***REVIEW*** Ruin by CD Reiss

Ruin is Book 2 of the Songs of Corruption series by C.D. Reiss. 

As the saying goes opposites attract. 

Antonio Spinelli, Capo, is a sight to behold.  He is beautiful, educated and a well-respected lawyer—if you are Mafia connected.  Yes, that’s right he can and will steal, kill or do whatever his father, the head of the Napoli family asks. 

Capo wants Theresa and everything that a life with her might mean. With Theresa, Antonio sees the possibility of the life he thought he would have years ago.  He sees a wife, a family and a life outside the mob.  He also knows the chances are slim to none that he can have the life he wants.  His father didn’t want Antonio in the “family business’ but Antonio wanted revenge years ago and his actions has him firmly tied to the mob with no way out.

Theresa Drazen has always been protected by her family especially her older sister.  She is innocent (sort of), also educated, in a successful career and a loved daughter of a highly successful and influential American family.  She has her own connections--political, familial and personal.  Theresa knows who and what Spinelli is and she wants him anyway. 

“Look at you.” Margie, arms crossed, leaned back in the chair.  “You got a face like a brick wall.  You don’t want to hear it, because you already decided you don’t care.”

Theresa is naively aware that being in love with Antonio has disaster written all over it but she can’t tell her heart to let him go.  She plows ahead and believes they can make a life together.  Theresa also believes she can protect her lover and save him from this life he doesn’t want anymore.  (At least that is what he tells her.)   The kicker is the more Theresa tries to protect Antonio the more trouble begins to circle around the couple.  With each of her failed attempts at protecting her Capo the more dangerous life becomes.

I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review.

I first read C.d. Reiss’ work with the Songs of Submission series.  I love it and couldn’t wait to read more about the Drazen family.  Songs of Corruption is Theresa Drazen’s story.  The book’s timeline runs parallel to Jonathan’s story in SOS so the reader will recognize events.  

Ms. Reiss is very skillful with lining up the events in this story and a reader familiar with both series will have a point of reference as to what the Drazen family is experience, not only in Theresa’s life but also Jonathan’s.  That said it isn’t necessary to read Songs of Submission before reading this series.  It is important to read Spin before Ruin or the reader will be slightly confused and missing key information.

In Spin, (the first book in the Songs of Corruption series) Capo asks Theresa “What if you die from loving me?”  To which she responds “What if I die from not loving you?”  In Ruin there are times that I think “Yes! One of them is going to die.” 

In Spin, (Good thing I did a re-read before starting this book) Antonio said “Make no mistake I will hurt you to protect you.”  In Ruin Theresa’s Capo does hurt her several times—sometimes intentionally and sometimes unintentionally.  As I read the book I feel Theresa’s pain and become very angry with Antonio.  At one point the anger makes me put the book down, walk away and drink a bottle of wine. 

What I liked: 

The book switches back and forth from Theresa’s to Antonio’s point of view.   This is the perfect technique that Ms. Reiss used to allow the reader to get inside both Spin’s and Theresa’s heads and hear their thoughts.    For me it is very effective storytelling.  I could feel the angst and passion experienced by both of these characters.   Knowing their thoughts didn’t help calm my anger however it did make me yell a lot as I read.  (Mostly I am angry with Spinelli because I believe he lies to Theresa.  I don’t care if he can explain it away for his own peace of mind.  He lies.)

"I prayed God would forgive me for loving her, and feared only the devil would answer."

The angst in this story is gut wrenching.  Every time I thought I had an idea of where the story was headed Ms. Reiss threw in a twist that I didn’t expect.  I went from loving Spin to hating him to forgiving him then back to strongly disliking him again.  Taking the reader through all these emotions is the hallmark of a good story teller.  Let’s not forget Daniel, Theresa’s ex.  I went from hating him to REALLY hating him.  He is no good to the core.  Sometimes I have the feeling that he is better suited to the Mafia than Spinelli. 

"She was going to be the death of me, and I was suicidal. I would kill for her, or I'd be killed by her, but no matter what, someone was getting anointed in oil and put in a pine box."

There is one stomach churning scene after another.  As I read each event that place in the pit of my stomach would tighten and I had no choice but to continue reading waiting for the next shoe to drop. 

It isn’t just Antonio that makes me angry.  There is a scene with Katrina, Theresa’s close friend that sent me through the roof.  I want Theresa to show a little more spine in this scene but she forgives her friend.  Remember in Spin Theresa saved Katrina from the loan shark from whom she borrowed money. 

I have no idea how the conclusion of Theresa and Antonio's story will play out but I will be waiting on pins and needles till then.

What I didn’t like:

There are three reasons that I didn’t give this book 5 stars. 

First it is frustrating to me that the couple continually seems to hurt one another in the name of saving or helping the other person.  For me, after the second or third time I want Antonio and Theresa to have an honest conversation.  You know the kind of conversation that couples who really want a life together have.  I didn’t want the lies and/or half-truths that continue to the end of the book. 

Secondly, the Italian phrases, while beautiful required me to keep my translator up and running the entire time I read the book.  It was frustrating that the translation wasn’t on the same page occasionally.  I’m not sure if this is the author’s plan and symbolizes Antonio keeping Theresa in the dark but it was frustrating as the reader. 

Finally, the book ends with a cliffhanger.  I hate them and this particular ending makes me think of the temporary HEA that Jonathan and Monica receive.  The cliffhanger coincides with a significant event in SOS and I don’t think the parallel is a coincidence.  I don’t want another short term reprieve for this couple. 

Regardless of these three things let me emphasis that the positives (everything I like about the book) far out way any negatives for me.  Ms. Reiss is very good at weaving a tale that keeps the reader on the edge of his/her seat and while sitting on the edge the mental whiplash the reader experiences is amazing.  She is a master at creating and emotional roller coaster ride for the reader and I can’t wait for the final chapter to this story. 

  

***You do NOT need to read Songs of Submission to read Spin*** 

Theresa wants to know one thing. 
Is there something wrong with her? 
Because from what she can see, she has money, brains, a body that does the job. Yet, she keeps getting shelved. Most recently, by her fiancé who happens to be the DA. 
And she'll get over it, really. No problem. She'll just have a nice, short encounter with a mysterious Italian named Antonio who may or may not be involved with some kind of alleged criminal activity...blah blah... 
Let's call a spade a spade. 
He's a mobster. 
Let's face a few more facts. 
He's hot. He's smart. And if anyone breathes on her the wrong way, he's got no problem beating their head against a Porsche until they're willing to lick up their own vomit to make it stop. 
Just about everything about that turns her on. 
Yeah. There's something wrong with her. 

**MATURE AUDIENCES--Rough sex. Dirty talk. Criminal activity. Cursing. Fisticuffs. Closed course. Professional driver. Do not try this at home.**

  

CD Reiss is a USA Today and Amazon bestseller. She still has to chop wood and carry water, which was buried in the fine print. Her lawyer is working it out with God but in the meantime, if you call and she doesn’t pick up, she’s at the well, hauling buckets.

Born in New York City, she moved to Hollywood, California to get her master’s degree in screenwriting from USC. In case you want to know, that went nowhere, but it did embed TV story structure in her head well enough for her to take a big risk on a TV series structured erotic series called Songs of Submission. It’s about a kinky billionaire hung up on his ex-wife, an ingenue singer with a wisecracking mouth; art, music and sin in the city of Los Angeles.

Critics have dubbed the books “poetic,” “literary,” and “hauntingly atmospheric,” which is flattering enough for her to put it in a bio, but embarrassing enough for her not to tell her husband, or he might think she’s some sort of braggart who’s too good to give the toilets a once-over every couple of weeks or chop a cord of wood.

If you meet her in person, you should call her Christine.