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Heir of Ruin
by Eden SummersSeries: The Cavallo Brothers #1
Published by Self-Published on May 28, 2026
SubGenres: Contemporary Romance
Format: eArc
Pages: 347
Source: the author
Audience: 18+/Adult
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Two years ago, I weakened and kissed her—the woman who demanded my attention, my obsession, and everything in between. Then my brother walked in with a brutal reminder of why I never should’ve succumbed.
Cutting her loose wasn’t enough. I had to treat her like my enemy.
I should’ve anticipated the rejection bruising her pride. But threatening my company? My family?
She has no idea what she’s done, and I can’t let the transgression go unpunished.
She calls it intimidation. Manipulation. Kidnapping.
To me, it’s a necessary course correction.
I’m more than the polished New York businessman she thinks I am. Hidden beneath the tailored suits and effortless boardroom control is a violent malevolence written into my DNA—the traits of an unwanted legacy from the lethal underworld I’ve distanced myself from since childhood.
And while some heirs acquire wealth and power, I’ve inherited something far more dangerous.
The ability to ruin Isla Cross.
And everything she cares about.
*** Author Heir of Ruin is an anti-hero romance featuring the powerful, morally grey Raffael Cavallo, a heroine caught in a legacy she never consented to, and a relationship built on destruction, obsession, and forced proximity. Expect captive undertones, touch-her-and-die energy, high-stakes power imbalance, and a romance that blurs the line between protection and possession.
Heir of Ruin is the first book in Eden Summers’s The Cavallo Brothers Series, a spin-off from her Hunting Her Series. From the moment I began Raffael Cavallo’s story, I was immediately intrigued by his first encounter with Isla Cross. (The book was already starting spicy and intense between the two main characters because it was obvious their connection was clear, and I was curious why, in the beginning, Raffael reacted the way he did with Isla, and then they weren’t friends. I needed to know if these two were ultimately going to end up together, and they do, but there are going to be complications first that need to be worked out between the two, especially when Isla has no idea that her father and Raffael’s father made a deal that would end up costing her everything.
Raffael is an MMC, you’ll either love or hate. In my case, I adored him, even if he was harsh with Isla throughout the book. He’s always had feelings for the beautiful and confident Isla Cross, but in order to protect her from potential threats tied to his father and the family business, he has to become her enemy, pushing her away for her safety. Isla, meanwhile, is determined to assert her independence and protect her company when she becomes CEO of Cross Point Analytics, so she decides to cut ties with his company, The Cavallo Group. The issue is that she can’t cut ties; otherwise, it will put everything at risk, including her own safety, which is why Raffael is so adament of fixing the issue before it puts her at risk.
I friggin’ loved this book, and as I stated earlier, it was hard to put down. Even when I wasn’t reading, I found myself thinking about what would happen next, especially during the intense moments between Raffael and Isla as they struggled with their attraction, or whenever Isla’s friend and coworker Quinn challenged Raffael about her. I loved that Isla had someone at her back, even if Isla could handle her own. Quinn’s character definitely is someone readers should pay attention to because she ends up playing a key role later on. =)
I loved that two previous characters from the Hunting Her series show up in this book, but I didn’t like how they showed up. Raffael doesn’t even like them being there, but they play a key role in the situation with what happens when Isla decides to cut ties with the Cavallo Group. This is when Raffael becomes very protective of Isla when those two show up on his yacht.
The biggest twist in this book is when Isla is kidnapped, after Raffael thought she was fine, and he realizes who kidnapped her. He’ll do anything to get her back, even if it means becoming like his father to do it.
I loved learning about not only Raffael in this book, but his two brothers, too, who will get their own books. These two brothers are very different from Raffael, and I can’t wait to find out more about them. I also loved learning about Raffael’s sister, who shows up in this book, too.
The slow-burn romance between Raffael and Isla drove me crazy at times, but it was well worth it once the two realized their steamy connection. The ongoing suspense and danger, including threats from characters linked to Raffael’s father, keep the stakes high, which kept me reading the book.
Once again, Eden Summers gave me another engaging, suspenseful, and steamy read, and I rate it five stars. I’m eager for the next installment, especially with how things ended for one of the brothers. I definitely plan on rereading this book before the next book comes out because it deserves to be read more than one time.
Standalone or Part of Series: It’s the first book in the Cavallo Brothers series and I would recommend reading the books in order.
POV: Dual POV (First Person)
Would I recommend this book? Yes. If you enjoy high-stakes mafia romance, power imbalances, and the ‘touch her and die’ trope, you’ll enjoy Raffael and Isla’s story in Heir of Ruin.
What to Expect:
🖤Mafia Romance/Criminal Underworld
🖤Power Imbalance
🖤Forced Proximity
🖤Touch Her And I’ll ☠️ You
🖤Kidnapping/Captive Undertones
🖤AntiHero/Morally Grey
About Eden Summers
Eden Summers is a bestselling author of contemporary romance with a side of sizzle and sarcasm.
She lives in Australia with a young family who are well aware she's circling the drain of insanity.
Eden can't resist alpha dominance, dark features and sarcasm in her fictional heroes and loves a strong heroine who knows when to bite her tongue but also serves retribution with a feminine smile on her face.
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My obsession with reading started over 30+ years ago when I went to my first Scholastic Book Fair and found R.L. Stine's Fear Street series. Later, I came across Anne Rice's novels at my public library when I was fourteen when my obsession with vampires started. I was the girl who preferred to be a vampire over a princess any day. My husband says I would leave him a heartbeat for a vampire that looked like Spike or Angel (from Buffy the Vampire Slayer) or Damon Salvatore from The Vampire Diaries. (It's true, though, and he's accepted it.)
- ARC Review: ‘Heir of Ruin’ by Eden Summers - May 28, 2026
- Review: ‘Seeking Vengeance’ by Eden Summers - May 27, 2026
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