Scorn of the Betrothed

Cavalieri Billionaire Legacy #5

by Zoe Blake

A union forged in vengeance, bound by hate, and... beneath it all...a twisted game of power.

The true legacy of the Cavalieri family, my birthright, ties me to a woman I despise:
the daughter of the mafia boss who nearly ended my family.
Making her both my enemy...and my future wife.

The hatred is mutual; she has no desire for me to be her groom.
A prisoner to her families' ambitions, she's desperate for a way out.

My duty is to guard her, to ensure she doesn't escape her gilded cage.
But every moment spent with her, every spark of anger, adds fuel to the growing fire of desire between us.
We're trapped in a volatile duel of passion and fury.

Yet, the more I try to tame her, the more she fights me,
Our impending marriage becomes a dangerous game.
Now, as the wedding draws near, my suspicions grow.

My bride is not who she claims.

Fans of seductive dark romances from authors like Natasha Knight, Anna Zaires, A. Zavarelli, and Charmaine Pauls won't want to miss this installment.

Scorn of the Betrothed delves further into the tempestuous world of the Cavalieri men. Dive into Matteo's tale and uncover more about the turbulent love affairs of Barone and Amara, Cesare and Milana, Enzo and Bianca, and Benedict with his vengeful lover.

Genres: Dark Romance, Dark, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, BDSM, Contemporary, Mafia Romance

468 pages, Paperback

Published April 14, 2024

About the author

Zoe Blake is the USA Today Bestselling Author of the romantic suspense saga The Cavalieri Billionaire Legacy inspired by her own heritage as well as her obsession with jewelry, travel, and the salacious gossip of history’s most infamous families.

She delights in writing Dark Romance books filled with overly possessive billionaires, taboo scenes, and unexpected twists. She usually spends her ill-gotten gains on martinis, vacations, and red lipstick.

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/zoeblakebooks/

Instagram https://www.instagram.com/zoeblakebooks/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@zoeblakebooks

Reviews

[Soft Nectarine ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

A case of MISTAKEN IDENTITY. Set in Sicily. And a possessive mafia man with an EXTRA dirty mouth. Where can I sign uppppp?!! 😮‍💨😮‍💨

“She was my effigy, and I wanted her to burn for me and me alone.”

Matteo is set to marry the ultra-promiscuous-mean-girl of Sicily to avoid a mafia war. He actually doesn’t mind it since he has special interests in the bedroom too and will take one for the team ✊ LITTLE DOES HE KNOW….the bride actually switched places with her shy twin sister Antonella!!!

You NEED to read this for the
🇮🇹 spicy Italian men
🇮🇹 filthy language Matteo unleashes on this poor unsuspecting virgin & Ella acting like it’s no big deal but low key having her mind blown
🇮🇹 ALL THE SPANKINGS!!
🇮🇹 mmc’s machine greased hands

Taboo & extra spicy 🌶️🌶️ Ella’s mean twin kept antagonizing Matteo and then switched places only for Ella to receive all the dirty punishments. During their taboo encounters he thinks Ella is just playing up the “shy virgin” act AND somehow likes it even more!!! Definite dom/sub vibes that were finger licking good. Approach with caution ⚠️ Matteo fu*ks hard but loves even HARDER!!

“Taboo sex with an innocent, shy beauty I was forcing to accept my dominating desires was next level, mind-blowing, ecstasy.”

I was interested to see how Zoe will spice up this book with something new AND DAMN she delivered *sprinkle sprinkle of pony play* IT WAS ELECTRIC iykyk 🌶️ I was gagged!!! Not often I read about something that actually scandalizes me but this one will have me going to church every Sunday this April!!!

Honestly, this could also be a food guide through Italy 🇮🇹 not me trying to recreate the crostini, ricotta & honey dish…unfortunately minus the hot Italian mafia man


mistaken identity
virgin fmc
body betrayal
non/dub con
spanking/whipping
🍑 🍑
dom/sub vibes
pony play (lite) 🐴
electric play? *i’m honestly out of my depth on this one*⚡️
🍆 warming
found family
HEA

Thank you so much to Zoe & her team for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

[Intel Chicky Reads Romance (Kara Merideth) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Story: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Trope: mistaken identity
Angst: 😱😱😱
Smexy: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥

Absolutely loved it! LURV a great mistaken identity trope and Zoe certainly delivers. Tons of action, twists and turns, and schminky smexy times that will leave you burning like a five alarm blaze, lol. I love a good plot twist and I certainly didn't see that ending coming. I'm super excited to see how it all plays out in the next book!

[Darlene I read WAY to many books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was excited to read Matteo book from the last book.. and you know me, i love zoe books, but this one wasn't my favorite due to the whole twin swap. I was annoyed at Matteo for taking so long to notice his girl (h) pretending to be the sister (evil twin)he was supposed to marry. My guy, THE CLUES!!!

The way she would act, he thought it was a game, shy, innocent woman he was chasing and then when he met the evil twin, she would be wild, crass, and over the top sexual. He was like, "wtf" with the mood swings.. but from his pov, he said he knew it was Ella all along his red glasses just took him longer to catch up. I really don't believe it. Lol. His own father knew the difference between the woman in a few hours, lol.

When it finally comes out, he has to convince ella she can't leave. And i gotta admit it got better. I felt so bad for Ella always thinking she's 2nd best to her sister her father was a douce.. her emotions were everywhere.
She had a tough life, and I'm glad she fought every time because Matteo needed to show her she's his.At least he felt guilty for punishing her. The spice was delicious like always. We got some light pony play that was 💦💦💦.

You'll cry with what happened to someone in this story..

The evil sister desevered more punishment! We have more unanswered questions for the series.
New couples are coming.

Safety squad - so in the beginning, the evil twin did cup his dick he didn't fight because he thought it was h dropping her shy virgin act he wasnt turned or nothing because the evil twin was with a guy so he was more angry at the moment.. He never did anything with the evil sister at all. All moments were with h. He had talks with the evil twin, even informing her of the kiss he shared with Ella when Ella was Ella. So yeah, the sister used that even more to make her sister swap places. Bitch..


Low angst, sorta ow drama/no om drama, no cheating, Drama, slight secondary character, sexy times, virgin gal and no manwhore

Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5

Slowinsta
Push away from h
Violence
Twin swapping
No condom
Praise kink
Non-con-dubcon
Lite pony play
Cockwarming
Dom/sub undertones
Voyagerism
Electric shock???
Anal play
Punishments/Spankings/whipping
Death
Hea (for this couple)
Sorta Cliffhanger for the series

[ziyuan ʚɞ Reads Dark Smut. · Rating 1 out of 5]

I HATE twins heroine kinda story especially when they look the same and H can’t tell differences between😭

[Always Reading · Rating 2 out of 5]

Updated 5/27 since my review is sort of confusing so I'm updating the names to make it more digestible.


Ella = Ella (good twin)
Toni= Toni (bad twin)
"Toni" = Ella as Toni

I hope this makes better sense!

-----

WARNING: SPOILERS. BC I cannot discuss how I feel without spoiling some of it.

I would personally mark this as not safe. The reader is aware that Matteo is with the good twin, Ella but it doesn't change the fact the Matteo doesn't know it and is still physical with who he thinks is bad twin, Toni. I didn't like this at all but to each their own. (See point 3 for safety spoilers). Again, he did not do anything with Toni BUT it's not because he chose not to, he just thought Ella was Toni.


The first half of the book was hard for me to get through for several reasons:

1. It took half the book for Matteo to finally realize they switched, aka WAY TOO LONG.

2. It was so frustrating that he couldn't tell them apart because it was so obvious?? He knew Toni was a twin and it didn't occur to him that it could be Ella despite that fact that he'd go back and forth between the twins within MINUTES of each other and still thought they were both Toni (their clothing and make up were completely different???)

Example: The first scene was the twins at Carnevale and he saw and spoke to BOTH of them. He noted the different clothes, a drunk Toni offers to have a threesome and let him do anal while Ella was obviously not as brazen (and also sober) and instead of being like oh that's the other twin he was like "oh she's changing back and forth what a minx going from the bad girl act to the virgin act" -- I almost stopped reading then and there it was so ridiculous LOL

3. This was the worst for me: So he proceeds to mess around with "Toni" which instantly pissed me off because hellooo he thinks it's TONI. She sucks him off - but then he kisses Ella the VERY NEXT next. He tells Ella if he had a choice he'd marry her not Toni, only to turn around fingers and goes down on "Toni" the NEXT night.

THEN the night after that, he forces "Toni" to suck him off again and he also returns oral - keep in mind he thinks this is Toni. This is also right after real-Toni had sex with another man so why is this man putting his mouth on her?

So at this point he's already kissed Ella and wants to marry her but will not stop pursuing who he thinks is "Toni." I hated this sm. All the sex scenes felt disgusting because he was thinking about Toni the whole time. I felt so put off by this because while he wanted Ella but had no issues having sexual interactions with her sister.

4. Here's the kicker. Matteo convinces himself after he kisses Ella, that Toni is putting on an act and isn't really a whore and is actually more like Ella so now he's actually into Toni 🙃 So he moves "Toni" to his house and is all "my wife" "baby" "babygirl" "you're safe with me," and is fully committed.. to "Toni!"

5. He confesses to Toni that he kissed Ella, Toni confesses to having sex with Alessio (as mentioned in point 3) and and they discuss with great enthusiasm how he's going to punish Toni for sleeping with another man. So he's like... excitedly talking to Toni about all the way she's going to fuck her punish her, while claiming to want to marry Ella???

Again, he technically never did anything with Toni but it wasn't because he CHOSE not to. I need my mmcs to have more self-control. He had NO reason to touch Toni, if anything he should've avoided her - especially after she tells him she'd just been with another man but instead he goes down on "her"? Wtf.

6. There are SEVERAL times when Ella calls herself Ella and refers to Toni in third person:
"Said she what?"
"my sister did what?"
"Antonia this, Antonia that!"
"She's not-I mean.. I'm not"
"Antonia isn't-I mean I'm not"
IN conversations WITH Matteo and still somehow he misses ALL of it. She literally introduces herself as Ella to Gabriella in front of him and he didn't notice.

With that being said, I didn't find the sexual encounters the first half enjoyable at all, .. they really made me sick because he was getting all horny over who he thought was Toni.

The second half, was better-ish. At least at this point he knew it was Ella. But I felt it was overshadowed a the fact that he while he wanted to marry Ella he was still sexually attracted to "Toni" and physically pursuing her. - I hope this all makes sense?

Anyway, I don't like being told as a reader - I like being shown. So sure he said he wished it was Ella but it didn't stop him from being physical with "Toni." His POV - Ella never crossed his mind when they were fooling around.

It makes me think if Toni decided to randomly switch back, Matteo would've 1000000% fucked her without thinking twice about it, I have no doubt about it. Especially since he tried to have sex with Toni multiple times.

The ONLY reason they didn't have sex was because "Toni"/Ella said no, not out of loyalty to Ella. I don't like feeling like the MMC would easily hop into bed with the OW. Toni is a selfish enough to fuck Matteo just to mess with Ella and the idiot can't even tell them a part so she'd get away with it.

I'm glad the author at least was kind enough to make sure he didn't hook up or do anything with the real Toni. Small wins, I guess.

Daddy Barone was able to tell the two apart within minutes. Everyone knew. Gabriella knew. Dante knew. After the first time they "hooked up" Dante showed up and was like "stay away from the sister, what is wrong with you" and Matteo was like "what does this have to do with Ella?" *face palm*

I was really SO excited for this one. Ugh. I was hoping Matteo would figure out immediately it was Ella and did/said these things to fuck with her. I think that would've been a a more enjoyable storyline. I get that he spent limited time with the twins before all of this but if you know your fiancee has a twin and a girl that looks like her shows up 3 min later in a different outfit, make up and personality - I expect him to be able to figure it out quickly.


Things I liked:

Zoe Blake does a great job at creating the universe and describing the geography, history and culture so richly. I feel when you read other mafia novels you can tell if an author has stepped foot in the location it takes place in or not. It was so easily to immerse yourself in this world and felt very authentic.

The old characters making appearances! I wish Bianca and Ella bonded on having crazy sisters. Aunt Gabriella, as always!

[Kate V · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 - 3.25 stars!

Scorn of the Bethrothed is the fifth book in the Cavalieri Billionaire Legacy series and features Matteo and Ella. This story is probably my least liked of the entire series ONLY because Zoe Blake's alpha males would have known about the "twin switch" even before the twins knew about it lol. That's notttt quite how it played out here. The first 50% was a little less enjoyable but the last 50% was hella hot and entertaining.

Matteo was all growly alpha and Ella was timid but had moments of bite. I really enjoyed these two together.

“I can make you whole, Ella.”

Full of the steam I love, the twists and turns Zoe is known for, the dominating male presence I crave and the sweetness to balance the rough. Can't wait for what's next because Zoe set up the stage for a whole LOT.

[Aou · Rating 4 out of 5]

Silly but liked it anyway!

[Ashley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay let’s start off by saying first and foremost bravo Zoe!!! This was book was hands down one of your best!! I am absolutely in lust with Matteo Cavalieri. He may be the kinkiest of all the Cavalieri man so far. I also loved the twist of the twins sister pulling a devious and dangerous “Parent Trap” play. This book had me on the edge of my seat, missing sleep, crying and falling head over heels. Definitely a must read and the cliffhanger ending has me straight pining for the next chapter in the Cavalieri saga!!

[Cheryl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Yowza!!! Scorn of the Betrothed by Zoe Blake is a masterpiece!! It is the enthralling story of Matteo and his betrothed. This story is an exciting, convoluted maze…full of twists and turns you won’t see coming!!! One shocking revelation after another…

These two despise and deplore one another. The hatred and vitriol are real. But, family is more important than everything else. So, the wedding will happen.

I couldn’t stop reading this phenomenal book!!! The danger, deception, intense emotion, and heated situations will have you completely immersed!!!!

[Nataliya Savage · Rating 5 out of 5]

***I received an А*R*C of this book***

That being said I only accept ARCs from my “One Click Authors” and anyone who knows me or has listened to our podcast knows I’m a HUGE Zoe Blake fan!

🖤 Mafia
🖤 Mistaken Identify (Twins)
🖤 Alpha Hero
🖤 Virgiп Heroine
🖤 Fоrced/Arranged Marriage
🖤 Non-Сon/Dub-Cоn
🖤 🍑 stuff
🖤 Light Pony Play 🐎
🖤 Elecro Play ⚡️
🖤 Masked Hero 🦸
🖤 Public Spicy Times
🖤 Body Betrayal Syndrome
🖤 Spanky Spanky times galore ✋🏻
🖤 Touch her and 💀
🖤 Jealous/Possesive Hero
🖤 Mine
🖤 Kidnapping
🖤 Betrayal
🖤 Insta Lust
🖤 🍆 warming
🖤 Found family

HOLY 💩 ZOE WHAT HAVE YOU DONE!? That last few chapters of this book had me SOBBING!

Don’t worry everyone, they’re still a traditional HEA, but I was NOT expecting to mourn at 12:30 am on a random Saturday.

Full review to come but as you can see from the tropes I’ve listed this book was absolute fire 🔥!

[R Rais · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hotdangit, Zoe! How could you do that! I'm lost for words here. That's cruel! That's just cruel! How could you 😭
The mourning is real! 😭

For the first time ever i have no words to write a review, Zoe.
I'm in shock.. 😖😟😔
I literally need few days to think what to write.

But for Ella and Mateo's story as couple... Its everything i love from Zoe.
Although so many times i want to smack Matei's head for his stupidity. So typical men! 😂

And Ella, i love her loyalty. Being used, being taken for granted, being abused by the very people who should be her number one protector, her own family, Ella is a gem in the mud, which her family is.

You know one thing about the Cavalieris men i love the most? How they love and super protective of their women. They literally would do anything for their women and the family.
And the pay back scene was sweet. Although weren't told explicitly, it was the best pay back.

At the end, the grief was enourmous. But life continues. And how i cant wait to see what's next in store. Cause finally! Finally!

Ps: i got a feeling we've already meet the man who finally came back ...

[Liz [reads books] · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mistaken identity trope
LOTS of spicy content
Mixed feelings about the ending!
4 stars

[Lolina ⋆ · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book just made me miss Benedict 😭 I KNOW he would've figured out the whole 'twin swap' immediately (which he did btw 💀). Matteo found out at around 55% through, which doesn't seem awful but the signs were SO obvious. The fact that he couldn't tell the difference between them was ridiculous.

I didn't love this book because I feel like the romance didn't go anywhere. There were a lot of external plot points and characters that played a big role in this, which ultimately took away from the main romance for me.

There was just a lot of push and pull, mixed in with a bunch of lies, that took away from their relationship in the long run. There were SO many missed opportunities for scenes where Matteo could've helped Ella, but instead, they were used as chances to create more drama and introduce more characters.

And then whenever ZB's characters pass that point, where things start to get good the book just ends 😭.

Anyways this was alright 🤷‍♀️- I won't be continuing the series, but it had its moments. Benedict supremacy>>>>>

[✶ ✶ Hummingbird ✶ ✶]

https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[Sarah · Rating 1 out of 5]

No guy is that stupid maybe if he didn’t know she had a twin he would get some leeway but no he knew she had a twin and still kept on thinking it was one girl with multiple personalities and outfits at carnival and no one is that dumb not even him

If you are going to write a mistaken identity book make it believable. This author made it so unbelievable I mean even if he was blind he would be able to tell from voice and mannerism ridiculous

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love this addition to the series! I loved Matteo since we met him in previous books and I was excited for his own book. I loved Ella. She has a horrible father and sister but is a much better person than both. Matteo and her had a rocky start but I love their happy ending. They definitely earned it.

I love this series doesn’t rush the plot besides the romance aspects. There is a definitely a war brewing and I’m intrigued to see where the story goes. Five more books are coming and I’m ready. I think we are finally getting Gabriella’s book next! Can’t wait!

You will want to read these books in order to avoid spoilers and also to see how each relationship stars and ends. Makes for a better story overall to see the ups and downs of these characters.

[Melissa Crump · Rating 5 out of 5]

Scorn of the Betrothed by Zoe Blake is a captivating addition to the Cavalieri Billionaire Legacy series. In this dark enemies-to-lovers romance, the true legacy of the Cavalieri family intertwines with vengeance, hate, and a twisted game of power.

Fans of seductive dark romances will relish this installment, which delves further into the world of the Cavalieri men.

Scorn of the Betrothed is a must-read. Prepare for passion, fury, and a love story that defies expectations. 📚💔🔥

[shaira ✨ · Rating 3 out of 5]

matteo was def the highlight of this story 🫶🏽

it was just as action filled and bonkers as the rest of the series tho my one gripe would have to be that it took me reaching the 51% mark for it to finally pick up. also the twin swap shenanigans made my brain hurt a lil bit just trying to keep up with everything. i honestly don’t blame matteo for being confused. other than that, im excited for gabriella’s book ✌🏽

[Brittany (Brit.tea.reads) · Rating 4 out of 5]

😩 Damn, Zoe, why you gotta do us like that? 😂
You truly are an evil genius. 😈
But with you, it’s always worth the wait. 😘

[Mom2three · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm gutted! I cried through this entire story. The ENTIRE story. I'm not one to have triggers, and the darker the book the more I like it, but this one triggered me. Not because it's dark, but because my heart broke for Ella from the beginning and then because I was so happy for her. I guess my trigger is characters who aren't loved by their families.

Matteo and Ella have a beautiful story, and their interactions were amazing. I loved the amount of humor and tenderness that have. I loved seeing them interact with the rest of the family. I loved that we got to catch glimpses of how the other character's are doing in their relationships. I loved the amount of danger, suspense, and the fast pace. It was fantastic and beautifully written, and I didn't want it to end.

[Lori · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love these Cavalieri men!!!! Just like all the other men in the family, Matteo is full on an alpha dominant male. In order to keep his family from a war, then agrees to marry the daughter of a Sicilian Don. She's wild and out of control, but also has a twin sister who agrees to help her sister avoid marriage. However, Ella gets more than she bargains for when Matteo keeps running into her and thinking she's, his fiancé. This is a great book, and you won't want to put it down.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

[MJ (BookBirches) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can honestly say I have never read a Zoe Blake book that gut punched me the way Scorn of the Betrothed did.

Matteo and Ella were a great addition to the Cavalieri Billionaire Legacy series. Poor Ella is put through so much from her sister and father, and now with her identity being mistaken for her twin sister she’s having a rough time. I mean not a too bad time considering that means she gets Matteo Cavalieri’s attention but not all attention is good especially when Ella is keeping secrets of her own. Matteo is possessive and protective of his woman just like we have seen in the previous books from his Father, Uncle, and cousins. The last 15-ish percent of the book is very different than I have read from Zoe before but it definitely sets up book six well I think in my opinion, even though I am not willing to forgive her just yet. Can’t wait to see where the Cavalieri’s take us next!

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zoe Blake never disappoints!!! Matteo is sugar and spice, and everything nice. He has certain tastes in the bedroom that he thought no innocent could satisfy, but boy was he surprised to find that Ella was perfect for him. He's the perfect dom and is so attentive and sweet after his festivities. He takes such great care of Ella. His bedroom talk is so 🔥 🥵 I didn't think I would like Matteo as much and the other men in the series, but I think he may be my favorite. This book was fire🔥 Waiting for the next book is going to be torture.

[Cat · Rating 5 out of 5]

After having read quite a few of them, I’ve come to the conclusion that Zoe’s books are my comfort books. Having a bad day? Kids being brats? Husband driving me crazy? Zoe’s books fix everything.
There’s just something about her possessive, obsessive men that love their women fiercely… and who don’t hesitate to ☠️ anyone that harms them. I just soak that s$it up!!
As for this book…. I couldn’t get enough!!!
✔️arranged marriage
✔️ identical twins who switch identities
✔️ the side characters- I love them all!
✔️ and the distinctive spice 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.

I laughed, I cried, and above all- I loved every single page!!!

[Francheska · Rating 5 out of 5]

PERFECTION !!! MATTEO is perfect ! It was his time to find his other half … the woman who would settle him down and give him a reason . Antonella ❤️ action , an amazing plot , spice and heartbreak will put you thru all of the emotions just to get to the other side 💗 shhh !! SHE FINALLY SAYS YESSSS !!! IYKYK

[Becca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m kinda at a loss on what to write on this one. The spice and kink level on this one is off the charts. I don’t even have good descriptive words for it. It’s just like dang!

But then that just drops and the drama takes over, and the drama is drama-ing all over the place, my heart can’t keep up.

That ending though. Ugh how I despise “cliffy”

[marie wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Scorn of the Betrothed" by Zoe Blake is an intense and captivating dark romance that delves deep into the complexities of passion, power, and forbidden desire.
Zoe Blake's writing is spellbinding, drawing you into a world where societal conventions are challenged and boundaries are pushed. The characters are raw and unapologetic, each grappling with their own demons and desires. The chemistry between the main characters is
The plot is gripping and unpredictable, keeping you on the edge of your seat with every twist and turn. The author weaves a tale that is as intriguing as it is provocative, leaving you wanting more.

If you're looking for a dark romance that pushes boundaries and challenges conventions, "Scorn of the Betrothed" is a must-read. Zoe Blake has crafted a compelling and unforgettable story that will leave you breathless. Highly recommended for fans of dark romance!

[Lureads_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ame cada página de esta nueva historia. Volver a la familia Cavalieris es como regresar a esa familia que quieres pero siempre te sorprende con cada acontecimiento de película que le pasa a cada miembro de la familia. Debo de decir que ame a Ella con todo mi corazón, como siempre una heroina increíble y que decir de Matteo, a pesar de que al inicio quería estrellarle algunos libros por lo terco que fue se redimió en todo el libro con la prota.

Desde ya necesito los siguientes libros y ni que decir de lo nuevo que se viene de Zoe 🫢

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are anything like me, you better have your preferred ice-cold beverage, a stress ball, tissues and a bit of comfort food on hand while you read this scorching hot, all the feels, make you want to deliver some very much deserved and desperately needed smackdowns, have jaw on the floor, shatter your heart and still have you swooning romance. These Cavalieri men are truly in a league of their own and their world is seductively wicked and tantalizingly thrilling. I need to know what is going to happen next just as badly as I need my next breath.

[Vee · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

Tropes : mistaken identity, arranged marriage, mafia romance, billionaire H, J/P H
Ending : HEA
Triggers : dubcon, 💀 of a parent, attempted SA, violence, abuse
Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
Angst : 🔥🔥🔥/5
OM/OW drama : OM (H’s a jealous type)
Intimacy details: rough sex, virgin h, no condom, breeding kink, anal, oral, spanking, role play (pony), bondage
Standalone/Series : part of an interconnected series

Hero : Matteo Cavalieri
Heroine: Antonella ‘Ella’

The book is about Ella that was mistaken as ‘Toni’, her twin sister. She was a martyr and kept trying to help her sister even though she didn’t deserve the loyalty.

Both of them were very different. Ella was demure and shy, Toni craved attention and a bitch.

Matteo was supposed to be married to Toni but without him knowing he was interested in Ella. At first he didn’t know the girl he was being calloused with was Ella because he thought she was Toni. Matteo only ever being intimate with Ella even when she pretended to be Toni and whenever Matteo met the real Toni, he never touched her sexually.

In the middle of the book he figured out about the switch and they were having sex for the first time together. Matteo became more possessive about her.

I would love to see them having a baby by the end of the book but sadly no. Maybe we’ll see more of them in the next books?

I enjoyed this quite much.