Book Review: The Sweetest Oblivion

I’ve been wanting to read a mafia romance for a while and my friends suggested the Made series by Danielle Lori to me. The first book in the series is The Sweetest Oblivion and I absolutely loved it.

The novel is a dual pov told from the perspectives of Elena Abelli and Nicolas Russo aka Nico or Ace. Side note: Nico was on my list of book boyfriends part 2. Elena’s father is the head of the Abellis and Nico is head of the Russos, both prominent mafia families in New York. Elena’s younger sister, Adriana, has been arranged to marry Nico to join the families together, but neither has any real interest in the other. In fact, Adriana is in love with someone else who is not a Made man. Elena is known as “the sweet Abelli” because she supposedly has the sweetest, gentlest personality, and is the most beautiful. Even though she’s older than Adriana, Elena’s father did not offer her up for the marriage deeming her “unfit” for marriage due to a scandal she was involved in months earlier.

But, Elena finds herself attracted and fascinated by Nico and she doesn’t know why because even though he is incredibly good looking, he is rude and an indomitable force like most dons. She’s usually “the sweet Abelli” but she finds herself standing up to him and talking back more than she has ever before. Nico also can’t stop thinking about Elena and is annoyed that her father didn’t give him the option of choosing her over Adriana.

Eventually something happens that causes his engagement to Adriana to come to an end and after some manipulating, Nico and Elena end up engaged. They both act like they’re doing it out of obligation, honor, business, but they both really do want to be married to the other. However, will Elena’s past “scandal” get between them?

I love Nico and Elena together so much. I love that she found her voice and backbone through her relationship with Nico and he found his gentler side and someone he would do anything for through her.

This was a great first mafia romance for me and now I’m obsessed. I was joking with my friend after reading this and said “is it really love if a guy doesn’t burn down a gas station after the cashier harasses you and threatens to chop off the hands of any guy who touches you and deliver the hands in a box?” I mean, that’s true love right? Joking. But, anyway, I loved the book!

There are currently 3 books in the series (I’ve read the first 2 so far and need to read the 3rd) and I think the author plans to release more but has not yet.

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