With This Ring

4.5 stars—WITH THIS RING is the first instalment in Natasha Knight’s contemporary, adult TO HAVE AND TO HOLD dark, erotic, Mafia romance duet focusing on twenty-two year old, Scarlett De La Cruz, and twenty-seven year old,Cristiano Grigori, one of the few surviving members of the Grigori crime family. WARNING: WITH THIS RINGS contains graphic scenes of violence,abuse, and numerous triggers that may not be suitable for more sensitive readers. Told from dual first person perspectives (Cristiano and Scarlett) WITH THIS RING is a story of betrayal and vengeance. Ten years earlier, Scarlett’s half brothers, destroyed the Grigori family, believing they had killed Cristiano in their rampage. Fast forward to present day, in an effort to merge with the Mexican cartel, Scarlett’s brother intend to force our heroine to marry a man whose cruelty is only matched by the cruelty of the men in her family. Enter Cristiano Grigori, the man who ‘rescues’ our heroine from an uncertain future. What ensues is the forced marriage between Cristiano and Scarlett, and the fall-out as Scarlett becomes collateral damage in a power struggle not of her making. Scarlett De La Cruz is an innocent pawn in a war for territory and money. From one jailer to another, Scarlett refuses to accept that her current situation is better than the h*ll she has recently endured. Cristiano Grigori wants revenge for the betrayal against the family he loved, and in this Cristiano begins by targeting the people who destroyed his life. The relationship between Scarlett and Cristiano is contentious at best. Scarlett believes it is only a matter of time before she and her brother Noah become victims of a murderous rage. Cristiano is determined to claim Scarlett as his own but our heroine refuses to give into her captor, and in doing so, pushes a little too far. The $ex scenes are angry, violent, and dark. There is a large ensemble cast of dangerous and violent secondary and supporting characters including Cristiano’s brother Dante, and their uncle David; Scarlett’s uncle Jacob,and her half-brothers Angel and Diego; competing Mafia head Marcus Rinaldi; attorney Charlie Lombardi; Mafia soldier Alec; house manager Lenore; and Scarlett’s younger brother Noah. WITH THIS RING is a dark, gritty, and violent story line of betrayal and revenge, power and control. The premise is dramatic and intense; the characters are determined, broken and heart breaking. A story of vengeance and double cross, WITH THIS RING ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Wow, what a book, what an ending!!! 😱 I think this is the best yet from Natasha, I loved it and couldn't put it down! Cristiano has returned from the dead and is intent on revenge. Scarlett is a loose end in a mafia war, but there is something about the feisty Princess that intrigues him and she's a useful pawn, so for now he steals her from one prison tower only to put her in another. Who is telling the truth, who can be trusted? Cristiano is dark, dangerous, controlling, dominant, intense and thigh clenchingly hot with a protective streak even he doesn't completely understand. You wouldn't mess with him but.......oh you would, well I'd be very tempted! He's the kind of man to draw you in and never let go. Scarlett is brave, intelligent and sassy but is carrying a world of demons on her shoulders from her past, as is Cristiano. She's fiercely loyal and protective of her little brother, but has been betrayed too, nowhere is safe. Wow these two have fiery chemistry, it's a slow burn, enemies to lovers, although with the suspense, danger, secrets and lies there's not so much of the love yet, although it's definitely smouldering at volcanic temperatures! Suspense, drama, angst, lies, betrayal, secrets, darkness, violence, and intense steamy hot passion, this has all the things I love in a mafia romance and it was utterly enthralling. That twist of a cliffhanger is an absolute killer though, the conclusion to this duet cant come quick enough!

Okay, the suspense in this book had me on edge, frantically reading and flipping pages! I needed to know what was going to happen next, and even though I knew going into it I wasn’t going to get all the answers, because this is book one of a duet, I needed to know what was going to happen that I needed answers to. I loved Scarlett, she was amazing!! Life should have knocked her down, you knew that without even knowing all that had happened to her, but she kept fighting, she didn’t stop fighting, and she didn’t go down. Cristiano is all the dark deliciousness you would expect from a mafia prince done wrong and out for revenge. His manner, his attitude, his hidden anger and vulnerability, all right there, and all of it evident to Scarlett. They sizzle when in each other’s presence, and they alternate between being each other’s ally and enemy. Our story ends with them both down for the count, but you just know that that won’t be the case for long. Awesomeness is coming, and I can’t wait!!!