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Giana Darling
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When Villains Rise (Anti-Heroes in Love Duet Book 2) Kindle Edition

by Giana Darling (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.6 out of 5 stars 3,081 ratings

From Wall Street Journal bestselling author Giana Darling comes the conclusion to the Anti-Heroes in Love duet, a gripping mafia romance about the capo who will risk everything to keep the woman he loves safe...

I am the hero no one wanted...

I was a murderer.

One of the cruelest and wealthiest men in New York City.

Dante Salvatore, capo of capos.

Yet I had one weakness.

Elena Lombardi.

Cold as ice, sharp as the edge of broken glass, and more beautiful than any woman should have the right to be, she stormed my defenses and razed my life as I knew it to the ground. For her, I would once again play the hero and prove myself worthy of her unconquerable heart.

For her, I would change everything.

I could have left her to the enemies hounding me, but instead, I made the unforgivable decision to take her with me to the old country. Now, there is no other option. In order to keep both of us safe, Elena Lombardi must become my wife.

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  1. Book 2 of 2
    Anti-Heroes in Love Duet
  2. Print length
    467 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publication date
    July 5, 2021
  5. File size
    3.8 MB
  6. Page Flip
    Enabled
  7. Word Wise
    Enabled
  8. Enhanced typesetting
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From the Publisher

mafia romance dark Giana Darling lawyer grump sunshine forbidden
mafia romance dark Giana Darling lawyer grump sunshine forbidden
mafia romance dark Giana Darling lawyer grump sunshine forbidden
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Customer Reviews
4.6 out of 5 stars 3,081
4.6 out of 5 stars 3,081
4.6 out of 5 stars 3,081
4.5 out of 5 stars 379
4.6 out of 5 stars 3,081
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Enjoy in all formats Digital Ebook Male Model Paperback Male Model Hardback Boxset of duet Narrated by Jeremy York & Rose Dioro

Editorial Reviews

Review

Dare I say Dante Salvatore is by far the dirtiest talking & most romantic hero Giana has ever written. Be Still my black heart!
- Gracereads ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

When Villains Rise by Giana Darling overwhelmed me with endless powerful emotions. I want to cry. Not because I am sad. Because I am too much happy, too much excited, too much aroused and too much everything.
- Paramita - PP's Bookshelf ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Explosive passion and non-stop twists, this mafia romance will have you on the edge from beginning to end!
-Keri Loves Books, Goodreads Reviewer ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I couldn't dream of a better ending for Elena and Dante's love story. It's action-packed, filled with jaw-dropping twists and it's based on an unshakable love.
- Weronika - Little Steamy Reads ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Dante and Elena are on fire and I'm so here for every second of their chemistry. A perfect conclusion to this adventurous mafia romantic suspense.
- Miss Petite Brunette Book Blog ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

What a powerfully emotive and grippingly suspenseful finale to perhaps the most epic love story from Giana Darling to date!
- The Romantic Rush Blog ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0961HRVZ5
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Giana Darling Publishing (July 5, 2021)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ July 5, 2021
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 3.8 MB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 467 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 out of 5 stars 3,081 ratings

About the author

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Giana Darling

Giana Darling

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Giana Darling is an USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Top 40 Amazon Best Selling Canadian romance writer who specializes in the taboo and angsty side of love and romance. She currently lives in beautiful British Columbia where she spends time riding on the back of her man’s bike, baking pies, and reading snuggled up with her cat, Persephone, and Golden Retriever, Romeo.

Join her newsletter for exclusive material ➜ http://eepurl.com/b0qnPr

Join her reader's group on Facebook➜ http://bit.ly/2CFNVsK

Check out her Instagram for unique insights ➜http://bit.ly/2eNG8Bp

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
3,081 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers praise this captivating love story as one of the best mafia romances, with Dante described as perfection. The book features well-developed characters who evolve throughout the duet, and customers appreciate its intense emotional content and fascinating pacing. Customers describe Elena as a strong and superior woman, and one customer notes the scorching hot sex scenes.

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63 customers mention "Story quality"63 positive0 negative

Customers love the story of this mafia romance, describing it as a captivating love story with a stunning conclusion and fairytale ending.

"...Giana writes incredibly and knows exactly how to captivate the audience. I plan to read the rest of her books and I cannot wait!!..." Read more

"...The romance is sweet and spicy, and like mentioned earlier the character growth of Elena (well really her re-discovering herself) is beautiful to..." Read more

"So much heart and feeling in pages that wrapped themselves around you like a warm blanket, but with spikes that prickled your skin...." Read more

"...The storyline is full of action and danger. I could not put this book down...." Read more

38 customers mention "Love for dante"38 positive0 negative

Customers express deep affection for Dante, describing him as perfection and a beautiful duet with Elena.

"...Elena is so strong and so beautiful. Her character from the first book in the duet to the second is completely different...." Read more

"...growth of Elena (well really her re-discovering herself) is beautiful to watch. The conclusion of this duet gutted me in such a good way...." Read more

"...And Dante is perfection! He makes book 1 and 2. Good steam. But the passion was better." Read more

"...Hands down my favorite scenes were all of chapter 18 (so sweet 🥺) and the epilogue. Ugh, the epilogue made me cry...." Read more

17 customers mention "Character development"17 positive0 negative

Customers praise the character development in this book, noting the beautiful growth from the first installment and the perfect pairing of Dante and Elena, with one customer highlighting the three-dimensional nature of the characters.

"...The love between both characters is everything. They love hard and they love fast. The spice in this book was magnifica. *..." Read more

"...What I loved about this book was that we got character development, romance, and plot...." Read more

"...I love this book and series! It is well written and the characters are so full of depth and emotion. The storyline is full of action and danger...." Read more

"...Dante was the perfect mix of strong and charismatic...." Read more

17 customers mention "Emotional content"17 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the emotional depth of the book, with its intense feelings and Happily Ever After ending, and one customer noting how it made them cry for days.

"...Now onto the story — this book was phenomenal and made me feel so many different things...." Read more

"So much heart and feeling in pages that wrapped themselves around you like a warm blanket, but with spikes that prickled your skin...." Read more

"...It is well written and the characters are so full of depth and emotion. The storyline is full of action and danger...." Read more

"...Speaking of softness, I LOVED that Dante made Elena feel safe enough to be soft...." Read more

11 customers mention "Pacing"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the pacing of the book, describing it as fascinating, with one customer highlighting its potent revelations and another noting its beautiful brutality.

"...The storyline is full of action and danger. I could not put this book down...." Read more

"...The drama, suspense, darkness, action, twists, steam and revelations make a potent and addictive brew that has you totally consumed and fiercely..." Read more

"...Swoon! Dante's POV leaves you panting with his beautifully brutal thoughts of Elena and are like the poetry I have always craved to have happen to..." Read more

"...Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Great world building, Happily Ever After, Page-turner, Romantic, Steamy, Tear-jerker, Tragic, Twisted,..." Read more

11 customers mention "Strength"11 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the strength of the character Elena, describing her as a brave and fierce woman.

"...Elena is so strong and so beautiful. Her character from the first book in the duet to the second is completely different...." Read more

"...Still, I like Elena a lot and thought she found a good balance between her strength and softness...." Read more

"...Elena is so empowering and strong." Read more

"...for Elena opens up those deep longing to be courageous, passionate and strong and most of all the happiness that seemed to elude her, she was known..." Read more

11 customers mention "Writing quality"11 positive0 negative

Customers praise the writing quality of the book, with one customer highlighting its beautiful quotable phrases and another noting its easy readability.

"...Giana writes incredibly and knows exactly how to captivate the audience. I plan to read the rest of her books and I cannot wait!!..." Read more

"...I love this book and series! It is well written and the characters are so full of depth and emotion. The storyline is full of action and danger...." Read more

"3.75/5 stars! I absolutely love the way Giana Darling writes...." Read more

"...Reasons I enjoyed this book: Action-packed, Easy-to-read, Entertaining, Great world building, Happily Ever After, Page-turner, Romantic,..." Read more

7 customers mention "Steam level"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the steamy content of the book, with one customer noting that the sex scenes are scorching hot.

"...And Dante is perfection! He makes book 1 and 2. Good steam. But the passion was better." Read more

"...The drama, suspense, darkness, action, twists, steam and revelations make a potent and addictive brew that has you totally consumed and fiercely..." Read more

"...Great world building, Happily Ever After, Page-turner, Romantic, Steamy, Tear-jerker, Tragic, Twisted, Unpredictable, Wonderful characters" Read more

"...Why the sex scenes where scorching hot there where 1 or 3 too many for me and then they become page fillers...." Read more

My all time favorite romance novel. Elena and Dante are the best couple there ever was.
5 out of 5 stars
My all time favorite romance novel. Elena and Dante are the best couple there ever was.
10/5 stars!! I Cried so much at the end ❤️😭💖 Dante and Elena are one of the best couples I’ve ever come across. The amount of chills, emotion, tears, laughter, etc. this duet is giving me is unbelievable. I just never want to leave this world or let go of Dante and Elena. And how is Giana Darling such a good writer?! How is this my first book of hers? Well… I’m shook at this in the best possible way. If you’re going to read one romance or just novel in 2021, I highly recommend The Anti-Heroes in Love Duet ❤️. I’m even going to tell my friends who don’t read to read this book. Dante is everything. He’s above and beyond in so many ways he keeps surprising me more with the amount of bravery and love he exudes. Elena makes me cry and laugh and breaks my heart. You feel as though she’s your best friend and her inner criticisms mirror those of so many women. They speak of truth and pain. Everything comes full circle as the cycle of abuse, lies and long lost loves meet in this book. I wish I could talk about the scenes that took my breath away but that would be spoiling it. As someone who LOVES romance, love, starting out as enemies, angst, truth, justice and feeling feelings. This book is exactly what I’ve always wanted and never knew I needed. Stories like these are why I read romance novels. There’s so much more to reading romance than people who’ve never read romance novels assume. This book and books like it will shatter those judgements because there is so much more to reading a great romance novel than just two people falling in love. This is discovering who you are as a person. Finding yourself, facing adversity and being courageous. This is about forgiving people who hurt you because life is short. This novel will show you that sometimes taking a risk and putting yourself out there is worth everything. I highly doubt I’ll read something that touched me this deeply in a while. These gems comes ones every so often.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Sandra
    5.0 out of 5 stars Enjoyed
    Reviewed in the United States on April 21, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    Another great book I love Elena and Dante. Their love is so all consuming. The story was interesting from beginning to end . I enjoyed it
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  • readwithevelane
    4.0 out of 5 stars I'm surprised I liked this so much after how I felt about part one
    Reviewed in the United States on January 8, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    "𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓𝒔. 𝒀𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒔𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒊𝒐𝒏, 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒐𝒎𝒆. 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒅𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒖𝒏𝒅𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒕𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒆𝒕, 𝒃𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒏𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝑬𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒂. 𝑰 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖’𝒗𝒆 𝒃𝒆𝒆𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒕𝒐𝒐 𝒎𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒂𝒍𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒚. 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒐𝒏𝒍𝒚 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒉𝒖𝒓𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒚𝒐𝒖, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒏’𝒕 𝒍𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒈𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔."

    Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
    Spice: 🔥🔥🔥
    Tropes: MW, age gap (35/27), mafia, mafia Don/lawyer
    Series: Anti-Heroes In Love #2

    ⚠️Check triggers⚠️

    Do NOT read below this line if you are worried about potential spoilers to part one.

    After fleeing New York, Elena and Dante head to Italy to start their new lives together happily in love. When they arrive to Italy, they're met with unexpected challenges and must work together to defeat their enemy. They are faced with more than just challenges in Italy and their love is truly tested when they return to New York.

    I have to say I'm surprised that I enjoyed this book considering I didn't like part one. I was pleasantly surprised with this book and wish part one had been similar to this book. I really like Elena as a heroine and want her to have all the happiness in the world. As the eldest daughter myself, I really resonated with Elena protecting her siblings and not being afraid to be direct with her feelings. I did continue to struggle with this idea that Elena is a villain for standing up for herself to her sister's. There's still not much consideration for the harm they did to Elena, which I'll be honest I found triggering because I could relate to that. Still, I like Elena a lot and thought she found a good balance between her strength and softness.

    Speaking of softness, I LOVED that Dante made Elena feel safe enough to be soft. He made it clear her loved her and would end the world if it healed her hurt. He helped her bring down her walls and feel safe with him. As someone who relates to Elena, I could feel how much she appreciated his love and the ability to protect her emotionally so she could let her defenses down. He was super sweet with her. Some of the things he said were a bit cheesy, but I ate them up.

    Hands down my favorite scenes were all of chapter 18 (so sweet 🥺) and the epilogue. Ugh, the epilogue made me cry. SPOILER AHEAD: I don't want kids, but the epilogue did have me briefly questioning if I'd change my mind if my future husband was as obsessed with me and our kids as Dante was 😂 I'm still firm in that I don't want kids, but a man like Dante makes you think 👀

    Overall, this series gets three stars from me (that's the average rating between the two). If book one was fleshed out more story wise, this would've been a knock out for me.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Dxxxx
    5.0 out of 5 stars Stunning conclusion!
    Reviewed in the United States on March 21, 2025
    Verified Purchase
    So much heart and feeling in pages that wrapped themselves around you like a warm blanket, but with spikes that prickled your skin. The drama and baggage that Elena and Dante blew apart was amazing to feel page after page. It wasn’t just words on a page. They were emotions and feelings so intense your chest ached and your eyes watered. Their love story is one that will steal through your thoughts for days.
    Helpful
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  • Emily D
    5.0 out of 5 stars Magnifica!!
    Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    “I’ve told you, Elena, whatever you and I are made of, it is the same. No one exists for me but you. No one makes you come alive but me.”

    First I want to start by just thanking the author. Every book I read just constantly gets better. I started with Fallen Men Series and all of those were perfect. Then I started this duet and it was just everything I ever needed and more. Giana writes incredibly and knows exactly how to captivate the audience. I plan to read the rest of her books and I cannot wait!!

    Now onto the story — this book was phenomenal and made me feel so many different things. We first had “When Heroes Fall”, where Elena and Dante came together for his trial. Elena being Dante’s lawyer for his charges. We had the slow burn between one another. We had forced proximity and so much banter between the two of them that just made me melt. That book ended with Elena getting on the plan to leave her now home to go with Dante.

    We pick up right where we left off with this book. This book immediately brought the heat and the passion between these two. We got to witness the growth and love between both of them. We got to witness hardships and betrayals. We also got our happy ever after — we needed it!

    The love between both characters is everything. They love hard and they love fast. The spice in this book was magnifica. *chef’s kiss* I learned many words and sayings in Italian and I loved every moment of it. I could just imagine both Elena and Dante saying those words back to one another.

    Elena is so strong and so beautiful. Her character from the first book in the duet to the second is completely different. Elena has been through a lot growing up and in the first book, she is stuck in her way. She believed there was only right and wrong with no in-between. At the end of that book, you start to see the shift. Then we get into the second book and she has taken on her role of being with Dante very seriously. She becomes this strong and superior woman that we all knew she could be.

    Dante, oh sweet Dante. This man took my heart the moment he arrived in the very first book. Dante is a family man and will do everything he has to for his family. Dante loves and he loves hard. Dante is always wise and passionate. He was the right person for Elena.

    Overall, this book was phenomenal and I absolutely loved this book. Sometimes books fall short in duets or even series but not this one. This book topped the first one and the first one was amazing. If you are reading this and have not read this book yet, go do it now because I STRONGLY recommend it! I will be buying this book and adding it to my shelf.
    2 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Madalina
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect, just perfect Elena and Dante forever
    Reviewed in Germany on September 30, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I'm so happy about how this book ended, my heart burst of happiness, it gave me such good feelings.
    When Villains Rise is the second book in the duet Anti-Heroes in Love and what a wild ride it was. The action was more alert and interesting and in my opinion just perfect.

    Elena Lombardi and Dante Salvatore are on the run, returning back to Italy, where new enemies arise. they need to make sure that their family is protected, so some changes occur, maybe the most anticipated by me was Elena's awakening. She really developed and shaped herself in a great woman, tender with a big heart , but also ice cold and ruthless. It was nice to see her interactions within the mafia world and not only. Dante, as in the previous book, is still ruthless and calculated man, but his love for Elena shines so brightly. And Aurora, she is so sweet, and I loved the interactions between her and Elena and Dante. I cried in the end, also because some things happened, but also because it kind of ended. Am I weird if I want to read more about Elena and Dante?

    It was beautiful, their relationship, I'm completely in love with this couple and I don't regret at all that I took a chance on them. I felt that a surprise was on the way, so I wasn't disappointed.

    This duet is on my list of favorites this year, I'm still smiling while writing this review. This definitely should be read and I recommend it.
    Report
  • Emine
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Masterpiece
    Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    “When Villains Rise” by Giana Darling is a beautiful story that captured my heart. I loved reading about Dante and Elena’s love story and their fight to protect those they cherish. This books just had something magical that pulled me in the moment I opened it. It was real, honest and raw. It made me smile, laugh and cry. Dante is one of my favorite male characters of all time. He was cruel, but when it came to his family, he was their hero. He protected them with everything he had. And I adored the way he loved Elena and always put her first. Elena, on the other hand, was so courageous and strong. Her character development was everything . She went from this cold and closed-off person to this amazing woman who wasn’t scared anymore of fighting for what she really wanted. Dante and Elena’s love story is everything I always wanted. This couple has my heart. ❤️
    Customer image
    Emine
    5.0 out of 5 stars
    A Masterpiece

    Reviewed in Canada on October 27, 2021
    “When Villains Rise” by Giana Darling is a beautiful story that captured my heart. I loved reading about Dante and Elena’s love story and their fight to protect those they cherish. This books just had something magical that pulled me in the moment I opened it. It was real, honest and raw. It made me smile, laugh and cry. Dante is one of my favorite male characters of all time. He was cruel, but when it came to his family, he was their hero. He protected them with everything he had. And I adored the way he loved Elena and always put her first. Elena, on the other hand, was so courageous and strong. Her character development was everything . She went from this cold and closed-off person to this amazing woman who wasn’t scared anymore of fighting for what she really wanted. Dante and Elena’s love story is everything I always wanted. This couple has my heart. ❤️
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  • @sharleenreads
    5.0 out of 5 stars All time favourite couple!
    Reviewed in Australia on March 1, 2022
    Verified Purchase
    Such an incredible ending for my all time favourite couple 🤍

    Dante and Elena are beyond perfect for each other. Soulmates doesn’t even scratch the surface. He understands every single one of her thoughts, fears and concerns. He knows that never in her life has anyone put her first and he refuses to make that mistake too. She gave up everything for him and not once did he ever make her regret that decision.

    Getting to see them together in Italy was everything! Their return wasn’t without risk and the stakes were incredibly high but he still found moments to show her how much she deserved to be spoiled and treasured and loved above all else 🥺

    Hearing more about Elena’s childhood and how broken she was wrecked me. Despite going through their own struggles, her siblings all managed to get away from their former life and she was left behind. As Dante said “Cuore mia, my heart breaks for you… I won’t let yours break again.” 😭

    The conflict with both rival capos and the cops in New York played out incredibly. I read this book in one sitting, I couldn’t put it down! Dante’s reason for going back to the states and turning himself in was so Dante 🥺 And FINALLY seeing Elena get everything she deserved in life was the honestly one of the most rewarding payoffs ever. There are seriously no words for how much I worship this woman I swear I could rival Dante for how much I love her!

    Everything about this book was perfect! I adored Frankie, Rora, Mama Caprice & Tore, Cosi & Alexander, Beau, Seb and all the rest of Dante’s crew. My favourite thing about Giana’s stories are not only how incredible her main characters are but also how much effort she puts into making the side characters just as interesting and loveable. I can’t wait for Seb’s trilogy and hopefully some more Dante & Elena breadcrumbs 🤍
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  • Delly.reads
    5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 11, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I am so obsessed with Elena and Dante! Book one Elena is so cold and wont let people see the real person she is shes so consumed by her past (honestly it is rightly so because its heartbreaking) so i absolutely loved that in this book we see a whole other side to Elena shes still strong and badass but shes softer with dante she finally realises shes lovable and can give love the kind of love that vould move heaven and earth. I love this kind of love just all heart, body and soul consuming and they will do everything and anything for each other!
    Dante... im just in love im a sucker for a mafia Capo, for me Dante is just the perfect mixture of good and bad, yes he does bad things but mostly to protect the ones he loves. He gives his whole heart to Elena and that kind of love is rare!
    This book was action packed! The plot twists were insanely good and so much of it was unexpected you didn't know what way it was going to go! And its packed with plenty of spice (seriously i want Dante!) I dont think ill look at a lemon again without thinking of him 🤣😍🔥🔥
    Also had me in tears at certain parts! Honestly Giana killed it with duet and im so sad its over!
    I love Gianas writing her books just take hold of you from the beginning and you can't get enough!
    5 stars is just not enough for this book... i love it!!
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  • Elegant Fantasy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Elena Lombardi supremacy ;-)
    Reviewed in India on July 5, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    I'm not sure if I can put into words how much I loved this book. It was truly a masterpiece! I absolutely cannot let go off Dante and Elena. The notorious capo and his Donna would always stay in my head rent free ;-p

    "I want to be the kind of woman who fights for what she wants. And I’ve never wanted anything so much as I want you."

    Everything about this book right from the cover, the characters and the plot was gripping and kept me on the edge. There were so many highlights in my Kindle and all most all of them included Elena. I have not come across such a beautifully tragic character as her so far.
    Her insecurities about her past life in Naples and always being the second choice after her sisters were heartbreaking and it felt like I was experiencing the journey with her because she was just so relatable. Elena was vulnerable but strong, fiery and independent in a way that she could absolutely destroy someone who threatens her loved ones. In short, she was the whole package.

    "It was Dante’s unique charm that convinced you he might as easily kiss you as kill you."

    And Dante, what to say about him? He was perfect! He was soft, charming, funny and mischievous but at the same time he had the strength of a powerful capo. He never had an easy life but being a mafioso was something that he was proud of. In a way he was similar to Elena, both of them were misunderstood by their own families. Which is why they were a perfect match. From the first book itself, his soft side showed and I was a total goner for him. I loved that he wasn't the typical made man who always hid the stuff about their "buisness" from their partner. He was so raw, open and honest with Elena and didn't think that she was fragile.

    “I want to be the one to make you lose control. I want to watch you bend and break beneath my hands so I can glue you back together with pleasure.”

    I enjoyed the banters filled with wit and humour. The side characters added a nice touch to the conversations. Aurora was such a delight! I loved that little girl enough to say that I need a book about her. She should be protected at all costs. I was glad that Elena had talked her heart out with her family throughout the books but I still don't think anyone in her her family deserves her (except her mother). Maybe I'm biased but I'm not sorry to say that her sister's and their husbands were a disgrace lol. (I'm saying this after reading the Enslaved duet & The Evolution of Sin trilogy. )

    “I’m going to ask you to trust me because I’m going to tell you a nightmare, but then I’m going to hand you a dream.”

    Giana knows how to keep her readers hooked. The side characters were memorable and I really want to know more about them (especially Gideone diCarlo). Hopefully, we can get a glimpse of them all in Sebastian's trilogy.
    Overall, the conflicts that were unconcluded in the first book, were resolved and everything fell into place. The pace was fulfilling and the ending satisfied me. The romance was steamy and the plot was brilliantly executed. The twists and turns took me through one hel of an adventurous journey. Especially in the last half, I had to gather myself because ngl, I DID NOT see that coming lol. The epilogue was so wholesome and I was so glad that Elena was finally at peace. If you haven't picked up this duet yet, this is your chance. It's definitely worth it!
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