Ember: A Mafia Romance

Hunted Kingdom #2

by Naima Simone

From USA Today bestselling author Naima Simone comes a new scorching dark mafia romance in The Hunted Kingdom series in which a modern-day Cinderella must fight against the stepbrother who inherited her legacy—but he wants more than just the family he wants her.

He’ll burn it all to keep her.
Her fire will consume his soul.

Today, my father gave me the perfect he died.

But he left my legacy, the multibillion drug empire, to pure evil—my stepbrother, Asad Prince.

Petty even in death? Two can play that game.

As the last Cross, I’ll leave it all behind. And I will have the last laugh I’ll take the formula for the drug I created with me.

It’s the perfect plan until Asad makes his final move—marry him, or everyone I love dies.

A deal with the devil. Until he reveals his secrets.

His obsession might have always been my freedom.

Now, Asad might rule with fire.

But I'll light the match.

EMBER is a dark mafia romance that explores themes, subjects, and scenes that may not be suitable for everyone. Please see the author's content note at the beginning of the book.


Enemies to lovers
Arranged marriage
Forced proximity
Touch her/him and die
Morally grey MMC/FMC
Fairy tale reimagining

A Macmillan Audio production from Bramble Books

Genres: Dark Romance, Romance, Enemies To Lovers, Dark, Audiobook, Mafia Romance, Fantasy

Audible Audio

First published July 14, 2026

About the author

Published since 2009, USA Today Bestselling author Naima Simone loves writing sizzling romances with heart, a touch of humor and snark. Her books have been featured in The Washington Post and Entertainment Weekly, and described as balancing “crackling, electric love scenes with exquisitely rendered characters caught in emotional turmoil.”

She is wife to Superman, or his non-Kryptonian, less bullet proof equivalent, and mother to the most awesome kids ever. They all live in perfect, sometimes domestically-challenged bliss in the southern United States.

Reviews

[Brittany · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75⭐️

Ember and Assad were honestly made for each other. THEY BOTH WAS CRAZY AF. Michelle made my skin crawl… and Ember’s father may he rest in hell actually gave my girl a blessing in death. Giving what she was owed to her stepbrother only for that stepbrother to want what her father made…….. HER. At first I wasn’t feeling him because I don’t play that bully shit butttttt when the pieces clicked. He was alright with me. If you are going into this looking for ROMANCE. Just note it’s not much of it. But the story was very entertaining

[Bunni 🤍 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Rating: 3.5/5
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
This was a good book just lots of plot holes and the dialogue was kinda cringey at times but I did enjoy it for the most part. I felt like a lot of the book was rushed along with the romance, it felt very insta lust.

[Smutty Little Books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have very mixed feelings about this book and what my rating should be, but ultimately I’m settling on 3.75⭐.

For me, this book started off STRONG. A mafia Cinderella retelling? Taboo stepbrother romance? A nerdy FMC who’s secretly a total badass? I was VIBINGG! 🙌🏽 The audiobook narration was also top tier. This was my first time listening to Trei Taylor and Myles Washington, and they absolutely crushed it.

Unfortunately, that vibe didn’t last. I found myself pushing to finish and not because the book was bad, but because it stopped holding my attention. The ending also felt a bit abrupt, and the overall wrap-up left me wanting more.

Overall, I don’t think this is a bad book at all. I honestly think my mood may have played a role in how it landed for me. I can definitely see myself giving it a reread someday to see if my feelings change. It just wasn’t the one for me this time but it might be for you.

[allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

naima simone you are crazy in the best way

[Vanya · Rating 2 out of 5]

I would like to thank Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for an ARCs copy of this book in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.

I was so excited to read this but unfortunately it didnt meet my expectations.

My problem with this book are the main characters. The FMC “hates” the mmc yet she gets wet simply by the sight of him like girl get a grip shes an embarrassment for all womankind. The MMC is an annoying douchebag and not in a sexy way he’s supposedly “feminist” yet constantly says extremely misogynistic things about women in his life. The plot also made no sense.

The narration was okay but I wasnt the biggest fan of the voice the FMCs narrator did for the males and MMCs narrators female voices sounded like a caricature of a woman.

[Bookishness · Rating 3 out of 5]

✨ A dark Cinderella retelling… but make it mafia. 🖤

Ember isn’t sitting around waiting for a prince to rescue her. She’s ruthless, incredibly smart, and the real brains behind her late father’s criminal empire—including the creation of the infamous “glass slipper.”

Between two stepbrothers, a manipulative stepmother, and a godfather, her life is anything but a fairy tale. Then she’s pushed into an arranged marriage with Asad Prince, the dangerously obsessed, completely unhinged heir to her father’s empire.

🖤 Enemies to lovers
🖤 Arranged marriage
🖤 Obsessive MMC
🖤 Strong, intelligent FMC
🖤 Mafia romance
🖤 Twisted Cinderella retelling
🖤 Step-siblings

Ember was easily my favorite part of this book. She wasn’t just a strong FMC she was clever, strategic, and never the one needing to be saved. And Asad? Absolutely unhinged in the best way..

[Stacie · Rating 3 out of 5]

As much as I love Naima Simone as an author and as a person, I don't know if this one was for me. I spent the majority of this book being very angry. But as much as it wasn't for me, Naima does pull thi story off in the end. If you enjoy DARK romance you will probably enjoy this one.

[amarachireads · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the first book in the series, and this was also a good read. This is a Cinderella reimagining, and it had all the dark, diverse, morally grey romance vibes. We have the fmc who is mistreated by her stepmother after the death of her father. She meets her stepbrother, who is a ruthless mafia billionaire, and instantly they have that enemies-to-lovers vibe with all the forbidden sexual tension and violence that only a dark romance can bring. Both MCs are so crazy; I was shocked by how unhinged and chaotic some of the behaviors were. I liked the family business plot, and all the characters were grappling with being in power and taking control. I liked the stakes in this book. It felt like everyone had something to lose, which made it fast-paced. There is a lot of spice in this book, and though it's a slow burn, the chemistry was off the charts. I definitely recommend this one for lovers of forbidden romance.

Read for:
-Bully romance
-Billionaire romance
-Mafia themes
-Step siblings
=Enemies to lovers
-Morally grey characters

[Katie Curl · Rating 4 out of 5]

This doesn’t happen often, but the second book in this series was better than the first! I really enjoyed this story line! Also just love Naima and her crazy self! :)

[InkedSirenXO · Rating 5 out of 5]

“A love story forged in fire, ash, and obsession.”

From the very first line, Ember doesn’t ask for your attention—she demands it. And once you step into her world? There’s no escaping the flames.

Ember as an FMC is everything. Calculated, fierce, unapologetically powerful—she’s not trying to survive the game, she’s rewriting the rules while holding the match. Her voice is sharp, her choices are bold, and every move she makes feels like it could either crown her… or destroy everything.

Then there’s Asad Prince—obsessive, dangerous, and completely unhinged in that dark-romance way we secretly crave. The tension between him and Ember? Absolutely feral. This isn’t your typical enemies-to-lovers—it’s a battlefield where desire and dominance collide, and neither of them is willing to surrender.

🔥 Chemistry that burns through the pages
🔥 Power plays that keep you on edge
🔥 A romance that feels equal parts toxic and irresistible

The arranged marriage trope is done so well here—it’s not just forced proximity, it’s forced vulnerability, forced confrontation, forced truth. Every interaction between them is loaded, layered, and dangerously addictive.

And the Cinderella reimagining? Twisted, dark, and brilliant. Ember isn’t waiting for rescue—she is the reckoning. The glass slipper doesn’t fit softly here… it cuts.

What truly stood out is how deeply emotional this story is beneath all the intensity. Ember’s fight for her legacy, her autonomy, and her identity adds real weight to the story, making every moment hit harder.

Final verdict:
This book is dark, addictive, and completely consuming.

🖤 Read it for Ember—the FMC who refuses to bow.
🔥 Stay for the obsession and power struggle.
👠 Leave slightly emotionally damaged… but wanting more.

[Jordan C · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars!

naima did not come to play with ember!! the cinderella inspiration was incredible. ember was a strong fmc, and asad, our mmc, was NOT intimidated by that. and the ending??? i did not see that coming. this kept me hooked from beginning to end!

tropes:
• cinderella retelling
• step siblings
• arranged marriage
• touch him/her and 💀

[Lisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one felt a bit meh until we get to the 75% mark and things start to pick up. I think my expectations may have been a bit too high given how much I enjoyed the huntsman. I expected a little too much from our girl Ember, when she really just a girl who wanted to be loved by family. However I personally think she let Michelle walk upright for way too long.

My other issues are that there were 2 tropes that I despise that I didn’t take into consideration. While this isn’t marketed as a bully romance, it very much feels like it. Granted the plot twist was a game changer, but by that point the feelings I had leading up to it were hard for me to shake off. Also the virgin heroine trope has never been my jam.

Although this may not have worked for me I think this is a good addition to her Disney retelling that will work for the right person.

[AlexTRBG · Rating 4 out of 5]

I haven’t read something this spicy and crazy in a min 😅 but so glad to say I have no regrets lol. Naima for sure did her thing with this Cinderella retelling. I thought Ember’s forced marriage to her “evil” step brother was so fresh. And the fact that she was a super smart scientist forced to work for the family drug business was such a good plot point. Her step mom was also a piece of work, as expected.

But the thing that stood out the most had to be her relationship with Assad 😮‍💨💕 he was just so… mean 😅 but as the story went on you saw it was for the best intentions bc he was in love with het the whole time. And even tho they were both crazy af it really made them such a perfect match lol.

[Kenia Coronado · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 stars on this one.

I was pretty engaged in the story from the start. I do love a strong fmc and loved how she would not stop bickering with the mmc any chance she got! The story lost me a little in the middle but it brought me back not long after. The chapters were long so it felt like i was reading forever but i needed to know how it ended!

[Jenny · Rating 3 out of 5]

What did I just read??

[Bri · Rating 1 out of 5]

✨ALC Review✨ - 1 ⭐️

I’m so disappointed to say this because I was so excited about this book, but this was a really rough read. The blurb completely sold me, and even the author’s note at the beginning was cute and funny.

At first, I actually thought Ember’s inner thoughts were hilarious. They felt so real, and I was genuinely laughing out loud. Unfortunately, after the first few chapters, everything started going downhill.

Because of all the glowing reviews, I kept convincing myself it had to get better. Instead, it felt like torture to get through, and by the end, I could confidently say I should’ve DNF’d it. There honestly wasn’t anything I ended up enjoying.

My biggest issue was the MMC. I know this is a dark romance, and I’m completely fine with morally gray characters, violence, and even murder when it serves the story. That’s not what bothered me.

What bothered me was the way he viewed women.

He refers to women as “bitches,” 🚩🚩 fantasizes about violently killing or torturing them over the smallest inconveniences, and spends nearly every interaction with the FMC thinking about having sex with her in the most graphic, degrading, and sometimes violent ways imaginable. At one point he outright admits that he regularly daydreams about fucking and killing her. Somehow I’m supposed to root for this man as a romantic lead? I just couldn’t.

Every time he looked at her, we got another internal monologue about how badly he wanted to fuck her. It got to the point where it felt like he didn’t even see her as a person, just an object he wanted to possess.

What made it even stranger was that every once in a while he’d randomly say something surprisingly progressive, like arguing that women deserved positions of power in the organization or saying that a woman’s value comes from her ambition, courage, and perseverance rather than her appearance. Those moments felt completely disconnected from the character we’d spent the rest of the book with. It was like two entirely different men had been mashed together.

Because of that, the romance never worked for me. I wasn’t rooting for them, I was wondering why she even wanted him. The relationship felt built almost entirely on lust, and by the end, it just seemed like a really toxic situation between two excessively horny people rather than two people genuinely in love.

The spicy scenes didn’t help. There were a few moments that were genuinely sexy, but most of the dirty talk and euphemisms just made me cringe.

“I promise you, the only thing imma bully is that pussy.”

“I bet that shit’s so thick and creamy.”

“Beating that pussy up.”

“Pussy creaming.”

Then there were the comments about her vagina supposedly being shaped like his dick afterward (that’s… not how anatomy works), and her referring to losing her virginity as getting “broken in.” 🤮

At this point, girl needs to invest in a vibrator, or at least spend a few minutes with her hand, because oh my god, every other thought was about wanting this man.

The FMC frustrated me in other ways too. The trauma she experienced was awful, and I truly felt for her, but eventually it felt like every chapter circled back to the same thoughts without much growth or action. She spent so much time dwelling on what happened that it started feeling repetitive.

And can we please stop acting like everyone can see how wet she is through her clothes every time she looks at him? At some point I started wondering if she was just peeing herself.

There were also quite a few smaller issues that kept pulling me out of the story. The author’s favorite word is apparently aberration because I don’t think I’ve ever heard it used so many times in one book.

I also wasn’t a fan of the male narrator. His voice didn’t really match how I pictured the character, and the constant pauses between every few words made the dialogue feel unnatural.

The pacing didn’t do the book any favors either. It dragged for long stretches where it felt like nothing was really happening, and by the time the secret villain was revealed, I’d already figured it out long before. Never doubt a woman’s intuition.

And I have to admit, when the FMC says, “God, there must be something fundamentally wrong with me,” my immediate thought was, “Finally, we agree on something!”

Overall, this book just wasn’t for me. I don’t have a problem with dark romance, morally gray characters, or even outright villains. What I do have a problem with is a romance built on misogyny and objectification. You can absolutely write a dark romance without making the MMC view women as pieces of meat, and unfortunately, that’s where this book completely lost me.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for letting me listen to this one early.

[ReadingTilTheBreakOfDawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naima Simone, I like the way your wicked mind works.
Cinderella retelling with a Mafia princess that has been kept a secret from some and is a chemist cooking up some lethal drugs? With one of the drugs being called the Glass Slipper? Let's F.... Go!!

Ember is the second book in The Hunted Kingdom world and it has everything I would want in a morally grey fairytale retelling. Dark and cunning characters that step up. Ember's father suddenly dies and he leaves the Cross business to her evil stepmother and her sons, leaving his badass daughter to still have a small stake in the company, but not what she had imagined. She is his blood afterall. Shouldn't she get more? But she's a woman, and her misogynist father obviously counts her out. But don't you worry. Ember is one badass FMC who is strong, lethally smart and calculated in her actions.

Asad is the stepbrother who has been handed the reins of the powerful Cross business. He is dangerous and 100% unhinged. He's the man in charge and if you don't like what he has to say, he will take you out. When he and Ember have a battle of the wills, he comes up with the plan of marriage. But these two are step siblings and have anything but love for one another. They are at each other's throats from the beginning. But where there's sparks, there will be fire. And there is a thin line between love and hate and it explodes with these two.

Simone created a unique and dark world that had me from the first sentence. I loved the feel of the setting and how ruthless the characters were. Not only was Asad this morally grey character, but Ember matched his vibe in all the ways. She is no one's fool, although when it comes to her body and Asad, she lights up. This was apparent when listening to the audio which was narrated by Myles Washington and Trei Taylor. They killed their performances. You could feel their strength and the way they loved to hate one another. Their chemistry was unmatched and a bit unhinged, and exploded right off the pages.

If you like your romances on the dark side with 2 characters that challenge each other and a "princess" that does not need a prince to save her, Ember is going to satisfy your needs.

Read if you like:
Dark Fairytale retelling
Forbidden
Mafia Vibes
Step Siblings
Enemies to Lovers
Touch Him/Her and D!e

Thank you to Macmillan audio for my ALC!!

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of ARC received from Publisher & Netgalley.

I usually don't gravitate toward bully romances, but Asad completely changed my mind. This man was absolutely, unapologetically obsessed with Ember, and somehow I ate up every second of it.

Ember was such a strong female lead, and her father? He can rest in hell. Seriously. He was weak, selfish, and responsible for so much of the chaos. I will say, though, he made one decision that ended up changing everything.

This book had me constantly thinking, "What the HELL is happening?!" Every time I thought I knew where the story was going, something darker or more shocking happened. It's easily one of the darkest , one of the spiciest books I've read this year.

My only real complaint was the chapter length. They felt a little too long for my taste, and at times the pacing dragged because of it.

Overall, this was a wild, addictive, dark romance that kept me hooked. If you're into taboo romance, obsessive antiheroes, mafia drama, morally gray characters, and high spice, you'll probably have a great time with this one.

The Vibes:
✔️ Stepbrother taboo romance

✔️ Mafia romance

✔️ Boss-bitch FMC

✔️ Touch Her & Die energy

✔️ Spicy 🌶️🥵

[Alissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I seriously need more of Ember and Asad. I could easily read 1000 more pages of them. Asad is someone who will burn the whole world down for Ember while she watches Hell she might even join in.

Following the death of her father she finds out he has only given her a small portion of her inheritance: a Fashion house and Mafia Empire that she’s willing to walk away from. You see; Ember is the one designing for House Cross and the chemist making the drugs they push, she can easily start over but her step brother Asad who was also given part of her inheritance has other plans. Which is to marry her. Asad knows Ember is brilliant he wants House Cross and of course her….

Listen if you love when both characters are morally gray and touch her and die vibes you will eat this up. Ember is a total badass, smart and fierce she is not someone to underestimate. Asad is confident, protective, powerful and quick. HE DOES NOT PLAY ABOUT EMBER!!!! And if you’re are wondering if it’s spicy it is! Asad has a dirty mouth! The banter is A1 and the plot gagged me!

Lastly, the audio is so amazing it just elevated the story for me even more, I felt like both Myles Washington and Trei Taylor really captured the essence of the characters! They need an Emmy for their performance.

Thank you so much Macmillan Audio for this ALC

[Jess - Reader of Books]

EMBER 🦋

Written by Naima Simone
🎧Narrated by Myles Washington, Trei Taylor
📚The Hunted Kingdom
✏️Interconnected Standalone
Adult • Dark Mafia Romance
📖15h 53m
🗓️July 14

🦋enemies to lovers
🦋arranged marriage
🦋forced proximity
🦋touch her/him and die
🦋morally grey MCs
🦋Cinderella reimagining
🦋step siblings

It’s dark. It’s twisted. It’s a bit crazy.

It’s a Cinderella retelling, but one that asks you to imagine the fairy tale with teeth. Honestly, tell me who wouldn’t be intrigued by a darker spin on such a beloved classic.

Ember and Asad are unhinged in the best possible ways, and somehow they fit together with a kind of chaotic precision. The fact that they were/are step‑siblings adds a delicious layer of forbidden tension I never shy away from.

Their chemistry is effortless, addictive, and the reason this story sticks. The power struggle surrounding the family business gives the whole book an entertaining, high‑stakes backdrop that makes every interaction feel charged.

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received this as an ALC, and I absolutely loved it. That dual narration was awesome. I loved how they put in so much emotion and emphasis. And the story itself was great. Loved the Cinderella aspect set in modern day. Both Asad and Ember really had me intrigued. She was an awesome character, fierce and wasn’t just going to give the formula away. Asad was mostly an a$$. Good view in women was awful. He was seriously disrespectful. But for the story, it worked. You just gotta have some hate sometimes and he was mine. But the twists and turns in this really had me going. And that spice was spicing (sometimes I wonder how the narrators do it without laughing lol) but it was🥵🔥. Overall, I loved listening to this.

[Martha Bookish · Rating 2 out of 5]

ALC Review-

I ended up softly DNFing this one—for now.

I really wanted to love it because the premise checked so many of my boxes, and I’m always excited to dive into a dark romance. Unfortunately, I just wasn’t connecting with the story or the characters the way I’d hoped, so I decided to set it aside instead of forcing my way through.

That said, this is completely a me thing. The writing wasn’t the issue; I just don’t think it was the right book for me at this moment. I may come back to it later because the concept is still incredibly intriguing, and I’m hoping it resonates more when I’m in a different reading mood.

[Marie Blackwelder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you NETGALLEY for the Arc of this awesome Book! Naima Simone has put something special in this series… because it is irresistible!

This Cinderella retellling is dark, mysterious, haunting, diverse, mysterious and contain morally grey characters that you will LOVE and will have you hating characters all at the same time.

Ember has always been cast aside.. first by her misogynist father since she was born a girl and deemed unworthy to inherit his fashion empire. And then after his new wife comes in the picture she spent her life regularly mistreated, abused and taken advantage of… you come to learn the House of Cross is more than meets the eye and Ember will have to overcome her past and endure the plot for her future.. it’s a good thing she is also more than meets the eye!!!

[Wind · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a Cinderella retelling with some mafia and dark romance. Ember has no one left except for her evil stepmother and stepbrothers. Assad one of her evil stepbrothers, the one Ember despises the most ends up being the one that now has control of her inheritance, he decides the only way to keep everything under his control is to make Ember his wife.
From the very beginning I was glued in. The story kept me entertained, and I was not expecting Ember to be just as crazy as Assad but she was.
Assad turned out to be a good guy after we peeled back the layers and learned how truly evil his mama is.
I’m glad Ember and Assad got their HEA.
Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC!

[Jessica Morales · Rating 2 out of 5]

The mmc was cruel and plain disrespectful to the fmc. But as the mafia boss he was like any mafia boss should behave. They’re step siblings who grew up hating each other. And after their father’s death. Asad forced her into an arranged marriage. There was no chemistry between them just lust. And the fmc does not trust him at all. But when the sexual tension was too much. She had no problem giving in to him.
And the way Asad would call her ma, was a no for me.

[Taylor Pope · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.875⭐️ This was a great way to spin Cinderella! It was not what I was expecting! It took me a little minute to get into it, but once I was sat, I never got back up! Unique, Intriguing, and Spicy read!

[Molly Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

Honestly pulled me out of a bad reading slump! So freaking good

[Bria Boyd · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my top favorite Disney reimagining series done to date! This is so damn good 😭

[Leanna Streeter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Naima Simone knew exactly what she was doing with this one because I ate it up. I love a good mafia romance, and this checked every box for me. The writing was gorgeous, the audiobook was incredible, and I flew through it.

Ember was brilliant, Asad was toxic in the way only dark romance readers can appreciate, and the chemistry between them was absolutely ridiculous.

Dark, spicy, morally gray chaos? Yes, please. This one was so much fun and reminded me exactly why I love this genre.

[The Urban Fiction Librarian · Rating 4 out of 5]

To go from hating him to catching feelings was crazy. Imagine thinking one thing your entire life and then someone shows you what really was happening. I enjoyed this story. The push and pull. The emotions. The feelings. The conversations despite the feelings of animosity. Good read.

Stamped,
The Urban Fiction Librarian