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Beauty in Lies #1-4
Beauty in Lies Box Set
My obsession with Isa started with a single glance. From that first moment standing on the streets of Chicago in the midst of a Bellandi war, she consumed me.
Owned me, without ever setting eyes on me herself.
I protected her, waiting for the day when she would be mine. No matter what it takes, no matter what illusions I must show her, she will be my wife.
Mi Reina was born to rule at my side.
I'll just have to break her first.
Owned me, without ever setting eyes on me herself.
I protected her, waiting for the day when she would be mine. No matter what it takes, no matter what illusions I must show her, she will be my wife.
Mi Reina was born to rule at my side.
I'll just have to break her first.
1166 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 3, 2022
1352 people are currently reading
1596 people want to read
About the author
Adelaide Forrest
29 books3,120 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...
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 138 reviews
April 8, 2024
LOADS OF TRIGGERS THIS IS DEFINITELY A DARK ROMANCE
The journey isn’t always a pretty one
-I really didn’t think I would love a captor/tormentor story as much as I did. This author did and AMAZING job at bring you 2 very complex beautifully dark characters and make you fall hard for them both.
‼️This is an epic DARK journey with lots of twist and turns. But You never question Rafe or his obsession for Isa.
I mean Rafe is everything😍! I’ve seen so many of these types of books where the H kidnaps the h and forces her into a twisted sexual relationship that’s really just Stockholms and abuse with no love at all.
But here it’s NOT like that… not at all.
Is it twisted? Yes. Dark? Absolutely. Bordering on some questionable behavior? Hell yes. But it’s such a beautiful love and a twisted journey that you never want it to end.
💯The author makes you love Rafe from the start. He is so dedicated to her it’s twisted in a beautiful way. He wants her to love him and tries to swoon her and when she doesn’t choose him he takes her anyways. I mean, he does try to give her a choice 😅.
‼️From the start we see Rafe is obsessed. He sees her and knows she is his but she’s only 16yr so he sets people in her life to watch a protect her -since he is a powerful man in the underworld- while he sets his plans for their future together in motion over the next 16months. I mean he waits for her sexually! 🥰😍💕 swoon. He doesn’t even look at another woman after setting eyes on her and that sets the tone for his absolute dedication to her for the rest of the book. I loved this beyond word.
Isa- she’s living in her self made cage since she was 5 yrs old cause of an incident that happened and changed her whole life. She lives to please her very unappreciative family. And is basically not really living at all. Her twin sister is the worst person ever.
So when she meets Rafe on her trip to Ibiza and he sweeps her off her feet, shows her passion and the kind of life she’s missing, it kinda drove me nuts that she fought it and didn’t choose him. Her family was not worth it and her life was nothing worth living up to that point. In fact she was just kinda boring. At 18yr old she legit had no real life.
I felt for Rafe when he was trying to swoon her cause he wanted so bad for her to choose him and he waited so long 😢 so I didn’t even mind when he ripped the blinders off and took her and basically forces her to see what she refused to see. In fact I really didn’t feel sorry for her at all, only cause she really had no life. Rafe wasn’t taking her form anything, not really, her family was horrible her life boring and her future looking very dim. She sat in a room every night in silence for hours just to escape… so yeah she wasn’t living anyways. Rafe wanted to give her everything.
Kidnapped- so in book 2 is where all the more questionable stuff happens. Like bordering on is it abuse or is it love? But really seeing how dedicated to Isa Rafe is it’s softens the blow a bit. Should she fight for freedom? Yes. Did it start to get annoying? Yes…. Lol. But it was necessary for her growth. And Only cause she just couldn’t see the big picture at the time. Everything Rafe did was to bring out all the darkness he saw in her that she didn’t want to acknowledge. He wanted her to be his beautiful queen that he knew she could be. And to be fair everything he did to her he mostly did to himself as well.
Isa loved him before he kidnapped her and showed her his El Diablo side so really your just kinda waiting for her to grow into the queen she was ment to be. But she fights hard and Rafe kinda loves it to 😂.
Was it harsh at times? Yes. Was Rafe a dark monster? Yes…. But you still rooted for him cause along with his very dark monster he was drift only for her. He had a lot of love that was ONLY for her.
Book 3- things start off rough again. But settle as Isa comes to terms with who she really is and ment to be and starts to fill those shoes. Answer’s are uncovered that throw them for a loop. It’s still a process. But I loved that she stopped letting her family and the incident control her actions and choices. And Rafe and her start to become a power couple. Rafe is still is still his crazy obsessed possessive controlling self but it’s always for her benefit and their ultimate good.
Ugh I love him so much💓. At this point Isa starts to become less annoying to me and more of the strong FMC that I love.
So from there we have growth between our couple we have some really off the charts smex🔥🔥🔥🔥. Fighting their enemy and fixing the truth about their twisted pasts and things that brought them together. It’s definitely a journey. But a beautiful twisted dark one you won’t want to end.
‼️A h that fights back
No cheating 💕
No OW drama 💕
Hot a beyond steamy 🔥
🔥OTT JP Obsessed 🤩
❤️HERO CELIBATE AFTER SEEING THE h- like he won’t even look at OW.
‼️This has lots of dark triggers guys, it’s not a sweet romance. But by the end both are definitely amazing together and have their own brand of crazy. It’s not for everyone.
Age gap h18/ H in his 30s
-Branding
-Cutting/marking
-Dubcon
-Marriage at gunpoint
The journey isn’t always a pretty one
-I really didn’t think I would love a captor/tormentor story as much as I did. This author did and AMAZING job at bring you 2 very complex beautifully dark characters and make you fall hard for them both.
‼️This is an epic DARK journey with lots of twist and turns. But You never question Rafe or his obsession for Isa.
I mean Rafe is everything😍! I’ve seen so many of these types of books where the H kidnaps the h and forces her into a twisted sexual relationship that’s really just Stockholms and abuse with no love at all.
But here it’s NOT like that… not at all.
Is it twisted? Yes. Dark? Absolutely. Bordering on some questionable behavior? Hell yes. But it’s such a beautiful love and a twisted journey that you never want it to end.
💯The author makes you love Rafe from the start. He is so dedicated to her it’s twisted in a beautiful way. He wants her to love him and tries to swoon her and when she doesn’t choose him he takes her anyways. I mean, he does try to give her a choice 😅.
‼️From the start we see Rafe is obsessed. He sees her and knows she is his but she’s only 16yr so he sets people in her life to watch a protect her -since he is a powerful man in the underworld- while he sets his plans for their future together in motion over the next 16months. I mean he waits for her sexually! 🥰😍💕 swoon. He doesn’t even look at another woman after setting eyes on her and that sets the tone for his absolute dedication to her for the rest of the book. I loved this beyond word.
Isa- she’s living in her self made cage since she was 5 yrs old cause of an incident that happened and changed her whole life. She lives to please her very unappreciative family. And is basically not really living at all. Her twin sister is the worst person ever.
So when she meets Rafe on her trip to Ibiza and he sweeps her off her feet, shows her passion and the kind of life she’s missing, it kinda drove me nuts that she fought it and didn’t choose him. Her family was not worth it and her life was nothing worth living up to that point. In fact she was just kinda boring. At 18yr old she legit had no real life.
I felt for Rafe when he was trying to swoon her cause he wanted so bad for her to choose him and he waited so long 😢 so I didn’t even mind when he ripped the blinders off and took her and basically forces her to see what she refused to see. In fact I really didn’t feel sorry for her at all, only cause she really had no life. Rafe wasn’t taking her form anything, not really, her family was horrible her life boring and her future looking very dim. She sat in a room every night in silence for hours just to escape… so yeah she wasn’t living anyways. Rafe wanted to give her everything.
Kidnapped- so in book 2 is where all the more questionable stuff happens. Like bordering on is it abuse or is it love? But really seeing how dedicated to Isa Rafe is it’s softens the blow a bit. Should she fight for freedom? Yes. Did it start to get annoying? Yes…. Lol. But it was necessary for her growth. And Only cause she just couldn’t see the big picture at the time. Everything Rafe did was to bring out all the darkness he saw in her that she didn’t want to acknowledge. He wanted her to be his beautiful queen that he knew she could be. And to be fair everything he did to her he mostly did to himself as well.
Isa loved him before he kidnapped her and showed her his El Diablo side so really your just kinda waiting for her to grow into the queen she was ment to be. But she fights hard and Rafe kinda loves it to 😂.
Was it harsh at times? Yes. Was Rafe a dark monster? Yes…. But you still rooted for him cause along with his very dark monster he was drift only for her. He had a lot of love that was ONLY for her.
Book 3- things start off rough again. But settle as Isa comes to terms with who she really is and ment to be and starts to fill those shoes. Answer’s are uncovered that throw them for a loop. It’s still a process. But I loved that she stopped letting her family and the incident control her actions and choices. And Rafe and her start to become a power couple. Rafe is still is still his crazy obsessed possessive controlling self but it’s always for her benefit and their ultimate good.
Ugh I love him so much💓. At this point Isa starts to become less annoying to me and more of the strong FMC that I love.
So from there we have growth between our couple we have some really off the charts smex🔥🔥🔥🔥. Fighting their enemy and fixing the truth about their twisted pasts and things that brought them together. It’s definitely a journey. But a beautiful twisted dark one you won’t want to end.
‼️A h that fights back
No cheating 💕
No OW drama 💕
Hot a beyond steamy 🔥
🔥OTT JP Obsessed 🤩
❤️HERO CELIBATE AFTER SEEING THE h- like he won’t even look at OW.
‼️This has lots of dark triggers guys, it’s not a sweet romance. But by the end both are definitely amazing together and have their own brand of crazy. It’s not for everyone.
Age gap h18/ H in his 30s
-Branding
-Cutting/marking
-Dubcon
-Marriage at gunpoint
June 13, 2022
2.5 stars
I received an ARC of this series in exchange for an honest review!
DNF halfway through book 2! Dark romance, be warned!
I love mafia romance and I really enjoyed the prequel and book 1 of this series. However once the MFC was kidnapped and held against her will the book got really dark, real fast, and I couldn’t finish book 2.
I thought I had no triggers. Turns out dub-con is a limit for me especially since the main character is so young (18) and the mafia boss Rafaele is in his thirties.
If Isa had been older and more experienced I think I wouldn’t have minded as much. But for me, Rafe came across more like a predator than a lover and I couldn’t see him care about Isa at all. While reading I was rooting for Isa to escape rather than be caught by him, so unfortunately I wasn’t buying their love.
The author does a good job of warning readers with a list of trigger warnings and content warnings so be aware!
It’s well written and the characters are interesting, but I wasn’t invested in their relationship enough to push past the darker scenes.
I received an ARC of this series in exchange for an honest review!
DNF halfway through book 2! Dark romance, be warned!
I love mafia romance and I really enjoyed the prequel and book 1 of this series. However once the MFC was kidnapped and held against her will the book got really dark, real fast, and I couldn’t finish book 2.
I thought I had no triggers. Turns out dub-con is a limit for me especially since the main character is so young (18) and the mafia boss Rafaele is in his thirties.
If Isa had been older and more experienced I think I wouldn’t have minded as much. But for me, Rafe came across more like a predator than a lover and I couldn’t see him care about Isa at all. While reading I was rooting for Isa to escape rather than be caught by him, so unfortunately I wasn’t buying their love.
The author does a good job of warning readers with a list of trigger warnings and content warnings so be aware!
It’s well written and the characters are interesting, but I wasn’t invested in their relationship enough to push past the darker scenes.
June 3, 2022
A love for all time
4.5 stars
Rafe and Isa story’s is one for all time. Rafe, immediately arrested upon seeing Isa, claims her as his own. The strategic compulsive plays he carries out to make his princess his queen are revealed among heady spice, a cartel backdrop, and self-actualization. Rafe is charming but ruthless, predatory, and Isa is sweet, unobtrusive, and develops into woman of reckoning, wielding her position by Rafe’s side.
Even with some darker themes, I could feel the theme of romance and fated love flowing alongside the events. Rafe and Isa shared a passionate love affair, so attracted to each other it was tangible.
Mostly I loved the writing and visuals the series conveyed. After a stunning introduction (book one), book two was the breadth of story development with more action in books three and four. A decided slow burn, I would have been content with less detail. Overall, I liked the series, love’s partnership in an age-gap romance with intrigue, beauty, cunning and a hint of darkness.
4.5 stars
Rafe and Isa story’s is one for all time. Rafe, immediately arrested upon seeing Isa, claims her as his own. The strategic compulsive plays he carries out to make his princess his queen are revealed among heady spice, a cartel backdrop, and self-actualization. Rafe is charming but ruthless, predatory, and Isa is sweet, unobtrusive, and develops into woman of reckoning, wielding her position by Rafe’s side.
Even with some darker themes, I could feel the theme of romance and fated love flowing alongside the events. Rafe and Isa shared a passionate love affair, so attracted to each other it was tangible.
Mostly I loved the writing and visuals the series conveyed. After a stunning introduction (book one), book two was the breadth of story development with more action in books three and four. A decided slow burn, I would have been content with less detail. Overall, I liked the series, love’s partnership in an age-gap romance with intrigue, beauty, cunning and a hint of darkness.
June 1, 2022
Rafe and Isa's story is spell bounding, and kept me captivated and unable to put this book down!
Raphael is the epitome of a jealous and possessive male, and when it comes to Isa he has no boundaries. When they finally meet, face to face, for the first time Raf is charming, sweet, and so focused on Isa that it seems to good to be true.
Isa and Rafael are in a vicious cycle of push and pull, give and take, as they continue their journey. Between outside forces, internal influences, and Isa's family, these characters are struck with blow after blow, never getting a chance to just be.
Adelaide Forrest has written a wonderful series, with revenge and vengeance, despair and hope, but with intense love and passion.
Raphael is the epitome of a jealous and possessive male, and when it comes to Isa he has no boundaries. When they finally meet, face to face, for the first time Raf is charming, sweet, and so focused on Isa that it seems to good to be true.
Isa and Rafael are in a vicious cycle of push and pull, give and take, as they continue their journey. Between outside forces, internal influences, and Isa's family, these characters are struck with blow after blow, never getting a chance to just be.
Adelaide Forrest has written a wonderful series, with revenge and vengeance, despair and hope, but with intense love and passion.
June 10, 2022
“There is no place on this Earth that you can hide from me, Princesa. Eres mia.”
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶/5
Angst Rating: 🖤🖤🖤/5
Burn: Insta-Obsession (1 Sided)
♟Mafia Romance
♟Dark Romance
♟POC Heroine
♟Spanish Hero
Tropes: Age-Gap, Forced-Marriage, Forced-Proximity, Forced-Pregnancy, Stalker, Kidnapping, Possessive-Hero, Touch-Her-and-You-Die, Virgin Heroine, Wealthy-Hero/Poor-Heroine, Good-Girl-Gone-Bad, Jealous-Hero, Found-Family
Kinks: Dub/Sub, Biting/Marking, Knife Play, Breeding, Praise, Spanking, Choking, Orgasm Denial
"You're mine to hurt. Mine to break. Mine to fuck, and mine to keep, Princesa."
WOW this series is everything I love about dark romance wrapped up into one box set. I think I have a new book obsession!
La Reina y El Diablo
Hero: Rafael is a mafia boss from Spain known for being a cold and detached merciless king of his domain. Rafael ‘El Diablo’ believes himself incapable of emotion until Isa creates a shift in everything who he believed himself to be. He is definitely a BAD man and that does not change, so if you like your hero to have a good sense of morality, you won’t find that in Rafe. I can see him being too unhinged for many but I absolutely love him. He’s made it on my roster for favorite book boyfriends 🔥
“If there was one thing I knew about Rafael Ibarra, it was that he did as he pleased. And to hell with what anyone else thought.”
Heroine: Isa is a sweet naive young woman from Chicago who dedicates her life to overcompensating for a mistake in her past by going above and beyond to be the perfect daughter, something that her twin sister resents her for. Isa’s priorities change when she meets Rafael who teaches her to embrace all that she is, especially her dark side that she has spent all her life suppressing.
“There'd come a time when she wasn't afraid of my darkness, where she welcomed it as part of her because she was just as twisted as I was. There'd come a time when she accepted that was who she was.
The plot is very well thought out with many twists and turns. This book just kept throwing me off and I loved how unpredictable it was. The intricate family connections were a key factor to the intrigue of this story. I appreciate the way the author intricately wove together all these complex details to create a story that felt truly alive. The major character development was another key element to this story.
Plot Overview: Beauty in Lies follows Isa and Rafael’s twisted and passionate all-consuming romance. It all begins when Rafael sees Isa for the first time and becomes completely obsessed. After he lays eyes on her she possesses all his thoughts and becomes his reason for living. Rafe decides then that he WILL have her no matter the means and will do whatever it takes to make her his. From afar, he manipulates his way into her life for over a year, leading to a trip to Ibiza where he carefully orchestrates their meeting and gives her ten days to fall in love with him. Of course, everything doesn’t go as planned and Rafael feels forced to do whatever he must to have Isa for himself. The love that forms between them is bloody, ruthless, and beyond complicated while also being transformative and violently passionate. The story beautifully shows their growth as individuals as well as a couple, and tells of those who want to rip them apart.
“If she could love the devil, then she could love the queen who completed him.”
**I was kindly given an ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review. All thoughts are my own.**
Star Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶/5
Angst Rating: 🖤🖤🖤/5
Burn: Insta-Obsession (1 Sided)
♟Mafia Romance
♟Dark Romance
♟POC Heroine
♟Spanish Hero
Tropes: Age-Gap, Forced-Marriage, Forced-Proximity, Forced-Pregnancy, Stalker, Kidnapping, Possessive-Hero, Touch-Her-and-You-Die, Virgin Heroine, Wealthy-Hero/Poor-Heroine, Good-Girl-Gone-Bad, Jealous-Hero, Found-Family
Kinks: Dub/Sub, Biting/Marking, Knife Play, Breeding, Praise, Spanking, Choking, Orgasm Denial
"You're mine to hurt. Mine to break. Mine to fuck, and mine to keep, Princesa."
WOW this series is everything I love about dark romance wrapped up into one box set. I think I have a new book obsession!
La Reina y El Diablo
Hero: Rafael is a mafia boss from Spain known for being a cold and detached merciless king of his domain. Rafael ‘El Diablo’ believes himself incapable of emotion until Isa creates a shift in everything who he believed himself to be. He is definitely a BAD man and that does not change, so if you like your hero to have a good sense of morality, you won’t find that in Rafe. I can see him being too unhinged for many but I absolutely love him. He’s made it on my roster for favorite book boyfriends 🔥
“If there was one thing I knew about Rafael Ibarra, it was that he did as he pleased. And to hell with what anyone else thought.”
Heroine: Isa is a sweet naive young woman from Chicago who dedicates her life to overcompensating for a mistake in her past by going above and beyond to be the perfect daughter, something that her twin sister resents her for. Isa’s priorities change when she meets Rafael who teaches her to embrace all that she is, especially her dark side that she has spent all her life suppressing.
“There'd come a time when she wasn't afraid of my darkness, where she welcomed it as part of her because she was just as twisted as I was. There'd come a time when she accepted that was who she was.
The plot is very well thought out with many twists and turns. This book just kept throwing me off and I loved how unpredictable it was. The intricate family connections were a key factor to the intrigue of this story. I appreciate the way the author intricately wove together all these complex details to create a story that felt truly alive. The major character development was another key element to this story.
Plot Overview: Beauty in Lies follows Isa and Rafael’s twisted and passionate all-consuming romance. It all begins when Rafael sees Isa for the first time and becomes completely obsessed. After he lays eyes on her she possesses all his thoughts and becomes his reason for living. Rafe decides then that he WILL have her no matter the means and will do whatever it takes to make her his. From afar, he manipulates his way into her life for over a year, leading to a trip to Ibiza where he carefully orchestrates their meeting and gives her ten days to fall in love with him. Of course, everything doesn’t go as planned and Rafael feels forced to do whatever he must to have Isa for himself. The love that forms between them is bloody, ruthless, and beyond complicated while also being transformative and violently passionate. The story beautifully shows their growth as individuals as well as a couple, and tells of those who want to rip them apart.
“If she could love the devil, then she could love the queen who completed him.”
**I was kindly given an ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review. All thoughts are my own.**
May 12, 2022
I just read the entire box set, and… wow… speechless. Once I started, I couldn’t stop. Because I read it on my Kindle I can’t pinpoint the separation between the books so I’m going to review the entire series at once. I went into this with no expectations and Adelaide blew me away. The brutality, the emotion and the depth of feeling was felt on every single page.
We meet Isa, sweet Isa – naïve and inexperienced girl who has spent her entire guilt-ridden life taking care of her sister in an attempt to compensate for a “mistake” when she was a child. Everything changes for her when Rafael first sees her… he wants her and will let nothing get in his way of having her…
Rafael, el Diablo – the man we love to hate – spotted Isa in Chicago when she was only 17. He waits 16 months to introduce himself to her… When he does, it’s under a guise – she’s concerned he has a wife somewhere when she should really be concerned about the kind of man he is. He’s so much – I cannot find the words to describe him – he’s misogynistic, horrible, terrible, no good, very very BAD. But, the way he loves, the way he helps Isa to grow, his “Rafe” side, you can’t help but fall for him.
This dark tale will stay with me for awhile. I can’t decide whether I hate Rafe or if I love him! I can say the way Isa transforms during the relationship is shocking, in a good way. He ultimately has her best interest in mind (I think), but his methods are rough, to say the least. I love the way the author built up the characters – I went from guessing Stockholm syndrome to believing it was a real love story. She developed the world so well that we see and feel Isa’s transformation from a young girl to a woman who owns who she is. I want more of this world.
There were also several side characters that I’d love to see more of (Faye and Gabriel, for starters, is there a potential love match!?)
If you’re looking for something dark, I highly recommend this – once you start, whether you want to or not, you won’t be able to stop (kind of like Isa…)
We meet Isa, sweet Isa – naïve and inexperienced girl who has spent her entire guilt-ridden life taking care of her sister in an attempt to compensate for a “mistake” when she was a child. Everything changes for her when Rafael first sees her… he wants her and will let nothing get in his way of having her…
Rafael, el Diablo – the man we love to hate – spotted Isa in Chicago when she was only 17. He waits 16 months to introduce himself to her… When he does, it’s under a guise – she’s concerned he has a wife somewhere when she should really be concerned about the kind of man he is. He’s so much – I cannot find the words to describe him – he’s misogynistic, horrible, terrible, no good, very very BAD. But, the way he loves, the way he helps Isa to grow, his “Rafe” side, you can’t help but fall for him.
This dark tale will stay with me for awhile. I can’t decide whether I hate Rafe or if I love him! I can say the way Isa transforms during the relationship is shocking, in a good way. He ultimately has her best interest in mind (I think), but his methods are rough, to say the least. I love the way the author built up the characters – I went from guessing Stockholm syndrome to believing it was a real love story. She developed the world so well that we see and feel Isa’s transformation from a young girl to a woman who owns who she is. I want more of this world.
There were also several side characters that I’d love to see more of (Faye and Gabriel, for starters, is there a potential love match!?)
If you’re looking for something dark, I highly recommend this – once you start, whether you want to or not, you won’t be able to stop (kind of like Isa…)
June 7, 2022
If you love a crazy possessive, very insane man who is a few fries short of a happy meal like me then you will love Rafe!!!!! He is absolutely psycho and determined when he firsts spots Isa but she’s not legal so being the gentleman he is lol he waits but makes sure she stays safe a little while longer and then when the time is right and she thinks the stars have aligned and she met the man dreams are made of she learns that some dreams can turn into a nightmare of your choosing. I loved this boxset!!!!!!!
June 2, 2022
This was my first of Adelaide Forrest. I knew this was a dark mafia romance, which is my favorite and I had to read it! Keep in mind, that this is 4.5 books in one book. So this is an extremely long book. I did rank each book individually so I could remember what I liked/disliked and what each book was about.
It took me until the final book to like Rafe and Isa. They were both broken and tortured and ended out coming on top. The entire series Rafe had a violent way to show how he cared/loved Isa. His emotions gave me whiplash and I was NOT here for it.
Isa. I didn't like her until the final book. She had some tragedy alongside her sister. Her sister was wreckless and blamed all the wrongs in her life on Isa and Isa accepted the abuse to make it up to her. Her family seemed loving, but her parents were blind to all the hatred Odina had for Isa. They were such a tight-knit family but they had no idea that her sister was doing all these despicable things. It doesn't make sense to me, but maybe I am looking into it.
My favorite part of the series and I wish there was more was the mafia side of it. It kept me engaged the entire time. It was dark, demented, twisted and OH soo good!
As I mentioned above, this is a long book and there were times when I lost interest. I like a 3 book max in series, and I felt like it could have been condensed. Books 2 and 3 could have been one book, IMO and for this reason is why I am giving them 4/5 stars.
Thank you to Adelaide Forrest for reaching out to review this ARC. I can't wait to read more of your stories.
It took me until the final book to like Rafe and Isa. They were both broken and tortured and ended out coming on top. The entire series Rafe had a violent way to show how he cared/loved Isa. His emotions gave me whiplash and I was NOT here for it.
Isa. I didn't like her until the final book. She had some tragedy alongside her sister. Her sister was wreckless and blamed all the wrongs in her life on Isa and Isa accepted the abuse to make it up to her. Her family seemed loving, but her parents were blind to all the hatred Odina had for Isa. They were such a tight-knit family but they had no idea that her sister was doing all these despicable things. It doesn't make sense to me, but maybe I am looking into it.
My favorite part of the series and I wish there was more was the mafia side of it. It kept me engaged the entire time. It was dark, demented, twisted and OH soo good!
As I mentioned above, this is a long book and there were times when I lost interest. I like a 3 book max in series, and I felt like it could have been condensed. Books 2 and 3 could have been one book, IMO and for this reason is why I am giving them 4/5 stars.
Thank you to Adelaide Forrest for reaching out to review this ARC. I can't wait to read more of your stories.
April 25, 2023
3.5!
What a lot to take in!
Although I did enjoy the overall series as a whole, I do think some of the books needed a little bit more when it came to plot.
I like how we saw characters from different series, especially bloodied hands.
I love some of the fitting punishments for the enemies, especially that last male enemy!
I just felt a little dramatic, and not a lot of developments that was significant to me.
Rafe will never change which I thoroughly I’m OK with when it comes to these types of dark heroes.
But Isa which is a doormat and building her self up to something that would not take, but then she fell back to being a doormat and letting everything happen. It was until the last book that you actually saw her become something more and well-established stabilized!
Although I do think that her sister needed a little bit more punishment I’m glad it ended the way it did.
Although the actual ending reminds me of a different series by Jenna, darling, and how someone was going to go find another person. Which, then leads to a new series or spinoff standalone.
I would recommend reading this book. Please check the trigger warnings because it’s very heavy on the breeding, tampering, noncon, and so much more.
What a lot to take in!
Although I did enjoy the overall series as a whole, I do think some of the books needed a little bit more when it came to plot.
I like how we saw characters from different series, especially bloodied hands.
I love some of the fitting punishments for the enemies, especially that last male enemy!
I just felt a little dramatic, and not a lot of developments that was significant to me.
Rafe will never change which I thoroughly I’m OK with when it comes to these types of dark heroes.
But Isa which is a doormat and building her self up to something that would not take, but then she fell back to being a doormat and letting everything happen. It was until the last book that you actually saw her become something more and well-established stabilized!
Although I do think that her sister needed a little bit more punishment I’m glad it ended the way it did.
Although the actual ending reminds me of a different series by Jenna, darling, and how someone was going to go find another person. Which, then leads to a new series or spinoff standalone.
I would recommend reading this book. Please check the trigger warnings because it’s very heavy on the breeding, tampering, noncon, and so much more.
May 31, 2022
4.5⭐️🌶🌶🌶🌶
Kidnapping, forced-proximity, forced-marriage, age-gap, OTT possessive Hero (more anti-hero villian)? GIMME.
Beauty in Lies will easily go down as my new favorite Dark Mafia Romance series. It has everything you could ever want: spice, angst, romance, all the kinks (Dom/sub)…
Not only was I obsessed with the main couple (especially the Hero that was more of a villian), but the side characters were just as interesting. I also appreciated that the overall plot didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the romance aspects.
Reminder: THIS IS VERY DARK.
HEAVY TW/CW - so please proceed with caution.
(Important: H & h did not get together until everyone was of age)
✨I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for the Beauty in Lies box set for an honest review✨
Kidnapping, forced-proximity, forced-marriage, age-gap, OTT possessive Hero (more anti-hero villian)? GIMME.
Beauty in Lies will easily go down as my new favorite Dark Mafia Romance series. It has everything you could ever want: spice, angst, romance, all the kinks (Dom/sub)…
Not only was I obsessed with the main couple (especially the Hero that was more of a villian), but the side characters were just as interesting. I also appreciated that the overall plot didn’t hinder my enjoyment of the romance aspects.
Reminder: THIS IS VERY DARK.
HEAVY TW/CW - so please proceed with caution.
(Important: H & h did not get together until everyone was of age)
✨I was lucky enough to receive an ARC for the Beauty in Lies box set for an honest review✨
May 25, 2023
i have NEVER wanted a fmc to get away from the mmc so bad, rafe was way to ott for me.
June 9, 2022
Wow just wow! What a masterpiece of a series! If you are looking for a thrilling, exciting, heartbreaking, very dark mafia good time, please pick of this series now! You will not regret it. (Always check trigger warning first)
This book includes the complete gut-wrenching love story of Rafael, "Rafe" and Isabel "Isa". It all starts with Rafael going to Chicago for a business trip when he sees a beautiful girl across the street that he just has to have. When he finds out that she underage and still in high school, he launches into a 16-18 month plan to find out all the information he can possibly find on her on her while putting his people in place to befriend her and gain her trust. Once Isa graduates, she goes on a trip to Spain with her friends and meet this incredible guy, Rafe, that sweeps her off her feet. And when she tries to leave and go back home to Chicago, Rafe decides to keep Isa all time himself....forever! And from that moment the story of Rafe and Isa is one hell of a ride you don't want to miss!
When I tell you there is not a dull moment ever in this book! The entire book plays out like a movie that I can not look away from. There's action, betrayal, secrets, a lot of spice, abusive of power and control, branding, undying love, loyalty and so much more. If you have read a mafia book or even if you haven't read one yet, this book is like none other and it will make you so invested in the characters that you don't want the story to end.
This book includes the complete gut-wrenching love story of Rafael, "Rafe" and Isabel "Isa". It all starts with Rafael going to Chicago for a business trip when he sees a beautiful girl across the street that he just has to have. When he finds out that she underage and still in high school, he launches into a 16-18 month plan to find out all the information he can possibly find on her on her while putting his people in place to befriend her and gain her trust. Once Isa graduates, she goes on a trip to Spain with her friends and meet this incredible guy, Rafe, that sweeps her off her feet. And when she tries to leave and go back home to Chicago, Rafe decides to keep Isa all time himself....forever! And from that moment the story of Rafe and Isa is one hell of a ride you don't want to miss!
When I tell you there is not a dull moment ever in this book! The entire book plays out like a movie that I can not look away from. There's action, betrayal, secrets, a lot of spice, abusive of power and control, branding, undying love, loyalty and so much more. If you have read a mafia book or even if you haven't read one yet, this book is like none other and it will make you so invested in the characters that you don't want the story to end.
May 14, 2022
“One day, when she was older, she’d be mine.” We love a loyal king, the moment he sets eyes on our heroine Isa, he doesn’t touch or even think about another woman.
“Inhaling her scent, with taste of ensaimada between us, I found my forever.” *internal scream*
Tropes: Mafia romance, Dark romance, Possessive & Jealous H, Stalker, “Who did this to you?” and my personal fav “Touch her and you die”
I loved this book! I was kind of nervous as it’s four books with the same couple but the plot was getting thicker and thicker that I didn’t even notice how much I read until it was over.
Listen, if Rafel was a real man I would tell Isa to run far and fast but since he’s fictional it’s okay and he is now on my book boyfriend list. He is possessive and oh so arrogant. He absolutely WORSHIPS the ground Isa walks on and I can’t help but live it.
This book was spicy HOT. The chemistry between the two was amazing, the character development, the plot, angst, smut; this book had everything!
Safety:
Cheating- No, H is loyal 16 months before h meets him. h is a virgin
OW/OM drama- no
Triggers- questionable consent, age gap (both legal & consenting), forced pregnancy, branding, forced marriage, very graphic on page violence/torture/murder, attempted date rape (not the H), kidnapping/captive scenarios, knife play, somnophilia.
“Inhaling her scent, with taste of ensaimada between us, I found my forever.” *internal scream*
Tropes: Mafia romance, Dark romance, Possessive & Jealous H, Stalker, “Who did this to you?” and my personal fav “Touch her and you die”
I loved this book! I was kind of nervous as it’s four books with the same couple but the plot was getting thicker and thicker that I didn’t even notice how much I read until it was over.
Listen, if Rafel was a real man I would tell Isa to run far and fast but since he’s fictional it’s okay and he is now on my book boyfriend list. He is possessive and oh so arrogant. He absolutely WORSHIPS the ground Isa walks on and I can’t help but live it.
This book was spicy HOT. The chemistry between the two was amazing, the character development, the plot, angst, smut; this book had everything!
Safety:
Cheating- No, H is loyal 16 months before h meets him. h is a virgin
OW/OM drama- no
Triggers- questionable consent, age gap (both legal & consenting), forced pregnancy, branding, forced marriage, very graphic on page violence/torture/murder, attempted date rape (not the H), kidnapping/captive scenarios, knife play, somnophilia.
May 23, 2022
I am honored that Adelaide reached with an ARC for me for this entire series.
This series was a lot. Like my entire week has been consumed with rafe & Isa.
The tension and spice was out of this world.
I’m still processing my thoughts.
Overall- the series was fantastic. It was dark and crazy. Rafe was literally insane but I was HERE for it. Isa reached her full potential and became the badass queen we wanted her to be!!
My only critique would be- I feel like SO MUCH happened on the last book and not as much happened in the 3rd book. If that could been spread out a little more.. then it would been perfection.
This series was a lot. Like my entire week has been consumed with rafe & Isa.
The tension and spice was out of this world.
I’m still processing my thoughts.
Overall- the series was fantastic. It was dark and crazy. Rafe was literally insane but I was HERE for it. Isa reached her full potential and became the badass queen we wanted her to be!!
My only critique would be- I feel like SO MUCH happened on the last book and not as much happened in the 3rd book. If that could been spread out a little more.. then it would been perfection.
June 1, 2022
Beauty in Lies Boxed Set by Adelaide Forrest. This box set has the Complete series 'Beauty in Lies' that tells the story of Raphael and Isa. This box set has 1166 pages that keep you glued to this book. I am crazy about an over the top Alpha who claims his women quickly. Although in this book Raphael saw Isa when she was about 16 so he had to wait before making his move to claim her. Loved this box set! I can't wait to read more from Ms. Foster.
May 30, 2023
This series left me bawling. I absolutely loved this and how thought out it was.
RAFE is one fucked up person but he does it in the name of love well obsession.
I loved every bit of this book and couldn’t put it down. Well series actually but I adored it!!
RAFE is one fucked up person but he does it in the name of love well obsession.
I loved every bit of this book and couldn’t put it down. Well series actually but I adored it!!
Read
December 9, 2022i read like 3 books i liked it, it's just 5 damn books in one so who knows when i'll finish
January 22, 2024
It only took me a million years to finish it, but I did.
June 14, 2022
Adelaide finds a way to make something unthinkable majorly enjoyable! I didn’t necessarily understand what I was getting into when I read this series but I was hooked from the prologue story on! Loved how dedicated he was to Isa!
Read
March 19, 2023Wow. Nothing boils my blood more than a MMC who violently seeks to control every aspect of a woman (...18 year old child??) & strip her of all freedoms of choice all in the name of love. Yes, I read the TWs, but maybe I secretly hoped for some character evolution out of Rafe. Alas, he's a psychopath, and my little feminist heart can't take it. This ain't the book I was looking for, so I'll leave it unrated and DNF.
May 12, 2023
DNF. You could put ALL the trigger warnings in this book and it would still not be enough. Please don’t get me wrong because I love dark romance books, but this is seriously so disgusting, disrespectful and disappointing to women. Rafael is not a good MC, he literally is the fucking worst MC I’ve ever read in my life. He has no redeeming qualities, nothing he has done has made me “love” or even like him!!! Isa is 18!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A fucking 18-year old virgin when she meets him and meets him because hes been stalking her since she was 17!!!!!!! But ooooohhhhhhhh, we’re supposed to be impressed because he waited to “meet” her when she was of legal age…
I’m not even sure what possessed me to get half way through this but after basically RAPING HER AND literally BRANDING her, I couldn’t get past that. Isa says several times how she doesn’t know what to do and how she’s traumatized from everything that he’s done to her. I don’t see how this series could get better than this. How anyone could read past that.
Anyone who gave this book 4 or 5 stars needs to go to jail and possibly get a lobotomy.
I’m not even sure what possessed me to get half way through this but after basically RAPING HER AND literally BRANDING her, I couldn’t get past that. Isa says several times how she doesn’t know what to do and how she’s traumatized from everything that he’s done to her. I don’t see how this series could get better than this. How anyone could read past that.
Anyone who gave this book 4 or 5 stars needs to go to jail and possibly get a lobotomy.
January 20, 2023
This book is a dark mafia obsession
This series would of been really good if the plot scenes weren't repetitive the sex scenes bored me after a while I just starting skipping them. I had to push myself to finish this book. I didn't feel like the title represented the book and yes I very much love dark and disturbing. I didn't really feel a connection between Rafe and Isa besides sex.
This series would of been really good if the plot scenes weren't repetitive the sex scenes bored me after a while I just starting skipping them. I had to push myself to finish this book. I didn't feel like the title represented the book and yes I very much love dark and disturbing. I didn't really feel a connection between Rafe and Isa besides sex.
February 9, 2023
Annoying and boring
I must begin by saying I have zero triggers however I was triggered by how tedious this book wad, both main character s were just unremarkable and the story lagged to get to any interesting point. I actually had to start skipping chapters to try and finish. For some reason this book came highly recommended on Amazon.
I must begin by saying I have zero triggers however I was triggered by how tedious this book wad, both main character s were just unremarkable and the story lagged to get to any interesting point. I actually had to start skipping chapters to try and finish. For some reason this book came highly recommended on Amazon.
May 16, 2023
Definitely will read this book again!!
I have never come across a book I’d reread, until this one!
Rafe and Isa’s story is steamy, complicated, forced, lovely, romantic… I absolutely loved both characters.
I have never come across a book I’d reread, until this one!
Rafe and Isa’s story is steamy, complicated, forced, lovely, romantic… I absolutely loved both characters.
September 14, 2022
"You made a mistake, mi reina," he said. "You fell in love with your nightmare."
I love how I'm in a slump and come across booktoks with random descriptions and the next thing I know I've binge read a whole 4 book series.
It's absolutely impressive.
Beauty in Lies is a series of four books that follows the dark and twisted romance between Rafael and Isa.
There is no place on this Earth that you can hide from me, Princesa. Eres mia.
Tropes:
•Age Gap
•Anti-hero
•Mafia Romance
•Captive and Captor
•Forced Proximity
•Forced Marriage
•Innocent Heroine
•Stalker MMC
•Found Family
•Touch-her-and-die
•Forced Pregnancy
•Possessive Hero
Triggers/kinks: DubCon, Knife Play, Breeding, Spanking, Marking/branding, Chocking but either way check for the author's note on this.
This series starts off a little slow. The whole first book is a slow burn but when it picks up, get ready to be punched by the darkness and fast pace of this story.
Rafael is a bad man and don't expect that to change once he finds love. Nope. He doesn't change and many of the things he does will surely fall into Villains category. He is a Mafia Boss, cold and uncaring. He is a King and a powerful one that has no qualms of using any means necessary to get what he wants. As soon as he sights Isa he decides that he will do anything and everything to get her in his clutches. He will do everything to protect and shelter her until the time comes for him to collect his prize.
"Remember what happens when I catch you, Princesa."
"You will never try to leave me again. I am sure you can see that it is pointless now."
Isa on the contrary is a naive young girl. She is sweet and a people pleaser. For the past decade she has been trying to atone for something she blames herself for. Always tamping down her desire to live and experience life. That is until Rafe comes into her life, making her learn her wants and need.
And all along, I’d been nothing but his prey.
The story follows these two complex characters, one obsessed with another so much so that he sees nothing wrong with kidnapping a women to his private island and forcing her to marry him. From the moment Rafael laid his eyes on Isa, he knew she would be his so he concocted a very well devised plan to manipulate Isa into heading in his direction. he inserted himself so well thoroughly that Isa didn't stand a chance against him.
The plot was very well thought. There were a lot of twists and turns. The mystery behind the past's events added to the story. Trying to find out what and how it happened definitely added a layer to this dark tale.
I love the found family dynamics and the easy friendship between Isa and the Boys.
Rafael and Isa together were off the charts. H-O-T.
Overall this was a fantastic read. It had all the special ingredients I always look for in my dark romances. The angst, the passion, the drama. If a book manages me to make me uncomfortable while reading it, I will love it more and this one definitely made me question my morals.
I love how I'm in a slump and come across booktoks with random descriptions and the next thing I know I've binge read a whole 4 book series.
It's absolutely impressive.
Beauty in Lies is a series of four books that follows the dark and twisted romance between Rafael and Isa.
There is no place on this Earth that you can hide from me, Princesa. Eres mia.
Tropes:
•Age Gap
•Anti-hero
•Mafia Romance
•Captive and Captor
•Forced Proximity
•Forced Marriage
•Innocent Heroine
•Stalker MMC
•Found Family
•Touch-her-and-die
•Forced Pregnancy
•Possessive Hero
Triggers/kinks: DubCon, Knife Play, Breeding, Spanking, Marking/branding, Chocking but either way check for the author's note on this.
This series starts off a little slow. The whole first book is a slow burn but when it picks up, get ready to be punched by the darkness and fast pace of this story.
Rafael is a bad man and don't expect that to change once he finds love. Nope. He doesn't change and many of the things he does will surely fall into Villains category. He is a Mafia Boss, cold and uncaring. He is a King and a powerful one that has no qualms of using any means necessary to get what he wants. As soon as he sights Isa he decides that he will do anything and everything to get her in his clutches. He will do everything to protect and shelter her until the time comes for him to collect his prize.
"Remember what happens when I catch you, Princesa."
"You will never try to leave me again. I am sure you can see that it is pointless now."
Isa on the contrary is a naive young girl. She is sweet and a people pleaser. For the past decade she has been trying to atone for something she blames herself for. Always tamping down her desire to live and experience life. That is until Rafe comes into her life, making her learn her wants and need.
And all along, I’d been nothing but his prey.
The story follows these two complex characters, one obsessed with another so much so that he sees nothing wrong with kidnapping a women to his private island and forcing her to marry him. From the moment Rafael laid his eyes on Isa, he knew she would be his so he concocted a very well devised plan to manipulate Isa into heading in his direction. he inserted himself so well thoroughly that Isa didn't stand a chance against him.
The plot was very well thought. There were a lot of twists and turns. The mystery behind the past's events added to the story. Trying to find out what and how it happened definitely added a layer to this dark tale.
I love the found family dynamics and the easy friendship between Isa and the Boys.
Rafael and Isa together were off the charts. H-O-T.
Overall this was a fantastic read. It had all the special ingredients I always look for in my dark romances. The angst, the passion, the drama. If a book manages me to make me uncomfortable while reading it, I will love it more and this one definitely made me question my morals.
June 3, 2022
I received a copy of this book from the publisher/author to review for Stephanie's Book Reports.
My obsession with Isa started with a single glance. From that first moment standing on the streets of Chicago in the midst of a Bellandi war, she consumed me. Owned me, without ever setting eyes on me herself. I protected her, waiting for the day when she would be mine. No matter what it takes, no matter what illusions I must show her, she will be my wife. Mi Reina was born to rule at my side. I'll just have to break her first.
This is the compete Beauty in Lies Series in one boxset. It includes Until Tomorrow Comes, Until Forever Ends, Until Retribution Burns, Until Death Do Us Part. This is a dark mafia romance and you need to heed the warning in the beginning of the book because it will contain triggers for some readers.
I will go ahead and warn you that once you pick this book up you will not be laying it down. Isa is a sweet innocent naïve girl who has lived her life taking care of her sister in order to make up for a mistake she feels she made when she was a child. Rafael spots Isa in Chicago when she is only seventeen years old but he is a patient man and wait to introduce himself to her sixteen months after he first sees her. Isa felt like when they met that he was keeping a secret. A secret about a wife somewhere and he shouldn't be interested in her. But remember I said she was sweet and innocent and she really should have been more worried about the kind of man he is instead of what kind of man he is. He is dark and dirty and and I can promise you at times your not going to know weather you love him or hate him. But, his saving grace from being the man you are going to love to hate because he is so ruthless is that the way that he loves when he loves. I don't really want to tell you a whole lot about the story. I think that you need to just go in blind. It is an absolutely amazing dark romance that your going to be so addicted to. I loved every single second of it. You do not want to miss this book. I loved it so very much!!
My obsession with Isa started with a single glance. From that first moment standing on the streets of Chicago in the midst of a Bellandi war, she consumed me. Owned me, without ever setting eyes on me herself. I protected her, waiting for the day when she would be mine. No matter what it takes, no matter what illusions I must show her, she will be my wife. Mi Reina was born to rule at my side. I'll just have to break her first.
This is the compete Beauty in Lies Series in one boxset. It includes Until Tomorrow Comes, Until Forever Ends, Until Retribution Burns, Until Death Do Us Part. This is a dark mafia romance and you need to heed the warning in the beginning of the book because it will contain triggers for some readers.
I will go ahead and warn you that once you pick this book up you will not be laying it down. Isa is a sweet innocent naïve girl who has lived her life taking care of her sister in order to make up for a mistake she feels she made when she was a child. Rafael spots Isa in Chicago when she is only seventeen years old but he is a patient man and wait to introduce himself to her sixteen months after he first sees her. Isa felt like when they met that he was keeping a secret. A secret about a wife somewhere and he shouldn't be interested in her. But remember I said she was sweet and innocent and she really should have been more worried about the kind of man he is instead of what kind of man he is. He is dark and dirty and and I can promise you at times your not going to know weather you love him or hate him. But, his saving grace from being the man you are going to love to hate because he is so ruthless is that the way that he loves when he loves. I don't really want to tell you a whole lot about the story. I think that you need to just go in blind. It is an absolutely amazing dark romance that your going to be so addicted to. I loved every single second of it. You do not want to miss this book. I loved it so very much!!
June 4, 2022
✨𝔹𝕠𝕠𝕜 ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨✨
♟𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘺
𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺…
Wow! This was one of the most intense Mafia Romance Series I’ve ever read and I loved every second of it! This is a very 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝑅𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 so please check all TW before reading!
Rafael and Isa’s story begins in Chicago where he’s in the middle of a Bellandi War. He locks eyes on her from from across the street and decides right then and there that she will be his. For the next sixteen months his obsession consumes him and he slowly makes a plan to infiltrate her life until he can 𝒸𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓂 her in every way possible.
Isa has been living a life of regret and has spent her time trying to come to terms with something that happened years ago. A tragic accident with her twin sister Odina has left their relationship broken and from that moment on, Odinas hatred for Isa only escalates over the years.
Isa finally puts herself first and takes the chance on the vacation of a lifetime in Ibiza. Things start to heat up when she meets a mysterious guy and immediately feels a connection she can’t quite break free from. She’s unaware her new love interest is a man that’s orchestrated the entire trip giving ten days to fall in love with him….or else.
When she thinks it’s time to go home and end things between them, Rafe reveals that he has other plans in store for Isa.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚, 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙖. 𝙀𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙈𝙞𝙖.”
I absolutely love anything that this author writes and this series had me flying through the chapters to find out what happened next! Rafe’s possessive and demanding nature over Isa is brutal but Isa pushes back and shows just how strong she can truly be when her whole world is turned upside down. Living in Rafe’s world is 𝒹𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓈….and Isa has to decide if she can be the Queen in his game of 𝒫𝑜𝓈𝓈𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃 .
♟ 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝑀𝒶𝒻𝒾𝒶 𝑅𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒
♟ 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝒸𝑒𝒹 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒶𝑔𝑒
♟ 𝒜𝑔𝑒 𝒢𝒶𝓅
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!
♟𝘉𝘦𝘢𝘶𝘵𝘺 𝘪𝘯 𝘓𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘉𝘰𝘹𝘦𝘥 𝘚𝘦𝘵 𝘣𝘺
𝘖𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘭𝘭 𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨: 5/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
5/5🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
𝘍𝘰𝘳 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘰𝘯𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘵 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘷𝘪𝘭𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘴𝘵𝘰𝘳𝘺…
Wow! This was one of the most intense Mafia Romance Series I’ve ever read and I loved every second of it! This is a very 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝑅𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒 so please check all TW before reading!
Rafael and Isa’s story begins in Chicago where he’s in the middle of a Bellandi War. He locks eyes on her from from across the street and decides right then and there that she will be his. For the next sixteen months his obsession consumes him and he slowly makes a plan to infiltrate her life until he can 𝒸𝓁𝒶𝒾𝓂 her in every way possible.
Isa has been living a life of regret and has spent her time trying to come to terms with something that happened years ago. A tragic accident with her twin sister Odina has left their relationship broken and from that moment on, Odinas hatred for Isa only escalates over the years.
Isa finally puts herself first and takes the chance on the vacation of a lifetime in Ibiza. Things start to heat up when she meets a mysterious guy and immediately feels a connection she can’t quite break free from. She’s unaware her new love interest is a man that’s orchestrated the entire trip giving ten days to fall in love with him….or else.
When she thinks it’s time to go home and end things between them, Rafe reveals that he has other plans in store for Isa.
“𝙏𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙣𝙤 𝙥𝙡𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙤𝙣 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙚𝙖𝙧𝙩𝙝 𝙩𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙘𝙖𝙣 𝙝𝙞𝙙𝙚 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙢𝙚, 𝙋𝙧𝙞𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙨𝙖. 𝙀𝙧𝙚𝙨 𝙈𝙞𝙖.”
I absolutely love anything that this author writes and this series had me flying through the chapters to find out what happened next! Rafe’s possessive and demanding nature over Isa is brutal but Isa pushes back and shows just how strong she can truly be when her whole world is turned upside down. Living in Rafe’s world is 𝒹𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒𝓇𝑜𝓊𝓈….and Isa has to decide if she can be the Queen in his game of 𝒫𝑜𝓈𝓈𝑒𝓈𝓈𝒾𝑜𝓃 .
♟ 𝒟𝒶𝓇𝓀 𝑀𝒶𝒻𝒾𝒶 𝑅𝑜𝓂𝒶𝓃𝒸𝑒
♟ 𝐹𝑜𝓇𝒸𝑒𝒹 𝑀𝒶𝓇𝓇𝒾𝒶𝑔𝑒
♟ 𝒜𝑔𝑒 𝒢𝒶𝓅
𝘛𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘶𝘤𝘩 𝘈𝘥𝘦𝘭𝘢𝘪𝘥𝘦 𝘍𝘰𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘮𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘳𝘤 𝘪𝘯 𝘦𝘹𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦 𝘧𝘰𝘳 𝘮𝘺 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸!
May 14, 2022
Beauty In Lies - Adelaide Forrest
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
✨Check trigger warnings this book is not for the faint of heart! ✨
This series was a wild ride. If you enjoy books with extremely possessive and controlling heroes who do dark, twisted things (including to the love interest) then pick up this book. This book is a dark, mafia romance to the core.
The first part of this box set really leads you into a false sense of security. Until 200 pages in this book could almost pass as a fairly calm holiday romance with a hint of mafia sideplot but then shit hits the fan. I don’t want to give spoilers in this review because I really feel like you need to go in blind to get the full experience of just how insane and intense this book is. There seems to be a new plot twist each time you think everything is calming down.
Honestly this book is a journey, just leave your morals at the door and enjoy. This book isn’t usually something I would read as I’m not a massive fan of dark romance but I absolutely loved it. There’s just something about the authors writing style that I can’t get enough of.
I absolutely adored the main character, Isa. The strength and growth she shows throughout the story is incredible. Her reactions to the situation she finds herself in are so real and I love the way she comes to embrace the darker parts of herself.
Rafael is something else. I can’t say he makes it onto my list of book boyfriends because he was slightly too unhinged for my tastes. He’s a character who really made it difficult to like him. Every time I thought he was winning me over he did something crazy and it put me off again. That being said at no point in this book was I not rooting for Rafe and Isa to sort through their issues and have their HEA. While some of his actions were brutal it is very clear that he loves Isa but he just doesn’t know how to show it.
I highly recommend this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶
✨Check trigger warnings this book is not for the faint of heart! ✨
This series was a wild ride. If you enjoy books with extremely possessive and controlling heroes who do dark, twisted things (including to the love interest) then pick up this book. This book is a dark, mafia romance to the core.
The first part of this box set really leads you into a false sense of security. Until 200 pages in this book could almost pass as a fairly calm holiday romance with a hint of mafia sideplot but then shit hits the fan. I don’t want to give spoilers in this review because I really feel like you need to go in blind to get the full experience of just how insane and intense this book is. There seems to be a new plot twist each time you think everything is calming down.
Honestly this book is a journey, just leave your morals at the door and enjoy. This book isn’t usually something I would read as I’m not a massive fan of dark romance but I absolutely loved it. There’s just something about the authors writing style that I can’t get enough of.
I absolutely adored the main character, Isa. The strength and growth she shows throughout the story is incredible. Her reactions to the situation she finds herself in are so real and I love the way she comes to embrace the darker parts of herself.
Rafael is something else. I can’t say he makes it onto my list of book boyfriends because he was slightly too unhinged for my tastes. He’s a character who really made it difficult to like him. Every time I thought he was winning me over he did something crazy and it put me off again. That being said at no point in this book was I not rooting for Rafe and Isa to sort through their issues and have their HEA. While some of his actions were brutal it is very clear that he loves Isa but he just doesn’t know how to show it.
I highly recommend this book.
May 31, 2022
*I received this boxed set as an ARC in exchange for an honest review
3.75 stars
Wow this series was one hell of a ride! If you like mafia romances, especially dark mafia romances (and I mean dark), then I highly recommend giving this series a go! Please make sure to check all the TW/CW’s before reading. Below are some of the tropes included in this series:
Forced Marriage
Age Gap
Forced Pregnancy
I read Rafael and Isa’s story over 2 weeks and it was full of all the darkness, drama, tension, angst, spice, and emotion possible. It all started when Rafael first laid eyes on Isa when she was 16 and made a deal with Matteo to claim her as his once she turned 18. Isa was so naïve and innocent when she first met Rafe until her world was completely changed forever once she found out who he truly is and what his intentions are.
This was one of the more unique storylines I’ve read and I enjoyed the journey! Isa and Rafe were meant for each other and their chemistry was unmatched. The spice in this book was unreal. I'm pretty sure every kink and trigger possible was included in this series lol.
I typically love the psychotic, completely unhinged, violently possessive villain/anti-hero MMC, but there was just something about Rafe that wasn’t quite there for me. I felt the same way about Isa, although her character development was well done and made me like her a lot more in the last 2 books.
Additionally, I wish this series had been condensed or spread out differently. I struggled slightly to stay interested through the first 2 books. I’m glad I did because the last 2 books were so great and full of all the action and twists that I love!
Overall, this was extremely well-written and had an amazing plot. I’d recommend any dark mafia romance lover to give this a shot!
3.75 stars
Wow this series was one hell of a ride! If you like mafia romances, especially dark mafia romances (and I mean dark), then I highly recommend giving this series a go! Please make sure to check all the TW/CW’s before reading. Below are some of the tropes included in this series:
Forced Marriage
Age Gap
Forced Pregnancy
I read Rafael and Isa’s story over 2 weeks and it was full of all the darkness, drama, tension, angst, spice, and emotion possible. It all started when Rafael first laid eyes on Isa when she was 16 and made a deal with Matteo to claim her as his once she turned 18. Isa was so naïve and innocent when she first met Rafe until her world was completely changed forever once she found out who he truly is and what his intentions are.
This was one of the more unique storylines I’ve read and I enjoyed the journey! Isa and Rafe were meant for each other and their chemistry was unmatched. The spice in this book was unreal. I'm pretty sure every kink and trigger possible was included in this series lol.
I typically love the psychotic, completely unhinged, violently possessive villain/anti-hero MMC, but there was just something about Rafe that wasn’t quite there for me. I felt the same way about Isa, although her character development was well done and made me like her a lot more in the last 2 books.
Additionally, I wish this series had been condensed or spread out differently. I struggled slightly to stay interested through the first 2 books. I’m glad I did because the last 2 books were so great and full of all the action and twists that I love!
Overall, this was extremely well-written and had an amazing plot. I’d recommend any dark mafia romance lover to give this a shot!
June 13, 2022
𝑹𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝒊𝒇 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒍𝒊𝒌𝒆:
- Mafia Romance
- forced marriages
- DARK romance
- dual POV
- Kidnapping trope
- stalking trope
- age gap
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒆."
Whew, you guys, this one was dark 😮💨 like, picture as dark as Haunting Adeline, if not darker! This was such an intense mafia series, but damn, was it addicting!
This series follows Isa and Rafe. Their story begins in Chicago, in the midst of the Bellandi War. Rafael sets eyes on Isa from across the street and was determined right then and there to have her. But, seeing that she was only 16 at the time, he decides to wait the 16 months for her to reach her 18th birthday before acting upon it. He spends the next sixteen months absolutely consumed with Isa and will do anything to claim her in every way possible! Little does she know that she'll end up falling for a monster with plenty of hidden secrets.
Let's talk about Rafael: this is the darkest, most morally grey man I have met, but I was obsessed! Think of him as your alphahole, possessive, man giving off intense "touch her and you die" vibes! Some of his actions were questionable but the way he talks 😮💨 and I LOVED that he was Hispanic! There's nothing hotter than a man speaking Spanish and I was weak 🥵
"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒆, 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂. 𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒂."
Isa started off as this shy, quiet, reserved girl who tried to do everything right by her family. Rafael unlocks a new and darker side of her and I was loving it! She began sticking up for herself, even if it resulted in a punishment for her. She really became the reina she was destined to be!
With plenty of plot twists, action packed scenes, scenes that will leave you queesy but very intrigued, and such intense, hot smut, this series is sure to suck you in! Thank you to the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 💕
- Mafia Romance
- forced marriages
- DARK romance
- dual POV
- Kidnapping trope
- stalking trope
- age gap
"𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒍 𝒊𝒏 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕𝒎𝒂𝒓𝒆."
Whew, you guys, this one was dark 😮💨 like, picture as dark as Haunting Adeline, if not darker! This was such an intense mafia series, but damn, was it addicting!
This series follows Isa and Rafe. Their story begins in Chicago, in the midst of the Bellandi War. Rafael sets eyes on Isa from across the street and was determined right then and there to have her. But, seeing that she was only 16 at the time, he decides to wait the 16 months for her to reach her 18th birthday before acting upon it. He spends the next sixteen months absolutely consumed with Isa and will do anything to claim her in every way possible! Little does she know that she'll end up falling for a monster with plenty of hidden secrets.
Let's talk about Rafael: this is the darkest, most morally grey man I have met, but I was obsessed! Think of him as your alphahole, possessive, man giving off intense "touch her and you die" vibes! Some of his actions were questionable but the way he talks 😮💨 and I LOVED that he was Hispanic! There's nothing hotter than a man speaking Spanish and I was weak 🥵
"𝑻𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝑬𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒉 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒉𝒊𝒅𝒆 𝒇𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝒎𝒆, 𝑷𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒔𝒔𝒂. 𝑬𝒓𝒆𝒔 𝒎𝒊𝒂."
Isa started off as this shy, quiet, reserved girl who tried to do everything right by her family. Rafael unlocks a new and darker side of her and I was loving it! She began sticking up for herself, even if it resulted in a punishment for her. She really became the reina she was destined to be!
With plenty of plot twists, action packed scenes, scenes that will leave you queesy but very intrigued, and such intense, hot smut, this series is sure to suck you in! Thank you to the author for providing me with this ARC in exchange for an honest review 💕
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