That Time I Played the Mafia Boss: A Sweet Romcom

by Camilla Evergreen

Dating the mafia princess next door with an intention to marry her was not in my plans…

After a syndicate known only as the Maxim Project kidnaps the leaders of the Veleno Family, I spend several grueling months adjusting policies as the new boss.

With dissonance and disagreement running rampant, my leadership in question, and no trail to follow, the last thing I need is to find myself waking up tied to a chair in Briar Rosanera’s bedroom.

She’s young, chaotic, beautiful…and deadly in ways her family’s reputation didn’t prepare me for.

As it turns out, my parents weren’t the only ones taken. She wants hers back. And she makes her offer hard to refuse.

The biggest problem?

Her business proposal sounds a lot like a marriage one.

That Time I Played the Mafia Boss is a laugh-out-loud dark romcom with sarcastic humor, big men in need of therapy, sassy women (who also need therapy), and plenty of closed-door sizzle. Read the Warnings and Expectations for detailed heat description.

Genres: Romance, Clean Romance, Rom Com, Fiction, Found Family

294 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 9, 2024

About the author

Camilla Evergreen is an alias of USA Today bestselling author Anne Stryker. Originally intended as a dumping ground for all things lacking fantasy, Camilla/Anne came to the shocking discovery that writing sarcastic, chaotic romcoms full of quippy heroines and adoring heroes has a kick to it.

Camilla/Anne’s neurodivergent tendencies leave her hyperfocused on writing sweet and sassy romances from dawn till dusk and lending whatever her current creative obsessions are to her characters. From arranged marriages to falling for the boss, there’s lots of love to go around.

Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/authorannemilla

Reviews

[S.C. · Rating 5 out of 5]

It should be criminal that you can only give a book 5 stars. This one definitely should have more. I have loved all of Camilla Evergreen's books, but this one is tied for number one with Falling In Love With The Man of My Nightmares. I devoured this book, almost in one sitting. There was squealing, blushing, veritable feet kicking.

For the dark romance reader, it will not be dark enough. For the rom-com reader, it will be too dark. This book was a delicate and beautiful balance between mafia romance and romantic comedy. It danced along the edges of spicy without ever falling into actual open door explicit scenes. It took trauma and held it to the light and then made you swoon the very next breath.

Rowan and Briar are magnificent. That's the only word I can use to describe their give-and-take relationship. It's as though they've found the perfect pairing for their darkness and light within each other, while simultaneously helping heal years of trauma.

Camilla Evergreen supplies a delightful twist ending that I absolutely did not see coming.

For those who love a troubled boy, age gap romance with mafia level stakes (and literal mafias), stabby FMCs and fiercely loyal side characters, this one is for you. Read the Author's Note and make your own call, but this is one I will be rereading. Again. And again.

[MAndy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh my soul! I devoured this book as soon as it hit my Kindle, and I finished far too soon! It's hard to find a clean, sweet Mafia romcom, but Camilla has once again hit it out of the park! Rowan and Briar have undeniable chemistry that sparkles from their first interaction. His dry humour and patient exasperation with Briar's bubbly antics drew me in and kept me engaged the whole way through. Her masterminded plans, executed only in the best interests of Rowan, were pure genius, and delivered justice in the best ways! As with the rest of Camilla's books, this one will be reread and enjoyed often! Definitely go check it out!

[Abby Huffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this one! Another Camilla masterpiece where she takes hard, dark subjects & shines a light on them & brings hope🖤. Briar & Rowan are morally gray (read those trigger warnings!) but they are working hard to eradicate the really bad stuff. There’s twists and I just loved this book! Briar is feisty sunshine and Rowan is poor overwhelmed grumpiness…but together they are perfect!

[Vibliophile · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was in the mood for something different ...

This book is pretty different.

Nearly every review on here says be sure to read the trigger warnings - they're not wrong.

I was curious & have been feeling bored with the same old-same old, so I decided to give it a try. It's a touch bizarre & campy with a hint of mystery.

I must confess that a little of Briar's over the top boss girl persona went a long way, but once Rowan started flipping the tables on her, I really enjoyed it. When the mystery is revealed, I was amused but also rolled my eyes. It was a smidge too ... facile.

I love redemption stories & enjoyed this one quite a bit.

*** Content: essentially fade to black. The protagonists do have sex but there's no description of it. There is running fingers along & under hems, and they like it on the rough side, but it cuts off before crossing the line from PG-13 to R

The bad language is edited with the word "swears", which ironically, immediately had my brain filling in the blank. I don't believe it's necessary to have the characters swear to keep a story realistic; however, I still prefer substituting "swears" to reading actual F-bombs, fwiw. The alternate word for cat that has a vulgar meaning is also used once near the end.

[☆Laura☆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al principio me costó por el sentido del humor, pero conforme avanzaba me fue gustando, sin embargo, en la parte final decayó.

Briar fue muy inteligente, pero me desesperó y su actitud del final me hartó.

Senti feo por todo lo que Rowan pasó.




“I want to weave myself as deeply into your blood as you’ve woven yourself into mine. I’d like your every inhale and exhale to come with thoughts of me. I want to convince you that I am different and special..."

[bookgirlie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Will be writing a review tomorrow. Currently, I’m still processing this masterpiece. Thank you so much author for the ARC.

[Wendy Droke · Rating 5 out of 5]

This closed door mafia romcom is just what is missing from the world. The first in a new series that I am looking forward to, this dual pov book kept me up past bedtime, had me frustrated by real life getting in the way of reading and kept me on my toes throughout. With plenty of twists and turns, Ms Evergreen submits her characters to nonconsensual therapy, and it plays out in some funny ways.
This book had me laughing, crying, angry, and happy along with the characters throughout, as I road the rollercoaster of their emotions and frustrations along with them. Briar is the perfect bossette, playing mind games and taking names, Rowan is the boss with a desire to see things differently than he was raised but no idea how to make it happen. Together, the chemistry is explosive. I'm so very glad for the opportunity to read and review this book, and look forward to a reread in the near future!

[Victoria Long · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mind games. Love ‘em. I adore stories with people who take delight in mind games. Minds that play with other minds and toy with emotions are incredibly fascinating. The power plays. The manipulations. Maybe because they are open about the fact that they play by their own rules instead of merely gas lighting “accidentally”. Communication is key.

Anyhoo…umm, read this book? But like, take the warnings and author’s note seriously if you are already aware things like mind games and mentions of torture do not intrigue you. Like sane coughboringcough people.

[~Avi Ward~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.9 STARS? I’m not sure how I feel about this tbh??? Like, it was HILARIOUS and I REALLY liked it—but also I think I just went into it with wrong expectations?

My own fault totally.

I will say though, I have more positive than negative things to say about this than I expected for sure. The characters were awesome and fully developed and unique. The author did amazing at turning tropes and things on their head. She wasn’t afraid to make the mafia boss an innocent guy—without cutting the reality of his role. He still kills, tortures, etc, and it doesn’t feel contrived. I loved Briar also. She was fun, unique, and overall just a good time. And definitely more devious than I gave her credit for.

The place it fell short for me was that, even though it was clean/closed-door rom-com (although I’m pretty sure they never actually did anything in this one) there were still enough sections that I just skimmed anyway because it was a little too descriptive for my taste. Like the first half of the book I was obsessed with the romance. It was fun, cute, and the chemistry was on point. But after the halfway, it got to be a little much for me.

Another thing is that I’m conflicted on was the lack of action. I don’t tend towards to like books that are solely romance. But dang, it NAILED the rom-com tho.

Like the whole end/plot twists. I think I loved it??? (Not sure if I’m mad or happy tbh😂) Like about halfway through I realized we weren’t going to be getting much action so I resigned myself to a sloppy, random, tacked-on, villain/climax. I even put off realizing the end because I thought it would be predictable.

Never have I been more wrong.

I literally almost died because it was so funny. (okay. fine. maybe not literally. whatever) Situational humor is my weakness. (Chip and Lace are actually probably the funniest part of the book lol)

IT ACTUALLY LIVED UP TO THE NAME OF THE BOOK.

And here I thought that was a cute little title.

This book is so full of TOP TIER HUMOR. The whole time I was reading it I would have to pause and go tell my sister so she could laugh with me.

I will say, my biggest takeaway is I’m very impressed with this author. She writes well and nothing feels contrived. And gosh she’s sooo funny.

Overall, this was such a fun read. I would just say go into it expecting a solid rom-com—not a lot of action plot. I normally hate books that mostly focus on romance, but this one still kept me entertained all the way through. And also know that romance is a little more descriptive. How scandalous.

I do also like the cover. So there. :)

[cris]

Denme unas horas que intento procesar lo que acabo de terminar de leer, bc what was that??? Honestly, I’m speechless.

——————

Ya, luego de haber dormido 4h porque mi cerebro no se callaba, puedo be decent y hablar del libro.

First of all, tenemos a Rowan y a Briar. Rowan, de perfecto tiene nada and he’s so broken that you are like fair enough, life sucks but that doesn’t define you. Y él lo sabe. Tipo él dice bro, my hands aren't clean, cargo más de lo que deseo y sí, se en donde estoy y lo que hago but there’s still a good faith in this chaos that we are in. Oh and btw, we hate his parents💩.

Ahora, Briar. GIRL, she is one of a kind. Listen to me. That girl, it’s just so messed up. Lit no puedo creer que diga esto pero LIT I was falling into her lies over and over again. Bc the way this book ended was nothing like what I was hoping for. Creo que nada - NADA - me pudo haber anticipado ese final. Like I said, it was 4:20 am and i was me in bed trying to understand what I was reading. She literally says “si la vida te da limones, haz jugo de pera so they don’t know your next move”.

Me gustó la relación. Creo que ambos sabían lo roto que estaban, ellos sabían en lo que se mentían y me encanta porque era un constante juego mental, emocional y psicológico. Y lo que más me encantó es no solo el hecho que Briar, se dio cuento que she actually fell in love with HIM BUT him telling her that he love her y decirle estos son mis sentimientos, porque para esto he’s very clear with her about them, y tu puedes hacer lo que quieras con ellos. Quieres irte, ok. Quieres quedarte, I’m staying. Me vas a romper el corazón, no me importa, soy un adulto and I can deal with it pero quiero que sepas que no me voy a ir hasta que me des una válida razón para irme y no sea solo porque me odias PORQUE SÉ que no es así. Además, le dice si es que alguna vez te vas, quiero que te quedes en todo el tiempo que te estoy buscando, con esto: “I love you because you’re you, not in spite of you. I want to be yours just as badly as I’d like to make you mine.” - I was giggling. ALGUIEN POR EL AMOR A DIOS DÍGAME WHAT WAS THAT???

Por último, tengo muchas preguntas y pocas respuestas porque con ESE FINAL, I FEEL ROBBED.

1. Cómo es posible que me dejes con ese final abierto tan pedorro? Don’t get me wrong was good PERO NO LO DEJES ASÍ Y el epílogo solo sea un LOL JOKES ON YOU.

2. Cómo es posible que en los últimos 10 caps me resuelvas TODO con un nothing feels real anymore, everything turned out to be a lie.

3. BIG SPOILER : CÓMO ASÍ QUE…
- La chica haya planeado todo y que sus padres están muertos
- Los padres de él están en la prisión de ella porque al final todo era una mentira y otra vez, el plan al final era actually help him
- La chica haya sido “secuestrada” y él creyó que era la otra banda.
- El pata fue a rescatarla y haya quedado no en un HEA pero sí en un: probablemente, vamos a seguir juntos y casarnos pero no sabemos lo que vamos hacer ahora BC he’s just so pissed, but also loving what just happened and he doesn’t really mind what she did.
- NUNCA ME DICEN si es que Rowan y su mano derecha/único amigo se reconcilian porque para esto ellos se pelearon porque el amigo, Cor, decía she came out of nowhere and suddenly she's intrigued to help you, sus. Él le dice que no se meta, se mete el pata y bueno, fight.
- PODEMOS HABLAR DE ESE EPÍLOGO, what was that???

No entiendo nada realmente. No sé si es que me gustó o no, lit estoy entre un me encantó y un que acabo de leer. Anyways, voy a dejar mi review y sobre mi rating, just leaving it as is.

[Jada · Rating 4 out of 5]

Delightfully Twisted (Sweet?) Mafia RomCom

“I actually quite like the voices. I would never medicate them.”

If you want to read this book, please—I beg of you—do not skip the trigger warnings. If nothing trips your trigger, then run-don’t-walk to read this clean-but-definitely-not-wholesome dark RomCom!

Catered to the weirdly wonderful or the wonderfully weird, this entire book is delightfully twisted up and the blurriest of blurred lines between not-quite-consensual therapy and (not physical but definitely psychological) torture.

But what else can you expect when you have a mafia romcom in the sweet romance genre??

Lines are crossed, boundaries are bulldozed, people do get hurt; but one thing Camilla’s stories will not have is actual swears, nonconsensual seggs, or explicit 🌶️ scenes. Just talk of removing pinky fingers and using them for cute home decor. As a joke, obviously. Maybe.

This book is more suited to Upper YA/NA because while it is completely satire and does not actually condone the toxic behaviors displayed by our criminal MCs, it DOES paint them in a much kinder light (for entertainment purposes only, of course) that could be confusing to younger teenage audiences.

While I’m an avid Camilla Evergreen fan, I would be remiss as an ARC reader if I did not actually provide my HONEST opinion for receiving free books from truly talented authors such as Ms. Evergreen. So I will say, the beginning of this story was somewhat harder to immerse myself in than most of her books. I’m unsure if this is a result of her approach to writing this time around or simply my personal reading filter, but it was initially not my favorite in comparison to her other masterpieces.

THEN once her flirting-inept, emotionally not-as-unavailable MMC turned on his inner charm and really pursued the FMC, I melted. Actual puddle in the floor, mop me up and wring me out, melted. Needless to say, the Grim Reaper and his mafia romcom won me over by the end.

All-in-all, I give this book a solid 4 stars and it deserves every one of them!

I’m always somewhat terrified and a lot excited to see what emerges from the mind of Camilla Evergreen AKA AnneMilla and this book does not disappoint.

[Lauren · Rating 4 out of 5]

That Time I Played the Mafia Boss has a great opening hook, the first chapter is from Rowan Veleno's point of view, he's our MMC and he's a mafia boss. The book opens with him thinking "There should not be a woman tied up in my basement. There should NEVER be a woman tied up in my basement." Which seems like a really weird thought for a mafia boss to be having.

Rowan is morally grey but he also has VERY hard lines he draws, he's not down for exploiting women and children and he makes sure his family doesn't engage in those activities either. As Briar (our FMC) will point out multiple times, Rowan is a GOOD guy at his core, which is surprising once you read on and learn what he's been through.

Briar on the other hand is a beast of chaos, she is a ruthless mafia boss rolled up in the body of a manic pixie dream girl who likes frilly skirts, ball gowns, and boa constrictors. Her chaos is only increased by the presence of her two best friends and sidekicks married couple Chip and Lace. Briar forces Rowan into a fake courtship with her under the pretence of them finding their parents who appear to have been kidnapped by a new mysterious rival group. She plans to help him clean up his family and get it ship shape and she also wants to break him mentally by gaslighting and seducing him. Eventually, he will figure out what she's doing and turn the tables turning it back on her.

Somehow even though their courtship is insanely toxic, they manage to end up having a weirdly healthy dynamic and they help each other face their darkest demons and come out the other side. It can be painful sometimes in the first half of the book before Rowan figures out the game because you just want to shake Briar and ask her what the heck she's doing.

This book is poignant in places, and funny in others, it walks the line between serious and silly very well. It's like a less spicy, less gory Butcher and Blackbird with mobsters instead of serial killers.

[Shawna Z · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was the longest it’s taken me to get through one of the author’s books- I found myself frequently putting it down to either nap or play some game on my phone.

Why?

I had no problem with the mafia plot or the dark notes of abuse, trafficking, gaslighting (which was horribly overused every other page) and physical violence seen as loving expression.

The problem was I was more bored than anything else because our two leads are suffering from trauma, loss, insecurity, lying and manipulating one another and yet believing that these actions mean they are deeply falling for one another but unable to properly claim or reciprocate such emotions in a decent manner. Of course, given their emotional states and/or upbringing, that’s hardly surprising.

But yeah, neither main character is really interesting enough to invest in- mostly because neither really knows who they truly are- they are both just big bundles of doubt and lacking in self-esteem. They can’t even remain true to form from one moment to the next.

It’s the side characters that stand out the most- Lace and Chip are an interesting ying and yang with personality (wow, one of the few personalities shown). Corbin is a hot mess, but an interesting one, and Lance Avery is mostly background until the end- both are influential to the plot, but you want more as they are otherwise sadly overlooked and underutilized… which is a shame.

It all results in a rather chaotic mess than someone contorts itself to try to stick the landing on an unconventional romance. I finished the story shaking my head as I realized the once popular trope of “love in a love con” is still registering a stuttering heartbeat, even though I was hearing its death rattle back in the 1990s. Based on this story it is obviously moments from flatlining…

Did I hate it? No.

So why the low star review- the short answer? Well, romance stories can be all sorts of things, but confused is not one of them.

[Randi Sampson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This absolutely cannot be stated enough... you absolutely MUST read the author's note before deciding to read this book. Camilla's books aren't always for everyone, and I feel like this is probably most true for this particular book. Yes, it is a closed-door romcom with some super sweet moments... but it's also a DARK romcom. How Camilla makes it work, I may never understand (and yet, she does it so well), but definitely go in with open eyes. If you have read her other darker romcoms (How To Destroy Your Lifelong Bully and My Best Friend and I Need Therapy) and were okay with the toxicity of those characters, you'll likely be okay with this one. Being a mafia romance, this one does take things a bit further with torture, murder and so much manipulation. While I imagine that those who typically enjoy dark romance will find this to be rather sweet, it may still be too much for many sweet, closed-door readers. So again, you've been warned!

If you decide to proceed with reading, you're definitely in for quite an interesting adventure! This book grabbed my attention right from the opening line and held it right on through to the end... even if it was a little intense compared to my typical reads. There were definitely some twists that I didn't see coming, and you'll definitely want to read to experience them for yourself. Rowan and Briar are far from good, upstanding characters... but they are most certainly a perfect match.

That Time I Played the Mafia Boss is a closed-door romance but does have innuendo and mentions of sex that might be too much for some readers, so again I recommend reading the author's note to get those details and decide if it's for you. There is also a small handful of very minor language, and lots of implied swearing without actually being written out on the page.

**ARC received for consideration. All opinions are my own.

[Summer Song · Rating 5 out of 5]

"That Time I Played the Mafia Boss" is a charmingly sweet mafia romcom! The contemporary mafia world setting was so much fun to read about. These characters had my heart from page 1! Rowan and Briar are so lovable. This author always does such wonderful work crafting three-dimensional characters with personalities, thoughts, emotions, and personal/familial difficulties of their own. It was so sad to see the pain and trauma that they both went through in their past but it was beautiful to see them heal and find each other. I love Oreo! Erm I mean Bugsy (if you know you know) and of course Cupcake too! It was so sweet to see all of the little moments of Rowan being a such a great dad to Bugsy. I enjoyed reading Rowan and Briar's inner thoughts and seeing them slowly realize their feelings for each other. All of their colleagues and friends were great too! The speed of the plot is perfect, the suspense elements are carried out very well too, the characters are lovable, and the romance is sweet, swoony, and has just the right level of angst! I don't know how this author does it. This is yet another addictive read with wonderful characters, emotional depth, a compelling story, and an insightful look into emotional healing. This is a captivating, sweet, and fun mafia romance with just the right amount of stabbyness. Don't miss out! This is an absolute must read! 5 stars! I cannot recommend this book highly enough. I couldn't stop turning those pages! Love it!

Thank you very much to author Camilla Evergreen and her PA Naomi for the wonderful opportunity of being a part of the ARC team and for providing me with a digital copy to read and review honestly.

[Eri Flynn · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Pretty. Really putting the organization in organized crime, aren't you? Love the rainbow."

If romance book genres were created in a bakery, this book would be a black forrest cake; intricate layers of both sweet and richly dark, balancing each other out to leave you feeling blissfully satisfied. As always, make sure to read the ENTIRE trigger warning before diving into a slice of this cake, your mental health matters! It’s okay to have a favourite baker and not taste their black forrest cake… maybe try a cookie instead!

When I first received this book as an ARC and read the synopsis, I was intrigued to see if a closed-door mafia rom-com was even possible. Turns out that it’s not just possible, but Camilla made LIFE with this franken-baby of genres! This book is an acquired taste, and while it won’t be a fit for everyone, odds are if it does fit, it’ll fit like a glove! While the physical intimacy is kept behind closed doors, the emotional intimacy is so prominent it couldn’t stay behind even the most reinforced of doors! Between the found family, self discovery, and humour, this book took me on a roller coaster of emotions in the best of ways! 10/10… good soup!

I’m beyond excited to see what the future holds for the rest of the ‘That Time Tall Guys Required Therapy’ series!

[Taylor Dunn · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was wild.

First off, there is very much emotional manipulation present in this book so please be sure to read the trigger warnings and put your mental health first. Not every book is for you even if you love that author!

Second off, the main characters reminded me a bit of Harley Quinn and the Joker in a sense. Lots of mind games and reacting in response of trauma or mental health issues. I think honestly it might have been a bit much for me. This book is a bit different from the other ones Camilla has written which is totally okay that she is branching out! I think this series just might not be for me. It’s a bit darker than what I would usually reach for.

Third, I would say the mafia aspect of this is a little less prevalent than the romance aspect of it. However, this book did have a unique perspective of both main characters being mafia members who are actively involved.

I think this book will be great for those who like:

🤏🏻 age gap romance
🔫 mafia romance
🚪 closed door romance
🖤 DARK romance (ie: manipulation, mind games, etc.)

[Destiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really do enjoy Camilla Evergreen's books. She does humor and satire quite well. This is a mafia romance for those who want a mafia romance without all the violence, gore, and sexual abuse.

I would not classify this as a dark romance; it is more of a satire of a dark romance splashed with sweetness and humor. It does have themes of dark romances: main characters who need therapy, gaslighting, talk of violence, depression, etc. For the most part, however, it is not done in a way the reader would find disturbing or that will leave you scarred afterward.

This romcom is a sunshine/grump trope. There's some kissing and no language.

This is a great middle ground for those who don't want a full-on dark romance, but like a little craziness in their characters. For example, one of the main characters mentions keeping a jar of pinky fingers as decor. That's as descriptive as it gets. (It doesn't actually happen.)

I recommend reading the TW and the author's warning. I found this to be very mild comparatively, but I don't have any TW.

[Larissa (That Baker That Reads) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Synopsis:
Briar Rosanera kidnaps Rowan, a fellow Mafia boss, to join forces and look for their parents that are missing.

Includes:
✨Dark Rom-Com
✨Fake Dating
✨One Bed
✨Enemies to Lovers
✨Age Gap
✨He falls first
✨Grumpy/Sunshine

🌶️Heat Level:
Fade to Black
Innuendo
Attraction/Tension:🔥🔥🔥🔥

My Opinion:
I’m just in love with Camilla’s writing style! I love how she just want to have fun and writes unhinged characters with great arcs and hilarious narrative. Rowan is a sweetheart and Briar is the best, who would though that two people with terrible moral compass could be so cute together lol

If you want to read this book, you need to have an open mind, because this rom-com is not dark enough to be a ‘dark romance’ but it’s not that Sweet to be a ‘sweet romance’. It really brings darker elements that we don’t usually find in rom-coms, but the authors have fun using dark humor in the story that makes it hilarious and swoony. If you want to have fun and like to try different narratives, you should give it a try. (But please check the author’s note first, to see if you’ll be comfortable reading it!).

TW:I can’t put every trigger warning, because there’s a lot, but just know that has violence and stuff. So please check the Author’s note first!!

[Naomi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book destroyed me, put me back together again, and then destroyed me again. The amount of therapy this book gave me and made me need is insane.

That Time I Played the Mafia Boss was just so sweet. Just like all of Camilla's books. She always gives me therapy I did not ask for!

Briar likes to play games, and all life is a game to her. Rowan doesn't know what human kindness and warmth can mean until he meets Briar, when she kidnaps him.

They are broken, but maybe they are just the right broken for each other? I loved reading how they heal each other and how two broken people can be just what each other needs.

"If bad people are allowed to get high off their illusions of power when they hurt others, it only seems fair that I’m allowed to play my silly little games and make the world a better place along the way. It’s my own personal version of therapy, which seems more productive than sitting in a pastel room crying about how my brain doesn’t make the right hormones."

[Fudge · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm actually stuck trying to give this a rating.

The banter throughout this book was great but ngl, I had to idea what was going on most of the time. I assume the author wanted this to read like actual movie scenes but without the lack of context it was really hard to follow. This is something I didn't figure out until the end. There were quite a few grammatical errors too which would add to the confusion.

Honestly until chapter 34, the book felt like it had no plot, it was just bickering and banter and them falling for each other. It didn't really make sense until the end and even so, it somehow still doesn't make 100% sense to me.

Anyways, I enjoyed the plot twist, it was definitely not what I was expecting despite all the clues given in the title and throughout the book.

Overall, definitely a romcom with a few dark elements but left me confused majority of the book. Aka it's a "trust the process" type of book.

[AndieRae · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sweet mafia romcom no one asked for…
But everyone needed! Thank you, Camilla for sharing Rowan and Briar’s story with us!

Now, the good stuff…
I feel like Briar and Sean (from My Best Friend and I Need Therapy - 5⭐️s) could sit down and have ice cream together, while comparing notes on how their significant others respond to specific forms of non-consensual therapy.

This book, masterpiece?, is heavily involved with mind games, so if that’s a personal problem, don’t grab this one.

I don’t want to give too much away, but I will say that seeing the FMC portrayed as a villain was a lovely tailspin.

There are a lot more plot twists and tailspins in this book. I feel like I need to go read it again (I will, don’t worry.) just to put all the pieces together.

This one is steamier than Camilla’s other books, but there is no on-page content (or off), but it gets pretty close.

Just know this:

If life gives you lemons, make lemonade and serve it to the people who have hurt your fake fiancé the most.

Did I spoil it? I hope not. Enjoy!

-AndieRae

[erica.reads.a.lot · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️ Read the Author’s Note! This is a very niche book that’s closed-door, dark, somewhat violent, steamier than Camilla’s normal books (but no spice) and has characters with mental health struggles who joke about gaslighting. Personally, I’m on board with this niche, but it’s not for everyone.

It took me a while to get into this book because I couldn’t understand or follow Briar for the first half of it. I did love Rowan as a character: he was funny and heartfelt and I loved getting his POV, seeing how he grew and realigned his views of himself and his family after getting to know Briar. Overall, I’d recommend this to someone curious about dark romance that’s less spicy, serious and disturbing than mainstream dark romance. This is truly a dark romcom.

This was an early copy, but opinions are my own.

[Missy · Rating 5 out of 5]

They are all cinnamon rolls - evil cinnamon rolls with adorable pet names for each other, and even cuter pets. If that first section didn’t tell you, then this will: this book was adorable! Not at all what I expected from a mafia romance, I was expecting more blood, guts, and gore. But nope, while it did have some, it didn't have a lot of it. It was fluffy, working through trauma, and making a family.

“Date me with the intention to marry.” With that she clawed her way into his mind and heart, making him fall in love with her which she wasn’t expecting in the end, she also didn't expect him to fall so hard that he wouldn't let her go. he would chase her to the end of the earth if need be, because he knew that she loved him just as much, he just needed to push her.

[Tabitha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rowan and Briar are a pair of mafia bosses (one a Bossette) with all the unhealthy coping mechanisms and at least one horrible backstory. How on earth does Camilla Evergreen take two people like this and throw them together into a rom-com? She does. It's a little dark, and there is stabbing and murder and torture but quite well done and still somehow a clean read with no actual swears or sex. Oreo and Cupcake are awesome. I enjoyed reading this book and it gives me hope that even bad guys can be good somehow. I recommend reading, unless you are very sensitive to anything mafia related.

[Zara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Almost everything I've read of Evergreen's is incredibly easy to read and sucked me right into the story. I wasn't sure about the topic of this book, as I'm definitely not into gorey/horror/mafia/thriller anything...but I was caught up in the tale from the first page. I can't imagine any other author being able to write a sweet (and sassy) mafia love story - it naturally has disturbing elements because of the main characters' situations, and yet it's charming and gentle. Serious kudos to Evergreen.
I received this story as an ARC and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Heidi Halford · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is ✨toxic✨. (Oooh. She’s toooxic 😂)

It’s addicting and traumatic in the best way. Mafia. That means there are some troubling scenarios and problematic characters. These characters happen to be too lovable. Soooo lovable. With their knives, scars, and trauma.

I am struggling to know exactly what to write. It’s a good book, okay. It’s worth the read. And a reread. I do recommend taking the author’s note seriously, just to be aware there are some darker elements. Read it and fall in love with it like I have!!! 🖤🗡️🥀

[Cyndi Bee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok, I have a confession. I am not a fan of Mafia themed books. I gave this book a reluctant try because I adore ALLLL the books written by Camilla Evergreen, and I refused to have a book written by her that I haven't read, so I did it. I read the book. Am I now a fan of Mafia themes? No. But did this book pleasantly surprise me and make me a fan of one particular Mafia themed book? Yep. Camilla once again you are a master-craftsperson. Excellent book, enjoyable characters. Literally had drama until the very last couple chapters.

[Jerrye Tellmeagreatstorylove · Rating 5 out of 5]

I’ve always been intrigued by the Mafia romance genre but it’s usually not the steam or language level I enjoy reading. Enter this latest story by Camilla and I finally got a Mafia romance that is not only the perfect level of romance but also one of the most fun stories I’ve read in a while. I loved so much about this “dark” romance from the snarky conversations to the way everything played out that I was honestly sad when I got to the last page. It’s got plenty of questionably okay characters but it’s the core of the story that shines out, making what happens not only necessary but beautiful. Broken people react brokenly and that is certainly true here. But there is so much more that they can become and that is one theme I loved discovering throughout the book. I also loved watching Rowan and Briar compete for each other’s hearts as well their sanity. I laughed out loud almost as much as I swooned over their love journey and cannot wait to see who will be the next person of focus in this delightful new series. I’m positive it will be just as amazing as this story and I’m totally here for it.

CW: murder, torture, choking, general violence, intense grief, loss of family members, mentions of illegal activities, abuse and depression. Some of these are played for laughs but some are not. Read full warnings at the beginning of the book.

I received an ARC of this book from the author via BokkFunnel. I am not required by anyone to write a positive review and the opinions expressed herein are entirely my own.

[Madeleine Booth-Smits · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Camilla always captures you hook, line and sinker with her wit and fabulously extravagant characters. I could not put this book down. I absolutely adore Briar and all her plots and fluffy rainbows. I really didn't want this book to end! I really want more!! Briar is an absolute delight and mastervillian! I laughed, I cried, I held my breath, I rooted for the teams, I sobbed with the teams and wow didn't see that ending! Amazing 🤩