Crawl to Me

by A. Joanne, shaunie schoonejans (illustrator)

Andromeda’s life takes a drastic turn when her boyfriend Jasper sells her to the Ladri Di Anime leader Romeo to pay off his debt. She doesn’t let her new environment change her feisty demeanour , in fact Romeo brings it out more in her. Instead of killing her, Romeo becomes intrigued by the beauty in front of him, making her his nanny. Will she learn to love him? or will Romeo’s feelings be one sided?

Genres: Dark

178 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 3, 2025

Reviews

[Lauren Head]

From the very first page, this novella gripped me with a thrilling, irresistible intensity. Joanne’s mastery of heat and tension is flawless spicy, but never overdone, each moment sizzling with just the right amount of danger and desire. The story ignites from their first electric encounter, through the chaos of the scheming ex, the shocking kidnapping, and the unexpected twist of becoming the nanny. Short yet scorching, every scene pulses with forbidden attraction and heart-stopping drama. This Mafia romance isn’t just a read,it’s an experience that lingers, searing itself into memory. Absolutely unputdownable.

[Jess]

This novella is perfect if you love
•mafia romance
•masked men
•gun play
•kidnapping
Was such a nice fast read, lots of action and 🌶️
The fmc was awesome, who doesn’t love a women who stands up for herself
If you add this to your tbr please check the trigger warnings

[Rebekah Godfrey]

Absolutely LOVED this novella!! Spectacular give me 14 of them!!
If you love mafia romances, you NEED to read this!
If you love masked men, you NEED to read this!
If you love gun play, you NEED to read this!
If you love the single dad trope, you NEED to read this!
@a.joanneauthor 😍 this was 🤌🏻 so good!

[Rae]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes to look forward to:
🖤𝙎𝙝𝙚’𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙣𝙖𝙣𝙣𝙮
🥀𝙈𝙖𝙨𝙠 𝙆𝙞𝙣𝙠
🖤🔫 𝙋𝙡𝙖𝙮
🥀𝙊𝙗𝙨𝙚𝙨𝙨𝙚𝙙 𝙈𝙈𝘾
🖤𝙏𝙤𝙪𝙘𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙧 & 💀
🥀𝙀𝙣𝙚𝙢𝙞𝙚𝙨 𝙩𝙤 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙨
🖤𝘿𝙖𝙧𝙠 𝙈𝙖𝙛𝙞𝙖 𝙍𝙤𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙘𝙚

Super quick Mafia romance following Andromeda & Romeo’s fast paced love. When Andromeda is landed in deep trouble by her soon to be ex, she’s sold off to the Mafia Boss Romeo!
This novella even has a cute puppers! 🐾🥰

100% recommend going to read this one!

I had the pleasure of once again Adv reading for A Joanne for the fourth time and have enjoyed each and every book so far, I even go the extra mile & have book trophies 🥰

[Caged Soul]

"She is either going to love this or hate me more"

Rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25
Spice 🌶🌶

Tropes

🌹She’s the nanny
🖤Mask Kink
⛓️Gun Play
🌹Obsessed MMC
🖤Touch her & 💀
⛓️Enemies to Lovers
🌹Mafia Romance
🖤Dark Romance

Romeo Romeo Romeo... this man is fireeeee... Can I have him? The way he was written was so perfect. Author did her best on Romeo, the beautiful blonde a**hole with eyes that can swallow you in. This man has two phases, one the mafia phase that demands respect and radiates dominance and the other one is cutie phase with Callum. The way he say "little dove"

Callum... a sweet baby.. he is such a energy ball.. The moment he enters the scene, the whole mood light up.🫠

Andromeda, firstly I loved this name and she is the feisty queen that won't give up without a fight. She is so sarcastic "why do you use cheap ghostmasks?" Her ex was a jacka** but I'm glad because that's why she met the Blonde love.

She is perfectly made for Romeo and the moments where they are together in the scenes, trust me you can feel the dominant and jelaous gaze of Romeo. One thing, I love about Romeo is his punishments, too sweet and hot. And I'm all in 😏😏

The intensity and the emotions were beautifully written. Romeo is unhinged and Andromeda is the one who brings out that part of him.

The confessions, emotions, and depth will melt you, and you'll fall more and more for Romeo. This man is the epitome of love, intensity, and loyalty—everything you need in a man.

This book is must read ❣️

[Twinkle.butt.reads]

If you like your romance a little dangerous, a little messy, and wrapped in a whole lot of tension, Crawl to Me might just be your next obsession.

This dark romance debut throws us straight into the chaos with Andromeda, a heroine tangled up in danger, grief, and a man who absolutely screams bad decisions ahead. Enter Romeo mysterious, morally gray, and deeply connected to the criminal underworld. Their relationship? Intense, complicated, and the kind that makes you side-eye your life choices while still turning the page at 2 a.m.

For a debut, Crawl to Me brings the drama, the danger, and the emotional turmoil in the best way. If you enjoy dark romance with morally gray characters, high stakes, and a relationship that keeps you guessing, this book is definitely worth the ride.

Just be warned: once you start, you might not be sleeping until you find out what happens next.

[Erin Page]

All I have to say is that Romeo could k!dn@p me any day and I’d be a-okay with it! 🥵

Romeo is a stern and sexy mafia boss, but we don’t really get to see the sexy side of him until he obsessively falls for his nanny, Andromeda. (Who, by the way, he k!dn@pped when her boyfriend sold her to Romeo in lieu of payment!)

A. Joanne has a brief and easy writing style which keeps the novella moving at a fast pace.

If you want a quick, dark, spicy read, with mafia boss x nanny, he falls first, and a bit of mafia k!nk, you’ll want to add Crawl to Me to your list!

**read the TWs**

[Naomi Rhodes]

It needs to be longer!!

I absolutely loved this novella. The characters are likeable in a messed up way. The story is gripping. I read it so quick and really enjoyed it. The spicy scenes were unbelievable. Definitely recommend.

My only two issues with this book was 1. The use of the word member.. personal preference it gives me the ick especially when we’re in intensely hot bit of the book. Cools me down instantly.
Second issue was I would have loved this to not be a novella and a whole book! Building up the intimacy between characters and learning more about them.

Overall I loved it and want to hear more and learn more about the characters and their life.

[Amber]

3.75 rounded up ... all the best tropes rolled up into this fun quick novella.... I kinda wish this one was longer and the story had more depth bc it was such a good fast paced packed with goodness short read it felt super rushed .. I just want more lol

[Madison]

Great mafia novella! Fast paced and entertaining

[Ali Cooper]

Crawl to Me is a Dark Mafia Romance set in a generic city. Andromeda is sold by her boyfriend to cover a debt to a Mafia Boss, and when she finds out, she wrecks his shit (the boyfriend not the Mafia Boss). Andie is 100% Girlbossing this whole book, even when she is being stalked by a gang of Mafiosos in cheap, tacky Ghostface masks. Multiple plotlines twine together and make the story feel more fleshed out and not one dimensional. Watching Andie and Romeo grow into a relationship and seeing how they interact and grow was something I enjoyed.

I'm not usually a huge fan of Dark Romance, but this book kept things light enough for me to be able to enjoy it. I did have some moments when my immersion was broken by some phrasing being out of place, but this did not majorly detract from my enjoyment of the book.

There was a lot of moments in this book that were unhinged, but the one that always throws me is the inappropriate use of firearms. Ma'am, you are going to get a yeast infection at minimum. You have no idea where that thing has been. Does it have any ridges or sharp edges on it? Because scratches in sensitive places sounds horrific.

All in all I would highly recommend this book, even though it was not perfectly my personal preference. It was still extremely enjoyable and I would have read further on Andie and Romeo's story.

[Mimi]

Thank you so much a.joanne for giving me the opportunity to ARC read Crawl To Me! ❤️

A Wild Ride of Mafia, Betrayal & Chemistry That Sizzles! 🔥🌶️

If you love your romance with a side of danger, brooding mafia men, and enough tension to set fire to your Kindle, Crawl to Me is your next obsession.

We’ve got:
💀 A badass heroine who refuses to go down without a fight.
🖤 A possessive (and ridiculously hot) mafia boss who kidnaps her but then makes her his nanny?? (Talk about whiplash.)
👶 A cinnamon-roll nephew who is entirely too adorable for this dark world.
😈 A jealous ex who sells his girlfriend for $5k (???)
💋 A first kiss so intense you might need to fan yourself.

Romeo De Luca is all growls, threats, and dominance—until you see him with his nephew, and suddenly, you’re questioning all your life choices. Andromeda (Andy), our fierce and snarky queen, doesn’t just roll over for him—she bites (literally). Their back-and-forth is equal parts hilarious, unhinged, and undeniably steamy.

Crawl To Me releases on the 3rd of March. Pre-order today!

[DijZhane’]

This novella is a quick, exciting read if you’re into dark romance, which I typically am not. However the genre has no bearing on my rating.

Since this is a short read, the plot moved very quickly, and could’ve used a bit more development in my opinion. The story follows a FMC Andromeda who is “sold” by her boyfriend to mafia boss Romeo for his unpaid debts. He kidnaps her, forces her to live among the mafia, and becomes the nanny to his nephew whom he raises as his son. To our surprise, she ends up falling for Romeo and the feelings are mutual. This novella features “forbidden” love, stalker/kidnapping, obsessed guy turned perfect alpha protector, and mafia romance. There’s also some spice and kinks such as g*nplay.

I found many grammatical and punctuation errors throughout the book, not so drastic that it impacts comprehension, but it was noticeable.

Overall, if you’re looking for a good short read that has some spice, some drama, and is an easy interesting read, I do recommend.

[Crystal Reads]

This was a very faced paced and quick read. If you are looking for a dark mafia romance that you can read in a short time, then this may be the book for you.

Andromeda is a feisty little thing. And after she finds out her boyfriend has sold her to pay off her debts, she isn’t so happy with him. But she seems to settle in as Callum’s new nanny pretty quickly.

Romeo is the leader of Ladri Di Anime and he is out for revenge on whoever killed his sister. He has also taken on the role of father to his nephew. When he meets Andromeda, he instantly becomes obsessed with her beauty.

The book went very quickly, maybe a little too quick for me. I wanted a little bit more in there. It seemed like they met and then all of a sudden they were together. I did enjoy the backstory of why Romeo wanted revenge and then the reasoning behind his sister’s death.

3.5⭐️
2🌶️

[Joe Wass]

“Perfect for fans of Sophie Lark and Callie Harts steamy mafia romances and the dark family
Dramas of VC Andrews”~ 💜💜💜

If you’re looking for a pulse pounding, heart rate raising and stunningly spicy Dark Mafia romance read then look no further ~ 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 5/5

Romeo Deluca is the aggressive possessive ghost face 👻 mask 🎭 wearing MMC we all desire, need and deserve! Add in expensive cars, crisp white shirts, ballrooms, gold watches and hand necklaces and you’ve got the perfect mafia crime family crown prince 👑

Remember to check the CW, dive in and swallow Romeo Deluca…DEEP 🫣🫣🤭🤭🫠🫠🤍🤍

Expect~
Pistol 🔫 play
Masks 🎭
She’s the nanny trope
Crime family/mafia dark romance 🤍
Enemies to lovers ❤️‍🔥

[Melissa Matti]

Rating: 4⭐️, 1.5🌶️

Crawl To Me by A. Joanne was a fun and easy read that I thoroughly enjoyed and highly recommend. As it is a novella I was able to fly through it in one sitting and even though it was a mafia romance it was light and made a great breather read between heavier books.

The themes had everything us dark romance girlies want. Masked men and g*n play being just a couple of them. Who doesn’t want to be k!dn@pped by the mafia and have him play out that moment in Haunting Adeline?? Because I totally volunteer as tribute!

Our MMC, Romeo, is a single dad and a mafia boss who claims our FMC, Andromeda and makes her his nanny. Crawl To Me spreads over a timeline of two years following the evolution of Romeo and Andromeda’s relationship.

[Donna Williams]

So ladies and gentleman if you like the things listed below. Then let me tell you what this novella is perfect for you.
•mafia romance
•masked men
•gun play
•kidnapping

This is my first novella and read by this author and let me tell you it was such a nice fast read, with lots of action and spice.
The fmc was awesome, who doesn’t love a women who stands up for herself. I was highly addicted to this and couldn’t put it down at all. If you add this to your tbr please check the trigger warnings. We care about your mental health and don’t want anyone triggered.

[Ana]

DNF @ 75%

I think this book had a lot of potential. There was good spice with gún play, mask kink and more, and I loved the nickname Romeo had for Andromeda. They had good chemistry and I liked the dual POV. However, the writing style wasn't for me. It felt like there were some weird time skips and certain things were explained in detail that perhaps weren't needed, which made the writing feel kind of choppy.

[jor]

This was a very quick read. I love, and I mean LOVE mafia stories so I was excited to check this out.I also needed something short so this was just perfect. The plot and chemistry between the characters did move pretty quickly to the point I was scared it wasn't gonna mesh well, but it turned out sooo good!! It's spicy, it's action packed, and honestly keeps you wanting more with every page turn. Overall great read!

[Nupur]

After reading all the books by the author, I knew this book would be perfect, and that is what it was. An amazing Novella by Joanne, and I just loved it. She has the master in spice, which aren't too glorified or extra or ice. It's somewhere in the middle, which is just right. I like how it started and how they met, that jerk ex of the female lead, and then kidnapping and becoming the nanny. It was short, sweet, and spicy. A perfect Mafia Romance. Loved it. Definitely recommended.

[Bound By ink books]

This was a brilliant Novella, I read it in one afternoon, it is a great little mafia romance novel with just the right amount of violence, revenge, murder, romance and love.

Stockholm syndrome plays a massive part in the story and makes it that little bit more interesting to read.

Perfect for those who love books which are depraved and messy.

[Jessica Ellison]

Such a good novella!

I loved the characters and how strong of a FMC Andromeda is. Honestly I love her feisty come backs with Romeo.
I think it had great spicy scenes and lots of details.
I would highly recommend for any mafia or dark romance lover!

[Angel]

This absolutely needs to be liver! It was so so good! The , top notch. I ate this novella up! It has everything I love to read. Mafia, single dad, masked, gun play, what more can you ask for? I can't wait to read more by A. Joanne! Mind your triggers.

[Adeselna]

RTC but this sadly did not work for me. The pacing was too fast and it needed more plot points.

I received the book as an ARC but I decided to read it again via KU ❤️

[Kerry-Anne Nabb]

2.5⭐️

[Ashley Lavoie]

Really I give it a 3.5. it was quick and spicy

[bry’s corner]

This book had me hooked since chapter one and I couldn’t put it down.

[Jessica Fahey]

Such a good novella. Once the passion takes over they can’t stay apart. I absolutely love little Callum! Good action packed mafia romance with spice. Enjoyed the characters and the story.

[Laiken]

I'm pretty sure I finished this book in one sitting. It had me hooked from the first page. I loved the plot, spice and humor so much. Definitely a great read!

[Moe Juratovic]

The book was so good and so spicy I did get lost in some parts and wish they were longer since some things felt rushed but the scenes in the book are yo die for