Bella Bianco has worked hard to make her restaurant a success but when her criminal family keeps using it as a base for their get-togethers, she knows she needs to do something to distance herself from them. Unfortunately for her, her aunt refuses to sell Bella her half of the restaurant, even though she had promised Bella she would. When her cousin's new associate starts coming around, Bella has an even harder time keeping away from the shady side of her family. Something about the new guy pulls at her and she's having a hard time resisting.
When K-9 Sergeant Jamie Pataglio agreed to go undercover in a maximum security prison to infiltrate the Mancusco crime family, he thought the hardest part of the gig would be figuring out how to get close to his mark. Turns out, the hardest part for him is staying away from Bella. The lines are beginning to blur for Jamie when it comes to Bella but Jamie doesn't have a choice in what what he's doing. There are other lives at stake but one wrong step and Jamie's going to find himself with some new cement shoes, with Bella right next to him.
Tee O’Fallon wraps up her Federal K-9 series with ABOVE ‘N’ BEYOND. Readers have been clamoring for Jamie’s story since the series began and they will not be disappointed. Forbidden slow-burn love, danger, lies, betrayal, mob family drama; there’s so much good stuff packed into this read. I tried so hard to slow my reading down while refusing to put the book down just so I could make it last. Jamie and Bella are both stuck in different ways because of their love for their families and neither can find a way out. There are so many relatable issues, you'll feel like you're part of the family. The addition of Jamie’s K-9 partner Jax, and Bella’s newly adopted dog Gnocchi (is that not the cutest name?) adds some humour to the story and will leave you wanting a furry partner of your own. While I'm sad to see this series end, I'm looking forward to what new and interesting characters O'Fallon introduces us to in the future. ABOVE 'N' BEYOND ends an addictive series with a bang and gives readers a very satisfying conclusion.
Getting locked up had been easy. But for K-9 Sergeant Jamie Pataglio, going undercover at a maximum-security prison—and infiltrating the Mancusco crime family—was the hard part. Now, six months later, Jamie’s been accepted as one of the mob’s own, and he’s walking out of the gates as a free man…and stepping into the criminal underworld. There’s only one small, gorgeous problem: Bella Bianco.
The Italian bistro used to be Bella’s pride and joy. Now it’s become a nightmare, where her violent family uses her restaurant as its criminal home base. Guilty by association. She needs to find a way out, and fast. The last thing Bella needs is an attraction to their newest “associate”—even if every moment alone with him leaves her breathless. It’s almost enough to make her reconsider her “no mobsters” policy…
They can’t trust each other. But if either of them ever wants to break free of their circumstances, they don’t have a choice. They’ll have to take down her family. And if anyone finds out they’re working together…they’re both dead.