Sabina Mancari never questioned her life as the daughter of Chicago’s leading mob boss until bullets tear apart her world and the man she thought she loved turns out to be an undercover Prohibition agent. Ambushes, bribes, murder, prostitution—all her life, her father sheltered her from his crimes, but now she can no longer turn away from the truth. Maybe Lorenzo, the fiancé who barely paid her any attention in the last two years, has the right idea by planning to escape their world. But can she truly turn her back on her family?
All his life, Lorenzo’s family assumed he would become a priest, but he has different ideas—marrying Sabina and pursuing a career in the law. Despite his morals, he knows at the core he isn’t so unlike his mafiosi father and brothers. Has he, in trying to protect Sabina, forced her into the arms of the Prohibition agent bent on tearing her family apart? How can they rebuild what has so long been neglected and do it in the shadow of the dark empire of the Mafia?
Shadowed Loyalty, set amid the glitz and scandal of the Roaring Twenties, examines what love really means and how we draw lines between family and our own convictions, especially when following one could mean losing the other.
I’ve started claiming that my favorite Roseanna M. White novel is the one I’ve read most recently. They are all SO good! But this one . . . . I don’t even know where to begin. I read it in April, but it has to be one of the best stories I’ll read this year! I’m not exaggerating. It was that good!
I’ve only read a couple novels set during the “Roaring 20s,” and this one is definitely my favorite. I loved journeying back in time, even to a time of excess and such brokenness as the mafia profiting from prohibition. I absolutely adored the characters, with the exception of Roman. He kind of grew on me in the end, but he doesn’t really fall into the place of hero or villain. Lorenzo on the other hand, even with his faults, is a great hero. He is honorable, strong, handsome (you know, because there’s seldom a romance novel with an ugly hero), and loving. Even in the midst of anger and heartbreak, he seeks to do what is right. Maybe he sought what is right after the fact, but I still loved his heart for God. I loved the authenticity of Sabina and Lorenzo’s relationship. Honestly, that may have been my favorite part of this book. It wasn’t all flowers and kisses, but it was hard and broken, requiring a lot of forgiveness and learning to begin again.
I really liked Sabina, as well. I found myself often cheering for her, hoping she’d do the right thing and learn from the past. Her journey of learning the ugly truth about her family, her desire to learn how to love them, while also hating the lifestyle they’ve chosen, was so thoroughly engrossing. I imagine anyone struggling to know how to love a family member who is choosing a lifestyle that contradicts what is right would find a kindred spirit in Sabina.
Overall, I loved this book! I can’t wait for my pre-ordered paper copy to arrive so I can share with my friends this book that so thoroughly captured my attention and heart for the space of 300-odd pages.
*My thanks to the author for my advanced copy of this book! I was not required to write a review, positive or otherwise, and have not been compensated for it in any way. All opinions expressed are my own.
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