so first things first I received this ARC in exchange for an honest review shout out to Nextstep for making that happen!
*insert HEY LOOK MA I MADE IT*
gonna try to make this spoiler free but I ramble so let's see :)
I devoured this book in 2 days stayed up until 2:30 am on Friday night and until 1 on Saturday. Ignored my family (mom of 4 and husband) I had no business doing this but the book had me swiping and swiping for more.
Ok so let's get started:
I love love loved Sofia while she had MAJOR insecurities she was so kind, caring and at times naive bless her little heart, but watching her grow throughout the book was probably my favorite part. One thing I LOVED is she didn't allow herself to be a doormat when it came to Danilo in the beginning though it seemed a little dicey about whether or not she'd stand her ground. After several hiccups though she finally found her footing and had me saying YOU GO GIRL. Don't get me wrong there was A LOT of times Sofia had me ready to give her these hands, but again GROWTH & PATIENCE.
Now on to Danilo. The level of PRIDE this man has! LAWD. No but seriously it's literally mentioned I felt on every page. To a point where I was like ok we get it you're prideful.
He wasn't a dick purposely just came natural to him hehe. Was he redeemable!? In my OPINION yes he groveled in his own weird prideful way, and Sofia made sure he worked for it! He was a total alpha male, but his soft side was swoon worthy! Especially when it came to his sister and eventually Sofia. He also had some great lines that had me book marking like a mad woman. Also the level of sexy this man oozed. WHEW.
Sofia and Danilo as a couple have great chemistry the sex was tastefully smutty!! Which I was ALL for😉🍓
All in all I'm giving this gem a 4 out of 5! Why not the solid 5? Because there was somethings in this book that had me saying ALRIGHT ALREADY. The recap of fina's kidnapped from yet another POV was a bit eh, but thankfully wasn't super drawn out.
✅age gap
✅swoon worthy moments.
✅tasteful smut
✅good amount of angst without overdoing it
✅great side characters interaction and banter

PS- CHAPTER 23 was a wonderful surprise! Thank you Cora! Also this book made me so much more excited for Anna's book. I just know Anna's about to AGEEE Dante hardcore lol

-b00kSnob

To say that I'm disappointed will be an understatement because I am very much disappointed.

The story wasn't really going anywhere from the start.  It was but a retell of Remofina's story from Sofia's and Danilo's point of view and its damaging effects to them. It was really tiring.  Especially the countless times Sofia felt like just a consolation prize. The never ending lack of self esteem and constant self pity and comparing herself to Fina. It was both irritating and frustrating at the same time.

What could have been a great story has become just an afterthought. I know Sofia was infatuated with Danilo from an early age but what about Danilo? He's constantly having sex with other people and Sofia was just supposed to be okay with that because apparently,  that's how it works in their circle.

It was all lust when Sofia started to show some curves. Even when they finally get to spend some time together,  it was for me,  revolves around having sex and their exploration for it. If I'm not mistaken,  it seems that almost 30% was nothing else but pure smut read. Honestly,  I lost my interest.

Secondary characters were great though and  I was now more interested about Emma and Samuel's story. Anna's a well. I really hoped that the possibility of having a great storyline wouldn't be ruined with being just another smut read.

(𝑨𝑹𝑪 𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒅𝒍𝒚 𝒑𝒓𝒐𝒗𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑵𝒆𝒙𝒕 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒑 𝑷𝑹)
𝑅𝐴𝑇𝐼𝑁𝐺: ⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.5

𝑫𝒂𝒏𝒊𝒍𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒅𝒏’𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆. 𝑩𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒊𝒕 𝒘𝒂𝒔𝒏’𝒕 𝒎𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒃𝒐𝒅𝒚 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒄𝒍𝒂𝒊𝒎, 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒎𝒚 𝒇𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒘𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒖𝒑 𝒃𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆.

I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who's been waiting for this book since Twisted Pride.

Danilo and Sofia were bound by unexpected circumstances to one another. After loosing his bride -to-be, Danilo's pride was wounded. He was now consumed with rage, hatred and vengeance. He spent so much time regretting the past and what was lost that he almost lost what was given to him.

Sofia was such a sweet and adorable character. She always lived in the shadow of her sister, ever after what happed people always compared her to Fina. No matter what she did or said it was never going to be enough, because she will never be Serafina.

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.

I felt so bad for Sofia, i mean everyone was pining after Serafina and the void she left behind that they ignored Sofia completely. She almost lost herself trying to be someone she was not. But she eventually gained her confidence and learned that she was enough and there was no point in comparing herself to Serafina.

𝑰 𝒏𝒆𝒆𝒅𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒐 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒔𝒆𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒅 𝒍𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝑭𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒂 𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒊𝒄𝒆, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚’𝒅 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒚 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒎𝒆 𝒖𝒑.

The first part of the book pissed me off. Danilo was so uncaring and cold towards Sofia, and the things he did drove me crazy. Sofia interpreted his actions in her own way, thinking that Danilo was still in love with Serafina and he did not want her.
However, the second part is where things get much better. Danilo knew that if he keeps pining after the past he well end up losing Sofia too. So he really did his best to make up for his mistakes. He was caring, gentle and sweet, he gave Sofia his all and at the end he knew that she was it for him.

𝑺𝒐𝒇𝒊𝒂 𝒘𝒂𝒔 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒈𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒆, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒂𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆— 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒂 𝒎𝒂𝒈𝒑𝒊𝒆 𝒅𝒓𝒂𝒘𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒃𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒚 𝒍𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕.

"I longed for a bond driven by love and affection, a bond that went deeper than political tactics."

Fragile Longing follows the story of Danilo Mancini and Sofia Mione. In the aftermath of Bound By the Past and Twisted Pride, we see Sofia is promised to Danilo after his engagement with Serafina falls through. We get to follow Sofia as she learns about her own strength, self-worth, and beauty.

Sofia is a young girl who's infatuated with the idea of love. Sofia had to grow up in the shadow of her older sister and always fell into the background as her family grieved the loss of Serafina. She wears her heart on her sleeve. She’s soft and gentle but her naivety and constant need for validation made it difficult for me to warm up to her. She was always comparing herself to Serafina and it broke my heart. Like anyone, she has a lot of insecurities and I resonated with that piece. Sofia's journey was certainly difficult but I eventually grew to really like her character.

Danilo was a character that really surprised me. I was intrigued by him in Twisted Pride but after seeing his reaction in Bound By the Past after losing Serafina, he seemed so alpha-male, so over the top and annoying but this book really shows a new side of him. We see that Danilo is someone who truly cares for the people he loves. He is an amazing brother and son. Oh my god, is he such a wonderful older brother. There is ONE scene that made me swoon and brought tears to my eyes. Danilo and Emma's scenes were definitely one of my favorites in this book. 🥺

Danilo and Sofia’s story is an emotional one. You’ll find yourself so frustrated with both these characters. You’ll just want to cry and yell and shake them but when they finally overcome their struggles, they really have something special. Their sexual chemistry is hot. Their feelings for one another consume them and it’s something really different than what Cora usually writes and she did it very well.

Fragile Longing is a rollercoaster read so you better have some tissues on hand. There is so much angst, heartbreak, and loss but I promise it's followed with forgiveness, love, and happiness. The epilogue is so heartwarming. It fills me with so much warmth and happiness.

I was very lucky to receive an ARC and I was super duper excited about this book because I love angsty romance with unrequited love themes and I especially adore the Outfit (they reign supreme, why lie). I personally wished that Sofia and Danilo's marriage life would have been longer and more developed but I did enjoy how they grew and fell in love.

Overall, I did enjoy this book. The highlight of the book was definitely the cameos and some of the new characters like Bria. I loved Anna and Sofia's friendship so much. Anna is an icon. She's absolutely hilarious. I laughed so much my stomach hurt. She's going to be such a troublemaker and I love her even more than I do now (if that's even possible). I'm so excited for everyone to find out more about her. I seriously cannot wait for her’s and Samuel’s book and of course all the others that Cora has planned.

5⭐️

I re-read Twisted Pride before reading this. It's not necessary but I thought it would be helpful to be reminded.

This is Sofia and Danilo's story. If you've not been following, let me give you a small introduction. Sofia is the Capo's niece. Dante Cavallero is the capo of The Outfit. Her mom is Dante's sister and her dad control's Minneapolis. She is Serafina's and Samuel's younger sister. Her sister Serafina was supposed to marry Danilo—her now husband, but Serafina was kidnapped on her wedding by Remo Falcone, the Outfit's nemesis. This is a standalone but I recommend reading Twisted Pride, Bound by Duty and Bound by the Past to understand Sofia and Danilo's background better.

I enjoyed reading about this book! This is one of those books where you can't wait to devour it but at the same you feel anxious because you don't want it to end.

It was gripping from start to finish!

I can't wait to read about Samuel and Emma... knowing how Samuel is, how will their relationship work? They weren't mentioned in the epilogue so I had no idea. I'm also curious about Marco and Bria... it seemed like an enemies to lovers kind of story.

I love the author! How she writes, she just keeps the reader glued to the book. Such a talent! I can't wait to read more!

This book didn't disappoint! Danilo and Sofia were off the charts especially when they started developing feelings for each other. I loved that Sofia had a back bone. She was strong and stood up fo herself. Also Danilo- wasnt who I though he would be after the last book. He turne dout to be amazing. A real gentleman. I loved how he really cared for Sofia espcially after the beginning of the book and how he treated her. Great read!

Thank you The Next Step Pr and Cora Reilly for the arc in exhchange of my honest review.

Rating: All the stars possible.

This book was heartachingly beautiful, hopeful and so full of love and tenderness. I felt so emotional by the end. This is a love story at its best and will pull at your heartstrings for sure.

Danilo is a proud man, the youngest underboss and is promised to marry Serafina. But with his engagement in shambles and his pride takes a heavy blow, Danilo seeks solace in his anger and need for revenge. Sofia is engaged to Danilo, but in every turn she feels that how even in Serafina's absence she is present all around, and Sofia can't help but feel like a shadow be it with Danilo or her family. All she wants is to be loved and wanted for who she is, not feel like a consolation prize. But there's so much she can do until she gives up completely on her love and her marriage. Can Danilo finally appreciate the gift and love that is Sofia? Or will his anger and pride destroy their chance at happiness?

Danilo and Sofia both are suffering from mistakes of not their own, they just happened to be in the crossfire of it all. My heart broke for Sofia, to see her feel unworthy,to not be seen for who she is and be compared constantly to what could have been. As she tries to get Danilo's love and attention in her own childish ways, I admired her as she grew up and realized that no one was worth it to change herself completely and be someone else. She would never lower herself to just to be accepted.

Anna and Sofia had a wonderful friendship and she was her rock throughout it all. She was always there to show Sofia her worth and how she is not anyone's consolation prize and anyone would be a fool to not love her for who she is.

Danilo was an interesting character to read. He was equal parts prideful, full of rage and fire and just as much caring and tender.He loved his family and his sister. I loved to see that side of him. It took some time for him to come out his rage filled mind but oh boy when he did, he was all in for Sofia. He was so patient, kind and loving towards Sofia. He did not leave any stone unturned to show her what she meant to him, what was her place in his life.

Their love took time, patience and trust. But it was so so beautiful. This book was so romantic in the truest sense. The story starts with notes of heartache as we see both these characters struggling, but ends with such a hopeful note and with tremendous amount of love.

Side note- So....Serafina and Danilo definitely gave Remo and Serafina a run for their money when it came to the steam. Be prepared y'all for the fire and the steamy scenes.

4.25
I was really looking forward to read Fragile Longing; since i read Twisted Pride i was curious about Danilo & Sofia' story.
Now i have mixed emotions about it....

In the first part, almost more than half, of the book Remo&Fina' presence was cumbersome.
Danilo's pride and Sofia's insicurities gave them to much space. And i hated it 'cause a real bond between the two of them was impossible.
The second part, otherwise, was absolutely amazing 😍😍
The way Danilo made up to Sofia for his mistakes, their growing relationship, their passion... make me swoon 🖤
Despite his coldness, Danilo let his emotions free, and gave himself a chance to really feel something other than guilt, pride, desire for revenge, anger, hate ....
And Sofia had a chance to accept and love herself.
In the end i really loved their bond, even if it took some time to get there.

In Fragile Longing the mafia aspect is less prominent: there is no much action, violence, or adrenaline.
But there's angst, lust, tenderness...

I think what makes Cora Reilly books amazing is the fact that she was able to differently characterize the Camorra, the Famiglia and the Outfits so well.
So even if they are all Made Men, they are different, and you can't help but side with one or the other.
[I'm a Camorra girl by the way LOL].
And the way she makes you curious about the side characters ensure your addiction to her stories.

My next fix from my favourite Mafia Universe is here!!!! 'Fragile Longing' is a standalone Romance by the best selling author Cora Reilly , set in the Same world as the Camorra chronicles and Born in blood Mafia Chronicles.

My god , Cora really does not hold back in this one! Fragile longing is the perfect blend of Dark and mysterious that Everyone would love! All the mafia lovers, you need to read this book! Danilo and Sofia are on fire!

Danilo is a man with too much pride. He once was engaged to the ice queen of the city and he adored her a lot. That is until another man kidnapped his bride on their wedding day and made her his. Left with a wounded pride , but with a third for revenge, Danilo is not going to stop until he crushes Remo Falcone. He wants what is the best for his territory , so he accepts the offer to marry Sofia , who is the younger sister of his previous fiance. But he still yearns for her older sister and in his pain he might not see the gift he has been given.

Sofia has always wanted Danilo. Even when he belonged to her sister. When fate made him her's , she couldn't believe her luck. She was so happy. Those dreams came crashing down when she realised that it was not her that Danilo wanted but her sister. She was tired of being the one whom Danilo never noticed. The consolation bride. Soon she realises that Danilo might not be the perfect gentleman she portrayed him to be. He is something much more Darker.

This book is a masterpiece for all the mafia lovers and is highly recommended to them by me! Cora Reilly is one of my best one click authors , so take it seriously when I tell you that you all need to give this book a go. This Mafia Universe by this author is one of my most favourite world's to get lost in and I have read these books not once but multiple times!

ARC provided by the Next Step PR in order for an honest review




*Spoiler-free*


Wow, where do I even begin? Cora Reilly never disappoints her fans and this time it was no different. I'd been waiting for Sofia and Danilo's story since I first read Twisted Pride. There's something about the whole "I'm too young for him. He's in love with my older gorgeous sister" thing that hits differently. From the first pages, I knew Sofia was my kind of girl. She's NOT her sister. Sofia wants everyone to see who she is besides the younger sister, the surrogate bride, and the consolation prize.



"He'd never given me a chance to show him I was more than second best, more than a consolation prize."
***
"I felt wanton, almost deprived, Like I could let loose in the safety of the dark, could be someone else."


And Danilo? I might not have been the biggest fan of his actions through the book but he made me fall in love with him eventually. Forget everything you think you know about this man. We basically know nothing until we read his POV.


"Which was his true self?the restrained gentleman or the ruthless predator?"
***
"This version of him, right in front of me, the dangerous bad boy was his true self."


And Sofia and Danilo?CHEMISTRY.Pure fire. This is perhaps Cora's hottest book ever but it doesn't help that these two were clearly made for each other-That sounds cheesy but so true-. I can't even use words to describe how this book, these characters, this story made me feel.Happy.Sad.Angry.Anxious.Blissful.All the feels.


"To see her for what she was: a gorgeous young woman. Not a consolation prize.Not Serafina's sister."
***
"You drive me completely crazy, Sofia."


Also Best.Epilogue.Ever.
I can't wait for more books in this word especially Samuel and Emma-I freaking love Emma- and also Anna and ???-She better end up with*******
Note: This is Sofia and Danilo's story but we see lots of other characters as well. Sofia's relationship with Anna was everything and let's not forget annoying teenage Leonas. So if for some reason you skipped any of the previous books related to the Chicago Outfit I recommend reading that book first before Fragile Longing.

“Because I was the consolation prize. The surrogate bride. Worst of all, I was not my sister.”

Fragile Longing is my most expected book of the year and I can tell I am totally satisfied. It reflected the perfect contrast between two opposites personalities. By one side, Sofia Mione, a little sweet, naive and willing girl who has a crush with her sister’s fiancée. In other hand, Danilo Mancini is the perfect gentleman, handsome, smart, always in control and the next underboss from Indianapolis; but his fiancée kidnapping changes everything. Serafina breaks the engagement hurting Danilo’s pride and not giving him another option to search another candidate to takes Fina’s place, the best option, her sister.

Sofia has the chance of become her dreams a reality and she’s on cloud nine. However this happiness is tarnished by Serafina’s ghost. Sofia feels as a consolation prize and the sadness and languid attitudes from her family isn’t helpful, although she is determined to seduce her future husband. Fortunately she counts with the support of her cousin, best friend and adventure companion, Anna Cavallaro. In the meantime Danilo is dealing with other issues: family and job issues, adding his anger, resentment and seeking revenge versus the man who steal what belongs him. His pride is his worst enemy and he commits a big mistake, one that changes perspective of both: Sofia and he. Now, Danilo isn’t perfect to Sofia’s eyes and he is battling in the search of his redemption.

This book is full of emotions: I laughed, got excited, cried, and fell in love with Danilo. I was determined to read the book with a neutral perspective, not judging, “forgetting” the past events and Danilo really won my heart, in a second I’m going to tell you why. Danilo Mancini is a complex man. In surface he shows us a serious, correct and perfect gentleman but he’s dealing with a lot of guilt and the weight of his responsibilities. He’s restrained with his feelings and emotions and he just can’t forget the past. His pride dominates him but he’s a good person who after realizes he acted wrong, is determinated to redeem himself.

With Soph, I love her personality. She was so sweet and naive but with a strong personality after all. I suffered and cried with her but analizing the situation, what happened to her was a milestone. It makes them react: she regained her dignity, take her time to heal; and Danilo had to work to conquer her, change, let it go and focus in his future with Sofia. After that he achieves to values her as for herself without comparisons. The evolution of their relationship was slow and perfectly written, and there were really steamy romantic scenes. Also I love the protective side from Danilo and Samuel toward their respective sisters. I have to add, was a delight to read about the secondary characters. I already love Anna, Leonas, and Emma. I can’t wait to read more of them!

**I received an ARC in exchange of an honest review. All the opinions and thoughts written here are on my own.**

Synopsis
Sofia is a girl who people see as her sister replacement and even her family didn't know that she is suffering. She have a crush on Danilo and he know about it.

Danilo is a capo who is being left by his ex fiancee who is Sofia sister name Serafina. At first Danilo didn't see Sofia as his wife but things change that make he finally realized that the Sofia is the one.

Review
Firstly thank you for the ARC. I'm actually a little bit dissapointed with this book because i expect this book will have some kind of emotion that will leave me crying my eyes out and book slump. I like the relationship that Sofia and Anna in this book. Sofia is more timid compare to Anna in the early chapter but I can see that her personality is becoming more when she is with Danilo and when they are trying to be a husband and a wife.

I understand why the title is fragile longing. It's more about Sofia who is fragile but strong at the same time because she is losing her sister Serafina and their family is too busy with their mourning about losing Serafina to Remo and didn't see that she's also is suffering. Longing is the feeling of Sofia for Danilo. Danilo is sofia crush even when he is getting engaged to Serafina. She is longing to get his love as a Sofia and not the replacement brinde. You can see how much she try to gain his love and it's amazing when Danilo realize that he need to focus on Sofia and her love instead of focusing to get revenge against Remo.

Thank you.

Quotes
“Many men continue to do as they please. Men always do as they please, no matter the damage they do.” - Sofia

“I’m not sure I know who I am anymore. Everything I’ve done these last few years has been to please others. I faded into the background to give Mom and Dad room for their sadness. I never asked Samuel for anything because I didn’t want him to think I was taking Fina’s place. I always adapted to everything around me. I was so stupid.” - Sofia

“I’d tried to imitate her, but an imitation would never be the original.”

First of all, this book is definitely for people who have read the rest of Cora Reilly’s books. It is set in a world that is already established through two different series’ and this book spoils events that have happened previously. So, although this is a stand-alone novel, I wouldn’t recommend reading this before the other books as a lot of it won’t make sense!

Arranged marriage books are never easy, but Sofia and Danilo’s comes with extra hurdles. From jealousy to lust, rage to desire - their journey was a DRAMA filled one. And I loved almost every second of it!

Serafina’s shadow lurks ominously over everything that Sofia does, how can she escape the scandal that surrounds her family? How does she cope knowing that the man she’s always had a crush on, is still pining over her sister...?

Sofia’s character arc in this is one of my absolute favourites. From the naive, sheltered 12 year old with fairy tale fantasies to the grown woman that she becomes over the course of this book. She’s impulsive and reckless, but that kinda makes me love her even more. My heart ached for her so much throughout. But by the end, she’s a mature, powerful force of nature.
Now the absolute HIGHLIGHT of this book for me is the side characters. It has made me even more excited for the next series.

Also, the climax of this book?! It had me almost screaming. You’ll know why when you read it.

This book is full of drama, angst and a few blush worthy steamy scenes... I couldn’t put it down.

4.5/5
In Fragile Longing we follow Sofia and Danilo.
Danilo was originally promised Serafina. But if you have read Twisted Pride, you know what happened there. Instead of Serafina Danilo now gets Serafina’s younger sister: Sofia.
When Sofia first hears she is promised to Danilo she doesn’t mind at all. She always had a little crush on him, but the older she gets the more she starts comparing herself to Serafina.
Since her sister Serafina left Sofia felt a lot of pressure to be like Serafina. From the people around her but mostly from herself.
Danilo is a really proud person and we see that coming back a lot. He is too proud to get over what happened with his first fiancée. But he is also a good men. He cares about his loved one’s He will do everything he can do to protect them.
The first part of the story is cute. We see Sofia and Danilo before their wedding. You feel a little bad for Sofia because in her head it’s still all about Serafina. But the second part of the book when they are actually married… blew me away! In the first part we see that Danilo isn’t really trying to create a bond with Sofia yet. Danilo also noticed how Sofia is comparing herself to Serafina.
But the second they get married and Sofia started being Sofia again without trying to be like her sister Serafina everything started happening for these two. Both of them we’re willing to try. The road to them finding a way to love and care about each other was so beautiful..

Cora Reilly’s book are (almost) always a hit for me and Fragile Longing didn’t disappoint.

I wasn’t sure what timeline we were going to get for Danilo and Sofia, but it was perfect and what gave us their love story. Pain, betrayal, longing, and wanting fill both these characters so much, and they both react as would be expected of them. Sofia bottles it up and Danilo lets it loose. But time progresses, feelings expand, contract, viewpoints change, and characters mature. When it looks like it will all fall apart, it comes together. And when it looks like it will fracture and shatter, it strengthens and bonds. Danilo and Sofia aren’t the couple that was supposed to be together, but together they are the couple that other want to be like, that is how happy their ever after ends up being!

“. . . 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.”

When you are promised to a man that was once supposed to be with your sister, it doesn’t start a very confident relationship.

This is a unique mafia story because it’s not your typical family against family action book.
This story is about Danilo and Sofia’s relationship and marriage. How something so shaky and doubtful can end with a strong marriage and HEA.

I understood Danilo when he didn’t keep communication with Sophia when he was promised Sophia. After all, she was a child and well... that’s what he saw. A child, not his future wife.
So all the while Sophia had a crush on him, she had to go through years of seeing her future fiancé in photos online with other women. Women that looked like her sister who he was supposed to marry first. It’s all angsty as hell and a shitty situation for Sophia.
She eventually gains a backbone once she’s of age and marries Danilo.
This story is the evolution of these two and it was a breathe of fresh air to read a non-typical mafia book.

“Danilo shook his head. “I wish you could see yourself through my eyes only once, then you’d never doubt my desire for you again.”

Full review: https://www.inabookshell.com/2020/09/review-fragile-longing-by-cora-reilly.html

In typical Cora fashion, I have a love-loathe relationship with the characters. Sofia was bold, feisty, and fun. She has this bright, lovable aura surrounding her. Danilo is the underboss of Indianapolis. I enjoyed his angry, unleashed version more than the cool gentlemen.

My favorite thing about them was their open-minded nature. They communicated well with each other. To be honest, I didn’t like either of them when I read about them in previous novels and even for most of the 1st half of Fragile Longing. I was wary of Danilo and Sofia seemed too naive for her own good. But their character growth was beautiful.

Although I enjoyed the 2nd part of the book, the side effects of the damage caused by the Camorra are portrayed realistically, in the beginning. It was easy to empathize with the Outfit and their suffering. I loved all the background characters, every single one of them. Samuel, Emma, Anna, I'm looking forward to reading their books. Sofia’s friendship with Anna was poignant. The dynamics between the underbosses families and the Cavallaro’s family were interesting.

From all the teasers, I had this image in my head of what Danilo was, I was so wrong. He was the biggest surprise. The entire climax and epilogue are simply awesome. There were tense moments but fluff trumped the angst. Now that I read Bound by the past and this novel I understand the Outfit’s perspective better, they never really knew Fina, not really. Some of those loose ends are tied up. After I finished reading it, I wanted more but I also felt content with the way things have played out.

This novel is written in the first person in both Sofia and Danilo’s perspective. The setting is developed better than Cora’s other books. More picturesque vacation-feels. It's a short novel but has slow pacing. I read the book in one sitting. Fragile Longing focuses more on romance than the mafia aspect.

It is more similar to the other standalone, Sweet Temptation than the novels in Camorra Chronicles and Born in Blood series. I recommend it to all romance-genre readers. Read ‘Twisted Pride’ before you read this. Fragile Longing is everything Sofia and Danilo’s story is meant to be. The wait was worth it! 👏👏👌👍. ARC is provided by The Next Step PR, LLC and Cora Reilly via NetGalley. Thank you.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

This is the first time I have read anything by Cora Reilly but my mind is blown. Why did I wait. This story between Sofia and Donila is beyond spellbinding and keeps you fully engrossed the whole time. The passionate moments to the heartbreaking truths moments. I was completely mesmerized by the concept. How deep and intense things go with the mafia world that Reilly has created. There is such a magnetic push and pull between these two. I loved their banter. That Sofia never backed down from Donila regardless of everything that has happened between them. You do get a little angst, small naive moments because of Sofia’s age but growing up in the world that they do, I fully get why she is more mature than her actual age.
Overall, this book was absolutely amazing. I devoured it in one sitting. I could not put it down. I loved the depth that was in this story as it entangles with previous books written by the author, but is a perfect standalone. I never felt lost, I felt connected to each character and in love with every moment. I honestly never wanted it to end. Now to go read the backlist by this author because her words are everything!

ARC Review
Fragile Longing was such a pleasant read. I love the story of Sofia and Danilo.

Sofia has always lived as her sister’s, Serafina, shadow. And the moment when Serafina left the family, Sofia knew she would never replace her sister, and that upset her.
Sofia was promised to Danilo as a consolation prize after Serafina couldn’t marry him. Sofia knew that getting into Danilo’s heart would be hard because she wasn’t her sister.

The story of these two shows us overcoming the past and moving forward with life. There were scenes that gripped my heart so much. Sofia’s struggles with life after her sister left, her constant trying to be more than a consolation prize.

Danilo at first thought of their marriage as a strategic deal but with time he started to see Sofia as a woman and not his ex-fiancée’s younger sister.

The chemistry between these two was on point and the slow burn built up the fire between them.

I really loved how Cora focused more on showing us the relationship between Danilo and Sofia, every step of it.

I’m giving this book perfect 5 starts. I loved everything in it.

I received this book in exchange for an honest review.

I love reading anything by Cora Reilly! I have been eagerly awaiting this book for a while!
Leaving off from the aftermath of Twisted Pride (my favorite book in the series) tells the story of Danilo and Sofia in a stand-alone, age gap romance. The writing has always been great from this series. I felt the pain and frustration from the characters through their struggles. I liked the book, but this was not my favorite from the mafia world. I couldn’t really get into the age gap romance because it started the story from when Sofia was 11, and I kept the image of her being a child throughout the story. There was a recurring immaturity that kept her too young in my eyes. There were some great side characters who were mentioned in previous books that got more character development and I hope to read more about their stories in future books. Overall it was a good read, and I can’t wait for Cora’s next book!