Falling Crowns

by Monique Stokes

Mafia princess Damara Tramonto is on the run from her abusive husband, Vito Mercurio, lover of all things pain.

When her father and Mafioso of Manhattan, Joseph Tramonto, gets gunned down and thrown in the East River, Angelo Casso, Boss of the Bronx, is her only hope for safety.

But Vito is on the hunt. He haunts her like a shadow, plaguing her every move.

If the memories don’t drive her insane, him stalking her will. He’ll do anything to get his principessa back. Even if that means racking up bodies and bloodying his hands.

But Angelo Casso’s a whole new beast. He’s dangerous—there’s darkness written all over him. He’s calm, disciplined, and radiates charm in a way that pisses Damara off to no end. And he’s also the only man who’s genuinely shown her that maybe she doesn’t have to face her demons alone.

Maybe not every man is a monster.

*Release date is a temporary placeholder. Book release will be much sooner. This book is a dark romance. For a full list of triggers, please check a sample of the book or visit my author page/groups.

196 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 19, 2023

Reviews

[Kristina Baumbarger · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ok so overall I enjoyed the story/concept here. Im not a fan of the fast paced relationship stuff, makes me roll my eyes. The relationship between the two MC's went from interacting in two short encounters to believing the other MC is made for them from those short encounters, both being on a professional level so there was no romantic exchange. There were a few little grammatical errors and a couple other discrepancies: @location 2123 It should be Mercurio, not Casso and @location 2500 (spoiler) she tells Angelo "M-my divorce isn't finalized yet".. at this point Vito is dead, you can't divorce a dead man, shes a widow.

[Kaitlyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

(*ARC REVIEW: The review posted is my personal honest review and opinion of Falling Crowns)

Falling Crowns is everything you need in a dark romance. Damara, our main character is forced into a marriage of convenience which ends up not being convenient at all. Along the way she meets our MMC, Angelo. The story and relationship between the two immediately pulled me in and kept me turning page after page. I wouldn’t say i couldn’t predict what would happen next because I was waiting on Vito’s return, but this book did an amazing job of foreshadowing without giving up too much. Kind of like what I’m trying to do in this review, without spoiling anything. As far as the speed of the book, I’d say it was a very fast paced plot and relationship building. However it wasn’t so fast that you feel like you’ve missed pieces of the story. Essentially, this book was everything a could want from a mafia romance. I wouldn’t say it was too dark just note that this book does touch on topics of kidnapping, torture, and murder so if any of those aren’t your vibes just a fair warning. Other than that, I hope you add Falling Crowns to your TBR and experience Damara and Angelo’s Journey through your own eyes. Happy Reading✨

[Ghoulette · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book quickly captured my curiosity following a once lively, outgoing, and outspoken Damara. A mafia princess who has lost her sense of self, unsure of her worth. As she attempts to navigate her self-doubt and self loathing. The people who walk among the shadows won't make this easy for her. For survivors of DV or SA, proceed cautiously it is relatively common in this story. This book does involve a little spice, drama, violence, and romance. With Damara as the main character, I rooted for her recovery and hopeful for good things to come her way. I would highly recommend the book it's a great read. It had me wondering what was coming right around the corner, always at the edge of my seat.

[Sonya · Rating 4 out of 5]

Things aren't always as they appear to be. This was a fast-paced dark mafia story. Damara is trying to escape an abusive husband who is pure evil her only hope lies in an even bigger monster by the name of Angelo Casso who is the boss of the Bronx. Damara has lumped all mafia bosses into the vicious, untrustworthy box but her opinion is quickly changing as she gets to know Angelo better.

This is a dark romance; therefore, check the trigger warnings because there is on page r*pe and abuse. Damara was in the fight of her life and after losing her father; she was afraid she would have to fight alone until Angelo proved to her that he was willing to burn the world down to keep her by his side.

[Teresa Juckett (Love Dark Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was such a good story from start to finish I was glued to every page. This is a dark mafia story that I went in blind after reading the blurb and boy I did not know what was coming my way as this book has triggers so read those before going in.
Damara thought she had the perfect life after marrying Vito until thing's changed with him and she knew she had to get away from him.
Angelo Cassio is the mafia king of the Bronx and has been asked to protect the principeesa Damara Tramato, but like most mafia family they don't do thing's for free, so she's to be his assistant. When they meet they have an attraction towards each other, but she felt that way towards her soon to be ex, can she trust Angelo to protect her from her crazy ex before he find's her?

[Angela Pope · Rating 5 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily. This was a really good read, and it was definitely dark. The FMC Damara had a place in my heart for how strong she is through this story and for being able to move forward after such a trauma, it just hit very close to home for me. The MMC Angelo is just awesome with the way he helps Damara through her troubling times even though he doesn't have to. I would recommend this read but make sure you read about the triggers first because this is very intense and will not be for everyone!

[Carly · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I didn't love, nor did I hate this one. The plot felt predictable and a bit overdone. It was as if I was reading any other mafia romance book.

The romance between Damara and Angelo was a bit rushed, considering how much Damara went through.
In my opinion, Damara needed more time, and while she did get a few days, it felt as if the abuse didn't affect her as much as it should have.
Damara was a strong character. Angelo was supportive and understanding throughout, and I can appreciate that.

[Andrea Cerda · Rating 5 out of 5]

***ARC Review***

Thank you so much Monique for trusting me to read this book.

I'm a fan of mafia books and this book was really good, read it in one day, I just couldnt put it down.

Without spoiling, I want to say that I really love Strong FMC and loving MMC.

Damara runs away from his abusive husband (read trigger warning ⚠️) and is sent to be in hiding and protected by Angelo, another mafia King, they never imagined the chain event that will start happening after they meet.

I really recommend it!

[Sierra Marie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall, I liked the book and was able to read it in a day. I am a big fan of mafia books and I do enjoy real life elements in the story. There are some triggers warnings so be aware of them because the mfc does go through some heavy hitters, my wish was that how she was overcoming and dealing with her trauma wasn’t so rushed. I feel like Angelo and Damara’s relationship should have been drawn out more and built on because it did feel rushed, but the whole story is fast paced which made it flow in its own way. I also liked how it ended on who ended who (;- overall, it was a good quick read.

[Amber Renee · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my first dip into the Mafia romance!
And although not entirely my speed, Monique had an amazing way of keeping me entertained and absorbed into the story line!

With plots and twists and lots of drama, this book was fantastic!

The bounce back from abuse I think resonates with SO many. Damara was such a well formed character that you have readers really rooting for her. As well as the crucial enemy character we all needed to see deleted from her world 😇

4 out of 5 stars for me! A great read, even for a trope I don’t always enjoy!

[Tabatha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Damara is a Mafia Princess who believed that she married the perfect man. Damara realizes that he is not perfect and fearing for her life she runs from him. Angelo Casso was asked to protect Damara. In Damara, Angelo finds the one thing he never thought he would find. He finds love and a partner. He just had to make sure that she is free first.

I received an Advance Reader Copy for an honest review.

[Jeanette Durant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This dark Mafia romance was an addictive read, fast paced, full of chemistry and danger lurking round the corner.

Damara has escaped the clutches of her abusive Mafia husband and is forced to go into hiding and live with another Mafia family. She is put under the protection of Angelo and sparks fly, but Vito her husband is still a threat.

I really enjoyed Falling Crowns, it was a great Mafia romance and was full of twists and turns.

[Mom2three · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check the TW with this one before diving in. That being said, I couldn't put this one down and I read it way too fast. I kept telling myself to slow down, but I was glued to the pages and I couldn't turn them fast enough. Damara has been through a lot and her story isn't an easy one. Angelo is tasked with protecting her, which he does, and they both find what they've been looking for. It's a spicy read, the characters had great chemistry, and I liked that Angelo is a hero.

[Theresa Buttrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is a fantastic one that takes the mafia thing to a whole new level! There are twists and turns and excitement everywhere. Poor Damara has an awful husband, and she barely escapes him with her life! Will she find love again, or is she truly broken? You have to read to see for all kinds of plot twists that you’ll never guess!! I can’t recommend this one enough!!!!

[Bianca Jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

*ARC REVIEW*
I enjoyed the story that the author has created for this dark mafia romance. Please read the trigger warnings prior to the book as there is mention of flashbacks as well as actions by the antagonist.
There was a great set up of how the mafia worked so you had an understanding of the families.
I loved the build up of the relationship between Angelo and Damara.

[Genoveva · Rating 5 out of 5]

Please check TW and CW. This was a crazy ride of a story. Damara is in a bad situation that she has little resources to help her especially after a family tragedy. The first interaction with Angelo I was cheering her on not letting herself get intimidated. Fast paced story with all the yumminess.

[Stacey Woods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Despite the plot holes it was a fun read. I enjoy any mafia romance so I tend to over look things though I did do a reread to get a better picture. Although it needs improvement I could see myself coming back to this series just for the characters alone.

[Heather Nonna’s Book Nook · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a very good Mafia Romance with some dark scenes so check TW.

I very much enjoyed this story ( read in one day) and would recommend to others.

[Madeleine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Man, this book was so good. A beautifully written, mafia princess, well thought out plot and kept me hooked the entire book.

[Chayna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Check the TW before reading but let me tell you this book is amazing! I love mafia books and this is definitely a must read!

[Arlene Igbinoba · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love the idea behind the world building but felt that a few questions got left unanswered? But maybe that was just me. Overall a really good quick read❣️

[Dorothy Y Nunamacher · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was outstanding. I really have to be in the mood to read a Mafia book. Once I picked this up I couldn't put it down. One of the best Mafia romances I readed this year.

[Alma Cadigan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story between Damara Tramonto and Angelo Casso. The issues Damara has to overcome are not easy. Especially when you are running from an abusive husband. Her family has received horrible news. Her father has died. Things only get worse from there. She is then told she is to work for Angelo. Something she is not looking forward to. But something hits differently between them.
There are triggers. So please make sure to check them before going in!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Damara is one strong FMC! I loved reading her story. It was a bit too fast-paced for me, I felt like there was not enough romance. The characters just seemed to 'know' they are the ones for each other. Overall, this was a good read & I recommend it to anyone who enjoys a good Mafia romance. You must check the triggers for this book. It is not for everyone

If you love:
- Dark romance
- Mafia Princess
- fast-paced
- quick read
- major trigger warnings

⭐️⭐️⭐️

**I received an ARC copy for an honest review**

[Kiana McGowan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I throughly enjoyed this story. Damara is a kickass woman who was beat down in an arranged marriage. When she escapes her ex has vowed to find her at any cost. Those costs are definitely high and she is betrayed in ways she never thought possible. She falls for the man she is sent to work for to keep her safe but will that protect her or hurt her even more? In the process of saving her so much is revealed. You have to read this if you enjoy dark romance and mafia romances but please read over the triggers