Erryn reviews ‘Virtuous (Giovanni Book 3)’ by Laura Lascarso. The ebook was published November 7, 2022 and is 202 pages. The audiobook was narrated by Daniel Carter. It was released February 17, 2023 and is 7 hrs and 13 mins long. A copy was provided in exchange for an honest review.
Why I read this book: I’m enjoying this series.
The heart is not commanded.
Giovanni is not sleeping, and he refuses to eat. It’s as if he’s trying to follow his beloved master to the grave. Silvio is similarly lost as to how to care for his broken-hearted boy, and always there is the haunting sense that his brother is watching, reminding him in subtle ways that he is not adequately providing for his precious schiavo.
But Silvio is determined to be strong, to be the dominant one Giovanni needs and the man he desires in this season of grieving. Together they will forge a new path with virtues unique to their budding dynamic. But even with the discipline, rules, and structure Silvio provides, there is something more Giovanni craves…
Pain.
When Giovanni goes to dangerous lengths to reach his master, all of Silvio’s hard work threatens to unravel. Silvio must figure out a way to soothe his boy, or else Giovanni will succeed in his risky endeavor and be lost to him forever.
Virtuous, the third installment of the Giovanni trilogy, is an introspective MM romance about grief and healing. Trigger warnings for addiction, self-harm, and mentions of past sexual trauma. This audiobook is meant for entertainment purposes only, not as a guide to safe, sane, and consensual BDSM practices.
Buy your copy here:
Audible | Amazon | Add it to GoodReads
My Review:
The first two books in this series were super angsty…and this one was only mildly less so.
I love Giovanni. I’ve said this before – I want to wrap him in a big hug and hold him tight and tell him everything is going to be okay. Because things look dicey for him. His master died in the last book (okay, I still get teary at that), and he’s been left to the care of Signore (Sir) – Master’s younger brother.
On paper, at least, this seems like a good match – one is a masochist and one is a (sort of) sadist. One likes to Top and one likes to bottom. All isn’t easy, though. Sir prefers bondage while, for Giovanni, this has been a hard no. For super good reasons. But he wants to please Sir. For Sir, the infliction of deliberate pain is a hard no. But Giovanni needs pain to be inflicted like he needs air to breathe. So…can they compromise?
Also, Giovanni is still sort of broken, and anything that takes him away from his routine is liable to set him off. Sir can anticipate some of this, but at times, the depth of Giovanni’s mental illness confounds him. Still, he’s patient. He surrounds Giovanni with people willing to care for him. To nurture him. And, slowly, Giovanni makes progress. But it’s never linear – even as he finds courage to handle some things, he takes steps backward in others.
I yearned for a happy ending and I got one. Giovanni’s journey was one I was glad I listened to. Worth my time, for certain.
I’ll shout out to Daniel Carter who did a good job narrating this series. I wouldn’t hesitate to pick up more audios narrated by him and I’ll definitely be on the look out for more Laura Lascarso books.
My Rating:
9/10 Pots of Gold (90% Recommended) – Compares to 4.5/5 Stars
Website | Twitter: @lauralascarso | Goodreads
Laura Lascarso wants you to stay up way past your bedtime reading her stories. She aims to inspire more questions than answers in her fiction and believes in the power of storytelling to heal and transform a society.
When not writing, Laura can be found screaming “finish” on the soccer fields, rewatching Avatar: The Last Airbender, and trying to convince politicians to act on climate change. She lives in North Florida with her darling husband and two kids. She loves hearing from readers, and she’d be delighted to hear from you.
Follow her on Twitter @lauralascarso
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