Faultline

by Mia Michele

Lexi Masters is a librarian who gave up everything when her FBI agent father was murdered 10 years ago. Suspecting a key player in the New York City underworld of the crime, she leaves the life she knows behind in order to pursue the truth. When she comes face-to-face with Giovanni Masseretti, a BDSM-loving mafioso, she is burned awake from her numbness and must decide whether what she has found is worth the past she will be forced to lose.

Told in cascading, split-POV perspective, Faultline allows the listener to see inside the hearts and souls of both Lexi and Giovanni. It is a roller coaster of joy and sadness, hope and angst, forgiveness and renewal, and a novel that will keep listeners guessing the conclusion until the very end.

Audible Audio

Published January 6, 2022

About the author

Mia Michele is the pen name of a suburban housewife and stay-at-home mother. A Nashville native, her nonfiction work on yoga, religion, and alternative choices has been featured in the U.S. and Europe. An accomplished runner with several races under her belt including numerous 5Ks, a triathlon, a half-marathon, and 2 marathons, she trains other runners and coaches youth cross country.

In her spare time, she teaches yoga and enjoys nature walks with her children. She is a former librarian and lives in Southeastern Pennsylvania with her family.

https://www.instagram.com/miamichelea...
https://www.facebook.com/miamichelebooks
http://www.miamichele.com

Reviews

[Bex (Beckie Bookworm) · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a tad daunted initially going into this when I realised just how long this actually was, but to be fair I do prefer books on the lengthier side and this one was an absolute beast that’s for sure.
But though it was a vast undertaking it didn’t actually take me that long to read this as it really was such a page-turner with an incredibly addictive storyline at its centre.
It was also very well written that I can’t fault it on and I was definitely invested in the unfolding story.

I totally believed in the developing connection between Alessandra and Giovanni it was certainly intense and though they fell rather fast all the added angst, uncertainty and hidden agendas counteracted that.
I was also in love with all the included lyrical Italian here it just added to the whole ambience and overall appeal

So this one is mafia romance and It’s my first experience With this author.
It’s also unusually written myself I wasn’t too sold on getting Alessandra’s POV for the first third of the book and then rehashing the same ground all over again from Giovanni’s perspective, I would have much preferred if the two timelines had run together alternately rather than having them spaced apart.
It also did the same at the end and I think this may have been one of the reasons this book ended up being so lengthy.

The repeat time-lines did throw extra information into the mix so it wasn’t a complete do-over but I still think it would have worked better with a more traditional style of narration than going back and forth as it did.
Despite the above, as this is really more of a personal preference I still really did enjoy this one a lot and it easily kept my attention with its many twists and turns throughout.

So Alessandra Masters holds New-York Don Giovanni Masseretti responsible for the death of her father.
Her life has been stagnant and on hold, since he was taken from her ten years previous.
She even changed career directions and joined the FBI because of him but found herself confined to a desk job as it just wasn’t her.
Her true passion lies in old and rare books and her job as a librarian is where her heart is.

Alessandra now a civilian and a Librarian plans to bring the individual to justice she believes is accountable for her dad's death.
But she didn’t count on coming to the attention of Giovanni himself who from the moment he encounters her becomes obsessed with possessing Alessandra completely.

So this really was an intense one, extremely angsty and it deals with so many different emotional implications.
The road to future happiness is paved with hurt pain and plenty of betrayal on both sides.
There were even times here that I wondered if they would be able to overcome all of the heartache and obstacles especially on Alessandra’s part who is left somewhat broken by Giovanni’s ruthless actions.

Character-wise Giovanni is a force to be reckoned with, he plays hard and up until now it’s always been casual Alessandra changes all that for him, he knows he’s not good for her and tries initially to push her away but he just can’t help himself.
He’s a dominant ruthless and violent man who likes to control and will do and use whatever’s necessary to get his own way even Alessandra herself if it means him getting ahead, this overconfidence is nearly his undoing.
But underneath all this, there was at times slivers of something more from Giovanni glimpses of kindness and consideration and the way he interacts and cares about his family.
Giovanni really is a complete contradiction swinging from one extreme to the other.
During the course of this, he definitely evolves a lot and the consequences of the man he is versus the one he must become for Alessandra means he nearly loses what he holds most dear to him along the way.

Alessandra is totally out of her depth and swiftly realises she’s made a mistake but it’s too late she’s now on Giovanni’s radar.
She pushes his buttons and challenges him at every turn and gradually starts to fall under his spell.
The way he bulldozes her completely obliterating her fences and providing something she never knew she needed.
His control unexpectedly grounds her making her feel safe and alive and free and after years of feeling hollow and displaced and she likes it.
But with the secrets, she’s keeping she’s scared that revealing them to him will lose her everything.

But she’s not the only one keeping secrets and when this implodes the fallout from that was bloody epic.
This took me through such a rollercoaster of different emotions, It deals with imperfect people and shades of grey and runs through the whole spectrum of extremities when it came to human emotions.
The finish here was so incredibly poignant as Giovanni had to come to the realisation on his own that his end-game is now out of his hands and that it now actually Alessandra that hold's all of the cards and all he can do now Is wait and have patience.
This was a mammoth undertaking that gets a big thumbs up from me I enjoyed this one a whole lot.
I voluntary reviewed a copy of Faultline.



Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com

[C.P. Mandara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this dark mafia romance from Mia Michele told from dual points of view. It's an angsty, tortured romance - think Romeo and Juliet. The heroine is an ex-FBI agent and the hero is a Mafia Don. A match made in hell? Maybe. Both fight to escape its claws. Both characters know that despite the fierce attraction they feel, nothing good can come of this - but since when do we get to choose whom we love?

The verbal sparring is excellent and the sex is steamy hot. When Alessandra provokes the beast, Gio pushes back in style and sparks fly. I would have loved to have seen more of this pair in the bedroom - especially in Gio's playroom.

Lexi is fierce, independent and determined to speak her mind. She thinks Gio was the one who killed her father, and she's isn't afraid to ask him outright. Gio is proud, arrogant and determined. He will have the girl, whatever the cost, but will the price to be high?

[JLynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first book I read from Mia was “Vale.” That was a book completely outside of my comfort zone. I’m 100%, not a dystopian reader, and I “don’t do vampire books.” That book combined both of those into an intriguing story that I couldn’t put down.

When given the opportunity to read “Faultline,” I jumped at it because it was a book that was right up my alley as a reader: steamy story, dual perspective books, and mafia romance. There’s a lot of mafia romance on the market. Honestly, the dark/mafia romance genre is flooded with books, but it’s rare to find one that completely captivates me from the start.

I started out thinking Lexie would be too shy and timid to accomplish her goal of infiltrating the mafia family she believed had murdered her father, but that was blown out of the water almost right away. The story was off and going taking me in an unexpected direction. Instead of working as a waitress trying to overhear information, she was thrown into the arms of the boss. I expected Gio to be rough and rude, which at times he was because he needed to be in his line of work, but he was also sexy, kind, and loving. He became the bad boy that you want to hate, but you can’t help but love. Add to it that he has a wild and adventurous side in the bedroom and a sexy playroom, and I never wanted the story to end.

“Faultline” is told in three parts. The first from Lexie’s POV. The second from Gio’s. The last part is told in alternating POV. Reading the story from multiple POVs can feel overwhelming when you go into the book, especially considering how long the book is, but I can’t imagine it told any other way because each POV is integral to the story. Usually, I like my books to be quick and dirty. I have learned from reading Mia’s other books that this isn’t her style. She has a talent for long, detailed, captivating stories that read like a quicky. I quickly fell into the story and melted into the pages, not realizing how much time was passing while I ignored life’s distractions and enjoyed the story. “Faultline” is likely the best mafia romance I have ever read.

[Madalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Faultline is a story which follows Giovanni Masseretti and Alessandra Masters, a mafia man, and a librarian. Alessandra is an FBI agent who wants to find out what happened with her father’s dead. Giovanni is the one who is her target, so she planned to get to him. But was there an easy way to do so, let’s just say that nothing is as easy as it looks like.

Giovanni and Alessandra’s relationship started very fast, and it crashed as fast as it started. I would say that they are different people, who act on impulse, but Giovanni is a calculated man, so when secrets start to be uncovered, he needs to find a way to save the ones he loves.
They had a long way on discovering and accepting each other, their relationship was not based only on lust, even though I would say that this was how it started.

The story is told in third person, dual POV, so you get to know what’s on Alessandra mind, but also what’s on Gio’s. In same cases I found it quite slow, with a lot of details, and for me this kind of written made me lose my focus sometimes. For me it was a light mafia story, without dark elements, but it was an interesting read for sure. You’ll need to have some time to read it, since the story it’s quite long.

[Angela · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

I really enjoyed reading this book. I liked the alternating viewpoints and the storyline! I would love additional books with these characters.

[Ahisha McGregory · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you’re a fan of Netflix’s 365 you will love this story!!! It has everything I look for in a dark romance, nail biting drama, complicated love story, and pearl clutching erotica. I look forward to reading more from Mia Michele in the future.

[Camille (bookish.cami) · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first time I’ve ever read anything by this author.

This books is a mafia romance type with an enemy to lover type feel.
This book is wrote in two POV plus parts seem like a third person. This book has so much twists and turns and forced marriage. Some steamy sex stuff included I would of loved to see more of the second side to Gio in his playroom.
The plot was amazing definitely captured my attention. Some parts may seem repetitive but having the two POV’s but it was definitely cool to read.
The heroine Alessandra (Lexi) gotta love her she was so fierce and definitely spiked her mind! Gio made me grumpy a few times but that’s expected from a possessive man/alpha male type. Definitely don’t wanna give too much away but Faultline was something I enjoyed.

Thank you Mia for giving me the opportunity to read this!

[Mia Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please be advised that this book is told in cascading, split POV and is 3rd person. What that means is that the first half of the book is in one perspective, that then shifts to retell the story in the second person's perspective. The book then alternates for two chapters in real time, only to return to the cascade style. An excerpt is available at www.miamichele.com/p/faultline.html.

[C.S. Meyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes: Enemy to lovers, mafia boss alpha personality male lead, insta-love
RATING: 3.5 Stars


To really appropriately rate this book, I have to split this into two halves, which I will call the first half and the second half. The first is mostly Alessandra's POV, and the second is mostly Giovanni's POV. This story is told in a cascading, third-person, split point of view. It is really like two books in one, with the second half re-hashing the events of the book from Giovanni's POV, in order to give some deep in-depth background into the reasoning of his actions.

That being said, the true rating for the book is five stars for the first half, and two for the second half, averaging out at three and a half stars in total.

Now, when I say that the first half completely took me by surprise, it completely whisked me away. The first few pages were slow for me, but after that, it had me in suspense nearly the entire first half. The dialogue shared between Lexi and Gio had me at times in full-out laughter, and at other times on the edge of my seat. Their exchanges felt so genuine and authentic. It picked up the tempo and pacing towards a climax, and then abruptly shifted towards Giovanni's perspective for the second half of the book, which was about another 300 pages. The introduction of new information in their dialogue from Gio's perspective threw me off, and created some inconsistencies that were confusing, but didn't overall ruin the second half dialogue. Unfortunately, when I hit about page 500 I started skimming to try and quicken the pace, and around 640, I DNF. It was difficult because I became invested enough to spend hours and hours following Lexi and Gio's journey, but in the end, it just didn't feel like they would ever really come together or go apart, and after the emotional turmoil and fallout, I kind of didn't want them to end up together. I found myself rooting for Lexi to embrace her independence and evolve into who she could be apart from everyone - Gio, Sam, and the memory of her parents - everyone. But it became more and more of a story of Lexi's transitioning identity of obsessing over her murdered father and avenging him, to just obsessing over Gio and being willing to risk everything that she was and believed in for him. Granted, I DNF around page 640, where Lexi was starting to put her foot down and draw boundaries, so there is the likelihood that the ending massively improved this for her, and Lexi self-actualized into a strong and independent woman who fully embraced her sexuality AND embraced the man she loved in the process, and that's totally a main character I can get behind, but if that is the direction that the story took, the character arc simply took too long for me to stay invested in Lexi's journey.

All in all, I loved the first half so much that it was still worth reading even though I DNF. The plot twists were well executed, and the pacing of the first half is very well done. Mia Michele is a talented writer that I hope to see more from in the future. I would recommend Faultline to readers who are looking for a Mafia romance with authentic dialogue and an interesting plot! It is hands down one of the best mafia romances that I have read recently.

My deepest thanks to Mia Michele for providing me an eARC.

| Blog|Instagram | Twitter | Facebook |

[Kylie Malesic · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read the book description for Faultline, I was instantly intrigued. I had never read a Mafia Romance before, but who doesn’t want to read about hot Italian men, a thrilling backstory, and a roller coaster love story that promises joy and sadness, hope and angst, and forgiveness and renewal?! Clearly, I said sign me up! ✅🙌🏻
ꨄ
It wasn’t until I actually opened the book that I realized just how massive this book is! It is quite a daunting book in size. This is due to the split POV perspectives. Not only do you get to dive into the mind of ex FBI, librarian Lexi, but you also get to see how “The Wolf”, Giovanni Masseretti ticks too! The story begins in Lexi’s point of view, and switches to Gio’s point of view about 1/3 of the way through the book. When it switches back to Gio, we get to relive the story all over again. Once we catch up, this same thing happens again. This is why the book is as long as it is. I personally favored Giovanni’s perspective as opposed to Lexi’s. I enjoyed knowing his secrets, and what was truly going on behind the scenes, or as Gio would say, “who was running the game.” ♟
ꨄ
I definitely enjoyed reading this book. It was exciting, thrilling, has twists and turns, the love story was romantic, the love scenes were steamy... it checks all my boxes! ✅ As much as I love duel POV, I wish the POVs were happening simultaneously, rather than independently. Even though we learned new information, it almost made the book drag at times. Mia Michele’s writing truly sucks you in, making those pages turn, so I hated that this made me feel this way at times.
ꨄ
If you are a fan of BDSM romances, bad boys, Italian writing, cat/mouse chase, and a shocking twists and turns... this book is for you! 🙌🏻
ꨄ

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I’ve never read anything by this author before. I love this genre and I love this troupe. The plot and story line were amazing! Literally AMAZING!!! There is a forced marriage with a twist in it that I loved and didn’t see coming.

This book should’ve been a hands down, 5 star read. The way it was written, ruined the book.
The reason why it lost 2 stars, was how it was written in third person and so much back and forth. The book is done in multiple sections and I do mean MULTIPLE sections. In section one, it’s written more through the eyes of the h but again, it’s written in 3rd person. The next section starts all over from the beginning in the H perspective, but again, it’s 3rd POV. Third section starts where we left off back from section 1, in h perspective but written in 3rd person POV. The fourth section starts where it was left off in section 2. And it continues to go back and forth like that until the end. This way of writing made the book extremely long and very, very repetitive. It’s a huge no-no and took me days to finish. I almost dnf, but I’m no quitter and stuck it out.
The epilogue needs a little work, but that didn’t lose any stars from me.

[MyDogAteMyBookReview · Rating 4 out of 5]

I typically hate 3rd person POV, especially alternating POV’s I would’ve preferred alternating chapters - but I didn’t mind this one so much because I got caught up in the rollercoaster ride.

I love mafia trope but I HATE virgin trope, if you follow my bookstagram, you are aware of this .... I was so happy when Mia told me she had one for me that with no virgin heroine!

This book is dark but not brutally dark. Gio & Lexi may burn hot quickly but the journey they take to actually being together is angst filled and maddening at times.

Gio is an alpha hole who craves control but Lexi is no wilting twit, she needles him on purpose and he rises to the occasion.

Gio’s character development is gradual and believable, he doesn’t grow over night or after one convo. He’s not blind to his faults, he’d just rather burn it all to the ground himself than lose it or control. I did enjoy his moments with his family.

Lexi enjoys the way Gio can play her body like a fiddle and he does bulldoze his way through her walls but she slowly made her way under his skin too. It wasn’t with a virgin vag, sweet smile or hugging him when he’s an asshole either.

[Kat Shukaitis · Rating 5 out of 5]

A 365 vibe, crafted into an eloquently suspenseful narrative

This was the second book I have read by this author and it did not disappoint. The cascading dual POV was unique to me and the story couldn’t have been written any other way. Just when I would think I had the plot figured out, the author veered everything I thought I knew off course. And I loved every second of the ride. The word play was beautiful and the relationship between Lexi and Gio was heart-wrenching. You could feel the emotion through the pages. I recommend this book for anyone who wants more than just another romance novel that you will easily forget and move on. It’s for someone who knows (or wants to know) that a connection between two people can be messy and straightforward, comforting and chaotic, uplifting and soul-shattering. It can make perfect sense while seeming entirely unreasonable. And that’s the beauty of it.

[Sara Stewart · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mia Michele is brilliant in how she layers in the POV of both main characters in this story. I loved learning more about each one from their perspectives as they both experienced moments differently. The craft of the intricate and complicated story with the visual imagery of her words and knowledge of the languages spoken, culture, history and folklore made the story believable and the characters come to life. Layer in her knowledge of what makes for a BDSM relationship, how kink is a part of a Sub or Dom in a way that is sometimes impossible to explain and I'm hooked. And... I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how hot the sex scenes are!

We all have those books we return to every so often because they are our favorites, because the re-read is like visiting an old friend. Mia's Faultline has easily become one of my favorites and will certainly reappear in my life. Thank you, Mia for a spectacular story and journey.

[Lyn Failes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you so much to the author for sending me an advanced copy for an honest review!
This book had everything I love. Drama, intensity, a Mafia boss, an undercover ex FBI agent looking for revenge!!! I won’t spoil the story by going on about it but you need to read this book!! It’s a long story told in split points of view which adds to the interest of the storyline. One minute i was rooting for one person, then the next I was siding with the other!!! A rollercoaster or emotional drama.
Loved it. Intense, dramatic and dark with a love story thrown in for good measure!! What else does a book need?

[All About The Books By Clara · Rating 3 out of 5]

*** Review ***

Faultline by Mia Michele

⭐️⭐️⭐️

3.5 Different format but worth the read.

This is a long book and gives us the 2 main characters Lexi and Giovanni's view points but not chapter by chapter like most which think is what i found the strangest thing in the book. However once I got use to idea I did enjoy it.

Otherwise it was a more typical Mafia Boss and Undercover librarian if ever there was such a thing.

I enjoyed the characters including those of Giovanni's siblings so I am hoping I can see more from them in the authors future releases. This will definitely recommend by me for the Mafia romance readers out there.

[Dahlia Reign · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mias writing style is amazing and catches your attention right away. I love strong female leads that can hold their own, but also know when they’ve met their match. I thought I would struggle through this because at a certain point it switches to the male POV and replays the first part of the book. I’m the type of reader that wants my answers and now. Buttttt once Gio started with his insight and feelings, I was sold. This is a wild ride and I am begging the author to write this as a series because I need the family to continue.

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I needed a romance palette cleanser and since mafia romances have been getting a lot of talk lately, I finally picked this book up from my TBR shelf.

I loved it. I didn’t think I would like the dual POVs but honestly the story was so good, reliving it with each character was really exciting.

On more than one occasion I stayed up really late to read about Lexi and Gio. I guess I really like mafia romances after all.

4.5 stars!

[Gladys Cross · Rating 4 out of 5]

mafia romance

The interesting thing about this book is the POV changes. It’s not that back and forth we’re used to but rather whole sections of the book. The changes in locale were also interesting. The hero and heroine were opposite yet complimentary.

It is a long read and some repeating because of POV placement but very interesting story and worth a little bit of overlap.

[Kelly Eckert · Rating 5 out of 5]

ANOTHER fantastic novel by Mia Michele!! Her character development and scene descriptions are the absolute best. I especially love getting to know the characters and seeing my opinions of them change over time as more and more facets of them are revealed! NEVER stop writing, Mia Michele!!!!!

[Nicole NYC · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this. It’s not often that I find a mafia novel I haven’t read that keeps my interest. I’m surprised this book isn’t more mainstream. Hopefully, the word get out and more reader can enjoy this novel.

[Moana Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was absolutely nothing like I expected it to be! Not as much bdsm as I would’ve liked and it did feel a little bit like I read the same story twice with the viewpoint switching halfway and starting at the beginning but I still really loved the characters 💜

[rēgan wildcard cowger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Yes, looks can be deceiving, as the book’s cover notes. This *looked* like it was going to be a good book. But I was deceived. It was about twice as long as it needed to be with a mostly flatlined plot. I guess I’m proud of myself for finishing it (???) but I could’ve done without.

[Frankie Page · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a good read

I absolutely loved Gavin and Alessandro. Their dynamic and the constant push and pull made this a captivating read. This book is one heck of a Rollercoaster but the ride is truly worth it.

[Addicted.2.reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed reading faultline. Lots of twists with a HEA.
The first part is Lexi's side of the story and the second part goes back to the begin for Giovanni's side. Wasn't sure at first with Giovannis story starting from the begin halfway through it worked really well. It keeps you guessing!

[Peaceful · Rating 1 out of 5]

I was asked by Mia to read Faultline via Kindle unlimited.
Be advised this book is written in a cascading dual pov. Which is something I have never really read before in one book. Also this book is big and long which is my normal for romance. I am all for more meat but you don't see it often in this genre.

With all that said, Faultline was intriguing. Especially once you got to see the same timeline in Gio's eyes. The twist and turns keep you on your toes and turning the next page to see what happens next.