The Kingpin

Savage Empire #1

by Piper Stone

Her father is my enemy. She is my property.

When I caught her sneaking into my home, I thought Raven was just a girl doing a silly sorority dare, so I set her bare ass on fire with my belt and then taught her a much more shameful lesson.

My seed was already dripping down her thighs before I learned she's my enemy's daughter.

That's when I decided I would be keeping her.

And that I'd be making her my bride.

Publisher's  The Kingpin is the first book in the Savage Empire series but can be read as a standalone. It includes spankings and rough, intense sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

Genres: Mafia Romance, Dark, Romance, Crime, Dark Romance, Contemporary, BDSM

446 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 8, 2023

Reviews

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

3,5.
This story is well written, the characters are great but still missing something in this book. I think it’s the repetition of actions and talks.
It’s worth the reading.

[~*~Princess Nya Vasiliev~*~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book started out strange.. So strange, that had it not been for the intrigue of the secondary plot, I would have given up on this one..

My gripe with the first half of this book are mainly technical.. The writing. Its style was too choppy. Stilted in its delivery. So much so that there were many instances when it became unclear what
these people were saying and why..
Then there was the dialogue and chemistry with our H and h.. Nothing flowed organically here, with these two.

But then during the 2nd half of chapter 15, this story began to not only take shape in clarity and focus, but Raven, our h, became likable and more vulnerable.. As did our H, Arman..

These two got much better as individuals as well as collectively.. And I loved when Arman began to share more truths regarding his past and his feelings for Raven.. At the same, I began to love Raven's inner monologues and how she began to interact with Arman. How she related to him and looked/responded to her current situation. She was less abrasive, argumentative. She became more compassionate and responsible..

Then there were the ugly truths and heartbreak seeing the light of day after so many years in the shadows, as well as who the true villains were here..

All of these things and how they were executed from chap 15, until the end, is what brought this story from a 2 star read or a DNF, to a 4 🌟 read and a need to want to read the next 2 books..🤗

Yes, I would recommend this read.. Be patient with it. It will pay off beginning in the middle of chap 15, and beyond..😇

[Ailen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not worth it.

I had to complete this book for my reading goal of the year and it was torture. Someone else reviewed about the editing. They’re right. My major complaint is the math. The guy is in his 40s and FMC has to be somewhere around early 20s as the typical college senior is. Was dating someone else who safe to assume is around her age but he killed MMC wife. Af the age of 9?

If someone could make sense of this book please do. Worst book I’ve read in 2023.

[Lulucifer · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's a struggle to find a good mafia romance these days. This was not it. Honestly, there are so many being mass produced if feels like a chore to separate the good, the bad and the tolerable.

Did all editors die? Went on strike? At the same time, did we have a population growth for adjectives that now we have to throw them before every other word?

"My gorgeous sister", "that voluptuous girl", "my lovely teenage daughter", "fabulous party". What kind of mafioso feels the need to throw "fabulous" before "party" while relayng information to his capo? Is he being played by Alan Cummings in a burlesque show?

Some books I don't even bother to rate or shelve in my DNF folder bc they are just not worth it. On a normal day, this book would be one of them but I'm stressed and bitter so I decided to vent here.

[Matthew Cross · Rating 5 out of 5]

10 ⭐'s !!! omg! friggin loved this book! i was hooked from start to finish ! how raven and arman are together from the moment they met 👀👀🥵🥵🥵 every couple of pages kept saying - holyshitoly ! and laughing out loud ! , ive been needing this book for a long time ! the hate/ love from raven , the shutting him self in and passion from arman. i loved how at first it seemed to be a book full of passion , then came the action and tenseness , i loved how arman thought he had the danger all sussed out then realisation he had . i loved what raven did for him throughout the book , i loved the whole pool scene , wow nya you found me a new fantastic author ! , im looking forward to reading the rest of this series and reading more of piper stones books

[🫶🏼 · Rating 3 out of 5]

THE KINGPIN
FINAL RATING: 2.5/5 🌟
SMUT RATING: 2/5 🌶️

I have a love hate relationship with Piper Stone’s books. The covers and the descriptions are always pretyyy good. Always got me thinking “Yeah! This will be a great read” And then I get the book, and they’re always way longer than they need to be. And another thing, the best way I can describe her books: there’s always something missing. For example, the one aspect that does annoy me, with the MMC & FMC at the beginning the FMC doesn’t like the MMC at all. She hates his personality, but because he’s good looking, alpha male, powerful etc etc, she allows herself to fall for him so quickly and without effort. And unfortunately that was an aspect of this book. It went from Raven not liking Armen, then they hooked up, somehow he got her into a contract (which I didn’t understand at all, she simply ‘stole’ (not really bc she got caught) she wasn’t indebted to him in any way. And then she spends weeks pining after him but also questioning why she’s pining. Then he shows up at her work and she puts up a fight for 0.5 seconds and then they’re hooking up. and she moves into his house, no fights, finds out he has a 17 year old daughter, no problem. The daughter doesn’t care the fact that her father’s new fiancé is closer to her age than her father (just find that a tad bit strange) and after Armen opens up slightly to Raven, she basically falls head over heels in love. There was no proper build up to that love, from both the MMC and the FMC. It feels like there’s a massive hole in the storyline.
Which is why I say I have a love hate relationship with Stone’s books. I’m not saying Piper isn’t a good author, there are some books of hers I’ve really enjoyed, but there are more books of hers that were disappointing.

[Holly Rife · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is oozing with hotness and a good story. Arman and Raven are such a well-written enemies to lovers couple with an amazing meet cute. Their back and forth was like watching an epic ping pong ball match.

I really think this book has strong elements - the romance, the spiciness (🔥 🔥 🔥), the suspense, and the angst… Unfortunately, the wrap-up of all the events felt rushed to me. That being said, this is a solid Mafia standalone.

[Lady Raven Books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful Read

I love this story. Arman and Raven are spectacular together. There wasn’t a moment that made me not want to read this. I absolutely adore Zoe. I would like to read Maddox’s book (hope he gets one). The writing and flow of this book is done well. I absolutely recommend this book.

[Dennis · Rating 5 out of 5]

great Mafia Romance 🥰

This is a great Mafia Romance by one of my favourite writers and I really enjoyed it like I knew I would. It has a nice amount of smutty scenes and I didn’t put the book down much until I finished it. The ending surprised me a little bit and it had a Nice HEA.

[Chelsea · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF @ 20%

I don't enjoy the writing style and the female MC (and her actions vs. her words) don't make sense to me. Plus, we don't even know how old the characters are. Female MC has an estimate of 21 and male MC has a teenage daughter AND his old best friend used to be female MCs father.

Also, why is female MCs mother only just now forcing her to join a sorority at LSU when FMC is a senior and about to graduate? Make it make sense.

No real character descriptions except for MMC is like an "angel" and FMC is "very beautiful." I don't even have a picture of what these characters look like in my head.

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Warning: Hot Yumminess Ahead! Arnan and Raven's story is sizzling hot, decadently dark, fiercely intense, tantalizingly thrilling and seductively twisty. A definite page-turner that seizes hold quickly and keeps you glued to the pages.

[Clara Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Holy smokes hold on for a wild ride.

Raven Cartier a college student that got in way over her head after a sorority pledge sends her on mission of thievery only to be caught red handed by the owner.
Arman Thibodeaux Kingpin of the
Thibodeaux Crime Syndicate was throwing an engagement party for his sister when he stepped away to handle some sensitive business only to discover an uninvited guest hiding in his closet. Soon realizing that she overheard his incriminating information he takes matters into his own hands.

This book is so well written and so full of emotions it will take you on a journey that's dangerous, suspenseful, brutal, dark and even hopeful at times. There are so many secrets, lies, twist, turns, betrayals, steamy sex, murder, chaos and drama mixed in to keep you turning the page. Plus it has an unexpected but an amazing twist at the end.

I love this quote from the book it really resonated what was happening with Raven and Arman

“Love me or hate me, both are in my favor… If you love me, I’ll always be in your heart… If you hate me, I’ll always be in your mind.” —William Shakespeare

Raven
"Love and hate. There really was a fine line, one so thin that a breath of wind could snap it forever. That’s what had occurred in the treachery of our time spent together over the last few hours."

I received a free ARC from the authors through Booksprout and I'm voluntarily leaving my review.

Five dark, dangerous emotional ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

[Shanna · Rating 1 out of 5]

Before anything else: One thing I need to understand is did that dude (I can't remember his name and just can't bother to go back and find it) kill Arman's wife when he was like 9or 10 years old? I swear, the math does not make sense. Maybe I missed something because, admittedly I scanned a bit but, I swear dude was Raven's age and killed Arman's 1st wife? Zoe was 4 when Sophia died so, Raven would have been 8 or so. Raven's ex bf murdered Sophia when he was under 10? If anybody reads this and can correct me if I am wrong or missing something, please do. I am so confused.

Now for the review:
This was too long. The absolutely unbearable inner monologue of the MCs was repetitive, and exhausting could have been reduced, shortened the book by 100+ pages, and made this a 4 or 5 star read. I literally couldn't stand reading another internal monologue from Arman or Zoe and literally skipped entire paragraphs without missing a single plot point or twist. I don't think I will read anymore Piper Stone books as this writing style just doesn't suit me. The spice was mediocre and while the book was over 400 pages long, so many aspects were rushed because, attention was paid to irrelevant repetitive inner monologue.

The pace of the book was a mess. Raven and Zoe met once and she was already willing to protect her with her life when they got kidnapped. Arman literally told Zoe like a day before she was being introduced to Raven that he was marrying her, and a privileged teenage mafia princess was just fine with it? No way, absolutely no way. Also, Raven was like 4 years older than Zoe, not some protective mother figure, they were more like peers than anything else. No way Raven would have taken this "I must protect" mindset when she is just a child herself. The whole Raven/Zoe relationship felt rushed, unbelievable, and not necessary.

Also, the ending was rushed. For this book to be 400+ pages, I felt like the ending happened in like 3 pages. It was so rushed, and it didn't have to be. One more thing, the author wants me to believe Arman is this mafia kingpin who is alpha and has control of his territory but, he couldn't figure out who was behind the threats on his family? Also, please explain to me how 8 armed guards were shot down and his daughter and fiancée were taken right from his "very secure" home by, essentially a crazy unhinged guy who was jealous? The more I type, the more I remember about this book that didn't make sense or was just stupid.

This book was long but, felt longer, it was not an easy read. When I finished it, I rolled my eyes and regretted taking the time to finish it.

Also, throughout the writing of my review, I reduced my rating from 2 stars to 1 star.

[josieee ☆ ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

so much happened, but also nothing happened

[Morgan Reppert · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ofta. I hate to bash on writing, but this was a toughy. Far too much repetitive and often contradictory language as well as rambling internal monologue. Overuse of the word “yet” and “however”.

[Bette · Rating 5 out of 5]

The King & His Queen! Terrific Story & Narration🎧

The Kingpin
Savage Empire, Book 1
By: Piper Stone
Narrated by: Thomas Locklear

Piper Stone does it again and pens another dark and twisted romance novel, the first in her new “Savage Empire” series and wow, what a start it is. The story is original with interesting storylines that are captivating from start to end. Arman Thibodeaux is the Kingpin, the mafia boss of the crime syndicate in New Orleans and is a ruthless and savage man. Raven Cartier, a college student at LSU, is looking to join the same sorority her mother belonged to, but in order to join she has to complete a task, one that winds up putting her in the lion’s den, and she gets caught red-handed by the lion himself. She had not known whose house she was in, she was on a mission and snuck in, had she have known she would never have gone with the sorority sister’s hazing plan. Arman did not know what this beauty was doing in his closet and when he found out who she was, he came up with his own plans for her. Arman may have been the alpha boss, but Raven gave as good as she got and did not back down and the chemistry between them was smoking hot, too. I loved how everything played out in this book, the writing, plot and world building are fantastic, as are the character growth and development. Stone weaved a complex tale and brings it all together by the end, giving you the who, why and how. There is never a dull moment in this book, a drama filled story with angst, some action, thrilling suspense, heartfelt emotions, and steamy romance. Piper Stone, thank you for another fantastic story and wild ride.

🎧📚🎧 Thomas Locklear does a fantastic job bringing these characters to life and does so with a complete understanding of who he is portraying, giving each a voice that is fitting and is believable in every role he performs, including the female roles. His vocal range and versatility with character voices is incredible, and he is a one man show that wears many hats and wears them all exceptionally well. He sets the perfect tone for the story, captures all the characters’ emotions and has you feeling them all. Locklear is an entertaining storyteller and his performance elevates this story to another level. Thank you for another amazing listen.

[♡Dalmtastic♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Raven & Armand♡♡♡♡

Dieses Buch hat spicy, dark und bringt eine emotionale Mischung mit sich die nervenaufreibend ist. Dazu eine wechselnde Erzählperspektive beider Protagonisten, auch wenn es ein wenig langatmig ist.

Ein Dark Romance, wenn auch etwas oberflächlich gehalten.
Wirklich viel Storyline beinhaltete dieses Buch nicht, dafür ging es mit Familiären Verrat hoch her. Auch die Gegebenheit mit Raven und wie Armand's anfänglicher Plan den er ursprünglich hatte einfach so sich in Luft auflöste, war gleichermaßen unterhaltsam als auch leicht verwirrend. Dennoch ein guter Einstieg zu einer darktastischen Geschichte. Auch die vielen Verstrickungen, wenn auch nur kaum vorhandene Einblicke in die Kriminellen Organisationen waren gut durchdacht und brachten einem zum Nachdenken.

Ich mochte die Charaktere Raven und Armand sehr.

Raven wirkte am Anfang wie eine naive Frau, die Ahnung kaum Ahnung vom Leben hat und eher eine gezwungene Mitläuferin war. Das dies so garnicht der Fall war und sie dennoch in den schlimmsten Situation gefasst bleiben konnte, war gelinde gesagt erstaunlich und überraschend zugleich. Passte jedoch zu dem ganzen Hintergrund von ihr. Sie passte sich ihrem Umfeld an, ohne naiver Hoffnungen und lebte den Tag so als wäre es ihr letzter ohne es wirklich so zu sehen. Sie kann einen klaren Kopf bewahren und auch wenn sie manchmal etwas naives tut, macht sie es um zu helfen und loyal zu sein.

Armand hat mich anfänglich etwas verwirrt da seine Denkweise sich mit seinen Handlungen anfangs eher in gegensätzliche Richtung legte. Doch es wurde schnell klar das er gefallen an Raven hatte und eine Obsession ihr gegenüber entwickelte, auch wenn er anfänglich dagegen ankämpfte. Doch seine für ihn liebevolle Ader ihr gegenüber und sein beschüzerisches Verhalten zeigten schnell seinen waren Kern. Vorallem seine Loyalität zu seiner Familie und zu seiner Tochter war verdammt gut.

Die ganzen Familien internen Streitigkeiten und doch der feste zusammenhalt fand ich sowohl amüsant wie unterhaltsam. Dennoch gab es einiges was eher verwirrte als das es erklärend war.

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part of the Savage Empire hang on, get comfortable, once you start you won’t put it down until the last page has been turned so make sure to double check that you are buckled up, dangerous men, alpha’s personified, possessive, oh, gorgeous, brooding all the makings of a story consisting with three D’s (dark, delicious, and dirty) 😊. There will be suspense, betrayal, death, darkness, secrets reveled, violence, hope, forgiveness, and maybe even love along the way. Arman sexy as all get out Kingpin, rules with an iron fist, known as the ruthless cruel syndicate boss, deadly every day, dangerous on most days, will protect those he loves with everything he has and so while throwing a party he catches a beautiful thief in his bedroom during the party everyone knows you don’t steal from the crime syndicate boss (well everyone who values their life). Raven is a sweetheart trying to earn a spot in a sorority does what she is told even though she knows it could get her killed trying to steal a personal item from the crime boss himself but never imagining she will be caught and after she is caught, she thinks she is about to die especially after overhearing a plot to assassinate someone. The magnetic pull is instant, it is intense, yet he knows he is supposed to get rid of her, but he can’t hurt her his heart won’t allow it and they feel the same for each other the more they fight it the stronger the pull between them but when she pushes back it impress him is it enough, she makes him dig deep, think things he hasn’t thought about, face situation he would rather just blow up or kill, she shows him it is okay to love, will he be honest with his feelings for her, and can they find happiness along the way despite he was supposed to take her out for stealing or overhearing plans?

[Jeanne Jabour · Rating 5 out of 5]

As with every Piper Stone novel, I know that I am about to read a novel filled to the brim with hot and steamy scenes, a no-nonsense strong female character who isn’t knocked over by the male chasing her, and the male who will curl your toes at the mere thought of him! And, guess what, The Kingpin, her latest novel and the first in a new series called Savage Empire, falls smack in the middle of this description but with so many more goodies, plot twists, and turns I did not expect, that it turned out I could not put the book down until I read the final word! And then, I was sad it was over! The Kingpin, Arman Thibodeaux, is a ruthless, cruel New Orleans crime syndicate boss who finds a beautiful young woman, Raven Cartier, in his bedroom during an engagement party he is hosting for his sister. Raven is there under duress as a sorority pledge, and realizes she was in danger when she was caught trying to steal a personal item from him to prove herself worthy to become a member of the sorority. Raven just happened to overhear Arman and his second in command plotting the assassination of someone before she is caught, and Arman knows it. Arman has difficulty understanding why his physical attraction for Raven has a hold on him that he is not capable of getting rid of, or controlling and Raven feels the same, but is terrified of what he will do to her. Arman is a man who doesn’t care what the rules are, in fact, he makes his own and when he wants something, he gets it, by any means necessary. Arman’s eyes are squarely set on Raven and nothing and no one can stop him!! Read this book!!

[Sue · Rating 5 out of 5]

A simply captivating read, wonderful characters and a wonderful read you’ll love

She had been caught doing the unthinkable and that had been stealing from the King himself and people had been killed for far less than this. Arman is known in the Mafia for his sadistic nature and for the unforgiving nature and his known reputation for quashing anyone that dared to cross him and they ere never heard of again.

Arman is a crime syndicate leader in the New Orleans Mafia, when he discovers that he has been being stolen from by a college student that’s been trying to crush a sorority initiation. He has decided that he is going to enjoy making her suffer for the hell of it, the new plaything is going to know how it feels to be seduced, tamed and punished by Arman.

She knew that she was in the wrong in most respects an she as determined to hate the man who had quite the reputation an yet she had found that many of the things he had done she actually enjoyed and her body and soul had called out for more from this dark and dangerous man.

I guarantee that you will be captivated by this book and will be left looking forward to the follow up of this simply captivating read.

I assure you that you will love every moment of this book it is simply a fantastic read.
I voluntarily received and review an Advanced Reader Copy
I thoroughly enjoyed the book and look forward to reading any future publications; keep up all the great writing.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Kingpin by Piper Stone. This is Book 1 of Savage Empire and A Dark Mafia Romance. This is Arman and Raven's story. Arman Thibodeaux is a gorgeous man the Kingpin of the New Orleans crime syndicate. He is dangerous and a cruel crime boss. Raven Cartier is attending Louisiana State University and is going to join a sorority. In order to get in she had an assignment to complete. She is required to steal something. She is blindfolded and driven by her classmate to a home. Raven is dressed as one of the catering servers so she can get in, because of the engagement party going on. While Raven is in the walk-in closet she hears someone come into the bedroom. They are talking about killing someone and Raven knows if she is found it will be bad for her. This book contains murder, lies, secrets, violence, passion, romance and much more. This is an exciting read and I am looking forward to Book 2.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Judy Tarver · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love a good romance especially one combined with action and some suspense. The author herself warns people basically about how there are some really rough and intimate details involving the intimacy part of the relationship so if someone doesn’t like that kind of thing then it isn’t a book for them. While I do like a little detail in a steamy romance, it is probably already known from previous reviews that I do not like reading about the sex details repeatedly and although the author warned about the details it isn’t the details that I mind, it is how much of the same details are repeated over and over and it is just overdone in my opinion. I would much rather have more of the action and suspense and the building up of the romance but it is the author’s right to write as many details as they see fit, I just find myself skimming over them as soon as I’ve already read several scenes and they become repetitive. I thought the storyline in this book is very good, it held my interest and there were some funny and playful moments in the romance that I loved and laughed out loud at. There were also very touching moments in the romance. There were action scenes and suspense that had me turning the pages reading quickly to find out what happens next. I think I am going to like this author even if it means having to skim through some of those repetitive details. Other than that one gripe I actually rate this 4.5 stars.

[Debbie Lyon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Hot Hot!!

I'M not sure where start,this was such a great story and i couldn't put it down and i didn't either.Arman was such a hard shell of a man,he loses his wife and people who he thought were his friends wasn't,many people were out to harm him and his family! along comes Raven who on a dare breaks in his house and takes his watch but gets caught before she can get out,Arman keeps her and punishes for stealing and breaking in,but he can't seem to let her go.Things are going wrong in Arman's family,the DEA is after his family, mysterious fires are some of things that was happening. Arman can't get Raven out of head and so he makes a deal with her,He has many secrets and he tells Raven some and things are getting hot and steamy, but there is something out there still that wants to harm Arman 's family and now Raven.Something that she says gives him some ideas which put on the right track who or whom is behind doing in Arman 's family ,things get hotter and they are closing in but Zoe and Raven are taken and almost killed before they are found and who is behind the threats. things do have a happier ending and even a lost brother finds forgiveness and Arman 's she'll is broken and Raven has alot with that cracking!Please read,if you like Mafia style story's or looking for a Prince and happy ending!

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Such a foolish mistake. To be part of a sorority, break in and steal something from the owner and get out. Really?! Raven knew this was a bad idea. Arman Thibodeaux is the Don. No one messed with him. When an unexpected guest happens to overhear information, what’s to do with her? Raven is tempting and even more she is the daughter of the man that he once thought of as a friend. The game is on but who will lose their heart? I have to say Arman certainly is a bad man, but he does have a soft side. He is complex but a loving and protective father. We have his brothers Francois and Louie as well as a daughter Zoe. Raven being thrown into the mix is explosive. She holds her own and pushes Arman to being the best he can be. She also starts chipping away at that shielded heart of his. Arman isn’t all bad. He does love his daughter. And you find out why he is acting cold at times. Understandable, but you have to take a leap of faith. Raven makes him really look deep not only in himself but in his organization. This is all about family and never losing sight.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Louise Car · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am never disappointed by Ms. Stone. Her mafia-themed books follow the same true and tried format where the female character is caught up in the male character's web and made to pay for the sins of her father who is often an enemy of the male character. This is what happened to Raven Cartier, a college student caught stealing from Arman Thibodeaux, Don of the New Orleans Crime syndicate. Arman took advantage of Raven to get even with her father but didn't expect the intense feelings and the cravings that he developed for Raven. I do feel that it was unrealistic that he went from seeking revenge to craving her touch and how Raven only put up minimal resistance despite her insistence of not wanting anything to do with Arman. Not that she had a say in the matter. One could not deny the explosive chemistry and the intensity of their relationship. Talk about fireworks.

I loved the push-and-pull, the authentic power exchange, and the candid portrayal of this couples relationship with its pitfalls as well as its peaks.A delicious steamy, sizzling story brimming with emotion just the way I like it.

[Donna reads Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an absolutely FASCINATING and INTERESTING book!! Arman and Raven captivated and intrigued me right from the beginning.
As for their story, holy moly this age-gap steamy mafia romance is ENTERTAINING and STUNNING.
I couldn’t put it down.

These characters are very enthralling, engaging and passionate.
I really enjoyed Raven’s feisty, endearing and strong personality
Arman is definitely the type of book boyfriend we all want…powerful, possessive and controlling.
The chemistry between Arman and Raven is scorching.
The relationship between Arman and his daughter is touching and loving. They’re very close to one another.
The Kingpin will consume you from beginning to end, it’s thrilling and exciting. Wonderfully filled with revenge, secrets, tested loyalties, suspense, alluring characters and a remarkable storyline!
Arman is a man that wasn’t looking for love but a little thief stole his heart, and Raven never thought she would fall for a morally grey man like Arman but love she learns holds no bounds.
Congratulations Piper! Arman and Raven’s story is OUTSTANDING 🙌🏻🙌🏻🙌🏻

[Patricia C · Rating 5 out of 5]

So sweet, a happy ever after with a twist of revenge and deceit.

Raven was pledging for a sorority when she was given a task to complete. She was supposed to steal an important item and get out without being caught. First she crashed an engagement and was hiding in the closet after she searched and found an engraved watch. As she was trying to get out of the room Arman and Maddox came into the room. She overheard Arman talking about getting rid of the person who betrayed him. As he was talking to Maddox, he realized someone was in the closet. He pretended to leave and caught her when she tried to leave. He handcuffed her to the bed so he could question her later. Arman discovered that Raven was the daughter of his ex best friend who he felt had betrayed his family. He started out trying to use her but she begin to break down his wall. His daughter felt it was time for him to love again and she liked Raven. This book is amazing and I enjoyed and highly recommend reading it. Love Piper Stone books.

[Rhonda Hicks · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're like me and into dark, enemies-to-lovers romance then Piper Stone is an author you'll want to check out. There are very few of her books I haven't read and, in my opinion, this author excels in this genre. 'The Kingpin', Ms. Stone's first book in her "Savage Empire" series, brings us Arman who has taken up the mantle of Kingpin in the Mafia two years ago when his father retired, and Raven, an LSU student who had been coerced by her mother into joining a sorority that she has no interest in. Oh … and her father is the Director of the FBI. Two unlikely bedfellows with Arman having a daughter just a few years older than Raven but the chemistry these two have together is combustible even when wanted it to be. This is not only a Mafia/age-play/enemies-to-lovers romance. It also contains all the elements of a whodunnit. With all the danger, angst, and twists and turns in this plot, I was captivated and intrigued until the very end. I can hardly wait to see what 'The Capo' brings next time.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is one rough ride of a dark romance story!
I love the strong female protagonist, Raven as she pledges a sorority at her mother’s persistence and agrees to thievery of an unknown individual at a house party in New Orleans. Just when she finds the prize to complete her task, Arman, the house owner enters his bedroom to discuss incriminating business matters. Arman is surprised to discover his attractive thief and dishes out a punishment that seemingly starts to bring Arman back to life. Arman’s demands of Raven leave her on tenterhooks when she is back at college wondering when Arman will demand her to fulfill her promise to him. As Arman investigates Raven, fate may not have brought them together but some dark enemy that needs to be unraveled. With Arman using Raven as collateral damage against her father, how will it all play out? You have to read to find out and don’t expect to put the book down until you turn the last page!

[Coastie Mom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Piper Stone does not disappoint! Raven, a feisty, sassy, college girl is sent on a sorority dare into an unknown house (or so she thought). Arman is the Don of the New Orleans Crime Syndicate. He is dark, dangerous, and ruthless. Caught by Arman stealing a very special watch, Arman decides to punish her while he figures out who she is. One thing leads to another and before you know it, he cannot get enough of her – even though she is the daughter of his enemy!

Things aren’t always as they seem! Arman was sure he could just marry Raven without emotions or feelings. Yeah right!! There are a few twists and turns and a few truths are revealed that I did not see coming. Buckle up – you are about to be taken on a ride. I love this series so far and cannot wait for the next book to come out!

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.