Mafia Obsession: Ares

4.25🌟, 3🌶️

This book caught me completely off guard and I loved it!

I devoured this story from the very first chapter, totally hooked by the intense dynamic between Ares and Lourdes. Watching this ruthless mafia king completely lose his mind over one woman was absolute gold, especially with the "he falls first" trope delivering all the possessive, dangerous energy I could ever want.

Lourdes is an incredible heroine, showing a fierce, quiet strength as she escapes an abusive past and protects her disabled sister. Their forced proximity and fake marriage evolved into something deeply real, and while Ares tested my patience with how stubbornly he denied his feelings, seeing him bend over backwards and do whatever it takes for her made every frustrating moment worth it.

The twists, high-stakes suspense, and found family elements kept me reading at lightning speed, and that wild ending left me craving the next book immediately. If you love high-stakes romance, morally grey heroes who fall devastatingly hard, and resilient heroines, this is an absolute must.

I am already counting down every second until the next book drops.

~~~~

Huge thank you to Deborah Garland and The Author Agency for the ARC! 😍 All my bookish thoughts are completely my own.✨

arcs-alcs

‧₊˚✧lelelvsbooks

69 reviews

2.5 🌟

this was gonna be a 3 stars, but the MMC had to go and pmo by having a completely one-sided third act conflict.

mind you, this emotionally constipated man was saying 84% in that he "didn't believe he was capable of love" AFTER MARRYING HER and then he had the bright idea of moving away from her and to completely ignore her for like a month. all while she was pregnant (admittedly, he didn't know, but it was still infuriating to read) with his goddamn baby.

I'm fine with that whole corny thing of "I'm a cold man, I don't believe in love ⛓️🖤", as long as it's at the beginning of the book. but to still be saying that bs almost at the end of the book pissed me tf off, as you can see.

the rest of the book was just... fine? it started off strong, but then by the middle things got repetitive. tbh I did consider DNFing it halfway through, but I'm way too hard-headed to accept defeat. thankfully once he started grovelling at like 90% I was interested again.

on a more positive note, I am way too invested in the second book. I've read all of the teasers available and I'm foaming at the mouth waiting for september 26th to come. the yearning is unmatched, and the few crumbs we've got so far had me giggling. 🫠💗 hopefully kirill can put two and two together fast and not be furious at his fmc for too long

This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.

Sammy

101 reviews2 followers

I just can’t help it, a mafia man is unlike any other type of book boyfriend!!! Ares Zervas is the head of the Greek mafia and he’s everything you would expect: powerful, controlling, billionaire, and immediately obsessed with the woman he sets his sights on. Only problem is she’s married. Don’t worry, he’s working on fixing that “issue”!

Ares and Lourdes were both fascinating MCs and so fun to read. They were pretty typical but the storyline felt fresh and the plot twists kept coming. I loved his obsession with Lourdes and that once he met her, she was it for him… even if he was a dummy for a little bit. The banter and tension were so good here though, and once the spice hits - it just keeps coming!

Alsooooo, I cannot wait for book two. Kirill and Sandrine, sign me up now!

Thank you to TAA for the ARC!

Wendy Livingstone

20.9k reviews263 followers

This is the first in a new series, and this is Ares and Lourdes’ story.
Lourdes has one mission, and that is to survive her abusive husband, and escape, while Ares is the powerful, lethal, and feared Greek mafia boss. When Lourdes company mysteriously closes, the new CEO Ares, offers her a job as his personal assistant. When Lourdes husband shows up dead, she becomes the target of some dangerous men, and Ares, gives her no choice but to marry him for protection.
This is a well written easy to read, action packed story, with found family, friendships, emotions, tension, drama, boss / assistant, secrets, obsession, forced marriage, challenges, an age gap, forced proximity, suspense, intrigue, trust, extortion, undeniable chemistry, and love, which leads to an entertaining, tragic, twisted, and unpredictibale dark mafia romance.
I look forward to reading more from this talented author whose work I highly recommend.

Joanne Barton

619 reviews1 follower

July 27, 2026

“Mafia Obsession” is the first book in Deborah’s new series “American Mafia.” Ares Zervas is the head of the Greek Mafia in New York. At forty two, he is an obscenely wealthy man and a confirmed Batchelor. He does not do relationships that do not involve a contract with a non disclosure agreement….until he meets Lourdes. Whilst having a drink at Club Wicked he spots a head of champagne-blonde hair move through the crowd below. “A spark fires through me. A zing, shocking me alert. Every muscle in my body goes rigid. Heat punches through my chest, sharp and sudden.”

Lourdes is trapped in a loveless marriage with an abusive husband. Her husband is controlling and repetitively convinces her that she is useless, worthless and a lousy wife. But she has will to survive, she has to, for the sake of her sister. When, out of the blue, the company she works for is moving to Jersey, Lourdes looses her job. At the same time, she is conveniently employed as his personal assistant, with an enormous jump in salary.

The more time she spends with Ares, it is getting harder to ignore him. As long as she is still married, Ares will not touch her….she still belongs to another man. When her husband David, turns up dead….all gloves are off! With life in danger, Ares decides the best option if for them to marry. This will bring her under his protection….”I am fortifying you, and I will not watch you die because you want space.”

“I told myself I could marry her and keep my heart out of it,” I whisper. “I fell for her….” Still he cannot tell her his true feelings, that he loves her….even after they are married. Even on their wedding night….“Christ, I’m falling in love with her.” On their wedding night, Lourdes opens up her heart to him….”Ares.” She gazes at me, her face flushed. “I love you.” He doesn’t respond….he leaves her and goes to Club Wicked. Two weeks later when he comes home from work, he advises her that he moving into the Aurelian, alone. Lourdes is confused and hurt….”I’m being honest. I’ve given you all that you need, and now I need distance.” He is gone, leaving her heartbroken.

“Ares has shown the world by moving into the Aurelian without me that I mean nothing to him.”

The story is full of passion, humor, intrigue, betrayal, vengeance, power, control, twists and turns around every corner - most of all love. There is never a dull moment - you will be hooked! The book goes from pages that sizzle, to extreme violence, to the most beautiful tender moments! You will fall in love with Ares and Lourdes, hoping that everything with work out for them….will they have a future together.

“That’s when his mouth crashes into mine. The punishing kiss steals the air from my lungs as though he intends to strip me of my life force. His hand slides from my throat down to my waist. In one seamless motion, he lifts me and carries me to the bed. All with the storm raging outside, the flooding forgotten.”

You will fall in love with Ares and Lourdes, hoping that everything with work out for them and if they have a future together. There is never a dull moment - you will be hooked! I know I was - just love these two! A thoroughly enjoyable read from page to page, one chapter to the next - at times you are metaphorical “on the edge of your chair” wondering what will happen next. Overall, I would highly recommend this book and you will not be disappointed 😊

Victoria

259 reviews

Rating: 4.25/5 ⭐

My first Deborah Garland book somehow managed to leave me entertained, frustrated, emotionally invested, and personally attacked by the ending. I'd call that a pretty successful introduction.

What stood out most wasn't the mafia politics or the action. It was the contrast between Lourdes and Ares.

Lourdes has spent years surviving rather than living, yet she never feels defeated. Everything she does is driven by protecting her disabled sister, and that quiet resilience hit me much harder than any dramatic scene could. She's one of those heroines who doesn't need to be loud to be incredibly strong, and I found myself rooting for her almost immediately.

Then there's Ares.

This man doesn't ease into feelings. He launches a full-scale hostile takeover of his own emotional stability.

I love an obsessed mafia hero. Give me the dangerous crime boss who falls first and falls hard. I'm absolutely the target audience for that. The only place the story and I occasionally disagreed was how quickly his obsession developed. I wanted a little more breathing room before everything escalated because I think it would have made the emotional payoff even stronger.

One of the things I kept thinking while reading was that protection and possession aren't always the same thing. Since Lourdes is already escaping a man who viewed her as property, I wanted that distinction between her past and her future to land with just a little more emotional weight.

That said... somewhere around the halfway point this book absolutely came alive.

The tension sharpened, the suspense kicked into another gear, the twists kept landing, and the found-family moments added exactly the heart I didn't realise I was missing. Suddenly I wasn't simply enjoying the book. I was fully invested, making deeply concerned facial expressions at my Kindle and refusing to put it down.

The ending deserves its own paragraph because... wow.

A plot twist and a cliffhanger teamed up like professional criminals, stole my emotional stability, and disappeared into the night. Deborah Garland, my emotional-support lawyer will be in touch.

I also really appreciated that Ares and Lourdes felt consistent with the characters readers have already met throughout the Quinlan Empire books. Nothing about them felt rewritten simply to fit the romance.

The only thing stopping this from becoming a full five-star read for me was wanting a little more emotional groundwork beneath Ares' obsession and one decision later in the story that felt slightly out of character for someone who's usually portrayed as several moves ahead of everyone else.

Overall, this was an addictive start to the American Mafia series. Dark, emotional, fast-paced, full of twists, found family, morally grey characters, and enough tension to keep me reading far later than I intended.

If possessive heroes, resilient heroines, "he falls first," forced proximity, fake marriage, and dangerous mafia worlds are your thing, I'd absolutely recommend adding this to your TBR.

Thank you so much to Deborah Garland and The Author Agency for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

arc-2026 read-2026

Emily Knaus

635 reviews7 followers

This book is enthralling from start to finish. Loved the explosive Greek mafia energy and the very spicy, slow‑burn pull that refuses to let go.

Lourdes has spent years learning how to survive without losing herself. She’s got this quiet strength, the kind that doesn’t need to announce itself. People underestimate her because she doesn’t waste energy proving anything. She endures. She adapts. She rises.

She’s 25, and she’s been rising alone for a long time, not just for herself, but for her younger sister, hidden away from the violence creeping closer every day. Lourdes has kept her safe through sheer will and careful silence. No one knows about the girl she’d burn the world to protect.

Ares Zervas (42) is a Greek mafia boss with a reputation carved in blood and strategy. They call him the God of War because he doesn’t just win, he devastates. He’s the kind of man who doesn’t need to threaten; his existence is the threat. And when he meets Lourdes, something in him shifts. Not gently. Not slowly. It’s impact, collision, inevitability.

He feels the pull immediately. Hard. Fast. Violent. But he refuses to call it love. He calls it obsession, responsibility, inevitability, anything that keeps him from admitting she’s the first thing in decades that’s made him feel alive.

And then the secrets begin to unravel.

There’s a war brewing in the Greek underworld, not rumor, not tension, but a full fracture ready to explode. Ares has been preparing for it, calculating every angle, every alliance, every betrayal. What he didn’t expect was Lourdes being tied to it.

Her husband isn’t just cruel. He’s connected. He’s holding information that could ignite the war or stop it. And the key to everything is a ledger that vanished years ago. Lourdes didn’t know she was connected to it, but she’s the missing piece.

Ares becomes OTT possessive, the kind of man who steps between her and danger before she even registers it. The kind who looks at her husband with cold, lethal certainty. When he uncovers the truth about what Lourdes has endured, he makes a decision with terrifying ease: her husband will be taken care of. Permanently. Cleanly. Quietly. Then she’ll marry him. Lourdes doesn’t want to be caged again, but she can’t fight her attraction to Ares.

“And that means, for better or worse, you own me too, little storm.”

You can feel the tension between them in her defiance, his devotion, the way she challenges him without fear, the way he protects her with a ferocity that borders on unhinged.

“Because my heart doesn’t beat the same when you’re not with me.”

Twists come fast and unexpectedly. Every revelation drags them deeper into each other’s orbit. Ares falls hard and fast, violently and irrevocably, but he refuses to name it. He calls it duty. He calls it inevitability. He calls it war.

Lourdes calls it what it is.

By the time the final secret detonates, she’s no longer just enduring, she’s choosing. And Ares “The God of War” finally surrenders, not to an enemy, but to her. It’s a wild, spicy, and emotional ride.

A huge thank you to Deborah Garland and The Author Agency for the early review!

Sónia Ferreira

7 reviews2 followers

ARC REVIEW

This was my first time reading a Deborah Garland book, and I must say, it did not disappoint!
What an incredible mafia romance! Mafia Obsession is the first book in the American Mafia Series, and tells us the story of Ares and Lourdes.

TROPES
- Greek Mafia
- Married Assistent
- Forced Marriage
- Age Gap
- Boy Obsessed
- He Falls First
- Blackmail
- Twists & Turns
- Secrets
- Found Family / HEA

Lourdes, 25, is trapped in a toxic and abusive relationship, doing everything possible to survive at the hands of her husband, saving money at any cost and waiting for the day she can take her disabled sister and run away from this nightmare.

Ares, 42, is the head of the Greek mafia in New York and the CEO of Zervas & Company. Ruthless, powerful, and unshakeable, he can have whatever and whomever he wants. The only problem is that the only woman he desires is married. However, he realizes that her husband handles her badly. He is rough, disrespectful, and very wrong. So he steps in…

In order to get closer to Lourdes and protect her, Ares buys the company where she works and makes her his personal assistant.

Lourdes sees this change as a quicker way to save money to escape, but as she spends more time with Ares, she begins to realize how he treats her. She never thought that powerful men like Ares could treat someone as if they were their most precious possession.

Suddenly, her husband ends up dead and she is in danger, as other dangerous men are now coming after her too.
The safest place for her is at his side, so Lourdes becomes Ares' wife. A marriage with benefits, since neither of them can find the strength to resist each other.

Despite his obsession, Ares only wanted to protect Lourdes, falling in love was not part of the plan. And Lourdes, despite the attraction she feels for Ares, she resists thinking that it could be anything more, because her goal is, and always has been, to escape with her sister, and she thinks Ares doesn't need her at all.

This book captivates us from beginning to end: the mystery surrounding why Lourdes is in danger, how Ares does everything to protect her, the attraction between them, Ares' obsession and possessiveness towards Lourdes, but also Lourdes' loyalty to her sister.
The way the author addresses Lourdes' resistance to her feelings for Ares, due to the traumas of her toxic relationship, and Ares, for thinking that love is a weakness in his world and could get him destroyed.

I really enjoyed the author's writing, and I loved the fact that, despite being a forced marriage, it's not the typical one we usually have in a mafia romance.
I'm very excited for the next book; Kirill's story is going to be quite something 😏

Dahlia’s Library

213 reviews6 followers

July 20, 2026

✨ARC REVIEW✨

⭐️ 4/5 🌶️ 3’5/4

To say I was eager to dive into Ares’ story would be an understatement. He caught my attention the moment he appeared in Brutal Collateral (Griffin and Ava’s story), and every appearance after that only made me more desperate to get inside the mind of the God of War.

If you’ve read the Quinlan Empire series, you already know Ares leaves an impression wherever he goes. His presence becomes even more compelling in Wicked Deception (Rhys and Fallon’s story), where Deborah continues to build him into the cold, calculating, and incredibly powerful man we’ve come to know.

And that’s exactly who he is in this book. Or at least that’s who it is for the most part.

Lourdes has a heartbreaking story of her own. Trapped in an abusive marriage while carrying the weight of a mission that always comes first, she was a heroine I couldn’t help but root for. I loved that both Ares and Lourdes stayed true to the people we’d already met in previous books. Their personalities never felt forced or rewritten to fit the romance.

The only reason this isn’t a five-star read for me is one particular plot point. I simply couldn’t believe Ares would be naïve enough to think Kirril wouldn’t come after something he considered his. For a man who has always been portrayed as several steps ahead of everyone else, that decision felt out of character and briefly pulled me out of the story. Considering everything we’ve seen from him since he handed his own sister over to Griffin Quinlan without a second thought, I expected him to anticipate that move.

Aside from that, I genuinely loved this book. The characters, the chemistry, and the journey were everything I had hoped for, which is why it hurts to give it four instead of five stars.

Thank you so much to the author & The Author Agency for the opportunity to read it. I already can’t wait for Kirril and Sandrine’s story!

Shannon Shafer-Gordon

96 reviews4 followers

This book was truly awesome. I had to ponder after reading it and books that make you think are always a good thing.

Ares is a phenomenal specimen. Strong, efficient, meticulous and lethal. The perfect combination❤️‍🔥Determined to make Lourdes his the second he lays eyes on her, he will stop at nothing to achieve his goal. When he finds out she’s in a situation that’s far over her head and she really doesn’t even have a clue, her safety becomes the center of his world. As his feelings evolve in a way they never have before, he’s finding himself in a place he doesn’t know how to navigate. He’s absolutely ruthless in his path however and will even surprise himself at the risks he’s willing to take.

Lourdes is in a terrible relationship and through no fault of her own. She’s been lied to, manipulated and abused. She has her own personal mission and she’s doing her best to survive to escape. When she meets Ares, everything changes. He turns her world upside down in ways that are very good for her and some that leave her gasping for fresh air.

This book grabbed me right from the start and was so easy to read. I flew through it and loved it all. I had some emotional roller coaster moments and even was super confused at one point but I absolutely adored this book! It comes out July 24th, so be ready to grab it!!

readbyyes

211 reviews10 followers

July 25, 2026

TROPES
✨Greek Mafia Boss ✨Married Assistant ✨Forced Marriage ✨Age Gap (42/25) ✨Surprise Pregnancy

I devoured this book! It hooked me from the very first page.

Ares doesn’t do relationships. As the head of the Greek mafia, he’s ruthless and feared by everyone. But the moment he sees Lourdes, he’s immediately attracted to her. There’s just one problem… she’s married.

Lourdes is desperate to escape her abusive husband and has been secretly saving money so she can leave with her disabled sister.

I really enjoyed Lourdes’s character. She was incredibly strong, caring, and willing to do anything to protect the people she loves.

Ares is fiercely possessive of Lourdes and offers to help her. He’s a powerful man with a ruthless reputation, but when it comes to her, another side of him starts to show. This book had the perfect amount of angst and spice.

The groveling was satisfying, but I do wish there had been a little more. Lourdes definitely deserved it.

Thank you @deborahgarlandauthor & @hambright_pr for the gifted ARC!

Tara Malta

273 reviews15 followers

Ok Ares, I see you 🤩

This book started off really strong and had a lot of things going for it! Ares is the typical mafia god who knows what he wants and will do anything to get it. Literally. I really like Lourdes at the beginning and was rooting for her.

The middle started to turn a little for me and I thought there were multiple story lines going and some just ended or were rushed along. Lourdes also became a little too much or a pushover and needy for me. I wanted her to have more of a backbone and not let Ares walk all over her as much. I also feel like she forgave him too easily. Multiple times. I needed him to have to grovel more. Because, let's face it...he was a huge dick!

The ending set up a good intro into the next book in this series and it sounds really good!

Thank you to Deborah and Hambright PR for the early e-copy to read and review!

Emmy Wong

585 reviews22 followers

July 10, 2026

Mafia romance is one of my favourite genres and I read a whole lot of it, so I would believe my standards are a little higher. I enjoyed this becuase I’m a sucker for the mmc seeing the fmc for the first time and then immediately stalking her and finding ways to get her for himself. The whole secretary thing and Ares “manipulating” her into getting close to him was well done. And then they have this sort of marriage of convenience thing to save Lourdes sister which was also interesting, and I definitely loved the twist about Sandrine. My only complaint was that Ares denying his love for Lourdes was dragged on way too long, and I would have preferred a different type of “plot twist” as opposed to their third act breakup. Ares did piss me off sometimes because Lourdes was trying so hard to make the relationship work but he was just being a stubborn asshole. Do I still love him? Yes, he’s hot, morally grey, and will do absolutely anything for her (except admit that he loves her), and literally killed her abuse ex husband for her so he’s all good in my books. The grovelling did help, so if you love some grovelling you’ll love this book. As mu ch as I loved Ares, Lourdes stole the show for me with her loyalty, determination and fierce personality. You won’t find a doormat fmc here! This book was enjoyable and I did cry at the end (but I was in my period so it could have just been that), however it didn’t stand out to me that much amount all the mafia romances I’ve read. I give it a 3.5/5

The Good Girl Review

74 reviews5 followers

July 27, 2026

✨ARC Review✨
♥️Mafia Obsession by Deborah Garland
🛥️American Mafia : Book 1
🦋Lourdes + Ares

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you Deborah Garland and Hambright PR for the ARC of Mafia Obsession. We have been dying to read a mafia book, there is just something about a mafia romance that just hits different. We have been seeing recs everywhere for Deborah Garland, so when we saw the opportunity to read the first book in her new American Mafia series we jumped at the chance. This book is a standalone but it is interconnected, and now we are dying to go dive in to the rest of her mafia world. And the ending…we are on the edge of our seats ready for answers. We are absolutely hooked. Who doesn’t love an obsessed mafia boss who will do anything to get the girl. But she’s a strong woman who is also willing to do what she needs to protect herself and her family. This was just the beginning of a series we know is going to keep us on our toes and ready for what’s next.

Shannai

710 reviews44 followers

4 ⭐️

Thank you kindly to The Author Agency and Deborah Garland for the e-ARC of Mafia Obsession in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are entirely my own. I'd also like to thank Deborah for graciously sending me a finished copy of Mafia Obsession, to add to my mafia romance shrine shelf.

I think Ares may be up there with the most obsessed mmc everrr because he was nuts lmao!! I was also surprised at how long it took for Ares to eliminate Lourdes's abusive husband, but totally understand how he couldn't without facing further consequences and creating issues. Nonetheless, wow, this was an unhinged read and I had an absolute blast with it.

Ares is a man who gets what he wants, and when he sets his sights on Lourdes, he wants her, and will do anything to get and keep her. He orchestrates for Lourdes to be his personal assistant and things went from zero to a hundred. Both were mutually pining after each other (although, Ares wasn't covert about how he felt about Lourdes).

I'm so curious about Lourdes's sister and Kirill's story; I love an age gap, bratva romance, and it's also featuring the amnesia trope, ahh it's gonna be so, so good!!

age-gap arcs cheating

Michellelovesreading

1,730 reviews192 followers

Rachel’s Coffee & Rain Reads

I loved ares book so much. I’m excited for the next one. I cannot wait.

Stars:⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spice:🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

386 reviews10 followers

July 31, 2026

Torn between 2 and 3 on this one but the fact I speed skimmed the entire middle and didn’t really care for either MC made it a 2. It’s worst crime? The manufactured tantrum the MMC had at 85% leading to an angsty third act break up. Firstly, I really despise a 3rd act breakup but if done well and it makes me feel something, I can get past it. But the grovel has to be good and the reasoning sound. This wasn’t.

Ares spends the entire book keeping himself emotionally distant from Lourdes. Despite her and all of us (and everyone in his world) knowing how he really feels. The whole “my daddy said love is a weakness” trope is so overdone and ridiculous in mafia books I instantly roll my eyes. You rule the entire Greek mafia all over the world and you don’t have enough emotional intelligence to see your dad was an assh0le?

Emotionally constipated MMCs are another pet peeve of mine but again, if done well with decent reasons and a good growth arc, I can support it. And again, this wasn’t. Ares inner dialogue in the early days of becoming obsessed with Lourdes gave me the ick. His manipulation to get her working for him and ultimately to trust and fall for him, made him come off as more of an arrogant prick than anything else.

His sudden fear he was feeling too much for her, 2 weeks after their long awaited forced marriage, felt shallow and perfunctory. Him moving into another apartment, telling her indifferently that he doesn’t love her, never has, and needs emotional distance, was such an a$$hole move my mouth fell open. To Lourdes’ credit, she doesn’t beg or cry or try and get him back. She basically calls him a coward and tells him to leave. Good for her. It was the only thing in this whole plot point I appreciated.

We immediately skip ahead a month. The time jump was both a nice reprieve from the angst but also deadened the emotional impact of the separation a bit. Of course, Ares is spiraling and miserable, finally realizing he does in fact love his wife and he messed up by denying it. Lourdes is moving on, albeit with a broken heart. I was glad for that too. She doesn’t pine or really wait for him, but moves her original plan forward.

The grovel was just ok. I’ve seen much worse but this deserved better. Yes he “works for it” for a couple months, but really that’s just them sort of dating and getting to know each other. The actual “show up and apologize” was like 1 page, and Lourdes of course sees something different in his gaze, feels a rightness when he realizes she’s pregnant, and decides to forgive and move forward almost immediately. I really wanted her to keep him on ice a while longer, but we do get some actual wooing and he proves he’s going to show up for her.

In short, this didn’t work for me. Was not invested and skimmed most of it, saving myself 250 pages of angst and emotional seesaw with an emotionally constipated MMC. The next book does intrigue me, but I’m not sure this author’s writing is my style, and I don’t love the memory loss trope so 🤷🏼‍♀️.

Akku

754 reviews24 followers

• 𝐑𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 - 5✨

• 𝐑𝐞𝐥𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐞 𝐃𝐚𝐭𝐞 - July 24, 2026

• 𝐓𝐫𝐨𝐩𝐞𝐬 -
- Greek Mafia
- Obsessed Hero
- He Falls First
- Boss × Assistant
- Protective Alpha Hero
- Forced Proximity
- Age Gap (42/25)
- Touch Her & Die
- Abusive Marriage Escape
- Emotional Healing
- Slow Burn with Spice

• 𝐌𝐲 𝐓𝐡𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡𝐭𝐬 -
Lourdes has spent years surviving an abusive marriage while secretly trying to save enough money to protect her sister. Everything changes when Ares Zervas, the feared head of the Greek Mafia, notices her. What begins as an obsession slowly turns into unwavering love as Ares refuses to let anyone hurt her again. Together they face danger, family secrets, and powerful enemies that threaten to tear them apart.
There is something so satisfying about watching a ruthless mafia king fall completely and unapologetically for one woman. Ares had me smiling every time his protective side came out. He was powerful, possessive, and intimidating, but with Lourdes he showed patience, loyalty, and a softness that made me love him even more.
Lourdes was such an easy heroine to root for. After everything she endured, seeing her slowly regain her confidence and finally choose herself felt incredibly rewarding. Her journey added so much emotion to the story and made every happy moment feel well deserved.
The romance was filled with tension, longing, and beautiful emotional moments, while the mafia storyline kept the stakes high from beginning to end. The balance between danger, romance, and suspense was done so well that every chapter left me wanting more.
The ending was absolutely unforgettable. It wrapped up one journey while opening the door to an even bigger one, and now I cannot wait to continue this series.
So excited for Sandrine & Kirill Volkov book - Bratva and Betrayal 😭
Thank you the author agency for the ARC!

Lara Loves Lit

281 reviews70 followers

“We are bred from Gods. That means no man gets to decide where your consent ends.”

I am definitely in my mafia romance era, so I was so excited to read this first book in the new series, American Mafia by Deborah Garland. With a well developed plot, memorable characters and a story filled with danger, spice and romance, this mafia read is the full package. I’m hooked and can’t wait for the next book in this series!

✍🏻 My Synopsis:
Lourdes is planning on leaving her abusive, cheating husband as soon as she can get enough money put away to move her disabled sister to a better facility out of town. Just as she thinks she’s getting close, the business she’s been working for is taken over, and it appears she’s losing her job until the new owner, Ares, offers her a job as his assistant. Ares becomes obsessed with his married assistant and will do anything to get what he wants—even if his new obsession doesn’t want to be owned by him and has an escape plan in place.

💭My Thoughts:
Lourdes is not your typical mafia book FMC— she’s strong, independent, loyal and doesn’t want to be owned like a possession. I love the way she continually puts Ares in his place even though he’s the powerful head of the mafia. Ares, although obsessed, does his best to try not to steal her agency and takes consent seriously even as he does whatever it takes to keep her safe. Add to that, his talents in the bedroom, and this man had me swooning for him and landing in my top mafia book boyfriend list.

If you love a mafia read with an obsessed, Greek mafia boss who falls first and hard for a woman who’s not making it easy on him, then this age gap romance needs to be next on your list!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫
🌶️🌶️🌶️

Sierra

312 reviews14 followers

✨Arc Review✨

Mafia Obsession
Available 07.24

🔥Greek Matia Boss
🔥Married Assistant
🔥Forced Marriage
🔥Age Gap (42/25)
🔥Man Obsessed
🔥He Falls First
🔥Blackmail
🔥Twists & Turns
🔥Secrets
🔥Surprise Pregnancy
🔥Found Family/HEA

My first Deborah Garland book and OH... I get the hype now.

This had me hooked from page one. The tropes were already screaming my name, but it was the writing that sold me. Everything moved at the perfect pace, descriptive enough to pull me in without ever feeling like it was dragging.

Ares manipulating Lourdes into becoming his assistant? Delicious. The marriage of convenience to protect her sister? Even better. And that ending? I definitely didn't see that coming.

Now, Ares... sir. We all knew you were hopelessly in love before you did. 😩 The whole "I don't love her" act went on a little longer than I wanted, and while I personally could've done without the third-act breakup (they're just not my favorite), it didn't stop me from devouring this book.

What I really loved was Lourdes. She's no doormat. She knows exactly what she's worth, refuses to accept less, and never lets Ares intimidate her—even with all his power and possessive tendencies. She challenged him constantly, and I loved that she made him work for every inch of her trust.

And the suspense?? Every time I thought I had the mystery figured out, another twist hit me. Between the mafia drama, secrets, danger, and betrayals, I never got bored. Underneath all the mafia fun there was trust, found family, and finally finding someone who sees your worth which kept me entertained.

Overall, this was addictive, emotional, spicy, and impossible to put down. If you love possessive alpha heroes, strong heroines who don't take their nonsense, fake marriages, forced proximity, high-stakes mafia drama, and enough tension to make you want to scream JUST KISS ALREADY, you need this on your TBR you won’t regret it!

Briana

245 reviews12 followers

July 28, 2026

4.5 ⭐️
3.5 🌶️

🌟ARC Read🌟

We first met Ares Zervas in the previous series. He’s Ava’s brother from Brutal Collateral, so I was excited to finally get his story.

Ares is at the Russians’ club waiting to meet with Kirill when he spots Lourdes. He’s instantly captivated by her, and the way he gets her attention is absolutely diabolical. 😂 From that moment on, he knows he has to have her. Then he finds out she’s married.

Unfortunately, the man she’s married to is an absolute piece of garbage, and she’s trapped in a horrible marriage. I was genuinely surprised by one of the major twists because I did not see it coming.

I will never get tired of an obsessed mafia man, and Ares definitely delivered. Once he sets his sights on Lourdes, nothing is going to stop him. He’ll do whatever it takes to make her his, even if that means eventually making her his wife.

The only problem? This man is so emotionally constipated that it takes him far too long to realize he’s actually in love with her. I wanted to smack some sense into him more than once. 😂 Thankfully, he finally gets it together, and the grovel was exactly what I wanted. Lourdes absolutely makes him earn his forgiveness, and I loved that she didn’t make it easy on him.

I’m really looking forward to the next book. I don’t want to spoil too much because there are some surprises that are better experienced going in blind.

Spicy Chapters 🔥
13
29
30
32
42
45
46
52
54
66

arc

Greedy A Reader

7 reviews

Ruthless Greek mafia boss possessive, but also a hero.
He’s the boss or so he thinks this book has trigger warnings. Please read them.
This book deals with domestic violence by the FMC’s husband.
This is a steamy romance with an intriguing storyline. It’s the first book and the American mafia series by Deborah Garland..
Lourdes tries to escape the life that she was forced to live in order to protect the ones that she loves
She works for mafia boss, Ares Zervas who controls a dangerous Greek mafia
There’s going to be blackmail, secrets, and unfortunately betrayal
We last met Aries in the book wicked deception when he made a choice to help Lourdes
This book will take you on a ride of intrigue ,love ,possessiveness. But it will be well with.
This book also introduces his characters who will continue throughout the American mafia series
Once again, Deborah Garland gives us something to look forward to with a new series
I highly anticipate book 2. In the American mafia series.

Jacklyn B

1,559 reviews53 followers

Alexandra (alilromanceandthriller)

I have been a fan of the author’s mafia books for years and was so excited for the start of this new series! If you read the Quinlan Empire series the name Ares might just look familiar 👀 and YES he is just as unhinged as you think!!

Ares and Lourdes have amazing chemistry and the tension between them is so good. He is completely obsessed with her and a walking red flag in every way. She is tough and smart and has endured some terrible things. My heart broke for her and what she went through - she was fierce and always protecting her sister.

No spoilers here, but it’s not smooth sailing for these two - yes mistakes are made but I do love a good grovel!

I thought this was a great start to the new series!!

✨ What To Expect:
🖤 Dark Romance
🙍🏻‍♂️ Greek Mafia Boss 💍 Married Assistant 💒 Forced Marriage 🚫 Age Gap (42/25) 🔥 He Falls First 🤰🏼 Surprise Pregnancy
❤️‍🔥 Man Obsessed
💋 Badass FMC
🌪️Twists & Turns
🥀 Blackmail
👀 Secrets
💕 Found Family

The Book Ssirren

5,999 reviews153 followers

July 28, 2026

This wasn’t just a mafia obsession. This became my obsession too. Ares was an incredible character. He was full on male alpha. Dominant and possessive, commanding and more. And he wanted Lourdes. He didn’t care that she was married. All he cared about was that he wanted her. He saw the way her husband treated her. He wasn’t deserving. But don’t mistake Lourdes for being weak. She was anything but. She put up with it because she was hiding a secret and biding her time. She had a disabled sister and promised her father she’d take care of her. Lourdes was fierce and calculating. Put her and Ares together, you’ve got an explosion. I devoured this. The chaos and danger. The heat and spice. This was perfection. Toss this in your TBR.

Jesmin Nawaz

1,273 reviews14 followers

July 31, 2026

Surprisingly, this book didn't do it for me like most of Deborah's books do. It's in the same world of books I love but I found the chemistry between the MMC and FMC slightly lacking. More so from the FMC's side.

On their own, Ares and Lourdes were both great. Together, for me, not so much. This kind of cheating doesn't bother me. Lourdes' husband was an asshole using her and literally selling her off. She stayed for her sister, which I get. For someone so scared of not being able to save her sister, I was surprised at how quickly she was ok with being with Ares. Didn't she think about what would happen to her sister? Obviously Ares wouldn't let anything happen to her. I will say, the spice was good - which is always consistent with the author and I'm not complaining.

Decent read but I've read better from the author. Hopefully the next book will be better.

07-26

241 reviews20 followers

July 25, 2026

Weak.

God, just because you write morally Grey men does not mean you have to make the women weak and easily forgiving. I am so over mafia romances where that fmcs just give in at the first mediocre apology. I liked Ares, he was very predictable for a Mafia MMC, Lourdes was just a pushover FMC and it made it hard to root for their romance in the end.

Sally

1,201 reviews36 followers