especially in a why choose story, but it really works here. The sexual tension is ever present, but each relationship unfolds at the pace that makes sense for each guy in the harem. And when the love scenes so happen, they are decently steamy, not super hot yet, but with the potential for more spice as the series continues.

I absolutely loved this book and am looking forward to the next installment. It will be worth the short wait.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Please check your trigger warnings!

This is a why choose, dark romance with multiple pov’s. This is a mafia, found family, grumpy x sunshine, and so much more for the trope. The author did great with character development and building the tension between all the characters. And the storyline was great.