What do you think?
Messages from the Mafia Boss
I shouldn't have pretended to be a hitman, and now the mafia boss is obsessed.
My brother made me join a super anonymous messaging service, and when I teased him about being a spy or in the mob, I thought it was a joke. I even changed my profile pic to a skull, and my name to Bunny the Killer.
Then I get added to a mafia group chat, with my brother and tattooed men in suits.
The Kingpin messages me privately. He wants to know who I am.
I can't put my brother in danger by revealing his mistake, so I play along.
But the mafia boss isn’t convinced. He says he’s going to track me down, and make me pay.
I ghost him.
And I think that’s the end.
Until the gifts begin to arrive.
Messages from the mafia boss is a spicy and hilarious age gap romcom novella with a possessive and obsessed kingpin and his innocent girl.
Part of the Letters in Love series.
My brother made me join a super anonymous messaging service, and when I teased him about being a spy or in the mob, I thought it was a joke. I even changed my profile pic to a skull, and my name to Bunny the Killer.
Then I get added to a mafia group chat, with my brother and tattooed men in suits.
The Kingpin messages me privately. He wants to know who I am.
I can't put my brother in danger by revealing his mistake, so I play along.
But the mafia boss isn’t convinced. He says he’s going to track me down, and make me pay.
I ghost him.
And I think that’s the end.
Until the gifts begin to arrive.
Messages from the mafia boss is a spicy and hilarious age gap romcom novella with a possessive and obsessed kingpin and his innocent girl.
Part of the Letters in Love series.
150 pages, Paperback
Published April 17, 2026
About the author
Evie Rose
40 books671 followersIf you stop at sane, you miss all the best stuff.
Evie Rose writes gleefully improbable instalove short mafia-lite romances, with heroes who are all-in obsessed for their heroines.
You’ll find all her books packed with age gap, tons of spice, virgin heroines, praise, good girl, breeding kink, forced proximity, pining, possessive and protective alpha kingpin heroes, and swoony romantic bits.
Evie Rose writes gleefully improbable instalove short mafia-lite romances, with heroes who are all-in obsessed for their heroines.
You’ll find all her books packed with age gap, tons of spice, virgin heroines, praise, good girl, breeding kink, forced proximity, pining, possessive and protective alpha kingpin heroes, and swoony romantic bits.
Ratings & Reviews
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 554 reviews
July 8, 2026
Thank you to NetGalley & Evie Rose for this ALC in exchange for an honest review.
dnf @ 57%
loved the premise, loathed the execution. the instalove btwn mafia boss shane and fake assassin bunny killer was shallow and unoriginal. for a mafia boss blake acted pretty stupidly throughout the book. their sexy facetiming and jokes felt very preschool. sorry for the brutal rage review evie rose, i still love you 🌹
preread 💋
u don't even know how sat i am for this ☺️☺️🔪
dnf @ 57%
loved the premise, loathed the execution. the instalove btwn mafia boss shane and fake assassin bunny killer was shallow and unoriginal. for a mafia boss blake acted pretty stupidly throughout the book. their sexy facetiming and jokes felt very preschool. sorry for the brutal rage review evie rose, i still love you 🌹
preread 💋
u don't even know how sat i am for this ☺️☺️🔪
July 7, 2026
3.5 🌟
"What happend to; Hello, my name is..."
This was short, spicy and gave me the giggles. I do love an authoritative man. And a mafia boss will be just that. The banter was great!
This story starts of hard and heavy, and is here to deliver on the spice. It was a funn story but I do struggle with the intensity of it. Because it is a novella, it will be shot. I get that! I just like a bit more background and introduction. I like to feel a connection with the characters and with short story's that is just difficult to achieve.
🎧 This was an audio duet, and girl Shane East voice was hot. A bit cringe at times, but I was totally invested.
Thank you so much Netgalley and RBMEDIA for this ARC!! ❤️
"What happend to; Hello, my name is..."
This was short, spicy and gave me the giggles. I do love an authoritative man. And a mafia boss will be just that. The banter was great!
This story starts of hard and heavy, and is here to deliver on the spice. It was a funn story but I do struggle with the intensity of it. Because it is a novella, it will be shot. I get that! I just like a bit more background and introduction. I like to feel a connection with the characters and with short story's that is just difficult to achieve.
🎧 This was an audio duet, and girl Shane East voice was hot. A bit cringe at times, but I was totally invested.
Thank you so much Netgalley and RBMEDIA for this ARC!! ❤️
June 25, 2026
| ALC REVIEW | ★ 3 stars ★
This was a cute, spicy and very fast-paced novella containing an age-gap romance, smile-inducing banter, and a lot of steamy talk, which can easily be listened to in one sitting.
In true spicy novella fashion, we really hit the ground running with the spice. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a lover of the insta-love trope, but in all fairness I feel that it does work pretty well for novellas. (I actually think novellas are the ONLY place this trope belongs).
Yes, this book was incredibly unrealistic, often cheesy/cringey, and the plot was pretty much just smut, but it was still an enjoyable story. I liked the humour throughout the book, and I enjoyed the playful banter between the characters.
And hey, sometimes ya just fancy some easy-reading mafia romance, right?
The duet narration is what really made this book as entertaining as it was for me. The voice actors Shane East and Evelyn Rose really brought Nina and Blake to life with their expressions and enthusiasm. However, I didn't like the voices they used for the couple's children in the epilogue. It made me kind of uncomfortable, but because it was only during the epilogue it didn't affect my rating too much. I will definitely look out for more books narrated by this pair, and will no doubt also pick up another Evie Rose novella in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, Evie Rose, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for gifting this audiobook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
This was a cute, spicy and very fast-paced novella containing an age-gap romance, smile-inducing banter, and a lot of steamy talk, which can easily be listened to in one sitting.
In true spicy novella fashion, we really hit the ground running with the spice. As I've mentioned before, I'm not a lover of the insta-love trope, but in all fairness I feel that it does work pretty well for novellas. (I actually think novellas are the ONLY place this trope belongs).
Yes, this book was incredibly unrealistic, often cheesy/cringey, and the plot was pretty much just smut, but it was still an enjoyable story. I liked the humour throughout the book, and I enjoyed the playful banter between the characters.
And hey, sometimes ya just fancy some easy-reading mafia romance, right?
The duet narration is what really made this book as entertaining as it was for me. The voice actors Shane East and Evelyn Rose really brought Nina and Blake to life with their expressions and enthusiasm. However, I didn't like the voices they used for the couple's children in the epilogue. It made me kind of uncomfortable, but because it was only during the epilogue it didn't affect my rating too much. I will definitely look out for more books narrated by this pair, and will no doubt also pick up another Evie Rose novella in the future.
Thank you to NetGalley, Evie Rose, and Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for gifting this audiobook in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. All opinions are my own.
August 29, 2026
4 ⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing and Evie Rose for the ALC! All opinions are my own.
Once again Evie Rose delivers a silly goofy time in this short novella. What are you supposed to do when your brother adds you to a random group chat filled with people you don’t know who begin talking about putting out a hit on someone? Oh right, you pretend that you’re a contract killer, code named Bunny!
This is a very fast paced mafia romance where the MMC is absolutely obsessed with the FMC and will do whatever it takes to keep her in his life.
✨Virgin fmc
✨Age gap
✨Mafia
✨Brothers boss
✨Mistaken identity
✨Instalove
✨Obsessive MMC
✨Touch her and die vibes
✨Praise and breeding kinks
✨Duet narration
Thank you to NetGalley, Victory Editing and Evie Rose for the ALC! All opinions are my own.
Once again Evie Rose delivers a silly goofy time in this short novella. What are you supposed to do when your brother adds you to a random group chat filled with people you don’t know who begin talking about putting out a hit on someone? Oh right, you pretend that you’re a contract killer, code named Bunny!
This is a very fast paced mafia romance where the MMC is absolutely obsessed with the FMC and will do whatever it takes to keep her in his life.
✨Virgin fmc
✨Age gap
✨Mafia
✨Brothers boss
✨Mistaken identity
✨Instalove
✨Obsessive MMC
✨Touch her and die vibes
✨Praise and breeding kinks
✨Duet narration
June 28, 2026
Oh well, if you know me, then you also know that Shane East is basically my kryptonite when it comes to audiobook narrators.
I'm convinced the man could narrate a newspaper, an IKEA catalog, or the back of a cereal box and I'd still happily listen.
So yes... I was already sold before I even pressed play.
As for the story itself, this is a quick, fun audiobook at around three hours long, and it knows exactly what it wants to be.
Our heroine accidentally ends up (by accident) in a mafia group chat after pretending to be a hitman (because obviously that's a perfectly reasonable life choice). Before long, the mafia boss starts messaging her privately, determined to figure out who this mysterious "Bunny the Killer" really is.
From there, the chaos only escalates.
We get hilarious banter, an age-gap romance (20s/40s), mafia shenanigans, possessive hero energy, dirty talk, plenty of spice, kidnapping and even a little breeding kink thrown into the mix.
In other words...
It's all there.
And I was absolutely here for it.
This isn't trying to be a dark, realistic mafia romance. It's over-the-top, playful, spicy, and completely aware of the kind of fun it's delivering.
Shane East and Evelyn Rose were both fantastic, but let's be honest... Shane East could probably convince me to listen to just about anything.
If you're looking for a short, spicy, humorous mafia romance that doesn't take itself too seriously, this one is definitely worth a listen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC.
https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...
I'm convinced the man could narrate a newspaper, an IKEA catalog, or the back of a cereal box and I'd still happily listen.
So yes... I was already sold before I even pressed play.
As for the story itself, this is a quick, fun audiobook at around three hours long, and it knows exactly what it wants to be.
Our heroine accidentally ends up (by accident) in a mafia group chat after pretending to be a hitman (because obviously that's a perfectly reasonable life choice). Before long, the mafia boss starts messaging her privately, determined to figure out who this mysterious "Bunny the Killer" really is.
From there, the chaos only escalates.
We get hilarious banter, an age-gap romance (20s/40s), mafia shenanigans, possessive hero energy, dirty talk, plenty of spice, kidnapping and even a little breeding kink thrown into the mix.
In other words...
It's all there.
And I was absolutely here for it.
This isn't trying to be a dark, realistic mafia romance. It's over-the-top, playful, spicy, and completely aware of the kind of fun it's delivering.
Shane East and Evelyn Rose were both fantastic, but let's be honest... Shane East could probably convince me to listen to just about anything.
If you're looking for a short, spicy, humorous mafia romance that doesn't take itself too seriously, this one is definitely worth a listen.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC.
https://turnthepagewithana.blogspot.c...
April 24, 2026
Nina A.K.A: “Bunny The Killer” is just too adorable, love that Blake (The Mafia Boss) immediately called her out for her “Fictional murders” 😂😂
Even after 8 chapters I’m smiling when I’m not lol or snort-laughing at their banter-flirting ❤️
💋Funny 💋Cute 💋& Naughty❣️
💚Loved It💚
She’s definitely entertaining
💀“I am to being cool what polar bears are to the tropical rainforest—hopelessly out of place.”
☠️“Uhhgghh.” The gurgling sound I make is because this conversation pulled a plug from my pussy and my brain drained out
⭐️This was the best one “I have all the experience of sex of a nun from 1487” 🤣🤣🤣
Blake’s pretty funny too:
🪦“Death’s Apprentice” (alternate title, as she doesn’t like be called an “ASS ASS IN”😆
🤎💙💚💛 “You’re my love.”💛💚💙🤎
Even after 8 chapters I’m smiling when I’m not lol or snort-laughing at their banter-flirting ❤️
💋Funny 💋Cute 💋& Naughty❣️
💚Loved It💚
She’s definitely entertaining
💀“I am to being cool what polar bears are to the tropical rainforest—hopelessly out of place.”
☠️“Uhhgghh.” The gurgling sound I make is because this conversation pulled a plug from my pussy and my brain drained out
⭐️This was the best one “I have all the experience of sex of a nun from 1487” 🤣🤣🤣
Blake’s pretty funny too:
🪦“Death’s Apprentice” (alternate title, as she doesn’t like be called an “ASS ASS IN”😆
🤎💙💚💛 “You’re my love.”💛💚💙🤎
July 8, 2026
3.5/5! Thank you to Netgalley and Victory Editing!
A short, sweet and spicy novella! Although, it is MOSTLY spice and minimal plot lol.
I enjoyed our characters, our FMC was the innocent type and we got our big bad mafia boss MMC! The relationship was fast built but I love how it ended!!
This was so cute and is a nice break from other big books I read! The narrators were also great! I loved our FMC!! She was perfect! I actually would like a full novel of these two! I'll need to look into more by this author! I also loved the kidnapping scene 👀👀🥰 I wish we got more of the brother (maybe freaking out more??) when he found out!
A short, sweet and spicy novella! Although, it is MOSTLY spice and minimal plot lol.
I enjoyed our characters, our FMC was the innocent type and we got our big bad mafia boss MMC! The relationship was fast built but I love how it ended!!
This was so cute and is a nice break from other big books I read! The narrators were also great! I loved our FMC!! She was perfect! I actually would like a full novel of these two! I'll need to look into more by this author! I also loved the kidnapping scene 👀👀🥰 I wish we got more of the brother (maybe freaking out more??) when he found out!
June 30, 2026
thank you to netgalley and victory editing for providing me with the ALC of this book for a voluntary and honest review!
2.75/5
Evie Rose delivers a funny, spicy mafia romance novella yet again! if you ever need a quick read that will give you a bit of a giggle then shes the perfect author to jump onto an read. I've had the pleasure of listening to a few of the audiobooks from this novella series over the past few months and each time the narrators have been super expressive, easy to listen to and had copious amounts of chemistry and this novella was no different!
i will say, towards the end of the book there was a pretty significant chunk of breeding kink talk which personally isnt something i enjoy (and wasn't listed alongside some of the other tropes/cw's so i was kinda blindsided by it) so it reduced my rating a decent bit in the moment - i could potentially come back at a later date and up my rating a little?
2.75/5
Evie Rose delivers a funny, spicy mafia romance novella yet again! if you ever need a quick read that will give you a bit of a giggle then shes the perfect author to jump onto an read. I've had the pleasure of listening to a few of the audiobooks from this novella series over the past few months and each time the narrators have been super expressive, easy to listen to and had copious amounts of chemistry and this novella was no different!
i will say, towards the end of the book there was a pretty significant chunk of breeding kink talk which personally isnt something i enjoy (and wasn't listed alongside some of the other tropes/cw's so i was kinda blindsided by it) so it reduced my rating a decent bit in the moment - i could potentially come back at a later date and up my rating a little?
August 31, 2026
A steamy romcom that brought me out of my months-long slump!
Nina gets added by accident to a mafia group chat by her brother. She jokingly names herself BunnyTheKiller, and the mafia boss Blake is intrigued. He makes it his mission to contact her one-on-one, which made him fall for her, so then he tracks her down.
They’re a hilarious combo together! She’s spunky, he’s aggressive, but neither are overbearing. She’s terrified for her brother to be in trouble for mistakenly adding her to the group chat, so she tries to get him to stop contacting her… which only makes him send presents and they end up having spicy video calls.
And when they finally get together? Pure FIRE.
I’m a HUGE fan of Evie Rose, and this is yet another fabulous addition to her novels. 10/10!
Safety & Spoilers:
Virgin/celibate: virgin h, no past on H
OM/OW: none
Kinks: rough sex, sex toys, bdsm (handcuffs!), hand necklace, bit of anal in epilogue
Triggers: none really
HEA? yes!
My bookshelves may contain spoilers. 🖤
Nina gets added by accident to a mafia group chat by her brother. She jokingly names herself BunnyTheKiller, and the mafia boss Blake is intrigued. He makes it his mission to contact her one-on-one, which made him fall for her, so then he tracks her down.
They’re a hilarious combo together! She’s spunky, he’s aggressive, but neither are overbearing. She’s terrified for her brother to be in trouble for mistakenly adding her to the group chat, so she tries to get him to stop contacting her… which only makes him send presents and they end up having spicy video calls.
And when they finally get together? Pure FIRE.
I’m a HUGE fan of Evie Rose, and this is yet another fabulous addition to her novels. 10/10!
Safety & Spoilers:
Virgin/celibate: virgin h, no past on H
OM/OW: none
Kinks: rough sex, sex toys, bdsm (handcuffs!), hand necklace, bit of anal in epilogue
Triggers: none really
HEA? yes!
My bookshelves may contain spoilers. 🖤
April 22, 2026
Nina think her brother added her to a group chat and her display name is killerbunny him thinking it isnt her. The chat is of hitman/assassins who work for his boss. Blake knows this person should not be in the chat and trying to get info. The more he texts Nina the more he is interested. There talks are funny and Nina tries to keep her brother safe by faking it. Little did she know Blake knows she's to innocent.
Lots of back and forth and phone sex and flirting between the 2 and once Blake finds out who she is he's still all in and wanting to bring his bunny home for good.
No ow/om drama, no cheating, tiny drama, sexy times, virgin gal no manwhore
Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶
Slowinsta
Age gap
Praise kink
Food porn
Masturbation
Phone sex
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
Lots of back and forth and phone sex and flirting between the 2 and once Blake finds out who she is he's still all in and wanting to bring his bunny home for good.
No ow/om drama, no cheating, tiny drama, sexy times, virgin gal no manwhore
Recommend-maybe
Cover-⭐️⭐️⭐️
Heat level-🌶🌶
Slowinsta
Age gap
Praise kink
Food porn
Masturbation
Phone sex
No condom
Hea
Epilogue
June 27, 2026
4.25/5
Messages from the Mafia Boss is a a fast-paced, entertaining and funny story featuring Nina (Bunny Killer) who ends up signing up for a messaging system used mostly by mafia members. While in the messaging system she starts a conversation with Blake (the boss); Blake is under the impression that Nina (Bunny Killer) is a hired assassin. These chats eventually turn into steamy chats involving gift he sends her.
The story was so entertaining, that it can be read/listened in one sitting. The narrators chosen for this audiobook did a fantastic job portraying the characters in this story.
Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
Messages from the Mafia Boss is a a fast-paced, entertaining and funny story featuring Nina (Bunny Killer) who ends up signing up for a messaging system used mostly by mafia members. While in the messaging system she starts a conversation with Blake (the boss); Blake is under the impression that Nina (Bunny Killer) is a hired assassin. These chats eventually turn into steamy chats involving gift he sends her.
The story was so entertaining, that it can be read/listened in one sitting. The narrators chosen for this audiobook did a fantastic job portraying the characters in this story.
Thank you Victory Editing NetGalley Co-op for providing this audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.
July 26, 2026
Note: Some of my goodreads shelves can be spoilers
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (It’s a shorter book)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (If you think obsession can be fictionally romantic 😂 )
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: first person for both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: immediately (phone / messages) – they aren’t actually on page together in person until chapter 16 (of 20)
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, years in the future
Format: voluntarily listened to an advanced reader copy
Why I chose this book: I was looking for some audiobooks on NetGalley and was curious enough to try this one
Mains: Blake Norwood / Black Thorn and Nina – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Audiobook available (as of posting)? Yes, narrated by Shane East and Evelyn Rose (duet style!)
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This is fine alone – it’s part of a stand alone series by various authors.
Basic plot:
Nina somehow gets added to one of her brother’s work chats so she changes her name to Bunny the Killer and now her brother’s boss thinks she’s an assassin...`
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- mafia boss hero
- fake assassin heroine
- gifts – he sends her multiple
- secret identity
- tattooed hero
- salt and pepper haired hero
- he kidnaps her
- brother’s boss
- well-endowed hero
- shorter novel
- higher steam – 3 full scenes in a shorter novel with some breeding thoughts, praise
Ages:
- he’s 46 (though he says a few times that he’s ‘40’), I didn’t catch her but it’s marketed as an age gap so I’m guessing she’s in her 20s or 30 at the oldest?
First line:
I have accidentally accepted a job as an assassin.
My thoughts:
Minor complaint – I really don’t see the point in doing the middle of the story first, then jumping back to the beginning, then finishing the story. I know this is just a me thing but I don’t see what value it adds to a story like this. I usually feel more scrambled and like I’m trying to catch up and I just prefer the linear unfolding of a story and the build up of getting to know the characters together as the mains learn each other…
But other than that, I really had fun with this one! I just thought it was quick and funny and steamy and just perfect for what I needed right now. I was smirking through some parts and just generally had a lot of fun with this! I liked the build up of them being focused on each other the whole book but not actually meeting until well into the story – it gave a modern day epistolary feel through text messages that I very much enjoyed.
I got the rest of the books in the series too to try and hoping I find some new ot me authors I enjoy.
As for the narration, I really loved both narrators. I’ve listened to Shane East before and always enjoy and thought Evelyn Rose did a wonderful job as Nina. Zero complaints!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 2
Average rating from me: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one!
Endearments
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
Overall: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Readability: 📖📖📖📖📖
Feels: 🦋🦋🦋
Emotional Depth: 💔💔💔 (It’s a shorter book)
Sexual Tension: ⚡⚡⚡⚡
Romance: 💞💞💞💞 (If you think obsession can be fictionally romantic 😂 )
Sensuality: 💋💋💋💋
Sex Scene Length: 🍑🍑🍑🍑
Steam Scale (Number of Sex Scenes): 🔥🔥🔥
Humor: Yes
Perspective: first person for both hero and heroine
More character focused or plot focused? character
How did the speed of the story feel? fast
When mains are first on page together: immediately (phone / messages) – they aren’t actually on page together in person until chapter 16 (of 20)
Cliffhanger: No this ends with a happily ever after
Epilogue: Yes, years in the future
Format: voluntarily listened to an advanced reader copy
Why I chose this book: I was looking for some audiobooks on NetGalley and was curious enough to try this one
Mains: Blake Norwood / Black Thorn and Nina – This is a M/F relationship between a cishet hero and heroine
Audiobook available (as of posting)? Yes, narrated by Shane East and Evelyn Rose (duet style!)
(Descriptions found at end of my review)
Should I read in order?
This is fine alone – it’s part of a stand alone series by various authors.
Basic plot:
Nina somehow gets added to one of her brother’s work chats so she changes her name to Bunny the Killer and now her brother’s boss thinks she’s an assassin...`
Give this a try if you want:
- contemporary romance
- mafia boss hero
- fake assassin heroine
- gifts – he sends her multiple
- secret identity
- tattooed hero
- salt and pepper haired hero
- he kidnaps her
- brother’s boss
- well-endowed hero
- shorter novel
- higher steam – 3 full scenes in a shorter novel with some breeding thoughts, praise
Ages:
- he’s 46 (though he says a few times that he’s ‘40’), I didn’t catch her but it’s marketed as an age gap so I’m guessing she’s in her 20s or 30 at the oldest?
First line:
I have accidentally accepted a job as an assassin.
My thoughts:
Minor complaint – I really don’t see the point in doing the middle of the story first, then jumping back to the beginning, then finishing the story. I know this is just a me thing but I don’t see what value it adds to a story like this. I usually feel more scrambled and like I’m trying to catch up and I just prefer the linear unfolding of a story and the build up of getting to know the characters together as the mains learn each other…
But other than that, I really had fun with this one! I just thought it was quick and funny and steamy and just perfect for what I needed right now. I was smirking through some parts and just generally had a lot of fun with this! I liked the build up of them being focused on each other the whole book but not actually meeting until well into the story – it gave a modern day epistolary feel through text messages that I very much enjoyed.
I got the rest of the books in the series too to try and hoping I find some new ot me authors I enjoy.
As for the narration, I really loved both narrators. I’ve listened to Shane East before and always enjoy and thought Evelyn Rose did a wonderful job as Nina. Zero complaints!
Few random reading stats for this author
# of books read: 2
Average rating from me: 5 stars
Favorite book: This one!
Endearments
Content warnings: These should be taken as a minimum of what to expect. It’s very possible I have missed some.
Locations of kisses/intimate scenes, safe sex aspects, consent, pregnancy/child in the story:
Extra stuff like what my review breakdown means, where to find me, and book clubs
August 29, 2026
Something about writing a “proper” summary of the plot and characters just doesn’t feel right.
I feel like I’d be kidding myself …. and you, for that matter.
So, here’s what I really think you should know:
Don’t pick up the book. LISTEN to the audiobook!
The duet narration delivered by Shane East and Evelyn Rose is everything.
I’ve known Shane East is a ridiculously talented voice actor ever since I listened to The Wolf King, but I was absolutely not prepared for the performance he pulled off in this one.
I’m pretty sure his voice altered my brain chemistry for three hours straight.
I’m also fairly certain I ovulated.
The end. 😂
Story: 4 ⭐
Spice: 3.5 🌶
I feel like I’d be kidding myself …. and you, for that matter.
So, here’s what I really think you should know:
Don’t pick up the book. LISTEN to the audiobook!
The duet narration delivered by Shane East and Evelyn Rose is everything.
I’ve known Shane East is a ridiculously talented voice actor ever since I listened to The Wolf King, but I was absolutely not prepared for the performance he pulled off in this one.
I’m pretty sure his voice altered my brain chemistry for three hours straight.
I’m also fairly certain I ovulated.
The end. 😂
Story: 4 ⭐
Spice: 3.5 🌶
June 24, 2026
Thank you Netgalley for a copy of this book.
This was a quick and short read. I enjoyed the duel narration and the banter of Nina and Blake. My favorite part has to be Nina deciding to name herself as Bunny the Killer and adding a skull to her profile plus all the bunny puns. I just enjoyed every second of it. I could not stop smiling at the fun and steamy romance blossoming between Nina and Blake.
This was a quick and short read. I enjoyed the duel narration and the banter of Nina and Blake. My favorite part has to be Nina deciding to name herself as Bunny the Killer and adding a skull to her profile plus all the bunny puns. I just enjoyed every second of it. I could not stop smiling at the fun and steamy romance blossoming between Nina and Blake.
August 12, 2026
2.75/3 ⭐️
This book has one of my favourite tropes… messaging the wrong person! Except it’s done slightly differently… she’s added to a group chat she’s not supposed to be in.
It’s a short, smutty novella that briefly mentions themes involving the mafia.
Shes a virgin,
He falls first…
This book has one of my favourite tropes… messaging the wrong person! Except it’s done slightly differently… she’s added to a group chat she’s not supposed to be in.
It’s a short, smutty novella that briefly mentions themes involving the mafia.
Shes a virgin,
He falls first…
July 27, 2026
Shane East narrated the male part of the audiobook and I really enjoyed his voice. The female narrator Evelyn Rose filled the narration with emotion and liveliness. I really enjoyed the duet style of the story it's so immersive.
With this being a novella it was very insta-love and quick but it was still very entertaining and I had so much fun with it.
My favorite part was the text conversations between the characters . They were funny, flirty and had me smiling.
The progression was quick and felt too rushed for my personal preference but this is a novella.
Thank you to the author Evie Rose the publisher and Netgalley for the ALC
With this being a novella it was very insta-love and quick but it was still very entertaining and I had so much fun with it.
My favorite part was the text conversations between the characters . They were funny, flirty and had me smiling.
The progression was quick and felt too rushed for my personal preference but this is a novella.
Thank you to the author Evie Rose the publisher and Netgalley for the ALC
May 3, 2026
Great read. Reads fast and easy.
No cheating.
No ow/om drama.
Virgin fmc.
No separations.
Epilogue- 7 years.
HEA-Married with kids.
They actually weren't in physical contact till near the end, but this was so good. I loved the messaging back and forth. They were adorable and just funny bantering.
No cheating.
No ow/om drama.
Virgin fmc.
No separations.
Epilogue- 7 years.
HEA-Married with kids.
They actually weren't in physical contact till near the end, but this was so good. I loved the messaging back and forth. They were adorable and just funny bantering.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 8, 2026
A quick easy read that’s more smut than plot, but with a title like Messages from the Mafia Boss it’s basically telling you that’s exactly what you’ll find. The premise is intriguing enough, the main character, Nina is accidentally added to a mafia group chat by her brother who’s apart of the mafia syndicate and she jokingly makes her username Bunny the Killer. When the mafia boss, Blake, messages her trying to figure out who she is, Nina has no choice but to play along to keep her brother safe. It’s silly and fun and that’s all I can really ask from a novel like this. The banter was enjoyable and the epilogue wraps it all up nicely with a little happily ever after ribbon on top.
July 6, 2026
Fun quick little read but not my favorite
April 25, 2026
This plot was original, silly, absurd, and a lot of fun! I liked both the MMC and FMC. Their texting banter was giggle worthy.
A quick, entertaining, smexy palette cleanser. 🐰
A quick, entertaining, smexy palette cleanser. 🐰
August 16, 2026
Audiobook Review 🎧 This was such a fun, swoony, ridiculously cheesy little audiobook! I have a definite love/hate relationship with how short this story is because, at only about 3-ish hours, it was over way too quickly. I was having such a good time that I absolutely wanted more!
The duet narration by Evelyn Rose and Shane East was fantastic. Both narrators brought so much emotion and personality to their characters, and you could really feel the chemistry between them. Their delivery made the banter even better, especially because so much of it was cute, cheesy, and downright hilarious. I found myself constantly laughing at their interactions one minute and swooning the next. They truly made the story come alive, and their performances were a huge part of why I enjoyed this audiobook so much.
And the mafia boss courting her? I was absolutely here for it. There was something so entertaining about watching this intimidating mafia boss go all-in on romance. The chocolates were especially perfect. I mean… chocolate fingers that look like HIS fingers so he can watch her put his fingers in her mouth?! Sir. WHAT?! Honestly, though, I would expect nothing less from a mafia boss. The sheer audacity. The confidence. The commitment to the bit. I was laughing and swooning all at once.
I do wish we had gotten more of the brother situation, though. That was the one area where I felt like I needed more. She gets kidnapped, then things happen (bow chicka wow wow), and suddenly we’re skipping years ahead. Um… I needed those details! I wanted to see more of what happened during that time and how everything unfolded. That’s really the downside of a short story, you get all these fun characters and intriguing situations, and just when you’re settling in and wanting more, it’s over!
Still, this was such an entertaining and swoony audiobook, and Evelyn Rose and Shane East absolutely nailed the narration. Their emotion, chemistry, and delivery made an already enjoyable story even better.
Rated: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* I received a free ALC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
The duet narration by Evelyn Rose and Shane East was fantastic. Both narrators brought so much emotion and personality to their characters, and you could really feel the chemistry between them. Their delivery made the banter even better, especially because so much of it was cute, cheesy, and downright hilarious. I found myself constantly laughing at their interactions one minute and swooning the next. They truly made the story come alive, and their performances were a huge part of why I enjoyed this audiobook so much.
And the mafia boss courting her? I was absolutely here for it. There was something so entertaining about watching this intimidating mafia boss go all-in on romance. The chocolates were especially perfect. I mean… chocolate fingers that look like HIS fingers so he can watch her put his fingers in her mouth?! Sir. WHAT?! Honestly, though, I would expect nothing less from a mafia boss. The sheer audacity. The confidence. The commitment to the bit. I was laughing and swooning all at once.
I do wish we had gotten more of the brother situation, though. That was the one area where I felt like I needed more. She gets kidnapped, then things happen (bow chicka wow wow), and suddenly we’re skipping years ahead. Um… I needed those details! I wanted to see more of what happened during that time and how everything unfolded. That’s really the downside of a short story, you get all these fun characters and intriguing situations, and just when you’re settling in and wanting more, it’s over!
Still, this was such an entertaining and swoony audiobook, and Evelyn Rose and Shane East absolutely nailed the narration. Their emotion, chemistry, and delivery made an already enjoyable story even better.
Rated: 4 out of 5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
* I received a free ALC of this book via NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving a review.
June 30, 2026
Sometimes a girl needs a silly little unhinged mafia romcom, am I right?
I grabbed it last week from “listen now” NetGalley section but only started today. It helped me get out of my head and do some way overdue chores, yay!
It’s not my first novella by Evie so I know the drill. This one felt spicier than the previous one I listened to but just the perfect amount of ridiculous and unhinged (in the best way!). If you want dark mafia romance, this one is not it. This is more like darkish mafiaish romcom, it def has comedy elements and as I mentioned it’s a bit silly and unhinged but all in all good way!
It has two tropes I don’t like - age gap and insta love - but the age you could easily forget, I mean it was mentioned couple times but without much emphasis on it, and the insta love - yea, it was instant but even with my averse to this trope, somehow it worked. The silliness of it all made it work, lol.
Quick and good time story providing spicyyy spice and laughs!
The audio narration was good, I have no notes. Both narrators did well! It’s a duet and lasts about 3h so very easy to read/listen in one go.
I grabbed it last week from “listen now” NetGalley section but only started today. It helped me get out of my head and do some way overdue chores, yay!
It’s not my first novella by Evie so I know the drill. This one felt spicier than the previous one I listened to but just the perfect amount of ridiculous and unhinged (in the best way!). If you want dark mafia romance, this one is not it. This is more like darkish mafiaish romcom, it def has comedy elements and as I mentioned it’s a bit silly and unhinged but all in all good way!
It has two tropes I don’t like - age gap and insta love - but the age you could easily forget, I mean it was mentioned couple times but without much emphasis on it, and the insta love - yea, it was instant but even with my averse to this trope, somehow it worked. The silliness of it all made it work, lol.
Quick and good time story providing spicyyy spice and laughs!
The audio narration was good, I have no notes. Both narrators did well! It’s a duet and lasts about 3h so very easy to read/listen in one go.
July 20, 2026
This was a great, short audiobook about a mafia boss and a non-mafia woman getting tangled up. FMC creates a funny screen name for a message thread with her brother (Bunny the Killer), but he messes up and adds it to his mafia text thread. The mafia boss sees it and doesn't recognize the name of the person working in his organization. His response is to message Bunny. What follows is a comedy of errors quickly followed by panic from the FMC. But the mafia boss is intrigued and wants to keep the conversation going.
The narrators did a great job with this story. It's short, so it could have been difficult to connect with the characters, but Shane East and Evelyn Rose really bring the characters to life. They bring the absurdity of the situation to the story without making it silly.
I haven't read or listened to any Evie Rose before, but I am a fan and plan to read/listen to her back catalogue.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gift of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
Story 4/5 ⭐
Narration 4.5/5 🎙
Spice 3/5 🌶
The narrators did a great job with this story. It's short, so it could have been difficult to connect with the characters, but Shane East and Evelyn Rose really bring the characters to life. They bring the absurdity of the situation to the story without making it silly.
I haven't read or listened to any Evie Rose before, but I am a fan and plan to read/listen to her back catalogue.
My thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the gift of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.
Story 4/5 ⭐
Narration 4.5/5 🎙
Spice 3/5 🌶
June 26, 2026
This was a quick and fun listen from Netgalley! The story opens with Nina, our main character, agreeing to download a secure messaging app since her brother has recently started using it for texting at his new job. Unbeknowst to her, of course, his new job happens to be with the mafia. And as luck would have it, her brother unknowingly accidentally adds her to the mafia group chat with the mafia boss.
Blake, the mafia boss, immediately realizes there seems to be an unknown member of the group chat and begins to try to figure out who this mole could be. Nina catches on to what is happening and figures she needs to protect her brother who would surely be punished if someone found out he was the one who added a civilian to the chat. Best course of action? Pretend to be a hired killer for the mafia. Her lies begin to catch up to her as Blake becomes obsessed with her and is determined to hunt her down to make her his. It was cute and the audio was only 3 hours long. I enjoyed it but as always with the novella length stories I wish there was more!
Blake, the mafia boss, immediately realizes there seems to be an unknown member of the group chat and begins to try to figure out who this mole could be. Nina catches on to what is happening and figures she needs to protect her brother who would surely be punished if someone found out he was the one who added a civilian to the chat. Best course of action? Pretend to be a hired killer for the mafia. Her lies begin to catch up to her as Blake becomes obsessed with her and is determined to hunt her down to make her his. It was cute and the audio was only 3 hours long. I enjoyed it but as always with the novella length stories I wish there was more!
September 18, 2026
This audiobook, narrated in duet by Evelyn Rose and audio superstar Shane East, definitely deserves 5⭐. And it’s free with Audible or Kobo Plus membership.
Shane East is… a force of nature. He’s basically carrying the emotional prosody of the entire British Empire on his back.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if 500 years of repressed English feelings were distilled into one audiobook narrator? Well, Shane happened!
And for whatever reason he chose this novella to push his usual intensity up to 11. He narrates Messages from the Mafia Boss like his rent is due. It was almost too much for me, so consider yourself warned.
Actually…? Just listen to this 30-second (nsfw) clip for yourself:
Shane "Stiff Upper WHAT" East
...Oh yeah, and the book was not bad, especially if you like texting/FaceTiming and "hidden identity" tropes. 🤷♀️
𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𖹭
Shane East is… a force of nature. He’s basically carrying the emotional prosody of the entire British Empire on his back.
Have you ever wondered what would happen if 500 years of repressed English feelings were distilled into one audiobook narrator? Well, Shane happened!
And for whatever reason he chose this novella to push his usual intensity up to 11. He narrates Messages from the Mafia Boss like his rent is due. It was almost too much for me, so consider yourself warned.
Actually…? Just listen to this 30-second (nsfw) clip for yourself:
Shane "Stiff Upper WHAT" East
...Oh yeah, and the book was not bad, especially if you like texting/FaceTiming and "hidden identity" tropes. 🤷♀️
𝙱𝚕𝚞𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚘𝚌𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚁𝚎𝚊𝚍 𖹭
June 24, 2026
Thank you to Victory Editing Netgalley Co-Op for the "Listen Now" ALC via Netgalley.
This was a quick and spicy (very) novella between a Mafia Boss and a woman who is accidentally added to their mafia branch's group chat. Since he is the boss, he sends her a private message because he doesn't recognize her name from amongst his ranks. Eventually the two start texting which leads to both voice and video calls.
Their relationship progresses very quick, as this is novella length.
Overall, the audio for this was great being narrated by Shane East and Evelyn Rose.
This was a quick and spicy (very) novella between a Mafia Boss and a woman who is accidentally added to their mafia branch's group chat. Since he is the boss, he sends her a private message because he doesn't recognize her name from amongst his ranks. Eventually the two start texting which leads to both voice and video calls.
Their relationship progresses very quick, as this is novella length.
Overall, the audio for this was great being narrated by Shane East and Evelyn Rose.
July 2, 2026
Ok, this was pretty dang funny!!!
Not my usual go to but I can never seem to turn down an Evie Rose audio novella. The texts between Nina and Blake were absolutely hilarious and made this such a fun time. Shane East’s narration knocked this production out of the park and of course duet narration is always appreciated.
This is perfect if you are looking for a shameless, palate cleanser that will have you giggling out loud. The audio is only a little over 3 hours so it’s perfect for throwing on while you’re multitasking around the house.
Not my usual go to but I can never seem to turn down an Evie Rose audio novella. The texts between Nina and Blake were absolutely hilarious and made this such a fun time. Shane East’s narration knocked this production out of the park and of course duet narration is always appreciated.
This is perfect if you are looking for a shameless, palate cleanser that will have you giggling out loud. The audio is only a little over 3 hours so it’s perfect for throwing on while you’re multitasking around the house.
June 27, 2026
I listened to the audiobook version of this short story and I devoured it!!! This is an insta-love kind of story so if you are not into that, this might not be for you, but it was definitely for me. Blake and Nina's chemistry is off the chart. There was so much humor, banter, and flirting packed into this short read that I could not get enough. I loved the text messages between these two characters and I adored Blake. He was the perfect mafia boss with the perfect mixture of possessive, respectful, sweet, and scary all in one. The narration by Shane East and Evelyn Rose was exquisite, their voices, their inflections, their chemistry, everything worked for me. An easy 5 star read!
July 17, 2026
This was such a cute book! I love the premise of it and I enjoyed that the mistaken identity troupe didn't carry on too long. Both narrators were amazing The male narrator had the perfect voice for a mafia boss with a soft spot. As it was a short book the pacing didn't feel too rushed. The spice in it worked well all in all a good read.
May 6, 2026
This was so funny. The sex bit? meh. Honestly, though this was such fun to read.
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