OnlineBookClub.org

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Sofia Mia" by Lucía Lorenzo.]

What happens when a mafia boss falls in love with a seemingly innocent but strong-willed woman? Sofia Petraus, half-American and half-Italian, spends her childhood summers in Mondello, basking in the heritage of her mother. It is there that she meets Santino Menari, a green-eyed sad young boy. Santino has just lost his mother and is in grief. Because Santino is the son of a Mafioso, Sofia’s mother separates them, leaving Santino with another bout of grief. But Santino and Sofia are destined to meet again, and they do. After a marvelous turn of events, Sofia visits Mondello as an adult, and Santino recognizes her. What comes next is a moving story of how the couple tries to overcome nightmares that threaten to drive them apart. But how much can love alone bear?

I did not expect much from Santino and Sofia’s love story. I expected it to be the cliché story of “good girl meets bad boy and other people scheme to separate them.” But Lucia Lorenzo surprised me with the plotline development of this novel, Sofia Mia. Instead of just focusing on writing a fairytale love story, Lucia Lorenzo addressed issues that affect real human beings, including making rash decisions, depression, anxiety, and even addiction. I appreciated the way that Sofia and Santino had to forgive each other and use the friction to get closer to each other. It was not jealous people’s schemes that threatened Sofia and Santino’s relationship but their own actions, and I was pleased to see that the storyline did not conform to clichés at all.

Connecting with the characters was as smooth as butter for me. The story began when Sofia and Santino were children and revealed their struggles from a young age: Sofia struggled with being seen and heard, while Santino struggled with grief. This background the author provided of the two protagonists allowed me to make a deep connection with the characters from the onset. I must also applaud the book’s character development. Sofia started as a dependent, insecure girl, but she had to grow into a completely different woman. The same can be said for Santino; he was not the same person in the end that he was at the beginning of the book. The tremendous growth I witnessed led to me root for the two characters and their relationship no matter what.

The author did not leave out other characters, which added more depth to the story. I knew that Sofia and Santino were the stars of the show, but I liked other characters, including Rocco, Francesca, Connie, Dona Tomasina, and Peppo. I was especially surprised with Leggo’s character, and I’m sure other readers will be surprised too. The author’s writing style was also commendable; the story was easy to read and with no confusion as to how events progressed.

Unfortunately, I must rate Sofia Mia 3 out of 4 stars. I found so many errors and highlights by another person that I am certain that the copy of the book I received needs another round of professional editing. Other than the errors I found, this story was a great read. This novel is perfect for hopeless romantics. If you like romance books but dislike being sold a stickily sweet, false love story, you will love Sofia Mia. If you like to read about women growing and becoming strong and confident, you will love to read about Sofia!

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Sofia Mia
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official review didn't affect my decision and I'm happy there is a memorable cast, which is really important thefirst ten pages start with an alligator attack in a river where Mr. Gibbs and his son Jayden went fishing. Then we are introduced to Tyler and his wife Sarah and their two twins Rachel and Cody. The first ten pages are well written. The story follows Sarah as a patient wife and Tyler as the unfaithful short-tempered husband. The family drama aspect of the story is not to my liking and the mystery was not properly introduced. I like the concept btw first ten pages start with an alligator attack in a river where Mr. Gibbs and his son Jayden went fishing. Then we are introduced to Tyler and his wife Sarah and their two twins Rachel and Cody. The first ten pages are well written. The story follows Sarah as a patient wife and Tyler as the unfaithful short-tempered husband. The family drama aspect of the story is not to my liking and the mystery was not properly introduced. I like the concept

With the exception of a few inaccuracies noted on the review. I'm interested in reading the book. It sounds intriguing. I enjoy a tale that is simple to follow while still being compelling. Great review

Thank you for the review. I too like romances but I don't want them to be predictable or one dimensional. This sounds like a great read that focuses on character development and as you said, human challenges. I think I would like to read this book.

This novel sounds intense due to the unexpected romance. I would definitely want to read it. Thanks for the review.

Besides the inaccuracies with the book it picked my interest as I expect any book which is good to me must be a guide to my life . thanks for the review

The character development in this novels sounds fascinating. I like to read romance novels and this seems to be a great story. I hope it receives a thorough round of proofreading. Good job with the review! Thank you.