Dark and Mafia Romances | Mini Romance Reviews

I haven’t posted reviews in a little while so I thought I would share some mini-reviews on recent romances that I have read. Today I’m sharing my thoughts on Liars (The Triad #2) by Dana Isaly and The Sweetest Oblivion (Made #1) by Danielle Lori.

I really enjoyed both of these books a lot. They both have similar vibes but are also quite different from one another and that is why I really enjoyed them.

Please check triggers for each of these books. They are both dark mafia romances and each has their own trigger warnings. Some include; kidnapping, murder, gun and knife violence, graphic sex scenes, dark violence and more.

Liars (The Triad #2) by Dana Isaly

Pages: 208
Publish date: December 10th 2021
Publisher: –
ASIN: B094R92GLX
Purchase: Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

My boys found me, but a rift has formed.

Weeks ago I was steadily gaining their trust, finding my place in their lives and their beds. Now, it seems I’m the wedge driving the three of them apart.

I’ve been beaten, starved, and kept in the dark. All to come back to three men who can’t agree whether I’m an ally or a mole. But we have bigger problems to solve.

There’s a new player in the game.

The latest contender for the Dulca throne just so happens to be my favorite cousin. He was my best friend, my partner in crime. If I can get my boys to trust me long enough to keep them from starting a war, my family’s secret weapon could end up being the key to bringing our organizations together.

But I have no clue what Motshan is hiding up his sleeve, and we might not be able to come back from the carnage it could cause.

Liars:

I received an earc of Liars by Dana Isaly for review in exchange for an honest review. This has in no way influenced my thoughts and feelings.

I didn’t know what to expect when I picked this one up. The first book finished on a cliffhanger and I didn’t know where the story was going to be taken. And it started with a bang. After Scarlet is kidnapped, her boys need to work together more than ever to figure out where she is. And when they find her, there are lots of things that are different. And some things that are very much the same.

Scarlet is still as fierce and sassy, but I really wished that we got to see her more vulnerable. It was like she recovered very quickly. We saw a few hints of it here and there. But I really wanted some more of it. But that wasn’t a major deal for me.

Sebastian, Tristan and Elliot are all very different and I think we really were able to see that again in Liars. Sebastian while a goff ball at times, is… I don’t even know how to say it. But I wouldn’t want to meet up anywhere. Tristan is calmer and you are able to see how much he does care for Scar. And then were is Elliot, who intrigued me from the get-go. But we really get to see more of him in this book and I kinda loved it.

The plot for this one was really interesting. And while for the most part I really did enjoy it, I just wanted a little more. I was just sitting on that edge and never really went all the way.

Overall I enjoyed reading Liars. I think it was a great sequel and I am so not ready for the next book, I want it already. But I am also so not ready for what is going to happen. If you are looking for a new dark mafia romance series, give this one a go.

The Sweetest Oblivion (Made #1) by Danielle Lori

Pages: 384
Publish date: June 20th 2018
Publisher: –
ISBN: 9781721284443
Purchase: Book Depository – Amazon UK – Amazon US – Amazon AU

She’s a romantic at heart, living in the most unromantic of worlds . . .

Nicknamed Sweet Abelli for her docile nature, Elena smiles on cue and has a charming response for everything. She’s the favored daughter, the perfect mafia principessa . . . or was.

Now, all she can see in the mirror’s reflection is blood staining her hands like crimson paint.

They say first impressions are everything . . .

In the murky waters of New York’s underworld, Elena’s sister is arranged to marry Nicolas Russo. A Made Man, a boss, a cheat—even measured against mafia standards. His reputation stretches far and wide and is darker than his black suits and ties. After his and Elena’s first encounter ends with an accidental glare on her part, she realizes he’s just as rude as he is handsome.

She doesn’t like the man or anything he stands for, though that doesn’t stop her heart from pattering like rain against glass when he’s near, nor the shiver that ghosts down her spine at the sound of his voice.

And he’s always near. Telling her what to do. Making her feel hotter than any future brother-in-law should. Elena may be the Sweet Abelli on the outside, but she’s beginning to learn she has a taste for the darkness, for rough hands, cigarettes, and whiskey-colored eyes. Having already escaped one scandal, however, she can hardly afford to be swept up in another.

Besides, even if he were hers, everyone knows you don’t fall in love with a Made Man . . . right?

The Sweetest Oblivion:

This book has been on my tbr for a while now. And I finally got around to it recently. The Sweetest Oblivion follows the daughter of a mafia head. But her sister is engaged to be married to Nicolas Russo, her life is once again thrown about.

I enjoyed this more than I was planning on liking it. While I say this, I was expecting it to be a little darker. It’s a mafia romance and there are a lot of questionable things that do happen. It just wasn’t as dark as I heard it would be. I think the later books get a little darker. I’m really intrigued and cannot wait to read more.

The romance in this one is intense but also so addicting. Elena and Nicolas are like fire and ice and it just works so well. I liked that there was heaps of tension between them, but it wasn’t instant love, attraction yes, love no. It really worked in this novel so well.

I also enjoyed both Elena and Nicolas as characters. I didn’t fall in love with them, but I really enjoyed getting to see them fall for one another. Elena comes across as innocent at first, but she has been through and seen a lot. And she doesn’t take shit from anyone. She is just very sly about it and she works up to it slowly. Nicolas is harsh and tries to hide what every he is feeling, but he would do anything for Elena. And I mean anything.

I’m really excited to continue with this series and read everyone else stories. I know they are going to be as intense, and excited as this one. Overall The Sweetest Oblivion was a great read. The romance was intense and hot, the plot made me want to keep on reading. And I am left wanting more from this world. While not as dark as some other mafia books I’ve read, it does have its triggers.

And there we go. Those are my thoughts on recent dark, mafica romances that I have read. Have you picked up these books yet/ Are you planning to? What are some books that you’ve read recently and enjoyed? Let’s Chat!