Book recommendations: Mafia Romance

There are lots of different genres of books and even more sub-genres, but one particular genre that has grown in popularity since the rise of Bookstagram and BookTok is romance.

Romance has always been a popular genre of fiction with classics such as Wuthering Heights and Pride and Prejudice featuring love stories. But since social media and the rise of indie authors, romance has grown immensely in recent years.

As a creative writing student, it fascinates me how fiction is written and why readers get hooked on different stories. With romance, there's the element of fantasy and the escapism that comes when reading a love story. It's hard to date in the modern world and find romance when dating apps take away in-person interactions and more and more people are seeking 'short-term fun'.

That's where romance books fill the void because they provide that connection as readers get hooked on to the characters. Trust me, I know - my list of book boyfriends and empowering female protagonists is rather long!

But when it comes to romance books, there are many sub-genres involved, which creates a deeper focus within the plot. Some of the sub-genres include sports romances, small-town romances, dark romances, and mafia romances.

Today, because I've read a few this month, I'm going to give you some of my favourite mafia romances.

Sinners Anonymous by Somme Sketcher

Somme Sketcher was actually a new author to me this year. I'm attending the RARE23London event at the Excel later this year; Somme is one of the authors going and one of the ones I want to meet, so I thought I should read her books. And I'm so glad I did.

Her Sinners Anonymous series currently consists of three books available to read (the fourth is coming out later in 2023). It centres around the Visconti brothers, who are part of the Cosa Nostra in Devil's Dip. The eldest brother, Angelo, is the Capo whilst Rafe and Gabe are his consigliere and underboss.

Book 1, Sinners Anonymous, follows Angelo and Rory's story, whilst books two and three (Sinners Condemned and Sinners Consumed) follow Rafe and Penny's story. Gabe's story will be the fourth book, Sinners Atone.

It's a mafia series with six central characters, lots of tropes including enemies to lovers and forbidden romance. If you haven't read Somme's books, I definitely recommend this series as a good introduction not only to her as an author but to mafia romance as well.

Dark Verse series by Runyx

The Dark Verse series by Runyx is probably one of the first mafia romance series I ever read thanks to my friends on bookstagram. It consists of five different books: The Predator, The Reaper, The Emperor, The Finisher and The Annihilator.

The first two books are about Tristan Caine and Morana Vitalio, both involved with the mafia but are from rival families. Their story is a duet as history resurfaces bringing the two together to face truths that have been kept hidden for years.

The third book tells the tale of Dante Maroni, the heir to the Tenebrae Outfit, as he tries to infiltrate the group called the Syndicate whilst uncovering truths he didn't want to know and navigating a relationship with his childhood friend, Amara after tragedy strikes.

The Finisher follows Alessandro Villanova and Zephyr de la Vega as they fall in love turning Zephyr's quiet life and Alessandro's lonely one upside down. These are two side characters with the whole Dark Verse world, in my opinion, but their story is still enjoyable to read.

The Annihilator is the fifth book in the series and it ties the mafia world together, bringing together all the different characters and narratives. It focuses on Tristan's sister, Luna, and the Shadowman, both of whom have been at the centre of the mysteries throughout the series.

The Dark Verse series is a really enjoyable mafia read and once you start reading, you'll get hooked!

Rina Kent's Monster Trilogy and Throne Duet

Rina Kent is one of those authors who gets you hooked immediately. Once you've read one book by her, you'll want to read the others and both these series are no exception.

First up, the Throne Duet. This duet is a two-parter story that follows Kyle Hunter, an assassin, and Rai Sokolov, the daughter of a member of the Brotherhood, the Russian mafia in the States.

The duet follows the two of them as they navigate an arranged marriage and the restrictions of the mafia. Kyle begins the series as Rai's enemy but the dynamics soon change with Rai taking the position of power, which is rather unusual in the mafia. There are ups and downs, lots of chemistry, sweet moments, and angst.

The Throne Duet is in my opinion some of the best work of Rina's.

As for the Monster Trilogy, I must admit at the time of writing this blog, I haven't actually read the trilogy in full. However, that being said, I know Rina's writing and I've already met Sasha and Kirill (funnily enough, they're in Rai's story)!

The Monster Trilogy, as I understand it, follows Sasha as she enters the military and masquerades as a male with Kirill as her superior. The whole trilogy has Mulan vibes with major slow burn but the first book begins by showing the first time Sasha and Kirill meet, giving us their backgrounds.

Book two picks up straight after book one and it continues to explore Sasha and Kirill's relationship right into the third and final instalment of their story.

I can't wait to read the whole trilogy and get up to date with Rina's books!

Question:

Have you ever read a mafia romance book? If you haven't, give the ones above a try but if you have, let me know in the comments what books you've read.

Until next time...