#BookReview ~ Queen of Blades by Victoria Jayne ~ Dixie Mafia, Book One ~ #Mafia

 

Book Details:

ASIN: B0F143XDVF
Publication date: June 3, 2025
Print length: 356 pages
Book 1 of 2: Dixie Mafia Series

Amazon
Goodreads

About the Book:

Will Paul kill Harper, or will someone else beat him to it?

Paul Ricci had no intention of starting a war between criminal syndicates. Especially over a woman. He’d accepted the bounty on Harper Myers’s head out of respect. They had history, and he wanted to give her a death with dignity.

Unfortunately, his heart had different plans.

As the daughter of an outlaw biker, Harper was no stranger to the politics of organized crime. Despite removing herself from that lifestyle years ago and starting anew as a lawyer several states away, coming home to Oklahoma dragged her, kicking and screaming, right back in.

Someone wanted her dead. It wasn’t personal—just business. The man who had once taken a bullet for her intended to put one right between her eyes.

Would Paul, her fling from the past, be her savior or her executioner? Did her heart know the difference?


My Review:

Queen of Blades is the first book in the Dixie Mafia series. It's the full story of Harper and Paul as adults. Harper left Oklahoma and became an assistant district attorney in North Carolina. When her father requests a favor, she finds herself back in Oklahoma defending her ex-boyfriend. Before she has a chance to leave, Paul materializes, and they pick up almost like there hadn't been so many years since they last saw one another. Then Paul drops a bombshell. She's his target. Now there's a race to unmask who put the hit out on Harper and why, before Paul makes his move, or someone else does.

I was pulled into this world through my reading of Fling of Hearts, the prequel to the series. I could not wait to get my hands on Queen of Blades and getting to see both Harper and Paul as grown-ups. Harper has really done well for herself by achieving her law degree, practicing as an Assistant District Attorney, and fleeing the Roughneck Riders. Her loathing for Diesel, the ex, is strong and believable. The chemistry between Harper and Paul is electric and arcs off the pages. 

I couldn't put this book down!

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

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#BookReview ~ Fling of Hearts by Victoria Jayne ~ Dixie Mafia, Book #0.5 #Mafia #Prequel

 

 

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B0FF2CTRB1

Publication date: ‎ July 1, 2025

Print length: ‎ 60 pages

Amazon

Goodreads

About the Book:

Is there a better way to stick it to your ex than to have a fling with the hot mafia guy?

Fresh out of a relationship, Harper was ready to get out of Oklahoma and away from outlaw bikers. All she had to do was pass her LSATs, get into law school, oh and convince her crazy ex-boyfriend things were over.

Totally doable.

The family business had grown with their casino in the laundromat’s basement. Paul settled into a groove until Harper came along. Driven, foul-mouthed, and addicting. Of course, she came with baggage.

Listen. It was never that serious. She wasn’t his problem. Right? When the bullets flew, they find out.

My Review:

Harper Myers is just trying to get out of Dodge and away from her father's crooked biker club and her psycho ex-boyfriend. She didn't know she'd land in the sights of the local mafia...and like it. Too bad she brought her trouble to his doorstep.

Fling of Hearts is a very quick introduction to the Dixie Mafia and the Roughneck Riders. The main characters are Paul, a member of the Mafia and Harper, the daughter of the president of the Roughneck Riders. Their unlikely attraction heats up, delivering a spicy dynamic between the two. I loved watching them dance around each other until they couldn't contain their desire.

I enjoyed this novella and started book one, Queen of Blades, almost immediately after completing Fling of Hearts.

I was provided with a copy of this book. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.

My Rating:

This post contains affiliate links.

If you make a purchase using my links, I will receive a small commission from the sale at no cost to you.

Thank you for supporting Sapphyria’s Books.

#MafiaRomance #Review ~ Brutal Prince (Brutal Birthright, Book #1) by Sophie Lark @SourcebooksCasa @Sourcebooks #DarkContemporaryRomance #Romance

Book Details:

ASIN: ‎ B08BNLPH6D
Publisher: ‎Sourcebooks (Bloom Books)
Publication Date: ‎ July 15, 2020
Print Length: ‎ 376 pages

Amazon

Goodreads

About the Book:

A Match Made in Hell

The Griffins and the Gallos have been battling for control of Chicago’s underworld for generations.

Their bitter rivalry reignites when Aida, the youngest and wildest Gallo sibling, crashes a party at the Griffin mansion, accidentally setting fire to the library.

To stave off all-out war, her father arranges a marriage with Callum Griffin, eldest son and heir.

Cold, ambitious, and brutal, Callum is determined to tame his headstrong bride. Aida is more than capable of giving as good as she gets – starting with poisoning Callum on their wedding night.

In their struggle for dominance, who will break first?

My Review:

Brutal Prince is a mafia romance by a great author. I've been reading Sophie Lark's books since her Colors of Crime series (now known as the Underworld series) started. I love her creativity with her characters and world-building. 

Aida Gallo and her brothers crossed a line when attending a party at the Griffin mafia. Sneaking into the home of the Irish Mafia wasn't even the worst part. Aida goes snooping around and gets cornered in the library. Hoping to escape without being recognized, Aida starts a small fire. Unfortunately, her plan doesn't work and while they do get away, they don't get away unscathed. What ensues is a marriage pact between the Gallos and the Griffins, and Aida is right in the center.

Mafia romances have become one of my favorite tropes. Realistically speaking, the mafia and the mob are not organizations that are romantic. Authors, however, are able to romanticize the idea and create magnificent stories filled with romance, suspense, and difficult paths to a happily ever after.

The characters were written well and I enjoyed meeting and getting to know them. Aida does make a mistake at the beginning of the book that alters the course of another's life, and for that, she was not one of my favorites. As the story moved along, however, I found myself warming up to Aida. The relationship that developed between Aida and Callum was a true enemies-to-lovers story. The hatred is palpable, believable, and intense. Their road to romance is not smooth and even but filled with bumps and barriers. Their path is also filled with undeniable chemistry and animal attraction.

The suspense and twists in the story keep me on the edge of my seat. Lyrically, the author is a star. Her use of descriptive language, metaphors, and vivid imagery take this book to the next level. Brutal Prince hit all of positives for story, character development, world building, passion, and suspense.

Thank you for the paperback copy, Bloom Books and Sourcebooks!

My Rating: 

Book #Review ~ Vow of Revenge by P. Rayne ~ #MafiaRomance #Romance

The first book in P. Rayne's upcoming Mafia Academy series features an enemies-to-lovers arranged marriage between Marcelo Costa and Mirabella La Rosa while they attend college at the secretive and private Sicuro Academy.

About the Book:

Nothing ruins a perfect day like your dead fiancé showing up in the middle of your first class.

Mirabella La Rosa
When my father arranged for me to marry the next in line to lead the Costa crime family, I swore I'd do anything to escape that fate. I have way more to offer my family than being some man's arm candy, producing heirs, and making appearances at weddings and baptisms.
Marcelo Costa might be my fiancé, but he'll never be my husband.
Somehow, I get lucky because he and his father are killed in a car bombing. Not only do I not have to go from being a mafia princess to a mafia wife, but now I can attend college at the Sicuro Academy--an affluent private college created for mafia children like me.
I'm so excited. I've moved into my dorm room with my best friend, put on the uniform and am ready to learn. But all my plans come to a screeching halt when he shows up on campus alive and well, seeking revenge on those that crossed him.

Marcelo Costa
The look of shock on my fiancée's face when I walk into the classroom at the Sicuro Academy gives me more pleasure than it should.
Mirabella made it clear she didn't want to marry me, and she's a problem to be dealt with for sure. But now, she's the smaller of my two problems.
The only reason I'm at the Sicuro Academy is because my investigation into the bomb that killed my father and almost took me out has led me here.
So I'll allow Mirabella to stay at the academy while I track down my father's murderer, but once I've brought that person to my own particular brand of justice I'll remove her from campus and make her my wife.
And no amount of pleading on her part will change my mind.

My Review:

I can't believe how exceptional this book was written. I love mafia romances and Vow of Revenge impressed me. The story is character-driven, focusing on Mirabella La Rosa. A mafia princess, Mirabella was promised to Marcelo Costa. Her feelings were not hurt when he and his father are killed in what could only be a targeted hit. Marcelo's death affords her the opportunity to attend Sicuro Academy. Only, he comes back from the dead, and arrives as Sicuro Academy on the first day of classes as a new student.

I loved the dynamics between Mirabella and Marcelo. Mirabella knows how things are supposed to be in a mafia family and arranged marriage but that doesn't mean she accepts them. She wants to more than a brood sow and arm candy. She wants to be part of the crime family in a meaningful way. Marcelo wants to take her home as soon as his investigation into the car bombing is complete. Mirabella is persistent in getting Marcelo on her side but when danger finds them at the Academy all bets are off.

Vow of Revenge is an excellent book. I can't wait for the next story in the series. 

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating:

Amazon: https://amzn.to/41KMOCK

Add to Goodreads: https://bit.ly/3Vt8IGW

 

#Review ~ Emerald (Colors of Crime, Book 5) by Sophie Lark

ASIN : B0838R9XKZ
Print Length : 207 pages
Word Wise : Enabled
Publication Date : February 12, 2020
Purchase Link: Amazon

About the Book:

She Tried To Kill Me...

She crept into my room with a syringe full of poison.

Now she’s my prisoner.

She refuses to tell me who sent her or why.

But I’ll get every last secret out of her. Through pleasure or through punishment.

I captured her and now she belongs to me…

“Emerald” is a dark and dominating mafia romance, Book 1 in the Colors of Crime series. It’s a stand-alone novel, full of intrigue, danger, and sexy bedroom scenes. Contains spanking, so if such material offends you, do not read.

Review:

Don't let the synopsis of Emerald fool you. Ivan may be a tough Bratva leader with men that cower at his size, demands, and show of force but Sloane is not one of his men. She is an assassin sent to kill him. They payout is huge and, even as she eyes his sexy, sleeping form, she knows she has to fulfill her contract. That is, until he captures her and holds her in a cell in the basement. Based on Ivan's MO, Sloane should be dead, not sitting almost naked in front of him, leaning into his touch and wanting more. 

Sloane's character is great. She's mouthy, insolent, and when it comes right down to it, can hold her own. She's been an assassin for years and until Ivan, able to get in, do her job, and get out. By the time they find the body, she's only a fleeting memory, one people never associate with dead body. Sloane knew going into this job that Ivan wasn't going to be easy to take down. He's much larger and stronger than she so convention wasn't going to work. Ivan catching her and not immediately killing her allowed for one of the sexiest romances to bloom. They both have a maniacal mafia overlord breathing down their necks, each for a different reason, but if they work together, Ivan and Sloane may just take him down. 

Sloane is Ivan's match in almost every way, making this a book about partnership, exploration of unfamiliar feelings, and being ready to risk it all for the one you love. The book is filled with suspense, action, and thrilling moments. I love the characters in the Colors of Crime series. They are written well and are realistic. The suspense and twists in the story keep me on the edge of my seat.  Lyrically, the author is a star. Her use of descriptive language, metaphors, and vivid imagery take this book to the next level. Emerald hits all of positives for story, character development, world building, passion, and suspense. I look forward to getting my hands on the next book.

I was provided a copy of the book to read.

Book Review: Violet (Colors of Crime, Book #3) by Sophie Lark ~ #Mafia #Romance

Book Details:

Print Length: 219 pages

Publication Date: December 18, 2019

ASIN: B081819P9G

Amazon

About the Book:

He Knows Her Secret…

Violet Black is a talented singer and songwriter, but she’s barely scratching a living in London, working at a seedy club run by the Russian mafia.

Standing onstage, Violet locks eyes with a massive, brutal-looking Bratva. Anton Vasilev is second-in-command to the biggest boss in Paris. He’s intelligent, ruthless, and completely fixated on Violet.

He wants something from her, but Violet doesn’t know what. Until he abducts her from her bed in the middle of the night.

The Bratva have a plan for Violet. They know a secret about her… Something she doesn’t even know herself...

“Violet” is a dark mafia romance, full of danger, forbidden love, and bloody retribution. It’s Book 3 of the Colors of Crime series — a standalone novel, complete with HEA and no cliff hangers. Intended for mature readers who love steamy sex scenes, and men who will do anything to protect their women.

My Review:

Violet Black is a poor but aspiring singer, songwriter, and performer in some of the seedier locations in London. One evening during a gathering of the Russian mafia heads at the club she works for, Violet finds herself in the crosshairs of an older gentleman and his second-in-command. Violet is enthralled by the second-in-command who is introduced as Anton. As quickly as their connection sparks to life, the group is gone from the club. Anton doesn't leave Violet's mind, however.

When Violet goes to sleep one evening in her apartment but awakens on a boat with Anton in the middle of a channel, she knows the feelings she had about Anton are true. He want something from her or knows something about her. An effort to escape Anton fails and Violet finds herself standing face-to-face with one of the Bratva's powerful leaders.  

Violet is a darker installment of the Colors of Crime series by Sophie Lark. The introduction to the Russian mafia was a nice twist for the series. This is definitely as stand-alone story in the series, though we do get a glimpse of Violet's brother and sister. The chemistry between Violet and Anton is off the charts, believable, and evident from the first time they locked eyes. The situation involving the abduction and reasons thereof, as presented in the story, was too easily accepted by Violet, but it didn't detract from my enjoyment of the book. 

I love the characters. They are written well and are realistic. The suspense and twists in the story keep me on the edge of my seat. Lyrically, the author is a star. Her use of descriptive language, metaphors, and vivid imagery take this book to the next level. Violet hit all of positives for story, character development, world building, passion, and suspense. I look forward to getting my hands on the next book. 

I was provided a copy of this book to read.

My Rating: