This book called out to me like a siren. Mafia, lovers to enemies to lovers, arranged marriage, Hades and Persephone references, and SPICE. It was so good I finished it in one sitting!

“A hero? No. See, the difference between me and a hero, a hero would sacrifice you to save the world. But a villain, a devil like me, would sacrifice everyone just to keep you safe. I'd burn this entire world to the ground for you. You're mine, Asteria. You've always been mine." This is my favorite quote from this book.

The story of how Azriel and Asteria played out has both parts of new and reliable. The storyline of Mafia and arranged marriage being the reliable and the lovers to enemies to lovers and spice being new. The angst and tension between the two characters makes you feel like you are experiencing it for yourself. I felt like I was going through the same emotions as they were.

This book does end on a cliffhanger and I can't wait for part 2.

** I received an ARC from Net Galley in exchange for an honest review. **

Ever since the release of 365 DNI, I’ve added mafia romance to my read list. This is a gritty, sensual addition to the genre, definitely for fans of the 365 DNI series.

Although labeled as New Adult, this felt incredibly YA to me and I know it will largely appeal to that audience in the 16 to 18 range.

Protagonist Asteria is feisty and well spoken, determined to get a loving relationship out of her lost love Azriel.

The highlights of this were the spicy scenes. That one scene involving underwear and a window? Ooof. Hot stuff. The build of the sexual tension was nicely done, with a satisfying payoff.

The relationship between them as well felt mostly natural. There is a certain level of chemistry between them as well, though it’s a little stilted.

The only things that kept me from enjoying it more was the writing style of the opening and first several chapters. It comes across as flowery, more in the style of a historical novel, which don’t quite suit the modern day Chicago vibe; and the first several chapters seem extraneous. The novel could have opened much later and relied on the flashbacks, which I think would have kept it from feeling as YA as it does.

Fun, wild read. Will definitely keep an eye out for the sequel.

A Mafia romance/arranged marriage/Hades & Persephone story.
The heroine is forced to marry an italian mobster but her finacee is murdered on the wedding date. Her former childhood love returns but with darkness and blood.....

The storyline isn't new obviously. BUT it was done very well. The 2 main characters have such great chemistry and you really want them to be together. The early scenes when they were younger in particular were very sweet. My only complaint is that it ends on a cliffhanger. :(

Thanks to the publisher for the arc.

Thank you NetGalley for an arc!!

Overall I enjoyed this. It was a quick and easy read. I liked the characters for the most part but Asteria was annoying at some points in the book. I did not connect with the characters much.

I found myself not really caring about what was going on until the last 20% of the book.

Overall I would recommend this if you like mafia arranged romances.

I also did not really like all the time jumps in the first few chapters. I understood why they were there it was just a lot.

I would also recommend if you enjoy Greek mythology retellings because this has Persephone/Hades retelling elements in it.

I feel like the plot was good, but it could have been planned out better. I just felt like things kind of dragged for a bit until we got towards the end. All the references to Hades and Persephone we’re cool, but it was definitely more of nickname for Azriel and Asteria. The spice scenes were detailed and done really well. My least favorite part was how annoying Asteria was. She was definitely naive and didn’t know better, but it made her weak. I wish Azriel confided in her before the ending. It does end on a cliffhanger, but I feel like we can predict what’ll happen next. I’m hoping in the next book Asteria grows up some and learns from her mistakes.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

All you have to do is tell me it has Persephone/Hades retelling elements and I am already grabbing it, no questions asked.

“Look to the stars cara mia. Every night you miss me, every night you don’t see me, that’s where I’ll be. Always.”

This really doesn’t bring anything new to the table. The characters are really just a reflection of characters I have seen in other books similar to this. But, I had fun and that’s what counts! Plus I have a soft spot for butterflies, so there’s that. One thing I really loved was the flashbacks to the early relationship between Azriel and Asteria. They were just so sweet and perfect together before the world forced them apart and hardened their hearts.

“He’s the villain in my story. Not a knight in shining armor or a noble prince. He is the devil. And, unfortunately, I’m his princess.”

On a technical level, this wasn’t the greatest. The storyline was a little wobbly at times and I am not quite sure what happened with that ending. Warning, it does end on a cliffhanger but it is almost like it stops at what should be the end of a chapter, not the end of the book. The idea is there, the execution just needs some work.

“A hero? No. See, the difference between me and a hero, a hero would sacrifice you to save the world. But a villain, a devil like me, would sacrifice everyone just to keep you safe. I'd burn this entire world to the ground for you. You're mine, Asteria. You've always been mine.”

If you're a fan of the arranged marriage trope mixed in with a mafia romance, then you will for sure eat this up!