I usually hang out in the paranormal or historical worlds, so this contemporary book set against a mafia background was new to me.  As I’ve said before, a good cover can tempt me, and this cover is smokin’.   I also have a weakness for all things Irish, so I was definitely up for an Irish hero, even if he is part of a crime family.  Katee Robert is a new author to me, but definitely not to regular fans of contemporary romance since this book has won some awards.  “The Marriage Contract” is the first book in her O’Malley series, and the most recent book “Indecent Proposal” (with an even hotter cover) was just released.
The Story–

Callie and Teague are children of two different crime families in Boston.  Callie was supposed to marry the heir to the third crime family, but when he is killed, she is shuffled to a different groom.  They are both reluctant participants in the more nefarious activities associated with their families, but are also deeply loyal to their blood.  This loyalty, along with an instant attraction, leads them to accept this contemporary arranged marriage. Of course, the third crime family is still out there…

My Thoughts–

During the first half of this book, I was like “why don’t I read contemporary romance regularly? This is so hot and intriguing!” I loved the characters because they each embody the traits that are my favorites for heroes and heroines.  But, at about the halfway point when the mafia part of the story line became more intense, I began to lose my enthusiasm slightly and realized that the main reason I tend to stick with paranormal and historical is to escape some of the realities of my world.  Granted, my world does not include crime families etc., but violence is often closer than I would like to admit.

The Good–

I particularly enjoyed Teague’s interactions with Callie.  He is everything a girl would want: protective, sexy, sexy, sexy, kind, honorable, sexy… do you catch my drift? I also really enjoyed the opening scene and how fast the plot unfolded; it felt like blasting off on an extreme attraction.  The secondary characters are also notably great, which is good considering that future books will concern them.  Most of them… (sigh)

The Bottom Line–

While I will not be searching out other crime family books, I will likely continue with the O’Malleys.  If someone is a fan of this genre, I absolutely recommend it, but even if you are not, it is an enjoyable read.  It just might require a certain mindset.  That being said, it is worth 4 stars in my book.