REVIEW OF SWEET TEMPTATION BY CORA REILLY
Ever since Cora announced the release date of 'Sweet Temptation', I was waiting for the day to finally arrive so that I could get my hands on the book. When I finally did, I wasn't disappointed at all. This book definitely does live up to the expectations and hype.
Written in first person, multiple POV, Sweet Temptation is about love that blossoms between two individuals after they are forced into a somewhat of a reluctant arranged marriage.
An Arranged Marriage Standalone Mafia Romance.
The first time Cassio met his fiancée, she called him ‘Sir’.
After losing his wife, Cassio is left to take care of two small children while trying to establish his rule over Philadelphia. Now he needs a mother for his children, and someone who can warm his bed at night.
But in a traditional world as his, choosing your wife is duty not pleasure.
Rules have to be followed. Traditions heeded.
That’s how he ends up with a woman—a girl barely of age. She might not be what he and his children need, but she’s wicked lovely and a sweet temptation he can’t resist.
Giulia always knew she’d marry a man her father chose for her. Only she never expected to be given to someone much older.
Suddenly she’s supposed to be a mother to two small children when she hasn’t even held a baby in her life.
Giulia quickly realizes that Cassio isn’t interested in a relationship on equal footing. Her mother always warned her that men of power like Cassio don’t tolerate insolence; yet, tired of being treated as a nanny and clueless child-bride, Giulia decides to fight for her vision of a happy family.
My review:
Following the theme of Cora's other books, Sweet Temptation also deals with an arranged marriage story set in a mafia backdrop. I stayed up all night and read the book in a single go. Not only that, I also reread it just a couple of days later because I felt a void after finishing the book and I wasn't ready to let go of Cassio and Guilia just yet.
At the mere age of seventeen, when she herself is still very much young, our heroine Giulia is arranged to be married to the hero, Cassio, after his wife dies, leaving him a widow and alone with two small children to raise.
Guilia doesn't want to marry him because she has never been around children, so she isn't sure that she would be able to take care of not one, but two kids. Also, she is wary of the mystery that surrounds the death of Cassio's first wife and thinks of him as a cruel monster.
Similarly, on the other hand, Cassio feels like there is too much of a gap between him and Guilia and that she is too young to be a mother to his kids.
But destiny has other plans and both of them fall into this marriage to one another.
At the beginning of the book, there was too much emphasis on the heroine being young and after a while, it started annoying me whenever Cassio took a jibe at her for the same.
But as the story progressed, Giulia really proves to be so much mature than her eighteen years. The way both Cassio and Giulia were with the kids made me swoon hard.
If I am being completely honest, when I read the prologue and even a couple of chapters at the beginning, I sort of disliked Cassio. I couldn't fathom why he was so cold at his wife's death. But then the story went on and things started becoming clear, I couldn't fault him. Instead my respect for him grew ten times more.
Other than few mentions here and there, I found that the mafia aspect of the book was very less. There is an age difference between the main characters but it wasn't creepy at all.
My thoughts on hero:
Cassio was perfect. There's no other word for him. He. Was. Just. Perfect. Remo would always be my #1 from Cora's made men universe, but I am happy to say that even though Cassio will come at #2 for me, he did give a strong competition for the first position.
It takes a real man to raise someone else's kid as his own.
My thoughts on heroine:
Guilia was young, but she wasn't naive. She was forced into an arranged marriage by her ambitious mother, but she didn't just give in and became a submissive. Instead, she held her own. At eighteen, when it is difficult for teens to take care of themselves, the heroine was forced to take care of two young, demanding children. Nonetheless, she took the challenge and fell into the role of their mother seamlessly.
My favorite quote:
“I rule over Philadelphia without mercy as you expect me to do, but even I have certain lines I’m not willing to cross, and I won’t force myself on a girl.”
My rating:
To end my review, I just want to say that even though loved this book very much, I live for drama and I found it somewhat lacking here, so I'm going to give it four stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the Author:
CORA REILLY:
Cora is the author of the Born in Blood Mafia Series, the Camorra Chronicles and many other books, most of them featuring dangerously sexy bad boys. She likes her men like her martinis—dirty and strong.
Cora lives in Germany with a cute but crazy Bearded Collie, as well as the cute but crazy man at her side. When she doesn’t spend her days dreaming up sexy books, she plans her next travel adventure or cooks too spicy dishes from all over the world.
Written in first person, multiple POV, Sweet Temptation is about love that blossoms between two individuals after they are forced into a somewhat of a reluctant arranged marriage.
The blurb is as follows:
An Arranged Marriage Standalone Mafia Romance.
The first time Cassio met his fiancée, she called him ‘Sir’.
After losing his wife, Cassio is left to take care of two small children while trying to establish his rule over Philadelphia. Now he needs a mother for his children, and someone who can warm his bed at night.
But in a traditional world as his, choosing your wife is duty not pleasure.
Rules have to be followed. Traditions heeded.
That’s how he ends up with a woman—a girl barely of age. She might not be what he and his children need, but she’s wicked lovely and a sweet temptation he can’t resist.
Giulia always knew she’d marry a man her father chose for her. Only she never expected to be given to someone much older.
Suddenly she’s supposed to be a mother to two small children when she hasn’t even held a baby in her life.
Giulia quickly realizes that Cassio isn’t interested in a relationship on equal footing. Her mother always warned her that men of power like Cassio don’t tolerate insolence; yet, tired of being treated as a nanny and clueless child-bride, Giulia decides to fight for her vision of a happy family.
My review:
Following the theme of Cora's other books, Sweet Temptation also deals with an arranged marriage story set in a mafia backdrop. I stayed up all night and read the book in a single go. Not only that, I also reread it just a couple of days later because I felt a void after finishing the book and I wasn't ready to let go of Cassio and Guilia just yet.
At the mere age of seventeen, when she herself is still very much young, our heroine Giulia is arranged to be married to the hero, Cassio, after his wife dies, leaving him a widow and alone with two small children to raise.
Guilia doesn't want to marry him because she has never been around children, so she isn't sure that she would be able to take care of not one, but two kids. Also, she is wary of the mystery that surrounds the death of Cassio's first wife and thinks of him as a cruel monster.
Similarly, on the other hand, Cassio feels like there is too much of a gap between him and Guilia and that she is too young to be a mother to his kids.
But destiny has other plans and both of them fall into this marriage to one another.
At the beginning of the book, there was too much emphasis on the heroine being young and after a while, it started annoying me whenever Cassio took a jibe at her for the same.
But as the story progressed, Giulia really proves to be so much mature than her eighteen years. The way both Cassio and Giulia were with the kids made me swoon hard.
If I am being completely honest, when I read the prologue and even a couple of chapters at the beginning, I sort of disliked Cassio. I couldn't fathom why he was so cold at his wife's death. But then the story went on and things started becoming clear, I couldn't fault him. Instead my respect for him grew ten times more.
Other than few mentions here and there, I found that the mafia aspect of the book was very less. There is an age difference between the main characters but it wasn't creepy at all.
My thoughts on hero:
Cassio was perfect. There's no other word for him. He. Was. Just. Perfect. Remo would always be my #1 from Cora's made men universe, but I am happy to say that even though Cassio will come at #2 for me, he did give a strong competition for the first position.
It takes a real man to raise someone else's kid as his own.
My thoughts on heroine:
Guilia was young, but she wasn't naive. She was forced into an arranged marriage by her ambitious mother, but she didn't just give in and became a submissive. Instead, she held her own. At eighteen, when it is difficult for teens to take care of themselves, the heroine was forced to take care of two young, demanding children. Nonetheless, she took the challenge and fell into the role of their mother seamlessly.
My favorite quote:
“I rule over Philadelphia without mercy as you expect me to do, but even I have certain lines I’m not willing to cross, and I won’t force myself on a girl.”
My rating:
To end my review, I just want to say that even though loved this book very much, I live for drama and I found it somewhat lacking here, so I'm going to give it four stars. ⭐⭐⭐⭐
About the Author:
CORA REILLY:
Cora is the author of the Born in Blood Mafia Series, the Camorra Chronicles and many other books, most of them featuring dangerously sexy bad boys. She likes her men like her martinis—dirty and strong.
Cora lives in Germany with a cute but crazy Bearded Collie, as well as the cute but crazy man at her side. When she doesn’t spend her days dreaming up sexy books, she plans her next travel adventure or cooks too spicy dishes from all over the world.
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