We all know the Netflix movie and I’ll be honest that is exactly how I discovered this book. I quite enjoyed the Netflix movie and the story so I obviously wanted to read the book.

365 Days is a love story between Laura and Massimo, who is a mafia boss. (Don) Massimo first sees or dreams of Laura after he is injured but he has no idea who this mystery women is though he seeks to find her and when he finally comes across her path while she is on vacation with her boyfriend in Sicily, he takes her. He vows to keep her captive for 365 Days, hence the name, until she falls in love with him.

Now I know that this is a translation and sometimes things don’t translate perfectly into another language so I’m not sure if it is the authors writing or the translation, but this book just read a little strange to me. I really was not a fan of the writing, it just wasn’t for me.

I do feel that the story was a little more fleshed out than the Netflix adaptation, but because of me not clicking with the writing I found myself not quite ever completely connecting with the story.

I do like the idea of the story, and the characters, but the writing just was not for me.

*Thank you to the publisher for the ARC received in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.*

I saw the movie - we all saw the movie WHICH is why I wanted to read the book. It was interesting but I did feel that there were some more world building and plot line filling that could have been done. Would read the second installment to see what happens to this couple - good ore bad - but I have a feeling this author will be bringing the drama.

2.5/5 stars

Massimo, head of the Sicilian mafia, kidnaps Laura while she's on vacation and gives her an ultimatum. Laura will be a captive for 365 days and if she doesn't love Massimo by end, he will release her. Okay, so this was a very questionable romance from the get go with the kidnapping and 365 days deal. The chemistry was good with a build up to very open door, steamy, not always consensual, and sometimes violent sex scenes. I really enjoyed the overly dramatic story and chemistry between Laura and Massimo. However, even knowing that there were darker themes, even more so than the movie, the drug use and non-consensual sex was too much to fully enjoy this one.

OhMgee. What a story. I loved the movie, but wow the book is obviously better. That ending of the book is not quite like the ending of the movie. But still Wowzers!

This being popular as a streaming movie, I was interested in reading before I watched. It wasn't my cup if tea at all. However I would recommend to others who I know enjoys this subgenre. For me personally I didn't care for it.

I mean what can on say except praise the new Smut queen! Intriguing, action packed and two sexy characters. I’m invested and ready to read the sequel.

This is a quick paced, steamy read. I had watched the movie on Netflix and went into it with high hopes! I love a dark romance and this hits all the bases - mafia, obsession, kidnapping. I am very excited to read the second book in the series to see where Laura and Massimo’s story goes!

I somewhat enjoyed this book. Laura actually reminds me of myself lmao we both love to sleep.

The beginning was hella weird… I found it odd how Massimo had a dream about Laura and then hung her pictures all around his house and kept them there for years in hopes of one day finding her…

I also didn’t really like how Laura basically abused alcohol throughout almost the entire duration of the book. Alsoooo the freaking manipulation happening via sex in this book is absolutely insane… no just no.

Furthermore, are we suddenly making it a trend by renaming male anatomy as ‘prick’? Please no, I cringed when reading that.

I’ll admit, there were a few adorable couple scenes with Laura and Massimo that made me smile like a total weirdo…I apologize to my FBI agent for that unfortunate experience.

Someone tell me I’m not the only one who ships Domenico and Olga together?!

Overall, this book was interesting but it should not be romanticized. It actually reminded me of a Wattpad story, now that I think about it but I don’t care, I’m invested— especially because of the ending!

***Thank you NetGalley for providing me with a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review!

DNF - I loved the move but, like many others whose reviews I've read on here and on Goodreads, I am finding that the book version is not for me. Sorry.

365 Days is the first in the 365 trilogy (followed up by This Day, publishing very soon), which the movie 365 is based on. Since I watched the movie first, I couldn't help but compare them - the movie is close enough to the book, but the book goes much deeper into the story and characters. On screen Laura seems a little one-dimensional, but in the book she is more developed as a person (even if that persona is selfish and a little vapid, and nearly always drunk). I'm glad that I watched the movie first to get myself a little acclimated, since this was my first mafia romance. I suppose a little suspension of belief and putting aside any morals you have is probably a requirement for this kind of book. Since I'm no prude and not particular high-and-mighty with my values, I did find the book pretty entertaining and hot. And I'll definitely continue to read the books since they always end on a cliffhanger...

I’ll be honest. I watched the movie first and heard through various platforms that it was different from the book. So naturally, I jumped at the chance to read it. I’ve seen what so many have said about this book promoting toxic masculinity and rape but going into it knowing that she gets kidnapped and essentially has Stockholm Syndrome, this book to me is a great translation. For me, people need to remember how different each country is and also that things do get lost in translation. People also need to remember that this is a story, granted the author has said it’s partly true, but people don’t get mad when a fantasy book comes out or a thriller that involves murder and rape. It’s all for entertainment, no need to shame or bash what people choose to read.

For me, despite the kidnapping, Laura is really the one in charge throughout the whole book. She’s the one who dresses how she wants, she’s the one who ends up being the aggressor during the spicy scenes, and she’s the one who gets Massimo to open up. She’s his weakness, which means she truly holds all the power.

Complementary copy given for my honest review and opinion.
Holy smokes! Yep! That’s sums it up. Do not read in the company of others or it might be hard to hide your reaction.

365 Days
Genre: Dark “Romance”
Star Rating: ☆
📚: 336 Pages

TW: sexual assault, drug/alcohol use, coercion, kidnapping, murder, violent acts, slut shaming, food shaming, manipulation

Honestly, this is a cheap 50 Shades wannabe that failed epically for me. I saw that a Netflix film had been made and honestly thought that hey this must have been somewhat decent! And boy was I wrong. Let’s break it down, it glamorizes abusive relationships and is extremely fatphobic. Stay with him for 365 days and if you don’t fall in love you can leave…but he’s also going to threaten everyone you love so I mean what choice do you have? Or rather the illusion of it.

I am at a loss on the amount of 4+ star reviews, but maybe I am missing something…thanks to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest take.

this is a new to me author and i am so glad i gave the chance!!!! really loved this and cant wait to watch the film

I really loved this movie and I was unsure how I would enjoy the book. The book was even better then the movie! I loved being able to picture the characters as I was reading! I can’t wait to start the next book!!!

Welp… Okay for starters, this really needed and deserved accurate marketing. It’s not a mainstream romance book by any means, and it is getting critically lambasted because random netflix subscribers picked it up after watching the film. 365 Days is a very formulaic novel in a very niche genre: kidnapping noncon/dubcon dark romance. These books usually live in Kindle Unlimited and come with all sorts of disclaimers and trigger warnings. They’re not the type of story that a vast majority of readers would be interested in. I personally like to read dark romance, but I am also well aware of the problematic content I’m getting myself into. I’m not sure if this is because it was a proof or not, but this title *needs* a disclaimer. Many readers find this type of literature disturbing, triggering, and detrimental to their mental health. Dear publishers, normalize trigger warnings and disclaimers for titles that are effectively romanticizing toxic behavior.

As far as the book itself… it honestly wasn’t really as intense as I was expecting based on previous reviews. Pretty standard dark romance fair. The book is written relatively well and chock-full of typical mafia-kidnapping romance tropes. Not particularly bad, not particularly good. And not even close to as dark as some of the books I’ve read. The aspect that I *really* didn’t like was the spicy language metaphors used. I’m not sure if this was a translation issue or they were truly that cheesy... but it was just too damn much. “Pr!ck”, “phallus”, “d!ck”, “cock”, “manhood”, and “candle stuck in a birthday cake” ALL ON THE SAME PAGE. My eye was full-on twitching.

If you like 50 Shades of Grey and mafia romances, this book is a real winner for you. I’d already seen the Netflix film so I had an idea of what to expect, but the book is better in my opinion because the nuisances of their relationship are great.

Thank you Blanka! This book was a continuous rollercoaster read. A young woman and her boyfriend are on a vacation when she is spotted by a Sicilian mobster. He saw her in a vision and is determined to make her his. He gives her 365 days to fall in love with him. There are sweet moments, confusing moments and terrifying moments. I understand why it is now a hit movie!
Thanks to NetGalley for this copy. The opinion in this review is solely my own.

Although I’m a pretty fast reader, it is very rare that I start and finish a book within 24 hours. 365 Days was addicting in a way that left me constantly picking up my Kindle, desperate to find out what was going to happen to Laura and Massimo. The story wasn’t anything super special, but I still enjoyed it and cannot believe I read it so quickly. It had its cringe moments, but I was here for all the drama. I also went into this book with low expectations, which I think actually worked in my favor in the end. I can’t wait to pick up the sequel this month!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC of 365 Days by Blanka Lipinska.

50 shades meets mafia. Since seeing the movie on Netflix and hearing it was a book first, I knew I wanted the chance to read it and the only place was Netgalley. Thank you for the review copy. It was a wild ride and you have to prepared for the material. I enjoyed it!