It's hard to say if it was dark considering everyone has their own definition of dark. It was well written, suspenseful enough and very steamy. It’s highly enjoyable, engaging, low-angst, mafia-style love and adventure dressed up in holiday trappings.I really hoped to like this book more than 3 stars. If you’ve enjoyed the other stories in this universe, A Devilish Christmas is a must-read. In fact, the first thing Devil says to Joe after they’re married is, “I own you completely now.” Ownership, possession, and control are the relationship linchpins for all of these mobsters/vigilantes.

Additionally, as usual, we get Marchesi (or in the spinoff stories, Vigilance and Theriot) macho proclamations about possession over their lovers. The Marchesi interpretation of h appiness and joy always includes some bad guy vanquishment, and not even a wedding or honeymoon are exempt. However, some things remain consistently true throughout Ms. I loved the clever juxtaposition of Devil, the tough, intimidating, mafia gangster with the cheeriness and, dare I say, softness, of a Christmas elf spreading (or at least trying to) joy and unadulterated happiness. It was nice to see their dynamic and their emotional connection as strong as ever. We get to see more of Devil and Joe’s relationship in this story, which pleases me because they were hands-down my favorite Marchesi couple. It’s crazy, often chaotic, and always funny. We also get to revisit these other family members, like Angelo and Lucien, and all of their snarky banter and lunacy. However, it’s tempered here by the Christmas theme and the family’s rejoicing over Devil and Joe’s wedding with all of the attendant Marchesi family craziness. It’s the mix of elements we’ve come to expect from Ms.

The story has a lot of humor and is spicy, sweet, and sexy, plus we get some action too. Violet’s Marchesi Universe and is written with the same tenor and style. Silvia Violet’s A Devilish Christmas gives us an opportunity to visit with mafia man Devil Marchesi and his ex-cop boyfriend Joe in a holiday story that shows their relationship after the HEA in Devil. This is a sequel to Devil (The Marchesi Family 3) and is best enjoyed after that story. But I’ve been keeping a secret, and it follows me all the way to Christmastown.Ĭan Devil and I enjoy each other, find our Christmas spirit, and keep ourselves safe from a vicious killer? Devil rents my dream cottage and manages to draw me out of my Scrooge-like ways.

I simply planned revenge involving handcuffs. Devil, my beast of a man, seduces me into eloping, then kidnaps me for a honeymoon in Christmastown, Vermont.Ī lot of men would be furious.

Lucien by Silvia Violet