Blog Tour, Review & Giveaway: Femme Fatale by Kirst- Anne Still

Title: Femme Fatale
Author: Kirsty-Anne Still
Release Date: Nov 7, 2014
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They call me the Femme Fatale.
But only because they don’t know me.
My job - seduce men to the climatic point of falling in love with me and then deliver their death sentence.
I work for my father’s business. I’m his secret weapon. I’m the one that gets away with murder.
For years, I’ve given in to my father’s demands, lived the life of a mob princess, fell into this merciless realm where he presents me with a man and one goal – to kill. 
When it’s to keep the Abbiati name from ruins, I’ll run with the wolves and protect it fiercely.
However, when he brings a new name to the table, I know my newest mission could well be the one that breaks me - Don’t feel, don’t deviate, kill Zane Maverick. 
It should be simple, but how am I supposed to choose between the man who raised me to be this heartlessly strong female and the man I could only ever love to death?

 

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Don't feel.  Don't deviate.  Kill Zane Maverick.  That's the mantra that runs through the head of the assassin for the Abbiati family.  The daughter of the head of the family.  Used by her father to eradicate any problems that may arise, Amelia has excelled at her job.  Leaving no trace, except her kiss of death with her glossed lips, she is her father's ultimate weapon.  What happens when she is tasked with killing her true love, the one who broke her heart? She repeats the mantra:  Don't feel. Don't deviate.  Kill Zane Maverick

 

Femme Fetale has an intriguing plot. In most mafia stories, the major players are almost ALWAYS men.  With the exception of the Eagle Elite Series by Rachel Van Dyken, there's not a lot of books where we have women in true power positions.  Not that Amelia has any power behind her position in the Abbiati family.  She is but a pawn and she knows it.  Her father pulls all the strings. You have to be a strong person mentally and emotionally to be able to kill at someone else's behest without totally losing your humanity.  

 

There's a lot going on in this book. It's not simply about Amelia and the task she has been charged with.  We have a brother who is a sociopath that no doubt, would kill any of his sibling if he thought it'd make him look better in their father's eyes. We have another brother whose big secret could get him killed.  Another brother has left the family. The patriarch??? Yea, he tries to sell Amelia to the highest bidder.  And all the while, two OTHER brothers, trying to ultimately save their baby sister by creating a new life for her away from misery mansion.  

 

Overall, I liked the book.  There is a strong cast of characters, the right balance of storyline and steam and a hot male lead.  The book ends in a good sized cliffy so if you're looking for a HEA, this is NOT the book for you.   I'm very intrigued to see what happens next, after the guns stop smoking.

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“You’re fucking insane,” I cuss at him and push him away but his stance is too heavy, and he doesn’t budge.
“I know you, Amelia. I know how you loved him once. You’re so fickle as it is, why wouldn’t you be fucking him to bide some time. The way you walk around here like you’re queen bee too, sickens me. You will never run this place, and soon, everyone will look down on you like me and Papà do. Everyone sees this strong, beautiful woman, but maybe we should let them see the real you. The weak victim you hide from everyone.” He leans in close to me to a suffocating degree. “What would happen if I were to run this down your face?” he asks and presents his infamous switchblade. The knife shoots from its hilt, the light glistening from its metal edge. “I didn’t get you a gift, but I have a perfect one for you now,” he says and begins to lower it to my face. “A scar right down your face would be a perfect reminder to keep you in line. Even Maverick wouldn’t want a butchered bitch.”
I close my eyes as I prepare for that piercing bite on my skin, but Giovanni’s weight suddenly disappears, and I’m left cowering to an empty space. Once I pry them open, I see why. Bruno has arrived and has Giovanni thrown over the pool table by the collar of his shirt and blazer.
“You are one sadistic bastard, Giovanni,” Bruno spits and releases Giovanni enough to allow him to turn to face his brother. “I knew there was reason I fucking despised you. If I didn’t have cause before, what I just witnessed was a real clincher.”
“Get the fuck away from me,” Giovanni grunts, straightening his shirt and jacket back.
That ignites more hate in my brother. “One day you are going to wake up with your balls shoved down your throat, Gio.” Bruno terrorizes Giovanni while we all stand and watch. Bruno towers over our brother when he is riled up, and I have to admit, that look of fear on Giovanni’s face is too fucking good to miss. “And I’ll be the one holding the knife. Threaten our little sister again, and I will make your biggest nightmares come true. Capisci?”
Clapping resounds after Bruno’s warning, and we all turn to see our father standing in the doorway. I sense Giovanni stand up, straightening himself and regaining his composure.
“I knew you still had that Abbiati fight still left in you, Figlio Mio.”
“Cut the fatherly duty, Salvatore. I am far from your son.” Bruno’s demeanor doesn’t relinquish its hardened stance. If anything, our father’s sudden appearance only bristles Bruno furthermore. “I’m here to celebrate my sister’s birthday, not tear away psychopaths from permanently scarring her.”

I used to be just another Fanfiction writer! That was until one person showed real interest in my work. And then another, and then another, until I had this whole group of people reviewing like crazy and wanting original work from me. I’d spent years writing for free online, I didn’t believe I had it in me to publish something!
But I’m glad I did!! I never imagined pushing my work and striving to reach my ultimate. I never imagined I’d be the girl who started The Viper Rooms! But who am I to deny the inspiration when it hits?
I love writing, it’s a lifeline. I love creating a world that others fall into. I love having the control to make a whole new world. It’s like a dependency, an addictive one. It’s one of the things I’m extremely proud of.
As much as I complain, I love the mini dialogues that go on in my head, the plotlines that attack me when I least expect them to. The ones that jump to life at the most inappropriate times and drive me totally crazy!!
For now I split my life between writing, dreaming, working, and volunteering with children.

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