Celestial Combat

GodHood #3

by Cristina Russo

He was supposed to protect her. But no one can keep her safe from him.

Known as Meisa, Goddess of the Underworld, an undefeated street-fighter cannot seem to escape her past.

WILD. THRILLING. EXPLOSIVE.

KALI SU, daughter of one of the wealthiest mafia empires, lives a double life. After a traumatic event leaves her feeling powerless, she vows to claw her way back to the top – until no one can ever touch her again.

However, in the war between the crime families and struggle for power, enemies are still out to stop her pulse. And there is only one person her family trusts to guard her heart.

Python. The Samurai. Her older brother’s best-friend.

PRECISE. METHODICAL. UNYELDING.

ZANE TAKASHI, an ex-assassin feared across continents by both gangsters and the affluent, has one unpaid debt.

The last thing he wants to do is play bodyguard for his best-friend’s little sister and chauffer her around. But the job turns out to be harder than anticipated when the rebel heiress is anything but easygoing and predictable.

She will do anything to lose him off her trace. He will do anything to catch her.

She is the first woman he cannot look away from. He is the first man she hasn’t wanted to kill.

Being together would be punished by death.

Maybe there’s a reason.

Genres: Dark Romance, Mafia Romance, Romance, Forced Proximity, Brothers Best Friend, Enemies To Lovers, Bodyguard Romance

562 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2025

Reviews

[Marianna Moore]

What do you know…. Another mafia romance that had me in a chokehold. I mean not only is he an assassin but he’s also her bodyguard and her brothers best friend and the owner of the gym that SHE fights at???? This was so hot for WHAT?? I love this series so much also appreciation for the author making all of these FMCs absolute baddies like I want to be them in my next life. We love a woman who knows how to fight her own battles and unalive awful men AS SHE SHOULD. Zane though…. This man is 6’6, covered head to toe in tattoos and is pierced…. No imma lose it. The way he’s just so pathetic for Kali, she has him wrapped around her finger from day 1. Bye. The ending was a bit slow but honestly I didnt really care.

[Kerry Hare]

He said what the helly and it freaked me out idc

[nadine]

one of the things I love about this series is that all the fmcs are baddies and hot

[Dahlia]

𓏲 ๋࣭  ࣪ ˖3.5 🌟
Mixed feelings about this, it was quick and easy to binge but the 500 pages definitely weren't heeded, 300 pages were wayenough and already cute enough , thewhole Yui drama was lowkey a filler.
But hey he called her mama ? so yep nothing to say 🤭

---
HAHWWHHAHQHA I CANT WAIT TO START THIS , I've got a feeling that these two are going to be so fucking good 🤭🤭

[Jennifer]

Thanks a lot tiktok, thanks A LOT.

This storyline will give you whiplash. I had no idea what the purpose was of the plot as the story went along. Starts off with a story about a fight club and the FMC coming from a prominent family and the reason for her wanting to learn to fight. At this point you must be thinking that the plot is about the FMC getting revenge or something to do with her family dynasty.

Welp, no no, it keeps going.

Then it turns into some mafia gang war story where the FMC is targeted. At this point you probably think that the purpose of the story is leading to something to do with the overall family dynasty.

Well no.

It then leads into a focus on the FMC and MMC having their relationship being kept a secret etc, a fight between the FMC’s brother and the MMC because of a NEW revelation, then the story fully diverts and focuses on the investigation and result of this revelation.

On top of this, 100 other revelations are revealed? How many concepts can one stomach in one story? What is the purpose of the plot?

Then the end? The initial focus of the storyline IS NOT RESOLVED. WHY 😭😭

Romance wise - was weird and seemed to go from the slowest burn of burns then skipped to 100 real quick. It got to a point when I didn’t think the main characters would have got together then all of a sudden they were banging all over the place.

Oh and the fact he calls her ‘mama’. ICKKKK. I know he has mummy issues BUT COME ON.

To sum it up, there were too many typos, too many side quests and no closure (which I assume continues on in the next book). How fun. The end.

[naima]

every single woman in this series has majored in badassery. so this my not be my most anticipated trope but cristina russo hasnt given me a reason for doubt in her ability🙂‍↕️ how is this woman in law school and writing all these books?? period, i will happily glaze.

this was super action packed and holy shit those Francesca and matteo crumbssss

side note: i literally am DYING to get to Francesca's book...

[destiny]

“he was supposed to protect her. but no one can keep her safe from him.”

oh my god wtf 😭 this book had my head SPINNING and absolutely FUCKED in all the right places 🥰 thank you so much my bby cristina for letting me arc read !! i love this series so much. the way i just fall for every single character is actually criminal. i want to be a part of this group so bad !!

this is a dark mafia romance, nyc setting, brother’s best friend, yakuza, small age gap, forbidden, bodyguard, boxer, pierced peen, forced proximity, illegal street racing, only one bed, first love, training scenes, insta lust, hidden identity, trafficking, sexual assault, kidnapping, violence, duo pov, and book three in interconnected standalone series 🩵

after kali got rejected the first time around, she shows up at the same gym with the same determination. she wants to prove to herself and the owner of this gym / fight club that she can become the strongest in that category and come out on top. she wants to prove that she can climb her way to the top, stay undefeated, and take down any man they have her fight in the ring. when zane finds out who she really is, he did everything he could to make sure she’s alright. he blames himself for not accepting her when she first came to the gym to learn self defense. at the time he didn’t pay much attention to why she was there. he thought she just wanted to learn how to fight and use those skills to harm others. but now that he learned what really happened to her back then … he’s never letting her out of his sight 👀 and when kali gets caught in the crossfire between rivals, zane jumps headfirst into offering himself up to be her bodyguard. this ultimately forces kali to stay at zane’s place with only one bed and a simple “stay with me, please.” 🥹 but kali won’t make it easy for him … lol no. this woman is about to make his life a living hell. and it all started that day he rejected her application 🤗

“We kissed like the world had vanished. Like we had nothing left to lose, and everything to keep.”

some parts in the beginning of this book occurred in the previous book “divine obsession” so i don’t want to ruin too much of it for you 💕 although you don’t need to read the first few books before jumping into this as this is an interconnected standalone, i highly recommend you start with “angelic vengeance” !! you get to meet the rest of the characters mentioned and get a feel of their friendship and criminal family ties with each other.

ugh i love kali and zane so much 😩 the moment cristina started talking about them and introducing them in the previous books, i just already fell so hard and fast as fuck !!

i related to kali so deeply it hurts. the cherry on top was the fact that kali loves street racing and is from queens ✋🏼🤩 like how can you not love her already just from that alone ?!!! when i tell you i actually physically spazzed out and fainted when “queens” was mentioned multiple times … i’m not kidding. as a silly little miss queens girlie, this addition to the series / kali’s character actually made me love this even more. i absolutely adore how it’s not “manhattan” or “upper east side” or “brooklyn” like many other books i’ve read with a nyc setting 🗽

QUEENS GET THE MONEY BITCHES

zane … oh zane 🧎🏻‍♀️ how do i free shipping same day delivery this man to my fucking front door step ??! i’m manifesting a man like him, a love like how he loves, to actually ATTACK ME 👹 i need him so bad i might literally go door to door to every gym / fight club i know and find myself a HIM !! he’s just the most selfless man and yet at the same time possessive as all hell. i mean the man literally drew her when she wasn’t aware. kali was straight up giving him the side eye and picking fights with him. he was just sitting there taking it all while drawing her. bye. i’m so unwell. i need him like i need air.

i swear i say this every time cristina wraps up the ending of each book … they’re my new favorite couple 🫠 they just simply are. i literally can’t wrap my head around it. i need to just dive into this book headfirst. every time i walk around the city i just think about this series 🫀 to say the least, this series, these characters, these stories, completely have my heart.

from the bottom of my toes to the tip of my scalp, i will forever cherish these characters 🫶🏼

🌶️🌶️🌶️

[Olivia Jones]

This book lost the plot about 50% of the way through.

[Khrys... ....]

“Wait – What the helly?” is crazzzyy
This book was soo long

[Joud]

The series was okay, to be honest. I wouldn’t consider it a dark mafia romance, just a mafia romance. The plot was decent, but the conflict felt rushed. There was no real buildup from the beginning; it was more like, BOOM, suddenly there’s a problem and we’re moving forward, which happened when Zane began searching for his mother’s murderer and the story had purpose.

[Solara!]

(3.5/5) I wish I liked this book more but mariazach will always have a place in my heart and unfortunately kalizane did not top them sorry not sorry!

[zozosbooks]

First things first I want to thank Cristina Russo for sending me an ARC of this book🥰

This book just hits the spots, everything was done so well from the plot to the romance and to the characters. The story kept me engaged and wanting more. Zane and Kali are definitely THAT couple because they are both badass. Kali is such a strong her back story was so sad but I loved seeing her grow and find some peace. I really liked Zane and his possessiveness over Kali🤭 The only thing I didn’t like about him is that he would call her “mama” sometimes. I could’ve done without that part lol. But their relationship was so well done and they really are made for each other.

[Maven_Reads]

Celestial Combat (GodHood #3) by Cristina Russo

Celestial Combat continues the GodHood series with a dark, mafia‑tinged romance centered on Kali Su, an undefeated street‑fighter known as Meisa, Goddess of the Underworld, who is clawing her way back to power after a traumatic past. When rising tensions between crime families put her in danger, her older brother calls in a favor: Zane Takashi, an ex‑assassin feared by criminals and elites alike, becomes her bodyguard. What begins as forced proximity and simmering hostility quickly sparks into something fierce and forbidden, because being together would be punished by death, and neither of them is prepared for desire to break through years of survival instincts and guarded hearts.

I was drawn in by Kali’s ferocity and vulnerability, her drive to prove herself in a world that has tried to break her, and Zane’s unyielding protectiveness that gradually reveals layers beneath his lethal exterior. Their chemistry crackled with tension, the gritty crime‑family backdrop adding volatile stakes that made every guarded glance and reluctant touch feel electric; some pacing moments felt uneven, yet the emotional payoff and the way both characters grow alongside their intense bond stayed with me.

Rating: 4 out of 5
Because it blends thrilling tension, sharp characters, and a forbidden romance into an addictive, emotionally charged ride.

[saf !!]

him saying what the helly was so goofy lol

[Emily ✨]

I so very much loved the characters in this book but for some reason the plot wasn’t doing it for me. I loved their relationship progression but I did find some parts of the story boring. I did really like the little cute moments they had but it never felt like anything with substance. It was just there for me to appreciate. I wanted to see more yearning and more protecting. More of the “I wanna keep you safe even though I know you are capable of handling yourself” type of vibe

However all in all not bad, but it wasn’t anything to crazy

[Veena]

I'm convinced no book in this series can be bad. Zane and Kali completed eachother and fit together perfectly like pieces of a puzzle. Their relationship is literally everything to be jealous about and I would give this 10⭐️s if I could.

[Keren Dominguez]

They were hot af, did it have to be over 500 pages ?? No but Zane was pathetic for Kali and she had him wrapped around her finger and I’m here for it, he’s also like hot like actually it’s ridiculous

[nessou]

that ending was ridiculous omg and why on earth was he calling her mama

[Reese]

MY GOD DID I FUCKING LOVE THIS

Zane is so fucking cute. Gods, the things he did got Kali was literally so adorable. He would do absolutely anything for her. My heart broke for Zane and what he went through as a child, him finally getting closure was wonderful, I was CRYING THE ENTIRE TIME - literally the last 10% of the book I had tears streaming down my face. Zane loved Kali so much it was honestly the cutest thing ever - he was so fucking obsessed with her LIKE HIS DRAWINGS COME ONNNNN

Kali is a badass, I fucking loved her. I hated what happened to her but she pushed through it, she became one badass chick. I loved seeing how far she came, she never once gave up and it was wonderful. Kali cares so deeply for her friends and family, she would do anything for them ESPECIALLY FOR ZANE. Gods she was obsessed with him and it was adorable. She stood by his side and helped him get his revenge - she was the calm in his storm

Kali and Zane’s relationship was so mf cute. The things they did for each other WAS ADORABLE - like pleaseeeee. They cared so deeply for one another and loved each other so much. It was so cute and their banter was HILARIOUS. They both were equally obsessed and IT WAS SO HOT

I fucking love this series. Maria, Zach, Nat, Trevor, Francesca, Tony, Matteo, Zane and Kali HAVE MY HEART. I AM SO MF OBSESSED WITH THEM and I love how the plot continues through each book. It’s so addicting and fun to read I cannot wait for Matteo and Francesca’s book

[Melanie Manzanarez]

Hmmm this is a hard rating tbh, 3.7 ⭐️

I genuinely loveeed Kali and Zane's story and all the tension, fighting, street races, secrecy and war. all of it made for the best mix of action and romance. i was fully prepared to give this 4 stars however the last 50ish pages kind of dropped this down, they were just conflict with immediate resolution that i think we couldve put in earlier in the story to drag the actual resolution out more.

overall tho really enjoyed this read and am SO EXCITED for francesca and matteo and to be back with the cosa nostra hehehehehe

[crystal]

RTC 🙂‍↕️

[Manon]

Glaub der schwächste Teil bis jetzt in der Reihe. Anfang war super, generell die Idee aber irgendwie hat sich die Geschichte mittendrin verloren. Die letzten 150 Seiten waren leider boring af.

[Aleksandra]

Was war das denn? Ein Buch mit so vielen logischen Fehlern, Orthographiefehlern, Passagen die weder vom Schreibstil noch vom Inhalt zusammenpassen.

Ich wurde nach den ersten beiden Büchern leider sehr vom dritten Buch enttäuscht.

Die Grundsätzliche Geschichte hatte eine gute Idee: Zane als Kalis Bodyguard, eine forbidden Romance, sie als starke Kämpferin und er als jemand der sich nur schwer emotional öffnen kann.

Was hat die Geschichte geboten? Eine übernatürlich starke Kämpferin die ab dem Moment in dem Zane ihr etwas Aufmerksamkeit schenkt in einen kleinen Schoßhund verwandelt, total lieb, plötzlich keine Lust mehr am Kämpfen zeigt und zum ruhigen Kunstfan ? mutiert?
Und Zane, vom düsteren geheimen Killer wird er plötzlich zum weichen Bodyguard ohne Gefühl für Gefahr.

What do you mean sie ist das Ziel der Bratva und die beiden sollen sich eigentlich verstecken bei ihm zuhause (bei ihr ist es nicht sicher genug), laufen dann aber Hand in Hand durch die Stadt, küssen sich, umarmen sich, FAHREN UBAHN???? Und das alles während die beiden sich vor ihrem Bruder verstecken weil er Zane töten wird wenn er das von der Beziehung mitbekommt???

Make it make sense pleeeeaaaase.

Und warum ist das Buch über 500 Seiten lang aber die beiden zeigen schon ab der ersten Seite so viel Interesse aneinander dass es schon direkt zu Sache gehen könnte. Wo ist der Aufbau, Yearning, die Entwicklung?

Warum werden einige Sachen si oft wiederholt? His eyes darkened. Ja okay, nach dem 30.mal haben wirs verstanden. Wo ist die Abwechslung? Warum sprechen die beiden AKTIV von einer forbidden romance? Der Schreibstil war so grottig hier. An einer Stelle rutscht die Autorin con der ich Perspektive einfach in die 3. Erzählerform?????

Noch ein Beispiel: "...while across from us, Natalia was enjoying her food. Across from us, Natalia was enjoying her food." Girl, besorg dir ne Lektorin....

Ab Seit 150 (?) haben die beiden einfach ununterbrochen sex. Sonst passiert nichts.

Habe das Buch an so vielen Stellen nur noch augenrollend gelesen, die Charaktere benehmen sich so willkürlich, wenn die Namen nicht gleich geblieben wären könnte man in der Mitte des Buches davon ausgehen dass es sich um ganz andere Charaktere handelt.

Alles wirkte so als hätte sich die Autorin nicht genug Zeit gelassen und kein Geld mehr gehabt um jemanden Korrekturlesen zu lassen.

[Eme ꣑୧]

𝔠𝔢𝔩𝔢𝔰𝔱𝔦𝔞𝔩 𝔠𝔬𝔪𝔟𝔞𝔱 🌸


bestie , you did the damn thing again!! oh my gosh, i devoured this book in less than 2 days and just couldn’t put it down, ugh. i think kali and zane are my new favourites!! thank you so much for an arc amor ♡

“𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔣𝔦𝔯𝔰𝔱 𝔴𝔬𝔪𝔞𝔫 𝔱𝔬 𝔠𝔞𝔱𝔠𝔥 𝔪𝔶 𝔞𝔱𝔱𝔢𝔫𝔱𝔦𝔬𝔫...𝔴𝔞𝔰 𝔱𝔥𝔢 𝔬𝔫𝔢 𝔦 𝔠𝔬𝔲𝔩𝔡𝔫'𝔱 𝔥𝔞𝔳𝔢."

kali, mi amor, i love you so damn much. even from AV and DO, i already knew kali was gonna be my favourite, and finishing this book just solidified it. she’s a badass who beats up men and is a freaking queen?? knock me out, mami 😍 i absolutely love her sassiness and she lowkey reminds me of myself!! her street racing had me swooning HARDCORE. i love that she took back her strength and channeled her absolute baddie self. her love for queens is just so chefs kiss 🤌🏾 she made me cackle and squeal, i just adore her and would love to be her bestie

zane, papi, take my heart and run it over with your suv!! ugh, i’m head over damn heels for this man 🫠 him calling kali “ma” and “mama” had me DEAD. that’s like my number one pet name and i fear i might’ve broke coco’s eardrums with my squealing and giggling, oops! this man knew exactly what to say and do, he is just perfection and i will accept no criticism about him, thank yewww. the way he’s just so smooth but deadly at the same time?? UGH 😩 the way he is covered in tattoos and is pierced (iykyk), just take my damn heart already

their chemistry is actually top tier, their banter had me giggling and kicking my feet, and their relationship just had me swooning and sobbing cause i’m so damn single

cristina, girl, imma need whatever you’re taking because your talent? UNMATCHED. you made me fall even deeper in love with nyc, tokyo, and all the characters in this series 🥹

can we take a moment for the boys?? they all had me CACKLING, but especially tony. i love him so much omg, he pisses everyone tf off but he had me nearly pissing from laughing so hard. the whole group’s interactions always had me dying LOL!!

if you haven’t read this series, wtf are you doing? RUN TO YOUR KINDLE AND DOWNLOAD BOOKS 1, 2, AND NOW 3

this masterpiece deserves a million stars 😍

[Amara]

Boring

The romance dragged and the action was cut short. The first few chapters were great and i was excited to see what happened next, until about 15% into the book and both main characters started to get annoying. Most of the action was skipped over and all the important conversations were recapped from the main characters pov. This was too soft and fluffy for a mafia book, it felt more romance than anything with tension that lasted a chapter. (spoilers) The mmc was said to be lethal but after his pov in part 1 he just wasn’t for the rest of the book. The fmc’s family were the worst, they didn’t believe her after her accident and gaslit her about her nanny for years and none of that was resolved and forgotten like it never happened. Why even write that in there? The brother was arrogant and needed to be put in his place but NO ONE DID ANYTHING! nothing was resolved and the storyline was barely mentioned. Soo annoying and disappointing. Ive read all three books and I’ve noticed the storyline in all three books are barely existent. Will be the last book i read from this series. I truly hope this author has something more captivating in her other books.

[Mia Lockhart]

Cristina Russo
ARC REVIEW
Rating:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Firstly let’s talk about Kali Amada Su “Meisa” omg I absolutely love her so much like I was smiling and I love her story so much she is girlboss I’m literally ride or die with Kali like everything about her touch my heart her back story and the present had me from her first ever chapter I knew I was going to love her so much.

Secondly let talk about my husband Zane Minato Takashi “Python” my husband he got my heart in so many ways like I need him already he had me blushing and smiling so heart there whole story was giving me all the vibes from the movies you had mentioned. You did a big one with both of these beautiful masterpiece couple.

Lastly thank you so much Cristina for the opportunity to read book three of the series I’m so proud of you I can’t wait to get the physical copy soon and Happy Release Day beautiful.

[khadijah ౨ৎ]

4.5!

omg zane is now my favorite mannn

now listen. does he say "what the helly"? yeah, he does. but the romance and plotttt— don't even get me started

i LOVE kali smmmm she's such a badasss

and zane, my husband. he is what every book girlie needs, okay?

AND HE CALLED HER MAMA AND BABY BEFORE THEY EVEN STARTED DATING AHHH

some quotes bc this was just tew good:

"You don't have to look at me like that." — K
"Like what?" — Z
"Like I broke something." — K
"You did. My focus. My patience. Everything. I can't stop thinking about you. It's driving me goddamn crazy." —Z

"Because I wouldn't be able to keep breathing...knowing I'd never see these gorgeous brown eyes look back at me."

'Kissing her felt like heaven.'

"You drew me?" — K
"I draw what I find beautiful." — Z

[Robertta]

1.5 ⭐️

If regret could kill, I’d be dead for not DNFing this book. It started well, but after the halfway point the plot was forgotten and everything became repetitive and boring.

[Carolina Rodriguez]

3.5 ⭐️ so many errors in the book it was hard to ignore

[alo]

First of all I want to thank Cristina for giving me the opportunity to receive an arc for celestial combat.

Can I just say This book had me in a chokehold if I could give it 10 stars I would!!! Cristina Russo just knows how to write the perfect mix of badass characters, heart-racing action A badass FMC who’s unapologetically fierce but still raw and real
A tattooed, pierced, smooth-talking MMC with just the right amount of possessiveness! 😻what else can you ask for.

I can’t express how much I love this universe and each character individually it’s so hard to choose a favorite out of this amazing series bc every single mmc and fmc is just perfect and I fell in love with every single one the way the men treat their woman in this series 😮‍💨
Kali is that girl fierce, stubborn, vulnerable, and a total badass. She reminded me so much of myself, especially with her love for street racing (as a car girl, I ate that up) her backstory put me through hell but I loved how resilient she was and fought to take back her power 👏🏻👏🏻I just love her and she’s already one of top fav fmc of 2025 no kali slander here ❌

Zane !! HOW DO I GET HIM DELIVERED TO MY DOORSTEP ASAP!!!!?? This man was chefs kiss he for some reason reminded me of rio from good girls iykyk 👀especially the way he called her mama had me folding like a chair. Zane is the definition of morally grey you know you shouldn’t fall for him yet you can’t help it. Tattooed,PIERCED!!!! (I feel you kali) just the right amount of possessive without being overbearing or toxic 🛐Cristina just knows how to write her men 👏🏻👏🏻

What I love most about Cristina’s writing is that she brings diversity to her characters from Latina heroines to Asian leads and multicultural relationships that is so different to what we usually see in romance books! It’s so refreshing and a reason I’ll always keep coming back for more from her books 💖

If you’re into stories that make you swoon, giggle, and scream at your Kindle, this one’s for you.

Once again thank you Cristina for the arc of celestial combat 🫶🏻