Blood and Beauty

In Blood and Beauty, the first installment of the Owned by the Don trilogy, Esmeralda is a college student on the brink of fulfilling her dream of opening a restaurant, but her life takes a dramatic turn when she becomes entangled with Dante, a formidable and alluring mafia leader. As they are drawn together by circumstance and the pressing dangers of the cartel, the attraction between them complicates their worlds, especially given Dante's ruthless nature and Esmeralda's painful past. This dark, modern twist on the classic tale of Beauty and the Beast explores themes of power, desire, and survival.