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A Beautiful Crime
From author Analee Giancoala comes a new standalone dark forced proximity mafia romance set in a deliciously sinful new world.
There are fates worse than death. . .
Carina Fiore, daughter of The Fiore Famiglia, is arranged to marry the notorious Don and King of the crime underworld Constantine Donati.
Forced to become a pawn in a game she never wanted to play her papa shatters her sheltered life. Not only is she to be wed to the ruthless man who is known as The Devil of the East Coast, she must undergo a rebirth to show her loyalty to the Famiglia.
There's a darkness inside her now. One that has bled dry all the innocence she once held so dearly. A darkness that has killed her.
And the man she holds responsible? None other than the man who is soon to be her husband. She loathes him entirely, but what she hates him for the most is what he has unknowingly forced her to become.
However, for some inexplicable reason she finds herself drawn to the sweet seduction of darkness that Constantine possesses. With every linger, touch, and moment she spends with him she finds herself succumbing.
We all fall to sin and give in to temptation.
This is how Carina Fiore fell.
And yet this is how Carina Donati rises.
There are fates worse than death. . .
Carina Fiore, daughter of The Fiore Famiglia, is arranged to marry the notorious Don and King of the crime underworld Constantine Donati.
Forced to become a pawn in a game she never wanted to play her papa shatters her sheltered life. Not only is she to be wed to the ruthless man who is known as The Devil of the East Coast, she must undergo a rebirth to show her loyalty to the Famiglia.
There's a darkness inside her now. One that has bled dry all the innocence she once held so dearly. A darkness that has killed her.
And the man she holds responsible? None other than the man who is soon to be her husband. She loathes him entirely, but what she hates him for the most is what he has unknowingly forced her to become.
However, for some inexplicable reason she finds herself drawn to the sweet seduction of darkness that Constantine possesses. With every linger, touch, and moment she spends with him she finds herself succumbing.
We all fall to sin and give in to temptation.
This is how Carina Fiore fell.
And yet this is how Carina Donati rises.
463 pages, Kindle Edition
Published March 7, 2025
9 people are currently reading
62 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 69 reviews
March 8, 2025
A Beautiful Crime by Analee Giancoala
4/5⭐
3/5🌶️
This was my first read from this author, and I enjoyed it! The plot was super intriguing with some exciting moments, and I loved how the MMC was obsessed with the FMC. The dynamic between Constantine and Carina was electric! From the beginning, Constantine wanted Carina. While she had a strong dislike for him, she couldn’t help being drawn to him, which made for an entertaining read.
Carina's backstory was truly heartbreaking. After her mother passed away, she faced constant abuse from her father and brother. Her mother tried to keep her safe from their dark world, but after her death, Carina was forced into it. She struggles with the concepts of good and evil, convinced that there’s no goodness left in her. Meanwhile, Constantine has been looking out for her for years; he knows her better than she knows herself. When her father arranged a marriage, Constantine urged her to embrace the darkness. He wants her to be the Queen alongside him as King.
I admired how unwavering Constantine was in his belief in her. He was sure of her capabilities and tried to empower her, reminding her she had the free will to make her own choices and showing her how strong and smart she truly was. He might be known as The Devil, feared by many, but he treats Carina with such gentleness. I loved how he cared for her, allowing her to take control and helping her accept the darkness within herself, guiding her to become a powerful queen.
Carina’s character development in this book was fantastic! I loved seeing her embrace her darker side, and as she did, her connection with Constantine grew even stronger. There were some big reveals that tugged at my heart for Carina. Overall, this book was a great experience for me. The twists and turns kept me engaged, and the chemistry between the characters was off the charts!
4/5⭐
3/5🌶️
This was my first read from this author, and I enjoyed it! The plot was super intriguing with some exciting moments, and I loved how the MMC was obsessed with the FMC. The dynamic between Constantine and Carina was electric! From the beginning, Constantine wanted Carina. While she had a strong dislike for him, she couldn’t help being drawn to him, which made for an entertaining read.
Carina's backstory was truly heartbreaking. After her mother passed away, she faced constant abuse from her father and brother. Her mother tried to keep her safe from their dark world, but after her death, Carina was forced into it. She struggles with the concepts of good and evil, convinced that there’s no goodness left in her. Meanwhile, Constantine has been looking out for her for years; he knows her better than she knows herself. When her father arranged a marriage, Constantine urged her to embrace the darkness. He wants her to be the Queen alongside him as King.
I admired how unwavering Constantine was in his belief in her. He was sure of her capabilities and tried to empower her, reminding her she had the free will to make her own choices and showing her how strong and smart she truly was. He might be known as The Devil, feared by many, but he treats Carina with such gentleness. I loved how he cared for her, allowing her to take control and helping her accept the darkness within herself, guiding her to become a powerful queen.
Carina’s character development in this book was fantastic! I loved seeing her embrace her darker side, and as she did, her connection with Constantine grew even stronger. There were some big reveals that tugged at my heart for Carina. Overall, this book was a great experience for me. The twists and turns kept me engaged, and the chemistry between the characters was off the charts!
March 5, 2025
“carina has haunted me all day. every minute that passed, right down to the very second, i thought of her. i wish to be haunted by her for the rest of my days.”
this started off as such a strong read, but it fell flat in the end and a lot of things did not sit well with me the more i read.
carina was at odds with herself for a good portion of this book. she was faced with an impossible decision, which was her life or her brother’s life. she had to choose her own life over her brother’s because of what would happened to her if she didn’t. the fact that she chose herself over her brother is a big part of her personality and how she is written throughout the entire book. she references to her “rebirth” a lot, which really translates to how she took her brother’s life. this was a monumental moment for her that apparently changed her entire world, and she stopped “feeling” and “being human” afterward. the only thing she said she felt was rage and loathing toward the mmc whom she is arranged to marry, which i’m not entirely sure why she hated him, even after having read the entire book.
constantine is called “the devil of the east coast”, which would make sense if there was anything that made him the devil. personally, i didn’t feel like he was “evil” in the way people made him out to be. he really talked himself up and stroked his own ego, so maybe he was trying to convince himself that he was the devil? i’m not too sure. anyway, something that really set me off was the fact that he’s been “in love” with carina for 10 years, but let me put this into perspective: carina is 26 and constantine is 38, so 10 years ago would mean that carina was 16 years old. 16. years. old. this really did not sit well with me at all, and the fact that carina didn’t know that constantine was preying on her and silently grooming her for this long made it even worse. he claimed he was celibate for those 10 years because he knew after seeing her one time that there would be no one else. reminder: he was saying this as he was referencing a 16 year old girl.
the spice had potential to be good, and i was actually enjoying the tension and banter between the mcs until a virgin kink popped up out of the blue. i wouldn’t have a problem with that if it wasn’t written in such an icky way (just made me feel gross tbh). also, there was a scene where constantine flat out told carina that he took her measurements while she was asleep, which is why all of the wedding dresses she could have picked from were her size, but then he asked if it would make her wet if he came onto her while she was asleep. yes, i know what somnophilia is, but he literally went from zero to one hundred in less than three seconds, so it felt icky.
their arranged marriage made sense, but also didn’t at the same time. and for a mafia book, why they wouldn’t consider things going wrong at their wedding is beyond me. i mean, they came from two rival families, and didn’t think that at least something minor would happen until everyone had a light bulb moment and decided that something bad was, in fact, going to happen.
there is a lot of repetition in this book, and by that i mean the word “rebirth” is used 48 times, and “dio mio” is used 52 times. i’m pointing this out because the continued use of certain words and phrases made me feel extremely disconnected from the book for some reason, and the expensiveness seemed worthy of noting. i do think this book could have been shorter, because for something that’s almost 500 pages, i don’t feel like there was a lot that happened.
thank you to luna literary management and the author for the e-arc! 🌙
★ age gap
★ slow burn
★ forced proximity
★ arranged marriage
★ one sided enemies to lovers
this started off as such a strong read, but it fell flat in the end and a lot of things did not sit well with me the more i read.
carina was at odds with herself for a good portion of this book. she was faced with an impossible decision, which was her life or her brother’s life. she had to choose her own life over her brother’s because of what would happened to her if she didn’t. the fact that she chose herself over her brother is a big part of her personality and how she is written throughout the entire book. she references to her “rebirth” a lot, which really translates to how she took her brother’s life. this was a monumental moment for her that apparently changed her entire world, and she stopped “feeling” and “being human” afterward. the only thing she said she felt was rage and loathing toward the mmc whom she is arranged to marry, which i’m not entirely sure why she hated him, even after having read the entire book.
constantine is called “the devil of the east coast”, which would make sense if there was anything that made him the devil. personally, i didn’t feel like he was “evil” in the way people made him out to be. he really talked himself up and stroked his own ego, so maybe he was trying to convince himself that he was the devil? i’m not too sure. anyway, something that really set me off was the fact that he’s been “in love” with carina for 10 years, but let me put this into perspective: carina is 26 and constantine is 38, so 10 years ago would mean that carina was 16 years old. 16. years. old. this really did not sit well with me at all, and the fact that carina didn’t know that constantine was preying on her and silently grooming her for this long made it even worse. he claimed he was celibate for those 10 years because he knew after seeing her one time that there would be no one else. reminder: he was saying this as he was referencing a 16 year old girl.
the spice had potential to be good, and i was actually enjoying the tension and banter between the mcs until a virgin kink popped up out of the blue. i wouldn’t have a problem with that if it wasn’t written in such an icky way (just made me feel gross tbh). also, there was a scene where constantine flat out told carina that he took her measurements while she was asleep, which is why all of the wedding dresses she could have picked from were her size, but then he asked if it would make her wet if he came onto her while she was asleep. yes, i know what somnophilia is, but he literally went from zero to one hundred in less than three seconds, so it felt icky.
their arranged marriage made sense, but also didn’t at the same time. and for a mafia book, why they wouldn’t consider things going wrong at their wedding is beyond me. i mean, they came from two rival families, and didn’t think that at least something minor would happen until everyone had a light bulb moment and decided that something bad was, in fact, going to happen.
there is a lot of repetition in this book, and by that i mean the word “rebirth” is used 48 times, and “dio mio” is used 52 times. i’m pointing this out because the continued use of certain words and phrases made me feel extremely disconnected from the book for some reason, and the expensiveness seemed worthy of noting. i do think this book could have been shorter, because for something that’s almost 500 pages, i don’t feel like there was a lot that happened.
thank you to luna literary management and the author for the e-arc! 🌙
★ age gap
★ slow burn
★ forced proximity
★ arranged marriage
★ one sided enemies to lovers
February 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️ 1/2 out of 5
🌶🌶🌶 out of 5
🖤Mafia Romance
🫦Age Gap (26, 38)
⚡️Review:
This was a pretty good mafia romance but it didn't build up the chemistry and propulsion to the narrative as I would've hoped. I love the hook, that she's marrying the Don who is part of the reason her father made her k1ll her brother. This responsibility that shes laid upon the Don. His precise role in it, remains frustratingly unlear for most of the story though. She feels darkness in herself ever since she k1lled her brother (phrases such as this get repeated a bit too much).
I do feel the inner dialog repeated and pacing was a bit slow. That said, this probably could've been tightened by about 80 pages. Constantine wants to empower Carina to be his Queen, to embrace the darker parts of herself, i like that idea. She is said to put on a meek face to the public but in her exchanges I still see her as fiery, so I didn't see her as docile as she's claimed to be in the beginning.
Why he wants her, I'm not as clear on but they still had great banter and s3xual tension. He encounters her 10 years ago so I wanted to see more of that impact. Because that would have clarified his desire for her much more, seemed like a missed opportunity.
The back and forth exchanges have some great tension but I feel it goes on too long with not enough chemistry from them at the beginning to justify it. For how long the book is, I was amazed how not much was happening other than circular conversations of her darkness and lies. Constantine is enigmatic for sure and his presence and confident attitude was my favorite part.
🌶🌶🌶 out of 5
🖤Mafia Romance
🫦Age Gap (26, 38)
⚡️Review:
This was a pretty good mafia romance but it didn't build up the chemistry and propulsion to the narrative as I would've hoped. I love the hook, that she's marrying the Don who is part of the reason her father made her k1ll her brother. This responsibility that shes laid upon the Don. His precise role in it, remains frustratingly unlear for most of the story though. She feels darkness in herself ever since she k1lled her brother (phrases such as this get repeated a bit too much).
I do feel the inner dialog repeated and pacing was a bit slow. That said, this probably could've been tightened by about 80 pages. Constantine wants to empower Carina to be his Queen, to embrace the darker parts of herself, i like that idea. She is said to put on a meek face to the public but in her exchanges I still see her as fiery, so I didn't see her as docile as she's claimed to be in the beginning.
Why he wants her, I'm not as clear on but they still had great banter and s3xual tension. He encounters her 10 years ago so I wanted to see more of that impact. Because that would have clarified his desire for her much more, seemed like a missed opportunity.
The back and forth exchanges have some great tension but I feel it goes on too long with not enough chemistry from them at the beginning to justify it. For how long the book is, I was amazed how not much was happening other than circular conversations of her darkness and lies. Constantine is enigmatic for sure and his presence and confident attitude was my favorite part.
March 5, 2025
This book was pretty good, and there were a lot of aspects I enjoyed about it.
The few critics I have are this (minor spoilers ahead) also these are just my personal opinions so take it with a grain of salt.
There was a lot of repeating dialogue from the characters. After a while it got really annoying reading the same thing so many times because it stopped adding to the plot at a certain point, and tbh I skipped paragraphs because it was the same thing I had already read.
Once the sex started it felt a little like it was thrown in at bad times. Like there’s one scene where they’re supposed to be having an important meeting and instead they have sex for many many pages, and then the meeting doesn’t feel as “important” as it should because then they focus on talking about how they had sex before the meeting, then cut the meeting short so they could have more sex. Like personally I hate when sex scenes are placed right smack dab in the middle of important scenes/info for the actual plot of the book. I wish the sex scenes would have been placed in different spots personally. (Not all sex scenes obviously, some were hot as hell, like the crawling scene yum. But a few were oddly placed)
Aside from those things it was a pretty good story, and I do think a lot of people will enjoy reading it. This is just my opinion so please don’t not read the book just cause one person had some issues with it, cause it could become your favorite book. It’s definitely spicy, the MMC is a hottie and the FMC is sassy which I LOVE.
No matter what I did or didn’t like about this book, I give praise to the author because no matter what writing a book and putting yourself out there as an author is scary and anyone who does it deserves their flowers!
The few critics I have are this (minor spoilers ahead) also these are just my personal opinions so take it with a grain of salt.
There was a lot of repeating dialogue from the characters. After a while it got really annoying reading the same thing so many times because it stopped adding to the plot at a certain point, and tbh I skipped paragraphs because it was the same thing I had already read.
Once the sex started it felt a little like it was thrown in at bad times. Like there’s one scene where they’re supposed to be having an important meeting and instead they have sex for many many pages, and then the meeting doesn’t feel as “important” as it should because then they focus on talking about how they had sex before the meeting, then cut the meeting short so they could have more sex. Like personally I hate when sex scenes are placed right smack dab in the middle of important scenes/info for the actual plot of the book. I wish the sex scenes would have been placed in different spots personally. (Not all sex scenes obviously, some were hot as hell, like the crawling scene yum. But a few were oddly placed)
Aside from those things it was a pretty good story, and I do think a lot of people will enjoy reading it. This is just my opinion so please don’t not read the book just cause one person had some issues with it, cause it could become your favorite book. It’s definitely spicy, the MMC is a hottie and the FMC is sassy which I LOVE.
No matter what I did or didn’t like about this book, I give praise to the author because no matter what writing a book and putting yourself out there as an author is scary and anyone who does it deserves their flowers!
March 7, 2025
A Beautiful Crime was such a fun story to read. There’s gorgeous mafia men, an obsessive and possessive MMC and a bada$$ FMC with an even more bada$$ villain arc. This story of Carina Fiore and Constantine Donati explores how morality isn’t always black and white. that as humans, there’s going to be complexities and levels of depth to us. No one person can be all good or all bad. And that’s what’s exciting about this story is that as Carina comes to accept the darkness in her, it’s empowering as a reader to watch her come into her power. Constantine sets the standard for how men should champion the women they love. He pushes Carina to demand respect for herself and is proud when she finally does, even when it’s demanding respect from him. He wants to see her come into her power and become the queen that he knows she was meant to be. Carina is the epitome of boss bitch energy. Despite how much her own papa and brother tried to hold her down with threats, emotion, verbal and physical abuse, she did not let that keep her from becoming the powerful leader that Constantine knew she was destined to be. I really enjoyed reading this mafia romance! Thank you Analee and Luna Literary for sending me an ARC 🖤
March 7, 2025
The slow burn in this was SLOWWW
The fmc's family is awful, deceitful, and hateful.
The mmc has had his eyes on her for a lonnng time.
ngl I did almost give up bc she was not giving in HOWEVER when they finally break (let's be real- once the fmc opened her eyes) it was so good!
The fmc is truly a Phoenix rising from the ashes with the help of the mmc helping her shine I love these two together.
+ mafia romance
+ he falls first AND HARD/he is obsessed first
+ morally grey mmc
+ arranged marriage
+ forced proximity
+ age gap
The fmc's family is awful, deceitful, and hateful.
The mmc has had his eyes on her for a lonnng time.
ngl I did almost give up bc she was not giving in HOWEVER when they finally break (let's be real- once the fmc opened her eyes) it was so good!
The fmc is truly a Phoenix rising from the ashes with the help of the mmc helping her shine I love these two together.
+ mafia romance
+ he falls first AND HARD/he is obsessed first
+ morally grey mmc
+ arranged marriage
+ forced proximity
+ age gap
March 5, 2025
I really enjoyed this book! This book follows the life of two Italian mob families and their desire for power, which ends up with an arranged marriage of one bosses daughter to the Don of the east coast of the united states. Unbeknown to the MFC, the FMC has been stalking/in love with her since the moment he saw her, so he of course accepts this offer to marry the daughter of a rival family.
But this is all the information I will leave you with! There's violence, family drama and found family all wrapped up in this amazing book. Definitely recommend :)
But this is all the information I will leave you with! There's violence, family drama and found family all wrapped up in this amazing book. Definitely recommend :)
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 21, 2025
A Beautiful Crime is the PERFECT read for lovers of age gap, mafia romances filled with tension, suspense and LOTS of delicious spice!
The romance between Carina and Constantine is scorching hot! Their chemistry is off the charts, which helps to create incredibly raw and realistic intimacy between the two. The tension and deep gut wrenching feelings we experience as they navigate their marriage are incredible. Carina is reluctant to succumb to her feelings for Constantine - she feels like a pawn in the game versus the queen that Constantine sees her as. Constantine is utterly and irrevocably in love with Carina and has been for years. The things that man will do for her… he would burn the world down. The yearning, love, and utter devotion he shows her is insane. The way he allows her to take back her own life and be in control of it with his submission was life changing. That man. My goodness. The vengeance they got in the end, spectacular!
The pacing of this story was everything that I wanted and more; I was completely sucked in and enamored by each twist and turn. There are some HUGE plot twists that I absolutely did not see coming, which was huge. Nothing about this book felt predicable or forced; things flowed so naturally. Which is incredible for a mafia romance.
Thank you so incredibly much to Annalee Giancoala and Luna Literary for the early copy! This was a top read of the year for me; most definitely in my top five for mafia romances!
The romance between Carina and Constantine is scorching hot! Their chemistry is off the charts, which helps to create incredibly raw and realistic intimacy between the two. The tension and deep gut wrenching feelings we experience as they navigate their marriage are incredible. Carina is reluctant to succumb to her feelings for Constantine - she feels like a pawn in the game versus the queen that Constantine sees her as. Constantine is utterly and irrevocably in love with Carina and has been for years. The things that man will do for her… he would burn the world down. The yearning, love, and utter devotion he shows her is insane. The way he allows her to take back her own life and be in control of it with his submission was life changing. That man. My goodness. The vengeance they got in the end, spectacular!
The pacing of this story was everything that I wanted and more; I was completely sucked in and enamored by each twist and turn. There are some HUGE plot twists that I absolutely did not see coming, which was huge. Nothing about this book felt predicable or forced; things flowed so naturally. Which is incredible for a mafia romance.
Thank you so incredibly much to Annalee Giancoala and Luna Literary for the early copy! This was a top read of the year for me; most definitely in my top five for mafia romances!
March 18, 2025
A beautiful crime is a dark mafia romance with an age gap. All and All it was a pretty good story. Carina and Constantine's chemistry was undeniable and the spice was delectable. Although there were phrases and words, like a rebirth, became repetitive. Watching Carina accept her dark side and embrace her power. Was wonderful to watch. Thank you to Luna literary and Analee Giancoala for the opportunity to read this book as an ARC
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
“If I were a poet I would write sonnets about you. Lay them next to your pillow with rose petals kissing your skin. And if I were a traditional romantic I would buy you a box of chocolates with a bouquet of fresh flowers. But I’m not. I could offer you all of those things but we both know they wouldn’t satisfy you. It’s not what you truly desire.”
“And what do I desire?”
“Not a white knight or saint, but a devil who will lay your enemies upon your feet and watch you seek retribution by taking a pound of their flesh.”
5.0 // ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have no words right now. This was quite the read for me. You may have read books in the past where the MMC literally worships the ground the FMC walks on. I, however, can bet that not one of them comes close to how Constantine Donati is down bad for Carina Fiore.
Constantine Donati, infamous as the Don of the Donati famiglia, and nicknamed the Devil for his cold-hearted approach to his blood-stained job, and how strangely unaffected he is by the bloodshed around him (it wouldn't be wrong to say that they're most often caused by him), turns into a completely different person around Carina. He has had his eyes on her for a very long time now, and when the opportunity to make him hers, finally comes to him, of course he takes it, and is determined to show her who she is, and how she is a true Queen, who could even lead the Donati famiglia in his place.
Women in mafia families are most often seen as trophies for the Made Men, and a commodity, an object, to build connections, and in a community that only sees women as such, Constantine would get on his knees for her, let her take a knife to his skin, and even let her dominate him. Hell, he even feels pride surging inside when she goes against his words, as he sees it, not as a way of her opposing him, but as her slowly realizing her true worth, and taking control of her life.
I wish I could write a few more paragraphs about the things he lets her do, the way he admires and looks at her like she's his world (Constantine said, and I quote, “Icarus to the Sun is nothing compared to me”, and this is something even Carina has said about how she is around him), but I'm afraid I cannot spoil the story for you.
A few things I really loved in this book:
- The way words were used so beautifully to express emotions, to make you feel the depth of the situation, how very poetic some lines seem- I loved it.
- There's mention of religion - from both positive and negative POVs. As a dystheist, those sections were truly very relatable and interesting to read. I don't often come across such material in the books I read, so it was a great thing for me.
- Did I mention he calls her “mia leonessa” (my lioness) and that she calls him cuore mio (my heart)? *faints in the background*
- The spice: I don't usually mention the spice particularly in book reviews, but for this one, I must. With Constantine and Carina, we got crying s*x, knife play, blood kink, and branding (yes, I'd suggest you read the content warnings before you dig into this book), and as someone who loves seeing these written properly, Analee, I need to thank you, and let you know that this was so damn AMAZING. The crying s*x was written so beautifully, and the others were also included just perfectly, and honestly, thank you.
This was a beautiful read. I loved it. Definitely recommend it for those who love a good mafia romance that gets your heart racing. This one's for you ❤️🔥
“Why Constantine, you’re making me feel like the most powerful and loved woman in the world.”
“If I make you feel any less, place a bullet in my head.”
“And what do I desire?”
“Not a white knight or saint, but a devil who will lay your enemies upon your feet and watch you seek retribution by taking a pound of their flesh.”
5.0 // ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
I have no words right now. This was quite the read for me. You may have read books in the past where the MMC literally worships the ground the FMC walks on. I, however, can bet that not one of them comes close to how Constantine Donati is down bad for Carina Fiore.
Constantine Donati, infamous as the Don of the Donati famiglia, and nicknamed the Devil for his cold-hearted approach to his blood-stained job, and how strangely unaffected he is by the bloodshed around him (it wouldn't be wrong to say that they're most often caused by him), turns into a completely different person around Carina. He has had his eyes on her for a very long time now, and when the opportunity to make him hers, finally comes to him, of course he takes it, and is determined to show her who she is, and how she is a true Queen, who could even lead the Donati famiglia in his place.
Women in mafia families are most often seen as trophies for the Made Men, and a commodity, an object, to build connections, and in a community that only sees women as such, Constantine would get on his knees for her, let her take a knife to his skin, and even let her dominate him. Hell, he even feels pride surging inside when she goes against his words, as he sees it, not as a way of her opposing him, but as her slowly realizing her true worth, and taking control of her life.
I wish I could write a few more paragraphs about the things he lets her do, the way he admires and looks at her like she's his world (Constantine said, and I quote, “Icarus to the Sun is nothing compared to me”, and this is something even Carina has said about how she is around him), but I'm afraid I cannot spoil the story for you.
A few things I really loved in this book:
- The way words were used so beautifully to express emotions, to make you feel the depth of the situation, how very poetic some lines seem- I loved it.
- There's mention of religion - from both positive and negative POVs. As a dystheist, those sections were truly very relatable and interesting to read. I don't often come across such material in the books I read, so it was a great thing for me.
- Did I mention he calls her “mia leonessa” (my lioness) and that she calls him cuore mio (my heart)? *faints in the background*
- The spice: I don't usually mention the spice particularly in book reviews, but for this one, I must. With Constantine and Carina, we got crying s*x, knife play, blood kink, and branding (yes, I'd suggest you read the content warnings before you dig into this book), and as someone who loves seeing these written properly, Analee, I need to thank you, and let you know that this was so damn AMAZING. The crying s*x was written so beautifully, and the others were also included just perfectly, and honestly, thank you.
This was a beautiful read. I loved it. Definitely recommend it for those who love a good mafia romance that gets your heart racing. This one's for you ❤️🔥
“Why Constantine, you’re making me feel like the most powerful and loved woman in the world.”
“If I make you feel any less, place a bullet in my head.”
April 4, 2025
My tagged shelves can be spoilers
Mafia romance with an mmc who's obsessed with the fmc; meanwhile she hates him and his spiraling down into darkness and ready to become a villain to those who put her there.
Constantine (mmc) and Carina (fmc) definitely have a fiery dynamic. I liked how much Constantine loved Carina's darkness and how he wanted to help free her from the cage her family put her in. Carina was struggling hard with good vs evil and who she has become but she became a badass Queen with a little assistance and love from Constantine. Together, they're one powerful af couple!
The spice takes a minute to get to as first Carina has to let down some walls and realize she can embrace the darkness she loves without becoming like her father or brother. But once that spice hits - ON FIRE!!!!! Seriously, these two couldn't keep their hands off each other.
Other things I loved: found family aspects, groveling, character growth, and the submissive side that both would give to one another.
Reason I took off a star - the first 30%ish felt a little repetitive (especially with the "re-birth" and good vs evil within oneself).
Definitely recommend this mafia romance for all who love a very possessive & obsessed mmc, fiery and badass fmc, hot chemistry, push & pull relationship dynamic, and great side characters!
Thanks to the author and Luna Literary for the e-ARC. Review is my own honest opinion.
Mafia romance with an mmc who's obsessed with the fmc; meanwhile she hates him and his spiraling down into darkness and ready to become a villain to those who put her there.
Constantine (mmc) and Carina (fmc) definitely have a fiery dynamic. I liked how much Constantine loved Carina's darkness and how he wanted to help free her from the cage her family put her in. Carina was struggling hard with good vs evil and who she has become but she became a badass Queen with a little assistance and love from Constantine. Together, they're one powerful af couple!
The spice takes a minute to get to as first Carina has to let down some walls and realize she can embrace the darkness she loves without becoming like her father or brother. But once that spice hits - ON FIRE!!!!! Seriously, these two couldn't keep their hands off each other.
Other things I loved: found family aspects, groveling, character growth, and the submissive side that both would give to one another.
Reason I took off a star - the first 30%ish felt a little repetitive (especially with the "re-birth" and good vs evil within oneself).
Definitely recommend this mafia romance for all who love a very possessive & obsessed mmc, fiery and badass fmc, hot chemistry, push & pull relationship dynamic, and great side characters!
Thanks to the author and Luna Literary for the e-ARC. Review is my own honest opinion.
March 13, 2025
Meh. She talked too much about her rebirth. the book was cringe, especially all the talk about your my queen, this is how a queen acts, a king is nothing without his queen etc.
March 21, 2025
Important notes made:
Banter back and forth. Fire and ice. Hot and cold.
FMC is ballsy, tempting. Spicy little firecracker since the rebirth.
MMC 38/years, FMC 26/years
Review below:
Constantine has been obsessed with Carina for 10 years. From the moment he laid eyes on her, there was no one else for him. She ruined every other woman for him, without even knowing it. He's been watching her for ten years, with intentions of making her his - with all the touch/look at her and d!e vibes.
This is a man absolutely FERAL and obsessed.
Carina shares a similar obsession when they finally do decide to marry, falling hopelessly in love with the man who has truly seen her and loved her for HER.
There were definitely things I really enjoyed about this book - the tension, the banter, the bada$$ female lead personality - I also really loved how obsessed with and attracted to Carina Constantine was. He made it very clear that he thought she was the most beautiful creation on earth and I love a man who straight up adores his lady. Especially because she has so many insecurities in her scars and talks about her thick thighs and stomach that isn't flat. She didn't think one could find her so perfect, until him.
There was equally as many things I would've liked to see differently however. There was a lot of repetition of phrases and words and mentions of her “rebirth” that caused this book to be dragged out and longer than necessary. Was also not a fan of the flip flop between c@ck and d!CK. I prefer d!ck, but definitely stick with one. It threw me off.
I understand a slow burn, but for me this was TOO slow. It was a solid 60% before things started to pick up, and then there were just scenarios tossed into weird locations in the story and the sexual tension just exploded. I would've liked to see a more consistent flow of events, and some more excitement earlier on.
The age gap doesn't seem like much as adults, but when he mentions how his obsession began ten years ago it's creepy - because she was only a child at that time. So, that was a bit cringey for me.
I did thoroughly enjoy the little twist thrown in around the 80% mark, which I kind of suspected but wasn’t totally convinced - I had a feeling there was SOMETHING going on. I won’t disclose any information because I don’t want any spoilers for those who haven’t read! But it was good!!
This was my first book read by this Author, and the style of writing and repetition just wasn't for me - thank you to Luna Literary and the author for this ARC read, and I do look forward to future novels to compare.
Tropes:
Morally Grey MMC
Corruption kink
Mafia Romance
Touch her/him & die
Forced proximity
Arranged marriage
Obsessed MMC
Slow burn
Age gap
Dual POV
As always, remember to read trigger warnings.
Banter back and forth. Fire and ice. Hot and cold.
FMC is ballsy, tempting. Spicy little firecracker since the rebirth.
MMC 38/years, FMC 26/years
Review below:
Constantine has been obsessed with Carina for 10 years. From the moment he laid eyes on her, there was no one else for him. She ruined every other woman for him, without even knowing it. He's been watching her for ten years, with intentions of making her his - with all the touch/look at her and d!e vibes.
This is a man absolutely FERAL and obsessed.
Carina shares a similar obsession when they finally do decide to marry, falling hopelessly in love with the man who has truly seen her and loved her for HER.
There were definitely things I really enjoyed about this book - the tension, the banter, the bada$$ female lead personality - I also really loved how obsessed with and attracted to Carina Constantine was. He made it very clear that he thought she was the most beautiful creation on earth and I love a man who straight up adores his lady. Especially because she has so many insecurities in her scars and talks about her thick thighs and stomach that isn't flat. She didn't think one could find her so perfect, until him.
There was equally as many things I would've liked to see differently however. There was a lot of repetition of phrases and words and mentions of her “rebirth” that caused this book to be dragged out and longer than necessary. Was also not a fan of the flip flop between c@ck and d!CK. I prefer d!ck, but definitely stick with one. It threw me off.
I understand a slow burn, but for me this was TOO slow. It was a solid 60% before things started to pick up, and then there were just scenarios tossed into weird locations in the story and the sexual tension just exploded. I would've liked to see a more consistent flow of events, and some more excitement earlier on.
The age gap doesn't seem like much as adults, but when he mentions how his obsession began ten years ago it's creepy - because she was only a child at that time. So, that was a bit cringey for me.
I did thoroughly enjoy the little twist thrown in around the 80% mark, which I kind of suspected but wasn’t totally convinced - I had a feeling there was SOMETHING going on. I won’t disclose any information because I don’t want any spoilers for those who haven’t read! But it was good!!
This was my first book read by this Author, and the style of writing and repetition just wasn't for me - thank you to Luna Literary and the author for this ARC read, and I do look forward to future novels to compare.
Tropes:
Morally Grey MMC
Corruption kink
Mafia Romance
Touch her/him & die
Forced proximity
Arranged marriage
Obsessed MMC
Slow burn
Age gap
Dual POV
As always, remember to read trigger warnings.
March 7, 2025
“𝕄𝕪 ℚ𝕦𝕖𝕖𝕟 𝕙𝕒𝕤 𝕗𝕚𝕟𝕒𝕝𝕝𝕪 𝕣𝕚𝕤𝕖𝕟.”
This was absolutely a roller coaster and from the beginning I was rooting for Carina. Her family treated her so bad and made sure she knew she was a pawn she was not special.
Constantine from the moment you met him he exudes that power since he is the Devil of the East Coast. He is the kind of man that does not bow down to anyone. Until his beloved Carina the way this man is a puppy for her chefs kiss. He also builds her up makes sure she understands her power in this world. I love how he submits to her she knows that he can switch at any moment but to make sure she knows she has that power to bring him to his knees gave him all the points.
This is a slow burn and the build up is great there are just a few minor things that caused me to drop a star. In the first 30% her inner dialogue about her rebirth did get repetitive and in the beginning I loved the concept of a rebirth but after awhile it was hard to get through but once she gets under Constantine it gets better. Then her being queen she acts the same way and it may possibly been a me thing in that aspect. The spice is spicing and perfect but there were a few moments where it wasn’t really necessary and the side character did call it out so that was great.
Now these reasons are mainly me things the story is still great absolutely recommend, I loved the side characters and a few shocking moments.
~~What to Expect/Tropes~~
🥀Mafia Romance
🥀One Sided Enemies to Lovers
🥀12 Year Age Gap
🥀Arranged Marriage
🥀Forced Proximity
🥀Obsessed MMC
🥀Villain ARC FMC
🥀Found Family
🥀Revenge
🥀V-FMC
~~Quotes~~
🖤Constantine Donati is the bane of my existence. He is also the darkness within myself that I am no longer sure I can deny
🖤Carina Fiore may have been in the shadows to everyone else but I have always seen her.
🖤I’ve danced with the devil and fell in love with him.
🖤There was an angel walking amongst earth and I was the devil who wanted to walk with her.
This was absolutely a roller coaster and from the beginning I was rooting for Carina. Her family treated her so bad and made sure she knew she was a pawn she was not special.
Constantine from the moment you met him he exudes that power since he is the Devil of the East Coast. He is the kind of man that does not bow down to anyone. Until his beloved Carina the way this man is a puppy for her chefs kiss. He also builds her up makes sure she understands her power in this world. I love how he submits to her she knows that he can switch at any moment but to make sure she knows she has that power to bring him to his knees gave him all the points.
This is a slow burn and the build up is great there are just a few minor things that caused me to drop a star. In the first 30% her inner dialogue about her rebirth did get repetitive and in the beginning I loved the concept of a rebirth but after awhile it was hard to get through but once she gets under Constantine it gets better. Then her being queen she acts the same way and it may possibly been a me thing in that aspect. The spice is spicing and perfect but there were a few moments where it wasn’t really necessary and the side character did call it out so that was great.
Now these reasons are mainly me things the story is still great absolutely recommend, I loved the side characters and a few shocking moments.
~~What to Expect/Tropes~~
🥀Mafia Romance
🥀One Sided Enemies to Lovers
🥀12 Year Age Gap
🥀Arranged Marriage
🥀Forced Proximity
🥀Obsessed MMC
🥀Villain ARC FMC
🥀Found Family
🥀Revenge
🥀V-FMC
~~Quotes~~
🖤Constantine Donati is the bane of my existence. He is also the darkness within myself that I am no longer sure I can deny
🖤Carina Fiore may have been in the shadows to everyone else but I have always seen her.
🖤I’ve danced with the devil and fell in love with him.
🖤There was an angel walking amongst earth and I was the devil who wanted to walk with her.
March 6, 2025
She's been trapped in a cage all her life and when her father sells her hand in marriage to the King of the crime Underworld who is known as The Devil, she's finding that maybe he might be the perfect devil for her. Carina Fiore is the daughter of a crime family, having been abused all her life and forced to do things she never wanted to do including killing her younger brother. She dreams of escaping yet when her father sells her hand in marriage to the king of the crime underworld, Constantine Donati, she's afraid she's just traded one cage for another. Constantine is known as the Devil, he's ruthless, he's powerful, and one secret about him, he's been obsessed with Carina for 10 years now. He's worked meticulously to finally get her hand in marriage and is determined to free her from her family and finally get her to embrace who she truly is, the Queen to his King. Constantine knows it'll take a lot to convince Carina that he's on her side and that he'd burn the world down for her... but he has to first get her to accept herself and the darkness within her to get revenge against all those who hurt her. This was a delicious mafia romance!!! I am always a sucker for a down bad man, and the fact that he's been crazy aout her for 10 years and would do anything for her? 10/10, just such a fun read. I absolutely need the next book in this series!!!! I loved the growth that Carina goes through and just how supportive and kind Constantine was with her. They truly were such a fun couple to read and they had fantastic chemistry! If you like steamy mafia romances, absolutely pick this one up!
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)
*Thanks Luna Literary for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
Release Date: March 7, 2025
Publication/Blog: Ash and Books (ash-and-books.tumblr.com)
*Thanks Luna Literary for sending me an arc in exchange for an honest review*
March 9, 2025
An Italian mafia master-freaking-piece! It’s got the arranged marriage, it’s got the betrayal, lies, and traitors, and it has the absolute best rise of a mafia Donna I have ever had the pleasure of reading. Constantine’s obsession with Carina is ungodly spectacular, his care and support everything she’s always been missing, and the way he shares the power he wields, the ruthless control he has, and every piece of his soul with her and only her so ridiculously good, but the star of every single page is Carina as she rises from the ashes of her old life, embraces all the darkest parts of herself, matches Constantine’s obsession with her own, and becomes a Queen everyone bows to. It’s breaking and being reborn, chemistry and desire that burns so hot and bright it’s blinding, and seizing every ounce of you power you were born to wield, and every little dark part of it is absolutely beautiful.
This is just insanely good! It takes all the darkness, blood, and death, all the twisted lies, abuse, and betrayal, of mafia life and turns it into a romance that is beyond gorgeous. Constantine absolutely slays you with not only his utter devotion and total obsession with Carina but how he sees her and loves every part of her, the dark and light, the broken and whole, her submission and fire. And Carina and how she becomes the Queen Constantine knew she could be, it’s heartbreaking, cathartic, filled with a consuming love and the ultimate revenge and it’s incredible. These two are Romeo and Juliet, Elena and Damon, and every other destined to be couple with a love that burns down worlds, takes away your breath, and sticks with you long after the story ends and the whole damn world should read this.
This is just insanely good! It takes all the darkness, blood, and death, all the twisted lies, abuse, and betrayal, of mafia life and turns it into a romance that is beyond gorgeous. Constantine absolutely slays you with not only his utter devotion and total obsession with Carina but how he sees her and loves every part of her, the dark and light, the broken and whole, her submission and fire. And Carina and how she becomes the Queen Constantine knew she could be, it’s heartbreaking, cathartic, filled with a consuming love and the ultimate revenge and it’s incredible. These two are Romeo and Juliet, Elena and Damon, and every other destined to be couple with a love that burns down worlds, takes away your breath, and sticks with you long after the story ends and the whole damn world should read this.
March 21, 2025
ARC Book Review
💋A Beautiful Crime 🖤
Written By: Analee Giancoala
Overall: 3.7/5
Overall plot: 3.5/5
Character development: 3.75/5
Pace: 3.75/5
World building: 3.75/5
Spice 🌶️: 3/5
Thank you, Analee, for letting me read this ahead of the release date.
Carina Fiore grew up privileged as a mafia princess that she wanted no part of. Until she was forced to be a pawn in her father’s attempt to take his mafia empire to newer heights by marrying her off to the notorious Don and King of the crime underworld Constantine Donati. As initiation, she had to do what she thought she’d never do, unalive, and in the process, unalive her former self and be reborn to survive this new world she’s been forced to participate in.
Constatine Donati has been obsessed with Carina for a LONG time and now that she’s finally part of his world and his wife, he’s going to teach her to own her darkness and rule by his side as his queen. Only thing is, she hates him.
From Carina Fiore to Carina Donati, she rises from the ashes a queen and owns her darkness.This is the true journey of rebirth and the overall character development and struggle throughout the story is commendable. As much as I love spice in the stories as the next girly, some felt random and disrupted the flow of actual development. There was a lot of repeating dialogue that didn’t move the plot along.
Overall, I’d recommend this book if you like to read a dark mafia romance with age gap + lots of spice.
Tropes:
🖤 Morally Grey MMC
💋 Corruption K!nk
🖤 Mafia Romance
💋 Touch Her/ Him & D!e
🖤 One sided enemies to lovers
💋 Forced Proximity
🖤 Ařřanged Marriage
💋 Øbsessed MMC
🖤 Villain ARC FMC
💋 Slow Burn
🖤 Age Gap
💋 Dual POV
💋A Beautiful Crime 🖤
Written By: Analee Giancoala
Overall: 3.7/5
Overall plot: 3.5/5
Character development: 3.75/5
Pace: 3.75/5
World building: 3.75/5
Spice 🌶️: 3/5
Thank you, Analee, for letting me read this ahead of the release date.
Carina Fiore grew up privileged as a mafia princess that she wanted no part of. Until she was forced to be a pawn in her father’s attempt to take his mafia empire to newer heights by marrying her off to the notorious Don and King of the crime underworld Constantine Donati. As initiation, she had to do what she thought she’d never do, unalive, and in the process, unalive her former self and be reborn to survive this new world she’s been forced to participate in.
Constatine Donati has been obsessed with Carina for a LONG time and now that she’s finally part of his world and his wife, he’s going to teach her to own her darkness and rule by his side as his queen. Only thing is, she hates him.
From Carina Fiore to Carina Donati, she rises from the ashes a queen and owns her darkness.This is the true journey of rebirth and the overall character development and struggle throughout the story is commendable. As much as I love spice in the stories as the next girly, some felt random and disrupted the flow of actual development. There was a lot of repeating dialogue that didn’t move the plot along.
Overall, I’d recommend this book if you like to read a dark mafia romance with age gap + lots of spice.
Tropes:
🖤 Morally Grey MMC
💋 Corruption K!nk
🖤 Mafia Romance
💋 Touch Her/ Him & D!e
🖤 One sided enemies to lovers
💋 Forced Proximity
🖤 Ařřanged Marriage
💋 Øbsessed MMC
🖤 Villain ARC FMC
💋 Slow Burn
🖤 Age Gap
💋 Dual POV
March 7, 2025
This book started out so well, and I really enjoyed it up until the 70% mark, then it seemed to fizzle out. This was an engaging enemies to lovers, slow burn, arraigned marriage mafia romance. The buildup of the plot in the first half was the best part. Carina,who has been hurt and abused by her father and brother, is forced to marry Constantine, the east coast devil, to strengthen their families mafia ties. Unbeknownst to her, Constantine has been obsessed with Carina for years and wants to help her become a fierce and strong mafia queen and take back her power that she has lost living under the rule of her father and brother. Seeing Carina become alive again was so satisfying. The slow burn was also excellent and really helped buildup each character and their strong and magnetic connection. The only thing that really threw me off was that after the 70% mark the plot went to the wayside and almost every other chapter was filled with smut. It was too much as if the author had to make up for it since the book was a slow burn. I would have preferred the story continue how it was before the 70% part because the plot was so interesting and exciting and I loved watching Carina grow into the person she was meant to be. Overall, I did enjoy the book but had to skip over some of the fluff that was imo not needed to make it a great book!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 7, 2025
3.5 ⭐
Ummmm I don't even know where to start. This was a first read from this author and I'm not sure how I felt with the overall book.
When I think a Mafia romance, I think tension, I think explosive, I think build up of passion and chemistry, for me personally, this lacked greatly with that. There was something that was just missing for me. I can't say exactly what it is, maybe just the mixture of a little here and a little there but the overall book missed the mark for me.
Throughout the book and especially from like the middle on, the repetitiveness was quite jarring and annoying for me. Also I understand a slow burn but the pacing was just way off and too slow for me, maybe it was because of everything else but I was a bit bored.
I looooooveeee a good spicy book, I love when a book has more spice then plot at times, but what I can't get behind is when the spice is thrown in randomly and at bad times for either the character and/or the plot. That's where I felt this book landed, the spice was nice but it was just not in the right moments I felt like.
Overall I think the bad outweighed the good for my overall enjoyment of the book but I know that some will absolutely love this book and I love that for y'all.
🖤Mafia Romance
🖤One Sided Enemies to Lovers
🖤Obsessed MMC
🖤Slow Burn
🖤Arranged Marriage
🖤Age Gap Romance
🖤Forced Proximity
Ummmm I don't even know where to start. This was a first read from this author and I'm not sure how I felt with the overall book.
When I think a Mafia romance, I think tension, I think explosive, I think build up of passion and chemistry, for me personally, this lacked greatly with that. There was something that was just missing for me. I can't say exactly what it is, maybe just the mixture of a little here and a little there but the overall book missed the mark for me.
Throughout the book and especially from like the middle on, the repetitiveness was quite jarring and annoying for me. Also I understand a slow burn but the pacing was just way off and too slow for me, maybe it was because of everything else but I was a bit bored.
I looooooveeee a good spicy book, I love when a book has more spice then plot at times, but what I can't get behind is when the spice is thrown in randomly and at bad times for either the character and/or the plot. That's where I felt this book landed, the spice was nice but it was just not in the right moments I felt like.
Overall I think the bad outweighed the good for my overall enjoyment of the book but I know that some will absolutely love this book and I love that for y'all.
🖤Mafia Romance
🖤One Sided Enemies to Lovers
🖤Obsessed MMC
🖤Slow Burn
🖤Arranged Marriage
🖤Age Gap Romance
🖤Forced Proximity
March 7, 2025
“𝒴𝑜𝓊. 𝒜𝓇𝑒. 𝒜. 𝒬𝓊𝑒𝑒𝓃. 𝒴𝑜𝓊’𝓋𝑒 𝓃𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒷𝑜𝓌𝑒𝒹 𝓉𝑜 𝓃𝑜 𝑜𝓃𝑒. 𝒩𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝒸𝑜𝓃𝒻𝑜𝓇𝓂𝑒𝒹. 𝒩𝑒𝓋𝑒𝓇 𝓎𝒾𝑒𝓁𝒹𝑒𝒹.”
Carina Fiore is set to marry The Devil of the East Coast, Constantine Donati. This is everything she doesn’t want. She knows he’s evil and with things she’s been forced to do, she fears what that darkness will do to her. Honestly, I loved Carina’s development throughout this story. In the beginning she fears the darkness within her, however, as we move through the story, she learns to embrace it. She enters her villain era and becomes the queen she was always meant to be and I was here for it!
While I do wish we would’ve gotten more depth to Constantine, I did love his character. From the very beginning he made sure Carina knew that he would not hurt her in any way and that she would be his equal in everything. He helps her understand that her anger was directed at the wrong people, allowing her to rise up and get her revenge for how her and her mother were treated. Constantine made sure that people knew they needed to respect Carina and I loved how him men cared for her as well.
I did feel like some of the dialogue wasn’t very realistic and some of the phrases used were a bit repetitive. However, I always love a good mafia romance and I truly loved this story.
Thank you Analee Giancoala and Luna Literary Management for the ARC for an honest review.
Carina Fiore is set to marry The Devil of the East Coast, Constantine Donati. This is everything she doesn’t want. She knows he’s evil and with things she’s been forced to do, she fears what that darkness will do to her. Honestly, I loved Carina’s development throughout this story. In the beginning she fears the darkness within her, however, as we move through the story, she learns to embrace it. She enters her villain era and becomes the queen she was always meant to be and I was here for it!
While I do wish we would’ve gotten more depth to Constantine, I did love his character. From the very beginning he made sure Carina knew that he would not hurt her in any way and that she would be his equal in everything. He helps her understand that her anger was directed at the wrong people, allowing her to rise up and get her revenge for how her and her mother were treated. Constantine made sure that people knew they needed to respect Carina and I loved how him men cared for her as well.
I did feel like some of the dialogue wasn’t very realistic and some of the phrases used were a bit repetitive. However, I always love a good mafia romance and I truly loved this story.
Thank you Analee Giancoala and Luna Literary Management for the ARC for an honest review.
March 7, 2025
🔪ARC REVIEW🔥
Carina Fire has been through so much. Being kept under the thumb of her abus!v3 father and brother, being forced to do things no one should ever have to do. Her light was snuffed out and she was in complete darkness and had no hope of finding the light. Now, she’s being forced to marry Constantine Donati, The Devil of the East Coast. She has a hatred deep in her soul, especially for Constantine and she won’t let him forget it.
Constantine Donati, The Devil, was captivated by Carina from the moment her first laid eyes on her many years ago. He saw her darkness and knew he could help her flourish into her true self. He knew then he would one day make her his wife, his Queen. And nothing, not even her father and brother, would stand in his way.
This was without a doubt *chef’s kiss*
As soon as I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I read this in one day! It’s dark, don’t get me wrong, but there’s also a love story. Constantine is a man OBSESSED and no one better disrespect his queen Carina. This is a one-sided enemies to lovers (because Constantine was infatuated with Carina as soon as her saw her), age gap, forced proximity, mafia spicccyyyyy dark romance that I must tell everyone to read it NOW. I can’t wait for more!
5⭐️
Carina Fire has been through so much. Being kept under the thumb of her abus!v3 father and brother, being forced to do things no one should ever have to do. Her light was snuffed out and she was in complete darkness and had no hope of finding the light. Now, she’s being forced to marry Constantine Donati, The Devil of the East Coast. She has a hatred deep in her soul, especially for Constantine and she won’t let him forget it.
Constantine Donati, The Devil, was captivated by Carina from the moment her first laid eyes on her many years ago. He saw her darkness and knew he could help her flourish into her true self. He knew then he would one day make her his wife, his Queen. And nothing, not even her father and brother, would stand in his way.
This was without a doubt *chef’s kiss*
As soon as I started reading this book, I could not put it down. I read this in one day! It’s dark, don’t get me wrong, but there’s also a love story. Constantine is a man OBSESSED and no one better disrespect his queen Carina. This is a one-sided enemies to lovers (because Constantine was infatuated with Carina as soon as her saw her), age gap, forced proximity, mafia spicccyyyyy dark romance that I must tell everyone to read it NOW. I can’t wait for more!
5⭐️
March 18, 2025
Signing up for ARCs, I'm looking at tropes and hoping I like the book. This book, came in and blew me out the water. This was absolutely incredible, like 10 stars across the board.
With mafia romances, the misogyny is heavy in the traditions and this book is no different... on one side. Then comes in the MMC, "the Devil of the East Coast" Constantine, immediately changes the tones and let's Carina, the FMC, know she is going to be a queen. He sees her completely from the beginning and waits for her to see everything herself. There are many bumps in the road and hard truths but it's everything Carina needs to hear. By the end, the queen emerges and the results are beautiful.
Spice wise, very good but it is a slow burn and it goes perfectly with the plot. As much as Constantine is riling up Carina, he's doing the same to us. Once they get it on and popping... 🥵 whew. That man can and does talk Carina out of her draws, well actually he rips them off, repeatedly, but that's besides the point. I absolutely loved everything about this book and cannot wait to see what comes next from Analee, I mean it wouldn't be mad if there's another book in this universe with another badass fmc coming up.
Thank you to analee giancoala and lunaliterary for allowing me to ARC read
With mafia romances, the misogyny is heavy in the traditions and this book is no different... on one side. Then comes in the MMC, "the Devil of the East Coast" Constantine, immediately changes the tones and let's Carina, the FMC, know she is going to be a queen. He sees her completely from the beginning and waits for her to see everything herself. There are many bumps in the road and hard truths but it's everything Carina needs to hear. By the end, the queen emerges and the results are beautiful.
Spice wise, very good but it is a slow burn and it goes perfectly with the plot. As much as Constantine is riling up Carina, he's doing the same to us. Once they get it on and popping... 🥵 whew. That man can and does talk Carina out of her draws, well actually he rips them off, repeatedly, but that's besides the point. I absolutely loved everything about this book and cannot wait to see what comes next from Analee, I mean it wouldn't be mad if there's another book in this universe with another badass fmc coming up.
Thank you to analee giancoala and lunaliterary for allowing me to ARC read
March 19, 2025
This was the first time I read anything by Analee Giancoala and I certainly hope it's not my last! I love a good age gap romance but also seeing the trope of female villain arc... yeah, I had to read it.
It's a strong start with our FMC, Carina, and how she ends up as a chess piece on the mafia chess board. The family dynamics of her father and brother are intense - the emotions start from page one and don't stop till the end. Every single male character in this read is intense in his own way, but especially Constantine.
Oh Constantine... if you want a man totally devoted to his woman, he's it. The chemistry between Carina and Constantine is dark, evocative, and even gory at times but you'll keep turning page after page.
The only critique for me was pulling all the pieces together at the end - it seemed to be a bit rushed or missing a small piece. It ultimately all still works but perhaps could be more satisfying.
That being said, I know this is standalone, but if Giancoala writes in this world again and we get to hang out with our MCs or some of the lovable side characters, count me in!
It's a strong start with our FMC, Carina, and how she ends up as a chess piece on the mafia chess board. The family dynamics of her father and brother are intense - the emotions start from page one and don't stop till the end. Every single male character in this read is intense in his own way, but especially Constantine.
Oh Constantine... if you want a man totally devoted to his woman, he's it. The chemistry between Carina and Constantine is dark, evocative, and even gory at times but you'll keep turning page after page.
The only critique for me was pulling all the pieces together at the end - it seemed to be a bit rushed or missing a small piece. It ultimately all still works but perhaps could be more satisfying.
That being said, I know this is standalone, but if Giancoala writes in this world again and we get to hang out with our MCs or some of the lovable side characters, count me in!
March 1, 2025
Rating: 4.5 rounded to 5 stars
First of all, I loved how the story was written! The pace was a bit slower and the internal monologues/thoughts played a very important role. It made this book different to other mafia romance that I had read before. Especially with the poetic and enticing way the thoughts were presented.
It made the story deeper and more focused on emotions and feelings of the main characters - mostly Carina, the FMC, and her internal fight of good-evil and death-rebirth.
I'd even go as far as saying that she is the focus of the story and Constantine, the MMC, is more of a side character. Sure, he is enigmatic and devilishly alluring, but we don't get to know him on emotional level more than the fact that he is a man obsessed and his obsession is Carina.
I wholeheartedly recommend this read, as a refreshing take on mafia romance with arrange marriage trope and a main character rediscovering herself.
Now my interest is peaked and I'll for sure check other books by this author!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
First of all, I loved how the story was written! The pace was a bit slower and the internal monologues/thoughts played a very important role. It made this book different to other mafia romance that I had read before. Especially with the poetic and enticing way the thoughts were presented.
It made the story deeper and more focused on emotions and feelings of the main characters - mostly Carina, the FMC, and her internal fight of good-evil and death-rebirth.
I'd even go as far as saying that she is the focus of the story and Constantine, the MMC, is more of a side character. Sure, he is enigmatic and devilishly alluring, but we don't get to know him on emotional level more than the fact that he is a man obsessed and his obsession is Carina.
I wholeheartedly recommend this read, as a refreshing take on mafia romance with arrange marriage trope and a main character rediscovering herself.
Now my interest is peaked and I'll for sure check other books by this author!
I voluntarily read and reviewed an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.
March 5, 2025
ARC Review for A Beautiful Crime by Analee Giancoala
This is my first mafia romance of 2025, and I have to say that it was a good one to start with!
Constantine and Carina have a bit of a rocky start on her part, as she hates Constantine because she thinks he’s the one who derailed her life to where it’s at now. Much to her dismay, he’s ready to make her see truth at every turn in their journey.
They start off as an arranged marriage for her dad’s benefit, and Constantine is determined to make sure Carina sees her worth and becomes the queen she’s always been meant to be.
I loved the way he praised and loved her through her own doubt and helped her through discovering herself. All of my highlights are Constantine’s sweet affirmations and dirty thoughts.
And the spice in this, omg! Definitely did not expect the scene with the guys in the room 🥵🫣👀
So worth the read! Out March 7th
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 3/5
Tropes:
🖤 Age gap
❤️ One sided Enemies to lovers
🖤 Touch her and ☠️
❤️ Villain FMC Arc
🖤 Forced Proximity
❤️ Corruption k!nk
🖤 Slow Burn
This is my first mafia romance of 2025, and I have to say that it was a good one to start with!
Constantine and Carina have a bit of a rocky start on her part, as she hates Constantine because she thinks he’s the one who derailed her life to where it’s at now. Much to her dismay, he’s ready to make her see truth at every turn in their journey.
They start off as an arranged marriage for her dad’s benefit, and Constantine is determined to make sure Carina sees her worth and becomes the queen she’s always been meant to be.
I loved the way he praised and loved her through her own doubt and helped her through discovering herself. All of my highlights are Constantine’s sweet affirmations and dirty thoughts.
And the spice in this, omg! Definitely did not expect the scene with the guys in the room 🥵🫣👀
So worth the read! Out March 7th
⭐️ 4/5
🌶️ 3/5
Tropes:
🖤 Age gap
❤️ One sided Enemies to lovers
🖤 Touch her and ☠️
❤️ Villain FMC Arc
🖤 Forced Proximity
❤️ Corruption k!nk
🖤 Slow Burn
March 11, 2025
“I have nothing, I am nothing, if I don’t have you. this world doesn’t mean a damn thing to me without you in it, by my side."
"And what would be of this world if I was no longer in it?”
“I would burn it. Burn it all to the fucking ground.”
If you like mafia romance where the MMC worships the ground the FMC walks, A Beautiful Crime will take you on a wild ride. Constantine Donati relentlessly pursues Carina Fiore, the woman he believes is his queen. Carina would sooner light herself on fire than show him any kind of love. Unfortunately for her, Constantine takes that as a green light. What follows is a slow descent into madness, murder, and one hell of a villain arc—all in the name of love.
“Why Constantine, you’re making me feel like the
most powerful and loved woman in the world.”
“If I make you feel any less place a bullet in my head.”
The book strikes a perfect balance of spicy moments and emotional depth, with betrayal and twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Their relationship is like fire and ice in the beginning —she can't stand him, while he's completely obsessed with her. But as things heat up, the chemistry between them becomes impossible to ignore. I loved the side characters so much, Pietro is such a choas puppy and I love how Constantine and Carina call him their child and stoic and unfeeling Rico with his dry humor. If you love a mafia romance with an MMC who’d gladly die for his woman, an FMC who finally realizes being evil is more fun, a book with plot and spice then add this one to your tbr.
Thank you Analee Giancoala and Luna literary management for the ARC 💗
"And what would be of this world if I was no longer in it?”
“I would burn it. Burn it all to the fucking ground.”
If you like mafia romance where the MMC worships the ground the FMC walks, A Beautiful Crime will take you on a wild ride. Constantine Donati relentlessly pursues Carina Fiore, the woman he believes is his queen. Carina would sooner light herself on fire than show him any kind of love. Unfortunately for her, Constantine takes that as a green light. What follows is a slow descent into madness, murder, and one hell of a villain arc—all in the name of love.
“Why Constantine, you’re making me feel like the
most powerful and loved woman in the world.”
“If I make you feel any less place a bullet in my head.”
The book strikes a perfect balance of spicy moments and emotional depth, with betrayal and twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat. Their relationship is like fire and ice in the beginning —she can't stand him, while he's completely obsessed with her. But as things heat up, the chemistry between them becomes impossible to ignore. I loved the side characters so much, Pietro is such a choas puppy and I love how Constantine and Carina call him their child and stoic and unfeeling Rico with his dry humor. If you love a mafia romance with an MMC who’d gladly die for his woman, an FMC who finally realizes being evil is more fun, a book with plot and spice then add this one to your tbr.
Thank you Analee Giancoala and Luna literary management for the ARC 💗
March 15, 2025
“All those times I have spent under the rays of the sun desperately seeking its warmth and yet I’ve found it in a man who is the moon.”
The book starts off slow but oh so intriguing! This is my first step into the Italian Don world and I’m so glad I was able to do it with the Devil of the East Coast and the subject of his obsession.
The twists, the turns, the sex appeal.
It’s been a great book that I’ve been talking to my friends about and dissecting the use of the nicknames and the cleverness behind them. The east being synonymous of life and the west death brings a poetic meaning behind Constantine Donati’s nickname and his purpose in Carina’s tale.
Carina’s start was tragic and yet there was an unknowing strength inside her. A strength that would have her rising from the ashes and fuelling her final desires. To murder the man who tortured her, her entire life. That’s until she’s sold to Constantine as part of a business deal. Then she finds her true power and how she can utilise the title “Queen of the darkness”.
The book starts off slow but oh so intriguing! This is my first step into the Italian Don world and I’m so glad I was able to do it with the Devil of the East Coast and the subject of his obsession.
The twists, the turns, the sex appeal.
It’s been a great book that I’ve been talking to my friends about and dissecting the use of the nicknames and the cleverness behind them. The east being synonymous of life and the west death brings a poetic meaning behind Constantine Donati’s nickname and his purpose in Carina’s tale.
Carina’s start was tragic and yet there was an unknowing strength inside her. A strength that would have her rising from the ashes and fuelling her final desires. To murder the man who tortured her, her entire life. That’s until she’s sold to Constantine as part of a business deal. Then she finds her true power and how she can utilise the title “Queen of the darkness”.
March 20, 2025
“And what would be of this world if I was no longer in it?”
“I would burn it. Burn it all to the f*cking ground.”
This story is a prime example why I fell in love with Mafia romance. I will never ever tire if reading about an obsessive MMC that would burn the world for the one he loves. The fact that he wants to build that person up to be all that she can be and embrace her darkness as well as her light to become and absolute queen is just the cherry on top!
Carina lives under the wrath of her father and brother suffering metal, emotional and physical abuse. Systematically breaking her down to make her as compliant as possible.
Constantine, the Don, "The Devil", has wanted Carina for 10 years. He wants her for his queen and will stop at nothing to build her back to be everything he knows she can be.
I know not everybody is a fan of a slow burn, but the satisfaction of when that moment hits is what makes everything that has come before worth it. And the spice does not disappoint! 🌶️🔥
Personally I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment in this series.
“I would burn it. Burn it all to the f*cking ground.”
This story is a prime example why I fell in love with Mafia romance. I will never ever tire if reading about an obsessive MMC that would burn the world for the one he loves. The fact that he wants to build that person up to be all that she can be and embrace her darkness as well as her light to become and absolute queen is just the cherry on top!
Carina lives under the wrath of her father and brother suffering metal, emotional and physical abuse. Systematically breaking her down to make her as compliant as possible.
Constantine, the Don, "The Devil", has wanted Carina for 10 years. He wants her for his queen and will stop at nothing to build her back to be everything he knows she can be.
I know not everybody is a fan of a slow burn, but the satisfaction of when that moment hits is what makes everything that has come before worth it. And the spice does not disappoint! 🌶️🔥
Personally I absolutely cannot wait for the next installment in this series.
March 2, 2025
A mafia romance to add to your TBR lists!
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦.”
This was a fun book to read. Saying the MMC is obsessed is an understatement. He really does treat his girl like a Queen. Carina is fully on her revenge arc and is so fiery even while thinking she’s dead inside. They are such a fun couple.
This story is heavy on the character/relationship development but does have some action involved too. There are some darker scenes included too. Once you get to the spice, well its…🌶️🌶️
I loved the relationship between Constantine and Carina and I really loved Carinas development throughout. Pietro & Rico are also comedy gold. I love them so much.
I did think the book could be a bit shorter as there is a lot of repetitive moments and inner monologue. It gets a bit much after the first few times. But outside of that I really enjoyed this book.
I’m really grateful to have received an arc. It was a fun read and I can’t wait for the next book.
“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘸𝘪𝘭𝘭 𝘣𝘰𝘸 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘩𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘰 𝘯𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘦. 𝘐𝘯𝘤𝘭𝘶𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦.”
This was a fun book to read. Saying the MMC is obsessed is an understatement. He really does treat his girl like a Queen. Carina is fully on her revenge arc and is so fiery even while thinking she’s dead inside. They are such a fun couple.
This story is heavy on the character/relationship development but does have some action involved too. There are some darker scenes included too. Once you get to the spice, well its…🌶️🌶️
I loved the relationship between Constantine and Carina and I really loved Carinas development throughout. Pietro & Rico are also comedy gold. I love them so much.
I did think the book could be a bit shorter as there is a lot of repetitive moments and inner monologue. It gets a bit much after the first few times. But outside of that I really enjoyed this book.
I’m really grateful to have received an arc. It was a fun read and I can’t wait for the next book.
March 9, 2025
I devoured this book as quickly as I could.
It's my first read by this author, but she had me drawn in by page one.
Carina's backstory was truly heartbreaking. After her mother passed away, she faced constant abuse from her father and brother. Her mother tried to keep her safe from their dark world, but after her death, Carina was forced into it. She struggles with the concepts of good and evil, convinced that there’s no goodness left in her over the actions her father forced upon her. Carina is the epitome of boss bitch energy.
Constantine Donati is obsessive and possessive when it comes to Carina. He is referred to as "The Devil of the East Coast" feared by many, but when it comes to Carina treating her with such gentleness. He wants to empower her to be his queen, to embrace the darker parts of herself.
I wish I could've given this book more stars because I loved everything about it.
I can't recommend this book enough!!
It's my first read by this author, but she had me drawn in by page one.
Carina's backstory was truly heartbreaking. After her mother passed away, she faced constant abuse from her father and brother. Her mother tried to keep her safe from their dark world, but after her death, Carina was forced into it. She struggles with the concepts of good and evil, convinced that there’s no goodness left in her over the actions her father forced upon her. Carina is the epitome of boss bitch energy.
Constantine Donati is obsessive and possessive when it comes to Carina. He is referred to as "The Devil of the East Coast" feared by many, but when it comes to Carina treating her with such gentleness. He wants to empower her to be his queen, to embrace the darker parts of herself.
I wish I could've given this book more stars because I loved everything about it.
I can't recommend this book enough!!
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