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When They Chose Betrayal, She Chose Danger: A Mafia Light Romance

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111 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 20, 2026

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Poe Emerson

32 books10 followers

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5 stars
183 (45%)
4 stars
112 (27%)
3 stars
79 (19%)
2 stars
25 (6%)
1 star
7 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews
Profile Image for Jetscarbie.
951 reviews51 followers
May 21, 2026
This was a quick read. Most of the plot is totally ridiculous, but I was all in. (Possible spoilers ahead)

heroine is 6 months pregnant, and she just finds out her HUSBAND is boinking her MOM 😱😱🫪
That’s like a VIP pass straight to the gates of hell.
Throw husband and mom straight into the hot lava. The amount of times I went ewww was insane.

Then, we even had a few chapter with the POV from the husband and the mom. That made it even more yuck.

But….strangely, I was invested and wanted to see where this went. I couldn’t even be mad when the heroine met the new hero and immediately boinked him. This was a hero that mom has been wanting for a while, but he has always rejected her. Hero had absolutely NO issue with the heroine being 6 months pregnant with another man’s baby. Girrrrrrl, get it!

This was so Jerry Springer.
Profile Image for Snafuzled.
178 reviews
May 10, 2026
This book travels at the speed of light. The plot is completely preposterous, but I was amused.

Spoilery thoughts…

MMC and fmc’s mother are having an affair while fmc is six months pregnant. Fortunately for the reader, we get the weak husband and the skank-whore mother’s pov chapters. That was fun. They are complete assholes and it’s a delight to hate them.

FMC wants revenge and approaches a dangerous hotty that has always been her mother’s ultimate golden goose. She wants him to help with project ‘take out the trash’. He’s happy to assist this gorgeous, vengeful woman. Shenanigans ensue. Betrayers are vanquished. HEA for FMC and hotty.

Again, this was ridiculous but it kept me entertained for an hour or so. I’ll forget it in five minutes. 😎
Profile Image for I’m a Paula too… Thompson.
1,812 reviews12 followers
May 19, 2026
Cute story…

Considering the content of this story, I didn’t expect this to be such an adorable story. The trope is completely icky. Her husband and her own mother. That part is just disgusting. What’s lovely is when the FMC decides to approach the MMC, Enzo, and uses him for revenge.

Because they turn into a real couple, and he becomes a pussy cat! He falls for her, and he falls hard.

KU and this ends up with a lovely HEA. I liked this one a lot.
Profile Image for Rebecca Merlene.
314 reviews7 followers
May 19, 2026
4.0. Rated R. Mafia light Betrayal Novella

Short, they cheat on her she gets revenge.
For this style, enjoyable, quick read.
Profile Image for Amy Long.
189 reviews12 followers
May 20, 2026
3 ⭐️⭐️⭐️

Honestly? This book was messy, dramatic, completely ridiculous at times… and I had a great time reading it.

The story starts with Olympia, six months pregnant, discovering her husband Gregory in bed with her MOTHER. Not her best friend. Not a coworker. Her actual gave birth to her from her womb mother. And not only are they having an affair, but apparently they’ve been reconnecting “biblically” for the entire duration of her pregnancy because Gregory decided pregnant women are somehow less exciting. Which immediately qualified him for the “men who deserve to live in a dumpster” category.

But instead of crying for 200 pages while everyone gaslights her, Olympia immediately chooses revenge.

And honestly? Respect.

So she takes screenshots, gathers evidence, keeps her composure, and marches herself directly to Enzo Martinelli — local mob boss, professional menace, and the one man her mother has wanted for years but could never have. Olympia’s revenge plan is essentially:

1. Destroy her cheating husband.
2. Humiliate her mother.
3. Sleep with the terrifying mafia man.
4. Possibly fall in love along the way.

A woman with goals.

And Enzo? Immediately obsessed. He’s fascinated by her rage, her intelligence, her confidence, and apparently her six-month-pregnant body in a revenge dress. The chemistry between them was definitely the best part of the book. He supports every ounce of her chaos without trying to tame her, and together they proceed to absolutely ruin Gregory and Claudia’s lives.

- Careers destroyed.
- Social reputations burned to ash.
- Affair texts leaked.
- Jobs lost.
- Public humiliation at a gala.

At one point they literally expose these people in front of an entire ballroom like it’s a revenge-themed PowerPoint presentation.

Was it over the top? Extremely.
Did it occasionally feel like a soap opera written by someone fueled entirely by spite and espresso? Absolutely.
Did I still eat it up? Yes.

I will say the book had some editing issues and timeline inconsistencies. At one point it felt like they got divorced twice. Also the revenge escalates to “publicly broadcasting a sex tape at a gala,” which was maybe a tiny step beyond what was necessary. We crossed from “good revenge” into “someone call HR and maybe the FBI” territory there for a minute.

But overall? Fun. Fast-paced. Dramatic in the exact way these books are supposed to be. No pointless back-and-forth. No “maybe I should forgive him.” No weepy reconciliation.

Just:
“You cheated on me with my mother while I was pregnant, so now I’m joining forces with a mob boss, getting my sexy groove back, and ruining your life.”

And honestly? Fair enough.

Bonus points because it ended with happiness instead of the obligatory “surprise epilogue pregnancy.” We already HAD the pregnancy. Thank you for respecting my time.
Profile Image for Kiley.
2,153 reviews64 followers
June 13, 2026
When They Chose Betrayal, She Chose Danger was about 24-year-old Olympia Castellano Ludeloe, her husband, Gregory "Greg" Ludeloe, a corporate attorney, her 40-year-old mother, Claudia Marone, a backstabbing low-life woman, and 38-year-old Enzo Martinelli, a mob boss and the owner of the Obsidian club.

Olympia and Greg had been married for at least 2 years (they had met 3 years earlier), and she was six months pregnant with his baby girl. She arrived home late after her most recent OBGYN appointment to find Greg's forgotten cell phone, lit up by a text message from her mother. That was how she learned about their affair, and the beginning of her revenge plot to end both of them.

The story was full of angst, drama, and an emotional rollercoaster with lots of twists and turns. The conflict was decent, and the flow of the storyline was uninterrupted. The only drawback was that everything was resolved too quickly, and the reader didn't get to enjoy the revenge for a longer period of time.

Both Enzo and Olympia were well-developed and mature, while Greg and Claudia were less mature and more petty. I gave this a three-star rating. It could have earned more, but it just ended too fast.
91 reviews
May 11, 2026
Olympia and Enzo 🔥

This was a major Insta love story. But a good one. Getting to see Gregory and Claudia get their just desserts was amazing. The picture that was provided of Olympia and Enzo at the Bellamy Gala was so beautiful my jaw dropped. Usually if a picture is included like in this book, there’s never a picture it’s only [image inserted] so it’s quite shocking to be able to see that picture of them and the birth certificate. Thank you so much for including that. I cannot wait to read another one of your books.
Profile Image for Courtney Long.
90 reviews
June 4, 2026
So Deliciously Beautiful

Oh how I love a woman scorned!

Olympia gets the best revenge ever by getting her HEA with the man who melts only for her and Aria.

Enzo is the type of man you need in your life and your corner. He helped Olympia when she was at her lowest and helped her build herself up one evidence at a time 🧐🤭

The way he excepted Aria as his own was *chefs kiss *

Also want to add, the photos were SO GOOD!! It helped really set the scene, great read!

Poe Emerson has become a favourite author of mine!
685 reviews
April 27, 2026
Another great story!

Olympia faces a terrible betrayal. Her husband, her mother! She decides with clear clam that not just revenge but total destruction is what needs to happen to Gregory and Claudia and the person to help.her is Enzo, a mob boss. Absolutely fantastic story!







Profile Image for Angie Richards.
298 reviews4 followers
May 14, 2026
yesss revenge

The plot was plotting. I loved how she caught him in the act and then went for revenge before divorce. This was fast paced, love interest with a side of revenge. I absolutely loved Enzo the way he just said yes to her and took charge and helped her and loved her anyway chefs kiss
967 reviews12 followers
May 15, 2026
Good one..

Short but well written with emotional showing. Characters were relatable and realistic. Liked the heroine being strong and smart. Enjoyed this type of storyline with the heroine being with a better guy. Well done..
Profile Image for SilentSpectra.
558 reviews14 followers
May 16, 2026
🤭🫣

Look...don't judge. What can I say about this novella? Well, it's ridiculous but it's so ridiculous that it swings onto a warm and fuzzy scale because you can't help but chuckle sometimes at the absurdity of it all.
248 reviews1 follower
May 22, 2026
Different story

Thus story was not what I expected. But a captivating story for sure. I'm no saint but the destroying of the husband and mother was justice. I know it's fiction, but a great story
11 reviews
May 31, 2026
A Masterpiece!!!

One of the best novellas that I have read in a long time. Intriguing storyline and excellent character development. Absolutely a delicious and worthwhile read!!

I am a new fan of Poe Emerson and I will be on the lookout for new novels from her.
29 reviews
June 12, 2026
Sad

I knew a woman, this happened to.. only difference.. she raised her daughter.. so might have been even more hurtful.. but this story. Gave her more .. A 'what if'. There were stronger consequences ..ending and her girls were already born and knew their father.
Profile Image for Ade.
894 reviews27 followers
July 9, 2026
.

This has to be the highest level of betrayal and I liked how the FMC worked to reclaim everything back. Seems OTT but that is fiction for you. Enjoyed it and can’t wait to read more from the author
Profile Image for Barbara Pardue.
21 reviews
July 15, 2026
Very Good

I loved this book and I will definitely continue to read your books
It would be really interesting if you were to write a book about the wife husband hooking up with her dad that would be awesome to read... Just Saying
Profile Image for Cheryl.
2,293 reviews61 followers
May 8, 2026
Very mild Mafia

Wasn't really mafia. She get revenge on the husband who cheated on her and the Mother that betrayed her. They were reduced to nothing.
8 reviews
May 13, 2026
weird

The best thing I can say is the writing and story line were good… maybe because it was so short that it felt kinda disgusting and quite frankly disbelieving.
371 reviews1 follower
May 25, 2026
A Good Revenge Book!

For a quick revenge story this one is pretty good. Enzo may be a mob boss but none of that is shown.
Profile Image for Sonya Williams.
999 reviews3 followers
June 6, 2026
Entertainment

This was purely unbelievable entertainment. But I am here for it! The plot is believable but the HEA is a little over the top. However, I loved journey.
34 reviews1 follower
June 9, 2026
Great!

I really enjoyed reading this novella. Very well written. Glad Olympia found Enzo. Will read this author again. Love everything about these types of stories!
1 review
June 25, 2026
Amazing Story

Wow! This story is worth the read. It has heartache but ends with HEA for the character that was wronged and it was very entertaining getting there.
Profile Image for Tiffanys_Reading_Journey.
456 reviews1 follower
June 27, 2026
This was another emotional revenge romance that really pulled me in.

The FMC is betrayed by the people she trusted most, but instead of letting it destroy her, she chooses to walk away and build something stronger for herself. I really liked that she did not spend the whole book waiting for someone to save her. She took control of her own life, even when the path she chose was dangerous.

The revenge was satisfying because it was not rushed. The people who hurt her slowly had to face the consequences of their choices, while the FMC grew stronger and more confident with every chapter.

I also enjoyed the romance. It did not overshadow the FMC's personal growth, but instead complemented it. Watching her find someone who truly valued and protected her made the ending that much more rewarding.

Overall, this was a great mix of betrayal, revenge, healing, and romance, with a FMC who proves that sometimes the best revenge is refusing to let the people who hurt you define your future.
Displaying 1 - 24 of 24 reviews