This was my first ARC buddy read, which was with @Chiara^•^ since she was the one who brought the ARC signup to my attention, and I had a great time.

Isabella is the daughter of Luca Valentino, and her life has been confined to her gilded cage, even if it's a luxurious one. All she wants is her freedom and her parents to see her as a grown-up who can experience life like others. The opportunity comes in the form of a 3-month summer internship for pre-med students in Rome. There's a lot of back and forth between Isa and Raf with how he handles her security. However, with the attacks on her, she soon realizes he's right to be vigilant and there's more going on that they aren't aware of.

Raffaele knew that taking on Isabella as a client might not be the smartest decision for him, but he feels this pull towards her and, against all reasoning, agrees to become her bodyguard. He doesn't understand this connection and the protectiveness he feels for her, but he wants to make sure she's safe. He's adamant about not returning to Rome at first when Isa gets accepted to the internship program; however, he eventually relents, but this only raises his hackles, and he is even more mindful of the security arrangements for her. He was a bit overbearing and controlling when it came to her safety. However, when we learn more about his past, we realize the reason for it. 

The romance between Raf and Isa has a lot of push and pull, especially from Raf's side, which gave Isa whiplash keeping up with his emotions. But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't stop himself from wanting Isa or acting on his feelings. He does try to resist, but it is futile. Isa brings him a sense of calm, and her presence grounded him. I did love their banter and arguments, which only fueled the tension simmering between them. Isa was patient with him and didn't let him hide his feelings when he tried to. Instead she coaxed him to open up to her and took care of him in a way he hadn't been taken care of in a long time.

I was curious to know who was behind all the attacks and what they were after. The mystery slowly unfolds and definitely took me by surprise. The final 60 pages had a lot of action, which I thoroughly enjoyed. I love how Raf and Isa stood by each other through everything, though, and fought their way out of these situations.

The spice was good, and Raf had a filthy mouth on him. I liked the way these two couldn't keep their hands off each other.

I also loved Isa's relationship with her cousins, especially Serena. Which also has me excited for the next book 'cuz it's Serena's book.

Thank you to Sienna Cross for providing me with the ARC in exchange for an honest review.