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sofiarmz13's review against another edition
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Sexual content
Moderate: Alcohol, Blood, Cursing, Misogyny, and Murder
Minor: Death of parent, Drug abuse, Pregnancy, Sexual harassment, and Vomit
michellemaas's review against another edition
dark
inspiring
mysterious
relaxing
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
First read: 3.5 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Second read: 4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*First Read*
I want to premise this review by saying that I really did like this book but there were quite a few things I didn't like so just because I highlight those doesn't mean it's a bad book. In my opinion, you should definitely read the entire series since it is a top-tier mafia romance. Now that that's out of the way I'll jump right into things!
At times Nico and Elena were not good love interests. I get we're working with an edgy mafia romance with non-traditional main characters, but there was an instance where Nico described Elena as someone who "has the body of a porn star" and a scene where Elena she said she "didn't want men's respect (including Nico's)". Other than the fact that I'm pretty sure that scene set women empowerment movements back a couple of decades, both instances just rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't get through this review without mentioning it.
Also, Elena was just a really annoying protagonist sometimes. I can't put into words why I felt that way but I did. Maybe it was the whole "pick-me" thing she had going on? Maybe it was the fact that she was attracted to and actively pursuing her sister's fiancee (even if it was an arranged marriage that's still not okay). You'll get what I'm saying once you read it.
Other than that, the sexual tension was A-plus (pool scene I'm talking about you). I liked the way the arranged marriage was resolved and the gas station scene was ICONIC (no other word for it). This book was mostly docked for missing some action. This is a mafia romance and neither of our main characters was seriously injured. I don't even think either of them got shot? I want at least one situation where I think one of my main characters is going to die (even if I know they won't).
I am going to end off by repeating that this is still a good book even if I had my gripes with it. Will definitely be rereading it soon!
*Second Read*
I had to bump up the rating after my reread because their sexual tension is EVERYTHING!! This series is by far the best mafia romances I've read (and since first reading it last year, I have read MANY others). I still agree with what I said in my original review, though I'm not nearly as bothered by those issues this time around as I was last. My biggest problem this time was the pacing. The first 60% went by in the blink of an eye, but as soon as Nico and Elena got together it lost a lot of its steam. Would still highly highly recommend if you're looking for a good Dark Romance though!
Second read: 4 - ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
*First Read*
I want to premise this review by saying that I really did like this book but there were quite a few things I didn't like so just because I highlight those doesn't mean it's a bad book. In my opinion, you should definitely read the entire series since it is a top-tier mafia romance. Now that that's out of the way I'll jump right into things!
At times Nico and Elena were not good love interests. I get we're working with an edgy mafia romance with non-traditional main characters, but there was an instance where Nico described Elena as someone who "has the body of a porn star" and a scene where Elena she said she "didn't want men's respect (including Nico's)". Other than the fact that I'm pretty sure that scene set women empowerment movements back a couple of decades, both instances just rubbed me the wrong way and I couldn't get through this review without mentioning it.
Also, Elena was just a really annoying protagonist sometimes. I can't put into words why I felt that way but I did. Maybe it was the whole "pick-me" thing she had going on? Maybe it was the fact that she was attracted to and actively pursuing her sister's fiancee (even if it was an arranged marriage that's still not okay). You'll get what I'm saying once you read it.
Other than that, the sexual tension was A-plus (pool scene I'm talking about you). I liked the way the arranged marriage was resolved and the gas station scene was ICONIC (no other word for it). This book was mostly docked for missing some action. This is a mafia romance and neither of our main characters was seriously injured. I don't even think either of them got shot? I want at least one situation where I think one of my main characters is going to die (even if I know they won't).
I am going to end off by repeating that this is still a good book even if I had my gripes with it. Will definitely be rereading it soon!
*Second Read*
I had to bump up the rating after my reread because their sexual tension is EVERYTHING!! This series is by far the best mafia romances I've read (and since first reading it last year, I have read MANY others). I still agree with what I said in my original review, though I'm not nearly as bothered by those issues this time around as I was last. My biggest problem this time was the pacing. The first 60% went by in the blink of an eye, but as soon as Nico and Elena got together it lost a lot of its steam. Would still highly highly recommend if you're looking for a good Dark Romance though!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gaslighting, Gun violence, Sexual content, Sexual harassment, Torture, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Violence, and Emotional abuse
Moderate: Blood, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, Bullying, Cursing, Death, Murder, Pregnancy, Sexism, and Infidelity
Minor: Domestic abuse, Drug use, and Grief
psydneigh's review against another edition
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
I enjoyed this book, but I think it was a little slow. Maybe it would’ve been more enjoyable if I hadn’t know the big twist but i already knew her sister got pregnant so i was just waiting for that to be revealed so the story could progress I thought the sex scenes would be a bit spicier, and i got kind of annoyed towards the end when the only issue was really miscommunication and im not a fan of that trope. Overall, i enjoyed and will be reading the next one.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent, Death, Grief, Gun violence, Infidelity, Misogyny, and Pregnancy
s1515's review against another edition
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, Toxic relationship, Sexual assault, Sexism, Murder, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Gun violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Alcohol, Body horror, Death of parent, Drug use, Grief, Rape, Pregnancy, and Injury/Injury detail
kim03's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Gun violence, Gaslighting, and Sexual content
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Drug use, and Sexism
addie_larue's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Death, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexual content
Moderate: Gaslighting, Gun violence, and Pregnancy
Minor: Death of parent and Drug abuse
rads27's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence and Misogyny
Moderate: Murder
Minor: Drug abuse, Torture, and Rape
julsaz's review against another edition
dark
emotional
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Violence
danielle70's review against another edition
dark
emotional
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
This did so many things so dang well I have to write a review to remember them.
I'm trash for forced proximity, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, possessive guys with the "touch her and you die" thing, so you could say there was a good bet I'd like this. I obviously expected to since I picked it up, but it was so much better than any romance I've read in a WHILE. The author really knows how to build tension without going over the top or adding unnecessary drama. There were times where, as a seasoned romance reader, I just knew something would happen (formulas amirite?), then it wouldn't and the tension just got higher and I loved it.
Elena was such an amazing character. I loved being in her head. I hadn't realized how badly other authors dramatize characters' emotions and inner monologues to keep the reader's attention and make everything seem more exciting. Elena was chill. She wasn't emotionally constipated, but she was reasonable and didn't act only from emotion like lots of characters do. It was sooooo refreshing. It didn't make the stakes seem lower or like she didn't like the hero as much, it just made her so much more realistic. She even points out things about her and parts of her life that are messed up and wrong but like...yeah. Sis is in a mafia family. Self-aware morally grey characters are my kryptonite.
I gotta mention Elena's family. idk if I'm just from a jacked family, but there are things you have to try to forget because it's hard to get over, things you pretend you didn't hear, people constantly misunderstand why others do things, and not many people have someone ready to give them a hug and advice all the time. There was a time where Elena was trying to get advice about her feelings about Ace, so she used a hypothetical situation about a dog to ask her Nonna what she would do. Her Nonna got confused because she was allergic to dogs, her mom butt into the conversation to make sure she knew they couldn't get a dog, and as the conversation went on, Elena gave up because her family wasn't understanding her meaning at all. That's hilariously accurate. I've always thought my family was messed up when reading about characters who go to grandparents or parents for advice where they get life-changing advice that was perfect for their problems and then they get sent off with cookies or some nonsense. I think that's pretty uncommon for most people, so I'm just here to say that Nonna is the grandma who speaks her mind, hates her daughter-in-law, and skips things you wish she came to so she could get in bed at her normal time. She was hilarious and I love her. Plus, the times Elena was alone with her family I didn't hate it?? I usually just want the couple to be interacting the whole time so I'm confused too
Ok now the romance. To be honest, I'm concerned by how much I like this. Oh well. Elena and Nico had amazing chemistry and tension. I loved how they didn't have to be interacting every single second (but the whole book they're around each other don't worry) and even though they were very aware of the other person, they went on with their regular activities because that's what people do. They didn't have to be speaking 24/7 and that's so weird to me because I always love that so much. Plus, GUYS, the reasons they held back and didn't let themselves get as vulnerable made SENSE. Thank goodness. When there was a major conflict, they listened to each other's sides of the story, believed them, and moved on?? Yes, freaking thank you. I hate those idiotic breakup scenes when you know they're just gonna get back together. It always feels like emotional manipulation to me.
Now my fav thing is that this wasn't depressing. It easily could've been with the amount of dark material it covers, but it stayed lighthearted and I appreciate it for that so much. Lots of people are morally jacked but they aren't psychopaths and made jokes and cared about people too. It was really freaking funny at times. have i made it obvious enough that i liked this book yet?
the type of humor (referencing when bro -just- shot his own cousin):
I'm trash for forced proximity, arranged marriage, enemies to lovers, possessive guys with the "touch her and you die" thing, so you could say there was a good bet I'd like this. I obviously expected to since I picked it up, but it was so much better than any romance I've read in a WHILE. The author really knows how to build tension without going over the top or adding unnecessary drama. There were times where, as a seasoned romance reader, I just knew something would happen (formulas amirite?), then it wouldn't and the tension just got higher and I loved it.
Elena was such an amazing character. I loved being in her head. I hadn't realized how badly other authors dramatize characters' emotions and inner monologues to keep the reader's attention and make everything seem more exciting. Elena was chill. She wasn't emotionally constipated, but she was reasonable and didn't act only from emotion like lots of characters do. It was sooooo refreshing. It didn't make the stakes seem lower or like she didn't like the hero as much, it just made her so much more realistic. She even points out things about her and parts of her life that are messed up and wrong but like...yeah. Sis is in a mafia family. Self-aware morally grey characters are my kryptonite.
I gotta mention Elena's family. idk if I'm just from a jacked family, but there are things you have to try to forget because it's hard to get over, things you pretend you didn't hear, people constantly misunderstand why others do things, and not many people have someone ready to give them a hug and advice all the time. There was a time where Elena was trying to get advice about her feelings about Ace, so she used a hypothetical situation about a dog to ask her Nonna what she would do. Her Nonna got confused because she was allergic to dogs, her mom butt into the conversation to make sure she knew they couldn't get a dog, and as the conversation went on, Elena gave up because her family wasn't understanding her meaning at all. That's hilariously accurate. I've always thought my family was messed up when reading about characters who go to grandparents or parents for advice where they get life-changing advice that was perfect for their problems and then they get sent off with cookies or some nonsense. I think that's pretty uncommon for most people, so I'm just here to say that Nonna is the grandma who speaks her mind, hates her daughter-in-law, and skips things you wish she came to so she could get in bed at her normal time. She was hilarious and I love her. Plus, the times Elena was alone with her family I didn't hate it?? I usually just want the couple to be interacting the whole time so I'm confused too
Ok now the romance. To be honest, I'm concerned by how much I like this. Oh well. Elena and Nico had amazing chemistry and tension. I loved how they didn't have to be interacting every single second (but the whole book they're around each other don't worry) and even though they were very aware of the other person, they went on with their regular activities because that's what people do. They didn't have to be speaking 24/7 and that's so weird to me because I always love that so much. Plus, GUYS, the reasons they held back and didn't let themselves get as vulnerable made SENSE. Thank goodness. When there was a major conflict, they listened to each other's sides of the story, believed them, and moved on?? Yes, freaking thank you. I hate those idiotic breakup scenes when you know they're just gonna get back together. It always feels like emotional manipulation to me.
Now my fav thing is that this wasn't depressing. It easily could've been with the amount of dark material it covers, but it stayed lighthearted and I appreciate it for that so much. Lots of people are morally jacked but they aren't psychopaths and made jokes and cared about people too. It was really freaking funny at times. have i made it obvious enough that i liked this book yet?
the type of humor (referencing when bro -just- shot his own cousin):
My family could be as pissed as they wanted, but I’d appreciate at least one fucking thank-you for stopping a bloodbath from ruining a perfectly good Sunday
I would like to take this time to acknowledge that a lot of the characters in this book have that mafia toxic mentality where women are married off to whoever their dad needs them to for business deals and such and are expected to know how to cook, be cheated on by their husbands, and get abused and no one could help them. Now, I think we all know that's messed up, but so is the fact that they kill people constantly and are literally drug traffickers. It's not real life so let me enjoy what I want
I feel like this review sucks because I'm having to rewrite the whole thing (thx story graph for not saving my bomb first review) and I totally forgot everything I said before and I don't have the emotional capacity to be funny rn, so, sorry folks. tbh this is just for me anyways to remember what I liked so if anyone gains something from this, that's awesome. You should read this book
TROPES:
- forbidden romance
- arranged marriage (I know it sounds like these can't go together, but trust me)
- enemies to lovers
- forced proximity
- morally grey characters
- "touch her and you die"
- a literal quote from the book when Nico was engaged to Elena's sister:
I swear to God, Elena, if I find out you’ve let some man touch you, I will deliver his hands to you in a box.” I swallowed. “And I do not. Fucking. Bluff."
- possessive hero
- again, proof:
I wanted an irrevocable tie to this woman. I wanted to write my name on her skin, to do all kinds of fucked-up shit so she knew she was mine. Like lock her in my room and hand-feed her. With indifference, I finished my cigarette and contemplated the logistics of that. (275)
I wanted to fuck her and ruin her for anyone else. I wanted to crush her wings and then put them back together again so she’d become dependent on me. I wanted her to need me. That dark, possessive, and dangerous feeling crawled through me every time she crossed my path.
Elena Abelli was my vice, and fuck if I’d let it kill me.
SPOILERS
The only thing I just really didn't like was the whole ring thing. I'm kinda sick of the third act breakup formula at this point and that just felt like a dumb way to keep Elena and Nico apart. She knew him pretty freaking well by the time she ran off. He wouldn't have stopped her from doing all that stuff if she had told him about it first. Over time this got annoying and started feeling lazy. They easily could've had tension and been apprehensive about their relationship without it, so idk why it was used so much. It came up so freaking often in their heads. I know she feels a lot of guilt about it so I get that she thinks about it a lot but it was obvious that Nico thought she was in love with another man and it bothered him a lot. She even thinks about this in the book but doesn't say like 'nah, you're right that I'm not a virgin but I just felt caged and ran off. I didn't even know the man's name so stop treating me like I'm being disloyal.' THAT'S IT. I can understand her wanting that distance but also, her not kissing him is also stupid because that is so not the only thing that will make her fall more in love with him. She knew she would be married to him until one of them freaking dies. His personality along with her attraction to him is what's gonna make her fall in love. It ain't freaking kissing so that felt kinda stupid and immature too
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Confinement, Cursing, Sexual content, and Violence
Moderate: Alcoholism, Gun violence, Misogyny, Murder, and Sexism
Minor: Drug abuse, Drug use, and Pregnancy
annabelle's review against another edition
Why was this so boring?? I was ready to check my feminism at the door for this 😔
I wanted either more angst or more plot or more smut. Some parts were so repetitive that I started skimming chapters to try to get to the good parts!! Unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing holding my attention. The characters weren’t anything special which isn’t a bad thing per se. It’s just not great when there is absolutely nothing else exciting going on. Any exciting moments either happened off screen or lasted a total of 5 seconds.
I saw some reviews that said things pick up around half way through, but I do not really care enough to push through. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was hoping this would be more angsty or dramatic since it’s a mafia romance. It’s not bad, I just wish it was more gripping.
I wanted either more angst or more plot or more smut. Some parts were so repetitive that I started skimming chapters to try to get to the good parts!! Unfortunately, there was absolutely nothing holding my attention. The characters weren’t anything special which isn’t a bad thing per se. It’s just not great when there is absolutely nothing else exciting going on. Any exciting moments either happened off screen or lasted a total of 5 seconds.
I saw some reviews that said things pick up around half way through, but I do not really care enough to push through. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was hoping this would be more angsty or dramatic since it’s a mafia romance. It’s not bad, I just wish it was more gripping.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Murder
Moderate: Misogyny and Violence
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