Cider - Shop now
Enjoy this audiobook free + more
Free title with your free trial!
$0.00
  • Click above to get a preview of our newest plan - unlimited listening to select audiobooks, Audible Originals, and podcasts.
  • You will get an email reminder before your trial ends.
  • $7.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel online anytime.
Learn more about membership
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company
List Price: $33.90
By completing your purchase, you agree to Audible’s Conditions Of Use, and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Sold and delivered by Audible, an Amazon company

Ruthless Prince: Dark Syndicate, Book 1 Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Faith Summers (Author), Lauren Ezzo (Narrator), Antonio Amato (Narrator),
4.4 out of 5 stars 5,535 ratings

We were destined for disaster from the second we met....

Massimo D’Agostino is the heir to his father’s empire. Don’t be fooled by his handsome face or that piercing blue gaze. He’s no prince charming. He’s dangerous and feared, possessive and fierce.

Our first meeting began with a contract that forced me to marry him and sign my life away. I was a debt repayment and a pawn in his game to exact revenge against my father. The only way out is death.

I belong to him now. Me, the Balesteri Mafia princess. Pure and untouched.... Owned by the devil who placed me in a gilded cage.

But something unexpected happened the moment our paths collided. It made me want more of what he had to offer every time I lay beneath him.

Then the past came knocking at the door, and dark secrets scattered at my feet. Suddenly I don’t know truth from lies. Or who the monster in this story is. I thought it was my husband. Now I’m not so sure…

Ruthless Prince is the first book in the Dark Syndicate series. It is a stand-alone dark-mafia enemies-to-lovers arranged-marriage romance, complete with HEA and no cliff-hangers.

Contains mature content.

Read more
Previous slide of product details
  1. Book 1 of 6
    Dark Syndicate
  2. Listening Length
    12 hours and 29 minutes
  3. Author
    Faith Summers
  4. Narrator
    Lauren Ezzo, see all
  5. Audible release date
    March 22, 2022
  6. Language
    English
  7. Publisher
    Podium Audio
  8. ASIN
    B09V1ML1G2
  9. Version
    Unabridged
  10. Program Type
    Audiobook
Next slide of product details

Read & Listen

Switch between reading the Kindle book & listening to the Audible audiobook with Whispersync for Voice.
Get the Audible audiobook for the reduced price of $7.49 after you buy the Kindle book.
$0.99/month for the first 3 months
For a limited time, save 90% on Audible. Get this deal

Product details

Book 1 of 6 Dark Syndicate
Listening Length 12 hours and 29 minutes
Author Faith Summers
Narrator Lauren Ezzo, Antonio Amato
Whispersync for Voice Ready
Audible.com Release Date March 22, 2022
Publisher Podium Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B09V1ML1G2
Best Sellers Rank #113,479 in Audible Books & Originals (See Top 100 in Audible Books & Originals)
#4,847 in Romantic Suspense (Audible Books & Originals)
#6,144 in Romantic Suspense (Books)
#10,220 in Contemporary Romance (Audible Books & Originals)

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
5,535 global ratings

Review this product

Share your thoughts with other customers
Write a customer review

Customers say

Customers find the book's story well-written and gritty, with great twists and turns that keep readers engaged until the end. They appreciate the character development, with one noting the hot chemistry between the leads, and the book evokes a range of emotions from heartbreak to intense moments. Customers consider it a strong start to the series, with one mentioning they can't wait to read the next installment. The writing quality receives mixed feedback, with some praising it while others find it choppy, and customers disagree on the strength of the characters.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

Select to learn more

137 customers mention "Story quality"129 positive8 negative

Customers love the story of this book, finding it well-written and gritty, with one customer noting there's never a dull moment throughout the narrative.

"...She handled a bad situation pretty well. The plot was logical and pretty reasonable and realistic for all the characters...." Read more

"...On the good side, this story has a great plot with so many twists and turns, secrets and conspiracies that keep you coming back...." Read more

"This book had me along for a ride!! So freaking good. The character development. The plot twists...." Read more

"So good. A little dark. It nothing too crazy...." Read more

119 customers mention "Suspenseful"104 positive15 negative

Customers find the book thrilling with great twists and turns that keep them interested until the very last page, and one customer describes it as a dark action adventure tale.

"...As stated in the book, he does not lie. The ending was very good and could be a movie scene in its own right...." Read more

"...The ending is a doozy (lots of angst) and the epilogue leaves you with forecasters and conspiracies setting the stage for the next story in the..." Read more

"...So freaking good. The character development. The plot twists. This book was spicy, romantic, chaotic, barbaric, and everything in between...." Read more

"So good. A little dark. It nothing too crazy...." Read more

33 customers mention "Character development"26 positive7 negative

Customers love the characters in the book, with one mentioning the hot chemistry between the leads and another noting how quickly they become attached to them.

"...The plot was logical and pretty reasonable and realistic for all the characters...." Read more

"This book had me along for a ride!! So freaking good. The character development. The plot twists...." Read more

"...The writing is superb- the characters are very believable- the plot is super intense - and the story is a complete page turner." Read more

"...It was also lacking the spark between the two main characters...." Read more

32 customers mention "Emotion level"24 positive8 negative

Customers find the book emotionally intense, evoking a range of feelings from love to heartbreak and vengenance.

"...She's young but strong and mature emotionally. In the book, she's caught between two ego centric men - her dad and her husband...." Read more

"...This is a triumph over tragedy story as there are twists that are revealed that have both reeling in pain. Loved the book." Read more

"Yes, for the most part I did enjoy this book. Family, revenge, hate, love, extreme sadness are just some of the emotions I experienced...." Read more

"...and supporting, filled with suspense, betrayal, family, friendship, heartbreak, pain, revenge, and most of all finding and falling in love...." Read more

17 customers mention "Series start"17 positive0 negative

Customers find this book to be a great start to the series, with one customer noting it sets up well for future installments.

"...Strong start to this series." Read more

"...If you enjoy mafia romance this is a great series...." Read more

"...This is a great read and first book into the series...." Read more

"...I was trying to figure out and it kept my interest. Emilia starts off good because she accepts her lack of choice better than most and she doesn’t..." Read more

14 customers mention "Pacing"11 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the pacing of the book, with several mentioning they read it in one day and were kept on the edge of their seat throughout.

"...This tale was intriguing and fast-paced. It didn't deserve second-rate, half-hearted attempts." Read more

"...I loved reading every word of this story. Feels like time we’ll spent!! I will never forget anything about this story...." Read more

"I quite enjoyed this book. Took me a couple days to read...." Read more

"...All the action happened so fast, that scenes were glossed over and vague...." Read more

33 customers mention "Writing quality"21 positive12 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the writing quality of the book, with some finding it well written and praising the author's talent, while others note issues with bad spelling and choppy prose.

"...But even as brutal as it was at times, it’s so well written I just couldn’t put it down. I needed to know what happened next. ***..." Read more

"This is a great story, but I took off one star for some odd word choices that detract from the story and definitely bring down the value...." Read more

"Written in dual first person POV. Good amount of sexy times. No humor but I wasn’t expecting any...." Read more

"This was well written. I enjoyed the passion and the plot! I look forward to the sequels. I will recommend this to my friends!" Read more

10 customers mention "Strength"3 positive7 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the strength of the book, with some finding it strong while others describe it as flimsy and unfulfilling.

"...However, There were many scenes that were just unnecessary, unfulfilling, and straight up boring...." Read more

"...This is not that book. A primary criticism is that Emilia is not strong enough. I don’t expect her to fight everything but she is too naive at times...." Read more

"...Emelia, the main female character, is awesome. She's young but strong and mature emotionally...." Read more

"...It didn't deserve second-rate, half-hearted attempts." Read more

The twists and turns, I didn't see them coming!
4 out of 5 stars
The twists and turns, I didn't see them coming!
Ruthless Prince has an anti-hero with a dark heart you will fall in love with! ****** Rating: 4 stars Steam: 4 flames Genre: Mafia / Enemies to Lovers / Dark Standalone: Yes ****** Ruthless Prince is my first book by Faith Summers (Khardine Gray) and it won’t be my last. As a matter of fact I have already downloaded book 2, Dark Captor. This tale is one of revenge, ruthlessness, betrayal, deceit, and secrets….so many secrets. I was expecting one of the twists, but not all of them...wowzer! “I kept asking myself who the monsters were in this story. This nightmare fairytale. I wanted to know so badly because I didn’t know who to trust.” ~ Ruthless Prince Massimo D'Agostino, our anti-hero, has been bent on revenge since his family lost everything they had to a monster of man named Ricardo Balesteri. Ricardo is the father of the beautiful and elusive Mafia Princess, Emelia. Emelia has led a sheltered life, far from her father's business illegal business dealings. Until one day she is summoned to her father's office and she discovers her father has sold her to the D'Agostino family, to be married to Massimo. Emelia is the epitome of purity, innocence, and naivety, whereas Massimo has blood on his hands and revenge in his heart. These two couldn’t be more opposite, and too say they are enemies when they meet is putting it lightly. “She’s my stolen virgin bride. I took the princess, stole her from Daddy’s nest and watched him sign her away to me. Phase one complete.” ~ Ruthless Prince This book had a suspenseful story, character growth, plot twists that threw me for a loop, and steam. Oh, and how could I forget the carnage...oh the grit was wonderful! Anti-hero, blood/grit, steam, and a story! Yep, that’s my dark heart’s crack! I enjoyed this and the ending was just… wow! Didn’t see that coming! Happy reading!
Hide
Thank you for your feedback
Sorry, there was an error
Sorry we couldn't load the review

Top reviews from the United States

  • L. Jackson
    5.0 out of 5 stars Sexy Mafia Fantasy
    Reviewed in the United States on January 21, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    I really loved this book. I got it on a whim, but I loved it, and I'm totally invested in this world. Let me start with what I loved. Emelia, the main female character, is awesome. She's young but strong and mature emotionally. In the book, she's caught between two ego centric men - her dad and her husband. However, the author did not make her some dim-witted damsel in distress. She handled a bad situation pretty well. The plot was logical and pretty reasonable and realistic for all the characters. I liked the nuance of the dynamics between the two main families without getting into a pathetic rehash of the Godfather. Massimo, the main male character, is a multi-faceted human with good and bad traits, but his motivations are very clear. As stated in the book, he does not lie. The ending was very good and could be a movie scene in its own right. The only dislike and it is extremely minor was the character Andreas. He seemed very one dimensional. But I won't say more than that. Overall, it's a great mafia fantasy book, and yes, the sex scenes are hot and dirty 😉
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Bonny Reade
    4.0 out of 5 stars Definitely a lot of angst!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 19, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I struggled with this story for a couple of reasons. One, in the beginning I got tired of the back and forth. Either he's a good guy and doesn't blame an innocent for her father's crimes or he's a hard-a$$ who's so stuck on vengeance that he blames everyone connected to her father, innocent or not. I can understand her back and forth. She's taken by the H to pay a debt owed by her father who forced her to sign the contract and go with the H. She doesn't know him, but he is handsome and she is physically attracted to him and he does great her with kindness, but every time he starts getting to close he says something cruel and backs off. It took a little too long for my liking for the H to finally admit he felt something more for her.

    The second thing is that there was way too much angst. I don't mind a little, but when the entire story is filled with it, it turns me off. This is the kind of story where you just know something bad is going to happen and you just keep waiting on pins and needles for it to happen ... and it does, again and again and again.

    On the good side, this story has a great plot with so many twists and turns, secrets and conspiracies that keep you coming back. Some you anticipate, some you suspect and some will surprise you. Unlike some stories that throw you a villain out of left field, with no rhyme or reason, just to surprise you, this story is like an intricate puzzle with many pieces. Just when you think you have all the pieces in place and can see the whole picture, you're given more pieces and you realize the picture was incomplete.

    As secrets are revealed, the H and h are drawn closer together and you're invested in them as a couple when all hell breaks loose. The ending is a doozy (lots of angst) and the epilogue leaves you with forecasters and conspiracies setting the stage for the next story in the series (Tristan's story, one of the B's brothers). Looking forward to that one...Tristan's background/history is going to make for an intense, multi-layered and interesting H.
    22 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars GIRL JUST DO IT
    Reviewed in the United States on July 15, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    This book had me along for a ride!! So freaking good. The character development. The plot twists. This book was spicy, romantic, chaotic, barbaric, and everything in between. Had me on the edge of my seat a lot of times. I highly recommend.
    One person found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jackie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    So good. A little dark. It nothing too crazy. Yes Massimo was an ass at the brig inning but he did it for revenge against everything Ricardo stole from his family. I understand this as well as protecting his heart form Emelia. I liked her fire and how she was all sass and stood up for herself. They balanced each other out. She thought he was a monster hit little did she know that the real monster was one she thought to be her most true protector. It was shocking for her to reconcile the fact that her father used her as a pawn in multiple scenarios to get whatever he wanted. She was a means to an end for him. Where as Massimo truly found live with her. Loved his evolution. It was beautiful. And wow didn’t see that coming with the backstabbing and paternity bombshell. Loved the steamy scenes and added BDSM enhancements. It was nothing crazy but it felt real because of his dominant personality and how he craves control. As opposed to some stories where a bdsm element is thrown in just to add it to a book. Hope we learn more in next book.
    3 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report
  • Jennifer F. Labrador
    3.0 out of 5 stars Disappointed
    Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    As much as I love this author, this book was extremely difficult to finish. While it had a promising plot, it was not executed well. The flow of the story was really uneven and it felt like the author just didn’t put much effort into a lot of the scenes. For starters, I appreciate that love scenes add to the story. However,
    There were many scenes that were just unnecessary, unfulfilling, and straight up boring. All the action happened so fast, that scenes were glossed over and vague. If this book were adapted into a movie, I’m not sure that the scenes would be physically possible to recreate. And the ending seemed like a cliffhanger, but the next book is about a different couple. Idk. The author was all over the place with this book as if she were on a fast approaching deadline with no idea how to finish the book. It’s too bad, because it had a lot of potential.
    2 people found this helpful
    Helpful
     Report

Top reviews from other countries

Translate all reviews to English
  • Jennie goguen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book
    Reviewed in Canada on June 15, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    What l liked was that it is really a page turner also s a mafia leader he did have a heart,he loved his woman and protect Ed her . The story was well written kept us all Wondering what’s next thank you to the author for a good story can’t wait to read the next in line
    Report
  • JJ
    5.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 19, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    My first time with this author. The story was absolutely amazing. I couldn’t put it down. I will definitely be reading the next one. If you enjoy mafia romance this book is for you.
    Report
  • Cliente Kindle
    5.0 out of 5 stars Simplesmente intenso
    Reviewed in Brazil on April 9, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Amei Máximo e Emelia....que química, que pegada os 2 tem juntos...e trama que vc não vê chegando... que reviravolta no final....uauuuuuuu
    Report
  • L
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
    Reviewed in India on December 13, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    If you love Mafia romance, forbidden… this one is for you. Surprising twist and turn, steamy too :) You wont regret it. Now I need the story of Massimo’s brothers.
    Report
  • Michelle...Aussie
    5.0 out of 5 stars WHAT A BOOK
    Reviewed in Australia on September 17, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Great start to a new series cant wait for second book
    What can I say but wow. Such a brilliant book full of suspense twists and turns on every page. 
    Hope not too long for next one. Ty
    Report