Thorns of Desire by Eva Winners

The harder I tried to resist, the faster my body caved.

Thorns of Desire, an all-new dark mafia romance from bestselling author Eva Winners is now available!

A devil in a Brioni suit.
My unforgettable one-night stand.
And a notorious member of the Omertà empire.

I learned that last piece of information a bit too late.

I never expected to see him again after our encounter so long ago. But it turns out that destiny had other plans and gave me the whole of him for several incredible hours.

Then I bolted again—for the second time in my life.

He was Manuel Marchetti.

Off-limits. Forbidden. Dangerous.

So then why was I unable to forget him?

My body and soul came alive only for him. I hoped I’d never see him again, but it wasn’t meant to be. Everywhere I went, the man was there—stealing kisses, making promises, and painting streets red.

He seemed to delight in pushing my buttons and demanding more. Much to my dismay, it seemed I was unable to resist him.

Then, a chance encounter required his protection. He swept me away to his remote Italian castle and I could feel my resolve cracking under his burning gaze and searing touch.

The harder I tried to resist, the faster my body caved.

With each passing day, I was starting to realize that by the end of it all, I’d be the one succumbing.

Either by the secrets surrounding my life or under his consuming touch.

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Thorns of Desire by Eva Winners
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

***Review copy requested and reviewed on behalf of OMGReads Blog***

Thorns of Desire is book five in the Thorns of Omertà Series. This is an age gap, Mafia romance focusing on Manuel Marchetti and Athena Kosta. Their story was loaded with angst, secrets, lies and contained a mix of violence, plot twists, steamy moments, and a dash of humor.

Manuel was charming, protective, confident, and loyal. He wasn’t afraid of his feelings for Athena and was all in immediately. Athena has been through a lot of trauma in a short time, starting at a young age. I admired her resilience and enjoyed her sass and wit. She was pretty amusing.

Overall an entertaining and esay read. Winner’s did a good job not repeating events from previous books/series when timelines overlapped. It’s not necessary to read the other books, but highly recommend for maximum enjoyment. She also laid out some obvious Easter eggs of the supporting characters and who we will see in the future and leaves a lot to the imagination on what’s to come, particularly with Raven.

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Keep reading for a look inside Thorns of Desire!

I opened my mouth and screamed. I didn’t stop until my lungs burned. Until my voice cracked and my ears rang.

My raw screams must have angered the gods because a flash of lightning cracked across the sky—furious and blinding—and the earth shook. The breeze swept through, barely touching my heated skin, the glimpses of the sky and bending branches still in my sight.

Shoved into a casket, the splintered wood pressed into my palms, digging beneath my nails, but the pain didn’t compare to the suffocating terror. I thrashed back and forth, my head swiveling left and right, every fiber of me desperate to escape this nightmare.

Except nobody was coming.

Gasping and panting, I attempted to pull myself upright but failed miserably. A chuckle sounded, ominous and dark, and I whipped my head to find three faces staring down at me with revulsion.

There were no more masks, but it didn’t matter. I recognized their voices. These were the same men who’d come into our apartment a mere week ago, threatening Mom.

Why didn’t we run away? Why didn’t we hide?

“Wh-where is my mother?” I said through clattering teeth.

One of them crouched down and gripped my chin.

“You better worry about yourself, girl. Welcome to your grave,” he said, his smile twisted and his eyes glittering with malice.

“Why?” I rasped, shuddering in the small box. “I want my mother.”

The blow that followed had my head flying to the side, my ears ringing as pain ripped through my cheek. I reached my bound wrists up, smearing the sticky, hot liquid that dripped down my face—blood and tears.

He clasped my chin between rough fingers again and spoke with malevolence. “Did my sister get to call for her mother before she was burned alive?” I blinked, my heart thundering painfully. I didn’t understand the words he spat at me. I didn’t know his sister. “Sister for a daughter. You will burn in this casket.”

He grabbed my hair, twisting it around his fist, and soon another punch followed. My head smacked against the wood, the air rushing out of me as I gasped. Breathe. Breathe. I can’t breathe.

I dug my jagged fingernails into his wrist. I fought, but it was all for naught. I was weak and in more pain than I ever thought possible.

My screams turned to cries before finally dissolving into raspy, pathetic breaths. But my body wasn’t ready to give in. I tried to crawl out of the box. I needed to live. I needed my mother. I needed⁠—

I didn’t know. I just knew I couldn’t die like this. Hopelessly, I choked for air, sobbing for my mother. For anyone who was willing to save me.

But nobody came.

A man yanked me by my hair, forcing me down into the box. I pushed and twisted, fighting with all I had. A third man came around and held me down before the wood top slowly started to shut.

I stared helplessly, watching the slivers of gray sky disappear. I focused on its beauty, sent a prayer up above. To whom, I didn’t know, but I hoped someone would hear it.

I inhaled a deep breath, the salt in the air soothing the pain in my soul as the waves lulled me toward my final resting place.

I let the cold, dark reality sink in. This was the end. It wasn’t fair, but nobody had asked me. It was the reality of life.

So I closed my eyes and started humming to fill the eerily quiet and darkness. Anything to drive fear from my mind. And I didn’t stop. Not when the anguish licked at my skin. Not when the fire ignited.

I would hum until death came for me.