Deathless & Divided

The Chicago War, Book 1

By: Bethany Kris

Narrated by: Roberto Scarlato

Lies and love. This is how a war starts.

A life for a life. That's the mafia way. Damian Rossi owes his life to a man who is ready to collect. That payment comes in the form of an arranged marriage to the daughter of another leading family in the Chicago Outfit. He's ready to follow through, even if that means making sure Lily knows she's his.

Lily DeLuca isn't being given a choice. Forced home to marry a man she doesn't know and back into a life she'd rather forget, her world is full of half-truths, buried pain, and uncertainty. But Damian is nothing like she expects. His motives aren't clear. Her beliefs are being tested.

When it comes to this world, no man can be trusted. Someone is ready to flip the Chicago Outfit on its side all for the promise of something better. But no one runs a clean game and these men play for keeps. When blood begins to paint Chicago red, four families will be divided by loyalty, hatred, and revenge. There is no hiding. There is no safety.

No one is deathless.

No one.

©2015 Bethany-Kris (P)2016 Bethany-Kris

This Book Blew Me Away

Deathless and Divided is the story of Damian Rossi. He is a man who owes his life to a man who is ready to collect. The payment though is an arranged marriage. to the daughter of another leading family in the Chicago Outfit. Lily Delcua just so happens to be this daughter and the poor girl is not being given a choice. She is being forced to get married to Damian, a man that she doesn't know and that will throw her right back into a life that she wants absolutely nothing to do with. Lily is really the only good thing left in the DeLuca family and her brother Dino is well aware of this fact. This is a family waiting on the war that is coming and he wants more than anything for Lily to be kept safe and as far away from the coming war as possible. He has learned the hard way that family means nothing to his uncle Don who is the underboss and that money and wealth are everything to him. This book is filled too with a lot of characters which is great and your able to keep them straight because Bethany-Kris has this way in each of her books of informing you of who everyone is and ways to remember them that don't read like a history lesson in mafia famlies. The narrator did a great job on this book. I really liked listening to him. This book kept me entertained for hours. It never got boring and it sure held my attention in a time in my life when nothing else was able to keep it. If you love mafia romances then your going to love this book. Bethany-Kris is one of the most amazing mafia story tellers out there today.
I reviewed this book for #audiobookobeseeion

***4.5 Stars Great Mob Romance***

Lily Deluca got away from the mob family she despises as soon as she could. She escaped to Europe and spent 3 years backpacking, stalling from the reality she is trying to escape back home in Chicago. Her brother tells her she must return and she knows she can no longer elude the destiny she has been avoiding all these years. Upon her arrival she is told by her brother she must marry a made man that she has no desire to share her life with. Damian Rossi, her intended owes her brother a great dept and when he is informed that its time to pay up and marry Lily. Damian is ready to do his duty but is not much more excited about it then her.

In the Italian mob one thing is supposed to be more important then anything else...La Familia. What happens though when la familia is infected? Greed, resentment, and retribution have run rampant through this Gang. It all starts to fall apart, people are dying and everyone begins to pick sides. Lily and Damian must turn to each other if they are going to make it to the alter in one piece. When anyone and everyone could be an enemy, how can they possibly trust each other? They are practically strangers and reluctantly betrothed, but they may find common ground in their pasts and that could be a start.

I defiantly enjoyed this book! there were a few twists I did not see coming. The narration was also good. I absolutely recommend this book!

I was provided a copy of this audiobook free of charge from the author/narrator/publisher in exchange for my honest review.

Great Mob story

What made the experience of listening to Deathless & Divided the most enjoyable?

Narrator was great

What was one of the most memorable moments of Deathless & Divided?

Not just one

Have you listened to any of Roberto Scarlato’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

No

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

No

Any additional comments?

4.5 stars

Mob ties run deep in Chicago. So does loyalty.

Dino DeLuca is calling in a favor that is owed to him by Damian Rossi. Damian is indifferent to the request as he knows what Dino did for him in the past, he owes him this. He is treating it just like any other business deal.
But then he meets Lily and it just might be more than that for him.

Lily DeLuca maybe part of the family by blood, but she isn't part of the outfit. She is being called back by her brother Dino. She has been able to spread her wings and travel for the last 3 years, but enough is enough. She wasn't expecting what Dina had to say......

Dino needs to make sure his sister is safe from their late parents past and the only way is by having her married to another family.

Is Dino's plan for all the right reasons Can Damian be trusted to keep Lily safe as he promised DIno? Or will Lily be in more danger than before.

This was a great audio book and the narrator did a great job!

very good

Loved it !! this story. the narrator is so fantastic it's like your really there!! good overall

Deathless & Divided

What does Roberto Scarlato bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

He brings the characters to life .


Lily is a strong female character and Roberto does her justice.

Its not easy being a Mafia Princess with all the expectations and sacrifices Lily has to make. Despite everything , Lily managed to stay true to herself. She didn't quietly and obediently agree to marry Damien.

I loved her talks with Damien . They both entered the relationship knowing its all about power and has nothing to do with love.

But as they got to know one another, feelings developed and their relationship transformed into a thing of beauty.

Damien was a great hero. He listened and talked with Lily. He knew she was independent and strong willed, and wouldn't like the idea of marriage as a power play.

He was honest with her and hid (almost) nothing from her. I like a man who gives power to his woman, especially in mafia romance. Usually the women have little to no power and her subjected to the men's rule.

This wasn't the case in Deathless & Divided.

Bethany Kris wrote a good book with strong characters and entertaining plot.

Any additional comments?

“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”

An Interesting and Enjoyable audio

What made the experience of listening to Deathless & Divided the most enjoyable?

It’s about 20 hours worth of narrations, narrated by Roberto Scarlato who has the type of voice that makes chills run up and down your spine as he reads along the book, making you want to keep going even when the book is over.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Deathless & Divided?

So full of drama, suspense and action, Bethany-Kris’ newest release will absolutely make you rethink what Mafia life really is.

What does Roberto Scarlato bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Deathless & Divided is an intense novel that Roberto Scarlato easily conveys, revolving around the mafia lifestyle, following Lily as she’s given to a man as a bride that’s she’s never met.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Deathless & Divided was my first audiobook experience and I have to say it was an interesting one. It’s a different experience from when I’m reading since I can’t see the words, but instead I have to hear them, which is why it took two tries for me to finally get what’s happening – let me be clear though, I’m more of a visual person and not as much an auditory person, which absolutely impacted the time it to go through the novel

4/4.5 "Arranged Marriages & Mafia Ghosts" Stars!

4 "Arranged Marriages & Mafia Ghosts" for the story and 4.5 narration stars!

Being a big fan of mafia romances, I'm always looking for a new one to fill my bad boy fill! I mean who doesn't love sexy, alpha, bad boy heroes who pursue their business with the same flare as their scorching hot romantic relationships? Filled with plenty of suspense and hot encounters between the hero and heroine, Deathless & Divided definitely fit my mafia romance craving and beyond that also brought an interesting perspective where supposed mafia brothers battled with more than just their known rivals, bringing a whole new meaning to hidden ghosts and secret agendas! Additionally, not only was the story line satisfying, but the narration by Roberto Scarlatto was also top-notch making this a great title to choose in audiobook format.

Those of you who read/listen to mafia romances know that arranged marriages are common, and indeed, seen as a common way to unite families and do business in the mafia world. In Deathless and Divided, Lily Deluca learns that even though she is an orphan who has been spared the mafia world for a number of years while she explored Europe, she still owes the same obligations to her family. The only difference being that in this case it's her older brother who is making the marriage business decision rather than her father (who was killed for being a traitor).

Lily really resents being told who she must marry even if she can't help but feel a natural attraction to Damian "Ghost" Rossi, the man her brother has chosen for her to marry. Of course, Damian has his own reasons for agreeing to the union, including a debt he owes to Lily's brother. Still I found it interesting that rather than regret the imposition, Damian takes his commitment to Lily seriously and endeavors, right from the beginning, to pursue a true romantic relationship with Lily. But can Damian wear Lily down and convince her that marrying him is more than obligation?

In addition to the romantic arc, there is also an interesting suspense arc that melds together the business ambitions and secret revenge plots of a number of the members of the Chicago mafia. Watching Damian both navigate these waters, as well as, try to stay true to his own wishes and desires was an interesting venture, full of action-packed scenes--with plenty of bloodshed--as well as intrigue as to the true motivators underlying a number of the mafia members' motivations. But perhaps what I loved the most was Damian's alpha protective side which kicked into high gear as a family war was unleashed among the Chicago mafia members. However, when so many violent and powerful people are driven by their own agendas, can Damian be successful in protecting the one thing that he knows is "his": Lily?

Perhaps my only observation is that Lily may have caved into accepting Damian as more than just a family obligation just a bit too quick. Then again, Damian sure does know how to treat his woman--so perhaps that's understandable.

Having previously listened to Roberto Scarlato's narrations in the past, I knew that the narration would be good--and Mr. Scarlato does not disappoint! Having a natural tough guy voice for the plentiful mafia characters in Deathless & Divided as well as the ability to impart emotion into his rendition, Mr. Scarlato brings the story to life making it even more compelling.

Mr. Scarlato also does a good job of providing distinguishable voices for both Lily and Damian. By varying the pitch of his voice, Mr. Scarlato is able to create a believable feminine voice for Lily while at the same time a deeper voice for Damian. This made distinguishing the character speaking seamless without the need to rely on dialogue tags. Mr. Scarlato also slightly varies his intonation even among characters of the same gender so that the listener can distinguish the various mafia members and their female family members.

Given this is an ACX produced title, I also was impressed with the production quality of the audiobook as I noticed no differences between this book and others produced by the major audiobook publishers.

All in all, Deathless and Divided is sure to keep mafia romance lovers entertained. And although there is no cliffhanger as it relates to Damian and Lily, Bethany-Kris has certainly laid out the framework for plenty of more Chicago War stories to come!

Source: Review copy provided in exchange for an honest review.

A Great Start!

What made the experience of listening to Deathless & Divided the most enjoyable?

*audio copy received from author in exchange for an honest review*

This is my first Bethany-Kris book, and I will be reading her next books. This story had a few elements to it that made me curious about it. 1) The blurb drew me in when the cover didn't really do much for me. 2) It's a "mob" story. Which is not my normal type of read. But I enjoyed it! 3) The narrator nailed it!

Delicate, sweet Lily DeLuca has been running from her life since she turned 18. She's pushed the past behind her, as best as she can, to move on and tour Europe. Three years later she is called him by her oldest brother Deno.

La famiglia. That's what it's all about. The outfit that took Lily's parents is now wrapping itself around her tight enough she's ready to run, until she gets a good look on the man she is now being married off to. None other Damian Rossi. Ghost as he is known by has agreed to take Lily in and do whatever he can to keep her safe as repayment to her brother.

What starts as a "must do thing" quickly turns into a heartfelt, for curling relationship between the two. They have their ups and downs and I swear the two of them are like two boxers in a ring at time. Lily doesn't take anyone's shit and Damian... well let's just say that he doesn't let her get away with as much as he... concedes to let her know what he can to keep her safer yet.

The two of them have to bind themselves together for many reasons... but in the end, it's all for love.

I really enjoyed this book. The story has an edge but is soft at times as well. I can't wait to get into the other books!

Deathless & Divided—wow

I love mafia type books and this one had it all. I love this author’s style and hope she adds more to audible. Narrator did an awesome job. I’m a fan of male/female narrator’s but he did an excellent job covering both. I fell in love with Damien. I love the way he loves. This one definitely left me with a book hangover. A++++

I need more

Omg I need to find and throttle Bethany! This book is amazing and I now NEED book 2! It has such highs and lows. So much emotion. Written very well and Roberto? Well there’s a sexy as sun voice that totally belongs to the mafia characters. Excellent narration Roberto.
#audiobookobsessionreviewer