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Cruel Heir

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I’ve been taken captive by a man who wants to destroy my family. There’s no escaping him–or the way he makes me feel.

I was born a mafia princess, the only daughter of the most powerful man in Italy. My purpose has always been to marry well, to be used to form an alliance that will benefit my father–and the man he chooses for me.

But now I’m being used for revenge.

For two years, Andre Leone has been kept as a my father’s prisoner, under house arrest on one of his estates. For two years, he plotted how he would bring my father down. And now, he’s taken his first step.

He’s taken me.

Andre intends to wed me, bed me, and ensure that I have his child. And when that’s done? He’ll make sure my father’s reign as head of the Italian mafia ends–and his begins. He’ll stop at nothing to ensure that happens, and from the moment he touches me, I hate him. But what I don’t expect is that I want him, too. There’s more to him than meets the eye, and as much as I try not to see it, I can’t ignore that not everything is as black and white as I always believed.

The cruel Leone heir owns my body. And now that I’m his, he might just claim my heart, too.

Cruel Heir is a complete standalone you can devour in one sitting!

320 pages, Paperback

First published February 11, 2024

270 people are currently reading
410 people want to read

About the author

M. James

65 books408 followers
Prepare to be captivated by the sensational world of M. James, the mastermind behind a genre-defying realm of romance and intrigue. With a pen dipped in passion and a heart that beats to the rhythm of forbidden desires, M. James weaves tantalizing tales that will leave you breathless and yearning for more.

Follow her to the dark side where strong heroines fearlessly navigate treacherous paths and damaged heroes find solace in their darkest corners. Her words will wrap around your senses like a seductive embrace, transporting you to a world where love and danger dance a wicked tango.

M. James resides in the suburbs of Chicago but lives for the big moments that make life interesting. Although writing brings her passion and darkest fantasies alive, watching suspenseful thrillers with her two dogs and loving husband brings her excitement in the most exhilarating way. Nonetheless, getting lost in a dark mafia romance along with a tall glass of wine makes any day a bit juicier.

From enemies to lovers to forbidden romances, M. James' stories of passion, intrigue, and betrayal will keep you hooked until the very end. If your appetite craves the intoxicating prose of Rina Kent or the allure of Sophie Lark, prepare to be entangled in M. James' captivating new series. But be warned, dear reader, for her world is not for the faint of heart. It is a world where inhibitions are shed, and inhibitions are tested. It is a world where passion reigns supreme, and where the pursuit of love can ignite a blaze that consumes all in its path.

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5 stars
102 (30%)
4 stars
92 (27%)
3 stars
85 (25%)
2 stars
36 (10%)
1 star
22 (6%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews
Profile Image for Soft Nectarine ~.
431 reviews903 followers
January 26, 2024
mafia princess x banished Don dark mafia romance with non-con spice 🌶️ that I enjoyed way too much!!

Andre has been imprisoned by the head of the mafia family for years now. In his mad af revenge plot he intends to kidnap Don Fontana’s daughter and hold her prisoner until she carries his heir 👑 That’s where our sweet and sheltered mafia princess comes in. Lucia has been very sheltered and in the beginning she is giving….brainwashed, just blindly following her father.

Andre’s plan of kidnapping Lucia and giving her an heir…soon takes a turn. Andre acts all menacing but when it comes time for their wedding night 💍 he gets more attracted to the fantasy of seducing Lucia and having her surrender voluntarily. “Breaking her with pleasure, not pain.” And thus begins his dirty romancing….still kind of non-con vibes but with PRAISE! And that’s the best combo ever!!!

“I want her father to know that she’s being kept prisoner as I was. That every night, I’m fucking his daughter, filling her until she bears my child. That I will take everything from him, including the right to give her to whoever he chooses.”

🌶️🌶️ DIRTY with a capital D!! The spiciest first time I’ve read in an awhile and it probably has something to do with the non-con/dub-con that flows all throughout the storyline. The breeding kink is top tier!! 🥵References of taking care of her so she can get pregnant as if he is not already falling for her 🙌 But the praise on top of that is sublime!

“He doesn’t touch me as if his only purpose is to come inside of me and get me pregnant. He touches me like he wants to devour me. To possess me. To make sure that I’m his.”

Agh I just can’t stop panning for Andre! Aside from his convoluted revenge plot he was such a sweetheart! And the grovel at the end 🥵

enemies-to-lovers
innocent & sheltered fmc
man obsessed 🙇🏽‍♀️
breeding kink
praise
non con/dub-con encounters
no pregnancy content!
HEA

Thank you to the author for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Viv “BookVixen” Gutierrez .
1,598 reviews473 followers
September 14, 2024
lotsa feelz

I love a good revenge trope in romance, where the hero wants to burn the world down but in the end all he wants is to build a world for the heroine.

This had that. Hero was a total jackass in the beginning, kidnaps heroine, lots of dubious consent, he’s cold and cruel to her, but she brings him to his knees.

I couldve done without the mentions of hero’s past. I felt it was overdone and unnecessary, the whole heartless manwhore trope. When hero is away from heroine he remains faithful, and he seems surprised at himself.

Safe-ish. Heros past is mentioned ad nauseum to the point i was nauseous. We get it! He has no self-control and will stick his dick into any random, std-riddled skank who spreads her legs for him! Heroine is a virgin and belongs only to her hero. No ow/om, no cheating or sharing. Dub-con, kidnapping. Hea but needed better ending
Profile Image for Amanda.
253 reviews1 follower
February 4, 2024
Mafia romance ~ forced marriage ~ enemies to lovers ~ very spicy 🌶️ 🌶️
I loved Andre & Lucia ❤️‍🔥❤️
Profile Image for ˚₊‧꒰ა vruxreads ໒꒱ ‧₊˚.
560 reviews74 followers
June 18, 2024
2.5 ⭐

This book revolves around the heroine's virginity. I was like ok we get it she is a virgin but you don't need to shove it down my throat every other page.

Leone kidnapped Lucia because of his revenge on her father. He enjoys all of her discomfort including her nudity, virginity, and lack of knowledge because she's been completely sheltered. It was so disgusting!

But the smut was good in the start but after 50% it just seemed dragged and got boring. The kinks were amazing but I couldn't enjoy it due to the boringness of the book.

‼️no cheating, no ow drama‼️
Profile Image for charis harris.
63 reviews1 follower
January 27, 2024
Dark mafia and forced marriage both things I love to read and nobody does it better than M.James and this book is another fabulous sexy read. Just be aware to lock your doors and turn off your phone as you won't want anybody interrupting this book!
Profile Image for Emma ~.
6 reviews
March 18, 2024
This review will have spoilers further down.

Well, how do I say this. M. James knows how to write and I enjoyed many of her books but this one was a hard one to get through.
3 stars only for the good writing. 1 star for the plot.

--- Spoilers now ---

I have read a lot of stories, many of the darker nature, but this really took the cake in making rape a good thing.
Don't misunderstand, I enjoy really dark romances but more than half of this book was him abusing her.

"“You gave me a choice, when no one else ever has,” I whisper against his lips. “You were willing to let everything you wanted go, if it meant keeping me. That’s why I love you. You bent, instead of breaking me. I’ve never known another man who would do that.”"

He gave her one choice and that's why she loves him? I get it, she was raised like that but really? I can't with this one. Urgh...
236 reviews
March 11, 2024
Dnf 51%

Honestly I skipped around quite a bit

MMC is a douchecanoe. I stopped reading after the scene of him with his hand up her dress rubbing her hoohaa at a poker table surrounded by other men of influence. She naturally flips out and he of course gets mad at her for embarrassing him for flipping out. I realize this is an enemies to lovers trope but I cannot get behind this level of disrespect and then her falling in love with him cause he gave her apology flowers and was romantic a few days later.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for LeLe.
635 reviews2 followers
June 10, 2024
2,5 stars

- Writing was good.
- It was steamy enough.
- Storyline was okay untill 50%
- The heroine has no life, ambitions and exists only for her husband.
- The heroine is sheltered, she is a girl not a woman.
- Didn’t believe the love.
- The ‘plot’ was non existing and the book dragged after 50%.
- The hero is not really dark, I got tired of his inner monologue. And hers too.



Profile Image for Panda.
287 reviews1 follower
April 7, 2024
I think this was honestly the WORST read of 2024
It absolutely felt like the ML was raping the FL every single time. I think the writer just wanted to make raping as normal as possible 🤮. I think I ewwed myself hundred times while reading this ,ewwed ewww ewww
Profile Image for Carmella.
670 reviews2 followers
February 3, 2024
Lucia and Andre

Lucia was a true mafia princess, basically born in bred to be the wife her father chose as her husband, this of course would be a man who would be advantageous to her father's business.

Andre was a man whose life was ruined By the Luciana father. His father was killed in front of him and he was basically put under house arrest, losing his birthright. He has planned his revenge for 2 years.

Who's plan includes kidnapping Lucia, .arrying her and having her produce an heir and then knocking her father off his high horse.

How will this effect Lucia? Will Andre garner the support he needs to win and at what cost?

This book was just awesome ! It was very hard to put down once I started reading it. As frightened as Lucia was, she had spirit and spunk and Andre couldn't help to have respect for her.

What will it take for these two to find the path to one another? Great story , great read, highly recommend if you are into the Mafia genre.


Profile Image for Karen.
1,504 reviews15 followers
February 19, 2024
Dark, gritty, sensual, and an overall great read.

The outcast Leone heir wants his revenge and he's been planning it for a while now. When the opportunity comes, he will strike and strike hard. The problem is that once he has what he wants, his plans could go belly up. He's been determined for two years to get what he wants and return to his rightful place, but now that he has his revenge piece his head and heart are starting to rebel against each other.

I loved this dark story of revenge turning into a touch her die story. Andre can't resist the beauty and strength that is his new wife, and when she gives him what he wants, but for a price, he is not able to resist her conditions. He'll do what he can to protect her and return to his place as the Leone Heir, but it could cost him more than he's ready to give up.
2,693 reviews33 followers
January 27, 2024
I just loved this book. Dark, steamy, passionate with secrets and Betrayal.
This was about Lucia Fontana, who is kidnapped from her debut party and married forcibly to Andre Leone a Mafia Don.
It takes a while for Andre and Lucia to find the groove in their relationship but they had serious chemistry and a fiery passion even if they hated each other. These two were fantastic characters that really had me involved in the romance.
Andre was definitely all alpha, dominant and knew exactly what he wanted. Where as Lucia was rather naive at the start but knew enough about herself and the Mafia ways. Fighting Andre was her favourite past time.
Very well written, brilliant plot and captivating story that grabbed on from the very start.
Absolutely amazing!!
Profile Image for Sphynx AA.
18 reviews2 followers
September 24, 2025
🥵:🌶️🌶️🌶️
🧔🏻‍♂️:⭐️
👩🏻:⭐️

For a cruel heir who is out for revenge and planning the whole thing for the whole 2 years, he really did not live up to his title. He asked one of the mafia Dons to punish his wife in front of the whole mafia leaders coz she dared somehow crossed him, but the personal maid of his wife, who was the reason there was a shoot out in his compound, brought his wife the bc pills, among other things, gets a slap in the wrist?! SERIOUSLY?! And managed to come back being her personal maid AGAIN?! Well that’s one way to make sure a Don is safe with every people around him. 😏

I skimmed 99% of the book, I just want to know what punishment the personal maid will get. So much for a cruel heir.
Profile Image for Shawna Jimenez more.books.forever.
1,858 reviews87 followers
January 29, 2024
M. James you can do no wrong! Everything you write has me in a choke hold and Cruel Heir is no exception I loved it from beginning to end. This baby has it all secrets, lies, betrayal. Sexy time that will have you fanning ur self a mafia man who’s all alpha and throws the touch her and die vibes like no other. These two were brilliant together and fit so perfectly even if they were fighting it at the beginning. Lucia grew into her role over the course of the book and boy did she shine I loved her character and the fight she gave Andre. Amazing read!
Profile Image for may muna.
79 reviews
November 15, 2024
this book was so good to me. idk how Ive never read from this author before but their writing style is amazinggg.
the way l loved lucia from chapter 1 like omgg give me more fmcs liker herrrr. and andres development was so natural and well paced

-Degenerate review starts here-
BRO this was the hottest book ive ever read likehdjd why did it check of all my kinks lmfaooo. but another thing i appreciate is that the scenes are very detailed and not fleeting. like thank you for writing a LONG hot scene! okay back to being civilized


i will definitely be checking out more from this author <3
Profile Image for Deimer.
308 reviews2 followers
April 14, 2024
Empezó de forma horrible y me tuvo dándole el side eye como la mitad del libro, me tomó tiempo leerlo porque lo estaba analizando bastante y debatiendo si continuar o no porque ciertas escenas eran muy buenas.

Creo que es el primer libro en la que ella logra cambiarlo y el final me tuvo sorprendida porque los libros como este no terminan así.

Lo hubiera disfrutado más si el inicio hubiera sido menos pesado.
Profile Image for Misty Schott.
4,225 reviews35 followers
November 8, 2024
Andre wants revenge!

Andre wants Don Fontana to pay for killing his father and keeping him prisoner for the last two years. Andre decides that stealing the Don's daughter and marrying her will be the perfect start for his plan. Once he captures Lucia and forces her to marry him, he gets to work on producing an heir with her. Will Andre get what he wants?
Profile Image for Avery.
42 reviews
January 20, 2025
Like a 2.5-2.75. I just couldn’t get over how unbearable Andre was. It was so gross at times and I needed him to just calm down for a second. I guess he was ok enough at the end but things wrapped up a little too quickly for me with the whole plot that was happening. I was very interested in the story though and want to read more of this authors work to see how I feel about it.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
655 reviews4 followers
dnf
May 10, 2025
Dnf @ chapter 5

Just full on rape with no hope of redemption. He is an experienced man. She is a girl child. There is no coming back from that.

If there were some kind of revenge plot thread that she enacts towards him to bring him to his knees I might continue, but from what I’ve read ahead she basically just accepts his brainwashing because that’s how she was raised by her father.
Profile Image for FatedBookworm.
94 reviews
September 3, 2025
The book started off quick. No slow build into the mafia action. The story was a good idea, but the writing was very rushed and not well laid out. It definitely could use some solid editing and rewriting to turn into a great book.

The audio book is awful - “virtual voice” is the worst. Robotic and unrealistic.

Profile Image for carolina Velásquez.
241 reviews
January 11, 2026
The FMC was delusional- she thought her father as head of mafia never hurt anyone lol then she bargained peace through her child. She really thought she was bad important. I found her to be very sheltered in childish way living up her life like a fairy tale. The MC was kind of weak and overall I gave it 3 stars because beginning was interesting.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Sammye.
4,405 reviews30 followers
January 29, 2024
Cruel Heir is a must read, page turner. I was sucked in right away. The secrets, lies, deception and spice was so captivating. Andre’s and Lucia’s love story was so well written and entertaining. It’s an amazing dark mafia, forced marriage, sexy read.
535 reviews
February 9, 2024
Curiously endearing

At first I could not see how Andre could be redeemed. I was even angry reading but then it starts to change. No mire or it will take your fun away. Enjoy the ride.
6 reviews
March 18, 2024
only bad options

M. James is an excellent writer. My rating is based solely on the lack of romance. Lucia has no choice in any of this and ends up excepting the best option out of two terrible scenarios.
296 reviews1 follower
July 20, 2024
DNF... I am so disappointed in this story. I did not feel the chemistry between these two mc's. They spent most of the book apart, getting revenge, and her trying to escape than together. I couldn't read this story anymore. The mc's got on my nerves. This book is not for me.
Profile Image for María .
682 reviews1 follower
October 28, 2024
Una mafiosa historia sexual del verdadero amor y compromiso en un matrimonio .
Nunca es tarde para reconocer aceptar y mejorar, André es un personaje que mostró lo que es el verdadero poder y el personaje de Lucia también demostró que el amor y fidelidad son posibles .
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
10 reviews
October 21, 2025
This is a good book, but I definitely think i need to buy a physical copy and re-read it. The AI style narrator on Audible was not a good fit and took away from the story a little. A make and a female with appropriate accents would have been a much better choice.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 47 reviews

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