Sins of the Fathers · 2022
By Virtue I FallSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Cora Reilly
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 4/5 (Pitch) · 2 trigger warnings flagged
By Virtue I Fall is book 3 of Sins of the Fathers by Cora Reilly, first out in 2022. Expect mafia, enemies to lovers and forbidden. Spice is explicit (4 of 5) and the darkness is pitch dark (4 of 5). We could not find the author's own warning list yet, so check it before you start. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 26 June 2022 (first publication, per Goodreads). Book 3 of Sins of the Fathers.
By Virtue I Fall tropes
On this shelf, By Virtue I Fall is filed under Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers and Forbidden romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
By Virtue I Fall spice level
Is By Virtue I Fall dark romance?
Yes, firmly. By Virtue I Fall scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More pitch books. How we rate.
By Virtue I Fall trigger warnings
Warnings not yet verified. We could not find the author's own content warning list for this book, so the flags here are only what the publisher's description makes clear. Check the author's note before you start.
Graphic (0) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
None flagged in this band.
Full By Virtue I Fall trigger warnings
Sins of the Fathers reading order
By Virtue I Fall is book 3 of 4 in Cora Reilly's Sins of the Fathers series. Start with By Sin I Rise: Part One.
- Book 1 By Sin I Rise: Part One · 2021
- Book 2 By Sin I Rise: Part Two · 2021
- Book 3 By Virtue I Fall (this book) · 2022
- Book 4 By Fate I Conquer · 2022
Order checked against the Goodreads Sins of the Fathers series page on 13 October 2026. The Sins of the Fathers series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
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Books like By Virtue I Fall
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- By Fate I Conquer
By Fate I Conquer
Cora Reilly
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Sinners Anonymous
Sinners Anonymous
Somme Sketcher
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- By Sin I Rise: Part Two
By Sin I Rise: Part Two
Cora Reilly
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Awakening
Awakening
Lee Savino
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Buttons & Hate
Buttons & Hate
Penelope Sky
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Guns n' Boys: Book 1, Part 1
Guns n' Boys: Book 1, Part 1
K.A. Merikan
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- Tempted by Deception
Tempted by Deception
Rina Kent
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
- He Hates Me
He Hates Me
Isabella Starling
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers
Books like By Virtue I Fall, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of By Virtue I Fall?
By Virtue I Fall spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 4 of 5 (Pitch).
What are the By Virtue I Fall trigger warnings?
Graphic: none flagged. Moderate: Murder. Minor: Organised crime. Warnings not yet verified against the author's own list. Check it before you start.
Is By Virtue I Fall dark romance?
Yes, firmly. By Virtue I Fall scores 4 of 5 on our darkness scale (Pitch). Bleak on purpose. Comfort is not the job.
What tropes are in By Virtue I Fall?
On this shelf By Virtue I Fall is filed under Mafia dark romance, Enemies to lovers and Forbidden romance.
Who is By Virtue I Fall for?
For a reader who wants made men and a family business you do not walk away from. Spice is explicit. Darkness is pitch. Warnings are not yet verified, so check the author's note first.
What are some books like By Virtue I Fall?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: By Fate I Conquer by Cora Reilly; Sinners Anonymous by Somme Sketcher; By Sin I Rise: Part Two by Cora Reilly; Awakening by Lee Savino; Buttons & Hate by Penelope Sky; Guns n' Boys: Book 1, Part 1 by K.A. Merikan. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/by-virtue-i-fall.
Is By Virtue I Fall a standalone?
No. By Virtue I Fall is book 3 of 4 in the Sins of the Fathers series by Cora Reilly. The series starts with By Sin I Rise: Part One.
What order should I read the Sins of the Fathers series in?
1. By Sin I Rise: Part One; 2. By Sin I Rise: Part Two; 3. By Virtue I Fall; 4. By Fate I Conquer.
How many books are in the Sins of the Fathers series?
The Sins of the Fathers series by Cora Reilly has 4 main books.
What is the By Virtue I Fall age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 4/5 (pitch). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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