Mercenary

Gangsters of New York, Book 3

By: Bella Di Corte

Narrated by: Devon Chandler, Joshua MacRae

Length: 11 hrs and 4 mins

Publisher's summary

I had something to live for.

The moment I saw him, I knew.

His eyes would hypnotize.
His lips would speak the most beautiful promises.
His body? Made for pleasure.

But if Corrado Capitani thought that he could fool me into thinking he was a good man, he was wrong.

The moment I saw him, I knew the truth.

Those eyes hid his poisonous heart.
Those lips were vessels of deception.
That body? Made for inflicting pain.

He wasn’t sent from heaven. He was sent to drag me back to hell.

I had something to die for.

Alcina Parisi had a price on her head, and she’d eluded the best. She thought no one would ever find her, but I did. Everyone in our world called me Scorpio—the man who never let the enemy go. But she was a weapon, not an adversary, and I’d claimed her as mine.

Mercenary is the third of three books set in the savage world of the Gangsters of New York series.

©2022 Bella Di Corte (P)2023 Audion Media

Mafia Love Story

Devon Chandler and Joshua McRae narrated this book very well. This book has many twists and turns. it is a compelling overview story that focused on the meaning of love of family and the value of relationships. This is Corrado and Alcina's love story.

Enthralling mafia world

First, I got to say once upon a time I didn't ever think I'd enjoy mafia books... then I tried book 1 in this series and decided Bella Di Corte knew how to write them to intrigue me and make me dive into this dark sinister world. This book was no exception, drawing me in as the mysteries unfold and surprising twists and turns and secrets are revealed as Corrado and Alcina's story plays out. There is plenty of angst, suspense, action...and well, plenty of times that I uttered "these fools are crazy" but it's in such an attention grabbing way and I just wondered what was next. The women these men fall for are just as crazy and protective as they are...you won't find any wilting violets and I love that. These people love hard, albeit in an unconventional way, and underneath the darkness of the world they live in is an amazing love story that gets it's happy ending. Devon Chandler and Joshua MacRae do a terrific job with the narration.

Written in the stars or blood?

Corrado Capitani and Alcina Parisi have a love story that might have been written in the stars but it might have been written in blood as well. This dark mafia romance had me so entranced that I couldn’t stop listening. I had to know what was going to happen next. The women in these love stories love fiercely and are not afraid to spill some blood as well. I haven’t listened to the rest of the series yet but I’m bumping it up on my TBR list. My friend mentioned how much she loved this series so when I got a chance to listen to this one, I took it even if it was out of order.

Such A Good Mafia Romance

This book enthralled me from the beginning in the most beautiful way. The author made me fall in love with this mafia romance. She has set the bar so very  high. The plotline, character development, drama, and angst built into her book world is perfection. Also loved the narration as well. 5 stars!

Worth sticking it out!!

Okay I was very excited for this one! I highly recommend listening to Machiavellian (book 1) and Marauder (book 2) in this series before listening to this one. Lots of interconnections. Speaking of listening the narration was a struggle at first. The males voice is low and hard to understand. I kept at it though and eventually either I got used to it or he got better.

Anyway as with other books in this series…there are surprises in here. I really was unsure of Corrado…such a hard man to read but I loved his softer side when romancing his future wife. I applaud his wife! She stands up and shows him that she is not a normal Mob boss wife. She came out sassy and followed that line all the way to the end.

The author did a good job for the most part. It really jumps around at the beginning and I was thinking I missed something. It also straightens out as the story moves along. Overall the story is good..twisty and full of surprises. The characters had growth and changed as the story moved along. Not sure the necessity of the couple chapters after the epilogue but whatever.

I listened to this on audio. The narrators are both new to me and I did not love them. They did okay. Besides the male voice issue listed above there was numerous times later in the book that lines were repeated.

So overall not great but still a good story and character development.

More Gangster Greatness! Terrific Story & Listen🎧

Bella Di Corte pens another amazing novel set in her “Gangsters of New York” series, a dark mafia romance that is captivating from start to end. Each book in this series features different lead characters, powerhouse in the same mafia world and their love interest, some characters may appear in each other’s book so it is beneficial to read or listen to the books in order written, though not a necessity since everything you need to know about them is detailed, but knowing their back story adds depth. Speaking of depth, the layers and complexity of both the story and the characters is fantastic and so is the world building and character development. Corrado Alessandro Capitani, the Mercenary, and the grandson of New York Mafia boss and he may take over as boss when it is his time, but he needs to find a wife first. After Corrado commits a crime in the eyes of the mafia, the killing of another in their mafia circle without permission, even though it was with cause, his grandfather sends him to Sicily until things cool down in New York. That is where he sees her, Alcina Parisi, and it is an instant attraction for both of them. Except she is promised to another in an arranged marriage, but Corrado will do whatever it takes to make her his. Alcina knows he is not a good man, but she knows what life is like in their world, she also has a target on her own head. And when something happens in New York and he has to go back, she goes with him. There is never a dull moment in this book, and it is a cleverly plotted story with the perfect balance of drama, angst, action, twists and turns, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. It was great to see some characters from the other books, and some storylines going full circle with an interesting twist. Bella Di Corte, thank you for another amazing story and emotional rollercoaster ride. 

🎧📚🎧And for the terrific narration, Devon Chandler and Joshua MacRae did a great job bringing these characters and their story to life. They had a complete understanding of who they were portraying, gave each a voice that fit their character’s persona, and were believable in every role they played. Their voices complemented each other, and they set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the character’s emotions and projected them into their performance. These entertaining storytellers are a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for the great listen. 

Addicting and pure perfection

Absolutely addicting. Bella Di Corte delivers a must read, must listen to story. Corrado and Alcina’s story is 10 star perfection. This series can’t be missed. The balance between mafia and romance is on point. This final book narrated by the most perfect performers definitely did the book Justice. Bravo to Devon and Joshua. Amazing!!

Love Mercenary

Calista was good. If you're into Mafia books with lots of adventure and drama this is the book for you. Very well told with wonderful characters and an awesome plot.

Incredibly disappointing

I was a huge fan of the first two books in the series. This one, however, was incredibly disappointing. The storyline was all over the place and dragged on unnecessarily. The plot was so disconnected it struggled to hold my attention. The narrators were frequently difficult to understand and the back and forth between languages only created further confusion. The overall content quality varied greatly from the first two books.

IT’S A NARRATORS 👎 RETURN

Having loved the first two books in this series I was really looking forward to getting drawn back into the world of the Gangsters of New York again.. but oh the disappointment . The narrators were both wrong for this book and completely failed to excite me or hold my attention and I think they diluted any sizzles, action or feels. Devon can’t do a believable male voice let alone an alpha one and it was sometimes difficult to understand words and who was talking. I felt no chemistry, no emotions or passion.. however I was determined to find the good.. the pot of gold that just never came. So, with two and a half hours still to go, I’m sorry but I’m done torturing myself.. I don’t care about them, their instant everything or any drama they may or may not face.

Worth a credit? For me it’s a disappointing no.. but this is only my opinion - you may love it