STAR CROSSED by Kele Moon

Star Crossed by Kele Moon
My rating: 3 of 5 stars

NetGalley free read

I liked this book better than the first in the series. Romeo Wellings and Juliet 'Jules' Conner had so many things going against them as a couple. They are so different. Romeo a UFC fighter from New York who was connected to the Mob by his half-brothers being the illegitimate son's of the Don's son. Romeo had spent his life trying to keep his bothers out of the life, but when he was sent to jail, their father got his hooks into them and brought them into the life. Casanova 'Nova' Moretti remembers everything and takes in everything. I believe he has HSAM and photographic memory. He's become valuable to the Mob by his financial wizardry, surpassing his father, Frankie Moretti, in the organization, which makes Frankie his enemy.

Frankie Moretti seems sadistic. He wants Romeo to throw a fight, knowing he won't which will give him an excuse to have Romeo killed and thereby finally having control ove Nova and their younger brother Valentino 'Tino'. Romeo was supposed to throw the fight with Clay, but legitimately lost, which saved his life for a time. But once Clay and Romeo start to become friends, Romeo lets down his guard and lets Jules in more than he intended. They quickly fall in love.

He and Jules have their problems, but when Romeo believe he may die when he doesn't throw the next fight, he asks Jules to marry him. She doesn't react the way he thought she would and with the stress of his live and being connected to the mob, he verbally lashes out at her. Jules breaks up for him on her birthday in a big fight outside her office, where Clay and Wyatt realize they've been seeing each other.

Wyatt, in one of his twin connection moments feels like Jules isn't well and had asked her to go to the doctor. He discovers she's pregnant, but doesn't know it because she's had issues with her hormones and little to no periods. She's been told she probably can't get pregnant. But Wyatt realizes she doesn't know because in her effort to keep her relationship with Romeo secret, she drove out of town to get the pregnancy test, which was expired an inaccurate. Wyatt doesn't want to tell her right away because of the fear she may lose the baby because of their family history and his mother dying at their birth.

In a fit of rage over the fear for his sisters life, Wyatt beat Romeo up, giving him a concussion and bruised ribs, which causes him to have to step down from the fight that the mob wants him to throw. He knows they will be looking for him sooner rather than later and decided to go on the run. He stops to say good by to Juliet only to have her convince him to take her with him. Juliet takes a bag of guns from her and Wyatt's collection to protect themselves. Once they are on the road, Romeo tells Jules about his life and how he has so much money. It turns out that Nova invests it for him, which huge returns. Romeo and Nova call it Gambling.

Wyatt hadn't had a chance to tell Juliet she was pregnant and convinces Nova and Tino to him him track the couple down. Once Romeo turns on his cell phone, Nova is able to track them to their location. He goes after them, only to realize he's been betrayed by his cousin Gino, who had been secretly texting Frankie to them him know where Romeo and Jules are. A shootout incurs and Frankie is about to kill Romeo, but not before Nova gets there and shoots his own father dead.

They they are both badly hurt, Jules and Romeo survive. He won't every fight again since he's lost a kidney and Jules survives to find out she's pregnant with twins. Tino stays with them to keep him away from the Mob and to give him a future. Nova has to go back and deal with the fallout of what's happened and knows he won't be able to be around his family in order to keep them safe.

I loved that Romeo couldn't stay away from Jules even though he knew it would probably be best for both of them. The beginning was a little confusing as the epilogue starts just before Romeo arrives in Garnet, but then the first chapter is just after Romeo saves Melody from her ex-husband in the first book.

Once Romeo was in Garnet, he and Juliet can't seem to keep their hands off of each other. The backstory in how Romeo and his brothers lives were messed up by the mob was told at the perfect time and in a great way.

I thought Wyatt was a bit tough on Jules. But, I don't have any siblings, therefore don't know who it could be, especially with a twin. I also didn't like that he kept her pregnancy from her and convinced her doctor that he would be the one to tell her. That's the problem living in a small town where everyone knows you and your business. It's easy for people to make decisions based on the fact that they knew you when you were a kid instead of what is actually right for you as a patient.

As smart as Nova is, I would have liked for him to have come up with a way out of the Mob so he and his brothers could be together. I was thrilled that he killed his father in saving Romeo and Juliet. I also love how Juliet understood Nova's fasade once she knew his backstory. I would have liked for him to think more about his brother and understand his need for integrity. He kinda felt selfish in some ways to me. I understand he just wanted his bother safe and alive, but I just wasn't sure he was doing everything he could to keep him clear of the Moretti family.

The story flowed well and with good progression of the events. This was much more well done.

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