This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞.5
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨.5


First Impressions
Surviving Mateo is the second book in the "Morelli Family" and this is where we Mateo's book and I knew that this one would be a wild ride, but the moment that I read the blurb, I knew that this would be a wonderful read and it definitely was and I just adored just about everything about this book and loved it more than the first book. There was just so much more focus on the relationship and not as much difficult consent issues as what we saw in the first book and no love triangle aspects so most definitely a plus there. I absolutely enjoyed our heroine here and I really felt like their dynamic was just right and really balance each other out and Mateo has definitely met a woman not too afraid of him, which he most definitely needs.

First Line
There too much food.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Mateo Morelli
Head of the Morelli Family, doesn't trust anyone, not even his own family. He is determined to prove himself and will do anything to survive and reign supreme over his territory.

The Heroine:Meg
Meg is caring and compassionate, but will do anything to protect her daughter. She will do whatever it takes, no matter the cost. She is passionate and has a unique perspective of life.

Summary
When Meg's husband is killed for not paying his debts, the Castellanos come to her and blackmail her for her daughter's life, and if she doesn't kill Mateo Morelli, she and her daughter will pay the price. Meg will do anything to protect her daughter, no matter the price even if it means killing a man she has never met. When she meets Mateo, instant chemistry and a bond forms between them. But Mateo finds out that she is there is kill him and instead of killing her, he brings her and his daughter to his home. She becomes his maid in his castle of a home but provides a safe place for her daughter. She takes life as she is given and isn't afraid to embrace what a life with Mateo could mean. But there is much more going on with the Castellanos than meets the eye, will the trust she has built with Mateo be destroyed or will their relationship survive?

What I Loved
Surviving Mateo is absolutely a win of a read and I couldn't get enough of this one. And honestly I have no idea how I am not just going to be able to binge this series, I just want to binge the whole series haha but I know how I read and that wouldn't be too good. So taking some time with this series. So Surviving Mateo was such a page turner of a read and couldn't seem to put it down. Which seems to be the norm for reading a Sam Mariano novel. There is something about her writing style that pulls me in every single time to her stories.

In this one, after book one, I was really expecting something even more bananas, but this book just felt so much more normal than the first book. haha I had a blast with the set up between them. And yeah, the whole she killing him? was pretty hilarious. She was obviously so green, and their plan was awful. But despite that, there is a wonderful dynamic that builds between Mateo and Meg. Meg was a hoot! She keeps Mateo (MATEO of all people) on his toes. She doesn't balk at his paranoia or controlling personality, she actually gets off on those elements to his character. I love that she was able to match him in that way, and not fear his controlling nature. She seeks to prove he can trust her in the little things, and I really loved that about her. And when their relationship gets tested, I just adored her strength and determination to prove herself. Even when he practically rapes her, she lets him so technically it's not rape, because she understands his feeling of betrayal and hurt that is festering. The way that she understands Mateo in ways that are so unique considering she isn't from the mafia world, was so refreshing. I honestly couldn't imagine anyone better suited to Mateo and I can't wait to see where the family goes from here and more from this couple.

What I Struggled With
Nothing much to be honest! It wasn't quite a five star read, but it got close!

Overall View
I found Surviving Mateo to a brilliant story that delivered all the heart and thrilling edges I come to appreciate in a dark romance, definitely eager for the next one.

Favorite Quote(s)
This is so shitty. I finally meet the man of my dreams and I have to kill him.

“In everyone else’s book, I’m a villain. You look at me like I’m a hero.”

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance
Character Types: Mafia, Single Parent
Themes: Class Difference, Kids, Family Bonds, Dubious Non Consent
Tropes: Forced Proximity, Blackmail, Boss and Employee, Rags to Riches

Book Perspective
1st POV

Recommendation For Reading Order
Highly Recommend you NEED to read these in order. And literally the author has a whole PAGE devoted to this haha

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.