Fake dating is liking catnip to me and this book did not disappoint. I really love the banter that Aitchess fills her books with and the clever world-building means that all of the interpersonal relationships are so incredibly believable. Cal and Luca are immediately attracted to one another which I would say isn’t generally my cup of tea however the combination of clearly established lore around mating bonds and the fact that instalust isn’t being used as a sort of cheat code so time is still spent developing the foundation of mutual respect that is necessary for a healthy relationship means that I was so on-board for this couple.

This book deals with some challenging topics including parental loss, drug addiction, grooming, and coercive controlling relationships. Whilst there is always an element of the dark side of things in a mafia romance, these topics could be particularly triggering for some readers. Whilst these elements are core to who the characters are in the present, only enough time is spent on them to establish their impact and move the characters along their paths to healing.

One tiny (and way tiny, I mean it was literally one scene) thing that didn’t work for me was when one of the characters woke up to receiving oral. This is something that makes me really uncomfortable and was made more so by the fact that there had not been any prior conversation about establishing consent (although I know from experience that even if this is present, I do not enjoy such scenes). The scene was very much consensual between participants. Obviously this is a very subjective thing and different things will make different readers uncomfortable.

This was an overall excellent book but I think one of the strongest aspects, beyond the top tier romance, was the way that the lore of the world that these books existed within was deepened. There was one particular moment that I was initially surprised by and then I remembered it is a common feature in more traditional lore around a certain supernatural creature. I also think it was interesting to see a different couple’s approach to the mate bonds. Speaking of other couples, I have two things to say: firstly, fans of Angelo and Vin will be glad to know that we get a healthy dose of both in this book; secondly, are rooftops going to be ✨a thing✨ in this series? Not complaining, just wondering?

I can’t wait to continue this series!