ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review

I was excited for Fragile Longing because it’s an age-gap/crush-to-lovers/arranged marriage/ mafia romanceabout Serafina’s younger sister, Sofia Mione, and her ex-fiance, Danilo Mancini. Sofia had a longtime crush on Danilo and now she takes Serafina’s place as Danilo’s fiancee.

It seems dreamlike to think you’re marrying your crush, but it’s the opposite for Sofia. Danilo still holds a grudge on Remo for capturing Serafina which hurts his pride and reputation and he didn’t paid attention to her. She can’t help feeling insecure and thought of being the second best. I am gutted for her and lowkey wanted to strangle Danilo for treating her like a child.

I like when Sofia made him grovel. She’s not as fierce as her sister but she’s a gentle, kindhearted soul. I love her patience and she’s beautiful on her own. She deserves not to be a shadow. I wish Danilo sees it sooner. His anger took over him and unintentionally hurts her feelings. They have a good chemistry and their love story is good. However, I’m craving for more conflict that isn’t related to Remo and Serafina. Overall, this is a tame mafia romance and a great starter for those who haven’t ventured in this trope.

Cora Reilly is one of my favorite romance authors and i know going into her books that I’m gonna enjoy it. I have been so curious about what happened after Twisted Pride with Danilo and Sofia. What I liked about this book was that it started with the events from twisted pride. We got to see the POV of Danilo and Sofia and how they processed things during those events. We get to see Sofias infatuation with Danilo grow and basically become an obsession. While I did like going through Sofia being a child to tween to teen to young adult, the book kind of dragged for me. All of Sofia’s thoughts were basically her obsessing over a grown man who barely gave her the time of day and comparing herself to her sister. I felt bad for Sofia in the beginning but the older she got the more infatuated she got, the more annoying she became. Danilo on the other hand wasn’t phased by her at all and definitely had an a-hole vibe to him for 90% of the book. Also his issues with having meaningless sex with blonds was weird and had me wanting to junk punch him. Toward the middle to end of the book there were a few sexual scenes that i didn’t love in this book. There was one scene in the woods in particular were it felt rapey to me and was was so put off. In the end the relationship between the two main characters felt a little forced. They aren’t my favorite couple and I just didn’t feel the chemistry between them. Overall I did enjoy Reading this and getting to see Samual and Anna and I have hope for their story. Like most Books by Cora, I read it fast and had fun so I’m not mad I read this. I do recommend reading if your love the Camorra Chronicles. 3.5/5 stars. Thanks to the author for providing me with an arc for review.

Every time I read one of Cora’s book I feel the need to reread all of them. I love being immersed in her mafia world. Her characters are always stronger than they think (women) and the sweet then we think (men).
This story is no different. Read this to find out what happened to Danilo after Serafina and Remo got together. Sofia is volunteered, is it a hardship? We will find out for sure in this book.
This was thrilling honestly and I couldn’t wait to read it. It took me no time to dig in deep and every moment pulled me in deeper and deeper.
I do feel like this on focused more on the couple and less on what was going on between the different families. The first part was kinda slow, but it takes you back to right after Serafina came back from Las Vegas. It tells us most everything that leads up to Sofia and Danilo’s getting together. It’s a long wait to over 50% of the book is Sofia underaged.
But the last part of the book is explosive as the couple work through their issues!

Given to Danilo! "Unable to forget what he’s lost, Danilo might lose what he’s been given."

I really enjoy mafia romance, and this had a different take on it. Sofia takes her sister's place as the family union is needed. Danilo is none too pleased, and Sofia suffers the consequences.

Can she find the strength to find a way into Damilo's hard heart? Will Danilo let her in? Can they find love?

I received an advanced reader copy, and this is my honest and voluntary review.

Angst and Unrequited love that drew me in and wouldn’t let go
I’m delighted that I was chosen to receive an advanced copy of this book. I was privileged to read and fall in love with Sofia. @corareillyauthor Your portryal of Sofia, her innocence, her growth, her love....even her terror and trauma were perfection. The harsh rejection and absolute heartache that she faced brought me to tears. I was truly moved by the tenderness she received and the affection that grew in her heart as her relationship changed and developed over time. An eager child with an immature view of love and romance grew into a beautiful woman of grace, poise, and integrity. I knew this book would break me in all of the best ways, and it absolutely did.

The moments when I could feel the depth of her hurt and heartache broke me over and over.

The world this author has created has taken hold of my heart and I simply look forward to hearing more and more about these characters and their lives as they grow.

After Sofia’s sister betrays the Outfit, she takes her sister’s place as the consolation bride of Danilo, the Underboss of Indianapolis. Sofia has loved Danilo since he was engaged to her older sister, never imagining that he could ever be hers. ⁣⁣
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The beginning was lengthy, because we see Sofia as a 12yr old girl, & see her transformation into a beautiful young woman. She struggles to keep her infatuation a secret, realizes too soon that being grown up in the Outfit isn’t all she thought it would be, & that fairytales aren’t her reality. ⁣⁣
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I sympathized with Danilo 100%. He struggled to come to terms of basically switching brides, all to strengthen his alliance to the Capo of the Outfit. He’s angry, betrayed, thirsty for revenge, & ultimately spirals out of control until he breaks poor Sofia’s heart. I didn’t love him because his attitude for most of the book just pissed me off 😂 but I could see why he acted the way he did. ⁣⁣
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I loved seeing the struggle to understand their feelings for each other on both sides, & living lives they never thought they would be leading. I’m a sucker for epilogues & this one warmed my heart 🖤 ⁣⁣
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Honestly, Anna ~ Dante’s daughter ~ was my favorite with her sass, rebellious nature & hilarious comments ~ & I can’t wait for her story 🤞🏼⁣
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*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review* ⁣

Fragile Longing is another story set in the mafia world created by Cora Reilly. It’s the story of Danilo Mancini and Sofia Mione, and it’s a somewhat unexpected match, considering Danilo was supposed to marry Sofia’s older sister Serafina in Twisted Pride.

After the aftermath of Serafina’s kidnapping in Twisted Pride, in need of a bride, Danilo is promised her younger sister Sofia, despite their 10-year age gap. Sofia is over the moon, at 12 she’s always had a crush on the Indianapolis underboss, so is excited that he is her future husband, but Danilo proves time and time again that he sees her as a consolation prize, after losing Serafina to the Camorra. As Sofia grows up, she becomes more and more resentful towards her estranged sister, and eager to prove to Danilo that she isn’t second best. When one night the opportunity presents itself for Sofia to show Danilo she’s all grown up, it majorly backfires causing her even more self-doubt and insecurities, just weeks before their wedding. Will they be able to make it work as man and wife or have they been doomed as a couple from the start?

Okay, so Cora’s mafia books have been a favourite of mine since Bound by Honour, but my absolute favourite is Twisted Pride which is Remo and Serafina’s story. So, with Fragile Longing about Serafina’s ex fiancé and her little sister, I was intrigued to see what lay ahead for this unexpected couple. But I found myself struggling with some aspects of their story throughout, because of the constant bashing of Remo and Fina. I understand that both Danilo and Sofia were angry with how Fina left and with the rivalry between the Outfit and the Camorra, there was a lot of pride there which had taken a big hit, but I never truly felt like I was on Danilo and Sofia’s side when it came to the war of the Mafia families, because I completely backed Fina for leaving, and never really liked how the sisters were essentially rivals in the end, despite how much they wanted to be close. There was an almost unhealthy obsession with Remofina from the start and I just wanted them to get over it and moves on with their own lives.

Sofia was a difficult character to understand, because I feel like this shadow of Fina she thought she lived in was almost created solely by her. Her parents and brother never compared them, but she always thought they did. Initially Danilo did because he was embarrassed that his bride-to-be had left for a rival family, and so needed to get his anger out, but Sofia interpreted that personally. She was fairly naïve throughout the first half of this book, and although I loved her change in mindset after the event which changed everything, it was horrible it took that to make her see things differently. It broke me how she had to go through that, but she then saw that she could be who she wanted to be, without trying to live up to this ghost of Serafina, which were expectations she only pushed on herself. I adored her friendship with Anna, she seemed to be the little devil sitting on her shoulder pushing her to do things out of her comfort zone, but I really liked how they were both there for the other to lean on always, almost like a substitute sister.

Whereas my opinion on Sofia improved at 50%, I am still unsure how I feel about Danilo. As a mafia man who had been humiliated in front of the entire Outfit, I could understand his anger, but I felt like it was far too drawn out, it got a bit annoying in the end. I get his pride took a hit but come one, move on and prove that you’re still a strong leader, which he never really did. The second half, he marginally improved, but again I couldn’t believe it took that to show him that his actions were affecting others. I liked how attentive and caring he was with Sofia, especially after she stopped doting on him, and it was clear that his affections were genuine, it just took him a while to get there.
As a couple, I liked how they built their relationship slowly once they were married, they learnt to trust each other and slowly built on that trust to turn to love. I think that seeing the build up to their marriage did help, as you see every stage, they both went through until they were married. Danilo was so patient, his affections for her grew each day and he really cared for her, despite how rocky their road to a HEA was.

The Outfit has always been my least favourite family, starting with their treatment of Aria, and I’m not sure if this is just my interpretation but I’ve never felt that they were the strongest of the families. That doesn’t even mean they’re the underdogs who you’re rooting for, they just seem the weakest, with countless examples of when either New York Famiglia or the Camorra get one over on them, with the Familglia being cunning and strategic and the Camorra ruthless in their protection of their family, but the Outfit always seemed like their members were somewhat disposable and not nearly as tight knit as the other two.

Overall, I didn’t enjoy this one as much as some of the others set in this world, there was little action and suspense, but a lot of drama which usually came from their own insecurities. As much as I love Remo and Fina, I felt they were mentioned far too much, almost everything was blamed on them, and it became fairly recycled by the end, like I was reading the same part of the book over and over. I am excited for Anna’s story, her hinted love interest is bound to cause waves in the mafia community, so I will continue to read the books from this series. There were some aspects which I genuinely loved, especially Sofia’s lesson of not needing to try and fit a mould for someone else, you should be who you want to be for you, and although some things missed the mark for me, I would recommend a read if you like Cora’s work.

– 1.75 stars

How many times does Cora Reilly want to write about the same events in Twisted Pride? Remo kidnapping Serafina is making such an impact on everyone that CR is shoving that fact down our throats from 1030 different angles. I get it, Remofina living in everyone's mind rent free, but maaaybee try to write something different for once? All of CR books are reading the same.

I'm also tired of the Hero being a manho, sleeping around on the heroine until their wedding. It's always the same, these mafia guys can't keep it in their pants.

Warning: There are going to be spoilers from here on, only read it if you have read the book already or never ever want to read the book. Also very long review cause there was a lot to rant about!

4 reasons why this book didn't work out:

1. The timeline of FL was just not great

The book starts after Serafina's return from the kidnapping, when Sofia is promised to Danilo as a consolidation price, cause he can't marry Fina. She is 11 and he is 21. I'm not a fan of long time jumps but in this case I wished it would jump to their wedding right away when Sofia is 18 with occasional flashbacks to the past. But instead more than 50% of this book was when Sofia is still underage and had barely interactions with Danilo, because that would be just downright creepy with their 10 years age gap. Which brings me to reason numero two

2. The lacking romance & Sofiadanilo's first time

What can you expect from the romance if more than half of the book Sofia and Danilo have scenes alone, because that would be inappropriate.

Their first time together was just ew. Sofia and Anna are going to Danilo's birthday party. Sofia is putting on a blond wig and some of Fina's perfume to look more like her and because she knows Danilo likes to fuck blondes. Sofia catches Danilo's eyes and he takes her outside for a quickie against a tree from behind. Note: Sofia is 17 years old when this happens. Danilo asks Sofia a couple of times if she is sure and every time she nods. Danilo is pretty rough to Sofia, enters her without any foreplay and realized that he's fucking a virgin. At a closer look Danilo realized that he it's Sofia and feels guilty while Sofia is in some kind of shock because she doesn't know this rough side of Danilo. She only knew him as the gentleman.
His mouth returned to my ear. “I’m going to fuck you hard right against this tree. I’m not in the mood for fucking foreplay, so you better tell me now if your pussy is ready to take my cock,” he growled.

“Say it.”“Yes.” I didn’t even recognize my voice. He turned me around, so I had to support myself against the tree. The bark of the fir was dry and rough against my palms as I braced myself against the tree trunk. I stared at it, breathing shakily, tears stinging my eyes. He pulled down the zipper at the back of my leather pants and shoved them down. My panties followed. The cold hit my skin and I shivered. “I like your ass,” he rasped. He pushed my legs further apart with his foot and squeezed my ass cheek once. I couldn’t connect these actions with the Danilo I desired and loved. It would hurt. He’d tear me apart.

The sheer stupidity of these characters. I have no words or I do have words but none of them are nice. First of all, how can you not recognize your own FIANCEE??? The hell Danilo? How blind can you be?! All Sofia did was put on a blond wig .. It can't be THAT dark inside to not have recognize her. Wow the power of one single wig.. my mind is blown. What pissed me off is Sofia's reaction. She acting all shock and as a victim when she could have said NO so many times. I blame Danilo for a lot of things that are happening in this book, but the fuckery that is their first time is mostly on Sofia. She knew Danilo fucked other women behind her back and went to the party with the intention of being one of them. He did what he did and she thinks he's a monster.
I couldn’t say anything, couldn’t move, couldn’t speak, could hardly breathe. I’d stopped living, merely existed now. I was gone, gone, gone.

Girl please stop being so dramatic. You could have stop. Idk i just can't feel sorry for Sofia in that scene.

3. Danilo panini head Mancini

Since Serafina was taken away from him, he has an UNHEALHTY obsession with Remo and Fina. It was infatuarting. All he was striving for was taking revenge on Remo for what he did. Remo's power is tury a sight to behold to. So proud of my husband.

I was going to kill Remo Falcone for stealing my fiancée, for breaking her in ways that made it impossible for her to marry me. I was going to destroy everything that mattered to him. I wouldn’t rest until I’d ruined his life like he had ruined mine.


What was the worse about Danilo's character is his obsession with Serafina. After she went back to Las Vegas with Nevio and Greta (as she should), Danilo started to hate her for her betrayal. From there all he does is fuck blonde women to get her out of his system. When he fucked one of his blondes, he picture how it's Fina that's why he treats all the blondes so rough and shitty cause he imagine it being Fina. How disgusting is this?! Dude Fina is not even thinking a second about you. It's super pathetic. All these sex scenes with OWs … things I really didn't want to see. Why did we get all these details? For once I would been grateful for fade to black scenes.
After a short chat and a few more drinks, we stumbled into the restroom together. I fucked her hard against a bathroom stall, her front pressed against the wall, her back to me. I focused on her blonde hair and let out my frustration and anger. Remo had taken Serafina from me, had stolen her innocence and her heart. I could imagine his feeling of utter triumph every time he fucked her, knowing he’d taken this from me. I came with a violent shudder and untangled myself from the woman in front of me . I wasn’t sure if she came, but I didn’t care.

The door opened and a tall woman with long blonde hair stepped in. She was dressed in a white wrap dress matching the theme of the room . In my exhausted , half-drunk state, she looked like a bad replica of Serafina. Fuck Marco, the bastard. He could read me like an open book. Only her seductive smile and her sexy movements betrayed her true identity . Accepting her was admitting weakness; sending her back would send the same message. Either way, I was a fucking mess. “What do you want?” she said in a beckoning voice. “No talking,” I growled, jerking her against me. “Now suck my cock.” She fell to her knees and I tilted my head back, staring up at the ceiling adorned with ancient Roman mosaics. I didn’t look at her as she sucked me, didn’t look at her as I fucked her. Images of another blonde woman entered my mind, and my thrusts turned almost vicious as the prostitute knelt before me, but the images were distorted, clouded with bitterness and a sickening need for revenge.

Ew. Ew. Ew. EWWWWW!!!!

Anna the best character in the whole book said it best
“Still,”Anna said pointedly. “It’s weird how he picks all those blonde bimbos. It’s been years. Why can’t he get over his hurt pride?”

One of the reason why I'm not a huge fan of how Cora writes mafia books is because the guys are always sleeping around. I expected Danilo to sleep with other women, because when Sofia was promised to him, she was only 11 years old and of course he wouldn't have any romantic feelings about her for years that would make him such a pedo, BUT what makes me rage are these bros who STILL fuck around on the heroine even AFTER their engagement party. Sofia was 17 at her engagement party and for the few months until their wedding Danilo could have waited, but no even after the OFFICIAL engagement party he's still fucking blondes and it was pissing me off, cause that's cheating. The disrespect jeez!! That's another case of Twisted Heart..while Sofia didn't crush on Danilo as hard as Gemma did on Savio it's still a no go how Danilo disregarded their engagement.
“You weren’t supposed to be at a party, Sofia. We weren’t married yet, so I was still well within my rights to do as I please.”

Aheem, the audacity?

4. Sofia Mione

Sofia's fixation on her sister Serafina was as unhealthy as Danilo's obsession with Fina. Sofia CONSTANLTY compared herself to Serafina to the point that it was her only personality trait. It was really annoying how Sofia can get pissed when people compare her to Fina, but girl you're doing it yourself all the time?? She wants other people to acknoledge her existence like they did with Fina, then she goes and dyes her hair blond like Fina and gets pissed at them when they say that she looks exactly like Serafina… the hell? WHERE IS THE LOGIC??
Danilo with blonde girls. Nobody had taken Serafina’s place in Danilo’s heart. With every new conquest, he seemed to look for a replica of her. For the first time, a flicker of anger mingled with my usual feelings of inadequacy.

I mean can she just stop doing that? It was soo annyoing. I can't hear Serafina's name anymore.
My throat clogged up. With Fina’s hairstyle and color, I looked like her. We had the same eye color, the same high cheekbones and narrow nose. I had a few freckles, but my makeup covered those, and I was shorter, but seated, I was Serafina’s double. It was so close to the original that my heart ached, and my pulse sped up.

As a comparison Sofia's name came up 431 times in this book, while Serafina/Fina's name, who is NOT the main character, came up 386 (!!!!!!!!) times. That's almost as much as Sofia's name. Wow Cora really knows how to hold onto characters.
My stomach sank. Danilo and his cousin Marco stood off to the side of the large wooden patio, talking to two girls. Naturally, Danilo was with a blonde— again. Always with blondes. Always with women who resembled Serafina but couldn’t hold a candle to her beauty. They were less, a copy of the original. Less. So was I. Not what Danilo wanted. I was the consolation prize, would always be.

Sofia would make all these comparison like how Fina would have wear the same style of veil if she had gotten the chance to walk down the aisle. And here I'm sitting and asking myself "Who the fuck cares about that?"
Even if my hair wasn’t blonde anymore, my resemblance to Fina was unmistakable. Suddenly, I didn’t want this anymore. I wanted to be different. As long as I looked like Fina, but not quite, people would keep comparing us.

Oh wow really??? Never thought of THAT. Someone call MENSA so that Sofia can join their rank asap!!

Even on her wedding day Sofia couldn't stop comparing herself to her sister. I'm tired. I'm so tired.
My fingers trembled as I smoothed down my wedding dress and lowered the veil over my face. This was my day and yet . . . . . . it wasn’t my name they would whisper in the pews today. Because I was the consolation prize. The surrogate bride. Worst of all, I was not my sister.

Dressed like this, I almost looked like Serafina, minus the blonde hair. Still less. Always less. But maybe Danilo would see the similarities between my sister and me. Maybe, for a second, he would look at me with the same longing he used to direct at Serafina. Before he realized I wasn’t her. Before that look of disappointment settled on his face again.

Not to mention that even on their wedding night the only thing Danilo and Sofia talk about is Remofina. Do they have a life outside of remofine? I don't think so. The best thing Sofia said was acknowledging that she's stupid.
“Why is it so hard for you to believe that you mean the world to me?”“Because I’m stupid.”

4 Reasons why not 1 star

1. Anna Cavallero & Leonas Cavallero

Anna was without a doubt the best character for me. I loved her scenes and her friendship with Sofia. Even the couple of scenes where she's bickering with her brother Leonas were better than the rest of the book.

I'm also intrigued about her and her bodyguard Santiago's romance.

2. Emma and her relationship with Danilo

While I think Danilo is trash. Not boyfriend or husband material, he's relationship with his sister Emma was very cute. I love how he is so protective of her since her accident.

And Emma she's baby 🥺 I already love her so much and think she deserves better than Samuel! He's just another manho fucking everything with legs before their wedding whie ignoring Emma. Just the thought is making me so angry!!

3. Serafina & Remo cameo + Nevio & Great mentions

After years of no contact. Sofia finally contacts Fina through Samuel and can talk to her. I enjoyed their scenes together even on the phones more than the mentioning of Fina's ghost. Also when Fina talks about her babies uwu
Nevio? How’s the little daredevil?” Fina laughed in exasperation. “Don’t get me started. He tests my patience on a daily basis. He and his cousins stir up nothing but trouble. But I can’t really stay mad at him for long because he’s such a caring boy when it comes to Greta.”

They have my heart!!

The ghost of remofina is hanging over sofiadanilo's head most of the time. But after reading about their ghost all the time at the end we finally get an on screen scene with them when Sofia's meeting Fina!

4. It's bad, but it's not as bad as Twisted Hearts

Nuff said.

– I still have so many great quotes about Fina in case you haven't had enough her ghost yet 😌 but you can thank goodreads because they said no it's enough rant for today, ma'am please go to sleep and leave Sofia and Danilo alone in their remofina obsession

Fragile Longing is Cora’s latest mafia stand-alone that picks up where Twisted Pride left off. The story starts with the fallout from what Serafina left behind - her family and a fiancé, Danilo, to whom she’d been promised. While the book does tie in characters from her Born in Blood and The Camorra Chronicles, it’s not necessary to read those first.

Danilo still sees the benefit of being bonded to the Mione family and proposes an arrangement to marry Serafina’s baby sister, Sofia. Sofia is only 11 when this arrangement occurs but she’s thrilled - she’s always had this childhood crush on Danilo.

Danilo, hyper aware of the age difference, puts her at arms length until they can marry which leaves Sofia feeling dejected and like she needs to change herself to try to appeal to him. Only problem is her plan works opposite of how she expected.

Cora does such a wonderful job focusing on intimacy within her mafia relationships. I loved the focus on Sofia and Danilo’s relationship building from the ground up. It started slow - which I completely understand why - allowing for the trust and bond to build.

I hated Danilo but ended up liking him in the end. He was selfish, arrogant and disrespectful to any and all women outside of his family. The only gentleness he showed was towards his sister. He always thought Sofia was a child, needing to grow up to be worthy of him. I found that so ironic in that through the same time period, they both were at the same place with their emotional maturity despite the 10 year age gap.

In terms of steam - this one has it. You do have to wait a good 70-75% of the book to get there but man, Cora let’s it loose after that!

I’m still fairly new to this authors books, and have loved everything I’ve read so far. Fragile Longing was no exception to this!

I love a good mafia, arranged marriage, dark romance and Cora definitely delivered on that. As all arranged marriages go, Danilo is promised to Serafina, the daughter of a fellow underboss. Everything seems perfect, until she is stollen from a rival mafia group and ends up breaking her engagement. In order to save the bond between the families, her father offers Serafina’s younger sister, Sofia. With there being such a large age gap, their union of course would wait until Sofia is of age. During these years, Sofia is blinded by what she thinks is a fairytale, that Danilo is her knight in shining armor and that they’ll live happily ever after. As the years get closer and closer to their promised union, the blinds are open and she can see what their union really is: a means to an end in order to keep the bond. Danilo never allowed to think of Sofia, drowning his misery and hatred towards Serafina in other women, but as the years go on, he has no choice but to truly see Sofia. Throughout the book, both Danilo and Sofia must figure out and navigate the situation they’ve been put in, whether they’re ready to stop running from the past and move on to a happy future together. None of this is done of course without plenty of drama, quick wit and dialogue and steam!

This book had me turning pages as fast as I could to find out how events would play out. And even though this was Danilo and Sofia’s story, the other characters drew me in, wanting more! I’m so hopeful that Samuel and Emma will end up with their own story as well! This book also really makes me want to read Twisted Pride, Serafina’s book.

So if you’re in the mood for a stand-alone (although in an establish world) mafia romance, then this book is for you!!

Thank you to Netgalley, The Next Step PR and Cora Riley for a digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

2.5 ★★

*ARC provided in exchange for an honest review

Okay, there are a few things that I honestly want to say regarding the book:
1. It is a disappointment to me
I am a bit thrown off by the book. This book is just... it doesn't meet the expectation that I have.
I was so surprised by the author's writing in Sweet Temptation. The story was phenomenal and the chemistry between the characters was undeniable.
I honestly felt annoyed reading half of the story because of: POINT NUMBER 2

2. The main female character is too weak in my opinion
Sadly, I can't like Sofia Mione.
I understand that she has been through so much at such a young age with Serafina's kidnapping and leaving the Outfit, being promised to her sister ex-fiancee, and the need to fill Fina's shoes in the family.
However, she just becomes too much. She always whines when Danilo doesn't pay her attention.
Well, I understand Danilo's reluctance in giving Sofia attention. After all, they are 10 years apart, so Sofia was still a kid in Danilo's eyes at the time.
She takes her whining to the next level of desperate. She keeps seducing Danilo in hoping he will notice her for her, not the consolation prize or the second best.
Her actions scream her immaturity.
In the story, she said she doesn't want pity yet that is exactly what I think of her.

3. The end was a bit rushed
Sometimes later in the book, Sofia and Danilo's relationship is getting better (which is included in the positive things about this book) but everything feels rushed towards the end.
I feel both Danilo and Sofia can be more explored as characters?

Sorry about my rant.
The point is: I understand that Fina's action in Twisted Pride changes EVERYTHING. I understand that it hurts everyone. What I don't like about how the story is taken is the fact Sofia always *kinda* blames Fina. Not to mention that Sofia doesn't really communicate with Danilo and vice versa in the beginning. It only leads to worse and worse assumptions that shake their already unstable base.

But, in every book, there are ALWAYS positive things to be happy about.
And below is the list.
1. ANNA CAVALARRO
GIRL, I CAN'T WAIT FOR YOUR BOOK!
one word: AMAZING. She is amazing. She is the warrior in this story.
Her patient in dealing with Sofia's constant whines and complaints.
Her bravery in challenging people around her.
The cleverness that makes her more intriguing than ever.
She is truly Dante's daughter. Can't wait for her story!

2. Danilo's love towards Emma
Danilo is a jackass in general, but his love and protectiveness towards his sister are admirable.
I love the fact that he is very sweet and loyal to a fault to Emma.

2. Danilo's attempt in saving his marriage to Sofia and his action towards her is getting better
I am grateful for this. Truly grateful. He finally realizes that the past is in the past. He needs to let go of it to be able to live in the future.
I also like the fact that he becomes more open and honest with Sofia.
His patient in winning over Sofia's heart can be praised too.

Okay, so that is my review for this book.

2.5 stars

Well, this book was a surprise to me, mainly because of the characters.

So, Danilo was a surprise because I thought he would be this major asshole I would want to dismember. Turns out, he wasn't that bad. He didn't have the best behavior before that incident. But I have to admit I'm glad he stayed away from Sofia and didn't parade her around (like she delusionally hoped) because that would have been freaking creepy since back then she was, you know, a kid. He ended up being a gentleman and caring with Sofia when they got married, which made me like him. I also really liked his relationship with his sister Emma. That dance they had together brought tears to my eyes.

As for Sofia, it was the opposite. I seriously thought I would love her so much, but it wasn't the case. There were times I thought she would beat Gianna as my least favorite. While Gianna grated on my nerves, Sofia made me cringe, so much so I thought my face would be forever frozen in a cringe expression. And second-hand embarrassment is real, people. In my view, Sofia was rather pitiful, for lack of better words. I felt sorry for her at times. Her teen crush on Danilo and the whole 'I-want-to-be-like-my-sister-when-I-grow-up' thing went from something innocent to something obsessive. Danilo and Serafina were her only thoughts. I blame her parents for not paying enough attention or assure her of some things. Another character took that role, and I appreciate this character for it. I also blame Sofia's daydream nature. In her case, it was something negative rather than positive. It made her think and do some pathetic shit. She was basically her very own enemy. I get she's young, and that can be used as an excuse, but even with that knowledge, it didn't make me feel any different about her. I did like her in the last few chapters. I also liked her friendship with Anna, one of the highlights of the book.

ONLY after Sofia and Danilo put all the past bullshit, obsessions, and delusions behind, they became a beautiful couple to read about. AND also kind of hot.

Overall, I kinda like the book. Although I'm disappointed with the lack of romance, there was way too little time with Danilo and Sofia as a couple.

p.s.: I enjoyed Anna's, Santino's, and Leona's cameos.

*arc provided in exchange for an honest review.

Fragile Longing was super expected and I enjoyed every moment, Sofia has a lot on her shoulders since Serafina left and saved Remo. Her family have a hard time adapting to her betrayal and everyone mourned her at their own way, leaving Sofia a little forgotten. Sofia tries to deal with the situation that is destroying her family and unite them again, but she is losing herself in the process.

"I was an echo of the perfect melody. A shadow of an immaculate image. Always less. Never enough."

Sofia was really sweet and sometimes naive. She wants to please everyone and end up doing silly stuff, but I totally understand her reactions to the situation. Her big crush to Danilo and their age gap really make it difficult for them to connect. Her friendship with Anna is delighful. I loved every scene with them, they have a super tigh bond. Anna was there for her when she needed the most, like helping Sofia with her self esteem. We have more insight on Anna's book and i'm so excited!!

“Be selfish for once, Sofia. In this world, we women get so few choices, so little freedom. We have to grasp happiness by the collar and drag it with us. We can’t hope for happiness to jump into our lap. Be selfish. You deserve it.”

Danilo is extremely prideful. So much that he makes some mistakes until he realize that the past will only bring him misery and he needs to move on. Afterwards, we get a more conscious Danilo fighting for his marriage which i absolutely adored. His love and fierce protectiveness towards his sister, Emma, was incredibly cute. Can't wait for her story with Samuel! Furthermore, I loved all the familiar faces throughout the book.

"Our life together had been an abstract concept."

"I wondered which Danilo was the real deal. Which was his true self? The restrained gentleman or the ruthless predator? I feared it was like Anna had told me."

Fragile Longing is a standalone. However, I do recommend reading at least Twisted Pride and Bound by the Past for a better understanding since the events in there lead to the story of Sofia and Danilo.

*ARC kindly provided by The Next Step PR in exchange for an honest review.*

4 Outstanding Stars!!

I thought Danilo and Serafina were mean to be, but so happy for Sophia after all those years crushing for him, ever since she was a little girl. It was also appealing not seen Danilo falling for a little girl, because that would definitely have been a turn off for me. So the timing was just perfect.

I really loved and enjoyed following Sofia and Danilo's journey. Sofia's strenght and courage grow with her character, and it was very refreshing. I love seen how affectionate, caring, and loving this rough mafia guys can be. All secondary characters are likeable, and some brought something especial that makes want to read their own stories in the near future.

All in all, this was a very entertaining and enjoyable read, and can't wait for the audible version of it!!

Cora Reilly really brought out everything in this book that I was looking for. Age gap, forbidden, and mafia.

Sofia has been in love with Danilo since she was a child. It might have started off as just a crush since she was only 11 years old, but it soon did develop into love as she started growing up. But unfortunately for her, Danilo didn't feel the same for her. He was destined to marry Seraphina but she did the unthinkable and now he was promised Sofia as a consolation, which doesn't sit right with Sofia. No matter how many times she tries to make advances and flirts with him, it just doesn't seem to work. She even went as far as trying to look just like her sister with the blond hair and all, but Danilo wasn't impressed with her drastic change. He wanted her to be herself, even though that didn't change how he felt for her, especially since she was so much younger than him.

But as the years pass and Sophia has pretty much given up on her love for Danilo, that's when things change and Danilo finally sees Sophia in a different light. Even if they are 10 years apart, that never seemed to bother Sofia, age wasn't ever an issue for her even though it was for Danilo, but the way he started falling for her was just sweet and I loved how their romantic relationship finally started to take off.

Loved this book and the characters along with the secondary characters in the book. Cora Reilly is the queen of mafia that's for sure!

"People say there aren’t two snowflakes identical in shape, every single one of them unique. Magnificent icy perfection.
Like my sister Serafina.
I tried to replicate her, but a replica would never be the original. I was the echo of the perfect melody. A shadow of an immaculate image. Always less. Never enough."

After Danilo and Serafina's engagement falls apart following the events of Twisted Pride, Sofia is set to take her sister's place and marry Danilo, the man she's been crushing on since the beginning. But what starts as a dream come true for little Sofia soon has her feeling like a second choice, the consolation prize. Losing a finance to another man can crush any man's pride, especially when that man is the enemy; but Danilo has more pride than most and as a new underboss more to prove. Incensed by his slipped opportunity for revenge, Danilo is filled with resentment and an inability to put the past to rest.

I liked the individual growth of the characters throughout the book. I felt for Sofia, she was struggling with constantly not feeling good enough and feeling like a shadow in her own home after her sister leaves. She really comes into herself, growing into a confident woman and learning to stop comparing herself to her sister; as she's been subjected to by others for so long. Danilo was so stubborn and filled with spite in the beginning, but luckily he comes to his sense and realises the precious gift he's been given with Sofia and works on winning her affections back. He could be sweet and attentive, and I admired his relationship with his sister he was so caring and protective of her.

With regards to the romance between the two, I really liked development of their relationship, especially in the second half of the book. They had a strong physical attraction and chemistry and I really loved how their relationship grew from physical/infatuation to something deeper and more meaningful. My only issue is that I wish there was more of the book/story after their marriage, it felt a little short in comparison to the first half that was full of angst and longing.

All in all I really enjoyed the book and can't wait to see the following stories for some of our secondary characters.

Thank you Next Step Pr and Cora Reilly for the ARC.

Fragile Longing took a hold of me and completely wrecked me emotionally! Sofia is by far the best Mafia woman ever and I freaking loved her!

Then there is Danilo….who obviously I wanted to punch in the face at times. But I’m reminded of the onion part from the movie Shrek…gonna have to get through those layers! His POV it becomes easier to love him and once you do…yeah…there is no returning from that ship.

Now onto Sofia. She’s the freaking best, hands down no doubt! Her agony and anguish over not being good enough…ugh my poor heart! She is such an inspiring character…oh I could praise her all day and still not be done! And her friendship with Anna was literally everything.

The attraction between Danilo and Sofia was done just right. The slow burn that turned into 🔥 🔥 🔥 was everything that I didn’t know I needed. (It was HOT and AWESOME!!)

Cora is a seriously amazing writer and I can’t wait to read more from her in the future!!!

Read Fragile Longing!!
* I voluntarily reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book from Netgalley. I was not compensated for my review, and I was not required to write a positive review. The opinion expressed here is my own.*

From the moment Sofia and Danilo were paired together, I knew this book was going to destroy me. But what I didn't expect was how much damage Sofia did to herself. Cora expressed how much self-love is important with Sofia's character and I about cried my heart out for the girl. All her life she was pushed to the side of her family because of the shadow she lived by her older sister. Even though this book can be read as a standalone, I did recommend you to read Twisted Pride.

Danilo, the young Underboss of Indianapolis is a dangerous enigma to the world, who carefully conceals his soft heart and gentle manner. There are many layers to him and once they unveil it is difficult to hold resentment towards his behavior. Just like every other made man, Danilo has to hide his true nature from the world. In public, he is cold and angry but behind closed doors, he is gentle and kind to those close to him.

BTW, I did not expect Danilo to be the way he was in the sheets...WOW! Sofia is one lucky young lady and Danilo is one lucky stud.

Some characters from the previous book due make cameos in her but you also get introduced to upcoming characters who (fingers crossed!) may have a book coming in the near future!

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this book just like any book by this amazing writer. Danilo and Sofia's story was magnificent and enjoyable from page one to the last. This book is filled with hurt, comedy, angst, and overall romance!

Cora really is amazing!

Fragile Longing is the story of Sofia and Danilo, who have to marry each other because of circumstances.
Sofia and Danilo have an age gap and Sofia initially has a crush on him but on overhearing Danilo's conversation with Samuel she is heartbroken.
Sofia is kind hearted and sweet and Danilo was initially pretty cold towards her but later on becomes caring and attentive.
Sofia doesn't allow Danilo's vengeance to come in between them.
I loved reading their story especially Sofia's POV and how she felt after her sister left.
I was also thrilled to get bits and pieces of Emma and Samuel's story and can't wait to read their book.
Well done to Cora Reilly on this amazing book. I couldn't get enough of it!!!

After Savio’s book I swore off from this series.
But then I got this book and I was like let’s just give it a try you know?

Why should the woman always pine after the man? Why can't it be the other way around for once?
What vibe I have gotten from the past two books is that it's okay for the man to cheat and the woman to still be hopelessly in love with him. And then The man will towards the end realize that "Hey I actually am in love with her but I don't have to do much, Just show my sexy face and maybe just throw out the word sorry If my face isn't enough and she will open her legs and heart for me willingly again"
Like what do these MG's even see in these guys in the first place besides their looks being "a gift from god?" They don't even have any personalities

I have come to a conclusion that Serafina and Remo are from a complete different universe. They should not even be considered from the same league as the rest of the characters from this series.

And now I’m going to go back to their book and read from the scene where Serafina comes to rescue Remo in order to uplift my mood.