THE ENFORCER – (Untamed Hearts #3) by KELE MOON

‘..all of them learned firsthand what love could destroy.
The kingdoms it could rip apart.
The lives it could ruin.
The hearts it could break.’

What a book! We have always suspected it would be Nova’s story that would bring us to our knees. After all, Tino came across as the wise guy of the bunch; the one who seemed to find light in a situation and who appeared to lack the intensity of his brothers yet we had wondered if that bravado was a façade for something much deeper. After having witnessed firsthand the agonising story beneath the man, we now know this was the case. Tino’s story was nothing short of heartbreaking and it brought us to our knees!  We could have never envisaged the path his story would take as we personally felt Tino’s pain, guilt and humiliation as it radiated from the pages of the ‘expendable‘ brother.

“It’s okay. We all got a sad story. Some more than others.”

In The Enforcer, Kele Moon delivered a powerful, moving and shocking story. This author writes so honestly and with such precision to detail it’s as though she has an intimate knowledge of the world in which she writes. We felt like she had taken us by the hand and personally lead us into a world that excites and terrifies us in equal measures as we explored the underbelly of the Cosa Nostra with her. We trusted her to navigate our emotions as she brought Tino’s story to life through her creative and potent imagery.  This may have been a long story but nothing was superfluous as we hung on every word. The light-hearted camaraderie was peppered through The Enforcer appearing when needed to alleviate some of sadness and anger we were experiencing.

“You take from whores. Use them. Don’t love them.”
“Why?”
“Cause they’re love starved. They’ve been hurt and beaten for so fucking long they are desperate for kindness. Love them, really love them, and they’ll die for you. They’ll bleed for you.”

The romance between Tino and Bri was allowed to develop in what felt like real time. It wasn’t rushed, but rather carefully constructed from youth to adulthood. This beautiful slow build ensured the depth of their feelings was paramount with the passion and chemistry searing yet with a sensitivity that befitted the very damaged man that was Valentino Moretti.

“I wouldn’t just bleed for you. I’d bleed motherfuckers out for you. I’d end worlds for you.”

Brianna was the innocence to Tino’s impurity.  Bri may not have been born a Sicilian but she understood their ways and she understood Tino. She never judged, she never flinched. A lesser woman would have run a mile, but not our heroine. Every bit the pawn as Tino, Bri was as tenacious as she was sweet.

‘Together, they were like a firework. Beautiful in the night. A dusty smear of ash in the morning when reality crashed in and ruined the high. They just weren’t ever meant to be more than one brief, amazing explosion of memories that should’ve been enough to sustain them. But it hadn’t been. Not even close.’

At the heart of this story though is the love between Romeo, Casanova and Valentino. Brothers who share a bond that is forged through struggle and pain and extends beyond blood loyalty and love. When these guys say they would take a bullet for the other, you know they aren’t just words, you KNOW they would die for one another. Yet is this very love, loyalty and nobleness that which could possibly be their undoing.

“Lost Boys fucking fly. We fly right? We’re better than them.”

In this book we discovered what shaped the boy into the man, the man into The Enforcer and bravo to Kele Moon for bringing this evocative, powerful, suspenseful and heartbreaking story to life. You had us weeping over the cruelty suffered by these men, giggling at the witty banter between the brothers and clutching our hearts at the unconventional romance between a damaged man and the woman who so fiercely stood by him. We rallied behind these Lost Boys and can’t wait to learn more about their world, their lives and their loves. There are questions we desperately want answered and wait with bated breath to continue Tino’s formidable journey in The Enforcers Revenge.