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Empire of Royals #1
His Tesoro
I’ve always dreamed of romance, but this wedding is strictly business.
SOFIYA
I’ve spent years hidden away to protect my father from the shame of having a defective daughter. The head of the Bratva can’t be associated with weakness—and to him, that’s all I am.
That is, until a marriage alliance gives him the opportunity to finally be rid of me.
As I head down the aisle towards my mysterious husband, I hope I’m moving towards love and freedom. But Matteo makes it clear he wants nothing to do with me.
I wish I could return his coldness, but the dangerous Don sets my body ablaze whenever he’s near.
MATTEO
My life has been defined by betrayal.
A family traitor murdered my parents, and I’ve carried their blood on my hands all these years. I learned long ago not to open my heart.
As head of the Five Families, I’ve always controlled my city, but with enemies rising up on all sides, a marriage alliance is my only way forward. Except, my bride is not what I expected—and now she’s consuming my every thought.
But when my trust is shattered again, I’ll go to any means necessary to protect the Family.
His Tesoro is a spicy, dual first-person POV Mafia Romance with an age gap, arranged marriage, disabled heroine, and jealous/possessive hero. This book is a standalone that ends in a HEA. See Author’s Note at the beginning of the book for full content warnings.
SOFIYA
I’ve spent years hidden away to protect my father from the shame of having a defective daughter. The head of the Bratva can’t be associated with weakness—and to him, that’s all I am.
That is, until a marriage alliance gives him the opportunity to finally be rid of me.
As I head down the aisle towards my mysterious husband, I hope I’m moving towards love and freedom. But Matteo makes it clear he wants nothing to do with me.
I wish I could return his coldness, but the dangerous Don sets my body ablaze whenever he’s near.
MATTEO
My life has been defined by betrayal.
A family traitor murdered my parents, and I’ve carried their blood on my hands all these years. I learned long ago not to open my heart.
As head of the Five Families, I’ve always controlled my city, but with enemies rising up on all sides, a marriage alliance is my only way forward. Except, my bride is not what I expected—and now she’s consuming my every thought.
But when my trust is shattered again, I’ll go to any means necessary to protect the Family.
His Tesoro is a spicy, dual first-person POV Mafia Romance with an age gap, arranged marriage, disabled heroine, and jealous/possessive hero. This book is a standalone that ends in a HEA. See Author’s Note at the beginning of the book for full content warnings.
394 pages, Paperback
First published June 24, 2024
About the author
Emilia Rossi
4 books1,384 followersEmilia Rossi writes spicy Mafia romance with jealous/possessive men and the incredible women who have them wrapped around their fingers. She also writes omegaverse books under the pen name Emilia Emerson.
Emilia loves to travel, enjoy amazing food, and spend quiet days writing with her dog, Charlie.
Emilia loves to travel, enjoy amazing food, and spend quiet days writing with her dog, Charlie.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 3,719 reviews
July 15, 2024
Half star for Noodle the service dog and the other half for Angelo the bodyguard.
July 3, 2024
3.5 stars
this is definitely a promising start to enter the mafia world. I would recommend this book to whoever is in the mood for a mob-themed read with very few darker elements. there was a brilliant chronic illness representation, and it showed that the author conducted thorough research on the topic. that aspect of the plotline added layers of realism, which I appreciated. I was going to give the book a full four star rating because the marriage of convenience arc was deliciously orchestrated, with a delicate and timid female lead nuanced by the grumpy, overbearing Don husband. however, the storytelling was awfully prolonged towards the end and I found myself skimming through the last chapters. but all in all, it was an entertaining read, rhythmically written with a fluid pen.
—————
irl book bestie told me to RUN read it. so here i am..
”If she was an angel, I was the devil.”
this is definitely a promising start to enter the mafia world. I would recommend this book to whoever is in the mood for a mob-themed read with very few darker elements. there was a brilliant chronic illness representation, and it showed that the author conducted thorough research on the topic. that aspect of the plotline added layers of realism, which I appreciated. I was going to give the book a full four star rating because the marriage of convenience arc was deliciously orchestrated, with a delicate and timid female lead nuanced by the grumpy, overbearing Don husband. however, the storytelling was awfully prolonged towards the end and I found myself skimming through the last chapters. but all in all, it was an entertaining read, rhythmically written with a fluid pen.
—————
irl book bestie told me to RUN read it. so here i am..
March 19, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ .25
''Everything is right when I’m with you.''
Safety warnings:
- H 38 / h 21
- Perceived OW drama
- No OM drama
- No cheating
- Violence/d*aths
- Kidnapping/Torture
- Mention of s*x trafficking
- Mention of s*xual assault
- Ableism
- Emotional and physical abuse
- HEA
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
I read this book in the beginning of the month, and I've had a few setbacks writing my reviews so this won't be as comprehensive as I would like it to be BUT that is not to say I did not enjoy this book because I know I did, and I did give it 4.25 stars.
This book contains A LOT of ableism. Mainly from everyone around the FMC and her parents. The MMC however does not have those thoughts, he is forced to marry someone, and he ends up marrying her, his first thought is not that she is handicap or anything it's all about how he should have been told about her condition and not be lied to. He never cared about her condition, he just wanted to be left alone and having this marriage forced on him was not what he ever needed.
He falls for her, hard and it is a slow burn because he does not allow things to happen with her right off the bat, they are married but they sleep in different rooms, and he never visits her at night.
He feels a lot for her, but he spends most of his time pretending he doesn't and saying the wrong things and she thinks her condition is what he hates, and he doesn't want her and most likely spends all his nights with OW but that is never true.
Once they get together then you get to see him being soft and super kind to her. He was thoughtful towards her before things turned romantic but once he is openly allowing himself to be with her, things are super cute.
UNTIL he thinks she betrayed him, and things get out of hand. It's a hard few chapters where he believes she is a spy for her father and she ends up being held by his men and he comes home to find out the shit hit the fan.
He never wanted her to be harmed but he was upset, and he said the wrong thing to one of his guys and he took it too far and made sure the FMC believed that he knew all along where she was being held and left her there.
He knows he fucked up and I loved that she left him. She finds out she is pregnant, and this pushes her to stay away from him.
The betrayal was a ploy by one of his men who was working with the enemies to take him down and placed the blame on the FMC. She gets kidnapped by the enemy, and he goes off the rails to get her back.
Once everything is out in the open and people end up dead, they get back together!
''Everything is right when I’m with you.''
Safety warnings:
- H 38 / h 21
- Perceived OW drama
- No OM drama
- No cheating
- Violence/d*aths
- Kidnapping/Torture
- Mention of s*x trafficking
- Mention of s*xual assault
- Ableism
- Emotional and physical abuse
- HEA
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
SPOILERS BELOW ⬇️
I read this book in the beginning of the month, and I've had a few setbacks writing my reviews so this won't be as comprehensive as I would like it to be BUT that is not to say I did not enjoy this book because I know I did, and I did give it 4.25 stars.
This book contains A LOT of ableism. Mainly from everyone around the FMC and her parents. The MMC however does not have those thoughts, he is forced to marry someone, and he ends up marrying her, his first thought is not that she is handicap or anything it's all about how he should have been told about her condition and not be lied to. He never cared about her condition, he just wanted to be left alone and having this marriage forced on him was not what he ever needed.
He falls for her, hard and it is a slow burn because he does not allow things to happen with her right off the bat, they are married but they sleep in different rooms, and he never visits her at night.
He feels a lot for her, but he spends most of his time pretending he doesn't and saying the wrong things and she thinks her condition is what he hates, and he doesn't want her and most likely spends all his nights with OW but that is never true.
Once they get together then you get to see him being soft and super kind to her. He was thoughtful towards her before things turned romantic but once he is openly allowing himself to be with her, things are super cute.
UNTIL he thinks she betrayed him, and things get out of hand. It's a hard few chapters where he believes she is a spy for her father and she ends up being held by his men and he comes home to find out the shit hit the fan.
He never wanted her to be harmed but he was upset, and he said the wrong thing to one of his guys and he took it too far and made sure the FMC believed that he knew all along where she was being held and left her there.
He knows he fucked up and I loved that she left him. She finds out she is pregnant, and this pushes her to stay away from him.
The betrayal was a ploy by one of his men who was working with the enemies to take him down and placed the blame on the FMC. She gets kidnapped by the enemy, and he goes off the rails to get her back.
Once everything is out in the open and people end up dead, they get back together!
October 23, 2024
Sofiya, a disabled daughter of a powerful mafia boss, is forced into an arranged marriage to Matteo, the head of another mafia family. Despite their initial indifference towards each other, they find themselves drawn to each other physically and emotionally. However, their relationship is complicated by Matteo's past betrayals and Sofiya's fears of being rejected. As they navigate the dangerous world of organized crime, they must confront their own demons and decide if love is worth the risk.
Everything was going well at first, until the spicy scenes became repetitive and I felt like there wasn't enough overall character development. However, I liked the protagonist until I felt she was almost too good for him.
What he did to Sofiya at the end was what made me lose the little empathy I had for him, which, on the other hand, is another complaint I have: she forgave him too quickly. Angelo was better, and his loyalty was always towards her.
I felt there were plot twists that I didn't understand the reason for adding more drama to the story. Although it served its purpose and kept me entertained for a good while.
Everything was going well at first, until the spicy scenes became repetitive and I felt like there wasn't enough overall character development. However, I liked the protagonist until I felt she was almost too good for him.
What he did to Sofiya at the end was what made me lose the little empathy I had for him, which, on the other hand, is another complaint I have: she forgave him too quickly. Angelo was better, and his loyalty was always towards her.
I felt there were plot twists that I didn't understand the reason for adding more drama to the story. Although it served its purpose and kept me entertained for a good while.
April 11, 2026
Matteo: Tesoro mio
Me: Again
Again.
Goddamn
🚨 Disclaimer: this rating is based purely on enjoyment, because I have a lot of issues with this book. The really short chapters (which I personally struggle with), the disjointed storytelling, and a plot that felt aimless (roaming the streets directionless kind of aimless). If you’re looking for flaws, this is a minefield ⛏️
That said, the characterisation is something I really loved.
Matteo.
ೃ❤⁀➷ ❝ I’ll give you what you need. But one day, you’ll know that the safest place for you to be is in my arms. ❞
He put me off at first, I’m not even going to lie. I started questioning my entire taste in grumpy heroes because his countenance and manner of speaking was so gruff and short. But he ended up proving that gruff doesn’t always mean cruel, sometimes it just is. Man was sinking in quicksand and didn’t even know it. It starts with him being quietly attentive without even realising it, and then later he becomes very intentional about it 🤭
Sofiya.
I don’t usually read authors' notes before starting a book, so I don’t know what possessed me this time, but I’m glad I did because it mentioned ableism and internalised ableism.
Sofiya has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and needs a wheelchair to get around most times. She grows up in a home where she’s abused and neglected by her own father. He’s a Pakhan who believes a man is only as strong as his weaknesses, and to him, Sofiya’s illness is exactly that, his greatest weakness. He doesn’t even tell Matteo about her condition when arranging the marriage, completely disregarding her needs and medical reality. It’s honestly sickening.
Growing up in that kind of environment reinforces so many harmful beliefs about her self-worth. It would’ve been easy to go for a conventionally strong, physically “perfect” heroine, so I respect the choice that was made here.
I can’t speak to how accurate the representation of her condition is, but emotionally, her journey felt real. She’s really mousy at first, has a lot of unlearning to do, and a lot of insecurity to work through.
The twists and unnecessary spicy scenes are madness though. Moving on...
The cover of my book is SO stunning. It has a depiction of Matteo and Sofiya and omg… Tesoro mio ❤️🔥
Me: Again
Again.
Goddamn
🚨 Disclaimer: this rating is based purely on enjoyment, because I have a lot of issues with this book. The really short chapters (which I personally struggle with), the disjointed storytelling, and a plot that felt aimless (roaming the streets directionless kind of aimless). If you’re looking for flaws, this is a minefield ⛏️
That said, the characterisation is something I really loved.
Matteo.
ೃ❤⁀➷ ❝ I’ll give you what you need. But one day, you’ll know that the safest place for you to be is in my arms. ❞
He put me off at first, I’m not even going to lie. I started questioning my entire taste in grumpy heroes because his countenance and manner of speaking was so gruff and short. But he ended up proving that gruff doesn’t always mean cruel, sometimes it just is. Man was sinking in quicksand and didn’t even know it. It starts with him being quietly attentive without even realising it, and then later he becomes very intentional about it 🤭
Sofiya.
I don’t usually read authors' notes before starting a book, so I don’t know what possessed me this time, but I’m glad I did because it mentioned ableism and internalised ableism.
Sofiya has Ehlers-Danlos syndrome and needs a wheelchair to get around most times. She grows up in a home where she’s abused and neglected by her own father. He’s a Pakhan who believes a man is only as strong as his weaknesses, and to him, Sofiya’s illness is exactly that, his greatest weakness. He doesn’t even tell Matteo about her condition when arranging the marriage, completely disregarding her needs and medical reality. It’s honestly sickening.
Growing up in that kind of environment reinforces so many harmful beliefs about her self-worth. It would’ve been easy to go for a conventionally strong, physically “perfect” heroine, so I respect the choice that was made here.
I can’t speak to how accurate the representation of her condition is, but emotionally, her journey felt real. She’s really mousy at first, has a lot of unlearning to do, and a lot of insecurity to work through.
The twists and unnecessary spicy scenes are madness though. Moving on...
The cover of my book is SO stunning. It has a depiction of Matteo and Sofiya and omg… Tesoro mio ❤️🔥
August 23, 2024
What an amazing book!
You know that feeling where you loved a book so much but you know your review isn’t going to do justice to how much you enjoyed it?… yeah, I have a feeling it’s going to be like that.
It’s been DAYS and I still can’t get over how adorable Sofiya and Matteo were.
From the prologue itself I was hooked. I couldn’t turn the page fast enough.
Cold, Arrogant and detached Matteo was determined to keep his distance from his new bride innocent Sofiya. I loved how adamant he was about staying away from her and was smirking myself knowing it’s all going to be awry soon enough. And I wasn’t disappointed. Sofiya smashed through all his carefully kept plans and control and I gobbled it up.
I loved how she slowly found her footing in her new life and sassed Matteo sneakily all the time. She was such a gentle soul but with an inner strength that’s so admirable. Life dealt her with so much bad things and she still managed to be such an optimistic person.
Matteo was the perfect blend of Ruthless and a softie (but only for her). He also came out as unintentionally hilarious! Which made me laugh so much. They made me feel giddy with their amazing banter and chemistry.
I wasn’t ready for the angst when it hit and my heart broke in certain scenes. I loved the drama which came after that and how badass Sofiya was in the second half. Climax was absolutely fantastic and special shout out to Sofiya and Angelo’s bond.
Trust me, if you love Mafia romance then you don’t want to miss out on this one.
-Arranged marriage, Found Family.
-My Wife, he is only soft to her.
-Morally Grey MMC x Sunshine FMC.
-Disability rep/ chronic illness.
-Angst, Drama and twists.
-KU, TW, standalone and safe.
P.s.I baked cookies after a long time because of Sofiya.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
You know that feeling where you loved a book so much but you know your review isn’t going to do justice to how much you enjoyed it?… yeah, I have a feeling it’s going to be like that.
It’s been DAYS and I still can’t get over how adorable Sofiya and Matteo were.
From the prologue itself I was hooked. I couldn’t turn the page fast enough.
Cold, Arrogant and detached Matteo was determined to keep his distance from his new bride innocent Sofiya. I loved how adamant he was about staying away from her and was smirking myself knowing it’s all going to be awry soon enough. And I wasn’t disappointed. Sofiya smashed through all his carefully kept plans and control and I gobbled it up.
I loved how she slowly found her footing in her new life and sassed Matteo sneakily all the time. She was such a gentle soul but with an inner strength that’s so admirable. Life dealt her with so much bad things and she still managed to be such an optimistic person.
Matteo was the perfect blend of Ruthless and a softie (but only for her). He also came out as unintentionally hilarious! Which made me laugh so much. They made me feel giddy with their amazing banter and chemistry.
I wasn’t ready for the angst when it hit and my heart broke in certain scenes. I loved the drama which came after that and how badass Sofiya was in the second half. Climax was absolutely fantastic and special shout out to Sofiya and Angelo’s bond.
Trust me, if you love Mafia romance then you don’t want to miss out on this one.
-Arranged marriage, Found Family.
-My Wife, he is only soft to her.
-Morally Grey MMC x Sunshine FMC.
-Disability rep/ chronic illness.
-Angst, Drama and twists.
-KU, TW, standalone and safe.
P.s.I baked cookies after a long time because of Sofiya.
I received an advance review copy and I’m leaving this review voluntarily.
September 8, 2024
fell to my knees when I saw the next book isn’t coming until 2025
MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Sofiya Ivanova (21) | Matteo Rossi (38)
FEATURES
∘ mafia (him)-bratva (her) romance
∘ arranged marriage
∘ opposites attract
∘ disability rep
∘ age gap
∘ bdsm elements
REVIEW
The first 40% of this book enamored me like no other. I love when the MMC is “disinterested” yet gets jealous at the mere thought of other men around the FMC.
The book slowed for me a bit beyond that point, as Matteo had fallen for Sofiya’s charms and treated her with the adoration she deserved. The way Emilia Rossi wrote Sofiya’s experience with hEDS felt realistic and respectful. A disabled main character, especially a female lead, is underrepresented in the romance genre.
It was a fine time until we get to the final act. Now begrudgingly, I will admit the third act conflict picked up the pace, but the consequences and reconciliation deserved more time spent addressing them.
This subgenre of romance has a way of capturing my attention like no other. His Tesero was a great time and was everything it wanted to be. I look forward to the continuation of this series, and I do hope to see more of Emilia Rossi.
OW/OM DRAMA none
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP yes
ENDING HEA — months later epilogue
POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 4 / 5
RATING 4 / 5
MAIN CHARACTER NAMES AND AGES
Sofiya Ivanova (21) | Matteo Rossi (38)
FEATURES
∘ mafia (him)-bratva (her) romance
∘ arranged marriage
∘ opposites attract
∘ disability rep
∘ age gap
∘ bdsm elements
REVIEW
The first 40% of this book enamored me like no other. I love when the MMC is “disinterested” yet gets jealous at the mere thought of other men around the FMC.
The book slowed for me a bit beyond that point, as Matteo had fallen for Sofiya’s charms and treated her with the adoration she deserved. The way Emilia Rossi wrote Sofiya’s experience with hEDS felt realistic and respectful. A disabled main character, especially a female lead, is underrepresented in the romance genre.
It was a fine time until we get to the final act. Now begrudgingly, I will admit the third act conflict picked up the pace, but the consequences and reconciliation deserved more time spent addressing them.
This subgenre of romance has a way of capturing my attention like no other. His Tesero was a great time and was everything it wanted to be. I look forward to the continuation of this series, and I do hope to see more of Emilia Rossi.
OW/OM DRAMA none
CHEATING none
THIRD ACT BREAKUP yes
ENDING HEA — months later epilogue
POV dual / first person
SPICE LEVEL 4 / 5
RATING 4 / 5
July 10, 2024
⭐1⭐
This was such a hot mess 😭 Childish and horrible dialogue, Awkward smut🥴, Inconsistent characterisation of characters, plus the fml is a pick me 🧍🏻♀️
This book had brought me back to my reading slump 💀
This was such a hot mess 😭 Childish and horrible dialogue, Awkward smut🥴, Inconsistent characterisation of characters, plus the fml is a pick me 🧍🏻♀️
This book had brought me back to my reading slump 💀
September 20, 2024
The first thing I want to say is when an author takes the time to write a character with a disability, a main character at that, and have it as well researched and thoughtful as this you just know you're going to love the book.
Sofiya was actual perfection. She was so strong when she really didn't have a reason to. Basically everyone in her life, with a few exceptions, had beaten her down for so long that there was no reason for her to keep getting back up, but she did. Her pov chapters really give you a glimpse into the challenges a lot of people with disabilities face just trying to go about their daily lives. There are moments where she just wants to give up, but Sofiya always finds the light. The reason for her to keep fighting and going, and I really just don't think she could be any better. Plus she's so freaking sassy and funny you can't help but love her.
I think that I have a love/hate relationship with Matteo. In the beginning, he treats Sofiya with a cold and flippant attitude that really makes you want to throat punch him. I'm just saying. As time goes on her begins to see her as the wonderful and amazing woman she is and begins to treat her as such. We are given insight as to why he is the way he is, but he's definitely on my list.
Everything was just so well done. I've read dozens of books that depict a character with a service animal and more get it wrong than get it right. Noodle was amazing. Stole the show 😅. There really is nothing to dislike here. The characters are lovable and relatable, the plot itself was so interesting and dynamic, and the spice 👀👀👀 was spicing.
Sofiya was actual perfection. She was so strong when she really didn't have a reason to. Basically everyone in her life, with a few exceptions, had beaten her down for so long that there was no reason for her to keep getting back up, but she did. Her pov chapters really give you a glimpse into the challenges a lot of people with disabilities face just trying to go about their daily lives. There are moments where she just wants to give up, but Sofiya always finds the light. The reason for her to keep fighting and going, and I really just don't think she could be any better. Plus she's so freaking sassy and funny you can't help but love her.
I think that I have a love/hate relationship with Matteo. In the beginning, he treats Sofiya with a cold and flippant attitude that really makes you want to throat punch him. I'm just saying. As time goes on her begins to see her as the wonderful and amazing woman she is and begins to treat her as such. We are given insight as to why he is the way he is, but he's definitely on my list.
Everything was just so well done. I've read dozens of books that depict a character with a service animal and more get it wrong than get it right. Noodle was amazing. Stole the show 😅. There really is nothing to dislike here. The characters are lovable and relatable, the plot itself was so interesting and dynamic, and the spice 👀👀👀 was spicing.
September 12, 2025
Stop. Don't read any more reviews. Just go read this book. If you need a sweet, loving Sunshine, winning over a possessive, jealous, Grumpy mafia man - this is 100% the book for you.
I had no doubts that when His Tesoro was announced that it would be an amazing read. This was Emilia Rossi's first go at a mafia romance, and she did a phenomenal job. As an avid reader for mafia romance, I knew Miss Rossi would do it justice, and I believe she did. It was on the lighter side of mafia reads, but still brought enough emotion that it kept my eyes glued to my Kindle until the very end. Just like her omegaverse books written under her pen name Emilia Emerson, she writes with such passion that I could not put the book down. The tears that I had for sweet Sofiya in the beginning at just 10% of the book was almost shocking to me that I was already in love with and desperate for our sweet FMC to have a happy ending. Then I truly enjoyed watching our grumpy, jealous, and serious MMC - who vowed never to fall for his wife, for this marriage was just a business transaction, fall for his sweet, sunshine Tesoro - it was just absolutely wonderful. I cheered for them both, I cried multiple times, and I wish this to be a book that I could read again for the 1st time to feel the love again and again.
I wish I could give better words to do this book justice, but I can't. I'm left pretty much speechless, holding my Kindle, sighing, and hoping that my next book isn't a letdown for having to follow this masterpiece. I guess all I can say is, for her first mafia book: "Brava Miss Rossi! Brava!!" Definitely one of my favorite authors and that I will run to all new releases when announced.
I look forward to the next adventure!
I had no doubts that when His Tesoro was announced that it would be an amazing read. This was Emilia Rossi's first go at a mafia romance, and she did a phenomenal job. As an avid reader for mafia romance, I knew Miss Rossi would do it justice, and I believe she did. It was on the lighter side of mafia reads, but still brought enough emotion that it kept my eyes glued to my Kindle until the very end. Just like her omegaverse books written under her pen name Emilia Emerson, she writes with such passion that I could not put the book down. The tears that I had for sweet Sofiya in the beginning at just 10% of the book was almost shocking to me that I was already in love with and desperate for our sweet FMC to have a happy ending. Then I truly enjoyed watching our grumpy, jealous, and serious MMC - who vowed never to fall for his wife, for this marriage was just a business transaction, fall for his sweet, sunshine Tesoro - it was just absolutely wonderful. I cheered for them both, I cried multiple times, and I wish this to be a book that I could read again for the 1st time to feel the love again and again.
I wish I could give better words to do this book justice, but I can't. I'm left pretty much speechless, holding my Kindle, sighing, and hoping that my next book isn't a letdown for having to follow this masterpiece. I guess all I can say is, for her first mafia book: "Brava Miss Rossi! Brava!!" Definitely one of my favorite authors and that I will run to all new releases when announced.
I look forward to the next adventure!
July 23, 2024
I became convinced it was never gonna end.
Ever.
Forever ongoing.
It probably still is.
Ever.
Forever ongoing.
It probably still is.
August 29, 2025
Happy to announce I did not 🤭
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
If I Dnf this one I will in fact crash out 🙂
⋆. 𐙚 ˚ pre read ⋆. 𐙚 ˚
If I Dnf this one I will in fact crash out 🙂
May 12, 2026
Yep...I enjoyed this one... what can I say, there’s something about a morally gray MMC who would burn the world down for his girl that speaks to me.
This is book 1 in the “Empire of Royals” series, which is (at the time of this posting) unfinished.
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader / 🎧Audiobook (Dual narration by Teddy Hamilton and Lee Daniels; rating: 4.5/5) *note: book 2 is DUET narration
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Sofiya Ivanova (aka “tesoro” or “baby”). Just turned 21, Sofiya has been sheltered (as a sort of punishment) and is now being married off to the head of the Italian mafia by her father, the head of the Russian mafia in Chicago as a bartering chip. Loves cooking/baking.
– MMC: Matteo Rossi (aka “miliy” or “Angel of Death”). 38-year-old Don of the Italian mafia in NYC. Reluctant to care about anyone to avoid them becoming a target.
– Location: NYC
– POV: Dual first-person
– Spice: 7-9 open-door explicitly spicy scenes
– Tropes: age gap (17 years), mafia romance, inexperienced FMC (in most things), morally gray MMC, FMC with HEDS, hurt/comfort, service dog (GO NOODLE), found family, bondage, millionaire MMC **Disclaimer: this is not a slow burn or a fast burn, but the insta attraction here felt manageable (as someone who hates instalust)**
– Content warning: ableist language (not glorified), threats of sexual assault, emotional and physical abuse by parents, violence, gore, kidnapping, descriptions of torture, conversations about sex trafficking, sexual content (spanking, bondage, cock warming, light degradation)
– Representation: FMC with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
I don’t want to think too deeply about why I love mafia romances. Let’s just say the heart wants what it wants and move on 🙂. I do think readers that are looking for allegorical prose or atmospheric writing, you will likely be let down (go read lit fic or something); but if you’re looking for a man who is DOWN BAD for his woman, mixed with danger, spice, and beautiful HEDS rep, then this will be the book for you.
I really loved Sofiya. This is only the second book I’ve read where the character has HEDS and I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to exist in a world where things are made to cater to “able bodied” people (I mean, as someone who has lived in a larger body, I guess I can a little, but not to the extent outlined here). It was heartbreaking that her own parents not only didn’t get her the help she deserved and needed, but shamed her for not being able to “get over it.”
But then here comes Matteo. And him doing the bare minimum (getting her seen by professionals) and Sofiya started to blossom and come into her own! I loved seeing that. He was SO DOWN BAD for her and that made the romance just perfect.
AND LET’S TALK ABOUT NOODLE. I will always love animals in books, and Noodle is the bestest boi. I love a service dog.
Would I Recommend?: Do you like mafia romance? THEN YES. Do you hate morally gray men who will stop at nothing to treat their woman like a queen? Then...what’s wrong with you? Who hurt you?
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: Treasure by Bruno Mars
─────────────────────────
★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★
➼ Books like The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori and Hans or King by S.J. Tilly
➼ MMCs who stop at nothing to get their FMCs the best care and comfort that money can buy
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven———✧————————Plot Driven
Fast Burn————✧———————Slow Burn
Sweet——————————✧—Spicy
Light/Fluffy——————✧—————Heavy/Emotional
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
This is book 1 in the “Empire of Royals” series, which is (at the time of this posting) unfinished.
▹My ⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (4/5)
▹Format: 📱 eReader / 🎧Audiobook (Dual narration by Teddy Hamilton and Lee Daniels; rating: 4.5/5) *note: book 2 is DUET narration
─────────────────────────
○★○ What to Expect from This Book: ○★○
– FMC: Sofiya Ivanova (aka “tesoro” or “baby”). Just turned 21, Sofiya has been sheltered (as a sort of punishment) and is now being married off to the head of the Italian mafia by her father, the head of the Russian mafia in Chicago as a bartering chip. Loves cooking/baking.
– MMC: Matteo Rossi (aka “miliy” or “Angel of Death”). 38-year-old Don of the Italian mafia in NYC. Reluctant to care about anyone to avoid them becoming a target.
– Location: NYC
– POV: Dual first-person
– Spice: 7-9 open-door explicitly spicy scenes
– Tropes: age gap (17 years), mafia romance, inexperienced FMC (in most things), morally gray MMC, FMC with HEDS, hurt/comfort, service dog (GO NOODLE), found family, bondage, millionaire MMC **Disclaimer: this is not a slow burn or a fast burn, but the insta attraction here felt manageable (as someone who hates instalust)**
– Content warning: ableist language (not glorified), threats of sexual assault, emotional and physical abuse by parents, violence, gore, kidnapping, descriptions of torture, conversations about sex trafficking, sexual content (spanking, bondage, cock warming, light degradation)
– Representation: FMC with hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome
─────────────────────────
🎯 My Thoughts:
I don’t want to think too deeply about why I love mafia romances. Let’s just say the heart wants what it wants and move on 🙂. I do think readers that are looking for allegorical prose or atmospheric writing, you will likely be let down (go read lit fic or something); but if you’re looking for a man who is DOWN BAD for his woman, mixed with danger, spice, and beautiful HEDS rep, then this will be the book for you.
I really loved Sofiya. This is only the second book I’ve read where the character has HEDS and I cannot imagine how difficult it must be to exist in a world where things are made to cater to “able bodied” people (I mean, as someone who has lived in a larger body, I guess I can a little, but not to the extent outlined here). It was heartbreaking that her own parents not only didn’t get her the help she deserved and needed, but shamed her for not being able to “get over it.”
But then here comes Matteo. And him doing the bare minimum (getting her seen by professionals) and Sofiya started to blossom and come into her own! I loved seeing that. He was SO DOWN BAD for her and that made the romance just perfect.
AND LET’S TALK ABOUT NOODLE. I will always love animals in books, and Noodle is the bestest boi. I love a service dog.
Would I Recommend?: Do you like mafia romance? THEN YES. Do you hate morally gray men who will stop at nothing to treat their woman like a queen? Then...what’s wrong with you? Who hurt you?
─────────────────────────
↻ ◁ || ▷ ↺ 1:00 ──ㅇ────── 4:12
Now Playing: Treasure by Bruno Mars
╰┈➤ ❝Treasure, that is what you are; Honey, you're my golden star; You know you can make my wish come true; If you let me treasure you❞
─────────────────────────
★○ If You Like the Following, You Might Like This Book ○★
➼ Books like The Sweetest Oblivion by Danielle Lori and Hans or King by S.J. Tilly
➼ MMCs who stop at nothing to get their FMCs the best care and comfort that money can buy
─────────────────────────
⍟»This or That«⍟
Character Driven———✧————————Plot Driven
Fast Burn————✧———————Slow Burn
Sweet——————————✧—Spicy
Light/Fluffy——————✧—————Heavy/Emotional
•♥Consider following me on Instagram @kelseyreviewsbooks for more visual content and bookish discussions.♥•
April 30, 2025
Reread
Original review stands, this could've been great but the H was just a little too stupid for me. Even after he realised that his man was the rat and they raided his apartment and found all that evidence that pointed to the Irish it STILL didn't occur to him that it could be wrong 😒🤦🏽♀️🙄
I liked that Sofia got to be a little badass in the end.
All in all a good read but too long for what it was, even the sexy times grew boring
Original review
Spoilers ahead
Matteo's parents were murdered and his uncle took control of the Italian mafia, two years of hard work and he's able to regain control. Thirteen years later the Albanian mob are causing problems for Matteo and trying to bring the skin trade to his territory. With war brewing Matteo agrees to an alliance with the Russians sealed by a marriage to the Pakhan's daughter.....on his wedding day he finds that not everything was disclosed to him....his new wife is in a wheelchair suffering with EDS. Matteo fully plans to install her in his house and forget about her but for some reason he can't stay away from his new bride.
Sofiya has been a burden and embarrassment to her parents as her condition worsened, she's been confined to a wing of her father's house with only her sister for company. Now she's ordered to be married to a man she's never met, she's determined to make the best of the situation however. Matteo isn't anything like she expected and pretty soon she's head over heels for her husband, but a traitor is working against the Italians and when Matteo is fed wrong information he turns on Sofiya.
When she's taken the two must work together to get past this new hurdle and figure out their happily ever after
*******
Before certain events occured I was ready to rate this 5 stars which I very rarely do. But I loved these two together
Matteo was an ass in the beginning as he fought the pull to his new wife, he actually went off to have sex with ow but found himself unable to go through with it. Then there's an entertaining and amusing ride as Matteo falls head over heels for his new wife.
Where this lost me was in the stupidity and ineffectiveness of the mafia angle. There's a rat on board and Matteo takes the word of his trusted enforcer over his wife and locks her in a basement. After they'd been so close and she was all that was sweetness and light he never even considered that the so called evidence was wrong and I didn't like that.
She's accidentally left there for hours as he was shot and given her medical condition that was horrifying. She forgave him too easily imo.
Then after grappling with Matteo's stupidity Sofiya then decides to act the fool while she's pregnant mind you! I hate when the H is professed as this big badass feared and respected leader but he was clueless and made to look a fool.... it's one of my biggest pet peeves in mafia and MC romances.....like dang let them live up to their name please!
Aside from that this was just way too long, as cute as the romance was it became tedious after while.
I'd definitely try this author again and I saw that the secondary characters will get their own books
Manwhore H, he seemed to have a habit of hiring women for his sexual needs
Shortly after marrying the h he goes to have sex but he's not able to go through with it, actually by the time he saw the woman he wasn't interested
He took wonderful care of Sofiya
h wasn't technically a virgin which tbh given this is a mafia romance and her medical condition I was a little surprised at but it was a onetime poor encounter
When Matteo pulled his head out of his ass he was deliciously j/p getting jealous of his own men eating stuff the h had made
Violence
h has a medical condition
Original thoughts
Matteo reminded me of Sylvester Stallone's character in Oscar, where everyone was running around yes boss no boss but they were all clueless
Thoughts while reading
Ma'am imma need you to start writing faster because why is there only one book 😭😭😭😭
#currentlyreading
Original review stands, this could've been great but the H was just a little too stupid for me. Even after he realised that his man was the rat and they raided his apartment and found all that evidence that pointed to the Irish it STILL didn't occur to him that it could be wrong 😒🤦🏽♀️🙄
I liked that Sofia got to be a little badass in the end.
All in all a good read but too long for what it was, even the sexy times grew boring
Original review
Spoilers ahead
Matteo's parents were murdered and his uncle took control of the Italian mafia, two years of hard work and he's able to regain control. Thirteen years later the Albanian mob are causing problems for Matteo and trying to bring the skin trade to his territory. With war brewing Matteo agrees to an alliance with the Russians sealed by a marriage to the Pakhan's daughter.....on his wedding day he finds that not everything was disclosed to him....his new wife is in a wheelchair suffering with EDS. Matteo fully plans to install her in his house and forget about her but for some reason he can't stay away from his new bride.
Sofiya has been a burden and embarrassment to her parents as her condition worsened, she's been confined to a wing of her father's house with only her sister for company. Now she's ordered to be married to a man she's never met, she's determined to make the best of the situation however. Matteo isn't anything like she expected and pretty soon she's head over heels for her husband, but a traitor is working against the Italians and when Matteo is fed wrong information he turns on Sofiya.
When she's taken the two must work together to get past this new hurdle and figure out their happily ever after
*******
Before certain events occured I was ready to rate this 5 stars which I very rarely do. But I loved these two together
Matteo was an ass in the beginning as he fought the pull to his new wife, he actually went off to have sex with ow but found himself unable to go through with it. Then there's an entertaining and amusing ride as Matteo falls head over heels for his new wife.
Where this lost me was in the stupidity and ineffectiveness of the mafia angle. There's a rat on board and Matteo takes the word of his trusted enforcer over his wife and locks her in a basement. After they'd been so close and she was all that was sweetness and light he never even considered that the so called evidence was wrong and I didn't like that.
She's accidentally left there for hours as he was shot and given her medical condition that was horrifying. She forgave him too easily imo.
Then after grappling with Matteo's stupidity Sofiya then decides to act the fool while she's pregnant mind you! I hate when the H is professed as this big badass feared and respected leader but he was clueless and made to look a fool.... it's one of my biggest pet peeves in mafia and MC romances.....like dang let them live up to their name please!
Aside from that this was just way too long, as cute as the romance was it became tedious after while.
I'd definitely try this author again and I saw that the secondary characters will get their own books
Manwhore H, he seemed to have a habit of hiring women for his sexual needs
Shortly after marrying the h he goes to have sex but he's not able to go through with it, actually by the time he saw the woman he wasn't interested
He took wonderful care of Sofiya
h wasn't technically a virgin which tbh given this is a mafia romance and her medical condition I was a little surprised at but it was a onetime poor encounter
When Matteo pulled his head out of his ass he was deliciously j/p getting jealous of his own men eating stuff the h had made
Violence
h has a medical condition
Original thoughts
Matteo reminded me of Sylvester Stallone's character in Oscar, where everyone was running around yes boss no boss but they were all clueless
Thoughts while reading
Ma'am imma need you to start writing faster because why is there only one book 😭😭😭😭
#currentlyreading
July 5, 2024
How come this book is so long...
July 15, 2024
It was cute but it kinda got stupid towards the end
July 12, 2025
3.5⭐️
поціновувачам кори рейлі повинно сподобатись. постійно ловила вайби луки та арії і динаміку їх стосунків. тільки софія в нас на кріслі колісному, а маттео полюбляє зв'язування в ліжку 🌚
читається дуже швидко за рахунок невеликих розділів. трохи легко та наївно, на деяких сюжетних поворотах логіка вийшла з чату, але розважитись точно можна. репрезентація людини з інвалідністю додає цікаві нові моментики, а в іншому сюжет як в більшості mafia romance. шлюб за домовленістю заради об'єднання сімей, притирання один до одного, симпатія, секс, перестрілки, переслідування, драма, зрада чи ні, викрадення, ще більше перестрілок, зірвання весілля, завалили поганців і все, наша парочка нарешті отримала своє довго і щасливо 😁
маттео напочатку трохи гандончік, а потім звичайно що носить софію на руках, в прямому сенсі 😅 і здійснює весь список її бажань, які вона хотіла спробувати за життя. класика 😌
поціновувачам кори рейлі повинно сподобатись. постійно ловила вайби луки та арії і динаміку їх стосунків. тільки софія в нас на кріслі колісному, а маттео полюбляє зв'язування в ліжку 🌚
читається дуже швидко за рахунок невеликих розділів. трохи легко та наївно, на деяких сюжетних поворотах логіка вийшла з чату, але розважитись точно можна. репрезентація людини з інвалідністю додає цікаві нові моментики, а в іншому сюжет як в більшості mafia romance. шлюб за домовленістю заради об'єднання сімей, притирання один до одного, симпатія, секс, перестрілки, переслідування, драма, зрада чи ні, викрадення, ще більше перестрілок, зірвання весілля, завалили поганців і все, наша парочка нарешті отримала своє довго і щасливо 😁
маттео напочатку трохи гандончік, а потім звичайно що носить софію на руках, в прямому сенсі 😅 і здійснює весь список її бажань, які вона хотіла спробувати за життя. класика 😌
July 12, 2024
“ I’d done my best to keep distance between us, but with each passing day—passing minute—Sofiya twisted me further and further around her finger. The realization hit me like a ton of bricks: I wanted my wife.”
𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺
A classic tale of two mafia families forming a much-needed alliance through an arranged marriage. This story follows broody Matteo and sweetheart Sofiya.
𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 & 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴
I have to start this review off by saying this got me out of my reading slump. I’m so happy! 🤭
Onto my thoughts on this book, and bear with me, it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve written a review.
I thought this book was beautiful. I rarely see chronic illness/disability representation in Mafia books, so seeing the FMC deal with her illness brought a whole other layer of depth to the story.
Sofiya was such an amazing character; I love that in a new environment (and after moving away from her toxic father), she began to thrive and grow to love who she was instead of being ashamed of her circumstances.
I really liked Matteo’s character. He was a powerful mafia don, but he didn’t let that deter him from being vulnerable and caring for his wife. The caretaking scenes in this book were so beautiful. 🥺
Lastly, the side characters (Romeo and Angelo) were hilarious; they definitely made this book more enjoyable. And don’t even get me started on Noodle. I know he’s a service dog that’s trained to do what he does, but when he would bring Sofiya her medicine bag, I swooned! 🐕🫶🏽
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴
👑 contemporary romance
𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴
👑 mafia
👑 age gap
👑 caretaking
👑 found family
👑 chronic illness rep
👑 arranged marriage
👑 grumpy x sunshine
👑 touch her and you die
𝘚𝘶𝘮𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘺
A classic tale of two mafia families forming a much-needed alliance through an arranged marriage. This story follows broody Matteo and sweetheart Sofiya.
𝘗𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵𝘴 & 𝘧𝘦𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘴
I have to start this review off by saying this got me out of my reading slump. I’m so happy! 🤭
Onto my thoughts on this book, and bear with me, it’s been 3 weeks since I’ve written a review.
I thought this book was beautiful. I rarely see chronic illness/disability representation in Mafia books, so seeing the FMC deal with her illness brought a whole other layer of depth to the story.
Sofiya was such an amazing character; I love that in a new environment (and after moving away from her toxic father), she began to thrive and grow to love who she was instead of being ashamed of her circumstances.
I really liked Matteo’s character. He was a powerful mafia don, but he didn’t let that deter him from being vulnerable and caring for his wife. The caretaking scenes in this book were so beautiful. 🥺
Lastly, the side characters (Romeo and Angelo) were hilarious; they definitely made this book more enjoyable. And don’t even get me started on Noodle. I know he’s a service dog that’s trained to do what he does, but when he would bring Sofiya her medicine bag, I swooned! 🐕🫶🏽
𝘎𝘦𝘯𝘳𝘦𝘴
👑 contemporary romance
𝘛𝘳𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘴
👑 mafia
👑 age gap
👑 caretaking
👑 found family
👑 chronic illness rep
👑 arranged marriage
👑 grumpy x sunshine
👑 touch her and you die
February 26, 2025
This is a mafia romance for my taste. I enjoyed it immensely.
What you can expect:
♡ arranged marriage
♡ age gap
♡ mafia romance
♡ groveling
♡ grumpy/sunshine
♡ jealous/possessive MMC
♡ chronic illness & disability rep
This book delivers all the excitement of a mafia romance while offering a love story that feels genuinely heartfelt.
I recommend this story if you love protective heroes, resilient heroines, and a romance that makes you swoon.
Sofiya, the daughter of the Bratva head, has spent most of her life hidden away due to her hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). To her father, she represents weakness, but when an arranged marriage presents itself, she’s finally given the chance to leave her isolated existence behind. Then there is Matteo, a man hardened by betrayal and loss, who views their marriage as nothing more than a business transaction. However, neither of them anticipates the intense pull between them, nor the emotional bond that slowly builds as they navigate their new life together.
I can’t wait to read more from Emilia Rossi, especially the next book in this series!
What you can expect:
♡ arranged marriage
♡ age gap
♡ mafia romance
♡ groveling
♡ grumpy/sunshine
♡ jealous/possessive MMC
♡ chronic illness & disability rep
This book delivers all the excitement of a mafia romance while offering a love story that feels genuinely heartfelt.
I recommend this story if you love protective heroes, resilient heroines, and a romance that makes you swoon.
Sofiya, the daughter of the Bratva head, has spent most of her life hidden away due to her hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS). To her father, she represents weakness, but when an arranged marriage presents itself, she’s finally given the chance to leave her isolated existence behind. Then there is Matteo, a man hardened by betrayal and loss, who views their marriage as nothing more than a business transaction. However, neither of them anticipates the intense pull between them, nor the emotional bond that slowly builds as they navigate their new life together.
I can’t wait to read more from Emilia Rossi, especially the next book in this series!
April 27, 2026
Son pocos los libros de romance que tienen protagonistas con enfermedades que les incapacitan y menos aún si son de temática mafiosa. Yo llegué a este sin saber lo que iba a encontrar y me quedé cada vez más enamorada de Sofiya.
Nuestra protagonista ha sido tratada como defectuosa en una familia de la bratva que no quería ni mostrarla, le han enseñado a desaparecer; además, su estúpido padre trata a las mujeres como objetos y ella está acostumbrada a creer que es culpable hasta de respirar.
Así que cuando le obligan a casarse con Matteo, el Don de la mafia italiana, se conforma con mejorar sólo un poco.
Matteo se casa solo por un acuerdo de negocios, no le interesa una mujer y cuando descubre que le han ocultado la enfermedad de Sofiya no sabe cómo tomarlo. Pero va a querer protegerla de inmediato.
Leer cómo se siente Sofiya y cómo va viviendo su nueva vida es algo que recomiendo totalmente. Es un gran personaje, me ha encantado de verdad y me han caído las lágrimas más de una vez, algo que no es fácil que ocurra.
Matteo también me ha gustado, es tan duro y despiadado, pero tan dulce a la vez, justo como me gusta.
Y el resto de personajes se merecen un libro, me gustan todos, tienen suficiente participación como para que los conozcas y los quieras también. Ah! y tenemos un perro, que eso para mi es un plus.
La subtrama mafiosa no está nada mal y se mantiene con un giro y mucha acción final.
En resumen, tiene todo lo que espero de los libros de mafia romance y un extra que me ha hecho que se me encoja el corazón, por eso mis cinco estrellas.
Nuestra protagonista ha sido tratada como defectuosa en una familia de la bratva que no quería ni mostrarla, le han enseñado a desaparecer; además, su estúpido padre trata a las mujeres como objetos y ella está acostumbrada a creer que es culpable hasta de respirar.
Así que cuando le obligan a casarse con Matteo, el Don de la mafia italiana, se conforma con mejorar sólo un poco.
Matteo se casa solo por un acuerdo de negocios, no le interesa una mujer y cuando descubre que le han ocultado la enfermedad de Sofiya no sabe cómo tomarlo. Pero va a querer protegerla de inmediato.
Leer cómo se siente Sofiya y cómo va viviendo su nueva vida es algo que recomiendo totalmente. Es un gran personaje, me ha encantado de verdad y me han caído las lágrimas más de una vez, algo que no es fácil que ocurra.
Matteo también me ha gustado, es tan duro y despiadado, pero tan dulce a la vez, justo como me gusta.
Y el resto de personajes se merecen un libro, me gustan todos, tienen suficiente participación como para que los conozcas y los quieras también. Ah! y tenemos un perro, que eso para mi es un plus.
La subtrama mafiosa no está nada mal y se mantiene con un giro y mucha acción final.
En resumen, tiene todo lo que espero de los libros de mafia romance y un extra que me ha hecho que se me encoja el corazón, por eso mis cinco estrellas.
March 22, 2026
Genuinely enjoyed reading this. Even though it’s somewhat cheesy, I could stand it. Gotta thank my period for that.
But I liked the disability rep in here a lot. Seems like author really paid attention to it. Sofiya’s Dream List was a cute little addition. The mafia element was fun and the side characters were as strong as main characters.
And the icing on the cake: Teddy Hamilton narrating this audiobook. 😮💨
But I liked the disability rep in here a lot. Seems like author really paid attention to it. Sofiya’s Dream List was a cute little addition. The mafia element was fun and the side characters were as strong as main characters.
And the icing on the cake: Teddy Hamilton narrating this audiobook. 😮💨
Read
June 25, 2024I read this when I was drunk out of my mind. I did not know I had it in me to finish it in one night lmao!
Safety
Perceived ow drama
The heroine is non virgin but only had sex once. Please for the love of God, Why not make her equally experienced with the hero if you gotta make her a non-v. Unfair.
Ofc the hero was a manho and kept on referencing his manho ways.
Edit : I remembered suddenly that part where after their wedding, he was about to have sex with an escort but did not continue bc he felt like it wasn't right. He told the girl to gtfo. not that it made me feel better lmao.
She did not even make him grovel!
Writing :
It was okay. I guess. Since I finished it when i was so out of my head, I cannot honestly give a proper review hahaha.
I guess, Cheers! 🥂
Safety
Perceived ow drama
The heroine is non virgin but only had sex once. Please for the love of God, Why not make her equally experienced with the hero if you gotta make her a non-v. Unfair.
Ofc the hero was a manho and kept on referencing his manho ways.
Edit : I remembered suddenly that part where after their wedding, he was about to have sex with an escort but did not continue bc he felt like it wasn't right. He told the girl to gtfo. not that it made me feel better lmao.
She did not even make him grovel!
Writing :
It was okay. I guess. Since I finished it when i was so out of my head, I cannot honestly give a proper review hahaha.
I guess, Cheers! 🥂
February 21, 2025
4.5 stars! His Tesoro is an age gap (she’s 21, he’s 38), arranged marriage, grumpy x sunshine, mafia romance with disability rep. This one was on my TBR for a while but the audio finally released so I got to it! And I’m so glad I did cause this gave me all the mafia romance vibes I had been missing.
Sofiya has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), which is a rare genetic connective tissue disorder. Her father is in the mafia and she has rarely left their home in Chicago, but now her life is about to change! Matteo is a mafia boss, and the head of the Five families in New York. Sofiya and Matteo meet because of an arranged marriage and we see that pretty early on to the story.
I liked seeing how much caretaking and protectiveness he has towards her. He gets her access to better mobility aids (wheelchair plus other mobility aids), a service dog, doctors, etc. Unlike her life growing up, he also lets her be involved in the mafia business. I liked seeing her list of new things she wanted to do and him and his crew helping her, the found family was great (especially for her character who didn’t have a good family life but craved it), I feel like the disability rep was handed really well, and I liked how he was a bit of a cold grump at first but that melted with her sweet sunshiny ways (she even bakes sweet treats). We do get some elements of light BDSM in here too and he even made sure to check that the things he wanted them to do was safe for her first. A fun new to me author I’m excited to read more from, like the next book that comes out in this series later this year!
Sofiya has hypermobile Ehlers-Danlos syndrome (hEDS), which is a rare genetic connective tissue disorder. Her father is in the mafia and she has rarely left their home in Chicago, but now her life is about to change! Matteo is a mafia boss, and the head of the Five families in New York. Sofiya and Matteo meet because of an arranged marriage and we see that pretty early on to the story.
I liked seeing how much caretaking and protectiveness he has towards her. He gets her access to better mobility aids (wheelchair plus other mobility aids), a service dog, doctors, etc. Unlike her life growing up, he also lets her be involved in the mafia business. I liked seeing her list of new things she wanted to do and him and his crew helping her, the found family was great (especially for her character who didn’t have a good family life but craved it), I feel like the disability rep was handed really well, and I liked how he was a bit of a cold grump at first but that melted with her sweet sunshiny ways (she even bakes sweet treats). We do get some elements of light BDSM in here too and he even made sure to check that the things he wanted them to do was safe for her first. A fun new to me author I’m excited to read more from, like the next book that comes out in this series later this year!
March 25, 2026
3.75 ⭐️
tell me why was this so good?
you truly do need to get through the first 40 % while mcs sort out their shit (and thats why i cant raise the rating) but some of the moments were so freaking cute 😍😍😭😭
"These bastards came into my home, spent time with my wife, and now they ate all of my cookies?"
tell me why was this so good?
you truly do need to get through the first 40 % while mcs sort out their shit (and thats why i cant raise the rating) but some of the moments were so freaking cute 😍😍😭😭
"These bastards came into my home, spent time with my wife, and now they ate all of my cookies?"
February 21, 2025
His Tesoro to be honest is just so so. Cheesy, predictable, luke warm plot and a banter that sometimes feel forced. I think this is the first book by Miss Rossi?? I do not know for sure.
I finish it on one sitting.
3 stars
I finish it on one sitting.
3 stars
August 2, 2024
Started off really strong. This was cute for what it was and reminded a little bit of Mila Finelli's mafia books. Just wish it had more depth like Finelli's work. The world building and character development could have been better. A Mafia Don going into an arranged marriage with a Bratva princess who has a disability and uses a wheelchair. So intriguing right?! I did like the disability representation. The heroine Sofiya has a condition called EDS (Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome) which causes sensitive skin tissue, joint pain and dislocation frequently. She uses a rollator and wheelchair to move around. What started off great with a marriage of convenience disappointingly crumbled into repetitive cotton candy fluff by the halfway mark. I'm all for fluffy goodness but characters doing the same thing over and over again to fill up pages just starts to wear things down fast. I loved the sweet moments which were many but when nothing else happens in the story I start to mentally check out. The hero was a complete puppy for his "tesoro" wife which was cute. But a mafia don grabbing his wife at every opportunity to have her sit in his lap in every occasion including business dinners with all the mafia families felt a bit like fanfic for me. I love when couples have their own special "things" but when it's done all the time in every scene? Nope. There was also a looooot of giggling and lip biting happening from the heroine which kind of drove me insane.
The mafia action didn't kick in until the last 100 pages which stirred my interest again but parts were ridiculous given some of the questionable stupid stunts the heroine pulls. You want to get away from your husband fine, but why the fuck would you team up with a rival mafia to "rescue" you? 🙄 She definitely had TSTL moments. And her transformation from shy sweet docile meek woman to confident mob wife who can shoot a gun with perfect aim and take charge attitude was a little forced and came out of nowhere. And the last 40 pages were pretty much a long running epilogue that should have been edited down IMO. But overall, not amazing but for the author's debut novel I saw the potential. Loved the found family with the hero's second in command Romeo and bodyguard Angelo growing close with the heroine and becoming so protective of her. The fact that Angelo pledged his loyalty to his boss's wife when she thought she was betrayed I thought was very ballsy and very impressive of this character. I am interested in the Irish Mafia leader Ronan but not if he's gonna be paired up with hired assassin Leona who just felt like a bad stereotype with her aggressive brash personality. She came off OTT for me. But a lot of moving puzzle pieces here that have potential for this series. I will keep my eye out.
The mafia action didn't kick in until the last 100 pages which stirred my interest again but parts were ridiculous given some of the questionable stupid stunts the heroine pulls. You want to get away from your husband fine, but why the fuck would you team up with a rival mafia to "rescue" you? 🙄 She definitely had TSTL moments. And her transformation from shy sweet docile meek woman to confident mob wife who can shoot a gun with perfect aim and take charge attitude was a little forced and came out of nowhere. And the last 40 pages were pretty much a long running epilogue that should have been edited down IMO. But overall, not amazing but for the author's debut novel I saw the potential. Loved the found family with the hero's second in command Romeo and bodyguard Angelo growing close with the heroine and becoming so protective of her. The fact that Angelo pledged his loyalty to his boss's wife when she thought she was betrayed I thought was very ballsy and very impressive of this character. I am interested in the Irish Mafia leader Ronan but not if he's gonna be paired up with hired assassin Leona who just felt like a bad stereotype with her aggressive brash personality. She came off OTT for me. But a lot of moving puzzle pieces here that have potential for this series. I will keep my eye out.
September 15, 2024
It started bad, ended up far worse.
He acted like a child who was being forced by his mother to eat vegetables at the beginning, then proceeded to get worse. He was this big bad mafia guy who everyone apparently feared, but was simply nothing more that a surly child. In no point in the story was it shown why he was feared so much by everyone, except for some “torture sessions” that felt fake, forced and made up. Treated her like absolute shit, no growling no nothing. Meanwhile Sofiya was completely spineless, no backbone at all and accepted him at the end after all the shit that he did without a single apology.
She had far more chemistry with Angelo that she did with Matteo, would have loved the story if he was the mc.
Also, this was supposed to be a dark romance…
Dark romance wheree???
Im also curious why was it so unnecessarily long, it would have been far better with 100 pages less.
Overall 1/5 ⭐️
Spice 2/5🌶️
I was dissatisfied and dissapointed🥲
He acted like a child who was being forced by his mother to eat vegetables at the beginning, then proceeded to get worse. He was this big bad mafia guy who everyone apparently feared, but was simply nothing more that a surly child. In no point in the story was it shown why he was feared so much by everyone, except for some “torture sessions” that felt fake, forced and made up. Treated her like absolute shit, no growling no nothing. Meanwhile Sofiya was completely spineless, no backbone at all and accepted him at the end after all the shit that he did without a single apology.
She had far more chemistry with Angelo that she did with Matteo, would have loved the story if he was the mc.
Also, this was supposed to be a dark romance…
Dark romance wheree???
Im also curious why was it so unnecessarily long, it would have been far better with 100 pages less.
Overall 1/5 ⭐️
Spice 2/5🌶️
I was dissatisfied and dissapointed🥲
February 19, 2025
There's a lot of words I could use to describe how I felt reading this book, but none really match how beautiful this romance was.
Matteo and Sofiya are arranged to be married by their families. Matteo is the head of the Italian mafia and Sofiya is the daughter of the Bratva head. Sofiya, diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, has been a wheelchair user for several years, and has been mistreated and hidden away by her father. Matteo has no idea of Sofiya's health condition until she comes down the aisle, and they begin living together. It is a tough transition for Sofiya, who is used to the cruel views of mafia families, as she expects nothing less from the Italians. For Matteo, he is thrown because while he thought this would just be an arranged marriage, he feels more for Sofiya than he's felt for anyone in years. These two slowly warm up to each other, with Sofiya realizing Matteo is a complete 180 from the family she left, and Matteo knowing he will do anything to give Sofiya the independence that was stolen from her by her father.
The disability representation was beautiful. Sofiya's condition and feelings were never treated as a superficial plot point. We saw the daily ups and downs of Sofiya's journey, and seeing her gain confidence in herself and her ability to care for herself made me emotional. Matteo was the epitome of a book husband. He never assumed to know what was best for Sofiya, which is important when supporting someone with a chronic illness/disability. He listened to what she needed, and did all he could to educate himself and his family so that they could give her the tools and the power she needed to finally be in control of her life. Some of my favorite scenes were of him tenderly caring for her, whether it was in the bed, in the tub together, on the sofa, etc. This big mafia dude was putty in Sofiya's hands and I ate it up.
The romance was top tier and even the intimate scenes made me emotional (you'll see why). I honestly could gush about this book all day. Her writing was top notch, and she balanced the excitement we love to see in mafia romances with the romance we're all here for! I'll definitely be reading more of this author's mafia romances!
Matteo and Sofiya are arranged to be married by their families. Matteo is the head of the Italian mafia and Sofiya is the daughter of the Bratva head. Sofiya, diagnosed with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome, has been a wheelchair user for several years, and has been mistreated and hidden away by her father. Matteo has no idea of Sofiya's health condition until she comes down the aisle, and they begin living together. It is a tough transition for Sofiya, who is used to the cruel views of mafia families, as she expects nothing less from the Italians. For Matteo, he is thrown because while he thought this would just be an arranged marriage, he feels more for Sofiya than he's felt for anyone in years. These two slowly warm up to each other, with Sofiya realizing Matteo is a complete 180 from the family she left, and Matteo knowing he will do anything to give Sofiya the independence that was stolen from her by her father.
The disability representation was beautiful. Sofiya's condition and feelings were never treated as a superficial plot point. We saw the daily ups and downs of Sofiya's journey, and seeing her gain confidence in herself and her ability to care for herself made me emotional. Matteo was the epitome of a book husband. He never assumed to know what was best for Sofiya, which is important when supporting someone with a chronic illness/disability. He listened to what she needed, and did all he could to educate himself and his family so that they could give her the tools and the power she needed to finally be in control of her life. Some of my favorite scenes were of him tenderly caring for her, whether it was in the bed, in the tub together, on the sofa, etc. This big mafia dude was putty in Sofiya's hands and I ate it up.
The romance was top tier and even the intimate scenes made me emotional (you'll see why). I honestly could gush about this book all day. Her writing was top notch, and she balanced the excitement we love to see in mafia romances with the romance we're all here for! I'll definitely be reading more of this author's mafia romances!
January 9, 2025
This was a pretty good mafia romance. There was nothing l wrong with it & there’s isn’t anything I would exactly change but I’ll probably forget about it in a week. It def scratched the itch I had and I will read book two.
July 6, 2024
Love Love love!!
4.5 stars
4 on the spice scale
4.5 stars
4 on the spice scale
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