Machiavellian

Gangsters of New York, Book 1

By: Bella Di Corte

Narrated by: Kae Denino, Armen Taylor

Length: 14 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's Summary

I hungered to be seen.

There were three things I knew about Capo Macchiavello:

• He was gorgeous.
• He was reclusive.
• He was considered one of New York's most savage animals.

And he wanted me as his wife. A simple arrangement - you do for me, I do for you. Nothing owed, no expectations. Except for one: never leave.

Life was never that simple, though. By the age of 21, I was parentless, jobless, and homeless, and I had come to learn the hard way that nothing was ever free. Even kindness comes with strings.

Capo might've been the only man to ever see me, but I had made a vow to myself: I would never owe anyone anything. Most of all, the man I called boss.

I killed to stay hidden. 

Mariposa Flores thought she owed nothing to no one, but she owed everything...to me, the ghost the world had once called the Machiavellian Prince of New York.

Machiavellian is the first of three books set in the savage world of the Gangsters of New York series.

©2020 Annie Welch (P)2020 Spectrum Audiobooks

I LOVED.. LOVED.. LOVED IT

This suspenseful Mafia romance was addictive from the start.. it’s a layered and long journey as Mariposa, a feisty but damaged twenty-one yr old who has finally hit rock-bottom, grabs a mysterious lifeline and changes her life completely. Her path, fate and destiny crosses paths with thirty-nine yr old Capo Macchiavello who lives for revenge and plots in the shadows as he waits to strike the dynasty that nearly destroyed him. But his butterfly will give him something to live for.

I don’t want to give any spoilers because the intrigue and depth of the story is best experienced live as their rollercoaster unfolds. Well-written threads weave in and out, secrets takes time to be exposed and fully revealed, chemistry slowly and deliciously burns and friends and family dynamics are heartwarmingly forged and found. Twists, angst and drama are part of the climactic thrills, the sex scenes don’t drown the story, the simmering romance grows in tender sweet stages and the deep love and connection was always there.

Nearly fifteen hours of story and the plot-line kept me intrigued and invested in their conflicting ideals, their lifestyles, their emotional struggles, their damaged pasts, their truths, their touching romance and the very real danger that would devastate. Vengeance, loyalty, betrayal and love are all brilliantly paced as the homeless innocent butterfly and the lonely alpha protective possessive wolf find each other and claim their destinies. Good character development too. Told in dual POV with a HEA ending and it’s a good introduction to the Gangsters of New York series.. but could definitely be listened to as a stand-alone. Armen Taylor is a new to me narrator and his sexy talented voice fit the damaged hero perfectly and brought the story to life.. especially the Italian swoony sentiments. But I must admit Kae Denino’s narration took a wee bit of getting used to.. however, as the story progressed, I slowly settled down with her voice and could live with it.

Worth a credit? A wonderful, well-written, well-balanced, weighty romance that‘s full of passion and feels and doesn’t rush to reveal its hidden gems.. and yes, IMO, it’s definitely creditworthy.

COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT

The female narrator ruined this for me. This story was great. I’m going to fast forward and listen to the male narrator to get to the end. She pronounces Rocco wrong through the entire book. Who edited this book?!? Why DIDNT someone tell her it’s ROCCO not rowco😡🤬😡🤬. She is supposed to be Italian! NOT EVEN A LITTLE BIT. It was just too bad for me I will return this because I would never listen to it again. Her male voice sounds like a troll from another world!!! THIS BOOK COULD HAVE BEEN GREAT!!!! Male narrator was very good first time I heard him I think he will be great if he keeps going.

This is a GOOD BOOK

I really enjoyed this book. The female narrator really was not that great but the story line was interesting enough where I could could continue to listen. The male narrator was very good, he really brought his character to life. If you like mafia stories then you will enjoy this listen, I’m bombed that the second book is not on audio but hopefully when it does come available the author will not use the same female and possibly get Aiden Snow for the male. It’s worth the credit.........enjoy!!!!

Great story, but can't get pass the femal narrator

I don't know if she is trying too hard, but something is really off for me with the female narrator. It just made the story unbearable for me because its her POV most of the chapters. I only made it to chpt 19. Her inflection, main and supporting role voices was way off. I'm tapping out. Maybe in a few weeks I'll come back to this one. 🤷🏽‍♀️

Set Alarm!

Let me begin with what I consider this book by far the Worst! The summary description and the sample have nothing to do with the story you actually get.
I can take bad books and just go to the next, no problem. I mean not all books are going to be so good that they stay in your head for days, but this one was the first that I can't described how bad it really is.
Maybe there is a mix up?
The narrator gave it a good shove further over the cliff.
Imo she sounded like a 12 year old reading a smut book that's as far away from any type of romance.
I recommend you skip this one real fast. I couldn't even get thru the first half of it. The ratings are way off on this one.

Learn Subtlety

To start I could not stand the female narrator. She was too childish and high pitched. I did like her voice for Capo though. But I couldn't stand the main character's voice. As for the male narrator - I get that he was injured, and so his vocal chords were strained, but it was way too much like Christian Bale's Batman. I liked his narration of the story though - he had a great natural voice.

As for the story, her obsession with butterflies, and the metaphor was hit over our head over and over again. It was unrealistic and distracting. I was just over the need to bring it up all the time. Same with him being the wolf. The author could learn some subtlety when it comes to metaphors and comparisons. Her wedding dress, the mural, the home artwork, her name.

The main character, for living on the street, was way too childish. It was again unrealistic. It also made her highly annoying - and why would a 39 year old want to be with someone who acts 12???

I could have used more action. The last two hours had some action and that was fun. The rest felt like a growth of people story, rather than a mobster story.

Spoiler - I also don't like when a character get's pregnant so soon after the wedding. This is a personal preference. But for me took away from the story.

FEMALE NARRATOR RUINS IT FOR ME...

The story it's self is pretty cliché. Add to it a female narrator with a very grating voice and lousy performance and is a huge DNF for me at just 20%.

I'm in love with Armen Taylor's voice!!

Man Armen Taylor was perfect casting in this one. I adore his deep rumble that is perfect for Capo. I also adore when he speaks Italian. SO amazing. This was my first listen from Kae Denino, while she isn't my favorite, there were times her inflections grated on my nerves, but that was more a personal preference. She did well portraying the innocence and pain of her character. The story was written well, I loved the twists and turns, the secrets lurking around every corner. Great production all around!

Loved It! Listened to it twice!

I loved everything about this book, the storyline was a bit different from the usual Mafia books I would read/listen to, and I felt it was well paced, and when I got to the end of the book, I was wishing it wasn't the end yet. Lol.

I read some reviews and yes the word Mari would use "fuck-a-me" was a bit annoying but it was a part of her childhood and past and part of her personality, so I didn't mind it all too much.

Loved the narration also! I think they both did an excellent job!

This will definitely be a re-listen over and over!

it was ok

I finished it because i paid for it. i hated the female narrators voice. The first part dragged for awhile. It got better during the second half. The relationship between the main characters and the grandfather was touching, that even made me cry. However, it dragged, there was alot of filler scenes that could have been cut out because it served no real purpose for the storyline. It was Ok

Phenomenal start to this series!

If you are looking to be drawn in and captivated by a story, then this is the book for you! The first in the Gangsters of New York series, Bella DiCorte has a winner on her hands! A mafia love story, timeless, ruthless, unforgiving, scary, thrilling, exciting, passionate, she weaves a web that is easy to get tangled in. Mariposa is at the end of her line. She is broke with no home, she is desperately looking for something. When an opportunity knocks, little does she know how it will change her life. Capo has had his eye on her for a long time, and knowing her situation gives her an opportunity she can't refuse. Now his wife, she is going to find out exactly who he is. Will she understand? Will they every fall in love? Talk about smart, complex stories. This one has an intriguing plot interweaving family and loyalty. These characters are complex, well thought out and give you an understanding of their life. It's romance and suspense at it's best! I can't wait to see what else DiCorte has in store for us.

The narration for this is fantastic. Kae Denino is perfect for the role of Mariposa. She has a young voice, and with Mari being 21, she gives her a street wise sound with a little immaturity and inexperience. You can hear the toughness along with the vulnerability which is perfect! Armen Taylor is new to me, and what a voice he has! Italian accent to melt your heart, he brings Capo to life. With a sternness to run your blood cold to a warmth like melted chocolate, he has it all. This team was well cast and make the listen!

Mafia

Wow what a great story. I’ve never heard of this author before but a can’t wait for more of her stories to come out on audible

Loved

From start finish this book kept me sucked in. I loved the depth to the characters. I'm looking forward to the next book in this series.

narration was decent but one did accents and one did not. it kinda threw me off for a moment but it didn't take away from anything.