From the moment my twin sister set her eyes on Matteo, she decided he was the one. We were just kids, but that didn’t matter to her. In her heart, she believed they were destined to be together.
So when their arranged engagement was announced, no one was surprised.
At least, that’s what I thought.
But lately, something felt off. Wherever I went, Matteo was there—lurking in the dark, concealed in the shadows, even in broad daylight, always watching.
I didn’t know what I’d done to capture his attention. I didn’t want it. Yet, I couldn’t stop my heart from trembling, like a bare soul caught in the icy grip of winter, whenever he came near. Nor could I ignore my body’s traitorous response to his voice, low and laced with wicked intent.
I fought to resist him. I truly did. But it was useless.
He knew it. And so did I.
So I ran.
But here’s the thing about the Vitales: they always give chase.
Eva released her first novel Second Chance At Love in 2020 and has been writing feverishly ever since. She writes about everlasting romance for every century focusing on characters emotional development and always guarantees an HEA.
She loves yoga, wine and her kiddos. In her spare time, she seeks adventures either hiking through trails or exploring the beaches.
Writing books has always been her passion and she brings real life to the forefront in everything she writes about.
Deeply passionate characters and stories will draw you in and you'll never want to leave.
Follow her on social media to stay up to date with all her new releases!
Oh my god, I love the world Eva has created. This second generation hits differently. Seeing my favorite characters and their children makes my heart so f—king happy. 😍
He has a very special tattoo on his left ribs of a very special date. They are Roman numerals. It's the date of their first kiss!!!! Omg!! 🫠🫠🫠
Okay, this is the only spoiler you are getting from me, but seriously, this man is top-book boyfriend material. He’s everything you would want in a partner and lover and more, and oh, his filthy mouth. 😈I’m obsessed with how obsessed he was with Ari.
I have over 200 highlights. I loved this book so much!!
Matteo had me kicking my feet, laughing, and giddy AF, and I was going through all the emotions reading this book. It was EVERYTHING I hoped for and more! Eva Winners, you outdid yourself, babe!! I can’t wait to read Nikola’s book 🖤
I'm sure this will be great for someone else, it's just not my thing and that's totally fine.
It was a little chaotic and kind of all over the place. There are just so many people to keep track of, and honestly, it took me a bit to figure out who's who.
Then, a lot of the choices and actions by the characters (not just the MCs) were pretty frustrating and just didn't make sense to me.
Lastly, this is definitely not the dual virgin I had in mind. I was looking forward to reading this book, and given my familiarity with this author, I know she has dual V in her stories. But this was not it. 🙅♀�
Matteo (25) was supposed to be obsessed with Arianna (25) since they were eight. Yet, at the 41% mark he dropped this freaking line:
“I’ve f*cked zero women...I would never hurt you by lying to you. I’m not saying I’m a saint and never experimented, but I’m saying I saved myself for you.�
This experimenting wasn't clearly explained, and it really left a bad taste. What do you mean you experimented but saved yourself for her??? 🥴 Before that annoying line, I was genuinely swooning over his possessiveness with Ari. I mean, who wouldn't want a man who's been so in love with you since childhood? But after that remark, his possessiveness made me want to throw my Kindle against the nearest wall. 😤
His audacity and hypocrisy in getting territorial over Ari was so annoying it's not even funny. After all the years they've known each other, he made every possible threat to all the guys who showed interest in her, and yet apparently he still found time to "experiment." Like, make it make sense. 🤦♀️�
“Baby, I’ve been chasing away every male for almost two decades. Do you really think I’d let any woman touch me now that you’re mine?�
I really wish this was explained clearly because leaving it open to interpretation is not going to work for me. I tend to jump to the worst conclusions (probably a me issue), so in my mind, this suggests he likely engaged in other activities with other girls, except for the actual penetration, which seems to be the only thing he's reserving for her. 🤷♀�
But then he also said this:
“Yeah, but did you protect what’s mine? Did you refrain yourself from being with other women?� He remained quiet, giving me my answer. “So typical of a man to be a hypocrite. How many women have you been with?� He watched me with a burning gaze. “Zero.�
So, idk anymore. 🥴 It's possible he experimented on his own, but who really knows? I can't help but think his lines were contradictory, but maybe it's just me and my need for a straightforward explanation. Anyway, do what you what with that info.
Book info: - College romance - Childhood friends to lovers - Sister's fiance - Forced marriage - Stalking - Gun pointing - Kidnapping (past and present) - Organ trafficking - Substance abuse - Violence, gore, death - Dual V (but he experimented with OW) 🤮😡 - No cheating, OM/OW - With separation (weeks) - HEA (18 mos later, married w/ newborn son)
Notes: - OW. But not really. Ari's sister, Hannah, has always claimed she wanted to marry Matteo since they were kids, but he never really felt the same way about her and has always been more interested in Ari instead. When Matteo said he wanted to marry one of Nico's daughters, everyone just figured he meant Hannah. So, their parents set up the engagement announcement and decided to do it at a party. And he was totally taken aback when they announced the wrong twin but he vowed to make things right. Also, Hannah was interested in someone else and only using Matteo to make the guy jealous. - When Matteo eventually caught up with Ari's whereabouts, he cornered her in her hotel room to knock some sense into her and get her to go with him. But when she didn't agree, he got pissed and pulled a gun on her. It was blank, but still. This might be triggering for some readers. When she still wouldn't budge, he injected her with a tranquilizer and then kidnapped her. 🫣
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
He's not a virgin like the book tried to make it out, he's been with women just never had penetrative sex but he did everything else and " experimented" with other woman but saved the penetration for fmc because apparently he loves her 😂😂😂okay
He chased away men from her for 10 years because he wanted her to fully save herself for him but he didn't extend her the same courtesy and whored around with ow
I’ve had my eye on Eva Winner’s books for a while, so when she announced her new 2nd gen series, I jumped at the chance to grab an ARC. I’m so glad I did! I’m completely hooked on the plot and absolutely in love with the characters. Even though I haven’t read the original series, I found it easy to follow and enjoyed the story.
The main characters, Matteo and Arianna, are childhood friends. Their story begins when, at just 8 years old, he steals her first kiss and she ends up breaking his nose! Right from that moment, Matteo knows he wants to marry her someday. Fast forward to the present, and his feelings for her have only grown stronger. However, Arianna’s twin sister, Hannah, wants to marry Matteo. To protect her sister’s feelings, Arianna tries to keep her distance. When their parents mistakenly announce Matteo and Hannah’s engagement, it leads to some complications.
Arianna is such a kind-hearted person, always putting others before herself. She carries a burden of guilt over what happened with her sister, but I admire her bravery when she's willing to sacrifice her happiness for her family. I wish she could go after what she truly wants and find her happiness too! Matteo’s obsession with her has been growing over the years, and when Arianna’s life is in danger, he knows it’s time to step up and fight for her. I love how he remembers all the little things she likes and how protective he is of her. He believes she’s the one for him, and he makes that known to everyone, including their parents. He’s determined to prove that they’re meant to be together.
Overall, I’m captivated by this universe! The characters are so interesting, and I enjoyed the parents� perspectives as well. Their interactions brought a lot of laughs! The book is packed with action and mystery that kept me on the edge of my seat. The chemistry between Arianna and Matteo is downright sizzling! I can’t wait to dive into the next book in the series!
10 STARS! I LOVE THIS STORY SO MUCH! MATTEO YOU ARE THE BEST POSSESSIVE HERO I LOVE YOU! THIS SECOND GENERATION LOVE STORY FROM THE AUTHOR IS FREAKIN FANTASTIC 🥹🥹 I don’t want to end it 😜
I want to share my genuine thoughts and feelings about second generation love stories. Honestly, I find it hard to trust them sometimes because they’ve let me down repeatedly over the years 😭 It’s frustrating when the love story of their parents is so incredible, yet the kids� stories end up being terrible, almost like they shouldn’t be shared at all. That’s how disappointing they can be 😓 RINA KENT FOR EXAMPLE OMG. She failed so hard on the second generation love story and she ruined it on my opinion, that’s a big example 😥 And many more actually but rina is more disappointing than all of them to be honest with you!!! So, when I got a chance to read this book before its release, I felt a bit skeptical because you just never know what to expect, right? 😥 After experiencing that disappointment multiple times, it’s tough to have faith in what will unfold 😅 But then this author introduced a second generation love story with these characters, and I couldn’t be happier for them and for this story finally coming to life� It feels like just yesterday I was reading about these characters as babies, and now they’re growing up and finding their way in the world 🥺🥺
AND IF YOU’RE ASKING WHO IS MY FAVORITE FROM THE BABIES� I have several tho, but my number one is always Kostya tho� I honestly don’t know why 🤣 It’s like every time i read the series from the author, i always look for Kostya and even say his name like his actually my nephew 😄 Kostya is so funny in (thorns of love and lust tho) that’s my favorite scenes from baby kostya� Okay moving on 🙃
I absolutely adore this book! 💙💙 To me, Matteo and Ariana is hands down the best second-generation love story I've encountered in the past couple of years 😍🥺 This author has truly mended my heart when it comes to second-generation romances with this one. Especially after the fvck up from rina kent, this author really heals me from that so thankyou🥺
The love, devotion, obsession, and chemistry between the characters are just breathtakingly amazing!!! The storyline and the characters are equally fantastic. You'll get introduced to so many future characters in this series, and they’re all really compelling. Each one is cool and has that dangerous edge 😜😎 definitely not annoying or terrible. THEY ARE ACTUALLY COOL😭 The plot involving these second-generation characters is also great� they have their own thrilling schemes happening behind closed doors. It’s all super interesting😍 not boring at all, and certainly not off-putting!
I’m really excited to see some of my favorite characters from the earlier books in this one! 😍 It’s such a joy to witness their stories unfold, especially since I loved their parents' love stories 🥺🥺🥺 Plus, seeing the school come to life is just amazing! We get a broader view of it now� how the classes work and what they offer 😍 Even though I can’t spot the founders (WYNTER, JULIETTE, IVY AND DAVINA!) since they’re my own personal favorites, reading about the school and its journey is just fantastic 😍 It feels like only yesterday when I read about them scrambling for money for supplies, how funny the founders are with the amazing friendship they’re on and now here we are two decades later with a thriving school! 😍😍 It feels like yesterday when juliette burn the house down😄🤣 This first book in the series has me completely hooked!!! HOOKED I TELL YOU! I can’t wait for the rest to come out 😇 I'm so obsessed that I'm actually taking my time reading this one because I love where the story is going. I NEVER WANT TO END IT😄 The romance is incredible and really drives the plot, but it’s also enriched by other characters� stories and all the mystery and crime elements that keep me coming back for more 😚 They’re all so well done! And honestly, I appreciate how safe the romance feels from start to finish😍😍😍🥰 that's truly the gem of this book.
You really don’t have to stress about the romance in this story. NOT A BIT!!! DON’T WORRY ABOUT THE ROMANCE! Trust me, it’s incredibly romantic and totally safe 😍 like, super safe! From the very start, the hero is completely captivated by the heroine and has been head over heels for her since they were kids. You can feel their love throughout the entire book🥹 it's just so wonderfully romantic and amazing. Honestly, this hero deserves all the stars like thousand stars for his devotion to her� That’s why I adore this book so much! Even though it’s a mafia romance, the connection between the couple makes those intense scenes easier to handle� so if you are like me who still a bit annoyed with the book second generation love from rina kent especially with the eli story, read this one! READ THIS ONE BOOK HERE BECAUSE IT WILL COMPLETELY HEAL YOU FROM IT�
If you dive into the love story of the hero and heroine's parents, you'll find it quite twisted and a bit heavy on the dark side� The mafia scenes were more darker there😢 However, in this book featuring our main couple aka my favorite couple 😚 while there are some darker elements, they stem from external sources rather than from them personally�. Their love story is so much more beautiful and romantic compared to their parents' 😏 That's why I'm genuinely thrilled with this book! I really believe the author has done an amazing job with the characters and everything else in it 😌
DON’T RUIN IT AUTHOR PLEASE BECAUSE I HAVE HIGH HOPES FOR THIS SERIES�. I am begging you.
🚨
⛔️ SPOILER 🚨🚨🚨🚨
🚨
🚨
🚨
The hero is completely devoted to the heroine, willing to do whatever it takes to have her by his side forever 😍😍 There's no way he would ever push her away, he never ever push her away� He even held off on certain things for a long time just for her, and she did the same in return. GUESS WHAT. DUAL VIRGIN!!!!!! AND THIS IS VERY RARE FOR THE AUTHOR TO WRITE DUAL VIRGINS SO YES I AM VERY VERY EXTREMELY HAPPY ABOUT THAT 🥺 And also big spoiler🚨🚨🚨 The plot twist on this is a bit tricky when you read it from the beginning, but trust me the heroine’s sister didn’t actually really love the hero tho 🫢🫢
Overall the hero and heroine’s personality and their attitude is more better than the parents� The author did a great job to make the this couple’s personality better 🤩 cause sometimes in others second generation love story, the personality of the children is actually more awful and turns out to be more worst than the parents� It’s like the author is trying to make the kids cooler but it actually turns out to be so awful tho� BUT NOT THIS BOOK. The children is actually better in everything tho 😍
“There may be billions of stars in the galaxy, but you shine the brightest. You’re my sun, my moon, my everything. And if anyone tries to steal you, I’ll reduce them to ash.�
“Arianna. I have my limits too.� “What are they?� “They all start and end with you.�
🥺
‼️‼️‼️TRIGGERS: Mafia, killing, kidnapping, stealing, money laundering, school full of mafia kids and school that teaches about mafia things, parties, Alcohol, drugs, human trafficking, PTSD, car accident, guns, high on violence, stalking, drugs, tortured, spoiled kids, Mafia family and death.
‼️‼️‼️VERY SAFE ROMANTIC HOT LOVE STORY�
‼️‼️‼️THE HERO is 24 years y.o and the heroine is 25 y.o.
‼️‼️‼️THE PLOT TWIST IS FREAKIN AMAZING!
The actions scene are great too. Like really really mystery and actions combined it makes the whole story freakin amazing!
‼️‼️‼️DUAL VIRGINS. And this is very rare for the author to write so this is a true gem right here as well that both are virgins�.
And personally what i love about them being virgins especially for the hero is that he never ever invites anyone else to his own personal space. Like his house or anywhere you know� And also the hero will never ever brag about other woman or his history with other woman! because the heroine is the only woman for him since the beginning. This is so sweet 🥺
‼️‼️‼️LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT.
‼️‼️‼️NO CHEATING.
‼️‼️‼️‼️NO EX BOYFRIEND OR EX WHAT EVER SHOWS UP FROM THEM. Because they never dated anyone else, the hero never ever did that. But the heroine did one or two times she went on a date but the hero completely ruin that for her� He scares them off. And he did that before they were dating tho.. The heroine at the time didn’t know that the hero really actually wants her like that, so she went on that dates� BUT THE HERO never ever date or touch any other woman. As i see that the hero is busy with university and the mafia family business and that he knows that the heroine is the only woman for him, that’s why he never ever look at any other woman.
“Baby, I’ve been chasing away every male for almost two decades. Do you really think I’d let any woman touch me now that you’re mine?�
“So typical of a man to be a hypocrite. How many women have you been with?� He watched me with a burning gaze. “Zero.� “Be serious, Matteo. I heard enough about double standards men have to know it cannot be the truth.� “It’s the honest-to-God truth. I’ve fucked zero women. I’ve only ever fantasized about you. I’ve only ever wanted you. So I’ve waited until you were ready for me. I would never hurt you by lying to you. I’m not saying I’m a saint and never experimented, but I’m saying I saved myself for you.�
And that makes me smile so wide i almost hurt my cheek 🤩
‼️‼️‼️THE HERO IS MY FAVORITE ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ The hero is over the top yes OTP possessive, very protective, billionaire, mob boss, masculine alpha male ever 😎 He knows how to fight, work, study and treat his woman and family very extremely well� He have an amazing relationship with his family and friends and his sister. His personality is dangerous like he is intense like that but very cool tho, not narcissistic. He is very genuine man but you can’t mess with him! He is also like a leader in their group in school called Legacies, but even tho he is like that, he is a virgin and not a manwhor3. Even his friends didn’t talk about him being like that so that was safe! He can be dangerous and cold but when it comes to family, he will be soft and nicer. Especially for the heroine, he is definitely softer towards her 🥺 Does he have some dark past? When it comes with mafia love story like this yes. But i love that his past is not too dark like his parents tho, and his past is just more about him learning how to be in the mafia game like his father. And that past and his parents being like that, it didn’t mess up with his personality. His personality and upbringing and even attitude is cool tho�
WHAT I’M MOST IMPRESSED about the hero is that even tho he is the leader of the legacy, and a mafia boss like everybody at school are scares of him and he can be ruthless to his enemies 😈 When it comes to the heroine, he truly embodies a gentleman 🤩 His physical affection, the way he treats her like royalty, and his acts of service are simply outstanding� He really knows how to make her feel special, and that’s one of the many reasons I adore him. The hero he portrays is genuinely a true gentleman� he would literally go down on his knees for her. Characters like this are hard to come by! So often in other stories by less talented authors, heroes are depicted as womanizers or playboys with bizarre hobbies (they will literally display that their body count are so many and they try a lot of things) that just end up being off-putting 🙄 THAT IS ACTUALLY DISGUSTING� They seem to think that's appealing and cool, but it really isn't!!!!! The authors will literally write the children characters are more awful than the parents and it actually ruin the whole story�
That's why I’m so thrilled with this Matteo character 📈
‼️‼️‼️THE HEROINE. The heroine is the twin name Ariana! I see her in the previous books how she is the calmer twin and more nicer twin� She is definitely sassy but not reckless like her other twin hannah tho. Ariana is definitely more chill and more quite than Hannah� The heroine’s personality is also shown that she is sassy, feminine, family girl, friendly and loves to study. She spend most of her time here studying the galaxies because she loves that very much ~ She’s also very smart as well, always thinking about others before herself and a bit sensitive with her feelings� When the siblings fight, she will be the peace maker for them�
What I don’t like about the heroine is that she’s too attached to her twin, and sometimes complicated things between the hero with her. because the way she defended her twin is just not right sometimes 😓
‼️‼️‼️IT HAS SEPARATION LIKE TWICE. And this is after they’re already in a relationship. But both of them are super safe, no one is touching other people� They didn’t go to anyone. And during the separation time, the hero always stalk the heroine every single day, during the day till the night 🥰 So even the separation is quite romantic with the hero doing that 😜
‼️‼️‼️The chemistry between them is strong as ever. It will never fall apart no matter what😜 And you can feel that from the beginning till the end how the chemistry between them is freakin romantic and just soooo hot and breathtakingly TRUE LOVE 💗
The hero and heroine supports each other’s so much!
‼️‼️‼️It has unnecessary childish drama couple of times but not so annoying tho. And not too much ~
‼️‼️‼️MOST OF THE DRAMA is about other people tho and not them. Sometimes the couple will have drama of their own but not too annoying tho ~ NO DRAMA WITH OW EVER� It has drama with OM but only because the man was trying to flirt with the heroine and the hero stopped him. And also most of the drama is about the family. But all the drama is just normal for a mafia family and romance tho� Not too dark tho and not too crazy!
‼️‼️‼️THE HERO IS INSANELY SOOOOOOOO OBSESSED WITH THE HEROINE� From the beginning we can see that from his pov that he is that addicted and obsessed with the heroine like she is already his wife you know� I’ve honestly lost track of how many times the hero declares that the heroine is his and mine! it feels like he says it a thousand times in every single day 🤣 He tells himself, her, and everyone around them that she belongs to him😏 His perspective really revolves around her� HIS POV IS FULL OF HIS LOVE FOR HER.. you can see just how deeply he loves and is obsessed with her 💗 It’s clear he’s completely devoted to her, even going so far as to tell everyone, including the heroine herself, that he chooses her above anyone else, even his own family ☺️ I’ve lost count of all the ways he sacrifices for her 🥺 physically, mentally, and emotionally, he’s all in for the heroine!!! She always comes first for him� Their families even went out of their way to create a special place filled with her favorite things on campus so she can always have somewhere to go, the hero helped a lot for her before the relationship 🥺 The hero loves taking care of her in every way possible, shower her when she was in a bad state and stalking her almost all the time� he truly enjoys showering her with love and attention� He constantly thinks about her 🥰 he even got a tattoo of the date they shared their first kiss on his chest before they officially became a couple! And yes they went on a date like many times during dating after they’re married, quality time for them is a must 🥰 And the hero is actually the one who always organize the whole thing for her� Not only he will organize the date, but he always even make sure the heroine is safe first before the date. He will give her love letters and that letter is freakin romantic 🥺 so sweet 💗
HE SAID I LOVE YOU FIRST TO THE HEROINE 💙
“You’ve consumed me since we were eight, Ari, You’re the one for me. You’ll be the one in every life, every universe, every scenario. You’ll forget those men.�
“There was one thing I’d known for certain since I was eight years old. Arianna Carter Morrelli was my girl. My woman. Mine. There was an aura about her, so overpowering that it magnified her physical presence. I saw it that evening all those years ago, when I kissed her beneath the stars, and I saw it again today. I’d put an off-limits mark on her with all of the guys at D’Arc while we were growing up, unbeknownst to Ari, but I couldn’t have eyes on her at all times. Occasionally, guys would take Ari out beyond the gates of D’Arc, but I put an end to that shit really fast. Every man who got close enough to kiss her on their date—first and last, if I may add—ended up getting a taste of my wrath. So it didn’t take long for rumors to start surrounding her. Arianna è solo mia. She was mine and mine alone.�
“Good, because I’ve been yours for a very long time. I’ll probably make you mad over our lifetime together, but don’t ever leave me again. My love is possessive and obsessive, and knows no boundaries. You’ll always be the most important person in this universe. Do you want to know why?� “W?� “Because all the stars shine for you, but you, baby� you’re the only star that shines for me.�
🥺
‼️‼️‼️NOOOO STRIP CLUB,
Noooo bachelorette and bachelor party, no strippers, no bullying, no mean friends and no flirting ever from a woman to the hero�
‼️‼️‼️MANY HOT S3X SCENES� The hero not only adores the heroine’s body, but he also truly understands how to make her feel satisfied all the time ~ He enjoys touching her and always prioritizes her needs😏 It’s incredibly hot and romantic to read about their physical connection, especially since their deep love for each other brings them even closer together 💗
“It was because it was her. My Ari, in the flesh, and no longer a product of my dreams.�
“You drive me fucking crazy, baby, Your greedy holes were all made for me. Only me.�
‼️‼️‼️THE HERO IS INSANELY POSSESSIVE� MANY JEALOUS SCENES FROM THE HERO and only few from the heroine.. He even got so jealous when his best friend called the heroine “ari� like a nickname for her 😄
“This is the best date I’ve ever been on,� “Those dates with other men don’t count.� “You and me. We are the only thing that counts.� “Only because you worked overtime, chasing every boy away and ruining all my dates.� “You’re lucky I didn’t kill every one of those boys.�
“They can get a quick death or a very slow and painful one. It’ll be up to you, Nutella girl.�
“I will fucking kill you if you touch her again. Hell, if you even look at her,�
“When I saw him touching her hand, the very same that was wrapped around my cock earlier today, fury unlike any I’d ever experienced before grabbed hold of me. I wanted to murder my best friend, to let his blood stain my mother’s marble floors as a warning to any other fucker who even thought of touching her.�
‼️‼️‼️I love that there are scenes where we can see other characters that is memorable from the previous books� And also i love that the author included a scene where the heroine was spending a quality time together with her twin brothers 🥺 The twin brothers even comfort the heroine when she was crying� It’s simple but so sweet 🥺
I asked Eva Winners via IG about Matteo and his experience and she told me: "He's a virgin that saved himself for Arianna. But it he did somewhere along the way btw 18 and 23 kiss someone else."
I think the author wasn't specific in the book or her answers before bc she didn't think much about it. I'll let it go and stick with this final answer!
Update: the more I think about Matteo fake a$$ virginity the more upset I get ughhhh so I’m changing the rating to 3 stars only
—ĔĔĔĔ�
This fell a lil short from my expectations but I still enjoyed it nonetheless. It’s a childhood friends to lovers and if you’ve been following me for a while, you’d know it’s my jam and having it in mafia setting???? Heck yeah! Beware for spoilers & LONG review ahead!
The mmc, Matteo and the fmc, Arianna knew each other from the early stage of their childhood. She broke his nose and kicked him when he kissed her and since then he’s head over heels for her and she’s it for him. There’s nothing really to tell from their childhood and teenage life though because there’s only a couple of chapters of that and a few moments were only told in passing.
The story revolves around a new conflict that arose from the old conflict from their parents series. And also around Arianna’s identical twin, Hannah who chased around Matteo and claiming he’s hers. Before I get into my thoughts on the main characters, let me just say that I freaking hated pre-Hannah before the kidnapping. Later we found out what she’s been doing to cope with trauma but still that didn’t warrant her what she did. Just a few hours after her sister almost got shot, she ended up making it about hers anyway. Then instead of being there for Arianna, she tried to hook up with Matteo 🤦🏻♀� She’s so freaking selfish and even after the whole stupid debacle with switching the wrong twin for the engagement, knowing Matteo didn’t want her, she still clung to him while it’s so obvious she’s doing this to make another man jealous! She’s so self absorbed she didn’t even see the way Ari and Matteo were always around each other. Even their friends could see what’s going on without Ari & Matteo telling them about their relationship. And don’t forget how she was yelling at Ari after finding out about her and Matteo, acting like she wasn’t using him to make another man jealous and eventhough she didn’t lit the fire but she literally poured the gasoline knowing damn well her own twin sister was in that building! What happened to her later in the book was awful but that couldn’t erased what she had done. She was forgiven way too easily and like Matteo said, her family was always giving in to her whims especially Ari! Yeah yeah they’re twins but still!
Anywayyyy, back to the main couple. Matteo was absolutely unhinged and nothing could ever stop him from having Arianna as his. He knew from the start that he wanted Ari and the way he orchestrated everything so that she would finally be his was kinda hot ngl. It’s fucked up but well this is dark romance after all. You could see the way he was mostly behaving like a green-ish flag in the beginning but then something stupid happened with the engagement announcement and when Ari withdrew from his life, he’s turning red flag right before reader’s own eyes. This was actually one of my fav micro trope. The red flag do involved his hands around her neck but it’s nothing like choking her to hurt her but rather to make statement FYI. I couldn’t fault him for turning red flag tbh because he had profusely told Ari she’s the only for him, he told Hannah he didn’t want her, he told her father Ari is it for him, not Hannah and y’all the scene where he turned psycho and confronted Ari in front of their parents and the other mafia families OMG it was so fucking HOT and hella mad because everyone was pointing g*n towards each other while Matteo had his hands on Ari and basically telling her he refused to let go what they had. He’s honestly everything I loved in mafia men except he’s not really a virgin like he claimed to be. Idk what is it with some authors that are allergic into having their men to be completely virgins 🤦🏻♀️🤦🏻♀� I mean what’s so hard to have him as a total virgin like you claimed him to be, not just a virgin by having doing everything else but penetrating sex. Matteo said he’s not a saint and did have some experiments and I’m so mad especially knowing him scaring away the men in Ari’s life. He literally threatened every men she came across or dated but he on the other hand could have his way with other women? The double standard is killing me 🥱 The only saving grace is that he’s not a manhoe because he wasn’t seen with any women or women flocking around him when he’s out there doing his mafia business and he’s loyal to her after being together. Ari also had this man down so bad for her, he was literally on his knees when she ran away from him. But still damn it why just why is it so hard to write him as a complete virgin just like her?!?!?! 🙄🙄
Arianna or Ari as what Matteo called her (I refused to acknowledge the nickname he gave to her because wtf was that lmao) loved to act as a martyr to her family especially her twin sister. I loved that she’s not a doormat and has a backbone but some of her actions annoyed me to no end. In the beginning, she had no feelings for Matteo but slowly falling in love with him. I loved reading about their courtship and their dates. I would say Matteo was the main pursuer in their relationship just because Ari was too afraid of telling Hannah about her and Matteo. Sooooo much could’ve been avoided if only she just sat her ass down and told Hannah about her feelings. Also the way the women in mafia books (in general) are conditioned to be in awe of mafia men when they’re not a manwhore has to be studied because the bar is absolutely on the floor for them 💀
I haven’t read Eva Winners books in a while. I still haven’t finished her Kingpins and Omerta series. I do like her writings but some sentences in this book made me cringe a lik ngl. Not to the point I won’t be continuing this series tho because I’m kinda intrigued with Nikola and Skye.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Mmm friends lovers. Hope he isn’t a manwhore while she’s a virgin who has to see him with ow🙃
““I’m not saying I’m a saint and never experimented, but I’m saying I saved myself for you.� So much for dual V. We don’t have details, he literally could have done everything but penetration. And of course she didn't kiss anyone because he put a school-wide ban so no boy could touch her.
Esperaba una mejor historia de esta segunda generación. La verdad ODIE que volviera a meter la trama de Belles and Mobsters (principalmente porque me cansó todo ese tema en la primer serie, ya fueron 7 libros de lo mismo).
La primer parte del libro fue increíblemente tediosa y aburrida, hasta que Luciano llega a arruinar todo en la historia y con ello salvar el libro jajaja. Lo mejor fueron las partes desde el POV de Luciano y Nico 💕. Arianna es ese personaje FMC que quieres agarrar de los hombros y gritarle hasta que entienda, es un personaje muy obstinado que cree que hace lo mejor por proteger a su hermana (la cual es la persona más egoísta del mundo, nadie me hará quererte Hannah).
What a fabulous start to the series! I have been an Eva Winners fan ever since her 1st Mafia story with Luciano and I was so excited for this next gen series. I loved how they had the hero pining for her the whole time and how he waited for her. The story paced well, had tons of action, and plenty of angst. I can't wait for the next book in the series!
Wow, I don’t even know where to start—this book hit hard. Like, I’m struggling to find the words, but let’s do this.
Point number one: Eva, you never let us down. You gave us everything we wanted and then some. The atmosphere, the theme, the characters—both the ones we already know and the “new� ones (who, let’s be honest, we thought we knew)—were absolutely brilliant. They all had such strong personalities, yet with so much versatility. Loved. Every. Single. One.
Point number two: Mattteo and Ariana. Listen, this book took me on an emotional rollercoaster—I laughed, I cried, I got frustrated, and I fell in love with their journey. At first, I thought it would be a relatively mature love story between two 25-year-old adults. But nope. You gave us so much more. And you knew exactly what you were doing when you threw in a morally questionable man—my kryptonite. Some of these scenes? Yeah, I’ll be rereading them a lot. 🔥
Point number three: The parents' involvement? Chef’s kiss. 👌 It added that extra zing, that missing spark that made everything come full circle. I really hope we see more of this in future books because it brought such a deep emotional layer to the story.
And last but not least: The little breadcrumbs you left for future couples? Absolutely genius. I loved how we weren’t just witnessing one love story—we were seeing multiple stories unfold at the same time. And knowing that we’ll get to read those soon? Pure excitement. 🤩
To sum it up: this book was phenomenal. Now, excuse me while I go recover. 🫠
''For all the girls in love with a man who’s a green flag but get all hot and bothered when he turns red'' (COULDN’T AGREE MORE!!!! )
Man, I wish this book was longer—I just couldn’t get enough! Every moment had me hooked from beginning to end.
First, a minute of silence for Ella, I was heartbroken over her. 💔 But I’m so intrigued by Massimo and his YOUNG WIFE� 👀
Then, Sasha—OMGGG!! An absolute delight as always! He was hilarious trying to play matchmaker. Dude, he NEEDS to be in every single one of her next books!
And THAT OFFICE SCENE?? WITH ALL MY MAFIA DADDIES??? The way Matteo backed her against the wall, his hand coming across her throat—AHH!! Everyone was on edge, even me! LITERALLY 😭🔥 The tension was INSANE:
"Step the fuck away from her, or this floor will be stained with your brains and blood." (This totally gave me Adrian Volkov vibes!!)
""Nico, get away from my son," Luciano growled. "Tell your son to get the fuck away from my daughter," he shot back, finger still on the trigger."
(AHHHH MAN, NOW I NEED THE AUDIOBOOK TOO!!) 🎧🔥
I can’t wait to dive into Nikola, Gabriel, Penelope, and every single book in this series!
THANK YOU, EVA, FOR THESE MASTERPIECES ❤️ AND FOR THE ONES TO COME!!
My Review: Eva-verse is EVERYTHING! 🤩🔥 I cannot say this enough—Eva has created a universe that feels so real, I wish I could jump right in and be part of it! This book was PERFECTION from start to finish. Seeing all the familiar characters again? Their funny interactions had me grinning like an idiot, and I swear, I could read an entire book of just them bantering.
And Matteo and Arriana? PERFECTION. I fell hard for him. Nico has always been my favorite, but Matteo might just steal that spot.
The writing? Impeccable. The romance? Swoon-worthy. The spice? Chef’s kiss. 🔥 The plot? Exactly what we expect from Eva—but even better!
Not a single dull moment! The pacing was on point, packing so much into the story without ever feeling overwhelming or unnecessary.🙌🏼
I NEED to see where Eva takes the next-gen stories. I cannot wait! 🙌📖�
Tropes: Mafia Romance Next-Gen book Found family V-h v-H
i was so exiting to start this series, because they are the next generation, and it couldn´t have started in a better way. i didn´t expexted to like this book the way i did, because i was expectin other main characters, but WOWWWWW
i received an arc copy in exchange of an honext review.
Did i devour this book in one day? absolutely! And it was as if going back to Eva's roots, and I was there for it! It was amazing, the slow/medium burn was burning so good, and I loved Matteo and Arianna!
Now buckle up, because this review may be a bit long!
First of all, whenever author announces 2nd gen series my first thought it yay! but then i start thinking wait, I don't want to see the characters that fell in love with be shit parents or do something that will make me fall out of love with them.Plus, in a huge world that Eva wrote (mind you she has yet to complete 1st gen series), I wasn't sure how the timeline would work, but you know what to hell with the timeline, we're just going to enjoy the story and think about timeline later.
Do you need to read previous book before Matteo (there're about 20 or more), not necessarily, this is the 1st book in the new series so it does explain some stuff from previous books, but if you want to know everyone's parent's stories (and even some of the kids how they came to be) you should, but that'll take you some time. so If Matteo is your first Eva winners book, buckle up you'll want to read them all!
I didn't know what to expect going in (I didn't read blurb or any of the teasers, because i wanted to go in blind and enjoy the book) and enjoy i did! Matteo was absolutely amazing! He listened to his father's story on how he and his mom came together and said: nah, i can do it better!
He and Arianna were meant to be together and I loved them together! I really wanted to see how the whole situation with Hannah's infatuation with Matteo would go down, and that plot twist was not what i was expecting! And that observatory scene (first one or the second one), both were absolutely amazing!
I loved seeing Luciano, Grace, Nico and Biance and the old gang. and I really loved seeing them as parent and how they were supporting their children. I also loved how their parented girls and boys similarly, so while girls may have been sheltered from violence they still knew about it and acknowledged that their parents wanted the best for them!
I cannot wait for Nikola's book. it will be. a parade of psychos (Sasha, Dante Leone and Nikola himself), it will be one fun book!
Overall I enjoyed this book a lot! and this was a 2nd gen book done right! And I just can't wait for this book to be released in audio, because I need to hear Matteo!
There were a couple of things that bothered me with this book. Walking away for now but might try later again. I like Eva‘s books but this one wasn‘t for me
A few points that bothered me (spoilers ahead!):
- didn‘t like how matteo talked about/to hannah in the start of the story (i get he was annoyed with her but it just rubbed me the wrong way) - the nickname with food is just not for me. Just didn‘t feel the nutella girl. I can ignore stuff like this. So this is not the big reason - didn‘t feel any kind of thing for Arianna and Matteo and for now blaming it on me for being annoyed with Matteo - Ella and Massimo. Ella was one of my favourite side characters in Luciano and i just didn‘t like knowing her fate and that Massimo will get a book with a new fmc. Don‘t feel that at all tbh - lack of communication between ariana/hannah/matteo
5 ⭐️ 📕: MATTEO by Eva Winners Why you’ll love this book!! Mafia Romance Childhood Friends Sister’s Fiancé He Falls First
⚠️ Check Trigger Warnings ⚠️
I love Eva Winners writing!! Matteo and Arianna are perfect for each other but Arianna twin sister called dibs first but Matteo doesn’t care what Arianna’s sister or parents want he wants Arianna and has wanted her since they were kids looking at the stars together!! Arianna is torn though her mother taught her to never let anyone come between her and her sister but he heart is starting to beat for Matteo.. Ima obsessed with these two I read this book in a day it was so addicting!!
Matteo was an excellent way to kick off this second generation series with a punch! He is obsessed with the "wrong" twin Ari even as he becomes betrothed to her sister. There was so much to love about this book. We were gifted a secret relationship, pining, a possessive hero and Ari with that sweet heart that cherishes her bond with her twin above all. Equally exciting was seeing pov chapters from the parents that we fell in love with over her previous series. Eva always leaves us plenty of bread crumbs for future pairings too and I'm definitely intrigued to see how their stories shake out.
There are not enough words to describe this masterpiece. This book had a chokehold on me until the very end. I fell in love with Matteo and Arianna in their parents' book, but their story made me fall even more in love with them. Adding the parents' chapters added to this story, and I can't even complain. The lengths these men go to for their women are chefs' kisses. This book has so many twists and turns, and I ate it up in less than 5 hours. I can't gush enough about this couple, the side characters, and everything else. What a way to start second-generation Eva! You don't have to read their parent's book, but I highly recommend it because there are a lot of references to their books.
ME ENCANTÓ, lo único que voy a decir es "Gracias Eva por no hacerla sufrir y dejar como mala a Hannah", demás está decir que espero con ansias su historia.
Tropes : mafia romance, in love with sister’s fiancée (forbidden love), H falls first, J/P H, touch her and 💀, twins h, big H x small h Ending : HEA (married with a newborn son) Triggers : mention of human/organ trafficking, violence, torture, 💀, mention of kidnapping Spice : 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 Angst : 🔥🔥🔥🔥/5 OM/OW drama : OM/OW (OM were guys that got close to h, OW was h’s twin sis) Celibate while separated: kinda Intimacy details: dual virgin, condom then no condom, rough sex, spanking, hair pulling, cum jammer, oral, hair pulling Standalone/Series : part of an interconnected series
I have a confession. I usually don’t read books where the hero was younger than the heroine, even days younger lol. In this one I believe the heroine, Arianna was weeks or a couple months older than Matteo? Idk there were no specifics. It bothered me a bit at first but I managed to pushed through.
I didn’t like the twin. I don’t think I would read her book if she ever had one. I was pretty sure she was just using Matteo to make someone jealous and I was proven right by the end of the book.
There were some push and pull from the heroine side, I mean understandable because your sis had been claiming the guy that you suddenly attracted to since they were kids. But I would love to see her choose Matteo once because Matteo would burn the world down for her.
The other part that bothered me was how they were both virgins but Matteo implied he experimented so I would guess he did some sexual stuff with OW? When he claimed he had been in love with Arianna since they were kids?
The ending was okay. Would love to see how Matteo reacted towards the pregnancy. He would be super protective of Arianna and it would be a cute scene but nonetheless I still appreciate the baby.
Will be reading the next book for sure.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.