User Reviews
Rating: really liked it
This book broke my heart writing it. Nino is the most difficult character I've ever written, but I love him fiercely. I hope you will too.
Rating: really liked it
Who would have thought I will find my book husband in Nino Falcone? 💍👰🏻
Rating: really liked it
4.5 Smut StarsFinally, an almost 5-star read for me and this author! I knew it would happen someday lol. And oddly enough, I find myself enjoying the earlier ones more upon re-read...perhaps some upgrades are in order, ratings-wise...
Otherwise, I really enjoyed Nino and Kiara's story.
Rating: really liked it
3.75 starsokaaay. but this kinda cute or whateva.
first of all just wanna get this out of the way and tell y'all:
tw — rape and paedophelia in chapter 3, OW scene also in the same chapter and "cheating" (but we'll get into this later).
i thought Nino and Kiara were really cute. Nino is supposed to be this "emotionless" robot (thank you cora for telling me this 58397x) but he was just- he was
very sweet to Kiara and also very considerate since he knows about her past and does everything to make her comfortable, even standing up for her to her brothers. he just does everything she says without hesitation and i think that's cute.
some might say Kiara is weak and fragile but in a way she
was. she was so scared of everything and would always cower whenever Remo gives her attention but i don't know. i did not NOT like her. i thought she was fine and im a momma bear so obviously with her history, all i wanted to do was protect her. i like her coming out of her shell by the end tho. love it when she wasn't scared of Remo anymore.
also, her relationships with the Falcone bros got me like
THEY WERE SO CUTE. especially when she was playing video games with Adamo. i wanted to punch Savio and Remo sometimes cuz they were being dickheads but im glad they weren't treating Kiara like she's fragile.
aaaalright. now let's get on with the
"cheating" (spoiler).
↳ first, there's a OW scene in the beginning before Nino and Kiara meet. it was a little bit descriptive but it felt clinical. but right after Nino and Kiara get married, Kiara allowed Nino to "look elsewhere to satisfy his needs" since she's a rape victim and she's still not comfortable with men. There were no descriptive scenes here and it was barely even mentioned. after 4 weeks of knowing each other, Kiara told Nino to stop.
it wasn't mentioned how often the cheating occurred but there was one scene where Nino
"pulled out of the whore's ass" but that was it for the cheating. obviously i didn't like that because
eww.
a part of me was thankful there's little to no details of the cheating because ✨
ignorance is bliss ✨ but the other part of me was like whowhatwherewhenwhyhow????? is this cheating in normal standards? yes. is this cheating in mafia standards? ehh no, maybe so? i don't know. but once Kiara told him to stop he did because he does whatever Kiara tells him to do. to be honest, i don't know how i feel about this because it was just unnecessary.
i would've given this a higher rating if this book was longer and if we had more Nino chapters/pov's because i wanted to
see the parts where he's falling in love with her but he doesn't know he's falling with her but we all know he's falling in love with her. if that makes sense.
his revelation was too little too late for my taste, thus, he seemed too nonchalant in the beginning. i know there's a second book for this couple but personally, i like reading about the relationship moments before they say their 'i love you's' cuz that's where development and sexual tension happens the most and i needed
more of that. im spoiled when it comes to these scenes i just wasn't satisfied/convinced with Nino's love. but do i do doubt it tho? no.
the best part in this book was Kiara's relationship to the Falcone bros so here's my reaction to them in this book:
—
Nino: okaaay. we get it. you're emotionless af no need to remind us every other page.
—
Remo: is fucking crazy so i can't wait to read his book.
—
Savio: needs to be taken down a notch with his ho-ness cuz damn boy
chill. also, he needs to stop being a dick to Adamo.
—
Adamo: he's so precious and innocent. HE'S SO ADORABLE. he doesn't want to kill and be a ho so i just- can we all just protect this precious bean please and thanks.
･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･
Camorra Chronicles ･ﾟﾟ･｡｡･ﾟﾟ･
#1: twisted loyalties — fabiano x leona ↠
3.25 stars#2: twisted emotions — nino x kiara ↠
3.75 stars#3: twisted pride — remo x serafina ↠
4.25 stars#4: twisted bonds — nino x kiara ↠
4 stars#5: twisted hearts — savio x gemma ↠
1.5 stars#6: twisted cravings — adamo x dinara ↠
2 stars
Rating: really liked it
At first, this seemed very much like Aria and Luca at the beginning of their story. Which was not a particularly good comparison.
Rating: 2,5/5⭐
However, it turned out differently (at least something). However, I'm not really interested in Kiara.
I prefer the scenes between the Falcone brothers + Nino's POV. Or when Kiara was interacting with them. The romance between Kiara and Nino soon turned out to be rather tiresome.
Plus I have to say that not much really happened in this book (if you do not count the romance part, of course) which was disappointing.
Remo didn’t have the necessary patience to read bedtime stories. Besides, he had a habit of letting the Death Eaters and Voldemort win.Let's just say that I'm way too excited for Remo's book. 🐍
Rating: really liked it
5 STARS! "You are too beautiful to lurk in the shadows."
Gah! I am total trash for the arranged marriage trope, and Cora Reilly writes the absolute BEST there is.
Nino Falcone deals with his gory/twisted past by suppressing all emotion and relying solely on logic to make his decisions.
Kiara Vitiello grew up as a pariah in her uncle's household after her father betrayed the mob. But that's only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the trauma that she's endured.
Their marriage will seal a truce between the Las Vegas Camorra and The Famiglia on the East Coast.
What I loved most about
Twisted Emotions was that its plot centered almost entirely around Nino and Kiara's relationship. And Cora Reilly did such a great job.
Because Nino is such a nasty mother fucker in every other aspect of his life, his patience with Kiara and his attempts to include her in his family - such as it was - made for some seriously swoon worthy reading. I loved him! His confidence, his loyalty, and later his vulnerability were mixed perfectly with his badass nature.
"He knows how strong he is, how powerful. He doesn't have to humiliate me to feel powerful."
And watching Kiara come into her own was so satisfying.
And OH. MY. GOD. I can't wait for the all the upheaval that Remo's plan is going to cause in the next book! Remo falling in love and being taken down a peg or two by a woman is going to be epic, LOL.
PS: this book contains the usual bloody mafia triggers, but also: (view spoiler)
[rape (hide spoiler)]
Rating: really liked it
My 3rd reread of this book. I felt it like the very first time I read it. Nino & Kiara, forever ❤️
Rating: really liked it
no thoughts head empty
just nino falcone <3
Rating: really liked it
4.5 Stars.
TW for sexual assault
SO GOOOD!! I really love this series so much and how close the men are to one another. Their familial bond is everything. I love a good marriage of convenience and this one was just so fantastic. Kiara is broken when she is married off to Nino, a member of a rival mafia. Due to childhood trauma, she doesn't trust the touch of anyone and is terrified of intimacy. I was so in love with how protective and patient Nino was with Kiara. Nino was not going to let anyone make Kiara feel uncomfortable and treated her as his. The only thing I didn't love was that Nino was not faithful the whole time. This was agreed upon between them, but I wanted Nino to be so enamored with Kiara that he didn't want to be with anyone else. I also would have loved as much mafia content as we got in book one, but it felt a bit more tame in this book. But I heard we get another book with Nino and Kiara later on in the series and I am excited to see them again!
Rating: really liked it
It’s not cheating if you go back to a review and give the book 5stars because you realize how beautiful Nino is and there could be NO ONE who can be better than him. I don’t care what you say.
Original review:
I can’t type, I’m busy loving Nino and getting Remo’s story next.
RTC
Rating: really liked it
5 Born in Blood Stars ⭐
Duty and honor were the pillars of our world. Each of us had to do what was expected.It was an arranged marriage meant to bring peace and a truce amongst two feuding mafia outfits. Except it also brought together two broken people destined to find happiness, healing and love.
Nino Falcone is the calm before the storm. Unable to feel emotions, it's easy for him to compartmentalise his tasks and duties without guilt or remorse; thus making him lethal.
So agreeing to be one part of the marriage treaty isn't exactly an issue until the wedding night. When he learns something about his new wife that makes him see red and stimulates his deadened heart.
My marriage to Nino was supposed to wash away the blemish of the past, but my secret could ruin us all.Kiara is the daughter of a traitor. A stigma that never goes away. Entering into a marriage with Nino is the last thing she wants, yet there is no choice. Her husband may be ruthless and deadly, but the bloodbath of their wedding night makes him the dark knight she never thought she deserved.
“What are you thinking?” he asked.
I sighed. “I’m scared.”
“Did I give you a reason to be scared?”
I looked back up at his attentive face. “No, but I’m scared because you want me, and because I want you, but I don’t know if I can do it.”Twisted Emotions was so much better then I hoped. The mafia trope can get repetitive, so the fact that both Nino and Kiara were superb, made this story a delight. Where Nino believed he was incapable of love, Kiara assumed nobody could love her. Beware, there are triggers of rape and abuse, however it just made their entire relationship bittersweet.
Rating: really liked it
Good lord people! When Cora Reilly told us to prepare for a bunch of releases she didn't say that they would completely slay us!! Twisted Emotions was EVERYTHING!! Nino and Kiara completely rocked my world!! This story was vicious and heartbreaking but so sexy and swoony. It rang every damn bell I had and had me fully hooked from the get go!! I thought Fabi and Leona were amazing but Nino and Kiara just stole the Camorra #1 spot!!
Gah!! Without giving away ANY spoilers, this story was magnificent!! There is something about Cora Reilly and arranged marriage stories. She truly has the magic touch. I swear she had me eating out of her hands the minute I entered her world with Luca and Aria and now that there is a spinoff series, I am in mafia dark romance HEAVEN!!
Kiara was absolutely incredible. Her story was heartbreaking but ultimately uplifting as we saw not only her will to survive, but her need to walk into the light and away from past heartbreak and darkness. The fact that she had a strong man and his loyal brothers at her back was just the chocolate covered cherry on top!! And Nino - ahhhhh!! He was fantastic and true Antihero GOLD!! He was dark and scary in an emotionless, killer package. I loved his dynamic with Kiara and the slow progression of their relationship. It was heartwarming and exciting to see how bit by bit, chunk by chunk Kiara broke through his icy facade to the man inside. She proved that she was Nino's only exception and reason to feel.
All in all, this book (and series) is Mafia Romance #goals. The hot chemistry, banter and overall storyline was outstanding and brilliantly written. Reilly consistently keeps her characters true to who they are while giving us magnificent love stories in the process. Through this book and all of her books to date, she once again has proved that she is the leader of the pack!! I seriously AM DYING for Remo's book. Bravo! 6 stars! ~Ratula
Rating: really liked it
Trigger Warning : Fairly detailed rape scene when Kiara(h) was just 13 it continued for four nights afterwards.That's the exact moment Nino Falcone took my heart ⬇️⬇️
“I was promised a Vitiello woman in marriage.
A woman with beauty and grace.
You fulfill my requirements.”
Intelligent✔️
Born Fighter✔️
Caring, Loving, Patient ✔️
Grey eyes ✔️
Tall✔️
Tattoos 🤤🤤🤤✔️
Big yet Lean✔️
What's not to love?
Nino Falcone 🖤
P.S- Officially I want the want the word
"simulate" out of English language 😒 tysm
Rating: really liked it
I had a a few huge problems with this book:
1) The Falcone brothers have a weird (read: degenerate) tendency to fuck prostitutes... at the same time in the same room. I don't know if this is a bonding of some sorts or just one of many mommy issues they have, but it was fucking weird, distasteful and left a bitter taste in my mouth. Especially because they kept doing it while the heroine was in the same house. Nino, though married, did it too. Ok, Kiara did give him permission at first because of her own issues, but reading about Nino "pulling out of whore's ass" wasn't.sexy.at.all. It killed the romance tbh.
2) Nino sounded too good to be true. He is supposed to be emotionless, however... he is not supposed to sound like a sex therapist. He is a fucked up criminal after all. Some of his lines sounded like copy paste from self-help books.
3) The dark subplot dealing with rape overshadowed the romance in my opinion.
I'm still curious to read about Remo though.
Rating: really liked it
Reread: 10/8/20listen, Remo is my all time favorite CR character but, when I look back and remember how I felt while reading Nino's book, I realize that
maybe the Falcone brothers have a special place in my heart as a whole honestly (yes, even Savio - tho I love him better as a side character rather than a main). <3
***
Warning: I fangirl quite a lot about Nino and Remo in this review so this was a whole mess.✰
5 stars ✰
“I love you. For real. No simulated affection or love ever again, because with you, I don’t need to simulate. You dragged that dead part of me out of the past and revived it. I didn’t die fifteen years ago, but I didn’t live either … until you.”oh damn, I absolutely loved this book! where can I get my own Nino Falcone?? 🥺
Kiara (h): ➴ lemme just say, heroines similar to Kiara are often a hit or miss me, depending on how they are written;
however, because of what she's been through, it's understandable why she was that way and I honestly just wanted to hug and protect her. I loved her!! Her character development was so good! It was slow, but it was there and true to her character. 🥰
Nino (H): ➴ umm, where to start with him? first of all, I loved and appreciated his patience for Kiara. The way he was willing to wait for her, guiding her at her own pace was perfection and (view spoiler)
[I wasn’t even mad with the OW situation cause he asked Kiara if she was fine with it and she said yes but, once she finally told him to stop seeing OW, he stopped and I’m over here like 🥰🥰 (hide spoiler)] Also, Nino was more of an
actions speak louder than words type of H and I think it truly showed throughout the book. The way he always kept his promises. I thought I’d be annoyed with how he lacked the ability to feel but, surprisingly, I didn’t mind it and it was nice seeing him face his feelings towards the end. 💘
Romance: ➴ Precious and loving. Two words I'd describe their relationship. They were two broken souls with tragic pasts and the way they slowly learned to accept one another was beautiful. They’re my favorite couple in the series so far! <3
Falcone brothers & Fabiano: ➴
Remo. I loved being able to see different layers of Remo. I’ve been intrigued by him since he first appeared in the previous book and my interest towards him keeps increasing. Despite being a heartless killer, it’s ironic because I do think he has a heart, even if it’s just to the very few he sees as family such as his brothers and Fabiano. I also love how he takes “protecting family” and loyalty seriously. In conclusion: I love Remo. I can’t wait to read his book!!
➴
Savio. I was surprised by how much I learned a lot about Savio here. In the first book, it felt like I barely knew him, so it was nice seeing more of him in this!
➴
Fabiano. okay ngl, I like him but he was the least I paid attention to in this book LOL idk if it’s cause the others just peaked my interest more or what 😅 I’m happy to see updates of him and Leona tho 🥰
➴
Adamo. I’ve said it once and I’ll keep saying it; Adamo must be protected. I absolutely love his innocence and it’s refreshing cause his brothers are the exact opposite lol. I know it won’t be for long cause he’s gonna get initiated soon, but he has my heart. ❤️
