What do you think?
Declan
Viviana Morelli
I’ve hated this life since I was a teenager. Being the middle daughter of Giovanni Morelli has been a nightmare—never good enough, always overlooked. So, I became everything he fiery, combative, and untouchable in a world where men demand obedience. But my father struck a one of his daughters in exchange for safety and power.
And the leader of the Irish Consortium, Declan Callaghan, chose me.
Declan Callaghan
After my fiancée died, I vowed never to love again. As the head of the Irish Consortium, I can’t afford the luxury of feelings. But when I made a deal with Giovanni Morelli.
Her defiance sparks something I can’t ignore. Her fire against everything I stand for is both refreshing and maddening. I have one make her beg for me, to break her.
And one never fall in love with her.
A dark, enemies-to-lovers romance standalone.
This book contains mature themes, including violence, non-consensual situations, emotional trauma, and dark romantic elements. Reader discretion is advised.
Intended for mature audiences only. This book contains explicit content and is recommended for readers 18+
I’ve hated this life since I was a teenager. Being the middle daughter of Giovanni Morelli has been a nightmare—never good enough, always overlooked. So, I became everything he fiery, combative, and untouchable in a world where men demand obedience. But my father struck a one of his daughters in exchange for safety and power.
And the leader of the Irish Consortium, Declan Callaghan, chose me.
Declan Callaghan
After my fiancée died, I vowed never to love again. As the head of the Irish Consortium, I can’t afford the luxury of feelings. But when I made a deal with Giovanni Morelli.
Her defiance sparks something I can’t ignore. Her fire against everything I stand for is both refreshing and maddening. I have one make her beg for me, to break her.
And one never fall in love with her.
A dark, enemies-to-lovers romance standalone.
This book contains mature themes, including violence, non-consensual situations, emotional trauma, and dark romantic elements. Reader discretion is advised.
Intended for mature audiences only. This book contains explicit content and is recommended for readers 18+
349 pages, Kindle Edition
Published February 7, 2025
About the author
Joan Morven
6 books118 followersDark romance Author.
Romanticizing what therapy can't fix.
Romanticizing what therapy can't fix.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
April 18, 2026
I think after reading four of Joan’s books , I’ll just take whatever she writes with a smile and a yes ma’am and absolutely devour it .
Declan is a ruthless , possessive man who will do anything to protect those he loves .
Viviana a total menace, totally opposite of what she should be in this world . But she does it with a smile and her middle finger sticking up .
Together ? A total powerhouse couple, that learns to love each other and protect each other no matter the cost.
This book is full of banter , tension and a love story in the making . Joan’s writing style has a way to pull you in and keeps you interested and engaged the whole time. Just the right amount of spice with an interesting plot.
Declan is a ruthless , possessive man who will do anything to protect those he loves .
Viviana a total menace, totally opposite of what she should be in this world . But she does it with a smile and her middle finger sticking up .
Together ? A total powerhouse couple, that learns to love each other and protect each other no matter the cost.
This book is full of banter , tension and a love story in the making . Joan’s writing style has a way to pull you in and keeps you interested and engaged the whole time. Just the right amount of spice with an interesting plot.
February 16, 2026
Oh wow… I did not expect to become feral over an Irish mafia boss, but here we are.
Declan is a man turned to stone after losing his fiancée… forced into an arranged marriage meant to strengthen alliances, not hearts.
Enter Viviana… all sass, fire, and zero intention of being anyone’s obedient wife.
What starts as obligation spirals into a mess of betrayal, power plays, and emotions neither of them wanted.
Layer by layer, everything burns down… until all that’s left is the girl who never wanted this life and the man who swore he’d never feel again.
Declan is a man turned to stone after losing his fiancée… forced into an arranged marriage meant to strengthen alliances, not hearts.
Enter Viviana… all sass, fire, and zero intention of being anyone’s obedient wife.
What starts as obligation spirals into a mess of betrayal, power plays, and emotions neither of them wanted.
Layer by layer, everything burns down… until all that’s left is the girl who never wanted this life and the man who swore he’d never feel again.
January 9, 2025
"Declan" by Joan Morven is a dark and thrilling dive into the world of the Irish mafia, with suspense and passion at every turn. The story follows Declan, a brooding mafia leader, whose intense connection with the heroine drives the plot. The chemistry between them is undeniable, and the way the author explores both their vulnerabilities and darker sides adds depth to the romance. Joan Morven’s writing pulls you into this gritty world, with vivid imagery and unexpected twists that kept me hooked from start to finish.
As an ARC reader, I truly appreciated how well the author balanced the dark themes of the mafia world with moments of emotional depth, making the characters feel real and complex. The pacing is perfect, with enough twists to keep you guessing but never losing the focus on the developing romance. It’s a solid debut for Morven, and if you're a fan of intense, emotionally charged romances, this one’s for you!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book! I’m so excited to see what comes next in the series.
As an ARC reader, I truly appreciated how well the author balanced the dark themes of the mafia world with moments of emotional depth, making the characters feel real and complex. The pacing is perfect, with enough twists to keep you guessing but never losing the focus on the developing romance. It’s a solid debut for Morven, and if you're a fan of intense, emotionally charged romances, this one’s for you!
Thank you to the author for providing me with an ARC of this book! I’m so excited to see what comes next in the series.
January 10, 2025
I gratefully received an ARC for this book and could not put it down the moment I started reading it. The mmc is dark, dominant, and absolutely a "burn the world for her" type. The fmc is a fiesty, strong-willed woman who can stand up to all the dangerous man surrounding her in her life. The spice in this book fits the story and will have you blush at times. The story is an enemy to lovers with an intriguing plot and twists. I couldn't put the book down because I just had to know more and more about the drama between the mafia families. I also can't wait to read the second book in this series to know more about the characters that I can't get enough of! Thank you for writing this amazing book that all dark romance lovers out there should devour!
January 6, 2025
I loved the storyline in this book it's secrets and intrigue from the start, I didn't want to put it down,
The storyline/plot had me gripped from the start, I needed to know who and what was going on. My favourite character is the fmc Viviana she's an absolute firecracker. The mmc comes across as an ahole, but he ends up as an absolute sweetheart
There's a couple of plot twists I definitely didn't see coming. There's suspense and intrigue, from start to finish. As always, with these books, check your trigger warnings
The storyline/plot had me gripped from the start, I needed to know who and what was going on. My favourite character is the fmc Viviana she's an absolute firecracker. The mmc comes across as an ahole, but he ends up as an absolute sweetheart
There's a couple of plot twists I definitely didn't see coming. There's suspense and intrigue, from start to finish. As always, with these books, check your trigger warnings
January 9, 2025
This book is 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️!! Love the FMC AKA Firecracker. She is tough and hilarious. Couldn’t get enough of the banter between her and the Irishmen. This is definitely an enemies to lovers story with vengeance sprinkled in. I ate this book up. Thank you to the author for sharing this ARC with me.
January 7, 2025
I received this as an arc and really enjoyed it, always love feisty FMC.
It gripped me from the start, was easy to read, had a good pace and fair bit of spice along the way (check the triggers before reading). Loved the storyline especially with a couple of plot twists thrown in.
It gripped me from the start, was easy to read, had a good pace and fair bit of spice along the way (check the triggers before reading). Loved the storyline especially with a couple of plot twists thrown in.
August 23, 2026
har inget vettigt att säga mer än att jag önskar männen på irland var såhär 4 real, synd att så inte är fallet. jag tror jag hittat sättet att cure my post ireland trauma.
January 9, 2025
I was thrilled to receive Declan as an ARC, and it did not disappoint! From the very beginning, the story drew me in with its well-defined characters, making it easy to become fully immersed in the plot.
The storyline itself was gripping—full of unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. I particularly loved Viviana’s journey; her character development was deeply moving, and there were moments when my heart broke for her. Watching her navigate her challenges and grow throughout the book was truly satisfying.
Declan’s evolution as a character was equally compelling. Seeing him open up and grow emotionally was a highlight for me. Strong character development is always a win, and this book delivered on that front.
The writing was enjoyable overall, though there were moments where the flow of the story felt slightly disjointed. At times, I found myself momentarily losing connection with the narrative, though I was always able to dive back in. While I can’t pinpoint exactly what caused this, it’s something worth mentioning.
All in all, Declan was a captivating read with engaging characters and plenty of emotional depth. I’d rate it 4/5 stars for the story and 3/5 on the spice scale. If you enjoy stories with strong characters and a touch of intrigue, this is definitely worth adding to your TBR!
The storyline itself was gripping—full of unexpected twists that kept me on the edge of my seat. I particularly loved Viviana’s journey; her character development was deeply moving, and there were moments when my heart broke for her. Watching her navigate her challenges and grow throughout the book was truly satisfying.
Declan’s evolution as a character was equally compelling. Seeing him open up and grow emotionally was a highlight for me. Strong character development is always a win, and this book delivered on that front.
The writing was enjoyable overall, though there were moments where the flow of the story felt slightly disjointed. At times, I found myself momentarily losing connection with the narrative, though I was always able to dive back in. While I can’t pinpoint exactly what caused this, it’s something worth mentioning.
All in all, Declan was a captivating read with engaging characters and plenty of emotional depth. I’d rate it 4/5 stars for the story and 3/5 on the spice scale. If you enjoy stories with strong characters and a touch of intrigue, this is definitely worth adding to your TBR!
February 3, 2025
A new author for me to sink my teeth into.
Declan is head of the Irish
Viviana doesn’t like the life her family is in. It’s dark, violent and not for her. But being a daughter you don’t get to pick or choose the life you want, women are bargaining chips, they are to cement deals and forge alliances through marriage. But Viviana isn’t your typical daughter, her defiance keeps her from being a suitable match. Well that is until she meets Declan….
Their first meeting has fireworks! Declan is here to meet his new bride! Well, he’s here to pick one of his enemies daughters. But he’s not interested in the suitable ones! Oh no, he wants Viviana! Much to the father’s horror and the other daughters disgust!
As with most of this genre, the MMC is morally grey (that’s why we read them 😉) then we have a moment where he goes from hate to love, then to obsession, and that’s the moment I wait for. It’s the “touch her and 💀” vibe.
The angst, the torment and the spice is all there. The banter had me smiling, and the comebacks were snappy and quick.
No filler in this book, just a fast paced book, we have the usual twists, and we have the attempts to end this marriage (by Viviana and an outside threat!)
I can’t wait for the next book.
Take heed of the warning about the triggers. There is nothing worse than reading a review that obviously hadn’t read the warnings!
🦋
Declan is head of the Irish
Viviana doesn’t like the life her family is in. It’s dark, violent and not for her. But being a daughter you don’t get to pick or choose the life you want, women are bargaining chips, they are to cement deals and forge alliances through marriage. But Viviana isn’t your typical daughter, her defiance keeps her from being a suitable match. Well that is until she meets Declan….
Their first meeting has fireworks! Declan is here to meet his new bride! Well, he’s here to pick one of his enemies daughters. But he’s not interested in the suitable ones! Oh no, he wants Viviana! Much to the father’s horror and the other daughters disgust!
As with most of this genre, the MMC is morally grey (that’s why we read them 😉) then we have a moment where he goes from hate to love, then to obsession, and that’s the moment I wait for. It’s the “touch her and 💀” vibe.
The angst, the torment and the spice is all there. The banter had me smiling, and the comebacks were snappy and quick.
No filler in this book, just a fast paced book, we have the usual twists, and we have the attempts to end this marriage (by Viviana and an outside threat!)
I can’t wait for the next book.
Take heed of the warning about the triggers. There is nothing worse than reading a review that obviously hadn’t read the warnings!
🦋
April 5, 2025
Viviana Morelli is the daughter her father never wanted at the table. When Declan Callaghan, head of the Irish Consortium, is offered his pick of the Morelli sisters in exchange for a stake in the family's docks, he passes over the two who were groomed for exactly this moment and chooses her instead: the one who spends the gathering ignoring the room, drinking alone at the bar. Married within the week, Viviana is dropped into a mansion full of guns, guards, and three brothers who run half the city's underworld, expected to play the compliant wife and doing nothing of the sort.
What starts as two people testing how far they can push each other turns into something neither wants to name, right as Viviana starts pulling at a thread in Declan's past that neither of them can afford to find. The marriage that was supposed to be a business transaction turns into the most dangerous thing either of them has ever signed up for, and the reason it was ever arranged in the first place is darker and more personal than either of them assumes going in.
Character Development
Declan. Declan lost his fiancée to an ambush years before Viviana ever walks into his life, and the book is upfront that the man who could love died with her. What's left runs the Consortium on control: he picks Viviana specifically because she won't play the submissive role his other options were bred for, and his instinct through most of the book is to own, track, and command his way through every problem, hers included. The more interesting version of him shows up in the smaller moments: breaking his own hand on a wall rather than lay one on her, going quiet with guilt the second he thinks she might be involved in something he can't forgive, learning (slowly, and only after real damage) that keeping her safe by locking her in a room isn't the same thing as keeping her.
Viviana. Viviana spends the book being underestimated by everyone in her orbit and correcting every single one of them. She picks locks, throws a punch that draws blood more than once, and kills when she has to without flinching afterward, but the book never lets that read as coldness: she's also the one who stops to comfort a terrified new maid, who mourns a mother she lost young, who carries a specific, named trauma from a man before Declan that shapes exactly how she reacts to being controlled by another one. Her arc isn't learning to submit. It's deciding, deliberately, what she's willing to give someone on her own terms after a lifetime of never being asked.
The power imbalance between them. This is the book's actual engine, and it's handled with more self-awareness than the premise promises. Declan genuinely does control nearly every condition of Viviana's life for most of the book: her movement, her safety, even the terms of their sex life run through his say-so. But Viviana never stops pushing back against it, and the book is explicit that this is the point of tension rather than a problem it plans to smooth over: real intimacy has to survive an argument about who actually owns whom before either of them can trust it. The eventual answer, delivered in a scene where Declan burns the actual marriage contract, is that he has to hand real freedom back to her before anything between them means something.
Side characters. Kian is the sharpest of Declan's brothers, the one who reads people (Viviana included) before anyone else catches up, and he's the one who eventually calls her family in Irish rather than English, which lands harder than a lot of the book's bigger declarations. Connor starts as the shy, easily flustered youngest brother and grows into Viviana's real ally, the one who does the digging that proves her innocence and argues for her when his own brother won't. Flynn Brady, Declan's oldest friend and the Consortium's likely next leader, gets set up across the book as its own person rather than a plot device, right down to a closing scene that clearly hands him the next installment. Silvana, Viviana's half-sister, is the book's most morally interesting side character: complicit in ways she didn't fully understand and horrified once she does, given room to be genuinely conflicted rather than simply punished or forgiven. Carlos, Viviana's childhood bodyguard, turns out to matter more than anyone assumes early on, and the reveal of exactly how is one of the book's better-earned turns.
Themes
The book keeps circling one real question: what does it cost to actually choose someone, versus being handed to them. Viviana spends the whole book being traded, by her father, by circumstance, by a marriage contract she never agreed to, and her arc is about clawing back the difference between being taken and choosing to stay. Declan's arc mirrors it from the other side: he took a wife the way he takes territory, and has to learn that keeping her isn't the same skill as conquering her. Underneath both, the book is genuinely interested in blood versus chosen family: Viviana's actual bloodline turns out to be a lie built on convenience, while the men who never had to love her (Connor, Kian, Carlos) are the ones who actually do. Vengeance runs alongside all of it as the family's real operating system, formalized in a genuinely uncomfortable ritual near the end that the book doesn't flinch from showing in full.
Writing Style and Effectiveness
Joan Morven alternates first-person present-tense chapters between Declan and Viviana, and the dual POV earns its keep: watching the same scene land differently in his head and hers is where the book's best material lives, especially anywhere Viviana's past collides with Declan's possessiveness. The Irish slang (feck, eejit, eejits everywhere) gives the Callaghan brothers a real, specific voice, and the sibling banter between the three of them is genuinely funny in a way a lot of grimdark mafia romance doesn't bother attempting.
The book's biggest craft weakness is repetition. Declan calls Viviana "firecracker" so often it stops registering as a nickname and starts reading as a tic, several descriptive beats (his cock twitching, her body catching fire) recur almost word for word across chapters, and the sheer volume of explicit content, which runs through nearly every chapter, sometimes crowds out the plot's own momentum rather than deepening it. A major reveal about who Viviana's real father is lands right after a murder confession and gets resolved into relieved laughter within a page, which undercuts weight the book had just spent real effort earning. There are also visible copyediting gaps: dropped words, a couple of chapter-title typos, sentences that trail off mid-thought.
Conclusion
Declan is a genuinely fun, high-heat entry in the forced-marriage mafia romance shelf, carried almost entirely by its two leads and its very likable secondary cast. Its real strength is refusing to let Viviana become passive inside a premise that would let her: she stays armed, furious, and funny the entire way through, and the book earns the found-family warmth it builds around her precisely because it never once implies she needed rescuing to deserve it. Where it's thinner: the central villain's motivations stay fairly generic compared to the family-betrayal plot surrounding him, the sheer density of sex scenes occasionally flattens pacing that the mystery plot was doing real work to build, and a manuscript pass for repetition and typos would sharpen it considerably. Against the genre's biggest names (the possessive-captor-turned-love-interest arc will feel familiar to anyone who's read Carlton or Kent), Declan distinguishes itself with a heroine who fights on her own terms from page one and a brotherly cast with real chemistry, even where the prose around them could use another editing pass.
Evaluation
Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Writing Style: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5): heavy repetition ("firecracker," recycled descriptive beats), a major reveal undercut by a joke a page later, visible copyediting gaps
Characters: ★★★★☆ (4/5): Declan and Viviana both get real, earned arcs and the side cast (Kian, Connor, Flynn, Silvana, Carlos) is genuinely strong; the villain stays fairly generic
World-Building: ★★★☆☆ (3/5): the Irish Consortium's mafia structure functions but is sketched (docks, warehouses, three families) rather than deeply built
Trigger warnings: physical altercations, gun violence and weapons, death and murder, torture (both implied and explicit), kidnapping, threats of harm, explicit sexual scenes, discussions of sexual interest and manipulation, emotional manipulation, family betrayal, mafia/organized crime dynamics, corruption and illegal activities, grief over deceased loved ones, mentions of traumatic deaths, dominance and submission, themes of fear and paranoia, psychological manipulation, alcohol use, sexual assault (not committed by the male main character).
Recommended for readers who want a possessive mafia-boss romance where the heroine fights back instead of just enduring, anyone who likes their forced-marriage plots tangled up in a real family-betrayal mystery, and fans of H.D. Carlton or Danielle Lori who don't mind a very high heat count and can forgive some repetitive phrasing for a genuinely warm, funny brotherly cast.
What starts as two people testing how far they can push each other turns into something neither wants to name, right as Viviana starts pulling at a thread in Declan's past that neither of them can afford to find. The marriage that was supposed to be a business transaction turns into the most dangerous thing either of them has ever signed up for, and the reason it was ever arranged in the first place is darker and more personal than either of them assumes going in.
Character Development
Declan. Declan lost his fiancée to an ambush years before Viviana ever walks into his life, and the book is upfront that the man who could love died with her. What's left runs the Consortium on control: he picks Viviana specifically because she won't play the submissive role his other options were bred for, and his instinct through most of the book is to own, track, and command his way through every problem, hers included. The more interesting version of him shows up in the smaller moments: breaking his own hand on a wall rather than lay one on her, going quiet with guilt the second he thinks she might be involved in something he can't forgive, learning (slowly, and only after real damage) that keeping her safe by locking her in a room isn't the same thing as keeping her.
Viviana. Viviana spends the book being underestimated by everyone in her orbit and correcting every single one of them. She picks locks, throws a punch that draws blood more than once, and kills when she has to without flinching afterward, but the book never lets that read as coldness: she's also the one who stops to comfort a terrified new maid, who mourns a mother she lost young, who carries a specific, named trauma from a man before Declan that shapes exactly how she reacts to being controlled by another one. Her arc isn't learning to submit. It's deciding, deliberately, what she's willing to give someone on her own terms after a lifetime of never being asked.
The power imbalance between them. This is the book's actual engine, and it's handled with more self-awareness than the premise promises. Declan genuinely does control nearly every condition of Viviana's life for most of the book: her movement, her safety, even the terms of their sex life run through his say-so. But Viviana never stops pushing back against it, and the book is explicit that this is the point of tension rather than a problem it plans to smooth over: real intimacy has to survive an argument about who actually owns whom before either of them can trust it. The eventual answer, delivered in a scene where Declan burns the actual marriage contract, is that he has to hand real freedom back to her before anything between them means something.
Side characters. Kian is the sharpest of Declan's brothers, the one who reads people (Viviana included) before anyone else catches up, and he's the one who eventually calls her family in Irish rather than English, which lands harder than a lot of the book's bigger declarations. Connor starts as the shy, easily flustered youngest brother and grows into Viviana's real ally, the one who does the digging that proves her innocence and argues for her when his own brother won't. Flynn Brady, Declan's oldest friend and the Consortium's likely next leader, gets set up across the book as its own person rather than a plot device, right down to a closing scene that clearly hands him the next installment. Silvana, Viviana's half-sister, is the book's most morally interesting side character: complicit in ways she didn't fully understand and horrified once she does, given room to be genuinely conflicted rather than simply punished or forgiven. Carlos, Viviana's childhood bodyguard, turns out to matter more than anyone assumes early on, and the reveal of exactly how is one of the book's better-earned turns.
Themes
The book keeps circling one real question: what does it cost to actually choose someone, versus being handed to them. Viviana spends the whole book being traded, by her father, by circumstance, by a marriage contract she never agreed to, and her arc is about clawing back the difference between being taken and choosing to stay. Declan's arc mirrors it from the other side: he took a wife the way he takes territory, and has to learn that keeping her isn't the same skill as conquering her. Underneath both, the book is genuinely interested in blood versus chosen family: Viviana's actual bloodline turns out to be a lie built on convenience, while the men who never had to love her (Connor, Kian, Carlos) are the ones who actually do. Vengeance runs alongside all of it as the family's real operating system, formalized in a genuinely uncomfortable ritual near the end that the book doesn't flinch from showing in full.
Writing Style and Effectiveness
Joan Morven alternates first-person present-tense chapters between Declan and Viviana, and the dual POV earns its keep: watching the same scene land differently in his head and hers is where the book's best material lives, especially anywhere Viviana's past collides with Declan's possessiveness. The Irish slang (feck, eejit, eejits everywhere) gives the Callaghan brothers a real, specific voice, and the sibling banter between the three of them is genuinely funny in a way a lot of grimdark mafia romance doesn't bother attempting.
The book's biggest craft weakness is repetition. Declan calls Viviana "firecracker" so often it stops registering as a nickname and starts reading as a tic, several descriptive beats (his cock twitching, her body catching fire) recur almost word for word across chapters, and the sheer volume of explicit content, which runs through nearly every chapter, sometimes crowds out the plot's own momentum rather than deepening it. A major reveal about who Viviana's real father is lands right after a murder confession and gets resolved into relieved laughter within a page, which undercuts weight the book had just spent real effort earning. There are also visible copyediting gaps: dropped words, a couple of chapter-title typos, sentences that trail off mid-thought.
Conclusion
Declan is a genuinely fun, high-heat entry in the forced-marriage mafia romance shelf, carried almost entirely by its two leads and its very likable secondary cast. Its real strength is refusing to let Viviana become passive inside a premise that would let her: she stays armed, furious, and funny the entire way through, and the book earns the found-family warmth it builds around her precisely because it never once implies she needed rescuing to deserve it. Where it's thinner: the central villain's motivations stay fairly generic compared to the family-betrayal plot surrounding him, the sheer density of sex scenes occasionally flattens pacing that the mystery plot was doing real work to build, and a manuscript pass for repetition and typos would sharpen it considerably. Against the genre's biggest names (the possessive-captor-turned-love-interest arc will feel familiar to anyone who's read Carlton or Kent), Declan distinguishes itself with a heroine who fights on her own terms from page one and a brotherly cast with real chemistry, even where the prose around them could use another editing pass.
Evaluation
Overall Rating: ★★★☆☆ (3/5)
Writing Style: ★★☆☆☆ (2/5): heavy repetition ("firecracker," recycled descriptive beats), a major reveal undercut by a joke a page later, visible copyediting gaps
Characters: ★★★★☆ (4/5): Declan and Viviana both get real, earned arcs and the side cast (Kian, Connor, Flynn, Silvana, Carlos) is genuinely strong; the villain stays fairly generic
World-Building: ★★★☆☆ (3/5): the Irish Consortium's mafia structure functions but is sketched (docks, warehouses, three families) rather than deeply built
Trigger warnings: physical altercations, gun violence and weapons, death and murder, torture (both implied and explicit), kidnapping, threats of harm, explicit sexual scenes, discussions of sexual interest and manipulation, emotional manipulation, family betrayal, mafia/organized crime dynamics, corruption and illegal activities, grief over deceased loved ones, mentions of traumatic deaths, dominance and submission, themes of fear and paranoia, psychological manipulation, alcohol use, sexual assault (not committed by the male main character).
Recommended for readers who want a possessive mafia-boss romance where the heroine fights back instead of just enduring, anyone who likes their forced-marriage plots tangled up in a real family-betrayal mystery, and fans of H.D. Carlton or Danielle Lori who don't mind a very high heat count and can forgive some repetitive phrasing for a genuinely warm, funny brotherly cast.
January 7, 2025
This book is a dark romance; check the authors social media pages for a list of triggers.
Declan is the debut novel for this author and it was incredible. Brava! So full of twists, turns and intrigue. It is so well written! The character development is so well paced. Their duo POV helps the reader to realy get inside their inner workings.
Declan is the head of the Irish Consortium (the Irish Mafia). He is a formidable man, who commands and demands respect, submission and loyalty.
Years ago, he lost the love of his life, his fiance Elva. She was gunned down, and her killers have yet to be brought to justice. He torn the city apart, on a wild, killing spree, in hopes of finding those responsibly, but had no success.
"The grief, the agony - they're still there - but i push them back, locking them behind walls of ice. My heart hardens, closing off from anything that might break me again. This is who I have to be now. Cold. Ruthless. Focused. The man who could love died with her."
Viviana is a fiercely independent, smart, smart mouthed, woman, who's leans into defiance far more than submission. She is also the daughter of the leader of the Italian mafia. She has never wanted anything to do with her family's lifestyle. She understands the rules and expectations, but has tried her best to keep herself as far away as possible. She lived on her own, had a full time job, took care of herself. She had an air about her that could bring just about any man to his knees.
The Italian Mafia is feeling the pressures of the Russian Bratva. The solution: bring the two families together in an allegiance - a marriage. Declan is offered to choose one of the Italian leader's daughters.
Viviana is expected to attend a party, where Declan will be introduced to her sisters, who are so much better suited to be a mafia wife. What she didn't expect to happen was catch his eyes. And the absolute last thing she expected was to be in a forced marriage with Declan.
"She's got the kind of confidence that could bring down a kingdom if she felt like it. And it's not arrogance; it's pure defiance. Viviana doesn't care about playing the game. She's here to burn it down, and for the first time tonight, I find myself hoping she'll make things interesting."
Their story is full of angst, banter, intrigue, insane chemistry and a journey to find the truth behind Elva's murder, and the attacks on Declan's docks, businesses as well as on Viviana's life. Also, he has the swooniest nick name for her: Firecracker! He's so far gone for her, it's adorable!
I received a free ARC of this book and this review is only my opinion.
Declan is the debut novel for this author and it was incredible. Brava! So full of twists, turns and intrigue. It is so well written! The character development is so well paced. Their duo POV helps the reader to realy get inside their inner workings.
Declan is the head of the Irish Consortium (the Irish Mafia). He is a formidable man, who commands and demands respect, submission and loyalty.
Years ago, he lost the love of his life, his fiance Elva. She was gunned down, and her killers have yet to be brought to justice. He torn the city apart, on a wild, killing spree, in hopes of finding those responsibly, but had no success.
"The grief, the agony - they're still there - but i push them back, locking them behind walls of ice. My heart hardens, closing off from anything that might break me again. This is who I have to be now. Cold. Ruthless. Focused. The man who could love died with her."
Viviana is a fiercely independent, smart, smart mouthed, woman, who's leans into defiance far more than submission. She is also the daughter of the leader of the Italian mafia. She has never wanted anything to do with her family's lifestyle. She understands the rules and expectations, but has tried her best to keep herself as far away as possible. She lived on her own, had a full time job, took care of herself. She had an air about her that could bring just about any man to his knees.
The Italian Mafia is feeling the pressures of the Russian Bratva. The solution: bring the two families together in an allegiance - a marriage. Declan is offered to choose one of the Italian leader's daughters.
Viviana is expected to attend a party, where Declan will be introduced to her sisters, who are so much better suited to be a mafia wife. What she didn't expect to happen was catch his eyes. And the absolute last thing she expected was to be in a forced marriage with Declan.
"She's got the kind of confidence that could bring down a kingdom if she felt like it. And it's not arrogance; it's pure defiance. Viviana doesn't care about playing the game. She's here to burn it down, and for the first time tonight, I find myself hoping she'll make things interesting."
Their story is full of angst, banter, intrigue, insane chemistry and a journey to find the truth behind Elva's murder, and the attacks on Declan's docks, businesses as well as on Viviana's life. Also, he has the swooniest nick name for her: Firecracker! He's so far gone for her, it's adorable!
I received a free ARC of this book and this review is only my opinion.
March 30, 2026
Declan is not subtle about what it is. This is a dark Irish Mafia romance that leans fully into power, control and explosive chemistry, with a tone that is intense from the start and rarely lets up. Our MC and FMC, Declan Callaghan and Viviana Morelli are thrown together through a brutal arrangement that feels less like romance at first and more like a collision of wills.
Viviana is one of the stronger parts of the book. She is defiant, angry and unwilling to be shaped into something softer just to survive. Her resistance gives the story its backbone, especially in a world that constantly tries to strip her of autonomy. She is not written to be agreeable, which works in her favour, and her fire is what makes the dynamic with Declan compelling rather than one sided.
Declan is very much a darker shade of morally grey figure in the classic dark romance sense. He is controlling, calculated and at times deliberately cruel, driven by grief and a need for dominance. The tension comes from the push and pull between his need to break Viviana and the slow shift toward something more complicated. This will divide readers. If you enjoy dominant anti heroes with sharp edges, he will land. If not, he may feel too harsh to root for. For me, he landed and then some!
The relationship is built on conflict, power imbalance and undeniable attraction. The enemies to lovers trophe is intense and often volatile with graphic scenes that match the tone of the world Morven has created. The chemistry is immediate and aggressive, less about slow burn and more about constant friction. He will “burn the world for her” trope, initially is because he “owns” her but it soon transpires that he adores her!
The writing does not shy away from darker themes, so it is very much a book that knows its audience and does not try to soften its edges.
Where the book is strongest is in that tension. Where it can falter is in depth beyond the central relationship. The wider world and secondary elements sometimes feel more like a backdrop than a fully realised setting, as the focus stays tightly on Declan and Viviana. For some readers that focus will work, for others it may feel limiting.
My View: For me, Declan delivers exactly what it promises, a dark, intense romance driven by power, conflict and strong personalities. It works best when it leans into Viviana’s defiance and the volatile chemistry between the MC’s. Personally, I loved these morally grey characters with their high tension relationship, I loved Viviana’s strength and Declan’s obsessive devotion, so if that’s your vibe, this will hit the mark, but please check your TW’s, it is not a gentle read.
Viviana is one of the stronger parts of the book. She is defiant, angry and unwilling to be shaped into something softer just to survive. Her resistance gives the story its backbone, especially in a world that constantly tries to strip her of autonomy. She is not written to be agreeable, which works in her favour, and her fire is what makes the dynamic with Declan compelling rather than one sided.
Declan is very much a darker shade of morally grey figure in the classic dark romance sense. He is controlling, calculated and at times deliberately cruel, driven by grief and a need for dominance. The tension comes from the push and pull between his need to break Viviana and the slow shift toward something more complicated. This will divide readers. If you enjoy dominant anti heroes with sharp edges, he will land. If not, he may feel too harsh to root for. For me, he landed and then some!
The relationship is built on conflict, power imbalance and undeniable attraction. The enemies to lovers trophe is intense and often volatile with graphic scenes that match the tone of the world Morven has created. The chemistry is immediate and aggressive, less about slow burn and more about constant friction. He will “burn the world for her” trope, initially is because he “owns” her but it soon transpires that he adores her!
The writing does not shy away from darker themes, so it is very much a book that knows its audience and does not try to soften its edges.
Where the book is strongest is in that tension. Where it can falter is in depth beyond the central relationship. The wider world and secondary elements sometimes feel more like a backdrop than a fully realised setting, as the focus stays tightly on Declan and Viviana. For some readers that focus will work, for others it may feel limiting.
My View: For me, Declan delivers exactly what it promises, a dark, intense romance driven by power, conflict and strong personalities. It works best when it leans into Viviana’s defiance and the volatile chemistry between the MC’s. Personally, I loved these morally grey characters with their high tension relationship, I loved Viviana’s strength and Declan’s obsessive devotion, so if that’s your vibe, this will hit the mark, but please check your TW’s, it is not a gentle read.
March 11, 2026
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Okay this right here grabbed me and pulled me right in!
DEDICATION
For all the “good girl” readers looking for an Irish, tattooed man who knows the difference between “harder” and “faster"
Right off the bat the story is fast paced, emotional, and had me hooked! In this one, there are twists, there is angst, of course hate, and throw in the violence because this is a dark romance and Mafia 😉 The spice is perfect, and you don't just read the heated connections... you FEEL IT! Let's not forget, smut smut smut ❤️🔥
Declan is healing after losing the love of his life. He makes a deal with Italian Mafia Morretti. One of the daughters in exchange for security and power. He chose Viviana. The brothers like to remind him that he bit off more than he can chew. 😂
Viviana is all the sass, spunk, defiance, feisty, stubborn, and fury wrapped up in a Gothic little package. She is NOT the obedient Mafia wife they usually want. She wanted out of this life away from Mafia. Declan picked her for all those reasons. He didn't want love again. He wanted entertainment. He feels he won't get bored with this one. Little did he know she has an vindictive side as well. Even in her fury with being forced to marry Declan, she can't help but want him!
Declan's words:
"You own my heart, my body, and my soul. I would crawl through lava for your love. I would give my all for just one more kiss. A life without you isn’t worth living,”
Okay this right here grabbed me and pulled me right in!
DEDICATION
For all the “good girl” readers looking for an Irish, tattooed man who knows the difference between “harder” and “faster"
Right off the bat the story is fast paced, emotional, and had me hooked! In this one, there are twists, there is angst, of course hate, and throw in the violence because this is a dark romance and Mafia 😉 The spice is perfect, and you don't just read the heated connections... you FEEL IT! Let's not forget, smut smut smut ❤️🔥
Declan is healing after losing the love of his life. He makes a deal with Italian Mafia Morretti. One of the daughters in exchange for security and power. He chose Viviana. The brothers like to remind him that he bit off more than he can chew. 😂
Viviana is all the sass, spunk, defiance, feisty, stubborn, and fury wrapped up in a Gothic little package. She is NOT the obedient Mafia wife they usually want. She wanted out of this life away from Mafia. Declan picked her for all those reasons. He didn't want love again. He wanted entertainment. He feels he won't get bored with this one. Little did he know she has an vindictive side as well. Even in her fury with being forced to marry Declan, she can't help but want him!
Declan's words:
"You own my heart, my body, and my soul. I would crawl through lava for your love. I would give my all for just one more kiss. A life without you isn’t worth living,”
January 19, 2025
“For all the “good girl” readers looking for an Irish, tattooed man who knows the difference between “harder” and “faster”
That dedication alone made me excited to read!
Joan! This book was incredible!
The first novel of the “Irish Consortium revolves around Viviana, a woman unexpectedly chosen by Declan Vitale to be his wife. Initially, one of her sisters was the intended choice, and Viviana was not even considered by Vitale. However, after meeting the sisters, Declan realized that Viviana was the one he truly needed. I’m so pleased he made that decision.
Viviana embodies the qualities I admire in female protagonists. She is strong, intelligent, and alluring, yet beneath that exterior lies a girl who is frightened and wishes to escape the world she has been thrust into. She certainly challenged Declan, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship evolve into a romantic one.
My favorite character, however, is Kian, Declan’s brother, and I eagerly anticipate his story being told soon!
If you enjoy intense mafia romances, this book is perfect for you! I found it thoroughly enjoyable and can’t wait to see what happens next.
Personal Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
TROPES: MAFIA, MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE, HATE TO LOVE, FORCED PROXIMITY, BADASS FMC, HE FALLS FIRST
Til Next Review,
Sincerely Lyssi.
That dedication alone made me excited to read!
Joan! This book was incredible!
The first novel of the “Irish Consortium revolves around Viviana, a woman unexpectedly chosen by Declan Vitale to be his wife. Initially, one of her sisters was the intended choice, and Viviana was not even considered by Vitale. However, after meeting the sisters, Declan realized that Viviana was the one he truly needed. I’m so pleased he made that decision.
Viviana embodies the qualities I admire in female protagonists. She is strong, intelligent, and alluring, yet beneath that exterior lies a girl who is frightened and wishes to escape the world she has been thrust into. She certainly challenged Declan, and I thoroughly enjoyed watching their relationship evolve into a romantic one.
My favorite character, however, is Kian, Declan’s brother, and I eagerly anticipate his story being told soon!
If you enjoy intense mafia romances, this book is perfect for you! I found it thoroughly enjoyable and can’t wait to see what happens next.
Personal Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐.25
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
TROPES: MAFIA, MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE, HATE TO LOVE, FORCED PROXIMITY, BADASS FMC, HE FALLS FIRST
Til Next Review,
Sincerely Lyssi.
January 27, 2025
If you love Irish mafia then you’ll love this book. Declan was forced to take another wife when his fiancé was unalived two years ago and then the Dark Wars started between the Irish, Italians and the Russians over power, money and property. When Giovanni Morelli decided to give up his part of the docks for an alliance and one of his daughters in marriage, he expected Declan to pick one of his perfect daughters, not Viviana.
Viviana was a wild spirit who doesn’t follow rules and doesn’t want anything to do with her father or what he stands for. When Declan landed his eyes on her, he knew that’s the girl he wanted to married even if it was just a contract marriage. She was a spitfire and did not make anything easy on him whatsoever. But what happens when things start to change and you start to uncover secrets that you should have never known existed before.
What happens when enemies from two different families start to fall for each other and is afraid to tell the other person and especially when those secrets start to come to light?
If you love Mafia, strong FMC, morally grey MMC, tattoo bikers, Irish accent and enemies to lovers with a happy ending then definitely read this book. You’ll thank me later
Viviana was a wild spirit who doesn’t follow rules and doesn’t want anything to do with her father or what he stands for. When Declan landed his eyes on her, he knew that’s the girl he wanted to married even if it was just a contract marriage. She was a spitfire and did not make anything easy on him whatsoever. But what happens when things start to change and you start to uncover secrets that you should have never known existed before.
What happens when enemies from two different families start to fall for each other and is afraid to tell the other person and especially when those secrets start to come to light?
If you love Mafia, strong FMC, morally grey MMC, tattoo bikers, Irish accent and enemies to lovers with a happy ending then definitely read this book. You’ll thank me later
March 6, 2026
I liked Vivien and Declan from the first page. I knew I would enjoy this. And I did, and a lot. No, no, I love this book.
The fight and fire between V and D was really very fiery, I still have my fingers burned from all those pages...
D was a total lover of my heart. He grabbed my heart from the first page and didn't let go. I love Irish mobsters, they have fire and wildness in them and in general they do everything a little differently. And the writer served them to me on these pages, like on a silver platter and I adore her for that. I fell in love with all of the family very much.
Vivian's fire definitely matched Declan's. I think they somehow complemented each other in this and that's why it was such a fucking fiery and beautiful read. Anyway, I'm very grateful to the writer for Vivian's character, because I like strong women in stories who are still developing. I believe that in real life, Viv and I would sit down 🙂
I have to repeat myself but I adore big families that stick together. For me, it's the best in books.
Simply put, great book, good story and super awesome characters. The ending, tvl...uff. I really enjoyed it + Dropkick Murphys = I've loved them for years... more, please....
The fight and fire between V and D was really very fiery, I still have my fingers burned from all those pages...
D was a total lover of my heart. He grabbed my heart from the first page and didn't let go. I love Irish mobsters, they have fire and wildness in them and in general they do everything a little differently. And the writer served them to me on these pages, like on a silver platter and I adore her for that. I fell in love with all of the family very much.
Vivian's fire definitely matched Declan's. I think they somehow complemented each other in this and that's why it was such a fucking fiery and beautiful read. Anyway, I'm very grateful to the writer for Vivian's character, because I like strong women in stories who are still developing. I believe that in real life, Viv and I would sit down 🙂
I have to repeat myself but I adore big families that stick together. For me, it's the best in books.
Simply put, great book, good story and super awesome characters. The ending, tvl...uff. I really enjoyed it + Dropkick Murphys = I've loved them for years... more, please....
December 29, 2025
Declan Callaghan, the ruthless leader of the Irish Consortium, is everything you want in a mafia man dominant, tattooed, possessive, and absolutely magnetic. All the good red flags are here, and you’ll find yourself liking him from the very start.
Viviana Morelli, the second daughter of the Morelli mafia family, is not someone you can overlook. Don’t be fooled by her role in the family she’s fiery, stubborn, and more than capable of shaking Declan’s world. She’s a little firestorm who challenges him at every turn.
The story is well written, and even though some parts were a bit predictable, I still had a fun time reading it. The spice was spicing, and the banter between the MMC and FMC was sharp and entertaining. Their deep attraction drives the tension beautifully. The plot unfolded pretty much as I expected, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment.
Overall, Declan is a solid, addictive mafia romance with great chemistry, plenty of heat, and characters you can’t help but root for. A great read if you love dark, possessive heroes and fierce heroines who push back just as hard
Viviana Morelli, the second daughter of the Morelli mafia family, is not someone you can overlook. Don’t be fooled by her role in the family she’s fiery, stubborn, and more than capable of shaking Declan’s world. She’s a little firestorm who challenges him at every turn.
The story is well written, and even though some parts were a bit predictable, I still had a fun time reading it. The spice was spicing, and the banter between the MMC and FMC was sharp and entertaining. Their deep attraction drives the tension beautifully. The plot unfolded pretty much as I expected, but that didn’t take away from the enjoyment.
Overall, Declan is a solid, addictive mafia romance with great chemistry, plenty of heat, and characters you can’t help but root for. A great read if you love dark, possessive heroes and fierce heroines who push back just as hard
August 3, 2026
you know a smut book isn’t good when there’s too much smut.
idk i feel conflicted with this because i enjoy joan’s writing style on occasion, sometimes the descriptions and metaphors hit a right spot, but this was honestly all over the place. the timeline didn’t make sense, while reading i was sure we skipped ahead a couple of weeks, only for the ending to say only a singular week had passed. it was hard to keep up with what was happening sometimes as there were no scene breaks or chapters split up for different locations.
the story felt a little nonsensical, for big mafia families who were truly powerful back in the day they sure fell off with declan coming to power. i really wanted to like this book but it just wasn’t… good. i only finished it because i don’t like leaving books unfinished, but it got to the point where i was skipping spicy scenes to progress the plot. there is such a thing as too much smut, and here it was put in places where it didn’t make a lot of sense.
i feel bad giving it 2 stars but i think with some more reviewing and finesse, other books will honestly be great.
⭐️2
idk i feel conflicted with this because i enjoy joan’s writing style on occasion, sometimes the descriptions and metaphors hit a right spot, but this was honestly all over the place. the timeline didn’t make sense, while reading i was sure we skipped ahead a couple of weeks, only for the ending to say only a singular week had passed. it was hard to keep up with what was happening sometimes as there were no scene breaks or chapters split up for different locations.
the story felt a little nonsensical, for big mafia families who were truly powerful back in the day they sure fell off with declan coming to power. i really wanted to like this book but it just wasn’t… good. i only finished it because i don’t like leaving books unfinished, but it got to the point where i was skipping spicy scenes to progress the plot. there is such a thing as too much smut, and here it was put in places where it didn’t make a lot of sense.
i feel bad giving it 2 stars but i think with some more reviewing and finesse, other books will honestly be great.
⭐️2
January 27, 2025
Declan by Joan Morven 5⭐️
🥀 Mafia Romance
🥀 Arranged Marriage
🥀 Touch Her and D*e
🥀 Found Family
🥀 Forced Proximity
After the death of his fiancée, Declan Callaghan has sworn to never love again. But everything changes when a rival mafia family offers a deal he can’t refuse. Now he’s got a fiery new wife and complete control of the docks.
This book comes out the gate swinging. Immediately I felt for Declan and only wanted the best for him. Watching him and Viviana fall in love was fiery and heartwarming. I appreciated how they pushed each other to be better versions of themselves. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions with this one. I read one line that made me tear up out of the blue and skyrocketed this book into 5⭐️ status for me. Also the smut and the mouth on Declan Callaghan will leave your jaw on the floor. I’m excited by the family that’s starting to form and I’m excited to continue the series!
Thank you to Joan Morven and her team for the advanced copy! This is my honest review.
Declan comes out 2/1 and is available for preorder now!!
🥀 Mafia Romance
🥀 Arranged Marriage
🥀 Touch Her and D*e
🥀 Found Family
🥀 Forced Proximity
After the death of his fiancée, Declan Callaghan has sworn to never love again. But everything changes when a rival mafia family offers a deal he can’t refuse. Now he’s got a fiery new wife and complete control of the docks.
This book comes out the gate swinging. Immediately I felt for Declan and only wanted the best for him. Watching him and Viviana fall in love was fiery and heartwarming. I appreciated how they pushed each other to be better versions of themselves. I went through a rollercoaster of emotions with this one. I read one line that made me tear up out of the blue and skyrocketed this book into 5⭐️ status for me. Also the smut and the mouth on Declan Callaghan will leave your jaw on the floor. I’m excited by the family that’s starting to form and I’m excited to continue the series!
Thank you to Joan Morven and her team for the advanced copy! This is my honest review.
Declan comes out 2/1 and is available for preorder now!!
January 31, 2025
Mafia romances always make me nervous because sometimes they just feel so absurdly unrealistic, which in a world of fiction, I understand there is some leniency. But I actually found this one to be really enjoyable and even though some parts of the story itself felt less fleshed out and cohesive than others, I found it to be an easy read.
The plot had some interesting twists and turns. Some were predictable and some not so much. But that just kept me wanting to read more, so I guess it worked, haha.
The beginning felt rushed, especially Viviana’s part, but I felt like it smoothed out more throughout the course of the book. The banter between the MMC and FMC was really enjoyable to read too, and I liked reading about a FMC who isn’t meek and timid. I also liked the relationships between the main characters and the supporting characters; it really felt like it helped keep the story flowing and not feel stuck or stagnant.
Over all, I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next one from this author!
The plot had some interesting twists and turns. Some were predictable and some not so much. But that just kept me wanting to read more, so I guess it worked, haha.
The beginning felt rushed, especially Viviana’s part, but I felt like it smoothed out more throughout the course of the book. The banter between the MMC and FMC was really enjoyable to read too, and I liked reading about a FMC who isn’t meek and timid. I also liked the relationships between the main characters and the supporting characters; it really felt like it helped keep the story flowing and not feel stuck or stagnant.
Over all, I really enjoyed this book and I’m looking forward to reading the next one from this author!
January 30, 2025
“I enjoy playing with fire, and she’s the flames.”
I was honestly shocked when I finished this book and realized that this was Joan Morven’s debut novel. I was 100% invested from the prologue. I could not put it down and finished it in one sitting. I am a lover of mafia book to begin with, but ones with fiery FMCs like Viviana are my FAVORITES. Declan wasn’t looking for a quiet, submissive wife to be behind the scenes. He knew he wanted someone strong enough to stand beside him, and that is exactly what he got, whether she initially wanted to be there or not. Neither of them was looking for love at the start of their arrangement, but seeing them start to trust each other and come together felt really natural for the characters. The sexual tension was sparking off the pages and once the spice hit, it was HOT. I loved it and I am excited for Flynn’s book.
“You didn’t marry the hero; you married the f***ing villain. I would torture and kill every living soul on this earth for you.”
I was honestly shocked when I finished this book and realized that this was Joan Morven’s debut novel. I was 100% invested from the prologue. I could not put it down and finished it in one sitting. I am a lover of mafia book to begin with, but ones with fiery FMCs like Viviana are my FAVORITES. Declan wasn’t looking for a quiet, submissive wife to be behind the scenes. He knew he wanted someone strong enough to stand beside him, and that is exactly what he got, whether she initially wanted to be there or not. Neither of them was looking for love at the start of their arrangement, but seeing them start to trust each other and come together felt really natural for the characters. The sexual tension was sparking off the pages and once the spice hit, it was HOT. I loved it and I am excited for Flynn’s book.
“You didn’t marry the hero; you married the f***ing villain. I would torture and kill every living soul on this earth for you.”
March 1, 2026
I loved this book.
This wasn’t a soft mafia romance. It was tension, power plays, and emotional warfare from start to finish. The arranged marriage trope was done so well — no insta-love fluff, no easy surrender. It felt like two strong personalities colliding and refusing to back down.
Declan is ruthless, dominant, and unapologetically morally grey. He’s strategic, controlled, and intense in a way that makes every scene feel charged. But Viviana? She stole the entire show for me. She’s defiant, sharp-tongued, and refuses to be tamed. The black wedding dress moment alone was iconic.
The spice hit hard without overshadowing the emotional tension, and the angst carried the story beautifully. Dark, dramatic, and addictive — but still satisfying by the end.
If you love enemies to lovers, arranged marriage dynamics, power struggles, and a heroine who doesn’t fold under pressure, this one absolutely delivers.
This wasn’t a soft mafia romance. It was tension, power plays, and emotional warfare from start to finish. The arranged marriage trope was done so well — no insta-love fluff, no easy surrender. It felt like two strong personalities colliding and refusing to back down.
Declan is ruthless, dominant, and unapologetically morally grey. He’s strategic, controlled, and intense in a way that makes every scene feel charged. But Viviana? She stole the entire show for me. She’s defiant, sharp-tongued, and refuses to be tamed. The black wedding dress moment alone was iconic.
The spice hit hard without overshadowing the emotional tension, and the angst carried the story beautifully. Dark, dramatic, and addictive — but still satisfying by the end.
If you love enemies to lovers, arranged marriage dynamics, power struggles, and a heroine who doesn’t fold under pressure, this one absolutely delivers.
February 1, 2025
🌹 Irish Mafia
🌹 Dark romance
🌹 He Falls First
🌹 Arranged Marriage
🌹 Touch Her And Die
🌹 Strong FMC
🌹 Spicy
After losing his fiancé, Declan paints the streets and river red. Unable to find who was behind her death, he never stopped looking.
Having a deal with Giovanni Morelli to marry one of his daughters for protection. Declan chooses Viviana. She doesn’t want anything to do with that life, or her father. She doesn’t believe she belongs in that life, always feeling like the outcast. But is a total firecracker, she will fight you and take no sh*t. She has a mean right hook. Only not everything is what it seems and secrets come to light.
I Absolutely loved Declan and Viviana, separately and together. Their sexual chemistry is off the scale.
I can’t wait for more of Flynn.
🌹 Dark romance
🌹 He Falls First
🌹 Arranged Marriage
🌹 Touch Her And Die
🌹 Strong FMC
🌹 Spicy
After losing his fiancé, Declan paints the streets and river red. Unable to find who was behind her death, he never stopped looking.
Having a deal with Giovanni Morelli to marry one of his daughters for protection. Declan chooses Viviana. She doesn’t want anything to do with that life, or her father. She doesn’t believe she belongs in that life, always feeling like the outcast. But is a total firecracker, she will fight you and take no sh*t. She has a mean right hook. Only not everything is what it seems and secrets come to light.
I Absolutely loved Declan and Viviana, separately and together. Their sexual chemistry is off the scale.
I can’t wait for more of Flynn.
March 11, 2026
Somewhat Long
Four years ago Declan's heart turned to stone. Now Declan needs to marry for business. So he chooses wildcard Vi thinking she will shake things up, and boy does she ever. Now Declan is at war in the streets and at home. Did he underestimate Vi or is she just what he needs to make his dead heart beat again?
The story was good. The Irishmen were all well thought out characters. Vi had a tendency to be annoying though. At times her behavior was conflicting with the situation or her "personality". I found her to not be a very likable character most of the time. Though she did have some redeeming scenes. Overall the story was good and I look forward to reading the next book in the Irish Consortium series.
Four years ago Declan's heart turned to stone. Now Declan needs to marry for business. So he chooses wildcard Vi thinking she will shake things up, and boy does she ever. Now Declan is at war in the streets and at home. Did he underestimate Vi or is she just what he needs to make his dead heart beat again?
The story was good. The Irishmen were all well thought out characters. Vi had a tendency to be annoying though. At times her behavior was conflicting with the situation or her "personality". I found her to not be a very likable character most of the time. Though she did have some redeeming scenes. Overall the story was good and I look forward to reading the next book in the Irish Consortium series.
January 7, 2025
Arc review
I absolutely loved this
"Is it bad to lock up your wife in the basement on the wedding night?"
Declan is the leader of the Irish Consortium after tragedy strikes he does all on his power to avenge his fiancées brutal murder, being pursued into marring one of Giovannis daughters he'd comes to find out there is an alternative motive.
Viviana is Declans complete opposite. She's feisty and has a complete FU to everyone around her. They shouldn't work, but they absolutely do. Viviana is put into a possion she doesn't want an arranged marriage. It shouldn't have been her, but one of her sisters, Declan, took one look at her at the bar, and that's who he knew he wanted.
She soon releases why her father wanted this marriage after initially fuming at the idea it was Viviana Declan choose and not one of his other daughters he'd wanted.
The 🌶 was 🔥
Can't wait for more of this series
I absolutely loved this
"Is it bad to lock up your wife in the basement on the wedding night?"
Declan is the leader of the Irish Consortium after tragedy strikes he does all on his power to avenge his fiancées brutal murder, being pursued into marring one of Giovannis daughters he'd comes to find out there is an alternative motive.
Viviana is Declans complete opposite. She's feisty and has a complete FU to everyone around her. They shouldn't work, but they absolutely do. Viviana is put into a possion she doesn't want an arranged marriage. It shouldn't have been her, but one of her sisters, Declan, took one look at her at the bar, and that's who he knew he wanted.
She soon releases why her father wanted this marriage after initially fuming at the idea it was Viviana Declan choose and not one of his other daughters he'd wanted.
The 🌶 was 🔥
Can't wait for more of this series
October 26, 2025
So much swoon!
I got this book during a SYK event, and im so glad i did!!
Declan and Viviana are just perfect! The tension, the banter, the chemistry.. they had all of it!
This was a great Irish mafia story! With some great twists and turns that had me hooked.
The book does need some editing, in my opinion, but the story was good enough that I was kept glued to my tablet.
I love Viviana's snark and fire personality! Declan wanted a woman who would keep him on his toes, and he definitely found that with her!
I'm crossing my fingers that the brothers and Flynn will be getting their own books in the future!!
I got this book during a SYK event, and im so glad i did!!
Declan and Viviana are just perfect! The tension, the banter, the chemistry.. they had all of it!
This was a great Irish mafia story! With some great twists and turns that had me hooked.
The book does need some editing, in my opinion, but the story was good enough that I was kept glued to my tablet.
I love Viviana's snark and fire personality! Declan wanted a woman who would keep him on his toes, and he definitely found that with her!
I'm crossing my fingers that the brothers and Flynn will be getting their own books in the future!!
April 28, 2025
DNFed at 33%
I'm sorry, but the story is all over the place. I feel like there are pieces missing. I mean. She gets SAed by a guard but in the next instance tries to seduce the brothers or at least rile them up. Then she gets attacked by her husband for snooping, runs away, is scared and almost suicidal and the next instance she let's him finger her and talks about how much she wants him? I'm lost. I was curious about how the story develops, but not curious enough to overlook holes and jumps like that.
I'm sorry, but the story is all over the place. I feel like there are pieces missing. I mean. She gets SAed by a guard but in the next instance tries to seduce the brothers or at least rile them up. Then she gets attacked by her husband for snooping, runs away, is scared and almost suicidal and the next instance she let's him finger her and talks about how much she wants him? I'm lost. I was curious about how the story develops, but not curious enough to overlook holes and jumps like that.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 22, 2026
Declan is the leader of the Irish Mafia....Viviana is the daughter of the leader of the Italian Mafia. She is anything but meak and mild. She is fire and chaos. Declan is control and power. They are in an arranged marriage.
Their story is messy, heated, and fucking hot!!! The spice is chef's kiss and his dominant nature is perfection. The way they fall for each other.....well they have to fight themselves to get there.
This story has love, spice, and plot....and now its time to read Flynn's story.
Their story is messy, heated, and fucking hot!!! The spice is chef's kiss and his dominant nature is perfection. The way they fall for each other.....well they have to fight themselves to get there.
This story has love, spice, and plot....and now its time to read Flynn's story.
January 6, 2025
This book was better than I thought it would be. Viviana and Declan were not a match I'd put together but it works wonderfully. She is a free spirit with an edge and he is all about control. Can you imagine the chaos that ensues? If you can't you have to read this book. It is the chaos with Mafia mixed in. It was amazing! I can't wait to see if Flynn gets his own book because let me tell you that book would be amazing!
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