Book Review: Vendetta by Catherine Doyle

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Vendetta

Blood for Blood #1
Author: Catherine Doyle
Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Expected Release: February 24, 2015
Review Source: Chicken House Ltd

When it comes to revenge, love is a dangerous complication.With a fierce rivalry raging between two warring families, falling in love is the deadliest thing Sophie could do. An epic debut set outside modern-day Chicago.

When five brothers move into the abandoned mansion in her neighbourhood, Sophie Gracewell's life changes forever. Irresistibly drawn to bad boy Nicoli, Sophie finds herself falling into a criminal underworld governed by powerful families. As the boys' dark secrets begin to come to light, Sophie is confronted with stinging truths about her own family, too. She must choose between two warring dynasties - the one she was born into, and the one she is falling in love with. When she does, blood will spill and hearts will break.

Five very good looking boys move into an old, creepy house in your small town...I mean, who wouldn't get excited about that? Vendetta was a good, quick read that included mystery, romance, and action. It took me awhile to really get into the story, but after a few chapters, I was happy I didn't give up on it.

My favorite part of the book was the characters. Sophie was down-to-earth and a little rebellious at times, so it was nice that you could relate to her even if you didn't have a gangster dad in jail. I also loved her mom and the relationship the two had together. Her mom was cool and understood Sophie and when they were together, you could tell that they got a long really well. And that leads me to Nic...oh Nic...you are a hottie. At first, I didn't know if I was going to like him or not. He came off a little rough at first, but in the end, I was in love. The relationship between him and Sophie was perfectly orchestrated and I never felt like it was forced. I think there was enough romance to keep the reader involved in the story, but not enough to make it inappropriate for teens to read.

The plot of the story was also very interesting. Sophie's dad is in prison because he killed someone in his own diner. The diner that Sophie now owns, despite her uncle being upset about this. Enters Nicoli, or Nic, whose family is involved in it somehow. It reminded me a lot of a Romeo and Juliet type story because Sophie and Nic come from feuding families, but fall in love with each other. Even though the storyline had a Romeo and Juliet type to it, it still felt unique and fresh.

Overall, I think this book will do well in the teen scene. I would give this book to my older middle school students, but would still be okay with the younger crowd reading it as well. I would've given it a higher ranking, but it did take me awhile to really get into it. Some of the scenes could've been shorter and some needed more added to them. I hope to read more from this author!