From birth, my destiny was written in blood. Groomed to inherit my parents’ empire, they expected obedience and perfection in everything I did. They were too arrogant to realize that the person they trained to be ruthless and power hungry would be the very person to cut their lives short. Now, their reign is over and mine begins. To claim absolute power, I need more than loyalty. I need warriors. Killers. Men who will bleed for me, fight for me… die for me. So, I created the Trials—a brutal competition where only the strongest survive. The winners will stand at my side as I carve out my place at the top. They’ll bear my mark, my trust… and the privilege of warming my bed. Lust, loyalty, and blood will bind us. Let the games begin
Please - Mafia Princess is the first book in the Mafia Princess RH series and does end in a cliffhanger. - It is written in the Horsemen Mafia Series world, but is a stand-alone series.
“Mafia Princess: The Trials” is the first installment in the “Mafia Princess Duet.” Cara’s destiny was to inherit the family empire on their death. That time is now! To claim absolute power she needs more than loyalty. She needs warriors. Killers. Men who will bleed for her, fight for her and ultimately, if required, die for her. To get to her ultimate destination, Cara creates the Trials - a brutal competition where only the strongest survive. “The winners will stand at her side as I carve out my place at the top. They’ll bear my mark, my trust… and the privilege of warming my bed. Lust, loyalty, and blood will bind us. Let the games begin.”
In the first book you meet Liam Brennan, who is from England and a Professional Assassin by trade. With dark hair, captivating blue eyes, the two have an instant mutual attraction. Next is Sean McAllister from Ireland, a Hired Assassin/Personal Security and has worked for her father in the past. Before Cara went to University in the USA, they were involved in a relationship and he took her virginity. Alessio Lombay is from Italy. He is a Surgeon/Interrogator by trade, with a very interesting background. Cillian Coleman is from Ireland. He and Sean both served in the military together. He is a hired Assassin/Sniper by trade. Luka Saito is from Japanese/German and served in the German military. He is into Hacking and Finance by trade.
Out of the twelve candidates, she will choose four. The winners will earn a place by her side. Each day starts with a new trial, pitting them against each other. Each day brings more sexual tension, more than a hint of jealousy and finding out which tactics will work and get them through to the next level. At the end of each trial …… Who will stay? Who will go?
The story is very fast paced and full of twists and turns! You have danger, betrayal, intrigue, death, power, action and passion. There is never a dull moment! This book is everything you expect from a dark mafia romance! I did not want it to end! From page to page, chapter to chapter, I could not put it down - you will metaphorically be on the edge of your chair! Overall, I would highly recommend this book and you will not be disappointed 😊
"Mafia Princess" throws you straight into the deep end with Cara Boyle. Raised to be ruthless and power-hungry in her parents' Irish Mafia empire, Cara decides to take control in the most decisive way possible – by ending their reign herself. Now, as the new head of the Boyle family, she needs more than just loyalty; she needs warriors, killers, men who will bleed, fight, and even die for her. So, she creates the Trials – a brutal competition inviting a dozen of the world's top assassins, hackers, mercenaries, and interrogators to her compound. The winners will earn a place at her side, her trust, her mark… and the privilege of sharing her bed. Lust, loyalty, and blood are set to bind them together. Let the games begin, indeed!
What immediately struck me about this book was Cara. She is a force to be reckoned with – heartless, beautiful, and utterly in control. She knows what she wants and isn't afraid to take it, even if it means making some seriously dark choices (like, you know, offing her parents). The premise of the Trials is incredibly engaging, almost like a dark and steamy version of "The Hunger Games" for the mafia world. I was instantly drawn into seeing how these elite men would compete and interact with Cara, especially the five who seem to have caught her eye – Liam, Cillian, Sean, Alessio, and Luka. The tension is palpable, and the author does a great job of building intrigue, jealousy, and a whole lot of lust among the contestants and towards Cara. While emotions aren't supposed to be part of the equation for Cara, you can definitely feel the undercurrents and the potential for connections to form.
This book definitely leans towards the darker and grittier side of romance, given the mafia setting and the themes of violence, murder, and torture. However, I didn't find it overwhelmingly graphic, and the focus remained on Cara's power and the dynamics between her and the men. The pacing was quick, and I was hooked from beginning to end, eager to see who would stand out in the Trials and how Cara would navigate her new position of power and her growing attraction to some of these dangerous men. The sexual tension is definitely there, and while the book hints at steamy encounters, it seems to be building towards more in future installments.
Now, it's important to remember that "Mafia Princess" is the first book in a series and does end on a cliffhanger. While I personally didn't mind the cliffhanger because I'm invested in seeing where the story goes, it's something to be aware of if you prefer your books to have a complete ending.
If you enjoy dark mafia romances, are open to reverse harem relationships, and love a strong, ruthless female lead, then "Mafia Princess" is definitely worth checking out. If you're looking for a story filled with action, intrigue, and plenty of sexual tension, and you don't mind a cliffhanger ending, then dive right in!
A captivating and action-packed start to a dark mafia reverse harem series, "Mafia Princess" earns a solid 3.75 out of 5 stars. Terry Towers has created a compelling world with a formidable heroine and an intriguing premise that will leave you eagerly awaiting the next installment.
My Rating System: 1⭐️: The book didn’t hold my interest and/or had significant issues that overshadowed any redeeming qualities for me, but generally not my cup of tea. Most likely did not finish the book. 2⭐️: The book didn’t quite resonate with me, and while my experience wasn’t remarkable, I did finish it. It had some redeeming qualities and potential but fell short in execution. Recommendable, though with some reservations. 3⭐️: Good read, but didn’t quite stand out. Still worth recommending to others. 4⭐️: Really enjoyed it and stayed engaged throughout. Would read book again. Definitely recommendable. 5⭐️: Incredible writing that made me deeply connect with the characters. I was completely absorbed in the world and didn’t want it to end. This book stayed with me even when I wasn’t reading it. I'd gladly reread it and highly recommend it to everyone!.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I really enjoyed this one! It pulled me in from beginning to end and was interesting and entertaining. I enjoyed getting to know Cara and starting to see the dynamics of her world. This is on the darker and grittier side of things but I didn't think it was too bad. Cara was raised by a mafia boss essentially to take over and so things were to an exacting standard and emotions were to be shut off. She ends up killing her parents in order to take control and move things forward. She is dealing with issues within and working on clearing house and bringing in new loyal blood. In order to do that, she has come up with the trials and had skilled and experienced men invited to her compound to see who can make it through. I enjoyed it. It is on the darker side of things as it is the mafia and Cara did kill her parents to take over. She is on the colder side of things but she was raised to shut off emotions. I enjoyed watching some of these men come in and step up with both the trials and building a connection and relationship with Cara. I am excited to see where things are going to go and which men are going to continue to stand out and move forward. This is a bit more of a slow burn in that respect as the new men have more ground to cover and the sexual tension and chemistry is high but not full action. The men that there is a little history with is a bit of a different story. I am excited to see how things will play out and how the men will end up handling there being more than one and seeing Cara open up a little in her emotions. I voluntarily reviewed an ARC of this book.
Mafia Princess : The Trials, Part 1 is the first book in a story that pulls you in with the concept from the beginning and then keeps you hooked along the way wondering what is going to happen next. Be aware that this book does end with a cliffhanger and will be continued in the next book. Cara Boyle was raised to be lethal, unfeeling and ruthless. She learned well as she took out her parents and took over as the head of the Boyle Irish Mafia family. She needs loyal men to be by her side and in her inner circle. So she comes up with a type of "Hunger Games" trail which brings together a dozen men who are the top hacker, assassins, mercenaries and interrogators. The tension between the men and Cara is palpable but emotions are are not to be in the mix as she does not believe in love and relationships. Each man must prove himself to her as they compete against each other but also work as a team. Their skills will be put to the test and Cara will be overseeing it all. I can't wait till I can get my hands on the next book to find out what happens next.
I live this story line as Cara Boyle has recently killed her parents and now she’s the new boss of the Boyle Irish mafia. She’s a strong independent woman, with no conscious who will bring the Boyle family mafia into new heights. She knows needs fresh blood at her side, men she can trust…not her father’s men. It’s unique she asks twelve men to compete for four spots on her exclusive team. During the trials she wants to see who’s the best, what their skills are and could she trust them. Can they work as a team or not? I love how she mentally dissects each of them, picking apart their lives, their attitudes and their willingness to work together or as a lone wolf? I can’t wait for book two the trails are still going on and I can’t wait to see what she has in store for them all, the contestants and her own crew. I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is my first ready by Terry Towers, short and left wanting the next book in this series.
Cara was raised in the Mafia and in order to assume absolute power she killed her parents. However Cara realizes that she needs to surround herself by people she trusts and who are devoted to her. So let the trials begin by brining in dozens of highly trained assassins, hackers, mercenaries, and interrogator to fill positions in her trusted circle. Will these five men who have captivated Cara’s attention be the men she truly needs to rule?
Filled with lots of action, sexual tension, jealousy and so much more. Excited for the next book.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
This is a quick Mafia romance. Cara is cold and a woman that knows exactly what she wants and isn't afraid to get her hands dirty to achieve her desires! I really like Liam, Sean, and Cillian's characters, I'm not sure about Alessio, he definitely has something to hide and I don't know how I feel about his previous ties. Ronan needs to go sleep with the fishes, I don't believe for one second that he only wants what's best for Cara, I think he wants to take her place. I can’t wait for book 2 to get answers!
After having been trained to be ruthless, Cara has done the unexpected and now she must rebuild. Let the trials begin! The men competing to be part of her team are ruthless and must prove not only that they are skilled but that they will be loyal to only her. I can't wait for the next book to see how it all will end up.
I received an ARC of this book and voluntarily leave this review.
Arc review I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review. Cara boyle is now the head of the Irish mob and this women is not to taken for granted as she is shoring up here organization .this is getting really good
OMG!! Excellently written. I couldn't put it down and I can't wait to read the next one. The story just draws you in and there's so much danger, suspense and spice. I hope the next one comes out soon.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Interesting, well written characters, boss lady, well paced storyline, action, drama, sizzle, steam, and some twists along the way. Yes please. That's 4 sizzling stars from me.
I received a free copy of this book via Cherrylily ARCs and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Mafia Princess storyline was interesting that it completely captivated me and was so intrigued that I couldn’t stop reading it until I finished with the very last word. I definitely recommend this book to anyone looking for an amazing book. Enjoy happy reading 📚
I really enjoyed this book. To me it was on the lighter side of dark. I don't know what that says about what I read. These stories are like therapy for me. I read them to escape and this story provides a great escape. It gave me the feel like I was there.
Meat & Taters: Cara Boyle is as heartless as she is beautiful. After killing her ruthless, unloving parents to assume the throne of the Boyle Irish Mafia Empire, she sets into motion an intense set of trials with a dozen of the world’s top assassins, hackers, mercenaries, and interrogators to fill the recently vacated positions in her closest circle. With sexual tensions running high between Cara and, well, five of the candidates, there’s bound to be feelings that try to creep in, only to have Cara crush them with her stiletto—er, I mean, re-clarify her stance on relationships and Love.
In ‘Mafia Princess’, author Terry Towers, has written a captivating story full of action, intrigue, jealousy, unrequited love, and lust. Well worth the read!
Basics: Length: * Novel * 194 pages HEA/Cliffhanger: * To be continued in The Trials, available April 30, 2025 Series: * Written as a standalone in the ‘Horsemen Mafia’ series world Epilogue: * No
Nitty-Gritty… MMC1: * Liam Brennan * Professional Assassin * Age 29 * COO: England * Dark Hair, Blue Eyes, Instant Mutual Attraction MMC2: * Cillian Coleman * Hired Assassin/Sniper * Age 34 * COO: Ireland MMC3: * Sean McAllister * Hired Assassin/Personal Security * Age 32 * COO: Ireland * Took Cara’s Virginity When She Was 18 MMC4: * Alessio Lombay * Surgeon/Interrogator * Age 31 * CCO: Italy MMC5: * Luka Saito * Hacking/Finance, martial arts, gymnastics * Age 28 * COO: Germany * Japanese and German decent MMC6: * Ronan Ellis * Cara’s Best Friend - They grew up together * Advisor * Age 25 * COO: Ireland * Red Hair, Green Eyes, Freckles FMC: * Cara Boyle * Heiress to the Boyle Irish Mafia Empire * Age 25 Genre & Tropes: * Mafia Romance * Dark Romance * Enemies to Lovers * FMC Has Multiple Partners * MF Triggers: * 18+ * Mature Content * On Page Sex * Exhibitionism * Voyeurism * Profanity * Violence * Murder * Torture * Death * MF Burn Speed: * Fast Spice Level: *