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Arranged Deception
Deception.
That’s what my marriage was laced with. I had a job to marry the most dangerous man in all of the outfits—the Seattle Capo, Nico Dante Valiente. He wore blood on his hands as if it were part of his expensive suits. An accessory more defining than a Rolex.
But I needed to do the job for the future of my family, the Notellis. I knew who I was getting into this arrangement with, but I had no idea just how bad the wolf in my bed would be.
She drove me mad. Made everything I stood for seem dismissible. I wanted to break her, show her what it meant to be a Capo’s wife. This capo’s wife. If she was weak, then I looked weak. That simply wouldn’t do.
I would get her to submit—I just knew it. But what was she hiding behind those devious eyes? Would she try to threaten what I built?
She would have a death wish if she did.
Or would I be the one signing up for my own by letting her in too much?
That’s what my marriage was laced with. I had a job to marry the most dangerous man in all of the outfits—the Seattle Capo, Nico Dante Valiente. He wore blood on his hands as if it were part of his expensive suits. An accessory more defining than a Rolex.
But I needed to do the job for the future of my family, the Notellis. I knew who I was getting into this arrangement with, but I had no idea just how bad the wolf in my bed would be.
She drove me mad. Made everything I stood for seem dismissible. I wanted to break her, show her what it meant to be a Capo’s wife. This capo’s wife. If she was weak, then I looked weak. That simply wouldn’t do.
I would get her to submit—I just knew it. But what was she hiding behind those devious eyes? Would she try to threaten what I built?
She would have a death wish if she did.
Or would I be the one signing up for my own by letting her in too much?
353 pages, Paperback
Published August 4, 2023
137 people are currently reading
1138 people want to read
About the author
C.C. Monroe
24 books913 followersAuthor CC Monroe was born in the sunshine state of California. Now residing in Utah with her real life book husband and beautiful sons; she spends her days working and her nights locked away writing the stories her readers can’t get enough of!
Writing angst filled, plot driven, insanely sexy stories just the way we like it. CC has mad one liners, can be witty on the spot and curses like a sailor. Her best friend is coffee with a side of sarcasm.
Meet your new go to author—CC Monroe.
Writing angst filled, plot driven, insanely sexy stories just the way we like it. CC has mad one liners, can be witty on the spot and curses like a sailor. Her best friend is coffee with a side of sarcasm.
Meet your new go to author—CC Monroe.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 207 reviews
December 10, 2023
"Forget a woman scorned. Hell hath no fury like a mafia wife."
Emelia is a mob boss' daughter.
She always knew what she was supposed to do.
Marry Nico, the most feared mob boss in Seattle, and take him down.
At least that's what her father expects from her.
But Nico has other plans.
And Emelia is a big part of those plans.
So what happens when they both get mixed up in more than they bargained for?
"It's a business deal to keep the peace until I get my revenge. That sweet fucking revenge. "
I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
Everyone stay calm. Stay MF calm.
This book exceeded my expectations in more words than I could explain!
Nico and Emelia are just. Wow.
This book was the arranged mafia marriage book that we need. Nay. Deserve.
Nico is a possessive mafia don and Emelia is a take no BS kind of girl.
"You can be the queen or you can be the downfall of your own narrative. You decide."
"You come near what's mine again, and I will watch the life drain from you. I never grant fucking mercy."
I can always count on C.C. Monroe to deliver on the Bad ass Plus Size FMC and Emelia was no exception!
No joke but the amount of times I legit blushed in this book are too many to count!
The banter was top tier. I snorted at some points not gonna lie.
Nico can dirty talk with the best of them in my opinion, honestly!
"God isn't here, baby. It's only your personal devil. Call me your boss."
This became a five star read very quickly for me. I devoured this book so fast and I have no regrets!
"Oh, baby, beg me again, Better yet. Run. We can make this really fun."
Tropes:
- Dark Romance
- Mafia Romance
- Arranged Marriage
- Hate to Love
- Age Gap
- Enemies to Lovers
- Banter
- Praise + Degradation
- Plus Size FMC
- Touch her and I'll kill you
- Primal/Knife/Gun Play
Emelia is a mob boss' daughter.
She always knew what she was supposed to do.
Marry Nico, the most feared mob boss in Seattle, and take him down.
At least that's what her father expects from her.
But Nico has other plans.
And Emelia is a big part of those plans.
So what happens when they both get mixed up in more than they bargained for?
"It's a business deal to keep the peace until I get my revenge. That sweet fucking revenge. "
I received an advanced reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.
Everyone stay calm. Stay MF calm.
This book exceeded my expectations in more words than I could explain!
Nico and Emelia are just. Wow.
This book was the arranged mafia marriage book that we need. Nay. Deserve.
Nico is a possessive mafia don and Emelia is a take no BS kind of girl.
"You can be the queen or you can be the downfall of your own narrative. You decide."
"You come near what's mine again, and I will watch the life drain from you. I never grant fucking mercy."
I can always count on C.C. Monroe to deliver on the Bad ass Plus Size FMC and Emelia was no exception!
No joke but the amount of times I legit blushed in this book are too many to count!
The banter was top tier. I snorted at some points not gonna lie.
Nico can dirty talk with the best of them in my opinion, honestly!
"God isn't here, baby. It's only your personal devil. Call me your boss."
This became a five star read very quickly for me. I devoured this book so fast and I have no regrets!
"Oh, baby, beg me again, Better yet. Run. We can make this really fun."
Tropes:
- Dark Romance
- Mafia Romance
- Arranged Marriage
- Hate to Love
- Age Gap
- Enemies to Lovers
- Banter
- Praise + Degradation
- Plus Size FMC
- Touch her and I'll kill you
- Primal/Knife/Gun Play
January 5, 2024
DNF 83%
I kept forcing myself to read on, hoping it would get better, but I'm giving up now.
The only emotion I feel is disgust. What a waste of loving parents, this guy is such a fuck up. Please kill him, Giulio, we'd all be better off without Nico.
I kept forcing myself to read on, hoping it would get better, but I'm giving up now.
The only emotion I feel is disgust. What a waste of loving parents, this guy is such a fuck up. Please kill him, Giulio, we'd all be better off without Nico.
August 17, 2023
I've been waiting for this baby for AGES!!! and I'm glad CC came back and gave us this gem!! When you first meet Nico, he's a douche alphahole! He has one thing on his mind and he doesn't care about having a wife like Emillia he's stuck with her and already they are like cats and dogs they can't stand eachother plus Emilia kinda has a boyfriend or ex one who she's in "love" with that doesn't stop Nico nope he shows her what happens to her "love" and I LOVED each second.
They didn't fall for one another fast they had an insta attraction, but they tried to one up one another. From tracking implants to Revenge dresses!! Also, we get to see Emilia grow from a quiet girl to a badass with the help of Nico. She even got revenge against her ex, who did her dirty.
I loved the steam between them the way they used one another, then turned into romance in the bedroom. But we so get some betrayal, and that hurt my heart broke for both. We also see them take down another enemy together.
Low angst, tiny ow/Om drama, no cheating, drama, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Slowishburn
Age gap
Push away from both
Violence
Mentions of abuse (h father)
Tracking device
Degradation
Anal sex/play
Mentions of suicide
Praise kink
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
They didn't fall for one another fast they had an insta attraction, but they tried to one up one another. From tracking implants to Revenge dresses!! Also, we get to see Emilia grow from a quiet girl to a badass with the help of Nico. She even got revenge against her ex, who did her dirty.
I loved the steam between them the way they used one another, then turned into romance in the bedroom. But we so get some betrayal, and that hurt my heart broke for both. We also see them take down another enemy together.
Low angst, tiny ow/Om drama, no cheating, drama, no virgins
Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶.5
Slowishburn
Age gap
Push away from both
Violence
Mentions of abuse (h father)
Tracking device
Degradation
Anal sex/play
Mentions of suicide
Praise kink
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
July 28, 2023
Rating: 3.75/5
Spice: 2/5
Trope: Mafia, voyeur, curvy FMC - check TWs
Arranged Deception follows the arranged marriage of Emelia and Nico to form a union between two rival families.
The good news is that I loved the tropes, the plot line/idea, and some of the mafia violence. If it's a mafia, I am going to read, add in voyeur and I am going to forget what I am currently doing and read this book.
Unfortunately, my expectations were too high and this book didn't deliver. I felt this book was trying too hard to be mafia. Pushed the characters on you in a sense that you believe this is a mafia story and the mafia boss is dangerous. The MMC kept going on how dangerous he is, and what he does to people when they cross him, blah, blah, blah. This was like the entire first half of the book.
Then there is the FMC who was very contradictory. She would stand up to the men in her life, then as soon as they said "boo" she cowered away. How do you have balls to mouth off, but then as soon as they say something, you hide. If she is supposed to be submissive then make her submissive. If you want her to be a brat, then we need to work on this.
I am not a fan of books that have a PSA in them. It's fine if it's brief or even done in a way where you don't know you are reading it, but honestly, I just want a good plot and smut. The author constantly discussed sexism, body, shaming, feminism. I feel the author was sharing her beliefs to the reader through the entire book. It was feeling repetitive. Trust me I believe in those beliefs, but it was being pushed too much, in my opinion.
I really enjoyed when the MMC got to be mafia king. It kept me on my toes and engaged. I was wanting a little more.
Overall, it wasn't my favorite mafia book, the potential was there, just lacking a little for me.
**Received an ARC for an honest review***
Spice: 2/5
Trope: Mafia, voyeur, curvy FMC - check TWs
Arranged Deception follows the arranged marriage of Emelia and Nico to form a union between two rival families.
The good news is that I loved the tropes, the plot line/idea, and some of the mafia violence. If it's a mafia, I am going to read, add in voyeur and I am going to forget what I am currently doing and read this book.
Unfortunately, my expectations were too high and this book didn't deliver. I felt this book was trying too hard to be mafia. Pushed the characters on you in a sense that you believe this is a mafia story and the mafia boss is dangerous. The MMC kept going on how dangerous he is, and what he does to people when they cross him, blah, blah, blah. This was like the entire first half of the book.
Then there is the FMC who was very contradictory. She would stand up to the men in her life, then as soon as they said "boo" she cowered away. How do you have balls to mouth off, but then as soon as they say something, you hide. If she is supposed to be submissive then make her submissive. If you want her to be a brat, then we need to work on this.
I am not a fan of books that have a PSA in them. It's fine if it's brief or even done in a way where you don't know you are reading it, but honestly, I just want a good plot and smut. The author constantly discussed sexism, body, shaming, feminism. I feel the author was sharing her beliefs to the reader through the entire book. It was feeling repetitive. Trust me I believe in those beliefs, but it was being pushed too much, in my opinion.
I really enjoyed when the MMC got to be mafia king. It kept me on my toes and engaged. I was wanting a little more.
Overall, it wasn't my favorite mafia book, the potential was there, just lacking a little for me.
**Received an ARC for an honest review***
August 7, 2023
Pretty sure this was my first mafia arranged marriage, and it was a great one to start with. It centers on Nico and Emelia, who is forced by her family to marry Nico in order to take him down. Nico also has his own plans as to why he’s marrying Emelia.
I loved how sassy Emelia was. The banter between these two was hilarious. But knowing it came from a place of really wanting the other made it that much better. She is a confident plus sized FMC, and really holds her own among her dad, brothers, and Nico. Her healing journey in the end was incredible as well.
Nico was a boss. Period. Touch her and unalive vibes, literally. He was taken with Emelia from first sight, but wouldn’t tell her that, or even admit it to himself. But when he did, it was on. We got to see his soft side for her. In the end, they didn’t let family drama come between them, and learned to be a united front.
I loved these two together and their life they built together. I loved every minute of it.
Thanks to CC Monroe and The Author Agency for the advanced copy of this book.
Ratings:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️
Tropes:
🔥Mafia
🔥Confident plus size FMC
🔥Primal plav
🔥Knife Play
🔥Gun Play
🔥Voyeurism
August 9, 2023
I have previously only read a few books by CC Monroe and I follow her on all her socials where I saw all the sneak peeks for months regarding this book. I have never read a mafia romance and was super excited for her to be releasing this trope as I am a fan of her writing style.
I was blessed by CC to receive an ARC copy to read and review.
Let me tell you - I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!
CC does it again with an amazing plot with plus size representation and all the romance. The shmut in this book is *chefs kiss* top tier. Emelia and Nico are one of my favorite couples for 2023. He is a super protected alpha that will do anything to protect his Queen. My only complaint is the voyeurism scene. I wish we would have gotten more from that scene (if you know, you know). Other than that, the book was great. 10/10 recommend.
This book is very different from her normal writing style, which proves she can tackle multiple tropes.
Please check trigger warnings before proceeding.
*mafia
*confident plus size FMC
*primal play
*knife play
*gun play
*voyeurism
I was blessed by CC to receive an ARC copy to read and review.
Let me tell you - I WAS NOT DISAPPOINTED!
CC does it again with an amazing plot with plus size representation and all the romance. The shmut in this book is *chefs kiss* top tier. Emelia and Nico are one of my favorite couples for 2023. He is a super protected alpha that will do anything to protect his Queen. My only complaint is the voyeurism scene. I wish we would have gotten more from that scene (if you know, you know). Other than that, the book was great. 10/10 recommend.
This book is very different from her normal writing style, which proves she can tackle multiple tropes.
Please check trigger warnings before proceeding.
*mafia
*confident plus size FMC
*primal play
*knife play
*gun play
*voyeurism
November 20, 2024
If you are in the mood for a crazy, arrogant, egoist,psiho , deadly mafia man and a plus sise blonde this is the one
"We are crazy
Yes,we are and I hope to hate me forever, don't stop to hate me"
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
"We are crazy
Yes,we are and I hope to hate me forever, don't stop to hate me"
🔥🔥🔥🔥🔥
January 30, 2025
I still have no clue why I put this book off for so damn long! It was sooo good!
It was my first book by CC and I loved every second of it. Poor CC’s DMs though 🤣
I was getting emotionally wreck, laughed, lost my ever loving shit at the MMC then loved him again. Had a serve dislike for her family.
The spicy scenes hitttt!!! Like hit! Like out of the park hit! (I have never watched or played baseball but still understand the reference 🤣)
I need to go binge CC entire back catalog.
Stars: 5/5
Smut: 5/5
It was my first book by CC and I loved every second of it. Poor CC’s DMs though 🤣
I was getting emotionally wreck, laughed, lost my ever loving shit at the MMC then loved him again. Had a serve dislike for her family.
The spicy scenes hitttt!!! Like hit! Like out of the park hit! (I have never watched or played baseball but still understand the reference 🤣)
I need to go binge CC entire back catalog.
Stars: 5/5
Smut: 5/5
August 3, 2023
KC Rating: 4.5🍁 | 2🌶️
For fans of arranged marriage and enemies to lovers romance book, this may be your next favourite book! I loved it! Enough that i sacrificed some hours of sleep because i couldn’t put it down.
The banter, the characters, the plot and the spice were amazing! Meet Nico and Emelia, the characters that have nothing in common (except being in the mafia) but whose attraction or better said lust is immediate (though they did try to cover it). In the beginning you’ll think that Emelia is weak, but throughout the book she continues to prove you wrong and becomes the queen that we all know she was meant to be! I loved Nico’s character, he was an a-hole, but you can’t fault him, as he had to be one. And his inner turmoil over Emelia and his feelings towards her, now that was one wild ride!
Buckle up, because you’ll be on one wild ride, with sh!tty parents, action, revenge, double crossing and off the chart spice, because Emelia likes to be a good bad girl and Nico is happy to dole our praise and punishment!
For fans of arranged marriage and enemies to lovers romance book, this may be your next favourite book! I loved it! Enough that i sacrificed some hours of sleep because i couldn’t put it down.
The banter, the characters, the plot and the spice were amazing! Meet Nico and Emelia, the characters that have nothing in common (except being in the mafia) but whose attraction or better said lust is immediate (though they did try to cover it). In the beginning you’ll think that Emelia is weak, but throughout the book she continues to prove you wrong and becomes the queen that we all know she was meant to be! I loved Nico’s character, he was an a-hole, but you can’t fault him, as he had to be one. And his inner turmoil over Emelia and his feelings towards her, now that was one wild ride!
Buckle up, because you’ll be on one wild ride, with sh!tty parents, action, revenge, double crossing and off the chart spice, because Emelia likes to be a good bad girl and Nico is happy to dole our praise and punishment!
August 8, 2023
Rating: 4/10
Spice: 2/5
Tropes: Mafia; Arranged Marriage; Dark Romance; Curvy FMC; Hate to Love ; Age Gap; Enemies to Lovers; Praise + Degradation
When I saw the tropes for this book I was GIDDY AF’ like a Curvy FMC that’s strong AF and confident AF and stands up for herself but also likes to be submissive in the bedroom…. PLZ SIGN ME UP. So going into this I had high exceptions to meet a morally gray man that does some F’ed up stuff and a strong FMC but when reading I realized quickly my expectations were to high and it simply just didn’t hit the mark for me.
The FMC… Emelia where she was strong in one breath and stood up for herself the second anything happened she cowered away and didn’t stand her guard which just didn’t fit the premise for me. Especially anytime his eyes “darkened” she just…. Folded knowing what she was said was going to piss him off (like talking about his family) She was giving off brat vibes (a submissive brat) and if that’s what she was going to be we needed to lean into that. & every time I was reading her POV I felt like the author was truly spending more time showing the Emelia was a strong feminist than telling a story I feel like I learned more about her views on sexism and feminism than the story line. I know some of her mannerisms and views came from her history of abuse but I just felt like that was the entirely of the story… I believe exactly what she does but I just wasn’t able to enjoy the story with that being 30% of it.
I did enjoy MMC… Nico was the boss of the Mafia. It kept me engaged when I was in his POV and wanting to see what was going on I just wish there was MORE when it came to the inner dealings of the mafia or the story of the mafia. When I read a mafia romance I read it to really read some dangerous f’ed up stuff and it just missed the mark for me.
Final thoughts: This book defintly won’t be for everyone but if you love reading about morally gray men that are OTT and a Curvy FMC whose confident in her body and is strong in her beliefs when it comes to feminism than this story will be for you.
*****I received an advanced copy for a honest review.
Spice: 2/5
Tropes: Mafia; Arranged Marriage; Dark Romance; Curvy FMC; Hate to Love ; Age Gap; Enemies to Lovers; Praise + Degradation
When I saw the tropes for this book I was GIDDY AF’ like a Curvy FMC that’s strong AF and confident AF and stands up for herself but also likes to be submissive in the bedroom…. PLZ SIGN ME UP. So going into this I had high exceptions to meet a morally gray man that does some F’ed up stuff and a strong FMC but when reading I realized quickly my expectations were to high and it simply just didn’t hit the mark for me.
The FMC… Emelia where she was strong in one breath and stood up for herself the second anything happened she cowered away and didn’t stand her guard which just didn’t fit the premise for me. Especially anytime his eyes “darkened” she just…. Folded knowing what she was said was going to piss him off (like talking about his family) She was giving off brat vibes (a submissive brat) and if that’s what she was going to be we needed to lean into that. & every time I was reading her POV I felt like the author was truly spending more time showing the Emelia was a strong feminist than telling a story I feel like I learned more about her views on sexism and feminism than the story line. I know some of her mannerisms and views came from her history of abuse but I just felt like that was the entirely of the story… I believe exactly what she does but I just wasn’t able to enjoy the story with that being 30% of it.
I did enjoy MMC… Nico was the boss of the Mafia. It kept me engaged when I was in his POV and wanting to see what was going on I just wish there was MORE when it came to the inner dealings of the mafia or the story of the mafia. When I read a mafia romance I read it to really read some dangerous f’ed up stuff and it just missed the mark for me.
Final thoughts: This book defintly won’t be for everyone but if you love reading about morally gray men that are OTT and a Curvy FMC whose confident in her body and is strong in her beliefs when it comes to feminism than this story will be for you.
*****I received an advanced copy for a honest review.
November 4, 2023
honestly I couldn't get myself to rly like this book. I got that concept and stuff, but the execution was sloppy imo (btw I'm not saying its a bad book, I'm just saying it's not smith I'd pick up again). the reason I (mainly) didn't like it was bc Nico character was just written rly like...messily? I just feel like his character had a lot of plot holes (he would say he wants an equal partner, and when emelia tried to stand up for herself he shut her down into submission?) also the way they fell in love was just lost in translation I feel like. in one chapter Nico was vowing he would never fall in love with his wife (which is just ironic and just counterproductive in itself) but then in the next he was like "omg emelia I love u" out of nowhere. also he was such a hypocrite throughout this book and I feel like he gaslit emelia many a times. and one of my least favorite scenes was when he locked her into the bedroom on the boat on their honeymoon to punish her like a little kid and when he came back she was crying in the corner and he didn't rly care..? like that just was not something I found attractive in Nico. I admit there were scenes that made Nico rly swoon-worthy but the majority of the book I just wasn't rly into Nico. overall I just didn't rly like this book
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 5, 2024
Oooh, Arranged Deception was so good! Its mafia romance, arranged marriage, and enemies to lovers had me sold. If you know me, you know how obsessed I am with the enemies-to-lovers trope, and this one checked all the boxes and more for me.
I love a confident, sassy FMC and I love it when the MMC loves and worships her body. 🔥
I will definitely be reading more from this author!
I love a confident, sassy FMC and I love it when the MMC loves and worships her body. 🔥
I will definitely be reading more from this author!
August 8, 2023
(3.5 ✩) I went into this pretty blind, I was aware of basic tropes however at my time of reading I couldn’t find a blurb, but I was already sold on the mafia arranged marriage situation.
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖. 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡.”
From the prologue and ‘his one rule’ I was already anticipating the possessive side of this guy and I hadn’t even met him yet, add in a few comment from her carpet stain of a father and I was SOO ready for him to swoop in to get his wife like the anti-hero I expected him to be.
“𝙃𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚. 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙟𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣.“
But then I felt SO TORN, sometimes it hits the target and sometimes I feel like the aim is on point but the arrow is damaged so it veers off course. Take from that what you will, I didn't dislike this book at all, but there were moments I didnt click with like others might.
“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣.”
✞ 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜 ✞
• mafia • fiery curvy fmc • arranged marriage • revenge •
✞ 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚜 ✞
• primal vibe • little knife • little gun • voyeur vibe • degradation • praise •
✞ 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 ✞
• unaliving • torture • abuse •
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: standalone
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: mafia romance
𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞: Nico Dante Valiente & Emelia Rene Notelli
“𝙄 𝙙𝙤𝙣’𝙩 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙤𝙗𝙚𝙙𝙞𝙚𝙣𝙩, 𝙀𝙢𝙚𝙡𝙞𝙖. 𝙄 𝙣𝙚𝙚𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙩𝙤 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧𝙛𝙪𝙡.”
From the prologue and ‘his one rule’ I was already anticipating the possessive side of this guy and I hadn’t even met him yet, add in a few comment from her carpet stain of a father and I was SOO ready for him to swoop in to get his wife like the anti-hero I expected him to be.
“𝙃𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙚𝙨𝙣’𝙩 𝙡𝙤𝙫𝙚 𝙢𝙚. 𝙃𝙚 𝙝𝙖𝙩𝙚𝙨 𝙢𝙚, 𝙗𝙪𝙩 𝙝𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙖 𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮 𝙥𝙤𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙞𝙫𝙚, 𝙟𝙚𝙖𝙡𝙤𝙪𝙨 𝙢𝙖𝙣.“
But then I felt SO TORN, sometimes it hits the target and sometimes I feel like the aim is on point but the arrow is damaged so it veers off course. Take from that what you will, I didn't dislike this book at all, but there were moments I didnt click with like others might.
“𝘽𝙚𝙘𝙖𝙪𝙨𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙥𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙢𝙚𝙖𝙣𝙨 𝙞𝙩'𝙨 𝙧𝙚𝙖𝙡. 𝙄𝙩’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙤𝙣𝙡𝙮 𝙬𝙖𝙮 𝙄 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 𝙝𝙤𝙬 𝙩𝙤 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙞𝙣.”
✞ 𝚝𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚜 ✞
• mafia • fiery curvy fmc • arranged marriage • revenge •
✞ 𝚜𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚜 ✞
• primal vibe • little knife • little gun • voyeur vibe • degradation • praise •
✞ 𝚜𝚘𝚖𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 ✞
• unaliving • torture • abuse •
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬: standalone
𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: mafia romance
𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐩𝐥𝐞: Nico Dante Valiente & Emelia Rene Notelli
August 9, 2023
Arranged Deception takes arranged marriage and double crossing to an all new level.
Emelia has endured much in her 22 years of life. Most notably at the hands of her father and brothers. With an arranged marriage on the horizon and her father’s desire to make her an informant, Emelia just wants to be free.
Nico is Seattle’s most notorious mafia boss. Brokering a deal between Emelia’s father and himself, is supposed to keep the peace. But Nico has other plans….
What happens when they both get more than they bargained for?
Nico and Emelia chemistry sizzles throughout the pages. Not to mention the love/hate relationship they have makes things extra spicy. Their banter keeps things entertaining and the praise that comes out of Nico’s mouth, will make you melt right along with Emelia.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
MF romance
Dual POV
Emelia has endured much in her 22 years of life. Most notably at the hands of her father and brothers. With an arranged marriage on the horizon and her father’s desire to make her an informant, Emelia just wants to be free.
Nico is Seattle’s most notorious mafia boss. Brokering a deal between Emelia’s father and himself, is supposed to keep the peace. But Nico has other plans….
What happens when they both get more than they bargained for?
Nico and Emelia chemistry sizzles throughout the pages. Not to mention the love/hate relationship they have makes things extra spicy. Their banter keeps things entertaining and the praise that comes out of Nico’s mouth, will make you melt right along with Emelia.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
MF romance
Dual POV
August 3, 2023
- Mafia
- Arranged Marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Rival Families
- Curvy h
I am living in my mafia era at the moment, and I really enjoyed this storyline. Arranged marriage between rival families while both families have ulterior motives, yes please! After hearing everything Emelia had dealt with at the hands of her father, I was a bit worried that she was going to be a meek, shell of a character, but I was pleasantly surprised by her development. The one thing I wasn't really vibing with was the amount of times Emelia's weight was brought up, like I get it, she's plus sized and some people hate that. I was thankful that she wasn't ashamed of her body. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a arranged marriage, mafia romance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥.5
- Arranged Marriage
- Enemies to lovers
- Rival Families
- Curvy h
I am living in my mafia era at the moment, and I really enjoyed this storyline. Arranged marriage between rival families while both families have ulterior motives, yes please! After hearing everything Emelia had dealt with at the hands of her father, I was a bit worried that she was going to be a meek, shell of a character, but I was pleasantly surprised by her development. The one thing I wasn't really vibing with was the amount of times Emelia's weight was brought up, like I get it, she's plus sized and some people hate that. I was thankful that she wasn't ashamed of her body. Overall I enjoyed this book and would recommend to anyone looking for a arranged marriage, mafia romance.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🔥🔥.5
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2023
4.5 stars
CC does it again! I was able to read this as an arc, and from chapter one, I was hooked! I immediately fell in love with Emelia and how brave she was. Her whole life, she was used as a punching bag by her family physically and mentally. Now she has to be in an arranged marriage with the most ruthless crime boss shw just trading one monster for another.
NICO to me was that ultimate alphahole that feeds odd of fear and respect, and he wants nothing less in his bride. They both have their own plan of what this marriage will turn out to be. Their intensity of hate was consuming. How much they loathed each other but were drawn was so magnetic. I love enemies to lovers, but add in arranged marriage is pure gold. I was constantly tense in this book because of so many variables and secrets. The smexy scene jeezus. Cc is always a one click author for me, and this book did not disappoint.
CC does it again! I was able to read this as an arc, and from chapter one, I was hooked! I immediately fell in love with Emelia and how brave she was. Her whole life, she was used as a punching bag by her family physically and mentally. Now she has to be in an arranged marriage with the most ruthless crime boss shw just trading one monster for another.
NICO to me was that ultimate alphahole that feeds odd of fear and respect, and he wants nothing less in his bride. They both have their own plan of what this marriage will turn out to be. Their intensity of hate was consuming. How much they loathed each other but were drawn was so magnetic. I love enemies to lovers, but add in arranged marriage is pure gold. I was constantly tense in this book because of so many variables and secrets. The smexy scene jeezus. Cc is always a one click author for me, and this book did not disappoint.
August 9, 2023
CC Monroe has done it again.
In a story that grabs you from the beginning, and takes you on numerous twists and turns through Nico and Emilia's relationship, until you finally land at one of the most satisfying endings I've ever read.
These two were at each other's throats from the beginning, but I think that's what made their relationship so worthwhile. This is almost a true enemies to lovers romance. There's nothing that Emilia hated more than Nico, but as time went by, she learned just who the true enemy in life was.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The way that CC weaved the plot through all the ups and downs of the relationship was masterful. Well done!
In a story that grabs you from the beginning, and takes you on numerous twists and turns through Nico and Emilia's relationship, until you finally land at one of the most satisfying endings I've ever read.
These two were at each other's throats from the beginning, but I think that's what made their relationship so worthwhile. This is almost a true enemies to lovers romance. There's nothing that Emilia hated more than Nico, but as time went by, she learned just who the true enemy in life was.
I enjoyed this book immensely. The way that CC weaved the plot through all the ups and downs of the relationship was masterful. Well done!
August 8, 2023
4.5⭐️
Thank you CC Monroe & the Author Agency for the ARC 😍
My first from CC and my first arranged marriage! I absolutely loved it. The characters, the story, the spice 🙌
I can’t wait to read more from this author!
Thank you CC Monroe & the Author Agency for the ARC 😍
My first from CC and my first arranged marriage! I absolutely loved it. The characters, the story, the spice 🙌
I can’t wait to read more from this author!
August 8, 2023
3.5/4 ⭐
This was a wild one. This book follows Nico and Emelia. They are to be wed in disguised as a peace treaty amongst the Mafia families. Little do they know, revenge is seeping out of the pores of this marriage. They both have ulterior motives to make this union last. Nico and Emelia's enemies to lovers is a real kicker in this book.. completely unhinged.
I genuinely enjoyed this one. The plot was interesting enough to keep me reading.
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦: 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘨𝘶𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘔𝘊.
*Received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
This was a wild one. This book follows Nico and Emelia. They are to be wed in disguised as a peace treaty amongst the Mafia families. Little do they know, revenge is seeping out of the pores of this marriage. They both have ulterior motives to make this union last. Nico and Emelia's enemies to lovers is a real kicker in this book.. completely unhinged.
I genuinely enjoyed this one. The plot was interesting enough to keep me reading.
𝘙𝘦𝘢𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦: 𝘦𝘯𝘦𝘮𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘭𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴, 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘦𝘥 𝘮𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘪𝘢𝘨𝘦, 𝘮𝘢𝘧𝘪𝘢 𝘳𝘰𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘯𝘨𝘦, 𝘨𝘶𝘯 𝘱𝘭𝘢𝘺, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘢 𝘱𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘴𝘪𝘻𝘦𝘥 𝘍𝘔𝘊.
*Received an ARC in exchange for my honest review.*
November 21, 2024
5 arrogant stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
3.5🌶
"The devil in a power suit is just a naked man with scars no one can heal."
3.5🌶
"The devil in a power suit is just a naked man with scars no one can heal."
September 27, 2025
Have you ever read a book, and after the first chapter, you say to yourself how in the world is this going to end in a happily ever after? If the FMC (Emilia) is forced to marry the MMC (Nico) because her father is trying to take him down, but the MMC is awful to her, what are the chances?
In “Arranged Deception” by CC Monroe, Emilia is described as a “confident plus size” woman. Her father instructs her that she must marry Nico so he can “take him down,” she goes along but wants to escape her father. However, she lands into a situation that may not be an improvement.
Nico, and, as I mentioned, he is awful to Emilia, although, at the same time, he is possessive towards her once they consummate their marriage. Many scenes establish his capability as a Mob Boss and convey his power. And many scenes show his control over Emilia in the form of a host of k!nks—
d £ gr@ d@t¡ on being a big one. Surprisingly, Emilia is into it.
Dark Mafia Romance is one of my favorite tropes, and I enjoyed many things in “Arranged Deception.” Still, Nico and Emilia’s transformation towards each other and Emilia’s transformation of her confidence seem abrupt without emotional built-up. I still found “Arranged Deception” entertaining, and the spice was high.
I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily
In “Arranged Deception” by CC Monroe, Emilia is described as a “confident plus size” woman. Her father instructs her that she must marry Nico so he can “take him down,” she goes along but wants to escape her father. However, she lands into a situation that may not be an improvement.
Nico, and, as I mentioned, he is awful to Emilia, although, at the same time, he is possessive towards her once they consummate their marriage. Many scenes establish his capability as a Mob Boss and convey his power. And many scenes show his control over Emilia in the form of a host of k!nks—
d £ gr@ d@t¡ on being a big one. Surprisingly, Emilia is into it.
Dark Mafia Romance is one of my favorite tropes, and I enjoyed many things in “Arranged Deception.” Still, Nico and Emilia’s transformation towards each other and Emilia’s transformation of her confidence seem abrupt without emotional built-up. I still found “Arranged Deception” entertaining, and the spice was high.
I received a copy of this book for free and am leaving this review voluntarily
August 9, 2023
⭐️⭐️ the sentence structure and verbiage threw me off, mainly because it seemed to be redundant or very basic language. I don’t feel that the characters had much depth to them for as long as the book was.
November 23, 2023
Just didn't do it for me. Enemies but more like angry and I don't know why the MFC is so angry...plot was too involved but also not. Confused.
August 9, 2023
Arranged Deception is a dark, mafia, enemies-t0-lovers romance with a plus size FMC. Emelia Rene is the only daughter of Giuseppe Notelli. He is the boss of the New York mafia and has arranged for his daughter to be married to Nico Dante Valiente, the boss of the Seattle mafia under the premise of peace between these two leaders however really he wants her to act as an informant so he can take over their territory.
Emelia is 22 years old and has endured mental and physical abuse at the hands of her family. Her father, and her two brothers (Salvatore & Lorenzo), have beaten her and use violence to try to keep her meek. In addition, they fat shamed her at every possible opportunity. She dreams of being free, but she knows it is just a dream.
I hate my father. Hate that he makes me cower and docile around others. Wanting for years to have a voice, freedom, and a place where I don't need to fight for respect and lose it so easily was a futile dream. I stand no chance.
Nico is 32 years old. He took over as the Seattle boss after his father was murdered. He was only 19 years old at the time. He has cultivated the reputation of being the most ruthless man of his generation. He never envisioned getting married, but he sees the benefit to marrying Emelia. While his research on her hasn't revealed anything in the way of education, hobbies, etc... this alpha male appreciates her physical beauty and intends to groom her into the perfect boss' wife.
I am a man. And I can appreciate the assets that will be mine. She is beautiful. She is curvy in all the places a male like me appreciates - full, wide hips, palm-filling breasts, and a think waist that will overflow my hands as I control her body.
When they meet, Nico sees how she has been mistreated and promptly puts Giuseppe in his place.
"You see - arranged or not, she is going to be the wife of the most dangerous boss this country has ever seen, and you are not excluded from his wrath."
"Hit the queen of my outfit ever again, and you will see exactly why I'm so feared. Don't touch what is mine."
He also ensures Emelia is aware that, as his wife, she will not be allowed to remain small or meek.
I know she's a firecracker waiting to be lit, to skyrocket into a spiral. To fly free from her confines and let whoever is in her way feel years of pent-up wrath.
The wedding proceeds as planned, however Nico gets a lot more than he bargained for. Emelia, knowing she is free from physical abuse, finds her voice and stands up to Nico every chance she gets.
"I have years of pent-up rage from bullshit handed to me by men like you that I am looking to unload, and you're the perfect candidate."
The two lock horns and each gives as good as they get. Their verbal sparing leads to hate sex, and Nico is only too willing to give Emelia what she wants - to be both praised and degraded. And it is SPICY!
While there was a lot of steamy sex in this book, there was also a solid plot that kept me engaged. I loved watching Emelia come out of her shell, and finally have the courage to speak her mind. I also loved that she loved her body, even if she was raised to hate it. Watching these two flawed characters find a way to each other, truly connect, and give what the other needs, was beautiful, especially amidst all the carnage.
I believe this was my first read by CC Monroe, but it won't be my last.
Emelia is 22 years old and has endured mental and physical abuse at the hands of her family. Her father, and her two brothers (Salvatore & Lorenzo), have beaten her and use violence to try to keep her meek. In addition, they fat shamed her at every possible opportunity. She dreams of being free, but she knows it is just a dream.
I hate my father. Hate that he makes me cower and docile around others. Wanting for years to have a voice, freedom, and a place where I don't need to fight for respect and lose it so easily was a futile dream. I stand no chance.
Nico is 32 years old. He took over as the Seattle boss after his father was murdered. He was only 19 years old at the time. He has cultivated the reputation of being the most ruthless man of his generation. He never envisioned getting married, but he sees the benefit to marrying Emelia. While his research on her hasn't revealed anything in the way of education, hobbies, etc... this alpha male appreciates her physical beauty and intends to groom her into the perfect boss' wife.
I am a man. And I can appreciate the assets that will be mine. She is beautiful. She is curvy in all the places a male like me appreciates - full, wide hips, palm-filling breasts, and a think waist that will overflow my hands as I control her body.
When they meet, Nico sees how she has been mistreated and promptly puts Giuseppe in his place.
"You see - arranged or not, she is going to be the wife of the most dangerous boss this country has ever seen, and you are not excluded from his wrath."
"Hit the queen of my outfit ever again, and you will see exactly why I'm so feared. Don't touch what is mine."
He also ensures Emelia is aware that, as his wife, she will not be allowed to remain small or meek.
I know she's a firecracker waiting to be lit, to skyrocket into a spiral. To fly free from her confines and let whoever is in her way feel years of pent-up wrath.
The wedding proceeds as planned, however Nico gets a lot more than he bargained for. Emelia, knowing she is free from physical abuse, finds her voice and stands up to Nico every chance she gets.
"I have years of pent-up rage from bullshit handed to me by men like you that I am looking to unload, and you're the perfect candidate."
The two lock horns and each gives as good as they get. Their verbal sparing leads to hate sex, and Nico is only too willing to give Emelia what she wants - to be both praised and degraded. And it is SPICY!
While there was a lot of steamy sex in this book, there was also a solid plot that kept me engaged. I loved watching Emelia come out of her shell, and finally have the courage to speak her mind. I also loved that she loved her body, even if she was raised to hate it. Watching these two flawed characters find a way to each other, truly connect, and give what the other needs, was beautiful, especially amidst all the carnage.
I believe this was my first read by CC Monroe, but it won't be my last.
August 9, 2023
4,5 ⭐️
3,5 🌶️
Arranged Deception was one of those books that had me hooked from the beginning to the end. It's an arranged marriage mafia romance that follows the story of Nico Dante Valiente, the Capo of Seattle and Emelia Rene Notelli, the daughter of Nico’s enemy from New York.
From the start, they hate each other with a passion. They are constantly on each other's throats and the best part is that no one is willing to submit. Both characters are strong and know what they want. Usually in this type of books, that have mafia included, the FMC is not so… loud, if I can say this. She is not expressing her wishes so easily. But our Emelia… oh boy. She knew from the start what she wanted and was not afraid to take it. And this drove our boy Nico MAD.
Nico is the typical Mafia boss till one point. He’s ruthless and cruel, but somehow these features of him back off a little when he is around Emelia. They started as enemies, but along the way something changes.
Emelia is a plus size woman. You would think that she was shy about this, about her weight, but nooo. She had all the sass and all the confidence. And Nico was just as in love with her body as she was, if not more.
I really enjoyed this aspect of their relationship. The fact that he loved all of her, that her body was one of a Goddess for him, that he welcomed all her weight. Even though enemies, he could not take his eyes off her. The phrase ‘made for him’ might sound a little bit exaggerated, but it’s not. He had his desires, his fantasies, and Emelia came and made them all true.
The spice was there and I welcomed it all. Sometimes I cringe when I read some spicy scenes for different reasons. But this was not the case here; the spicy scenes were written very nicely and I enjoyed reading them. It was not just sex and that was all, it had some meaning behind.
I liked the way the relationship between Nico and Emelia evolved. I always liked how the enemies realize that there is more between them than just hatred. And here that realization was STUNNING. She was what he needed and vice versa.
The plot was good also. But to be honest, I didn’t focus on it so much, because I was more curious about the main characters and how their relationship evolves. And I was not disappointed, let me tell you that.
To be honest, until now, I thought that this crawling thing that men declare in books for their women is a bit exaggerated. But now I realize that it's not. Love is a powerful force that can make you do the unthinkable. Can change you, can make you feel so many things at once.
Here it's the case, for Nico and Emelia. Two broken souls that taught to love each other in their own way. They share a love that is so powerful and out of this world, that they would die for each other as well as live for each other.
Given the context of the book, the mafia world, I don't think this way of expressing love is exaggerated; I think it's the only way men and women that are born in this world know; ride or die, no in between. Same for love. It's not the traditional kind, it's the twisted king, but for them it works.
In such a cruel world, with such trauma from the past, they learned a way to love and free each other. I think that's beautiful. I think that what they created, their story, is beautiful. She was hurt from the past and he took care of her and vice versa. Hating each other lead to loving each other. Twisted, but when you knew hate all your life, how do you figure out when you feel love? How do you know when those strong feelings that consume you are not related to hate? This is what they, Nico and Emelia, learned how to figure out.
I really recommend this book if you are a fan of mafia romance, plus size confident FMC and a MMC that will do anything for his match. You will not be disappointed.
3,5 🌶️
Arranged Deception was one of those books that had me hooked from the beginning to the end. It's an arranged marriage mafia romance that follows the story of Nico Dante Valiente, the Capo of Seattle and Emelia Rene Notelli, the daughter of Nico’s enemy from New York.
From the start, they hate each other with a passion. They are constantly on each other's throats and the best part is that no one is willing to submit. Both characters are strong and know what they want. Usually in this type of books, that have mafia included, the FMC is not so… loud, if I can say this. She is not expressing her wishes so easily. But our Emelia… oh boy. She knew from the start what she wanted and was not afraid to take it. And this drove our boy Nico MAD.
Nico is the typical Mafia boss till one point. He’s ruthless and cruel, but somehow these features of him back off a little when he is around Emelia. They started as enemies, but along the way something changes.
Emelia is a plus size woman. You would think that she was shy about this, about her weight, but nooo. She had all the sass and all the confidence. And Nico was just as in love with her body as she was, if not more.
I really enjoyed this aspect of their relationship. The fact that he loved all of her, that her body was one of a Goddess for him, that he welcomed all her weight. Even though enemies, he could not take his eyes off her. The phrase ‘made for him’ might sound a little bit exaggerated, but it’s not. He had his desires, his fantasies, and Emelia came and made them all true.
The spice was there and I welcomed it all. Sometimes I cringe when I read some spicy scenes for different reasons. But this was not the case here; the spicy scenes were written very nicely and I enjoyed reading them. It was not just sex and that was all, it had some meaning behind.
I liked the way the relationship between Nico and Emelia evolved. I always liked how the enemies realize that there is more between them than just hatred. And here that realization was STUNNING. She was what he needed and vice versa.
The plot was good also. But to be honest, I didn’t focus on it so much, because I was more curious about the main characters and how their relationship evolves. And I was not disappointed, let me tell you that.
To be honest, until now, I thought that this crawling thing that men declare in books for their women is a bit exaggerated. But now I realize that it's not. Love is a powerful force that can make you do the unthinkable. Can change you, can make you feel so many things at once.
Here it's the case, for Nico and Emelia. Two broken souls that taught to love each other in their own way. They share a love that is so powerful and out of this world, that they would die for each other as well as live for each other.
Given the context of the book, the mafia world, I don't think this way of expressing love is exaggerated; I think it's the only way men and women that are born in this world know; ride or die, no in between. Same for love. It's not the traditional kind, it's the twisted king, but for them it works.
In such a cruel world, with such trauma from the past, they learned a way to love and free each other. I think that's beautiful. I think that what they created, their story, is beautiful. She was hurt from the past and he took care of her and vice versa. Hating each other lead to loving each other. Twisted, but when you knew hate all your life, how do you figure out when you feel love? How do you know when those strong feelings that consume you are not related to hate? This is what they, Nico and Emelia, learned how to figure out.
I really recommend this book if you are a fan of mafia romance, plus size confident FMC and a MMC that will do anything for his match. You will not be disappointed.
August 5, 2023
I haven’t had the pleasure of reading any of CC’s books so I went in blind with this one. The tropes include:
🔥Mafia Romance
🫶🏼Curvy FMC
🖤Arranged Marriage
🥵Enemies to Lovers
🤭Breath, 🔪 ,🔫, Primal Play
🥰Praise & Degradation
Nico is Seattle’s most notorious mafia boss who gets things done be being a torturous villain who grants immunity from his wrath to nobody. If crossed he doesn’t care the history or loyalty you will meet your fate by his gun. Emelia is the daughter of New York’s mafia boss who is constantly being physically and verbally abused by the very flesh that she was born from (her mother, father, and two older brothers) since the age of 8. She’s a curvy plus size woman in a mafia world filled with sexist men who only use her as a pawn in their game. When her father makes a deal with Nico to end their feud and bring peace between their outfits by marrying Emelia. Emelia is tasked to gain information from her new husband so her father can kill him and her brothers can take over as the new boss. Her father expects her to be obedient and submissive but little does he know Emelia is anything but that. Expecting a little good obedient wife, Nico is surprised to see that his wife is actually an outspoken, fiery, sparing partner that he doesn’t expect but suddenly craves. The fighting and bickering banter builds and builds with so much hate towards one another that leads to only one solution turn that into lust-filled and explosive good time. The more they hate each other the better the s3x. Nico gives the perfect amount of praise & degradation and it’s just so hot honestly because Emelia encourages it just as much as he’s willing to give it. It’s like just so freaking hot 🥵 Having multiple attempts to their lives leaves both Emelia and Nico reevaluating their feelings towards one another and what that means for the real reason for their marriage. I loved the possessive nature Nico possessed as well as the fact that Emelia did not shy from Nico’s “extracurricular activities” and sometimes even joined them. It was just so beautiful to see that there was a thin line between hate & love and their relationship progress because the more they craved one another the deeper the fell for one another. Definitely a great read and I loved both the MC’s but I felt like there was maybe something missing idk maybe it’s just me. Overall, still a great book and recommend it to anyone who loves a dark, mafia romance!
P.S. thank you to CC Monroe & the Author Agency for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this one and I look forward to reading more by CC in the future! ❤️
🔥Mafia Romance
🫶🏼Curvy FMC
🖤Arranged Marriage
🥵Enemies to Lovers
🤭Breath, 🔪 ,🔫, Primal Play
🥰Praise & Degradation
Nico is Seattle’s most notorious mafia boss who gets things done be being a torturous villain who grants immunity from his wrath to nobody. If crossed he doesn’t care the history or loyalty you will meet your fate by his gun. Emelia is the daughter of New York’s mafia boss who is constantly being physically and verbally abused by the very flesh that she was born from (her mother, father, and two older brothers) since the age of 8. She’s a curvy plus size woman in a mafia world filled with sexist men who only use her as a pawn in their game. When her father makes a deal with Nico to end their feud and bring peace between their outfits by marrying Emelia. Emelia is tasked to gain information from her new husband so her father can kill him and her brothers can take over as the new boss. Her father expects her to be obedient and submissive but little does he know Emelia is anything but that. Expecting a little good obedient wife, Nico is surprised to see that his wife is actually an outspoken, fiery, sparing partner that he doesn’t expect but suddenly craves. The fighting and bickering banter builds and builds with so much hate towards one another that leads to only one solution turn that into lust-filled and explosive good time. The more they hate each other the better the s3x. Nico gives the perfect amount of praise & degradation and it’s just so hot honestly because Emelia encourages it just as much as he’s willing to give it. It’s like just so freaking hot 🥵 Having multiple attempts to their lives leaves both Emelia and Nico reevaluating their feelings towards one another and what that means for the real reason for their marriage. I loved the possessive nature Nico possessed as well as the fact that Emelia did not shy from Nico’s “extracurricular activities” and sometimes even joined them. It was just so beautiful to see that there was a thin line between hate & love and their relationship progress because the more they craved one another the deeper the fell for one another. Definitely a great read and I loved both the MC’s but I felt like there was maybe something missing idk maybe it’s just me. Overall, still a great book and recommend it to anyone who loves a dark, mafia romance!
P.S. thank you to CC Monroe & the Author Agency for the opportunity to be an ARC reader for this one and I look forward to reading more by CC in the future! ❤️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 29, 2023
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (see spice scale on my instagram)
“Don’t you ever threaten to leave me, Emelia. You are mine, and I would hunt you down to the ends of this fucking earth if you ever tried to hide.”
Emilia, a mob boss’s daughter is forced to marry Nico, a mob boss himself. Emilia’s father wants to use her to get information on Nico’s outfit so he can destroy it from within. However, Emilia having been abused by her father since forever, quickly finds some sort of safe haven with Nico and doesn’t want to help her abusive father anymore. Emilia and Nico hate each other but are also crazy attracted to each other.. will there marriage become real and will they survive their enemies?
Boy did I love this book! Nico is HAAAAWT!! I absolutely loved Emilia en Nico together. Their banter is A+ and there is so much sexual tension between these two. Sparks fly when they get together. And when he threw in a “my wife” I was done.
I’m a big mafia romance lover and this was everything a good mafia romance should be. Do check trigger warnings before reading this as it is on the darker side.
Plotwise it made me think of Cora Reilly‘s Bound By Honor which is one of my all time favorite books so that’s high praise coming from me 🤣
The thing with dark mafia romance is that you can’t take it to seriously… I feel like a lot of people think it’s over the top or that there’s no storyline but you’re just reading it with the wrong mindset. A forced marriage between a mob princess and a mob boss who definitely do not like each other. The marriage is obviously just a means to an end and then suddenly they start to like each other more than lust for each other (although the lust never dies). The guys are always smoking hot and so extremely sexy in a crazy dark way. And the women usually very feisty.
This book had all of that along with some crazy mafia related scenes (⚠️ TW)
The sex was often, spicy and a touch darker. There was a scene with a gun and a window.. just dropping that here to end this review.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5 (see spice scale on my instagram)
“Don’t you ever threaten to leave me, Emelia. You are mine, and I would hunt you down to the ends of this fucking earth if you ever tried to hide.”
Emilia, a mob boss’s daughter is forced to marry Nico, a mob boss himself. Emilia’s father wants to use her to get information on Nico’s outfit so he can destroy it from within. However, Emilia having been abused by her father since forever, quickly finds some sort of safe haven with Nico and doesn’t want to help her abusive father anymore. Emilia and Nico hate each other but are also crazy attracted to each other.. will there marriage become real and will they survive their enemies?
Boy did I love this book! Nico is HAAAAWT!! I absolutely loved Emilia en Nico together. Their banter is A+ and there is so much sexual tension between these two. Sparks fly when they get together. And when he threw in a “my wife” I was done.
I’m a big mafia romance lover and this was everything a good mafia romance should be. Do check trigger warnings before reading this as it is on the darker side.
Plotwise it made me think of Cora Reilly‘s Bound By Honor which is one of my all time favorite books so that’s high praise coming from me 🤣
The thing with dark mafia romance is that you can’t take it to seriously… I feel like a lot of people think it’s over the top or that there’s no storyline but you’re just reading it with the wrong mindset. A forced marriage between a mob princess and a mob boss who definitely do not like each other. The marriage is obviously just a means to an end and then suddenly they start to like each other more than lust for each other (although the lust never dies). The guys are always smoking hot and so extremely sexy in a crazy dark way. And the women usually very feisty.
This book had all of that along with some crazy mafia related scenes (⚠️ TW)
The sex was often, spicy and a touch darker. There was a scene with a gun and a window.. just dropping that here to end this review.
August 1, 2023
🤎My ratings🤎
5/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶
🖤My Thoughts🖤
Okay wow I don’t really know where to start with this one. First, it was a great read. CC did an amazing job with this book. I totally loved all the body positivity. CC does that amazingly well.
In this book we have Emilia and Nico. They are to create an alliance with 2 mafia families. The Seattle and New York families. Emilia is the daughter of the NY mafia leader. She is curvy, strong, fiesty, and appears to be a submissive person but she’s really not. She was abused by her father, brothers, and her mother, both physically and emotionally. Her father forces her to marry Nico in order to spy on him and relay information back to him. Then we have Nico who is the head of the Seattle Mafia and Emilia’s soon to be husband. He is cold, set on revenge, doesn't want this marriage, but one thing is for sure and that is he doesn’t stand for the abuse of women. He even stands up for his soon to be wife when he finds out about what her father does to her.
At first I didn’t think I was going to like Nico. He was cold, arrogant, sights set on revenge and honestly an asshole. But he grows on you that's for sure. He becomes kind, caring, and a great husband. There are so many things that happen between these two and they are super explosive together. They are both against this marriage and they go into it in rage. Its a lot of push and pull on both parts. I really loved that Nico doesn’t ever lay a hand on her in anger, and that he respects his wedding vows by not having any women on the side. It was a great read, it was really well written, there is a spot where it seemed to be missing a page or 2 but that's totally fine. It didn't feel like there was anything important missing. *edit, CC reached out to me about this missing page, we figured out it was only missing on my tablet kindle version and not my phone kindle*
Thank you so much for this ARC. It was an amazing read and I’m sad it's over. I would love to see more from these two.
5/5⭐️
2.5/5🌶
🖤My Thoughts🖤
Okay wow I don’t really know where to start with this one. First, it was a great read. CC did an amazing job with this book. I totally loved all the body positivity. CC does that amazingly well.
In this book we have Emilia and Nico. They are to create an alliance with 2 mafia families. The Seattle and New York families. Emilia is the daughter of the NY mafia leader. She is curvy, strong, fiesty, and appears to be a submissive person but she’s really not. She was abused by her father, brothers, and her mother, both physically and emotionally. Her father forces her to marry Nico in order to spy on him and relay information back to him. Then we have Nico who is the head of the Seattle Mafia and Emilia’s soon to be husband. He is cold, set on revenge, doesn't want this marriage, but one thing is for sure and that is he doesn’t stand for the abuse of women. He even stands up for his soon to be wife when he finds out about what her father does to her.
At first I didn’t think I was going to like Nico. He was cold, arrogant, sights set on revenge and honestly an asshole. But he grows on you that's for sure. He becomes kind, caring, and a great husband. There are so many things that happen between these two and they are super explosive together. They are both against this marriage and they go into it in rage. Its a lot of push and pull on both parts. I really loved that Nico doesn’t ever lay a hand on her in anger, and that he respects his wedding vows by not having any women on the side. It was a great read, it was really well written, there is a spot where it seemed to be missing a page or 2 but that's totally fine. It didn't feel like there was anything important missing. *edit, CC reached out to me about this missing page, we figured out it was only missing on my tablet kindle version and not my phone kindle*
Thank you so much for this ARC. It was an amazing read and I’m sad it's over. I would love to see more from these two.
August 12, 2023
✨ "To us women. Fuck the patriarchy." ✨ - author's dedication
Calling all dark romance lovers! Today I'm reviewing the latest release from CC Monroe, Arranged Deception! Thanks to CC and The Author Agency for the eARC and the chance to take part. This dark romance with a feisty, confident, plus-size FMC and a dangerous, mafia boss MMC features knife, gun, & primal play and has lots of potential triggers so know it's 18+ & you should check TWs. It released on Tue, 8 Aug, and you can now read FREE on KU!
If you decide to jump headlong into this den of iniquity, you'll find a lot to like, which for me was especially true with our FMC, Emelia. Her father, a rival mob boss to her new husband, Nico, is an absolutely awful, horrendous man. He physically abused Emelia and, along with his wife, emotionally abused her as well, in particular relating to her weight. However, she's confident as hell in her body and it turns out her new husband discovers he's got a thing for bigger women! I love Emelia's ability to stand up for herself despite being torn down over and over again growing up. She doesn't always go about it the best way, but she knows she's worth so much more than her family ever led her to believe.
Her father arranged this marriage with the expressed desire to unite the two families and end any bad blood between them. However, behind the scenes he's made it clear to Emelia that her duty remains with her blood family and she is to get any and all inside information from Nico and pass it on to him so he can, ultimately, take Nico down. As Emelia soon realizes, her new husband is perhaps the one man even more dangerous than her father, and she must choose which man to betray and, thus, which man will ultimately be the one to kill her. Unless, that is, she can break down Nico's walls and their hatred can turn to love....
Any mafia/dark romance fan should snatch this up ASAP! I loved this one!
Rating: 5 stars!
Calling all dark romance lovers! Today I'm reviewing the latest release from CC Monroe, Arranged Deception! Thanks to CC and The Author Agency for the eARC and the chance to take part. This dark romance with a feisty, confident, plus-size FMC and a dangerous, mafia boss MMC features knife, gun, & primal play and has lots of potential triggers so know it's 18+ & you should check TWs. It released on Tue, 8 Aug, and you can now read FREE on KU!
If you decide to jump headlong into this den of iniquity, you'll find a lot to like, which for me was especially true with our FMC, Emelia. Her father, a rival mob boss to her new husband, Nico, is an absolutely awful, horrendous man. He physically abused Emelia and, along with his wife, emotionally abused her as well, in particular relating to her weight. However, she's confident as hell in her body and it turns out her new husband discovers he's got a thing for bigger women! I love Emelia's ability to stand up for herself despite being torn down over and over again growing up. She doesn't always go about it the best way, but she knows she's worth so much more than her family ever led her to believe.
Her father arranged this marriage with the expressed desire to unite the two families and end any bad blood between them. However, behind the scenes he's made it clear to Emelia that her duty remains with her blood family and she is to get any and all inside information from Nico and pass it on to him so he can, ultimately, take Nico down. As Emelia soon realizes, her new husband is perhaps the one man even more dangerous than her father, and she must choose which man to betray and, thus, which man will ultimately be the one to kill her. Unless, that is, she can break down Nico's walls and their hatred can turn to love....
Any mafia/dark romance fan should snatch this up ASAP! I loved this one!
Rating: 5 stars!
May 11, 2025
Arranged Deception is an all consuming, absolutely addictive mafia romance. As soon as I started it I knew I was in for a ride, it hooked me right away and never let me go until the end. The storyline was so well done, so intriguing, so complete and complex. There was always something happening as much within Emelia & Nico's relationship than in the Mafia world. CC did a fabulous job with the Mafia storyline, the underground's, the illegal activities, the relationships between the different gangs, I was absolutely enthralled by it all. CC Monroe's writing is unlike any other, the way she creates her characters and their stories is never without challenge, they're never perfect and they go through a lot together to get to their HEA, but the journey is so worth it!
Now the romance between Emelia & Nico is not conventional, it is an arranged marriage and they hate each other. But the way this man defends his wife no matter what absolutely melted my heart. No matter how vile, vicious and violent Nico touching a woman is not something he is for. Emelia’s family is absolutely horrible and has kept her captive, made her feel worthless, I loved how much she came out of her shell and grew within the book. The chemistry between her and Nico was absolute fire. They were so damn hot together ! They were so toxic but I was absolutely obsessed with them from the start.
The body representation for curvy girls in this book is absolutely spectacular. CC knows how to make a curvy girl feel good and wanted. Nico loved his curvy wife with a soft stomach, cellulite, thick thighs, big breasts, big butt, he loved it all and I loved seeing it !! I am now officially convinced I am reading anything and everything from this author.
Overall, this was another fantastic book by CC Monroe. She has now become an autobuy for me. This story was addictive, all consuming, impossible to put down, toxic, spicy, beautiful in a messed up way, but I absolutely devoured and loved every single second!
Now the romance between Emelia & Nico is not conventional, it is an arranged marriage and they hate each other. But the way this man defends his wife no matter what absolutely melted my heart. No matter how vile, vicious and violent Nico touching a woman is not something he is for. Emelia’s family is absolutely horrible and has kept her captive, made her feel worthless, I loved how much she came out of her shell and grew within the book. The chemistry between her and Nico was absolute fire. They were so damn hot together ! They were so toxic but I was absolutely obsessed with them from the start.
The body representation for curvy girls in this book is absolutely spectacular. CC knows how to make a curvy girl feel good and wanted. Nico loved his curvy wife with a soft stomach, cellulite, thick thighs, big breasts, big butt, he loved it all and I loved seeing it !! I am now officially convinced I am reading anything and everything from this author.
Overall, this was another fantastic book by CC Monroe. She has now become an autobuy for me. This story was addictive, all consuming, impossible to put down, toxic, spicy, beautiful in a messed up way, but I absolutely devoured and loved every single second!
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