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Xavier
Two prestigious families.
One arranged marriage.
One mistake.
-
Xavier Marcello has been Sophie Marin’s burden from birth. As the eldest Marin offspring, her pledge to the man has been decades in the making, a fruitful checkmate that will bind two of the most powerful households in the New York Mafia.
Through blood and tears, Sophie discovers how infallible her future is as the wife to a future Capo. To imagine an escape is futile. There is no hope for a different life. No hope for love, forged by respect. The man she’s bound to is a renowned Don Juan, a violent predator, making up for what he lacked in his youth.
He’ll own New York. With a word, he’ll dispatch his enemies, trained to forget he has a heart. She’s convinced she’ll live the rest of her life in fear of the man in her bed… until she’s actually there, finding that the man behind the name is not at all like he’s painted.
And in fact, they are more alike than they could possibly imagine.
This is the first installment in The Cosa Nostra Series. This is a Dark Romance novel with triggers, violence, and mature themes that may make some readers uncomfortable.
If you desire an in-depth list of what content is in this series, you may find the information on Alicia's website.
One arranged marriage.
One mistake.
-
Xavier Marcello has been Sophie Marin’s burden from birth. As the eldest Marin offspring, her pledge to the man has been decades in the making, a fruitful checkmate that will bind two of the most powerful households in the New York Mafia.
Through blood and tears, Sophie discovers how infallible her future is as the wife to a future Capo. To imagine an escape is futile. There is no hope for a different life. No hope for love, forged by respect. The man she’s bound to is a renowned Don Juan, a violent predator, making up for what he lacked in his youth.
He’ll own New York. With a word, he’ll dispatch his enemies, trained to forget he has a heart. She’s convinced she’ll live the rest of her life in fear of the man in her bed… until she’s actually there, finding that the man behind the name is not at all like he’s painted.
And in fact, they are more alike than they could possibly imagine.
This is the first installment in The Cosa Nostra Series. This is a Dark Romance novel with triggers, violence, and mature themes that may make some readers uncomfortable.
If you desire an in-depth list of what content is in this series, you may find the information on Alicia's website.
458 pages, Paperback
Published June 6, 2022
50 people are currently reading
425 people want to read
About the author
Alicia Marino
13 books156 followersAlicia Marino, whose life is consumed by BTS, fantasy romance, and Walt Disney World, strives to find a bit of magic in everything. She credits Jane Austen with igniting her desire to seek evidence of that forever type of love. As a classic introvert living in Florida, she cherishes those overcast days when she can dive into a book and fall in love.
Ratings & Reviews
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
May 2, 2022
I first read this book when it was on Wattpad, and when I saw it was being published I was BEYOND excited.
I’ve always loved Alicia’s work, and revisiting this story? These characters? It was everything and more.
This book is about Xavier and Sophia, two people who are tied into the mafia world unwillingly. They were once best friends growing up, but life changed them, and now years later they are expected to marry.
Their marriage isn’t easy. Sophia holds a lot of resentment towards Xavier. But one thing I love about his character is that he’s real. He’s kind to her. He tries to understand her. He puts what he feels aside, whatever he needs to do, to make things better for her.
This book was exhilarating, emotional, and sexy. I’m so excited for the next book.
Can’t wait for everyone to meet these characters and fall in love with them and their world.
I’ve always loved Alicia’s work, and revisiting this story? These characters? It was everything and more.
This book is about Xavier and Sophia, two people who are tied into the mafia world unwillingly. They were once best friends growing up, but life changed them, and now years later they are expected to marry.
Their marriage isn’t easy. Sophia holds a lot of resentment towards Xavier. But one thing I love about his character is that he’s real. He’s kind to her. He tries to understand her. He puts what he feels aside, whatever he needs to do, to make things better for her.
This book was exhilarating, emotional, and sexy. I’m so excited for the next book.
Can’t wait for everyone to meet these characters and fall in love with them and their world.
February 28, 2023
3.5
It was great- then in the last 150 pages I thought it was overdoing it and too much drama
I sacrificed 4 hours of sleep for this so well OBV I REALLY LIKED IT
Can’t wait for the next book
It was great- then in the last 150 pages I thought it was overdoing it and too much drama
I sacrificed 4 hours of sleep for this so well OBV I REALLY LIKED IT
Can’t wait for the next book
May 7, 2022
The new cover looks amazing! 😍🥵
Read this story on Wattpad and remember loving it.❤️ Because it was something a lot better than most.
Read this story on Wattpad and remember loving it.❤️ Because it was something a lot better than most.
June 12, 2022
Extremely powerful story of love. It blew my mind completely. It surpassed all my expectations, which were pretty high knowing how amazing this author is. Fantastic plot. Extraordinary writing. Last chapter features one of the best-written emotionally charged scenes in modern romance. I was moved to tears, and left with a huge void in my heart. 2nd book can't come soon enough.
June 12, 2022
I loved this book. I can't wait to read more about Sophie and Xavier.
August 3, 2022
Fell in love with Xavier and Sophie. I read this in wattpad a while back but have to re read a couple times. Purchased one from kindle too.
I’m patiently waiting for Kara to be published.
@aliciamarino you are one of a hell great writer
I’m patiently waiting for Kara to be published.
@aliciamarino you are one of a hell great writer
June 15, 2022
I absolutely loved this book! I read the original on Alicia’s Wattpad Profile, and it evoked so many emotions. There are a select few books in my opinion for me on Wattpad that are worthy of publishing & I would hope the writers would publish their work so others can read it & also selfishly so I can have a copy that I can read over & over again. This is one of those books I’m so happy to see come to fruition. Xavier & Cara, I cannot recount how many time I’ve read over the past 4 years.
This book made me smile, laugh, nervous, cry - it’s a book that makes you feel so much for it’s characters. There are some changes to some of the small moments in the book, it made me feel bittersweet of course because I was invested in the original piece, but overall Alicia’s work still shines through.
I highly recommend it. I look forward to when she publishes Cara in the future.
This book made me smile, laugh, nervous, cry - it’s a book that makes you feel so much for it’s characters. There are some changes to some of the small moments in the book, it made me feel bittersweet of course because I was invested in the original piece, but overall Alicia’s work still shines through.
I highly recommend it. I look forward to when she publishes Cara in the future.
July 1, 2022
POR SIEMPRE MI FAVORITO
April 17, 2022
Love this book so much....It's also emotional
March 19, 2023
First book by this author, and I was not disappointed. 5 stars. Loved Xavier and Sophie’s story, can’t wait for book 2 🥰
October 16, 2023
WHY DID THEY TRY TO RUN AWAY TOGETHER
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 15, 2023
Okay, what just happened here. 😭
Sometimes a girl just needs a good mafia romance. This was a fantastic story. I know a lot of people diss on published wattpad stories, but man I couldn’t put this down. Seriously one of the best mafia stories I’ve read in awhile, random grammar and spelling mistakes aside.
Sophia and Xavier grew up together, friends before realizing they had no choice but marry each other when they were grown. This starts out with the death of Sophia’s first teenage love, the repercussions of her trying to run away. No one leaves the mafia. Not alive.
Fast forward six years, it’s time for her to marry Xavier. Things are rocky, especially as she believes he played a part in Thomas’ death. Yet, over time, they come to love each other deeply and he begins to trust her and keep her in the loop, even if he knows she would be better off being kept in the dark.
Here I was, thinking this was going to be wrapped up nicely as a standalone novel, with Sophie and Xavier successfully escaped from the familia, but instead, I’m left sobbing and reeling and wondering when the heck we get the next part to their story.
What.
Just.
Happened.
😭
Sometimes a girl just needs a good mafia romance. This was a fantastic story. I know a lot of people diss on published wattpad stories, but man I couldn’t put this down. Seriously one of the best mafia stories I’ve read in awhile, random grammar and spelling mistakes aside.
Sophia and Xavier grew up together, friends before realizing they had no choice but marry each other when they were grown. This starts out with the death of Sophia’s first teenage love, the repercussions of her trying to run away. No one leaves the mafia. Not alive.
Fast forward six years, it’s time for her to marry Xavier. Things are rocky, especially as she believes he played a part in Thomas’ death. Yet, over time, they come to love each other deeply and he begins to trust her and keep her in the loop, even if he knows she would be better off being kept in the dark.
Here I was, thinking this was going to be wrapped up nicely as a standalone novel, with Sophie and Xavier successfully escaped from the familia, but instead, I’m left sobbing and reeling and wondering when the heck we get the next part to their story.
What.
Just.
Happened.
😭
January 24, 2023
OH MY FREAKING GOD!!!!
WHAT DID I JUST FINISH
this is one of the best mafia books i've read!!!!
The starting was a bit slow but the story took a u turn.
the mmc Xavier is so kind and sweet even being a made men. He has stolen my heart. I am physically weak just thinking about what sacrifice he made for her at the end.
The fmc is so cool. I just finished the book and i'm busy shedding tears bc of what happened to her and Thomas. That was so sad
The writing is good and the story is top notch!!
childhood friends to be married
mafia family
fmc tries to escape w lover of 3 months but fails and is abused by her father
the love to hate relationship b/w the main characters.
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS FREAKING AWESOME.
P.S FUCKKKKKK
I DID NOT KNOW THIS WAS NOT A COMPLETED SERIES AND I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOOOKKKK NOW 😭😭😭😭
WHAT DID I JUST FINISH
this is one of the best mafia books i've read!!!!
The starting was a bit slow but the story took a u turn.
the mmc Xavier is so kind and sweet even being a made men. He has stolen my heart. I am physically weak just thinking about what sacrifice he made for her at the end.
The fmc is so cool. I just finished the book and i'm busy shedding tears bc of what happened to her and Thomas. That was so sad
The writing is good and the story is top notch!!
childhood friends to be married
mafia family
fmc tries to escape w lover of 3 months but fails and is abused by her father
the love to hate relationship b/w the main characters.
EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS BOOK IS FREAKING AWESOME.
P.S FUCKKKKKK
I DID NOT KNOW THIS WAS NOT A COMPLETED SERIES AND I CANNOT WAIT FOR THE SECOND BOOOOKKKK NOW 😭😭😭😭
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 23, 2023
10/22 I truly don’t know how I feel about this one, I liked it at first but the more I read it the less motivated I became to read it, i mean I liked the whole enemies to lovers aspect, him protecting her and everything, the beginning was great and even a lil after they got married was good, but it was like the last 150 pages or so that did it for me, it just went downhill for me after that, i dunno, this book was kinda all over the place and a little extra at times and I dunno if I’ll read the next one or not, but anyways it wasn’t a terrible read but it’s far far from my favorite
December 7, 2025
Wow. Just wow. I went into this book expecting a typical Mafia romance. And it was that for most of the book. I was cursing the story for how it portrayed Mafia families (Mafia men so cruel to their wives and kids but then expecting those kids to have loyalty). But the end of this book absolutely shattered me. Sophie and Xavier have literally been through hell and back. I balled my eyes out the whole last chapter. I have to go to book 2 and I’m praying for a HEA!
March 7, 2023
loved!!!!!!
I absolutely loved this book. It’s really hard to find a decent mafia romance, but this one had me from the first page. I love a book that has a strong plot. There has been few mafia romance books that have kept me wanting more. I was 60 percent through the book and I wanted to review it as 5 stars. Thank you booktok for the recommendation.
I absolutely loved this book. It’s really hard to find a decent mafia romance, but this one had me from the first page. I love a book that has a strong plot. There has been few mafia romance books that have kept me wanting more. I was 60 percent through the book and I wanted to review it as 5 stars. Thank you booktok for the recommendation.
October 3, 2024
2.45 out of 5. I was just really craving a good mafia romance and just finished reading an amazing Wattpad series from this author. Buttttt this was just not good. I guess I was too desperate and had high expectations. the beginning was ok but I wasn't connecting with the romance and the plot took a dumb turn.
November 10, 2024
always been a Favourite
I reread this an least 20 times before it was published and didn’t even realized it had been so as soon as I seen it I had to buy it and I can’t wait for book 2 to reread Xavier and Sophie’s HEA
I reread this an least 20 times before it was published and didn’t even realized it had been so as soon as I seen it I had to buy it and I can’t wait for book 2 to reread Xavier and Sophie’s HEA
August 22, 2022
The abuse towards the h at the end almost made me lose it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 29, 2023
I need the complete series!
February 26, 2023
the typos with plurals and the saxon genitive were taking me out of the reading experience all the time. still, i really enjoyed the story.
January 10, 2024
read both the first and second book on wattpad and it fundamentally altered my brain. absolutely incredible books but so much tw i don’t know if im emotionally strong enough to read it again
February 28, 2023
3.5 stars
going to start cry and throwing up because what????? HAD ME HOOKED.
the main premise is a lot like the sweetest oblivion but i loved it nonetheless. the scenes weren't overplayed or a direct copy.
going to start cry and throwing up because what????? HAD ME HOOKED.
the main premise is a lot like the sweetest oblivion but i loved it nonetheless. the scenes weren't overplayed or a direct copy.
August 14, 2022
One word...Exceptional! Finished this in like 2 days. Get me book two fast please, I need to continue to be whole.
July 4, 2022
Ugh! Absolutely adored Xavier and Sophie, and the development of these two characters. I’ll be waiting with baited breath for second book!
April 23, 2024
80% I couldn't do it anymore.
August 31, 2023
Oh dio mio. What did I just read? This is my second gangsta read after ‘Songbird in a storm’ and I must say I have been pretty gangsta -read lucky with my mafia books. It had been a while since I fell in love. Danny was the last guy I felt for but Xavier made me fall so hard. I loved this book albeit it could be edited better- lots of spelling and grammar errors.
Finally here we have a book that showcases the true brutality of the mafia- the true stakes involved. The suffering, the torture. It was never all happy and hero saves the day in this book. The hero gets outsmarted and doesn’t manage to save his Cara. The last part almost broke me. And for someone who is such an avid reader and can see plot twists coming from a mile, I did not predict this coming, I mean since when do the leads suffer post falling in love.
In an age of annoying female leads Sophie is breath of fresh air.
I wish there was more explanation on Vicki’s motivations and Thomas’s imprisonment.
Other than that, all I can say is the book is aptly named Xavier- The 6’3 green eyed, curly haired Italian mafiasco monstrosity who made me feel loads of emotions and altered my belief that romance novel heroes could only be cringy, lewd dimwits. Well this one was different from the start.
Finally here we have a book that showcases the true brutality of the mafia- the true stakes involved. The suffering, the torture. It was never all happy and hero saves the day in this book. The hero gets outsmarted and doesn’t manage to save his Cara. The last part almost broke me. And for someone who is such an avid reader and can see plot twists coming from a mile, I did not predict this coming, I mean since when do the leads suffer post falling in love.
In an age of annoying female leads Sophie is breath of fresh air.
I wish there was more explanation on Vicki’s motivations and Thomas’s imprisonment.
Other than that, all I can say is the book is aptly named Xavier- The 6’3 green eyed, curly haired Italian mafiasco monstrosity who made me feel loads of emotions and altered my belief that romance novel heroes could only be cringy, lewd dimwits. Well this one was different from the start.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 27, 2023
I truly loved this book. There was twist after twist and kept me on my toes. My emotions were all on Xavier and Sophia. Can't wait for the 2nd book.
Read
October 28, 2023Dnf’ed at 45%
Idk what to think of this book. I’ve never been fond of wattpad and this just cemented my belief. I thought I was liking it. The guy was sweet and considerate albeit a little weird sometimes and the girl was strong enough although she wasn’t the smartest one. I’m genuinely confused of what to really think but god I just couldn’t with that wedding night scene. Never have I ever read a smutty scene so… cold and cringy. It was the worst one yet, had to stop reading. Just not my cuppa tea.
Idk what to think of this book. I’ve never been fond of wattpad and this just cemented my belief. I thought I was liking it. The guy was sweet and considerate albeit a little weird sometimes and the girl was strong enough although she wasn’t the smartest one. I’m genuinely confused of what to really think but god I just couldn’t with that wedding night scene. Never have I ever read a smutty scene so… cold and cringy. It was the worst one yet, had to stop reading. Just not my cuppa tea.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews