This is a second chance mafia romance. Sofia and Nico have known each other since childhood. Love blooms until Nico’s father gets in trouble. Nico does something to change course. He gives up Sofia.
Years later, Sofia needs someone to protect her, and her father asks Nino. The book does a great job giving us glimpses into the past so we, as the reader, get the full story.

I loved how raw with emotion this story was, it started out with some sadness, then got sweet with adolescent love. Then the story took a crazy turn and my mind was blown with all the secrets everyone was carrying. ( not just the main characters) wow mind blown 🤯. This book had me guessing trying to find out what the secrets were and when they came out, they were not what I imagined, the were better, but much darker. What a great book. Fingers crossed Micheal gets a book. Oh and the bar bq Maria what!!!!

Sofia met Nico as a very young girl, and their friendship blossomed into so much more. She knew she would always have Nico in her life...until she didn't. With no cause and no explanation, he disappeared out of her life and that nearly wrecked her. Now, all these years later, he keeps making an appearance where she is, at the pushing of her parents, and she wants to know why. Perhaps the secrets that both of them have been keeping need to come to light.

Gah, this one was especially enjoyable because I really liked Sofia. She was smart and cunning, she was assertive and she wasn't afraid to speak her mind when she needed to. She had been through something traumatic, something that could easily break a person, and she came out so incredibly strong. I really liked her best friend Michael who came along at the best possible time for Sofia and I would love to see him get his own book because he has a fantastic personality that jumps right off the page. This is a well-written addition to the series, with wonderful characters. Such a fun book with a lot of emotions packed into it.

This is the second book in the Five Families series. Each one works well as a stand-alone novel, but I think reading each one gives a better idea of who all the players are. This time we focus on the youngest daughter of mafia boss Enzo, Sofia. As a child and teenager, she was best friends and then in love with Nico. From out of the blue he one day betrayed her and vanished from her life. Now, he's suddenly back in her life and all of their secrets are about to come out in the open.
I do enjoy second chance romances, as long as the reason that they broke up in the first place either isn't too awful or too silly. I enjoyed the romance between them as they rediscovered each other. As much of the book is about the past as it is the present and that worked really well. They have both changed in the time that they have been apart, but the connection between them is still very obvious and believable.
What I really like about this series so far is that it isn't about the characters suddenly seeing the error of their ways and turning from crime. If anything, they all just accept that it is part of their life and that's the way that things are. It seems more realistic than some other similar books.
I received a complimentary copy of this book through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I was impressed by this author’s ability to weave the past and present together without losing any of my attention or interest. And the fact that I was able to jump into what I now know is the second book in this series without feeling lost is a huge plus also!

Sofia and Nico have a painful past that neither of them has ever gotten over, but the time has come for Nico to win his one and only love back. The only problem? She doesn’t know what he does for a living or WHO he’s doing it for...or so he thinks. Nico has no clue that Sofia has never been blind to the family business, or that she can so easily piece together why he destroyed her so thoroughly seven years ago. Of course, Sofia has some secrets of her own, and they’re secrets that she’s actually managed to keep, unlike anyone else in her life. And when Nico finds out that his woman isn’t quite so ignorant to the ways of their world, watch out. Because he’s not about to lose Sofia again and he’s ready to give her the entire world on a platter.

I truly enjoyed this book. It was fast paced, interesting, and entertaining. I’m interested to see what comes next for the Families.

Great book and series!! I'm loving it! This book was awesome! It was so suspenseful! My heart broke for Sofia and Nico! What Nico had to go through as a young boy was heartbreaking! But what a story! I highly recommend reading this book and series!! And book three is gonna be omg!! I can't wait for Maria story! Wow I know it's gonna be a Great one!! Thank you Netgalley and the publishers for sharing this book with me!