What do you think?
Rate this book
Bellandi Crime Syndicate #2
Forgivable Sins
Samara
I burn for him, but Lino will never be mine. Faced with the reality that I could never have the man I loved, I made the wrong choice and settled for the worst kind of man. When his gambling problem puts me at risk, Lino steps in to protect me.
There’s just one problem.
Lino has a darkness inside him. One that could unravel everything he’s built and drag him down to the pits of Hell. I won’t risk him in that way, especially not when everything I thought I knew about us changes.
Lino
I’ve loved Samara since I was a boy, since the very moment when I first heard her sing. But my father’s cruelty knows no bounds, and I made the biggest sacrifice of my life to protect my Little Dove.
Everything changes when her ex-husband shatters the safety I worked so desperately to build for her. Suddenly the safest place for her is right in my arms where she always belonged.
And I won’t stop until she’s my wife.
Forgivable Sins is a full-length standalone novel with an HEA, but the series presents a better reading experience when following the suggested reading order.
This series contains dark elements, including an over-the-top antihero who does as he pleases. Please read at your own discretion.
I burn for him, but Lino will never be mine. Faced with the reality that I could never have the man I loved, I made the wrong choice and settled for the worst kind of man. When his gambling problem puts me at risk, Lino steps in to protect me.
There’s just one problem.
Lino has a darkness inside him. One that could unravel everything he’s built and drag him down to the pits of Hell. I won’t risk him in that way, especially not when everything I thought I knew about us changes.
Lino
I’ve loved Samara since I was a boy, since the very moment when I first heard her sing. But my father’s cruelty knows no bounds, and I made the biggest sacrifice of my life to protect my Little Dove.
Everything changes when her ex-husband shatters the safety I worked so desperately to build for her. Suddenly the safest place for her is right in my arms where she always belonged.
And I won’t stop until she’s my wife.
Forgivable Sins is a full-length standalone novel with an HEA, but the series presents a better reading experience when following the suggested reading order.
This series contains dark elements, including an over-the-top antihero who does as he pleases. Please read at your own discretion.
432 pages, Kindle Edition
First published April 24, 2020
894 people are currently reading
4053 people want to read
About the author
Adelaide Forrest
29 books3,132 followersAdelaide fell in love with books at a young age and quickly discovered her love for writing soon after. Since then, she’s become a self-professed plot hoarder of over 300 book concepts.
After receiving her degree in Psychology, Adelaide went on to work in a therapeutic riding facility. When her daughter was born, Adelaide traded out her boots to be a stay-at-home mom. In 2019, she added author to those job duties after a lifetime of dreaming about it.
She lives in New York with her husband, two children, and their dog and cat who all make up the center of her world.
For updates, please visit www.adelaideforrest.com or follow her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdelaideForr...
or instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adelaidefor...
After receiving her degree in Psychology, Adelaide went on to work in a therapeutic riding facility. When her daughter was born, Adelaide traded out her boots to be a stay-at-home mom. In 2019, she added author to those job duties after a lifetime of dreaming about it.
She lives in New York with her husband, two children, and their dog and cat who all make up the center of her world.
For updates, please visit www.adelaideforrest.com or follow her on facebook: https://www.facebook.com/AdelaideForr...
or instagram: https://www.instagram.com/adelaidefor...
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews
February 22, 2021
Spoilers ahead, 2.5*
Book 2 in this series and it seems the author decided it was so nice she had to do it twice as this was almost a replica of book 1. Here we go.....
H/h were childhood friends as she was the daughter of their maid I think she was. They grew up really close and he wanted to marry her but his dad threatened her so he started dating others. She realized his promised marriage wasn't happening so she starts dating too. She eventually marries and even though her husband is a jerk she sticks it out, he devolves to violence and she eventually seeks a divorce. She didn't tell her badass brother or best friend that her husband was an abusive piece of shit though. Eventually she's attacked again and her neighbor calls the H who then proceeds to move her into his home, help her get her divorce processed and marries her to protect her. Lots of unnecessary pages and bad sex later we finally get the climax as her ex resurfaces and gets what he deserved.
The h was a martyr
This book was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too long
The sexy times sucked
The h was annoying and pulled a TSTL move at the end
The H was actually pretty ok especially after control freak Matteo in book 1, but I couldn't forgive him sleeping with so many other women and not fighting for the h. Thankfully from the moment he heard she was getting a divorce he was celibate and he turned out to.be a pretty ok heroh
I didn't like the h
This didn't work for me and given this was the second fail in this series I'm quitting while I'm ahead.
No cheating
Friends to lovers
Both with others over the years
H was devoted after he heard h was getting a divorce and never strayed
Book 2 in this series and it seems the author decided it was so nice she had to do it twice as this was almost a replica of book 1. Here we go.....
H/h were childhood friends as she was the daughter of their maid I think she was. They grew up really close and he wanted to marry her but his dad threatened her so he started dating others. She realized his promised marriage wasn't happening so she starts dating too. She eventually marries and even though her husband is a jerk she sticks it out, he devolves to violence and she eventually seeks a divorce. She didn't tell her badass brother or best friend that her husband was an abusive piece of shit though. Eventually she's attacked again and her neighbor calls the H who then proceeds to move her into his home, help her get her divorce processed and marries her to protect her. Lots of unnecessary pages and bad sex later we finally get the climax as her ex resurfaces and gets what he deserved.
The h was a martyr
This book was wayyyyyyyyyyyyy too long
The sexy times sucked
The h was annoying and pulled a TSTL move at the end
The H was actually pretty ok especially after control freak Matteo in book 1, but I couldn't forgive him sleeping with so many other women and not fighting for the h. Thankfully from the moment he heard she was getting a divorce he was celibate and he turned out to.be a pretty ok heroh
I didn't like the h
This didn't work for me and given this was the second fail in this series I'm quitting while I'm ahead.
No cheating
Friends to lovers
Both with others over the years
H was devoted after he heard h was getting a divorce and never strayed
October 30, 2021
❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥❤️🔥
💋💋💋
If you like dominant Mafia Alpha males you’ll love this series, if you don’t then stay away.
I happen to adore them, total fiction I know, but it’s a mile away from real life and that suits me fine.
Great characters with chemistry that’s off the charts, tension and intrigue together with some quite strong violent scenes, you have been warned.
I loved it .
💋💋💋
If you like dominant Mafia Alpha males you’ll love this series, if you don’t then stay away.
I happen to adore them, total fiction I know, but it’s a mile away from real life and that suits me fine.
Great characters with chemistry that’s off the charts, tension and intrigue together with some quite strong violent scenes, you have been warned.
I loved it .
July 14, 2021
I was not expecting how heartwarming this one was. This is a friends to lovers mafia romance.
These had 2 pining leads and lots of history. But it also had a great friendship and a beautiful relationship. Our heroine has been through the ringer but she is finally going to get an HEA. She just doesn't know it yet. It had a hero getting revenge for his friend/woman. It was so amazing.
This is a bad explanation, but I love it so much.
TW: for domestic abuse and talk of a previous rape.
5/5 stars
These had 2 pining leads and lots of history. But it also had a great friendship and a beautiful relationship. Our heroine has been through the ringer but she is finally going to get an HEA. She just doesn't know it yet. It had a hero getting revenge for his friend/woman. It was so amazing.
This is a bad explanation, but I love it so much.
TW: for domestic abuse and talk of a previous rape.
5/5 stars
January 20, 2022
I give up and DNF at 25%.
I started reading this one to give a second chance after the first one to see if things got better. But it's too much of one of my pet peeves...angst just for angst's sake.
This is how that goes: "Well we would never work out for some reason, so even though I love you and you love me and we both want to be together more than anything. You can't possibly really want to try to be with me and I can't lose our friendship so I will push you away and try to keep you at arms length no matter what you say."
That was just for you, L!
I started reading this one to give a second chance after the first one to see if things got better. But it's too much of one of my pet peeves...angst just for angst's sake.
This is how that goes: "Well we would never work out for some reason, so even though I love you and you love me and we both want to be together more than anything. You can't possibly really want to try to be with me and I can't lose our friendship so I will push you away and try to keep you at arms length no matter what you say."
That was just for you, L!
March 30, 2023
DNF 44%
I like my heroines strong not weak
I like my heroes strong enough to admit and show their love
Also the whole “I’ve been in love with you but fucking anything that walks the whole time” trope is bullshit. The end.
I like my heroines strong not weak
I like my heroes strong enough to admit and show their love
Also the whole “I’ve been in love with you but fucking anything that walks the whole time” trope is bullshit. The end.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 4, 2024
This mafia romance revolves around Samara 🕊️ and Lino 🐎, who have been best friends since childhood. Their bond is deep and they have a lot of love for each other - more than the friendly kind of love 💘. They were forced to not be romantically involved (safety reasons and such), and therefore Samara ended up marrying another man. After he turns out to be a giant ass (extremely abusive), she leaves him, and Lino helps her move on 😏😏
It was very emotional! I may or may not have cried a bit.. a few times.. maybe 🙈
This story was so different from Matteo and Ivory’s in book one. This was way sweeter! And more fun and cute! - still with a touch of danger and some forceful decision making of course 😅
Lino is dominating but also caring, loving, supportive and kind 🥰 as the secrets unravel, he “patiently waits” for her.. he truly cherishes her and treats her as his whole world 🥹
I might like this one better than the first one 🤔 it’s somewhere between 4 and 5 ⭐️’s
It was very emotional! I may or may not have cried a bit.. a few times.. maybe 🙈
This story was so different from Matteo and Ivory’s in book one. This was way sweeter! And more fun and cute! - still with a touch of danger and some forceful decision making of course 😅
Lino is dominating but also caring, loving, supportive and kind 🥰 as the secrets unravel, he “patiently waits” for her.. he truly cherishes her and treats her as his whole world 🥹
I might like this one better than the first one 🤔 it’s somewhere between 4 and 5 ⭐️’s
July 18, 2022
"Forgivable Sins" is the story of Samara and Lino.
Hero and heroine have been best friends since childhood. There is also love, but circumstances drive them apart. She marries, ending up in an extremely abusive relationship- until she escapes. The hero is unaware of her circumstances, until he realizes the truth, and the dam inside him opens. Deciding to finally claim the woman who owns his soul, no will cross all limits to gain her trust and love, and make her his.
He was so gentle and tender with her, something she needed while recovering from that ordeal. Really enjoyed this.
Unsafe
2.5/5
Hero and heroine have been best friends since childhood. There is also love, but circumstances drive them apart. She marries, ending up in an extremely abusive relationship- until she escapes. The hero is unaware of her circumstances, until he realizes the truth, and the dam inside him opens. Deciding to finally claim the woman who owns his soul, no will cross all limits to gain her trust and love, and make her his.
He was so gentle and tender with her, something she needed while recovering from that ordeal. Really enjoyed this.
Unsafe
2.5/5
January 15, 2024
ꜰᴏʀɢɪᴠᴀʙʟᴇ ꜱɪɴꜱ
🎧 ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴠɪᴀ ᴀᴜᴅɪʙʟᴇ
⏳12ʜ 4ᴍ
🎙️ ᴍᴇɢʜᴀɴ ᴋᴇʟʟʏ & ᴘᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴋ ᴢᴇʟʟᴇʀ
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
❤️🩹𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙼𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚊 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
❤️🩹𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
❤️🩹𝙼𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐
❤️🩹𝚂𝚕𝚘𝚠-𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚗
💓ᴘᴇᴛɴᴀᴍᴇ: ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴅᴏᴠᴇ, ᴠɪᴛᴀ ᴍɪᴀ (ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ)
𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘰’𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬, 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 “𝘏𝘐𝘔”….
Samara is such a survivor, after what she went through with her abusive husband, she still manages to come out stronger. She’s killing it at her job and her hobby, and she’s not afraid of standing up to Gabriel (Lino’s jackass father). Angelino Bellandi is my dream mafia man, OMG, can you be any more perfect? Not that often do we get a man who is dangerous and insane as a mafia, but he’s also a softie for her, I haven’t seen any mafia portrayed as a best friend like this. He massages her feet and babies her through her period for godsake! And he was so patient, he understood the abuse that she went through and he never forced her to do anything she wasn’t ready for. He’s just the perfect mafia man for me
"𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙙"
Friends to lovers is always my least favorite trope, they annoy me because I feel like the reason they think they cannot be together is so dumb, and sometimes they drag for years! This one has a very legit reason, and even when they drag for freaking 20 years, at least there were no flashbacks, so I don’t have to suffer the angst. It is still a slow burn, but it was so worth it, Lino and Samara are just on fire together even when there’s no sexy time, their friendship is so sweet. And once they get it on, bamm, like a couple of rabbits I tell ya, gotta love it. This one is my favorite book by this author so far, it’s still dark and the hero is still an alphahole, but he’s also a cinnamon roll and he didn’t do anything unforgivable to the heroine.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚"
Audio Review:
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘣, 𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴🥵
ᗯᕼᗩT YOᑌ GET Iᑎ TᕼIᔕ ᗷOOK:
✅𝙱𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝙼𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝙿𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙴𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝙾𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛
✅𝙼𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚗 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙵𝚎𝚎𝚝 & 𝙱𝚊𝚋𝚢 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚍
✅𝙱𝚊𝚍 𝙰𝚜𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝙰𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚎
✅𝙽𝚘 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙰𝚌𝚝 𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚞𝚙
⚠️ᴛᴡ/ᴋɪɴᴋꜱ⚠️
- ᴍᴀʀɪᴛᴀʟ ᴀʙᴜꜱᴇ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ ʀ*ᴘᴇ
- ᴀɴ*ʟ
🎧 ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴɪɴɢ ᴠɪᴀ ᴀᴜᴅɪʙʟᴇ
⏳12ʜ 4ᴍ
🎙️ ᴍᴇɢʜᴀɴ ᴋᴇʟʟʏ & ᴘᴀᴛʀɪᴄᴋ ᴢᴇʟʟᴇʀ
ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
ꜱᴘɪᴄᴇ: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
❤️🩹𝙳𝚊𝚛𝚔 𝙼𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚊 𝚁𝚘𝚖𝚊𝚗𝚌𝚎
❤️🩹𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝙻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜
❤️🩹𝙼𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕 𝙿𝚒𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐
❤️🩹𝚂𝚕𝚘𝚠-𝙱𝚞𝚛𝚗
💓ᴘᴇᴛɴᴀᴍᴇ: ʟɪᴛᴛʟᴇ ᴅᴏᴠᴇ, ᴠɪᴛᴀ ᴍɪᴀ (ᴍʏ ʟɪꜰᴇ)
𝘚𝘢𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘢 𝘩𝘢𝘴 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘈𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘉𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘪 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘢𝘴 𝘭𝘰𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘴 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘢𝘯 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘦𝘭𝘥 𝘰𝘯 𝘵𝘰 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘰’𝘴 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘴𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘥𝘢𝘺 𝘯𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘦𝘺 𝘫𝘶𝘴𝘵 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘢𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘯𝘥𝘴. 𝘚𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘦 𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘺 𝘢 𝘮𝘢𝘯 𝘸𝘩𝘰𝘮 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘥, 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘶𝘴𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦. 𝘞𝘩𝘦𝘯 𝘩𝘦𝘳 𝘭𝘪𝘧𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘴 𝘢𝘵 𝘳𝘪𝘴𝘬, 𝘓𝘪𝘯𝘰 𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘱𝘴 𝘶𝘱 𝘵𝘰 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵 𝘩𝘦𝘳, 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘳𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘵𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯, 𝘴𝘩𝘦 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘴 “𝘏𝘐𝘔”….
Samara is such a survivor, after what she went through with her abusive husband, she still manages to come out stronger. She’s killing it at her job and her hobby, and she’s not afraid of standing up to Gabriel (Lino’s jackass father). Angelino Bellandi is my dream mafia man, OMG, can you be any more perfect? Not that often do we get a man who is dangerous and insane as a mafia, but he’s also a softie for her, I haven’t seen any mafia portrayed as a best friend like this. He massages her feet and babies her through her period for godsake! And he was so patient, he understood the abuse that she went through and he never forced her to do anything she wasn’t ready for. He’s just the perfect mafia man for me
"𝙄 𝙘𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙣 𝙧𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧 𝙖 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚 𝙬𝙝𝙚𝙣 𝙄 𝙝𝙖𝙙𝙣’𝙩 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙇𝙞𝙣𝙤 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙖𝙗𝙮 𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝 𝙢𝙮 𝙥𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙤𝙙"
Friends to lovers is always my least favorite trope, they annoy me because I feel like the reason they think they cannot be together is so dumb, and sometimes they drag for years! This one has a very legit reason, and even when they drag for freaking 20 years, at least there were no flashbacks, so I don’t have to suffer the angst. It is still a slow burn, but it was so worth it, Lino and Samara are just on fire together even when there’s no sexy time, their friendship is so sweet. And once they get it on, bamm, like a couple of rabbits I tell ya, gotta love it. This one is my favorite book by this author so far, it’s still dark and the hero is still an alphahole, but he’s also a cinnamon roll and he didn’t do anything unforgivable to the heroine.
"𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙝𝙖𝙫𝙚 𝙛𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙚𝙙 𝙢𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙩𝙤 𝙙𝙤 𝙬𝙞𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙛𝙖𝙘𝙩 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙄 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙖 𝙝𝙖𝙧𝙙𝙚𝙣𝙚𝙙 𝙠𝙞𝙡𝙡𝙚𝙧 𝙪𝙣𝙙𝙚𝙧 𝙖𝙡𝙡 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙩𝙞𝙢𝙚𝙨 𝙨𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙢𝙚 𝙨𝙢𝙞𝙡𝙚. 𝙄𝙩 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙗𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙄 𝙬𝙤𝙪𝙡𝙙 𝙣𝙚𝙫𝙚𝙧 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙝𝙚𝙧 𝙜𝙤. 𝙎𝙝𝙚 𝙬𝙖𝙨 𝙢𝙞𝙣𝙚"
Audio Review:
𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘧𝘦𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳'𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢 𝘣𝘪𝘵 𝘧𝘭𝘢𝘵 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘳𝘵𝘴 𝘣𝘶𝘵 𝘸𝘢𝘴 𝘢𝘤𝘤𝘦𝘱𝘵𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦. 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘮𝘢𝘭𝘦 𝘯𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘰𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘢 𝘨𝘰𝘰𝘥 𝘫𝘰𝘣, 𝘩𝘦 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯 𝘮𝘢𝘥𝘦 𝘮𝘦 𝘣𝘭𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘢𝘵 𝘴𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘺 𝘴𝘤𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘴🥵
ᗯᕼᗩT YOᑌ GET Iᑎ TᕼIᔕ ᗷOOK:
✅𝙱𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝙵𝚛𝚒𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚜 𝚂𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝙲𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚍𝚑𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝙼𝚞𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝙿𝚒𝚗𝚎𝚜 𝙵𝚘𝚛 𝙴𝚊𝚌𝚑 𝙾𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛
✅𝙼𝚊𝚏𝚒𝚊 𝙼𝚊𝚗 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝙼𝚊𝚜𝚜𝚊𝚐𝚎 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙵𝚎𝚎𝚝 & 𝙱𝚊𝚋𝚢 𝚈𝚘𝚞 𝚃𝚑𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑 𝚈𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝙿𝚎𝚛𝚒𝚘𝚍
✅𝙱𝚊𝚍 𝙰𝚜𝚜 𝙷𝚎𝚛𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚎 𝚆𝚑𝚘 𝚂𝚞𝚛𝚟𝚒𝚟𝚎𝚍 𝙷𝚎𝚛 𝙰𝚋𝚞𝚜𝚒𝚟𝚎 𝙼𝚊𝚛𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚐𝚎
✅𝙽𝚘 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚍 𝙰𝚌𝚝 𝙱𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔𝚞𝚙
⚠️ᴛᴡ/ᴋɪɴᴋꜱ⚠️
- ᴍᴀʀɪᴛᴀʟ ᴀʙᴜꜱᴇ ɪɴᴄʟᴜᴅɪɴɢ ʀ*ᴘᴇ
- ᴀɴ*ʟ
May 2, 2021
3.5*
i remember not liking the first book
but this one was quite enjoyable
their relationship was 🥰🥺
even tho they were dancing around their feelings for another throughout most of the book, when they finally said their “ily’s” it was very satisfying 🤩
i remember not liking the first book
but this one was quite enjoyable
their relationship was 🥰🥺
even tho they were dancing around their feelings for another throughout most of the book, when they finally said their “ily’s” it was very satisfying 🤩
April 18, 2020
If only Lino was real...
When I read the preview of Forgivable Sins at the end of Bloodied Hands, I just knew there was going to be something special about Samara and Lino. Best friends since childhood, Lino always knew that Samara was it for him, the one person who made him whole. However, when outside sources threaten their bond, Lino maintains the "friend zone" to protect Samara until one day when he can claim her as his.
I was lucky enough to beta read this prior to receiving an ARC. I can honestly say that the first time I read this story, I stayed up until 4 am because I had to know what happened. I was already crazy about the characters, but they have such amazing chemistry, that you can't help but wish for them to be together even though it's not easy. I then received an ARC for this review, and knowing what the draft was, the ARC is just utterly amazing. Not only is the chemistry still off the charts, but the actual story is AMAZING!!! It's a little disappointing that Lino isn't real. He's just perfect.
When I read the preview of Forgivable Sins at the end of Bloodied Hands, I just knew there was going to be something special about Samara and Lino. Best friends since childhood, Lino always knew that Samara was it for him, the one person who made him whole. However, when outside sources threaten their bond, Lino maintains the "friend zone" to protect Samara until one day when he can claim her as his.
I was lucky enough to beta read this prior to receiving an ARC. I can honestly say that the first time I read this story, I stayed up until 4 am because I had to know what happened. I was already crazy about the characters, but they have such amazing chemistry, that you can't help but wish for them to be together even though it's not easy. I then received an ARC for this review, and knowing what the draft was, the ARC is just utterly amazing. Not only is the chemistry still off the charts, but the actual story is AMAZING!!! It's a little disappointing that Lino isn't real. He's just perfect.
April 12, 2021
Idk why I continued with the series when I already knew I was gonna hate it. Oh wait, I do know! It's because I was so desperate for an ott hero that I sacrificed the last 2 brain cells I had just to get my ott alpha hit.
This book frustrated tf out of me. We know from the very beginning both MCs love each other so to see h 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 running away and misinterpreting got frustrating 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵. I'll admit, I do love heroines that don't give in to hero's whims at the drop of the hat rather make them work for it but c'mon! Enough! Hero 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 loved h so to see her trying to misinterpret everything to make him look like the bad guy pissed me off.
I didn't care for the H too much either. This story was boring af with no substance or a plot. I advise against wasting your money on this but to each her own🤷🏻♀️
This book frustrated tf out of me. We know from the very beginning both MCs love each other so to see h 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 running away and misinterpreting got frustrating 𝘧𝘢𝘴𝘵. I'll admit, I do love heroines that don't give in to hero's whims at the drop of the hat rather make them work for it but c'mon! Enough! Hero 𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘭𝘺 loved h so to see her trying to misinterpret everything to make him look like the bad guy pissed me off.
I didn't care for the H too much either. This story was boring af with no substance or a plot. I advise against wasting your money on this but to each her own🤷🏻♀️
September 28, 2020
Best friends for life. That was Samara and Lino's life because of his life and her well. Her marriage. Then it all changed with one little divorce. She thoughts she could start over and things would stay the same, Lino did not love her that way, as she had since they were young. Then Lino found out the truth and everything changed, but was it for the reasons she wanted. This book was everything, funny, sad, sexy and will make you fall in love with all the Characters. Adelaide grabbed you in book 1 and book 2 has you hooked. Downloading book 3 now and punting down to the days to book 4! I definitely found a new author to indulge in.
April 19, 2020
Wow and amazing!!! This book is a must read if you are a mafia romance addict!!! I was given the honor to be a Beta reader and ARC reader. I could not put it book down. The connection between the two main characters is hot and sizzling!! To see Samara and Lino's story unfold was completely captivating!!! She was his Little Dove, and nothing could stand in his way to love and protect her. Samara has been through so much, but she has the inner strength and determination to prove she is a woman that is indeed brave and strong!!! Lino's start in life was very rough, and thanks to Samara, he is still able to feel love and compassion for others. These two are a powerhouse couple, and I cannot wait to read more from this series!!! Also many beloved characters from Bloodied Hands are in this book, and I was super excited to see Smaug again!!!
August 11, 2020
These books are just so awesome
I loved that Samara didn't fight this relationship as much as Calla or Ivory. These two just fit perfectly and there was no denying it. I think this book is my favourite out of the 3 in this series. I can't wait for the next book.
I loved that Samara didn't fight this relationship as much as Calla or Ivory. These two just fit perfectly and there was no denying it. I think this book is my favourite out of the 3 in this series. I can't wait for the next book.
December 19, 2021
WHY DO I LISTEN TO TIKTOK. It wasn’t actually that bad... but I kinda was... the girl on tiktok said it was CUTE and good friends to lovers. It wasn’t that cute and it wasn’t that good.
July 7, 2022
Ok not as good as the first book
This was Lino and Samara' story. It was ok but actually dull enough to skim. Lino was nothing like Matteo. I need more action and I don't mean sex. As there was plenty of that actually maybe too much.
This book just felt short only good part is when Samara fought for herself.
This was Lino and Samara' story. It was ok but actually dull enough to skim. Lino was nothing like Matteo. I need more action and I don't mean sex. As there was plenty of that actually maybe too much.
This book just felt short only good part is when Samara fought for herself.
July 24, 2021
4STARS!!!
This is the second book in the series but it can also be read as a standalone but since it has reference to Matteo and Ivory it's better to read in order. This book with being Mafia romance also so is a story of how best friends turn into lovers which is one of my favourite tropes
The story revolves around Angelino and Samara. She is is the daughter of the the household help and they both have known each other since their childhood and they both love each other but are unaware of the other one's feeling. Lino in order to protect her from his father keeps her at distance but when he is ready to make her his it's too late because Samara is already married by them. But lucky for him her husband was a total cruel douchebag..
Life takes them through a lot of ups and downs but they had the reassurance of each others presence in their life which gave them strength and hope for better.
Samara is such a strong character and with the help of Lino know she started to live, enjoy her life, value herself again. And I totally love the character of Lino, how he may be this tough guy to everybody but he was the sweetest to her and I also enjoyed the funny banters between both because after all they were best friends first.
the book is very well written and I enjoyed it thoroughly and I am looking forward to the next one.
Review after Re-reading
so i just finished rereading the first book in the series an thought why not re read this one two, because firstly its best friends to lovers and secondly we are talking about adelaise here and she is just awesome. i love the ways she writes and gives life to her characters and makes it seem so real. after reading her books i too feel like finding love for me which is so passionate and consuming. these characters are all imaginary but i am sometimes so jeolous of them, i too just want it an so i will not re read the third book again (atlest not now) because i am way too obsessed right now
This is the second book in the series but it can also be read as a standalone but since it has reference to Matteo and Ivory it's better to read in order. This book with being Mafia romance also so is a story of how best friends turn into lovers which is one of my favourite tropes
The story revolves around Angelino and Samara. She is is the daughter of the the household help and they both have known each other since their childhood and they both love each other but are unaware of the other one's feeling. Lino in order to protect her from his father keeps her at distance but when he is ready to make her his it's too late because Samara is already married by them. But lucky for him her husband was a total cruel douchebag..
Life takes them through a lot of ups and downs but they had the reassurance of each others presence in their life which gave them strength and hope for better.
Samara is such a strong character and with the help of Lino know she started to live, enjoy her life, value herself again. And I totally love the character of Lino, how he may be this tough guy to everybody but he was the sweetest to her and I also enjoyed the funny banters between both because after all they were best friends first.
the book is very well written and I enjoyed it thoroughly and I am looking forward to the next one.
Review after Re-reading
so i just finished rereading the first book in the series an thought why not re read this one two, because firstly its best friends to lovers and secondly we are talking about adelaise here and she is just awesome. i love the ways she writes and gives life to her characters and makes it seem so real. after reading her books i too feel like finding love for me which is so passionate and consuming. these characters are all imaginary but i am sometimes so jeolous of them, i too just want it an so i will not re read the third book again (atlest not now) because i am way too obsessed right now
September 29, 2020
this one..hm...i liked more the idea of it than the deliver.
I couldn't stand the idea of him walking her down the aisle and gave her to Conner, i can't stand the idea she was married for 5 years. In Matteo case at least he and Ivory when they were apart none of them had serious commitments also they never had been in touch, but in this case i hated the idea she committed to Conner, i get it she never thought of the ideea of being able to have Lino but still it didn't sit well with me, i needed Lino at least stop her doing that especially when he made that promise as kids..i get it he let her be but still i wished to have a Hero being so crazy about her that he couldn't let her be with anybody else you know ? then when they got together i expected a BOOM but...none of that happened , it happened so slowly and so late that i couldn't care anymore..with how their friendship had been i expected them to be more..i don't know, in to each others? Lino was like that but i felt left down by Samara. Overall the story wasn't that bad but i can't believe i actually liked more the other 2 books were there had hard limits for me (time apart and other kids with om ) . I hope i would love more the next one. I can't wait for Scar's book too, but it's not the next one yet.
I couldn't stand the idea of him walking her down the aisle and gave her to Conner, i can't stand the idea she was married for 5 years. In Matteo case at least he and Ivory when they were apart none of them had serious commitments also they never had been in touch, but in this case i hated the idea she committed to Conner, i get it she never thought of the ideea of being able to have Lino but still it didn't sit well with me, i needed Lino at least stop her doing that especially when he made that promise as kids..i get it he let her be but still i wished to have a Hero being so crazy about her that he couldn't let her be with anybody else you know ? then when they got together i expected a BOOM but...none of that happened , it happened so slowly and so late that i couldn't care anymore..with how their friendship had been i expected them to be more..i don't know, in to each others? Lino was like that but i felt left down by Samara. Overall the story wasn't that bad but i can't believe i actually liked more the other 2 books were there had hard limits for me (time apart and other kids with om ) . I hope i would love more the next one. I can't wait for Scar's book too, but it's not the next one yet.
May 2, 2020
I was honestly worried about reading Lino and Samara’s story . I didn’t know how it could live up to Ivory and Matteo . What I found out is it doesn’t compare . It is much different. Lino is still all caveman and possessive but he is a different man then Matteo. Samara didn’t fight Lino at every single turn the way Ivory did Matteo. It’s just so different. I ended up loving both ! Samara was trying to divorce an abusive husband who raped and beat her . Lino was her best friend since they were kids but he was in love with her . He just wanted to protect her by not bringing her into his world . Unfortunately Samara still got hurt so we see Samara and Lino put all of those years of feelings into a relationship. They were perfect for one another . I can’t wait to read Ryker’s story . This author has made me a true fan . I can’t wait to see what her future work holds!
July 24, 2021
Superb
I cannot believe that I had never heard of this author before now. Especially, considering Mafia is my favorite sub-genre. The perfect blend of loving but jealous and positive men, engaging female characters, an intriguing plot, and just the perfect blend of criminal underbelly makes this the perfect series.
Loved Lino and Samara. Their friendship and love were perfect. I loved how Angelino fought so hard to right the baggage she carried. Great secondary characters and the appearance of previous main characters. Highly recommend this author and these books.
I cannot believe that I had never heard of this author before now. Especially, considering Mafia is my favorite sub-genre. The perfect blend of loving but jealous and positive men, engaging female characters, an intriguing plot, and just the perfect blend of criminal underbelly makes this the perfect series.
Loved Lino and Samara. Their friendship and love were perfect. I loved how Angelino fought so hard to right the baggage she carried. Great secondary characters and the appearance of previous main characters. Highly recommend this author and these books.
October 18, 2022
Really enjoyed this book! Lino was so fun and easygoing in Bloodied Hands, but he's definitely a jealous, possessive man in this book! 🥵🥵🥵 I have read several Adelaide Forrest books and have loved them all! Definitely recommend!
June 22, 2022
Nothing happened.
January 7, 2024
Major disappointment from the first book.
We come in knowing how fun of a character Lino is and knowing the childhood love he had was married and about to get divorced. So I was expecting more angst and tension but there was none at all. They had bland chemistry compared to the previous couples book: Matteo and Ivory
What would’ve helped was if we saw how their relationship was while she was married to conner. It can help us to connect and understand their motives or even their desire for each other. Also what would’ve helps is having more information by showing us more glimpses of their childhood together. Again this book was just to hard to feel any connection to them as a couple.
It was too weird how they got together. It was so obvious to both of them they had feelings for each other so when they kissed, as a reader I didn’t feel any passion or desired they apparently felt all those years. It was just well if it was that easy for them to give without a proper confrontation of their feelings for one another, then how was it possible that they never got together from when they were young, even with Linos father in the way.
It was way to quick, convenient and easy which made this story quite dull. I loved Lino’s character immensely so how their relationship with Samara happened was just a disservice to how much potential this story had!
SPOILERS BELOW!!!
Another point. Samara’s rape was a total disrespect. Yes she trusted him so she felt comfortable with him touching her but to use it as a way to stop them for having sex almost immediately was ridiculous as it doesn’t really add up to what samara’s thoughts are on him and how she acted. It was written terribly and completely jarred the story.
When they first tried, it was difficult for her but then immediately the next day she was ok with going all the way…yea…it doesn’t work like that. Not to mention how Lino took her hard in the shower the next day as well saying he didn’t want to hurt her especially with what she went though! IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE HOW that scene happened and she was ok with it when she experienced such trauma…plus Lino kept saying she wasn't ready too many times was also ridiculous considering she has been in love with him since she was a kid and was WAITING FOR HIM TO STEP UP but never did.
Later on she told Lino not to hold back and to take her how he wanted all those years he couldn’t have her even if it meant hurting her. Again this made absolutely no sense considering he was “rough” with her in the shower in a previous scene and gave her first time anal sex. Ummm yeah…he didn’t hold back then but “apparently” he was holding back still?? None of their scenes added any dimensions to their relationship more their characters. I mean honestly how can I connect with such a flawed written relationship.
Their relationship was so hard to feel it as believable or connect with it. It felt all over the place and their relationship needed to slow down and take time to digest and develop. What was needed where the scenes I mentioned above about how they were when she dated conner and married him, how their high school life was like where Lino got rid of men who were in to her. but there was none of that which unfortunately gave the consequence of not being able to feel their love, desire, and passion for each other.
What a disappointment because they had potential to be an incredible story, beating out Matteo and Ivory.
Last thing I will comment about is that her brother Yavin, was very underused considering he was the brother and best friend for both of them. He could’ve been a great side character.
I wanted to DNF this before I even reached the 4o% mark so that was sad. However, the only reason I did is because I might need some information the story will give for the next book.
We come in knowing how fun of a character Lino is and knowing the childhood love he had was married and about to get divorced. So I was expecting more angst and tension but there was none at all. They had bland chemistry compared to the previous couples book: Matteo and Ivory
What would’ve helped was if we saw how their relationship was while she was married to conner. It can help us to connect and understand their motives or even their desire for each other. Also what would’ve helps is having more information by showing us more glimpses of their childhood together. Again this book was just to hard to feel any connection to them as a couple.
It was too weird how they got together. It was so obvious to both of them they had feelings for each other so when they kissed, as a reader I didn’t feel any passion or desired they apparently felt all those years. It was just well if it was that easy for them to give without a proper confrontation of their feelings for one another, then how was it possible that they never got together from when they were young, even with Linos father in the way.
It was way to quick, convenient and easy which made this story quite dull. I loved Lino’s character immensely so how their relationship with Samara happened was just a disservice to how much potential this story had!
SPOILERS BELOW!!!
Another point. Samara’s rape was a total disrespect. Yes she trusted him so she felt comfortable with him touching her but to use it as a way to stop them for having sex almost immediately was ridiculous as it doesn’t really add up to what samara’s thoughts are on him and how she acted. It was written terribly and completely jarred the story.
When they first tried, it was difficult for her but then immediately the next day she was ok with going all the way…yea…it doesn’t work like that. Not to mention how Lino took her hard in the shower the next day as well saying he didn’t want to hurt her especially with what she went though! IT DID NOT MAKE SENSE HOW that scene happened and she was ok with it when she experienced such trauma…plus Lino kept saying she wasn't ready too many times was also ridiculous considering she has been in love with him since she was a kid and was WAITING FOR HIM TO STEP UP but never did.
Later on she told Lino not to hold back and to take her how he wanted all those years he couldn’t have her even if it meant hurting her. Again this made absolutely no sense considering he was “rough” with her in the shower in a previous scene and gave her first time anal sex. Ummm yeah…he didn’t hold back then but “apparently” he was holding back still?? None of their scenes added any dimensions to their relationship more their characters. I mean honestly how can I connect with such a flawed written relationship.
Their relationship was so hard to feel it as believable or connect with it. It felt all over the place and their relationship needed to slow down and take time to digest and develop. What was needed where the scenes I mentioned above about how they were when she dated conner and married him, how their high school life was like where Lino got rid of men who were in to her. but there was none of that which unfortunately gave the consequence of not being able to feel their love, desire, and passion for each other.
What a disappointment because they had potential to be an incredible story, beating out Matteo and Ivory.
Last thing I will comment about is that her brother Yavin, was very underused considering he was the brother and best friend for both of them. He could’ve been a great side character.
I wanted to DNF this before I even reached the 4o% mark so that was sad. However, the only reason I did is because I might need some information the story will give for the next book.
July 18, 2021
After reading the first book in this series ‘Bloodied hands’, I was curious about the stories of the secondary characters in this book. Lino is Matteo’s nephew and his best friend. In the first story you could feel who his love interest was, his childhood friend Samara. You could just feel that there was a fascinating story there, so I decided to read their story next. ‘Forgivable sins’ is a great story. Just like Matteo, Lino is part of the Bellandi’s (mafia) family and although he has done some terrible things, deep down he’s also a good guy. A guy who has been in love with his childhood friend Samara from an very early age. But the threat from his father, that he would hurt Samara if Lino ever took their friendship further has kept the couple apart. Samara married someone else and Lino stayed her friend through it all. But both have kept secrets from each other. Samara never told Lino that her husband (who she is trying to divorce now) abused her but then one night Lino discovers it for himself and from there on, Lino will do everything he can to protect Samara and make her his in the process. Can Lino and Samara finally be together or not?
Just like the first story you get both POV’s and the story may be a mafia story, it isn’t a really dark one. But if you’re sensitive for abuse (and more) in a bad relationship then maybe this story isn’t for you. I really enjoyed Lino and Samara’s story. They had such a deep connection from childhood and it was wonderful to see that they never lost their friendship. It was sad to know that outside influences have kept them apart for so long and that in the meantime Samara got hurt but it was also heart-warming to see how their relationship developed from friends to lovers in this story. Lino was alpha, intelligent, dependable, protective, ruthless when needed, a good cook but most importantly he was very attentive to Sarama’s needs. He really gave her time to process what happened to her in the past. Samara was also a great character, she’s intelligent, caring, calm and I really liked it that she listen to Lino about her safety, that she didn’t stubbornly ignore that (I don’t like it when the female character does that, just run straight into danger without thinking).
It was wonderful to see the characters again from the previous story. The story had a few twists that I didn’t see coming, I always like that in my stories.
‘Forgivable sins’ is a good story. I will definitely read more of this series.
Just like the first story you get both POV’s and the story may be a mafia story, it isn’t a really dark one. But if you’re sensitive for abuse (and more) in a bad relationship then maybe this story isn’t for you. I really enjoyed Lino and Samara’s story. They had such a deep connection from childhood and it was wonderful to see that they never lost their friendship. It was sad to know that outside influences have kept them apart for so long and that in the meantime Samara got hurt but it was also heart-warming to see how their relationship developed from friends to lovers in this story. Lino was alpha, intelligent, dependable, protective, ruthless when needed, a good cook but most importantly he was very attentive to Sarama’s needs. He really gave her time to process what happened to her in the past. Samara was also a great character, she’s intelligent, caring, calm and I really liked it that she listen to Lino about her safety, that she didn’t stubbornly ignore that (I don’t like it when the female character does that, just run straight into danger without thinking).
It was wonderful to see the characters again from the previous story. The story had a few twists that I didn’t see coming, I always like that in my stories.
‘Forgivable sins’ is a good story. I will definitely read more of this series.
May 12, 2023
Well, this certainly was something.
When I started this book, I thought Lino & Samara would be my least favourite couple out of the series - just like I thought with Jules & Josh from Twisted Hate - but I was definitely proven wrong. And that already in the beginning.
In comparison to Mateo and Ryker, Angelino made more of a charming impression. Moreover, Lino seemed to respect Samara’s choices - huge difference to Mateo & Ryker 💀.
Despite that, he was the typical possessive man - protective, loving, caring, supportive. But he also had bits of Mateo‘s & Ryker‘s behavior, but in this measure I did enjoy it. Furthermore, I loved the childhood friends to lovers trope. It was cute.
SPOILERS❗️
What I didn’t like however, is the anticlimactic ending. I just cannot. In the first book its such a build up to Ivory‘s kidnapping, and then she „just“ kills Adrian herself. Even though there were so many things stated that Mateo promised to make him suffer through. Now, Connor is being searched for in the whole 500 pages and in the end he‘s „just“ shot? What the hell? There were several pages stating what Lino will be doing to him, and for him to just end it so simple was disappointing to say the least. Same for Ryker‘s book. It just keeps happening.
Oh, and Emilio‘s a bitch. Saw it coming from the second he didn‘t notice her almost being kidnapped RIGHT BEHIND HIM. The foreshadowing seems to be a whole spoiler.
Anyways, nice tropes, roughly written plot.
Lino has my heart tho <3.
When I started this book, I thought Lino & Samara would be my least favourite couple out of the series - just like I thought with Jules & Josh from Twisted Hate - but I was definitely proven wrong. And that already in the beginning.
In comparison to Mateo and Ryker, Angelino made more of a charming impression. Moreover, Lino seemed to respect Samara’s choices - huge difference to Mateo & Ryker 💀.
Despite that, he was the typical possessive man - protective, loving, caring, supportive. But he also had bits of Mateo‘s & Ryker‘s behavior, but in this measure I did enjoy it. Furthermore, I loved the childhood friends to lovers trope. It was cute.
SPOILERS❗️
What I didn’t like however, is the anticlimactic ending. I just cannot. In the first book its such a build up to Ivory‘s kidnapping, and then she „just“ kills Adrian herself. Even though there were so many things stated that Mateo promised to make him suffer through. Now, Connor is being searched for in the whole 500 pages and in the end he‘s „just“ shot? What the hell? There were several pages stating what Lino will be doing to him, and for him to just end it so simple was disappointing to say the least. Same for Ryker‘s book. It just keeps happening.
Oh, and Emilio‘s a bitch. Saw it coming from the second he didn‘t notice her almost being kidnapped RIGHT BEHIND HIM. The foreshadowing seems to be a whole spoiler.
Anyways, nice tropes, roughly written plot.
Lino has my heart tho <3.
June 20, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/6.
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5.
Friends to lovers is a hard trope for me because the characters just can’t see what’s in front of them and choose to bury their head in the sand through a lot of the book.
I was having a good time and I had really no complaints until half of the book. After the 50% mark Samara runs away for something dumb because it was obvious what the other woman was trying to do and she sort of knew it but she wanted to end everything with Lino just because this woman talked sh*!. 🙄
Lino was a solid character and his love was unwavering so after everything he said and did, for her to act like this without talking to him was a no for me. It immediately brought my rating down.
I don’t see why she didn’t notice at all through all these years that he didn’t want to be just best friends. It was glaring obvious not only for me but to everyone involved in their lives.
Bottom line is: I’m happy Lino got what he wanted and he’s happy. Samara earned some brownie points with me after that specific scene above but it wasn’t enough for me.
I’m very excited for the next book though so I’m reading that soon.
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5.
Friends to lovers is a hard trope for me because the characters just can’t see what’s in front of them and choose to bury their head in the sand through a lot of the book.
I was having a good time and I had really no complaints until half of the book. After the 50% mark Samara runs away for something dumb because it was obvious what the other woman was trying to do and she sort of knew it but she wanted to end everything with Lino just because this woman talked sh*!. 🙄
Lino was a solid character and his love was unwavering so after everything he said and did, for her to act like this without talking to him was a no for me. It immediately brought my rating down.
I don’t see why she didn’t notice at all through all these years that he didn’t want to be just best friends. It was glaring obvious not only for me but to everyone involved in their lives.
Bottom line is: I’m happy Lino got what he wanted and he’s happy. Samara earned some brownie points with me after that specific scene above but it wasn’t enough for me.
I’m very excited for the next book though so I’m reading that soon.
February 8, 2021
Another hit!!
Seriously! I love this series! Lino and samara’s story is very different from Matteo and Ive. Their sweet love story just gave me ALL THE FEELS! Seriously! The way he cherishes her is just AMAZINGGG! This series has become a favorite for me and will easily be a reread years down the road!
Lino is dominate but not overly aggressive unless he needs to be. He is sweet and loving toward her and seriously treats her as his whole world. And the fact that his nickname for her means “my life” really explains it all.
Samara is a tough B. She’s coming out of an abusive marriage that she hid from everyone and the scars that follow. Her healing comes thanks to her best friend turned lover Lino. Seriously these two are so dang cute!
I can’t wait for the next one!
Seriously! I love this series! Lino and samara’s story is very different from Matteo and Ive. Their sweet love story just gave me ALL THE FEELS! Seriously! The way he cherishes her is just AMAZINGGG! This series has become a favorite for me and will easily be a reread years down the road!
Lino is dominate but not overly aggressive unless he needs to be. He is sweet and loving toward her and seriously treats her as his whole world. And the fact that his nickname for her means “my life” really explains it all.
Samara is a tough B. She’s coming out of an abusive marriage that she hid from everyone and the scars that follow. Her healing comes thanks to her best friend turned lover Lino. Seriously these two are so dang cute!
I can’t wait for the next one!
May 29, 2022
⭐️ 3.25 ⭐️
Forgivable Sins was a decent read. While, a standalone it is the second book in the Bellandi Crime Syndicate series so I would just recommend reading the prior book first. I would also suggest checking the content warnings before reading as well.
It is dual POVs of the main characters and has the childhood friends to lovers trope, which I loved.
I will say that I definitely enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one in terms of romance and overall plot. However, this book definitely dragged a lot in the middle and was just very slow paced. Nothing really happens plot wise until the last few chapters. There was also a lot of repetition that got quite annoying as well.
The romance between the main characters was amazing. There was some great angst, chemistry, development and smut. I honestly just loved how understanding and patient the hero was with the heroine.
The heroine was also so resilient and I loved how she was given the time to heal and learned to fight back.
I will say though, the one thing I would have liked was for the heroine’s ex-husband to have suffered more. As this book had more darker elements I wanted more bloodshed to be honest.
Overall, a good read just a bit too long.
Forgivable Sins was a decent read. While, a standalone it is the second book in the Bellandi Crime Syndicate series so I would just recommend reading the prior book first. I would also suggest checking the content warnings before reading as well.
It is dual POVs of the main characters and has the childhood friends to lovers trope, which I loved.
I will say that I definitely enjoyed this book a lot more than the first one in terms of romance and overall plot. However, this book definitely dragged a lot in the middle and was just very slow paced. Nothing really happens plot wise until the last few chapters. There was also a lot of repetition that got quite annoying as well.
The romance between the main characters was amazing. There was some great angst, chemistry, development and smut. I honestly just loved how understanding and patient the hero was with the heroine.
The heroine was also so resilient and I loved how she was given the time to heal and learned to fight back.
I will say though, the one thing I would have liked was for the heroine’s ex-husband to have suffered more. As this book had more darker elements I wanted more bloodshed to be honest.
Overall, a good read just a bit too long.
April 19, 2020
A well-written fast-paced romance that still takes the time to delve into the emotional nuances of Lino and Samara's relationship. My favourite parts include the scenes with baby Luna and how the Bellandi family is expanding and growing not just in number, but in love and closeness with each other. From Scar to Don to Chiara, this story shows how family is everything even if you're a hard-hitting Mafia boss willing to get your hands dirty. All in all, an excellent read which left me wanting more after the last page has been turned. Hmmm... I wonder who'll be next to fall in love so irredeemably? Jasper, perhaps? Or the clueless Scar?
November 16, 2023
I liked everything about this book except the female main character.
She is the reason why I can't stand childhood friends to lovers or friends to lovers because she was so insufferable to the point that I thought about DNFing this book multiple times. How is it possible that both main characters have such a great friendship and an amazing foundation that the moment he shows interest in her, she can't believe him, he's a man whore, and all he does is lie to her like every other man even though he has never lied to her before. Like, it doesn't make sense. She really just needed therapy and not some dick.
She is the reason why I can't stand childhood friends to lovers or friends to lovers because she was so insufferable to the point that I thought about DNFing this book multiple times. How is it possible that both main characters have such a great friendship and an amazing foundation that the moment he shows interest in her, she can't believe him, he's a man whore, and all he does is lie to her like every other man even though he has never lied to her before. Like, it doesn't make sense. She really just needed therapy and not some dick.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 342 reviews