Candy Cane Chains: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Naomi Night, Kelani Knox

One night. One obsession. One woman I’ll never let go.

I never believed in Christmas miracles…

Until I saw her.

They called it Secret Santa. But I call it destiny.
All it took was one look at her…
And suddenly nothing else matters.

Nothing but making her mine.

That pathetic ex of hers thinks he can take what's mine.
But I'll burn this city down before I let her go.

With every mark I leave on her skin, every command she obeys...
She surrenders a little more to the darkness inside her.

She craves my control. She wants everything I give her.
And by Christmas morning, she'll understand…

This gift is meant to be kept forever.

Read on A twisted holiday romance where one night changes everything... This good girl is about to discover her wicked side with one of the deadliest men in the city. This scorching romance delivers a deliciously dark happily ever after that will heat up your winter nights!

Genres: Dark Romance

215 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 5, 2024

Reviews

[The Bourbon-Sipping Bibliophile · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay, buckle up, because Candy Cane Chains is a wild ride that'll leave you wanting hot cocoa and a long shower (depending on how you swing).

So, picture this: Ivy walks in on her boyfriend getting, well, jolly with his secretary. Not exactly the Christmas spirit, right? Devastated but not defeated, Ivy throws on her Mrs. Claus outfit (seriously, the irony!) and heads to a party she originally planned to skip. Enter Julian, a brooding dude with a darkness so thick you could cut it with a candy cane. He sees Ivy, all heartbroken and gorgeous, and it's like Cupid got drunk on eggnog and took a blind shot with his arrow.

Julian's a little possessive, okay, a LOT possessive. Think "obsessed with making Ivy his forever ornament" kind of possessive. He's got a past that's darker than Santa's workshop after closing time, and Ivy's sweetness starts to chip away at those rough edges. But it's not all sugarplums and spiked cocoa. There's drama, there's steam (think fireplace-level heat!), and there's even some violence (because let's face it, sometimes love ain't pretty).

Here's the thing: this book is dark. Like, mistletoe hanging over a dungeon dark. If that's not your cup of tea, then maybe skip this one and stick to Hallmark movies. But if you're down for a story where the good girl discovers her inner dominatrix thanks to a brooding bad boy with a heart of (possibly) slightly tarnished gold, then dive right in!

Candy Cane Chains is a quick read that'll keep you turning pages faster than you can say "fruitcake." It's not for the faint of heart, but if you're looking for a dark, twisted holiday romance, this one might just be your present (or your naughty list reward, depending on how you see it).

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

[CLorraine · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ivy surprises her boyfriend at his office, she is dressed like a holiday dream. Unfortunately for Ivy, her dream turns into a nightmare as she finds her boyfriend firmly making his way to the naughty list. Rather than go home and bask in her disappointment and sorrow, she goes to a Secret Santa Party where she encounters Julian. Julian has been coerced into attending the night’s festivities, he is not looking for joy and goodwill, but when he sees the broken woman at the end of the bar, he is drawn both by her brokenness and her beauty. Candy Cane Chains by Naomi Night and Kelani Knox is a dark romance with a reverse-redemptive arc. Ivy is sweet and loving, while Julian has a dark history and is not sure if he even knows how to love anyone. Will this good girl and starkly brooding man find a connection or are they too different to go the distance, will she save him, or will she end up in need of salvation? And will her cheating boyfriend stay gone for good or is he waiting for a reunion? I have read several books by this author(s) and always enjoy their intense and loyal MMCs and eclectically versatile MFCs!
https://theretiredreader.com/f/candy-...

[PurpleLadi · Rating 4 out of 5]

*** Warning: Violence, Dom/ Sub, Bondage ***

This is a short yet intense story. As a surprise for her boyfriend, Ivy dresses as Mrs., Santa and plans a romantic visit to his office. Unfortunately, the surprise is on her when she opens the door and catches her unfaithful boyfriend having sex with his secretary. How absolutely disrespectful and unrepentant of him to then try and convince Ivy that his unfaithfulness meant nothing. Gutted and reeling from the shock, Ivy decides to attend the Secret Santa party that she originally planned to ditch. Julian attended the same party, with one of his workers, took one look at Ivy and the hunt was on. He decided that Ivy belong to him, and vowed to make her and everyone see things his way. Ivy had no idea that the events that happen after meeting Julian would drastically change her life.

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

[Beast · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wow…Obsessed

This was my first time reading a book by Naomi Night. I discovered her by reading Kelani’s book.

Ivy is heartbroken and heads to a party with her friends. Julian doesn’t want to go to the bar but his friend talked him into it. He takes one look at her and falls hard.

The story line was good, the whole story takes place during 3 weeks. I had issues with no character description, just the color of their eyes (which is mentioned quite a few times in the book), there is some timeline inconsistency mentioned, and this is listed as a mafia book-nowhere in the story is the mafia mentioned. Julian is mentioned as a fixer and a hitman.
The spicy scenes were spicy, the obsession was strong, but the book tended to drag on for me. For the book being about 200 pages, it took me longer to read than normal. There’s no real action until the last chapter, otherwise it’s all spicy scenes and interaction between the two main characters.

[Danee · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you like dark romance books then this is definitely one to read. It is dark to the point of obsession. We follow Ivy and Julian they meet each other at a party where Ivy shows up because she caught her boyfriend with someone else a while ago and she was completely devastated and hurt. As soon as Julian sees her he knows immediately that she is and does everything he can to make sure that happens. And a side comes to the surface in Ivy that she had thought was well hidden a long time ago. I will not reveal what happens to them, I can only say that I am going to read their story it is very worthwhile.





I received an Advance Reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review..

[Kathryn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chaotic timeline

I don't like leaving bad reviews, and I want to start saying this isnt a bad book in general. I just found myself lost to how the timeline itself was moving. It seemed to jump forward so far but in the next chapter say it had only been a few days. All the events were super rushed but also chaotic, I was constantly flipping back thinking I had missed something. The story has so much promise and I think with a little more detail as well as attention to detail it would of been an absolute winner. I however was just left a little confused and felt s little let down. Still a good fast read, but just maybe wasn't for me.

[Annette · Rating 4 out of 5]

As indicated, this is dark mafia romance. The romantic moments are tender, suspense moments are jaw dropping and others had me on the edge of my seat. Opposites attract, not really, as a couple, they work very well together, he's instantly drawn to her, very attentive and willing to shower her with happiness inside and outside the bedroom. Even for someone like me who normally shy away from this type of romance, this couple's story captivated me. I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ivy catches her boyfriend in a compromising situation she is devastated. She goes to a party she didn't plan to an meets Julian and their path begins. He has a darkness about him and when he obsesses over Ivy, he brings out things she long kept hidden. This dark romance had me glued to the pages. It is well written with a dark plot along with characters that makes this story stand out.

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

[Courtney Reads Smut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Julian & Ivy! Where do I start? How about tall, dark and dangerous describes Julian beautifully. He’s a Dom, that didn’t know he was looking for his submissive.

Ivy was looking for her Dom, and didnt know she was a submissive. These two are just beautiful together. I absolutely loved this book and will be looking for more from these authors!

🎄 Holiday
🖤 Touch her & ☠️
🩶Alpha-hole
❤️🌶️🌶️🌶️/5
🩶 D/s
📍Illinois

[J · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF

I am not in the mood for sexist ideology in my romance novels and truly considering the state of the world, we can stop writing books like these. I really tried to look past the MMC’s misogynistic and sadist thinking but this is simply too awful. I do not think anyone should be turned on by someone's sadness nor should you want to make someone feel like they are solely an object of your desire.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Ivy catchers her bf doing something he shouldn't she ends up in a club and meets Julian, he's obsessed at first sight and nothing will stop him from keeping her not even her ex. Well written engaging, steamy desires, drama, and more.

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

[SndyNYC · Rating 2 out of 5]

Candy Cane Chains

Disappointed ☹️ this storyline was all about Julian. Mafia romance???? No details and was it a Mafia of two? Xander & Julian. What about Ivy???? Never any mention of why Jessica was acting weird? Travis was thrown in for kicks and giggles. Ivy just did whatever she was told and played dress up for the holidays 😟

[mia; · Rating 1 out of 5]

just no.... it was so bad no mafia plot or anything in general only smut with a overly controlling bf who isn't even okay just toxic atp like locking door @6am automatically like bro relax, not letting the girl meet her friends, not allowing her to have private space

[Mylene Williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Has Ivy walked away from her cheating boyfriend straight from the frying pan and into the fire that is Julian? Good read.

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