Review: Lorenzo

...I believe every person we love makes their mark on our hearts, shaping us into the people we become.

(Chicago Ruthless #3)

Blurb:

"Grief is the price we pay for love"

My name is Lorenzo Moretti. Born to be head of the Cosa Nostra, except that I chose love over my birthright.

On our wedding day, my father cursed our union, swearing on his own blood that my wife and I would never live out our days in happiness.

I guess he was right, because fate stole her from me and I’m left to live an empty life without her, with a shattered heart and only half a soul.

On the day my wife died, I swore I’d never love anyone like that again, and it’s a promise I kept for two years.

A promise I kept until her…

She sauntered into my life wearing a dress the color of sunshine and with nothing else but an old Mustang and a smile. Beaten and bruised and seeking refuge behind my family’s walls. But I’m no white knight looking for redemption, and she’s sure no damsel in distress.

She’s annoying as hell. With no filter and an eternally sunny disposition. She says whatever’s on her mind, no matter how poorly judged it might be.

She’s everything I don’t want.

But she might just be everything I need.

And I don’t know how much longer I can resist her sweet smile and her sinful curves…

Because there’s only so long you can stand in the sun before giving in to its heat.

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REVIEW

Oh.

My.

Lorenzo.

Never in a million years would I have thought that this book would become one of my all-time-favorite mafia romances when I first picked it up. I've re-read it at least a dozen times (without even exaggerating) because it has become one of my comfort-reads. The story still tugs at my heartstrings every single time, no matter how often I've read it.

A little warning: This review will contain some minor spoilers.

The story begins with Mia leaving her abusive husband and seeking sanctuary inside the Moretti compund, where Mia's cousin Kat lives with her husband, Dante Moretti. If you've read Dante and Joey's books you'll know that Lorenzo lost his first wife to cancer and this one starts two years after her death.

As you can imagine, Lorenzo isn't exactly Mia's biggest fan in the beginning. He doesn't like her upbeat, sunshine personality because he's been living in constant darkness since the death of his wife. Lorenzo swore on Anya's deathbed that he'd never love another woman, but Mia throws all that overboard when she slowly starts worming her way into his thoughts... and ultimately his heart.

Understandably, Lorenzo is struggling to accept his feelings for Mia, which leads to a few angst-filled and heartbreaking moments.

Personally, I loved that Mia never expected Lorenzo to replace Anya with her and always gave him a safe space to talk about his late wife. Some may think that makes her a doormat, but I think it shows Mia's strength and compassion. She’s been through hell herself but never lost hope—or her ability to love again. Watching Lorenzo slowly unravel in the presence of a woman who sees past the guilt, pain, and the walls he built around himself was one of the most beautiful and rewarding parts of the story for me.

Now, the story wasn't without its weak points.

For one, Mia never really dealt with the trauma of living with an abusive husband, and I felt like she was using sex as a coping mechanism. I mean, I'm not a therapist, but I can't imagine that to be a healthy way to deal with things.

And also—killing someone...?! She calls Lorenzo, he deals with the situation, but they never really discuss how (or even if) taking someone's life affects her. I get that this is a mafia book, but Mia doesn't strike me as a character who would take something like that lightly... or just brush it under the rug.

Also, I would have liked a bit more groveling from Lorenzo... There was one scene where he really breaks her heart, and even though I understood why he lashed out, Mia still took him back a little too quickly for my liking. But that's just my personal opinion.

All in all this book was angsty at times and touched on some really heavy themes, like the domestic abuse Mia suffered, but it also had beautifully tender moments between the main characters to balance it out. It gets a solid 3.5 stars from me, and if you enjoy angsty mafia romances, I would definitely recommend giving this one a read.