Diavolo: A Mafia Romance

by T.A. Fan

When an angel saves a devil's life, there will be hell to pay...

A handsome stranger is brought to Dr. Elyse Romero's apartment in the dead of night.

He has a gunshot wound to the stomach.

If he dies, she dies.

The stakes are high when you mess with the mafia.

Can the good doctor survive in the devil's playground?

Or will she lose her heart to him forever?

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Mafia Romance, Dark, Crime, Contemporary, Forced Proximity

320 pages, Paperback

Published April 8, 2022

About the author

Romance author. Angsty spice. Twisty turns.

Instagram: @tafanwrites

Reviews

[Dora Koutsoukou]

Would it be that hard if the existence of a cliffhanger was noted??? 😡

Anyway, the story apart from being told by the heroine’s pov - which became monotonous and tiring, it was also slowly paced.
Moreover, I was exhausted from the heroine’s should and shouldn’t thoughts and actions.

Dnf @ 35%

[Smutty Books Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Your c-nt on my mouth…now.”

ARC Review: Elyse found herself owing favors to the mafia long ago when her father gambled away their money and left her to repay his debts. As an impressive surgeon, when Elyse is not in the hospital saving lives, she is on call helping to patch up and save men the mafia brings her undercover in exchange for her keeping her life. However, one night the mafia brings her a fatally wounded man. She is told that she must save him at all costs and if he dies under her watch that she too will die that night by the hands of the mafia.

This beautiful stranger undergoes surgery by Elyse’s hand and is sent back on his way days later. Only he can’t get her out of his mind and comes up with a plan to bring her into his dark mafia world.

“A word to the wise, angelo. Do not offer yourself to a devil. Unless you are prepared to be swallowed whole.”

Book Rating: 5/5
Steam/Spice: 4/5
Tropes:
- mafia romance
- forced marriage
- surgeon FMC
- mafia prince MMC
- he is obsessed with her
- light BDSM
- ‘my wife’
- ‘who hurt you?’

“I want you to make a mess all over me. Ride my f-cking face until you scream. I want you begging when my fingers aren’t enough. But you will not be given more. No matter how prettily you beg for my c-ck.”

“I will let you decide, wife, since you insist on being difficult. We can fight. We can f-ck. Or do both at the same time. The choice is yours.”

Final Thoughts: Wow - such an impressive read for a debut book! I really loved Elyse’s character as a strong female in so many aspects of her life and morales. Ale’s obsession with her is next level and I loved all of the mafia vibes throughout and the political mafia push and pull. I cannot wait for book 2 next year and you bet I’ll be signing up for the ARC of book 2! If you enjoy mafia romance, a possessive / obsessive MMC and forced marriage - check this out when it releases!

[nikki · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a nice read. Reading about El and Al took me back to my wattpad days and it was quite a ride. The writing was a bit flowery for my taste at times but otherwise, this book was good. The spicy scenes were good too. I'd recommend this book if you're in the mood for a mafia romance with a strong heroine and sexy hero!

*Thank you to T.A. Fan for providing me with an ARC!

safety squad:
- minor OW drama (h thinks there's something going on between the H and his stepsister but it's nothing. H's exes try to intimidate the h/make her jealous at a party)
- no OM drama
- no cheating/sharing
- ex-playboy
- experienced MCs, no virgins
- marriage of convenience
- mafia romance
- doctor x criminal
- "who hurt you?"
- 3rd person, single POV (the h's)
- cliffhanger, book 1 in a duet

[Larisa O · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF 35%
The worst mafia book I've ever read!
Elyse is a cold, immature b*tch.
Alesso is definitely not a mobster, he's her puppy.

[Poshita Khare · Rating 5 out of 5]

“I do not need a king to be a queen.”

Wife and husband are my new favourite terms of endearment, and this book is my new wattpad favourite.

[Ruby · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oh my god I read this because if TikTok and halfway through gave up because it was just baaaad.

[Khe · Rating 5 out of 5]

two years ago i read this book for the first time and went “the writing is too good for the book to stay only on wattpad” AND now we’re here??? absolutely! 🤪

two years later and diavolo still manages to captivate me and hold a special place in my heart. from start to finish, i kept wanting more and more of the story. there is an ideal balance of intensity, wholesomeness and humor throughout the book that i appreciated so much. it allowed me to experience the individual emotions and bask in them, especially the wholesome moments between elyse and alessandro🥰.

alessandro is something else entirely. i instantly fell in love with him the minute he was introduced🙈. his smooth charisma had me blushing like i was there with him being sweet talked. alessio has the sweetest mouth and it is the ONE time i care about a man’s opinion. he used his words so carefully and so tenderly. he matched his actions fiercely and wholeheartedly to what he says. despite him being in the mafia and expectedly being cold, he was the opposite of that and i admired his ability to communicate and fully articulate his feelings🥹. he is an exceptionally written male character!

elyse is alessandro’s perfect match and i feel like if she was written any other way their dynamic wouldn’t be the same. her sharpness and wit balances out his character and keeps him in check! she uses her head before anything else and manages to make sound decisions despite being thrown in a world full of danger, chaos and fear. her careful, contemplative nature filtered into their intimate moments which made her connection with alessandro feel sincere, intentional and meaningful🫶🏾.

the chemistry between elyse and alessandro was so passionate, tender and at times scorching!!!🥵 regardless of the darkness present in their world, their moments together brought a softness to the story. alice captured their intensity without overindulgence, bringing out a perfect balance between raw sensuality and emotional intimacy. the pacing of the book was yummm! it combined heart-racing action with emotional depth and i can’t wait to read more of it in book 2!!!😮‍💨

[n · Rating 4 out of 5]

guzeldi ya noncon olmayan dark rom bulunca bizim mutluluk. ml dumduz flye simp saygili bi tik obsessed bi abimiz okumasi eziyet olmadi diyeyim

[jordan · Rating 4 out of 5]

omg this book is so good. alessandro and elyse have such a beautiful relationship and i loved getting to experience it with them. alessio is easily the sweetest man in the mafia, and i was swooning over him constantly. and also crying over him a lot. that being said, the pacing of the last several chapters was wayyy to fast and i found myself skimming over those parts. i think i will buy the published copies on amazon though because i loved alessandro and elyse so much.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written mafia romance with strong characters in Alessandro and Elyse. The author does a fantastic job developing the story and pulled me right into the story. She takes you into their lives with chemistry, passion and emotions and kept me turning the pages with the tension, suspense, danger and twists. She moves the story fluidly with her descriptive scenes and delivers a terrific slow burn mafia romance. Loved and recommend this book and can't wait for the next book!

I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book. All opinions in this review are my own and are freely given.

[ʚ aswah ɞ · Rating 2 out of 5]

wtf was that garbage ending????? ended on a cliffhanger just like that????? 2 stars for alessandro only

[bookishescape · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is hat down one of the best mafia romance I have read this year.

Listen, I fell in love with this man!!

When I say this man read her like a book and whenever he would open his mouth... all I'm gonna say he knows how to use his words. Golden retriever but make him morally grey - that's our Alessandro😉

If you are looking for a book with plenty of banter, sizzling tensions and spice over the roof. A book where he falls first and is only soft for her (well we could argue over this one😉) also with a touch of "it will only ever be you" and a bit of "touch her and bye". A FMC who is giving of a fem dom vibes (did I mention that he is kind of submissive when they are togather, a little bit, not too much, just right) and is not scared of challenge. Well than this is book for you.

All in all, love it and can't recommend this book enough!

⭐️6/5
🌶4/5

[Kristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright let me tell you, that the third person pov really threw me off. I never read a mafia book that is third person and I’m not a fan of 3rd person… BUT this being said I found myself picking up this book and 3 hours have passed without me noticing! This book I thought was just okay but it kept me reading to find out more! It’s a good read when you just want some freaking spice. This book supplies. If you want characters to stay together this is the book. They are always together and are bound to have sex omg every chapter near the last half was spice! The MFC did annoy me with her indecisiveness with whether or not she wanted to stay with the MMC. Once I thought she picked a side she went right back to not knowing. But overall good quick read!!!

[Mar · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

This was so good!!
I like mafia romance books where the hero is not your "traditional" broody arsehole hero. I need them to be layered, and oh boy, my man Alessandro is it! I love that he was sassy and dark and snarky but also sweet and caring.
Ely... loved her, too. I like that she wasn't a doormat and that she knew how to play with the cards she was dealt with. How smart she was and that she didn't feel weak when she needed to be protected.
My only complaint is that I wish we saw more of her relationship with other people besides Alessio and his entourage. But maybe we'll get that in the future.
Still, this was so much fun, so steamy and action-packed, and now I can't wait for more!

Thank you so much to TA Fan for the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

[Alexa · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 14% - The premise was good but the execution abysmal. The author obviously speaks no language other than English fluently and over-explains very basic things that were very quickly googled while the book was being written. It’s this or the author thinks their readers are extremely dumb. There were quite a few instances where expertise (the character’s surgical skills) were very vaguely described (sign of little research or shallow understanding) in a way that only someone who googled something and threw it in the book.

This is where the book fully lost me:

“Her Spanish bridged the gap between Italian and English. Elyse quickly connected the dots. Signor Vitale sounded like Señor Vitale, which meant Mr. Vitale.”

For context, the main character is fluent in Spanish and English.

It happened earlier with Grazie vs Gracias with the character telling herself that it means “thank you”, and I gave it a pass because it only pulled me out of the story for a second, but I couldn’t get over it when I read the line quoted above.

Spanish and Italian are both Latin-based languages and are significantly close. In no circumstance would a Spanish-speaking person ever have this internal monologue. And even if they did, it would not be for such basic words like grazie or signor. I have witnessed a Spanish person speaking Spanish to an Italian person and vice versa and the two understood each other without much issue.

Enjoyed the banter between the characters, but the author really either needs to do more research to gain full understanding and then only sprinkle what is necessary in their writing, or collaborate with people who actually speak these languages or have these expertise. I felt like I was at an elementary level language class. This is why when you first start writing, professors tell you to “write what you know”. Otherwise you end up with this.

Edit: based on other reviews this is apparently a wattpad book, which explains everything. Don’t get me wrong, there are some amazing ones, but the majority have a certain childishness to them and this is definitely the case here.

[Good Booking Girl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wow! This is one steamy mafia romance book, and it ends on a cliffhanger. What you can expect?
💀surgeon x mafia prince
🖤forced proximity (she nurses him back to health in her apartment)
🔥obsessed at first sight
💀she'll do anything to escape the mafia
🖤he'll do anything to keep her
🔥spice
💀”my wife"
🖤”who hurt you?"

I want to start by highlighting how much I appreciate the proper use of Italian words and phrases. As a first born generation Canadian Italian, Italian is my first language and nothing erks me more then when I read a book that uses the Italian language incorrectly.

Elyse is a young surgeon who had to take on her father's debts to the mafia. She not only has to pay off his debts with the money she works so hard to earn, she also has to be available 24/7 as their on-call doctor.
One night, a man with a gun shot wound is brought to her door and requires immediate medical attention. Little did Elyse know, this man, Alessandro, is the capo of the Cosa Nostra.
He has to stay with her for several days, as he recovers. The tension and sexual chemistry runs hot and heavy but Elyse refuses to give in. Alessandro is the devil (Diavolo) while Elyse is the angel (Angelo) that saved him, and he is determined to make her his.

If you're looking for twists, turns, steamy encounters, danger and some emotional whiplash, this is for you.
There is a vulnerability to Alessandro that, even though he does bad things (like violence, murder, drug trafficking), you can't help but root for him.
Elyse is a formidable woman who is smart, sassy, stubborn but also compassionate and strives to live a life free from the clutches of the mafia. But the heart wants what it wants.

I am so excited for the next books in the series.

i was given a free ARC of this book and this review is my opinion

[Itzel · Rating 2 out of 5]

So at first this book had me hooked on a few chapters, I mean it was like nothing that I had ever read, a Female Main Character that actually thought!!

That was successful and had a logical way of thinking, I was loving it.

And then she decided to marry him, I mean it wasn’t that bad but all her personality and witty and career was left one sided, just for her to became the capo’s wife and nothing more, I feel like the author tried so hard for that not to be the case but wasn’t good enough.

Alessandro was kind of a new light of the same character of all mafia romance, he wasn’t the best, the strongest nor the most feared , kinda charming I must admit but at some point it was just cringe.

The plot was so predictable and they were fucking every 2 pages, lame.

And for last but not least, what was that with the languages? As someone of who speaks the 3 languages in this book, the Spanish was so forced, like damn, girl you spend all the time being a No sabo and can’t understand the most basic shit in Italian? Asides from that, the Italian was kind of decent.

Definitely not reading the next one.

[Fatimah · Rating 3 out of 5]

• Mafia romance
• surgeonXmafia prince
• he's obsessed with her
• plot-heawy spice
• dark golden retriever MMC
• arranged marriage
• he falls first
• forced proximity
• soft only for her

✨"my wife"✨
✨"who hurt уou?"✨
✨"Touch her & d!e" ✨

I really liked the MMC; he is so kind and lovable. I read the book because of him.
However, the FMC made me feel like she is the heroine of a manhwa rather than a book. I don't know exactly how to describe her.

The narration of the book was from the author's perspective, so I don't think many pov will like that. I was hoping to read his pov, but unfortunately, there was nothing like that.

But it's a good book, not bad.

I gave it 3.5/5 stars 🌟

[Bookescape_ (Neha) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark mafia romance where he's completely obsessed with her and she's a badass??? Sign me up.

[⋆Mehreen⋆ [Mostly active] · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆ Alexa play You Put A Spell On Me by Austin Giorgio

⭐️ 4.8/5
🌶 4.94/5

☆Synopsis:- Elyse Romero is a dedicated surgeon who has spent years trying to pay what her father owes to the mafia by making discreet house calls for criminal figures. Until, a ruthless heir of the mafia is brought to her house, but saving his life would mean losing control of her own. Will she stick by the mantra of saving lives or prioritize her survival and kill if the need arises?

☆Tropes:- If you like “angels saving devils,” mafia settings, and intense, risky romance — this might be a good pick.
• forced proximity
• a morally grey anti-hero
• mafia power struggles
• slow-burn but intense romance

☆Spoilers:- Oh god! I live for the tension in this book. I knew this book would be a banger when Alessandro said, "The tragedy on your lovely face grieves me. I would move mountains and drain the seas. Just to see you smile once more." On. their. Second. Meet. There is a line between flowery and too flowery language and my bro is an expert in playing jump rope because it was just poetic for my liking. Don't even get me started on Elyse. She was a literal latina baddie. She knew she was enough. I adored their silly, twisted games and was legit giggling and blushing as if Alessio was flirting with ME. Not even that, the way Elyse was always there for him when he was falling apart. They're THE power couple, fight me.

☆Quotes:-

• Elyse set her jaw. Something within pushed her to challenge his threat. "Unwilling to share your toys?" Alessandro glared as he corrected her, "Unwilling to share my woman. Ahhhhhhh!!!!🫦
• "I don't need to be your queen," Elyse sniffed elegantly. "I'm already goddamn surgeon." Yes, baby, you fucking are!🛐
• "Once you become my wife," Alessandro stressed, "what is mine will be yours. A true king does not rule over his queen. He rules alongside her."
• "Six days," Alessandro muttered again. "Wait for me, cuore mio.
"Six days," Elyse echoed softly. "I'll be waiting."
• The moment Elyse was within striking distance of Alessandro, she gracefully retracted her hand from her grandfather and proceeded to stun every single one of their guests by landing a hard, resounding slap across Alessandro's cheek.The chapel erupted in a gossip-hungry buzz of bewildered speculation. LMAOOO💀
• What now existed between them was beginning to feel like something far more precious, so terrifyingly Intimate that Elyse didn't dare examine it up close. She didn't want to give this all-consuming emotion a name. As long as she didn't acknowledge it, the feeling wasn't real. It couldn't hurt her. She refused to surrender to it. It was starting to feel very much like—love.
• "Would you ever kill me if I knew too much?" The sheets rustled as Alessandro turned toward Elyse. He gazed deeply into her eyes. The intensity rolling from him was unsettling. Alessandro vowed solemnly, "Gun to my head, I would gut myself before laying a hand on you."
• "If the devil ever takes me," he murmured, "I will crawl out of hell and find my way back to you."
• "Fuck, your praise makes me feel invincible. You may have married a devil, wife, but hell will become your playground. I vow to you. The blood of our enemies will drown the flames. And stars will be wrenched from the heavens. To illuminate the darkness. Just wait and see. I will give you a life that even angels envy."

This should be enough for you to drop everything, start this book and swoon over this asshol—uhm, Alessandro🏹♥️

🚨oh btw, it ends on a cliffhanger🚨

[Bookish_weirdos Readoholics · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's almost 5:20 am, and I just finished The Diavolo, and it's perfect. Words can't describe how much I love this book. The story but also Elyse & Alessandro themselves just have my ❤️ I can't wait for the next part
Thank you for giving us the chance for Arc Read

"Diavolo" by T.A. Fan is an enthralling romance, mafia novel that immerses readers in a world of love, danger, passion, and intrigue. The story revolves around a fierce and independent heroine, Dr.Elyse, who finds herself caught in the tumultuous life of the mafia, where loyalty and betrayal are constantly at play. T.A. Fan deftly crafts a narrative that explores the complexities of love amidst the backdrop of crime and power struggles.💋🎀👏😳

The chemistry between ELYSE & ALESSANDRO is electric, sizzling, and passionate, drawing readers into their intense relationship filled with both tension and tenderness. The author skillfully balances the dark elements of the mafia world with moments of vulnerability and romance, making the characters relatable and their struggles palpable. As the protagonist navigates her feelings for a charismatic yet dangerous mafia leader, the stakes rise, leading to a gripping exploration of trust and sacrifice.🥰✨️

With its fast-paced plot and richly developed characters, "Diavolo" keeps readers on the edge of their seats. T.A. Fan's ability to weave romance into a high-stakes environment makes this book a captivating read for fans of the genre. The blend of passion, danger, and emotional depth ensures that "Diavolo" is not just another mafia story but a compelling tale of love that transcends the boundaries of the criminal underworld.

I can't wait for the next part of the book. i am dying already to read🙄💗

[Aachal · Rating 5 out of 5]

THIS WAS THE BEST MAFIA ROMANCE BOOK I'VE READ THIS YEAR ❤️ ✨

I love Alessandro and Elyse so much, they were perfect for each other 🤍. she was a surgeon and he was the mafia prince.

There were many cute moments of them were Alessandro use italian language to say things ( ifykyk ) thinking Elyse doesn't know italian but she knows 😂

There relationship build up was so beautiful to read and I love how much of gentleman Alessandro was , he was caring and always there for Elyse. There was this scene where his crazy ex shoot FMC on shoulder, he as payback shoot her ( his ex ) on shoulder too. he knew it , that it will cause war but he doesn't care. I loved him sm in that scene ✨

And for FMC I love her , she was so understanding. Like there were many ex's of MMC involved but she doesn't let that affect her relationship with her husband. Both MMC and FMC are perfect for each other.

Over-all the book is so addictive and story is gripping and intersting. I would give this book 5 stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Can't wait for there 2nd book !!!

🖤 TROPES 🖤

✨ She is surgeon x he is a Mafia Prince
✨ Spice 5/5 🔥🔥
✨ Forced marriage
✨ Has little bit of my wife moment
✨ He says things in Italian thinking she doesn't know but she knows 😉
✨ A little bit of OW drama ( MMC is Loyal to FMC )
✨ No cheating
✨Ends on cliffhanger

[Justine · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you T.A. Fan for providing me with an ARC!

I've enjoyed every second of this book. The story of Elyse and Alessandro is written in third person and this is something completely different from any other story I've read so far, but it was very nice to read like this.
I've read this story a long time ago for the first time on Wattpad and now I was able to read the real book.

The characters develop during the story and you learn more and more about them when you read the story. I've enjoyed book one a lot and am already looking forward to read the second book about Elyse and Alessandro.

I recommend this for people who love the following tropes:
- mafia romance
- surgeon x mafia prince
- forced proximity (she nurses him back to health in her apartment)
- obsessed at first sight
- she’ll do anything to escape the mafia
- he’ll do anything to keep her
- forced marriage
- she saves his life by removing a bullet from his stomach
- he saves that bullet and melts it into their rings when “proposing”
- plot-heavy spice
- who hurt you?
- when they finally fall, he’ll k!ll for her, she’ll d!e for him

[Paulina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Her games. His words.

I am in love with FMC. A sly fox with empathy. She was reasonable, logical and had balls on her. She wasn't a pushover and kept her cool under pressure. Had actual concerns for her and her consciousness that were realistic. She didn't fall for him instantly without any thought. A perfect mafia queen.

I enjoyed reading this. Solid 4,5. Some parts were a bit messy, but then the plot developed in more logical way without any weird inputs out of blue. I would give it a 5, but there was something lacking.

I'd call this a soft dark romance. A little bit spicy and sweet. Manipulating, playing the counterpart a little bit of deception and tension. Lust from the beginning but love in development.
Her games - I loved that she had so much control over him and they were both into that.
His words - I swooned at this poetic mafioso.

And the cliffhanger - I hope I'm just misunderstanding about who it is about. But if not then I'm even more intrigued how this will play out later.

[leena.reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you to Booksirens and the author for allowing me access to this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 2 ⭐️ DNF 20%
Genre: Dark Contemporary Romance
Format: ARC Ebook
Pages: 418
Spice: - 🌶️
POV: first POV
S/S: Devil’s Playground #1
Check trigger warnings for any book.

I’m sure someone else could love this book, but the writing style is not for me.

It sounds good, mafia romance with a very possessive love interest, and it feels quite fast-paced.

Leena - Leena.reader review - @leena.reader on tiktok and instagram

[Gem · Rating 5 out of 5]

An incredibly addictive Mafia read!! The debut of TA Fan & a book I couldn’t put down!

Elyse is trapped by inherited debts to the New York Mafia. One night she is presented with a “patient” whom she saves & cares for (handy air mattress on the living room floor!). Unbeknownst to her, Alessandro is Cosa Nostra royalty & he is enamoured! When an opportunity presents itself to leave her current predicament, she agrees but is soon questioning everything, much to the delight of her new employer!

This has been written so well! I love the writing style from TA Fan, world building that keeps you interested with inner thoughts of the characters that carry the story along. Add in some intense chemistry plus a few sneaky plot twists &💥 a top notch mafia read that will leave you desperate for book two! I loved this so definitely recommend taking a look if you’re in a Mafia mood!

[Mackenzie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Arc Reader ✨
this was a good mafia read for me , at times they can be a bit cringy but this was good. the relationship between Al and El was always interesting and i loved them together. i can’t wait for the second one to come out. really good read for me especially because it was dark but not too dark.

[Shama (thor.oughlyfantasy) · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐

[Marie · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF by chapter 11

[adriana marie · Rating 2 out of 5]

finally caved and dnf @55% cause i can't bring myself to finish it... sex sex sex that is the only thing they do