Symphony of Sorrow
by Ava Summers
My Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice Rating: 🌶🌶🌶
Blurb:
My husband is rich, hot, and the heir to the powerful Di Rossi crime family.
I hate his guts.
After my stepmother sold me like a prize cow, I ran away before the ink had even dried on the marriage certificate.
One year later, I'm dragged back to the marital home and locked in a gilded cage.
Angelo Di Rossi might make my pulse race when he threatens to punish me for my transgressions, but I’ll never forgive him for ruining my life.
And I’m not too happy with Kane, Angelo’s enforcer. That a-hole may be dangerously sexy but calling me kitten and acting like he cares about my safety means nothing.
Luka, the deliciously pretty black sheep of the family, and Angelo’s younger half-brother, is my only solace with his flirty banter and smoking hot abs.
Unfortunately for Angelo, I’m not the submissive mafia wife he expected.
My beloved husband might think it’s acceptable to keep me under 24/7 surveillance.
But cameras work both ways, and with Luka’s help, I’m happy to put on a show for him and Kane.
They both like to watch me.
Relaxing by the pool, naked in bed, spread over the kitchen table…
Instead of getting angry, I plan to get even.
By fair means or foul.
---
Symphony of Sorrow is book one in a MFMM (no MM) why choose mafia romance duet where the FMC does not have to choose between her three love interests. Book one ends on a cliff but book two has a HEA. For triggers, check the content note at the beginning of the book.
I hate his guts.
After my stepmother sold me like a prize cow, I ran away before the ink had even dried on the marriage certificate.
One year later, I'm dragged back to the marital home and locked in a gilded cage.
Angelo Di Rossi might make my pulse race when he threatens to punish me for my transgressions, but I’ll never forgive him for ruining my life.
And I’m not too happy with Kane, Angelo’s enforcer. That a-hole may be dangerously sexy but calling me kitten and acting like he cares about my safety means nothing.
Luka, the deliciously pretty black sheep of the family, and Angelo’s younger half-brother, is my only solace with his flirty banter and smoking hot abs.
Unfortunately for Angelo, I’m not the submissive mafia wife he expected.
My beloved husband might think it’s acceptable to keep me under 24/7 surveillance.
But cameras work both ways, and with Luka’s help, I’m happy to put on a show for him and Kane.
They both like to watch me.
Relaxing by the pool, naked in bed, spread over the kitchen table…
Instead of getting angry, I plan to get even.
By fair means or foul.
---
Symphony of Sorrow is book one in a MFMM (no MM) why choose mafia romance duet where the FMC does not have to choose between her three love interests. Book one ends on a cliff but book two has a HEA. For triggers, check the content note at the beginning of the book.
My Review:
From the very first chapter, this story leans hard into chaos, humor, and sharp-tongued survival, and Chiara is the reason it works so well. She’s bold, sarcastic, and endlessly entertaining, turning what could have been a heavy mafia setup into something genuinely fun to read. Her inner monologue is laugh-out-loud funny, but there’s also heart beneath the attitude that makes it easy to root for her.
After her father’s death, Chiara’s life is ripped out from under her when her stepmother forces her into an arranged marriage with Angelo Di Rossi, heir to a powerful mafia family. Marriage was never part of Chiara’s plan, submission even less so, so she does the only thing that makes sense to her: she runs. For a year, she manages to stay free before being dragged back into the world she tried to escape, delivered straight to her husband by his right-hand man and enforcer, Kane.
Angelo is the kind of character that looks intimidating on the surface but slowly reveals layers. Cold, dominant, and devastatingly attractive, he’s also been quietly in love with Chiara since childhood. Divorce isn’t an option to him, and neither is letting her walk away again. Despite his gruff exterior, his devotion and protectiveness show through in ways that make him impossible not to like, even when Chiara refuses to see it.
Then there’s Luca, whose charm hides far more than it reveals. He uses humor and flirting as armor, masking deep insecurity and emotional scars. Watching Chiara challenge him, defend him, and help him see his own worth adds an unexpectedly tender layer to the story. Their dynamic is messy, complicated, and quietly emotional.
Kane might be the most intriguing of them all. Dangerous, disciplined, and loyal to a fault, he’s caught between duty and desire, clearly struggling with feelings he knows he shouldn’t have. His tension with Chiara crackles, and the hints of his backstory make it impossible not to want more from his perspective in the next installment.
The romance is slow-burn, the chemistry is intense, and the relationships are tangled in the best possible way. Add in a looming threat against the Di Rossi family and an enemy working from the shadows, and there’s a solid plot driving the story forward alongside the heat.
The ending? Absolutely ruthless. This book closes on a cliffhanger that should come with a warning label.
Symphony of Sorrow is the opening to the Empire of Pain duet, and it delivers a mix of humor, tension, spice, and emotional depth without feeling overstuffed or repetitive. Even for someone new to mafia romance, it’s an easy story to sink into, fast-paced, immersive, and impossible to put down.
Between the strong writing, vivid characters, and nonstop momentum, this book turns you into a fan before you even realize it. Sleep may be lost, patience will be tested waiting for book two, and honestly? Worth it.
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