Saff has always been the mafia’s most unpredictable asset—sharp-tongued, fiery-tempered, and entirely unbothered by rules. But when the boss hands her a new assignment—become the silent face of a sleek new nightclub and keep their money clean—Saff’s got to swap brass knuckles for business casual.
There’s just one Soren Vale.
All sharp suits, sharp instincts, and sharp eyes that don’t miss a thing. He’s used to being in control and prefers working alone—until Saff walks in. He doesn’t trust her, not really, but he wants her enough to ignore his gut.
They both meant to keep it strictly business. Then came the long looks, the close calls, and the lines they can’t stop crossing.
Their business deal turns into an affair neither of them can afford—especially not when Soren starts asking questions, and Saff’s not only lying to Soren about who she is, but lying to her boss about who she’s with.
If the truth comes out, she won’t just lose Soren. She’ll lose her reputation, her place in the only world she’s ever known, and the love of the found family she’d been searching for her whole life.
In the end, they’ll both have to can love survive when everything else is a lie?
Jessica Gadziala is a USA Today bestselling author who lives in rural New Jersey with her parrots, dogs, and an ever-growing collection of houseplants. A lifelong dreamer, she’s been writing stories since childhood and published her first book in 2015. When not at her desk, she’s usually feeding backyard birds, rewatching crime dramas, period pieces, and 90s supernatural TV shows, or adding to her towering stacks of unread books.
Amazing, heartbreaking, and beautiful. I love this story. Yes, it's part of a mafia romance series, but damn, it was so dreamy, beautiful, and a bit like taming a wild animal for Soren. 😂😉😂
Soren is the orderly, organized, and hard-working guy. His life is his job. That's what he's good at and knows how to make it work. What he also needs is a good location and an investor for his new club. All clear goals and ideas until he meets the silent investor...
Saff is a capo. Yes, Renzo Lombardi is a very progressive mafia boss. Women can prove themselves just as much as men and also rise in the family hierarchy just as much.
Saff has a job. Close a deal with a potential businessman and launder the mafia family's money through his business. Very simple and easy to do, you might think, right? I mean, easy for mafia members, of course. That's what she thought, too, but then she met the businessman...
The book is action-packed, exciting, and thrilling from the first page to the end. One unexpected event after another. So many twists and turns. So many mixed emotions. So many beautiful feelings. 😍
Keep Him Like Secrets is the fifth book in the Lombardi Family series by Jessica Gadziala. This is Saff’s book.
Saff is a beautiful, blue-haired spitfire. She’s a young female capo who works extra hard to make sure everyone respects her position.
Soren Vale is a gorgeous businessman looking for a partner for a nightclub he’s building. He has no idea who Saff really is, however the more time he spends with her, he really doesn’t care.
I love this story. Soren is a great leading man! He is protective and growly and the only person who gets to see Saff’s softer side. I also really like Saff. She’s so used to taking care of herself and fighting for everything she has that it’s heartwarming watching her accept kindnesses from Soren she’s never received before.
I also like Teresa who is Soren’s secretary. Their interactions are funny, especially when she is mothering him and keeping him in line. Bastian (Bass) is also a good side character and I hope we get his story as well.
There’s a cool little surprise at the end and the story wraps up nicely with a look into Soren and Saff’s future.
I thought that I wasn't going to love Saff's character, but boy was I wrong. She was hot tempered and a complete firecracker in the previous books, so I thought that she would be one-dimensional. However, she was anything but. She was charismatic and funny and a hoot to get to know more in depth. I highlighted a handful of hilarious one liners just throughout the book both from her and Soren's perspective. I overall enjoyed the hell out of this book and can't wait to see what else is in store for the Lombardi Family.
Saff had worked very hard and suffered a lot of pain in her life to get this chance from Renzo. Soren has worked hard to amass his empire. They are both immediately drawn to one another. The rest is figuring out how to tell the truth. There are a few sexy scenes.
This time a female capo, Saff, is making sure she keeps her place in the family. She's tasked by Renzo to form a company with Soren. She's a fabu!ous character who grows wonderfully throughout the book which is of course very well written and all the characters are interesting. You can read this is a standalone but all the other books are brilliant too. I generally don't like Mafia books but these are an exception.
📖Genre & Tropes📖 : romance mafia x secret identity x Grumpy heroine x billionaire hero x He falls first x spicy scenes
Un tome que j'attendais avec TELLEMENT D'IMPATIENCE !
OK je reconnais, j'ai mis trop de temps à lire ce tome parce que mes attentes étaient tellement hautes que j'avais peur d'être déçue ... Mais je n'aurais pas dû douter de Jessica Gadziala parce que C’ÉTAIT GÉNIAL !!
L'intrigue était top avec toutes les tensions autour des secrets de Saff mais aussi de Soren (même si j'aurais peut-être voulu quelque chose de plus développé) mais le gros point fort de ce livre c'est la romance qui se construit petit à petit au fil des pages avec Saff qui est tellement réticente à TOUT (mais que j'ai adoré parce que qui n'aime pas les gens qui lisent des romances d'alien xD) et Soren qui n'hésite pas face à ses sentiments et qui est étonnamment tellement romantique (le mug à café ??? la clé avec le pigeon ??? LE PIGEON !!!!)
Je ne m'attendais pas à la fin mais j'ai beaucoup aimé que ce soit quelque chose de différent !
Bref, une romance mafia comme je les aime : sexy et romantique avec une touche de suspense ! J'adore la famille Lombardi et j'espère qu'on aura bientôt un autre tome avec d'autres personnages (genre Bastian =D)
OK, I admit it, it took me WAY too long to read this book because my expectations were so high that I was afraid of being disappointed ... But I shouldn't have doubted Jessica Gadziala because IT WAS BRILLIANT !!
The plot was great, with all the tension surrounding Saff's secrets and Soren's (even though I might have liked something more developed), but the real highlight of this book is the romance that builds little by little throughout the pages, with Saff, who is so reluctant about EVERYTHING (but I loved it because who doesn't like people who read alien romances xD) and Soren, who doesn't hesitate when it comes to his feelings and is surprisingly so romantic (the coffee mug ??? the key with the pigeon ??? THE PIGEON !!!!).
I wasn't expecting the ending, but I really liked that it was something different !
In short, a mafia romance just the way I like them : sexy and romantic with a touch of suspense! I love the Lombardi family and I hope we'll soon have another volume with other characters (like Bastian =D)
Saff's book was not the book I was expecting next but it did not disappoint.
Saff is one of Renzo's capos and a particularly vicious little one at that. Saff jumped from home to hell and back again throughout her child/teen years and that most certainly caused many issues. Jump forward the adulthood and it's took a bit of time for our girl to adjust. Is she stable? I mean is anyone really but she definitely found her people and got into the swing of life building a little empire for herself working herself to where she got.. Anger issues and all.
Saff is hilarious playing the business woman. Like bambi on ice in her heels she still stood tall and walked the walk until she could talk the talk. She's confident, fiercely protective and a little sweet under her salty for those special enough to experience the sweet. She's also as stubborn as they come and her bickering with Bastian had me howling.
Soren is a tall drink of whatever is your favourite drink. He's smooth as all get up. Sweet as can be and dirty in the slow sensual kind that just makes everything flutter. This man even knowing Saff was a little shady .. put in the WORK. He took the time to wrangle her spicy defences. He payed attention to what she liked, what made her feel safe. He TOOK THE TIME. That is all. A fine man indeed he is.
These two set fire to the pages with their crazy tension, sweet moments of vulnerability and secret keeping shenanigans. They had me laughing, swooning and whooping in satisfaction. The moment he cooked with her, the book store.. GAH. The fucking book store took me out. The foot rubs. honestly so freaking perfect together.
Of course with every Jessie book comes great side characters, all manner of crazy banter, bickering and interfering. They truly do make a book even when the main characters are spectacular, it would not be the same without the crazy that comes along side them. Saff and Soren's story took on a life of its own with heated touches, burning chemistry, badly hidden secrets, a few wtf moments, a whole lot of personality and plenty of laughs. Oh and to finish it off a pet pigeon and dream life.
Super well done with these two main characters. We've met the MFC before throughout the last several books and she is a total badass. It can be difficult to write these characters in first person because how can they live up to their reputation once we know all their insecurities? But the author did a great job.
The MFC is super tough so it makes sense that she is awkward in business attire. I enjoyed all her discomfort with that. The MMC is the perfect combination of assertive and patient. He instinctively knows when to resist things with her and when not to,
“Contrary to popular belief, an apology was a power move. In this case, it not only allowed the deal to move forward, but it gave me more chances to be in Saff’s company.”
Because she is angry so often, the apology actually diffuses her. He respects her boundaries while still encouraging their relationship.
Favorite silly bit,
“And there he was. Standing in the kitchen chopping something, his suit jacket off, and his sleeves rolled up all sluttily. Yep. Sluttily. I didn’t make the rules.”
Saff is a tiny, blue-haired bada$$, which she HAS to be in order to make it as a respected capo in the Lombardi crime family. When her boss gives her a new assignment to help the Family launder money through a third party’s legitimate club business, she is forced to wear business professional clothing (ugly and uncomfortable), dye her hair a professional color (boring) and worst of all, act like a serious business investor (okaaay). Furthermore, she is told in no uncertain terms NOT to Eff up. The problem is that the legitimate club developer she’s meant to partner with is the sexiest man she’s ever encountered. I’ll give you three guesses on how that’s all going to go down. Twists, turns, revelations and angst all contribute to a story that will engage and enthral you, all the way through!
The Lombardi Family is my favorite of the mafia families that Jessica writes. I think that is because they are like the Little Rascals or some group of misfits that all find a place to belong under Renzo’s guidance. Saff is no different, and she has been hardened by her life experience. She is given an assignment by the boss that takes her way out of her comfort zone, but of course, it turns out to be just exactly what she needs. Soren has his own demons, but he finds an unexpected kindred spirit in Saff as they work together to open the new club. Saff struggles with maintaining the separation between her life with Soren and her real life until danger finds her and brings all of those who care about her together. Turns out, that was the very best thing that could have happened.
“Keep Him Like Secrets”was the perfect lescape for my weekend. Every time Jessica Gadziala releases something new, I drop everything to read it,and once again, she did not disappoint.
I loved Sass and Soren from the moment they met. Their chemistry was instant, and their connection felt genuine. What I especially appreciated about this story was the absence of unnecessary drama, no big misunderstandings, no abrupt breakups, no time apart just for the sake of tension. Instead, we get two people with complicated pasts who find comfort and honesty in one another.
Another win from Gadziala—sweet, steamy, and effortlessly bingeable.
I've always wondered who could catch Saff's attention. What kind of man could a tough rock solid girl want? Well I think I was off when it came to really seeing who Saff was. Looking into her story and seeing what she really needed was eye opening and beautiful 😍. Soren is hands down the best person for Saff. He is successful, independent, strong, understanding and emotionally stable. Everyone has a few secrets but when things come to light, it is handled so well. I enjoy stories with detail and love. Perfect HEA and epilogue!
I was lost for a title. This book was so full of steam and romance, it was more about reading the story behind these two and where it went from there. I could have finished this in two days but couldn't bring myself to rush. I literally savored this story. You will wrap your head and heart around it. I loved it JG. Being one of your biggest fans makes me bias so I leave it for the readers enjoyment.
Renzo has a job for Saff but she has to pretend to be a legit businesswoman and get a new bar/club off the ground. She doesn’t factor in the businessman she has to work with. As a Capo for Renzo and a female Saff has to be tough and give knocks where they are due! She doesn’t count on falling for her business partner but such is life.
There is something about Jessica Gadziala's mafia series that makes her writing just next level. And Keep Him Like Secrets most definitely falls into that group. You can't help but cheer her characters on to overcome the obstacles in their path. And then you can't help but fall in love just a little more with Renzo Lombardi either.
This book was basically an x-rated Hallmark story. Lots of steam, very little substance. The characters were likeable but one dimensional, and the whole “mafia” aspect of the plot was practically non existent. If you’re looking for a book to read during your commute to work this will do the job nicely.
Saff is fierce, smart, and refuses to play the victim, while Soren is all controlled danger and slow-burn obsession. Their banter crackles, their chemistry is explosive, and the tension stays high from page one to the last. No messy ex drama, no filler—just grit, heat, and a love story that feels both dangerous and inevitable.
Another wonderful story from one of my favourite authors. This is is Saff’s story she needs to pretend to be a business woman in order to use the nightclub she buys with Soren for the Mob’s money laundering operation and they end up falling in love. 🖤❤️
Shockingly not my favorite. It was a bit slow at first and then almost too much at once. I also didn’t like how the characters progressed. It didn’t seem to fit and also random facts came up to never be brought again.
Finally Saff gets her happy ending. Soren surprised me but made a good MMC. I will say at first I was upset she was leaving as a capo but the reasoning for it won me over.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
I have no words for how good this book was. Soren was the perfect hero who gave Saff a safe place to be soft when she had to be hard her whole life. Such a beautiful love story!
this was a DNF for me - very strange, not sure what was wrong but I just didn't get into it. May try to read it again when I'm in a different mind frame