The Empress

Mafia Empire #4

by Michelle Heard

From USA Today & Wall Street Journal bestselling author Michelle Heard comes a new STANDALONE, full-length MAFIA ROMANCE novel.

While visiting family in Italy with my mother, I come face-to-face with Leo Toscano. The head of the Italian mafia, and my worst nightmare.
Let’s get one thing straight. I didn’t know the mafia was a thing until the ruthless man threatens to wipe out my family unless I marry him.
Not having much of a choice, I reluctantly say ‘I do’, and tie myself to the heartless bastard for life.

Turns out he doesn’t want anything to do with me, and I quickly learn the definition of loneliness.

But then secrets begin to come to light, and everything I thought I knew about my life turns out to be a lie.
Now the big, bad mafia boss is the one begging.
How the tables have turned.

STANDALONE: A Mafia Romance full-length novel.
Each book in the Mafia Empire series is interconnected, but about a different couple who will all find their HEA.

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

298 pages, Paperback

Published August 8, 2025

About the author

Michelle Heard is a USA Today, Wall Street Journal, and Amazon #3 Bestselling romance author.

She writes emotional heart-shattering stories with a whole lot of Mafia & Romance that will leave you smiling with satisfaction. Every book has an unexpected twist that will show the strength of the characters.

Before becoming an author, Michelle had a career in banking. She lives in South Africa with her son, Sheldon, who's also her right-hand man when it comes to all things publishing, and her daughter-in-law, Tayla, who's her best friend.

Reading Order on AMAZON


STANDALONE NOVELS:
***Mafia & Bratva Romance (in order)***

THE SAINTS SERIES:
Merciless Saints - Damien Vetrov
Cruel Saints - Lucian Cotroni
Ruthless Saints - Carson Koslov
Tears of Betrayal - Demitri Vetrov
Tears of Salvation - Alexei Koslov

THE SINNERS SERIES:
Taken By A Sinner - Nikolas Stathoulis
Owned By A Sinner - Liam Byrne
Stolen By A Sinner - Gabriel Demir
Chosen By A Sinner - Luca Cotroni
Captured By A Sinner - Viktor Vetrov


THE CORRUPTED ROYALS SERIES:
Destroy Me - Misha Petrov
Control Me - Nikolai Vetrov
Brutalize Me - Armani De Santis
Restrain Me - Maxim Levin
Possess Me - Alek Aslanhov


SERIES (In Order):

ENEMIES TO LOVERS SERIES:
***College & New Adult Romance***

Heartless - Carter & Della
Reckless - Logan & Mia
Careless - Jaxson & Leigh
Ruthless - Marcus & Willow
Shameless - Rhett & Evie

TRINITY ACADEMY SERIES:
***College Romance***

Falcon - Falcon & Layla
Mason - Mason & Kingsley
Lake - Lake & Lee
Julian - Julian & Jamie
The Epilogue

THE HEIRS:
***College & New Adult Romance***

Coldhearted Heir - Hunter & Jade
Arrogant Heir - Jase & Mila
Defiant Heir - Kao & Fallon
Loyal Heir - Forest & Aria
Callous Heir - Noah & Carla
Sinful Heir - Tristan & Hana
Tempted Heir - Christopher & Dash
Forbidden Heir - Ryker & Danny


SOUTHERN HEROES SERIES:
***Suspense Romance***

The Ocean Between Us – Aiden & Emma
The Girl In The Closet – Cole & Birdie
The Lies We Tell Ourselves – Alec & Reece
All The Wasted Time – Wyatt & Scarlett
We Were Lost – Zac & Chloe


OTHER STANDALONE NOVELS:

Not My Hero - Dark YA Romance

Reviews

[Paula Valadez · Rating 3 out of 5]

No ha sido mi favorito por muchas razones.
Algunas acciones me parecieron muy irracionales y no me gustaron.

Tienen una cita donde fue lindo contigo y ya olvidaste que amenazó a tu madre con una pistola y que disparo a tu “primo", que te secuestro mientras estaba manchado de sangre y además, te obligó a casarte con él donde no le importo que le rogaras llorando que te dejará.🤔🤔
Cuando se descubrió todo y su “amor" fue muy abrupto, no lo sé.. esperaba algo más a como han sido los otros de la serie porque está vez no llegue a conectar con los personajes.

[Samantha (bookgramsaga reviews) · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (ARC Review)

''I wish I could give you all my memories"

Safety warnings:
- H 33 / h 23
- No cheating
- No OW/OM drama
- Loss of loved ones
- Violence/d*ath
- Kidnapping
- Forced marriage
- Mention of physical abuse
- Trauma/Memory loss
- HEA

The prologue in this book will bring out all the emotions. It was heartbreaking to read through the whole ordeal that changes Leo forever.

When we see him as an adult he is still dealing with the loss 17 years later, it haunts him. Losing the people he loved and who loved him, and forever not knowing what happened, the little girl who vanished before his eyes.

When he forces Haven to marry him just to fuck over the family, she is a part of, he never tells her it's also because he cannot stop himself from wanting him and having her never leave his side.

When the truth reveals itself, things are brought to light.

I wish the reveal was done a bit differently. It was all very predictable and there was not enough grovel for the things that transpired. I did love watching him lose his mind over the truth, it was so emotional and vulnerable for someone of his status.

I did read this in one day so it was a quick read and entertaining.

[Lover of Romance · Rating 5 out of 5]

This review may contain spoilers, so fair warning, upon reading the review. Also my tags may have spoilers in them so be forewarned before checking out full review.

Book Evaluation:
Plot: 🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️🎞️
World Building:🌎🌎🌎🌎🌎
Cover:📔📔📔📔📔
Hero: 🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻🦸🏻‍♂️
Heroine:🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️🦸🏻‍♀️ 🦸🏻‍♀️
Intimacy Level: 🔥🔥🔥.5
Relationship Building: 💒💒💒💒💒
Heart & Feels:💞💞💞💞💞
Witty/Banter/Reaction of Laughter: 😂😂😂
Page Turner Level:📖📖📖📖📖
Ending:🧧🧧🧧🧧🧧
Overall View: ✨✨✨✨✨✨


First Impressions
The Empress is the newest release in the "Mafia Empire" world and after seeing promos for it this past week on Instagram, I was completely in the mindset for this book and I completely binged it the moment it hit my kindle this morning. I wasn't sure what to expect on this one, but it does have a premise that is my catnip. I loved the forced marriage, the tension and intense chemistry between these two, the way in which the angst was delivered into the romance....the slow burn while at the same time there was this raw connection and how this book consistently kept me on the edge of my seat. If you love mafia romance, with a alpha mafia boss, a soft yet strong heroine, great communication, beautiful reveals and a ending to curl your toes.

First Line
It was after nine at night when Diego opens the front door, and taking one look at my busted lip, he shakes his head.

The Main Protagonists
The Hero: Leo Toscano
The Heroine: Haven Romano

Summary
Leo Toscano has a very painful past, where he lost the only one's that showed him true love and affection. Now he is a powerful mafia boss and is looking for vengeance when one of his most valued men is killed through a betrayal. Haven Ramano is visiting her uncle and his family in Italy, when she is forced into a terrifying situation of having to become the bride of a mafia boss in order to save the lives of those of her family. Haven is terrified to being forced to live something she has only read about in books and never imagined this would happen in reality. She has seen the fury in Leo and is scared of him but at the same time she also has a connection to him she cant explain and there are times she sees glimpses of the man. But there are secrets that tie Leo and Haven together and it will take humbling form both Leo and Haven to discover the love they were always meant to have

What I Loved
There were so many things to this story that stunned me from the moment I started reading this one. The first is that the writing immediately sucked me into the story. The beginning of the story will really break your heart but this scene was needed to bring out the connection that Leo and Haven will have for each other. We then skip to the current time when they are both adults. And seeing how different they are from each other. We see some intense moments happen and where the forced marriage happens between them. I found these moments so intense, edgy and thrilling and all consuming. Its actually been a long time since a romance, especially a dark romance had me so consumed in this way. There was some about the forced marriage set up that just thrilled me and I didn't want to put this down. I did love that the heroine, not part of the mafia world, still held her own but she felt real and vulnerable and I appreciated that. But as the tension between them softens, and truths get revealed, I really appreciated how the heroine was. How attentive she could be to the hero and she was able to forgive and let the beginning of their marriage go and truly embrace what they had together. It showed true strength of character and seeing them blossom together, and the way the truth comes about was truly phenomenal.

I know some readers will want to know about the grovel. I really enjoyed the way this one evolved and I am super picky about them. I appreciated how we see a hero feel regret and want to make things better for his wife and to prove to her he can be the man that she needs not fears constantly. And her reaction was very well done. It felt reasonable the time line in which she forgave him. It wasn't drawn out nor was it too short either. And the actual grovel itself wasn't cringe, it was honest and true and genuine in sincerity which I truly appreciated.

What I Struggled With
Don't read the family tree---it will spoil it for you. Skip over it until you read the first 5 chapters or so.

Overall View
The Empress was a story that delivered on all fronts. It had such intricate details, the sensuality, the chemistry, the true courting and romance, the connection that builds for them was full of all the devotion and passion you can expect from a mafia romance and I didn't want their story to end.

Book Details (also in my shelves)
Sub Genre: Dark Romance
Character Types: Mafia, Business Student, Morally Grey Hero, Softer FMC
Themes: Heart/Emotional, Danger/Suspense, Slow Burn
Tropes: Kidnapping, Forced Marriage, Revenge

Book Perspective
Duo POV

Relationship Conflict vs Plot Conflict
Both

If you like these authors, I recommend This Book
Neva Altaj
Danielle Lori
Cora Reilly

Song This Book Inspires
Certain Things by James Arthur

Recommendation For Reading Order
Yes

Steam/Spice Explanations

Simmering cup of tea---soft warm touches and light intimacy
Warmin' by the fire- a medium level of sexual tension, a balance of sexual and emotional intimacy, lighter on the details in the sexual moments.
Steamin' up the room -the sexual content is more explicit in the language and tone, heavier amount of sexual scenes.
Blazing fire to the building-The prime focus is the sex scenes, scorching hot, and could burn one. Less focus on the emotional intimacy to the relationship.

[v.e.e.r.e.a.d.s · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leo and Haven 😩🤩📖🖤
Ok but Leo….😮‍💨 just call that man Arianna Grande because he was all “I see it, I like it, I want it, I got it”
And did just that.

Also I have to mention, with this series Michelle has this way of ripping your heart out in the first couple of chapters.

Leo losing everything he loves when he’s 16 and for years he carries regret and trauma from that night.
Years later, he is 99% sure who is responsible for this put doesn’t quite have enough to pin anything on them.

But when that family F’s up badly, he takes Haven as payment. Which is unfortunate because she’s just a girl on holiday whose only connection to the mafia was her romance books!

These two had me in my toes and when Leo has “
‘THE REALISATION’????? Oh my god I had to put the book down I was that emotional 😩

I loved every second and for obvious reasons….this book will always have a special place in my heart ❤️

[Tanmai]

My advice? Skip it—you’re not missing a thing.

This was yet another painfully underwhelming read. The premise had potential, but the execution? Flat.

Was there any chemistry, angst, or actual character development? Absolutely not.
This mafia series has been one big loop of recycled tropes and zero originality.

And the insta-love? So instant it made me roll my eyes into another dimension.

[Carla · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s a refreshing story about mafia but the same thing happens to all of them. But I liked it.
It’s worth reading.

[Lari (semi hiatus)]

Trope: "Innocent FMC who doesn’t know about the Mafia"

Is "innocent" just a way of saying fmc is a virgin…? or are we talking innocence as in soft and sweet? am i doomed to only read virgin fmcs in mafia books? i hope not — or you ladies are gonna make me quit this genre 🫠🫠

[Alina Syrotiuk · Rating 4 out of 5]

Незнаю яку магію додала Мішель Херд до цієї книги, але я не хотіла щоб вона завершувалася🔥 не описати словами, як цікаво було спостерігати за розвитком сюжету та любовною лінією 😍

Лео Тоскано — 33 роки, бос італійської мафії.

Хейвен Романо — 23 роки, раніше відома за імʼя Каріна Мессіна.

Хейвен разом зі своєю мамою приїздить з Америки до Італії, щоб познайомитись і відвідати родичів зі сторони батька. Вона ніколи не змогла б подумати, що ця подорож стане для неї доленосною. Стати дружиною мафіозі з примусу та шантажу, і бути зануреною у цей кримінальний світ про який ніколи не здогадувалася - а жила звичайне життя. Але як виявилось страшніше для неї це залишитись самій у великому будинку, отримати ігнорування зі сторони чоловіка (хоч і вона боїться його) та без живого спілкування з людьми. Через ці всі події в її життя повертаються нічні жахіття з якими вона боролася з дитинства разом з психотерапевтом. Але чи це просто нічний кошмар, чи можливо це спогади з минулого які вона починає пригадувати…

Лео виріс у світі мафії, адже його батько був босом і колись він мусив зайняти його місце. Постійні побої та жорстоке ставлення - це було нормою і звичайним явищем. Але все ж він мав безпечне місце, куди завжди міг прийти після — це дім його найкращого друга Дієго (його сімʼя звичайні люди, які немають ніякого відношення до мафії). Ця сімʼя стала його порятунком та променем світла у темряві, а саме маленька сестра Дієго, яка завжди обожнювала Лео.
Та коли одного вечора Лео, після чергових побоїв батька приїхав до сімʼї Дієго на їх дім напали — з ціллю вбити нащадка сімʼї Тоскано. Він звісно виживе, але вже ніколи не буде таким як був з цією сімʼю, яку в нього безжально забрали (вбили всіх членів сімʼї). Холодний і безжальний бос мафії — це тепер єдина сторона, яку побачать люди.

Любовна лінія дуже мені зайшла, холодний бос мафії який змусив шантажем вийти заміж дівчину, яку вперше побачив і вона просто дуже йому сподобалась. Шлюб який розпочинається з страху та ненависті, і поступово переростав у щось більше — здається банально і клішовано. Але паралельно з любовною лінією відкриваються важливі деталі сюжету, а саме таємниця про вбивство 17-ти річної давнини. І це неабияк перевертає життя Хейвен та шокує Лео. Чи зможуть вони побудувати стосунки, коли дізнаються правду про минуле..

Я незнаю чим саме ця книга мене так зачепила, але це було дуже емоційне та неймовірне читання. Головні герої які мають шалений потяг один до одного, чудовий гумор та головна героїня — книголюб😍🔥
Для мене це 4,5/5⭐️ (так не 5⭐️, бо були деякі неточності чи деталі, які хотілося б щоб авторка описала)

[Chiara^•^ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Empress by Michelle Heard
4,5/5⭐
2/5🌶️

I’ve been looking forward to reading this book, and it definitely didn’t disappoint! The premise had me excited right from the start—Haven, the FMC, is completely unfamiliar with the mafia world, yet she’s forced to marry the head of the Italian mafia. I didn't realize just how emotional this story would be! The prologue was heartbreaking, and even though I knew that the characters were connected from the beginning, I still had so much fun reading their journey.

Leo’s backstory is painful. He had a really tough childhood, with an abusive father, and he never wanted to take over the Italian mafia. But when tragedy strikes and his father is killed, he finds himself with no choice but to step up. He believes a rival family is responsible for his father's death, and after a confrontation results in one of his men dying, he seeks revenge. That’s when he looks at Haven and demands that she marry him as a form of payment.

Haven and her mother are on vacation, visiting family in Italy, completely unaware of the mafia world around them. So, you can imagine their shock when Leo kidnaps her and forces her into marriage! Leo and Haven are total opposites—he’s cold, calculated, and ruthless, while she’s warm, caring, and sweet. But what I loved most is how brave Haven is; she stands up for herself, even when she's scared of Leo.

Their relationship unfolds as a slow burn, which suits their situation perfectly. I loved how, despite initially threatening and intimidating her, Leo continually reassures Haven that he won’t hurt her. It’s heartwarming to see how protective he becomes and how she brings out his softer side. When hidden truths are finally revealed, it’s truly heartbreaking, but I loved how vulnerable Leo becomes with her. Overall, this book is an amazing addition to the series, and I can't wait to read the next one!

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5⭐️ That's all? I just wanted more.
I like The Mafia Empire series, but this book was my least favourite of the series.

This story is fast-paced, action packed, light, filled with drama and secrets, and it's a slow burn romance. The plot is good, but the twist is expected.

Leo is only a good man with a tragic past, and Haven is quite annoying for most of the book (completely different to the previous fmc).
I missed more interaction between the alliance members.

Anyway, I liked it, but I have all my hope in Enzo's book.

[Ghala · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not sure how I feel about this one… kinda boring.

[Lia 𐙚 · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was so cringe at the end but three stars because I finished it

[lucialeelibros · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review - 5 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

thank you Candi Kane PR and my lovely Michelle ❤️⭐!!

Maybe I am insane.” His lips ghost over my skin, causing intense tingles to spread over the area. “Maybe that something I can’t place my finger on makes me insane.”
____________________

Spoiler-Free Review of Michelle’s Upcoming Book

Release Date: August 4th, 2025

Alright, deep breath. This review needs to be broken down into phases, because there’s no way to talk about this book without organizing my thoughts — and my emotions — properly. No spoilers, I promise. But I will speak from the heart.


---

PHASE 1: The World, the past, and how we got here!!

This story is heavy. Emotionally heavy. Beautifully constructed and layered with pain, healing, and transformation.

We start with a past that drags us into a present filled with consequences. Leo, our male lead, has a painful background. He comes from a broken home, with a lot of trauma. Still, he tried to do things right. He really did. But he got hurt — and so did people who didn’t deserve it. That pain shaped him into the man he is now, for better or worse.

Then we meet Heaven, our female lead, who has nothing to do with the mafia world. In fact, she only knew about the mafia through romance novels. She’s a massive book lover — books are her escape, her passion, her safe place. That contrast between their worlds? Powerful.

PHASE 2: The Conflict (Or, why Leo had to earn his stars 🫣🤣)

Let me be honest: the real conflict in this book, for me, was Leo.

He was difficult. So difficult. He had that old-school, alpha “macho man” energy that felt more frustrating than charming at times. He made rash decisions, acted like he knew everything, and then — surprise — realized he was wrong and came crawling back.

At one point, I was ready to rate this book 3 stars, max. I was done with him. But then... he started doing the work. Emotional work. Real effort. And little by little, he earned those extra stars. He showed up, over and over again, and it made a difference.

PHASE 3: From "I hate him" to "but...daddy, I love him"

This is the first Michelle hero I didn’t fall for instantly. I found him annoying, arrogant, and infuriating. Truly — I called him every name in the book while reading. But, like they say, love is built through fire.

Leo worked for it. He sweated for it. He proved himself with actions, with growth, with his version of love. And by the end, despite everything... I have to admit:

Leo Toscano, I love you. You’re beautiful, infuriating, and absolutely worth it.

Final Thoughts

This book is one of Michelle’s most emotionally complex and well-built stories. It’s not easy. It doesn’t hand you romance on a silver platter. You have to earn it — just like Leo had to.

If you love mafia stories with emotional depth, second chances, flawed characters, and that delicious slow-burn tension that makes you want to scream... this one’s for you.

Mark your calendars: August 4th, 2025.
You’re not ready — but you’ll love every second of it.

THANK YOU.

[Tasha D · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disappointed

I felt like this was a huge letdown as I love this series and the author but this fell flat. There needs to be edits made as names were misspelled more than once. There were details which I felt were not needed like him having to put in his security code after giving her money. Why did we need that? Felt like a filler to make the story longer. I hated she kept calling her mom "mommy" when she is 23. She felt super immature for 23 and couldnt get pass that. Her charity felt kinda dumb since she never talked about horses or riding previously to that only she loved unicorns as a kid which made her love horses?

[Ami · Rating 3 out of 5]

safe no ow/om

[iari · Rating 5 out of 5]

Este libro es el sueño húmedo de todas las lectoras de mafia romance.
¿Que un hombre alto, musculoso e increíblemente hermoso, que se obsesiona con vos desde el primer momento en que te ve, te secuestre y te obligue a casarse con el o sino mata a toda tu familia? Ah, casi me olvido de agregar que es el jefe de la mafia italiana… bueno pues Haven paso de hacer maratones de lectura con su mejor amiga sobre esos libros, a vivirlo en carne propia.
Pero eso no es todo, Leo y ella se conocen desde mucho antes, solo que ninguno de los dos sabe quien es el otro.
Pensé que Santiago iba a ser mi fav, pero Leo le anda pisando los talones de cerquita. Me queda el último libro y ya voy a poder hacer mi ranking de mis libros y personajes favs jiji

[Marcia · Rating 4 out of 5]

What is it about this series where I enjoy every other story? Maybe it's the covers... those with a couple end up being better 😅? I really loved Leo and Haven's relationship. No spoilers so I can't say what part I really loved, but it brought a lot more depth than Death. I loved how Haven's mom played such a huge role here too (in a very positive way).

Also, keyword from the synopsis: Beg
I'll leave it at that 👏.

[Buffy ❤️‍🔥💀 · Rating 5 out of 5]

The only “negative” critique I’m willing to give this book is I wish it was longer… I didn’t want it to end 😭😭

[Dul · Rating 3 out of 5]

Al rato hago reseña

[iremucka · Rating 2 out of 5]

The Empress (İmparatoriçe)

Aplam mortgage falan mı ödüyorsun anlamıyorum neden böyle bir anlaşma yapt��n ? Bi yandan fantastik seriye başladın bi yandan bu seriye kasıyorsun, bi yandan diğer serinin 2. jenerasyonunu taslaklarını düşünüyorsun. Üretken olman güzel de iş çıkmıyor be aplam.

Nerde Craving Danger nerde the Empress.. Tarot kartlarına bağlayacağım diye çok zorlamışsın sanki. Empress dediğin 23 yaşındaki da; şimdiye kadar okuduğum kitaplar içindeki en ezik kadın karakterler listesine ilk 3' e tekten girer.

2 🌟 sırf Craving Danger hayrına veriyorum, çünkü kitapta hiç bir şey olmuyor?! Karakterler hiç bir şeyi bilmiyor, Leo da bilmiyor 😒 Yani Chatgpt ye yazdırmış gibisin ben neden Leo ' nun akşam hazırlıklarını 2 paragraf okuyorum, bir de şu ana kadar yazdığım en uzun mafya demişsin, bu şekilde nenem de yazar su içtim-yürüdüm-pijamalarımı giydim şeklinde.

Yine de ipe ipe Enzo' yu da okuyup bu seriye de çok şükür paka paka diyeceğiz. 💁

Kitabın özeti yok çünkü kitap yok.. 😑

[Luna ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

»What are you going to do if she keeps hating you?«
»I'll fucking grow on her like a bad habit.«

★ ★ ★ ★

❥ 𝑯𝒂𝒗𝒆𝒏 𝜗𝜚˚⋆
She‘s such a cutie pie. I really liked her and could relate to her well.

❥ 𝑳𝒆𝒐 ⋆✮
He‘s the perfect mixture between stonecold mafia leader, adoring boyfriend and possessive fiancé.

✥ 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒃𝒐𝒐𝒌
I really liked this book. Another great mafia romance by Michelle Heard. Her writing style is fluent and easy to read (even as a non native english speaker). The plot was well thought out although a little bit unrealistic sometimes (but it‘s a book, so everything fine). I had a good time while reading it and read the whole book in one sitting. It‘s a rollercoaster of emotions and I got quite emotional sometimes.
Haven and Leo are great together and they have sizzling chemistry. It‘s a forged marriage book so if you don‘t like this trope then don‘t read it! Leo is obsessed with our girl Haven and does everything to make her happy although she hates him. The hate to love transformation was done well and I enjoyed their love story.
Overall this was an entertaining and quick read.

𝐰𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐝 𝐈 𝐫𝐞𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐝 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤?
Yes.

𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝟓 ׂㅤ𐙚 ࣪ ⭒
plot: 4/5
spice: 2/5
humor: 4/5
couple/tension: 5/5
world building: 5/5
happy end?: yes

𝐭𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 ᡣ𐭩ྀི₊ ⊹
dark romance, possessive and protective hero, mafia romance, forced marriage, hate to love, forced proximity, morally grey mmc, instant attraction, secrets and lies, friends to lovers (kinda), age gap

𝐬𝐚𝐟𝐞𝐭𝐲
ages: Haven (23) and Leo (33)
cheating: no
sharing: no
kinks: no

𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠𝐬
#1 The Hermit ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#2 The High Priestess ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#3 Death ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#4 The Empress ★ ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
#5 The Devil ★ ★ ★
https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...

[*CJ* · Rating 2 out of 5]

“The Empress” is the story of Haven and Leo.

The first half has the hero lose the people he loves in a tragic sequence of events, and soon become the head of mafia.
The story takes a time leap and we see the hero meet the heroine and then force her hand in marriage. He ignores her for a while, until he realizes she is what he has always been looking for.

I mean it was fine, the hero goes from no feelings to all feelings once he discovers who the heroine is. The heroine has a sweet relationship with her mother and spends the second half sucking face and having sex. It’s an average one time read.

Unsafe
2.5/5

[Katalina · Rating 4 out of 5]

God, I hope the Porsche company paid you for the ads. Because there were so many mentions and it was terrible. The only thing I remember from the whole book is about the Porsche. If you ask me about him, I'll tell you that he was in a Porsche. And if it's about her, then she was in the Porsche with him too. What were they doing? We rode a Porsche. It was a really great advertisement.

[Jessica Cieszlak · Rating 3 out of 5]

I…didnt hate the book, but I also didn’t love it either. It felt shallow in plot and character development. The premise was interesting, but as I theorized while I read, as I often do, my theories ended up being more riveting than what actually came to fruition.

Spoilers probably? But not really anything important.

Leo’s personality flip flopped in the beginning between being the dark and silent type to all of a sudden having a filthy mouth and slightly unhinged. Eventually, I think he picked a lane and solidified himself for me in the second half of the book.

Nothing was a big mystery, there were no twists like I thought there would be, and over half the book was dedicated to the FMC crying and pleading—which I’ve acknowledged is probably the correct way to react when someone kidnaps you and does all the things Leo does (or kidnaps your daughter, as her mother was also distraught, rightfully so), but the book is less than 300 pages (which I usually appreciate because I like a book that gets to the point without filler, yet somehow this one managed to have filler), so you have to get past that stuff faster. I was over it well before it ended. I remembered thinking, wow, there isn’t much left in the book and she’s still begging to be let go and crying all the time, so this must mean she’ll flip a switch and fall for him then (insert eye roll here). Not that I expected a book under 300 pages to be a slow burn, I actually don’t much care for ultra slow burns personally, but I’d have liked more time with them developing chemistry because it was lacking.

The memory loss thing was tough for me to grasp. Yes, I know it’s possible for the brain to protect itself from trauma in this way, but it almost just seemed like a convenient plot device in this one. One of my theories for her getting some of her memories back was that they’d somehow be attacked at his mansion, and a mirror of what happened all those years ago, him throwing her to the ground and protecting her, getting shot, etc., even Massimo coming in but in the nick of time to save them, would break that mental wall for her (because it’s fiction, this was totally a possibility), and it would all come rushing back in an emotional whirlwind of memories. That didn’t happen. That’s probably on me for building up that idea in my head.

Haven’s personality was…just okay. She didn’t do anything to annoy me but also didn’t do anything to make me like her a lot either. At times, she was more child-like than I’d prefer.

Another theory I had as I read was that maybe Haven’s dad didn’t die of a heart attack but was murdered (by the same culprit who was responsible for Leo’s and Carina’s families’ murders) instead. That would’ve been more interesting. I think I was just searching for more twists or 😮 moments.

My most unfavorite part was when Leo leaves for business, but it turns into him finishing business early and then just going to the island and being gone for two weeks, sprinkling in a bit of miscommunication, so that Haven is cooped up in the house basically alone for so long that she hugs Leo when he returns. To be honest, this island business and the alliance is an afterthought to me in this series. In some books it plays a significant part, but it didn’t at all in this one besides a meeting that no one could attend in person, and where Dominik and Santiago announced that they’re going to be unavailable for several months because they want to focus on family. I was like, did they just disband? Not to mention, I expected Leo to need help at some point, calling on the alliance as the others have needed to do. You know, to keep with the theme of the series? But the trouble in this book wasn’t a big deal. Just some in-fighting, I guess. Could’ve/should’ve been bigger.

Lastly, there’s Kristen. It’s not often there are GOOD girl friendships in our books; the main focus is always the couple and the romance, sure, but it’s refreshing to get a dose of one or both of our characters having a friendship with someone else. Kristen seemed important to Haven, and so when I learned she was coming to Italy for a visit, I thought, this could be cute. And she did come to Italy, but after the initial meet and greet, she had jet lag, so she needed to nap, and then nap again the next day, and then the book ended. Like…what? Why bother? She could’ve gone on that outing with Leo and Haven since she was going to be part of the horse initiative, and it would’ve been sweet for her to witness Leo give Haven the new ring. Wanna hear what my theory was after the initial disappointment of Kristen staying at the mansion to nap? Well, I’ll tell you anyway. I kept reading and thought, omg, wouldn’t it be so sweet if Leo arranged for her to be at the horse sanctuary waiting for them, and she could jump out and surprise Haven while they gush over the horses, and then Leo gets down on one knee while Kristen busts out her phone to record the ring thing? But no. That didn’t happen. She’s forever napping at the mansion now.

Anyway, it was a book. The end.

[Lilyya ♡ · Rating 4 out of 5]

[Sentranced Jem · Rating 4 out of 5]

Genre/Tropes: OTT Protective & Possessive MMC / Touch her and Die / Hidden Identity / Forced Proximity / Forced Marriage / Innocent FMC who doesn’t know about the Mafia / MMC Grovels A LOT

Ohhh I do love an MMC that grovels A LOT 😄

[Rebecca Kush · Rating 5 out of 5]

ARC Review
💍Forced Marriage
🪪Hidden Identity
🔥OTT MMC
🖤Mafia
*slight spoilers to the beginning of the book, skip if you don’t want*

I have absolutely love this series by Michelle Heard. The Hermit is legit one of my favorite books of all time and got me out of a horrible book rut. I have loved every book that has come after it and I knew this one wouldn’t disappoint.

Even though Leo is a part of the larger group, he isn’t spoken about as much as Dominik, Santiago and Cassia. We know that he lives in Italy and that hes head of the Italian mafia, but not a whole lot more from the previous books, so he’s a bit more mysterious. He’s definitely not loud and out there like my love, Santiago.

The book starts off with a tragedy. Leo’s father is a mafia Don and has lots of enemies and while Leo is visiting a friend, the enemies come for Leo, which unfortunately just happens to be at the cost of his friend’s family. He tries to save his friend and his friend’s little sister, but is not very lucky and ends up getting shot himself. The family is killed and he never finds out what happened to the little girl.

Fast-forward many years later and Leo is at a party where he is absolutely transfixed by a beautiful brunette in a pink dress. Unfortunately said beautiful brunette happens to be the niece of the very person Leo hates and who he suspects murdered his friend’s family. What’s a guy to do? Well of course to get back at the man, he decides that he is going to force his niece, Haven, to marry him. What ensues is a big enemies to lovers situation complete with close proximity, lots of groveling, and an over the top possessive mmc. As the story progresses, we un peel the layers and learn more about what happened to Leo’s friend’s family that night including the little girl.

I love Michelle. Her books are great because even though the plot can be a bit dark with unaliving and mafia, the romance is never dark. It can be spicy, but our male characters are always big teddy bears when it comes to the FMC and I love that in a dark romance. Leo is a tough mafia boss to everyone but eventually melts for Haven.

I’m so curious what’s to come in the next book. We’re introduced a tiny bit more to Enzo but I’m still rooting for a side story about Kristen and Edoardo!

[Aurora Ash · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Empress by Michelle Heard ⭐⭐⭐

I’ve absolutely loved this series so far seriously, the first books had me hooked 😍🔥
But with The Empress, I have to admit… it didn’t serve as much for me as I hoped. I was still invested, still turning the pages, still wanting that emotional punch the synopsis promised, but the delivery didn’t fully land.

Let’s start with Leo.
I didn’t like him at the beginning (at all 😅). His personality felt inconsistent, and for someone with such a dark, dramatic backstory, he didn’t have the presence I expected. I was also told there would be grovelling big, dramatic, “I’ll burn the world for you” grovelling, and instead got something closer to… the bare minimum. He was nice when he came back after two weeks, yes, and I did enjoy the softer side he showed, but that wasn’t the level of redemption I was waiting for.

And Haven… oh, Haven.
Sweet girl, but she forgave way too easily. After everything she went the trauma, the fear, the tears expected her to push back, to make him earn it, even a little. Instead, she practically ran into his arms the moment he returned, and I found myself thinking, “Did we just forget what happened??” 😬💔

Despite these issues, I did enjoy the overall premise. I liked the emotional potential, the backstory connections, and the threads tying into the series. There were moments that pulled me in, moments that made me smile, and moments where I remembered exactly why I love Michelle Heard’s mafia world. Even when this book didn’t hit all the marks for me, I never wanted to stop reading.

🤝 And the Alliance, the thing that connects this entire series, was basically on vacation in this book. They Zoomed in once, said “we’re busy,” and vanished like "ok byeee" 👋😂

In the end, The Empress wasn’t my favorite of the series, but it still kept me engaged.
Not perfect, but definitely not a miss just a solid 3-star read ⭐⭐⭐

[Camii]

Estoy en conflicto con este libro porque al principio empezó bien y con una historia muy linda y triste pero a medida que me adentraba en el libro se torno todo un poquito aburrido ya que nunca logré conectar con los personajes y tampoco fui fan de algunas acciones de Leo con Haven.

Creo que uno de mis mayores "problemas" fue que ellos pasaron la mitad del libro molestos porque no se querían y ella se negaba a estar con el (obviamente ya que la obligo a casarse con el y alejarse de su madre) y de repente tuvieron una cita hermosa donde el demostro ser un hombre amable y bondadoso con ella y fue como si el odio se esfumara de sus vidas. me hubiera gustado leer mas sobre la mejoría de su relación porque se sintió muy abrupto todo.

[Vania - My Little Book Reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

✨ARC REVIEW✨

The Empress by Michelle Heard

Fark, where do I even start? I freaking loved this and each book in this series gets better and better. Leo snuck up on me in the best way and I’ve got such a soft spot for him now.

The prologue? Absolutely mind-blowing 🤯. From the very first page, I was hooked and it only got better from there. Getting to know Leo, his past, his family, all that internal struggle, and seeing him trying to overcome it all just made me fall harder. Then there’s Haven, she’s sweet, strong, stands her ground, and would do anything for the people she loves. Hands down my favourite FMC in the series.

I was completely hooked on their story. The way Leo loves Haven, past and present, had me rooting for them the whole way. And sweet molly, the tension? It was so damn hot and explosive. I was absolutely obsessed.

Add in the love, a bit of drama, a little blood, and just the right amount of spice, and you’ve got yourself one hell of a book.

Hands down, one of my top reads of the year. 😍

Enzo… I’m waiting for you, sir. Don’t keep me waiting too long. 😈🔥🫠

5⭐️ / 2🌶️