Author: Gabrielle Sands

Series: House of Ferraro

First Published: 14 March 2025

“Good girls didn’t sleep with gangsters. But maybe I was tired of being good.”  

I will start by saying that I was given an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review. These opinions are my own. Thank you so much to Gabrielle for sending a copy my way!

This is a spin off from The Fallen and Fallen God; I will try and keep my review as spoiler free as possible but just be wary if you haven’t read them. Her mafia books are set in the same universe.

She’s the mayor-to-be’s perfect daughter. He’s the ruthless villain set to ruin her.I’ve spent my life putting others first. So when my father runs for New York City mayor—on a promise to take down the city’s most notorious crime family—I do what I always push my own dreams aside to help him win.

Until I wind up at the wrong party. Trapped in a bedroom with Romolo Ferraro—the dangerous, merciless youngest son of the man my father has sworn to destroy.

He terrifies me. He fascinates me. Six foot four and covered in tattoos, he’s everything I should avoid.

When he starts pursuing me, I know I’m just a pawn in his game. A means to an end. And yet… part of me wants to play along.

I tell myself it’s to protect my father’s campaign. But I’m not thinking about politics when Romolo’s rough hands slide over my skin, teaching me how good it feels to burn.

They say good girls don’t fall for the villain.

And she does it again! Am I surprised? No! Gabrielle Sands is one of my favourite authors because she always hits with her mafia romances. There is a perfect balance of romance and the mafia plot. I devoured this! I am already so ready for a reread.

Mia Morales is the perfect politician’s daughter. Carlos Morales, her father, is campaigning for the position of mayor of New York City. She’s roped into being a key player in his campaign, and politics has taken over her life. She’s happy to support him, even at the risk of her goals and dreams. Mia believes in her father’s cause to cut down on organised crime. He is vowing to prosecute the most notorious Mafia families, starting with the Ferraros. Romolo, Rom, Ferraro is the family’s fix-it man. His current mission is to find dirt on Morales to ruin his popularity rating and keep him out of office. The easiest target to obtain said information from is Mia. A dangerous game develops between Mia and Rom. When the lines blur, are they willing to risk everything for a chance at star-crossed love?

Mia is an absolute sweetheart. She is horrible at setting personal boundaries—which, girl, so relatable. Her styling business is failing because she’s helping her father’s campaign. Her father doesn’t really ask her to help with the campaign. It’s just assumed that she will help as her stepmother is recovering from a stroke. And she will do anything to support those she loves, even if it means sacrificing her own needs. Mia suffers from vasovagal syncope, which can cause her to faint. The portrayal of chronic illness was unexpected and wonderfully done. We see how it affects Mia’s every day and how she overcompensates to ensure that she’s not a burden. My heart broke as we saw time and time again that her loved ones didn’t extend the same endless support to her. She is crying out for love and attention, and it’s constantly ignored. Thank God for Rom. He sparks a fight in her. He is the only person she will stand up to and set boundaries with. I loved getting to see Mia find her voice and fight for her own needs.

I am absolutely feral for Rom. I’m surprised at what we saw from the Ferraor brothers in the Fallen God series Rom was the one I was least interested in. There is something about him being this dangerous, ruthless gangster who is a little broken and willing to risk his everything to make sure Mia is taken care of that I love. Truly, I am obsessed with him. My heart ached for the softer side we see from him. Especially with the horrible things his mother made him for the good of the family. The way Mia melted his hard exterior by soothing that pain and proved that he was worthy of love was perfection. Yes, he still is dangerous and ruthless, but he is soft for her. And that is something I will never get sick of!

The Romeo and Juliet vibes in here are perfect. Both Mia and Rom are starved for love and attention, but deal with that in different ways. Mia is a people pleaser, while Rom is cold and ruthless, shunning all forms of emotional attachment. I love their banter and dynamic. Rom is captivated by Mia after she shows him kindness during a moment of weakness. He’s worried that his darkness and his family’s agenda will infect her, so he pushes her away, convincing himself that she’s better off without him. It’s during one of her father’s rallies that he realised how overworked she is and that no one is taking care of her, that he’s thinking fuck it and pursues her again. I adore how grouchy he gets about Mia not taking care of herself and setting boundaries. He grumbles at her until she takes care of herself. Also, that grand gesture scene towards the end had me melting. Rom really would burn the world down for Mia, and we love to see it!

No one does a mafia romance like Gabrielle Sands. She has nailed the dangerous but equally sophisticated business vibe of the Cosa Nostra perfectly. I am obsessed with it! I enjoyed diving into the dynamics of a new mafia family. The Ferraro’s are one of the biggest players in the New York criminal underground, and with their alliance with the Messero family, they jointly control all underground activities. As I mentioned, Rom is the family’s fix-it man. Think Olivia Pope from Scandal. Working behind the scenes, he uses blackmail and secrets to ensure the family’s business and power remain unchallenged. I loved seeing the scheming and meetings as the Ferraros try to discredit Morales’ campaign. Also, Vita Ferraro—the matriarch of the Ferraro family — is ruthless and colder than I expected. I was not expecting her power play. She seems willing to risk it all to maintain power. I can’t wait to see how this plays out in the following books.

I could talk about Be With Me all day because I loved every second. I know I sound like a broken record and say that with each new Gabrielle Sands book that it’s my new favourite, but you guys, Be With Me is my new favourite book of hers. It’s an explosive start to a new series, which I am dying to get more of. If you love a dark, mafia romance and still haven’t read Gabrielle Sands, this is your PSA to pick her up. Her books are a perfect mix of swoony, slow-burn romance and intriguing mafia plot. Treat yourself and get started with The Fallen series. Trust me, you’ll love it!