Giana’s writing was so descriptive and lyrical that I was sucked into the story from the start. The imagery in My Dark Fairy Tale was fantastic, and I felt like I was right there traipsing through the Italian countryside. This story follows Guinevere Stone, an American young lady traveling through Italy and Raffa Romano, a billionaire Italian mafioso.

Guinevere was the kind of heroine that I love reading about. She was a ray of sunshine, resilient, and full of spunk. I admired her bravery in traveling to a foreign country on her own and how she has not let her illness deter her from following her dreams. Guinevere was exactly what Raffa needed to bring light into his dark world. I loved the sass that Guinevere directed at Raffa, and he ate it up.

Raffa Romano… this man! He was the anti-hero that I love to cheer for. He may have been morally gray, but when it came to Guinevere, he was gentlemanly and dedicated to keeping her safe and happy, even if that meant unaliving people. I loved everything about Raffa. He was dark, dangerous, and oh, so seductive. I loved seeing his carefree side come out as his relationship developed with Guinevere.

Dane Anderson and CJ Bloom were phenomenal as Raffa and Guinevere. CJ did wonders in bringing out that spunk and coyness that made up Guinevere’s persona. And OH. MY. GOD! GOOSEBUMPS! Dane voiced Raffa’s Italian accent magnificently and had me captivated every time Raffa was center stage. I couldn’t get enough of him.

My Dark Fairy Tale was seductively captivating with a great blend of raw emotion and spice.

Guinevere is off on the first big adventure of her life, visiting the place of dreams since she was a child, Italy. At 23, she thinks this vacation will be where she finally discovers who she is…
That is until a big wrench is thrown in her plans. Right from the start, her trip had problems. Her car breaks down, her stuff gets stolen, not to mention she literally runs out in front of a car and gets hit. The driver of the car just happens to be one of the most notorious mafiosos in all of Italy.

Raffa has lived so long in the dark leading his arm of the mafia, he has no idea that his way into something bright will literally jump out in front of his car.

What starts as attraction and infatuation quickly becomes a hot, spicy summer romance, just like a fairy tale. But there are secrets being hidden, questions that are unanswered, and more than one heart is on the line.

I thoroughly enjoyed the audio for this book. The narrators did a phenomenal job bringing Giana’s story to life! If you’re an audio fan, I highly recommend you give this audio a spin! Dane Anderson’s voice with the Italian accent, yes please!

Fair warning, this book does end on a cliffie! Don’t say I didn’t warn you!

I'm going to say this with the most shocking loving meaning, what the f***..

That ending!

The way you see Guinevere's heartbreak and than moments later harden and give Raffaele those parting words. I can get behind her actions and words. The ending leaves you wanting the next book as soon as possible.

I was sucked into this story from the beginning. The naivety mixed with adventure seeking when Guinevere meets Raffaele plays well throughout the story. That doesn't mean she isn't smart because she is and you see that., she is wanting an adventure in her father's homeland before returning to a safe life her parents want for her. There are those subtle things that explode the fairytale she has built up when the truth comes to light of who Raffaele really is, it was blinded by the hero complex she put on him.

He is the anti-hero who was forced to end up the Capo to protect his family. What is a good MMC without a good mouth on him.. good sir. I always a good book (in this case audiobook) where both characters bring out something that was a part of them and support them. Both Narrators were so good at bringing the characters to life. There was a little dock on the audio maybe it was just me the Italian accent from the FMC point of view sometimes sounded non-Italian. Other than that CJ Bloom and Dane Anderson were really good.

My Dark Fairy Tale leaves you on a cliffhanger of sorts so get ready for that.

5 ⭐️ | 3 🌶️

Audiobook Narration: 10/10 📚🎧

I fear I’ll say this every time I read a Giana Darling book, but she never fails me.

I’ve never seen a book title be so incredibly accurate. My dark Fairy Tale is exactly that—the most romantic fairy tale I’ve ever read. But beneath all the beauty and romance lies the weight of an ever-present secret and an inevitable separation, casting a bittersweet, melancholic tone over the entire story.

Raffa and Guinevere only have six weeks together, but they make the most of every single second—and you can’t help but fall in love right alongside them.

Raffa is your classic mafia boss: ruthless, closed off, and dangerous. But around Guinevere, we see a soft, tender side he hides from the rest of the world. It’s impossible not to swoon when he lets his guard down.

Guinevere is a sweet, vulnerable FMC trying to find herself after growing up with a medical condition, overly protective parents, and the recent loss of her sister. As she spends more time with Rafa, we slowly see her come into her own, and it’s such a beautiful transformation to witness.

Even though I saw the ending coming, it still absolutely wrecked me.

I cannot wait for the next book and for them to (hopefully!) get their happily ever after.


But ALSO—I have so many questions I need answered!
Who is her dad?
Why does Rafa’s second-in-command keep saying she looks like someone he knew—maybe her sister?
Where are the postcards???

I received this book as a Advance Listened copy, thank you to Giana and her team for the audiobook ♥️

Getting stranded on the side of road
Then running for your life wasn’t in the cards
Less than 24 hours on your trip in Italy.

Then the stranger who saved your life, wanted to help you get back to your feet.
Things start taking a turn until its too good to be true….

GEEZ!!! This audiobook was sooo good! Dane Anderson and CJ Bloom did an amazing job in bringing Guinevere and Raffaele to life.

Thank you VPR for giving me the opportunity to listen to My Dark Fairy Tale in advance.

Raffa and Vera were everything! They def didn’t meet in a cutesy “normal” way haha but i LOVED following them and seeing their love develop. AND THAT ENDING . AHHH NEEED book 2 ASAP.

Guinevere has a health condition and everyone in her family treats her as fragile when her sister passes away she dexide to travel her family believe she in france bit actually she in italy. when she has car trouble a man help her bit also attacked she rans and she is hot bu a car and the man who rescue her is Raffaele. he gets her a doctor and she spend a week on bed rest. Guinevere wants to explore italy but their a mystery to her origin her father has kept secret about hs life and doesnt talk about italy. Raffaele is keeping sexrets like his true identity and the business he is in. the cliffhanger we just have to wait for book 2

All the Italian summers…My Dark Fairy Tale by Giana Darling was a dark and seductive billionaire romance that did crazy good things to my heart and made me long for so much more. Guinevere and Raffa’s chemistry was off-the-charts hot! I loved how Raffa cherished and worshipped every part of Guinevere.

CJ Bloom and Dane Anderson perform this audiobook in dual narration. Both narrators did a fantastic job with all the beautiful Italian accents in this one. CJ perfectly captured Guinevere’s passionate, youthful, and dedicated persona as she went on her long-awaited Italian adventure. Dane conveyed Raffa’s stern, strong mafia capo demeanor yet also showcased a softer side, falling in love with Guinevere. Both narrators created an undeniable chemistry between Guinevere and Raffa that was downright dreamy.

Overall, I enjoyed this book. If you are a fan of a mafia romance with an alluring handsome capo, an adventurous, free-spirited heroine, Italian summers, car troubles, accident meet cute, the color red, revenge, vineyards, learning a new language, shopping dates, found family, secrets, spicy first times, danger, revealing truths, and a cliffhanger ending that will leave you needing more, then you will love the start of Guinevere and Raffa’s story. Can’t wait for more!!

Raffa & Guinevere
Mafia romance
Billionaire
Secret Identity
Age Gap
Holiday Fling

Well I didn't know this was a series so was NOT expecting that cliffhanger 😅 but I'm totally here for it! I love a good cliffhanger!

I live Guinevere and the growth we see throughout this book!

Raffa. What a man. He's such a cutie! But also a big bad mafia man too 🤣

What a great book! But I need the next one nowwww please!

3.5. The FMC annoyed me, the fact that she refused to see who Raffa was and then got mad when he saved her, again, and tried to say he lied to her, nope you’re just blind. I don’t think I was that invested in the book so the cliffhanger didn’t gut me like it should’ve

Giana Darling's "My Dark Fairy Tale" is a captivating and steamy start to her "My Dark Mafia Romance" series, and the audiobook edition elevates the experience. The story plunges us into Guinevere's impulsive journey to Italy, a land her father forbids, where she encounters the enigmatic and powerful Raffaele Romano. What unfolds is a dark and alluring romance, blurring the lines between fantasy and reality as Guinevere finds herself drawn to a man who embodies both her deepest desires and hidden dangers.

Darling masterfully crafts an atmosphere of suspense and intense chemistry between the innocent Guinevere and the commanding Raffaele. The age gap and power dynamics are explored with a compelling blend of tenderness and raw possessiveness. While the "fairy tale" aspect is twisted through a mafia lens, the core elements of longing, fateful encounters, and a captivating hero remain. The narrative expertly balances the burgeoning romance with the underlying threat of Raffaele's world, leaving the listener constantly on edge.

The audiobook narration perfectly complements Darling's writing. The narrators embody the characters' emotions and personalities, bringing their internal struggles and desires to life. The Italian accents add an extra layer of authenticity and immersion, enhancing the overall listening experience. The pacing of the narration allows the listener to fully absorb the emotional nuances and the building tension.

"My Dark Fairy Tale" on audio is an engaging and seductive listen. It's a well-crafted dark romance that will leave you breathless and eagerly anticipating the next installment. Darling successfully delivers a story that is both thrilling and deeply romantic, making this audiobook a must-listen for fans of the genre. Be warned, however, that this is the first part of a duet and ends on a significant cliffhanger.

Disclaimer: I received an advanced review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

4/5 Stars!

I love the way Giana Darling writes romances because the words she writes gives romances a beautiful magical, larger than life feel to them. It has a way of getting you swept up in dreams and fairytales, the kind of romance you dream of as a little girl. There's a lot of chemistry between these two, and I love how, although it's innocent falls for the villain, she wrote the FMC to be evenly matched with our hero. I love how Giana also transports you to another setting, and I felt like I was sipping wine in the heart of Florence with these two. Pair that with an amazing audiobook full of Italian accents, and Walla! summertime in Italy. I am excited for book two after that cliffhanger, and I think I may even like book two more, because book one was very character driven developing the relationship between these two more so than the plot. Another great book by Giana for those who love mafia.

My first Giana Darling Book and I wasn’t disappointed, CJ Bloom one of my favorite narrator and Dane Anderson who is my first time listening to him gave a fantastic performance of this story!


🎧📕AUDIOBOOK 📕🎧
MY DARK FAIRY TALE by: Giana Darling

Narrated by CJ Bloom; Dane Anderson

Guinevere Stone and Raffaele Romano Story

5⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️O.M.G!

4🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ the Angst is Angsty and the steam is sublime!

10🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️🎙️O.M.G !! One scorching hot performance!


♥️*🖤*♥️*🖤*♥️*🖤*♥️*🖤*♥️*🖤*♥️

“You are the shooting star that lights up my life”
🖤*♥️*🖤

A girl who have an ailment and considered a jinx went against her parents wishes for her not to ever travel to Italy, Guinevere Stone soon found herself in a situation where her car broke down in the midst of nowhere narrowly escaping from a rapist to being hit by a car driven by a beautiful Italian man that looked like a real life Adonis or perhaps one of Dante Devil of Dante Inferno.
Raffaele Romano
He came to her rescue like a hero straight out of a fairy tale, but unbeknownst to Guinevere this beautiful caring man is anything but a knight in shining armor but more like an Anti hero.


These two met unexpectedly but are inexplicably drawn together, he was her hero in every sense and she was his light his shooting star. The one bright spot in his life.
But although Rafa showered her with things and affection that spoke volumes, he was definitely holding back one part of himself from Guinevere, part of himself he was determined not to reveal since she was set to go back to America.


All the wrong things suddenly feel right.


Their friendship became one that was truly beautiful, the way how Raffa loved up on Guinevere and the way how she was with him was so beautiful.. but like every fairytale there is a villain a bad guy a not so happy ending…
And Raffael and Guinevere were about to experience deep searing pain and heart shattering moment that would eviscerate every happy moments they had.

But Lordy, Lordy, Lordy !!!
What a phenomenal performance by CJ Bloom and Dane Anderson!
OMG the Accents the raw emotions the banter that these two provide during their storytelling it was incredible!

The narrators did amazing work on this story that Gina Darling dared to Create, a story that will suck you in from the start and spit you out at the end.. one that will grip your heart.
FANTASTIC!

So worth listening!

What you will find in this Audiobook 📕🎧
🖤Age Gap
♥️Mafioso
🖤Dirty talking Italian
♥️Alpha Hero
🖤Angsty
♥️Protector
🖤 Vacation Romance
♥️Bad Boy/Good Girl
🖤Hidden Identity
♥️Touch her and D!e
🖤Tortured Lead
♥️Virgin Heroine
🖤First Love
♥️Cinderella Story
🖤Vacation Romance
♥️Billionaire Romance
🖤 Cliffhanger like no other!!

Other things I liked
♥️He took care of her while she was sick
🖤He Braided her Hair (swoon)
♥️He supported her like no other
🖤He showered her with Gifts
♥️He gave her all her firsts !
🖤He would burn the world for her ..
♥️AND He reads to Her !

Definitely recommend Dark Fairy Tale book #1 by Gina Darling 💯 percent and cannot wait for the next installment!


A special thanks to Valentine_pr and Author for this exciting opportunity !

Be sure to add to your list of favorites, and trust me when u say that you won’t be disappointed with this Audiobook!

Thanks for reading my ratings and review of this intriguing start of this series m, hope to catch you next time my book besties 💋

In the meantime One Love 💕
@Georgious_eleanorpb 🦋

This audio was so super great. Any time there’s a character with a different accent, I appreciate the audio that much more. Dane and CJ did such an amazing job in their dual parts portraying these characters. The story in and of itself was twisty, fun, and sexy, but these two performed their hearts out, and I loved their rendition of the story. Rafa is exactly what j want in an older mafia man, and his incessant protection and love of Guinevere was perfect. I don’t want to give too much away, but I cannot wait to see how Giana ties it all together!

A damsel in distress and her knight and shining armor is an Italian stallion mafia king, yes please!
I had the pleasure of receiving an Advanced Listener Copy of the audiobook for My Dark Fairy Tale by Giana Darling. It's performed in dual narration by CJ Bloom and Dane Anderson.
The story follows Guinevere, an American traveling alone in Italy and Raffaele, an Italian Mafioso. He accidentally hits her with his car and saves her from a man who was trying to attack her. He takes her to his home and helps nurse her back to health and they end up falling for each other! I absolutely ate this up!
The audio performance was very good, which always adds to the experience for me.
Slow burn mafia romance with an age gap.

Mafia Romance
Age Gap
Virgin FMC

Dual Narration - Dane Anderson & CJ Bloom
Spot on Italian accents! Very well narrated.

Guinevere is a recent graduate from college and has always wanted to visit Italy despite her dad warning her to stay away. She decides to take a chance. Right away things go awry.

Raffa is a mafia capo who is grumpy and morally grey. He stumbles upon this beautiful girl Guinevere a damsel in distress. Against his better judgement and completely out of his normal element he helps her.

These two spend time together and begin to develop feelings. Things twist and turn a bit. This kept me interested and I want to know what happens next in their story.

Overall this was a good book. I enjoyed the narration and the storyline.

In "My Dark Fairy Tale," we follow Guinevere as she heads to Italy to explore her roots and meets the intriguing Raffa. Initially innocent and naive, Guinevere undergoes significant personal growth, largely due to the confidence Raffa exudes. He helps her embrace her true self, which she struggles to do within her family's constraints. Raffa, on the other hand, grapples with his identity as both a feared mafioso and a man seeking to be good and worthy of Guinevere’s love.

The chemistry between Guinevere and Raffa is palpable, building slowly yet intensely, with heartfelt moments sprinkled throughout. The book also highlights the beautiful friendships and sense of family that develop, leaving readers craving more stories about side characters like Martina, Renzo, and the intriguing Carmine. By the end, the emotional rollercoaster leaves us with questions and a strong desire for resolution. That Cliffhanger!!!!! I need the next book now please!!

Coming out on April 8th, the book features elements like an age gap, an Italian backdrop, a billionaire/mafia twist, hidden identities, and themes of found family.

Huge thank you to to Giana Darling, ValentinePR & NetGalley for sending me the ALC of this book! The narrators were perfect and those Italian accents were too good! I could not stop listening and finished it in 24 hours.

My Dark Fairy Tale takes a woman visiting Italy for the first time and has her unknowingly crossing paths with a mafia leader for a world wind romance that ends when the truth comes out. And I ate it up! I had the opportunity to read the audiobook and the narration was fantastic and really immerses you into the story. Rafa spends the majority of the book concealing his true identity and how involved in the mafia he was and Guinevere is non the wiser and spends the book soaking in her summer trip to Italy. I loved how detailed Giana Darling was in her descriptions of Italy and the Tuscan countryside. She really makes you feel like you are right there with them and at times I wished I was! And as someone who has Italian family, the Italian in this book was perfect and the narrators nailed the accents and pronunciation every time! And with an ending like that, I am foaming at the mouth for book two!

When I say I want a mafia romance, THIS is what I mean!!! My Dark Fairy Tale is the definition of mafia perfection!!!

Y’all, Giana had me DEVOURING this book—left no crumbs. Book your flight to Italy, because it’s time to find our very own capo, Rafa!!! 🇮🇹✨

And the audiobook?!? LISTEN TO IT. The narrators were so good, I’m ready to learn Italian just to whisper sweet nothings (or threats) like Rafa. GAH!!

This man. UGH. THIS MAN. He’s the dream—age gap, forced proximity, and enough tension to make you spill your red wine (and maybe your sanity). 🍷🔥

I fell HARD for these two, and quite frankly, my dear… I NEED MORE.

(Audio)

I really liked the idea of this book and those first 20% were sooooo good. That opening scene. Absolutely loved it. But I felt like the plot fell flat in the middle of the book. Then it was back to being good at the end. I also wish the book wasn’t such a slow burn. Can’t wait to read book 2 so I can get more plot and smut

3.5⭐️
2🌶️
4.5🎧