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Empire of Kings #1
Beautiful Torment
They call him Il Diavolo
When the devil dressed in black crashes my wedding
I know he didn’t come to offer me his blessing
He came to collect what was always his
For months, he’s watched me from the shadows
Haunting me
Biding his time
Planning his revenge
Before he was King of the Cosa Nostra
I was fated to be his queen
I promised him forever
Now, he’s here to remind me what forever really means.
When the devil dressed in black crashes my wedding
I know he didn’t come to offer me his blessing
He came to collect what was always his
For months, he’s watched me from the shadows
Haunting me
Biding his time
Planning his revenge
Before he was King of the Cosa Nostra
I was fated to be his queen
I promised him forever
Now, he’s here to remind me what forever really means.
ebook
First published September 26, 2025
1516 people are currently reading
4463 people want to read
About the author
A. Zavarelli
56 books7,550 followersA. Zavarelli is a USA Today and Amazon bestselling author of dark and contemporary romance.
When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.
She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.
Facebook Page- https://geni.us/AZavarelliAuthor
Facebook Reader Group- https://geni.us/FemmeFatales
Mailing List: https://geni.us/ucfAZH1
Instagram- https://geni.us/AZavarelliInstagram
Amazon- https://geni.us/AZavarelliAmazon
Bookbub- https://geni.us/AZavarelliBookbub
Twitter- https://geni.us/AZavarelliTwitter
Website- https://www.azavarelli.com
When she’s not putting her characters through hell, she can usually be found watching bizarre and twisted documentaries in the name of research.
She currently lives in the Northwest with her lumberjack and an entire brood of fur babies.
Facebook Page- https://geni.us/AZavarelliAuthor
Facebook Reader Group- https://geni.us/FemmeFatales
Mailing List: https://geni.us/ucfAZH1
Instagram- https://geni.us/AZavarelliInstagram
Amazon- https://geni.us/AZavarelliAmazon
Bookbub- https://geni.us/AZavarelliBookbub
Twitter- https://geni.us/AZavarelliTwitter
Website- https://www.azavarelli.com
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 501 reviews
November 12, 2025
Abella Moretti finds herself tied to Matteo Vitale, a marriage arranged by her father. Yet she’s only ever loved his brother, Angelo Vitale.
Il Diavolo has waited, bided his time to exact vengeance and he’ll find it on her wedding day.
Unable to forgive her, unwilling to let her go, Angelo will exact his pound of flesh as he ascends to the head of the Vitale crime family with Abella as his dark queen.
Messy and explosive, dark and intense, Abella and Angelo’s story is addictive in the best way. The heartbreak and feelings of betrayal are visceral and all consuming. I literally could not get enough of them and warred with myself wanting to read faster and make it last!! Beautiful Torment will easily make my Top 3 of 2025!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😩🥵😭🥹😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual | Present}
🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): Dark, New Adult, Suspense
✨ Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Enemies-to-Lovers, Hidden Identity, Kidnapped/Captive, Mafia/Bratva/Organized Crime, Miscommunication, Revenge, Rich AF, Second Chance, Secret Society, Stalker, Stolen Bride
💫 Microtropes: Alphahole, Boy Obsessed, Branding, Caveman Carry, “Good Girl”, Hand Necklace, It’s Always Been You, MINE!, OTT Hero, Secrets & Lies, Tattooed MMC, Touch-Her-and-💀, Who Hurt You?, Virgin FMC
💋 Kinks: 🍑, Bondage/Restraints, Breath Play, 🐓 Warming, Cum Jammer, Dirty Talk, Domination, Finger Licking Good, Forced Os, Masked MMC, Plugged, Primal, Public Play, Spanking, Squirting, Toys as Teammates
⚠️ Warning: This steamy read will have you DoorDashing batteries for BOB.
🚩 Safety Squad: Abușe (Not by MMC), OW/OM Drama (Mild, One Sided), Unalìvíng, Violence, and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Beautiful Torment is the first book in the Empire of Kings series and can be read as a standalone.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
Il Diavolo has waited, bided his time to exact vengeance and he’ll find it on her wedding day.
Unable to forgive her, unwilling to let her go, Angelo will exact his pound of flesh as he ascends to the head of the Vitale crime family with Abella as his dark queen.
Messy and explosive, dark and intense, Abella and Angelo’s story is addictive in the best way. The heartbreak and feelings of betrayal are visceral and all consuming. I literally could not get enough of them and warred with myself wanting to read faster and make it last!! Beautiful Torment will easily make my Top 3 of 2025!!
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Burn: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Darkness: 🖤🖤
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Range of Emotions: 😩🥵😭🥹😍
Ending: 💗 {HEA}
POV: 👫🏻 {Dual | Present}
🗄️ Genre: Contemporary Romance
🗂️ Subgenre(s): Dark, New Adult, Suspense
✨ Tropes: Arranged Marriage, Enemies-to-Lovers, Hidden Identity, Kidnapped/Captive, Mafia/Bratva/Organized Crime, Miscommunication, Revenge, Rich AF, Second Chance, Secret Society, Stalker, Stolen Bride
💫 Microtropes: Alphahole, Boy Obsessed, Branding, Caveman Carry, “Good Girl”, Hand Necklace, It’s Always Been You, MINE!, OTT Hero, Secrets & Lies, Tattooed MMC, Touch-Her-and-💀, Who Hurt You?, Virgin FMC
💋 Kinks: 🍑, Bondage/Restraints, Breath Play, 🐓 Warming, Cum Jammer, Dirty Talk, Domination, Finger Licking Good, Forced Os, Masked MMC, Plugged, Primal, Public Play, Spanking, Squirting, Toys as Teammates
⚠️ Warning: This steamy read will have you DoorDashing batteries for BOB.
🚩 Safety Squad: Abușe (Not by MMC), OW/OM Drama (Mild, One Sided), Unalìvíng, Violence, and other potentially triggering elements. If you have any hesitation, check the warnings before diving in. Otherwise, blind is best!!
📣 Type: Beautiful Torment is the first book in the Empire of Kings series and can be read as a standalone.
🛑 Be Advised: My Goodreads shelves are … explicit in both senses. As such, they could be considered spoiler-y.
October 3, 2025
Tension
Jealousy
Resentment
Lust
Love
Anger
Angst
Longing
Betrayal
Miscommunication
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“Why are you with a man who wouldn’t burn the world to save you?”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
You mix ALL of this and you get a VERY addictive cocktail of emotions and that’s what this book is !
I couldn’t put it down for the life of me.. Did I get annoyed ? YES ! Did I still love ? YES !
This s a Mafia romance with elements of secret society. We get this group of friends that literally grew up together in a island where the Cosa Nostra is the mafia in power now, the Vitale’s are the family ruling and they follow very strict rules and traditions. They only marry for power and alliances, if you happen to love the person then you are lucky. The fathers basically “sell” their daughters to the highest bidder, and once the contract is signed that’s it. The women are held to an impossible standard, they have to know the life, be a virgin, demure, accept everything their husbands do, infidelity is what is expected and if the woman can’t give the man an heir then he can have mistresses and bring the child home for the wife to raise. It’s crazy but the women are use to it.
So here we have Angelo the eldest son of the Vitale family and the one who will take the power when his father can’t anymore. He is BRUTAL but he always since they were kids loved Abella and she loved him, they dated their entire teenage years, they promised loyalty and fidelity to one another, they dreamed about a family together…….
Well Angelo gets arrested and stays in prison for 6 years. As soon as he gets arrested Abella leaves him and gets engaged to his twin brother Mateo. HOW? WHY? they were so in love….. and that’s the plot the whole book revolves around.
Abella is great, she wants to build a career and be independent, she lives with an abusive father who hits her. She and her group of friends create a secret organization called AIGES to extract abused women from the Cosa Nostra and the secret society and give them a new identity and new life. They are working on the background….
Let me tell you that when Angelo gets out of prison he is FURIOUS, ENRAGED a Vulcan in eruption. All he wants is REVENGE and he gets it ! He puts Abella through such a torment that you don’t know if you want to kill him or if you want TO BE her, because his punishments are 🔥🥵🔥🥵
The only thing I didn’t like is the fact that we literally only find out her secret in the very end of the book and she was grating on me already because at one point I was like :”Fucking tell him and us the stupid secret” 😂
Let me tell you that I never hated him because he had all the reasons to want to punish her. He was arrested and she dropped him like a bad habit and got engaged to his twin brother…. Come on, that’s a lot to take …. But still I really liked . I also wish they explore more of the women organization AIGES, I want to learn all about the way they help the women. And now I am really excited for the other couples and next book will be Gaby and Romeo (the other brother) oh I forgot to say but the Vitale family are 7 siblings, 6 man and 1 woman and I am DYING for all of their books but SPECIFICALLY Mariella because she will be with the enemy , the Stravos Greek mafia family king, ARES ! Can’t wait for Mariella and Ares romance 🥰
Jealousy
Resentment
Lust
Love
Anger
Angst
Longing
Betrayal
Miscommunication
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
“Why are you with a man who wouldn’t burn the world to save you?”
🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤
You mix ALL of this and you get a VERY addictive cocktail of emotions and that’s what this book is !
I couldn’t put it down for the life of me.. Did I get annoyed ? YES ! Did I still love ? YES !
This s a Mafia romance with elements of secret society. We get this group of friends that literally grew up together in a island where the Cosa Nostra is the mafia in power now, the Vitale’s are the family ruling and they follow very strict rules and traditions. They only marry for power and alliances, if you happen to love the person then you are lucky. The fathers basically “sell” their daughters to the highest bidder, and once the contract is signed that’s it. The women are held to an impossible standard, they have to know the life, be a virgin, demure, accept everything their husbands do, infidelity is what is expected and if the woman can’t give the man an heir then he can have mistresses and bring the child home for the wife to raise. It’s crazy but the women are use to it.
So here we have Angelo the eldest son of the Vitale family and the one who will take the power when his father can’t anymore. He is BRUTAL but he always since they were kids loved Abella and she loved him, they dated their entire teenage years, they promised loyalty and fidelity to one another, they dreamed about a family together…….
Well Angelo gets arrested and stays in prison for 6 years. As soon as he gets arrested Abella leaves him and gets engaged to his twin brother Mateo. HOW? WHY? they were so in love….. and that’s the plot the whole book revolves around.
Abella is great, she wants to build a career and be independent, she lives with an abusive father who hits her. She and her group of friends create a secret organization called AIGES to extract abused women from the Cosa Nostra and the secret society and give them a new identity and new life. They are working on the background….
Let me tell you that when Angelo gets out of prison he is FURIOUS, ENRAGED a Vulcan in eruption. All he wants is REVENGE and he gets it ! He puts Abella through such a torment that you don’t know if you want to kill him or if you want TO BE her, because his punishments are 🔥🥵🔥🥵
The only thing I didn’t like is the fact that we literally only find out her secret in the very end of the book and she was grating on me already because at one point I was like :”Fucking tell him and us the stupid secret” 😂
Let me tell you that I never hated him because he had all the reasons to want to punish her. He was arrested and she dropped him like a bad habit and got engaged to his twin brother…. Come on, that’s a lot to take …. But still I really liked . I also wish they explore more of the women organization AIGES, I want to learn all about the way they help the women. And now I am really excited for the other couples and next book will be Gaby and Romeo (the other brother) oh I forgot to say but the Vitale family are 7 siblings, 6 man and 1 woman and I am DYING for all of their books but SPECIFICALLY Mariella because she will be with the enemy , the Stravos Greek mafia family king, ARES ! Can’t wait for Mariella and Ares romance 🥰
September 26, 2025
⭐️.75 Beautiful Torment? Nothing about his torment was beautiful.
I’m so disappointed! I’ve been excitedly waiting for Angelo and Abella’s story for years — and I hated it. I had so many issues with it. The book is basically 90% sex and 10% a very flat plot that was dragged out way too long. She should’ve just told him — it was so stupid. Also, there were way too many sex scenes. I’m not kidding, at least once per chapter. *eye roll*
Some of the kinks were just not up my alley — like f*cking in front of others. I don’t like that at all, and had I known, I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up. Another thing I hated was the way Angelo tormented Abella with another woman — making it look like he was cheating. The whole ‘playing immature games with each other’ dynamic got tiresome pretty fast.
I’m so disappointed! I’ve been excitedly waiting for Angelo and Abella’s story for years — and I hated it. I had so many issues with it. The book is basically 90% sex and 10% a very flat plot that was dragged out way too long. She should’ve just told him — it was so stupid. Also, there were way too many sex scenes. I’m not kidding, at least once per chapter. *eye roll*
Some of the kinks were just not up my alley — like f*cking in front of others. I don’t like that at all, and had I known, I probably wouldn’t have picked this book up. Another thing I hated was the way Angelo tormented Abella with another woman — making it look like he was cheating. The whole ‘playing immature games with each other’ dynamic got tiresome pretty fast.
November 17, 2025
3ish Stars
This was fine, it just didn't blow me away or anything. I ADORE this author's Boston Underworld series, but haven't had much luck with anything else of hers since then. But I will keep trying lol.
This was fine, it just didn't blow me away or anything. I ADORE this author's Boston Underworld series, but haven't had much luck with anything else of hers since then. But I will keep trying lol.
January 4, 2026
4.5 stars
This was everything I wanted and more. I loved the characters, the delicious smut and the storyline. I saw the plot twist coming a mile away and i didn’t even mind. Ms Zavarelli did not disappoint.
And now I can’t wait to read Ares/Mariella and Gabi/Romeo’s books
This was everything I wanted and more. I loved the characters, the delicious smut and the storyline. I saw the plot twist coming a mile away and i didn’t even mind. Ms Zavarelli did not disappoint.
And now I can’t wait to read Ares/Mariella and Gabi/Romeo’s books
Read
September 28, 2025i actually want second chance trope to DIE, virgin fmc with not celibate mmc he ran to women after he was released from prison.
September 28, 2025
Miscommunication seemed to be the theme of this story. The reason behind all the “hate” from the H. Why the h decided to break off her engagement with the H and fake an engagement with the H’s brother.
Big spoiler: h was told by doctors that she couldn’t get pregnant. She ends the relationship with the H because of this. It seemed odd the H doesn’t know this… and yet he seems to know everything else.
Big spoiler: h was told by doctors that she couldn’t get pregnant. She ends the relationship with the H because of this. It seemed odd the H doesn’t know this… and yet he seems to know everything else.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 30, 2025
Part 1
2 🐇🔥⭐️s
This was a tormenting smut mafia read.
2 🐇🔥⭐️s
This was a tormenting smut mafia read.
October 18, 2025
3,5.
This story is a nice surprise with well constructed characters and amazing plot!
It’s worth reading.
This story is a nice surprise with well constructed characters and amazing plot!
It’s worth reading.
September 26, 2025
Oh yes! This was IT!!! Beautiful Torment had me hooked from page one!
Angelo and Abella’s story is dark, messy, and completely addictive. You can feel how much history weighs between them, love, betrayal, obsession, and so much longing it hurts. Their connection is explosive, and every moment they’re together feels like they could burn the world down.
What I loved most is how this author slowly pulls back the layers, giving me just enough to keep me desperate for answers while the tension continues to build. The push and pull, the intensity, the emotions, it’s wicked and heartbreaking all at once.
This book gave me everything I want in a dark romance, passion, angst, secrets, and a hero who will go to extremes for the woman he can’t let go of. I’m already dying to see what happens next in the Empire of Kings series.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
Angelo and Abella’s story is dark, messy, and completely addictive. You can feel how much history weighs between them, love, betrayal, obsession, and so much longing it hurts. Their connection is explosive, and every moment they’re together feels like they could burn the world down.
What I loved most is how this author slowly pulls back the layers, giving me just enough to keep me desperate for answers while the tension continues to build. The push and pull, the intensity, the emotions, it’s wicked and heartbreaking all at once.
This book gave me everything I want in a dark romance, passion, angst, secrets, and a hero who will go to extremes for the woman he can’t let go of. I’m already dying to see what happens next in the Empire of Kings series.
Dual POV
Safe
Triggers
Steam
September 27, 2025
Ngl, one of the best stalker romances I’ve read this year and exactly what I was in the mood for (extra spicy btw). If you want angst, betrayal, and A LOT of stalking (check TWs!) then pick this up right now 👏🏻
Angelo never thought he’d learn the meaning of betrayal from the closest people in his life his fiancée (or ex-fiancée turned wife again? messy messy) and his brother. They both betrayed him, and he wanted revenge. He wanted her to hurt like he did, to feel the misery he carried for six years. But the question was would his obsession, his longing, and everything they shared be erased by what he thought she did?
Now, let’s talk spicy because wow. This man was OBSESSED. Stalking her, keeping track of what books she read and what fantasies she whispered to her friends and then bringing every single one to life. And the best part? She loved everything he did.
Abella just wanted to save him. She never felt like she was enough, always fearing that if her secret got out, it would destroy him in the eyes of the Cosa Nostra and IVI. She carried that weight, even when he thought she betrayed him with his brother. Even when he made her jealous. Even when he never denied sleeping with the very woman who fed her insecurities (no cheating dw). And still she wanted him. Selfishly. Entirely. She wanted to be Hunted. Captured. Claimed. by him, and only him.
Their relationship was complicated. She loved him, he was obsessed with her, and they were bound to each other in a way that was both twisted and addictive. idk how to describe it, MY FEELINGS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE
The secrets nearly destroyed me I just wanted to lock them in a room until they either talked it out or fucked it out (which, to be fair, they did occasionally). But that miscommunication? Whew. That dragged too long and imo should’ve ended before the 90% mark. He definitely needed to grovel more.
Still, this book had me so frustrated I couldn’t stop reading. That’s how you know it was good.
Bonus? Seeing Alessio and Natalia again MY BABIES 🥹 definitely recommend reding Kingdom Fall before starting this book!! And now I cannot wait for Ares’s book.
✨ Angst: 4/5
🔥 Spice: 6/5
Special thanks to Milica for buddy reading with me and putting up with my constant yapping about every scene. She guessed every plot twist and I may or may not have tried gaslighting her into thinking she was wrong 😂
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“If you wanted me to hunt you down, all you had to do was ask.”
“Oh, is this a kidnapping? I thought you were flirting with me.”
Angelo never thought he’d learn the meaning of betrayal from the closest people in his life his fiancée (or ex-fiancée turned wife again? messy messy) and his brother. They both betrayed him, and he wanted revenge. He wanted her to hurt like he did, to feel the misery he carried for six years. But the question was would his obsession, his longing, and everything they shared be erased by what he thought she did?
Now, let’s talk spicy because wow. This man was OBSESSED. Stalking her, keeping track of what books she read and what fantasies she whispered to her friends and then bringing every single one to life. And the best part? She loved everything he did.
She was the softness to my brutality.
Abella just wanted to save him. She never felt like she was enough, always fearing that if her secret got out, it would destroy him in the eyes of the Cosa Nostra and IVI. She carried that weight, even when he thought she betrayed him with his brother. Even when he made her jealous. Even when he never denied sleeping with the very woman who fed her insecurities (no cheating dw). And still she wanted him. Selfishly. Entirely. She wanted to be Hunted. Captured. Claimed. by him, and only him.
Their relationship was complicated. She loved him, he was obsessed with her, and they were bound to each other in a way that was both twisted and addictive. idk how to describe it, MY FEELINGS ARE ALL OVER THE PLACE
The secrets nearly destroyed me I just wanted to lock them in a room until they either talked it out or fucked it out (which, to be fair, they did occasionally). But that miscommunication? Whew. That dragged too long and imo should’ve ended before the 90% mark. He definitely needed to grovel more.
Still, this book had me so frustrated I couldn’t stop reading. That’s how you know it was good.
Bonus? Seeing Alessio and Natalia again MY BABIES 🥹 definitely recommend reding Kingdom Fall before starting this book!! And now I cannot wait for Ares’s book.
✨ Angst: 4/5
🔥 Spice: 6/5
Special thanks to Milica for buddy reading with me and putting up with my constant yapping about every scene. She guessed every plot twist and I may or may not have tried gaslighting her into thinking she was wrong 😂
__________________________________
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October 2, 2025
I was a bit disappointed with Abella and Angelo's book after loving Kingdom Fall and her Boston Underworld series. I had high hopes that this book would be equally as good but didn't quite get there for me.
I understand that it's a dark romance (check TW cos there's loads) but some of Angelo's actions and jealousy when it came to Abella were so extreme. I was sad that she forgave him so readily....he definitely needed to grovel way more than he did. He did have reasons for his anger but how he went about it was so unhinged that at times he went too far in his vengeance. The spice scenes felt really one sided with Angelo doing the taking, even though we are to believe that because of Abella's kink, that's what she wanted all along. I strongly disliked that he used OW to make Abella jealous even knowing how it would make her feel.
I found that I still enjoyed Beautiful Torment overall but I wish Abella was less of a pushover in this. I will continue the series because I like Abella's friendship group, hopefully she'll write Mariella & Ares soon since Gabi's story is next and I sense she'll be paired with Romeo which should be fun.
I understand that it's a dark romance (check TW cos there's loads) but some of Angelo's actions and jealousy when it came to Abella were so extreme. I was sad that she forgave him so readily....he definitely needed to grovel way more than he did. He did have reasons for his anger but how he went about it was so unhinged that at times he went too far in his vengeance. The spice scenes felt really one sided with Angelo doing the taking, even though we are to believe that because of Abella's kink, that's what she wanted all along. I strongly disliked that he used OW to make Abella jealous even knowing how it would make her feel.
I found that I still enjoyed Beautiful Torment overall but I wish Abella was less of a pushover in this. I will continue the series because I like Abella's friendship group, hopefully she'll write Mariella & Ares soon since Gabi's story is next and I sense she'll be paired with Romeo which should be fun.
October 6, 2025
This was boring and a letdown. I like this author but the whole big secret reason for the breakup could have been solved by going for a Second opinion. I’m not even going to Bother writing a summary because why should I be bored twice???
January 27, 2026
To say I loved this book would be an understatement… this book is definitely falling into my top 5 mafia reads!
IT.WAS.SO.GOOD— totally chewed me up and spit me back out.. it had the perfect amount of darkness and spice
1000/10 recommend to anyone who loves mafia dark romances
I can’t wait for the next installment of this series to be released!
Spice level- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
IT.WAS.SO.GOOD— totally chewed me up and spit me back out.. it had the perfect amount of darkness and spice
1000/10 recommend to anyone who loves mafia dark romances
I can’t wait for the next installment of this series to be released!
Spice level- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Want to read
March 22, 2024I'll have to get safety info for this story. Abella and Angelo were side characters in Kingdom Fall. They have some history. I thought maybe Abekla and Angelo hooked up in the past, but Abella said she was srill a virgin. I'm curious about their history. I know that Abella was in an arranged engagement to another man. She was trying to put off marrying om for as long as possible. I don't like engaged to other person plotline, so I would have to see how far things go with that. I hope it doesn't get to the point of her marrying om.
I would like to see some glimpses of Natalia, Alessio, and little Nino.
I would like to see some glimpses of Natalia, Alessio, and little Nino.
September 27, 2025
if I could give it a 0, I would. This was dark romance from temu, probably the cringiest book I've read, the fmc was basically a little obedient doggie for the mmc, she had no personality, no ounce of dignity, a chair is better than her, the mmc was just a sadistic little boy, "morally grey" they said, nah, he's just mentally ill, seriously what the fuck did I just read? where was the story? it was pure smut, nah, just cringy smut that makes you wanna die, he was fucking her every page of the book, that's all 🤦♀️.
I seriously hate what these authors are making, it's like every single dark romance book that's getting published nowadays is bad, bring back good books fr 😞
I seriously hate what these authors are making, it's like every single dark romance book that's getting published nowadays is bad, bring back good books fr 😞
Want to read
December 23, 2021cant wait for Abella & Angelo’s story omg! arranged marriage with betrayal trope i think 👁👁 I love how they’re both the godparents of Natalia & Alessio’s babies but only found out about each other at the christening 😭 i just know there’s gonna be a lot of drama and i’m here for it cuz AZ writes such good drama and especially angst and especially the stoic man who turns to a smitten freak grovelling and crying and sobbing and throwing up and banging his head against the wall for his wife like… 🥺 please serve it up 🤲🏽🖤
September 26, 2025
this book is fuckn rage bait
September 23, 2025
4.5 stars
Wow... This one was unputdownable! As soon as I laid eyes on the blurb I knew right away that this book would be my jam. And I was right.
Beautiful Torment has a fantastic mix of vibes: revenge, arranged marriage, possessive/obsessive hero, stalker, masked hero. Combined with spice that sets the pages on fire and a heroine who took the fall on the sword that wasn't hers to take. All out of love, to protect her hero.
Angelo and Abella have a sizzling chemistry. The longing was palpable and made my heart ache with every page I turned.
I loved the way A. Zavarelli leaves the reader guessing about what went down in the past and reveals bits and pieces here and there. Even though it gets kind of predictable at some point, which didn't have any impact on my reading experience.
Ending the book left me with the want for more. I can't wait to continue this Empire of Kings series!
However, I have some points why I can't give full 5 stars:
1. I had trouble following the relationship between the three families
2. I had trouble understanding the treaty
3. I had trouble understanding IVI and its role in the world
4. There were so many names and I sometimes thought I was missing something. Like I was supposed to know the world this book is set in. Like the Empire of Kings series is somehow connected to another series
5. I wish the part were Angelo discovers something Abella is involved in, would have been explored on a deeper level. It felt like a by-product but it somehow messed with his mafia empire and therefore should have had more weight
6. The end felt rushed. I would have loved seeing more groveling.
Wow... This one was unputdownable! As soon as I laid eyes on the blurb I knew right away that this book would be my jam. And I was right.
Beautiful Torment has a fantastic mix of vibes: revenge, arranged marriage, possessive/obsessive hero, stalker, masked hero. Combined with spice that sets the pages on fire and a heroine who took the fall on the sword that wasn't hers to take. All out of love, to protect her hero.
Angelo and Abella have a sizzling chemistry. The longing was palpable and made my heart ache with every page I turned.
I loved the way A. Zavarelli leaves the reader guessing about what went down in the past and reveals bits and pieces here and there. Even though it gets kind of predictable at some point, which didn't have any impact on my reading experience.
Ending the book left me with the want for more. I can't wait to continue this Empire of Kings series!
However, I have some points why I can't give full 5 stars:
1. I had trouble following the relationship between the three families
2. I had trouble understanding the treaty
3. I had trouble understanding IVI and its role in the world
4. There were so many names and I sometimes thought I was missing something. Like I was supposed to know the world this book is set in. Like the Empire of Kings series is somehow connected to another series
5. I wish the part were Angelo discovers something Abella is involved in, would have been explored on a deeper level. It felt like a by-product but it somehow messed with his mafia empire and therefore should have had more weight
6. The end felt rushed. I would have loved seeing more groveling.
October 12, 2025
3,5...4⭐...
ugh i'm conflicted...i liked it but at the same time i hated that they were away from each others 6 freaking years and i hated that he was with OW once he got out...but at the same time i can't truly blame him for what he thought she did...ugh
the big thing that really bothered me and annoyed me? was not having their past on page... i needed to see them together before he went to prison!!!! i feel like i missed out on them...
the only saving grace for me was that they weren't intimate before,so that's why i can kind of accept him being with OW after. At least i think they never did...maybe they did something other than sex ? or were they in a relationship like the mafia requires , nothing before marriage? i'm not sure and this is bothering me a lot!
Also...he is possessive and all but how could he bring her to the cat house? i hated that other people saw them,also the friends finding them in the garden scene, i hated that they saw him.
The secret she kept for him in my opinion was stupid!!! all of this could've been avoided if they freaking talked lol , and ok, she did choose to do that but at least do not rush the ending and give us more dialog and talk about the whole thing author.
So yeah, i liked the story but i'm conflicted.
ugh i'm conflicted...i liked it but at the same time i hated that they were away from each others 6 freaking years and i hated that he was with OW once he got out...but at the same time i can't truly blame him for what he thought she did...ugh
the big thing that really bothered me and annoyed me? was not having their past on page... i needed to see them together before he went to prison!!!! i feel like i missed out on them...
the only saving grace for me was that they weren't intimate before,so that's why i can kind of accept him being with OW after. At least i think they never did...maybe they did something other than sex ? or were they in a relationship like the mafia requires , nothing before marriage? i'm not sure and this is bothering me a lot!
Also...he is possessive and all but how could he bring her to the cat house? i hated that other people saw them,also the friends finding them in the garden scene, i hated that they saw him.
The secret she kept for him in my opinion was stupid!!! all of this could've been avoided if they freaking talked lol , and ok, she did choose to do that but at least do not rush the ending and give us more dialog and talk about the whole thing author.
So yeah, i liked the story but i'm conflicted.
September 28, 2025
Beautiful Torment aka Güzel Azap 😒
Kingdom Fall ‘ in içinden gelen, 4 senedir beklenenen çiftimiz.. Abella (25) ile Angelo (?)’ nun olayları. Aslında en başları konu çok ilginç başladı. Birbirleriyle evlendirilecek olan; çocukluktan beri tanışan ve halihazırda birbirine aşık olan iki ruh. Kızın ihanetiyle tahta bozulur, taşların yeri değişir, oğlan hapse uçar; kız da oğlanın ikiz kardeşiyle nişanlanır 🤢
Sora altı yıl geçer ve bazı intikamlar için oğlan artık bir adam olarak geri döner, tahtayı düzeltmek ister ama çok berbattı be... Ne kötü adamın kötülük güdüsünün sebebini anladık ne de olayların nasıl düzeltildiğini.. Kızın ihanet olayları? Gerek var mıydı beee bu sebebe “Konuş be kadın konuş!!!!” diye çenemi sıka sıka okudum!! Zavarelli smut arasına olay örgüsü yerleştirmiş. Spoiler vermeden anlatmam mümkün değil. Neyse sayesinde İtalyancayı Basic seviyede anlıyoruz artık 😘
Natalia bebeğim arada iki yerde çıktı da havamızı bulduk. Kadın başkasının kitabında bile marka beee❤️🔥 Alessio ile çok tatlılardı.
Zavarelli’ den okuduğum bu 8. kitap ve son olacak.. Gabi’ nin hikayesini hiç merak etmiyorum; büyük ihtimalle Romeo partneri olacak (tahmin etmek çok zor değil)
Seni ustalık eserin ile hatırlayacağım..
Kingdom Fall ‘ in içinden gelen, 4 senedir beklenenen çiftimiz.. Abella (25) ile Angelo (?)’ nun olayları. Aslında en başları konu çok ilginç başladı. Birbirleriyle evlendirilecek olan; çocukluktan beri tanışan ve halihazırda birbirine aşık olan iki ruh. Kızın ihanetiyle tahta bozulur, taşların yeri değişir, oğlan hapse uçar; kız da oğlanın ikiz kardeşiyle nişanlanır 🤢
Sora altı yıl geçer ve bazı intikamlar için oğlan artık bir adam olarak geri döner, tahtayı düzeltmek ister ama çok berbattı be... Ne kötü adamın kötülük güdüsünün sebebini anladık ne de olayların nasıl düzeltildiğini.. Kızın ihanet olayları? Gerek var mıydı beee bu sebebe “Konuş be kadın konuş!!!!” diye çenemi sıka sıka okudum!! Zavarelli smut arasına olay örgüsü yerleştirmiş. Spoiler vermeden anlatmam mümkün değil. Neyse sayesinde İtalyancayı Basic seviyede anlıyoruz artık 😘
Natalia bebeğim arada iki yerde çıktı da havamızı bulduk. Kadın başkasının kitabında bile marka beee❤️🔥 Alessio ile çok tatlılardı.
Zavarelli’ den okuduğum bu 8. kitap ve son olacak.. Gabi’ nin hikayesini hiç merak etmiyorum; büyük ihtimalle Romeo partneri olacak (tahmin etmek çok zor değil)
Seni ustalık eserin ile hatırlayacağım..
Read
September 25, 2025Not safe
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2025
3.75 star ⭐️
I need ares book ASAP
I need ares book ASAP
November 4, 2025
Wtf did I just read
January 1, 2026
4.5⭐
✨: Ultima carte a anului a fost o surpriză extraordinară. Mi-a plăcut atât de mult! Un revenge plot și marriage of convenience perfect. Angelo Vitale a fost brutal. Răzbunarea lui a fost cruntă. Genul de personaj masculin care îți lasă un gol în stomac atunci când vezi cum se comportă. L-am adorat. Asta m-a făcut să iubesc cartea. Abella a fost puternică și într-adevăr demnă de titlu de "Quinn of the Cosa Nostra". M-a surprins plăcut latura psihologică dezvoltată în povestea personajelor, vulnerabilitatea lor, conflictul, onestitatea. Povestea a fost principala atracție. Scenelor de sex mi s-au părut pe alocuri multe și inutile, într-o poveste atât de frumoasă și captivantă.
👑: Abella Moretti a iubit un singur bărbat toată viața: viitorul Don al Cosa Nostra, Angelo Vitale. Însă destinul e de cele mai multe ori crud și se trezește logodită cu fratele lui, Matteo Vitale. După 6 ani de logodnă, luptă pentru supraviețuire, regrete și secrete bine păstrate, în ziua nunții mirele ce o așteaptă la altar nu este Matteo, ci iubirea vieții ei. Doar că Angelo, nu mai este cine a fost, este "Il diavolo", brutalul asasin și noul Don. Și a venit să colecteze suflete și să se răzbune.
👑: Angelo Vitale este crescut să devină noul Don al Cosa Nostra. Deși a învățat să fie brutal, Abella a fost mereu latura lui umană. O iubește teribil, cu abandon, posesiv, protector și pe vecie. Abella îl trădează în cel mai sfâșietor mod: îl trimite la închisoare și se logodește cu fratele lui. După 6 ani în care a luptat să-și dovedească nevinovăția, s-a întors doar pentru a-și relua locul ce îi este destinat și pentru a se răzbuna. Iar răzbunarea este teribilă.
✨: Se pare că, cu cât personajele sunt mai brutale unul cu celălalt, cu atât iubesc mai mult cartea. Repet, mereu am fost atrasă de latura psihologică și complexă a unui personaj. Aici sunt atât de bine conturate, încât m-a captivat iremediabil. Mi-am precomandat deja următoarea carte din serie și abia aștept să apară și să o citesc. Trebuie neapărat să îți dați o șansă.
✨: Ultima carte a anului a fost o surpriză extraordinară. Mi-a plăcut atât de mult! Un revenge plot și marriage of convenience perfect. Angelo Vitale a fost brutal. Răzbunarea lui a fost cruntă. Genul de personaj masculin care îți lasă un gol în stomac atunci când vezi cum se comportă. L-am adorat. Asta m-a făcut să iubesc cartea. Abella a fost puternică și într-adevăr demnă de titlu de "Quinn of the Cosa Nostra". M-a surprins plăcut latura psihologică dezvoltată în povestea personajelor, vulnerabilitatea lor, conflictul, onestitatea. Povestea a fost principala atracție. Scenelor de sex mi s-au părut pe alocuri multe și inutile, într-o poveste atât de frumoasă și captivantă.
👑: Abella Moretti a iubit un singur bărbat toată viața: viitorul Don al Cosa Nostra, Angelo Vitale. Însă destinul e de cele mai multe ori crud și se trezește logodită cu fratele lui, Matteo Vitale. După 6 ani de logodnă, luptă pentru supraviețuire, regrete și secrete bine păstrate, în ziua nunții mirele ce o așteaptă la altar nu este Matteo, ci iubirea vieții ei. Doar că Angelo, nu mai este cine a fost, este "Il diavolo", brutalul asasin și noul Don. Și a venit să colecteze suflete și să se răzbune.
👑: Angelo Vitale este crescut să devină noul Don al Cosa Nostra. Deși a învățat să fie brutal, Abella a fost mereu latura lui umană. O iubește teribil, cu abandon, posesiv, protector și pe vecie. Abella îl trădează în cel mai sfâșietor mod: îl trimite la închisoare și se logodește cu fratele lui. După 6 ani în care a luptat să-și dovedească nevinovăția, s-a întors doar pentru a-și relua locul ce îi este destinat și pentru a se răzbuna. Iar răzbunarea este teribilă.
✨: Se pare că, cu cât personajele sunt mai brutale unul cu celălalt, cu atât iubesc mai mult cartea. Repet, mereu am fost atrasă de latura psihologică și complexă a unui personaj. Aici sunt atât de bine conturate, încât m-a captivat iremediabil. Mi-am precomandat deja următoarea carte din serie și abia aștept să apară și să o citesc. Trebuie neapărat să îți dați o șansă.
November 30, 2025
This story was so fucking stupid. Long and stupid. Waaay too fucking long, like why? The main characters acted like 15-year-olds who either ran away from each other or fucked like crazy animals instead of having conversations and communicating to solve problems. And the entire fucking story revolves around the FMC’s supposed infertility, an infertility that she doesn’t have and that cost her basically everything, including her entire relationship with the MMC, because someone lied to her.
I don’t know how some authors manage to write mafia stories that are so immature. It’s truly painful to read some of this shit because it is so bad. Such a waste of time.
By the end of this story, I was begging for the MMCs dick to fall off, cause I was exhausted of reading about the main characters fucking!
So the MMC went to jail 6 years ago because someone (later it turns out to be his twin brother) framed him for a murder. Around that time, the FMC finds out that she is infertile (this was revealed later in the story). Because some of the mafia families have treaties that basically keep the peace, and the treaty’s conditions say that the oldest son has to marry and father a child, when the FMC finds out that she is infertile, she breaks up with the MMC to save him and the treaty from being broken, around the same time he gets imprisoned. But for some stupid fucking reason, she ends up engaged to the MMC’s twin. Her explanation for this? She wanted him to hate her so much that she would never even entertain the thought of going back to him, because he deserved a woman who could give him children, which she never would. And the twist with the twin, other than the fact that he promised protection and seemed to have a crush on her — was never explained. Why did he want the FMC so badly, and why did he frame the MMC (his own twin brother), causing him to be imprisoned?
The rest of the story is just revenge from the MMC’s part. He starts off by stalking the FMC and bringing her to orgasms while taunting her. And on the day of the FMC’s and the MMC’s twin’s wedding, the MMC is standing at the altar instead of the twin and forces the FMC to marry him. Then the MMC takes the FMC’s virginity while she is blindfolded in front of the twin, before he stabs his brother in the heart with a knife.
From that point on, they just kept fucking. The entire story was just them brutally hate-fucking while the MMC tried to play out certain sexual fantasies that she had, such as being kidnapped, hunted in a forest, etc. The FMC never once even thinks about the twin she was engaged to and supposed to marry. She basically moves on from that very emotionlessly. She gave nothing. She barely gave anything when she found out that the twin was the reason the MMC even went to jail. She just said that the twin loved his brother and would never do that to him. But other than that, there was basically no reaction from her side. And she never demanded an explanation for why the twin even did that! So that was the biggest unanswered question in this story.
Then there was this infertility thing that was dragged throughout the entire story and happened to be the big secret that the FMC was keeping from the MMC. The MMC would sexually “torture” the FMC, but she’d would never tell him what her secret was. Until basically the end of the story, when she revealed everything to the MMC’s sister, who insisted on more tests. This led to a chain of reactions and ended with the FMC once more leaving the MMC through a secret organisation that would make her disappear, so that she didn’t have to face him after she left proof of her infertility to the MMC. Her escape didn’t work, and he finds her and takes her back. And it turns out that she is pregnant in the end.
Like what the actual fuck. So the FMC did all this, ruined basically the MMC’s entire life, because of her non-existent fucking infertility, which was constructed by the MMC’s twin and the FMC’s father by them paying off doctors, and her being stupid enough to believe everything. So the idiot just walked into a circle-formed maze. Because she just ended up WHERE SHE FUCKING STARTED. She achieved nothing, and I mean NOTHING — by doing any of this! She fucking loves problems, so she decided to just fuck everything up?
Just what the fuck did I just read? And then there are all the loose ends. Like how could everyone in the MMC’s family have been fine with the FMC breaking it off with the MMC and then moving on to his twin? Especially when the MMC was arrested around that time. And also, since when was it explained from the MMC’s POV that she told him she wanted the twin instead of him? How could they absolutely not hate her when the MMC was framed and she ended up with the brother who framed the MMC? How couldn’t they just torture the information out of her? And how could the family be so calm about the twin’s betrayal and then death? We got absolutely zero reactions from them; it was almost as if they had known everything, since they just accepted that the MMC took his twin’s spot at the aisle during the wedding.
I believe that all the characters had pea-sized brains, because I refuse to believe that people like this exist, even in stories. Fucking idiots, all of them. And they are supposed to be hard-ass mafia.
I’m so fucking pissed! Because what will it take to find and read one good mafia story?
1/5 stars ⭐️
I don’t know how some authors manage to write mafia stories that are so immature. It’s truly painful to read some of this shit because it is so bad. Such a waste of time.
By the end of this story, I was begging for the MMCs dick to fall off, cause I was exhausted of reading about the main characters fucking!
So the MMC went to jail 6 years ago because someone (later it turns out to be his twin brother) framed him for a murder. Around that time, the FMC finds out that she is infertile (this was revealed later in the story). Because some of the mafia families have treaties that basically keep the peace, and the treaty’s conditions say that the oldest son has to marry and father a child, when the FMC finds out that she is infertile, she breaks up with the MMC to save him and the treaty from being broken, around the same time he gets imprisoned. But for some stupid fucking reason, she ends up engaged to the MMC’s twin. Her explanation for this? She wanted him to hate her so much that she would never even entertain the thought of going back to him, because he deserved a woman who could give him children, which she never would. And the twist with the twin, other than the fact that he promised protection and seemed to have a crush on her — was never explained. Why did he want the FMC so badly, and why did he frame the MMC (his own twin brother), causing him to be imprisoned?
The rest of the story is just revenge from the MMC’s part. He starts off by stalking the FMC and bringing her to orgasms while taunting her. And on the day of the FMC’s and the MMC’s twin’s wedding, the MMC is standing at the altar instead of the twin and forces the FMC to marry him. Then the MMC takes the FMC’s virginity while she is blindfolded in front of the twin, before he stabs his brother in the heart with a knife.
From that point on, they just kept fucking. The entire story was just them brutally hate-fucking while the MMC tried to play out certain sexual fantasies that she had, such as being kidnapped, hunted in a forest, etc. The FMC never once even thinks about the twin she was engaged to and supposed to marry. She basically moves on from that very emotionlessly. She gave nothing. She barely gave anything when she found out that the twin was the reason the MMC even went to jail. She just said that the twin loved his brother and would never do that to him. But other than that, there was basically no reaction from her side. And she never demanded an explanation for why the twin even did that! So that was the biggest unanswered question in this story.
Then there was this infertility thing that was dragged throughout the entire story and happened to be the big secret that the FMC was keeping from the MMC. The MMC would sexually “torture” the FMC, but she’d would never tell him what her secret was. Until basically the end of the story, when she revealed everything to the MMC’s sister, who insisted on more tests. This led to a chain of reactions and ended with the FMC once more leaving the MMC through a secret organisation that would make her disappear, so that she didn’t have to face him after she left proof of her infertility to the MMC. Her escape didn’t work, and he finds her and takes her back. And it turns out that she is pregnant in the end.
Like what the actual fuck. So the FMC did all this, ruined basically the MMC’s entire life, because of her non-existent fucking infertility, which was constructed by the MMC’s twin and the FMC’s father by them paying off doctors, and her being stupid enough to believe everything. So the idiot just walked into a circle-formed maze. Because she just ended up WHERE SHE FUCKING STARTED. She achieved nothing, and I mean NOTHING — by doing any of this! She fucking loves problems, so she decided to just fuck everything up?
Just what the fuck did I just read? And then there are all the loose ends. Like how could everyone in the MMC’s family have been fine with the FMC breaking it off with the MMC and then moving on to his twin? Especially when the MMC was arrested around that time. And also, since when was it explained from the MMC’s POV that she told him she wanted the twin instead of him? How could they absolutely not hate her when the MMC was framed and she ended up with the brother who framed the MMC? How couldn’t they just torture the information out of her? And how could the family be so calm about the twin’s betrayal and then death? We got absolutely zero reactions from them; it was almost as if they had known everything, since they just accepted that the MMC took his twin’s spot at the aisle during the wedding.
I believe that all the characters had pea-sized brains, because I refuse to believe that people like this exist, even in stories. Fucking idiots, all of them. And they are supposed to be hard-ass mafia.
I’m so fucking pissed! Because what will it take to find and read one good mafia story?
1/5 stars ⭐️
January 2, 2026
take my 2 stars with the most tiny grain of salt you can muster, because this was an awful book LMFAOOO. would’ve been a 1 if i wasn’t delirious but whatever
minor spoilers ahead
absolutely nothing besides fucking each other in kinky ways (masks, kidnapping, stalking, chasing, etc), and him absolutely loathing her happened until roughly 80% into the book. why i kept reading is a mystery to you and i both
for whatever goddamn reason though i couldn’t put this book down. the writing wasn’t bad so i guess i thought why the hell not. the plot, when there is one that isn’t sex, is actually kind of interesting. but don’t be fooled i don’t think they had one interaction between each other that didn’t end with at least one orgasm
my sincerest apologies for this not even being a real review because im still super confused as to why i’m intrigued. like- i hated both of them. more so him, but when he realizes she actually DID do everything for him- which you don’t find out what *everything* is until 90%, he was actually pretty chill and i liked him. but she took so fucking LONG to do anything. and it was a humiliation ritual. but i also loved all the side characters and their interactions with each other.
oh. also. owd. no feelings on his side, but he employs a girl who tried to steal him from fmc years ago to make her jealous (ew) and is still actively trying to fuck him. abusive father. she lies and keeps secrets. she’s perfect on the outside but actually has kinks (no shame here) that she hides because she’s ashamed so he PRINTS OUT her kindle recent reads (aka my worst nightmare) to show that he knows what she wants, but as her stalker. she’s a 26 yo virgin because it’s only ever been him, but he’s fucked random women at a sex club of sorts and gets irrationally upset because he doesn’t think she’s a virgin. rival mafia outdated treaty that isn’t actually explained in the book but is the entire plot. he doesn’t believe a word she says ever. and the classic miscommunication trope with each other, and with the reader because she made us wait the entire damn book to attempt to explain anything.
yk, the stereotypical mafia romance!
like, don’t read this, but also, i’m not entirely mad because i’ve read much worse so… whatever.
minor spoilers ahead
absolutely nothing besides fucking each other in kinky ways (masks, kidnapping, stalking, chasing, etc), and him absolutely loathing her happened until roughly 80% into the book. why i kept reading is a mystery to you and i both
for whatever goddamn reason though i couldn’t put this book down. the writing wasn’t bad so i guess i thought why the hell not. the plot, when there is one that isn’t sex, is actually kind of interesting. but don’t be fooled i don’t think they had one interaction between each other that didn’t end with at least one orgasm
my sincerest apologies for this not even being a real review because im still super confused as to why i’m intrigued. like- i hated both of them. more so him, but when he realizes she actually DID do everything for him- which you don’t find out what *everything* is until 90%, he was actually pretty chill and i liked him. but she took so fucking LONG to do anything. and it was a humiliation ritual. but i also loved all the side characters and their interactions with each other.
oh. also. owd. no feelings on his side, but he employs a girl who tried to steal him from fmc years ago to make her jealous (ew) and is still actively trying to fuck him. abusive father. she lies and keeps secrets. she’s perfect on the outside but actually has kinks (no shame here) that she hides because she’s ashamed so he PRINTS OUT her kindle recent reads (aka my worst nightmare) to show that he knows what she wants, but as her stalker. she’s a 26 yo virgin because it’s only ever been him, but he’s fucked random women at a sex club of sorts and gets irrationally upset because he doesn’t think she’s a virgin. rival mafia outdated treaty that isn’t actually explained in the book but is the entire plot. he doesn’t believe a word she says ever. and the classic miscommunication trope with each other, and with the reader because she made us wait the entire damn book to attempt to explain anything.
yk, the stereotypical mafia romance!
like, don’t read this, but also, i’m not entirely mad because i’ve read much worse so… whatever.
September 25, 2025
𝟒.𝟓 𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐫𝐬
𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 was faithful to its title. it was a beautifully crafted second-chance romance caricaturing tormented leads. this book had been one of my most anticipated reads, especially since i was eager to finally unravel the story of Angelo and Abella after first meeting them in 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 by A. Zavarelli.
i absolutely adore this author’s work, and once again, it delivered on so many levels. the story was dark and twisted, yet threaded with the perfect balance of jealousy, revenge, and anger. it had that kind of raw intensity that makes every interaction between the leads feel like it could shatter or ignite at any moment.
what struck me most was how beautifully crafted it all felt. even amidst the shadows and the pain, the author’s prose carried its usual elegance with a lyrical writing yet cutting straight to the bone.
beautiful torment isn’t a soft love story. it’s jagged, consuming, and layered with secrets, but that’s exactly what made it so compelling.
many thanks to the author and candikanepr for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
𝘣𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘪𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 was faithful to its title. it was a beautifully crafted second-chance romance caricaturing tormented leads. this book had been one of my most anticipated reads, especially since i was eager to finally unravel the story of Angelo and Abella after first meeting them in 𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨𝘥𝘰𝘮 𝘧𝘢𝘭𝘭 by A. Zavarelli.
i absolutely adore this author’s work, and once again, it delivered on so many levels. the story was dark and twisted, yet threaded with the perfect balance of jealousy, revenge, and anger. it had that kind of raw intensity that makes every interaction between the leads feel like it could shatter or ignite at any moment.
what struck me most was how beautifully crafted it all felt. even amidst the shadows and the pain, the author’s prose carried its usual elegance with a lyrical writing yet cutting straight to the bone.
beautiful torment isn’t a soft love story. it’s jagged, consuming, and layered with secrets, but that’s exactly what made it so compelling.
many thanks to the author and candikanepr for providing an eARC in exchange for an honest review!
November 19, 2025
I've read Hate Crush by her years ago which was one of my fav books. I decided to discover her others books especially her usual ones with mafia tropes AND THIS WAS A FUCK/SMUT FEST!
Do with that what you want!
Do with that what you want!
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