Because You're Mine

By: Claire Contreras

Narrated by: Scarlet Chase, Stephen Dexter

Length: 7 hrs and 7 mins

Publisher's summary

From New York Times best seller Claire Contreras comes a new, sexy stand-alone novel...

When my sister asked me to take a course for her while she went out of town for work, I reluctantly agreed. I wasn't expecting to step into a university auditorium filled with overactive libidos lusting after the professor. And I certainly wasn't expecting to become one of those women myself, but there's something about Lorenzo Costello that makes him irresistible. He's the kind of man mothers warn their daughters about - mysterious, gorgeous, experienced, wild - and for some crazy reason he wants me. 

I should run far away and save myself from the impending heartache. So why am I racing toward him? I’m totally going to get burned. A man like Lorenzo won’t leave me unscathed. He'll make ashes of me.

Because You're Mine is NOT a dark romance! It's sexy and will keep you listening.

©2018 Claire Contreras (P)2018 Claire Contreras

It was ok.

I said it’s ok because it’s not the type of story I normally look for. I like my romances with a longer time line and not insta love/lust. The concept is sweet and it has its ups and downs. I’m sorry if this seems nit picky but I would have liked hearing from the male character’s point of view a bit more and, as stated before, a longer time frame. That being said, the voice actors did a fabulous job and I’d recommend this for those who enjoy the more basic love stories. I probably won’t listen to this again but I also don’t feel like it was a waste of time or money.

What a world!

What a mob story!!!! I haven't read a lot of mob stories, but I'm a huge fan of Ms. Contreras and I couldn't wait to see what kind of world she'd bring me into. As in typical mob fashion, there are a million players that I had to keep track of. Catalina and her sister Emma keep themselves separate from their family, but that doesn't stop the family from being a part of their lives. Lorenzo is drawnto Catalina like he's never been drawn to another person. He loved and lost and now didn't do relationships....until her. She is the game changer.

The writing was fast paced and sucked me into this world. These bad guys have a good side, too. Lorenzo and Cat made me believe in happy endings in this world. There are so many possible stories in this world to come. I can't wait to see what is next in this world!

The narrators did a great job of really getting me into this story. Loved it!

DNF. Narration is bad.

I only made it through a few chapters. Female narrator wasn’t good and I think she is most of the book. The story hasn’t grabbed me enough to endure her narration. Love this author though. The other books are great.

Sloppy writing and storyline

The banter and chemistry was lacking for me. The storyline was all over the place and there was very little world/scenery building. The spice was good and often but the plot was kind of pointless.

12 out of 10!!!

This book just made my top 5. First read from the author and I’ve already bought the second and third book from the series! Steamy, dangerous, twist and turns. Great all around! Also love that there is a man and woman narrators.

Mafia meets the ballet!

This audiobook is available to listen for free with Kindle Unlimited.

This is a mafia meets ballerina story. It is Catalina and Lorenzo’s story. She’s a ballerina who helps her brother out at a club he’s opening and ends up giving Lorenzo a super hot lap dance. They meet under false pretenses and there are always secrets and lies between them but their chemistry is off the charts and so they embark on a secret affair.

I loved how this book always kept you guessing. You just wanted to know which side everyone was on and what was going to happen next. The story kept a good pace throughout and I enjoyed all the action. AND you know me, I love a good plot twist and I totally didn’t see that one coming.

Scarlett is a new narrator for me and she reads the majority of the book. She is able to give us all Cat’s emotions and helps us understand her inner turmoil. Stephen gives us Lorenzo and I enjoyed everything he brought to this audiobook.

A solid story, good narration, a fantastic plot twist and a peppering of heat.

Brilliant story

Lorenzo and Catalina's story, definitely a great story full of mafia, twist, and emotional turmoil. It's dual POV and the audiobook is narrated by Scarlet Chase and Stephen Dexter, I really enjoyed Stephen's narration he was on point, creating the perfect voice for Lorenzo, accent and all. The emotions were all there, however, Scarlet was a bit different from what I expected, she did good but I loved Stephen more. The story is fantastic, with great pace, and all the brilliant things Claire Contreras is known for. A must-hear for any mafia trope lover.

Fast-paced and lots of twists and turns

Because Your Mine is one of the few mafia romances that I've listened to. I know that I like Claire Contreras, and her writing always keeps me engaged, and this definitely fit the bill for me.

Although Because You're Mine is a mafia romance, it is not dark. It's at times haunting, it is always action packed, and it's definitely fast-paced.

Catalina and Lorenzo are not the couple that you expect to match on paper. The ballerina and her sister's professor, who turns out not to be who Catalina expected him to to be. There were so many twists and turns and connections that the book was always felt like something new was developing. I don't want to go to far into the plot for fear of moving into spoiler territory, but just know that there are a lot of more connections between these two as you move through the story.

From a narration point of view, Stephen Dexter and Scarlet Chase definitely delivered on the spark, the emotion, the uncertainty and the fast paced nature of the story. Stephen in particular delivered on the sometimes frantic nature of Loren's behavior and delivery. It was a real treat to listen to.

Enjoyed story but had mixed feelings on narrators

I've had this book sitting on my kindle and on my bookshelf since it came out. I realized recently that I hadn't read it yet, so when I had the chance to listen to the audio, I took it. Claire is one of my automatic one clicks, so I had high expectations.

I enjoyed the storytelling and liked the chemistry between Catalina and Lorenza (aka Loren). The cast of characters and settings was totally to my liking. I liked that Catalina was this beautiful 'older' (by dancer standards) professional ballet dancer and was trying to distant herself from the lifestyle of her family in Chicago. She totally made her own life in NYC and did it on her own. I love to read about strong women and she was it. Then there was Loren. I liked who his character was trying to be at the beginning. He was like this rude guy that you could feel steam coming off of him, but you could tell there was so much more to him and his background. SO when they meet at a dinner and you get the 'real' Loren, the sexual attraction is just POW right off the page (or for me...the audio). From then on, the game is ON! The lifestyle. The attraction. The steam. The lies/coverup.

While I liked the story itself, the audio wasn't my favorite. I liked the male narrator and he seemed like an authentic New York/east coast mafia member, but the female narrator bugged me. I liked when we got into the story, but it was when she announced each chapter and her inflection in her voice that just kept drawing me out. Such a small thing to pin point, but it was frustrating.

Overall, the story was good and I'd like to read the actual book to see how my feelings on the story may change. The audio was ok. The male narrator had me, but the female narrator I had mixed feelings about. But I can't take away from the storytelling and the chemistry of the characters. They were hot and I enjoyed the romance between them and the backstory of their characters.

Heartpounding and Sizzling Romance!

Because You're Mine is a heart pounding, and sizzling story that held me captive from the first page to last. Cataline is a ballerina who has tried to stay away from her families business. She thinks she is innocently helping her sister when she unwittingly gets drawn in by a sexy professor. Lorenzo is more than he appears. He is mysterious, gorgeous, and has a dominance that should scare her but only draws her in. Lorenzo's plans for Catalina has changed completely when he is seduced by the beautiful ballerina and her sassy mouth. Their fiery attraction is undenyiable and their chemistry is explosive. But Lorenzo has a job to do and he is putting both their lives on the line by claiming her as his. But when Cat learns his secrets, and enemies start taking out their vengence, will he be able to keep them alive long enough for her to forgive him? This is a twisty, roller coaster ride of a romance that’s unforgettably heart-wrenching, suspenceful, but has it's tender moments as well.
Narrators Scarlet Chase, and Stephen Dexter were amazing as they brought this story to life. Chase nailed Caterina's caring, strong, and sassy character perfectly. Dexter's voice was perfect for the powerful, dangerous, yet vulnerable Lorenzo. I loved listening to them both as they drew me in and made this story even more exciting and sizzling.

Boring…

Everything and nothing happens… it’s all a bit flat. I love a mafia type story but this was all meh…