Review: Sins of the Father by Sam Burns

Title: Sins of the Father (Wilde Love: Book Two)

Author: Sam Burns

Publisher: Self-Published/Kindle Unlimited

Length: 200 Pages

Category: Contemporary

At a Glance: The first book had me intrigued; this second book in this series has me hooked; I need the third ASAP.

Reviewed By: Lindsey

Blurb: Six years ago, Keegan Quinn was working for his father in the Irish Mob. When a shootout left him shattered in more ways than one, he left the family business and opened a bar in downtown Chicago. Now with his father sick and the FBI investigating the family, his old life is threatening to tear his new one apart.

The last thing FBI agent Jon Brookfield expected to find while investigating the mob was a kind, soft-spoken man like Keegan Quinn. Dating wasn’t in Jon’s plans, but he’s willing to make changes. When the Quinn family business and Keegan’s ex-boyfriend threaten to come between them, Jon has to decide just how important their newfound relationship is to him.

This novel is intended for adult audiences, and contains swearing, violence, and sex scenes.

Review: I thoroughly enjoyed the first book in this series, Straight from the Heart, so when the opportunity presented itself to review the second book, I was all over it, especially when I realized it was Keegan’s story, because he was one of my faves.

The thing I happen to like about this series is that though there is a whole mafia/gangster thing going on in the background, and in each story one of the protagonists is a form of law enforcement, it isn’t a super serious focus. So, instead, you get more of a sweet, feel good side of contemporary romance with a side of Irish/Russian mob drama. The mob portion, so far, has taken a back seat, giving more page time to the romantic development of the characters. I don’t know if this will work for everyone, but it is working really well for my reading pleasure.

Keegan was such a great secondary character in the first book. I was all about him getting his happily ever after. The son of an Irish mob boss, with his own mafia past in his rear-view mirror, he is trying to run his legitimate business and move forward. Wilde’s and its employees are now a part of his family, and he runs himself ragged, along with his right and left hands, Brigit and Chef Drew. Despite him being out of the actual family business, he loves his father and that presents a wee bit of difficulty for Keegan. He is opposed to what his father does, wants nothing to do with it, but at the same times he wants to protect him and those he grew up with from law enforcement and criminal charges. The best way to do that is to not know anything about the goings on with the Quinn business at all. Outwardly, Keegan is a muscular man with a violent past, who is mistaken for an alpha in all ways. Inwardly, he is a thoughtful friend, a shy introvert, and a caring person. Keegan deeply wants someone to care for him and someone he can care for in return. When he meets Jon, it looks like he may have met someone who truly sees him and can look beyond his history and his family.

Jon and Keegan immediately are attracted when Jon arrives to question Keegan during an FBI investigation. What is fascinating about Jon is that he follows the rules. In fact, Jon doesn’t just follow them, he lives by them. He makes sure he makes decisions and approaches things in a very logical and thoughtful manner, and within the rules set forth. Rather than have the normal route where their relationship must be secret and then eventually blows up in both their faces, Jon approaches the attraction in a very mature and honest way, so some of the expected angst and drama that tends to be present in this specific trope didn’t exist.

This romance was very sweet and has a little “insta” element going on in how they feel about each other. Surprisingly, despite the insta-feelings, the physical side wasn’t immediate. So, there was a slow-burn on the sexy times while Keegan and Jon got to know each other a little more. The thing about this series is that the relationships themselves have nearly zero angst, and it is more the romance developing while external circumstances cause strife in the central characters’ lives. Whatever drama there is tends to be coming from outside sources, and the MCs tend to form united fronts against what they are facing, communicating and discussing the situations first prior to jumping to a conclusion and flying off the handle at each other. It’s not something I am used to, so I personally find it very refreshing.

Once again, the plot has some areas which are a tad-bit unbelievable, like how Jon deals with his attraction to Keegan after a five minute interview, and how quickly and cleanly everything gets wrapped up. The farfetched stuff may bother me more if it weren’t for the fact I absolutely adore the characters and have developed a connection, not just with the MCs but with so many of the secondary characters too. I like them. I want them to get their HEA. I have the feels for so many of them right now, so it’s easy to just go with the flow and enjoy. I can’t wait to read about Jake…or Owen…or Mickey…or Drew…or Brigit…or Miles…or, well, I’m sure you get the idea! I want to keep going because I am attached to all these characters already. I don’t even care who the next one is about, because I already know I will be all over it in a flash.

If you are looking for drama-fueled, angst-ridden, serious criminal element, this series won’t fit that bill. But if you are someone who wants a feel-good romance with delightful characters, an interesting (if slightly unbelievable) plot, and lots of amusing secondary characters who will leave you with a smile on your face, I say give this series a shot!