Captive Audience

The Beasts of Belfast #1

by Julie Weaver

As a true crime podcaster, I should be able to spot a monster a mile away.

Wrong.

The moment I lock eyes with Rook O’Connell, I know I’m about to do something reckless. Sharp suit, broad shoulders, and a smile that promises sin. He’s the kind of man who could ruin me, and God help me, I might let him.

One drink turns into a night I can’t forget and a trap I never saw coming. Now I’m bound to an Irish gangster in a fake marriage, and he won’t let me go until I solve the murder that haunts him.

I don’t have a choice. If I want my life back, I have to crack the case. But the longer I spend in his world and in his bed, the more I crave the very man I swore I’d never trust.

And the harder it is to remember this was ever a lie.

Captive Audience is an enemies-to-lovers, forced marriage, dark Irish mafia romance perfect for fans of possessive antiheroes and dangerous obsession.

Tropes:

- Lovers to enemies to lovers
- Forced marriage
- One-night stand with consequences
- He falls first
- “You’re mine now” energy
- Possessive Irish mobster hero
- True crime podcaster heroine
- Touch my wife and die
- Protective stalking
- Found family

Genres: Dark Romance, Mafia Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Romance, Dark, Forced Proximity, Stalker

374 pages, Kindle Edition

Published November 29, 2025

About the author

Julie Weaver is a RWAus Emerald Award winner and author of spicy, action-packed romantic suspense novels.
Her Team Zulu series features morally gray, ex-elite military heroes and the feisty, kick-ass heroines who challenge them.
Get your free Team Zulu Christmas novella here: https://dl.bookfunnel.com/hvreeguzny

Find me here:
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/author/juliewe...
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/julie.weave...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/JulieWeaverA...
Website: https://www.julieweaverbooks.com/

Reviews

[Jen ♥]

Captive Audience


This was mostly fun, but since I've never been a fan of separation or breakups, I rated it one star lower. 🙃 With some spoilers below.

That said, I've always enjoyed the writing style of this author, so I know I won't have any problems with that. While this one really leaned into the romance side of things, which feels somehow different from her earlier books, it's still pretty interesting.

If readers are into stalkers and morally gray men, look no further; Rook's got you covered. This man is so down bad for her. It's sweet but also a bit deranged if I'm being honest. 😅 But I love me some red-flag guys who are obsessed, possessive, and faithful when it comes to their women. So I don't really care. 😂

Then there's Asha, who's totally a firecracker and could definitely hold her own against Rook. I liked how strong she was. I liked that she's unashamed to be herself whenever she's with him. I just really loved that I've never felt any annoying imbalance between them. Well, except for money, because Rook is freaking wealthy, while Asha isn’t exactly poor but is still trying to make ends meet. But imo, there's nothing more swoony than a fictional man spending his money on his girl, wanting to give her whatever she wants, and that's pretty much what he does for her.

Moving past that, this was very much insta-lust that then became insta-love within two weeks. If readers aren't into that kind of stuff, then they might not like this one. But I looove insta-love, so all's good with me. 😂

There are a few side plots hanging around, but they don't really get much attention. The reveal of who was behind his brother's murder felt pretty anticlimactic. That guy really had it easy, which was a bummer. I was hoping for a bit more torture, but unfortunately, we didn't see any of that.

As for the person who was behind Asha's attack, it was also pretty rushed. I needed the guy to suffer more, because his type is the worst scum walking on this planet. I also wished she was able to clear her name, although we didn't really get what happened to her journalism career. I really wanted her to get justice and regain her credibility.

Then the reason for my sudden loss of interest was the separation. For someone who keeps claiming he would never let her go, Rook sure as crap did that so effortlessly. While I do understand that it was because of the guilt that she got hurt and he wasn't able to protect her at that time, I still felt betrayed by his actions. Because wydm he went all through that trouble just to get the girl, only for him to leave her when she finally confessed her love and wanted a real relationship with him?

Asha didn’t hold it against him; nobody really did, but I suppose everyone handles guilt differently. I had a hunch he would leave, but I also hoped at the same time that maybe he'd come to his senses. But nope, he went ahead and annulled their marriage, leaving her with a crazy amount of money and a bodyguard. Does this make sense? Probably to some. But I wasn't rational when I read this, so him leaving her only pissed me off.

Then after 3 months of making both of their lives miserable (because they both were), he finally pulled his head out of his ass. It's quite something actually, considering he chose the exact day when Asha finally decided to accept her friends' invitation and go out with them to make his come back. 😶

If readers are looking for any long-winded apology for his sudden ghosting, they'll be sorely disappointed. They immediately picked up where they left off, as if the past few months had never happened. A few sorrys here and there, and everything was well, and Asha let him waltz back into her life so easily. Am I disappointed? A bit, tbh. But I also get the separation was hell for both of them, so maybe in their heads they thought, "Why prolong the inevitable and not just get back together?" Anyhoo, do what you want with that.

Moving past that, overall, this was enjoyable for me. This has been a good start for a new series, imo. I'm intrigued by the other side characters, and I'm actually looking forward to reading their books.


Book info:
- Forced Marriage
- Kidnapping-ish (??)
- Drugging (sedative)
- Insta-lust/insta-love
- Violence, death, torture
- Mention of SA (past, off page)
- No cheating, OM/OW
- Separation (3 mos)
- No V (they used protection, then didn't, she's on bc)
- HEA (they got married again)


Notes:
- Asha was assaulted 3 years ago, and I think it took her a while to be able to go out. But she eventually managed. Then Rook found out about her podcast a year ago, and since then, he has started stalking and cockblocking her at the same time. 🫣😅
- No V. I'm really glad there's no real info on their past. Ignorance is really a bliss for me at this point. But his cousin mentioned that since Rook's brother got killed two years ago, he has never been seen with anyone else. So I'm going to assume he's been celibate all this time. Because it would be enraging and hypocritical of him to scare away Asha's potential dates so she won't be with anyone else, but he won't do the same.
- There was a scene where Rook came home, and he smelled like a woman's perfume. Asha asked him about it, and he was honest and told her that a woman wanted to give him a lap dance (off page), but he shoved her right away the moment she plopped down on his lap. He said he would never disrespect her that way.

[morganinpages]

Literally what was the point of this book???????? I’m actually so mad right now bc tell me why this man who has been absolutely obsessed and possessed with his woman for the absolute WHOLE BOOK up and left her for THREE MONTHS for absolutely no reason. This man stalked her and absolutely doted on her the whole time and literally put a ring on her finger that needs a lock to be taken off, but left her to fend for herself and for what? She told him she loved him, but he left her bc he thought that would be best. I’m just so irritated and mad bc I just wasted so much time on this book. This book was so amazing in the beginning, but towards the end honestly seemed like the author forgot what she was even writing about bc nothing of what happened in the beginning even showed up in the book again. I mean I was waiting for the FMC to start making podcasts again or idk actually research to find out stuff into the MMC’s brothers killing, but none of that happened. It was all brushed to the side even tho that was talked about so much in the beginning and the whole reason these two got together in the first place. And can we just talk about how absolutely rushed and outrageous the whole drugging and kidnapping thing was? I mean really?? And the FMC literally took a bullet for the MMC AND BE STILL LEFT HER!!!!!!! There was absolutely no pivotal moment in their relationship that made it to where you could see a true love and devotion for each-other which is annoying. With how quickly these two humped in the beginning I honestly thought these two would be together for most of the book, but no. Don’t even waste your time reading this book! Avoid at all costs!!!!!!!!!

[Darlene I read WAY to many books]

I really enjoyed this book only thing that pissed me off was the lack of Grovling Rook did.

Okay our girl Asha is a podcaster who talks about true crime helps solve stuff and caught the eye of Rook he's in the Irish mafia and has a wild idea. Have her solve his brothers murder since someone else did it. But he wants Asha to be his wife no feelings at all lol.
And he tricks her into marrying him. I love that Asha didn't give in so easily yes she was forced to live in Rooks place and help find out about Rooks brothers Murder. But she didnt forgive Rook anytime soon.
There relationship slowly turned more when they spent time together. Him being possessive and jelly hehe loved it.

Then we get to the 3rd act break up. For a man who was ill never leave you. Gives her a annulment and leaves but still watches over her. Like dude you watched her starve herself, be a ghost then when she finally goes out with friends? Your back? And she forgives you. Nawww Asha she should've made him grovel more.


No ow/tiny om, no cheating, secondary characters, drama, sexy times, no virgins

Recommend-yes
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶🌶

Slowinsta
Praise kink
Push/pull from both
Forced proximity/marragie
Mentions of SA
Drug use
Human trafficking
Torture
Minupulation
Violence
Safe sex/no condom
Seperation few weeks
Hea

[Han]

No OWD except him coming home from a meeting at a strip club he said he pushed her off and nothing happened
His cousin told h she was pretty positive H had been celibate since his brother passed 2 years prior

[Roxy Lance]

This book was a fast read for me, because it lacked depth.
Asha is kidnapped by Rook and almost immediately accepts her situation and starts falling for him. I really wish there would have been more of a fight and resistance. It made me mad, that she was just going along with the situation.
I also hated, that he called her “pet”. It seemed to be in a derogatory way and was just so random and ill-fitting. Asha also never says anything about it or questions that nickname. He does use the term “love” as well, which I found cute.
The plot seemed a bit rushed at the end. She is looking for the “Soul Collector” and it’s a big mystery who that person is. Therefore I expected this big search and hunt, but then he just shows up and kidnaps Asha. He reveals himself (it’s this random dude from the Russian bratva) and is also immediately killed. It was such a letdown.

But what made me give this book only two stars and is annoying me the most is the ending…
After Asha takes a bullet for Rook and he nurses her back to health he decides to just leave her, because he thinks it’s easier to lose her on his own terms, instead of losing her through outside forces. Ok, I get that. What I hated was, that he left her for three months. No contact, no sign of life, nothing.
She has the biggest heart break ever and is grieving deeply and then he shows back up and she takes him back immediately. Like literally immediately…right that second!! He goes down on one knee, ask her to marry him again and she says yes. They even talk about having kids five seconds later.
There was no groveling or anything. She seemed to have no self respect throughout the whole book and all their relationship struggles are brushed of or are ignored.
Oh and btw, the whole relationship-love situation happens in 4 months… and he is gone 3 of those.

So yeah, if you want some light, easy, shallow mafia romance, then this is an easy filler book and quick read.

[Paige]

4.5 stars.

It would have been a 5+ star read if not for the third act break up and three month separation. I absolutely HATE when the MMC breaks up with the FMC for her own sake to protect her. It’s literally such bull crap and it almost ruined this book for me. The ending was also a little rushed when he finally came back and it just ended with them in bed together.

I did like both of the characters. They were both really great. I honestly loved Asha so much. Great FMCs are hardly written anymore because for some reason women writers love writing awful women characters but Asha was soo likable and one of my favs in a very long time.

Rook was great as well. He was a man obsessed. So possessive with touch and die vibes. So many “my wife” moments. I loved that he had been obsessed with and stalking her for about a year. He talked about how they had been in a one sided relationship that she knew nothing about. The man knew everything about her even down to her menstrual cycle lol. And he sabotaged every date she had set up for the past year.

No OW drama aside from him coming home smelling my perfume and having glitter on him. He conducted some business in a strip club but assures Asha that he pushed off the girl trying to sit on him. I liked that he never thought or spoke about his sexual past and we learn from his cousin that he’s been celibate since his brother died about 2 years ago.

I loved the secondary characters except for the boy crazy Daisy. She actually annoyed me. But all of the guys and Orla were great and I definitely want to read about them. I’m most interested in reading about Finn because aside from the MCs he was my favorite character.

SAFETY & TW

No cheating
No true op drama
Third act break up (almost ruined the book for me)
Forced marriage (by MMC)
FMC drugged (by MMC)
Past SA (on FMC not by MMC)
Lost loved ones
Torture (on FMC by others and on others by MMC)
Murder
HEAish (marriage was annulled but are engaged again)

[Bel]

This so‑called Mmc was a Manipulative @ss from the very start.

I kept reading only because the FMC had a backbone at first ..she wasn’t clingy, didn’t fall into the usual “body betrayal syndrome” nonsense. I thought maybe the MMC would soften, maybe he’d stop being such a manipulative asshole halfway. But NO!!!! he turned out to be the biggest Fucker by the end.

The FMC literally takes a bullet for him, he nurses her back to health, and then what does this coward do? He left her in her apartment while she was sleeping, left her a damn note (Fmc was in shock to see her apartment because this fucker didn't give a choice to her to choose whether she wanted to stay at his place or her's after her traumatic recovery that was his damn surprise exit. WOW) and disappears for three months (Not sure he was celibate during that separation anyway at that moment I didn't give a shit about it). Dammit, he even watched her meltdown through his cameras during that time, like some Sick Fuck , and still doesn’t reach out. That’s beyond Cruel.

Everyone knows she’s his wife, so his logic about “protecting her” makes no sense, it's not like he announces a breakup publicly. He just abandoned her. And then after three months of silence he strolls back into her apartment, drops to one knee, and proposes again. And the FMC? She says yes immediately. No groveling, no accountability, no fight for her dignity. Just instant forgiveness.

By then, I was raging. The MMC was a manipulative asshole and a cowardly fucker, and the FMC’s lack of self‑respect destroyed the strength she showed at the beginning. All their struggles were brushed aside, ignored, erased. This book made me want to rip it apart into tiny pieces...Jesus!!!

[Lira]

I love Julie’s books, they’re always so addictive, and Captive Audience is no exception! From the first chapter, I was completely hooked. The premise already grabbed me right away: Asha, a true crime podcaster who should totally know better, ends up getting tangled up with Rook O’Connell, an Irish gangster who is basically walking temptation. One drink turns into one unforgettable night… and suddenly she’s stuck in a fake marriage and helping him solve a murder he can’t let go of. I mean… how was I supposed to resist that setup?

Asha and Rook are just amazing together. I adored both of them, and their banter? So good. Fun, sharp, and full of chemistry — the kind that makes you grin like an idiot while you’re reading!

This book is a little different from Julie’s previous ones because it leans more into the romance and their relationship than into the suspense. And while I wouldn’t have minded a bit more mystery (I’m always here for more twists!), the romance was so engaging that I didn’t even mind the shift in focus.
Honestly, if this book had a thousand pages, I would’ve read the whole thing happily. It’s that addictive, that entertaining, and that easy to fall into. Julie did it again!

𝑰 𝒓𝒆𝒄𝒆𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒅𝒗𝒂𝒏𝒄𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒑𝒚 𝒐𝒇 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌 𝒊𝒏 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔𝒕 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒇𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒔 𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝑰 𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒍𝒚 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒘𝒉𝒊𝒍𝒆 𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒊𝒕!

[Hailey Goshert]

4.5⭐️ 2.5🌶️ very unique plot for a mafia romance, which is hard to do and pleasantly surprising for someone like me who feels like they've read every possible storyline in this genre.

these characters were so easy to get wrapped up in. both facing their own traumas, but also neither of them willing to back down from their goals and what they feel is most important. Asha was a spitfire, which is always appreciated in an FMC. and while Rook was frustratingly hard headed and OTT at multiple points, he had very valid reasons for acting and thinking the way he did. i thought both MC's were fleshed out well, and still alluring even when you wanted to reach through the book and punch them for their decisions at times.

my one gripe with this was the conflict at the end. i thought it was too dragged out and then resolved a little too quickly considering how long us readers sat in limbo thinking "OH MY GOD GET YOUR HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS AND BE TOGETHER". other than that, i thought the story was captivating and all of the characters introduced only make me want to devour more of the future stories that will take place in this world. this was my first book by Julie and along with highly recommending, i think i might go back and read some of her backlist if they're anything like this!

[Roza]

3 ⭐️ this book was actually pretty fun read if we take out the pet nickname and the 3rd act which was so random and he didn’t grovel at all. It was a fast read and Rook and Asha as couple had good chemistry and I loved most of their moments~ The plot was also pretty good and I liked most of the side characters — mostly her friends and his friends who seems like will be getting books too. Next book is Aidan book which I’m excited about and kind of interested to see if her friend Daisy will get a book or not.

[Buffy・❥・]

Words can’t fully describe how much I enjoyed this book… honestly I went in to it not expecting much but was pleasantly surprised by the storyline and how much I loved both the MMC and the FMC

[Teodora Puscau]

If you enjoy Irish mafia romance, obsessive heroes, forced marriage, and plenty of tension and romance, I highly recommend this book.🖤

[Marija]

4,5✨
Ah Rook... what a man😁😎 this book was such a fun read, I really loved it✨❤️‍🔥 can't wait for more of this(hopefully)

[Bri]

Get it here:
Amazon US * Amazon UK

[Blue]

MMC left the FMC for no reason and came back without grovel

[Ms. Dess]

My Rating: 3 ⭐⭐⭐
Series Status: Oh I’m absolutely sticking around for this crew… Torin and Aiden, I’m watching y'all real close👀👀

We Have:
✅ M/F romance
✅ Irish mafia
✅ Forced Marriage
✅ Billionaire MMC
✅ Stalking
✅ OTT Obsessive MMC (falls first, falls HARD)
✅ Morally gray MMC
✅ Touch her and die… but make it quiet and efficient
✅ Decent smut (accessible… not unholy)
✅ Palate cleanser with bite

This book was just… a good fucking time. No stress, no emotional damage spiral, no “I need to call my therapist after this” energy (she's tired AF of me anyway)… just obsession, chaos, and a man who saw her once and said yeah… that one’s mine and committed like his life depended on it.

He MMC Rook - mmmhmmm - we likeyyyyy... He’s not out here competing with the completely deranged, needs to be studied MMCs I normally gravitate toward (def nothing wrong with them fuckers - we love em unhinged round these parts)… but what he does have is that steady, dangerous, unhinged obsession that hits in a different way. Less chaos demon… more I will absolutely ruin your life very calmly if you become a problem. NGL… that shit works.

"Who hurt you" followed by a stabby - pew pew rampage is always undefeated. I don’t make the rules.

And the stalking… this man had a whole one-sided relationship going for almost a year before she even knew he existed. In normal live - deeply concerning (right? I mean sexy but we should be concerned). However - 100% weirdly impressive because at least he’s consistent. Commitment is not his fucking issue that’s for sure.

The FMC was fun... I’m not even gonna lie. She had personality, she was funny, she had her little moments… but ma’am… she was a little too reactive sometimes. I hate when FMCs leap to conclusions and just run with it like facts were never an option. Like biiiiitch… think. Just a little. Take a breath before we spiral into nonsense.

My view on the smut is this is civilized horny. This is “normal people would lose their minds over this” horny. It’s good, it’s solid, it does what it needs to do… but if your brain is as rotted as mine, this is not the kind of filth that’s gonna have you questioning your life choices. And that’s fine. This book didn’t need it.

What really sold this for me though was the overall feel. This shit didn’t try to be deeper than it was. It didn’t drag, it didn’t get stuck in repetitive bullshit… it just kept moving. Gave me tension, gave me moments, gave me just enough to stay locked in without irritating me.

No but for real… I had a good fucking time. Like… not complaining even a little. Ok fine… one complaint… Asha but we already talked about it. Get it together babe.

And now I’m fully locked into this world because if this is just the introduction I already know I’m about to get attached to this entire crew. Torin feels like he’s gonna be a problem in the best way. I can feel it. Aiden… also suspicious. Also needs to be investigated immediately. I volunteer as tribute!

Bottom line… this was fun, a little chaotic, just enough obsession to keep me happy, and easy as hell to devour. Anyway… I’ll be right here waiting for the rest of these men to ruin my life.

TL;DR:
If you think Twisted Love is dark… or you dabble in Rina Kent and call it a day… this is a safe little step into the genre without getting your soul snatched.

She’s got mafia, obsession, stalking, and just enough “I might ruin your life” energy to make you feel something… but not enough to have you questioning your morals or googling therapists at 2am.

Sits a little lighter than J.T. Geissinger… still spicy, still possessive, just not full blown unhinged feral chaos.

Basically… this is your “I wanna dip a toe into dark romance but I’m not quite ready to be psychologically wrecked” starter pack.

[Gaia]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
🌶️🌶️🌶️/5

Let’s say it together… “if Julie writes it, we’re going to read it”… ahhh now I feel better… okay let’s talk business!!!

I honestly don’t know how she does it every single time, but every MMC she writes is pure perfection! I said what I said and stand by it!

Rook is amazing… well okay yeah in more than one occasion I was a little bit frustrated with him, but it’s okay… it happens… right?! Also what can you say to him when you see how completely obsessed and in love he is with Asha?!

And how could he not?! I mean Asha is a bad ass! I yelled at her through my Kindle multiple times to tell her to stop lying to herself and to us when she said that she wasn’t in love with Rook (yeah yeah… Li(e)za Minelli) but I loved her so much.

And the side characters?!?!?! I need a book with Aiden as the MMC asap! Ehm ehm… Julie 👀👀👀

I had so much fun reading it and the fact that my best friend was ARC reading it as well was amazing… you should see our chat 🤣

I can’t wait for the next books 🤩!

[Emma Roden]

Julie Weaver WHO ARE YOU ? WHY HAVE I NEVER HEARD OF YOU BEFORE ?? WHY YOUR WRITING IS SO ADDICTIVE ??
okay, so first I’m sorry for all the screaming and all.
This book was so good, I absolutely LOVED the FMC
and OBVIOUSLY also loved the MMC. I loved their story and the intrigue. The writing, have I told you already about the writing ? Yeah it was so smooth, so easy to read and I devoured this book in a day.
I will def be reading more of her books (Zulu is next in my TBR)

[Aurora Ash]

⭐️⭐️⭐️ 3 Stars | Chaos, Crime, Commitment Issues & One Extremely Determined Man 🤌🚩💍

You ever read a book and spend half the time thinking, "This is absolutely insane," while simultaneously turning pages like your life depends on it? Because that was me with Captive Audience by Julie Weaver. 😂

This book was the literary equivalent of getting into a suspiciously fast sports car driven by a man who definitely has several felonies under his belt and deciding, "You know what? Let's see where this goes." 🚗💨

And honestly?

I had fun.

A lot of fun.

Not life-changing. Not masterpiece-level. But definitely entertaining enough to keep me glued to the pages while repeatedly questioning everyone's decision-making skills. 😭

Let's start with Rook.

This man is operating on a completely different wavelength than the rest of society.

Most people see a woman they like and maybe follow her on social media.

Rook sees a woman he likes and apparently decides to dedicate himself to a full-time research project. 🔍👀

The level of obsession this man possesses should probably be studied by scientists.

The commitment?

Elite.

The boundaries?

Missing.

The self-awareness?

Nonexistent.

And somehow... I ate it up. 😭🤌

There's something weirdly entertaining about a hero who decides from the beginning that he's all in and never wavers from that position. This man wasn't confused for a single second. No mixed signals. No emotional games. No "I'm scared of my feelings."

Sir was locked in from Day One.

Respectfully... that's terrifying.

And yet also kind of refreshing? 😂

Rook isn't the wildest mafia hero I've ever read, but he has that dangerous, quietly unhinged energy that works really well. The type who remains calm while making everyone else nervous.

The type who says "I'll handle it" and suddenly people start disappearing.

You know.

Romantic. 💀❤️

Now let's address my biggest enemy in this entire book:

THE NICKNAME.

PET.

😐

I'm sorry but every single time he called her "Pet," I physically recoiled.

I know some readers love possessive pet names.

I know some readers melt for that stuff.

I am not one of those readers.

Every time it popped up, I got distracted. It never sounded cute to me. It never sounded sexy to me. It just sounded weird. Out of all the nicknames available in the English language, THAT'S what we're going with? 😭

Moving on.

Then we have Asha.

I liked her!

She was funny, spirited, and brought a lot of personality to the story. Her career and investigative instincts made her feel more involved in the plot than a lot of mafia romance heroines who accidentally wander into danger because they forgot common sense exists.

I especially enjoyed how she actively contributed to uncovering the mystery surrounding the larger storyline. Watching pieces of the puzzle come together kept me invested beyond just the romance.

That being said...

Girl.

Please.

Use your critical thinking skills occasionally. 😭

There were moments where I desperately wanted to hand her a cup of tea, sit her down, and say, "Let's think this through before we jump directly to the worst possible conclusion."

Still, she and Rook had fantastic chemistry together. Their banter was fun, their interactions felt natural, and they genuinely worked well as a couple.

The romance itself was one of the strongest parts of the book.

The "mine" energy?

Present. 🚩

The protective instincts?

Off the charts. 🚩

The obsession?

Absolutely thriving. 🚩

The emotional attachment?

Concerningly intense. 🚩

Which, if you're picking up a mafia romance, is probably exactly what you're here for. 😂

One thing I really appreciated was that there wasn't unnecessary relationship drama cluttering everything up. The focus stayed firmly on the couple and the external conflicts instead of forcing random romantic distractions into the mix.

The mystery plot was actually surprisingly engaging too.

Normally with mafia romances, I'm here for the chaos, the tension, and the morally questionable men.

The plot is often just a decorative accessory.

But this one genuinely held my attention. The investigation surrounding Niall's death, the secrets being uncovered, and the connections between various characters gave the story momentum.

Every time I thought I had things figured out, another piece would click into place and send the story in a new direction.

Was every reveal perfect?

Not exactly.

But it definitely kept me reading.

However...

Can we talk about that prison situation? 🤨

Because I genuinely sat there staring at the page wondering if Rook had somehow forgotten he possessed a functioning brain.

This man really couldn't think of a better solution than putting her in jail and expecting her to call him for help?

Sir.

WHAT?

That's your grand plan?

If I were Asha, I'd be sitting in that cell out of pure spite. 😂

At that point it wasn't even about solving the problem anymore. It would've become a matter of principle.

You mean to tell me this hyper-competent mafia mastermind who can track people across continents, uncover conspiracies, eliminate threats, and practically bend reality to his will couldn't come up with a better idea than "well, prison should do it"?

Absolutely not.

That whole situation irritated me because it felt unnecessarily cruel and completely avoidable.

And then...

Then we arrive at the giant elephant in the room.

The ending.

Or as I like to call it:

The Reason This Book Lost A Star. 😭

Because WHAT WAS THAT?

The first half of this story had me locked in.

The middle dragged a little but was still enjoyable.

Then the final act showed up like it had somewhere else to be.

The pacing suddenly started sprinting.

Character decisions became questionable.

Plot developments happened at lightning speed.

And I found myself staring at the pages thinking:

"Wait... are we sure this is the plan we're going with?"

This man spends the entire book obsessed with her.

Watching her.

Protecting her.

Wanting her.

Breathing for her.

Probably checking if the sun is shining specifically for her.

And then suddenly decides the best thing he can do is leave her?

For THREE MONTHS?

To "protect" her?

Sir, respectfully, that sounds like a YOU problem. 😭

The emotional payoff didn't land for me at all because after all that obsession and possessiveness, he disappears, leaves her heartbroken, annuls the marriage, ghosts her for months, and then strolls back into the story near the end like:

"Hey, wanna get married again?"

EXCUSE ME???

Where is the groveling?

Where is the suffering?

Where is the emotional devastation?

Where is the apology tour?

Where are the tears?

Where is the man crawling across broken glass begging for forgiveness?

I was promised an obsessed man.

Obsessed men do not get to disappear for three months and then skip straight to the happy ending. 😭😂

I needed at least another hundred pages dedicated solely to him earning his way back.

Instead everything wrapped up so quickly that I was left feeling like I had accidentally skipped several chapters.

And honestly?

The ending is what kept this from being a 4-star read for me.

Another thing I was slightly disappointed by was the found family aspect.

I kept hearing that this series had found family vibes and don't get me wrong—they're there.

But I wanted MORE.

Way more.

The friend group was one of the most enjoyable parts of the book whenever they appeared. Every interaction made me want to spend more time with them.

I wanted more dinners.

More chaos.

More group scenes.

More friendships.

More moments that made this crew feel inseparable.

Instead, just when I started getting attached, the story was already rushing toward the finish line.

The found family potential was absolutely there, but I wanted the book to lean into it much harder.

Overall though?

I genuinely enjoyed myself.

The romance was entertaining.

The chemistry worked.

The mystery kept me invested.

The side characters were fun.

The world feels like it has plenty more stories left to tell.

And perhaps most importantly...

This book made me immediately curious about future books. 👀

Because now I'm invested in everybody else's business too.

I need updates.

I need romances.

I need explanations.

I need chaos.

I'm fully seated for whatever happens next. 🍿

Final Thoughts:

📚 Fast-paced and easy to binge

❤️ Great chemistry between the main couple

🔪 Protective, obsessed mafia hero energy

😂 Fun banter and entertaining character interactions

🕵️ Mystery plot that actually kept me interested

🚩 Enough red flags to decorate an entire parade

😒 "Pet" is a terrible nickname and nobody can change my mind

🚔 The jail plan was ridiculous

😩 A rushed final act that desperately needed more pages

💔 Not nearly enough groveling after THAT breakup

👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Wanted way more found family moments

🤔 Several decisions that left me staring at the wall afterward

🎉 Still an enjoyable read despite its flaws

Was it perfect?

No.

Did I have a good time?

Absolutely.

And honestly, sometimes that's all I need.

A morally questionable man, some criminal activity, a dash of obsession, a mystery to solve, and enough chaos to keep me entertained for a few hundred pages.

Mission accomplished. 😂💍🔪❤️

[Rew]

10⭐ bloody stars for this.
im smitten ..julie u did it again
well done ..
hooked from the first chapter the banter between these two is outta this world
one of the best irish mafia romance I read lately i was happy to see a bit of the team zulu again



♦️I’m going to pick a fight with my soon-to-be-deceased husband.”
‎
♦️‎“Hello, pet.” I sneered.
“Don’t Hello, pet me.”
‎Aidan laughed. “Oh man. The pair of you makes so much sense now.”
‎
‎
⭐‎When everything clicked with Asha that Rook is behind every man who ghosted her.. things got wild...
‎‎He was definitely a cock blocking son of a bitch🤣🤣🤣
‎
♦️‎*"He wasn’t a monster. He was a man gutted by grief. It didn’t erase the manipulation or the lies, but when I saw Rook’s actions through his eyes, they made a little more sense"
‎
‎
‎The spicy scenes were perfect specially the one after she got tipsy with Orla and Rook came was chefs kiss🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼🤌🏼

[Hollie Loffman]

I got this as an ARC copy and OH MY GOD I devoured this book, I couldn’t put it down. I loved all the characters and the story line was just brilliant. If you’re into your mafia, possessive mmc’s then this is the book for you. I need the next book now!!!!

[Mora]

3.7~4⭐️

[Louey]

⭐️⭐️ — 2

I’ve seen better book husbands.

[Booklover]

3⭐

Author wrote the blurb and didn’t know how to write the book.

The only reason I’m giving it 3 stars is because there is no OWD, no cheating, no comparing her to others. For a possessive stalker, he actually kept it in his pants.

The first 10 chapters gets you pages of telling and no showing. A very short conversation between Rook and Tor in the first chapter, then a lot of nothing 🥱

Asha has a podcast where she goes after criminals. The podcast is non-existent. From Rook’s POV we see her setting it up and from her POV after, she is thanking her listeners and wrapping it up. And that’s a total wrap, because the podcast left the book never to be seen again.

Then we have Asha being horney, the conversation with her friends about being horney is so cringe. Then she practically walks up to a stranger (Rook) and practically begs him to help her end her dry-spell. 🙄

This whole lot of nothing and ridiculousness just to get her to his house where he can drug her and marry her so he can hold divorce as an incentive for her to find the killer of his brother. 🙄

What stung the most was that I’d never seen any of this coming. Not once had I suspected Rook was playing me.

You don't know the guy and the first thing you asked him was to end your ancient dry spell…😵‍💫

The writing became better once she woke up married, but it was still boring. The conversation with her friends was awful.

If you’re going to write about Rook finding his brother’s killer, we should get more than ‘he leaves early, he comes back late and he has bloody knuckles’. Don’t tell me, show me what he is doing to find his brother’s killer. Oh wait, he isn’t doing anything at all.

This is supposed to be mafia with connections, money and what not. He has the cops in his back pocket, but other than keeping Asha in a cell, they left the book never to be seen again.

“We’ve got people in every agency. DEA, ATF, Homeland Security. Even a bloke at the IRS. We’re covered.”

Then why do you need a girl with a podcast to catch the killer of your brother?

They find the girl his brother was seeing, they bring her to Tor’s place, only to never be seen or heard of again.

Then there is the whole rape thing. A sentence here and a page there is wasted on this topic, also to never be heard of again. And why didn’t Rook know this since he was stalking her. Doesnt make for a good stalker.

There is nothing mafia going on in this book. They did nothing to find the killer. There is maybe one page about the killer finding them, and half a page of him being killed. That’s all the plot you get. The rest is smut and a whole bunch of repetitive inner monologue and boring talk and fillers.

Basically a lot of things were just thrown in this book randomly without giving it any thought or how to make it a decent storyline. The podcast, her being raped by her boss, the brother’s girlfriend, why he was killed, the human trafficking ring, him running away, him coming back. Author focused more on Rook’s feelings towards Asha and filled the whole book with it. There was actually nothing more to this book than that.

[Ryan]

This book was good until it wasn't. I can't believe I took a week to finish this. To be honest, I really loved the plot of this book and I actually had enjoyed Rook and Asha initially, but then this book just dragged on and took a nosedive. I would've rated this book 4 stars initially, but after that shitshow that was the climax and how backwards that fallout was, I'm confident in saying I'd give this a 2-3 star, but probably a 3.

What I loved about this book was that Rook by the start of this book was stalking Asha for about 378 days and his brother had died a year before that (so 2 years by the start of the book). I also loved that he was essentially celibate by the time his brother died and until present time, as mentioned by his cousin Orla. There was no OW drama and there was no OM drama as Rook had driven away all of Asha's prospects, making her single.

I ATE UP THAT wedding, no matter how illegal or crazy it was. Even though Asha was unconscious by Xanax after their ONS, I just could not deny I ate up how down bad obsessed Rook was and how much I ate that up. He really zeroed in and embraced the "my wife" trope quick, and this man never fell short of doing whatever to please his girl, whether it was killing her harasser who got her blacklisted, gave her a whole new podcast studio, bought her extravagant gifts and provided funds for shopping sprees, and even saving a girl who she was trying to locate from her kidnapping to human trafficking.

What really didn't do it for me was the dragged out middle (which was just a lot of back and forth on her end) and the total switch up after the Russians kidnapped Asha an injured her. I can't believe after the middle of the book, Asha's whole passion for podcast was just never touched on again and even after Rook leaves her, she just gives up podcasting altogether.

AND THIS MAN. How dare he be this obsessed with her and so willing to stalk, bug, and watch her, only to then abandon her under the context of "protecting her" and "letting her go," then going off the grid in Ireland for 3 months. I can't even believe he abandoned her after all that and annulled their marriage, and then decided to come to his senses after and claim her back.

This book would've been so so good if the middle and later part of the book didn't happen the way it did and they kept the first half of the book, which was what really had be engaged and invested. I loved Rook a lot more than Asha, as her personality was just being a murder mystery podcaster, and even then that was soon scrapped from her character to only replace her as this SAH mob wife. Shame this book had so much potential to be a great read for me, but it wasn't bad by any means, just mediocre or mid to me.

[Camii]

"Cada vez que pases junto a mí. Cada vez que sonrías, o rías, o simplemente respires cerca de mí. Esto ―tomé su mano y la puse sobre mi corazón acelerado―, es lo que me haces"

Los protagonistas con mil red falgs con corazón tierno son mi nueva debilidad 🫦.
Asha es una mujer que resuelve casos a través de sus PodCasts y su sueño es vivir de su trabajo pero todo da un giro enorme cuando tiene una aventura con un hombre desconocido y despierta con un anillo en el dedo y se da cuenta que ahora es la mujer de un mafioso peligroso que la necesita para vengar el asesinato de su hermano.

Rook la verdad hacía muchas cosas cuestionables porque ella no lo sabía pero el llevaba meses investigando sobre su vida porque desde que la vió tuvo una obsesión con ella y era la distracción perfecta para hacerlo olvidar el dolor que sentía por la muerte de su hermano y en ella encontro una luz de felicidad. Asha no se lo puso fácil y puso sus propias condiciones porque no era dócil y complaciente con el y se negaba a tener un matrimonio real... Cosa que se complica cuando pasa tiempo con su nuevo esposo ya que el es muy bueno con ella y fue imposible ignorar los gestos hermosos que tenía y que se vengara por el daño que le hicieron termino de derrumbar sus barreras. Rook es un amor😭♥️, sus sentimientos eran muy oscuros y lindos a la vez, rl tenía el balance perfecto de dulzura y oscuridad.

Personalmente me hubiera gustado ver mas del secreto que encontraron de su hermano porque se sintió todo muy superficial y fue algo importante en la trama... Espero que sea porque hay un segundo libro o algo porque me quedaron preguntas sin respuesta 😭.

[ang]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- first five star read of the year and i am so obsessed with asha and rook!! one of my top mafia romances ever
and i already want to reread!

“You’re my queen,” he murmured, skimming his mouth over mine. “The only one I’d kneel for. Because as much as I own you, you own me, too. Body and soul.”

[Panagiotaa]

“In her fire, I found peace."
“In his darkness, I found hope." ❤️‍🩹

I devoured this book!!! I loved it so much!!
In the beginning I wasn't sure about this one but in the end I am so glad I read it 🥹

Uff I am so sad that I finished it in only two nights... I wanted more of them...

I loved that it wasn't just another mafia book. The plot was amazing and the characters omg I just can't wait to read about Aiden he is so funnyyyy and hot oh my god 🙈

The last few chapters made me cry so bad 🥺 and I was so sad about Finn... now I want a book about him 🥺

Also, Rook was annoying but he had so many traumas that I get and I am glad they had a happy ending because I almost believed that they wouldn't have one 🥲

“She was the pulse in my veins and the reason I kept breathing. I’d bleed for her, build for her, destroy for her. Live for her.”

Totally recommend it 🥹

[Samia]

'twas a fine read but i'd have loved to read/ find out more about asha's podcast. really enjoyed reading about those bits

[zainab]

what the helly did i just read in a day