Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book
Rate this book
I wanted out of the mafia and unexpectedly got my wish,
only it’s worse than I ever could have imagined.

I’ve been promised to the Irish.
An arranged marriage in the name of alliance.

In two short weeks, Conner Reid will become my husband.
I have no choice.
My father will kill me if I refuse.

The ruthless Irishman threatens my composure and intoxicates my senses.
He represents everything I hate in this world yet summons my darkest cravings.

I can’t escape him.

The worst part is, I’m not sure I want to.
Because my life is in danger, and Conner may be the only man who can save me.

A dark romance with adult themes, Silent Vows may not be suitable for sensitive audiences. But if you like your men possessive and a steamy read with a guaranteed happily ever after, this enemies to lovers arranged marriage romance will satisfy your every craving!

350 pages, Paperback

Published October 17, 2022

Loading interface...
Loading interface...

About the author

Jill Ramsower

43 books1,996 followers
Jill is a Texan, born and raised. She manages the hectic social calendars for her three active children and occasionally spends an evening with her dashing husband. Aside from being an author and a mom, she's a travel junkie and loves to read when she is not lost in her own stories.

With Jill’s books, you can count on confident heroines, plenty of steamy tension, and deliciously assertive leading men. There are no guarantees in life, but with her books, you know everything will work out in the end. However, a perfect ending would not be nearly as satisfying without a seemingly insurmountable challenge. Jill loves to add plenty of adversity in her stories, creating unforgettably dynamic characters and sneaky plot twists you will never see coming.

Find her on Facebook here-->https://www.facebook.com/jillramsower...
Never miss a release! Sign up for her newsletter here-->https://jillramsower_234b.gr8.com/
Check out her website here-->https://www.jillramsower.com/


Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
10,075 (27%)
4 stars
12,201 (32%)
3 stars
10,606 (28%)
2 stars
3,300 (8%)
1 star
975 (2%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,513 reviews
Profile Image for Angie Cox.
418 reviews3,634 followers
November 8, 2022
2 ⭐️ meh, not for me

WHAT TO EXPECT:
✨ mafia romance
✨ age-gap
✨ arranged marriage
✨ enemies to lovers
✨ traumatized, kind, silent (by choice) FMC
✨ dangerous, possessive MMC
✨ political intrigue
✨ smut
✨ HEA

A mafia romance without much plot and surface-level character development. I couldn't get into the story and never got attached to the MCs. I only finished reading because I was bored, and it was a relatively quick, easy read.


What I didn't like:

- Conner and Noemi's reasoning was hardly ever sound. Whether it was their reason for falling in love or justifying some of their actions, the logic didn't quite add up.

- The dialogue between the MCs and people they were close to was not colloquial and often sounded forced or robotic.

- Conner's inner dialogue about Noemi and his feeling towards her was unbelievable or not how any man would describe a woman.

- A lot of the things Conner did was straight up psychotic, but Noemi refers to it as caveman behavior. Just felt like she was brushing off a pretty big part of Conner's job/personality in order to accept him romantically.

- Both Conner and Noemi would emotionally leap during this story. One minute they're just attracted to each other, but then the next, they randomly decide they want every part of them - their mind, body, and soul. I didn't understand where these deep feelings came from. Seems to me it was done to push the romance forward and give the characters a deeper connection than they really had. At one point, Conner even thinks, "How had I gone from begrudgingly agreeing to marry a woman to obsessing over her thoughts and feelings?". I'm here wondering the exact same thing!

- Noemi was always worried about what Conner would think of her whenever she got too emotional or freaked out.

- For some reason, waitresses LOVE to touch Conner, and Noemi gets extremely jealous. I have never personally been touched or seen anyone touched by the wait staff at a restaurant. But this happens every time they go out. This is an unbelievable situation that is only there to further the romantic plot.

- When Noemi is sobbing and tells Conner the truth, how does he respond? He commands her to take off her clothes, get on her knees, and close her eyes. Fuck this guy. I get this is a mafia romance where the guys are all about control and dominance, but Jesus Christ, can you take care of your girl first before forcing her to submit and sticking your dick in her?

- The fight scene at the end reminded me of the newscaster brawls in Anchorman, where bad guys from different gangs kept popping out to join the fight. I rolled my eyes so much.


Overall, Silent Vows had potential, but there were too many issues with the characters, romance, and plot for me to enjoy it. I really wanted to love this story, but unfortunately, it wasn't it for me.


Thank you to Jill Ramsoweer for providing me with an e-arc in exchange for an honest review. As always, all opinions are my own.
Profile Image for Bookgasms Book Blog.
2,844 reviews1,461 followers
September 27, 2022
Ahhh! This is my first time reading a Jill Ramsower story but I know it won't be my last! I loved reading Noemi and Conner's story. This arranged marriage mafia romance was sexy and so addicting. I loved seeing the connection between the characters and really feeling the intense emotions between them!

I have read a ton of mafia romance novels but what I always ask myself is whether the romance between the hero and heroine felt genuine and fiery. After reading Silent Vows I can honestly say that this is one of the best mafia stories I've read in a long time. Conner and Noemi had combustible chemistry but more than that was the intense connection between them. From their initial meeting you could tell there was something special between them. Their banter was heated and sexy and I for one am obsessed with them!

Overall this was an amazing read, and now I am so ready for Keir and Bishops books!! What a phenomenal start to the Byrne Brothers series! 5 stars! ~Ratula ❤️
11 reviews
November 22, 2022
DNF 70%.

I was really disappointed in this book because I've read Jill's other works and they're beautiful but I don't know where things went wrong in this one. I hated everything and everyone in this novel.

Conner was a misogynistic, manipulative, hypocrite. Now I'm not against morally grey men, don't get me wrong, I think they're the best thing since sliced bread was invented. But generally speaking, I prefer for them not to act like red flags towards their partners. Using sex to coerce Noemi, pressuring her to get a tattoo of his name after claiming this was a marriage of convenience, generally not communicating about his rapidly shifting stances towards her, promising her certain personal liberties and going back to his word, continually crossing boundaries, and forbidding Noemi from even interacting with her friends and family. I felt like the author was trying to create the image of a brooding, possessive, anti-hero who women drool over, but in reality, it just gave sociopath isolating his victim and manipulating her for his own personal pleasure. There was nothing really to humanize him outside of his .... "love" for Noemi. I believe that in a romance novel, the characters are supposed to end up in love. I couldn't feel any of his love for her. Yes, he was infatuated and obsessed and viewed her as an object build to satisfy him, with Noemi engaging in that, but that's not love. That's something better set in psychological horror. It very much gave unreliable narrator energy. It's obvious that he cared for her, but in the way that a psychopath cares for his possessions. We do see him looking to gain her trust and seeming genuinely remorseful and invested around chapter 30, but to me, it felt like too little too late.

Noemi was a pushover and a dumb one at that. Like bro the "secret" regarding her muteness was jeopardized in under five (very short) chapters. You're telling me you grow up in the mafia, have a bold and supposedly intelligent, are running on fight-and-flight mode, yet can't matain a life-threatening secret? She kept on needlessly sacrificing for her brother in silence and never considered any alternative options to get out of the situation other than marriage. idk maybe the world in which this is set makes that an unrealistic possibility, but come on, please try to help yourself. It was later revealed she has family who are willing to support her and who has authority over her father and she just ... never considered approaching them? Also, I felt like she gave in so easily to Conner simply because of his looks. Like, she sees his handsome face, she goes red, Conner smirks, her pussy gushes, and she's suddenly out here throwing credit card pins and social security numbers. She always bent to him, rationalising it by how attracted she is to him. He keeps on trampling her boundaries, and she keeps on enabling and accepting them. Admittedly there are some moments wherein she takes control and autonomy of herself, but not when it mattered im0. I'm all for male leads breaking down the heroine's barriers, but not at the expense of her well-being and comfort. The author tried so hard to justify it but it just left me feeling so uncomfortable. Additionally, they keep on banging and they used sex to try and create intimacy and serve as a way to demonstrate the characters catching feelings, but intimacy is intimacy. Outside of sex, there are little to no tender or heartfelt moments among the characters. We don't see them falling in love, its a weird savior/possessive psychopath and damsel in distress relationship. Now, to be clear, I love dark romances, and I don't particularly consider myself faint of heart, but good god I was searching to find the romance in this novel and just couldn't.

Don't even get me started on the brother who lived in willful ignorance for the sake of his own comfort. His sister is out here sacrificing herself and he can't get his grown ass to recognise the signs that practically smacked him across the face with the words "SIGN" tacked onto them?? I know characters and humans are inherently flawed, but this dude is what broke the camel's back after the horrible horrible main characters.

The plot was actually interesting and I'm disappointed that the characters were the way they were. Maybe I was overly critical idk but I personally felt like this was a DARK dark book instead of a dark romance. Wasn't feeling the romance tbh.
Profile Image for Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth).
1,896 reviews1,153 followers
October 13, 2022
Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: arranged marriage
Angst: 😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥

Jill Ramsower has done it again with arranged marriage, mafia perfection! Neomi has been living under threat of harm by her father for 6 months. She's literally not spoken a word. Forced to play the role of the subservient daughter even as she vows to make him pay. She never counted on her way out being by an arranged marriage to the Irish Mob. Connor Reid is the man they picked for her and while parts of Neomi is attracted to him, she's just not sure if she can trust him with what she's running from.

Absolutely loved it! Silent Vows is well written with a fantastic, action packed storyline filled with betrayals and secrets galore. It's a bit of a slow burn, but I loved how natural their relationship progression was and their super hot chemistry definitely added to the buildup. Neomi is definitely not the girl Connor thought he was getting, but rather the one he needed. Super strong and resilient, she's protective of the ones she loves and not afraid to step up, even if it makes her vulnerable. Connor is just wonderful. Obsessive, possessive, and jealous all wrapped up in a super sexy package. He's got a lot going on, but still appreciative of the sweet and sassy girl he just got tied to. Really a fantastic read and I'm SOOO looking forward to the next book after that delicious little nugget thrown at us during the epilogue, lol.

Silent Vows is the first book in The Byrne Brothers series by Jill Ramsower. It can be read as a standalone. Silent Vows is told in first person, from dual perspective.

⛔️ My bookshelves can sometimes contain spoilers
Profile Image for Samantha (bookgramsaga reviews).
688 reviews799 followers
May 23, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️

''Nothing more real than blood and ink''

Safety warnings:
- H late 20s? / h 20
- No cheating
- No OW/OM drama
- Verbal abuse
- Loss of loved ones
- Violence/d*ath
- Arranged/forced marriage
- HEA

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️

This book had such potential but the main reason for the title was resolved too early for me? I also feel like her reasons for her silence were not really good? She could always still write the secrets she kept within her and plotted against her father all along?

Noemi's mother was killed 6 months before the start of this book and the person who killed her? Her own father. Why? She knew something about his devious plans (aka wanted to murder the leader and his brother-in-law to get power). Noemi was not supposed to be in the same car at all but her mother confessed everything when she knew they were in danger which resulted in Noemi faking silence and tell the world she lost her voice.

Her father spends the next 6 months threatening her to keep her mouth shut or he would harm her and her younger brother. Who btw was absolutely clueless the entire book and was blinded by his idolization of his father. I felt like Noemi coddled him even though he was 17! He was not a child but acted like one a lot of the times and just in the end started growing more aware of the truth but didn't really buy it until it hit him in the face.

I should mention that Noemi is Italian and Conner our MMC is Irish, and they do not mix. However, he was adopted and finds out his birth mother is Italian, so they decide this is the perfect chance to combine forces. That results in the arranged marriage between Conner and Noemi.

These two were a bit angsty but there was not much tension beyond the fact he wanted to know why she faked losing her voice and why she was afraid of her father.

I wanted her to not speak for a lot longer than the book gave us. She started speaking to him WAY too early and he finds out about her deception even earlier than that.

I have to say that the ending scene (the standoff) was a nice little trick that Conner orchestrated, and I was glad to see it go down that way.

I appreciated her friendship with Pippa (her cousin) and how her family outside of her father were instantly on her side and handled the issue the moment they found out the truth. I think she could have avoided so much pain in the last 6 months if she had just trusted her POWERFUL family to handle her father discreetly.

This would have been bumped up to 4 stars if some of the things were executed a lot better in my eyes.
Profile Image for ❀ Rose ❀.
329 reviews241 followers
Read
June 27, 2023
Very meh mafia book. One thing I realized thought is that as much as I love the marriage of convenience trope, I hate it when the couple takes forever to *actually* get married. I want them to get married in the beginning and then start getting to know each other lol. In this one however, they get married at the 60% mark which, in my opinion, just defeats the whole purpose of this trope.
Profile Image for Alexandraa XX.
674 reviews522 followers
October 26, 2022
Nothing i love more when I find a new author that writes books that I really love😍😍😍 It’s like love at first sight😍 I love reading this book so much! It made me already obsessed with the author and follow😁 What the author writes is a safe romance with a hero that is over the top possessive protective mafia alpha male, just what I like 😉

It’s definitely a slow burn.


“An instinctual attraction that had my thoughts and desires locked on one woman. Nothing else distracted from my singular need for Noemi Mancini. She was mine, and I was going to prove it to her.”


The story starts with the heroine is living in a bad home with her father after her mom’s accident that killed her. Her father treats her so badly because he knows the heroine knows why her father killed her mother who is his current wife at the time. Her father is a mafia boss and in a mafia organization also with her mother’s family. The heroine was depressed and most of the time scared since her mother passing away six months ago… And the hero was offer to marry the heroine. And that’s when the hero tries to save the heroine’s life of becoming his wife… But it wasn’t a easy journey for them….


The book cover is just wow 🤩🤩🤩🤩🤩

Five stars😏😏😏😏😏







‼️‼️‼️TRIGGERS: Guns, killing, death, car accidents, childhood trauma, abuse, adoption, high on violence, mafia and arrange marriage.

‼️‼️‼️SAFE ROMANTIC HOT SWEET LOVE STORY.

‼️‼️‼️NO CHEATING

‼️‼️‼️NO SEPARATION

‼️‼️‼️DUAL POV

‼️‼️‼️THE HEROINE IS A VIRGIN.

And yes the hero really loves that the heroine is a virgin🥺

“Tell me no other man has touched you here.”

“I’d never expected to marry a virgin or felt a particular need to fuck one, but hell if I don’t love knowing my cock is the only you’ll ever know.”

🥺🥺🥺🥺

The hero even asked the heroine how many boyfriend she had and what parts of her body that the boyfriends touch🤣


‼️‼️‼️THE HERO IS OVER THE TOP POSSESSIVE PROTECTIVE BILLIONAIRE MAFIA BOSS ALPHA MALE.

The hero is not a manwhor3. Doesn’t even talk about it or have a history about it. Even people around him doesn’t even say that about him.

‼️‼️‼️THE HEROINE is very immature sometimes because of her age and also her father is so protective of her so she doesn’t get out much. I mean literally her father treats her like a prisoner in their own house. So I understand and don’t get too bother with her immature thoughts and words. Also be patient with her thoughts okay cause sometimes her thoughts be so overthinking🤣 But despite all of that, the heroine is a very nice woman and friendly to nice people. She got a good heart. She’s not too sassy but sassy enough to defend herself. I prefer a sassy heroine though🤣

‼️‼️‼️IT HAD PUSHING AWAY FROM BOTH BUT NEVER TOO MUCH AND NOT TOO ANNOYING….

‼️‼️‼️VERY HOT SMUT SCENES 🥵🥵🥵🥵 The hero really loves to worship the heroine’s body and always steals her panties 🤣🤣🤣

‼️‼️‼️LOVE IN FIRST SIGHT.

They felt electricity when they touch for the first time….

Although both try to be denial about that at first because both didn’t believe it. So at first when try to be in a relationship or trying, it wasn’t cute lol. But at least they understand each other and both never try to do shitty things to fvck it up 👍🏼

‼️‼️‼️NOT MANY UNNECESSARY CHILDISH DRAMA. MOST OF THE DRAMA IS ABOUT THE FAMILY, MAFIA, ENEMIES, AND THEMSELVES.

IT HAD DRAMA WITH OW AND OM BUT NOT TOO ANNOYING… those om and ow is also not the ex boyfriend or ex girlfriend or ex fvck buddy anyway. They just try to flirt with the hero or heroine, only flirt like couple of times but not too much and not too long…

Also one of the reasons i don’t like cause the hero got many flirts from some strangers but the heroine only got a few… I want the heroine got more of that than the hero though tbh🥵

‼️‼️‼️NO EX FVCK BUDDY OR EX ANYTHING EVER SHOWS UP…

‼️‼️‼️IT HAS TALKING ABOUT PAST PARTNER FROM THE HEROINE BUT ONLY ONCE AND NEVER MORE. NO FROM THE HERO…

‼️‼️‼️THE HERO IS OBSESSED WITH THE HEROINE SO MUCH… Even when he first saw her picture, something about her eyes really captivated his own eyes and immediately curious about her… He immediately went to search for her and try to talk to her when she never even meet him before…

“Everything about me was unpredictable where she was concerned. All I knew was that I wanted my ring on her fucking finger so that everyone knew she was mine.”

THE HERO ALWAYS SAY TO THE HEROINE AND TO HIMSELF AND TO MANY PEOPLE THAT THE HEROINE IS HIS WIFE AND MINE. MINE.

“One taste of her, and there wasn’t a force on earth great enough to cleanse her from my system.”


‼️‼️‼️MANY JEALOUS SCENES FROM THE HERO AND FROM THE HEROINE.

“The thought of Noemi fucking another man had turned my insides as green as her jade-speckled eyes.”

“I don’t ever want to see anyone touching you like that again. I don’t care. Man or woman, I see someone touching you in a way I don’t like, I’ll cut their fucking fingers off.”

“That way, you don’t forget who you belong to.”


‼️‼️‼️THE HEROINE IS 20 TWENTY YEARS OLD AND THE HERO IS 28 TWENTY EIGHT YEARS OLD.

‼️‼️‼️STRONG CHEMISTRY.

‼️‼️‼️HAPPY ENDING.

Married.

One of the reason i give four stars because of the epilogue was only three weeks later😳 I need more author lol. But hopefully in the future books of the series I will see their future!









👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽Thank you so much for reading my review❤️❤️ For you who loves my review and follow it, THANK YOU SO MUCH. I did not get paid or be told to do a review on a book. I’m here just to write review about a book so i can remember it. Its my honest opinion😚 I didn’t know at first people will find me and follow me and trust me to be honest, I was surprised myself to look at the notifications from people who reach out to me😆 So everything i write down here on a review is based on my personal opinion and based on my true writing. I DID NOT COPY SOMEONE’S REVIEW OR WRITING SKILL because at first when i was using this app for one year i didn’t know how to scroll down on a book and see the reviews from others😂😅🤣 I know, silly me but hey I finally learned my lesson 😛😛😛 Thats why when people assume i copy someone’s review i was like what? Because at first i didn’t know how to use this app properly and i didn’t know how to open someone’s review because for a year i never follow someone or add friends or someone😂😂😂🤣 (I’m laughing so hard) 🤪 AND I NEVER COPY SOMEONE’S REVIEW EVER. IF I WRITE SOMETHING WRONG OR DOESN’T MAKE SENSE PLEASE LET ME KNOW AND BE NICE OKAY. 👈🏽👈🏽👈🏽✋🏽✋🏽 IF YOU'RE BEING MEAN AND NEGATIVE ALREADY WITH A WARNING AND NOT BEING WISE TO ME, I WILL NOT ENTIRELY READ YOUR COMMENT AND REMOVE YOU EASILY AND FAST. I DO NOT TOLERATE NEGATIVE COMMENT SO KNOW YOUR PLACE, THANK YOU SO MUCH.

I’m writing my disclaimer again here cause many negative people still don't get it or still be stupid enough not to understand my POV when I already write it so many times before. So here I am writing it again to you beautifuls human being😁😁 WHEN YOU READ MY LONG OR SHORT REVIEW, YOU WOULD KNOW THAT WHAT I LIKE ABOUT A STORY AND CHARACTERS RIGHT... IF YOU DON'T KNOW THEN HERE IT IS: I LIKE A BOOK WITH VERY POSSESSIVE PROTECTIVE ALPHA MALE, NO CHEATING, AND PLEASE NO MANWHOR3, NO MANY PUSHING AWAY, NO DOORMAT HEROINES, NO MANY OW DRAMA, NO S3X SCENE WITH SOMEONE ELSE. AND SAFE ALL THE WAY AND A HAPPY ENDING. Something that I don't like it very much if the hero or heroine have a crazy fvcked up personality and likes. Example: killing someone and let the heroine watch it all and push the heroine to lick all the blood of his victim and made her have to eat the meat of humans. and fvcks many woman in front of the heroine while telling her he loves her. I DON'T LIKE THAT TYPE OF SH*T AT ALL. That's just who I am, that's what I like and I don't like on a book. Maybe you love that, but I don't. We humans are different, we think very differently from one another. You have your likes and I have mine, you have your opinions and I have mine of my own. You think it's stupid of me to love such a book or to not love a book or to hate it whatever lol, I think it's bad you think that way cause I respect people's opinions cause I know for a fact we have our differences. YOU AND ME ARE DIFFERENT FOR PETE'S SAKE. I even have my own friends or people I follow here that shows how much they don't like the book I like, I never even give them a long comment or short Comment. Cause I respect their opinions. I don't like to give people I hard time here cause life itself is already hard enough. I do respect your opinion if you say my review is bad or whatever negative things about it, but in the end of the day I will not changed my mind about what book I dislike and how my thoughts about it. You can't tell me what to do. You can give me advice but it's me who decided to know what's right for me, this is my life and not yours. Read that again. Don’t assume things about me that is not even real, just don’t. cause when you do you’re more small minded for sure. You're thinking why I'm telling you all of this when you already know? Is because you still hating on my opinions and don't understand my POV and don't respect my POV. You think i like writing this disclaimer when obviously you're an adult already? no i personally think this is unnecessary... but because there are people out there who still don't get it *rolling my eyes*. Hopefully they or the people who read this disclaimer can use a beautiful thing called a brain:) AND WHEN YOU READ MY REVIEW, READ IT VERY CLEARLY TO SEE IF I FINISHED THE BOOK OR NOT. KNOW THE DIFFERENCE. AND YES ENGLISH IS NOT MY FIRST LANGUAGE. BUT IF YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I'M WRITING, THEN IT MEANS YOU UNDERSTAND IT ENOUGH. I DO NOT TOLERATE BULLYING, NEGATIVE COMMENTS AND MEAN WORDS. PLEASE USE A WISE WORDS SO WE DON'T ATTACK EACH OTHER. SIMPLY, I DON’T LIKE TO HAVE AN ARGUMENT WITH STRANGERS LIKE YOU CAUSE I HAVE BETTER THINGS TO DO😚 BUT IF YOU STILL WANT TO BE AMBER HEARD KARENS THAT DON'T UNDERSTAND MY DISCLAIMER AFTER I JUST WRITE IT DOWN, THEN GO ENJOY YOUR DAY AND GO AWAY. IT'S VERY EASY FOR A HUMAN COULD DO YA KNOW. IF YOU STILL HERE HATING ME OR ANNOYED WITH ME, THAT'S YOUR PROBLEM. NOT ME PROBLEM. HASHTAGS BURN😂😂 DON'T TAKE THINGS TOO PERSONALLY ON ONLINE CAUSE WE ALL A STRANGERS, WE NEVER EVER MEET. WE'RE ADULTS HERE SO LETS BE WISER. LAST, I BLOCK NEGATIVE PEOPLE! SO GET WELL SOON TO THE HATERS. HOPEFULLY YOUR HEART AND MIND WILL BE MORE POSITIVE 🙏🙏🙏 AND THIS DISCLAIMER MAY SEEMS LIKE TOO HARSH ON YOU BUT HEY I DON'T LIKE TO SUGAR COATED THINGS. I LIKE TO SAY TO THE POINT WITH MY UNDERSTANDING AND MY OWN THOUGHTS, CAUSE THAT'S HOW HUMANS ARE. WE ARE DIFFERENT REMEMBER👍 HAVE A GREAT DAY EVERYONE!!
Profile Image for Jenn (The Book Refuge).
2,167 reviews3,355 followers
October 10, 2022
*Thank you to NetGalley and Victory Editing for an ARC of this title.*

I am always trash for a Mafia Arranged Marriage. It usually has built in Enemies to Lovers and great smexy chemistry. Silent Vows had all of that in spades and add in a sprinkle of Age Gap and some "Who Hurt You?" vibes and I am SOLD.

Noemi has been purposefully silent since the death of her mother 6 months ago. She is threatened daily by her father and she fears for the life of her young brother who is fully under her father's spell. She has no dreams or hopes for a pleasant future and just tries to stay out of her father's way. When the mandate to marry an Irish rival comes about, she fears like she will go from one prison to another.

Connor is not interested in marrying an Italian bride for an alliance. When given the option of spouses, he is intrigued by the idea of a silent bride. Real gem, I know. But when he meets her he sees something behind her eyes and the more he learns about her.. he thinks she has plenty to say. The way she challenges him and entices him has him thinking this marriage might not be too awful after all.

But in silence, there are secrets. Secrets that Connor is determined to get Noemi to share with him. Even though those secrets could tear down everything she holds dear... their chemistry burns hot and bright and the more she gets to know him, the more she wants to trust him. Watching their connection grow is so beautiful and I loved how he was both ruthless yet patient at the same time.

This was a slow burn, arranged marriage, age gap, Mafia Romance that hit a lot of my favorite things in a romance.

A few things I didn't love were how suddenly Noemi started speaking. I didn't love how Connor tricked her and also, her little brother made me want to slap his face. Stupid kid was infuriating.

I will absolutely be continuing the series and I look forward to reading more of this author.

4 stars
2.5 on the spice scale

CW: death of parent, trauma, abusive parent
Profile Image for AvidReader.
1,283 reviews264 followers
February 20, 2024
Easiest 5🌟 of this year!

I remember starting this book and that’s it. I couldn’t put it down.
Fast paced, superbly written with dual POV this mafia romance with marriage of convenience trope is a treat.

Noemi was a badass heroine in a quiet way. She had strength, resilience and loyalty. Loved her.
Connor Reid, Half Italian- half Irish (need I say more🥵) thought he was getting a demure and mute wife. But it was quite the opposite. I loved how they butted heads with each other from the beginning itself. They had undeniable chemistry. Connor was so possessive and protective even though he didn’t want to and that cracked me up.
I loved the extended family from both sides especially Connor’s Nana and Paddy. They were a hoot and I loved their banter.

I can’t wait to read more from this author and that ending just made me impatient to read Keir’s book.

Safe, recommend.
Profile Image for Grecia Robles.
1,606 reviews415 followers
February 6, 2023
Mafia Romance
Suspence/crime
Arranged Marriage

No hay nada mejor que un libro de mafia con un matrimonio arreglado es de mis combinaciones favoritas.

El matrimonio se da entre dos personas de diferentes organizaciones la Italiana y la Irlandesa, me pareció interesante porque nunca había leído está combinación.
El objetivo es tener beneficios mutuos y más poder frente a otra organizaciones criminales.

La elegida es Noemí hija de un capo de gran influencia, ella sufrió una accidente seis meses antes donde murió su mamá y desde ese traumático suceso ella no habla, sin embargo un porque detrás de eso.

Conner es sobrino de uno de los jefes de la mafia irlandesa y ellos quieren recuperar el control y el poder que tenían en el hell´s kitchen por lo que él es el candidato para el matrimonio y elige a Noemí por su discapacidad ya que lo ve como una ventaja una chica silenciosa que lo va a dejar hacer su vida pero las cosas no resultan como él las planeó.

Si me gustó mucho, había mucha tensión sexual entre ellos dos y las escenas spicy estuvieron buenas.
No hay tanta acción como me hubiera gustado.

Ya quiero leer el siguiente libro que por lo que veo esta serie va a tratar sobre la mafia Irlandesa.
Profile Image for ✧ poppy ✧.
383 reviews48 followers
December 24, 2022
This was MEH

the plot sounded so promising but once you got to like page 50 you’d realise everything could be solved in one or two steps. Barely anything interesting happened and there was no progress or character development at all.

The hubby, conner was a controlling freak that barely let her make MALE OR FEMALE FRIENDS bc of jealousy issues even though our female lead is straight as a pole bc like why is she attracted to this douche.

I can’t say if the smut is good or not bc i skipped it, i just wanted to get over this book and the constant reminder our fl gave us with thoughts like « my body wants it but my mind doesn’t «  made me uncomfortable.

So as i said at the start, this was meh, i recommended not reading it and finding another book of this EXACT trope (there’s like 10 at least) to waste ur time instead
Profile Image for Lady Bonny Reading.
465 reviews18 followers
October 4, 2022
Two peope accepting an arranged marriage. One... for the connections it will bring his family, and given a choice of women, believes the one he chooses will be the least disruptive to his life, someone he can ignore. The other... to escape an untenable situation at home, believing this is her one chance to get free and that a business arrangement with no feelings involved will save her from her mother's fate. What happens when neither is what the other expected and feelings start getting in the way, but trust is still difficult? This is Conner and Noemi's story!

Ramsower is one of my favorite authors. She knows how to tell a story, how to hold your interest. She gives us an exciting ride with just enough threats, danger and angst to keep you turning pages as Conner and Noemi learn to trust, deal with the threats and fall in love. She gives us believable characters: A strong female, one who finds it difficult to trust mafia men because of her experiences, but she still challenges the H. An alpha male who's commanding, confident and sometimes overbearing, but he can also be sweet, caring and protective. Their actions and reactions are totally believable based on their character, past experiences and situations in the story.

I've yet to read a Jill Ramsower book I haven't loved, and I've read them all (some more than once or twice), Silent Vows goes up there with the best of the best! 5 Stars!

Looking forward to the next book in this series, (Keir Byrne's story, and also Bishop and Pip's story; going to be Hot in more ways than one!)
Profile Image for Travelogged Blogs.
1,109 reviews111 followers
September 27, 2022
"This man was sin incarnate. Temptation and danger so intertwined, it was impossible to separate the two. What would it mean to be bound to a man like him? Heartbreak. Madness."

So, this is the first book in the brand new series from Jill Ramsower and it was a great way to kickstart this new world. I loved the premise of the book and ofcourse the characters. The bride, Noemi is not docile or shy like people would think when they first take a look at her. In fact she was surprisingly sassy and had a mind of her own. While Connor appeared to be somewhat broody in the beginning, I quite liked his character later on. He cared about Noemi and they made such a good couple! This was a good arranged marriage, enemies to lovers mafia romance and I cannot wait to read more books that come out in the series.

I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review
Profile Image for Jessica Alcazar.
4,103 reviews574 followers
November 2, 2022
I’ve only read (actually, I listened) to two other books written by Jill Ramsower but I’m already putting her on the #oneclick side of authors I enjoy and I’m also super stoked that I got to start one of her series from the beginning with Silent Vows! Because I am also a huge mafia/criminal underworld junkie, I think I’ve hit the jackpot! LOL

Silent Vows has all the elements that you would expect to encounter in a mafia world story. It’s also a story that if you’re a beginner into such worlds, it might just be a great introduction because yes, all the elements are there, but the dark and seedy aspect of such worlds is more of a dark grey in this story and it fits it perfectly. Don’t get me wrong, the criminal underworld aspect is part of this story, but it’s just not highlighted with neon strobe lights. Feel me? The story is captivating, suspenseful and action-packed right alongside with sexy, erotic, and passionate. The romance journey between Noemi & Connor runs seamlessly alongside the mafia arc and makes for a very thrilling and exciting reading experience!

Character development is one of my favorite aspects of this story. The build-up between Connor & Noemi alongside with their growth as individuals left me wanting to know more and more about them and not because it was lacking, but the complete opposite. It was so well done that I felt I knew them and wanted to be in their circle. Their banter was fun and uplifting and their sexy-sexy made my panties melt! I cannot wait to keep going with this series and hopefully see Connor & Noemi in snippets again!
Profile Image for  ~*~Princess Nya Cross Vasiliev~*~.
1,078 reviews7 followers
May 8, 2023
So this was pretty good.

I enjoyed the dynamics between our H and h, but, still could have been way hotter for me. Which is what I was honestly hoping for with these two.. Basically, the anticipation of the possibilities was actually more intense than what was actually given. 🤷‍♀️ So that's why no 5 ✨ here..

Everything else surrounding these two families and alliances, the secrets that Noemi must hold as well, were beyond frightening and heartbreaking.

I was very pleased with that outcome regarding her crazy a&& father as well as her sweet but in the dark brother. But something tells me that Sante, her brother, has alot more to show us in later books. 🧐

Our H- Conner is an honorable male in this life of chaos that he maneuvers in. So it was intense and intriguing to watch. His own genesis and things revealed to him as an adult, were shocking and heartbreaking as well. But I'm so glad that he was still brought up in a close and loving family.

This 1st book was a good start to this series. So I do have plans to return for book 2, Keir, Conner's cousin. Was very intrigued with his intro here.. Hopefully his story will be a bona-fide 5 🌟 read for me?🤞

I would recommend this read.
Profile Image for Tarynrose.
175 reviews79 followers
March 4, 2024
3.45✨️

I enjoyed it and will be reading the rest of the series at one point
Profile Image for Veronica Ticker.
901 reviews55 followers
October 17, 2022
To say I was excited to dive again into the author’s mafiaverse is an understatement. Each of her books in the Five families series was a hit for me, and to get the story of the Irish half brother was thrilling. I wasn’t disappointed at all.

The arranged marriage trope is tricky, as you need solid reasons to accept such a contract. I felt it was well done here. Noemi doesn’t have much of a choice, plus it’s a ploy from her abusive father, and Conner is ready to do anything for his family–his adoptive family as it is, so he’s very eager to earn a place amongst them. Yep, family is THE reason.

It’s also the theme of the book. Both characters have lost family members; they also have siblings–or not–and close cousins they consider as siblings; terrible family secrets threaten to break those tight bonds. There’s love and jealousy, hate and fear, feelings of inadequacy and otherness. I thought all those relationships were nicely done.

They complemented the suspense part of the plot. Because in a mafiaverse, besides the blood family, you have the Family–the organization one is a part of. Sometimes, they’re one and the same, but not always. Here we get two different situations with Noemi and Conner, which was interesting. Also, organizations fight for control, and the rivalries and alliances form the core of the suspense. There’s action and violence and it keeps the reader interested.

As for the love story, though there were some cliché–the instant protectiveness Conner feels for Noemi, the slight dominance, the love that comes from nowhere–it was entertaining to read. Noemi and Conner are fire and ice, equally hot but hardly compatible. At least at first. They’re both an enigma for the other, showing qualities that contradict their expectations. They have nice tense moments, some more intimate and tender scenes, and of course the scorching sexy.

With an entertaining plot, two compelling characters, a steamy romance, and some well written sentences, definitely a book to read. I can’t wait for more.

Quickie

- Series: The Byrne brothers #1 (can be read as a standalone, but linked to another series by the same author)
- Hashtags: #mafia romance #enemies to lovers #arranged marriage #age gap #virgin
- Triggers: death, torture, attempted murder
- Main couple: Noemi Mancini & Conner Reid
- Hotness: 4/5
- Romance: 4/5
- + gripping intrigue with secrets
- – not a fan of the instant protectiveness trope
Profile Image for Mish.
107 reviews12 followers
February 4, 2023
I genuinely need to stop reading books because of that one good scene in reels, and authors need to stop writing these bland female characters.

“how could I resist his masculinity?”
"I wasn't a exhibitionist by nature but I wanted to prove myself to him”

Girl what?

Also, one week into meeting a supposed criminal when all her life she has hated the said profession and life, how is she dropping her panties because he is hot and sexy? Neomi had no personality. Like literally zero.

And can say the same for Connor. Ugh.

Mafia theme has a lot of scope for good stories, but only if authors can get over the "he is hot, so he is panty dropping worth hero” and “She is a demure, virgin, fragile women melting for the said hero" smh.
Profile Image for sarahy.
102 reviews12 followers
April 13, 2023
This book didn’t do much for me, it wasn’t long, but it took me 6 days to finish… the spice was meh her thoughts felt repetitive I did enjoy his pov though but when it was in her pov I feel his thoughts just didn’t add up to what he said or how he acted & how many times did we need to see women flirting & touching him when they went out together we get it he’s attractive, but it’s seriously annoying when it’s done more than twice. I’m hoping his cousin's book is better, though. 🤷🏻‍♀️
October 19, 2022
OBSESSED! I am enthralled with Noemi and Conner! These two from their first meeting had instant chemistry! The way he could read her and their understanding of each other is simply everything!

Noemi is a heck of a woman! Resilient as heck and a fighter! Connor “fans face” is WOW! So broody and protective but the man had a heart of gold that is for sure! The way he made Noemi his queen in every way!!

I have been dying for a mafia book to completely consume me and Silent Vows did exactly that! The angst was a 5 and the actual heat lever WHEW they were off the chart! Conner is one heck of a lover!!

I am so happy I grabbed this book because this is the start of one heck of a series!
Profile Image for T'Odes.
1,120 reviews1 follower
October 18, 2022
Horseshit. Random writers are the worst😪....
Profile Image for sophieee.
46 reviews2 followers
June 25, 2023
there is no amount of bleach i can drink in this world that could make me forget how horrible this book is.
Profile Image for Mandy Reads Indie.
1,751 reviews95 followers
October 20, 2022
This book. Man, this book. Ramsower must have been working some kind of dark magic, because from the very start I was in it. This book took over. I put off work for a good part of the day because this book didn’t let me go.

The romance was a sweet, delicious slow burn. The kind that stokes the fires at all the right times to keep it burning and to keep you engulfed. I was entranced with everything Conner and Noemi. They literally took over my every thoughts and I couldn’t step away from them even if I wanted. If these two are causing such chaos in my world, I cannot wait to see what all these other Byrne men can do. The feeling I am getting, is it’s just going to get better as the series progresses. And I am here for it.

Brilliant, brilliant writing and a romance that completely obliterated my heart in the most beautiful ways. SILENT VOWS is one of those top 2022 books for me. All the Stars!!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 2,513 reviews

Join the discussion

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.