With This Ring: To Have and to Hold Duet, Book 1

I really love Natasha Knight books and this one was no exception. It is the story of a family that is wiped out by another family and the surviving sons revenge. Five great big Stars on this first book. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Natasha Knight always beautifully marries suspense and dark romance in a dramatically yummy package- and With This Ring is a twisting, intriguing page turner. Natasha is the queen of mafia marriage of convenience and captive tropes, always finding new and invigorating drama to spin in the genre.Christiano is a compelling hero- straight away, we forgive and relish his darkness, because this is a man who has suffered at the betrayal and treachery of others. His vendetta makes him initially dangerous and cruel, but we find his softer layers pretty quickly as we start to unpack his past and as we see him drawn to his captive, Scarlett- the enemy who is in his clutches just waiting for him to destroy, only her spark somehow chips away at his anger. Despite Scarlett’s own painful history and the darkness surrounding this story, she’s actually quite a fun heroine. She’s feisty, with a smart mouth and smart wit. She’s fiercely proactive of those she loves and refuses to back down to anyone, let alone her very intimidating captor. Like Christiano, we find her softer layers as well- she’s suffered greatly from being a pawn in the machinations of greedy and corrupt men- men who by their birthright should protect and cherish her. BOTH of these characters are such powerful survivors- flawed, but beautiful. We empathize with them so easily- long before we know some of their truths.The story starts out with an incredibly intense BANG- a full throttle, take no prisoners exposition that hooked me immediately. From there, our story slows down a smidge as these two characters start to orbit each other and clash...and as we start to piece together the secrets we only read between the lines at first. I caught on to some larger secrets earlier, and so the reveals felt a bit drawn out for me, though NK does a great job building the intrigue and emotional suspense. I’ve noticed recently with NK duets that the first book has a slower romantic pace, with a heavier focus on building the emotional base and the suspenseful architecture. And, this duet seems to be following a similar pattern. Which means this is a slow burn- Natasha really makes us ache as she builds the anticipation. The emotional connection and the chemistry between them took a while to click for me- once they did, I was addicted. There is a lot unspoken between these characters- a budding connection we don’t yet understand, but they have empathy for one another that starts to challenge their plan to use the other to get what they need. The pace accelerates quickly from there, with a barrage of betrayals, twists, and heartbreaking moments that lead to a heart stopping cliff hanger. THANK GOODNESS the next book is not far away- because by the end of this story I was obsessed with these two and am desperate to find out just what this ending means for their overarching story.This is just what I like in mafia romantic suspense- it’s dark, unpredictable, sexy, and dangerous. A wild and dramatic adventure with a turbulent and messy love story at its center. I NEED BOOK 2!

Christiano’s and Scarlett's story was one that consumed my attention right out of the gate. It chipped away at my heart piece by piece, as I met the characters and learned their stories. It wasn’t long before I couldn’t set the first book down. I read until I fell asleep in the wee hours with the lights left on. That never happens to me.I’d read some of the author’s previous works and had really enjoyed her storylines and her writing style. Her characters are so compelling. She’s a very accomplished writer, in my opinion, and she authors some of the best Mafia romance stories around. This duet, however—To Have and To Hold—is the best of hers I’ve read thus far. I just finished it two days ago and I’d really like to read it again. Now.Book #1, With This Ring, just pulses with angst. Two warring Mafia families. Other criminal factions and characters have gathered around too, hoping for some bones to pick over. Christiano wakes from a coma and sets out on a path of vengeance for the very violent and dark deeds that were carried out against his family. Sick and vicious tricks are pulled on our main characters as they search for the perpetrators. In spite of the harsh and vengeful mission the anti-hero is on, you feel so profoundly drawn to him, feel such sorrow for him; damned if you don’t fall in love with him. The female main character, Scarlett, is feisty and defiant. She’s an uber-strong warrior queen with a steel spine. She won’t back down even to save her own life. You will love her too.This first book in the duet does end on a cliffhanger. I always try to avoid the self-torture and just wait to buy until the series is complete. That is what I did with this duet, so I was able to read onward immediately with I Thee Take and enjoy the entire story seamlessly. For me, book #1, With This Ring, was a 5-star read.

Good

Okay, you need to buckle up and get ready because this story is going to take you on one wild ride. The story starts out full force and will definitely keep you on the edge of your seat and your heart beating fast. It's dark, it's intense and at times, I found myself screaming at my kindle. LOL Told in dual POV's, we get the story of Cristiano who is the Mafia king and is suppose to take out the Princess of a rival family, Scarlett, for past crimes against his family. Some are taken out but Cristiano decides to let Scarlett and her younger brother live for now. There are twists and turns all over and you never know who is good and who is bad. Ms. Knight is one of my favorite "mafia" authors and this story rocked. It is book 1 in a duet so be prepared for a heck of a cliffhanger. I keep staring at the calendar to see if it's time for book 2 because I really need to know what is going to happen. I will say there is one certain character I hope meets a brutal end!!! And I hope Scarlett is the one to end it! LOL And that's all I'm gonna say. Like I said, buckle up!!!!

This was a tricky one for me. I read a preview of this in another book and it sucked me in. I instantly went on to purchase it. Read it and enjoyed it a lot. But then I forgot to review it and when I went back to do the review, I'd forgotten what it was about. Now this is like three days after I finished it so it didn't stick in my mind very well.

This is the first time I’ve come across this author & im so glad I did!This is so well written. I was immediately addicted & am goin straight to the 2nd book lol.Both of these 2 have awful past histories that have messed them up. They r a great match for each other but the question is will they finally realise their feelings for each other & if so, will it b too late?!

Natasha knight manages to grip you from the first page until the last, even though it ends on a massive cliffhanger. You’ll be rushing for the next book.

Fantastic! This author can definitely tell a wonderful story full of emotion, laughter and love. I absolutely adored this book

Obsessed is all I can say. Read it in one day! Can’t wait to read book 2!! X x x