Gilded Princess

Five Families, Book 1

By: Penelope Black

Narrated by: Allie Piper, Gideon Frost

When I was little, I was obsessed with fairytales. My dad told me the stories of the stars and white knights who rescue princesses.

I’d wear a silver plastic crown and stare at the sky, waiting for the day my knight in shining armor would come.

Then my dad died, my crown broke, and my mom shipped my sister and me off to boarding school.

And then I met them.

My knights.

Only they’re nothing like the fairytales I grew up on. They’re wrapped in sin and shrouded in darkness. Bossy, protective, alphaholes.

And heirs to the Italian mafia.

©2021 Penelope Black (P)2023 Podium Audio

Exciting SLOW BURN

Well that was a ride! It’s full of mystery with a dash of suspense, tension and mafia drama all rolled in. This one is definitely a slow burn with a little bit of hook ups only to always be interrupted. So if you’re going in thinking it’s going to be a fast burn or high heat at the end…nope. Poor Madison has got some series blue ovaries! And man so do I! But the plot has kept me completely invested! Once 3/4 guys realize they are all linked to Madison (the scene is hilarious btw!) tension really picks up! I can’t wait to listen to the next book, especially with the twist at the end!

Read: 🎧Audible
MMC: Matteo Rossi, Leo Rossi, Dante Esposito, (Elusive Ares)
FMC: Madison Walsh
Spice: 1🌶️
Tropes: RH, SLOW BURN, Mafia, Forced Proximity

More of a romance the spicy

Madison is a sweet, rather sheltered and full of a desire to be a bad ass but is not. Her men are not complicated. And knowing it’s a why choose story I was ok with that. I was looking for spice and fun and an easy read. It’s def an easy read I left it on in the background while I worked and if I lost some pieces it was easy to figure out what happened. It was fun, not exciting but fun. What it was not is spicy. There’s more hot scenes in a standard romance novel. What’s the point of a why choose book without spice. The narrator is good and tried her best to make things more sensual. Give it a try but don’t expect an epic tale.

A hooker!

I was hooked the whole time! read in 2 days. off to start the next book. at first it was a little hard to keep up because there are so many different characters but once I did it was great

4.5⭐️

Excuse me while I pick my jaw up from off the floor! Love the way the harem is building. Diving into book 2 now!

Meh…

The reading was okay, the storyline was decent but it ended like a sitcom…I guess it was supposed to be a cliffhanger but it doesn’t inspire the need to go any further with the series & I will not be continuing this series.

I enjoyed all the different twists in the book

I really enjoyed it, hoping the next book continues explaining what is going on, w Aries

better if you read the other books

I started this book and was SO confused. Ends up, you need to read Penelope Black's Brotherhood trilogy for these books to make any sense at all. The plot and the smut are much better in this book than those, so it's definitely worth your time!

Decent mafia story

The story was ok. I have listened to much better mafia stories. The ending was good though. I just wish it had been in duet narration style.

The definition of every girl wants to be her

Just read it. You’ll be craving the next one right away. The dual narration is great. The spice and twists and turns has no problem getting you hooked. It’s the escape to a fantasy world that you didn’t know you needed.

Amazing!!!

Let me start by saying this series is one of my faves! To have it brought to life in audio form was an absolute dream! Penelope Black is a QUEEN! The male narrator is incredible, his voice so well suited to this dark mafia romance series! The female narrator I was slower to enjoy but in the end she sold it bringing Maddie to life beautifully! I am beyond excited for the rest of the series to drop! 10/10 recommend!