3.8/5⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5/5🌶️🌶️🌶️
(I had a hard time rating this book because I was OBSESSED, but if I analyze it, it is a 3.8 but in my mind I’ll just think of it as a 4⭐️😭)
Tropes:
-Enemies to Lovers
-Stalker x Stalker
-Touch Her and Die
-He Falls First
-Obsessed MMC
-Dark Mafia Romance
My Thoughts:
This book had me obsessed from the beginning till end. I could not put this book down, I would say
”one more chapter”
and next thing I knew it was two in the morning😭 I know I was really into the book when I couldn’t wait to go to bed to read it. I think it had to do with the fact that I haven’t read a dark mafia romance in a while and they’re my kryptonite. This was my first time reading a stalker romance which I was nervous to get into but I really enjoyed it.
FMC: Arabella Barone
Homegirl was a socialite by day and stalker by night. She played that off a little too well😂 Ara was a strong ass female character. I really liked how she stood up for herself against Luca and her own father when they tried to control her. She really advocated for herself and never let a man dim her light. I had never read about a female character who had morally grey tendencies so that was quite a surprise but a good one. I thought it was really interesting how her past gave her a lot of trust issues, so while she was falling for Luca she couldn’t truly trust herself or him. She was a really determined and stubborn FMC. She had a plan and she was going to execute it even if she died or lost Luca in the process. In this book she was acting like the usual man who pushes their partner away when things become too real😂 To her credit, she didn’t have good relationship role models to look up to. Although she didn’t grow up violent world of the mafia, she never tried to change Luca. She knew who he was and although she didn’t like or agree with some of his things, she accepted him, understood him, and cared for him when he needed it.
MMC: Luca Armani
Mr. Armani was so morally grey I was questioning my own thoughts. I giggled every time he said something remotely unhinged. I honestly enjoyed his character and the background of why he was so emotionally cold and tough. It was interesting seeing his thought process when he was starting to have feelings for her. How his subconscious would betray him and he would catch himself falling for her. It gave him a human aspect to that cold mafia boss he was portrayed to be. I enjoyed how funny he was and his banter with Arabella. He was HELLA sarcastic, if he wasn’t in the mafia business he could make it as a comedian😂 I honestly liked how obsessed he was with her and how clearly he wanted her even when he tried to fight himself. One part I really enjoyed was further into the book when he had had a really tough day, he unconsciously sought her out for comfort. A relationship that started off as enemies with physical intimacy, turned into a relationship where they truly understood each other and knew each other better than themselves. Let’s talk about how this man turned out to be a better stalker than her, I mean granted he did have more resources but he was all up in her business ALL THE TIME😫 he had six cameras in her apartment not including the one he put in her companies office😀
The only thing I didn’t love was how he called Arabella a whore outside of the bedroom, once or twice was tolerable but more than that I found it distasteful (he didn’t call her it all the time). I understood why he called her that at the time since he was trying to put her in her “place” and be emotionally detached but still.
Arabella & Luca as a Couple:
They are the most unhinged couple. It was truly an enemies to lovers. Did they start hooking up early on? Yes, but they HATED each other. The text messages and gifts Luca would send truly made them as a couple. They complemented each other with their banter, sarcasm and aggressiveness towards each other. As we got further on Luca became more overbearing and possessive but that’s when you saw how he was falling for her. Plus the best part was he fell first and was the first to break and want to turn their relationship into the real deal. Luca was so intelligent and always two steps ahead of Ara. I liked how he understood what her thought process was with her “revenge plan” and how he let her have the closure that she needed with her mom’s death. He was selfless with her in that aspect.
Fav Quotes:
“Anything this woman is and has I want. I’ll make every part of her mine to break. I will uncover every inch of her inside and out.”
“Yet I am transfixed. Knowing full well she is chaos in a bottle. One I seem happy to be sipping from daily.”
“I don’t know what it is about you, Arabella Barone, but you are devouring my every thought.”
“Until death do us part, my little stalker. You won’t be getting rid of me that easily.”