Sempre: Redemption by J.M. Darhower

What an incredible story from start to finish. Sempre, Redemption, and Made left me speechless because everything came full circle—it was simply fated to be. These characters—Carmine, Haven, Vincent, Maura, Dominic, Corrado, and Celia will forever have a special place in my heart. This was a story about love, redemption, family, sacrifice, death, revenge, and betrayal. It had everything I wanted in a fictional novel about the mafia and/or organized crime. While it is considered a romance, there was so much more to this story than Carmine and Haven's young love. All of the characters made this story for me. It took the characters almost ten years to find out who the true mastermind behind Maura's death was, which led to Vincent's quest for revenge, as well as the truth behind Haven and her mother Miranda. My heart simply shattered to pieces when the charade finally came to an end—both from Carmine and Corrado's point of view.

“You turned me upside down and made me feel again. You saved my life, even though I didn’t realize it needed to be saved.”

 

In the end, this tale of redemption and sacrifice was everything I wanted and more. It was masterfully written by the talented J.M. Darhower and I highly recommend this series to anyone who is looking for an excellent mafia romance with fantastically written characters and a story that will grip your heart and never let go. Carmine has made some terrible decisions but I never faulted him for it. Just like his father, Carmine fell in love with a slave and did everything in his power to save her. The parallels broke my heart. I loved that in the end, Carmine and Haven were able to overcome their hardships and get their happy ending. The mastermind and individual behind everything got what they deserved. Redemption answered all of my questions and gave me even more in Made. I loved this series and will never forget it.

Rating: ★★★★★