The Price of Protection

by S.J. Taylor

If life was complicated for New Orleans native Céline Bouchard and her father, Marcus, before she was swept into a world of dangerous criminals and their ruthless rivalries, you can only imagine the whirlwind of emotional chaos and confusion that followed.

When Céline first met Marius Gray, she was inexplicably drawn to him, sensing there was more to him than met the eye. Her relentless curiosity unearthed a dark truth: Marius is the head of the most powerful French mafia of the modern era.

Against her better judgment, Céline found herself irresistibly pulled toward the enigmatic crime lord—until tragedy struck her small family.

Now, with Jacques Mesrine targeting her, Céline is in mortal danger at every turn. She must decide whether to trust one criminal organization to protect her or attempt to outrun Mesrine on her own.

Marius Gray, a brooding enigma, has become ensnared in a tale as old as time: the Beast meets Beauty.

Now solely burdened with the responsibility of the Gray empire, Marius must navigate the storm of Céline’s grief and her complicated feelings for him—all while ensuring her safety from his relentless nemesis.

Family ties will be severed, long-buried secrets unearthed, and boundaries tested. But in this world of crime and deception, no one is exactly who they seem to be.

Is the worst of Céline’s trauma behind her? Can she protect her friends from being caught in the crossfire between two rival kings of crime?

Will Marius rise above his personal feelings and defeat his rival to keep those he cares for safe—or will his ego become his undoing?

And finally, will the beauty fall for the beast, or will the other monsters lurking in the shadows claim her first?

399 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 18, 2025

About the author

Writing is like breathing most of the time, like existing in the truest form I can be. My writing is raw, my characters relatable. I am honest with my readers and use unique stories to help them escape for a bit. When you're called to write, you do it. An author doesn't know what each story's purpose is until you let us how it impacted you. Make no mistake, I don't write light and fluffy. Life is real and hard, but also significant in the seemingly mundane. That is what I write about.

Reviews

[Kayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.J Taylor is a brilliant writer! This is book two in her danger by association series. It is phenomenal! I loved book one and I love book two just as much if not more. If you want a mafia book that makes you feel the pain and heartbreak the characters endure and the emotions they go through, then this is the book for you. I’ve said this before and I’ll keep saying it I love these characters. I can’t wait to have this book on my shelf! Book three can’t release soon enough!!

[Erica · Rating 5 out of 5]

RTC!

[Samantha · Rating 5 out of 5]

Amazing story!!!! If you love Mafia books or are thinking about getting into Mafia books, this is a great starter series.

[Kirsten · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did this book constantly leave me wishing I could finish it in 1 sitting? Absolutely.
Did I want to chuck it across the room occasionally? YES!
It had me yelling, screaming, and wanting the next chapter at every turn.
I LOVED book 1 and was heartbroken/left on the edge of my seat with that cliffhanger.... How did book 2 manage to top that?!
It's a mafia romance with minimal spice and a giant rival mafia boss who used to be a best friend... now he will stop at nothing to tear down the Gray empire. He found Marius' weak spot in Céline, and fully uses that to his advantage. Marius won't let her go, though.. will their relationship survive?

[Bethreads · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made me throw a tantrum on many occasions the first chapter I ended up putting the book down for most of the day as I was sulking and then I picked it up and boom second chapter and it all changes I was so annoyed

[Nat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Where to start?! There is something special about the way this book is written, the way it flows and the characters! We fall in love with the characters even more, their development and their relationships really are spectacular. The way it starts...there are no words!! Aaaand the ending.... definitely leaves us wanting more! Really cannot wait for the next one

[Amber · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book ! And it does not disappoint! The characters are involving and the story has you gripping on , and you might have inner monologue of your own at one point! This was me yelling at the characters 🤣 , again such good flow to the story and good writing ! I am in love with this series !!

[Phoebe Keveren · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this book, beautifully written and even with twists and turns, i cried at this book, I laughed and had such an amazing read.

Thank you S.J ox

[Tia Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

A no spice mafia novel. I’ve just finished reading the first two books and I’ll summarise that book 1 gives us a nice back story with the main characters. You begin to formulate a backstory of how the main group of characters is formed and alliances are made. The second book has more action and is a bit faster paced. Both books have banter and yearning elements.

For our main characters, I like them but I don’t think I love them. Celine can come across very bratty and whilst you’re sympathetic to her plight she has a lot of growing up to do. I think the way the book ends is unsatisfying and without a greater glimpse into book 3, I’m left feeling that there are too many unknowns and loose ends. For example whatever happened to Bastian? Did Remi’s parents not care about his whereabouts? Quinn’s skills were used but why her? How did Celine contact her relative so quickly and cash in the favour without bringing her aunt into the equation? How has Marius not found out her background history with all the resources available to him. And is Celine going to suddenly fall in line with her family legacy and stop judging Marius so unfairly?

I think it’ll be a heavy feat to turn book 3 into a happy ending with the current slow pace relationship development, for it to feel genuine. I’m not sure if I’ll read the next instalment personally but I would recommend for those of us who want the mafia drama without the explicit nature most books have and with a stern stance against trafficking!

[Machiavelli Dingo · Rating 5 out of 5]

I thought I ate up part one?! Wrong I couldn’t stop reading part two! TBH I absolutely loved this trope. Between the love, violence and strength shown at every turn I was rushing to the next page! Some of my favorite quotes are definitely between the pages of this story. What an honor it was to read this book! It was so refreshing to have a FMC who was vulnerable but also willing to stand up for herself and not wallow in her pity and grief. I can’t wait to see the connections to Ceces extended family drama and how this all plays out! To say I’m addicted isn’t enough! I’m already on my reread!

[Hijabi_booklover · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love isn’t always rainbows and butterflies. Sometimes love it pain, misunderstanding, selfish. Sometimes love is something we need to walk away from for the bettering of oneself. Sometimes we must sacrifice ourselves and our feelings for the greater good. I was going to wait to read book 3 when it came out. But that ending ♥️ 🗡️. Then the author asked me to arc reading books so here I am jumping into book 3. Because a girls heart is aching and I need answers. This book is a perfect reminder that we are all human and we all make mistakes.

[Lady Ky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot stress enough how much I loved this book. I devoured it in less than 24 hours, just like book one. The banter is sharp, the humor hit perfectly, and there were moments that made me laugh, gasp, and even cry. I absolutely love when a story sweeps me away like this.

Normally, I’d dive into the plot, but I don’t want to risk spoiling anything in The Price of Innocence.

This book does touch on some very harrowing topics, so please make sure to read the TWs. If you’ve made it this far, do yourself a favor and pick up book one—you won’t regret it!

[Jac-Ann Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me tell you something, this book... it has not left my mind since I read it. The way S.J. wrote these characters, the beautiful and even sometimes humorous prose, (specifically the chapter titles), it's just so good. The story is amazing, the vibes are immaculate, the writing is spectacular. If your considering this book but not sure if mafia is for you, this is THEE book series to dip your toes in.

[Amelia Spencer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’m loving the way this story develops! The push and pull between the two love interests has me wanting to pull my hair out (in the best way possible) and I’m so curious to see how they resolve her fear of being pulled into a life of crime and mafia organization intrigue. I’m still so curious to find out more backstory on all the inner workings of the plot surrounding the mafia and all the political dynamics of the crime organization. On to the next! I can’t wait to see how this one ends.

[Delta A Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

S.J. Taylor really has a way with words! Her writing was like poetry to me it just flowed so well. The way she describes things is just amazing! This book had me in all the feels I was angry, sad, and giggling and kicking my feet in the air. I really love all the characters although there were times I wanted to punch Marius in the face for being dumb. And don’t even get me started on that ending because what!?

[Morgs🖤 · Rating 5 out of 5]

God the emotions I've gone through reading this book, sj you have such a way with words, I have laughed, I've cried.
Just when I thought all was well.. you throw that at us..
my heart can not take this..

So beautifully written.
Onto book 3