| Title | : | Twisted Emotions (The Camorra Chronicles, #2) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | - |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | Kindle Edition |
| Number of Pages | : | 343 |
| Publication | : | First published January 8, 2019 |
Kiara Vitiello, cousin of the Capo of the New York Famiglia, is chosen to marry Nino Falcone to prevent war with the Camorra, but what she hears about Las Vegas makes her veins pulse with terror. After her father betrayed his Capo and paid with his life, her family thinks marriage is her only chance to bring honor to her name; but only Kiara knows she’s a faulty prize given in return for peace.
A man incapable of emotions and a woman scarred by the past – an arranged marriage with the potential to unite, or destroy…
Twisted Emotions (The Camorra Chronicles, #2) Reviews
-
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.
-
5Bottomless pit of stars.
⋆The evolution from clinical killing machine to doting husband carrying a torch for the one and only⋆
Nino's duality has such a calming, comforting effect on me: like the cold, serene and deadly expanse of the ocean, he is only susceptible to one natural phenomenon: earthquake named Kiara, and I loved to watch the effect of disturbances she caused.
Upon each reread, the book doesn't cease to fascinate me: Nino and Kiara are so intrinsically, infinitely right for each other. Their marriage could have only been arranged and orchestrated byRemoCoraLord Almighty himself with angels singing in the background.
When Nino and Kiara spoke the language of love through music to convey every tincture of their emotions and feelings left unsaid? Romance is not dead. 🥺 They are like two melodies that merge together into one soft, tender symphony.
The moment Nino offered to simulate affection to accommodate Kiara's need for emotional closeness, I just knew this woman got him good and his emotionless sociopath mask would slip off and crumble under the avalanche of emotions that Kiara's sweet and gentle nature unlocked in him. Cold men going all feral over their women will never lose their appeal.
As a side note: I'm loath to read about rape victims for personal reasons, plus the whole traumatic experience has been turned into such a hackneyed, badly executed plot device by dark romance authors nowadays that it doesn't evoke anything but annoyance and exasperation in me any more,
but this book is a rare exception because
KIARA OWNS MY HEART. The softest, most precious girl. 🥺 I've never read a romance book where I'd love both main characters with equal force. Their tenderness toward each other does something unfathomably messy to my insides.
The book is so ROMANTIC. It's a real slow-burn treasure among a pile of male-gaze porn books that they're marketing as romance these days. -
dnf @ 40%
if i read one more time a sentence including virgin, blood and sheets the two brain cells i have left will literally combust after suffering through half of this piece of full misogynistic shit.
now, i wanna adresse the girlies. once again, i’ve seen this book literally everywhere and everyone was talking about the mmc as the perfect man. the gem of the mmcs. well, if these are nowadays standards i don’t want them. nino (mmc) and his brothers (minus adamo) are the most disgusting men i’ve ever read about, so far. i hated every minute of being trapped in nino’s head. every misogynistic and macho thought or conversation he shared with his brothers was the epitome of 'regressing the image of women'. their only hobbies ? their only knowledge and culture? their conversation skills? all orbited around one single thing: women. or precisely : p#ssies, virgins and virgins’ blood and of course wh🤗res .
"at some point it might be required that we produce offspring, but until then I can seek out other women to handle my needs … if that’s what you prefer?"
that’s what our big boy told her when she confessed that she was r@ped when she was a kid. (of course not after he killed the person that did that to her on their weeding night) but everyone seems to forget this disgusting detail —of nino only thinking about how to get laid and turning the conversation of her not feeling at ease around men
about 'him'— to gush over what he told her the next morning:"you think I’m beautiful?”
“to think it would suggest it’s born of my imagination, but your beauty is fact. And the reason why I’m not worried about men making a move on you is because you are a Falcone now, my wife, and in Las Vegas nobody goes against us."
not him being "confident" that no man would dare make a move on his wife but in meantime while she gets her "shit together" he can and i quote"we agreed that I seek pleasure elsewhere, Kiara. Or did you change your mind?”
just imagine not being man enough to keep it in your pants during only one freaking day of marriage knowing that your wife can’t do it and already thinking about how to get it from elsewhere🤮
and to finish with the disgusting Falcone family that’s how his older brother talked to her—in front of him— within one day of her being with them, knowing well that she’s scared of men ever since she was r@ped at 13."what the fuck is wrong with you, woman?” he growled. “I was going to grab a fucking piece of pizza, not grope you. I have no intention of fucking you, not now, not ever. For one, there’s no fun in breaking someone broken, and secondly you are Nino’s, so he’s the only one who’s going to get your pussy. Nobody else is going to touch you like that, got it?"
did he say something to his brother? of course not🙂 but you know prefect man and all..
and not an unnecessary scene featuring him fucking a random woman at the begging of the book that he called "wh🤗re".. -
4.5 Smut Stars
Finally, 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. -
I will take Nino and Kiara to my grave. I’ve lost count how many times I’ve read their story. They will forever be my favourite couple of all time.
-
3.75 stars
okaaay. 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 -
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. 🐍 -
no thoughts head empty
just nino falcone <3 -
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: -
NinoKiara are mother and father fr.
The way they simply took responsibility for everyone and made a stabby and wholesome family?? my heart- 😫❤️🩹🤞
This book gave on everything. There wasn’t a scene where I felt something was missing. There was a mix of all the emotions in this book. I felt the pain, and happiness when they were happy, giddy, hot (and I mean HOTTT) and sm more. There were some ‘wtf am I reading’ moments but I actually loved that they were there bc I had a good laugh once I came out of the initial shock 💀🤣
The way the writing is actually so fucking good at showing the emotional trauma on both sides and it makes me FEEL for both the MCs?? Colour me shocked bc there’s no way Cora wrote FabioLeona and then wrote NinoKiara. Absolutely no way.
Nino’s character was so well done I’m crying tears of joy. He was reasonable and calm and straight-up huggable. The way I’d find myself being like 🥺🥺 when he’d ask her to talk to him and tell him what he’s doing wrong so he can change his behaviour?? 😫😫 on my fucking knees.
The whole thing about him not feeling emotions AND THEN HIM BEING LIKE “WHY IS MY HEART CLENCHING?!?” GAHHHH the Qewwwtest shit ever 😭✋
And when it came to the smut.. whoowee this man really knows how to get a girl worked up. There were times when I was like Mr Sir you had no right to be that hot.
And then there’s mother Kiara. She is the most lovable caring adorable PRECIOUS character I’ve read in a while. I felt so bad for what she went thru it had my heart aching for her. Ugh, the way she was so cuteee when she would interact with Nino 🥺😫 they had me giggling, kicking my feet and shit.
I appreciated watching her progress and grow into the woman that she worked hard to become towards the end of the book but she still has a long way to go yet and I’m looking forward to reading their second book. (I’ve not even read the blurb for it yet 😭)
I think some ppl must’ve found the whole playing the piano thing corny or ott but I didn’t. I love music myself and I completely understood exactly what she meant when she was talking about it. I could hear the kind of melody she was describing in my head so clearly it had me like shiiiiiit I’m eating this up. Loved that aspect of the book. AND THAT SCENE TOWARDS THE END WHERE HES PLAYING THE PIANO ALONE AND SHES ON THE STAIRS LISTENING?? BROOOOOOO IT BROUGHT ME TO THE BRINQQQQQ
This book was so easy to read. I never felt like I was reading reading yk? That makes sense alright, leave me alone.
Their story had me stayin up till 4am for one last chapter, that’s how good this was.
𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
Remo is so goofy im sorry 🤣 he got a bit better towards the end but still. I couldn’t take him serious when he’s out there prancing around in his boxers during a literal life-or-death meeting pls 💀✋
OH WAIT I ALMOST FORGOT REMO DOING HIS BRITISH ACCENT 🤣🤣🤣🤣 kill me now- (how am I gonna survive the jump scare if he does it in his book?? 😭)
Also I’m not looking forward to the next book bc it’s gonna be boriiingggg ☹️
𝗙𝗮𝘃 𝗤𝘂𝗼𝘁𝗲𝘀:
“You think I’m beautiful?”
“To think it would suggest it’s born of my imagination, but your beauty is fact…”
“What are you going to do to her?”
“I’m not going to do anything,” I said truthfully, and she relaxed. Remo would.
~love that
“Her eyes darted up from the book she was holding and did a quick scan over my naked chest, lingering on my briefs, before she returned her gaze to the book, but she wasn’t able to focus on what she was reading.
Drying my hair, I walked over to where she pretended to read. ”
~Screaming hahaha
“Help?” she whispered, her dark brown eyes trusting, and my heart picked up its pace for some inexplicable reason.
“I didn’t die fifteen years ago, but I didn’t live either … until you.” -
4.25 stars
I didn’t expect that. I mean, I hoped, but after the first series I didn’t think this would actually deliver. Nino’s book surprised me in the best way.
I just loved watching an emotionless machine slowly open up. It was done so well. I loved how he was so sweet, patient, and considerate with Kiara. How he’d stand up for her even in front of his brothers who he’d die for. Kiara might appear “fragile” but that was understandable considering her past. She’s a sweet precious soul and I needed to give her a hug. I felt proud watching her slowly speak up and be open for what she deserves.
I love that family dynamic so much!! Nino and Remo’s relationship is so precious. The way they got each other backs?? How protective of each other they are? How Nino’s calm logical personality balances Remo’s chaos?? That “bloody weeding night scene?” I don’t know why, but I just liked it too much! it was so satisfying. I also, liked watching Kiara fit in. Her relationship with the brothers and her momma bear attitude was so precious.
The tenderness those two shared? The vulnerability? How their romance was so quiet and sensual. This was just an unexpectedly sweet story between two broken souls. I can’t believe I’m saying this, but those two made me swoon. -
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! -
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 -
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. -
![Tea [semi-hiatus]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1723223199i/163357438._UY200_CR19,0,200,200_.jpg)
Virgins, bloody sheets and ”whores”. I’m so sick of it. Just the way they talked about women pissed me tf off. The misogyny. How many times the word ”whore” was used? 31.
What pissed me of the most was the fact that every man used the words child fuckers. They’re rapists and pedophiles. Simple. Disgusting.
The way Nino’s brothers (excluding Adamo and Fabiano) treated Kiara was so disrespectful and disgusting. She’s traumatised and afraid of men and Nino did a piss poor job of standing up for her.
”I hope she loses that submissive behavior soon. It’s fucking annoying” - Remo
”What the fuck is wrong with you, woman?” he growled. “I was going to grab a fucking piece of pizza, not grope you. I have no intention of fucking you, not now, not ever. For one, there’s no fun in breaking someone broken,” - Remo
“Shut up, Nino. I’m fucking sick of her flinching. It’s fucking annoying, especially because I didn’t even give her reason to flinch. This is my home, and I’m not going to walk on eggshells because she can’t get a grip on herself.” - Remo
“Jeez, I wasn’t going to grope you, woman.” He held out his hand. “Stop the cowering and take my hand.” - Savio
”Maybe you can fuck the messed-up past out of her.” - Remo
“She’s got a nice ass when she doesn’t hide it under her clothes,” - Savio
“Tell him he needs to stop acting like a fucking pussy and show Kiara who’s boss.” - Savio
Remo gripped my wrist before I could follow. I flinched, but he didn’t release me. “Will you stop this shit?” he growled.
“You better remember your place,” Remo said harshly.
And Nino the ”gentleman”.
On their wedding night he was about to take her against her will because her family wanted bloody sheets. (Which btw would have been easy to fake) Then he figures out she was raped as a kid by her uncle and decides to go kill him. Why? ”Because he stole something she wasn’t willing to give”
Excuse me, sir?
“At some point, it might be required that we produce offspring, but until then I can seek out other women to handle my needs … if that’s what you prefer?” He asks on their wedding night after he’s killed her uncle. Is it really that difficult to keep your dick in your pants for a while and see what she wants after some time spent together? No. It’s not. (He did treat her well once she started to get ready so that’s a plus I guess)
”Neither my brothers nor I are good at female subtlety, and we lack the patience to figure it out. So speak your mind if you want to make it easy on all of us.” - Nino.
”We don’t do well with sensitive women” - Nino.
»»»»»”You allow sex slavery, don’t you? You have Romancers who seduce women, make them believe they are being loved and then turn them into whores.” - Kiara
“These women start working as whores because they want to please a man they should kill instead. If a woman allows a man to treat her like that, it’s as much her fault as it is his. They agree to sell their bodies because they think they are in love. That’s stupid, and they pay for their stupidity.” - Remo
“If women act as the weaker sex, they will be treated that way. Why don’t these idiotic women tell my Romancers to go fuck themselves?” - Remo«««««
Did they only treat Kiara like shit? No. The way they treated THEIR OWN BROTHER??
“Could you sound any more like a pussy? You really need to get fucked.”
Adamo’s face turned red. “Shut up.”
“Come on, you are almost fourteen. When I was your age, I’d already fucked a few girls.” Savio looked at Remo. “Lock him in a room with a few hookers so they can fuck him into shape.”
Adamo shoved Savio’s shoulder. “Shut up! I don’t need your hookers.”
“If you want to be a real Falcone, you can’t be a fucking virgin. It’s pathetic. Or perhaps you are a fag?”
I had high hopes for Twisted Emotions but.. no.
1 stars -
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. -
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 -
0 stars if i could lmao. i'm 4 seconds away from suing for punitive damages. i'm not going into the effort of writing a proper review for this, so:
✿ the absolute worst writing i've ever read (and i read the 50 shades series). it's like two aliens who got all of their information on humans from porn dictated to them by siri and they wrote a book using predictive text from their keyboard. e.g. "you are very wet and my finger will be very pleasurable against your sensitive walls if you allow it", "my body definitely reacted strongly to her assets"
✿ writing a rape victim but having your heroes from other books inflict rape on innocent women and joking about raping virgins before their wedding night
✿ writing a rape victim but having your heroes from other books mock said victim for being wary around men. e.g. "maybe you can fuck the messed-up past out of her", "your wife is a grown woman, shouldn't she be able to handle it?" (in reference to a victim of rape, something that occurred in her formative years, mind you)
✿ being desperate for sex and fucking sex workers, then slut-shaming them for having sex with you
✿ lifelong trauma from being raped magically cured after having sex once
✿ absolutely no fucking plot. the only interesting thing to happen was the rapist's murder, which happened at the beginning. then absolutely fucking nothing.
i want to make it clear: i know this is a mafia book, but the prequel had actual fucking morals and didn't mock or joke about rape while inflicting it on innocent people. how everyone can give this 5 stars and overlook that factor escapes me. it really does. -
|| 2.5 stars ||
This is an over-the-top, slow burn mafia romance that features the arranged marriage trope between two different mafia families.
The heroine, Kiara, is a timid and scared girl, who fears the touch and presence of all men after she was raped as a child by her uncle. Her trauma, understandably so, runs incredibly deep, and it takes her a long time to begin to heal.
The hero, Nino, is the second-in-command to his brother and is known to be completely emotionless. He is cold, logical and detached, and he does not have any feelings. Previous trauma has also made him the way he is today, and he deals with it the best he can.
I personally really liked the premise of this story, and I thought it had a promising beginning. I liked both characters and I especially felt like the detail put into Kiara’s trauma and the slow process of her healing was handled well.
I also quite liked the family dynamic where Kiara has to live with Nino and all of his brothers, but I wish we could have had more interactions between them. It felt a little empty now.
The general plot also became rather repetitive, and I have to say it was very uneventful.
Unfortunately, I simply wasn’t entirely sold on the romantic part of Nino and Kiara’s relationship. I mean, I did love how Nino cared for Kiara: He gave her the confidence and support she needed, and it made me feel all warm inside. He was so incredibly considerate of her, and it was rather endearing coming from someone who doesn’t have emotions of his own.
“How can you say things that make me feel better when you don’t even understand what I feel?”
However, I feel like once they became more romantically involved, it became all about sex. Their interactions were all tied in with physical intimacy, and that’s not something I like. I need more emotional intimacy, which I suppose was impossible with Nino being who he is. But still.
I just never really saw them connect. Yes, Nino took care of her in a very soft way, but what made him love her? What did she do that he liked so much? I feel like the answer to that is non-existent, because they didn’t really connect on a deeper level like that. He calmed her down and helped her with her trauma, and they had sex. That’s the extent of their relationship. Which, once again, was a sweet relationship in itself, but not a very romantic one in my opinion.
I could totally see why Kiara fell for Nino, but I didn’t understand it so much the other way around. It seemed to me like Nino mostly felt a duty to her as a husband, and that’s why he treated her as well as he did. But he would have probably treated anyone that way if he were married to them; it wasn’t because of Kiara specifically. And that’s what I didn’t like.
Also, if Nino was truly beginning to feel affection and love for her, he shouldn’t have even wanted to sleep with other women while they were married. Even if Kiara said it was okay. He should have only wanted her. Which, apparently, he did not.
Their entire relationship had something very clinical about it. It lacked passion and a true connection. It just seemed like something that needed to be done, and like Nino tried to do the best he could, not out of love, but out of a sense of duty and efficiency.
I think this idea was emphasized for me by the fact that they had zero conflict or angst in their relationship. It was so easy. Too easy for a relationship in this environment that is formed out of true care and love; it showed to me that this marriage really was a task for Nino. A task he passed with flying colours, yes, but a task nonetheless. Otherwise at least something should have happened between them that didn’t go incredibly smooth.
Due to their lack of a true connection, the ending felt very strange to me. Nino’s sudden influx of emotions seemed completely random to me, and I don’t quite understand where they came from. It was also very over-the-top, yet somehow still anticlimactic. I just wasn’t feeling it.
Also, maybe this is just me, but Kiara and Remo literally had more chemistry together than Nino and Kiara. Do I think Remo would have been better for her? HELL NO. But they did have more chemistry… Probably because Nino and Kiara didn’t have any.
Thank you,
Irunía, for recommending this to me. I’m sorry I didn’t love it as much as you did! -
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
-
₊✩‧₊˚౨ 5 stars ৎ˚₊✩‧₊
“ 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝒊𝒏 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒅𝒂𝒓𝒌, 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆'𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒇𝒆𝒂𝒓, 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝒃𝒆𝒄𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒆 𝑰 𝒂𝒎 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒚 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒉𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒈𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉 𝒎𝒆. 𝑨𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒘𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝒎𝒆.”
⋆｡‧˚ʚ♡ɞ˚‧｡⋆
~ AAAAAAHHH Nino and Kiaras story surprised me! I loved everything about this book. WOW WOW WOW.
The way Nino dealt and was patient with Kiara because of the trauma from her past. THATS MY GUYYYY RIGHT THERE. In the other books Nino seemed boring BUT in his own book?! he really served and devoured!!! I LOVEEEEEVEDVDVDVDDVVDV♥️♥️♥️
BRB SOBBINGGG BC I MISS THEM SM. -
![moonlight ☾ [semi-hiatus]](https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/users/1645500038i/37448930._UX200_CR0,0,200,200_.jpg)
Reread: 10/8/20
listen, 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 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. ❤️ -
She is a rape victim and she finds herself in an arranged marriage.
She gives permission to her husband to sleep with other women and he does!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show... -
The first 33% was a 5 star for sure! It gave me all the mafia FEELS which is was I was desperate for after the first book but sadly it went down hill after that which bummed me out. I found Nino to be a little cheesy and somewhat cringy at times and I found myself skimming the pages. Even though Twisted Loyalties and this book were not my cuppa, I’m still going to continue with the series as I love this author and I can’t wait to see what she does with Remo!
-
4/5
My favorite couple and book from Cory Reilly. I don't think anyone can beat them."Before you, there was calm. There was order and logic.”
"And now?” I let out a hoarse exhale.
“Now,” he growled and his expression twisted, “now there’s chaos.”
-
This was not my first novel by Cora Reilly and its been a while since I read a good arranged marriage mafia story: she does here what she does best and I for one as expected enjoyed myself immensely.
This author is just so on the ball with this type of fiction and I always know she's going to deliver me a belter of a story.
Twisted Emotions is the second story in this series but in my opinion, can still be read as a standalone I myself did and had no issues following along at all.
This story tells the tale of Nino Falcone right-hand man of his brother who is Capo of the Camorra and Kiara Vitiello, cousin of the Capo of the New York Famiglia these two are to join for peace between the two powerful families.
As usual, we get a story that was captivating and excellently written and one I recommend highly.
I adored Nino and Remos own unique twist of the showing of the sheets after the wedding night was such poetic and fitting justice.
This tale was such a great read and Cora Reilly is definitely my go-to girl for mafia romance.
On a side note, this contains flashbacks of childhood abuse just so you're aware.
I voluntary reviewed an arc of Twisted Emotions.
All opinions expressed are entirely my own.
Reviewed By Beckie Bookworm
https://www.facebook.com/beckiebookworm/
www.beckiebookworm.com -
Jeeez...
I can't explain it BUT I am edgy and nervous...LOL in a good kind of way...
Bloody hell...
This was a tad bit different in intensity, emotionally charged through sexual, physical healing with an unlikely matched characters in every way possible...
I actually loved it...really loved it, even though there's no actual action plot other than developed detailed psychlogical, emotional and physical portrayal of these characters...especially referring to Nino Falcone, the cruel, twisted killer of Camorra, Consigliere to his even cruler brother and Capo, Remo and genious...and absolutely emotionally blank...empty....
Bravado for being different, bold and daring...
Can't wait for more... -
First off, this is my favorite book by CR. Nino is hands down my favorite MMC. Hell, he might be my favorite MMC in mafia romance.
This poor girl. First both her parents are slaughtered right in front of her. Then what she went through at the hands of her family. She’s basically living on borrowed time thanks to the belief that she’s guilty of the sins of her father. Then she’s traded to the enemy in a bid for peace.
The most bleak and horrifying wedding night I’ve ever witnessed. Yet also the moment I fell in love with Nino Falcone.
Best presentation of the sheets ever!
Omg! He’s so protective of her, even against his brothers.
I don’t know if I can read Remo’s book, he’s too much of a shit.
You know, for a psychotic killer, Nino is super sweet, affectionate and patient. Seriously, after reading a few of the Necessary Evils books by Onley James, I’m starting to think that sociopathic men is where it’s at.
First she broke Nino, like I’m certain he shattered into a million pieces. Then she helped put with back together with her undying love and music.
This was a strange ending that was sorta a HFN but not quite a cliffhanger. It just leaves you bewildered and uncertain where we’ll go from here. Despite that uncertainty I’m all in. Nino can lead me anywhere and I’ll follow without question. -
3.75 stars⭐️
ok i didn’t expect this to be as 𝓈𝓌ℯℯ𝓉 as it was since i expected something reallyy...hmm idk?? -some tough and rough love? especially from one of the Falcone brothers. i mean they have a reputation for being batshit crazy so i guess i thought i’d see more of that, yknow? :/ *coughs* i’ll be honest; i was expecting some crazy-woa-shit like C͎h͎r͎i͎s͎t͎i͎a͎n͎ A͎l͎l͎i͎s͎t͎e͎r͎ from The Maddest Obsession (spoiler: u knoww like that part where he just shoots that guy who dared to go on a date w Gianna—yea smtg crazy like that 😗)
the Camorra world is definitely wayyy better than the one Luca’s handling (idk what’s it called so whatever). I loved seeing Kiara’s character development throughout the book bc what happened to her was heart breaking and i thank my boi Nino for being there for her. Although i must say, am i the only one who doesn’t see how Nino’s as intelligent as they keep claiming him to be?? i feel like that’s all talk and no show. all i see was him being calm and rational. unless that’s considered intelligent now? idk u tell me 🥱
anyways now i’m officially in love with the Falcone boys🥺
“When was the last time you talked more than two sentences to a woman?”
Remo swung his legs off the table and got up then pointed at the stripper. “I want to fuck. Get your ass into the changing room. I’ll be there in two minutes. You better be naked.” The woman nodded and hurried backstage. Remo raised one dark eyebrow. “See? Four sentences.”
-brooo Remo’s book better not disappoint bcs he cracks me up -
Reread 3/19/2024
So, this book showed up on my timeline and of course Kiara and Nino told me it's time for a reread. I adore this couple and love everything about them.
Reread 2/28/2023
Reread 6/22/2022
Reread 7/21/2021
Every so often I read a book that I love so much that the need to reread becomes so strong. That is how I feel with Twisted Emotions. I loved it the first time I read it and loved it just as much with my reread. Moving on to Twisted Bonds.
Original Review 6/15/2021
Twisted Emotions is book 2 in the Camorra Chronicles and my first 5 star from this author. Now I didn't read book 1 and don't plan to read books 5 & 6 and the reason is that I know from trusted GR friends that they would not be something I would enjoy. Now Twisted Emotions was a fantastic book that I loved from beginning to end and can't wait to reread. Kiara and Nino were amazing together. Nino's patience with Kiara helped her become the confident young woman she should have been before her innocence was ripped from her. I loved their wedding night and what Nino and Remo did my only disappointment was that I wanted a scene where Remo took care of the maid. Call me brutal but I hoped she suffered. I've already started Remo's book.
