A Game of Secrets

by S.L. Wisdom, S.J. Noble

A Game of Secrets.A Dark Mafia romance where the main character will end up with more than one love interest. This is part of a Duet Series. Recommended for aged 18+.SilasFrom the moment I saw her, I knew she was mine. I'd find her and keep her. She is the light and I am the dark. But will she let me keep her when she discovers who I really am?ColeI watched her for my brother. She has become my newest game, she is mine to chase, mine to catch and when I catch her I hope I'll uncover all of her darkest secrets and deepest desires…LincolnShe’s the enemy, I don’t know how she’s involved with them but she is. I’ll find out what this delicate and delicious creature is hiding, even if it reveals my own family's dirty secrets in the process…LucilleI had a secret life, for six years I've been looking over my shoulder wondering if, or when, my ex would show up. He never knew about our son. I'd made a new life for myself here in Las Vegas. Then I met them. One by one they infiltrated my life, but who do I choose? I want them all and they all want me…*This book touches on heavy subjects and we advise readers to check out the trigger warnings first, as this contains explicit sexual situations, violence, sensitive subjects, offensive language and very mature topics*

Genres: Dark, Reverse Harem, Dark Romance, Romance, Why Choose

406 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 13, 2023

Reviews

[Ricardo Medina · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have just finished "A game of secrets" by S.J Noble And S.L Wisdom by reading it on my tablet thanks to the Kindle Unlimited subscription of my girlfriend.

Lucille is a registered nurse and a single mother to Teddy, with a dark past due to her ex-husband. Silas, Cole, and Lincoln are mobsters and leaders of the Italian mafia. They have been lifelong friends and have always shared everything, including women. Silas meets Lucille in jail a week before his release and immediately falls for her. Now, he and his brothers are determined to take care of Lucy in every possible way.

This incredibly well-written story by these two talented authors is filled with spicy moments between Lucy and her alpha-male harem. The book is narrated in the first person from multiple points of view, skillfully developing all the different characters throughout the story and delving into their pasts and the reasons behind their behaviors. Be prepared for a huge cliffhanger at the end of the book; you'll definitely be craving more of the story.

I highly recommend this book to an adult audience that enjoys spicy tales intertwined with a well-developed plot.

[P.B. Flower · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot and most certainly heavy

This book is a hypotonic ride into the Mafia world with some serious level SMUT.

It starts off in a gentler tone, building up to the shady world of gore and sex in no time flat. I read this book in two days, stopping to catch some sleep in between. Lucille is the FMC who has relationships in threes, like literally. LoL! She has her son, brother and best friend. And then the three Italian Mafia leaders. A reverse harem Queen on one side and a normal woman on the other. She has the talents to juggle both with ample flair.

The three hot men will give the readers a bumpy but enjoyable ride of a different kind. You feel me, ladies? That's right, it is a super-hot read.

The plotline has a gripping story in the background. This one is part of a series so it ended in a cliffhanger. I need the next book right about now. No pressure.

Great job, S.J. Noble and S. L. Wisdom!!!

[Kodi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Y’alllllllll the screammmmm I scrumttttttt

Book requirements
Mafia✅
Broken MCs✅
Panty melting psychos🥵✅ *blows Cole a kiss*
Touch her and ☠️✅
Spice🥵🥵🥵✅✅✅✅✅✅

If you love the above please, please, PLEASEEE RUN DON’T walk to download this book.

SPOILERS
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Lucille/Topalino (Little Mouse) and her son are on the run from the big bad. Constantly looking over her shoulder for her personal Boogie Man to find them. Her life is is uneventful until the day she meets Silas Salvatore at a Prison rotation as a nurse. Let me tell you before he even lays eye on her he’s bloody because, a pissant thinks to harm her! 🫠🫠 His brother Cole and right hand man Lincoln Rossi watch her for a week before his release. Cole is immediately infatuated and before long this Tomcat has something to say about Silas having her to himself. Linc/Lincoln and his little boy Alesso meet mia luce (My Luce affectionately deemed by Silas) and her son Teddy by chance in the park and comes under suspicion of Max Castillo her half brother. They want to know his relationship to her and her son and if he will be an issue as he is enemy #1 until they discover her Boogie Man. Well not to give a lot away sprinkle in some anger fueled spice, protective Mafia men Kat the BEST MOST NONJUDGMENTAL hype women/ best friend Bella her daughter, a wh+re who can’t take a hint and a WHOLE lot of fuckery and I PROMISE you won’t regret this choice in reading material.


P.S. I plan to ask Lucille to share Cole I need this romantic little psycho in my life🫠🫠🫠🫠

Thank you S.L. Wisdom for personally recommending me your book I don’t regret a bit of time I spent devouring it 🥰

[Angela Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Men at work

Amazing Mafia RH story, Lucille is such a strong FMC, running from an abusive husband. Love her strength and her determination to live life to the full and find love again.
The brothers are all a little bit psycho but so good for her. All sound delicious especially Silas, so happy for Lucille, she definitely deserves something good.
Really enjoyed this dark delicious story, that cliffhanger tho, must find out what happens next.

[Emily Catlow · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy. Crap.

I went in blind and I’m so glad I did! This book was delicious; full of spice, morally grey, possessive alpha men.

Goals.

Three mafia brothers, one lady, Lucille. She fell in individual ways for the guys but they all fell hard for her. The chemistry was great, the storyline was brilliant and the spice was 🥵

The ending has me shook- I’ll be needing that second book like yesterday!

[Jane bird · Rating 5 out of 5]

love love love it

This book is amazing keeps you wondering what’s going to happen next gut to the end and I want the next boom now! Can’t wait to buy it . Well done girls hood it’s not to long to wait . Thanks Lesley for the recommendation

[Kaitlyn Terrell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Trigger Warnings: Murder, Torture, Knife play, Blood Play, Child Abuse, Kidnapping, Domestic Abuse, Rape, Non Con, Battery, Death, MMMF

Review: THIS BOOK! This freaking book. It deserves all the praise. It was simply phenomenal! I was captured almost immediately and it was so hard to put down wondering what would happen next. Full of little surprises and I definitely was not expecting that ending. I loved having multiple POVs, it really helped you truly grasp each character. The plot was so creative and the spice… was spicing. 🤌🏻 It’s definitely dark at times and has some gore. The way these men protect Lucille and Teddy… ahhhh… you just gotta read it. And the book ends on a MAJOR cliffhanger, so be prepared. Needless to say, I’m on the edge of my seat for the next one. 😫

[Azalea Hudson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I finished reading A Game of Secrets two days ago, and I’m still in an endless book hangover and worried sick about Cole! Good Grief! S.J Noble and S.L Wisdom have created one of the best and most gripping dark mafia romance I have ever read, perfect combination of gore and love to keep you gasping till the very last word.

Lucille is a nurse, a single mother of a lovely five-year-old boy, and a runaway from an abusive husband. She hides herself and her kid with her brother Max, a Don for an Irish mob. In one of her scheduled visits to the prison, Lucille meets Silas, the handsome Italian Don, and through him, his brothers, Cole and Lincoln, and whatever happens after that, it will blow your mind! 🤯

The story is written in first person POV. The chapters mostly switch off between the four main characters, but some of the secondary ones get a turn too. A few gruesome secrets from the brothers surface, telling more about their pasts and upbringing. You dive into their perverse personalities, and as Lucille did, fall in love with them. ❤️ The story is fast-paced, keeping you on your toes the entire time while they romance Lucille and promise to always cherish and protect her and her boy.

The three Italian Dons are powerful, gorgeous, wicked and twisted men, but also so distinct from one another with unique soft spots. They bring deep and ugly scars from a tortuous past that forged them into the merciless gangsters they are today. The nightmare to their enemies and whoever dares to cross them. Lucille is a caring, hard working mother, but once she meets the brothers, they sure blowtorch the sheets. ❤️‍🔥🌶️🔥🥵 The chemistry between them is explosive and through the roof. There are a lot of twists and turns, questions are answered while others have you guessing. The story ends in a massive cliffhanger, leaving you with a lump in your throat and your heart stuttering. While you repeat to yourself… Why? Why? Why? 😧😭

I’m so ready for book 2 I’m sure the wait will be painful, but worth it. A Game of Secrets is suspenseful, bloody, graphic, spicy as hell, full of romance and heart wrenching moments with morally gray characters you’ll love to bits. A great addition to the darkest contemporary mafia readers library. 😍😍 P.S. Cole is mine, no one touches him! ❤️‍🔥😍❤️‍🔥

[Dana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wish I could give this zero stars. It was awful. I can finish a book in 1-2 days and this one took me almost a WEEK because it was so terrible. I made notes as I read and I'm just pasting them here.


Horrible punctuation
Comma abuse: "Alessandro has been brilliant, I'll see you at home later okay my man?” Comma splices EVERYWHERE
Apostrophe abuse (“headbutt's” “pizza’s”) Words that end in ‘s’ don't need an apostrophe, unless you are denoting possession!

Takes place in Vegas, but too many British-isms
Using 24h time instead of 12h with AM/PM
“This is mad” instead of “crazy”
“Coloured” Colored - no u
“Unsurprisingly, he’s already out of bed and stood in front of his wardrobe” Should be standing, not stood
“Stag-do” We call them bachelor parties
“Nonce” This is British slang

If you're going to use Italian words/phrases, do them correctly. Refers to FMC as “topolino,” which is the Italian name for Mickey Mouse, so that's weird, but it should be "topolina" because she’s female.

FMC is an idiot. Terrified of her ex-husband finding her and the child he doesn't know about, but listed him on the birth certificate anyway. Why not just….leave it blank???

FMC also gives me whiplash. She tells Cole to leave and not break into her house and that they're “just friends,” but on the very next page she begs him for his dick. Uhhhhh make up your mind!

The sex scenes are not good. Like watching a poorly acted porno.

This is just me being nit-picky, but who is going out to dinner at 3 or 4PM? FMC picks up her son from kindergarten and then they go out to dinner. I know Europeans make fun of Americans for eating dinner so early, but we aren't eating dinner THAT early.

Randomly capitalized words. The men all call each other Brother or Fratello constantly. Or “I've missed you today, Son.” WHY ARE THESE WORDS CAPITALIZED?!

Too many different POVs. We have FMC, the three main men, FMC’s ex husband, FMC’s brother, and the jealous OW. Seven POVs is too many.

[Kristen · Rating 5 out of 5]

🖤I have just finished reading my first “why choose” and it was amazing. @ invited me to read A Game of Secrets and thanks to she and @ I’ve been piecing myself back together all weekend.
🖤This terrific dark, mafia, RH romance, has all you could want in a beautifully well written spicefest. This book touches on some sensitive subject matter, so please check the trigger warnings before reading.
🖤This book starts off, subtly but don’t be deceived, the story gets into the violence, gore and sex, hard and fast. That being said, this book was tastefully and thoughtfully written. I was completely captivated by the gripping plot and intense story right from the very beginning. I really enjoyed the multi person POV.
🖤I immediately felt connected to our FMC Luci. She is an incredibly strong, devoted mother, working hard to overcome a violent traumatic past. She is trying to live her life with some sort of a peaceful, calm routine taking care of her son all while dealing the anxiety of an impending threat.
🖤Where do I begin with our delicious Italian leading men?
Silas is strong, muscular, sexy, tattooed and intense. He is working on being reactive and thinking before pouncing. My beloved Cole and all his broken sadistic self won my heart. His tragic past was a lot to take in. But his emotional growth and exposing his sensitive side, especially his delectably filthy sexy talk in Italian was intoxicating. Lincoln is the practical somewhat sensible one with major trust issues allowing himself to evolve to share his emotions and secrets. Together they give all of themselves completely to Luci wanting to provide stability, protection, devotion and whatever else she may need 😏
🖤I’m still feeling all kinds of emotions after the crazy ass cliffhanger ending - I guess that’s what good writing does….right?

[M. Shays · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story is about a young nurse & her small son who are in hiding from her abusive, convict husband. During a visit to treat inmates at a local prison, she encounters an inmate & the connection between them is immediate. The story takes you on a journey to discover the past of the FMC & the mafia boss inmate along with his brother & business partner.

I really love the detail put into creating deep psychological profiles & backgrounds for all the characters. I love how often the details of the book can be very subjective to challenge your thinking on right or wrong decisions.

What I didn't love is how it felt as three men who are extremely darkened criminals are almost glamourized not only into morally gray men but almost portrayed as white knights. I love how we're given reason for them being who they became, but I almost felt they were painted too heroically.

I like the mystery built into unraveling this story. I liked that part more than spicy scenes. For spice lovers, there's no shortage of scenes to grab your interest. I struggled with some of the character decisions & the extreme nature of the story. I assume much of these things are appealing to readers of this genre.
I will say dark mafia romance isn't my typical story. That being the case, I have a hard time judging this. If you like extreme violence, extreme sex, & violence with your sex this will probably be the book for you. I think for readers who like these, this could be a 5-star story. It ends on an epic cliffhanger, so be prepared to jump into book 2. 😉
Please check the trigger warnings ⚠️ this book has many areas that could be troubling for some readers.

[Shelves_by_sim · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lucille Holland has been on the run for over six years. She fled from her abusive ex and ended up running to her brother in Las Vegas where she works as a nurse. Lucille found out that she was pregnant after she left her husband and has been looking over her shoulder ever since. If Vinny ever found out that he has a son, she'll never be safe again.

Luckily, her brother runs on of the most prominent gangs in Las Vegas and has the ability to protect them at all costs. It has been hard for her to trust anyone other than her brother and her best friend, or atleast it was, before she met them. The Salvatore brothers. Silas, Cole and Lincoln Salvatore run the opposing gang and the Italians and the Irish have been at war for decades but that doesn't seem to matter to Lucille.

They make her feel safe, they would do anything to protect Teddy and Lucille finally feels like she can trust again. They are dangerous and each of them have their own baggage but they are also the most amazing men she has ever met. She did not expect to fall in love with someone again, nevermind three gorgeous men who have a decade old rivalry with her brother. But when Vinny comes after Teddy, they prove to her just how much she means to them.

My thoughts:
🥵🥵🥵🥵. Wow! This book was all spice and it was fantastic. The scenes blew my mind and I couldn't put it down! I loved Lucille and Teddy. The plot was good and well developed. The boys though? Godsdammit were they yummy lol I absolutely loved the fact that they had no doubt about her considering who her brother is. All they wanted was the best for her. I also loved the brother's relationship with each other. I did feel like the dialogue was a little repetitive when it came to the constant pet names but other than that I devoured this book and cannot wait for the next one! 😍

[readingwithShelbyyy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where do I begin? This book takes you on a wild Mafia ride with some crazy twisted series of scenes. Plus, the smut – my god. 🤤

“I spy with my little eye, a little mouse ready to be caught. Let the games begin.”

Tropes:
▪️Why Choose Romance
▪️Dark Mafia Romance
▪️Morally Grey MMC’s
▪️Touch her & Die
▪️Kidnapping
▪️Multi POV
▪️Emotional Rollercoaster
▪️Spice x10

❗️PLEASE CHECK FOR TRIGGERS ❗️

The book starts off a little slow to give you some background on the world and who each character is but once things get going – it doesn’t stop.

The “why choose” trope had me at hello. I absolutely loved Cole, learning about his past, the harsh and violent way he is to turn into a huge soft loving person when it comes to his little mouse.GAHHH I need more.

Silas, Linc and Cole, who wouldn’t want all three? They all represent something different, all three have different personalities that perfectly fit and amazing to Luci and Teddy. Everything about this book was amazing!

The romance, the blood and love is perfectly written. Even though the ending had me in tears! I cannot wait for the second book to come out, I needed it now.

[OhSpicyBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Both S.J. Nobel and S.L. Wisdom are both brand new to me authors and I absolutely loved everything about this book and devoured it! I tend to stay away from stroies that mention being a single parent but the fact that this is a dark mafia and why choose, I couldn't pass it up. This story was so wonderfully written. Lucille is such a strong woman and mother especially after she has been through. She is a survivor and such a wonderful mom to her son Teddy. Lucille meets Silas, who's the Mob Boss, first followed by Cole then Linc who are all drawn to her and vow to protect her at all costs. They all deal with the demons of their past and right now I will say that Cole with all demons he has is probably my favorite. The four of them together are so perfect for each other but while everything seems to going so good it they are hit with scary situation. Betrayal, secrets and the past come at them all once and the truth behind the secrets are heartbreaking. We are left with cliffhanger that I was not expecting but I cannot wait for the next book. This book is a definite read!

[Erin · Rating 5 out of 5]

First off: Thank you to SJ and SL for this fabulous read! 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 I can’t wait for more from your talented and creative minds! 😘😘

So let’s begin shall we… I AM HOOKED. Ladies. We need more.

This was a beautiful “why choose” 🖤 I loved each and every guy, there is no favorite and I think everyone can agree on that. Silas, Linc and Cole all represent something different and amazing to Luci and Teddy.

The mafia element of this book was integrated so well with the romance, the blood and love is amazing 😉 there are stalker vibes, single moms & dads, found family and bad boys galore. A trope for everyone 🖤

I will say, normally I’m not a super big fan of kids in romance books (just doesn’t do it for me is all) but I absolutely LOVED it in this book. It wouldn’t be right without sweet Teddy, Alesso and Bella 🫶🏼🫶🏼🫶🏼 so if you’re saying you’re not reading it because of the “single mom” thing - I’m here to tell you to shove that aside and READ THE DAMN BOOK. ** insert bolding & underlines to make the point clear **

You will not be disappointed picking this one up, I promise!

[N. Dune · Rating 5 out of 5]

I went into this one blind, knowing it was mafia and why choose. The story doesn't disappoint; it holds a lot of mafia aspects, more so than some books which claim to be mafia romance. You get the business side of it, if you know what I mean. The men are filthy and a little psycho, which I, of course, loved, and the FMC was strong, knew what she wanted and who wouldn't want all three of them? Surprisingly, the thing that made this a 5 star, not just the story or the knowledge of how much time and effort a book generally takes to write, was the cliffy. I wasn't expecting it, and boy, did it make me throw my phone (where I read on my Kindle app) across the bed. Now I need the next one. Be aware that this book has triggers and approach accordingly, if you are like me you'll just dive right in.

[Alexandra · Rating 1 out of 5]

1 star
spice: 2/5

To be short: I lowkey hated this book.
The writing style was sooo bad that I wanted to DNF that book after two chapters, and I never DNF'd a book before. So I kept pushing through it, and after every couple of chapters, I had the urge to just DNF it. But I forced myself through it.
Normally, I need 3-4 days to finish such a book, but this one took me two weeks to finish because I didn't even want to read anymore.
There are so many misspellings, editing issues, and inconsistencies. This book needs to be edited badly.

The plot of the book got a bit better, tho. It just got badly executed. It got really interesting when Vinny came into it all, but because of the bad writing, the vibe wasn't how it should be.
I probably will be reading the second book because of the cliffhanger, and because I need to know how the story unfolds, but I did not enjoy this book.

[Heather Roue · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5⭐️
5/5 🌶️ (dirty/filthy talk, stalker vibe, actual execution , RH 🤤, the sexy TENSION, some bondage and blood play)

My dark little soul ADORED this book! The authors did a great job of blending a bloodier and more violent mafia world with romance. Sometimes the mafia romance books don’t do that and they focus more on the romance part and don’t include the details of all of the blood and gore. Like I’m here for the sexy stuff, but I need some blood, you know?

Also, I really loved the multilingual inclusion with the characters!

The tension and spice between the characters was 🫠🫠 I cannot wait to see how that grows in the next book.

Lastly, the MMC are yummmmmmy. But the FMC was my favorite. She is someone I would want to be friends with in real life so I loved her immediately. She is a wonderful mother, great friend, and a kind person 🥰🖤

So excited for the next book. Y’all need to read this one before it comes out!

[lilla ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ✨

I think this book was my first why choose. It will definitely take a bit of time to get used to it.

The story was written very good and the scenes were so tense I just wanted to keep reading! I absolutely adored the mafia brothers, how quickly they loved Teddy and considered him their own. I did feel Lucille made the decision so quickly when she was asked “the question” but I suppose she always felt like she’s drawn to these men.

I can’t wait for the sequel and to find out what happened!

Also what about Max?? Pls don’t let him be the villain :(

[Confidentlyinthe.clouds Carrie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded

Okay, so I liked it but I didn’t like it.

I felt like it was trying too hard to be dark romance, I didn’t quite vibe with anyone but Silas and Lucille but to each their own.

The rating is mostly for repeated words like cole calling her topolina a million times & the precipice of she’s so beautiful they all fall at her feet upon sight.

Otherwise it’s a well built book, slow burn at first

[Aubrey Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really loved all the aspects of this book! Its sexy, its daring, its creative and the plot is just thick. It's so good, I recommended reading it if you love twisty, dark romance. The authors did a really amazing job with this one!

[Gracy C · Rating 5 out of 5]

A single mom always looking over her shoulder, step sister to one mafia alpha and involved with 3 morally gray alpha brothers from a rival family. This story is a super spicy reverse harem story told in multiple POVs. Well-written and looking forward to more by this author.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

The emotions I felt at the end of this book were overwhelming! The smut and spice was crazy and good but the plot especially the end was a lot to handle. This is definitely a dark mafia romance to read.

[Christina T · Rating 5 out of 5]

my goooooooooooooddddddd 😩

This book has had me clutching at straws.. the depth, the dynamic the fierceness between each character and the suspense woven into every chapter is amazing!

[Mandy Robitaille · Rating 4 out of 5]

wowowowow, this dark mafia why-choose romance sucked me right in. full of drama and angst, I couldn't put it down. that cliffhanger left me eagerly running to grab book two!

I will say, some of the grammar/editing felt like it could have used another read over, but I still devoured this.

[Jen]

Review for duet.

[xia · Rating 1 out of 5]

never write again

[✮sude✮ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Would be so much better if there wouldn’t be ow scenes 💀

[VickieLovesBooks · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF'd at 43%
I tried, I really did but the characters just made me cringe, especially the fmc.
There was nothing I liked about this book.

[Julie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I usually this kind of books. I couldn't really explain why, but I couldn't get into the story.