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The Moretti Chronicles #1
Isle of Beauty
ALANA
I'm the Heir to the Moretti Empire and I will do anything to help it prosper, including entering a loveless marriage to grow our influence in the Mediterranean Sea. On my last night of freedom, I meet him. Lisandru Pierce. He ignites my soul and body like no one ever did before but he's not mine to keep. He'll remain a secret within the depth of my heart. When my husband dies and I need to remarry for protection, I never imagined the man I never forgot would come back into my life as none other than my new fiancé's brother.
PIERCE
When she left, she took a piece of my heart with her. For the first time in my life, I gave someone my trust and she left me bleeding. I searched for her for three years to exact my revenge. When my brother calls me to announce his impeding nuptials, I know I can’t let her escape anymore. I will do anything to claim her as mine, even if it means selling my soul by rising to take my rightful place in the underworld as Heir to the Bartoli Family.
I'm the Heir to the Moretti Empire and I will do anything to help it prosper, including entering a loveless marriage to grow our influence in the Mediterranean Sea. On my last night of freedom, I meet him. Lisandru Pierce. He ignites my soul and body like no one ever did before but he's not mine to keep. He'll remain a secret within the depth of my heart. When my husband dies and I need to remarry for protection, I never imagined the man I never forgot would come back into my life as none other than my new fiancé's brother.
PIERCE
When she left, she took a piece of my heart with her. For the first time in my life, I gave someone my trust and she left me bleeding. I searched for her for three years to exact my revenge. When my brother calls me to announce his impeding nuptials, I know I can’t let her escape anymore. I will do anything to claim her as mine, even if it means selling my soul by rising to take my rightful place in the underworld as Heir to the Bartoli Family.
293 pages, Kindle Edition
Published January 25, 2024
265 people are currently reading
1984 people want to read
About the author
C.J. Lucci
9 books189 followersC.J. Lucci is a passionate queer storyteller who writes romance for those who want to explore their desires and reclaim their power through swoon-worthy and morally ambiguous characters.
From darkness to light, C.J. loves to offer options for readers to discover what titillate their brain, whether it’s queer romance, a new trope you didn’t even know you liked, a new kink, or a new take on mafia romance with women at the helm for once.
Having roots in Corsica, it was only natural for her to pay tribute to the Isle of Beauty through her writing. When she is not writing, she enjoys yoga, long hikes with her partner and drinking coffee.
From darkness to light, C.J. loves to offer options for readers to discover what titillate their brain, whether it’s queer romance, a new trope you didn’t even know you liked, a new kink, or a new take on mafia romance with women at the helm for once.
Having roots in Corsica, it was only natural for her to pay tribute to the Isle of Beauty through her writing. When she is not writing, she enjoys yoga, long hikes with her partner and drinking coffee.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 100 reviews
February 9, 2024
This is amazing for a debut author. The spicy scenes were amazing! I love the story and look forward to reading more from this author.
January 2, 2024
thanks to the author for the arc 🫶🏼
i really enjoyed this dark mafia romance! it follows the story of alana, the daughter of a mafia boss and the heir to the empire, and pierce/lisandru, the estranged son of another mafia boss.
the story and writing style are fast paced, and there’s a double pov which i always love! the book starts with a few trigger warnings, and even though this is a dark romance, i didn’t find it too dark. i think it’s perfect for readers who want to try a dark mafia romance.
so, if you’re in the market for this type of story: definitely check isle of beauty out! i can’t wait to read more from this author :)
i really enjoyed this dark mafia romance! it follows the story of alana, the daughter of a mafia boss and the heir to the empire, and pierce/lisandru, the estranged son of another mafia boss.
the story and writing style are fast paced, and there’s a double pov which i always love! the book starts with a few trigger warnings, and even though this is a dark romance, i didn’t find it too dark. i think it’s perfect for readers who want to try a dark mafia romance.
so, if you’re in the market for this type of story: definitely check isle of beauty out! i can’t wait to read more from this author :)
June 18, 2024
Alana is a savage; she will stab you in the leg without remorse if you do her wrong, and I LOVED that about her. In most mafia books, the females are always treated like weak humans who are never taken seriously, but that was not the case for this book. Alana's family's respect for her was a breath of fresh air. She is a powerhouse and deserves to have someone by her side who would kill or die for her.
Pierce was the perfect balance for Alana. He was the one who needed to learn how things worked in the Mafia, even though he was a Heir! He did everything he could to get his girl, and even though I was nervous about him turning his back on her, he didn't.
I had a blast reading this book and cannot wait for the next one! Strong females in a man's world? Sign me up.
Pierce was the perfect balance for Alana. He was the one who needed to learn how things worked in the Mafia, even though he was a Heir! He did everything he could to get his girl, and even though I was nervous about him turning his back on her, he didn't.
I had a blast reading this book and cannot wait for the next one! Strong females in a man's world? Sign me up.
January 28, 2024
this was a very solid debut, i liked the concept of the story, and the mafia elements were immersive. it just wasn't a 5 star read for me for two reasons. first of all, the unnecessary homophobic subplot that almost turned into "bury your gays" that had no resolution and didn't add anything to the story apart from one of the character's homosexuality being almost like a ploy to advance the heterosexual couple. having that subplot or not wouldn't have changed anything to the main story. and second, that time jump that marked the beginning of the plot at the 20% mark of the story felt very detached. i appreciated that the author spent enough time making us fall in love with the characters and their connection, which isn't always easy with fast burn/love, but then breaking them apart and "building" the boy obsessed trope was rushed and unnecessary, in my opinion. i wanted longer povs and from both of them during their time apart to really convey the impact of the other's absence. otherwise, what was the point in having the fmc marry another man and suffer if we didn't see it?
* i was sent an arc by the author in exchange for a honest review
* i was sent an arc by the author in exchange for a honest review
May 24, 2024
Wonderful story 🩷
This is the first book by C. J. Lucci and it I look forward to reading more.
Isle of Beauty had so much angst and passion, filled with lovers and enemies, that it was entertaining and so much fun to read.
Lana and Pierce were one of those couples that you were cheering for them to win the war.
I can’t wait to read more in this series 💗
This is the first book by C. J. Lucci and it I look forward to reading more.
Isle of Beauty had so much angst and passion, filled with lovers and enemies, that it was entertaining and so much fun to read.
Lana and Pierce were one of those couples that you were cheering for them to win the war.
I can’t wait to read more in this series 💗
January 22, 2026
Never read a mafia romance before. This was violent and fun lol
February 9, 2024
Isle of Beauty by C.J Lucci
Maybe I’m a tad biased because I think C.J. Lucci is one of the nicest people on booktok. When she reached out to me and asked if I was interested in reading an ARC of her debut book, the only thing I could say was yes. I’ve been following her progress through her videos and her book/videos promoting the book made me even more excited.
It’s a story with the baddest of baddies as a future mob boss and a man who has been trying to keep the mob life out of his life. These two meet by coincidence ,have some endless passion then she disappears….until 3 years later.
We’ve got arranged marriage, man obsessed, literally feral woman, age gap, and enemies to lovers. This book has a “WHERE’S MY WIFE SCENE?!” and I nearly died. It’s fast paced, dark but not too dark, steam galore, and dual pov.
READ IT.
Maybe I’m a tad biased because I think C.J. Lucci is one of the nicest people on booktok. When she reached out to me and asked if I was interested in reading an ARC of her debut book, the only thing I could say was yes. I’ve been following her progress through her videos and her book/videos promoting the book made me even more excited.
It’s a story with the baddest of baddies as a future mob boss and a man who has been trying to keep the mob life out of his life. These two meet by coincidence ,have some endless passion then she disappears….until 3 years later.
We’ve got arranged marriage, man obsessed, literally feral woman, age gap, and enemies to lovers. This book has a “WHERE’S MY WIFE SCENE?!” and I nearly died. It’s fast paced, dark but not too dark, steam galore, and dual pov.
READ IT.
January 3, 2024
I want to thank the author for letting me be part of her ARC team!!
Dark Mafia romance (but not that dark - always check TW before you read) with marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers and dual pov that I absolute love. Such an easy read. Characters are very well developed with a strong fmc (highly important to me because I hate how many make the women depend on men). Lisandru/Pierce is the absolute hot man with “touch her and I kill you” trope that every girl needs.
The spice was …God! Like passionate with high desire and a touch of sexy filth.
Once you start reading it you will get hocked. I need more books from this author like I can’t wait for this baby to be released to get me a physical copy.
If you are looking to start reading mafia romance books, then start with this one.
Dark Mafia romance (but not that dark - always check TW before you read) with marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers and dual pov that I absolute love. Such an easy read. Characters are very well developed with a strong fmc (highly important to me because I hate how many make the women depend on men). Lisandru/Pierce is the absolute hot man with “touch her and I kill you” trope that every girl needs.
The spice was …God! Like passionate with high desire and a touch of sexy filth.
Once you start reading it you will get hocked. I need more books from this author like I can’t wait for this baby to be released to get me a physical copy.
If you are looking to start reading mafia romance books, then start with this one.
January 2, 2024
A huge thank you to the author for the ARC of her debut novel 🙏🏼
My first mafia romance, and I really enjoyed it! Marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers.. I mean, it's the mafia we are talking about 😉
I was giggling and screaming!
I think this book was a great gateway in to the genre for me!
Its marked as dark romance but I think this book is an excellent introduction to the dark side of romance.
My first mafia romance, and I really enjoyed it! Marriage of convenience, enemies to lovers.. I mean, it's the mafia we are talking about 😉
I was giggling and screaming!
I think this book was a great gateway in to the genre for me!
Its marked as dark romance but I think this book is an excellent introduction to the dark side of romance.
January 28, 2024
Book Title: Isle of Beauty
Author: C. J. Lucci
Star Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Synopsis: Lana and Pierce met in London on her last night before an arranged marriage. Years after they are apart, Pierce returns to Kalliste to claim his heir, but mainly Lana.
Initial Reactions: I expected a mafia romance but got an intense roller coaster of emotions with unexpected plot twists. I don't know how many times I screamed "NOO" while reading, and I also couldn't put the book down because of the action scenes. It was an emotional roller coaster. The last quarter was gripping.
Thoughts on Characters: Lana's a powerful FMC unafraid to protect her family, while Pierce/Lisandru undergoes a remarkable character transformation from a lovely lover to an obsessed/vengeful man to a perfect obsessive book boyfriend/husband. Pierce's moral dilemma and change during events are *Chefs kiss*. 😘😘
The moment that I fell in love with Lana: since they rejected a random guy at the bar with this thought:
Plot Thoughts: Highly unpredictable! My guesses were always wrong; the twists kept me glued, especially in the ending. The chemistry between FMC and MMC is amazing, and the scenes are HOT🥵🥵🥵!
Intended Audience: Adult dark mafia romance readers (dark theme, arranged marriage, second chance, spicy sex scenes); content warnings advised. 🔞🔞
Recommendation: Isle of Beauty is a must-read if you enjoy dark mafia romance with arranged marriages and intense scenes.
Conclusion: An intense, unpredictable, and emotionally gripping read with a powerful romance.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
Author: C. J. Lucci
Star Rating: 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Synopsis: Lana and Pierce met in London on her last night before an arranged marriage. Years after they are apart, Pierce returns to Kalliste to claim his heir, but mainly Lana.
Initial Reactions: I expected a mafia romance but got an intense roller coaster of emotions with unexpected plot twists. I don't know how many times I screamed "NOO" while reading, and I also couldn't put the book down because of the action scenes. It was an emotional roller coaster. The last quarter was gripping.
Thoughts on Characters: Lana's a powerful FMC unafraid to protect her family, while Pierce/Lisandru undergoes a remarkable character transformation from a lovely lover to an obsessed/vengeful man to a perfect obsessive book boyfriend/husband. Pierce's moral dilemma and change during events are *Chefs kiss*. 😘😘
The moment that I fell in love with Lana: since they rejected a random guy at the bar with this thought:
"God forbid a woman can say no, we always have to bring in boyfriends as an excuse to refuse drinks or dances."It was so realistic. I am not going to spoil the rest. 🤐
Plot Thoughts: Highly unpredictable! My guesses were always wrong; the twists kept me glued, especially in the ending. The chemistry between FMC and MMC is amazing, and the scenes are HOT🥵🥵🥵!
Intended Audience: Adult dark mafia romance readers (dark theme, arranged marriage, second chance, spicy sex scenes); content warnings advised. 🔞🔞
Recommendation: Isle of Beauty is a must-read if you enjoy dark mafia romance with arranged marriages and intense scenes.
Conclusion: An intense, unpredictable, and emotionally gripping read with a powerful romance.
I received an ARC from the author in exchange for an honest review.
January 10, 2024
This is actually a very surprising debut
I’ve discovered the author thanks to scrolling on tik tok and decided to give her debut a chance
I went blind completely ( besides knowing the tropes) and i actually had a nice time reading it and it s completely amazing to me that this is her first book
It has
•enemies to lovers
•marriage of convenience
•one night stand turned reunited later
•angst
•grovelling
Thank you to CJ Lucci for the arc i had such a great time reading it 🫶🏻🫶🏻
I’ve discovered the author thanks to scrolling on tik tok and decided to give her debut a chance
I went blind completely ( besides knowing the tropes) and i actually had a nice time reading it and it s completely amazing to me that this is her first book
It has
•enemies to lovers
•marriage of convenience
•one night stand turned reunited later
•angst
•grovelling
Thank you to CJ Lucci for the arc i had such a great time reading it 🫶🏻🫶🏻
January 19, 2024
4⭐️ | 📖
🌶️🌶️
I'm so pleased I got to experience the beginning of this new mafia world. This brought together 2+ mafia/bratva families and introduced a conflict that appears will continue in this series. Alana ("Lana") is the no-nonsense heir of her respective mafia family, the Moretti's, and she has a delectable one night stand with the begrudging heir of another mafia family, Pierce (aka Lisandru). HOWEVER, she's promised to another, and they don't see each other (not for lack of trying or hunting) for another 3 years. That's where the story and conflict really picks up.
The spice was delicious and the plot and character development for a debut was well done. I nearly enjoyed the side characters as much as our MMC and FMC. I am all for the relationship between Julian (Pierce's brother and Lana's bestie) and Lana's bodyguard and friend, Igor. I fell for them immediately, and hope the next book is theirs!
Tropes/Elements:
- Mafia
- Arranged marriage
- One night stand
- Second chance
- Revenge plot
- Best friend's brother
Note: Thank you to C.J. Lucci for providing an eARC of your debut novel. The decision to read/review was my own, and represents my honest opinion.
🌶️🌶️
I'm so pleased I got to experience the beginning of this new mafia world. This brought together 2+ mafia/bratva families and introduced a conflict that appears will continue in this series. Alana ("Lana") is the no-nonsense heir of her respective mafia family, the Moretti's, and she has a delectable one night stand with the begrudging heir of another mafia family, Pierce (aka Lisandru). HOWEVER, she's promised to another, and they don't see each other (not for lack of trying or hunting) for another 3 years. That's where the story and conflict really picks up.
The spice was delicious and the plot and character development for a debut was well done. I nearly enjoyed the side characters as much as our MMC and FMC. I am all for the relationship between Julian (Pierce's brother and Lana's bestie) and Lana's bodyguard and friend, Igor. I fell for them immediately, and hope the next book is theirs!
Tropes/Elements:
- Mafia
- Arranged marriage
- One night stand
- Second chance
- Revenge plot
- Best friend's brother
Note: Thank you to C.J. Lucci for providing an eARC of your debut novel. The decision to read/review was my own, and represents my honest opinion.
December 17, 2024
EDIT 25/01/24 :
HAPPY RELEASE DAY 🎉🎉🎉🎉
I want to start by saying thank you to the author for giving me an ARC~ I’ve been following your writing journey and I couldn’t wait to read your book ! Now let’s start with my honest opinion :
Lana Lana Lana, oh how much I fell for you…
Who doesn’t like a strong, smart, snarky female lead ?
And what to say about Lisandru (yeah I have a weakness for his Corsican given name rather than his English one)… that man is HOT, and sweet, and he sure does love his girl and could/would or totally did kill for her hehehe.
This book is the debut nouvel for our sweet C.J. Lucci, I’m so proud of her ! It was an amazing read. Dark mafia romance… but not too dark (don’t forget to always check your TWs~). The smut is SMUTING. Those scenes were HOT. I’m usually not a fan of insta love but I’m digging the insta lust here hahaha
The book got me giggling, stressed me out, got me hot and bothered. Everything you need, you will get it!
I’m really happy I can say I read this book early! And I would totally recommend it !
I can’t wait to see what C.J has in store for us next, in this universe (Giulia and Andrea ? Julian and Igor ???) or another one🥴
HAPPY RELEASE DAY 🎉🎉🎉🎉
I want to start by saying thank you to the author for giving me an ARC~ I’ve been following your writing journey and I couldn’t wait to read your book ! Now let’s start with my honest opinion :
Lana Lana Lana, oh how much I fell for you…
Who doesn’t like a strong, smart, snarky female lead ?
And what to say about Lisandru (yeah I have a weakness for his Corsican given name rather than his English one)… that man is HOT, and sweet, and he sure does love his girl and could/would or totally did kill for her hehehe.
This book is the debut nouvel for our sweet C.J. Lucci, I’m so proud of her ! It was an amazing read. Dark mafia romance… but not too dark (don’t forget to always check your TWs~). The smut is SMUTING. Those scenes were HOT. I’m usually not a fan of insta love but I’m digging the insta lust here hahaha
The book got me giggling, stressed me out, got me hot and bothered. Everything you need, you will get it!
I’m really happy I can say I read this book early! And I would totally recommend it !
I can’t wait to see what C.J has in store for us next, in this universe (Giulia and Andrea ? Julian and Igor ???) or another one🥴
January 16, 2024
After just a couple of dates with Lana, Pierce is already falling for her. Pierce knew she was supposed to be leaving the country soon but did not know how soon or the fact she’d leave without even saying goodbye. In the short time together he felt that she cared for him and it was the first time he truly felt cared for so he was so hurt from her disappearance that he wants revenge for the pain she put him through. After three years of searching he finally finds her by a stroke of luck.
Pierce is on the right side of the law and works with the government to take down criminals. In order to take out his revenge he has to become a criminal himself. He finds that Lana is close to his estranged father who he has dreamed of punishing since he was a boy so this is his chance to take out two birds with one stone.
While Pierce’s plan is in place and he joins the world of crime he starts to realize, what if everything he thought over the years is false? Is his revenge necessary? Does he really want to hurt Lana or does he just want back what they had in the past?
This story was so good and I hope we get Andrea and Giulia next!
Pierce is on the right side of the law and works with the government to take down criminals. In order to take out his revenge he has to become a criminal himself. He finds that Lana is close to his estranged father who he has dreamed of punishing since he was a boy so this is his chance to take out two birds with one stone.
While Pierce’s plan is in place and he joins the world of crime he starts to realize, what if everything he thought over the years is false? Is his revenge necessary? Does he really want to hurt Lana or does he just want back what they had in the past?
This story was so good and I hope we get Andrea and Giulia next!
January 18, 2024
This book had me hooked from the start!
We have Alana our badass FMC enjoying her last weekend of freedom in London before she has to go home and take part in her families business, she bumps into Pierce and sparks fly! she had nothing to loose so she pours her heart out and he returns it with his dark history.
Little did Alana know what this Cinnamon roll mmc had a possessive streak, so when she leaves, he hunts her down to claim her.
Alana and Pierce are ment for eachother! The way he looks after her, LIKE LOOKS AFTER HER = AFTER CARE, AFTER NAKED INTERACTIONS. Chases her and gives up his morals, his future, and the life he once knew, just to be with her.
I loved this book and would def recommend this to anyone that loves the thrill of Mafia / Marriage of Convenience / Spice!!! The tension in this book between the mmc and fmc is fiery and so is the spice omg!
🗡️Mafia Romance
🗡️Dark Romance
🗡️Found Family
🗡️Possessive/Obsessive MMC
🗡️Badass FMC
🗡️Touch Her and 💀
🗡️Who Hurt You
🗡️He Fell First
🗡️Marriage of Convenience
Ratings
Star:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Darkness:💀💀
We have Alana our badass FMC enjoying her last weekend of freedom in London before she has to go home and take part in her families business, she bumps into Pierce and sparks fly! she had nothing to loose so she pours her heart out and he returns it with his dark history.
Little did Alana know what this Cinnamon roll mmc had a possessive streak, so when she leaves, he hunts her down to claim her.
Alana and Pierce are ment for eachother! The way he looks after her, LIKE LOOKS AFTER HER = AFTER CARE, AFTER NAKED INTERACTIONS. Chases her and gives up his morals, his future, and the life he once knew, just to be with her.
I loved this book and would def recommend this to anyone that loves the thrill of Mafia / Marriage of Convenience / Spice!!! The tension in this book between the mmc and fmc is fiery and so is the spice omg!
🗡️Mafia Romance
🗡️Dark Romance
🗡️Found Family
🗡️Possessive/Obsessive MMC
🗡️Badass FMC
🗡️Touch Her and 💀
🗡️Who Hurt You
🗡️He Fell First
🗡️Marriage of Convenience
Ratings
Star:⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️
Darkness:💀💀
January 24, 2024
KC Rating: 4.25🍁 | 1.25🌶️
This book was a debut novel for C.J. Lucci, and i was absolutely in love with it! She did an amazing job, and for the first half of the book i was just cracking up, considering that Lana was an absolute badass and i absolutely adored her! Pierce was a great character too, and his revenge plot was also great to read about or, how it crashed because he was in love with his wife!
I think the only reason i wasn’t enjoying the book was a bit too fast pace and jumping from one point of time to another. Like one minute we’re in the gym and the next in the bathroom, sometimes the link between the places was lost. but that can easily be fixed with a good editing, as the plot itself was great, and pacing as well. And those twists! I was hoping for a bit better conclusion and stand off between Pierce’s parents, but oh well! And i was hoping Lana would chain someone (Pierce) up once she got to know his actual motive for coming back! Also, there’s a loose end that was not mentioned in.e. IGOR!!!
But overall this was a great book! And i can’t wait to read more by CJ Lucci! Especially if we get Andrea and Gulia’s story!
This book was a debut novel for C.J. Lucci, and i was absolutely in love with it! She did an amazing job, and for the first half of the book i was just cracking up, considering that Lana was an absolute badass and i absolutely adored her! Pierce was a great character too, and his revenge plot was also great to read about or, how it crashed because he was in love with his wife!
I think the only reason i wasn’t enjoying the book was a bit too fast pace and jumping from one point of time to another. Like one minute we’re in the gym and the next in the bathroom, sometimes the link between the places was lost. but that can easily be fixed with a good editing, as the plot itself was great, and pacing as well. And those twists! I was hoping for a bit better conclusion and stand off between Pierce’s parents, but oh well! And i was hoping Lana would chain someone (Pierce) up once she got to know his actual motive for coming back! Also, there’s a loose end that was not mentioned in.e. IGOR!!!
But overall this was a great book! And i can’t wait to read more by CJ Lucci! Especially if we get Andrea and Gulia’s story!
April 7, 2024
Came across this one on TikTok so decided to give it a read, it started off really strong, I loved how badass and take so shit Lana was. It’s definitely on the insta lust/love side but I really don’t mind that so that wasn’t an issue. I loved pierce and his possessiveness from the start, I enjoyed how he went with one plan and really thought he was going to stick to it 😂 I loved the family dynamic Lana had, it was nice to read a book with a female in charge that actually listened to. I did get a little annoyed with the constant change between him called her ‘wife’ to ‘fiancé’ like stick with one instead of constantly swapping 😂
The ending did get very confusing for me, when things were going down and all these names and relations were getting mentioned I had to take a minute to double check who was who and who belonged with who. Was still an enjoyable read and I will continue with the series when they come out.
The ending did get very confusing for me, when things were going down and all these names and relations were getting mentioned I had to take a minute to double check who was who and who belonged with who. Was still an enjoyable read and I will continue with the series when they come out.
January 22, 2024
This is a solid debut novel. As you know, I live for mafia romance stories. I love them. I devoured them as nothing. I was happy when the author gave me the arc in exchange for a honest review. This is my honest review after reading mafia romance books like crazy. 🫣
I enjoyed this storyline. Alana is such a special female character. A strong mafia boss. I love strong fmc. The story was well-paced and I appreciated the author for giving us a double pov. I liked the chemistry between the leads. It was well-done.
I didn’t give this book a 5 stars because there are some scenes that I felt they were boring and rushed. Not the type of the scenes I would love to read. But even with that, this is a great story if you dark romance mafia books.
Please remember that this book has some trigger warnings. If you is too much for you, remember that your mental health is more important. 🩵
I enjoyed this storyline. Alana is such a special female character. A strong mafia boss. I love strong fmc. The story was well-paced and I appreciated the author for giving us a double pov. I liked the chemistry between the leads. It was well-done.
I didn’t give this book a 5 stars because there are some scenes that I felt they were boring and rushed. Not the type of the scenes I would love to read. But even with that, this is a great story if you dark romance mafia books.
Please remember that this book has some trigger warnings. If you is too much for you, remember that your mental health is more important. 🩵
January 27, 2024
ARC Review
Wow! I cannot believe this is a debut!
It has everything I wanted and more in a mafia romance.
Having the FMC being the mafia heiress who brings the MMC into the dark underworld is just perfection.
The love story throughout especially in the pov of the MMC is the definition of "if he wanted to he would"x100.
Hes obsessed and in love from their very first night and will burn the world to keep her forever.
I loved the plot and all the twists and turns with reveals that made me gasp.
I'm obsessed with all the supporting characters and cannot wait for their stories.
This is a true dynasty of unhinged and loveable characters.
I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to delve into mafia romance.
Wow! I cannot believe this is a debut!
It has everything I wanted and more in a mafia romance.
Having the FMC being the mafia heiress who brings the MMC into the dark underworld is just perfection.
The love story throughout especially in the pov of the MMC is the definition of "if he wanted to he would"x100.
Hes obsessed and in love from their very first night and will burn the world to keep her forever.
I loved the plot and all the twists and turns with reveals that made me gasp.
I'm obsessed with all the supporting characters and cannot wait for their stories.
This is a true dynasty of unhinged and loveable characters.
I would highly recommend this to anyone wanting to delve into mafia romance.
January 26, 2024
This mafia romance was 🔥 the 🌶 was great. I love how Pierce went from I'm head over heels to you burned this bridge, and I'm going to ruin your life. I think seeing Lana's POV was also fabulous. It lost me when we jumped around a bit, but everything tied up nicely at the end. I would say this is a light, dark romance and definitely more of a romance, IMO.
I really want a book on Andrea and Gulia!!
I really want a book on Andrea and Gulia!!
January 30, 2024
Great Debut novel!
If you love mafia romance with a twist definitely give this a go.
Fmc is in the mafia and mmc takes over from her brother as head of his family to steal her as his bride.
Book two sounds so good so I cannot wait to read it
If you love mafia romance with a twist definitely give this a go.
Fmc is in the mafia and mmc takes over from her brother as head of his family to steal her as his bride.
Book two sounds so good so I cannot wait to read it
February 29, 2024
holy SHIT!!!! Read this in less than 24 hours it was THAT good. The author is a friend of mine and did a tremendous job in her debut novel! Hoping there’s another in the making 🙌🏻
February 24, 2024
Amazing Debut!
This was such a great debut novel. I really enjoyed CJ’s writing style and the way she introduced her idea of a mafia world and characters. Pierce and Lana were such strong characters. I absolutely loved the fact that Lana was the mob boss in this book whereas Pierce was the good boy turned bad for her.
I think it really helps that CJ is a fan of mafia romance books herself. CJ and I both are avid readers and we both know what we like and don’t like. And you can tell by the way CJ wrote her characters and built her world. Lana’s strength through every thing was incredibly admirable and Pierce had me blushing with the filth coming from his mouth. Plus the way Pierce fought for Lana and never gave up.
This book was full of tension and steam and really great banter.
I like the way this book was left open for a second book between some of the side characters.
This was such a great debut novel. I really enjoyed CJ’s writing style and the way she introduced her idea of a mafia world and characters. Pierce and Lana were such strong characters. I absolutely loved the fact that Lana was the mob boss in this book whereas Pierce was the good boy turned bad for her.
I think it really helps that CJ is a fan of mafia romance books herself. CJ and I both are avid readers and we both know what we like and don’t like. And you can tell by the way CJ wrote her characters and built her world. Lana’s strength through every thing was incredibly admirable and Pierce had me blushing with the filth coming from his mouth. Plus the way Pierce fought for Lana and never gave up.
This book was full of tension and steam and really great banter.
I like the way this book was left open for a second book between some of the side characters.
January 27, 2024
This is a great debut from C.J. Lucci.This is a one night stand to enemies to arranged marriage or convenience to lovers.
Pierce and Lana meet in London and after 2 crazy nights, Lana disappears. After 3 years of searching, Pierce finds her again and thus begins 'The Moretti Chronicles'.
I didn't see all the twists coming, which is always a good thing! And the chemistry between Lana and Pierce is amazing and the scenes are hot!
We also get (hopefully I'm right) glimpses in 2 or 3 other books in the series. I hope for Giulia & Andrea, Julian & Igor and Lana's sisters with Andrea's brother.
The only thing that bothers me is that after Igor disappears there is no more mention of Julian or Igor.
🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🅢🅟🅘🅒🅔
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢
🖤 One Night Stand
🖤 Enemies-To-Lovers
🖤 Marriage Of Convenience
🖤 Mafia
🖤 Touch-Her-And-Die
🖤 Brother's Best Friend
🅕🅐🅥🅞🅡🅘🅣🅔 🅠🅤🅞🅣🅔🅢
𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑓 ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑡. 𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘, 𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑘.
𝐴𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑠, 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑑.
𝐻𝑒'𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠, 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑦. 𝐼 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑒𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ.
𝐼'𝑚 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑎. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝐼'𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢.
Pierce and Lana meet in London and after 2 crazy nights, Lana disappears. After 3 years of searching, Pierce finds her again and thus begins 'The Moretti Chronicles'.
I didn't see all the twists coming, which is always a good thing! And the chemistry between Lana and Pierce is amazing and the scenes are hot!
We also get (hopefully I'm right) glimpses in 2 or 3 other books in the series. I hope for Giulia & Andrea, Julian & Igor and Lana's sisters with Andrea's brother.
The only thing that bothers me is that after Igor disappears there is no more mention of Julian or Igor.
🅡🅐🅣🅘🅝🅖
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
🅢🅟🅘🅒🅔
🌶️🌶️🌶️.5
🅣🅡🅞🅟🅔🅢
🖤 One Night Stand
🖤 Enemies-To-Lovers
🖤 Marriage Of Convenience
🖤 Mafia
🖤 Touch-Her-And-Die
🖤 Brother's Best Friend
🅕🅐🅥🅞🅡🅘🅣🅔 🅠🅤🅞🅣🅔🅢
𝐼 𝑤𝑜𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑖𝑓 ℎ𝑒 𝑘𝑛𝑜𝑤𝑠 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑙𝑖𝑡𝑡𝑙𝑒 𝑑𝑖𝑠𝑝𝑙𝑎𝑦 𝑜𝑓 𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒, 𝑎𝑠 𝑠𝑚𝑎𝑙𝑙 𝑎𝑠 𝑖𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑠, 𝑚𝑎𝑑𝑒 𝑚𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑡. 𝐹𝑢𝑐𝑘, 𝐼'𝑚 𝑠𝑖𝑐𝑘.
𝐴𝑠 ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟𝑠, 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑟𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚 𝑎𝑛 𝑢𝑛𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑘𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑏𝑜𝑛𝑑.
𝐻𝑒'𝑠 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑎𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑚𝑦 𝑏𝑟𝑎𝑖𝑛, 𝑚𝑦 𝑑𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑚𝑠, 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑓𝑢𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑚𝑖𝑛𝑢𝑡𝑒 𝑜𝑓 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑦 𝑑𝑎𝑦. 𝐼 𝑐𝑟𝑎𝑣𝑒 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑟𝑢𝑒𝑙𝑡𝑦 𝑒𝑣𝑒𝑛 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑛 𝐼 𝑑𝑖𝑑 ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡𝑜𝑢𝑐ℎ.
𝐼'𝑚 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒, 𝐿𝑎𝑛𝑎. 𝐴𝑛𝑑 𝐼'𝑚 𝑛𝑜𝑡 𝑔𝑜𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑤ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑛𝑜𝑤 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡 𝐼'𝑣𝑒 𝑓𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢.
May 31, 2024
Mafia romance with spice, murder, violence, abuse. So definitely read the trigger warnings.
The book follows Lisandru and Alana who meet in London. They share a weekend together in which they open up to eachother and share truths they haven't shared with annyone else.
Alana leaves Lisandru because she has to marry another man out of duty to her family. Lisandru is angry and heartbroken finding out Alana is gone. He swears to take revenge.
Three years later Alana is widowed and family circumstances bring them back together. They don't trust eachother but the pull is still there.
During their time fighting an bickering they discover their true feelings. When there's an attempt on Alana's live Lisandru has to admit he cares for Alana and will stop at nothing to protect her.
The book follows Lisandru and Alana who meet in London. They share a weekend together in which they open up to eachother and share truths they haven't shared with annyone else.
Alana leaves Lisandru because she has to marry another man out of duty to her family. Lisandru is angry and heartbroken finding out Alana is gone. He swears to take revenge.
Three years later Alana is widowed and family circumstances bring them back together. They don't trust eachother but the pull is still there.
During their time fighting an bickering they discover their true feelings. When there's an attempt on Alana's live Lisandru has to admit he cares for Alana and will stop at nothing to protect her.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 3, 2025
I love maffia romance, I love it even more the way this author does it.
Strong female lead with clear goals, does that make her life pleasant? No, does she do it anyway? Yes.
Headstrong male lead, set in his ways? Yes. Having a plan? Yes.
One last night with a man she likes before she fills her role and does what is good for her family.
One night with a woman who draws him in, he doesn't know anything about, bit he wants her.
The next morning she is gone, he can't get her out of his head and he wants to find her.
As time passes it grows into an obsession.
What happens when he finally does find her and the past he wants nothing to do with comes back to haunt him?
You will read about it in this book.
Strong female lead with clear goals, does that make her life pleasant? No, does she do it anyway? Yes.
Headstrong male lead, set in his ways? Yes. Having a plan? Yes.
One last night with a man she likes before she fills her role and does what is good for her family.
One night with a woman who draws him in, he doesn't know anything about, bit he wants her.
The next morning she is gone, he can't get her out of his head and he wants to find her.
As time passes it grows into an obsession.
What happens when he finally does find her and the past he wants nothing to do with comes back to haunt him?
You will read about it in this book.
May 9, 2025
This wasn't so bad!! they're cute
January 17, 2026
This one was a lot more stabby stab with a lot of missing fingers.
January 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 4,5 stars
I have swallowed this book in one go and omg was it brilliant! For a debut novel this mafia romance is exactly what I wanted and more.
MFC Alana is true badass character who goes through so much and I fell in love with her character immediately!
Pierce of possessive MMC who will do anything to get what he wants and I am here for it!
This book is written in double POV which always gives the story more depth. The pace was really nice and didn’t find myself getting bored and distracted, each chapter kept me wanting more.
Spice was really spicing, that is all I got to say… just WOW!
I did the beta read and then ARC read for this book and I love what author did with this story and I can’t wait for more to come.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I received this free arc and i am leaving my honest review.
I have swallowed this book in one go and omg was it brilliant! For a debut novel this mafia romance is exactly what I wanted and more.
MFC Alana is true badass character who goes through so much and I fell in love with her character immediately!
Pierce of possessive MMC who will do anything to get what he wants and I am here for it!
This book is written in double POV which always gives the story more depth. The pace was really nice and didn’t find myself getting bored and distracted, each chapter kept me wanting more.
Spice was really spicing, that is all I got to say… just WOW!
I did the beta read and then ARC read for this book and I love what author did with this story and I can’t wait for more to come.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I received this free arc and i am leaving my honest review.
January 25, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - Thank you to the author for an ARC of this book!
Isle of Beauty is the first book in a new Mafia Romance series written by C.J. Lucci and it was. So. Good.
The FMC, Lana, was clever, sexy, and just a little bit psycho, but like, in a good way 😉 and Pierce was her match in every aspect. And together - talk about a power couple, because they are unstoppable. With intense touch her and 💀 vibes combined with the subtle found-family aspect, I just could not put this book down and ended up finishing it in a single day.
Overall, this book was fun, fast-paced, and kept me hooked until the very end. While this book has some dark content, I thought C.J. Lucci was respectable with how she wrote it, and as a reader, I felt it added to the depth of the story and characters.
I will definitely be reading more of this author in the future!
Isle of Beauty is the first book in a new Mafia Romance series written by C.J. Lucci and it was. So. Good.
The FMC, Lana, was clever, sexy, and just a little bit psycho, but like, in a good way 😉 and Pierce was her match in every aspect. And together - talk about a power couple, because they are unstoppable. With intense touch her and 💀 vibes combined with the subtle found-family aspect, I just could not put this book down and ended up finishing it in a single day.
Overall, this book was fun, fast-paced, and kept me hooked until the very end. While this book has some dark content, I thought C.J. Lucci was respectable with how she wrote it, and as a reader, I felt it added to the depth of the story and characters.
I will definitely be reading more of this author in the future!
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