Savio Falcone has a few non-negotiable rules when it comes to girls.They need to be hot as f*ck.Spread their legs without much prompting.And leave as soon as the fun is over. Preferably minus any bitching or tears.With his easy-going bad boy attitude, a last name that rules over Las Vegas and a body to die for, girls have always been at Savio’s disposal.Unfortunately, the hottest girl in Vegas … hottest girl in Vegas comes with a price Savio isn’t willing to pay. For Savio to get Gemma he’d need to seal the deal and put a ring on her finger. Settling down is out of the question, no matter how hot a piece of ass waits at the altar.
Gemma Bazzoli has had a crush on Savio from the first moment she came face to face with his arrogant smile, but for him she was always his best friend’s annoying little sister—until her hard-earned curves catch even his attention.
But Savio likes it easy, and Gemma is anything but. When she’s promised to another man, Gemma resigns herself to the fact that the man she’s wanted all her life, doesn’t want her badly enough.
Savio has to decide how much work he’s willing to invest, because bending the rules in his usual style might not be enough to get the girl that haunts his wet dreams.
– Can be read as a standalone-
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I love the Camorra Chronicles (and all of Cora’s mafia books). This one was definitely a slow burn. A lot of time (maybe more than half the book?) was spent setting up the relationship between the two main characters. Savio and Gemma meet when she is a teenager. She’s the younger sister of Savio’s best friend.
The two are engaged when Gemma is still a kid. Savio goes on to sow his wild oats while Gemma is maturing. Savio was one of my favorite characters in the previous books. He was always a bit of a wild card. I was really looking forward to his book. Unfortunately, I didn’t really like him in this book. He was sort of an ass. I expected him to evolve out of it but he really didn’t.
There was so much leading up to Savio and Gemma’s relationship that I never really got invested in it. The book was over before we really got to see them evolve as a couple.
I did love the chance to see some of the other characters, especially Remo. And the Savio/Greta interactions were so cute!
Twisted Hearts is the fifth book in this interconnected series of mafia romance, but can be read as a stand alone. It’s a contemporary, mafia romance with bestfriend’s sister trope in the mix. This is my first read from the author and after I have heard how great this series is, I was excited to dive into it.
Now, I’m a huge fan of mafia romance. I loved it so much that it was my go to when I want a break from a trope. This book showed me the other side of its world. It showed me their traditions and values, and how until this very age, these families still uphold these ways and how even some of these families are very strict about it, like Gemma’s family. Basically, for me, the story of Savio and Gemma revolved around this concept. And I mean it.
I love a good slow burn. I prefer it most of the time because I love the build up of the relationship between characters. I also get why it has to be a slow burn because the story started when they were young, but I felt I was missing something when it comes to their chemistry. I felt like it wasn’t enough? I didn’t feel a connection? Maybe it was just me, but yes, I felt there was something missing.
Overall, it was still an enjoyable mafia romance read and will check out the author’s other works.
This guy, Savio, has sex on the brain and has no plans on ever changing. Gemma has crushed on him since her teens and even younger. I liked the book even though I felt like Gemma should have done something earlier to make Savio wake up. I had to keep reading to see how it was going to turn out and whether or not Gemma and Savio would ever get together. You need to read this book if you like a good-looking man, a gorgeous woman, some Mafia, a little bit of everything and heavy on the sex.
This is the fifth book in the Camorra Chronicles series. It can be read as standalone. This book is about Savio and Gemma. I have been waiting for Savio’s book and waiting to know more about all other brothers. How ever it was a total disappointment. More than 50% of the book is all about a 16-year-old Gemma having crush on Savio and Savio acting like spoiled prince and treating her like a dirt. Gemma doesn’t think about anything, School & education is of no worth to her. Her only goal in life is to be a wife and giving birth to children. I even thought of DNF ing at 50% but pushed myself to complete it.
In the name of tradition only male taking a decision in the family and being ok anything after marriage and not even a single day before was ridiculous for current age. Everyone hovering around Gemma to make sure she doesn’t get charmed by Savio and give her V card early was too much to take and that was present in the majority part in the book. Felt like entire book was revolving around the wedding night.
Her Grandmother’s dialogue to convince her that Savio is a playboy.
“That boy can charm the frock right off a nun, Gemma”
I liked Gemma’s Sass to an extent post her marriage to Savio, however it wasn’t enough
“Rudeness is Remo’s mother tongue and if you manage to embarrass either of my brothers, I’m going to buy you that Porsche you are so crazy about”.
According me to she never did. Her fighting skills and interest were never displayed in a healthy way. Even when she was present during one of the fights, she will be hidden in a cupboard, which was too much for a girl who is interested in cage fight.
There is really no plot in this book. I was hoping to see more of his other brothers and sweet kids, even that wasn’t much. For most of the book, Diego was hovering over Savio so that he won’t unleash his bull on Gemma. His potential as an enforcer wasn’t showcased well at all.
She had so much potential when I read other books but didn’t match to that in this at all. Savio was not a perfect character and I liked that about him. Ultimately, the romance just didn’t grab me. I didn’t buy into it and I didn’t like Gemma and Savio. I did complete the book, but it’s not a memorable or interesting read for me. Give it a read and judge for yourself.
Absolutely adored Savio and Gemma.
I always look forward to this author’s books. I know I’ll like them, and this has been no exception.
Savio always struck me as an arrogant, self-absorbed guy. I knew when he fell it wouldn’t be easy and with Gemma we saw it.
I have to say that despite knowing what an ass*** he was, he totally go over the top on his stubbornness with Gemma, especially at first. He wanted to secure her but without losing or giving up his bachelor habits. That part I wanted to spank him and not just for pleasure (LOL).
Gemma irritated me at times because I did not know how to define her, sometimes she seemed very confident and determined, especially when it came to training but then she was almost a nun in more personal matters, I understand that was due to the education so strict and religious but it was difficult to see them as one person.
Afterwards, it seems to me that Savio and Gemma complement each other very well. He brings that somewhat sarcastic side and she is the perfect balance with her eloquence and the touch of reason in her day to day.
I have liked to know more about Fabiano and his family, I think we will have some short story of them or so I hope.
And reading about Adamo and seeing already a change in him has enchanted me, I’m looking forward to read his book.
As always, Cora never disappoints, she gives us bad guys but with such deep and good feelings when they find their other half.
Cora Reilly is a new to me author, and now my TBR list has grown.
Twisted Hearts was everything and more than I had expected. I dove in and didn’t want to come up for air till I was at the end.
***4- “Bull & Kitty” stars***
I start by saying that Savio needed a good kick in the a$$!!!
God, he infuriated me so much!!! The man was soooo immature, but from one hand, i can totally understand… He was too young!
In the present, he was just 22 years old, but in the heart matters he sucked!!!!
“Dreaming about Prince Charming is for little girls, and you aren’t a little girl anymore. Not to mention that Savio is definitely no Prince Charming. He’s the Big Bad Wolf who wants to eat you.”
Well, after Remo and Serafina’s turn, it was difficult to love another couple so much!!!!
Yes, i liked Savio… He was funny and sweet at times, but most of the time, if you could see me, you would see smokes out of my ears!!!!
Gemma was so sweet and full of patient, i think!!!
Girl, you know how to punch, so kick his ass for me!!!!
“It was my fault for falling for someone like Savio Falcone. And it was Savio’a fault for being such a male slut.”
Well, Savio was a big deal in Vegas…
His brother was the Capo of the Camorra, and his was part royalty for that reason…
He was hot and he knew it and he was taking good advantage of this fact…
He was a very good fighter too…
He also wasn’t used to chase girls… They were always chasing him, not the other way…
So, he never worked hard for anything, except on gym…
“This bull won’t ever be chained to one woman.”
Gemma was in love with Savio from the first moment that she laid eyes on him, when she was ten and he was fourteen…
But Savio never saw her… And except for that, her family was strict and they were bound to traditions from another century…
She was going to really meet her husband after he puts the ring on her finger at the altar…
So, Gemma had this crazy hope that Savio will wake up and claim her…
“I’d never kissed a boy and I wouldn’t. Not until my wedding day and no one but my husband.
Right then, I promised myself that Savio Falcone would be the one.”
At some point, Savio saw Emma, since she became a real beauty, but still… The trouble was too big for him…
But her parents wants to marry her, and if Savio doesn’t get the memo, some other man will be about to become her husband for life…
So, will Savio do something about it??? Will he claim her???
“Gemma is and will be mine till the bitter end.”
“I’m not worry about her being yours. No one with half a brain will touch a Falcone woman. But she might want you to be hers too, remember that.”
Well… Yes, Savio was good and funny and sexy, but he was making me mad all the time!!! He was also very arrogant and indifferent!!!
Honestly, he didn’t deserve this girl!!!
It took him very long time to clean up his act and i wanted to punch him really badly!!!!
Emma was in love and her hopes were always up for this man…
But he did many ugly things to her and at some point, she wasn’t sure if he was worth it after all!!!
And she was right! If I was her, i would show him the door!!! A$$!!!
“No engagement or marriage would shackle me down. Gemma was too in love with me to control my life like Serafina and Kiara did with my brothers.”
Those two were good together… But what bother me very much, it was that Savio was a horn dog all the damn time… I needed something more, i think!!! I didn’t want all the damn time to think about sex… Arrrrrrr…
Yes, near the end, he finally realize the truth that he didn’t want to accept through out the entire book, but stil… He pissed me off so damn much!!!
Of course, i can wait for Adamo’s turn… Maybe will end up with Luca’s daughter and I would love to see that!!!! Poor Adamo!!!
Twisted Hearts by Cora Reilly is part of the fifth book in the Camorra Chronicles and focuses on the relationship between Savio Falcone and Gemma Bazzoli. The book looks at the childhood relationship of the two main characters all the way up to them getting married. It sounds like it would be an easy story, but it isn’t. We see behind the scenes of the tragic home-life that Savio has been brought up in. The things he has seen are really horrific, but that is somehow to be expected when you are part of the Mafia. Savio is cocky and arrogant throughout the whole book and seems to enjoy playing games with Gemma and even sometimes flaunting other women in her face. There are points where he comes across as just too much but then the backstory kicks in and gives you a glimpse of vulnerability.
Gemma on the other hand is the quintessential good, catholic girl who is doing everything she can to be perfect for her family. It did feel like she had a lot of expectations put onto her which could be unrealistic, especially for those of us who may not have come from that background, and at times I felt that her family could be quite judgmental when Gemma was making life decisions, but underneath it all she is a strong woman who has to look past the often cruel way that she is treated by Savio and others in his family.
What I enjoyed about this book was the non-smooth sailing of Savio and Gemma’s relationship, it just felt more real knowing that everything wasn’t tied in a bow as well as the fact that Gemma put Savio in his place when he was being crude or disrespectful towards her. The book does look at the characters individually a lot more than it does them together and ti would be interesting to see more of their relationship in another book.
Overall, a good Mafia read.
ARC received for a fair and honest review.
More of my reviews can be found on my blog: https://thehotmesslibrary.blogspot.com
Savio and Gemma’s story left me with a lot of emotions. Their story is a true representation of who the characters are. It was hard to like Savio, but that was his true character. It was hard to find redemption in him, but then I really looked at what the story was telling me. Gemma was a child when they met. Throughout the story, she grew into a beautiful young lady, but still a minor. I don’t like some of the things Savio does, but he was older and in a different place in his life. Most of story had me wondering why she liked him, but that was him needing to grow as a person and see his mistakes. I liked the end of their story and would have liked more of them as a couple, not engaged singles.
Twisted Hearts by the amazing Cora Reilly
I definitely took my time to write this review, why? Well because this book was not what expected, but not in a bad way. Not at all. Not even close.
Gemma and Savio’s story took me by surprise, they were very funny and impulsive which made them extremely enthralling, to me, that is. I truly enjoyed their friendship and of course their banter, it was both funny and steamy. It was refreshing to see them as kids and then transition into adulthood, and how hormones change EVERYTHING!
Mr. Savio Falcone is the epitome of a bad bod, he is exactly what you have seen him in the previous books but with a twist, all puns intended. Savio loves to live his life in a carefree wild manner and he is not willing to give it up for no one or he thinks… He was not ready for Gemma, like at all. And although he was kind of an asshole I can’t help but to love him. He wrapped my heart around his fingers and just like Gem, a part of me belongs to him.
Ms. Gemma Bazzoli is the most unexpected character ever. I never thought Cora would develop her personality in the way she did, but I love Gemma immensely. She is strong and resilient but she’s also sweet and pure. Gaaaahhhh, I feel like in some very weird but familiar way I relate to her. She put Savio in his place by showing him that her convictions were stronger than her desires, and that was one of the things that I liked the most about the book.
Twisted Hearts is great story that you’ll truly enjoy. I was pleased to see that Cora brought back some elements from TB, like giving glimpses of new characters and adding complexity to existing ones. That said, I can’t wait for what she has in store for us in 2020. Grab unto your seatbelts, she’s coming for us, that is not a drill. She’s is loaded and ready to fire up our hearts next year.
*ARC given in exchange of honest review.
Ahhhh!! I have been obsessed with Cora Reilly since her Born in Blood series but The Camorra Chronicles are on another level for me. There is something about seeing these cold and dangerous men fall to their knees for the one woman that is their exception that just hits the spot. I have been DYING for Savio Falcone’s book since book one as I knew there was more to the always sarcastic and joking Falcone. And boy did Reilly deliver!! Savio was sexy and controlled and his connection to Gemma could not be denied. She was the girl he always saw even if he didn’t realize it at the time. Likewise, I loved Gemma’s sass and strength so much. She stood up for herself without fear of consequences and I loved her more for it. The banter in this story was out of this world but nothing could top their fiery passion. This was another Cora Reilly Mafia five star gem!!
There is something about Savio Falcone that stays with you. For that reason Gemma Bazzoli has been enamored with her brother’s best friend for years and when circumstances put them in each other’s paths, their connection and intertwined fates could not be denied. This story was passionate and emotional. I loved seeing the Falcone brotherhood and their families as the close-knit bond they all share is something that is so perfectly depicted and felt. Reilly did an outstanding job creating another facet to the Camorra Chronicles that was a magnificent addition to the series! I am so obsessed with this series and can not wait for Adamo’s book! Bravo! 5 stars! ~Ratula
I think for people to like this book they should know who Savio Falcone is, so we shouldn’t expect something like Twisted Emotions where Nino was always calm and patient or Twisted Pride where we could see since the first chapter that Remo was obsessed with Serafina, Savio it’s so different from his brothers and I love how Cora is giving each one of them a strong and remarkable personality.u2063
Savio Falcone is hands down one of my favorite characters from Cora, but God, I wanted to punch him a few times while reading Twisted hearts, he’s really the same character that we’ve known from the first book and that’s something that I really like because sometimes authors tend to show us a side of the character and then out of the sudden they change their character radically.u2063
So Savio… he’s a player, he’s charming, he’s funny and he, of course, shows a vulnerable side in this book which I love, so yeah, he frustrated me a lot, but his arc is great, and all the process he does trough this book to realize his mistakes is so worthy.u2063
Now let’s go to the most important character in this book GEMMA, I don’t even know how to describe her, she’s first of all so strong, she’s stubborn and really competitive, but not only that because she’s easily one of the sweetest and innocent characters I’ve read, I just want to rant forever about her, not even once I get bored reading his pov, I can firmly say that she’s one of my favorite female characters from Cora.u2063
Even if I like the plot of the book, I can say that I was waiting for more action scenes, another thing I really like were the time jumps, they really help you know the character so much better and understand all their actions, maybe the only thing I’m kind of sad about is that I feel like I need to see more of them, maybe another 50/100 pages, because even if I see a lot of evolution in the characters as individuals, I think it was a little lacking of development in the relationship part u2063
I still have mixed emotions about this book. Don’t get me wrong…the characters, the writing, and the plot were fantastic, but I still want to throttle Savio.
Gemma was a sweetheart from the beginning who knew how to get what she wanted. Unfortunately for her, what she wanted isn’t all it’s cracked out to be. Even though she wasn’t treated fairly, she wasn’t going to give in lightly.
Savio was your typical playboy who grew up without any boundaries. He could do whatever and whoever he wanted without consequences. This is what made me so mad at him. He thought he could have his cake and eat it too!
Eventually, he did learn his lesson and all was right in the world, but I just felt like it took too long. Then I think about his age and realize maybe it didn’t take him that long. He was still just a baby. See… mixed emotions!
As always with Cora’s books, the mafia aspect, suspense, and overall fun had by this group was all there. We also got to see glimpses of Adamo and learn that there is a lot of mystery surrounding his character. I can’t wait to get my hands on his book!
– An Arc was generously provided in exchange for an honest review.-
Did you ever start a book and didn’t want it to end? This is how I felt reading this book (if I’m being honest all of her mafia books) Gemme was the perfect heroine for Savio. She was sweet but also strong enough to handle Savio. Savio on the other hand I wanted to slap upside his head while kicking the sh*t out of him. But at the end he got himself together and became the guy I knew he could be. Added bonus we got to read more of Remo and Nino and their families and the strong bond they have for each other. I can’t wait to read Greta or Marcella books.
Man, Savio frustrated me to the point of me wanting to punch him a lot of times, but I didn’t hate him. Savio was unapologetic Savio (a major jerk). He did mature somewhat at the end while staying true to himself.
Same with Gemma, she held on to her beliefs until the very ending. She was very naïve and innocent, it made me roll my eyes at times, and I get she was a kid, a very sheltered one at that. She’s not at all what I was expecting. She’s sensitive, emotional, yet kind of a badass. I love her so much I want to cry.
I do think Gemma was made for Savio. Only her to put up with him and kick his ass if needed. They were adorable together. I just wished it had more scenes of them as a couple, it lacked in that department.
Overall, I liked this book. I laughed, shed a few tears, and wanted to scream too. I love the small glimpses of the old and new characters. There’s an existence of a particular character that made me so happy my spirit left my body and went to heaven.
Looking forward to the next books in this Mafia world, especially Adamo’s.
p.s. Nevio is the devil, and I love him.
*ARC PROVIDED IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW
– 3.5 stars –
I love the Camorra Chronicles, so I was looking forward to the middle brother Savio’s book. I knew it would take one special lady to get him to change his player ways. I loved that we got to see how Gemma and Savio’s bond developed over time. Gemma in the beginning was a young girl crushing hard on her older brother’s best friend. She knew that he would be the one she would marry. She comes from a very conservative/traditional Italian family and is very sheltered. In some cases the things she was clueless about was a bit unbelievable. Especially in this day and age with access to internet, I would expect a young teenager to know more things. I really enjoyed the interaction between Savio and Gemma. He eventually agrees to an arranged marriage to her, but is not ready to give up other women, especially because she is off-limits until marriage. His hooking up with other women didn’t bother me because there wasn’t really a relationship between him and Gemma. I think his behavior and actions were in line with his character. I wouldn’t want to see him do a 180 without major events taking place that would change his behavior.
The pacing of the story was great. A lot of character development was able to take place. However, the last quarter of the book felt rushed. I think the marriage took place too late into the story, and I would’ve liked to see more growth in them as a married couple. I wanted Gemma to be a bit more independent and fierce, and see more individual growth. Otherwise, I really enjoyed this book and I loved seeing the family dynamic change with Gemma added to it. She fit right in, and I look forward to seeing her grow even more. It was also nice to see what the main characters from the previous books in this series were up to. I especially loved the scenes with the kids. I am very intrigued by the youngest brother Adamo. He has gone through a lot of changes especially after the incident with his mother, so I am even more excited to see how his story will develop. Twisted Hearts is a great addition to the series, and I love Cora Reilly’s writing style and characters. So I look forward to reading any of her upcoming books.