Ruthless People by J.J. McAvoy

Note: This review may contain spoilers, so if you haven’t read the book yet you may want to pass up on reading this review. But if these types of things don’t bother you too much, then by all mean, do proceed in reading this entry. I even encourage it. :)

Before I begin, I’d like to warn you guys. If you have no idea what this book’s about, let me be the first to tell you that it is not intended for readers under 18 due to its mature content. The plot itself requires readers to be open-minded. The language is crude (though I personally find it humorous), there are loads of graphically-described violent acts, as well as explicit sex scenes. The book and this review are not for the faint-hearted. If however, you are into this sort of stories…then I hope you enjoy this book as much as I did.

Without further ado...

Title: Ruthless People (Ruthless People #1)
Author: J. J. McAvoy
Genre: Romance, Crime, Adult

SYNOPSIS:

To the outside world, they look like American Royalty, giving to charities, feeding the homeless, rebuilding the city. But behind closed doors is a constant battle for dominance between two Bosses, cultures, and hearts.

Ruthless People is a romantic crime fiction set in modern day Chicago, following the life and marriage of Melody Nicci Giovanni and Liam Callahan—rivals by blood and leaders through fear. Their marriage was arranged by their fathers in hopes to end years of bloodshed between the Irish and the Italians.

Liam, next in line to lead the Irish, believes he’s getting a simple-minded wife, one he can control, one who bends to his every need . . . the complete opposite of Melody. Bred to be a Boss, a world-class marksman, master of disguise, with no mercy and no fear. Twenty-four years later, she has achieved more than any man could even dream of, killing anyone who steps in her way. She knows exactly what type of man Liam is, and she would rather die than give up the power she has spent her whole life building. But with no other family left, she must not only learn to work with Liam, but the whole Callahan clan.

The Mafia of the past is evolving, and with rival bosses gunning for them, Melody and Liam will have to figure out how to work as one to take down those who stand in their way, all while keeping up appearances.

Power, Family, and Respect are everything.

REVIEW:

Author J.J. McAvoy really did a marvelous job with this book. Ruthless People is, hands-down, one of my favorites. It’s edgy with a bit of humor and lots of violence.

A bit of background; the feud between the Irish and Italians go way back. They hate each other to the core. To most it’s because of money and business, to some it’s more personal. But whatever their reasons are, this war has to end. It’s not doing them any good, and their bickering (such a small word to use) is giving other families a chance to get ahead of them. They don’t want that. So Liam and Melody’s fathers made an agreement. They marry their children to one another, and as a result, you get the biggest and most powerful mafia family.

Easier said than done though. The chemistry between Liam and Mel may be beyond the scale, but their hate for each other is just of the same level. Watching them kill their way to their problems is entertaining (and a bit disturbing at times). But more than that, being a part of their journey as they learn to get through obstacles together as husband and wife is simply inspiring. We will learn that no matter who you are, if you want your relationship to work out you must both learn to respect and compromise.

TO LOVE:

First of all, I loved how cool and amazing Melody is. Sure she kills and tortures people while drinking fruit shake, but she’s so elegant and sexy while doing it! She’s strong and smart. She doesn’t take crap from anyone, and if you cross her You. Will. Die. 

She’s so keen on proving herself worthy of being called “boss” that she’s willing to do anything. That includes killing Liam. Okay so maybe the last part isn’t romantic, but I still stand by my girl-crush.

Another thing I loved most is that with everything they do, Liam and Melody manages to appear classy. Whether they’re smiling for the camera or beating the hell out of each other. They do it with so much style that you can’t help but imagine yourself in their shoes. I mean, being a member of the Mafia doesn’t exactly put you on the cover of Vogue magazine, but these two just makes illegal look good.

The emotional progress of the characters is realistic. This applies to everyone and not just the leads. They don’t immediately like each other after meeting for the first time, unlike some books I've read. Forming the bond and trust between the members of the families took a lot of work, and I think that is great.

TO BLEH:

By the way, “bleh” is the word I’ll be using to describe things that I didn’t like so much. I think “hate” is just too harsh and doesn’t fit, so I won’t be using that.

Moving on. This took me some time to think of, but I didn’t like the part where they attacked their enemy’s estate so much. It seemed too…easy. I felt like it could’ve been more intense, you know? But they did make it up by how they killed the bastard and beyotch, so…

SUMMARY:

Well, that pretty much sums up my thoughts on this book, Ruthless People by J.J. McAvoy, and I hope you do read the book as well. Book Two titled, “The Untouchables” is now available for pre-order, and “American Savages”, the conclusion to this wonderful series will be published on March 19th, 2015. Exciting!!! :)

Before I forget, for some reason, I pictured Jamie Dornan as Liam. I did so immediately after the first few pages. Anyway, please share your thoughts on this, and enjoy the books!!

J.J. McAvoy's website: http://iamjjmcavoy.com/