The Mafia King’s Lost Son: A Secret Child, Dark, Mafia Romance

by Renee Zara

387 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 15, 2026

Reviews

[Rachel’s Coffee & Rain Reads · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 rounded up for a sweet epilogue and GR.

Scarlett (nurse grabbed walking home for trafficking, witnesses Dante murder her captor, is let go, hides in masked club and has crazy one night stand as her adrenaline fades) and Dante (mafia enforcer looking for ledger, kills Scarlett’s captor but doesn’t leave witnesses. Can’t kill her, f’s her instead at a club but she runs when she discovers who he is).

This was honestly a mess. It’s disappointing because the premise had all the ingredients for a really great story.

Let’s say Scarlett goes out for drinks, has an out of character one night stand, and then walking home gets kidnapped for trafficking. Then Dante showed up looking for something, killed the trafficker, needs to kill her because she’s a witness but lets her go, and she runs not knowing she’s pregnant with Dante’s baby from the random hook up, but knows he’s hunting her to tie up loose ends, we’d have one hell of a story.

But instead we get a harrowing trafficking intro, a well done action scene with Dante killing her captor and ultimately letting Scarlett go. But then a very random hook up in a masked club while Scarlett is coming down from shock. The whole set up just didn’t make any sense. She’s literally on the run from this insanely traumatic experience, wearing torn scrubs and no shoes, bloody, and hiding in a crowded club. I get that. But seeing a masked man she’s drawn to and feeling lust and deciding to “forget what happened” makes absolutely zero sense. And of course it’s the guy she’s running from, which she only realizes while he cleaning up in the bathroom. So she runs again, has his kid, and 5 years later realizes someone is taking out all the girls that were held at the trafficking mansion and she turns to the only person who can help. Dante.

But here’s the thing. They don’t know each other. Like… at all. They didn’t have names. They barely spoke to each other. He murdered someone in front of her, held a gun to her head, told her to run, and then f’ed her in a mask at a club an hour later. That’s the extent of their “relationship” before she disappears.

So imagine the awkwardness when she shows up for help and he’s indignant and furious that she kept his son from him. 🥴 Huh? It’s not like they met on Plenty of Fish and went out a few times and then she bolted. Like… how was she supposed to tell you she was pregnant? Shoot you a message on your LinkedIn profile? Not to mention the ONLY thing she knows about Dante is he’s a murderer who threatened her and then told her to disappear before he changed his mind.

But the author writes their interactions like they have some big history together. Dante is so hurt and furious and betrayed that she never told him he had a son. It’s honestly bizarre. My face was doing the one eyebrow confused thing for a solid 40+ pages because it made no sense.

They bicker and fight and go in circles over and over, and honestly they both made no sense. It felt like the author wrote the beginning thinking in one direction and then wanted their dynamic to have more power and heat and so gave them some weird history with all these feelings involved. It was one of the most bizarre plot shifts I’ve read.

The plot holes/mistakes/inconsistencies just continue from there. Timelines, ages, connections. It’s a mess. I can’t name them all but they were frequent and obvious. The editing was terrible. Missing words, misused words, poor grammar.

The 3⭐️ were earned by the hard work Dante put in unlearning all the terrible stuff his dad taught him, and trying to be a better man for his son and Scarlett. It was the only depth the story offered, and it was a nice arc. I really disliked him the first 35% but he grew on me quickly when he decided to stop being such a cold controlling a-hole and actually be a father and partner.

Scarlett’s arc was decent, if a tad unbelievable. I liked how her nursing skills came back up, but I wanted more of that and less her learning to be mafia wife. Her defiance grated on me at times but Dante was acting like a huge doofus for a while so I get it.

The ending was a refreshing change from typical mafia romance, and that was nice to see.

I’m not sure I’ll continue with this series or author. The writing left something to be desired and the insane plot holes in this took away from what could have been a really compelling story.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mafia King's Son is the fourth book in the Crowned of Sin Series. A full-length dark standalone romance complete with a happily-ever-after. A woman six year old son catches the attention of mafia king Dante Moretti, who discovers he's the father and demand they live under his protection. This is Scarlett and Dante story which is told from a dual POV. This is Dante and Scarlett story which is told from a dual point of view. A beautifully written story with complex individuals and a twisty storyline that captures the audience attention from the beginning and keeps you riveted and on the edge of your seat and turning the pages with it's non-stop twists and turns, panty-melting passion, high-octane adventures, heart-stopping emotions, pulse-pounding drama, suspense, mystery, and action packed.

Tropes:

👼Secret Child Story
✔️Protective Father Story
☠️☠️Dark Mafia Romance
✔️Forced Proximity Romance
👼Surprise Heir Story
❇️Possessive Mafia King Story
✔️Obsessed Alpha Hero Story
❇️Single Mom Heroine Story
🔫Touch-Her-and-Die Romance
👨‍👩‍👦Family Found Story
✔️Contemporary Romance
👰‍♀💍🤵‍♂Forced Marriage Story
✔️Second Chance Romance
❇️Young Adult/New Adult Romance
🩸Bloodshed, Murder, Attacks
✔️Kidnapping, Threats, Secrets
💀💀Danger, Violence, Enemies
✔️Attempted Murder, Traitor
❇️Power Struggle, Betrayal, Mole
Scarlett Miller is a nurse working the night shift at the hospital. She was on her way home from work one night when she abducted and was put into sex trafficking ring. And while there she happen to witness the murder of her abductor. It was mafia king
Dante Moretti, Dante know that he should kill her because the mafia code demand that you don't leave any witness alive. But he couldn't bring himself to do it and the two crossed the line and had passion-filled night together. In fear that he may change his mind and kill her, she slip away after he went to the bathroom. She fled and lived in the shadows looking over her shoulders. Her one moment of weakness with a stranger resulted in her conceiving her son Luca. Dante Moretti is New York's most dangerous man.
She's now raising his five year old son and heir who he doesn't know about. She has been hiding him and herself from Dante for six years until she had no choice but to seek him about about her and her son's life was in danger from the same trafficking ring who had held her captive. And the moment he laid eyes on her son he knew that he was his from his eyes. All it took was one look. One heartbeat. One devastating truth, the little boy who she have spent six years protecting all comes to end. For years he has been obsessed with the woman he spent one night with and couldn't get off of his mind. He spent the last six years looking for her and now that he finds her he's not letting her go. Now Dante wants them under his roof. Under his protection.
Under his control. And he'll kill anyone who threatens his family. The only problem was she was supposed to be hiding from the mafia king not falling for him all over again. Dante has risk is reputation for Scarlett by not killing her. They were so many moving parts in this story. Dante is brutal, dangerous, violent, vicious and ruthless. Scarlett is strong, sassy, defiant and brave. A strong of heartache, danger, madness, darkness, spice, protection, safety and so much more.

I received an advanced copy of this book via Booksprout and I am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Clara Atkinson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Mafia King’s Lost Son is a dark mafia romance that follows Scarlett Miller her five year old son Luca and Dante Moretti.

Scarlett finds herself in the middle of a sex trafficking ring and a witness to a murder after she was abducted on her way home from her nursing shift at the hospital. Against all odds she given a chance to escape, now on the run she hides in a dark club trying to figure out her next move. With her adrenaline starting to crash she needs to feel alive so she seeks comfort from a masked stranger. What she didn't realize he was the man who she just ran from Dante Moretti. Afraid he has changed his mind and has come to kill her she slips away when he was in the bathroom and disappears. Now six years later she seeks him out when someone is killing the women she was held captive with and now are after her and her 5 year old son.
Dante has been obsessed with the woman he should of killed. He's spent six years of looking for her when she walks back into his life.

The book is so well written and so full of emotions with intriguing characters that will keep you engaged, captivated and holding your breath waiting for the next OMG moment. This book takes you on a journey that's heartbreaking, gutwrenching, nail biting, heart pounding, suspenseful, dangerous, brutal and yes loving. There are twist, turns, betrayals, murder, power grabs, hidden identities, secrets, lies, chaos, new found family and even some steamy sex thrown in.

I received a copy through Booksprout an I'm voluntarily leaving my review.

5 ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️

[Nikki Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kidnapped after her shift as a nurse, Scarlett finds herself in the middle of a human trafficking ring and witness to a murder. Escaping she finds solace in a dark and mysterious man only to discover qhe's the one she's running from, Dante Moretti, so she disappears.

Six years later Scarlett discovers that her life and that of her son Luca are in danger so she calls the one man she knows can keep them safe, Dante, who helps her but is shocked to discover he has a son.

When attacks on his estate intensify it is not what Scarlett witnessed that is important but what the man she saw being murdered whispered to her as he died. As they try to rebuild her shattered memories and protect the estate, their chemistry intensifies and Dante starts to wonder what he really wants for his son. When he is betrayed from within and discovers the truth behind his father's empire, Dante and Scarlett discover they will do whatever it takes to protect the one thing that is more important than anything to them, their son.

Action-packed with lots of twists and turns, betrayal, redemption, heat and steam, love and loss, leaving you with a story that you won't be able to put down. I enjoyed this book so much I had to read it in one sitting. I can't wait to read more in this series.

[JP18267 · Rating 5 out of 5]

One wild, horrific night filled with dark secrets left me with too many questions.

My heart instantly went out to Scarlett; I couldn't imagine being in her situation. Then Dante enters, guns blazing like a badass anti-hero. I must admit, I was a little shocked by how quickly the chase turned into a wild, passionate night.

I love that even after six years, he is still searching for the girl he risked everything for. Dante is completely ruthless but possesses a charming, redeeming side—the perfect fit for the brave and feisty Scarlett. This book captivated me from the very first page with its high-stakes suspense and extremely spicy moments. A true gripping dark mafia romance that was impossible to put down.

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

[Mel R · Rating 1 out of 5]

MFC gets kidnapped and beat up to where she might have a head injury but escapes and then goes to a random club and wants to get down and dirty?
Then asked MMC for protection because five other people who were also kidnapped were killed but complains she can't go grocery shopping?? HELLO....BAD GUYS TRYING TO KILL YOU!
MFC is awful, all she does is complain complain complain. And then there was an attack and she was mad that she couldn't help. How are you gonna help, with no weapons and a lack of any ability to defend yourself?

Dnf at 56% I tried but it was just annoying and awful.

[SsanT62 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Dante and Scarlett are a sizzling couple. This story begins and you feel like you are going up the roller coaster and then it drops! The author takes you for a wild ride and you will enjoy every moment of it. I loved this lead couple. There is lots of action, spice and the reader will experience every twist and turns.

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

[rebecca kendall · Rating 2 out of 5]

Horrible FMC

I ended up skipping to the end of the book. Why do authors make the FMC so annoying. It’s not cute it makes people not want to read. And how is it the she just happened to find a PI who found stuff out just before they tried to kill her. She call Dante and asked for protection not the other way around but she complains non stop about being in his house for protection. Not a good read.

[Amy Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

So Good, Loved it!!
Loved reading The Mafia King’s Lost Son, this book started off with a BANG and didn’t stop until the very end. Action packed with so many twist and turns in it, emotional and totally shocked with a few things too but oh so good. The chemistry between Scarlett and Dante was steamy hot, beautiful ending and loved their story!!

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has given us a fast-paced story that pulls us into the lives of Dante, Scarlett and her son, Luca. The heart pounding story grabs our attention in the very first paragraph and keeps us turning the pages with danger, action, determination, secrets and steam.

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

[Danee · Rating 5 out of 5]

A delightful story that read very smoothly and takes us into the lives of Scarrlett and her sons Luca and Dante. Quite early on, their journey holds your attention and you can't turn the pages fast enough. There are secrets, action, danger, romance, and steamy and hot scenes between them.


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

[The Book Ssirren · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story was wild. Talk about an edge of your seat, iPad gripping, action filled story. When Scarlett got kidnapped and ended up waking up in a trafficking ring, I was like omg. But then here comes Dante, fierce as ever and saves her. This was filled with so much. This was spicy and hot, and danger and chaos. An absolutely amazing read.

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

Arc review I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review. Wow fantastic. when Scarlett is kidnapped after work .she wakes to finds herself in a trafficking ring, but when Dante saved her he also is the one that turns her world upside down.

[Gaynor Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Gripping

A violent beginning, a moment of weakness and a moment of lust changes everything. Danger, desire, death, a child, a secret and a treasure bind their future for better or worse.

[Narelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

A sizzling dark read with Scarlett and mafia boss Dante Moretti. Reunited they need to work together in this fab read with second chance, danger and drama, protection, secrets and much more. Loved it!.

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

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was awesome!

I loved the story couldn’t put the book down. It drew you in, the twist ands turns were awesome. I didn’t want the book to end. Loved it!!!!

[Nate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the mafia king’s lost son which was Dante and Scarlett’s story. It was an intriguing read. And voluntarily leaving this review.

[Sherrie Hubbard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Page turner

From start to finish, this books is a MUST READ page turner. I loved it and highly recommend you read it!

[Kayla · Rating 4 out of 5]

Errors in writing

Good story line but TONS of grammatical errors. Some I had to go back and reread the sentence and try to figure out what was being said.