Children of Ambition by: J.J. McAvoy

About Children of Ambition

"Show me a strong woman and I’ll show you the scars on her soul that made her so.”

Everything I’ve done, everything I will do…no remorse. The world is a vicious place for a woman. It’s even crueler to the daughter of the Ceann na Conairte—discarded, married off, left powerless…
But I am no ordinary daughter of the mafia.

Unlike every other mafia family, my mother was Melody Callahan, Bloody Mel, the Don of the Italian Mafia, and the Don didn’t raise some precious mafia princess.

Bone by bone she broke me first, so no one else could—and bone by bone, I pieced myself back together.

I am no longer just the daughter.I am the Don.
I am Donatella Aviela Callahan, and there is only one way—my way. 

My Review

I love the Callahans! J.J. McAvoy is a true storyteller that knows how to draw you in and take you on a crime filled ruthless adventure. In Children of Ambition, we learn more about Donatella, the only daughter of Liam and Melody Callahan and the twin sister of Wyatt and sister of the head of the mafia, Ethan. This story was yet again a great one. We got to get a glimpse in the lives of the young Callahans, Helen, Nari, Sedric, and Darcy and we get see what really makes Donatella tick.

At the conclusion of Children of Vice, we saw Donatella at a crossroads between falling in line with the laws of the Family or taking what she thought was rightfully hers. From there we witnessed lessons in her formative years that led her to make every single, ruthless or nah, decision for herself and her family. Then unknowingly and unannounced walks in Gabriel that has EVERY-body intrigued with his know-it-all, the world is my oyster persona.

Gabriel is ruthless in his own manufactured way and I actually liked his character and his disruption to the Callahans, especially his connection with Donatella. Oh, and did I mention he has secrets? Yes that thang has secrets that have secrets and even after he’s given us the best that he’s got, there is yet another layer as to who is truly is and his connection to the Callahans.

Overall, I loved it! I mean I love all of the books in the Ruthless People series. I have read all seven of them and one of them, Declan + Cora, more than once. I have no problem giving this book a 5-stars because of the story all by itself. It will make you laugh, gasp, clinch your pearls, and most importantly bring a tear or two to your eyes. So, I have no other choice, but to tell you to run out and read Children of Ambition by J.J. McAvoy.

How-so-and-ever… J.J., who is editing your books? Who are your Betas? Somebody doesn’t want you to be great! I say this because, if it had not been for the love of your work and for the Callahans, I would have stopped reading way before I finished. I mean a missed word or a subject verb disagreement, here there and there there is fine, mistakes happen, but sweet baby jeezus in a manger, this one was a rough read technically. You are truly a storyteller, so it’s disappointing that your great stories have so many typos. Holla at ya girl if you need any beta readers for Children of Redemption and Vicious Minds. I got you!