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Roses are Royal: A Dark Romance
Not yet published
Expected 9 Sep 26Rose has spent her entire life relying on one person: herself.
Abandoned at birth and shuffled through the foster care system, Rose learned that independence isn’t a choice…it’s survival. So, when she walks away from a prestigious interior design firm in New York City to launch her own business, failure isn’t an option.
Her first client should be the break she’s been waiting for.
The estate is breathtaking. Its owner is enigmatic, attractive, and impossible to read.
As their connection deepens, Rose can’t shake the feeling that her client knows things he shouldn’t. He notices details no stranger could possibly know.
While Rose has been fighting to build a future of her own, someone has been quietly watching her past.
As the long-buried secrets begin to surface, the more dangerous it becomes to hide why she was brought into his life in the first place.
Because she was never brought into his life by chance.
She was never hired for the job.
She was the job.
Abandoned at birth and shuffled through the foster care system, Rose learned that independence isn’t a choice…it’s survival. So, when she walks away from a prestigious interior design firm in New York City to launch her own business, failure isn’t an option.
Her first client should be the break she’s been waiting for.
The estate is breathtaking. Its owner is enigmatic, attractive, and impossible to read.
As their connection deepens, Rose can’t shake the feeling that her client knows things he shouldn’t. He notices details no stranger could possibly know.
While Rose has been fighting to build a future of her own, someone has been quietly watching her past.
As the long-buried secrets begin to surface, the more dangerous it becomes to hide why she was brought into his life in the first place.
Because she was never brought into his life by chance.
She was never hired for the job.
She was the job.
326 pages, Kindle Edition
Expected publication September 9, 2026
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Author
Review of ARC provided by author!
Um Ali!! Ma’am!! What did you put in this?!
This one’s for readers who love a romantic mystery, mafia romance, with an obsessive/stalker MMC!!
I was hooked from the beginning! Ro’s inner monologue had me cracking up from the beginning!! I absolutely loved Ali’s writing, the pace was perfect for me..
This story follows Rose (Ro) Lusso who was abandoned at birth and put into foster care. she leaned at a young age that she’s going to have to fend for herself! She worked her ass off to become a prestigious interior designer.. she leaves the company she works for due to lack of growth there and starts her own company.
She gets her first client but when she meets Dante, some things, such as how she got referred, don’t make sense. She reunites with Luca her childhood best friend/first love, contractor on Dante’s house, whom she hasn’t seen since the night of high school graduation, when he left without saying a word.
The story progresses and we see how morally grey Dante is.. there’s a reason why he’s called the Reaper, but where does Luca fit in??
There was moments in the story where I was like who is Ro gonna go with, Luca or Dante..
I loved the pace of the book!! And Shirley!!! She was such an amazing side character!!
The ending left my jaw hanging!!
Tropes:
🖤he falls first
🖤slow burn
🖤mafia romance
🖤morally grey MMC
🖤forced proximity
🖤instant attraction
Um Ali!! Ma’am!! What did you put in this?!
This one’s for readers who love a romantic mystery, mafia romance, with an obsessive/stalker MMC!!
I was hooked from the beginning! Ro’s inner monologue had me cracking up from the beginning!! I absolutely loved Ali’s writing, the pace was perfect for me..
This story follows Rose (Ro) Lusso who was abandoned at birth and put into foster care. she leaned at a young age that she’s going to have to fend for herself! She worked her ass off to become a prestigious interior designer.. she leaves the company she works for due to lack of growth there and starts her own company.
She gets her first client but when she meets Dante, some things, such as how she got referred, don’t make sense. She reunites with Luca her childhood best friend/first love, contractor on Dante’s house, whom she hasn’t seen since the night of high school graduation, when he left without saying a word.
The story progresses and we see how morally grey Dante is.. there’s a reason why he’s called the Reaper, but where does Luca fit in??
There was moments in the story where I was like who is Ro gonna go with, Luca or Dante..
I loved the pace of the book!! And Shirley!!! She was such an amazing side character!!
The ending left my jaw hanging!!
Tropes:
🖤he falls first
🖤slow burn
🖤mafia romance
🖤morally grey MMC
🖤forced proximity
🖤instant attraction
Review of advance copy received from Author
Roses are Royal is a slow-burn, romantic mystery that features a trio of viewpoints. It leaned heavily into the angst and a will they/won’t they. The story stands tall without the need for an open door that hinders the plot. The spice level would be a one, as we only have one closed-door scene, which feels rewarding instead of rushed for the sake of having those scenes.
The pacing in this book was top-notch; we have a steadily quicker-paced book, but it felt like the best speed for it. You’re learning while still adding new aspects, so there is that influx of payoffs and new information. Once we hit the heart of the book, and all the major reveals are out of the way, the pacing seems to get even faster, like a heartbeat.
The character development was solid; I saw the growth that can be easily tracked, and it was a great job at ensuring no one was neglected. That is always tough when you have multiple pov’s, but this was done well.
The ending did feel more open-ended, so there is that question of whether we are getting a series, or at least a duology. In conclusion, while this is not the typical book I would gravitate towards, I will still say that It’s a 4. It was good, and I enjoyed reading this.
The pacing in this book was top-notch; we have a steadily quicker-paced book, but it felt like the best speed for it. You’re learning while still adding new aspects, so there is that influx of payoffs and new information. Once we hit the heart of the book, and all the major reveals are out of the way, the pacing seems to get even faster, like a heartbeat.
The character development was solid; I saw the growth that can be easily tracked, and it was a great job at ensuring no one was neglected. That is always tough when you have multiple pov’s, but this was done well.
The ending did feel more open-ended, so there is that question of whether we are getting a series, or at least a duology. In conclusion, while this is not the typical book I would gravitate towards, I will still say that It’s a 4. It was good, and I enjoyed reading this.
Review of advance copy received from Author
⭐️4.5 rounded up.
🌶 1 of 5- for 2 passionate kissing scenes and 1 implied intimacy scene that faded to black.
⚠️ strong language, stalker.
❤️🔥 slow burn.
❤️🩹 betrayal.
🧔♂️👧🧔♂️ multiple POV.
📚 first in a series.
This was my first mafia romance and I was immediately sucked in! There is also a mystery plot and hidden identity. The pacing was good and held my interest. I loved the multi POVs. Everyone's inner dialogue was perfect.
One MMC is a total stalker and I kept thinking "this guy is a psycho, why do I like him so much? We must not have all the information..." Something is wrong with me and probably you because you'll like him too!
I loved it and will definitely be looking for book 2 when it comes out!
Thank you to the author for the ARC! These opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way.
🌶 1 of 5- for 2 passionate kissing scenes and 1 implied intimacy scene that faded to black.
⚠️ strong language, stalker.
❤️🔥 slow burn.
❤️🩹 betrayal.
🧔♂️👧🧔♂️ multiple POV.
📚 first in a series.
This was my first mafia romance and I was immediately sucked in! There is also a mystery plot and hidden identity. The pacing was good and held my interest. I loved the multi POVs. Everyone's inner dialogue was perfect.
One MMC is a total stalker and I kept thinking "this guy is a psycho, why do I like him so much? We must not have all the information..." Something is wrong with me and probably you because you'll like him too!
I loved it and will definitely be looking for book 2 when it comes out!
Thank you to the author for the ARC! These opinions are my own and I was not compensated in any way.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Instantly connected with Ro's internal babbling and word vomiting. Her spirals are so relateable and I found myself biting my lips together so many times to keep from laughing or smiling so hard! The banter between her and Dante is so entertaining. The story left you wondering many times if things would turn more in Luca's (Luc, Lucy) favor or Dante's. And I loved Shirley's character so much.
If you're into the "touch her and die" vibes, mysterious backstories, this one is worth giving a read. It isn't overly spicy or graphic, does have some little bursts of romance even early on (or at least earlier than most books I read.) Can't wait to see where this one goes!
If you're into the "touch her and die" vibes, mysterious backstories, this one is worth giving a read. It isn't overly spicy or graphic, does have some little bursts of romance even early on (or at least earlier than most books I read.) Can't wait to see where this one goes!
August 16, 2026
I received this book as an advanced copy to read by the author and all I can say is OMG!!!!! This is a slow burn (I would say semi-dark) romance story with Rose (Ro), Dante, and Luca. It leaves you wanting more without all the spicy romance, so you can make a real connection with all the characters, which is amazing. Shirley was a nice add to the mix as she really became a sounding board for Ro. I loved Rose would often “word vomit” when she feels out of place or nervous as I do the same thing lol. I can’t wait to read the second book when it comes out and I will be getting this one when it is released.
Review of advance copy received from Author
ARC Review
I can gush about the characters in this book. Rose is my favorite kind of FMC and I love the dynamic between her, Dante and Luca. The story is engaging and just reaffirms that dark romance can be great without the heavy spice. I highly recommend checking this one out when it releases!
I can gush about the characters in this book. Rose is my favorite kind of FMC and I love the dynamic between her, Dante and Luca. The story is engaging and just reaffirms that dark romance can be great without the heavy spice. I highly recommend checking this one out when it releases!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews