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!

Guinevere is off on her dream vacation to Italy to discover more about her Italian roots, but the one place her father has always told her never to go. Her trip starts off very rough and then she meets Rafa, he is everything she could have dreamed of. Little does she know who he truly is, he gives her little clues the more they spend time together but she is always showing him the light to his darkness.

Rafa is È il gentiluomo mafioso, The Gentleman Mafioso, in his city. The Don. No one messes with him, but Guinevere is none the wiser. Rafa hasn’t always been this man of darkness, he used to live a life full of light until his father died and he was called to fulfill his family duty; Guinevere brings parts of his old self back and yet he knows he can’t keep her.

Ugh I just loved Rafa. This man is hottt and the Italian that comes out of his mouth 😮‍💨
I loved watching Guinevere and Rafa come together, they are 🤌🏼💋

There are secrets to be revealed and and ending that left my jaw on the floor and my heart racing.

“What do you want?”
-“To be the man who deserves that look on your face.”
“What look?”
-“Like I could pull the stars from the sky for you if only you asked me to.”
“And would you?”
-“Troverei un modo.”

4 ⭐️
3 🌶️

I don’t know where to start! I freaking loved this book it was so perfect. Giana Darling is becoming one of my top Favorite authors. I have read 2 books by her now and they were both fantastic!! If you love darker romance, mafi, Italy setting you will love this book! Please check trigger warnings and also know this book does end on cliffy but it’s not a bad cliffy.


Tropes:
Age Gap
Mafia
Virgin Heroine
Touch her ☠️
Hidden Identity
Takes place in Italy
Bad Boy x Good Girl

Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

Guinevere has been saving her whole life for 6 week trip to Italy. Her family is from Italy and she has always dreamed of returning and exploring the countryside. Guinevere has a rough start when she first arrives in Italy. Her car breaks down, then she is robbed and then hit by a car she didn’t expect the gentleman to take her in take care of.

Raffa can’t believe he just hit an American woman with his car. Raffa does not like surprises and tries to always be two steps ahead of everything. Guinevere was not something Raffa saw coming and he knows he is not good for her. But there is something about this woman that draws him. He wants to be good for her, feels like he can be a good man. They have 6 weeks together and he plans to make the most out of those 6 weeks.

Guinevere and Raffa are both falling for each other but they both have secrets and are afraid to let the other in. Can they finally open up and be honest or will the secrets win?

*** I want to thank Giana Darling and Valentine PR for giving me the chance to read My Darling Fairy Tale as an ARC. In exchange for my honest review and thoughts.****

This was the sweetest mafia romance I’ve ever read! Raffa was so incredibly sweet with Guinevere and was so torn between his two worlds.

The innocence of Guinevere was so refreshing. She was truly living out her fairy tale romance.

I have so many thoughts and questions. I can’t wait to get book 2 after that cliffhanger! I need to know if my suspicions are correct!!

This was my first by Giana Darling and I’m hooked!

My Dark Fairy Tale is the ultimate fantasy of a young woman seeking adventure, only to find herself tangled in a dangerous and intoxicating love story. This book was utterly captivating—a perfect blend of mystery, romance, and the dark allure of the mafia world.

The story follows Guinevere, a sheltered young woman with a lifelong fascination with Italy, a place her father has always kept from her. After the sudden loss of her sister, she takes a leap of faith, escaping to Tuscany under the guise of traveling elsewhere. But what begins as a dreamy vacation quickly turns into a nightmare when she finds herself in danger, only to be rescued—literally by accident—by Raffa Romano, the feared yet enigmatic mafia boss of Northern Italy.

From the moment Raffa takes her into his world, the chemistry between them is undeniable. Guinevere's innocence and quiet strength awaken something in Raffa—a longing to be the man he was before his life was consumed by power and violence. Their romance unfolds like a dream, filled with extravagant gestures, whispered promises, and stolen moments against the breathtaking backdrop of Italy. Yet, the dark reality of Raffa’s world looms over them, culminating in a chilling moment of reckoning.

This book had me hooked from start to finish. The lush descriptions of Italy, the forbidden yet undeniable love, and the high-stakes drama made for an unforgettable reading experience. Guinevere’s journey of self-discovery was just as compelling as the romance, and Raffa was the perfect balance of danger and devotion. The ending left me desperate for more—I cannot wait for the second book!

If you love intense, swoon-worthy romance with a touch of darkness and intrigue, My Dark Fairy Tale is an absolute must-read!

mafia romance with a hidden identity. CHECK!

this was so good, i literally loved raffa and guinevere so much. they absolutely were a delight to read. they’re connection was immediate ya know… after he hit her with his car by accident BUT! all is well. and that ending? JAW DROPPED. i mean i was expecting but it all happened so fast my heart was all over the place.

“I realized it would be difficult when she smiled at me in that red dress. Knew it was dangerous exposure when I danced with her at the trattoria. Surrendered to it completely when she parted her slim thighs, trusting me to teach her to know a completely new part of herself without any hesitation, as if I deserved that faith. Wondered if I might kill and die for another taste of her as soon as we kissed.”

thank you so much giana darling and your team for reaching out to send me not only an e-arc but a physical copy as well 🥹🖤

I've been a big fan of Gianna Darling for quite some time now and all of her books are AMAZING, including My Dark Fairy Tale. A well written and entertaining mafia romance. The romance and spicy between Guinevere and Raffa was top tier!! I love both MC"S and loved seeing their relationship progress throughout the book. This book was a 10/10 for me

A new book by Giana Darling? Yes, please! My Dark Fairy Tale is the first book in a new duet, My Dark Mafia Romance, and I devoured it. Guinevere and Raffaele had me captivated right from the start. They meet under very interesting and uncomfortable circumstances. For Guinevere, travelling to Italy has been a lifelong dream, even if her father wanted anything but that for her. Raffaele is mysterious, charming and commanding. He is the Capo and feared, but all she sees is what calls to her. What will happen when she discovers the truth?

On her first day in Italy, Guinevere’s trip takes quite the downturn but is “saved” by the charming and sexy Italian man who is gorgeous. Suddenly she is making him feel things he has not felt in a long time. She calls his soul. For her, she sees only the man she is falling for. They spend time together in many different ways and falling. It was so much fun to go on this journey with them, even as I felt something major was coming. I loved this book so much and then we get to that ending. Wow. I cannot wait until the second book and already downloaded the audiobook for this one! I need to see where we go from here. I highly recommend this book.

Happy reading!

Me 🫱🏼‍🫲🏾 Giana Darling
I will devour anything and everything she writes because I just know it will be a banger of a read.

I loved Raffa and Guinevere with my whole heart. These two were full of chemistry and they did not disappoint. Raffa was such an alpha male but it was very clear that Guinevere is his soft spot because he would do *anything* to keep her safe.

I loved the story of Guinevere travelling to Italy to learn more about her family history...and I hope she gets some answers in the next book!

Their meet-cute started off the book super strong and had me hooked right from the beginning! And now we have to wait until OCTOBER to finish their story! Eek!!

This book?!?!🤯
Holy hell, I think I might need me an Italian Mafia man!🥵

I have no words, but this book is good!
The journey they’re both on is incredible and I loved to follow them. The way Guinevere found herself and became a strong independent woman is remarkable!
And the way Rafa was reminded of who he really is?
These two not only found each other, but in doing that they also found themselves.

I loved everything about this book!