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The Sin Duet #1
Edge of Sin
Edge of Sin takes you into a dark and dangerous world, with morally gray characters in an unforgettable tale of passion and betrayal. Featuring an unlikely couple who battle the underworld to protect their forbidden love, it's Romeo and Juliet meets The Godfather in this tantalizing mafia romance. Get ready for action, spice, heart-pounding tension and angsty moments as our hero and heroine struggle to protect their family honor, defend their freedom and prove that love conquers all. If you're looking for a dark romance story that'll keep you on the edge of your seat, Edge of Sin is the book for you!
Edge of Sin is a MEDIUM GRAY dark mafia romance with high spice and a suspenseful plot.
Our families are rivals, but that doesn’t mean we have to be enemies.
Enzo
The Vigliones and Silvanis have been at war longer than any of us can remember. It's a battle we didn't start but are forced to fight in. But she's not my enemy.
We're ruthless, but the Silvanis are cunning. Slick as a fox, Gia Silvani offers herself as a pawn—a proposition we can’t resist. We should have, but as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. I find myself living with her under my roof, being driven mad by temptation, my true nemesis.
The fleeting moment of intimacy we shared when we were young and stupid nags at me. The painful ache settles deep in my bones, making it harder to fight against her alluring pull. Until I no longer have it in me to resist.
After we step over boundaries better left uncrossed, it becomes clear that I can never let her go. Even as our worlds crumble around us, we have to find some way to make it work. There is no other option for me, because she is mine.
What will happen to us when too many mistakes are made and we can no longer call the city our home?
Edge of Sin is book one in a toxic, dark Cosa Nostra romance duet. This mafia romance is recommended for adult readers only.
Edge of Sin is a MEDIUM GRAY dark mafia romance with high spice and a suspenseful plot.
Our families are rivals, but that doesn’t mean we have to be enemies.
Enzo
The Vigliones and Silvanis have been at war longer than any of us can remember. It's a battle we didn't start but are forced to fight in. But she's not my enemy.
We're ruthless, but the Silvanis are cunning. Slick as a fox, Gia Silvani offers herself as a pawn—a proposition we can’t resist. We should have, but as the saying goes, hindsight is 20/20. I find myself living with her under my roof, being driven mad by temptation, my true nemesis.
The fleeting moment of intimacy we shared when we were young and stupid nags at me. The painful ache settles deep in my bones, making it harder to fight against her alluring pull. Until I no longer have it in me to resist.
After we step over boundaries better left uncrossed, it becomes clear that I can never let her go. Even as our worlds crumble around us, we have to find some way to make it work. There is no other option for me, because she is mine.
What will happen to us when too many mistakes are made and we can no longer call the city our home?
Edge of Sin is book one in a toxic, dark Cosa Nostra romance duet. This mafia romance is recommended for adult readers only.
262 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 1, 2024
437 people are currently reading
3929 people want to read
About the author
Lauren Biel
38 books4,912 followersLauren’s stories are often emotionally raw, with lots of twists and turns. She describes her writing as “where light meets dark”, which represents how her witty humor compliments the darkness in every story. Instead of trying to mold her writing to fit in a box, she chooses to be unapologetically herself. While her focus is on Romance with dark elements, subgenre is no constraint for her. The common theme in every book is finding love when you least expect it. She enjoys putting her characters through tribulations, allowing their triumphs to be that much more poignant. Make sure you have your seatbelts secured. It’s always a bumpy ride.
When she’s not working, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her husband, her friends, or her pets. You might also find her on a horseback trail ride or sitting beside a waterfall in Upstate New York. She has a pretty normal life, yet her stories are anything but.
When she’s not working, she’s writing. When she’s not writing, she’s spending time with her husband, her friends, or her pets. You might also find her on a horseback trail ride or sitting beside a waterfall in Upstate New York. She has a pretty normal life, yet her stories are anything but.
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October 31, 2022Author here! If you're looking for a meek fmc and abusive don, skip this duet. The mcs are equals, as toxic and messed up as each other, and will do anything to get what they want. She's an adult and tough fmc. He's an alpha mmc who is NOT abusive or overly hard.
Another thing that I never thought I'd have to clarify about one of my books... Edge of Sin does NOT have fade to black scenes. Lauren Biel books don't fade to black unless I HAVE to. There IS a good deal of denial and O control... Which is a large part of who Enzo is as a character. Read responsibly as while it's not one of my darkest stories there are the usual Lauren Biel triggers.
Otherwise, enjoy a unique mafia plot with toxic adult mcs who are both a little crazy 😂💜
Another thing that I never thought I'd have to clarify about one of my books... Edge of Sin does NOT have fade to black scenes. Lauren Biel books don't fade to black unless I HAVE to. There IS a good deal of denial and O control... Which is a large part of who Enzo is as a character. Read responsibly as while it's not one of my darkest stories there are the usual Lauren Biel triggers.
Otherwise, enjoy a unique mafia plot with toxic adult mcs who are both a little crazy 😂💜
December 20, 2022
(I received an ARC for this book)
This book ends on a kinda cliffhanger! It’s definitely open ended!
(there's a second book coming to complete the duet!)
Trigger Warnings include, but are not limited to:
this is a dark mafia romance that includes a kidnapping/hostage situation, torture, edging as punishment, dubcon, sexual assault, attempted rape, rape
(many of these acts in detail on page)
I give five stars to books I know I’ll reread. When reading them once just isn’t enough. And while this dark (very dark and twisted) book should be good enough after one read, there’s something about it that I wouldn’t mind revisiting. There’s something in these characters that I feel like I could gain more from if I were to visit them again. See things differently with a better understanding. But I’m sure you can imagine from the trigger warnings, it’s a heavy read. So even with a reread, I know it will affect me. Enzo Vigione and Giovanna Silvani are the next generation of prominent mafia families. Families with blood between them. So when Gia walks into his family’s home to request to be purposely abducted for ransom, you know nothing is going to be good. And nothing is going to go as planned. Enzo and Gia aren’t strangers. Sure, their families are connected by bad blood, but there is more than that. When Enzo becomes Gia’s babysitter, everything changes. Everything. Her family played dirty through compassion, but Enzo’s family was so much worse. And she was reminded of that; a reminder she needed. A reminder Enzo needed. They are both casualties of wars. Wars of multiple magnitudes. When you look up ‘toxic’ in the dictionary, you’ll see Glinda pointing at a picture of Enzo and Gia with a caption that says “there they are, and there they’ll stay”. Very rarely does a mafia romance focus on the next generation of family leaders, so this was a refreshing change of scenery. There was no romanticizing or celebrating any of the terrible things any of the characters have done. This was a story about murderers…and it was written as such. I COULD include some “romantic” tidbits to reel you into reading this…but you need to experience those first hand…you’ll need the rare goodness as breathers. I WILL say that Enzo has NO right crawling onto my book boyfriend list has if he doesn’t have a neon red flag above his head like a sim character!
My Favorite Quotes:
• “We’re in this now. Balls deep in it.”
• “It ain’t your mind I wanna sink into.”
• “Besides, I’d want you awake to feel every inch of me.”
• “Sometimes you gotta go toe to toe with a lioness and hope she doesn’t bite ya.”
• “You ain’t ever been my enemy.”
• “You give me that pretty mouth of yours, and I’ll show you what hell tastes like. Then you can decide if you want to walk through fire with me.”
• “You’re the worst drug, and I just want to overdose on you.”
• “I just wanted to make sure you knew you were mine. The only thing that matters is that you are f!cking mine.”
• “I hate you right now, but you're mine. Give me a little time and I’ll remind you of that.”
• “You can’t touch yourself because I’ll be the only one making you come.”
• “You only need to remember that you’re mine.”
• “I will make every f!cking day we're here feel better than the last.”
10/10 Dirty Birdy
9/10 Enemies to Lovers
8/10 Forced Proximity
10/10 Mafia Romance
10/10 Series
This is my review for Closer to Sin
This book ends on a kinda cliffhanger! It’s definitely open ended!
(there's a second book coming to complete the duet!)
Trigger Warnings include, but are not limited to:
this is a dark mafia romance that includes a kidnapping/hostage situation, torture, edging as punishment, dubcon, sexual assault, attempted rape, rape
(many of these acts in detail on page)
I give five stars to books I know I’ll reread. When reading them once just isn’t enough. And while this dark (very dark and twisted) book should be good enough after one read, there’s something about it that I wouldn’t mind revisiting. There’s something in these characters that I feel like I could gain more from if I were to visit them again. See things differently with a better understanding. But I’m sure you can imagine from the trigger warnings, it’s a heavy read. So even with a reread, I know it will affect me. Enzo Vigione and Giovanna Silvani are the next generation of prominent mafia families. Families with blood between them. So when Gia walks into his family’s home to request to be purposely abducted for ransom, you know nothing is going to be good. And nothing is going to go as planned. Enzo and Gia aren’t strangers. Sure, their families are connected by bad blood, but there is more than that. When Enzo becomes Gia’s babysitter, everything changes. Everything. Her family played dirty through compassion, but Enzo’s family was so much worse. And she was reminded of that; a reminder she needed. A reminder Enzo needed. They are both casualties of wars. Wars of multiple magnitudes. When you look up ‘toxic’ in the dictionary, you’ll see Glinda pointing at a picture of Enzo and Gia with a caption that says “there they are, and there they’ll stay”. Very rarely does a mafia romance focus on the next generation of family leaders, so this was a refreshing change of scenery. There was no romanticizing or celebrating any of the terrible things any of the characters have done. This was a story about murderers…and it was written as such. I COULD include some “romantic” tidbits to reel you into reading this…but you need to experience those first hand…you’ll need the rare goodness as breathers. I WILL say that Enzo has NO right crawling onto my book boyfriend list has if he doesn’t have a neon red flag above his head like a sim character!
My Favorite Quotes:
• “We’re in this now. Balls deep in it.”
• “It ain’t your mind I wanna sink into.”
• “Besides, I’d want you awake to feel every inch of me.”
• “Sometimes you gotta go toe to toe with a lioness and hope she doesn’t bite ya.”
• “You ain’t ever been my enemy.”
• “You give me that pretty mouth of yours, and I’ll show you what hell tastes like. Then you can decide if you want to walk through fire with me.”
• “You’re the worst drug, and I just want to overdose on you.”
• “I just wanted to make sure you knew you were mine. The only thing that matters is that you are f!cking mine.”
• “I hate you right now, but you're mine. Give me a little time and I’ll remind you of that.”
• “You can’t touch yourself because I’ll be the only one making you come.”
• “You only need to remember that you’re mine.”
• “I will make every f!cking day we're here feel better than the last.”
10/10 Dirty Birdy
9/10 Enemies to Lovers
8/10 Forced Proximity
10/10 Mafia Romance
10/10 Series
This is my review for Closer to Sin
February 23, 2023
I loved the action and the enemy to lovers aspect of Edge of Sin. This couple takes the family feud trope to new heights with their back and forth banter.
Enzo and Gia both have despicable pasts, secrets that they still carry and are unwilling to share.
Great story with passionate moments.
Enzo and Gia both have despicable pasts, secrets that they still carry and are unwilling to share.
Great story with passionate moments.
October 24, 2022
Ok this book was awesome.
Story: 4.5⭐️
Spice: 5 🌶️
This is a dark mafia romance. Please check all TW & CW’s as there are several.
This has a star crossed lovers vibe as the MMC (Enzo) & FMC (Gia) are from rival gangs who hate each other, don’t trust the other, yet wants each other in the most carnal way possible.
There are twists and turns that kept my attention. The spicy scenes are 💋chef’s kiss💋 There we’re some parts that did hit me in the feels about how the characters each handled their own trauma from growing up.
This is a duet and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
I absolutely love this author and everything she has written that I’ve read so far!
I got an ARC copy and this is my true & honest review.
Story: 4.5⭐️
Spice: 5 🌶️
This is a dark mafia romance. Please check all TW & CW’s as there are several.
This has a star crossed lovers vibe as the MMC (Enzo) & FMC (Gia) are from rival gangs who hate each other, don’t trust the other, yet wants each other in the most carnal way possible.
There are twists and turns that kept my attention. The spicy scenes are 💋chef’s kiss💋 There we’re some parts that did hit me in the feels about how the characters each handled their own trauma from growing up.
This is a duet and I cannot wait to see what happens next.
I absolutely love this author and everything she has written that I’ve read so far!
I got an ARC copy and this is my true & honest review.
March 17, 2025
No idea why it’s taken me so long to get round to this one, though I am trying to work my way through my TBR slowly might I add 🤣
The story follow mafia families in NY, Gia Silvani from one family has decided she will attempt to topple the other high family, so her plan is formed. What she didn’t expect was to be in the clutches of the son, Enzo Viglione.
Their story is tumultuous at best, spicy at the greatest and d3adly the worst…which category do will they fall in to in the end?
I enjoyed the back n forth between the pair, their backgrounds making them the people they are now but don’t want to be. The spice is rough, and 🥵.
The story follow mafia families in NY, Gia Silvani from one family has decided she will attempt to topple the other high family, so her plan is formed. What she didn’t expect was to be in the clutches of the son, Enzo Viglione.
Their story is tumultuous at best, spicy at the greatest and d3adly the worst…which category do will they fall in to in the end?
I enjoyed the back n forth between the pair, their backgrounds making them the people they are now but don’t want to be. The spice is rough, and 🥵.
April 27, 2023
The first few pages I had trouble getting into the book, but then I really got into Edge of Sin. Then, I don't know what happened but all the sex scenes and lack of plot got to me, and I started reading slower. I think I was all distracted and listening to music when I read this book, which didn't help.
I love Lauren Biel's books, and I liked this book, but I think this was my least favorite from her/the book by her I struggled with the most.
But honestly, the first half was so good & naughty. Definitely pick this up if you're looking for a naughty, mafia, captive, Romeo x Juliet kind of romance. Enzo & Gia gave starcrossed lovers vibes, and I'd like to read book 2 sometime.
I love Lauren Biel's books, and I liked this book, but I think this was my least favorite from her/the book by her I struggled with the most.
But honestly, the first half was so good & naughty. Definitely pick this up if you're looking for a naughty, mafia, captive, Romeo x Juliet kind of romance. Enzo & Gia gave starcrossed lovers vibes, and I'd like to read book 2 sometime.
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November 3, 2022Giovanna "Gia" Silvani makes a deal with rival Viglione family that, if satisfied, will allow her the freedom and autonomy she craves, releasing the shackles of being a family member of one of the two largest Cosa Nostra families. What she didn't count on was being double crossed. What she also didn't count on was reigniting the flame she held for Enzo Viglione after all the years, while Enzo has harbored feelings for Gia all this time. This was a mix between mafia dealings and love story and two broken but strong characters sharing the commonality of damaging pasts.
This was a languid story, feeling like a slow burn where the character development came primary. By my view, this author shows particular talent for male character expression. Not only did I feel authenticity in the masculinity of Enzo -- gestures, expressions, behavior, but also vibrant depictions of his emotions, his trials, his insecurities. He felt very real. While I wasn't a fan of the Gia with her bravado, talking back, she was a good match to Enzo once she accepted her feelings.
The spice was nice (2.5/5), culminating after some build up. I enjoyed the denial, the dirty talking, degradation play.
I found my attention drifting, however, since after the initial striking deal and familial reminiscing, the plot somewhat stagnated. Also, what was missing for me was the angst of darkness, of alpha male coercion (I understand Enzo's reluctance; he was a softer with his love interest. They were depicted as equals, really.) Aside from the violence of mafia activity, I felt as if I were simply reading a traditional romance progressing, but I had trouble making an investment, absent some other distinction in the plot line. Add to that I wasn't a fan of the snarky heroine though as the story progressed, I understood and could tolerate her.
Overall, this was a case of "not my tastes," but you may like it. Nothing inherently wrong with the story per se, just not my fancy.
This was a languid story, feeling like a slow burn where the character development came primary. By my view, this author shows particular talent for male character expression. Not only did I feel authenticity in the masculinity of Enzo -- gestures, expressions, behavior, but also vibrant depictions of his emotions, his trials, his insecurities. He felt very real. While I wasn't a fan of the Gia with her bravado, talking back, she was a good match to Enzo once she accepted her feelings.
The spice was nice (2.5/5), culminating after some build up. I enjoyed the denial, the dirty talking, degradation play.
I found my attention drifting, however, since after the initial striking deal and familial reminiscing, the plot somewhat stagnated. Also, what was missing for me was the angst of darkness, of alpha male coercion (I understand Enzo's reluctance; he was a softer with his love interest. They were depicted as equals, really.) Aside from the violence of mafia activity, I felt as if I were simply reading a traditional romance progressing, but I had trouble making an investment, absent some other distinction in the plot line. Add to that I wasn't a fan of the snarky heroine though as the story progressed, I understood and could tolerate her.
Overall, this was a case of "not my tastes," but you may like it. Nothing inherently wrong with the story per se, just not my fancy.
March 11, 2023
I thought this book sucked.
You've got Giovanna/Gia (mob daughter) and Enzo (mob son) - she's supposed to go into his family to learn their secrets by asking them to kidnap her. The entire idea was ridiculous and everything was just extreme. She asked them to kidnap her and when they do, she gets pissed that they tied up her hands. 😒
you might consider the following spoilers....
This couple, primarily her, was extremely wishy-washy. They hated each other all the time and there were hours of just cock teasing "you want me" "I hate you" "I want you" "you hate me". It was just an exhausting waste of my time. Then everyone wants to rape her and she talks about being raped many, many, many times by many many many different men because that's what the mob life is about. I didn't even care about them at the halfway mark because they were both so damn annoying. I can't believe the author managed to drag this nonsense out to last for two books. It's not dark other than all the damn raping - including Enzo. I found no redeeming qualities in this book other than the dog, Atheist. I liked him.
You've got Giovanna/Gia (mob daughter) and Enzo (mob son) - she's supposed to go into his family to learn their secrets by asking them to kidnap her. The entire idea was ridiculous and everything was just extreme. She asked them to kidnap her and when they do, she gets pissed that they tied up her hands. 😒
you might consider the following spoilers....
This couple, primarily her, was extremely wishy-washy. They hated each other all the time and there were hours of just cock teasing "you want me" "I hate you" "I want you" "you hate me". It was just an exhausting waste of my time. Then everyone wants to rape her and she talks about being raped many, many, many times by many many many different men because that's what the mob life is about. I didn't even care about them at the halfway mark because they were both so damn annoying. I can't believe the author managed to drag this nonsense out to last for two books. It's not dark other than all the damn raping - including Enzo. I found no redeeming qualities in this book other than the dog, Atheist. I liked him.
October 24, 2022
Overall, I really enjoyed this book. I loved seeing the development of these characters and the plot was just *chefs kiss*. 4.5 stars for this book!
This was a nice dark mafia romance, that was kind of like a modern day Romeo and Juliet retelling, as the MC’s families are rivals.
If you do read this, PLEASE read the trigger warnings, because there are lots! There were a ton of twists and turns and high intensity plot moments, and I absolutely CANNOT WAITTTT for the second book to come out.
You have to check this out! If you love other things by this author, this is just for you!
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Edge of Sin by Lauren Biel. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
This was a nice dark mafia romance, that was kind of like a modern day Romeo and Juliet retelling, as the MC’s families are rivals.
If you do read this, PLEASE read the trigger warnings, because there are lots! There were a ton of twists and turns and high intensity plot moments, and I absolutely CANNOT WAITTTT for the second book to come out.
You have to check this out! If you love other things by this author, this is just for you!
I was invited to read a free e-ARC of Edge of Sin by Lauren Biel. All thoughts and opinions are mine.
October 26, 2022
**I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily**
Wow!! Lauren, you are officially a new favorite author of mine. You have an incredible way with words, and I look forward to reading more of your books.
This book DID NOT disappoint! And Enzo...😍. I can't wait for book 2!!!
Wow!! Lauren, you are officially a new favorite author of mine. You have an incredible way with words, and I look forward to reading more of your books.
This book DID NOT disappoint! And Enzo...😍. I can't wait for book 2!!!
December 5, 2022
⭐️: 𝟰.𝟳𝟱|𝟱 🌶️: 𝟰|𝟱
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀:
🔪 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗠𝗮𝗳𝗶𝗮 | 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲
🔪 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀
🔪 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
🔪 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗪:
- 𝗡𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻|𝗗𝘂𝗯 𝗖𝗼𝗻
- 𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗿@𝗱𝗮𝘁¡𝗼𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗸
- 🔫|🍑𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆
- 𝗜𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗼 𝗔𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹
•
•
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•
𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
I want to preface my review by saying…. Check Your Triggers (𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲) At The Door!! The contents of this story WILL NOT be for everyone.
Get ready to be taken on a hell of ride with this one…. The two MCs are TRUE enemies to their core. They hate one another with passion that would ignite the largest body of water into a raging inferno.
𝗚𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶 has been through hell and back in name of family after her brother was murdered. With her head help high and emotions buried….she does again in the name of revenge. But as we know….it’s a dish best served cold. 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑴𝑼𝑺𝑻 always beware of who or what’s lurking on the other side.
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𝗘𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗩𝗶𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲. The brooding future capo has the weight of his world on his shoulders. A vicious father who definitely makes him want to look over his shoulder twice and brothers who are watching his every move… one simple encounter with his mortal enemy (𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼) to change the course of the entire plan.
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The plot, 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗗. The tension and chemistry between the MCs, achingly 𝗣𝗔𝗟𝗣𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘. The banter…. I have 𝗭𝗘𝗥𝗢 words.😮💨 The spice. 𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗!! As it should be with TRUE enemies to lovers.
This is book I in “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗻” duet. Book II is available in KU. I definitely recommend this story (𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲).
ARC given by @thesmuthood
𝗦𝘁𝗮𝘁𝘀:
🔪 𝗗𝗔𝗥𝗞 𝗠𝗮𝗳𝗶𝗮 | 𝗢𝗿𝗴𝗮𝗻𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱 𝗖𝗿𝗶𝗺𝗲
🔪 𝗥𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹 𝗙𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗲𝘀
🔪 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗟𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘀
🔪 𝗥𝗲𝘃𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 𝗣𝗹𝗼𝘁
𝗦𝗼𝗺𝗲 𝗧𝗪:
- 𝗡𝗼𝗻 𝗖𝗼𝗻|𝗗𝘂𝗯 𝗖𝗼𝗻
- 𝗗𝗲𝗴𝗿@𝗱𝗮𝘁¡𝗼𝗻 𝗞𝗶𝗻𝗸
- 🔫|🍑𝗣𝗹𝗮𝘆
- 𝗜𝗻𝗷𝘂𝗿𝘆 𝗧𝗼 𝗔𝗻 𝗔𝗻𝗶𝗺𝗮𝗹
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𝗧𝗵𝗼𝘂𝗴𝗵𝘁𝘀:
I want to preface my review by saying…. Check Your Triggers (𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗴𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗶𝗼𝘂𝘀𝗹𝘆 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝘃𝗶𝗱𝗲𝗱 𝗼𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗵𝗼𝗿𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗯𝘀𝗶𝘁𝗲) At The Door!! The contents of this story WILL NOT be for everyone.
Get ready to be taken on a hell of ride with this one…. The two MCs are TRUE enemies to their core. They hate one another with passion that would ignite the largest body of water into a raging inferno.
𝗚𝗶𝗼𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗻𝗮 𝗦𝗶𝗹𝘃𝗮𝗻𝗶 has been through hell and back in name of family after her brother was murdered. With her head help high and emotions buried….she does again in the name of revenge. But as we know….it’s a dish best served cold. 𝒀𝑶𝑼 𝑴𝑼𝑺𝑻 always beware of who or what’s lurking on the other side.
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𝗘𝗻𝘇𝗼 𝗩𝗶𝗴𝗹𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗲. The brooding future capo has the weight of his world on his shoulders. A vicious father who definitely makes him want to look over his shoulder twice and brothers who are watching his every move… one simple encounter with his mortal enemy (𝘄𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗵 𝗵𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗻𝘀 𝘁𝗼 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗪𝗢𝗠𝗔𝗡 𝘄𝗵𝗼 𝘂𝗻𝗸𝗻𝗼𝘄𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗹𝘆 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗹𝗲 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗹 𝘆𝗲𝗮𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗼) to change the course of the entire plan.
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The plot, 𝗪𝗜𝗟𝗗. The tension and chemistry between the MCs, achingly 𝗣𝗔𝗟𝗣𝗔𝗕𝗟𝗘. The banter…. I have 𝗭𝗘𝗥𝗢 words.😮💨 The spice. 𝗠𝗘𝗟𝗧 𝗬𝗢𝗨𝗥 𝗣𝗔𝗡𝗧𝗜𝗘𝗦 𝗚𝗢𝗢𝗗!! As it should be with TRUE enemies to lovers.
This is book I in “𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗻” duet. Book II is available in KU. I definitely recommend this story (𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗼𝗳 𝗰𝗼𝘂𝗿𝘀𝗲).
ARC given by @thesmuthood
November 27, 2022
I devoured this dark, twisted, forced proximity, enemies to lovers, rival families, mafia romance. I got star-crossed lovers' vibes from this book with the fact that Enzo and Gia are from rival families and they don’t trust each other, but their chemistry is intense and explosive. The spice was phenomenal and honestly I loved these two. This book was also emotional in the way the characters’ traumas were handled.
There were so many twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat! I can’t wait to read the conclusion of this duet!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
There were so many twists and turns that had me on the edge of my seat! I can’t wait to read the conclusion of this duet!
Rating: 5/5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
November 3, 2022
This book is sooo good! Its plot pulled me right from the first chapter. I loved the story between Enzo and Gia. I’m sad about kind of the cliffhanger at end. Now I’m so excited to read the second book to find out what happens! 10/10 would recommend! I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 8, 2022
I finished this the other day, and needed a bit to gather my thoughts. {I have edited this review, and feel like I owe it to myself and Lauren to maybe reread to really get a better feel for the characters and their nuances. Keeping in mind I’m still relatively new to the Mafia-verse, which I think I could get lost in. In a good way of course}
Recommended if you like-
Strong/smart FMC
Alpha MMC
Mafia
Dark Romance -ish
Forced proximity -ish
*Check Trigger Warnings for this book*
The synopsis of this book sounded pretty promising and I was excited to get reading. Gia’s described as a smart, confident, give no shits kinda gal. Enzo’s hard and ruthless. She convinces her family’s rival to kidnap her and they’d split the ransom. Gia’s forced to stay in Enzo’s room, for her safety, and the sexual tension becomes pretty high (hello forced proximity lovers). Both Gia and Enzo have been through enough shit for a lifetime and their physical and emotional scars are on display. Their coping skills might not be healthy but it works for the story.
Here’s where it falls a bit for me. I felt like there wasn’t enough description in places and too much in others. It was clear Gia and Enzo were into each other and when they tried to “hate” each other it just didn’t sell and not in the “I hate that I love you way”, but more emotionless-which maybe was the point given their respectively rough upbringing. The spicy scenes were mostly well done, you could feel some heat but they sometimes felt rushed. But I guess it makes sense when considering Enzo’s character. He’s an all or nothing kind of man and he loves to wield that kind of sexual power and control over Gia. He was so good at getting Gia all hot and heavy and then just stopping because he could. It made Gia want him that much more. I’d originally commented that I felt some of those scenes were fade to black, but they aren’t FTB they’re literally a full stop. They either bang or they don’t. And you’ll definitely know when they do! Which is what we like, right?!
Anyways, things started to make a bit more sense with a plot twist towards the end, which I embarrassingly didn’t catch until they were in it. I think the book ended well, as I’m a sucker for a good HEA. The cliff hanger is intriguing though, so book two “Closer to Sin” is on my TBR for sure
Overall 3.5 rounded to 4/5– 2.5/5 for plot and characters, and 3.5/5 for spice and romance (Some parts were a bit dark—check trigger warnings). I just couldn’t help feeling there needed to be something more. more what? I’m not sure but, I really liked the overall feel of the book, just some areas fell flat to me. I don’t know why. I didn’t love this book, but didn’t hate it either. However it was a good quick entertaining read and I look forward to book two!
**I was given this book as an ARC for an honest review**
Recommended if you like-
Strong/smart FMC
Alpha MMC
Mafia
Dark Romance -ish
Forced proximity -ish
*Check Trigger Warnings for this book*
The synopsis of this book sounded pretty promising and I was excited to get reading. Gia’s described as a smart, confident, give no shits kinda gal. Enzo’s hard and ruthless. She convinces her family’s rival to kidnap her and they’d split the ransom. Gia’s forced to stay in Enzo’s room, for her safety, and the sexual tension becomes pretty high (hello forced proximity lovers). Both Gia and Enzo have been through enough shit for a lifetime and their physical and emotional scars are on display. Their coping skills might not be healthy but it works for the story.
Here’s where it falls a bit for me. I felt like there wasn’t enough description in places and too much in others. It was clear Gia and Enzo were into each other and when they tried to “hate” each other it just didn’t sell and not in the “I hate that I love you way”, but more emotionless-which maybe was the point given their respectively rough upbringing. The spicy scenes were mostly well done, you could feel some heat but they sometimes felt rushed. But I guess it makes sense when considering Enzo’s character. He’s an all or nothing kind of man and he loves to wield that kind of sexual power and control over Gia. He was so good at getting Gia all hot and heavy and then just stopping because he could. It made Gia want him that much more. I’d originally commented that I felt some of those scenes were fade to black, but they aren’t FTB they’re literally a full stop. They either bang or they don’t. And you’ll definitely know when they do! Which is what we like, right?!
Anyways, things started to make a bit more sense with a plot twist towards the end, which I embarrassingly didn’t catch until they were in it. I think the book ended well, as I’m a sucker for a good HEA. The cliff hanger is intriguing though, so book two “Closer to Sin” is on my TBR for sure
Overall 3.5 rounded to 4/5– 2.5/5 for plot and characters, and 3.5/5 for spice and romance (Some parts were a bit dark—check trigger warnings). I just couldn’t help feeling there needed to be something more. more what? I’m not sure but, I really liked the overall feel of the book, just some areas fell flat to me. I don’t know why. I didn’t love this book, but didn’t hate it either. However it was a good quick entertaining read and I look forward to book two!
**I was given this book as an ARC for an honest review**
October 29, 2022
Enzo will now live rent free in my head!
Lauren you have outdone yourself!
I received this as an ARC. Normally I’m skeptical on mafia romance, but love a good kidnapping so I thought let’s give it a whirl. The true nature of mafia is hard to capture without getting outlandish in my opinion. I like some realism to it. Lauren was able to creat a great scenario and really capture the scene without feeling fake. From start to finish Gia has balls! I love a good strong FMC that doesn’t waver, and even more so I love when the MMC brings that strong FMC to her knees. It makes things so much more intense.
The story only got more exciting as pages turned. I couldn’t put it down! I’m so glad Gia did what she did early on. Enzo is so in love with her! I love when a powerful man gets hit with cupids arrow, because now she’s bringing him to his knees. The push and pull between them is sensational.
Great job of leaving a cliffhanger. I’m excited to dive into book 2 in a few months. The excitement never stops.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📚🌶🌶🌶🌶
Lauren you have outdone yourself!
I received this as an ARC. Normally I’m skeptical on mafia romance, but love a good kidnapping so I thought let’s give it a whirl. The true nature of mafia is hard to capture without getting outlandish in my opinion. I like some realism to it. Lauren was able to creat a great scenario and really capture the scene without feeling fake. From start to finish Gia has balls! I love a good strong FMC that doesn’t waver, and even more so I love when the MMC brings that strong FMC to her knees. It makes things so much more intense.
The story only got more exciting as pages turned. I couldn’t put it down! I’m so glad Gia did what she did early on. Enzo is so in love with her! I love when a powerful man gets hit with cupids arrow, because now she’s bringing him to his knees. The push and pull between them is sensational.
Great job of leaving a cliffhanger. I’m excited to dive into book 2 in a few months. The excitement never stops.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️📚🌶🌶🌶🌶
October 22, 2022
MMC: Enzo Viglioni
FMC: Giovanna Silvani/Gia
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
This duet can be described as a dark, modern day portrayal of Romeo and Juliet. It has many unexpected twists and turns.
The FMC and MMC come from 2 feuding mafia families, the Salvani’s and Viglioni’s, that are out for blood. The 2 unlikely matches have to fight their long standing love and hate feelings for each other. They both have each others families blood on their hands.
The FMC and MMC have survived much trauma in their lives and this is what brings them together on common ground.
This is another story from this author that I absolutely loved. It’s dark and twisty and VERY spicy! I devoured this series.
CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS
18+ Audience
NonCon
DubCon
Kidnapping (sort of)
Enemies to lovers
Violence
Unaliving
Dark Romance
Mafia
Just to name a few
FMC: Giovanna Silvani/Gia
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice: 🌶🌶🌶🌶
This duet can be described as a dark, modern day portrayal of Romeo and Juliet. It has many unexpected twists and turns.
The FMC and MMC come from 2 feuding mafia families, the Salvani’s and Viglioni’s, that are out for blood. The 2 unlikely matches have to fight their long standing love and hate feelings for each other. They both have each others families blood on their hands.
The FMC and MMC have survived much trauma in their lives and this is what brings them together on common ground.
This is another story from this author that I absolutely loved. It’s dark and twisty and VERY spicy! I devoured this series.
CHECK TRIGGER WARNINGS
18+ Audience
NonCon
DubCon
Kidnapping (sort of)
Enemies to lovers
Violence
Unaliving
Dark Romance
Mafia
Just to name a few
November 22, 2022
This is a truly enemies to lovers and I LOVE that. This book was a roller-coaster of suspense and intensity. I truly did not know what was gonna happen next or even what the characters would say.
As messed up as the relationship between Enzo and Gia was i couldn't help but root for them through the entire book. Its one of those books that I kinda feel like they try to hate each other as much as possible but in reality thy softies for one another just don't know how to show it. Cause one thing about them is that their chemistry was amazing. Even after screaming I hate you to each other they still wanted one another and would literally kill to protect each other.
I need the next book immediately im so invested in their story especially after the way it ended!! But seriously this was a really good book it was filled with a lot of emotions and betrayals but the sweet and sexy times make up for it!
As messed up as the relationship between Enzo and Gia was i couldn't help but root for them through the entire book. Its one of those books that I kinda feel like they try to hate each other as much as possible but in reality thy softies for one another just don't know how to show it. Cause one thing about them is that their chemistry was amazing. Even after screaming I hate you to each other they still wanted one another and would literally kill to protect each other.
I need the next book immediately im so invested in their story especially after the way it ended!! But seriously this was a really good book it was filled with a lot of emotions and betrayals but the sweet and sexy times make up for it!
December 8, 2022
I love a good #mafiaromance, so when I learned about this through Romance Me With Books, I knew I had to read it. I was not disappointed. There's tension (oh the tension), a strong female character, enemies to lovers, and rival families.
I was hooked in the first chapter. I could not put this book down. I had 30 minutes left in this book when I started work today and it was killing me that I couldn't keep reading it! I'm so happy there's going to be a second book, because I need more of Gia and Enzo! And their rottweiler!
I really enjoyed this book, but make sure you check the trigger warnings because there are some scenes that can be really difficult for people to read.
I was hooked in the first chapter. I could not put this book down. I had 30 minutes left in this book when I started work today and it was killing me that I couldn't keep reading it! I'm so happy there's going to be a second book, because I need more of Gia and Enzo! And their rottweiler!
I really enjoyed this book, but make sure you check the trigger warnings because there are some scenes that can be really difficult for people to read.
November 14, 2022
Absolutely loved this, Enzo is rugged and ruthless, Gia is fierce and keeps him on his toes I would love to know more about their back story as to what happened to make them who they are now...this book was spicy and it kept me on the edge of my seat from the very first chapter...Thank you so much Lauren Biel for allowing me the opportunity to read this, I look forward to reading closer to sin coming this December.
November 5, 2022
Dark, spicy, classic Biel traumance!
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, because I don’t read a lot of mafia romance. But I knew even if it wasn’t my flavour that I’d still enjoy the flawed effed-up characters that Lauren Biel is so good at weaving. And I wasn’t disappointed!
Enzo and Gia have heaps of baggage, and they make the delicious mistake of intertwining that baggage and causing more trouble for each other than they expected. It’s a dark, twisted tale, peppered with glorious spice and complex emotions, and I can’t wait for the next book!
Mind your triggers on this one, for there are many.
I wasn’t sure what I was getting into with this one, because I don’t read a lot of mafia romance. But I knew even if it wasn’t my flavour that I’d still enjoy the flawed effed-up characters that Lauren Biel is so good at weaving. And I wasn’t disappointed!
Enzo and Gia have heaps of baggage, and they make the delicious mistake of intertwining that baggage and causing more trouble for each other than they expected. It’s a dark, twisted tale, peppered with glorious spice and complex emotions, and I can’t wait for the next book!
Mind your triggers on this one, for there are many.
December 28, 2022
Excellent book!! I finished this book in one day. Has great spice and also a great storyline. I’m excited to see what happens in book 2!
December 6, 2022
Gia is tired of being in the dangerous field her family is known for. Her only hope of getting out is going to the rival family and striking a deal. But things don’t go according to plan and know she is a captive to them. Enzo is in charge of her and her biggest enemy but he also might be the only person she can lean on.
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I liked quite of few things about this book. Gia is looking to gain her freedom and the story is about her going to her family’s rival and concocting a plan to kidnap her for a ransom. The story was unique and it did grab my attention.
This is a shorter book so I thought the pacing was decent for the length of it. I think my biggest issue was the characters. Especially Enzo. That man gave me a terrible case of whiplash. He does one thing but says another.
I felt like the author couldn’t decide on how dark he was. One minute he is trying to be aggressive with Gia and the next he is talking about how wrong that is and telling other family members they don’t do that.
Gia felt similar to me. She is trying to get away from her family’s business which is weird because she says she used to love it. But she did describe some terrible situations that make you understand her decision. But she also talks about how much she loves her family?
I still enjoyed the book overall. Enzo and Gia are like fireworks. Dangerous, loud, but pretty. It does have some triggers, keep that in mind if you are easily triggered or offended.
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I liked quite of few things about this book. Gia is looking to gain her freedom and the story is about her going to her family’s rival and concocting a plan to kidnap her for a ransom. The story was unique and it did grab my attention.
This is a shorter book so I thought the pacing was decent for the length of it. I think my biggest issue was the characters. Especially Enzo. That man gave me a terrible case of whiplash. He does one thing but says another.
I felt like the author couldn’t decide on how dark he was. One minute he is trying to be aggressive with Gia and the next he is talking about how wrong that is and telling other family members they don’t do that.
Gia felt similar to me. She is trying to get away from her family’s business which is weird because she says she used to love it. But she did describe some terrible situations that make you understand her decision. But she also talks about how much she loves her family?
I still enjoyed the book overall. Enzo and Gia are like fireworks. Dangerous, loud, but pretty. It does have some triggers, keep that in mind if you are easily triggered or offended.
November 19, 2022
Thank you The Smuthood and Author for providing Me an eARC of this book.
“He was like a prowling animal, and I was injured prey trying to hide what ailed me.”
This book was good i liked it. I liked the writing style and the storytelling and the characters they’re very intriguing.
In the first half of the book i hated Enzo idk why he just pissed me off sometimes but in the second half I absolutely loved him. His relationship with Gia was very…how can I say it complicated. He hated her and yet he wanted her too, which made him mad and confused. I loved how sometimes he's gentle with her when he knows that she's his enemy.
And Gia omg what she went through broke my heart and I wanted her to kill everyone who did her wrong. I loved how she defied Enzo whenever she had the chance. I just wish that we saw more of her trauma I know she's strong but I truly wished to see her break down and see Enzo going batshit crazy because of it and take revenge on everyone who harmed her. I hope to see that in book 2 which I'm definitely gonna read.
If you love these tropes I've listed then you should definitely read this book but please check TWs!!! Because this book is intense.
“I know what kind of woman
Giovanna is. The kind who would stab me and paint her face with my blood.”
✨My Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
✨Tropes✨
- Enemies To Lovers🔥
- Rival Families🔥
- Spicy🔥
- Degradation Kink🔥
- Praise Kink🔥
- Gun Play🔥
- Public Play🔥
- Dark Romance🔥
✨Trigger Warnings✨
- Gun Play⚠️
- Non Con⚠️
- Dub Con⚠️
- Strong Sexual Content⚠️
- Unaliving⚠️
- Violence
- CSA Trauma History⚠️
- Temporary Animal Injury⚠️
- Rape⚠️
“He was like a prowling animal, and I was injured prey trying to hide what ailed me.”
This book was good i liked it. I liked the writing style and the storytelling and the characters they’re very intriguing.
In the first half of the book i hated Enzo idk why he just pissed me off sometimes but in the second half I absolutely loved him. His relationship with Gia was very…how can I say it complicated. He hated her and yet he wanted her too, which made him mad and confused. I loved how sometimes he's gentle with her when he knows that she's his enemy.
And Gia omg what she went through broke my heart and I wanted her to kill everyone who did her wrong. I loved how she defied Enzo whenever she had the chance. I just wish that we saw more of her trauma I know she's strong but I truly wished to see her break down and see Enzo going batshit crazy because of it and take revenge on everyone who harmed her. I hope to see that in book 2 which I'm definitely gonna read.
If you love these tropes I've listed then you should definitely read this book but please check TWs!!! Because this book is intense.
“I know what kind of woman
Giovanna is. The kind who would stab me and paint her face with my blood.”
✨My Rating✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
✨Tropes✨
- Enemies To Lovers🔥
- Rival Families🔥
- Spicy🔥
- Degradation Kink🔥
- Praise Kink🔥
- Gun Play🔥
- Public Play🔥
- Dark Romance🔥
✨Trigger Warnings✨
- Gun Play⚠️
- Non Con⚠️
- Dub Con⚠️
- Strong Sexual Content⚠️
- Unaliving⚠️
- Violence
- CSA Trauma History⚠️
- Temporary Animal Injury⚠️
- Rape⚠️
October 29, 2022
4*
Plot 4/5 | Characters 4/5 | Romance 2.5/5 (more chemistry than romance)| Spice 4.5/5
Dark and delicious mafia done right! Not sure what is in the air but this seems to be my fav genre lately and this book was well done. It follows two enemy mafia families and the inner life and sacrifices of the kids (now adults) that grow up in that type of toxic and depraved environment. Gia and Enzo went through just about every type of terrible thing a person could and they deal with it in their own way. What to expect:
*Trigger Warning (for just about everything- if you read dark mafia romances, none of this will surprise you. If you haven't, you are warned)
*forced proximity (sort of)
*enemies to lovers (sort of)
*steamy steamy steamy
There were a few moments that I seriously had to wonder about Enzo and Gia, because they just acted like they were too stupid to live. Yeah, yeah, love makes you blind and all that...but STILL! They both lost their minds with some things they did and it makes you wonder how they made it this far. Both of them are a little immature. I expected a little more resistance from Enzo. But their chemistry is undeniable and their bond over shared trauma is strong. Get these two together and there are fireworks. Overall, a really good book and I look forward to reading the next.
If you like dark mafia romances, this book should definitely be on your TBR list.
* I received a free ARC of this novel. My review is voluntary and 100% my own opinion*
Plot 4/5 | Characters 4/5 | Romance 2.5/5 (more chemistry than romance)| Spice 4.5/5
Dark and delicious mafia done right! Not sure what is in the air but this seems to be my fav genre lately and this book was well done. It follows two enemy mafia families and the inner life and sacrifices of the kids (now adults) that grow up in that type of toxic and depraved environment. Gia and Enzo went through just about every type of terrible thing a person could and they deal with it in their own way. What to expect:
*Trigger Warning (for just about everything- if you read dark mafia romances, none of this will surprise you. If you haven't, you are warned)
*forced proximity (sort of)
*enemies to lovers (sort of)
*steamy steamy steamy
There were a few moments that I seriously had to wonder about Enzo and Gia, because they just acted like they were too stupid to live. Yeah, yeah, love makes you blind and all that...but STILL! They both lost their minds with some things they did and it makes you wonder how they made it this far. Both of them are a little immature. I expected a little more resistance from Enzo. But their chemistry is undeniable and their bond over shared trauma is strong. Get these two together and there are fireworks. Overall, a really good book and I look forward to reading the next.
If you like dark mafia romances, this book should definitely be on your TBR list.
* I received a free ARC of this novel. My review is voluntary and 100% my own opinion*
November 24, 2022
This book has got to be one of the best enemies to lovers I have ever read, and I've read a lot. That, on top of a mafia setting and forced proximity, brings you one hell of a brilliant story with equally brilliant steam. Can't wait for book two at the end of the year!
October 26, 2024
This book started out well, but it ended up falling kind of flat for me. I do love Lauren’s writing and a lot of her books, but this one just didn’t hit.
This is a mafia star crossed vibes kind of romance, but extremely naughty.
I will go ahead and read book 2 and see how that goes.
This is a mafia star crossed vibes kind of romance, but extremely naughty.
I will go ahead and read book 2 and see how that goes.
November 29, 2022
Edge of Sin is the first book in the duet. This is an enemies to lovers, forbidden, dark mafia romance with triggers. With that being said, if the following are triggers (kidnapping, rape, sexual abuse, drugs, murder, etc.) for you then I suggest you read this book with caution or find a different book.
This book wasn’t what I expected and I got sucked into the mafia life within the first few pages. Giovanna “Gia” Silvani and Lorenzo “Enzo” Viglione have been enemies since the day they were born. As Gia’s family is the most prominent family, Enzo’s family (second most prominent) has been plotting to reach the top for years and after a deal went south years ago, their families have hated each other more than ever.
Gia is the only daughter and eldest of the Silvani siblings. She is fierce, sassy, gorgeous, and cold hearted. With her father being the top crime boss, she lives up to the reputation he has lain out for their family. She refers to herself as a black widow, who possess the kiss of death, as every man she has slept with ends up dead afterwards in one way or the other. As the black widow, she hasn’t let a man touch her for years and has no plans on changing that. When she has gotten herself into a pickle, she resorts to asking the rival mafia family to help her and as we all know, everything comes at a price.
Enzo is the eldest of the Viglione siblings and next in line to take over the family business. He wants to do things differently than his father. With their different views on how to conduct business, Enzo and his father tend to disagree on a lot of things. His family has a cruel reputation and has built their empire on fear and retaliation. As he tries to handle the situation that Gia has presented them with, he learns that he will do anything to protect the ones he cares about and realizes that his obsession is actually something else.
This steamy dark romance has its surprises and twists in it that will keep you on your toes and wanting to read more. I was so excited to see that the second book in the duet is coming out next month. I can’t wait to see what is next for Gia and Enzo and what their families and futures have in store for them.
Highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a good forbidden dark romance to get sucked into to avoid family, cleaning, or whatever. Go one click this book, go hide away and get transported into the mafia world of the Silvano’s and Viglione’s.
This book wasn’t what I expected and I got sucked into the mafia life within the first few pages. Giovanna “Gia” Silvani and Lorenzo “Enzo” Viglione have been enemies since the day they were born. As Gia’s family is the most prominent family, Enzo’s family (second most prominent) has been plotting to reach the top for years and after a deal went south years ago, their families have hated each other more than ever.
Gia is the only daughter and eldest of the Silvani siblings. She is fierce, sassy, gorgeous, and cold hearted. With her father being the top crime boss, she lives up to the reputation he has lain out for their family. She refers to herself as a black widow, who possess the kiss of death, as every man she has slept with ends up dead afterwards in one way or the other. As the black widow, she hasn’t let a man touch her for years and has no plans on changing that. When she has gotten herself into a pickle, she resorts to asking the rival mafia family to help her and as we all know, everything comes at a price.
Enzo is the eldest of the Viglione siblings and next in line to take over the family business. He wants to do things differently than his father. With their different views on how to conduct business, Enzo and his father tend to disagree on a lot of things. His family has a cruel reputation and has built their empire on fear and retaliation. As he tries to handle the situation that Gia has presented them with, he learns that he will do anything to protect the ones he cares about and realizes that his obsession is actually something else.
This steamy dark romance has its surprises and twists in it that will keep you on your toes and wanting to read more. I was so excited to see that the second book in the duet is coming out next month. I can’t wait to see what is next for Gia and Enzo and what their families and futures have in store for them.
Highly recommend this book to anyone who needs a good forbidden dark romance to get sucked into to avoid family, cleaning, or whatever. Go one click this book, go hide away and get transported into the mafia world of the Silvano’s and Viglione’s.
November 8, 2022
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
⚔️Enemies-to-Lovers
⚔️Mafia/Rival Families
⚔️Forced Proximity
⚔️Alphah0lə MMC
⚔️Incredibly Strong FMC
⚔️All the Sp¡cə & Tension
Please read responsibly and mind TWs. [There's a few.]
•
Enzo-MFing-Viglione is Daddy. Period. He's intense. He's hardened. He's a control freak. He does some toxic sh¡tə, like not opening up to Gia, shoving her away when he gets close to vulnerability. He has a thing for denial and O control, exhibitionism, and voyeurism—if it's Gia. He's a Don. And he has all the toxic traits of a Don who grew up in the business w/ an abus¡və father.
Gia is strength personified. She's strong to the point of being called frigid. And it's warranted bc she has all of the trauma of a woman growing up in the business. What I absolutely fucking adore abt this couple is that Gia gives Enzo a soft place to land, to explore opening up and Enzo disarms Gia's strength allowing her to feel safe in her own vulnerability. They are the epitome of "I'm strong where you are weak" and I'm here for it.
I'm here for an FMC w/ strength from the start. I'm here for her learning that softness is okay, that healing is okay. Instead of the common weak woman finds hero, hero unlocks her strength. I also appreciate how Enzo seems to seek out Gia's strength, leans into it, allows it to crack his tough exterior.
The spice in this duet—yes, duet—is 🥵🥵🥵. Enzo's denial & roughness is EVERYTHING! But when he's sweet, g'damn it's sickeningly so. Like clutch your heart bc it may melt out of your body. Gia needs degradation, she needs it to help her overcome her past, to connect with Enzo in the moment. She let's him replace those memories. And that's something I resonated with. I resonated with Gia a fuckton.
I was completely consumed by Enzo & Gia. It's no exaggeration when I say they have my heart. They're everything we love in our MCs—a little [lot] toxic, chemistry off the charts, & relatable. So relatable. I know I say this a lot but Lauren writes in a way that really envelops you in the story. Usually it takes me one thing to connect but the way she layers her nuances makes me identify deeper w/ her characters. 🖤
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶/5
⚔️Enemies-to-Lovers
⚔️Mafia/Rival Families
⚔️Forced Proximity
⚔️Alphah0lə MMC
⚔️Incredibly Strong FMC
⚔️All the Sp¡cə & Tension
Please read responsibly and mind TWs. [There's a few.]
•
Enzo-MFing-Viglione is Daddy. Period. He's intense. He's hardened. He's a control freak. He does some toxic sh¡tə, like not opening up to Gia, shoving her away when he gets close to vulnerability. He has a thing for denial and O control, exhibitionism, and voyeurism—if it's Gia. He's a Don. And he has all the toxic traits of a Don who grew up in the business w/ an abus¡və father.
Gia is strength personified. She's strong to the point of being called frigid. And it's warranted bc she has all of the trauma of a woman growing up in the business. What I absolutely fucking adore abt this couple is that Gia gives Enzo a soft place to land, to explore opening up and Enzo disarms Gia's strength allowing her to feel safe in her own vulnerability. They are the epitome of "I'm strong where you are weak" and I'm here for it.
I'm here for an FMC w/ strength from the start. I'm here for her learning that softness is okay, that healing is okay. Instead of the common weak woman finds hero, hero unlocks her strength. I also appreciate how Enzo seems to seek out Gia's strength, leans into it, allows it to crack his tough exterior.
The spice in this duet—yes, duet—is 🥵🥵🥵. Enzo's denial & roughness is EVERYTHING! But when he's sweet, g'damn it's sickeningly so. Like clutch your heart bc it may melt out of your body. Gia needs degradation, she needs it to help her overcome her past, to connect with Enzo in the moment. She let's him replace those memories. And that's something I resonated with. I resonated with Gia a fuckton.
I was completely consumed by Enzo & Gia. It's no exaggeration when I say they have my heart. They're everything we love in our MCs—a little [lot] toxic, chemistry off the charts, & relatable. So relatable. I know I say this a lot but Lauren writes in a way that really envelops you in the story. Usually it takes me one thing to connect but the way she layers her nuances makes me identify deeper w/ her characters. 🖤
November 16, 2022
In short, this is a mafia romance where the female main character, Gia, gives herself up to the enemy in an attempt to record their business meetings.
There's a lot to like about this book. Gia is a strong female character, which is a nice change of pace. It was entertaining, and kept my attention. In my opinion, it really picks up about 40 percent of the way through, which is also when the romance aspect also picks up. I also thought the author did a great job in writing and explaining the characters' traumas.
Some of the character names were confusing at first. There's Enzo, Lorenzo, Silvani (last name, but sometimes Gia is called Miss Silvani), Silvio, Sylvester.
I also found it a bit odd that Enzo didn't seem to have a hold over his family. His father constantly surprised him and took advantage of him. He even at one point purchases cocaine for his dad, because his dad tells him to. There's another point where Enzo goes to a safe house, claiming that no one knows he has a safe house, not even his dad; but then a few paragraphs later Bullseye shows up stating he followed him on the GPS. It made Enzo seem a bit incompetent. It's not too big of a deal though; after all, it's used as a plot device to push the story-line forward.
Overall, it's a great Mafia romance. I wish the author continued success!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
There's a lot to like about this book. Gia is a strong female character, which is a nice change of pace. It was entertaining, and kept my attention. In my opinion, it really picks up about 40 percent of the way through, which is also when the romance aspect also picks up. I also thought the author did a great job in writing and explaining the characters' traumas.
Some of the character names were confusing at first. There's Enzo, Lorenzo, Silvani (last name, but sometimes Gia is called Miss Silvani), Silvio, Sylvester.
I also found it a bit odd that Enzo didn't seem to have a hold over his family. His father constantly surprised him and took advantage of him. He even at one point purchases cocaine for his dad, because his dad tells him to. There's another point where Enzo goes to a safe house, claiming that no one knows he has a safe house, not even his dad; but then a few paragraphs later Bullseye shows up stating he followed him on the GPS. It made Enzo seem a bit incompetent. It's not too big of a deal though; after all, it's used as a plot device to push the story-line forward.
Overall, it's a great Mafia romance. I wish the author continued success!
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
November 2, 2022
This was a different dark romance read. Both main characters where equally dark and devious. The female mc plans her own kidnapping, I mean seriously what could go wrong? This is a refreshing mafia, dark romance, wrote in a different feel then normal. Where as the main male character, is not all evil and over bearing, not abusive towards the fmc. They both bring baggage and issues, but he deep down loves her. They come from two head mafia families with bad ties and history. Gia wants/craves freedom from everything around her, she asks a rival mob family to fake her abduction. Just so she can escape life as she knows it. Enzo is thrown into a babysitting role, to over see Gia's kidnapping. They have a history that hes forced to deal with. He's harboring feelings that he's tried to push away for Gia, only for everything to be brought to the surface. Then along with each other they have two murderous, depraved families pushing and pulling them both. The book is filled with slow burn angst and backstabbing. You never know which way your being pulled. Seriously who can you trust from two mob families. The dynamic of the two main characters has a different pull that really draws you into them. It's a dark read with very triggering subject matters so definitely check those. It ends leaving you wanting more. I can not wait for the second book to drop!
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