All I Want (All's Fair Book 1) by Abrianna Denae

If you enjoy dark stories, I recommend All I Want. It has everything, romance, kink, mafia and a great story.  Very intense from the beginning to the end. 

From the blurb:

When Carter Russo accepted a position in the Amato Organization, he never expected to get close to the man at the top—let alone end up in his bed.

Cristian Amato is cunning and ruthless, he rules the Family with an iron fist. He never expected to find someone who could be his equal in all things. Yet Carter is one of the few able to see the man beneath the title of Boss.

What should be the best day of their lives is shattered by a betrayal that's closer than anyone could have predicted.

As secrets are revealed and cracks form in the foundation of their lives, Carter and Cristian must put duty above their hearts. Is their love strong enough to survive, or will it prove to be nothing but lies…

*All I Want is the first book in the All’s Fair series. This is a dark mafia romance book with violence and intense sexual situations. Please see the TW page for details.*

SNik's Review:

First in series (All’s Fair). Mafia boss/bodyguard. Dual POV/some multiple POV. Heed content warnings. 

Carter starts out as a bodyguard for the Amato mafia family, and works his way up the ranks over years, but he didn’t mean to fall in love with Cristian the head of the family and being another father to Cristian’s son Roman. However, Carter is hiding his past and when his secret comes out it devastates Cristian but doesn’t keep him from torturing and planning to kill Carter. 

There is a lot of timeline jumping so we see how Carter and Cristian fall in love, as well as the current betrayal being dealt with and its final outcome. 

This is a very violent and gritty story, where love and trust are tested and eventually love becomes the most important thing for two brutal men that have forged their own unique relationship. 

The found family, seriously steamy interactions, loyal secondary characters, and equally capable main characters made this an entertaining read.

Rating: 4.5 Stars

Reedkaye's Review:

As the author warns this is a dark mafia story.  Pay attention to the trigger warnings because there are there.

I more than enjoyed this story.  I never should have started it in the evening because I ended up with less than an hour sleep as I was unable to set this story down.  

Carter has worked his way up in the Amato Organization to be engaged to the top man. He is so attracted to not only Cristian but also to his son Roman. As their relationship grows so does his relationship to Roman to the point that he thinks of himself also as Roman’s dad. Roman feels the same. But Carter commits the ultimate wrong by betraying Cristian. This leaves Cristian heartbroken but forced to handle the betrayal.   he problem is the love between the two is still there and even though Cristian can torture Carter he just can’t commit the final act of revenge.  

This author kept the story’s flow so constant that I could not find a time I wanted to set it down. The main characters are so likable even with their kinks.  

All I Want’s intensity and darkness made this a standout for me. It has relationship, mafia, plenty of action and more than a little emotion. I can’t wait for the next in this series.

Rating: 5 Stars

Holly's Review:

All I Want was so good I couldn’t put it down. From the first page I was thrown into chaos that kept me turning pages well into the wee small hours of the morning and waking with zero regrets the next day. 

The author's note at the beginning tells us this book will be dark, gritty, and angsty to its core. Abrianna Denae did not disappoint! 

Carter thought he’d finally found his place in the world, and Cristian, the hardened Boss of his crime family, has finally found someone he could soften his heart for. But that’s not gritty or dark, or angsty! 

There’s torture, heartache, gut-wrenching yearning, and just when you think they’ve found their way forward, a huge piece of their heart is ripped away from them. But to have all that pain and anguish and to still have a book that ends in a HEA is pure gold, and I’ll definitely be looking for more in this series. 

And it would be a review if I didn’t mention the secondary characters, who are a great addition to the plot and story, and like many others will: I hope Tennant and Enzo get a story and we get to see more of the delightful Roman, too. 

Rating: 5 Stars

All I Want is available to buy as an ebook, paperback, or to read with Kindle Unlimited subscription.