Tag Archives: Mafia Obsession

Mafia Obsession (American Mafia 1) by Deborah Garland-review

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Mafia Obsession (American Mafia 1) by Deborah Garland-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date July 24, 2026

Lourdes: I have one goal.
Survive my abusive husband long enough to escape.
Every bruise, every insult, every sacrifice has a purpose.
I’m saving money and waiting for the day I can take my disabled sister and run.

Then Ares Zervas crashes into my life.

On paper he’s the breathtaking CEO of Zervas & Company.
In the shadows he’s the powerful and lethal head of the Greek Mafia.
And the last man I should ever trust.

When my company mysteriously closes out of nowhere, he offers me a job as his personal assistant.
I tell myself it’s temporary. A chance to earn enough money to leave sooner. A chance to remember the woman I was before my husband tried to convince me I was worthless.

But the more time I spend with Ares, the harder it becomes to ignore the way he looks at me.
Like I’m something precious.
Like I’m his.

Then my husband ends up dead. And suddenly other dangerous men are coming after me too.
Men who fear Ares Zervas.

Next, I’m married to him. Bearing his name. Wearing his ring. And sharing his bed in a fake marriage with benefits arrangement I fell into because I could no longer resist him.

I still have my goal. My sister still needs me. He doesn’t.

Men like Ares don’t fall in love.
And I’m terrified of how much it will hurt when he proves me right.

•••••

REVIEW:MAFIA OBSESSION is the first instalment in Deborah Garland’s contemporary, adult AMERICAN MAFIA dark, erotic, Mafia romance series, set in the author’s QUINLAN EMPIRE world. This is head of the American Greek Mafia Ares Zervas, and PA Lourdes Sinclair’ story line. Ares is the brother of Ava Zervas, BRUTAL COLLATERAL (Quinlan Empire 1) .

NOTE: Due to the nature of the story line premise, there WILL BE triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Ares and Lourdes) MAFIA OBSESSION follows the building romance and acrimonious relationship between our story line couple. A night out with her abusive husband David, Lourdes Sinclair finds herself a guest of Club Wicked owner Ares Zervas, and the spiral begins. Ares Zervas doesn’t do relationships but he is determined to protect our story line heroine from not only her husband but from herself, and begins to dismantle the life she has always known including the offer of a job working for Zervas & Company. All is not as it appears to be, Lourdes has secrets, a disabled sister in hiding, and a father with connections to a world she knew nothing about, connections that are about to threaten a war with the Russian Bratva. As Ares Zervas begins a rapid seduction of our story line heroine, someone else is determined to take back control.

The world building focuses on the imbalance of power between our story line couple. Ares has all the power and money, and is quick to move Lourdes into his world. A forced isolation against the threats on her life find our heroine struggling to accept where everything went wrong, and the possibility the threats began years before.

The relationship between Ares and Lourdes begins as a rescue,of a sorts, then employer and employee wherein everything Lourdes has always wanted and needed will be handed to her without a thought. Ares is obsessed with our story line heroine, a touch her and die dynamic that begins to falter when Ares battles between head and heart, struggling to accept his dependence and love for our story line heroine. The $ex scenes are erotic, provocative and intense with some scenes of rope play etc.

There is a large ensemble cast of colorful, powerful and questionable secondary and supporting characters. We are introduced to Lourdes sister Jessica aka Sandrine, Ares’ chief intelligence officer Daria Franklin, as well as Russian Bratva second in command Kirill Volkov., and Lourdes’ husband David Sinclair. The requisite evil has many faces.

MAFIA OBSESSION is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and relationships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is dark, dramatic and intense; the romance is edgy; the characters are determined, desperate and strong willed. MAFIA OBSESSION ends on a cliff hanger-you have been warned.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

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THE MAFIA BODYGUARD’S POSSESSION by Kristen Luciani-review

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THE MAFIA BODYGUARD’S POSSESSION (Mafia Obsession 4) by Kristen Luciani-review

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ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date January 29, 2026

Some Men Save You. Mine Owns Me.
The gunfight in the shipyard should have killed me. Instead, Declan Murphy, the gorgeous Irish mafia enforcer I destroyed, becomes the only thing standing between me and a bullet.
He’s brutal, unforgiving, and unforgettable. Years ago, I had the tattooed savage arrested just to make him hurt the way he hurt me. Now he’s got me pinned in a stolen car, the barrel of a gun tracing every curve of my body, extracting confessions I can’t afford to give. My father’s disappeared into the underworld, and the secrets I’m chasing could get us both executed.

But Declan doesn’t do mercy. He does possession. And every scorching touch, every whispered threat, every moment he keeps me trapped against him reminds me why I fell so hard before—and why I’ll never escape him now.

He should be my enemy.

But when his fingers replace the gun and his mouth claims my throat, my body betrays every ounce of hate I’ve built.

The war between our families is coming. The men hunting my father are closing in. And I’m caught between the devil I know and the darkness that wants me dead.Declan Murphy didn’t save my life. He made it his.

•••••••••

REVIEW: THE MAFIA BODYGUARD’S POSSESSION is the fourth instalment in Kristen Luciani’s contemporary, adult MAFIA OBSESSION dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is Irish Mafia enforcer Declan Murphy, and ballerina Marlow ‘ Molly’ Briggs’ story line. THE MAFIA BODYGUARD’S POSSESSION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Molly and Declan) THE MAFIA BODYGUARD’S POSSESSION follows the forced proximity, fake marriage between Irish Mafia enforcer Declan Murphy, and ballerina Marlow ‘ Molly’ Briggs. A stake out gone wrong, lands our heroine in hot water, becoming the virtual prisoner of our story line hero. Molly’s father is missing but a shoot out between the Mafia and the Cartel finds Molly a pawn in a game without any rules. In an effort to protect Molly, Declan offers a fake marriage, one with an end date and two broken hearts. Meanwhile, someone is targeting our story line heroine, and everyone, including family becomes suspect in the numerous attempts on her life.

The world building follows several pathways, all of which may be connected to the disappearance of Molly’s father Heston Briggs but all attempts to locate Heston are futile when the Cartel come calling.

The relationship between Holly and Declan is tempestuous at best as there is a previous encounter that did not end well. Declan declares himself guardian and protector of our story line heroine, a woman who is often TSTL in the face of the threats against her life and others. Their fake marriage quickly turns into something more but as the end date draws near, Holly is often quick to remind Declan, their relationship was never real. The $ex scenes are intimate and provocative.

The secondary and supporting characters are numerous and familiar including the return of Declan’s siblings and some of their wives; Marlowe’s mother Cloris, and her father Heston Briggs, Marlowe’s ‘boyfriend’ Leon Garcia; Declan’s cousin Roark, dancer Topher Bell, and several members of the local Cartel. The requisite evil has many faces.

THE MAFIA BODYGUARD’S POSSESSION is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, dysfunctional family relationships, acceptance and love. The character driven premise is detailed, dramatic and dark; the romance is edgy; the characters are desperate and determined.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Website / GOODREADS / Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram/ YouTube / Bookbub/
Facebook Reader Group/

Kristen Luciani is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy and suspense-filled romance. She’s addicted to kickboxing, Starburst jelly beans, and swooning over dark, broken anti-heroes. Kristen is happily married to her own real-life hero of over 20 years. In addition to penning spicy stories, she also has a part-time job as her three kids’ personal Uber driver, which she manages to successfully juggle along with her other tasks: laundry, cleaning, laundry, cooking, laundry, and caring for her adorable Boston Terrier puppy.

Mafia romance is her passion…and her poison.

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The Mafia Enforcer’s Temptation by Kristen Luciani-review tour

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The Mafia Enforcer’s Temptation (Mafia Obsession 3) by Kristen Luciani-review tour

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Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date November 13, 2025

I’d rather burn than belong to him. Too bad fate—and the Irish mafia—have other plans. Seamus Murphy is everything I was raised to destroy. Irish. Brutal. Unshakable. He killed my cousin. Stole my future. And now? He’s the man I’m being forced to marry.

It started with a heist. One second I was stealing back my family’s crest— The next, I was face-first in the dirt, pinned beneath a man who should’ve put a bullet in my skull. But Seamus didn’t kill me. He watched. He followed. He touched.

Now I’m his wife in name only— A pawn in a twisted truce I never agreed to. He wants answers. I want vengeance. And neither of us can stop pushing the other to the edge.

I swear I hate him. I bite. I run. I lie. And every time, he finds me.

Every time, he pulls me back in. He kisses like he’s claiming me. Fights like he owns me. And touches like he knows I’ll eventually beg for more.

But if I fall for him… If I let my heart slip even an inch…

He won’t just ruin me. He’ll own what’s left.

•••••

 

REVIEW:THE MAFIA ENFORCER’S TEMPTATION is the third instalment in Kristen Luciani’s contemporary, adult MAFIA OBSESSION dark, erotic, Mafia romance series. This is Irish Mobster Seamus Murphy, and Hair to the Romanov Bratva Ava Romanov’s story line. THE MAFIA ENFORCER’S TEMPTATION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Seamus and Ava) THE MAFIA ENFORCER’S TEMPTATION focuses on the search for the truth. Ava is determined to regain control of the Volkov Bratva, in the wake of her father’s death but someone else is taking the reigns, and our heroine is desperate to take back control. Determined to win, Ava needs a favor from the Irish mob, a favor that involves the man she blames for the death of her cousin. A marriage of convenience to assume the mantel of Pakhan but not everyone is on side with a woman in control, and Ava refuses to step aside for the sake of appearances or anyone else.

The world building follows several intersecting paths as Ava is caught between the proverbial rock and a hard place. Someone she loves has been threatened but her place at the top is where she believes she can do the most good. Often TSTL, placing herself in danger, our heroine continues to push all of Seamus’ buttons, buttons that may trigger an organized crime war.

The relationship between Seamus and Ava is a marriage of convenience predicated upon a fight for power but Ava needs Seamus in order to reach the top, never intending to yield to her marriage vows, or the man with whom she will fall in love. Often placing herself in the direct line of fire, immature and arrogant, Ava refuses to follow, threatening any semblance of peace between the crime families, and the man with whom she is falling love. The $ex scenes are erotic and provocative.

There is a large ensemble cast of diverse and questionable secondary and supporting characters including Seamus’ extended family, and several members of the Russian Bratva.

THE MAFIA ENFORCER’S TEMPTATION is a story of secrets and lies, betrayal and vengeance, power and control, family and relationships, forgiveness and love. The character driven premise is dark, dramatic and edgy; the romance is raw; the characters are charismatic, desperate and dynamic.

 

Reading Order and Previous reviews
Mafia Heir’s Obsession
Mafia Assassin’s Redemption

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Website / GOODREADS / Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram/ YouTube / Bookbub/
Facebook Reader Group/

Kristen Luciani is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy and suspense-filled romance. She’s addicted to kickboxing, Starburst jelly beans, and swooning over dark, broken anti-heroes. Kristen is happily married to her own real-life hero of over 20 years. In addition to penning spicy stories, she also has a part-time job as her three kids’ personal Uber driver, which she manages to successfully juggle along with her other tasks: laundry, cleaning, laundry, cooking, laundry, and caring for her adorable Boston Terrier puppy.

Mafia romance is her passion…and her poison.

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The Mafia Assassin’s Redemption by Kristen Luciani-review tour

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The Mafia Assassin’s Redemption (Mafia Obsession 3) by Kristen Luciani-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date September 18, 2025

I spent twelve years plotting his murder. Marrying him wasn’t part of the plan.
Torin Murphy pulled me from the flames that consumed my family when I was only ten years old. The Irish assassin with midnight blue eyes stole everything I loved. So I’ve built my entire life around one goal: making him pay.

But now there’s a hit on my head, and the only way to survive is a blood marriage to the man I’ve sworn to destroy.

He thinks he’s my savior. But I know what I saw…death and destruction in his wake, my parents’ blood on his hands.

Now I’m trapped in his world, bound by mafia law to a man who makes my body burn with unwanted desire. The ruthless head of a powerful crime family who kills without mercy, but touches me like I’m precious.

He sees through my hatred. He knows exactly how to break down my defenses with his dark games. The way he looks at me, like he wants to equally cherish and dominate me, makes me forget I’m supposed to hate him.

But the deeper I fall into his dangerous world, the more the truth about that night threatens to surface. And when ghosts from his past come looking for me, I’ll have to choose between the revenge that’s defined me and the man who might be my salvation.

I wasn’t supposed to end up in his bed. I wasn’t supposed to fall for my enemy.
And I definitely wasn’t supposed to discover that everything I believed was a lie.

•••••

REVIEW: THE MAFIA ASSASSIN’S REDEMPTION is the second instalment in Kristen Luciani’s contemporary, adult MAFIA OBSESSION dark, erotic, Mafia romance. This is Irish mobster Torin Murphy, and twenty-two year old, Clarita Harriet ‘Harry’ Federici, aka Hazel White’s story line. THE MAFIA ASSASSIN’S REDEMPTION can be read as a stand alone without any difficulty. Any important information from the previous story lines is revealed where necessary.

NOTE:  Due to the nature of the story line premise including violence and Dom/sub situations, there may be triggers for more sensitive readers.

Told from dual first person perspectives (Harry and Torin) THE MAFIA ASSASSIN’S REDEMPTION follows the blood marriage between our story line couple. Approximately twelve years earlier Harriet Federici lost her parents to an assassin’s bullets and subsequent fire , and our heroine blames Torin Murphy for their demise. Fast forward to present day, having promised to avenge the murder of her parents, Harry aka Harriet will discover there is a price on her head, and a marriage to Torin Murphy should ensure her future protection but all does not go according to plan, as Torin becomes guardian and protector as our heroine continues to plan her escape and the end of our story line hero.

The world building follows several paths including the search for the truth. Harry is determined to destroy the man she believes destroyed her life, as Torin must struggles to uncover the person(s) responsible to taking aim at our story line couple.

The relationship between Torin and Harry is tempestuous at best. Harry wants nothing to do with a marriage or our story line hero, as Torin battles his need to Dominate a woman who refuses to back down. Harry pushes back at every opportunity, reminding Torin of the betrayal and loss of her family. The $ex scenes are erotic, and intense but I did not feel the any palpable sexual attraction or need-the relationship felt more like jailer and prisoner.

The colorful secondary and supporting characters include Torin’s brothers Callan and Lucia, Declan, their mother, Harry’s uncle Anthony, and Father Luigi. The requisite evil has many faces.

THE MAFIA ASSASSIN’S REDEMPTION is a story of power and control, betrayal and vengeance, secrets and lies, family and relationships, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic and edgy; the romance is limited but provocative; the characters are desperate and determined.

Click HERE for Sandy’s review of book one THE MAFIA HEIR’S OBSESSION

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

 

FOLLOW: Website / GOODREADS / Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram/ YouTube / Bookbub/
Facebook Reader Group/

Kristen Luciani is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy and suspense-filled romance. She’s addicted to kickboxing, Starburst jelly beans, and swooning over dark, broken anti-heroes. Kristen is happily married to her own real-life hero of over 20 years. In addition to penning spicy stories, she also has a part-time job as her three kids’ personal Uber driver, which she manages to successfully juggle along with her other tasks: laundry, cleaning, laundry, cooking, laundry, and caring for her adorable Boston Terrier puppy.

Mafia romance is her passion…and her poison.

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The Mafia Heir’s Obsession by Kristen Luciani-review tour

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The Mafia Heir’s Obsession (Mafia Obsession 1) by Kristen Luciani-review tour

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /

Don’t own a Kindle? Download the FREE Amazon Kindle App for your mobile device or pc

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date June 5, 2025

He was never supposed to touch her. Now he’ll burn the world to keep her.
Callahan Murphy is a ruthless Irish mafia boss with blood on his hands and vengeance in his veins. When he strikes a power deal with a New York crime family, marriage to the Don’s daughter is just another strategic move—until everything goes to hell.

Because the bride he’s promised? Vanishes. And her younger sister is offered in her place.

Lucia de Rosa is untouched, unwilling, and unprepared for the savage man who now claims her as his own. She thought this arrangement was temporary—a mistake that could be undone once her sister returned.

She was wrong.

When a violent night in Queens ends with her pinned beneath Callahan, gasping for breath and drowning in pleasure, she realizes her life will never be the same. He’s her father’s ally, her family’s nightmare, and her most dangerous mistake.

But Lucia isn’t the submissive bride Callahan expected. She fights him at every turn, challenging his authority and igniting a possessive hunger that threatens to consume them both. Every moment of defiance makes him want her more. Every touch makes her crave the very man she should fear.

He swore he’d never let her go. But when family secrets unravel and blood debts come due, their arranged marriage becomes a battlefield where love and loyalty collide.

In his world, she’s not just a woman—she’s a weapon, a weakness, a wife. And he’ll kill anyone who touches her.

But when enemies close in and the past refuses to stay buried, Callahan will have to choose: protect his empire or save the woman who’s become his everything.

Obsessive. Possessive. Unforgiving. Some marriages are made in heaven. Theirs was forged in blood.

••••••

REVIEW:THE MAFIA HEIR’S OBSESSION is the first instalment in Kristen Luciani’s contemporary, adult MAFIA OBSESSION dark, erotic, Mafia romance series focusing on the Murphy siblings. This is thirty-two year old Irish Mob boss Callahan Murphy, and twenty-one year old, Italian Mafia princess Lucia De Rosa’s story line.

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

Told from dual first person perspectives (Callahan and Lucia) THE MAFIA HEIR’S OBSESSION focuses on the marriage of convenience between thirty-two year old Irish Mob boss Callahan Murphy, and twenty-one year old, Italian Mafia princess Lucia De Rosa. In an effort to stabilize power, Callahan Murphy is expected to marry the daughter of Mafia boss Vincent De Rosa but Callahan is shocked when he discover his impending bride is a woman he rescued the day before. When Viviana De Rosa ran away with her boyfriend, Lucia found herself the next in line to do her father’s bidding but from the outset nothing made sense, and Lucia’s life was about to spiral in the wake of secrets and lies that will leave our heroine wondering where everything went wrong. Unable to trust the men in her life, Lucia reconsiders her path moving forward, a path that no longer includes the man with whom she was falling in love.

The world building follows Callahan and his brothers as they struggle to uncover the truth. Someone is determined to take control of the city, and our hero now has a target on his back but when Lucia becomes fodder in a much bigger game including the Russian Bratva, Callahan goes on the offensive to protect the woman he loves.

The relationship between Callahan and Lucia begins as a rescue then quickly turns into a forced marriage arrangement. Lucia struggles in the face of perceived betrayal but her anger should be directed at someone else. The $ex scenes are provocative and intense; the language is foul, and the constant use of a certain four-letter word was unnecessary.

We are introduced to Callahan’s brothers: Second in command Torin, Declan and Seamus, as well as Lucia’s sister Viviana, and their father Vincent De Rosa. The requisite evil has many faces.

THE MAFIA HEIR’S OBSESSION is a story of secrets and lies, power and control, betrayal and vengeance, dysfunctional family dynamics, acceptance and love. The premise is dramatic, edgy and heart breaking; the romance is seductive; the characters are determined and charismatic.

Copy supplied for review

Reviewed by Sandy

FOLLOW: Website / GOODREADS / Facebook/ Twitter / Instagram/ YouTube / Bookbub/
Facebook Reader Group/

Kristen Luciani is a USA Today bestselling author of steamy and suspense-filled romance. She’s addicted to kickboxing, Starburst jelly beans, and swooning over dark, broken anti-heroes. Kristen is happily married to her own real-life hero of over 20 years. In addition to penning spicy stories, she also has a part-time job as her three kids’ personal Uber driver, which she manages to successfully juggle along with her other tasks: laundry, cleaning, laundry, cooking, laundry, and caring for her adorable Boston Terrier puppy.

Mafia romance is her passion…and her poison.

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