Sweet Temptation was everything I wanted from this arranged marriage story set in the mafia. Cassio Moretti recently widowed needs a wife and mother for his two young children. Giulia Rizzo has always known she would become a mafia wife but she never envisionged it would be to a man as powerful as Cassio.

At first glance it was easy to dismiss Giulia, she's a young woman who has been protected her whole life with a quirky personality that draws you to her. They say to watch out for the quiet ones and it is true in her case, she may not have much to say but she has watched and observed and is a great judge of character. I loved how she slowly worked her way into not only the childrens hearts but made Cassio realise just how special she was. Cassio is a ruthless underboss, he's protective of his family and loyal to his mafia boss but he is also a man of contradictions. He thrives on controlling everything around him but Giulia brings out his vunerable side which I enjoyed seeing. There is not alot mafia action in this story, the focus is mostly on the healing of a family torn apart by tragedy and of a man learning to love after a devastating betrayal.

This was so good!

I'm not typically that into made men romances. The angst and drama that come along with them are just not my favorite.

I thought the storyline for this one sounded interesting though so I decided to give it a read.

It was great!

I loved the characters and how their emotions were developed. The plot sucked you in, and the writing was fantastic.

All together, I'd give this two thumbs up.

This is one of those times I want to give it 10 stars! My first Cora Reilly and it won’t be my last! I’m impressed by the depth of her characters and storylines. This was amazing. I feel for the kids and dog immediately, but the love between the main characters was awesome. I wasn’t sure if they would last or there would be betrayal, like had happened before but it all came together wonderfully. And now I need more Cora in my life.
This story has gruesome death scenes, cheating (not main characters), children dealing with loss, and a HEA. Most importantly the Mafia hotness.

Several days later and I really still can’t stop thinking about this book. I think I’m going to read it again and rereads for me are rare. So you know the book is that good. This author has really just amazed me!

I'm DONE! One of the two most anticipated read of march is right before me with THE END, and today I will start the second done. I started reading this story and I didn't know what I had signed up for!
It was supposed to be an easy read about an older man and younger woman romance, but I go SO MUCH MORE! And I had loved every second of it - I was purposefully slowing down my pace to read this deliciousness as long as could!
This is my FIRST book written by Ms. Reilly and I can assure you that it won't be the last one! And not to the book and plot (I promise it will be spoiler-free). We start with the scene that is a turn around of the life for one of the main characters and them we meet Giulia, young sweet Giulia, that is not even legal at that time, and now she's supposed to become one of the cruelest and ruthless Underbosses in the whole mafia - Cassio. Those two came from completely different situations - want different things and know different things about life. This marriage will need a lot to work itself out, but will they manage to do so?
Giulia, I think I found one of my BF hidden there inside of her. Daughter of one of minor Unerbooses, she is sheltered and kept in her woman frame. She's barely legal when it comes to marriage and rest. She's naive and innocent, yet she tries her best in the circumstances she's put in, even when she would like something completely different.
Cassio, may I ask for him as part of my husbands' harem? He's older, MUCH older than Giulia, he's experienced, strong, cruel, emotionless and you don't want to be on his bad side - sounds scary? It is, and be ready to see this man in his best and worse! He's a father of two children that need mother and stability that can be given only by the full family. Those three need someone to become their glue and put everything in the order.
Can a young, inexperienced girl manage to become a real wife for older Underboss and take care of his children, that notnot even out of toddler age? There will be steam, love, angst, getting to know each other, bonding, overcoming obstacles that are rooted deeper than you would think and come from the past that should be left behind!
This story is one of a time that will bring you to your knees with the power of it, and you will want it, crave it! If there will be ever any more story for them or anyone else - I'm IN! If that was not emphasized enough I will add this here as well - I F&((^& LOVED THIS BOOK!
Join Cassio and Giulia in their way to find out what is before them when their fate is sealed by their duty, but still trying to balance everything that is happening really fast!

This book is fantastic!!! Cassio and Geulia are wonderful characters!!

“The first time I met my wife, she called me sir. “ Cassio’s first meeting with Geulia was not like it was supposed to be! She’s is young... and Cassio feels bad because she is but in their world, this is the way things work. They don’t have the luxury of time to get to know each other. He’s an Underboss with small children who need a mother,, and Geulia is offered.

I could not put this book down!!! I devoured it!!!

I recommend this highly!!! I won’t spoil... because it would ruin the read! Just know, you’ll love this one. Cora Reilly writes with clarity and detail, making it hard to put down.

This, I can't find the words to describe how much I love this one! I'm so in love! This is definitely not your typical mafia romance. This is so much more! It's not heavy on the mafia business, but more on the family, how they get through their pasts and moving on.

Cassio was better than I could ever imagine. His relationship with his kids, especially Danielle, made me cryy. Cassio & Giulia couldn’t be more opposite, yet they completed one another. She brought happiness back into the Morretti family. What really made my heart flutters was her love for the children was undeniable.

This book is simply amazing! Highly highly recommended!

4.5 Stars!!

The story is masterfully written, and well-developed. This fantastic read is perfectly paced, and packed with twists and turns to keep you on the edge of your seat. You'll found yourself desperately turning the pages trying to find out what happens next.

Sweet Temptation is a brand-new standalone, Arrange Marriage - Mafia Romance, that is intense, emotional, raw, dark, and gritty. Expect the unexpected, because in the end, you won't be disappointed.

I received and advance copy from the author via Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion!

“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙗𝙧𝙤𝙪𝙜𝙝𝙩 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨 𝙞𝙣𝙩𝙤 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙞𝙛𝙚.”
“𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙡𝙞𝙠𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙠𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙤𝙛 𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙤𝙨.”

Ever since Cora Reilly announced the release date for Sweet Temptation, I have been so excited about this story mainly because it has some of my favorite tropes, for example:
- Single Parent? ✓
- Arranged Marriage? ✓
- Age Gap? ✓
- Marriage of Convenience? ✓
Once I read the prologue, I was instantly hooked because the mystery and the suspense in the air were too thick and real. Cora leaves the readers with this thrill of what to expect and what's to come. When I first met the characters, Giulia Rizzo and Cassio Moretti, the age gap between them put me off. Now, I do love me some age gap in books, but a specific type of especially an age where the female character is certainly mature. I have read some books with a similar age gap as these two, and I was not too fond of those books because the female character was often portrayed too young and immature. However, Cora did a great job of handling the age gap between Giulia and Cassio, and it never once felt too forced or so.

Giulia Cassio is a very different female character from Cora's other female characters. She is quite young, has an air of innocence, yet she is fierce and determined in achieving what she wants, in this case, the love of Cassio and his kids. She is too adorable for her good; she wasn't the type to make herself look older or act older; she responded; however, it came naturally to her. She cried when she genuinely felt hurt; she laughed when she found something funny; she's witty and never stepped back down from telling Cassio when she felt hurt or when he did something wrong. She did give him her piece of mind whenever he acted like an idiot. And, there were a few times where I got annoyed with Cassio, but then, I understood where he was coming from. His first marriage is just a whole another story because of which there are situations where Cassio is seen emotionally closed off and cold.

Before this book, we didn't know much about these characters, especially Cassio Moretti. He is known as a cold-blooded, ruthless Underboss of Philly, but there were quite a few versions to him. Though I felt like that I still didn't get to know him as better as I know Cora's other male characters, Cassio is a sweet and protective father, and also a loyal and promising husband. Giulia's happy and openly optimistic nature was the perfect balance to Cassio's grumpy and broody self.
Together, these two went through a journey of building trust, emotional growth, and falling in love.

Sweet Temptation is quite different from Cora's other books, and I thoroughly enjoyed the fact that this book wasn't as dark as her other books or heavily centered around mafia wars. It was all about Cassio and Giulia and their marriage: them as parents, them as husband & wife, and also as a family. The moments between Giulia and Daniele and Simona were SO cute, and especially the times when all of them came together as a family doing just usual family stuff, I loved those special quiet moments! My heart was filled with warmth reading about those moments, and to be honest, I also experienced baby fever, ugh! Daniele and Simona were adorably charming, and Daniele's bond with his puppy, so cute!!

In conclusion, this book was quite different from what I had imagined, but it turned out to be an emotionally filling and great read! Something like a soft and warm chocolate brownie: sweet & tempting.

*ARC kindly provided in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars

Wow, wow, wow! The first book I've read by Cora Reilly simply blew me away. I didn't know what to expect diving into this mafia world, but girl was I in for a treat!

It's like Cora Reilly swung her magic wand and sent me right into her book. I could picture everything and everyone so clearly. Her characters sprung to live immediately and won me over from the first page I've read. Do you know the feeling, when closing a book and suddenly feel the loss of something? Yeah, that happend to me here. I got quite attached to Cassio, Guilia and the kids. And now I miss them like crazy and suffer a little book hangover.

Cassio and Guilia surprised me with every turn. Cassio was passionate, caring and loving and I certainly didn't expect him to be this kind of Underboss. Ruthless and feared in his job but quite the opposite at home. I love how he respected Guilia from the beginning, well from their marriage on. I loved how he opened up to her, let her in and gave her the room to find her place.
Guilia, only sweet 18, has such a big heart and a strong, fierce mind. She stood up for herself from the beginning. But not in a childish way but all grown up. She accepted her fate easily but worked hard to turn it around. And she did it in such a lovely way, that she had them all wrapped around her little finger in no time.

I loved the dynamic between Cassio and Guilia. They complemented each other in every way. Both could grow through the other and together. And I think, Cassio just became my new favorite mafia Underboss <3

The only thing I wished more for was a little more thrill. From a book, set in the mafia world, I expected a litte more darkness and a litte more angst. Nevertheless, this book and its characters captured my heart and mind and I'm more than glad I got to meet them. They are truly something special.

Sweet Temptation is a fantastic, hot and enchanting arranged marriage, age-gap romance that has everything a romance reader heart wishes for!

Giulia, I loved her!! Young but so strong. She thinks she knows what's she getting into with her pre-arranged marriage but it's more. She wants to be an equal in her marriage to Cassio but that's not that the way the mafia world works.

Cassio can't believe he's getting married to someone who is so young but he doesn't have a lot of choices when it comes to marriageable women. She's not what he's looking for but will she be able to change his mind. Will he treat her the way that she wants to be?

Loved seeing the way that this story unfolded and I couldn't put it down!

I've been reading Cora Reilly for a while now and I adore her mafia books. They are sincerely the BEST mafia books I've ever read and will continue to read.

Sweet Temptation is Cassio and Guilia's story. Cassio is the Underboss of Philadelphia. After the tragedy of his wife's death, he must remarry for this two small children. Guilia was an amazing character. She's so full of life, caring, and perfect for Cassio. I love she accepted the children as hers, her new husband, and built a home for all of them. I also genuinely loved Cassio. He bears so much for this family and is fierce as hell.

Some parts did come as a shock, as the plot reveals secrets and it turned out to be heavier than I expected. Even though this isn't really a dark romance. There is taboo subject this in.

Can't wait to read more of her books!

Sweet Temptation took my breath away!! It has everything I love in a book, a forbidden romance and the mafia!! Cassio Moretti is underboss and recently a widow and left with two small children. The family thinks he needs to marry soon to have someone watch over his children. Giulia Rizzo, is 17 and her main priorities at the moment is painting and pilates. Little does she know that her life was about to change.

I was enamored with Cassio and Giulia's story. This story is full of firsts for these two. Giulia had to grow up fast, but I loved that she didn't change her ways nor did she back down from Cassio. He may be the underboss to his men, but not to her. The transformation that Giulia made from the beginning to end was great to read. She took the role of wife and mother and ran with it. Cassio knows how to get information from someone, how to lead his men and demand respect, but being in love and letting others love him not so much.

This story had me swooning and couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. This story is full of secrets that all come to light and it's what happens when the secret is too big that it will affect everyone. I loved every minute of Cassio and Giulia's story that I will reread it again and again.

Everything you could want in a book and more!! The world building in this book sucks you in on page one! And before you know it... It says the end! I will definitely be reading more of Cora!

Sweet Temptation is a standalone Mafia romance.
If you like age gaps, arranged marriages and heart ache this books is for you.
Get ready to have your heart explode with love for Cassio and Giulia. Their marriage was one of convenience, but as time went on these two formed a bond so strong that they would defy all odds to protect their family.
This book is by far my favorite of Cora’s and I don’t say that lightly, but honestly this book is perfection.

<b>Sweet Temptation is another mafia romance masterpiece from Cora Reilly. It has the perfectly dark, edgy and intense vibe. The chemistry is powerful and sexy to the infinity. The storyline and writing made it impossible for me to put it down once I started!</b>

Giulia has to marry Cassio Moretti, the Underboss of Philadelphia on the day after her eighteenth birthday. Cassio is almost double her age and he lost his wife just four months back under mysterious circumstances. He is not looking for a relationship. He just needs a wife to take care of his children, Daniele and Simona. But Giulia is determined to make this marriage work. Will she like what she finds in Cassio's past? Can they find love?


Cassio is a fascinating and intriguing man. He is no different from other Mafia men. His business needs him to be untrusting, cold hearted, ruthless and cruel. And he is exceptionally good at ruling his city. But he has a different side too. He treated Giulia with respect and honour. His ex wife has betrayed him and left him raw and vulnerable. But he is still being fair and loving to his kids. Giulia may be young and inexperienced. But she is optimistic, full of life, determined, compassionate and the biggest heart possible. She slowly and cautiously tried to heal the children. She acted defiant and stubborn when needed. And soft and supportive when Cassio was hurting. She was initially terrified of Cassio but she felt the broken and hurting man behind the mask of cruelty and rage. My heart breaks for this unique couple. Specially the children.They started as uncertain and odd couple but the trials of life gradually made them partners. They are very much part of Mafia life but Cassio adored Giulia like she is her lifeline and Giulia needed his love and protection to be whole. The right amount of Mafia drama and action made this story unputdownable.

<b>Cora Reilly manages to create a better Mafia Romance with each new book. Sweet Temptations was a mesmerizing treat of sin, drama and heartaching love.</b>

Received ARC for honest review

Single Dad, age gap and arranged marriage is what got me as soon as I read that in the synopsis. All the things I love about a book were mentioned here.

Giulia and Cassio were certainly opposites attract and I would have thought that with Giulia being so young and having to grow up so fast to take over a family certainly blew me away. She did the total opposite of what I thought she would. She acted very mature for her age and jumped right in as the wife and mother role once she was married to Cassio.

Cassio did not, in a million years think that his marriage to Giulia would work and it would just be a marriage of convenience. But she certainly proved to him that she could actually make this marriage work and learn to trust her husband and for her husband to trust her. He was a hard man to convince that a marriage could work and the couple could fall in love for real but Giulia was determined to make this hard man fall in love with her.

Simona and Daniele stole my heart. Those kids were so darn adorable and the way Giulia took care of them certainly put a mark on me.

This was a not so dark mafia book, but it certainly did have its elements. This was more about a relationship between a much older man and younger woman that had its challenges and most definitely issues that needed to be worked out.

In the end, this was a sweet, romantic and one of a kind love story that I highly enjoyed!

I adore the vivid mafia world created by Cora Reilly, so I was very excited to hear that a new standalone mafia romance was in the works. What I wasn't prepared for is that Sweet Temptation is so much more than a mafia romance. It's a story that will punch you in the gut and make you feel. Sweet Temptation is an emotional, angsty and often heartbreaking story of love, loss, devotion and second chances. It's different from Cora's other mafia books in that it's heavily focused on relationships and is more character driven. There isn't much mafia action to be found here, even though we do get to reconnect with some favorite characters. I simply adore Giulia. Much like the sunflowers she is so fond of, she brought color and sunshine into the lives of Cassio and his children. She appears to be made of love and joy and is just a perfect puzzle piece to complete this broken family. Cassio is such an amazing father and a feared leader. He oozes dominance and it was very entertaining to see this tiny spitfire of a "teenager" stand up to him. Together these two are fire both in the bedroom and when it comes to fiercely protecting their family. Cora Reilly did such an amazing job writing the kids characters, especially Daniele. She made my heart break for both Daniele and Cassio and cheer for every tiny step towards repairing their bond. Definitely one of my favorite books by Ms. Reilly!

5⭐️

I finished this book overnight. I've been wanting to read it ever since I've read the blurb and signed up for it.

It's a mafia, single-dad and an age-gap romance. The heroine was 18 and the anti-hero was 31... just need to put it out there just incase.

This is my first Cora Reilly read... So I didn't know what to expect.

I enjoyed the book. It was riveting. I'm not normally a mafia-romance reader but like I said earlier, the blurb got me hooked. The pacing was great, the characters were captivating and the overall storyline was riveting.

If you're a fan LJ Shen's THE KISS THIEF, then this is the book to pick up next!

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.

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

Some fall in love - some crash into it! And you, you'll crash into Sweet Temptation!

Mafia Romance. Arranged Marriage. Single Dad. Age Gap. And an absolute perfection!
My first book by Cora and she blew me away! If her books are even remotely as stronghearted and addictive as this one, I'm going to have a reading Cora party.

After losing his wife, Cassio is left to take care of two small children. And he needs a mother for them. He's one of the bosses in the mafia world, but even he has to follow the traditional rules and has to get married. Cassio is ... OH.MY.GOD.SO.SEXY! In any way. The first time he meets Gulia, he's a total jerk. But you'll love him anyway. He thinks of her as a child, and pretty soon she proves him wrong.
Gulia, she stole my heart. Her character is so strong willed, and stubborn. She’s amazing, self-sacrificing, even to a fault. She’s so caring and humble! She slowly melts the ice around Cassio's heart and she captures the hearts of the kids by simply loving them unconditionaly.

I've finished reading Sweet Temptation yesterday, but I'm already craving a reread. The story is emotional, heartbreaking, erotic, and beautifully told - I loved the way it made me feel. There was no way to go wrong here! I was addicted from the very first page and I never wanted to stop reading.

A book that will stay with me for a long time, for sure. FLAWLESS!