Marco Deluca has spent his life being used as a pawn in his father’s empire. But when an ironclad stipulation in the will threatens his shot at becoming CEO, Marco is forced into one role he never wanted.
Future husband.
Even worse? His intended bride is Brooklyn Briggs: his younger sister’s best friend, a reckless temptation wrapped in high society trouble, and the last woman he should want.
There’s just one problem.
She’s pregnant.
And the baby isn’t his.
Their engagement is supposed to be nothing more than obligation. A business arrangement. Marco needs leverage to take back control of his family’s empire, and Brooklyn needs protection from the mess her father made.
Neither of them expects the attraction. Or the jealousy.
But once Marco decides Brooklyn is his, he’ll burn every rule, every secret, and every legacy standing in their way.
This was my first billionaire romance and also my first book by Dani Ryan, and I was impressed. It’s also the first book in Billionaire Legacy series, and with the straightforward writing and two contrasting protagonists, Brooklyn Briggs and Marco DeLuca, I was immediately pulled into the story. Both MCs come from influential families where their fathers have control over their lives—so much so that they’re working out a business deal forcing Brooklyn and Marco into an arranged marriage, which makes for an interesting setup! There are lots of great tropes here too, including forced proximity, enemies to lovers, sister’s best friend, Italian family drama, sibling rivalry, unexpected pregnancy, and lots of juicy secrets and lies!
The story is told through alternating POVs of Brooklyn and Marco, and I thought the authors did a really good job, early on, at giving enough backstory to understand where they come from and their motivations. Marco’s big Italian family is headed by his powerful billionaire father, Santo DeLuca, who’s ruthless and controlling. Marco has seven brothers—Lorenzo, Vito, Carmine, Rocco, Dario, Massimo, and Dominic—and you quickly find out that there’s tension between them, and this isn’t a happy, close-knit family. Marco wants more control over his future and a place in the family business, which is a big part of his motivation.
What I found especially interesting from Brooklyn’s POV is that she doesn’t even know which DeLuca son she’s going to marry when she arrives at their Italian billionaire villa. She’s known the family for years because she grew up being friends with Capri DeLuca, one of Marco’s younger sisters, so she’s familiar with the corrupt family dynamics. But Brooklyn turned out not at all what I expected. I first assumed that someone accepting being forced into an arranged marriage might be passive and fearful, but she’s the complete opposite. She’s outspoken, feisty, and stands up to powerful people. She’s also pretty reckless, and early on we learn that she’s unexpectedly pregnant after sleeping with one of her father’s business interests. I’m not always a fan of unexpected pregnancy threads, but this one’s very much a subplot and showcases Brooklyn’s vulnerability and tenacity—especially when she confronts the father of her child. I did have to suspend my disbelief about how accepting Marco and his family members were that the baby wasn’t his while still wanting to go ahead with the arranged marriage. Considering how much Santo DeLuca cares about control and reputation, I expected the revelation to have a bigger fallout.
One of my favorite parts of the book was watching Brooklyn and Marco’s relationship develop. In the beginning, there’s a lot of mistrust between them, and both are looking for a way out of the marriage. Marco’s also working behind the scenes with some of his brothers to try to get the upper hand against Santo and gain control over his own life. Despite neither wanting the marriage, there’s an undeniable chemistry and attraction between them. I really enjoyed how that attraction turned into a real connection as they started spending more time together and opening up to each other—and it was not only believable but also a relationship I could eventually root for by the end!
This isn’t a thriller, but there are suspenseful elements in the story—particularly when Marco’s dealing with Santo and his oldest brother, Vito. I was surprised by how much tension there was between the DeLuca brothers in general—you can feel the hostility, resentment, and competitiveness over what’s at stake in the family business between them.
The alternating POVs, short chapters, and all of the dramatic conversations easily kept me flipping pages. There isn’t a ton of action or plot twists, but there’s always some kind of family or relationship drama happening, which keeps the story moving. I also appreciated how the spice is handled. There are definitely some spicy scenes, but they’re tastefully done and don’t ever take over the story.
My only minor complaint is that while the pace does pick up and there are more plot points toward the end, I never felt like there was one huge climax that totally gripped me, and the last few chapters were a bit predictable. Having said that, it didn’t take away from how much I enjoyed Marco and Brooklyn’s relationship development. Their connection by the end felt real and way more meaningful than the raw physical attraction between them at the start. The epilogue is satisfying, giving much-needed resolution while also leaving me wondering what’s next for Marco and Brooklyn. There are so many directions the authors could take in the sequel, and I’m curious to see where they go from here!
Overall, I really enjoyed this one, especially considering it was my first billionaire romance. If you enjoy contemporary romances, arranged marriage storylines, sibling rivalry, enemies-to-lovers, forced proximity, and lots of (Italian) family drama, this is definitely one to pick up!
Narrator Performance
Legacy Of Deception is narrated by Italian-American actor Alberto Frezza and experienced narrator Savannah Rivers, and I thought they both did a fantastic job bringing this story and its large cast of characters to life.
Frezza narrates the compelling prologue, which immediately gives you a sense of the DeLuca family and the power Santo DeLuca holds. From there, he narrates all of Marco’s chapters, and I really liked the strong, confident voice he gives him. There’s an Italian-American vibe to his delivery that works perfectly for the son of a powerful and dangerous man like Santo. Marco always sounds like he’s thinking two steps ahead, and Frezza does a great job conveying that in his dialogue and inner monologues. It’s very clear early on that Marco doesn’t have a goodopinion of Brooklyn, especially when he points out some of the reckless and manipulative things she did when they were younger—and in the early chapters, you can hear how he mistrusts her and is determined to get out of their arranged marriage. At the same time, he’s trying to figure out how he can get one over on his father and have control over his own future, and Frezza really conveys all of his mental strategizing well, especially when he’s talking through plans with his brothers.
I really enjoyed the narration of Marco’s interactions with his brothers. His exchanges with Vito, the oldest and one of the most ruthless members of the family, have a sense of hostility and mistrust, almost to the point that they sound more like enemies than brothers. Marco’s interactions with Lorenzo and Dominic have a much more brotherly feel to them, even though there’s still a sense that everyone’s looking out for themselves. The distinct voices of the brothers are also really well done and made following all their interactions easy to follow.
One of the biggest strengths of Frezza’s performance for me was the pacing and intensity, which stayed consistent from beginning to end. There’s a lot of family drama and strategic conversations in this book, and he makes it all interesting and entertaining. He also does a great job giving extended members of Marco’s family, including his aunts and uncles, distinct and convincing Italian-American-sounding voices.
I also really liked how he shifted his performance as Marco’s feelings toward Brooklyn changed. Early on, there’s hostility and mistrust whenever Marco talks to her. Frezza delivery makes it clear that he’s attracted to her, but he’s more interested in his own plans and is breaking off the engagement. As they spend more time together, you can hear Marco’s voice become warmer, and there’s more patience when he talks to her. As Marco starts trusting Brooklyn and seeing everything she’s dealing with, he eventually sounds protective and committed.
Savannah Rivers portrays Brooklyn with an opinionated, almost sly-sounding voice layered with vulnerability—which works really well to contrast her with Marco and emphasize their opposites-attract vibes. When Brooklyn arrives at the DeLuca family’s villa not knowing which of the brothers she’s about to be engaged to, Rivers does a great job conveying her anxiety and uncertainty while still showing the character’s strong personality.
Rivers does a particularly good job with the pregnancy thread. When Brooklyn confronts the father, Robert Lyons, there’s a lot of emotion in her performance. You can hear Brooklyn’s anxiety, frustration, and hurt in those scenes, and it feels very different from the confident Brooklyn in other parts of the book, which makes her character multidimensional and interesting.
Rivers also realistically portrays Brooklyn’s changing feelings toward Marco. There’s hostility and attraction between them early on. But as she starts seeing what Marco is dealing with and realizes there’s more to him than she initially thought, Rivers’ performance becomes softer. You can hear Brooklyn beginning to trust him in her thoughts, and their exchanges sound much more comfortable.
Rivers’ performance really shines toward the end when Brooklyn’s convinced that Marco has been playing her. She does a fantastic job conveying the hurt and betrayal in Brooklyn’s voice—and it really conveys how much she loves Marco.
The epilogue is another highlight. Rivers’ delivery really captures the mutual respect between Brooklyn and Marco, and I loved the warmth in the final scenes. Her pacing is also spot on here, giving the story closure while quickly wrapping up things that were unresolved.
Overall, I thought both narrators really elevated the story and kept me engaged throughout. There’s a small difference in how quickly they speak, so depending on your usual listening speed, you may want to listen at a slightly slower speed, but it doesn’t take away from the performances. If you enjoy contemporary billionaire romance, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, family drama, and immersive dual-narration audiobooks, you’ll probably love this one!
Narrator Performance
Legacy Of Deception is narrated by Italian-American actor Alberto Frezza and experienced narrator Savannah Rivers, and I thought they both did a fantastic job bringing this story and its large cast of characters to life.
Frezza narrates the compelling prologue, which immediately gives you a sense of the DeLuca family and the power Santo DeLuca holds. From there, he narrates all of Marco’s chapters, and I really liked the strong, confident voice he gives him. There’s an Italian-American vibe to his delivery that works perfectly for the son of a powerful and dangerous man like Santo. Marco always sounds like he’s thinking two steps ahead, and Frezza does a great job conveying that in his dialogue and inner monologues. It’s very clear early on that Marco doesn’t have a goodopinion of Brooklyn, especially when he points out some of the reckless and manipulative things she did when they were younger—and in the early chapters, you can hear how he mistrusts her and is determined to get out of their arranged marriage. At the same time, he’s trying to figure out how he can get one over on his father and have control over his own future, and Frezza really conveys all of his mental strategizing well, especially when he’s talking through plans with his brothers.
I really enjoyed the narration of Marco’s interactions with his brothers. His exchanges with Vito, the oldest and one of the most ruthless members of the family, have a sense of hostility and mistrust, almost to the point that they sound more like enemies than brothers. Marco’s interactions with Lorenzo and Dominic have a much more brotherly feel to them, even though there’s still a sense that everyone’s looking out for themselves. The distinct voices of the brothers are also really well done and made following all their interactions easy to follow.
One of the biggest strengths of Frezza’s performance for me was the pacing and intensity, which stayed consistent from beginning to end. There’s a lot of family drama and strategic conversations in this book, and he makes it all interesting and entertaining. He also does a great job giving extended members of Marco’s family, including his aunts and uncles, distinct and convincing Italian-American-sounding voices.
I also really liked how he shifted his performance as Marco’s feelings toward Brooklyn changed. Early on, there’s hostility and mistrust whenever Marco talks to her. Frezza delivery makes it clear that he’s attracted to her, but he’s more interested in his own plans and is breaking off the engagement. As they spend more time together, you can hear Marco’s voice become warmer, and there’s more patience when he talks to her. As Marco starts trusting Brooklyn and seeing everything she’s dealing with, he eventually sounds protective and committed.
Savannah Rivers portrays Brooklyn with an opinionated, almost sly-sounding voice layered with vulnerability—which works really well to contrast her with Marco and emphasize their opposites-attract vibes. When Brooklyn arrives at the DeLuca family’s villa not knowing which of the brothers she’s about to be engaged to, Rivers does a great job conveying her anxiety and uncertainty while still showing the character’s strong personality.
Rivers does a particularly good job with the pregnancy thread. When Brooklyn confronts the father, Robert Lyons, there’s a lot of emotion in her performance. You can hear Brooklyn’s anxiety, frustration, and hurt in those scenes, and it feels very different from the confident Brooklyn in other parts of the book, which makes her character multidimensional and interesting.
Rivers also realistically portrays Brooklyn’s changing feelings toward Marco. There’s hostility and attraction between them early on. But as she starts seeing what Marco is dealing with and realizes there’s more to him than she initially thought, Rivers’ performance becomes softer. You can hear Brooklyn beginning to trust him in her thoughts, and their exchanges sound much more comfortable.
Rivers’ performance really shines toward the end when Brooklyn’s convinced that Marco has been playing her. She does a fantastic job conveying the hurt and betrayal in Brooklyn’s voice—and it really conveys how much she loves Marco.
The epilogue is another highlight. Rivers’ delivery really captures the mutual respect between Brooklyn and Marco, and I loved the warmth in the final scenes. Her pacing is also spot on here, giving the story closure while quickly wrapping up things that were unresolved.
Overall, I thought both narrators really elevated the story and kept me engaged throughout. There’s a small difference in how quickly they speak, so depending on your usual listening speed, you may want to listen at a slightly slower speed, but it doesn’t take away from the performances. If you enjoy contemporary billionaire romance, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, family drama, and immersive dual-narration audiobooks, you’ll probably love this one!
Legacy Of Deception is narrated by Italian-American actor Alberto Frezza and experienced narrator Savannah Rivers, and I thought they both did a fantastic job bringing this story and its large cast of characters to life.
Frezza narrates the compelling prologue, which immediately gives you a sense of the DeLuca family and the power Santo DeLuca holds. From there, he narrates all of Marco’s chapters, and I really liked the strong, confident voice he gives him. There’s an Italian-American vibe to his delivery that works perfectly for the son of a powerful and dangerous man like Santo. Marco always sounds like he’s thinking two steps ahead, and Frezza does a great job conveying that in his dialogue and inner monologues. It’s very clear early on that Marco doesn’t have a goodopinion of Brooklyn, especially when he points out some of the reckless and manipulative things she did when they were younger—and in the early chapters, you can hear how he mistrusts her and is determined to get out of their arranged marriage. At the same time, he’s trying to figure out how he can get one over on his father and have control over his own future, and Frezza really conveys all of his mental strategizing well, especially when he’s talking through plans with his brothers.
I really enjoyed the narration of Marco’s interactions with his brothers. His exchanges with Vito, the oldest and one of the most ruthless members of the family, have a sense of hostility and mistrust, almost to the point that they sound more like enemies than brothers. Marco’s interactions with Lorenzo and Dominic have a much more brotherly feel to them, even though there’s still a sense that everyone’s looking out for themselves. The distinct voices of the brothers are also really well done and made following all their interactions easy to follow.
One of the biggest strengths of Frezza’s performance for me was the pacing and intensity, which stayed consistent from beginning to end. There’s a lot of family drama and strategic conversations in this book, and he makes it all interesting and entertaining. He also does a great job giving extended members of Marco’s family, including his aunts and uncles, distinct and convincing Italian-American-sounding voices.
I also really liked how he shifted his performance as Marco’s feelings toward Brooklyn changed. Early on, there’s hostility and mistrust whenever Marco talks to her. Frezza delivery makes it clear that he’s attracted to her, but he’s more interested in his own plans and is breaking off the engagement. As they spend more time together, you can hear Marco’s voice become warmer, and there’s more patience when he talks to her. As Marco starts trusting Brooklyn and seeing everything she’s dealing with, he eventually sounds protective and committed.
Savannah Rivers portrays Brooklyn with an opinionated, almost sly-sounding voice layered with vulnerability—which works really well to contrast her with Marco and emphasize their opposites-attract vibes. When Brooklyn arrives at the DeLuca family’s villa not knowing which of the brothers she’s about to be engaged to, Rivers does a great job conveying her anxiety and uncertainty while still showing the character’s strong personality.
Rivers does a particularly good job with the pregnancy thread. When Brooklyn confronts the father, Robert Lyons, there’s a lot of emotion in her performance. You can hear Brooklyn’s anxiety, frustration, and hurt in those scenes, and it feels very different from the confident Brooklyn in other parts of the book, which makes her character multidimensional and interesting.
Rivers also realistically portrays Brooklyn’s changing feelings toward Marco. There’s hostility and attraction between them early on. But as she starts seeing what Marco is dealing with and realizes there’s more to him than she initially thought, Rivers’ performance becomes softer. You can hear Brooklyn beginning to trust him in her thoughts, and their exchanges sound much more comfortable.
Rivers’ performance really shines toward the end when Brooklyn’s convinced that Marco has been playing her. She does a fantastic job conveying the hurt and betrayal in Brooklyn’s voice—and it really conveys how much she loves Marco.
The epilogue is another highlight. Rivers’ delivery really captures the mutual respect between Brooklyn and Marco, and I loved the warmth in the final scenes. Her pacing is also spot on here, giving the story closure while quickly wrapping up things that were unresolved.
Overall, I thought both narrators really elevated the story and kept me engaged throughout. There’s a small difference in how quickly they speak, so depending on your usual listening speed, you may want to listen at a slightly slower speed, but it doesn’t take away from the performances. If you enjoy contemporary billionaire romance, forced proximity, enemies-to-lovers, family drama, and immersive dual-narration audiobooks, you’ll probably love this one!
