This is the first part in a new duology, and this is Guinevere and Raffaele’s story.
Guinevere has led a sheltered life with her future planned out for her by her family, and when she spends a forbidden summer in Italy, she is in a dangerous situation, when a mysterious saviour comes to her rescue.
This is an easy to read, slow burn story, with family, dynamics, emotions, danger, suspense, intrigue, tension, an age gap, humor, witty banter, and undeniable chemistry, which leads to an entertaining, twisted, and unpredictable, dark mafia romance.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

I have never swooned so hard IN MY LIFE!

Guinevere has spent her whole life obsessed with her dream to visit Italy. Despite her Italian-born father making her promise she'd never go there. She can't help it, and goes anyway without her parents knowledge. It's just a beautiful as she imagined, but her fairy tale vacation is quickly turned into a nightmare after a series of dangerous events leads her to being saved and nursed to health by a gorgeous Italian stranger.

Raffaele is the capo dei capi of the Camorra, a infamous and dangerous mafioso. It's not the life he wished for himself but he's carried the weight of his station regardless. His hands are covered in blood and his lifestyle is dangerous, he's become numb to life in order to survive. Until a alluring American women runs out in front of his car and turns his life upside down. She sees him as a white knight, but he knows the truth, he's no ones hero. He's the villain.

If you only take away ONE THING from my review, take that this book is the most romantic and beautiful love story I've read in a LONG time. The Italian setting, the slow-burn, the complex feelings, the communication the hidden desires, the secrets, the threats, everything was handled in such a amazing way. I couldn't stop reading once I started.

Raffe has JUMPED to one of my top book boyfriends of all time. He is perfect and I will hear no criticisms about him lol. This man is the swooniest, sexiest, most seduction MMC like EVER. The things that came out of his mouth were so freaking beautiful sometimes I almost couldn't take it.
I will say that I was on cloud nine for 99% of this book but the cliffhanger ending HURT ME and I am still recovering haha.

My dark fairytale is book 1 in My Dark mafia romance series and it’s the perfect dark fairytale indeed!

This age gap romance is on a league of its own with beautiful Florence, Italy as the character holding all the secrets to this smoldering sensual story!

Could a stranger feel so immediately like a friend?

This question is put to the test when our hero Raffaele Romano literally bumps into our heroine Guinevere during a near tragic situation. This scene set the tone for the insta attraction, slow burn sexual tension that develops between these 2 characters.
Besides the combustible chemistry and smoldering sexual tension the humor and banter between them made their story truly unique.

Individually, Guinevere was hard for me to like. She was funny and smart but she made some decisions that made me roll my eyes to the back of my head. You see, she’s traveling alone to Italy to immerse herself in her family culture and hopefully discover her family roots and maybe even find out what drove her father away from Italy forbidding her to ever go there. So of course, she’s made this 6 week trip to Italy complete with a rented Fiat without her parents’ knowledge. Upon her arrival she takes a detour that sets in motion a series of unfortunate events that unconventionally introduces her to Raffa. However, it was that quirkiness which added to their story as she falls for this mysterious man who seems too good to be true.
Raffa was her savior and knight in shining armor and his goodness and generosity made this old lady sream at the kindle nooo….RED FLAG!

However, the heart wants what the heart wants and her love of Italy and blind trust of Rafa lent itself to an intriguing and sensuous story that was impossible to put down.

I instantly fell in love with Rafa and Guinevere as their story evolved and developed flawlessly and the imagery of Italy was so exquisitely described I felt I was right there with Rafa and Guinevere as they frolicked through the vineyards of Florence!

Won’t say more except read it, if for nothing else you’ll want to runaway to Florence Italy!
The jaw dropping cliffhanger at the end was a a perfect “bocconcino” to get me ready for book 2!
4.5 stars!

Giana does it once again and as a self proclaimed mafia reading pro, Giana does some of the bestttt.

Guinevere in on a bit of a self discovery vacation- after losing her sister and being sheltered her whole life due to a few reasons, she goes to Italy - even after her father forbade her from ever going there.

Raffa - a notorious mafioso in northern Italy - is stopped in his tracks when he meets Guinevere. And she 👀 stops his car…. with her body 👀 LOL. But in all seriousness, she reminds him of who he was before he was forced into the life and this dynamic between them made this book feel so much more intricate than an average mafia romance.

A big ol Italian made man is my weakness (I love him your honour) - but sprinkle in ‘only soft for her’ and ‘care taking’ and Giana has created my very own brand of kryptonite lmao she also has me thinking about rethinking my distaste for red wine 🍷 👀

I ate up every single second of this book and THAT ENDINGGGG. MY CANADIAN QUEEN GIANA WHY - I am demurely and (not so) patiently waiting for book two.

This is why Giana is and always will be an auto buy/read author for me.

5 ⭐️
📕: My Dark Fairy Tale by Giana Darling
Why you’ll love this book!!
He’s a Billionaire Italian Mafioso
She’s in Finance
Age Gap
Alpha Protective Hero
Touch Her & D*e
Tuscany Setting
Hidden Identity


I love Giana Darling writing she has never disappointed me ever in her writing !! This book had me laughing and loving Raffa and Guinevere !! Raffa was amazing he knew how to be romantic , a hero and a mafia leader !! I loved how Guinevere could take him to his knees she was the only one that could get him there too!!
Yes there’s red flags but who cares when it’s book boyfriend 😉!!

"Have you heard of the saying 'sfortunato al gioco, fortunato in amore'?" She shook her head. "It means 'unlucky at cards, lucky in love. You cannot have good fortune in all things, and so you have to choose, or maybe fate chooses for you. Either way, perhaps you have spent your life until now saving up all your good fortune for a truly worthy love story." Ok but that freaking ending - I NEED MORE GIANA 😆 I knew I would feel this way but DANG IT.

Let’s talk the main characters: Raffa and Guinevere. Guinevere is the American tourist and Raffa the mafioso. The meet cute is quite an adventure and then things get realllllly interesting 🍿😜🔥 LOVE the morally black side of Raffa with of course the mushy side just for her. Also LOVE watching the FMC come into her own. Raffa is 11 years older because Giana is the age gap queen!

I refuse to give any other plot details because we don’t do spoilers here butttttt if you love mafia romance and spicy/angst….this read is for you! Alllll the stars for this one and I again, cannot wait for the second book!

“𝙎𝙚𝙜𝙪𝙞 𝙡𝙖 𝙩𝙪𝙖 𝙨𝙩𝙚𝙡𝙡𝙖.”

Giana Darling never disappoints, and I will stand by this until the day I die.

"My Dark Fairy Tale" was a rollercoaster of emotions and a free vacation to Florence at the same time. The scenarios in this book were immaculate, and I found myself wondering if I could spend a summer in Italy like my girl Guinevere.

I adore this book to pieces from the Italy vibes to the possessive male main character to the genuine and authentic Guinevere. Everything was so well done. So perfectly well written.

There's always something about mafia romance that makes me giggle every time, and it's undoubtedly how the mmc Hates (and hurts!) everyone but her and Raffa, let me tell you... NAILED IT in this trope.

Guinevere was one of those female main characters that I loved to meet and thst I was rooting since the beginning.

The plot was so immersive and addictive that I couldn't put this one down for even a second. I loved the chemistry between them, the moments and especially the side characters!

Giana let me on the edge of my seat... again. And now I don't know what to do with my life while I am waiting for book two because excuse me, how can I move on?

Please pick this one. It's such an addictive and bingeable book.

Guinevere is an American girl that goes to Italy looking to connect with her familial roots. She quite literally stumbles into Raffa Romanos life. Raffa is an Italian mafioso that decides to take her on an Italian adventure.

Her journey and self growth was amazing. The enthusiasm she had for the history of Italy was so fun and exciting. The way Raffa expressed his feelings especially in Italian was just perfection. I really enjoyed all the Italian throughout the book. The wine tasting was magnificent, chefs kiss! And the Dante mention, this book had everything and more!

Also the side characters are amazing, Giana writes such amazing friendships. Martina was probably my favorite side character.

The ending?! Ugh my heart

I am so excited that Giana Darling has decided to take on the mafia genre. The enchanting setting, the vivid descriptions, and the beautiful Italian language has absolutely pulled me in. This book is testament to how this author has grown with her writing over the years and I am definitely sticking around for more.

My Dark Fairy Tale by Giana Darling is an Italian dream. It's seduction. It's heartwarming. It goes from exhilarating to adventurous to swoony to finally heartbreaking. Guinevere came to Italy to fulfill her life long desire to know about the culture and enjoy the beauty but she didn't know the dangers. She definitely didn't know that she will be rescued by an enigmatic, possessive, ultra protective, dominating alpha hero. Raffa Romano, the capo of the Italian mafia, is feared by all and he finds it refreshing and brightening to find a woman so naive, so innocent and yet so powerful. It was unexpected and life changing. But we don't finish it with a sweet HEA. The Raffa Guinevere knows is a white knight Can she still love the Raffa who is ruthless and cold and dangerous?
🥀 mafia romance
🥀 vacation romance
🥀 good girl× antihero
🥀 grumpy sunshine


I loved Guinevere! She can be a little naive and a bit too innocent but she has this underlying courageous sassy side that makes her an incredible heroine. She is a sweetheart. Her enthusiasm for new things. Her love and trust.This attracted Raffa too. He never wanted to be a mafia king. He abandoned his family duty but he had to take over after his father's death. He has two contradictory sides. Guinevere saw his caring swoony side mostly. Saving a stranger and playing the role of white knight isn't something he does often. Read never. He has a lot of responsibilities. The enemies are always trying to overthrow him . He has to be ruthless and Merciless. But his darkness finds reprieve with Guinevere. She disarms him completely. It was such a dreamy romance and that surprised me. Raffa definitely has his antihero moments but for Guinevere he is completely enamored. He opened up Guinevere's sensual side and oh the chemistry is scorching hot. The story ends in a sad note with Raffa's mafia identity getting revealed and Guinevere being heartbroken.


I reviewed an early copy voluntarily

A strong start, packed with so much, I couldn't put the book down, the plot's strong, packed with many emotions, Giana Darling did a wonderful job on it. Guinevere and Raffaele are strong, fierce, their path had many ups and downs along the way, it's dark and steamy. Connections were intense, they're drawn together, good for each other. I enjoyed this story, it's great, I'm looking forward to reading more.
I'd recommend reading this, it's a great story.
Thank you, Giana Darling, Wonderful work :)
5 Stars!

"𝙱𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚎, 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚛𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚜 𝚞𝚙 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎."

Thank you Valentine PR and Giana for an early copy of this book. I recently started reading Gianas book and fell in love with her writing so immediately had to request an arc copy!

1. Raffa is top tier book boyfriend, I'm in love.
2. This book was so tender and poetic it was literally like a fairytale their romance.
3. I love playing detective and I'm out here with my list of suspects, I can't wait for the next book!

Honestly, it's been a while since I've read a mafia romance that I truly enjoyed and this one has delivered. AND ITS NOT EVEN OVER. I feel this longing to be back between these pages, I miss these characters already! I loved the build up, the small moments between them. The way they speak to each other and about each other. The type of man Raffa is and is trying to hold on to. I don't think I've read of a mafia man quite like him. I loved Guinevere, and what she was trying to do for herself. For exploring life and wanting to get to know herself better and stand up for herself as well. I'm very excited to see what comes next and see both Raffa and Guinevere evolve further.

I definitely recommend it if you couldn't tell.

"𝙷𝚘𝚠 𝚌𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚋𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚒𝚖𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍 𝚌𝚛𝚊𝚜𝚑 𝚝𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚖𝚎, 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝙸 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑𝚝 𝙸 𝚔𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎? 𝙰𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚎𝚕𝚏?”

Giana knew what she was doing with this one honestly. Giana + Mafia Romance = perfection!

Guinevere set out to Italy to find herself and expand her horizons. She lived in the shadow of her sister who passed away unexpectedly and she had always been the 'safe child' because of health issues. But she can't take the 'safe' life anymore and wants to prove that she can do something for herself. But what she doesn't expect is, to quite literally, run into Raffa. He's a handsome, muscular, attractive Italian man who drives fancy cars, takes care of her, and hides a secret that could destroy her life.

I think that one of my favorite things about this book is that Giana's writing makes me feel like I'm right there in Italy. It's descriptive and beautiful. I felt like I was traveling the countryside of Italy, and stopping at winery's and staying in a beautiful palazzo with Guinevere and Raffa. I was so entranced in the story and seeing how Guinevere worked to find herself. She grows in so many ways and I love the fire she has. Raffa is honestly such a good morally grey man. He's so protective over those he loves even though he tries to hide his 'softer' side.

“You helped me.” "Exception, not rule. As you seem to be for all my rules.”

They build each other up and work to better themselves in both an individualistic sense, and as a couple. I can't wait to see what book 2 has in store because this story gripped me from the jump.

Tropes:
- Based in Italy
- Italian Mafioso x American tourist
- Age Gap ( 34 MMC x 22 FMC)
- Forced Proximity
- Hidden Identity
- Morally Grey MMC

Guinevere (Age 23) is on a quest to finding more about her Italian family. Her parents have made her promise to never step foot on Italy soil and ask no questions about it.

But Guinevere can’t stop dreaming of Italy and finding more about her family from here and decides to lie and take a Summer trip to Italy…

“Guinevere was just a foreigner trying to have an adventure on her own in a new place, and unwittingly, she'd run into the arms of the worst monster in Tuscany."

Raffa (Age 34). He hit her with his car. In his defense, she ran right in front of him.
He never been someone’s hero, with being the head of the mafia but he could pretend. For her. A little doe who looks at him like a savior.

"I never expected to run into my dream American girl.
Now that I have, I am not sure I will be able to let you go."

This is a spicy whirlwind Summer romance. He takes her around to sightsee and also, gives her spicy lessons.
She falls for his family.
He falls harder for her.

But Raffa is keeping it a secret on who he is. Guinevere is a bit naive but has no idea just how dangerous the man she’s sleeping with is…

He’s a complicated man.
He’s a dangerous man.
What is Guinevere willing to accept when she finds out the truth?
Leaves off on a cliffie and I cannot wait for book two!

“My little fawn. My woman. My shooting star.”

I love me a good mafia romance!

I didn’t LOVE it like I thought I would but I did really enjoy it and had a great time reading. I think it was probably the fact that the romance was very quick and that’s not always my fave. This is not to say that I didn’t really enjoy this couple, because I absolutely did—they had me giggling and kicking my feet on multiple occasions! And the spice!!🤭

Giana’s writing really transported me to Italy—the descriptions were just beautiful, I felt like I was there!

While this was a Mafia romance it wasn’t super heavy on the ‘mafia’ aspect, so it’s the perfect read for dipping your toes into this world.

The cliffhanger!?! … Giana why do you keep doing this to me?😫

Rating: 4.5⭐️
Spice:2🌶️
Would Recommend!

My Review:
Gianna’s writing has always been a favorite of mine, and this book is exactly why. The emotions, the depth, the love—it all just pours out of the pages, pulling me right in.
Guinevere & Raffe? 🔥 One of my absolute favorite couples in her universe now! 🔥 Their dynamic was everything! It honestly felt like I was reading two different genres in one book—a billionaire romance when it was Guinevere’s POV and a full-on mafia romance when it was Raffe’s. And I loved every second of it!
And that ending?! 💔 It shattered me in the best way, but the way it was written, especially with the callback, was just perfection. I just wish we didn’t have to wait too long for the second book because I need more of these two ASAP! 💕

Tropes:
Secret Identity
Mafia romance
V-h

A DELICIOUSLY IRRESISTIBLE READ!

Wow! All I can say is that this author created such a decadent and compelling read. Raffaele and Guinevere are explosive and are absolute stars. Guinevere wants to go to Italy, and she does, while there she meets Raffaele. He draws her into his world, and what a story these two have. Beautiful writing, complex, and intriguing story with captivating characters.

Giana never misses, her writing style is so beautiful and poetic. An age gap, billionaire mafia romance with touch her and die vibes and set in Tuscany is exactly what I needed and I loved everything about Raffa & Guinevere’s story!!

My Dark Fairy Tale is book one in the My Dark Mafia Romance series. It follows Guinevere Stone and Raffaele ‘Raffa’ Romano.

Giana does it again! This book completely stole my heart and made me feel deeply for both characters. It was honestly such a breath of fresh air.

Guinevere went to Italy to find more about herself, and boy did she do just that. Growing up, her family gave her the nickname jinx, meaning if something can go wrong, it will go wrong for her. Which is appropriate for the way she met Raffa on her first day. If only she knew running into Raffa would change the trajectory of her Italian getaway. She is feisty, stubborn, and kind. She sees the good in everyone even when they think they have nothing but darkness surrounding them. I honestly loved seeing her growth and self growth throughout the story.

Raffaele has to be one of my favorite MMC ever! He is a mafia capo who is a morally grey grump. He did not expect to literally run into an American girl on the side of the road with nothing on her person one day. He did not have time for distractions, and yet he saved her because he wanted to feel like a good man for once. He is literally both a very dark man and a man who will literally make you swoon.

Their connection from the start was incredibly deep. Their banter and flirting was easy, effortless, and oh so sexy. They both changed each other for the better. He helped her become bolder and more sure of herself. She helped him love himself fully. They will truly melt your heart!

There is a cliffhanger in this book, which should be illegal! How am I supposed to wait until October for book two!! I have so many questions, and I can’t wait to see if any of them are true!

You will enjoy this book if you like the following:
- Mafia
- Italian setting
- Bad boy x good girl
- Chronic illness rep
- Billionaire anti-hero
- Hidden identity
- Age gap (11 years)

Thank you so much, Giana Darling and Montlake, for the gifted copy!

✨𝓐𝓡𝓒 𝓡𝓮𝓿𝓲𝓮𝔀✨
📖 My Dark Fairytale by Giana Darling
⭐Star Rating: 5/5
🌶️: 4/5

This book gave me exactly what I needed—a chance to leave behind the excruciating stress of real life and escape into a world of action, romance, drama, and that little glimmer of hope we all secretly crave. A world that promises a fairytale ending—but only after dragging you through hell first.

Let’s talk about Guinevere—what a character! I adored her. She was kind, compassionate, and yet knew how to bring out her sass when the situation called for it. And Raffa? Raffa was everything. Caring, attentive, impossibly swoon-worthy... He treated Guinevere with a level of love and protectiveness that made my heart ache in the best way.

Men written by Gianna are truly in a league of their own. Once they take up space in your head, good luck getting them out. Raffa has officially claimed real estate in mine. Every single thought he had, every word he spoke—pure obsession material. The way he described Guinevere? Literal poetry. He’s dangerous, dominant, and devastatingly romantic. A deadly combination, and I was all in.

The plot was gripping, the pacing flawless, and the Italian countryside setting? Absolutely breathtaking. Gianna masterfully blended a mind-reeling storyline with just the right amount of angst and spice. The chemistry between the characters was electrifying, their banter top-tier, and the twists? Completely unexpected and so addictive. I felt every high and every low.
I was jealous of Genevieve the entire time. I want an Italian Mafioso who’s utterly obsessed with me, ready to raise hell just to see me smile. Is that too much to ask?

And then... THAT CLIFFHANGER.
Gianna, WHY?? How could you do that to me?? I swear I felt my soul leave my body. The emotional rollercoaster this book took me on was unreal—and that ENDING?? No. I’m not okay. I need the next book like yesterday. Someone hold me. That ending destroyed me. Like, I genuinely felt my heart being ripped out of my chest.
That ending wrecked me in a way I can’t even put into words. It was emotional whiplash. I'm begging for the next book—I need answers, I need closure, I need more Raffa and Guinevere.

Despite the emotional carnage, I can’t stop loving this story and its characters. Every action they took, every emotion they experienced felt real and justified. I’m completely and unapologetically hooked. And now I need everyone else to read this masterpiece too—just so they can suffer through this beautiful agony with me.

Eagerly counting down the days until the next part. I need to see their happily ever after.