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London Underworld #2
Phantom Mine
A year and a half ago, everything changed.
My sister, my best friend, was murdered–and it was my fault.
I brought her to London. I dragged her to the club where she was kidnapped. I lost her.
Adriana paid the price for my mistakes.
The guilt and grief have eaten me alive, but I'm done hiding in the shadows of my failures.
Our brother spent eighteen months chasing ghosts, trying to find her body, her killer, only to come up empty handed.
Now it's my turn.
I won't be sidelined any longer.
I'm going back to Firenze, the club where it all started, and I'm going to find answers. I'll turn over every rock, burn every bridge, and make any enemy necessary to get to the truth.
There's nothing I won't risk and nothing I won't do to avenge Adriana.
Not even if it means going head to head with Matteo Leone, the man second in line to become Don of the Italian Mafia.
If he doesn't get out of my way, I'll make him.
I didn't expect to find a kindred soul behind the mask, a soul I'm quickly learning I can't live without.
There's only one problem–at least one of the Leones is responsible for Adriana's murder.
And it might be Matteo.
Phantom Mine is the second book in the London Underworld series. Although it can be read as a standalone, it's recommended to read Devil Mine first to get a full understanding of the subplots.
My sister, my best friend, was murdered–and it was my fault.
I brought her to London. I dragged her to the club where she was kidnapped. I lost her.
Adriana paid the price for my mistakes.
The guilt and grief have eaten me alive, but I'm done hiding in the shadows of my failures.
Our brother spent eighteen months chasing ghosts, trying to find her body, her killer, only to come up empty handed.
Now it's my turn.
I won't be sidelined any longer.
I'm going back to Firenze, the club where it all started, and I'm going to find answers. I'll turn over every rock, burn every bridge, and make any enemy necessary to get to the truth.
There's nothing I won't risk and nothing I won't do to avenge Adriana.
Not even if it means going head to head with Matteo Leone, the man second in line to become Don of the Italian Mafia.
If he doesn't get out of my way, I'll make him.
I didn't expect to find a kindred soul behind the mask, a soul I'm quickly learning I can't live without.
There's only one problem–at least one of the Leones is responsible for Adriana's murder.
And it might be Matteo.
Phantom Mine is the second book in the London Underworld series. Although it can be read as a standalone, it's recommended to read Devil Mine first to get a full understanding of the subplots.
536 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 3, 2025
164 people are currently reading
1564 people want to read
About the author
Khai Hara
7 books713 followersKhai Hara is an American author currently based out of New York City. An avid fan of the romance genre, her debut novel 'Long Live The King' comes after years of planning. In her spare time, she enjoys traveling, hiking, reading and spending time with her boyfriend and their dog Thunder.
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July 4, 2025
Rating: 4.5 ⭐️
Khai Hara is back with Phantom Mine, the second book from the London Underworld series. And wow, what a freaking intense read it was! I absolutely love the first book, Devil Mine, mainly because of the characters and how much I loved their relationship, so I feared they wouldn’t be as great as Thiago and Tess. Of course, I was wrong; I shouldn’t have doubted the author because, clearly, she never disappoints! You can see the improvement in the writing’s style and the editing. I still can’t believe it’s the same author who wrote the disaster that was Long Live the King.
This time, we’re following Matteo Leone and Valentina da Silva’s love story. The plot wasn’t what I expected, based on the snippets we got from the first book. Instead of an arranged marriage, and a female character spying on her husband (like I initially thought), we got a protagonist, who’s ready to do anything to find the truth about her sister’s disappearance.
Valentina and Adriana’s bond is really adorable; you can feel how much the latter is important to Valentina. They’re platonic soulmates. I’m glad the author chose to write great friendships. That was already the case in the Royal Crown Academy. Valentina is absolutely a girl’s girl, which is something I loved! She stood her grounds, defend women, and took no shit from everyone.
As expected from Khai Hara, Matteo was unhinged, and completely intense. Each time, he opened his mouth, it was to say the most romantic or deranged thing. While I loved Matteo (he’s just a pretty boy for his lover, you know), my heart will always go to Thiago. I don’t think his spot will be taken. The reason? I felt like Matteo was too much sometimes. His dominant and possessive sides were too dramatic (sexy but still a lot to take). Like, we get it, you caveman. I wanted to punch him at some point, especially when he thought Valentina was engaged.
However, what I loved the most about him was his loyalty and complete devotion towards Valentina. If you know me, you know that I’m extremely picky when it comes to safety and double standards in books. I like my men obsessed for one woman and one only! To learn that Matteo stayed celibate during the year Valentina and him were separated was everything I needed.
I really appreciate the road Khai has taken with their male protagonists. So far, there’s no manwhore or icky scenes that made my skin crawl in this series. I like to believe this author can be trusted when it comes to safety.I hope it will be the same for the other books.
My only complaint is that Matteo was a bit too much in denial. He really fought his feelings for Valentina, because he wanted revenge on his family more than anything else. But no matter how much he wanted to forget her, he just couldn’t.
The side characters are really interesting. I just can’t wait for the next stories, especially Dagny’s. This woman is a gem! I know she’ll be my favorite, because once again, she’s a true girl’s girl.
I loved the fact that all the characters slowly began to form their little family (found family trope, yeah!). I can’t wait for Adriana’s story, too. She’ll be paired up with Darko, I believe (the head of the Serbian Mafia). It’s so exciting, and yet, I know her story will be very emotional.
Safety warnings:
- Celibate H/Celibate h;
- No OMD: Valentina didn’t have any relationship during her separation with Matteo;
- No OWD: my man, Matteo, was loyal to Valentina from the beginning. He’s engaged to a woman, though. But he was honest with Valentina about this, and he had no interest in the other woman. Because I’m a picky and annoying girl (I’m sorry), I want to pinpoint that it’s mentioned that a few months before Valentina arrived in London, Matteo went out more often in the Leone’s club (Firenze) to flirt with other girls in order to prepare himself to be married to another woman (it’s part of his revenge plan to get more power). Clearly, he couldn’t do anything because at the end, the poor man just wanted Valentina.
Khai Hara is back with Phantom Mine, the second book from the London Underworld series. And wow, what a freaking intense read it was! I absolutely love the first book, Devil Mine, mainly because of the characters and how much I loved their relationship, so I feared they wouldn’t be as great as Thiago and Tess. Of course, I was wrong; I shouldn’t have doubted the author because, clearly, she never disappoints! You can see the improvement in the writing’s style and the editing. I still can’t believe it’s the same author who wrote the disaster that was Long Live the King.
This time, we’re following Matteo Leone and Valentina da Silva’s love story. The plot wasn’t what I expected, based on the snippets we got from the first book. Instead of an arranged marriage, and a female character spying on her husband (like I initially thought), we got a protagonist, who’s ready to do anything to find the truth about her sister’s disappearance.
Valentina and Adriana’s bond is really adorable; you can feel how much the latter is important to Valentina. They’re platonic soulmates. I’m glad the author chose to write great friendships. That was already the case in the Royal Crown Academy. Valentina is absolutely a girl’s girl, which is something I loved! She stood her grounds, defend women, and took no shit from everyone.
As expected from Khai Hara, Matteo was unhinged, and completely intense. Each time, he opened his mouth, it was to say the most romantic or deranged thing. While I loved Matteo (he’s just a pretty boy for his lover, you know), my heart will always go to Thiago. I don’t think his spot will be taken. The reason? I felt like Matteo was too much sometimes. His dominant and possessive sides were too dramatic (sexy but still a lot to take). Like, we get it, you caveman. I wanted to punch him at some point, especially when he thought Valentina was engaged.
However, what I loved the most about him was his loyalty and complete devotion towards Valentina. If you know me, you know that I’m extremely picky when it comes to safety and double standards in books. I like my men obsessed for one woman and one only! To learn that Matteo stayed celibate during the year Valentina and him were separated was everything I needed.
I really appreciate the road Khai has taken with their male protagonists. So far, there’s no manwhore or icky scenes that made my skin crawl in this series. I like to believe this author can be trusted when it comes to safety.I hope it will be the same for the other books.
My only complaint is that Matteo was a bit too much in denial. He really fought his feelings for Valentina, because he wanted revenge on his family more than anything else. But no matter how much he wanted to forget her, he just couldn’t.
The side characters are really interesting. I just can’t wait for the next stories, especially Dagny’s. This woman is a gem! I know she’ll be my favorite, because once again, she’s a true girl’s girl.
I loved the fact that all the characters slowly began to form their little family (found family trope, yeah!). I can’t wait for Adriana’s story, too. She’ll be paired up with Darko, I believe (the head of the Serbian Mafia). It’s so exciting, and yet, I know her story will be very emotional.
Safety warnings:
- Celibate H/Celibate h;
- No OMD: Valentina didn’t have any relationship during her separation with Matteo;
- No OWD: my man, Matteo, was loyal to Valentina from the beginning. He’s engaged to a woman, though. But he was honest with Valentina about this, and he had no interest in the other woman. Because I’m a picky and annoying girl (I’m sorry), I want to pinpoint that it’s mentioned that a few months before Valentina arrived in London, Matteo went out more often in the Leone’s club (Firenze) to flirt with other girls in order to prepare himself to be married to another woman (it’s part of his revenge plan to get more power). Clearly, he couldn’t do anything because at the end, the poor man just wanted Valentina.
October 16, 2025
I’m obsessed
“I don’t own you,” I say flatly.
He blinks at me, a look of almost boyish confusion on his face. “Says who?”
“I don’t own you,” I say flatly.
He blinks at me, a look of almost boyish confusion on his face. “Says who?”
March 23, 2025
beta review | release date: april 3rd
preface by saying i am honored to have been selected as a beta reader !
𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐝𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐚 (𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞)
Valentina is far from the naive cartel princess you might expect. A woman shaped by trauma and loss, she’s fierce, driven by revenge, and unbreakable. After losing her sister, she’s built walls no one can breach — except for Matteo Leone, a man just as broken and determined. Their connection is raw, intense, and fueled by their mutual need for vengeance. You'll feel her pain, but also her unrelenting strength.
i LOVE her.
—
𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞
Matteo is more than a charming mafia leader — he’s hiding deep scars beneath his confident exterior. His trauma will tear at your heart, but what makes him stand out is how he refuses to let it define him. Despite his lethal edge, Matteo’s heart remains kind, and his obsession with Valentina is like no other. Their love is fiery, possessive, and beautiful in its chaos.
"𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦"
—
𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰
Their romance is a poetic masterpiece — two broken souls bound by fate, their love filled with tension, banter, and passion. Matteo’s obsession with Valentina is unmatched, making their interactions thrilling, especially with the intense "boy obsessed" trope. Their banter is gold; black cat and golden retriever energy:
""𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞...𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞..."
"𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞?"
"𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠"
"𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 "𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫" 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞. 𝐢 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐭. 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐢'𝐦 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰."
and their sexy moments will make you seek out holy water and leave you a panting mess— holy fuck. hottest khai hara couple yet and I don’t say that lightly because at one point I’m fairly sure even jesus wept.
honorable mention to the Mr and Mrs smith scene because it’s truly pure cinema !
"𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭?"
"𝐢 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨"
"𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥?"
"𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦"
matteo leone has a phd in yearnalism.
also, if my man doesn’t want to fistfight the rain because i caught a cold, then i simply don’t want him.
—
𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀
While their romance is intense, the bond between Valentina and her sister Adriana is just as powerful. The story beautifully highlights female friendship and grief, making you cry and cheer for these women. it makes you believe that soulmates are found in friends, because vale and adri are soulmates, in every sense of the word.
“𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈’𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐨, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞,”
—
𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 *𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒*
—> 𝐌𝐘 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 🔐
when i tell you i screamed ‘MOMMYYYY’ the instant my princess addy made an appearance. sadly, daddy callum didn’t make one this time but he was def mentioned !
khai knows that i am the owner of callumaddy and the whole tellier/sinclair family ( she wrote them for me, she told me so herself ) and so this was def one of my highlights of the book
"𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞. 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫"
say less. he’s known to be psychotically insane over his wife especially with how she’s famed for her otherworldly beauty. I fear he might own the title of being the most unhinged man once he comes come. I need their book NOW. please and thank you.
again, they’re & the whole tellier/sinclair families are mine so y’all better keep your ownership claims to yourselves hehe *not joking*
—> 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 & 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧 ( 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 )
If you’re a genius like myself you will clock who her future husband is, if not…well how do you say ‘daddy’ in serbian ?
i needed their book yesterday. khai knows exactly what she did with this pairing and she knows how they will become my personality till their book comes out… I’ve already got so many theories but i can def reveal that they’re giving BEAUTY AND THE BEAST & HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU In the best way !
—> 𝐝𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝
if you thought you knew who dagny’s man was in devil mine… no you didn’t. i went FERAL when i found out… khai really said *hold my beer*. YOU GUYS ARE NOT READY FOR THIS POWERCOUPLE.
let’s just say my diva badass fashion icon dagny will bring him to his KNEES.
— > 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬 ( 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 )
it was so funny to me how thiago teased matteo for being pathetic when it comes to his wife, when this is him :
𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘄𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆, “𝗕𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲.”
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱. 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.
𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁.
they should def form a ‘pathetic for my wife’ alliance… happy family and all 😭
—
In short, this book is a storm of emotions — full of grief, revenge, and a love so intense that it can’t be described with mere words.
khai absolutely outdid herself with phantom mine; it’s in a league of its own. i cannot wait for everyone to love this as much as i do 🫶🏻god knows that i am going to ship my therapy bills to khai 😭
preface by saying i am honored to have been selected as a beta reader !
𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚 𝐝𝐚 𝐬𝐢𝐥𝐯𝐚 (𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞)
Valentina is far from the naive cartel princess you might expect. A woman shaped by trauma and loss, she’s fierce, driven by revenge, and unbreakable. After losing her sister, she’s built walls no one can breach — except for Matteo Leone, a man just as broken and determined. Their connection is raw, intense, and fueled by their mutual need for vengeance. You'll feel her pain, but also her unrelenting strength.
i LOVE her.
—
𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐨 𝐥𝐞𝐨𝐧𝐞
Matteo is more than a charming mafia leader — he’s hiding deep scars beneath his confident exterior. His trauma will tear at your heart, but what makes him stand out is how he refuses to let it define him. Despite his lethal edge, Matteo’s heart remains kind, and his obsession with Valentina is like no other. Their love is fiery, possessive, and beautiful in its chaos.
"𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐩𝐫𝐞𝐭𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬, 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐢𝐭'𝐬 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢 𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐚𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐡𝐢𝐦"
—
𝗥𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗗𝘆𝗻𝗮𝗺𝗶𝗰
Their romance is a poetic masterpiece — two broken souls bound by fate, their love filled with tension, banter, and passion. Matteo’s obsession with Valentina is unmatched, making their interactions thrilling, especially with the intense "boy obsessed" trope. Their banter is gold; black cat and golden retriever energy:
""𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞...𝐲𝐨𝐮'𝐫𝐞..."
"𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞?"
"𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠"
"𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐢 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐝 𝐰𝐚𝐬 "𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐫" 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐲'𝐫𝐞 𝐬𝐮𝐩𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐮𝐭𝐞. 𝐢 𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐢𝐭. 𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥 𝐦𝐞 𝐢'𝐦 𝐚𝐝𝐨𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐧𝐨𝐰."
and their sexy moments will make you seek out holy water and leave you a panting mess— holy fuck. hottest khai hara couple yet and I don’t say that lightly because at one point I’m fairly sure even jesus wept.
honorable mention to the Mr and Mrs smith scene because it’s truly pure cinema !
"𝐝𝐨 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭?"
"𝐢 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐧 𝐭𝐨"
"𝐰𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐮𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐚𝐥𝐥?"
"𝐚𝐬 𝐬𝐨𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐨𝐮 𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐦𝐞 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫𝐬, 𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦"
matteo leone has a phd in yearnalism.
also, if my man doesn’t want to fistfight the rain because i caught a cold, then i simply don’t want him.
—
𝗳𝗿𝗶𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀𝗵𝗶𝗽 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗹𝗼𝘀𝘀
While their romance is intense, the bond between Valentina and her sister Adriana is just as powerful. The story beautifully highlights female friendship and grief, making you cry and cheer for these women. it makes you believe that soulmates are found in friends, because vale and adri are soulmates, in every sense of the word.
“𝐈 𝐤𝐧𝐨𝐰 𝐈’𝐦 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐤𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐚𝐭’𝐬 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚 𝐰𝐞𝐚𝐤𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐝𝐨𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐚 𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐨𝐧. 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧’𝐭 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐝, 𝐌𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐨, 𝐛𝐞𝐜𝐚𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐡𝐚𝐯𝐞 𝐨𝐧𝐞. 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 𝐢𝐬 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞,”
—
𝐧𝐞𝐰 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐨𝐥𝐝 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐬 *𝐒𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐀𝐌𝐒*
—> 𝐌𝐘 𝐜𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐮𝐦𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐲 🔐
when i tell you i screamed ‘MOMMYYYY’ the instant my princess addy made an appearance. sadly, daddy callum didn’t make one this time but he was def mentioned !
khai knows that i am the owner of callumaddy and the whole tellier/sinclair family ( she wrote them for me, she told me so herself ) and so this was def one of my highlights of the book
"𝐁𝐞𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐞, 𝐬𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐬 𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐲 𝐫𝐞𝐠𝐚𝐫𝐝𝐞𝐝 𝐚𝐬 𝐛𝐞𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐛𝐞𝐚𝐮𝐭𝐢𝐟𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐧 𝐄𝐮𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞. 𝐒𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞, 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐬 𝐡𝐚𝐝 𝐚 𝐛𝐚𝐝 𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐢𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐛𝐨𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐚𝐧𝐲𝐨𝐧𝐞’𝐬 𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐞𝐬 𝐥𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐮𝐩𝐨𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐞𝐧𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐫𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐦 𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫"
say less. he’s known to be psychotically insane over his wife especially with how she’s famed for her otherworldly beauty. I fear he might own the title of being the most unhinged man once he comes come. I need their book NOW. please and thank you.
again, they’re & the whole tellier/sinclair families are mine so y’all better keep your ownership claims to yourselves hehe *not joking*
—> 𝐀𝐝𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐚 & 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐦𝐚𝐧 ( 𝐧𝐞𝐱𝐭 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 )
If you’re a genius like myself you will clock who her future husband is, if not…well how do you say ‘daddy’ in serbian ?
i needed their book yesterday. khai knows exactly what she did with this pairing and she knows how they will become my personality till their book comes out… I’ve already got so many theories but i can def reveal that they’re giving BEAUTY AND THE BEAST & HATE EVERYONE BUT YOU In the best way !
—> 𝐝𝐚𝐠𝐧𝐲 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐮𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐞 𝐡𝐮𝐬𝐛𝐚𝐧𝐝
if you thought you knew who dagny’s man was in devil mine… no you didn’t. i went FERAL when i found out… khai really said *hold my beer*. YOU GUYS ARE NOT READY FOR THIS POWERCOUPLE.
let’s just say my diva badass fashion icon dagny will bring him to his KNEES.
— > 𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐛𝐞𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐚𝐠𝐨 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐞𝐬𝐬 ( 𝐝𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐥 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 )
it was so funny to me how thiago teased matteo for being pathetic when it comes to his wife, when this is him :
𝗦𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘄𝗮𝘁𝘀 𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗰𝗵𝗲𝘀𝘁 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘆, 𝗼𝗿𝗱𝗲𝗿𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗴𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗹𝘆, “𝗕𝗲 𝗻𝗶𝗰𝗲.”
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝗮𝗴𝗼 𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗻𝘀 𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝗼𝘂𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗳 𝗵𝗲𝗿 𝘃𝗼𝗶𝗰𝗲, 𝗺𝗮𝗴𝗻𝗲𝘁𝗶𝘇𝗲𝗱. 𝗛𝗶𝘀 𝗳𝗲𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲𝘀 𝗺𝗲𝗹𝘁 𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗼 𝗮𝗻 𝗶𝗻𝗳𝗮𝘁𝘂𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗱 𝘀𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗲, 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘀𝗲𝗻𝗱𝘀 𝗮 𝘀𝗵𝗶𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗱𝗼𝘄𝗻 𝗺𝘆 𝘀𝗽𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗶𝘁𝘀 𝗿𝗮𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘀𝘀.
𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗺𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗯𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘄𝗶𝗳𝗲 𝗵𝗲’𝘀 𝘀𝗼 𝗼𝗯𝘀𝗲𝘀𝘀𝗲𝗱 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵.
𝗜 𝘀𝗵𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗮𝗳𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝘂𝗻𝗱𝗲𝗿𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗶𝘁.
they should def form a ‘pathetic for my wife’ alliance… happy family and all 😭
—
In short, this book is a storm of emotions — full of grief, revenge, and a love so intense that it can’t be described with mere words.
khai absolutely outdid herself with phantom mine; it’s in a league of its own. i cannot wait for everyone to love this as much as i do 🫶🏻god knows that i am going to ship my therapy bills to khai 😭
March 26, 2025
4.5⭐
Thank you so much khai for this arc!
If you love a dark angsty mafia romance where the hero is utterly obsessed, fiercely protective, and possessive in the best way, then this is a must-read. From the moment he laid eyes on the heroine, there was no turning back—he was ready to burn the world down for her, leave everything behind, and make her his. And honestly? I lived for every second of it.
The heroine wasn’t just a damsel waiting to be claimed; she was strong, fiery, and had a backbone of steel. She challenged him, met his intensity with her own, and never let herself be overpowered. Their dynamic was electric—passion, tension, and devotion woven into every interaction.
The plot? Absolutely gripping. It wasn’t just about the romance, the twists, the danger, and the high stakes kept me glued to the pages. Every moment builds up their connection, proving that they were made for each other, no matter the cost.
If you love dark, obsessive heroes who would do anything for their woman and who won’t be tamed, this book delivers. It’s intense, addictive, and left me with the biggest book hangover. THE SMUT WAS SMUTTING I SWEAR. The gun and the candle scene HUH HOT AF!!!
- no cheating, no ow drama, both were celibate since they met each other for the first time (SWOONING)
The side characters were amazing, I loved each and every one of them. And the ending OMG I LITERALLY CAN'T WAIT FOR KHAI WRITING THEIR BOOK.
Thank you so much khai for this arc!
If you love a dark angsty mafia romance where the hero is utterly obsessed, fiercely protective, and possessive in the best way, then this is a must-read. From the moment he laid eyes on the heroine, there was no turning back—he was ready to burn the world down for her, leave everything behind, and make her his. And honestly? I lived for every second of it.
The heroine wasn’t just a damsel waiting to be claimed; she was strong, fiery, and had a backbone of steel. She challenged him, met his intensity with her own, and never let herself be overpowered. Their dynamic was electric—passion, tension, and devotion woven into every interaction.
The plot? Absolutely gripping. It wasn’t just about the romance, the twists, the danger, and the high stakes kept me glued to the pages. Every moment builds up their connection, proving that they were made for each other, no matter the cost.
If you love dark, obsessive heroes who would do anything for their woman and who won’t be tamed, this book delivers. It’s intense, addictive, and left me with the biggest book hangover. THE SMUT WAS SMUTTING I SWEAR. The gun and the candle scene HUH HOT AF!!!
- no cheating, no ow drama, both were celibate since they met each other for the first time (SWOONING)
The side characters were amazing, I loved each and every one of them. And the ending OMG I LITERALLY CAN'T WAIT FOR KHAI WRITING THEIR BOOK.
April 17, 2025
I was so excited when this book dropped!! I loved this book so much, it's one of my fav reads of the year.
Valentina took her sister (Adri) to a nightclub, which ended in heartbreak; Adri was kidnapped and murdered. They weren't able to find the body or the killer, even though their brother (from Book 1) had been trying. After a year and a half, Valentina decides it's her turn to locate the one responsible for taking Adri away from her by going undercover. She's going back to Firenze, the club where this all happened. She'll have to face Matteo Leone, second in line to be the Don of the Italian Mafia, with whom she's had a past.
When Valentina goes to the club to audition, she is met by Matteo, and he won't let anyone else near her. At first, she doesn't realize who he is. She dances for Matteo (to try and get the job), and he decides that she will never do that for anyone but him. He's just as taken by her now as he was a year and a half ago when they first met. There was one problem: to take his place as Don (when his father passes away), he has to marry Marina, the daughter of the Marchesanis family, to avoid a civil war and continue to hold power in the underworld. At first, I was a little worried about how this was going to play out, but it was really well done - there's never any cheating or OW drama, he only has eyes for her!!
Valentina was strong, determined, and willing to do anything for the ones she loved, even if that meant putting herself in danger. Matteo was possessive, dominant and very confident; I seriously could not get enough of him. He wouldn't let her slip through his hands again and was willing to burn the world down to make sure!
These two were on fire... The chemistry.... The steam.... The way they would die without each other... Absolutely amazing! They have a push-and-pull dynamic (usually her trying to push him away), but it's always very shortly lived as he doesn't let her get away with it!
The other characters in the book were great and really added to the story. You may need to get some tissues out near the end of the book as my heart was def hurting, knowing just how deep their love went for each other!
I seriously cannot wait for the next book!
Overall: 5 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice/Heat Intensity: 5 out of 5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Matteo & Valentina (Leni)
Nickname: Cara Mia
Darkness: 1 out of 5 🖤
Type of book: MF, Fast Burn, Duel 1st Person POV
Reading Order: Standalone with an Interconnected Storyline & Characters. I do recommend reading book 1, Devil Mine, first (Valentina's brother and his wife) but I think you could read this one first.
Title: London Underworld Series- Phantom Mine: Book 2
Epilogue: Yes
Ending Type: HEA
*OTT Possessive, obsessive, dominant, loyal and protective MMC
*Eyes only for her
*Italian Mafia & Cartel
*Praise/Degradation/Light Punishments
*MINE!
*Unholy (but oh so good) Church Scenes
*Super Steamy!!
*Unalive anyone who looks at her
*Second Chance
*Burn the world down for her
*Celibate since they first met
*No cheating or sharing
⚠️ This book has descriptive parts that may be offensive or triggering to some. Please check the TW/CW before reading! 18+
*I received an early copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving this review.
Valentina took her sister (Adri) to a nightclub, which ended in heartbreak; Adri was kidnapped and murdered. They weren't able to find the body or the killer, even though their brother (from Book 1) had been trying. After a year and a half, Valentina decides it's her turn to locate the one responsible for taking Adri away from her by going undercover. She's going back to Firenze, the club where this all happened. She'll have to face Matteo Leone, second in line to be the Don of the Italian Mafia, with whom she's had a past.
When Valentina goes to the club to audition, she is met by Matteo, and he won't let anyone else near her. At first, she doesn't realize who he is. She dances for Matteo (to try and get the job), and he decides that she will never do that for anyone but him. He's just as taken by her now as he was a year and a half ago when they first met. There was one problem: to take his place as Don (when his father passes away), he has to marry Marina, the daughter of the Marchesanis family, to avoid a civil war and continue to hold power in the underworld. At first, I was a little worried about how this was going to play out, but it was really well done - there's never any cheating or OW drama, he only has eyes for her!!
Valentina was strong, determined, and willing to do anything for the ones she loved, even if that meant putting herself in danger. Matteo was possessive, dominant and very confident; I seriously could not get enough of him. He wouldn't let her slip through his hands again and was willing to burn the world down to make sure!
These two were on fire... The chemistry.... The steam.... The way they would die without each other... Absolutely amazing! They have a push-and-pull dynamic (usually her trying to push him away), but it's always very shortly lived as he doesn't let her get away with it!
The other characters in the book were great and really added to the story. You may need to get some tissues out near the end of the book as my heart was def hurting, knowing just how deep their love went for each other!
I seriously cannot wait for the next book!
Overall: 5 out of 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Spice/Heat Intensity: 5 out of 5 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Main Characters: Matteo & Valentina (Leni)
Nickname: Cara Mia
Darkness: 1 out of 5 🖤
Type of book: MF, Fast Burn, Duel 1st Person POV
Reading Order: Standalone with an Interconnected Storyline & Characters. I do recommend reading book 1, Devil Mine, first (Valentina's brother and his wife) but I think you could read this one first.
Title: London Underworld Series- Phantom Mine: Book 2
Epilogue: Yes
Ending Type: HEA
*OTT Possessive, obsessive, dominant, loyal and protective MMC
*Eyes only for her
*Italian Mafia & Cartel
*Praise/Degradation/Light Punishments
*MINE!
*Unholy (but oh so good) Church Scenes
*Super Steamy!!
*Unalive anyone who looks at her
*Second Chance
*Burn the world down for her
*Celibate since they first met
*No cheating or sharing
⚠️ This book has descriptive parts that may be offensive or triggering to some. Please check the TW/CW before reading! 18+
*I received an early copy of this book & am voluntarily leaving this review.
April 17, 2025
»You're... you're...«
»Adorable?«
»Overbearing.«
»All I heard was "bear" and they're super cute. I knew it. Tell me I'm adorable right now.«
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
One of my favorite book woman ever! She is intelligent, badass and knows her worth. Valentina is a cartel princess who wants to avenge her sister. Loved her.
❥ 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒐 ࣪⋆✮
This man is everything. His love for Valentina was beautiful and the way he was willing to give up everything for her. He is the standard.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book was everything I could wish for. It‘s dark, funny and has a captivating storyline. As a reader you will go down an emotional rollercoaster: I laughed, I cried and I was angry and shocked a lot of times. It‘s an enjoyable and entertaining book with the right amount of drama, action and spice. Khai Hara is wonderfully talented in writing dark and twisted books. I adored every single one of her stories and this was amazing again. I hope she will publish many books in the future.
Valentina and Matteo have great tension and their chemistry was chefs kiss. They‘re a badass couple. Both know how to fight and grew up in the Underworld. I liked their dynamic and the way both fall head over heels for each other. The love story is wonderful and goes hand in hand with the thrilling plot.
I was glued to my kindle all morning and couldn‘t stop reading. The book intrigued me and I deeply dived into the London Underworld. I was so curious what happened to Adriana (Valentinas sister) and every new tip had me on the edge of my seat.
There were some new characters introduced and some of them already catched my interest. A story about Darko please? Of course we got a glimpse of the couple from the previous book (Thiago & Tess) and I ate this up. I love the universe the author has created and I hope many books will follow.
All in all this book made me so happy. It is one of these rare honestly good dark mafia romance books and I devoured it. Thumbs up!
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes. Khai Haras books get better and better.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 5/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, dark romance, mafia, cartel princess x italian mafia heir, forced proximity, forbidden love, badass fmc, dark golden retriever mmc, touch her and die, second chance, he falls first, romeo and juliet coded
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Valentina (23) and Matteo (in his late twenties I think)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Devil Mine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Phantom Mine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
»Adorable?«
»Overbearing.«
»All I heard was "bear" and they're super cute. I knew it. Tell me I'm adorable right now.«
★ ★ ★ ★ ★
❥ 𝑽𝒂𝒍𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒏𝒂 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
One of my favorite book woman ever! She is intelligent, badass and knows her worth. Valentina is a cartel princess who wants to avenge her sister. Loved her.
❥ 𝑴𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒐 ࣪⋆✮
This man is everything. His love for Valentina was beautiful and the way he was willing to give up everything for her. He is the standard.
✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
This book was everything I could wish for. It‘s dark, funny and has a captivating storyline. As a reader you will go down an emotional rollercoaster: I laughed, I cried and I was angry and shocked a lot of times. It‘s an enjoyable and entertaining book with the right amount of drama, action and spice. Khai Hara is wonderfully talented in writing dark and twisted books. I adored every single one of her stories and this was amazing again. I hope she will publish many books in the future.
Valentina and Matteo have great tension and their chemistry was chefs kiss. They‘re a badass couple. Both know how to fight and grew up in the Underworld. I liked their dynamic and the way both fall head over heels for each other. The love story is wonderful and goes hand in hand with the thrilling plot.
I was glued to my kindle all morning and couldn‘t stop reading. The book intrigued me and I deeply dived into the London Underworld. I was so curious what happened to Adriana (Valentinas sister) and every new tip had me on the edge of my seat.
There were some new characters introduced and some of them already catched my interest. A story about Darko please? Of course we got a glimpse of the couple from the previous book (Thiago & Tess) and I ate this up. I love the universe the author has created and I hope many books will follow.
All in all this book made me so happy. It is one of these rare honestly good dark mafia romance books and I devoured it. Thumbs up!
𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes. Khai Haras books get better and better.
𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 5/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes
𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
possessive and protective hero, dark romance, mafia, cartel princess x italian mafia heir, forced proximity, forbidden love, badass fmc, dark golden retriever mmc, touch her and die, second chance, he falls first, romeo and juliet coded
𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Valentina (23) and Matteo (in his late twenties I think)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no
𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 Devil Mine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 Phantom Mine ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
June 18, 2025
Wow I loved them🥹 I felt their love for each other so strongly which is not always the case in book! When she was carrying him on her back to save him 😩😩😩😩that got me!
I was also kind of dreading leni in the beginning because I thought she was going to be pushing Matteo away the whole time, but she didn’t and I loved that!
I was also kind of dreading leni in the beginning because I thought she was going to be pushing Matteo away the whole time, but she didn’t and I loved that!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 29, 2025
UGHHH this is my first book after a really long book slump.
I can definitely say that I love Matteo. The way he cares, loves, and is definitely obsessive and possessive of Leni is absolutely everything!! I love the fact that he never spared another woman a glance after he met her and that he was so down bad for her after just seeing her that he stayed in London because he needed to find her.🙂↕️
The fact that he also sacrificed his position as a don because he couldn’t stand the thought of another man marrying Valentina😭 He is so devoted and in love with her that when he thought Thiago was Valentina’s lover instead of her brother, he was heartbroken and all teared up 😭😭 My poor baby thought the worst, and yet he still loved her despite the small misunderstanding.
I can definitely say my rating is based on his devotion and love for Leni and how amazing he has been with her. The sweet moments between Valentina and Matteo were also everything and made their connection even deeper. I also liked the fact that despite Valentina not telling him her identity, she was still real with him and he was there for her no matter what.
Even Enzo was annoyed by Matteo being a lover boy, and during the time he searched for her, the only thing Matteo talked about was how he yearned for her again. The only thing I can say was a little annoying was when he was in denial about his feelings for Valentina in the beginning, but he is the one who ends up falling in love first 🤣
Overall, I really loved this one, even though it took me some time to read it.
𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨:
- There is no actual OWD or OMD, only jealousy scenes.
- No others after meeting—both are only interested in each other.
- No info on how long it has been for both of them, but Matteo didn’t come across as a manhoe, which I appreciated.
- Matteo informed Valentina early on about his engagement to OW, but nothing ever comes out of it. He never even met Marina and was never interested in another woman after meeting Valentina.
- It was mentioned briefly that a few months before Valentina arrived in London, he tried to flirt with other women to forget about her and to prepare himself because he had to marry the OW, but nothing happened. He couldn’t go through with it because he only wants Valentina and no one else.
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
“You’d forgive your father’s death with no retaliation and set terms for a truce instead, but you’d wage war for Valentina?”
Violence crawls like a maddening itch through my veins, poisoning my blood and turning it black.
“I won’t just wage it, Thiago. I’ll fucking win. You’ll die for nothing, because I’ll pry your sister from your cold dead hands and take her anyway.” His eyes darken but he says nothing. “What are you willing to risk for her? Think long and hard before you respond, because if the answer isn’t absolutely everything, then you won’t win against me. I only have everything to lose here and that’s Valentina.”
“You would destroy her family to have her?”
I shrug. “If that’s what it takes. If her family is standing in my way, then yes, without a moment’s hesitation.”
“Why?”
“Wouldn’t you do the same for your wife?”
Two of the guards look at each other in surprise. Even Thiago seems to still once more.
“So you intend to marry her?”
I straighten, the muscles of my back locking into place as I scowl. This fucker isn’t paying attention.”
-
“Then you found each other again and I saw the way you looked at her.” He pauses, inhaling a long, slow breath as he rakes his hand through his hair. “That’s when I knew we were in trouble. You stare at her with a restless, unyielding sort of hunger, as if just the sight of her replenishes your soul.” He blows out an aggrieved breath now. “You know you’re not supposed to look directly at the sun, right? They taught us that in kindergarten, but you must have been out sick that day because you stand there looking right into the equivalent of your sun with the dopiest, most lovesick grin on your face, uncaring that you’re getting your metaphorical corneas absolutely scorched to a crisp in the process. Look at you, you’re doing it right fucking now,” he says, waving at my face exaggeratingly. “You can’t look away. It would be adorable if you were staring at the right woman.”
-
“You would rather give up being Don than give up a woman?” The disbelief rings shrilly in Emiliano’s voice. “Not a woman, my woman,” I clarify. “And yes.”
-
“I can’t look away from you when you’re in the room. Ever since the first time I touched your hair, nothing else has felt quite right to my touch. I made you laugh again and I want to keep making you laugh. I want more of those arepas you made. I want a home with you. I want to come home to you. Everything I can imagine wanting or needing in this life revolves entirely around you,”
I can definitely say that I love Matteo. The way he cares, loves, and is definitely obsessive and possessive of Leni is absolutely everything!! I love the fact that he never spared another woman a glance after he met her and that he was so down bad for her after just seeing her that he stayed in London because he needed to find her.🙂↕️
The fact that he also sacrificed his position as a don because he couldn’t stand the thought of another man marrying Valentina😭 He is so devoted and in love with her that when he thought Thiago was Valentina’s lover instead of her brother, he was heartbroken and all teared up 😭😭 My poor baby thought the worst, and yet he still loved her despite the small misunderstanding.
I can definitely say my rating is based on his devotion and love for Leni and how amazing he has been with her. The sweet moments between Valentina and Matteo were also everything and made their connection even deeper. I also liked the fact that despite Valentina not telling him her identity, she was still real with him and he was there for her no matter what.
Even Enzo was annoyed by Matteo being a lover boy, and during the time he searched for her, the only thing Matteo talked about was how he yearned for her again. The only thing I can say was a little annoying was when he was in denial about his feelings for Valentina in the beginning, but he is the one who ends up falling in love first 🤣
Overall, I really loved this one, even though it took me some time to read it.
𝐒𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲 𝐢𝐧𝐟𝐨:
- There is no actual OWD or OMD, only jealousy scenes.
- No others after meeting—both are only interested in each other.
- No info on how long it has been for both of them, but Matteo didn’t come across as a manhoe, which I appreciated.
- Matteo informed Valentina early on about his engagement to OW, but nothing ever comes out of it. He never even met Marina and was never interested in another woman after meeting Valentina.
- It was mentioned briefly that a few months before Valentina arrived in London, he tried to flirt with other women to forget about her and to prepare himself because he had to marry the OW, but nothing happened. He couldn’t go through with it because he only wants Valentina and no one else.
𝐒𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐧𝐨𝐭𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐦𝐨𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬:
“You’d forgive your father’s death with no retaliation and set terms for a truce instead, but you’d wage war for Valentina?”
Violence crawls like a maddening itch through my veins, poisoning my blood and turning it black.
“I won’t just wage it, Thiago. I’ll fucking win. You’ll die for nothing, because I’ll pry your sister from your cold dead hands and take her anyway.” His eyes darken but he says nothing. “What are you willing to risk for her? Think long and hard before you respond, because if the answer isn’t absolutely everything, then you won’t win against me. I only have everything to lose here and that’s Valentina.”
“You would destroy her family to have her?”
I shrug. “If that’s what it takes. If her family is standing in my way, then yes, without a moment’s hesitation.”
“Why?”
“Wouldn’t you do the same for your wife?”
Two of the guards look at each other in surprise. Even Thiago seems to still once more.
“So you intend to marry her?”
I straighten, the muscles of my back locking into place as I scowl. This fucker isn’t paying attention.”
-
“Then you found each other again and I saw the way you looked at her.” He pauses, inhaling a long, slow breath as he rakes his hand through his hair. “That’s when I knew we were in trouble. You stare at her with a restless, unyielding sort of hunger, as if just the sight of her replenishes your soul.” He blows out an aggrieved breath now. “You know you’re not supposed to look directly at the sun, right? They taught us that in kindergarten, but you must have been out sick that day because you stand there looking right into the equivalent of your sun with the dopiest, most lovesick grin on your face, uncaring that you’re getting your metaphorical corneas absolutely scorched to a crisp in the process. Look at you, you’re doing it right fucking now,” he says, waving at my face exaggeratingly. “You can’t look away. It would be adorable if you were staring at the right woman.”
-
“You would rather give up being Don than give up a woman?” The disbelief rings shrilly in Emiliano’s voice. “Not a woman, my woman,” I clarify. “And yes.”
-
“I can’t look away from you when you’re in the room. Ever since the first time I touched your hair, nothing else has felt quite right to my touch. I made you laugh again and I want to keep making you laugh. I want more of those arepas you made. I want a home with you. I want to come home to you. Everything I can imagine wanting or needing in this life revolves entirely around you,”
May 7, 2025
DNF at 43%.
Thiago was a saint compared to this lying cheating hypocritical piece of shit Matteo, I'm genuinely disgusted that he thought he could have "fun" and supposedly claim Valentina all the while practically engaged to another woman and saying that he'd forget all about her once he was married ?!?!🤮
And Valentina was no better ! Saying she wanted to avenge her murdered sister all the while fucking and fooling around with Matteo and being a spineless coward for half the book OMFG BE FR CUZ WTAF 💀
Thiago was a saint compared to this lying cheating hypocritical piece of shit Matteo, I'm genuinely disgusted that he thought he could have "fun" and supposedly claim Valentina all the while practically engaged to another woman and saying that he'd forget all about her once he was married ?!?!🤮
And Valentina was no better ! Saying she wanted to avenge her murdered sister all the while fucking and fooling around with Matteo and being a spineless coward for half the book OMFG BE FR CUZ WTAF 💀
April 5, 2025
Matteo & Valentina
April 29, 2025
when he has a fear of fires and he literally barges into a burning building to save her 🧎🏻♀️
GOOD LORD I’M IN LOVEEEEE 😍😍😍
mateo is so book husband and no one can tell me otherwise. the way i’m so down bad for this man is absolutely obsessive behavior 😩
valetina is a mafia princess looking for answers about what happened to her sister adriana. there’s a lot more information about who adriana is and why valentina is off doing her own investigations in book one which is “devil mine” !! but these are interconnected standalones 🖤
nearly two years ago adriana and valentina go to the club and when valentina gets sidetracked by a masked stranger that’s when adriana goes missing. since then she has been trying to find any clues or answers to what happened. this leads valentina to get a job at the same club. she knew the family at this club is responsible for adriana’s disappearance and working there under a hidden identity is what her plan is to get justice. but when the owner of the club happens to notice her … he tries everything in the book to get her to remember 👀
i absolutely ate this story of mateo and valentina !! there were definitely parts where i thought were just being dragged on. it lost me for a minute but then picked back up quickly after that. i couldn’t just leave it hanging omg 😭 if i thought i fell head over heels for thiago then i just immediately drowned in mateo 🤤 FUCKING A I LOVE HIM 🫀🫀
i can’t wait for more omg !!
🌶️🌶️🌶️
GOOD LORD I’M IN LOVEEEEE 😍😍😍
mateo is so book husband and no one can tell me otherwise. the way i’m so down bad for this man is absolutely obsessive behavior 😩
valetina is a mafia princess looking for answers about what happened to her sister adriana. there’s a lot more information about who adriana is and why valentina is off doing her own investigations in book one which is “devil mine” !! but these are interconnected standalones 🖤
nearly two years ago adriana and valentina go to the club and when valentina gets sidetracked by a masked stranger that’s when adriana goes missing. since then she has been trying to find any clues or answers to what happened. this leads valentina to get a job at the same club. she knew the family at this club is responsible for adriana’s disappearance and working there under a hidden identity is what her plan is to get justice. but when the owner of the club happens to notice her … he tries everything in the book to get her to remember 👀
i absolutely ate this story of mateo and valentina !! there were definitely parts where i thought were just being dragged on. it lost me for a minute but then picked back up quickly after that. i couldn’t just leave it hanging omg 😭 if i thought i fell head over heels for thiago then i just immediately drowned in mateo 🤤 FUCKING A I LOVE HIM 🫀🫀
i can’t wait for more omg !!
🌶️🌶️🌶️
October 4, 2025
3,5 stars
April 7, 2025
"My final wish remains unchanged--I still want to die with the taste of you on my lips, even knowing everything. But you love him, Valentina. So, please...just kill me when you're done."
4.5 stars ‧₊˚🕷‧₊˚-`♡´-
god, this was even better than i hoped. i went through so many emotions reading this. i can't even began to describe how well Hara writes. it feels like she immerses herself within the writing until she leaves and breathes the characters. phantom <3
matteo and valentina are so catastrophically beautiful together, and though the ANGST got to me sometimes 🙈 matteo is one of the best mmc i've ever read before. he is unabashedly devoted to leni, though he can be incredibly posessive at times. he's the obsessed, OTT, alpha hero. i don't wanna spoil anything but i think what he does in order to have leni shows how much he loved that, and literally swoon.
⋆⭒˚｡⋆ minor annoyances/triggers/potential spoilers
- a lot of the side characters kind of seemed irrelevant. like enzo is obv his second in command, but he doesn't do much for me but he ends up with one of the other characters, so its like, are we gonna get a book on him...? but he seems boring so idk 😒
- while this was kind of obvious that it was gonna happen, there isn't a lot of information given on her whereabouts and what happened. i think Hara did this so there is still interest in her book which is coming soon (?!) which i am excited for, but i was hoping for some clarification since when it is revealed, its like hip hip hooray but no one knows what happened.
- i found this to be the most dramatic scene in the book. i mean matteo almost mf dies and its so out of wack like how did this go from 0-100? they don't actually kill anyone so i guess its to show again how far hes willing to go for her but it seemed hella dramatic because they only end up getting themselves hurt.
- there is so much smut . while i can see how it furthers their relationship, there was multiple chapters depicting one scene from both of their povs. it kinda just starts to blend into another "when he gives her that dark look" that im kinda like ok here we go again. its written well, but i feel like for at least 1/2 of the book thats what the majority of their relationship is.
4.5 stars ‧₊˚🕷‧₊˚-`♡´-
god, this was even better than i hoped. i went through so many emotions reading this. i can't even began to describe how well Hara writes. it feels like she immerses herself within the writing until she leaves and breathes the characters. phantom <3
matteo and valentina are so catastrophically beautiful together, and though the ANGST got to me sometimes 🙈 matteo is one of the best mmc i've ever read before. he is unabashedly devoted to leni, though he can be incredibly posessive at times. he's the obsessed, OTT, alpha hero. i don't wanna spoil anything but i think what he does in order to have leni shows how much he loved that, and literally swoon.
⋆⭒˚｡⋆ minor annoyances/triggers/potential spoilers
- a lot of the side characters kind of seemed irrelevant. like enzo is obv his second in command, but he doesn't do much for me but he ends up with one of the other characters, so its like, are we gonna get a book on him...? but he seems boring so idk 😒
- while this was kind of obvious that it was gonna happen, there isn't a lot of information given on her whereabouts and what happened. i think Hara did this so there is still interest in her book which is coming soon (?!) which i am excited for, but i was hoping for some clarification since when it is revealed, its like hip hip hooray but no one knows what happened.
- i found this to be the most dramatic scene in the book. i mean matteo almost mf dies and its so out of wack like how did this go from 0-100? they don't actually kill anyone so i guess its to show again how far hes willing to go for her but it seemed hella dramatic because they only end up getting themselves hurt.
- there is so much smut . while i can see how it furthers their relationship, there was multiple chapters depicting one scene from both of their povs. it kinda just starts to blend into another "when he gives her that dark look" that im kinda like ok here we go again. its written well, but i feel like for at least 1/2 of the book thats what the majority of their relationship is.
April 22, 2025
I started to dislike it after the first half. It became just spice without anything interesting. I liked Valentina at first. Matteo too. But somewhere, they became just boring. He talked too much. They fucked too much. When are you going to investigate about Adrianna ? Because Valentina is really into her investigation at first and she found really interesting stuff. Then, she is more into getting fucked everywhere. Sorry Adri, sex first.
And the ending. WTF. Without any more information, investigation or explaination, it's the worst ending ever. And I don't talk about the boudoir thing, which was useless. I talk about a broken person who should be the main interest and Valentina acting like everything is fine.
And the ending. WTF. Without any more information, investigation or explaination, it's the worst ending ever. And I don't talk about the boudoir thing, which was useless. I talk about a broken person who should be the main interest and Valentina acting like everything is fine.
May 1, 2025
Ok so i few things bothered me so thats why its 3 stars:
-first of I thought we were promised a bad ass bitch which Valentina was for the first 10 or so chapters but then she just turned into this whiny dormant character that cried every chapter also the fact that i hate that trope where the FL knows the ML is supposed to marry OW but shes like well i’ll savor the time we have together like no girl grow some balls, youre just a pasttime and fun for him till his wife comes into the picture. Like go see other men , get engaged or whatever.
-another thing that pissed me of is the fact that he’s supposed to be obsessed with her but kept saying he was gonna have to let her go well almost till the end of the book, like where is the obsession (cough❤️Thiago❤️).
-their connection seemed just surface level to me , just plain sexual.
-plus the fact she had to apologize to him for being engaged when he was gonna go through his marriage until he heard the news about her engagement, cause i just didn’t buy it that he wasn’t gonna go through with his.
-also another thing that bothered me is why is in both books an undertone that both MLs have more sexual experience than FLs like both guys already knew they liked anal which means they both had it but the girls never did like why do that?
Overall the book was ok , not a good a the first one cause ❤️Thiago❤️ but ill continue to read the series as long as its safe.
-first of I thought we were promised a bad ass bitch which Valentina was for the first 10 or so chapters but then she just turned into this whiny dormant character that cried every chapter also the fact that i hate that trope where the FL knows the ML is supposed to marry OW but shes like well i’ll savor the time we have together like no girl grow some balls, youre just a pasttime and fun for him till his wife comes into the picture. Like go see other men , get engaged or whatever.
-another thing that pissed me of is the fact that he’s supposed to be obsessed with her but kept saying he was gonna have to let her go well almost till the end of the book, like where is the obsession (cough❤️Thiago❤️).
-their connection seemed just surface level to me , just plain sexual.
-plus the fact she had to apologize to him for being engaged when he was gonna go through his marriage until he heard the news about her engagement, cause i just didn’t buy it that he wasn’t gonna go through with his.
-also another thing that bothered me is why is in both books an undertone that both MLs have more sexual experience than FLs like both guys already knew they liked anal which means they both had it but the girls never did like why do that?
Overall the book was ok , not a good a the first one cause ❤️Thiago❤️ but ill continue to read the series as long as its safe.
April 14, 2025
Phantom mine ~ 5⭐️ & 4🌶️
This book made me stay up till 7am to read “just one more ch”.
Matteo and Valentina (Leni) were everything! Matteo is jealous, possessive, OTT and ready to give up anything for her (literally). There was slight push from Valentina but he WAS NOT having it, his obsession with her is unmatched. Man literally wanted to fistfight the rain for getting her sick😭.
I love how strong valentina was, the perfect mafia princess with a soft heart and yet so tough.
Valentina and adriana really are platonic soulmates, they’re both so precious and I actually can’t wait for adriana’s story now.
“𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦,
𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”
“𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚,
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 “𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧” 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞.
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦”
The moment they laid eyes on each other there was no one else for either of them, they were both celibates. Matteo is the definition was boy obsessed done right.
I can’t express properly in words how much I lovee this book so I’ll leave a few quotes below ;)
“You’re my very own forbidden fruit, cara mia, and kissing you is like giving in to the original sin. I should be strong enough to resist, I should stay away, but I can’t. I won’t”
“You’re… you’re…”
“Adorable?” he suggests helpfully.
“Overbearing.”
“All I heard was “bear” and they’re super cute. I knew it. Tell me I’m adorable right now”
“I shouldn’t kiss you, You’ll get sick.”
“I’m already sick.”
I place my hand on his forehead, feeling to see if he has a fever. “What’s wrong?”
“No official diagnosis yet. My only symptom is my unrelenting obsession with you. Think I’ll live?”
“I don’t own you,”
“Says who?”
“He may come in the prettiest of packages, but it’s his kind heart that I find most attractive about him.”
“I think the reason I suffered as a boy was so I could earn and deserve your love as a man”
“Kiss me first, My final wish remains unchanged—I still want to die with the taste of you on my lips, even knowing everything.” I press our joint hands forward until the tip of the blade punctures my skin. Blood starts trickling unhurriedly down the column of my neck. “But you love him, Valentina, So, please…just kill me when you’re done”
This book made me stay up till 7am to read “just one more ch”.
Matteo and Valentina (Leni) were everything! Matteo is jealous, possessive, OTT and ready to give up anything for her (literally). There was slight push from Valentina but he WAS NOT having it, his obsession with her is unmatched. Man literally wanted to fistfight the rain for getting her sick😭.
I love how strong valentina was, the perfect mafia princess with a soft heart and yet so tough.
Valentina and adriana really are platonic soulmates, they’re both so precious and I actually can’t wait for adriana’s story now.
“𝐈𝐟 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐥𝐢𝐤𝐞 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐨 𝐰𝐡𝐨 𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐝𝐮𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝 𝐭𝐨𝐩 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐜𝐥𝐚𝐬𝐬 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐝𝐞𝐠𝐫𝐞𝐞 𝐢𝐧 𝐲𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐦,
𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐢𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐲𝐨𝐮.”
“𝐕𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐚,
𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐝 “𝐨𝐛𝐬𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧” 𝐠𝐨𝐭 𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐝𝐚𝐲 𝐈 𝐦𝐞𝐭 𝐲𝐨𝐮. 𝐘𝐨𝐮’𝐯𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐞𝐧 𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐞 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐬𝐢𝐧𝐜𝐞.
𝐘𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐏𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐭𝐨𝐦”
The moment they laid eyes on each other there was no one else for either of them, they were both celibates. Matteo is the definition was boy obsessed done right.
I can’t express properly in words how much I lovee this book so I’ll leave a few quotes below ;)
“You’re my very own forbidden fruit, cara mia, and kissing you is like giving in to the original sin. I should be strong enough to resist, I should stay away, but I can’t. I won’t”
“You’re… you’re…”
“Adorable?” he suggests helpfully.
“Overbearing.”
“All I heard was “bear” and they’re super cute. I knew it. Tell me I’m adorable right now”
“I shouldn’t kiss you, You’ll get sick.”
“I’m already sick.”
I place my hand on his forehead, feeling to see if he has a fever. “What’s wrong?”
“No official diagnosis yet. My only symptom is my unrelenting obsession with you. Think I’ll live?”
“I don’t own you,”
“Says who?”
“He may come in the prettiest of packages, but it’s his kind heart that I find most attractive about him.”
“I think the reason I suffered as a boy was so I could earn and deserve your love as a man”
“Kiss me first, My final wish remains unchanged—I still want to die with the taste of you on my lips, even knowing everything.” I press our joint hands forward until the tip of the blade punctures my skin. Blood starts trickling unhurriedly down the column of my neck. “But you love him, Valentina, So, please…just kill me when you’re done”
April 8, 2025
4⭐ He is "Now you have me wanting to fistfight the rain for getting you sick" kind of guy.
MATEO HAS ME ON HIS KNEES!!!🙇♀️🙇♀️This is the second book of London underworld series and book 1 was my absolute favorite 5 star. Thiago is one of my favorite book boyfriend and small cameo of him in this book made my whole day.
While this wasn't 5 star only bcz i am greedy but this book has rolling me down, giggling, blushing, kicking feet and doing everything a mature women like me shouldn't do. I kid you not but saying this man is in love and obsessed with the woman will be understatement because the level of possessive this man has for her is over the top. He loves her and it shows.
Valentina was absolute baddie wrapped in grief and revenge. She is few of those FMC in mafia book that i didn't find annoying. I loved her so much and could relate with her in certain way. She is hard yet soft and that's what i like about her most.
I had a great time and reading some crazy guy obsessed with woman he is willing to do anything for was just what i needed.
MATEO HAS ME ON HIS KNEES!!!🙇♀️🙇♀️This is the second book of London underworld series and book 1 was my absolute favorite 5 star. Thiago is one of my favorite book boyfriend and small cameo of him in this book made my whole day.
While this wasn't 5 star only bcz i am greedy but this book has rolling me down, giggling, blushing, kicking feet and doing everything a mature women like me shouldn't do. I kid you not but saying this man is in love and obsessed with the woman will be understatement because the level of possessive this man has for her is over the top. He loves her and it shows.
Valentina was absolute baddie wrapped in grief and revenge. She is few of those FMC in mafia book that i didn't find annoying. I loved her so much and could relate with her in certain way. She is hard yet soft and that's what i like about her most.
I had a great time and reading some crazy guy obsessed with woman he is willing to do anything for was just what i needed.
April 22, 2025
sooooo boring i hate when yall hype up mid!
Read
August 31, 2025This book would’ve been a 5/5 read but the last 70% totally ruined it, to the point where I wouldn’t even know what to rate this book.
On a romance level this was peak, Matteo truly graduated top of his class in yearnology. I loved their connection so much.
But plot wise, so much dragged once again, if the author apologized in the 1st book for making it long, this one was even longer. Some side-plots really weren’t needed. And just like in book 1 where Tess mother was facing abuse and then just disappeared, so did Aurora. I mean she was Vale’s close friend, how did she just disappear from one chapter after the other? And then in the epilogue, after everything Guido has done to Vale and Aurora we don’t even find out in her own book who killed him? Adriana is found and okay I guess we’ll find out in her own book how and what happened, but again it lacks anticipation like in the first book’s epilogue where we find out she’s found. Same way we get Dagny and Enzo spoiler. I mean yes it’s obvious Dagny and Enzo end up Cassie and Joaquin, but you’d still want star surprise factor, giving me answers in the epilogue just kills that. Why does Thiago and Matteo need happen of page, like mutual assassination attempts is something serious and it just gets mentioned as if it’s nothing? The jealousy of these men is so nonsense, I love a jealous MMC, but you’re jealous of your wife changing in-front of another woman? Bffr that’s just pathetic. The waiting for Adri to get married really gave DarkVerse. Lastly what really ruined this for me was the Church scene.
On a romance level this was peak, Matteo truly graduated top of his class in yearnology. I loved their connection so much.
But plot wise, so much dragged once again, if the author apologized in the 1st book for making it long, this one was even longer. Some side-plots really weren’t needed. And just like in book 1 where Tess mother was facing abuse and then just disappeared, so did Aurora. I mean she was Vale’s close friend, how did she just disappear from one chapter after the other? And then in the epilogue, after everything Guido has done to Vale and Aurora we don’t even find out in her own book who killed him? Adriana is found and okay I guess we’ll find out in her own book how and what happened, but again it lacks anticipation like in the first book’s epilogue where we find out she’s found. Same way we get Dagny and Enzo spoiler. I mean yes it’s obvious Dagny and Enzo end up Cassie and Joaquin, but you’d still want star surprise factor, giving me answers in the epilogue just kills that. Why does Thiago and Matteo need happen of page, like mutual assassination attempts is something serious and it just gets mentioned as if it’s nothing? The jealousy of these men is so nonsense, I love a jealous MMC, but you’re jealous of your wife changing in-front of another woman? Bffr that’s just pathetic. The waiting for Adri to get married really gave DarkVerse. Lastly what really ruined this for me was the Church scene.
May 3, 2025
LINDOS MEU DEUS 😭😭😭😭
April 3, 2025
Beta Reader Review:
Firstly I’m obsessed with Khai Hara and anything she writes - I’ve been waiting on this book for what feels like forever and oh my goodness it did not disappoint. I was honoured to be sent a Beta Copy of this and haven’t been able to stop Fan Girling ever since I receieved it.
I need you all to know how fantastic this book is. We get an epic love story between Matteo and Valentina, but we also get an insight into Valentina’s relationship with Adriana. For me it felt so important that their story as sisters and best friends wasn’t forgotten about while romance brewed between our Main Characters.
As always Khai broke my heart and then slowly pieced it back together and the HEA at the end of this book was everything I needed and more.
This book is filled with grief, loss, guilt, torment and pain but also so much love, pining, protectiveness, forgiveness and trust. The lengths Matteo will go to, to gain Valentines trust is EVERYTHING, it shows that if it’s important to Valentina then it’s Important to Matteo and he will go all in where she is concerned. This man is so down bad for her and honestly the way he yearns for her, putting himself at risk just makes me melt.
Valentina is a very head strong character, she is determined to find out what happened to Adriana and is willing to sacrifice herself in the process. She LITERALLY enters the lions den in search of answers and finds an ally in the most unlikely of people.
If you only do one thing on 03/04 then let that one thing be reading this book. The chemistry between these two characters is electric, one minute you’ll be laughing at their flirty banter and the next you’ll be sobbing as their pour their hearts out to each other. The spice will have you needing a cold shower (and possibly a change of underwear), you’ll get to meet new side characters that you will fall in love with as well as reacquaint yourself with some familiar names. Overall this book gives you everything you could ever want. And I am OBSESSED with it.
Firstly I’m obsessed with Khai Hara and anything she writes - I’ve been waiting on this book for what feels like forever and oh my goodness it did not disappoint. I was honoured to be sent a Beta Copy of this and haven’t been able to stop Fan Girling ever since I receieved it.
I need you all to know how fantastic this book is. We get an epic love story between Matteo and Valentina, but we also get an insight into Valentina’s relationship with Adriana. For me it felt so important that their story as sisters and best friends wasn’t forgotten about while romance brewed between our Main Characters.
As always Khai broke my heart and then slowly pieced it back together and the HEA at the end of this book was everything I needed and more.
This book is filled with grief, loss, guilt, torment and pain but also so much love, pining, protectiveness, forgiveness and trust. The lengths Matteo will go to, to gain Valentines trust is EVERYTHING, it shows that if it’s important to Valentina then it’s Important to Matteo and he will go all in where she is concerned. This man is so down bad for her and honestly the way he yearns for her, putting himself at risk just makes me melt.
Valentina is a very head strong character, she is determined to find out what happened to Adriana and is willing to sacrifice herself in the process. She LITERALLY enters the lions den in search of answers and finds an ally in the most unlikely of people.
If you only do one thing on 03/04 then let that one thing be reading this book. The chemistry between these two characters is electric, one minute you’ll be laughing at their flirty banter and the next you’ll be sobbing as their pour their hearts out to each other. The spice will have you needing a cold shower (and possibly a change of underwear), you’ll get to meet new side characters that you will fall in love with as well as reacquaint yourself with some familiar names. Overall this book gives you everything you could ever want. And I am OBSESSED with it.
April 22, 2025
this shit is a literary masterpiece! flawless! perfect! excellent! splendid! and above all epic…
anyways…
Matteo- this mfing dadddddy! had me screaming, squirming, and giggling! i fucking love this strong, i-take-no-shit, stop-running-from-me, you-can-trust-me KING!!
He's so fucking cute y'all. He was so protective of his girl.. never stopped looking out for her, even when his life was in danger. He had my legs divorced in chapter 1. 🫣
Valentina- she's a badass bitch that deserves the world! Every time something dangerous happened she threw herself in to help whoever needed to be saved. Like no fucks given. She did whatever the fuck she wanted. Matteo had multiple meltdowns bc of that alone..
the plot and writing were excellent! the emotions were raw. my heart was swelling for these characters. bro why did i read this so MFing fast?!?! i don’t want it to be over. 😭
i had so much fun reading this. it had my attention from the very beginning! ain’t no one doing it out here like the queen Khai Hara!!
She fucking DELIVERED 👏
Oh and..
“𝘗𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵,”
“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘯.”
It has one of those scenes. 🤭
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
P.s: the scene where Valentina opened the car's door herself and got in but Matteo did not like that so he took her out, closed the door and opened it again himself so she can get in .. had me crying 😂😂
Valentina was like "Are you clinically unwell?" 😭😂😂
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
What to expect:
▪︎ Praise/Degradation
▪︎ MC possessive/obsessive/loyal and protective
▪︎ Italian mafia & Cartel
▪︎ Touch her and die
▪︎ Steamy af
▪︎ Celibate since they first met
▪︎ "MINE!"
anyways…
Matteo- this mfing dadddddy! had me screaming, squirming, and giggling! i fucking love this strong, i-take-no-shit, stop-running-from-me, you-can-trust-me KING!!
He's so fucking cute y'all. He was so protective of his girl.. never stopped looking out for her, even when his life was in danger. He had my legs divorced in chapter 1. 🫣
Valentina- she's a badass bitch that deserves the world! Every time something dangerous happened she threw herself in to help whoever needed to be saved. Like no fucks given. She did whatever the fuck she wanted. Matteo had multiple meltdowns bc of that alone..
the plot and writing were excellent! the emotions were raw. my heart was swelling for these characters. bro why did i read this so MFing fast?!?! i don’t want it to be over. 😭
i had so much fun reading this. it had my attention from the very beginning! ain’t no one doing it out here like the queen Khai Hara!!
She fucking DELIVERED 👏
Oh and..
“𝘗𝘶𝘴𝘩 𝘣𝘢𝘤𝘬 𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘵,”
“𝘐 𝘸𝘢𝘯𝘵 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘵𝘰 𝘧𝘶𝘤𝘬 𝘮𝘺 𝘨𝘶𝘯.”
It has one of those scenes. 🤭
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
P.s: the scene where Valentina opened the car's door herself and got in but Matteo did not like that so he took her out, closed the door and opened it again himself so she can get in .. had me crying 😂😂
Valentina was like "Are you clinically unwell?" 😭😂😂
▪︎▪︎▪︎▪︎
What to expect:
▪︎ Praise/Degradation
▪︎ MC possessive/obsessive/loyal and protective
▪︎ Italian mafia & Cartel
▪︎ Touch her and die
▪︎ Steamy af
▪︎ Celibate since they first met
▪︎ "MINE!"
March 31, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Giving this book anything below five stars is unacceptable to me because HOLY SH!T KHAI HARA COOKED WITH THIS ONE. NO SHE COOKED, MARINATED AND DEEP FRIED THE HELL OUT OF THIS BOOK. THE PLOT, THE CHARACTERS AND THE CHEMISTRY CONSUMED ME SO MUCH! DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE FRIENDSHIPS PORTRAYED IN THIS BOOK!!!
Matteo was such a different character- I love how he was a goner for Leni from the beginning. The insta trope was well executed here. He was so hot that at one point I almost asked “Can Valentina fight?” But no I wouldn’t dare because she can definitely kick ass.
I also loved the character of Valentina. She was so perfectly written- a beautiful combination of strong yet at times vulnerable, reckless but not stupid. I enjoyed every second of her character arc and how she slowly yet inevitably fell for for Matteo. One of my fav fmcs now for sure.
The emotions both MCs felt resonated within me- the yearning, the pining, the angst and the love they had for each other- I devoured that whole thing up. Their combat scenes kept me hooked and their banter was so entertaining as well.
The climax -oh God I was on my toes the whole time. Just when I thought this couple couldn’t get any more perfect 🥹🥹🥹.
Ahhhhh I cannot wait for the next book. 😭😭😭
Giving this book anything below five stars is unacceptable to me because HOLY SH!T KHAI HARA COOKED WITH THIS ONE. NO SHE COOKED, MARINATED AND DEEP FRIED THE HELL OUT OF THIS BOOK. THE PLOT, THE CHARACTERS AND THE CHEMISTRY CONSUMED ME SO MUCH! DO NOT EVEN GET ME STARTED ON THE FRIENDSHIPS PORTRAYED IN THIS BOOK!!!
Matteo was such a different character- I love how he was a goner for Leni from the beginning. The insta trope was well executed here. He was so hot that at one point I almost asked “Can Valentina fight?” But no I wouldn’t dare because she can definitely kick ass.
I also loved the character of Valentina. She was so perfectly written- a beautiful combination of strong yet at times vulnerable, reckless but not stupid. I enjoyed every second of her character arc and how she slowly yet inevitably fell for for Matteo. One of my fav fmcs now for sure.
The emotions both MCs felt resonated within me- the yearning, the pining, the angst and the love they had for each other- I devoured that whole thing up. Their combat scenes kept me hooked and their banter was so entertaining as well.
The climax -oh God I was on my toes the whole time. Just when I thought this couple couldn’t get any more perfect 🥹🥹🥹.
Ahhhhh I cannot wait for the next book. 😭😭😭
April 3, 2025
matteo had officially raised my standards for mafia men 🙂↕️🙂↕️
the relationship between matteo and valentina was so perfect and felt so natural to their stories. they helped each other heal and their love was so so sweet. matteo was the perfect amount of possessive without forcing valentina to change who she is and valentina was such a perfect fmc, both strong and vulnerable. matteo boy hesitating to sacrifice his power is something that is rare to see with dark romance men and is something that i NEED to see more of. if these men are willing to give up anything for these women it should really include anything!! shout out to khai hara for giving us mmc’s who value their women above status!
definitely looking forward to enzo and dagny’s book which i assume will be next 👀
the relationship between matteo and valentina was so perfect and felt so natural to their stories. they helped each other heal and their love was so so sweet. matteo was the perfect amount of possessive without forcing valentina to change who she is and valentina was such a perfect fmc, both strong and vulnerable. matteo boy hesitating to sacrifice his power is something that is rare to see with dark romance men and is something that i NEED to see more of. if these men are willing to give up anything for these women it should really include anything!! shout out to khai hara for giving us mmc’s who value their women above status!
definitely looking forward to enzo and dagny’s book which i assume will be next 👀
March 29, 2025
4.8⭐
Thank you so much Khai Hara for the ARC!!!!
I had so so so so so much fun reading this book!!! Loved Matteo and Valentina....their story was wholesome and the chemistry was sizzling 🔥🔥🔥
Totally loved Enzo too!!!
Thank you so much Khai Hara for the ARC!!!!
I had so so so so so much fun reading this book!!! Loved Matteo and Valentina....their story was wholesome and the chemistry was sizzling 🔥🔥🔥
Totally loved Enzo too!!!
August 8, 2025
holy shit 😩 this book was so good there is a few things that i didn't like but but it's ok so if you like obsessed cave man with a badass FMC and a good spicyy 🔥 and of course touch her and UR Died 🤫 …
April 20, 2025
So freaking good!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
June 23, 2025
can't believe i read 2 books and the main plot got solved in a fucking epilogue 😭
October 6, 2025
[for safety details, check below]
I can't believe I really loved this one! I have read few books by her but I didn't like the last book I read so I never gave her another chance. Now I am happy I did bcz this book was really good. It was boring a bit in the end but overall *chef's kiss*
SAFETY DETAILS:
Cheating:no
Sharing:no
OM drama:he was JEALOUS AF of every men around her. Not much I would say but she did provoke him by dancing in those clothes which was not approved by him (you will know what I mean when you read the book) bcz she got jealous after knowing that he was meeting with his supposed fiancee
OW drama: a dancer came and sit on his lap while H and h were talking but he literally shoved her off of him lmaooo that was fun.
Sex scene with OM or OW:not at all
Virgin/manwhore:no
Separation:after the first meeting they were separated for 2.5 years
Celibate during separation:yesss 🥹
Condoms:at first used, later not
Safe sex:yes and no
Book info:
jealous and possessive hero
mafia romance
he falls first
undercover fmc
mafia rivals
celibate H/h
HEA: yesss
SAFE?: yess
I can't believe I really loved this one! I have read few books by her but I didn't like the last book I read so I never gave her another chance. Now I am happy I did bcz this book was really good. It was boring a bit in the end but overall *chef's kiss*
SAFETY DETAILS:
Cheating:no
Sharing:no
OM drama:he was JEALOUS AF of every men around her. Not much I would say but she did provoke him by dancing in those clothes which was not approved by him (you will know what I mean when you read the book) bcz she got jealous after knowing that he was meeting with his supposed fiancee
OW drama: a dancer came and sit on his lap while H and h were talking but he literally shoved her off of him lmaooo that was fun.
Sex scene with OM or OW:not at all
Virgin/manwhore:no
Separation:after the first meeting they were separated for 2.5 years
Celibate during separation:yesss 🥹
Condoms:at first used, later not
Safe sex:yes and no
Book info:
jealous and possessive hero
mafia romance
he falls first
undercover fmc
mafia rivals
celibate H/h
HEA: yesss
SAFE?: yess
October 8, 2025
3 - 3.5 ⭐️ I liked book 1 way better!
Overall not bad and was fast read for me! Start of this book was the club and I really didn’t care about it and the dancing Ick me out each time, there was quite few times I cringed reading this book too 😭 I really thought whole book will be on the club and around half way on I was about to be done but finally there was a different setting so after that it wasn’t so bad overall. As a couple they were good but first couple and book was better for me and is my fav so far. I was expecting the sister’s plot to be dragged till the end of the series but her book is next so I like that it’s not being dragged too much. Based on the couple names and hints in this book I kind of get what Adrian and Darko book will be like. I do wish I started this series later when all books were out… there are many couples I look forward too so the wait gonna be ass 😭
Overall not bad and was fast read for me! Start of this book was the club and I really didn’t care about it and the dancing Ick me out each time, there was quite few times I cringed reading this book too 😭 I really thought whole book will be on the club and around half way on I was about to be done but finally there was a different setting so after that it wasn’t so bad overall. As a couple they were good but first couple and book was better for me and is my fav so far. I was expecting the sister’s plot to be dragged till the end of the series but her book is next so I like that it’s not being dragged too much. Based on the couple names and hints in this book I kind of get what Adrian and Darko book will be like. I do wish I started this series later when all books were out… there are many couples I look forward too so the wait gonna be ass 😭
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