Bones and Paisley: A Dark Romance

by Cherry Rose Ellery

She stole my daughter. Now, I’m going to steal her —break her—make her beg.

Paisley Deville? A delicate pawn caught in a war she never saw coming. The world sees innocence. I see leverage. A weapon waiting to be sharpened.

She took everything from me. Now, I’ll take everything from her. Starting with her freedom. No escape. No choices. No mercy.

I’m not just her captor. I’m her reckoning. Her tormentor. Her obsession. She’ll fight, and I’ll make her love losing. She’ll beg, and I’ll make her crave the chains.

This isn’t about revenge anymore. By the time I’m done, she won’t remember who she was before me. She’ll burn. She’ll break. And she’ll never want to be whole again.

BONES & PAISLEY is an 18+ dark billionaire mafia novel featuring kidnapping, obsession, and a power play so twisted, it’ll leave a mark. Ends on a cliffhanger—read if you dare.

249 pages, Kindle Edition

Published March 30, 2025

About the author

Cherry Rose Ellery is a dark romance author who loves writing forbidden, spicy relationships. Expect mafia stories drenched with passion and angst, along with some lustful dark scenes that will live your head rent-free after reading.

Cherry Rose lives in a small town with her family, and carries an ideas notebook everywhere she goes.

Reviews

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars

❛❛ Paisley Deville was at my mercy, and I was going to let her hurt for as long as I could.❜❜

dark, suspenseful, and utterly consuming, I devoured this in one breath.

Paisley’s story is one that claws at you, laced with a lingering ache. i can only hope she finds the ending she deserves, that the mystery around Rubi is finally elucidated, granting everyone the peace they so desperately seek.

i adored the male lead in the prequel, but here? i despised him. the narrative made sure of that. what he did to presley was unforgivable, yet i can already feel the weight of his impending redemption arc. whether he earns it is another story entirely.

in the meantime, Paisley is etching herself into my list of favorite heroines; resilient, unyielding, a force unto herself. this book was a whirlwind, fast-paced and impossible to put down, culminating in a cliffhanger that rattled my bones. i need the next installment like i need air.

many thanks to the author for providing and e-ARC in exchange for an honest review!

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kindle Unlimited: Yes
Stand-alone: No- Trilogy -Rizzo Mafia
Author: Cherry Rose Ellery
Rating: 4/5 ⭐️
Spiciness Rating: 2/5 🌶
POV: First Person Dual Perspective
Main Couple: Hawke and Paisley
Trope(s): Dark Suspense Mafia, Opposites Attract, Best Friends Father, Age-Gap, Billionaire

Last month I was introduced to the new author Cherry Rose. After reading the blurb I downloaded and read the prequel which gave us a taste of what the trilogy would be about. It had my interest so I went ahead and grabbed Bones and Paisley. There are trigger warnings listed in the disclaimer. Although this is dark romance and touches on very sensitive subjects Cherry Rose does not go into graphic descriptions that would add to the trauma of the subject matter. But, it is there, nonetheless. This book ends in a cliffhanger, books will need to be read in order. You do not necessarily have to read the prequel, Guilt and Paisley, but I would recommend you do. I am intrigued to see what is to come and to watch Cherry Rose grow as an author.

Paisley Deville is Hawke Rizzo’s favorite obsession and his hatred for her was real.

He lost what was most important in life to him three years ago and he blames her.

Now he expects her to fall in line, follow his rules, and help him figure out where his daughter is.

Forcing Paisley to return to her cheating boyfriend and continue her life uninterrupted.

The life she was beginning to truly hate.

Hawkes believes her boyfriend Travis knows something about Rubi’s disappearance. In fact believes the real target was Paisley herself.

Time uncovers that their foster mother Sarah knows more than she is letting on.

Everyone Paisley thought she could trust are waving red flags.

When Travis’ parents present them with a vacation in Sicily, Paisley thinks it's exactly what they need. Time away.

Only it turns into her biggest nightmare.

Kidnapped, trafficked, and sold.

Just as Paisley thinks she will be saved from this hell on earth, she is thrust right back into it, by Hawkes himself. Still demanding she help him find Rubi.

But, when push comes to shove, Paisley is in survival mode, and if it means using information about her best friend to her advantage then so be it.

[Jacklyn B · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the enemies to lovers trope where the MCs are true enemies, this is the book for you!! Hawkes has been searching for his daughter Rubi and Paisley was one of the last people to see her. He will do anything, and I do mean anything to find his daughter…

Hawkes and Paisley have this intense chemistry…but they really HATE each other!Hawkes is a tough character at times to root for…yes there is more going on than we know, but some of the things he does are unhinged and though to understand.

I really felt for Paisley. She grew up in the system and her only friend had disappeared. Through everything she was so strong. No spoilers but there are some dark twists and secrets that she uncovers about some people in her life.

This is book 1, so we end on a cliffy…I’ll be honest it’s a twist that hurts!!! I’ll definitely be picking up the next book!

⚠️This a VERY dark mafia romance - I highly recommend checking the content warnings before reading this book!

✨What To Expect:
🖤Dark Romance
⁉️Romantic Suspense
🥀Mafia Romance
💰Billionaire
❤️‍🔥Enemies To Lovers
🔥Best Friend’s Father
💋Age Gap
🌪️Twists & Turns
💔Betrayal
🧗‍♀️Cliffhanger

[Kenia Coronado · Rating 4 out of 5]

where do i begin?

My thoughts are all over the place because im so used to the mmc always being overly protective even when its an enemies to lovers but this is ENEMIES TO LOVERS. This man was ok watching her being tortured for soooo long and i know its to get closer to saving his daughter but how can you say your number 1 rule is to not hurt women but you are ‘ok’ with whats being done to her? I feel quite angry with his character and i know this is only the beginning but i cant help but to scream because she has so much faith in him to save her that when he does was it all worth it? Shes going through it and im over here stressing out with this man.

[Keza Campbell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was invested until that cliffhanger. Well that's not true, I want more right now.

This is dark, full of TWs but I couldn't get enough. Paisley has been through hell, literally.

Hawkes is using her to find his daughter after she went missing but I'm doing so putting Paisley through torture and pain.

I am so freaking invested I can't wait to sink into the next book. It's like a need at this point.

fantastic read. I Would definitely recommend it. 👌

[Isabella Grace · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️ARC REVIEW⭐️

“𝕴’𝖒 𝖓𝖔𝖙 𝖆 𝖘𝖙𝖗𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗…𝖉𝖔𝖓’𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚 𝖗𝖊𝖒𝖊𝖒𝖇𝖊𝖗 𝖒𝖊? 𝕴’𝖒 𝖞𝖔𝖚𝖗 𝖜𝖔𝖗𝖘𝖙, 𝖘𝖜𝖊𝖊𝖙𝖊𝖘𝖙 𝖓𝖎𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖒𝖆𝖗𝖊…”

In the best possible way… WTF DID I JUST READ?!?! Good lord this book has messed with my head in multiple ways. I need therapy and a cute cartoon to watch after reading this.

I was really excited when the author reached out and asked if I was interested in reading their book. Dark? Mafia? Unhinged men??? Yes. Without question…and I do not regret it at all

This book continues from the novella before it, Guilt and Paisley. I definitely suggest reading it first. It’s a super quick read but gives some good background information before Bones and Paisley, because once you open this book, you are thrown HEAD FIRST into the chaos.

This all takes place in the dark underworld of the mafia where no one is your friend and every corner holds danger. Paisleys best friend , Ruby, has been kidnapped…her father, Hawke, who also happens to be Paisleys…love interest? Will stop at nothing to find her. And that includes putting and watching Paisley be tortured. This is the DARK SIDE of Enemies to lovers. I loved him in the novella but in this book he definitely was more enemy and it HURT to read. But also, we don’t really know WHY he thinks Paisley is responsible..hopefully in the next book 👀

Hawke struggles with his desire to do ANYTHING to get his daughter back and feeling empathy for Paisley. His feelings for her get pushed down as he subjects her to unspeakable torture and pain all in the hopes of getting his daughter back.

Paisley is STRONG AF. Through all of this she doesn’t let it break her down. She also has this unwavering faith in Hawke that he will save her like he has before. To which I say..GIRL I HOPE SO! 😩😩😩 I’m over here biting my nails with anxiety. Halp 🥹🥹🥹

This is not a lovey dovey romance. This is dark and soul crushing. There are A LOT of heavy themes and trigger warnings so PLEASE check them before diving in. This does end on a cliffhanger 😤 so just be prepared to scream in frustration at the end. 🙃

🥀Mafia Romance
🥀Enemies to Lovers
🥀Age Gap
🥀Dual POV
🥀Dark Suspense
🥀Dark Romance
🥀Opposites Attract
🥀Best Friends Father
🥀Billionaire
🥀Human Trafficking
🥀Torture
🥀Kidnapping
🥀Graphic Violence
🥀SA
🥀Possessive Hero
🥀Strong Heroine
🥀Touch Her & 💀

[Samantha Carol-Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay I have officially been sucked into this.

Paisley: That poor girl went threw so much. I felt so bad for her this entire book. Her pain was literally my pain throughout the book. Also reading about some of the things she went through was oddly cathartic for me, probably because I imagine her getting her justice when the time is right.

Hawkes: That poor man also endured a lot throughout this book. All he wants is to find his daughter and no one seems to be able to help him. And poor Paisley is trying her best but keeps coming up short.

Travis: Fuck this guy. He is a douchebag and I hate him. Spoiled, entitled little prick.

Glasgow: He deserves to die. That is all. He is garbage and deserves a slow and painful death. I hate him more than Travis.

Overall I loved this book and absolutely devoured it. It is definitely on the top 10 most fucked up books I've read but I can't lie, I loved every minute of it. I highly recommend this book but make sure you read the prequel first, or else the story won't make sense. Also check your trigger/content warnings, I cannot stress that enough especially with this series so far.

But seriously go check this book out, if you love dark romance you will not be disappointed. 🖤

[dark read girl · Rating 5 out of 5]

Let me tell you… this book completely messed with my brain. Not just one part—the whole thing.

There are two best friends, and one of them, Ruby, gets kidnapped. Her father is in the Rizzo mafia, and before he goes to jail, he gives one last task to his partner, Glasgow: to watch over his only daughter.

But when he gets out… Ruby is gone.

He thinks it's because of her best friend, Paisley.
Paisley, the one who’s been running wild in his mind for years. Years pass in torment before everything finally unravels.

And here’s one tiny but very important detail that will shock you at the end—Glasgow, every time he’s with one of the kidnapped girls, always wears a mask.

And the boyfriend of Paisley (cant remember his name) might be right, or maybe not, because this book is also an age gap romance, Glasgow is boyfriend father.

And if it's not him, I still doubt every male character mentioned in this book right now. After everything I've read here, nothing is 100% certain.🤷

What an unpredictable ending.

It’s definitely an age gap, dark romance with themes like sex, kidnapping, violence, even rape and abuse. It’s heavy. But I honestly can’t wait for the second book now.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

Oh, and I almost forgot another trophy here...

🏆Sugar🏆

[Highnyzbibliofiles · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a continuation of the novella Guilt and Paisley, set just days after the steamy encounter between Hawkes and Paisley.

The story dives deeper into the underground mafia world—human trafficking, exclusive escort clubs, and a tangled web of illegal dealings. With the goal of finding Ruby, Hawkes’ daughter, Paisley is forced to endure pain and suffering at the hands of multiple people. Torn between his thirst for revenge and his growing attraction to Paisley, Hawkes struggles to decide whether to save her or let her suffer.

This installment is a rollercoaster of emotion, highlighting the intensity of Hawkes’ desire to punish Paisley while also giving us glimpses of his buried empathy. We’re left to wonder: will he finally show that he cares for her? Hopefully, we’ll find out in the next book.

[Marianne Tuakoi · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was dark and contained a lot of trigger warning worthy content, that my sick and twisted mind thoroughly enjoyed. The storyline was so good - the only thing I struggled with was a few of the sequences (they didn’t quite match up). I also wish we had more information regarding certain events. I was getting a little frustrated with Paisley because she wouldn’t talk. A lot of what happened to her could’ve been solved with some conversation. I love Hawkes and Jett and their brotherhood - I hope that future books bring them happiness, Rubi, and Paisley. And I hope that Rubi and Paisley and now Sky will find freedom.

[Kelly Rose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ahh! Another PERFECT book from Cherry! To say you get instantly hooked is an actual understatement! You get pulled so fast into the book that you will forget anything and everything that is happening around you in the best way! I love dark romance and then add in mafia and I’m hooked! But this is so much more! I love the timeline of this book and how it goes between hawkes and paisley. I haven’t read a book that goes through such a long timeline before but I love it! The cliffhanger though. Y’all I can’t wait to read what happens next!!

[Rea · Rating 4 out of 5]

From the moment I started this book it had me in the edge of my seat. There were so many twists and turns that I truly wasn’t expecting . Hawkes was desperately trying to find any clues that would help him find his daughter and Paisley was trying anything to help him. Their relationship was a unique one because they were clearly attracted to one another but I wasn’t sure if there were any feelings . This book was really good and was left in a cliffhanger and I can’t wait to read the next book !!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️/5

I would recommend this to anyone who wants a dark age gap , mafia romance ❤️‍🔥

[Reading.With.Janet · Rating 4 out of 5]

Please check your trigger/content warnings:
Human trafficking
Kidnapping
Graphic violence
Sexual Assault
.
.
Review:This will have hooked from start to finish. Also it ends with a cliffhanger. Ruby and Paisley are best friends. Ruby, gets kidnapped. Her father is in the Rizzo mafia, and before he goes to jail, he gives one last task to his partner Glasgow to watch over his only daughter. When he gets out Ruby is gone.

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paisley and Haweks story continues from the prequal, we see what lengths Hawes is willing to go for revenge but will they end up backfiring when emotions change everything? The story is engaging steamy high intense drama, suspense and more!! Ends on a cliffy!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Venice Victoria · Rating 5 out of 5]

• haunting adeline but in another dimension?

• I completely despised the MMC in this book unlike the prequel but oh god THE AMOUNT OF RESPECT & LOVE I HAVE FOR FMC 📈

• SHE IS A SA SURVIVOR (I hope she does cs the book ends on a cliffhanger)

• THE URGE TO READ THE NEXT BOOK 😩😩😩

• PLEASE TELL ME SHE KILLED GLASGOW

• I also love Skye and Paisley’s friendship ++

[Natascha Ring · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that you get a lot of information through the book, even though you are left in the end with a lot of questions unanswered. Easy to get caught up in it. Even with the TW’s it’s written in a way that’s not too much, like you get a roughly described version of it, not too much detailed. Definitely looking forward to the next one!

[Sheila · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 Stars for Bones & Paisley by ( new for me ) author Cherry Rose Ellery

I could not read fast enough! Paisley our fearless FMC her story just consumed me she is hands down a favorite character!

Hawkes our MMC needs to grovel and redeem himself big time!

Definitely read this story !.

I received a copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Hailey · Rating 4 out of 5]

I started with the prequel and it got me hooked and of course this ends on a cliffhanger. If you want to read something dark, a tad of spice, billionaire, age-gap, then this is up your alley! Not what I typically read but I throughly enjoyed it. I’m gonna go read the next one NOW because I honestly think I know who Glasgow is..

[Tasha Talks Books Blog · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow!!! This book had me in a chokehold. After the Prequel I was on pins and needles and guess what? I am back on them! This story was beautifully written, but whewwww it took me for a ride! I need Book 2 like yesterday!

[Marissa Ziemer · Rating 4 out of 5]

That ending! I can't wait to read the next book 😍

[Brittany Unley · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really good read. I need to know what happens next! Great dark romance book, and few different things going on that keep you guessing.

[Casey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bones and Paisley is a dark romance roller coaster! It is dark mafia romance so please check trigger warning. I enjoy the mystery within the story, and that cliffhanger at the ends was so good. The back and forth between Hawkes and Paisley also keeps you guessing on what will happen between them. Can’t wait to continue the series!

[FireSerene Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice read!

Dragged into a world where power, obsession, and pain twist into something hauntingly intimate, this story doesn’t just pull you in—it traps you there. The writing cuts deep, dripping with raw emotion and a slow-burning menace that lingers on every page. The tension is relentless, the dynamic between captor and captive electric in its cruelty and complexity. Every chapter pulses with the question: what is love when it’s born in darkness? This isn’t just a story—it’s a reckoning.