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ea82625's review
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
This book was really good. I loved how the characters grew as individuals and as a couple. It was so long (technically a duet) but that allowed the author to have the characters grow organically and go through a whole host of things both good and bad.
The cast of characters were great and added a lot to the story. You really felt immersed in the world.
Around 50-60% of the duet (or the beginning of the second book) I thought things dragged a bit and thought I wouldn’t like that half as much as the first half, but once the pacing picked back up I was right back in it.
I hadn’t read any of the other books in this interconnected world and didn’t feel like I missed anything. I honestly didn’t love the fmc family so I likely won’t be reading them.
The cast of characters were great and added a lot to the story. You really felt immersed in the world.
Around 50-60% of the duet (or the beginning of the second book) I thought things dragged a bit and thought I wouldn’t like that half as much as the first half, but once the pacing picked back up I was right back in it.
I hadn’t read any of the other books in this interconnected world and didn’t feel like I missed anything. I honestly didn’t love the fmc family so I likely won’t be reading them.
zatulasma's review
3.0
it's ok. i don't think i'll read any of the other siblings stories because i'm already iffy with how they've treated elena doesn't warant them any redemption arc imo
erinded's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
chandlercoco's review against another edition
4.0
this was surprisingly good! normally with mafia romance books, the female protagonist tends to be this shy, innocent and "pure" (
sarahqreads's review against another edition
4.0
This book gave me everything I need and love in a mafia romance. It was so so good! The characters, the plot, the twists, the chemistry, the spice.. it was all there and so beautifully written. It had me turning the pages faster and faster as it went on. There were times where it was a bit of information overload, but it all fell into place, and I loved the banter and dialogue!
It was a beautiful story on how to love yourself and others despite the past, the traumas we’re battling and any flaws we might have. That someone can pick up all of your broken pieces and put you back together so you’re stronger than before.
Dante isn’t your typical ruthless mafia don, he’s soft on the inside and will make you melt and fall in love with him. It’s no surprise he melts Elena’s icy heart. Her character development was beautiful and so well done. The way Dante is with her, reassuring her at every turn will have you swooning.
Highly recommend
It was a beautiful story on how to love yourself and others despite the past, the traumas we’re battling and any flaws we might have. That someone can pick up all of your broken pieces and put you back together so you’re stronger than before.
Dante isn’t your typical ruthless mafia don, he’s soft on the inside and will make you melt and fall in love with him. It’s no surprise he melts Elena’s icy heart. Her character development was beautiful and so well done. The way Dante is with her, reassuring her at every turn will have you swooning.
Highly recommend
kfriend's review against another edition
5.0
When Heroes Fall: 4 stars
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this duet- other than the Giana characteristic emotional complexity, danger, and scorching chemistry. Because Giana had a tall task when it came to the characters- Elena in particular given the side of her we’d seen in prior books. And wow did Giana change my mind about her. Cleverly, Giana leans into what made us not like Elena to begin with. Instead of trying to soften or backtrack the parts of her that are hardest to like and understand, Giana amplifies them- but with new meaning, and in a way that humanizes her. Elena is still the ice queen, she still has her detached and bitter edge, but now we understand and empathize with her. Giana gives what made her villainous heartfelt meaning, and the prior manifestations of what we perceived as flaws come across now and heroic acts of coping and surviving. It still took me a bit to truly connect with her emotionally- because Giana slowly metes out the more vulnerable sides of Elena’s identity, but feeling by feeling we find a way to her heart. And we see the facets of her that we weren’t able to see through the eyes of others now- because we’re seeing them through the eyes of Dante now- a man who shrewdly discerns the subtlest of details in others. And he see’s Elena’s beauty, but most importantly, he sees her loneliness and pain, and instead of holding it against her like so many others, he treasures it.Dante is delicious- the fire to Elena’s ice. The “bad guy” that somehow is the beating heart of this story. At least in this first book, his character arc is more minimal, more so in the service of Elena’s evolution. This book is really about her character- her journey, a lost and sad woman finally finding her way. But Dante still shines- particularly in his contradictions. The murderer who gently helps heal the forgotten and hated sister, the criminal that sees more good in our heroine than anyone else who loves her has. He’s a perfect foil for her, and a beautiful and supportive soul. I can’t wait to get to know him better. This story very much is laying the groundwork for what is to come- more so a study of character transformation than anything- both exposing and connecting these characters so we can watch what happens when they lean into who they are. And, a story of contrasts- fire and ice, violence and peace, light and dark, pain and redemption. Bursts of violence and action with more slowly meted moments of emotional processing. The burn is slow, and the story is more about understanding the evolution of the players than understanding the game- but I can already tell their love will be tested in the second part of her duet. Good thing we don’t have long to wait!
When Villains Rise: 5 stars
What a powerfully emotive and grippingly suspenseful finale to perhaps the most epic love story from Giana Darling to date! Lush with emotions, enthralling and passionate from beginning to end, I never wanted Elena and Dante’s story to end. Yet I was desperate to know just how they’d find their HEA. Just what happens when two self-proclaimed villains fall in love? They become each other’s heroes.
Giana delivers yet another beautifully penned and poignant story of the catalytic power of love set amidst a dark and dangerous world. Foreign travels, complicated mafia politics and clever intrigue, long buried secrets and familial drama, dangerous double crosses, legal proceedings, and at the center, a powerfully transformative love story. Giana packs so much richness into this finale- and every element is perfectly wrought. Every moment, big and small, is so strategically created, a brilliant tapestry of words and moments that creates a story that is as exhilarating and it is emotionally resonant. Whereas book one felt more singular in focus, more insulated and meta, book 2 juxtaposes with a more expansive narrative and more divergent threads. Yet even so, the second book feels more accessible emotionally, somehow more intimate amidst all the action- and I found it even more compelling and more engaging than the first.
And that is because of the intimacy of the character growth. What a character journey! To be honest, I wasn’t sure Giana could fully thaw me to the ice queen- that the once villainized, cold and resentful eldest Lombardi sister could ever capture me. I could not have been more wrong- because Giana has saved the most compelling Lombardi sister for last. There is no greater testament to Giana Darling’s character writing capacity than Elena. Not only is her character growth beautifully penned, but Giana did the impossible- she didn’t just help me understand Elena, she made me fall madly in love with her. She reinvented her in a way that feels both recognizable and newly born - and I have never rooted for any Giana heroine harder than I did for Elena. Her inner strength, her heartfelt courage, her tenacity and new found fire- watching her unleash her true self because of the safety and unwavering love of her capo, seeing her open up her whole heart? Simply magnificent.
DANTE. MY GOD THIS MAN. Is there anyone who loves as profoundly as he does? This man is the epitome of dark romantic heroism - a man whose beautiful proclamations of love rival master poets’ in their romanticism, but a man who also delivers blood cold vengeance as a gift. SWOON- I’m so in love with this man and the way he loves Elena- the devotion, how he champions her and lifts her up. He’s the perfect encapsulation of what makes Giana Darling heroes so interesting and compelling- the way she writes broken, twisted, ruthless, hardened, and violent men infused with such emotional intensity and sincerity of heart. Dante is strong, powerful, truly unstoppable as a mafia force, but as a man, Giana gives him emotional complexity, vulnerability- she makes him a man who cares about family, oozes humanity, a man with a deep and profound desire to love deeply and unequivocally. It's an intoxicating mix- the swooniest capo you’ll ever read. The contrasts are perfectly crafted- his sweetness with violence, his resolute strength with tenderness, alpha possession with emotional availability. The “you do not need your armor...I will be your sword”- BE STILL MY HEART- I’m ruined for all other men.
THIS is how you write an epic love story-the unending devotion, poetic overtures, impossible odds, soulful connection, and an unwavering love. A love that could launch a thousand ships, a love that could vanquish an army, a love that makes a dead heart beat again, that makes a broken soul whole and healed. A love that captured my heart and soul, and a love that I’m not soon to forget. The villains rise, but it turns out they are heroes after all.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with this duet- other than the Giana characteristic emotional complexity, danger, and scorching chemistry. Because Giana had a tall task when it came to the characters- Elena in particular given the side of her we’d seen in prior books. And wow did Giana change my mind about her. Cleverly, Giana leans into what made us not like Elena to begin with. Instead of trying to soften or backtrack the parts of her that are hardest to like and understand, Giana amplifies them- but with new meaning, and in a way that humanizes her. Elena is still the ice queen, she still has her detached and bitter edge, but now we understand and empathize with her. Giana gives what made her villainous heartfelt meaning, and the prior manifestations of what we perceived as flaws come across now and heroic acts of coping and surviving. It still took me a bit to truly connect with her emotionally- because Giana slowly metes out the more vulnerable sides of Elena’s identity, but feeling by feeling we find a way to her heart. And we see the facets of her that we weren’t able to see through the eyes of others now- because we’re seeing them through the eyes of Dante now- a man who shrewdly discerns the subtlest of details in others. And he see’s Elena’s beauty, but most importantly, he sees her loneliness and pain, and instead of holding it against her like so many others, he treasures it.Dante is delicious- the fire to Elena’s ice. The “bad guy” that somehow is the beating heart of this story. At least in this first book, his character arc is more minimal, more so in the service of Elena’s evolution. This book is really about her character- her journey, a lost and sad woman finally finding her way. But Dante still shines- particularly in his contradictions. The murderer who gently helps heal the forgotten and hated sister, the criminal that sees more good in our heroine than anyone else who loves her has. He’s a perfect foil for her, and a beautiful and supportive soul. I can’t wait to get to know him better. This story very much is laying the groundwork for what is to come- more so a study of character transformation than anything- both exposing and connecting these characters so we can watch what happens when they lean into who they are. And, a story of contrasts- fire and ice, violence and peace, light and dark, pain and redemption. Bursts of violence and action with more slowly meted moments of emotional processing. The burn is slow, and the story is more about understanding the evolution of the players than understanding the game- but I can already tell their love will be tested in the second part of her duet. Good thing we don’t have long to wait!
When Villains Rise: 5 stars
What a powerfully emotive and grippingly suspenseful finale to perhaps the most epic love story from Giana Darling to date! Lush with emotions, enthralling and passionate from beginning to end, I never wanted Elena and Dante’s story to end. Yet I was desperate to know just how they’d find their HEA. Just what happens when two self-proclaimed villains fall in love? They become each other’s heroes.
Giana delivers yet another beautifully penned and poignant story of the catalytic power of love set amidst a dark and dangerous world. Foreign travels, complicated mafia politics and clever intrigue, long buried secrets and familial drama, dangerous double crosses, legal proceedings, and at the center, a powerfully transformative love story. Giana packs so much richness into this finale- and every element is perfectly wrought. Every moment, big and small, is so strategically created, a brilliant tapestry of words and moments that creates a story that is as exhilarating and it is emotionally resonant. Whereas book one felt more singular in focus, more insulated and meta, book 2 juxtaposes with a more expansive narrative and more divergent threads. Yet even so, the second book feels more accessible emotionally, somehow more intimate amidst all the action- and I found it even more compelling and more engaging than the first.
And that is because of the intimacy of the character growth. What a character journey! To be honest, I wasn’t sure Giana could fully thaw me to the ice queen- that the once villainized, cold and resentful eldest Lombardi sister could ever capture me. I could not have been more wrong- because Giana has saved the most compelling Lombardi sister for last. There is no greater testament to Giana Darling’s character writing capacity than Elena. Not only is her character growth beautifully penned, but Giana did the impossible- she didn’t just help me understand Elena, she made me fall madly in love with her. She reinvented her in a way that feels both recognizable and newly born - and I have never rooted for any Giana heroine harder than I did for Elena. Her inner strength, her heartfelt courage, her tenacity and new found fire- watching her unleash her true self because of the safety and unwavering love of her capo, seeing her open up her whole heart? Simply magnificent.
DANTE. MY GOD THIS MAN. Is there anyone who loves as profoundly as he does? This man is the epitome of dark romantic heroism - a man whose beautiful proclamations of love rival master poets’ in their romanticism, but a man who also delivers blood cold vengeance as a gift. SWOON- I’m so in love with this man and the way he loves Elena- the devotion, how he champions her and lifts her up. He’s the perfect encapsulation of what makes Giana Darling heroes so interesting and compelling- the way she writes broken, twisted, ruthless, hardened, and violent men infused with such emotional intensity and sincerity of heart. Dante is strong, powerful, truly unstoppable as a mafia force, but as a man, Giana gives him emotional complexity, vulnerability- she makes him a man who cares about family, oozes humanity, a man with a deep and profound desire to love deeply and unequivocally. It's an intoxicating mix- the swooniest capo you’ll ever read. The contrasts are perfectly crafted- his sweetness with violence, his resolute strength with tenderness, alpha possession with emotional availability. The “you do not need your armor...I will be your sword”- BE STILL MY HEART- I’m ruined for all other men.
THIS is how you write an epic love story-the unending devotion, poetic overtures, impossible odds, soulful connection, and an unwavering love. A love that could launch a thousand ships, a love that could vanquish an army, a love that makes a dead heart beat again, that makes a broken soul whole and healed. A love that captured my heart and soul, and a love that I’m not soon to forget. The villains rise, but it turns out they are heroes after all.
selma_07's review
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
adaragolla's review
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
The whole book all you hear is about how much the mmc loves the fmc's sister and how the fmc's fiance cheated on her with her other sister and how he left her and now the cheating fiance and sister have a beautiful child and that they're happy and everyone loves them. Even the mmc compliments her sister more than the fmc. Literally in the starting of the book he keeps mentioning how she is nothing compared to her sister's beauty and kindness.
ebbookshelf's review
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
maelled's review
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0