Captivated

By: Bethany-Kris

Narrated by: Daniel James Lewis

Length: 8 hrs and 23 mins

Publisher's Summary

A shadow meets the light....

When someone needs to disappear, the Chicago mob calls on Joe Rossi. A man who can move without a sound and kill without a word, they don’t call him the Shadow for nothing. This time, it’s a New York crime family in need of his skills, but it takes one glimpse of her to make him agree to the job.

Liliana Marcello is every inch a principessa della mafia. Her life has taught her to be wary of strangers, yet her ballet career contradicts everything by putting her on display. It’s a man with a dark smile and a constantly changing demeanor that makes her feel safe again, but it’s the unknown that holds her back.

It takes one look.... One dance... One word... One smile to captivate a man. And one second to kill a woman because of it, too. 

Not all monsters hide in the shadows. How are you supposed to see them coming?

©2018 Kristen (Bethany-Kris) Fournier (P)2018 Kristen (Bethany-Kris) Fournier

Good Story and Narration

I think the first review is quite harsh.
For this level of book, it does the job and delivers, so kudos to the author. Don't think "formulaic" or not really matters. It is well written in my humble opinion.
I like the artistic choices of the narrator as well and found his voice and slight accent fitting with the story and an enjoyable listen that pulled me into the story.

Mafia princess meets hitman

Joe, aka hitman and Shadow, and Liliana, ballerina mafia princess, meet when Joe is called in to do a job for her father, Lucien (he needed someone from out of the state to pull it off). Lucien is a great father who allows his children to make their own choices in life but he always made sure they had a security detail out of sight. There is an almost immediate attraction between Joe and Liliana. Rich, from Liliana's past, is obsessed with her. He is an abusive, sick b@stard and is determined that no one will have her except him so he kidnaps her right under Joe's nose.

I love mafia romance and this book did not disappoint. Captivated was a thoroughly enjoyable book and I love the book cover! Daniel James Lewis did a good job with the narration but I think the book would have benefited from having both a male and female narrator. I was given this free copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

Captivating, Exciting and Intense! Well Performed!

This exciting story is a great read on its own. However, when you hear it performed is even more exciting and captivating.
Daniel James Lewis did an amazing job with his performance, and I did really enjoyed listening and feeling as if I was part of the story. Nevertheless, I wish this would have been a dual narration (male & female narrators).

This story has everything you wish from a fantastic read or/and listening experience!!

The minus in the performance it also includes chapter 10 and 11 being duplicates!!

Exciting, intriguing story, with a good narrator

I loved this book! I loved the introverted hit-man with a conscience & the graceful ballerina that had been through so much but still was determined to enjoy life - even as a principessa.

As a hit-man that is exceptionally good at his craft, Joe Rossi prefers to keep to himself & the shadows: get the job done, then get out before anyone ever realises he was even there. When he receives a mysterious summons from the New York outfit, he meets a woman, who, at a first glance, changes his life forever. He doesn't do distractions, but this beautiful, tiny dancer may be just what his heart needs.

After finding passion in ballet late in life for a dancer, Lilliana Marcello is surprised to find herself curious after sharing a glance with a man who undoubtedly is a part of her father's world. Wild horses can't pull them apart but when her past revisits, and she finds out how entrenched in "the life" Joe is, she realises that passion could be found in places and people you never expected.

A really huge part of why I liked the book was the way that Lucien allowed his children to LIVE! They made their own choices, and he supported and avenged them when necessary. I also liked the understanding/relationship that developed between him and Joe. He trusted Joe with Lilliana's safety, but made sure to let him know that he'd have to win her heart all on his own.

Daniel James Lewis does a great job! His accent adds to the allure of the mafia world he described.

Bethany-Kris brings two young adults to life in a way that made me constantly marvel at their maturity. The rich cast of secondary characters as well as the plot made it an intriguing, hard-to-turn-off listen. Most importantly, the book was satisfying, as justice was finally meted out for terrible wrongs committed that had gone unpunished.

I heartily recommend this exciting, steamy, action-filled audio-book.

Fantastic Must Listen To!

I love reading a book but I love listening to a book. I swear I can see and feel everything that is happening on each and every page. This book is so beautifully written that the moment it started with this is a book from audible I was hooked. The narrator Daniel James Lewis did an AMAZING job reading us this mafia love story.

The two main characters Joe and Liliana are both from Mob families and when Joe is asked to come to New York to do a job he meets Liliana and he knows right from the minute they meet that his life is about to change. There is something about that angelic ballerina that calls to Joe in a way he has never known. He is so sexy, smart, loving and everything in between and them some. He is ferocious in protecting Liliana and I loved that about him.

Liliana oh man she is a princessa but she is not stuck up and snotty. She is loving and caring and loves to dance on stage. She knows that is not going to be her career but she is enjoying it while she can. When she meets Joe she is done for. Her heart beats fast and she knows she has to have him. The love scenes between these two were steamy and I needed a glass a very tall glass of ice because they were off the charts. Plus I loved when Joe spoke italian to her.

This is a must read love story that does not come easily for them. They have to work at their relationship and they have their ups and downs but when they work together they make the perfect couple.

Delicious!

Amount of sex 3 / 5
How explicit is the sex scenes 3 / 5
Story 4.5 / 5
Overall: 4.5 / 5

Captivated is a steamy standalone romance written by author Bethany - Kris. I listened to this story on audio, which was narrated by Daniel James Lewis. I especially enjoyed the narrator’s accent, but I could not pin down the exact type of accent. It seemed similar to a Boston accent, which I thought went perfectly with this mafia romance. Mr. Lewis voiced the characters well, and I quickly became engrossed in the story.

Captivated tells the story of Joe Rossi, who is a member of the Chicago mob. Joe and his father travel to NY City to meet with the head of the New York Mob. They offer Joe a job which requires him to stay in NY for some time. While there, he gets to know Liliana Marcello, the daughter of the boss and a principal ballet dancer.

The story was fascinating, and I was on the edge of my seat throughout the book. The sex scenes were steamy, and I truly enjoyed Joe’s dominance. He was definitely a delicious anti-hero and I loved when he spoke Italian.

A definite add to your TBR list.

Voluntarily Reviewed a Gifted Copy

Loved the story!

I've always enjoyed reading Bethany's books! The story was awesome and I loved that it came out on audio book.

Good Story, but...

This was a good story, but the editing was not great. There was no pauses between any transitions. You would be in the middle of the dance studio, then suddenly at a different location. it was kind of confusing to follow at times because of this.

Sweet

Simple and sweet story about a mob assassin that is hired to kill the people responsible to hurt a mob princess only that he ends up falling for her and everything end ups turning personal.
I love the fact that Liliana is a ballet dancer and we can have a bit of everything in this book: ballet drama, mob drama, psycho drama and lots of love.
The ending ends up being quite surprising and one wishes that it could had even more twists and turns.
The narration by Daniel if very good (I would only improve the female dialogs by a female narrator and some longer pauses when switching scenes).

Well that was unexpected!

I wasn’t prepared to like this story so much. I thought it would be just sex and violence, but it was so much more than that!! He had me when he broke out the Italian. It’s quick read/listen but really intense story. I really enjoyed this and did not expect to at all. It gave me all the feels for sure.

Mafia Romance

I have read some Bethany-Kris and I was so excited to listen to this book. Unfortunately, this one, I just didn’t connect with the characters.

This is a mafia romance and I KNOW Bethany-Kris is like one of the QUEENS of romance, which is my jam. This story had some insta-love happening before we really knew anything about either character and it just fell a little short. I think I was hoping for a little more alpha from hero and a bit more push back from the heroine.

🎧#audiobookobsessionreviewer

Hot Hot Hot

This was everything you could expect from Bethany -Kris great story line and audio was a great listen I would recommend this to anyone who likes a good mafia story

Captivated

A perfect title to this book because as soon as you start this book you will be captivated with the story all the way until the end. I loved this book and can’t wait to find more from this author.

Fantastic mafia action

This is a no holds barred mafia book with so much action. I loved the dynamic of the different families coming together to help. Great storyline good chemistry and written very well. Daniel gives a fantastic performance.

Mafia Goodness 😍

Audiobook review. I’m hooked on Bethany-Kris Mafia books. She has this ability to create these worlds whose imagery, mechanics, and characters I can immerse myself in with very little effort.

The plot hooked me from the start. I felt the connection between Liliana Marcello and Joe Rossi like if I was there watching it happen. They had great chemistry. As individuals, they were more realistic because they had flaws and made mistakes.

There were a couple of grammatical/prose issues I noted. For example: “Her excuse was on the lip of her tongue.” I don’t know if it was the author or the narrator but it didn’t occur often enough for it to detract from the full experience.

The narrator, Daniel James Lewis, had a great voice overall. His portrayal of Joe’s dirty talk was particularly good. I had to speed up the pace a little but that may just be due to personal preference. The one area of opportunity to note were in the transitions between scenes. They jumped within the same chapter and there was no clear marker that the scene was changing. Perhaps a pause would’ve helped.

Complimentary copy received and voluntarily reviewed.

A Captivating Mafia Book

For some reason I had a hard time getting into this story at first but once it got going, it was interesting and engaging. Since it was a mafia book, there was murder and lots of danger and suspense. Then there was also a sweet and steamy love story between Joe and Liliana.

Daniel James Lewis did a good job bringing this story to life. The major problem with the narration was the fact that one section was repeated in the story.

🎧AudiobookObsession 

Captivated by this incredible romance

This story delivers on so many levels. The sweet slow seduction that unravels within the story is delicious. The action, mystery, danger and violence keep you riveted and on the edge of your seat. I would love to read more from this author, especially more set in this world.

The narrator did an absolutely amazing job. I was completely captivated by his voice and how he brought the story and the characters to life.

#audiobookobsessionreviewer

good narrators ...bad story

the book has no substance. Hero meets heroine and one look he is pledging everything. no getting deeper slowly. No love but. Deep stuff in a very shallow and fast pace. stupid and boring.