Debt to the Mafia King

by Alexis Lee

I was just working the night shift—
Until a Russian mafia boss decided I’d pay off my ex’s debt… with marriage.

Sounds like a trashy soap opera?
Then why was he in my crappy apartment, wearing a tailored suit and demanding me,
“You can pay me with your body.”

Viktor Petrov.
Twice my age. Silver hair. Sinful smile.
He didn’t want money—he wanted me.
I ran. I screamed. I fought.
He spanked me. Fingered me.
Made me come begging.

Then came the ring. The contract. The mansion I wasn’t allowed to leave.
All I had to do was be his wife.
His possession. His good girl.

I should’ve hated him—
Until I found out I was pregnant.
And this twisted marriage?
Yeah… it’s just getting started.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 25, 2025

Reviews

[Emily · Rating 3 out of 5]

Leah never expected to be pulled into the mistakes her ex-boyfriend made. Now Viktor Petrov, the head of the mafia, is ready for payment and it is Leah he plans to take it from.

Liked the idea of this one but it was not quite what I expected and the ending was disappointing.

[Kim (KJW Reviews) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Title: Debt to the Mafia King
Author: Alexis Lee

Review: I received an (ARC) Advanced Reader Copy for MY honest review for free.

Leah is just a regular girl trying to survive but after her shady ex-boyfriend disappears the mafia king comes looking for compensation or collateral. Viktor gets one look at Leah and decides she must be his, with or without her consent. Leah tries to deny the connection she has with the sexy mafia king but temptation to the dark side becomes too much. Viktor is hellbent on getting Leah pregnant and keeping her forever but after enemies try to destroy what Viktor holds closest to him he makes the ultimate sacrifice leaving them both heartbroken. Can these two defy the odds stacked against them or will the mafia world keep them apart.

This book has left me undecided, I liked the overall story but I just didn't really like Viktor's character. He had to have Leah and practically steamrolled into her life and tipped it upside down but then left her heartbroken. There were a lot of spelling and grammar mistakes in the ARC I received and there was no epilogue, leaving the ending very abrupt and confusing.


Stars: 3/5 ★
Spice: 2.5/5 🌶️
Recommend: Yes
Notes: ARC received through Booksprout

[E Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book by chance and I wasn't sure at first if I was going to enjoy it because I didn't like Viktor but it definitely improved and I ended up enjoying it a lot, apart from the last 15% or so.


Leah was working even though she was heavily pregnant, still living in her original shitty apartment, refusing to spend a penny of the money Viktor had given her to the extent where her friend Dion was buying baby clothes etc, that was just stupid. Equally Viktor's self-sacrificing act of giving her up to keep them both safe was just absurd. Why make them both miserable when everybody in the Underworld would still know who she and the baby were even if he divorced her?Men really are stupid.

Although the last part really annoyed me I still gave it 4 because I liked most of it a lot. But it ended far far too abruptly I actually think the author needs to rewrite the last couple of chapters and make it longer, even though there's a cute epilogue.

[Estee Carson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Intense mafia romance

Spice 3/5, NO cheating
Her dead ex owed the mmc money, he came to collect from her knowing she'd never have the money but he'd seen her photo and decided she'd pay with her body where she wanted to or not.
He was extremely unlikable, cruel yet he admitted to himself he wanted her, he couldn't stop he was addicted and had never felt that way before and yet he treated her so badly it was hard to read.
His father was devoid going behind his back not wanting to give up being Pakhan, his ex lover was jealous and trying to break them up and his arch nemesis who may be his father's eastward child from an affair was wanting everything he had. Car bombs, knives and someone got shot in the battle over power.
They're finally happy and he knows he's in love but he sends her away saying he feels nothing just to keep her safe.
It's horrible and heartbreaking the stuff she endures but there is an HEA.
It's an emotional ride that's worth it.

[Jacob Jodoin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I started this book and hated it right away. Viktor started off with that sweet possessive/ dominating alpha male that mostly of us love. He even said that Leah (FMC) deserved to be treated better than her ex treated her.

Then, his character turned awful. The emotional abuse crushed me and I stopped reading because it was triggering . But then I kept thinking about it and the story weighed on me so I was determined to finish.

Viktor hated his father and the way he treated his mom, but he followed in the same footsteps. But then he turns back into the first guy, but extra cinnamon roll. His character was basically a contradiction and needed more consistancy.

Overall, I loved the book even though I wasn't going to finish it. Just know, their is emotional abuse that is darker than most mafia romance books.

[Heather Meadows · Rating 3 out of 5]

On the fence

Im really on the fence about this one. I almost didnt finish it. Nothing really stood out as memorable and the FMC came across as too weak for my taste. The story felt rushed and it was like the author spent most of the time being descriptive enough to paint the MMC as an abusive narcissist but too little to redeem him. Its like 85 percent of the book he treats her like crap and then suddenly the have a couple good days or her says he cares and bam its The End so they must have a HEA... I think the characters had the potential to be more relatable and likable if the writer had spent a little more time to add a few chapters and build on the storyline. Just my thoughts.

[Sarah Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a really a hard one to review, the story was interesting and the characters were well written, but i really hated Viktor, from the start right to the very end, the way he treated Leah was heartbreaking.
Didn't like how it ended, wanted more.
I have read a few of Alexis's books now and i really enjoy her style of writing. This book was different to the other Mafia ones I read and made it stand out more.

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

[Danee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Most of this author's books are fantastic, and it's rare that I read a book where I don't really like one of the main characters. I felt that way with Viktor because of his behavior toward Leah. But that also made their story so captivating that I had trouble putting the book down. Despite everything, the journey Leah and Viktor embark on together ties together perfectly.




I received an Advance Reader copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Mafia Queen · Rating 4 out of 5]

so good 😊

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat: 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Darkness: 🤍🩶
Ending: HEA
Epilogue: YES

4 Stars: Highly Recommend!
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and will recommending it often. It may not be a personal all-time favorite, but it's a well written story.

🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️- Frequent spicy and detailed scenes throughout. Deliciously naughty. Steamy. Obsessive. Kisses that can be felt for days. 🍑 play, D/s, 3D’s dark, delicious, and dirty.

Please check trigger warnings!

[Connie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great read

I really enjoyed this read. Getting to know the characters and watching them grow. It was great seeing Viktor going from the ultimate sexy bad guy to a caring hubby and dad while retaining his his sharp edges as a mafia boss. The spicy scenes were hot. Please read the list of trigger warning. I would highly recommend this to anyone who likes age and/or mafia romances

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love it when a character is written so vividly that you get caught up in them and Viktor is one of those characters. He is a man who you love to hate because of his demeanor. The story is well written, and I enjoyed connecting with Leah in spite of her shortcomings and how she was treated by Viktor.

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

[L KQ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Paying Debts

Leah was arranged to be married to Viktor to pay off a debt. However, he wanted to keep her right from the start. This story had it all heartnteak, danger, betrayal and suspense. The plot kept me invested until the very end, even with the rollercoaster of emotions it evoked.

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

[Linda Calizo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Don’t invite people into your life if you can’t be there

Another example of a selfish man, not saying women aren’t. It’s just more men are because most of the time in society they have the control, being bigger and stronger. No matter how a woman fights they still get coerced into something they know will end badly for them, leaving them broken. HEA and fairytales are not realistic.

[Carla · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the characters. I could have done without the physical violence toward her at the beginning, though I understand it helped show his evolution. But him basically raping her was a step too far for me. I also felt like this book needed an epilogue. It ended too abruptly to make up for the heartbreak he put her through.

[Susan Flores · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good plot

Book was good reading material, but the spelling errors and typos made it less enjoyable.
Reading should flow painlessly, not get caught up in the misspelled words and typing errors.

[Sarah S · Rating 3 out of 5]

There is no build up. He basically just says I want to marry her and does. And she meets him once and then starts masturbating to him and has sex with him. That's it. no danger. No dating. No tension. The story is over in like the first 10%. The rest of just them hanging out and having sex.

[Laurie hammarstrom · Rating 1 out of 5]

Not Worth the Time.

Don’t waste your time reading a book that clearly has not been edited. So many misspellings and the ending was so rushed it could cause whiplash. I would never read another book by this “author”. The publisher should be ashamed of themselves.

[Gina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoy dark,romance, mafia books but this one didn’t hit for me. I really feel like the MFC is suffering from Stockholm syndrome. It really was hard to conceptualize what was redeemable about the MMC.

[Betsy Fisher · Rating 3 out of 5]

UGH!

Why do you write,about weak Mafia men....such an oxymoron! I loved her and how strong she was, but he was my most disappointing character ever!

[Mary Ellen Hall · Rating 3 out of 5]

Debt to the Mafia King

You lost stars because he was mean to her. She was young and he was mean. I know his Mom deserted him but that is no excuse.

[S Walker]

50%

[Valerie Garavito · Rating 4 out of 5]

Solid Read.

Although there were a lot of grammatical errors, I enjoyed the story.
I liked the character development of both MCs. From start to finish it was very good.

[Reader · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really tried my best to finish it but I couldn’t. The mmc was unbearable.

[MandaC86 · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book there was sexual tension from the beginning that was for sure. I loved that he was afraid to love until he met her and would do anything for her even wet her free

[Laura · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cute story, lots of characters, lots of angst and male machismo going on.

[Shelley G · Rating 3 out of 5]

while the basis and plot of this book was excellent it had a great deal of issues in my opinion. first it was very badly edited and full of spelling and grammar mistakes. it also portrayed viktor as a completely cold semi abusive a hole with no redeeming qualities who didn't care who he hurt or how many times he hurt Leah expecting her to just forgive him over and over again right to the very end. It made Leah who was supposed to be strong determined and feisty actually appear to be a doormat who would allow him to walk all over her, abuse her, put her thru trauma again and again all because she had hot chemistry with him. this didn't portray a strong feisty person. it portrayed someone who was very weak and at the whims of what her body wanted with no mind to override the attraction. I don't believe anyone can be that physically hot for someone that they are incapable of self preservation or standing up against abuse and pain. so many aspects of this book really turned me off.
I did really like the underlying idea of the book and quite a bit of how it was written was very well done but some parts just went too far without showing any growth or change in the character even as he learned to love again and feelings developed. that is not believable or realistic because love does change ppl whether they want it to or not.
I believe with a rewrite of this book some changes and tweaks this can be a fantastic story and for goodness sake get a good editor before releasing it. not the first book I have arc read with incredibly bad editing. seems to be a pattern.

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

[Carrie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Viktor & Leah. So many spelling , grammar and context errors. Pulls you out of the story. Quite a bit of repetitive use of the same phrase. So distracting. Story was OK.

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love it when a character is written so vividly that you get caught up in them and Viktor is one of those characters. He is a man who you love to hate because of his demeanor. The story is well written, and I enjoyed connecting with Leah in spite of her shortcomings and how she was treated by Viktor.

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