Review: Guns N' Boys (Book #1.1) by K.A. Merikan

--- Love is sour like a Sicilian lemon. ---

The Family is always right. 
The Family doesn’t forget. 
The Family pays for blood in blood. 

Domenico Acerbi grew up in the shade of Sicilian lemon trees ready to give his life for the Family. Ready to follow orders and exceed expectations. A proud man of honor.
When Seth, the younger son of the Don is kidnapped, it’s Domenico who is sent to get him back. The man he finds though, is not the boy he knew all those years ago. Lazy, annoying, spoiled, and as hot as a Sicilian summer.

Seth Villani wants nothing to do with the Mafia. Unfortunately, he doesn’t get a say when the Family pulls him right back into its fold after his mother’s death. Thrown into a den of serpents otherwise known as the Villani Family, Seth has to find a way to navigate in the maze of lies. But when Domenico Acerbi, the most vicious snake of them all, sinks his fangs into Seth, the venom changes into an aphrodisiac that courses through Seth’s veins. 

Domenico knows his life is about to change when he gets the order to train Seth up to the role of future Don. Seth isn’t made for it. He isn’t even made. But a man Domenico knows he would never have to fear might just be someone he’s always needed.

If Seth is doomed to follow in his father's footsteps, he might as well enjoy himself—with the most intoxicating man he’s ever met. Maybe he can even fool himself into believing that Domenico isn’t a handsome sociopath who kills for a living. 

KA Merikan is a writing duo that has kind of snuck up on me, the more stuff by them I read, the more I love. I guess I should have known when they had the ability to make a book about clowns downright hot - everyone knows clowns are freaky fuckers and not sexy, until you read this book and then...*fans self* I don't think there is one book from these two that I haven't loved, and this was no exception.

Guns N' Boys is dark. It's violent, it's rough, it's all things pain. It is so many shades of wrong, I don't know where to start - and yet at it's heart, I found the sweetest love story. A love story not yet admitted, but I believe with all my heart that it is there, I can't wait to read part 2 of this book.

The opening chapters of this book are violent. Mafia style violent and yet so well written I couldn't put the book down. Seth has tried to escape his life as part of a prominent Mafia family, if for no other reason that the fact that he is homosexual and this could get him killed in an instant. But this is family and family comes before everything. When he is kidnapped to be used as a pawn against his father the Don, the carefree university life he has created for himself in America falls apart.  

Forced back to Sicily in time for his mothers funeral and a shock announcement from his dad, Seth finds himself embroiled in Mafia life, whether it is where he wants to be or not. With childhood friend, recent saviour,  and sociopath, Domenico put in charge of his training Seth didn't think he could hate life more. Until he realised that there was maybe more to Domenico than first meets the eye.

This book is such a page turner, I truly couldn't put it down. Interesting and carefully crafted characters (of course they are, it's the Merikans I've NEVER seen them write a boring character) that manage to walk the line of being sociopaths-I-didn't-hate. Being on the side of characters that really aren't all that nice is always strange, I start questioning my morals! I think I'm always looking for the reason they are like this.I enjoy characters who aren't straightforward, who there is more to than first meets the eye. 

Although this book is part 1 of book one, it doesn't leave you feeling cheated at the end. At 110,000 words it is no shorty and I finished feeling satisfied with what I'd got...but very eager to read more! Too many books nowadays - especially in the digital world - are only actually half a book with the intention of the reader having to buy the next volume to get any sort of story satisfaction. I promise this is not like that.

I would say, if you have limits in your reading, definitely check out the warning tags first:

WARNING: Adult content. If you are easily offended, this book is not for you.
‘Guns n’ Boys’ is a gritty story of extreme violence, offensive language, abuse, and morally ambiguous protagonists. Behind the morbid facade, there is a splash of inappropriate dark humor, and a love story that will crawl under your skin.

Personally I couldn't get enough of this book. Oh and I must mention a special, guest appearance. If you liked the Dark Soul books by Aleksandr Voinov, watch out for Silvio Spadaro. Yep, you heard right...he is in this book! Hear that sound? That's my heart beating! A fantastic book I highly recommend.

A copy of this book was given in exchange for an honest review.

For more information on Goodreads or Booklikes!