Omg, I need a Raffa in my life. This a dangerous man that has a soft spot for the petite tourist that has attracted his attention for the first time ever. He is in a dangerous world and he knows they have an expiration date. He still wants her, and treats her like a princess, while still allowing her to be herself. She went on this trip to Italy without her family knowing, her dad begged her to stay away from this dangerous place, but she feels a pull to this side of the country. When masks fall and truths are discovered, things take a turn. This will leave you in a cliffhanger and I’m counting the days for the next book! The audiobook was phenomenal, always love the accents and the perfectly spoken Italian, swoon worthy!

Thank you valenine pr for knowing how much I love a good mafia book and Giana darling and letting me listen to this in advance!

4⭐️
3🌶️

I must say, this book provides an experience that is as close to a Tuscany vacation as one can get. Compared to other Mafia Romances, this one felt different to me. The author skillfully intertwines romance, Italian history/literature, and suspense, crafting a captivating story about finding love in a country that profoundly connects with the main characters.

Guinevere, who had been sheltered and sick her entire life, always dreamed of vacationing in Italy. However, her father had warned her never to set foot in the country where he was born and raised. Eager to learn more about her father's roots, she decided to take a chance when the opportunity finally arose, doing so without her parents' knowledge.

Guinevere fell in love with Italy almost instantly, captivated by its culture and history, while simultaneously falling hard for a cold-hearted mafioso. I loved her character—she was quirky, incredibly smart, and consistently kept Raffa on his toes throughout the story. She picked her battles with him and I freaking loveeeed it 😂

The way Raffa cared for her was incredibly sweet and loving; he took everything into consideration, including her health condition and her constant need to explore Italy. I LOVED THEM DOWN.

This book gave me Old School/Classic Mafia vibes. Down to the palazzo, laundering overseas, Guinevere learning Italian, etc.

The audio was amazing as it brought the story to life.

“I love you, Raffa. In any language, across any distance.”

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌎🌍🌏🌎🌍
🌶🌶.5

What To Expect:
• Mafia Romance
• Billionaire Italian Mafioso
• Age Gap (11 years)
• Hidden Identity
• Touch her & 💀
• 🍷 play

⚠️: violence, attempted SA, mentions of death of a family member, and mentions of chronic illness.

Thank you to the author and VPR for an ALC 🎧 of this title. All opinions are my own.

Going against her parents wishes, Guinevere is a young American woman that is on a solo trip in Italy for six weeks exploring the country she's always dreamed of visiting. But struck with bad luck, her car breaks down, the man who stops to help her actually tries to assault her and then running from her assailant, she gets hit by a car. But her luck looks up when the man who hit her, cares for her and helps her heal from her accident and subsequent illness.
Guinevere's caretaker is Raffa, a mafioso who was being targeted by his enemies and when he has his accident with Guinevere, he is instantly taken by her, allowing her to thaw at his cold heart with her warmth and innocence. As he cares for her, he is increasing intrigued by her. Making efforts to keep his distance as much as he can but still being drawn to her like moth to a flame. As she comes to and heals, she is also intrigued by her savior as he goes out of his way to care for her when he doesn't have to. She doesn't know what he does for work, and he doesn't blatantly come out and say, but she knows he is wealthy and as much as she is trying to stand on her own two feet and reimburse him for being inconvenienced by her, he isn't having any of it.
He sees the light that she brings to his dark world, and does everything he can to keep her, care for her and give her everything she could want or need while trying to respect her boundaries. But when her bad luck catches up with her he will protect her at whatever the cost. She sees the good in this man but also recognizes his darkness and that only makes her want him more. They fall pretty quickly for each other and it makes it more difficult for her to decide if she should stay or go back to the states, but that cliffhanger makes the decision for her.
I will always say this when I read a Giana book, her writing is unlike any others' writing I've ever read and its some of my absolute favorite. The way Giana writes is almost poetic, she paints a picture unlike anyone else and the language she uses is beautiful and striking. It builds the story and expresses the characters in the most musical language that flows effortlessly. I never turn down her books just based on her writing style alone.
CJ Bloom and Dan Anderson were wonderful on this title. Bringing the beauty of Giana's writing to life. CJ always delivers a powerful performance that embodied the bittersweet love that Guinevere experienced and Dane has a fantastic Italian accent bringing Raffa to life so well.

4 ⭐️
3 🔥
Mafia Romance
Italian Setting
Bad Boy & Good Girl
Age Gap
Mafia Boss
Billionaire Anti-Hero
Morally Grey MMC
Chronic Illness Rep
Spicy Lessons
A Little Bit of Mystery
Hidden Identity
Cliffhanger
Great on Audio! 🎧
Guinevere is set to explore Italy, against her parent’s wishes. Her family immigrated from Italy to the United States, but do not like to talk about why they left. Guinevere feels a pull to this country & sets off on her own, while her parents think she’s in France. Unfortunately, she runs into trouble as soon as she gets there and is saved by what she thinks is a white knight. Her trip is kidnapped from there. She does get to experience the tourist side of Italy, but also the local’s favorite spots & unbeknown to her, the darker side of the country. Raffa is the Mafia boss, almost 10 years her senior but is instantly attracted to her, after hitting her with his car. He takes care of her after & they have this unforgettable, passionate, vacation romance. But when the time comes for her to go home, Raffa must make a choice, ask to her stay and bring her over to the dark side or let her go. This book does not contain an HEA, and their story will continue in a second book. The audio book was so well done & truly transported me to Italy!

Thank you Giana Darling for the ALC!

My Dark Fairy Tale- Giana Darling
Narrated by Dane Anderson and CJ Bloom

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
Spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Narration 🎧🎧🎧🎧🎧

This is the second time in just as many months that Giana has bamboozled me with a cliffhanger! This book was so beautifully written, almost poetic, and definitely very romantic. It made me want to go on my own adventure to Italy and shack up with a hot Italian in his massive castle. I did think it was pretty funny how naïve Guinevere was about what Raffa did for a living but maybe it’s just obvious to me from the outside looking in. As a pretty sheltered midwestern girl myself, I probably would be just as naïve if a handsome Italian man scooped me up like a damsel in distress in my own fairy tale.

This dual narration with CJ Bloom and Dane Anderson was absolutely amazing. Dane’s Italian accent for Raffaele was simply, chefs kiss! 🤌🏻🤌🏻 and I loved hearing CJ go back and forth between the American and Italian accents as Guinevere was learning Italian.

brb booking a trip back to florence after reading this one!! the vibes were everything! like guinevere, i felt like i was traveling around florence exploring a new favorite city! the dreamy italian setting was everything to me!!

here’s what i love:
💫 i was immediately hooked, the first chapter had my heart RACING!!
🍷 guinevere is such a free spirit but was kept sheltered as a kid so i loved getting to see her explore and feel more independent
💫 RAFFA!!! immediately yes & the “meet cute” was too good
🍷 the age gap vibes are everything
💫 the protectiveness raffa feels over guinevere was perfection
🍷 i loved seeing guinevere inadvertently help raffa with business by being able to see discrepancies in numbers, she’s so smart
💫 this book made me want to go back to tuscany so badly!! the setting was everything
🍷 who doesn’t love a mafia romance?!
💫 major slow burn vibes but i loved the tension build up and getting to see their connection grow
🍷 guinevere was so innocent to everything that was going on but i loved how it blended so perfectly with the plot of the story
💫 “la mia stella cadente” 🥹🥹
🍷 the end of this book had me gasping!! i was on the edge of my seat and i can’t wait to see what happens in book 2!!
💫 i listened to the audio for this one and both narrators did a phenomenal job especially the mmc narrator with all the italian phrases and the accent!! SO HOT!!!

Tropes:
-dark romance
-MMC is an Italian mafioso
-billionaire romance
-forced proximity
-Tuscany setting
-hidden identity
-age gap
–slow burn
-touch her and die
-dual POV

I am officially a feral fiend for Giana. This was my third book to read by her, and they have all been incredible. I need to dive into her back catalog ASAP. My Dark Fairy Tale is a mafia romance done right. It didn’t have all the trope-y things that fall into mafia romances. It was just perfect. The hidden identity part of the plot is done exceptionally well, too. Everything felt believable.

I want a real-life Raffa. A sexy, billionaire, Italian, mafia man? Please and thank you. His dirty talking in Italian was SEXY as hell. He was patient with and protective of Guinevere, too. I loved that about him. He didn’t push her into anything she wasn’t comfortable with. But he didn’t hesitate to handle anyone who even thought about bringing her harm. When he brushes her hair, oh my.

Guinevere was an interesting character. She has struggled with a chronic illness that affects her kidneys and liver. Her parents have been protective because of this, and even more so since losing her sister. Her dad has forbidden her to go to Italy, so naturally, it calls to her. She saves her money and lies to her parents about where she’s going.

This book ended on a crazy cliffhanger. I can’t wait to get my hands on the next one. I listened to the audiobook, narrated by CJ Bloom and Dane Anderson. They did a fantastic job. This book is available to read and listen to for free from KU. I hope you will read it and love it as much as I do. Let me know what you think!

Quotes:
-Raffa: You say you are unlucky, but from where I stand, you should count your lucky stars.
-Guinevere: And how is that?
-Raffa: “Because,” the beautiful man before me practically purred. “Tonight, I feel like playing the hero instead of the villain.”

-Guinevere: I’m sure you could have any girl in Tuscany with one snap of your fingers.
Slowly, he raised his hand between us and snapped his fingers.
-Raffa: Oh look. It is the only girl I want in Tuscany.

-Guinevere: What do you want?
-Raffa: To be the man who deserves that look on your face.
-Guinevere: What look?
-Raffa: Like I could pull the stars from the sky for you if only you asked me to.
-Guinevere: And would you?
His sigh sounded almost resigned as it feathered over my mouth.
-Raffa: Troverei un modo. I would find a way.

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!

🎧 CJ Bloom sounded amazing as Guinevere! Her enunciation is so clear and her voice so smooth and rich. There is so much depth to her pitch and tone that makes listening to her so, so enjoyable!
Dane Anderson blew me away as Raffe! So often Italian accents can edge toward Dracula sounding, but NOT the case with him! His accent, to my American ears, sounded perfect! It was HOT HOT HOT and I could listen to him read to me for hours! The emotion and warmth in his voice elevated the performance even more, capturing me completely.

3.5 rounded to 4

“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.”

Available now on Kindle Unlimited + audio
For all my audio fans, this one is included to listen for free if you have a Kindle Unlimited subscription. Dual narration performance by CJ Bloom and Dane Anderson. I thought both narrators were wonderful and Dane did an amazing job with his Italian accent.

𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐭➟
🖤 Mafia romance
🥀 Italian setting
🖤 Age gap (34/23)
🥀 Billionaire anti-hero
🖤 Hidden identity

Guinevere’s dream has always been to visit Italy. When she finally has the opportunity, things don’t go quite as she expected and she finds herself running into (literally) a handsome stranger, Raffale Romano.

I had a great time escaping to Italy with Vera and Raffa. After that ending, I’m nervous for what’s to come in book 2 but also so excited! Book 1 had a lot of
romance and mystery but I anticipate book 2 to really bring the mafia.

Thank you so much Giana for the audio copy!

My Rating: ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

In Short: Dark mafia romance at its absolute best. It's been a long time since a book left me sputtering at the end and demanding the next one immediately. (October, apparently. I guess I'll impatiently wait for it.)

General Thoughts: I LOVE dark mafia romance, and this one was fabulous. With hints of Cinderella/Red Riding Hood vibes, too. I loved the characters, the romance, the story, and the writing. I lived in Florence for a period of time, and this book made me homesick for my second home. She did such a great job of capturing the city, the vibe, and the feel of Tuscany. I am dying to read the next one. I've been going back and forth between 4.75 and a 5, but I'm going to bump this up because I loved so so much of this book. I'm still thinking about it. If you like antiheros, morally grey men, down bad men, feisty but sunshiney heroines, then go read this one. Just prepare for one brutal cliff at the end! I think a friend tried to warn me; I forgot and I wasn't prepared. I received a review listening copy for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. Thanks to the author and Valentine PR.

Spice Meter:❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥 Spicy. Spicy in all the best ways.

Romantic Tropes and Things of Note:
-dual POV
-romance
-series (story is not complete at end of this book)
-not so meet cute
-dark mafia
-anti-hero/morally grey man
-Italian Tuscany backdrop
-grump sunshine
-teach me
-inexperienced/sheltered/virgin FMC
-cute nicknames

You can read more of my reviews on Insta @mylastromancenovel.

My Dark Fairytale is an age gap, billionaire,
mafia romance that followed Raffa and Guinevere, and we are treated to this author's addictive storytelling as we get to witness their initial meet cute and then unfolding relationship.

This was a slow burn, but the chemistry and tension between these two was undeniable, and we are taken on quite an adventure through Italy with them.

This author knows how to write morally gray men, and Raffa was no exception. I loved everything about this magnetic character, most especially how Guinevere brought out a softer side of him.

The romance was balanced with the darker mafia elements, and I loved the found family aspect of the story.

It all ends in a brutal cliff-hanger, which broke my heart because of Guinevere's reaction. I can't wait for book 2 to see what happens next.
I would recommend this novel to lovers of Mafia romance.

🎧🎧🎧🎧
The audiobook was narrated by CJ Bloom & Dane Anderson. They did a wonderful job with the characters. I loved the accents and the way they were able to portray the emotions of the characters, bringing their struggles and desires to life. They made the listening experience an engaging one.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5

I was so excited when I realized Giana Darling was writing another mafia romance, and this one did not disappoint! I always love her writing, and I was immediately swept away by this romance.

Guinevere has traveled to Italy to explore her family's roots even though her parents never wanted her to go there. She has been dreaming of going to Italy since she struggled with an illness during her childhood. She is spending the summer in Italy, but her trip starts off badly when Rafa accidentally hit her with his car when she was running from a creepy guy. He takes her to his home till she gets better, and she ends up staying with him through the summer. Rafa is hiding the fact that he is the head of the mafia from Guinevere, but she does witness some of his darkness.

They had such a sweet and slow burn romance with no angst. I loved the pacing and the Italian summer vacation vibes. It was a perfect fairy tale, but with a sexy mafia don.

I really loved Guinevere's journey of self-discovery in this book. She grows into herself and is finally going after what she wants after having such overprotective sisters. Rafa was so supportive and encouraged her to follow her dreams.

Just be aware that this book ends in a cliffhanger, and I was not prepared. I need the next book ASAP!

🎧 Audiobook Review 🎧
This audiobook was narrated by Dane Anderson and CJ Bloom. They did such an amazing job with the Italian accents and Italian language throughout the book. I would highly recommend the audio. Gianna always has the best audiobooks.

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for providing the ALC.

I really enjoyed this mafia romance audiobook. The premise of the story where Guinevere meets Raffa was sweet. He was her knight in shining armor. She was on her first ever trip out of the country alone after college graduation, and due to some unfortunate circumstances needed some help. I love when romances have the couple being complete opposites.

I really enjoyed the narrators voices and the Italian accent that Raffa (main male character) had was incredibly sexy.

I had no idea this was not a standalone and it does end on a cliffhanger which I’m highly anticipating the rest of their story coming out in October.

🎧 𝗔𝘂𝗱𝗶𝗼𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗶𝗲𝘄 🎧

✽ 𝗡𝗮𝗿𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀: CJ Bloom & Dane Anderson


You’ll love this book if you like these tropes…♡

ꕤ 𝗧𝗿𝗼𝗽𝗲𝘀 ꕤ

❥ Mafia Romance
✿ Strangers-to-Lovers
❥ Slow Burn Romance
✿ A Billionaire Italian Mafioso
❥ She’s in Finance
✿ Age Gap
❥ Alpha Protective Hero
✿ Touch Her & Die Vibes
❥ Tuscany Settings
✿ Hidden Identity
❥ She Falls Hard
✿ He Falls Harder
❥ Vacation Romance
✿ Summertime Romance
❥ Good Girl x Anti Hero
✿ Grumpy Sunshine
❥ Forced Proximity
✿ Angsty Romances
❥ Romantic Suspense

It’s no secret that I am obsessed with all things Giana Darling and that I will read anything she writes so I am sure you can imagine how excited I was when I saw she had a new book coming out and when I saw it was a whole new series, I was even more excited! Don’t get me wrong, I love every word she has written and adores the amazing characters she has created, however, it’s always exciting when one of your all-time favourite authors comes out with a new series and let me start this review by saying that she did not disappoint. This book grabbed hold of my heart and had me in a chokehold from page one right til the very end. I immediately fell in love with the new characters and I am excited to see where she goes with this world!


Guinevere is trying to find out more information about her Italian family, so even though her parents have made her promise not to go and search for information, she lies and breaks her promise and travels over there for the summer, while there she meets Raffa, a drop dead gorgeous Italian man with a devilish smile. They meet in a not-so-meet-cute when Raffa accidentally hits her with his car, however in his defence she runs out in front of him and he can’t exactly avoid her and stops. Raffa isn’t the type of man to come to anyone’s rescue, let alone a woman’s. There’s something very sinister about him and I am sure that’s because that has something to do with the fact that he is the leader of the mafia, however, when he lays eyes on Guinevere, he decides he’s going to play pretend and mess with the innocent girl. He shows her around the city and it doesn’t take long for sparks to fly between the two of them and things start to get spicy. She falls in love with him and his family and he falls for her even harder that cold-hearted mafia boss’s heart begins to melt but Raffa is keeping a secret about who he is and Guinevere has no idea just how dangerous her new bed buddy is.

I’m not going to dive in too deep. I honestly believe you have to go into this new series blind to get the best experience. I will say that Raffa and Guinevere have such strong personalities so when they come together, it’s pure, raw, insanely hot, intense and downright addictive.


This book. This freaking book. I am obsessed. That cliffhanger got me something good and I can’t wait for book two and can’t wait to see where Giana goes with these two and with the side characters.

Highly recommend this! Bring on October!!!

FIVE STARS
✰✰✰✰✰

I’m actually kinda speechless. I had so many theories about how this would end. But this is definitely not how I thought the book would end. I can’t wait to find out more in the next book! But to be honest, the ending felt like this could be a standalone.

We are introduced to Guinevere who felt called to Italy against her parents’ (specifically her father) wishes. Things didn’t go quite as planned as she was romanticizing her trip to Italy. Very luckily (or maybe unluckily—you’ll have to determine that for yourself), she gets saved by Raffaele.

She’s living her best life day by day and getting to know the city and Raffa. But there are secrets roaming around the city. Secrets about the man Guinevere is with. Guinevere seems a little…oblivious to it all. In her eyes, Raffa is hanging the moon and the stars for her and she is falling DEEPLY for him…unfortunately, all good things must come to an end…will it stay finished? Or will Guinevere and Raffa find their way back and into each other’s hearts?

I was able to read this book via audiobook and CJ Bloom and Dane Anderson did such a phenomenal job on this one! The accent was awesome! 😍

𝘛𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘵𝘳𝘶𝘦 𝘍𝘢𝘪𝘳𝘺 𝘛𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘦𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘯 𝘢 𝘥𝘢𝘳𝘬 𝘥𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘴 𝘸𝘰𝘳𝘭𝘥 … where an innocent American woman, eager for adventure and needing to discover her Italian roots crosses path with the most dangerous man in Italy, the capo of the Camorra..

❤️𝘎𝘶𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘙𝘢𝘧𝘧𝘢𝘦𝘭𝘦🖤

Their story begins with “𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘰𝘯𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 𝘴𝘢𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘪𝘯 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘵𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘴” vibes and there is insta-lust between them … then their connection becomes stronger with Guinevere bringing the good side in Raffaele, his protectiveness and caring for the people who matter to him!

Guinevere is a smart woman who is trying to become independent, and live life fully, especially because her parents became overbearing after losing their other daughter… and that she has a chronic illness. Raffa tried to tame his possessiveness because he was in awe of her capabilities as she helped him uncover some major complication in his “work”.

The Italian setting added to the charm of this story: I was discovering Italy through Guinevere’s eyes 🙌🏻

This first book was mostly focused on Raffa and Guinevere’s explosive chemistry, how they fell for each other and how Guinevere is embraced by Raffa’s people…
I needed more twists and action in the story but I know that this will happen in book 2 so I’ll be patiently waiting for it to come out this summer ☺️

📖 𝗠𝘆 𝗗𝗮𝗿𝗸 𝗙𝗮𝗶𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗮𝗹𝗲 ~ 𝘎𝘪𝘢𝘯𝘢 𝘋𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨

*•.༄𝕄𝕒𝕗𝕚𝕒 ℝ𝕠𝕞𝕒𝕟𝕔𝕖

🥀𝖡𝖺𝖽 𝖡𝗈𝗒 𝗑 𝖦𝗈𝗈𝖽 𝖦𝗂𝗋𝗅
▪️𝖠𝗀𝖾 𝖦𝖺𝗉
🥀𝖢𝗁𝗋𝗈𝗇𝗂𝖼 𝖨𝗅𝗅𝗇𝖾𝗌𝗌 𝗋𝖾𝗉
▪️𝖡𝗂𝗅𝗅𝗂𝗈𝗇𝖺𝗂𝗋𝖾 𝖧𝖾𝗋𝗈
🥀𝖧𝗂𝖽𝖽𝖾𝗇 𝖨𝖽𝖾𝗇𝗍𝗂𝗍𝗒
▪️𝖲𝖾𝗍 𝗂𝗇 𝖨𝗍𝖺𝗅𝗒 🇮🇹

My Dark Fairy Tale belongs on your summer reading list because this book (while the story itself is not complete) felt like a lovely summer vacation with a dark twist. I love Giana’s writing so much. She has a way with words that truly captivates you and I often find myself beyond lost in her worlds. I love her Fallen Men series and am on a mission to catch up with her entire back list as quickly as possible.

I listened to this book on audio and if you are an audiobook lover like me, this one is AMAZING on audio. Dane Anderson’s Italian accent brought Raffaele to life in a way that felt like a warm hug while Stella Bloom brought honesty and sincerity our unlucky heroine, Guinevere.

A huge thank you to Giana and her team at Valentine PR for the early listening copy. I enjoyed every moment and I cannot wait until October for the end of their story.

My Dark Fairy Tale Summary:

Guinevere has always dreamed of visiting Italy. Her father grew up there and despite his pleas for her to never visit, Guinevere feels called to the country. So she’s spent a good portion of her life saving money for a once in a lifetime trip. But her unlucky tendency follows her abroad and she finds herself on the side of the road, in need of help. When a handsome stranger comes to her aide, Guinevere is eager to accept his help. But little does she know, Raffa isn’t the kind Italian she thinks he is. He is a revered mafioso and falling in love with him may just cost her everything.

My Dark Fairy Tale Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️, 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Favorite Quotes from My Dark Fairy Tale:

“I like the sound of being yours.”

“I will protect you from anything that comes for you in anyway that it comes.”

“I would die for her tomorrow if it meant keeping her safe for the rest of time.”

Guinevere is traveling to Italy for the trip of a lifetime. She is grieving the loss of her sister and breaking all of her family’s rules. Her father is from Italy but he will never talk about his past and has always forbidden her to travel there. Guinevere has spent much of her life ill and unable to do what she wants. She refuses to let fear or her father keep her from her dreams any longer. On her first day in Italy she is the victim of a crime that leaves her alone, injured and relying on the kindness of a dark stranger.
Raffa is the gentleman mafioso with a business only attitude and no time for distractions, until one night while driving home he runs into a girl on the side of the road. She is clearly scared and far from home. Raffa is not the man who would rescue a strange girl from the side of the road but something about this girl draws him in and makes him want to see how it is to be the hero for once.
The story of Raffa and Guinevere is super spicy and very sweet. Raffa is so taken with her and is savoring the chance to form a realationship with someone who doesn’t know who he is. Guinevere is living in a dream and is fearful of how she will carry on once her six weeks in Italy is over. Will the secrets that Raffa is keeping ultimately be the downfall of their love? I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this audio. The narration is well done and the story is interesting and leaves you wanting more at the end. If you like contemporary spicy romance with a hint of mafia influence, I think you will enjoy My Dark Fairytale.

Another amazing transformative romance from Giana!!

It literally feels like you’re experiencing Tuscany while reading this, the imagery in her writing just blows me away.

Raffa rescues Guinevere from a horrible situation and brings her to his place to care for her, which is something that he is not known for. But with Guinevere, he finds that he wants to protect her, and this basically flips his world upside down. The man is in awe of her strength and her brains and he’s obsessed with her, spends money on her, cares for her, and is extremely protective of her. It was very easy to like Raffa and to fall for him.

Guinevere & Raffa together was so incredibly hot. The spice in this was 🥵🥵 Giana’s spice is always hot as hell, but I mean that wine scene… yeah, that’s now a vivid image in my mind, and it’s here to stay for forever.

The cliffy at the end gutted me!!! I neeeeeed these two to work it out and move past everything, because they belong together like stars belong in the night sky. I need the second book asap!!!

Now onto the narration… because omg Dane!! His Italian accent was SO. HOT. He seamlessly went from Raffa, to Guinevere, to Martina, to his men… okay, you get it lol. Truly amazing performance! & CJ narrated Guinevere perfectly! Notably though, I could feeeeel the emotions in CJ’s voice in the last chapter and it gave so much to the ending. I honestly just had such a great time with this audio, and definitely think you should listen if you enjoy sexy Italian men and mafia romance! 🥰

**NO MAJOR PLOT SPOILERS WERE HARMED IN THE MAKING OF THIS REVIEW**

**I RECEIVED A FREE ALC OF THE AUDIOBOOK FROM VALENTINE PR AND NETGALLEY. THANK YOU A TON. THIS HAS NOT IMPACTED MY REVIEW IN ANY WAY, SHAPE OR FORM. **

My goodness, how captivating and quaint this novel was. I literally could not stop listening to it! It definitely starts off with a bang and takes off from there. The narrators do a fabulous job of bringing this story to life. I immediately connected with both of the characters and wanted to see what this journey had in store for them. It did not disappoint. The story definitely had those fairytale-esque vibes but darker and more mature. What girl doesnt dream of being swept off her feet by a dashing guy with lots of money to spoil her? Aha.

The unique way the two characters met is something I could see in a romcom. Like "oh, did you guys meet?" "well, I um. . ." yeahhhh. But that is just the beginning of their story. The female main, Gen , is just wanting some adventure and wanting to break free from her semi sheltered life. The main male, Rafa, is living what seems like a dull and deadly life before he meets her. They both brighten up each others world. And we only have a few moments of "i dont deserve this, im not pretty/special" before they buck up and just enjoy the ride while it lasts. The steamy scenes are quite excellent as well, so I applaud the author for making it seem like I need to let the characters get a room, LMAO.

I did love the dual narration, I would highly recommend experiencing this book via audio. All the languages and dialects would be lost without the proper pronunciations, in my opinion. While romance was the main focus of this story, I did appreciate some of the side plot build ups. I wish we had learned more about Gen's dad and Rafa's backstory. Perhaps that is going to be featured in book 2. Which I am extremely tempted to read should I receive another audio. Their story is certainly not over and I am curious to see how it ends.

Remember, this is all my opinion. if you want your own, read/listen to the book!