Be With Me

So picture this:

One of your three best friends accidentally sends you a text about an engagement party…

That you were NOT invited to.

Oh.

We’re starting with betrayal and bad vibes already???

Excellent.

Enter Mia Morales.

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📚 The Situation

Mia is the daughter of Carlos Morales—a former businessman turned politician running for mayor of New York City on an anti-mafia platform.

Now on paper?

Mia has everything.

Money. Connections. Family prestige.

Reality?

Absolutely not.

This girl is:

– emotionally neglected

– deeply lonely

– parentified

– stressed to the point of fainting

And STILL somehow the kindest person in the room.

She gave up fashion school in Milan to come home and help care for her stepmother after multiple IVF treatments and a stroke…

A stepmother who doesn’t even LIKE her.

Mia is the human embodiment of:

“Maybe if I love people hard enough they’ll love me back.”

And baby…

No.

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💀 Character Energy

Mia (FMC):

I liked Mia.

A lot.

She’s sweet without being weak.

Selfless to a fault.

And honestly?

One good therapy session away from finally choosing violence.

She doesn’t understand how to put herself first.

Which makes her the perfect target for everybody around her.

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Romolo (MMC):

Now let’s talk about this man.

Romolo Ferraro.

Nightclub owner.

Mafia prince.

Walking emotional damage.

This man was raised by Vita Ferraro—a woman so power hungry she makes regular toxic mothers look nurturing.

And when we finally learn what happened to him???

Oh.

That woman is a MONSTER.

She literally used her son’s innocence to manipulate another woman for power and when it ended in tragedy…

She didn’t comfort him.

Didn’t protect him.

Didn’t care.

And suddenly everything about Romolo makes sense.

The charm.

The anger.

The control issues.

The emotional walls.

That man is traumatized with expensive suits on.

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🗣️ The REAL Story

What actually made this book interesting to me wasn’t even the romance at first.

It was THIS:

Politics and the mafia are basically two sides of the same corrupt coin.

Carlos Morales and Vita Ferraro are the exact same person in different packaging.

Two power-hungry parents emotionally destroying their children while pretending it’s “for the family.”

And Mia and Romolo?

They’re basically two neglected kids trying to survive parents who only understand power.

THAT was the compelling part.

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😒 What Didn’t Work

Now let’s talk about what annoyed me.

First of all:

“Berry.”

As in raspberry???

As a pet name.

Jail.

Immediately.

What are we doing???

No ❤️

What happened to baby? sweetheart? darling?

Next thing you know somebody’s gonna be called Lemon Meringue.

Everybody relax.

Also…

The beginning of this book?

Slow.

Like aggressively slow.

There were moments where I was genuinely bored.

And while the story eventually picks up, there are definitely plot holes you kinda have to ignore for the sake of the vibes.

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👑 MVP (no discussion): Jenny

Actually no.

Not MVP.

PUBLIC ENEMY NUMBER ONE.

Jenny you ungrateful little scallywag 😭

True villain behavior.

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😏 What Worked

Once this book picks up?

It PICKS UP.

We get:

– action

– betrayals

– emotional reveals

– family drama

– mafia chaos

And suddenly I understood the hype a little more.

Also, for my first book by this author?

I liked the writing style.

It’s dramatic without taking itself too seriously.

And honestly?

That’s what mafia romance SHOULD be.

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🔥 Spice Rating (13Pages Scale)

🌶️🌶️ — Soft heat with emotional tension doing most of the work

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📊 Book Rating (13Pages Scale)

⭐⭐⭐ — I had fun once the story finally woke up

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🧨 Final Verdict

This book starts slow, wanders a bit, and definitely has some plot holes…

BUT.

Once the emotional parallels between Mia and Romolo clicked into place?

The story got much stronger for me.

Because underneath all the mafia chaos, this is really about:

– neglected children

– power-hungry parents

– and two people trying to love despite never being loved properly themselves.

And honestly?

That part worked.

Will I continue the series?

Yeah.

Because clearly I enjoy dysfunctional rich people with emotional problems.

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💬 Signature Outro

Politics. Mafia. Emotional damage.

Different outfits.

Same trauma.