Cara: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Alicia Marino

Following a heartbreaking sacrifice and a painful goodbye, Sophie is finally free to carve her own path and seek the life she has dreamt of since birth. After months in harrowing captivity, the world she once knew is unrecognizable. Her husband is gone. Friends and family, everything she cherished, have vanished. The cost of her freedom is far greater than she ever anticipated.

Facing the demons of her past while striving to discover her true self has proven to be a struggle. This changes when her past unexpectedly shows up on her doorstep, forcing her to confront the truth that lies within.

That, without love, freedom is meaningless.

This is the second and final installment of the two-part Cosa Nostra series. This dark romance contains triggers, violence, and mature themes that may make some readers uncomfortable.

434 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 12, 2025

About the author

Alicia Marino, whose life is consumed by BTS, fantasy romance, and Walt Disney World, strives to find a bit of magic in everything. She credits Jane Austen with igniting her desire to seek evidence of that forever type of love. As a classic introvert living in Florida, she cherishes those overcast days when she can dive into a book and fall in love.

Reviews

[Luz Dukes · Rating 5 out of 5]

she’s back!!

I read this as an original work on Wattpad so many years ago. I was hooked instantly to Alicia’s style of writing! I would impatiently (patiently) wait for the updates! Cara is the sequel to Xavier! Definitely read that before this. To reread this and to be transported back all those years-perfect! This Cara is the best of the original and new pieces to fall in love with! Alicia, I’m so proud of you and how far you’ve come, friend!

[amy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Xavier is my favorite book I have ever read. Soooo glad cara is out to read and put an end to their story love the writing style had me hooked from the first page, i couldnt put it down, best books ever

[Mariam · Rating 5 out of 5]

love

I love it. Very action packed romantic, passionate. I love the changes Alicia made in this duet. I am waiting to read more❤️✨

[Your · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very disappointed. Waited years for this??
Issues: The permanent OW drama in the form of Rosa. So Xavier claimed to have always longed for Sophie but had a steady lover (Rosa) for years and only ended it ONE MONTH before his wedding to Sophie🤮. Yeah right. What a world you live in Alicia.
And for Sophie, after suffering endlessly, she had the miscarriage and all alone for years! Then Xavier found out he's got a kid with ROSA and played house with her even while ROSA is married ( you can see the longing in her eyes for Xavier).
Author why dont you just kill Sophie/Cara and make ROSA the female lead?
What a piece of shit this book has become.
No wonder this story has not really gained traction at all.

Your alter ego is Rosa and you found a way to make her appear in this story again and again. What a shame ROSA didnt experience the months of torture and rape Sophie did. Your alter ego ROSA should have died in book one instead of dragging her to book 2. Pathetic.

[Jeanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

Turbulence of emotions, a systematic chaos

I was on my toes throughout this series. There’s the essence of predictability, knowing that nothing is all rainbows and butterflies in the mafia world, yet the scenes still catch you off guard. I’ve read my fair share of dark romance, and this book encapsulates it, especially the emotional depth of Xavier and Sophie’s characters.

I’m so happy about this series. I first encountered the books on Wattpad. It’s so refreshing to read the structure of how they are written now. It was worth the wait!

[bookgirlbrandi · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVED the first book of this series and I love being able to see Sophie grow in this book. However, I think the writing was more drawn out in this one. Xavier is amazing as always but I did love seeing Sophie be a badass. I will say certain parts of this book were more far fetched and I’m not sure how necessary it was to have some of the third act happen. Overall still a beautiful, emotional, dark Mafia romance that I will recommend.

[Patricia Reynolds · Rating 5 out of 5]

I waited for this book for what seemed like forever. It did not disappoint. I enjoyed every second of it.
This is a voluntary review.