Sweet Temptation

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Sweet Temptation is the perfect stand-alone mafia romance, age gap, and about a marriage of convenience. I’ve never read a mafia romance before but that one just got me hooked and I can’t wait to read more about them from Cora. I really enjoyed how the story was told from both the characters’ perspectives, Giulia and Cassio.
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Giulia is eighteen years old when she got married to Cassio, a thirty-one year old Underboss in Philadelphia. Cassio’s wife died and left him with two young children and he needed a wife and a mother to take care of them. Giulia is a loving, caring, strong, loyal, and patient character. Having such a strong and independent character as Giulia is something never expected in the mafia world she lives in. To become a wife and also a mother in such a young age is quite challenging but she was able to handle this situation even though she was inexperienced and love the children as her own. I really loved her character and sometimes I forgot that she was a young girl, she sounded much older with everything she’s going through and how she’s handling it. I also loved how she fought for herself, for her marriage, for the children, and how she wanted to be seen as a wife not just a babysitter or a mistress. And what I loved the most about her was how she was trying to fix the family and break down barriers. Throughout the book, she showed how much she loved and cared for both the children and her husband.

Cassio is a brutal, tough, mysterious, lonely but also a loyal man. He loved his first wife, although she despised him and she never handled his touch he still remained loyal to her and he never cheated on her. The book brought the mystery that caused the death of his first wife and what caused him to be the way he was when he first got married to Giulia. He needed a wife that would take care of his children and as soon as he’s bond to marry Giulia. He views her as an immature third child that he is supposed to take care of instead of having her to take care of his own children. He tried to form Giulia into a woman she’s not; she fought his wishes from the very first moment she met him and he ended up being involved in his wife’s ways. While reading the book from Cassio’s perspective, you’ll get to know that he’s a man who’s desperate for care. I also loved that even after all what he went through and all his hard time he opened his heart for Guilia.

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Giulia and Cassio were a polar opposite but that what made them work. The way their relationship grew was mind-blowing despite the struggles they were dealing with his past, their age difference, and the kids. Guilia was indeed a sweet temptation he couldn’t resist. Although Sweet Temptation was a little heartbreaking but it has one of the best happy endings. Cora’s writing was easy, quick to read and that will keep you wanting for more! I totally recommend reading this book.

I can’t believe I waited so long to read this one.
This book had the perfect blend of emotions, suspense, romance and familial love. Cora Reilly has a way with words, I have realised. She will take you on a journey and leave you wanting for more.

Our heroine, Guilia, even though being a young girl, was in no way weak or naïve. She was supposed to marry Cassio, a man much older than her, only to take care of his 2 children. Cassio had no interest in forming a relationship with her but Guilia was determined to find her happiness.

Cassio has had a tough life. Slowly we figure out the reasons behind his distrusting nature, Cora has written such amazing heroes over the years and this one definitely an interesting character. He is good at what he does and his loyalty is unmatched. He respects Guilia but he has made high walls around his heart but Guilia will barge into them and make her place.

I would highly recommend this book to all mafia fans out there.

10.03.20 review

A couple of hours ago, I finished reading Sweet Temptation and I’m still filled with bittersweet happiness. I love this book so hard. And right now, I feel so calm. This book is not so much about the mafia as about how a young optimistic strong girl tries to win the love and trust of her husband and his children. When Julia was chosen for Cassio he was against it. he did not like the inexperienced young girl and considered her another burden for himself. when julia found out who her husband was going to be she was shocked and had mixed feelings about it but she accepted it.
Giulia and Cassio were just everything. I can’t imagine a person who wouldn’t love Giulia, she’s incredible, she’s strong and stubborn, I love every little thing about her. Despite her age she took on a great responsibility to make a happy and strong family out of something broken. Giulia refuses to accept what Cassio gives her because it’s not enough for her, she wants more. Even a strong man like Cassio can’t resist a sweet temptation like Giulia, he was lost and confused , he had to take care of small children and still be a cruel Underboss of Philadelphia. He was very surprised that Giulia was able to cope with the children and even with the dog which he could not stand. Cassio doubt that they will be able to be a happy family but he was so wrong.

Also my heart was sore for Daniele he was a closed child and did not talk, he was in pain and had a lot of experiences. but he was able to overcome it thanks to Giulia. The way Giulia was with the kids was amazing she treated them like her own children and loved them as well.
This book was filled with love, I loved it.

This is beyond perfection
I don’t even find the right words to describe how amazing this book is

Sweet Temptation by Cora Reilly is a standalone mafia romance book.

ARC kindly provided by the author in exchange for an honest review.

“The first time I met the girl I was supposed to marry, she called me ‘sir’.”

Cassio Moretti is the Philadelphia Underboss under the rule of Luca Vitiello with the Famiglia. He is a recently widowed father of two young babies. As boss, he needs a wife for his household and to take care of his babies. He accepted to marry Giulia Rizzo who is 13 years younger than him. He rules over his city with an iron first and is known for his brutality and coldness yet at home for his family, he is a loving and caring husband.

“Giulia had done nothing to deserve this, but I needed certainty before her loveliness had me wrapped around her finger and made me blind to a hurtful truth.”

Giulia Rizzo is full of love, sunshine, and light. She is extremely stubborn but is capable of a lot of love. She is extremely kind, understanding, and loyal. Giulia absolutely was flexible with her life. She is young, yes but that did not stop her from taking ownership of her new life to take care of a family and being the wife of an Underboss. The huge leap that she took by being the mother of two young children was not easy, but she took it with stride and become the glue that put the family back together.

“You have a choice.”
“Do I? Will you really allow me a choice?”
I wouldn’t show weakness. But a non-existent choice would still feel like a choice.”

Cassio and Giulia was perfection together. They were definitely opposites, but the force of their love was definitely strong. They were precious and their children, Daniele and Simona, will put you in your feelings. Their family bond was amazing.

“I’d never been a man for the sweet things in life, I suddenly craved it.”

This story was absolutely so adorable yet so intense. The character development was phenomenal and flawlessly executed. It was not rushed and I felt every journey with each page. This was a masterpiece because Cassio, Giulia, and the kids were such a perfect dynamic and they will dig deep in your heart. This was tragic but definitely beautiful. It was devastatingly beautiful. Cora Reilly, you definitely did incredible yet again! I LOVED this book.

Such a sweet ending after…that bit of craziness. Every page worth the touch, worth the smell, worth the read.
Everything was in the details; From the first look to the last touch. The character growth and the world building were on point. The story was one that truly reached out and took a hold of you.
Well done, Cora. Well done…

This age gap, arraigned marriage grabbed me from the beginning and held my attention until the end. I had a hard time putting it down. I loved Cassio and Giulia’s journey. I highly recommend this read. Narration by Wen Ross and Kai Kennicott was fantastic!

This was my first time reading a book by this author and it won’t be my last. I LOVED this book especially the h. She was strong, determined, loyal, confident and loving. I am a sucker for a brooding H and kids combo. The h knew what she wanted and never gave up. Read this book!

When this authour writes about her fictional mafia worlds it is a good story. When this authour tells us a story in her fictional Famiglia mafia world, it is amazing. Cassio and Giulia were engaging, sweet, confused, and determined. Watching them figure things out, make mistakes, change their ways, and fall in love was beautiful. Theirs wasn’t a loud or obnoxious love story; It was silent, determined, and continuous. A sleeper love story but no less powerful in its’ emotional presence. Their feelings swept me up as they formed, protected, and grew together as a family. Loved it!

ARC received from The Next Step PR

I went into this book having read all the Born in Blood Chronicle books, but not the Camorra Chronicokes yet. Let me assure anyone else in the same boat, that this book is truly a standalone and none of the other books need to be read. This can be read at any time. I would advise reading it after the first Born in Blood Chronicles book, only because the main characters are mentioned, but overall, it can be read first since none of their plot is given away. A cousin named Kiera is mentioned, and I believe she’s part of the Camorra Chronicles series; she’s young in this one, so it does seem to occur before the CC books (I think). In fact, reading this book first would be a good introduction to the mafia world that Cora has created.

Take the title literally though. I found this one to be a much lighter and sweeter read than the other series. While Cassio is an underboss, we don’t see much of his job occuring. The entire story is focused on family, marriage, and trust. I’m still not sure how I feel about it. I feel like the other books did a great job keeping mafia story and romance plotline balanced, while this one focused solely on romance and less of Cassio’s life outside family.

Overall though, I do think this is a great book and I enjoyed reading it so much! At first, I didn’t since it reminded me too much of Luca and Aria, with the young wife, forced marriage, but soon after the wedding ceremony, this book took a different turn and for that I was pleased.

Cassio is an underboss of Luca. The book begins with the death of his wife, leaving behind a toddler who now refuses to acknowledge his father and a baby. Guilia’s parents take advantage of the situation and align a marriage with their 17-year-old daughter, to take place four months later when she’s 18. So jump ahead by four months and that’s what happens. Cassio wants nothing to do with her really; she’s a convenient person to be a wife and now a mother to his children, while she also doesn’t want the marriage, but does want to make the best of it.

The author does a great job of showing Gulia’s mothering instincts emerge. While fearful at first, she soon figures it out and soon has the kids loving her more than him. I think the two characters balanced each other beautifully. After his first horrible marriage, he needs someone to love and trust. She is able to give him that, all while not allowing him to just be her boss; her husband. She is determined to be a family properly, while keeping her own personality in tact. She challenges him to ensure she isn’t overtaken by him.

The thing I disliked about this book was the son. I found given his young age, he experienced the trauma as an older child would.

It was a great book, a sweet read, and a wonderful standalone addition to Cora’s mafia worlds. It really makes me want to jump back into them all.