5 Stars

Publisher: 

Date of publication: June 20th, 2018

Genre: Romance

Series: Made

The Sweetest Oblivion – Book 1

Where you can find The Sweetest Oblivion: Amazon | Barnes and Noble

Book synopsis (from Goodreads):

She’s a romantic at heart, living in the most unromantic of worlds . . .

Nicknamed Sweet Abelli for her docile nature, Elena smiles on cue and has a charming response for everything. She’s the favored daughter, the perfect mafia principessa . . . or was.

Now, all she can see in the mirror’s reflection is blood staining her hands like crimson paint.

They say first impressions are everything . . .

In the murky waters of New York’s underworld, Elena’s sister is arranged to marry Nicolas Russo. A Made Man, a boss, a cheat—even measured against mafia standards. His reputation stretches far and wide and is darker than his black suits and ties. After his and Elena’s first encounter ends with an accidental glare on her part, she realizes he’s just as rude as he is handsome.

She doesn’t like the man or anything he stands for, though that doesn’t stop her heart from pattering like rain against glass when he’s near, nor the shiver that ghosts down her spine at the sound of his voice.

And he’s always near. Telling her what to do. Making her feel hotter than any future brother-in-law should. Elena may be the Sweet Abelli on the outside, but she’s beginning to learn she has a taste for the darkness, for rough hands, cigarettes, and whiskey-colored eyes. Having already escaped one scandal, however, she can hardly afford to be swept up in another.

Besides, even if he were hers, everyone knows you don’t fall in love with a Made Man . . . right?

This is a standalone forbidden romance.

My review:

I can’t even begin to explain how much I loved this book. Before I get into that, let me explain something. I do not like Mafia romances. They don’t ring true with me. All the Mafia based romances that I have read have been unrealistic. Why unrealistic? Because most of the scenarios that were portrayed in those books wouldn’t happen. <Shrug> I like my books a little more realistic. I don’t need to read about Don’s who walk away from the Mob because they fall in love. It doesn’t work that way.

So back to why I loved The Sweetest Oblivion so much. It was as close to life as one could get with a book. The characters were human. While they did bad things, they weren’t necessarily bad. Plus, it was dark. And you all know that the darker the romance, the more delicious it can be. And that was the case with The Sweetest Oblivion. I also connected with Elena. And let’s not forget the sex!!! Totally hot and well worth the wait!!

With the good, there is also the bad. I didn’t like the violence in the book. There were some scenes that made me gag. I didn’t like how the women were treated. I am far from a feminist but I couldn’t wrap my head around being driven everywhere and having a bodyguard. I also couldn’t wrap my head around why Elena was considered unfit for marriage. Why she wasn’t the favorite daughter anymore. I did want to yell “We don’t live in the Middle Ages anymore” at both Elena’s father and Nicolas.

I liked Elena. She was tough. She had to be, growing up in a family like hers. I mean, if she could eat dessert after having a man get his head blown off while holding her, nothing could faze her. Her backstory was awful (well, besides being born into a Mafia family). The guilt she had over what happened to that boy was heartbreaking. She held onto the ring he gave her like it was a lifeline. I do think that she got the better deal in Nicolas. If she had ended up with Oscar <shudder>.

I didn’t like Nicolas during the first half of the book. He was lusting after Elena while being engaged to her younger sister. He treated her horribly the first half of the book. He was a man whore who slept with anything with a pair of tits. While he didn’t exactly flaunt it, it was well-known information. But, as the book went on, he started changing. It was after he got engaged to Elena and moved her into his house, that I started liking him.

The chemistry between Nicolas and Elena was insane. From the first meeting to the end of the book, they were on fire. What I liked is that the sexual tension between them didn’t fall apart after they slept together the first time. Instead, it got hotter. I swear my Kindle fogged up on a few of the sex scenes. What I also liked is that the sex came later in the book. The author chose to let that sexual tension build up. Loved it!!!

The end of the book was great. The author did a great job of wrapping everything up. I was happy with what happens with Nicolas and Elena. I am looking forward to book 2!!

What I liked about The Sweetest Oblivion:

A) Relatable characters

B) Dark romance

C) Insanely hot sex

What I disliked about The Sweetest Oblivion:

A) The violence was a little too much in places

B) The scene with tiramisu. Can’t look at that dessert and say yum again.

C) The Middle-Aged treatment of women

I would give The Sweetest Oblivion an Adult Rating. There is explicit sex. There is explicit violence. There is language. I would highly recommend that no one under the age of 21 read this book.

I would reread The Sweetest Oblivion. I would also recommend it to family and friends.

I would like to thank the author for allowing me to read and review The Sweetest Oblivion.

All opinions stated in this review of The Sweetest Oblivion are mine.

**I chose to leave this review after reading an advance reader copy**