The Maddest Obsession (Made, #2) (2024)

☆⋅⋆ ── 1st read 2020: 5 stars
☆⋅⋆ ─── x re-read 2023: infinity times infinity stars 💫

Christian and Gianna

"There are plenty of women who could make you happier, Christian."
"You're the only one I want."

Some people are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have greatness thrust upon them. Gianna Marino and Christian Allister are all of the above.

Warning: This reviews contains a lot of fangirling. Might even give you diabetes by reading it.

"It means, to live with wolves, you have to howl like a wolf."

Anyway, my first review for The Maddest Obsession was a disservice to Gianna and Christian. It didn't capture the

My darling ➳ ✨GIANNA

The love I have for Gianna is out of this world. She's my darling, my sweetheart, my love, my baby and my little star. Christian and I do not have a lot of things in common, but ONE thing and perhaps the most important thing is that we're both crazy obsessed with Gianna. 💫

That girl has the biggest heart in the universe, but covers it up with sarcasm, alcohol and drugs and a lot of sass. She has so much love to give, but no one gives a sh*t about her. Antonio, Sydney, her father … they are all on top of my hit-list and I wish them all the bad karma in the world. Whatever will come their way, they deserved it.

Stopping abruptly, I turned and walzed back up to the counter, taking my heels off as I went. "Can you make sure my cellmate – goes by Cherry – gets these?"
"You want to give an opioid-addicted prostitute" – she tilted the shoe to look inside – "Jimmy Choos?"
I brightened. "Yes, please."

"Gianna wasn't in the passenger seat when I headed outside–she was across the street, handing money to a homeless man who looked like he'd just been released from the state penitentiory."

If you looked a little less like an anal-retentive asshole, you might get laid every once in a while.

➳ ✨CHRISTIAN –THE KING – ALLISTER✨

Black suit. Broad shoulders. Smooth lines. Blue.

I couldn't help but think this was a man all other men aspired to be. He was the perfect prototype, and everyone else had just gotten the small details wrong.

For someone so cold, the world that come out of Christian's mouth… whew my ovaries exploded.

If you ran, Gianna…" The words were malicious yet somehow as soft and desperate as sex in a war-torn field. He pressed his lips to my ear. "I would find you."

"What are you afraid of?"
"Everything," I whispered, trailing my finger across the starched collar of his dress shirt. "You're not afraid of me." We were so close his cheek brushed my tear-streaked one when he rasped, "And baby, I'm worse than the dark."

"I'm going to ruin every part of your body for any other man, malyshka, and you're going to thank me when I'm done."

He helped me rinse off the dishes and clean up the kitchen. Then, he held my face and kissed me softly on the lips.
"Thank you for dinner, malyshka."

➸THE DRESSED-TO-THE-NINES AGENT & THE WALKING FASHION DISASTER A.K.A✨MY PARENTS✨

Christian and Gianna were two asteroids orbiting around each other for 7 years and meant to collide at some point. They tried so hard to stay away, but one can not outrun destiny.

I once heard a proverb that said "You often meet your destiny on the road you take to avoid it." and it fits Christian & Gianna perfectly. They couldn't be more the polor oppsites, but that's what makes them

I stepped on each of his shoes and then rose to my tiptoes. With a shot of vodka on my tongue, my lips hovered close to his. Close enough to kiss. Close enough to bite and lick. My breast brushed his chest and heat shot straight to my core. When his lips parted, I let the liquor trickle from my mouth to his.

"What did you do to your hair?"
"What?" My lips formed a pout. "You don't like it? I did it for you. I heard you like blondes."
"You been thinking about me?" he drawled.
"Every day, every hour. You're always there, like a fungus, or an incessant bug swarming around my heard."

"You blackmailed some unfortunate girl to marry you, bought a house in the suburbs, and had two kids." That was an obvious negative. The next guess escapted me before he could respond. "You visited Antarctica and realized it was home." I was so pleased with myself for that one, and it showed. "You done?"
I pursed my lips. "Yes."

"Say something in Russian."
"Ty samaya krasivaya zhenshchina kotoruyu ya kogda-libo videl."**
"What did you say?"
"You're annoying."
"I would hate to be Russian if it takes that many words to say something so simple."

ADLDK$/IEOWOM(/ZTF§E/ZGJGF"WMSLEÖ=)$?`DKL YOOOOO RIP. Here lies my completely obliterated heart and ovaries. Cause of destruction: Christian Allister beeing a smooth motherf*cker.

He looked at the dessert in my hands as though he'd never tried sugar before. He nodded toward it. "Chocolate?"
"Arsenic."
"My favorite."
He took the plate from my hand and slammed the door.

"I'm clean," he rasped.
"I'm not worried. I'm sure your body temperature is too cold for any STDs to survive."

"Who's paying for this private plane ride? My tax dollars?"
"You have to make an income to pay taxes."
"I do. I'm an … entrepreneur."
"You're a gambler," I corrected dryly.
"Same thing, really."

What if someone arrests me while you're in the bathroom?"
"I'd bail you out."
"If you couldn't?"
"I'd be locked up beside you."

"Would you visit my grave if I died?" His eyes grew dark. "I'd die before you were ever in a grave, malyshka." I loved his possessive side. And I loved his dark side, too.

"Ask me what her name means."
"What does her name mean?"
"It means ruler of men."

My voice was a whisper. "I'll make him love me, you'll see." A thumb skimmed across my cheek. "If anyone can do it, it would be you…" His voice was soft and rough. "Moya zvezdochka."

And that was how Christian felt every time Gianna married some old dude, who was twice or trice her age, and who wasn't him:

Christian was SCREAMING CRYING SHAKING in his office losing his goddamn mind. He was simping hard for Gianna knowing he could not have her.

The Maddest Obsession called me lonely in Russian and English over 333 pages and you know what? I'm totally fine with it, because in some fictional universe somewhere in New York, Christian & Gianna are sitting in a park and feeding pigeons together while whispering cute russian endearments to e/o.

This was so hard to cut down so much, but I hope I made my parents proud and I absolutely can't wait to see them again in The Darkest Temptation.

┍━━━━━━━━»•» «•«━┑
MADE SERIES

#1 The Sweetest Oblivion ­– 3.5 stars
#2The Maddest Obsession – 5+ stars
#3 The Darkest Temptation – 4.25 stars
┕━»•» «•«━━━━━━━━┙

DISCLAIMER: racist author, i don’t support her and you shouldn’t either

you’d have to be sick to simp over a cold blooded killer. that man needs to be thrown in jail without the key. *cough cough*

anyway i new this was going to be my favorite one in the series after reading the first 3 chapters. Gianna and Christian have more dynamic than Elena and Nico. I like them better together and as separately as characters. they deserve the world

as can be expected i was cheeking and screaming while reading this book. i was hollering off the top of my lungs at the ink on paper. i couldn’t control my breathing, not just during the hot and heavy scenes, but also the funny scenes. i was making animal noises at what i was reading 😂

I knew Gianna was already a better female lead the second i started reading in here pov. she’s funny as f*ck and relatable. i loved every scene that made Christian fluster because of her actions and vice versa.

Christian can f*cking get it. the things i would do to be Gianna. Ugh i wanna hate her but i mostly wanna be her. grrrrr!! Christian had my knees trembling, my throat dry, and my thrussy growling. i am in LOVE with him and he ain’t even real. It got to the point that i had to download the duolingo app to learn Russian just in case there’s this small chance i ever run into a dirty fed.

i completely ran out of the red and pink tabs due to this book and i don’t regret sh*t.

➸ 5 stars

why should i settle for less when christian allister went to therapy bc he was so obsessed with gianna, had to watch her get married TWICE, BUT STILL WAITED 8 YEARS FOR HER, shot a guy bc she planned to sleep w him, wore her hair tie around his wrist for THREE YEARS, despises germs but would let gianna spit in his mouth, told her if she ceased to exist in this world he would find a way to take himself out of it, washes her hair EVERY. SINGLE. NIGHT. AND HAS ONLY EVER KISSED ONE WOMAN IN HIS LIFE AND THAT IS HIS WIFE.

”would you visit my grave if i died?”

“i’d die before you were ever in a grave, malyshka.”

— THERE IS NO ONE LIKE HIM

a man going to therapy? romance is getting f*cking wild these days

4 Stars Upgraded to 5 since I've now read it ten times....

This is my second book from this series (and by Ms. Lori) and I really enjoyed it.

Before starting this, I actually went back and picked up book one with the intent to skim it, as I could not for the life of me remember who exactly Gianna and Allister were after reading the blurb. I knew I knew who they were...but I didn't know who they were...know what I mean?

Anybadmemory, I recalled them and their story very quickly upon skimming the first few chapters; however, I actually ended up re-reading and enjoying book one again in its full glory. And I'm glad I did, because I felt like it made this book even better for me.

I remember when I first read book one, I was pleasantly surprised. As I said, I hadn't read Lori before. Plus, I seem to have trouble finding good mafia romance these days - although I'm unsure if that's because it's tough to find...or because I've just read so much of it I've created my own veritable bear market.

But I digress.

I definitely enjoyed this one just as much as the first one.

Christian Allister was deliciously f*cked up and I always enjoy reading about lead females who are quirky hot messes, but still manage to avoid being a dreaded Manic pixie dream girl (perhaps one of my least favorite things of all time).

The push/pull between these two was delicious and Allister provided the OTT obsessive alphahole I love to read about, but would get a restraining order and a Concealed Carry permit for in real life.

In short, I hope Lori brings us more of this series and I can't wait to read it if she does.

did i cry because i don’t have a sexy, tall, muscular Russian man obsessed with me? yes…

5 stars

This is my 3rd review — yes, I've got a lot of time to waste — and I'm here again to profess my undying love for this book! 😌

❝Haven’t you heard? Love is an obsession. Some would even say... the maddest obsession.❞

Yes, I've developed exactly this type of obsession with this book! I could read it again and again without getting bored, and Christian and Gianna are etched into my soul like a kind of drug that gets me high.

THIS BOOK IS DIVIDED INTO 2 PARTS — Part 1 revolves around different timelines in Gianna's POV, and Part 2 is the present, after "The Sweetest Oblivion."

➳ Gianna Bianchi Russo Marino Allister .𖥔 ݁ ˖

This girl was so imperfectly PERFECT that I can't help feeling jealous because she has the most handsome made men 🥺 Gianna literally got ready, SLAYED, and made none other than CHRISTIAN ALLISTER obsessed with her! 🤌🏻 She dress like Britney Spears and Kurt Cobain's love child — as Christian said — and she had the most chaotic wardrobe ever! 😂 She had a lot of sass and boldness and wasn't afraid to call anyone out on their bullsh*t. I'M SO IN LOVE. 😍 She's the girl everyone bitch about, but secretly wants to be like her!

❝You look like you got lost on your way to a grunge concert.❞

Gianna had many flaws and experienced difficult times, but she was curious, lively, and optimistic! She made efforts for the people she cared about, but she was constantly let down by them — family, husband, friends. She only had belief in love, which was snatched from her when she faced abuse, cheating, and betrayal in her first marriage! She hid all those bruises, emotions, and panic attacks but turned to drugs, which were the only things that made her feel alive... until Christian came along!

❝She was put on this earth to aggravate me, to humble me.❞

➳ Christian Allister .𖥔 ݁ ˖

I'm on my knees! 🧎‍♀️
I'm the number 1 fangirl, I'm TELLING Y'ALL!
My husband 😭
Is it okay to want a married person?

I will never be okay knowing Christian Allister is not real because that man deserves THIS WORLD! How can someone write such a beautifully obsessed and dangerously tempting character so easily and drive us CRAZY! 😳

Christian is famous for being the most good-looking MADE MAN because he has a pretty face (you can ask Nico 😂). Men, women, and children get all tingly, fluttery, and dreamy when they see him, because he's that PERFECT! 🤧 He's not easy to understand, he's dangerous, tough, and risky. Even though he's a FED, he holds great importance in Cosa Nostra and commands fear and respect! Behind his carefully constructed reputation of lies and deceit, he's manipulative and broken, with so many layers!

➳ CAN WE TALK ABOUT NICO'S OBSESSION WITH CHRISTIAN'S FACE !!!!????? 😭💀

❝If I didn’t already know you’re a f*cked-up bastard and like pain, I’d be making your face a lot less pretty right now.❞

❝The asshole had a pretty face, and it annoyed me more than I cared to admit that it had interested Elena.❞

❝The sight of her calmed the rush in my ears, the beat of my heart.❞

CHRISTIAN IS THE BEST 'OBSESSED MAN,' AND NO ONE CAN ARGUE WITH ME ABOUT THIS!!!

While Nico told Gianna not to strain his ties with Allister – she was the reason he became part of Cosa Nostra. He felt drawn to her from the moment he glimpsed her hair and became obsessed with her when he saw her, AND THAT WAS ON HER WEDDING DAY! 😭 And Gianna doesn't even remember anything because she was drunk!

❝I love your hair, malyshka. It’s the first part of you I saw —the back of your head at your wedding.❞

❝I wanted something I could have.❞

Christian, being an obsessed baby, smashed and broke the whole computer room down and went to therapy because of it! 🥹

❝It felt like something had been f*cking stolen from me.❞

They met after

❝I had every intention of coming back for you three years ago, Gianna.❞

➤ He was madly obsessed with her that he:

1. Wore her hair tie around his wrist for 3 years.
2. Doesn't like to kiss anyone but lets her spit in his mouth.
3. Went to therapy because of her.
4. Washed her hair every night.
5. Joined the Mob just because of her.
6. NOTICED EVERYTHING ABOUT HER. 😭 (Obviously he did)“You changed your hair,” he said softly.

❝I notice everything you do, malyshka.❞

1. Shot an Abelli in the head (without even glancing 🥹) because he was saying crude things about Gianna!
2. Shot Charming because he went home with Gianna!
3. Threatened Vincent because he liked Gianna.
4. Punched and threatened Nico because of Gianna.
5. Threatened Gianna's father.
6. Being jealous again and again by seeing her with someone!

❝How could I say every strand was mine any clearer than washing it every goddamn night?❞

❝He preferred classy, composed, and docile. I was the opposite. He wanted me, and he hated it.❞

TRUST ME, it was one of the best banters I've ever read! The way they both literally insulted each other in the worst way and pissed each other off! Gosh, they both lacked boundaries, but I loved how far they pushed each other, and it made the whole reading experience so good! All those insults with a mix of lust, hate, and obsession were so good, and the NICKNAMES CHRISTIAN HAD FOR GIANNA:

Malyshka (Baby)
Moya zvesdochka (My Little Star)

🥺🌸🌈🎈😭🧸💖

It hurts every time to even talk about it. Gianna's past was bad, and whatever she faced was so wrong to her. The only person she loved — her mamma — she wasn't even allowed to meet her, and then she died. 💔 I still loved how Gianna coped and stayed strong!

Christian's past was heartbreaking, and I'll never stop cursing his mother for what she has done! He spent all his youth either being on the streets, being abused by his mother and her clients, and in jail. He was taken advantage of for his beauty again and again, shaping him into a cold and emotionless person! He was so pure in his heart, and he also ached for love, which was fulfilled by Gianna! They both wanted one thing they never got... love!

❝You think I’m good-looking now? You should have seen me as a kid.❞

I'm so, so sad that the book ended! I was in the worst hangover the first time. It was not supposed to end! I WANT MORE CHRISTIANGIANNA. 😭 Okay, but the ending was so wholesome and cute, and the way Christian was thinking about Gianna's interaction with baby Kat and her being the best mother ever! THEM LIVING AS A PERFECT FAMILY! 🥺 I WAS SOBBING. THE ENDING CONFESSION WAS SO GOOD! 💞

Their crumbs in "The Darkest Temptation" were so cutttteeee. I was so happy they got scenes there, and they're having a boy too! 😭💕

❝Why do you kiss me?❞
❝Because you’re the only woman who’s ever tempted me.❞

• Whenever Christian said 'Ah' while talking, I became a bit more unhinged! 🥺🤭

• ❝How could someone ever forget your face?” I’d asked him once.❞ — Gianna after forgetting about Christian!

• Also, Gianna not even knowing his name, and I swear Christian's ego must've taken this hit so badly! 😂

• ❝My hand was shaking. f*cking ridiculous. You’d think I’d just lost my virginity.❞ — God, this cutie???? They had sex for the first time, and he was shaking 😭

• ❝But... I held grudges. f*cking sue me.❞ — I literally laughed at this scene! I was wondering while reading "TSO," why was Christian even paying attention to Elena when he knows Nico liked her? God, he was taking revenge 💀

• ❝He wouldn’t hit you, would he?❞
❝No.❞ I was suddenly never surer of anything.

• CHRISTIAN ALLISTER EXISTS: 🧎‍♀️(Cosa Nostra, Nico, Elena, FEDs, Sasha Taylor, Russian Models, Police Officers, his mother, every woman, ME)

Reviews:
The Sweetest Oblivion
The Darkest Temptation

REREAD N° 40-something: this book is now part of my genetic makeup.

✄┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈┈

CHRISTIAN ALLISTER & GIANNA MARINO INVENTED ROMANCE PERIODT.

Warning : This review is me confessing my undying love for this book. It’s gonna get cheesy, corny, a little pathetic and won’t always make sense.

Songs that make me think of this book : Video Games by Lana Del Rey and Get You The Moon by Kina.

Before we get this show on the road, picture this :

It’s one of those September nights, summer just ended, but autumn has yet to set in, so the weather is somewhat indecisive. Days are getting shorter, nights are getting longer but this night in particular…this night seems to last forever. I’m sitting on a balcony overlooking the sea, feeling the soft breeze whisper across my bare shoulders. I sigh and look down at my dress, I knew I should’ve worn something less revealing, something less edgy, something less me, something more her. Maybe if I did, you wouldn’t be in there with her and I wouldn’t be out here cold, and alone. I wish you felt my absence. I wish your soul was as attuned to mine as mine is to yours. Oh, how I wish…
At least, I find my dress is pretty. I mean, if you’re going to feel like sh*t, might as well feel like sh*t wearing a kick-ass dress. It’s a red number, with a plunging neckline, side cut outs, a side slit and an open back-all the works. I saw it in the window and thought this is it, this is the dress that’ll make him love me like in all the books. Silly, silly me. How can you love me when you only have eyes for her? I’m sure if turn around, I’ll see you looking at her, smiling down at her, maybe even dancing with her. Your eyes will crinkle when your smile reaches them, you’ll hold her close, you won’t ever want to let go…and why am I doing this to myself?
I pull my phone, my airpods, my pack of cigarettes and my lighter out of my purse. You see, I came prepared. I even chose the right song earlier, when I was getting ready. Hope Is A Dangerous Thing by Lana Del Rey, I decided, was the sound that’ll keep me company while nicotine spreads through my body and you ignore me for her. I get more comfortable on the chaise, open the book app on my phone and float away. Away to Christian and Gianna’s world, and I wonder.
I wonder what it would be like to be loved, to be cherished, to be someone’s Maddest Obsession…

I wish I was cool enough to pull off that kind of dress, but I guess that’s what imagination is for, right?

This book, you guys, this book.
Sometimes, all the stars align, the moon is full, Mercury isn’t pulling off any shady sh*t and you stumble upon a book. The book. This was that for me. I read this book close to a year ago, at a particularly hard and stressful time in my life (maybe that’s part of why I loved this as much as I do) and it provided the perfect escape from reality. Since then, I’ve re-read it no less than 15 times. At this point, I’ve memorised some parts of it because anytime life gets difficult, spirits go down or stress prevents sleep, I pick up this book. It’s up there among my all time favorites, with Thornbirds, Wuthering Heights and Queenie . Yup, this book is home and comfort and a safe haven, now. 🖤

The Maddest Obsession tells the story of Gianna my-spirit-animal Marino and Christian owner-of-my-heart-and-soul Allister.

Gianna Marino
After reading the first book, I was afraid I wouldn’t like Gianna. HA! Joke’s on me because she’s now one of my absolute favorite heroines ever. This beautiful, strong, sassy girl stole my heart from the very first chapter.

“A different part of me, one quiet but strong, wanted to shout, to scream, to let her rule with a steel heart and red hair.”

Dressing like the love child Britney Spears and Kurt Cobain (Christians words, not mine 🥰), giving away her Jimmy Choos to a prostitute in the dead of winter, getting high on co*ke to overcome the sense of unworthiness instilled in her since she was a child, growing up afraid of the dark, believing in a fairytale just to be slapped in the face by reality, being at the mercy of made men and having them control her life, I loved Gianna through everything. Like, I seriously have a girl crush. ❤️

Christian Allister
Sigh. Another sigh. And another. There was never any doubt as to the fact that I would love Christian, what surprised me is just how much.

“Broad shoulders. Black suit. Smooth lines.
Blue.”

This OCD dirty fed with mafia ties ruined me for all men. Fictional men (if I say non fictional, would you judge me? 🙄). He set the bar so high, I don’t think anybody else could ever measure up. 😭
Growing up the way he did, Christian planned his future life, all of it down to the kind of woman he’d marry and the type of hardwood he’d have in his apartment. He imagined structure, precision, neatness and order. Nowhere in his plans did he imagine Gianna Marino. She promises chaos and disorder and Christian should steer clear of her, but he can’t. Because she’s so far under his skin he could never get her out. Because he’s obsessed with her and has been that way since the first time he ever saw her, at her first wedding.

The Banter & The Sexual Tension
Delicious. Absolutely, incredibly delicious. Danielle Lori does sexual tension like nobody else. Her writing style is incredible, and dammit I can’t find enough worthy adjectives to describe it.
I tried to find some of my favorite parts to share but considering I highlighted almost the entire book, that didn’t work out so well. 🤣
Anytime these two were on page together (which luckyyyyy for me was the whole purpose of this book ❤️), sparks flew. Heart beat faster. Panties melted. Brain stopped functioning. Ovaries worked overtime. And I’m pretty sure my eggs danced the tango once or twice.

“I’ve thought about you so much you’re mine now.” It was a growl that lowered into a threat. “You’re lucky you didn’t let him touch you, Gianna, because I really don’t like it when people touch my things.”

“What do I taste like?”
“Kak moya.” (Russian for "Like mine".)

“When you’re obsessed with something for so long and finally obtain it? It feels like coming home to God. And nobody gives up their f*cking spot in Heaven.”

These two just completely owned me. 🥺

Now I’ve seen some of my friends complain about the plot, but personally, I didn’t mind it one bit. All I wanted was Christian and Gianna and I got them, so this girl? Deliriously happy. 💃🏻

The story is all about their journey towards each other, their push and pull, their back and forth, their character development, their misconceptions, insecurities and underlying love for each other.
I loved how he loved her. God, did I love the way he loved all of her, the good, the bad and the ugly. He never, not once, tries to change her, to make her something she's not. He accepts, wants, loves and cherishes all of her.

“How about because I love you, Gianna? Because I think I have since the moment I saw you? Because if you weren’t in this world anymore, I would find a way to take myself out of it?”

I absolutely loved every second of this book and wouldn’t exchange any of it for all the mystery/intrigue/suspense/intricate-plots of the world. Just give me more of Christian & Gianna. That’s all I want. 🖤🖤

To sum it all up

What I Loved
Every. Single. Detail.

What I Hated
That this book ended. Phuong and I need, like, 4 or 5 more years with Christian and Gianna.

Lastly, I cannot recommend this book enough. I hope whoever reads it falls in love, just as I did.

i wanna be christian’s malyshka🧎🏽‍♀️

infinity stars guys…like this book now owns a part of my f*cking soul. infinity stars that make up all the constellations christian knows so much about😮‍💨can we just all acknowledge that danielle’s instagram bio states “i don’t write about gentleman”….y’all she is not lying. i loved this book more than the first one 😭 nico baby i still love you don’t worry but christian just 🧎🏽‍♀️ yk? the amount of times i felt like i was gonna pass out reading about this man…….the amount of times i put this book down and screamed…an embarrassing amount of times guys. if you have NOT read this series i’m gonna need you besties to trust me on this one and go read this immediately. the writing is outstanding…book 2 is significantly darker than the first one guys, so please search up triggers before because your mental health matters and ALWAYS comes first🫶🏼my heart completely broke for both gianna and christian omg at one point i was literally sobbing because i just felt so attached to these characters that’s literally just how amazing the writing was. i loved having nico and elena sprinkled into this book too omg😩🫶🏼could y’all imagine being in a room w both nico and christian…😮‍💨i’m just gonna stop right there with that. ugh GUYS HOW DO I READ THE THIRD ONE NOW!?!? no one is gonna be better than christian…nico is reallllllll close but cmon😮‍💨he spoke so sweetly to her in russian guys, he’s the definition of “touch her and you die”, AND he gave off “who did this to you” vibes🥵🥵🥵literal perfection. y’all i love a good toxic fictional man, they get me every time i swear🤭🦋no because i just LOVE reading about men who would scare the sh*t outta me in real life…i fall for them every time🙈gianna boo you’re so f*cking precious🥺one of my favorite female main characters ever🫶🏼guys please go read this series….the SPICE in this book was immaculate, wayyyyy more in this book than the first one. and the SLOW BURN!?!?!? amazing, idk if everyone would see it as a slow burn but it definitely was for me and i absolutely loved it. everything about this book was so good. AND THE EPILOGUE!?!?! perfection. i honestly can’t wait to read the third book even tho i have no idea who or what it will be about but i literally just trust danielle lori and i know the man in the next book will be 🥵 but no one is taking your place christian hehe. “i told you, i would run” “and i told you, i would find you” OK BABY you can share the throne with zade meadows🤭🫶🏼🦋

SPOILER WARNING besties, stop reading if you haven’t read this book hehe🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼

i already knew that because this book was about christian…it was gonna be five stars even tho it ended up being infinity for me🤭guys i LOVED how we got to read into gianna’s past like everything connected to the first book and it gave us more insight…so good. i’m literally so sick…EIGHT YEARS, he was obsessed with gianna for eight years ever since he saw her drunk after her wedding cuz she found out her husband was not faithful. GUYS gianna said “you sound like an impressionist” and he said “i think you mean pessimist” she said that when she was drunk and then she said that again at the end of the book omg i absolutely loved it😭😭😭he literally picked her up bridal style, carried her to a bed, touched her cheek and called her my little star in russian……….every time he said something in russian to her i ALWAYS looked it up and immediately swooned after it was all so f*cking cute. my heart literally broke for gianna because her husband had been physically abusing her :( and the fact that she told christian about it🥺🥺🥺and then she struggled with a drug problem because she couldn’t escape her past of being molested as a child :( and she was scared of the dark. omg the chapter where there was a storm that knocked out the power and she lived in an apartment across from christian’s and she ran over to him freaking out…he was so gentle and kind to her and then she opened up to him and this is where he fr gave “who did this to you” vibes i SCREAMEDDDDD i loved that chapter so much. y’all i literally hoped gianna would get pregnant because i already knew christian would love that sh*t😮‍💨their spicy scenes were so f*cking good i swear. when christian was telling his therapist that he never slept with the same woman more than three times and that he never kissed a woman in his life…….and then he kissed gianna and she was always paranoid about how many women he kissed before😩😩like girl that man is entirely yours boo. completely obsessed with you for 8 years. i loved when christian told gianna about andromeda and then later we saw he got a fresh f*cking tattoo of andromeda on his body along with all the other tattoos with meanings that connected to her dark past🥺i cried for christian and gianna they literally both went through too much when they were just kids. it literally made me sick to my stomach. i feel like there were so many things in this book that i loved that i’m struggling to remember every single detail😭these books are definitely gonna be rereads!!! i f*cking loved the love/hate they had going on the entire f*cking book. they were so hot and cold and it made the book so enjoyable to read especially because it just all made sense😮‍💨 “moya zvezdochka” gianna hehe christian’s little star🥺i loved christian’s and nico’s relationship and also omg when gianna was trying to show elena how to cook😭in the epilogue when christian was talking about his daughter and he said “she looks like my wife” “that’s all i need to see to know that she’s mine”🥹🥹🥹🥹f*ckkkkk. christian😭this book just took a huge piece of my heart and i never want it back. danielle lori take all my money and keep writing these amazing books🤭🫶🏼

*4 stars* Changing my rating to 5 stars

I wasn't sure Danielle could redeem twice-widowed drug-using Gianna, but boy was I wrong. Christian and his broody unrequited love turned my insides to mush. Love love.

sad to report i still feel the same way about this as i did two years ago!

"You sound like an impressionist."
A smile touched his voice. "I think you mean pessimist."

hi. yes. you are hallucinating. this isn't real. i am not giving this five stars. maybe you should see a therapist for seeing things that aren't there.

you wanna know what my notes for this looked like? kindle says i have 226 of them. an excessive amount of times to use this emoji combination 🥺❤️. or this one 🥰🥰. or this 😭❤️. but who am i to judge myself.

i don't know what to do with my hands. what do i usually do with my hands while writing a review.

the way these two had me giggling. unreal. i swear i'm usually cooler than this. idk how i will ever move on. i might never recover.

Christian is just really hot. okay. i don't care what you are saying. i'm not listening. he's so formal and uptight and so f*cking obsessed with Gianna and so soft and tender - i love him.
every time he would smile at her or caress her softly i just lost my sh*t. i can like a psychopath man every once in a while. as a treat.

i also love Gianna. i swear she's so funny. the way she banters with him? this is my idea of love.
i also love how kind hearted she is. and her weird sense of fashion. and how she takes no sh*t from him.

Christian is the hottest man i know and she the hottest woman and they are the hottest couple. have i mentioned that i love them.

the way he helped her through her panic attacks? softest man, so tender. he did shoot a few men. but all is fair in love and war.

and him constantly correcting her when she used the wrong word? cute. he's so cute.

also them going through the whole ordeal of hating each other and making snarky comments at each other while being like "huh what is this feeling i'm experiencing. must be a cold. whatever". and christian being like "i will never be one of those men that pines over you". sure sure. you tell that to her hairband you've been wearing on your wrist for three years. and the shrine you so obviously have of her.

and they say love is dead. i mean it probably is for the rest of us because these two have it all.

i hate writing five star reviews. for one star reviews i have extensive notes with thoughts and feelings and just so many well thought out points to make. here i just have pages of notes that say "hihi" and "he's so hot" and "i love her" and "i love him" WHAT THE f*ck IS A MAN SUPPOSED TO DO WITH THAT. anyway. five stars.

I NEED MORE. THE EPILOGUE IS NOT ENOUGH 😭
———•———
here we go..

“Haven’t you heard? Love is an obsession. Some would even say…the maddest obsession.”

Y’all were right about this book. It’s even better than the first one🤧

I love Christian motherf*cking Allister so much. Just like Gianna, I am in need of a Christian obsessed support group.
I want this man and I have to have him. He has to marry me. I will wear his hand as my choker everyday.
Idk what he did to me but he unlocked the deep parts I didn’t know I possessed.

If my husband doesn’t go to therapy because he is so obsessed with me it kills him, doesn’t shoot any man that touches me and follows me everywhere I go, doesn’t believe we were brought together by fate…I don’t want it.

I absolutely loved Gianna. She is so hilarious and I smiled at her sarcastic nature. She is very loveable but misunderstood. I felt represented by her in some aspects even. Loved her reactions and wit. Her pov was great.

The plot was not deep but still there. The smut top tier😩
Overall I loved this book. I couldn’t stop and devoured it.
May I meet my own russian speaking dirty fed with painfully handsome face and absurdly hot body who will be crazy over me, wear my hair tie as a bracelet and compliment my nails. Amen.

The Sweetest Oblivion review
The Darkest Temptation review

problematic author!

— 5 stars ✰

"what do you want from me, christian?"
"everything"

f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck f*ck

the jealousy, the angst, the tension, the pining, the banter, the depth, the romance, the connection, the LOVE THEY HAVE FOR EACH OTHER, the cute moments, the sad moments, the EVERYTHING

how am i supposed to find a man who is so obsessed with me that he needs therapy? or wears my hair tie for over three years? or be his first and only kiss?

"would you visit my grave if i died?"
"i'd die before you were ever in a grave, malyshka"

HE CALLS HER MALYSHKA 💞💗💘💕

christian "because if you weren't in this world anymore, i would find a way to take myself out of it" alistair set the bar high and i don't know how to cope after finishing this book. where do i find a russian guy who will get rid of anyone who looks at me the wrong way? or will tell me to howl like a wolf when i need a pep talk? and how the f*ck do i become gianna? i love this woman and i will protect her until the end of my days

"she was so goddamn beautiful i
couldn't even stand to look at her some days"

✨Upgraded to 4.5 stars✨

Gianna ended up being my favorite heroine of this series. The joke is on me, I guess. 🗿🚬

I was really wary of Gianna as a main female character based on the information we had been provided with about her in the 1st book.
Call me judgemental, but reading about a twice married sugar baby 🌚 with drug addiction didn't excite me in the least.

Well played, Ms. Lori. My expectations were lower than Lake Assal and your execution turned out to be top-quality.

The book was so frustrating it got to the point of unputdownable... The amount of time Gianna and Christian were separated?? INSANELY LONG. I felt deprived. 🚿💦

The highlight of the book for me was definitely Gianna. A witty, extravagant, feisty woman with tortured past. Tough and bitchy act paired with the softest heart? These ingredients at the hands of a talented writer never fail to deliver divine meal.😩

Ms. Lori took the notion of 'multi-dimensional character' to the next level. 🤌🏼

Nevertheless, I don't share a common sentiment towards Christian: for a man irrevocably obsessed he had been letting Gianna off the hook for too damn long. His covert mania made my heart flutter. 🫀

P.S. I love Miss Lori's writing style. My eyes leisurely absorb every line this woman writes.

Nothing like savoring the feeling of reading a book in which every word is meant to be.

I nearly died laughing when I saw people placing Lark's and Lori's mafia series at the same level. 911...powerless in certain cases. 😇

YALL— i’m.. dare.. i.. say.. it.. obsessed. This story fully had me the entire time. I adored how deep and emotional this book got. We really got to know Christian & Gianna separately before we got to know them together. Gianna is now officially one of my favorite mc’s ever, she was so strong and hilarious & i have no words for Christian, he was everything. I loved their banter, the spice, the obsession, and everything in between.

“love is an obsession, some would even say the maddest obsession.”

reread (lost count at this point, don't judge me): november 2022

I choked on my fury. “I hate you.”
“I think about you.”

the comfort read i needed to get through this month. 🥺🥰

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ

reread (2): october 2020
christiangianna supremacy 🗣️🗣️

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ

reread: july 2020
i loved this even more the second time around (i didn't think it was possible cause i already loved it too much lol). <3

*still waiting (im)patiently for ronan's story*

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ✧*:･ﾟ✧✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*:･ﾟ

5++ stars ☆

“How about because I love you, Gianna? Because I think I have since the moment I saw you? Because if you weren’t in this world anymore, I would find a way to take myself out of it?”

before going into this book, Gianna (h) was the character i was looking forward to learning about because she intrigued me in the first book, but tbh i wasn’t expecting to love Christian (H) as much as i loved Nico (H of book 1) ...yet here we are. 😭 i loved the banters and push and pull between these two. their dynamic felt so special. not to mention, Christian's obsession with Gianna was chefs kiss, it was written so well imo. :)

although this book almost had no flaws to me, i admit the time skips felt confusing at times and i wish there was more to the ending cause it felt abrupt but, aside from those small things, Christian/Gianna has my whole heart. ♡["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>["br"]>

4.5 “You’ll never be done with me” stars ⭐️

“Why do you kiss me?”
His gaze dropped to my lips, his jaw ticking in thought. “I wanted to know what you tasted like.”
“What do I taste like?”
His eyes drifted back up to mine. They were so deep and serious they held me captive.
“Kak moya.”

This review is, first and foremost, an appreciation post for Gianna Marino aka the BEST heroine I've ever come across in a mafia book.

Psychologically and physically abused in childhood and even after her first marriage, Gianna's view of the world, and of herself, has become jaded.

My chest had felt hollow since I was five years old, and sometimes, where emotions should be, there was only numbness. Some called it depression. I called it life.

However, inspite of all that, she's a badass woman who dances to the beat of her heart and dresses like ‘Britney Spears’ and Kurt Cobain’s love child’. She has a heart of gold which she wears on her damn sleeve, and for that I couldn't be prouder of her.

Now, let's move on to Christian Allister aka the only man on this planet who deserves the gorgeous mess our Gianna is!

His gaze met mine. Blue. Cool silk sheets beneath a darkening sky. Although, there was something else. A flicker of something bright and full of life. Like the reflection in a neurotic person’s eyes. It was madness. It was obsession.

Christian's been obsessed with Gianna for years! So much so, HE WORE HER f*ckING HAIRTIE ON HIS WRIST for three whole ass years, I mean if that's not obsession I don't know what is. He is an anti-hero of the highest degree, but even though he wants to possess Gianna, he always holds himself back from ever crossing the line.

When she was close, all I could focus on was that she smelled like temptation. Like something I wanted to worship and degrade at the same time.

Between Christian and Gianna, we get what's probably the

He fisted my shirt and dragged me closer, pressing the next words to my ear. “I’m going to ruin every part of your body for any other man, malyshka, and you’re going to thank me when I’m done.”
I was making a deal with the devil.
And I couldn’t even find the grace to save myself.

When they finally give in to their attraction, it's explosive in the best possible way. The make-out session and backset sex scene were oh-so-hot 🔥

To see them slowly opening up to each other, with witty banter and casual sex, and then crossing the line from hate/obsession to love is honestly the best feeling!

Whenever they had a fight, my heart broke for them, but their way of making up?

“Don’t tell me no, malyshka.” His voice was so deep and almost desperate, like he wouldn’t know what to do with himself if I denied him.
I wished I could say I held my ground.
But as soon as he kissed me, promising to f*ck me missionary against my lips, it was all over.

Look, I know it sounds like they have a dysfunctional relationship, and hell, they probably do! But both of these broken and beautiful people have gone through so much in their lives that they deserve all the happiness in the world ✨

“You called me flighty,” I breathed.
“I meant perfect.”

Trust me, if a man doesn't speak in such riddles with me, compliment my non-existent cooking skills, call me his ‘malyshka’ and DEMAND I dress however tf I want, I don't need him!😌

“Haven’t you heard? Love is an obsession. Some would even say . . . the maddest obsession.”

So why not rounded up to 5 stars then? Because of that ending! Their story spans eight years, but the moment all of Christian's horrific backstory is revealed, we get a rushed ending. Jeez, what's the hurry? Just a couple more chapters and a handful of more conversations would have made my greedy ass so damn happy 🙈 *sigh*

If I compare The Maddest Obsession to The Sweetest Oblivion, Gianna is by far a much better heroine than Elena. As for Christian, I really liked him, but to be very VERY honest, that crazy bastard Nico still owns my heart ✨

♠ ♠ ♠

“I can’t marry another man I don’t know.”
His voice was rough, dipped in something sharp. “I’ve told you more about myself than I’ve ever told anyone else.”
“That’s not a good enough reason for me to marry you, Christian.”
“Fine.” He shook his head, his eyes flashing with darkness. “How about because I love you, Gianna? Because I think I have since the moment I saw you? Because if you weren’t in this world anymore, I would find a way to take myself out of it?”
My heart stopped.
Went cold.
And then lit with fire.
We stared at each other, silence and the vehemence of his voice touching my skin with rough fingers.
“You don’t mean that,” I breathed.
“I meant every goddamn word I said.”

I can’t believe I’m saying this, but I really f*ckin’ enjoyed this?!?!?!???

Especially since book 1 was a dud for me.

My only gripe was that I wish we had the backstory of these two characters early on in the book, because in order for me to enjoy a book, I need to latch on to the characters. The backstories came too late for my liking.

BUT, once I got it, holy sh*t. I fell in deep!

I loved Gianna. There’s more to her than what meets the eye, and I love uncovering characters like that. To discover what they’re really like than seeing only what they choose to present to the world since people are... meh. Especially, in a (mafia) world that’s so damn conniving.

And Christian! This guy was an asshole and faaaaar too possessive, but when those layers were peeled and he talked about them, my insides went so soft. 😭 He became disgustingly soft for Gianna and I hated it, because his extreme alpha tendencies started to make sense. I loved him!

Really, I love it when stories just make me weak with emotions.

This wasn’t perfect by any means but I think it has to do with the fact that I am still learning about all things mafia and I guess I have to accept that the men in this world are outwardly and inwardly dick-ish and women don’t have a lot going for themselves at all. I’m still looking for dark romance/mafia stories that are more layered, but this was quite close to a win.

I’m so happy! 😁

Re-read-27 April 2021
Christan is hands down the most dominating guy I've ever had the pleasure to read about and he doesn’t even have to try 👏🖤
Also the whole book is lit 👌 ofc
But real magic starts from Chapter 18 😋🤭 Did I tell y'all I am obsessed with the way Gia makes Mr.Sinister Allister work for it?

Update:
(09 December, 2020)
Guys I finished this book yesterday and literally had a dream of Christian, and a beautiful dark haired child with a big red 🎀 in her hair 🥺 Danielle Lori ma’am what are you doing to me 🥺🥺 I can not stop thinking about the last 50 pages of this book and the word unrequited is drilled in my mind... I can't........

🌟5-unrequited-obsession-stars🌟

"When you’re obsessed with something for so long and finally obtain it?
It feels like coming home to God. And nobody gives up their f*cking spot in heaven"

Their Banter

"Every night,” I said with insinuation. “He makes me scream so loud I wake the neighbors.” “Yeah? You like f*cking a man so much older than you?” Deep irritation flared inside of me. I reached for the radio, turned it on,
and coolly responded, “I’m sure he has more stamina than you"

Two exact opposites
Opposite personalities
Opposite Preferences
Opposite aspirations from life
You leave them in the same room what will happen?
Yeap the most hilarious rivalry, PG-13, with a lot of smugness 😂

The Great Game of Jealousy

My eyes must have conveyed my thoughts because his gaze darkened.
“I’m not one of your admirers. I’m not going to hold my dick and pine over you, just waiting for the day you might choose me. If I f*ck you, Gianna, nobody else ever will."

Okay people this is my new favorite game 😹 The way both of them were so territorial and how they made each other work for it and used jealousy against one another was highly entertaining to me 🙊
Whereas, Gianna's jealous streak was mostly on her inner monologue(which was amusing lemme tell you) Christian's jealous streak was literally proven by his actions.

Their Chemistry

“You want to know why I don’t touch you?” I shook my head.
“Because if I did, I wouldn’t stop. Not until I’d snuffed out that pretty fire in your eyes.” His gaze flashed. “Don’t shut yourself in a room with me again, Gianna.” He left, but his warning stayed behind.

Let's just say it was dirty, filthy, intense in the godliest way possible
Christian is a man of control and order.
He tried hard and fought for his feeling
And Gianna because of her past experience tried to fight but in the end, their connection was too raw and substantial to avoid.

Gianna(h)

A hand on my heart. “Dance to this . . .
whenever and however you want.”

I became superstitious about this name Gianna because I do have a bad experience with it from Bound by Hatred
I wasn’t sure what to expect
From The sweetest oblivion, she was giving me mixed vibes
And I am not okay with the idea when the heroine in the books thinks degradation of the hero gives them the upper hand and makes them superior.
So with much hesitation I started and wala Gianna was nothing like that
She is smart, Her remarks were measured, she had a great sense of humor and comic timing.

If I Iike Her that much why she isn’t in my favorite heroine list:
Because she is not anyone tame
But I wish with my whole heart instead of making herself incoherent with expensive clothes, drugs, and alcohol for 8 something years she would find a way out and solve her problems
Because I personally feel she is stronger than how she had built her life.

Christian (H)

but he only pressed his mouth to my ear. “I’ll let you know when I start taking orders from little Italian girls.”

I will call him my perfect kind of guilty plesureeeeeeeee
Because
Broken
Troubled
Dark
Complicated
Bossy
Demanding
Dominant
Major daddy vibes with that little "sweetheart" 🙊

He is sharp, intelligent, and fast
But is he actually fast tho?
I was heavily missing "that claim"
He was sorely in denial for 60% of the book.
Like he wants it but he wasn’t getting it!
Why dude 😴
Again Timeline is my biggest problem!!
8 Goddamn years!!!
How did you let the second marriage happen Christian 😑
For my sanity's sake, I wish you wouldn’t know her from the beginning of Antonio period.
I wish you would have just simply met her after her second marriage
But unfortunately for my sanity no such luck 😒😭
Fact that he did willingly and silently watched the great charade of Gianna's life f*cking her rainbow but wasn’t doing anything about it, didn’t settle with me
And that's the only reason I can't call him, book boyfriend
Then again Nico might have influenced it 🙊 Yup Imma drag him here.
I feel like I am so heavily engrossed with Nico and obsessed with him I Don't think any Danielle Lori man can pull off the same impact as Nicolas Angelo Russo has on me.

Let's get the bitterness out of the way which I've not addressed yet ⬇️⬇️⬇️⬇️
The old wrinkly d**k
(Antonio Russo)

Man I had a really bad flashback and a horrible thought that Nico could have turned out like that rejected awful ancient son of a b*%*h 🤮
The way he talked to Gianna
My God my thoughts went Dark
I got so scared and angry
Even his and Nico's gestures and wordings were so frighteningly similar
First time I felt how does that feel to hate with passion

NICOLENA snippets

“Tough sh*t. If I’d asked my wife to marry me, she would have said no.
So, guess what? I didn’t f*cking ask her."

Omg thank u so much
Thank u so so much 😭😭
I've become an addict to Nico Elena moments 😭
No one will see me complaining if we get another book on them 🥺🥺🥺
One is not enough for me.

In the end, I would say even if Christan and Gianna didn't make it to my book boyfriend and favorite heroine list (as anyone cares about your damn list, Yeasmin 😑 which I firmly believe if I re-read again and the drug named Nicolas Angelo Russo had mitigated a bit then I might change my mind) This Book definitely is one my favorite and memorable read of 2020.
So this is future me after my Re-reading session Damn how I didn’t add Allister to my book boyfriend list 😭 first time I am such an idiot

And This book is a must-try 💕
Happy Reading xoxo

P.S- Last 50 pages of this book are heaven-sent *insert misty eyes emoji*

Mafia romance is one of my favorite things to read, but I have surprisingly few "go to" authors in the genre. Danielle Lori just added herself to the mix with The Maddest Obsession, the second book in her Made series. It's predecessor, The Sweetest Oblivion, was one of my top reads of last year, and I can already tell you without a shadow of a doubt that this one is going on my list for 2019!

Gianna and Christian are sexual tension personified! Whenever they came in contact with each other, I felt like I could barely breathe! My heart beat faster. I would get anxious. The whole nine yards! 😂 Seriously, their chemistry was out of this world! Though that comes as no surprise to me, because the author is a master of sexual tension. I dare anyone to read either one of the books in this series and say otherwise!

If I had to choose one thing I loved most in this book though, it would be Gianna and Christian's banter! It gave me life!! Each encounter between them was a verbal sparring match that felt like it needed to end in the bedroom. Sometimes it did, and when that happened, my kindle almost caught on fire!

The Maddest Obsession is a steamy mafia romance you don't want to miss! From the spectacular writing to the complex characters and smoking hot sex scenes, it's nothing but absolute perfection.

If you're a mafia romance fan, The Maddest Obsession is a MUST READ!! Start with The Sweetest Oblivion, because you'll love that, too! As far as I'm concerned, the Made series is gold, and this author is one of the best I've read in this subgenre!

Christian Allister is the pinnacle of the boy MAN obsessed trope. No one can do it better than him 👑

Love adore cherish Gianna w my whole heart. She deserved sm better and I love that Christian was the one serving 🙏

Their romance was yummy delicious scrumptious every synonym u can think of. They really delivered on the small moments ugh this was my face the entire last 30% 🥹😭

I’m usually so indifferent to the “I love you” spiel in books but this one?? The love confession was mwah *violent chefs kiss*

The way Nico was ChristianGianna’s biggest shipper 🤭🤭 him playing Cupid made me fall in love w him even harder

ੈ✩‧₊˚

╰┈➤ ❝ He hung his clothes neatly on the back of a chair, while I would have tossed mine into a pile on the floor. ❞

╰┈➤ ❝ Would you visit my grave if I died?”
“I’d die before you were ever in a grave, malyshka.❞

These two quotes are the embodiment of their entire relationship 😭❤️‍🩹

𝗦𝗶𝗱𝗲 𝗻𝗼𝘁𝗲:
The NicoElena cameos made this book ten times better for me Omg it’s criminal how I went so long without knowing how much I was missing out on like allister needs to cuff me rn 😭😭 these crumbs healed me on a deeper level plss the way Nico dotes on her- MY HEART 🖤💗💘💖🙏💞💕🫦

𝗦𝗼𝗻𝗴𝘀: 🎧
Belong to me — trey songz (sped up)
Give it to me — Timbaland (sped up)
Obsessed — Mariah Carey (sped up)
Oh — Ciara ft. Ludacris (sped up)
Cheri Cheri lady — malena
Luxurious — ayesha erotica (remix)
Like me — girlicious

#2 Reread — November 2023 - ೃ⁀➷ 4.5 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀
#1 Read — August 2021 - ೃ⁀➷ 𝟱 𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗿𝘀

One of the easiest 5⭐️ ever, loved this book from page 1 till the very last page

I don't know about you but there is always something about anthology series that made it hard for me to instantly click with the new characters, especially when the characters in the first book had me firmed on its grip. So, I started this book a year later because

i) I'm still hung up over NicoElena
ii) I was not a big fan of Gianna
iii) I wanna love this book so bad but afraid I won't

Gianna did not make a good first impression but when she said:

"As long as they were looking at my body, they'd never see what was behind my eyes"

I know she's shading me because I failed to see what was behind her eyes when she was first introduced in the Sweetest Oblivion and loving her is not something I foresee myself doing. She was written effortlessly and her perspective allows us to discover the real Gianna, with all her fears and pain that drive her seemingly frivolous behaviors, in the most agonizing way possible.

Meanwhile, the infamous Christian Allister does live up to the buzz around the town. I am keen on Christian in the first book but I have to admit that I was expecting his character to be a bit bland and amiable but was proven to be far from it — with his cruel, icy, and arrogant nature, making him the most ideal anti-hero. The more time we spent with Officer Allister, the more we discovered a man with so many shades of grey that they bled together, who more than often let the darker side win.

That being said, I love how the mix of them gave you such intricacy given the antipodal of their characters. Gianna strikes an excellent balance of sensitivity and resiliency. Christian is a seductively enigmatic alpha who is broody and has OCD tendencies. There were lots of tension wobbled with animosity, desire, and angst that made this book so hard to put down. Every contact between them felt like a verbal brawl that needed to culminate in the bedroom; which when it did, get me fist-bumping the air and later caught fire.

Though I adore them, I wouldn't say they've ever surpassed Nico and Elena on my list, and this book only adds to my belief in Nico's supremacy by providing tidbits from other people's perspectives on Nico's loving and swoon-worthy qualities. Also, Allister and Ace

Now that I finished this, Danielle Lori had made me madly obsessed with her works. You can't deny that she is indeed a good writer who knows how to make her readers immersed with the characters, plot, and romance. The Maddest Obsession was sinfully passionate, richly nuanced, and emotionally charged; I couldn't help but become captivated. If it took me a year to read Gianna and Christian's story, now it takes me less than a day to start the next one!

YALL CHRISTIAN IS DOWN SO BAD OH MY GODD
CITY GIRLS UPPP

He wore her hair tie on his wrist for THREE YEARS !! He went to therapy for her and she didn’t even know his name PLS

”You want to know why I don’t touch you?” I shook my head. “Because if I did, I wouldn’t stop. Not until I’d snuffed out that pretty fire in your eyes.” His gaze flashed. “Don’t shut yourself in a room with me again, Gianna.”

Christian really had me running to google translate every 5 pages🏃🏾‍♀️🏃🏾‍♀️

The plot was sometimes all over the place but I enjoyed Gianna and Christian so much! I will say I felt the love between these two more than Elena/Nico tbh because that relationship was pure lust lmao. And Gianna was definitely so much more relatable than Elena!

”Haven’t you heard? Love is an obsession. Some would even say . . . the maddest obsession.”

Re-read #2 (11/17/2020) 5 stars

This was messy. This was chaotic. This was addicting as hell. This is a book where I have no explainable rational reason of why I enjoyed it so freakin much, but I did. And If I read a book for the second time and finished it in one setting without getting bored then it deserves a rating upgrade. Now I’m more than ready for the third book which I need more than anything right now.

4.5 stars

And here I thought that Nico was the supper possessive intense hero! Oh how I was so wrong!

Why did it take me too long to pick up this book! I’ve got no idea! I really enjoyed this book just as much as the first book. It was addictive as hell!

I was worried about whether I would like Gianna or not, but she started to grow on me throughout the book. Christian is the obsessive alpha hero I love to read about but would probably run from in real life, (or maybe not) lol!

When you’re obsessed with something for so long and finally obtain it? It feels like coming home to God. And nobody gives up their f*cking spot in Heaven.

The tension and angst was freakin crazy! Their chemistry was explosive. Their banter and push and pull made my day. I loved how every encounter between them was such a verbal sparring match. The only thing that bothered me, is that the ending was kinda rushed. Also, all this miscommunication/misunderstanding thing was exhausting and it was kinda frustrating. However, This series is becoming one of my favorite mafia romances. This book got me so obsessed, and it was such a page turner.

Song recommendation:
Blow your mind by Dua Lipa
This is what you came for by Calvin Harris ft. Rihanna
Heaven in hiding by Halsey
You don’t own me by Grace ft. G-Eazy

5 Cosa Vostra Stars ⭐

The Maddest Obsession was addictive, powerful, and possibly one of my all-time favorite reads. I'm not sure I'll be the same after Christian and Gianna. These two will remain one of the best dysfunctional couples ever. They are proof that love comes in many forms and that it can repair even the most jaded souls.

A life indebted to the mafia. Because once you’re born into it, it’s no longer yours. You're a chess piece to be moved at will unless you control the board.

We first meet Gianna, a young girl with hearts in her eyes. All it takes is one marriage to destroy her dreams and help shape her into the woman she is today; discarded, unloved, broken. However, she is a warrior that pushes through her pain and anxiety to radiate fire. Gianna uses flamboyancy as a shield, and god does it work for her until him.

Christian Allistair is the antichrist. You’ll despise him, fear him and then grow to admire him. His psychotic nature is no front for those who dare to harm or take what’s his. He has no mercy or remorse, it’s instinctive. And by chance, he finds himself as Gianna’s protector and avenger. A task he never wanted, but now obsesses over…because she is his.

Christian and Gianna dislike each other on sight. And yet for many years, they will continue to derail each other’s lives, until they succumb to the truth. Behind the distrust, animosity and lust, is their unspoken love. She is the match to his gasoline, which is why you are left holding your breath waiting for the impending explosion…

How these two managed not to kill each other is a miracle as the loathing and resentment was real. She had the power to destroy everything he worked for by simply being and he would wreck her. Told from past to present, ugly truths are revealed, and Christian will come to shine with the reluctant care he bestows on Gianna. Their love story was epic and unforgettable. I never wanted it to end.

“Haven’t you heard? Love is an obsession.
Some would even say . . . the maddest obsession.”

“Why do you kiss me?”
“I wanted to know what you tasted like.”
“What do I taste like?”
“Kak moya.”

“I just had my tongue inside you,” he said, annoyed.
“You can start calling me by my first name.”
I opened my mouth. Closed it.
“You forgot my name.”
“What’s your name?” I asked.
“Do your goddamn homework before getting in someone’s bed, Gianna.”

Gianna Marino: 28 brown eyes, dark brown hair (short term dyed blonde); Hot mess, bad-ass, whipsmart, gold-hearted humanitarian

Christian Allister: 33 blue eyes, dark hair; Psycho, obsessive (for real), possessive, distanced, cold, organized

There's no surprise; I knew that I would totally love Gianna, but how can't I? Seriously, It is impossible not to love her. She is awesome. I want more heroines like her. She is one of those messy characters who is broken inside but never stops fighting. Life wasn't fair to her; even though she carries her scars in her heart, she manages to keep it pure; she is a person help who would help anyone.

On the other hand, it's funny to call a cold-blooded killer a dork, but with all his socially awkwardness, Christian is a total sweetheart with a big heart. He is unusual, it takes a bit of time to understand him, but he totally grows on you. Life wasn't fair with him either; he has a tragic past that left big damage. I think he is a bit misunderstood, even for himself. He just needs a savior and time to heal/trust again.

“You been thinking about me?” he drawled. “Every day, every hour. You’re always there, like a fungus, or an incessant bug swarming around my head.”

PS: Christian's obsessiveness might be a wee problematic in real life, but hey, he is also a killer. Tiny reminder for myself: This is a fantasy/fiction, don't get in there; almost none of the male MCs can't work IRL anyway.

“You’re not afraid of me.” We were so close his cheek brushed my tear-streaked one when he rasped, “And, baby, I’m worse than the dark.”

It's an enemies-to-lovers story in a dark mafia world with all back and forth / ups and downs. Truth be told, they never disliked/hated each other; they intrigued one another from the start, but they believed they were a match made in hell, so they conflicted on everything until they finally understood they were indeed match made in heaven who complete each other!

His gaze met mine. Blue. Cool silk sheets beneath a darkening sky. Although, there was something else. A flicker of something bright and full of life. Like the reflection in a neurotic person’s eyes. It was madness. It was obsession.

So, this was what it felt like to be touched by him . . . Addictive.

Gianna & Christian, individually and together

Danielle Lori serves the hotness perfectly. The sexual chemistry between Gianna and Christian is unbelievable.

“f*ck me, Gianna.” He sounded on the brink of control, like if I didn’t start moving then I was going to get f*cked, hard. That quickly set me in motion; I didn’t think I could handle him unleashed yet.

Reading about their story from the beginning till the end through all those years is so beautiful it breaks my heart. I liked the time structure, the storytelling in different time zones, flashbacks, and now from both of their povs.

The main characters are awesome, but the side characters are so cool, too I love them! Special Love for Kat and Magdalene.

“By the way, why is your TV in Spanish?”
I sighed. “Insolent housekeepers.”

Gianna's love for cereal and chocolate.

“…I am not giving up chocolate, dammit!”
-Your struggle is very real, Gianna-

Their silent games (role-playing kind acts outs in public)

Christian questioning his mentality is a nice touch. I never see those things about the alphas in other books; they are all mad, but somehow there's no mention of their craziness. I like that this fact was dug deeper in here.

Gianna took her mama's cookbook. (I dunno, but I am affected...)

“Look at me, Gianna.” I did. “We have a saying in Russia. S volkámi zhit’, po-vólch’i vyt’. Say it.”
“It means, to live with wolves, you have to howl like a wolf.”
“You’ve got to learn how to howl, malyshka. To tell your demons to f*ck off. We all know you have it in you; you tell me to enough. And unlike your demons”—his voice darkened—“I can actually bite you.” I shivered.

Christian adores Gianna, but it didn't stop him from degrading/humiliating her so badly many times. The man is hot and cold; he was the one who glorified and tried to show her real worth, but in other times he was hurtful and mean.

Why do I mention this here?

Firstly I love drama and heartache, so I love reading about mistreatments and misunderstandings.

But most importantly I have a limit, and unfortunately, in most of the books, these mistreatments reach an unbearable level, and the heroine just stands still. Like, you want to scream at her to fight back. I remember being frustrated in many books. I was basically screaming out loud, "Just stand up to this sh*t, girl, please do/say something." But not in here! Because Gianna isn't here to eat sh*t; y'all, she is the queen!

“If you dressed a little less like a hooker, the cop who pulled you over might not have searched you.” I pulled the bubblegum off my finger with my teeth and gave him a smile. “If you looked a little less like an anal-retentive asshole, you might get laid every once in a while.”

PS: About the misunderstandings: - I basically heard Nico in my mind ( “What did I say about assuming?”) Their biggest downs were always because they thought he hated her/she hated him. If she/he ever finds out about this/that, it's over, yada yada,...
-Why don't these people communicate with words sometimes?- But thanks for the drama!

I asked him what moya zvezdochka meant. He said it meant, my little star.
“You’re the only woman I’ve ever kissed, malyshka.”

4,5 Mad, Obsessive Stars - Right into my top 2021 reads!

“Andromeda was boasted to be one of the most beautiful goddesses.”
“She was sacrificed for her beauty, tied to a rock by the sea.”
“Did she survive?”
“She did.”
“Ask me what her name means.”
“What does her name mean?”
“It means ruler of men.”

This book is angstier than the first one, and the romance aspect is wider than the steam, unlike the first book. It is again a slow burn!

A very little confession: The first burned me harder, but it doesn't stop me from loving this book soo much either. Oh, and I love this book truly.

Okay, a tiny whiny complaint: How can a person remember a drunken memory so clearly after all those years? and Why doesn't for once a girl use google-translate to learn the meaning of something the guy she is crazy about tells her? But these worked their point and added their magic to the book, so it's not an actual complaint.

Is it only me who wanted to see more interaction between Nico, Christian, Elena, and Gianna? Every scene that included either one of the combinations made me feel blessed. I want all of them to love each other, yes, and I want world peace (my blah blah) But seriously, why can't Nico and Christian be loving like Elena and Gianna, it's not fair! At least care about something other than your women dudes!

I thought I liked hfn, but these books leave me wanting more. I need more! I want more! It is not enough never. Maybe a thanksgiving novella that includes all Made MCs, no? I think It would've been perfect! Like a big happy family, altogether!

“Why do you kiss me?”
“Because you’re the only woman who’s ever tempted me.”
“Because you love it.” The last one was soft, with a possessive bite.
“Because every part of you is mine.”

2nd Read, Dec. 2021

#1 The Sweetest Oblivion — 4.25 Stars

Late ‘review’ kinda still applies, but to make things clear: this book IS overrated, and I’m docking

The fact that Gianna literally has no life, is all emo, miserable, ‘my life is sh*t’ 24/7 while dressing herself in designer clothes and throwing away money (she doesn’t earn) for charities simply UN-MADE the book for me. I mean, at least Elena (h of book 1) dances. At least Elena has a mission to right a past ‘mistake.’ I suppose you can argue that Gianna is an excellent cook, which is the opposite of Elena. She’s a lot shameless and sassy too. Still, she does almost NOTHING outside of Christian. The author could’ve expanded more on Gianna’s drug abuse, but she didn’t. I even forgot that she was supposedly have a penchant for it.

I’m normally easily enamored by a hero like Christian, but after this re-read, I realised he just doesn’t compare to Nico. I liked Nico’s extreme, unusual display of affection and possessiveness more than I did Christian’s, and I prefer Nico’s play (forced marriage) than Christian’s (sex relationship). Though I get why he had to make that play first with Gianna. Also, the plot in this book was nonexistent. I don’t think there were even side characters apart from cameos of Nico & Elena. At least in book 1 we’ve got Luca, Sebastian, and Elena’s family. People love this for the pining and unending push & pull. But for me, the romance felt disjointed and unsatisfying.

As far as I’m concerned, book 1 excelled in all the ways this one (and the next) didn’t. So, NicoLena for the win!!!

(Read as an Audiobook)

1st Read, Feb. 2020

3.75 Stars

I thought I wouldn’t be able to get over Nico after all that pent up sexual tension in book 1, but as soon as Allister graced me with his presence in that cold, uptight, mysterious, and sexy persona of his, I was done for.

LOL. I mean, who even is Nico?! Pshh he’s so yesterday. Allister can call me moya zvezdochka and tell me to howl like a wolf all he wants, and I’d worship him.

While this book did manage to live up to the 1st book on some level, there were parts of it that were just bleh. I liked the romance even though the sexual tension in this one wasn’t as record breaking as Nico-Elena’s. Nevertheless, the chemistry between Christian and Gianna was still off the charts, and I liked their dynamic and snarky banter.

↠ So problem numero uno, Gianna is pretty much a static character. I loved her sassy and quirky sides, her vulnerability, and her idgaf attitude, but she’s also a big slacker. I wish we’d seen her sort of emancipate in this book.

↠ I feel like this book was a little

disproportionated. The time jumps didn’t bother me as much as I thought it would. After I got past it, I thought the pacing was getting a bit all over the place. The ending was rushed, and I would’ve liked to get more from the epilogue.

↠ Another thing is that there were a number of

misunderstandings and assumptions going on in the couple’s relationship development. I didn’t quite agree with them taking the ‘sex with no strings attached’ route. Also, the ‘opening up’ part about Christian’s past was anticlimactic.

I am a f*cking MESS over this series. Christian is literal perfection wrapped up in an obsessive alpha hero who lives and breathes for the heroine. These two have been circling around each other for years, hating each other, wanting each other, but we know there is nothing and no one above Gianna for Christian. If you love the morality chain trope, this series will be like crack to you. I honestly can’t stop reading but at the same time I don’t want it to end!!