Finally finished this one and gosh I am certainly going to have a hangover. I have been through an emotional rollercoaster, I'm still trying to wrap my head around everything and calm down my heart rate at this point.
Rating: 5 stars🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Writing: 🌟🌟🌟🌟
Hero: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Heroine: 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
HFN – but there’s mystery and plot holes that require closure.
Continues in the next books.
Spice level: 4.5/5
Genre: Mafia romance
Trope: Forbidden love
Possible Triggers: Torture and SA of minor, violence, mention of rape, guns, miscarriage, missing children, PTSD, mentions of human trafficking and SA against others.
POV: Third person
Oh, where do I even start with this one.
This was such an addictive read. I rushed through things so I could get back to sitting down and reading this one. This book shattered my heart and I felt for Amara and Dante so much. I loved this forbidden love story.
“We may not be husband and wife to the world but I have been married to you in my heart for eight years.”
I had already really liked Amara and Dante from the previous two, but these two consumed me and my heart. I just couldn’t stop reading or thinking about them.
I tend to avoid second couples in the series and would pick them at a later date, I regret doing that with this one because this series just gets better and better.
I couldn’t understand how everything happened with Amara being banned but as I read and everything unravelled, I was just captivated by it all and saddened at the hidden love story that Dante and Amara had.
Amara and Dante’s love story was about forbidden love, tragic, sweet and oh so filled with love. They were strong, determined and willing to fight for each other, even if it meant hurting themselves in the process.
“He and I, we are doomed to bleed from a wound that will never heal.”
The story started off with the past, Amara living with her mother and becoming friends with Vinnie and crushing on Dante from afar. I loved her thoughts and her story. She witnessed things she shouldn’t have. The first-time witnessing Dante burying a girl whom he’d kissed. I freaking hated Lorenzo for doing this to Dante. And the second time she’d witnessed something she shouldn’t have and even though she didn’t understand, she’d been kidnapped and tortured for 3 days. What she had been put through, these parts were difficult to read because she was a minor. 15 years old!
She’s found by Tristan and gosh I fell in love with Tristan all over again. The blooming of a friendship between them even though he didn’t talk much.
Despite everything she’d been through, Amara survived and came out of this fighting. She’s a warrior. A Queen! Amara was broken, sweet, passionate, determined, she was everything rolled up into one. There were so many layers to her, and I loved every single moment with her. All she wanted was Dante’s love, her mother by her side and friendship.
She’d suffered tremendously throughout but she was so damn strong! She never let her past dictate her future, she never let it tear her apart and consume her.
Dante was by her side. He was there for her and helping with her healing process. Carrying her out and spending time with her. He helped with her healing. Dante was so in love with her even though he didn’t say it or show it. But his actions for her was enough. While he’d been feared and scary for the world, he wore his emotions on his sleeve for Amara. He was soft for her. He was devoted to her. He was so understanding and gentle with her. He was damn protective of her.
“You’re not going to walk through life, Amara,” he uttered roughly, each word a vow that cemented itself in her heart. “You’ll dance through it. And I’ll fcking remove anyone who tries to break your rhythm. I promise you.”
And their love story started a couple of years down the line as she’d healed from her scars and her voice healed though her pitch was never the same.
The times in the bedroom where he’d make his sculptures and the way they’d listen to audiobooks and spend time together. Putting heels on her when she couldn’t wear them after her traumatic experience, and him holding onto her and dancing the night away with her. Those scenes were just top notch and Dante just had my heart.
“We're not a love story. We're a tragedy in the making.”
I wish I could’ve dug up Lorenzo from the grave and unalive him 10x more. He’d intervened and separated them.
But… Dante wasn’t giving up Amara without a fight. That man was not giving up. He played the game. He knew she was lonely through the exile and he’d gifted her a cat without letting her know. Amara had a friend with her when he couldn’t be there for her. And Lulu was a perfect companion. Helping her with her anxiety and panic attacks. He just knew how much it would affect her and as always, he was there even if not physically.
“One day, I’m going to put my ring on that finger, Amara,” he grit out, pushing up another inch into her. “One day, I’m going to put my babies inside you. Just wait for me, baby. Please wait for me.”
Soon, they were loving each other from afar and stealing moments here and there to be together for a few precious moments. It was having a toll on Amara and gosh seeing her heart being chipped away each time he left. It hurt.
Through all this, he promised and worked on fulfilling his promise to her. Gosh Dante fought hard for them. He made promises and she’d believed and held on.
Amara was an absolute Queen. She was perfect for the King.
She probably didn’t realize he had matched the structure of his back dragon tattoo to match her back scars, from one hip to one shoulder. If anyone looked at their naked backs together, they would see symmetry—a dragon breathing fire across her back in mirrored structure, side by side.
They were intense, passionate and gosh whenever they were together, I’m sure my paperback was sparking. Their chemistry was *fire*
And their wedding and their baby girl. Gosh reading about their perfect little family was just fantastic. Despite the painful and heartbreaking journey they had endured and lived through, they've found their way back to each other. Ruling their kingdom as King and Queen.
“In sickness in health, in life in death, in murder in mayhem, isn’t that how it goes?”
And I lived for the scenes of Tristan and Morana. They are my favourite and I loved their scenes. Tristan and Morana’s relationship developing and Morana looking at honeymoon resorts for when they find the answers to Luna’s disappearance. I really really hope the answers are found soon because I need to witness their wedding! Tristan and Morana taking in Xander and the relationship that was forming between them. Gosh, I wished we got another book on Tristan and Morana because I want more scenes of the trio together. Tristan is opening up more and he’s giving freaking relationship advice to Dante! Him. The one who doesn’t talk at all is now giving relationship advice.
And Morana remains the sexy, brilliant nerd. I love that woman so much. She’s already teaching Xander code and they’ve made a little family.
As I delved into this book, more and more mysteries came up and I am so looking forward to Alessandro Villanova’s story.
“You’re the beat to my heart, Amara”
