4.5 stars (book 1 of 2)

Oh. My. Goodness!

This book was soooo good! The audio was amazing and the narrators were perfection!

I loved Raffa and Guinevere separately and together! He fell fast and hard and I loved seeing her become her own person and start to bloom with Raffa's help.

I also really enjoyed the added storyline and drama of Guinevere traveling to Italy in secret from her family and seeing where that goes in the future!

I need the next part of the story immediately!! I can't wait for more.

𝐌𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚 𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐲 & 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐁𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠? 𝐇𝐞𝐜𝐤 𝐲𝐞𝐬! 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐨 𝐦𝐮𝐜𝐡! 𝐆𝐮𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐑𝐚𝐟𝐟𝐚𝐞𝐥𝐞 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐈 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐬𝐞𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐢𝐫 𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐨𝐥𝐝. 𝐓𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐧 𝐚 𝐜𝐥𝐢𝐟𝐟-𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐟𝐚𝐢𝐫 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐬𝐮𝐟𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐬𝐚𝐲 𝐈’𝐦 𝐡𝐲𝐩𝐞𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐝! 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐨 𝐌𝐬. 𝐃𝐚𝐫𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠! 𝐁𝐫𝐚𝐯𝐨! #𝐦𝐚𝐟𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 #𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐠 #𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 #𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐫𝐲 #𝐬𝐥𝐨𝐰𝐛𝐮𝐫𝐧 #𝐬𝐮𝐬𝐩𝐞𝐧𝐬𝐞 #𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐚𝐢𝐫𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞

Really enjoyed this mafia romance set in the Italian countryside! This one has a bit of damsel in distress and age gap as Guinevere finds herself stranded in Italy and rescued by Rafaele. Rafaele was so swoony and I loved how he pursued Guinevere! The chemistry between these two was on point and I can’t wait for more!

Prepare yourself for the ending. This book will not end with a HEA, you'll have to wait for the second book for that.

Guinivere has always felt Italy calling to her. It's where her father was born, but he refuses to share anything about the country or his upbringing. He's even forbidden her from visiting.

But Guinivere has made plans to spend the summer there before she steps into the life her parents have laid out for her.

Her first day there, she runs into trouble, and Raffaele Romano comes to her rescue. He is the capo dei capi of the Camorra. She brings out his softer side, who he was before stepping into his current position. But she can never know the truth of who he is.

She's falling in love, but her time in Italy is coming to an end.

He's ready to keep her, but one night it all comes crashing down.

THanks so much to the author and Valentine PR for this ARC to review.

I cannot say enough about how much I loved this book. Not only was the romance *chefs kiss* but even just the writing and storyline in general were SO GOOD! Literally every time Raffa and Guinevere either spoke or we were in their heads I felt such emotion and introspection from both of them. I thought these parts were especially well written, and I really enjoyed them as it helped me better understand their characters and feel a part of the story.

Raffa is my new favorite mafioso, and he had me SWOONING. I also (eagerly) learned so much Italian from this man. 😏 He can call me his Cerbiatta mia anytime he’d like! Apart from his romantic musings, I felt like everything this man said was just so meaningful and thoughtful - I couldn’t get enough.

Some of my favorite Raffa quotes:

“My definition of perfect is different from yours, perhaps. To me, it does not mean 'flawless.' It means 'enticing,' so vibrant you cannot help but find it beautiful, flaws and all."

"I know I am not the hero you thought I was, the hero I warned you I could never be. But I am not quite the villain either. I know that because you showed me all the goodness I had to offer.
You shone your starlight on my f****** soul when I thought I had compromised that a long time ago, and you brought everything I have to offer to the surface again. You proved to us both I can be kind and generous."

While I obviously loved Raffa, I also adored Guinevere. I thought she was so strong and adventurous even for someone who has had very limited life experience up until this point. I felt a lot of growth took place for her, and I am excited to see what is next for her.

AND THAT ENDING?! I will be anxiously awaiting book two, and I will definitely be reading some of Giana’s other books while I wait.

Rating: 5 ⭐️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

At first, I wasn't sure how I felt about this book, but the more I got invested in it, I found myself loving it. The beauty and history is Italy, and its traditions made this story so much more alive for me.
Raffa is a powerful man. People know his name and what he does. He's also loaded and can afford cars like Ferraris and Bugattis. Guinevere is a lucky lady since she got to drive one of these. He's feared by many and has a target in him. He's also gave up a lot in his life to be in his position. Despite what evil he does to people who cross him, he is a good guy. Having Guinevere around and really getting to know her opens his heart to love. She fits in with his crew and sees things that they didn't. She also sees what is the real him. There's just something he hasn't told her yet...
Guinevere is an American, and on her first day, she is attacked and hit by a car. Things didn't start out well for her in Italy. This is her time to live and have some freedom. Due to her condition, she was sheltered and watched by her parents. They worry about her all the time. Being with Raffa makes her feel alive and free. He makes her insatiable for his touch and brings her more pleasure than she's ever had, which isn't any.. He brings her into his house and his world but not really the truth about what he does.
This was such a great book until the end! So much emotion,love and just living life to the fullest. I can't wait to see what happens next with these two!!

Rating: 4.5/5⭐️

This book truly made my heart sing! It was lyrical and you can feel the love and passion that was put into this book. This was my first Gianna Darling book and I was NOT DISAPPOINTED. I loved her writing, and I devoured this book! When I did have to put it down, I would randomly be thinking about it as I went about my day. It really stuck with me.

It was warm and fluffy in all the right places! Raffa is wicked and decadent. Truly everything I’d want in a MMC and has been added to my book boyfriend list! The way he talks, his view on life and the way he truly worships and cherishes Guinevere is poetic. The play into greek mythology and how the two were referenced throughout the story was masterful and I could definitely see the parallels.

I will say, I was a little frustrated at the end, when Guinevere made that decision regarding Raffa (don’t want to spoil anything). It definitely gave me whiplash because of how she viewed Raffa throughout the story and this one thing was what changed everything? I love a fierce FMC and loved her self discovery journey but this felt…off to say the least.

THE CLIFFHANGER..My GOD! I was teary eyed at the end….terrible terrible terrible!! I need this next book ASAP!

Thank you Valentine PR and Gianna Darling for the opportunity to ARC this book!

Giana, you knocked it out of the park with this book. I loved that Raffa only really showed Guinevere his softer side while also showing his possessive side. I’m dying to know all the secrets Guinevere’s dad is hiding and why he despises his homeland. I love that Guinevere had a itinerary of what she wanted to see and experience in Italy. The wine cellar scene was so good and so hot. All the spicy scenes were perfect. I loved Raffa and Guinevere and I loved that his close friends/employees were so welcoming to her, especially Martina. You ripped my heart out with that ending, it made want to scream and shake my phone while holding it in both hands. I hate that I have to wait until October to see what happens next.

Raffffaaaaaa. Mafia man of my dreams. He is the epitome of soft only for her - which I love love LOVE. Seriously though, Giana absolutely slayyyyeed this mafia romance. Raffaele and Guinevere have the best chemistry from their first meet and I loved that he is able to strip back the mask of his monstrous mafiaso side with her. Despite his secrets and his bloody hands, Raffa would do anything to be the best man FOR Guinevere. Even if it means being that monster to protect her. Swooooon.

Thank you Giana for the early copy! I am so excited for book two.

4.5 STARS

OMG GIANA THAT ENDING?? MY HEART HURTS SO MUCH RIGHT NOW!!

😭😭😭

I don’t think I could ever not love a Giana Darling book, her writing is just UNMATCHED, and I believe I will always say that after every book I finish of hers.

AND IT’S THE SAME WITH THIS ONE!!

And now I can’t wait to get my hands on book two, LIKE I NEED THE NEXT BOOK!!

ARC REVIEW

Hi, excuse me...the wine scene? 🥵 oh my god that was one of the hottest things I have read in a book in a long time.

This is an age gap, mafia romance, a lot of naughty Italian words spoken, and some intrigue 🙌

The cliffhanger and the ending? Soul crushing. I don't want to wait to find out what is in store for these characters 💜

Another wonderful love story by this incredible author. Guinevere and Raffa meet in the most unusual of ways, and what transpires in the next 6 weeks is a wonderful story of falling in love and discovering so much about each other and themselves. Both Vera and Raffa grow so much in their time together and they are not the same people when the story stops as they were when it began. I am so looking forward to seeing how their love story wraps up and the challenges they will endure to get there. I voluntarily reviewed an advance reader copy of this book for my honest review.

“My little fawn. My woman. My shooting star.”🌟🇮🇹

I’m going to need the second book in this duet RIGHT NOW!!!! Because wtf was that ending omg! I have so many theories to what awaits us next and a lot of them are to do with Guinevere’s dad’s past.👀

Giana’s stories never fail to draw me in with how poetic and captivating they are. This book was the perfect Italian love story filled with beautiful descriptions of Italy making the book feel like an escapism. There were many times where I felt like I was right there in Italy with the characters. In addiction to that, there was the perfect blend of romance and danger, keeping you as the reader fully invested.

❤️‍🔥 mafia romance
❤️‍🔥 Italian setting
❤️‍🔥 chronic illness rep
❤️‍🔥 age gap
❤️‍🔥 forced proximity
❤️‍🔥 morally grey mmc

I loved both Guinevere and Raffa’s characters.

Guinevere has always abided by the rules of her parents her whole life due to her chronic illness and their fear for her safety. She finds the courage to go against her parents and finds herself in Italy to discover her father’s roots, despite him explicitly telling her to stay away from the country. We see a lot of growth with Guinevere’s character throughout the story. She goes from this woman who has been blanketed and fearful of her health to this independent woman living her “carefree” life in Italy, going against the wishes of her overprotective parents.

Raffa is everything you picture for the capo of the Italian mafia. Sexy. Mysterious. Poetic. Morally grey. A man who would do ANYTHING for his woman and the people he loved. He easily came to Guinevere’s aid when she needed him, falling in love with her along the way but afraid to tell her his whole truth. Raffa finally allowed himself to fall in love, finding peace with Guinevere after not allowing himself that for a long time. Im intrigued to see what will happen in the next book, and whether we will get a deeper dive into Raffa’s mafia lifestyle.

The tension between the characters was also SO GOOD!!! I was eating up every moment between the two of them. Raffa was so passionate towards Guinevere ensuring that she was fully comfortable. In addition to that, Guinevere was a virgin and Raffa wanted to make sure that her first time was perfect.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book! It was captivating and easy to follow without being overly complicated with the mafia aspect. I loved that it felt like you were right there in Italy with the characters.

🖤Italian setting (Tuscany)
🥀Bad boy X good girl
🖤Chronic illness rep
🥀Billionaire anti-hero
🖤Hidden identity
🥀 Age gap (11 years)

This book makes me want to travel to Italy immediately, I could picture all the gorgeous descriptions perfectly 😍

I am in love with Raffa Romano ❤️ From the moment he said “Tonight, I feel like playing the hero instead of the villain.” I was low key obsessed 😍 He is the epitome of a sexy Italian mafioso. If there’s one thing Giana never fails to do - that’s make me immediately fall in love with her MMCs.

Guinevere is so sweet and innocent but she’s also so smart and brave! Her story of chronic illness and grief was so beautifully written and gave her such strength - I loved her so much! The way she challenges Raffas nature and well as her lust for life and joy was so infectious ❤️

Now back to my new book husband Raffa. MY. GOD.
The Italian 🥵 The sex 🥵 THE MAN 🥵 I cannot cope
Red wine and Olive Oil are TRULY changed for me forever and I’m not mad IYKYK

The ENDING - I cannot.. I need book 2 immediately please. I need to know what happens 😭

Once again Giana has written another 5 star read and I’m so grateful to have received an ARC of this book

5⭐️ 3.5🌶️ 5🎧

Relationship dynamic: MF
Tropes/Microtropes/Vibes/Reps:
🖤 Mafia
💵 Billionaire
🤫 Hidden identity
⚡️ Age gap
🫱🏻‍🫲🏽 Forced proximity
❤️‍🔥 Bad boy x good girl
🗡️ Touch her and d!e
😈 Anti hero MMC
🪽 Virgin FMC
💊 Disability rep

Publisher: Brilliance Audio
Narrators: CJ Bloom + Dan Anderson
Narration type: dual
Writing perspective: first person, dual POV
Standard length (pages): 313
Standard length (time): 10:52
Listening speed: 2.5x
Listened via: NetGalley
Read via: Kindle
ARC/ALC provided by: VPR + Giana Darling + NetGalley

📖 Giana has done it again! She has made me love all of these characters, and made me equally mad at some of them at the end! That’s a sign that I am fully invested and she’s done the work of some bad ass character development! Raffe and Guinevere have quite the meet cute and things are off to the races from there. They have such chemistry together, physical and emotional. They bring out new things in each other and also remind one another of the good things that are still there deep down. Even over a short time, their bond becomes very strong, but they both know there is an end date when Guinevere intends to leave Italy at the end of the summer. Neither gets the courage to ask about staying together before something big does down, and it changes everything!! That cliffy… I NEED THE NEXT BOOK IMMEDIATELY!

This book was soo fun! It was spicy and sexy in the best way. If you love mafia romance that's actually set in Italy, YOU WILL EAT THIS UP.

Giana Darling did it again with another amazing dark romance. Raffaele is chefs kiss. I LOVE him. The cliffhanger though😭 My Dark Fairytale was so addictive and I binged it in a day!

The CLIFFHANGER!!!!

I need book 2!!!

My Dark Fairy Tale was everything I was hoping for. Raffa and Guinevere had such a natural feeling romance, if that makes sense. Guinevere starts her vacation in every girls worst nightmare, but ends up getting to meet Raffa. From the very instant these two met there was chemistry that built over the pages. Guinevere helps Raffa remember who he was before being the Mafioso and Raffa helps her fall in love with Italy and truly feel normal.

Giana also did a wonderful job balancing the romance while giving us the perfect amount of mafia. We got to see aspects of Raffa in the business, but it didn't take over every page of the story.

I cannot wait to see where book 2 will take us!

🌟🌟🌟🌟
🌶🌶🌶

Tropes
🖤 Mafia Romance
🖤 Hidden Identity
🖤 Billionaire Italian Mafioso
🖤 Chronic Illness Rep
🖤 Bad Boy x Good Girl
🖤 Age Gap
🖤 Italian Dirty Talk
 
Raffa and Guinevere's love story is the epitome of destiny—pure serendipity at its finest. Vera, the quintessential all-American girl, has lived a sheltered life due to a chronic illness that rendered her parents deeply protective. On the other hand, Raffa is her polar opposite: a notorious mafioso, known for his ruthlessness toward betrayal and embodying the persona of a mafia-made man. Yet, there’s something undeniably magnetic about the collision of opposites, especially when they come from such vastly different worlds.
 
Guinevere Stone, determined to uncover her roots, decides to embark on a journey to Italy—a destination her father had always forbidden her to visit. At 23 and coping with personal loss, she is resolute in her pursuit. However, her adventure takes an unexpected turn when she survives a near-death experience—being hit by a passing car. The driver, none other than Raffaele Romano, rescues her and becomes her caretaker. As the narrative unfolds, layers of complexity are revealed in both Raffa and Guinevere. Vera is more than just the archetype of the good girl, and Raffa transcends the role of the hardened villain. Their relationship transforms them, adding depth to their characters and making their story all the more captivating.
 
🎧 Narrators Dane Anderson and CJ Bloom, in collaboration with Brilliance Audio, truly brought Raffa and Guinevere to life with their compelling performances. Dane's Italian accent was especially mesmerizing—swoon-worthy, to say the least! The narration added an extra layer of charm and authenticity to the story, making it an even more immersive experience.

Ps: can't wait to know more about Guinevere's paternal family. I have my theories! Book two is going to be so good! I hope they get their HEA!

Pss: I also can't wait to know more about her sister 🫠

THANK YOU Giana Darling and Valentine PR for this ARC 🫶🏼

LOVE! This was such a good read! I absolutely loved their “meet cute”. This was my second book by Giana & I love her writing style!! I loved the characters and their development. I honestly can’t wait for book 2 after that ending! It was so good!

This was age gap done so well without feeling forced! I also loved the mafia aspect to this romance!

Thank you so much for this ARC!