Calderón Heir: Malena's Bad Boys Duet Book 1 Author Y. L. Zamora
Book Review
5 out of 5 stars!
Set to Release Oct. 3, 2023 (tomorrow!)
"She was a little crime princess hidden in the suburbs while her dad put the fear of God in the city, and I was. . .well, a delinquent. . ." - Emmanuel
Malena has remained sheltered and as far away from her father's mafia world as she possibly could. Even choosing the "normal/good boy", getting into college with a legal career in mind, and more. But when her father's Will is read her past comes back for her and she's forced to face Emmanuel. A boy who broke her heart many years ago that is now a man in charge of a mafia group!
Malena will not be forced back into the mob world without a fight! She has to navigate through these unsure waters and fast as things are changing very quickly for her. Not to mention old feelings that were locked away are now surfacing along with new ones as she may be falling for more than one man! Will she ever be able to escape the mob life?
"She was gorgeous, sassy, feisty too, and I couldn't stop eyeing her thick thighs. . ." - Miguel Angel
Unfortunately, none of us can choose the lives we are born into, we just have to make do with them the best we can. Malena certainly never wanted to be the daughter of a Don! Her father sheltered her the best he could from the uglier sides of the mafia world but still, she wants nothing to do with it. Part of growing up is realizing that when you are an adult and of legal age, you can make your own decisions and walk away from things!
Only right as Malena believes she is free, something or rather someone pulls her back into that life. I loved how Malena didn't put up with anyone and spoke her mind! Even to a hardened man who was now the acting Don. Malena agreed to things because she had to, but she made it very clear that she hated every minute of it!
Malena's having boy troubles with her ex-fiancé, her ex-first-love, and a man she was hoping to start a relationship with. As you can imagine, drama between all the MMCs as they try to sort out their jealousies and attractions. We get multiple POVs to see how everyone is really feeling about each other. I especially enjoyed reading the banter between Miguel and Santiago! Not to mention the crazy sexual tension building up between those two! Emmanuel wasn't my favorite, but I am interested to see how his arc will end.
"I'll shoot you if you act stupid." - Miguel Angel (to Santiago with love)
I really loved getting to understand more of the Hispanic culture as I devoured this book. The author is wonderful in adding cliff notes at the end of every chapter so you can understand the dialogue that took place. The book is centered around a Cuban mafia family who hang onto their roots/culture. The descriptions of the dances and what they symbolized was phenomenal!
The author is Cuban and with this work I felt like she really allowed herself to be free and proud about that! I could see and feel a lot of healing happening for the author and the characters on the page. I was really drawn to all the raw emotions displayed throughout this book! You will feel a spectrum of emotions with this read. We have so many healing arcs and arcs of overcoming past traumas and controlling parents. Growing up and realizing that you may not ever be enough for someone but are you enough for you?
Please read over the TWs, there's a long list of them. If you are like me, you don't really mind a lengthy list. This is a mafia book so expect blood, violence, and gore. Language is very prominent in this book both English and Spanish words. There's talk of grief and the truth of how it never just truly goes away. Panic attacks, depression, some of the MCs have heavy pasts and things they had to go through. Mention of alcohol and drug abuse.
I appreciated the authenticity of the female body and how yes, hair is a thing! The MMCs not caring at all about the au naturel female body. The spice in this book. . .the spice in this book was off the charts! We get fun scenes with a Dom female and a Sub male! Power plays along with back door play and different pairings. (MF, MFM, MFMM, and MM) "Teach Me", "Good Boy", "Good Girl", some degradation play and more! Make sure to have a partner, a cold shower, or a battery powered friend available, that's all I'm going to say. . .
This first installment just has so many amazing things in it this review could go on! But you will just have to read this wonderful book, with yes, a cliffhanger. I cannot wait for the second part of this duet to see what's going to happen. There's a unique timeline at the beginning of the book but it helps to really set the stage for everything! I love how it was done and am excited for more.
Enjoy the why choose mafia romance with different burn rates, tropes, and reps. Some of the representations do include ADHD, autism, plus sized FMC and LGBTQ+! Ah! Just read the book and don't forget to give the author some stars!
Calderón Heir (Malena's Bad Boys): Zamora, Y L: 9781959709077: Amazon.com: Books
Calderón Heir by Y. L. Zamora, Paperback | Barnes & Noble® (barnesandnoble.com)
Author did her own artwork for the book cover and her characters! Check out different book covers and the illustrations on her website!
Y.L. (@authorylzamora) • Instagram photos and videos
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