A Savage Devotion

by Lucille Byrne

He’s dangerous, untouchable, and completely impossible to resist.

Mikhail Volkov isn’t just a man—he’s a storm wrapped in darkness. Ruthless, powerful, and undeniably magnetic, he’s everything I should avoid. But the moment our worlds collided, it was too late to turn back.

He says I’m his, that he’ll destroy anyone who dares to touch me. His devotion is intoxicating, his possessiveness terrifying—and yet, I can’t walk away. Because beneath the violence, there’s a man who’s given me his heart, a man I can’t stop loving.

But loving Mikhail means stepping into his world, a world ruled by blood and betrayal. His enemies see me as his weakness, and they’ll do anything to tear us apart.

I know staying by his side could destroy me. But leaving him? That’s not an option. He’s claimed me, and now I’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to him—even if it costs me everything.

241 pages, Kindle Edition

Published December 30, 2024

Reviews

[Anni · Rating 2 out of 5]

At least there was a happy ever after.
I really wasn’t sure if I was reading a modern mafia book or a medieval bodice ripper.
She’s a waitress , he goes in for a coffee and ye that’s it. I found this couple so boring and flat.
You think the story is going somewhere but everything was just so vague.
The dialogue between the characters was so repetitive.
The fight scenes in the his mansion( or was it a castle) was just so confusing . The FMC taking part in the fighting was pretty cringey.
This just jumped about all over the place, ( a bit like this review).

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mikhail Volkov isn’t just a man—he’s a storm wrapped in darkness. Ruthless, powerful, and undeniably magnetic, he’s everything I should avoid. But the moment our worlds collided, it was too late to turn back.

He says I’m his, that he’ll destroy anyone who dares to touch me. His devotion is intoxicating, his possessiveness terrifying—and yet, I can’t walk away. Because beneath the violence, there’s a man who’s given me his heart, a man I can’t stop loving.

But loving Mikhail means stepping into his world, a world ruled by blood and betrayal. His enemies see me as his weakness, and they’ll do anything to tear us apart.

I know staying by his side could destroy me. But leaving him? That’s not an option. He’s claimed me, and now I’ll do whatever it takes to hold on to him—even if it costs me everything.

This contemporary dark mafia romance is page-turning with exceptional world-building that is engulfed by darkness, danger, violence, and grit, and characters that are alpha male exuding power, dark, dangerous, violent, obsessive, possessive, completely impossible to resist, captivating, and realistic. Their journey is enthralling with a savage devotion, mature, explicit romance that is consumed by steamy, sizzling passion, lust, desire, and spice with all the feelings to leave readers breathless and begging for more, drama, romantic suspense, deception, heartfelt emotions, action, adventure, and more. I recommend reading this book by an extraordinary author who knows how to captivate her readers' hearts and attention with a savage devotion and a mature explicit dark mafia romance that is sure to transport readers into a world that is wildly dangerous and unforgettable.

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

[Michelle Frater · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you’re thinking of a career change, you might want to consider waiting tables in a diner. It seems to be the place to meet dangerous, gorgeous men with an intense, possessive streak. Case in point? When Mikhail spots Olivia, it’s game over—end of story. The chemistry between them is electric and utterly undeniable. His devotion is…well, savage 😊 Let’s just say the intensity is a whole new level of “ride or die.” And heaven help anyone who dares to get too close to Olivia, because Mikhail’s not about to share. Now, while Mikhail’s brooding, sexy vibe practically screams alpha male, there’s an edge of danger that would have most sensible women running for the hills. But Olivia is drawn to the forbidden fruit like a moth to a flame, and who could blame her? Still, being the object of Mikhail’s affection puts a target on her back. With enemies lurking in the shadows, Olivia is pulled into Mikhail’s violent, cutthroat world—a place where mercy is a myth and survival is a skill. What follows is a story that’s equal parts scorching romance and high-stakes mafia drama. The passion between Mikhail and Olivia is intense and consuming, while the nonstop action and danger keep you on the edge of your seat. It’s fast, furious, and occasionally a bit chaotic—so much so that you might feel like you’re sprinting to keep up. But the thrill of finding out what happens next is totally worth it. Ultimately, this is a rollercoaster ride with more twists than a mobster’s moral compass, but it will have you crossing all your fingers for Mikhail and Olivia’s happy-ever-after!
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Rebel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Lucille Byrne’s A Savage Devotion (The Volkov Mafia Series) is the ultimate dark romance that drags you into a world where passion is as dangerous as it is all-consuming. This book is everything I love in a mafia romance—raw, intense, and filled with that dangerous blend of passion and peril that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

Mikhail Volkov is the type of hero you both fear and crave. He’s ruthless, untouchable, and embodies that dangerous allure that pulls you in. From the moment he enters the story, his presence demands attention—he’s a storm of violence, power, and magnetic force, and there’s no escaping his hold. He doesn’t just claim the heroine, he devours her heart and soul, promising to destroy anyone who dares to stand between them. His devotion is both thrilling and terrifying, and his possessiveness will make your heart race.

What struck me most about this book is the depth of their relationship. Beneath Mikhail’s dark exterior is a man capable of giving everything for the woman he loves, and the heroine’s own struggle with her feelings is just as compelling. Her internal battle—torn between loving a man who could destroy her and being unable to walk away from him—will have you glued to the pages. Their chemistry is undeniable, and as the stakes get higher, the tension between them only intensifies.

Byrne’s writing effortlessly weaves together dark, dramatic moments with fiery passion and suspense. The world she’s built is one of blood, betrayal, and danger, where loyalty is tested and every decision could be their last. Yet, even within this deadly world, love becomes their greatest weapon and their biggest weakness.

This book left me breathless, caught between the brutal reality of the mafia world and the fierce love story that blooms within it. A Savage Devotion is a must-read for anyone who loves dark romance, forbidden love, and those all-consuming alpha males. Mikhail Volkov is the kind of hero who will stay with you long after the book ends, and I can’t wait to see where the rest of the series takes us.

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

[Amie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A superbly written story that brings a Bratva boss falling for a waitress. The two get closer after the Bratva boss’s rival brings his men after the waitress which afterwards they become intimate.
The Bratva boss has the waitress come to his home after she started getting targeted more. The waitress and her sister get into a disagreement about the Bratva boss and after the disagreement her sister leaves.
The two get closer and become intimate, the Bratva boss decides that the waitress is his. The Bratva boss finds out that he is being betrayed by a family member as well as an associate. It’s not long before the associate betrayal is dealt with but he finds out about other family members who might betray him.
The waitress is given a book that contains information about the Bratva boss. The waitress goes into the fight that’s against the Bratva boss’s rival to help the bratva boss. After the fight they meet with the family member to talk.
Eight years later the couple is together. The couple has started a family. The sisters are close again. The couple is happy with their family and are happy as well as in love.
Outstanding characters are in this story and is a great page turner. Suspense, intrigue, thrills, action and steamy romance as well as a happy ever after ending is what brings this story together.

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

[Mafia Wife · Rating 3 out of 5]

She works in the diner just a job to get by. When he starts coming in, he’s not one of their usual customers and he seems to be a bit of an enigma. He’s dark and handsome with an air of dangerous. He is the mafia prince, and he is taken with the quiet beauty and innocence of the diner waitress. When his enemies noticed the attention he’s paying her, she becomes a target and he has to pull her into his world. The story is a little bit scattered. You get some decent character development with a little bit of their backgrounds and family dynamics. However, some things in hers never seem to play out in the story, which makes it a little confusing. They have a strong cold to each other and electric chemistry. They have some very steamy spice, but then that gets lost in the mafia drama. And the mafia drama isn’t so much complex as it is unnecessarily confusing. It has too many elements involved, especially for a shorter term story that makes it chaotic rather than intriguing. Her involvement also becomes cringey as it would never play out that way. In this case, the romance was good, including their happily ever after in the epilogue but the other arc was problematic for me.

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

[Dee · Rating 5 out of 5]

You might want to hang on don’t blink and you might want to make sure you are buckled up because this is going to be one crazy ride usual mafia antics betrayal, jealousy, lies, secrets, murder, and throw in a little maybe even a lot of violence while we are at it but also a little love so buckle up 😊! Mikhail sexy as all get out possessive mafia boss meets a waitress one day she captures his undivided attention in the best way possible, but don’t let the sexiness fool you he is dangerous, ruthless on a good day, deadly every day, and isn’t a man you want on your radar, but he does get the job done. Olivia is sweet works as a waitress knows bad people exist but the moment, she meets the possessive mafia man who has taken an interest in her and anyone that tries to get close well he is a mafia man use your imagination. The magnetic pull between them can’t be ignored but can she enter a world she knows nothing about, will he be able to protect her, keep her safe, but can they be together, and will they find happiness somewhere along the way?

[Heather Dudley · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Savage Devotion is quite suspenseful and definitely a page turning mafia romance. This book is amazingly written, well balanced with action and romance, and beautifully executed by Lucille Byrne. Lucille Byrne continues to prove to me what an incredible author, storyteller and writer she is with each book that I have read by her so far. I absolutely enjoyed learning about Olivia and Mikhail and I thoroughly enjoyed getting to witness their incredible journey coming to fruition throughout the book. In my opinion, Lucille Byrne pours her all into the stories she creates and writes for her audience’s enjoyment. I would most certainly encourage other readers to checkout and give it a read. I can’t wait to read more amazing romance stories from this incredible author.

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

[Kazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great book, I loved the characters in this book. Mikhail fell in love with Olivia at first sight. I think she did too but being a little innocent she held back a little. When things start to get out of control I loved how she stepped up and stood by Mikhail. It showed great strength on her part. Now normally mafia reads are females aren’t allowed to know about business, he did let her in and they stood stronger together. One issue I had is her sister Samantha, the information was a little mixed up at the end. As they is no mention of what happen to her husband. Apart from that a great read.

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

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

Together they are a force to be reckoned with. Olivia and Mikhail's first connection are at the diner she works at. Sparks ignite right from the start between them, but she knows there is something dark and sinister about him. When his enemies come for her, he takes them out and in doing so starts them along their path. Their journey is filled with deadly twists and turns that kept me glued to the pages as I immersed myself in their drama. Will these two get their chance for happiness in the end.

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

[Shifty Bugger · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

Wow, this book was exciting with the twist and turns, suspense, drama, action, danger. Mikhail is a ruthless dominant Mafia Boss, he has so many secrets he was infatuated with the waitress. Olivia needed a job and eventually got the job as a waitress, she hides so many secrets, so when she starts to see Mikhail some secrets can be dangerous and cause dangerous situations that keeps you on the edge of your seat.

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

[Peggy · Rating 4 out of 5]

A pretty good read staring Olivia and Michael. Olivia works at a cafe. After chatting with Olivia, Mikhail becomes quite taken. She’s completely from another world; a normal word and worlds away from his every day life. The story was good but it didn’t flow at the beginning and took me quite a bit to get into. Once I did, I enjoyed it. It it would have been nice if it was edited to bring about the flow needed to get you going from the start.

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

[Stacy VJ · Rating 1 out of 5]

What on earth is this??? You all lie!

Who wrote this book?! It’s all over the place, I’m so confused! How do you go down on someone without taking any of their clothes off? How do you have sex with someone without entering them?

Did I get a different copy? There’s no way this book was written by an adult!

I’m guessing it suppose to be dual POV but it never tells you whose chapter it is…..you read through hers then it repeats the same in his…..& my god he drones on & on & on.

People, don’t bother!

[Happyscribe · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a lovely read - it's passionate, earnest and the characters aren't so beyond your real-life experiences that you feel like you're watching a movie or a story of two people you'd never see in real life.
That said there is the problem of the morally grey wasteland that is illegal activities and brutality....and then there's the honesty of love to bridge even yawning gaps between people's worlds.
Such a reconfirming read! Loved.

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

[Barbara · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is your next SUSPENSEFUL and ROMANTIC mafia romance book right here just waiting for you. When you begin to read this book, you can almost feel the tension, heat and suspense radiate from the pages, and you will be turning the pages very quickly to see what happens between Olivia and Mikhail. Read this romance story and let it take you on an impressive adventure with an ending you will love.

[Brenda Moser · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written mafia romance with strong characters in Mikhail and Olivia. The author does a great job developing the story and painting her scenes perfectly. She takes you into their lives with chemistry and heat and kept me turning the pages with the action packed storyline. She moves the story fluidly and delivers a terrific read.

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

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is so intense! I was hooked from the beginning to the end. The plot twists kept me guessing and wholly engrossed. Olivia meets Mikhail when he comes into the diner where she works, and she is his server. I love how Olivia steps up and unites with Mikhail as the story progresses. There is a lot of action, spice, and, most importantly, the perfect HEA.

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

[Chris06 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is all about the chemistry between two people. I got a sense that Olivia was someone Mikhail was already watching before his obsession.

I have to admit this had me feeling like we were missing a piece of the puzzle… so much interest in Olivia. No angst .. no drama between the two .. just standard results of the life he lives and how it impacts her.

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

[Bren · Rating 5 out of 5]

Mikhail is a domineering mafia boss who decides to claim a waitress name Olivia for his own. This book captures your attention immediately then as time goes on there's dangerous situations that keeps you on the edge wondering what kind of twists are lying in wait for you on the next page it's a exciting book.

[Genoveva · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please check all CW and TW before diving into this one. Mikhail is a man that knows exactly what he wants and when he sees Olivia it is decided that she's exactly who Mikhail wants. A possessive book boyfriend to swoon over! But of course things are not easy.

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

[L KQ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Anything for Olivia

Suspenseful and exciting, this mafia story was dark and interesting. Mikhail will do anything to keep Olivia safe and only his to love. It was a well-balanced plot with some complex characters that made this an intriguing read.

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

[Shelley Drinkel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A good mafia romance, I enjoyed it and it was readable but it was just lacking something I can’t pinpoint that would have made me love it, but that’s down to my personal reading tastes. The storyline was good and well written it just didn’t quite resonate with me personally.

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

[Susana Flores · Rating 5 out of 5]

Olivia was a normal woman who worked in the cafe and she did not know anything about the underground world. Mikhail was the mafia leader who had the city under control. He went to the cafe and met Olivia, but felt something strange about her and was attracted to her. He could not show any weakness or his enemies would attack him to take away everything.

[Alex · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mikhail & Olivia: Dark mafia romance: Lucille Byrne’s writing style is engaging and kept me captivated throughout. This dark and spicy story is exciting and full of suspense. If you love an alpha male with a possessive and obsessive streak, then Mikhail will fulfill your needs.

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

[Adrienne · Rating 2 out of 5]

Made it through a couple of chapters of this but it was a struggle. I just did not care about either of the main characters and was looking for something to happen but it fell flat. We get it, he’s mysterious. And she wants adventure but doesn’t. The flip flopping and unrealistic dialogue was just too much. The writing changed tenses periodically as well, it was hard to read.

[Amy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Good!!
Loved reading A Savage Devotion. I actually read this in one night because it was so good and I couldn’t put it down. This mafia book was action packed until the very end. The chemistry between Olivia and Mikhail was hot and I loved their story!!

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. When that one comes into your life your move everything for that person even if it means tearing down everything to protect her. Fantastic

[Pam B. · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great story, writing is good, characters great!

Olivia is a waitress and Mikhail is obsessed with her.

This is must read.

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

[Marsha · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Mikhail and Olivia's captivating story. The story has suspense, danger, action, and obsession which keeps the reader entertained. The characters are great and story is written really well.

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

[brenda hurley · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story has drama, spice, action and twists and turns. I couldn't put it down turning the pages. I can't wait to read more from this author.

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