The Woman in the Pawnshop

by Jessica Gadziala

Years ago, he vanished before he could take his place in the organization.

Now he’s back—older, harder, and responsible for two kids who lost everything.

The family he left behind has moved on. The men he once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with had become bosses, while he’s stuck running cash pickups while he tries to earn his way back in.

But a routine stop at a pawnshop changes everything.

The woman behind the counter is everything he wants but can’t have: smart-mouthed, stubborn, and strong. Worse, his niece and nephew adore her.

He’s determined to stay away. But when she finds herself in the middle of the mystery and is violently attacked, he takes her in to help her heal as they try to figure out what someone might be willing to kill for…

Genres: Romance

Published May 25, 2026

About the author

Jessica Gadziala lives in rural New Jersey with her parrots, dogs, and an ever-growing collection of houseplants. A lifelong dreamer, she’s been writing stories since childhood and published her first book in 2015. When not at her desk, she’s usually feeding backyard birds, rewatching crime dramas, period pieces, and 90s supernatural TV shows, or adding to her towering stacks of unread books.



You can find her on
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Reviews

[Jessica Gadziala]

NOW AVAILABLE!!

[Bozena · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exciting, gripping, and thrilling.
An action-packed mafia romance.
A scorching, hot age-gap love story.
Need I say more?
This book has it all and so much more.

Jessica's mafia stories are extraordinary and fascinating, not to mention gripping and exciting from the very first page to the last.

Alara, a badass heroine who has learned from her difficult past to rely only on herself.
Her past still dictates her life, but she fights every day for her independence and freedom.

Christopher, a mafia family member who withdrew from the family business for years and is now trying to get back into it.
He's not the young man he used to be. Life has made him harder and less motivated.

Their chemistry is palpable and beautiful from the very beginning.
The attraction between the two is incredibly hot.
The age difference is almost nonexistent in their behavior.

Alara had to grow up very quickly.
Christopher had to take care of his family very early on.
And that's exactly why they're such a good match.

And Brio, I missed that psycho so much. He's still super entertaining, as always 🤣
His friendship with Alara is beautiful, and I love their hilarious banter 😂

Read this book, you'll love it 😍

[Eleanor · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 Stars

An action-packed mafia romance.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Two people with heartbreaking pasts find love in a dusty little pawnshop full of forgotten treasures and dangerous secrets.

Christopher Costa returns home after many years away. During those years he suffers multiple family losses. He is now guardian to his niece and nephew and decides to come back to the Family. He is older now and having to start from the bottom but with age comes patients and wisdom. Chris is really someone we knew a lot about, but it didn't take long, as it is with these Costa men, to fall in love with him.

Alara is Ezmeray's sister (who is married to Brio). If you've read their story, you know the horrible childhood she had. Alara owns a pawnshop and is full of snark. Her and Chris's first meeting is full of humorous banter. You can see right away the two have an instant connection.

Alara, Christopher, and the kids forming something fragile and beautiful. The Costa world is dangerous, but it’s also a place where broken people find their people.

[Carrie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Christopher & Alara

Love this story!! Alara's amazing & Christopher is all the great things I love about this author's mafia guys. Especially as the uncle to Charlotte & Liam. His heart is so, so big & the kids reflect that.

We get a good amount of time with Brio & Ezzy, too, and some great Lorenzo & Leo pop-ins. I so enjoy the banter & friendships & both family & Family time.

Christopher does try to stay away from Alara for various reasons, but their chemistry cannot be denied. When she stays with him & the kids for safety & healing, a new family is created & they are all just so perfect together!

😍😍😍

[Dawn Gee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome characters

The storyline in this book is good and exciting but the way the characters are written is the best part. There is the standard circumstances that brings in the mafia bad boys but Alara and Liam defend themselves. Chris and Alara are a sweet couple.

[Crystal LoCicero · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't put it down

Short, quick, fun, sweet, and sexy read. Light on the spice, but heavy chemisty. The found family was so good. I loved how they made individual relationships within their little family. I hope to see the kids get books

[Lea Bookjoy · Rating 5 out of 5]

🇫🇷French & English reviews🇬🇧

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Genre & Tropes : Romance mafia x Suspense plot x forced proximity x single dad x grumpy sassy heroine x small age gap x sad past x sweet but spicy

Un tome que j’ai dévoré sans modération !

J’avoue que je ne pensais pas aimer autant ce tome mais j’aurais du m’en douter ! Je ne connaissais pas Christopher (même si maintenant je l’adore !) mais Alara est la petite sœur de l’héroïne du tome « The Woman with the Scar » et j’étais hyper impatiente de découvrir ce qu’elle était devenue !

En plus de ça, il y avait deux de mes tropes favoris : le père célibataire et l’écart d’âge ! Donc forcément, j’ai dévoré ce livre ×

J’ai beaucoup aimé rencontrer Christopher qui a eu tellement de trucs à gérer et qui arrive quand même à s’en sortir sans être dur ou amer, j’ai beaucoup aimé ses deux enfants qui étaient tellement attachants à leur manière (je suis toujours un peu dubitative quand il y a des enfants dans les romances mais ici parfaitement écrits ! Et je dois avouer que je ne serais pas contre un tome avec Charlotte =D) et bien sûr j’ai beaucoup aimé Alara qui est tellement adorable malgré toute sa fausse carapace de grosse dure !

L’intrigue était intéressante et la romance top avec le parfait mélange entre tensions, sex torride et moments hyper mignons <3

Bref, une romance mafieuse à la fois sexy et mignonne que je recommande sans hésitation !

Pour plus de jolies chroniques 😘 : Mon Bujo tout en couleurs et en livres


⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐~⭐


A book I devoured without hesitation !

I must admit I didn't expect to love this book so much, but I should have known I’d love it ! I didn't know Christopher (even though I adore him now !), but Alara is the younger sister of the heroine from « The Woman with the Scar », and I was incredibly eager to find out what had become of her !

On top of that, it had two of my favorite tropes : the single father and the age gap ! So, naturally, I devoured this book !

I really enjoyed meeting Christopher, who had so much to deal with and yet managed to cope without being harsh or bitter. I loved his two children, who were so endearing in their own way (I'm always a little hesitant when there are children in romances, but here they were perfectly written ! And I must admit, I wouldn't mind a book with Charlotte =D). And of course, I loved Alara, who is so adorable despite her tough-girl facade !

The plot was interesting, and the romance was awesome with the perfect blend of tension, steamy sex and incredibly cute moments <3

In short, a sexy and sweet mafia romance that I highly recommend !

For more pretty reviews 😘: My Bujo, all in color and books

[Bex_Book_Revieux · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Whether he was willing to admit it or not, there was just some sort of flame between us. Not a spark. That wasn't right. It went deeper than that. More like... like the slow, crackling fire of a hearth at home."

Jessica Gadziala's The Woman in The Pawn Shop is SUBLIME. Alara and Christopher are one of my favorite couples this year, always proving for me at least that it's The Costas every time!!

The angst, the heartbreak, the family separation for both Alara and Christopher which i think helped draw them to each other? It is absolutely magical.

For someone that supposedly doesn't like children, Alara is perfection with Char and Liam. There were two scenes with the kids that brought me to tears. I won't ruin them for you, but these are not babies - they're just kiddos that have been through a lot. Alara's empathy, and even Christopher's , is so absolutely necessary it is just a beautiful feeling of warmth between them that helps to create this found family. Even while Christopher is fighting it with his whole heart.

Christopher, arriving at Enz's this dark night, and then spilling all to his Capo - it's already obvious he's THE GUY. He's amazing with his niblings, even when he's frustrated, he's warm and funny with Alara from their very first meeting - but when he shuts her down? I actually cried y'all.

The suspense in The Woman in The Pawn Shop is harrowing. I really thought it was going one way with one customer, then it went another - I had two almost jump scares, and I haven't had a book get me like that in months.

The customers selling their most cherished and beloved items, and how many things took Alara right back to her growing up years with her sister Ezzy at the laundromat, and her poor parents losing so many things that were important to them there. This scenario is thankfully not something I've gone through in years, but at one time it was very familiar to me and it broke my heart for them all over again.

Alara at one point complains about basically being a hard a$$ to Christopher, and he is achingly gentle as he tells her that there's nothing wrong with her. She's not hard, she's just intentional with who she gives her time to and it was an incredibly beautiful piece of writing.

The epilogue was super sweet, and stopped on a special point between Charlotte and someone, so I am hoping that she will have her own book, and of course Liam as well!

If mobsters and snarky women with a little bit of stalker-esque qualities are your jam then The Woman in The Pawn Shop will definitely be one of your favorites, and as always you can read this as a stand alone or start with The Costas. You can even go all the way back to the very beginning with The Navesink Bank Henchmen and Reign.

*I received an ARC in exchange for an honest review*

[Kodie Mackay · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh Jessie just never fails me and I do love it when a past character disappeared and reappears. It certainly made for an interesting story.

Alara is a quirky character. She's stubborn yet self aware. She's kind but not a push over. She's sweet when in the right moment but boy can she be prickly too. Also her wall of info just sent me over the edge. What a woman. My kind of woman.

Christopher, this poor man. He was starting to build something but family came calling and took presidents over anything else. That included his future. Or the plans he had for it. I love me a man who steps up. Even when it hurt his heart to do so. He was dependable, patient, kind and genuinely trying his best. He was everything you want in a man.

Liam and Charlotte were an unexpected addition that brought me so much joy. Two very different personalities but both with so much to give. Both who deserved everything good after so much trauma. They deserved the happy consistency that came with their uncle Chris and later Alara too.

Their journey is definitely a rocky one filled with unexpected moments but truly that made it even more meaningful. The sacrifices, the support. The love and the laughter. Finding themselves alongside eachother. It was a story of growth and sweet love and I devoured every single damn page.
Jessie just has a way with words. A way with drawing me into her worlds and making me fall in love with her characters. I laughed, swooned, ranted and raved and in the end was so happy and yet so sad for it to be over.

I'm so looking forward to what's to come next!.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Woman in the Pawnshop is the thirteenth book in the Costas series by Jessica Gadziala. This is one of my favorites books so far in this series. I adored Chris and Alara and loved watching the two of them fight their attraction but fall anyway.

Chris is a great leading man. He did not hold any grudges or feel wronged for what happened in his life. He took the responsibility of raising his nephew and niece for the important and special job it was. He understood he had to start back at the bottom, but planned to put the work in order to become a Made man and get his own men working under him.

I absolutely love Alara. She’s so tough and bossy and such a wonderful leading lady. She’s Ezmeray’s sister who is married to Brio (their book is The Woman with the Scar). She loves the organization but sometimes feels like an outsider looking in.

Chris fights their attraction the most because he believes he’s too old for Alara, but also because of her relationship to Brio. The chemistry is there and when Chris learns that Alara is in danger, his protective instinct goes into overdrive and there is nothing that can stop the two of them from happening.

Liam and Charlotte add so much to the story. I loved watching them interact not only with their Uncle Chris but also with Alara. They are such great kids and Liam really steps up when he’s needed the most.

I’m hoping we get Zeno’s book soon and cannot wait to see who the lucky woman is who snags his attention.

There’s more action in this book than some of the others, and I loved having a front row seat watching it all unfold. JG is one of my favorite authors and this book is another reason why.

[Skip · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Woman in the Pawnshop follows Alara, Brio’s young sister-in-law, who runs a pawnshop full of strange (and dusty) stuff that the previous owner had accepted as collateral for “loans.” Being in a slightly dodgy area in the middle of Mafia territory, Alara is used to having “the bag” full of the weekly protection money ready for the Mafia bagman to pick up. But when the handsome guy in the nice suit that she’s never seen before tells her he’s there for “the bag,” Alara’s natural response is “Yeah? Who the h3ll are you?”

Christopher (the new guy) is actually not a new guy at all – he’s been away for years dealing with his own family issues. Due to unfortunate circumstances, he returns to the Costa Family fold, where the up-and-coming wise guys he used to work with are now in charge of things. So when they give him the opportunity to re-start his career in the Family, he takes it. Christopher has responsibilities and bills – lots of bills- to pay, plus it’s so gratifying to be welcomed with open arms. What he doesn’t expect is the sassy, young, beautiful sister-in-law of his cousin Brio – and so the story begins.

Needless to say, this story is thrilling, exciting, touching, ingenious and absolutely brilliant! Forget about making dinner or doing anything else I was supposed to do, I had to read this immediately. FANTASTIC! 5 out of 5 stars!

[Elizabeth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read

The Costa family books are always good and this was no exception. Christopher comes back to working in the Costa family business after taking care of family with his niece and nephew in tow, Liam and Charlotte. Starting work again, he takes on a bagman role and in doing that he meets Brio's sister-in-law Alara. Sparks fly but she's too young for him, he thinks. Of course in the pawn shop she takes in items, one of which proves to be a problem.
I enjoyed it

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Good!!!

The Woman in the Pawnshop is fantastic! I adored Christopher and Alara! And his kids were such a great addition to the story. I read this in one sitting. I had to know what the bad guys were after. I really liked yhe slight mystery aspect to the story. It kept my interest, along with the laughs.

[Gabi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've said it before and I'll happily say it again: I absolutely love the Costa Family books by Jessica Gadziala. They all feature such engaging characters, strong storylines, and unique concepts. It leaves you cheering for the successes, gasping at the failures, and wishing you could read faster to get to the part where the problems are resolved. I cannot recommend this book enough.

[Jill Oates · Rating 5 out of 5]

this was so good, right up in the top 10 of Jessica Gadziala's books.

great storyline, and a great love story.

also is this the beginning of the next generation of Costas? Liam and Char definitely need stories.

[Sonia · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 RTC

Overall pretty disappointed. It could’ve been an excellent book if JG could slow down a bit and be a bit more thoughtful in the characters and their arcs rather than just putting out another book every couple weeks.

I liked this book but it could’ve been great.

[Sheryl Mcnaught · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great story

I loved Alara, her character had sassy and warmth .Christopher had returned to his family bringing along two children had custody after his sister passed .An innocent looking jewellery box brings danger .

[Tiffany Bustos · Rating 5 out of 5]

I heart eyes this story so much.

Idk how she does it but each book is better than the last and I needed Charlotte’s and Asher’s book ASAP!!

[Taylorn · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️ another fun mafia book

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Woman in the Pawnshop

I like the return of the long lost cousin with two teenagers, and the MFC with her "murder board". Fun story all around.

[Chrissy Broccolino · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved they brought both of these characters back. I always loved Alara when she was in Ezzy & Brio’s story (one of my favorites). Story was great.

[Viera · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love all of Jessica's books... I buy them all, I read them all ❤️ this was another really good one 🙂

[Deborah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alara and Christopher’s story was excellent. This well written tale had all the feels, family by blood, family found, romance, danger and angst and let’s not forget Brio’s rescues.

[Katrina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely loved this one. One of my favorites!
As always any book of Jessica's is an automatic click for me!