Silent Vows: A Mafia Arranged Marriage Romance (The Byrne Brothers Book 1)

4.5 stars!
I loved this so much! This was my first time reading and it is by far one of my favorite reads of 2023.This author’s writing is sooo great! The way she uses her descriptor words to describe something, really made me feel like I could see the character in front of my eyes.However if you’re looking for sex — there is only a few scenes and they don’t happen until about 78% in the book.I adored both main characters. The MFC was fierce, even though for the first portion of the book she was mute. She did not wither underneath the power that both mafia families possessed and she was also strong and feminine as well. I appreciated the fact that when she was wrong, she admitted it and took ownership and asked for forgiveness. That to me is part of what makes a woman, strong & healthy.The MMC was great as well. He was strong, loyal & determined. He loved the MFC the way she should have been. He was very perceptive… like he rolled a 20 on perception. He was firm, but could change the way he acted around his wife (Noemi, Em). The way his fierceness drove him to utterly protect his wife is something so right… so masculine. I loved him for her.The only negative I have for him was the fact I felt he became a little too dependent on his feelings for Em. However, he still was able to take care of business.I appreciated Pip & Shae as well. Their sassiness was perfect for the story! It added and didn’t take away anything! Bishop was fun & goofy, which balanced the MMC’s character (Conner) and gave a refreshing break when needed!TL;DR — great writing, great characters & development, great story. Definitely will read more from this author!

Just okay
Ehhh… it was not great. Not terrible, but certainly not good. The kind of book that I am happy to finish, but not because I’m particularly invested in the story. I’ve seen this book on the bestseller list for months and months, so it felt like it was finally time to jump in. I’m a sucker for a good mafia romance, especially a dark”ish” one like this. And I love a marriage of convenience/arranged marriage, so it sounded right up my alley. I was especially intrigued by the fact that our heroine hasn’t spoken a word in six months, and that most people believe she no longer can. Unfortunately, that was such a minimal part of the story (and was resolved so quickly) that the lust overtook everything else. I felt like this couple barely knew each other by the end, and anything between them was lust-focused and the product of our antihero’s domineering personality. So I didn’t love it, didn’t hate it, but I’d try another book from the series.The story follows Conner (28), a man who agrees to get married in order to strengthen some mafia connections (I’m being vague because I barely remember the details, lol). Conner is immediately drawn to one woman from the list of options, and when he discovers that she no longer speaks after an accident, he kind of loves the idea of a silent wife who will never nag him. But when Conner meets Noemi (20) in person, he realizes there’s more to the story – and he’s interested in finding out the details. Noemi knows better than to be drawn to a man like her father, but there’s something about Conner that gets her all hot and bothered. As the two approach the date of their wedding and continue to harbor their own secrets, things get messier than expected.I was actually one of the first people to read Ramsower’s debut, and I remember thinking that I’d come back to her writing once she’d gotten a few more books under her belt. I kinda feel the same way now, lol. There’s definitely potential there, and there was a lot of good stuff going on. I liked that Conner was so solely focused on Noemi from the moment he met her, I liked that there was some suspense but it didn’t overtake the love story, and I liked some of the other characters. I was a little uncomfy about the age gap (28/20), mostly because of the experience gap and how Noemi was so sheltered and Conner was so controlling. She wasn’t a total doormat, but absolutely could’ve had more of a backbone. Conner was also a little too bloodthirsty for me, and I wish they had more of an equal partnership. I’ve read plenty of mafia romances where that was the case, and I’d have liked to have seen that here as well. And the component that I was most intrigued by – Noemi’s silence – was resolved SO quickly and so easily. Didn’t love that. There was ultimately so much potential to the story, and I feel like a lot of it went unfulfilled. Kinda meh for me.Audio note: The audio was pretty good! I’ve never listened to either narrator before, but they both did a good job. Kai Kennicott’s voice was very easy to listen to, and I enjoyed her performance. Wen Ross did just fine – his voice is a little nasally for me, but no major complaints. I’d happily listen to either narrator again. As to the runtime (9 hours), it was ideal for bingeing… though that’s not what I did. I listened to an hour here or there and then kept coming back to it, JUST interested enough not to DNF. It’s not super spicy or anything, but I’d call it lusty throughout. Probably fine for the office other than a few quick scenes. The audio wasn’t a bad way to experience the story.

enjoyable
It was an enjoyable read. I like how the male lead and female lead relationship unfolds. Connor seemed super hunky

What a beautiful written story that captures your imagination and interesting characters that keep you riveted. It’s going to be an incredible series

This book was a journey which I enjoyed thoroughly. I didn’t feel like I have to get to the end. First two chapters set the plot so one has to be patient till that only. And it’s worth it. It’s got a good story with plot twist, drama, heated romance(not too much to make it boring, just the right amount). All over it’s a beautiful read.