Skyler Snow

Brea Alepoú

I’m used to my life being insanity. A family of a-holes, being locked up, and a few loose screws? Yeah anyone would go crazy. (Not that I am. I’m different, that’s all). My brothers say I’m the loose canon of the family. The truth is that I’m the life of the party!

The party comes to a screeching halt when I meet Ash. Shy, younger, virgin. He’s everything I’m not attracted to. Give me an experienced partner anyday.

But there’s something about him that makes me want to keep him. Maybe I want to stoke that fire I see in his eyes. Or maybe I’m just lonelier than I thought.


Either way, he’s mine. Nobody, and I mean nobody, will take Ash away from me.

Vitale Brothers Book 2

Paid In Full

aleksandra

1.75/5

The review contains spoilers!

Not me having high expectations for this book, then end up being disappointed. I've wanted to read Gin's story since I started the first book about his brother, Enzo. Whose book was okay. Okay meaning, I almost forgot about it the day after I finished it. I've always been obsessed with the crazy, unhinged, "funny" characters in the group - as I have the most fun reading about them - so when I see them get their own, I know I'll be reading it as soon as it comes out. Gin had a huge potential to join to them, and become one of my favorites, but as you can probably see from my rating, he didn’t. This review might actually focus mostly on him, but we will see. 


So let's move on to our first main character, Gin. I'll start with the things I liked about him, because there are far fewer of them. 

Gin had some funny moments which, while quiet stupid, I surprisingly enjoyed. One of them is him naming his hammer "Silvy". I mean, I know it's - once again - stupid for a grown man to give his hammer a name, but every time he said it, I laugh. 

His relationship with Ash, shockingly, had some positive sides. Exactly two. Ash finally became himself thanks to Gin and sometimes the way Gin teased Ash was quite funny. 

The dynamic between them was unusual, because looking at them you would probably think that Gin was the dominant one in their relationship. He was 6’5, with tattoos, unhinged and crazy personality, was a part of the mafia and was rich. That’s your usual, boring alfa hero here. At least, that's how most authors writes them. Most read 99%. But no, in this scenario he was the one getting dicked down by Ash. Ash, 5’6 tall, shy and not confident at all - at least at the beginning, but with big D. 


Moving to the things I didn’t liked about Gin.

The fact that he "bought" Ash, and made him earn money to let him go, by doing the deed with him. Ash was abused by his father, locked away from people and his mental state had to be really bad, after all he had to went through. So I couldn't believe that when he agreed to their sexual arrangement, he actually meant it. It was a perfect example of Stockholm syndrome, where in this case, Ash after being bought by Gin, finally is "free" from his abusive father and the only person who can help him is Giancarlo. Which results in him falling in love with Gin. 


  
    “Don’t try and run. I’ll have to k*ll you, and dick like yours is hard to come by. Stamina included. It would be a shame if I had to put a bullet in your head.”
  


Soo romantic right? Ash wasn’t exactly locked in Gin’s place, he could probably easily run away, especially when Gin left him for a week alone, but he had nothing on him and nowhere to go. This guy had no friends, his father was a f*cked up person and he had no money. 

The next thing is something which irritated me so much that I wanted to go inside the book and smash something in Gin’s face. It’s Gin calling Ash, kid. If he had used that nickname once or twice, I probably could have dealt with it somehow. But he said it sixty times. I'm sorry, but that sounds terribly wrong, especially when you're in a sexual relationship with the guy you call that.

It’s not the end though. Gin comparing Ash to a dog, was just not right. At all. Pet, puppy and a dog? I know this guy was crazy and out of his mind, but seriously? 


  
    "See, just like a dog.” Giancarlo’s warm voice caught me off guard."

"The kid was more like an annoying ass pet than anything else, but the thought of turning him away made my stomach hurt."
  


??? What ???


  
    “Yeah! I mean, you act just like Milo. Don’t like to be left alone, eager, happy, ready to please. You always get sassy and bark, and you love 
lying next to me.” I grinned."
  


The fact that he compared Ash to his dead dog was the end for me.


Finally, let's go ahead and talk about some of the things this guy said because I literally wanted to hit him with his stupid hammer.

one 
  
    "If you don’t like who I am, find a different way to pay your debt and leave. I could always drop you off at the brothel and let you work it off there.”
  


You would do what? 


  
    "I stared after him, my fist clenched at my side. Fuck! Shouldn’t have said that, huh?"
  


"Huh?" You definitely shouldn’t have said that. He later apologized, but I couldn't forget it, because how could I?

two 
  
    “I didn’t do anything wrong.” 
“Buying kids isn’t wrong?” I asked. “What you did to them isn’t wrong?”
  


I mean, you literally bought Ash, so what the hell are you talking about. 

three I’m sorry in advance. 


  
    “Gin, I’m ready to go.” 
“I can practically see a tail wagging.” Gin’s dark brown eyes lit up. “Ash, pull your pants down and wag your dick for me.” 
“What? No.”
[…]
This cannot be my life. 
I moved my hips from side to side as my cock swung between my legs. “Fuck, that thing is massive.” Giancarlo stepped closer, desire written all over his face. I hopped back and covered my cock. “No.”
  


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ 


four 
  
    “Couldn’t have the school calling social services. He broke my nose one good time and never did it again because I was almost free of him.” “Save your sob story.” 
Ash’s fist collided with my arm. “Fuck you!"
  


Ash is telling Gin about his abusive father and that’s the response to it. I think I will leave it no comment.

five 
  
    "Laughing, I shoved away from Ash. “Yeah? How am I supposed to believe you? I get it. You’ve got trauma, kid. All of us do!"
  


Okay, so if he has trauma, it's totally fine because we all have it. I’m calling my therapist to cancel our next appointment then. 

six 
  
    “You need to get out of my place.” 
His eyes widened, his jaw dropping. “No.”
“I don’t give a damn where you have to go.” I nodded to the money. “That’s more than enough to get you a taxi and a hotel room for a long ass time. Get out.”
  


‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎‎ 


seven 
  
    “I love you.” 
“So what?”
  


Jail. 

He did indeed grovel, even got on his knees, but I still wanted to punch Gin in the face. Again. Preferably every day until the end of his days. That’s the end of my ranting about him. I can already say that he will be my last favorite Vitale brother.


  
    "Yes, I was still on my groveling tour a month later, but I was okay with that. Ash seemed to be too. Expensive dinners, races, movies, outings, letting him renovate the house to erase my ex, and even more dreaded driving lessons; I was doing it all. For him. If risking my life didn’t prove I was sorry and that I loved him, I didn’t know what would."
  


The other main character, Ash, was definitely more likeable and didn't do anything wrong in my opinion. He didn't tell Gin that he was giving his "father" money, but his dad threatened him and sent his men to beat him up. He was about to end it and tell Gin the truth, but it was too late because Gin found out about it first. Ash was starting to become more confident after the trauma he had experienced throughout his life, so yes, he lied, but he still wanted to stand up to his father and then tell Giancarlo the truth.


  
    "My life had never been about what I wanted but what others wanted from me. Maybe it’s time I changed that."
  

 

I know after writing this review it may seem like this book was a toxic disaster - which is true - but at least Gin apologized and groveled for everything he did. Unlike other dark romance heroes I've read. I'll probably read the last book in the series because it's about Vitale's oldest brother, Benito, and the yakuza's son, which I find interesting enough to try it out.



  Vitale Brothers series:

1. Take Me Apart (Vitale Brothers, #1) 2.75/5
2. Paid in Full (Vitale Brothers, #2) 1.75/5
3. Say I Do (Vitale Brothers, #3) 2/5
4.  Never Say Never (Vitale Brothers, #4) tbr
5.  End It All (Vitale Brothers, #5) tbr

Paid In Full Vitale Brothers Book 2

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