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Underworld
This is Marlee's Debut Dark Romance
She is his enemy's daughter
He is The King of The Underworld.
When she finds out her father is making money in the worst way, including by adding her into the profit, what will Olivia Ashton do to get revenge?
When he finds out that the woman he kidnapped is his enemy's daughter, what lengths will Hayes Ricci go to protect her?
This Book is a Dark Mafia Romance. It does contain Trigger Warnings. Please refer to Authors social media for the trigger warning list.
She is his enemy's daughter
He is The King of The Underworld.
When she finds out her father is making money in the worst way, including by adding her into the profit, what will Olivia Ashton do to get revenge?
When he finds out that the woman he kidnapped is his enemy's daughter, what lengths will Hayes Ricci go to protect her?
This Book is a Dark Mafia Romance. It does contain Trigger Warnings. Please refer to Authors social media for the trigger warning list.
- GenresDark Romance
272 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 29, 2025
14 people are currently reading
106 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 22 of 22 reviews
May 11, 2025
1 ❌⭐️
I felt that the author crafted the main body of a story and then started adding elements that (she thought) would probably catch the interest of the readers. They were badly executed and dispersed incoherently throughout the story.
Olivia and Hayes had great sex - from the context- and that was it. I didn’t sense any emotional connection or chemistry between them.
They were both bland and flat.
Thoughts:
😳 The sexual encounters were cringe.
Losing her virginity to the hero’s fingers was not appealing.
😳 Olivia was portrayed as a sheltered, naive and inexperienced young lady…
“What is that coming out of it?” I ask naïvely. Olivia
“My pre cum. You’ll be swallowing it shortly.” Hayes
…and all of a sudden she became uncharacteristically sexually brazen.
“You shouldn’t have to do it on your own when you have my mouth to do it for you.” Olivias
😳 Aspects of many elements were not supported. and came out of nowhere!!
😳 Olivia was:
❗️Innocent, yet had high sexual motives!!!
❗️Philanthropist!!!
❗️Homeless at some point, yet she managed!!!
🤦🏻♀️ She decided to take matters into her own hands and attempt to kill her father, while she had never been trained in her whole life!!!
😳 The burns she had on her body from the brander her captors had used, were afterwards either magically healed or simply disappeared!!!
😳 Miraculously, she knew how to use a gun!!!
This was undoubtedly not a good read for me…
I felt that the author crafted the main body of a story and then started adding elements that (she thought) would probably catch the interest of the readers. They were badly executed and dispersed incoherently throughout the story.
Olivia and Hayes had great sex - from the context- and that was it. I didn’t sense any emotional connection or chemistry between them.
They were both bland and flat.
Thoughts:
😳 The sexual encounters were cringe.
Losing her virginity to the hero’s fingers was not appealing.
😳 Olivia was portrayed as a sheltered, naive and inexperienced young lady…
“What is that coming out of it?” I ask naïvely. Olivia
“My pre cum. You’ll be swallowing it shortly.” Hayes
…and all of a sudden she became uncharacteristically sexually brazen.
“You shouldn’t have to do it on your own when you have my mouth to do it for you.” Olivias
😳 Aspects of many elements were not supported. and came out of nowhere!!
😳 Olivia was:
❗️Innocent, yet had high sexual motives!!!
❗️Philanthropist!!!
❗️Homeless at some point, yet she managed!!!
🤦🏻♀️ She decided to take matters into her own hands and attempt to kill her father, while she had never been trained in her whole life!!!
😳 The burns she had on her body from the brander her captors had used, were afterwards either magically healed or simply disappeared!!!
😳 Miraculously, she knew how to use a gun!!!
This was undoubtedly not a good read for me…
February 12, 2026
okay, warning you now… this review contains spoilers.
this book was recommended to me and since dark romance is very hit or miss for me, i decided to give it a fair shot. i kept reading despite the bad writing because i genuinely believe every author starts somewhere. sometimes one book is shaky and the next is stronger. i wanted to extend that grace.
but i cannot sit here and pretend this worked for me. the writing was TERRIBLE. not just a little underdeveloped. not just in need of polishing. it was genuinely difficult to get through. the pacing felt chaotic, the dialogue felt awkward, and the emotional beats never landed the way they were clearly intended to
so olivia lives her entire life unaware of what her father is truly doing, only to suddenly discover at a gala that women are being auctioned off. that reveal alone could have been powerful and horrifying. instead, it just felt rushed and underexplored. then we have the male lead, who is instantly obsessed the second he sees her. the attraction is immediate, overwhelming, and cliché. it felt less like chemistry and more like a checklist of dark romance tropes being ticked off one by one.
and the logic? nonexistent. at one point, in an effort to “protect” her, he decides the best plan is to move her out of his house and place her in one of his clubs, surrounded by men, where men connected to her father also visits. they change her appearance as if that alone solves the problem. it was so dumb that i had to pause.
there’s also a contest where women dress up and perform on stage, and a committee votes on the best one. the winner gets a date with him. this is supposed to be the good guy. i understand this is dark romance, but there is a difference between morally gray and still actively objectifying women in a way that undermines your own narrative. it just felt contradictory and messy.
there’s even a scene where she dances on stage and casually mentions she practiced in front of her teddy bears. i not only cringed but i didn’t know what to do with that information.
the entire experience felt unhinged and chaotic, and not in a compelling way. it felt like shock value without depth, like tropes without a foundation, like smut first, story second. i kept asking myself what the author was thinking, because even within dark romance, you can still have strong writing, strong character development, and a decent plot.
this had NONE of that.
i wanted to give it two stars. i tried to find something to hold onto. usually even in books i dislike, there’s at least one scene, one character moment, one line that works for me. here, there was nothing. i did not like the characters. i did not like the romance. i did not like the plot. i did not like the writing.
therefore, i am giving this one star and that’s me being generous. i don’t know if the author has released more dark romance books after this one and i have no desire to find out and read, but i do hope the craft gets better from here. this just simply isn’t for me.
this book was recommended to me and since dark romance is very hit or miss for me, i decided to give it a fair shot. i kept reading despite the bad writing because i genuinely believe every author starts somewhere. sometimes one book is shaky and the next is stronger. i wanted to extend that grace.
but i cannot sit here and pretend this worked for me. the writing was TERRIBLE. not just a little underdeveloped. not just in need of polishing. it was genuinely difficult to get through. the pacing felt chaotic, the dialogue felt awkward, and the emotional beats never landed the way they were clearly intended to
so olivia lives her entire life unaware of what her father is truly doing, only to suddenly discover at a gala that women are being auctioned off. that reveal alone could have been powerful and horrifying. instead, it just felt rushed and underexplored. then we have the male lead, who is instantly obsessed the second he sees her. the attraction is immediate, overwhelming, and cliché. it felt less like chemistry and more like a checklist of dark romance tropes being ticked off one by one.
and the logic? nonexistent. at one point, in an effort to “protect” her, he decides the best plan is to move her out of his house and place her in one of his clubs, surrounded by men, where men connected to her father also visits. they change her appearance as if that alone solves the problem. it was so dumb that i had to pause.
there’s also a contest where women dress up and perform on stage, and a committee votes on the best one. the winner gets a date with him. this is supposed to be the good guy. i understand this is dark romance, but there is a difference between morally gray and still actively objectifying women in a way that undermines your own narrative. it just felt contradictory and messy.
there’s even a scene where she dances on stage and casually mentions she practiced in front of her teddy bears. i not only cringed but i didn’t know what to do with that information.
the entire experience felt unhinged and chaotic, and not in a compelling way. it felt like shock value without depth, like tropes without a foundation, like smut first, story second. i kept asking myself what the author was thinking, because even within dark romance, you can still have strong writing, strong character development, and a decent plot.
this had NONE of that.
i wanted to give it two stars. i tried to find something to hold onto. usually even in books i dislike, there’s at least one scene, one character moment, one line that works for me. here, there was nothing. i did not like the characters. i did not like the romance. i did not like the plot. i did not like the writing.
therefore, i am giving this one star and that’s me being generous. i don’t know if the author has released more dark romance books after this one and i have no desire to find out and read, but i do hope the craft gets better from here. this just simply isn’t for me.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 4, 2025
If you’re a sucker for a classic good guy vs. bad guy dynamic with a dark, sexy twist, Underworld: A dark Mafia Romance by Marlee Cross delivers.
This book oozes suspense, keeping you flipping pages late into the night. The tension crackles not just between enemies, but between the sheets—tastefully naughty and just enough to leave you wanting more. And whatever you do, don’t skip the epilogue—it’s the cherry on top of an already wild ride. A must-read for fans of danger, desire, and redemption.
Trigger Warning:
This book contains themes and content that may be distressing to some readers, including sex trafficking, violence, murder, discussions of rape, physical abuse, abusive parent relationships, kidnapping, torture, bondage, explicit adult language and scenes, praise kink, and a virgin FMC.
This book oozes suspense, keeping you flipping pages late into the night. The tension crackles not just between enemies, but between the sheets—tastefully naughty and just enough to leave you wanting more. And whatever you do, don’t skip the epilogue—it’s the cherry on top of an already wild ride. A must-read for fans of danger, desire, and redemption.
Trigger Warning:
This book contains themes and content that may be distressing to some readers, including sex trafficking, violence, murder, discussions of rape, physical abuse, abusive parent relationships, kidnapping, torture, bondage, explicit adult language and scenes, praise kink, and a virgin FMC.
April 28, 2025
“𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘒𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘪𝘴 𝘯𝘰𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩𝘰𝘶𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘘𝘶𝘦𝘦𝘯.”
4/⭐️
3.5/🌶️
Ooh I ate this upppp! For her dark romance debut, I am SHOOK. This was good — that twist? The suspense and the answers we got? WOW it was worked it so well, I honestly wasn’t expecting it.
I loved the dynamic between these two. Honestly, Hayes was just 🥵 this man could do or say anything and I’d be a puddle at his feet. And Olivia? She’s so strong! I loved how her character was portrayed. She was unstoppable. Her and Hayes together though.. they were 🔥
I haven’t read a lot of dark romance lately, but now I’m ready to read more bc this had my full attention! No spoilers, so just read it but be prepared for anything to happen!
🥀 mafia
🤍 secret identity
🥀 revenge
🤍 enemy’s daughter
🥀 dark romance
4/⭐️
3.5/🌶️
Ooh I ate this upppp! For her dark romance debut, I am SHOOK. This was good — that twist? The suspense and the answers we got? WOW it was worked it so well, I honestly wasn’t expecting it.
I loved the dynamic between these two. Honestly, Hayes was just 🥵 this man could do or say anything and I’d be a puddle at his feet. And Olivia? She’s so strong! I loved how her character was portrayed. She was unstoppable. Her and Hayes together though.. they were 🔥
I haven’t read a lot of dark romance lately, but now I’m ready to read more bc this had my full attention! No spoilers, so just read it but be prepared for anything to happen!
🥀 mafia
🤍 secret identity
🥀 revenge
🤍 enemy’s daughter
🥀 dark romance
May 24, 2025
arc review coming soon! SO GOOD!
December 30, 2025
If you’re a fan of dark romance with a twist, I highly recommend this book! The female main character is incredibly strong and driven by revenge, while the male lead is morally gray—possessive, but surprisingly sweet. If you liked Zade Meadows from Haunting Adeline or Josh from Lights Out you'll definitely vibe with this male character. Olivia is the storm, been through it FMC that all women that have that rage that they’ve been wronged in the past can relate to immediately!
I really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters, though the pacing felt a little slow in spots. Which is why if I could I’d probably do a 4.25/ 4.5 star rating and 3 spicy level. That said, the action and drama were on point and kept me hooked, especially for the author’s first dive into dark romance. I’ve read their other cowboy romances, and let me tell you, they are nothing like this—it's impressive how well they handle both genres.
I’m already looking forward to book 2, especially after that bonus epilogue. It left me wanting more, so fingers crossed we get to see more of this intense and addictive story!
I really enjoyed the dynamic between the characters, though the pacing felt a little slow in spots. Which is why if I could I’d probably do a 4.25/ 4.5 star rating and 3 spicy level. That said, the action and drama were on point and kept me hooked, especially for the author’s first dive into dark romance. I’ve read their other cowboy romances, and let me tell you, they are nothing like this—it's impressive how well they handle both genres.
I’m already looking forward to book 2, especially after that bonus epilogue. It left me wanting more, so fingers crossed we get to see more of this intense and addictive story!
April 27, 2025
This is Marlee's (aka Jessica Whaley) debut dark romance book.
If you've read Jessica's small town romances and loved them - but you're also a dark romance girly, this book is for you!
This book follows Olivia, who was very sheltered in her life, only to have the rug pulled from under her, her view on life. The curtains were also removed from her father, and the evilness of that man was shown to her, at first hand experience.
As the story goes on, you can see her strength grow, her feminine rage starts to take over, and she will do whatever it costs to get revenge for herself and other women.
The MMC is Hayes, King of the Underworld. Also, Olivia's fathers enemy - but that does not stop his mind and heart from latching onto Olivia when he first lays eyes on her. This man will protect her at all costs.
He never said that he was a good man. He is a mafia leader, after all, but he has a soft spot with Olivia and does his best to be a better man.
There are twists and turns in this book. Some of the connections between characters are a lot closer than you think. This book touches on the strength that so many of us women have to pull from deep within, just to survive - to keep going.
DO NOT SKIP THE BONUS CONTENT!! -- Listen to Marlee ;)
The playlist she created for this book is amazing, and it enhanced my reading experience 10x!
Overall, this book was a great read. It was easy to follow, and it kept me wanting to know what happened!
* Thank you so much to Marlee for an ARC copy <3
If you've read Jessica's small town romances and loved them - but you're also a dark romance girly, this book is for you!
This book follows Olivia, who was very sheltered in her life, only to have the rug pulled from under her, her view on life. The curtains were also removed from her father, and the evilness of that man was shown to her, at first hand experience.
As the story goes on, you can see her strength grow, her feminine rage starts to take over, and she will do whatever it costs to get revenge for herself and other women.
The MMC is Hayes, King of the Underworld. Also, Olivia's fathers enemy - but that does not stop his mind and heart from latching onto Olivia when he first lays eyes on her. This man will protect her at all costs.
He never said that he was a good man. He is a mafia leader, after all, but he has a soft spot with Olivia and does his best to be a better man.
There are twists and turns in this book. Some of the connections between characters are a lot closer than you think. This book touches on the strength that so many of us women have to pull from deep within, just to survive - to keep going.
DO NOT SKIP THE BONUS CONTENT!! -- Listen to Marlee ;)
The playlist she created for this book is amazing, and it enhanced my reading experience 10x!
Overall, this book was a great read. It was easy to follow, and it kept me wanting to know what happened!
* Thank you so much to Marlee for an ARC copy <3
May 7, 2025
"I have always had one rule, never mix business with pleasure, but the moment I laid eyes on this woman I knew she was going to be different."
Underworld is a dark mafia romance debut for Marlee Cross, a.k.a. Jessica Whaley! She knocked all of my expectations out of the park with Hayes and Olivia. From the prologue I was hooked and the way she transitions from the prologue to the story was absolutely perfect.
I feel like it was inevitable that Hayes and Olivia's paths were going to cross at some point in their lives and thank heavens they did. They 100% belong together...Hayes, the rightful mafia king and Olivia, daughter of the generic mafia king. It is truly hard to go too deep into who these two are without spoiling the story though.
Hayes is the good guy, well as good as a mafia man can be. He is very anti harming women unlike Olivia's dad. Where her dad is all black and cold Hayes is light and warm. He does his best to carry on the legacies of both his father and mother. Meeting Olivia was meant to be as she is so much like his mother.
Olivia, the poor thing has lived a life of solitude having no choice in the matter. Her father has kept her secluded. The time has come for her to appear in his world, a world she knows nothing about and is anything but good. Enter her knight in a white mask, Hayes! He shows her who and what her father really is.
These two together are a power couple. Olivia grows so much as the story progresses and she is not some weak girl who will sit back and let the bad man win. She has a heart so full of pure goodness and with Hayes by her side she is unstoppable. I loved seeing her find the answers she was seeking and how she used that as a driving force. She softens the rough edges Hayes has and that man absolutely melts for her. His toughness goes out the window when she is near. The fierceness he protects her with and yet doesn't treat her like a fragile flower but his equal, the queen to his king!
Ms. Cross gives her readers a highly engaging story of two souls meant to be together and eliminating this world of evil. She throws in some nice little plot twists I didn't see coming and perhaps the biggest one is that epilogue. And now....I wait for the next book!
Underworld is a dark mafia romance debut for Marlee Cross, a.k.a. Jessica Whaley! She knocked all of my expectations out of the park with Hayes and Olivia. From the prologue I was hooked and the way she transitions from the prologue to the story was absolutely perfect.
I feel like it was inevitable that Hayes and Olivia's paths were going to cross at some point in their lives and thank heavens they did. They 100% belong together...Hayes, the rightful mafia king and Olivia, daughter of the generic mafia king. It is truly hard to go too deep into who these two are without spoiling the story though.
Hayes is the good guy, well as good as a mafia man can be. He is very anti harming women unlike Olivia's dad. Where her dad is all black and cold Hayes is light and warm. He does his best to carry on the legacies of both his father and mother. Meeting Olivia was meant to be as she is so much like his mother.
Olivia, the poor thing has lived a life of solitude having no choice in the matter. Her father has kept her secluded. The time has come for her to appear in his world, a world she knows nothing about and is anything but good. Enter her knight in a white mask, Hayes! He shows her who and what her father really is.
These two together are a power couple. Olivia grows so much as the story progresses and she is not some weak girl who will sit back and let the bad man win. She has a heart so full of pure goodness and with Hayes by her side she is unstoppable. I loved seeing her find the answers she was seeking and how she used that as a driving force. She softens the rough edges Hayes has and that man absolutely melts for her. His toughness goes out the window when she is near. The fierceness he protects her with and yet doesn't treat her like a fragile flower but his equal, the queen to his king!
Ms. Cross gives her readers a highly engaging story of two souls meant to be together and eliminating this world of evil. She throws in some nice little plot twists I didn't see coming and perhaps the biggest one is that epilogue. And now....I wait for the next book!
April 29, 2025
I was hooked from the first chapter of this book. If you enjoy mafia romance, faster paced book with less than 300 pages this book is for you!
(please check your trigger warning as this is a darker romance book)
Tropes:
Mafia Romance
Enemies Daughter
Revenge
Secret Identity
Family Secrets
Spice:🌶️🌶️.5
Olivia is getting ready to attend a party that her father insists that she attends. Olivia is finding the request very odd because
her father has kept her hidden most of her life. Olivia arrives at the party and her father tells her she is going to auctioned off to help the family gain more power.
Hayes and his men are known for showing up to these underground parties and trying to save the women that are being auctioned off. On this particular night everyone is asking him to watch and try to save number 69. Hayes can’t figure out why she is so special but he promises to his best. When everything starts to go to hell. Hayes is able to save some of the women and gets number 69 out also. Hayes brings her back to his house till he can figure out why she is so special.
I read this book in less than 12 hours. It definitely will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing about what will happen next.
*** I want to thank Marlee Cross for giving me the chance to read Underworld as an ARC. In exchange for my honest review and thoughts.****
(please check your trigger warning as this is a darker romance book)
Tropes:
Mafia Romance
Enemies Daughter
Revenge
Secret Identity
Family Secrets
Spice:🌶️🌶️.5
Olivia is getting ready to attend a party that her father insists that she attends. Olivia is finding the request very odd because
her father has kept her hidden most of her life. Olivia arrives at the party and her father tells her she is going to auctioned off to help the family gain more power.
Hayes and his men are known for showing up to these underground parties and trying to save the women that are being auctioned off. On this particular night everyone is asking him to watch and try to save number 69. Hayes can’t figure out why she is so special but he promises to his best. When everything starts to go to hell. Hayes is able to save some of the women and gets number 69 out also. Hayes brings her back to his house till he can figure out why she is so special.
I read this book in less than 12 hours. It definitely will keep you on the edge of your seat and guessing about what will happen next.
*** I want to thank Marlee Cross for giving me the chance to read Underworld as an ARC. In exchange for my honest review and thoughts.****
April 26, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4 Stars
🌶🌶 - Spice Level
Olivia and Hayes meet when her father is putting her up for a s€x slave auction. She had no idea as her life was mostly sheltered growing up without her mother. Hayes has been trying to take her father and his business down. Hayes takes her from the auction to save her, not knowing he just stole her father's prized possession.
Hayes becomes obsessed with Olivia after her rescue when she is working for him in hiding. This book was more plot than spice, but was moving very fast. It went from rescuing, working for him, and then wanting to turn the tables on her father before you could blink. The mutual revenge and hatred for her father are heavily felt, especially when it's realized that those working for her father have all been threatened to stay working for him. The MMC becomes unhinged when he has to protect Olivia once he's fallen hard for her.
I enjoyed this good start to this underworld series. The bonus chapter was a nice touch to want to read the next book to find out what happens to the next couple.
⚠️ Please read trigger and content warnings ⚠️
Thank you, author, for the ARC!
Release Date: April 29, 2025
🌶🌶 - Spice Level
Olivia and Hayes meet when her father is putting her up for a s€x slave auction. She had no idea as her life was mostly sheltered growing up without her mother. Hayes has been trying to take her father and his business down. Hayes takes her from the auction to save her, not knowing he just stole her father's prized possession.
Hayes becomes obsessed with Olivia after her rescue when she is working for him in hiding. This book was more plot than spice, but was moving very fast. It went from rescuing, working for him, and then wanting to turn the tables on her father before you could blink. The mutual revenge and hatred for her father are heavily felt, especially when it's realized that those working for her father have all been threatened to stay working for him. The MMC becomes unhinged when he has to protect Olivia once he's fallen hard for her.
I enjoyed this good start to this underworld series. The bonus chapter was a nice touch to want to read the next book to find out what happens to the next couple.
⚠️ Please read trigger and content warnings ⚠️
Thank you, author, for the ARC!
Release Date: April 29, 2025
April 21, 2025
The debut dark mafia romance read from Marlee Cross that I devoured in less than 24 hours. I may have neglected many things in that time but when the book demands to be read, you read it!
Olivia & Hayes. He’s a Mafia King, she’s the hidden away daughter of his cruel & heartless enemy. Events cause them to cross paths & he is immediately captivated however, he leaves a slightly different impression on Olivia.
"ℳ𝒶𝓎𝒷ℯ 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒦𝒾𝓃ℊ ℴ𝒻 𝒷ℯ𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝒶 𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓀"
I loved the banter throughout. Olivia certainly comes into her own. From sheltered & timid to, dare I say a little bratty with the man obsessing over her 🤭. The side characters also help pull everything together. The writing flows very well. I would say this isn’t the darkest mafia book I’ve read but there are still triggers to check out.
There is a rather spectacular cliffhanger that has me itching for more so I cannot wait to see what else Marlee has planned for these characters!!
Olivia & Hayes. He’s a Mafia King, she’s the hidden away daughter of his cruel & heartless enemy. Events cause them to cross paths & he is immediately captivated however, he leaves a slightly different impression on Olivia.
"ℳ𝒶𝓎𝒷ℯ 𝓉𝒽ℯ 𝒦𝒾𝓃ℊ ℴ𝒻 𝒷ℯ𝒾𝓃ℊ 𝒶 𝒹𝒾𝒸𝓀"
I loved the banter throughout. Olivia certainly comes into her own. From sheltered & timid to, dare I say a little bratty with the man obsessing over her 🤭. The side characters also help pull everything together. The writing flows very well. I would say this isn’t the darkest mafia book I’ve read but there are still triggers to check out.
There is a rather spectacular cliffhanger that has me itching for more so I cannot wait to see what else Marlee has planned for these characters!!
May 5, 2025
I enjoyed this and love the premise. This was a quick read and a great palette cleanser (yes, I’m aware it’s dark romance. Book choices are a judgement free zone).
Enemy mafia kings.
One traffics women and children, the other fights to rescue those victims while running drugs instead.
One steals the other’s daughter, only he is unaware of who exactly he has.
There is romance, angst, fights. Everything one would expect in a mafia dark romance. Check your triggers; this book does involve trafficking of women and children.
Now for the rating.
I did notice a bit of a contradiction with the FMC. She’s been kept hidden from the world and lived a very sheltered life. Some of her actions and commentary later in the book did not seem to align with that background, BUT I also grew up sheltered and naive so it could just be me.
But all in all, I enjoyed this and would absolutely recommend to fellow dark romance readers.
Enemy mafia kings.
One traffics women and children, the other fights to rescue those victims while running drugs instead.
One steals the other’s daughter, only he is unaware of who exactly he has.
There is romance, angst, fights. Everything one would expect in a mafia dark romance. Check your triggers; this book does involve trafficking of women and children.
Now for the rating.
I did notice a bit of a contradiction with the FMC. She’s been kept hidden from the world and lived a very sheltered life. Some of her actions and commentary later in the book did not seem to align with that background, BUT I also grew up sheltered and naive so it could just be me.
But all in all, I enjoyed this and would absolutely recommend to fellow dark romance readers.
April 29, 2025
I was given the amazing opportunity to receive a free ARC copy of this book for my honest review.
Please look over the trigger warnings before proceeding with this book! Marlee (Jessica) has done such a great job with this dark romance debut! This book is ultimately just beautifully crafted; from the different depths of the plot, the imagery created and book’s pacing naturally progresses with the character’s development! The twists and turns the FMC Olivia has to face are insane!
The main characters equal and complement each other so naturalistically that you can feel the dynamic shifts throughout the book. The banter and the spicy scenes are 🤌🏻🤌🏻!
Overall, highly recommend! I can’t wait to see what comes next!
Please look over the trigger warnings before proceeding with this book! Marlee (Jessica) has done such a great job with this dark romance debut! This book is ultimately just beautifully crafted; from the different depths of the plot, the imagery created and book’s pacing naturally progresses with the character’s development! The twists and turns the FMC Olivia has to face are insane!
The main characters equal and complement each other so naturalistically that you can feel the dynamic shifts throughout the book. The banter and the spicy scenes are 🤌🏻🤌🏻!
Overall, highly recommend! I can’t wait to see what comes next!
April 29, 2025
Underworld by Marlee Cross is dark romance debut that had me hooked from the start! Marlee gives us all the spice and suspense along shocking twist and turns. Underworld has growth, feminine rage, revenge, and an unstoppable couple that will leave you begging for more. Olivia and Hayes bring the heat and you will be on the edge of your seat. If you love dark mafia romance that’s a fast paced read check out Underworld!
Don’t forget to check the TW
Underworld is now available!
Thank you Marlee for allowing me and read and review! I hope you have a lovely release day!
Don’t forget to check the TW
Underworld is now available!
Thank you Marlee for allowing me and read and review! I hope you have a lovely release day!
June 1, 2025
Just a fantastic read! The plot has so many interwoven pieces of past and present giving it a deeper meaning and making it more than just your average mafia romance, Hayes and Olivia are phenomenal characters that easily walk the perfect line between morally grey and hero, the side characters embed in your heart just as easily as the main characters, and there's this hope and make the world safer vibe that is just as thrilling as the action and brutality of what it takes to be King and Queen of the mafia. A well, well done read!
April 14, 2025
To start off, this was my first mafia romance, and my expectations were pretty high. The dedication, not even the first page of the book, had me sucked in. The dedication reads “If the first man to break your heart was your father. I dedicate this book to you.” Olivia is out for revenge and boy does she get it. Enemies to lovers? Spice? 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ all the way through. One of my favorite quotes from this book was “Let’s take control of our lives again.” Such a good read!
April 29, 2025
Couldn’t put it down!
Loved this book! The desire, the passion and the ending!! I always love a good mafia romance. You won’t regret reading this one.
Loved this book! The desire, the passion and the ending!! I always love a good mafia romance. You won’t regret reading this one.
April 30, 2025
I am not a dark romance girly, but I absolutely love this book, and we all need a little bad ass in us like Olivia! this is definitely being added to my tbra list.
May 1, 2025
4.5/5 ⭐️ 2.5/5🌶️
What a dark debut.
Absolutely stunning 😍
Dark. Tense. Delish 🤤
The cliffhanger in the epilogue 😳
I cannot wait for book 2 🫶🏻
What a dark debut.
Absolutely stunning 😍
Dark. Tense. Delish 🤤
The cliffhanger in the epilogue 😳
I cannot wait for book 2 🫶🏻
May 10, 2025
I have been waiting for this book to drop since the beginning of March and I absolutely ate this book up! The prologue confused me a little bit because the characters were so different than the actual MC’s but once the plot came together it made sense. I loved the plot to this book and it was written well! I think the spice could have been written a bit better but I still loved that too! I love that Hayes didn’t get mad at Olivia for being the daughter of his enemy. I love Olivia and her personality. She is such a thoughtful and loving FMC! I did feel the writing was off in some parts. So Ir did affect my rating on it but not by a whole lot since it wasn’t anything major.
March 29, 2025
4 ⭐️
4 🌶
This is a great book for mafia romance readers! Olivia lives a high-class lifestyle. But what she is about to discover and endure will be life changing. Hayes is the underworld king, and no one stands in his way. With the twists and turns, feelings are discovered, but danger lurks in every corner. The spice was spicing, and the ending left me wanting more.
4 🌶
This is a great book for mafia romance readers! Olivia lives a high-class lifestyle. But what she is about to discover and endure will be life changing. Hayes is the underworld king, and no one stands in his way. With the twists and turns, feelings are discovered, but danger lurks in every corner. The spice was spicing, and the ending left me wanting more.
August 5, 2025
This was quite a strong debut novel definitely a bold entry into the dark romance genre! The plot stood out from the usual tropes; instead of the typical rich king/mafia spoiling the FMC, this story flips the narrative. The female lead is powerful, driven, and focused on helping survivors of SA, which gave the book real emotional depth. I couldn’t put it down now I can’t wait to read more from her!!!
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