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Society of Villains #1
Bad Bishop
The first book in the new dark and decadent Society of Villains series. More details coming soon . . .
READERS ARE ALREADY OBSESSED WITH L.J.
'The way this book had me in a chokehold'
'I'm honestly speechless'
'New favourite author! I could NOT put this book down'
'This book was everything . . . GRAB THIS BOOK NOW'
'All emotions covered'
'Five stars all day long'
READERS ARE ALREADY OBSESSED WITH L.J.
'The way this book had me in a chokehold'
'I'm honestly speechless'
'New favourite author! I could NOT put this book down'
'This book was everything . . . GRAB THIS BOOK NOW'
'All emotions covered'
'Five stars all day long'
450 pages, Kindle Edition
First published November 4, 2025
11547 people are currently reading
55209 people want to read
About the author
L.J. Shen
97 books56.9k followersL.J. Shen is a New York Times, USA Today, WSJ, Washington Post and #1 Amazon Kindle Store bestselling author of contemporary romance books.
She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Bill Gates's tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).
Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
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Instagram➜ shorturl.at/cDJRZ
TikTok ➜ shorturl.at/frw59
Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com
She writes angsty books, unredeemable anti-heroes who are in Bill Gates's tax bracket, and sassy heroines who bring them to their knees (for more reasons than one).
Keep up with L.J. on all platforms:
Newsletter Sign up ➜ https://bit.ly/3LhsIrb
Instagram➜ shorturl.at/cDJRZ
TikTok ➜ shorturl.at/frw59
Facebook➜ https://goo.gl/fKCSo4
Website ➜ www.authorljshen.com
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,931 reviews
February 5, 2026
“I love you with a force that could destroy planets and universes, Lila.” “Protecting you is a compulsion at this point. I’d stop the night from falling if darkness scares you, Lila.”
No stop it RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! I am so obsessed with this book it’s not even FUNNY!! I went into this literally thinking I was going to hate it and it ended up being one of my favorite mafia books EVER?!!!!!! This is seriously sick and twisted and unhinged and INSANE and I was sat for every second of it! I didn’t want it to end!!! Please please check your trigger warnings and know this is extremely dark!
Tiernan. Don’t even start with me. There’s morally black then there Tiernan. He’s so toxic and possessive and I’m actually so in love with him it’s unhealthy. A funny sarcastic psychopath with trauma is just gonna make me fold every single time. My god did he break my heart though! This mannnnnnnnnn no I haven’t no words. Also them both being inexperienced >>>>>>> like them being each others first kiss had me GIGGGGGGGLINGGGG!! But again I warned you he is extremely toxic and does some crazy stuff in the beginning that some people will hate… I’m not some people. Oh my god and Lila???? I was scared she was gonna be another weak FMC with no backbone…. NOPE!!! Couldn’t be further from the truth, our girl is unhinged and I loved her! She literally stabbed and shot him on their wedding night and he LOVED IT?!!!! Bye.
AND THE PLOT TWIST?!!! No I’m so gagged. I’m also loved the side characters so much I need Achilles and Tierney’s book NOW!!!! I just know this whole series is gonna eat.
I’m actually gonna pass away this was so good.
No stop it RIGHT NOW!!!!!!! I am so obsessed with this book it’s not even FUNNY!! I went into this literally thinking I was going to hate it and it ended up being one of my favorite mafia books EVER?!!!!!! This is seriously sick and twisted and unhinged and INSANE and I was sat for every second of it! I didn’t want it to end!!! Please please check your trigger warnings and know this is extremely dark!
Tiernan. Don’t even start with me. There’s morally black then there Tiernan. He’s so toxic and possessive and I’m actually so in love with him it’s unhealthy. A funny sarcastic psychopath with trauma is just gonna make me fold every single time. My god did he break my heart though! This mannnnnnnnnn no I haven’t no words. Also them both being inexperienced >>>>>>> like them being each others first kiss had me GIGGGGGGGLINGGGG!! But again I warned you he is extremely toxic and does some crazy stuff in the beginning that some people will hate… I’m not some people. Oh my god and Lila???? I was scared she was gonna be another weak FMC with no backbone…. NOPE!!! Couldn’t be further from the truth, our girl is unhinged and I loved her! She literally stabbed and shot him on their wedding night and he LOVED IT?!!!! Bye.
AND THE PLOT TWIST?!!! No I’m so gagged. I’m also loved the side characters so much I need Achilles and Tierney’s book NOW!!!! I just know this whole series is gonna eat.
I’m actually gonna pass away this was so good.
Read
November 3, 2025ARE YOU ACTUALLY FUCKING KIDDING ME I THOUGHT THERE WAS JUST QUOTES ABOUT HIS FUCK ASS LIFE BUT HE FULL ON CHEATS ON HER
“Tiernan picked up his pace, his good eye boring into mine. Cold. Hard. Dark as my most illicit, awful nightmares.
He was taunting me.
A moan of fury parked in the back of my throat. I didn’t let it loose.
He coiled his long, lithe fingers around the front of the woman’s neck, like she was an animal he was taming, not breaking his stare from mine. That was when I noticed she was wearing a pink, knee-length dress. A LoveShackFancy staple.
I recognized it, because it was mine.
He touched my clothes? Stole them? Gave them to his mistresses?
My heart pounded furiously. Mama was right. Men were the work of the devil. I was never going to let him touch me.
“Jesus Christ, Callaghan.” The woman snapped her head back from the kitchen island, her eyes flaring at the sight of me. Her forehead had a red mark from being pressed against the hard surface. She looked nothing like me, despite the general characteristics. Her eyes were dark and a little too far apart, her mouth thin and wide, and her nose slightly crooked. “Your wife’s awake!”
Tiernan grabbed her by the hair, pinning her cheek “faced me. He closed his eye, looking tortured. “Shut up.”
“She’s watching.”
He thrust harder, deeper into her.
“She’s not firing on all cylinders,” he muttered.”
“Tiernan picked up his pace, his good eye boring into mine. Cold. Hard. Dark as my most illicit, awful nightmares.
He was taunting me.
A moan of fury parked in the back of my throat. I didn’t let it loose.
He coiled his long, lithe fingers around the front of the woman’s neck, like she was an animal he was taming, not breaking his stare from mine. That was when I noticed she was wearing a pink, knee-length dress. A LoveShackFancy staple.
I recognized it, because it was mine.
He touched my clothes? Stole them? Gave them to his mistresses?
My heart pounded furiously. Mama was right. Men were the work of the devil. I was never going to let him touch me.
“Jesus Christ, Callaghan.” The woman snapped her head back from the kitchen island, her eyes flaring at the sight of me. Her forehead had a red mark from being pressed against the hard surface. She looked nothing like me, despite the general characteristics. Her eyes were dark and a little too far apart, her mouth thin and wide, and her nose slightly crooked. “Your wife’s awake!”
Tiernan grabbed her by the hair, pinning her cheek “faced me. He closed his eye, looking tortured. “Shut up.”
“She’s watching.”
He thrust harder, deeper into her.
“She’s not firing on all cylinders,” he muttered.”
November 7, 2025
2 boring and problematic ⭐️
Pregnancy by rape, is a delicate matter, nuance is important.
The story is not good, it’s actually a little boring and handles problematic issues in a lazy manner. I LOVE problematic storylines, but it has to be delicate?
Pregnancy by violent rape, and a heroine who is super welcoming of the pregnancy is just romantasizing the dilemma that rape victims can find themselves in. I respect that’s where you end up, but the road to that decision is going to be very, very nuanced, right? It was used a a cheap plot device to get the MMC’s married. The subject deserved more sophistication!
I am out, book terminated at 60% because the h is too one dimensional and ……
Someone apparently read “Annie’s song” by Catherine Anderson! 😂
Both books have: drumroll 🥁🥁🥁
1/ A deaf herione who is perceived mentally disabled with capabilities to age of 3, by every one except the mom.
2/ Both books have a heroine being violently raped while virgin. And not understanding what is happening.
3/ Both books have a herione get pregnant by a rapist.
4/ Both books have the heroine marry another man because of the pregnancy.
5/ Both books have the h’s not understand pregnancy or their own arousal. She thinks she is having a miscarriage when aroused.
I was intrigued because it’s a contemporary mafia setting, instead of Ohio 1900. I did not hate the similarities but I did hate how the book handled pregnancy by rape.
I you have read other reviews by me, you know I don’t have a problem with problematic! It draws me in so I can experience the sorcery of the author tie a bow on it. Not today. I didn’t finish it, but I have lost all my faith with this author.
The spice was SO BAD. Epic cringe.
Should you read it? Absolutely NOT.
It’s boring and problematic, at the same time😂 That is a book crime against humanity.
P.s. It was better than her last book. 😬 There is technically cheating in this book, but they don’t know each other yet, I don’t know if it really counts as cheating. If the wedding vow is the limit, I guess it is. But they barely know each other’s names when it occurs.
Pregnancy by rape, is a delicate matter, nuance is important.
The story is not good, it’s actually a little boring and handles problematic issues in a lazy manner. I LOVE problematic storylines, but it has to be delicate?
Pregnancy by violent rape, and a heroine who is super welcoming of the pregnancy is just romantasizing the dilemma that rape victims can find themselves in. I respect that’s where you end up, but the road to that decision is going to be very, very nuanced, right? It was used a a cheap plot device to get the MMC’s married. The subject deserved more sophistication!
I am out, book terminated at 60% because the h is too one dimensional and ……
Someone apparently read “Annie’s song” by Catherine Anderson! 😂
Both books have: drumroll 🥁🥁🥁
1/ A deaf herione who is perceived mentally disabled with capabilities to age of 3, by every one except the mom.
2/ Both books have a heroine being violently raped while virgin. And not understanding what is happening.
3/ Both books have a herione get pregnant by a rapist.
4/ Both books have the heroine marry another man because of the pregnancy.
5/ Both books have the h’s not understand pregnancy or their own arousal. She thinks she is having a miscarriage when aroused.
I was intrigued because it’s a contemporary mafia setting, instead of Ohio 1900. I did not hate the similarities but I did hate how the book handled pregnancy by rape.
I you have read other reviews by me, you know I don’t have a problem with problematic! It draws me in so I can experience the sorcery of the author tie a bow on it. Not today. I didn’t finish it, but I have lost all my faith with this author.
The spice was SO BAD. Epic cringe.
Should you read it? Absolutely NOT.
It’s boring and problematic, at the same time😂 That is a book crime against humanity.
P.s. It was better than her last book. 😬 There is technically cheating in this book, but they don’t know each other yet, I don’t know if it really counts as cheating. If the wedding vow is the limit, I guess it is. But they barely know each other’s names when it occurs.
December 9, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ 𝐆𝐄𝐀𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐇 𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐒.....📚'𝙼𝚈 𝚁𝙴𝚅𝙸𝙴𝚆 𝙰𝙽𝙳 𝙾𝚃𝙷𝙴𝚁𝚂'📚 can also be found on my blog:
╰┈➤KITTY KATS CRAZY ABOUT BOOKS
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔* 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔* Is the first full length dark twisted romance book in the (Society of Villains) series by author L.J. Shen. Spoken in dual POV's. FMC: Lila Ferrante 18 and MMC: Tiernan Callaghan 28..
It's seriously been many moons ago since I've read a mafia romance book, only right that to bring me back to this genre which I used to love is by this author..
☀︎ Marriage of convenience
☀︎ Enemies to lovers
☀︎ Age gap
☀︎ Forced proximity
☀︎ Scarred MMC
☀︎ Opposites attract
☀︎ Morally grey MMC
☀︎ Hates everyone but her
☀︎ She tries to kill him (“You have to stop trying to kill me, Lila. It’s giving me a massive hard-on, and I’ve never been good with delayed gratification.”)
This is where Shen shines, it’s not too dark, but some will need to check triggers, it has been said that this series will go darker, which I am all for…
Lila is a gorgeous, and extremely courageous Italian mafia princess who many underestimated how clever she actually was, even her own siblings treated her as though she had the plague. Many called her dimwitted and developmentally delayed which is exactly what she presented to the world as tasked by her mother in order to keep her safe. But secretly during the summer like a sponge she was learning everything she could get her hands on.
(“The only way to escape marriage to a mobster was to be unable to be married. More specifically-to pretend I had a developmental disability. My mother came up with the scheme when I was a child, and I went along with it, trusting she knew best.”)
Tiernan is a Irish mafia prince and was as cold hearted as they come which was programmed into him at a very young age, as you delve deeper into his story you'll understand exactly why he is the was he is and boy that heart breaks as you read what he and his twin sister had to endure when they were younger.
Lila endured something horrific and life changing which is where Tiernan is coerced into marrying her.
(“I always dreamed about a dashing prince. Heavily lashed, with pouty lips and big, beautiful eyes. As it turned out, I fell in love with the complete opposite of it. With a Nephilim, a fallen giant, hands scarred from murder.”)
I tiptoed into this not really knowing what to expect, the giggles, (“She's not intellectually impaired, you oversized used condoms.”) the swooning, (“ I always thought a bullet will finish me off. But in the end, it was my wife that turned out to be my demise.”) the hardcore love towards these two was unexpected, the slow burn and those angsty too and fro feels these two subjected me to, cemented my love for this author yet again. I loved these two, and they probably became my top favourite couple of 2025.
°❀⋆.ೃ࿔* 𝐁𝐀𝐃 𝐁𝐈𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐏 °❀⋆.ೃ࿔* Is the first full length dark twisted romance book in the (Society of Villains) series by author L.J. Shen. Spoken in dual POV's. FMC: Lila Ferrante 18 and MMC: Tiernan Callaghan 28..
It's seriously been many moons ago since I've read a mafia romance book, only right that to bring me back to this genre which I used to love is by this author..
☀︎ Marriage of convenience
☀︎ Enemies to lovers
☀︎ Age gap
☀︎ Forced proximity
☀︎ Scarred MMC
☀︎ Opposites attract
☀︎ Morally grey MMC
☀︎ Hates everyone but her
☀︎ She tries to kill him (“You have to stop trying to kill me, Lila. It’s giving me a massive hard-on, and I’ve never been good with delayed gratification.”)
This is where Shen shines, it’s not too dark, but some will need to check triggers, it has been said that this series will go darker, which I am all for…
Lila is a gorgeous, and extremely courageous Italian mafia princess who many underestimated how clever she actually was, even her own siblings treated her as though she had the plague. Many called her dimwitted and developmentally delayed which is exactly what she presented to the world as tasked by her mother in order to keep her safe. But secretly during the summer like a sponge she was learning everything she could get her hands on.
(“The only way to escape marriage to a mobster was to be unable to be married. More specifically-to pretend I had a developmental disability. My mother came up with the scheme when I was a child, and I went along with it, trusting she knew best.”)
Tiernan is a Irish mafia prince and was as cold hearted as they come which was programmed into him at a very young age, as you delve deeper into his story you'll understand exactly why he is the was he is and boy that heart breaks as you read what he and his twin sister had to endure when they were younger.
Lila endured something horrific and life changing which is where Tiernan is coerced into marrying her.
(“I always dreamed about a dashing prince. Heavily lashed, with pouty lips and big, beautiful eyes. As it turned out, I fell in love with the complete opposite of it. With a Nephilim, a fallen giant, hands scarred from murder.”)
I tiptoed into this not really knowing what to expect, the giggles, (“She's not intellectually impaired, you oversized used condoms.”) the swooning, (“ I always thought a bullet will finish me off. But in the end, it was my wife that turned out to be my demise.”) the hardcore love towards these two was unexpected, the slow burn and those angsty too and fro feels these two subjected me to, cemented my love for this author yet again. I loved these two, and they probably became my top favourite couple of 2025.
Want to read
June 3, 2025 Did LJ Shen delete her IG? 😅 I Can’t find her and I literally just reposted about this series and now I can’t find the tropes 😭
Anyway, it sounds incredible- I’ll update this shortly. 🫠
Anyway, it sounds incredible- I’ll update this shortly. 🫠
February 3, 2026
Thank you Netgalley and Dreamscape Media for an ALC of this book!
So, Again, we listen to our Lord of the underworld when she tells us to 👏🏼CHECK👏🏼 YOUR👏🏼 TRIGGER 👏🏼WARNINGS!! 👏🏼.... This is definitely another one of those books my loves. so please check that before diving in!
This is another book that will not be for everybody and that's perfectly ok! Just, if it's not for you, respectfully, stay over there🩵..And I really do mean that with love because your mental space matters! Buuuut also because at the same time,great books don't deserve bad reviews due to you picking the wrong cup of tea.. This book is definitely for our dark romance people!...If you are into darker romances buckle up! You're in for a delightfully dark time!! I would personally put this book in the group with others.. such as Haunting Adeline, the Court of Ravens duology, etc. You're either going to eat this book up leaving not even an atom of a crumb..or, you're going to think there's something wrong with those of us that do love it over here and halfway through you'll probably find yourself Googling if Amazon sells Holy Water..And I really don't think there's going to be an in-between here lol.
I did thoroughly enjoy this book and everything about it. L.J. Shen really does such an amazing job seamlessly blending the atrocity and beauty of life, with some fun along the way.
Prior to now I had no idea something could possibly be so wretched and beautiful at the same time.
The layers to this book are just incredible. I loved that it was like Peaky Blinders but with Russian & Italian Mob families. I loved the nicknames the characters gave each other and the fact they weren't cringy as all he🏒 🏒 like in a lot of other books. I loved that real pieces of history were sprinkled in. I loved that the author writes such an enchanting and engrossing story that you forget you aren't in some other world that existed long ago, until you're reminded by things like the use of technology. Yeah, I think it's safe to say I loved this one 😅.. If all of that wasn't enough to sell me, my 90's baby heart was snatched the second I heard "tamagotchi".. and OH MY Zeus!! THE ENDING!!? WHATT?!?.. This was just all around a phenomenal experience!
Until next time,
Hades
🩵
So, Again, we listen to our Lord of the underworld when she tells us to 👏🏼CHECK👏🏼 YOUR👏🏼 TRIGGER 👏🏼WARNINGS!! 👏🏼.... This is definitely another one of those books my loves. so please check that before diving in!
This is another book that will not be for everybody and that's perfectly ok! Just, if it's not for you, respectfully, stay over there🩵..And I really do mean that with love because your mental space matters! Buuuut also because at the same time,great books don't deserve bad reviews due to you picking the wrong cup of tea.. This book is definitely for our dark romance people!...If you are into darker romances buckle up! You're in for a delightfully dark time!! I would personally put this book in the group with others.. such as Haunting Adeline, the Court of Ravens duology, etc. You're either going to eat this book up leaving not even an atom of a crumb..or, you're going to think there's something wrong with those of us that do love it over here and halfway through you'll probably find yourself Googling if Amazon sells Holy Water..And I really don't think there's going to be an in-between here lol.
I did thoroughly enjoy this book and everything about it. L.J. Shen really does such an amazing job seamlessly blending the atrocity and beauty of life, with some fun along the way.
Prior to now I had no idea something could possibly be so wretched and beautiful at the same time.
The layers to this book are just incredible. I loved that it was like Peaky Blinders but with Russian & Italian Mob families. I loved the nicknames the characters gave each other and the fact they weren't cringy as all he🏒 🏒 like in a lot of other books. I loved that real pieces of history were sprinkled in. I loved that the author writes such an enchanting and engrossing story that you forget you aren't in some other world that existed long ago, until you're reminded by things like the use of technology. Yeah, I think it's safe to say I loved this one 😅.. If all of that wasn't enough to sell me, my 90's baby heart was snatched the second I heard "tamagotchi".. and OH MY Zeus!! THE ENDING!!? WHATT?!?.. This was just all around a phenomenal experience!
Until next time,
Hades
🩵
do-not-ever-read-cheating-ow-sex
November 13, 2025Full on cheating!
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If your up L.J.Shen Ass. Keep your comments to yourself we all have different triggers, likes and dislikes. You’ll be deleted and blocked. Don’t waste your time.
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
If your up L.J.Shen Ass. Keep your comments to yourself we all have different triggers, likes and dislikes. You’ll be deleted and blocked. Don’t waste your time.
do-not-read-cheating
November 13, 2025This book solidifies why I haven’t read LJ in years 🤷🏻♀️.
Read Irene’s review to see why (thank you for your review Irene ❤️)
Because watching my “husband” f’ing another woman is sexy right? 🙄
There are things we can’t unsee🥴🥴🥴, and having the hero inside another woman while the heroine is watching is one of them 😵💫😵💫😵💫.
Some might say they don’t ACTUALLY consider this cheating because of X Y and Z reasons, but I’m tired of that excuse. It’s like when people give men leniency when it comes to real life cheating- you know, because “boys will be boys” 😐, or the famous Friends scenario- “they were on a break.”
We live in a world/society with that same mentality that slut shame women who act the same as men^^, and I don’t wanna see it in the books I’m spending hours/days reading.
Plain and simple 🤷🏻♀️
Not. For. Me.
Read Irene’s review to see why (thank you for your review Irene ❤️)
Because watching my “husband” f’ing another woman is sexy right? 🙄
There are things we can’t unsee🥴🥴🥴, and having the hero inside another woman while the heroine is watching is one of them 😵💫😵💫😵💫.
Some might say they don’t ACTUALLY consider this cheating because of X Y and Z reasons, but I’m tired of that excuse. It’s like when people give men leniency when it comes to real life cheating- you know, because “boys will be boys” 😐, or the famous Friends scenario- “they were on a break.”
We live in a world/society with that same mentality that slut shame women who act the same as men^^, and I don’t wanna see it in the books I’m spending hours/days reading.
Plain and simple 🤷🏻♀️
Not. For. Me.
anfm
November 20, 2025Note to self and spoiler
The MMC doesn't cheat 😒🙄 he just fucks another woman who's wearing his wife's clothes after he's already married. 🤷🏾♀️ I don't care if he fucks them up the ass with an alien dildo,touching another woman sexually after you're married is cheating 🙄. He didn't have feelings for the h yet, he's not committed to her yet, he thinks she's mentally deficient..... blah blah blah it's still fucking cheating slimy ass mother fucker! The excuses we make for pos mmcs never ceases to amaze me😂 thankfully I don't read this author..... curiosity sent me here 🤭
Imagine the h already went through so much trauma and then has to put up with a "husband" like this?And she walks in on them fucking too 🖕🏽and then he's redeemed 🙄🙄🙄
FFS we've lost the plot in romance I tell ya
It's my opinion I'm entitled to it the same way you're entitled to yours so stfu cheater loving ass 😘.
The MMC doesn't cheat 😒🙄 he just fucks another woman who's wearing his wife's clothes after he's already married. 🤷🏾♀️ I don't care if he fucks them up the ass with an alien dildo,touching another woman sexually after you're married is cheating 🙄. He didn't have feelings for the h yet, he's not committed to her yet, he thinks she's mentally deficient..... blah blah blah it's still fucking cheating slimy ass mother fucker! The excuses we make for pos mmcs never ceases to amaze me😂 thankfully I don't read this author..... curiosity sent me here 🤭
Imagine the h already went through so much trauma and then has to put up with a "husband" like this?And she walks in on them fucking too 🖕🏽and then he's redeemed 🙄🙄🙄
FFS we've lost the plot in romance I tell ya
It's my opinion I'm entitled to it the same way you're entitled to yours so stfu cheater loving ass 😘.
November 4, 2025
23%
“Lila did not seem to care one iota about my cheating on her openly and provocatively. It shouldn’t bother me. Fuck knew nothing else ever did. Yet, somehow, I found myself…dissatisfied. The audacity of that woman.”
???
“But if I truly wanted Lila’s pussy—which, I was beginning to suspect was the case—I had to tone it down.
And maybe no more hookers.
Fine, definitely no more hookers.”
Very romantic !!
“Besides, I only do blowies and anal. Less chance of giving the woman an orgasm.”
“But I wasn’t going to allow both of our first times to be in the bathroom where the help took their shits.”
lol!! He’s not a fucking virgin wtf
“Lila did not seem to care one iota about my cheating on her openly and provocatively. It shouldn’t bother me. Fuck knew nothing else ever did. Yet, somehow, I found myself…dissatisfied. The audacity of that woman.”
???
“But if I truly wanted Lila’s pussy—which, I was beginning to suspect was the case—I had to tone it down.
And maybe no more hookers.
Fine, definitely no more hookers.”
Very romantic !!
“Besides, I only do blowies and anal. Less chance of giving the woman an orgasm.”
“But I wasn’t going to allow both of our first times to be in the bathroom where the help took their shits.”
lol!! He’s not a fucking virgin wtf
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2025
5⭐️
"She was playful and confident and fearless. I no longer set the pace of what was happening. The conqueror became the conquered. And I knew, with amusing, dark finality, that I was completely, tragically, wretchedly hers."
This was dark! Maybe I should’ve checked the trigger warnings first. Even so, I devoured this book and needed to know what happened next. I just love this feeling when I forget I’m reading. And that was definitely the case with this one.
About the MCs: Tiernan is not a good person. Especially in the beginning, his actions are morally black. And honestly, I don’t get why authors still write the cheating trope. Was it really necessary?🥲
However, that was the only part I truly hated. Lila was the sweetest. The way she handled everything and grew throughout the book was so satisfying. Tiernan also had a very traumatic past, and seeing how they grew closer and fell in love was really well done, in my opinion.
What I also absolutely loved were the mafia families, the connections and the cameos from characters like Sam Brennan or Wolfe Keaton from previous books. Emilia Spencer was also mentioned multiple times.😍
Another part I enjoyed soo much were the Ferrante brothers! The way they defended their mother when their dad hit her! And also their protectiveness toward Lila.
—> "There was Luca, his oldest son and natural heir. Part aristocrat, part horsemen. Calculated and quiet. Smooth and cold as marble."
—> "Achilles, his middle son. Feared by all and loved by none. A Greek warrior. A monster that contorted itself into the form of a human, always one moment away from bursting at the seams."
—> "And Enzo, his youngest son. With the warm, whisky eyes and pliant nature. Far too handsome than any man had the right to be. The charmer. The persuader."
—> There’s also another secret brother.👀
"And then there was his favorite. His secret son. His golden boy. Essere il Beniamino. Not a high-born Ferrante, but capable nonetheless."
I’m super excited to see whose book will be next. There are so many characters I need a book about.
Still, I hope the next one will be about Achilles and Tierney! They’re already so possessive around each other, and Tierney will certainly be such a strong FMC!🤞🏻
tropes:
~> mafia romance
~> Italian mafia princess x Irish mafia king
~> arranged/ forced marriage
~> traumatic pasts
~> hate/ enemies to love (she shoot him and stabbed him!)
~> forced proximity
dedication:
"To all the readers who complain that my heroes are always irredeemable jerks… I’m afraid I have terrible news."
favorite quotes:
"Rafaella Callaghan is mine. Nobody is to look at my wife, speak about my wife, or breathe in her direction. She’s under my protection now. The first to cross the line will be the last."
"Oderint Dum Metuant. Let them hate as long as they fear."
"Deaf. Not intellectually impaired. Not develpopmentally delayed. Deaf. Sharp. Intelligent. Cunning. Talented. Slightly unhinged, which - let’s admit it- only added to her allure. Beautiful beyond words, art, and cultural standards."
"Hands that killed, tortured, and destroyed many lives. Hands I knew would never hurt me. My husband. My protector. My macabre fantasy."
"The way you look at me. Like I hung the gealach in the sky to light the way for you."
"Protecting you is a compulsion at this point. I’d stop the night from falling if darkness scares you, Lila."
"What my wife wants, my wife gets."
"Even if that thing is a dead husband at the dinner table?"
"I don’t remember stuttering."
"This man has a lot of blood on his hands, and I look past all that. When does a monster stop being a monster, Mama?"
"Oh, bambina, when you love it."
"I love you with a force that could destroy planets and universes, Lila… Its you and me against the world… But I like our odds, darlin’."
"This entire city can burn to the ground and I wouldn’t even blink. It’s about my wife, and about justice, and about making sure she’s safe. I’d tear the world to shreds for her, and they know it."
"She was playful and confident and fearless. I no longer set the pace of what was happening. The conqueror became the conquered. And I knew, with amusing, dark finality, that I was completely, tragically, wretchedly hers."
This was dark! Maybe I should’ve checked the trigger warnings first. Even so, I devoured this book and needed to know what happened next. I just love this feeling when I forget I’m reading. And that was definitely the case with this one.
About the MCs: Tiernan is not a good person. Especially in the beginning, his actions are morally black. And honestly, I don’t get why authors still write the cheating trope. Was it really necessary?🥲
However, that was the only part I truly hated. Lila was the sweetest. The way she handled everything and grew throughout the book was so satisfying. Tiernan also had a very traumatic past, and seeing how they grew closer and fell in love was really well done, in my opinion.
What I also absolutely loved were the mafia families, the connections and the cameos from characters like Sam Brennan or Wolfe Keaton from previous books. Emilia Spencer was also mentioned multiple times.😍
Another part I enjoyed soo much were the Ferrante brothers! The way they defended their mother when their dad hit her! And also their protectiveness toward Lila.
—> "There was Luca, his oldest son and natural heir. Part aristocrat, part horsemen. Calculated and quiet. Smooth and cold as marble."
—> "Achilles, his middle son. Feared by all and loved by none. A Greek warrior. A monster that contorted itself into the form of a human, always one moment away from bursting at the seams."
—> "And Enzo, his youngest son. With the warm, whisky eyes and pliant nature. Far too handsome than any man had the right to be. The charmer. The persuader."
—> There’s also another secret brother.👀
"And then there was his favorite. His secret son. His golden boy. Essere il Beniamino. Not a high-born Ferrante, but capable nonetheless."
I’m super excited to see whose book will be next. There are so many characters I need a book about.
Still, I hope the next one will be about Achilles and Tierney! They’re already so possessive around each other, and Tierney will certainly be such a strong FMC!🤞🏻
tropes:
~> mafia romance
~> Italian mafia princess x Irish mafia king
~> arranged/ forced marriage
~> traumatic pasts
~> hate/ enemies to love (she shoot him and stabbed him!)
~> forced proximity
dedication:
"To all the readers who complain that my heroes are always irredeemable jerks… I’m afraid I have terrible news."
favorite quotes:
"Rafaella Callaghan is mine. Nobody is to look at my wife, speak about my wife, or breathe in her direction. She’s under my protection now. The first to cross the line will be the last."
"Oderint Dum Metuant. Let them hate as long as they fear."
"Deaf. Not intellectually impaired. Not develpopmentally delayed. Deaf. Sharp. Intelligent. Cunning. Talented. Slightly unhinged, which - let’s admit it- only added to her allure. Beautiful beyond words, art, and cultural standards."
"Hands that killed, tortured, and destroyed many lives. Hands I knew would never hurt me. My husband. My protector. My macabre fantasy."
"The way you look at me. Like I hung the gealach in the sky to light the way for you."
"Protecting you is a compulsion at this point. I’d stop the night from falling if darkness scares you, Lila."
"What my wife wants, my wife gets."
"Even if that thing is a dead husband at the dinner table?"
"I don’t remember stuttering."
"This man has a lot of blood on his hands, and I look past all that. When does a monster stop being a monster, Mama?"
"Oh, bambina, when you love it."
"I love you with a force that could destroy planets and universes, Lila… Its you and me against the world… But I like our odds, darlin’."
"This entire city can burn to the ground and I wouldn’t even blink. It’s about my wife, and about justice, and about making sure she’s safe. I’d tear the world to shreds for her, and they know it."
November 13, 2025
hated this book and cheating! MAJOR DNF
If I could’ve put zero stars, I would’ve. And before anyone says to check the trigger warnings, I’m still pissed off.
The fact that this has so many good reviews is wild to me. I should’ve looked at the trigger warnings, but cheating in a book, marriage of convenience or not, is absolutely not forgivable.
I'm sick of the author writing awful men and women who are treated horribly and used for everyone else’s advantage. Find a new plot. Also, the “OW drama” is bs when he completely sleeps with another woman in front of HER, OW drama to ME is a past ex or maybe a quick interaction with another women not a man saying: “If you don’t like it, walk away or join” in the context of SLEEPING WITH A HOOKER! (all the love to sex workers tho) IM DISGUSTED AND FUMING WITH THE MAN!
L.J Shen in her dedication for the book seemed like a twisted foreshadowing to how I was going to feel for this awful book.
This book had so much potential and im genuinely sick over the cheating scene it was so unnecessary we already know the MMC is a pos and a bad guy, i despise cheating, why chose and reverse harem in any order. i honestly was looking forward to this book after all the reviews; but to read the cheating and then to skip to the end and see they they are now magically in love, i genuinely don’t care if it was one and done, i feel awful for Lila but in some ways she was her own downfall in her story, she played into the bullshit and never grew a backbone.
I think we need to stop writing “dark romance” that are unnecessary and just a tag-line for abuse! I'm done with L.J. Shen’s books for a while; this was disappointing and disgusting. I don’t feel like Lila got her revenge; it felt like she was a punching bag to everyone, including her mother. All these good reviews - I genuinely can’t believe it. Rant over.
edit: just seen the blurb and book cover for the next book in this series, i sincerely hope that BEAUTIFUL cover doesn’t get trashed the way this one did with cheating and awful men legit pissing all over the whole thing <3.
If I could’ve put zero stars, I would’ve. And before anyone says to check the trigger warnings, I’m still pissed off.
The fact that this has so many good reviews is wild to me. I should’ve looked at the trigger warnings, but cheating in a book, marriage of convenience or not, is absolutely not forgivable.
I'm sick of the author writing awful men and women who are treated horribly and used for everyone else’s advantage. Find a new plot. Also, the “OW drama” is bs when he completely sleeps with another woman in front of HER, OW drama to ME is a past ex or maybe a quick interaction with another women not a man saying: “If you don’t like it, walk away or join” in the context of SLEEPING WITH A HOOKER! (all the love to sex workers tho) IM DISGUSTED AND FUMING WITH THE MAN!
L.J Shen in her dedication for the book seemed like a twisted foreshadowing to how I was going to feel for this awful book.
This book had so much potential and im genuinely sick over the cheating scene it was so unnecessary we already know the MMC is a pos and a bad guy, i despise cheating, why chose and reverse harem in any order. i honestly was looking forward to this book after all the reviews; but to read the cheating and then to skip to the end and see they they are now magically in love, i genuinely don’t care if it was one and done, i feel awful for Lila but in some ways she was her own downfall in her story, she played into the bullshit and never grew a backbone.
I think we need to stop writing “dark romance” that are unnecessary and just a tag-line for abuse! I'm done with L.J. Shen’s books for a while; this was disappointing and disgusting. I don’t feel like Lila got her revenge; it felt like she was a punching bag to everyone, including her mother. All these good reviews - I genuinely can’t believe it. Rant over.
edit: just seen the blurb and book cover for the next book in this series, i sincerely hope that BEAUTIFUL cover doesn’t get trashed the way this one did with cheating and awful men legit pissing all over the whole thing <3.
Want to read
June 26, 2025Obviously i won’t read this, but this woman and her new mafia series will surpass Cora Reilly and her double standards 💀✋🏼
December 9, 2025
DNF after 27 chapters!
Not safe!
Duet style narration 5/5🎧
Story 1,5/5 ⭐️ (because first chapters kept repeating in my mind and had me disliking this story and I mind you I went in blind, I was open minded and hopeful for this one!)
Spice?/5 🌶️ Who cares when the MMC has very detailed anal and oral sex with “a Becky” in front of FMC (his wife!) and she even gets a bit aroused by the scene! 🤢
This was a disgusting train wreck (I don’t mean it only in regards of cheating scenes - but the whole tone of this book left me feeling icky!) … it’s like author decided to double down - worse than Cora Reilly more like Jessa Hastings did with her delulu threats 😖(after seeing readers complain about numerous OW and cheating scenes in her other books ) in this one there are many mentions of his previous hook ups - he only goes for anal and bj - because of his trauma 🤢WTAF?!)
FMC is graped (not by MMC!) at the beginning of the story and gets pregnant- this is not a pro choice book! This subject and the whole outcome is poorly managed 😵💫 She is forced to marry and save face with MMC - who is in sort of a frenemy relationship with FMC’s brothers - they play poker together- (or whatever) but they also take out his eye - prior to his marriage with FMC! So many illogical scenes and stupid decisions…don’t get me started on the way her disability is used and portrayed… 😤🤦🏻♀️
Before you say oh but they are not “together” - how about checking those double standards?! ( because agreeing with no abortion even if graped but yes to cheating while married- even if fake is ok?!)😏🙄
He also likes the FMC prior to cheating but still proceeds to do so!(Also mentions of other cheating scenes between FMC’s parents - FMC’s mother is jaded, and does and tells disgusting and terrible things to FMC!)
Saying this is just fiction, and how wonderful this story is, is quite mind numbing 😵💫 🤦🏻♀️
Not safe!
Duet style narration 5/5🎧
Story 1,5/5 ⭐️ (because first chapters kept repeating in my mind and had me disliking this story and I mind you I went in blind, I was open minded and hopeful for this one!)
Spice?/5 🌶️ Who cares when the MMC has very detailed anal and oral sex with “a Becky” in front of FMC (his wife!) and she even gets a bit aroused by the scene! 🤢
This was a disgusting train wreck (I don’t mean it only in regards of cheating scenes - but the whole tone of this book left me feeling icky!) … it’s like author decided to double down - worse than Cora Reilly more like Jessa Hastings did with her delulu threats 😖(after seeing readers complain about numerous OW and cheating scenes in her other books ) in this one there are many mentions of his previous hook ups - he only goes for anal and bj - because of his trauma 🤢WTAF?!)
FMC is graped (not by MMC!) at the beginning of the story and gets pregnant- this is not a pro choice book! This subject and the whole outcome is poorly managed 😵💫 She is forced to marry and save face with MMC - who is in sort of a frenemy relationship with FMC’s brothers - they play poker together- (or whatever) but they also take out his eye - prior to his marriage with FMC! So many illogical scenes and stupid decisions…don’t get me started on the way her disability is used and portrayed… 😤🤦🏻♀️
Before you say oh but they are not “together” - how about checking those double standards?! ( because agreeing with no abortion even if graped but yes to cheating while married- even if fake is ok?!)😏🙄
He also likes the FMC prior to cheating but still proceeds to do so!(Also mentions of other cheating scenes between FMC’s parents - FMC’s mother is jaded, and does and tells disgusting and terrible things to FMC!)
Saying this is just fiction, and how wonderful this story is, is quite mind numbing 😵💫 🤦🏻♀️
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 30, 2026
…..yea I loved it!! this was my L.J. Shen book, I’ll be adding more to my rotation!!♟️🩸💀
September 29, 2025
MY FAVORITE BOOK OF THIS AUTHOR
A TOP READ EVER
I don't know how to explain what this book made me feel, I have no words. I can't stop thinking about these characters and this new world, I'm obsessed beyond words. This book is brilliant, It's dark, intense UNPUTDOWNABLE
Tiernan is such a complex character, with so many facets, cruel and heartless, but at the same time so full of vulnerabilities, and I loved his protective side, the way he lets his walls fall around Lila. And Lila, my sweet, loving and innocent Lila, she goes from being a protected girl, to that empowered woman who fights for what she wants. I loved the evolution of their relationship and how little by little, hatred turns into love.
Their scenes are everything, so emotional, intense, passionate and beautiful, I adore how they explore together all the first times and that even though he was so cruel and ruthless, he was so sweet and so patient with Lila, and his possessive side, PURE PERFECTION.
Love the cameos, I loved to get a glimpse of my beloved characters.
This world is so well crafted, woven to perfection, with so many plot twists, that it leaves you hypothesizing and theorizing until the very end. It is magical, it's unique, it's exceptional, it’s sexy, it's addictive, it's angsty, it's dark, it's depraved, it's absolutely everything and I can't wait for everyone to read it, I loved the little glimpses we get of the other characters and need the next book like my next breath!LJ Shen nailed it!
A TOP READ EVER
I don't know how to explain what this book made me feel, I have no words. I can't stop thinking about these characters and this new world, I'm obsessed beyond words. This book is brilliant, It's dark, intense UNPUTDOWNABLE
Tiernan is such a complex character, with so many facets, cruel and heartless, but at the same time so full of vulnerabilities, and I loved his protective side, the way he lets his walls fall around Lila. And Lila, my sweet, loving and innocent Lila, she goes from being a protected girl, to that empowered woman who fights for what she wants. I loved the evolution of their relationship and how little by little, hatred turns into love.
Their scenes are everything, so emotional, intense, passionate and beautiful, I adore how they explore together all the first times and that even though he was so cruel and ruthless, he was so sweet and so patient with Lila, and his possessive side, PURE PERFECTION.
Love the cameos, I loved to get a glimpse of my beloved characters.
This world is so well crafted, woven to perfection, with so many plot twists, that it leaves you hypothesizing and theorizing until the very end. It is magical, it's unique, it's exceptional, it’s sexy, it's addictive, it's angsty, it's dark, it's depraved, it's absolutely everything and I can't wait for everyone to read it, I loved the little glimpses we get of the other characters and need the next book like my next breath!LJ Shen nailed it!
January 18, 2026
4.25 stars
November 28, 2025
4,5.
This is what a real mafia book looks like! It’s amazing and the development of the characters is incredible.
It’s worth reading.
This is what a real mafia book looks like! It’s amazing and the development of the characters is incredible.
It’s worth reading.
October 22, 2025
If I could rate this six stars, I would.
This is easily my favorite mafia romance I’ve ever read. The plot is so unique and will keep you on your toes the entire time. I could not put this book down from the moment I started reading it.
Tiernan, the incredibly unhinged MMC, marries the FMC, Lila.. because of incredibly dark and disturbing circumstances and I honestly cannot describe enough how many times I asked myself ”Wtf is going on right now and why am I okay with this.. and why am I attracted to this?!”
The way I fell in love with the background and story of the FMC Lila.. I can’t even begin to describe. Her story is incredibly dark and heartbreaking. So is Tiernan’s so please proceed with caution before diving in.
I honestly just can’t put into words how much I love the plot of this book. It is full of action, romance, gore, trauma, love, and growth. This one right here is easily my favorite book by L.J. Shen.
*thank you Bloom & Casablanca Books for my physical ARC copy and The Author Agency for my eARC*
This is easily my favorite mafia romance I’ve ever read. The plot is so unique and will keep you on your toes the entire time. I could not put this book down from the moment I started reading it.
Tiernan, the incredibly unhinged MMC, marries the FMC, Lila.. because of incredibly dark and disturbing circumstances and I honestly cannot describe enough how many times I asked myself ”Wtf is going on right now and why am I okay with this.. and why am I attracted to this?!”
The way I fell in love with the background and story of the FMC Lila.. I can’t even begin to describe. Her story is incredibly dark and heartbreaking. So is Tiernan’s so please proceed with caution before diving in.
I honestly just can’t put into words how much I love the plot of this book. It is full of action, romance, gore, trauma, love, and growth. This one right here is easily my favorite book by L.J. Shen.
*thank you Bloom & Casablanca Books for my physical ARC copy and The Author Agency for my eARC*
May 23, 2025
BETA read ❤️ This book was INCREDIBLE
January 20, 2026
What an incredible novel. Finished it one day.
January 7, 2026
Ummmm…Why have I not read anything from LJ Shen till now!?! I feel like I’ve deprived myself for years!! Thankfully, she has a large catalog for me to go back and read while I’m waiting for the next book to come out in this series.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
Shen outdid herself with this story of hate, love and obsession. She managed to create such an intriguing, addictive read, blending the sweetness, darkness and sexiness perfectly. I was engrossed with the story and characters (their heartbreaking backgrounds) from the very beginning and couldn't put it down for one minute.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Mafia Romance
Dual POV
Arranged Marriage
Scarred Hero
Dark Romance
Opposites Attract
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?
If you are like me and you love alpha heroes, then look no further, because Tiernan is exactly that and so much more. His character was fantastically written, so damn well developed, so infuriating, but so fascinating at the same time. He was broken, complicated, cruel, angry and tortured, but underneath all his layers of a$$holeness, he's really a sweet guy.
For those of you wanting to venture into dark romance, but you’re a little nervous, I feel like this is a good gateway book. It’s a “soft” dark but not too dark, so no unhinged spice levels.
🔥Steam level: Open Door
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Fast
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
L.J. Shen has delivered a powerful and emotional story that has left me obsessed and begging for more!! Now to go read her whole backlist!
Thank you Bloom for this gifted copy
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝗮𝗽𝗽𝗲𝗮𝗹𝗲𝗱 𝘁𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗺𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝗶𝗻 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝘀𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘆?
Shen outdid herself with this story of hate, love and obsession. She managed to create such an intriguing, addictive read, blending the sweetness, darkness and sexiness perfectly. I was engrossed with the story and characters (their heartbreaking backgrounds) from the very beginning and couldn't put it down for one minute.
𝗪𝗵𝗮𝘁 𝘁𝗼 𝗲𝘅𝗽𝗲𝗰𝘁:
Mafia Romance
Dual POV
Arranged Marriage
Scarred Hero
Dark Romance
Opposites Attract
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗺𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲?
If you are like me and you love alpha heroes, then look no further, because Tiernan is exactly that and so much more. His character was fantastically written, so damn well developed, so infuriating, but so fascinating at the same time. He was broken, complicated, cruel, angry and tortured, but underneath all his layers of a$$holeness, he's really a sweet guy.
For those of you wanting to venture into dark romance, but you’re a little nervous, I feel like this is a good gateway book. It’s a “soft” dark but not too dark, so no unhinged spice levels.
🔥Steam level: Open Door
𝗛𝗼𝘄 𝘄𝗮𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲?
Fast
𝗗𝗼 𝘆𝗼𝘂 𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝘁𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸?
L.J. Shen has delivered a powerful and emotional story that has left me obsessed and begging for more!! Now to go read her whole backlist!
Thank you Bloom for this gifted copy
January 14, 2026
If you haven’t read it - what are you doing? This is a PERFECT dark mafia romance book. Probably the best I‘ve read so far. Now I need more mafia romance book on my tbr pile.
If you have any trigger, be careful with BB - there are so many. It would be probably easier to say what’s NOT on the list. But if you’re just as crazy as I am and nothing bothers you - feel free to enjoy this wild ride.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️so good!
Enjoy 😉
If you have any trigger, be careful with BB - there are so many. It would be probably easier to say what’s NOT on the list. But if you’re just as crazy as I am and nothing bothers you - feel free to enjoy this wild ride.
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️so good!
Enjoy 😉
November 17, 2025
Defiant Silence Meets Deathless Chaos
The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜💚🩷🤎
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😋😀😍🤨🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration
🛡️ Audiobook Review: Bad Bishop (Society of Villains, #1)
Author: L.J. Shen
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance
Narrator: Corvin King and Lucy Rivers
🦸🏻♂️ The Hero: Tiernan Callahan
Tiernan “Deathless” Callahan is the kind of anti-hero who thrives in shadows. While Don Vello of the Camorra controls 90% of New York, Tiernan rules the Bronx—the last 10%—and sees himself as the mafia’s future, determined to build a throne on the skulls of his enemies. The story opens with him imprisoned in the Ferranté family’s basement torture chamber, captured after killing Igor Rasputin, head of the Bratva. His vendetta against the Russians is personal, but also strategic: he knows they’re buying up Manhattan and sees their encroachment as a threat the Camorra foolishly ignores.
🦸🏼♀️ The Heroine: Lila Ferranté
Lila Ferranté has lived her life surrounded by monsters, but she’s no victim. Deaf and brilliant, she’s spent years pretending to be developmentally disabled to avoid being married off for her father’s alliances. One night, she witnesses Tiernan staggering from her family’s basement—bloodied, missing an eye, clutching a skull. Instead of cowering, she meets his threat with defiance. That moment sets the tone for her resilience.
Her backstory is heartbreaking: a crush on Tatum Blackthorn that ends in humiliation, followed by a brutal assault at a wedding reception. Lila survives by leaning into her false persona, but vows revenge. When she later discovers she’s pregnant, her father insists on marrying her off to protect the family’s reputation. The solution? Tie her fate to Tiernan, who owes the Ferrantés a favor.
📚 The Plot
What follows is a collision of power, vengeance, and survival. Lila’s pregnancy forces her into a marriage of convenience with Tiernan, binding two families in a fragile alliance. Beneath the mafia politics lies a deeply personal war: Tiernan’s obsession with eradicating the Russians, and Lila’s determination to reclaim her agency after trauma.
🌟 What Worked
• Corvin King’s narration is magnetic—his voice embodies Tiernan’s dangerous allure, making even his cruelest moments compelling.
• Tiernan quickly sees through Lila’s disguise, though he misinterprets her motives, adding tension to their dynamic.
• The morally gray edges of Tiernan—cheating with women styled to resemble his wife—make him unsettling yet fascinating.
• Achilles and Tierney (Lila’s brother and Tiernan’s sister) are standout supporting characters, hinting at rich stories to come.
• Crossovers with The Monster (Sam Brennen aiding Tiernan) add depth for longtime L.J. Shen readers.
• The siblings on both sides provide texture and emotional grounding.
💔 What Fell Short
Tiernan’s characterization sometimes veers into excess. His fixation on pain, lack of empathy, and disturbing treatment of women—especially early in his marriage—make him difficult to root for in the beginning of this book. His fantasy of a “fair-haired mistress” to impersonate his wife underscores his cruelty rather than complexity.
🎙️ Narration
Dual POV told via duet narration by Corvin King and Lucy Rivers elevates the audiobook. King’s deep, commanding voice is tailor-made for anti-heroes, and he does accents really well, while Rivers brings youthful vulnerability and emotional nuance to Lila. Together, they capture the raw intensity of the story.
💭 Final Thoughts
This audiobook is dark, brutal, and unapologetically twisted. Tiernan is not a hero you love—he’s one you endure, fascinated by his ruthlessness. Lila, however, shines as a heroine of resilience, her defiance and hidden strength anchoring the chaos. With stellar narration and layered supporting characters, this is a mafia romance that lingers, daring you to wrestle with its moral ambiguity.
💬 Quotes
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The following ratings are out of 5:
Romance: 💙💜💚🩷🤎
Heat/Steam: 🔥🔥🔥🔥
Chemistry: 🧪🧪🧪🧪🧪
Story/Plot: 📕📗📙📘📔
World building: 🌏🌍🌎🌏🌍
Character development: 😋😀😍🤨🥰
Narration: 🎙🎙🎙🎙🎙
Narration Type: Duet Narration
🛡️ Audiobook Review: Bad Bishop (Society of Villains, #1)
Author: L.J. Shen
Genre: Dark Mafia Romance
Narrator: Corvin King and Lucy Rivers
🦸🏻♂️ The Hero: Tiernan Callahan
Tiernan “Deathless” Callahan is the kind of anti-hero who thrives in shadows. While Don Vello of the Camorra controls 90% of New York, Tiernan rules the Bronx—the last 10%—and sees himself as the mafia’s future, determined to build a throne on the skulls of his enemies. The story opens with him imprisoned in the Ferranté family’s basement torture chamber, captured after killing Igor Rasputin, head of the Bratva. His vendetta against the Russians is personal, but also strategic: he knows they’re buying up Manhattan and sees their encroachment as a threat the Camorra foolishly ignores.
🦸🏼♀️ The Heroine: Lila Ferranté
Lila Ferranté has lived her life surrounded by monsters, but she’s no victim. Deaf and brilliant, she’s spent years pretending to be developmentally disabled to avoid being married off for her father’s alliances. One night, she witnesses Tiernan staggering from her family’s basement—bloodied, missing an eye, clutching a skull. Instead of cowering, she meets his threat with defiance. That moment sets the tone for her resilience.
Her backstory is heartbreaking: a crush on Tatum Blackthorn that ends in humiliation, followed by a brutal assault at a wedding reception. Lila survives by leaning into her false persona, but vows revenge. When she later discovers she’s pregnant, her father insists on marrying her off to protect the family’s reputation. The solution? Tie her fate to Tiernan, who owes the Ferrantés a favor.
📚 The Plot
What follows is a collision of power, vengeance, and survival. Lila’s pregnancy forces her into a marriage of convenience with Tiernan, binding two families in a fragile alliance. Beneath the mafia politics lies a deeply personal war: Tiernan’s obsession with eradicating the Russians, and Lila’s determination to reclaim her agency after trauma.
🌟 What Worked
• Corvin King’s narration is magnetic—his voice embodies Tiernan’s dangerous allure, making even his cruelest moments compelling.
• Tiernan quickly sees through Lila’s disguise, though he misinterprets her motives, adding tension to their dynamic.
• The morally gray edges of Tiernan—cheating with women styled to resemble his wife—make him unsettling yet fascinating.
• Achilles and Tierney (Lila’s brother and Tiernan’s sister) are standout supporting characters, hinting at rich stories to come.
• Crossovers with The Monster (Sam Brennen aiding Tiernan) add depth for longtime L.J. Shen readers.
• The siblings on both sides provide texture and emotional grounding.
💔 What Fell Short
Tiernan’s characterization sometimes veers into excess. His fixation on pain, lack of empathy, and disturbing treatment of women—especially early in his marriage—make him difficult to root for in the beginning of this book. His fantasy of a “fair-haired mistress” to impersonate his wife underscores his cruelty rather than complexity.
🎙️ Narration
Dual POV told via duet narration by Corvin King and Lucy Rivers elevates the audiobook. King’s deep, commanding voice is tailor-made for anti-heroes, and he does accents really well, while Rivers brings youthful vulnerability and emotional nuance to Lila. Together, they capture the raw intensity of the story.
💭 Final Thoughts
This audiobook is dark, brutal, and unapologetically twisted. Tiernan is not a hero you love—he’s one you endure, fascinated by his ruthlessness. Lila, however, shines as a heroine of resilience, her defiance and hidden strength anchoring the chaos. With stellar narration and layered supporting characters, this is a mafia romance that lingers, daring you to wrestle with its moral ambiguity.
💬 Quotes
“I was promised a docile little maiden and ended up with a venomous demoness.”
“You bring out the violent murderer in people, Tiernan…That’s your thing.”
“Life had taught me that anything that could entice you could weaken you. I ate like a beggar and fought like a king, and I never loved anything that could die, other than my siblings.”
“She was everything I couldn’t control, and it drove me wild.”
“They call me Deathless, you know…I survived six assassination attempts and f*ck knows how many gunfights.”
“I’m not letting you go, you know…You’re mine, only f*cking mine, till my last breath.”
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November 26, 2025
I loved loved this book. The MMC was totally unhinged and unapologetic which is what I craveeee in my dark romance men. The fmc was actually also quite unhinged and I really loved their dynamic. Everything about this book was fabulous. Couldn’t put it down
Currently reading
September 9, 2025📅 Releasing Nov 4th, 2025
→ Pre-order US: https://shor.by/0CJ8
→ Pre-order UK: https://shor.by/A3r7
→ Pre-order Audiobook (duet narration): https://amzn.to/4ptYZAm
Blurb:
From New York Times bestselling author L.J. Shen comes a dark age-gap mafia romance.
He's Deathless.
She's trying to find a reason to live.
Lila
My innocence was ripped from me one fateful night under the starless sky.
Resulting in an unwanted teenage pregnancy and a secret the Camorra must bury.
My father decided to hand me off to the highest bidder.
The lucky winner? Tiernan Callaghan, psychopath extraordinaire.
The Irish mafia prince wants me for all the wrong reasons.
Alliance. Money. Prestige. War.
I am but a pawn in his twisted game.
The man who sits on a throne of his enemies' skulls thinks I'm a weakling.
Little does he know, in this chess game, the underdog wins.
Because the thing about bad bishops?
They protect good pawns.
Bad Bishop is a dark and twisted romance. Please read trigger warnings before reading.
→ Pre-order US: https://shor.by/0CJ8
→ Pre-order UK: https://shor.by/A3r7
→ Pre-order Audiobook (duet narration): https://amzn.to/4ptYZAm
Blurb:
From New York Times bestselling author L.J. Shen comes a dark age-gap mafia romance.
He's Deathless.
She's trying to find a reason to live.
Lila
My innocence was ripped from me one fateful night under the starless sky.
Resulting in an unwanted teenage pregnancy and a secret the Camorra must bury.
My father decided to hand me off to the highest bidder.
The lucky winner? Tiernan Callaghan, psychopath extraordinaire.
The Irish mafia prince wants me for all the wrong reasons.
Alliance. Money. Prestige. War.
I am but a pawn in his twisted game.
The man who sits on a throne of his enemies' skulls thinks I'm a weakling.
Little does he know, in this chess game, the underdog wins.
Because the thing about bad bishops?
They protect good pawns.
Bad Bishop is a dark and twisted romance. Please read trigger warnings before reading.
November 8, 2025
I just finished and now have no clue what to do next!
First I am obsessed. I'm usually extremely picky about mafia romances, especially Italian mafia ones. Representation is generally incorrect but damn the author killed it! This is how mafia romance books should be!
So far it's my top read of the year! I can’t believe I just said that.
Who am I? My Poppi just rolled over in his grave🤣 Full review to come
First I am obsessed. I'm usually extremely picky about mafia romances, especially Italian mafia ones. Representation is generally incorrect but damn the author killed it! This is how mafia romance books should be!
So far it's my top read of the year! I can’t believe I just said that.
Who am I? My Poppi just rolled over in his grave🤣 Full review to come
November 14, 2025
This is the most unhinged book I’ve read in a while, and not in a good way. Look, I’m not sitting on a high horse about books. I'm picky, but I also gave 4 stars to The Best Man and After the Night. Occasionally, I can really enjoy an unhinged story. But the way this book did it is Not It. I’m very hit or miss with this author, anyway.
This is an arranged marriage mafia romance. The heroine is 18, I think the hero is like 28. They’re from mafia families that are uneasy allies. It starts with him getting his eyeball scooped out. Seriously. (Side note, I read Alchemised recently, and it also has a gross eyeball scene. If that's a trend, I hate it, stop!) That scene sets the tone for both this book and his character – trying WAY too hard to be like, “I’m so brutal and dark! I’m so psycho and crazy! Am I shocking you yet??!!” The effect was that, even when violent stuff like that happened, it barely felt dark. The tone of this book was so weird and unserious, it almost felt like a cartoon. Nothing about his inner monologue felt convincing or genuinely dark or threatening.
Shortly after that happens, the heroine gets raped (not by the hero) and gets pregnant. And of course, since that’s a very serious topic that should be treated with gravity, it absolutely isn’t. (The way it was written also felt quite anti-choice. I don't need romances to have good politics, I can even overlook shitty politics if the story is good enough. I often like terrible caveman alpha heroes better than nice guys! But, this story wasn't good enough for me to easily wave that off).
Anyway, that forces her family into making her marry the hero, so that she can pretend the baby is his. They’re strangers who don’t want to marry each other. For some reason, she’s also been pretending to be mentally handicapped her whole life. She's 18, but everyone thinks she’s mentally 6 years old. (An authors note at the back solemnly talks about how she consulted people with disabilities, and even cites a book about proper disability language. This book is so out of pocket about how it talks about disabilities – and it definitely doesn’t use the right language -- that’s hilarious. The way this book handles that topic is like, the Simple Jack plot from the movie Tropic Thunder).
A lot of reviews are crashing out about how he “cheated” on her. I respect that people have strong feelings about cheating, and scenes like that aren’t for everyone. But, the way many reviews are talking about it is so misleading, it nearly feels like lying. I have no interest in defending this book or this hero, since I didn't even like them. But I find it irritating when people talk about books in a way that's wildly misleading. From the way they're talking about the “cheating,” you’d think the hero and heroine were in love, and in a real relationship.
At the time that it happens, they’re strangers who are only married on paper. She doesn’t want him to sleep with her. She recently tried to stab him, to keep him away from her. He believes she’s mentally 6 years old (once again, this book is so weird). So, he would be a horrible person to try to sleep with the heroine, at the time! He thinks he’s married to someone he can never have sex with. It wouldn't make sense for him to be celibate for life, in that situation. It’s logical for him to sleep with another woman. And later in the story, after their relationship turns real, she even says that she doesn’t consider his earlier actions to be “cheating.”
There’s no real way to save a book that’s this big of a mess. None of these elements were going to add up to be a good story. Even so, it could have been a little better if their relationship developed well. But, it didn’t. He went from being like, “I’m so psycho and unfeeling!” to “Suddenly, I love the heroine,” way too whiplash fast. I know this author can write this type of story better, she did it better in Sparrow. But Sparrow was years ago. It's clear that her best days are behind her.
This is an arranged marriage mafia romance. The heroine is 18, I think the hero is like 28. They’re from mafia families that are uneasy allies. It starts with him getting his eyeball scooped out. Seriously. (Side note, I read Alchemised recently, and it also has a gross eyeball scene. If that's a trend, I hate it, stop!) That scene sets the tone for both this book and his character – trying WAY too hard to be like, “I’m so brutal and dark! I’m so psycho and crazy! Am I shocking you yet??!!” The effect was that, even when violent stuff like that happened, it barely felt dark. The tone of this book was so weird and unserious, it almost felt like a cartoon. Nothing about his inner monologue felt convincing or genuinely dark or threatening.
Shortly after that happens, the heroine gets raped (not by the hero) and gets pregnant. And of course, since that’s a very serious topic that should be treated with gravity, it absolutely isn’t. (The way it was written also felt quite anti-choice. I don't need romances to have good politics, I can even overlook shitty politics if the story is good enough. I often like terrible caveman alpha heroes better than nice guys! But, this story wasn't good enough for me to easily wave that off).
Anyway, that forces her family into making her marry the hero, so that she can pretend the baby is his. They’re strangers who don’t want to marry each other. For some reason, she’s also been pretending to be mentally handicapped her whole life. She's 18, but everyone thinks she’s mentally 6 years old. (An authors note at the back solemnly talks about how she consulted people with disabilities, and even cites a book about proper disability language. This book is so out of pocket about how it talks about disabilities – and it definitely doesn’t use the right language -- that’s hilarious. The way this book handles that topic is like, the Simple Jack plot from the movie Tropic Thunder).
A lot of reviews are crashing out about how he “cheated” on her. I respect that people have strong feelings about cheating, and scenes like that aren’t for everyone. But, the way many reviews are talking about it is so misleading, it nearly feels like lying. I have no interest in defending this book or this hero, since I didn't even like them. But I find it irritating when people talk about books in a way that's wildly misleading. From the way they're talking about the “cheating,” you’d think the hero and heroine were in love, and in a real relationship.
At the time that it happens, they’re strangers who are only married on paper. She doesn’t want him to sleep with her. She recently tried to stab him, to keep him away from her. He believes she’s mentally 6 years old (once again, this book is so weird). So, he would be a horrible person to try to sleep with the heroine, at the time! He thinks he’s married to someone he can never have sex with. It wouldn't make sense for him to be celibate for life, in that situation. It’s logical for him to sleep with another woman. And later in the story, after their relationship turns real, she even says that she doesn’t consider his earlier actions to be “cheating.”
There’s no real way to save a book that’s this big of a mess. None of these elements were going to add up to be a good story. Even so, it could have been a little better if their relationship developed well. But, it didn’t. He went from being like, “I’m so psycho and unfeeling!” to “Suddenly, I love the heroine,” way too whiplash fast. I know this author can write this type of story better, she did it better in Sparrow. But Sparrow was years ago. It's clear that her best days are behind her.
November 24, 2025
drama. funny. plot twist: check, check, check. ✅️
I never expected THAT final line, I was surprised
I never expected THAT final line, I was surprised
January 22, 2026
Interesting.... RTC
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Preread *ੈ✩‧₊˚
Sooo this is my first time reading a dark romance book, and I only settled on this one because of an instagram quote i saw (IK WE'RE ALL GUILTY OF IT). Let's see what all the hype for dark romance is abt !
Start date: January 12th
Finish date: January 19th
*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Preread *ੈ✩‧₊˚
Sooo this is my first time reading a dark romance book, and I only settled on this one because of an instagram quote i saw (IK WE'RE ALL GUILTY OF IT). Let's see what all the hype for dark romance is abt !
Start date: January 12th
Finish date: January 19th
Displaying 1 - 30 of 4,931 reviews