Obviously, the ranking the best mafia romance books is as subjective as h*ll, but let’s just pretend my opinion matters for just two seconds, right? I’m not going to lie, this list is definitely a bit biased because I’ve seen some of these books being born. So here it goes, the best mafia romance books in no particular order. (I’m not even going to pretend I can rank them. I refuse.)
Prisoner by Ellie Kent
Since I’ve become an author, I’ve beta’d a lot of books for my author friends, but Ellie Kent…she’s special. She’s my hype girl who one day confessed to me she was writing a book. She’s my hype girl turned friend who was brave enough to send me her very first book baby and asked for my opinion. She’s an author who doesn’t even know how much natural talent she possesses. Prisoner has everything you’d expect when you pick up one of the best mafia romance books out there and so much more. Ellie managed to capture all the enemies-to-lovers vibes, the second chance angst and the controversy we seek for in every mafia romance. She starts the book strong, hooking you in with a female prisoner that’s captured by the boy she loved once upon a time, but she finishes it even stronger, having you longing for the next book. This might be Ellie’s debut novel, but to me? It definitely deserves a spot in the top 5 of best mafia romance books.
Buttons & Lace by Penelope Sky
This was the first really f*cked up mafia romance I’ve read and I went in completely blind. Like any ferocious reader, I was going through the books on my phone wondering what I should read next. Clueless, I found Button’s & Lace, the book that I downloaded for free thinking it was something like Fifty Shades of Grey. It wasn’t. Not even a little. For half the book I was seriously wondering what the hell I was reading, not even aware of the fact that apparently it was a romance book. Penelope is the queen of writing a perfect love story in a very very f*cked up the world of organized crime and human trafficking and I was hooked from the beginning. Hands down, one of the best mafia romance books I’ve ever read.
The Fire Series by Billie Lustig
I’m gonna do something controversial. That’s right. I’m putting my own book in there. Why? Well, first off, because I can. But secondly, because I truly think it deserves a spot in this list. Do I think The Fire Duet #1 (Callous & Combust) is the best book I’ve ever written? No. But I’m still in love with this couple, this series, the world I created and everything that came after it. Kane Carrillo is the mafia boss we all drop our panties for, possessive, jealous, ruthless, but ready to burn down the world for those he loves (heads up; not many). But it’s not Kane why I love this duet so much. It’s Callie. She’s strong, she’s fierce, she’s insecure, fully aware of her immortality but she chooses to walk the world with her chin up in the air regardless of the shitty hand her family has dealt to her. She refuses to let fear dictate her life. She’s a survivor and will die fighting, no matter the circumstances. Did someone ever asked what you wanna be when you grow up? Well, I want to be Callie.
Canary by Tijan
What the hell am I reading? That was what I was thinking when I was three chapters in. Is this a romance? I thought five chapters in. But when I reached the end, I was so content with the fact that I f*cked off all my responsibilities for the last four hours to read this book. A lot of the best mafia romance books that rank in the Amazon Top 10 are over the top in plot, characters, scenes. So much that it’s not realistic. This doesn’t have to be a bad thing, in fact, I’ve enjoyed more than enough of my fair share of over the top mafia romance books. But I love it when an author actually dives deep and makes it believable, relatable and realistic as fuck. I loved Girl/Ash. I loved how she wasn’t your typical virgin FMC and her fearless stance reminded me a lot of Callie’s. She was filled with fear but would die before she’d show it to anyone, not even Raize. This book was fascinating, real and different, and that to me makes it one of the best mafia romance books out there.
Crow by A. Zavarelli
I mean, I’ve written a four book series about Boston’s organized crime? How can I not love this book? Fun fact, I love Boston. Never been, but is very very high on my bucket list. This was a book that had all the elements. Betrayal, strong FMC, possessive, suspicious MC, and that little bit of Irish I always enjoy. It’s probably that 25% Irish that’s engraved in my DNA.
A. Zavarelli is an amazing author and I’m a sucker for a kick ass girl who’s ready to take on the world. Blame the Spice Girls with their Girlpower mantra. Crow is fast paced, violent and with enough suspense to not put it down until you reach the last page. Their fight for dominance will keep you in a chokehold, but isn’t that what we love the most about mafia romance? A female who isn’t afraid to go head to head with the man everyone fears…
