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The Raven's Lore: Dark Mafia Romance
Power is never given, instead inherited in blood. Now the men who once ran this world will kneel in her path.
Alessia Capo has seized control as the head of the most ruthless crime family and must navigate her new world and role. Once caged, now she’s free to fly, blood dripping off her wings.
With her position comes ruthless enemies, fragile alliances, and deeply buried family secrets.
This life arrives with chaos and a ticking clock, never knowing when time will run out.
Will Russo, her head of security, is deadly, disciplined and more than what she bargained for. His one job is to protect her, and he'll do that even if he has to with his last breath. But as danger closes in, the line between the protector and boss begins to blur.
This is a new generation ran by a woman.
A name feared by men.
I am Alessia Capo.
But you can call me Raven.
Alessia Capo has seized control as the head of the most ruthless crime family and must navigate her new world and role. Once caged, now she’s free to fly, blood dripping off her wings.
With her position comes ruthless enemies, fragile alliances, and deeply buried family secrets.
This life arrives with chaos and a ticking clock, never knowing when time will run out.
Will Russo, her head of security, is deadly, disciplined and more than what she bargained for. His one job is to protect her, and he'll do that even if he has to with his last breath. But as danger closes in, the line between the protector and boss begins to blur.
This is a new generation ran by a woman.
A name feared by men.
I am Alessia Capo.
But you can call me Raven.
- GenresAmazon
350 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 9, 2025
13 people are currently reading
91 people want to read
About the author
C.L. Reeder
5 books25 followersC.L. Reeder resides in Texas with her childhood sweetheart, their two grown-ish kids and too many animals. Crimson Fate is her debut novel, she's hoping for many more to follow. Hobbies include thrifting, going to yard sales and coffee shops. She hasn't met any shop listed in the category above, that she didn't like. Lover of all things witchy and collector of dead things. When she's not working, she can be found at home with her husband, trying to find something to watch... or looking for her vape.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
September 9, 2025
This slow burn, dark mafia romance flips the script with a young female mafia boss in charge and a family full of secrets pulling me right into the story from the start.
Synopsis
After taking control of the family crime organization, Alessia Capo finds herself with enemies everywhere and a price on her head. Her Uncle left her with a specifically assigned security guard, Will, who is there to make sure she stays alive and succeeds. She’s only a job until she’s not, but Will isn’t going to risk her protection by becoming involved with his stunning new boss. As her enemies close in, the lines between boss and protector become blurred,and Will loses his ability to keep things entirely professional.
My Thoughts:
Alessia is a strong FMC with a lot to prove and her character starts out a bit in over her head. Combine that with a reckless personality, and she initially comes across as a naive brat and puts herself in some dangerous situations. This created some instances where I was annoyed with her in the beginning, but I loved how she grew as the story unfolded with Will’s older character offering knowledge and guidance—and some taming of her brattiness. She became a strong and fierce FMC by the end of the book.The MMC, Will, is hot and commanding and while he may defer to his boss in public, behind closed doors he is very much the dom which makes for some saucy and sizzling spice!
If you’re looking for a dark mafia romance with tropes including touch her and RIP, enemies to lovers, security guard romance, and slow burn spice with crawling to him/her moments, I recommend you get this book today!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Synopsis
After taking control of the family crime organization, Alessia Capo finds herself with enemies everywhere and a price on her head. Her Uncle left her with a specifically assigned security guard, Will, who is there to make sure she stays alive and succeeds. She’s only a job until she’s not, but Will isn’t going to risk her protection by becoming involved with his stunning new boss. As her enemies close in, the lines between boss and protector become blurred,and Will loses his ability to keep things entirely professional.
My Thoughts:
Alessia is a strong FMC with a lot to prove and her character starts out a bit in over her head. Combine that with a reckless personality, and she initially comes across as a naive brat and puts herself in some dangerous situations. This created some instances where I was annoyed with her in the beginning, but I loved how she grew as the story unfolded with Will’s older character offering knowledge and guidance—and some taming of her brattiness. She became a strong and fierce FMC by the end of the book.The MMC, Will, is hot and commanding and while he may defer to his boss in public, behind closed doors he is very much the dom which makes for some saucy and sizzling spice!
If you’re looking for a dark mafia romance with tropes including touch her and RIP, enemies to lovers, security guard romance, and slow burn spice with crawling to him/her moments, I recommend you get this book today!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
September 8, 2025
✨🖤 ARC Review🖤✨
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🔪🔪🔪🔪
Thank you CL Reeder for allowing me to read this early. This review is voluntary and all opinions are honest and my own.
This book was a great read. I gave this a 4.5⭐️ but rounding to 5⭐️ based on review platforms.
There were some twists that I knew were going to happen and some I did not expect but either way the lead up, family drama, and the way we got there was worth it. This book starts out pretty fast paced, it mellows out in the middle, then pushes you off the ledge you didn’t know you were standing on, which is why I was white knuckling it throughout the whole ride. I will say that I wish we got more of Will’s backstory and POV. We do get Will’s backstory but I feel like it may have been a little rushed and I wanted to know more about him.
Also, WHY JINX?!
We start off strong with a strong-willed FMC, Alessia Capo. She is a little stubborn throughout this book but also she is 21 at the start of the book. She is over the male hierarchy that the mafia has and this thinking has been instilled in her since day one. The only way to take the throne as head of the family is to take out the one person in her way, her father… or so she thought.
We meet her head of security early on, Will Russo. He’s been trained in this life at an early age and being 28 at the start of this book, he takes his role as protector seriously.
Alessia and Will’s relationship is back and forth throughout most of the which leads them to play games as in “who can hurt whose feelings worse” or turning or trying to one up each other. But when I say, touch her and die, I mean this man kills any man she has sex with throughout this book.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
🔪🔪🔪🔪
Thank you CL Reeder for allowing me to read this early. This review is voluntary and all opinions are honest and my own.
This book was a great read. I gave this a 4.5⭐️ but rounding to 5⭐️ based on review platforms.
There were some twists that I knew were going to happen and some I did not expect but either way the lead up, family drama, and the way we got there was worth it. This book starts out pretty fast paced, it mellows out in the middle, then pushes you off the ledge you didn’t know you were standing on, which is why I was white knuckling it throughout the whole ride. I will say that I wish we got more of Will’s backstory and POV. We do get Will’s backstory but I feel like it may have been a little rushed and I wanted to know more about him.
Also, WHY JINX?!
We start off strong with a strong-willed FMC, Alessia Capo. She is a little stubborn throughout this book but also she is 21 at the start of the book. She is over the male hierarchy that the mafia has and this thinking has been instilled in her since day one. The only way to take the throne as head of the family is to take out the one person in her way, her father… or so she thought.
We meet her head of security early on, Will Russo. He’s been trained in this life at an early age and being 28 at the start of this book, he takes his role as protector seriously.
Alessia and Will’s relationship is back and forth throughout most of the which leads them to play games as in “who can hurt whose feelings worse” or turning or trying to one up each other. But when I say, touch her and die, I mean this man kills any man she has sex with throughout this book.
September 9, 2025
ARC Review.
Thank you CL Reeder for the opportunity to read this early. This review is voluntary and all opinions are honest and my own.
4.5 stars but rounded up to 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was an amazing read!!! I was hooked on the very first line! This book is filled with family drama and secrets that were just wild! Some of the secrets you see coming but C.L. Redder definitely hit me with some I was not expecting! I didn’t finish this book sooner only because I had to work (being an adult sucks 🙄). Despite it, I still contemplated pulling an all nighter to finish it. I really hope this isn’t the end of the Capo/Russo family.
Best things about the book:
- the unexpected twists!
- badass FMC (we love a woman in charge)
- broody MMC who is madly in love
Things I would have like more:
- I would have loved to get more of Will’s POV
- I also would have loved to know why Max was always soooo nice to her when all she did was hate him. We get a little of it but I would have loved a deeper conversation between the two.
- I think Angela needed to suffer more but maybe that’s just me 😅😈
Thank you CL Reeder for the opportunity to read this early. This review is voluntary and all opinions are honest and my own.
4.5 stars but rounded up to 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book was an amazing read!!! I was hooked on the very first line! This book is filled with family drama and secrets that were just wild! Some of the secrets you see coming but C.L. Redder definitely hit me with some I was not expecting! I didn’t finish this book sooner only because I had to work (being an adult sucks 🙄). Despite it, I still contemplated pulling an all nighter to finish it. I really hope this isn’t the end of the Capo/Russo family.
Best things about the book:
- the unexpected twists!
- badass FMC (we love a woman in charge)
- broody MMC who is madly in love
Things I would have like more:
- I would have loved to get more of Will’s POV
- I also would have loved to know why Max was always soooo nice to her when all she did was hate him. We get a little of it but I would have loved a deeper conversation between the two.
- I think Angela needed to suffer more but maybe that’s just me 😅😈
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 11, 2026
When I had acquired this book through one of those Stuff Your Kindle events, the premise had intrigued me enough to get it, which is saying something as I don't usually go for Mafia Romances. Unfortunately, I just couldn't get into the story. Alessia was hard to enjoy reading about or connect with because of the conflicting images; one moment she's cursing all men for doing her wrong and vows to not let them take advantage of her again (especially after some traumatic events) but then the next moment she's grabbing whatever guy she sees to have some sexual interactions with, especially as a way to piss off Will. The romance between Alessia and Will was also a rollercoaster for me; some moments provided that slowburn, "You're Mine" vibes I enjoy but then others I just couldn't vibe with because it conflicted with what readers were told about the characters' stances. Plus their main means of sexual interactions isn't my cup of tea, so I just found myself going "Seriously? This again?" after awhile. Part of me felt like the author was trying to do too much in this book and may have lost what was important; some of the twists just felt awkward upon their reveal. In the end, I was left disappointed of not getting what I had hoped this book would be.
September 11, 2025
🔥🔥ARC REVIEW🔥🔥
This book was fire! How many have you read that has a woman for a Mafia Boss!? NONE!
Raven was one bad a** chick in this book. I loved how she was a strong female that took no bull. she wasn't afraid to take her place at the top, and she didn't hesitate to do what she needed to do to get there. And Will. that man is HOT! They were meant for each other for sure.
this book had me in the edge of my seat and needing a cold shower at the same time.
The twists and turns, the chaos, the destruction, the deceit. This book had it all.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
HOT AND SPICY!!
This book was fire! How many have you read that has a woman for a Mafia Boss!? NONE!
Raven was one bad a** chick in this book. I loved how she was a strong female that took no bull. she wasn't afraid to take her place at the top, and she didn't hesitate to do what she needed to do to get there. And Will. that man is HOT! They were meant for each other for sure.
this book had me in the edge of my seat and needing a cold shower at the same time.
The twists and turns, the chaos, the destruction, the deceit. This book had it all.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
🌶🌶🌶🌶🌶
HOT AND SPICY!!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 13, 2026
This was good. Not the best thing I've ever read but defiantly reads very body guard romance. Our male main character is very much an ass when it comes to any sort of feelings for our FMC and our FMC is just an idiot for most of the book which tracks for a 21-26 yr old woman attempting to run a criminal empire. Take that how you will - I still rated it 4 stars cuz I did read it all and it was a decent time.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews