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Bianchi Family #1

Her Mafia Bride

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Juno Ruthless. Deadly. Glacial.
And oh, she makes me burn.
When my Mob Boss father forces me into an arranged marriage with the billionaire heiress to the Bianchi Family, everything changes.

At first I resent being treated like a bargaining chip, but Juno captivates me in ways I've never known. Her Ice Queen facade hides a simmering volcano just waiting to be unleashed, and her commanding touch sets my body on fire.

But loving Juno could destroy me...

There are people out there who are just as dangerous as she is, and they won’t hesitate to use me to get to her.

With enemies closing in around us, can I trust my Mafia bride to keep me safe?

***

Opposites attract in this enemies to lovers romance as the reckless street-racing daughter of an Irish Mob Boss finds a way to defrost her Mafia Ice Queen wife.

This is a steamy F/F Mafia romance with some dark elements and a lot of angst. Content notes are available on the Copyright page.

240 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 11, 2023

377 people are currently reading
855 people want to read

About the author

Persephone Black

21 books323 followers

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5 stars
576 (40%)
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457 (31%)
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302 (21%)
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75 (5%)
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23 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews
Profile Image for Sky. .
348 reviews2 followers
August 15, 2023
When Am i getting a good wlw Marriage of convenience book? When huh?? 😭😭😭😭.

Where’s the tension between the characters? Where’s the supposed hate ?? Nothing literally NOTHING!
Caitlin was so childish and annoying I wanted to slap her so many times, I don’t know what Juno see in her!
Also at the start she say there’s no way in hell she’ll submit! Well after marrying for what 2 or 3 days she immediately submit and beg 🤣🤣.
And the sex scenes was weird and cringy as fuck 😭😭

Still I’ll read the sequel when it come out, please don’t ask why i keep torturing myself
Profile Image for Sterling Sapphic Reads.
412 reviews535 followers
April 27, 2025
I have officially entered my Black Hole Era—and there is no coming back.

Since diving into Persephone Black’s Sapphic Mafia Universe, I’ve been in a state of absolute blissful captivity. These duets—The Underworld Duet, Bianchi Family Duet, Ruby Realm Duet, and Red Rivals Duet—are the kind of dark, deliciously intense, emotionally layered romances that refuse to let go until you’ve consumed every last word. And then? You hit replay.

Each story feels like its own world, richly built with high-stakes tension, devastatingly compelling characters, and a level of sapphic yearning that delivers—hard. Black doesn’t just write mafia romance—she elevates it. There’s blood, betrayal, forced proximity, forbidden love, vengeance, and ICE QUEENS who will freeze your heart before slowly, achingly melting into puddles of longing and love. I mean, YES please.

From the ruthless mercenary who kidnaps a bride on her wedding day, to a street-racing Irish mob daughter begrudgingly falling for her billionaire enemy, to an undercover fed losing herself in the velvet-laced world of a ladies-only mafia nightclub, to two deadly rivals whose passion burns hotter than the bullets flying around them—every duet is an experience.

And let’s talk about the audiobook narrators, because they are next-level phenomenal. Paige Reisenfeld, Aleksi Graves, Avery Reid, Quinn Riley, Megan Wicks, and Allie Shae—these voices are the characters. They don’t just read the story; they breathe it. It’s sultry, cinematic, and completely immersive. I’ve gasped. I’ve clutched my imaginary pearls. I’ve stared into space mid-scene wondering how I’ll recover (spoiler: I haven’t).

The steam? STEAMING. The sapphics? SAPPHICING. The suspense? Suspending.
These duets are gripping, intoxicating, and—quite frankly—addictive as hell.

What I love most is how Persephone Black crafts these complex women—ruthless yet vulnerable, loyal yet fractured, terrifying yet so damn lovable. The romance always lands with deep emotional payoff. The slow burns burn. The character arcs arc. The tension? Chef’s kiss.

I haven’t binge-read (or binge-listened) an author like this in a long time, and I truly cannot stop myself. This universe has swallowed me whole and I’m not asking for rescue. If you’re even remotely into sapphic romance, mafia drama, or morally grey women who love hard and fight harder—start here.

10/10. No notes. Only obsession.

GIMME MOOOOOOREEEEEE!!!!!
Profile Image for Sanaa.
101 reviews22 followers
October 8, 2025
Mhmmmm, what can I say about this?

First of all, it was fantastic! Everything I have been yearning for in a mafia romance recently.

The yearning, the possessiveness, the passion, the ever looming backdrop of danger, and OH MY GOODNESS THE SPICE!

I thought that the pacing of the romance worked well within the context of the story. Their desire mixed well with their fear and need to protect each other and their own hearts to create a romance that kept me on the edge of my seat and never wanting to stop reading.

Juno was a captivating character, her hard exterior being a mask for her gentleness inside.
Her willingness to be more patient and to let her walls down in order to make Caitlin happy. Her devotion to Caitlin and her family even when it blinds her into making impulsive and heartbreaking decisions. Overall, her flaws and strengths were wonderfully communicated, I only wish that we got more of a view into both her and Caitlin's childhood backgrounds because I loved the glimpse we got.

Caitlin was a harder character to like for sure, though I imagine that was purposeful. Her characterization was supposed to come off as free-spirited and independent but often came off as being impulsive, petty, arrogant, and childish. There were times when her attitude and actions came off as charming (her passion for cars and racing really adding a lovely complexity to her charcter) and I could see the sparks of why Juno was falling so hard for her but often a lot of her dialouge and behavior fell flat to me, but her relashonship with Juno really let her shine in a way that allowed me to really enjoy the overall story.

The mafia backdrop, though feeling vague and sometimes leaving a little too much for the imagination, worked for me. It didn't get too detailed to a point where the romance was losing focus, and it added just enough conflict and angst to the story to keep me in anticipation.

I can only hope for more character growth and action within the second book, but overall, I really really loved this.

4.75 🌟🌟🌟🌟✨️💫
Profile Image for lauraღ.
2,370 reviews186 followers
September 25, 2023
Alas, this was something of a disappointment. It started off with some promise, but in the end, it reads more like a collection of tropes and ideas more than anything else. I love tropey romance, and I genuinely don't mind reading different authors' takes on the same plot, once it's done with some measure of skill and originality? Sadly, I didn't get that here.

We have an opposites attract, arranged marriage between the daughter of an Italian mafia family and the daughter of an Irish mob family. Juno is a chilly ice queen, Caitlin is a hot tempered spitfire, and they immediately get off n the wrong foot. But that very quickly mellows into nothing, and instead of enemies to lovers, it's pretty standard fare. I liked the fact that they maturely decided to make the best of their situation and at least try to be friends, but the conflicts that rose up in place of that were silly. Caitlin being mad about Juno having to work, Juno trying to stop herself from caring about Caitlin... very typical romance tropes that didn't seem to fit in with these characters and their situations. It was just kinda bland. So many moments that could have been pivotal for the relationship were squashed down into a couple paragraphs, like their first non-wedding kiss. A lot of steam (and it was hot, ngl), but there was zero tension. And my brain kept getting snagged on little things that didn't make sense.

So yeah, what started out as kinda decent devolved into just okay, and the melodrama at the end just made me roll my eyes. It's a duet, but I don't see myself continuing. 
Profile Image for Guerunche.
670 reviews35 followers
August 18, 2024
3.5 stars

I have mixed feelings about this story and audiobook.

Good premise - a marriage is arranged for the second in command of an Italian Mafia Family and the daughter of an Irish mob family to keep the peace. The two women have never met but know who the other is by reputation. Needless to say, in a modern era it’s definitely not ideal - but both realize it’s necessary and they have to make the best of it. It doesn’t hurt that both of them are absolutely gorgeous.

They get to know each other quickly due to a forced proximity situation and find they are very attracted to one another. Italian mob boss Juno is an ice queen and Irish mafia daughter Caitlin is a rebel who loves fast cars. Their union quickly turns to lust, which turns to… something neither will voice.

My issues are that one of the main points of the story is that Juno is dead set on keeping new wife Caitlin safe at all costs. Even if it tears them apart. Okay, but being who they are, could they ever truly be? Isn’t someone always going to be trying to wrestle power away from them?

Second, the story doesn’t conclude at the end of the book. You have to continue the series to find out what happens.

Third, there is a dual narration here and the two have such different takes on the characters that it’s jarring when they switch. I wish Quinn Riley would have been the sole narrator on this one. The quality of her recording and the tone of her voice as Juno was more appealing to me than Avery Read’s.

I liked it enough to continue, even though I was disappointed by Juno’s actions in the end. It will be interesting to see where it goes from here.

Profile Image for &.
149 reviews
December 10, 2023
2.75

nesse momento me odeio por ser uma pessoa que não faz resenhas a não ser que o livro tenha me tocado muito, pq tenho bastante coisa p falar sobre esse livro mas por causa desse motivo não irei falar...

mas assim... que porra? sempre leio livros c escrita ruim e já estou até acostumada, não me abala mais, mas por alguma razão nesse aqui me incomodou demais. queria saber HONESTAMENTE em que ponto desse livro elas se apaixonaram pq o relacionamento delas funcionava igual um ioiô e os únicos momentos românticos delas foram no sexo ou quando elas se conheceram. falando em conhecer, que FALTA de desenvolvimento do cacete? deve ser pela escrita ruim da autora, eu admito, mas mesmo assim esperava mais.

enfim né, acho que o livro tinha MUITO potencial se fosse escrita por outras mãos. mesmo assim estarei lendo o segundo livro pq livro ruim eu leio rápido e preciso bater minha meta do ano. let's go let's go
Profile Image for Lady Olenna.
907 reviews71 followers
July 20, 2025
3 Stars

Ice versus fire. Controlled versus chaos and then add those two together in a forced marriage.

I like that Her Mafia Bride is fast paced. No messing about inconsequential details. The focus was not much on the gory side of the mafia life. An enjoyable read.
Profile Image for currentlyreadingbynat.
891 reviews105 followers
February 23, 2024
The book had potential but was let down by its execution. Juno and Caitlin quickly moved from intriguing to simplistic, with their initial conflict resolving too swiftly, diminishing the impact of their romance. The ending added some drama, but overall, the narrative felt rushed and superficial. Despite these issues, I'm curious about the sequel, hoping for deeper character development and a more compelling storyline. The book's reliance on telling rather than showing and its quick-fix solutions made it hard to fully invest in the characters.
537 reviews5 followers
August 30, 2023
Spellbound...

I could not put this book down. The MC's is so stubborn and cause unnecessary pain between them. Gonna read book 2 now, but knowing the angs gonna be worse then in book 1. Good book and was surprised for the cliffhanger. 5🌟 from me.
Profile Image for Heather.
821 reviews12 followers
January 31, 2024
Sapphic Mafia Romance

I definitely liked the premise of this story. The arranged marriage, enemies to lovers was exciting. Their relationship grew fairly quickly and it being a shorter story it was well done. The steam was hot.

The stubbornness that seemed to come and go depending on whose pov was a bit, idk annoying but as the scenes progressed they evened out. A lot of the drama is of course lack of communication and people saying one thing at one point and then a drastic turn around the next.

However, I also had a hard time putting this book down! So there’s definitely something that kept me interested? intrigued? Not sure but if you’re interested in sapphic mafia romance then I wouldn’t skip this one. I’ll be downloading book 2 as soon as I return this one.
Profile Image for emily.
914 reviews168 followers
July 26, 2025
Oh damn, this ends on a full cliffhanger! Turns out, me buying this on an audible sale last summer and only getting around to it now, after buying its sequel this summer bc it was also on sale… was the right choice lol. This was overall mostly fun. I’ve never read a mafia romance before, but I see the appeal of the fantasy that seems to consume the straights. (The constant sexism coming from Caitlin’s family was annoying but also felt pretty true to these types of characters.) It’s fun to see the sapphic twist on it. I liked both characters but overall it felt a little too fast and a tiny bit of a shallow connection, for me. I wanted everything fleshed out a bit more. (That, and sorry Caitlin but I could not give a single fuck any cars, racing or otherwise). I’ll def read the sequel tho, I have it and I want to know what happens. It’s worth a read for sure, I just don’t think it’s going to blow you away. It’s a fun quick read.
Profile Image for Aղցela W..
4,583 reviews328 followers
March 8, 2024
This was book 1 in the "Bianchi Family Duet" This was a different type of mafia read for me. Caitlin O'Sullivan is the youngest and the only girl in an Irish mafia family Caitlin is the wild child doing things her own way. When her brothers come to talk to her, she knows it can't be anything good. Turns out her father has arranged a marriage for her and at first, she said no but her father pays off her debts and threatens to disown her she agrees at least it's to a girl because she is gay. Juno Bianchi none has the Ice Queen is in line to take over for her father the head of the Bianchi family they are rich and powerful, but they don't have the numbers like the O'Sullivan's, so they form an alliance through marriage Juno will do anything to protect the family including marrying for the cause. What starts out as a marriage in name only becomes something more when they begin having sex. I liked both of these characters Juno is stone cold while Caitlin is wild and lives for thrills like street racing, she doesn't listen and puts herself in danger because she wants her freedom to do what she wants to do. Juno was raised to take over for her father she was raised to show no feelings or emotions. I loved that she showed her feelings in other ways I also loved that she was just as ruthless as the men were. The sex scenes between them were ok but with two women you would think it was involve some toys at least. This was my first time reading this author. This book was well written with no errors in grammar or spelling. I am looking forward to reading the next book in this duet.
Profile Image for Jamie (TheRebelliousReader).
7,259 reviews30 followers
December 2, 2023
”I swear to myself again that I will keep her safe, no matter the cost. She is my wife, and I protect what is mine.”

3 stars. I love that quote. Give me a protective Ice Queen any day of the week. As for this book itself it was fine. There was definitely potential there but the execution was a bit off. While I grew to like our main characters Juno and Caitlin, they also felt kind of inconsistent and one dimensional. Caitlin was all about her freedom and living life on the edge but once she and Juno are married she gets over that quickly which was weird. I also feel like the beginning part was the best part because Juno and Caitlin are against the arranged marriage and there was some hostility there but again they both got over it quickly which sucked. I wish that would’ve went on longer as I thought the tension between them was good. Once they started to fall for each other I found that I didn’t care. I wanted more drama.

The ending was good, it’s the typical white fang moment of Juno thinking she’s protecting Caitlin by hurting her. Whatever, I’ll take it. This needed any kind of drama it could get because it was a bit dry. I definitely plan on picking up the second book because I didn’t hate this at all despite my issues with it. It feels like a first book so I’m hoping the sequel will be a bit better.

Profile Image for Melissa.
281 reviews1 follower
April 16, 2025
Honestly, this book probably would have been a DNF if not for the smut.

I felt like the relationship between Juno and Caitlyn was really forced, and I don't mean the arranged marriage part. How quickly they caught feels when the were both not having the arranged marriage felt unrealistic and rushed. The development was just not there. If they continued to be at odds and just had a physical attraction that would have honestly been better imo.

And the ending... woof. It felt so tropey. The "I have to break your heart to keep you safe" script is so irritating. Let Caitlyn have agency in this relationship. Then Juno's martyr complex that she "lost the only good thing in her life" and she's "so heartbroken" ... STFU. You didn't have to do this. Actions have consequences, deal with it and stop whining. You're not a victim.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Netgyrl (Laura).
626 reviews226 followers
August 31, 2025
3.5 ⭐️- It’s exactly what you would expect from a well written sapphic mafia romance except the romance is perhaps a bit sweeter than normal. There is not really much power play and no kink ( at least not yet). I am enjoying it and off to read book two.
Profile Image for Alexa Steli.
785 reviews4 followers
March 25, 2026
2,75/5
Idk how did I got bored to a mafia book but here we are.I hated Caitlin with a passion, my homegirl was making her own problems.Juno is the "ice queen" but Caitlin has been more bitchy in 2 chapters than Juno the whole book.
Profile Image for stat shiv.
118 reviews28 followers
November 14, 2023
➬➱➫➩➪【DNF: 50%~】
I have been seeing this book blow up so I had to give it a try. This is the first book I attempted to read by Persephone Black. There seemed to be an interesting plot based on the blurb.

Unfortunately this book ended up in the pile of Kindle Unlimited wlw books that just are not worth it. The MC’s were supposed to dislike each other, which they did… However, then it just fell into an insta-lust vibe quickly after. So much for the enemies to lovers trope going on. I think they folded way too quickly and left me confused. I tried to read a bit more but the writing style was very subpar and I did not find it to be well-written. I also did not like the organization of the text in the book, but that is really just my preference.
‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎ ‎
➢Happy reading!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for _kenzie_.
287 reviews846 followers
December 20, 2024
4/5🌶️
•sapphic
•mafia
•arranged marriage
•forced proximity
•”good girl”

“She’s my light, my miracle. And I’ll move heaven and earth, sacrifice anything, tear the whole world asunder, if it means keeping her safe.”

the third act break up bumped it down for me because bffrrrr🥲
but other then that Juno and Caitlyn kept me on my toes. i actually really liked their dynamic. Caitlyn wants freedom, she’s a free spirit, she’s chaotic and unpredictable but def knows what she wants. i loved how against this marriage she was but whilst still wanting her freedom, she falls so hard for Juno and you can feel it. And Juno ahhh i love her but she’s so fkn stubborn. she’s the head of the family, she’s very put together & professional. everyone else gets to see the Ice Queen but Caitlyn got the best of both worlds & has seen and experienced her sweet side. Juno has such a sweet spot for Caitlyn, it made my heart burst. not to mention she’s filthy in bed, i loved it.
Caitlyn better make her grovellll in the next book😏

quotes🔥❤️

“You can always count on me to take care of you, baby.”

“This, us—it’s more than enough. It’s everything.”

“You’re my freedom.”

“Ride or die. You and me. Just like always.”

“I’m right here. You’re mine. No one will take you from me.

“You are the most important person in that room to me,”

“I want to devour you.”

Profile Image for Jen-Lea Mercy.
Author 3 books28 followers
October 22, 2023
Ice queen romances are always so fun to read. The author did an amazing job with this story, and the way Juno melts bit by bit for Caitlyn is... (sighs happily). Lots of action and steam, Her Mafia Bride should be next on your TBR! What are you waiting for?
Profile Image for Milena Carrera☆.
115 reviews
January 30, 2025
No sé si alguien de esta plataforma conoce el juego de historias interactivas "Episode", pero es que esta novela (si es que puede llamarse así) me recordó totalmente a las historias tan malas de esas.

Es aburrido, cansino, sin gracia, MUY MALO. Tiene una pésima trama, horribles personajes y nada, nadaaaa tiene ni una pizca de coherencia. Los personajes decían una cosa en una página y en la siguiente hacían cualquier otra cosa.

Es un "enemies to lovers" que hace quedar por los suelos al cliché, es más bien un insta love HORROROSO disfrazado de algo más. Es muy malo, el "amor" es muy falso, más bien es solo sexo. Otro cliché que maneja muy mal es el de "Reina del hielo" Juno literalmente es TODO lo contrario a una mujer fría, es más bien estúpida, boba, infantil e incoherente. No se justifica porque Juno se enamora de Caitlin o viceversa, literalmente desde la primera vez que se ven sientes una conexión (????), DÓNDE ESTÁ EL SUPUESTO ENEMIGOS A AMANTES???

Caitlin era muuuy infantil, se enojaba porque Juno intentaba PROTEGERLA. Todo lo que hacía Juno como mujer adulta le molestaba a Caitlin. Hermana, te casaste con una LÍDER DE LA MAFIA, esperabas que esté todo el día pendiente de contentarte? Ni siquiera se casaron por amor, dios mío. Siento que faltaron muchísimas escenas porque de un capítulo a otro habían cositas que me hacían arquear las cejas por la falta de coherencia, Dios que enojada estoooooy 😭

No puedo creer que en serio alguien le ponga más de una estrella a esto. Esta historia falla en todo: malos personajes, trama vacía, amor barato, falta de acción, falta de coherencia. Tiene una narración básica y el hecho de que la haya leído en una traducción pirata no ayudó a la pésima experiencia.

Bueno, me despido con la esperanza de nunca encontrarme con novelas así de malas. Lo peor es que podría quitarse más provecho porque la trama sí prometía, lástima que se fue por lo más fácil.

Pd: no voy a leer la segunda parte, pero espero ESPERO que no terminen juntas.
Profile Image for Erica.
355 reviews12 followers
August 27, 2024
❤️❤️

Ice queen mafia sapphic romance?! Yes please 🤭

Juno and Caitlin are forced into a marriage of convenience. Caitlin gives zero fucks and Juno is cold and uptight. I loved how their relationship slowly progressed and Caitlin was able to get Juno to open up and slowly lower her walls. The chemistry was amazing 🔥🔥🔥🔥 This book ends in a cliffhanger which I normally hate with a passion but I can’t wait to start book two.
Profile Image for Elia Johnson.
Author 4 books69 followers
April 15, 2025
This was nice! I enjoyed both characters and how they are with each other, but I feel like Caitlin is said to be one way yet acts another. She’s immediately soft for Juno and never truly puts up a fight to the arrangement, it’s just portrayed like she will. Nevertheless I like them as a couple but Juno’s stubbornness does what it does. Time to see what happens next!

3.5 stars
Profile Image for a.
1,310 reviews
May 25, 2024
It was nice to read a mafia ff as I don't think I've ever seen one before. But I found Caitlyn to be incredibly immature and annoying and the romance overall was super insta love and I just didn't quite feel the connection.
Profile Image for Rtz.
257 reviews1 follower
September 8, 2023
The main characters had good chemistry. The story line was more of a romance. I wish there was more action scenes and mafia wars.
Profile Image for saguittal.
76 reviews1 follower
October 8, 2023
3.5

Starting book 2 as soon as possible... don't want to bee hanging for a long time 😉

I like this mafia-ice-queen story...
Profile Image for Jess.bookrecs.
630 reviews58 followers
March 9, 2026
3 enjoyable enough stars.

As fast as they fell in love is as fast as it all went to shit and in a fashion that makes me want to laugh and rage at the same time because I enjoyed myself when reading this, listening to the audio Infact but it’s all so predictable that I can’t say I’m either going to pick up the second book or excited to pick it up.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 123 reviews