Sinful Vows

Messina Crime Family, Book 1

By: Lilian Harris

Narrated by: Teddy Hamilton, Callie Dalton

Length: 11 hrs and 51 mins

Publisher's summary

I never wanted a wife. No one is safe with me. No one is good enough for my daughter.

But if I want to rule over the wealthiest crime family in New York City, I only have two weeks to find one.

When Elsie broke into my home, I saw an opportunity, so I forced her into a marriage she didn't want.

No one crosses me, not even someone as beautiful as Elsie. She may fight me with that smart mouth, but she will obey me–or return to the hell she came from.

I told her she was mine for a year. Then she'd be free.

But the more I see them together, my daughter and my wife, the more she touches me like I'm worthy, the more I start to wonder, could she be mine?

But when war lands at our feet, when her life’s in jeopardy, I realize I was right all along.

No one is safe with a man like me. Least of all her.

©2023 Lilian Harris (P)2023 Lilian Harris

Amazing narration, captivating and romantic.

Sinful Vows is a fascinating story. From the description and on the surface it seems simple and even simplistic: young woman gets kidnapped, is captive for nine years, escapes and is “saved” by a handsome, sexy man who just happens to be a crime family boss, there is instant attraction between them and a forced fake marriage that will end in a year, he’ll be head of the crime family and she’ll go back to her family and try to restart her old life. But there is so much more going on underneath. Elsie is brave, determined, resilient – a survivor of unspeakable horrors. She sees an opportunity to escape and takes it, even though her chances of success are slim and she may wind up in even more horrific circumstances. She vows to return to her former “prison” and rescue her friend Kayla. Michael is violent, cruel, calculating, a product of his upbringing, groomed to lead the family one day, seemingly comfortable in this life of crime. He betrays very little emotion except rage and a need for revenge, for payback.

The story gets off to an intense, emotional start. Your heart will thump right along with Elsie’s and Kayla’s. The fear feels real. The evil surrounds them. And when Elsie escapes she escapes right into more evil, maybe even worse evil. Michael Marino has two sides: the cold, ruthless mob boss and killer, who does what needs to be done with no regrets and no remorse, and the soft, tender, loving side he shows with his daughter Sofia. Which side will Elsie get? When she first reveals she has been hiding in his basement she gets the head of crime family man, but the other guy wants to push through. There is something just starting to simmer between them. Actually, that simmer started when their eyes met through the window of the house where she was being held captive. But neither of them wants a connection. There is no room for anything but a pretend wife in his life, no woman should have to live in his world. And those emotions that threaten to burst out when Michael softens and gets near her make Elsie shudder with disgust at herself. How can she like or oh my god no want a cruel monster like Michael?

There are so many layers to each of them that even this fake marriage won’t be simple. Michael has emotions he has kept hidden for 20 years except where his daughter is concerned. He has secret plans for the family business that don’t align with his father’s way of doing things. Even though Elsie is a survivor, her captivity has left her immature and inexperienced in anything resembling real life and real relationships. But it’s also hardened her and she has a need for revenge as strong as Michael’s.

Sinful Vows is intense, violent, graphic – and incredibly romantic. Michael is rough, cruel and often oh, so sweet in both words and deeds. Elsie is argumentative, belligerent, recklessly brave – and drawn to Michael like a moth to the light. Their relationship is an unlikely blend of opposites that are maybe not quite so opposite after all. But can their differences be resolved, can she just slide right from fake wife to real mob boss wife?

I had no idea what to expect when I began listening to Sinful Vows but I was quite captivated by it. Author Lilian Harris did an amazing job of bringing depth to the characters and making me want a happily-ever-after for them in spite of them living in a world so unlike anything most of us are used to. Of course the marvelous narration by Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton didn’t hurt. Michael as portrayed by Teddy Hamilton is a perfect blend of not just a tough guy but one capable of truly awful things with a man who wants to be just a guy, who often just wants to do the right thing, and is so afraid to reach for love but more afraid to lose it. Callie Dalton’s Elsie is brash, mouthy, unafraid to push back, but also like a starry-eyed teenager ready to write “He kissed me!” in her diary. The pacing, tone and emotion are perfect. I am hopeful there will be a second and third audiobook to explore the stories of Michael’s brothers and to see if my guesses about how Michael and Elsie go forward are correct. I recommend this audiobook without hesitation.

I received a free audiobook of Sinful Vows from the author and Home Cooked Books. I voluntarily leave this review. All opinions are my own.

This was so good! What a great start to a series.

Elsie and her two friends were abducted by sex traffickers when they were 18. After 9 years of torture and abuse, Elsie takes an opportunity to escape when a notorious member of the mafia pays her enslavers a visit.

But Michael isn’t oblivious to his stowaway. He wants to see what kind of fire she has in her before he decides whether to kill her, return her to her captors, or keep her. When she shows her strength, her does the only thing he can to protect her: he marries her.

“I don’t want a wife who follows me. But one who walks beside me. I want a damn queen.”

Michael is very attentive and patient with Elsie, recognizing the trauma she endured and helping her reclaim her power. And he helps her exact revenge.

“I’ve always been the king, but I’ll gladly worship at your feet.”

There were a few questions I felt went unanswered, particularly about her two friends that had also been trafficked. The spicy scenes were done very well and do a great job of showing how SA victims often use CNC and rough sex as a way to cope and resolve their trauma, with a trusted partner of course.

The audiobook narrators were excellent! I love Teddy Hamilton and this was my first time hearing Callie Dalton.

New Series!

Sinful Vows is book #1 in the Messina Crime Family series. Elsie was kidnapped and forced into sex slavery for 9 years. She finally escapes...right into the back of mafia boss-to-be Michael Marino's vehicle. He needs a wife to take over as the boss, so Elsie becomes a prime candidate. We get single dad, mafia-esque, age gap, fake marriage turns spicy...all the goodies. I did find the story a little thin, and with so many back stories sometimes a little confusing, but overall it was fun. Lots of spice, not a lot of mafia, and almost no trauma from 9 years of captivity? Hmmm. Anyway, I am looking forward to the stories of the other characters.

The narration was fabulous. Callie Dalton (Elsie) and Teddy Hamilton (Michael) are a great duo. 5 stars!

Meow

Teddy makes me blush and have hot flashes reading the spice. Woof. Great story and characters here. Mind the TW for rape and sex trafficing. Found the story riviting and believable. It did not disapoint, could not stop listening

tiktok

I saw this book on tiktok lol and I came running to purchase haha. I ate this book in 1 day. The story is good, the age gap the kid, arrange marriage, the mafia world. This book brought what I was looking for in a book. I💯 recommend this book.

Sinfully Amazing Story & Narration🎧

Lilian Harris pens another fantastic dark mafia romance novel, the first in her new and exciting “Messina Crime Family” series. The story hooked me in right from the start, grabbing my attention and holding it hostage the entire time. Elsie and her two friends, Kayla and Jade, all recent high school graduates, went on a road trip to have some fun before going to college. Except that road trip turned into a nightmare when all three were abducted and held captive for the next nine years, forced to endure all kinds of depraved acts on them, used and abused by numerous men. Elsie and Kayla stayed together, but they did not know what happened to Jade and never gave up on hope for her or to escape. Elsie sees an opportunity and takes it, but she may find herself in a worse predicament than before. Michael Marino, a devoted single dad and next in line to take over the reins of the Messina crime family when his father steps down. The only catch is he needs to marry, something he does not want to do, but will for the sake of family. And he finds the perfect women to be his fake wife, and he finds her right in his own home. I enjoyed this book immensely, the writing, plotting and world building is fantastic, as is the character growth and development. Michael can be a ruthless mafia boss, but he is one with a huge heart and you can see it when he is with his precious daughter, Sophia, who was adorable and was a true light in a story that had dark moments. I would have expected Elsie to have more issues than she did after being held captive for nine years. Though she was brave and held her own, and with Michael, she gave as good as she got. There is never a dull moment in this book, the story has plenty of drama, angst, thrilling and suspenseful moments, heartfelt emotions and steamy romance. Lilian Harris, thank you for another terrific story and emotional rollercoaster ride.  

🎧📚🎧  And for the amazing narration, Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton did a fantastic job bringing the characters and their story to life. They understood who they were portraying, giving each their own voice, and were believable in every role they played. Dalton nailed it as Elsie, grasping every aspect of her personality, from her fierceness to her determination to her caring and nurturing side. Hamilton did the same for Marina, playing the perfect mafia boss. They set the perfect tone for the story, captured all the characters’ emotions and had you feeling them all. These talented and entertaining storytellers are versatile voice artists and a pleasure to listen to. Thank you for another amazing listen.

This is the reason I love Mafia Romance!

Books like this are the reason I love Mafia Romance!

I’m having trouble forming thought after this listen. It was so good. All I have is wow!

I am such a huge fan of Dark Mafia Romance, and this one ticks all the boxes of what makes me love them!

Elsie took a chance to escape the hell she had been through the last 9 years and slipped into Michael’s SUV. Her plan was to wait until he was out of sight and run for help, only she discovers the man who unknowingly drove her away from hell keeps his home locked up so tight she can’t get out undetected. Michael is next in line to take over as head of the family, but he needs a wife before the reins are turned over. He has no desire to remain married or to find love, so when he finds Elsie hiding in his home, he takes advantage of the situation and tells her she will be his bride as soon as possible. With little choice, Elsie agrees not knowing how much her life will be changed….

This was such an intense, suspenseful, and emotional listen. I can not tell you how my heart hurt for Elsie. She suffered such anguish and torment for such a long time. But she was so strong and fierce even when she thought she was broken beyond repair. Michele was so protective of her and his daughter Sophie, who I adored!! He really showed Elsie how strong she could be. She was the queen to his king in every way. They were two souls destined to find each other and fall in love.

Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton were the magnificent narrators on this book. What a great pairing for these characters. Callie really brought so much raw emotion and vulnerability to Elsie without losing that hint of determination to overcome the evils she went through. Teddy had the perfect balance of authority and power for the world he lives in, and tenderness and heart for the people Michael loved. They both brought the intensity of the feelings Michael and Elsie had for each other to life in a way you could feel. Just wonderful performances by both.

Overall, I truly enjoyed this book. Lilian Harris is a phenomenal writer who delivers quality romance. This book had action, suspense, danger, steam, and so much heart. 100 percent worth checking out, especially if you’re a fan of Mafia Romance. I’m excited for Ralph and Nicolette's story!

Grabbed my attention from the beginning!

This really grabbed my attention at the beginning. I like the set up but things changed, and I just really struggled with the female character being “all in” right away. I would think after many years of abuse(mental/physical), you would not be ready to be held, touched by a male. Maybe if a year or two years had gone by before they reach that stage in their relationship I guess I could’ve agreed with it. So after I just ended up ignoring that part, the story is actually pretty good as it goes forward the relationship between the characters have interesting dynamics. The story itself has a lot of ups and downs, and really kept me interested in what was going to happen.

I listened to this on audio. Teddy Hamilton and Callie Dalton did the narration. They both do an excellent job portraying all the characters and were enjoyable to listen to.

Marriage of Convenience

Sinful Vows is the first book in the Messina Crime Family series, but it can be read as a standalone.

Elsie had been kidnapped with her friends by the Bianchis ten years ago. During that time, they were constantly SA'd and forced to do things they didn’t want to do in order to survive. Elsie escapes, but is quickly caught by Michael. He forces her to marry him for his own reasons, but it also protects her from other crime families.

Michael is a single father to a sweet little girl. He’s ruthless, cruel, and comes across as very angry. Yet, he’s also OTT protective and possessive of not only Elsie, but also Sophia, his daughter. He is extremely caring of both of them, and he will do anything to make them happy.

These characters both went through a lot, Elsie especially. I liked how she brought out a different side of Michael, and she understood that he had to do things she wouldn’t necessarily like. She knew that he was doing his job as the leader of their family, but underneath it all he had a big heart (though that’s not to say that he was a softie).

This was my first book by Lilian Harris, and I enjoyed it.

Narrators: Callie Dalton and Teddy Hamilton
Style: Dual

These narrators did an amazing job bringing these characters to life. They both did a great job on switching between their “male” and “female” voices, and I could easily tell which character was which. Also, they both did a fantastic job on voicing Sophia’s (the child) voice. I actually forgot that it wasn’t actually a child speaking.

So good

TEDDY HAMILTON AND CALLIE DALTON are fantastic and giving a good performance
The books is so good after listening I just kept reading to book 2 and book 3 and I love the series
Check for Trigger Warning
SA
Graphic Violence/ Death physical abuse (flashback)
Human Trafficking
Elise was kidnapped with her two other friends and turn to sell there body and brutal abuse after years of being rape Elise escaped to Michael home and when she find out he in the mafia and feel trap again but Michael is different he is kind and caring and he love his daughter. And she find out how he got his daughter and she falling for him so they make a deal to marry him to keep her safe and so he can take over for his father and Michael can rule.
This book also introduces Michael brothers and there book and also Elise friends are safe and they have their own books as well.