Retribution

The Riveting Sequel to Redemption!

Romance - Suspense
444 Pages
Reviewed on 07/01/2019
Buy on Amazon

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Free Book Program, which is open to all readers and is completely free. The author will provide you with a free copy of their book in exchange for an honest review. You and the author will discuss what sites you will post your review to and what kind of copy of the book you would like to receive (eBook, PDF, Word, paperback, etc.). To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Review Exchange Program, which is open to all authors and is completely free. Simply put, you agree to provide an honest review an author's book in exchange for the author doing the same for you. What sites your reviews are posted on (B&N, Amazon, etc.) and whether you send digital (eBook, PDF, Word, etc.) or hard copies of your books to each other for review is up to you. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email, and be sure to describe your book or include a link to your Readers' Favorite review page or Amazon page.

This author participates in the Readers' Favorite Book Donation Program, which was created to help nonprofit and charitable organizations (schools, libraries, convalescent homes, soldier donation programs, etc.) by providing them with free books and to help authors garner more exposure for their work. This author is willing to donate free copies of their book in exchange for reviews (if circumstances allow) and the knowledge that their book is being read and enjoyed. To begin, click the purple email icon to send this author a private email. Be sure to tell the author who you are, what organization you are with, how many books you need, how they will be used, and the number of reviews, if any, you would be able to provide.

Author Biography

Nominated for Georgia Author of the Year for Redemption, Stephanie grew up in the Brooklyn neighborhood of Gerritsen Beach. Her love of writing began with Saturday trips with her mother to the small local library where children would gather to hear a story read by the local Librarian. Afterward, Stephanie would pick out a book to take home. Throughout her teen and adult years, Stephanie’s desire to pen a novel always simmered in the background.
It was not until years later after a career in Patient Accounting and a stint as a Licensed Realtor that her dreams of becoming a writer flourished with a move to the Mountains in Pennsylvania. It was there that her first novel, Redemption was conceived. But family obligations forced her to abandon the manuscript until her move to Georgia to be closer to her family.
Determined to finish her manuscript, and after countless hours sitting at her computer, Redemption was finally completed. Drawn to thriller and suspense novels, Stephanie is dedicated to giving her reader’s fast-paced, high stakes, page-turning stories that keep you on the edge of your seat and are full of surprising twists.
She resides at her lake home in Villa Rica, Georgia with her husband and two cats. Retribution the sequel to Redemption was released in June 2019. She is currently working on the final installment in the trilogy titled Reckoning! You can find her online at www.stephaniebaldi2.com. Or follow her on Facebook and Twitter at sbauthor7.

    Book Review

Reviewed by Maria Victoria Beltran for Readers' Favorite

Retribution: The Riveting Sequel to Redemption! is written by Stephanie Baldi, and it is full of breathtaking suspense. Carmela Santiago, daughter of Ricardo, founder of a drug and smuggling empire, waited for almost six years before she placed her plans in motion - to exact retribution from the man she was supposed to marry. Nicholas D'Angelo was the trusted hired killer groomed to marry the daughter of his boss but he ends up assassinating the man he used to work for. Now married to Carrie and living in Tuscany, Italy, he wants to leave his past behind, but can he?

Stephanie Baldi's Retribution is the second installment in a series that is all about money, power, murder, deceit, love, and revenge. Baldi weaves a complex story that will surely make it difficult for her readers to put the book down. As the story unravels, the vivid description of Carmela Santiago's character is spellbinding for how does a woman with money, beauty and power seek retribution? The suspense doesn't end there, however, as we get to know the other colorful people in the story. The characters in this novel are well developed with their own flaws and strength, and as such, one can feel some kind of empathy for most of them. And as we follow the plot from California to New York, to Italy and South Dakota, we sometimes have to hold our breath. This is because Stephanie Baldi is a brilliant storyteller who does not leave loose ends undone and she certainly knows how to keep the suspense going up to the very last page!

K.C. Finn

Retribution is a work of suspenseful crime fiction penned by author Stephanie Baldi and is the sequel to Redemption. Set six years after the events of the first book, Carmela Santiago hasn’t forgotten the fateful day when her father was assassinated by hitman Nick, whom she thought that she loved. Now, Nick will regret letting Carmela live as she pulls together every resource from her father’s long-standing drug empire, of which she is now the kingpin. As Carmela's and Nick’s paths threaten to cross again with bloody consequences, the tangled web of secrets around them confuses matters and enflames the grieving daughter’s desire for vengeance.

This complex and extensive criminal plot twists and turns around every corner to give maximum intrigue and reading satisfaction to its audience. Author Stephanie Baldi does a great job of recapping the events of Redemption without overdoing the details, placing gentle reminders in the narration with the reappearance of certain characters or places to ease the memory for readers. As such, the action flows out in a wild torrent when things really get going, with plenty of snappy dialogue and heartfelt moments to convey the reality of the lives of the criminals and hitmen caught up in the storm. Carmela makes for a compelling heroine: it was wonderful to read the emotional journey of a strong woman in charge, plagued by grief but also still culpable and compassionate despite her desire for revenge. Overall, Retribution is an excellent suspense novel that fans of criminal POV will adore.

Rabia Tanveer

Carmela Santiago was heartbroken when the man she loved killed her father right in front of her. That was the day when her world was changed forever. Granted, her life had never been sunshine and roses, considering that her father ran a drug smuggling empire, but with this responsibility on her shoulders, she knows that she is the one who must exact revenge. There is no limit to what she will do and what she is ready to expend to get her revenge on Nicholas D’Angelo. However, Nicholas is also ready to protect the people he loves and there is nothing that he won’t do to protect his family. Now it’s a tussle between the two people who once loved each other. Can he save his family from the clutches of Carmela? Can Carmela get her revenge even with the odds stacked against her?

Retribution: The Riveting Sequel to Redemption! by Stephanie Baldi is a story of revenge and saving the people you love. This is the perfect example of modern literature where you don’t have the perfect protagonists. They have faults, they both have flaws, but at the end of the day, they are human beings who make mistakes. Both Carmela and Nicholas are ready to risk it all, one for revenge and the other to protect important people in their family. The plot was intense, the suspense and action were palpable, and the flow was just amazing. There was never a dull moment in the novel or a moment where the story flagged. Reading it gave me an adrenaline rush and I loved every second of it. The character development, plot development, and themes were carried out wonderfully and the pace kept the momentum going until the very end. Needless to say, I will remember this book for a long time! Absolutely fantastic.

Doreen Garson

Looking for a summer read? Redemption and now Retribution is a must read! Truly a great thriller sequel. I couldn't put the book down. Stephanie is a brilliant writer with an amazing imagination. Each character is described so well in Redemption. They are easily brought into Retribution as the story continues . I was brought to the edge of my seat with each chapter.
I can't wait for the next book.