Guest Review: The Exceptions – David Cristofano

From David Cristofano, the Edgar® Award-nominated author of The Girl She Used to Be, comes a poignant, darkly witty story about the ties that bind us together . . . and the choices that rip us apart.
THE EXCEPTIONS
No loose ends. It’s the Bovaro family motto. As part of the Bovaro clan, one of the most powerful and respected families in organized crime, Jonathan knows what he must do: take out Melody Grace McCartney, the woman whose testimony can lock up his father and disgrace his entire family. The only problem: he can’t bring himself to do it.
Had Jonathan kept his silence, Melody and her parents would never have been identified and lured into the Witness Protection Program, able to run but never to hide. So he keeps her safe the only way he knows how-by vowing to clean up his own mess while acting as her shield.
But as he watches her take on another new identity in yet another new town, becoming a beautiful but broken woman, Jonathan can’t get her out of his mind . . . or his heart. From the streets of Little Italy to a refuge that promises a fresh start, Jonathan will be forced to choose between the life he’s always known, the destiny his family has carved out for him, and a future unlike anything he’s ever imagined.

Series:  Melody Grace McCartney #2
Release Date:  August 7, 2012
Publisher:  Grand Central Publishing
Source:   NetGalley
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Reviewer’s Thoughts:

Jonathan Bovaro is born into a life he seems to have no choice in living. As the son of a New York mob boss, Jonathan’s world is built up around him, leaving his family to decide where he fits within the Mafioso mold. That place begins to be carved out when ten-year-old Jonathan catches his first glimpse of Melody McCartney.

Melody is six when her life changes forever. On a weekend trip into the city, Melody and her parents witness a crime that sends them running for their lives. They might have been safe if not for Little Johnny Bovaro who remembers Melody’s blond curls and details about the family’s car. In one innocent slip of the tongue, Johnny alters several lives, including his own.

The Exceptions is not an exception as far as mob stories go. Immediately, we feel like we’re being told a secret, but it’s a secret we’ve heard before. The peek behind the crime family curtain is interesting but familiar. What’s new is the second curtain that’s raised. The responsibility Jonathan feels for Melody reveals a softer side to what might otherwise be just another hardened crime drama.

Jonathan is an interesting character caught between two worlds – the girl he longs to protect and the family who seeks to destroy her. Melody is also complicated – somewhat of a woman-child forced to live the same mundane life over and over no matter how many different towns she lives in or how many names she goes by.  Jonathan wants nothing more than to set Melody free from the fruitless life he’s forced her into. But once he finds her, will he want to let her go?

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