The Stalking King: An Obsessive Bratva Mafia Romance

by Flora Ferrari

A Bratva king has been watching me for months…
And I was never supposed to find out.

Maksim Volkov is the kind of man people cross the street to avoid.
Cold. Ruthless. Untouchable.

I’m just the nurse who treated him after a gunshot wound.
Or at least, that’s what I thought.

Until my phone lights up in the middle of the night.

Don’t move. Someone’s following you.

My blood runs cold.

How do you know?

His answer comes seconds later.

Because I’m following you too.

Turns out, Maksim has been watching me long before tonight.

He knows how I take my coffee.
How many hours I work.
How I smile before walking into a patient’s room, even when I’m barely holding myself together.

I should run from him.

Instead, this terrifying man does something no one has done since my brother died.

He sees me.
Behind the ruthless Bratva king is a man who makes me laugh over text. Who protects me without hesitation. Who looks at me like I'm the only good thing left in his brutal world.

And now someone else is watching me too.

Someone who thinks I have something worth killing for.

Maksim swears no one will touch me.

Because apparently the Bratva king has been keeping one more secret.

He isn't just watching me.

He's obsessed with me.

*The Stalking King is a steamy, obsessive Bratva mafia romance featuring a possessive alpha hero who will do anything to protect the woman he claims. This standalone romance has no cliffhanger and a guaranteed happily ever after.

Genres: Dark

293 pages, Kindle Edition

Published September 15, 2026

About the author

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Reviews

[Niki · Rating 5 out of 5]

He came in to the ER unconscious with a gun shot, no one knew who he was, but she was he first person that he saw when he opened his eyes. He has never forgot them either, while she thinks about who he was, he has been watching her along. When her life is put in danger he knows that he will do anything and everything to keep her safe.

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

[Wicked Ink Author Services · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the perfect kind of dark, obsessive read. 👀🖤 The stalking, possessiveness, and “you’re mine whether you like it or not” energy had me completely hooked.

It’s dark, spicy, and fast-paced with that deliciously unhinged MMC energy I love. If you’re into obsessive men, stalking, possessiveness, and dark romance, definitely add this one to your TBR! 🔥📖

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

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

[Jurae · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maksim can't get Liora out of his head so he watches her from afar. Now, she is in danger after protecting a patient's belongings and he has to make himself known to protect her.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. The story was interesting and filled with drama.

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

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stalking King is the first book in Texting the Bratva Series. A steamy, obsessive Bratva mafia romance featuring a possessive alpha hero who will do anything to protect the woman he claims. This standalone romance has no cliffhanger and a guaranteed happily ever after. A nurse discovers Bratva king Maskim Volkov has been secretly watching her for months, and when danger threatens, his obsessive protection turns onto an intense romance. An unputdownable and absorbing addicting read. An amazing written story with world building individuals and a twisty and complex storyline that captures the reader attention from the beginning and keeps you transfixed and on the edge of your seat and turning the pages until the end. Immerse yourself in this tantalizing mind-blowing rollercoaster ride filled with heart-stopping emotions, mystery, surprises, non-stop twists and turns, mystery, high-octane adventures, scorching hot panty-melting passion and pulse-pounding drama.

Tropes:
✔️Action & Adventure Romance
☠️☠️Dark Mafia Romance
✔️Contemporary Romance
💀💀Organize Crime Thriller Story
✔️Protective Alpha Hero Story
👀👁Stalking Possessive Hero
✔️Aged Gap Trope Story
☠️☠️Bratva Romance a
✔️Taboo Romance
✔️Opposite Attracts Story
✔️Possessiveness, Obsession
✔️Loss, Grief, Trauma
Liora Quinn a.k.a. Lia is an overworked nurse who have spent the last couple of years trying to hold everything together for mom and herself after loss of her brother. Her mom buried herself in the grief of her son and became a shell of a woman, leaving Lia no choice but bury herself in multiple jobs and not thinking about herself. Maskim Volkov is the Bratva king of the Volkov family in Washington DC. He came into the ER one night with a gun shot wound and was unconscious and she was his nurse. When he awakes she was the first person who he saw. He was intrigued and attracted by her. And after that he became obsessed with her and decided to start stalking her.
Unbeknowing to Lia the Bratva king has been watching her for months and she was never supposed to find out. Maskim Volkov is the kind of man people cross the street to avoid. Cold. Ruthless. Untouchable. She doesn't understand his obsession because she's was just the nurse who treated him after a gunshot wound, or at least that's what she thought. Until her phone light up in the middle of the night one day. The voice said don't move someone's following you. Lia blood runs cold, she asked him how did he know? He answered because I'm following you. As turns out Maskim has been watching her long before tonight. He's so obsessed with her that knows how she takes her coffee. How many hours she works. How she smiles before walking into a patient's room, even when she's barely holding it together herself. She knows that she should run from him because his obsession with her is crazy.
Instead, this terrifying man does something to her that no one has ever done since her brother died. He sees her, and behind the ruthless Bratva king is a man who makes her laugh over text. Who protects her without hesitation. Who looks at her like she's the only good thing left in his brutal world. And now someone else is watching her too. Someone who thinks that she have something worth killing for. And Maskim swears that no one will ever touch her. Because apparently the Bratva king has been keeping one more secret. He wasn't just watching her. He's obsessed with her. Has the lines blurs with them and she ventures in his dark world trouble surrounds them causing things to get tense. When someone shows came to the hospital claiming to be the FBI to retrieve her brother's old phone.
It was the same one that Maskim had tried to get after the FBI left. Maskim have a lot of his enemies who's trying to steal his territory and businesses. These two chemistry is magnetic, electrifying and scorching hot. Lia is sassy, challenging, beautiful and talented. They constantly clash, she doesn't make it easy for him inspite of her feeling seen and protected. They're totally opposite, she's light in his darkness. His salvation and air. A story of betrayals, deception, lies, bloodsheed, violence, retaliation, rivalry, revelations, family dysfunction, power struggle, witty banter, spice, humor, dominance, submission, loss, grief, attempted murder, consensual intense rough sex, secrets, tension, love and so much more.

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

[kymagirl · Rating 5 out of 5]

He watched her in secret, then became the one place she could finally let go.

Lia has spent years holding everything together. She works too much, carries grief she rarely admits, and buries her own needs beneath everyone else's. Then Maksim enters her life, a ruthless Bratva king who knows her habits, her exhaustion, and the quiet moments she thought belonged only to her.

Finding out he's been watching her should make walking away easy. Instead, anger collides with the realization that Maksim sees the parts of her everyone else misses. His obsession crosses lines, but so does the intensity of his attention, leaving Lia caught between what she should reject and how deeply she wants to be seen.

As attraction turns physical, Lia begins letting go of the control she clings to everywhere else. Maksim is possessive and dominant, but she forces him to confront the difference between taking control and being trusted with it. The closer they become, the harder it is to separate desire from danger, or obsession from care.

When Maksim's violent world closes around them, their connection becomes more than lust or fascination. Lia has to decide how much darkness she can accept without losing herself, while Maksim faces something harder than protecting her: respecting her choices when every instinct tells him to claim, control, and keep.

Lia slowly admits that she wants tenderness, pleasure, protection, and the freedom to let someone else carry her weight. Maksim moves from possessive fixation toward vulnerable devotion, learning that her surrender means more when it's freely given. Together, they turn attraction into trust, caretaking, and mutual obsession.

An ultra-steamy, age gap, stalker, possessive hero, Bratva romance steeped in obsession, dominance, danger, grief, trust, and surrender. It’s about being fully seen, learning the difference between possession and devotion, and finding intimacy in the uneasy space where control gives way to choice.

The Elevator Pitch: An exhausted nurse who has spent years carrying everyone else discovers that the ruthless man she once treated has been secretly watching her, and his obsession is far more intimate than she ever imagined. As danger from his criminal world closes around them, anger, attraction, and the unsettling relief of being truly seen pull her deeper into a bond built on protection, surrender, and trust neither of them expected to offer. He has spent a lifetime mastering control, but loving her may be the one thing powerful enough to change what kind of man he chooses to become.

Heat Level: 🔥🔥🔥 Ultra-Steamy / Erotic Romance

[Shawna · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 🖤🔥 Obsessive Bratva King + Protective Stalker = Completely Addictive! 👑❤️‍🔥

I absolutely loved The Stalking King! Lia and Maksim had me hooked from the beginning, but the moment he texts her that someone is following her and she asks how he knows—only for him to admit he’s following her too—I was DONE. 😂😳🔥 What an opening to their relationship!

Maksim is exactly the kind of over-the-top obsessive hero I expect from Flora Ferrari. He’s cold, ruthless, dangerous, and feared by everyone around him, but when it comes to Lia, he’s completely different. 🖤👑 The fact that he’s been watching her long enough to know her coffee order, her work schedule, and all the little things nobody else notices about her made his obsession even more intense.

I also loved that Lia originally knew Maksim simply as the man she treated after he was shot. Finding out just how much attention he’s been paying to her since then changes everything. 😍 And underneath all that scary Bratva king energy is a man who can actually make her laugh and who sees the parts of her that everyone else misses. 🥹❤️

Then there’s the added danger of realizing Maksim isn’t the only person watching Lia. 👀🔥 Once another threat appears, his protective side goes into overdrive. There was absolutely no doubt that anyone trying to hurt Lia was going to have one very dangerous Bratva king to deal with.

I loved the combination of suspense, danger, texting, possessiveness, and unexpected emotional moments. Watching this terrifying man become completely obsessed with the one woman who brings some light into his brutal world was exactly what I wanted. 🖤❤️‍🔥

Bratva king, nurse heroine, protective stalker, touch-her-and-die vibes, obsession, suspense, and a dangerous man who falls HARD—yes to all of it! 🔥👑🖤

Definitely 5 stars! ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐.

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

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Flora Ferrari delivers an absolute masterclass in the mafia romance genre with The Stalking King, a gripping 300-page contemporary romance that will leave you completely breathless. This mature, high-stakes book perfectly blends the dark allure of a mafia kingdom with an intense age gap and an unapologetically stalking/possessive hero who will steal your heart.

The story follows a nurse who believes she simply treated a cold, ruthless, and untouched Bratva king, Maksim Volkov, after a gunshot wound. But everything changes in the middle of the night with a terrifying text: "Don’t move. Someone’s following you." When she asks how he knows, his chilling, thrilling response sets the tone for the entire book: "Because I’m following you too."

What follows is a beautiful, deeply emotional journey. Maksim has been watching her for months—knowing how she takes her coffee, her grueling work hours, and how she forces a smile despite her inner grief after losing her brother. Instead of running, she discovers that behind the terrifying Bratva monster is a man who makes her laugh over text, protects her without hesitation, and truly sees her. When a dangerous outside threat targets her, Maksim makes it clear that he isn't just watching her—he is entirely obsessed, leading readers on a thrilling ride toward a guaranteed, hard-earned HEA (Happily Ever After).

Flora Ferrari proves once again why she is an extraordinary author, effortlessly weaving intense possessiveness with profound emotional depth to create an unforgettable, fast-paced romantic escape.

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

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Stalking King is an exciting Bratva romance that follows Maksim Volkov a Ruthless King who has found the woman that completes him only she doesn’t know it yet.
Liora Quinn was a nurse who had treated the man for a gunshot wound and she never knew who he was because as soon as her back was turned he left the hospital.
But he can’t ever forget Liora and soon becomes her stalker.
Thing get tense when someone shows up at the hospital claiming to be FBI and trying to retrieve a phone. The same one Maksim tries to lay claim to a short time later, but can’t. But at least he was able to see Lia in person again.
A good story begins to unravel with drama, Bratva intrigue, family dynamics, surprises, danger, spice, emotion, and passion.
Maksim has a lot going on with a competitor trying to take over his business which was how he ended up shot for letting his guard down. Now he has to worry about Lia being pulled into his mess too.
Enjoyed the writing and narrative which was bold and energetic as Maksim finally gives in to his desire for Lia.
Well crafted characters provided an entertaining, suspenseful read. HEA.

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

[Rozebudzz · Rating 1 out of 5]

Lia and Maksim

Both main characters are not likable. Lia is always morally outraged about something. She’s also an emotional martyr. Her life is all about working two shifts and taking care of her mother who checked out after the death of her son. She sacrifices all her time and energy to others who don’t really care about her. But she feels compelled to do it because she has nothing else. I see her as a future cat lady.

But somehow Maksim finds her attractive and stalks her for months. He’s obsessed. She’s the complete opposite of him. They clash, they bicker, especially after she finds out just how much he’s been watching her. She stays morally outraged at everything he does to keep her safe.

There’s a central mystery involving a phone and a rival and danger to Lia. The plot drags for most of the book, then everything ends in a rush. It’s all anticlimactic.

These two have very little chemistry. No romance. The steamy scenes are lukewarm. I’m not convinced there’s really an HEA. Not continuing this series.

[Siobhan D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maksim used of people jumping at his words, never questioning and answering back is not allowed. That is until a curvy nurse called Lia, looks him in the eye tells him to behave. The is completely lost after that. The big Bravia King finds himself becoming a stalker and daydreaming. Lia is a woman that carries the world on her shoulders. Not just her grief of the loss of her brother but also her mother’s who can’t let the loss , loosen.
The chemistry is hot , finding the only way these two can talk is via text and that is getting hot and heavy.
Trust me you will love both of them, darkness and light and both showing the other what matters.
Betrayal so close to home, danger, family, angst, drama and pure hot romance.

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

[_TheKArchive_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book had spice, thrill, heartstring-pulling moments, relatability, betrayal, and so much more! Love a good mafia man!

It’s a quick read, but oh so good! The character development was amazing—especially for only 300 pages. You get pieces of the characters backgrounds throughout the book exactly when you need them, instead of everything being dumped on you at once.

Lia and Maksim are complete opposites, but they complement each other so well! The sass and banter between them was amazing. Lia started off strong and stayed that way. She was never portrayed as weak, even though she constantly put others before herself, and she never backed down from anyone.
Maksim is the obsessive, ruthless, and cold mafia man who sees Lia for who she really is beneath the mask she shows everyone else—and I ate it up!

[De Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dealing in Data.
Incredible. I honestly started to skip paragraphs in the book (many times) but, every single time I wanted to something would happen that if I skipped anything I’d be lost. This was an absolutely fantastic story. Lia gives so much of herself to everyone else, including her grief stricken mom, that she never has time for herself. She “meets” Maksim as one of her ER patients then he vanishes before he can be treated. Unbeknownst to her he’s been watching her. Obsessed is an extremely mild word for what he feels for his Light. (You’ll have to read to understand why he calls her that.) She innocently ends up entangled in his world and he will NOT let anything happen to her. But, when one of Maksim‘s own betrays him and put Lia’s life in danger the gloves come off.

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

[RxReads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this one! Maksim is exactly the kind of intense, possessive hero I expect from Flora Ferrari. The fact that he’s been watching her for months is definitely over the top, but it works perfectly for this kind of mafia romance. I loved their texting and how we get to see a softer, almost playful side of him that no one else gets. Their chemistry was great, and once the danger picked up, I was hooked. Maksim is completely obsessed with keeping her safe, and I loved that protective energy. It was spicy, suspenseful, and easy to get lost in. Another fun Flora Ferrari read! ❤️🔥.

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

[Trey · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maksim and Lia made a great couple, and I really enjoyed watching their relationship develop. Maksim is cold and ruthless on the outside but surprisingly protective and caring with her, which made him a great Bratva hero.

There’s plenty of suspense, danger, chemistry and protective moments to keep the story moving. I loved the characters and the storyline, and it was an easy, engaging read from beginning to end.

Definitely an enjoyable Bratva romance and one I’d recommend to fans of the genre!.

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

[K T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lia & Maksim's story is fast paced & a fun read! I enjoyed seeing how theur story played out.

I enjoyed their texting & flirty banter & that he fell first (he was obsessed with her).

The book is told in a dual 1st person POV.

Spice level 3/5

*Bratva romance
*Mafia romance
*he's a Bratva king
*he stalked her for months
*he falls first
*he sees her
*age gap
*stalking
*possessive Alpha hero MMC
*she works in the medical field


Thank you to the author (Flora Ferrari) & Booksprout for the ARC. All opinions are my own.

[Sandy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I enjoyed the story and how, with every interaction, the protagonists fall for each other.
Knowing the hero's age, it is nice to see for a change that the heroine is not in her twenties. I am not sure what to think about the heroine; is she bold, fierce, and brave—which is admirable—or reckless in the way she stands against dangerous men?
While reading, I wondered how long the situation of protecting her would last, how the danger would escalate, and how, despite being protected, she would still be endangered.

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

[Danee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of an advance copy received from the author.



We have received another beautiful story that takes us into the lives of Maksims and Lia. She once saved his life, and that was the beginning of his obsession with her. They are polar opposites, but that doesn't bother him. He keeps an eye on her from the shadows and protects her when necessary. A beautiful story with plenty of suspense, action, danger, romance, and enough steam.




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

[Mary · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an addictive read that is fast paced and a little in the morally grey area. I enjoyed every bit of the story. The story is about Lia and Maksim. He is fierce, over the top, protective and he really sees the true her. He is stalking her but it is almost sweet. She is a nurse who treated him after a gun shot wound. She works really hard, suffers from the grief and loss, but continues to care for everyone but her. She did not even realize who and what Maksim is. I enjoyed the suspense, action, danger and all other aspects of the story.

[Linda Bonanno · Rating 4 out of 5]

Flora Ferrari has been a favorite author of mine for some time now. She knows how to grab onto her readers from the 1st page to the last. The story of Maksim and Lia is about obsession. Maksim has a gun shot and Lia is the nurse that treats him and he becomes obsessed with her, watches her, follows her but doesn't make a move until someone else tries to hurt her. Then he steps in and takes over. You will be sorry if you miss this one!.

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

[Merry Jelks-Emmanuel · Rating 5 out of 5]

She's the nurse in charge when he comes to in the hospital that has sparks igniting in a man who doesn't do feelings. The connection is intense and starts their path. His obsession will lead to the revelation of another man following with the intent of danger. Will Maksim be able to keep Lia safe and find a path to happiness along the way. This heartfelt story had me all caught up in their journey.

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

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

Maksim became obsessed with nurse Lia after she nursed his gunshot wound, hes watched her, and now when someone else starts following her, he makes his presence known, texting and protecting her, but can he bring her i to his dark life when shes dedicated to saving lives. Well written engaging steamy desires drama action and more.

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

[Sinful Bookwyrm · Rating 4 out of 5]

When the romance girls say they want a man who will burn the world down for them, they are talking about Maksim Volkov. They want a man who keeps in the shadows and keeps them safe. but knows when to step out and let them know they are their one and only. i loved it and can't wait to read more. So swoon worthy in the book world.

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

[Terra Oenning · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is absolutely fantastic and will definitely have you hooked from the beginning until the end and sitting on the edge of your seat. Maxism is bratva of DC and when he is taken to a hospital its lia who turns his dark world into light but when someone is out to take him down can he save Lia, great book with all the right feels and so much more.

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

[Melanie J · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good book. Started out a little slow but the story was good. There were some unexpected jogs in the storyline that I didn’t anticipate but overall I enjoyed the book. Maksim and Lia have managed to get help for her mom which lightens her load and gives their relationship the chance to build and strengthen. Nick has a lot to make up for and a lot of growing up to do.

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

[Mindy Lopez · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is Book 1 in the Texting the Bratva Series by this author. It is a dark mafia romance between nurse Liora and Bratva king Maksim. These flawed but likeable souls and the unique plot make for an interesting read. It is a slow burn love story with drama and steam, sexual tension and chemistry, danger and suspense, and twists and turns, plus appealing secondary characters. Quite an intense page turner.

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

[Jet · Rating 5 out of 5]

Watching Maksim transition from a man completely shut off from emotion to a possessive protector who will burn the world down to keep Lia safe creates an incredible, heart-pounding momentum. You'll be completely caught up in their journey from their very first hospital meeting to the final, hard-fought happy ending!.

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

[DEBBIE GG · Rating 4 out of 5]

i couldn’t put this book down. oh my gosh did this story had a little of everything. it’s not good when one obsessed stalker calls to let you know you have another stalker. a plot with twists and raw emotions and character that are very well written. i really enjoyed this story I received a free copy of this book and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[CJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author has given us an older man/younger woman story that pulls us into the lives of Lia and Maksim. The heart pounding story keeps us turning the pages with instant obsession, stalking, secrets, day, betrayal and steam.

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

[Catherine Ramirez Leon · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Stalking King delivered the dangerous intensity I wanted, with a commanding central romance and tension that stays high throughout. The dark atmosphere and determined characters made the story fly by. An absorbing five-star read for anyone who enjoys obsessive heroes and high-stakes romance.

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

[Tiffany · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book. Maksim is the head of the brava in DC and when he sees Lia a nurse again he knows he can't let her go. Will he be able to protect her when her life is in danger? Will she stick with him when she learns who he really is?.

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