Love or hate, no middle ground. The humor’s absurd (think 'Monty Python does noir'), and the plot hinges on coincidences that’ll either make you groan or grin. I grinned, but I also adore weird fiction. The mixed reviews probably just mean it succeeded at being unforgettable—just not universally beloved.
Ah, 'Dead and Gondola'—what a ride! I've seen so many divisive opinions about it, and honestly, I get why. The book leans hard into quirky, almost surreal humor, which either lands perfectly or falls flat depending on your taste. Some readers adore the absurdity, like the gondola scenes that feel like a fever dream, while others find it too disjointed to follow.
Then there's the pacing. It starts slow, building this eerie atmosphere, but then shifts gears abruptly into chaos. If you're here for a tight mystery, the tonal whiplash might frustrate you. But if you enjoy unpredictability, it's a blast. Personally, I loved how it kept me guessing, even if not every twist worked.
The cover art promised a whimsical murder mystery, but the tone’s all over the place. One chapter feels like 'Agatha Christie meets Wes Anderson,' the next like a slapstick farce. It’s creative, sure, but inconsistent. Some characters are fleshed out (the gondolier’s backstory gutted me), while others vanish without resolution. I’d still recommend it for the sheer audacity, but it’s not for everyone.
Here’s the thing: 'Dead and Gondola' divides people because it refuses to play by genre rules. The mystery itself is clever, but the author prioritizes style over clarity—symbolism-heavy prose, time jumps, and red herrings that double as existential jokes. If you’re patient, it’s rewarding. If not, it feels pretentious. My book club argued for hours about whether the gondola was a metaphor or just… a gondola. That’s the fun of it, though!
Mixed reviews? Easy. 'Dead and Gondola' tries to be too many things at once—part cozy mystery, part dark comedy, part surreal fantasy. The protagonist’s inner monologue is either hilarious or insufferable; no in-between. I chuckled at her sarcasm, but I’ve seen forums where readers DNF’d because they couldn’t stand her voice. Also, the ending polarizes folks—it’s either brilliantly open-ended or annoyingly unresolved. Depends how much you need closure!
2026-03-18 18:06:21
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GIOVANNI: A FORBIDDEN MAFIA ROMANCE
Naomi Oh
10
5.8K
She was the daughter of a monster.
He was the man who put a bullet in her father’s skull.
Now, they're both trapped in a game of obsession, betrayal, and blood.
When Mirabella Belluci escapes her brutal Mafia past in Chicago, she doesn't expect to be hunted by the man who freed her. Giovanni Moretti. He is cold, calculating, and a sworn enemy of her family and is meant to watch her from the shadows. Instead, he watches too closely... and wants too much.
But in a world where love is weakness and loyalty is lethal, desire comes at a cost. And the closer they draw to each other, the deeper they sink into a war that could destroy them both.
"Obsession is just another kind of loyalty.”
Valentina Moretti is the Don the Italian Mafia. Smart and formidable, surviving a male dominated environment, overcoming tremendous challenges.
Trained from a young age to be a deadly assassin, she commands respect wherever she goes. She seemingly has everything, until her father decides to arrange her marriage.
Luca Delgado is the head of the American Mafia. He is a ruthless and cold individual. He understands the rules of the game perfectly and will do anything to achieve victory, including breaking others without hesitation. Their forced marriage is a cruel twist of fate. Will these two ruthless individuals find comfort in one another, or will they end up destroying each other?
"I don’t remember agreeing to play strip poker," she remarked. Her lips formed a slight frown, but her eyes sparkled with playfulness. She realized she couldn't outmatch me in this game.
"Are you giving up? Are you a coward? " I taunted, aiming to provoke her. Her lips quivered before she pressed them firmly together. The richness of her eye color intensified as she offered a sly grin. She began shuffling cards and removed one of her sandals. Great. We’re taking the long route. She held it up, letting it dangle from her finger before casually tossing it aside. She raised an eyebrow at me, clearly challenging me.
I was pleased to know I had touched a nerve. Just as I expected.
BE AWARE:
Trigger warnings: MATURE CONTENT 18+ (SMUT)
SWEARING
SELF HARM/SUICIDE (REFERENCES) LANGUAGE THAT IS UNAMBIGUOUS
CURSING
VIOLENCE, GUN VIOLENCE
SELF-INFLICTED HARM /SUICIDE (REFERENCES)
BLOOD, DECEASE, and GORE
Two years ago, I was the Donna of the Costa family.
When I was on my way to attend the family meeting, I was killed by my husband's childhood sweetheart, Isabella Rossi.
She shattered my limbs and smashed my belly before throwing me into an abandoned mine pit.
It was such a shame that I was pregnant with the heir Matteo Costa had been waiting for the past five years when I died.
Not only did Isabella frame me for working with the enemy forces, but she also broke her own legs and claimed that she got hurt from stopping me.
Matteo publicly announced that he decided to sever all ties with me. He also placed a bounty on my head.
Just like that, I fell from my position as the Costa family's Donna to a traitor who was wanted by all.
Two years later, the mine pit collapsed on itself. That was when the workers dug out my rotten corpse.
🔞 MATURE CONTENT WARNING! This book contains explicit language, sexual content and adult themes. If it's not your thing, you might want to skip this one. Otherwise; enjoy the ride!🔞
Gwendolyn thought she had the perfect life, a thriving career as a chef and a boyfriend she adored. But when he shatters her heart on their anniversary, she drowns her sorrows in a night of reckless abandon at a gay bar. One steamy encounter with Armando Denaro changes everything.
She never expected to see him again until he showed up with a shocking revelation. Armando isn’t just any man; he’s the ruthless Mafia Don, and their one-night stand has put a target on her back. To keep her safe, he offers her only one choice: a contract marriage.
Thrown into a world of power, danger, and deadly secrets, Gwen must decide if she can trust the man who holds her fate in his hands. But as passion ignites between them, she uncovers a chilling truth—their pasts are tangled in ways neither of them ever imagined.
Now, love isn’t just dangerous. It’s lethal!
It had been six years since Vincent Castellano was declared dead in that “car crash”, and I was still alone.
My friends kept nagging me to move on. Even in my dreams, Vincent was there, begging me to stop living in the past.
So I finally caved and agreed to a blind date with Leo Christopher, the guy who’d been chasing me for years. I’d decided I’d make a clean break with Vincent once and for all on the Day of the Dead.
But the second I stepped out of the cemetery, a billboard for a luxury brownstone in Brooklyn Heights caught my eye. It was the exact place Vincent had been obsessed with back when I thought he was alive.
Before I even knew what I was doing, I was heading straight for it.
What I saw that day is seared into my brain for the rest of my life.
There, on the bench outside the house, sat Vincent. The man was laid to rest in the Castellano family crypt. And he had his arm around another woman.
That woman? Mia Rossi. The card dealer he’d been screwing behind my back six years prior. The same one I’d caught him red-handed with, the one I’d made him fire from the family casino.
***MAFIA'S VICE SEQUEL***
What is a queen without her king? Historically speaking, more powerful. The Dragonetti's have fallen in New York, but Sienna has made certain her family rose from the ashes in Italy. After Dante's demise, she's put her everything into the Dragonetti name and made it one to be feared again, despite her heartbreak and yearning for her only love.
As tensions mount and she starts losing more of her humanity, a ghost from her past shows up, and her world comes crashing down. Could Dante be alive after all these years? And if so, why is he out to kill her?
In this sequel to Mafia's Vice, two Mafia worlds intersect with one thing on either family's mind: Revenge against Allesio Speranzini.
I picked up 'Dead and Gondola' on a whim after seeing its quirky title and cover art, and it turned out to be such a delightful surprise! The book blends cozy mystery vibes with a touch of dark humor, and the setting—a gondola-turned-crime scene—is just so unique. The protagonist, a bookseller with a sharp wit, feels like someone you’d want to grab coffee with. The pacing is brisk, and the side characters are fleshed out enough to make the world feel lived-in. It’s not a heavy read, but it’s clever enough to keep you hooked. If you enjoy mysteries that don’t take themselves too seriously but still deliver satisfying twists, this one’s a gem. I finished it in a weekend and immediately wanted more books like it.
What really stood out to me was how the author played with genre expectations. There’s a meta quality to the humor, almost like the book is winking at mystery fans. The gondola setting could’ve been a gimmick, but it’s woven into the plot in ways that actually matter. And the resolution? Surprisingly heartfelt. It’s the kind of book that leaves you smiling, not just because of the clever ending but because the journey was so much fun. Definitely recommend if you’re in the mood for something light but smart.