365 Days Trilogy by Blanka Lipinska-Reviews and Giveaway

365 Days
(365 Days #1)
by Blanka Lipinska
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Re-release February 2, 2021.

Laura Biel and her boyfriend are on a dream vacation in beautiful Sicily. On the second day of their trip, her twenty-ninth birthday, she is kidnapped. Her kidnapper is none other than the head of a powerful Sicilian crime family, the incredibly handsome, young Don Massimo Torricelli, who is determined to possess her at all costs. Massimo has his reasons. During an earlier attempt on his life, a vision appeared before his eyes: a beautiful woman, identical to Laura. After surviving the attack, he vows that he will find the woman in his vision and make her his own. No matter what.

For 365 days, Massimo will keep Laura captive in his palatial estate and attempt to win her heart. If she doesn’t fall in love with him during this time, he will let her go. But if she tries to escape at any point, he will track her down and kill her entire family.

Soon Laura develops a fascination with her handsome and powerful captor. But as a precarious, risky relationship forms between them, forces outside their control threaten to tear them apart.

•••••••

REVIEW: 365 DAYS by Blanka Lipinska is the first instalment in the contemporary, adult 365 DAYS erotic, dark romance series focusing on twenty-nine year old, Polish born Laura Biel, and thirty-two year old, Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

NOTE: 365 DAYS is the re-release of Blanka Lipinska’s best selling novel, and turned into a Netflix movie in 2020.

Told from first person perspective (Laura) 365 DAYS follows in the wake of Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli’s ongoing visions and dreams (during and following weeks in a coma) about a woman he has never met but a woman he is determined to own. A chance meeting at the airport finds Massimo obsessed over our heroine Laura Biel, a woman already in a committed relationship with a man she doesn’t love. Kidnapped and held as a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage, Laura comes to learn she is Massimo’s captive for the next 365 days, wherein she will either fall in love or walk away at the end of the year. With several threats looming over her head, her family, and those of her friends, Laura reluctantly agrees to Massimo’s terms, terms that find our heroine falling for a man who will control every aspect of her life. What ensues is the tempestuous and contentious relationship between Massimo and Laura, and the potential fall-out as Massimo’s enemies have targeted our couple, and in this, Massimo is unwilling to place Laura in the direct line of fire.

The relationship between Massimo and Laura begins acrimoniously when Massimo kidnaps Laura to claim as his own. Unable to leave without the possibility of losing everybody she loves, Laura agrees to 365 days but refuses to make life any easier for the man with whom she will fall in love. The $ex scenes are erotic, intense, and aggressive, and not without some questions of dubious consent.

We are introduced to an ensemble cast of colorful and energetic secondary and supporting characters including Laura’s new assistant Dominic, and her best friend Olga; Laura’s parents, her ex-boyfriend Martin, dance instructor Petrov, as well as several members of Massimo’s security and staff.

365 DAYS is an erotic tale of obsession and lust, power and control. The questionable behavior of both characters borders on disturbing and abnormal-our heroine’s behavior is often immature, up and down, back and forth but under the circumstances, she is otherwise a prisoner of man she knows very little about. Massimo’s temper and darkness is exacerbated by our heroine’s conduct and attitude, conduct she purposely employs to anger our story line hero. The premise is entertaining and interesting; the romance is erotic and dramatic; the characters are animated. 365 DAYS ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

On a side note, the book was originally written in Polish, and therefore there are some issues of grammar etc with the translation.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

Reviewed by Sandy

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THIS DAY
(365 Days #2)
by Blanka Lipinska
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

ABOUT THE BOOK: release Date December 7, 2021

Laura Biel’s new life in Sicily looks like the perfect fairy tale: a grand wedding, a wealthy and devoted husband, a baby on the way, and lavish luxury complete with servants, extravagant cars, and seaside palazzos. Yes, all of this would be perfect, except for the fact that Laura is constantly surrounded by gangsters as the threat of her kidnapping looms large. Laura is about finally discover what it means to be married to the most dangerous man in Italy.

••••

REVIEW: THIS DAY is the second instalment in the contemporary, adult 365 DAYS erotic, dark romance series by Blanka Lipinska focusing on twenty-nine year old, Polish born Laura Biel, and thirty-two year old, Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli. THIS DAY should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the events of book one 365 DAYS.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier Laura Biel was kidnapped and held as a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage, learning he was to become Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli’s captive for the next 365 days, 365 days wherein she will either fall in love or walk away at the end of the year. With several threats looming over her head, her family, and those of her friends, Laura reluctantly agrees to Massimo’s terms, terms that find our heroine falling for a man who will control every aspect of her life.

Told from first person perspective (Laura) with a final few paragraphs from Massimo, THIS DAY continues to follow the building relationship between Laura Biel, and Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli. Massimo Torricelli is a powerful man in the criminal underworld, a Mafia Don who is often at odds with the woman with whom he is falling in love but the threats against Laura no longer come from Massimo himself, but from enemies and other power hungry men at the top. As Massimo’s brother Domenico falls for Laura’s best friend Olga, several other players enter the game, a game in which someone is going to lose. Ever the protector, with a need to control, Massimo will eventually meet his match when he is unable to protect the woman he loves.

The relationship between Laura and Massimo is erotically charged; highly sexual in nature wherein Massimo demands total submission from the woman he loves. Over protective to the point of obsession, Massimo never expected to fall hard, a fall that will place Laura in danger from Massimo’s competition and underworld powers. The $ex scenes are provocative, dominating and intense.

We are reintroduced to Massimo’s brothers Domenico and Adriano; Laura’s best friend Olga, as well as several Spanish Mafia executioner Marcelo ‘Nacho’ Matos, and his sister Amelia Matos; security specialists, MMA fighters, exes, and staff. The requisite evil has many faces.

THIS DAY is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, obsession and envy, friends and family, love and acceptance. The premise is captivating and riveting; the romance is aggressive and impassioned; the characters are determined, charismatic and desperate-there is a true Stockholm Syndrome relationship between captor and captive. THIS DAY ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

My only complaint is the choppy-nature of the presentation, often jumping from one scene/location/situation between paragraphs.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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THE NEXT 365 DAYS
365 Days #3
by Blanka Lipinska
Genre: adult, contemporary, dark, Mafia, romance

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / B&N / KOBO / Google Play /

Release Date: September 27, 2022

As the wife of Don Massimo Torricelli, one of the most dangerous Mafia bosses in Sicily, Laura’s life is a roller coaster. She is often at risk, the potential target of Massimo’s unscrupulous enemies who will stop at nothing to destroy the powerful man. And when Laura is seriously injured in an attack, pregnant and fighting to survive, Massimo faces the toughest decision of his life. What will his life be without Laura? Will he be able to raise their child alone? What will the fate of his family be, and whose 365 days may come to a close?

•••••••

REVIEW: THE NEXT 365 DAYS is the third and final instalment in Blanka Lipinska’s contemporary, adult 365 DAYS dark, erotic, romance series focusing on Laura Biel-Torricelli, the wife of Sicilian Mafia Don Massimo Torricelli. THE NEXT 365 DAYS should not be read as a stand alone as it picks up immediately after the cliff hanger and events of book two THIS DAY.

WARNING: Due to the nature of the story line premise including rape and sexual violence, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

SOME BACKGROUND: Several months earlier Laura Biel was kidnapped and held as a virtual prisoner in a gilded cage, learning she was to become Sicilian Don Massimo Torricelli’s captive for the next 365 days, 365 days wherein she will either fall in love or walk away at the end of the year. With several threats looming over her head, her family, and those of her friends, Laura reluctantly agrees to Massimo’s terms, terms that find our heroine falling for a man who will control every aspect of her life.

Told from first person perspective (Laura) THE NEXT 365 DAYS follows in the wake of profound loss for our story line couple. Unable to cope, Don Massimo Torricelli becomes a man his wife no longer recognizes, a man whose violence and power are growing every day. Weeks to months will pass wherein Laura has no concept of her husband’s whereabouts, time in which she reconsiders her life going forward. Getting reacquainted with a man from her past, Laura must come to terms with the failure of her marriage, and the man with whom she had fallen in love. What ensues is the break down of Laura’s marriage to her controlling captor, and the rebuilding of her life with someone else.

We are reintroduced to Massimo’s brothers Domenico; Laura’s best friend Olga, as well as Spanish Mafia executioner Marcelo ‘Nacho’ Matos, and his sister Amelia Matos. The requisite evil is a familiar face.

The world building continues to focus on the nature of the Stockholm Syndrome style relationship with an abusive man-Laura’s life, the path she has chosen, and the path that is no longer under her control. Laura’s marriage has imploded; the man she thought she had loved is showing the true nature of the beast; and Massimo is pushed to the limits when his wife falls in love with someone else. Like the previous two instalments there is plenty of jumping back and forth between paragraphs such that I had to often re-read what I had just read. I also have to question the ‘medical’ procedure, the after-care, and lack of real-world medicines and treatment-the lack of believability is concerning..

THE NEXT 365 DAYS is another story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, obsession and determination; acceptance and loss; family, friendships, relationships and love. Massimo Torricelli is a man out of control-he wields his power as a form dominance and discipline, a dominance manifested by rage and abuse. Laura Biel-Torricelli is a woman pushing the envelope of security and freedom but a woman who must forge a new path towards freedom, a freedom gained at a cost. Laura’s immaturity is prevalent; her indecisiveness is often frustrating.

THE NEXT 365 DAYS is not a story of romance or love between Massimo and Laura, but a story of obsession, control, recovery and acceptance. Laura will find true love with someone else, pushing Massimo to try and break the bird he was desperate to cage. The premise’s primary focuses in on Laura’s fight for her freedom, and her building relationship with another man-saying that, the blurb is misleading to the point that some of the issues alluded to did not exist ; the characters actions are questionable on so many levels including Laura’s back and forth, up and down persona, often exacerbated by her best friend’s marriage into the Torricelli family, as well as the uncivilized and unconscionable actions of the Sicilian Don.

Copy supplied by Netgalley

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Simon and Schuster publishers are offering all 3 books in paper back in the 365 DAYS Trilogy by Blanka Lipinska to ONE (1) lucky commenter at The Reading Cafe.

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