Bad Husband

by Sam Crescent

Chiara Volpi was accused of betraying her husband.

Marco could have killed her.

Instead, he banished her.

Stripped of her name, her marriage, and everything she’d ever known, Chiara disappears into the tiny town of No Point. There, waiting tables and answering to no one, she discovers something she never expected.

Freedom.

Then Marco learns the truth.

His wife was innocent.

Now the powerful older man who cast her aside wants her back—and Marco Volpi isn’t accustomed to being told no.

But Chiara has no intention of returning to the husband who destroyed her, or the mafia life she finally escaped. If Marco wants another chance, he’ll have to prove he’s willing to give up more than his pride.

He’ll have to give up everything.

Leaving the Bove mafia is nearly impossible. Surviving the price of freedom might be even harder.

But Marco already lost his wife once.

He won’t lose her again.

Genres: Second Chance, Romance

139 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 6, 2026

About the author

Sam Crescent is passionate about fiction. She loves a good erotic romance and so it only made sense for her to spread her wings and start writing. She began writing in 2009 and finally got that first acceptance in 2011 by Total-E-Bound.
She loved creating new characters and delving into the worlds that she creates. When she’s not panicking about a story or arguing with a character, she can be found in her kitchen creating all kinds of havoc. Like her stories the creations in the kitchen can be just as dubious but sometimes things turn out great.

Reviews

[Fiction Junkie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I didn't feel the connection between the characters, at all. I dont know that I'd be able to forgive what he did.
Good read.
No cheating.
Blip of ow drama as his friend is the reason she was tortured. Blip of om that grabbed her.
Separations- 6 months off page, then a few weeks while he was getting free.
Epilogue- 5 years.
HEA-Married with kids and pregnant.

[Cécile · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one sounded good,so i decided to give it a go,but sadly i didn’t really get what i was hoping for.
Don’t get me wrong,the author did her best,but i didn’t get the feels i wanted to.
Marco was a mafia man that didn’t think twice about having his wife tortured when he thought she’d betrayed him.
“Lucky” for him,Chiara’s father convinced him not to kill her,because it turned out she was as innocent as she claimed to be.
But getting her to come back would take more effort than he’d expected…..and a lot of groveling.
She had a backbone,as well as a place where she was happy,and she wasn’t about to return home.
After Marco had recovered from the shock,he did do his best to change her mind.
And he did it by staying where she was,by working along side her.
She held back for a good while before forgiving him,but in the end she did.

The tension was there at the start,and the groveling after was convincing.
But,as i said,i didn’t get the feels i was hoping for.
The outcome was predictable,they both admitted to still loving eachother.
So,there wasn’t any real tension except for the fact of what to do with the fact that he was a mafia man,and she wanted out of that life.
I know others did enjoy it,so i guess it was a case of “it’s me”
Oh well,onto the next story…..

[Traci · Rating 4 out of 5]

My notes

Marco - leads Bove mafia

Chiara - raised in loving home even though it’s mafia

Opens with her being tortured. They’d been married a year and he received information she was a traitor. Even sleeping with the enemy. It’s bothering him to have her hurt because he was falling for her. Her father Angelo
suggests banishing her with no money or way to defend herself. Angelo doesn’t believe she did it so this way he doesn’t have the guilt of killing her if they find it’s not true. His last words after holding his gun to her forehead“if I see you again I’ll kill you.”

Six months later Marco finally asks an IT guy to look at the videos. He sees right off they are fake. Not sure why it took him so long. He wants to find Chiara.

Chiara is living in a tiny town called No Point. The diner owner took pity on her thinking she was running from an abusive husband. She’s built a simple life.

Marco finds her and won’t take no for an answer.

[Mina · Rating 2 out of 5]

I mean, dude left the mafia for her? Is that considered good groveling?
Well, he did have her attacked and kicked out.
Very robotic relationship, bad dialogue, but maybe good groveling?

[Ꭿຖᥲ·♡ ྀི · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

2.5✯

-dual POV
-MCS have been married for a year (arranged marriage)
-slow burn
-no cheating
-H former hoe/celibate after meeting h
-h was a virgin
-the stupid hero thought the h had betrayed him - he needed a confession out her so he ordered his men to interrogate her, they punched her in the face while he watched, then he pressed his gun against her temple but in the end he decided to just banish her... 6 months later the idiot realized that his wife hadn't betrayed him, I thought his reaction after learning the truth was pretty underwhelming, and then when he found out the way she was living he seriously thought that she would be so happy to see him that she'd throw herself into his arms 🤦🏼‍♀️, I was so glad when she kicked him out of her trailer... he was so used to women obeying him and falling over themselves to be with him that it took him a while to understand why his wife wasn't doing what she was told, he thought she was just being stubborn... he made big changes when it finally clicked that she wasn't going to forgive him so easily
-ow - one of his friends was the one who betrayed him, she was working for his enemy and wanted the h out of the picture so she could have him (he considered the woman a sister, there was never anything romantic between them)
-epilogue: 5 years later -married with 2 kids and another on the way

[Lisa Bing · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a fab and engaging read that has a loving wife shown as betraying her hubby. Marco believed the evidence about his wife brought before him, and decides to banish her, instead of ending her, because he loves her. Hmm... Chiara did not betray her hubby, and thanks to the generosity of strangers, she gets help, a safe place to live and a job to start her new journey. I love how she embraced her lot and gave her all to that new life. When Marco finds out he was wrong, well, he figured a few words would put him back her in good books. Ha! Even her father made him own up to what he did. On his own. This really was a gripping second chance romance and I do love that Marco had to earn his place back in her life. So good and I can't wait for what's next by this author :D

[Joanne Farley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fantastic read from Sam Crescent. This book had it all, Bove Mafia, betrayal, drama, treachery and a grovel that had me cheering. I read this on one sitting.
Marco is a flawed man growing up in the mafia world will do that to you. Chiara grew up in the same world, and she has a spine of steal.
Marco and Chiara are in an arranged marriage that has started to feel real for both of them. When Marco receives email making it look like Chiara has betrayed him, he has her tortured to make her admit her guilt. Chiara has done nothing wrong and no matter what Marco’s men do to her she will not say that she did even at the risk of death.
Marco does not have the will to have her killed so he banishes her instead. When the truth comes to light, he is crushed and floundering trying to win his wife back from a life that she has fallen in love with.
Yeah, this is a dark book but there are some funny parts as well. It is fast paced with plenty of drama as well as plenty of grovelling. There are some cute dogs thrown in for good measure. A quick read that is more than worth it.

[Booklover · Rating 0.25 out of 5]

Awful writing, dumb plot, dumb characters.

[Lyndsay L · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chiara had an arranged marriage with Marco and she thought things were going well. It was a struggle at times but she was falling for her husband and happy. She never thought that he would not trust her and have her beaten and then banned from the mafia to be dropped off in the middle of no where with no money and no way to survive. She lost her father and everything that she had. Now she was in a small town and a if it wasn't for her new boss who decided to take her in and give her a job and help her out she wouldn't have made it. As time has slowly gone by the townspeople are slowly accepting her and she never wants to go back or see the people that had believed the worst of her. Marco had been falling for his beautiful wife when he was handed evidence of her being a traitor. He had secretly been investigating the videos and things after he had banished Chiara, but he would have never thought that he was wrong. Now he was determined to get his wife back, but she wants absolutely nothing to do with him, and rightfully so. Chiara refuses to go back to that world and her husband why would she want to hand them another opportunity to destroy her life again. This was well-written and a heart breaking story of two people that love each other but have so much to overcome before they can ever think of being happy. This author always does such a good job on these types of stories she has a way of making you be mad at a character with such feeling and then you find yourself liking them again after much grovelling and proving themselves to the one they love. This is a must read!

[Taylor T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Marco is part of the Bove Mafia and is known to be ruthless. He receives emails that have incriminating photos and videos of his wife with their enemy. He immediately has her taken, beaten for hours, and wants to kill her. Her father came in and talked him into banishing her instead. He never let her explain or try to defend herself. When she was tortured she never gave anything away and always said she was innocent. He threatened to kill her if he ever saw her again. Chiara was different than other mafia women. She was kind, thoughtful, and loving. They had a rough start to their marriage but for the last year it had been great. She had fallen in love with her husband. After being beaten, her husband’s men dropped her off in the middle of nowhere without money and just left. She was so broken it took months to heal, but now she loves living simply and being alone. After six months, Marco finds out the videos were fake, and goes to get his wife. She wants nothing to do with him. He betrayed her and almost killed her. She will never forgive him. At first, I didn’t like Marco. After everything he did he expected his wife to jump in his arms and be thankful he came. When she didn’t do that and wanted a divorce, he was impatient with her. He does finally work for months to get her back. He also finally understands what he did and the damage he caused. I don’t know if I would have forgiven him, but at least Chiara was no doormat and made him really work for it!.

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

[Rosie | xo.rosiereads · Rating 3 out of 5]

This one sounded like my kind of book, so I dove in. Sadly, I didn’t come out with what I was hoping for. The author clearly gave it her all, but the feels never showed up, and the characters had about as much chemistry as two strangers sharing an elevator.

Marco is a mafia man who didn’t think twice about having his wife, Chiara, tortured when he believed she’d betrayed him. Her father talked him out of killing her, because, surprise, she was exactly as innocent as she’d said. Oops.

Getting her back turned out to be harder than Marco expected. Chiara had a spine and a new place where she was actually happy, and she had no plans to come home. Once Marco got over the shock, he moved to where she was and worked alongside her to win her back. She made him sweat for a good while, but eventually she forgave him.

Honestly, I’m not sure I could have. That brings me to my biggest problem: when Marco learned the truth, his reaction was strangely flat for a man who’d just had his innocent wife tortured. The tension was there at the start, but the groveling never convinced me, and the relationship felt robotic from start to finish. I need more groveling. Beyond the obvious question of what to do about his mafia life when she wanted out, there wasn’t much suspense. The ending was predictable: they both admit they never stopped loving each other, and that’s that.

[Nathalie DeSousa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great book by Sam Crescent. This is a story of a marriage of convenience turned to love only to be self sabottaged leading them to finding a way to recuperate the relationship back.

Marco and Chiara Volpi were an arranged marriage made to strengthen the mafia, but turned into love and devotion until a trap convinces him, the Don, that she has not been loyal to her vows. Marco is hurt and treats her as another of her enemies, even when she is innocent. His love doesn't allow him to kill her chosing to vanish her instead.
But when he finds out that the his insecurities made him fall into the trap set to destroy his marriage, he will do the impossible to get her back.

Chiara wants nothing to do with Marco after he left her beaten and hurt. She is strong and rebuilt her life surrounded with simplicity and a sense of peace. WHen Marco arrives to get her back, she wil show him that she will never be the mafia wife again. And it is time for him to show that he is able to reach her in her new world also learning that peace and his wife are what he also needs to go on

A great read!.

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

[Jan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chiara was innocent of what her husband said. She would never cheat on him. She was banished from him and her father. She was left with just her life. With nothing, she was able to start over and find freedom from the mob. Marco was a fool. He should have not let his anger jade what was right in front of him. Chiara was innocent of everything. Now he wants her back. Chiara isn’t going back. She wants nothing from him but a divorce. Marco isn’t about to let his wife go again. He will make this right.

I have to say Marco was a fool. Why he didn’t have the video checked before he even confronted her was so sad. He broke Chiara. She no longer trusted him or her father. They were both supposed to protect her. I can definitely understand her wanting a divorce. Marco hurt her deeply. Now he will have to walk a mile in her shoes and know what it feels like before she even thinks about giving him a second chance. I have to say, her asking him to give it all up was surprising. I didn’t even think they could do that. But Marco would do anything to be with her, even give up a part of his flesh for it.

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

[Carole · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bad Husband is a spicy Mafia romance whose MMC Marco Volpi is currently having his wife FMC Chiara interrogated, accused of betrayal, and through it all maintains her innocence to the last.
When her father shows up he convinces Marco to banish her instead of killing because if she is innocent he will never forgive himself.
Six months pass and Marco still remembers the day he received the incriminating videos of his wife with the enemy. Yet something had happened recently that would have pointed to her but she wasn’t there, so who?
Ending up in the small town of No Point with nothing, Chiara was slowly putting her life back together. She may not be a Bove Mafia Princess anymore but she was free.
But when Marco finally learns his wife was innocent there is going to be hell to pay!
I enjoyed this spicy romance and how Marco had to do some groveling when he finally finds Chiara, who is quite happy where she is.
Good writing, drama, betrayal, Mafia dynamics, enemies, emotion, and passion made for an entertaining narrative with Marco left with one choice his wife or the Mafia.
HEA.

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

[Catia Santiago · Rating 3.5 out of 5]

Finally, a FMC that isn't a doormat. Problem number one, I felt the whole action falling short. There was something about their relationship that just didn’t ring true. She wanted nothing to do with him; she wanted her freedom. His solution was to camp out right next to her, with a pack of animals at his feet. It felt to me like the plot focused too much on the "I want you back" aspect and not enough on the actual story. At one point, I thought there might be some other action—involving Heather and her companion—but that didn’t happen either. I get the impression that the author focuses heavily on certain elements while leaving others by the wayside, almost as if they were an afterthought.

The bikers also just showed up to get a beating—and ten men against one, at that... There’s just no justice anymore.

While I was pleased to read a story by this author—for the first time—where the female character has the courage to go after what she wants, I really wish she would vary her stories a bit. It’s the same old thing, over and over again.

[Elena Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bad Husband is an emotionally charged second-chance romance set against the dangerous world of the Bove mafia. Chiara Volpi is accused of betraying her husband, Marco, and banished from the life she once knew. Forced to start over in the small town of No Point, she gradually discovers the freedom and independence that were missing from her marriage. When Marco learns that she was innocent, he wants her back, but Chiara has no intention of returning to the man who destroyed her sense of security.

The novel explores betrayal, pride, forgiveness, and the difficult work of rebuilding trust. Marco must confront the consequences of his actions and consider what he is willing to sacrifice to regain Chiara's love, while the dangers of leaving the mafia add another layer of tension to their story. This 139-page Kindle edition may appeal to readers who enjoy dramatic mafia romance, determined heroines, powerful heroes, and second-chance relationships that demand more than declarations of love.

[Stormy Shadows · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC Review—BookSprout
Star Rating: 4⭐️
Pub Date: Oct 6, 2026
Genre: Dark/Mafia Romance
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

I really enjoyed this from beginning to end. This has a lot of betrayal and drama, I really loved Chiara, she was so strong and she was great. Marco and Chiara had an arranged marriage and has been married for a year and suddenly Chiara is being interrogated by her husband and his men because of video footage that shows her supposedly “betraying” the Bove Mafia.. she gets banished from the mafia and she goes out on her own and makes a life for herself in a nowhere place called No Point. 6 months after she left, Marco knows he messed up and goes to Chiara and the groveling starts from there and he tries everything to win her back. They had sexy moments that were spicy but I felt like the “second chance” was a bit too sudden. I wanted a bit more between the two of them there were definitely cute moments that I loved! I just felt like it was a bit short lived. Still a great read!

[Danee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of an advance copy received from the author.




Wow, what a Mafia novel this was. We are taken into the lives of Chiara and Marco. Marco thinks Chiara is behind him being branded the traitor to the Mafia, and not only that, but also that he is an adulterer. Before he finds out that Chiara was innocent, it is too late, because in the meantime he has had her abused, banished, and stripped of everything she owned.
Although Chiara has been through a lot due to the banishment, she is not broken and experienced a new feeling: freedom and no longer living according to the rules of the Mafia. Marco does everything he can to win her back and does not let the word "no" stop him. Can Marco win her back, and will she grant him a second chance?





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

[Shelly Brown · Rating 4 out of 5]

So, this one is different than most of the author's mafia books. She normally allows the main male character some bit of redeeming qualities at least as far as the female lead goes. This one threw that all out the window. Chiara grew up in the world. Even so she seemed a bit immature. She's set up but still won't confess. Marco was a cold hearted, brutal man who thought he loved his wife. He was still played easily. He didn't double check the evidence and that costs him. Personally, I don't like it when those in the inner circles "leave". I received a free copy of this book via Evernight and am voluntarily leaving a review.

[Lisa Parker · Rating 5 out of 5]

Capo Marco Volpi was in love with his wife but when he is sent videos of her betraying him, he has her beat, he could have killed her but banishes her instead. Months later Marco learns it was all faked and believes he can go pick up his wife. Chiara has been living in No Point, waitressing not having to be a certain way, she now has freedom. She wants nothing to do with her husband, now he knows she was innocent.

Marco knows he cannot live without her and has to work to get her to forgive him, even if it requires him to leave the mafia. Marco will have to decide what he wants more.

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

[Jenni · Rating 5 out of 5]

When Chiara is accused of betraying her mafia husband Marco, his rage leads him to nearly k*lling her instead her father gets him to banish her, a freedom Chiara takes and doesnt look back. But when Marco learns shes innocent, he goes to get his wife back. Only Chiaras made a life for herself, shes free and she has no plans of going back to the mafia, let alone her husband. But Marco wont give up, will he make the ultimate sacrifice for a chance with the one woman he's always loved. Well written engaging steamy desires drama action and more

[Karen · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Dark Mafia Read

Filled with intense emotions, I love how Marco has to grovel to make things right. Chiara is not the same person he threw out and left to her own devices, she’s stronger, free and nothing will make her give it up!

With some swoon-worth moments, this entertaining read will grab you from the first as you become engrossed in the storyline and emotions, proving that if you fight hard enough, you can win the love of your life and have the life you never even dreamed about.

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

[Shelley · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a wild ride! I have read other novels by this author and enjoyed them. This novel did not disappoint. From the first chapter I was sucked in and the novel kept my attention until the last page. My heart hurt for Chiara and all she went thru because of her husband not having faith in her. Marco let some horrible things happen to her because he thought she had betrayed him. He had to work really hard for redemption to win her back after all he did. Once I started reading I didn't want to put this novel down. I can hardly wait to see what this author has coming next.

[Margarida · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just love everything that Sam Crescent writes; in this case, I think there was too much story for the length of the short novel.

There was so much happening in moving the plot forward, the connection between the two characters just got lost in the plot. What was written, was brilliant, there are funny moments, lovely dogs and moments that make you sigh. But elements that were just a bit too rushed for me and I just felt this story deserved more.

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

[Sinful Bookwyrm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this one, for a few reasons, first of the people who actually did bad, were caught and dealt with fast. There was none of this "give another chance " It was you did me wrong now bye. I loved our FMC and her fight for her place away from the mob. Her not giving into the " Im sorry" and making him work for it. And finally it had me cracking up with him in his uniform. I love the humor this had.

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

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What another great read by Sam Crescent. This is a story of Marco and Chiara, a marriage of convenience, that was sabotaged and led Marco to banish her from the mafia life she was accustomed to. Realizing that her betrayal was a lie by a family friend, he tries to win her back. Will Marco ever be forgiven for his actions against Chiara?.

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

[Trixie · Rating 5 out of 5]

That was a wonderfully heartfelt grovel—and the longest one I’ve read—but I really enjoyed it. I wondered how our MCs would find their happily ever after, and the ending left me feeling satisfied. The MMC truly put in the effort to win her, giving up the life he’d always known for her. That’s the power of love.

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

[ObsessiveReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

Setup to look like a traitor to the mafia and cheating on her husband, Marco has Chiara beaten and then banished. Finding out he was played and she was innocent has him finding her and trying to win her back.

Being banished didn't break Chiara. She finds a life what isn't easy but she prefers it to what she lived with under the mafia.

[Tina Howell · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a quick novella but so much happens in so little time. Marco makes the biggest mistake of his life. But it made Chaira strong enough to stand up for herself. I love the character development and how it brought the book forward towards the big decision. Great book!.

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

[Brooke · Rating 2.5 out of 5]

The grovel was good, but she caved too easily. The BBS dropped the rating. This man had her beaten and put a gun to her head because he's too stupid to see he's being played. The videos were badly edited and his wife had never given him any indication that she was a liar, but he believed the "evidence" at the drop of a hat. There would have been no coming back from that.