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elcanaldevenecia's review
5.0
ENGLISH
When Heroes Fall is the first book in the duology, Anti Heroes in Love. It is a story of love, war, passion and struggle. Dante Salvatore, the kingpin, Lord of New York, is on trial for a violent crime. The best option to keep him from ending up behind bars is the incredible lawyer, Elena Lombardi, sister of his best friend. The only problem is that he sees in her what he has always been looking for, the challenge of a lifetime. However, he can't go after her because Elena would risk her job, reputation and her life to spend a few minutes with him.
I found it a fascinating story, full of details that create an atmosphere full of mystery and suck you in, altering your senses. It makes you question your morals, and whether good is what we truly believe. While the sweet words whispered by Dante make you melt. While Elena becomes the inspiration we women need from time to time.
Dante Salvatore is the man you want to be the father of your children, your best friend, the one you admire, your confidant, the owner of your paycheck (even if he doesn't need a penny), the only man you take to the dance floor, the one you show off to your girlfriends and would make you feel like the luckiest woman in the world because he would be the luckiest man in the world. But at the same time, he is the one who is in your dark dreams, who controls your body, who invades your thoughts, who to the world is the most dangerous man. The man you would never have imagined could be capable of so much and that you would forgive him because you know he did it out of love. He is a dangerous man for your heart.
Elena is a warrior, a woman who knows how to persevere, who will always take the most difficult path but who will always leave you at the pinnacle of success. She is a champion, who has known how to fight for everything she wants and not let herself be brought down by anyone who seeks to harm her. She has always been satisfied with men who will not be able to satisfy her in all aspects, but when she finds her equal, she will know how to enjoy it. She is an exemplary professional who does not give up at the first challenge but fights to the end. A woman with a big heart and with a fire inside her that consumes everything bad and combusts to emerge stronger. I admire her too much for every battle she has fought and how she has come back from them.
I can't wait to read more of this duet.
Subgenres: Mafia | Forbidden Love | Slow Burn | Enemies to Friends to Enemies to Lovers | Hate to Love | Power Couple | Boss
Reading +21
ESPAÑOL
When Heroes Fall es el primer libro de la duología, Anti Heroes in Love. La cual es una historia de amor, guerra, pasión y lucha. Dante Salvatore, el capo, Señor de Nueva York, está siendo juzgado por un crimen violento. La mejor opción para evitar que termine bajo las rejas, es la increíble abogado, Elena Lombardi, hermana de su mejor amiga. El único problema es que ve en ella lo que siempre ha buscado, el reto de su vida. Sin embargo, no puede ir tras ella porque Elena arriesgaría su trabajo, reputación y su vida por estar unos minutos con él.
Me pareció una historia fascinante, llena de detalles que crean una atmósfera llena de misterio y te succionan alterando tus sentidos. Te hace cuestionar tu moral, y si el bien es lo que en verdad creemos. Mientras las dulces palabras que susurra Dante te hace derretirte. Mientras que Elena se vuelve la inspiración que las mujeres necesitamos de vez en cuando.
Dante Salvatore es el hombre que quieres que sea padre de tus hijos, tu mejor amigo, aquel que admiras, tu confidente, el dueño de tus quincenas (aunque no necesite ni un centavo), el único hombre que llevas a la pista de baile, al que presumimos a tus amigas y te haría sentir la mujer más afortunada del mundo porque él sería el hombre más afortunado del mundo. Pero a la vez, es aquel que está en tus sueños oscuros, que controla tu cuerpo, que invade tus pensamientos, que para el mundo es el hombre más peligroso. Aquel hombre que nunca hubieras imaginado pudiera ser capaz de tanto y que lo perdonarías porque sabes que lo hizo por amor. Es un hombre peligroso para tu corazón.
Elena es una guerrera, una mujer que sabe perseverar, que siempre tomará el camino más difícil pero que siempre la dejará en la cima del éxito. Es una campeona, que ha sabido luchar por todo lo que quiere y no dejarse derrumbar por todo aquel que le busque hacer un daño. Siempre se ha conformado con hombres que no podrán satisfacerla en todas las facetas, pero que cuando encuentre a su igual, sabrá disfrutarlo. Es una profesionista ejemplar que no se rinde en el primer reto sino que lucha hasta el final. Una mujer de un gran corazón y con un fuego dentro de ella que consume todo lo malo y combustiona para resurgir más fuerte. La admiro demasiado por cada batalla que ha luchado y como ha vuelto de ellas.
Estoy ansiosa por leer más de este dueto.
Subgéneros: Mafia | Amor Prohibido | Slow Burn | Enemies to Friends to Enemies to Lovers | Hate to Love | Power Couple | Jefe
Lectura +21
When Heroes Fall is the first book in the duology, Anti Heroes in Love. It is a story of love, war, passion and struggle. Dante Salvatore, the kingpin, Lord of New York, is on trial for a violent crime. The best option to keep him from ending up behind bars is the incredible lawyer, Elena Lombardi, sister of his best friend. The only problem is that he sees in her what he has always been looking for, the challenge of a lifetime. However, he can't go after her because Elena would risk her job, reputation and her life to spend a few minutes with him.
I found it a fascinating story, full of details that create an atmosphere full of mystery and suck you in, altering your senses. It makes you question your morals, and whether good is what we truly believe. While the sweet words whispered by Dante make you melt. While Elena becomes the inspiration we women need from time to time.
Dante Salvatore is the man you want to be the father of your children, your best friend, the one you admire, your confidant, the owner of your paycheck (even if he doesn't need a penny), the only man you take to the dance floor, the one you show off to your girlfriends and would make you feel like the luckiest woman in the world because he would be the luckiest man in the world. But at the same time, he is the one who is in your dark dreams, who controls your body, who invades your thoughts, who to the world is the most dangerous man. The man you would never have imagined could be capable of so much and that you would forgive him because you know he did it out of love. He is a dangerous man for your heart.
Elena is a warrior, a woman who knows how to persevere, who will always take the most difficult path but who will always leave you at the pinnacle of success. She is a champion, who has known how to fight for everything she wants and not let herself be brought down by anyone who seeks to harm her. She has always been satisfied with men who will not be able to satisfy her in all aspects, but when she finds her equal, she will know how to enjoy it. She is an exemplary professional who does not give up at the first challenge but fights to the end. A woman with a big heart and with a fire inside her that consumes everything bad and combusts to emerge stronger. I admire her too much for every battle she has fought and how she has come back from them.
I can't wait to read more of this duet.
Subgenres: Mafia | Forbidden Love | Slow Burn | Enemies to Friends to Enemies to Lovers | Hate to Love | Power Couple | Boss
Reading +21
ESPAÑOL
When Heroes Fall es el primer libro de la duología, Anti Heroes in Love. La cual es una historia de amor, guerra, pasión y lucha. Dante Salvatore, el capo, Señor de Nueva York, está siendo juzgado por un crimen violento. La mejor opción para evitar que termine bajo las rejas, es la increíble abogado, Elena Lombardi, hermana de su mejor amiga. El único problema es que ve en ella lo que siempre ha buscado, el reto de su vida. Sin embargo, no puede ir tras ella porque Elena arriesgaría su trabajo, reputación y su vida por estar unos minutos con él.
Me pareció una historia fascinante, llena de detalles que crean una atmósfera llena de misterio y te succionan alterando tus sentidos. Te hace cuestionar tu moral, y si el bien es lo que en verdad creemos. Mientras las dulces palabras que susurra Dante te hace derretirte. Mientras que Elena se vuelve la inspiración que las mujeres necesitamos de vez en cuando.
Dante Salvatore es el hombre que quieres que sea padre de tus hijos, tu mejor amigo, aquel que admiras, tu confidente, el dueño de tus quincenas (aunque no necesite ni un centavo), el único hombre que llevas a la pista de baile, al que presumimos a tus amigas y te haría sentir la mujer más afortunada del mundo porque él sería el hombre más afortunado del mundo. Pero a la vez, es aquel que está en tus sueños oscuros, que controla tu cuerpo, que invade tus pensamientos, que para el mundo es el hombre más peligroso. Aquel hombre que nunca hubieras imaginado pudiera ser capaz de tanto y que lo perdonarías porque sabes que lo hizo por amor. Es un hombre peligroso para tu corazón.
Elena es una guerrera, una mujer que sabe perseverar, que siempre tomará el camino más difícil pero que siempre la dejará en la cima del éxito. Es una campeona, que ha sabido luchar por todo lo que quiere y no dejarse derrumbar por todo aquel que le busque hacer un daño. Siempre se ha conformado con hombres que no podrán satisfacerla en todas las facetas, pero que cuando encuentre a su igual, sabrá disfrutarlo. Es una profesionista ejemplar que no se rinde en el primer reto sino que lucha hasta el final. Una mujer de un gran corazón y con un fuego dentro de ella que consume todo lo malo y combustiona para resurgir más fuerte. La admiro demasiado por cada batalla que ha luchado y como ha vuelto de ellas.
Estoy ansiosa por leer más de este dueto.
Subgéneros: Mafia | Amor Prohibido | Slow Burn | Enemies to Friends to Enemies to Lovers | Hate to Love | Power Couple | Jefe
Lectura +21
exquisite_tragedy's review
4.0
Tropes/Themes:
-MF dark mafia romance
-Age gap
-Grump (h) x Sunshine (H)
-Forced proximity
-Slow burn(ish)
-Dual POV
-HFN (first book in a duet)
CWs for torture, murder, organized crime, fertility issues, cheating (not on page/not involving the main couple), sex slavery (not on page/brought up in conversation)
I had originally DNFed this at 20% because I was super confused and couldn’t understand how all of the characters connected. I didn’t want to drop it entirely though because of the raving reviews, so I doubled back to read the Enslaved duet (Alexander x Cosima’s romance) before giving it another go. That ended up being a game change because I felt like it had cleared up any questions/confusion I had previously. I ended up absolutely LOVING this book. Dante and Elena are officially one of my new favorite Giana Darling couples. I’m always a sucker for the grump x sunshine trope, especially when the heroine’s the grump. I loved how smitten Dante was right from the start. Dante was one of the few people in Elena’s life that actually wanted to understand her and took the time to listen and just be there for her. I loved how patient he was with her and I loved seeing Elena learn how to love/trust herself and the people close to her. This first half of the book was definitely on the slower side, but once things started heating up it didn’t take me long to get invested.
I’ve included the chronological reading order for the 3 Lombardi sisters below:
1. The Evolution of Sin Trilogy
Sinclair x Giselle
2. The Enslaved Duet
Alexander x Cosima
3. Anti-Heroes in Love Duet
Dante x Elena
These can all technically be read as standalones. Like I mentioned above, I’d suggest reading the Enslaved duet before picking up the Anti-Heroes in Love duet for optimism enjoyment and to fully understand the plot/consequences. I don’t plan on reading the Evolution of Sin trilogy since cheating is a huge no go for me. For what it’s worth, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything by not reading that series.
This ended on a HFN but I’m itching to pick up the next book because I just want to be back with this couple and see what else is in store for them.
Story: 4/5
Audiobook: 4/5 (the female narrator is not my fav)
Length 12h31min
-MF dark mafia romance
-Age gap
-Grump (h) x Sunshine (H)
-Forced proximity
-Slow burn(ish)
-Dual POV
-HFN (first book in a duet)
CWs for torture, murder, organized crime, fertility issues, cheating (not on page/not involving the main couple), sex slavery (not on page/brought up in conversation)
I had originally DNFed this at 20% because I was super confused and couldn’t understand how all of the characters connected. I didn’t want to drop it entirely though because of the raving reviews, so I doubled back to read the Enslaved duet (Alexander x Cosima’s romance) before giving it another go. That ended up being a game change because I felt like it had cleared up any questions/confusion I had previously. I ended up absolutely LOVING this book. Dante and Elena are officially one of my new favorite Giana Darling couples. I’m always a sucker for the grump x sunshine trope, especially when the heroine’s the grump. I loved how smitten Dante was right from the start. Dante was one of the few people in Elena’s life that actually wanted to understand her and took the time to listen and just be there for her. I loved how patient he was with her and I loved seeing Elena learn how to love/trust herself and the people close to her. This first half of the book was definitely on the slower side, but once things started heating up it didn’t take me long to get invested.
I’ve included the chronological reading order for the 3 Lombardi sisters below:
1. The Evolution of Sin Trilogy
Sinclair x Giselle
2. The Enslaved Duet
Alexander x Cosima
3. Anti-Heroes in Love Duet
Dante x Elena
These can all technically be read as standalones. Like I mentioned above, I’d suggest reading the Enslaved duet before picking up the Anti-Heroes in Love duet for optimism enjoyment and to fully understand the plot/consequences. I don’t plan on reading the Evolution of Sin trilogy since cheating is a huge no go for me. For what it’s worth, I didn’t feel like I was missing out on anything by not reading that series.
This ended on a HFN but I’m itching to pick up the next book because I just want to be back with this couple and see what else is in store for them.
Story: 4/5
Audiobook: 4/5 (the female narrator is not my fav)
Length 12h31min
4amethystt's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
4.0
my_throne_of_books's review against another edition
4.0
I was a bit hesitant at the beginning when reading but I also couldn’t stop and I ended up loving both books. I was already in my mafia/morally grey phase so this one was absolutely the perfect book for my mood. This one follows Elena, she is a lawyer, and Dante, he is a mafia leader and is on trial for murder. She absolutely despises him in the beginning, but she powers through cause her sister asked her. he is very intrigued by her and wants to work together. Seeing her realize the world isn’t black-and-white was very intriguing to read.
This was my first Gina Darling book and it won’t be my last.
persephone__'s review
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
1.0
laureadss's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
3.75
my first giana darling book and man she writes beautifully i mean the way dante talked about elena sometimes… just wow
as for the story it was interesting seeing elena getting somewhat “corrupted” by dante and changing her perception of what’s right and wrong
i guess it just wasn’t a book i 100% connected with, but i will be reading the second one!!
as for the story it was interesting seeing elena getting somewhat “corrupted” by dante and changing her perception of what’s right and wrong
i guess it just wasn’t a book i 100% connected with, but i will be reading the second one!!
shanayaareads's review
5.0
I have to eat my words.
Going into this book, over a month ago, I was absolutely annoyed. I hated Elena so much it was damn near painful to read this book. I stopped four chapters in and truly considered nit finishing it because I disliked who she was so completely.
But I powered through today and my god, am I glad I did. I absolutely adore this girl now. There are still a lot of things I don’t like about the way she is, but I understand her a lot more now. I gained a deeper appreciation for who she is the more I read.
And Dante? He was the lifeline that kept me reading the first fifteen or so chapters. I’ve adored a great many male MC’s in books, but this man, all dark and looming and so contradictory with his softness, I absolutely adore him. Delving into his head, his psyche made me love him even more than I did when I met him in Enthralled.
Together, Dante and Elena are neither heroes nor villains but you can’t help but loving them anyways. Darkness and misdeeds, flaws and all. I truly have to eat my words because I love them so much together, nothing can compare. Elena might be my favorite of the Lombardi girls at this point and I am so mad at myself for not having given her a chance to prove herself. Seeing Elena shed her constant need for judgment and self inflation, seeing her embrace the fact that things are not black and white and neither are people, was utterly satisfying.
And knowing that she was so willing to sacrifice and lose the life that she’d worked so hard to build for herself, to lose the identity she had tried to craft to hide her truth and embracing all that she is, the good and the bad—I have no words. By the end of the book, she was an entirely new person and one that I could actually get behind. I’m just upset with myself for not allowing myself to experience this sooner.
Going into this book, over a month ago, I was absolutely annoyed. I hated Elena so much it was damn near painful to read this book. I stopped four chapters in and truly considered nit finishing it because I disliked who she was so completely.
But I powered through today and my god, am I glad I did. I absolutely adore this girl now. There are still a lot of things I don’t like about the way she is, but I understand her a lot more now. I gained a deeper appreciation for who she is the more I read.
And Dante? He was the lifeline that kept me reading the first fifteen or so chapters. I’ve adored a great many male MC’s in books, but this man, all dark and looming and so contradictory with his softness, I absolutely adore him. Delving into his head, his psyche made me love him even more than I did when I met him in Enthralled.
Together, Dante and Elena are neither heroes nor villains but you can’t help but loving them anyways. Darkness and misdeeds, flaws and all. I truly have to eat my words because I love them so much together, nothing can compare. Elena might be my favorite of the Lombardi girls at this point and I am so mad at myself for not having given her a chance to prove herself. Seeing Elena shed her constant need for judgment and self inflation, seeing her embrace the fact that things are not black and white and neither are people, was utterly satisfying.
And knowing that she was so willing to sacrifice and lose the life that she’d worked so hard to build for herself, to lose the identity she had tried to craft to hide her truth and embracing all that she is, the good and the bad—I have no words. By the end of the book, she was an entirely new person and one that I could actually get behind. I’m just upset with myself for not allowing myself to experience this sooner.
cobaltbookshelf's review
3.0
I liked immediately Elena and her chemistry with Dante was amazing. I really like together but last part of book was all action it kind of dragged story. Still I'm looking forward to second book.
billie_yankie's review
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
4.5
sallystip's review
4.0
Tropes: Mafia Romance, Enemies-to-Lovers, Forbidden Love, Forced Proximity
Elena is a headstrong lawyer and Dante is a Capo “the devil of New York” and he’s on trial for murder.
I absolutely loved this book. It is a duet so I’ve only read half of Elena and Dante’s story I still have lots of questions, but since this is a duet I’m sure I’ll get answers.
Elena is a headstrong lawyer and Dante is a Capo “the devil of New York” and he’s on trial for murder.
I absolutely loved this book. It is a duet so I’ve only read half of Elena and Dante’s story I still have lots of questions, but since this is a duet I’m sure I’ll get answers.