What do you think?
Rate this book
Sins of Arrogance: A Marriage in Peril Irish Mafia Romance
From the USA Today Bestselling author of the Syndicate Rules series comes a dangerously seductive new chapter in mafia romance. Lucy Monroe turns up the heat with this story of mob intrigue and scorching passion.
In their world, mob marriages end in death—not divorce.
KARA
Falling in love with the man I was forced to marry was my first mistake. Letting that love die might be my salvation. Mick got everything in our arranged marriage. I got heartache—and Fitz, our son. He's the only bright spot in this cold, empty union.
I’m done playing the obedient mob wife. I’m going to ask my da—head of the Shaughnessy Mob—for a divorce. It won’t go over well. But I’m my father’s daughter, stubborn to the core, and more than ready to fight for my freedom.
Even if neither my husband nor my father sees it coming.
MICK
I keep my monster buried beneath layers of Irish charm, but it’s always there—just beneath the surface. I’ve kept Kara at arm’s length, convinced she deserved better than me. But when she’s granted a separation, the monster wakes up…and nothing will ever be the same again.. I might feel soft for our son, but what I feel for Kara? It’s darker. Fierce. Obsessive.
She thinks she can walk away. But Kara belongs to me. And I don’t care who I have to cross—or bury—to make sure she stays.
Even if I have to kidnap my own wife to prove it.
“Lucy Monroe has done it again. Her ability to communicate with her readers, helping us visualize her stories through her own eyes, is an incredible gift.” 5 Stars — Reader Review
“The Syndicate Rules Series is hands-down, one of my favorite mafia series. Author Lucy Monroe manages to infuse each story with something unique and beautiful.” 5 Stars — Reader Review
Content Warning: on the page violence, foul language, BDSM elements, mention of SI and a past attempt, mention of related post partum depression, IVF trauma and loss of family members.
In their world, mob marriages end in death—not divorce.
KARA
Falling in love with the man I was forced to marry was my first mistake. Letting that love die might be my salvation. Mick got everything in our arranged marriage. I got heartache—and Fitz, our son. He's the only bright spot in this cold, empty union.
I’m done playing the obedient mob wife. I’m going to ask my da—head of the Shaughnessy Mob—for a divorce. It won’t go over well. But I’m my father’s daughter, stubborn to the core, and more than ready to fight for my freedom.
Even if neither my husband nor my father sees it coming.
MICK
I keep my monster buried beneath layers of Irish charm, but it’s always there—just beneath the surface. I’ve kept Kara at arm’s length, convinced she deserved better than me. But when she’s granted a separation, the monster wakes up…and nothing will ever be the same again.. I might feel soft for our son, but what I feel for Kara? It’s darker. Fierce. Obsessive.
She thinks she can walk away. But Kara belongs to me. And I don’t care who I have to cross—or bury—to make sure she stays.
Even if I have to kidnap my own wife to prove it.
“Lucy Monroe has done it again. Her ability to communicate with her readers, helping us visualize her stories through her own eyes, is an incredible gift.” 5 Stars — Reader Review
“The Syndicate Rules Series is hands-down, one of my favorite mafia series. Author Lucy Monroe manages to infuse each story with something unique and beautiful.” 5 Stars — Reader Review
Content Warning: on the page violence, foul language, BDSM elements, mention of SI and a past attempt, mention of related post partum depression, IVF trauma and loss of family members.
426 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 28, 2025
215 people are currently reading
304 people want to read
About the author
Lucy Monroe
609 books1,573 followersI write spicy romance books that end in an HEA. Contemporary romance, historical romance, paranormal romance…I write it all. The two things my books all have in common is lots of emotion and spice. Last year, I fell in love with a new subgenre: mafia romance. Since I write what I love to read, I started a new standalone series, Syndicate Rules where you’ll meet over the top alpha heroes in the Italian and Greek mafias as well as the Irish mob. There are arranged marriages, forced marriages, enemies to lovers, stalkers, forced proximity and lots of mafia intrigue. Morally gray is my new favorite color.
Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
Follow me on BookBub for alerts on my next release: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/lucy-...
I’ve been published a while and most of my 90+ books have hit the Nielson Bookscan bestseller list, a few ended up on the USA Today bestseller list and some even hit national bestseller lists in the UK and Australia. My books have been translated into numerous languages and are for sale in dozens of countries around the world. I’ve won awards and been published with most of the big houses in New York, but my greatest achievement is touching readers’ hearts. When I hear from a reader who got caught up in one of my books, I know I’m doing what I’m meant to do.
I love writing emotionally deep stories with snappy dialogue and solid plots. I’m more grateful than I’ll ever be able to express that so many readers have taken my stories into their hearts and put my books on their reread and keeper shelves.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
August 29, 2025
This could've easily been a 1-star, but the last 15% or so was actually decent.
Let me be clear, I really don't care about the mob stuff at all. I came here for the romance or whatever is close to that. I went in here blindly and got hooked by the marriage-in-trouble trope. Idk, I was hoping for some angst, but I feel like I was scammed because where's the freaking peril?
The MCs (Kara, 25 & Mick, 33) have been married for seven years. It was an arranged marriage, so initially there was no love involved. But Kara is hopeful, and over the years, she fell in love with her husband. But Mick is a sociopath who can't feel emotions, which is something I don't understand because the moment their son was born, he immediately fell in love with him??? Yet apparently he can't "love" Kara, like it's just not possible for him. But he said she's his addiction and he's devoted to her. Maybe this is his version of love, or maybe I need to research more about sociopaths. 🤔
Like I said, I was looking for the marriage-in-peril aspect but actually never got any. I mean, they don't really discuss important stuff unless it's about their son. Mick always kept Kara in the dark when it comes to business stuff, probably his way of protecting her. But while they don't actually have decent conversations about things that don't involve their kid, one thing they excel at is the physical aspect. In this area at least, they connect on a deeper level. But in the grand scheme of things, that's the only part of their marriage that seems to work out for them.
Anyway, the issue arose with the arrival of his ex-girlfriend. Her family sent her to America because of a kidnapping attempt, and Kara's father agreed to house her while finding out who's behind the attempt. I think their families are sort of connected or something; I actually forgot. Anyway, the point is, the ex will be living under the same roof, and this happened at the 9% mark. So the witch was in the picture from the very beginning of this book. And mind you, she didn't get removed until the 95% mark. So yeah, there's OWD galore. 🙄
Both Mick and his father-in-law are suspicious about OW's intentions. They are willing to gather any information from her. So they think the best course of action was to treat her with caution but with rationality and make her feel welcome in that house. And with this hospitality crap, the witch for some reason felt like she could do whatever she wanted, and cue in the drama and the entitlement from this viper.
It was annoying, to say the least, because while Mick didn't encourage any of it, he didn't stop it either. He has probably done stupid things over the years, but letting his ex undermine his marriage? Taking her side and letting her take digs at his wife just because they need her for some intel? That’s just the worst, in my opinion. There were times he would let her touch him in front of Kara, and he would only remove himself from the situation after a few seconds or minutes. He actually let the witch mess with his wife's insecurities and cause her pain. Like, wtf is wrong with you?
He even went so far as to justify the OW's behavior and even used her at times to provoke his wife's jealousy. When he knew all along she had a jealous streak when they were newly married. She was young back then and didn't know any better. She was aware that he had a life before her, and that gave Kara so much insecurity. And Mick, the dumbass, thought that if he could make her jealous, then the old Kara might come back, the one who looks at him as if he hung the moon and stars. But his attempts resulted in a different outcome, and it made only the distance between them even more distant, not that they were close anyway (aside from sex, that is). And when he finally saw the OW as the poisonous viper that she is. His response was that "he miscalculated the damage the OW could do because he was never interested in her." Okaaay?? And the reason he put up boundaries between him and his wife all through their marriage was because he can't control himself around her, and he never loses control.
And for some reason, with the way I see it, the readers were expected to give him some grace because of his ASPD. He needs clear instructions on what to do to keep his wife happy. But if he really cares for her, or even a semblance of that, would it kill him to do some research on his own despite his busy schedule? He noticed years before that his wife had changed, but somehow he still couldn't be bothered to figure out why. Idk, in my head, even if he's a sociopath, I think he would pick up on some signs or body language here and there. I hate that I have to rationalize every time he doesn't understand the repercussions of his actions because he thinks differently. Idk, it felt like more of an excuse, and I hate that I always have to accommodate him because he didn't know any better, as he had no real grasp of emotions.
As for Kara, she's a good mom, but honestly, if she had a daughter, she'd be a pretty awful example of how a woman should be in a relationship. It's painfully clear that showing some spine, self-respect, or dignity when treated like crap by her husband (or father) is not in her lifestyle. And if she does, it would only last for a few minutes, because, gawd, her horniness always gets the best of her. Some say there's nothing wrong with being gentle or compassionate, but there has to be a limit to what a person can put up with. Seven years of marriage without significant effort from one's spouse can exhaust even the most resilient person.
It took her saying she wants a divorce and that she deserves happiness for Mick to finally wake up and start doing the bare minimum for his wife. This happened at the 71% mark. I'm not saying he didn't do anything for her, because he did or still does. He's protective, obsessive, possessive, and stalker-y of her. He was also loyal, as he didn't think about other women once they signed the agreement. But, I don't know, it seems pretty obvious that he should be doing that since he's the right hand, and his family should come first. Well, except for the whole obsession thing with his wife. But in general, protection shouldn't even be up for discussion; that's his responsibility after all.
So when her father agreed to grant the divorce. Mick decided to "kidnap" his wife and son and bring them somewhere because there's no way in hell that he would let her go. All it took was two days for her to fold so fast and trash the idea of divorce. It's so pathetic and rage-inducing how she's fucking swooning over a measly date that Mick planned. That's the kind of neglect she's been putting up with for seven whole years. They never actually went on a date, not once, and when they do go out, it's just for networking and schmoozing. It's even more rage-inducing that in just a few weeks, the OW has been living with them; Mick actually went out for dinner with her, and he hasn't even done that once for his wife of seven years. Sure, it was a business deal, but come on, the effort and time were definitely put in. Ugh!
Anyway, there was no freaking peril. There was a boatload of drama thanks to the OW and Mick's enabling personality. But despite that, Kara still slept with her idiot of a husband, because, like she said, he may never love her, but he craved her body. And this woman was more than ready to settle with that scrap of affection.
Overall, everything got fixed on the sudden getaway trip, but it was implied that days and weeks passed and Mick continued to show up and show how much he cared for her. Oh, he also realized he loved her at the 86% mark, so yay???
I can only think of a few things that I actually enjoyed in this book:
- Fitz, their son, was adorable.
- Kara got a sort of position in the family business.
- Mick is not keeping her in the dark anymore.
- OW having her comeuppance
But that's everything.
Let me be clear, I really don't care about the mob stuff at all. I came here for the romance or whatever is close to that. I went in here blindly and got hooked by the marriage-in-trouble trope. Idk, I was hoping for some angst, but I feel like I was scammed because where's the freaking peril?
The MCs (Kara, 25 & Mick, 33) have been married for seven years. It was an arranged marriage, so initially there was no love involved. But Kara is hopeful, and over the years, she fell in love with her husband. But Mick is a sociopath who can't feel emotions, which is something I don't understand because the moment their son was born, he immediately fell in love with him??? Yet apparently he can't "love" Kara, like it's just not possible for him. But he said she's his addiction and he's devoted to her. Maybe this is his version of love, or maybe I need to research more about sociopaths. 🤔
Like I said, I was looking for the marriage-in-peril aspect but actually never got any. I mean, they don't really discuss important stuff unless it's about their son. Mick always kept Kara in the dark when it comes to business stuff, probably his way of protecting her. But while they don't actually have decent conversations about things that don't involve their kid, one thing they excel at is the physical aspect. In this area at least, they connect on a deeper level. But in the grand scheme of things, that's the only part of their marriage that seems to work out for them.
Anyway, the issue arose with the arrival of his ex-girlfriend. Her family sent her to America because of a kidnapping attempt, and Kara's father agreed to house her while finding out who's behind the attempt. I think their families are sort of connected or something; I actually forgot. Anyway, the point is, the ex will be living under the same roof, and this happened at the 9% mark. So the witch was in the picture from the very beginning of this book. And mind you, she didn't get removed until the 95% mark. So yeah, there's OWD galore. 🙄
Both Mick and his father-in-law are suspicious about OW's intentions. They are willing to gather any information from her. So they think the best course of action was to treat her with caution but with rationality and make her feel welcome in that house. And with this hospitality crap, the witch for some reason felt like she could do whatever she wanted, and cue in the drama and the entitlement from this viper.
It was annoying, to say the least, because while Mick didn't encourage any of it, he didn't stop it either. He has probably done stupid things over the years, but letting his ex undermine his marriage? Taking her side and letting her take digs at his wife just because they need her for some intel? That’s just the worst, in my opinion. There were times he would let her touch him in front of Kara, and he would only remove himself from the situation after a few seconds or minutes. He actually let the witch mess with his wife's insecurities and cause her pain. Like, wtf is wrong with you?
He even went so far as to justify the OW's behavior and even used her at times to provoke his wife's jealousy. When he knew all along she had a jealous streak when they were newly married. She was young back then and didn't know any better. She was aware that he had a life before her, and that gave Kara so much insecurity. And Mick, the dumbass, thought that if he could make her jealous, then the old Kara might come back, the one who looks at him as if he hung the moon and stars. But his attempts resulted in a different outcome, and it made only the distance between them even more distant, not that they were close anyway (aside from sex, that is). And when he finally saw the OW as the poisonous viper that she is. His response was that "he miscalculated the damage the OW could do because he was never interested in her." Okaaay?? And the reason he put up boundaries between him and his wife all through their marriage was because he can't control himself around her, and he never loses control.
And for some reason, with the way I see it, the readers were expected to give him some grace because of his ASPD. He needs clear instructions on what to do to keep his wife happy. But if he really cares for her, or even a semblance of that, would it kill him to do some research on his own despite his busy schedule? He noticed years before that his wife had changed, but somehow he still couldn't be bothered to figure out why. Idk, in my head, even if he's a sociopath, I think he would pick up on some signs or body language here and there. I hate that I have to rationalize every time he doesn't understand the repercussions of his actions because he thinks differently. Idk, it felt like more of an excuse, and I hate that I always have to accommodate him because he didn't know any better, as he had no real grasp of emotions.
As for Kara, she's a good mom, but honestly, if she had a daughter, she'd be a pretty awful example of how a woman should be in a relationship. It's painfully clear that showing some spine, self-respect, or dignity when treated like crap by her husband (or father) is not in her lifestyle. And if she does, it would only last for a few minutes, because, gawd, her horniness always gets the best of her. Some say there's nothing wrong with being gentle or compassionate, but there has to be a limit to what a person can put up with. Seven years of marriage without significant effort from one's spouse can exhaust even the most resilient person.
It took her saying she wants a divorce and that she deserves happiness for Mick to finally wake up and start doing the bare minimum for his wife. This happened at the 71% mark. I'm not saying he didn't do anything for her, because he did or still does. He's protective, obsessive, possessive, and stalker-y of her. He was also loyal, as he didn't think about other women once they signed the agreement. But, I don't know, it seems pretty obvious that he should be doing that since he's the right hand, and his family should come first. Well, except for the whole obsession thing with his wife. But in general, protection shouldn't even be up for discussion; that's his responsibility after all.
So when her father agreed to grant the divorce. Mick decided to "kidnap" his wife and son and bring them somewhere because there's no way in hell that he would let her go. All it took was two days for her to fold so fast and trash the idea of divorce. It's so pathetic and rage-inducing how she's fucking swooning over a measly date that Mick planned. That's the kind of neglect she's been putting up with for seven whole years. They never actually went on a date, not once, and when they do go out, it's just for networking and schmoozing. It's even more rage-inducing that in just a few weeks, the OW has been living with them; Mick actually went out for dinner with her, and he hasn't even done that once for his wife of seven years. Sure, it was a business deal, but come on, the effort and time were definitely put in. Ugh!
Anyway, there was no freaking peril. There was a boatload of drama thanks to the OW and Mick's enabling personality. But despite that, Kara still slept with her idiot of a husband, because, like she said, he may never love her, but he craved her body. And this woman was more than ready to settle with that scrap of affection.
Overall, everything got fixed on the sudden getaway trip, but it was implied that days and weeks passed and Mick continued to show up and show how much he cared for her. Oh, he also realized he loved her at the 86% mark, so yay???
I can only think of a few things that I actually enjoyed in this book:
- Fitz, their son, was adorable.
- Kara got a sort of position in the family business.
- Mick is not keeping her in the dark anymore.
- OW having her comeuppance
But that's everything.
November 29, 2025
4.75🌟!
-Mafia romance
-Marriage in crisis.
-Possessive and obsessed hero.
-He is a sociopath.
-KU, TW and recommended.
Safe but there’s OW drama.
-Mafia romance
-Marriage in crisis.
-Possessive and obsessed hero.
-He is a sociopath.
-KU, TW and recommended.
Safe but there’s OW drama.
September 1, 2025
→ Very risqué Harlequin-ish.
→ Picked it up for the author/stayed for the premise.
→ Alas, it’s slow, repetitive & wordy.
→ Ow drama is about a non-ow cos the h is it for him.
→ Lotsa interesting mafia stuff.
→ Lotsa Hxh miscommunication.
→ Enjoyed the h because high-maintenance drama queens are my jam for now.
→ I much prefer the indirect characterisation approach when it comes to neurodivergent protagonists. So don’t repeatedly TELL me, sir, that you are a sociopath and/or psychopath. I can clearly see it in your actions and conversations and inner dialogue.
→ Picked it up for the author/stayed for the premise.
→ Alas, it’s slow, repetitive & wordy.
→ Ow drama is about a non-ow cos the h is it for him.
→ Lotsa interesting mafia stuff.
→ Lotsa Hxh miscommunication.
→ Enjoyed the h because high-maintenance drama queens are my jam for now.
→ I much prefer the indirect characterisation approach when it comes to neurodivergent protagonists. So don’t repeatedly TELL me, sir, that you are a sociopath and/or psychopath. I can clearly see it in your actions and conversations and inner dialogue.
August 29, 2025
I enjoyed this, but I didn’t like that mick didn’t have to grovel for being a dummy
January 5, 2026
Notes for me
Mick and Kara
He’s right hand man to Kara’s Irish mob boss dad, Brogan.
Married for an alliance 7 years ago. Son Fitz just turned 6.
He’s a sociopath that doesn’t know how to love, except his son.
Mick’s ex Dierdre shows up. She belongs to another Irish mob family. She wastes no time commenting on Mick’s innocent young wife. Sounds synonymous with stupid. She calls him Micky.
Interesting note for Mick being a sociopath and not feeling normal emotions, he’s very in tune to Kara’s emotions. She had post partum depression. She became out of control jealous of a family lawyer. She OD’d on sleeping pills.
Reader can tell from Mick’s POV he very much cares for his wife. He isn’t interested in any other woman.
Finally Mick gets suspicious of D’s timing so acts interested to get her story. Kara’s convinced they are having an affair. It finally dawns on him how this appears to Kara. She wants to leave him.
Side story about whisper guns.
My favorite kind of story. Perceived cheating, but MC is actually stupidly in love.
Mick and Kara
He’s right hand man to Kara’s Irish mob boss dad, Brogan.
Married for an alliance 7 years ago. Son Fitz just turned 6.
He’s a sociopath that doesn’t know how to love, except his son.
Mick’s ex Dierdre shows up. She belongs to another Irish mob family. She wastes no time commenting on Mick’s innocent young wife. Sounds synonymous with stupid. She calls him Micky.
Interesting note for Mick being a sociopath and not feeling normal emotions, he’s very in tune to Kara’s emotions. She had post partum depression. She became out of control jealous of a family lawyer. She OD’d on sleeping pills.
Reader can tell from Mick’s POV he very much cares for his wife. He isn’t interested in any other woman.
Finally Mick gets suspicious of D’s timing so acts interested to get her story. Kara’s convinced they are having an affair. It finally dawns on him how this appears to Kara. She wants to leave him.
Side story about whisper guns.
My favorite kind of story. Perceived cheating, but MC is actually stupidly in love.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 19, 2025
3.5 stars. For the longest time the cover stopped me from reading this. 😂 But overall it was enjoyable. A little boring and drawn out in some parts. Definitely Mick's character outshined the herione. I do like a sociopath. But I'd call him and this book a sociopath for beginners. There's a lot of ow drama from Dierdre, but it wasn't angsty. We're in Mick's head the entire book and we know exactly what he feels for Dierdre, and how he feels for Kara. He's obsessed with Kara literally. Their intimate scenes were off the charts. I was surprised there was so many, but with Mick's behavior and addiction to his wife it was understandable. They were hot together.
January 13, 2026
I liked the Irish/American mafia action; (be aware, it gets quite detailed re torture scenes). The H/h had great chemistry. Romance scenes were very plentiful and spicy, and I admit to skimming through them by the end. There was a bit of repetition re Kara thinking about Mick as 'her' sociopath. An entertaining read, if a bit long for what it was.
dnf
December 12, 2025DNF@75%
I read 300+ pages just to get to the “divorce” that the synopsis promised. Then, once I realized that divorce and grovel weren’t gonna be on the table, I simply stopped caring. This book could’ve been literally chopped in half.
I read 300+ pages just to get to the “divorce” that the synopsis promised. Then, once I realized that divorce and grovel weren’t gonna be on the table, I simply stopped caring. This book could’ve been literally chopped in half.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 28, 2025
I liked this story, the development between kara and mick, their journey, especially kara's. What she had to endure in the beginning was heartbreaking, and her journey was really beautiful, same with their understanding of each other. so overall. like I wrote, I really liked it.
August 21, 2025
What a great new book from my favorite author, Lucy Monroe. Mick (Michael) Fitzgerald is a confirmed sociopath. He’s a controlled ruthless killer. He must learn what it feels like to love and trust. Kara Shaughnessy (Fitzgerald) is his contracted wife. The pitfalls and problems in their relationship are many and varied. She loves him, he doesn’t love her. She trusts him, he stalks her. She has no romantic history. He not only has that history but one of the women in his past becomes a viper in the present, trying to come between Mick and Kara. When Kara demands a divorce, she gets everybody’s attention and things change dramatically. This is such a fun read and I absolutely hated for the book to end. I wanted more of this story.
August 29, 2025
When I started reading the book and learned about Mick, I was worried he was going to end up being a rehash of Cian who was also an Irish mobster sociopath, but that definitely wasn't the case. While Cian occasionally missed cues and had to fix things in his relationship, he understood the need to protect Anna emotionally as well as physically from the start.
Mick's struggles with interpersonal skills are much more significant, and he spent years causing Kara emotional pain without fully understanding what he was doing or how. He fucks up so much, but it's believable given his nature and I never felt like his actions were ever out of character or illogical and only included for the drama.
I really liked Kara. She was a strong character who stood up for herself without being annoyingly sassy or acting like she was suddenly a badass. She still struggled internally but found ways to push back and improve her life.
It was great to see the two of them truly come together, understand each other and start working to support each other while also providing guidance on how the other could make them happier in their marriage.
in terms of flaws, I did find the book to occasionally be repetitive, which background information being repeated 3 or more times, close enough together that it was jarring and made me question if I imagined being told the same thing in the previous chapter.
I also think Dierdre could have been more effective if she was more nuanced. She was so over the top that everyone could see right through her immediately. As a result, and concerns Kara had about her interactions with Mick were less impactful. While we got the emotional hit of Mick being callous in how he handled the situation, we never really felt a gut punch of Kara truly believing Dierdre was a threat to her marriage.
Regardless, the book was highly enjoyable with a satisfying end. I'm looking forward to seeing who the next one will be about.
Mick's struggles with interpersonal skills are much more significant, and he spent years causing Kara emotional pain without fully understanding what he was doing or how. He fucks up so much, but it's believable given his nature and I never felt like his actions were ever out of character or illogical and only included for the drama.
I really liked Kara. She was a strong character who stood up for herself without being annoyingly sassy or acting like she was suddenly a badass. She still struggled internally but found ways to push back and improve her life.
It was great to see the two of them truly come together, understand each other and start working to support each other while also providing guidance on how the other could make them happier in their marriage.
in terms of flaws, I did find the book to occasionally be repetitive, which background information being repeated 3 or more times, close enough together that it was jarring and made me question if I imagined being told the same thing in the previous chapter.
I also think Dierdre could have been more effective if she was more nuanced. She was so over the top that everyone could see right through her immediately. As a result, and concerns Kara had about her interactions with Mick were less impactful. While we got the emotional hit of Mick being callous in how he handled the situation, we never really felt a gut punch of Kara truly believing Dierdre was a threat to her marriage.
Regardless, the book was highly enjoyable with a satisfying end. I'm looking forward to seeing who the next one will be about.
November 7, 2025
"Sins of Arrogance" is the story of Kara and Mick.
Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my fav HQN authors do an erotic mafia romance.
The book is about a seven year itch- hero is a mob boss and heroine a mafia princess. It was a marriage of convenience, they have a son and they do have sex. But he promises no love, only shows care for their family and she is unhappy.
We then delve into her really traumatic past, where she is forced to have sex selective IVF even before intercourse. She then deals with post partum depression and thanks to her deteriorating mental health- a suicide attempt, while being labelled a hysteric. Since then, she keeps her emotions in a shell, until OW moves to their home.
The frustration I have with this book arises as we spend most of the book dealing with OW and her evil plots, instead of addressing the elephant in the room- their dysfunctional marriage. There are many scenes where the hero is utterly oblivious to the hurt heroine is suffering from, and does eventually realize his faults - but the divorce threat comes at the very end of the book and doesnt last long as she is seduced by him.
I also dislike books where male heirs are shown to be so important and we never get to the point where they shows us they wont just further abort the female child (we have that discussion here but that's it).
Had potential
Safe
2.5/5
Firstly, I was pleasantly surprised to see one of my fav HQN authors do an erotic mafia romance.
The book is about a seven year itch- hero is a mob boss and heroine a mafia princess. It was a marriage of convenience, they have a son and they do have sex. But he promises no love, only shows care for their family and she is unhappy.
We then delve into her really traumatic past, where she is forced to have sex selective IVF even before intercourse. She then deals with post partum depression and thanks to her deteriorating mental health- a suicide attempt, while being labelled a hysteric. Since then, she keeps her emotions in a shell, until OW moves to their home.
The frustration I have with this book arises as we spend most of the book dealing with OW and her evil plots, instead of addressing the elephant in the room- their dysfunctional marriage. There are many scenes where the hero is utterly oblivious to the hurt heroine is suffering from, and does eventually realize his faults - but the divorce threat comes at the very end of the book and doesnt last long as she is seduced by him.
I also dislike books where male heirs are shown to be so important and we never get to the point where they shows us they wont just further abort the female child (we have that discussion here but that's it).
Had potential
Safe
2.5/5
September 10, 2025
Kara and Mick were married by arrangement 7 years ago, when she was 18 and he was 26, to unite the Irish mobs in Ireland and America. They have a son together, which we're told was through in vitro to make sure he'd be a boy. She was pregnant before they ever had sex. Despite all this, Kara fell in love with Mick. Mick is a sociopath who is incapable of love. But the next thing he says is that his son is the only person he loves. So he is capable of love?
Anyway, Mick's organization is developing some technology for unregistered 3D-printed guns or some such shit. All the sudden, Mick's ex fuck buddy, who's father is in the Dublin mob, shows up at Mick's house asking for protection after someone tried to kidnap her. Mick and his mob boss are skeptical about whether there was even a kidnapping attempt. They think she's there to fish for info on the new guns. They let her stay at Mick's house to see what she's up to. So this book is basically all about OW drama, because she obviously wants Mick for herself.
Kara realized Mick wasn't in love with her, and has pulled back emotionally. He also wants to use his ex to make Kara jealous, to get her attention again.
I didn't enjoy reading this because it was very wordy with a LOT of of "business" talk of what is going on in the mob, instead of what is going on in the relationship.
Anyway, Mick's organization is developing some technology for unregistered 3D-printed guns or some such shit. All the sudden, Mick's ex fuck buddy, who's father is in the Dublin mob, shows up at Mick's house asking for protection after someone tried to kidnap her. Mick and his mob boss are skeptical about whether there was even a kidnapping attempt. They think she's there to fish for info on the new guns. They let her stay at Mick's house to see what she's up to. So this book is basically all about OW drama, because she obviously wants Mick for herself.
Kara realized Mick wasn't in love with her, and has pulled back emotionally. He also wants to use his ex to make Kara jealous, to get her attention again.
I didn't enjoy reading this because it was very wordy with a LOT of of "business" talk of what is going on in the mob, instead of what is going on in the relationship.
January 15, 2026
marriage in peril isn’t quite accurate?
I mean it is but it isn’t. Yes, the FMC wants a divorce, and yes, she does have good reasons (although I’d argue they’re more related to her father than her husband?). There sort of is some OW drama, but it’s not nearly to the level you might except, given the summary.
Overall, this worked for me, but didn’t really scratch the itch for marriage in peril.
Structurally, the flashbacks were weird and confusing and I honestly thought it would have been better off just starting at the beginning and not trying to fancy things up with these weirdly long flashbacks that seemed mostly to serve as a way to shoehorn in another spicy scene.
I will note that I found all the mob names/leaders EXTREMELY confusing and several times thought the author had written the wrong first name but no, just another very similar name. Some of the cousins and sisters were also really confusing. I get the impression this is the first in this series but not the first book with these characters? Who knows. I didn’t really care about them but they sure took up a lot of page space.
Also, I hope you’re prepared for the MMC to exclusively refer to the FMC’s t*ts as ‘baps.’ And he refers to them A LOT.
And lastly, there are so, so many spicy scenes. And they’re long. And not particularly exciting? I skimmed them.
I mean it is but it isn’t. Yes, the FMC wants a divorce, and yes, she does have good reasons (although I’d argue they’re more related to her father than her husband?). There sort of is some OW drama, but it’s not nearly to the level you might except, given the summary.
Overall, this worked for me, but didn’t really scratch the itch for marriage in peril.
Structurally, the flashbacks were weird and confusing and I honestly thought it would have been better off just starting at the beginning and not trying to fancy things up with these weirdly long flashbacks that seemed mostly to serve as a way to shoehorn in another spicy scene.
I will note that I found all the mob names/leaders EXTREMELY confusing and several times thought the author had written the wrong first name but no, just another very similar name. Some of the cousins and sisters were also really confusing. I get the impression this is the first in this series but not the first book with these characters? Who knows. I didn’t really care about them but they sure took up a lot of page space.
Also, I hope you’re prepared for the MMC to exclusively refer to the FMC’s t*ts as ‘baps.’ And he refers to them A LOT.
And lastly, there are so, so many spicy scenes. And they’re long. And not particularly exciting? I skimmed them.
September 1, 2025
3 1/2 stars. The H is a sociopath and the h is a mob princess. Their marriage is a contractual alliance that will allow the H to take over the h's father's mob. The contract includes a stipulation that the h conceive a male heir through IVF. When the h learns that her female embryos were disposed of, coupled with PPD and her body's response to hormonal treatments, she is hospitalized with a breakdown that included a jealous response to the H's ex/OW.
The beginning of the book includes lots of evidence of research that make the story convincing. The H believes he only feels love for his son. He thinks he feels protective towards and obsessed with his wife but no love. The OW comes to live with the H and h and blatantly tries to get the H back. The H uses the OW to get information and to try and make his wife jealous.The h decides to get permission for a divorce is necessary to keep her son safe from the OW. The author spends what feels to me an unnecessary amount of time describing the passion between the H and h. The threat of divorce makes him try to learn how to keep his wife happy.
The beginning of the book includes lots of evidence of research that make the story convincing. The H believes he only feels love for his son. He thinks he feels protective towards and obsessed with his wife but no love. The OW comes to live with the H and h and blatantly tries to get the H back. The H uses the OW to get information and to try and make his wife jealous.The h decides to get permission for a divorce is necessary to keep her son safe from the OW. The author spends what feels to me an unnecessary amount of time describing the passion between the H and h. The threat of divorce makes him try to learn how to keep his wife happy.
August 31, 2025
Another hit
This is the first book in the new series and it’s great. This is one of my favorite authors and she never disappoints. The h is the daughter and wife of the Irish mob boss and his underboss. She doesn’t feel that either love her or value her. On the outside she portrays the perfect wife and daughter but she is dying inside. She is taking online classes and studying self defense, she is building up her confidence, also her therapy sessions are helping her. The H loves her but has never expressed those emotions, he is a sociopath but his love for her and his son is very strong. When there is a threat against her and their son, she demands a divorce that forces him to realize his feelings and his lack of respect for her. He kidnapped her to save his marriage. The plot and characters were so very well written, this was a page turner. I couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to the next book. Great epilogue.
This is the first book in the new series and it’s great. This is one of my favorite authors and she never disappoints. The h is the daughter and wife of the Irish mob boss and his underboss. She doesn’t feel that either love her or value her. On the outside she portrays the perfect wife and daughter but she is dying inside. She is taking online classes and studying self defense, she is building up her confidence, also her therapy sessions are helping her. The H loves her but has never expressed those emotions, he is a sociopath but his love for her and his son is very strong. When there is a threat against her and their son, she demands a divorce that forces him to realize his feelings and his lack of respect for her. He kidnapped her to save his marriage. The plot and characters were so very well written, this was a page turner. I couldn’t put it down. Looking forward to the next book. Great epilogue.
September 15, 2025
So this is my second to least favorite Mafia book by Ms. Monroe. Mick was still better than Atlas the “hero” from Ruthless Enforcer but not by much. I felt that he was extremely dumb in his interactions with his wife and how he handled everything to do with the OW/spy Deirdre. It was such a blatant lack of respect and disregard of Kara’s feelings that I was actively rooting for the divorce. His love confession also didn’t convince me. Same goes for the lack of grovel/behavior change. They also didn’t really talk? Which was bizarre for a couple married for 7 years. They’d maybe interact to take care of their son and also to have sex. But that was mostly it.
This was tragic because Lucy Monroe has written some of my favorite marriage in peril stories! Such as The Greek’s Christmas Baby or The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain or After the Billionaire's Wedding Vows.
This was tragic because Lucy Monroe has written some of my favorite marriage in peril stories! Such as The Greek’s Christmas Baby or The Scorsolini Marriage Bargain or After the Billionaire's Wedding Vows.
Read
January 3, 2026the concept of a romance wherein the guy tries to conceal his sociopathy from his wife would be intriguing...if they weren't in the damn mafia. literally what is there to hide? even if you're not clinically diagnosed to be fucked in the head, i'd have to imagine that in order to be actively involved in the mafia, you have to have some level of questionable morals. although kara, the fl, is not actually involved in such activities herself, growing up in a mob family i would presume she has to have an idea of what her husband does all day.
anyways, to me, mick didn't really read like a sociopath but rather an emotionally repressed man who didn't know how to express himself. and, at the end of the day, isn't that all men? granted, this was still entertaining to read in a guilty pleasure type of way.
anyways, to me, mick didn't really read like a sociopath but rather an emotionally repressed man who didn't know how to express himself. and, at the end of the day, isn't that all men? granted, this was still entertaining to read in a guilty pleasure type of way.
Currently reading
August 31, 2025Fb spoiler:
Mafia husband is a sociopath and keeps his wife at a distance bc he doesn’t want to terrify her with his obsession and rough ways. Wife loves him and romanticizes their relationship for a long time, being the dutiful wife/daughter before she’s sick of it and wants more for herself. The OW / ex F-buddy shows up, claiming a bratva clan tried to unalive her so she needs to stay with them for protection bc their families are allies. She proceeds to stir up a ton of trouble, MMC doesn’t stand up for his wife enough bc he doesn’t see anyone but her. He doesn’t realize how he isn’t prioritizing her until everything comes to a head and wife asks for a divorce bc she’s that seriously over it. Wife doesn’t take any of OW’s crap and stands up to her constantly. OW comeuppance and husband shows his true self to his wife, plus shows her she’s it for him.
Mafia husband is a sociopath and keeps his wife at a distance bc he doesn’t want to terrify her with his obsession and rough ways. Wife loves him and romanticizes their relationship for a long time, being the dutiful wife/daughter before she’s sick of it and wants more for herself. The OW / ex F-buddy shows up, claiming a bratva clan tried to unalive her so she needs to stay with them for protection bc their families are allies. She proceeds to stir up a ton of trouble, MMC doesn’t stand up for his wife enough bc he doesn’t see anyone but her. He doesn’t realize how he isn’t prioritizing her until everything comes to a head and wife asks for a divorce bc she’s that seriously over it. Wife doesn’t take any of OW’s crap and stands up to her constantly. OW comeuppance and husband shows his true self to his wife, plus shows her she’s it for him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 2, 2025
Marriage was never in doubt .... 😀
Mick and Kara were an odd couple for the arranged marriage. In the beginning, it seemed very uneasy, but as soon as the OW Dierdre showed herself, things started to heat up, especially for Mick and Kara. She had doubts about the OW and Mick earlier, but she totally saw through her eventually and ended up giving just as much back to her. I'd say this was a Mafia lite story it was more based on the romance side. There were a few bits of violence when they were questioning certain people, but it made the story ... good to see there was a HEA and the baddies got their comeuppance especially Deirdre... It's a really good book. I definitely recommend
Mick and Kara were an odd couple for the arranged marriage. In the beginning, it seemed very uneasy, but as soon as the OW Dierdre showed herself, things started to heat up, especially for Mick and Kara. She had doubts about the OW and Mick earlier, but she totally saw through her eventually and ended up giving just as much back to her. I'd say this was a Mafia lite story it was more based on the romance side. There were a few bits of violence when they were questioning certain people, but it made the story ... good to see there was a HEA and the baddies got their comeuppance especially Deirdre... It's a really good book. I definitely recommend
October 16, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Loved the story! Loved the obsession and spice 🥵
I felt the story was a little dragged out for my liking and didn’t really see the point of going into such detail about the gun but I read it all and am happy I did!
I did get frustrated with Mick because of his lack of communication even if it was “mob business.” He could have communicated to Kara that he needed information from Deidre and that would have been sufficient and I wanted to throttle him over his complete lack of belief in Kara over Deidre. The fact he used her mental illness as a way to try to manipulate her made me hate him for a good part of the story but he got there in the end and his love, devotion and obsession was worth it!
Loved the story! Loved the obsession and spice 🥵
I felt the story was a little dragged out for my liking and didn’t really see the point of going into such detail about the gun but I read it all and am happy I did!
I did get frustrated with Mick because of his lack of communication even if it was “mob business.” He could have communicated to Kara that he needed information from Deidre and that would have been sufficient and I wanted to throttle him over his complete lack of belief in Kara over Deidre. The fact he used her mental illness as a way to try to manipulate her made me hate him for a good part of the story but he got there in the end and his love, devotion and obsession was worth it!
September 4, 2025
1. Kara had serious postpartum depression, became pathologically jealous and tried to commit suicide because she believed that Mick was having an affair with his lawyer. After that, Mick thought it would be a good strategy to try to make her jealous of an ex-lover??? Mick may have been a sociopath, but he wasn’t stupid.
2. I don’t like it when a book blurb is misleading; it made it sound like the book was about a mafia wife fighting to divorce her husband. There was absolutely no mention of Kara wanting a divorce until 70% of the way through the book and she and Mick made up within two chapters.
3. Kara had the worst case of BBS I’ve ever seen.
2. I don’t like it when a book blurb is misleading; it made it sound like the book was about a mafia wife fighting to divorce her husband. There was absolutely no mention of Kara wanting a divorce until 70% of the way through the book and she and Mick made up within two chapters.
3. Kara had the worst case of BBS I’ve ever seen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 15, 2025
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️½
Couple: Mick & Kara
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
The good, I really liked the storyline of this book, and I liked both Mick and Kara. Already an established couple but definitely struggling. Then bring in the drama from the outside, the match that started the fire and it all combusted from there. Kara grew some strength and Mick had to figure it out fast. It may just be a me thing, but the book was just too long, and way too detailed about things that didn't need to be detailed. The ending was satisfying, but really if she knew about her husband from the beginning everything could have avoided.
Couple: Mick & Kara
❋❋❋❋❋❋❋
The good, I really liked the storyline of this book, and I liked both Mick and Kara. Already an established couple but definitely struggling. Then bring in the drama from the outside, the match that started the fire and it all combusted from there. Kara grew some strength and Mick had to figure it out fast. It may just be a me thing, but the book was just too long, and way too detailed about things that didn't need to be detailed. The ending was satisfying, but really if she knew about her husband from the beginning everything could have avoided.
September 22, 2025
If you love a romance where the hero’s sleazy ex cum dump is a major part of the story and continually disrespects the heroine by being present, then this is the book for you!
The only thing i liked was that the hero was faithful and the heroine was a virgin, belonging only to her hero. Other than that, the ex made this book insufferable. If it had been a woman who had delusions of being with the hero, or had wanted to be with him and never had, that wouldve made this book enjoyable. But it was ruined when the author woke up and chose stupidity by having the ex be a woman the hero actually had fucked in the past. No thanks. Total vomit!
NOT SAFE.
The only thing i liked was that the hero was faithful and the heroine was a virgin, belonging only to her hero. Other than that, the ex made this book insufferable. If it had been a woman who had delusions of being with the hero, or had wanted to be with him and never had, that wouldve made this book enjoyable. But it was ruined when the author woke up and chose stupidity by having the ex be a woman the hero actually had fucked in the past. No thanks. Total vomit!
NOT SAFE.
September 1, 2025
New series
I absolutely devoured the syndicate rules books and still go back to read them again. I was so excited to see another mob series featuring the irish. We got glimpses of the Irish with the DeLuca family and met roise in those. Now we get to know more about the shaughnessy family and what a first intro it was. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading the syndicate rules series yet, dive into that wonderful world. Then continue the pleasure with this new series. Can't wait til the next one.
I absolutely devoured the syndicate rules books and still go back to read them again. I was so excited to see another mob series featuring the irish. We got glimpses of the Irish with the DeLuca family and met roise in those. Now we get to know more about the shaughnessy family and what a first intro it was. If you haven't had the pleasure of reading the syndicate rules series yet, dive into that wonderful world. Then continue the pleasure with this new series. Can't wait til the next one.
September 7, 2025
Mafia Sociopath
I wanted to read this book because it is advertised as one dealing with marital issues. I wanted the angst and struggle and the back and forth. Instead it's heavily layered smut with aspects of dark mafia books I've read in the past. By the time the FMC seems to find a backbone, I'm pretty well done rooting for her. The typos are numerous as well as though the ebook wasn't properly edited. There's also a LOT of information dumping in the beginning of the book.
3 Stars.
I wanted to read this book because it is advertised as one dealing with marital issues. I wanted the angst and struggle and the back and forth. Instead it's heavily layered smut with aspects of dark mafia books I've read in the past. By the time the FMC seems to find a backbone, I'm pretty well done rooting for her. The typos are numerous as well as though the ebook wasn't properly edited. There's also a LOT of information dumping in the beginning of the book.
3 Stars.
August 29, 2025
I love the obsessed man trope and Mick knew exactly what to do even though he thought was couldn’t love anyone❤️🤌🏼 safe to say he now realizes what he though isn’t true🥰
I enjoyed reading this story, but honestly I loved the characters more!! There were parts when I felt the storyline was dragging and got me kind of bored, but seeing the family dynamics change and the non-romantic storyline develop kept me interested and reading.
3 stars for the story, 1 extra star for Mick, Kara & Fitz <3
I enjoyed reading this story, but honestly I loved the characters more!! There were parts when I felt the storyline was dragging and got me kind of bored, but seeing the family dynamics change and the non-romantic storyline develop kept me interested and reading.
3 stars for the story, 1 extra star for Mick, Kara & Fitz <3
September 5, 2025
Maybe this deserves a higher score, I read it basically in one day. I didn’t like how this story only works if the MMC is a completely oblivious idiot. The FMC was constantly doubted and gaslit and forcing her to have ivf at 18?? What the actual f? All of the men sucked. Even if you’re a sociopath you mimic behavior enough to get why never taking your wife out but taking your ex on a date may be seen in a negative light
October 3, 2025
Tags: buse, age-gaaap, alphalicious, betrayal, caveman, character-irish, curvy-beauties, damaged-broken_heroine, dark-romance, hero-hurts-heroine, hero-married-to-heroine, mafia-cartel-romance, marriage-arranged, no-grovelling, obsession, older-hero-younger-heroine, over-the-years, ow-drama, possessive-mine-mine-mine, psychos-in-love, read, stalker, suicide_alert-selfharm, troubled-marriage, virgin-heroine
October 10, 2025
3.5 rounding up
There were issues but overall I enjoyed it. Mafia arranged marriage, marriage in trouble, OW drama, the only place the MCs connect is in the bedroom. There are a LOT of characters & situations mentioned so it would probably be best to read in order. I was lost at times and overwhelmed with people I didn't know/care about being thrown in the story. Still, a good marriage in trouble read and I liked the MCs.
There were issues but overall I enjoyed it. Mafia arranged marriage, marriage in trouble, OW drama, the only place the MCs connect is in the bedroom. There are a LOT of characters & situations mentioned so it would probably be best to read in order. I was lost at times and overwhelmed with people I didn't know/care about being thrown in the story. Still, a good marriage in trouble read and I liked the MCs.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews