What do you think?
Rate this book
Embers of Steel: An Arranged Marriage Mafia Romance
Harlow
I thought surviving him would be the hardest part.
But coming back, to a world that kept spinning in my absence, was worse.
He didn’t just break me. He left me hollow.
Now, I barely recognize the woman behind my own eyes.
But my husband doesn’t take fragments. He demands what’s his, entirely.
And when the past resurfaces and blood spills again,
I learn that strength isn’t always fire.
Sometimes, it’s choosing to stay.
To trust.
To feel.
Dante
They laid hands on what’s mine.
And for that, they will bleed.
Harlow was the one thing this world should’ve never touched.
But the moment she wore my ring, she became its target.
They tried to shatter her.
So I became ruin.
Now, I will bury every last threat, not just for revenge.
But for her.
Because once, I built an empire on discipline.
Now, I’ll burn it all down for love.
This is the second book in a duet and must be read after Shadows of Steel . It contains mature themes, a devoted hero, and a hard won happily ever after. Please check trigger warnings.
I thought surviving him would be the hardest part.
But coming back, to a world that kept spinning in my absence, was worse.
He didn’t just break me. He left me hollow.
Now, I barely recognize the woman behind my own eyes.
But my husband doesn’t take fragments. He demands what’s his, entirely.
And when the past resurfaces and blood spills again,
I learn that strength isn’t always fire.
Sometimes, it’s choosing to stay.
To trust.
To feel.
Dante
They laid hands on what’s mine.
And for that, they will bleed.
Harlow was the one thing this world should’ve never touched.
But the moment she wore my ring, she became its target.
They tried to shatter her.
So I became ruin.
Now, I will bury every last threat, not just for revenge.
But for her.
Because once, I built an empire on discipline.
Now, I’ll burn it all down for love.
This is the second book in a duet and must be read after Shadows of Steel . It contains mature themes, a devoted hero, and a hard won happily ever after. Please check trigger warnings.
323 pages, Kindle Edition
Published June 19, 2025
52 people are currently reading
355 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
November 7, 2025
This was like mob boss meets haunting Adeline…. Sheesh
July 13, 2025
Book 1 was fab and while book 2 was a slightly different direction than the 1st, I LOVED IT! The trauma has been written so well you feel a literal part of all that happens during the book. Its hard hitting, demands attention and feels written by someone who has experienced both Dante amd Harlows side of the story. Amazing end to the duet which I highly recommend you add to your tbr!
August 28, 2025
Since the moment I picked up a book by S.B. Lennox, she has held a space in my heart for my favorite genre …..you guess it Mafia Romance! She is such a talented indie author, my review I’ll not do it justice!
Now to the book……this duet is a stunning tale of life, loss, and love! These characters hold such my power and emotion, it’s a must read.
Dante - a man with an obsession, he is so dedicated to being soft for Harlow! I absolutely adore it! His character makes some big strides in learning how to love and trust again.
Harlow - her endless strength and resilience is admirable! She taught me that you are not broken no matter what you go through…..that you are not weak for wanting to be loved.
This was a stunning duet, if you are a mafia girly like me I urge you to pick up a book by S.B. Lennox! 🤍
Now to the book……this duet is a stunning tale of life, loss, and love! These characters hold such my power and emotion, it’s a must read.
Dante - a man with an obsession, he is so dedicated to being soft for Harlow! I absolutely adore it! His character makes some big strides in learning how to love and trust again.
Harlow - her endless strength and resilience is admirable! She taught me that you are not broken no matter what you go through…..that you are not weak for wanting to be loved.
This was a stunning duet, if you are a mafia girly like me I urge you to pick up a book by S.B. Lennox! 🤍
November 3, 2025
What an amazing end to a great story.
The suspense, the actions, the banter, the trauma and the recovery. All the angles of this story were incredible and you could see that so much thought went into making this story incredible and so addictive that it was impossible to put it down! I read this duet in less than 24h and now I want to read more about the other characters like Leonardo and Elena, Harlow’s brothers…
What was missing in my opinion was Carmela’s comeuppance! There wasn’t really a follow up and I would have loved to read about Harlow’s revenge or at least her brand of justice in that matter?!
The suspense, the actions, the banter, the trauma and the recovery. All the angles of this story were incredible and you could see that so much thought went into making this story incredible and so addictive that it was impossible to put it down! I read this duet in less than 24h and now I want to read more about the other characters like Leonardo and Elena, Harlow’s brothers…
What was missing in my opinion was Carmela’s comeuppance! There wasn’t really a follow up and I would have loved to read about Harlow’s revenge or at least her brand of justice in that matter?!
October 14, 2025
4/5⭐️
I think I like this more than the first one. The found family trope was strong in this and I was living for it! Oh Mattia, sweet angel! And Luka?! Oh I knew this kid was going to be theirs! The amount of shenanigans from this mix matches family gave me the worst case of the giggles. And the ending? My heart nearly burst!
I think I like this more than the first one. The found family trope was strong in this and I was living for it! Oh Mattia, sweet angel! And Luka?! Oh I knew this kid was going to be theirs! The amount of shenanigans from this mix matches family gave me the worst case of the giggles. And the ending? My heart nearly burst!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
October 30, 2025
I tried to read the first book in this series but was unable to. I’ve realised I’ve grown to hate mafia romances where the women are always traded by the men. And the typical male/female gender roles that come into play make me heavily dislike the genre. Granted for those who like this stuff, they might like this book hence why I gave it 3 stars.
December 7, 2025
This book killed me. When I called it a master, I mean it with every fibre of my being. I felt every up and down the characters felt. I made me cry because of how beautifully the scenes were written. I have read this masterpiece, and I can only thank S.B. Lennox for the amazing writing skill. I can't wait to read more books by this author that will come out next year.
July 31, 2025
wow…
This book utterly destroyed me but at the same time I could not put it down. If you are ready to have your heart ripped out and stomped on, then please continue. The story was beautifully written though and I’m glad Harlow and Dante got their happily ever after.
This book utterly destroyed me but at the same time I could not put it down. If you are ready to have your heart ripped out and stomped on, then please continue. The story was beautifully written though and I’m glad Harlow and Dante got their happily ever after.
September 2, 2025
Why did it feel slightly AI-written? It must definitely be the overusage of adverbs and phrases like "It was not a promise. It was a vow." - it def gave me the ick at places. But I must say the plot did not fall into A LOT of cliches as I was expecting. So 2.5 stars!
November 13, 2025
First book remains my fave, but this second one really tied it all together. I really liked Dante & Harlow’s story, and the way it all developed, and it was a lovely way to end the duology.
I had an ARC of both books, so thank you SB Lennox for having me on your ARC Reader team🤍
I had an ARC of both books, so thank you SB Lennox for having me on your ARC Reader team🤍
December 5, 2025
First part was like allll trauma and the second part was allll lovey dovey how they moved on so I’m feeling so so on the dark mafia romance. It was still a decent plot read. @mal you have to read both since I did lol
September 8, 2025
Enjoyable
But please don‘t let the fmc have anymore „scalding“ showers. This word was overused
But please don‘t let the fmc have anymore „scalding“ showers. This word was overused
September 20, 2025
even though the book was a bit choppy and the flow of the story lacking, I still enjoyed it. fav thing was definitely the characters
October 10, 2025
it was so goooddd
November 14, 2025
Decided to give this duet a try after seeing people mentioning it on reddit.
Mixed feelings for me though. Some parts were interesting enough but personally would not rave about it.
Mixed feelings for me though. Some parts were interesting enough but personally would not rave about it.
December 6, 2025
As with any mafia romance its ends with a HEA but the emotional turmoil throughout got me good. The trauma was written so well. A great end to Dante and Harlow story.
November 26, 2025
⭐⭐⭐Too many loose ends, not enough glue
This sequel had real potential to deepen the story and the characters, and at first, it looked like it would deliver. Book one left us on a cliffhanger, and we dive into Harlow's rescue and her early stages of recovery. And those early stages? Pretty great. The portrayal of PTSD, night terrors, and even moment of catatonia and dissociation felt raw, real, and respectful. I was into it.
But then things healed fairly quickly. We went from trauma to mostly funcitonal with just enough lingering signs to remind us, "oh hey, remember she's still recovering", but not in a way that felt earned or authentic. It wasn0t bad, but it did feel rushed.
On the plus side, I enjoyed getting more from Dante's POV, and the tension between them continued to carry weight. However, the plot started unraveling a bit with too many loose ends: Harlow's mom, Petro's obsession, the Albanian threat... They were there, but not really explored. Honestly, Lennox could have written a third book to really wrap it all up wihtout shortcuts, and I probably would've read it.
Also, for a dark mafia romance, I was expecting a lot more psychological and emotional weight, maybe even a touch of vengeance or genuine darkness. It felt mild, and even though I'm not necessarily into gratuitous violence, some part of me feels robbed. The setup screamed high-stakes darkness, but the payoff just didn't go there.
Still bingeable. Still entertaining. But not the satisfying follow-up I was hoping for.
This sequel had real potential to deepen the story and the characters, and at first, it looked like it would deliver. Book one left us on a cliffhanger, and we dive into Harlow's rescue and her early stages of recovery. And those early stages? Pretty great. The portrayal of PTSD, night terrors, and even moment of catatonia and dissociation felt raw, real, and respectful. I was into it.
But then things healed fairly quickly. We went from trauma to mostly funcitonal with just enough lingering signs to remind us, "oh hey, remember she's still recovering", but not in a way that felt earned or authentic. It wasn0t bad, but it did feel rushed.
On the plus side, I enjoyed getting more from Dante's POV, and the tension between them continued to carry weight. However, the plot started unraveling a bit with too many loose ends: Harlow's mom, Petro's obsession, the Albanian threat... They were there, but not really explored. Honestly, Lennox could have written a third book to really wrap it all up wihtout shortcuts, and I probably would've read it.
Also, for a dark mafia romance, I was expecting a lot more psychological and emotional weight, maybe even a touch of vengeance or genuine darkness. It felt mild, and even though I'm not necessarily into gratuitous violence, some part of me feels robbed. The setup screamed high-stakes darkness, but the payoff just didn't go there.
Still bingeable. Still entertaining. But not the satisfying follow-up I was hoping for.
July 20, 2025
This story hits deep. I was given a free copy of this book and I am leaving my honest review. The author takes us into the mind of a woman who has been thru some of the worst trauma imaginable. We're also shown her husband's pov. These are things you don't wish upon anyone, but reading it from this dual POV gives a better idea of what someone goes thru. My heart went out to them both thru the whole book. Keep your tissues handy and read those trigger warnings.
July 2, 2025
This is book 2 so you have to read book one first to understand what is going on but what an amazing way to wrap up their story. There are plenty of plot twist and it hooks you from page one.
I loved getting Dante’s pov. He is ready to burn the entire world for Harlow. It shows found family as well.
I hope to read more books about this book universe!
I loved getting Dante’s pov. He is ready to burn the entire world for Harlow. It shows found family as well.
I hope to read more books about this book universe!
July 27, 2025
The continuation of the first book is so beautifully written! I had to find out what was going to happen and the absolute beauty of the love and devotion within this book was even more breathtaking than the first book! Just absolutely incredible!
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews