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Fallen God #1
When He Desires
Pretending to date my handsome new housemate was already a bad idea, but then I discover he’s no ordinary guy—he’s a mobster in hiding. And in this story, he’s not the hero, but the wicked villain.
Rowan Miller isn’t used to hearing the word “no.”
I guess when you’re 6’5, gorgeously tattooed, and sculpted like a Michelangelo masterpiece, women tend to throw themselves at you. But in a small town like Darkwater Hollow, a reputation as a womanizer will catch up with you—and your business—eventually. Which is why Rowan needs a fake girlfriend to prove he’s reformed.
Enter, me.
When my house goes up in flames, I agree to Rowan’s offer in exchange for a place to stay.
After my last brutal break up, I’ve sworn off charming, smooth-talking men. But the way Rowan looks at me—hungry and possessive—makes my pulse race and my skin sizzle with heat. The longer we pretend to be in love, the more real it feels.
Just when I think I’ve broken my unlucky streak, I discover Rowan’s hiding secrets. Big ones, like his real name.
Will his dark past bring us closer together? Or will it destroy everything we’ve built?
When He Desires is book 1 of the Fallen God duet. The story continues in When He Takes.
Rowan Miller isn’t used to hearing the word “no.”
I guess when you’re 6’5, gorgeously tattooed, and sculpted like a Michelangelo masterpiece, women tend to throw themselves at you. But in a small town like Darkwater Hollow, a reputation as a womanizer will catch up with you—and your business—eventually. Which is why Rowan needs a fake girlfriend to prove he’s reformed.
Enter, me.
When my house goes up in flames, I agree to Rowan’s offer in exchange for a place to stay.
After my last brutal break up, I’ve sworn off charming, smooth-talking men. But the way Rowan looks at me—hungry and possessive—makes my pulse race and my skin sizzle with heat. The longer we pretend to be in love, the more real it feels.
Just when I think I’ve broken my unlucky streak, I discover Rowan’s hiding secrets. Big ones, like his real name.
Will his dark past bring us closer together? Or will it destroy everything we’ve built?
When He Desires is book 1 of the Fallen God duet. The story continues in When He Takes.
420 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 25, 2024
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 918 reviews
July 27, 2024
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK NOOOOW.
————-
NERO HAS ARRIVED😮💨
————-
NERO HAS ARRIVED😮💨
September 2, 2024
‼️POTENTIAL SPOILERS‼️
God gives his toughest battles to some of his strongest soldiers - I'd like to think that was me today. The first half of this book was basically Whore Central++ what with "Rowan's" whoring ways that were being slapped in our face in every other chapter. I hated that and it made me feel icky. Made me feel sick. Because how disgusting is it to constantly run into your man's ex fuck buddies everywhere in a town of that fucking size i.e. small. I'd rather kms than be subjected to that kinda torture because lemme tell you...I ain't strong enough for that shit.
Also the whole Rowan/Nero burning Blake's house down because he didn't wanna let her go? Yeah that woulda been fine if he hadn't burned her book collection along with it. I don't care that he didn't mean for the fire to spread that far - I will never fucking forgive him for that because as a reader, there's nothing more precious to me than my book collection. So that hurt my soul. The book got marginally better after approximately the 60% mark. The smut was pretty good too. As for the cheating ex and his sidechick...I would be throwing hands and going down for double homicide if I were Blake. Like seriously, you don't have to show any compassion towards that cunt. She don't deserve it.
However, the ending...it fucking killed me. I've been crying for the past 5 minutes, trying to process why miss author would kill off a lovable side character like Sandro/Sam. I won't forgive her for that. It actually fucking broke my heart because Sandro was such a great character - in fact, he was the highlight of this book - and I'd gotten this notion in my head that we'd be getting a book for him too. He wasn't a hoe, he'd finally found someone and actually wanted to settle down sometime but no. That had to be ripped away too. Regardless, I'm curious to see what happens next, especially after that ending. Let's hope it's better than this one. Also #justiceforsandro💔
safety squad:
- slight OW drama (no major drama but still pissed me off because I don't like it when the heroine is jealous)
1) at around the 40% mark, a supplier flirts with the H during their meeting, h gets jealous and interrupts it to find the OW showing off her cleavage and costing the H a negotiation. H's POV shows him referring to this OW as a pain in the ass
2) at the 50% mark, when the H and h are out for dinner, H's ex-hookup sits in the h's place when she goes to the bathroom. h feels jealous because she knows that H slept with OW but H tells her to get out of the h's seat after pulling the h to sit on his lap
- slight OM drama (h's cheating ex wants her back and creates drama)
- mentions of cheating (not between MCs. h's ex cheated on her with a coworker that she continues to work with. H sleeps with a married woman but he didn't know she was married)
- no virgins (h has only been with one man i.e. her ex. he never made her come and it was basically bad sex. h has been celibate for 5 months after her breakup and until she hooks up with the hero. H has been celibate for 2 weeks after sleeping with the married woman despite being in the small town for 4 months and meeting the h the first time he arrived in said small town. gotta love the double standards😍 idk what it is with authors not wanting to write an experienced heroine who's had good sex before the hero💀🤚🏻)
- (shameless) ex-manwhore
- fake dating
- mafia man who's in hiding in a small town because he's faking his death
- secret identity
- H is 30/in his 30s, h is 23
- no cheating/sharing
- condoms/no condoms
- death of a side character, violence, gore, mention of cancer, death of a parent, parental neglect, (almost) on page rape, gaslighting, emotional abuse (by the h's ex), etc
- cliffhanger
***
Update #2: *takes a deep breath* I'll read it. Maybe next month since the second book is releasing in a couple of days. I'll let y'all know how irritated I am on a scale of 1 to 10 smh
***
Update: I'm thinking if I should read this or not. I'm torn because the part of me that wanted to read about Nero was so excited for his story but another part of me is disappointed to find out that he's not obsessed with the heroine once he meets her and fucks half the female population in 4 months. The thing that feels icky to me is that it's a small town and GOOD LORD that shit is gonna haunt the woman for the rest of her life. Coming face to face with your man's ex-hookups every other day???? Nah man, I ain't strong enough for that. I knew that he was a manhoe but I was expecting Nero to meet the h, become OBSESSED with her and fall in love. Not meet her, sleep around, kiss her and THEN be obsessed with her. Idk we shall see if I change my mind about this book.
***
Just saw the cover and blurb and HOLY HELL I'M NOT READY😩 My hubby's finally coming home and I can't wait to read about him again. Also, I'm totally gonna imagine myself instead of his heroine heheh🥰 NERO NATION RISEEEEEEEEE🗣🗣🗣
God gives his toughest battles to some of his strongest soldiers - I'd like to think that was me today. The first half of this book was basically Whore Central++ what with "Rowan's" whoring ways that were being slapped in our face in every other chapter. I hated that and it made me feel icky. Made me feel sick. Because how disgusting is it to constantly run into your man's ex fuck buddies everywhere in a town of that fucking size i.e. small. I'd rather kms than be subjected to that kinda torture because lemme tell you...I ain't strong enough for that shit.
Also the whole Rowan/Nero burning Blake's house down because he didn't wanna let her go? Yeah that woulda been fine if he hadn't burned her book collection along with it. I don't care that he didn't mean for the fire to spread that far - I will never fucking forgive him for that because as a reader, there's nothing more precious to me than my book collection. So that hurt my soul. The book got marginally better after approximately the 60% mark. The smut was pretty good too. As for the cheating ex and his sidechick...I would be throwing hands and going down for double homicide if I were Blake. Like seriously, you don't have to show any compassion towards that cunt. She don't deserve it.
However, the ending...it fucking killed me. I've been crying for the past 5 minutes, trying to process why miss author would kill off a lovable side character like Sandro/Sam. I won't forgive her for that. It actually fucking broke my heart because Sandro was such a great character - in fact, he was the highlight of this book - and I'd gotten this notion in my head that we'd be getting a book for him too. He wasn't a hoe, he'd finally found someone and actually wanted to settle down sometime but no. That had to be ripped away too. Regardless, I'm curious to see what happens next, especially after that ending. Let's hope it's better than this one. Also #justiceforsandro💔
safety squad:
- slight OW drama (no major drama but still pissed me off because I don't like it when the heroine is jealous)
1) at around the 40% mark, a supplier flirts with the H during their meeting, h gets jealous and interrupts it to find the OW showing off her cleavage and costing the H a negotiation. H's POV shows him referring to this OW as a pain in the ass
2) at the 50% mark, when the H and h are out for dinner, H's ex-hookup sits in the h's place when she goes to the bathroom. h feels jealous because she knows that H slept with OW but H tells her to get out of the h's seat after pulling the h to sit on his lap
- slight OM drama (h's cheating ex wants her back and creates drama)
- mentions of cheating (not between MCs. h's ex cheated on her with a coworker that she continues to work with. H sleeps with a married woman but he didn't know she was married)
- no virgins (h has only been with one man i.e. her ex. he never made her come and it was basically bad sex. h has been celibate for 5 months after her breakup and until she hooks up with the hero. H has been celibate for 2 weeks after sleeping with the married woman despite being in the small town for 4 months and meeting the h the first time he arrived in said small town. gotta love the double standards😍 idk what it is with authors not wanting to write an experienced heroine who's had good sex before the hero💀🤚🏻)
- (shameless) ex-manwhore
- fake dating
- mafia man who's in hiding in a small town because he's faking his death
- secret identity
- H is 30/in his 30s, h is 23
- no cheating/sharing
- condoms/no condoms
- death of a side character, violence, gore, mention of cancer, death of a parent, parental neglect, (almost) on page rape, gaslighting, emotional abuse (by the h's ex), etc
- cliffhanger
***
Update #2: *takes a deep breath* I'll read it. Maybe next month since the second book is releasing in a couple of days. I'll let y'all know how irritated I am on a scale of 1 to 10 smh
***
Update: I'm thinking if I should read this or not. I'm torn because the part of me that wanted to read about Nero was so excited for his story but another part of me is disappointed to find out that he's not obsessed with the heroine once he meets her and fucks half the female population in 4 months. The thing that feels icky to me is that it's a small town and GOOD LORD that shit is gonna haunt the woman for the rest of her life. Coming face to face with your man's ex-hookups every other day???? Nah man, I ain't strong enough for that. I knew that he was a manhoe but I was expecting Nero to meet the h, become OBSESSED with her and fall in love. Not meet her, sleep around, kiss her and THEN be obsessed with her. Idk we shall see if I change my mind about this book.
***
Just saw the cover and blurb and HOLY HELL I'M NOT READY😩 My hubby's finally coming home and I can't wait to read about him again. Also, I'm totally gonna imagine myself instead of his heroine heheh🥰 NERO NATION RISEEEEEEEEE🗣🗣🗣
Want to read
January 8, 2024why do i want a nero x sandro romance
July 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ARC review)
''A future where maybe one day I'll be able to let go of my past''
Safety warnings:
- H 30 / h 23
- No cheating
- Slight OW drama
- OM drama (he's annoying)
- Violence/d*ath
- Loss of loved ones
- S*xual assault
- Kidnapping/abduction
- Mention of past trauma
- Emotional abuse
- Cliffhanger
Do I wish I had waited to read this before both books were released so I did not have to sit in silence after that last 10% of the book and the way it ended? Definitely yes.
You must read ''When She Loves'' to fully understand Nero's backstory in this duet. We are told in short number of ways what happened and why he is in exile and pretending for the rest of his life that he is never allowed to be Nero but Rowan now BUT you should read that book to get the full picture of his previous life and what he had to give up and how much it all meant to him.
Rowan (I'll refer to him as his fake name because Nero was dormant), settled in a small town with the one guy he was left with from his former life Sandro (now Sam). These two have no choice but to leave it all behind and start new.
Rowan's way of dealing with things is pretty much the douche way, sleep with half the town when he arrives to fill the void, he feels from never being able to be Nero again.
Blake was born and raised in the town Rowan ends up in and these two do not have the best start, nor does he make the best first impression in her eyes (and after). She is coming off a bad bad breakup after her ex-cheats on her and she is forced to still work for him and live in the same town she resents.
Is this enemies to lovers? No. It's more like ''I don't like you and I think bad things of you because of how you are presenting yourself'' type of relationship from her part.
We also get fake relationship in this one but how long until it ends up being real? Lol
While Rowan is slowly becoming obsessed with her and goes to extreme lengths to get her to fall for her (fall in bed with him more like it) until things progress in ways neither saw it coming.
This first book in the duet gives us a better understanding of her background and history which oddly will connect it all to Rowan's past life in a fucked-up way.
It's all ''fun'' and silly in terms of a dark romance book until you get towards the end, and that is when you know shit is about to go down and the peace these two characters felt will seize to exist.
We see hints of Nero come out to play in this one, but I cannot wait for Rowan to take a backseat and Nero to be able to be himself again with no reservations.
I expected something to happen to make me sad, but the choice Gabrielle made was not just sad but heart wrenching.
I cannot wait for the final book, and I seriously am trying my hardest to be patient but thankfully I'll get the ARC so my waiting period is not THAT long!
''A future where maybe one day I'll be able to let go of my past''
Safety warnings:
- H 30 / h 23
- No cheating
- Slight OW drama
- OM drama (he's annoying)
- Violence/d*ath
- Loss of loved ones
- S*xual assault
- Kidnapping/abduction
- Mention of past trauma
- Emotional abuse
- Cliffhanger
Do I wish I had waited to read this before both books were released so I did not have to sit in silence after that last 10% of the book and the way it ended? Definitely yes.
You must read ''When She Loves'' to fully understand Nero's backstory in this duet. We are told in short number of ways what happened and why he is in exile and pretending for the rest of his life that he is never allowed to be Nero but Rowan now BUT you should read that book to get the full picture of his previous life and what he had to give up and how much it all meant to him.
Rowan (I'll refer to him as his fake name because Nero was dormant), settled in a small town with the one guy he was left with from his former life Sandro (now Sam). These two have no choice but to leave it all behind and start new.
Rowan's way of dealing with things is pretty much the douche way, sleep with half the town when he arrives to fill the void, he feels from never being able to be Nero again.
Blake was born and raised in the town Rowan ends up in and these two do not have the best start, nor does he make the best first impression in her eyes (and after). She is coming off a bad bad breakup after her ex-cheats on her and she is forced to still work for him and live in the same town she resents.
Is this enemies to lovers? No. It's more like ''I don't like you and I think bad things of you because of how you are presenting yourself'' type of relationship from her part.
We also get fake relationship in this one but how long until it ends up being real? Lol
While Rowan is slowly becoming obsessed with her and goes to extreme lengths to get her to fall for her (fall in bed with him more like it) until things progress in ways neither saw it coming.
This first book in the duet gives us a better understanding of her background and history which oddly will connect it all to Rowan's past life in a fucked-up way.
It's all ''fun'' and silly in terms of a dark romance book until you get towards the end, and that is when you know shit is about to go down and the peace these two characters felt will seize to exist.
We see hints of Nero come out to play in this one, but I cannot wait for Rowan to take a backseat and Nero to be able to be himself again with no reservations.
I expected something to happen to make me sad, but the choice Gabrielle made was not just sad but heart wrenching.
I cannot wait for the final book, and I seriously am trying my hardest to be patient but thankfully I'll get the ARC so my waiting period is not THAT long!
November 26, 2024
nero is seriously psychotic. i'm gonna ignore the fact that he's basically a liar, manipulator, murderer and much more, well, because he's 6'5. jsjshsjshs it is what it is! 😭🤷🏻♀️
nero was done really dirty in when she loves, when he was forced to leave his real life in new york and play dead because of rafael's mistake. i was really curious about his story!
rowan miller, aka nero, now owns a business with sandro in a small town. he meets blake there, and they eventually become neighbours. so it was a reverse grumpy x sunshine in the start, and the fact that blake wasn't falling for his charming self and was giving him sass was really fun to read. i loved cleo, and so did blake. even though nero's identity was a lie, he was really down bad for blake. they didn't do anything together until the 70% mark.
two stars less, even though i really enjoyed it, because he was shown as a complete womanizer in those first four months in the town. that was weird, and even though he had his reasons, it was mentioned A LOT. blake isn't into relationships anymore because of her cheating ex, so obviously it interested nero. what was really fucking psychotic was that he burned her house because she was about to leave the town, and he wanted to HAVE HER. as in, she was keeping his depressing thoughts away.
this was really shitty, considering her book collection burned down 😒 nvm otherwise, they were ABSOLUTE CUTIES, and the things he did for her ✋🏻♥️ but
sandro 😭💔 i loved his side character in WSL, and even here, he was sooo kind and amazing. and when he just... died 😭 GOD, IT WAS REALLY HEARTBREAKING FFS. HE DIDN'T DESERVE IT AT ALL. everything was going perfectly fine with all those lies and plot, BUT his death was not IT. i'm so sad rn 😭
it ends on a cliffhanger as the ferraro family found out that nero's alive, and now he has no choice but to leave for new york to protect blake. did i mention, she loathes criminals?i'm so ready for the groveling
• When He Takes - 4 stars
nero was done really dirty in when she loves, when he was forced to leave his real life in new york and play dead because of rafael's mistake. i was really curious about his story!
rowan miller, aka nero, now owns a business with sandro in a small town. he meets blake there, and they eventually become neighbours. so it was a reverse grumpy x sunshine in the start, and the fact that blake wasn't falling for his charming self and was giving him sass was really fun to read. i loved cleo, and so did blake. even though nero's identity was a lie, he was really down bad for blake. they didn't do anything together until the 70% mark.
two stars less, even though i really enjoyed it, because he was shown as a complete womanizer in those first four months in the town. that was weird, and even though he had his reasons, it was mentioned A LOT. blake isn't into relationships anymore because of her cheating ex, so obviously it interested nero. what was really fucking psychotic was that he burned her house because she was about to leave the town, and he wanted to HAVE HER. as in, she was keeping his depressing thoughts away.
this was really shitty, considering her book collection burned down 😒 nvm otherwise, they were ABSOLUTE CUTIES, and the things he did for her ✋🏻♥️ but
sandro 😭💔 i loved his side character in WSL, and even here, he was sooo kind and amazing. and when he just... died 😭 GOD, IT WAS REALLY HEARTBREAKING FFS. HE DIDN'T DESERVE IT AT ALL. everything was going perfectly fine with all those lies and plot, BUT his death was not IT. i'm so sad rn 😭
it ends on a cliffhanger as the ferraro family found out that nero's alive, and now he has no choice but to leave for new york to protect blake. did i mention, she loathes criminals?
• When He Takes - 4 stars
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 9, 2024
⊹˚.⋆ ❝𝓘 𝓬𝓪𝓷’𝓽 𝓭𝓮𝓬𝓲𝓭𝓮 𝓲𝓯 𝔂𝓸𝓾’𝓻𝓮 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓬𝓻𝓪𝔃𝓲𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓸𝓻 𝓽𝓱𝓮 𝓫𝓮𝓼𝓽 𝓶𝓪𝓷 𝓘’𝓿𝓮 𝓮𝓿𝓮𝓻 𝓶𝓮𝓽.❞ ⋆.˚⊹
-ˋˏ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: ˎˊ
♥ ↘ 𝚖𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚊 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
♥ ↘ 𝚏𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
♥ ↘ 𝚑𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚢
♥ ↘ 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
♥ ↘ 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢 𝚡 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎
♥ ↘ 𝚜𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗
-ˋˏ 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: ˎˊ
♡ ↘ 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚝 (𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜)
♡ ↘ 𝚔𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐/𝚊𝚋𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
♡ ↘ 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊 (𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚎, 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝)
♡ ↘ 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎
♡ ↘ 𝚐𝚊𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
-ˋˏ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: ˎˊ
I was so excited to read "When He Desires" because I loved Nero in the previous books, and Gabrielle totally nailed it! The story is an exciting rollercoaster with unexpected twists and secrets that kept me glued to the pages. The cliffhanger at the end was perfect and now I can't wait for the next book! 😆😆
-ˋˏ 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: ˎˊ
“𝒯𝒽ℯ𝓎’𝓇ℯ 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷ℯ𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈ℯ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝓁ℴℴ𝓀 𝒻𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓉𝒾𝒸, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅ℯℴ𝓅𝓁ℯ 𝓁𝒾𝓀ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝒶𝓉 𝒷ℯ𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈.”
✧. ┊ 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’���� 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕. ┊ 😚
“𝐼 𝓌ℴ𝓃’𝓉 𝒷ℯ 𝒶𝒷𝓁ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝒻ℴ𝒸𝓊𝓈 ℴ𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝓌ℴ𝓇𝓀 𝒾𝒻 𝐼’𝓂 𝓌ℴ𝓇���𝒾ℯ𝒹 𝒶𝒷ℴ𝓊𝓉 𝓎ℴ𝓊, 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃ℯ.”
✧. ┊ “𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚.” ┊
✧. ┊ 𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕. 𝑶𝒉 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌, 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕. ┊ 🍯
“ℰ𝓋ℯ𝓇𝓎 𝓌ℴ𝓇𝒹 𝒽ℯ 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝓉ℴ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝓁𝒾ℯ. 𝒴ℴ𝓊’𝓇ℯ 𝓈ℴ 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒷ℯ𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝒽𝒾𝓂. 𝒴ℴ𝓊’𝓇ℯ 𝒷ℯ𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸𝓁ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓇, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝒹ℯ𝓈ℯ𝓇𝓋ℯ 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℯ𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓇ℯ 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌ℴ𝓇𝓁𝒹, 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃ℯ.”
~ I have received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ~
★★★★★
╰►🌟𝒑𝒓𝒆-𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅: Sooo excited to read Nero's story, so thankful for this arc <33
-ˋˏ 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬: ˎˊ
♥ ↘ 𝚖𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚊 𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
♥ ↘ 𝚏𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
♥ ↘ 𝚑𝚒𝚍𝚍𝚎𝚗 𝚒𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚝𝚢
♥ ↘ 𝚜𝚖𝚊𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚘𝚠𝚗 𝚜𝚎𝚝𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
♥ ↘ 𝚛𝚎𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎 𝚐𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚙𝚢 𝚡 𝚜𝚞𝚗𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚎
♥ ↘ 𝚜𝚕𝚘𝚠 𝚋𝚞𝚛𝚗
-ˋˏ 𝐓𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐖𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬: ˎˊ
♡ ↘ 𝚜𝚎𝚡𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚞𝚕𝚝 (𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚋𝚎𝚝𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚗 𝚖𝚊𝚒𝚗 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚜)
♡ ↘ 𝚔𝚒𝚍𝚗𝚊𝚙𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐/𝚊𝚋𝚍𝚞𝚌𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗
♡ ↘ 𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚜 𝚘𝚏 𝚙𝚊𝚜𝚝 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚞𝚖𝚊 (𝚎𝚖𝚘𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚊𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚎, 𝚍𝚎𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚊 𝚙𝚊𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝)
♡ ↘ 𝚟𝚒𝚘𝚕𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎
♡ ↘ 𝚐𝚊𝚜𝚕𝚒𝚐𝚑𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐
-ˋˏ 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬: ˎˊ
I was so excited to read "When He Desires" because I loved Nero in the previous books, and Gabrielle totally nailed it! The story is an exciting rollercoaster with unexpected twists and secrets that kept me glued to the pages. The cliffhanger at the end was perfect and now I can't wait for the next book! 😆😆
-ˋˏ 𝐂𝐮𝐭𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬/𝐪𝐮𝐨𝐭𝐞𝐬: ˎˊ
“𝒯𝒽ℯ𝓎’𝓇ℯ 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝒷ℯ𝒸𝒶𝓊𝓈ℯ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝓁ℴℴ𝓀 𝒻𝒶𝓃𝓉𝒶𝓈𝓉𝒾𝒸, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓅ℯℴ𝓅𝓁ℯ 𝓁𝒾𝓀ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝓈𝓉𝒶𝓇ℯ 𝒶𝓉 𝒷ℯ𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝓉𝒽𝒾𝓃𝑔𝓈.”
✧. ┊ 𝑺𝒉𝒆 𝒎𝒂𝒌𝒆𝒔 𝒂 𝒔𝒎𝒂𝒍𝒍 𝒂𝒉𝒆𝒎 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒆 𝒂 𝒑𝒆𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒉𝒆𝒓 𝒓𝒊𝒅𝒊𝒄𝒖𝒍𝒐𝒖𝒔𝒍𝒚 𝒔𝒐𝒇𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒑𝒔. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒊𝒕’���� 𝒋𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒔𝒐 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒄𝒖𝒕𝒆. 𝑺𝒐𝒎𝒆𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒍𝒍𝒔 𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒎𝒚 𝒄𝒉𝒆𝒔𝒕. ┊ 😚
“𝐼 𝓌ℴ𝓃’𝓉 𝒷ℯ 𝒶𝒷𝓁ℯ 𝓉ℴ 𝒻ℴ𝒸𝓊𝓈 ℴ𝓃 𝓂𝓎 𝓌ℴ𝓇𝓀 𝒾𝒻 𝐼’𝓂 𝓌ℴ𝓇���𝒾ℯ𝒹 𝒶𝒷ℴ𝓊𝓉 𝓎ℴ𝓊, 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃ℯ.”
✧. ┊ “𝑮𝒐𝒐𝒅 𝒍𝒖𝒄𝒌 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒄𝒂𝒍𝒍, 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒚.” ┊
✧. ┊ 𝑴𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒔𝒌𝒊𝒑𝒔 𝒂 𝒃𝒆𝒂𝒕. 𝑶𝒉 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌, 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕. 𝑰 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒂 𝒍𝒐𝒕. ┊ 🍯
“ℰ𝓋ℯ𝓇𝓎 𝓌ℴ𝓇𝒹 𝒽ℯ 𝓈𝒶𝒾𝒹 𝓉ℴ 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝓌𝒶𝓈 𝒶 𝓁𝒾ℯ. 𝒴ℴ𝓊’𝓇ℯ 𝓈ℴ 𝓂𝓊𝒸𝒽 𝒷ℯ𝓉𝓉ℯ𝓇 𝓉𝒽𝒶𝓃 𝒽𝒾𝓂. 𝒴ℴ𝓊’𝓇ℯ 𝒷ℯ𝒶𝓊𝓉𝒾𝒻𝓊𝓁 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓀𝒾𝓃𝒹 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝒸𝓁ℯ𝓋ℯ𝓇, 𝒶𝓃𝒹 𝓎ℴ𝓊 𝒹ℯ𝓈ℯ𝓇𝓋ℯ 𝓉𝒽ℯ ℯ𝓃𝓉𝒾𝓇ℯ 𝒻𝓊𝒸𝓀𝒾𝓃𝑔 𝓌ℴ𝓇𝓁𝒹, 𝒮𝓊𝓃𝓈𝒽𝒾𝓃ℯ.”
~ I have received an ARC in exchange for an honest review. ~
★★★★★
╰►🌟𝒑𝒓𝒆-𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅: Sooo excited to read Nero's story, so thankful for this arc <33
not-for-me
July 26, 2024self note:
willmaybe or not read this once the duet is completed 🤷♀️
update 1: just found out that he wh*red around, so now I'm 50-50. why do authors have to go down this road most of the time?! 🙄😤
update 2: soooo thanks to some insights (샘 sam★) 🫶 I think I'm gonna have to pass on this duet. 🤷♀️
but I'll still read her future releases (as long as they're safe based on my standards).
will
update 1: just found out that he wh*red around, so now I'm 50-50. why do authors have to go down this road most of the time?! 🙄😤
update 2: soooo thanks to some insights (샘 sam★) 🫶 I think I'm gonna have to pass on this duet. 🤷♀️
but I'll still read her future releases (as long as they're safe based on my standards).
August 2, 2024
DNF at a mere 4%
the MMC landed in a tiny town in which he decided to make his new life. he met the FMC his first day there, and it was suggested that she was part of what appealed to him about the town. there was a four month time jump in which i had naively hoped for some light stalking and/or pining (i’m not picky) on the part of the MMC… but why would the author do that when she could have him fuck “half the town” instead? i thought perhaps the FMC might’ve also had a fun four months, but she was of course recently traumatized from a break up and completely uninterested in men (because why write a sex positive FMC, right?). i’m so sick of this shit 😭
the MMC landed in a tiny town in which he decided to make his new life. he met the FMC his first day there, and it was suggested that she was part of what appealed to him about the town. there was a four month time jump in which i had naively hoped for some light stalking and/or pining (i’m not picky) on the part of the MMC… but why would the author do that when she could have him fuck “half the town” instead? i thought perhaps the FMC might’ve also had a fun four months, but she was of course recently traumatized from a break up and completely uninterested in men (because why write a sex positive FMC, right?). i’m so sick of this shit 😭
February 26, 2025
Я дочитала 🛐 дякую ☺️
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ з 5!
Я знала що це роман про мафію, але початок нагадав романи про Монтану (маленьке містечко /незнайомець)
Але цей незнайомець прям дуже гарячий чоловік 🔥🔥🔥
Неро- я розуміла його відчуття, він кинув все що знав, умів, і треба починати все з початку, тому всередині пустка і не розуміння що далі.
Сподобалось, що тут нема кохання з першої зустрічі від Неро в кафе, в таке б не повірила. Так, сподобалась Блейк, але не почав відразу за нею упадати.
Блейк - хотілось стукнути за її колишнього, ну як далі працювати і і терпіти все, агрррр
Але розумію її побоювання щодо гг, дозволу собі довіряти іншому, страху що буде боляче, маленька 😣
Інша серія автора не зайшла, а тут - я не пропускала жодного речення чи абзацу, історія чудово прописана, хочеться читати далі й далі! Переклад - да повторюсь, неймовірний 😍
Починаю другий частину, хочу вже мафії - бійок, крові, мафіозних штук
і як я ну і Блейк, будемо розтікатися від небезпечного чоловіка 🛐🛐🛐
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ з 5!
Я знала що це роман про мафію, але початок нагадав романи про Монтану (маленьке містечко /незнайомець)
Але цей незнайомець прям дуже гарячий чоловік 🔥🔥🔥
Неро- я розуміла його відчуття, він кинув все що знав, умів, і треба починати все з початку, тому всередині пустка і не розуміння що далі.
Сподобалось, що тут нема кохання з першої зустрічі від Неро в кафе, в таке б не повірила. Так, сподобалась Блейк, але не почав відразу за нею упадати.
Блейк - хотілось стукнути за її колишнього, ну як далі працювати і і терпіти все, агрррр
Але розумію її побоювання щодо гг, дозволу собі довіряти іншому, страху що буде боляче, маленька 😣
Інша серія автора не зайшла, а тут - я не пропускала жодного речення чи абзацу, історія чудово прописана, хочеться читати далі й далі! Переклад - да повторюсь, неймовірний 😍
Починаю другий частину, хочу вже мафії - бійок, крові, мафіозних штук
і як я ну і Блейк, будемо розтікатися від небезпечного чоловіка 🛐🛐🛐
August 19, 2024
4/5 🌟
♡ Hidden identity
♡ Forced proximity
♡ 'Enemies' to lovers
♡ Touch her & you'll die
♡ Mafia
🚩No cheating or sharing
OM - her cheating ex causes some drama
OW - well this was the reason why it didn't get 5🌟... He is a manwhore & just after a couple of months he f*cked half of the town... 😵💫🤢
𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒆 - 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒆 🩷
She is such a strong character and I loved how she fought for herself and wanted to built her new life 🤞💥
Her dream of a bookstore is such a nice thing and I really liked and appreciated her 🤍🫶
𝑵𝒆𝒓𝒐 - 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 💙
Wow he is in the Mafia and has a new identity, so he needs to start a new life...
In the beginning I did not like him because he was such a manwhore but after some time I started to like him hehe
How he handled her ex was really good 🔥😍
All in all I would recommend it but be aware of the OW situation...
Also this is a duet so now we need to wait after this cliffhanger how it will go on 🫢😭😻 ( I really really hope that we will see Rafe and all the other characters 🫶)
♡ Hidden identity
♡ Forced proximity
♡ 'Enemies' to lovers
♡ Touch her & you'll die
♡ Mafia
🚩No cheating or sharing
OM - her cheating ex causes some drama
OW - well this was the reason why it didn't get 5🌟... He is a manwhore & just after a couple of months he f*cked half of the town... 😵💫🤢
𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒆 - 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒊𝒏𝒆 🩷
She is such a strong character and I loved how she fought for herself and wanted to built her new life 🤞💥
Her dream of a bookstore is such a nice thing and I really liked and appreciated her 🤍🫶
𝑵𝒆𝒓𝒐 - 𝑯𝒆𝒓𝒐 💙
Wow he is in the Mafia and has a new identity, so he needs to start a new life...
In the beginning I did not like him because he was such a manwhore but after some time I started to like him hehe
How he handled her ex was really good 🔥😍
All in all I would recommend it but be aware of the OW situation...
Also this is a duet so now we need to wait after this cliffhanger how it will go on 🫢😭😻 ( I really really hope that we will see Rafe and all the other characters 🫶)
August 7, 2025
3,75 maybe 4⭐
I seriously don't know how I feel about this I LOVED the fallen series but I can't say the same thing about this duet I mean Nero maaan are you the same guy from the previous books what the hell was that with burning her house and acting like a dumb ass with the whole Brett and Lyle's situation,he was literally the reason behind Sandro's death which is something that I cannot forgive... I AM FURIOUS 🤡😡 Still gonna read the second book though 🚶♀️🚶♀️🚶♀️🚶♀️
I seriously don't know how I feel about this I LOVED the fallen series but I can't say the same thing about this duet I mean Nero maaan are you the same guy from the previous books what the hell was that with burning her house and acting like a dumb ass with the whole Brett and Lyle's situation,he was literally the reason behind Sandro's death which is something that I cannot forgive... I AM FURIOUS 🤡😡 Still gonna read the second book though 🚶♀️🚶♀️🚶♀️🚶♀️
August 7, 2024
Duets are always tough for me. But this one feels like it's right.
Can't wait for book 2!
4.5 stars
3 on the spice scale
Can't wait for book 2!
4.5 stars
3 on the spice scale
April 8, 2025
Чу-до-во! Тут все, як я люблю: весь такий небезпечний та сексі Рован, який готовий землю цілувати по якій ходила Блейк, трошки мафії, маленьке містечко, фейкові відносини, напруга, саспенс 🤌
І таку високу оцінку я ставлю через емоції, які книжка викликала, бо буває ж трапляється чудова книжка, але душа не співає 😁
І таку високу оцінку я ставлю через емоції, які книжка викликала, бо буває ж трапляється чудова книжка, але душа не співає 😁
September 21, 2024
Nero & Blake
Want to read
April 12, 2024#1 WHEN HE DESIRES
#2 WHEN HE TAKES
Let's read her EMAIL:
“This story will RIP. YOUR. HEART. OUT. It's going to be intense, and emotional, and hot as hell.”
TO HELL WITH IT IM ALL IN🗣️🗣️
#2 WHEN HE TAKES
Let's read her EMAIL:
“This story will RIP. YOUR. HEART. OUT. It's going to be intense, and emotional, and hot as hell.”
TO HELL WITH IT IM ALL IN🗣️🗣️
March 6, 2025
Lov' it!!!!!! 🖤🖤🖤
September 26, 2025
4.75⭐ / 3🌶️
[📱+🎧] ebook + audio
audiobook 🎧 — duet, Aiden Snow & Lucy Rivers
read count —
#1: july 2024 [📱]
#2: september 2025 [📱+🎧]
— vibezz
🛠️ fresh start
📖 hidden identity
🛠️ fake dating
📖 ~miss independent FMC~
🛠️ morally gray MMC
mini blurb — ✍🏻
After what happened in When She Loves, Nero was given a new chance in life. New name, new city, fresh start far away from the made world that was his everything from the beginning. The new reality is hard to come into terms with, but when the spark of interest finally light up with his new neighbor, his mind is set into having her.
//
let me just tell this first things first.
THAT ENDING WAS CRIMINAL
YOU HEAR ME
CRIMINAL
That said, I preached justice for Nero at the beginning and this first part delivered 🫶
I fell in love with him, and half the time during his POV I felt like the little devil on his shoulder daring him to act on his worst lmao, that'd be so funny.
He tried to act differently and settle down into his new civilian life, but that man is not civilized, he always had to talk himself out of any harsh decision and EVEN THEN, idk how many attempted murders we avoided (what's arson in comparison? lmao)
Blake was a feisty heroine, I loved her, she was strong and resilient, caring and emotional even if she says the opposite, I really saw a little of myself in her.
Now I really had to chill myself bc we've got 1 month before the second part comes out and idk if I can wait 😭😭😭
[📱+🎧] ebook + audio
audiobook 🎧 — duet, Aiden Snow & Lucy Rivers
read count —
#1: july 2024 [📱]
#2: september 2025 [📱+🎧]
— vibezz
🛠️ fresh start
📖 hidden identity
🛠️ fake dating
📖 ~miss independent FMC~
🛠️ morally gray MMC
mini blurb — ✍🏻
After what happened in When She Loves, Nero was given a new chance in life. New name, new city, fresh start far away from the made world that was his everything from the beginning. The new reality is hard to come into terms with, but when the spark of interest finally light up with his new neighbor, his mind is set into having her.
//
let me just tell this first things first.
THAT ENDING WAS CRIMINAL
YOU HEAR ME
CRIMINAL
That said, I preached justice for Nero at the beginning and this first part delivered 🫶
I fell in love with him, and half the time during his POV I felt like the little devil on his shoulder daring him to act on his worst lmao, that'd be so funny.
He tried to act differently and settle down into his new civilian life, but that man is not civilized, he always had to talk himself out of any harsh decision and EVEN THEN, idk how many attempted murders we avoided (what's arson in comparison? lmao)
Blake was a feisty heroine, I loved her, she was strong and resilient, caring and emotional even if she says the opposite, I really saw a little of myself in her.
Now I really had to chill myself bc we've got 1 month before the second part comes out and idk if I can wait 😭😭😭
July 27, 2024
This was a good book with good writing but there were a few things I did not like. One is the MMC Nero fucks a lot of women in the small town he is hiding out in under an assumed name. This is after he meets the MFC Blake. He is so busy fucking OW including a married woman whom he did not know was married. He might have but he was too busy just wanting to fuck all the women. The author tries to spin it that he was using sex as a distraction from the fact that he had to give up his former life. The thing is it’s hard to sell a romance when you have the hero fucking a lot of people especially in the small town where the heroine would have to see them and hear the gossip. The heroine has a ex who cheated but is not fucking anyone while the hero makes is way through half the town’s population. He did not bother to try and pursue her again to busy fucking others. It’s not until he ends up moving next door does he start to try but for me still not quickly enough. It’s not cheating but the lack of effort in the beginning and the multiple hook ups was just nasty.
She ends up finding out who he is after almost being raped by her godfather who was going to turn Nero over for payment. It ends in a cliffhanger undecided if I will bother to read. The thing with Sam was unnecessary I thought he would get his own book. Also, after he moves next door he becomes obsessed with her and finds out she is planning on selling her house and leaving. He catches it on fire so she can’t. This bit of crazy felt unbelievable and again late to the table after all the fucking he did with OW.
She ends up finding out who he is after almost being raped by her godfather who was going to turn Nero over for payment. It ends in a cliffhanger undecided if I will bother to read. The thing with Sam was unnecessary I thought he would get his own book. Also, after he moves next door he becomes obsessed with her and finds out she is planning on selling her house and leaving. He catches it on fire so she can’t. This bit of crazy felt unbelievable and again late to the table after all the fucking he did with OW.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 6, 2024
I NEED THE NEXT BOOK! I didn’t realise this duet carried on Nero’s story, I thought it was a complete stand alone and was so confused when I started reading! I love Gabrielle’s writing so much but chapter 39 had me sobbing! I was not expecting that at all. I want Blake to be friends with Cleo! 25 days until book 2 and I cannot wait!
Better than The Sopranos, my fav mafia series by far
Better than The Sopranos, my fav mafia series by far
not-safe-enough-for-me
September 19, 2024self note:
Every one of her books I’ve looked into haven’t been safe, so I’m just avoiding this author for now.
Every one of her books I’ve looked into haven’t been safe, so I’m just avoiding this author for now.
October 15, 2024
Slow burn.
That best describes this story.
I was not too fond of Nero's actions here.
That best describes this story.
I was not too fond of Nero's actions here.
May 21, 2025
No está mal, pero no es lo que esperaba. Por supuesto el final es abierto y termina en el siguiente.
Pero hay que leerlo, si no queremos perdernos nada en los siguientes libros.
Pero hay que leerlo, si no queremos perdernos nada en los siguientes libros.
December 16, 2024
»I can be an asshole, and I can be a selfish prick, but even in my worst moments, I'd never tear you down like that. I know my place, baby. It's kneeling at your feet.«
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I adore her. She is brave, intelligent and such a sweetheart. All she does is be a good person and care for others. Really liked her.
❥ 𝑵𝒆𝒓𝒐 ࣪⋆✮
What a man. He is dangerously, mysterious and possessive. I loved him and the way his character was portrayed.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
Wow. What a wild ride. To be honest I wish I could read it again for the first time. This story lead me through a bunch of different emotions: anger, happiness, sadness, joy, disbelieve and heartbreak. I had a blast while reading it and was glued to my kindle all evening. I grinned a lot and just couldn‘t stop smiling. This book just grabbed me and took me into the dangerous world of Nero DeLuca.
The plot was thrilling and entertaining with a lot of slow burn love story involved. I love the writing style from Gabrielle Sands and liked her other books as well.
Blake and Nero have great tension and they just fit. Nero became obsessed with Blake real quick and I adored his possessive nature and the way he fights for his woman. I enjoyed the way Blake stood her ground against him and that she was no woman to fall easily at his feet. Her sass was funny and entertaining.
I can‘t describe how much I love this book and I‘m glad I finally read it! Just amazing. Normally I‘m not a fan of duets but this book kept me on the edge of my seat and I can‘t wait to dive into the second book.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes. Go and read it!!!
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 5/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: cliff hanger
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, instant attraction, mafia romance, morally dark man, touch her and die, „my woman“, slow burn, secrets and lies, forced proximity, he falls first and harder, waitress x consigliere in hiding, unhinged mmc, hidden identity, fake relationship
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Blake (23) and Nero (30)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 When He Desires ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 When He Takes ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒌𝒆 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
I adore her. She is brave, intelligent and such a sweetheart. All she does is be a good person and care for others. Really liked her.
❥ 𝑵𝒆𝒓𝒐 ࣪⋆✮
What a man. He is dangerously, mysterious and possessive. I loved him and the way his character was portrayed.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
Wow. What a wild ride. To be honest I wish I could read it again for the first time. This story lead me through a bunch of different emotions: anger, happiness, sadness, joy, disbelieve and heartbreak. I had a blast while reading it and was glued to my kindle all evening. I grinned a lot and just couldn‘t stop smiling. This book just grabbed me and took me into the dangerous world of Nero DeLuca.
The plot was thrilling and entertaining with a lot of slow burn love story involved. I love the writing style from Gabrielle Sands and liked her other books as well.
Blake and Nero have great tension and they just fit. Nero became obsessed with Blake real quick and I adored his possessive nature and the way he fights for his woman. I enjoyed the way Blake stood her ground against him and that she was no woman to fall easily at his feet. Her sass was funny and entertaining.
I can‘t describe how much I love this book and I‘m glad I finally read it! Just amazing. Normally I‘m not a fan of duets but this book kept me on the edge of my seat and I can‘t wait to dive into the second book.
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes. Go and read it!!!
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 5/5
spice: 3/5
humor: 5/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: cliff hanger
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, instant attraction, mafia romance, morally dark man, touch her and die, „my woman“, slow burn, secrets and lies, forced proximity, he falls first and harder, waitress x consigliere in hiding, unhinged mmc, hidden identity, fake relationship
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Blake (23) and Nero (30)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 When He Desires ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 When He Takes ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
Read
December 15, 2023AHHH pls dont change the virgin trope 😪
September 13, 2024
Trashy mafia romances rly hit the spot when I’m in a depressive episode lmao
July 28, 2025
Such an interesting book. I like rowan but I love nero. I want to see more of his darkside . but the girl she is just too innocent . she trusts very easily even after going through heartbreaks. she wasn't that interesting however the story was. it was a good start to the duet.
He bought a bookstore for her 🤌🤌
fav dialogue :-
I kiss her again. “I know my place, baby. It’s kneeling at your feet.” 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Poor Sandro didn’t deserve that. he deserved better.
I am excited to see the next book of this duet. I hope it doesn't disappoint.
He bought a bookstore for her 🤌🤌
fav dialogue :-
I kiss her again. “I know my place, baby. It’s kneeling at your feet.” 🫶🏻🫶🏻
Poor Sandro didn’t deserve that. he deserved better.
I am excited to see the next book of this duet. I hope it doesn't disappoint.
January 6, 2025
** One of my Top 20 of 2024 Picks on www.JeevesReads.com! **
What a RIDE - that cliffhanger has me itching to dive into the second half of this duet immediately, so I am exceedingly grateful that I waited until I could do exactly that. Sands has a way of making me care about the suspense in her mafia romances, which is not something I can say about a lot of authors. Each book in The Fallen series builds upon the central conflict, all culminating in the situation the current lead finds himself in. It's a spinoff of the original series that I guess could be read as a standalone duet, but probably shouldn't be. It's much more compelling with the context of the previous series, which left me in a constant state of tension as I waited for the other shoe to drop. At its heart, this particular installment is a small town, reformed player romance with an edge. Our heroine doesn't know the true identity of the man she's falling for, so much of the story is light and swoony - until it isn't. I loved the instant chemistry between these two and the way the antihero was falling before he even knew what was happening. His world has already tilted on its axis once, and meeting his girl sends him spinning once again. The romance had my full attention even without the suspense, but I have no doubt that the second half of this duet is going to be even more intense.
If you're planning to read The Fallen series, I would definitely start there before reading any further - the plot of this book will spoil elements of the previous series. And that series was excellent. When He Desires follows Nero, the former consigliere of one of the Italian mafia families in New York. After things go awry at home, he's forced to start a new life in a small town, assuming a new identity as "Rowan" and becoming an unassuming, law-abiding citizen. Unfortunately, gossip runs rampant in small towns, and "Rowan" has developed a reputation for being a playboy, which is starting to impact Nero's new construction business. When he moves into a new place and discovers that his neighbor is the one woman in town who doesn't seem to be swayed by his charm, Nero isn't sure whether he should be wary or delighted. But spending time with Blake is the one thing that keeps his loneliness at bay, and that means Nero would do anything to keep her in his orbit... even if he can never be honest about his true identity.
I'm really not sure how this duet would read to someone who hasn't read The Fallen series, but I binged all four of those books earlier this year. I have never binged a series faster, and I did exactly the same thing with this book. It had me completely HOOKED from the very beginning, with obvious chemistry between Nero and Blake. I loved that she didn't fall for his charms, and he couldn't have picked a girl who is less likely to accept his history. I wouldn't typically enjoy a scenario where the (anti)hero has been a player after meeting his girl, but they'd interacted so infrequently that he didn't even know her name, and there was no one else in the picture once he did. This really does have small town romance vibes for much of the story, with darker elements lurking beneath the surface. I loved the way Sands unraveled little breadcrumbs that were sure to be trouble later, and the whole thing was masterfully put together. I could enjoy the romance, while also knowing that Nero would DEFINITELY get in over his head at some point. It truly is a "he falls first" scenario, and I loved how out of his element Nero was. He wants to fully embrace the relationship, but doing so would cause nothing but trouble. He gets himself into a sticky situation for sure, lol. Things get darker (check that trigger warning) and more suspenseful towards the end, and I have to imagine that the next installment will feel completely different. And you know what? I'm digging into it immediately - this was so, so good.
What a RIDE - that cliffhanger has me itching to dive into the second half of this duet immediately, so I am exceedingly grateful that I waited until I could do exactly that. Sands has a way of making me care about the suspense in her mafia romances, which is not something I can say about a lot of authors. Each book in The Fallen series builds upon the central conflict, all culminating in the situation the current lead finds himself in. It's a spinoff of the original series that I guess could be read as a standalone duet, but probably shouldn't be. It's much more compelling with the context of the previous series, which left me in a constant state of tension as I waited for the other shoe to drop. At its heart, this particular installment is a small town, reformed player romance with an edge. Our heroine doesn't know the true identity of the man she's falling for, so much of the story is light and swoony - until it isn't. I loved the instant chemistry between these two and the way the antihero was falling before he even knew what was happening. His world has already tilted on its axis once, and meeting his girl sends him spinning once again. The romance had my full attention even without the suspense, but I have no doubt that the second half of this duet is going to be even more intense.
If you're planning to read The Fallen series, I would definitely start there before reading any further - the plot of this book will spoil elements of the previous series. And that series was excellent. When He Desires follows Nero, the former consigliere of one of the Italian mafia families in New York. After things go awry at home, he's forced to start a new life in a small town, assuming a new identity as "Rowan" and becoming an unassuming, law-abiding citizen. Unfortunately, gossip runs rampant in small towns, and "Rowan" has developed a reputation for being a playboy, which is starting to impact Nero's new construction business. When he moves into a new place and discovers that his neighbor is the one woman in town who doesn't seem to be swayed by his charm, Nero isn't sure whether he should be wary or delighted. But spending time with Blake is the one thing that keeps his loneliness at bay, and that means Nero would do anything to keep her in his orbit... even if he can never be honest about his true identity.
I'm really not sure how this duet would read to someone who hasn't read The Fallen series, but I binged all four of those books earlier this year. I have never binged a series faster, and I did exactly the same thing with this book. It had me completely HOOKED from the very beginning, with obvious chemistry between Nero and Blake. I loved that she didn't fall for his charms, and he couldn't have picked a girl who is less likely to accept his history. I wouldn't typically enjoy a scenario where the (anti)hero has been a player after meeting his girl, but they'd interacted so infrequently that he didn't even know her name, and there was no one else in the picture once he did. This really does have small town romance vibes for much of the story, with darker elements lurking beneath the surface. I loved the way Sands unraveled little breadcrumbs that were sure to be trouble later, and the whole thing was masterfully put together. I could enjoy the romance, while also knowing that Nero would DEFINITELY get in over his head at some point. It truly is a "he falls first" scenario, and I loved how out of his element Nero was. He wants to fully embrace the relationship, but doing so would cause nothing but trouble. He gets himself into a sticky situation for sure, lol. Things get darker (check that trigger warning) and more suspenseful towards the end, and I have to imagine that the next installment will feel completely different. And you know what? I'm digging into it immediately - this was so, so good.
October 15, 2025
Omfg I ate this up… starting the second book immediately and my full review will be on there after I’m done 😏🩷
September 9, 2024
Hm. I wanted to love this so much. It was overall lacking a bit. Nero was unlikable in this and the girl (I already forgot her name…) was boring. :(
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