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Crimson Vows
Vida Thorne
I had lost the love of my life, and the only way to keep the people I loved safe was to marry the most ruthless, self-centered man I’d ever met. Ciro Ballera was everything I hated, everything I feared, and everything I wanted to run from. But as the vows to protect blurred the lines between hate and love, I found myself drowning in a world I never thought I’d belong to.
Ciro Ballera
My birthright was mine. But the moment her name was mentioned, everything I had was offered as a price to marry her. Vida Thorne was the perfect pretty thing to break, a punishment for everything she had unknowingly taken from me. Ruining her was my greatest pleasure. But somewhere along the way, I lost focus, letting her to slowly, completely and utterly ruin me in return. My little chaos became the only thing I needed to turn the world crimson red. All she needed to do was…breathe.
When a witness protection program turns into a marriage, all Vida had to do was one thing, never fall for Ciro. But she did. She fell so hard that when it came to protecting her, she would watch Ciro paint the world with the blood of anyone who dared to hurt her.
I had lost the love of my life, and the only way to keep the people I loved safe was to marry the most ruthless, self-centered man I’d ever met. Ciro Ballera was everything I hated, everything I feared, and everything I wanted to run from. But as the vows to protect blurred the lines between hate and love, I found myself drowning in a world I never thought I’d belong to.
Ciro Ballera
My birthright was mine. But the moment her name was mentioned, everything I had was offered as a price to marry her. Vida Thorne was the perfect pretty thing to break, a punishment for everything she had unknowingly taken from me. Ruining her was my greatest pleasure. But somewhere along the way, I lost focus, letting her to slowly, completely and utterly ruin me in return. My little chaos became the only thing I needed to turn the world crimson red. All she needed to do was…breathe.
When a witness protection program turns into a marriage, all Vida had to do was one thing, never fall for Ciro. But she did. She fell so hard that when it came to protecting her, she would watch Ciro paint the world with the blood of anyone who dared to hurt her.
591 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 1, 2025
5 people are currently reading
81 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 52 reviews
May 2, 2025
just add this to your immediate tbr. now. go. RUN.
thank you so much lilian for the opportunity to arc read this 🥹🫀 i’m still trying to reel it all in omg !! i couldn’t help but fall in love with these characters and story. seriously so amazing. i’m so proud of you babes 💌
this is a dark mafia romance, enemies to lovers, marriage of necessity, “my wife” and “he’s mine”, forced proximity, yearning, grief, loss, plot twists, touch him/her and die, third person pov, book one in duet 🖤
the way this book has me in the biggest chokehold !!!!? HELLOOOO 😍😍
i would simply let ciro do any and everything to me 🧎🏻♀️ respectfully disrespect me I BEG !! the way he calls vida “little chaos” ✋🏼😩 im down bad. and vida is such a baddie !! she’s so fierce and will go toe to toe with someone three times her size LOL 😂 she doesn’t give a single fuck. the way ciro always said he never wanted a wife or didn’t even care for one and then ended up being the biggest clingy teddy bear 💥💳 adorable. every time they bickered, vida would send this man’s blood pressure through the roof 💀
these two are such red flags but green flags all the same ?? idk and idc. it doesn’t even need to make sense !! i love them so much
thank you so much lilian for the opportunity to arc read this 🥹🫀 i’m still trying to reel it all in omg !! i couldn’t help but fall in love with these characters and story. seriously so amazing. i’m so proud of you babes 💌
this is a dark mafia romance, enemies to lovers, marriage of necessity, “my wife” and “he’s mine”, forced proximity, yearning, grief, loss, plot twists, touch him/her and die, third person pov, book one in duet 🖤
the way this book has me in the biggest chokehold !!!!? HELLOOOO 😍😍
i would simply let ciro do any and everything to me 🧎🏻♀️ respectfully disrespect me I BEG !! the way he calls vida “little chaos” ✋🏼😩 im down bad. and vida is such a baddie !! she’s so fierce and will go toe to toe with someone three times her size LOL 😂 she doesn’t give a single fuck. the way ciro always said he never wanted a wife or didn’t even care for one and then ended up being the biggest clingy teddy bear 💥💳 adorable. every time they bickered, vida would send this man’s blood pressure through the roof 💀
these two are such red flags but green flags all the same ?? idk and idc. it doesn’t even need to make sense !! i love them so much
April 21, 2025
I really enjoyed reading this ARC. The story was good, the details were superb, and the plot was completed without any major missteps. However, I still found some pretty glaring flaws in the writing and character development, which unfortunately hindered the overall experience.
What I liked:
✅Mafia
✅Toucher her and die ☠️
✅Marriage of convenience 👰
✅"I'd burn the world for you."
✅The nickname little chaos
✅VERY slow burn ❤️🔥
✅Very spicy! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✅Found family
✅Complete standalone 📚
What I didn't like:
❌The writing itself- I have to wonder if English isn't the author's first language because there are specific instances of syntax, vocabulary, and sentence structure used throughout the work that indicate a non-native speaker.
❌The FMC- Is she a brat? A crybaby? A total gangster bada$$? An overprotective wife? Her character was all over the place.
❌The overabundance of stereotypical mafia tropes- It's not necessary to have the initiation ceremonies, the sudden kidnapping and shoot-out that occurred every other chapter, the secret warehouse/shed where beatings take place, the coded language, etc. Every single mafia idea is presented, and it doesn't flow together smoothly.
❌The last 20% was wholly unnecessary and felt like a waste of time; it was just extra fluff-and-stuff, didn't even fill any plot holes, (not that there were any left to fill at this point).
❌The fact that it was written in first person POV, but for the first half of the novel you get the POV from every character and the second half of the work it's only Ciro and Vida, our MCs. This screams inconsistency!
I also don't understand how this is a complete standalone (because it most definitely IS) while being labeled book 1 in the Rings of Ruin Duet.
I have to thank the author for the chance to read this as an ARC. It certainly has the potential to be a fantastic novel. 🙂
What I liked:
✅Mafia
✅Toucher her and die ☠️
✅Marriage of convenience 👰
✅"I'd burn the world for you."
✅The nickname little chaos
✅VERY slow burn ❤️🔥
✅Very spicy! 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
✅Found family
✅Complete standalone 📚
What I didn't like:
❌The writing itself- I have to wonder if English isn't the author's first language because there are specific instances of syntax, vocabulary, and sentence structure used throughout the work that indicate a non-native speaker.
❌The FMC- Is she a brat? A crybaby? A total gangster bada$$? An overprotective wife? Her character was all over the place.
❌The overabundance of stereotypical mafia tropes- It's not necessary to have the initiation ceremonies, the sudden kidnapping and shoot-out that occurred every other chapter, the secret warehouse/shed where beatings take place, the coded language, etc. Every single mafia idea is presented, and it doesn't flow together smoothly.
❌The last 20% was wholly unnecessary and felt like a waste of time; it was just extra fluff-and-stuff, didn't even fill any plot holes, (not that there were any left to fill at this point).
❌The fact that it was written in first person POV, but for the first half of the novel you get the POV from every character and the second half of the work it's only Ciro and Vida, our MCs. This screams inconsistency!
I also don't understand how this is a complete standalone (because it most definitely IS) while being labeled book 1 in the Rings of Ruin Duet.
I have to thank the author for the chance to read this as an ARC. It certainly has the potential to be a fantastic novel. 🙂
May 22, 2025
BETA REVIEW/PROOFREADER
Vida and Ciro's story was a slow-burning romance in a way. At first, Ciro is a big, annoying jerk, and I instantly fell in love with Carmela (Ciro's sister). It was funny how he said he would never care for his wife, but ended up being the clingiest of both of them. One thing i loved was that vida was bold and never took ciro's shit and dished it back to him. His nickname for her was so adorable. As the story slowly evolved, so did Ciro's love; finally, when he decided to stop being a big bad wolf, he was the biggest baby ever, like so clingy, and it was adorable as it was hilarious. This was Lilain letting go and embracing her dark side, and I can't wait for what's next.
Vida and Ciro's story was a slow-burning romance in a way. At first, Ciro is a big, annoying jerk, and I instantly fell in love with Carmela (Ciro's sister). It was funny how he said he would never care for his wife, but ended up being the clingiest of both of them. One thing i loved was that vida was bold and never took ciro's shit and dished it back to him. His nickname for her was so adorable. As the story slowly evolved, so did Ciro's love; finally, when he decided to stop being a big bad wolf, he was the biggest baby ever, like so clingy, and it was adorable as it was hilarious. This was Lilain letting go and embracing her dark side, and I can't wait for what's next.
April 28, 2025
2.75 / 5 Stars
This book was not exactly what I thought it would be. Going off of the synopsis and the cover, I was expecting a very DARK, unhinged mafia romance. And to me, it was just kind of dark. Like on a scale of 1 (YA romance novel) to 10 (we may need to burn these pages in order to cleanse ourselves after), I think this book would be like a 4 or 5.
Ciro, our MMC, is the standard possessive and murdery mafia don, and Vida, our FMC, is morally grey. Perhaps the author was thinking dark romance in the sense of sexual taboos, which there were some, but I was expecting dark in terms of murder, gore, violence, plot, relationship, feelings. There were times when I felt like I was getting cozy book vibes because everyone was just so darn nice. Maybe I just dove into the deep end with the previous mafia romances I read because I was wanted everything amped up a bit more.
I enjoyed reading about a simp MMC who is obsessed with his wife and we love a man who understands periods (though that should be a bare minimum). I also liked that Ciro and Vida were equals in a lot of senses. They were both equally hotheaded, stubborn, impulsive, violent, needy. They were definitely like attracts like. There was a fun twist towards the end, though I wish that the twist happened a tad bit earlier and we explored it more.
There were a few stylistic choices that weren't really my preference or I just didn't understand. For example, in the first part of the book, we got POVs from like eight different characters (Vida, Ciro, Vida's mom, Vida's dad, Vida's sister, Ciro's uncle, Ciro's dad, Ciro's sister) and then the rest of the book is told form Vida and Ciro's POV. I didn't understand the intention of having a chapter or two from these other POVs if we never revisit them and they aren't our main characters. It helped explain things in real time but I feel like that could have been accomplished even if everything was just in Ciro and Vida's POV.
The author also used a lot of exclamation points (I think there must have been over 100). It started to feel distracting and I felt like the action verbs should have been doing the job of the exclamation point. A personal preference but one that I found myself thinking about a lot.
Intrigued to hear if others agree with my dark assessment. If so, then I think this could be a great book for people who are just starting to explore dark romances who want a ton of spicy scenes.
Thank you Lilian Oklobia and Epica Book PR for the eARC! All opinions are my own.
_____________________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Now that I am done with the Alliance series by S.J. Tilly, I am in search of a good mafia romance. Give them to be unhinged and obsessed, please.
This book was not exactly what I thought it would be. Going off of the synopsis and the cover, I was expecting a very DARK, unhinged mafia romance. And to me, it was just kind of dark. Like on a scale of 1 (YA romance novel) to 10 (we may need to burn these pages in order to cleanse ourselves after), I think this book would be like a 4 or 5.
Ciro, our MMC, is the standard possessive and murdery mafia don, and Vida, our FMC, is morally grey. Perhaps the author was thinking dark romance in the sense of sexual taboos, which there were some, but I was expecting dark in terms of murder, gore, violence, plot, relationship, feelings. There were times when I felt like I was getting cozy book vibes because everyone was just so darn nice. Maybe I just dove into the deep end with the previous mafia romances I read because I was wanted everything amped up a bit more.
I enjoyed reading about a simp MMC who is obsessed with his wife and we love a man who understands periods (though that should be a bare minimum). I also liked that Ciro and Vida were equals in a lot of senses. They were both equally hotheaded, stubborn, impulsive, violent, needy. They were definitely like attracts like. There was a fun twist towards the end, though I wish that the twist happened a tad bit earlier and we explored it more.
There were a few stylistic choices that weren't really my preference or I just didn't understand. For example, in the first part of the book, we got POVs from like eight different characters (Vida, Ciro, Vida's mom, Vida's dad, Vida's sister, Ciro's uncle, Ciro's dad, Ciro's sister) and then the rest of the book is told form Vida and Ciro's POV. I didn't understand the intention of having a chapter or two from these other POVs if we never revisit them and they aren't our main characters. It helped explain things in real time but I feel like that could have been accomplished even if everything was just in Ciro and Vida's POV.
The author also used a lot of exclamation points (I think there must have been over 100). It started to feel distracting and I felt like the action verbs should have been doing the job of the exclamation point. A personal preference but one that I found myself thinking about a lot.
Intrigued to hear if others agree with my dark assessment. If so, then I think this could be a great book for people who are just starting to explore dark romances who want a ton of spicy scenes.
Thank you Lilian Oklobia and Epica Book PR for the eARC! All opinions are my own.
_____________________________
Pre-Read Thoughts: Now that I am done with the Alliance series by S.J. Tilly, I am in search of a good mafia romance. Give them to be unhinged and obsessed, please.
April 30, 2025
This was an ARC I received and it immediately piqued my interest because dark mafia romance, enemies to lovers, and marriage of necessity. What's not to love? It is just shy of 600 pages with last half of the book was almost nothing but spicy scenes and they were spicy fore sure 🥵 Definitely read the trigger warning because some of the spice scenes were questionable and twisted. This book could have been broken up into a series with all the information and subplots going on. There were also a lot of unnecessary fluff but the storyline was there, action, character development, and a strong fmc. But Ciro's character was very "I'll dismember the men that dare to touch you" but he's also "I'll build an entire library for you and also read your books with you."
I really love that the fmc doesn't do what the typical mafia wife does and just sit at home and wait for the crisis to be over. She's stubborn in a good way and I love how she breaks out of her shell. The minor characters stand out and those plot twists I didn't see coming! I enjoyed the read, the story, the characters and, especially the epilogue.
I really love that the fmc doesn't do what the typical mafia wife does and just sit at home and wait for the crisis to be over. She's stubborn in a good way and I love how she breaks out of her shell. The minor characters stand out and those plot twists I didn't see coming! I enjoyed the read, the story, the characters and, especially the epilogue.
May 15, 2025
Thank you to Lilian Oklobia and Epica Book Pr for my e-ARC of Crimson Vows, in exchange for my honest review.
I’m going to be completely honest and say I’m not sure where to even start with this review. This book was WILD and not really in a good way.
We start off with at least five different POVs of the main characters for a couple chapters. We find out our FMC Vida was witness to her boyfriend’s murder by a serious criminal. She’s able to put him behind bars by testifying but now her life is in danger and she must align herself to a mafia family who is tied to her cop father’s partner.
Of course this is all arranged and her new husband, Ciro, hates her guts but he needs to go through with the marriage for his inheritance.
By the time the marriage is through we are now only getting two POVs, Vida’s and Ciro’s.
And this is where things kind of hit the fan so to speak. Every other chapter is some shootout, kidnapping, people getting shot, etc. And obviously I knew this was a dark mafia romance going in but to have that much going on you start to lose a bit of reality. It certainly keeps you interested, I’ll give you that, but talk about some major whiplash, especially in the last few chapters.
I also really struggled with the writing. I’m not sure if English isn’t the author’s first language or if there was just not enough editing done but there are a lot of grammatical issues, run on sentences, changing of tenses, and just overall wording that you wouldn’t typically use to describe the situations that were occurring. I also found an excessive use of exclamation points throughout the narrative parts which you don’t typically see.
Overall, the book has potential. I did grow to love our main characters even if I couldn’t quite pinpoint their personalities with both of them flying off the handle every two chapters. And I did enjoy the tension that was sort of there.
I think with a few more rounds of editing, maybe one less kidnapping and a calm down on the miscommunication trope, it would be a solid read. (I could do without the banging on her dead boyfriends grave though, good lord)
I’m going to be completely honest and say I’m not sure where to even start with this review. This book was WILD and not really in a good way.
We start off with at least five different POVs of the main characters for a couple chapters. We find out our FMC Vida was witness to her boyfriend’s murder by a serious criminal. She’s able to put him behind bars by testifying but now her life is in danger and she must align herself to a mafia family who is tied to her cop father’s partner.
Of course this is all arranged and her new husband, Ciro, hates her guts but he needs to go through with the marriage for his inheritance.
By the time the marriage is through we are now only getting two POVs, Vida’s and Ciro’s.
And this is where things kind of hit the fan so to speak. Every other chapter is some shootout, kidnapping, people getting shot, etc. And obviously I knew this was a dark mafia romance going in but to have that much going on you start to lose a bit of reality. It certainly keeps you interested, I’ll give you that, but talk about some major whiplash, especially in the last few chapters.
I also really struggled with the writing. I’m not sure if English isn’t the author’s first language or if there was just not enough editing done but there are a lot of grammatical issues, run on sentences, changing of tenses, and just overall wording that you wouldn’t typically use to describe the situations that were occurring. I also found an excessive use of exclamation points throughout the narrative parts which you don’t typically see.
Overall, the book has potential. I did grow to love our main characters even if I couldn’t quite pinpoint their personalities with both of them flying off the handle every two chapters. And I did enjoy the tension that was sort of there.
I think with a few more rounds of editing, maybe one less kidnapping and a calm down on the miscommunication trope, it would be a solid read. (I could do without the banging on her dead boyfriends grave though, good lord)
April 23, 2025
ARC REVIEW ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Crimson Vows 🖤 by Lilian Oklobia is a dark mafia romance that follows Vida Thorne, a grieving woman forced into a marriage with Ciro Ballera, the cold, dangerous man she should fear. With everything on the line, including her safety and the lives of those she loves, Vida agrees to a union rooted in power and survival, not love. But what starts as a calculated arrangement begins to unravel into something far more twisted and intimate. Their connection builds slowly, simmering with distrust, sharp tension, and a pull neither of them can fight.
I lived for the moments they let their guards down, for the heartbreak, the possessiveness, and the slow destruction of their walls.
Vida’s bond with his sister, Carmela, was great and felt genuine. She made Vida feel like she belonged, even when everything else screamed she didn’t. This story isn’t rushed. It’s slow, intense, and addicting.
Crimson Vows drops May 1st, 2025, and if you love dark, emotional, slow-burn romance, you need this on your radar. Preorder is live now go grab it before the chaos begins 💋
Crimson Vows 🖤 by Lilian Oklobia is a dark mafia romance that follows Vida Thorne, a grieving woman forced into a marriage with Ciro Ballera, the cold, dangerous man she should fear. With everything on the line, including her safety and the lives of those she loves, Vida agrees to a union rooted in power and survival, not love. But what starts as a calculated arrangement begins to unravel into something far more twisted and intimate. Their connection builds slowly, simmering with distrust, sharp tension, and a pull neither of them can fight.
I lived for the moments they let their guards down, for the heartbreak, the possessiveness, and the slow destruction of their walls.
Vida’s bond with his sister, Carmela, was great and felt genuine. She made Vida feel like she belonged, even when everything else screamed she didn’t. This story isn’t rushed. It’s slow, intense, and addicting.
Crimson Vows drops May 1st, 2025, and if you love dark, emotional, slow-burn romance, you need this on your radar. Preorder is live now go grab it before the chaos begins 💋
May 2, 2025
This book! Our author did such an amazing job building this story, I couldn't get enough! Probably the slowest burn I've ever read but definitely worth it to get to the spice. It's heart wrenchingly sad at times but the HEA was so, soo worth it!
'The taste of iron and him mixes in my mouth, and I have no care in the world. Not for the men that are dead or their dismembered bodies lying on my kitchen table. Not for the blood he is soaked in or for the ways we are cut from the same sick cloth.'
Please check the TW.
Spice - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
'The taste of iron and him mixes in my mouth, and I have no care in the world. Not for the men that are dead or their dismembered bodies lying on my kitchen table. Not for the blood he is soaked in or for the ways we are cut from the same sick cloth.'
Please check the TW.
Spice - 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 24, 2025
New ARC Read
Releasing: May 1st, 2025
Vida Thorne
I had lost the love of my life, and the only way to keep the people I loved safe was to marry the most ruthless, self-centered man I’d ever met. Ciro Ballera was everything I hated, everything I feared, and everything I wanted to run from. But as the vows to protect blurred the lines between hate and love, I found myself drowning in a world I never thought I’d belong to.
Ciro Ballera
My birthright was mine. But the moment her name was mentioned, everything I had was offered as a price to marry her. Vida Thorne was the perfect pretty thing to break, a punishment for everything she had unknowingly taken from me. Ruining her was my greatest pleasure. But somewhere along the way, I lost focus, letting her to slowly, completely and uterly ruin me in return. My little chaos became the only thing I needed to turn the world crimson red. All she needed to do was…breathe.
When a witness protection program turns into a marriage, all Vida had to do was one thing, never fall for Ciro. But she did. She fell so hard that when it came to protecting her, she would watch Ciro paint the world with the blood of anyone who dared to hurt her.
3.75 stars
Overall this is a great story, watching Vida and Ciro grow both as individuals and together is at times gut wrenching but also beautiful.
My constructive criticism for this is the multiple POVs in the beginning felt a little overwhelming and slowed down being able to get into the story for me, once it switched to dual POV it was much easier.
I also felt that it could be cut down a bit with the HEA stretching out a little too long while the final conflict feels like it was rushed and could be fleshed out a little more (would love to see Ciro's POV of what took place as well). The final twist though, I did not see coming and oh it was gooood.
Thank you to both Lilian and Epica PR for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful story!
#arc #arcreader #darkromance #mafiaromance #mustread #kindleunlimitedbooks #crimsonvows #romanticsuspense #morallygrey #lovetriangle @lee_leeian @epicabookpr
Releasing: May 1st, 2025
Vida Thorne
I had lost the love of my life, and the only way to keep the people I loved safe was to marry the most ruthless, self-centered man I’d ever met. Ciro Ballera was everything I hated, everything I feared, and everything I wanted to run from. But as the vows to protect blurred the lines between hate and love, I found myself drowning in a world I never thought I’d belong to.
Ciro Ballera
My birthright was mine. But the moment her name was mentioned, everything I had was offered as a price to marry her. Vida Thorne was the perfect pretty thing to break, a punishment for everything she had unknowingly taken from me. Ruining her was my greatest pleasure. But somewhere along the way, I lost focus, letting her to slowly, completely and uterly ruin me in return. My little chaos became the only thing I needed to turn the world crimson red. All she needed to do was…breathe.
When a witness protection program turns into a marriage, all Vida had to do was one thing, never fall for Ciro. But she did. She fell so hard that when it came to protecting her, she would watch Ciro paint the world with the blood of anyone who dared to hurt her.
3.75 stars
Overall this is a great story, watching Vida and Ciro grow both as individuals and together is at times gut wrenching but also beautiful.
My constructive criticism for this is the multiple POVs in the beginning felt a little overwhelming and slowed down being able to get into the story for me, once it switched to dual POV it was much easier.
I also felt that it could be cut down a bit with the HEA stretching out a little too long while the final conflict feels like it was rushed and could be fleshed out a little more (would love to see Ciro's POV of what took place as well). The final twist though, I did not see coming and oh it was gooood.
Thank you to both Lilian and Epica PR for the opportunity to read and review this wonderful story!
#arc #arcreader #darkromance #mafiaromance #mustread #kindleunlimitedbooks #crimsonvows #romanticsuspense #morallygrey #lovetriangle @lee_leeian @epicabookpr
May 1, 2025
Vida Thorne has just lost the love of her life and now, she is being forced to enter a Witness Protection Program to keep herself and her family safe. The only problem is, she has to marry a complete stranger. He's not just any stranger though. Ciro Ballera is a part of one of the most well known mafia families located in Italy. Everything Vida ever knew, was about to change. Vida must pack up her life and move to a new country, new town, and enter into a new family. Vida begins to wonder about her new husband. Can she try to get along with him and learn to love this new life? Will her husband be willing to do the same for her?
I really enjoyed the journey with Vida and Ciro. They both had to learn how trust one another and essentially, start a brand new life together. It was kind of like a “what’s your favorite color?” moment and I thought it was really sweet. I also liked Vida’s dark side. She has all these dark fantasies that get unearthed and she ends up becoming a bada**. We love a strong FMC! Ciro, on the other hand, learns how to be soft and loving. He never truly knew what real love felt like, only from his mother, so watching him open up to Vida in a whole new way was an adventure of its own. ALSO, the major plot twist at the end!? How dare you Lilian?!
Our next topic of discussion, the SPICE. And WOW was there A LOT of it. Lilian really knew what she was doing when Vida and Ciro finally got together. It’s kinky, it’s crazy, it’s over the top. The way Ciro WORSHIPS her… it is divine. He would walk through fire and kill anyone in his path to protect his wife. There was one scene in the very beginning of the book that I wish had more meaning to it because it would have made for an amazing spicy scene. Vida is so naive it’s hilarious and I think including a scene with this specific object,(Yes I said object), would have been *chef’s kiss.
Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the plot but I do feel like there were a lot of chapters that were there for filler and weren’t necessary to the progression of the story line. I also felt like there was quite a bit of repetition and that kind of made me lose some of the suspense in the story and I would get lost every now and then. For these reasons, I would rate this book a 3 with a spice level of 4.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
I really enjoyed the journey with Vida and Ciro. They both had to learn how trust one another and essentially, start a brand new life together. It was kind of like a “what’s your favorite color?” moment and I thought it was really sweet. I also liked Vida’s dark side. She has all these dark fantasies that get unearthed and she ends up becoming a bada**. We love a strong FMC! Ciro, on the other hand, learns how to be soft and loving. He never truly knew what real love felt like, only from his mother, so watching him open up to Vida in a whole new way was an adventure of its own. ALSO, the major plot twist at the end!? How dare you Lilian?!
Our next topic of discussion, the SPICE. And WOW was there A LOT of it. Lilian really knew what she was doing when Vida and Ciro finally got together. It’s kinky, it’s crazy, it’s over the top. The way Ciro WORSHIPS her… it is divine. He would walk through fire and kill anyone in his path to protect his wife. There was one scene in the very beginning of the book that I wish had more meaning to it because it would have made for an amazing spicy scene. Vida is so naive it’s hilarious and I think including a scene with this specific object,(Yes I said object), would have been *chef’s kiss.
Overall, I enjoyed the characters and the plot but I do feel like there were a lot of chapters that were there for filler and weren’t necessary to the progression of the story line. I also felt like there was quite a bit of repetition and that kind of made me lose some of the suspense in the story and I would get lost every now and then. For these reasons, I would rate this book a 3 with a spice level of 4.
3/5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️
4 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
May 1, 2025
Slown Burn, Spicy, Thrilling, Exiting and full of 🔫🔪🩸💍🩸
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶🌶🌶
This is a slow burn and takes a heck of a while to get to spice, but when it does... It does not stop! It's a reluctant marriage of necessity, so nothing starts easy and they both fight any attraction for totally different reasons.There's so much emotion poured into these pages.
FMC witnesses the mürder of her ex and is thrown into a whole different world, when she's told she has to marry into the Mafia, for protection from those she witnessed 🔫 her ex. She is a badass FMC though!! Whilst mentally breaking down in quiet, she's a force to reckon with, to anyone who dares to hurt her or those she cares for. "Little Chaos" is her nickname for a reason... Well, several reasons as the book progresses.
MMC is the up and coming new Mafia boss, ready to take over from his father once he's married... He reluctantly agrees to it, to get his inheritance. However, he is a man of honour and sticks to his vows and unalives anyone who dares to harm his wife or her family.
There's many twists to the plot and things are kept interesting throughout. This book is longer than most I read. This did make me second guess starting it, but I was so glad I did! After 3 days of reading LOTS every day, I was finished and wanted more 😅😂
POV is mostly dual. HOWEVER, be prepared the first few chapters we get POV from most of the family members!
⚠️ So, for some triggers. Most are what you'd expect from a Mafia Romance book....
Sëx next to bodies/body parts and whilst covered in🩸, on several occasions. Also, body parts given as a gift (Romantic, right?? 🤔🖤). There is family loss and baby loss/miscärriage due to violence (not by MMC). Also kïdnäppïng, mild törtüre, off page attempted 🍇, off page animal crüelty but the incident/scene is spoken of in mild depth, PTSD/nightmares and 🔫 use.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🌶🌶🌶
This is a slow burn and takes a heck of a while to get to spice, but when it does... It does not stop! It's a reluctant marriage of necessity, so nothing starts easy and they both fight any attraction for totally different reasons.There's so much emotion poured into these pages.
FMC witnesses the mürder of her ex and is thrown into a whole different world, when she's told she has to marry into the Mafia, for protection from those she witnessed 🔫 her ex. She is a badass FMC though!! Whilst mentally breaking down in quiet, she's a force to reckon with, to anyone who dares to hurt her or those she cares for. "Little Chaos" is her nickname for a reason... Well, several reasons as the book progresses.
MMC is the up and coming new Mafia boss, ready to take over from his father once he's married... He reluctantly agrees to it, to get his inheritance. However, he is a man of honour and sticks to his vows and unalives anyone who dares to harm his wife or her family.
There's many twists to the plot and things are kept interesting throughout. This book is longer than most I read. This did make me second guess starting it, but I was so glad I did! After 3 days of reading LOTS every day, I was finished and wanted more 😅😂
POV is mostly dual. HOWEVER, be prepared the first few chapters we get POV from most of the family members!
⚠️ So, for some triggers. Most are what you'd expect from a Mafia Romance book....
Sëx next to bodies/body parts and whilst covered in🩸, on several occasions. Also, body parts given as a gift (Romantic, right?? 🤔🖤). There is family loss and baby loss/miscärriage due to violence (not by MMC). Also kïdnäppïng, mild törtüre, off page attempted 🍇, off page animal crüelty but the incident/scene is spoken of in mild depth, PTSD/nightmares and 🔫 use.
April 29, 2025
Well hello hello hello!! Can I say I’m in love? Cause this book definitely made me fall in love all over again.😻 it’s so good to be back to reading one of Lilian’s books.😍 it feels like I’m coming home, cause oh my god!!! This book literally has me in a chokehold and I can’t express it enough. 😩😩😩
Let’s talk about our MMC Ciro. Omfggggg the things I would do for that man are literally insane !!! Like for reallll. 😝😝 He has me in a trans where I’m so obsessed with him that I think I’ll never stop. Like genuinely he’s just such a green flag but red at the and damn time. Not that I’m complaining lmao 🤣 we can’t complain can we now? He’s just too much of a husband material ahhhh ciro the man that you are honey 🤭🤭 Immediate swoon worthy 🥰🥰
Onto our FMC Vida. Oh I adore that woman actually never mind I will bow down to her .🙇♀️ What an absolute diva that she is. The author really did a very wonderful job writing about her character. She’s like so savage I love it. 😝😝 What I loved about Vida’s character was she was strong willed and would do anything to protect the ones she loves which made me relate to her, not only this scenario but some others aswell. She’s the strong FMC’s I love reading about 😍😍 and oh boy her character was served.🤭🤭
Overall the entire book had me in its grasp from the dedication to the end of the book!! I loved getting back to the mafia side of romance again and it again felt like coming home. 🥺❤️❤️ I would recommend this book 1000x and even more cause it’s literally so freaking addictive. 😍😍
❤️🔥Tropes❤️🔥
DARK MAFIA ROMANCE
• ENEMIES TO LOVERS
• FORCED PROXIMITY
• MARRIAGE OF NECESSITY
• HE KILLS FOR HER
• OPEN DOOR SPICE
• ADDICTIVE YEARNING
• PLOT TWISTS
• "MY WIFE"
• "HE'S MINE!"
• GRIEF & LOSS
• TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️
Let’s talk about our MMC Ciro. Omfggggg the things I would do for that man are literally insane !!! Like for reallll. 😝😝 He has me in a trans where I’m so obsessed with him that I think I’ll never stop. Like genuinely he’s just such a green flag but red at the and damn time. Not that I’m complaining lmao 🤣 we can’t complain can we now? He’s just too much of a husband material ahhhh ciro the man that you are honey 🤭🤭 Immediate swoon worthy 🥰🥰
Onto our FMC Vida. Oh I adore that woman actually never mind I will bow down to her .🙇♀️ What an absolute diva that she is. The author really did a very wonderful job writing about her character. She’s like so savage I love it. 😝😝 What I loved about Vida’s character was she was strong willed and would do anything to protect the ones she loves which made me relate to her, not only this scenario but some others aswell. She’s the strong FMC’s I love reading about 😍😍 and oh boy her character was served.🤭🤭
Overall the entire book had me in its grasp from the dedication to the end of the book!! I loved getting back to the mafia side of romance again and it again felt like coming home. 🥺❤️❤️ I would recommend this book 1000x and even more cause it’s literally so freaking addictive. 😍😍
❤️🔥Tropes❤️🔥
DARK MAFIA ROMANCE
• ENEMIES TO LOVERS
• FORCED PROXIMITY
• MARRIAGE OF NECESSITY
• HE KILLS FOR HER
• OPEN DOOR SPICE
• ADDICTIVE YEARNING
• PLOT TWISTS
• "MY WIFE"
• "HE'S MINE!"
• GRIEF & LOSS
• TRIGGER WARNING ⚠️
April 30, 2025
“She is the storm, the wreckage, and I am watching her rise from the ruins with the blood of her enemy dancing on her skin.”
Vida-Witnessed something terrible and testified against the wrong person. To save her family and herself, she must marry into the Ballera family. Thrust into a brutal world of murder, kidnappings, guns, dark underground deals, she must navigate how to make her new life work. Doesn’t help that her new husband knows how to put her into an instant rage and also he awoken something dark inside of her that she can’t explain. She should be scared of the things she witnesses but she is drawn to it.
Ciro-Masks his eyes to run from the past. He hates that he doesn’t hate her. She is a distraction and will be his destruction. My little chaos doesn’t run from the blood and violence. She seems drawn to it. He doesn’t know when but he fell for her. Anyone that looks or touches her will lose their life along with particular body parts that I will serve her on a golden platter. She is mine.
This story is very detailed into the mafia world. Full of suspense and tension. Very emotional. Plot twists that gave me whiplash. Wow. Just wow. Did not see a lot of that coming…at all. So good.
🖤Marriage of Necessity
🩸Forced Proximity
🖤Obsessed MMC
🩸Touch her and Die
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🩸Blood & Gore
🖤Dark Mafia Romance
🩸Slow Burn
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🥵
That is all I can say about this book without giving anything away. If you love real dark mafia romance, then this is for you. Highly recommended.
Thank you to the author and Épiça Book PR for this gifted ARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Vida-Witnessed something terrible and testified against the wrong person. To save her family and herself, she must marry into the Ballera family. Thrust into a brutal world of murder, kidnappings, guns, dark underground deals, she must navigate how to make her new life work. Doesn’t help that her new husband knows how to put her into an instant rage and also he awoken something dark inside of her that she can’t explain. She should be scared of the things she witnesses but she is drawn to it.
Ciro-Masks his eyes to run from the past. He hates that he doesn’t hate her. She is a distraction and will be his destruction. My little chaos doesn’t run from the blood and violence. She seems drawn to it. He doesn’t know when but he fell for her. Anyone that looks or touches her will lose their life along with particular body parts that I will serve her on a golden platter. She is mine.
This story is very detailed into the mafia world. Full of suspense and tension. Very emotional. Plot twists that gave me whiplash. Wow. Just wow. Did not see a lot of that coming…at all. So good.
🖤Marriage of Necessity
🩸Forced Proximity
🖤Obsessed MMC
🩸Touch her and Die
🖤Enemies to Lovers
🩸Blood & Gore
🖤Dark Mafia Romance
🩸Slow Burn
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️ 🥵
That is all I can say about this book without giving anything away. If you love real dark mafia romance, then this is for you. Highly recommended.
Thank you to the author and Épiça Book PR for this gifted ARC for review consideration. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
May 2, 2025
Please read your trigger warnings!!
Vida - Watched her best friend / boyfriend d!e, she held him while she watched his soul leave him.
She went to court to put away Raphael who caused her heartbreak and k!lled her love. Raphaels minions made Vida know she wasn't safe, that they would be after her for revenge.
Her dad's best friend Luca had found a solution, one that wasn't a happy one for Vida, her parents agreed to an arranged marriage to a mafia family member, this member being Luca's nephew.
Ciro - Is from a well known mafia family, one which family is everything, Ciro's uncle asked his brother Matteo for Ciro to marry Vida for protection, this also means that they would have Luca back involved with their family.
Matteo forced him to agree to the arranged married or he wouldn't receive his inheritance or business.
We follow the arranged marriage of Vida and Ciro, they both start to fall for each other, their love grows along slide the bl00dshed, the tears, the happy moment, where two arranged families merge into one.
This book has a lot of twists and turns, it's dark, it's delicious and spicy!
Oh boy.. The dog scene and the scene towards the ending of her "real marriage" boy oh boy did this author deliver!!
This is a beautifully written dark twisted mafia novel, one with arranged marriage, bl00dshed and spicy, oh the spice delivered!
This is the first book of this authors I have read and I can honestly say it will not be the last! I ate this book up!
This book had me hook like and sinker! I need more, I want more! I can't wait to see more of this authors work!
Vida - Watched her best friend / boyfriend d!e, she held him while she watched his soul leave him.
She went to court to put away Raphael who caused her heartbreak and k!lled her love. Raphaels minions made Vida know she wasn't safe, that they would be after her for revenge.
Her dad's best friend Luca had found a solution, one that wasn't a happy one for Vida, her parents agreed to an arranged marriage to a mafia family member, this member being Luca's nephew.
Ciro - Is from a well known mafia family, one which family is everything, Ciro's uncle asked his brother Matteo for Ciro to marry Vida for protection, this also means that they would have Luca back involved with their family.
Matteo forced him to agree to the arranged married or he wouldn't receive his inheritance or business.
We follow the arranged marriage of Vida and Ciro, they both start to fall for each other, their love grows along slide the bl00dshed, the tears, the happy moment, where two arranged families merge into one.
This book has a lot of twists and turns, it's dark, it's delicious and spicy!
Oh boy.. The dog scene and the scene towards the ending of her "real marriage" boy oh boy did this author deliver!!
This is a beautifully written dark twisted mafia novel, one with arranged marriage, bl00dshed and spicy, oh the spice delivered!
This is the first book of this authors I have read and I can honestly say it will not be the last! I ate this book up!
This book had me hook like and sinker! I need more, I want more! I can't wait to see more of this authors work!
May 2, 2025
This was the true definition of an enemies to lovers mafia romance. I could not get enough and I was hooked right away.
Vida, she is a feisty one. She did not like being told what to do and would do whatever she could to prove that she had her own mind. She had me cracking up and her defiance. But she also would do whatever it took to take care of those she loved. After losing the one man she ever loved, she didn’t think anyone could ever own her heart again.
Ciro was the grumpy mafia boss who thought of his wife as an inconvenience and just his property. She tested his patience every chance she could and it drove him crazy. He just wanted her to listen. But he would destroy anyone who ever hurt or touched her. He proved this true many time. Somewhere along the line he began to soften and care for her. He started seeing her as more than just an arrangement, more than just his property. She was started to consume his thoughts.
The tension between these two was thick! They hated each other in the beginning and did not want to be he marriage. But when everything shifted, whew it got hot! They could not keep their hands off one another. And if anyone dare try to hurt the other, there would be hell to pay.
The ending…omggggg my mouth dropped open. I did not see that one coming at all! My heart also broke for poor Vida. Such a great twist though. Watching her get her revenge, priceless. She was meant for that world and him.
5⭐️
4🌶️
Vida, she is a feisty one. She did not like being told what to do and would do whatever she could to prove that she had her own mind. She had me cracking up and her defiance. But she also would do whatever it took to take care of those she loved. After losing the one man she ever loved, she didn’t think anyone could ever own her heart again.
Ciro was the grumpy mafia boss who thought of his wife as an inconvenience and just his property. She tested his patience every chance she could and it drove him crazy. He just wanted her to listen. But he would destroy anyone who ever hurt or touched her. He proved this true many time. Somewhere along the line he began to soften and care for her. He started seeing her as more than just an arrangement, more than just his property. She was started to consume his thoughts.
The tension between these two was thick! They hated each other in the beginning and did not want to be he marriage. But when everything shifted, whew it got hot! They could not keep their hands off one another. And if anyone dare try to hurt the other, there would be hell to pay.
The ending…omggggg my mouth dropped open. I did not see that one coming at all! My heart also broke for poor Vida. Such a great twist though. Watching her get her revenge, priceless. She was meant for that world and him.
5⭐️
4🌶️
April 22, 2025
Arc review
*Forced proximity
*Marriage of convenience
*Mafia romance
*Spicy
*Touch her and ☠️
*Slow burn
(Check your triggers)
I enjoyed the book overall. I enjoyed Vida not taking Ciro’s shit. If he’s going to dish it he better be able to take it. Vida was dealing with a lot of grief and watching her navigate that while being thrown into a whole marriage was interesting to see. I enjoyed watching her grow as a character. Ciro became less of an ass the more the book goes on and I think there was a lot of character development for him as well.
I do think there were some things that felt repetitive and maybe forced into the plot. I could see where the author was going with it though. I didn’t really understand how they came to “love” one another because it didn’t feel like they had many deep conversations. They seemed to communicate more and dive deeper after they expressed that they loved one another. I just would have liked to see more conversations between the two of them in the earlier half of the book.
Overall I think there was a good plot and character development. There were characters I loved and obviously ones I hated. I can for sure see people absolutely devouring it.
*Forced proximity
*Marriage of convenience
*Mafia romance
*Spicy
*Touch her and ☠️
*Slow burn
(Check your triggers)
I enjoyed the book overall. I enjoyed Vida not taking Ciro’s shit. If he’s going to dish it he better be able to take it. Vida was dealing with a lot of grief and watching her navigate that while being thrown into a whole marriage was interesting to see. I enjoyed watching her grow as a character. Ciro became less of an ass the more the book goes on and I think there was a lot of character development for him as well.
I do think there were some things that felt repetitive and maybe forced into the plot. I could see where the author was going with it though. I didn’t really understand how they came to “love” one another because it didn’t feel like they had many deep conversations. They seemed to communicate more and dive deeper after they expressed that they loved one another. I just would have liked to see more conversations between the two of them in the earlier half of the book.
Overall I think there was a good plot and character development. There were characters I loved and obviously ones I hated. I can for sure see people absolutely devouring it.
May 2, 2025
OMG this book was sooo good😊 I was on the edge of my seat through the whole book! I laughed and the last couple of chapters I cried😭 This is a dark romance and you should check the trigger warnings before reading.
Vida testifies against the man who killed her boyfriend even though her dad didn't want her to and now she is in danger.
Circo is the head of his Mafia family and is told by his dad he has to marry Vida! He does not want to get married and frankly he is a jerk for allot of the book.
I loved that even though Vida was grieving she did not put up with Circo's crap. She went toe to toe with him and would not let him push her around. At times I didn't know who was crazier him or her😳😂😉! I love a possesive mmc🔥 but throw in a equally possesive fmc and I'm hooked! There were so many twist and turns! The ending a out broke me😭
“I don’t know when it happened, only that loving you became the one thing I didn’t have to think about. It just . . . exists. Like my heartbeat. Like pain. Even if I was dying, I’d still love you. It’s that simple. That cruel.”
Add this to your TBR or head over to Amazon and grab your copy you won't be disappointed!
Vida testifies against the man who killed her boyfriend even though her dad didn't want her to and now she is in danger.
Circo is the head of his Mafia family and is told by his dad he has to marry Vida! He does not want to get married and frankly he is a jerk for allot of the book.
I loved that even though Vida was grieving she did not put up with Circo's crap. She went toe to toe with him and would not let him push her around. At times I didn't know who was crazier him or her😳😂😉! I love a possesive mmc🔥 but throw in a equally possesive fmc and I'm hooked! There were so many twist and turns! The ending a out broke me😭
“I don’t know when it happened, only that loving you became the one thing I didn’t have to think about. It just . . . exists. Like my heartbeat. Like pain. Even if I was dying, I’d still love you. It’s that simple. That cruel.”
Add this to your TBR or head over to Amazon and grab your copy you won't be disappointed!
May 5, 2025
Crimson Vows is an intense, emotionally gripping dark romance that plunges you into a world of sacrifice, vengeance, and dangerously twisted love. Lillian Okolobia crafts a compelling story that dances between hate and passion with such precision. It keeps you hooked from start to finish.
Vida Thorne is a heroine you root for—fierce yet vulnerable, forced into a brutal world where love could mean survival or destruction. And then there’s Ciro Ballera… cruel, calculated, and completely captivating. Watching their dynamic evolve from animosity to all-consuming obsession was both haunting and addictive.
The tension, the chemistry, and the emotional unraveling—it’s all perfectly balanced with sharp dialogue and gut-wrenching twists. While dark in tone, the story never loses sight of its emotional core. Ciro and Vida’s journey is messy, raw, and unforgettable.
If you love your romance dark, dramatic, and full of morally grey intensity, Crimson Vows delivers. It's a beautifully brutal love story that’ll leave you breathless.
Thank you to the author for giving me a chance with the e-arc to this book.
Vida Thorne is a heroine you root for—fierce yet vulnerable, forced into a brutal world where love could mean survival or destruction. And then there’s Ciro Ballera… cruel, calculated, and completely captivating. Watching their dynamic evolve from animosity to all-consuming obsession was both haunting and addictive.
The tension, the chemistry, and the emotional unraveling—it’s all perfectly balanced with sharp dialogue and gut-wrenching twists. While dark in tone, the story never loses sight of its emotional core. Ciro and Vida’s journey is messy, raw, and unforgettable.
If you love your romance dark, dramatic, and full of morally grey intensity, Crimson Vows delivers. It's a beautifully brutal love story that’ll leave you breathless.
Thank you to the author for giving me a chance with the e-arc to this book.
August 28, 2025
🥀“𝙽𝚎𝚡𝚝 𝚝𝚒𝚖𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚙𝚞𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚑𝚊𝚝 𝚜𝚑𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚐𝚊𝚒𝚗, 𝙸 𝚙𝚛𝚘𝚖𝚒𝚜𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞, 𝚋𝚞𝚝𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚏𝚕𝚢, 𝙸’𝚕𝚕 𝚋𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞.“🥀
🥀I'm not usually a fan of slow burn but this book definitely burnt me right up! Not only is it fast paced and action packed-the damn spice alone lit me a flame! I will say this book definitely keeps you on an emotional rollercoaster and I absolutely loved the character development between the FMC Vida & the MMC Ciro.🥀
🔪Ciro- This man right here got on my nerves but boy did I adore him! His commands and dominance🥵-his sheer teddy bear clingy self! His banter with Vida alone had me cackling. He is his true self, demons and all-he doesn’t even try to hide it! His character development was wonderful to witness throughout this book!🔪
🦋Vida- Our girl went through so many emotions and changes but she handled them like a sad boss! I know that don’t make much sense but she handled everything well just was really sad through most (completely understandable). Not to mention how much of baddie she is! She puts up one hell of a fight, whether that be with Ciro or others!👀 Overall I LOVED her character development overall and how she handled everything towards the end!🦋
🥀I'm not usually a fan of slow burn but this book definitely burnt me right up! Not only is it fast paced and action packed-the damn spice alone lit me a flame! I will say this book definitely keeps you on an emotional rollercoaster and I absolutely loved the character development between the FMC Vida & the MMC Ciro.🥀
🔪Ciro- This man right here got on my nerves but boy did I adore him! His commands and dominance🥵-his sheer teddy bear clingy self! His banter with Vida alone had me cackling. He is his true self, demons and all-he doesn’t even try to hide it! His character development was wonderful to witness throughout this book!🔪
🦋Vida- Our girl went through so many emotions and changes but she handled them like a sad boss! I know that don’t make much sense but she handled everything well just was really sad through most (completely understandable). Not to mention how much of baddie she is! She puts up one hell of a fight, whether that be with Ciro or others!👀 Overall I LOVED her character development overall and how she handled everything towards the end!🦋
April 21, 2025
❤️ARC REVIEW❤️
Crimson Vows by Lilian Oklobia
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Tropes:
🦋 Mafia romance
🦋 Enemies to lovers
🦋 Marriage of convenience
🦋 Forced proximity
🦋 Grief and loss
First of all, thank you so much for letting me read and review this heartwarming and absolutely stunning book Lee and @epicabookpr
Goddamn it! I loved every second of the book and I was so sad that it ended.
This story had so many emotions and facets. Love, life, grief, loss, friendship, yearning and family.
I read this book like it was a drug. I couldn't keep it down. This was one of the best reads of the year and I can't stress that enough.
The obsessive, addictive and burning dynamic between Vida and Ciro had me on the edge of my seat for the entire length of the novel. There were scenes where they hated each other, and there were scenes where they desired each other.
I love how the development of the characters was shown. And even the side characters were amazing. And I won't lie, I didn't see the plot twists coming.
I LOVE THIS BOOK!
Crimson Vows by Lilian Oklobia
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Tropes:
🦋 Mafia romance
🦋 Enemies to lovers
🦋 Marriage of convenience
🦋 Forced proximity
🦋 Grief and loss
First of all, thank you so much for letting me read and review this heartwarming and absolutely stunning book Lee and @epicabookpr
Goddamn it! I loved every second of the book and I was so sad that it ended.
This story had so many emotions and facets. Love, life, grief, loss, friendship, yearning and family.
I read this book like it was a drug. I couldn't keep it down. This was one of the best reads of the year and I can't stress that enough.
The obsessive, addictive and burning dynamic between Vida and Ciro had me on the edge of my seat for the entire length of the novel. There were scenes where they hated each other, and there were scenes where they desired each other.
I love how the development of the characters was shown. And even the side characters were amazing. And I won't lie, I didn't see the plot twists coming.
I LOVE THIS BOOK!
May 1, 2025
Spoiler Alert!
I devoured Crimson Vows like my life depended on it. It’s got all the things I live for in romance: enemies to lovers, forced marriage, mafia drama, deep grief, powerful healing, and HOT, hot chemistry.
Ciro and Vida had me in a chokehold. Their hate-to-love evolution, the banter, the emotional wreckage, and the pure worship in their love left me speechless. You want a man who sees your chaos and makes it his religion? Ciro is your man.
I loved the beautiful way the author portrayed Vida’s transformation—from the grieving girlfriend of Adam, to the woman who would fight, love, protect, and lead beside a mafia heir. And let’s not forget Carmela, the BFF every badass woman deserves—smart-mouthed, lethal, and a poly icon. 😂
Plot twists? Check. Emotional moments? Double check. Fiery scenes that’ll make you fan yourself? TRIPLE CHECK.
If you love stories that blend fierce love, loyalty, vengeance, friendship, and spicy scenes that leave your heart racing—you NEED this in your life.
I devoured Crimson Vows like my life depended on it. It’s got all the things I live for in romance: enemies to lovers, forced marriage, mafia drama, deep grief, powerful healing, and HOT, hot chemistry.
Ciro and Vida had me in a chokehold. Their hate-to-love evolution, the banter, the emotional wreckage, and the pure worship in their love left me speechless. You want a man who sees your chaos and makes it his religion? Ciro is your man.
I loved the beautiful way the author portrayed Vida’s transformation—from the grieving girlfriend of Adam, to the woman who would fight, love, protect, and lead beside a mafia heir. And let’s not forget Carmela, the BFF every badass woman deserves—smart-mouthed, lethal, and a poly icon. 😂
Plot twists? Check. Emotional moments? Double check. Fiery scenes that’ll make you fan yourself? TRIPLE CHECK.
If you love stories that blend fierce love, loyalty, vengeance, friendship, and spicy scenes that leave your heart racing—you NEED this in your life.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 3, 2025
*PLEASE CHECK THE TRIGGER WARNINGS* This book is not for everyone* Special Thanks to the Author Lilian Oklobia and Epica PR for gifting me this book, All Opinions are my own!*
“If anything happens to Vida, you will be the first to feel my wrath. And trust me, it’ll be the last thing you ever feel.”
Such an Amazing book! ✨ This book starts as a slow burn and then hits you with some intense heat. This book was not only beautifully written but you just absolutely fall in love with the two main characters! Vida is Strong willed and dealt with a lot of traumatic events. Ciro Our grumpy male lead who is lowkey a big romantic. I just love Ciro! Just The way he would absolutely kill for Vida. The spice in this book was spicy and the slow burn made me want to throw my phone across the room!😅🤣But i still had an amazing time reading this book. I’m really looking forward to reading book 2 in this series! ❤️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
“If anything happens to Vida, you will be the first to feel my wrath. And trust me, it’ll be the last thing you ever feel.”
Such an Amazing book! ✨ This book starts as a slow burn and then hits you with some intense heat. This book was not only beautifully written but you just absolutely fall in love with the two main characters! Vida is Strong willed and dealt with a lot of traumatic events. Ciro Our grumpy male lead who is lowkey a big romantic. I just love Ciro! Just The way he would absolutely kill for Vida. The spice in this book was spicy and the slow burn made me want to throw my phone across the room!😅🤣But i still had an amazing time reading this book. I’m really looking forward to reading book 2 in this series! ❤️
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
May 4, 2025
Vida is going through a traumatic experience and dealing with the pain that comes with it, which then puts her on a completely different path that she didn't want. Vida is a great FMC-she’s fierce, knows what she wants.
Ciro claimed he never wanted a wife and didn’t care to have one, but due to circumstances, they’re forced into a marriage of convenience. He quickly becomes that type of guy we all secretly love: “Touch her and die” energy, with a heavy dose of possessiveness.
Red flags? Nah, you must be colorblind—I see nothing but green flags! 😂
The multiple points of view threw it off for me—I had trouble staying connected to the story. I wish it had focused more on just the two main characters so we could really dive deep into their dynamic. That said, there were definitely some great moments!
Still, I always say give it a read—especially if you're curious about the mafia trope. And remember, this is Book 1... there’s more coming if you end up loving it!
Ciro claimed he never wanted a wife and didn’t care to have one, but due to circumstances, they’re forced into a marriage of convenience. He quickly becomes that type of guy we all secretly love: “Touch her and die” energy, with a heavy dose of possessiveness.
Red flags? Nah, you must be colorblind—I see nothing but green flags! 😂
The multiple points of view threw it off for me—I had trouble staying connected to the story. I wish it had focused more on just the two main characters so we could really dive deep into their dynamic. That said, there were definitely some great moments!
Still, I always say give it a read—especially if you're curious about the mafia trope. And remember, this is Book 1... there’s more coming if you end up loving it!
May 8, 2025
I had no hesitations signing up for an ARC for Crimson Vows, as it intrigued me right away when I read the synopsis.
I would say that out of all the stories I've read with the "touch her and die" trope, Ciro's definitely the most intense even from the start. Also from the stories I've read before with marriage of necessity (hope this part's not a spoiler!), I enjoyed that this is different because there was development with their relationship before anything happened. That being said, it doesn't mean that the tension isn't there because it definitely was!
One con I wanted to mention is that I got a bit confused at first with the constant change in POVs between 3+ characters in the beginning, but other than that I enjoyed reading!
If you also love stories with:
🖤 dark mafia romance
🖤 forced proximity
🖤 slow burn
🖤 marriage of necessity
🖤 touch her and d**
This is for you!
Thank you for introducing Vida and Ciro to the world 🖤
I would say that out of all the stories I've read with the "touch her and die" trope, Ciro's definitely the most intense even from the start. Also from the stories I've read before with marriage of necessity (hope this part's not a spoiler!), I enjoyed that this is different because there was development with their relationship before anything happened. That being said, it doesn't mean that the tension isn't there because it definitely was!
One con I wanted to mention is that I got a bit confused at first with the constant change in POVs between 3+ characters in the beginning, but other than that I enjoyed reading!
If you also love stories with:
🖤 dark mafia romance
🖤 forced proximity
🖤 slow burn
🖤 marriage of necessity
🖤 touch her and d**
This is for you!
Thank you for introducing Vida and Ciro to the world 🖤
May 7, 2025
quite a story!
Whoa buddy, this story is a LOT. I honestly feel like it would have worked well as a duet, this story is so dense. I absolutely love the character development. Ciro was an enigma. At first I really didn’t like him but naturally, over time I fell absolutely head over heels in love with him. He is so deep and dynamic; maybe a little crazy. I didn’t partially like Vida at the beginning either. She seemed weak and nothing, but whoa did that change. She’s a certified badarse. She’s kicking butt and taking names. The supporting characters were also fabulous. I’m excited to know more about Vida’s sister in future books. There are twists and turns in this story that absolutely gave me whiplash. I particularly like the ending of the Adam story. I can’t give too much away but it ended very satisfyingly. All in all a good book.
Whoa buddy, this story is a LOT. I honestly feel like it would have worked well as a duet, this story is so dense. I absolutely love the character development. Ciro was an enigma. At first I really didn’t like him but naturally, over time I fell absolutely head over heels in love with him. He is so deep and dynamic; maybe a little crazy. I didn’t partially like Vida at the beginning either. She seemed weak and nothing, but whoa did that change. She’s a certified badarse. She’s kicking butt and taking names. The supporting characters were also fabulous. I’m excited to know more about Vida’s sister in future books. There are twists and turns in this story that absolutely gave me whiplash. I particularly like the ending of the Adam story. I can’t give too much away but it ended very satisfyingly. All in all a good book.
May 14, 2025
First off, thank you, Lilian, for allowing me the opportunity to be an ARC reader for you🥺
I love how relatable you made Vida for me 💜 from her dad/family calling her Mija to her questioning her faith due to her trials in life. I truly loved seeing the character development between Vida & Ciro. This was my first real dive into the dark mafia romance side of the romance genre & I cannot wait to read more in this genre! 🩶🥀❤️ I enjoyed the slow burn but was on fire when Ciro was yearning for Vida ❤️🥀🩶
The touch her/him & ☠️ situations and the dedication between the two pulled on my heart strings. The spice had me crossing my legs and working on my poker face in public for sure 🩶🥀
Big kudos on the dual POV & plot twists!!! Your dual POVs were appreciated because we like men written by women 🩶 Your plot twists were crazy though! They made sense but blew my mind! Brava! 👏🏼🩶🥀
I love how relatable you made Vida for me 💜 from her dad/family calling her Mija to her questioning her faith due to her trials in life. I truly loved seeing the character development between Vida & Ciro. This was my first real dive into the dark mafia romance side of the romance genre & I cannot wait to read more in this genre! 🩶🥀❤️ I enjoyed the slow burn but was on fire when Ciro was yearning for Vida ❤️🥀🩶
The touch her/him & ☠️ situations and the dedication between the two pulled on my heart strings. The spice had me crossing my legs and working on my poker face in public for sure 🩶🥀
Big kudos on the dual POV & plot twists!!! Your dual POVs were appreciated because we like men written by women 🩶 Your plot twists were crazy though! They made sense but blew my mind! Brava! 👏🏼🩶🥀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 5, 2025
This book was a struggle, there were parts of it I definitely liked, but many I also really disliked and it rubbed me the wrong way.
So, if you like a Mafia dark romance, touch her and die, somewhat strong FMC and strong yet vulnerable MMC, this one if def for you.
However, if you don’t like the FMC being in tune with God, and also an overly long Mafia romance don’t read this. The book had 200 pages too many for me, and it also seemed like the FMC was a bit all over the place personality wise. It felt in many spots that the language it was thought in, was not English, which made me wonder indeed if the author’s native language is indeed English. It has some plotholes indeed, but also many points that were just cringe Mafia romance troped that could have been less and farther in between. Not every event required a shoot out or an initiation.
So, if you like a Mafia dark romance, touch her and die, somewhat strong FMC and strong yet vulnerable MMC, this one if def for you.
However, if you don’t like the FMC being in tune with God, and also an overly long Mafia romance don’t read this. The book had 200 pages too many for me, and it also seemed like the FMC was a bit all over the place personality wise. It felt in many spots that the language it was thought in, was not English, which made me wonder indeed if the author’s native language is indeed English. It has some plotholes indeed, but also many points that were just cringe Mafia romance troped that could have been less and farther in between. Not every event required a shoot out or an initiation.
April 26, 2025
ARC review
First of all I want to say the only reason this book was 4 stars instead of 5 was that it was my first mafia romance and whole I really enjoyed it overall this genre wouldn’t be one I would rush to read again (unless there is more books coming in this series??)
Vida and Ciro really took me through the whole range of emotions in this. I legitimately cried the whole way through the last 3 chapters. I was annoyed at both characters but also laughed so hard at certain points. The strength Vida shows at the end was always in her and I am so glad it came out more as the story progressed. Grumpy Ciro being the biggest secret romantic did cause me to fall in love with him despite the fact I could not stand him for the first 40% 🤣 The way the writer covered a whole range of topics was well handled but what really got to me was her exploration of grief and the guilt that comes with moving on.
The slow burn had me on edge and when the spice it ohhhh it it went up in flames
Again I really enjoyed this book and look forward to any other additions to the series……….possibly one exploring carmela and her relationships 🤞🏻🤞🏻
First of all I want to say the only reason this book was 4 stars instead of 5 was that it was my first mafia romance and whole I really enjoyed it overall this genre wouldn’t be one I would rush to read again (unless there is more books coming in this series??)
Vida and Ciro really took me through the whole range of emotions in this. I legitimately cried the whole way through the last 3 chapters. I was annoyed at both characters but also laughed so hard at certain points. The strength Vida shows at the end was always in her and I am so glad it came out more as the story progressed. Grumpy Ciro being the biggest secret romantic did cause me to fall in love with him despite the fact I could not stand him for the first 40% 🤣 The way the writer covered a whole range of topics was well handled but what really got to me was her exploration of grief and the guilt that comes with moving on.
The slow burn had me on edge and when the spice it ohhhh it it went up in flames
Again I really enjoyed this book and look forward to any other additions to the series……….possibly one exploring carmela and her relationships 🤞🏻🤞🏻
April 21, 2025
Wow… I can’t begin to even explain how I feel about this book. This is by far one of the best mafia books I’ve read it makes my top 10 list and I read a lot. The book was strong from start to finish had me on the hook throughout the whole book. The plot and the relationship grew beautifully it wasn’t rushed it wasn’t forced it felt natural. When it came time the chemistry between the two was unmatched. I liked that there was a darkness inside of the character it added to the story and built on the relationship. The plot twist had me by surprise big time, had me on the edge of my seat. Overall the book was beautifully created the author did an amazing job they show their talent through their writing. Definitely a reread for sure.
April 29, 2025
I really liked this book a lot. The writing was smooth and engaging, and it made the story super easy to get into. It flowed really well, even if it felt a bit long in some parts, but that’s more about my personal taste.
Ciro and Vida were such a strong characters. Their chemistry was intense, the banter was the best part, and both of them were really well developed.
Carmela was it for me, definitely my favorite character. Every scene with her was insane and I loved it.
Overall, it was a really enjoyable and emotional read. Thank you so much to the author and Epica Book PR for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review voluntary.
Ciro and Vida were such a strong characters. Their chemistry was intense, the banter was the best part, and both of them were really well developed.
Carmela was it for me, definitely my favorite character. Every scene with her was insane and I loved it.
Overall, it was a really enjoyable and emotional read. Thank you so much to the author and Epica Book PR for giving me the opportunity to read the book in advance, I received this for free and I'm leaving a honest review voluntary.
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