Kimerin's Confessions of a Bibliophile: 5 Star Review for MADE by Author J.M. Darhower!

Title: MADE:A Sempre Novel (Forever #0.4)

Author: J.M. Darhower

Release Date: 10/27/14

Synopsis

Corrado Moretti.

The world knows the notorious Kevlar Killer, but few have ever seen what lies beneath his armor. The abused child. The neglected teenager. The broken man. He always did whatever he had to do in order to survive.

It's kill or be killed.

Throughout his life, he has been there in the shadows, a witness to everything from beginning to end. Bound by loyalty and honor, there's only one thing he would sacrifice it all for: family.

Never get close. Never get attached. It's a lesson that has been brutally pounded into him since childhood, but they're words the DeMarcos make it difficult for him to follow. Through them he finds love and grieves loss, realizing the world isn't quite as black and white as it's made out to be.

Made.

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Note from J.M. Darhower:

For those who have asked: YES, MADE: A Sempre Novel *can* be read as a stand alone. It is a spinoff prequel and a complete story. It will, obviously, contain spoilers for Sempre and Sempre: Redemption, but you don't HAVE to read those two books to understand this one (I, however, of course, still think you should read those, ya know, since I wrote them *wink wink*).

My Review

5/5 Stars!

I remember as I was reading Sempre and Sempre Redemption I kept thinking to myself that I wanted to know Corrado Moretti’s story. In Sempre and Sempre Redemption, Corrado was an intense, frightening, mysterious character. Corrado’s mysterious persona intrigued me and by the end of Sempre Redemption I was crossing my fingers and praying to sweet baby Jesus in a wicker basket to one day have the chance to read his story! Imagine my excitement when I learned that we would in fact get a glimpse into Corrado Moretti’s life. *Cue heavenly music*

Made was written in a very unique way. I was honestly under the impression that the story would begin around the same time frame as Sempre. I will admit that I was a little disappointed when I first learned the story’s time frame. Don’t kill me! Let me explain! I felt that in the Sempre series Corrado played a very important role that we knew little about. It seemed that everything that occurred in the Sempre series Corrado was involved in somehow, but we did not get to learn his side of the story and I wanted to know! I mean we were able to get a good idea of Corrado’s character and involvement, but without reason or justification. At this point is where J.M. Darhower shows her brilliance and after reading Made I know why she wrote Corrado’s story this way. Now I cannot imagine her writing Corrado’s story any other way.

Made’s Prologue begins right after Corrado has learned his verdict in the RICO case. Reporters lined the path of Corrado’s escape in hopes of getting one shot of The Kevlar Killer. Of course every reporter had a question for Corrado, but he never broke his silence. However one reporter asked, “What made you this way?” This question made Corrado pause and finally break his silence by stating, “Sweetheart, I wouldn’t even know where to begin.”

Corrado’s statement is very true in this case which is why in order to really learn how Corrado became the person he is today. This is why Corrado Moretti aka The Kevlar Killer’s story began when he was seven years old. I believe that would never truly know why someone is the way they are unless you start from the beginning and in this case it is necessary.

This approach allows the reader to see how Corrado’s upbringing has influenced his character as a “made” man. Additionally, Made covers from the time that Corrado is 7 years old to the age of 51. We get the whole story! During this time we learn a bit about Corrado’s childhood and how his family was affiliated with the Mafia. Corrado’s father Vito was a made man whose boss was none other than Antonio DeMarco. Corrado Moretti’s childhood was not an easy one. His mother was an abusive alcoholic. Vito, Corrado’s father, was hardly ever present because he was living the “made” life back in Chicago.

As we have learned in the Sempre novel’s Vincent and Celia DeMarco are Antonio’s children. What was really intriguing is that we learn how Corrado first meets Celia and Vincent. We never really knew the significance of Corrado and Celia’s relationship and what Corrado had to do to get Antonio’s blessing. One thing is for sure, Celia brings out the best in Corrado. His devotion to Celia is touching and just shows how much Corrado’s word means to him. Corrado made Antonio a promise that he was dead set on keeping.

In the Sempre novel’s all we saw was one side of Corrado and knew that he was an emotionless, ruthless man. This trait is what made Corrado stand out among his peers. Corrado felt no emotion when he carried out a hit. He viewed murdering someone as an order, nothing more nothing less, it was strictly business. He was the type of person who would murder his own blood without batting an eye. It was either kill or be killed in his world and Corrado would stop at nothing to go home to his Celia every night. Corrado was certainly not the traditional husband, but his love and devotion for Celia was unwavering. He was able to put business aside and be the person that Celia deserved. This was interesting to see considering that we only ever seen Corrado dark side.

“I can’t live up to it. You put me on a pedestal. I’ll only fall.”

“You’ll never fall. Not if I’m there to catch you.”

Another thing that excited me about Made is that I was able to learn more about Vincent and Maura’s relationship. You will learn how Vincent met Maura and where she came from! You will also discover how Sal became the leader of La Costa Nostra and how the lifestyle changed after that. All in all, Made fills in the blanks from the questions you probably had after reading the Sempre series. You will learn more about everything and how it all ties together including Corrado’s connection to Haven and Sal’s connection to Haven. You will also see another side to Vincent which sheds light on why he is the way he is. Remember Made covers a time frame of a little over 40 years which means that all the important parts will be covered. Believe me when I say that Made is an addition to the series that you do not want to miss out on reading!

**ARC provided by Author for an honest review.**