Her Guardian: A Dark Mafia Romance

by Kelli Callahan

He took the job as a favor. He took me because he could.

Boyd Sagona spanked me this morning, but being punished like a naughty little girl over this arrogant brute's lap while trying to keep a writhing, red-assed orgasm at bay the whole time was just the beginning of a day spent learning how thoroughly a man like him can tame a girl like me.

Because a moment ago my mob-boss-assigned bodyguard/babysitter pushed me to the bed and claimed my virgin body the way I thought only happens in books, then made me beg him to flip me over and use me even more shamefully.

And right now I'm about to come hard while he makes me take everything I begged for.

Publisher's  Her Guardian is the second book in the Morandi Syndicate series but can be read as a standalone. It includes spankings and rough, intense sexual scenes. If such material offends you, please don't buy this book.

398 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 17, 2025

About the author

elli writes hot and steamy romances with delicious alpha males who will not stop until they get the women they crave exactly where they want them. Kelli's heroes are tough as nails, hot as sin, and underneath the rough exterior is a heart of gold begging to be unleashed. If you think you can tame them, you're probably right, but it won't be an easy journey.

Make no mistake, Kelli's stories will give you the happily ever after you need, but they're also steamy and packed from cover to cover with exactly what you're looking for late at night when you leave your panties by the door.

If you would like to contact Kelli, she can be reached at kellicallahanbooks@gmail.com.

Reviews

[vixen ‹𝟹 reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘/𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖘 𝖇𝖊𝖑𝖔𝖜 ↴
(𝔪𝔞𝔶 𝔟𝔢 𝔠𝔬𝔫𝔰𝔦𝔡𝔢𝔯𝔢𝔡 𝔰𝔭𝔬𝔦𝔩𝔢𝔯𝔶)‼️

⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢
𝖘𝖊𝖗𝖎𝖊𝖘: Morandi Syndicate #2
𝖘𝖙𝖔𝖗𝖞 𝖙𝖞𝖕𝖊: interconnected
𝖍𝖊𝖆/𝖈𝖑𝖎𝖋𝖋𝖍𝖆𝖓𝖌𝖊𝖗: hea ღ
𝖌𝖊𝖓𝖗𝖊: dark mafia romance
𝖕𝖔𝖛: dual

𝖈𝖔𝖚𝖕𝖑𝖊: Boyd & Sarah
𝖕𝖊𝖙 𝖓𝖆𝖒𝖊: “little girl”

📕 𝖙𝖎𝖒𝖊𝖑𝖎𝖓𝖊 → ‘His Captive’ is set before this book, but it can be enjoyed as a standalone.

♥️ 𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘 - mob boss, assigned babysitter/bodyguard, crime podcaster fmc, age gap, protective, size difference

🧨 𝖘𝖕𝖎𝖈𝖊 - spanking, virgin fmc, impact play, praise, rough play, 🍑, belt play, public play, bondage/restraints

🚩 𝖗𝖊𝖉 𝖋𝖑𝖆𝖌𝖘 - possessive

⛔️ 𝖙𝖗𝖎𝖌𝖌𝖊𝖗𝖘 - crime scenes, serial unaliver, mur/ders + themes, triggers and content in line with dark romance genre.

────── ⋆⋅🖤 𝖒𝖞 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖘 🖤⋅⋆ ──────

Two things here I didn’t click with, her crime podcast in the story and her cries of ‘sweet mercy’ in the smut. Can’t explain it, just not for me.

Other than those details, Big Boyd, had me blushing at every, good girl, little girl, naughty girl, and the cherry topper of that’s my good girl 🍒

Age gap, size difference romance is always a fave of mine, but add in a discipline dynamic and he calls her little girl… I’m feeling kinda spoiled.

⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢⌢
⇉ 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘪𝘴 𝘕𝘖𝘛 𝘢 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘱𝘭𝘦𝘵𝘦 𝘭𝘪𝘴𝘵, 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘪𝘴𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘪𝘴 𝘢𝘥𝘷𝘪𝘴𝘦𝘥.

[SJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Big Boyd indeed

What a fun, exciting, action-packed, steamy mafia romance this was. I loved every second of it. From the world created, the plot, to the characters were all super entertaining. I read this book so fast, it was hard to put down. I was giggling and kicking my feet throughout the story. This is the second book in the Morandi Syndicate series and while the characters are connected and they reference the first book it can still be read as a standalone. The spice was SPICY so bring a fan.

This one is for you if you enjoy:
Mafia romance
Age-gap
Grump/sunshine
Alpha morally-gray hero
Protective/possessive
SPICY
Dual POV
Spanking

Sarah is so quirky and hilarious. The things she said and her inner monologue had me chuckling.

Boyd is a giant of a man (even his name is hot). He is grumpy and possessive but underneath that, he is protective and has a big heart.

Their chemistry and banter were off the charts. I loved them together. HOT, HOT, HOT.

Don't sleep on this series! I'm going back to read the first book and can't wait for the next one in this series.

[Reader_for_LifeTLG · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good trouble - Big Boyd wasn't looking for trouble but he definitely got some when his don put Sarah under his charge. The boss's wife's bestie already had his head in the clouds, but having her so accessible was a temptation he couldn't, wouldn't resist. They could have lit up the Vegas Strip with the flames from their passion even as a serial killer threatened to tear the city apart. When Sarah is taken, no force on Earth is enough to keep Boyd from rescuing her.

This is a great mafia romance, the author delving into the dark side of the life while showing a caring side to the dominant mafioso who will claim his woman. Steamy AF intimacy, spankings that made my backside clench and two lovers who are perfectly mismatched. She's his bratty little girl and he wouldn't have it any other way. A first read for me from this author, surely not my last.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Milliesbookcorner · Rating 5 out of 5]

The blurb is really selling it short! It’s a much deeper story with a big plot that follows the characters. The characters and plot are well written and interesting. Following the crime-enthusiast-podcaster Sarah with her quest to find herself and meaning after her helping savings her best friends mob husband, she calls in a favor to get some inside crime knowledge. Big Boyd has been sidelined after an attempted coup to overthrow the mob leader, he gets the mission to protect and look over the facts Sarah wants to use for her podcast.
It’s part of an interconnected series but you don’t have to read the previous book to understand this one. It’s a good and faster paced romance that has more plot than the blurb would describe.

[Michele · Rating 5 out of 5]

An unexpected romance with lots of feel good things to make a heart bloom!
I fell in love with Sarah from book one of the Morandi Syndicate as she helped her best friend Lea with her encounter with Massimo, and feel for her being in a funk with her True Crime podcast. Her trek to Vegas to see Lea, count some cards to boost her cash flow and pull in her favor from Salvatore to get fresh stories for her podcast has her paired with Big Boyd who she secretly is attracted to. Boyd is struggling to find his place again in the Morandi family after his last bodyguard job failed in a spectacular way, so being paired with Sarah seems almost a demotion, until it isn’t. What follows is a wonderful ups and downs of a budding romance with all the steam and danger of what you expect in a mafia romance!

[GKP2460 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Guardian is my first read by this new to me author and is Boyd and Sarah's story. Sarah's a crime podcaster who has a great love for all things mafia. Her best friend is now married to the head of a crime family so when Sarah comes to visit Boyd is tasked with being her bodyguard. He has his hands full with keeping her out of trouble but I think he loves every second of it. I enjoyed this new to me author and her work. The characters are fun, intense and the storyline pulls you in quickly and keeps you engaged all the way through. This is book 2 in the Morandi Syndicate series and I'll absolutely be checking out book 1!

[Debbie Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story Sarah the ultimate mafia fan girl and podcaster. We met her in book one as Lea’s BFF and now his mafia boss’s wife. She’s a strong independent young woman who meets her match. Boyd finds Sarah intriguing, he’s is everything you want in an alpha male, he’s protective and possessive. A captivating story I thoroughly enjoyed the connection between these two, it was amazing in this story with a few twists and turns putting everyone in danger. I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Stats23 · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a truly outstanding story! It has everything I look for in a dark mafia romance. Sarah, a struggling podcaster, and Boyd, a mafia bodyguard, are thrust together when Sarah makes a desperate plea for insider information. This leads to an action packed adventure that keeps you captivated, a blossoming romance that keeps you absorbed, a number of hot erotic trysts that keep you titillated and finally an explosive climax that will blow you away. A great read in every manner and deed. 5 Stars

[Samantha Millican · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dark mafia romance with suspense, drama, and heat between Sarah and Boyd. The story kept a good pace and held my attention throughout. Sarah, a podcaster who hasn’t made a comfortable living off her true crime series, goes to Vegas to earn some quick cash at the tables. Her best friend is married to a mafia boss, who has his man Boyd watch over Sarah, babysitting is what he calls it! There’s some capital punishment she earns from being a bad girl.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Shantrellia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was totally here for all of it!!!! I loved every minute of it. I didn't see the plot coming. Big Boyd, all I can say is yes please. He sounds absolutely delicious. Sarah is great too. The two of them together have great chemistry!! I could not put this book down. I loved the action as well as the spice! I haven't read the first book but I will. You can read this book alone but I want to know about the first story as well now. This was a great read, definitely will read again.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved it…
Sarah Parker is a diehard True Crime Mafia podcaster. Ironically, her best friend is married to the new head of the Morandi crime family. Bodyguard Capo Big Boyd is assigned by the boss to keep Sarah out of trouble while she’s visiting and the two click. They bring out the best in each other and fill a void that’s been missing, working towards a common goal which may ultimately be their demise… I received a free copy of this book. This review was posted voluntarily.

[Robyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sarah is visiting Vegas to try and revitalise her podcasts. She was not expecting her friend's Mafia husband to appoint Big Boyd to look after her. Both Boyd and Sarah were interested in each other from her friend's wedding but things get complicated when a serial murderer appears to have reappeared.

I enjoyed this book.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Her Guardian is book two and a very steamy addition to the Morandi Syndicate series. If you've read book one, His Captive, then you know how great this series is. Boyd and Sarah are intriguing characters with ott chemistry and a page turning story that had me reading nonstop. From the great writing to the and dark romance to the unexpected twists and great HEA, this is a five-star read. I can't wait to read the next book by this author. I voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book.

[Pam Evans · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 Stars

I read the first book and was a little surprised to find I’d not read anything by this author before. I really enjoyed the first book, so I decided to read the second one. While it’s not a phenomenal book it didn’t bore me or make me want to DNF.

The only reason I gave it 3.5 vs 4 stars is the character development was a little off based on the “Sarah” we met in the first book. Continuity issues are a pet peeve of mine.

[Rose J. · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 2nd book of this series. There are some needed details from the 1st book but I think many will be able to read it without reading the previous one. Interesting plot and very lovable characters. Their bantering is enjoyable and their chemistry is off the charts. Recommended!.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[SuzyHD · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent Storyline

Sarah takes a trip to Las Vegas to see her best friend Lea. She decided to cash in the favor she received to try and save her podcast. After teaming up with Big Boyd, her life is never the same. The passion they share turns into love. Very compelling and suspenseful with excellently developed characters. Highly recommend!

[Sam Allen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cracking

A great read, book 2 but works equally well stand alone. Fab characters and a decent premise, i liked it.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Gaynor Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read!!!!

Sarah and Boyd are locked into roles of guardian and "prisoner" due to choices and circumstances. Their chemistry is intense, banter hot, and spicy, and their characters are captivating as is the story line.

[Brandelyn Burnham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great Book and Author!!!

Love this author so much!!! Her books are amazing to read!!! I couldn't put this one down, I just had to know what happened...

[Gladys · Rating 5 out of 5]

Boyd and Sarah's story was really quite delish! I loved the intensity, steam, darkness, drama, danger, emotions and twist that fueled this spicy tale, and I liked the characters and their chemistry.

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed her guardian which was Big Boyd and Sarah’s story. It was an intriguing and exciting read. I received an early copy of the book. And voluntarily leaving this review.

[TheNorksWife · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not get enough of Boyd and Sarah!

[Toni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally digging this series, told from both POV. I love a good mafia romance and this one has it all…spicy, intrigue and characters with depth and love.

[Susan Slater · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall...a good story

The characters in the story well developed and it keeps you captured waiting for what happens. Ready for the next one in the series.

[Eilene F Martin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book could not put it down. The writing was great and the characters were unforgettable. A must read.

[Brina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much happened in a short amount of time! It didn't feel rushed though like you would think. Not even half way through the book and it had me captivated. I enjoyed Boyd and Sarah's personalities all throughout the story. They were entertaining and lively the entire time. I am voluntarily leaving a review.